History of Venango County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, including, Part 89

Author: Bell, Herbert C. (Herbert Charles), 1868-
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago : Brown, Runk & Co.
Number of Pages: 1323

USA > Pennsylvania > Venango County > History of Venango County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, including > Part 89

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BIOGRAPHIES OF OIL CITY.

it is not known what became of him. Nelies and Susan Downing were the parents of seven children: Daniel, who was killed in the battle of the Wilderness; Harriet, married to D. S. Kays; Sarah, Mrs. William Loots; Nancy, who married Amos Smith; Lucinda, married to George Shingle- decker; Susan, who married L. B. Chipman; William, a driller in Russia. Susan Downing died in the faith of the Lutheran church. Nelies was again married to Mary Sleppy, and had two sons: John and Charles, both mar- ried, residing in Venango county and in Tennessee, respectively. Mr. Downing died November 29, 1879, honored and respected by all who knew him. His widow resides at Siverly. Mr. Loots is a gentleman of long experience in his line and is well and favorably known for his upright, honest methods and business enterprise and spares no pains and expense fully to merit the very large and generous patronage that his industry and fair dealing have secured.

J. D. DOWNING, proprietor of the Grand Central hotel, was born October 15, 1820, at Horse creek eddy, this county. His father, James Downing, a native of Westmoreland county, was drafted while plowing, and took part in Perry's famous victory on Lake Erie. About three months after that engagement he, with his wife, Nancy, (whose maiden name was Nelies), removed to the region of Oil creek, this county, and was soon after em- ployed at Bell's furnace, which was located near the site of the Union depot of Oil City, and he also was for a number of years engaged in burning charcoal for use at this furnace. He died in 1862, in the faith of the Methodist church, and was the father of seven children: Daniel; Nelies; Isabella; James; Har- riet; J. D., and Catharine. William Nelies, father of Nancy (Nelies) Down- ing, was a soldier and spy in the Revolutionary army, settled near what is known as Walnut Bend, Cornplanter township, at an early day, and was the father of five children: Andrew; James; Nancy; Isaiah, and William. J. D. Downing received a common school education and was early employed at a furnace. For years he was a raft pilot of a rafting boat, which was used from Warren to Pittsburgh and over other parts of the Allegheny river. September 23, 1850, he was married to Amelia Myers, and has six children: John; Willis C. ; James; Nathan; Alice, and George. Soon after this important event he began keeping hotel at Shipman eddy, Warren county, Pennsylvania, and three years later removed to Glade run in the same county, whence he came to Oil City and kept the Union house, in the Third ward, and took care of the driving park for three years. He subsequently served as policeman and constable of Oil City, three and two years, respect- ively. About the year 1886 he bought lots and built the Grand Central hotel, together with four other adjoining houses. He is a Democrat in politics. His wife's parents, John and Mary (Hohn) Myers, who were natives of Maryland and New York states, respectively, became residents of Cranberry township early in its settlement, and had the following children:

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HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.

Sarah; Louisa; Jeremiah; John; Ephraim; Almira; Sophronia; Florena; Leander, and Sylvester, all of whom are living except Ephraim and Lean- der, who lost their lives in the service in the Union army. Mr. Myers erected one of the early grist mills at East Sandy and managed it in con- nection with a mercantile store at that place for many years. He and his wife were members of the Methodist church.

CHARLES REINBOLD, proprietor of the Perry house, was born in Alsace, France, November 8, 1851, and came to the United States in 1870. He was educated in the old country and there learned the confectioner's trade, which he followed in this country some years and at various places. From New York he came direct to Oil City and subsequently alternated between this place, Chicago, New York, Youngstown, etc., until 1885- sometimes in the bakery and at others in the hotel business. In the year last named, associated with Daniel Hill, he bought the Perry house, and in June, 1889, he purchased Mr. Hill's interest. Mr. Reinbold's father died in Alsace in 1863 at the age of forty-five or forty-six years. His mother, with whom he now lives, came to America in 1872. She is sixty-nine years old. J. B. Reinbold of this city is his brother. Another brother, Joseph, died in the French marine service, and Jacob, a third brother, died in Cali- fornia in 1887.

J. H. CONNOR, proprietor of the Buffalo house, is a native of Rouse's Point, New York, and was born January 25, 1856. He was educated at the schools of Franklin, Pennsylvania, from which place he came to Oil City in the autumn of 1869. Here he has been regularly identified with the hotel business. The Buffalo house was established first in 1864. In 1865 it burned down and was at once rebuilt. Mr. Connor and his partner pur- chased it from George Wooster in 1880, and Mr. Connor is now and has been for several years sole proprietor. The Buffalo house is one of the best arranged and well kept houses in the city. The sleeping apartments are so appointed as to admit of an abundance of light, and fresh, pure air, and the equipments in every department are ample and complete. The building is two stories high, well designed, centrally located, and extends from Cen- ter to Sycamore streets with a main entrance at either end.

A. GILBERT, one of the proprietors of the City hotel, is a native of Clarion county, this state, and was born November 22, 1858. He was educated at the common schools, and has been, since arriving at maturity, almost con- stantly in hotel business. He came to Oil City in 1882 from Blair's Corners and here for the succeeding two years had charge of the office of the hotel of which he is now principal owner. In 1884 he transferred to the Allegheny "hotel at Foxburg, clerked there for about one year, and returned to this city. Here he pursued his occupation in the City hotel, the Exchange, and the Commercial in the order named until October, 1877, at which time, asso- ciated with D. F. Fritz, he purchased the popular City hotel. Mr. Gilbert

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BIOGRAPHIES OF OIL CITY.

was married in his native county February 14, 1889, to Miss Ada Kohler, the daughter of Amos Kohler, a farmer of Clarion county.

JOHN J. SALTZMANN, of Saltzmann & Sons, brewers, was born in Alsace, France, March 7, 1828, and with his wife came to America in 1852. He learned the brewing business in Alsace and has followed it most of his life. In 1853 at Warren, Pennsylvania, he bought out a brewery, refitted and ran it about ten years. In 1862 he came to Oil City, and on Charley run erected a brewery establishment and conducted it about six years. He then for the succeeding twelve years gave his attention to petroleum. As an oil producer he was not so successful as he had been at producing beer. He therefore, in 1881, erected a small brewery on Palace hill. This concern was destroyed by fire in March, 1887, and the present more capacious establishment was at once erected upon its site. It has now a capacity of about fifty barrels per day and the consumption of the product attests its merited popularity. Mr. and Mrs. Saltzmann have living two sons and two daugh- ters: Mary, Mrs. J. B. Reinbold of Oil City; Helen, Mrs. H. Kiser of St. Louis; John J., Jr., and Albert, the two latter forming the junior members of the firm of Saltzmann & Sons. Helen, who was born in Alsace, died en route to America at the age of about twenty-one months, and Joseph died aged about three months. Mr. Saltzmann is a member of the I. O. O. F., and in politics is a Democrat. Helen Burghard Saltzmann, wife of our sub- ject, was born in Sigalsheim, Alsace, France, May 10, 1829. Her father, Joseph Burghard, was a miller in Alsace, where he spent his entire life. Mrs. Saltzmann is the book-keeper and accountant for Saltzmann & Sons, and the skillful and expeditious manner in which she dispatches business attest thorough training and much native ability.

JOHN J. SALTZMANN, JR., was born in Warren, Pennsylvania, March 19, 1858. He was educated in Oil City, for some years followed the oil busi- ness, and now gives his entire attention to the brewery. He belongs to the I. O. O. F. and to the Knights of Maccabees. He was married in Oil City January 25, 1887, to Miss Barbara Schwabenbaur, and has two children: John J., living; and Barbara, deceased.

ALBERT SALTZMANN was born in Oil City May 7, 1865. He was educated at the common schools, and has siuce arriving at manhood devoted his time to the brewing business. January 1, 1889, he was married at Franklin, this county, to Miss Emma Brecht.

WILLIAM McNAIR, attorney, was born August 28, 1832, in Butler, But- ler county, Pennsylvania, son of General Robert and Jane (Beatty) McNair. General Robert McNair was well known in Butler county as a prominent miller and woolen manufacturer. William Beatty, the father of Mrs. Jane McNair, served two creditable terms in congress. William McNair was educated in Butler Academy. He taught school for two years, and helped to survey the route of the proposed Northwestern railroad from New

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HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.

Castle to Blairsville. Subsequently he read law with General John N. Purviance, who was one time auditor general of Pennsylvania. He was admitted to the bar in 1856, began practice at Stevens' Point, Wisconsin, and in 1865 located in Oil City, where he has continued active in his pro- fession, five years of which time he was in partnership with H. D. Hancock. He was the candidate of his party for president judge of Venango county in 1888. He has been a delegate to state and national conventions, was attor- ney for what was once known as the Oil Creek railroad, and is local attor- ney for the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern railroad, attorney for the Oil Well Supply Company, and has been attorney for the United Petroleum Farms Association for twenty-three years. He has also been the attorney for the Oil Exchange since its establishment, and is attorney for the First National Bank of Oil City. He was married to Mary R., daughter of Charles Backus of New York state, and has one son, William, who gradu- ated at Allegheny College, Meadville, in 1889. Mrs. McNair died July 3, 1889. Mr. McNair is a member of the lodge, chapter, and commandery in the Masonic order, and is an unswerving Democrat.

HUGH C. GRAHAM, attorney, was born in what is now Concord township, Butler county, Pennsylvania, June 28, 1832, the fifth of a family of eleven children, of whom all grew to maturity and nine are yet living. The two deceased were William L. and David H. The latter died from the effects of a fever contracted while in the service of his country in the late Rebel- lion. Edward Graham, the father, was well and favorably known as a well- to-do farmer at the time of his death. Hugh C. Graham remained at home assisting his father in the various labors incident to farm life until about twenty years of age, receiving in the meantime such advantages as the dis- trict schools of his neighborhood afforded. At the age mentioned he deter- mined upon securing a thorough education, and giving up farm life entered Witherspoon Institute, at Butler, Pennsylvania, where he acquired what might be termed an academic education. In the spring of 1859 he regis- tered as a law student with John M. Thompson and remained under his able tuition until admitted to the bar of Butler county, March 25, 1861. In December of that year he formed a partnership with Charles McCand- less. In August, 1862, he enlisted in Company G, One Hundred and Thirty-Seventh Pennsylvania Volunteers, and remained in active service un- til mustered out with his regiment in June, 1863. He was married Octo- ber 11, 1864, to Augusta Carnahan, daughter of Robert Carnahan, de- ceased. To this union have been born the following children: Charles Ed- ward, born July 22, 1865, now in business in Oil City as a member of the hardware firm of McKerrow, Graham & Company, and Sarah Carnahan, born October 21, 1873, a member of the Senior class of the Oil City high school, which graduates in June, 1890. Mr. Graham removed with his

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BIOGRAPHIES OF OIL CITY.

family to Oil City in June, 1865, and has been successful in building up a lucrative business. He is a Republican in politics, and has always been an active politician and an ardent advocate of the principles of his party. Dur- ing his residence in Oil City he has held the office of school director and represented his ward in the city council during the years 1877 and 1878. He has never been an office-seeker, never having asked for any office except as member of the legislature, for which he was nominated by his party in 1886, but owing to the utter demoralization of the party that year in the twenty-seventh congressional district, he was defeated. Mr. Graham is at present and has been since its organization, a member of the board of man- agers of Grove Hill Cemetery Association, and since 1877 has been secretary of the board. To him, as much, if not more than to any other member of the board, is due the success that the cemetery has attained.

ISAAC ASH, attorney, was born December 21, 1835, in Butler county, Pennsylvania. His parents, Sylvester and Martha (Boggs) Ash, were also natives of Butler county, and of Scotch-Irish extraction. The father of Sylvester Ash carried mail overland from Pittsburgh to Erie city via Frank- lin, and died when Sylvester was quite young. The last named received a good education, was a contractor and house builder, and died in 1881, fol- lowed by his widow in 1886. His children were named as follows: Joseph, a farmer in Butler county; Isaac; Robert, an oil producer in Allegheny . county; Elizabeth, married to Lewis Gants of Evans City, Butler county, and James A., residing on the old homestead in Butler county. The father was a Baptist and was well and favorably known in the community where he so long lived. His wife was a member of the United Presbyterian church. Isaac Ash attended the common schools and to the duties of the farm until the age of nineteen years, when he entered a select school at Prospect, teaching subsequently five terms to secure the means to pay his expense through a two years' course at the Butler Academy. He began reading law in 1856 with Archibald Blakely of Butler, and was admitted to the Butler county bar in 1858. After one year's practice he formed a part- nership with John M. Thompson, and after four years' experience he with- drew from the firm of Thompson & Ash. In 1864 he removed to Oil City, and was admitted to Venango county bar November 28th of that year. He has been very successful in his profession. The present partnership of Ash & Carey was formed in 1884. He was the first attorney for Oil City, and in 1873, 1884, and to 1889, filled the same position. In 1889 he was appoint- ed by Governor James A. Beaver as one of the trustees of the insane hos- pital at Warren. He was married in 1872 to Lucy L., eldest daughter of Doctor C. L. Martin of Allentown, Pennsylvania, and has had five children: Charles M., deceased; Lucy M .; Martha M. ; Matilda S., and Isaac M. He is an ardent Republican, and himself and wife belong to the Episcopal church, of which he has been vestryman since the year of his marriage.

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HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.

J. B. MCALLISTER, attorney at law, was born April 24, 1833, in Perry county, Pennsylvania. His parents, Alexander and Elizabeth (Baughman) McAllister, were natives of Lebanon and Cumberland counties, this state, respectively, and had eight children: Jacob and Alexander, who died young; Elizabeth, deceased; J. B .; Alfred U., a machinist of Logansport, Indiana; William R., a physician, who was drowned in the Wabash river at Logans- port, Indiana, while crossing in a canoe to visit a patient under his care; David A., a merchant at Mount Holly, Cumberland county, this state, and Calvin J., a practicing attorney at New Bloomfield, Pennsylvania. J. B. McAllister was educated in the common schools and at New Bloomfield Academy, receiving at the latter able instruction under Matthew B. Patter- son. He read law with W. A. Spousler, of New Bloomfield, was admitted to the bar in April, 1856, and in the fall of that year was elected district attorney of Perry county, Pennsylvania. He recruited the Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry in 1862, was sworn in as captain, but commissioned lieutenant colonel, and served nearly two years, until discharged because of disability. January 28, 1865, he located at Oil City, where he has prac- ticed successfully ever since April 25th of that year, when he was admitted to the Venango county bar. He was married December 8, 1858, to Marga- ret E. Rice, a native of Perry county, and daughter of John and Margaret (Ickes) Rice. She died in 1870, and was the mother of four children: T. A., an attorney, practicing with his father; Margaretta E .; Marie L., . who married C. F. Bole, and John R., a farmer in Alabama. Mrs. McAl- lister was a member of the Lutheran church. In 1873 he was married again, to Emma Watson, a native of Niagara county, New York. He has served as city attorney of Oil City, and was twice nominated by the Democratic party for state senator for the district; the same giving Hartranft fifteen hundred Republican majority, gave Mr. McAllister's opponent only forty- four majority. He is a member of the Masonic order, Perseverance Lodge, No. 21, at Harrisburg, and he belongs to the Knights of Honor of Oil City.

WILLIS J. HULINGS, attorney, was born July 1, 1850, in Clarion county, Pennsylvania, son of Marcus and Margaret (McElwee) Hulings, and the oldest of a family of eleven children: Willis J .; Forest, (who was admitted to the bar in 1882 and died in 1886); Arthur A .; Margaretta; Adda M .; Howard, and Wade H. ; the others died in infancy. Marcus Hulings was a contractor and builder for several years prior to 1860, when he entered the petroleum business, in which his native force of character and remarkable energy rapidly gave him leading prominence.

Willis J. received an academic and legal education. Fitting himself for admission to the bar in New York city under the tuition of Frederick A. Ward, he came to Venango county and prosecuted his studies under the in- structions of Calvin W. Gilfillan, and was admitted in March, 1877, and

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BIOGRAPHIES OF OIL CITY.

practiced his profession for several years. Having a natural taste for politics he was elected as a Republican to the state legislature, and twice re-elected as a member of that body, and served with credit and ability. He intro- duced the bills in these sessions prohibiting railroad discriminations, and became known as one of the strongest debaters on the floor. He is largely engaged in mining and in the lumber business. He was married in 1874 to Emma G. Simpson of Brooklyn, New York, and has nine children. He and his wife are members of the Second Presbyterian church of South Oil City. He is colonel of the Sixteenth regiment, National Guard of Pennsylvania.

F. W. HAYS, attorney and member of the legislature from Venango county was born March 17, 1842, in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, son of Joseph C. Hays. He was educated in Allegheny College, from which insti- tution he graduated in 1861. He began the study of law in 1868 under the able tuition of Derrickson & Brawley at Meadville and was admitted to the Crawford county bar in September, 1870, and to the Venango county bar in October following. He at once entered upon the practice of his chosen profession, and like all who love their vocation, has been remarkably suc- cessful. He was solicitor of Oil City from 1874 to 1884, was appointed notary public in 1871, and held that position until elected by the Republicans to the legislature in 1888. He is at present solicitor for the building and loan associations of Oil City, and has been from their inception. He was married to Miss Lizzie Lashells of Meadville, Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Masonic order, and with his wife belongs to the First Pres- byterian church, of which he is a ruling elder.

H. D. HANCOOK, attorney, was born in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, February 9, 1850, and is a son of William and Elizabeth (Denison) Han- cock, the parents of nine children. He received his education at Wyoming Seminary, Kingston, Lewisburg Academy, and the United States Naval Acad- emy at Annapolis. During the year 1871 he was principal of the Venango schools of South Oil City. In 1869 he began the study of law under the in- structions of J. D. Hancock of Franklin, and subsequently studied under J. B. McAllister of Oil City. He was admitted to the Venango county bar in 1872, and has continued the practice of his profession, having gained for himself the reputation of being one of the ablest members of the fraternity in northwestern Pennsylvania. He was attorney for the United Pipe Lines from 1881 to 1884, was elected mayor of Oil City in 1878, and served two terms as a member of the Oil City school board. In politics he is a Demo- crat.

LUMAN STEPHENS, city recorder of Oil City, was born at Cooperstown, New York, November 6, 1826, and is a son of Luman and Jane (Hill) Stephens, natives of Connecticut and New York, and of English and German descent, respectively. The family came into Pennsylvania when the subject of this sketch was in his fourth or fifth year, settled in Tioga county, and there the

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HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.

father and mother spent the remainder of their lives. They reared two sons; the younger, Loman, died in Missouri in 1881. Luman Stephens was educated at Union Academy, Tioga county, and at the age of twenty- one began the study of law at Knoxville, this state. In 1852 he was ad- mitted to the bar, and began at once the practice of law. In July, 1862, he enlisted as a private in Company B, One Hundred and Thirty-Sixth Penn- sylvania Volunteers, a nine months' regiment; he served out his term, came home, raised Company G, Thirty-Fifth Pennsylvania Militia, became its captain, and remained in the army during the call for troops in Pennsyl- vania. This company, soon after organization, was mustered into the United States service and formed a part of the army detailed to hold the territory taken from the enemy in Maryland. With the One Hundred and Thirty-Sixth regiment Mr. Stephens participated in the battles of Frederick City, South Mountain, Antietam, Chancellorsville, and Fredericksburg. Leaving the army he returned to Knoxville and to the practice of the law. In 1869 he located at Rouseville, was admitted to the Venango county bar November 28, 1870, and was in the law business until 1874. In the early part of the last named year he moved to Oil City. Here he practiced his profession until elected recorder in 1885. He has always been an ardent Democrat, and although the city is Republican by upward of three hun- dred, Mr. Stephens was elected recorder by a majority of thirty-five. In 1888 he was the Democratic nominee for the legislature, and while the county is largely Republican, he was defeated by only a small majority. Mr. Stephens was married at Elkland, Tioga county, Pennsylvania, in 1848, to Miss Emmeline Sawyer, who lived only a few years thereafter. In 1860 he married his second wife, Mary Cosgrove, at Knoxville, and she died in 1872. The present Mrs. Stephens was Miss Fanny Sikes, whom he mar- ried at Rouseville in 1874. By his second marriage Mr. Stephens had two children: Frances, now Mrs. W. E. Bolton, and Emmeline Veto, the wife of Mr. James T. Riley. The family are identified with the United Presby- terian church, and Mr. Stephens is a member of the G. A. R.

HARLEY W. FISHER, attorney, is a native of Venango county. He re- ceived his education in the Oil City high school and at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. He read law under H. D. Hancock, and was admitted to the Venango county bar August 27, 1883, from which time he has con- tinued to practice in Oil City on his own responsibility with the success that usually comes to a person who loves his profession and sticks to it with te- nacity. He was employed about one year in the solicitor's department of the United Pipe Lines, since merged into the National Transit Company, leav- ing this to enter actively upon his profession.

JOHN L. MATTOX, attorney, was born July 15, 1859, in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, son of Thomas C. and Huldah (Leyde) Mattox. The father died in the service of his country, as a member of the Two Hundred and

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BIOGRAPHIES OF OIL CITY.

Twelfth regiment, Sixth Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery. His widow was again married to James Burns. John L. Mattox was educated in the Mercer Soldiers' Orphans' School and at Westminster College, New Wilmington, Lawrence county, Pennsylvania, being graduated from the latter institution in 1883. Following this he taught school, and for four years was principal of the Pleasantville schools in this county. He registered as a law student in 1885 at Franklin, under J. W. Lee, and at times read law in connection with his teaching at Pleasantville under C. W. Benedict. In 1888 he en- tered actively upon the study of law under F. W. Hays, and August 26, 1889, was admitted to the bar. He is a member of Seneca Lodge, No. 519, I. O. O. F., Eureka council of the Royal Arcanum, and Pleasantville Tent, K. O. T. M., at Pleasantville. He was married to Carrie L. Henderson, daughter of D. W. Henderson, cashier of the Pleasantville Bank, September 30, 1885.

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History of Venango County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, including, Part 89

Author: Bell, Herbert C. (Herbert Charles), 1868- Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago : Brown, Runk & Co. Number of Pages: 1323

Author: Bell, Herbert C. (Herbert Charles), 1868-
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago : Brown, Runk & Co.
Number of Pages: 1323