Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

Early Exploration and Native Americans

De Soto and his band gave to the Choctaws at Moma Binah and the Chickasaws at Chikasahha their first lesson in the white man’s modus operandi to civilize and Christianize North American Indians; so has the same lesson been continued to be given to that unfortunate people by his white successors from that day to this, all over this continent, but which to them, was as the tones of an alarm-bell at midnight. And one hundred and twenty-three years have passed since our forefathers declared all men of every nationality to be free and equal on the soil of the North … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Tracy W. Guthrie

Guthrie, Tracy W.; manufacturer; born, Chicago, Ill., Feb. 2, 1866; son of Julius C. and Emily A. Tracy Guthrie; educated in Chicago public schools, Chickering Institute, Cincinnati, public schools in Detroit, Mich., and Elmira, N. Y.; married, New Rochelle, N. Y., Feb. 8, 1910, Settal Horn; pres. Continental Coal Co., Columbus, O., 1903-1904; pres. Republic Iron & Steel Co., Pittsburgh, 1905-1911; sec’y and gen’l mgr. Standard Welding Co., Cleveland, to date; member Loyal Legion, Union and Country Clubs.

Biographical Sketch of James K. Dillon

Dillon, James K.; assistant general passenger agt. Pennsylvania R. R.; born, Pittsburgh, Pa., Oct. 25, 1860; son of Levi and Eliza Ann Kelly Dillon; educated, common schools and High School, Pittsburgh, Pa.; married, Pittsburgh, Pa., Nov. 5, 1896, Edna Virginia Jack; one son, James Edward Dillon, born, Pittsburgh, Pa., Oct. 29, 1904; entered R. R. service as clerk of Penn. R. R., at Pittsburgh, Oct. 1, 1879; stenographer, passenger dept., Penn. Co., 1881; district passenger agt. Penn. Lines, Pittsburgh, 1897; asst. General passenger agt., Penn. Co., Cleveland, since April 1, 1907; member F. A. M. and Elks, Chapter, K. O. T. … Read more

Rea, George Whitefield – Obituary

George Whitefield Rea was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., Oct. 7, 1839. He was early thrown upon his own responsibility by his mother’s death. When the Civil War broke out, Mr. Rea was desirous of enlisting, but as he was in the railroad service when he was needed in the transportation of troops and supplies, he was not permitted to enlist till the year 1864. He served to the end of the war and was honorably discharged. After the war Judge Rea took up the study of law, and followed that profession ever since. He first practiced in Nebraska, and in … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George Baird Johnson

Johnson, George Baird; professional; born, Erie, Pa., Jan. 10, 1877; son of James a and Susan Baird Johnson; educated, Sewickley Academy and Park Institute, Pittsburgh, Pa.; married, Cleveland, Feb. 10, 1906, Edith Ketchum; issue, two children, John Baird and Harriet Ely Johnson; in charge Cleveland office, having jurisdiction over Ohio and Kentucky, for William Salmon & Co., international bankers, New York; 1895, with general Agency Insurance Co. of North America, at Erie, Pa.; 1900, Agency Dept. New York Life Insurance Co.; 1905, W. J. Hayes & Son, bankers, Cleveland; 1909, William Salmon & Co., bankers; member Union Club.

Biographical Sketch of James Mathews

Mathews, James; lawyer; born, Bellwood, Pa., Sept. 4, 1868; educated at Mifflintown; graduated, Princeton University, 1890, degree A. B., Cincinnati Law School, 1893, degree LL. B.; admitted to the bar, and began practice in the United States attorney’s office, in Pittsburgh, Pa., 1893; come to Cleveland in 1894, as attorney for Cleveland, Akron & Columbus R. R.; formed partnership with Senator H. W. Wolcott, continuing until Wolcott was made gen. mgr. Kansas City & Leavenworth Ry.; then with Berkley Pearce, firm name Mathers & Pearce; member Century, Euclid and Hermit Clubs; politically Independent.

Biography of Thomas R. Durning

Thomas R. Durning, of St. Louis, president of the Monroe Clothes Shop and also of the Burton Clothes Shop, ranks with the leading merchants of the state by reason of the enterprise and progressiveness which he displays in the management of the interests under his control. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, September 17, 1882, and is a son of Joseph S. Durning, deceased, who was a native of London, England. On crossing the Atlantic to the United States he took up his residence in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was a whitesmith by occupation. He was the possessor of marked inventive … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William Fleming Abel

Abel, William Fleming; manager; born, Pittsburgh, Pa., April 2, 1875; son of Joseph and Louise Marchand Abel; educated, Washington-Jefferson college; married, Pittsburg, Pa., March 18, 1899, Mary D. Coyle; member Iron and Steel Institute of England, International Society for Testing Materials, Automobile Engineers; member F. & A. M., Tyrian Lodge, Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity, Rotary and West Brook Country Club.

Clarence Lewis Todd of Pittsburgh PA

Clarence Lewis Todd8, (Lewis C.7, Lewis C.6, Caleb5, Gideon4, Gideon3, Michael2, Christopher1) born Feb. 23, 1849, in Nelson, Portage County, Ohio, died May 5, 1905, in Pittsburg, Penn., and was buried in Ashtabula, O., married Emma Wiley. Children: *2401. James G., b. June 16, 1876. 2402. Lena, b. Feb. 28, 1878. 2403. Agnes. 2404. Sarah.

Biography of Louis Schorn

Louis Schorn President of the Olive Milling Company, was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1839, came to the United States in 1856, and engaged as clerk for a dry-goods merchant in Alabama until 1861, when he returned to the old country to visit his parents. In 1864 he again sought “the land of the free.” After clerking three years in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he spent one year in Kansas, and then until 1882 he was successfully engaged in the grocery and milling business in Texas. Then he came to California and purchased forty acres of land northwest of Anaheim, where he … Read more

Biographical Sketch of E. Loomis Spriggs

Spriggs, E. Loomis; realty and building; born, Washington, Pa., Oct. 17, 1880; son of Edward and Josephine E. Greenlee Spriggs; educated, Ohio Northern University, Ada, O.; treas. The Commonwealth Realty & Building Co.; identified with the agency force of The Pittsburgh Life & Trust Co.; subsequently in the Federal service at Pittsburgh until 1906, when he resigned, to become associated with his brother, C. H. Spriggs, as Cleveland real estate operators; this partnership became the basis for the formation of The Commonwealth Realty & Building Co.; member Lakewood Chamber of Commerce, and Lakewood Lodge, F. & A. M.; Progressive Republican … Read more

Biographical Sketch of A. William Neale

Neale, A. William; insurance; born, Columbus, O., May 14, 1863; son of William and Emma B. Lennox Neale; educated in Cleveland public schools; married, Cleveland, Nov. 20, 1890, Clara Chandler; issue, one son and one daughter; began work at 14 years of age in a planing mill; held various office positions until 26, when appointed contracting agt. for Illinois Central R. R., at Pittsburgh, entered insurance business in Cleveland with Geo. H. Olmsted & Co.; later with Fred P. Thomas, insurance; with brother, E. E. Neale, formed firm of Neale Bros. & Co.; merged with the Phypers Bros. Co., as … Read more

Biography of Rev. Berry Edmiston

Rev. Berry Edmiston, of Riverside, located there in 1878. He first resided on the Government tract at the head of Magnolia avenue, on Palm avenue. In the spring of 1880 he purchased a ten-acre tract on the west side of Bandini Avenue, about three miles south of Riverside. Upon this tract he erected his cottage residence and devoted him-self to horticultural pursuits. He has now three acres in budded orange trees of the Washington Navel variety, two acres in apricots and about four acres in raisin grapes. In 1881 he purchased a ten-acre tract adjoining him, on the south and … Read more

Biography of William J. Bovaird

William J. Bovaird. Due to the important position occupied by Independence in the oil and gas fields of Kansas and Oklahoma, it had become the center of many large business corporations, and one of these is the Bovaird Supply Company of Kansas, whose president is William J. Bovaird. Mr. Bovaird had been identified with the manufacture of tools and apparatos used in the oil fields since an early age, his father having established a business of that kind in Western Pennsylvania in the early days. In 1903 Mr. Bovaird located at Independence and established the Bovaird Supply Company, at first … Read more

Biography of Charles South

Charles South. The oil industry in the Mid-Continent field of Kansas had an able representative in the person of Charles South, of Chanute, who had been producing in this field since 1903. Like many of the men interested in the business here, Mr. South had his introduction to oil production in the Pennsylvania fields, and when he arrived in Kansas had a number of years of experience back of him to assist him in his enterprises. Mr. South was born near the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, April 26, 1864, and is a son of John and Vilinda (Everly) South. He … Read more

Biography of James W. Ballantine

One of the foremost representatives of the mercantile interests of the Wood river valley is James W. Ballantine, of Bellevue. A native of Pennsylvania, he was born February 15, 1839, and in his life has manifested many of the sterling traits of his Scotch ancestry, who emigrated to the United States in 1825. His parents were Nathaniel and Sarah (Wallace) Ballantine, natives of Scotland, in which country they were reared and married. Crossing the Atlantic to America, they took up their residence near Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, where the father engaged in merchandising. They were Presbyterians in their religious faith, and were … Read more

Biography of Edwin R. Christman

Edwin R. Christman, secretary of the Silurian Oil Company of St. Louis, was born September 6, 1887, in Wheeling, West Virginia, a son of Edwin A. Christman, a native of Tennessee and a representative of one of the old Pennsylvania families of Dutch descent and also of early American Quaker ancestry living in Pennsylvania. Edwin Christman was united in marriage to Margaret Cahill, a native of Tennessee and of Irish lineage. They have become the parents of four children, two sons and two daughters. Edwin R. Christman, the second in order of birth, was educated in the public schools of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William McKinley Duncan

Duncan, William McKinley; lawyer; born, Pittsburg, Pa., May 19, 1873; son of Andrew J. and Sarah McKinley Duncan; educated, public schools Pittsburgh, Pa., and Rayen High School, Youngstown, O., and Cornell University, Ithaca., N. Y.; married, Youngstown, O., Oct. 18, 1899, Viola Deetrick; issue, three sons; admitted to bar, October, 1894; associated with Squire, Sanders & Dempsey ever since; became member of firm, January, 1911; representing Eastern Trunk Railroad in the engineer arbitration; receiver of the Wheeling & Lake Erie R. R. Co.; member Union, Athletic, Mayfield and Hermit Clubs.

Biographical Sketch of Norris J. Clarke

Clarke, Norris J.; born, Cleveland, Aug. 29, 1880; son of Jay M. and Lena D. Clarke; educated, Cleveland public schools and Central High School; married, Sewickley, Pa., June 24, 1907, Katherine Pearson; two daughters, Kathleen and Marguerite; entered the employ of The Bourne-Fuller Co. in 1897, as office boy and worked at all office positions, becoming salesman in 1904, and mgr. of their Pittsburgh office from 1906 to 1911 when he accepted his present position; sec’y The Upson Nut Co.; pres. Searight Supply Co., and sec’y Union Nut & Bolt Co.; member Union and Athletic Clubs, of Cleveland, and the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William Kornman

Kornman, William; prop. cafe; born, Pittsburgh, Pa., Aug. 21, 1866; son of Peter and Marguerite Frank Kornman; educated, public schools, Pittsburgh, Pa.; married, Cleveland, 1907, Jennie Pendergrast; one son, William H. Kornman, Jr.; member National Order of Eagles and Knights of Pythias.