Indiana County, Pennsylvania; her people, past and present, Volume II, Part 85

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 85

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WILLIAM SCOTT MILLER, a prominent merchant of Conemaugh township, located at Lewisville, belongs to an old settled family of Indiana county.

Samuel Miller, the first of the family in this county, was a native of Ireland, where his tina Rotkey, and the children were: John, first wife, Margaret, was also born. Coming to this country they first located east of the mountains, and he came to Indiana county from Westmoreland county, where he was a farmer. He settled near Jacksonville in this county. He was married twice, his first wife, Margaret, the mother of his children, dying in

who married Elizabeth Learn; William, who married Mary A. Myers; Jacob, who married Lydia Chapman; Henry, who married Mary A. Langham; George, who married Delilah Langham; Frederick; David, who married Anna Langham and (second) Mary J. Bee; and Mary, who married George Learn. The Westmoreland county, where she is buried, at family moved to this region about the holi- Old Salem. He is buried in Ebenezer ceme- days, and having considerable stock found it tery. He married in Indiana county (second) quite a task to haul the feed and provisions Miss E. Bell. His children were: Ellen mar- for the winter. But Mr. Buterbaugh was

anxious to get at the work of clearing his Miller; Sarah; Hugh married Sarah Moore; land, making it ready for crops, believing he Samuel G. married Mary Keener; John is could soon clear out a farm with the help of mentioned below ; Ann married Peter Keener ; such a lot of stout and healthy boys, and he Martin married Hannah Simpson; Alexander was not disappointed.

Frederick Buterbaugh, son of William, was born June 1, 1814, in Huntingdon county, and came to Indiana county with his parents when still a youth. Here he was engaged in farm- ing and stock raising during the remainder of his life, and died March 4, 1900. He was married Sept. 10, 1840, to Margaret Langham, who was born Jan. 21, 1822, daughter of William and Margaret (Nicholas) Langham, and by this union there were fifteen children,

ried John Taylor; James married Margaret

married Mary Elder; William married Eliza- beth Coleman; Richard married Sarah Dil- linger; Jane married James Blakely; Eliza married Samuel Davis; Margaret married Samuel McCurdy.

John Miller, of Conemaugh township, was first a farmer in Westmoreland county, and in the late forties moved to Indiana county, settling in Conemaugh on a farm of 160 acres. It was not only covered with timber, but also rocky, but he succeeded in clearing up much as follows: Mary A., born July 27, 1841, of it; at one period he spent seventeen days married May 7, 1860, John Farnsworth ; hauling stone from this land. He continued on that farm the remainder of his life, engaged in farming and stock raising, dying there about 1872, aged sixty-six years, and is buried in the Ebenezer cemetery in Conemaugh town- ship. He served his township as supervisor Eliza C., born Feb. 11, 1843, married March 5, 1863, William Johnson; Nancy F., born July 6, 1844, married July 6, 1865, William Rankin, of Green township; William H., born Jan. 9, 1846, married Sept. 5. 1869. Mary Gartley; Azriah, born April 17, 1847, mar- and overseer of the poor. He was a member ried Jan. 4, 1870, Virginia Gartley; Miles C., and elder of the Ebenezer Presbyterian born Feb. 12, 1849, married Dec. 25, 1869, Church. He was twice married. first to Mary Jannetta Gilhonsen; Samuel E., born Nov. Irwin and afterward to Matilda MePhiliney,

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

both of whom died in Conemaugh township attached to the Shelocta United Presbyterian and are buried there, in Ebenezer cemetery at Lewisville. The second wife died March 20, 1902, aged seventy-three years. There were six children by the first marriage: Margaret married Samuel Coleman of Conemaugh town- ship; John Irwin lived in Blacklick township ; Mary married William Barkley, of Turtle Creek, Allegheny Co., Pa .; Amanda married Andrew McGanghey; one son died in in- fancy; Martha (Mattie) married Robert Ew- ing and resides on the Miller homestead farm in Conemaugh township. There were three children by the second marriage: William Scott; Anna, who married Robert E. Dixon, of Young township ; and a daughter that died in infancy.

William Scott Miller was born Dec. 17, 1860, in Conemaugh township, and there re- ceived his education in the common schools. His father dying when he was twelve years old, he lived with his mother on the home farm Andrew Wiggins was born in White town- ship, this county, in 1819, and lived with his parents, assisting them with the farm work. Later on he moved to Armstrong township, buying a farm of ninety-three acres, to which he later added twenty-one acres. On it in 1867 he built a large barn, and in 1872 erected a commodious frame residence, now the home of his daughter, Mrs. M. J. Mangus. He was until 1884, when they sold the place, and in 1886 he purchased the Hazlett farm in Young township, a tract of ninety acres, which he farmed up to 1905, also engaging in stock raising to some extent. His mother also re- sided there until her death. Selling this place in 1905, he then moved to Livermore, West- moreland county, where he was salesman for the International Harvester Company, hand-' actively engaged in farming until his death, ling farming implements, fertilizers, etc. In which occurred Oct. 27, 1903, when he was in Democrat, but he did not desire public of- fice. For many years he was a consistent member of the United Presbyterian Church the spring of 1907 he moved to Lewisville, his eighty-third year. In politics he was a Conemaugh township, where he opened the grocery and general store which he has ever since conducted. By unquestionable methods and sincere efforts to please his customers he of his township, and in every way was a good has built up a steadily increasing trade and citizen and noble man.

made an excellent reputation among his fellow citizens. He is a member of the Ebenezer

Presbyterian Church, and a Republican in a daughter of James Lowry. The children of his political views.

On Sept. 29, 1885, Mr. Miller married Jen- nie H. Marshall, daughter of Elder Marshall, of Conemaugh township, and they have had two children : Zula Olga, who graduated from the Indiana State normal school in 1912 and is now teaching at the Lewisville school; and Thomas Ralph, who died when six years old.

JAMES ROBERT WIGGINS, a farmer of Armstrong township, was born April 30, 1853, in that township, son of Andrew Wiggins.

Church in Armstrong township. He was reared in White township, where he was born, but located in Armstrong township, near She- locta, on part of what was the Sharp farm, a tract containing 200 acres. James Wiggins and wife were the parents of children as fol- lows: Margaret, born June 6, 1810, married Samuel Calhoun ; Samuel, born June 21, 1811, married Lena A. Armstrong; Hugh, born in May, 1813, married Jane Ramsey; Nancy, born in March, 1815, married Alexander Cal- houn Nov. 17, 1838; Mary, born in March, 1817, married John Ramsey ; Andrew is men- tioned below; Jane, born Dec. 22, 1821, mar- ried Michael Peterman; Sarah, born March 16, 1823, died unmarried; James, born Aug. 22, 1825, married Eliza Lowry and (second) Sarah A. Marlin ; William, born Aug. 23, 1827, married Sarah Borland; Thomas, born Sept. 1, 1829, married Sarah J. Mccollum.

Andrew Wiggins married Sarah Lowry, who survived him, dying June 6, 1910. She was this union were: James Robert ; John R .. who died when one year old; and Mary Jane, born July 15, 1849, who married Elijah Mangus and resides on the old homestead.

James Robert Wiggins, son of Andrew Wig- gins, attended the common schools of his dis- trict and the summer school held at Elderton, and at the same time gave his parents valuable assistance in operating the homestead. De- siring to start out in life for himself, he bought the Robert Lowry farm of 180 acres, and car- ries on general farming, specializing on raising sheep, pigs, turkeys and cattle. His property shows that he is a good farmer and his suc-

James Wiggins, grandfather of James Rob- ert Wiggins, was born April 17, 1791, and died Aug. 7, 1845. He married Mary Ramsay, cess in life proves his business ability. who was born April 17, 1790, and died Jan. On Oct. 6, 1881, Mr. Wiggins married Anna 24, 1874, and they are buried in the cemetery Mary Dettar, a daughter of Jacob and Eliza-

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

beth (Thomas) Dettar, the former of whom Canoe township; Elizabeth married John died at the age of fifty-eight years, and the Pierce and lived in Iowa; Polly, who married latter at the age of sixty-one years. Mrs. Wiggins was reared in Armstrong township. Children as follows have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Wiggins: Andrew Franklin, born Aug. 14, 1882, is in the United States navy, being on the U. S. S. "Birmingham," a first class water tender, having been thus asso- ciated for the last decade; Jacob Ernest was born Sept. 13, 1883; Sarah Elizabeth, born March 5, 1885, married W. R. King; John Lowry was born Aug. 12. 1887; Laura Emma was born June 29, 1889 ; William Parrell, born Sept. 5, 1892, is a carpenter ; Martha Alice was born Aug. 20, 1894. All except Andrew F. and Elizabeth are living at home.

. Mr. Wiggins has served on the election board frequently since casting his first vote, being a strong Democrat, and he was the suc- cessful nominee of his party for township auditor. In addition to his farming interests he is secretary of the Parkwood Farmers' Telephone Company and secretary of the Mu- tual Fire Insurance Company. He and his family belong to the United Presbyterian Church, of which he has been elder for ten years, and a trustee for a number of years. From 1885 to 1912 he served faithfully as superintendent of the Sunday school con- nected with the church, and is a man of high principles, who wields a strong moral influ- ence in his community, where his friends are legion.

HENRY RISHEL, a farmer and dealer in live stock of Canoe township, was born in that township, on the old Rishel homestead, Jan. 26, 1857, son of Christopher Rishel.

Christopher Rishel, who came of German ancestry, was the grandfather of Henry Rishel, and father of Christopher Rishel. He was the first of the name to come to this part of Pennsylvania, and settled in Center county, later lived in Young township, Jefferson coun- ty, and then located two miles west of Punx- sutawney, Pa., where he bought a farm. Af- terward he went to the State of Ohio, where

a Mr. Shafer, lived in Clearfield county, Pa .; Sallie, who married a Mr. Pentz, lived in Clearfield county ; Christy Ann married a Mr. McCracken, of Clearfield county ; Nancy, who married Solomon Weaver, lived in the vicin- ity of Plumville, Pennsylvania.

Christopher Rishel, son of Christopher Rishel, and father of Henry Rishel, received only a common school education in Young township, Jefferson Co., Pa., where he was born May 2, 1826. After learning the car- penter's trade he came to Canoe township, Indiana county, in 1852, and buying 100 acres of land began to clear it, as it was in an en- tirely wild state. This property is now oc- cupied by his son Miles and daughter Emma. Mr. Rishel not only put his land under cul- tivation, after much hard work, but made many improvements, developing a comfortable home, where he died Jan. 31, 1899, aged sev- enty-two years, his widow surviving until June 26, 1910, when she passed away aged eighty-three years. For many years this most excellent man belonged to the German Re- formed Church, but later connected himself with the Evangelical Association, as it better embodied his religious views. An active Re- publican, he served on the election board, as school director, assessor and supervisor, and was widely and favorably known throughout the county.

On Sept. 27, 1848, Christopher Rishel mar- ried Catherine Wingert, who was born Oct. 30, 1826, in Germany, daughter of George Wingert, also a native of Germany. In 1839 Mr. Wingert brought his family to Jefferson county, buying a farm on which he and his estimable wife lived until they died. Their children were: Frederick, who lived in Clear- field county, Pa .; Henry, who lived in Jeffer- son county, Pa .; Charlotte, who married Con- . rad Staley, and lived in Jefferson county, Pa .; Margaret, who married Abram Keller, and lived at Big Run, Pa .; and Catherine, who became Mrs. Christopher Rishel.

Children as follows were born to Christo- of Robert Calderwood, of Canoe township; Henry is mentioned below ; Rev. Emanual W., for some years a school teacher, but for the last quarter of a century engaged in minis- terial work, being a clergyman of the United Evangelical Church, now at Windber, Pa.,

he died ; his wife died years before in Jeffer- pher Rishel and his wife: Mary is the widow

son county. The children born to this worthy couple were: Daniel was a farmer of Jeffer- son county, Pa .; Lewis, a farmer of Canoe township, died on the battlefield while serv- ing in the Civil war; George, who was a farmer of Canoe township, died of smallpox ; John was a buggy manufacturer of Mifflin- married Mina Ferner, and their children are burg, Pa .; Christopher is mentioned below; Charlotte, Madaline, Preston and Ruby ; Miles Susan married Adam States and lived in is unmarried and lives on the old homestead

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

in Canoe township; Emma, who lives with fully reared and are a credit to their parents. Miles, is also unmarried; four children died in infancy.

Henry Rishel was given but common school advantages, adding to his store of knowledge by observation and experience. He remained at home until his marriage, after which he located on his present farm in Canoe town- ship, then known as the George Bradenbaugh place. His original holdings amounted to fifty acres, but recently he added thirty acres, and has about seventy acres under cultiva- tion, raising stock upon his property, as well as carrying on general farming. Mr. Rishel built the residence and made many other im- portant improvements. He believes in carry- ing on his work according to modern methods, and has equipped his farm with good machin- ery.

On Aug. 26, 1878, Mr. Rishel married Jen- nie Knox, who was born at Marchand, Pa., daughter of David and Maria Knox, the lat- ter born in Canoe township, daughter of Solo- mon Braughler. A sketch of the Braughler family may be found elsewhere.

Mr. and Mrs. Rishel have had children as follows: Iva D. married Josephi States, of Washington county, Pa., a patternmaker for the American Steel Corporation, and has chil- dren, Ronald and James Henry; Gertrude, who married William Richardson, a rural free delivery mail carrier of Richmond, Pa., has had two children, Robert and Carl, the latter deceased : Rhoda married Sharp Cayler, a clerk in the post office at Punxsutawney, Pa., and has three children, Helen, Ray and Ger- trude Jane (prior to her marriage she taught school for two terms, being the first school teacher at Rossiter, Pa.) ; Emery C., now an electrician for the American Glass Company at James City, Pa., formerly a teacher for three terms at Juneau, and one term at Ros- siter, married Lillian Sutter, and has a daugh- ter, Virginia ; Teoka was educated in the home and private schools and at several academies, and has been a teacher for the last eight years, one term at Juneau, two terms at the Grant school, two terms at Big Run, Jefferson coun- ty, one term at Crawford No. 1, one term at Cold Springs, in North Mahoning township, and one term at Rossiter : David K. was edu- cated in the public and private schools of his neighborhood, and has been a teacher for four years. having been stationed at the Shaffer school for one term and for the same period at the Gaston school, the Henry school and the Locust Lane school. Three children died in infancy. All of the survivors have been care- 78

Mr. Rishel has been constable, school di- rector, member of the election board, treas- urer and supervisor of his township, always elected on the Republican ticket. His wife is a member of the Presbyterian Church at Rich- inond, Pa., and is active in the good work of the church and the missionary society. The family is one of the best known and most highly respected of any in the county, and its members richly deserve the regard they command.

KNOX. Hugh Knox, grandfather of Mrs. Rishel, was born in County Down, Ireland, as was his wife, Ann (Blakely). They came to Indiana county, Pa., and located in North Mahoning township, where Mrs. Knox died, her husband surviving her and passing away at Atwood, Pa. Their children were: John, who lived in North Mahoning township and Brookville, Pa .; James, who lived in Canoe township; David, mentioned below; Samuel, who lived on the homestead in North Mahoning township; Susan, who maried Henry Coy, of Covode, Pa .; Abbie, who married James Wad- ding, of Atwood, Pa .; Nancy, who married Joseph Coy, and they lived at Covode, Pa., until they died; Mary, who married Hugh Knox, and lived in a Western State; and Peggy, who married and lived at Marchand, Pennsylvania.

David Knox, son of Hugh Knox and father of Mrs. Rishel, had few educational oppor- tunities, but he became a useful, successful man. He carried on farming and merchandis- ing, and lived on the Knox homestead. His death occurred in 1889, when he was sixty- three years old. His widow survived until April, 1911, when she died aged seventy- three years. They were consistent members of the Methodist Church at Covode, Pa. The following children were born to David Knox and wife: Hood, who married Anna Morri- son, lives at Reynoldsville, Pa .; Jennie is Mrs. Rishel; Lizzie married Henry Pentz, a coal and oil dealer of Dubois, Pa .; Rhoda married William Prescott, a farmer and owner of a coal bank at Adrian, Pa .; Dawson, deceased, married Jessie Stanley, and lived on the old homestead; Hannah, who is unmarried, owns a store in Buffalo, N. Y .; Nettie married Milli- gan Calderwood, a farmer of Canoe township ; Myrtle married Thomas Strouse, a conductor on the Cleveland street railroad ; and Martin, who married Grace Hirshberger, is a dairy- man of Cleveland, Ohio.

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

SAMUEL MILLER SHIELDS, of Cone- in Conemaugh township, Indiana county, maugh township, Indiana county, has passed where he bought a farm of 116 acres upon most of his life in that township, where his which he made his home, and there during the parents settled in 1858.

John Shields, his great-grandfather, was the pioneer of the Shields family in this county. He was born in Chester county, Pa., Aug. 18, 1759, and moved to Toboyne township, then in Cumberland (now Perry) county, Pa., from where he enlisted in the war for inde- pendence at the age of seventeen years. On one occasion he substituted for his father and at another for a neighbor, and later served in the State militia in quelling the Indian out- breaks. In 1782 he married Mary Marshall, and a year later moved across the mountains into what was then known as the Indian coun- try, settling on the bank of Blacklick creek, near where Gen. Charles Campbell had built his mill, and at what is now known as the Shields Ford. He was a hunter and Indian scout and came from a family noted for their love of frays, and the settlers living between blockhouses depended upon him to warn them of the movements of the Indians. He was seven feet tall. His wife died leaving him children: William, who married Margaret Reed; Jo- seph; Jean, who married Michael Stewart; Martha, who died unmarried; John, who mar- ried Elizabeth Speedy; Mary, who married William McKee; Margaret, who married James Speedy ; and James, who married Mar- garet Getty. On Oct. 8, 1818, John Shields was again married, this time to Elizabeth Car- son, of Center township, by whom he had one child, a daughter named Sarah. He died Oct. 26, 1840, and is buried in the Washington Church graveyard. He was pensioned by the government for his services in the war, as shown by the military records at Washing- ton.

remainder of his life he worked at farming and carpentry. He was an energetic man, and his mind was as active as his body, his intelligence and enterprise making him de- servedly one of the most respected citizens of his day. He served his township officially as school director, assessor, supervisor and judge of election, and he was a prominent member of the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, of which he was a trustee, and served as a mem- ber of the building committee. During the Civil war he served in the Union army as a corporal in Company G, 206th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. Mr. Shields died March 20, 1907, in his eighty-seventh year, and was buried beside his wife in the Ebenezer Church cemetery. On Jan. 10, 1850, he married Mary Ann Miller, who was born May 23, 1829, in Westmoreland county, Pa., daughter of Sam- uel G. and Mary (Keener) Miller, and died April 23, 1895. Eight children were born to them, namely : Samuel Miller is mentioned below ; Elizabeth, born May 19, 1852, married A. S. Templeton and (second) D. L. Mar- shall; Mary Olive, born Jan. 1, 1855, mar- ried Jan. 1, 1874, David L. Marshall, and they have had six children, Frank (a car- penter), Mary V. (employed in the First National Bank at Blairsville), Jennie (mar- ried to Levi Y. Graham), Margaret A. (in the First National Bank at Latrobe), James Shields (in the First National Bank at Blairsville) and Charles N. (of Vander- grift, Pa.) ; Weston F., born Sept. 9, 1858, married Emma L. Leard (he was a missionary in Siam for nine years, and is now pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Medford, Ore- gon) ; Sarah A., born Feb. 24, 1861, married John A. Brown April 14, 1886, and has had five children, Mary A. (who is teaching school ceased in infancy), Troila A. (stenographer for the railroad company at Derry), Charles A. (deceased) and Sara Elizabeth (deceased who married Clara V. Bergan, practiced medi- cine for ten years and died April 7, 1900; Maggie I., born April 23, 1868, died Jan. 2, 1887; Charles E., born March 14, 1870, died April 16, 1909, married Oct. 17, 1894, Ella S. McCurdy, and children were born to them, Sara, Florence, Elizabeth and Josephine.

James Shields, son of John Shields, mar- ried Margaret Getty, and their children were born as follows: Richard Charles, April 26, in her home town, Derry, Pa.), James G. (de-

1811; John M., June 28, 1818; James G., Oct. 10, 1820; Isabella, April 27, 1823; Wil- liam, Aug. 5, 1825; Joseph, Dec. 14, 1827; Elizabeth, May 23, 1830; Ralph, July 9, 1833; . in infancy ) ; Dr. John L., born Sept. 23, 1866, Mary Jane, Oct. 19, 1836; H. Harrison, July 5, 1840.

James G. Shields, son of James and Mar- garet (Getty) Shields, was born Oct. 10, 1820, in Plumville, Indiana county, and there was trained to farming, which he followed in his early years. Later he learned the trade of carpenter, at which he was engaged for many Samuel Miller Shields was born Jan. 4, 1851, in Plumville, in East Mahoning town- years, principally in and around New Alex- andria, Pa. In 1858 he moved to Lewisville, ship. this county, moved with his parents to

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Conemaugh township in boyhood, and settled at what is now known as Lewisville (then Ebenezer). There he attended common school, and early began to assist his father on the farm, continuing thus until 1880, when he went to work for Elder Leard at farming. For five years after that he "cropped" on the Smith Templeton farm, and then for two years cropped the John Irwin place, of 1161/2 acres, which he eventually purchased, this being the place where he has since made his home. He follows general farming and stock raising, and he has made the reputation of being one of the most progressive agricultur- ists of his district. A man of keen intellect, he has by well-directed industry gained sub- stantial success and made an attractive home, his property being regarded as one of the best cultivated in Conemaugh township. Though he has never sought public honors for himself he takes great interest in seeing that good men are placed in local offices, and is a public-spirited citizen in all matters affect- ing the welfare of his home township and county. Politically he is a stanch Republican. Like his father he is one of the reliable mem- bers of the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church, of which he was formerly a trustee.

On Dec. 23, 1880, Mr. Shields married Ber- tha J. Speedy, daughter of Hugh and Mar- garet (Dunlap) Speedy, and member of an old and respected family of Conemaugh town- manhood and followed it for twelve years ship. Six children have been born to them, exclusively, and he now carries on both car- as follows: Jennie May, born Sept. 19, 1882, pentry and farming, cultivating the old home- was the wife of H. H. Charles, of Allegheny City, and died April 25, 1904 (she had one child, Dorothy May, who lives with her grand- father Shields) ; James Mark is at home; Pearl Margaret married George Morfolt, a rural free delivery carrier; Lizzie Bell is at home ; Mary Olive graduated from the Elders- ridge Academy and is now teaching in Black- lick township; Martha A. is at home.

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Indiana County, Pennsylvania; her people, past and present, Volume II, Part 85

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