John Hill
Among the pioneers of Western Pennsylvania was the Hill
family. They came from “east of the mountains,” and settled near
Salem, Westmoreland county. While residing here the father of the family was
captured by a band of Indians, and taken to Hickory Flats, above Oil City,
where he was mercilessly slaughtered. He left three children — John, Jacob
and Hannah. John, the eldest, was born in 1772, and became the possessor of
the old homestead, where he lived for many years diligently engaged in
clearing and improving the farm. He frequently related to his family in
after-years the trials and hardships through which they were obliged to pass,
notably among them their persecution by the Indians, from whom they used to
flee to blockhouses for a place of safety. It was also frequently necessary to
corral their stock against the depredations of the savages. Reared as he was
amid scenes of danger and toil, he became a fine type of the hardy pioneer to
which the present and succeeding generations are and will be deeply indebted.
He was well known as an expert with the ax, and for a time followed the
business of meeting log houses and barns, in which he was exceptionally
successful. In an early day he erected a grist and saw mill on Beaver Run, and
settlers for a radius of twenty miles visited his mill with their grists, and
sometimes they were so far behind owing to low water, notwithstanding the mill
was run Sundays as well as week-days, that settlers would wait two weeks for
their grist, camping out near the mill. About 1800 he built a gristmill on the
river, to which place he moved his family. The millsite included some seventy
acres of land, which was acquired by settler’s right. He also erected a mill
on the Kiskiminetas. In 1812 he moved to a tract of land in Allegheny, now
Gilpin township, Armstrong county, now in possession of one of his sons, and
soon became one of the most successful farmers of that section. His sagacity
was evidenced by his planting an orchard of 1,000 apple trees, while his farm
was visited by neighbors from miles around to pick cherries from the numerous
trees he had planted. He became an expert in the manufacture of wooden
moldboard plows, then exclusively used. He was one of the commissioners
appointed by government to clear out, the Kiskiminetas river. A member of the
Lutheran church, he was a man of strong religious sentiments, and church
services were frequently held in his barn. His death occurred January 9, 1848,
and thus quietly passed away another of that band of noble pioneers who now
only live in the memory of a grateful posterity. He was twice married, first
to Elizabeth Waltz, who died October 13, 1817, and by whom he had ten children
— Mary, Elizabeth, John, Jacob, Levi, Eli, Daniel, Hiram, Israel and Deborah.
His second wife was Susan Ammon, who is still living at the advanced age of
ninety-two years. They became the parents of nine children — Hetty, Leah,
John, Ammon, Charlotte, Phillip, Sarah, Noah and Seni. One of his sons, Ely,
was born in 1807, and died in Leechburg, October, 1843. Arriving at manhood’s
estate, Eli, in connection with his brothers, Levi and Jacob, engaged in the
manufacture of salt, and drilled he third well in this section for this
valuable product. They drilled altogether some eight wells, and became quite
extensive salt manufacturers. Eli, Levi, Daniel and Hiram also engaged in the
mercantile business in Leechburg, which the carried oh quite extensively for
about four years.Eli Hill married Susan Ashbaugh, who died in March, 1878, aged about
sixty-two years. They became the parents of children as follows: John, Eveline,
Margaret (Barr), Priscilla (Lytle). Their son, John Hill, was born in
Allegheny township, Westmoreland county, December 6 1832, and grew to
manhood’s estate with no other educational advantages than those accorded the
farmers’ sons at that time. Having inherited the genius for mechanism so
prominent in his grandfather’s character, he learned the carpenter’s trade,
and soon became a successful contractor and builder, which avocation he
followed until 1872, when he engaged in the lumber business in Leechburg,
which is still carried on, but since 1879 in connection with his son, Charles
A., under .the firm name of John Hill & Son. Mr. Hill was one of the
original association organized in 1872, that the year following established a
bank known as the Leechburg Banking Company, and was one of the first
directors, which office he held until the spring of 1878, wen he was elected
cashier, which position he still retains. Mr. Hill has been school director,
and held this position when the present fine school building was erected in
Leechburg. In politics he is a republican, and although always exercising the
rights of the elective franchise, is no aspirant for office. Starting in life
with his own resources — energy, perseverance and industry — as his only
capital, he has made a success in life, and is now accounted as among the most
energetic, successful, honored and respected citizens of Leechburg. January 8,
1857, he was married to Mary Jane, daughter of Charles and Ann (Mears)
McCauley, who was born April 20, 1833. They have been blessed with two
children � Charles A., born December 9, 1857, and Edward, born April 19,
1861. Mr. and Mrs. Hill are both members of the General Synod Lutheran church.Source: Page(s)
613-614,
History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania by Robert Walker Smith, Esq.
Chicago: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1883.
Transcribed December 2000 by Jeffrey Bish
for the Armstrong County Smith Project.
Contributed by Jeffrey Bish for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project
(http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)Armstrong County Genealogy Project Notice:
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