History of Butler County, Pennsylvania, Part 93

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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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.

a Catholic, and, with his brother, was among the pioneers of St. Peter's church of Butler, and gave liberally towards the erection of that building. He married Martha, daughter of Roman Eyth. and nine children blessed this union, as fol- lows: Mary ; John ; Magdalene, a Sister of Mercy in the Convent of the Sacred Heart. Ridgely, Maryland : Margaret: Elizabeth, deceased wife of George A. Cypher ; Henry A. ; Annie ; Mark ; Louis, and Charles. Mr. Berg died June 9. 1881 : his widow survives at the age of seventy-one years.

JOHN BERG, JR., was born June 23, 1812, in Butler, and is the eldest son of John Berg, Sr., and the head of the banking house of John Berg & Company. In 1867 he was appointed teller of the First National Bank, of Butler, and after a few months was elected cashier of that institution, which office he filled until the fall of 1869. In the autumn of 1870 his father founded the banking house of John Berg & Company, and he was a partner in that institution. and the practi- cal head of the bank from its establishment up to the present time. Mr. Berg is one of the most extensive real estate owners in the county, as well as one of it- most successful business men. In politics, he is a Democrat, and in religious faith, a member of St. Peter's Catholic church.

HENRY A. AND LOUIS BERG, junior members of the firm of John Berg & Company, were born in Butler, in 1857, and 1862, respectively. After attend- ing the common schools of the borough they entered St. Vincent's College, Westmoreland county, where they completed their education. Henry A. was engaged in the hardware business until the re-organization of the bank firm. when he became a member of the latter. Louis has been a partner of the firm since 1889. Both are adherents of the Democratic party, and members of the Catho ic church.

HON. JOSEPH HARTMAN, president of the Butler County National Bank, is the eldest son of William and Mary ( Winters) Hartman, and was born in Arm- strong county, Pennsylvania, October 18, 1827. He worked at the blacksmith's trade with his father until seventeen years of age, and then found employment in the ore mines and at contracting until January, 1855. In 1849 he purchased a farm in Donegal township, Butler county, with money judiciously saved from his earnings, upon which his parents settled the same year. In 1856 he located upon this farm and resided there until his removal to Butler. In 1862 he enlisted in Company E, One Hundred and Sixty-ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers, and served nine months. In 1864 he commenced operating in the oil fields of Venango county, subsequently transferred his operations to Butler county, and has been successfully identified with oil producing for the past thirty-five years. Mr. Ilartman has operated extensively in the Millerstown field, also in Allegany county, New York, while his production on the Black farm, in Butler county, was sold by him at a high figure. He has also operated in Armstrong county, and in the St. Joe, Jefferson Centre, Callery Junction and Hundred Foot fields, as well as in the McDonald field, and is now prominently connected with the deveiop- ment of the Mannington field, of West Virginia. He is a stockholder in the United States Pipe Line Company, and the Producers Pipe Line Company. At the time the movement was inaugurated to curtail production, Mr. Hartman earnestly supported Mr. Phillips in his plan to set aside 2,000,000 barrels of oil

Joseph Hartman.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

for the protection of the labor engaged in the petroleum industry. In connec- tion with other capitalists he purchased the Kelly Silver Mines, of New Mexico. and is a stockholder in the Trade Dollar Mining Company, of Idaho. Soon after the organization of the Butler County National Bank, Mr. Hartman was elected president, to succeed Mr. Taylor, and has filled that position in a very satisfac- tory manner down to the present. He is an ardent Republican, and in 1881 was elected to the legislature, serving in 1885-86. He is a member of A. G. Reed Post, G. A. R., of Butler, and a warm friend of the old soldier. Mr. Hartman has been twice married. His first wife was Margaret Black, a daughter of John Black, of Donegal township, whom he married in January, 1853. She died on July 5, 1869, leaving a family of five children, as follows : Mary E. ; Lizzie J., wife of Patrick Gallagher; Anna L., wife of Michael Leonard ; Eva F., and Joseph. His second marriage occurred in 1873, with Miss Mary McFadden, who died on April 17, 1892. Mr. Hartman and family are members of St. Paul's Catholic church, of Butler, to which denomination his ancestors belonged. Ile i- one of the substantial, enterprising and wealthy citizens of Butler, where he has resided since November, 1892, has always been a generous contributor towards religious and educational institutions, and was a prominent member of the build- ing committee in the erection of St. Patrick's church, at Sugar creek.

J. V. RITTS, vice-president of the Butler County National Bank, was born at St. Petersburg, Clarion county, Pennsylvania, October 7, 1852, son of Elias and Elizabeth (Vensel) Ritts. llis boyhood days were passed upon his father's farm, and his primary education was obtained in the public schools. He after- wards took an academic course, and also attended Iron City College, of Pittsburg, where he received a thorough commercial training. After graduating, he was offered, without solicitation on his part, the professorship of the book-keeping and banking department of the college, which position he filled for two years. In 1872 he was appointed book-keeper in the St. Petersburg Savings Bank, and one year later was selected to fill the position of cashier. The stock of this insti- tution was subsequently purchased by Elias Ritts, J. V. Ritts, and several other well known citizens of Clarion county, the bank re-organized, and Mr. Ritts became one of the directors, as well as cashier. He has been associated with the St. Petersburg and Clarion Railroad Company, now the Pittsburg and Western, as director ; was treasurer of the Foxburg, Kane, and Bradford Railroad Com- pany ; a stock holder and director in the Parker, Karns City and Butler Railroad Company for several years, and also filled the office of secretary and treasurer of the St. Petersburg and Foxburg Turnpike Company. He has been interested in the organization of the following banks : Eldred Bank. of Eldred, Pennsylvania : First National Bank, of Salina, Kansas; Seaboard National Bank, of New York : Dallas National Bank, of Dallas, Texas; Meriden National Bank, of Mississippi. and the Keystone Bank, of Pittsburg. In April, 1890, Mr. Ritts was one of the leading spirits in the organization of the Butler County National Bank, was chosen first vice-president of that institution, was one of the original stockholders, and has been the virtual controller of its financial policy during the past five years of its successful existence. Aside from his banking interests, he has been extensively engaged in oil producing in Clarion and Butler counties. Mr. Ritts

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.

was married in August. 1882, to Irene C. Blakeslee, a danghter of W. Z. Blake- slee. of New York, and has three children, viz : Elias ; Maud A., and Leonard C. The family are connected with the Methodist Episcopal church, of Butler, in which Mr. Ritts is one of the trustees. He is a member of the Masonic order, and one of the progressive and public-spirited citizens of the community.

COL. ALEXANDER LOWRY was born in Blair county ( formerly a part of Hun- singdon), Pennsylvania, February 18. 1814. His great grandfather. Lazarus Lowry, came from the north of Ireland, and in 1729 settled in Donegal, Lan- caster county, on the celebrated farm known as " Donegal," now owned by Sen- ator Cameron. Col. Alexander Lowry, a son of Lazarus Lowry, and one of the most noted and successful Indian traders in the history of Pennsylvania, pur- chased from his father the homestead, and after living there for some time, sold the farm and removed to lluntingdon county. Here was born his son Alexander Lowry, father of Col. Alexander Lowry, of Butler. The maiden name of the mother of our subject was Margaret Bonslough, who was born and reared in Hun- tingdon county. When eighteen years old, Alexander became an apprentice at the cabinetmaker's trade, and after serving three years he continued working at the trade until 1837. In 1839 he opened a hotel at Yellow Springs, Blair county, and removed from there to Water Street. on the line of the Pennsylvania canal, in 1842, where he was in the hotel business until 1846. In that year he located

t Hollidaysburg, and was proprietor of the American House until September. 1850, when he removed to Butler, and purchased the Beatty House, which stood on the site of the Troutman Block, and afterwards known as the Lowry House as long as the building was used for hotel purposes. In 1868 he purchased the present Lowry House, and, in 1873. after the first oil excitement had com- menced, sold the property to Cross & McOmber, but repurchased it in 1879. Hle continued as its proprietor until 1875, when he retired from the hotel business to his home on West Pearl street, where he has since resided. In 1841 Colonel Lowry was married to Margaret Spear, of Williamsburg, Blair county, who died in Butler, December 11, 1886. His family consists of one daughter and seven sons, as follows : Belle W. : W. A .: Charles S .; John F .: Porter W .: George W. ; Thomas L., and J. L., all of whom are living. Colonel Lowry is now in his eighty-second year, and is an active, well preserved man. He has well earned the name of having been one of the most successful and best known hotel men in the State.

PORTER W. LOWRY, attorney at law, is a son of Alexander and Margaret Lowry, and was born in Butler, Pennsylvania, February 12, 1855. He attended the public schools in early boyhood. and completed his education at the Witherspoon Institute. Ile read law with Hon. Ebenezer Mc Junkin, was admitted to the bar in 1876, and has since been engaged in the practice of his profession. Mr. Lowry was married January 30, 1890, to Mary W. Hazen, only daughter of Hon. A. L. Hazen, president judge of the Seventeenth judicial dis- trict. She died on March 20, 1891. He has always been an active Republican. was elected chairman of the Republican county committee in 1894, and had the honor of being at the head of the party organization when Butler county gave the largest majority for the Republican candidates since the foundation of the

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party. Mr. Lowry is a member of the Presbyterian church, of Butler, has been president of the Christian Endeavor Society two terms, and for several years has been actively identified with the growth and prosperity of the church.

LOUIS STEIN was born in the City of Marburg, Hessen, Germany, July 3. 1811, a son of Prof. George Stein. When Louis was about thirteen years of age his father was appointed a professor at the Medical University of Bonn and removed with his family to that place, where he died some sixteen years ago, aged 100 years. The subject of this sketch was educated at the University of Bonn, immigrated to New York City in 1832, and was employed in a large German importing house for five years. In 1837 he located at Wapakoneta, Ohio, and engaged in general merchandising in partnership with Bernard Roess- ing, which they conducted until the spring of 1840. They then removed to But- der, Pennsylvania, and embarked in the same business under the firm name of Roessing & Stein, which existed until 1871, when Mr. Stein purchased his part- ner's interest and carried on the grocery, queensware and dry goods business until February, 1882. His son William A. was then admitted to a partnership, and the firm became L. Stein & Son, and continued the dry goods business exclusively. The first store of Roessing & Stein was in a part of the Vogeley Hotel building, whence they removed to the corner of Main and Mitllin streets, and finally erected the building now occupied by their successor. In 1885 Mr. Stein retired from active business, and continued to enjoy the fruits of his frugal- ity and industry until his death, July 20. 1894, in the eighty-fourth year of his age. He was always an ardent Democrat, but his very active business life pre- vented him from devoting much attention to public affairs, with the exception of serving on the school board. Mr. Stein was a member of the German Luth- eran church, of Butler, and a liberal supporter of that society. In August, 1848, he married Matilda Dieker, a daughter of Anthony Dieker, of Wapakoneta, Ohio, to which union were born six children, as follows : Emily, deceased wife of John N. Patterson ; Julia, wife of J. F. Strong, of Cincinnati; William A. ; Louis B. : Albert O., and Charles, deceased. Albert O., was born in Butler. March 23, 1858, was educated in the public schools and at Witherspoon Insti- tute. followed the tinner's trade for several years, and has clerked for the past nine years in the store of L. Stein & Son. Although Mr. Stein retired from the active management of his business in 1885, hardly a day passed, when in health, that he was not at the store assisting in the work. He enjoyed good health until a few months before his death. He was energetic and enterprising, and was an active mover in every effort made for the advancement of the town. In his business life he was successful, and in his social intercourse with the peo- ple made hosts of friends. His business career was marked by the strictest integrity and the most honorable dealings with those who in the past half cen- tury were patrons of his store.

WILLIAM A. STEIN, eldest son of Louis and Matilda Stein, was born in the borough of Butler, October 9. 1853, and was educated in the public schools and at Witherspoon Institute. In 1873 he entered his father's store as clerk, which position he filled until 1882, when he became a member of the firm of L. Stein & Son, and has continued in active business up to the present. He is a director in

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.

the Butler Savings Bank, and is one of the original stockholders and organizers of the Standard Plate Glass Company of Butler. Mr. Stein was married in 1878, to Amelia, daughter of William Vogeley, and has five children : Gertrude F. ; Cora M .; Albert A. L. ; Clarence L., and Emily II. Mr. Stein is past master and secretary of Butler Lodge, Number 272, F. & A. M., and also secretary of the Chapter. He is a Republican in politics, and attends the German Lutheran church.

LOUIS B STEIN, second son of Louis and Matilda Stein, was born in Butler, December 28, 1855, and received his education in the public schools and at With- erspoon Institute. In May. 1878, he was chosen book-keeper of the First National Bank of Butler, was appointed teller in 1877, and filled that position until the failure of the bank in July, 1879. He then entered the employ of Joseph Ilorne & Company, of Pittsburg, where he filled the position of book-keeper for two years, and then returned to Butler to take charge of the books of L. Stein & Son. On February 11, 1885, he was appointed teller of the Butler Savings Bank, which position he has filled for the past nine years. Mr. Stein was married, January 1, 1885, to Julia, daughter of Philip Wisener, of Butler, and has two children : Laura M., and Edna M. Politically he is a Republican, and is a member of the German Lutheran church.

THOMAS STEHLE, SR., was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, in 1813, was there educated, and learned the lock and gunsmith's trade. Ile came to the United States in 1832 and settled in Butler, where he worked at his trade. He kept a store on what is now South Main street, and afterwards bought the John Negley property. Ile also purchased the Christian Otto property and the Pro- ducers Bank building, where Stehle's store now stands, besides the Miller property, corner of Main and North streets, and the old fair grounds, which he purchased of Judge Bredin. He was one of the successful and prosperous busi- ness men of the borough. Mr. Stehle married Josephine Stehle in 1838, and was the father of seven children, as follows: Mary, widow of D. T. Pape ; Annie, widow of William Aland ; Joseph, deceased; Elizabeth ; John, deceased ; J. F. T., and Thomas, Jr., deceased. Mr. Stehle was a member of St. Peter's Catholic church, and died September 13, 1887. His widow resides in Butler.

JOHN F. T. STEILE, son of Thomas Stehle, Sr., was born in the borough of Butler, February 21, 1852, and here received a common school education. He first clerked in his father's store, and in 1871 he engaged in the notion and toy business with his brother Thomas, under the firm name of Stehle Brothers, but he is now carrying on the business alone. Mr. Stehle married Lena M., daughter of John Moral, of Butler, September 22, 1879. They are the parents of seven children : Joseph T. ; Victor ; Raymond, deceased; Thomas, deceased ; Gerard ; John, and Paul. Mr. Stehle and wife are members of the Catholic church, and in politics, he is a Democrat.

D. T. PAPE was born in Westphalia, Germany, in 1837, and came to the United States when thirteen years old, locating at Pittsburg, whence he removed to Butler, Pennsylvania. He was a salesman here for Thomas Stehle one year, then returned to Pittsburg and clerked in Spencer's dry goods store. In 1858 he again came to Butler, and married Mary, daughter of Thomas and Josephine

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Stehle. He embarked in the dry goods and millinery business, which he contin- ued up to his death, October 7, 1885. The business is now carried on by his widow under the old firm name. Seven children were born to D. T. and Mary Pape, as follows : Josephine. deceased wife of John R. Grieb ; Charles F. T. ; Theodore D. ; Gerard P. ; Mary L .; Destella L., and Eugene A., who was born in Butler, August 15, 1874, educated in the common schools, and is now an apprentice with his brother in the jewelry business. Mr. Pape was a member of St. Peter's Catholic church, and in politics, he was a stanch adherent of the Democratic party.

CHARLES F. T. PAPE, eldest son of D. T. and Mary Pape, was born in the borough of Butler, August 22, 1863, and was educated in the public schools and at St. Vincent's College. He learned the jeweler's trade with F. II. Weiser of Pittsburg, and in 1881 he engaged in the jewelry business in Butler, which he still carries on at 122 South Main street. He was married October 6. 191, to Annie, daughter of Patrick and B. Golden, of Butler, and has one son, Leo C. II. Mr. Pape is a member of St. Peter's Catholic church, and in politics, he is a Democrat. In [886 his brother, Gerard P., became a partner in the jewelry business, and the firm has since been C. F. T. Pape & Brother.

THEODORE D. PAPE, second son of D. T. Pape, was born in Butler. July 2. 1865. and received a public school education. Since his school days he has been a salesman in the store of D. T. Pape, now carried on by his mother. He is a member of the Catholic church, and is connected with the C. M. B. A. of Butler.

GERARD P. PAPE. third son of D. T. Pape, was born in Butler, July 30, 1>67, and was educated in the public schools. He learned the jeweler's trade with John R. Grieb, and in ISS6 became a member of the firm of C. F. T. Pape & Brother. He is a member of the Catholic church, is a Democrat in politics. and is connected with Butler Lodge, B. P. O. E.

WILLIAM ALAND was a son of Ambrose and Margaret Aland, natives of Hesse Darmstadt, Germany. His parents settled in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. where William was born in 1945, and where he received a good common school education. His father was a merchant tailor, and carried on business in that city, and the subject of this sketch learned the cutter's trade with him and man- aged his business after arriving at manhood. In 1874 he located in Butler, and established a merchant tailoring business on South Main street. In 1sss he erected the building in which his son. Joseph W., now conducts business. where he carried on merchant tailoring until his death. October 19, ISSS. He married Annie, daughter of Thomas Stehle, one of the early residents of Butler, and became the father of eight children, as follows : Joseph W. ; Charles F. : Estella : Bebeana; Florence, deceased : Edgar ; Lillian, and Blanche, deceased. Mr. Aland was a member of St. Peter's Catholic church. and in politics, he was a Democrat. He never took much interest in political affairs, but devoted his entire attention to the prosecution of his business. He had the town's prosperity ever at heart, and always encouraged home industries. His widow resides with her family in the old homestead on South Main street.

JOSEPH W. ALAND was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, May 20, 1869, and

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.

is the eldest in the family of William and Annie Aland. He was reared in Butler. and was educated in the public schools and at Witherspoon Institute. He after- wards entered the employ of his father, and owing to the latter's failing health he took charge of the business, about 1886. After his father's death the entire business devolved upon his shoulders, and he has since conducted it very success- fully. Mr. Aland is one of the active young business men of Butler, and stands in the front rank as a merchant tailor. lle is a member of St. Peter's Catholic church, and in politics, he is an adherent of the Democratic party.

FRANCIS X. GRIEB was born in the Black Forest, Grand Duchy of Baden, Ober-Ampt. Harb-Rexingen. Wurtemburg, Germany, February 1, 1820, where he was also reared and educated. He learned the watchmaker's trade in his native land, and in 1848 he immigrated to the United States and settled at Phila- delphia. In 1549 he came to Butler and established himself in business in what was then known as the Major Hughes property, and carried on the repairing of watches, jewelry, etc. In 1852 he purchased the property now occupied by the jewelry store of llenry Grieb, remodeled the building and opened the first jewelry store in Butler, which he conducted successfully until his death. in 1865. Mr. Grieb was married in 1849, to Elizabeth Hepfle, a native of Bavaria, Germany, who survives, and resides on East North street. She conducted the business until 1883, since which time it has been carried on by her son Henry. They were the parents of the following children : Jennie ; Henry ; Alexander, deceased ; Frank. a merchant at Braddock ; John R .. Charles R., deceased ; and Louis M. Mr. Grieb was a practical member of the Catholic church, and a pioneer of St. Peter's congregation, to which organization the whole family belong. In politics, he was a Democrat, and throughout his long residence in Butler was recognized as a successful merchant and a good citizen.

ITENRY GRIEB, eldest son of Francis X. Grieb, was born in the borough of Butler, April 8, 1852, and received his education in the public schools. In 1865 he went to Pittsburg, where he learned the watchmaker's trade, and since his father's death has had practical control of the jewelry store established by the latter, and now conducted under the name of E. Grieb. He married Lena Lieb- ler of Butler, in 1576, and they are the parents of one son, Edward F. X. Politi- cally, he is a Democrat, and is a member of the borough council. He is a mem- ber of St. Peter's Catholic church, and is connected with Branch, Number 56. C. M. B. A .. also the B. P. O. E.

JOHN R. GRIEB, fourth son of Francis X. Grieb, was born in Butler, Penn- sylvania, September 3, 1858, and was educated in the public schools of the bor- ough. At the age of fourteen he commenced learning the watchmaker's trade with his brother, and remained with the firm of E. Grieb until 1883. In April of that year he established a jewelry store at 120 South Main street, where he remained until 1891, and then located at 125 North Main street, from where he moved to his present place of business in April, 1891. In 1889 he formed a partnership with R. J. Lamb, for the purpose of dealing in pianos and musical instruments, and the firm of Grieb & Lamb carried on that business in con- nection with the jewelry store, up to June 15, 1894, when they dissolved partner- ship, and the business is now carried on by Mr. Grieb at 118 South Main street.

751

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

Mr. Grieb was married January 1, 1883, to Josie, daughter of D. T. Pape. One son was born to this union, Raymond, who died in August, 1884. Mrs. Grieb died in October, 1892. Politically, Mr. Grieb is a Democrat, is a member of St. Peter's Catholic church, and is one of the enterprising young business men of the borough.

ISAAC COLBERT was born in Greene county, Pennsylvania, in 1798. His parents died when he was about two years of age, and he was reared by William McCollough, of Armstrong county. He learned the hatter's trade, and in 1835 came to Butler county and settled in Butler township, where he built a shop and commenced the manufacture of hats, also carrying on a small farm at the same time. In 1836 he removed to Butler, and located on Main street. where he con- tinned the manufacture of hats and conducted a retail hat store. This business he carried on until his death, July 5, 1872, at which time he was the oldest mer- chant in the borough, with the exception of the late William Campbell. In 1824 he was married to Miss Fanny Ramsey. of Carlisle, Pennsylvania. to which union were born four children. as follows: William R., of Butler; Robert, a physician of Oil City : Eliza J., wife of J. C. Redick, of Butler, and Harvey, a merchant of the same borough. Mrs. Colbert died in 1874. Both were life- long members of the Presbyterian church. Politically, he was a Whig, but joined the Republican party at its birth, and was elected by that party treasurer of Butler county.

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History of Butler County, Pennsylvania, Part 93

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