Indiana County, Pennsylvania; her people, past and present, Volume II, Part 67

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 67

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In 1887 Mr. Hicks went to Valier, Jeffer- son Co., Pa., where he remained for fourteen years, but in 1901 located at North Point, Indiana county, where he purchased the Mc- Henry place, a tract of 125 acres, about two thirds of which is in a high state of cultiva- tion. Mr. Hicks has been engaged in agricul- tural pursuits, doing general farming and stock raising, has also been in the lumber busi- ness and done considerable heavy hauling. He has been uniformly successful in all of his operations. He is known as a man who is ever ready to support movements that have the betterment of the community as their ob- ject, giving freely of his time, his services and his energies to promote the welfare of his section. He is now a member of the school board, and for three years was a member of the board of supervisors of North Mahoning township, having been active in Republican politics for some years. His religious con- nection is with the Methodist Episcopal Church at Hamilton. Like other members of this old and' honored family, he is widely known in Indiana county, where his friends are legion.

HARVEY DAVID WIDDOWSON, gen- eral merchant at Rochester Mills, Pa., was born near Dixonville, in Cherryhill township, Indiana county, June 22, 1870, son of Eben- ezer and Susan (Ober) Widdowson.

Joseph Widdowson, the paternal grand- father of Harvey David Widdowson, was born at Plum Tree, near Nottingham, England, and there married Mary Bexton. In 1816, with his family, he came to the United States, locating first for two years at New York City, and then coming over the Allegheny moun- tains to Westmoreland county, Pa., and set- tling at Laughlintown. Subsequently they made removal to the Manor settlement in Cherryhill township, where Mr. Widdowson continued to make his home during the re- mainder of his life, dying at the age of seven- ty-six years, while his wife passed away in 1870, when seventy-five years old. They were the parents of the following children : William, who married Louisa Kime; Thomas, who married Jane Lydick; Sarah, who mar- ried Daniel Howe; John, who married Ann

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

ter Mills; Joseph; Ann, who married John C. carry on a general merchandising business, Connor; and Ebenezer.

having enlarged the store as the increased

Ebenezer Widdowson, the father of Harvey business warranted, and also erecting a mod- David Widdowson, was born in Cherryhill

ern dwelling house. His industry, energy and township, Indiana county, and there obtained intelligent dealing have resulted in the build- his education in the subscription schools. On attaining his majority, he settled on a part of his father's estate, a tract of 140 acres, where he engaged in general farming and stock rais- ing and also gave some attention to timber dealing. He made extensive improvements on the farm, erecting good buildings and improv- ing his land, and through industry and intelli- gent methods became one of the successful men

of his township. He was ever a hard-working, a faithful member of the Church of the Breth- thrifty and honest citizen, and was domestic ren, but as there is no church of that denomi- in his tastes and temperate in his habits. He nation here he has associated himself with was a faithful member of the Church of the the United Presbyterian Church at Richmond, Brethren, in which he served as elder, and in the faith of which he died in July, 1910. Mr. Widdowson was laid to rest in the family vault in Twolick cemetery. He was married to Susan Ober, daughter of David Ober, and held in higher esteem.

she survives him and still resides on the farm with her sons, and is a faithful member of the Church of the Brethren. Ebenezer and Susan (Ober) Widdowson had the following children : Clark B., a successful merchant at Penn Run, Pa .; Joseph A., who is engaged in operations on the old homestead; Mary, de- ceased, who was the wife of Harry Short, of Rayne township, Indiana county ; Harvey David; James, a minister of the Church of the Brethren, and a professor in the college at Westminster, Pa .; Frank R., a graduate of Jefferson Medical College, who now has an ex- tensive practice in Philadelphia ; Annie M., who resides at home with her mother; Olive S., formerly a school teacher and now a mis- sionary to Indiana for the Church of the Brethren; William L., a resident of Waynes- boro, Pa., and a daughter who died in in- fancy.

Harvey David Widdowson, son of Eben- ezer Widdowson, was educated in the public schools of Cherryhill township and the Pur- chase Line select school, and was reared to agricultural pursuits, working with his father and brothers until he was twenty-one years of age. At that time he went to Glen Campbell, Pa., and became clerk and assistant paymas- ter with the Glenwood Coal Company, where he remained for upward of one year, in 1892 coming to Rochester Mills as clerk in the store of his uncle, Josiah Widdowson. At the time of his uncle's death, in 1896; Mr. Widdowson took charge of the establishment, and for the last seventeen years has continued to Amos Farrier of Green township, Indiana 72

ing up of an excellent business, his customers coming from all over the surrounding terri- tory. He served as assistant under his uncle, who was postmaster, and in 1896 and 1897 was the incumbent of that position himself. He has also acted in the capacity of clerk of election and as a member of the township com- mittee of the Prohibition party. Mr. Wid- dowson is a great temperance supporter, and

Pa., where he has acted in the capacity of superintendent of the Sunday school. During his long residence here he has formed a wide acquaintance, and no citizen of this locality is

On Aug. 27, 1895, Mr. Widdowson was mar- ried to Floretta C. Work, who was born April 22, 1875, in Canoe township, daughter of David B. Work, a complete history of whose career will be found in another part of this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Widdowson have had the following children : Walter C., born Sept. 2, 1896, who died July 26, 1897; a son, born April 18, 1898, who died the same day ; Edgar E., born May 15, 1899; Wilber J., born Aug. '12, 1901; Ralph D., born Nov. 3, 1903; Frances S., born Aug. 28, 1905; and Carl A., born May 15, 1909.

JACOB BROWN, who is following farm- ing and stock raising in Burrell township, Indiana county, was born in Cherryhill township, this county, March 7, 1863, son of Jacob T. and Margaret (Deal) Brown.

David Brown, the paternal grandfather of Jacob Brown, was born in Germany, and came to America as a young man, settling first in Blair county, Pa., and subsequently removing to Cherryhill township, Indiana county, where he took up a tract of 150 acres and became engaged in stock raising and farm- ing. He became known as a substantial agri- culturist, as a raiser of fine horses, and as a prominent Whig and Republican politician, and died in 1863, advanced in years, and commanding the respect and esteem of his en- tire community. His wife, Barbara, was born in Blair county, Pa., and to them were born five children, as follows: Mary, who married

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

county, and had seven children, the first two ability on more than one occasion, and at this being Robert and Amos; Susan, who married time "Ellwood Farm" is producing as much Samuel Griffith, of Green township ; Jacob T .; Elizabeth, who married Philip Bowen; and John, who married Margaret Potts, daughter of Samuel and Susanna (Soyster) Potts. as many properties twice its size. In politics Mr. Brown is a Republican, and has taken an active and prominent part in township af- fairs, having served as school director for nine years, township clerk for two years, and

Jacob T. Brown, son of David and father of Jacob, was born in 1830, and died in No- member of the election board for sixteen vember, 1862. Ile married Margaret Deal, years. daughter of David and Barbara Deal, natives Mr. Brown was married to Ida Stephens, daughter of Giles and Catherine (Craig) Stephens, the former born in Huntingdon county, Pa., and the latter in Brushvalley township, Indiana county. This union has been blessed by two children : Paul Stephens. born May 16, 1894; and Gladys, born in August, 1902. of Germany and early settlers of Somerset county, Pa., and they had the following chil- dren : William, who married Maggie Mc- Kendrick, and resides on the homestead in Cherryhill township; Lizzie, who is buried in Manor Hill cemetery, in Cherryhill town- ship; Florinda, who married Charles Hart- man, of Green township, and has a family; Annie, who married Elias Learn, of Green township, and has four children; and Jacob.

Jacob T. Brown received his education in the district schools of his native (Cherryhill) township, and there grew to manhood on the homestead farm, where he became the owner of 100 acres. An industrious and hardwork- ing farmer, he made extensive improvements on his property, erecting a large barn and a comfortable frame house, cultivating his land, and developing a valuable estate. Like activities to his farming and stock raising interests, and never entered the field of politics, although he supported the Republi- can party as a voter and took a good citizen's interest in the matters that affected his com- munity. His religious faith was that of the Golden Rule. He and his wife were laid to rest in the Manor Hill cemetery. Mr. Brown died in the prime of his life, and his death was not only a shock to his immediate family, but to a wide circle of friends who had been drawn about him by his strict in- tegrity and many excellencies of character.

PETER C. PIERCE, construction fore- man and farmer in Canoe township, was born in North Mahoning township, Indiana Co., Pa., Marchi 6, 1863, son of Abraham and Mary (Colkitt) Pierce. Job Pierce, his pa- ternal grandfather, was a farmer through life in South Mahoning township and died there.

Abraham Pierce, father of Peter C. Pierce, was born in South Mahoning township, Indi- ana Co., Pa., July 5, 1825, and died in Feb- ruary, 1907, in his eighty-second year. He

his father he was content to devote his secured a district school education in South

Mahoning township and afterward bought a farm in North Mahoning township, and fol- lowed farming and lumbering until within fourteen years of his death, when he moved to Reynoldsville, Jefferson Co., Pa., where he afterward lived retired. In early manhood he married Mary, daughter of Robert Colkitt, and the following children were born to them : Elizabeth married John K. Neal, of Rey- noldsville; Jane, who is the widow of Har- mon Rider, lives at Punxsutawney, Pa .; Melissa married John S. Neal; Andrew, who is a resident of Reynoldsville, married Mary Wells; Elmira married Miles Davis, of Reyn- oldsville; Berthinda married Monroe Fetter- holf. of Plumville, Pa .; Peter C. is mentioned below; George lives at Reynoldsville, and is married to Alice Fleck; Ephraim, who is a resident of Mateer, Armstrong Co., Pa., mar- ried Nancy Eckman; Grant, who lives in South Mahoning township, married Nancy Fetterholf; Annie is the wife of Frank Kelly, of Reynoldsville. The mother of the above family died in 1901, aged seventy-two years. and hoth she and the father were buried in the Methodist cemetery at Georgeville.

Jacob Brown, son of Jacob T. Brown, re- ceived somewhat limited educational advan- tages, as his father had died before his birth and the lad was obliged to go to work on the home farm as soon as he was able. He con- tinued to work for his mother for some years. During this time he had industriously and thriftily saved his earnings, and was even- tually able to purchase the Peter Barron farm of sixty acres in Burrell township, in 1894, since which time he has carried on general farming and dairying. He keeps good stock, and disposes of his dairy product at wholesale in Blairsville. Enterprising and progressive Abraham Pierce served for one year in the to a high degree, he has demonstrated his Civil war as a member of Company C, 206th

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, mainly in Schwarts; Jane, who was the wife of George the vicinity of Richmond, Va., and assisted Mccutcheon; Mary, who married Adam Moses; Elizabeth, who married Mr. White-

in the construction of Fort Brady prior to the siege of Richmond. He was honorably head; John, who married Mary Ann Schultz; discharged and mustered out of the service James, who married Elizabeth Schultz; Abraham ; and David, who died in battle dur-

at the close of the war.

Peter C. Pierce obtained his education in ing the Civil war.

the public schools of North Mahoning town- ship and assisted his father until he was eighteen years of age, afterward, for a number of years, making farming his main business, and he still owns a farm containing fifty-four acres, lying in Canoe township, near Rochester Mills. For the last thirteen years Mr. Pierce has been engaged in con- struction work, as construction foreman, for twelve years being connected with the P. J. McGovern Construction Company; his con- nection during the last year has been with the P. E. McGovern Construction Company of Punxsutawney, Pa. Their principal work is the building of bridges, grading of railroad beds and paving of streets.

Peter C. Pierce married Ida M. Work, a daughter of David B. Work, a sketch of whom will be found elsewhere in this work, and Sarah Ellen (Colkitt) .Work, the latter of whom died in 1867. Mr. and Mrs. Pierce have three children: Veda, who married Ed- ward Potts, of Richmond; Hallie, who mar- ried Charles Mccullough, of Rossiter; and

Abraham Bennett, son of William, and father of Harry White Bennett, was born Aug. 13, 1835, in Buffington township, and married Margaret McAdams, who was born in Scotland, Nov. 29, 1836. She came to this country at the age of eleven and her mother dying of seasickness after landing at New York was left an orphan among strangers. From there she was taken east of the moun- tains into Cumberland county, where she be- came acquainted with her husband whom she married at the age of twenty. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett had children as follows: Harry White; Charles, who married Kate Petticord, and resides at Vintondale, Pa., where he is en- gaged in the livery business and also carries on agricultural pursuits; William, who mar- ried Gertrude Orner, daughter of William and Rachel (George) Orner, and is a farmer and stock raiser at Strongstown, Pine township; and Alexander, who married Jennie Bracken, and is a stock buyer and trader at the town of Indiana, Pa. Abraham Bennett never went to school, but with the help of his wife

diana, and followed that vocation some years,

Floyd, who is a resident of Akron, Ohio. In he obtained a fair education. He learned the politics Mr. Pierce is a Republican. He trade of blacksmith with George Beck, of In-

and one term as township supervisor. He is thriftily saving his earnings until he was able

served two terms in the office of constable a member of the United Presbyterian Church of Richmond, and served one term as a mem- ber of its board of trustees.

to purchase the Doughitt farm of 170 acres, which was the nucleus for his large hold- ings-over seven hundred acres of land-in HARRY WHITE BENNETT, engaged in farming and stock raising in Buffington town- ship, where he owns 190 acres of valuable land, was born there Sept. 2, 1863, son of Abraham and Margaret (McAdams) Bennett. later life. Industrious, enterprising and progressive, Mr. Bennett accumulated means and position as the years passed, steadily forging toward the front among his fellow men, becoming one of the best known and most highly respected citizens of his section. William Bennett, the paternal grandfather of Harry W. Bennett, was born at Strongs- town, in Pine (now Buffington) township, In- diana Co., Pa. He taught school three months in a log schoolhouse that stood on his farmi in Buffington township. His farming was done principally with a yoke of oxen. He also with a drawing knife. He overworked 'him- self building fence, and died at the age of forty-five, leaving a large family. To him and his wife Elizabeth (Bailey) were born the following children: Susan, who married John Campbell; Kate, who married Thomas As each of his sons grew to maturity he bought him a farm, gave them all good educa- tional advantages, and fitted them for the positions in life which they were called upon to fill. Now, in the evening of his days, he is living retired with his wife at Strongstown, Pa., surrounded by friends and reaping the engaged in making shingles, shaving them rewards which a long and useful career brings. He was also known as a skilled vet- erinary surgeon in his day. During the Civil war he fought valiantly as a Union soldier, and upon his return to civic life interested himself in public services, acting as constable of Buffington township for six years and as

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

supervisor of roads for a like period. A man county. They have had the following chil- of integrity and probity, he has supported the dren: Clark; Cora, who married Bert Petti- principles of the Prohibition party, and has cord, of Buffington township, and has two always cooperated in movements tending to children, Margaret and Harry; Annie, who the advancement of morality, religion and married Park Altimus, and is deceased; Golda, deceased; Alexander, deceased ; Mabel, born in 1897; and Harry, born in 1904. good citizenship. For thirty years he has been a class leader in the Methodist Episcopal Church, for twenty years has been steward and trustee, and for ten years has been ex- horter, being elected by the Pittsburg con- ference.

WILLIAM E. BARRETT, general mer- chant at Loop, Indiana county, was born April 21, 1869, on the old Barrett homestead, is a son of Cyrus Eugene and Mary Jane (Stacey) Barrett.

Harry White Bennett attended the district in West Mahoning township, this county, and schools of Buffington township, and remained on the home farm until his twentieth year, at which time he went to South Dakota and Moses Barrett, the first of his line in Amer -. ica, came to this country from England aș a missionary. He had two sons that are known of, one of whom, Daniel, was born in 1753, and died in Virginia in 1825. He had a large family, thirteen in all, and the sons were Moses, Daniel, Benjamin, Elisha, Ly- sander, Marcus and Samuel. took up a homestead of 160 acres near Rapid City. Subsequently he spent six months in the employ of the Northwestern Railroad Company, and on his return home was en- gaged for a time in farming. In 1885 Mr. Bennett went to Johnstown, Pa., where he worked for the Cambria Steel Company, in the rolling mills, one year, and then came

Lysander Barrett, the paternal grandfather back to Buffington township and located upon of William E. Barrett, was born at Holyoke, the 120-acre farm formerly owned by Darwin Cassatt, but disposed of his interests therein not long after and purchased the John Michael farm of seventy acres and the David Bailey eighty-acre farm, which he is now cul- tivating. Mr. Bennett carries on large farm- ing and stock raising operations, and is recognized as one of his community's most substantial citizens. His whole time has not been devoted to his private affairs, however, as he has been active in all movements that affect his township, has served on the elec- tion board for many years, acted in the ca- pacity of school director for twenty-two years, and has been supervisor two terms. He supports the Republican party, and is de- pended upon to influence public opinion in Mass., Nov. 6, 1800, and there grew up and was married to Elizabeth Bush. He went to Virginia about 1837 or 1838, remaining in the Old Dominion for five years, and then in 1842 came to Indiana county, Pa., locating on what was known as the Bird property. In the early eighties he went to Kansas, where he died in 1885, while his wife passed away about 1859, in Indiana county. In addition to carrying on agricultural pursuits Mr. Bar- rett was a manufacturer of medicine. He and his wife had seven children: Edward E., who went to Iowa, married Annie Tomlinson, who is deceased; Elizabeth, who married Marshall Barrett, resided in Kansas, and is now deceased; Cyrus E. is mentioned below ; Spencer P., who married Annie Elkin, went its favor in this part of Indiana county. Like to Iowa, then to Kansas, where he engaged his father, he has been active in the work of in farming. and in 1910 to Wendell, Idaho (he has the following children: Charles, was superintendent of the Sunday school for Harry, William, Arthur, Frank, Elsie, George and Fred) ; Lucy married James Huston, and both are deceased : John Quincy, a member of Company K, 155th Regiment, P. V. I., was wounded in the battle of the Wilderness, during the Civil war, and was buried at Smicksburg, Pa .; Jane died in 1854.

the Methodist Episcopal Church, where he two years, and is now acting as steward. Formerly Mr. Bennett was a member of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics. A progressive, enterprising citizen, he has been identified with those movements which have benefited his county during the several decades just past, and during this time has drawn about him a wide acquaintance, in which he numbers many warm friends.

Cyrus Eugene Barrett. son of Lysander Barrett, and father of William E. Barrett, was born near Holyoke. Mass., in 1837, and

Mr. Bennett was married Nov. 4, 1884, to received his education in the common schools Mary Ann Graham, daughter of Samuel C. of Indiana county, whither he had accom- and Sarah (Blades) Graham. She was born panied his parents when he was four or five in Pine (now Buffington) township, Indiana years of age. IIe held many of the township

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

offices, being a member of the school board for well as Dayton Academy, and after leaving nine years, and was known as one of the the latter institution was a teacher for six- wheelhorses of the Republican party in his teen years. He first spent five terms in Indi- locality. He was a member of the Presby- terian Church, served as elder therein for some years, and died in the faith in 1893.

ana and Jefferson counties, was for two terms at Dayton, two terms at Smicksburg, one term at Punxsutawney, and a period of six He was ever an industrious man, and re- terms near Wamego, Kans. In the spring of mained active up to his death. He had the 1904 he gave up the vocation of educator for that of merchant, buying the stock and good misfortune to lose a foot in a cider mill, and this injury caused his death six weeks later. will of R. A. MeDivitts, at Loop. He carries His wife, a native of County Wexford, Ire- a large and complete assortment of first-class goods, calculated to supply all the needs of land, died Jan. 8, 1908, the mother of the following children: Edward P., formerly a a large trade, from the surrounding country. school teacher, went to Kansas in 1886, and As an educator he was popular and efficient, and in mercantile lines he has proved no less so, his evident desire to please his customers and to give them full value for their money having been the medium through which he has firmly established himself in the confi- dence of the people of the community. On Feb. 20, 1908, he was appointed postmaster at Loop, and has proved to be a conscientious and courteous official. twenty-three years later, in 1909, pushed on to Wendell, Idaho, where he is engaged in farming (he married Cora Butts in 1889, and has had children, Elva, Alice, Harold, Arthur, deceased, and Dale) ; Elmina married Robert Adams, of West Mahoning township, and has one child; Jane; Alice, who married J. Q. Hoover, of West Mahoning township, has nine children, Frank (who married Pearl Good), Eva, George, Floyd, Merle, Sadie, On June 5, 1895, Mr. Barrett married Nannie Daugherty, of West Mahoning town- ship, Indiana Co., Pa., daughter of Jason and Angeline (Black) Daugherty; and to this union there have been born seven children, namely : Muriel, who was born in Wamego, Marie, Russell and John; William E. is men- tioned below; Herbert M., a farmer of West Mahoning township, married Virginia Hy- skell, and has four children, Carl, Weston, Twila and Edith; Mary, who married Frank Crawford, of North Point, Pa., has had three Kans .; Lulu A., who is deceased; Ruth ; Ella ; children, Dale, Otto (died Jan. 1, 1913) and Leona; Boyd, and Lois. Marcus; Cyrus, who married Cora Young, lives adjoining the old homestead, and has four children, Gladys, Leroy, James and Ada; Frank died at the age of eleven years; Albert, living on the old homestead, married May Elkin, and has had four children, Eu- gene, Alberta, Robert and Paul, the last named deceased; Clark, merchant and post- master at Baxter, Pa., married Annie Mc- Gill, and they have had one child, Ethel L., who died Dec. 25, 1912; Grace makes her home with her brother Clark; Ersie married Richard Corbett, and resides at Baxter, Pennsylvania.

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Indiana County, Pennsylvania; her people, past and present, Volume II, Part 67

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