This series is based upon J. W. Jordans 1913 Genealogical and personal history of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania. Only the structure and formatting have been changed for clearer presentation; the genealogical and biographical content has been preserved.
Showing 1–20 of 52 articles
The Waite Family of Smethport, Pennsylvania
This genealogical sketch traces several generations of the Waite family in central and northwestern Pennsylvania, beginning with Franklin Waite of Huntingdon and Clinton counties, a teamster and active member of the Evangelical church. It follows his son John Franklin Waite, a carpet weaver, school director, constable, and deacon at Rebersburg, and then John Wesley Waite, who moved to Smethport after training in dairying at State College. The article also connects the Waite line with the Hosterman and Vonada families through marriage, offering births, deaths, occupations, residences, and children for each branch.
The Wright Family of Smethport, Pennsylvania
This genealogical sketch traces the Wright and Bennett families through several generations in New York and Pennsylvania, with a particular focus on Smethport, McKean County. It follows Andrew Hamilton Wright’s family from their New York roots to Benjamin Franklin Wright, a Civil War veteran, sheriff, and hotel proprietor in Smethport, along with his descendants. The article also details the Bennett line, especially Oshea R. Bennett and his daughter Catharine L. Bennett Wright, whose marriage links the two families. Family movements, occupations, military service, marriages, and children are documented to show the development of these interconnected households.
The Adams Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania
This family history traces the Adams line from a Revolutionary War ancestor through several New York generations to James L. Adams of Bradford, Pennsylvania. It follows the family’s migration from Livingston and Allegany counties, recounting the lives of Leonard Adams and his children, including Civil War service and rural occupations. The article gives particular attention to James L. Adams, who enlisted before age seventeen, later built a successful career in Bradford’s oil and industrial business, and became active in civic, veterans, and fraternal organizations. It also notes his marriage to Emma M. Tyler and their daughters, linking the family to…
The Colegrove Family of Smethport, Pennsylvania
This genealogical sketch traces the Colegrove line from Francis Colegrove, who emigrated from Wales to Rhode Island in the late 17th century, through several generations that moved from New England into Pennsylvania and neighboring states. It follows the branch descending from Stephen Colegrove to Jonathan Colegrove, an early settler of Norwich, Pennsylvania, and then to William Jonathan Colegrove, a farmer, land agent, and civic leader in McKean County. The article concludes with Alpha William Colegrove, a Civil War veteran and businessman whose life reflects the family’s continued presence in Smethport and the surrounding region.
The Garlick Family of Smethport, Pennsylvania
This genealogy traces the Garlick family from its early Connecticut roots to its later establishment in northwestern Pennsylvania, distinguishing it from the unrelated Garlock family. It follows Truman Garlick, a farmer and teamster, and his son George Orson Garlick, who worked as a shoemaker, farmer, and long-serving postmaster at Kasson. The account also outlines George Orson’s marriage to Phoebe McKean and the careers of their children, including Bernard Truman Garlick, a businessman connected with the Smethport Water and Gas Company and local hardware interests. The article presents family relationships, occupations, residences, and public service across several generations.
The Raymer Family of Smethport, Pennsylvania
This genealogical sketch traces the Raymer family from early Schuylkill County roots to later generations in Smethport and McKean County. It begins with Nicholas Raymer, a farmer and Methodist whose children spread across western Pennsylvania, and follows his son William, a wheelwright and wagonmaker who later became a farmer and dairyman near Smethport. The article also profiles William’s wife, Matilda Fry, her Berks County family, and their daughter Alice, whose marriages to Robert Walters and Samuel McClure connect the Raymers to other Pennsylvania and Midwestern families. The account includes occupations, residences, church affiliations, and descendants.
The Webster Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania
A detailed genealogical sketch traces the Webster line from early New England settlers through several generations of military, civic, and business service, culminating in Philip Leavitt Webster of Bradford, Pennsylvania. The account follows the family from Thomas Webster of Hampton, New Hampshire, through Ebenezer Webster’s Revolutionary War service and David Webster’s descendants, then to Philip Huntoon and his sons Charles Dix and Philip Leavitt. It also connects the Webster family to the prominent Dix family through Lucy Jane Dix Webster, whose relatives included Governor and General John A. Dix. The article emphasizes frontier settlement, public service, and the family’s lasting…
The Camp Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania
This article traces the Camp family line from Nicholas Camp, an early New England settler who came from England in 1638, through successive generations in Connecticut and New Jersey to the Pennsylvania branch associated with glass manufacturing. It follows Samuel, John, Israel, Daniel, Ephraim, and William Davis Camp, showing the family’s migrations, marriages, and occupations, especially the glass trade that shaped many descendants’ lives. The narrative then focuses on Thomas Wescott Camp, who worked in Pennsylvania glass plants before becoming a prominent manufacturer and businessman in Smethport, Bradford, and Mount Vernon, while also outlining the Barber and Scott family connections…
The King Family of McKean County, Pennsylvania
This article traces the King family line from Clement King of early Massachusetts and Rhode Island to its establishment in McKean County, Pennsylvania, in 1816. It follows several generations, including Isaac King, the Rhode Island farmer whose son Isaac settled on East Potato Creek, and Horace Brown King, a farmer, lumberman, and long-serving Smethport court crier. The account also covers George W. King, who served briefly in the Civil War before becoming a merchant, postmaster, and community leader, and includes family connections by marriage, children, occupations, church ties, and public service across Rhode Island and Pennsylvania.
The Gifford Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania
This genealogy traces the Gifford family from its legendary English origins through successive generations in New England, New Jersey, and finally northwestern Pennsylvania. It follows the line from early colonial settlers Walter and William Gifford to later descendants in McKean County, including farmers, merchants, public officials, and church members in Smethport, Keating township, and Bradford. The account also connects the family by marriage to the Hackett, Bishop, Gallup, and Cogswell lines, preserving dates, residences, occupations, and children for multiple generations. A final section outlines the Cogswell ancestry and a Revolutionary War descent linked to Emma A. (Gallup) Gifford.
The Gallup Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania
This genealogy traces the Gallup family from its English origins in Dorset to its early American roots in New England and later branches in Pennsylvania. Beginning with Captain John Gallup, a noted colonial mariner and Indian fighter, the account follows successive generations through Connecticut towns such as Stonington and Voluntown, noting marriages, children, military service, and local civic roles. It then shifts to Nathaniel C. Gallup’s move to McKean County, where the family became established as farmers, merchants, and professionals. The article concludes with William D. Gallup and his son, attorney Fred D. Gallup, highlighting their public service, business activity,…
The Devine Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania
This genealogical sketch traces the Devine and Donahue families of Bradford, Pennsylvania, from their Irish roots to their lives in western Pennsylvania. It highlights Thomas Devine’s immigration from Ireland and his work as a merchant tailor in Pittsburgh, then follows his son William Francis Devine, a Civil War veteran who later became a successful Bradford hotel proprietor and respected civic figure. The account also details William’s marriage to Sarah Louise Donahue and outlines the Donahue family history in County Tyrone and Butler County, including their occupations, children, church affiliations, and community ties.
The Lindsley Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania
This genealogical sketch traces the Lindsley line from its early Connecticut and New Jersey origins to its later settlement in western New York and Pennsylvania. It follows Eleazer Lindsley, a Revolutionary War officer who helped establish the community that became Lindley, New York, and then outlines the descent through Samuel, William, and Abram Bradley Lindsley. The account describes their farms, public service, church connections, and family marriages, then concludes with Sterling Ross Lindsley, a printer and newspaper editor in Smethport, Pennsylvania. The article combines family relationships with local history and community development.
The Coffin Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania
This genealogical sketch traces the Coffin family from its ancient Devon, England, origins through successive generations in colonial Massachusetts and New Hampshire to Smith Gale Coffin of Bradford, Pennsylvania. It follows the line from Tristram Coffin, the immigrant ancestor who settled in New England in the 1640s, through Newbury and Alton descendants whose lives included farming, local civic service, and church activity. The article concludes with a detailed account of Smith Gale Coffin’s move to western Pennsylvania, his work in livery, grain, and oil interests, and his family connections in Bradford and surrounding communities.
The Dempsey Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania
The American ancestor of the Dempsey family of Bradford, Pennsylvania, herein recorded, was Lawrence Dempsey, born in Ireland, of Scotch ancestors. He first became a resident of Center county, Pennsylvania, soon after the close of the revolution. In 1797 he penetrated the wilds of the Upper Allegheny Valley to the lands open to settlement on the general terms presented by the state. He was the first settler in the region and made his first improvement on the “Cauvel” farm, not far from the old graveyard near Dempseytown, a hamlet named in his honor. Here he planted an orchard, one of…
The Hatfield Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania
This genealogical sketch traces the Hatfield family from early New England and New York roots to later generations in Pennsylvania. It follows the line from Matthias and Thomas Hatfield through Gilbert Hatfield of White Plains to Daniel Hatfield, a ship carpenter who settled in Bradford, and his son Griffin, who became a businessman, oil producer, and civic leader there. The account details marriages, children, occupations, religious affiliations, and migrations across New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, showing how the family expanded into several regions and established itself in trade, farming, and the oil industry.
The Jaynes Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania
This genealogy traces the Jaynes family from English academic and religious roots to settlement in colonial New York and later migration into Pennsylvania. It follows several generations, including Revolutionary War service by Captain Timothy Jayne and the family’s eventual move westward into Indiana and Westmoreland counties. The article then focuses on Joseph Wallace Jaynes, a blacksmith and Bradford resident, and his son James Milton Jaynes, whose career ranged from oil-field work to mercantile and insurance business. Along the way, it records family marriages, children, occupations, military service, and community affiliations, offering a detailed portrait of a family’s long American lineage.
The Wagner Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania
This article traces the Wagner family line from German immigrant John Wagoner through several generations in New York and Pennsylvania, showing how the surname shifted between Wagoner, Waggoner, and Wagner. It follows John Henry Waggoner and his descendants into western New York and then focuses on Martin Ward Wagner, who settled in Bradford, Pennsylvania, built and managed the Wagner Opera House, expanded theatrical operations with Moses Reis, and later pursued farming, real estate, and civic service. The account also connects the Wagners to the Frank family, outlining intermarriage and the broader family network that shaped their history in the region.
The Sloan Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania
This genealogy traces the Sloan line from James Sloan, an Irish immigrant who settled in Washington County, Pennsylvania, through several generations of farmers, craftsmen, and community leaders. It follows his son John Sloan and the Murphy connection, then details the many children and descendants who lived in Washington, Allegheny, Butler, and other Pennsylvania counties, with some branches moving west. The account closes with James Mitchell Sloan of Bradford, who shifted from farming and carpentry to oil production and later established a successful undertaking business, while remaining active in local government and the Methodist Episcopal Church.
The McIntyre Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania
This genealogical sketch traces the McIntyre line from Scotch roots to its establishment in western Pennsylvania, following the family from Grandfather McIntyre’s migration through New York to Sugargrove and later Bradford. It outlines the ministry and community work of Nathaniel McIntyre, including his service in the United Brethren church and his marriages and children, then gives a fuller account of Richard E. McIntyre’s life. Richard’s story highlights his early work in oil-region hauling, lumbering, farming, and butchering, as well as his successful meat business in Bradford and his church and fraternal affiliations.
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