JOHN CHRISTY
The old and well-known resident of this county whose name stands at the
head of this brief biography was the son of Daniel and Rebecca Christy,
respectively of Irish and Scotch-Irish descent, and was born in Hopewell
township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, November 7, 1800. He lived with his
parents until he attained his majority, and then went into Allegheny county,
where he learned the trade of hatmaking, then one of the leading manufacturing
industries of the rural regions, but now carried on only in the cities and
upon a large scale.In 1822 he was married to Miss Agnes McGregor, of Allegheny county, by whom
he had three children- one daughter and two sons. Being early bereft of his
wife, he was married again in 1830, to Miss Sallie Ann Ross, daughter of Hon.
George Ross, of Armstrong county, born February 4, 1805, by whom he had ten
children-seven sons and three daughters. After his second marriage Mr. Christy
lived in Noblestown, Allegheny county, for about three years, working at his
trade; but, yielding to his wife�s influence, in the year 1833 he removed to
Armstrong county, and purchased the farm on which he and his wife still
reside. Here they reared their large and interesting family of thirteen
children, all of whom attained manhood or womanhood. With the exception of two
sons, one of whom gave his life for his country when in his twenty-sixth year,
and one who died in his own home, aged twenty-nine, all are now living to
cheer and comfort their parents in their declining years.Coming to the country as they did when it was new and still bore many
traces of its recent savage inhabitants, the Christys had much to contend
with. Besides being in straightened circumstances, with nearly the whole of
their farm to clear, and no market for their produce nearer than Pittsburgh,
their early years were full of hardships and deprivation. Their guiding motto
in life, however, was “Industry and perseverance conquer all
things,” and they have lived to realize in some measure its verity.While securing by their well-directed efforts and correct lives personal
and family success, Mr. and Mrs. Christy have also ever diligently sought the
good of the people among whom they have dwelt, and both by their effort and
example have been useful to the community.In their religious views they are Presbyterian. They labored zealously for
the building and sustaining of the Appleby Manor church, of which Mr. Christie
has been a ruling elder since its organization. Politically Mr. Christy has
progressed from “old line” Whigism to Republicanism, and has always
been deeply interested in all the issues involving the public good.The names of the children of Mr. Christy are, by his first wife, Jane
(Wilson), in Saline county, Illinois; William M., a lawyer of Saline county,
Illinois, and Daniel, a farmer of Manor township; by his second wife, George
Ross and Joseph Moss, twins, the former deceased; Mary (Mum) living in
Pittsburgh; Rebecca A., who lives at the old homestead with her parents;
James, who died as a Union soldier, in his twenty-sixth year, from exhaustion
after the seven days� fight in front of Richmond; John Calvin, a merchant of
Rosston (who was also a soldier belonging to the western division of the
army); Washington and Jefferson, farmers in Manor township; Amelia (Blair) and
Stephen, who live in the same township.Source: Page(s) 324-325, History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania by
Robert Walker Smith, Esq. Chicago: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1883.
Transcribed January 1999 by Donna Mohney for the Armstrong County Smith
Project.
Contributed by Donna Mohney for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project
(http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)Armstrong County Genealogy Project Notice:
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