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James A Gault
JAMES A. GAULT, banker and merchant, residing at Kittanning, Pa., was born
at New Wilmington, Lawrence Co., Pa., Dec. 14, 1838, son of William C. and
Elizabeth (Banks) Gault, and grandson of Maj. James Gault.Maj. James Gault was of Scotch-Irish ancestry and possibly was born either
in Scotland or Ireland. It is positively known that he was one of the very
first settlers in Lawrence (then Mercer) county, Pa., probably coming directly
after the close of the war of 1812, in which he served as a soldier, being
major of his regiment. He became one of the prosperous agriculturists of
Lawrence county, and died there at the age of seventy-six years. He and his
wife had the following children: John, Benjamin, William C., Elizabeth, Polly,
Sarah Jane and Lavina.William C. Gault was born and reared in Lawrence county and followed the
tanning business at New Wilmington, where his death occurred in 1852. He
married Elizabeth Banks, who died in 1854, and they had six children: James
A., Benjamin C., Mary Ann, Margaret Jane, Rebecca and Elizabeth.James A. Gault attended the public schools of New Wilmington preparatory to
entering Westminster College there, in which institution he was one of the
first students. Great changes have come about since then when even the first
of the many stately edifices of this educational center was yet unfinished and
it was necessary for the classes to be held in the Seceder Church building.
This school then, as now, was under the jurisdiction of the United
Presbyterian body. Mr. Gault continued at school until he was fourteen years
of age and then became clerk in the store at New Wilmington, in which capacity
he has had his first business training, and two years later went to New
Castle, Pa., where he worked as a clerk in a mercantile establishment for
three more years. About 1857 he went from New Castle to Allegheny City, Pa.,
where he became a partner in the general mercantile firm of Dunlap, Luker
& Co., Mr. Gault being the company. He sold his interest prior to 1864,
when he came to Kittanning in order to establish himself in the mercantile
business at this place. He was prudent in his first outlay and was judicious
in the selection of his site, the present one, at the corner of Jefferson and
Market streets, and prospered from the first. To Mr. Gault is largely due the
credit of reorganizing the methods of business in his line in this city. He
found Kittanning considerable of a trading point, but a large amount of
business done was on a credit basis, this frequently causing dissatisfaction
and embarrassment to both buyer and seller. He adopted the cash plan, paying
cash at the time of purchase for all his goods, whether dry goods or produce,
and asking the same safe system from his customers. No new method meets with
universal favor at the beginning, but it was not long before the wisdom and
effectiveness of this plan became recognized and his competitors adopted the
same, and ere long every one was satisfied. He was the father of this
admirable business method at Kittanning, one that now prevails in all the
leading business houses of the borough.Although Mr. Gault is numbered with the successful business men of the
place, he has, at times, met with serious losses. In 1878 his buildings and
stock were burned. In the same year, he rebuilt, erecting a fine three-story
brick structure, 33 by 100 feet in dimensions, adding two warehouses, and then
branched out more extensively, expanding the scope of his activities until
almost every line of merchandise was covered, establishing the first complete
department store at Kittanning. He has kept up with the times and has trade
connections which enable him to secure goods of every land and offer them at
prices and in variety to satisfy every would-be purchaser.Mr. Gault has additional interests. He has been a heavy dealer in grain and
feed for a number of years and owns a large elevator here. In 1884, when the
Farmers’ National Bank of Kittanning was organized, he became a member of its
board of directors and its vice president, and upon the death of John A.
Colwell succeeded to the presidency. He is a careful, conservative business
man and is well equipped for the position of head of this large financial
institution. He is now, in point of years of business service, the oldest
merchant in Kittanning, all his earlier associates having passed away or
withdrawn from active life. His business prominence, however, is only second
to his personal distinction, his many years of residence and his unselfish
interest in everything conductive to the welfare of his fellow citizens, his
public spirit and benevolence, all causing him to be held in high esteem by
his fellow citizens of Armstrong county.Mr. Gault was married Feb. 27, 1862, to Emma H. Rutan, daughter of Hezekiah
Rutan, of Allegheny county, Pa., and they have three children, namely: Harry
R., who is associated with his father in the mercantile business, married
Retta C. Titzell, and they have three children, James A., Margaret and Harry;
May Banks is the wife of Floy C. Jones, an attorney at Kittanning; Laura is
the wife of Harry McKenna.Mr. Gault is a thirty-second-degree Mason, belonging to Blue Lodge, No.
244, Chapter No. 247, Kittanning, Tancred Commandery, Pittsburgh and
Consistory at Pittsburgh.Source: Pages 587-588, Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and
Present, J.H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed January 1999 by Connie Mateer 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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