Thomas Mutter Allison
THOMAS MUTTER ALLISON, M.D., has been engaged in the practice of medicine
at Kittanning, Armstrong county, for a period of forty years —throughout his
professional career. He was born Feb. 28, 1849, at Elderton, Armstrong Co.,
Pa., son of Dr. Thomas Hederson and Mary Margaret (McFadden) Allison, and is
of Scotch descent, his grandfather, Thomas Allison, having been born in
Scotland.Thomas Allison was fourteen years of age when he came to the United States,
and first lived at Washington, in Washington county, Pa. He eventually entered
the ministry of the Seceder Church, and became one of the prominent and
influential clergymen of that denomination in his day. He was for many years
pastor of the Mount Hope Seceder Church in Washington county, and he is buried
in the Mount Hope cemetery. He died about 1840. His wife, whose maiden name
was Henderson, was of Washington county, and they became the parents of nine
children that grew to maturity. Mrs. Allison survived her husband for several
years.Thomas Henderson Allison was born June 29, 1820, near West Middletown,
Washington Co., Pa. After recieving his primary education in a subscription
school he attended Florence Academy, and later Franklin College, at New
Athens, Ohio. He began the study of medicine under Dr. A.C. Hamilton, of West
Middletown, and in 1854 was graduated from Jefferson Medical College, after
which he began practice at Murrysville, Pa. Remaining there a little over a
year, he removed thence to Elderton, Armstrong Co., Pa., where he was located
until the summer of 1862. At that time he became acting assistant surgeon at
the Hammond general hospital at Point Lookout, Md. During the invasion of the
State of Pennsylvania Dr. Allison was commissioned surgeon, and he was with
the 29th Pennsylvania Emergency Regiment. On resuming private practice in 1867
he settled at Kittanning, Armstrong county, where he remained for over a
quarter of a century, and he was not only foremost in his profession in this
section but thoroughly associated with local interests in various other
connections as well. For a number of years he served as Untited States examing
surgeon for pensions, was for many years surgeon of the Allegheny Valley
Railway Company, was a member of the Pennsylvania State Medical Society and a
member of the Armstrong County Medical Society. Becoming interested in fine
stock farming he introduced into Armstrong county at an early day some
high-class Jersey and Aberdeen Angus cattle, as well as Spanish Merino,
Shropshire and Dorest Horned sheep, and he belonged to the American Jersey
Cattle Club and the American Shropshire Sheep Record Association, the American
Aberdeen Angus Association and the Dorest Horned Sheep Association. His
interest in public affairs led him into taking part in the local government,
and he served three years as president of the Kittanning council. For several
years he was president of the Allegheny Valley Bank. He was a prominent member
of the Masonic fraternity, and was an honorable member of the Bankers’ and
Bank Clerks’ Mutual benefit Association of Pittsburgh, Pa. For many years he
was a member of the M.E. Church.On Sept. 24, 1843, Dr. Allison married Mary Margaret McFadden, and of the
children born to them, three, two sons and one daughter, died in childhood
from malignant diphtheria. The third child, Adele, grew to womanhood and died
in California in 1866, while on a visit there, from typhoid fever. Laura Ione
married James S. Moore, of Buffalo, N.Y., now deceased, who was a soldier in
the Civil war; Thomas Mutter completes the family.Thomas McFadden, grandfather of Mrs.Mary Margaret (McFadden) Allison, was a
native of Ireland, and spent all his life in that counry. His son James
McFadden was born in County Down, Ireland, and was about fourteen years old
when he came to the United States. He settled at Washington, Pa., and in after
years became a successful merchant. He married Margaret Stewart, and they
reared a family of ten children, Mary Margaret, who married Dr. Thomas H.
Allison, being the third in order of birth.Galbraith Stewart, father of Mrs Margaret (Stewart) McFadden, was born Dec.
26, 1766, in America, and was named Galbraith in honor of his maternal
grandmother, Rebecca Galbraith. The warm blood of irish patriots coursed
through the veins of this pioneer, a worthy representative of his race. He
learned the blacksmith’s trade, and in early manhood, on April 7, 1791,
married Elizabeth Scott, a native of Scotland, then a resident of Mount Hope,
Washington Co., Pa., the younger of two children born to Richard and Elinor
Scott, of Scotland. She was of pure highland Scotch blood, her parents coming
from influential clans. Her father’s brother was Thomas Scott, the well known
Episcopal clergyman and Bible commentator. Richard Scott was born in 1731 in
Scotland, and his wife Elinor was born in 1733. They left their native land
for America, bringing with them their son John, born in 1762, and a daughter
Elizabeth, born Oct. 31, 1768. The voyage had a sad ending, Richard Scott
being drown in landing at NovaScotia. His wife survived only until 1775, thus
leaving the children orphaned at an early age. Most of the family treasure was
lost in a fire, the only thing saved being a piece of linen which was probably
being worn by elizabeth the day of the fire. This piece of linen, embroidered
with the family crest, she preserved. United States Senator Nathan B. Scott,
of West Virginia, who was a desecendant of this branch of the Scott family,
has in his possession a sleeve button which was worn by the Richard Scott who
brought his family to America; the Senator also remembers being shown a napkin
with the crest of Richard Scott’s family embroidered theron. Elizabeth Scott
was brought to Pennsylvania by an uncle, and there grew to womanhood.Galbraith Stewart secured a large tract of land lying north of the present
site of West Middletown, of which town he was practically the founder, and
after his marriage erected a shop and the first cabin at that point. It was on
the north side of the road much traveled by emigrants for Ohio county, Va.,
and was for some time the only building in the neighborhood. Thus there was
plenty of work for the smith, and as time passed the place became a stopping
point for the westward bound emigrants, so much so that Mr. Stewart erected a
commodious house for the accomodation of travelers. In time he gave up his
work in the blacksmith shop as his duties in the tavern increased. He
prospered, erected several other buildings, and thus formed the nucleus of
what has since become West Middletown. Eleven children were born to this
union, ten of whom reached maturity; three sons and seven daughters, namely;
William married Mary Cummins; Benjamin married Elizabeth Acheson; Galbraith
married Phoebe McKeever; Eleanor married Thomas Boon; Mary married Thomas
McCall; Eliza married Dr. David Adams; Margaret married James McFadden;
Rebecca married David McKennen; Harriet married George Pentecost; Clarissa,
who never married, was the last survivor of the family (she lived in Ohio).Thomas Mutter Allison, son of Dr. Thomas Henderson Allison, received his
preliminary education in the common schools of Elderton, after which he was a
pupil at Rev. Obediah Miller’s Academy, at West Newton, Westmoreland Co., Pa.,
and later entered Lambeth College, Kittanning, from which latter institution
he was graduated in the year 1869. He read medicine with his father, and
completed his course at Jefferson Medical College, Phildelphia, graduating in
March, 1872. Returning home to Kittanning, he lost no time in getting down to
real practice, for within thirty-six hours after his arrival he had visited
several of his father’s patients.His father having a very large practice, more
in fact than he could easily attend to. Dr. Allison has continued his active
professional life without interruption to the present, and he has a most
extensive patronage. In point of years of practice he is now among the oldest
physicians of the county. His son and son-in-law (F.C. Monks, M.D.) also are
medical practitioners of Kittanning, and all enjoy a high standing that keeps
them busy in the borough and vicinity. Few citizens of this section have won
their way more thoroughly into the confidence of their fellow men than Dr.
Allison. He is a member of the Armstrong County Medical Society, and of the
Pennsylvania State Medical Society. He served several years as president and
secretary of the county origanization, and is now its treasurer. The Doctor
has always been particularly interested in the subject of public education,
has served as a member of the borough school board, and has been member of the
borough council. For several years he was United States examining surgeon for
pensions.On Dec. 24, 1875, Dr. Allison married Margaret Acheson, daughter of William
Acheson, of Kittanning, a prominent citizen of Armstrong county, for several
years superintendent of the Monticello Iron Works of Kittanning. Of the five
children born to Dr. and Mrs. Allison three died in infancy. The survivors are
Mabel A., wife of Dr. F.C. Monks, of Kittanning, and Dr. L.D. Allison, a
graduate of Jefferson Medical College, of Phildelphia, and now practicing
physician of Kittanning; he married Pearl Shaw.Mrs. Allison’s brother, Edward Goodrich Acheson, is one of the foremost
inventors in the United States in his line, carborundum graphite, oildag,
siloxicon and many compounds of minor importance being the products of his
research and experimental work. He has reaped the financial benefit of his
discoveries, through which he became immensely wealthy.Source Pages 406-408 Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and Present,
J.H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed September 1998 by Rodney G Rosborough 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:
These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format, for any presentation, without prior written permission.Return to the Beers Project
Return to the
Armstrong County Genealogy Project
(c) Armstrong County
Genealogy Project
About Author
