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Burton L Barnhart
BURTON L. BARNHART, whose beautiful home at Kaylor, “Maple Hill,”
is one of the finest in all that portion of Armstrong county, is extensively
interested in oil and gas operations in that region, supplying gas to Kaylor
and to the surrounding territory for a radius of five miles. He belongs to a
family of German extraction which has long been established in this part of
Pennsylvania.Jacob Barnhart, the progenitor of this branch of the family, came to
America from the Rhine country, in Germany, in 1742. His brother John William
also emigrated to this country in 1742 and they first settled in Westmoreland
county,Pa., later moving to Butler county, where the Barnharts have been well
known ever since, the post office of Barnhart’s Mills, which was in existence
many years, having been named in their honor, and the town at that location
was known as Millerstown from the fact that the Barnhart Mills were located
there; it is now called Chicora. Philip Barnhart, son of John William
Barnhart, was the founder of the town, which he laid out.Jacob Barnhart, great-grandfather of Burton L. Barnhart, was born in
Westmoreland county, Pa., son of the Jacob who came from Germany in 1742.
Thence he moved in an early day to Butler county, where he took up a large
tract of land, owning about 250 acres. He improved his property, developing a
beautiful farm, and was known as one of the progressive men of his day, both
for the enterprise he displayed in his business affairs and his usefulness as
a citizen. Besides farming he followed shoemaking, receiving forty cents a day
for work at his trade. When he and his wife died Simon Barnhart, a cousin of
Isaac Barnhart (father of Burton L. Barnhart), bought out all the heirs. On
his fine farm Jacob Barnhart passed the remainder of his life, dying when
fifty-six years old, and he is buried in an old cemetery in Fairview township,
that county. His wife, whose maiden name was Spangler, was a native of Butler
county and died in 1860; she was interred in the same cemetery. They were
members of the German Reformed Church. They became the parents of seven
children, namely: John, the grandfather of Burton L. Barnhart, is mentioned
below; David died in Chicora, Butler county; William was killed in 1844 while
chopping a leaning tree, a splinter flying off and striking him in the neck;
Elizabeth married Solomon Rumbaugh, and died in Sugar Creek township; Susan
became the wife of Jacob Hauk, of Fairview township, Butler county, and died
in that township; Mary Maria married John McKisson, deceased, of Buena Vista,
Butler county; Hannah married John Hammond, of Chicora, Pa., a stone cutter
and mason, and both are deceased.Andrew Barnhart, brother of Jacob, above, also lived in Butler county,
making his home in Fairview township. He served in the Black Hawk war as a
fifer, and having to blow the fife one extremely cold day had his fingers
frozen; upon his return home he made an oath that he would never again blow a
fife, which he kept faithfully. He died at the age of eighty years.John Barnhart, grandfather of Burton L. Barnhart, was born Feb.6, 1800, in
Chicora, Butler Co., Pa., and lived to the age of eighty-six years, six
months, twenty days. All his school education was received in the German
language, nevertheless he learned to speak English as fluently as any, and he
always maintained high standing among the intelligent citizens of his
community. After his marriage he settled where the Kaylor coal mine is now
operated, and his upright and industrious life gained and held the esteem of
all who knew him. He took no part in politics, but was a Republican in
sentiment, and he held membership in the German Reformed Church.Mr. Barnhart married Susanna Hepler, who was born Sept. 10, 1810, at Cherry
Run, Clarion Co., Pa., daughter of Jacob Hepler, a pioneer of that county, and
she preceded him to the grave, dying Jan. 4, 1875. Mr. and Mrs. Barnhart are
buried in the dilapidated cemetery previously mentioned. They were the parents
of eleven children, viz.: (1)Jacob C., born Feb. 25, 1830, died January, 1913.
He was a devout member of the Nevin Memorial Reformed Church, and a regular
attendant, missing only one communion service from 1849 until his death; he
served as deacon from 1856 to 1880. Mr. Barnhart served as school director of
Limestone township, Clarion county, for four terms. His first marriage was to
Barbara Smith, by whom he had two children, Scott and Mary, the latter
deceased. Scott settled on the old home farm, a fine property of 153 acres, in
Limestone township, Clarion county. (2) Elizabeth married Charles McKinney,
who died April 25, 1862, near Rimersburg, Clarion county, and she subsequently
became the wife of Thomas Downs, of Clarion county, by w3hom she had one son,
Isaac Scott. By her first marriage she had four children, David, William,
Alkana and John. She died Sept. 12, 1912, and is buried at Richmond, Kans. She
was a member of the German Reformed Church. (3) Hannah married Joseph Foringer,
a manufacturer of woolens, later engaged as a merchant at Kaylor. Both died
when seventy-three years old. They had a family of twelve children: One that
died in infancy, Scott, twins, Jane, Henry, Isaac (deceased), Harvey, Joseph,
Winnie (Mrs. John Wiles), Sarah and Charles. (4) Lewis married Mary Brown, of
Butler county, Pa., who died Sept. 7, 1911, and is buried at Lahobeth
Presbyterian Church in Clarion county, when sixty-five years of age. They were
the parents of three children, Lemuel, Charles Ellis and a daughter that died
in infancy. (5) Katherine married John Shook, and they lived at Kaylor and
Buena Vista. At the time of her death, March 12, 1914, when she was
seventy-seven years old, she was living at Perry, Ohio. They had children as
follows: Alvin, Thomas (who was killed on the railroad), Curtis (deceased),
Isaac (of Ohio), Mollie (who married William Harrington, also of Ohio), and
Edward (who is in the regular army). (6) Adam, now living at Iola, Kans., aged
seventy-four years, was married in 1860 to Kate Shook, who died in 1911 in her
eighty-third year. They settled in Kansas. They had children: Isabelle, Loman,
Walter, Ida M., Linus, John. Emma and Edward. (7) Isaac is mentioned fully
below. (8) Sarah, who died in August, 1904, was the wife of W.H. Eynon and had
four children, Ethel, Myrtle, William (deceased)and Harry (deceased). (9)
Rachel married Harvey Peck and lives in Vermont. She has one child, Grace.
(10) Susanna, twin of Rachel, is the widow of Thomas Shook, of Pittsburgh,
Pa., where she resides now sixty-eight years old. She has had six children,
Satara, Olive, Ruth, Anna, Charles, and a son that died in infancy. (11)
Joseph married Nancy McElroy, and they have had children, William, Mollie,
Kate, James, Eva, Ella, Hannah, Pearl, Lulu and Hugh.Isaac Barnhart was born Aug. 16, 1841, on the farm where he still resides
in Brady’s Bend township, a half mile south of the Kaylor post office. He
obtained his education there, attending the local schools until he was about
fourteen years old, after which he worked steadily on the home farm up to the
time he was twenty, at the outbreak of the Civil war. He then enlisted in the
Union army, joining Company B, 103d Pennsylvania Volunteers, organized at
Kittanning, in which he became corporal; he was mustered out July 8, 1865. He
saw much active service and was wounded once. Returning to his home in Brady’s
Bend township in August, 1865, to Hattie E. Shaffer, daughter of Adam Shaffer,
of Shaverstown, Delaware Co., N.Y., of old Revolutionary stock, and in 1866
returned to Brady’s Bend township and settled on the home place. Mr. Barnhart
followed farming there very successfully, owning a fine property of five acres
near Kaylor (within the limits of the Kaylor voting precinct) and worked at
his trade, harnessmaking. For the last fifteen years he has lived retired,
enjoying a well earned rest. In former years Mr. Barnhart took a direct part
in township affairs, in which he has always maintained public-spirited
interest. He served twelve years as school director, and was constable for one
term. Politically he has been a lifelong Republican.Seven children were born to Isaac and Hattie E. (Shaffer) Barnhart, namely:
Burton L., is mentioned below; Herman W. married Jennie McClintock, of Butler,
Pa.; Minnie is the wife of James Wagle, of Kaylor; Orman C., of Cassville, W.
Va., married Catherine Wills, of Mars, Pa.; Newton H., who lives at Kaylor,
married Ada Snyder; Charles, who served in the Spanish-American war, remaining
in the army three years altogether, married Frankie Hires, and lives at
Columbus, Ohio (he has been a railroad man for thirteen years); Charles Arthur
died in 1875, when twenty months old. The mother of his family died April 4,
1886, in her forty-fifth year, and was buried at the Baptist Church at Kaylor.On July 18, 1888, Mr. Barnhart married (second)Mary E. Meyers, who was born
June 12, 1858, in Brady’s Bend township, daughter of the late Isaac and
Elizabeth Meyers, pioneer residents of that section. Mr. and Mrs. Barnhart
have had no children. They have both been active in Grange work, having been
charter members of the Kaylor Grange, No. 1396, which Mr. Barnhart has served
as chaplain and Mrs. Barnhart as Ceres. They are members and earnest workers
in the offices of trustee and district steward.Burton L. Barnhart was born April 16, 1867, in an old log house on the farm
at Kaylor, and was reared there, obtaining his education in the neighborhood
schools, which he attended until thirteen years old. After he started to work
for himself he was employed at the Barnhart coal mine, opposite his present
home, which supplied all the coal for local well drilling at that time, and
from there he changed to the oil business, beginning as a pumper. After two
years he went into business on his own account, and in spite of the fact that
he had helped to drill probably more dry holes than any other man in Armstrong
county he has made a notable success of his work. It is a fact worthy of
record that on Sept. 5, 1899, Mr. Barnhart drilled the first “Speechly
sand” gas well in this country, located about two hundred feet from his
present residence. He proceeded with the drilling in spite of all opposition
and discouragements, one prominent gas man going so far as to say he was in
need of a guardian. However, he was rewarded with one of the largest gas wells
in this part of the country, the production reaching 1,200,000 feet of gas per
day. The well is 2,480 feet deep, and the rock pressure at first was 980
pounds, and great difficulty was experienced in getting the output under
control, the well “blowing out” three times; a special
“packer” had to be made to control it. The rock pressure now is 300
pounds, and the production is still large. Mr. Barnhart at present has
twenty-two producing gas wells and fifteen producing oil wells (all having
telephone connections with his office), besides twenty-five miles of gas pipe
line. He himself continues to take an active part in the operations, with
which he keeps closely in touch, personally superintending the fields, and
reading all the gas meters. The production is heavy at present and Mr.
Barnhart’s efficient and profitable management of his affairs has won him high
standing among the progressive and enterprising operators of the day. In this
connection he employs five men regularly. The Barnhart Coal Mine pumping
station is supplied with gas from his property, as well as the town of Kaylor
and the surrounding county. Mr. Barnhart also has other business interests,
being president of the Butler County Auto Company. He handles a full line of
gas fittings and supplies (in which he does a thriving business), and is now
installing a gasoline plant to make gasoline for all commercial purposes. He
keeps seven fine horses to do the large amount of hauling required in the
various operations of production and trade, and some of these are standard
bred.Mr. Barnhart is a thirty-second-degree Mason, belonging to Chicora Blue
Lodge, No. 540, Butler Chapter, No. 273, Tancred Commandery, No. 48, of
Pittsburgh, and the Consistory and Shrine at Pittsburgh. He is also a member
of Lodge No. 203,B.P.O. Elks, of Kittanning. He attends the Baptist Church.
Mr. Barnhart has been a lifelong Republican, and he is now serving his party
as committeeman for No. 2 district, Kaylor. He has always endeavored to exert
his influence for the improvement of local conditions, and his usefullness is
appreciated by his fellow citizens.On Dec. 6, 1887, Mr. Barnhart married Ella L. Doutt, daughter of John
Tarlton and Mary Ann (Campbell) Doutt, of Brady’s Bend, the former an old
settler of that place, where he was a well-known blacksmith for years. John
Tarlton Doutt was the son of John R. Doutt and Lydia (Frantz), daughter of
Isaac Frantz, of near Bellefonte, Pa. Mrs. Mary Ann (Campbell) Doutt was the
daughter of Samuel Campbell, a farmer near Fairview, Butler Co., Pa., who
married Miss Sidney Gibson. Mr. and Mrs. Barnhart have no children. Ever since
their marriage they have lived at their present location, on the south side of
Kaylor, and in 1904 he built the beautiful modern residence there which they
have since occupied. The property, known as Maple Hill, consists of
thirty-five acres, beautifully improved, and particularly noted as a fine
residence property. The fine lawn is tastefully inclosed with cement blocks,
and Mr. Barnhart has built a large buff brick barn with all modern
improvements on the place, probably the finest in the county. It is 36 by 46
feet, three stories high, with cement floors and of fireproof construction
throughout. Mr. Barnhart has also planted an orchard, of three hundred trees,
of various fruits.Source: pages 656-659, Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and
Present, J.H. Beers & Co.,1914
Transcribed September 1998 by P. Godesky for the Armstrong County Beers
Project
Contributed for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)Armstrong County Genealogy Project Notice:
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