Indiana County, Pennsylvania; her people, past and present, Volume II, Part 20

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 20

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Ebenezer W. Smith, son of Richard W. and Elizabeth (Walker) Smith, was born Dec. 20, 1805, in Marion county, Va., and was the eldest child of his parents. He came with his par- ents to Indiana county, and after the death of his father continued to carry on farming on the old place, where he passed the rest of his life. He died Dec. 15, 1876. Before his death he divided his tract of land among his children, who settled on the portions given them. He was married, Sept. 8, 1831, in West Virginia, to Lovina Hayhurst, who survived him, dying June 2, 1884. They became the parents of five children, four sons and one daughter, namely: Richard, born Nov. 13, 1832, was a resident of Indiana county, and is deceased; Benjamin, born July 2, 1834, died in 1912; Sarah E., born Feb. 2, 1837, is the wife of William Household, and they live in Westmoreland county, Pa .; Ebenezer W. is mentioned below ; John B., born Oct. 1, 1848, is a resident of Clarksburg, West Virginia.

Benjamin Hayhurst, father of Mrs. Lovina (Hayhurst) Smith, was a native of West Vir- ginia, and there passed all his life, settling in Marion county. He came from a long-lived race and himself lived to be ninety-nine years of age, and his father reached the age of 107 years. Benjamin Hayhurst served as a soldier during the Mexican war.

Ebenezer W. Smith, son of Ebenezer W. and Lovina (Hayhurst) Smith, spent his boyhood days on the farm in Green township and there

On July 7, 1870, Mr. Smith was married to Sadie C. Garman, who was born Sept. 20, 1846, in Cambria county, Pa., daughter of Peter and Lucinda (Dunkle) Garman, the former a native of Franklin county, Pa., the latter of Green township, Indiana county. Mr. Gar- man was a prominent resident of his section of Cambria county for many years, engaging in lumbering and farming and also conduct- ing a sawmill. He organized and founded the town of Garman, named in his honor. In his later life he moved to Indiana county, where he lived retired for a number of years before his death. They were the parents of nine children. No children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but they have reared two children : H. R. Spicher, who lived with them from the time he was five years old, is now married to Rachel Mccullough, of Cookport, and they live upon Mr. Smith's farm in Green township. Sadie C. McCloskey, who was also raised by Mr. and Mrs. Smith, is now the wife of W. J. Henry, and they reside in Punxsu- tawney, Pa., where Mr. Henry is proprietor of the White Front restaurant.

In 1906 Mr. and Mrs. Smith made a trip to California, spending five months in travel.

REUBEN ELMER SCHALL, M. D., of Arcadia, Indiana county, has built up an ex- cellent private practice during the six years of his residence there and also acts as physi- cian for local coal companies, his various in- terests keeping him fully occupied. He is a native of the neighboring county of Arm- strong, born July 16, 1876, at Shay, son of Savandas and Rebecca J. (Heilman) Schall. His father was a mason and contractor in his active years.

Dr. Schall obtained his preliminary educa- tion at the public schools, later attending the

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Elderton (Pa.) Academy and the Clarion the Mexican war; James, of Brookville, Pa .; State normal school. He taught school four and Thomas Jefferson. terms in Armstrong county. Taking up the study of medicine, he entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Baltimore, Md., graduating from that institution in 1904. The same year he located at Rural Valley, Arm- strong county, where he practiced for eighteen months, in 1906 settling at Arcadia, Indiana county, where he has since found a lucrative field for practice. He is chief physician at that point for the Pennsylvania Coal & Coke Company and the Ellsworth & Dunham Coal Company, both of Arcadia, who have about eight hundred employees at Arcadia. Dr. Schall is also physician for all the old-line in- surance companies doing business in Arcadia. He is a member of the Indiana County Medi- cal Society, the Pennsylvania State Medical Society and the American Medical Associa- tion, and socially is connected with the Knights of the Maccabees, Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Masons, having attained the thirty-second degree in the latter fraternity ; in that connection he holds membership in John W. Jenks Lodge, No. 534, F. & A. M., the Consistory at Williamsport, Pa., and the Shrine at Altoona, Pa. He is a prominent member of the Lutheran Church, belonging to the Synod. As a citizen Dr. Schall takes an intelligent and public-spirited interest in the welfare of the community, and exerts his in- fluence for good movements whenever possible.

On June 21, 1911, Dr. Schall married Nellie H. Mahaffy, of Burnside, Clearfield Co., Pa., daughter of John and Mary Jane Mahaffy, the former of whom was a hotel proprietor.

THOMAS JEFFERSON BRANDON, a successful farmer and one of the best-known citizens of Center township, Indiana county, was born in Plumcreek township, Armstrong Co., Pa., March 2, 1848, son of Thomas Jeffer- son and Bella (MeCracken) Brandon.

John Brandon, the grandfather, was a native of Westmoreland county, Pa., where he was somewhat prominent in county affairs, serving as justice of the peace and later as sheriff. Subsequently he removed to Arm- strong county, where he spent the remainder of his life, serving there also as a justice of the peace until his death, which occurred while he was away from home, having been called to perform a marriage ceremony. The immediate cause was undoubtedly heart trouble. His children were : Samuel, of Washington township, Indiana county; John, a soldier in culture he has been unusually successful, be-

Thomas Jefferson Brandon, youngest son of Sheriff John Brandon, was born in 1802 in Armstrong county, Pa., where he grew to ma- turity. In 1855 he left his native county and removed to Center township, Indiana county, near Homer City, where he purchased the farm on which he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring in 1870. He was known as a man of strong character, honest and upright and enterprising as a citizen, serving Center township as an official a num- ber of times. In politics one of the early Re- publicans, and an abolitionist in his senti- ments regarding slavery, he was a great ad- mirer of Abraham Lincoln. When the Civil war was declared he endeavored to enlist, but was refused on account of his age. Of pleas- ing personality and great physical strength, he was a figure in any gathering he attended and was very highly esteemed. In 1825 he married Bella McCracken, daughter of Joseph McCracken, an old settler of Armstrong county, whose ancestors came from Ireland. To Mr. and Mrs. Brandon were born the fol- lowing children: Barbara, who married Wil- liam Auld, of Brushvalley, Pa. ; John, who was killed at the battle of Seven Pines, the first engagement in which he took part as a soldier in the Civil war; Joseph, who died young; Mary, who married John Peddicord, of Bur- rell township; Jane, who married Robert Mc- Cleam, of West Wheatfield township; Wil- liam, residing in Adair county, Iowa, who married Margaret McCune; Isabella, who is the widow of William Bracken, and lives in Somerset county, Pa. ; and Thomas Jefferson, who bears his honored father's name.

Thomas Jefferson Brandon received his edu- cation in the Center township schools, work- ing on the home farm in the summer and at- tending school in the winter until he was twenty years old. Remaining at home he then took charge of the farm, and looked after the comfort of his parents until they died, when he became the owner of the homestead. He remained on the farm until 1894, when he sold it, and later purchased the A. H. Mike- sell place in Center township, at Homer City, which at the present time of writing (1912) is his place of residence. For three years he conducted a meat market at Homer City, and for the same length of time owned a livery stable, but has always continued farm opera- tions. in which he is still interested, and also buys and sells stock. In this branch of agri-

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

ing an excellent judge of cattle and stock. In scended. Two other sons settled in New York political matters he is a stanch Republican, State, one remained in Maryland, and the remaining son, the grandfather of John R. Bryan, came to Indiana county, Pa. Nathaniel Bryan fought as a soldier in the war for American independence. and since he was twenty-four years of age has served continuously in office in his township, faithfully performing his duties without fear or favor. He has served as treasurer of the school board and is now president of that body. In addition to looking after his other interests, he is serving on the directing board of the Homer City National Bank. He is a member of the Lutheran Church.

On March 5, 1872, Mr. Brandon was mar- ried to Nancy Jane Hildebrand, who is a occurred in Brushvalley township, to a Miss daughter of Eli Hildebrand, a well-known farmer of Brushvalley township, and five chil- dren have been born to them, as follows: Wil- liam Franklin, whose death, in young man- hood, was a crushing grief for his family; Gillis, who died in childhood; Mary Matilda, who married William McNutt, a business man of Homer City; Milton, who married Frank Campbell, a daughter of the late Dr. J. G. Campbell, of Homer City; and Tracy, who at present is in the United States government service, being a rural mail carrier out from Homer City.

Mr. Brandon is an example of the modern, intelligent, well-informed agriculturist, and his farm industries and land cultivation are carried on according to scientific methods ried Robert Allison, settled on a farm in White unknown to farmers of an older generation. He has spent time and means to improve his property suitably, and it would be difficult to find in any part of the county a more attrac- tive rural home than that of Mr. and Mrs. Brandon, situated as it is on an eminence over- looking the pleasant town of Homer City.

JOHN R. BRYAN, former school teacher and business man of Indiana, Pa., and now living retired, was born Jan. 8, 1838, on the old family homestead in White township, near Indiana, Indiana Co., Pa., and is a son of John MacCartney and Mary Barr ( Allison) Bryan.

Nathaniel Bryan (2), son of Nathaniel, and grandfather of John R. Bryan, was born in Ireland and was a lad when brought to the new world. He was reared to manhood in Cumberland, Md., and came to Indiana county, Pa., some time prior to his marriage, which MacCartney. When he had reached advanced years he went to live at Greensburg, Decatur Co., Ind., the home of his three sons and one daughter, and died at the home of his son Joseph, when he had reached the remarkable age of ninety-six years. His wife died in In- diana county, Pa. They were both members of the Church of the Covenant. Their chil- dren were: Samuel, a cabinetmaker by trade, when twenty-two years old accompanied a colony of Indiana county people to the woods at what is now Decatur, Ind., where he became . a prominent man, serving as justice of the peace and as judge of the county court, hold- ing the latter position at the time of his death (he left two daughters) ; Hannah, who mar-

township, and died there at the age of eighty- two years; Mrs. Joseph McCartney died on a farm in Wheatfield township; John MacCart- ney is mentioned below; Charles, who as a youth learned the tanner's trade in Mahoning township, where he married a Miss Saddler, with his wife and two sons removed to Greens- burg, where he superintended the construction of a railroad, and where his wife died, Mr. Bryan subsequently returning to Mahoning township to marry her sister, Martha (he died at Greensburg, Ind.) ; Joseph, who ac- companied the colony to Greensburg, Decatur Co., Ind., where he was engaged in the hard- ware business up to the time of his death, married a Miss McCartney, and had two sons and two daughters; Martha made her home with her brother Joseph, at Greensburg, De-

Nathaniel Bryan, the great-grandfather of John R. Bryan, was born in Ireland, and was there married to a Scotchwoman. He was a farmer in his native country, and on coming catur Co., Ind., and died there, unmarried.

John MacCartney Bryan, son of Nathaniel (2), and father of John R. Bryan, was born June 10, 1808, on the old homestead in Wheat- field township. Though during his entire life he received but three months of schooling, and in order to obtain that was obliged to walk five miles, no man in the county could keep a

to America with his wife and seven sons located at the present site of Cumberland, Md. His eldest son was finely educated, and was one of the early government surveyors, laying out the town of Cumberland, Md., and later going to Kentucky, where he was mar- ried. Two of the sons of the progenitor set- tled in Virginia, and from one of these, it is better set of books. After his marriage he supposed, William Jennings Bryan is de- settled at Strongstown, Indiana county, where

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

he kept the old tavern for two years, and then sequently accepted and merged with Company purchased 138 acres of land one mile north of I, 67th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer In- Indiana from David Ralston, subsequently fantry, under Col. John F. Stanton, a full cousin of the famous Secretary of War Stan- ton. They went to camp in Philadelphia, and after drilling there and at the navy yard in Annapolis, were sent to do guard duty on the railroad. Later they went to Annapolis and eventually to Harper's Ferry, to assist in pre- venting Jackson's crossing into Maryland. With the 2d Corps, the regiment served in the Shenandoah valley, but during the fall of 1863 was transferred to the 3d Division, 6th Army Corps, with which it was identified until the close of hostilities. Mr. Bryan was cap- tured at Winchester, Va., and taken to Libby prison and thence to Belle Isle, whence he was transferred to a parole camp at Annap- olis. From that city he walked home to see his mother, and on rejoining his regiment was discharged at Washington and mustered out of the service at Harrisburg, on account of the close of the war. purchasing another property of the same size, located in the woods. He spent his entire life in the cultivation of these properties, and died April 10, 1860, in the faith of the Presby- terian Church, of which he was a trustee for many years, and to which his wife also be- longed. He was a Whig in his political views. Mrs. Bryan, who died June 24, 1872, at the age of seventy-five years, was the mother of these children: Sarah Jane married Thomas Ebey, and died in Topeka, Kans., at the age of seventy years; Samuel, who married Rebecca A. Rowe, lived and died on the old home- stead ; Rebecca married Samuel Rowe, of Oska- loosa, Iowa, who was for thirty years in the fruit business there, and when Guthrie, Okla., was opened for settlement, went to that point and was there engaged in fruit raising, Mrs. Rowe still being a resident of Guthrie, al- though her husband is deceased ; Allison died at the age of four years; John R. is men- tioned below; Harrison, who married Maggie Wigens, lives on the old homestead ; William B., a retired farmer of Indiana, Pa., married Deborah Berkepile, now deceased; James Mitchell died at the age of three years; Tay- lor W., who fought with the 55th Pennsylvania Volunteers during the Civil war, following that went to Sedalia, Mo., engaged in scene painting, married and died there.

John R. Bryan received his edueation in the old subscription schools of Indiana borough and spent his boyhood days on the home farm. He started out to make his own way in the world with little else than determination, energy and a good mind and steady habits, and at the age of eighteen years was teaching school at Taylorsville, following that during the winter months, while the summer season was spent in advancing his own education, in Dayton Academy and the seminary at Marion Center. At the latter place his sister, Mrs. Rowe, resided, her husband being postmaster and conducting a general store at that place. Mr. Bryan worked in his brother-in-law's store and carried mail, thus earning board and clothes, and at the age of twenty-three years endeavored to enlist in the 11th Pennsyl- vania Volunteer Infantry. On account of his small stature, however, he was advised by the recruiting officer to "go home and grow a hit." Returning to his duties as teacher, Mr. Bryan spent the recesses in drilling his pupils, and the patriotic fever finally became so strong that a company was formed, which was sub-

Returning home, the young soldier was en- gaged in buying stock for one year, and on March 20, 1866, was married to Mary E. Dunn, of Penn Run, Pa., daughter of Cyrus and Sarah (Empfield) Dunn. Mr. Bryan then engaged in business as a huckster, but after four years entered the commission busi -. ness, in which he continued twenty-nine years. For more than a decade he has lived retired in Indiana, where he is widely known and highly esteemed. Mr. Bryan is essentially a self- made man, having gained success in life. through the medium of his own efforts. He has had an able assistant in his worthy wife, who has shared with him all the vicissitudes of a long and useful career. They are con- sistent members of the United Presbyterian Church, and in political matters Mr. Bryan is a stanch Republican, having served as over- seer of the poor for twelve years and in various other offices. He is. a remarkably well pre- served man, and in spite of his seventy-five- years reads the newspapers without the aid of glasses and has a very retentive memory.

Mr. and Mrs. Bryan have had three chil- dren : Minnie J., who married R. M. Smith, of Indiana; a child who died in infancy ; and Wallace Steele. The latter was born in In- diana, Pa., April 5, 1867, and after attending the public schools of the borough and the In- diana State normal school entered Washing- ton and Jefferson College, and subsequently took a course at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, where he graduated. He at once engaged in practice at Mckeesport, but at

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

present is practicing in Ramey, Clearfield Martha (Morrison), died at the age of thirty- county, where he is also the proprietor of a seven years, and he subsequently married drug store. Dr. Bryan married Clara Howell, (second) Lavina Berkeypile. There were five and they have one daughter: Mary.

ISRAEL CARNAHAN, farmer, business man and public official of Armstrong town- ship, Indiana county, was born Sept. 18, 1849, in Bell township, Westmoreland Co., Pa., where the Carnahans lived prior to their set- tlement in Indiana county.

The Carnahan family is numbered among the early settlers of this section of Pennsyl- vania, the Carnahans having come to America at the same time as the well-known Tomb fam- ily of East Wheatfield township, this county. Thomas Carnahan, grandfather of Israel Car- nahan, resided in Perrysville, Westmoreland county, five miles from Saltsburg. He mar- ried a Miss McKinley, and they had the fol- lowing children: Israel, Thomas, Elizabeth (married Matthias Jockey), Wilson (who went to California in 1849, returned to Pitts- burg and engaged in the shoe business), Sam- uel and David R.

David R. Carnahan, son of Thomas, was born at Perrysville, in Bell township, West- moreland county, and died aged ninety-one, in Armstrong township, Indiana county. His schooling was limited, and at an early age he became head of a family. Farming was his principal vocation, and he was enterprising and progressive, being the first man in West- moreland county to own a grain cradle. Later he went to Mckeesport, Pa., where he fol- lowed mining for a time, and then returning home to Westmoreland county bought a farm of 150 acres, which he subsequently laid out into building lots and sold, this being what is now Perrysville. In 1846 he became interested in salt works on the Kiskiminetas river, near Saltsburg, and for a time was engaged in mak- ing salt, and at the same time conducted a steam gristmill located on the Kiskiminetas. He then moved to what is now Salina station and followed milling, then moved to the old farm at Perrysville, and in 1848 came to In- diana county, where he purchased the James Clark farm of 150 acres in White township. A number of years afterward he made a trade with John Cunningham, giving that place for a tract of 180 acres in Armstrong township, upon which he passed the rest of his days, carrying on general farming. He was much respected in his neighborhood, served at one time as supervisor of roads, held other offices of trust, and was a valued member of the On Dec. 26, 1873, Mr. Carnahan married United Presbyterian Church. His first wife, Nancy Angeline Anthony, daughter of David

children by the first union: Thomas M. is mentioned elsewhere; Mary Agnes married Thomas Hearn; Israel is mentioned below ; Martha (deceased) married Sansom Person ; John Morrison (deceased) married Margaret Cunningham. Eight children were born to the second marriage: Albert, Carrie, Harvey, Lottie, Levi, Levina, David M. and Dick.

Israel Carnahan came to Indiana county with his parents in 1848 and received his edu- cation in the common schools in this county. He continued to reside with his parents till he was married, when he located on part of the homestead, a tract of seventy-two acres in Armstrong township, to which he has since added, now having eighty-five acres, and he has been improving the place continuously throughout the period of his residence there. In 1893 he built a large, substantial house and a fine barn, and by reason of natural ad- vantages and intelligent management the property is now one of the most valuable of its size in this section. It is richly underlaid with coal. Mr. Carnahan is thoroughly up-to- date in all his work, engaging in general farm- ing and stock raising. He was one of those chiefly instrumental in having the telephone line between Indiana and Parkwood estab- lished. In December, 1909, he and Mr. Wil- liam Glass started out to take subscriptions for the enterprise, and when they had enough guarantees to insure its success went to the Bell Telephone Company with the proposition and were promptly accommodated. It has proved a benefit to all its patrons, which is Mr. Carnahan's best reward for his labors. He was elected president of the local com- pany, known as the Indiana & Parkwood Tele- phone Company (a subsidiary of the Bell Tele- phone Company), and served as such two years ; he is still a stockholder. Mr. Carnahan was foreman of the State road from Indiana to Apollo, Pa., during 1912-13, and he has fre- quently been honored with election to public office, having served his township as school director, assessor, tax collector, road super- visor and member of the election board. Polit- ically he is a Republican. For thirty-four years he has been a member of the Crete United Presbyterian Church, to which his fam- ily also belongs, and he has served same twelve years as trustee and for the last twenty years as elder.

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

W. and Margaret (Miller) Anthony, of Arm- common schools and Indiana academy, read strong township, and they have had a family law with William M. Stewart, Esq., and was of twelve children, namely: Harry David, admitted to the bar at the September term, 1851. For some time afterward he was en- gaged at teaching school, clerking, etc. In the year 1854 he received appointment to a clerkship in the District court of Indianapolis, in the State of Indiana, and was engaged there for some time, but owing to ill health returned to his home at Indiana, Pa., and resumed the practice of his profession, in 1855. He was elected secretary and solicitor of the council of the borough of Indiana, Pa., in 1856, in which he served continuously, with the exception of the years 1857, 1863 and 1864, until September, 1895, making a service of thirty-six years. He was appointed deputy collector of internal revenue of the Twenty- first district of Pennsylvania in 1869, and held the position for three years. who is an employee in the United States mail service in Armstrong township, married Mar- tha Lowry; Minnie, who is teaching at Girty, Armstrong Co., Pa., was graduated from the Indiana State normal school in 1905; Eliza- beth married Samuel Shearer, a farmer in White township; Annie graduated from the Indiana State normal school and from busi- ness college, was a school teacher in Vander- grift at one time, and is now the wife of Lisle Coltbaugh; Lorretta is the wife of Arthur Warner, a farmer in Center township ; Bertha married Robert MeCurdy, an engineer, of West Lebanon, Pa .; Sadie graduated from the Indiana State normal school in 1910, and is now teaching school in Armstrong township; Lisle M., a farmer in Armstrong township, married Zula Rowe; Wilbur, Grace, Hazel and Imogene are at home.

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Indiana County, Pennsylvania; her people, past and present, Volume II, Part 20

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