Charles Read
Among the first settlers of Armstrong county we find the
name Read. Michael Read, grandfather of Charles Read, emigrated from County
Derry, Ireland, in 1794. He died in Armstrong county, April 15, 1817, in his
fifty-ninth year. For three years he resided at Laurel Furnace, east of the
Allegheny mountains, from whence he came and settled where the immediate
subject of this biography now resides. Five years subsequent to his settlement
his family came, which consisted of three sons and three daughters � Daniel,
James, Bridget, Alice, Patrick and Catherine � all of whom were born in
Ireland. Michael, the youngest, was born in Armstrong county. Daniel, James
and Patrick engaged extensively in the cattle trade, and were the first who
drove a herd of cattle across the Allegheny river near Kittanning, in 1810, on
their way �east of the mountains,� to find a market for them.Patrick Read married Miss Mary Bradley, of Cambria county, 1821. She was
daughter of Charles Bradley, one of six who built the first church in Cambria
county for Rev. Demetrius Galitzin. He was a blacksmith by trade. His last
work in Ireland was to shoe a general’s horse of the English army that was
bound for colonial service during the revolutionary war. The following
anecdote is given to the writer regarding him:As he had finished the shoeing of the general’s horse he remarked to those
present in the shop, �That is the last work I will do in Ireland until I
oppose that general in the cause of freedom in the colonies.� Several of
his companions accepted his cause, and at once sailed for the States. During
their voyage they were pursued by an English ship, which would eventually
have captured them were not the impending dangers overcome by the skill and
tactics of their valiant captain. When they landed, they joined the
revolutionary soldiers, and opposed and successfully captured the very
general whose horse he shod in Ireland.Patrick Read succeeded his father in the homestead, and in those early days
of inconvenience, trials and hardships, not only contributed to secure the
church farm attached to St. Patrick’s church (Sugar creek), but helped to
build the old log church in 1806. He also helped the Rich Hill congregation to
build their first church, now the United Presbyterian church of Middlesex,
notwithstanding he was always a practical and devoted Catholic. He had two
children � Mary, who is married to Cornelius Kelly, of Butler county, and
Charles, who is the subject of this memoir. He died April 25, 1854, aged
sixty-four years.Mr. Charles Read was born November 8, 1822. In 1859 he was married to Mrs.
Mary Gallagher, of Freeport. Previous to this marriage Mrs. Gallagher had
several children with her former husband, and only three survive � James and
William, who live in Minnesota, and Miss Annie Gallagher, who has always lived
in the family. Mr. and Mrs. Read were blessed with four children, two of whom
survive � Catherine, born in 1860, died in 1879; Mary Jane, born in 1862,
and Charles, born 1864, still live with their parents, and Margaret Elizabeth,
who was born in 1866, died in 1879. Mr. and Mrs. Read and family are
practical, devoted and highly honored members of St. Patrick’s church, of
Sugar Creek township.Although now exclusively engaged in farming, Mr. Read carried on the
stilling business nearly all of his life until 1864. This business was first
established in 1804, on the homestead, by his grandfather, and the famous �Charley
Read� brand of whisky became extensively known because of its well-merited
qualities. It was not only used by business and professional men generally,
but found a ready welcome in legislative halls and was selected for the army
for medical use.Mr. C. Read affiliates with the democratic party, and has always taken an
active part in the politics of his county. In 1867 he was candidate for the
sheriffalty, and came within one hundred and ten ballots of being successful,
notwithstanding the fact he had an adverse majority of eight hundred to
overcome, and the large number of adherents he drew from the opposing
political party (republican) attest the esteem and popularity of the man. In
1871 he was a candidate on the democratic ticket for associate county judge.Mr. Read is numbered among the large, progressive and prosperous farmers of
Armstrong county, and is a man whose identification with any enterprise is
productive of good.Source: Page(s)
524,
History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania by Robert Walker Smith, Esq.
Chicago: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1883.
Transcribed December 2000
by Jeffrey Bish for the Armstrong County Smith Project.
Contributed by Jeffrey Bish for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project
(http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)Armstrong County Genealogy Project Notice:
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