John W Ashbaugh
JOHN W. ASHBAUGH, of Kittanning, has been baggagemaster on the Pennsylvania
railroad for over thirty years, and an employee of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company since he was a youth of twenty. Mr. Ashbaugh was born Oct. 21, 1858,
on his father`s farm in Burrell township (now Lower Burrell township),
Westmoreland Co., Pa., just across the Armstrong county line.William Ashbaugh, his grandfather, was a farmer, owning a large tract of
land in Burrell township, Westmoreland county, where his death occurred. He
was accidentally killed by a falling limb, while felling trees. In religion he
was a Lutheran, as was also his wife, Mary (Shearer). They had a large family,
among whom were: John, Henry, Lewis, Margaret ( who married Daniel Baer),
Caroline (who married Daniel Spiker) and William.John Ashbaugh, father of John W. Ashbaugh, was born Sept. 9, 1823, near
Leechburg, Armstrong county, and there reared. Most of his life was spent in
that region, for his farm in Lower Burrell township, Westmoreland county, was
just across the Armstrong county line. In his young manhood he was engaged in
school teaching, following that calling for several years, first in Burrell
township, Westmoreland county, and afterward in various townships in this
region. Log school houses prevailed in those days, and he had the usual
experiences of the early educator in his section. While teaching in winter he
engaged in farming during the summer, and eventually devoted all his time to
agricultural work, living on the place in Lower Burrell township now occupied
by his daughter Mrs. Harry McGinnis. In early life a Lutheran, Mr. Ashbaugh
afterward became associated with the Methodist Episcopal Church, in whose
communion he lived and died. He was an active Christian worker, and organized
the first Sunday school in his neighborhood, that of the Bethel M. E. church.
Politically he was a Republican, but though interested in the success of his
party took no active part in politics and never desired office. Mr. Ashbaugh
was struck by lightning in the orchard at his home Aug. 27, 1900, being killed
instantly. His funeral was one of the largest ever seen in his county, the
many who turned out to pay the last tribute of respect testifying to the
loving esteem in which this good man was universally held. The following
sentences are quoted from his admiring pastor, who preached his funeral
sermon: “He was respected as a true man. He lived not for himself but for
others. He was a broad man, and ever given to charity. His knowledge of the
Bible was most wonderful, in breadth and accuracy. He was a mighty man in
prayer. He believed in prayer, and when he asked he knew he received. He
organized the first Sunday school in all his region of country fifty years
prior to his death . . . . He loved to minister to those in distress and the
poor man never left his door hungry. He lived to advance the very best
interests of morality and true righteousness . . . He left behind him a wife
whose love, wisdom and cheer have cast much sunshine and many flowers along
the way. . . . . To those of us who knew him in the strength of his manhood,
when we were younger, his life seemed most beautiful. We planted him away in
the old cemetery at Bethel, and though we say he is dead, yet he liveth and
always will live in our hearts and lives.”In 1850 Mr. Ashbaugh married Rebecca Morrison, a native of Westmoreland
county, and they lived to celebrate their golden wedding. Mrs. Ashbaugh
survived her husband several years, passing away on the old homestead Jan. 24,
1908, at the age of seventy-nine years. They are buried in Bethel cemetery.
The following children were born to this couple: James M., married Anna Van
Horn, of New Florence, Westmoreland county, and they reside at Niagara Falls,
N. Y.; Mary Elizabeth married Joseph M. Rowe, of Leechburg, and they reside at
Braeburn, Westmoreland county; Rebecca is the wife of Harry McGinnis and they
live on the old Ashbaugh homestead in Lower Burrell township, Westmoreland
county; John W. is mentioned below; Ella died when eight years old.Mrs. Ashbaugh came of pioneer stock of Westmoreland county, where her
father, James Morrison, lived and died, in Burrell township. He and his wife
Mary had a large family, among them being : Eliza, who never married; Rebecca,
Mrs. John Ashbaugh; Jane, who married Lewis Ashbaugh, brother of her sister
Rebecca’s husband; Matilda, who married John Baxter, now residing in
Westmoreland county; Sophia, who married William Ross and lived near Butler,
Pa.; Kate, who married; James who married Caroline Fisher; and Thomas, who was
a soldier in the Civil war.John W. Ashbaugh received a common school education, attending at the
Yetter schoolhouse. He continued at school until twenty years old, meantime
also assisting his father with the farm work, and then started to work for the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company. After firing for six months he became a
brakeman, first on freight trains and then on passenger trains, and after four
years of such service was promoted to baggagemaster in 1881. He ran between
Pittsburgh and Oil City and now has the run between Pittsburgh and Kittanning.
After his marriage he settled at Braeburn for a time, then moved to Oil City
and later to Emlenton and for the last nineteen years has been a resident of
Kittanning, where he has his home at No. 888 North Grant Avenue. He is a
member of the Heptasophs, Kittanning Conclave, No. 186, and a Republican in
politics, but not active in the party. His religious connection is with the
Kittanning Methodist Protestant Church, which he has served five years in the
capacity of steward.On Nov. 15, 1881, Mr. Ashbaugh married Carrie H. Starr, who was born on a
farm in Armstrong county, where Ford City now stands, daughter of Andrew B.
and Eliza (Wolfe) Starr, old settlers of Pine Creek Furnace and for a number
of years residents of Ford City. Mr. Starr hauled the first load of brick used
for construction purposes in what is now Ford City. He was born Jan. 10, 1825,
and died at Echo, Pa.; by occupation he was a farmer. On April 15, 1847, he
was married by Rev. J. Johnston, to Eliza Wolfe, like himself a native of
Armstrong county, who was born March 5, 1827; and to this union were born
children as follows: Margaret J., Hester A., David R., Maria E., John W.,
William J., Mary E., Andrew W., Caroline H., Catherine S., Samuel H. M.,
Chambers W. Orr, Harvey H., Josephus G. and Ellen (who died in infancy). The
mother died Aug. 5, 1890. Mr. and Mrs. Starr were members of the Baptist
Church, and in politics he was a Democrat but not active in the party, never
seeking or desiring office.Mr. and Mrs. Ashbaugh have had one son, Harry P., born April 5, 1884, at
Braeburn, Westmoreland county, who received his education in the schools of
Oil City and Kittanning, graduating from the Kittanning Academy. He is now
engaged as locomotive engineer in the Pennsylvania railroad, running between
Pittsburgh and Kittanning. He married Celia Adams, daughter of William Adams,
and they make their home in Kittanning; they have three children: Velma Lenor,
born July 6, 1904; Marie Othella, born Nov. 29, 1906; and John William, born
Dec. 9, 1908. Mrs. and Mrs. Harry P. Ashbaugh are members of the Methodist
Protestant Church.Mrs. John W. Ashbaugh is a member of the Methodist Protestant Church, and
socially belongs to the Lenape Camp, Royal Neighbors of America, the ladies’
auxiliary of the Woodmen.Source: Pages 679-681, Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and
Present, J.H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed September 1998 by James R Hindman 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
