USA > Pennsylvania > Allegheny County > Memoirs of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, personal and genealogical with portraits, Volume II > Part 13
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years a resident. In 1878 Mr. Poundstone married Miss Alice White, of Uniontown, daughter of Joseph White, a marble dealer of that place. Mrs. Poundstone died in 1897, and, in December, 1899, he married Miss Irene Miller, of Allegheny county, by whom he has one child, Mary L. Several of Mr. Poundstone's relatives took an active part in the Civil war, and his grandfather, John Poundstone, was a member of the State militia. His father, William H. Poundstone, served three years and three months as a member of Company K, heavy artillery, in which he enlisted in 1861, and Mr. Poundstone's uncle, R. L. Debolt, served as musician throughout the war. Another uncle, Jesse Poundstone, was for three years, during the Civil war, fife major, while a brother of Jesse Poundstone, John W. Poundstone, also fought three years in the Civil war.
STEPHEN JOSEPH CZEPANANIS, pastor of St. Peter and St. Paul's Lithu- anian Roman Catholic church, Home- stead, was born in Mikiciai, Lithuania, Dec. 26, 1869, son of Martin and Rose (Zelionis) Czepananis. After attending the public schools of Lithuania, he attended the Suvalkai gymnasium, and then spent a year at the Seinai seminary, and was, from 1892 to 1895, a soldier in the Russian army. After completing his service.in the army, he came to America, landing at Philadelphia May 16, 1895. After five months in Luzerne county, Pa., Father Czepananis spent several years at Detroit in preparation for the ministry, attending the schools of St. Ciril and Methodius, and on July 1, 1900, was ordained to priesthood by Bishop Foley, of Detroit. On August Ist of the same year he was assigned to his present charge by Bishop Phelan, of Pittsburg. This church was established in 1894, the same year as that in which St. Joseph's Lithuanian beneficial society was organized. In March, 1899, a subscription for funds for a church building was started, and later a location was secured on Fourth avenue. The church was completed in 1901 and dedi- cated on the 9th day of June of that year. The church now has a membership of 140 families, and an aggregate enrollment of over 900, a considerable proportion of its members being residents of Duquesne and Braddock. Since Father Czepananis has been pas-
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tor there has been an increase in membership of over 200. Father Czepananis is a member of the Lithuanian Roman Catholic alliance of America, Concord of Lithuanian Catholics of America, and the Lithuanian Catholic educational society.
FRANK C. KUNKEL, of Homestead, a well-known real estate broker, was born in Irwin, Pa., June 14, 1879, and is a son of Jacob R. and Anna M. (Bicker- staff) Kunkel. He is of Dutch extraction, his grandfather twice removed coming from Holland early in the eighteenth century, was a scout in General Bouquet's army on its march to Fort Pitt. Another grandparent was a colonel under General Forbes. In 1818 his great-grandfather settled in Westmoreland county and built the stone house which still stands there and is of such historic interest. On his mother's side; his ancestors are from New York State, and are likewise famous for their martial prowess, his mother's father falling in the battle of the Wilderness in the Civil war. Jacob R. Kunkel, father of Frank C., was one of the most prominent and best-known business men of- western Pennsylvania up to the time of his death, in 1884. Of the four children of Jacob R. and Anna M. Kunkel, three are living: Frank C., Howard and Rufus. Frank C. Kunkel obtained his early educational training in the public schools of Homestead, where his family had removed when he was quite young, and grad- uated from the high school of that place. He attended the Grove City college, and later the Pennsylvania State college. He studied law at the University of California until the outbreak of the Spanish-American war. At this time his military and patriotic nature called him to enlist in the roth Pennsylvania infantry, later known as the "fighting 10th," in which he served in the Philippines until the cessation of hostilities. He returned to his home in Penn- sylvania, and shortly afterward accepted an assignment as special correspondent for the Pittsburg Dispatch, the Pittsburg Post and the Philadelphia Press, and accompanied the congressional party that was sent to investigate the conditions in the Philippine islands. This trip took him around the world. Returning in 1902, he embarked in the real estate business at Homestead, and later became manager of the Coraopolis realty company, severing his
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connection with them to take charge of the mortgage department of the Land, Title and Trust company, of Pittsburg. Mr. Kunkel's success has been phenomenal for a man of his age, and he has met with much encouragement in the financial world. He is a repub- lican, takes an active part in politics, but has constantly eschewed public office, though strongly urged to accept the position of tax collector of Homestead. He is a member of the Masons, the Royal Arcanum, and is a stockholder of the Fidelity realty company, of Homestead, the Coraopolis savings and trust company, and the Munhall land company, of Munhall, Pa. Mr. Kunkel contemplates finishing his law course at Harvard in the near future.
DR. B. FRANK PRICE was born in Meigs county, Ohio, Nov. 1, 1845. He is the son of Charles and Sarah (Sisson) Price, being the fifth of a family of twelve children. Both his parents were born near Charleston, W. Va., in 1811. Dr. Price received his early education in the public schools and at Nelson's col- lege in Cincinnati, and at the age of six- teen, he enlisted with the 7th Ohio light artillery, where he served three years. During the war he fought in the battles of Pittsburg Landing, Corinth, Iuka and in many other minor engagements. On being mustered out in 1865, he was married to Mary F., daughter of P. K. and Mary Kerrigan, of Noblesville, Ind. To this union were born three children : John S., who died at the age of twenty-one; Jerome B., born June 5, 1872, who graduated from Duff's mercantile college of Pittsburg in 1891, and is now working his father's farm near Portland, Ohio; and Ruth, born April 6, 1891, now attending the Braddock public schools. In 1866 our subject commenced the study of medicine, under the preceptorship of the late Dr. Hayworth, of Ravenswood, W. Va., and in 1869 entered the Cincinnati college of medicine and surgery, from which he was graduated in 1872. He located, after graduation, at Wadesville, W. Va., practiced there successfully for ten years, and then moved to Braddock, where he has since resided. The doctor has been an extensive reader, and a writer of more than ordinary ability, his contributions to local journals securing always the marked attention of thoughtful readers. He has been too much occupied with his profession to give much attention to
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politics, but has served a term as president of the Braddock board of health, and represents the second ward in council. In polit- ical belief he is a republican. Dr. Price is a member of Pomeroy lodge, No. 164, F. and A. M. ; Wilkinsburg lodge of Elks; Knights of Malta; Patriotic Order Sons of America, and the Esthenic order. He has been for ten years surgeon of Major Harper post, No. 181, G. A. R., and is a comrade of Encampment No. 1, Union Veteran legion, of Pittsburg. He is a member of the Allegheny county and American medical associations, and takes an active interest in the profession to which he has been for thirty years devoted. The doctor and his wife are members of the First Methodist church of Braddock.
JOHN A. ENGELHARDT. of Mill- vale, Pa., a retired shoe dealer, was born in Bavaria, Germany, May 7, 1825, son of John and Rebecca (Ehrlinger) Engel- hardt. His father was a shoemaker in Germany and was a member of the vic- torious army of the Fatherland in the Franco-Prussian war, but was taken as a prisoner of war and died shortly after his release. John A. Engelhardt was educated in the public schools of his native country, and when fourteen years of age began to learn shoemaking, and there worked at that trade until 1853, when he came to the United States and located in Pittsburg. There he was connected with a Pittsburg shoe firm for seven years, and then opened a place of his own, selling and making shoes. He prospered in this venture at Pittsburg until 1873, when he came to Millvale and worked at his trade until his retirement from active business in 1893. He was married, in 1853, to Margaret Popp, of Germany, and they had eight children, the living ones of whom are: Albert, mail carrier, of Pittsburg; Andrew, in butcher business in Pittsburg; John, fore- man for a prominent butcher in Pittsburg; Louis, butcher in Alle- gheny city; Augustus, a traveling salesman for a wholesale meat packer; Elizabeth, wife of Fred J. Qualman, of Millvale. Two died, Marie, wife of F. F. Walther, and Matthew, a mechanic. Mr. Engelhardt is a member of the German Lutheran church, and is a highly esteemed citizen of the town in which he has passed the last thirty years of his life.
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ERNEST THEODORE LIPPERT, of Millvale, Pa., a prominent saw manu- facturer, was born in Prussia, Sept. 21, 1841, son of Karl and Christina (Brock- man) Lippert, both natives and life resi- dents of Prussia. They had a family of six children, five of whom are now living. His father was a glass manufacturer in the old country, as was also his paternal grandfather. Mr. Lippert was educated in the splendid and thorough schools of the Fatherland, and there learned the trade of glass-blowing. He came to America in 1867, located at Pittsburg and worked at his trade for
several months. Then he made a tour of the United States, returned to Pittsburg, and went to work for the firm of Lippincott, Bakewell & Co., manufacturers of saws. He continued with that concern until 1880, when he engaged in the manufacture of saws on his own account, the industry being established under the name of the Penn saw works, and located at No. 626 Grant St., Pittsburg. In 1889 Mr. Lippert purchased the trade, name and good-will of the Pittsburg saw works from Hubbard & Co., and consolidated the same with his former business, maintaining, however, the two plants under their distinctive names. In 1896 he built and equipped a large plant at Millvale under the name of the Penn saw works, in the borough of Millvale, where he has resided since 1874. The Millvale plant consists of a large four-story brick factory building, with com- modious two-story tempering plants, yards and other accessories, together covering an entire block. The works are fully equipped with steam power, steam hammer saw-making machinery, and all mechanical requisites for making superior products. Their output, which is a valuable one, embraces saws and general mill supplies of all descriptions. Mr. Lippert is a thoroughly practical saw maker, of thirty-five years' experience, and employs from seventy- five to 100 men, a large percentage of whom are experts in their respective lines. It has always been a carefully observed rule of action with Mr. Lippert to strive for the best products and to be satisfied with nothing short of as perfect an article as human ingenuity can devise. He has been twice married-first, to Annie Morton, of Pittsburg, in 1869, who bore him two children and died in 1881; the second time, to Mrs. Wilhelmina Pfischner, a widow and the mother of seven children by a previous marriage,
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. and they have had five children. He and his wife are members of the German Lutheran church of Millvale, and he has been a trustee of that body for the past twenty-five years. He is a repub- lican in his political affiliations, and has been a member of the borough council for the last ten years, having two years more to serve on his present term. Mr. Lippert is a man of many sterling qualities, and possesses the respect and esteem of the entire com- munity.
JOHN DENNY, a trusted employe at the Tarentum paper mill, was born in Armstrong county, Pa., Jan. 29, 1844, and was a son of Ecard and Christina (Shafer) Denny, natives of Germany. The father fought with distinction in the famous battles of Waterloo and Moscow. Later he married and came to America, settling first in Buffalo, N. Y., and mov- ing after some years to East Deer town- ship, Allegheny county, where he spent his last days on a farm. He died, Aug. 19, 1869, when seventy-seven years old, and his wife in 1890, at the age of eighty-two. They were the parents of eight children, five of whom are living-three sons and two daughters. Ecard Denny was a farmer in Germany, and spent the last years of his life at that vocation, but was also for some years, after coming to America, engaged in various business pur- suits. In politics he was a republican. He and his wife were members of the German Evangelical Protestant church. Mr. Denny helped build the church of that denomination in Tarentum, and afterwards served as trustee. John Denny, whose name begins this article, was reared and educated in East Deer township, and was for many years a farmer by vocation. Afterwards he worked fourteen years for the Pittsburg plate glass company. In politics a republican, he takes a keen interest in the welfare of his party. He has served a term in the council, has also held the office of constable, and has acted as election inspector. During the Civil war he served nine months as a member of Company F, 123d regiment, Pennsylvania volunteer infantry, taking part in the battles of second Bull Run and Antietam, and being wounded in the latter engagement by a bursting shell. A brother, Hudson Denny, was captain of a company that was organized in Oil City.
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He also fought at Antietam and second Bull Run, and helped bury the dead after the latter battle. He, too, was wounded by a shell. Captain Denny now lives in Wildwood, Pa. John Denny was married, in 1867, to Miss Rosina Sentrick, of Butler county, and had three children, viz. : Lillie M. (deceased), Frank E. and Annie P. Mrs. Denny died Feb. 17, 1900. Mr. Denny is identi- fied in religious belief with the Methodist church, as was his wife.
THOMAS NORMAN, JR., a popular druggist of Hites, has been successfully engaged in that business since 1885. He has been justice of the peace for the past twenty-one years, and was re-elected not long ago for another five-year term. He is also interested in the German National building and loan association of Pittsburg. Mr. Norman was born in England, Nov. 28, 1845, and came to Allegheny county with his parents in 1855. His father, Thomas Norman, Sr., was for many years a boot and shoe manufacturer in Pittsburg, and spent his last years in Normantown. In politics he was a democrat, and, with his wife, Louisa (Dean) Norman, belonged to the Episcopal church. Mrs. Norman died in 1881, at sixty-seven, while Mr. Norman died on Feb. 17, 1901, at the advanced age of eighty-four. They were the parents of fifteen children, of whom only three are living. Thomas Norman, Jr., was educated in England and Pittsburg, and before going into the drug business spent about twenty years in the coal mines, and worked for a time on canal boats. In politics he is a republican, loyal to his party, and actively interested in its welfare. He is a member of Taren- tum lodge, No. 587, I. O. O. F., and of the Orangemen of Hites. He is married and, with his family, belongs to the Methodist Epis- copal church. His wife, whom he married Dec. 13, 1871, was for- merly Miss Mary M. Weisenstein, a native of Butler county, Pa., born March 15, 1845. Her father, Jacob Weisenstein, was born in Germany, and died in Butler county at the age of fifty-six, while her mother, Mary (St. Clair) Weisenstein, a native of Butler county and a member of a pioneer family, lived to be seventy-seven years old. To Mr. and Mrs. Norman have been born five children: Mary S., Thomas D., Gottlieb F., Louise J. and Robert K.
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WILLIAM JOHN STALEY, superin- tenfent of the water-works at Tarentum, and'une of the more prosperous and well- to-do men of that city, was born in East Deer township, Allegheny Co., Pa., Dec. 17, 1842. He is the son of James M. and Julia (McNeal) Staley, and grand- son of William Staley, a native of Penn- sylvania and pioneer settler of Allegheny county, where he died at the age of sixty- five. His wife also died in Allegheny county. James M. Staley lived, when a young man, in Bakerstown, but after- wards married and moved to Freeport, going later to Tarentum, where he died in 1875, and his wife in 1899. They were the par- ents of seven children-three sons and four daughters-four of whom are living. James Staley was, in early life, a farmer, after- wards superintendent of a salt works, and later superintendent in the oil fields, but retired from active life several years before his death. In politics he was a republican. He and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he held the honorary position of steward. The maternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch was John McNeal, a native of Pennsylvania, who died at an advanced age in Allegheny county. He married a Miss Diller, who was born at Squirrel Hill, Allegheny county, and died at Ward's Run, in the same county. William J. Staley, whose name begins this sketch, was reared and educated in Tarentum and at Bailey's Run, and at an early age began to work in the oil fields. He was thus employed from 1858 to 1868, and farmed seven years, acting at the same time as superintendent of an oil refinery. In 1875 he came to Tarentum, where he engaged for four years in mercantile pursuits, and put up the first opera house in the town. He managed the opera house five years and rented it two years, after which it burned down. Besides the opera house, he built a skating rink which for two years enjoyed a liberal patronage. For several years past he has served as superintendent of the water- works system at Tarentum, and has proved an able and conscien- tious official. In political belief a republican, Mr. Staley has served two terms in the Tarentum council. He is a member of K. O. T. M., and, with his wife, belongs to the Methodist Episco- pal church. In 1867 he married Mary Hopple, a native of Ger- many, who came to America in 1848, when three years old. Mrs.
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Staley's father, John Hopple, died while on his way to America, but her mother, Elizabeth (Burke) Hopple, is living, at the age of eighty-eight years. Mr. and Mrs. S aley are the parents of seven children, viz .: William W., Dorothy J., John M., Marie E., Jemima E., Elmer and Mabelle C. Mr. Staley has, by thrift and industry, acquired considerable means, and is the owner of much valuable property. He has a farm in Beaver county, four store rooms in Tarentum, on Fifth avenue, and a beautiful residence, built on part of the old homestead land on East Tenth avenue, where he has resided with his family for the past thirteen years.
JOSHUA N. GRIFFITH, an old and respected citizen of Braddock, was born in Somerset county, Pa., Oct. 13, 1843. His parents were Eli and Elizabeth Griffith, prominent and respected citi- zens of Somerset county. Mr. Griffith received his education in the public schools of his native county, and in 1858 moved with his parents to Johns- town, Cambria county, where he worked on a farm for a while, and later in the mills. He was employed in the mills when the Civil war broke out, and during the war enlisted in the 192d Pennsylvania volunteers for one year, and was honorably discharged eight months later at the close of the war, returning to the mills. Mr. Griffith was married, Jan. 25, 1866, to Emma L., daughter of Edward and Rebecca Thomas. Mrs. Griffith was born Aug. 25, 1859, and was educated in the public schools of Johnstown. Seven children have been born of this union, as follows: Sadie, wife of P. L. Brisbane, of Braddock ; Effie, wife of A. S. Gearing, Jr. ; Forest, in business in North Brad- dock; Elmer, in the shoe business; William T., also in the shoe business; May, wife of Harry Wright, of Braddock, and Maudie, who died in infancy. Mr. J. N. Griffith came to Braddock in 1876, and accepted a position in the Edgar Thompson steel works, where he remained until 1887. He was then elected assessor, and later held the position of tax collector for ten years. Since 1898 he has been engaged in the insurance business, and has been very success- ful. He was first connected with the American relief association, and later resigned to accept a position with the Pittsburg sick and accident insurance company. He is now connected by charter with
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the National beneficial association of Pennsylvania, with an office at No. 708 Pennsylvania Ave., Pittsburg. Mr. Griffith is a member of Braddock Field lodge, No. 529, I. O. O. F .; Major A. M. Harper post, No. 181, G. A. R., and the Knights of Malta. His home is at No. 804 Talbot Ave. Mr. Griffith is imbued with the inherent thrift and industry of the people of his race, has always been energetic in the promotion of civil, social and personal prosperity, and is one of Braddock's honored citizens.
GUSTAVE A. MECKEL, for twenty- seven years superintendent for William B. Scarfe & Sons company, of Oakmont, Pa., was born in Allegheny city, Pa., Dec. 11, 1846, and is a son of Frank W. and Anna M. (Aschenbach) Meckel, both natives of Saxony, who came in an early day to Allegheny county, and died there. His maternal grandparents were John B. and Anna (Young) Aschenbach, also natives of Saxony, and early settlers of Allegheny. Frank Wm. Meckel, father of the subject of this sketch, was a sheet and plate iron worker, being in the employ of W. B. Scarfe & Sons for forty years, and was for many years foreman in the plant. He was politically a republican. He and his wife were members of the reformed church. Frank Wm. Meckel and wife had twelve children, of whom six are now living. The father died in 1876, and the mother is now living at the age of seventy-seven. Gustave A. Meckel, whose name stands at the head of this sketch, was educated in the public schools; at the age of sixteen, he began work for W. B. Scarfe & Sons company, and has been in their employ ever since, rising from a low position to the responsible place of superintendent. The firm is a large and flourishing one, and does an extensive business in the manufacture of structural steel works, range boilers, tanks, stacks, ice cans, corrugated iron high-pressure cylinders, water filters, water purifying plants, etc. Mr. Meckel is a prominent republican and influential in local party politics. He is a member of Hope lodge, No. 243, Knights of Pythias; Lodge No. 548, F. and A. M .; Knights of Khorassan; Allegheny lodge, National Union, No. 288, and League of Ameri- can Wheelmen. He was married, in 1875, to Miss Anna M. Worth- ington, of Allegheny city, and has two children, Alice M. and
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Frank W. Alice is the wife of Allen Rohrback, of Frederick, Md., and has three children, Martin N., Gustave A. and Alice. Frank spent nine months in the Spanish-American war with the 18th Pennsylvania volunteers. He is now employed as a foreman in government work. Mr. Meckel is at the present time burgess of Oakmont borough.
SAMUEL LAWRENCE GARDNER, of McKee's Rocks, borough engineer, was born in Washington county, Pa., in the township then known as Plumsick, May 17, 1849, son of Samuel and Jane (Noah) Gardner, of Scotch-Irish and Dutch extraction. The Noah family came to America on the "Mayflower, " and have since been prominent in the affairs of the country. Nine children were - born to Samuel and Jane Gardner, seven of whom, besides the subject of this sketch, are now living, viz .: John; Peter N. ; Rebecca, wife of Edward Gardner; Belinda Jane, wife of John Snyder; Margaret Anne, now Mrs. Francis Adams; Nancy, wife of Ridgely Caldwell, and Martha. Elizabeth, wife of William Durlan, died some years since. The elder Gardner was a prosperous black- smith, a stanch democrat and for many years an elder in the Presbyterian church. Samuel L. Gardner was educated in the dis- trict schools and at the State normal school, of West Liberty, Ohio Co., W. Va. In 1870 he left school to engage in the railroad busi- ness, serving as yard clerk and passenger brakeman until 1875, when he became a street-car conductor and worked in the cities of Pittsburg and Chicago. In 1878 he began to learn the profession of civil engineering under R. L. McCully, of Pittsburg, Pa., and was with him for two years. He became railroad surveyor for the Santa Fé, Prescott & Phoenix railroad, where he remained until 1892, when he went to California for a year. Later he returned to Pittsburg, resumed his former position with R. L. McCully, and two years afterwards was elected to his present position of borough engineer of McKee's Rocks. Mr. Gardner has made a fine record in that position, and stands high in the esteem of the people of that city. Mr. Gardner has been married three times: First, to Mary O'Brien, by whom he had one son, Walter E., now a farmer of Washington county; the second time, to Mary Boland, of New
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