USA > Pennsylvania > Bedford County > History of Bedford and Somerset Counties, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and personal history > Part 42
USA > Pennsylvania > Somerset County > History of Bedford and Somerset Counties, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and personal history > Part 42
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JOHN C. BEACHLY.
John C. Beachly, of Brothers Valley, is a son of Peter Beeghley, a sketch of whose life appears elsewhere in this work. The Beachlys are one of the old and well known families of the county, numbering among their ancestors some of the pioneers. John C. Beachly was born April 6, 1852, at Beachdale, Brother's Valley township, and received his education in the schools of his birthplace. He remained on the farm at Beach- dale with his parents until the age of twenty-one, when he married and for the next six years worked the farm on shares. He then, in 1882, bought the John P. Cover farm in the north- ern part of the township, on which he has since remained, with the exception of two years after his wife's death which he spent in Meyersdale. The farm is known as the "Crystal Spring farm," named from a famous spring of pure water which never fails in the dryest seasons. The estate consists of about five hundred acres, well stocked with Percherons and short-horns. There is an abundance of fruit of all kinds and there is also a sugar camp .. of three hundred vessels. Coal underlies the en- tire farm, in part of which Mr. Beachly retains his ownership, and he is also the owner of coal rights in another part of the township. The farm contains likewise large deposits of lime- stone rock, which is being worked. Mr. Beachly burns all the lime used on the farm, some three thousand bushels, and also supplies his neighbors. Coal for burning the lime, as well as for local consumption, is mined on the farm. The improvements
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are substantial and modern, and the farm operations are con- ducted by the aid of the most improved machinery. He is a stockholder in the Windber National Bank. He has served as school director and in politics is a Republican, having cast his first presidential vote in 1876 for Hayes. He is a member of the German Baptist church and also of the Sunday school.
Mr. Beachly married, December 24, 1873, Annie M., daugh- ter of Josiah and Mary (Kimmel) Walker. The former was born August 14, 1818, and the latter October 24, 1819. Their marriage took place March 13, 1842. Mr. and Mrs. Beachly were the parents of the following children: 1. Allen W., born April 5, 1875, stockholder and shipping clerk of the Windber Brewing Company, Windber. 2. Ella V., born May 8, 1877, wife of E. O. Pyle, of Windber. 3. Ada E., born February 2, 1879, wife of O. J. Coleman, of Lull, Pennsylvania, one child, Clyde Beachly Coleman, born August 27, 1906. 4. Verda May, born February 19, 1885, wife of Emerson Cober, of Brother's Valley township, one child, Jay Beachly Cober, born July 10, 1905. The mother of these children died July 23, 1889. Mr. Beachly married, April 5, 1892, Lizzie A. Foust, and by this marriage has become the father of the following children: 1. Dalton Jay, born December 27, 1892, attending township and Berlin schools. 2. Alma D., born June 3, 1894, died October 25, 1894. 3. Altha C., born February 25, 1896, attending school. Mrs. Beachly is a daughter of William Foust, a sketch of whose life appears elsewhere in this work. She was born March 27, 1869, was educated in the public schools and is a member of the Disciples church.
CHARLES G. BARNHART.
Charles G. Barnhart, merchant, of Milford, Somerset coun- ty, Pennsylvania, was born in Somerset township, August 25, 1868, son of William A. and Catherine A. (Shaulis) Barnhart, and grandson of Barnhart, who was born in Som- erset county. Mr. Barnhart is of German descent.
William A. Barnhart (father) was born in 1846, and was a farmer by occupation. He served in the civil war, enlisting in 1864, and served until the close of the war, and was present at the surrender of General Lee. His first wife, Catherine A. Shanlis, bore him children, as follows: Charles G., see for- ward; Sarah J., deceased; Anna G., Mary E., George L. and William F. After the death of his wife, in 1897, Mr. Barn- hart married Rupp, and they now reside in Som- erset.
Charles G. Barnhart obtained his education in the common schools of Somerset, and at the age of eighteen left school and engaged in teaming. which he followed for five years. He
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was then engaged in the sawmill business until 1903, when he formed a partnership with his brother, and they opened a store in Milford, in the conduct of which they have since engaged, being attended with good success. They also have charge of the Milford postoffice. Charles G. Barnhart holds member- ship in the Maccabees and Golden Eagles. In church con- nections he is a Lutheran.
Mr. Barnhart married, October 9, 1899, Martha Weimer, born March 24, 1875, in Glade, Somerset county, a daughter of Samuel J. and Rose A. (Kimmel) Weimer. Samuel J. Weimer was a native of Somerset county, a farmer by occupa- tion and a Republican in politics. He and his wife were the parents of seven children, viz: John J., Lizzie, Elmira, Tobias, Mary A., Joseph, and Martha.
JAMES WILLIAM ENDSLEY.
James William Endsley was born September 15, 1857, at Somerfield, Somerset county, Pennsylvania, his present place of residence. He is descended from John Endsley (name orig- inally Ansley) a German, who settled near Richmond, Virginia, He married Mary Gilbert, and had one child, a son named Thomas, born 1787.
John Endsley and his wife came from Virginia with their son Thomas to Smythfield (now Somerfield), Pennsylvania, where Mr. Endsley died about 1831, and is buried in the old Endsley graveyard at that place. Mary Gilbert was of Eng- lish descent, a descendant of a prominent Quaker family of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, and born about 1770. When she was about seven years old the family emigrated from Bucks county, to Jefferson county, Virginia, passing through Wash- ington's camp at Valley Forge. This incident of the journey, as well as the crossing of the Susquehanna river on a bridge of boats, she often recounted to her grandchildren. She died about 1835, and is buried at Somerfield.
Thomas Endsley (or Captain Endsley, as he was generally known). the only child of John and Mary Endsley, was born near Richmond, Virginia, in 1787, and in 1805 married Miss Mary McCloy, a young lady of Scotch-Irish descent, who had come from Ireland to America a short time previous. She died at the Endsley home, at Somerfield, in 1832. Of this union eight children were born, five sons and three daughters, namely: John, Thomas, James, William Gilbert, Andrew Jackson, Mary Ann, Nancy and Julia.
In 1819 Thomas Endsley moved from Virginia to Frost- burg, Maryland, where he commenced a career of hotelkeeping on the National road. Three years later he moved to the Tom- linson House, a prominent tavern stand twenty-one miles west
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of Cumberland, and from there he went to Smythfield (now known as Somerfiekl), Somerset county, Pennsylvania, buying, December. 1823. the old Smyth farm, lying on both sides of the National road. On this farm had been built in 1818 the large stone tavern, which is yet standing. in Somerfield, in excellent repair. Ile took possession in 1824 and ran it with success as a hotel and relay house for the great stage lines for the greater part of his life. Being a Virginian, Captain Endsley was a slave-owner, and brought eight negroes with him when he came to Pennsylvania, some of whom remained with him for many years. However, all his sons grew up to be pronounced Aboli- tionists.
After the death of his wife, Mary MeCloy, Mr. Endsley married a second time, a lady from Ohio, who survived him for some years and by whom he had no children.
Besides managing a hotel, Thomas Endsley also took an active interest in farming, and is said to have been a pioneer in the raising of corn in that section. In 1828 a military company was organized, called the Addison Blues, of which Thomas Endsley was elected captain, and was ever after known as "Captain" Endsley. It is said that at all the battalion parades at U'niontown, Somerset and Bedford the Addison Blues bore off the honors for discipline and soldierly bearing.
Thomas Endsley's life was closely identified with the his- tory of the National road, and in 1831 he was appointed by the legislature of Pennsylvania, for the term of three years, one of the first five commissioners to accept from the national govern- ment for the State of Pennsylvania, the Cumberland or Na- tional road, and to erect toll gates, etc., upon said road for its maintenance. In 1834 he and the other four were reappointed by the governor. While not identified with any religions or- ganization, he held to the Presbyterian faith and donated a lot of land in Somerfield for the first church at that place.
William Gilbert Endsley, son of Captain Thomas Endsley, was born at the Tomlinson House, Allegheny county, Maryland, June 11, 1821, and was three years old when his father came to Somerfield. He married Julianne Watson, of Fayette county, Pennsylvania, February 25. 1829, who was the daughter of James and Mary Ridgeway Watson, of the same county, to whom were born four children: Howard, deceased; Mary, de- ceased, wife of Robert E. Ross; Eva. deceased, wife of Robert E. Ross; and James William.
Mr. Endsley was a hotelkeeper and farmer, but, being a temperance man, he abolished the bar from his hotel and al- ways ran it as a temperance house. Hle was educated at the public schools, was a Methodist in religion, and a Whig and Re- publican in polities. In 1849 he was commissioned by Governor
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Jolinson first lieutenant of the Addison Infantry. He repre- sented his county in the general assembly of Pennsylvania dur- ing the session of 1875-76. He was commissioner of the Na- tional road in 1881-82. Mr. Endsley operated the last line of stages on the National road between Uniontown and Cumber- land. He died at Somerfield, August 20, 1901.
James William Endsley, son of William Gilbert and Ju- lianne (Watson) Endsley, was born September 15, 1857. After completing the public school course he attended the county nor- mals with a view of fitting himself for the profession of teach- ing, but after teaching one term of school in Fayette county he decided to enter a business career, and with his father engaged in general merchandising at Somerfield, which he continued for fifteen years, also engaging in the manufacture of spokes, hubs, etc., which he continued for a number of years. In 1890 he en- gaged in the general lumber business, and in 1900 commenced to manufacture telephone and telegraph stock, which he yet con- tinues.
About five years ago he became impressed with the value of the coal deposits in the Lower Johnstown basin, and made a thorough test of the territory with a view of interesting outside capital in the field, and with the idea of still demonstrating the commercial value of the coal in this basin decided to open and operate it himself, and with a few friends organized the Liston- burg Coal Mine Company, of which he is secretary and gen- eral manager, which owns and operates two mines at Liston- burg, Pennsylvania. Mr. Endsley is a director in the Somer- set County National Bank, of Somerset, the largest financial in- stitution of its kind in the county.
In politics he has always been a straight Republican. He was the first burgess of Somerfield borough and has been school director or councilman for many years. In 1902 he re- ceived the indorsement of his county for the state senate, but was defeated in the district conference. In 1904 he was elected to the general assembly of Pennsylvania and served in the ses- sion of 1905 and in the extra session of 1906, and also again in 1906 received the nomination of the Republican party for an- other term. In religion he has always been affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal church and devoted many years to the Sunday school work of that church. While a Methodist, Mr. Endsley prides himself on being very tolerant in his religions views and believes in practical Christianity rather than creeds and dogmas.
Mr. Endsley married Miss Mary Connelly, May 12, 1880, at Somerfield, Pennsylvania. She is the daughter and only liv- ing child of Dr. Charles H. Connelly and Mary (Hagans) Con- nelly, and was born at Red Wing, Minnesota, where her parents
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had moved from Fairmont, Virginia, and where Dr. Connelly died when she was an infant. After Dr. Connelly's death Mrs. Connelly returned to Virginia to her own people, and later mar- ried Mr. Aza C. Frey and moved to Somerfield, where her daughter Mary married Mr. Endsley. Mrs. Endsley has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church since girlhood, serving in its various societies. She is a member of the patriotic society, Daughters of the American Revolution.
Her father, Charles Connelly, was a graduate of the Jef- ferson Medical College, of Philadelphia, and practiced with suc- cess in Virginia and Minnesota. He was a member of the Con- nelly family of Somerset county, who were descended from three brothers-Bernard, Francis and Edward Connelly-Irish
patriots, who came to America about 1800.
Mrs. Endsley's
grandfather, Bernard Connelly, of Somerset county, was a sur- veyor, a man of education and great natural ability, prominent in his time and place. In 1838 he was elected a member of the Pennsylvania legislature and served two terms. His wife, Margaret. was a daughter of Christian Ankeny (Angny), of French Huguenot descent, one of the pioneer settlers of Som- erset county and a Revolutionary soldier. Mrs. Endsley's ma- ternal grandfather, Zer Hagans, also lived for a time in Som- erset county. He was a descendant of the Puritans and came from New England to Virginia and from there to Addison (then called Petersburg), Pennsylvania, where he built as his private home the brick house which has been used as a hotel for many years since. He died at Addison and is buried at Newbury, in Addison township.
The children of James William and Mary (Connelly) Ends- ley are: 1. Edna May Endsley, born at Somerfield, Pennsyl- vania, June 23, 1881. She was educated in the public, private and normal schools of Somerfield and at Fauquier Institute, Virginia. She married, June 22, 1904, Lucius Evans White, of Florida, and is now living at Johnstown, Pennsylvania. They have one child, Ellison Endsley White, born July 27, 1905. 2. Gilbert Frey Endsley, born at Somerfield, September 2, 1883. He was educated at public, private and normal schools of Som- erfield. After teaching school one term he entered the Uni- versity of West Virginia, where he took the law course. He is married and is now in business with his father at Somerfield. 3. William McKinley Endsley, born May 22, 1890, died Septem- ber 18, 1891. 4. Mary Julianne Endsley, born October 31, 1895.
COMPTON FAMILY.
The American ancestor of the Compton family was Elycum Compton, who came from France and settled in New Jersey, at Metuchen Church, near New Brunswick. He died prior to the
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Revolution. His wife was Sarah, last name unknown. During the Revolutionary war General Washington boarded with the Widow Compton whenever in that neighborhood. Elycum and Sarah Compton were the parents of a son, Robert.
Robert Compton was born in Middlesex county, New Jer- sey, in 1761. This lad, too young to enlist as a soldier, accom- panied General Washington, at the general's request, as a page or attendant, was with him many years and was his trusted messenger. In 1813 Robert Compton left New Jersey and went west, settling in Berlin, Somerset county, Pennsylvania, en- gaged in business there until 1824, when he removed to Salis- bury and there, during the remainder of his active life, was engaged in mercantile pursuits. He married Lydia Brown, born December 9, 1783, in Chester, Morris county, New Jersey. Their children were: Archibald, born February 9, 1802, in Sussex county, New Jersey ; Phineas M., June 1, 1804, in Sussex county ; Eliza, April 24, 1807; Sallie, March 28, 1809; Catherine, Decem- ber 18, 1811, in Morris county, New Jersey; David, July 8, 1814, in Somerset county, Pennsylvania; Lydia, July 21, 1816, is still living (1906) in Somerset county; William, November 27, 1818; Robert, January 25, 1821; Charles, March 2, 1823; Henry, July 21, 1825, still living in Grafton, West Virginia; Alfred, March 26, 1828. Robert Compton (father) died in Grantsville, Mary- land, 1856; his wife died January 10, 1847.
Phineas M. Compton, second son of Robert and Lydia (Brown) Compton, was born June 1, 1804, in Sussex county, New Jersey. He was reared in Salisbury and was educated in the subscription schools of that day. He was a gunsmith and tinner and followed this business in Salisbury until late in life, when he and his son Samuel purchased a farm of nine hun- dred acres in Maryland. He only lived two years to enjoy the new purchase. He invented the first meat-cutter ever used in Somerset county and manufactured them quite extensively for several years. Phineas M. Campton married Adeline Glotfelty, daughter of Jacob Glotfelty, of Salisbury. Their children were : Samuel, born June 25, 1827 ; Lucretia, January 27, 1829, married Isaiah Boucher and died in Maryland; Lydia, January 28, 1837, married H. C. Stewart, of Somerset, but later of Jacksonville, Illinois. After being a widow several years Lydia Stewart married the late B. W. Simmons, of Jacksonville, Illinois. Phineas M. Compton died July 4, 1858; his wife died April 17, 1883.
Samuel Compton, first born child of Phineas. M. and Ade- line (Glotfelty) Compton, born June 25, 1827, was educated in the subscription school of J. J. Stutzman, and when thirteen years of age entered his father's shop and learned the trade of gunsmith and tinner, and later became his partner in business.
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At the age of twenty-five he, with his father, purchased the Maryland farm above mentioned. and Samuel assisted in its management and cultivation. but did not remove his residence from Salisbury. About the same time he purchased the old Chrissner farm on Elk Lick creek and followed farming exelu- sively until 1868, when he purchased the Hostetter mill prop- erty. He operated the old mill for a time and then erected and equipped a first-class "burr" flouring mill and added a sawmill to the plant. For the remainder of his useful and busy life he conducted the farm and mills. He was one of the pro- moters and earnest workers for the establishment of free schools, was a school director many years, assessor of the town- ship for seven years, led the fight to compel the coal corpora- tions to pay their due proprotion of taxes, and for ten years served as justice of the peace. He was of modest, retiring nature, but of an iron will and richly endowed with mechanical ingenuity, being a skillful worker in both wood and metal. He was a consistent member of the Reformed church and in poli- ties a Democrat.
Samuel Compton married, March 11, 1849, Nancy Beachy, daughter of Peter A. Beachy, of whom prominent mention is made elsewhere in this volume. Samuel and Nancy Compton were the parents of two sons, Demetrius and Phineas. Samuel Compton died November 7, 1902, and his wife passed away Feb- ruary 10, 1888.
Demetrius Compton, eldest son of Samuel and Nancy (Beachy) Compton, was born in Salisbury, January 6, 1850. He was educated in the common and normal schools of his county. He possessed great natural musical ability and took a course at the Davis Musical Institute at Warren, Ohio. For a time he was a teacher of instrumental music in Grantsville, Maryland, at the Alpine Musical Institute. He was the organist of the Wilhelm Reformed church, St. Paul, Somerset county, Pennsylvania, for twenty-five years, when the first pipe organ was installed therein. In 1878 he purchased and operated the first steam thresher used in Somerset county, and one of the farms where his thresher worked is now Meyers avenue, Meyers- dale. The innovation of steam threshing was received with such favor by the farmers that a second machine was bought, and until 1890 Mr. Compton ran both threshers. From 1888 until 1896 Mr. Compton engaged in linbering. In the latter year he purchased the milling interests of his father and installed in- stead of the old-fashioned stones complete modern roller process machinery. In the care and cultivation of his farm and in the management of the mills Mr. Compton has been very successful and still continues their operation. For twenty years Mr. Comp- ton has been school director of the township. He works and
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votes with the Democratic party. He is a member of the Re- formed church, of which he is deacon.
Mr. Compton married, October 17, 1872, Maria L., born in Berlin, daughter of Charles Krissinger, and their children are: Charles A., born July 8, 1876, educated in the township schools, graduated at the State Normal at California, Pennsylvania, and Mount Union College, Ohio. He was principal of the Belle Vernon public schools and is now principal of the Ben Avon school in Pittsburg. He married Eva Calvert and has one child, Elnora. Melissa, born July 12, 1878, received a normal school education and was a most successful teacher in the county schools until her death, January 1, 1903. Florence L., born September 29, 1885, also received a normal school educa- tion and is a teacher in the township schools. Mrs. Maria L. Compton died October 22, 1890. Mr. Compton married (sec- ond), February 22, 1893, Fannie M., daughter of John J. Stat- ler, and their children are: Maud Louisa, born May 26, 1895; Ward Samuel, March 8, 1901; Mildred, October 22, 1902.
Phineas Compton, youngest son of Samuel and Nancy (Beachy) Compton, was born on the home farm, which he now owns and cultivates, August 21, 1866. He was educated in the common schools and was reared on the home farm, which in due time he became owner of. The farm contains three hundred acres of highly cultivated land, with a commodious, modern dwelling and adequate barns and outbuildings. He is a very progressive and enterprising farmer and uses all the modern appliances and labor-saving machinery necessary to the suc- cessful operation of so large a farm. He is a Democrat polit- ically and a member of the Reformed church.
Mr. Compton married, October 26, 1887, Martha, daughter of John J. Keim, of Elk Lick township. One child has been born to them, Allan, August 8, 1895.
ALBERT M. LICHTY, M. D.
Dr. Albert M. Lichty, of Salisbury, was born December 25, 1859, on the old Keystone farm, in Elk Lick township, son of Samuel J. Lichty, grandson of John C. Lichty and great-grand- son of Christian Lichty, who emigrated from Germany and set- tled in Somerset county, where he engaged in farming. He was a member of the German Baptist church and lived to an ad- vanced age. Christian Lichty was the father of a large family. His sons were: Jacob, Daniel, John C., of whom later; Samuel, David, Joseph and Emmanuel. The following were his daugh- ters: Hannah, wife of Jacob Myers; Susan, wife of Jacob Fike; Magdalena, wife of Samuel Myers; and Elizabeth, wife of Michael Myers.
John C. Lichty, son of Christian Lichty, was born in 1799,
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in Elk Lick township, and was reared on the farm which is now known as the Jake Lichty farm, acquiring a limited education in the subscription schools. On reaching manhood he settled on the farm which has since gone by the name of the John C. Lichty farm, situated between Salisbury and Meyersdale. He served in various local offices and in politics was first an old-line Whig and later a Republican. He was a member of the German Bap- tist church. John C. Lichty married Elizabetlı, daughter of Christian Fike, who came from Germany and settled in Elk Lick township. Mr. and Mrs. Lichty were the parents of the fol- lowing children: Solomon, born December 30, 1821; Michael, November 10, 1823: Nancy, May 28, 1826, wife of Michael Kim- mel; Samuel J., of whom later; Susan and Sally (twins), De- cember 18, 1829; the former married John Beachy and the lat- ter became the wife of William Beachley; Jonas, September 25, 1830: David, April 26, 1832; Mary, August 16, 1833, wife of Daniel Miller; and Elizabeth. October 17, 1835, wife of Daniel Beachy, after whose death she married Jacob Livengood. The death of Mrs. Lichty, the mother of this family, occurred September 16, 1870, and that of John C. Lichty, the father, May 12, 1879.
Samuel J. Lichty, son of John C. and Elizabeth (Fike) Lichty, was born August 8, 1828, in Elk Lick township, and passed his boyhood on the homestead, obtaining his education in the subscription schools. He remained at home until reaching his majority, when he settled on a farm which he purchased in Elk Lick township, and for about twenty-five years led the life of a farmer. He then engaged in mercantile business for some five years, and at the end of that period retired from active labor. He is a Republican and a deacon in the Ger- man Baptist church, in which his brothers, Solomon and Jonas, both officiated as ministers for many years. Samuel J. Lichty married, in 1847, Catharine, born at Mechanicsburg, Somerset township, daughter of Samuel Miller, and their children were: William, born June 7, 1848, real estate agent, Lincoln, Ne- braska, married Sada, daughter of Daniel Beachley; six sons, Edward, Samuel. William, Robert L. and Jesse, the three last named deceased. Daniel, banker, Los Angeles, California, married Katharine Myers; three children, Harold, Morris and one who died in infancy. Mary, wife of Albert G. Keim, of Salisbury. Pennsylvania; six children, Stella, Sadie Garfield, Mabel, deceased; Clyde, deceased; and Harold. Sarah, wife of Christian Rowland. of Lanark, Illinois; four children, Delta, Earl, Grace and Charles. Albert M., of whom later. Annie, widow of Morris Wagner; five children, Clyde, Grace, Lottie, Herbert and one who died in infancy.
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