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HARVEY N. SNYDER
HARVEY N. SNYDER, one of the leading attorneys of Kittanning, one whose
connection with matters of jurisprudence in Armstrong county has been long and
honorable, was born Sept. 29, 1846, in Brady township, Butler Co., Pa. He is a
son of Zephaniah and Rachel (Kennedy) Snyder, grandson of Conrad Snyder, and
great-grandson of Conrad Snyder, Sr., the founder of this Snyder family in
Pennsylvania.Conrad Snyder, Sr., was born in Switzerland in 1735, and lived there until
after his marriage. He fled with his wife to the Netherlands to escape
conscription for service in the French army. Deciding to come to America he
bargained for transportation for himself and wife by selling their time, a
common custom in Colonial days, and it is believed served seven years in one
of the eastern counties of Pennsylvania to pay for their passage here. Moving
from Philadelphia to Bedford county, Pa., they come thence to Westmoreland
county, Pa., and in 1800 accompanied by their son Conrad to Brady township,
Butler Co., Pa., where Conrad Snyder, Sr., died Marcy 10, 1827, aged
ninety-two years. His wife, Nancy, died July 16, 1803, and both are buried in
a graveyard on the Snyder farm. They had three children: Catherine, who
married Frederick Dubbs; Nancy, who married Daniel Carter, and Conrad.Conrad Snyder, Jr., son of Conrad (Sr.) and Nancy Snyder, was born in
Philadelphia county, Pa., in 1777, and came with his parents to Butler county,
Pa., when twenty-three years of age. Purchasing four hundred acres now known
as the Watson farm, he sold half of the tract subsequently and gave the
balance to his daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Double. After residing there some
years he purchased the two hundred acres in Brady township upon which his son
Conrad afterward lived and died. He was the most extensive farmer and stock
breeder in that section of the country, a few years before his death owning
three thousand acres of land in Brady, Franklin and Slipper Rock townships. He
have each of his children two hundred acres of land, and when he died the
remainder was sold and divided among them. Mr. Snyder was a celebrated
trapper, and during pioneer days made considerable money by that means, which
he invested carefully in stock and lands. Though a self-educated man, he could
read and write both English and German fluently. In politics he was first a
Whig, afterward a Republican, and was interested in the success of his party,
but would never accept a public office. He was one of the pioneer members of
the Muddy Creek Presbyterian Church. Mr. Snyder married Ann M. Bryan, a
daughter of Seth Bryan, of Westmoreland county, Pa., and nine children were
born to them: John married Elizabeth Ralston and lived and died in Brady
township; Elizabeth, deceased, was the wife of Zephaniah Double; Mary,
deceased, was the wife of Thomas Strain; Nancy, deceased, was the wife of
Isaac Double; Zephaniah is mentioned below; Prudence, deceased, was the wife
of John Webb; Effie J. is the widow of Hulmes Thompson; Conrad, now deceased,
was a resident of Brady township, Butler county; Catherine is the widow of
John Croll. The father of this family died Feb. 27, 1866, the mother Jan. 2,
1869, in her eighty-eighth year.Zephaniah Snyder, son of Conrad and Ann M. Snyder, was born on the old
homestead in Brady township Jan. 17, 1813, and grew to manhood amid scenes of
pioneer days. He settled on two hundred acres of land in Brady township, and
there continued to reside until his death, which occurred June 12, 1887. In
1834 he married Rachel Kennedy, daughter of John Kennedy, of Franklin
township, Butler county, Pa. Mr. Snyder died in 1896, his widow surviving
until 1905. Nine children were born to this union: Louisa, who died in 1892;
Joseph C.; Mary E., wife of John McNees; Eleanor J., wife of Nicholas Ifft;
Effie, wife of Robert Allen; Harvey N., attorney, of Kittanning; Rachel E.,
wife of W. B Curry; Seth, and Lorenzo B. Mr. Snyder was a Republican and took
an active interest in political matters. He was a member of Muddy Creek
Presbyterian Church.Harvey N. Snyder attended public school in his native township, later going
to the academy at Prospect, Butler county, Pa., and still later to Witherspoon
Institute, at Butler. Following this he began the study of law under the
direction of Col. John M. Thompson, and was admitted to the bar of Armstrong
county subsequently, about 1873. Following his admission to the Butler county
bar he was appointed deputy sheriff and served as such very acceptably for
three years. At the expiration of his term of office he began the practice of
his profession in Butler county, but moved to Kittanning in 1886, and since
then has built up a large and lucrative practice, his services being in demand
in many important cases in all the courts. His ability has received
recognition at the hands of the people. He was elected – on the Republican
ticket � to the office of district attorney in 1891, and reelected in 1904,
serving two terms of three years each.In 1873 Mr. Snyder married Frances E. Zeigler, of Mercer county, Pa., and
they have six children: Jessie, who married George W. Daugherty; Mary Frances
and Margaret, both public school teachers, of Kittanning; Homer H., who is a
construction engineer; Philip, a graduate of the Kittanning Academy and of the
law department of the University of Pittsburgh, now in the office of his
father, having been admitted to the Armstrong county bar in 1910; and Renard
Z., a civil engineer.Source: Pages 624-625, Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and
Present, J.H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed September 2001 by Lynn Beatty
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:
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