USA > Pennsylvania > Westmoreland County > History of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, Vol. II > Part 84
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JOHN HERBERT WALTON, eldest son of Riley and Maria (Her- bert) Walton, was born in Salem township, March 7, 1871. He was educated in the Delmont Normal school, and after completing his studies directed his attention to the dairy business, which he has conducted successfully for the past fifteen years. He is one of the public-spirited citizens of the community, an active member of the First Reformed Church of Greensburg, and a staunch supporter of the principles of Democracy. He married, April 26, 1893, Mary Elizabeth Kemp, born August 19, 1872, daughter of Uriah G. and Margaret ( Earnest) Kemp, of Hempfield township, and their children were: Edward Kemp, born December 10, 1894, died January 15, 1904: Riley, born Septem- ber 2, 1897 : Thomas Cole, born November 23, 1899; and John Herbert Wal- ton, Jr., born August 25, 1904.
FLORENCE RILEY WALTON, third son of Riley and Maria (Herbert) Walton, was born in Salem township, near Delmont, May 5, 1877- He attended the normal school at Delmont and the Bunker Hill (now Fifth ward) school. at Greensburg, thereby qualifying himself for an active career. He has devoted himself exclusively to the dairy business, conducting his opera- tions in Hempfield township, and from this line of work has derived a com- fortable livelihood. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, and casts his vote for the candidates of the Democratic party. He married, September I, 1898, Cora Beulah Armor, born May 10, 1878, daughter of John William and Mary (Nicely) Armor. of Ligonier township, and their children are : Helen Mildred, born March 12, 1899: Bertha Evlyn, born November 17, 1900; Flor- ence Eugene, born April 14, 1903 : Riley Jr .. born December 2, 1905.
JOHN KAHL. Matthias Kahl, father of John Kahl, of Vander- grift, was born about 1849, on the Rhine in the province of Prussia, and came with his parents to the United States when but six years old. They settled at Greenville, Pennsylvania, where in after years he entered the coal mines in which he worked until 1885. In that year he moved to Sharon, Pennsylvania, and there engaged in the grocery business, with which he has since been identified. He is a Democrat and has twice received from his party the nomination for assembyman. He was once defeated by but eight votes, notwithstanding the fact that the district is overwhelmingly Republi- can. He is a member of the Roman Catholic church. Mr. Kahl married
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Rose O'Connor, and their family consisted of eight children, all of whom, with one exception, are now living: Rose, Mary, Martha, Anna, Alice, John. see forward : and William. . All these children, with the exception of John, are unmarried and reside at home.
John Kahl, son of Matthias and Rose ( O'Connor) Kahl, was born Feb- ruary II, 1880, in Sharon, and received a common school education. At the age of eighteen he apprenticed himself to the moulder's trade, serving his time in the shops of the American Steel Foundry Company, at Sharon. Soon after finishing his apprenticeship he was made assistant foreman of the shops, and early in 1903 was transferred to Alliance, Ohio, where he became foreman of the extensive plant owned by the company at that place. He remained in charge of these shops until July, 1904. when he resigned in order to accept a similar position with the United Engineering & Foundry Company, at Van- dergrift, going thither with S. A. Wallace, who took charge of the plant at that time and under whom Mr. Kahl had worked in Alliance. Fraternally Mr. Kahl is connected with the Knights of Columbus, the C. M. B. . 1., and the Iron Moulder's Union, holding an honorary membership in the last- named organization. He is an Independent in politics and a member of the Roman Catholic church. Mr. Kahl married, June 21. 1905. Mamie McFad- den. of Sharon, Pennsylvania.
WILLIAM EDWARD TROUTMAN. The father of William Edward Troutman, of Vandergrift, was John Edward Troutman, who was born in 1849, in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, where he was reared on a farm and adopted agriculture as an occupation. At the time of his marriage he moved to a farm one mile from Sharon, on which he has since resided. He is a Republican and a member of St. Paul's Reformed church. Mr. Troutman married Christina Bartholomew, and their children are: Moutz, of Sharon ; Estella, wife of Samuel Welsch, of Sharon : Permilla, wife of Jesse Winner, of Mercer county : Philip, at home ; Cora, at home : William Edward, see forward.
William Edward Troutman, son of John Edward and Christina ( Bar- tholomew ) Troutman, was born May 19. 1873. in Mercer county, and re- ceived his education in the common schools. At the age of sixteen he ob- tained employment in the Atlantic nail works, where he remained one year. He then spent another year in the blast furnace of Perkins & Company at Sharpsville, after which he secured a position in the foundry of the Ashman Steel Casting Company, in Sharon, there serving his apprenticeship as a founder. In 1894 the foundry was destroyed by fire, and Mr. Troutman betook himself to Cleveland and there entered the service of the Cleveland Steel Castings Company. One year later he returned to Sharon and went to work for the American Steel Castings Company, remaining three years. At the en1 of that time he resigned and took a trip to the west, working in foundries in Chicago, St. Louis and Peru, Indiana, thus broadening his ex- perience and gaining an insight into the workings of these plants. After spending a short time in various foundries in the Pittsburg district, he re- turned to Sharon and obtained employment with the American Foundries Company. for whom he worked four years, during the latter two years serv- ing as general foreman of the works. In July, 1904, he moved to Vander- grift to accept his present position of general foreman for the United Engi- necring & Foundries Company. He belongs to Sharon Lodge, No. 347, I. (. O. F., is a Republican and a member of St. Paul's Reformed church.
Mr. Troutman married. May 19, 1898, Mary Ulrich, of Mercer county,
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and three children were born to them, but one of whom survives: Pansy Troutman.
HENRY NEFF. The grandparents of Henry Neff, of Vander- grift, were Henry and Elizabeth Neff, both natives of Germany, the latter belonging to a noble family by whom she was disinherited for contracting an unequal marriage.
Herman Neff, son of Henry and Elizabeth Neff, was born in 1843, in Wurtemberg, Germany, and was but two years old when his parents emi- grated to the United States. They settled in Greensburg and after a short time moved to Pittsburg, where for some years the father, who was a wagon- maker by trade, conducted a wagon shop on Diamond alley. His latter years were spent in Perryville, Pennsylvania. Herman Neff, on the breaking out of the Civil war, ran away from home, enlisting as a three years man on the first call for volunteers. After his discharge he returned to Allegheny and found employment in the foundry of Anshutz & Bradbury, where he remained but a short time. After the close of the war he enlisted in the regular army and rose to the rank of first lieutenant. In 1880 he was appointed Indian agent at Deadwood, South Dakota, with the rank of captain, and in this posi- tion has served continuously ever since. Mr. Neff married Elizabeth, born in Allegheny City, about 1848, daughter of Henry and Mary (Hinkle) Schaf- fer, both natives of Darmstadt, Germany, whence they emigrated early in the forties, with a number of other colonists, settling in Philadelphia. Some time later they moved to Pittsburg, making the journey by way of the Erie canal. In Pittsburg Mr. Schaffer engaged in the cooperage business, making oil, flour and other barrels and rapidly amassed a competence. After the close of the war they returned to Philadelphia, where their daughter Elizabeth was married to Herman Neff. Mr. and Mrs. Neff were the parents of the following children: Henry, see forward; Mary, wife of August Heibner, a contractor of Allegheny City; Rose, wife of Frederick Reynolds, chair- maker, of Columbus, Ohio: John, stationary engineer at Allegheny ; Herman (twin to John), with Standard Manufacturing Company, Allegheny ; Edward, trunkmaker of Allegheny. Mrs. Neff now resides in the house in Allegheny where she was born, but makes frequent trips to Philadelphia, being the owner of property in both cities.
Henry Neff, son of Herman and Elizabeth (Schaffer) Neff. was born March 30, 1872, in Philadelphia, receiving his preparatory education in the public schools of that city and Allegheny and passing thence to the Allegheny high school. At the age of nineteen he apprenticed himself to the machinist's trade in the Pennsylvania Iron Works Company, of Philadelphia, and after serving his time traveled for the company for three years. He then spent two years in the west, working in Chicago and all the other large cities as far as the Pacific coast. On his return to the east he first settled in Pittsburg, where he worked at his trade until September, 1901, when he moved to Van- clergrift, securing a position as machinist in the shops of the American Sheet Steel Company, where he has since been continuously employed. He is a member of Vandergrift Aerie. No. 1058, F. O. E., and is a Republican in politics. Mr. Neff married, May 3, 1892, Carrie Hahn, of Philadelphia, and they are the parents of two daughters: Caroline and Louise.
WILLIAM DANIEL ERICKSON. Charles Erickson, father of William Daniel Erickson, of Vandergrift, was born in Christiania, Norway, where he received his education. At the age of sixteen he emigrated to the
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United States, landing in New York, and for several years was employed on vessels plying between that city and New Orleans. On his last trip he went up the river to St. Louis and thence to Chicago, finding employment for some five years on the lakes and in the lumber regions of Michigan. He then settled down in Chicago and for a number of years was bookkeeper in the wholesale market house. After the destruction of this building in the Chicago fire he secured an official position in the stockyards, and during the last years of his active life was head bookkeeper and confidential clerk for L. B. Dawds & Company, live-stock commission merchants. About 1888 he re- tired from business. He is an ardent Democrat and an active worker in ward politics, for many years serving as judge of elections in his precinct. He married Margaret Calnan, and of their five children four are now living : Louis, of Chicago: Charles, railroad man of Kansas City: Anna, at home; and William Daniel, see forward.
William Daniel Erickson, son of Charles and Margaret ( Calnan) Erick- son, was born June 20, 1876, in Chicago, Illinois, where he received his primary education in the common schools, passing thence to the grammar and high schools. In 1893 he secured a position in the mills of the Sergeant Steel Company, where he worked some ten years in different clerical capacities. In 1903 he resigned in order to accept a position as order clerk with the American Foundries Company, at Alliance, and, this plant shortly after clos- ing down, was transferred to the Thurlow (Pennsylvania) works of the same company, where he served in a similar capacity. Some months later, when the Alliance works resumed operations, he was sent back to that place. In July, 1904, he resigned, accepting the same position with the United Engi- neering & Foundries Company. at Vandergrift, and in April, 1905, was pro- moted to his present position of foreman of the cleaning department. His political affiliations are with the Democrats. He is unmarried.
HARRY W. PETTY. Richard Petty, father of Harry W. Petty, of Vandergrift, was born in 1837, in Alabama, one of a family of thirteen children. At the breaking out of the civil war he served one year in the Confederate army, the family being Southern sympathizers. He himself, however, was in sympathy with the Union cause and a disruption of the family occurred. after which he went to Memphis, Tennessee, where he enlisted in the artillery service of the Union army, serving until the close of the war. He then settled at Dixon, Illinois, where he worked at his trade, which was that of a blacksmith and wagonmaker. He conducted a shop for about four years and then removed to Morris, Illinois, where he continued to follow his trade. At the end of three years he engaged in the grocery business, with which he was identified until about 1898, when he entered the drygoods husi- ness, to which he gave his attention until his retirement in 1903. He is now living in Morris, Illinois. He is an ardent G. A. R. man and never misses a National Encampment, no matter where held. Ile also belongs to the Modern Woodmen, and in his later years has became a Prohibitionist in politics. For a number of years he has been the regular candidate for mayor of that organ- ization in Morris. He is a member of the Baptist church.
Mr. Petty married Martha Locke, and their family consists of the fol- lowing children: Harry W .. see forward; Minnie A., wife of William F. Buck, of Morris, Illinois ; and Cora E., at home.
Harry W. Petty, son of Richard and Martha ( Locke) Petty was born April 9. 1870, at Morris, Grundy county, Illinois, and received his preparatory education in the public schools of his native town, passing thence to the high
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school, from which he graduated in the spring of 1889. At twenty years of age he went to Chicago and there took a complete business course in the Chicago Athenaeum. Remaining in that city, he secured a clerical posi- tion with the Sargeant Steel Founders' Company, by whom he was employed in various capacities until 1900, when he resigned and accepted the position of chief clerk of the western sales office of the American Brake Shoe & Foun- dry Company. After retaining this position two years he became chief clerk and assistant manager of the American Foundry Company, with whom he remained two years. Since 1904 he has had charge of the order department of the United Engineering & Foundry Company at Vandergrift. He is a Republican in politics.
Mr. Petty married, October 17, 1900, Margaret G. Hamlin, a lineal de- scendant of President Adams, and they are the parents of two sons: Richard Hamlin and Harry W. Petty.
HARRY DETTMAR RICHEY. Henderson Richey, father of Harry Dettmar Richey, of Vandergrift, was born in 1843, on a farm in Alle- glieny county, Pennsylvania, and served throughout the entire period of the 'Civil war as a member of Company K, One Hundred and Third Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He was captured in the engagement at Plymouth, North Carolina, and confined in Andersonville prison for eleven, month and eleven days, being released only after the close of hostilities. Until 1871 Mr. Richey followed agricultural pursuits and at that time moved to Ems- worth, where he remained eighteen years, when he settled in Bellevue, Penn- sylvania, where he now resides and serves as a member of the police force. He is an ardent Republican and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Richey married Leah Carroll, and two of their four children survive : Harry Dettmar, see forward; and Amelia M., at home.
Harry Dettmar Richey, son of Henderson and Leah (Carroll) Richey, was born September 20, 1869, in Allegheny county, and was educated in the public schools of Emsworth. In his ninth year he began to serve a paper route and for some eight years carried daily papers to his customers. Soon after passing his seventeenth year he began an apprenticeship at patternmaking in Pittsburg, finishing his time in the shops of the Fort Pitt foundry, owned by Mackintosh & Hemphill, of Pittsburg. He remained with this firm for eight years, at the end of that time resigning his position, and for three years thereafter worked in various shops in and around Pittsburg. In 1900 he went to Vandergrift and secured a position in the pattern shops of the Chilled Roll Foundry Company. He worked as a journeyman until January 13, 1902, when he was promoted to the position of foreman of the pattern shops. In April of the same year the company became the United Engineering & Foundry Company, Mr. Richey retaining his position under the new management. He belongs to the Royal Arcanum, is a staunch Republican and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Mr. Richey married. November 12, 1892, Ada Johns, of Bellevue, Penn- sylvania, and they have three children : Mildred Irene, Mary Etta, and William Harold.
JAMES SINCLAIR. The father of James Sinclair, of Vandergrift, was Lemuel Sinclair, who was born in Greene county, Pennsylvania, in 1821. was reared on a farm and always followed agricultural pursuits. Some few years after his marriage he moved to Wood county, West Virginia, and there passed the remainder of his life. He was a Democrat and a member of the
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Baptist church. Mr. Sinclair married Phoebe Phillips, also a native of Greene county, and the following are their children : Thomas, Joseph, Sarah, wife of E. J. Flemings ; and James, see forward. All these, with the exception of the last named, are residents of Wood county, West Virginia. The mother of the family died early in life, and the father passed away in 1892, at the age of seventy-one.
James Sinclair, son of Lemuel and Phoebe ( Phillips) Sinclair, was born August 11, 1856, in Wood county, West Virginia, and was but two years old at the time of the death of his mother. He was, however, carefully trained by his father, who supplied as far as possible the mother's place, while his sister, then but six years old, soon began to assume some of the household duties. Mr. Sinclair was educated in the common schools and remained at home on the farm until his nineteenth year, when he went to the oil fields of his native county. and was there employed some three years. After one year spent on the Ohio. river steamboats, he worked for two years in the timber regions of Pleasant county, West Virginia.
In 1882 he went to Pennsylvania, settling in Saltsburg, where for three years he worked in the coal mines. He then went to Latrobe, where he was employed for five years in the paper mills, after which he moved to Jeannette and there worked eighteen months in the glass factory. His next removal was to Greensburg, where he was employed about six months in the United States glass factory, and after this brief sojourn proceeded to Avonmore. There also he found work in the glass factory, remaining until October, 1896. At that time he went to Apollo and entered the service of the Apollo Chilled Roll Foundry Company, by whom he was advanced on April 6, 1897, to the position of labor foreman. This position he has since continuously retained, notwith- standing the fact that since his appointment the foundry has been removed to. Vandergrift and has changed owners. He belongs to Apollo Lodge, No. 618, P. O. S. of A., and Apollo Lodge, Knights of the Maccabees. He is a Re- publican and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Mr. Sinclair married, February 14. 1875. Alice Corbin, of Wood county, West Virginia, and of their family of eight children six survive : James Tilden, foreman of work train on West Pennsylvania railroad ; Leroy, of Vandergrift ; Rosa, wife of James Serene, of Apollo: Lawrence, Ruth, and Charles, all of whom are at home.
HARRY LYNCH. George W. Lynch, father of Harry Lynch, of Vandergrift, was børn January 28, 1848, in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, and at the age of three years was taken by his parents to Pulaski, same state, where he was reared to his seventeenth year. The family then removed to Cochran's Mills, Armstrong county, where he lived to the age of twenty-five. He then went to Pittsburg, where for eight years he was engaged in railroad work, after which he entered the service of the firm of Park Brothers, proprietors of the Black Diamond steel works of Pittsburg. He remained with this company in the capacity of melter more than eight years, when he was rendered unfit for his duties by an attack of rheumatism. After working for a short time in the plumbing shop of the company, he resigned and secured employment with the Pittsburg City Railway Company, remaining with them until 1890, when he retired from active labor. He belongs to the A. O. U. W., is a Republican and a member of the Lutheran church.
Mr. Lynch married Martha K. Wismer, and their children are : Harry, see forward: Hannah Catherine, wife of Charles Murray, of Pittsburg: Mary
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Virginia, wife of Neal McInnis, of Avalon ; and Benjamin Franklin, of Pitts- burg.
Harry Lynch, son of George W. and Martha K. (Wismer) Lynch, was born January 14, 1873, in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and received a common school education. In his eighteenth year he apprenticed himself to the mould- er's trade, and in August, 1892 completed his term of service. He worked as a journeyman until December 6, 1899, when he went to Apollo and secured en- ployment in the Chilled Roll foundry, which in 1901 was removed to Vander- grift. Six months after Mr. Lynch was placed in charge of the iron floor, continuing in charge for two years and ten months. The foreman of the steel floor being then given charge of the iron floor in addition to his own, Mr. Lynch returned to the foundry and there worked as a journeyman for one year, when he was made foreman of the roll floor, a position which he still retains. He affiliates with Mineral Point Lodge, No 615, I. O. O. F .. in which he holds the rank of past grand, and also belongs to Apollo Commandery, No. 365, Knights of Malta. His political affiliations are with the Republicans, and he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Mr. Lynch married, September 17, 1892, Ella, daughter of James Hoag, a railroad man of Pittsburg. and the following children have been born to them : Earl G., Charles Raymond, Ralph Clinton, Benjamin Franklin, Harry, de- ceased : Martha Catherine, Helen Margaret. Robert, and Elizabeth Freda.
THOMAS A. HUNTLEY, a machinist in the H. C. Frick Coal Company at Mammoth, Westmoreland county. Pennsylvania, is a native of Fayette county, born January 4, 1867, the son of Levi and Lavinia ( Richards ) Huntley.
Robert Huntley (grandfather) lived and died in southern Fayette county. He followed the occupation of teamster and farmer all his life. He married a Miss McCain, and their children were: Levi, James, Charles O., Margaret, Fannie and Sarah.
Levi Huntley ( father ) was born in Fayette county, June 18, 1834. He is a blacksmith by trade, an occupation which he has followed all his life. He married Miss Lavinia Richards, and they have children as follows : William, Orella, wife of George Dickson; Thomas, see forward; Newton, store mana- ger for the Label Steel Company : Robert, died at the age of twenty-six years.
Thomas A. Huntley obtained his education in the common schools of his native county, and in early life learned the trade of blacksmith with his father. He became very skillful and proficient in this trade, and was occupied at it for thirteen years. He then turned his attention to the trade of machinist, and has been engaged at the H. C. Frick Coal plant at Mammoth for the past nineteen years. He holds membership in the F. and A. M., Lodge No. 225, of Greens- burg. He married Ann Elizabeth Newill, daughter of W. G. and Ellen Newill. and six children were born to them, three of whom died in infancy. The living are : Harry Edward, born December 16, 1888, now attending Greensburg semi- nary ; Helen, born March 8, 1898; and Thomas N., born January 25, 1901.
THOMAS KEEFE, general superintendent of the Buckeye & Mullin works at Stauffer, Pennsylvania, is a native of Ireland, son of William Keefe.
William Keefe ( father) emigrated from the old country with his family, landing in New York City, May 10, 1870, removing later to Ritchie county, West Virginia, where he settled and worked as a laborer until his death, An- gust 27, 1877. In religious faith he was a member of the Roman Catholic church. He and his wife had the following named children, all born in Ireland,
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who accompanied their parents to this country : Margaret, wife of Michael Mc- Guire : Catherine, unmarried : Bridget, married Michael Quinn ; James, a miner in West Virginia : and Thomas, see forward.
Thomas Keefe was buit seven years of age when he came to this country with his parents. He received a common school education, and at the early age of twelve commenced to make his own way in the world. He entered into his first regular employment as a miner in Virginia, and in 1880 removed to Connellsville, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, and there found employment as a miner for a steel company, with whom he was engaged for several years. In 1900 he was given the position of general foreman for the H. C. Frick Coal Company, a position which he occupied until April, 1905. He then established himself as superintendent of the Buckeye & Mullin works at Stauffer, and still retains his connection with this firm. Mr. Keefe is a capable, reliable business man, and well qualified to perform the responsible duties attending his present position. In church relations he accords with the doctrines of the Roman Catholic church.
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