History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, Part 92

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

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Joseph, Mille

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Mrs. Zahniser died in 1859, and in 1864 he was again married, to Miss Kate Gaston, of New Jersey, who died soon after marriage, and he selected a third wife in the person of Mrs. Lizzie McGill, this marriage occurring in 1866. She was born in Somerville, N. J., and by her he had the following children: George (now a student at a college in Bethlehem, Penn.), Kate G. and Albert. Rev. Zahniser is a Republican, and one of the most respected and worthy citizens of Mercer County.

R. J. ZAHNISER, of the firm of Donaldson, Zahniser & Co., general mer- chants, was born April 14, 1854, in Jackson Township, and is a son of John L. Zahniser, whose family sketch appears in connection with the Zahniser family history, as furnished by Jacob Zahniser, of Jackson Township. Our subject was educated in the common schools of Jackson Township and was brought up at farm labor. He attended and was graduated from the Iron City Business College in 1872; from 1872 to 1879 he clerked for Zahniser, Bell & Co., Mercer, Penn., and from 1879 to 1882 was book-keeper for the Pinkerton Lumber Company in Somerset County, Penn. In 1882 he was elected re- corder of Mercer County by the Democrats against a large Republican major- ity. He engaged in the grocery business in 1886, which he continued until 1887, when he formed a partnership with J. N. Donaldson in the general mer- cantile business, further mention of which is made in connection with the sketch of Mr. Donaldson.

H. H. ZEIGLER, attorney, was born August 17, 1849, son of J. R. and Margaret A. (Bell) Zeigler, natives of Montgomery and Mercer Counties, re- spectively, and the parents of four children: Emma A., H. H., Frances E. and one who died before maturity. Our subject was educated in the common schools, Grove City Academy, New Wilmington College and Edinboro Nor- mal; began reading law in 1870 with James A. Stranahan, and was admitted to the bar in 1873, and has since continued practice. He was married in 1874 to Lizzie Mason and has three children: Samuel, Jesse and Lizzie. He was appointed United States commissioner in 1878 and still serves. He and wife are members of the First Presbyterian Church and he is a Republican.

CHAPTER XXX.

BIOGRAPHIES OF SHARON

A UGUSTUS ALDERMAN, tobacco merchant and coal operator, was born in Brookfield Township, Trumbull Co., Ohio, September 19, 1831. He is a son of Aruna and Eunice (Munson) Alderman, natives of Hartford, Conn., and who removed to Brookfield Township, Trumbull Co., Ohio, with their re- spective parents in 1805. Both spent the remainder of their lives in that part of Ohio. Augustus grew to manhood in his native township, and in 1852 went to California via Cape Horn, where he worked in the mines nearly three years. Returning to his home he lived in Brookfield Township till 1859. He subsequently spent one year each in Missouri and Michigan. About 1870 he located in Hickory Township, this county, and since 1877 he has resided in Sharon and carried on his business. He was married June 10, 1857, to Miss Elizabeth Hassan, daughter of Robert and Sarah (Lysle) Hassan, of Hubbard, Ohio, and natives of Pennsylvania. She bore him one son, Fred H., who has

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charge of the store. Mrs. Alderman died in 1888, after a lingering illness. Mr. Alderman is a Democrat, and in 1886 was elected a member of the borough council, which position he is now filling.

ABNER APPLEGATE, notary public, was born in Hubbard Township, Trum- bull Co., Ohio, October 26, 1826, and is a son of William and Mary (Huff) Applegate, the former a native of New Jersey, born October 25, 1767, and the latter of Bath, Va., born September 7, 1787. William Applegate and family settled in Hubbard Township, Ohio, June 8, 1808, where he spent his life, dying June 14, 1839. Abner grew up in his native township, and on the 18th of May, 1841, located in Sharon. He clerked for some years, and on May 1, 1856, he began merchandising, in which he was engaged till August, 1878. He was married February 12, 1854, to Miss Marilla Hibler, of Hubbard Township, Trumbull Co., Ohio. They have three children: Mary E., wife of H. F. Dickson; William C. and Jennie, wife of G. W. Lycett, of Tiltonville, Ohio. He and his wife are Disciples. Politically he has been a life-long Democrat, and has been justice of the peace twenty years, postmaster of Sharon six and one-half years under Pierce and Buchanan, and notary public since April 17, 1881. He was once the Democratic candidate for associate judge, and also the General Assembly, and in both instances he ran ahead of his ticket.

FREDERICK T. ASCHMAN, chemist, was born in Hudson City (now Jersey City Heights), N. J., September 26, 1858, and is a son of Frederick T. and Mar- tha E. (Davis) Aschman. The former was a native of Switzerland, who immi- grated to New York, where he met and married Martha E. Davis, of Ann Arbor, Mich., a daughter of Gen. Martin Davis, one of the pioneers of Ann Arbor. Mr. Aschman, Sr., was head of the silk importing house of F. T. Aschman & Co., of New York, and died at Hudson City, September 4, 1867, leaving four children, Frederick T. being the eldest of the family. On his death-bed Mr. Aschman requested his wife to educate the children in Europe, and in the spring of 1868 she crossed the Atlantic with her family, and our subject spent eight years in the schools of France and German Switzerland. He returned to New York in 1876 with the intention of entering his father's old firm. His mind, however, had a scientific bent, and in the fall of 1877 he entered the School of Mines of Columbia College, and graduated in May, 1881. In the meantime he had made a trip to Europe, in 1880, where the balance of the family still were. He worked in New York during the summer of 1881, and the following autumn accepted the position of chemist for the Wheeler Iron Company, at West Middlesex, Penn. In the spring of 1882 he made a second trip to Europe, and there married Marie Zolikofer, of St. Gall, Switz- erland, and returned with his wife to West Middlesex, where she died June 17, 1883. He remained in West Middlesex till the spring of 1884, when he came to Sharon and, opened an office as general analytical chemist, and has since done a large and successful business, being the only general chemist in the Shenango Valley. Mr. Aschman was again married, April 15, 1866, to Mary D., daughter of William C. Bell, one of the pioneers of Sharon. A daughter, Dorothy B., is the issue of this union. Mr. Aschman and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church of Sharon, in which body he fills the office of deacon. He is a Republican in politics, and belongs to the Masonic fraternity.

JOHN ASHTON, retired manufacturer and merchant, was born in Stafford- shire, England, January 13, 1811, and is a son of Richard and Esther (Skid- more) Ashton, both of whom lived and died in England. John there grew to manhood, and attended a select school of his neighborhood. He afterward

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worked in a rolling-mill, and in June, 1832, immigrated to the United States, and found employment in an iron-mill in New Jersey about two years. He then removed to Pittsburgh, Penn., and continued to work at the iron busi- ness there until the fall of 1850, when he came to Sharon with a number of other mill-men to form a stock company with Joel B. Curtis, George Boyce, Peter Shoenberger and David Agnew, under the name of the Sharon Iron Com- pany. This company built the first plant, and Mr. Ashton was connected with it till the mill shut down. He subsequently followed farming a few years, and then worked for the Westerman Iron Company. Mr. Ashton was one of the company who erected and put in operation the Atlantic Iron Mills, the firm being Alexander, Ashton & Co. P. L. Kimberly subsequently bought Alexander's interest, and the firm became Kimberly, Ashton & Co. In 1871 Mr. Ashton sold out to Col. James Carnes, whose name succeeded his in the firm. He next went into the grocery business, and soon afterward engaged in developing the coal fields of Trumbull County, Ohio. For the past seventeen years Mr. Ashton has not been engaged in active business, except looking after his real estate and other property. He was married May 28, 1835, to Miss Frances, daughter of Stephen and Rebecca Manfull, natives of England, where Mrs. Ashton was born. Ten sons and three daughters were the fruits of this union: Richard (deceased), Mary Esther (deceased), William A. (deceased), Joseph, Stephen M., John, C. A., David (deceased), Frank, James (deceased), George W. (deceased) and Alice (deceased); five sons and one daughter sur- viving. Mrs. Ashton died February 16, 1881, a member of the Christian Church, to which denomination most of her children adhere. Politically Mr. Ashton is a Republican, has served in the borough council several terms, and one term as burgess. Coming to the United States comparatively a poor man, he has accumulated through the passing years a large estate, and is not only recognized as one of the wealthiest retired business men of Sharon, but also one of its honest, enterprising and respected citizens.

C. A. ASHTON, grocery dealer, was born in Pittsburgh, Penn., April 24, 1849, and is a son of John Ashton, one of the retired manufacturers and merchants of the borough. In 1850 Mr. Ashton's parents came to Sharon, where he grew to manhood, receiving his primary education in the public schools, subsequently taking a commercial course in Iron City College, Pitts- burgh, Penn. He clerked for several years, and in 1870 purchased the grocery house of C. N. Prindle & Son, which he has since carried on, and is to-day one of the leading grocers of Sharon. Mr. Ashton was married May 21, 1871, to Miss Emma E. Bown, of Sharon, who bore him two daughters, Lizzie and Lucy. Mrs. Ashton died June 17, 1878, and March 23, 1882, he was again married, to Miss Mary Morrison, of Sharon. Mr. Ashton is a Republican, a member of the Masonic fraternity, I. O. O. F., K. of P., and K. of G. E. He is agent for the Erie Express Company at Sharon, and is one of the progressive, enterprising young business men of the town.

REV. JOHN A. BAILEY, pastor of the United Presbyterian Church of Sharon, was born in Washington County, Penn., May 22, 1835, and is a son of Matthew and Ann Bailey, natives of the same county, and of Scotch ancestry. Mr. Bailey was reared on the old homestead in Washington County, and received his primary education in the district schools. At the age of nineteen he attended Westminster College, New Wilmington, Penn., and was graduated July 7, 1859. In the fall of the same year he entered the Allegheny Sem- inary of the United Presbyterian Church, at Allegheny, Penn., where he took a full theological course of four years, and was licensed to preach the gospel September 3, 1862, by Lake Presbytery of the United Presbyterian Church.

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He was ordained and installed pastor of the united charge of Sheakleyville, Penn., and New Vernon, Penn., June 23, 1863, which position he filled for six years. For the next thirteen years he was pastor of churches in Sidney, Shelby County, and Wellsville, Columbiana Co., Ohio. On January 1, 1883, he became pastor of the United Presbyterian Church of Sharon, which has since doubled its membership. Mr. Bailey was married October 19, 1860, to Miss Bella, daughter of John M. and Isabella Porter, of Pymatuning Township, Mercer Co., Penn. She is a native of Lowellville, Ohio, but removed to Mercer County with her parents in girlhood. Mr. Bailey was originally an Abolitionist, and on the formation of the Republican party he enlisted in its ranks, and remained therein till 1879, when he became a Prohibitionist. He has since worked in harmony with the Prohibition party, and done all in his power against the liquor traffic.

JOSEPH BARBER, retired machinist, was born in Derbyshire, England, January 15, 1821, and is a son of John and Sarah (Morrel) Barber, both of whom lived and died in England. Mr. Barber grew to manhood in his native country, and there learned the carpenter trade. In the fall of 1845 he immi- grated to Allegheny, Penn., where he worked in the iron mill till the fall of 1850. He then came to Sharon as a stockholder of the Sharon Iron Company, with which he was connected until 1855, when the works closed. Since then he has worked most of the time for the successors of the same mill, though now comparatively retired from active life. He was married in England, June 22, 1845, to Sarah Wigley, by whom he has had three children: Martha A. (widow of Frederick Overfield), Anna (wife of Frederick Myers) and Elizabeth (wife of John W. Mason), all of the vicinity of Sharon. Politically Mr. Barber is a Republican, and has served as councilman and school director. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., and has always tried to do his share toward the moral and material development of the town,

ADDISON L. BECK, druggist, was born near Curllsville, Clarion Co., Penn., February 5, 1859, and is a son of Dr. J. N. and Ella (Boyles) Beck, the former a native of Centre County, and his wife of Clarion County, Penn. Dr. Beck practiced medicine in Curllsville till 1873, when he removed to Sligo in the same county, where he continued practice until 1881, being actively engaged in his profession for a period of twenty-two years. In December, 1874, Addi- son L. went into the drug business in Sligo and carried on the same until 1882, when he sold out and came to Sharon in August of that year. He purchased his present store and has since done a successful business, devoting a portion of his time to chemical analysis. His parents joined him in the spring of 1884, his father assisting in the drug store until his death in June, 1888. In 1885-86 our subject attended the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, taking a special course in chemistry, in addition to the regular studies, and was gradu- ated in the class of 1886-87. In a class numbering 148 Mr. Beck was awarded three of nine prizes given for merit, and was named as distinguished in the contest for the Proctor prize of a gold medal. He was awarded half of the H. C. Lea prize of $100 for the best thesis; the chemistry prize of an analyt- ical balance for original quantitative analysis; and the theoretical pharmacy prize of a fine prescription balance and certificate for the best examination in theoretical pharmacy. Mr. Beck was married January 30, 1884, to Miss Julia E. Lowe, of Sligo, Penn., of which union one son, Harold, has been born. Mr. Beck is a Republican, a member of the P. H. C. and N. U., and with his wife belongs to the Presbyterian Church.

THOMAS B. BEIL, insurance agent, was born in Delaware Township, Mercer Co., Penn., October 27, 1843. His father, Peter Beil, was a native of North-

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ampton County, Penn., and located in Delaware Township early in the thirties, where he married Fannie, daughter of Peter Rickard, who came to the township about the same time as the Beil family. Six sons and four daughters were born of this union, all of whom grew to maturity, and nine of whom are yet living and heads of families. Peter Beil died August 29, 1885, in the Lutheran faith, to which church his widow belongs. She resides on the old homestead in Delaware Township, Mr. Beil was a quiet, unassuming, practical farmer, and by judicious investments in real estate became quite well off. Our subject was the eldest son, and grew up in his native township. In February, 1862, he enlisted in Company K, Sixty-third Pennsylvania Vol- unteers, and served three years, and was discharged from the service in March, 1865. For a year and a half afterward he was engaged in merchandising at Hamburg, and for the next five years was in the employ of James Pierce, Son & Co., of Sharpsville, in general merchandising. He then carried on a store in Sharpsville for about two years, spent a year in the west, and in November, 1874, located in Sharon, where he has since been engaged in the general insurance business. He has built up a large trade, and ranks to-day among the leading insurance men of the county. Mr. Beil was married March 13, 1875, to Miss Flora V. Guthrie, of Hempfield Township. Both are members of the Presbyterian Church, and Mr. Beil belongs to the Masonic order and K. of P. Politically he is a Republican, has served one term in the borough council, and for the past six years has been secretary of the board.

WILLIAM C. BELL, retired merchant, was born in Washington County, Penn., January 20, 1812, and there grew to manhood. On the 4th of Novem- ber, 1840, he was married in Pittsburgh to Susan Evans, a native of Worcester- shire, England, born October 12, 1812. They came to Greenville, Penn., in November, 1840, where William C. spent a year and a half in mercantile business, thence removed to Clarksville, and in August, 1844, located in Sharon. He carried on the mercantile business till 1860, and in 1866 went into the coal business, from which he retired in 1870, after several years suc- cessful operations. He was afterward interested with his sons, Richard E. and Robert A., for a few years in the hardware business. To William C. and Susan Bell have been born eight children: W. Dwight, assistant cashier of the People's National Bank, Pittsburgh; Richard E., deceased: Alice A., Emma I., William B., of Leadville, Colo .; Robert A., of Youngstown, Ohio; Mary B., wife of F. T. Aschman, of Sharon, and Henderson D., of Sharon. Polit- ically Mr. Bell was an anti-slavery man, then a Republican, and is now a Pro- hibitionist, and has served as burgess of Sharon one term. Both he and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Bell is one of the oldest sur- viving retired business men of Sharon, and has seen the town grow from a vil- lage of a few stores to its present flourishing prosperity.

JAMES BENTLEY, P. O. Sharon, Penn., son of Benjamin and Mary (Bald- win) Bentley, was born May 23, 1798, upon the site of Sharon, and was the first white child born within the borough limits. The father of our subject made his claim for his property in 1795, and made his permanent settlement in 1796. In 1806 he sold his farm to Samuel Quinby and moved across the line into Ohio, where both he and wife died. The family of Mr. Bentley con- sisted of the following children: Robert, Adamson, George, Benjamin, Eliza- beth, James, Martin, Sheshbazar, Mary and Aholiab. James and Aholiab are the only survivors. Our subject was married in 1822 to Miss Temperance But- tles, and by this marriage they had seven children: Amos B., Anson, Caroline (wife of Samuel Woodbridge, of Iowa), Evaline (who married C. F. De Voll), Martin, Joel and B. F. The mother died July 25, 1887. Mr. Bentley was

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for many years connected with the Ohio State Militia with the rank of captain. In 1845 he was elected justice of the peace, which office he held for two terms. In 1840 he was appointed United States marshal, and filled that position for a number of years. He is a member of the Masonic order, having been initi- ated in 1819, and in politics he is a Democrat. Mr. Bentley has lived in Trumbull County, Ohio, for over eighty years, and is one of its oldest and most respected citizens.

CORNELIUS BOWDEN was born in Hickory Township, Mercer Co., Penn., December, 12, 1826, and is a son of Daniel and Mary (Wasey) Bowden. The former was a native of Bucks County, Penn., of English parentage. His wife was of Scotch parentage. They were married in Bucks County, and with three children moved to Gustavus, Ohio. About 1822 they settled in Hickory Town- ship, Mercer County, where five children were born, making a family of four daughters and four sons. The youngest son, James G., was killed at the battle of Fort Wagner. In 1835 the family removed to Mercer, where they resided about twenty years and then located in Sharon, where the parents spent the balance of their days, the mother dying January 22, 1866, and the father July 12, 1872, both being members of the Baptist Church. Cornelius began business in Sharon in 1846, and afterward moved to Orangeville, Penn., where he remained for nearly two years. He then returned to Sharon, where he has ever since been in business, having a large carriage and wagon factory, which a few years ago was destroyed by fire. Mr. Bowden was married June 1, 1850, to Abigail Ray, of Brookfield, Trumbull Co., Ohio, daughter of David and Abigail Ray, pioneers of that county. Four daughters have been born to them. Politically Mr. Bowden is a Prohibitionist, and he and his family are members of the Presbyterian Church.

GEORGE BOYCE (deceased) was born in England in May, 1805, and after reaching manhood immigrated to London, Ontario, Canada. He received a thorough classical and scientific education in Paris, France, and learned the civil engineer's profession in his native land. Soon after coming to Canada he removed to Beaver, Penn., where he became one of the engineers in the survey of the Beaver & Erie Canal. He was connected with this enterprise till its completion, and in 1837 took up his residence in Sharon. In 1839 he was there married to Miss Satira A., daughter of Linus and Margaret Curtis, and sister of Gen. Joel B. Curtis, a prominent citizen of Sharon. Mrs. Boyce was born in Charlestown Township, Portage Co., Ohio, February 20, 1815. After his marriage Mr. Boyce went to St. Catharines, Ontario, and was a con- tractor in the construction of the Welland Canal, on which enterprise he was engaged about four years. Returning to Sharon he entered into partnership with his brother-in-law, Mr. Curtis, in the development of the coal fields adjacent to Sharon, in which business he was engaged for many years, and accumulated a large fortune. Soon after forming the partnership with Mr. Curtis our subject removed to Erie, Penn., to look after the interest of their business at that point, where he resided until after the death of Gen. Curtis, in 1862, when he returned to Sharon and continued in the coal business until the mines would no longer pay for working. He was a leading member of the firm of Boyce, Rawle & Co., which operated the furnace between Sharon and Sharpsville for many years, and he was also interested in the iron business at West Middlesex. Mr. Boyce took a prominent and active interest in having the Sharon Railroad built from Sharon to Sharon Junction, and from Sharon to West Middlesex. He was also largely interested in the Emmit Mining Company, in its iron ore lands in Michigan. For several years preceding his death he was a director of the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad, and vice-president of the

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Sharon National Bank. Politically a Whig in early life, on the dissolution of that party he became a Democrat, and was ever afterward a stanch advocate of the principles of that party. He died December 28, 1885, at the ripe old age of nearly eighty-one years. He was a life-long member of the Episcopal Church. Throughout his career he commanded the respect and confidence of the best citizens of the Shenango Valley, wherein he had spent the greater portion of his life. Of wide information, sterling integrity and scrupulous honesty in all his dealings, his death was recognized as a deep loss to the social and material interests of Sharon, where his memory will long be held in kindly remembrance. His widow resides in the beautiful home, on the west hill, which he erected and beautified.

JOHN J. BOYLE, general grocer, was born in the County Mayo, Ireland, November 27, 1853, and is a son of John and Bridget (Thornton) Boyle, na- tives of Ireland, and who immigrated to the Sharon Furnace in Hickory Town- ship in the fall of 1865. The father died in Sharon in November, 1884, and the widow still resides in this town. John began working in the Sharon Iron Works, and continued till 1879, as a roller, and in the fall of that year opened his present grocery store and has since done a highly successful trade. He was married May 13, 1885, to Miss Ann Fitzmaurice of Sharpsville, but a na- tive of New York State, and daughter of Thomas and Ann Fitzmaurice, natives of Ireland. Of this union two children have been born, Thomas and Florence. The family are Catholics, and politically Mr. Boyle is an independent Re- publican.

PATRICK BRADY, jeweler, was born in Dublin, Ireland, March 17, 1837, and is a son of Paul and Martha (Hamilton) Brady, natives of Ireland: Pat- rick learned the jeweler's trade in Dublin, and subsequently took a full course of instructions in the manufacture of watches in Liverpool, England. He then returned to Dublin, where he became foreman of one of the leading jewelry houses of that city. During the war he immigrated to Sharon and opened a jewelry store, which has grown to be the foremost house in its line in that borough. Mr. Brady married Ellen Cooke, a native of Ireland. Of this union seven children survive: Martha, Ella, Lucy, Lillie, Emma, Alice and Albert. Politically he is a Republican, and the family belong to the Episcopal Church. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and the A. O. U. W. Beginning on a small capital he has, by close attention to his business, accumulated con- siderable property, and is one of the oldest business men of Sharon.

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History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, Part 92

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