Century history of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Vol. II, Part 97

Author: McFarland, Joseph Fulton; Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co. (Chicago) pbl
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 898

USA > Pennsylvania > Washington County > Washington > Century history of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Vol. II > Part 97

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

the Johnetta Coal Company of Pittsburg, Pa., and presi- dent of Four States Coal & Coke Company of Fairmont, W. Va.

Mr. Jones was married in 1892 to Miss Mary Feechan, who is a daughter of the late Bernard and Mary Feechan. Mrs. Jones was born in Scotland and accompanied her parents to America in 1882. They settled on the Monon- gahela River, where her father subsequently died. Mr. and Mrs. Jones have two children, James B. and Francis, both of whom are students in the Canonsburg High School, the former being a member of the graduating Class of 1910 and the latter of the Class of 1912. Mr. D. G. Jones graduated from Monongahela High School with honors in the Class of 1890.

In 1909 Mr. Jones completed the erection of a very fine residence at Canonsburg. It is architecturally beau- tiful and has been finished according to the artistic ideas of those who will occupy it, Mrs. Jones having gained ideas for the arrangement of her drawing room while on a visit to the Vatican, at Rome. This man- siou contains twenty-seven apartments and all are ar- ranged with ideas of comfort and convenience. The whole interior is beautifully furnished, there being works of art and many reminders of pleasant days of travel in other lands. There are few ladies better known at Canonsburg than Mrs. Jones. For some years she has given a large part of her time to charitable and benevo- lent work and those who particularly appeal to ber kind heart are the children of the miners. To them she is generous in her largesses and thoughtful and sympa- thetic when they are sick. It is no unusual sight to see her in the midst of a party of children in her automobile and during the past summer sbe gave an outing to hun- dreds of them. They will never forget their happy "joy rides" as they term them. Mr. Jones, with all his pri- vate interests is never forgetful of his publie duties and. believing that every citizen should do his part, he has occasionally accepted the cares of office and at present is serving as a member of the borough Council; will commence to serve as school director in June. A beauti- ful and filial custom is the meeting of all the members of the family annually, to celebrate the father's birth- day.

W. J. SUTHERLAND, a member of the West Finley Township school board and treasurer of his school dis- triet, is a representative and highly respected citizen of this section of Washington County, and he resides on the farm on which he was born, situated one mile east of the village of Good Intent, August 11, 1852. His parents were William Ross and Jane (Jordan) Suther- land.

William Ross Sutherland, whose death occurred Oeto- ber 14, 1900, was long one of West Finley's most justly

valued citizens. He was a man of sterling character as was shown by the way in which he honestly made his own way in the world, lent a helping hand to others, was many times honored by election to office by his fellow citizens and for twenty-six years held the high position of an elder in the United Presbyterian Church. Of his parents little is known by his descendants except that they were of Scotch extraction and were residents of West Finley Township at the time of the birth of Will- iam Ross Sutherland. They probably did not live into old age as very early in his life, William Ross not only worked for his own support, but also took care of his two brothers, even when his wages for a day of hard labor did not exceed 3712 cents. It was after his mar- riage that he came on what is now the Sutherland farm, which he rented for a few years, but subsequently bought and thereafter followed farming and stock rais- ing during the rest of his active life. He was frequently called to serve on both petit and grand juries, for two years was constable of the township and for twenty-six years was a school director. In his early years he was a Whig, but after 1857 was a Republican. He married Jane Jordan, who died February 8, 1903. They had three children: Wilson Wiley, who died at the age of thirty- four years, left a widow, Mrs. Mary E. Sutherland, and six children-Nora, who is the wife of Adrian Blayney; Cecil, who died in 1895, at Sistersville, W. Va .; Nettie, who died in August, 1902, at Washington, Pa .; Edgar, who lives in West Finley; Herbert, who also lives in West Finley; and Monnie, who is at home; W. J .; and Ada Victoria, who is now the wife of J. A. Hutchison, of West Finley Township, and has three children- Harry S., Delbert and Ethel Hutchison, all living at home.

W. J. Sutherland attended the winter sessions of school in his district until eighteen years of age, after which he turned his attention to farming and has re- mained on the home place ever since and occupies the house that was built when he was six years old. On September 1, 1898, he was married to Miss Eva May Hutchison, a daughter of William and Sarah (Gilmore) Hutchison. Mr. Hutchison still lives, but Mrs. Hntchi- son died in 1890. Mrs. Sutherland first attended the district schools in West Finley Township, then the local Normal School, gaining a teacher's certificate. She en- gaged in teaching in West Finley and Buffalo Town- ships for seven years, after which she spent two years in mission work at Chase City, Va. Mr. and Mrs. Suther- land are members of the Wheeling congregation of the United Presbyterian Church of the Chartiers Presby- tery, which is located in Dogwood Grove. Mr. Suther- land is a trustee of this church and it was of this con- gregation that his father was so long au elder. He is also a director of the Cemetery Association at Claysville.

CAPT. JOHN C. FRENCH

E. E. FRENCH, M.D.

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

Mr. Sutherland has always been identified with the Ro- publican party. He not only has been foremest in edu- cational matters in his township, but has served on both petit and traverse juries and also as tax collector and auditor.

REV. S. G. CONNER, pastor of the Reformed Presby- terian Church of Miller's Run, is one of the best known and most highly esteemed citizens of Ceeil Township, in which he owns eight acres of well cultivated land, located close to Venice Station. He was born at Midway, Wash- ington County, Pa., December I1, 1855, and is a son of William and Nancy (George) Conner, and is one of the five survivors of their family of six children.

Samuel George Conner, the subject of this sketch, at- tended the Midway schools and the Hickory and Jeffer- son Academies, the latter at Canonsburg, going from there to Geneva College, at Beaver Falls, and then com- pleted his theological course at the Reformed Presby. terian Seminary at Allegheny. From there he came to Cecil Township in May, 1889, and has since continued in the pastorate of the Miller's Run Church. llis con- gregation is a large one, drawn from a wide surrounding district and many of the family names on the church record have appeared there since the organization of this church, many years ago. Rev. Conner enjoys the affection and respect of his own people and also the high regard of his neighbors of other denominations.

On September 2, 1890, Rev. Conner was married to Miss Anna M. Hill, a daughter of John and Melissa (McClure) Hill, and they have had three children: Dwight H .; Imogene, deceased, and Willard.

HARRY D. HAMILTON, a leading member of the Washington bar, and a member of the Board of Law Examiners of Washington County, was born in 1874, in Washington County, Pa., and is a son of the late Dr. Alexander T. Hamilton.

The Hamilton family was established in Washington County in 1793 by the great-grandfather of our subject and both he and his son, Robert C. Hamilton, spent their lives in agricultural pursuits. Alexander T. Hamilton, son of Robert C., was born in North Strabane Township, Washington County, Pa., in 1837 and for many years was engaged in the practice of medicine.

Harry D. Hamilton was mainly educated at Pittsburg prior to entering Washington and Jefferson College, where he graduated in the Class ef 1899. In 1902 he graduated from the Pittsburg Law School and was ad- mitted to the Allegheny County bar and later, in the same year, to the Washington County bar, subsequently being admitted to practice in all the courts of the State. Mr. Hamilton is a Democrat in politics and takes a good citizen's interest in all that concerns eivie matters.

In June, 1903, he was married to Miss Mabel llood, of Washington. They are members of the Second Presby- terian Church. He is a member of the Masonic fra- ternity.

WILLIAM II. ZELLERS, proprietor of the Hotel Charleroi, of Charleroi, Pa., was born in Pittsburg, l'a., a son of Joseph Francis and Sarah Zellers, deceased, and has been a resident of Charleroi since August 16, 1894, and was identified with the Macbeth. Evaus Glass Company prior to engaging in the hotel business.

William 11. Zellers was reared and educated at Pitts- burg, and subsequent to leaving school learned his trade with the Fort Pitt Glass Company of Pittsburg, Pa., and later was engaged by the Maebeth-Evans Glass Com. pany, in whose employ he remained thirty years, work- ing in Pittsburg and Charleroi.

Mr. Zellers purchased the Hotel Charleroi from Will- iam R. Guat November 18, 1904, which was erected by a stock company in 1891. This is one of the largest buildings of the town, modern and up-to-date, being of brick construction, four stories high, containing forty- mine sleeping-rooms, many of them with running water and private baths. Rates are $2.00 and $2.50 per day.

Mr. Zellers married Mary A. Walters, and to them have been born the following children: William Henry; Mar- garet E., wife of Franklin B. Schreyer; Walter A .; Evelyn L .; Mary Irene, wife of Harry .]. Mann; Cath- arine; Virginia and Sudie, living, and Carl Howard and Ruth Loraine, deceased. Mr. Zellers is a member of the B. P. O. E. and F. O. E.

EDWARD E. FRENCHI, M. D., the subject of this sketch, was born September 23, 1865, near the village of Prosperity, Washington County, Pa. In early life he ac- quired such an education as could be obtained in the public schools of the times, and then attended Wash- ington and Jefferson College. Following his collegiate education he began the study of medicine with E. H. Carey, M. D., of Prosperity, a physician eminent in his profession. After a course of preparation he took a full course at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, from which he received his degree in 1887. For a short time he was an assistant of Dr. D. M. Anderson, of Finley- ville, and Venetia, Pa. In the year 1889 he located at Bentleyville, where he, in company with Dr. Booth, es- tablished an extensive practice. In 1903 James W. Ells- worth, the owner and proprietor of the town and col- lieries of Ellsworth, Pa., requested him to change his location to that place, which he did, and he remains the physician and surgeon for the company to the pres- ent time (February, 1910). Dr. French, who is wedded to his profession, and is of untiring energy, found that the growth of the town was so great that one physician

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

could not in justice to himself handle the work, and for the past three years has been obliged to employ an assistant. At present he has the able services of A. H. D. Gross, M. D., of Pittsburg.

Dr. French is the eldest of four children born to Capt. J. C. and Sevilla V. French, who now reside at Bentley- ville, the others being Mary Leah, wife of A. N. Booth, M. D., of Bentleyville; Charles Clinton, who died at the age of thirteen months, and Rev. J. Calvin French, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Frenchtown, N. J. The family from which Dr. French comes is of that old Scotch-Irish lineage known the country over, as stalwart Presbyterians. From the great-great-grand- father down to the present, each generation has fur- nished their quota of ministers of the Gospel, as well as a liberal sprinkling in the other high professions. They have also been a family of patriots. The great- grandfather, Alexander French, having been attached to Gen. Washington's staff in the darkest days of the Revolution, and down to the doctor's father, who in early life was engaged in business iu a southern State, when secession threatened the overthrow of our national fabric. It was then that J. C. French found his way, as best he could, to the nearest recruiting eamp for the Union Army, and enlisted as a private soldier for three years, or during the war. Having no acquaintances of political influence, he only aspired to do his duty, and leave time and faithful service, to bring recognition and reward. By regular steps in line of promotion he rose from pri- vate soldier to a first lientenancy. In 1863, while in command of the advance column in a battle at White Sulphur Springs, Va., he received a severe wound near the knee, which distorted the joint and has measureably disabled him for the remainder of life. Having been rescued from the battlefield by comrades, he was kindly sheltered in the home of Mrs. Jonathan Arnold, a sister of the famous Confederate chieftain, "Stonewall" Jaek-

son. When sufficiently recovered he returned to his command and was commissioned adjutant of his regi- ment. The historian of the regiment took occasion to say of him. "There was no braver officer in the regi- ment, and Lieut. French deserves special mention for his gallant condnet at the second battle of Bull Run and his splendid leadership in the extreme advance, in the dash where he received his wound." Capt. French has been honored by his fellow citizens by being ehosen county treasurer, and twice elected to the Legislature from Washington County.

Dr. French was united in marriage with Miss Sarah MI. Young, of Pittsburg, February 3, 1891, who is a daughter of the late Nathaniel Young, a veteran of the Civil War. Their home not being blessed with children of their own, they adopted a niece, Miss Ada Young, in

infancy, and have educated her, and she is now a suc- cessful teacher in her home school.

Dr. French is fraternally an Odd Fellow, has been secretary of Pigeon Creek Lodge of Bentleyville, Pa., for the past twenty years. Is a Mason and member of the Beallsville Lodge No. 237, F. & A. M., Monongahela Chapter No. 248, Royal Arch Masons, and member of the MeKean Commandery No. 80, Knights Templar, Charleroi, Pa. Is a member of the Charleroi Lodge 494, B. P. O. E. He is also a member of the Wash- ington County Medical Society. Is a member of the State Medical Society of Pennsylvania and of the American Medical Association.

Dr. French is health officer for the townships of Somerset and West Bethlehem, also secretary of the Ellsworth Board of Health, in all of which work he takes special interest and is fully alive to all that pertains to the development and building up of the business in- terests of the community in which he lives.

B. R. MeCARTY, one of Mt. Pleasant Township's representative and substantial citizens, resides on his finely improved farm of 110 acres, situated in Mt. Pleasant Township, Washington County, Pa., on which he was born August 22, 1841. He owns also a half in- terest in a second farm, comprising 147 acres. His par- ents were John and Jane (Roseberry ) McCarty.

John McCarty was born and reared in Mt. Pleasant Township, where his father, Timothy McCarty, had been an early settler. He married Jane Roseberry, who was born September 5, 1810, a daughter of Benjamin Rose- berry, of Robinson Township, and to them the following children were born: Martha, who married Russell Thomp- son and had five ehildren; Timothy, a graduate of a Philadelphia medical college, who married Tillie George and at death left a widow and one ehild, Cora A .; B. R., of Mt. Pleasant Township; James H., now deceased, who was a physician in Harrison County, Ohio; John S., who resides at Midway, Pa .; Richard C., who was accidentally drowned July 4, 1851; and Elizabeth M. and Thomas D. .John MeCarty was an excellent business man and he en- gaged iu farming and stockraising all through his active life. He was a staunch Demoerat. From youth he had been identified with the Raccoon Presbyterian Church, in which he was an elder for a long period. His death occurred January 19, 1886, and that of his wife, April 11, 1874, and their burial was in the Raccoon Cemetery.

B. R. McCarty obtained his education in the public schools of Mt. Pleasant Township, many advances iu method having been made sinee his father had sought knowledge in the little log structures with greased paper for windows, in his boyhood. There was plenty to do on the home farm and Mr. MeCarty took a large share on his shoulders and after coming into possession, erected

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

all the present substantial buildings. An air of thrift and good management pervades the place and makes it an ideal summer home. Mr. McCarty takes advantage of ample means and usually spends his winters in some neighboring town or city. In addition to general farm- ing he has a large dairy industry, keeping fine grade stock for the same and shipping 25 gallons of milk daily to the Pittsburg market.

On November 25, 1864, Mr. MeCarty was married to Miss Elizabeth Akins, a daughters of William Akins, and they have two surviving children, Edward R., who mar- ried Phillipine Bess; and Joseph A., who married Merrit Thomas. Mr. and Mrs. MeCarty attend the United Presbyterian Church. He has been a life-long Democrat.

HOIIN RUSSELL WILSON, who is employed as civil enginver of the National Pike for the State Highway De- partment of Pennsylvania, has charge of the work on National Pike through the state, and all the work on state roads in Washington and Greene Counties. He was born in 1877, on South Main Street, Washington, Pa., and is a son of Dr. T. D. M. Wilson, one of the leading physicians of this city.

Mr. Wilson was reared in Washington and attended the common schools of the city. In 1896 he graduated at Kiskimenetas Preparatory School, then entered Wash- ington and Jefferson College, taking a special course in engineering. On leaving college he engaged in engineer- ing work for the Pressed Steel Car Company which posi- tion he held until November, 1903, when he was ap- pointed Civil Engineer of county road work for Washing- ton County where he continued until February, 1906. when he resigned to accept the position as engineer of the State Highway Department. Mr. Wilson is one of the leading young business men of Washington and is a member of the Engineers' Club of Central Pennsylvania. He is a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Washington.

In September, 1906, Mr. Wilson was married to Joanna Grace Clutter, daughter of John P. Clutter, who belongs to one of the pioneer families of the County, and to them have been born two children, Alice Elizabeth and John Russell, Jr. In politics Mr. Wilson is an active Repub- liean.

THOMAS LEWIS. a successful oil operator, who re- sides on his valuable little farm of six aeres, situated one mile south of MeDonald, Pa., in Ceeil Township. was born in England, Apr. 9, 1863. His parents were Thomas and Rachel (Leader) Lewis, who spent their lives there. The father, however, came to the United States in early life, and was for a time located in Minne- sota, where be owned a farm. He later sold a farm and

returned to England, where he died when our subject was about 13 years old.

Mr. Lewis attended school in England, in his boyhood, but from youth has more or less made his own way in the world. He was married in South Wales, Dec. 29, 1844, to Miss Elizabeth Am Powell, a daughter of Reese and Elizabeth (Thomas) Powell. After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis resided for one year in South Wales and then came to America, Mr. Lewis finding employ- ment at MeDonald, Pa., where they lived continuonsly for 24 years. For a large part of this time Mr. Lewis has been connected with the oil industry. In 1890 he purchased his present farm, on which there are two pro- during wells.

Mr. and Mrs. Lewis have seven children : Lilhan, Sarah R., John T., Pearl R., William E., Elizabeth G., and Genevieve M. They attend the United Presbyterian Church, as there is not now in MeDonald a Free Metho- dist Church, to which denomination Mr. Lewis belongs. Mr. Lewis casts his vote with the Republican party. He is a well known and respected citizen.

DANIEL BLACK (SCHWARTZ), who was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, eame to America prior to the Revolutionary War, settling in Cumberland County, Pa. In 1800 he located at Chambersburg and died there in advanced age. He was married in Germany and had two sons, Daniel and George. Daniel, who retained the old family name of Schwartz, settled in Knox County, Ill., where his descendants are yet to be found, and died when over eighty years of age.

George Black, the second son of the founder of the family and the progenitor of the Washington County Blacks, was born in Cumberland County, Pa., and was reared on the home farm and also learned milling. He carried on both industries and it is said he hauled many a load of flour all the way to Baltimore and to Phila- delphia. In 1820 he went to Chambersburg, Adams Coun- ty. Pa., where he learned the tobarco and cigar trade and in the same year came to Washington and embarked in a tobacco and cigar business in which he continued until his retirement in 1852. He was the originator of the "Stogie" eigar, so called from the old Conestoga wagons which were of Pennsylvania build and were in almost universal use at that time in carrying freight over the old National Turnpike Road. In 1856-7 Mr. Black erected the house on the corner of Wheeling street and Lincoln avenne, in which he resided until his death, January 30. 1862. For a period of some forty years he was a director in the Franklin Bank, now the First Na- tional Bank of Washington.

In 1832, Mr. Blaek was married to Julia Schaffer. a daughter of Jacob Schaffer, who was one of the early

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

jewelers and watch and clock makers at Washington, and died there in 1852, aged ninety-six years and four months. Mr. and Mrs. Black were the parents of eight children, as follows: Jacob, who died in California, in 1890; Martha, who married A. J. Montgomery; George W., who married M. Belle Crall; Mary, who married El- bridge G. Cracraft; and four who died in childhood. The mother of this family died July 19, 1865.

Of the above family, Martha Black married Audrew Jackson Montgomery, who died December 19, 1902. He was a son of Hon. William and Matilda (Duvall) Mont- gomery, the former of whom was one of Washington County's distinguished citizens. William Montgomery was graduated from Washington College, in 1839, after which he began the study of law under John L. Gow, and was admitted to the bar in 1841. His rise was rapid and brilliant, and in 1845 he was appointed district attorney by Goveror Shunk. In 1848 he received the Democratic nomination for State senator, and in 1854 was nom- inated for Congress and during that campaign made some of the most powerful speeches of his life. In 1856 he was elected to Congress and two years later was re- elected. He was known as one of the party leaders and was the author of the "Crittenden-Montgomery Resolu- tion" concerning the admission of Kansas to statehood. He was an eloquent orator and an eminent lawyer. He left three children: Andrew Jackson, James and Will- iam. Two children were born to Andrew Jackson and Martha (Black) Montgomery: Elizabeth, who is the wife of O. A. Beverstock, who resides at Orange, N. J .; and George, who resides with his mother, at Washing- ton, Pa.

J. K. SMITH, M. D., one of the successful and leading physicians of Charleroi, Pa., who, in point of service, is the oldest practitioner in this city, has been a resident here since 1890, when the town was first laid out. He was born July 26, 1868, near Claysville, Washington County, Pa., and is a son of George and Margaret (Knox) Smith, prominent farming people of Claysville, Pa.

Dr. Smith was reared iu Claysville, where he attended the local schools after which he taught in Buffalo, Mor- ris and Franklin townships for six years. After spend- ing one year at the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Baltimore, Md., he entered the Western Pennsylvania Medical College, from which he graduated in 1888. He first embarked in the practice of medicine at Anderson, Pa., remaining there two years. In 1890 he came to Charleroi, the town having been just platted, and here he has met with well merited success, and enjoys the con- fidence and esteem of his fellow citizens, his practice having grown in volume, with the ever increasing popula-

tion of the village. He was a member of the first school board of Charleroi, and is a member of the county and State medical societies. He is the present surgeon for the Pennsylvania Railroad, and belongs to the Masonic order, being a member of the Commandery.

On March 4, 1891, Dr. Smith was united in marriage with Ora Ackinson, of West Middletown, Pa., and they have one son, George, a student at the Washington and Jefferson College. Dr. Smith has his office and his resi- dence at the corner of Fifth street and Washington ave- nue.

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Century history of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens, 20th, Vol. II, Part 97

Author: McFarland, Joseph Fulton; Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co. (Chicago) pbl Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 898

Author: McFarland, Joseph Fulton; Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co. (Chicago) pbl
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 898