Joshua B Agnew

Joshua B. Agnew

JOSHUA B. AGNEW was born in Clarion county, Penn., May 24, 1840. His
father, John Agnew, came of that sturdy Scotch-Irish family of Agnew’s, well
known in this State, and was born in Centre (now Blair) county, Penn., in the
year 1800. His mother was born in Lancaster county, this State, and was a
descendant of the early settlers of that section of the State, who came from
Holland. The father of the subject of this sketch was well known to the early
settlers of Northwestern Pennsylvania. When a young man he came to Clarion
county, and engaged in various business enterprises of that day; was married
in Clarion county, but nearly sixty years ago settled in Barnett township,
Jefferson county, near the Clarion river, and with John Cook, William
Armstrong. John Wynkoop, David Reynolds, Judge Barnett, Oran Butterfield,
James Irwin, Sylvester Nolton, Judge Blood, W. R. Coon and others, was one of
the early pioneers in the first settlement and development of that part of
Forest county, which was then almost an unbroken wilderness. His family
consisted of nine sons and three daughters, seven sons and one daughter of
whom survive him. J. B. Agnew being the fourth son, and no doubt inheriting
the enterprising spirit of his father, at the early age of fourteen years
commenced to make his own way in the world, and to provide for himself and
render such assistance to his parents as he could. He had commenced to lay the
foundation of his education at the old Agnew school-house, erected through the
efforts of his father about one mile from his home. There he improved such
opportunities as he had up to the time of leaving home at the age of fourteen
years, which, with several months of schooling afterward provided for by
himself at public school, and his own perseverance and efforts of self
education, fitted him to commence the study of law in after years.

After first leaving home as a boy, he for a few months worked in a saw-mill
after which, with a friend, he took contracts for taking out square timber,
his first contracts being on the waters of Spring creek, Forest county, four
miles from any habitation, where he spent his first winter, leaving home in a
lumber camp with the men under his employ. After completing his first contract
he went to school for a few months; then to work again at various jobs in the
lumber business, running on the river, being a pilot on the Clarion when a
boy, and following this life, in which he was always successful, until about
the year 1858. He then purchased a team and wagon, and for some time was
engaged in freighting and delivering goods that were then shipped by water to
Waterson’s ferry, the mouth of Redbank, Kittanning, and other points along the
Allegheny, and from there wagoned to Clarington, Shippen’s Mills, Coleman
Mills, Cooksburg, and to various towns and lumbering establishments along the
Clarion. He continued in this business up to the fall of 1860, when he
commenced to read law, studying, however, only in the evenings, and at such
times as he could spare from his work. In the fall of 1861 he was engaged in
putting in timber rafts, staves, etc., for the Pittsburgh market, expecting
with a small profit on the amount that he marketed in the spring of 1861, and
with the frugal savings of other labor, to be able after his return from
marketing to complete his education and law studies, and enter upon the
practice of law. But in April 1861, while at Liverpool, on the Ohio, Fort
Sumter was fired on, and the war broke out. On hearing this news, he came up
to Pittsburgh, arranged with his brother-in-law, J. R. Cook, to take charge
and dispose of a small lot of staves, etc., that he still had there, and
returned to his home, where, with Capt. V. Phipps, Philip Cook and others, he
joined in the recruiting and organization of a company from Forest and Clarion
counties, choosing Scotch Hill, Clarion county, as a place of drill and
rendezvous. The company was soon organized and ready with about eighty
members, but before its organization was complete the first call of the
president for 75,000 troops was filled. About that time the Pennsylvania
Reserve Corps was organized, when, by arrangement with Capt. Knox (late
Colonel and Judge Knox), at Clarion, Penn., the company was mustered into the
service as Company E of the Tenth Regiment, Pennsylvania Reserve Corps, with
said J. B. Knox as its captain. In this company he served as a private for the
first three years in the army, then, having re-enlisted, he was transferred to
Company I, of the One Hundred and Ninety-first Pennsylvania Veteran
Volunteers, and in June, 1864, was, by special order of Gen. George G. Meade,
detailed and placed in charge of the ordnance train of the Third Division of
the Fifth Army Corps, in which capacity he acted as captain and a staff
officer until the surrender of Lee at Appomattox, and the close of the war. He
declined a commission as captain for the reason that it would necessitate the
resignation of a wounded captain, who was a friend of his, to make the vacancy
for him (not wanting his friend to be deprived of his captain’s pay while he
was disabled), and was mustered out as a private. His record as a soldier is
an exceptionally brilliant one, and, as the record shows, he participated in
some twenty-seven battles and engagements, and has received special mention in
general orders for bravery in action. He was mustered out of the service in
July, 1865, and after his return home, at the first Republican convention
thereafter in Forest couuty, in the spring of 1866, was nominated for sheriff
of said county, and almost unanimously elected in the following fall. Before
his time as sheriff expired he was elected prothonotary, register, recorder
and clerk of the several courts of Forest county, and before his first term as
such had expired was re-elected. Before his second term as such had expired he
was elected a member of the legislature from Forest county, being the first
member of the legislature from the county under the constitution of 1873. He
served in the legislature of the State in the sessions of 1875 and 1876, was
re-elected and served in the sessions of 1877 and 1878, winning a high
reputation for probity and ability. During the time that he was occupying the
positions of sheriff, prothonotary, etc., of said county, he, under the
direction or Hon. George A. Jenks and W. E. Lathy, Esq., had completed his law
studies, and immediately upon resigning the office of prothonotary, etc., in
December, 1874, was admitted to the practice of law. After the expiration of
his last term in the legislature, in 1879, he accepted a position tendered him
by his friend, Hon. A. K. Dunkle (then secretary of internal affairs), in the
office of the secretary of internal affairs or Pennsylvania, which position he
filled for the term or four years.

Having commenced the practice of law in 1874, he continued in the practice as
much as his official duties would permit, and was also engaged in various
enterprises, having large interests in lands and oil rights that, about the
time that his term in the office of the secretary of internal affairs expired,
became valuable, and he returned to his home, and from that time to the
present has given his entire attention to his law practice and oil business.
Mr. Agnew is a prominent oil producer, having had himself at one time a
production or almost a thousand barrels of oil per day. As a lawyer he has
been successful, and enjoys the confidence and respect of all who know him in
that connection, having, aside from being admitted to the county courts, been
for the last twelve years practicing before the supreme court of Pennsylvania,
and the United States district courts. Much of the development of the
resources or Forest county in a business way, and especially as to its
development for oil, is due to Mr. Agnew, who is a leading politician, a
popular official and a reliable business man, held in high esteem by his
friends, generous to a fault, and an uncompromising Republican, who never
conceals his political likes and dislikes, but is a faithful personal friend,
one who never permits politics or difference of opinion to interfere with his
friendships and paramount among his virtues it may be said that he is an
honest man.

His father and three brothers, John, Samuel and Leonard – five of the family
in all were soldiers during the Civil war. The four brothers, all still
living, are members of the G. A. R., and are ardent Republicans. All rendered
honorable service to their country, and adhere to the principles for which
they fought. J. B. Agnew resides in Tionesta, where he has lived for the last
twenty-two years in one of the finest and pleasantest homes in the county
seat. In June, 1866, he married Miss Jennie E. McKay, then of Clarington,
Forest Co. Penn., a daughter of the late James and Christine (Nolton) McKay,
of Tionesta. Mrs. Agnew’s father is of the McKay family of Waterford, Erie
Co., Penn. and she is a granddaughter of Co1. James McKay, an officer in the
War of 1812. Her mother was the daughter or Sylvester Nolton, before mentioned
as one of the early pioneers of Forest county, and who is prominently
connected with its early history, having also been a soldier in the War or
1812. Mr. and Mrs. Agnew have three children – one son and two daughters.
Their son, Clarence McKay, now twenty-two years of age, was educated at
Allegheny College is now an attorney at law in his father’s office, and is a
promising and popular young man. The daughters, Misses Christine and Edna, are
aged respectively six and three years.

Source: Page(s) 920-922, Chapter 15 Biographical Sketches – Tionesta Township
and Borough of Tionesta
Hickory and Harmony Townships
History of Counties of McKean, Elk and Forest, Pennsylvania.
Chicago, J.H. Beers & Co., 1890.
Transcribed November 2005 by Nathan Zipfel for the Forest County Genealogy
Project
Published 2005 by the Forest County Pennsylvania Genealogy Project

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