Crawford County, Pennsylvania

1885
Part V: Biographical Sketches

SADSBURY TOWNSHIP [& CONNEAUT LAKE]
pages 986-87 JAMES ADSIT, jelly manufacturer, P. O. Evansburg, was born March 7, 1853, son of John and Margaret (Mellon) Adsit, natives of this county, both deceased. Our subject, who was reared on a farm, engaged in lumbering for many years. He has a large jelly manufacturing establishment in Ashtabula County, Ohio, and bears the reputation of making the best article of the kind in the market. He was married, April 2, 1874, to Vira Stockton, by whom he has one daughter, Daisy B., born in 1878. Mr. Adsit is a member of the A. O. U. W., and, with his wife, an adherent of the Presbyterian Church. page 985 JOHN ANDREWS, retired farmer, P. O. Evansburg, was born in Vernon Township, this county, April 6, 1816, son of Robert and Sarah (Chidester) Andrews, who had eight children, five now living. Robert Andrews was a native of County Tyrone, Ireland; came to America in 1784, locating at Harrisburg, Penn., from thence moving to Allegheny County in 1792, and finally to what is now Crawford County. Here he made a clearing on French Creek, Vernon Township, and erected a building. In the fall of 1792 he and a number of others started for Harrisburg, Penn., but got lost, their pack horse died of starvation, and they were obliged to subsist on a couple of snakes which they found and a deer-skin that was roasted after the hair had been burned off. After innumerable privations they reached their destination. On their return home they employed an Indian guide to conduct them to Franklin, but in him the party placed little confidence, being in constant dread lest he should betray them. When within a day's journey of Franklin they came to a camp fire, a little beyond which they discovered a horse. After resting a day in Franklin they met there a man named Vansickle, who informed them the horse they had seen was his; that he and two comrades, named Power and Wallace, were surprised at the camp fire by Indians firing on them from an ambuscade. Power and Wallace were killed, but Vansickle showed the savages his heels, and although chased by one of them armed with a tomahawk for a considerable distance he succeeded in outrunning the Indian, who then gave up the pursuit. Robert Andrews returned to his clearing in Vernon Township the following spring (1793) in order to hold his title, as the law was that "a settler must have smoke on his premises every day for five years." This farm is still owned by his descendants, and on it John Andrews was born and reared. Our subject learned milling as an occupation. He was married June 2, 1847, to Mary D. Abbott. By this union were born six children, three now living: Eva B., Sadie and Ella. The sons are all deceased. Mr. Andrews is a member of the United Presbyterian Church, in which he is also an Elder. His nephew, James M. Abbott, with whom he spends many leisure hours, does a hardware business at Evansburg. page 985 CHARLES W. AUGUST, carpenter, P. O. Evansburg, was born in Venango County, Penn., April 13, 1840, son of Benjamin and Susan (Barton) August, the former a native of Pennsylvania, the latter of New York State. They were the parents of nine children. Our subject, the second in this family, was born and reared on a farm. He states that during his residence in Warren County, and when but six years of age, he and a brother, two years his senior, started about half past 4 o'clock to go for the cows, but stopped on [page 986] their way to play on some saw logs, a number of which commenced to roll down the hill, going over his brother and killing him instantly; the logs also caught our subject, holding him prisoner until 6 o'clock the next morning, when he managed to attract the attention of some neighbors by pushing his hat under a log, and was then released from his dangerous as well as uncomfortable position. Mr. August for some time followed lumbering, then learned the carpenter's trade, in which he is still engaged. During the late war he served eighteen months in Company B, Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry. He was married, November 7, 1878, to Clara Weary, of Oil City, Penn., by whom he has two children: William Edward, born October 20, 1881, and Fred H., born May 10, 1884. Our subject and wife are members of the E. A. U., of which he is Secretary. He is also V. G. in the I. O. O. F.; in politics a Republican. Mrs. August is a member of the Daughters of Rebekah. pages 986-87 TOBIAS GEHR, farmer, P. O. Tamarac, was born in Crawford County, Penn., February 13, 1818, son of Joseph and Sarah (Wright) Gehr; the former was a soldier in the war of 1812, serving under Com. Perry on Lake Erie. Our subject was married in 1850 to Sarah Letwiler. By this union are the following-named children: Filmore, Eli T., Frederick and Freemont. Eli T. married Mary Alexander, and has one child. page 987 JAMES GIBSON, farmer, P. O. Evansburg, was born September 12, 1840, in Vernon Township, this county, son of Hugh and Eliva Gibson. He was united in marriage, November 25, 1879, with Sarah Barber, by whom he has two children: Sarah L. and Thomas E. Our subject and brother, Robert Gibson, are substantial farmers and stock-raisers of this township; they possess an equal interest in the farm, which was first cleared by David Allen, thence descended to James Allen and finally to them. Their sister, Caroline, makes her home with them. Both brothers are members of the United Presbyterian Church. In politics they are Prohibitionists. page 987 WILLIAM W. JACKSON, farmer, P. O. Tamarac, was born in 1819, in East Fallowfield Township, this county, son of Abraham and Elizabeth (Gelvin) JACKSON; the former a native of Susquehanna County, Penn., died in 1853; the latter a native of Maryland, died in 1876. Our subject remained on the farm till May 16, 1834, when he went to Meadville, and there learned blacksmithing, which he followed for some time. In July, 1840, he opened a shop at Shermanville [sic] for custom work, and sharpened tools used in digging the canal then in process of onstruction. In 1852 he moved to Summit Township, this county, where he carried on farming and blacksmithing till October 13, 1864, when he moved on his present farm. He does his own blacksmithing. April 22, 1841, he married Miss Jane Stewart, and to this union were born ten children, viz.: Lovilla, married in 1866 to Isaac B. Gehr, who was a soldier in Company E, One Hundred and Eleventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, and died in 1882, leaving two children: Aggie, and Ray; Davis S., married to Eugenia Boon, September 8, 1867 (have two children: Flavel S., and Orvie); Walker, married to Esther Gehr, in 1871 (have the following children: Ida M., J. Park and Stewart W.); Cyrus A.; Albert C., married to Lucy Burch, in 1877; Emma L., married to William M. Hull, in 1872; Homer E., Alta M., Ella M. and Martin W. Mr. Jackson was elected in 1881, and is now serving as Justice of the Peace; is a member of the I. O. O. F.; in politics he is Greenbacker. page 990 HUGH G. McKAY, boot and shoe-maker, Evansburg, is a son of Joseph and Mary (Gilleland) McKay, who were the parents of seven children, three now living, viz.: Neal, Robert S. and Hugh G. Our subject has been twice married; on second occasion, July 4, 1839, to Elizabeth Walker. To this union have been born Joseph, married to Maggie Foust; Jennie; Uriah, married to Rosannah Wiser (he served during the late war in the Twelfth Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry); Frederick, married to Hattie Brush; Josiah N.; Hugh O., married to Eva Brown; Peter H. married to Mary McMichael; David M. C. and Henry L. Mr. McKay is a tanner by trade, an occupation he followed for several years. Since 1829, with the exception of eight years, he has resided in Evansburg. He is now serving his second term as Justice of the Peace, being first elected in 1878. He is an adherent of the Methodist Episcopal Church. A member of the I. O. O. F; in politics a Republican. page 991 JAMES RALYA, farmer, P. O. Evansburg, was born in 1853, in Sadsbury Township, this county; son of Henry and Harriet (Newton) Ralya, the latter of whom is a daughter of Russel and Phebe (Sutton) Newton, natives of New Jersey and New York respectively. Henry and Harriet Ralya were married January 12, 1839, and were parents of seven children: Charles W., George W., Rachel H., James M., William C., Howard N. and Emma. Our subject lives on a farm of fifty acres with his mother. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He and his brother William C. own the farm, through which runs the Meadville & Linesville Railroad. William C. Ralya was born January 7, 1857, and was married March 13, 1880, to Isadora Smead, whose parents reside in Michigan. By this union there is one child, Alvie, born November 6, 1881. Mr. Ralya is in the employ of the Meadville & Linesville Railroad. In politics both our subject and his brother are Democrats. page 991 STAFFORD RAYDURE, farmer, P. O. Evansburg, was born March 22, 1809, in Randolph, Orange Co., Vt.; son of Samuel and Lucy (Chase) Raydure, who were parents of the following children: Sophronia, Ellen, Samuel, Jr., Ziba, Abner, and Stafford, all now deceased but Abner and Stafford. Our subject was married April 1, 1832, to Desolate Quigley, born in Vernon Township, this county, April 1, 1805. To this union were born nine children, one deceased. Those now living are Rosanah, wife of Henry Werts, (have ten children); Lucy, wife of Eugene Sterns (have five children living and one deceased); Caroline, wife of Samuel Scott (have four children and reside in Nebraska); Dudley C., married to Caroline Scouden (have six children); Cordelia, wife of Alonzo Shepherd (have one daughter and reside in Nebraska); Mary, wife of Charles Shellito (have three children); Winfield Scott, married to S. Brown (have two children); Zachary Taylor, married to Etta Williams (have one daughter). Mr. Raydure first studied for the medical profession. Coming to this county in 1832, he engaged in lumbering and farming. He has been very successful and owns a large tract of land. At one time he was candidate for the Legislature from this county, coming within eleven votes of election, and would, no doubt, have been successful but over 400 votes were cast with his name mispelled Laydure, instead of Raydure. His wife, though seventy-nine years old, is active in mind and body and is able to do a large washing. Mr. Raydure and wife are active members of the Presbyterian Church. He belongs to the I. O. O. F.; in politics he is a Greenbacker. page 993 HENRY W. YOUNG, JR., carpenter, P. O. Evansburg, was born in 1848 in Millbrook, Mercer Co., Penn., son of Henry and Polly (Alcorn) Young. He was united in marriage in 1869, with Eliza Milner, born 1849, in Coolspring Township, Mercer County, daughter of Charles and Jane (Alexander) Milner. By this union were three children: Charles M., born September 16, 1870, died February 3, 1883; Jennie M., born June 12, 1872; and Holmes, born March 19, 1874. Mr. Young is a member of the I. O. O. F., of Evansburg. Is a Republican in politics.