Commemorative biographical record of Washington County, Pennsylvania, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Part 106

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1540

USA > Pennsylvania > Washington County > Commemorative biographical record of Washington County, Pennsylvania, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families > Part 106

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tion with general farming conducted a distillery, making a specialty of peach brandy. He died Jan- uary 2, 1841, and April 15, 1864, his wife was laid beside him. The children of this family were born as follows: Alice, Connel, John, Esther (Mrs. Richard Crosby), Maria, Felix and James.

Felix Boyle, son of Felix and Ann (Rice) Boyle, was born June 13, 1813, on the homestead in Carroll township. He received a good educa- tion, and learned carpentry and ship-building at Elizabethtown, Penn,, working at the latter busi- ness for many years. For a time he was employed on the United States vessels, and in that capacity traveled extensively, having been on the Red river under Capt. Shreve, who founded the town of Shreveport, La. Mr. Boyle was instrumental in breaking up the immense raft in the Red river some years ago, also being employed on the Rio Grande river in Texas. After leaving the river he assisted in the two large shipyards near Mononga- hela on the Monongahela river, operated by his brothers-Connel and John Boyle, also in the black- smith shops, mills and in opening coal mines, etc. After following this business several years with great success, he retired to his farm in Carroll township, where he died October 4, 1884, of can- cer, for which he had been unsuccessfully treated by skillful New York physicians. Politically he was an ardent Democrat, serving in many town- ship offices, but declined to serve in county posi- tions. An enterprising citizen and successful bus- iness man, he was also a cheerful, kind-hearted neighbor, ever ready to aid the needy. He left a widow and one son, the only daughter, Maria, hav- ing preceded him to the grave on Christmas day, 1878. The son, Joseph James, was born October 19, 1876, and is now living on the old farm with his widowed mother. He is a leader in his classes at school, and bids fair to do honor to the name he bears. Miss Crosby, granddaughter of Felix Boyle, the elder, is living with Mrs. Boyle. The latter superintends the management of the home place, which contains 123 acres of fertile land.

C LARK M. UNDERWOOD is a son of James, and a grandson of Abraham Underwood The latter was descended from one of nine brothers who were English Quakers, and came to America with William Penn. Abraham Underwood was born in 1765, in Philadelphia, Penn., and after the Revolutionary war, engaged in mercantile pursuits at Baltimore, Md. About the year 1800 he came to Brownsville, Fayette Co., Penn., and there followed his trade of tailor. He reared a family of five children, of whom George is the only one yet living. Another son, Cyrus, has been one of the most prominent and useful citizens of Washington county, and served for twenty-four

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years as member of the school board of Monon- gahela, and recorder of Washington county one term. He was a man of unusual intelligence, and very popular in the community. He died in 1885. The father removed to Monongahela City in 1832, and worked at his trade until just before his death, which occurred in 1840. He was a member of the Whig party. With other brothers' families he was a member of the M. E. Church.

James Underwood, son of Abraham, was born in 1810, in the house which is yet standing on the homestead near Brownsville, Penn. He there learned the trade of a coverlet weaver, making the old-fashioned but beautiful bed clothing so seldom seen in the present day. He followed his trade until thirty years of age. The increasing use of machinery then obliged him to abandon the busi- ness, and he learned ship carpentry in the yards at Brownsville, Penn. In early manhood he was mar- ried to Miss Lydia Bright, who was born in 1810, and the following children blessed their union: Clark M .; Cyrus, who was for thirty years a resi- dent of Chicago, and is now the wealthy manager of large safe works at Elizabeth, Penn .; Catherine, Mosoria, both of whom died in infancy; Sarah, wife. of Rev. Fanning, of Minneapolis, Minn., and Mag- gie, widow of Joseph Powell, who died in 1889, living with her mother in Fayette county, Penn. After locating in Brownsville, Mr. Under wood continued to follow his trade until ten years prior to his death in 1884, in his seventy-fourth year. In politics he was a Republican, and served as school director for many years, and was also a member of the M. E. Church. Continuing to re- side on a farm, four miles from Brownsville, and two and a half miles from his birthplace, until his death. The mother is yet living with her daughter in Fayette county, Penn.

Clark M. Underwood was born January 14, 1834, on Front street, in Brownsville, Penn., and learned ship carpentering of his father, with whom he worked for ten years. He then engaged in the shoe business at St. Louis, Mo., and sold out when the Civil war began. Commissioned by the Secretary of the Navy, he entered the navy as master ship carpenter, serving on the famous " Essex," under Admiral David D. Porter. He was aboard one of the vessels, the "Lafayette," which ran the blockade at Vicksburg in 1863, and partic- ipated in many other well-known engagements. At the close of the war he returned to Washington county, Penn., and settled on a farm near Clays- ville, where he resided until 1866. He then sold the place and moved upon another farm in West Finley township, residing there for twelve years, and in 1878 sold that property, and lived in Mo- nongahela City for two years, in the residence he bought from Henry McKaine on Chess street. In 1880 he bought the beautiful farm in Carroll

township, where he is now living, containing 104} acres of land, situated a short distance from Mo- nongahela. He was married May 4, 1852, to Miss Harriet, daughter of Benjamin Foster, who was then living in Monongahela. The following chil- dren were born to this union: Ida, Mrs. H. B. Carroll, of West Finley township; Charles, who resided in Dakota for several years, and recently moved to a farm in Iowa; Edward E. Under- wood, residing in Morton, Kans., is an extensive grain buyer; Clarence P., living in Nebraska, has a farm of 480 acres; Frank, the youngest son, is a student in the West Pennsylvania Medical College, and will graduate in 1894, and Margaret, a teacher in the public schools of Washington county, is the youngest child. Mr. Underwood is an independ- ent voter, always casting his ballot for the candi- date who is best fitted for the office, regardless of his party preferences. In religious faith he and his wife prefer the Presbyterian Church.

AMES SAMPSON, a patriarchal son of the Keystone State, a retired agriculturist, and, in his younger days, a typical follower of Nimrod, is a native of Westmoreland county, born in 1806. William Sampson, his father, came, when a young man, in company with several brothers, from their native home in Ireland to the shores of Columbia, and made a permanent set- tlement in Westmoreland county. William mar- ried Mrs. Mary (Neal) Beazell, daughter of the pioneer of the Monongahela Valley, Matthew Neal, and widow of Matthew Beazell. To them were born four children: James (formerly president of the Peoples Bank), Harvey, Thomas and Dorcas. The latter married Elijah Teeple. To her mar- riage with Matthew Beazell five children were born: Catherine, Elizabeth, Margaret, William and John . In 1812 William Sampson moved to Horse Shoe Bottom, in Carroll township, Washington county, where he successfully followed farming and distil- ling, at the time of his death owning 200 acres of land, part of which he had bought at $12 per acre. In his day grain was cut with a sickle, and he was famed far and near for his dexterous handling of that primitive implement, and for the amount of wheat, barley, oats or grass he could cut in a day. He died at the age of forty-five years.

James Sampson, of whom this sketch more es- pecially treats, married, in 1840, Miss Mary, daughter of Robert Grant, of Carroll township. This lady died March 25, 1888. To them were born nine children, of whom two died in infancy. Harriet first married. Thomas Reeves, by which union there were two daughters: Mary (wife of Harvey Fry, by whom she has one son) and Lena (wife of Harry Nuttall, of Pittsburgh; they have one son). Mrs. Reeves was again married, this

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time to Joseph Truman, since deceased. Mrs. Truman, who is a lady of true refinement, now re- sides with her father on the home farm. William Sampson married Miss Lou Welch, daughter of John Welch, of Mt. Vernon, Ohio, and to them five children were born: Mary, Sarah, John, Lulu and Willie. Kate married Capt. Jenkins, and to her two children were born, Mary and Virginia. Jennie married T. J. Weddell, and has three chil- dren, James, Jessie and Mary. Harvey married Miss Jennie Yorty, to whom six children were born: Bertie, Grace, James, Ada, Frank and Ethel. John married Mary V. Williams, and to them five children were born: Gertrude, Howard, Grant, Helen and Alice M. Ada Ethel married C. R. Dallas, of Pittsburgh, they are the parents of four children: James S., Sarah, Charlie and an infant, deceased.

Mr. Sampson has been a hardworking, honest and frugal man, and, though now past the eighty- sixth milestone on his journey through life, is keen and bright in intellect. In middle life he was fond of hunting, and took great pride in be- ing the owner of the fleetest dogs in his section. Many a time, after doing a hard day's work on the farm, he would spend almost an entire night in the pursuit of game, accompanied by his faithful dogs. In politics he has been a Whig, Know-nothing and Republican, in the ranks of which latter party he has voted since its organization. Now, in peaceful retirement, the owner of 1,200 acres of land, Mr. Sampson finds himself surrounded with the comforts that come to the sunset of a well- spent, industrious life.

A BIA MINOR HAYS, a prominent and popular dealer in general merchandise in the village of Simpson's Store, East Finley township, was born April 12, 1852, on the banks of the Little Kanawha river, Wood county, near Parkersburg, W. Va., his parents having a short time before his birth removed thither from Waynesburg, Greene Co., Penn,

His father, James Wilson Hays, who was born in Waynesburg December 21, 1817, was engaged in mercantile business for many years in his native town, and Graysville, same State. He represented the Fortieth Senatorial District of Pennsylvania in the State Senate, serving two terms. His wife (the mother of our subject), also a native of Greene county, was Hannah M., daughter of Abia Minor, and granddaughter of Gen. John Minor, who was one of the associate judges of Greene county for many years, in fact, up to the time of his death. William Hays, the paternal grandfather of A. M. Hays, migrated in 1804 from Adams county, Penn., to Waynesburg, where he embarked in mercantile business, and for nearly a score of years

held the office of prothonotary of the county. Sarah (Wilson) Hays (grandmother of A. M. Hays) was a daughter of James Wilson, a native of Ire- land, who emigrated to America and settled at Washington, Penn., along with many other so- called "Scotch-Irish Presbyterians," in the latter part of the last century. He was there married to a Miss Lytle, and removed to Waynesburg at the time Greene county was founded, and that village was made the county seat; he became the first postmaster at Waynesburg.

Abia Minor Hays served an apprenticeship of several years with his father in the mercantile business at Graysville, Greene Co., Penn., and then, in 1878, embarked in business for himself, in merchandising at Enon, in Richhill township, Greene county. In 1879 he moved to the village of Simpson's Store, subsequently purchasing the property. He sold his interests there to W. E. Jenkins, October 1, 1892, and moved to Washing- ton, Penn. Early in 1893 he leased the Whitla store, No. 25 Broadway, New Brighton, Beaver county, and established there an extensive dry- goods house with departments devoted to carpets, millinery, books and stationery. Mr. Hays is a Democrat, but not a politician. He was postmaster at Harvey's, Greene county, for three years, and afterward at Simpson's Store for twelve years, or until his removal to Washington, Penn. Mr. Hays was married April 24, 1879, to Miss Nannie Hous- ton, who was born in Richhill township, Greene county, November 25, 1852. She is a daughter of Simon Houston, Esq., who removed to Greene county in 1848 from Washington county, and died March 14, 1877. Her mother, Maria (Cummins) Houston, now living, was born August 3, 1824, in Greene county, of which her parents were natives. To the marriage of A. M. and Nannie (Houston) Hays four children were born, namely: Nancy Maria, October 20, 1880; Sophia Elizabeth, Feb- ruary 9, 1883; Wilson Houston, February 14, 1887, and Harry Minor, December 10, 1892. The three first named are now (March, 1893) residing at Simp- son's Store. Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Hays and their eldest daughter are members of the Christian Church.

D EMAS L. AMES, one of the prominent citizens of West Bethlehem township, is a son of John Ames, whose father, Jabez, was born in Maryland, where he grew to manhood and married Elizabeth Smith.

Jabez Ames came to Washington county, and erected one of the first log cabins here. The country was very wild, and the Indians became so hostile that Mr. Ames, after repeated efforts to clear his land (for which he had previously secured a patent), turned Indian-fighter and hunter. In that lonely little cabin were born fivesons and three daughters,

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all of whom are dead. John, who was the young- est of the boys, attended one of the first schools organized in Washington county, and at the early age of seventeen, in the year 1818, married Mary Thompson, a daughter of Thomas Thompson, who came to Washington county about the same time as the elder Ames, and whose family also consisted of five sons and three daughters. To John and Mary Ames the following named children were born: Rosa Ann, now living in Scottsburgh, Ind., widow of Otto Mayheart; Elizabeth, in Hills- borough, this county, widow of Henry Bush; Arthur, a prominent farmer of West Pike Run township; E. H., living in West Bethlehem town- ship; Demas L., our subject; Mary Ann (Mrs. Samuel Yoder), who died in April, 1880; John Mertin, who died in 1878, and Joshua, Celia and Samuel, all three of whom died in infancy, Samuel breathing his last in the arms of his brother Demas.

Demas L. Ames was born October 17, 1840, and his early life was spent upon the home farm, and in learning the trade of blacksmith, which he was eventually compelled to abandon because of de- fective eyesight. He then returned to farming, which he has since followed. He married Lydia A. Miller, daughter of Joseph Miller, of Amwell township, December 21, 1861, and to them the following children were born: Joshua, who died in infancy; Elizabeth, a resident of West Bethlehem township, wife of Isaiah Grable; Emmer Marsh, who lives at the home of his parents, and who mar- ried Louisa Gunloe, a daughter of Henry Gunloe, of West Bethlehem township; and Arabella, living in Somerset township, the wife of Jonathan Konkle. The mother of Demas, who is a remarkably pre-

possessing old lady, resides at his home. She en- joys the distinction of being the grandmother and the great-grandmother of forty-two descendants. During the war, Demas Ames was a member of Company A, 22d P. V. C., under James P. Hart; he was, however, transferred to Company B, 18th P.V. C., before the close of the struggle. He was a gal- lant soldier, and served his country long and well, but like many another, he contracted diseases while in the service, from which he is to-day suffering. Mr. Ames is a life-long Republican, although not an office seeker, and has declined to accept nom- inations proffered by his party. Both himself and wife are earnest members of the Disciple Church.

S AMUEL GARRETT. This lifelong hon- ored resident of West Bethlehem township is a grandson of Peter Garrett and son of Nicholas, who was born in Maryland in 1779, and there married Mary Ann Baumgardner. About the commencement of the present century they removed to Washington county, Penn. The children born to them were as follows: Elizabeth,

Rachel, Mary Ann, Lydia, Catherine, Susan, Sarah, Jacob, Peter, Samuel, John and William.

Samuel Garrett was born July 15, 1816, in West Bethlehem township. His education was the best that could be secured under the circumstances, but he took advantage of every opportunity which might add to his store of knowledge, and is there- fore a very well read man. In his youth the country was wild, and the young pioneer fre- quently encountered Indians and wild animals. In 1840 he married Deliah Grable, daughter of Samuel Grable, of West Bethlehem township, and after marriage they removed to the farm which he now owns. The following children have been born to them: Cephas, Silas, Lebens, Lavina, Clara, and one that died in infancy. The mother of these children died in 1857, Mr. Garrett is a Democrat, but ill health has prevented his taking an active part in politics for the last five years. Prior to 1887 he was prominent in the political affairs of his township, and was repeatedly elected to the office of justice of the peace. His farm con- sists of 135 acres of very fine land. The house in which he resides was built by Jacob Garber in 1818. Mr. Garrett is a member of the Lutheran Church.

UYON MORRISON. The Morrisons of the Upper Chartiers Valley trace their ancestry to Guyon (or Gavin) Morrison, who removed from East Nottingham, in Chester county, Penn., and settled on a tract of land on the waters of Chartiers creek, within the limits of Chartiers township, in Washington county, of the same State, prior to the war of the Revolution. By comparison of data, from traditions and records, it is reasonably certain that Guyon Morrison came from Northern Ireland to Delaware Bay with the great Scotch-Irish migration of the year 1729. He was born, probably in Londonderry, about the year 1705. His ancestors, doubtless, had come with the influx of Presbyterians from Scotland, prior to the famous siege of that place in 1689. The family name "Morrison" had belonged to a clan in Scotland from an early period.

In this country, as far as known, the earliest mention of the name of Guyon Morrison is found in the taxable lists of East Nottingham, Chester Co., Penn., for the year 1730. In the lists re- ferred to, his name appears in the class of unmar- ried men; in the lists for the year 1734 his name appears in the class of householders or married men, from which fact we infer that his marriage had taken place in the year 1733, His name re- curs, in the East Nottingham lists, continuously until the year 1770, after which date it disappears from the lists. The official records of Chester county show that in December, 1770, Guyon Mor-

G. Marion

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rison disposed of his property in Chester county, and, as his name is not found there on records of a later date, it is certain that he must have removed from that county in the year 1771. Some records recently found in Washington county show that in the year 1776 the Morrisons had been settled on the waters of a tributary of Chartiers creek, for a sufficient length of time to give to the stream the name of "Morrison's run." In fact, the name " Morrison's run " became the official designation of the stream, as will be learned by reference to the Patent records of the Pennsylvania Land Office. The family traditions likewise confirm the conclu- sion that the Morrisons, on their removal from Chester county in the year 1771, came directly to the place of their settlement in the Upper Chartiers Valley. Soon after Guyon Morrison had settled on Chartiers, this entire region passed under the con- trol of the colony of Virginia. For many years he held the tract on which he had settled, under the original "tomahawk" right. He lived, however, to witness the re-establishment of the authority of Pennsylvania, and the creation of the county of Washington. Of the tract on which he settled, the larger portion still remains in the possession of descendants bearing the same name, having passed by inheritance until it is now, after a lapse of 120 years, in the hands of his great-grandchil- dren.

In the will of Guyon Morrison, which was made on August 28, 1782, his son John and Hon. Matthew Ritchie were named as executors. This will was entered for record on July 2, 1783. From the date of the entrance of the will for record it is reasonably certain that the death of Guyon Mor- rison occurred in June, 1783. Of the history of his wife nothing is known. There is reason to be- lieve that her maiden name was Margaret Wilson. From the fact that her name is not found in the conveyance of the Morrison property, made in De- cember, 1770, it seems probable that her death had occurred prior to that time. They had issue: William, Elizabeth, John, Jane, Margaret, Fran- cis, Guyon, Jr., and James.

(1) William, eldest of the family of Guyon Morrison, Sr., was born probably in 1735. About the year 1760 he married Ann - , and resided for a time in Chester county. On his removal to this region he settled on a tract in Peters township, near the east branch of Chartiers creek, where he resided until his death in July, 1818. His wife had died about twenty years before. They had issue: John, James, George, Elizabeth, Francis, Guyon, Ann, William, Jr., Seth and David.

John (eldest of the family of William, Sr.) died in early manhood. James (son of William, Sr.) was born probably in 1765; he married Phebe M. , and resided in Robinson township, where he died September 11, 1832; his wife survived him 32

some years; they had issue: John, Barnabas, Keziah (wife of John Brown), James, Martha and Elizabeth. George (son of William, Sr.) was born in 1767; about 1800 he married Mary Graham, and resided in Robinson township until his death, May 12, 1854; his wife died in 1845; they had issue: John, William, Seth, Mary (wife of Joseph Partridge, Sr.), George, Jr., Rachel, Jared, Ann (wife of William Best), and David. Elizabeth (daughter of William, Sr.) was born in 1771; in 1791 she married Stephen Sexton, who was a step- son of Thomas Wilson, an early settler of Peters township; in April, 1802, she removed to Poland, in Mahoning county, Ohio, where she resided until her death, April 30, 1830; her husband died in 1856, aged ninety-four years; they had issue: John, Nancy (wife of John Justice), Joseph, Will- iam, Stephen, Jr., and Martha (wife of Isaac Justice). Francis (son of William, Sr.) was born in 1773; in 1795 he married Rosanna Frew, daughter of Alexander Frew, and soon afterward removed to Slippery Rock, in Lawrence county, where he resided until his death June 5, 1837; his wife died in 1846; they had issue: Ann (wife of Joseph Eccles), William and Alexander. Guyon (son of William, Sr.) was born in April, 1775; in 1807 he married Hannah Cannon, and resided in Peters township until his death, October 1, 1846; his wife died in 1872, aged eighty-five years; no issue. Ann (daughter of William, Sr.) was born in 1777; after the death of her father she removed to the home of her sister, Elizabeth Sexton, at Poland, Ohio; in 1821 she married John Frew, son of Alexander Frew, and removed to Slippery Rock, in Lawrence county, where she resided until her death, June 11, 1852; her husband died in 1853, aged eighty-three years; no issue. William, Jr. (son of William, Sr.), was born in 1779; until middle life he resided in Washington county; in his latter years he removed to Lawrence county, where he resided with his nephew William, son of his brother Francis, until his death in 1855. Seth (son of William, Sr.) was born in 1781; in 1809 he married Rachel Laird, daughter of James and Elizabeth Laird; in 1811 he removed to Meso- potamia, in Trumbull county, Ohio, where he was killed by the falling of a tree, June 16, 1823: no issue; his widow, who married John Chambers, died in 1850, aged sixty years. David (youngest of the family of William, Sr.) was born in 1783; he married Priscilla Braden, and resided in Peters township until his death, January 28, 1830; no issue; his widow married Alexander McBurney.

(2) Elizabeth, daughter of Guyon Morrison, Sr., was probably the second in order of birth. About 1760 she married John Loughridge, Jr., and resided in East Nottingham, in Chester county, until her death in 1767. Her husband had died in 1766. They had issue: Elizabeth and Margaret,

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who accompanied their grandfather Morrison on his removal to the Chartiers Valley. By his will they were made legatees of his estate. There is reason to believe that Elizabeth married a Mr. Cochrane, prior to the year 1789. It is thought probable that Margaret was unmarried, and had died prior to that year. Nothing further is known of them,

(3) John, son of Guyon Morrison, Sr., was prob- ably the third in order of birth. He was one of the executors of his father's estate. His name is found in the list of the first grand jury called, un- der the authority of Pennsylvania, to meet in Washington county. He acquired a large tract of land in Peters township, where he resided until his death in March, 1789. He was unmarried.

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Commemorative biographical record of Washington County, Pennsylvania, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Part 106

Author: J.H. Beers & Co Publication date: 1893 Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers Number of Pages: 1540

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1540