Commemorative biographical record of Washington County, Pennsylvania, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, and of many of the early settled families, Part 45

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 45

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William A. Patterson was born Angust 22, 1853, near Suiter Station, Allegheny Co., Penn., and at the age of seventeen years came to Washington county. He attended the public schools, and the Southwest- ern State Normal School at California, Penn., after- ward graduating from Duff's Business College, Pittsburgh, Penn. Upon leaving college he entered the employ of the P. V. & C. R. R. as ticket agent at Honston's Run, remaining there but one year. He then embarked in mercantile enterprises and formed a partnership with his father in the grocery store, finally taking a trip to southwestern Arkan- sas, where he purchased a sheep ranch. One year later he returned to Monongahela, Penn., and opened a furniture store at the stand formerly

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occupied by Swickard's shoe business. Soon after- ward he remodeled and took possession of his present place of business which is one of the finest stores in Monongahela. He carries a full line of furniture and undertaking goods, and enjoys a large amount of custom. In political opinion he is a wide-awake Democrat, having served his party as a member of the council, and in religion is a member of the Presbyterian Church. He married, April 14, 1880, Belle, daughter of Ira Bebout, of Monongahela. Their children are Ada, Mary, Allie, William A. and Bertha.

OHN WILSON, superintendent of Washing- ton County Home, located in Chartiers town- ship, was born September 15, 1844, in Hope- well (now Independence) township, Washing- ton Co., Penn. He is a son of John and Ellen (Murphy) Wilson, natives of County Down, Ireland, whence they emigrated in 1838 to Washing- ton county, Penn., settling on a farm in Hopewell township. Mr. Wilson owned a good farm, and followed agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred in 1877, his wife surviving him until July, 1878. They were the parents of three children: Mary M., wife of John Adamson, of Hopewell township; John; and Samuel, married and residing in California.

John Wilson was reared in Independence town- ship, and received his education in the district schools of the same. He commenced life as a farmer boy and continued to follow agriculture till 1882. On April 22, 1875, he was married in Inde- pendence township, to Miss Lizzie A. Denny, a native of Washington county, daughter of Walter and Mary (Welch) Denny, also natives of this county. Mr. Denny is a farmer of Independence township, and has been a resident of Washington county all his life, the Denny family having settled here at a very early date. After his marriage Mr. Wilson located in Independence township, and in 1877 removed to Hopewell township, where he remained till 1882, when he abandoned farming, and engaged in the Revenue service as storekeeper and gauger in the Twenty-second District of Pennsylvania, in which he continued till Decem- ber 1, 1885. He then embarked in general mer- chandising at West Middletown, this county, fol- lowing this until his appointment as superintend- ent of the County Infirmary, which took place in 1891. To Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have been born two children: Annie G. and Mamie E. Mr. Wil- son and his wife are members of the U. P. Church at Washington. He has been identified with the county all his life, and takes an active interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of the com- munity.

C HARLES BANFIELD. England has given to this country some of the most loyal, in- dustrious, enterprising and thrifty citizens,

an excellent representative of such being the subject of this sketch, who by hard work, thrift and honorable dealings has succeeded in ac- cumulating, from absolutely nothing, a comforta- ble competence.

Mr. Banfield was born in Somersetshire in 1815, a son of Joseph and Mary (Cook) Banfield-the parents of twelve children, ten of whom grew to maturity, now all scattered; some came to America, one of whom lives in Johnstown, Penn., another in Belmont county, Ohio; Charles and John are in Washington county. While our subject was yet a child his parents took him to the Forest of Done, in Monmouthshire, England. His education was very limited, as we find him when but a lad of eight years acting in the capacity of "doorkeeper" at a coal mine, soon after which he commenced to work as a regular miner, digging from the bowels of the earth the black diamonds. In May, 1838, Mr. Banfield was married in England to Harriet Chevers, and in 1842 he set sail for the United States, landing in New York in the month of May, with his wife and one child. His little savings be- ing now gone, Mr. Banfield set about looking for work of any kind, and at last succeeded in secur- ing a job on a farm in Washington county, during the summer of 1842, his wages being 31} cents per day. One of his hands being disabled through some cause, he had to do all the work with the other. In the fall of the year he returned to his old occupation of mining in Pittsburgh, receiving $1.10 per 100 bushels of coal. In 1846 he came to Chartiers township and bought a fifteen-acre farm which he continued to work until 1868, when he moved into Amwell township, where he lived un- til 1888, in which year he retired from the farm and came to the borough of Washington. Here he built himself an elegant residence, into which he moved in 1889.

Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Ban- field, of whom the following is a brief record: George died in England at the age of two years; Mary, born in England, is now the wife of Robert Thompson, of Houstonville, this county; John, Charles James, Joseph and George, all died young; one died in infancy, and Harriet Maria, "last, not least," the fifth in the family in the order of birth. She for many years, with true filial devotion, has taken care of her aged parents' home. The mother for the past twenty years has been in feeble health. In politics Mr. Banfield is independent; he has held various township offices, such as superintend- ent of the school board. He is a man of advanced ideas, gifted with a good mind coupled with sound judgment, and on a foundation laid with hardships

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and cares he has built a record that places him among the most successful men in Washington county, in which success he has been from the out- set assisted by a good, sensible, faithful wife.

OHN IRVIN, one of the prominent and most successful native-born agriculturists of East Finley township, was born August 4, 1835. He is the only living descendant of Francis Irvin, a native of Ireland, where he was born about the year 1780, and whence he emigrated to the United States a short time prior to the com- mencement of the present century. He landed at Philadelphia, where, after a brief sojourn he mar- ried a Miss Hayney, of that city, whose parents had come from the Emerald Isle. Francis Irvin then moved, with his young wife, westward to Washington county, this State, where, for a time, he made his residence near the village of Cross Creek; later came to East Finley township, set- ling near the headwaters of Wheeling creek, being one of the pioneers of that section. Here, with his own hands, he hewed for himself a home out of what was then a vast wilderness, and where are now fertile fields and fruitful valleys. To this honored pioneer couple were born the following named children: Andrew, Nancy, William, James, Margaret, Sarah and Franklin, all now deceased except Sarah, who is at present living in Adams county, Ill. In 1837 Francis Irvin moved from Washington county to Adams county, Ill., accom- panied by his wife and all his children except two, Andrew (who afterward migrated to Licking county, Ohio) and James, the entire journey being made in wagons, and here the grandmother died in 1848, and the grandfather in 1849.

James Irvin, father of subject, was born about 1800 in Washington county, Penn., where he was married to Martha Harvey, daugh- ter of James Harvey, of West Finley township, this county, and to their union were born children as follows: Elizabeth Ann, married to S. N. Far- rabee, and died in 1855; John; Martha and James (both deceased in infancy). The father was called from earth March 21, 1856, the mother having passed away October 11, 1839. Mr. Irvin, in 1835, purchased the property which our subject now owns and resides on, in East Finley township, where he carried on general farming with consid- erable success; he was an extensive cattle dealer and drover, and frequently had driven cattle from Illinois (where he had purchased them) to the Philadelphia (Penn.) market.

John Irvin, the subject proper of these lines, was born in East Finley township, passed his boy- hood and youth on his father's farm, and, being the only son, his duties were of necessity by no means light, and but little time could be spared

for school training. His mother died when he was four years old, and his father's sister, Marga- ret, took charge of the house. After the death of his father Mr. Irvin took an extensive trip throughi the States of Iowa and Illinois, at that time in- cluded in the "Far West," his journeyings occupy- ing over a year's time. On his return to Wash- ington county he again took up farming, and, in connection therewith, engaged extensively in the buying, raising and selling of live stock. On June 29, 1859, he was united in marriage with Eliza- beth Ann Blayney, of West Finley township, who was born November 17, 1842, and this union has been blessed with the following children: James H., born June 29, 1860, at present managing his father's farm; William M., born May 15, 1862, died August 7, 1885; Martha Jane, born Septem- ber 11, 1864, married to Jesse Montgomery, of East Finley township; Mary M., born September 11, 1866, married to R. A. Marshall, also of East Finley township; Ada L., born December 19, 1869, living at home; Jonathan or "Johnnie," born De- cember 15, 1872, died March 21, 1873; Cad B., born June 16, 1874, died August 27, 1882; Har- vey, born February 4, 1877; Charles O., born April 28, 1880, and John, born January 25, 1883, all three living at home. Soon after his marriage Mr. Irvin took up his residence on the old home farm, where he has since resided, carrying on gen- eral agriculture, including stock raising and deal- ing in wool, but is now retired from active work, his farm being managed under his personal direc- tion. Politically, he is prominently identified with the Republican party; he and his wife are consistent members of the Cumberland Presbyte- rian Church at Old Concord, in Morris township.

A W. KIMMONS, a leading citizen of West Alexander, and a well-known justice of the peace for that borough, is a native of Wash- ington county, Penn., having first seen the light in West Finley township, September 20, 1829. He comes of vigorous Scotch-Irish lineage, his grandfather, John Kimmons, having shortly after his marriage emigrated from his na- tive Erin to the shores of Columbia, settling on a farm in East Finley township, this county, at a very early day. The children born to this pioneer were John, Thomas, Samuel, Andrew and Anna (Mrs. Samuel McCoy). The tract of land Mr. Kimmons settled on was then all wild wood land, and this he and his family largely improved. Here he died, full of years and honor, a devout mem- ber of the Presbyterian Church, and a stanch Whig in politics.

Samuel Kimmons, father of the subject of these lines, was also a native of East Finley township, born May 4, 1790, and was there reared to agri-

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cultural pursuits, his education being received at the subscription schools of the period. In 1813 he was married to Eleanor Ross, who was born November 11, 1790, in New Jersey, and they then settled down to a co-partnership life on a farm situated in West Finley township, near the village of Good Intent. Here they remained until 1837, when they moved to Marshall county, W. Va., and there died, the father February 21, 1875, and the mother February 10, 1880. They were members of the Presbyterian Church, of which he was trustee, and his political preferences were Demo- cratic until 1861, when he donned the Republican toga. He was a very popular man, and was fre- quently called to offices of trust and responsibility . by his fellow-citizens. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Kimmons were as follows: Will- iam (deceased), Anna (wife of James Potter, of Adams county, Ill.), Jane (wife of George Potter), Thomas (deceased), Deborah (deceased wife of Noah Trumbull), Abner (living in Dallas, W. Va.), A. W. (a resident of West Alexander) and Alfred (residing in Ohio county, W . Va.).

A. W. Kimmons passed his early boyhood at the home of his birth, receiving his primary education at the schools of the district. When eight years old he accompanied his parents to Marshall county, W. Va., where he completed his education, and carried on farming until 1858, in which year, on March 25, he was united in marriage with N. J., daughter of Martin Armstrong, a native of Donegal township, this county, and the children born to this union were Laura M. (wife of W. A. McCausland), Carrie L. (wife of Theodore Henderson), Annie N., Minnie B. and Emma I.

James Armstrong, father of Martin Armstrong (above mentioned), was a native of Ireland, whence while yet a young man he came to the United States, settling in Donegal township, Washington Co., Penn., at a time when the country was entirely new. He married Margaret Martin, a native of Scotland, and reared a large family of children, as follows: Hugh, Mary, John, James, Joseph, David, Margaret (Mrs. Robert Stewart), Martin and Sam- uel. The father was one of the founders of the West Alexander Presbyterian Church, and was among the first trustees; politically he was an Old- line Whig, and at one time served the Government in the capacity of scout. Martin Armstrong, son of James, was reared to manhood in Donegal town- ship, receiving his education at the local schools. He was married to Margaret, daughter of Samuel Jameson, of Marshall county, W. Va., and the young couple then settled on a farm in West Fin- ley township, this county, where they passed the remainder of their lives. They were consistent members of the Presbyterian Church, of which he was a trustee. In politics he was first a Whig, then a Republican, and was a prominent member

of the school board. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Martin Armstrong were Samuel, James, Mary M. (Mrs. O. P. Henderson), N. J. (Mrs. A. W. Kimmons), Thomas, Lura, Luther, Hattie N. (Mrs. John Kimmons), William J. (living in Lin- den, Kans.) and Chester, of whom Samuel, Thomas, Lura, Luther and Chester are now de- ceased. After marriage A. W. Kimmons settled on a farm in West Finley township, where he fol- lowed agricultural pursuits for twenty-eight years; he then moved into the borough of Washington, remaining one and one-half years, or until 1887, in which year he came to West Alexander, where he has since made his home. The family are all members of the Presbyterian Church, of which de- nomination at Dallas Mr. Kimmons had been an active adherent for twenty-five years. In his political preferences he is a straight Republican, and has served his township with much satisfac- tion in various offices of trust; in 1891 he was elected a justice of the peace, a position he is fill- ing with eminent ability and sound judgment.

HE CHRISTMAN FAMILY. Enos Lewis Christman was the pioneer of the Christ- man family in Washington county, Penn. He was a son of George Christman and Sarah, nee Beerbower, and was born Decem- ber 27, 1828, in .Vincent township, Chester Co., Penn. His father passed from life in 1843, when the subject of our notice was under fifteen years of age, leaving a widow and two younger children, William Davis and Jefferson. The mother was left in circumstances which rendered it necessary for the elder boys to take care of themselves.

Enos L. spent the summer of 1844 with an uncle, Jacob Beerbower, who kept a store in Brecknock township, Lancaster county, where he assisted in attending store and working on a farm. In the fall of that year he returned to his mother's home and attended the public school until February 10, 1845, when he entered the office of the Village Record, at West Chester, Penn., and was appren- ticed to the late Hon. Henry S. Evans, for five years, to learn the art, trade and mysteries of a printer. He was the successor as an apprentice in that office, of Bayard Taylor, the great traveler; Hon. William Butler, judge of the United States district court, and of Edward M. Paxson, one of the supreme judges of Pennsylvania. Here he served his master so satisfactorily that when the gold fever broke out all over the country, in 1849, Mr. Evans not only released him from serving the balance of his time as an apprentice, but advanced him $400 in cash to go to California. This money was returned at the end of two years with a hand- some percentage added.

He sailed from Philadelphia on July 3, 1849,

ŻEESE

Respectfully Jours. E. L. Christian.

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in the good ship " Europe," Capt. Addison Plum mer, passing around Cape Horn, and stopping a month at Valparaiso, Chili, to repair damages to the ship. The voyage was an eventful one, occupying two hundred and twenty-two days, and landing Mr. Christman in San Francisco in February, 1850. His face, like that of all others at that time, was turned toward the gold mines. After suffering many hard- ships he was soon at work with pick, shovel and bowl, washing the golden sands on the upper waters of the Mariposa river. He met with indifferent success as a miner, and in July, 1850, he printed the first number of the Sonora Herald, at Stockton, and carried it to Sonora on horseback, where it was cir- culated at 50 cents per copy. A printing office was soon established in a tent in Sonora, and a lit- tle later he entered into partnership with Dr. Lewis C. Gunn, formerly of Philadelphia, and the paper was published regularly for several years. After roughing it in the Golden State until the fall of 1852, Mr. Christman returned to West Chester, Penn., where he married Miss Ellen A. Martin, a native of Philadelphia, whose mother dying when she was a little child, the daughter was taken to West Chester, and raised in the family of the late Capt. William Apple, her uncle, as one of their own children.

In November, 1852, Mr. Christman, with his wife, came to Washington, Penn., and he purchased a half interest in the Commonwealth newspaper, and entered into partnership with George C. Stouch, a former fellow-apprentice in the Village Record office. The paper had been started by Seth T. Hurd. This partnership continued until the death of Mr. Stouch, in December, 1855. The Hon. William S. Moore subsequently became a partner with Mr. Christman in the publication of the paper, but owing to the disintegration of the Whig party, which cause it had espoused, and the formation of new political parties, the paper be- came embarrassed, and early in 1858 it was con- solidated with the Reporter, then, as now, the old- est paper in Washington county. After the con- solidation, without disposing of his interest in the paper, Mr. Christman returned to West Chester, where he was employed by his old master, Mr. Evans, as foreman in the Village Record office. Here he remained until the Rebellion of the slave- holders broke out, when he promptly enlisted, in the latter part of May, 1861, and became second lieutenant of Company K, Fourth Regiment Penn- sylvania Reserve Volunteer Corps. With this body he served in the field until May, 1863, when he. was appointed, by President Lincoln, provost- marshal of the Seventh District of Pennsylvania, embracing Chester and Delaware counties, with headquarters at West Chester, filling the position until the close of the war. being discharged No- vember 30, 1865. While in the field he partici-

pated in the battles in front of Richmond (known as the Seven Days' fight), the second Bull Run, South Mountain, Antietam and Fredericksburg, and was promoted first to captain and then to ma- jor of the Fourth Regiment. It is a curious coin- cidence that the three brothers, all in different commands, were almost side by side in the bloody battle of Antietam. Enos L. was under Gen. Meade, in front of the cornfield to the left of the pike; William Davis was a lieutenant in the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Regiment, adjoining the Reserves on the right, and near to the Dunk- ard church, while Jefferson was in the Seventy- second Regiment, fighting on the left of the Re- serves.

At the close of the war Mr. Christman moved with his family to Somerset county, Md., where he engaged in farming and the timber business. Not succeeding up to the standard of his desires, he returned to West Chester and became assistant editor with Mr. Edward B. Moore, in the publi- cation of the American Republican. In 1872 Hon. William S. Moore, his old partner in the Wash- ington Reporter, having been elected to Congress, was very anxious that Mr. Christman should return to Washington and resume his place in the printing office. This was agreed upon, and on April 2, 1873, Mr, Christman returned to Washington, after an absence of fifteen years, and took charge of the publication of the Reporter during Mr. Moore's absence at the national capital. In Au- gust, 1876, the first number of the Daily Reporter was issued. Shortly after this Mr. Moore died, and his interest in the paper passed into the hands of Alex. M. Gow, Esq. In January, 1883, Mr. Christman purchased the interest of Mr. Gow, and became sole proprietor of the paper. He had now a family of eight sons and daughters around him, and in March, 1891, the Christman Publishing Company was chartered, being a family concern as the name indicates. At this time Mr. Christman's health failed, and since then he has had but little to do with the practical publication of the paper, the company, under the leadership of his son William, managing it vigorously and successfully.

The children of this family were: Mary Elizabeth, died in infancy ; Sarah, married to Charles M. Hayes, and has two sons, Harry and Clyde; Elizabeth and Ella; William, married to Miss Fannie M. Morgan, deceased in 1891, having three children, Howard L., Frank and Herbert; George, baggage master, B. & O. R. R .; Henry, married to Miss Lena Fleissner, and has one daughter, Nellie; Edwin A., married to Mrs. Maggie Frazier, and has two children, Roy and Hazel; Charles F., married to Miss Clara F. Neff. All are residents at this time (1892) of Washington, Penn.

Mr. Christman's youngest brother, Jefferson, learned the printing business in the office of the

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Commonwealth and subsequently settled in Phila- delphia. After serving three years in the Seventy- second Regiment, he took a situation in the Public Ledger office, where he has been employed as a compositor for many years. He married Miss Maggie Powers, and they have four daughters, two of whom are married-Lillie, to Morris Naylor, and Ida, to Harry Conaway. William Davis, the other brother, after following the mercantile busi- ness for many years in Chester county, removed to Washington and took a position in the Reporter office. He married Miss Zilpha A. Maxton. They have two sons living, Dr. Percy, a successful phy- sician at Washington, and Frederick B., engaged in the printing business in Chicago. An only daughter, Cora, died in young womanhood, at West Chester, in 1879.

John Beerbower was the father of Sarah Beer- bower, wife of George Christman. He was born in Vincent township, Chester Co., Penn., March 10, 1779, and died in East Vincent township, Oc- tober 20, 1858. He was a carpenter and farmer, and was many years a justice of the peace. He was commissioned, by Gov. Simon Snyder, as cap- tain of a company of militia in the First Brigade of the Third Division of the counties of Chester and Delaware, on August 1, 1814, and served a tour of duty during the war of that time with Great Britain. His wife was Elizabeth Fertig, who was born July 20, 1784, and died March 29, 1828. They are buried at (Brownback's) First Reformed church of Coventry. This church was organized in 1743. Herman Bierbauer was the father of John Beerbower. He was born in Ger- many, July 16, 1741, came to America when a young man, died December 29, 1801, and is buried at the old Hill church, on the Ridge road, in East Pikeland township, Chester county. His tomb- stone is lettered in German. His wife was Chris- tiana Hoffman. She was born October 7, 1747, and died February 7, 1826.

The ancestors of the Christmans were Germans. The Colonial records of Pennsylvania show that between the years 1730 and 1771, eleven Christ- mans, several with families, landed at Philadel- phia and swore allegiance to King George II. This record states that: "Daniel Christman ar- rived at Philadelphia September 5, 1730, with forty-five palatines and their families, 130 persons in all, in the ship 'Alexander and Ann,' William Clymer, Master, from Rotterdam, last from Cowes." Daniel subsequently settled in Worcester town- ship, now Montgomery county, and in 1734 paid quit rents iu that township. He had five sons and one daughter. Felix, the oldest son, was born in Germany, the other children in Pennsyl- vania, viz .: Henry, George, John, Jacob and Magdalene. Of these Felix, Henry, George and

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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 45

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