Thomas Marshall
The subject of this sketch, second son of Robert and Mary (Hindman)
Marshall, was born July 29, 1824, about one and one-half miles from Dayton.
When he was about twenty years of age, his father purchased the land on which
a part of the village of Dayton now stands, and six years later took into
partnership his sons, William and Thomas H., the subject of this biography.
The stock owned by this firm consisted of the personal property on a farm of
about 400 acres and a store which was established by them. It was the especial
duty of Thomas H. Marshall to attend to this store, his father and brother
carrying on the farm, and this he did until 1861, a period of about eleven
years, when a half interest was sold to J. Campbell, who has since conducted
the business under the firm name of J. Campbell & Co., the Marshall
brothers still retaining a half interest. The partnership of father and sons
in the farming interest was continued until April 9, 1868, when Robert
Marshall sold his real estate to his sons.The west end of the farm adjoining and around Dayton, and amounting to
about 136 acres, was purchased by Thomas H. Marshall. It included the land on
which his grandfather, William Marshall, the pioneer of Glade run, had settled
in 1803. Since he has been in business for himself Mr. Marshall has gradually
increased the amount of his real estate possessions, until at present he owns
about 520 acres of fine farming land in the iimmediate vicinity of Dayton. He
has been remarkably successful and is recognized as a model farmer. His land
has been carefully improved and has thus increased in value from year to year.
Building improvements have kept pace with his increase in real estate
ownership, his barn at Dayton, for instance, being one of the largest and best
in the county, and sheltering as fine stock as one could wish to see. He
carries on farming in what might be called a wholesale way, giving employment
to many men and raising upon the average about 4,000 bushels of corn, 1,000-
of wheat and 100 tons of hay per year. Besides his extensive farming he
carries on in Dayton one of the best tanneries in the county, butchers about
100 head of cattle per year, is a partner in the store of J. Campbell &
Co., owns considerable timber land, is interested in the Enterprise Lumber
Company, the Dayton Agricultural and Mechanical Association, and is a
stockholder in the Dayton Union Academy and the Dayton Soldiers’ Orphans’
School. He has been treasurer of the last-named institution from its
organization, and took the first contract looking toward the erection of the
buildings — that of getting out the stone for foundations. Mr. Marshall has
served as justice of the peace for two terms — ten years – – from 1864 to
1874, and has held other offices of honor and trust, although he has never
been in any sense a place-seeker, and has taken only the interest of a good
citizen in politics. He is a republican. His church connection is with the
United Presbyterians, and he has been one of the chief supporters of the
Dayton church of this denomination.Thomas H. Marshall was united in marriage, March 14, 1850, with Miss
Rosetta P., daughter of Robert Neal, of Cowanshannock township, who was born
September 26, 1827. The offspring of this union are five children, living:
Silas W. and David Duff, both married, and following farming; Robert Neal, who
is engaged in the study of medicine; Clark Hindman, who has graduated after a
four years’ course at Princeton, and has been one year to the U. P.
Theological Seminary at Allegheny City, and Mary Samantha.Source: Page(s)
603-604,
History of Armstrong County, Pennsylvania by Robert Walker Smith, Esq.
Chicago: Waterman, Watkins & Co., 1883.
Transcribed July 2000
by James R. Hindman for the Armstrong County Smith Project.
Contributed by James R. Hindman 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.
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