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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
History of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Genealogy Memoirs
-
Illustrated -
Vol. II
The Lewis Publishing Company
CHICAGO - NEW
YORK
1906
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HARVEY E. RIGGLE.
The paternal ancestors of Harvey E. Riggle, of
Vandergrift Heights, were among the early settlers of
Westmoreland county. His grandfather, Jacob Riggle,
was a native of Forks Church, Armstrong county, that being
the site of an extensive settlement formed by the family.
Jacob Riggle took up his abode on a farm near
Highfield school house, being then recently married, and it
was there that he reared his sons and daughters.
John H. Riggle, son of Jacob Riggle, was
born in 1847, in Armstrong county, and after his marriage
engaged for some years in mining, and several times changed
his place of abode. In 1891 he purchased the old
homestead where he now resides. He has belonged for
many yeas to the I. O. O. F., is a Democrat, and a member of
the Lutheran church. Mr. Riggle married
Sarah E. Beck, and of their five children four survive:
Charles C., of McKeesport; Harvey E., see
forward; Percy O., catcher in Vandergrift mills; and
Bessie A., at home.
Harvey E. Riggle, son of John H. and Sarah E.
(Beck) Riggle, was born Jan. 3, 1874, in Armstrong
county, and received his education in the common schools,
going to work in the mines as early as his sixteenth year.
Soon after his marriage he moved to Greensburg and thence to
Apollo, where he secured employment in the mills of the
Apollo Iron and Steel Company, his first position being that
of matcher. From this he was advanced successively to
those of doubler, catcher and rougher, and in April, 1900,
was made roller, in which capacity he has since served.
When the Vandergrift mills were opened he was transferred
thither, and helped to turn out some of the first plates
produced in the new plant. In June, 1900, he became a
resident of Vandergrift. He is a Democrat in politics.
Mr. Riggle married, in 1893, May B. Weiner, of
South Greensburg, and they have been the parents of the
following children: Harvey E.; Oscar R.; Charles A.;
Marguerete, deceased; and Frank Dale. |
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JOSEPH KEMP
ROBINSON, proprietor of the Greensburg Steam Laundry,
was born in Greensburg, Penn., Mar. 11, 1862, the son of
William and Maria M. (Kemp) Robinson.
The American ancestor was Irwin Robinson
(1), who was a native of Ennis Killen, county of Fennaugh,
Ireland. Being an English subject, when the Revolution
came on in America, he was drafted into service and sent to
this country to take part in that struggle. H was
through the whole conflict as a British soldier, including
the battle of Yorktown. He carried a Bible in his
pocket, and it was struck by a Yankee bullet, cutting quite
a good-sized hole in the book. At another time he was
struck by a bullet in his arm, which ball he carried the
remainder of his days. He was present at the surrender
of Lord Cornwallis, captured by Washington, and after peace
was declared returned to England. He soon found he had
been fighting on the wrong side, and although entitled to a
pension from the English government, he refused to accept
it, and later became one of the most loyal Americans.
He studied medicine for three years and practiced his
profession, especially in surgery.
His love affair was indeed quite full of romance.
At twenty-five years of age he was a manly fellow, five feet
nine inches high; hair brown and straight. He "fell in
love" with Catherine Elliott, a beautiful slender
figure. She had dark brown eyes and wore curly
ringlets. She was but fifteen years of age, and for
this reason they were forbidden to marry. Several
times her parents locked her up in for bed-chamber.
The house was a cottage of one story. At the time of
the elopement her parents had kept her full; a month in her
room, her bed being pushed against the wall made of stone,
but the girl was not to be outwitted, and silently worked
her plans to completion. She finally succeeded in
getting a hole through the wall large enough to let herself
out and on one dark night she crept through (the moon being
invisible) and met her lover and they rode away on horseback
and were married. They became the parents of George
and John Robinson. These three, with the
Elliott family, left England for America in 1792.
They came in a sailing vessel and were on the ocean from May
until September and encountered fearful storms.
Mrs. Irwin Robinson brought plenty of flax along,
thinking, it is related, that she could not get it "in the
woods of America." They located in what is now Blair
county, Pennsylvania. They purchased land of a Mr.
Holliday where now stands the city of Hollidaysburg,
Pennsylvania. The Elliotts settled in the
Ligonier valley, between Fairfield and Ross Furnace.
The daughter's love of parents caused them to settle in a
less productive country four miles southwest of where
Boliver stands today. Chambersburg was the nearest
place at which supplies could then be procured. They
followed a trail across the wild country on packhorses midst
numerous tribes of Indians. Land was cheap, four
dollars per acre.
Irwin Robinson was a Methodist, but Quaker in
habits and language. Mrs. Robinson's mother's
name was Mary Woods. She had been a member of
the Church of England (Episcopalian), but became a Methodist
and three of her sons became Methodist preachers. The
whole family were zealous in church work. Irwin,
Thomas, Mary, James, William, Elliott, Christopher
and Elizabeth. George was born July 5, 1788,
died Nov. 3, 1869. He was the grandfather of Joseph
K. Robinson, whose name heads this sketch. He
married Susanna Brinker, born May 23, 1795, and died
Aug. 7, 1887. They settled about four miles from
Greensburg, Pennsylvania, on a farm. Methodist
services were frequently held at their home. Their
children were: William, Susanna, Elizabeth,
Margaret, Mary, John, Henry, Jacob, Daniel, and
James. The three latter always resided in
Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
(II) William Robinson, father of Joseph K.,
of the above named family, was born in Hempfield Twp., Mar.
19, 1818, and died May 31, 1884. He was a merchant,
owning a store in Greensburg for many years. He was a
man of much intelligence and a devoted Christian and
prominent member of the Methodist church. He was for many
years a class leader. Politically he was a hearty
supporter of the Republican party, and was an active member
of the A. F. and A. M., holding the various offices of the
order. He married Maria Margaret Kemp, daughter
of Solomon and Mary Magdalena (Wentling) Kemp, Mar.
3, 1847. She was born Nov. 24, 1825. Her
father's family were natives of Germany. Their
children were: Emma, Homer C., Mary S., Anna M.,
William, Lydia B., George F., Joseph Kemp of whom
further, and Jessie.
(III) Of Joseph Kemp
Robinson it may be said that he received his education
in the Greensburg Schools and learned the stone-cutter's
trade, following the same for six years. For five
years prior to this, however, he was a news agent at
Greensburg. He established himself in the laundry
business in Greensburg in 1887, and is now located in a
three story brick building. His business extends to
thirty-five towns in Westmoreland county. His plant is
fully equipped with all modern laundry machinery. He
was a member of Company I, Tenth Regiment Pennsylvania
National Guards, for five years, but was never called out
for actual service. He is identified with the Woodmen
of the World, and is a member of the First Reformed Church
at Greensburg. He married, June 5, 1893, near
Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Mary Margaret Kunkle,
daughter of Amos and Sarah (Kepple) Kunkle, farmers
of Westmoreland county, residing in Hempfield township.
(See elsewhere in this work for the Kunkle family
history). Their children were: Helen K., William
H., Joseph J., Sarah Maria and Carl Emery all
born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Mr. Robinson's
life as a business man has been devoted to three occupations
only - five years a news agent, six years a stonecutter and
eighteen years a laundryman. He is an unassuming,
thorough-going business man, whom to know is but to admire
and respect. He is also the proprietor of the large
auditorium building on Maple avenue, a building devoted to
general entertainment. |
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