Indiana County, Pennsylvania; her people, past and present, Volume II, Part 26

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 26

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Mr. and Mrs. John F. Notley were the par- later, in 1895, they opened another store, in ents of nine children: Elizabeth, who is the

Parkwood, having conducted both places ever since. As before noted, his father is post- master at Shelocta, and his brother at Park- wood. Mr. Carnahan has demonstrated his business ability in everything with which he has been connected, and his fellow citizens have recognized his fitness by calling him to various public positions of trust. He is at present serving as assessor of his borough and president of the school board. Politically he is a Republican. His success in his own ven- tures, and his usefulness to the community, have brought him into prominence among the progressive residents of his locality.

On March 8, 1893, Mr. Carnahan married Jessie Lowman, daughter of Samuel Marlin Lowman, and they have three children : Charles Kelly, Julia Marie and William Ham- ilton.

John Notley was born in Ireland, and came to America with his family in 1829, landing at Quebec, Canada, whence he drove across the country to Burnside, Clearfield Co., Pa. After a short stay there he came on to Mont- gomery township, Indiana county, where lie arrived in 1830, being one of the pioneers of that region. Later on he assisted in the build- ing of the Pennsylvania railroad, and was a man of some property. Here he died in 1863. Delmont, who is living at home; and Esther, Of his nine children, John F. was the young- also living at home. est.

John F. Notley was engaged in farming and lumbering in Montgomery township until 1881, when he moved to Cherrytree, there liv- ing retired until his death, which occurred in 1898, when he was seventy-one years old.

The Jones family, Mr. Notley's maternal an- cestors, originated in Wales, the founders of the branch in America coming from that coun- try at an early day. Delmont Jones, grand-

wife of Frank B. Camp, resides on the old homestead in Montgomery township; Delmont E. is mentioned below; Mary is deceased ; Robert F. is a merchant of Altoona, Pa .; James M. lives at Ocean City, N. J .; Simeon is de- ceased; John died in infancy; Rosie is de- ceased; Celia is the wife of C. M. Shaffer, a druggist of Barnesboro, Pennsylvania.

Delmont E. Notley's boyhood was passed in a healthy, normal way in Montgomery town- ship, where he alternated attendance at school with assisting his father. When he attained his majority he embarked in a lumber business at Cherrytree, and found this line of endeavor so profitable that he continued in it until his retirement. For thirty-three years he has been a resident of Cherrytree, and his inter- ests are centered there. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church of Cherrytree, while fraternally he belongs to Summit Lodge, No. 312, F. & A. M., of Ebensburg.

DELMONT E. NOTLEY, a retired lum- berman residing at Cherrytree, Indiana On Aug. 14, 1880, Mr. Notley was married county, was born in Montgomery township, to Jennie M. McKeag, born in Indiana county, this county, March 21, 1859, son of John F. and Amanda E. (Jones) Notley. a daughter of Robert and Jennie (Atchison) McKeag, the former born in Clinton county, Pa., and the latter in Clearfield county, Pa. They were pioneers of Indiana county, set- tling at Cherrytree, where the father rounded out his life as a lumberman, dying in 1882. his wife surviving him until 1883. Mrs. Not- ley passed away Nov. 7, 1912, the mother of four children: Emma, who died April 1, 1883; Octa, who is the wife of V. O. Tonkin, of Cherrytree, and has one child, Robert; W.

AMOS E. GILLESPIE, general superin- tendent of the plant of the Josephine Furnace & Coke Company, at Josephine, Indiana county, has been stationed there in that ca- pacity since 1906, and much of its develop- ment has been carried on under his super- vision. He has been in his present line of work ever since he entered business life.

Mr. Gillespie was born Dec. 8, 1874, in Ris-

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

ing Sun, Cecil Co., Md., son of William E. and of the men under his charge and their famil- Mary R. (Ewing) Gillespie. His early edu- ies, and he has used his influence whenever possible to obtain benefits for them, the pub- lic schools and the general prosperity in all lines receiving his best thought and attention. He has served as member of the board of school directors of Burrell township, in which the town lies, and is at present road super- visor, being particularly interested in the good roads movement. cation was obtained in the schools of his na- tive county, and he subsequently took a course at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, graduating in 1896. Immediately af- terward he took a position as chemist with the Carnegie Steel Company at Duquesne, Pa., where he continued until 1899, in that year receiving appointment as assistant superin- tendent of the blast furnaces at Youngstown, Ohio, for the Carnegie Steel Company. He was there for two years, in 1901 returning to Duquesne to become assistant superintendent of the Carnegie Steel Company's blast fur- nace at that point. After one year in that position he came to Scottdale, Westmoreland .Co., Pa., to take the superintendency of the Scottdale Furnace Company, which he held for four years, from 1902 to 1906, since when he has been at Josephine as general superin- tendent of the Josephine Furnace & Coke Company. Like the Scottdale plant, this is a subsidiary Company of Corrigan, Mckinney & Co., Cleveland, Ohio.

On June 27, 1899, Mr. Gillespie was mar- ried, at Duquesne, Pa., to Florence L. Mc- Clure, daughter of Matthew L. and Hannah S. (Read) McClure, and they have a family of five children: Helen McClure, J. Read, William E., Florence L. and George F. The family live at Blacklick, where Mr. Gillespie has a fine brick residence, one of the hand- somest in that part of Indiana county. Mr. and Mrs. Gillespie are members of the Presby- terian Church, and are active in its work, Mr. Gillespie serving as superintendent of the Sunday school. In politics he is a Republican. Fraternally he is a member of Lodge No. 582, F. & A. M., at Homestead, Pa., and of the B. P. O. Elks lodge at Scottdale, Pennsyl- vania.

At that time the Josephine establishment was in its infancy, and the large plant was constructed under his supervision; a second furnace is now in operation. A settlement HARRY W. FEE, attorney at law at In- diana, Indiana Co., Pa., and present post- master of that borough, was born March 9, 1870, near Reed Station, this county, a few miles south of the town of Indiana. of considerable size has grown up around these works, 190 dwelling houses having been built, streets laid out, and various improvements made necessary for the comfort and well-be- ing of the community, all of which has been (I) Andrew Fee, the great-grandfather of Harry W. Fee, was an early settler of what is now Armagh borough, and his first child, Jeannette, was the first child to be born in that borough-her birth occurring about 1800. She died at Blairsville, Pa., when about sev- enty-two years of age. Later in life Andrew Fee removed to Wheatfield township, settling at what is now Heshbon, Indiana county, and there his death occurred. accomplished economically and efficiently un- der his able management. The company has a chartered railroad, a chartered electric light plant and two water systems, one to supply the town and one to supply the works, over two million dollars having been expended in land and construction work (this including the dwellings and other buildings) during his incumbency. Josephine is one of the most prosperous and best ordered mining towns in (II) Thomas Fee, son of Andrew Fee, and grandfather of Harry W. Fee, married Jane Mahan. Indiana county. Over three hundred hands find employment at the works, and the town has a total population of a thousand or more, (III) Jolin Fee, son of Thomas Fee, and father of Harry W. Fee, was for' a number of years engaged in farming at Heshbon, in Brushvalley township, whence he removed to a farm near Mechanicsburg, and thence to the borough of that name, where he became the proprietor of a chopping and planing mill. There his death occurred in August, 1910, when he was aged seventy-three years. He died in the faith of the United Presbyterian Church, in which he had held various offices ; of various nationalities. The employees are comfortably housed, and the company has done many things to contribute to their com- fort and convenience-more than the average, as the spirit of contentment which prevails in the town testifies. A general store and bank was conducted by the company until the build- ing (which cost $45,000) was destroyed by fire in 1910. Six hundred tons of pig iron are turned out from the furnace daily. Mr. Gil- lespie takes a personal interest in the welfare his political connections were with the Demo-

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

cratic party. Mr. Fee married Ellen Duncan, of the Democratic county central committee who still survives him, and resides at No. 533 in 1896, was its chairman in 1897 and 1898, Railroad avenue, Indiana. They became the parents of seven children, as follows: Laura, who is now Mrs. Aaron Gamble, of Johns- town; William J., a former member of Com- pany E, 20th United States Infantry, who died at Fort Assinniboine, Mont .; Alice, who died when a young woman, in 1885; Harry W. and Jennie, twins, the latter of whom is married to Henry Koerbel, and resides at Millvale, Pa .; Lawrence M., who married Sarah Stogden, and lives in Pittsburg; and Elizabeth, who lives with her mother.

David Duncan, the maternal grandfather of Harry W. Fee, was born in what is now Green township, Indiana county, near the present town of Beringer (Uniontown post office), and married Margaret Pierce, who was born near the present town of Plumville, Pennsylvania.

(IV) Harry W. Fee, son of John Fee, was reared on the old home farm in Brushvalley township and in the Mechanicsburg home, and received his primary education in the common schools of the former and summer school at the latter borough, and at Armagh, Pa. In 1888 he began teaching school in Brushvalley township, where he continued two terms, then spent two terms at Homer City, a term at Mechanicsburg, one in the borough of Ar- magh and one at Rosedale, Cambria Co., Pa. In 1893 he began studying law, in the offices of David H. Tomb, of Indiana borough, and was admitted to the bar in 1898. He con- tinued in a general practice in Indiana until called for service during the Spanish-Ameri- can war. He had enlisted Feb. 25, 1893, be- coming a private in Company D, 5th P. N. G., and on June 8, 1897, was transferred to Com- pany F. He was promoted to corporal Marchi 5, 1897, to sergeant April 27, 1898, and re- ceived his honorable discharge May 11, 1898. On that day he reenlisted, becoming sergeant of Company F, 5th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and was mustered out with his com- pany Nov. 7, 1898. He again entered the ser- vice as a private of Company F, Jan. 2, 1899. was elected second lieutenant March 29, 1899, first lieutenant March 18, 1902, captain Oct. 26, 1903, and major of the 5th Regiment June 29, 1907, and was transferred Jan. 1, 1910, to major of the 10th. His commission expired June 29, 1912, and since that time he has been on the retired list.

and in July, 1912, was again elected to that position. He has held the county office of auditor, in 1900-1-2, and also has served three years as county solicitor, 1902-3-4. On Aug. 12, 1913, he was appointed postmaster at In- diana, and is now serving in that position. Fraternally he is connected with the Elks, the Odd Fellows and the Woodmen of the World, and in the latter is a charter mem- ber of Indiana Camp, No. 40, of which he has been clerk since its organization in 1897. His religious affiliation is with the United Presbyterian Church. Major Fee is widely known in public, professional and military circles, and the universal popularity which he enjoys is eloquent evidence of the high esteem in which he is held.

On Jan. 2, 1901, Major Fee was married to Cora Myers, daughter of William H. and Mar- garet (Allison) Myers, and to this union has come one child, Eunice, born May 9, 1903.

JOHN SCOTT OLIVER, farmer of Cone- maugh township and justice of the peace, was born there July 4, 1849, son of James and Mary K. (Hart) Oliver.

James Oliver, the paternal great-grand- father, came to America in 1784, landing at Philadelphia. He was from County Derry, Ireland, although of English-Irish extraction. Mr. Oliver brought both friends and relatives with him in addition to his immediate family, his influence among his associates being such as to make them follow his example even to the extent of leaving their homes for a new country. The party settled near the present Gettysburg, and there Mr. Oliver took up a large tract of land, cultivating it for a few years. After his death, his widow moved over the intervening mountains and settled in In- diana county. James Oliver married a Miss Smith, and their children were: Alexander, who settled in Armstrong county, where his descendants now live; William, who lived and died near Indiana town; John, who went on a trip West and then down the Ohio river, and was never heard from again; and James.

James Oliver, son of James, the American founder of the family, and grandfather of John Scott Oliver, was born in Ireland in 1778, and was but a few years old when brought to this country by his parents. His first location after he began to earn his own living was near Lebanon, but later he moved to Livermore, settling on the large tract of land where he spent the remainder of his

On his return to private life, Major Fee again turned his entire attention to the prac- tice of his profession. He became secretary life, engaged in farming and lumbering. On

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

this property he built a large house and barn, with her brother all her life; Nancy Jane, both of logs, as was the custom in those days. born Feb. 20, 1847, is now her brother's house- keeper; John Scott was next; Martha Ann, born Oct. 20, 1851, has long been a school teacher in Allegheny city, Pa., and for the last twenty-one years has been teaching in the Eleventh ward public school; Sarah Eliza, born May 4, 1854, died March 6, 1894, un- married. The Covenanter Church had in him a consist- ent member, and he took an active part in all its.good works. In politics he was a Whig. On July 10, 1810, James Oliver was married to Mrs. Margaret (Coleman) Mathews, born Oct. 5, 1779. He passed away in 1865, and he and his wife are buried in the little ceme- tery in Conemaugh township. The following children were born to them: James is men- tioned below ; John, who was a carpenter and farmer, and served as justice of the peace at Lebanon for thirty years, married Nancy Pat- tison; William, born April 23, 1817, died Feb. 18, 1856, who followed farming at Eld- ersridge, married Liza Anderson, and had one child, Margaret Elizabeth; Robert, born Nov. 6, 1819, died Jan. 12, 1862, married Elizabeth Pattison and (second) Jane S. Marshall, and had children, Coleman, William, Martha (married to John C. Frederick) and Ida L .; Nancy, born Jan. 11, 1814, died June 10, 1814; Nicholas, born April 23, 1817, died July 28, 1817.

Squire John Scott Oliver, son of James Oliver, Jr., was born in Conemaugh town- ship, Indiana Co., Pa., July 4, 1849, as be- fore stated. He attended public school in dis- tricts Nos. 11 and 5, and was then sent to a select school at Livermore. Following this he taught school one term in Conemaugh township, and one term in Derry township, Westmoreland county. Having earned the necessary funds, he then entered Geneva Col- lege, at Geneva, Ohio, where he remained from 1873 to 1878, taking a course in civil engi- neering. After he had thus fitted himself for the work, he went to the oil fields at Eden- burg, Clarion county, where he spent six months surveying and doing engineering work in connection with the production of oil. Then, from 1879 to. 1885, Mr. Oliver was con- nected with the Bingham Estate, in Mckean county, Pa., and from 1885 to 1887 was with the J. J. Vandergriff Engineering and Con- struction Company, laying pipe lines from Hickory, Washington Co., Pa., to Wheeling, W. Va. In 1886 Mr. Oliver was employed by the Apollo Iron and Steel Company as sup- erintendent of the gas company at Apollo, holding that position until 1891. In the lat- ter year he went with the Philadelphia Com- pany and Joseph Creig, producers of oil and gas, and was engaged in their land depart- ments.

James Oliver, Jr., son of James Oliver and father of John Scott Oliver, was born April 29, 1811, and died July 6, 1875. His birth- place was Conemaugh township, Indiana county, where he was reared to manhood amid rural surroundings, learning to farm while attending the local schools. When he grew to maturity he began farming on his own ac- count, becoming interested in stock raising as well. Buying the James Nesbett farm of 131 acres now owned by his heirs, he had it pat- ented in 1849. Active in church work, he first connected himself with the Seceder Church, later joining the Covenanters, became an elder of that body, and held that office until his deatlı. Devoted to home and family, he In 1896 Mr. Oliver returned to his father's homestead in Conemaugh township, and began farming and dairying in partnership with his brother, selling milk to Pittsburg dealers. He continued thus until 1911, when he sold his dairy, now devoting himself to his farming interests. The farm is well equipped for the work carried on there, having running water was domestic in his tastes and took his pleas- ures surrounded by his own circle. James Oliver married Mary K. Hart, who was born in 1814, daughter of John and Abigail (Scott) Hart, of White township, and died June 11, 1885. Children as follows were born to them : James Mathews, born Oct. 17, 1839, is on the old homestead near Livermore (during the and all modern conveniences; Mr. Oliver Civil war, he served in Company G, 206th piped the water from a large spring on the hill to his house and barn. A man of experi- ence of the outside world, he appreciates the value of scientific methods, and applies them in his everyday work with gratifying results. He and his brother conduct the homestead of 131 acres, in addition to 100 acres which they added to the original holdings. Mr. Oliver Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, from 1863 to 1864, under Captain MeCombs and Col. William A. Brady, being under fire at James River and while on the reserve force) ; a son, born Feb. 1. 1841, died Feb. 15, 1841 ; Abigail, born July 2, 1842, died Aug. 1, 1844; Mar- garet Amanda, born Dec. 27, 1844, died Dec. 8. 1900, unmarried, having made her home now controls nearly 250 acres of land, 230

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

acres of which are under cultivation. This erated a large dairy. Later, about 1810-11, he property is all underlaid with two rich veins of coal, one being 180 feet down and the other 210 feet below the surface. There is an open- ing near the Conemaugh river.

On May 1, 1901, Mr. Oliver was elected jus- tice of the peace, and still holds that office. In addition to his other interests, he is a stock- holder in the Conemaugh Township Rural Telephone Company. Although he has been giving the better part of his time to agricul- tural pursuits, he still follows his profession when his services are called for, and has exe- cuted some important surveying and engineer- ing contracts in Conemaugh and surrounding townships. For many years he has been a member of the United Presbyterian Church, and for seven years has acted as a trustee; his adult Bible class is largely attended. Mr. Oliver is unmarried.

SAMUEL PALMER, late of Pittsburg, Pa., where he was successfully engaged in the practice of law for many years, was a native of Philadelphia, and a son of Anthony Allaire Palmer.

moved with his family to Cecil county, Md., where he purchased Bohemia Manor, where his remaining days were passed. He married Elizabeth Yeaman or Yeoman, by whom he had thirteen children, ten of whom grew to maturity. Of these, Mary was the wife of Anthony A. Palmer.

Samuel Palmer was a small boy when the family moved to Pittsburg, where he grew up, receiving his early education in the local schools. He later took a course at Washington and Jefferson College, at Washington, Pa., from which institution he was graduated, and after completing his law course he settled down to practice in Pittsburg, where he fol- lowed his profession until his death, July 7, 1889, at the age of sixty-two years.

In 1855 Mr. Palmer was married, in St. Louis, to Rebecca L. Bryan, daughter of Sam- uel Bryan, of Bohemia Manor, Cecil Co., Md., and she died in Pittsburg, Feb. 12, 1857, leav- ing one child, Mary R., an infant three weeks old, born Jan. 18th. Mr. Palmer subsequently married (second) Mary Stokes, of Philadel- phia, who survived him several years. He was a prominent member of the Third Presbyte- rian Church of Pittsburg, which he served for years in the office of elder. In politics he was a Republican. His daughter, Miss' Mary R. Palmer, has made her home at Indiana, Pa., for the last seventeen years.

Anthony Allaire Palmer was born in Phila- delphia, where he lived and died, his family subsequently moving to western Pennsylvania. He was a local preacher. He married Mary. Bryan, who was a daughter of James Bryan, and they had a family of six children, namely : Thomas, who married Irene Hooper, of Balti- more, Md., and died in Pittsburg (he was a ELMER F. FRASHER, M. D., physician and surgeon at Smicksburg, was born in Port Washington, Tuscarawas Co., Ohio, Nov. 12, ton) Frasher. wall paper merchant) ; Mary A., who married Thomas M. Howe, of Pittsburg; Samuel, who died young; Samuel (2) ; Rebecca, who died 1861, son of Jacob M. and Grace E. (Johns- unmarried ; and Hattie A., who died unmar- ried.

Fieldren Frasher, the paternal grandfather

William Bryan, the first maternal ancestor of Dr. Elmer F. Frasher, was a native of Fay- of his name to come to America, was a native ette county, Pa., and married Catherine Tant- linger, of Somerset county. They lived in Burnsville, where they kept a hotel, but later moved to Guernsey county, Ohio, Mr. Frasher taking up a farm on which they spent the re- mainder of their lives. They had two chil- dren: Luke, living on the old Ohio home- stead; and Jacob M. of France, of noble birth. He was a Hugue- not, and left his native land on account of re- ligions persecution, going with his brothers to London, England, where they all resided for a time. One brother remained there, William and the other brother turning to America. After stopping for a time in New Jersey he came to Pennsylvania and purchased a con- siderable tract of land in Bucks county, where he spent the remainder of his life. While in

Jacob M. Frasher, son of Fieldren Frasher, and father of Dr. Elmer F. Frasher, was born in Fayette county, Pa., in 1833, and died in England he had married a Welsh lady, and 1903. He was a teacher during the greater they had several children, one of whom, a part of his life, being for thirty years pro- eulogy in Thomas Moore's poem, "Farewell , stitute at Wheeling. W. Va. He also taught

beautiful daughter, was thought worthy of to the Banks of the Schuylkill."

prietor of a Business College and Normal In- school at Troy, N. Y., Springfield, Mass .. and

James Bryan, son of William, was reared Port Washington, Ohio. He was a pupil in in Bucks county, Pa., and owned and op- penmanship under P. R. Spencer, of Spencer-

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

ian fame, the "Father of Penmanship." For for three years, and built up a lucrative prac- thirty years Mr. Frasher was a resident of Wheeling, W. Va., but his last years were spent in Washington county, Pa. As a young man, he joined the Masons, and was connected with the fraternity to the end of his life, and his religious association was with the Presby- terian Church. On May 19, 1860, he was mar- ried to Grace E. Johnston, of Conneaut Lake, Crawford Co., Pa., and they had three chil- dren: Ada, the wife of George Dunbar, an electrician of Pittsburg, who has one son, Harold; Elmer F .; and Zanna J., the wife of Dr. D. Sherman Smith, a dentist of Lancaster, Pa., who has one child, Grace E. Both Mrs. Dunbar and Mrs. Smith are graduates of the Wheeling Female Seminary.

Matthew K. Johnston, the maternal grand- father of Dr. Elmer F. Frasher, was born in Mercer county, Pa., and married Jane Johnston. He was educated at Meadville, Pa., and studied under Dr. Cossett, subsequently engaging in the practice of medicine in Mer- cer, Pa., and later at Newton Falls, Ohio. On account of his health he engaged in the jew- elry business at Port Washington, Ohio, and there his death occurred, while his wife passed away at Meadville, Pa., of typhoid fever, in 1848. They had two children: John, who died when young ; and Grace E., who married Mr. Frasher.

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Indiana County, Pennsylvania; her people, past and present, Volume II, Part 26

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