Fred F Turner
FRED F. TURNER, a retired engineer of the Pennsylvania railroad, residing at Kittanning, was born Aug. 3, 1847, at Concord, N. H., son of John M. Turner, and grandson of Milton Turner.
John M. Turner was also a native of New Hampshire, where he lived until after his marriage to Margaret Ann Bosto. She, too was born in that State, a sister of Charles Bosto, an extensive refiner of oil, of Boston, Mass., and niece of colonel Whittmore, of Pembroke, N. H. Mr. Turner was a stage driver by occupation. After his marriage he spent some time in New Hampshire and Massachusetts before bringing his family to western Pennsylvania; they made the journey to Pittsburgh by stagecoach, and as the driver had been drinking he himself drove. From Pittsburgh the family went by boat to Franklin, and thence to Warren, Pa., by stagecoach again. Mr. Turner was employed for a time as a painter at Warren and then established a livery stable, building up such a large business that he kept from twenty-five to thirty horses. He had considerable patronage among the commercial travelers for a number of years. He afterward sold his livery and moved to Corry, Pa., and at the time of his death was conducting a large tobacco business there, having eight or ten men in his employ. He died at the age of forty-nine years, and is buried at Corry. His wife subsequently moved to Pittsburgh, where she died when sixty-nine years old, and she is also buried in the cemetery at Corry. They attended the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Turner was a Democrat, but not active in politics. He and his wife had three children, Charles, Margaret, and Fred F., all born in New Hampshire.
Fred F. Turner received his education in the public schools at Warren, Pa. In 1862 he commenced to learn the trade of machinist, serving an apprenticeship at Worcester, Mass. Returning to Warren, he was employed for a time at the Struthers machine shop, and afterward entered the employ of the Philadelphia & Erie Railroad Company as freight brakeman. After six months he was promoted to flagman, being thus engaged nine months, when he became conductor on a freight train. He left that Company to become brakeman of the Warren & Franklin railroad, being brakeman on a passenger train for three years, after which he became baggage man and extra passenger conductor. He then changed to the position of fireman on the run between Warren and Franklin, and after a year and a half of that work became engineer. In 1873 he left that road to take a position on the Allegheny Valley road, a part of the Pennsylvania system, on which he was engaged as engineer between Pittsburgh and Oil City until his retirement, March 4, 1913. His record was highly creditable, and he was a respected and trusted employee for many years. He is considered one of the progressive citizens of his section of Kittanning, and was one of the original stockholders of the Wickboro Cooperative Water Company. Politically he has always been a Democrat, and a stanch believer in the principles of the party. He is a Mason, belonging to blue lodge and chapter at Kittanning, and holds membership in the Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Turner was married to Emma E. Murphy, a native of Pine Creek Furnace, Armstrong county, whose parents, John and Anna (Bell) Murphy, were both born July 4, 1834. They were married April 9, 1854, and had a family of ten children, all of whom lived to grow up. One of this family is now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Murphy now reside at Knox, Pa. Mr. Murphy served at one time as county commissioner. Mrs. Murphy is a daughter of George Bell. Mrs. Turner was the ninth child born to her parents. Some time after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Turner moved to Kittanning, their home being at No. 603 Woodward avenue. Their two children, Rose Fanning and Anna Core, were born at Emlenton. They received their literary education in the public school, and have also been well educated in music.
Source: Pages 941-942, Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and Present, J.H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed November 1998 by Kathy Zagorac for the Armstrong County Beers Project
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