History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 165

Author: George Dallas Albert, editor
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USA > Pennsylvania > Westmoreland County > History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men > Part 165

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1881 .- President, P. 8. Loucks; Secretary, T. W. Ault; Treasurer, John P. Klingensmith ; Directora, John Robertson, 8. R. Elcher, T. W. Ault, W. K. Herbert, David Dick, Dr. A. J. Rogers, J. A. Barnhart, John Walter, John Rutherford.

THE LECTURE ASSOCIATION.

Officers for 1882 are : President, J. R. Stauffer ; Secretary and Treasurer, E. A. McConn; Committee, E. H. Reid, George H. Everson, George H. Fulton, E. O. Humphries, J. D. Hill, Nathaniel Miles, T. F. Cummings.

THE POST-OFFICE

was established in 1873, and H. C. Hubbs appointed postmaster. The first year the proceeds of the office netted him forty-five dollars. Before that time the office was "Fountain Mills," on the Fayette County side of Jacobs Creek. Mr. Hubbs first kept it in the "Company Store" building, and afterwards removed it to the Livengood building on the corner, where it remained until 1880, when it was changed to its pres- ent location. In 1881 he was succeeded by the pres- ent popular incumbent, J. C. Farrar, who removed to this town five years ago from Cumberland, Md. In December, 1881, it was made a Presidential office, with salary at fourteen hundred dollars per year, to take effect April 1, 1882.

ADAMS EXPRESS OFFICE

was established in 1873, with H. C. Hubbs as agent, who has held this position to the present time.

STATION AGENT.

The first depot or station was built in 1880, and opened in January following, with H. C. Hubbs as station- and ticket-agent. Previous to this there was nothing but a platform to accommodate people, who were obliged to stand exposed to the inclement weather, and that, too, in a town named in honor of Col. Thomas A. Scott, so long the noted president of the Pennsylvania Railroad.

VARIOUS BUSINESS AND MANUFACTURING IN- .TEREST8.

The extensive planing-mill and lumber manufac- tory of Ruth & Stoner was established in 1878 by Peter S. and Jacob S. Loucks. They operated it on a large scale until January, 1882, when Messrs. Ruth & Stoner leased it. It employs some fifteen hands in manufacturing doors, sash, joists, etc., used by them in building houses. The Loucks brothers in their nine years' business erected many of the buildings in the town.

The Loucks brothers, Peter S. and Jacob S., have a large warehouse, in which they store grain, seeds, wool, etc., in the buying and selling of which they are extensively engaged.

In 1878, Zearley & Pool erected a planing-mill and lumber establishment, which E. H. Reid purchased and operated after them. It is now conducted by John H. Seivers, lessee of the property of Mr. Reid, and is situated on Broadway, one square from Pitts- burgh Street. It employs some twenty hands, and procures its lumber from the West and Northern Pennsylvania. Since its erection, four years ago, it has built many buildings in the place. The largest store here is that of E. H. Reid, formerly owned by the Furnace Company, of whom Mr. Reid purchased some years since. He is an old merchant, having been in business nearly fifteen years at Broad Ford. Another large dry-goods store, etc., is that of J. S. Parker, successors of Parker & Smith, who started the second store in the place. There are two large hotels, and every kind of industry is well represented. There are no licensed places for the sale of spirituous or malt liquors in less quantities than the gallon or keg.

The private banking-house of J. S. Stauffer and P. S. Loucks, doing business as the Scottdale Bank, has just (1882) been established in the borough. It pro- poses doing a general banking business, receiving de- posits and making discounts. John M. Stauffer is cashier. The bank is located in Loucks' Block, a new building, on Pittsburgh Street.

STONERSVILLE.

This town, a station on the South Penn Railroad, is on parts of the old tracts of land owned by Matthias Camp and Henry Fox. In 1800, when there was no building on the site of the present town, the Mennon- ite Church congregation purchased of Mr. Camp an acre and a half of ground, on which the same year they erected a log meeting-house, a school-house, and laid out a graveyard. This was the first start of the place. Shortly afterwards Christian Stoner erected a saw-mill, carding-machine, and fulling-mill on land purchased of Joseph Fulkerth. He also put up a cabinet-maker's shop and made coffins, being the first undertaker in the township. Next was the erection of a log house on the old State road, on the Fulkerth land, east of the railroad, which was built along here in 1872. The opening of the railroad was the be-

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HILL& KENNEY GRASS & IRON FOUNDERSAND MACHINISTS

CJILL & KENNEY, BRASS AND IRON FOUNDERS AND MACHINISTS, SCOTTDALE, WESTMORELAND CO., PA.

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ginning of the place, which before was hardly a hamlet. That year Hurst, Stoner & Co., composed of Braden Hurst, B. B. Stoner, Mr. Shaw, and W. B. Neal, established their coke-works, now having seventy ovens. They laid out thirty lots along the State road. Their firm is the same now, but the partners are Braden Hurst, with Messrs. Rafferty and McClure. The next year 8. Warden & Co. opened their coke- works and built twenty company buildings for their workmen. This company (three-fourths of whose stock is now owned by the Southwest Coal Com- pany) have at present seventy-two ovens. The first physician here was the present practitioner, Dr. J. E. Rigg, who located in 1875. The State road, from Mount Pleasant to Smith's Ferry, passed by its site, and on it a mile west of Stonersville a Mr. Keggy kept tavern several years before 1800, when Rev. David Funk purchased the place. The post-office was established June 1, 1877, and Braden Hurst ap- pointed postmaster, who still holds the office. The present stores are kept by J. J. Hurst & Co. and Wil- liam A. Byers, and the grocery by E. H. Trout.

THE SCHOOLS.

The first school-house was a little rude log hut. It was torn down, and the second one erected, a small brick structure, in 1836. In this house the first teacher was a Mr. Lutis, an educated sea-captain from Germany. It being too small a new one was built (brick) in 1850, which was replaced in 1876 by the fourth and present one, a fine two-story building, with two rooms. The four school-houses were on four different lots, two located north of the State road and two south. The present teachers are W. E. and E. Loucks, both experienced educators and sons of the late Rev. Peter Loucks.

SHOUP'S MILL,

an extensive steam flouring-mill, a frame building, three stories in height, is the first grist-mill erected here, and was built in 1881 by its proprietors, P. L. and J. B. Shoup, descendants of an old family, early settled in the township.

REAGANTOWN

is a hamlet in the western part of the township, whose vicinity was early settled by the Suters, Smiths, Sny- ders, Lowes, McCurdys, Henkstellers, Reagans (from whom it took its name), Fosters. Here was the " Har- mony" Presbyterian Church, erected in 1849, and the place of attendance on church worship by that denom- ination for miles around until 1879, when the congre- gation was absorbed into the Scottdale Church. Two miles south of it is the Wesleyan Chapel, near which the old families of Hixons, Espeys, Felgars, Stein- mans, Houghs, Foxes, Kellys, Durstines, Hutchin- sons, and Fretts reside.

HUNKER STATION

is on the railroad just below the Hempfield township line, and is quite a shipping point.

" McKean's Old Stand" is in the northwest part of the township, in a neighborhood early settled by the Nulls, Ruffs, Lowes, Bryans, Reagers, and Kellys.

THE SOUTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD traverses the entire length of the township, and has been the means of adding largely to its wealth and population, and has stations at every necessary point to accommodate the rich mineral and agricultural productions produced in its limits.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

THE OVERHOLT FAMILY (WEST OVERTON).

In 1800, Abraham Overholt came from Bucks County, where his ancestors had settled half a century before, and located where is now the village of West Overton. His wife was a Stauffer, by whom the fol- lowing children were born : Henry, Jacob, Abraham, Martin, Christian S., John, died young, Annie, mar- ried to John Tintsman, and Elizabeth, married to John W. Frick.

I. Of these, Henry's children were: 1, Sarah A., married to A. S. R. Overholt; 2, Benjamin F .; 3, Maria; 4, Abbie C .; 5, Abraham ; 6, Henry C. ; 7, Jennie C., married to Nathaniel Miles.

II. Jacob's children were : 1, Maria; 2, Elizabeth ; 3, Abraham ; 4, Isaac; 5, Mary Ann ; 6, Fenton ; 7, Christopher; 8, Jacob Webster; 9, Emma Fox.

III. Abraham's children were : 1, George ; 2, John ; 3, Norman ; 4, Mary.

IV. Martin's children were : 1, Hudson ; 2, James ; 3, Henry ; 4, Elizabeth, married to Mr. Richey ; 5, Ida.

V. Annie Tintsman's children were: 1, Jacob O. Tintsman ; . 2, A. O. Tintsman, a coal king of Pitts- burgh; 3, Henry O. Tintsman, of Mount Pleasant ; 4, John, died in late war in the army ; 5, Annie, mar- ried to Loren Leassure; 6, Emma, married to Dr. Kline, of Greensburg.

VI. Elizabeth Frick's children were : 1, Maria, mar- ried to J. S. R. Overholt; 2, H. Clay Frick, a coal prince of Pittsburgh; 3, Annie, married to Mr. Braddock, merchant of Mount Pleasant; 4, Aaron ; 5, Edgar; 6, Sallie.

VI. Christian S. Overholt's children were : 1, Alice Carey ; 2, Charles; 3, Elmore; 4, Mary, married to George Mckean; 5, Annie; 6, William.

Jacob Overholt was a brother of Abraham, and came here from Bucks County about the time of the latter's arrival, and located midway between Scottdale and West Overton. He was a noted veterinary sur- geon in his day. He married Elizabeth Detwiler, by whom were born the following children : John D., Henry D., Annie, married to Abraham Sherrick, Jacob, Susan, married to Christian Stauffer, and Martin.

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Of these the eldest, John D., married Elizabeth, daughter of Christian Stauffer, by whom the follow- ing children were born : Agnes, married to Abraham Bechtell; Jacob; Ann, married to Alexander H. Boyd; Elizabeth, Christian, John, and Aaron S. R., the last two being twins and the youngest.

Abraham Overholt established a small still on his farm in 1810, which used only a bushel and a half of grain per day. Before 1859 it had been enlarged, but in that year the firm of A. & H. Overholt erected on the same site the present distillery. It is a brick structure, six stories in height, one hundred by sixty feet, with capacity for two hundred and fifty bushels daily. On the first addition, about 1830, to the estab- lishment a flouring-mill was added and steam-power introduced. Both corn and rye whiskey are made, and the superiority of its brands of flour and whiskey has given the mills a great celebrity. They are now operated by A. C. Overholt & Co., who have one hundred and thirty coke-ovens just north of the vil- lage, of which sixty-two were started in 1873, and the others in 1878. These give employment to over a hundred men, and produce one hundred and eighty tons of coke daily. With the distillery is connected a large farm, on which is the elegant brick mansion in which A. S. R. Overholt resides, and which was built in 1838 by Abraham Overholt. The post-office was established in 1850, and since 1866 A. R. S. Overholt has been postmaster, his predecessor being Jacob O. Tintsman. The village was laid out and built by Abraham and Henry Overholt, and grew up settled by their employés. The first store was kept by Christian S. Overholt & Co., and the present one by A. C. Overholt & Co. The village is prettily lo- cated in a rich agricultural and coal region, and many of its residences are fine brick structures. This place owes its existence to the Overholt family, who early settled in and around it, and where their descendants are still very numerous, being intermarried with many of the neighboring families.

THE STONER FAMILY.

The ancestor of the Stoner family in this county came from Switzerland in the middle of the last cen- tury, landed at Philadelphia, and settled in Chester County. He subsequently removed to Morrison's Cove, in Bedford County. His son Christian, born in Chester County, came to East Huntingdon town- ship in 1799 from Bedford County, where he had lived several years. Here, near Stonersville, he pur- chased five hundred acres of land, now in four farms. Tobias Landis now lives on the old Stoner homestead, the other three parts being owned by the grandsons of Christian, viz .: Adam Stoner, Christian Stoner, and Solomon B. Stoner, there being a few small sub- divisions besides. He died in 1814, and his wife, Barbara, in 1816. Of his land when he came one hundred acres had been put in cultivation by previous

owners, and had a cabin on it, the remainder being in woods. His neighbors were Abraham Ruth on the west, George Muman on southeast, and Rev. David Funk on the east. Abraham's children were John, Abraham, Barbara, married to John Werts, Elizabeth, married to Christian Sherrick, Christian, Jacob, Daniel (the first born in this county, the others having been born before their parents' arrival here), Henry, Anna, married to John Rudabaugh, and David. Of these the eldest, John, was born in June, 1787, and was married Oct. 11, 1811, to Magdalena Fox, daughter of Henry Fox. He died Aug 7, 1868, and his wife April 21, 1858, in her sixty- eighth year. Their children were Elizabeth, born 1814, and mar- ried to David Funk, grandson of the Mennonite preacher; Henry W., born 1816; John H., born 1818; Mary, born 1821, and married to David Funk ; she dying he married her sister Elizabeth ; Jacob F., born 1823; Adam, born 1826; Christian F., born 1828; Anna, born 1830, and married to David Landis ; and Magdalena, born 1833, and married to Rev. Reu- ben H. Bolton.

The locality settled by the Stoner family was early called "the Stoner settlement," and the name of Stonerville was given to the village (now a thriving town) in recognition of this family, so prominent in this region since 1799. Leuffer Station is on the land of Henry W. Stoner.

THE FOX FAMILY.

Henry Fox was born in Chester County in 1745, and early (in 1797) settled in this township, two and a half miles west of Mount Pleasant, and near the Stoners. He had two sons and several daughters. Mr. Fox's selection of land, over three hundred acres, was ever considered the finest of the early purchases, being the clearest from the hollows and runs. His daughter Magdalena married John Stoner, and was the mother of the well-known citizen, Henry W. Stoner. Mr. Fox died July 25, 1824, aged seventy- nine years, and his wife, Mary, Aug. 30, 1834, aged eighty.

THE DILLINGER FAMILY .- BETHANY STATION.

Daniel Dillinger was born, Aug. 6, 1787, in the east part of the State, and came to this county at an early period, settling at Bethany, on the farm now owned by his son Samuel, and occupied by Moses Hickson. He died Feb. 9, 1845, aged fifty-seven years, and his wife (Mary Myers) June 19, 1871, aged eighty-one. She was born in Lancaster County. Their children were Daniel, Christian, Joseph, Jacob, Samuel, Daniel, Abraham, Elizabeth, married to Alexander Myers ; Sarah, to Michael Sheetz; and Mary, first to John McCollum, and afterwards to John Billheimer. Of these Samuel Dillinger was born Oct. 28, 1810, and married Sarah Loucks, born in 1808. He moved to his home farm in 1832, before which, after his mar-

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riage, he lived near Scottdale. Their children were: Annie, married to Joseph Hickson, and deceased; Mary, married to Abraham Sherrick ; Catharine, married to Moses Hickson ; Sarah, married to J. C. Fox ; John L., married to Mary McIntyre; Elizabeth, married to C. T. Hanna; Eliza, married to A. A. Hasson ; Daniel L .; Samuel, married to Katie Hutch- inson. About 1830, Samuel Dillinger started a small still on his farm in 1851, and in 1852 erected a frame distillery at Old Bethany (West Bethany post-office), to which in 1856 he added a grist-mill, which was operated until 1881, when destroyed by fire. The same Mr. Dillinger, with his two sons, Daniel L. and Samuel, erected a new three-story frame distillery at Bethany Station, and began distilling in March, 1882.

The firm of S. Dillinger & Sons manufacture pure rye whiskey, the only rye distillery now in operation in the township. It has a capacity for two hundred bushels a day. Its market is Pittsburgh and the East. All its grain is purchased in the West. Mr. Dillinger owns nearly a thousand acres of land in the township, half of which is full of undeveloped coal. They have at Tarr's Station sixty-four coke-ovens, and fifty-one at Hawkeye Station. The former were erected in 1879, and the latter in 1871. This firm does a very extensive business in its distillery, coke- ovens, and flour trade.

Bethany Station is a growing village that arose nearly three years ago on the Dillingers establishing their coke-ovens, and is fast increasing in popula- tion and business. It lies a mile and a half northeast of Old Bethany and a mile north west of Tarr's Station. The Dillinger family is excelled by no other in the northern part of the township in amount of business done, and has ever been specially active in the cause of education, several of the best school-houses being built through the persistent energy of Samuel Dillin- ger, Sr. He was one of the projectors of the South Penn Railroad in 1870 and 1871, at which time he and his sons had seventy coke-ovens in Fayette County, at Pennsville, now owned by A. O. Tinstman, who pur- chased them in 1881. They employ at their two coke- works over a hundred men.

THE TARR FAMILY .- TARR STATION.

About 1794, John B. Tarr, whose father was an em- igrant from Germany before 1760, came from near Elli- cott's Mills, Md., and settled where Henry W. Stoner now resides. In this part of the township he purchased several hundred acres of land. His children were Henry, Peter, Christian, Daniel, and Gasper. Of these, Christian Tarr was a senator and representative in the State Legislature from Fayette County, and a member of Congress. Gasper married Ann Reid, of Lancaster County, and lived in the brick house where his son Henry's son now resides. His children were Catherine, married to Paoli Shepherd; Frederick ; Esther, married to George Sherbondy ; John Balser ;

James R .; Gasper; Margaret, married to John Hus- band; Matilda, married to Robert Neal; Henry ; Paoli; and Samuel, who died in his twenty-second year. Of these, the venerable John Balser Tarr was born Oct. 9, 1799. He attended several terms of the neighbor- hood subscription school, three-fourths of a mile from his father's, taught by John Selby. He was married in 1827 to Harriet Reagan, who died some ten years ago. He moved to his present farm in 1835. He served twenty-two years as magistrate, having first been appointed under the old constitution by the Governor, and several times elected by the people. His father, Gasper Tarr, was a soldier in the war of 1812, and helped to build Reid's Station, on the Alle- gheny River, above Kittanning. Among the neigh- bors of his grandfather, in the early settlement of this region, were Jacob Gardner, Henry Loucks, Melchior Sherbondy, Matthias Camp, and Mark Leighty. Tarr's Station was named after James R. Tarr, who owned the land on which it is located. Here are the extensive coke-works of Peter Tarr, embracing eighty ovens, also the one hundred and thirty-eight coke- ovens of the Southwest Coal and Coke Company (Frick & Co., proprietors), which succeeded Stoner (Joseph), Hitchman & Co. It is a corporation which owns eleven hundred acres of coal land, em- ploys over two hundred men, and has fifty dwellings for its workmen. It has another opening at Stoners- ville. Since the building of the South Pennsylvania Railroad in 1872 all of its engines have been coaled here. One of the most active of its business men, who has very largely contributed to the development of the place, is Joseph Stoner, who has lately retired from the coke and mercantile business, and is now devoting his time to the Mount Pleasant Bank, of which he is a fourth proprietor. The Robbstown and Mount Pleasant turnpike was completed in 1821, and was chartered in 1819. The managers from this region were Gasper Tarr, John Stoner, and Henry Null. The majority of its stock is now held by Henry H. Null, of Greensburg, but John B. Tarr is its secre- tary and treasurer.

THE LOUCKS FAMILY

in this county is descended from an ancestor who emigrated from Germany in 1759 and settled in Bucks County. From him sprang a grandson, Peter Loucks, who removed in 1800 and settled first just across Jacobs Creek in Fayette County, on a farm where now is McClure & Co.'s coke-works. Here he remained a year. He then purchased eighty acres of land, now a part of his grandson's (Peter S. Loucks) place, of John Hugus, with a cabin on it, into which he moved. Two years later he bought another eighty- acre tract, included in the present town of Scottdale, of a Mr. Galloway. At that time an old house, stable, and blacksmith-shop were on this place, all standing on the site of the Methodist. Episcopal Church lot,

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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

He had married in Bucks County Anna Overholt, by whom there were born the following children : Henry, Catharine, Jacob, Mary, and Martin, and those born " after their arrival here were Sarah, married to Sam- uel Dillinger, John, Nancy, died young, and Peter, the latter living in Indiana. The original emigrant Loucks died about 1825, and his widow subsequently married Martin Stauffer.

Rev. Martin Loucks, who was only a year old when his parents came here, was born in 1798, and married Nancy Stauffer. He was a well-known Mennonite preacher, and preached at the old church in Stoners- ville. He died Nov. 7, 1869, aged seventy years, and his widow resides with her son, Peter S. Their chil- dren were Elizabeth, married to David F. Stoner and deceased; Jacob, Anna, Catherine, Abraham, Peter Stauffer, and John. In old times the nearest school- house to the Loucks place was on the Overton farm, a mile distant, and was a stone structure, octagon- shaped. The old Peter Loucks homestead of eighty acres is now included in the limits of Scottdale bor- ough. John, second child of Peter Loucks, born here after his arrival from Bucks County, was the father of the late P. Loucks, who became an eminent minister of the Church of God denomination. The latter married the youngest daughter of John Fox, who moved to Westmoreland County when there was but one house where the town of Mount Pleasant now stands. Her mother, Frederica Carolina Sherbus, was from the canton of Kircheimlanden, Switzer- land, and married Mr. John Fox in 1820. She died May 23, 1876, aged seventy-eight.

Rev. P. Loucks had five children, two of whom, W. E. and E., are the teachers of the Stonersville schools.

Peter Loucks, the first of the name in the county, died July 10, 1825, aged sixty-four years, and his wife, Anna (Overholt), March 15, 1845, in her sev- enty-fifth year.

SAMUEL DILLINGER.

In the early part of the present century Samuel Dillinger, of whose family a genealogical sketch ap- pears elsewhere in this volume, began his life-work, with no capital save a strong body, a stout heart, and willing hands. To any one who gazes upon his broad acres and busy manufacturing establishments to-day his success is manifest. Indeed, no one embodying his characteristics could fail. Owing to the fact that it was necessary for him to devote his youthful days to manual labor, his early education was very limited. This deficiency he supplied by diligent study during the spare moments of after-years. His business edu- cation is of the very best, and was obtained from the business world by careful study of business men. While he has labored diligently to promote his in- dividual interests, he has not been unmindful of his duties as a citizen. He has always taken a proper interest in politics, and has held the local offices

usually intrusted to business men. The free-school system has ever found in him a true friend and liberal supporter. He has always taken an active interest in whatever contributed to increase the industries or develop the resources of the country. Benevolent and hospitable, the poor have always resorted to him confidently in their time of need.

His life has been one of usefulness, and commands the respect of those who know him. Although he has passed the allotted time of threescore and ten years, he is still vigorous in health, and enjoys the results of his years of toil, having committed the management of his large business interest to his sons. May 19, 1881, he and his wife, Sarah (Loucks) Dillinger, who has contributed so largely to her hus- band's success by saving his earnings and making his home comfortable and happy, celebrated their golden wedding. Here were assembled their children and numerous grandchildren, together with the few who remain of the happy company which met more than half a century ago to bid them Godspeed through their wedded life. Both Mr. Dillinger and his wife possess many of the virtues of the sturdy race from which they sprang.

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History of the County of Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, with Biographical Sketches of Many of its Pioneers and Prominent Men, Part 165

Author: George Dallas Albert, editor Publication date: Publisher: Number of Pages:

Author: George Dallas Albert, editor
Publication date:
Publisher:
Number of Pages: