Commemorative biographical record of Washington County, Pennsylvania, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Part 141

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 141

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Joseph Reed, the father of the above, was a gentleman of the old school. His fine personal appearance alone commanded respect everywhere. For honesty of principle, goodness and charity, Mr. Reed had no superiors, and his home was always characterized by generous hospitality. He always lived on the homestead of his father. He was for many years justice of the peace; and it can be said of him that during all these years he had only two hearings before him, as he always used his influence to get an amicable settlement between the parties, rather than have a trial. Many other important positions of local trust were held by him. In his younger days he was a noted violinist, which art he

kept in practice until a short time before his death. Those who knew him placed a high esti- mate upon his judgment, and esteemed him for his uprightness, and the impress of his character was left upon all who met him. He was ordained an elder in Chartiers U. P. Church, February 15, 1854, but a few years later severed his connections with this church, and afterward attended the U. P. Church at Venice, which was much nearer his home. He retired from active business many years before his death. His memory never became im- paired, and his faculties for conversing even during the latter years of his life were remarkably clear. He died October 4, 1885, in his ninetieth year.

Joseph Reed, the subject proper of this sketch, was born April 30, 1843, on the farm in Cecil township where he is still living. His education was received in the public schools of the neighbor- hood, and July 11, 1883, he was united in mar- riage with Ella C. Cubbage. Since their marriage our subject and wife have resided on the old home- stead, which contains 206 acres of well-cultivated land. Three children have blessed this home. Mr. Reed makes a specialty of raising a high grade of sheep. In politics he votes the Republican ticket, and he is serving his second term as justice of the peace.

OHN CUBBAGE was a native of Allegheny county, Penn., born January 12, 1812, in what is now the town of Mansfield. George Cubbage, his father, who was a native of Ire- land, and a butcher by trade, came to America at an early day, settling in Allegheny county, Penn., on a farm on which the present town of Mansfield now stands. He married Nancy Caldwell, who bore him the following children: Hannah (Mrs. Henry Cowan), John, Abbie (Mrs. Hugh Graham), Martha, Sarah (Mrs. Jacob Doolittle), Nancy (Mrs. Robert Small) and William. The father died in 1853, the mother on May 2, 1883, in her ninety-fourth year; they were members of the Presbyterian Church.

John Cubbage was reared and educated in Mans- field, Allegheny county, and when of suitable age entered the employ of a Mr. Fahnestock, a drug- gist, and also studied medicine for some years. In 18- he was united in marriage with Eliza J. Ewing, and they had two children: George A. and James S. This wife dying in 18-, Mr. Cubbage married, for his second, Mary Hutchison, by which union there were six children, viz .: Sarah M., Hannah P. (Mrs. Theodore McCloy), Nancy J., Sarah A., Ella C. (Mrs. Joseph Reed) and Lyda J. (Mrs. John Harper). The mother of this family departed this life December 16, 1863, and our sub- ject afterward married Ann J. Holland, who bore him three children: Ann M. (Mrs. William Small),

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Martha J. (Mrs. George Lenning) and Euretia M. (Mrs. Harry Mckeown). John Cubbage died August 4, 1880. Mr. Cubbage in religious faith was a Covenanter. He was a farmer by occupation after 1865, the year in which he came to Cecil township, this county.

W ILLIAM H. MORRISON, a prosperous manufacturer of Monongahela, is de- scended from a well-known family who emigrated from Ireland. James Morri- son, the earliest ancestor of our subject to settle in Pennsylvania, was born in County Lon- donderry, Ireland, and there grew to manhood. Some time after his marriage he came to America and located in Chester county, Penn. In 1773, accompanied by their two sons, John and Henry, Mr. and Mrs. Morrison moved to Nottingham town- ship, Washington county, where both parents died.

Henry Morrison was born in 1752, in New Lon- don, Chester Co., Penn., and was there reared and educated. He then came with his parents to Not- tingham township, where he was married to Pa- tience Sayers, who bore him the following chil- dren: William, John, James, Henry, Elizabeth (wife of William Donaldson), Patience (married to John Gaston), Sarah (wife of William Gault), Susan (wife of William Gaston), and others who died in infancy. Mr. Morrison served as lieuten- ant in the Revolution, and passed his later years on the home farm, a tract of 400 acres in Notting- ham township. He was an active member of the Democratic party, and in religion a member of Mingo Presbyterian Church. He died at the age of eighty-two years.

John Morrison, son of Henry and Patience (Sayers) Morrison, was born July 2, 1792, on the home place in Nottingham township, received a subscription-school education, and passed his en- tire life on the homestead, where he followed farm- ing and stock raising. Politically he was a Whig and Republican, held various township offices, and was an ardent supporter of the school bill of 1837, doing all in his power to advance the interests of the public schools. He married Mary, daughter of Daniel Huston, a native of Nottingham town- ship, November 27, 1817, and their children were William H., Joel, Daniel, John, Mary C. (wife of Dr. Barnett), Patience (married to John Giffin) and Elizabeth J. (wife of Robert McAllister). The mother was called home in 1845, and in 1870 the father was laid to rest by her side in Mingo cemetery.

William H. Morrison was born December 19, 1819, on the old homestead in Nottingham town- ship, and attended the schools of the vicinity. On May 20, 1879, he married Susan B., daughter of Joseph B. Abell. Mr. Abell was a native of New

Jersey, who settled in Philadelphia and there mar- ried Jane A. Lambert, whose children were: John L., Joseph Edward, Susan B. (Mrs. Morrison), Jane and Anna E. In 1870 Mr. Abell and his family came to Washington county, where they made a permanent home. He was a cooper by trade, and in politics voted with the Democratic party. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church. W. H. Morrison came to Monongahela in 1876, where he has been engaged in manufact- uring enterprises. He has for several years served a prosperous firm as secretary and treasurer, and the company, being largely interested in coal works, has some of the largest plants for coal hauling in the country. Mr. Morrison is actively identified with the interests of the Republican party, and in religious faith is a member of and elder in the Presbyterian Church at Monongahela. He has one son, William A.

D AVID HAGERTY, a well-known agricult- urist of the county, but now retired from active labor, having his residence in the borough of Washington, was born in 1822 in Canton township, three miles from Washington.

Joseph Hagerty, his father, came from Ireland and married Mrs. Hannah Blair Fleming, a widow, whose first husband, who was a merchant, died in New York State. Mr. and Mrs. Hagerty came to Washington county in 1812, just as the war of that period had broken out, and the Indians were very hostile. Some of them were encamped on the farm on which Mr. Hagerty had settled, and on which two former settlers had been taken pris- oners. The nearest fort was at Taylorstown. Mr. and Mrs. Hagerty were the parents of children, as follows: John, Joseph, Robert, Blair and William, all deceased; Joseph and David (twins), of whom Joseph is living in Kansas, and David is our sub- ject; Nancy, deceased wife of James Van Kirk; Mary, deceased wife of Samuel Wilkey; Betsey, deceased, unmarried; and one that died at the age . of three years. The father died in 1825, at the age of sixty years; the mother passed away in 1850, at the home of her son, David, when aged ninety-three years.

David Hagerty, whose name opens this sketch, helped, when a boy, to clear the farm which he now owns. The subscription school which he at- tended, three miles from his home, was a primitive structure, 24x40 feet in area, made of cut logs, the windows being simply greased paper pasted over openings in the wall. The benches were made of split logs without backs. The only books then used were the United States Speller, the English Reader, the Western Calculator and the Bible. Our subject attended school three months in the year. Mr. Hagerty was married to Mrs. Jennie

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Griffith Farrer, of Buffalo township, this county, who died in 1873, leaving daughters, viz .: Sarah Josephine (wife of Samuel Thompson, of Holton, Kans.), Letitia M. (wife of Francis Moore, of Buf- falo township) and Anna Virginia (living with her father). The old home farm of Mr. Hagerty is where the sons of Joshua Russell were taken cap- tive by the Indians. They were traced as far as the Ohio river, where their pursuers found that the boys had escaped while the Indians slept. On the farm there are nineteen oil-producing wells. In 1890 Mr. Hagerty came to Washington to live re- tired the rest of his days. Politically he is a Democrat, and has held several offices.

HE McCLURG FAMILY. This well- known family of Hanover township are of Irish ancestry, and trace their genealogy to one Robert McClurg, who was born about the middle of the eighteenth century in County Tyrone, Ireland. When a young man he was married in his native country, and in June, 1773, the young people came to America.

They made a temporary location in the eastern States, and some years later came to Hanover town- ship, locating on King's creek. They occupied the primitive log cabin so common in those early days, and this one stood for many years afterward. Here Robert McClurg and his wife passed the re- mainder of their lives, and died at a ripe old age, having endured the hardships and struggles com- mon to those perilous days, to which no pen can do full justice. Husband and wife were laid to rest in the Paris cemetery. Both were members of the Seceder Church. Their children were born as follows: Jane, Anna (wife of David Andrews, Jefferson county, Ohio) and John.

John McClurg was born January 3, 1774, on the home farm in Hanover township. He attended the rate schools of his time, receiving but a meager education, and, when a young man, learned the trade of a shoemaker. In August, 1823, he was married to Nancy Herron, who was born in 1800, a daughter of John and Nancy (Galliher) Herron. John Herron came from Ireland about the time that Robert McClurg left that country, first locat- ing in Maryland, but later in Washington county. The following children were born to John and Nancy McClurg: Jane, Nancy, Anna, Sarah A., Mary J., Robert W., John J., William and David A., all of whom are living. The father was a prosperous man, and followed farming in connection with his trade. He remained on the old place all his life, and died there March 16, 1838, after two or three years' suffering from consumption. He was laid to rest in the Paris cemetery. His widow survived until January 10, 1883, when she was laid to rest

by the side of her husband. He was a hearty supporter of the Democratic party, and both par- ents were zealous members of the Seceder Church, which eventually became the United Presbyterian Church. Of their children Jane, Anna, Sarah A. and Mary J. are yet unmarried, and live on the home farm with their brothers Robert W. and John J., who have been farming the place since the death of the father. William is a blacksmith, and is working at his trade on the home farm. David A. is a merchant of Beaver Falls, and Nancy is now Mrs. Joseph Lyons, of Hanover township.

R EV. W. B. SMILEY. John Smiley was born in 1730, in Ireland, to which country his grandfather had fled from Scotland about 1612 for religious freedom. With his father John came to this country when quite young. About 1758 he married Ann Houton Stewart, and they lived in Dauphin county, Penn., where ten children-six sons and four daughters- were born to them. The family belonged to what is known as the "Seceder " Church, one of the "straitest sects;" and because Thomas, the eldest son, turned Baptist, he became as a stranger to the rest of the family, and so remained behind when the father and mother and other nine chil- dren crossed the mountains and located in Mt. Pleasant township, Washington Co., Penn., in 1785. Thomas, however, became renowned as a Baptist missionary in the early history of Penn- sylvania. He died in 1832 at the age of seventy- three, leaving a large posterity, and his monument stands in White Deer cemetery, in Lycoming county, Penn., where he had organized a church in 1808. John Smiley, the pioneer of the family, died in 1811 in the eighty-first year of his age, and Ann, his wife, passed away in 1814, aged seventy-five years. The sons who came west with them were: James (who died in 1844, aged eighty- two years), Robert (who died in 1853), John (who died in 1818, aged fifty-eight years, leaving no descendants), Samuel (who died in 1806, and whose family afterward moved west, and their de- scendants are now living in Illinois and Iowa) and William (who died in 1866, in the eighty-eighth year of his age). The only descendants of James Smiley now living are two grandsons, James A. and Leander, the former of whom now lives on his grandfather's farm in Mt. Pleasant township. Robert has one son living, James G., who is a farm- er living on the "Middletown Road." Robert's other children were John, who died in 1877; Jane (Gabby by marriage), who died in 1842, leaving three children; Anne (Coulter by marriage), who died in 1882, leaving one son, Nathaniel; Thomas, who died in 1885, leaving two daughters and one

Sincerely yours A, B, Smiley

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son, who live on a part of their great-grandfather's farm; Margaret (Thompson by marriage), who died in 1890; Sarah (Thompson by marriage), who died in 1865, leaving descendants in northern Pennsyl- vania; Mary, who died in 1858, and three that died in infancy. John had no children, and Sam- uel's family moved to the West. When William married he located in Robinson township and raised eleven children-nine sons and two daugh- ters. William and his wife. on their wedding day weighed just 400 pounds, he weighing 198 pounds and she 202 pounds, and the aggregate height of the nine sons was fifty-five feet. "There were giants in those days." But these nine sons have only left four sons, now alive, to carry the name down to future generations. The older ones all left the county, and all but one the State, John, the oldest, locating in Beaver county, Penn. The one next the youngest died just after he had fin- ished his education for the ministry. David, the. youngest, inherited his father's farm, but after- ward sold it and located near Burgettstown, where he lived until 1890, when he moved to Coraopolis, Penn. The farm is now occupied by two of his children, the oldest, Martha J. (now Mrs. W. F. Purdy), and the youngest, John N. Both these have families, the former a daughter and a son living, and a daughter and a son dead; the latter has two boys and two girls, all living.

The second son, William Brownlee, very early in life manifested a strong inclination for study, and when six years of age memorized and recited. without missing a single word the " shorter cate- chism of the Westminster divines." He received his English education in the public schools of Burgettstown, which he completed in the spring of 1873, at sixteen years of age. During the win- ter of 1874-75 he taught school in Robinson town- ship, having spent eighteen months in the mean- time on the farm with his father. In the fall of 1875 he commenced the study of the classics in Jefferson Academy, Canonsburg, Penn., and in the autumn of 1876 entered the sophomore class in Westminster College, from which he graduated in 1879 at the head of his class. Together with J. S. Garvin, his intimate friend and room mate at college, more than a year was spent as joint prin- cipal of Mckeesport Academy and Normal School. He entered the Theological Seminary in Septem- ber, 1880, having studied privately a year under Rev. James Kelso, of Mckeesport, and graduated in 1882. The following is taken from the Bur- gettstown Call : "W. B. Smiley has just com- pleted the course at U. P. Theological Seminary, Allegheny City, with the highest grade in a class of eleven. We believe he is the first young man that has been raised, educated and licensed to preach within the bounds of Burgettstown U. P. Congregation. The young gentleman has fine

abilities, and is, no doubt, entering upon a career of great usefulness."

Rev. Smiley was married June 7, 1882, to Miss Maggie D. Fergus, a daughter of Thomas Fergus, of Elizabeth, Penn., and in publishing an account of the wedding, among other things the Mckees- port Times said: "The bride-elect was most hand- somely dressed, though richer than robes of silk is the tender grace of youth and maidenly worth with which she was adorned. The happy groom was our former fellow citizen, Prof. W. B. Smiley, who is held in such high esteem by all who know him here, for his Christian character and intellect- ual attainments." Three bright children have blessed this marriage-one daughter and two sons. Mr. Smiley was licensed to preach by the Presby- tery of Allegheny on April 4, 1882, and by the 1st of July had the opportunity of three settle- ments-West Newton (Penn.), Washington (Iowa) and Chartiers Congregation, Canonsburg (Penn.). The latter he decided to accept, and on August 1 entered upon his duties as pastor of one of the oldest and most substantial congregations in the Church. He preached his tenth anniversary ser- mon on the first Sabbath of August, 1892, in which it was stated that 384 persons had been received into membership in the congregation during the ten years of his pastorate, or an average of one for every two sermons preached. A large congrega- tion of the most intelligent people wait regularly upon his ministry, and manifest in every way their loyalty and devotion to him as their pastor. He was recently urged to take charge of an important station in the West, but the ties by which he and his people were bound together were so strong that the thought of separation could not be entertained. Just recently the people have greatly beautified and enlarged the seating capacity of their church building, and they have now a very inviting place in which to worship.

DESCENDANTS OF JOHN AND ANN SMILEY: -THOMAS, a Baptist preacher who remained in the eastern part of the State. JAMES-descend- ants: James A. and Leander.

ROBERT-children: James G. (has four children -three living and one dead-all daughters); John, who died in 1877; Jane (Gabby, by marriage), who died in 1842, leaving three children; Anne (Coulter, by marriage), who died in 1882, leaving one son, Nathaniel; Thomas, who died in 1885, leaving two daughters and one son, who live on a part of their great-grandfather's farm; Margaret (Thompson, by marriage), who died in 1890; Sarah (Thompson, by marriage), who died in 1865, leaving descend- ants in northern Pennsylvania; Mary, who died in 1858, and three that died in infancy.

JOHN, who had no family.

SAMUEL, whose family moved west.

WILLIAM-children (1) John, who had no chil-

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dren, and died in Burgettstown, Penn., after spend- ing most of his life in Beaver county, Penn .; (2) Margaret, who married John Witherspoon, and moved to West Virginia (she has two sons living); (3) Thomas, still living in Ohio (has no children); (4) Ann, who married Matthew Bailey, lived all her life near the old homestead in Robinson town- ship, and left eight children; (5) William, who left one daughter, living in Ohio; (6) Robert, who left two sons and one daughter in Iowa; (7) Eben- ezer, who lives in New Lisbon, Ohio (has no chil- dren, but one grandson); (8) James, who left one daughter; (9) Samuel, living in Bloomfield, Ohio (has no children); (10) Archibald, who died upon entering the ministry; (11) David, who had three children: (1) Martha J. Purdy (has two children living: Maggie Belle and Brownlee Smiley, and buried two: Lizzie Lena, and an infant unnamed); (2) John N., who has four children, all living: Eva Leona, Earl Brownlee, Lena Florence and Charles Raymond; (3) William Brownlee, who has three children, all living: Olive Bell, Thomas Fer- gus and Howard Brownlee.

The four daughters of John and Ann Smiley married, respectively, Robert Thome, Archibald Brownlee, - Atchison (who moved to Ohio), and Stewart (who moved to the northern part of Pennsylvania).

Through all the different generations there has been manifest in the Smiley family that integrity of character and devotion to religious principles which characterized their forefathers. There has not been one of the descendants of John and Ann Smiley, so far as known, that has been a dishonor to the family name. When John Smiley first set- tled in Washington county, he became identified with what is now known as the North Buffalo U. P. Church, then known as the Associate (or Seceder) Church, and to this faith his descendants remained true, being characterized, with scarcely an excep- tion, as faithful and earnest Christian men and women, and a great many of them holding office in the church. They have not aspired much after po- litical honors, and not many of them have turned aside from the pursuits of their father-agricult- ure-but sterling worth of character has been a feature prominently marked in the family history. An ensign, in the form of a chevron, with an armed arm (on which is a wreath) as a crest, and bearing the motto: "VIRIBUS VIRTUS" (meaning "valor in, arms," or "virtue with power"), was conferred upon the ancestors of the Smiley family in Ireland, probably in the seventeenth century, and was con- firmed by the Crown through Sir William Betham, Knight, Deputy of Ulster King of Arms, in 1815, and duly recorded. The occasion of its being con- firmed was probably some special act of valor or bravery manifested in defense of the Crown.

C HARLTON M. LIGGETT is a prosperous young merchant of Independence, Penn., and a son of David A., whose father, Thom- as Liggett, came from Scotland with a brother, and after landing in America, remained a short time in Baltimore, Md. They made a per- manent settlement in Washington county, Penn., where Thomas was united in marriage with Par- melia Dempster. The young people settled in Independence township, where the following chil- dren were born and reared: Joshua, Elizabeth (deceased), James (deceased), Harriet (widow of Laban Headington), Robert, Mary Ann (deceased widow of John Hemphill), William, Thomas, Da- vid A., and Anderson. Mr. Liggett was a man of perfect physical proportions, and was noted for his firm character and strict integrity. He died January 29, 1861, his widow on September 17, 1882.

David A. Liggett was born September 1, 1831, on his father's farm in Independence township, and received his early education in the country schools, afterward taking a course at the West Alexander (Penn.) Academy, which is now aban- doned, but at that time was a popular and flourish- ing institution. After leaving school he followed the mercantile business in Independence, this county, for thirty years; then became a traveling salesman, visiting the principal cities and towns of western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio and West Virginia. This business afforded him an excellent knowledge of that portion of the country, with which he became very familiar during sixteen years of life as a commercial traveler. On August 10, 1852, he was united in marriage with Esther Armstrong, who was born January 15, 1832, daughter of James Armstrong, of Hopewell town- ship. The children born to them are Charlton M., Emma J. (Mrs. J. T. Raybuck, of Omaha, Neb.), Ella L. (wife of Rev. John Buckey, an M. E. minister of Holbrook, Mass.), Annie F. (wife of Rev. A. H. McKee, an M. E. minister of Hamilton, Ind.), Nettie S. (married to Rev. J. C. Burnworth, an M. E. minister of Newton, Greene Co., Penn.), Carrie A. (Mrs. William Kinnaman, wife of a farmer of Cass county, Ind. ), Lizzie Bertha (living at home), Orie W. (a traveling salesman) and Grace E. (living with her parents). This family are among the leaders of the community, as are the other representatives of the name. Politically Mr. Liggett has always been a Democrat.

Charlton M. Liggett was born May 18, 1853, at McConnell's Mill, near Canonsburg, Penn. During his boyhood his parents moved to the vil- lage of Independence, where lie attended the com- mon schools, and assisted his father as clerk in the store. He afterward took a position with the wholesale grocery house of J. A. Miller, of Wheel- ing, W. Va., with whom he remained two years.

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He then accepted a similar situation at an increased salary with Nicholas Schultz, of the same city, where he remained about the same length of time. The experience thus gained had given him much valuable information concerning mercantile life, and also made him acquainted with the leading merchants of eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania and West Virginia, advantages which he was not slow to appreciate, After leaving the employ of Mr. Schultz, he engaged in the manufacture of cigars, being the proprietor of a factory in Steu- benville, Ohio. In the year 1877 he sold this business, and returning to Washington county again entered mercantile life, in which he is now engaged. On May 6, 1880, he was married to Clara A., daughter of W. A. Smith, a resident of Brooke county, W. Va. ' The children of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Liggett were Mabel C., Harry H., Sheldon S. (deceased), Merwyin, Roscoe, Esther and Paul W. "Charley," as Mr. Liggett is familiarly called by his many friends, is a very popular and prosperous merchant. Politically he is a Democrat, and although that party is in the minority in his neighborhood, he has held various offices of trust, to which he has been elected by admiring friends, regardless of party connection. The efficient manner in which he has discharged such duties is evidence of the good judgment of those who elected him to the positions.

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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 141

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