History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, Part 140

Author:
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Brown, Runk
Number of Pages: 1288

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GILBERT JOHNSTON, farmer, post-office Pardoe, is a son of Samuel and Ann Eliza (Page) Johnston. Samuel Johnston, Sr., the grandfather of our subject, was a native of Ireland, and one of the early settlers of Cool Spring Township, this county. His wife was Ruth Alexander, by whom he had thirteen children, four of whom are still living: Charlotte and Ruth, maiden ladies, of Cool Spring Township; Elizabeth, Mrs. Richard Smith, of Jefferson Township; Annie, Mrs. William Johnston, of Crawford County, Penn. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, and he and wife both died on the homestead in Cool Spring Township. The father of our subject was born in 1809, and died in 1854. His wife was born in 1818, and still resides near the old homestead. They reared five children: Sarah Jane, Mrs. William Mitchell, of Jefferson Township; William, in Iowa; Marshall, in Colorado; Lucy M., who died at the age of twenty-one years, and our subject, who was born April 27, 1845, and received his education at the common schools until nine years of age, when the death of his father occurred, compelling him to remain at home and help to support the other members of the family. In 1869 he purchased his present farm, where he has since resided. He has been elected to various township offices, and has served as a justice of the peace since 1881. He was married in 1864 to Margaret A., daughter of John and Jane (Patton) Paden, of Delaware Township. By this union he has eight children: Jennie E., Sarah M., L. Rebecca, Mrs. E. A. McDowell, of this township; Mary M., Ester A., Will.

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HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY.

iam M., Robert N. and Annie C. Our subject is one of the trustees of the Springfield United Presbyterian Church, of which he and family are members. He has always been a supporter of the Republican party. In 1879 he estab- lished a general store on a part of his farm, and has since conducted that in connection with farming.

THOMAS MCDOWELL, farmer, post-office Centretown, is a son of Hugh and Mary (McFarlin) McDowell, and was born in Venango County, Penn., July 13, 1823, and in 1824 his parents came to this county and located in Worth Township, on the farm now occupied by Gilbert Baker. The father was in the War of 1812; the mother died in 1832, leaving five children. Our sub- ject and Sarah (Mrs. Joseph Brown, of Butler County) are the only ones living. The second wife of the father was Miss Elizabeth McCann, and two of their children are still living: William and Hugh. His third wife was Mrs. Tilfor. By her he had Francis (Mrs. Dunlap), of Butler County, and Hugh, of that county. Our subject was reared in this township, and received his education at the log school-house, and after the death of his father remained on the homestead. He was married in 1843 to Miss Magdaline, daughter of Thomas Montgomery, of this township. By her he has four children: Mary, Mrs. William R. Gaily, of Lawrence County; Sarah E., of Grove City; Martha Ann, Mrs. Alexander Hannah, of Dodge City, Ford Co., Kas .; E. A., living with subject, married Rebecca Johnston, daughter of Gilbert Johnston, Esq., of this township. In 1864 our subject enlisted in Company M, Sixth Heavy Artillery, and served until the close of the war. He is a member of Marion Craig Post, G. A. R. In 1844 he located on his present farm. He and family are members of the Springfield United Presbyterian Church, of which he has been deacon. He has held the offices of school director and constable of the township, and votes with the Republican party.

JOHN A. McFARLIN, farmer, post-office Centretown, is a son of James and Melissa (Hard) McFarlin, natives of Ireland. His grandfather, John, immigrated to America in 1797 with his wife, Margery, and six children. He was killed east of the Mountains, and his widow with her children visited her brother at New Bedford, Penn., for about one year, and then moved to Trum- bull County, Ohio, where the father of our subject was reared and engaged in farming and distilling. His wife was a native of Vermont, and by her he had nine children, five of whom are still alive. He died in 1838 and his widow in 1886. Their living children are: Mary, widow of William Breckenridge, living in Illinois; Louisa, Mrs. Daniel Jacobs, of Kansas; Sarah, Mrs. Leon- ard Hogg, of Illinois; Robert W., of Illinois, and our subject, who was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, June 3, 1823, and was educated at the public schools. In 1852 he went to California and engaged in gold mining for three years. In 1861 he purchased his present farm, where he has since resided. In 1855 he married Lovina W., daughter of Isaac and Annie K. (Wick) Kimmell, of Ohio, and by this union has seven children: Grant W., of Worth Town- ship, married to Mary, daughter of Henry and Jane Howe, of Worth Town- ship, and has two children, Alice and Luella; William J., of Springfield Township, married Mary Sopher, daughter of John Sopher, of this Township, and has two children, John L. and Lewis C .; Elmer, of Kansas, married Belle Blakely, of Clyde, Kas .; Lizzie, Lillian, Frank O., Annie M. and Louise Blanche. Our subject has held the offices of supervisor, school director and assessor of the township. He and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Fairview, of which he is class-leader and steward, and has been trustee.

JAMES PATTERSON, deceased, was a native of Ireland, and came to America

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HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY.

about 1829, and first located in Lawrence County, Penn., with his parents, Will- iam and Isabella Patterson. He received his education at the public schools of that county, and in 1844 moved to this county, located in what is now Wolf Creek Township, and engaged in farming. He served the township as school director and supervisor for a number of years. He married Rebecca Jane Kelly, daughter of John and Margaret Kelly, of Butler County, and had by her seven children: James and Emma, who died when young; George E., an attorney of Mercer, died in 1887; and the four others still living are: Robert, of this Township, married Nancy, daughter of Daniel and Peggy (Aldman) Gil- dersleeve, of this township, and has one child, Emma Estella; John W., Thomas M. and Margaret Elizabeth. Our subject died in 1869, and his widow, John W., Thomas M. and Margaret E. occupy the homestead and are engaged in farming. They are members of the Springfield United Pres- byterian Church.

PINE TOWNSHIP.

SAMUEL R. ALLEN, M. D., Grove City, is a son of Samuel and Mary (Gilmore) Allen. The father was born in Ireland, and immigrated to America with his father, Robert Allen, when he was eight years old. Robert Allen settled on a farm in Springfield Township, this county, where the father of our subject was reared and educated at the schools of that period, and where he has since lived. His wife, Mary Gilmore, bore him seven children, five of whom still live: Rev. R. C., now located in Canada; Dr. S. R., Ann Jane, died at the age of twenty-two years, a promising young woman; infant daughter, died at the age of two weeks; Julia Mary, Mrs. Robert Wilson, of Nebraska; William J. C., at home, and Ambrose M., D. D. S., of Philadelphia. Our subject, who is the second, was born on the homestead December 5, 1850. Mrs. Allen died in 1874, and the father of our subject was again married, to his present wife, Mary Porter. By this union he has one child, Lillian, living at home. Our subject received his education at the schools of Grove City and Wilmington, Lawrence County, and graduated from the medical department of the Western Reserve University, of Cleveland, in 1881, and soon afterward located at Grove City, where he has since practiced. He married, in 1882, Har- riet, daughter of J. C. and Harriet (Heydrick) Shaw, of this county. They have three children: Mary Jane, Newton Rutherford and Samuel James. Our subject and family are members of the Covenanter Church of Findley Township, of which he is an elder.

THE BLACK FAMILY. - Adam Black was born in Adams County in the year 1763. He married Polly Allegan in 1786. Both were supposed to be of Scotch-Irish descent, his father being Henry Black. Adam and his wife lived in that county until 1803, when they removed to Washington County, Penn., and in the following year to Mercer County, settling on the farm where David Gilren now lives. This he cleared, and upon it erected a log tavern, which he kept for some years. At that time there was, comparatively speaking, no set- tlement anywhere about, but all was dense forest. Mr. Black died in 1816, his widow living until 1841; both, however, died on the farm they had first located upon. Their eldest child was Elizabeth Chambers, who was born in 1787, and died in Mercer in 1818. Following her were born Henry, 1789- 1860; Joseph, 1791 -; Alexander, 1794-1853; Ibby, 1795-1862; Adam, 1797-1864; Robert, 1800-1848; Maria, widow of Maj. John K. Harris, 1802, and Peggy, 1805-1826. Henry and Joseph both served in Harrison's army in the War of 1812, Henry being afterward captain of the Mercer Blues. Adam was also at one time commander of that organization, and at a later

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HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY.

date became major of the volunteer battalion. Robert was the captain of the Springfield Light Infantry when it was first organized. In civil service Henry was a presidential elector in the campaign of 1840, when Gen. Harrison was elected President. Alexander, besides serving as a soldier at Erie for two terms, was chosen justice of the peace, a position which he creditably filled two terms; Adam, also, for a similar period, served as justice, and Robert was elected to the Legislature, and died in Harrisburg at the close of his second year of public life. In religious faith the members of this family inclined toward the Presbyterian Church, and were its zealous defenders and supporters. Three of the brothers, Alexander, Adam and Robert, were elders in the Centre Church, of which their sister's husband, Rev. John Munson, was for a long time pastor. Of the sisters, Ibby was married twice, first to Thomas Brandon, and later to Rev. John Munson; Maria was the wife of J. K. Harris, and Elizabeth became the spouse of John Chambers, and by him the mother of R. B. Chambers, editor of the St. Louis Republic.

ROBERT G. BLACK, grocery and feed store, Grove City, is the eldest son of Alexander and Elizabeth (Glenn) Black, and was born on the homestead, in Springfield Township, March 2, 1821, where he was educated, and followed farming for a number of years. In 1859 he was elected county commissioner, which office he held for six years. In 1873 he moved to this borough and

established his present business. He was married in 1847 to Miss Mary Park, daughter of Joseph Park, of Pine Township, and natives of York County,

Penn. They have two children: Ada, Mrs. Dr. Martin, of Grove City, and Laura, Mrs. J. P. Dougherty, of Omaha, Neb. Mr. Black and wife are mem- bers of the Presbyterian Church of this borough.

A. T. BLACK, farmer, post-office Grove City, is a son of Alex. and Eliza- beth (Glenn) Black. Adam Black, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of Adams County, Penn., and moved into this county about 1804, and settled on a farm in Springfield Township. The father of A. T. was born in Adams County, Penn., in 1794, and was reared and educated in this county. At the age of eighteen years he enlisted in the American army, and served through the War of 1812. Afterward settled near Blacktown, where he lived until his death, in 1853. His widow died in 1869. They had a family of nine chil- dren, seven of whom are still living: Robert G., James H. and Joseph C., of Grove City; A. B., of Springfield Township; Maria E., who married the Hon. Robert Patterson, of Beaver County; Elizabeth, a maiden lady of that county, and our subject, who was born in Springfield Township in 1822, edu- cated at the schools of that period, and learned the trade of blacksmith, which he followed for twenty-five years in Grove City, having moved here in 1846. In 1861 he enlisted in Company F, Fifty-seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, and served until the close of the war; was wounded at the battle of Gettysburg, and held as prisoner in Belle Isle and Libby Prisons for three months. In 1846 he married Margaret Christley, daughter of William Christley, of Spring- field Township. She died in 1874, leaving two children: Emilla, Mrs. Charles Jaggers, of Michigan, and George M., who died in 1876. Subject was again married, to Miss Margaret McDowell, daughter of Robert McDowell, of Pine Township, his present wife. In 1866 Mr. Black was elected sheriff of the county, and held that office for three years; has also held township offices of supervisor, school director, etc. He is a member of Marion Craig Post, No. 325, G. A. R., of Grove City, He and family are members of the Presbyterian Church of this place.

AUGUSTUS P. BUCKHOLDT, hardware merchant, Grove City, was born on board an American vessel in the Port of Havre, France, September 10,

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1842. His mother was a native of France. Her maiden name was C. E. Clementine, and his father was William J. Buckholdt, a captain in the United States Navy. After the close of the late war he retired from service and en- gaged in oil operations in Venango County, Penn., being among the early oil operators of that county. Our subject was reared and received his educa- tion at New Orleans, La. In 1861 he enlisted in the United States Navy and served until the close of the war, when he moved to Venango County with his parents and carried on a number of oil supply stores there for several years. In 1882 he moved to Grove City and established a general hardware business, and at the present time operates two stores in order to accommodate his exten- sive patronago. In 1867 he married Miss Annie Rosenleaf, of Brooklyn, N. Y., and by this union has four children: William A., Augustus P., De Witt C. and Lillian. Our subject has been in the borough council for three years, and is now first lieutenant and quartermaster of the Fifteenth Regiment National Guards of Pennsylvania. He was a member of Clinton Commandery No. 14, K. T., of Brooklyn, N. Y. He is a member of Marion Craig Post No. 325, G. A. R., Grove City; of Grove City Lodge No. 35, K. of P .; Grove City Assembly No. 5689, K. of L., and Eureka Lodge No. 64, A. O. U. W. He and family are members of the Presbyterian Church of this borough. He is manager for the Western Union Telegraph Company at Grove City.

BUCHANAN FAMILY .- The first of the Buchanan family to locate in this county were William and Mary (Ward) Buchanan, natives of Donegal County, Ireland, who immigrated to America in 1791, and first located in Lancaster County, Penn., where they remained until 1798, when they removed to this county and purchased a tract of land in what is now Pine Township. Their family consisted of five children, of whom Elizabeth was born in Ireland and afterward married John Graham, of this county; the other four were George, William, James and Mary. George was a soldier in the War of 1812, and after- ward married Hannah White, daughter of Alex. White. Five of their chil- dren still live: Samuel and Rachel, of this township; William, of Butler County; Rev. James, of Illinois; Mary, Mrs. Daniel Ross, of Michigan. Will- iam married Catherine Reeves, of this county, and four of their children are still living: F. William, the oldest son, was a member of Com- pany B, One Hundred and Fortieth Pennsylvania Volunteers, and served through the war, married Susan, daughter of Mathew Black, of this township, and his children are Catherine J., Mathew H. and Mar- garet Eliza. He is now engaged in farming in Dickson County, Tenn. ; Alex- ander, born in this township in 1837, and has always remained on the home- stead, served the township one term as constable, and is a member of the Harmony United Presbyterian Church of Butler County; Josiah was born on the homestead in 1843, married Harriet, daughter of Joseph Emery, of this town- ship, who died in 1882, leaving three children, William S., Charles H., James A. His present wife was Lucinda, daughter of John Elder, of Butler County. They have one child, Clyde, and are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Grove City. Mary was the youngest, and married Robert Shaw, of this township. They and their three children are dead. James was next to the youngest, and was born in Lancaster County August 23, 1797, and in 1840 married Elizabeth, daughter of Francis and Martha (Boyd) Ramsey, of this township. He was always engaged in farming, and died February 27, 1876, leaving his widow with eight children: Mary W., Mrs. Henry Durstein, of Ten- nessee; Matilda B., Sarah, Mrs. Adam Richel, of Butler County; Elizabeth J., Mrs. John Diger, of Lackawannock Township; Francis, of Butler County; Nancy, Mrs. J. C. Wick, of this township; Susan Kerr, Thomas M., married

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HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY.

Jane Douglas, of Hickory Township. James Buchanan was a man who was active in public affairs, and held about all of the township offices. He was a member of Harmony United Presbyterian Church. Since his death his widow and son, Thomas M., occupy the homestead, which is underlaid with coal and limestone. They are also members of Harmony Church.

J. BORLAND, dentist, Grove City, was born in Westmoreland County in 1840, and received his education in the public schools of that county, and at Wilkinsburg Academy, near Pittsburgh. After completing his education he went with a surveying party on the Hannibal & St. Joe Railroad. He returned in 1859 and completed his profession, and in 1861 came to this county, located at North Liberty, and practiced dentistry there and in Centre- ville. In 1863 he moved to the oil country, and founded the Telephone at Karns City. He remained there until 1882, when by a request of the citizens of this place he moved the paper to Grove City, and published it with good success until he sold it to A. B. Ray, of Mercer, in July, 1884, and has fol- lowed his profession, and is also connected with the Pittsburgh Leader and Western Press as correspondent. Dr. Borland was the originator of the Edi- torial Association of Northwestern Pennsylvania, which is still in existence. He is a son of Capt. J. Borland, a soldier of the War of 1812, and Eliza (Dun- woody) Borland, a native of Ireland. The family consisted of nine children, eight still living: Margaret, Elizabeth, Hannah, Isabella, Sarah, Robert, died at the age of twenty-two, and had acted as assistant superintendent of the Union Hotel of Pittsburgh for a number of years; James, the youngest, lives with his mother at Pittsburgh. Our subject was married in 1862, to Jane Dunwoody, of Butler County, and has four children: Frank, Edward, Flor- ence May and John. He and family are members of the Presbyterian Church of Grove City.

JAMES M. COULTER, farmer, post-office Grove City, is a representative of one of the early families of this county. The first of the Coulter family to settle in this county were Richard and Catherine Coulter, natives of County Donegal, Ireland, near the town of Killabeggs. They immigrated to Amer- ica in 1793, with one child, Andrew, and settled in Franklin County, Penn., where four more children were born to them: John, Samuel, James and William. John died at the age of five years. About 1804 they removed to this county, and settled in Wolf Creek Township, which is now the northern part of Liberty Township, purchasing a farm of Abraham Snyder, which is now owned by Edward Denniston and Joseph Moore. They afterward pur- chased another tract of 300 acres in what is now Pine Township, and embraces the farm owned by our subject, James Hunter and Orlando Connor, but con- tinued to live on the first settlement until their death. Richard died in Febru- ary, 1839, and his wife in December, 1841. Andrew Coulter, their eldest son, was born in Ireland in 1793, and inherited the homestead after the death of his parents. He was a soldier in the War of 1812. He married Sarah McCoy, and reared two children: Mary J., Mrs. Edward Denniston, and William A., who lives in London, this county. He died February 22, 1867; his widow died

December 14, 1885. Samuel, the second son, inherited 150 acres, one-half of the second tract of land, and married Jane Moore, by whom he had three children: James, Catherine and Martha. This family are all dead. William, the youngest of the family, married Sarah Bush, and settled in Armstrong County. He and his wife are both dead, and their children who are living are Catherine, married William McCoulister, of Armstrong County (their chil- dren are Jane, Elizabeth, Annie and Robert); Jane married George Grinder. of Armstrong County, and has one child, Henry. Maria, the second daugh-

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HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY.

ter of William, married Henry Peters, of same county, and have seven children. Frances, the third daughter, married Lewis Benson; they have six children. Elizabeth, the fourth daughter, married Mr. Gibson, of Armstrong County, and has three sons. James, the father of our subject, was next to the youngest of Richard's family, and was born in Franklin County July 1, 1798, and in 1823 married Cynthia Rose, daughter of Jacob and Rebecca (Clark) Rose, of this county. He inherited the other half of the second tract of land owned by his parents, and in 1821 built the house now occupied by our sub- ject. They spent the remainder of their lives in this house, and died there, the father October 19, 1882, and mother December 18, 1881. Their family consisted of eleven children, three of whom died quite young: Nancy, married Henry Mechling, and had eight children, died in 1878, at the age of fifty years; the other seven are living, and are Samuel, of Marshall County, married Maria Bash, of Iowa, and has eleven children; Rebecca J., Mrs. James M. Mc- Coy, of this township, had six children; Richard, of Grove City, married Mary J. Stoughton, and had six children; James M .; Henrietta, Mrs. John Hess, of Missouri; Andrew J., of Butler County, married Mary Black, and has eight children; Amanda, Mrs. David Dale, of Liberty Township, has one child. James M. Coulter, our subject, was born June 9, 1838, in the house which he now occupies; was educated at Harrisville, Beaver Academy and Pine Grove Normal School, and for several years engaged in teaching district schools in this and adjoining counties in this State, and in Pike County, Ohio. Also taught vocal and instrumental music, and, for the past several years, he has been engaged in farming. In 1863 he enlisted in Company C, One Hun- dred and Fiftieth Ohio, and served until his honorable discharge. In 1867 he married Mary Leighty, daughter of John and Harriet (Worthington) Leighty, of Fayette County. They have two daughters, Cora and Eugenie.

SAMUEL J. COVERT, section foreman on the P. S. & L. E. R. R., Grove City, is a son of William and Catherine (Adams) Covert, of Pine Township, and was born October 4, 1856, educated in the public schools and engaged in railroad- ing, which he has since followed. He was married, in 1884, to Miss Nancy, daughter of Miller Cornelius, of Pine Township. They have three children: Harry Cleveland, Ira Clyde and Lilly Esther. Mr. Covert's family are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Grove City, and he has been a citizen of Pine Township since birth.

j EDWARD DENNISTON, farmer, post-office Grove City, is a son of Alexan- der and Nancy (Hannah) Denniston. The father was a native of Ireland, and immigrated to America with his parents when he was seven years of age. His father, Robert Denniston, located in Franklin County, Penn., where he died a few years later, and the family moved to Washington County, Penn. In 1805 Alexander, the father of Edward, and his brother William, moved into this county, and Alexander located in Springfield Township, where Leesburgh now stands, and his brother located on a tract of land adjoining. In 1854 Alexander started to Iowa and died before reaching his destination. He was sixty-nine years of age; his widow died in 1856 at the age of sixty-eight. He served in the War of 1812 under Gen. Harrison. Their family consisted of eight children, five of whom still live: Mary, married David Bower, who was a cabinet-maker, and for many years a merchant, both died in New Lisbon, Ohio, he in 1880, and she in 1883, her death occurring while in her pew in the United Presbyterian Church. They had six children: John, the eldest, is a merchant in Pittsburgh, and David C., the other son, is a merchant in New Lisbon, Ohio. The other four are daughters; Alexander, of California; Will- iam and Sarah (Mrs. Ralph Hunter), of Jackson County, Iowa; Nancy (Mrs.

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HISTORY OF MERCER COUNTY.

S. P. Reed), of Kansas, who died on the 29th of May, 1888; and Edward, who is the eldest of the sons, and was born in Springfield Township, this county, January 22, 1816. He was educated in the public schools of Washington County. He learned the trade of a mill-wright, and followed that occupation for years in connection with farming. In 1855 he located on his present farm, where he has since resided. In 1843 he married Miss Mary J. Coulter, daughter of Andrew and Sarah (McCoy) Coulter. of this township. Their family consisted of five children: William C., married Ada Cameron, daughter of Joseph A. Cameron, of Buffalo, N .. Y., and had two children: Maude and Benjamin B. William C. died in 1884 at the age of thirty-eight, and his family reside with subject. Francis M., married Andrew Schumaderfer and lives in Clarion County, and has two children, Carrie J. and Edward. Andrew F., married Nancy, daughter of J. J. Kelly, Esq., of Centreville. They have two chil- dren, Ida and Bessie. Charles W. and Edward A. are at home. About 1834 our subject was a member of a military company called the " Mercer Cavalry," and held the commission of major. He has held the offices of school director, supervisor and auditor of the township, and justice of the peace for five years. He is an elder in the Reformed Church of Amsterdam, Liberty Township. Robert Denniston, a brother of subject, was a soldier in the Mexican War. After its close he embarked for Nicarauga, with Col. Walker, and is sup- posed to have died on his way home between Vicksburg and Mercer, from the effects of a bayonet wound in his hip.

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History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, Part 140

Author: Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Brown, Runk Number of Pages: 1288

Author:
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Brown, Runk
Number of Pages: 1288