HEADER
John A Patton
JOHN A. PATTON, late of East Franklin township, a farmer and dealer in
stock, was born June 10, 1844, in Armstrong county, son of William and Martha
(Foster) Patton.The Patton family orginated in Ireland, but the date of the arrival here of
the first ancestor in America is not known.William Patton was born in Pennsylvania in 1796, and his wife was born in
the same State Jan. 27, 1805, on Bear creek, this county. The father moved
from Westmoreland county, Pa., to Armstrong county in 1825, and here married.
He bought his land for five dollars per acre, cleared it off, and developed
the fine farm owned by his son John A. The parents passed through the
incidents and hardships relative to farm life at that time, but succeeded
beyond their expectations, and reared a creditable family. Both worked to make
a home, the wife helping her husband roll the logs he hewed, and to build the
log cabin in which they lived until it was replaced by a frame house later on.
There were eleven children in the family, seven daughters an four sons, only
one of whom survives, a daughter. At his death, on March 5, 1876, the father
owned 200 acres of land. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church of
Cowansville, as was his wife. A great student of the Bible, he read it almost
constantly, and enjoyed discussing the Scriptures. In politics he was a
Republican. The maternal great-grandfather, John Foster, secured his title to
land in Armstrong county from the government. Mrs. Patton died Aug. 5, 1874.John A. Patton lived with his parents, and received a common school
education. When he was eighteen years old he took charge of his father’s farm,
to which he succeeded upon the latter’s death. He became one of the leading
farmers of East Franklin township, and his transactions in buying and selling
horses were large, Mr. Patton meeting with well-merited success in this line.
Perhaps he was one of the best judges of horses in Armstrong county, for he
was recognized as an expert, his services being called into question many
times. He and his son had their homes near together, their beautiful places in
a valley of the old hills of western Pennsylvania being among the most
desirable in Armstrong county. John A. Patton died March 4, 1913.On Sept. 18, 1872, Mr. Patton was married, in East Franklin township, to
Susan Ambrose, daughter of John and Elizabeth Ambrose. John Ambrose was an old
settler of this county. Married twice, he had twelve children by his first
wife and one by his second. Mrs. Patton was the fifth child born to her
parents. Her ancestors on the maternal side came from Germany. John Ambrose
was a member and elder of the Union Presbyterian Church of Cowansville for
forty-five years, and for many years served it as trustee. When he died he was
the owner of 260 acres of land. In politics he was a Republican.
“Uncle” Kellen Ambrose, the great-uncle of Mrs. Patton, was a major
in the war of 1812. Isaac Simpson, her maternal grandfather, was also in that
war.Mr. and Mrs. Patton became the parents of the following children: William
Charles, born Oct. 16, 1873; Elizabeth A., born Sept. 29, 1875, who married
Robert Noble, of Armstrong county; and Mattie E., born May 24, 1879.Source: Pages 731-732 Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and
Present, J.H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed October 1998 by Joyce Sherry 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
