USA > Pennsylvania > Cambria County > History of Cambria County, Pennsylvania, Volume III > Part 30
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David Barnhart, sixth son of John and Mary (Friedland) Barn- hart, was born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, and received his educa- tion in the schools of his native township. Like his father, he became one of the leading farmers of the district and the owner of a number of large and well cultivated farms. During the Civil war he was drafted, served with distinction for three years, and was honorably discharged upon the termination of the conflict. He was an ardent supporter of the Repub- lican party, taking the greatest possible interest in all that concerned the public welfare of the community in which he lived, or in anything that tended to its improvement. He married, June 9, 1855, Matilda Lohr, and had children : 1. William H., residing in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, married Sarah Raymond, and has children: Lewis, Jordan, Morgan, Cora and Jennie. 2. Cyrus A., 3. Mary, married Albert Barnett. 4. Ed- ward, a resident of Pittsburg, married Annie Yeagley, deceased, and has one child, Eugene. 5. Peter A .. see forward. 6. Mahlon H. 7. Sarah, married Daniel Swank, deceased. S. Lucy, married James Smith, and has two children.
Peter A. Barnhart, fourth son and fifth child of David and Matilda (Lohr) Barnhart, was born on his father's farm in Somerset county. Pennsylvania. September 29, 1859. His early years were spent upon this farm, which was located in Quemahoning township, and he received a good education in the public schools of that district. He remained on the farm. as assistant to his father in its management, until he had attained his majority, when he went to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where he learned the trade of plumbing. He was employed by the Philadelphia Gas Company for a period of six and a half years upon the completion
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of his apprenticeship, and at the conclusion of that time removed to Johnstown, Cambria county, Pennsylvania. Here he accepted a position in the plumbing department of the Cambria Iron Company, which he resigned at the end of one year in order to establish himself in business. lle formed a business partnership with his brother, Mahlon H., in the plumbing line, their location being in the Layton building on Franklin street. He formed another partnership in 1891, with C. H. Keiffer, and was associated with him until 1899, when the partnership was dissolved, C. G. Campbell purchasing the interests of Mr. Keiffer, since which time the firm has been known as the P. A. Barnhart Plumbing & Heating Company. They are doing business on a large and profitable scale, and they have handsome business quarters at No. 324 Franklin street, into which they moved April 1, 1904. In November of the following year they were burned out and suffered a considerable loss, but soon re-opened the business in temporary quarters at their old place at the corner of Haynes and Franklin streets, where they remained until 1906, when they removed to the new building which had been erected for them by their landlord. The store and necessary offices are spacious, well calcu- lated to display their goods to the best advantage, and they have a pros- perous and constantly increasing trade. Mr. Barnhart has been the lead- ing spirit in this undertaking, his executive ability and business acumen being truly remarkable. In his political affiliations he is a stanch sup- porter of the Republican party, and he is a consistent member of the Lutheran church.
Mr. Barnhart married, October 24, 1889, Cora Robb, daughter of Benjamin Robb, of Johnstown. They have no children.
CALVIN A. YOUNG, a member and organizer of the C. A. Young Company, of Johnstown, was born in that city, October 17, 1862, a son of Simon and Sarah (Shutt) Young, the latter a daughter of John and Lizetta (Suters) Shutt, of Strassburg, Germany : Lizetta (Suters) Shutt was from Switzerland. On the paternal side the family is of Ger- man descent, and on the maternal side the ancestors came from Marietta, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania.
Simon Young (father), son of John and Catherine ( Foss) Young, the former born in Germany, March 23, 1791, died September 20, 1858, was born at Marietta, Lancaster county, July 30, 1831, and was reared and educated there. He was a butcher by trade. He came to Johns- town about 1850 and his first employment there was with his brother, Emanuel Young, who was a meat merchant with a store on Franklin street. He remained with him until 1859, when he engaged in business for himself, conducting a profitable trade until the years 1880, when he sold out to his son and nephew. On retiring from active work he went to live with one of his sons at Ligonier, but later returned to Johnstown and is now residing with his daughter, Mrs. S. C. Wisegaver. Children of John and Catherine ( Foss) Young were: Emanuel, married Sarah Layton. David married (first) a Miss Hess, (second) Levina -, of Baltimore. Abraham, married Susan Crommer, of Lancaster. Harriet. wife of Judge Rhodes, of Marietta. Simon, father of Calvin A. Young. All of these are now deceased excepting Simon, who by his marriage to Sarah Shutt became the father of children as follows: William F., mar- ried Maggie Robb, and their children are May, Edith and Charles. Harry S., married Emma Walkinshaw, deceased. Lizzie, wife of Sheri- dan C. Wisegaver, a lieutenant on the Johnstown police force, and their children are: Mary, Alice, Della, Hazel, Harvey and Chalmer. Annie,
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
Aster, Lenox and Tilden Foundations. 1909
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wife of A. M. Custer, and their children are Donald, Nina and Helen. Simon, Jr., unmarried. Calvin A., see forward.
Calvin A. Young was reared in Johnstown, educated in its public schools, and his first work ( 1879) was with his father in the meat busi- ness. In 1890, in partnership with his cousin. M. B. Young, he took over his father's business, purchasing the entire property. the firm after- wards being known as Young & Young. Previous to this he took charge of his father's market on Main street and conducted it until 1884, when he became a partner in the business and the firm title was changed to Simon Young & Son. This continued until Simon Young retired and the above mentioned partnership with his cousin was formed. The firm of Young & Young continued until 1903, when M. B. Young purchased the interest of Calvin A. Young. Mr. Young then organized the packing company which he now carries on. The C. A. Young Company, as it is called, is a corporation having a capital of $100,000, is situated on Mat- thew street, opposite the Pennsylvania railroad freight station, gives con- stant employment to thirty-five hands, dress their own meats and manu- facture their own products. This is the only home-dressed wholesale meat plant in Johnstown, and they conduct a business of about half a million dollars per annum. Mr. Young is a member and deacon of the Presbyterian church, and a Democrat in politics.
Mr. Young married (first) Annie Stoneback, of Black Lick, Indiana county, Pennsylvania, daughter of John and Otella Stoneback, and his children by this marriage are Helen and Ruth. He married (second ) Catherine Wilson, daughter of Herman and Deborah Wilson, of Blairs- ville, Indiana county, Pennsylvania, and the children by this marriage are Sarah, born April 5, 1898; Calvin, born April 2, 1902.
JAMES MADISON WALTERS. In the fifth year of the nineteenth century Dr. John JJacob Walters, of German birth, but whose father was a native of Holland, came to America, settled in the city of Baltimore and began the practice of medicine. He was an educated physician, having studied and practiced medicine in Germany before leaving that country, and in Baltimore he controlled a large practice and attained a high stand- ing in the ranks of the profession in that state. He acquired a com- petency and made generous use of his means in contributing to the erec- tion of churches, the establishment of educational institutions and the relief of the poor and the suffering. He was a devout member of the German Reformed church. His wife's family name was Rodgers, and she was descended from one of the old English families of Virginia, whose settlement in the Old Dominion dated to the time of the colony.
In Dr. Walters' family were three sons-Arthur, John and Henry Jacob Walters, and one daughter-Anna Maria Walters. Arthur, late of Baltimore, married and had children-Mary, George, Louis, Kate and Sophia Walters. John, second son, died early in life, unmarried. Anna Maria, only daughter, married Louis H. Plitt, a business man who accu- mulated a fortune. Both he and his wife are dead.
Henry Jacob Walters, youngest son of Dr. John Jacob Walters, and father of James Madison Walters, of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was born in Baltimore, March 3, 1819. He was given a good common school edu- cation, and when quite young left school and home to learn the trade of a saddler. After a time he dropped that employment and followed hunt- ing and fishing in the vicinity of Havre de Grace, Maryland, but on ac- count of an injury to his foot he was obliged to find some other means of support. To that end he came to Johnstown, Pennsylvania, about
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1847 or 1848 and worked there eight years, going about at all times on crutches : but notwithstanding that, during the years of his clerk- ship. he managed to save eight hundred dollars, which was his starting capital in business life. About 1856 he was taken into a mercantile part- nership and engaged in active business pursuits until 1870, when he re- tired, possessed of a fair share of this world's goods, a good name and the respect of a wide circle of friends.
Mr. Walters was a man of superior business qualifications. An unfor- tunate accident had deprived him of the means of walking with any com- fort, and after that he worked more with his head than his hands; he worked to excellent purpose and provided for himself the comforts of life. About the time of his retirement he was elected justice of the peace of the Third ward of the borough of Johnstown and held that office several years. Politically he was an old line Democrat, in which respect he has been followed by every one of his descendants. At one time, too, he was a member of the Johnstown borough council. He was one of the earliest members of the First Evangelical Lutheran church, and of his means contributed to the support of the church and to other worthy causes.
Henry Jacob Walters married Ellen Melinda Mitchell, born at Jenner Cross Roads, Somerset county, Pennsylvania. July 21. 1830. daughter of James H. and Sophronia (Thatcher) Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell was born in eastern Pennsylvania of Scotch-Irish parents, his father having been a minister of the Protestant church. At one time James H. Mitchell was a school teacher. Sophronia Thatcher was born in Delaware and was a descendant of Commodore Thatcher, of the English navy, of a family of eminent respectability, all Protestants, and its male members all strong Democrats. Of the ten children born to Henry Jacob and Sophronia (Thatcher) Walters seven grew to maturity and are living, viz .: 1. Mary E., married H. A. Bailey. 2. George W. 3. James Madison. 4. Katherine, married Alfred J. Prosser, now deceased. 5. Harry Thatcher. 6. Charles Fink. 7. Jethro William.
James Madison Walters, second son and third child of Henry Jacob and Sophronia (Thatcher) Walters. was born in the borough (now city) of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. July 4. 1855. He is by profession a lawyer, a member of the Cambria county bar, practicing in the courts of that and the adjoining county, the superior and supreme courts of Pennsylvania and the district and circuit courts of the United States. In professional circles in Pennsylvania Mr. Walters is known as a close and constant student of the law. In fact he has been a careful student all through his life, and before he determined to enter that profession was always at work or study. In this connection a brief glance at his earlier life is interesting. His early education was gained in public and pay schools, including the Sunday school of the First Evangelical Lutheran church, and the night school, where he was taught double-entry bookkeeping. When out of school he sometimes worked as clerk in the store where his father was one of the proprietors, and there gained an understanding of practical busi- ness methods. At the age of twelve years he drove a cart for his uncle and earned something. also made "tuiers" at A. J. Haws' brick works and worked in the mills of the Cambria Iron Company. During vacation periods, when not busy in the store, he found work to do. such as stripping leaf tobacco. picking stone in the river for the borough at fifty cents a day, helped in cleaning the borough streets. worked in the old Johnstown foundry at cleaning castings preliminary to learning the trade of molder. and at one time was bricklayers' tender, preliminary to learning the trade of brick laying. When he was seventeen years old his father died. After
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that he was clerk and salesman in the store until he attained his majority, when he took up the study of law under the preceptorship of Judge, James Potts, of Johnstown, and while reading law he took private day and even- ing general instruction, including Latin, from Professor John W. Trabert and Professor T. J. Chapman, and special instruction in natural philos- ophy from Professor Thomas R. Wakefield.
Since he was admitted to practice law Mr. Walters has devoted his attention to professional pursuits, and in law circles in southern Penn- sylvania he is known as a capable, thorough and successful lawyer, with whom principles always prevail rather than expedients. He is a firm Democrat and occasionally has stood as his party candidate for both local and general offices. He was the first city solicitor of Johnstown after the city charter and served two terms in that office. At a later time he was the Democratic nominee for the office of district attorney of Cambria county, and twice the candidate of his party for representative in congress from the Twentieth congressional district of Pennsylvania.
He is a member of the First Evangelical Lutheran church of Johns- town, and has served a three years' term as deacon, two years as superin- tendent of the infant Sunday school, and now is a member of the com- mittee of fifteen trustees of that church. He was a delegate of the Alle- gheny Synod of the Lutherans of western Pennsylvania to the biennial meeting of the Lutherans of America held at York, Pennsylvania, and in that convention he was selected to deliver the address on "Missions, Home and Abroad." in the historic Old York Lutheran church.
Mr. Walters is a member of the Cambria Bar Association, and at one time served on the bar examining committee for the examination of can- didates for admission to practice; member of the board of corporators of the Conemaugh Valley Memorial Hospital ; member and ex-vice-presi- dent of Johnstown Board of Trade; past president of the Order of Ameri- cus ; past exalted ruler and present chaplain of Johnstown Lodge, No. 175, Benevolent Protective Order of Elks; member of the Americus Club, and an honorary member of Vigilant Fire Company of Johnstown.
Among the notable events in Mr. Walters' life there may be men- tioned, without reference to chronology, the following: He was the first survivor of the Johnstown flood of 1889 reported saved by the Associated Press ; was present and escaped the breakdown of the Pennsylvania rail- road platform in 1866 when President Johnson, General Grant and Ad- miral Farragut stopped at Johnstown, and saw them observe the catas- trophe in horror and tears; was present and escaped injury in the pas- senger run at Ebensburg, Pennsylvania, where several persons were severely injured : was a member of the committee appointed by Mayor Woodruff to visit Washington and urge upon the house committee the necessity of an appropriation sufficient to secure a site and erect a Federal building in Johnstown ; was a contributor to the "New York World" fund for the erection of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor ; was present and saw the Johnstown Zouaves (among whom was his uncle, William Denny Mitchell) depart as the first company from Johnstown to take part in the Civil war. He numbers among his friends and has spoken from the same platform with such eminent characters in public and political life as Hon. Alexander H. Coffroth, of Somerset, Pennsylvania, the only living ex- member of congress who was a pall-bearer at President Lincoln's funeral, also Hon. William Jennings Bryan, who honored Mr. Walters' family and mother with a personal visit to his home on Vine street in the city of Johnstown.
In Allegheny City. Pennsylvania. July 28. 1885, James Madison
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Walters married Anna Bell Lewis. daughter of John and Susan M. (Mourer) Lewis. Mr. Lewis was a veteran of the Civil war, sergeant of Company C, Fifth Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery. By occupation he was a painter. The late Hon. Edward Cowan, ex-senator in congress from Pennsylvania. was Mrs. Walters' uncle, and Dr. Frank Cowan, secretary to President Andrew Johnson, was her cousin. Captain William Cowan, appointed April 19, 1115 (by John Morton. speaker of the Pennsylvania assembly) captain of a company of foot in the Third Battalion of Asso- ciators in the county of Cumberland for the protection of the province and the defense of liberty, was her maternal great-grandfather. Captain Thomas Griffith, U. S. A .. now major. is her cousin. Children of James M. and Anna B. (Lewis) Walters: 1. Allen Thurman, born July 23, 1886. died September 20. 1888. 2. Anna Margaret, born May 8, 1892. 3. Ellen Louise, born June 6, 1896. 4. Catherine, twin, born January 25, 1901. 5. Virginia, twin, born January 25, 1901.
FRANCIS T. OVERDORFF, M. D., of Johnstown, for thirty-six years a general practitioner in that city, was born November 2. 1840. in Indiana county. Pennsylvania. son of Jacob Overdorff. who was born February 11, 1296. in York county. and moved to Indiana county, where he became a well-to-do farmer, at one time owning considerable land at Brush Valley. He filled several township offices among them those of school director and supervisor. and was a Republican in politics. He was a member and officer of the Evangelical church and an active worker in its interests. For forty-five years he served as class leader.
Jacob Overdorff married Mary Tyson. and the following children were born to them : Amos. Isaac. deceased : married Catharine Fry, also de- ceased. Simon. of Morrelville : married Catherine McElhaney. Jacob, deceased : married Maria McNutt. Zachariah, married (first ) Louisa Wakefield. (second) Mary Bracken. David, married Susan Evans. now deceased. Francis T., of whom later. Salome, wife of Frederick Sauers. Catharine, wife of Charles Miller, of Illinois. Elizabeth, widow of David Comfort. Jacob Overdorff. the father of this large family, died April 18, 1884, at the age of eighty-eight years two months and seven days, and the mother died July, 1845. age forty-five years.
Francis T. Overdorff, son of Jacob and Mary (Tyson) Overdorff, was educated in Indiana county, attending the public schools, the normal school and various academies. After completing his course of study he was engaged for thirteen years in the profession of teaching. The out- break of the Civil war interrupted his labors, and on July 24, 1861, he enlisted from Indiana county to serve three years or during the war. The same day, at Harrisburg, he was mustered into the United States service as a private in Company H. Twelfth Regiment. Pennsylvania Reserve, Captain Andrew J. Bolar and Colonel John H. Taggart commanding. The regiment was the Forty-first of the Pennsylvania line. and rendez- voused at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, where it was organized August 10, 1861. marching for Baltimore on the same day, with orders to join Gen- eral Banks at Harper's Ferry. Virginia. Reaching Baltimore on the 11th. the first orders were countermanded, and the regiment was ordered to Tennallytown, near Washington, District of Columbia. where it was assigned to the Third Brigade of the Reserve Corps and thoroughly drilled and disciplined. October 10, 1861. it marched into Virginia and entered upon the campaign in the field. serving in the First, and later in the Fifth Corps. Army of the Potomac. and participating in the follow- ing engagements: Danesville. Virginia. December 20. 1861; Despatch
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Station, Virginia, June 15, 1862: New Bridge, Virginia, June 18, 1862; Seven Days' Fight, Virginia-including Mechanicsville. June 26. 1862; Gaines Mills, June 21, 1862; Savage Station, June 29, 1862; White Oak Swamp, or Charles City Cross Roads, Glendale and Turkey Bend, June 30, 1862; Malvern Hill, July 1. 1862; Gainesville and Groveton, Vir- ginia, August 28 and 29, 1862; Second Bull Run. Virginia. August 30, 1862; South Mountain, Maryland, September 14, 1862; Antietam, Mary- land, September 16, 1862; Fredericksburg, Virginia, December 11-16, 1862; Defenses of Washington, District of Columbia, from February to June, 1863 ; Gettysburg. Pennsylvania, July 2-4, 1863 ; Auburn, or Bristoe Station, Virginia. October 14, 1863 ; Rappahannock Station, Virginia, No- vember 4, 1863: Mine Run, Virginia, November 26 to December 2, 1863 : and from December, 1863, to May. 1864, on picket and guard duty on the line of the Orange & Alexandria railroad, with headquarters at Cat- tell's Station, Virginia. having numerous skirmishes with guerillas, in- cluding a fight at Warrenton Junction, Virginia.
The regiment also took part in Grant's campaign in Virginia, includ- ing the following battles: The Wilderness. Virginia, May 5-1, 1864; Spottsylvania. Virginia. May 8-18, 1864: Todd's Tavern, Virginia, May 8, 1864; Po River, May 10, 1864; Spottsylvania Court House, Virginia, May 12, 1864; Germania Station, Virginia, May 21-23, 1864: North Anna River, Virginia, May 23-27, 1864; and Bethseda Church, Virginia, May 30, 1864. The day of the battle of Bethseda Church the command was relieved from duty and marched to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where it was mustered out June 11, 1864. Dr. Overdorff had before this received an honorable discharge by reason of surgeon's certificate of disability, having through exposure contracted rheumatism.
In 1864 he re-enlisted to serve three years or during the war, and was mustered into the United States service as a private in Company H, Second Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry. Captain Nablo Frazier, Junior, later Captain Albert N. Seips, and Colonel R. Butler Price, later Colonel William W. Sanders, commanding. The Second Cavalry was the Fifty-ninth Regiment of the line. and was well disci- plined and drilled in camp. In April. 1864. the command moved by the way of Baltimore to Washington, District of Columbia, arriving there on the 25th and encamping on Capitol Hill. where they were mounted and equipped for active duty. On June 27 they crossed the Long Bridge into Virginia, and encamped near Cloud's Mills, where they were assigned to General Cooke's Brigade. First Reserve Corps, General Sturgis. Later the regiment was assigned to the Second Brigade. Second Division. Cav- alry Corps, Army of the Potomac, and participated in the following en- gagements: Spengville, near Culpeper ; Chantilly; Ashley's Gap; Thor- oughfare Gap: New Baltimore; Salene ; Warrenton, and Opequam. all of Virginia : Gettysburg, Pennsylvania : Culpeper ; Bristoe Station : Kelly's Ford; Mine Run campaign : Rappahannock Station ; Beverly Ford : Parker's Store: New Hope Church ; Robertson's Tavern ; Todd's Tavern ; Sheridan's Raid : Yellow Tavern : Chickahominy, or Meadow Bridge ; Hawes Shop: Trevillian Station ; St. Mary's Church : Sheridan's Second Raid: Siege of Petersburg: Deep Bottom: Malvern Hill: Charles City Cross Roads ; Dabney's Mills : Boydton Road: Five Forks : Appomattox, and a number of minor expeditions, raids and skirmishes. It also took part in the grand review at Washington, District of Columbia, May 24. 1865.
At the battle of Malvern Hill. Virginia. August. 1864, Dr. Over- dorff received a gunshot wound in the left thigh, and was sent to the hos- Vol. III-14
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pital at Washington. District of Columbia, whence he was transferred to the Germantown hospital, near Philadelphia, and rejoined his regiment at Warrenton, Virginia, having been absent from his command five months. He still carries the bullet. He was at all times (except when in hospital) with his respective commands. participating in all their engagements dur- ing his terms of enlistment. and was always to be found at his post of duty performing faithful and meritorious service. During the summer of 1864 he was appointed commander of Dismounted Cavalry Camp. at City Point. Virginia, and later was appointed clerk of General Porter's head- quarters, in front of Petersburg. Virginia, which position he held at the close of the war. He received a final honorable discharge at Philadelphia, June 28, 1865. by reason of close of war.
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