The parents of John Wanamaker, the old and well known resident of Leechburg, were Henry and Susannah (Silves) Wanamaker. The former was born in this state in 1792, and died August 7, 1860, and the latter born in 1794, and died January 14, 1880. They had ten children: John, Elizabeth, Annie, Cyrus, James, Henry, Joseph, George, Esther and Caroline' Joseph and George are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Wanamaker removed from Westmoreland county, in 1813, and settled in Allegheny township (now Gilpin), where the remainder of their lives were spent.

Their son John was born in this county February 22, 1814. He was joined in wedlock with Miss Margaret Wagley, daughter of John and Catharine (Beck) Wagley, upon May 31, 1838. She was born January 25, 1814, in what is now Burrell township, where her parents were early settlers. The fruits of this union were seven children, whose names with their respective dates of birth are as follows: Mary Ann, born July 28, 1839, died May 11, 1863; James, born June 21, 1841, died the same year; Sarah, born July 2, 1842, died same year; Eliza (now the wife of Henry Byrer, and living in Shelby, Ohio), born June 23, 1844; Emma, (now the wife of Levi Hill, of Leechburg), born October 21, 1847; Martin L., born March 12, 1849 (he married Sarah Jane Artman, and has two children, Emma Irene and Effa Thirza); Elizabeth the youngest of the family of children (now the wife of Joseph Bowers, of Venango county), was born October 4, 1851.

Mr. Wanamaker has followed the furniture and undertaking business most of his life in Leechburg, and is one of the most respected citizens of that town.

Source: Page(s) 618, History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania by Robert Walker Smith, Esq. Chicago: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1883.
Transcribed April 2000 by Carl Waltenbaugh for the Armstrong County Smith Project.
Contributed by Carl Waltenbaugh for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)

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