Commemorative biographical record of Washington County, Pennsylvania, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Part 22

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 22

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into the world, for weal or for woe, the interesting and neatly gotten-up, well-edited sheet, The Satur- day Evening Supper Table, which has proven a marked success, and is steadily growing in pat- ronage. At its birth it was a four-page 10x12 sheet, now it has sixteen pages, 10x14. "May its shadow never grow less!"

On January 29, 1890, Mr. Allen was married to Lillian H., daughter of W. A. Bane, of the firm of Bane Bros., Washington. Politically, our subject is a Republican, and in the spring of 1892 he was elected a justice of the peace in a Democratic township, polling the largest vote of any man on his ticket. Socially, he is a member of the Im- proved Order of Heptasophs, and is a charter member of the Junior O. U. A. M. Mr. Allen is a great-grandson of Massy Harbison, who expe- rienced a marvelous escape from the barbarity of the Indians in 1792, of which the following is a concise account:

Massy Harbison was born in Amwell township, Somerset Co , N. J., March 18, 1770. Her father, Edward White, was a Revolutionary soldier, who after the war (in 1783) removed to where is now Brownsville, this county. Here Massy lived with her father until her marriage, which event for some reason caused his displeasure, and Massy and her husband moved to the banks of the Allegheny, settling on the headwaters of Chartiers creek, where they did extremely well from 1779 till the breaking out of the Indian war in March, 1791, when they lost all their hard-earned possessions. In about a year thereafter her husband was ap- pointed to the dangerous post of a spy, and ordered into the woods to watch the movements of the In- dians; but nothing for a long time was seen of a nature to excite alarm. The Redskins frequently visited the house of John and Massy Harbison to receive refreshments and to lodge, and all the sur- roundings indicated peace and quiet. On the night of May 21, 1792, two of the spies, James David and-Sutton, came to lodge at the Har- bison's house. and at daybreak of the following morning, when the horn blew at the blockhouse, the two men went out. Massy was awake at the time, but fell asleep again, and the first thing she realized afterward was that some Indians were pulling her out of bed by the feet. She then looked up and saw that the house was full of sav- ages, each one having a gun in his left hand and a tomahawk in his right. She immediately jumped to the floor on her feet, with her young child in her arms, and while her assailants were busy plundering the house she made for the door and succeeded in getting outside with the one child in her arms, and another held by the hand, one little boy being still inside the cabin. By this time the blockhouse was alarmed by her screams, and a general fight ensued, during which the Indians

beat a retreat; but before leaving the Harbison dwelling they dashed out the brains of the boy that was left inside, simply because he cried. Taking Massy and her two remaining children with them (one of the savages having claimed her as his squaw), the party marched to the top of the bank, where they made a halt in order to divide among themselves (thirty-two in number) the plunder which they had taken from the house. They then proceeded on their journey toward the mouth of the Kiskiminetas, Massy and her chil- dren being mounted on one of two horses which the Indians had in the meantime captured from her uncle, John Currie. When they arrived at the bank that descended toward the Allegheny, there appearing to be so much danger in descend- ing it on horseback, Massy threw herself off the horse with her two children, and here the elder of the little boys beginning to cry, and complain of having been hurt, the Indians deliberately mur- dured him. At this horrible sight the mother fell to the ground in a swoon, her infant still in her arms, but after severely castigating her with rods the savages assisted her to rise to her feet. Again proceeding g on their journey, crossing Little Buffalo creek at the very spot where B. Sarver's mill now stands, they finally arrived at an Indian camp at the Salt-Lick of the Conequessing, about two miles above where is now the town of Butler. Here Massy and her baby boy were closely watched and barbarously treated until Monday following. when they moved her to another camp in the same valley.

Next morning, by a most heroic effort, and at the imminent risk of her own life and that of her babe, the heroine of this adventure succeeded in making her escape, taking a direction from where she knew by the sun her old home lay, and lying concealed from time to time in the woods, her couch by night being made of leaves she had gath- ered. Encountering innumerable perils, one night having a vary narrow escape from recapture by an Indian who had succeeded so far in follow- ing up her trail, the courageous woman and de- voted mother sped on her way, now in a homeward direction, till wet, weary and exhausted, hungry and wretched, she found herself on the morning of May 27 at the headwaters of Pine creek, which falls into the Allegheny about four miles above Pittsburgh, though she did not then know where she was. After some wandering about she struck a trail on Squaw run, which she followed, and just as she was about to succumb through hunger, ex- haustion and exposure to the weather, her wearied eyes were suddenly gladdened by the sight of an uninhabited cabin. Presently she heard the wel- come sound of a distant cowbell, and on proceeding in the direction it appeared to come from, she presently descried three white men on the opposite

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bank of the creek. Making her presence known to them by calling as loud as her weak condition would enable her, one of the men, James Closier, soon had her in his canoe, and ere long she found herself and infant in the willing hands of kind friends who gently cared for her and nursed her back to health and strength, and to her grief- stricken husband. The John Closier alluded to was one of her nearest neighbors, yet in the six days from the time of her capture by the Indians, she was so altered that he failed to recognize her either by her voice or countenance. The infant that shared with its mother the horrors and hardships of those six days, was John Harbison, who lived to the patriarchal age of ninety-three years, dying at Cedar Rapids a few years ago. Massy was a good rifle shot, and during the Indian fights at the block- house, she would take her rifle and bravely do her part in defending it. She died at Freeport, Penn., her husband having preceded her to the grave by some few years.

R OBERT W. DAVIS, M. D., a well-known and prominent native-born citizen of Wash - ington county, first saw the light in Hope- well township, October 19, 1832. He is a son of Samuel and Nancy (Hamilton) Davis, natives of Washington county, where his grand- parents died before he was born. They had a large family, all long since called to their last homes.

Samuel Davis, father of subject, was a farmer by occupation, and also kept hotel for many years. The Middletown road, which was laid out by the Government in 1814, was the chief thoroughfare in use for the conveyance of military supplies be- tween Fort Redstone and Wellsburg during the war of that period, and this hotel was the only one between Washington and Middletown. Samuel Davis was married to Nancy Hamilton, who was descended from Scotch-Irish ancestry, and they had seven children, as follows: John, who died in Kansas in 1888; William, who died in 1892, near Cambridge, Ohio; Hugh, in Ogle county, Ill .; Mary. deceased wife of John Caldwell; Samuel and Hamilton, both deceased, and Robert W. In 1864 the father died, the mother in 1873, aged seventy-six years.

Robert W. Davis was reared to manhood on his father's farm, receiving his primary education at the common schools of his district, after which he attended Washington and Jefferson College. He read medicine with Dr. John Russell Wilson, and attended lectures at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, but his occupation has been chiefly farming. In 1855 the Doctor married Mary Ann, daughter of James Spriggs, of Washington, and by her had four children: James Samuel, who died

at the age of twenty years; Harry H., now living in Washington, Penn .; Robert W., on the farm in Canton township, and one that died in infancy, un- named. The mother of these children died in 1869, and in 1871 Dr. Davis was united in mar- riage with Mrs. Susanna Coulter, of Allegheny county, Penn., the mother, by her first marriage, of two daughters, one now deceased, and one married to John Craig, of Keokuk, Iowa. By this last union Dr. Davis has no children. He owns a fine farm in Canton township, situated about two and one-half miles from Washington, on the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, and his home since his marriage has been on West Chestnut street, in the borough. Politically he was originally a Whig, then. on the formation of the party, a stanch Re- publican. He was formerly connected with the First Presbyterian Church, but is now a member and trustee of the Third Presbyterian Church.

AMES C. ACHESON. No family can boast a prouder lineage, or are more worthy repre- sentatives of an honored race, than those cit- izens of Washington county who bear the name of Acheson. Their ancestors were originally natives of Scotland, who in 1604 moved to County Armagh, Ireland. In 1776 Sir Archibald Acheson became Baron Gosford, subsequently receiving the title of "viscount." The descendants of the fam- ily, who afterward emigrated to America, resided on the family estate at Glassdrummond, in County Armagh.

George Acheson, a lineal ancestor of the Wash- ington county family, was born in 1724. He was married to Elizabeth, daughter of David Weir, a inerchant of Belfast, Ireland, and she bore him seven children, viz. : George, John, Thomas, Will- iam, Hannah, Ellen and David. Of these children George and William died on the homestead in Ire- land; the others all came to America and settled here. The father died in July, 1812, having been preceded to the grave by his wife July 29, 1808.

John Acheson came to America before the close of the Revolutionary war, and commenced trading; was also employed by the United States Govern- ment to furnish the National troops with supplies during the Indian wars. He died in 1790 (while crossing the Alleghany mountains on horseback), leaving a widow and two daughters in Ireland. In 1807 the youngest daughter came to America, and lived with her uncle David.

David Acheson, youngest son of George, and brother of John, was born in 1770, coming with his brothers to America in 1788, first locating in Philadelphia, Penn. He brought the following letter from the pastor of his father's church: "The bearer, David Acheson, intending to remove to North America, this, therefore, is to certify that he

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is a young man of sober and good conduct, and son of Mr. George Acheson, an elder of the Seced- ing Congregation of Market Hill, in the County of Armagh, Ireland. This is given under my hand this 30th of April, 1788. David Arnott, Minister." After arriving in America, David Acheson assisted his brother John in furnishing supplies for the United States army, continuing in that business until the death of John. Among the papers yet in possession of the family are accounts of mercantile trips made by the brothers, in 1790 and 1791, from Pittsburgh to New Orleans, also a letter written by the Spanish authorities (in that language) permit- ting David Acheson to transact business in their territory. He began the study of law with James Ross after the death of his brother, but did not continue it; then joined in business pursuits with his brother Thomas. They were largely interested in the tea trade at Pittsburgh and Washington. In 1795, 1797 and 1804 David Acheson represented Washington county in the State Legislature, hav- ing been elected by the Democratic party. Early in the year 1799 David Acheson was united in marriage with Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel Young, of Philadelphia. She died February 27, 1800, leaving an infant daughter, Eliza Young (af- terward Mrs. Woodward), who was reared by her grandmother in Philadelphia and died in Cleve- land, Ohio. In November, 1802, he visited the old country, remaining about six months in England and Ireland. On October 31, 1805, lie was united in marriage with Mary, daughter of John Wilson, of Washington, Penn., a native of Ireland. They immediately made their home in Philadelphia, re- turning to Washington in 1815. The children of this family were born as follows: John (who died in 1833 in Arkansas), Alexander W. (who became judge, and died in Washington county), Catherine (deceased wife of William V. Davis of Lancaster, Penn.), David (died in 1826), Mary Jane (married to Joseph McKnight, of Pittsburgh, Penn., and died in 1843), Margaret, William (died in 1873, in Arm- strong county, Penn. ), George. (studied law with his brother Alexander W. Acheson, and he and C. W. Slagle, of Washington, were both admitted to the bar in the spring of 1843, and they at once proceeded to Iowa, settling in Fairfield and entering partnership for the practice of law, which partner- ship continued for thirty-eight years, or until the death of George Acheson in the spring of 1881. Mr. Slagle died one year later. They were the oldest law firm in Iowa), James C. (of whom special mention is made further on), Ellen (wife of Rev. Dr. Brownson), Marcus W. (an attorney, was judge of district court of western Pennsylvania for ten years, in 1891 succeeding Judge McKennan as cir- cuit judge), and David (living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania).

After his return to Washington, Penn., David

Acheson erected his elegant home where Jonathan Allison is now living. Mr. Acheson entered busi- ness at Washington, but, some investments in real estate having failed, he soon retired from active life. In 1840, then over seventy years of age, lie made another trip to Ireland, returning to America two years later. In 1848 he was seized with a paralytic stroke, but lingered until December 1, 1851, when death relieved him; his widow passed away August 2, 1872, aged eighty-five years. The following obituary notice appeared in one of the papers: "He was an accurate and close observer of public and political affairs as connected not only with our own Government, but with the prominent nations of Europe, of the diplomacy of which, as well as of their policy, there were but few private men of his day, retiring and unobtrusive as he was, who better understood or could more accurate- ly delineate. His judgment and conclusions, which were always deliberate and well matured by his deep-thinking, strong mind, were valuable and very highly esteemed by those acquainted with him, whether in public or private life. Thus during the period of vigorous manhood he enjoyed a most extensive popularity and influence in the State of Pennsylvania particularly, and with many of her most distinguished individuals, in her political party history and government, he was on the closest terms of intimacy; hence his opinions and counsels were always much sought after and great- ly valued. As a private friend and in social life, Mr. Acheson was a man of ardent and sincere at- tachments, and where personal effort or labor were needed he never faltered or shrunk by reason of apparent difficulty or threatened danger, ever ready and willing to serve his friends at whatever responsibility or personal risk by day or night, at home or abroad,"

The surviving children of David and Mary Acheson, for the first time after a lapse of over thirty years, all met at the old homestead in Washing- ton, on the occasion of the death of their mother. Her funeral took place August 4, 1872, and the day following they repaired to the graves of their parents, in Washington cemetery, and there agreed that they, and the survivors of them and the last survivor, would annually revisit the graves of their parents on October 31, the anniversary of their marriage.

James C. Acheson was born February 13, 1824, in Washington, Penn. He attended the common schools of his native borough, and also studied at college, but did not graduate. At the age of six - teen years he left home, and clerked for a time in a store at Pittsburgh, Penn., afterward one year in Wheeling, W. Va., in a similar capacity. In 1842 he returned to Washington, and the following year began clerking for his brother William, who had opened a grocery business in Washington. James

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C. afterward became his brother's partner, and in 1863 bought the entire store, which he has since conducted. He was thrice married; first time April 20, 1847, to Elizabeth Wilson, who bore him four children, two of whom are now living: Mary (at home), and Anna (Mrs. Henry Dongan, of Washington). This wife dying in 1855, Mr. Ache- son married, October 1, 1857, Mary E. Mahon, a teacher in Washington Seminary. She died in 1860, leaving two children, one of whom is now deceased, the other, Alexander M., being a civil engineer on the Texas branch of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad. For his third wife James C. Acheson married, September 1, 1863, Mary F. Bureau, granddaughter of an early French settler of Gallipolis, Ohio. Five children have been born to this last marriage, namely: Madeleine (Mrs. Frederick S. Rich, in Oil City, Penn.), Margaret B., Grace C., C. L. Valcaulon and Eleanor W., the latter four yet living at home.

Since the Kansas trouble, in 1856, Mr. Acheson has been a Republican, and during the war of the Rebellion the family were all Union men, some of them serving in the army. He is a F. & A. M., and at one time was district deputy grand master. In religion he is a member of and elder in the Presbyterian Church, and has served twenty-nine consecutive years as superintendent of the Sabbath- school. In municipal matters, he has served as a member of the borough council. Mr. Acheson's success in life is due to earnest effort, his whole time being devoted to the business in which he is engaged.

W ILLIAM BUCHANAN CHAMBERS, treasurer of Washington county, and one of its most efficient, courteous and pains- taking officials, was elected in 1890 to the position he so ably fills, his term expiring January 1, 1894.

John Chambers, father of subject, was born in South Strabane township, this county, September 6, 1813, and in early life learned the trade of blacksmith, which he for a time followed, but on coming of age he abandoned the anvil for the counter, embarking in mercantile business in Buf- falo village. Here he remained till 1830, when he removed to Canonsburg and opened out a store for the sale of general merchandise, which he con- ducted up to the time of his death. He was twice married; first time to Miss Catherine, daughter of Josiah Ramsey, of South Strabane township, by which union there were children as follows: Martha, wife of Dr. W. G. Keady. a Presbyterian minister, of Greensboro, Ala. ; Josiah R., who died in 1886 (his family are now residents of Washing- ton county); John S., in Leavenworth, Kans. ; Nannie H., widow of Merrick S. McCloy, of

Canonsburg (she has one child, Walter L.); William B., of whom special mention will be presently made; and Dora A., wife of A. B. Gal- braith, of Allegheny City. The mother of this family died in 1854 in Canonsburg, and Mr. Cham- bers married, for his second wife, Mrs. B. P. Mc- Connell (nee Watson), a widow lady who had one child by her first husband, Annie, who was married to John Gamble, of Nottingham township. By Mr. Chambers' second marriage there is one child, Ida May, now living with the subject of this sketch at his home in Canonsburg. John Cham- bers was a Democrat, and had held borough offices; he died October 26, 1885, a member of the Presby- terian Church. His second wife died November 9, 1891.

William Buchanan Chambers was born in Canonsburg, Washington Co., Penn., August 14, 1850, and received his education at the common schools of that borough, afterward attending Wash- ington and Jefferson College to the close of the freshman year. His vacations he spent in his father's store, gaining an insight into commercial routine, but soon after leaving college he moved to McDonald Station, same county, where he was en- gaged as clerk in store of J. D. Sauters, and here he remained five years. Thence he proceeded to Pittsburgh, and clerked in a grocery store there two years, for the Valley Milk Co., after which he came, January 1, 1880, to Washington to fill the position of deputy sheriff, under George Perritte, who was then sheriff of the county. Mr. Perritte he succeeded, being elected sheriff in 1882, and served three years-from January 1, 1883, to Jan- uary 1, 1886. At the expiration of his term he was appointed chief U. S. deputy marshal, under George W. Miller, marshal for the Western Dis- trict of Pennsylvania, serving four years, and on the latter's removal, continned in office four months longer, under the present marshal, but being a Democrat, and the Government Republican, he was removed. He then returned to Canonsburg, where he remained unemployed until his election to his present incumbency, overcoming a nominal Repub- lican majority of 1,800, the first Democratic treas- urer elected in the past twenty-five years. Our sub- ject is the only Democratic county official, Wash- ington being strongly Republican. While a stu- dent at college, he was a member of the Phi Kappa Sigma Fraternity, and of the Philo-Union Literary Society of Washington and Jefferson Col. lege. His esteem and worth as a public officer were recognized at a banquet held by the Washington county bar, on his retirement from the office of sheriff, on which occasion Alexander Wilson, Esq., offered the following sentiment, which was unani- mously accepted by the assemblage:

William B. Chambers, Esq .:- A faithful officer, fearless in the discharge of his duties, pleasant in his intercourse

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with his fellow-citizens, kind and obliging to the mem- bers of the bar and officers of the court. He retires from the office of High Sheriff of Washington county with an honorable record for purity and integrity, and with the best wishes of all who have had official and personal in- tercourse with him.

AMES GORDON SLOAN, M. D., one of the leading popular physicians of Washington county, was born at Frankfort, Beaver Co., Penn., January 18, 1841.

His paternal and maternal ancestors were from the North of Ireland. His paternal grand parents, James Sloan and wife, came from County Tyrone, Ireland, to Washington county, Penn., in 1801, and settled on a farm near West Middletown, in Hopewell township, where they passed the rest of their pioneer lives, dying at an advanced age. They were Presbyterians of the Covenanter school. Their children who reached the age of maturity were Jane (who died unmarried), Robert (who married, but had no children), James (father of our subject), Eliza (married, but had no children), and John C. (married, and had six children; he was prominent in politics, and represented Washing ton county in the Legislature; was also a promi- nent farmer).

James Sloan, son of James the pioneer of the family, was born on the old homestead farm of his father, in Hopewell township. He was twice mar- ried, first in 1832, to Miss Sarah Lindsey, by whoni he had one daughter, who became the wife of R. C. McIlvain, of Somerset township, Washington county, a cousin of Judge John A. McIlvaine. Mrs. Sarah Lindsey Sloan dying one year after her marriage, her bereaved husband, for his sec- ond wife, was united in marriage in 1840 with Miss Margaret Gordon, by which union there were two children: James G., and Martha A., the latter of whom died at the age of nine years.

James Gordon Sloan was educated in the com- mon school of Mordecai Hoge, in Somerset town- ship, Washington Co., Penn., then attended the acad- emy of Hon. John C. Messenger, at Hoge's Summit. In 1859 he entered Jefferson College, Canonsburg. graduating therefrom August 7, 1862. On August 13, same year, he enlisted in Company G, One Hun- dred and Fortieth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Capt. John Fraser, professor of mathematics in Jeffer- son College. Our subject served until the close of the war, having participated in the battles of Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wilderness, Spott- sylvania and Cold Harbor, and was present at the surrender of Gen. Lee to Gen. Grant. His credentials from his company, regimental, divisional and corps commanders-Capt. Bingham, Brevet Brig. - Gen. Fraser, Gen. John C. Caldwell, Divis- ion Commander and Maj .- Gen. W. S. Hancock- all testify to his faithful service and bravery as a

soldier. At the close of the war he received an appointment in the Interior Department, Land Office Bureau, at Washington, where he remained four years. He read medicine with Dr. Johnson Eliott, of Washington, D. C., attended medical lectures at Georgetown College, Washington, D. C., and graduated in 1869. The Doctor first be- gan the practice of his profession in Fayette City, Fayette Co., Penn., and in 1874 removed to Mo- nongahela, where he has been actively and success- fully engaged in the practice of medicine.

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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 22

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