History of Venango County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, including, Part 94

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 94

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H. H. FAIR, dealer in general merchandise and proprietor of the Oil City mill, South Oil City, came to this place from the United States army in 1863. At the outbreak of the Rebellion he was engaged at drilling oil wells at Walnut Bend, Pennsylvania, and on the 10th of September, 1861, at Erie, enlisted in Company A, Eighty-Third Pennsylvania Volunteers. With his regiment he took part in the battles of Hanover Court House and the subsequent engagements of the command in the retreat from before Richmond. In March, 1863, he was discharged from the service on account of physical disability, leaving the army with the rank of a non-commissioned officer. Coming at once to Oil City he engaged for a while in the oil busi- ness, and later on at carpentering-as a contractor and builder. In 1871 he embarked in mercantile business, and in 1885 purchased the Oil City flouring mills. Mr. Fair was born in Indiana county, this state, July 14,

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HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.

1836, was educated at the common schools and at West Freedom Academy, and while yet a young man learned the trade of millwright. He is a member of the G. A. R., one of the trustees of the International Progress- ive Association, and a director in the Oil City Trust Company Bank. At Clarion, in 1866, he was married to Miss Frances Gilger. She died in 1876, and in 1878, at Oil City, Miss Augusta Rogers, of Jackson, Michi- gan, became Mrs. Fair. By his first marriage Mr. Fair has one son, Fred, and by his second two sons and a daughter: Albert; Harry, and Mary.

GEORGE KAUFMANN, a prosperous dealer in meats, South Oil City, was born in Eichenbuhl, Bavaria, April 25, 1844, and came to America in June, 1867. His father, Ambrose Kaufmann, came three months later and located in Baltimore, where he died in 1888, aged about eighty-six years. His mother died in Bavaria when he was but six years of age. The senior Mr. Kaufmann was a farmer in Europe; in this country he engaged in no busi- ness. George was brought up a farmer and when twenty-one years of age was pressed into the army, where he remained one year, participating in five different battles of the Austro-Prussian war. Knowing when he had enough of a good thing he took "French leave " of the German army and forthwith became a citizen of the United States. In Baltimore he learned the butcher's trade, and in December, 1870, came to Oil City. From 1873 to 1876 he lived again in Baltimore, and in the latter year returned to this place. Mr. Kaufmann is a member of the Catholic church, and of the C. M. B. A. He was married in Oil City August 1, 1872, to Mary Steelpflug, and has five children living: Francis Joseph; Magdalena Rosalie; Emma Wal- burge; Ferdinand Urban, and Henry Philip. The first-born, George, died at the age of six months.

GEORGE GOOTMILLER, an enterprising and popular dealer in meats, came to Oil City in 1869, from Brady's Bend, where he had worked at mining coal, and for the three succeding years followed tailoring. He was born in Baden, Germany, April 2, 1845, and with his sister came to America in June, 1868. They landed in New York and from there George migrated to Illinois, where he spent a few months. He next made his home awhile in Pittsburgh, moving thence to Brady's Bend and from there, as has been noticed, to Oil City, where he is now, and has been since about 1872, en- gaged in the meat business. Mr. Gootmiller was married in this city Au- gust 2, 1870, to Miss May Koebel, and has five children: Lena, Elizabeth, Maggie, George, and Gustave.

HARRY NAYLOR, for the past seventeen years the familiar collector at the north end of the Oil City Petroleum bridge, was the second man in the United States to engage in the manufacture of carbon oil. He came to this place from Pittsburgh in 1863, dealt in coal a few months, and engaged in petroleum as producer and operator. Having at the end of three years'

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unfortunate investments wrecked his surplus, he accepted employment from the borough as charge d'affairs at the Oil creek bridge. So soon as the Oil City and Petroleum bridge was completed he was appointed by the com- pany to his present position, and that he has held it so many years without interruption attests fully his faithfulness in guarding the interests of his employers. Mr. Naylor was born in England March 29, 1836. He there received a common school education, and learned the trade of pattern maker. His father, John Naylor, was for many years the agent of Lord Ward, and had charge of that gentleman's vast estate in England. Harry Naylor was twenty-three years old when he came to America. After a short stay in New York he moved to Pittsburgh, where he was employed by his brother- in-law, William Smith, then proprietor of the Ninth Ward foundry, as pat- tern maker. From that he turned his attention to petroleum, and, as has been said, was one of the pioneers in the manufacture of carbon oil. Mr. Naylor is not only a skilled machinist; he is ingenious. One of the first brick machines ever made was his invention; the most popular bottle bot- tling machine of its day was the project of his ingenuity, and in 1888 he patented an auger handle which is acknowledged by experts to be the most complete, simple, durable, and unobjectionable appliance of the kind so far brought out. It is said that "the inventor always dies in a hovel; the manufacturer in a palace." This is probably too broad; but there is enough truth in it to prove a proverb, and the case before us promises to be an ex- ception. Realizing nothing from his earlier inventions, Mr. Naylor is pur- suing a different course with the latter. He is manufacturing the tools himself, and though only in a small way, success is assured. The handle can be instantly attached or detached, can be applied to any sized auger bit, and holds with equal firmness any shape of shank whether square, triangu- lar, conical, or straight. These features, together with its cheapness and durability, warrant its popularity. Mr. Naylor was married in Allegheny City, April 20, 1863, to the daughter of Doctor J. D. Baldwin, and the chil- dren born of this union are: Harry B., Mazy, Adella, James D., Annie M., John A., and Bernice E. Mr. Naylor is a member of the Baptist church, the A. O. U. W., and the K. of L.

EDWARD LEWIS, superintendent of bridges and buildings on the Alle- gheny Valley railroad, is a native of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, and was born April 11, 1834. His father, a farmer, was a native of Pennsylvania. He died when Edward was about ten years of age. After acquiring at the public schools a fair English education, the latter learned the carpenter trade in Philadelphia and followed it about one year after arriving at his majority. Since that time he has been regularly employed as bridge builder. At Easton, Pennsylvania, he superintended the construction across the Delaware river of the first heavy iron span erected in this state. He was next employed by Piper & Sheffler and remained with them and their suc-

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HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.

cessors, the Kingston Bridge Company, seventeen years-twelve years of this time as their assistant superintendent. In 1871 he returned for a short time to carpenter work; then for a few months he was with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company, from which he went to the Oil Creek railway as master carpenter. In 1874 or 1875 he was appointed to his present position with the Allegheny Valley railway. Here he has under his supervision the construction of bridges and buildings on two hundred and sixty-four miles of road, the work employing in all of the departments about one hundred and fifty men. Mr. Lewis was married in Northumberland county, this state, December 28, 1856, to Miss Jane T. Wenck, and has had borne to him the following children; G. S., in the employ of the pipe line; E. C., a physician; T. S., a druggist; Charles, railroading; Harry, a student; Claud; Jennie, and Sally; Eliza S., died February 1, 1864; John P., De- cember 23, 1866, and Fred A., May 5, 1871.

GLENN T. BRADEN, general superintendent of the National Transit Com- pany, United Pipe Lines division, Oil City, was born at Waterford, Erie county, Pennslyvania, June 1, 1856. He was educated at the common schools, and in 1873 began work with the Union Pipe Line Company. In 1876 he came with the United Pipe Lines Company as gauger; in 1882 he was promoted to division foreman at Cherry Grove and Thorn Creek; in 1886 he was made superintendent of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Pipe Lines with headquarters at Washington, Pennsylvania, and in July, 1888, was appointed to his present position. Mr. Braden is a Knight Templar Mason, and a member of the Pittsburgh consistory. He was married in Washington, Pennsylvania, March 15, 1888.

JOHN H. EVANS, prothonotary of Venango county, was born in Ebens- burg, Cambria county, Pennsylvania, February 4, 1839, and is a son of David J. and Jane (Jones) Evans. His parents were natives of Wales and came to Cambria county in childhood, where they were married. The mother is dead but the father is still a resident of that county. Our sub- ject was reared and educated in his native county. He entered a store in boyhood, and was engaged in the mercantile business in Cambria county until 1861. He came to Oil City in 1863, and soon after became a member of the firm of Reynolds, Brodhead & Company, afterward Brodhead, Evans & Company, and followed the mercantile trade until 1876. He was then elected city comptroller and filled that office twelve years. He was also a member in the first council of Oil City, elected in 1871, and served two terms. In the fall of 1887 he was the Republican candidate for prothon- otary, and was elected without opposition from the Democratic party. He .. took office January 1, 1888. Mr. Evans was married January 21, 1868, to Miss Catharine E. Wheeler, of New York city, who has borne him two sons: Alvin M. and George K. By her paternal grandmother Mrs. Evans is a descendant of Governor Winthrop, of the Massachusetts colony. The fam-

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BIOGRAPHIES OF OIL CITY.

ily belong to the Second Presbyterian church of Oil City. Politically Mr. Evans is a Republican, and was chairman of the county committee in the presidential election of 1888. He is past master of Petrolia Lodge, F. & A. M., of which he was a charter member, and belongs to the chapter and commandery. During the invasion of the state by Lee's army he served in the Fourth Pennsylvania militia.

HORTON C. SWEENEY occupies the quadruplex position in Oil City of comptroller, clerk of the common council, clerk of the select council, and clerk to the board of water commissioners. In October, 1888, he was called to the comptrollership to fill out the unexpired term of his pre- decessor, and in April, 1889, as the Republican candidate he succeeded himself by a majority of seven hundred and twenty-six of the popular vote-running several hundred ahead of the general ticket. To the clerk- ship of both the common and select councils he was also chosen first to fill out unexpired terms -in the fall of 1888 - and for the regular terms, beginning in the spring of 1889, he was the choice of the majority of both assemblies. As clerk to the board of water commissioners he was chosen by that board March 22, 1889. Mr. Sweeney was born in Sacra- mento City, California, July 29, 1860, and is the only son of the late James Sweeney, who emigrated from Pennsylvania to the "Golden State" in 1854, and died in Sacramento in 1862. His mother moved with him to Oil City in 1866, and here he has since made his home. He was edu- cated at the public schools of this place and at Chamberlain Institute, Randolph, Cattaraugus county, New York. With a view of adopting the legal profession, he read law some years in the office of William McNair, of Oil City, but his eye-sight failing him, he was forced to abandon his studies and seek other pursuits. For four years he followed the fortunes of the Oil Exchange, of which he is yet a member, and in 1888, as has been seen, he came into the public service. November 30, 1882, Mr. Sweeney was married in this city to Miss Catharine Jamison, and to this union has been born one child, Horton Jamison Sweeney.

THOMAS NOLAN, agent for the Adams Express Company at Oil City, was born December 21, 1835, in County Tipperary, Ireland, son of Michael and Annastasa (McCormick) Nolan, natives of the same county. The family came to Syracuse, New York, in 1852, where the father was engaged as a book-keeper. His children were sixteen in number, eight of whom died in Ireland; eight came to America and four are now living. The parents were members of the Catholic church. Thomas Nolan was educated in the com- mon schools of his native country and learned the trade of chandler, begin- ning at the age of fifteen years. He immigrated to America in 1857, set- tled in Syracuse, New York, and there worked in a hotel for two years. He then came to Pennsylvania and after a few more years' experience in hotels, he was appointed to the general baggage department at Dunkirk, Chautau-

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HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.

qua county, New York. After two years at this, in 1865, he was made United States Express agent at the same city. Four years later he was withdrawn from this position, and appointed express messenger on the Erie and Pittsburgh railroad, which position he held four years. After this he was employed on the Allegheny Valley railroad as express messenger from Pittsburgh to Oil City. Four years later he took charge of the Adams Ex- press office in Oil City, coming thither in 1874. He was married in 1886 to Miss Mary McDonnough of Dunkirk. He is now a member of the Oil City select council, serving his third consecutive year. He is a member of the C. M. B. A. and Catholic Knights; with his wife he belongs to the Catholic church, and is a Democrat.

JAMES N. LEWIS, locomotive engineer, Allegheny Valley railway, is a na- tive of Usk, County Monmouth, South Wales, and was born on April 6, 1845. His parents both died when he was but an infant and he was placed under the care of a relative, from whom he ran away before he was a dozen years old. Making his way to the harbor he shipped in a sailing vessel in the East India service and subsequently served an apprenticeship of two years and a half as cabin boy and sailor. From the East Indiaman he was transferred to a merchant ship which landed him some time afterward in New York city. Here the civil war was then raging and young Lewis readily found ample scope for the gratification of his love of adventure. In March, 1863, he enlisted as a private soldier in Company C, Ninth New York State National Guard, subsequently known as the Eighty-Third New York Volun- teer Infantry, and served until June 8, 1865, when, as the record shows, he was mustered out at Fairfax Seminary, Virginia, on account of disability from wounds received in action. As a member of the Eighty-Third regi- ment, Second division, First army corps, he participated in the battle of Mine Run. He was next on duty with the Fifth corps on the Rapidan river in the winter of 1863 and spring of 1864. In May he was transferred to the Second brigade, Second division, Fifth corps. With this command he fought in the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Laudhill, North Ann River, Tolopotomoy, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg. In front of Peters- burg, June 18, 1864, a minie ball struck him in the breast, passing through his right lung and shattering three of his ribs. From the Eighty-Third he was transferred to the Ninety-Fourth New York, but saw no service with that regiment. He arrived at Pittsburgh June 18, 1865, and soon afterward began work as a laborer on the Allegheny Valley railway. He next took a job as fireman, and in March, 1868, was placed in charge of an engine. Thus it will be seen he has been over twenty-four years in the employ of this company, twenty years of the time as an engineer, and scores the re- markable record of not one accident during that period. Mr. Lewis is a member of the G. A. R., was delegate to the grand encampment in Febru- ary, 1889, and in March, 1889, was appointed aide-de-camp to the command-

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BIOGRAPHIES OF OIL CITY.

er in chief of the G. A. R. for the state of Pennsylvania, and delegate to the national encampment at Milwaukee. He is also a member of the Royal Arcanum, A. O. U. W., and Knights of Maccabees, and has represented the Sixth ward in the select council of this city continuously since 1884. Mr. Lewis was married in Pittsburgh November 16, 1865, to Miss Sarah Thomas, and the children born to them are: Mary Alene, Mrs. J. H. Crum; Alfred Gilmore; Edgar Martin; William J. ; Sarah Leona; Edith Viola, and Charles Price.

L. R. REED, manager of the Enterprise Milling Company, was born in Mercer county, this state, December 21, 1855, and is a son of the late Ed- ward Reed. He was brought up to the milling business and, beginning at Leech's Corners, in his native county, has followed it all his life, working at various places in Pennsylvania, Iowa, Illinois, etc. He came to Oil City in 1879, and for upward of two years had charge of the City mills. Sever- ing his connection with the City mills and associated with a Mr. McConnell, he constructed the property now known as the Enterprise mills, in 1883. Mr. Reed was married in Troy township, Crawford county, Pennsylvania, June 23, 1881, to Miss Ida E. Jennings, and has three children: Merle, Kate, and an infant, not named.

JOHN E. S. MAODOUGALL, agent of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern railway at Oil City, was born in Greenock, Scotland, March 20, 1845, and came to the United States in 1863. He was educated in his native country and there began railroading. In New York city, in February, 1864, he en- listed as a private soldier in Company G, One Hundred and Fifteenth New York Volunteer Infantry, and served until July, 1865, most of the time de- tailed as clerk at Camp Distribution, Alexandria, and New York harbor (Hart's Island). He has worked for the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern railway, serving in various capacities at Raymilton and Franklin. He was appointed agent at Oil City in 1884. Mr. Macdougall was married at Frank lin December 16, 1880, to Mrs. Nancy C. Deets, nee Richey, and has three children: Helen, Kenneth, and Jean. Mr. and Mrs. Macdougall are members of the Presbyterian church, and the former is connected with several of the beneficiary societies.

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HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.

CHAPTER XLVIII.

BIOGRAPHIES OF EMLENTON.

J UDGE JOHN KEATING, deceased, was born in Center county, Penn- sylvania, December 24, 1804, of Irish parentage. His early education embraced the rudiments usually taught in the common schools. He was reared upon a farm, and by careful observation and extensive reading accu- mulated a fund of valuable information ere reaching manhood. He removed from Center county to Murrinsville, Butler county, when about eighteen years of age. He was married in 1835 to Miss Catharine, daughter of Michael McCullough, of Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, who bore him the following children: Hugh; Henry, deceased; Ann Cecilia, wife of N. Mackin, of Emlenton; Lizzie, wife of C. A. McCafferty, of Pittsburgh; Michael, deceased; Mary, deceased, and John, deceased. In 1836, Judge Keating removed to Emlenton and began merchandising. He was prominent in the early progress and development of the town, and promoted the erec- tion of the Emlenton bridge across the Allegheny river. In 1846 he built the Keating furnace about seven miles east of Emlenton, and ran it success- fully while others failed, having one thousand acres of land to support his enterprise. This property finally became his permanent homestead. Having removed to Clarion county, he was, in 1866, elected an associate judge thereof, and served one term. In 1870 he became an oil producer, in which capacity he was very successful. His one thousand acres became a good field and his royalty was quite large. Judge Keating was a progressive, enterprising, and charitable man, a kind father and husband, and thoroughly respected by a large circle of friends. He was paralyzed in August, 1880, from the effects of which he died. He was a stanch Democrat, and through- out his life an earnest member of the Catholic church, giving largely of his means toward the support of that faith in western Pennsylvania.

JACOB TRUBY, deceased, was born at Warrior Mark, Centre county, Penn- sylvania, June 5, 1807, a son of Andrew Truby. His father and grand- father both came from Germany about the opening of the century. Jacob's early life was spent on the farm and working at an iron furnace, in both of which positions he acquired considerable practical skill. At the age of twelve he removed with his parents to a farm in Scrubgrass township, Ve- nango county, where he remained until the time of his marriage, at the age

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BIOGRAPHIES OF EMLENTON.

of twenty-five. During the winter months he was permitted to attend the country school, and acquired the elements of an English education. He was married September 22, 1832, to Miss Lucy, daughter of Jesse and Abi- gail (Thrasher) Hotchkiss, natives of Connecticut. She was born in Mid- dlesex, Genesee county, New York, June 29, 1816. Of this union were born the following children: Margaret, who married R. A. Porterfield, of Tidioute, Pennsylvania; Abigail H., wife of Andrew Weller, living near Tionesta; Katharine Jane, married to Samuel W. Crawford, of Emlenton; George W., deceased; Florence, wife of James Brice, of Allentown, New York; Mary E., and Cynthia, both deceased; Jacob M., of Florida; Lucy A., deceased; John P., a resident of Bolivar, New York, and James Orson, oil producer, Emlenton. On the 1st of April, 1834, Mr. and Mrs. Truby removed from Scrubgrass to Emlenton, to superintend the hotel and ferry. He continued in the hotel business nine years, and then built the Truby warehouse, still standing on Water street, from which were supplied the stores for the furnaces in the adjacent country during a period of ten years. Mr. Truby was a captain of militia for seven years. Politically he was a Whig, and then a Republican. He was identified with the Methodist Episcopal church, and died April 17, 1884, in his seventy-seventh year. His widow resides on the old homestead in Emlenton, and though past the allotted period of life, still retains her primitive vigor to a wonderful degree.

JAMES O. TRUBY is the youngest son of Jacob and Lucy Truby, and was born in Emlenton, July 18, 1856. He attended its public schools, and in 1875 commenced the oil business, which he has since continued. November 20, 1879, he was married to Miss Mila A., daughter of Elias and Mary E. (Rickenbrode) Hennage, of Centerville, Venango county. They have two children: Jessie G., and Etoil. Mr. Truby is a Republican and a member of the I. O. O. F.

JOSEPH WELLER, deceased, was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, Oc- tober 6, 1814, the son of John and Katie Weller. His father was married twice. By his first wife, Katie, he had seven children, five sons and two daughters, the daughters dying young. The names of the sons are: Adam; George; Benjamin; Joseph, and Peter, all of whom except George and Joseph are still living. By his second wife, Mary (Smith) Weller, he had seven children: Nathan, deceased; Andrew; Samuel; Caroline, married to William Hagerty; Jane, married first to Charles Zeigler, and after his death to Albert Shered of Emlenton; Emmeline, and John, deceased. John Weller died in Emlenton, whither he removed from Berks county in 1852, on the 22nd of October, 1873, in his eighty-seventh year. His second wife, born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, November 11, 1803, is living in Em- lenton, and is in her eighty-sixth year.

Joseph Weller came to Emlenton in 1837, his capital consisting of about one hundred dollars in money, a tailor's goose and shears, a few needles,

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HISTORY OF VENANGO COUNTY.

and industrious habits. For a number of years he kept a store in a frame building on Water street. He then erected a stone distillery, the second one in the town. This structure was finally converted into a dwelling house, but now stands unoccupied. Mr. Weller cleared away the timber occupy- ing the east end of the site of Emlenton for the proprietor, Joseph Fox, and received as pay the crops for the ensuing three years. He raised wheat, rye, and corn in succession, and thus began to accumulate money. The dis- tillery was erected during the second year of the clearing. When the war of the Rebellion broke out he had on hand a large supply of whiskey, from the duty of which he realized handsome profits. He was a successful busi- ness man whose every venture turned to gold.

Mr. Weller was married twice, the first time to Miss Katie Hoover, who bore him five children, only one of whom, Henry William, of Forest county, is living. She lived eight years of married life, and was then laid to rest in the village graveyard. In May, 1846, he married Miss Angeline Will of Clarion county, who became the mother of ten children: Catharine and Sarah, both of whom died in infancy; John Adam, married to Mary E. Kerr, of Emlenton, and now residing in Richland township; Mary Ellen, wife of Jacob Truby, of Florida; Charles E., married to Sarah Reifsnyder, of Oil City, and residing in Emlenton; Edwards S., married to Effie Mc- Ginness, now in business in Emlenton; Joseph Franklin; Emanuel D., mar- ried to Hulda Sloan, and residing in Emlenton; George Calvin, who mar- ried Anna Swan, and Emma A., now a student in the Boston Conservatory of Music. Mr. Weller was a member of the Reformed church, and politi- cally an unswerving Democrat. His death occurred in Emlenton May 14, 1884, in his seventieth year. His widow resides in the commodious brick residence in Emlenton erected by him, and enjoys good health.

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History of Venango County, Pennsylvania : its past and present, including, Part 94

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