History of Butler County, Pennsylvania, Part 100

Author: Brown, Robert C., ed; Leeson, M. A. (Michael A.); Meagher, John, jt. comp; Meginness, John Franklin, 1827-1899, jt. comp
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Chicago : R. C. Brown
Number of Pages: 1658

USA > Pennsylvania > Butler County > History of Butler County, Pennsylvania > Part 100

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JOHN C. HUGHES, of the firm of Hughes Brothers, was born in Meadville. Pennsylvania. June 11, 1866. son of Thomas and Bridget Hughes. He was reared in Franklin, Pennsylvania, and learned the boiler maker's trade at the Franklin Boiler Works. He has been connected with his brother James W .. for nine years in his various business enterprises. Ile married Allie Hogue. September 25, 1592. lle is a member of Butler Lodge, K. of P .. and both he and wife are members of St. Paul's Catholic church.

THOMAS J. SHerHIN was born in Arcade. Wyoming county, New York, December 7. 1555. son of John and Jane ( Malone) ShutHin, and grandson of James and Nancy Shufflin. His father was born in New York city. in August, 1832, married Jane Malone, October 20, 1850, and settled at Arcade. Wyoming county, New York, where he still resides. His family consists of the following children : Anna, wife of P. H. Silliman : Thomas J. : Christopher E. : Francis S. : John J. : Mary, wife of John Reilley: Michael B, and Matthias V. The family are members of the Catholic church, and in politics, Democratic. The subject of this sketch received a common school education, and engaged in tank building and contracting. In 1875 he went into the oil business in the Bradford field. came to Butler county in ISS6. locating at Millerstown, and the following year removed to Butler, where he has since been engaged in business. devoting his attention to the manufacture of tanks for the storage of petroleum, in which he has been quite successful. On February 5. 1889. Mr. Shuffling married Mary Green, a daughter of Terence Green, of Arcade, New York. Politically. he is a Democrat. and is a member of the borough council. He is a member of the K. of P .. of Millerstown. is a charter member and treasurer of the B. P. O. E., of Butler, and is president of the Butler Branch of the Metropolitan Loan and Say- ings Association. Mr. Shufflin and wife are adherents of St. Paul's Catholic church, and he is one of the energetic and enterprising business men of the borough.

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.

R. B. TAYLOR, contractor and oil producer. was born August 13. 1832. in Halifax. Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, son of James and Anna ( Bryan ) Tay- lor. The Taylor family were among the early settlers of Dauphin county. The subject of this sketch was reared upon his father's farm until the age of sixteen, when he went to Jersey Shore, Lycoming county, where he learned the carpen- ter's trade, with Henry Dippie, serving four years. Ile then located at Lock Haven, and engaged in contracting, which business he carried on for four years, and then removed to Clearfield, where he continued the same business for eight- een years. From Clearfield he went to Reynoldsville, Jefferson county, in ISTS, and carried on business at that point until his removal to Butler in 1854. Mr. Taylor has erected many of the public buildings in Pennsylvania and other states. Among those built by him are the Pennsylvania railroad depot at Cape May, New Jersey, the opera house and Methodist Episcopal church at Clear- field, the court house in Butler, the high schools at Mansfield and Kittanning. and the Schuylkill county court house, at Pottsville. He has operated exten- sively in the oil fields of Thorn creek, the Eastern Belt, Saxonburg, and the Hundred Foot field, of Butler county; also in Clarion county, Allegheny county, and in Indiana. Mr. Taylor was one of the organizers of the Butler County National Bank, and was the first president of that institution. Hle is president of the Bradford Glass Company, and is a man of much public enter- prise. He married Annie, daughter of Joseph Ruffhead, of Jersey Shore, Penn- sylvania, to whom have been born the following children : Ida, wife of C. C. Benscoter ; Martha A., wife of G. S. Swope of Bradford ; Mary B., wife of E. C. Hughes of Allegheny, and William J. Mr. Taylor is a member of the Moth- odist Episcopal church, and politically, he is a Republican.

EDWARD E. WEIGAND was born in Ilesse Cassel, Germany, October 6, 1849, and is a son of Frederick Weigand of the same place. His father was a carriage maker and farmer. and married Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Grubing, of Hesse Cassel, who bore him two children : Elizabeth, and Edward E. The latter learned the cabinet maker's trade in Germany, came to the United States in 1868, and settled at Tionesta, Pennsylvania, where he remained three years. Returning to Germany, he spent eight months in his native land. and again came to Pennsylvania and located at Titusville, where he was a rig builder and carpen- ter. He remained at Titusville until July, 1874, when he located at Butler, and worked at his trade until 1881. Ile then went into the contracting business, as a member of the firm of Me Junkin & Weigand, which was dissolved in 1988. Since that time he has continued business alone. Mr. Weigand was married January 19, 1875, to Margaret, daughter of William Kalb of Butler township, and has two children : Adam F., and Frank L. Politically, he is a Democrat, and is a member of the Lutheran church.

LEWIS C. WICK was born in Slippery Rock township. Butler county, Decem- ber 14, 1852, son of Henry E. and Elizabeth Wick, both natives of this county. With the exception of four years spent in Bourbon, Indiana, and Chicago, he has always been a resident of Butter county. Ile commenced active business when about sixteen years of age, consisting of a general store, wholesale flour and feed. and lumber business, the latter of which he is now engaged in at Butler and at

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

Hilliard Station. The Butler yard was started in February. 1884, by L. C. and W. S. Wick, who during the year 1885 bought out the firms of Leech Brothers. Medice & Dunlap. and W. C. Heiner. W. S. Wick sold his interest to C. R. llammond in March, 1887, and L. C. Wiek bought out Mr. Hammond in May, 1888, and has since been sole proprietor of the business. Mr. Wick was married February 10, 1874, to Mary Frances Curran, a daughter of Samuel and Sarah Curran, of Centreville. Butler county, who died December 10, 1874. He was again married October 16, 1878, to Florence P. Curran, a daughter of Rev. Richard A. and Elizabeth Curran, of Decatur, Indiana. To this union have been born four children, viz. : Richard HI .; Helen E .. and Louisa O., both deceased, and Olive Bartine. He is a member of the Reformed church of Spring- dale, and an ardent Prohibitionist, casting his first vote for that party in 1882.

JOHN GOETZ was born in Bavaria, Germany, April 14, 1828, son of Nicholas and Mary A. (Persow ) Goetz. He grew to manhood in his native land, and engaged in the butcher and the hotel business, which he followed until 1854. In that year he immigrated to the United States and settled at Freeport. Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, erected the gas works at that point, and carried them on in connection with the Butler Gas Works until 1875. He then came to Butler, where he was superintendent of the Butler works until 1883, in which year he built his planing mill on Spring avenue. Ilis mill is a two-story building, fifty by fifty, with an extension fourteen by thirty feet, equipped with the newest machinery, and operated by an eighteen horse-power engine. Mr. Goetz is also engaged in contracting and building, in which business he has been quite success- ful. lle was married in Germany to Margaret leid, and has four children : Annie, wife of Bart Nebbel: Leonard ; Mollie, and Winnie. Mr. Goetz and family are members of St. Peter's Catholic church, and in politics, he is a stanch adherent of the Democratic party.

VALENTINE FEIGEL was born in Rubenheim. Germany, August 7, 1805, there grew to maturity, and served in the French army over fourteen years, under Charles X., and Louis Phillippe. He learned the carpenter's trade, and in 1839 immigrated to St. Louis, Missouri, and the following year took up his resi- dence in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he worked at his trade for many years. In 1848 he married Christina Obitz. of Hannahstown. Butler county, to which union were born eleven children, viz. : Valentine, and Philip, both deceased ; William ; Margaret, and Mary, the last two deceased; Catherine, wife of Christopher Troutman ; Ferdinand; Sophia, wife of George Ketterer, of Butler ; Carolina, wife of C. D. Aldinger, of Butler; Louisa, and Annie. Mr. Feigel has occupied his present residence since 1851. He has served as burgess of But- ler, and is an adherent of the Democratic party. The family are connected with the Lutheran church.

FERDINAND FEIGEL was born in the borough of Butler, October 21, 1853, son of Valentine and Christina Feigel. He received a common school education, and learned the carpenter's trade with his father, which business he has followed the greater portion of his life. In 1893 he engaged in the manufacture of picture frames, under the title of the I. N. L. Picture Frame Company, which business he carries on at 309 South Main street. On May 25, 1882, Mr. Feigel married

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.

Margaret Rader, a daughter of Peter Rader, of Petersville, and has two children. Ernest and Ollie. The family are members of the English Lutheran church, and in politics, Mr. Feigel is a Republican. He is connected with Ziegler Lodge, I. O. O. F.

JOHN Kopp was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, December 6. 1835, son of John and Christina ( Fitch ) Kopp, native- of the same place. His father was born October 11, 1511, served several years in the German army, and in 1858 immigrated to the United States and settled in the borough of Butler, where he continued to carry on the trade of marble and stone cutting. In 187the returned to Germany, where he died, in 1890. His wife died in IS83. They were the parents of two children : John, and Christina, who married Jacob Zeller. The subject of this sketch came to the United States in 1854, and completed his trade at Cincinnati, with John Slanterbeck, remaining in that city a year and a half. He then located in Butler, where he has ever since carried on the marble busi- ness. On April 28. 1858, he married Christina Weckbecker. a daughter of Henry and Anna Weckbecker, of Butler. The following children have been born to this union : Carolina, deceased ; William H., deceased : Annie K. deceased ; Elizabeth, deceased wife of William Wingard. of Clarion county ; Emma, wife of Thomas Finucan, of Pittsburg: Helen D., deceased; Edward C. ; Laura M .: Bertha A., and Maggie (. Mr. Kopp and family are connected with the Lutheran church, and politically, he is a Republican. He is a member of Lodge. Number 22. P. H. C.

CHARLES IL. KENNEDY. oldest son of William C. and Elizabeth ( Christy ) Kennedy, was born near Harlansburg. Lawrence county, Pennsylvania, and received a common school education. When twenty years of age he engaged in teaming. and subsequently learned the blacksmith's trade, which he followed some four years. He then went to work in a bottling works at New Brighton, Beaver county. and subsequently worked at the same business in Sharon. In Sep- tember, 1890, he came to Butler, purchased the bottling works of Mechling & Smith which he has since carried on successfully. These works were established in IMby T. E. Gamble, at their prevent location, 15> Race street. and is the only plant of the kind in Butler. They have a capacity of 150 cases a day, or 3,600 bottles. Mr. Kennedy manufactures all kinds of soft drinks, and charges soda fountains for his patrons in Butler, also supplies many of the small neigh- boring towns. He was married May 2, less, to Hattie E. daughter of Heury and Elizabeth Boyer of Sharon, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Pres- byterian church. Mr. Kennedy is connected with the K. O. T. M .. and in poli- ties, is a Democrat.

JOHN G. WISENER Was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, in August, 1812, was reared in his native land, and learned the butcher's trade. He afterwards immigrated to Pennsylvania, and opened a meat market in Butler, where he resided until his death, May Is, 1849. In 1935 he married Margaret Nicklas, a daughter of Peter Nicklas, of Summit township, who became the mother of seven children, as follows : Elizabeth, wife of Matthew Seegar ; Philip: Mark : John G. : Lewis: Annie E .. wife of Matthew Speer, and Susannah, wife of

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Wesley Elliott. Mrs. Wisener died on June 6. 1880. They were members of the Lutheran church.

PHILIP WISENER was born in the borough of Butler, January 11, 15BS, eldest son of John G. aud Margaret Wisener. He received a common school education, and learned the blacksmith's trade, and carries on that business at the present time. On March 10, 1861, he married Mary Knause, a daughter of Christian Knause. of Summit township, and has six children, viz. : Elizabeth, wife of Jacob Lawall ; Julia, wife of Louis B. Stein : Etta, wife of Elmer Kelly: George : Charles, and Mary. Mr. Wisener is a member of the Lutheran church ; is a stanch Democrat. and has served on the school board and in the borough council. He has always lived on Jefferson street, and erected his present home in 1876. He takes quite an active part in public affairs and gives an earnest support to every improvement.

Joux LEFEVRE was born on the homestead in Jefferson township. Butler county, August 27. 1847, was reared in his native township, and learned the blacksmith's trade with George C. Roessing, of Butler, commencing his appren- ticeship in September, 1866. In March, 1880, he established his present business, on West Jefferson street, where he has since carried on a carriage repair shop. Mr. Lefevre was married January 3, 1870, to Eximnia Shaffer, of Armstrong county. They are the parents of four children. viz. : Ella A .. deceased ; James W .. born February 10, 1877, who works with his father in the shop : Alice G., and Charles M. The family are connected with the Methodist Episcopal church. in which Mr. Lefevre has served as steward for ten years. In politics, he is a Republican, and is now serving in the borough council. He is a charter member of Good Will Hose Company, of which he is a trustee, and was a delegate to the Fireman's State Convention, at Norristown. September IS, 1994.

JOSEPH PARKIN was born in Cornwall, England, August 23. 1832, son of John and Margaret Parkin, natives of the same place. His father was born in 1786, and married Margaret Pasco in 1818. They were the parents of seven children, viz. : Philip, who died in Illinois; John, and Lavina, both deceased : William ; Philipi, who married James Holman ; Joseph, and Elizabeth, deceased wife of Hannibal Rowe. Mr. Parkin died in Is6f. The subject of this sketch immigrated to Illinois in 1859. and afterwards resided at Superior City. Michi- gan. In 1861 he visited his native land, whence he returned to California. and worked in the gold and silver mines until 1865. In that year he went to New Jersey, returned to Illinois in 1876. and in February, 1877. located at Karns City. Butler county, where he engaged in farming and butchering. In ISS6 he came to Butler, and established a meat market, which is now being carried on by his sons. He has also been engaged in the bakery and confectionery business. Mr. Parkin married Laura M. Webb, February 11, 1862, and has seven children, viz. : Joseph; Edgar : Reginald ; Herbert ; Lucy : Thomas, and Richard. Politically, he is a stanch Republican.

JOSEPH W. PARKIN, Son of Joseph and Laura M. Parkin, was born in Corn- wall, England. October 12. 1864. came to the United States with his father in 1867, and remained with his parents until he was twenty years of age. He then located in Butler, where he has since been engaged in carrying on a meat market.

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On December 12. Isss, he married Jennie Wilson, a daughter of William J. Wil- son. of Butler, and has had two children. Jennie, deceased, and Joseph. In politics, he is a Republican, and is a member of the Protestant Episcopal church.

WILLIAM I1. MILLER. one of the early business men of Butler, was born near Berlin, Germany, there grew to manhood and learned the cabinet maker's trade. About 1834 he immigrated to Pennsylvania and located at Butler, where he engaged in the cabinet making and furniture business, on North Main street. lle carried on this business for more than forty years, retiring in 1875. Mr. Miller died in September, ISTS. He was married in this borough to Charlotte Weisenstein, who survives him, and resides in Butler at the ripe age of eighty- one years. They reared three children, viz. : William F. ; Henry A., and Mary L. Mr. Miller and wife were among the original members of the German Lutheran church, and in politics, he was an ardent Republican.

WILLIAM F. MILLER, eldest son of William Il. and Charlotte Miller, was born in Butler, January 1. 1839, learned the cabinet maker's trade with his father, and was afterwards a partner in the business, under the firm name of W. Il. Miller & Son, which existed until his father retired from business. In 1870 he established his present factory, and has since carried on mantel, stair and portico building, scroll-sawing, turning and fancy wood-work, in connection with a planing mill business. Mr. Miller married Caroline Reiber, a daughter of George Reiber, and has five children, viz. : Loretta C .; Bertha ; Cora; William, and Analine. The family are members of the English Lutheran church, and in poli- ties, adherents of the Republican party .

REV. PETER C. PRUGH, D. D., superintendent of St. Paul's Orphan Home, was born September 18. 1822. in Montgomery county, Ohio, and is a son of John and Catherine ( Haynes) Prugh. His father was a native of Carroll county. Maryland, born near the town of Westminster in 1795, and his mother in the same county, in 1791. They were the parents of ten children, our subject being the fourth son. In 1818 the family removed to Ohio, and settled in Van Buren township, Montgomery county, where the father died in 1879, and his wife three years previous. Mr. Prugh was reared on the homestead farm. and after receiving a common school education, entered the Dayton Academy. In 1845 he entered Marshall College, Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, from which he graduated in the year 1849. Ile then entered the Theological Sem- inary of the Reformed church at the same place, where he completed his studies and was called to the pastorate of the Reformed church at Xenia, Ohio, in 1851, remaining there twenty-five years. During the war Mr. Prugh was connected with the Ohio Relief Society, and did duty at Washington, Port Royal, the Wilderness and White House Landing, caring for the wounded sol- diers, and was also connected with the Ohio Militia at the time of Gen. Kirby Smith's attempted raid upon Cincinnati. During his residence in Xenia he was mainly instrumental in founding the Soldier's Orphan Schoollocated at that place, being chairman of the committee to raise funds for the purpose. By his own personal efforts he secured in Greene county alone $25,000. After the completion of the llome, he was appointed its chaplain and filled that position two years. In 1878 he accepted a call from the Church of the Cross, Cincinnati, Ohio, where

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he remained three years. He then located in Germantown, Ohio, and took charge of the Reformed church of that place, and remained there until 1982, in which year he accepted his present position as superintendent of St. Paul's Orphan llome. Since his connection with this school many improvements have been made, one change being the enlargement of its capacity of from fifty to 175 pupils. At one time he had under his charge 160 children of deceased soldiers, and at this period the State inspector reported his school as being one of the best in the State. In politics, Mr. Prugh was in early life a Whig, but joined the Re- publican party on its formation, and has since supported that organization. In his youth he joined the Washingtonian temperance movement and has always been a strong advocate of temperance. He was married April 2. 1852, to Charlotte, a daughter of Jacob Hassler of Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, a musician in the War of 1812. They are the parents of eleven children, seven of whom lived to man- hood and womanhood : Edwin N. ; John H., pastor of Grace Reformed church of Pittsburg ; Daniel K. ; William S. : Etta K .. deceased, who had charge of the school at the Home five years ; Mary A., and Frances Grace. Mr. Prugh is recog- nized as a man of superior ability, and has won the respect and confidence of the citizens of Butler.

REV. JOHN S. McKEE, pastor of the United Presbyterian church of Butter, was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, June 22, 1850. His grandfather, David McKee, was born in County Down, Ireland, about 1797, was a carpenter by trade, and came of Presbyterian stock. He married a Miss Donnan, and died in 1869, aged seventy-two years. His wife survived him until 1872, dying at the ripe old age of eighty-two years. They were the parents of six children : Will- iam S. ; Mrs. Jane Wilson : Mrs. Ann Stewart McKee ; Mary ; David, and Alex- ander D. William S .. the eldest of the family, and father of our subject, was born in County Down, Ireland, in 1824, learned the carpenter's trade in his native land, and came to America in 1844. He settled in Pittsburg, where he was engaged in contracting and building for a great many years, but in 1886 he removed to Denver, Colorado, where he continued the same business. He died June 18, 1894. He was twice married; first to Elizabeth Shields of Pittsburg, in 1849, to whom were born five children, only two of whom grew to maturity : John S., and William G. The mother died in 1859, and in 1862 he married Miss Jane Cox, to whom were born six children : Elizabeth. deceased ; Thomas C .. an architect ; David, deceased ; Heberton N. ; Harry C., and Alexander A. The parents were members of the United Presbyterian church. in which denomina- tion Mr. McKee filled the office of ruling elder.

The subject of this sketch received his primary education in the common schools, afterwards attended East Liberty Academy, and the Western University. and graduated from the latter institution in 1869. He then entered the United Presbyterian Theological Seminary, in Allegheny City, where he was graduated in 1878, and subsequently spent one year in the Free Church College, Edin- burgh, Scotland. Mr. McKee was licensed to preach the gospel June 24. 1873, by the Monongahela Presbytery, and was ordained and installed pastor of East Brady Congregation October 19. 1875. He remained with that charge until 1880, when he received a call from the United Presbyterian church of Mercer, 51

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Pennsylvania, which he accepted, and was pastor of that church until October 1. 1ss4. On that date he received and accepted a call from the United Presby- terian church of Butler, and for the past ten years has ministered to that congre- gation. Under his pastorate the church has prospered both materially and spirit- ually, the beautiful new church building recently erected being evidence of the prosperity of this congregation. Mr. Mckee is an ardent Prohibitionist in politics, and hasalways taken an active and prominent part in fighting intemper- ince and in trying to obtain anti-liquor legislation. Mr. McKee married Sophia M., a daughter of Robert and Mary S. Templeton, of East Brady, Pennsylvania, in June, 1878, and has one child, Jeannie E. Hle is one of the best known and most popular ministers in Butler county.

REV. WILLIAM E. OLLER, pastor of the Presbyterian church of Butler, was born upon his father's farm in Washington county, Pennsylvania, January 13, 1>52. Ile is the fourth in a family of eight children born to Daniel and Cather- ine (Myers) Oller, of that county. His father was a native of . Kammerer. Washington county, and his mother a daughter of Jacob and Mary Myers. of Somerset township, in the same county. They were married in IS13. and were loving helpmates for nearly half a century, when the link was broken by the death of the husband and father. September 6. 1891. William E. received his primary education in the public schools of his native county. afterwards entered Washington and Jefferson College, from which he graduated in 1875; then entered Western Theological Seminary, Allegheny City, and was graduated from that institution in 1875. He was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Washington, at Burgettstown. in April, IST7. He accepted a call from the Presbyterian church of Tarentum, Allegheny county, and was ordained and installed pastor of that church, September 10, IS7S. Mr. Oller remained in charge at Tarentum for nearly four years, and June 19, 1882, accepted the pas- torate of the Presbyterian church of Butler. for which he has preached during the past thirteen years. His ministry has been marked by a rigid devotion to his duties, and an unswerving christian rectitude in the prosecution of his labors. Under his pastorate the church has prospered. and his earnest, untiring efforts have borne good fruit in the steady. substantial growth of the congregation, and the development of a generous christian sentiment among its members. Mr. Oller was married October 10. 1875, to Miss Ella D. Creigh, a daughter of Dr. Alfred Creigh, of Washington. Pennsylvania. Four children are the fruits of this union, as follows : Nellie C. : Julian S. : Katrina L., and Florence B.

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History of Butler County, Pennsylvania, Part 100

Author: Brown, Robert C., ed; Leeson, M. A. (Michael A.); Meagher, John, jt. comp; Meginness, John Franklin, 1827-1899, jt. comp Publication date: 1895 Publisher: Chicago : R. C. Brown Number of Pages: 1658

Author: Brown, Robert C., ed; Leeson, M. A. (Michael A.); Meagher, John, jt. comp; Meginness, John Franklin, 1827-1899, jt. comp
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Chicago : R. C. Brown
Number of Pages: 1658