History of Butler County, Pennsylvania, Part 105

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

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JOHN McQUISTION was born in Donegal county, Ireland, in 1767. of Scotch- Irish ancestry, came to the United States in 1793, and lived in Philadelphia for three years. In May, 1796, he removed to Butler county, and purchased 500 acres of land in Butler township. from Robert Morris, the celebrated financier of the Revolution. He erected the old stone house now in possession of the Doerr heirs. Hle subsequently bought an adjoining 500 acre tract. which is partially embraced in the Boyd 'addition to the borough of Butler, better known as Spring- dale. and a portion of it occupied by the Standard Plate Glass Works. 1le cleared and improved 300 acres of this tract, built and operated a tannery, and resided here until his death. which occurred May 18, 1841. Ile married Barbara Arters, a native of Ireland, who died on March 5, 1837. They were the parents of the following children : Joseph; Jane, who married Dr. HI. C. De Wolf ; William ; Mary, who married James Borland; John; Margaret, who married James C. Smith : Nancy. who married William L. Bartley ; James ; Sarah, who married David I1. Potts; Barbara, who married Andrew E. Marshall; Elizabeth, who married John L. Bartley, and Thomas. Margaret is still living at the age of ninety-three years. Mr. McQuistion was one of the earliest settlers of this locality, and one of the founders of the United Presbyterian church of Butler. Ile donated the land for the erection of a church, and was a liberal supporter of that denomination. In politics, he was a stanch Democrat, and one of the influ- ential men of his day in local affairs.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

JAMES McQUISTION, son of John and Barbara MeQuistion, was born upon the homestead farm in Butler township, in 1806. and there grew to maturity. lle afterwards settled on 200 acres of his father's land, where his son Robert H .. now lives, and died upon this property in 1851. He married Mary Hindman, a daughter of John Hindman. of Washington township. who became the mother of eight children, viz. : John K., deceased ; Jane, wife of Thomas White ; Barbara, deceased wife of George McCandles>; Margaret, wife of Joseph B. Mechling ; Robert H. ; Mary E., widow of John Balph : Sarah B., and Agnes, wife of Samuel Graham. Mrs. McQuistion died in January. 1880. Both she and hus- band were members of the United Presbyterian church, and in politics. he was a Democrat.

ROBERT H. MeQUISTION, son of James and Mary MeQuistion, was born on. the homestead farm in Butler township, May 6. 1843. and has always resided thereon. In 1864 he enlisted in Company A, Sixth Pennsylvania Artillery, and served until the close of the war. He then resumed his duties upon the farm, and has continued the same up to the present. Politically, Mr. McQuistion is a Republican, and is an adherent of the United Presbyterian church. He is a member of the G. A. R., and also of the I. O. O. F.

JOHN BURKHART was of German descent, and came to Allegheny county. Pennsylvania, with his parents, about the year 1775. When a boy of ten years of age, he was captured by the Indians near Girty's run, was a prisoner for ten months, and obtained his freedom July 4, 1776, by running the gauntlet. He received a tomahawk wound on that occasion, the scar from which he carried to his grave, and for which he received a pension from the State. He subsequently settled on a large tract of land about three miles from the site of Butler, and was one of the well known hunters of pioneer days. He understood the tanning business and had a tanyard on his farm. Mr. Burkhart married Margaret Powell. and was the the father of twelve children, seven of whom grew to maturity. He was a member of the United Presbyterian church, and died in his ninetieth year. in April, 1855. His wife survived him ten months. Their second son, David. was born in 1801, lived on the old homested down to his death and then left it to his son John. The latter died November 16. 1893, and left the homestead to his sisters and a sister's children.

ELIJAH BURKHART, third son of John Burkhart, was born upon the old homestead in Butler township, January 12, 1803, grew to manhood on the farm. and learned the carpenter's trade with George Wolfe. He assisted in building some of the first frame houses in Butter. He married Rebecca, daughter of Joseph Richardson, whose ancestors came to this country with Penn. She was of Quaker origin. Iler father was a teacher nearly all his life, and removed to Indiana, where he died in 1870. at the age of eighty-two years. After his mar- riage, Elijah Burkhart settled about a half mile from his father's home, on a part of the same farm. AAfter living on this farm for twenty year-, the Gilmores took out a patent for it and he was compelled to purchase it from them. He was the father of eight children : Maria, who married John Emerick ; Hiram F., who died in infancy ; Joseph E .. who resides in Kansas : Rebecca M .. and Washing- ton F., both of whom died in childhood ; Katharine S., wife of Joseph Cris- 53

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.

well, clerk of the courts of Butler county ; Baxter C., a member of Company K, Ninth Pennsylvania Reserve, who died at Camp Pierpont, Virginia, Febru- ary 19, 1862. and Jacob J .. who died in infancy.

WILLIAM KARNS (originally spelled, Kearns) was a native of Ireland, who first settled in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, whence he came to Butler county, in 1795-96. Hle entered between 800 and 1.000 acres of land in what is now Butler and Summit townships, a portion of the borough of Butler, being now upon a part of this tract. He cleared up two farms, one of 180 acres situa- ted where the Connequenessing bridge crosses that stream on Center avenue, which he gave to his son William, and another of seventy-two acres, which he gave to his son James, and now in possession of his grandsons. Mr. Karns was , one of the leading farmers in that part of the county, and carried on a sort af pri- vate banking business among the early settlers. Through going security he suffered much loss, and lost a large part of his real estate. He was a prominent member of the United Presbyterian church, and an elder, in that body for many years. He gave liberally of his means towards the erection of the old United Presbyterian church building of Butler. Mr. Karns married Annie Gold, and was the father of the following children : William ; James ; Patton : Jane, who married Joseph Gold : Sarah, who married James Sweeney of Clarion county : Mary, and Margaret, who became the wife of George Crosier. Mr. Karns died in 1830: his widow survived him several years.

JAMES KARNS, second son of William Karns, was born on the homestead in Butler township, March 17, 1816, and after reaching his majority he located on the farm which he received from his father. He learned the cabinet makers's trade, but did not follow that occupation very long. He removed to the borough of Butler, but continued to carry on his farin. He was appointed by the court to assist the sheriff of Butler county, in which capacity he served for seventeen years, and for nearly half a century he was one of the well known auctioneers of the county. . In 1855 he was elected county treasurer, and in IsJO he was com- missioned a colonel in the State Militia. Mr. Karns married Abigail, daughter of Samuel R. Richards, one of the contractors who built the Pennsylvania canal. Their family consisted of the following children : James R. : Emma, wife of Albert Roessing ; Mary, wife of Frank Wheaton ; Ada, who married Newton Miller, and after his death John Kellerman : William B .: John 1 .; Eleanor, wife of George R. Eaton, and Theodore C. Mr. Karns died November 19, 1892. His widow resides upon the old homestead.

JAMES R. KARNs, eldest son of James Karns, was born in the borough of Butler, September 23, ISIS. and received a public school and seminary education. After arriving at manhood he removed to Kansas, where he was dep- uty United States marshal in that State for four years. He was also deputy sheriff of Eldorado county, Kansas, two years, and city marshal of Eldorado City for one year. In March, 1874, he returned to Butler, and was appointed the first county detective of Butler county, in which position he served fourteen months. Since returning to Butler he has followed the business of auctioneer, in connec - tion with the cultivation of his farm. Politically, he is a Republican. Mr. Karns

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married Mary A. McCormick, and they are the parents of tive children, as fol- lows : Blanche ; Myrtle : Paul ; Raymond, and James.

SAMUEL KELLY was born in Down county, Ireland. December 25, 1800. and emigrated to the United States at the age of eighteen years. He found employment with James George, of Mercer township, Mercer county, Pennsyl- vania ; was later employed in the construction of the Pennsylvania canal, obtain- ing a few small contracts, but subsequently became one of the prominent con- tractors after the completion of the Erie section. and took several large contract- on the Johnstown and Blairsville branch of the canal, but eventually met with heavy financial losses. He then retired to a large tract of land he had previously purchased in Slippery Rock township, Butler county, cleared up a farm and lived upon it forty years. In 1865 he purchased 160 acres in Butler township. where he continued to reside until his death. April 1. 1881. Mr. Kelly was married in 1831, to Elizabeth, daughter of Richard McKee, a native of Antrim county, Ireland, who settled in Muddy Creek township. Butler county, in IS31. Her death occurred March 21, 1881, just ten days before her husband passed away. To this marriage were born eleven children : David. of Armstrong county ; Jane, wife of F. M. Shira ; Samuel, a resident of New Castle. Pennsyl- vania : John C. : Elizabeth, wife of 1. J. McCandles, of Butler : Agnes, deceased wife of Perry Stewart : William, and Margaret, both residing in Ohio, and three who died in infancy. Mr. Kelly was a Democrat in politics, and filled the office of justice of the peace and other minor positions in his township. While a resi- dent of Slippery Rock, he was a member of Harmony church, Harrisville, and in later days was connected with Shiloh United Presbyterian church of Jefferson township.

JOHN C. KELLY. third son of Samuel and Elizabeth Kelly, was born upon the homestead farm in Slippery Rock township, Butler county, February 13. 1840, and received a common school education. He learned the carpenter's and millwright's trades, which he followed until 1565, and the next two years he was engaged in tilling his father-in-law's farm in Cranberry township. In 1867 he purchased a farm in Adams township, but after his father's death he re- moved to Butler township. and purchased [00 acres of the homestead place, upon which he still resides. Ile also owns a farm of ninety acres in For- ward township, and one of seventy acres in Adams township. In 1884 Mr. Kelly was elected county commissioner, and was re-elected in ISS7. He was again one of the Democratic candidates in 1898, but was defeated. He is now serving his second term as justice of the peace for Butler township. Since arriving at man- hood he has been an unswerving adherent of the Democratic party. and as firm as a rock in his support of its measures and principles. Ile was a member of the county committee for many years, and has given liberally of his mean- towards the success of that party. He has been a member of the United Presbyterian church since 1865. Mr. Kelly was married in 1865, to Nancy C., daughter of the late Capt. Alexander Gillispie, of Cranberry township, and has six children : Olive J., wife of George McCormick : Alexander G. : Minerva. wife of Clinton D. Bole, of Butler ; Mary I. : Nannie G. R., and Clarence 11. Of these, three are teachers : Alexander G., Mary I., and Nannie G. R.

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.

JOSEPH B. MECHLING, youngest son of Jacob and Jane (Thompson) Mech- ling, was born in the borough of Butler, February 28, ISBS, was educated in the public school, and at Butler Academy, read law with L. Z. Mitchell, was admit- ted to the bar in 1863, and practiced his profession for a number of years. In April, 1861. he enlisted in Company II, Thirteenth Pennsylvania Volunteers, and served three months. He then re-enlisted in Company H, Seventy-eighth regiment, was elected first lieutenant, and served in that command two year -. Mr. Mechling was for many years identified with the public schools of Butler, as a teacher and superintendent of the borough schools, and has always been inter- ested in the advancement of education. Politically, he is a Republican, and though he has never sought public office, he has been deeply interested in the -ticcesses of his party. Mr. Mechling resides upon his farm in Butler township. and is recognized as an intelligent, progressive citizen.

GEORGE JACOB SCHAFFNER was born in Wissenburg, Germany, in 1806. son of Nicholas Schaffner. He received a public school education, and in 1531 emigrated to the United States and settled in Butler township. Butler county. Pennsylvania. He was engaged in various occupations in and around Butler,and purchased a small tract of land north of the borough, upon which he lived for some years, and later bought forty acres where John Schaffner now resides, He next moved to Slippery Rock township and lived there five years. He after- wards engaged in coal mining upon the same farm, which business he followed until his death. Ile was married in his native land, to Mary Ann Martin, to which union were born seven children. five of whom grew to maturity : Frances. a sister in the convent of Notre Dame; Samuel; Maria, wife of Frank Koch of Butler ; George, of Butler, and John, a resident of Butler township. Mr. Schaff- ner died in 1877 : his wife died the previous year. They were members of the Catholic church, and in politics, he was originally a Whig and afterwards a Republican.

SAMUEL SCHAFFNER, eldest son of Jacob Schaffner, was born in Butler township. Butler county. October 31. 1533. He attended the district school, and throughout his boyhood days assisted his parents on the farm, and afterwards was engaged with his father in operating the coal mine. In 1558 he purchased ten acres of land and opened a new coal mine, which he worked until Ist. In 1862, when Lee threatened to invade Pennsylvania. he went out as fourth ser- geant of Company G. Fourteenth Pennsylvania Militia. In 1864 he enlisted in Company D. Sixth Pennsylvania Artillery, and served ten months. Returning to his home he went to Oil City, and engaged in the coal business in Cranberry township. Venango county, One year later he came back to Butler township and resumed coal operations here, which he has continued down to the present. Ile also cultivates a farm of 170 acres, and is interested in oil producing. Ile was formerly a Republican, but at the formation of the Greenback party he joined that organization, and was its nominee for the legislature in 1871. Since that time he has been independent in polities, and is now a Populist. In 1870 he was elected justice of the peace. filled that office five years, and has also been township auditor. In religious belief, he is a Catholic, and is a member of St. Paul's congregation of Butler. Mr. Schaffner was married June 26. 1858, to

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Josephine, a daughter of Anthony and Barbara Hinchberger, She died February 2, 1893, being the mother of the following children : Mary C., deceased ; Josie, wife of Joseph Wuller; George 1., who married Mary Sullivan, and who has three children, Josie, Maria and Jacob ; Jacob; Christopher ; Samuel, who mar- ried Laura Vinroe ; Frank ; Norbert, deceased ; Edward, and Herbert.

EBERHART FAMILY .- Paul Eberhart, a native of Lehigh county, Pennsyl- vania, and a descendant of the Eberharts of Germany, removed to Westmore- land county in 1778. Ilis son Christian, born in Lehigh county, March 9, 1772, married Mary Ann Snyder, and was the progenitor of the Eberhart family of Butler county. Joseph Eberhart, born in Westmoreland county, March 19. 1800, was the third son of Christian Eberhart. At the age of twenty-one he married Catherine Kistler. He was a tailor by trade, and followed his trade until 1835, when he removed to Mercer county, Pennsylvania. subsequently to Millerstown, Butler county, in 1845 to Armstrong county, and in 1854 to Doug- lass county, Kansas, where he died at the age of eighty-two years. His family consisted of fifteen children, as follows : Nancy Ann, who first married Henry Hemphill, and for her second hasband William Byerly ; Obadiah ; Priscilla, who married Andrew Barnhart : John; Joseph ; Ilenry S .; Sarah C., who married Thomas Pugh : Samuel ; Marie E .. who married John Gimlet : Susannah E .. who married Calvin Millard ; Margaret R., who married Charles Urick ; David HI .; Noah A. : Naomi M. : Lewis J., and Andrew.

JOHN EBERHART, second son of Joseph Eberhart, was born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, August 16, 1827. At the age of seventeen he came with hi- parents to Millerstown, where he learned the carpenter's trade. In 1 57 he pur- chased a farm of seventy acres in Fairview township, Butler county, which he cleared and improved, and here he resided, engaged in farming, down to hi- death, August 11, 1885. Ile married Catherine, daughter of Rudolph Barnhart. of Fairview township, and their family were as follows: Simon J., deceased : Andrew O .; Susannah, and Henry C. F., both of whom are dead : Lewis D. A .. who resides near Millerstown; Jonathan, who resides on the old homestead ; Sarah P., and P'ermelia, both of whom are dead. Mr. Eberhart was a prominent member of the Reformed church, in which he filled the offices of deacon and elder. Some good oil wells were drilled upon his farm, which placed him in very comfortable circumstances. His widow is living upon the old homestead.

ANDREW O. EBERHART. second son of John and Catherine Eberhart, was born in Fairview township, Butler county, December 26, 1551, and was educated in the district school. He remained with his parents until his majority, and then purchased a small piece of land in Fairview township, which proved to be oil producing. lle afterwards sold this, and purchased the Yetter farm of 170 acres in Butler township, and later the William Bryson farm of 100 acres. He rebuilt the Bryson residence, where he has since resided, engaged in farming and oil producing. Mr. Eberhart was married March 11, 1873, to Mary E., daughter of Philip Barnhart, of Millerstown, to whom have been born the following children : John C., and Joseph, both deceased : Tessa T. ; Jeremiah : Henry II., and Etta E. Politically, he is a Republican, is now serving his fourth consecutive term as consta- ble, and is one of the school directors of his township. He takes an active interest

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in the progress of the public schools, and has been a director of St. Paul's Orphan Home for fifteen years. In 1894 he was a candidate for jury commissioner, and with eight candidates in the field he was second highest on the ticket, coming within a few votes of election. For the past seventeen years he has been an elder in the Reformed church, and donated the land upon which was erected St. John's Reformed church and parsonage, to which purpose he gave liberally of his means. Ile is active in public and political matters, and is a member of the R. A., P. of H., the Jr. O. U. A. M., and Connoquenessing Lodge. I. O. O. F.

PETER BAUER was born in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, in 1803, and emigrated with his wife and three children to Maryland, settling close to the Pennsylvania line. In 1846 he came to Jefferson township, Butler county, pur- chased a farm. and resided thereon down to his death, in 1867. His wife's maiden name was Anna Margaret Deer, and their children are as follows: Catherine, who married Charles Krumpe : William ; Conrad : Henry : George : Benjamin : Philip, and Elizabeth, who became the wife of William Leithold. Mrs. Baner died in 1888. Both she and husband were members of St. Mark's Lutheran church of Butler, in which organization he filled the office of deacon. Politically, he was a Democrat.

GEORGE BAUER was born in Maryland, in 1838, and is the fourth son of Peter and Anna Margaret Bauer. He came to Jefferson township, Butler county, with his parents, was reared on the homestead farm, and received his education in the public schools. He learned the machinist's trade, and engaged in the manufacture of agricultural implement- at Butler, under the firm name of Baner Brothers, which the firm carried on for fifteen years. In 1872 he sold his interest and purchased his present homestead of seventy-six acres in Butler town- ship, upon which he has since lived. Mr. Bauer was married in 1863. to Cather- ine, daughter of Michael Smith. She died June 20, 1893. They are the par- ents of eight children : Margaret, wife of Iloward McCandless; Charles; Edward; Gussie ; Maud, wife of Samuel Me Knight ; William ; Barbara, and Leonard. In 1862 Mr. Bauer enlisted in Company K, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Penn- sylvania Volunteers, and served nine months. Ile was in the battles of Freder- ieksburg and Chancellorsville, and was slightly wounded in the latter en- gagement.

WILLIAM BARNHART. son of Jacob Barnhart who settled in Butler county in 1796. was born on the original homestead in Donegal township, and grew to manhood under the parental roof. He married Mary A. Daubenspeck, by which union they were the parents of the following children : Solomon ; Ann. wife of Frank Hays : David George, deceased ; Gabriel ; Andrew W., and Kam- erer, deceased. Mr. Barnhart died about IS45. Ilis widow was twice married afterwards. and died in Armstrong county. ller second husband was Andrew May and her third David Barnhart. The subject of this sketch was a farmer all his life, and resided at his death in Fairview township, where all of his children were born.

ANDREW W. BARNHART was born on the homestead in Fairview town- ship, Butler county, March 28, 1839, and is a son of William and Mary A. Barn- hart. The early death of his father prevented Andrew W. from receiving the

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advantages the common schools afforded, and he grew to manhood among strangers. After reaching his majority, he purchased a farm in Concord town- ship, Butler county, upon which he resided until the second year of the war. On May 13, 1862, he enlisted in Company G, Thirteenth Pennsylvania Volunteers, and at the battle of Fredericksburg. December 13, 1862, he received two gun-shot wounds in the right leg and one in the left, and was transferred from the field hospital to Lincoln Hospital, Washington, D. C. He was discharged from the service June 11, 1863, and returned to his farm. One year afterwards he went to the Venango county oil fields, where he worked until 1865. He then removed to Sugar Creek township, Armstrong county, where he followed farming until 1886, in which year be purchased his present farm of 130 acres in Butler town- ship, Butler county, upon which he has since resided. engaged in farming and oil producing. Mr. Barnhart married Melinda, daughter of William Murtland, of Fairview town-hip. She died July 1, 1891, the mother of the following chil- dren : Clare E., wife of Edward E. Bryer; Minnie A. ; Eva A. ; Loretta ; Will- iam L., and Lena T., the last two of whom are dead. Politically, Mr. Barnhart is a Republican, is a member of A. G. Reed Post, Number 105, G. A. R., and of St. John's Reformed church, of Butler township.

CASPER HARTUNG was born in Saxe-Wiemer, Prussia, in IS06, and was a weaver. In 1842 he came to the United States, accompanied by his father, .\dam, his mother and two brothers, Henry and Conrad, and one sister. Henry and Conrad enlisted at Pittsburg for the Mexican war, and served throughout that struggle. Both purchased farms in Winfield township, Butler county, and at the breaking out of the Rebellion, Ilenry went into the army, and was killed at the battle of the Wilderness. Conrad removed to Kansas where he now resides. Casper and his father settled in Winfield township, Butler county, where they purchased a small tract of land, and subsequently a farm of 136 acres in the same township, which they cleared and improved. Casper Hartung married Catherine Aubbel, a native of Germany, which union was blessed with seven children, four of whom grew to maturity, as follows: Lizzie, deceased wife of Robert Clark ; Katie, wife of Martin Weckerle, of Virginia ; John, and Henry, deceased. Mr. Hartung was a Lutheran in religious faith, and a Democrat in politics. Both he and wife resided in Butler county until their death.

JOHN HARTUNG, only living son of Casper Hartung, was born in Germany, November 6, 1836, and was reared on his father's farm in Winfield township, But- ler county. In 1870 he purchased a farm in Jefferson township, where he remained five years, then removed to Ohio, but in 1882 he returned to Butler county and purchased a farm two miles west of Butler, containing eighty acres. lIere he lived until 1889, when he purchased a site of four acres near Butler, erected his present residence and retired from active business. Mr. Hartung married Maggie, daughter of Adam Schrump, of Winfield township, and has one daughter, Anna L., wife of Christian Leichner, of St. Joe, Butler county. He is a mem- ber of the Lutheran church, and in politics, he is a Democrat. In 1864 he enlisted in Company L, Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, and served in the battles of Fisher's Hill and Winchester. On December 14, 1864, while on scouting duty, his command was attacked by the rebels, and he was struck on the head with a

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History of Butler County, Pennsylvania, Part 105

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