USA > Pennsylvania > Fayette County > Genealogical and personal history of Fayette county, Pennsylvania > Part 11
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CUNNINGHAM On the paternal side this family traces to the Emerald Isle, where Jolın (1) Cunningham, grandfather of John A. Cunningham, of Connellsville, was born. John (1) Cunningham came to the United States, where he married Anna McClintock, whose father, Alexander McClintock, was born in Ireland, came to the American colo- nies prior to the revolution, and was a meni- ber of General Washington's personal guard, serving seven years, nearly the entire revo- lutionary period. After the war he came to Pennsylvania, settling in Somerset county on Fort Hili, township of Addison, where he made a clearing and cultivated a small area until his death at a log rolling, being caught and crushed under a huge log that caught him unawares.
(1I) John (2), son of John (1) and Anna (McClintock) Cunningham, was born in Som- erset county, Pennsylvania, 1806, died 1875.
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He was a farmer all his life. He came to Fayette county, where he remained for a time, married and then returned to Somerset coun- ty, where he owned a good farm. He was a Republican and always took an active part in public affairs. Both he and his wife were inembers of the Methodist Episcopal church. He married Elizabeth, born in Connellsville, 1817, died 1898, daughter of George Marietta, of the prominent Fayette county family of that name (see Marietta). Children: Wesley; Fletcher; Brooklyn; Emily, married Frank Roger; Emmitt; John A., of whom further; Coston; Melissa, married David Enfield; Mary; Belle, who became the wife of Thomas Grey.
(III) John A., son of John (2) Cunningham, was born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, April 17, 1851. He was educated in the pub- iic schools, worked on his father's farm, and on arriving at man's estate learned the black- smith's trade at Uniontown and for ten years operated a shop in Somerset county. He then came to Connellsville, where he still continued at his chosen occupation, having been contin- uously in business there except for one year. In 1898 he erected his present commodious shop at No. 402 South Pittsburgh street, and in 1905 built a store building adjoining, now occupied by a grocer. He is a successful man of business. He has always been modern and progressive in his business methods, equip- ping his shop with all aids in the way of ini- proved machinery and devices. At the time of his coming to Connellsville all smithing was done by hand labor, and he was the first to use an engine in the town. In point of years in business he is the oldest smith in Connellsville. He is a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, as is his wife, also of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of the Maccabees.
Mr. Cunningham married (first) in 1873, Margaret Romesburg. born in Somerset county. Children: 1. Fletcher, married Ger- trude Fleming. 2. Thomas, married Stella Harland. 3. Ethel, married William Young. 4. Clarke, married Ella Ansel. 5. Homer, married Blake McMillan. 6. Bertha, resides at home. Mrs. Cunningham died in 1891. Mr. Cunningham married (second) in 1893, Sarah, daugliter of John Trimpe, of Somer- set county, Pennsylvania. Children: Ruth, Paul and Robert.
Richard Poundstone, POUNDSTONE the first member of this family about whom we have definite information, was born in Germany. He came from Germany in 1754, and about 1756 settled in what is now Ger- man township, Fayette county, Pennsylvania. He married Margaret Baker, who was born in Germany. It is not known how many chil- dren they had, but among these was George, of whom further; probably also Nicholas Poundstone who married Elizabeth Everly was their child.
(II) George, son of Richard and Margaret (Baker) Poundstone, was born in German township, in 1768, died August 2, 1845. Across the mountain, then almost impassable, he drove the first team, and thereafter he did teaming, more or less, the remainder of his life. Cumberland, Baltimore and Philadelphia were among the points to which he went by team. He became owner of about six hun- dred acres of land, and was an influential man in Fayette county. He was one of the found- ers of the Lutheran church in this county and was its main support. He married Susanna Messmore, born in 1771, died in 1834. Chil- dren: 1. John, of whom further. 2. Susan, married - - Dundy. 3. Jacob, born April 10, 1795, died December 15, 1868; married, September 27, 1827, Mahala Core. 4. Philip, married Una Harford. 5. Richard, married Elizabeth Coffenbaugh. 6. George, born Sep- tember 18, 1801, died December 3, 1884; mar- ried, in 1836, Susan Stumm. 7. Katharine, married Elias Freeman. 8. Margaret, married Augustus Scott.
(III) John, son of George and Susanna (Messmore) Poundstone; was born October 3, 1790, died February 25, 1861. He was a farmer ; in 1842 he was school director, and in 1845 assessor. He was a Democrat, and a member of the Cumberland church. He mar- ried Nancy Funk, born March 22, 1794, died February 25, 1861. Children: I. Susanna, bori August 9, 1813, died December 1, 1840. 2. David R., born November 23, 1814, died November II, 1871. 3. George, born July 25, 1816, died in August, 1816. 4. George, born August 16, 1817, died in September, 1817. 5. John, born May 6, 1819, died in July, 1819. 6. Adam M., of whom further. 7. Hugh C., born November 7, 1822, died November 22,
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1899. 8. Nancy J., born December 27, 1824, died November 12, 1901. 9. Joseph F., born June 17, 1827, living. 10. William S., born January 5, 1829, died April 17, 1908. 11. Ben- jamin. born December 16, 1830, died in Feb- ruary, 1831. . 12. John M., born December 3, 1831, died January 15, 1832. 13. Robert S., born November 30, 1836, died April 13, 1838. (IV) Adam M., son of John and Nancy (Funk) Poundstone, was born September 2, 1820, died April 29, 1892. He was a farmer, and lived on the same farm as his father had lived on; when he died he left it to his two sons, Samuel A. and Albert G., who now farm it together. He had the education of the dis- trict school; was a Democrat, and a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church. He married, February 8, 1846, Rebecca C., born August 19, 1829, died November 1, 1852, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Weibel) Allebaugh. Children: 1. Samuel A., of whom further. 2. . , died in infancy. 3. Albert G., born October 24, 1852, married Mary Elizabeth Beal, of German township. They have two children, both unmarried and living at home: Anna Rebecca, born December 16, 1878, and Estella, born August 26, 1883.
(V) Samuel A., son of Adam M. and Re- becca C. (Allebaugh) Poundstone, was born in German township, February 20, 1847. He is a farmer, and one of the best known men in Fayette county. Although he and his brother live on the old place, a portion has been sold from the original one hundred and forty-three acres, and the brothers have one hundred and ten acres. This farm is near Footdale. The coal has been sold to the Eureka Coal & Coke Company. Mr. Poundstone has worked in the recorder's office at Uniontown for three years, with Henry A. Witt, and for another period of three years with Byron Porter, also at Uniontown; he was for five years with the Second National Bank at that place. He is a meniber of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, having been initiated in 1868 at Ne- cessity Lodge at Uniontown. In politics he is a Democrat, and he has served one term of three years as county auditor.
JOHNSTON
William Johnston is the first member of this family about whom we have defi-
nite information. It is not known whom he married. Children: 1. James, deceased; he
was a farmer near Pleasant View, Fayette county, Pennsylvania; was unmarried. 2. John, who went in 1849 to California to dig gold; returned to Redstone township, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, where he became a farmer. 3. Philip L., of whom further. 4. Lucy, died at advanced age, unmarried. 5. Sally, died at advanced age, unmarried. 6. Elizabeth, died young, married George Ge- hoe. 7. Martha, married George Gehoe. 8. Robert, who lives on the home farm in Red- stone township, where he made a home for his sisters Lucy and Sally ; he was unmarried.
(II) Philip L., son of William Johnston, was born in Jefferson township, Fayette coun- ty, Pennsylvania, April 24, 1824, died March 3, 1910. He grew up in Jefferson township on Little Redstone creek, and when he was a young man learned the trade of cooper, which he followed all his life. After his mar- riage he owned a small place in Washington county, Pennsylvania, above Allenport; soon after this he bought fifty acres near Pleasant View, in Redstone township. As long as there was a demand for barrels he worked at his trade, and the sons did the work on the farm. He retired in 1906 and removed to Browns- ville, where he lived for the remainder of his life. He was a large, strong and enduring man, weighing one hundred and eighty pounds. He was a Democrat. Although both he and his wife had been members of the Baptist church, when he removed to Browns- ville he presented his letter to the Cumber- land Presbyterian church at that place.
He married Isabel Maxwell, who was born at Allenport April 27, 1829, died December 9, 19II. Her father was born in Ireland; he was a river man and lived at Allenport. Her mother was of German birth. Their children: I. Thomas, died in, middle life; he was a river inan on the Monongahela. 2. Thornton, cap- tain of a river boat. 3. Alexander, served in the civil war and was captain of a river boat. 4. Mary, married they live at Lacon Illinois. 5. Isabel, married Philip L. John- ston. 6. Martha, married Robert Wilson; they live at Fayette City, Fayette county, Pennsylvania. 7. Jane, deceased; married Samuel Mansfield, also deceased; they lived at Fayette City. 8. Caroline, married (first) Peter Riley, (second) Samuel Fields. Mr. Fields was a river boat captain; she is now a
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widow, living at Allenport. Children of Philip L. and Isabel (Maxwell) Johnston: 1, Mary, married Allison Reppert ; lives at Belle Ver- non, Pennsylvania. 2. Dora B., unmarried ; lives at Brownsville. 3. Josephine, married Finley Haggerty ; he is a farmer in Franklin township, Fayette county. 4. William E., mar- ried Bertha Osborne; he is a farmer and lives in Greene county. 5. Michael Wolf, died aged thirty-two; unmarried. 6. George Maxwell, of whom further. ·
(III) George Maxwell, son of Philip L. and Isabel (Maxwell) Johnston, was born on his father's place in Washington county, on the Monongahela river, one mile above Belle Ver- non, November 2, 1866. He attended Spear's school, near his birthplace. Also in boyhood he learned telegraphy at West Belle Vernon. In 1886 he went to Chicago and was a teleg- rapher for the Western Union Telegraph Company. He followed this occupation until March, 1905, when he returned to Fayette county and bought sixty acres of the old Dunn place in Franklin township. Here he still lives. He makes specialties of small fruits and garden vegetables. He is a Democrat. Both Mr. and Mrs. Johnston are members of the Baptist church at Flatwoods, Fayette county, Pennsylvania. He married, July 4, 1892, Mary. daughter of John and Threna Johnston, who was born near Manitowoc, Wisconsin, April 7, 1866. Despite the name, she is not of the same descent as Mr. John- ston. Her parents were both born in Nor- way, although they married after coming to America, in Wisconsin. Both are deceased; the father owned a farm of two hundred acres. Children of George Maxwell and Mary (John- ston) Johnston: Ruth Marie, born December 14, 1894; George Maxwell, born July, 1896; Edith, born April 29, 1898; Esther Matilda, born September 16, 1902.
This family is native to Fayette SMITH county, Pennsylvania, North Union township, where Robert H. Smith was born and has spent his life en- gaged in farming. He married Eliza F. Humbert, also born in Fayette county, Penn- sylvania. Children: Peter F., of whom further; Jennie, married Clyde D. Kimball, of Dunbar, Pennsylvania; William W., in business in Connellsville; Dr. Charles H., of Uniontown.
(II) Peter F., son of Robert H. and Eliza F. (Humbert) Smith, was born at the home farm near Dunbar, North Union township, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, April 16, 1857. His early education was obtained in the pub- lic school, finishing his classical study at the State Normal School at California, Pennsyl- vania. Having decided upon the profession of medicine, he entered the medical depart- ment of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, whence he was graduated M. D., class of 1887. He began the practice of medicine at Percy, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, con- tinuing there for eight years. He then lo- cated in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, where he has since been in continuous successful prac- tice. He is a member of the medical staff of Uniontown Hospital and a member of the Pennsylvania State and Fayette County Med- ical societies. He served a term as coroner of Fayette county, and is a Republican in politics.
He married, June 25, 1895, Ruth Eliza Rinehart, of Waynesburg, Pennsylvania. Children: Charles F. and Eleanor Eliza.
McCORMICK
The McCormicks of
Uniontown, Pennsyl- vania, herein recorded, descend from Noble McCormick, of Frank- lin and North Union townships. Fayette county, Pennsylvania. There were McCor- micks in Franklin township earlier than 1785, the name of James McCormick appearing as a land owner at that date. Whether Noble was a son or relative of James is not certain, although the statement is made that Noble McCormick was born in Ireland. There are grounds, however, for the belief that he was born in Fayette county, 1790-1800, and that he was a son of James. Noble McCormick was a school teacher and a farmer, owning a good farm in North Union township. He married (first) a Miss Brown, (second) Sarah Jane McDonald, who bore him a son, Charles, who moved to the state of Cali- fornia. Children by first wife: I. Eliza, mar- ried Jacob Springer. 2. Mary Ellen, married Simon Coborn. 3. Rebecca, moved west. 4. Anna Maria, married Ellis Springer. 5. Thomas, a farmer of Dunbar township. 6. Joseph, went west. 7. James, went west. 8. William Brown, of whom further.
(II) William Brown, son of Noble McCor-
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mick, was born in South Union township, Fayette county, Pennsylvania. He grew to manhood at the home farm on the Morgan- town road and became a wealthy butcher and cattle dealer. His market in Uniontown oc- cupied the present site of Ritenour's drug store.
After his more active years were over he became an enthusiastic and successful bee farmer and an authority on the honey bee and how to profit by his industry. His apiary was celebrated and attracted interested visit- ors from all over the state. He was an ardent Democrat and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Mr. McCormick married Susan, daugh- ter of Matthew (I) and Elizabeth (Catlin) Allen, he a farmer of North Union township, Fayette county, where he was born of Irish forbears. Children of Mr. and Mrs. Allen: I. Matthew (2), served in the Mexican war and never returned. 2. Susan, of previous men- tion, wife of William Brown McCormick. 3. Mary, married John R. Crawford, a farmer; she is yet living, aged eighty-seven years. Elizabeth (Catlin) Allen died in 1826. By a second wife Matthew Allen had: 4. George, a printer, died aged twenty-five years. 5. Robert J., a school teacher, married Bertha Bunker. 6. Josiah, a farmer. 7. James, died of camp fever during the civil war, in which he served as teamster. Matthew (I) Allen was a son of George and Jane (Paul) Allen. George Allen, born in Eastern Pennsylvania, was one of the earliest settlers in Dunbar township, Fayette county; Jane Paul was born in Fayette county, sister of Colonel James Paul, the noted Indian fighter of the early day. Children of Mr. and Mrs. McCor- mick :
I. George A., a butcher and three times elected sheriff of Fayette county. He married Alice Barker and lives in Union- town. 2. Milton Allen, a lumber dealer of Fairchance, Pennsylvania. 3. Mary, mar- ried Frank Brooks and lives in Uniontown. 4. Ella, married William Thorndell and lives in Detroit, Michigan. 5. Elizabeth, married Ward Howland and lives in Detroit, Michi- gan. 6. Sophia, married Frederick Ward, a real estate dealer at East Riverside, New Jersey. 7. William Calvin, of whom further. (III) William Calvin, son of William Brown and Susan (Allen) McCormick, was
born at the old McCormick homestead, just north of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, March 7, 1856, died August 30, 1911. From childhood he was practically crippled by rheumatism and gave little hope of ever being other than a sufferer all his life. He was well educated, and when he was sixteen years of age his father started him in the butcher business at Dunbar, Pennsylvania. Here he remained for several years, his rheumatic troubles dis- appeared, ând he became one of the strongest men in the county. He was stockily built, of medium height and very quick in all his movements. He never liked the butcher busi- ness, and when he found himself possessed of perfect health and strength sold out his Dun- bar business, settling in Uniontown. There he became a contractor and building supply dealer. He built a store and yards on the lot in the rear of the Brunswick Hotel, which later was partially destroyed by fire. He then rebuilt at the corner of Beeson and East Fayette streets, continuing until 1904, when he erected the extensive buildings along the Baltimore & Ohio railroad track, between Jefferson and Fayette streets, that are still used by his successors in business. He was very successful in this business, be- coming one of the leading contractors in his city.
He was in business alone until Jan- uary 1, 1911, when the press of business and poor health compelled him to admit a part- ner, John T. Hoover, who took charge of outside activities of the firm. His work as a contractor was exceedingly varied, including street paving, road building, the building of sewers, reservoirs, coke ovens, buildings and all similar construction. In the store and yards department he carried a complete line of builders' supplies. He was a very ardent Democrat, serving for nineteen years as councilman of Uniontown. A feature of his construction work in Uniontown was the erection of private sewers, and his estate is credited with owning more miles of sewer in Uniontown than the city itself owns, and from which a goodly income is derived. He did not confine himself to contracting, but was interested in other Uniontown activities, including flouring mills. He was very public spirited and always ready to lend his support to any legitimate enterprise. He built and operated the first street railway in Union-
"W " G. He Cormick
1
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town, a line running the length of the city out to his ball and zoological grounds, "Mc- Cormick Park." Later his railroad was shared by others, known as the firm of Ewing, Hopwood & McCormick. About 1880 he became interested with his brother, George H., in undeveloped coal lands. They then had little capital, but selected their hold- ings with great judgment, and held options on thousands of acres of land in West Vir- ginia. The panic of 1892 and 1893, however, compelled them to relinquish their holdings, being unable to raise money to meet their payments. Those to whom the option finally passed became millionaires, thus justifying the judgment of the McCormick brothers, who would have likewise profited had not the panic overthrown their plans.
During the early part of the last decade of the nineteenth century he was appointed by his brother, George A. (then sheriff of Fay- ette county), chief constable of the coal and iron district, to assist in holding in check the strikers of the county, who were boarding railroad trains, riding from place to place and refusing to pay any fares. Mr. McCor- mick's asistant was "Indian Tom," a half- breed, who stood six feet ten inches in height, with courage to match his great size. Their duty was to ride on the trains and throw off all those refusing to pay fares. In 1893, while making an arrest, Mr. McCormick had his skull crushed by a beer bottle, which wound resulted in blindnes that caused him to spend the last nineteen years of his life in darkness, although, except for a short time, he continued active in business. Just pre- vious to this sad event he had assisted in the capture of the Cooley gang, a notorious band of thieves that had infested the district for some years.
To turn to a less serious side of his life, he was known as the "father of baseball" in Uniontown. When a young man he was a good amateur catcher, and never ceased to be an ardent lover and supporter of the na- tional pastime. He organized the first team to represent Uniontown, "The Uniontown Amateurs," and later organized and man- aged the first professional team representing Uniontown in one of the minor leagues. When a team would languish and drop out he would finance and organize another, start it off successfully, then turn them over to a
manager, always keeping a team in the league. The family preserve three large pen- nants won by his teams in the professional league. He built, owned and conducted the first baseball park at Uniontown, having in addition, as another interesting feature, a small menagerie and amusements, making it a popular resort. The before mentioned street railway was built to connect McCor- mick Park with the city.
He married (first) Margaret Johns, (sec- ond) Irene, born in 1864, daughter of Will- iam Wyatt, a soldier of the civil war; a teamster and in the early days helped in the construction of the National road. The Wyatts are an old Fayette county family. Child of first marriage: I. Montgomery Ward, now conducting an employment agency in Uniontown. Children of second wife. 2. Beatrice, married Frank Filmore Hyde, now a bookkeeper living in New Cas- tle, Pennsylvania. 3. Howell Brown, of
whom further.
(IV) Howell Brown, youngest child of William Calvin and Irene (Wyatt) McCor- mick, was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, February 21, 1885. He was educated in the public schools, Madison Academy graduate, class of 1901, and Virginia Military Academy. After three years at the latter school he was obliged to return home, his father's health requiring that he have the constant compan- ionship of his son to guide his steps and as- sist him in the management of his business affairs. He had become familiar with the con- tracting busines, even as a boy, and was its mainstay during his father's last years. He inherited the business interests of his father and is now engaged in making final settle- ments with his partners. He is a clear-head- ed, energetic young man, and will worthily fill the place made vacant by the death of his father. He is a Democrat in politics, a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church and a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles.
He married, March 4, 1907, Gail Lancas- ter, born in Little California, Pennsylvania, December 1, 1890, daughter of Charles and Ida (Trump) Lancaster, born in Washington county, the latter still living. Children: Beatrice, born June 12, 1908; William How- ell. February 10, 1910. The family home is the old McCormick residence, No. 41 Iowa street, Uniontown.
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The emigrant ancestor of McCORMICK the McCormicks, of Fay- ette county, Pennsyl- vania, herein recorded, was Dr. John McCor- mick, who emigrated from Ireland to Vir- ginia between the years 1730 and 1740. In the Orange county, Virginia, records there is a deed, under date of May 21, 1740, from Just Hite to "John McCormick, of Orange county," for three hundred and ninety-five acres of land. Later he took up other grants adjoining this property, which was located in that part of Orange county that later be- came Jefferson county, West Virginia. It was on this estate near Summit Point that in 1840 he built "The White House," which was still standing in 1903. He was a grad- uate in medicine of the University of Dub- lin, and brought to this country with him a large and valuable medical library, which at his death was sold to Dr. Cramer, then the leading physician of Charlestown. He died in 1768, leaving a wife and eight children. In his will, made May 8, 1768, and recorded February 8, 1769, he mentions wife Anne and sons James, John, Francis, William, George, Andrew, daughter "Mary Tate, wife to Mag- nus Tate," and "Jean Bryen, wife to James Bryen." His wife and son James were executors of his estate. It is indicated that he was married before coming to this coun- try, but the maiden name of his wife cannot be found. The descendants of his eight chil- dren are scattered throughout many states. It is said of the early members of the family that they were singularly unobtrusive people, content in happiness derived from their own family relations, being extremely clannish; both the men and women were strictly hon- orable, affectionate, domestic and courteous; one of their marked characteristics was a strict regard for the truth. One of the heir- looms of the family was an old English prayer book which descended from Dr. John McCormick to his son Francis, and was given by him to his son Thomas at his mar- riage, but was unfortunately destroyed dur- ing the civil war. In it was the family tree on parchment; on another page, Dr. John McCormick in a blue broadcloth suit with brass buttons; another, the marriage scene; and yet another, Anne McCormick with a blue bodice and yellow silk or satin skirt, with a branch in her hand and a bud; an-
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