USA > Pennsylvania > Genealogical and personal history of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania, Volume I > Part 60
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Mr. Sibley married, March 17, 1870, Metta E. Babcock, born November 28, 1853, daughter of Simon M. and Celia (Kellogg) Babcock, of Friendship, New York. She died July 26, 19II. She was a generous contributor to the poor and unfortunate. The two children of Joseph C. and Metta E. Sibley are: Josephine, born January 16, 1873, at Friendship, New York, and Celia, born September 19, 1874, at Franklin, Pennsylvania. The elder daughter, Josephine, was married, March 17, 1897, at Franklin, Pennsylvania, to William Emerson Heathcote (see below), of Omaha, Nebraska. At present Mr. and Mrs. Heathcote and family reside at St. Petersburg, Florida, where her father has, also, for several years owned an orange grove and a winter home. Celia mar- ried, June 5, 1901, at Franklin, Pennsylvania, William McCalmont Wilson, of Washington, D. C. They are now residents of Franklin, Pennsylvania.
William Emerson Heathcote, son of Mathew and Mercy (Stone) Heathcote, both of Eng- lish descent, was born at Morrison, Illinois, May 12, 1863. He left school when eighteen years of age and began his business career as an accountant. Four years later he entered the employ of S. P. Morse & Company, whole- sale and retail dealers in dry goods in Omaha, Nebraska. After remaining four years with this firm, he went to Evanston, Wyoming. as an employee of A. C. Beckwith & Company. This firm was subsequently taken over by the Union Pacific Coal Company. For this cor- poration Mr. Heathcote served as superin- tendent of stores for a period of eight years. Among other duties he had charge of purchas- ing the supplies for the company's stores in Wyoming, Colorado and Utah. During this time he became financially interested in cop-
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per mining and certain other investments which proved profitable. In 1897 he came to Franklin, Pennsylvania, as vice-president of the Signal Oil Company, and remained seven years. In the fall of 1904, for the sake of a milder climate, he moved with his family to St. Petersburg, Florida. In that city he has since then been extensively engaged in citrus growing, in real estate and in banking.
(VII) Edwin Henry Sibley, a younger brother of Hon. Joseph C. Sibley, was born at Bath, Steuben county, New York, February 12, 1857. He was prepared for college in the public schools of Franklin. Pennsylvania, and at MacKoon & Waite's Private School, subse- quently known as the Cascadilla School at Ithaca, New York. He spent four years at Cornell University, receiving in 1880 the de- gree of Bachelor of Arts. In certain subjects he had the honor of leading his classes. At the time of the organization of the Student's Guild he was, on motion of one of the professors, chosen chairman of the joint meeting of fac- ulty and students. On the merit of his pro- duction he was selected by the faculty as one of the nine members of his class to have a public exercise on commencement day. By his fellow-students he was elected president of the Cornell University Christian Associa- tion, Ivy Orator for class-day and one of the board of editors of the Cornell Review, the literary magazine published by the students of the institution. When leaving Cornell he made arrangements to pursue his studies fur- ther at Harvard and at the University of Leipzig with a view to fitting himself to be- come a college professor, but a combination of circumstances led him into business. For an outing he went with a railroad surveying corps into the mountains of southeastern Ken- tucky. From the position of chainman he rose rapidly in succession to transitman, pay- master, purchasing agent, secretary, treasurer and a director of the company, ultimately holding the last four titles simultaneously. As President Charles Miller and other officials were in the east, it fell to Mr. Sibley's lot to look after many of the important interests of the company in Kentucky such as would nat- urally be attended to by a general manager. All the duties incident to these positions were satisfactorily performed. On one occasion he received the congratulations of the board of directors for the able and judicious manner in which he had conducted an important affair.
He continued to look after a certain part of the company's business until about 1886, when he entered the employ of the Galena Oil Works and the Signal Oil Works of Franklin as local treasurer. A few years later he was elected treasurer, which position he still holds. He was also for over twenty years manager of Prospect Hill Stock Farm of which Major- General Charles Miller and Hon. Joseph C. Sibley were proprietors.
Mr. Sibley has always taken a lively interest in the educational affairs of Franklin. For some years he did a large part of the work necessary to make a success of the courses de- livered here by University Extension lecturers. He was a member of the board of school di- rectors during the time that the new high school building was erected. When the citi- zens failed at the first election to authorize the necessary bond issue, he took pains to see the leading members in the community to in- sure their aid when the question should be again submitted. He wrote one signed com- munication and several editorials in the local paper urging the necessity and importance of the building. At the second election the re- quired authority was granted by a vote of ap- proximately three to one. Mr. Sibley also took the leading part in letting the contract for the building, and in arranging with Mr. Charles E. Lord, the principal of the high school, for new courses of study and for addi- tions to the faculty. In particular, Mr. Sib- ley introduced the teaching of modern lan- guages. He was president of the Franklin Public Library for twelve years and declined a reelection. When Mr. Sibley severed his connection with the library, in 1912, the num- ber of books owned was approximately seven thousand, among them many valuable his- torical, scientific and literary works and works of reference. During Mr. Sibley's presidency the library bought what was known as the Bailey property at the southwest corner of Twelfth and Liberty streets. Of the sum raised for the purchase of this property, about one-fourth was secured, principally in small amounts, by Mr. Sibley's personal efforts, supplementing the work of the solicit- ing committee. A handsome profit was real- ized by the sale of the land, and the library then acquired what is commonly known as the Judge McCalmont homestead at the southeast corner of Buffalo and Twelfth streets. The fees for maintaining the library have purposely
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been put low, and tickets are given to all clergymen and teachers in the public schools. Consultation of reference books is allowed to everyone without charge. A large part of the books which have been purchased out of library funds has been those which Mr. Sibley has selected.
Mr. Sibley completed a post-graduate course in modern history and political science as- signed him in 1880 by the faculty of Cornell University. For many years he and his wife were attendants at Chautauqua and enjoyed the privileges for education and culture it af- fords. They were graduates of the class of 1905, of which Mr. Sibley was elected a trus- tee. In 1886 he was the nominee of the Pro- hibition party for the state senate. He made speeches throughout the district, not aiming at election, but receiving the largest vote that at that time had been polled for a Prohibition candidate for the same office. Later he spoke at many places throughout Venango county in favor of the proposed amendment to the constitution prohibiting the manufacture and sale of alcoholic liquors.
For scholarly attainments Mr. Sibley was in 1906 given by Bucknell University the honorary degree of Master of Arts. He re- ceived from Alfred University in 1908 the de- gree of Doctor of Literature. Two others who were recipients of honorary degrees at Alfred University at the same time as Mr. Sib- ley, were Justice Williams of the supreme court of the State of New York, and Dean Bailey, of the department of agriculture of Cornell University, who was the author and editor of many works and who was subse- quently the chairman of the Roosevelt com- mission on country life. From his private library Mr. Sibley has from time to time given to college libraries and public libraries a total of over two thousand carefully selected vol- umes. He has been president of the Cornell Association of Railway & Supply Men, which meets annually at Atlantic City, New Jersey. He was for seven years president of the Penn- sylvania Jersey Cattle Club, whose annual meetings were held in Pittsburgh. He was one of the incorporators and the first treasurer of the Franklin Hospital. He is the author of sundry reports, papers, communications, ad- dresses, literary essays, humorous articles, aphorisms and inspiration mottoes. Some of his humorous productions have appeared in Puck and in the Buffalo Illustrated Express.
A paper read before the Pennsylvania State Dairymen's Association on "Some of the Ele- ments of Success in Breeding Dairy Cattle" was printed in the Jersey Bulletin of Indian- apolis and called forth numerous favorable criticisms from the editor and from correspon- dents. A wall card entitled "Administration of Life" was commended by Bishop John H. Vincent, chancellor of Chautauqua, and by Hon. Andrew D. White, United States ambas- sador to Germany and president of the Ameri- can delegation to the Hague peace conference, and by many other men eminent as educators or as leaders in practical affairs. An address delivered at Atlantic City on "Some of the Prizes of Life" was first printed in the col- umns of the Cornell Alumni News and was subsequently reprinted in England in a journal edited by James Allen, author of "As a Man Thinketh," and of many other works widely read in England and the United States.
He married, December 23, 1884, at Dunkirk, New York, Jessie A. Williams, born April 19, 1863, at New Haven, Ohio, daughter of Richard and Rachel Maria (Thompson) Will- iams. Her father has been master mechanic on a number of different lines of railway. He was a volunteer in the civil war and served on Admiral Porter's flagship. Mrs. Sibley re- ceived a superior education in vocal and in- strumental music. The three children of Edwin Henry and Jessie A. Sibley, all born in Frank- lin, Pennsylvania, are: I. Edna, born Decem- ber 23, 1885, was graduated with distinction in Franklin from the high school, and in Phila- delphia from the Ogontz School for Young Ladies; married, July 17, 1909, at Franklin, Pennsylvania, to Mr. Joseph Clark Tipton, son of Enoch and Martha J. Tipton. He was born August 11, 1868, on Boone Valley Ranch near Watrous, New Mexico; is a graduate of the University of Missouri in both the classical and legal departments, and won the honor of Phi Beta Kappa. He is the manager for South America of the Galena-Signal Oil Company. He and his wife reside in Buenos Aires, Ar- gentina. Their daughter Martha was born July 10, 1911, in New York City. 2. Joseph Crocker Sibley Jr., born January 27, 1888; attended the graded schools and the high school at Franklin, Pennsylvania, and Betts Academy at Stamford, Connecticut. He was graduated A. B. at Cor- nell University in 1910. He completed the four years course in three and one-half years, spending the last half of his senior year at
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Eastman Business College. At Cornell he re- ceived numerous honors from his fellow-stu- dents; he was assistant business manager of the Cornell Alumni News; literary editor of the Cornell Widow; president of the Men's Association of Arts and Sciences, and won election to the honorary senior class society known as Sphinx Head. At the University of Wisconsin where he spent a part of a year, he won second prize for an article contributed to The Badger, and was chosen one of the board of editors. At Eastman Business Col- lege he completed the course in stenography in the shortest time ever made by any student in that institution. He is in the employ of the Galena-Signal Oil Company. He married, July 17, 1911, at Chicago, Illinois, Mahala Rose- crans Holm, daughter of Nils and Sara (Win- terbotham) Holm. She was born at Eau Claire, Wisconsin, April 24, 1889. She was for a time a student at the University of Wisconsin in the class of 1912. Their son, Joseph Crocker Sibley IV, was born April 14, 1912, at the Harrington Maternity Hospital, Buffalo, New York. 3. Jeannette, born March 23, 1889; she passed through the graded schools and entered the high school, but left on account of ill health. She completed the Chautauqua course with the class of 1907. Subsequently she continued her studies at Philadelphia at the Ogontz School for Young Ladies. She was graduated from the latter institution in 1910 in vocal music, being one of the four out of hundreds of pupils to whom the American representative of the Lamperti method had ever awarded the distinction of a diploma.
WITHERUP Among the early settlers of the "Scrubgrass" region in Venango, was John With- erup, probably the only man of English birth in that section in the early day. On coming to the United States he first settled in Trenton, New Jersey, later was in Philadelphia, thence moving to Pittsburgh. He was one of the early freighters between Pittsburgh and Phila- delphia, making many trips over the moun- tains in the pursuit of his calling. He was also engaged in the lumber business in Pittsburgh, and was the contractor selected to furnish the building material for the first Allegheny county court house. He often related with pride that he hewed the first stick of timber placed in position in that structure. In 1800 he settled at the mouth of Big Scrubgrass creek, in 21-AV
Venango county, on a tract of 440 acres, and there built the first saw and grist mill ever erected in Clinton township. In addition to milling, he engaged in farming and lumber- ing. He continued contracting operations, and was the contractor for the first Venango court house, also superintending its construction. In 1803 he was elected road commissioner, and in 1805 had the distinction of being elected the first sheriff of Venango county. In 1821-22- 24 he served as county auditor, and in 1826 was elected county commissioner, serving until his death. He was also elected justice of the peace, serving for over twenty-five years. His long useful life ended in 1843 at his farm in Clinton township.
He married Mary Brockington, also born in England, died in Venango county. Both were members of the Cumberland Presbyterian church. Children : 1. Abraham, of whom fur- ther. 2. David, married Jane Dunlap, and moved to Missouri, where both died ; children : Alexander, Mary, David (2), Elizabeth, John and James. 3. William, married Jane Ridg- way, and moved to Virginia, where both died, leaving issue. 4. John (2), died unmarried. 5. Alexander, a farmer, died in Scrubgrass township, Venango county, married Saralı Tracy, also deceased. 6. Martha, married Colonel William Shorts, of Sandy Creek township; both deceased; they have a son Abraham still living. 7. Robert, died on the Red River, Texas.
(II) Captain Abraham Witherup, son of John Witherup, the emigrant and pioneer, was born in Philadelphia, January 18, 1787. He was taken with his parents to Venango county in 1800 and shared the pioneer burden of clear- ing and building a home in the wilderness. After marriage he lived for a time in Rock- land township, later returning to the old home- stead at the mouth of Big Scrubgrass creek, where he engaged in both farming and lumber- ing. In 1865, on the discovery of oil, he had his farm prospected and found he was over an extensive pool. He began drilling and had forty wells sunk on the farm, which, with very few exceptions, produced from two to one hundred sixty barrels of oil daily for about eight years. He, of course, reaped a large pecuniary benefit from his lumber and oil operations, and became one of the substantial men of the country, and was one of the most progressive enterprising citizens of his day. He was a lifelong Democrat, and held many
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public positions, including justice of the peace, an office he filled for twenty years. During the war of 1812 he commanded the Seventh Com- pany, 132nd Regiment Pennsylvania militia, recruited in Venango county. When Erie was threatened, he marched with his company to its defense, but for some reason did not arrive on time, which suggested a hint from some one that cowardice was the cause. Stung to the quick by this suggestion, he went into the fight with such reckless daring that he won the admiration of Commodore Perry, who after the battle sent Captain Witherup an invitation to dine with him. He was very proud of the fact that on election day, 1856, he marched to the polls with his eight sons, and all cast their ballots for the Democratic nominee for the presidency, James Buchanan. He died April 4, 1875, loved, honored and respected. He married Elizabeth Phipps, born November 14, 1800, died November 19, 1880, fourth daugh- ter of John Phipps. Children : 1. Mary Ann, born December 3, 1819, died 1887; married, June 19, 1837, James Haslett. 2. John, born February 18, 1821, died unmarried, March 25, 1888. 3. Robert, born 1822, married Sarah McCool; both deceased. 4. David, born March 31, 1824, died June, 1863; married Catherine Webster, also deceased. 5. Catherine, born December 11, 1825, died 1855; married Na- than M. Wasson, also deceased. 6. Joseph, born July 8, 1827; married, November 13, 1856, Eleanor Brandon; both deceased. 7. Abraham (2), born March 30, 1829; married, November 18, 1852, Sarah Porter, and now resides in Akron, Ohio, retired. 8. Samuel P., born January 29, 1831, died January 6, 1894; married Mary J. Porter, September 18, 1862. 9. William, of whom further. 10. Sarah, born June 30, 1835; married, June 28, 1855, Oliver D. McMillen, whom she survives, a resident of Worthington, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania. 11. James B., born June 8, 1838; married, February 18, 1875, Achsah Coulter, whom he survives, a resident of Clin- ton township. 12. Martha S., born February 10, 1841 ; married, June 23, 1864, Elliot Davis, whom she survives. 13. Elizabeth Ann, born July 23, 1843; married Alfred Hardwick, whom she survives, a resident of Evans City, Pennsylvania.
(III) William, ninth child of Captain Abraham and Elizabeth (Phipps) Witherup, was born in Rockland township, Venango county, Pennsylvania, August 24, 1832. He
was educated in the public schools and grew to manhood on the homestead farm. He spent his active years engaged in farming and lum- bering, although after oil was discovered he drilled in 1888 about one hundred wells on his farm, where over thirty are still producing oil, although in much diminished quantities. He has always supported the principles and nom- inees of the Democratic party, served as school director, and is a member of the Presbyterian church. He married, November 19, 1863, Martha L., daughter of David and Rebecca (Stalker) Eakin, of Clinton township, and a granddaughter of Thomas and Rachel ( Baten) Stalker. David Eakin, a farmer, died in Ven- ango county, aged forty-three years; his wife died in 1868; he was a Democrat. Their chil- dren : 1. Rachel, married Snowden Porter, de- ceased, a resident of Akron, Ohio. 2. Sam- tel J., deceased; married Julia Ann Atwell, who lived in Kansas. 3. Thomas, died in in- fancy. 4. Thomas Jefferson, deceased ; mar- ried Adalaide who now resides in Colorado. 5. Mary Jane, married Murphy Lockard, whom she survives, a resident of Venango county. 6. Martha L. (of previous mentioned ), wife of William Witherup. 7. Eliz- abeth, married John Fabian, both deceased. 8. Sarah, married John Myers, whom she sur- vives, a resident of Crawford county, Penn- sylvania. 9. David V., an oil well contractor and driller, now residing in New Castle, Penn- sylvania ; married Henrietta Cross. Mrs. Re- becca (Stalker) Eakin survived her first hus- band, and married (second) David Phipps, who was associate judge five years. Their only child married Charles Thero. Mrs. David Phipps died February 17, 1878; both she and her first husband were members of the Cumberland Presbyterian church.
Children of William and Martha (Eakin) Witherup: 1. Forest Foster, born January 2, 1865, died unmarried, December 21, 1897. 2. Imelda, born March 26, 1866, resides at the family home in Kennerdell. 3. D. Thomas, born April 2, 1868, an oil producer, now living in Erie, Pennsylvania ; married Laura Cox. 4. Harry King, born December 20, 1869; an artist, residing in Buffalo, New York ; married Minnie Heible. 5. Joseph Alvin, born August 7, 1872; married (first) Catherine Ryan, (second) Mary Pitchard ; now resides in Okla- homa; child by first wife, Gladys, born 1902. 6. Lewis Hudson, born December 5, 1874, died November 12, 1880. 7. Samuel Bennett, born
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December 19, 1876; resides in Venango county, an oil producer ; married Katherine Shaffer ; children : William, born 1902; Wini- fred, 1903; Almira, 1905; Katherine, 1907; David, 1910. 8. Jesse Lee, born August 7, 1879; resides in New Middletown, an oil con- tractor ; married Georgia McClellan. 9. Will- iam Vick, born April 8, 1882; married Madge Boylan; children : Charles Leroy, born 1910; Martha, 1912. 10. Bessie Phipps, born Jan- uary 17, 1885, residing at home.
Mrs. Martha (Eakin) Witherup, the mother of the foregoing children, is a member of the Presbyterian church, and although advanced in years is in excellent health and interested in all current happenings.
About the beginning of the nine-
CROSS teenth century, William Cross, born in England, came to the United States, settling first in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; later he moved to Butler county, Pennsylvania. He was a furnace builder and a skillful builder of grist and saw mills. He erected many in the western coun- ties of Pennsylvania, became prosperous, and at one time owned seven mills in active opera- tion. He was also engaged in the grocery business, having his son Robert as partner. He experimented and sunk a great deal of money in an effort to refine oil in the early days, skimming it off the surface of the river and creeks. He lost $13,000 in his experi- ments, and finally, after having been to the river for a supply of oil, died in his wagon on the way home. He was a Whig in politics, and he and his wife members of the United Presbyterian church. He was a soldier in the American army during the war of 1812, and became an ardent supporter of his adopted country's cause. His wife, Jane Merkley. died in Clintonville, Pennsylvania, aged seventy- five years. Children: Samuel, married Jane Mccutcheon ; Robert, of whom further ; Jane, married Nathan Davis ; Matilda, married Jolin Maxwell; W. C., married (first) Isabel Cum- mings.
(II) Robert, son of William and Jane (Merkley) Cross, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, March, 1811, died in Clinton- ville, Pennsylvania, 1873. He was educated in the public schools of Pittsburgh, which he attended until he was eleven years of age. His parents then moved to Butler county, locat- ing at Centerville. He learned the carpenter's
trade and became a contractor and builder, and was also engaged in mercantile business with his father and in his attempts at refining oil. He was postmaster of Clintonville forty years, and in mercantile business there for that length of time. He was roadmaster and super- visor, also for one term associate judge. He was a Democrat in politics, and an elder of the Presbyterian church many years. He mar- ried Hannah McKissick, born in Maine, died at Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania, aged seventy- five years, daughter of Aaron McKissick, who in his latter life lived in Franklin, but died in Waterloo, Pennsylvania, a general contractor. His wife, Jane Means, lived to be about eighty years of age. Children of Aaron McKissick : Putman; John; Henry; Hannah (of previous mention), married Robert Cross; Jane, mar- ried Henry Near; Mary, married Dr. A. J. McMillen; Sophronia, married Henry Snail; Thomas S .; all deceased. Children of Robert and Hannah Cross : 1. Caroline, died aged thir- teen years. 2. Mary Jane, married E. P. New- ton, both deceased, leaving a daughter Kate, who married, and lives in New Castle, Penn- sylvania. 3. Harriet, married Major R. J. Phipps, and lived in Franklin, Pennsylvania ; children : Marshall, married Belle Campbell ; and Lizzie, deceased. 4. Lovisa, married Rev. James Foster, who survives her, residing at Clark's Mills. 5. William, married Nancy Phipps, and lived on their farm in Venango county ; children (not in order of birth) : i. Fred A., an engineer, married Laura Irwin, and lives at Hampton Station, Pennsylvania. ii. Hannah, married John A. Proctor, an oil pumper of Evans City, Pennsylvania. iii. Mary Effie, married James 1. Black, an oil driller of Brookville, Pennsylvania. iv. Frank, secretary and treasurer of the Sun Oil Company, mar- ried Margaret McKee. v. Raymond, superin- tendent of Oil City Gas Company, married Belle Eakin. vi. Florella. vii. Harriet, married Edson Bymer, a farmer of Scrubgrass town- ship. viii. Robert, an oil operator of Okla- homa. 6. Oliver Byron, of whom further. 7. Emma, deceased, married C. M. Riddle, a car- penter, now residing in Clintonville. 8. Alice, married (first) Dr. Jackson, (second) Joseph Bowman, an oil well driller of Sandy Lake, Pennsylvania. 9. Etta, married D. V. Eakin, a contractor and oil well driller of Newcastle, Pennsylvania.
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