Jefferson County, Pennsylvania : her pioneers and people, 1800-1915, Volume II, Part 49

Author: McKnight, W. J. (William James), 1836-1918
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers
Number of Pages: 972

USA > Pennsylvania > Jefferson County > Jefferson County, Pennsylvania : her pioneers and people, 1800-1915, Volume II > Part 49

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Mr. Teitrick was born in Beaver township, Jefferson county, son of Leander and Susan- nah (Shelly) Teitrick, whose marriage took place in that township. The father was born in Ohio and the mother in Redbank town- ship, Armstrong Co., Pa. Her parents had

come to western Pennsylvania from North- ampton county, and she was a young woman of twenty-one years when she came to Jeffer- son county, where Leander Teitrick settled and established his home. He not only devel- oped his farm in Beaver township but also became actively engaged in lumbering opera- tions, in which he finally met a tragic death, being killed by a timber stick falling upon him while loading timber in the forest. His death occurred Feb. 1, 1869, when his son Reed B. was not yet two years old - the younger of the two children born to Mr. and Mrs. Leander Teitrick. The elder, Roswell Parker, died in early childhood. Mrs. Teit- rick later became the wife of Adam Dobson, of Oliver township, and is now a resident of Brookville.

Reed B. Teitrick acquired his preliminary educational discipline in the public schools of Jefferson county, and thereafter continued his studies in Belleview Academy and in the Penn- sylvania State Normal Schools at Edinboro and Clarion, being graduated from the latter as a member of the class of 1892. Later the degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon him by Grove City College, and still later he received from Susquehanna University the degree of Doctor of Pedagogy.

Mr. Teitrick, in his youth, gave effective service as a teacher in the public schools of Jefferson and Forest counties, and later was made Principal of the public schools of Brock- wayville, Jefferson county, remaining for four years the able and valued incumbent of this position.

In May, 1896, he was elected county super- intendent of schools in his native county, and his long retention in that responsible office is the strongest testimony to his able and accep- table administration of its duties. Mr. Teit- rick, having been thrice reelected, served four consecutive terms, within which he did much to bring the schools of the county up to their present high standard. On the 7th of May, 1907. he resigned this position to accept appointment to his present position, that of Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction, under the administration of Nathan C. Schaef- fer, the present Superintendent of Public In- struction. In being tendered this preferment by Dr. Schaeffer, Mr. Teitrick was supported by leading educators, his appointment also receiving the hearty approval of Gov. Edwin S. Stuart. Previously he had become active and influential in Pennsylvania educational circles, and had shown marked resourceful- ness and progressiveness.

236

JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

To him is due the introduction of a course of study in all the schools of Jefferson county, which proved of great value in classifying pupils and in systematizing the work. Dur- ing his administration as county superintend- ent he effected the organization of a number of high schools, and each year of his service was prolific in raising the standard of the school work in the county, his earnest zeal hav- ing promoted a strong popular sentiment in favor of providing the best possible educa- tional facilities. The concrete result of this popular support was the erection of better school buildings, the furnishing of better equipment, and the establishing of school libra- ries, nearly every district in the county having initiated the collection of a consistent library.

Mr. Teitrick has served as a member of the Executive Committee of the Pennsylvania State Educational Association, of which he is a life member. Ile was chosen President of this Association in 1907. For many years he has been an active member of the National Education Association, being a member of the National Council and State Director for Penn- sylvania. He is a practical enthusiast in edu- cational work and the results he has achieved place him in high rank among the leading rep- resentatives of the general educational inter- ests of the Keystone State. He has proved a most practical, efficient and popular instructor before teachers' institutes in Pennsylvania, and has been called upon to appear in a similar capacity in other States of the Union, being an able and forceful public speaker. As a student of philosophical and psychological subjects he takes advanced ground, and is admirably equipped for leadership in the domain of practical pedagogy.

In the time-honored Masonic fraternity Mr. Teitrick has received the degrees of the blue lodge, chapter and commandery bodies of the York Rite, besides maintaining affiliation with the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is well fortified in his opinions concerning economic and gov- ernmental polity. His political allegiance is given to the Republican party.

At Brockwayville, Jefferson county, in July, 1896, Mr. Teitrick was united in marriage to Edna Florence Riggs, who was at the time a teacher in the high school of that place, and who was graduated as a member of the same class as her husband from the State Normal School at Clarion. Mr. and Mrs. Teitrick are the parents of seven children: Harold Robert, Paul Reed, Kent Xenon, Ruth Vi, Mary Gordon, Reed Bryan and Edna Louise.

Since 1907 Mr. Teitrick has maintained his residence in the attractive city of Carlisle, where Mrs. Teitrick is President of the Civic Club and is otherwise influential in public wel- fare enterprises. He and his family are con- sistent members of the Presbyterian Church.

JOHN N. KELLY owns and resides upon the fine old homestead which was the place of his birth and which is one of the well improved and valuable estates of Jefferson county, with an area of about two hundred acres. Mr. Kelly is not only one of the rep- resentative exponents of agricultural industry in Perry township, but has also been influen- tial in public affairs, having served in various official positions of distinctive trust. He was born in the township on the 18th of May, 1853. but four months preceding the death of his fa- ter. William Kelly, a native of Westmoreland county, Pa., where his parents, James and Margaret (McLeod) Kelly, were early set- tlers and where his father became a prosper- ous farmer. The religious faith of this honored pioneer and his wife was that of the Presbyterian Church.

William Kelly was afforded good educa- tional advantages and became a successful teacher, continuing his labors in this profes- sion after he had established his residence on the farm now owned by his son John N., and where he died at about thirty years of age. His wife, whose maiden name was Caroline Stewart, was born near Brookville, daughter of James and Margaret Stewart. She sur- vived him more than forty years, having been sixty-nine years old at the time of her death, Nov. 29, 1895. Both she and her husband had been earnest members of the Presbyte- rian Church. Of their three children the eldest is Dr. James A. Kelly, a prominent phy- sician and surgeon at Whitesburg, Armstrong Co., Pa. William A., born in October, 1850, now living retired in Seattle, Wash., attended Glade Run Academy and Valparaiso Normal School, taught several years at points in Jef- ferson county, including West Punxsutaw ney, served two terms as county superintendent of schools, 1878-84, and from 1885 was super- intendent of the Sitka Industrial Training School at Sitka, Alaska, conducted by the Home Mission Society of the Presbyterian Church. John N. completes the family.

John N. Kelly was reared to adult age on the farm which he now owns and operates. and besides profiting by the advantages of the public schools pursued a higher course in Glade Run Academy, in Armstrong county.

237

JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

He early began to teach and attained well merited popularity as a teacher in the district schools for about seventeen terms, principally in Perry township. He has also been actively identified with agricultural industry during the greater part of the time since 1875. By purchasing the interests of his brothers he became sole owner of the fine old homestead. Upon the establishment of the Jefferson County Home, or infirmary, in 1901, Mr. Kelly was selected as superintendent of the insti- tution, to which he devoted four and a half years, making the home a model in its disci- pline and service. He resigned to assume the office of county commissioner, to which he was elected in November, 1905, being reelected in 1908. While the incumbent of this impor- tant office he maintained his residence at Brookville, and upon his retirement returned to his farm, since giving attention to its active management. with distinct prestige as one of the vigorous and progressive farmers and stock growers of the county. In November. 1916, he was elected a director of the County National Bank of Punxsutawney. He has been called upon to serve also in various township offices, and in politics he has not swerved from a course of strict allegiance to the Republican party. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity at Brookville; is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias, being a past chancellor of Chestnut Ridge Lodge, No. 283. and now serving as deputy grand chancellor No. 58, for the southern part of Jefferson county ; and holds membership in Ridge Grange, No. 576, Patrons of Husbandry, being a past master. Both he and his wife are also active members of the Presbyterian Church, in which he is an elder.

On Dec. 30, 1875, Mr. Kelly married Emily Bell Means, who was born in Perry town- ship on the 10th of May, 1854, a daughter of James and Sarah (Postlewaite ) Means, and was educated in the local schools. She was the first matron of the County Home, with about one hundred inmates. Mrs. Kelly is an interested member of the Grange and active in church work, taking part in the enterprises of the ladies' society, etc. Mr. and Mrs. Kelly have had children as follows, all born in Perry township: Mabel C., born Nov. 5. 1876, was educated in the public schools and the Cla- rion Normal School, and is now married to Elmer G. Haugh, of Brookville; they have two children, Albert Kelly and Paul. Myra, born April 16, 1880, was graduated from the Indiana (Pa.) State Normal School, and has been a popular public school teacher in Jeffer-

son county ; she lives at home. William A., born Aug. 12, 1884, a graduate of Duff's busi- ness college, is an employe in the Jefferson County National Bank, and is married to Fern Lucas, of Brookville ; he served three years, 1909-11, as clerk to the county commission- ers ; he is secretary of Hobah Lodge, No. 276, F. & A. M., of Brookville, and was delegate to the grand lodge in 1916. Ilarry King, born April 12, 1891, was graduated from Bucknell University in the class of 1913, took graduate work at Harvard in 1915-16, and a post- graduate course at Columbia University in 1916, and is now a teacher of Latin in Wil- braham Academy at Wilbraham, Mass. John Guy, born Sept. 27. 1893, is a graduate of the Brookville high school and Rochester (N. Y.) business college, and at present an employe in the offices of the Farmers' & Miners' Trust Company, in Punxsutawney.

JOHN McCREA was a worthy and hon- ored representative of a sterling family that was founded in western Pennsylvania more than a century and a quarter ago, and the family name became one prominently con- cerned with civic and industrial development in this section of the State during the for- mative period of its history. He whose name initiates this memoir was for many years a prosperous business man, an honored and influential citizen of Jefferson county, and was the father of Mrs. Elizabeth A. Corbet, who still resides at Brookville, and who is the widow of the late Col. William Wakefield Corbet, to whom a memorial tribute is paid on other pages of this publication.

John McCrea was born in Indiana county, Pa., and was a scion of a sterling old family of sturdy Scotch lineage, representatives of the name having been numbered among the first settlers in Indiana county, as now constituted. Near the present Rugh Station, Burrell town- ship, that county, then included in Westmore- land county, John McCrea, the founder of the family in this part of the State, settled in 1774. On a tract of land in the forest wilderness he established his home and made ready to endure the hardships and vicissitudes which fell to the lot of the pioneer who was in the advance guard of the army of civilization. The maiden name of his devoted wife was Jane Porter, who nobly shared the heavy burdens thus imposed in developing a home in a new coun- try. They were compelled, in the early part of 1777, to flee for safety to Wallace's Fort, in Westmoreland county, to escape attack on the part of the Indians. On this occasion Mrs.

238

JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

McCrea bore in her arms her only child, John. She preceded her husband to the fort, he remaining behind to conceal, as best possible, their few but valued household effects. He was so closely pursued by the Indians while making his way to the fort that he died the next day, as the result of exhaustion from over-exertion. His widow thereafter returned to her old home in Franklin county, where she later became the wife of William McCrea, the one child born of this union being Sam- uel Alexander. This family later removed to Uniontown, Fayette county.

John McCrea, the infant carried by his mother to Wallace's Fort, was born in what is now Burrell township, Indiana Co., Pa., on the 16th of September, 1776, and was but six months old when his devoted mother fled with him from the log cabin home to seek safety in the fort, as noted in the preceding paragraph. He lived with his mother and step-father until 1800. when he returned to the place of his birth, and turned his attention to developing a farm from the wilderness. His domicile was a log cabin of the true pioneer type. He married the daughter of a Seceder minister, Elizabeth Reed, who was born May 28, 1776, in Conemaugh township, Indiana county. He became the owner of more than three hundred and fifty acres of land, much of which he reclaimed from the wilderness, and he devoted his active life to farming in his native county. His wife died April 26, 1847, at the age of seventy years, ten months, twenty-eight days. He died on his farm, near Smith Station, in 1861, while living with his son Samuel, his age at the time of his demise being eighty-four years, seven months, four days, and his remains were laid to rest in the cemetery at Blairsville, Indiana county, beside his wife. He was a Democrat in his political proclivities, and both he and his wife were zealous members of the United Presbyterian Church. Of him it has been written: "He was a strong, rugged man, active and hard- working, and respected by all for his indus- try, his high moral character, and his achieve- ments as one of the world's productive workers."

Concerning the children of this pioneer cou- ple the following brief data are available : Robert Reed, born Feb. 2, 1802. was a farmer in Conemaugh township, and later in Salts- burg : William Clark, born Sept. 18, 1803. died March 1. 1874: John, father of Mrs. Elizabeth A. Corbet, of Brookville, was born April 2, 1805, and died April 4, 1865 : Thompson, born in 1807. died Nov. 30, 1884: Jane, born Nov.

20, 1809, married David Lintner, of Burrell township, Indiana county ; Rachel, born April 23, 1812, married Samuel Hosack, and died at Blairsville; Elizabeth, born April 13, 1814. died in December, 1841 : Achsah, born May 8, 1816, married John Hart, of Conemaugh town- ship, Indiana county: Matilda, born Jan. 21, 1820, married J. Taylor, of Collinsville, Pa .; Samuel, born in 1822, died April 16, 1864.

John McCrea, last named, was born in Indi- ana county, as previously noted, and was there reared to manhood. He became one of the early settlers of Jefferson county, and in 1842, by a unanimous vote, was elected to the office of prothonotary of that county, besides which he was called upon to serve in other local of- fices of public trust and responsibility, these preferments indicating his secure place in the popular confidence and esteem. His wife died while they were residing at Punxsutawney, this county, where her body rests in a pioneer cemetery. For some time he maintained his home at Brookville, and wherever he lived was an honored and influential citizen. As a young man he wedded Sarah Parker, who was the first white child born in the town of Indiana, Indiana Co., Pa., and who was a daughter of Joseph and Mary ( Young) Parker. In Mrs. AlcCrea's childhood there were many Indians in the vicinity of her birthplace, and she had Indian nurses. She was forty-two years of age at the time of her death, and her husband passed away April 4, 1865, as previously stated in this context. They became the parents of seven children, namely: Mary, Elizabeth A. (sole survivor of the children and widow of Col. William W. Corbet, of Brookville, where she still maintains her home). Jane, Thomas P., Felix G., Sarah and Cassius E.

COL. JOHN FERGUSON, whose widow is one of the oldest residents of Brookville. was the son of a pioneer settler in Jefferson county, and his life, though brief, added new prestige to a name long respected in this section. In his short career he seemed to be approaching the fulfilment of the favorable promise of his early years, and he distin- guished himself in his Civil war service, which cost his life.

Colonel Ferguson was born in Clarion county, Pa., where the family resided for a short time. His father, James Ferguson, was a native of Ireland, and on coming to America first located in Westmoreland county, Pa. Later he settled in Jefferson county, near Cor- sica, in which section he was a pioneer. He cleared land and built a house, following farm-

239

JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

ing there until his death. He is buried at Corsica. His family consisted of the follow- ing children: James, Jane, John, William and Robert.

John Ferguson learned the trade of cabinet- maker in his boyhood, but he did not continue to follow it for any length of time. In the year 1855 he went out to lowa, locating at Knoxville, Marion county, where he read law and was admitted to the bar upon the com- pletion of his course, immediately entering active practice. He was very successful in his profession during the several years fol- lowing, devoting all his time to legal work until the breaking out of the Civil war, into which he entered as a hearty sympathizer in the Union cause. In 1861 he raised a company of which he became captain, and he remained in the army until his death, which was caused by disease June 23, 1864, while he was taking part in the siege of Vicksburg. His fidelity and devotion received substantial recognition in several promotions, to major and to lieu- tenant colonel. Colonel Ferguson was buried at Knoxville, Iowa, where he had the affec- tionate esteem of a large number of his fel- low citizens who regarded him as one of the gifted young men destined to play a leading part in shaping the affairs of the community. He was a Mason in fraternal connection and in religion a Presbyterian.

On April 14, 1855, Mr. Ferguson married Harriet L. Mabon, daughter of Thomas and Jane (McLary) Mabon, and in 1874 she re- turned from Iowa to Pennsylvania, making her home with her parents, who were then established at Brookville, Jefferson county. She has been a resident of the borough ever since, and now ( 1916) in her eighty-fifth year is one of the most esteemed members of the community. Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson had no children.

The Mabon family has been established in this section for considerably over a century. William and Margaret ( Brown) Mabon came to this country from Scotland in the year 1704. bringing with them their family of six chil- dren, five sons and one daughter, George, John, James, William, Thomas and Jane. Their home in Scotland was on the river Tweed, and when they settled in what is now West Wheat- field township, Indiana Co., Pa., they named a small stream running through their property Tweed run, by which name it is still known. William Mabon and his wife were laid to rest in a little cemetery near the Pennsylvania rail- road, on the tract where they originally set- tled in West Wheatfield township. Of their

children : George had five children, two sons and three daughters, by his first wife, whose maiden name was Steele, and by his second wife, Margaret ( McDonald), had a son, Capt. George C. Mabon. John married Margaret Liggett, and had seven sons and five daugh- ters, William. Robert, John, James, Thomas, Frank, Alexander, Jane, Nancy, Margaret, Mary and Ann; they lived in Mahoning town- ship. James married Jane Smith and had two sons and one daughter, Samuel S., Wil- liam and Margaret; he settled at Mahoning. Jane married John Graham, ( second ) Robert Sutton and (third) William Baird: she had no children. William married Esther Steele and had nine children, Margaret, George, Jane, John, Margaret B., Thomas Jefferson, Hadas- sah, James and William. Thomas was the father of Mrs. Harriet L. (Mabon) Fergu- SO11.

Thomas Mabon, son of William and Mar- garet ( Brown) Mabon, moved from Indiana county, Pa., to Brookville in 1846 and located at what is now Main and Mill streets. He purchased a large tract of land south of Red- bank and laid it out in lots, developing that part of Brookville originally called Mabon- town, now known as the South Side. For himself he erected a large residence on South Pickering street which he and his family occu- pied for many years, and it is still the prop- erty of his daughter Mrs. Ferguson. In the year 1849 he built the gristmill known as the "White Mill," which he owned and operated until 1867, when Henry and John Startzell purchased half of the property. Mr. Mabon also built the woolen factory which subse- quently came into the ownership of Newcome & Faucett, and the planing mill which was later owned by the firm of Anderson & Leech. He led a very active existence during most of his unusually long life, dying Nov. 5. 1884, in his ninety-third year. He married Jane McLary, who survived him a few years, pass- ing away in February, 1887, when about ninety years old. They were prominent members of the United Presbyterian Church. Of their large family, the names of two are not given. The others were: Margaret, who married Wil- liam Reed; Mary Jane; John; Emily, who married H. A. Welshons; Harriet L., Mrs. John Ferguson; William; Thomas; Louisa, who married Andrew Milliken ; and Mary A. E., who married George A. Jenks.

HENRY J. SCOTT is a native son of Jef- ferson county and has proved himself one of the progressive and resourceful business men

240

JEFFERSON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

who have given impetus and solidity to the industrial and commercial activities and civic advancement of Brookville, where he is gen- eral manager of the Brookville Manufacturing Company, an important and prosperous indus- trial concern.

Mr. Scott was born at Summerville, this county, on the 20th of May, 1854, and is of the third generation of his family in Jefferson county, where his grandfather, Henry Scott, a native of the State of New York, estab- lished his home in an early day. becoming one of the representative farmers of Clover town- ship. There he developed a fine landed estate near the borough of Summerville. and also became a pioneer civil engineer, a large amount of practical surveying work having been done by him in connection with running lines in the county in the early days. He came here in the early thirties, and continued as an hon- ored and influential citizen of the county until his death, at Summerville, when he was about fifty-two years of age. His widow long sur- vived, attaining to the venerable age of eighty years. The remains of both rest in the Sum- merville cemetery. Mrs. Scott, whose maiden name was Roxy Wolcott, was likewise born and reared in the State of New York, where her marriage was solemnized, and she was one of the revered pioneer women of Jeffer- son county at the time of her death. Of the children, the firstborn of those who attained to adult age was Edwin H., father of Henry J. Scott ; George is a resident of Reynoldsville, this county, and now the only survivor of the family : Reuben is deceased ; Sabria first mar- ried George Carrier and after his death be- came the wife of Abraham Vandervoort, their home being in Summerville ; Charlotte was the wife of Abel Fuller, of Fuller Station, this county : Jane was the wife of Darius Carrier. of Summerville : Sallie was the wife of James Mclaughlin, of Summerville ; Melvina was the wife of Samuel McAninch, of Summer- ville ; Abigail was the wife of John Hilde- brand, of Summerville.

Edwin H. Scott was born in the State of New York and was but ten years old at the time of his parents' removal to Pennsylvania. He was reared to manhood on the old home- stead farm in Jefferson county, receiving the educational advantages afforded in the com- mon schools of the locality and period, and he eventually became the owner of a portion of the old family farmstead, in Clover township. where he continued successful operations as an energetic agriculturist until fifteen years prior to his death, which occurred at the

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Jefferson County, Pennsylvania : her pioneers and people, 1800-1915, Volume II, Part 49

Author: McKnight, W. J. (William James), 1836-1918 Publication date: 1917 Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers Number of Pages: 972

Author: McKnight, W. J. (William James), 1836-1918
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers
Number of Pages: 972