HEADER
Charles Colwell
CHARLES COLWELL has not been active in business life for some years,
but he still retains various interests. He makes his home in Valley township,
Armstrong county, where he has served as justice of the peace and school
director and is a highly respected citizen. Born Dec. 11, 1857, in Kittanning
township, this county, he is a son of Alexander and Nancy J. (Watterson)
Colwell, and grandson of Alexander Colwell, of Ireland, who came to Armstrong
county, Pa., when a young man. He became a merchant at Kittanning, with which
place he was ever afterward identified.Alexander Colwell, son of Alexander and father of Charles, was born in the
borough of Kittanning, and for a time followed store keeping there. He was
afterward a farmer in Valley township, residing at the �stone house� on
the pike and farming three hundred acres of land. He was an enterprising,
active and well-known man, held various township offices, including those of
auditor, justice of the peace and school director, and was prominent in the
community in various connections. In politics he was a Republican. He died in
Valley township in 1893, at the age of seventy-nine years. His wife, Nancy J.
(Watterson), died in 1896, at the age of sixty-eight. Their six children were
as follows: Bruce, who died when about nineteen years old; Charles; William,
who died young; Emma, Elizabeth and Rosabell, all of whom died young.Charles Colwell began his education in the local common schools and
subsequently went away to school until he was eighteen or nineteen years old.
Returning home, he stayed with his father until 1887, when he began
contracting in the gas and oil fields, following that business in Armstrong
county until two years ago. During that time he produced gas on the old
homestead in Valley township. From 1896 to 1902 he was with the Eastern Oil
Company, and he retired from business because of failing health. He is still
interested in the mercantile business in Kittanning as a stockholder in the
McConnell & Watterson Company, dealers in hardware, furniture, etc. He
owns the old homestead as well as the place where he resides in Valley
township, and is one of the prosperous citizens of that section. The American
pumping station is on his ground. Though he has not aspired to public honors
he has been chosen by his fellow citizens to fill the offices of justice of
the peace and school director. His political connection has been with the
Republican party. Fraternally he belongs to the Elks and the Masons, at
Kittanning, and he attends the Presbyterian Church.In 1888 Mr. Colwell was married to Rebecca McAfoos, daughter of S. McAfoos,
and they have had two children: Harry, of Pittsburgh, who is with the Gulf
Refinery Company; and Hazel, who lives at home. Mrs. Colwell was born in June,
1857, in Valley township, Armstrong county.Source: Pages 788-789, Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and
Present, J.H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed September 2001 by Lisa Strobel 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
Â
Return to the
Armstrong County Genealogy ProjectÂ
Return to the
Armstrong County Genealogy Project
Return to the
Armstrong County Genealogy Project
(c) Armstrong County
Genealogy Project
About Author
