Indiana County, Pennsylvania; her people, past and present, Volume II, Part 60

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 60

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

ernment for his township. This homestead lina; and Wilson, also in the lumber business is now owned and operated by Mrs. John in North Carolina. Nichol.

Hugh H. Hamilton married Mary Ann McCreary, of East Mahoning township, a daughter of William and. Margaret (Mc- Clain) McCreary. Mrs. Hamilton is buried by the side of her husband. They had chil- dren as follows: Rachel married Samuel Ly- dick and both are deceased; William Alexander is mentioned below; Wilson is de- ceased ; Margaret Jane is deceased ; Ella died young; John died young; Amanda married Jefferson Swan, of Indiana; Mary Rosette married Murry Hopkins, and is deceased.

Mr. Hamilton married for his second wife Hannah Stewart, who survives him, making her home in South Mahoning township. The children of this marriage were: Bessie, who married Harvey Marshall and (second) John Kirkpatrick, of South Mahoning township: Rhoda, who died young, as did Jennie and Russell.

William Alexander Hamilton was educated in the public schools of his neighborhood, and worked on the farm with his father until he was twenty-seven years old. He then ob- tained seventy acres of land, a portion of the homestead, on which he erected a residence and barn, a silo and other necessary build- .ings. Later he bought another farm of sev- enty acres from William Neal, in East Ma- honing township, and this he has also improved, devoting all his land to general farming and stock raising. He has achieved his fair share of success in these occupations. A Republican, he served as overseer of the poor for one term, as supervisor for three terms, assessor, and inspector of election. The United Presbyterian Church holds his membership, and he is an elder, has been superintendent of the Sunday school, and very active in all church work.

In April, 1876, Mr. Hamilton was married to Sarah E. Neal, born in Armstrong county, daughter of William H. and Elizabeth (Stu- chal) Neal, granddaughter of Robert and Sarah (Love) Neal and great-granddaughter of Lovett and Sarah (Cochran) Neal. Mrs. Hamilton is a descendant of one of the oldest settlers of the State. Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton have the following children: Torrence, who resides in North Carolina; Delsie, who was a school teacher, now living at home; Thorne, who is in the lumber business in North Caro-

SIMON McDONNELL, who has lived in the borough of Cherrytree, Indiana county, since he retired from farming, has become quite prominent in the public affairs of that place during his residence there and is at present serving as burgess. He is a native of Cambria county, Pa., born April 3, 1843, son of William and Elizabeth ( Allen) McDonnell and grandson of John McDonnell. The lat- ter was a native of Bedford county, this State, and at an early day settled in Cambria county, where he bought a farm and engaged in agricultural pursuits.

William McDonnell, father of Simon Mc- Donnell, was born in the eastern part of Pennsylvania, but passed most of his life in this section, engaging in farming and lumber- ing, in Cambria and Indiana counties. He died in August, 1878, in Indiana county. His wife, Elizabeth (Allen), was born in Indi- ana county, where her family settled in the early days, and died in June, 1873. Mr. and Mrs. McDonnell had a family of nine chil- dren, namely: Joseph, who is now deceased; John, a resident of Greensburg, Pa .; William, deceased, who served during the Civil war in Company I, 82d Pennsylvania Volunteer In- fantry; Simon; Barbara, deceased; Martin, a resident of Cambria county ; Daniel, living in Green township, this county; Mary, wife of Jacob Keith, of Indiana county; and Aaron, a resident of Bedford, Pennsylvania.

When fifteen years old Simon McDonnell came to Indiana county, and lived on the farm in Green township where the family settled until the Civil war. In 1862 he enlisted in the Union service, becoming a member of Company D, 115th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and served to the end of the war, being mustered out at Harrisburg. He was wounded in the engagement at Chancellors- ville, and among the other battles in which he took part were Fredericksburg, North Anna River, Po River, Cold Harbor, Peters- burg, Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom and Poplar Springs. His army service ended, Mr. McDonnell returned to Indiana county, and followed farming in Green township un- til 1900, when he retired from active labor and moved to the borough of Cherrytree, where he has since had his home. In addi- tion to farming he also engaged in rafting on the Susquehanna river, and he had an in- dustrious and prosperous career, the fruits of which he is now enjoying in comfortable

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

ease. He has always been an active citizen, has served two terms as auditor of Pine associated with the best interests of the com- township, and one term as tax collector, giv- ing thorough satisfaction to all concerned in both capacities. He belongs to the Prohibi- tion party. munity wherever he lived, and while on the farm served as supervisor and school director of his township. Since coming to Cherrytree he has been street commissioner, school di- rector and burgess, having been elected to the latter office in 1909, for three years. He is associated with the Republican party. He is prominent in G. A. R. circles, belonging to William Conner Post, No. 40, of which he is commander and quartermaster.

In 1866 Mr. McDonnell married Julia Ann Lamer, who was born in Cambria county, Pa., daughter of Henry and Catherine (Kit- ner) Lamer, farming people, both of whom were natives of Cambria county. Mr. and Mrs. McDonnell are members of the Church of God at Pine Grove, in Green township.

GEORGE M. JOINER has been engaged in the general merchandise business at Grise- more, Indiana county, since 1895, and has es- tablished an extensive patronage in that place and the surrounding territory, where his thorough business methods and obliging nature have made him favorably known. Born Jan. 1, 1864, in Clearfield county, Pa., he is a son of William and Caroline (Neff) Joiner, both of whom are now deceased. The father was killed while serving in the Union army during the Civil war, having enlisted from Clearfield county. The mother remar- ried, and died at the age of forty-eight years, when her son George was but nine years old. She left two children, George M. and Wil- liam E. Joiner, the latter now living in Alle- gheny county, Pennsylvania.

George M. Joiner came to Indiana county with his mother and stepfather, the family settling near the Cambria county line, and he attended school in Indiana county. He was reared on a farm, and when a young man taught school for a time, being thus engaged three terms in Green township and one term in Cambria county. He followed farming until 1895, when he established the general store at Grisemore, in Pine township, which he has ever since conducted, building up a trade which has shown a healthy growth from the start. In the spring of 1913 he bought the R. F. Templeton farm in Green township, where he is now engaged in farming. Mr. Joiner is a public-spirited and intelligent cit- izen, and his sterling qualities of character and business ability have been recognized by his fellow citizens, who have chosen him sev- eral times to public positions of trust. He

On May 14, 1889, Mr. Joiner was married to Mollie D. Williams, who was born in Green township, this county, daughter of William M. and Sarah (Jones) Williams, who still live in Green township, near Grisemore. Mr. Williams has now retired from active work, but in his earlier days he was one of the most energetic and progressive farmers of this sec- tion of Indiana county. He and his wife are natives of Pennsylvania, born in Pittsburg; their parents came to this country from Wales, where they were born. Mr. and Mrs. Williams had a family of eight children : Elizabeth, wife of Arthur Jones, living at Barnesboro, Pa .; John, a farmer of Green township ; Mollie D., Mrs. Joiner; Richard, a resident of Grisemore, Green township; Jen- nie, at home; William, also living at home; Margaret, at home; and Emma, the youngest, deceased. Robert Williams, an uncle of Mrs. Joiner, now deceased, was in the Union serv- ice during the Civil war.

Mr. and Mrs. Joiner are members of the Presbyterian Church.

SAMUEL W. WALKER, a veteran of the Civil war and a general farmer of East Mahoning township, living near the South Mahoning township line, was born in Wash- ington township, this county, March 16, 1848.

Robert Walker, the grandfather of Samuel W. Walker, was born Dec. 10, 1785, and settled in Armstrong township with his father, on land near Shelocta. Robert Walker married Elizabeth Matthews, and they located in Washington township, being among the very first settlers there. Their farm com- prised 110 acres on which they led the lives of pioneers, farming their land and operating a gristmill which Mr. Walker erected. He was a man of unusual enterprise, with ideas ahead of his time, and lived to see his prop- erty grow valuable, dying upon it in April, 1855. His widow only survived him until June 14th, and they are buried in the old Washington Church cemetery. He helped to erect the church edifice connected with the cemetery. In politics he was a Whig. The children of Robert Walker and wife were: Margaret and Jane (twins), born Jan. 23, 1805, the latter marrying Jacob Rowe; John, born Sept. 23, 1807; Benjamin, born May 27, 1810; Robert N., born Oct. 4, 1811, who lived

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

in Green township; James, born March 3, two terms, and judge and inspector of elec- 1813, who died July 6, 1830; Thomas and tion. He has no fraternal connections, as he Alexander (twins), born Sept. 25, 1815, the perfers to seek relaxation with his family. former dying Sept. 14, 1833, and the latter The Presbyterian Church holds his member- moving to Effingham, Kans .; Abraham, born ship. Dec. 4, 1818, who died Jan. 11, 1819; and Sharp, born Dec. 24, 1820.

In September, 1872, Mr. Walker was mar- ried to Elizabeth Dunlap, a daughter of Thomas and Catherine (Landes) Dunlap. Belle, who married William Getty and re- sides in East Mahoning township; Minnie, who died in childhood; and Olive and John,

Sharp Walker, son of Robert Walker and father of Samuel W. Walker, was born on Four children have been born to this union: Christmas Eve, 1820. He was reared to the life of a farmer's son, and received a limited educational training in the subscription schools of his neighborhood. His life was who are at home. spent in agricultural labor, and he died be- THOMAS DUNLAP, father of Mrs. Walker, was born in Westmoreland county, Pa., a son of Robert Dunlap. He grew to man- hood on his father's farm, and was an agri- culturist all his life. In 1861 he located in Washington township, Indiana Co., Pa., where he bought 110 acres of land, on which he carried on general farming and stock raising. Later he bought the farm which is now owned and operated by his son-in-law, Samuel J. Mulberger, comprising 102 acres. Mr. Dunlap improved this property consid- erably, built a barn and other buildings, and died there March 24, 1894; he is buried in fore he reached his prime, June 30, 1851, being buried in the same cemetery as his father. The Presbyterian Church held his membership. Sharp Walker married Eliza- beth Waddell, who was born at Blacklick, Pa., a daughter of Samuel Waddell, and lived to be ninety years of age, dying at the home of her son, Samuel W. Walker, who with his wife cared for her tenderly. Her death oc- curred Nov. 29, 1905, and she is buried in Marion Center cemetery. They had four children : Johnston, a Civil war veteran, who was wounded in battle Aug. 29, 1863, and died from the effects of his wound, June 1. the Washington Church cemetery. For years 1864; Marshall, who died in infancy; Samuel he was a member of the Baptist Church at W .; and James, a merchant of Creekside, who married Susan Van Leer.

Samuel W. Walker, son of Sharp Walker, served the township as supervisor and was on was only three years old when his father died, and he was reared by his mother. When only fifteen and a half years old, he enlisted, on Nov. 17, 1863, in Company F, 105th Pennsyl- vania Volunteer Infantry, under Capt. Rob- ert Kirk and Colonel McKnight, and served until the close of the war. After participat- ing in the grand review at Washington he was honorably discharged, July 11, 1865, at Arlington Heights. During his period of service he was in the 3d Division, 3d Army Corps, Army of the Potomac, and saw some hard fighting.

Ambrose, having helped to organize it, and served it as an elder. A Republican, he the election board. His first wife, Catherine (Landes), died in 1858, and was buried in the Leechburg cemetery, Westmoreland county, Pa. She was the mother of three children : Elizabeth, who married Samuel W. Walker; Margaret, who married M. C. Mahon, both now deceased; and a daughter who died in infancy unnamed. Mr. Dunlap's second wife, Isabelle (Warden), is also deceased. By this marriage he had three children: An infant son who died unnamed; Rev. Elmer Dunlap, of Ashland, Oregon; and Mary, who married Samuel J. Mulberger, a farmer operating the Dunlap homestead.

Returning home he resumed his agricul- tural work near Ambrose, South Mahoning township, where he remained until 1874, SAMUEL J. MULBERGER, a farmer and stock raiser of South Mahoning township, was born in Plumcreek township, Armstrong Co., Pa., April 17, 1860, son of William Mulberger. when he bought the William Colkitt farm in East Mahoning township, and operates the same. It is near the South Mahoning line, and is a very valuable piece of land. He has greatly improved it, building a house and Simon Mulberger, a native of Germany, left barn and putting up good fences, and the his native land when still a young man, and land is under a good state of cultivation. He crossing in a sailing vessel came from New carries on general farming and stock raising. York City to Center county, Pa., where he

A Republican, Mr. Walker has been super- engaged in farming until 1840. In that year visor of his township, has been school director he left for Armstrong county, and locating

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

in Plumcreek township continued his agricul- Ohio; James F., who lives on the homestead, tural operations on 200 acres of land, at a married to Vernie Miller ; Ambrose Good, also time when his property was in the wilder- on the homestead, married to Carrie Lawton. ness, he being one of the pioneers of that Samuel J. Mulberger, son of William Mul- locality. One of his first acts was to erect a berger, went to the schools of Plumcreek log cabin and a stable for the housing of his stock, both of which continued in use until 1857, when he built a substantial frame house and barn, and continued to make similar im- provements until death claimed him, in 1879. He is buried in Elderton, Pa. He was a consistent member of the Lutheran Church, and politically was a Democrat. Mulberger married a Miss Swinhart, who died in Center county, Pa., the mother of these children: Daniel, who went to Cali- fornia in 1849; Susan, who married Absalom Smith, of Armstrong county; Rachel, who married Moses Foreman, who lived near Kit- tanning, Armstrong county; Elizabeth, who married Solomon Penrod, of Plumcreek township; Polly, who married Johnson Thomas, of Plumcreek township; John, who lived at Elderton, Pa .; Catherine, who mar- ried William Stewart; William, who served in the Civil war; and Samuel, who died in prison while serving in the Union army dur- ing the Civil war.

township, Armstrong county, and worked with his father until he was thirteen years old, and then began working among the neighboring farmers. When the family moved to Washington township he resumed working at home, and thus continued until he was twenty-four years old. At that time Simon he began farming on his own account in South Mahoning township, operating the Moses Lemon farm for two years, when he bought fifty acres of the homestead in Wash- ington township, in 1886. On this property he built a house, barn and made other im- provements, so continuing until 1895, when he sold it to his youngest brother and settled on the Thomas Dunlap farm of 101 acres in South Mahoning township, west of Ambrose. There for the last eighteen years he has con- tinued to live, all the while extensively im- proving his property and carrying on general farming and raising stock. He is specializ- ing upon the growing of cabbages with very profitable results. The barn, which was built by his father-in-law, proved inadequate for his requirements, so he has enlarged it con- siderably, and he put up the first silo in this part of the county. Mr. Mulberger is one of the progressive men of his community, using modern methods in his farm work. Thrifty, he not only knows how to earn and save money but can also invest it wisely. Very fond of horses, he takes pleasure in his stud, being the owner of the thoroughbred stallion Prince, one of the finest of its kind in Indi- ana county. Formerly a Democrat, Mr. Mul- berger has become convinced that only through the success of the Prohibition party can the country hope for a relief from the evils attending the present system of liquor traffic, and he supports its principles vigor- ously. At one time he served as supervisor of his township, and was an efficient official. The Washington Presbyterian Church holds his membership.

William Mulberger, son of Simon Mul- berger, and father of Samuel J. Mulberger, was born in Center county, Pa., in 1829, and there grew to manhood's estate. He came west with the family to Armstrong county, settling in Plumcreek township, where he began farming on seventy-two acres of land, thus continuing until 1873, when he sold and came to Indiana county. Settling in Wash- ington township on the Thomas Johnson farm of 157 acres, he continued his agricul- tural operations, farming and raising stock as well as improving his property, until his death, Sept. 26, 1890, at the age of sixty-one years. He is buried at Plumville, having been a member of the German Reformed Church and one of the organizers of the church of that denomination at Willet. Polit- ically he was a Democrat. He married Mary Cravener, of Cowanshannock township, Arm- strong Co., Pa., who died at the home of In 1886 Mr. Mulberger married Mary Dun- lap, a daughter of Thomas Dunlap, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. Mrs. Mulberger is a most charming lady, whose excellent housewifery makes her noted throughout her neighborhood. She, too, be- longs to the Presbyterian Church. Mr. and Samuel J. Mulberger, Sept. 20, 1899, and is buried by the side of her husband. She also was a member of the German Reformed Church. The children of this estimable couple were: Adella, who married John A. Burns, of Washington township; Samuel J .; Ada, who married John Black, and resides in Mrs. Mulberger are the parents of one son,

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Byron C. After finishing a course in the pub- John, of Willet, Indiana Co., Pa .; William, lic schools he attended Marion Center high who lives on the home farm; and Annie, Mrs. George McHenry, of Indiana. school for two terms and then took a course at the State College. Having prepared him- self for a useful career, he is now putting his knowledge into practical use on the home farm, being a great comfort to his parents, who are justly proud of him. The family is well and favorably known throughout Indi- ana county, and all of its members have many warm personal friends who appreciate them and their manifold virtues.

JOHN NOGEL (deceased) was engaged in business in the borough of Indiana for a num- ber of years before his death, and his widow still resides there. Mr. Nogel was a native of Rothenburg, Germany, born in 1830, and passed his early life in the Fatherland. There he married Barbara Keim, and they came to the United States, settling in Indi- ana, Indiana Co., Pa. Mr. Nogel embarked in the livery business, which he continued until his death, becoming one of the best known men in that line in this city and vicin- ity. He succeeded by application and the exercise of those industrious traits character- istic of his nationality, and he was considered a good citizen in every sense of the term. He was a Democrat in political faith. His deathı occurred in October, 1884, when he was about fifty-four years old, and he is buried in Oak- land cemetery. In religion he was a Luth- eran, belonging to the German Church.

Mr. Nogel's first wife died at Indiana. There were no children by that union. On May 4, 1879, he married (second) in Indiana Margaret Metz, a native of Pittsburg, daughter of Michael and Caroline (Ray- mond) Metz, and three children were born to them : Carrie, Mrs. James Chrisman, of Indi- ana; Estella, Mrs. Simpson Garret, of Bel- laire, Ohio; and Frank, who lives at home.

Michael Metz, father of Mrs. Margaret (Metz) Nogel, was born in Baden, Germany, and came to the United States when a young man. He married in Pittsburg, and some time afterward settled on a small farm in White township, Indiana county, where he spent the remainder of his long and indus- trious life, dying Oct. 6, 1906, at the age of eighty-one years. He married Caroline Ray- mond, who was born in Hanover, Germany, and died April 1, 1909. They were members of the German Lutheran Church, and in politics he was a Democrat. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Metz, namely : Margaret, widow of John Nogel, of Indiana; in Gilgal cemetery. Mr. Lewis was originally.

ENOCH F. LEWIS, an honored citizen of South Mahoning township, Indiana county, farmer, former justice of the peace, and vet- eran of the Civil war, has a record of useful- ness in his community of which he and his family may well be proud. He was born July 9, 1838, on the old Lewis homestead in South Mahoning township, son of Ephraim E. Lewis and grandson of Joshua Lewis. The Lewises are of Welsh extraction. David Lewis, the great-grandfather, had a large family, namely: Evan, Robert, John D., Sarah, Joshua, Nancy, Elizabeth, Samuel, David, George and Margaret.

Joshua Lewis was in what was then Mahon- ing township as early as 1806, settling on the farm now owned by John B. McCormack, where he built a stone house which is still standing, and which has been remodeled by Mr. McCormack. Here he spent the rest of his life engaged in farming, dying in 1828. He was a Presbyterian in religious connec- tion, and is buried in the cemetery of the Gilgal Church. He served four years as asso- ciate justice of Indiana county. His widow, Nancy (Kelly), died in 1841, aged sixty-nine years. They were the parents of twelve chil- dren: Isaac, Lydia, Rebecca, David, Joshua, Keziah, Ephraim E., John, Lydia (2), Nancy, William H. and Mary E.

Ephraim E. Lewis, son of Joshua, was three years old when his parents moved to what is now West Mahoning township, and there he received a common school education in the subscription schools. He taught for a period, first in subscription school and later in public school, but made farming his prin- cipal occupation in life, following general agriculture and stock raising, having pur- chased improvement rights of a tract of land lying on the waters of the southeast branch of Plum creek, in what was then Mahoning (now South Mahoning) township. It contained 215 acres, surveyed by warrant dated July 9, 1838, and letters patent were granted to E. E. Lewis, bearing date the 2d day of February, 1849. The last twenty years of his life were spent on a farm he purchased near the home- stead, which under his management and care increased greatly in value and appearance, having a comfortable home there until his death, which occurred April 13, 1892, when he was eighty-seven years old. He is buried

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

a Whig in political conviction, later a Repub- Annie M., M. Elizabeth, Laura B. and Maude lican, and he took a keen interest in the suc- L. cess of his party and in the administration Mr. Lewis has been honored by his fellow

of local public affairs, serving South Mahon- citizens with election to numerous offices of ing township as overseer of the poor and school director, and for twenty years as jus- tice of the peace. trust. He was justice of the peace for fifteen years, and was elected for a fourth term, but declined to serve. For years he was school director, has held the office of auditor and other township offices, and in every capacity has discharged his duties faithfully, never disappointing his constituents by lack of in- terest or efficiency. He is a Republican in political principle. Mr. Lewis is a member of the Presbyterian Church at Plumville, of which he has been a trustee for years. He is highly respected wherever known.

Mr. Lewis was twice married, the first time, in 1830, to Margaret H. McPherson, who died in 1833, the mother of two children : Agnes, who died in 1873, and Margaret M., who died Jan. 31, 1899. On April 19, 1836, Mr. Lewis married (second) Susanna Irwin Farnsworth, daughter of John Farnsworth, of Blair county, Pa. Mrs. Lewis died in 1872, and is buried in Gilgal Church cemetery. She was a member of the Mahoning Baptist Church. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis had children as follows: David R., now of Indiana, Pa., a veteran of the Civil war, was formerly register, recorder and clerk of the Orphans' court, holding that office for two terms; he married in 1868 Susan W. Lemmon. Enoch F. is mentioned below. Jane H. died in 1847. Elizabeth D. died in 1847. Eliza H. died in 1861. Lydia W. married Capt. Evan Lewis, of Smicksburg, and died Jan. 28, 1903. Mary M. married William I. Work March 10, 1891. Jane E. married Theodore Lockhart, June 8, 1880, and died Feb. 12, 1886.

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Indiana County, Pennsylvania; her people, past and present, Volume II, Part 60

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