History of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens 20th century, Part 218

Author: McFarland, Joseph Fulton; Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1474

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

they moved to the Col. Robert Miller farm and spent the remainder of their lives there.

The children born to Jacob and Jane Miller were as follows: Rachel, who married Thomas Sproat, of South Strabane Township; Mary, whose second marriage was to Samuel McNary; Nancy, who married John Boon; Jane, who married Richard Sproat, and lived in Ohio; Samuel, who carried on a wagon making business at Hickory, Pa .; Catherine, who married James McDowell, of Mt. Pleasant Township; Jacob, who married and moved to Ohio; Margaret, who married John McDowell, of Mt. Pleasant Township; Sophia; Robert W., who died in 1891; Elizabeth, who married James R. Stewart; and Sarah, who never married.

James R. and Elizabeth Stewart had two children: Rebecca and Jacob M. The former married William H. Thompson, who was born at Canonsburg, May 17, 1837, the eldest son of Joseph and Emily (Gabby) Thompson. Mr. Thompson died in 1871. They had five children : James Stewart Thompson, Joseph Stewart, Elizabeth Emma, Millie R. and one that died in infancy. James R. Stewart died May 22, 1880, survived by his widow and both children. He was a Republican in his political views and had been a life-long member of the United Presbyterian Church.

Jacob M. Stewart attended school in District No. 3 and afterward assisted his father on the farm and con- tinued an agricultural life until 1894, when he retired to Hickory and has been usefully identified with borough affairs ever since. For thirty-five years he has been a member of the Hickory United Presbyterian Church, in which he is an elder. Mr. Stewart owns 243 acres of land, 133 of which he received from his father's estate.

On May 28, 1861, Mr. Stewart was married to Miss Rebecca J. Todd, a daughter of Rev. John Todd, a min- ister of the United Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Stewart died March 9, 1879, survived by five children, namely : Blanche L., who married J. R. Jamison, and is a resident of Kansas City; Frank T .; Grace, who is the wife of William Ross and resides on the old Henderson home place near Cross Roads Church, in Chartiers Township; Edith, who is the wife of Harry Quivey, of Notting- ham Township; and Myrtle, who is the wife of Ralph Bedillion, of South Strabane Township.

Frank T. Stewart was born September 29, 1870, and was educated in the public schools. After leaving school he engaged in farming and stock raising together with dairy- ing and resides on his father's farm. The residence there was built in 1857 but the barn was put up and other improvements made in 1893. Mr. Stewart breeds regis- tered Guernsey cattle and owns one cow that has a butter record of eighteen pounds a week. Mr. Stewart makes a success of all of his undertakings and during 1909 he put up 100 acres of hay and grain. Like his father and

as was his grandfather, he is a Republican, and he be- longs to the Cross Roads United Presbyterian Church. He was married in November, 1899, to Miss Mary Marquis, a daughter of John Marquis, of Burgettstown, Pa. They have five children: Carl, Etta, Mabel, Wilda and Glenn Ross.

Jacob M. Stewart married for his second wife, Lizzie J. Grounds, daughter of John and Jemima (Buchanan) Grounds, natives and old and substantial people of Wash- ington County. The father of Mrs. Stewart was one of the most venerable residents at the time of his death, being then ninety years of age.

JOHN NOLDER,* oil producer, with an interest in over 100 wells located in Ohio, West Virginia and Penn- sylvania, is a member of the S. M. Adams Post, No. 330, Grand Army of the Republic, at McDonald, Pa., being a veteran of the Civil War, and at present quartermaster of his post. He was born in Armstrong County, Pa., February 12, 1843, and is a son of John and Elizabeth (Nelson) Nolder.

The father of Mr. Nolder never saw his son, dying, shortly before the babe was born. Later, Mrs. Nolder married Isaac Gray and to this second marriage seven children were born: William, James, Samuel, Martha, Mary, Lucetta and Priscilla.

John Nolder's educational opportunities were confined to attendance at the district school. He worked for one year as a farmer and for three years in a grist mill. He then found employment in the salt works, and later in the coal mines and after that tried a season on a canal boat, at all times keeping busy but not being able to save much money. In 1861 he enlistel in Co. G, 11th Pa. Vol. Inf., and subsequently veteranized and remained in the service until he was honorably discharged at Pitts- burg, Pa., May 22, 1865. His military record reflects credit on him and has made him eligible to almost all the official positions in the Grand Army Post, to which he has belonged for a number of years. Following his army service he was engaged in different kinds of work until 1871, when he entered the oil business and has met with much success in this line.

Mr. Nolder was married in April, 1867, to Barbara Eachler, who was born in Germany and died at McDon- ald, September 3, 1905. She was the mother of the fol- lowing children: Mary, who married R. D. White; Em- ma, who married Robert Johnston; Carrie, who married Parks Schrengost; and William P. Mr. Nolder married secondly Juliet Pierce, who died June 9, 1908. Mr. Nolder and family attend the Presbyterian Church. In politics he is a Republican.

J. C. LUYTEN,* postmaster at Westland, Pa., and manager of the Federal Supply store at this point, was

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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY

born in Belgium, January 12, 1882. His father, Amiel Luyten, died in 1898, and was interred in the Catholic Cemetery at McDonald. The mother resides at Cecil, Pa., and all five of the children live in the United States.

J. C. Luyten was ten years old when he accompanied his parents to America and was only sixteen when his father died. He is to a large degree a self-made man, having had but few of the early advantages that he hopes to secure for his own children. He attended the district school at Moon Run and later took a course with the Scranton Correspondence School and has been engaged in business continuously ever since. After his marriage he became manager of a store at Bethel, where he was also postmaster. He came from there August 14, 1907, to Westland and took charge of the Federal Supply Com- pany store, being appointed postmaster here. In politics he is a Republican and is now serving in his first term as a school director. Fraternally he is an Elk and belongs to the lodge of Moose at Carnegie.

Mr. Luyten was married December 26, 1903, to Miss Rachel Briss, and they have two daughters, Blanche and Helen. Mr. Luyten and wife are Catholics and attend the churches at McDonald and Cecil. Although Mr. Luy- ten has an affection for his native land, the larger part of his life has been spent in America and he has absorbed American ideas and identified himself with American interests. He is an able business man and a representa- tive citizen.

JOHN Y. McCLAIN, who is engaged in general contracting, has been a resident of Washington, Pennsyl- vania for the past 23 years, and was born in Dunnings- ville, Washington County, Pa., in 1859. He is a son of William and Hannah (Yant) McClain, the former a native of Ireland, who emigrated to this country when a boy with his parents, who located for a time at Philadelphia. He was a shoemaker by trade, and when about fifteen years of age came to Washington County, where for many years he worked at his trade, but spent his later years on a farm, where he died in 1907, aged eighty-five years. In politics he was an old line Whig and later a Republican. He married Hannah Yant, who died when our subject was a baby, and was a daughter of Abraham Yant, who was one of the pioneers of Wash- ington County.

John Y. McClain was reared in Nottingham Township and educated in the schools there, early in life learning the carpenter trade, at which he has worked continuously since that time, carrying on general contracting for the past five years.

In 1886, Mr. McClain married Flora M. Barr, who died August 30, 1909, and was buried in Washington Cemetery, September 1, 1909. She was reared in Somer- set Township, and was a daughter of Robert and Mar-

garet Barr, old settlers of Washington County. Mr. and Mrs. McClain had three children: Olive M., Ellen M. and Boyd L. The family are members of the First United Presbyterian Church of Washington. Mr. Mc- Clain has always taken an active interest in politics and has held various offices in the borough. He is a member of the Carpenters' Union and in 1902 was a delegate to the National Convention held at Atlanta; Ga., and is also affiliated with the I. O. O. F. lodge and Encamp- ment, and the Heptasophs, in all of which he has held office.

JAMES ALVIN RABE,* who is proprietor of an un- dertaking and furniture establishment at Donora, Pa., was born March 25, 1874, on a farm near Donora, a son of Hiram and Catherine (Frederick) Rabe.

Hiram Rabe was born in Washington County, Pa.,. where he spent his entire active career engaged in agri- culture. His marriage with Catherine Frederick, re- sulted in the birth of the following children: Elma, who married Stephen Tucker, both being now deceased; Anna, who is the wife of William Blackenbuhler; William; David; James; Alvin, our subject; and Virginia, who died in infancy. Mrs. Rabe died about 1876, and he formed a second union with Melinda Tegarden, after which he removed to Monongahela City, where he died in 1899. His second wife died about 1895.

James Alvin Rabe attended the school in Carroll Town- ship, and assisted in the work on the parental farm. In 1902 he came to Donora, where he entered the employ of Earnest Sturgess, an undertaker and furniture dealer, with whom he remained two years. On May 1, 1905, after receiving a diploma from the Pennsylvania School of Embalming, he purchased his present establishment from Mr. Sturgess. Mr. Rabe is a man of public spirit and enterprise and is recognized as one of the leading business men of Donora. His residence and place of business are both located on the corner of Sixth and Thompson streets. He belongs fraternally to the Odd Fellows, the Jr. O. U. A. M .; and the Loyal Order of Moose. In 1903 he was united in marriage with Dora Coulter, who is a daughter of Robert Coulter.

LESLIE CAMPBELL,* senior member of the Leslie Campbell Clothing Company of Charleroi, Pa., has been engaged in the clothing business at his present location at various times since 1901, the business having previ- ously been carried on under the firm name of Campbell . & Atkins. He was born December 26, 1860, at West Columbia, now known as Donora, Pa., and is a son of Robert and Sarah J. (Baldwin) Campbell, well known farmers of Carroll Township, the former of whom was a native of eastern Pennsylvania, and the latter of Wash- ington County.

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Leslie Campbell was reared and received a common school education at West Columbia, and when a young man worked as a fireman on the Pennsylvania R. R. until injured in a wreck, which incapacitated him from work for a period of eight months. Upon recovering from his injuries, he clerked in William McGregor's store at Mo- nongahela City for ten years, then went to Pittsburg for a short time, after which he returned to West Co- lumbia, where he opened a clothing store and served as postmaster, the office being known as Westcoe. In 1897. he came to Charleroi and clerked for the Sandefeld Clothing Company for several years. He then established his present business, the firm having been previously known as Campbell & Atkins, but now as the Leslie Campbell Clothing Company; it commands an extensive and lucrative pratronage throughout this locality.

Mr. Campbell was united in marriage with Martha J. Brawdy, a daughter of Aaron Brawdy, and they have one daughter, Sarah Dorothy Campbell. Mr. Campbell is fraternally connected with the Elks.

SAMUEL D. JONES,* a highly esteemed resident of Mt. Pleasant Township, Washington County, where he is engaged in cultivating a fine farm of 112 acres, was born at Midway, Pa., April 11, 1861, and is a son of Samuel and Nancy (Aiken) Jones, who were farming people of Washington County. Samuel Jones and his wife were members of the United Presbyterian Church, and both are now deceased, being buried at Midway. They had two children, Samuel D. and Frank W., the latter of whom is deceased.

Samuel D. Jones attended the common schools of the vicinity of Midway, and at the age of seventeen years, when his father died, he was compelled to leave school to take charge of the home farm, which he continued to operate until 1893, at which time he located in MeDonald and engaged in the hardware business. He continued in that line until June 16, 1909, when he resumed farming and has been carrying on agricultural operations to the present time. In addition to his excellent farming prop- erty, he owns considerable real estate in McDonald, where he was prominent in Democratic politics, serving three terms in the town Council. He and his wife are mem- bers of the First United Presbyterian Church at McDon- ald.

In 1889 Mr. Jones married Miss Belle Smith, a daugh- ter of William Smith. She died in in 1893, leaving three children, Howard, Lula and Frank. In 1897 Mr. Jones married Ella Adams, daughter of Thomas and Susan Adams, and they have had one daughter, Ethel.

R. C. MOUNTSER,* an extensive dealer in grain, hay, feed and builders' supplies, whose warehouses are lo- cated at No. 300-318 MeKean avenue, Charleroi, was

born July 2, 1879, in Belle Vernon, Fayette County, Pa., and is a son of Augustine and Althea (Demain) Mountser.

Augustine Mountser was born in England and when a lad of ten years came to this country with an uncle, who located on a farm in Westmoreland County, Pa., and by whom he was reared to maturity. He was married to Althea Demain, who was born and reared in Belle Ver- non, Fayette County, after which he located at Gibson- ton for a time. He subsequently moved to Lock 4, now North Charleroi, where he conducted a brick yard for three years. In 1892 he came to Charleroi and estab- lished the feed and grain business which is now under the management of his son, the subject of this sketch. Mr. and Mrs. Mountser are still residents of Charleroi.

R. C. Mountser was about ten years of age when his parents removed to Lock 4, Washington County, from Belle Vernon, and three years later came to Charleroi, where he was reared and has since continued to reside. Mr. Mountser first, engaged in the grain and feed busi- ness in 1892 with his father, after the retirement of whom, he formed a partnership with H. L. Piersol, with whom he was associated until 1904, since which time he has been sole owner of the business. Mr. Mountser employs six men in his warehouses, and in connection with grain, feed and builders' supplies, carries on, in partnership with W. E. Porter, a wholesale flour depart- ment, jobbing the Golden Crescent and Seal brands, man- ufactured in Minnesota.

Mr. Mountser was united in marriage with Elizabeth Miller, a daughter of Peter Miller, and they have one daughter, Virginia Mountser. Mr. Mountser is affiliated with the Masonic order of Charleroi.

ROBERT COWDEN, SR.,* a retired farmer, owning 400 acres of fine land situated partly in Mt. Pleasant and partly in Chartiers townships, resides about three miles southeast of Canonsburg, Pa. He is a member of one of the old pioneer families of Washington County and was born on his present farm, November 10, 1835. His father was John and his grandfather was also a John Cowden.

Grandfather John Cowden, who was born near Car- lisle, Pa., married a Miss Sloan. He died after coming to Washington County with his wife, their trip over the Alleghany Mountains being made by following a blazed trail.

John Cowden, father of Robert, was born in Mt. Pleas- ant Township, Washington County. He married Mary Kelso, a daughter of Mark Kelso, and they had eight children, namely: Elizabeth, who died in 1842; Joseph, who died in 1908; Mark; Margaret Ann, who is deceased; Jane and John, both of whom are deceased; Robert; and Mary, deceased, who was the wife of Robert Welch. John

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Cowden died in 1855, at that time owning 260 acres of land; his wife survived but a few years. They were well known people in their neighborhood and were among the faithful members of the Seceder Church. Their burial was in the cemetery at Hickory. In politics John Cow- den was a Whig.

Robert Cowden attended the district schools in Mt. Pleasant Township when his services could be spared from the home farm, which estate he later inherited. He acquired other property and now pays taxes on 400 acres. He is a stockholder in the Houstonville National Bank. While always a good citizen and interested in all that concerns the development and good name of his town- ship, Mr. Cowden has never been willing to accept any office except that of school director. In politics he is a Republican.

Mr. Cowden was first married to Miss Margaret Allison, a daughter of Samuel and Mary Allison, and five chil- dren were born to this union, namely: John D., who is now deceased; Elizabeth, who married Robert Smith, and lives at Washington, Pa .; Margaret, who resides at home; Robert, who married Viola Hickman, and resides in Har- rison County, Ohio; and Joseph. Mr. Cowden married secondly Miss Margaret McDonald, a daughter of John and Margaret McDonald, of Beaver County, and they have one son, Donald M. They are members of the United Presbyterian Church.

D. F. CONNER, owner and proprietor of a large gro- cery business at McDonald, Pa., is one of the borough's enterprising citizens and has been identified with busi- ness interests here since 1901. He was born at Corry, Pa., December 24, 1874, and is a son of Daniel and Margaret (Madigan) Conner. The parents of Mr. Con- ner were of Irish descent. They both died at Corry, Pa., where the father was engaged in a contracting business. The family contained four children: Jerry, D. F., John and Catherine Mary.

D. F. Conner attended the public schools of Corry un- til he was sixteen years of age, after which he learned the butchering business and followed it for eleven years, owning his own shop. After selling out at Corry, in 1901, he came to McDonald, where he conducted a gro- cery store for three years and then bought the Bastian Hotel, changing the name to the Commercial Hotel and admitting Ben Frankle as a partner. They continued together for six years. In the spring of 1909, Mr. Con- ner sold his hotel interest to his partner and resumed merchandising. He has recently completed a substan- tial two-story brick block, the two lower commodious rooms being for store purposes and the second floor util- ized as an opera house. This structure is a credit to the borough, adding greatly to the business appearance of the busiest section of the place.

On October 11, 1907, Mr. Conner was married to Mrs. Mary McNerney, whose maiden name was Mary McDon- ald. She has two brothers and two sisters, namely: John; Wyne, who is the wife of Patrick Lyden; Frank; and Bee, who is the wife of Joseph Maloney. By her first marriage with James McNerney, she had two chil- dren, Freda and James McNerney. Mr. and Mrs. Conner are members of the Catholic Church at McDonald. He is a Republican.

KERFOOT W. DALY,* cashier of the Bank of Char- leroi, with which he has been identified since January 24, 1898, is one of the rising men of the younger gene- ration, who will doubtless attain considerable prominence in the banking business of Pennsylvania. He was born April 24, 1874, at Gibsonton, Westmoreland County, Pa., and is the youngest son of Thomas L. and Carrie W. (Wilson) Daly.

Kerfoot W. Daly was reared at Gibsonton, and after a preliminary education received from a governess, pur- sued a course of studies at Trinity Hall, Washington, Pa. He has been a resident of Charleroi since 1898, when he accepted a position as assistant cashier of the Bank of Charleroi, which was opened for business Jan- uary 24, 1898. Since 1900 he has been cashier of the bank, of which his father, Thomas L. Daly, is president; and John C. McKean, vice president.

Mr. Daly was united in marriage with Mary Elizabeth Thompson, a daughter of John Thompson, of Finley- ville, Pa., and they have one daughter, Mary Violet. Mr. Daly is a director in the Monongahela Trust Com- pany of Monongahela City, and is treasurer of the West Side Street Railway Company at Charleroi. He is treas- urer of the Charleroi Lodge No. 615, F. & A. M., past exalted ruler of Charleroi Lodge No. 497, B. P. O. E., and is a member and vestryman of the St. Mary's Epis- copal Church.

WILLIAM S. THOMPSON,* for many years a highly respected citizen and successful farmer of Mt. Pleasant Township, was born in this township February 22, 1851, a member of a family that was established here in 1812 by his grandfather, Allen Thompson. His parents were Allen and Mary Jane (Griffith) Thompson.

William S. Thompson was educated in the McNary district school in . Chartiers Township, and afterward devoted his life to agricultural pursuits. After his mar- riage, in 1878, he lived in Chartiers Township until 1880, when he bought eighty-two acres of land in Mt. Pleasant Township, which he greatly improved with new build- ings. His father died in 1853 in Cecil Township, leav- ing three children: Nancy M., wife of James Kerr, of Chartiers Township; William S .; and Martha Elizabeth, wife of Hamilton Crawford, of North Strabane Town-

THOMAS F. PICKETT

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ship. The mother then returned to Chartiers Township, where she had been born in June, 1827, a daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Boone) Griffith, and there she subsequently married William Hays, and died in April, 1881. The parents were members of the Miller's Run Presbyterian Church.

In 1878 William S. Thompson married Miss Mattie Henry, a native of Cecil Township, Washington County, and a daughter of Samuel and Martha (McConnell) Henry. Mrs. Thompson died in 1883, survived by two children, Lizzie M. and Mattie Henry. In 1885, Mr. Thompson was again married to Miss Belle Barnett, a daughter of Ephraim Barnett, the latter of whom died in Chartiers Township in 1876. Two sons were born to this union, Boyd B. and George Allen, the former of whom took charge of the farm following the death of his father, which occurred December 29, 1898. He was an elder in the Miller's Run Presbyterian Church. His life was one of uprightness and he was valued by all who knew him for his sterling qualities. He was identi- fied with the Republican party, but never sought public office.

THOMAS F. PICKETT, superintendent of the Hazel- Atlas Glass Company, one of Washington's important business concerns, with which he has been identified for twenty-two years, was born at Washington, Pa., in July, 1861, and is a son of John and Lenora (O'Leary) Pickett.

John Pickett was born in County Clare, Ireland, and in 1852 he emigrated and came to Washington, Pa. He secured work by the day with what is now the B. & O. Railroad and soon proved his value to his employers. Through his kindness of heart, however, he lost his po- sition, the facts being that when the first engine used on the construction work here was left in his charge when it was run on a side track, he was ordered to harbor no tramps within its warm interior. This was during the panic of 1877, when many people were forced out of employment and many also were but poorly pro- vided to withstand the rigors of the winter. When these people, on their way to other sections, came upon Mr. Pickett's engine, they had little difficulty in pursuading him to give a night's shelter. This was creditable to him as a man, but was clearly against orders and when the company found it out, he was discharged. Never- theless he prospered, later was elected and served for some years as street commissioner, and after retiring from that office, engaged in contracting. At Washing- ton he met and married Miss Lenora O'Leary, who was also a native of County Clare, Ireland. She died April 12, 1897, and his death occurred July 5, 1904, and both were interred in the Catholic Cemetery at Washington. They had a large and vigorous family, all of whom sur-

vive, namely: Thomas F .; William, who is a contractor at Washington; Peter and John, both of whom are in the employ of the United States Express Company, the former as a driver and the latter as agent; Michael, who is with the Hazel-Atlas Glass Company; Mary, who is cashier for the United States Express Company at Washington; Julia, who is a teacher in the Third Ward school at Washington; Kate and Margaret, both of whom are at home; Anna, who is a clerk in the Real Estate and Trust Company ;and Nellie, who is a teacher in the Washington High School. John Pickett was a stanch Democrat. He was a first cousin of the famous Daniel O'Connor.

Thomas F. Pickett was reared and educated at Wash- ington. His first work was done with the Hayes and Wilson Carriage Company at Washington, after which he was with the firm of Zahniser Bros., at Washington, where he learned the blacksmith trade and in 1887 en- tered the employ of the Hazel Atlas Glass Company in that capacity. His promotion has been gradual, and step by step he has been advanced until he is now the superintendent of the No. 1 Factory, a very responsible position, but one for which Mr. Pickett's long experi- ence has thoroughly qualified him. In addition he is in- terested in other prospering enterprises. He has always been more or less active in the public life of the city, many times proving his civic usefulness, and has served as a member of the city Council.

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History of the city of Washington and Washington County, Pennsylvania and representative citizens 20th century, Part 218

Author: McFarland, Joseph Fulton; Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1474

Author: McFarland, Joseph Fulton; Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1474