Bradford – Pennsylvania Genealogy

The Gillis Family of Kane, Pennsylvania

Old town hall, Allegheny City, torn down in 1863

This genealogical sketch traces the Gillis line from Scottish and Irish roots to its establishment in western Pennsylvania and Iowa. It follows Robert Gillis and his descendants through several generations, highlighting James Lyle Gillis’s military service in the War of 1812, his role as a pioneer lumberman and mill builder in Elk County, and his later career in Pennsylvania politics and federal service. The account also profiles his children and grandchildren, including Claudius Victor Boughton Goodrich Gillis, who settled in Kane and became a businessman, civic leader, and justice of the peace, while detailing the family’s marriages, occupations, and local connections.

The Ryan Family of Kane, Pennsylvania

This family history traces the Ryan line from County Limerick, Ireland, through several generations in Canada and Pennsylvania, with attention to family connections, marriages, and children. The central figure, Thomas Henry Ryan, was born in Ireland, emigrated as a child to Canada, and later settled in Kane, Pennsylvania after military service in the Civil War. The article follows his work in railroading, oil production, and local civic life, as well as his standing in Masonic organizations and church affiliation. It also records the lives of his wife, Harriet Marsh, and their children, many of whom established families and careers in Pennsylvania and neighboring states.

The Maltby Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania

A detailed family history traces the Maltby line from William Maltby, who emigrated from Yorkshire to New England in the 1670s, through several generations of Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania descendants. It follows the family’s civic, military, religious, and professional roles, including Yale graduates, Revolutionary War service, a War of 1812 officer and author, farmers, merchants, and local officials. The account culminates with Lewis Lathrop Maltby of Bradford, Pennsylvania, whose grocery and business career, political activity, and family connections link the old colonial lineage to the early twentieth century.

The Nichols Family of Oil City, Pennsylvania

This genealogical sketch traces the Nichols family of Oil City through interrelated Farwell, Mason, and Riddell lines, beginning with John Nichols of Farmersville, New York, and following his descendants into Pennsylvania. It highlights William Wallace Nichols’s work with the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad and his son Hosea Monroe Nichols’s rise from Standard Oil employee to banker and civic leader in Oil City. The narrative also preserves the earlier histories of the Farwell, Mason, and Riddell families in New England, including Revolutionary War service, migrations to New York and Pennsylvania, and the marriages that linked these lines together across generations.

The Eckels Family of Smethport, Pennsylvania

This genealogical sketch traces the Eckels family from its Scotch-Irish roots through several generations in Pennsylvania. It begins with James Eckels, a farmer near Pittsburgh, and follows his son John, who learned blacksmithing before becoming a Methodist minister and civic leader. The article then profiles John’s children, including William Plimpton Eckels, an educator and businessman whose career ranged from teaching and school administration to mercantile work and fraternal organizations. It also notes the family’s marriages, children, religious affiliations, and migrations across western Pennsylvania, preserving a detailed record of one family’s local history and public service.

The Campbell Family of Kane, Pennsylvania

This genealogy traces the Campbell line from early Scottish roots through military service, migration to Canada, and settlement in Pennsylvania. It follows several generations, beginning with Prince Campbell and Dougall Campbell, then Alexander Campbell and Alexander Neil Campbell, and finally Randolph McGibbon Campbell and his son Frederick Randolph Campbell of Kane. Along the way, it records marriages, children, occupations, Civil War service, civic roles, and family connections to the Leonard and Breneman families. The account places special emphasis on Randolph McGibbon Campbell’s long career in Kane and on Frederick Randolph Campbell’s business and fraternal activities in the borough.

The Williams Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania

This genealogy traces the Williams line from Welsh and New England roots to Bradford, Pennsylvania, where George Davis Williams became a prominent businessman. It follows three generations, beginning with Shuabel Williams, a Connecticut-born farmer and longtime Methodist, then his son Ralph, a Pennsylvania farmer and Civil War soldier who died in Confederate prison conditions, and finally George Davis Williams, whose career ranged from farming and cheese-making to grocery, syrup, and confectionery manufacturing. The account also records the family’s church ties, civic service, marriages, and connected lines through the Davis, Helmes, and Hovey families, preserving a detailed portrait of ancestry and local standing.

The Hurley Family of Bradford, Pennsylvania

This genealogical sketch traces the Hurley family from County Cork, Ireland, to western Pennsylvania, beginning with early Irish ancestors and following successive generations through marriages, children, and migrations. It highlights Jerry Hurley’s family, his daughter Ellen Hurley Barry, and her husband John Barry, whose career in the Pennsylvania oil fields led from modest beginnings to substantial success. The article also records the descendants of John and Ellen Barry, including children who settled in Bradford, Coleville, Erie, and elsewhere, offering a detailed portrait of an immigrant family’s growth, occupations, and connections across Ireland and the United States.

The Wright Family of Coleville, Pennsylvania

This family history traces the Wrights of McKean County from Rensselaer Wright, a self-made farmer, hotel proprietor, lumberman, and county official, to his descendants who became prominent in the region’s lumber and oil industries. It highlights the family’s reputation for honesty, justice, patriotism, and long life, then follows Charles C. Wright and especially James Burdette Wright, whose career expanded from local timber work into major lumber operations, railroad building, and business partnerships. The article also records marriages, children, church affiliations, and connections to other pioneer Pennsylvania families, preserving a detailed portrait of several generations in Coleville and neighboring communities.

The Armstrong Family of Smethport, Pennsylvania

This genealogical sketch traces the Armstrong family from its Scottish origins through early New England settlers to the Smethport, Pennsylvania, branch. It follows the line from Benjamin Armstrong of Norwich, Connecticut, through successive generations to Alexander McLane Armstrong and his sons Alvin Backus Armstrong and Martin Luther Armstrong. The article blends family descent with local history, noting military service, migration from Connecticut to New York and Iowa, and the family’s strong ties to Presbyterian faith and community life. It also highlights Alvin B. Armstrong’s long career in Smethport business, banking, utilities, and public service, as well as Martin Luther Armstrong’s success in jewelry and civic affairs.