Indiana County, Pennsylvania; her people, past and present, Volume II, Part 117

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 884

USA > Pennsylvania > Indiana County > Indiana County, Pennsylvania; her people, past and present, Volume II > Part 117

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Keen Surgical Society, and finds benefit in the deliberations of these bodies.

On June 14, 1911, Dr. Norton was united in marriage with Anna Louise Wiley, of Blairsville.

NIEL. JAMES and JOHN J. NIEL, brothers, occupy the old home place in West Mahoning township, Indiana county, where their parents settled over a half century ago. William Niel, their grandfather, the first of the family to come to the county, married Polly Cunningham, and his mother's maiden name was Mary Reynolds.

James and John J. Niel were educated in the home locality, attending public school, and they have engaged in farming along mod- ern lines, becoming remarkably successful. They are counted among the most successful agriculturists of their section of Indiana county, as they are among the most extensive, their four hundred acres being in an excel -. lent state of cultivation under their pro- gressive management. They have proved their business ability as well as their aptitude for skillful manipulation of crops and a fac- ulty for getting the most out of their land, and they enjoy good standing among the most favorably known farmers in their sec- tion.

Abram L. Niel, son of William Niel, was born in 1807 in the southwestern part of In- diana county, and as educational facilities in this region were meager in those days he went to school only a short time. But he was On July 19, 1880, Mr. John J. Niel mar- ried Clara E. Coon, of West Mahoning town- ship, daughter of James and Cynthia J. (Niel) Coon, farming people of that town- ship. Children as follows have been born to them: (1) One daughter died in infancy. (2) James Lee, born June 26, 1882. attended common school and later went to the State normal at Indiana, Pa., advancing as far as the senior year; he taught school two terms, and prepared for work as an electrician, was at Iron City, Pa., for one year, and for the last five years has been with the American Steel Company, at Pittsburg, holding the position of bookkeeper. (3) Anna N., born Feb. 26, 1885, taught school for three years, having prepared at the normal school. She is now living at home. (4) Bertha C., born Oct. 9, 1887, was engaged in teaching for one year and is now a dressmaker at Pittsburg. She was educated in the common schools and the normal schools at Indiana and Slippery Rock. (5) Susie Pearl, born Sept. 26, 1891, was married Jan. 4, 1910, to Paul B. Anthony, intelligent and became well informed through his own efforts. In 1810 he accompanied his parents on their removal to North Mahoning township, where he grew to manhood, and located before his marriage in West Mahon- ing township, on a farm where his sons James and John now live, he and his wife always making their home there. It was wild land when he first came to it, and Mr. Niel put up a log cabin, which was later replaced by a frame dwelling as prosperity rewarded his toil. His first purchase consisted of sixty- nine acres, to which he kept adding till he had altogether about three hundred acres, and he farmed on this place until his death, which occurred May 22, 1894. His wife, Sarah (McCreight), of Winslow township, Jefferson Co., Pa., whom he married in June, 1848, died June 19, 1892. She was a daughter of Andrew and Ann (Sharp) McCreight, and was of Scotch-Irish descent. Mr. and Mrs. Niel were members of the Cumberland Pres- byterian Church, and in politics he was a Democrat. Honest and hard-working, he of Jefferson county, who is engaged in saw-

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

milling, and they have one child, John R. Anthony. (6) Edward W., born April 29, 1895, has always remained at home. (7) Mil- dred, born July 24, 1898, is at home. (8) Alma D., born March 3, 1902, died in 1905. (9) Frank was born April 18, 1906.

JOHN MARTIN AULD, owner of Brook Valley farm, in Brushvalley township, Indi- ana county, is a native of that township, born Nov. 4, 1865. The Auld family is of Irish extraction, the first emigrant to America be- ing William Auld, the grandfather of John Martin.

William Auld was a native of County Down, Ireland, and came to America with his family in 1817. Proceeding to western Pennsylvania, they located in Brushvalley township, Indiana county, where they were among the first settlers in their section. Mr. Auld cleared up a home in the wilderness and made farming his life occupation. His death occurred there. He was a member of the U. P. Church. His children.were as fol- lows: Jane, Rachel, Elizabeth, Rose Ann, Mary Ann, Nancy, Thomas, Joseph, William, Margaret and Alexander, all of whom are now deceased.

Thomas Auld, son of William, was born in County Down, Ireland, in 1810, and was but seven years of age when his parents came to America. He grew up on the farm in Brushvalley, undergoing the hardships of pioneer life, and in spite of the fact that his opportunities for an education were limited became a well-read man through his own ef- forts. He was energetic and possessed of con- siderable business ability, which aided him when he started out in life for himself. He bought the Alexander Elliott farm of 260 acres, now in the possession of his sons, and here he settled down to farming and stock raising, continuing to operate the home place during his active life. He was known to be an exceptionally hard-working man, one whose honesty of purpose and ability did much to make him the successful farmer he became. He died on his farm in 1890, and was buried in the Bethel Church ceme- tery, in West Wheatfield township. His wife's death occurred in 1902, and she was buried in the same cemetery as was her hus- band. They were members of the U. P. Church, attending services in Homer City. Mr. Auld was a Democrat of the old type, and served his township as supervisor (for three years) and auditor.

Thomas Auld married Margaret Martin, daughter of John Martin, and five children were born to them, viz .: Elizabeth, who mar- ried Frank Hilderbrand, of Blacklick town- ship; Rosie, who is at home; Emily, at home ; Robert F., who is on the old homestead; and John Martin.

John Martin Auld spent his boyhood days on the farm. He attended the public schools of the township, and worked at farming from an early age, at the time of his marriage set- tling on his present place, a traet of twenty- eight acres, at Heshbon, which was a part of the Thomas Fee farm. Here he made exten- sive improvements and became engaged in general farming. He also operates the home- stead with his brother Robert F. Mr. Auld is like his father before him a thrifty and enterprising farmer. He takes a deep interest in his home and agricultural business, and has made himself valuable as a citizen in other respects also. He is strictly temperate in his habits, a strong supporter of Prohibition, and domestic in his tastes. He has served his township as judge of election. An active inember of the U. P. Church at Heshbon, he is a trustee of the church and superintendent of the Sabbath school. Having at heart all that goes toward advancing the good of church, home and community, he has filled the office of school director three years, and supervisor of the township one year, and is ready at all times to do his share for the gen- eral welfare.

Mr. Auld married May 20, 1897, Jennie Clark, of West Wheatfield township, daugh- ter of Samuel and Jane Clark, and they had two children, Thomas Franklin and Joseph Clark. Mrs. Auld was a devoted mother and a capable and helping hand to her en- terprising husband. Death called her sud- denly Friday, Oct. 18, 1912, at the age of forty-two years, one day. She was stricken with apoplexy, while busy with her house- hold duties in the middle of the morning, and died a few hours later. A devoted mem- ber of the Heshbon United Presbyterian Church, she was one of its faithful workers and a leader in the Sabbath school, teaching a class and being superintendent of the "cradle roll." The funeral services, held in that church, were conducted by the Rev. Mr. Logan, and she was carried to her last resting place in Bethel Church cemetery (West Wheatfield township) by the six boys of her Sabbath school class. Besides her husband and two sons, she is survived by two brothers and two sisters: J. D. Clark, of

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Latrobe, Pa .; A. P. Clark, of New Florence, Pa .; Mrs. S. M. Coleman, of Johnstown, Pa .; and Mrs. C. S. Duncan, of Clyde, Pennsyl- vania.

GEORGE W. BUTERBAUGH is engaged in farming and the raising of fine draft horses in Green township, Indiana county. He was born in that township, Feb. 3, 1872, son of Jonathan Buterbaugh, grandson of William Buterbaugh and great-grandson of William Buterbaugh. The latter came from the East and settled in Green township, buying land which came by inheritance to Jonathan But- erbaugh, father of George W. Buterbaugh.

tive of Green township, daughter of Andrew and Lucy (Berringer) McManus, who live in Green township, where Mr. McManus is a prosperous farmer ; he owns two farms. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Buterbaugh: Bud, Clarence, Don and Ma- bel. They attend the Cookport Baptist Church.

JOSIAH NEAL, who holds the office of county detective in Indiana county, had nine years' experience in the sheriff's office as deputy and sheriff before taking his present position, for which he is obviously well fit- ted. He was born Dec. 25, 1852, in West

Jonathan Buterbaugh was born July 5, Mahoning township, this county, son of John 1840, in Green township, and remained on B. Neal. the home place, engaged in farming until his William® and Catherine Neal, the great- grandparents of Josiah Neal, were of Scotch- Irish extraction, and came to this country from the North of Ireland, settling at Hagers- town, Md., about 1760. At the close of the Revolutionary war they moved to what is now Young township, Indiana Co., Pa .. where he died in 1812, at the age of eighty. She died shortly afterward, at about the same age. They had five sons: John, Thomas, Samuel, James and William. death, which occurred Oct. 8, 1902. He was a soldier in the Civil war, serving for six months. He married Lucinda Shankle, who was born June 13, 1840, in Cherryhill town- ship, daughter of David Shankle, a farmer, who settled in Indiana county in pioneer days. Mrs. Buterbaugh died Oct. 21, 1906. She was the mother of thirteen children, namely : Andrew, who died Oct. 30, 1910; Mary, wife of John Rolley, of Hillsdale, Pa .; Maggie, wife of George Baker, of Cambria William Neal, son of William and Cather- ine Neal, was born near Hagerstown, Md., and in 1806 removed to North Mahoning township, Indiana county, where he followed farming. He died in 1867, at the age of nine- ty-two. He married Mary Cunningham, and they had a family of fifteen children, namely : Abraham L., Elizabeth, Ann, John B., Thomas, Margaret, Samuel, James, Winfield. Millie, Cortez, Sanford, Sharp, Effie and Hardy. county, Pa .; William H., of Green township; David, a resident of Grant township, Indiana county ; Susan, who died when thirteen years old; George W .; John H., who lives in Grant township; Samuel, who died in in- fancy ; Emanuel, who died in infancy ; James H., an employee of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, living at Altoona, Pa .; Laura, wife of Walter Loring, of Rayne township, Indi- ana connty; and J. Edward, a resident of Green township.

George W. Buterbangh was educated in his native township, attending school No. 14. He began farming when a mere boy, and has followed it all his life, owning and liv- ing upon the place where his father lived and died. and where his grandfather settled and died. In addition to agricultural pur- suits he engages in stock raising, being espe- cially interested in and successful with Per- cheron draft horses, which he raises for the market. He is one of the well-to-do resi- dents of his township, but although he had the advantage of good training and favor- ahle circumstances he has made his own suc- cess and deserves all the credit for the posi- tion he has attained.

John B. Neal, father of Josiah Neal. was born in Indiana county, and died in 1902. aged eighty-seven years. He was a farmer and stock dealer. living near North Point. this county. To him and his wife Rachel (Blose) were born ten children, namely : Cynthia J., who married James Coon; T. S .; Martha, wife of William McKillip; George : Aaron; Sarah, wife of Peter Stear; Emma; Josiah; William R., and Mary, who is de- ceased. The mother of this family died in 1907.

Josiah Neal attended the common schools in his early life. He was reared on the farm. where he continued to work until 1896. and meantime he had become associated with pub- lic affairs in his locality. having served as

Mr. Buterbangh was married Sept. 15, director of the poor for seventeen years and 1897. to Electa McManus, like himself a na-, also in the capacity of school director. In

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

1896 he was appointed deputy sheriff by his followed it since he settled in the borough brother, T. S. Neal, under whom he served a few years ago. He was born Jan. 5, 1873, in Pomeroy, Ohio, son of John R. and Anna (Reese) Jones, natives of Swansea, Wales, three years, after which he served another term of three years as deputy under Sheriff Elmer Thomson. At the end of that time he who came to this country when young people was elected sheriff and served one term, since when he has been county detective, holding that office by appointment. His services in every position of public trust have been cred- itable alike to himself and to the community he serves, and he is well and favorably known all over Indiana county. He has been a county officer for seventeen years.

On Sept. 4, 1874, Mr. Neal married Mary C. Reits, daughter of Martin Reits, and they have a family of four children: Aaron mar- ried Myrtle Beck; James W. married Martha Kerr; Clark married Jennie Ralston; Novia married Paul Livengood.

ABRAHAM BOWERS, of Banks town- ship, has been a resident of Indiana county for thirty-five years, and he has been engaged in farming throughout that period. He was born Oct. 20, 1836, in Jefferson county, Pa., son of Philip and Katherine (Kipps) Bow- ers, who were farming people. They were born at Newmarket, Va., and after their marriage removed to Clearfield county, Pa., passing the remainder of their lives in this state. They died in 1856.

Abraham Bowers came to Indiana county in 1877, and he is one of the most respected citizens of Banks township, where he has a fine farm of ninety acres.

On Nov. 14, 1861, Mr. Bowers married Emily Devers, and they have seven children living, namely : Jane is the wife of Andrew Bowser, a farmer of Jefferson county; Ar- minta is the wife of G. M. Bowser, a farmer of Indiana county ; Lizzie is married to Peter Klein, of Rossiter, Indiana county; Clara, wife of Elmer Woodford, lives in Jefferson county, where he is employed in railroad work; Laura is the wife of J. F. Cochran, a minėr, of Indiana county; Albert H., who is engaged in contracting and building and re- sides in Clearfield, Pa., married Margaret Elbel, of Indiana county; George W. is a farmer in Banks township, Indiana county.

Mr. and Mrs. Bowers are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

and were married at Mason, W. Va. The father was a Baptist minister, and his first pastorate in this country was at Pomeroy, Ohio, where he was located for a number of years after his marriage. Thence he removed to Houtzdale, Clearfield Co., Pa., where he remained ten years, and his last pastorate was at Punxsutawney, where he was estab- lished from the time of his removal from Houtzdale until his death, in 1893, a period of twelve years. He was an evan- gelist for many years. He died at Punx- sutawney, and his widow died at Jeannette, Westmoreland Co., Pa., April 19, 1905. Their children were as follows: Evan, who is deceased; Mrs. Mary Johns, of Jeannette, Pa .; Edward, of Jeannette; John R .; David, of Pittsburg, Pa .; and William, of Jean- nette.

John R. Jones passed his youth and re- ceived his education in the various places in which his father's work made it necessary for the family to live, and he had the ad- vantages of the public schools. He began work as clerk in his brother's store, in Punx- sutawney, and in 1894 removed to Jeannette, where he became engaged in the manufacture of soft drinks, his business at that point be- ing conducted under the name of the Jones Brothers Bottling Works, and he is still in- terested in same. On Sept. 17, 1908, Mr. Jones came to Indiana and in partnership with William Ruhland opened an establish- ment for the manufacture of soft drinks. In February, 1911, he bought Mr. Ruhland's interest, which he sold shortly afterward to Mr. Samuel G. Coon, his present partner. They have a thriving business, which under their careful management is continuing to grow steadily. Several wagons and an auto- mobile are in constant service supplying their large trade in Indiana county.

On June 14, 1903, Mr. Jones was married, at Jeannette, Pa., to Ada Younkins, of that place, daughter of Harrison and Jane Youn- kins, and they have one child, Evelyn Grace.

Mr. Jones has a fine baritone voice, and has been well trained under the instruction of Prof. W. H. Stevenson, of Pittsburg. He has been singing in churches for twenty years, and is well known in and around In- diana, and indeed throughout this section

JOHN R. JONES, senior member of the firm of Jones & Coon, proprietors of the Crown Bottling Works, of Indiana, Indiana county, has been engaged in his present line of business from young 'manhood. and has of Pennsylvania, for his excellent work as a

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

vocalist. He holds membership in the B. P. wards as the John Craig farm and now as O. Elks Lodge at Jeannette, Pa., and is a the Hugh Pollack farm; Mrs. Craig was a past exalted ruler of that body.

HERBERT M. BROWN, farmer of White township, Indiana county, lives on the farm owned and formerly occupied by his father, David C. Brown, now of the borough of In- diana, and purchased by his grandfather, Joseph Brown, in 1845.

The first member of this family of whom we have any record was a Scotchman by birth, and came to America as a soldier in the Brit- ish army. He served during the French and Indian war, was with Braddock at Fort Duquesne, and when his term of service ex- pired settled in Virginia, never returning to his native land. Nothing is known of his antecedents.

It was in the year 1796 that John Brown, a Scotch-Irish Presbyterian, arrived in Penn- sylvania from Virginia with his wife and three children, two sons and one daughter, John, Jeremiah and Elizabeth. His wife's maiden name was Anna Wilson. They set- tled on land one mile from where Jackson- ville, Indiana county, is now located, which land was patented to him March 14, 1796. It has since been divided and owned by Jacob Burgoon, Joseph Turner, Mr. Scott, Mr. Ev- ans, Mr. Clawson and Mr. Stuchel, now in part by John Graham, Mrs. Jewel, and oth- ers. The Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg Railroad Company is now building tracks parallel with Altman's run, through this land.

John Brown, Jr., eldest son of John and Anna (Wilson) Brown, married Margaret Wiggins; Elizabeth, the daughter, married James Thompson; Jeremiah Brown, the younger son, married Elizabeth Cummins.

Jeremiah Brown, as stated, married Eliza- beth Cummins, who was also of Scotch-Irish ancestry. The Cummins family early located on land near the present site of Homer City, Indiana county, but were driven away by the red men, moving back to Virginia after hiding their silverware and other valuables under the water in the brook known as Cherry run. On their return to Pennsylvania later they found every piece of value. Jeremiah Brown and his wife lived on his father's farm until the year 1815, at which time Jo- seph, their fourth son, was four years old. They then moved to and made a clearing in the backwoods about sixteen miles north of the town of Indiana, on the place known for many years as the Jerry Brown farm, after-

daughter of Jeremiah Brown, and Mrs. Pol- lack is a daughter of John Craig and grand- daughter of Jeremiah Brown.

Joseph Brown, son of Jeremiah and Eliza- beth (Cummins) Brown, married Jane L. Gibson, daughter of James and Martha (Gam- ble) Gibson, and granddaughter of John Gib- son, who came from Ireland, and first set- tled in Westmoreland county, Pa., after- ward moving to what is now Blacklick town- ship, Indiana county ; on Sept. 21, 1798, pat- ent was made to him for the land now owned by F. B. Repine, Ira Gibson, Harvey Gibson and others. Joseph Brown and his wife lived in Mahoning (now East Mahoning) township until 1845, when they purchased at Orphans' court sale part of the McClana- han land four miles from, Indiana. This land was patented to Thomas McClanahan June 10, 1773, before the Declaration of In- dependence was made. The tract when pat- ented was named Contentment. There Jo- seph Brown and Jane Brown lived until they died, his death occurring Jan. 4, 1894, hers Aug. 27, 1897. They had four children, William, Martha Elizabeth, Sarah Jane and David Cummins, all now deceased but David C., the youngest. Sarah Jane married J. M. Laughlin, and died April 21, 1868; her only child, Sadie J. B. Laughlin, died March 28, 1876.

David Cummins Brown on Oct. 25, 1876, married Jemima A. Fulton, daughter of John and Rachel (Elder) Fulton, natives of In- diana county. They have had children as follows: (1) William Cummins, now an at- torney of Lansing, Mich., married Maude E. Justice, whose parents were born in Mich- igan, Mr. Justice seventy-four years ago (1912) and Mrs. Justice seventy years ago. The Justice family originally came from England. Mr. and Mrs. William C. Brown are members of the First Presbyterian Church of Lansing. (2) Ethel Maude married S. E. Wiggins, son of Alexander A. Wiggins, of near Shelocta, Indiana county; his wife's maiden name was Fleming. They have three children. Ralph Brown, Edgar Earle and Harold Armstrong. Mr. and Mrs. Wiggins are members of the Presbyterian Church at Vandergrift, Pa. (3) Herbert M. is men- tioned below. (4) Jane W. graduated from the Indiana State normal school in the class of 1910, and on Sept. 5, 1912, was married to Stephen K. Kiss, whose parents reside at Cleveland, Ohio.

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HISTORY OF INDIAN'A COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

David C. Brown lived on the farm in White Pennsylvania-Dutch descent, and born in Bed- township until April 5, 1906, when he moved ford county, Pa. Her death occurred when she was seventy years old. to the borough of Indiana. Mr. Brown was baptized in the Presbyterian Church of In- diana in June, 1852, and united with that congregation on examination in June, 1872. His wife, son Herbert and wife, and daugh- ter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Kiss, are also members of that church.

Herbert M. Brown was born Feb. 8, 1884, on the farm in White township where he now resides, engaging in farming and dairying, being quite extensively interested in the lat- ter line, in which he has been especially suc- cessful. He keeps a fine herd.

On March 7, 1906, Mr. Brown was married to M. Elizabeth Evans, who graduated from the Indiana State normal school in the class of 1904. Her parents, George and Estella (Griffith) Evans, are natives of Indiana , county, the latter descended from Welsh an- cestry. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Brown: David Evans, Estella Ann and Hugh Herbert.

THOMAS MILES WATT, a general farmer and stockman of Armstrong township, Indiana county, was born Sept. 11, 1862, in Porter township, Jefferson Co., Pa., a son of Wil- liam Watt.

James Watt, grandfather of Thomas M. Watt, was an extensive land owner of Porter township, Jefferson county, Pa., farming over two hundred acres which belonged to him. The children born to him were: William; John, who was a farmer of Sabina, Ohio (he was a veteran of the Civil war) ; David, who was a farmer and stock raiser of Porter town- ship; Elizabeth, who married George Ling- enfelder, of Porter township, and they re- sided on their farm; and Thomas, who first lived in North Mahoning township, Indiana county, and later in Armstrong township, on the farm T. M. Watt now owns (he was a veteran of the Civil war). All this family are now deceased.

William Watt, son of James Watt, and father of Thomas M. Watt, was reared in Porter township, Jefferson county, and at- tended school in the home district. Upon at- taining manhood's estate, he bought fifty acres of land from his father, and lived there un- til his death, when fifty-four years of age. His remains were laid to rest in Zion ceme- tery in that township. His energies were all directed toward farming. William Watt mar- ried Sarah Ann Lingenfelder, who was of

Thomas Miles Watt lost his father when he was only six years old, and his mother losing her sight soon thereafter, the lad was early thrown upon his own resources. Child though he was, he began working in the lum- ber regions in Elk, Forest, McKean, Jeffer- son and Clearfield counties, continuing as a laborer until 1883, when he had saved a suffi- cient amount to justify his going into the lumber business on his own account. He took contracts for peeling off the bark and cut- ting the logs and was thus engaged until he decided to embrace an agricultural life. With this end in view he moved to Armstrong township, Indiana Co., Pa., and renting the farm owned by his uncle, Thomas Watt, he operated it for two years, and then cropped for C. J. Carnahan for two years more. For the next eight years he operated the Wood- ward Walker farm, when, in 1906, he bought his uncle's farm and began general farming and stock raising, specializing in horses. His horses have taken a number of blue ribbons at the county fairs, where he always exhibits.

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Indiana County, Pennsylvania; her people, past and present, Volume II, Part 117

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 884

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 884