History of Butler County, Pennsylvania, Part 135

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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JAMES W. GIBsox was born upon his present homestead in Clay town- ship, Butler county, March 4. 1814, and is a son of William and Mary ( Shan- non ) Gibson. natives of Pennsylvania, of English and Irish ancestry, respect- ively. William Gibson was the only son of James Gibson. ( who was killed by the Indians near Cincinnati, Ohio), and came to Butler county in 1797. He was a tanner and farmer, which occupations he followed until his death. The sub- ject of this sketch resided with his parents until he was twenty-one years old, and then began working as a coffin finisher, which business he followed for six years. He removed to his present homestead at this time, and has since been engaged in agricultural pursuits. Mr. Gibson was married September 27, 1866, to Catherine A. Shannon, and has one son, John D., a resident of Pittsburg. Mrs. Gibson departed this life. December 21, 1889. He was again married May 12, 1891, to Maggie L. Miller, and one daughter has blessed this union, Mary P. In August, 1861. Mr. Gibson enlisted in Company B. Sixth Pennsylvania Artil- lery, and served in that battery until the close of the war. He is a Republican, in politics, and both he and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

THOMAS TEBAY was the eldest son of William Tebay, a native of Eng- land, who came to Butler county in 1822, and purchased a tract of land in Muddy Creek township. He died at the residence of his son. William, in Mer- cer county, in 1836, aged seventy-five years. Thomas did not come to this country until 1840. lle purchased the present Tebay farm in Clay township in 1848. He was married in England to Mary Gibson, and reared a family of four children, two of whom survive : William, and Jane, who married Mr. Wigton. Mr. Tebay died in 1881, at the advanced age of ninety-three years.

WILLIAM TEBAY, eldest living child of Thomas and Mary (Gibson) Tebay, was born January 8, 1811, in England, attended the common schools of his native land, and came with his parents to the United States in 1810. He con- tinned to work on the homestead farm until his father's death, then inherited one- half of the same, to which he has since added twenty-five acres, purchased from an adjoining farm. In 1858 he married Miss B. Ann Wilson, a daughter of Charles Wilson, and they are the parents of the following children : John W. ; Mary .A., wife John Wright ; Martha E .; Tillie B , and Maggie J. Mr. Tebay and wife are members of the United Presbyterian church, and he is a stanch adher- ent of the Democratic party.

RUDOLPH BARTMASS was born in Butler county, Pennsylvania, February 11, 1811, and was a son of Rudolph Bartmass, a native of Germany, and an carly settler of Butler county. The subject of this sketch was reared upon his father's farm, and followed agriculture all his life. Ile married Jane Mc Nair, and of a fam- ily of ten children born to this union, seven survive, as follows : Mary. wife of William Christley: Elvira, wife of Samuel Daniels; John, a resident of Illinois : Ellen, wife of William Martin : Anna. wife of William Miller: Ida, wife of John Coyle, and William R. Mr. Bartmass died upon his farm in Clay town- ship, May 23, 1889.

WILLIAM R. BARTMASS was born on the homestead farm, in Clay township. Butler county. January 15, 1863, received a common school education, and when twenty-seven years old took charge of the homestead. On September 7, 1892, he married Leonora, a daughter of E. D. and Mary Eagal, of Centre township, and has one son, Ralph. The family are connected with the Presbyterian church, and politically, Mr. Bartmass is a Republican.

EBENEZER C. ADAMS was born in Clay township, Butler county, Angust 24, 1831. son of John and Annabel ( Wasson ) Adams, natives of Ireland and Pennsylvania, respectively. His father located in Butler county in 1800, and reared a family of twenty children, our subject being the eighteenth in order of birth. John Adams died in 1838, aged seventy-three years. Ebenezer C. learned the carpenter's trade in early manhood, and has followed it more or less all his life. He conducted a hotel at West Sunbury for a time, and in 1889 pur- chased his present farm of twenty acres, where he makes a specialty of growing small fruits. Mr. Adams was married October 15. 1856, to Ann Smith, who became the mother of five children, two of whom are living : John S .. and Sarah N., wife of J. P. Campbell. Mr -. Adams died September 15. 1881, and he was again married June 29, 1882, to Margaret Ekin. Mr. Adams and wife are mem- bers of the United Presbyterian church, and in politics, he is a Republican.

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.

JAMES WEBB was a son of John Webb. who came to this country about the year 1754. as an officer in the British army, bringing with him his wife and two children and settling at Philadelphia. John Webb was killed at Quebec in 1759. and after his death his wife went to friends in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, where she was killed by the Indians, and her son James, then a boy of eleven years of age, was taken prisoner by the savages and lived with them until he was eighteen, when he succeeded in making his escape and returned to Franklin county. Here he married, and. during the Revolution, removed with his family, consisting of his wife, whose maiden name was Brown, and three sons. John, Edward and James Mitchell, to Allegheny county, where the remaining years of his life were spent. Edward Webb was born in Franklin county and grew to maturity in Allegheny county, married Ruhama Minson, and had a family of five children, as follows: John; Druscilla ; Andrew ; Newton. and Esther. He removed with his family to Butler county in 1836.

JOHN WEBB, son of Edward and Ruhama Webb, had arrived at manhood before his parents located in Butler county. He tirst owned a property near West Sunbury, which he traded for the present Webb farm. He married Prudence Snyder, to which union were born ten children, six of whom survive, as follows: Catherine, wife of George Morrow ; William M. ; John M .. who served through the Rebellion in Company E, One Hundred and Third Pennsyl- vania Volunteers; Martin L. : Mary J., wife of Uriah Ralston, and Edward C. Mr. Webb died in 1890, aged seventy-six years.

WILLIAM M. WEBB, ellest son of John and Prudence Webb, was born in Clay township, April 12, 1840. At the age of twenty-six years his father gave him seventy-five acres of land, and since that time he has followed the vocation of a farmer. He was married February 15, 1876, to Sarah E. Wick, a daughter of William S. Wick, and has a family of six children, viz. : Florence J. : Myra B .: John; Mary P. ; Lulu M., and Ora C. Mr. Webb is an elder in the Pres- byterian church, and in politics, he is a Republican.

JOHN YOUNG was a native of Pennsylvania, and a son of Peter Young, a native of Ireland. His father immigrated to Allegheny county in 1790, and later removed to Beaver county, where the balance of his life was spent. He mar- ried a Miss Algeo, and reared a family of seven children, all of whom are dead. Their names are Nancy ; Martha ; Rebecca ; John ; William ; Algeo, and Rob- ert. John was the eldest son, and came to Clay township, Butler county, about 1830, where he purchased a farm and followed agricultural pursuits down to his death. In 1813 he married Elizabeth Adams, a daughter of John Adams of this county, and reared a family of seven children, only two of whom are living : Nancy, and Robert H. The parents died in this county.

ROBERT IL. Youve, youngest child of John and Elizabeth Young, received a good education and followed teaching for twenty years. He purchased his present homestead in 1866, adding ten acres to it in 1890. In 1859 he married Mary E. Stewart, a daughter of Thomas Stewart, of Concord township, to which union were born eight children, all of whom are living, viz. : Jennie, wife of I. N. Maxwell: James R. ; William E. : John M. ; Theodore : Melvin : Breaden, and Edwin J. Mrs. Young died in 1874, aged thirty-four years. He married

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

for his second wife Mrs. Amanda McFarland nce Bryson, a daughter of William C. and Sarah J. (White) Bryson, of Whitestown. The family are members of the United Presbyterian church. In 1864 he enlisted in the Sixth Heavy Artil- lery, leaving his wife and three children, the youngest six months old, without any support but the local bounty received from Forward township. He served until June, 1865, when the regiment was discharged. Mr. Young is a Repub- lican, was elected superintendent of the public schools in 1872, filled that office three years, and has also been school director for one term, and township auditor since 1881. He makes a specialty of small fruit growing, and is one of the most intelligent and progressive citizens of the community.

RICHARD BAKER was born in Beaver township, Beaver county, Pennsyl- vania, in 1795, and was the first white child born in that township. His father, Robert Baker, was a native of Ireland, and one of the pioneers of Beaver county. He married Miss Rachel Williams, and reared a family of six sons. as follows : Richard; William; Samuel ; Enoch ; John, and George. Robert Baker and wife spent the remaining years of their lives in Beaver county. The subject of this sketch was reared upon his father's farm, and learned the cooper's trade, which he followed until he had saved sufficient money to purchase 150 acres of land in his native township, upon which he located and engaged in farming. He mar- ried Catherine Thompson, a daughter of James Thompson, to whom were born twenty children, four of whom died in infancy. The names of the others are as follows : James, who died at Andersonville, in the Rebellion ; William, of Beaver county; Saphronia ; Sidney, wife of William Beatty, of Beaver county ; Lorenzo, who was wounded at the battle of Vicksburg, from the effects of which he died ; John, a resident of Iowa ; Robert, who was also killed in the Rebellion ; George K., of Clay township ; Thompson, a resident of Nebraska ; Sarah, wife of Benjamin James ; Mary A., who married Fred Strahley; Nancy J., who married Talbert Swalters; Matilda, wife of Walter Craig; Rachel, wife of George Minner ; Richard, of Nebraska, and Catherine, wife of Robert Mills. Mr. Baker died in December, 1882, aged eighty-three years.

GEORGE K. BAKER was born in Beaver county, December 7, 1837, grew to maturity in that county, and at the age of twenty-two years rented a farm in Centre township, Butler county, where he lived six years. He then purchased a farm of eighty acres in Clay township, upon which he has since resided. Mr. Baker was married September 20, 1860, to Martha F. Russell, a daughter of Will- iam and Elizabeth (McCandless) Russell, of Centre township. She was born July 9. 1834, and is the third in a family of five children. Four children were born to this union, as follows : Thompson M., born April 24, 1862; Elizabeth R., widow of W. L. Stoops, who has two children. Henry C., and Francis J. ; Mary C., wife of O. D. Pisor, and William R., who is station agent at Harris- ville. Mr. Baker enlisted in Company I, Sixty-seventh Pennsylvania Volun- teers, March 28, 1865, and was mustered out of the service July 20, of the same year. Politically, he is a Democrat, and the family are connected with the Meth- odist Episcopal church.

ALFRED MILLER, son of Robert and Hannah ( Varnum) Miller, natives of Butler county, of German origin, was born in this county, March 5, 1848. He

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.

commenced working in boyhood for his uncle, Enoch Varnum, and worked on his farm for several years, and then went into the oil fields and continued in that business until February Is, 1864. On that date he enlisted in Company II. One Hundred and Second Pennsylvania Volunteers, and served until the close of the war, being discharged in June, 1865. He was wounded at the battle of the Wilderness, also at Cedar Creek. On his return from the army he purchased his present farm, and is engaged in farming, fruit growing and trucking. Mr. Mil- ler was married September 14, 1869, to Olive Sutton, a daughter of Jesse and Mary J. Sutton, to whom were born four children, as follows : Carrie J. : Chloe B. : Laura J .. and Eve E. Mr -. Miller died April 22, 1893, aged thirty-eight years. The family are members of the Methodist church, and in politics, Mr. Miller is an independent voter.

Joux DAY was born in Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, March 30, 1824, and is a son of John and Sarah Day, natives of the same county. His father was a blacksmith, and reared a family of twelve children, eight of whom are living, viz. : Elizabeth, wife of Jacob Womer; John; Ann, wife of Robert Adams; Anthony : Sarah, wife of Levi Whitmore; Catherine, wife of Daniel Heckman ; George, and Priscilla, wife of James Ogden. The subject of this sketch was edu- cated in the common schools of his native county. and when eighteen years of age commenced life for himself as a wood-chopper in winter and a charcoal burner in the summer season. These occupations he followed for seven years, and then worked on a farm for three years. At this time he purchased a farm in Washing- ton township, Butler county, upon which he lived until 1867, then sold it, and bought his present farm of IBI acres, in Clay township, which he has ever since made his home. Mr. Day was married February Is. 1947, to Miss Mary .1. Arner, to which union were born sixteen children, eleven of whom are living. as follows : Elizabeth, wife of W. T. Reddick : Christina, wife of Philip B. Porter ; Mary A., wife of Andrew McMurray ; David, a resident of Harmony; J. C. F., a farmer of Clay township, born February 22, 1858, married Mary .L. Whitmire, and has four children : Stella A., Samuel A., Bessie M., and Ila R. ; Margaret R., wife of Levi Conn : Samuel .A., a resident of West Virginia : Emma N., wife John Huggins : W. P. L., a teacher ; Ida E., wife of James R. Pringle, and Peter R., who resides with his father. The family are connected with the Presby- terian church, and in politics, Mr. Day is a Republican. He enlisted September 3, 1864, in Company K, Sixth Pennsylvania Artillery, and served until mustered out of the service June 13, 1865.

MILLER Hu remisox was born in Oakland township. Butler county, Penn- sylvania, April 18, 1855, son of Robert and Sarah ( Miller ) Hutchison, natives of this county. Robert Hutchison was a farmer, and a son of Fergus Hutchison, one of the pioneers of Butler county. He died October 30, 1866. The subject of this sketch is the only one living of a family of six children. At the age of nineteen years he engaged as a farm hand, and continued the same for some two vears. He was married November 22, 1876, to Amelia B., a daughter of Jacob Brown, and then located on his present farm, which Mr. Brown had given to his daughter. It consists of ninety-three acres in Clay township, and seventy- five in Centre township. Mr. Hutchison makes a specialty of stock growing,

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and is quite a successful farmer. He is the father of five children, as follows : Jacob B .; Myrtle C .; Warren E .; Barbara, deceased, and Margaret L. Mr. Hutchison and wife are members of the Lutheran church, and he is an adherent of the Republican party.

SEBASTIAN MERSHIMER was born in Germany, in 1758. came to America in youth, and served in the Continental army throughout the Revolution. He afterwards located at Reading, Pennsylvania, where he worked at the wagon- maker's trade, and later removed his family to what is now Lawrence county, where he died in 1845, aged eighty-seven years. He married Catherine Wright- meyer, and reared a family of five children, viz. : Adam ; Frances, who married John Smith : Peter : Henry, and Catherine, who married Charles Campbell.

ADAM MERSHIMER Was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1791, and removed with his parents to Lawrence county, where he engaged in farming. He mar- ried Catherine Stickle, and reared a family of eight children, as follows : Peter, of Lawrence county ; Sebastian, of the same county : Elizabeth, wife of Amos Messimer ; Susan, deceased wife of Thomas Hanna ; Samuel S. : Catherine, wife of Stewart Boyd ; Henry R., and Eve, deceased. Mr. Mershimer died March 15, 1865, aged seventy-four years.

SAMUEL S. MERSHIMER was born in Lawrence county, in 1829. son of Adam Mershimer, received a common school education, and commenced to learn the carpenter's trade when he was nineteen years of age. which business he fol- lowed in Lawrence county for twenty-five years. He then removed to Butler county and purchased his present homestead of seventy-five acres in Clay town- ship, where he has since been engaged in farming, making a specialty of small fruits. Mr. Mershimer was married January 14, 1858, to Margaret Morrow, who is the mother of eight children, as follows: Clara A .. deceased ; James M .; George M .; Charles W .: William C .; Margaret A .; Eldora M., and Clarence D. The family are connected with the Presbyterian church, and polit- ically, Mr. Mershimer is a stanch Democrat.

ZELMAN R. MERSHIMER was born in Lawrence county, Pennsylvania, April 15, 1850, and is a son of Peter and Elizabeth ( Richey) Mershimer. of that county, and a grandson of Adam Mershimer. His father is a resident of Law- rence county, and reared a family of five children as follows: Alsetha, wife of Milton Frew ; Zelman R. ; Henry R. : George B., and Adam E. The subject of this sketch received a common school education, and was reared upon his father's farm. Ele afterwards worked for his father for five years, then settled upon a rented farm. which he carried on for two years. In ISSI he purchased his present homestead of 100 acres in Clay township, Butler county. located upon it and is now one of the successful farmers of the community. Mr. Mershimer was married in March, 1870, to Amanda M. Wright, a daughter of John C. Wright, of Beaver county. Eight children are the fruits of this union, five of whom are living : Lemira I. ; Audley R. ; Elizabeth M. ; Peter V., and Leland H. The family are connected with the United Presbyterian church, and in politics, Mr. Mershimer is an ardent Democrat.

JOHN BOOZEL was born in Mercer county (now Lawrence ), Pennsylvania, March &, 1831, son of William and Betsey ( Wimer) Boozel, natives of Pennsyl-

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vania, and of German origin. William Boozel was a son of Thomas Boozel, and followed farming all his life. The subject of this sketch commenced business life at the age of twenty-one, as a farm hand, and worked on a farm until July. 1862, when he enlisted in Company B, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Penn- sylvania Volunteers. He participated in the battles of Second Bull Run and Chancellorsville, and was honorably discharged in April, 1863. He was united in marriage with Nancy McConnell, July 3, 1856, and out of a family of thirteen children born to this union, cleven are living, viz. : Austin W., who married Nettie Snyder : William R., who married Alice Low ; Laura Ella, wife of Frank Gibson; S. Maggie, wife of Ford Christley; John II .; Bettie, wife of George Bonnie; Walter E. ; Joseph W .; J. Homer : Elmer S., and Nelson B. In 1881 Mr. Boozel purchased his present homestead in Clay township, consisting of 127 acres, where he has since been engaged in farming. He and wife are members of the United Presbyterian church, and in politics, he is a stanch Republican.

GEORGE W. RENICK was born in Slippery Rock township, Butler county, February 22, 1860, son of William D. and Caroline (Snyder) Renick. William D. Renick is a blacksmith in Slippery Rock township. He reared a family of eight children, as follows: Jacob G .; Daniel A. ; Louisa, deceased : George W .; Margaret A., wife of Melvin Hall; Adam H. ; William F., and Charles E. The subject of this sketch received a common school education, and resided at home until he was twenty-nine years of age. He was married April 4, 1889. to Myrtle Sager, and has two children : Nellie C., and Evalena May. Mr -. Renick is a daughter of Benjamin Sager, of Slippery Rock township, and a member of the Presbyterian church. After his marriage Mr. Renick located on a farm of 165 acres in Clay township, where he has since resided. Politically, he is a Democrat, and in religion, is an adherent of the Lutheran church.

AMos Youxe is a native of Butler county, born May 25, 1555, and a son of William and Mary ( Brown) Young, natives of Butler county. Ilis father was a miller by occupation, and reared a family of nine children, six of whom are living. Amos was the third in the family. When he was a child his father died, and he was taken into the family of his grandfather, Simon Young, but the latter died soon afterwards, and our subject then went to live with an uncle, whose name was also Simon Young. Here he resided until the age of fifteen years, working on the farm and attending school at intervals. At the age of fifteen he commenced to learn the stonemason's trade, and remained at that busi- ness for four years, and then engaged as a farm hand to Jacob Brown, whose daughter he subsequently married. Mr. Brown died May 4, 1891, aged seventy- seven years. Mr. Young was united in marriage to Tillie C., daughter of Jacob and Barbara Brown, November 3, 1891. He resides on a farm, formerly owned by his father-in-law, consisting of eighty-five acres, to which he has added forty- one acres. He also owns sixty-four acres in Centre township. Mr. Young is a general farmer, and devotes considerable attention to the breeding of Shorthorn Durham cattle. He and wife are members of the Lutheran church, and in poli- tics, he is a stanch adherent of the Republican party.

REV. WILLIAM P. BREADEN was born in Raccoon township, Beaver county, Pennsylvania. in 1814. and was reared upon his father's farm. He received his

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primary education in a pioneer subscription school, then entered Franklin Col- lege, New Athens, Ohio, and afterwards Allegheny Theological Seminary. He was licensed to preach by Lake Presbytery of the Associate Reformed church, in 1838. and was ordained May 11, 1843, as pastor of the Portersville and Evansburg congregations, in Butler county. He was subsequently pastor of the Fairview and West Sunbury congregations, from 1849 to 1862, when the con- nection between the two churches was dissolved. Mr. Breaden continued in charge of the West Sunbury church until his death, May 13. 1880. He mar- ried Mis- Charlotte Kline, a daughter of Charles Kline, of Mercer county, about 1842, which union was blessed with five children, as follows: Mary C .. who married Rev. E. N. McElree, D. D., of Freeport ; John C. : William J. ; John H., and Tillie C., wife of Perry Conway, of West Sunbury. Mr. Breaden preached the gospel in Butler county for more than forty years, and was one of the most widely known ministers in western Pennsylvania.

REV. JOHN H. BREADEN, son of Rev. William P. Breaden, was born at West Sunbury, Butler county, Pennsylvania, January 23. 1:5f. He received his pri- mary education in the public schools, then took an academic course at West Sunbury Academy, and entered Westminster College. New Wilmington, in 1870, where he was graduated in 1874. He entered the Theological Seminary. Allegheny, in the autumn of the latter year. where he took a full theological course, was licensed to preach in April, 1877, and was ordained June Uf, 197s. He received a call from Oakland congregation, located near Anderson, Hancock county, West Virginia, accepted it, and remained in charge of that church until he accepted a call from Mt. Pleasant church, Beaver county, Pennsylvania, with which he remained for seven years, and was next called to take charge of the congregation at West Sunbury, over which his father was pastor for thirty-five years. Since ISST he has been pastor of the West Sunbury church, and under his careful and judicious ministry the congregation has prospered in every way. Mr. Breaden was married August 19. 1879, to Mary 1. Crawford, a daughter of W. L. Crawford, of Hancock county, West Virginia, and has three children. viz. : William L. C. ; Bessie H., and Charlotte K. Mr. Breaden is an ardent Prohibitionist, and gives his earnest support to all measures which he believes are for the moral and material benefit of the community.

HORACE DECKER, son of Isaac and Abagail (Arnold) Decker, was born in Orange county, New York, November 25, 1821, and followed the vocation of a farmer throughout his life. His parents were Presbyterian-, and reared their son in that faith. In 1845 he married Margaret Smith, a daughter of Luke Smith, of Fox Hill. now Fairmount, Morris county, New Jersey, where his par- ents had purchased and settled on a farm, and the following year the young couple removed to Marksborough, Warren county, and in 184s to Sussex county. the same state. With the exception of six years spent in Middlesex county. the remaining years of his life were spent in Sussex county. where he died on his farm at Freedon, February 1, 175. His wife survived him until March 12. 1893. They were the parents of the following children : Isaac D. ; Alva D. : Eliza A. : John S. ; Abagail E., who married Samuel Wilson, of Scranton. Penn- sylvania ; O-car, deceased, and Irving W.

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History of Butler County, Pennsylvania, Part 135

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