Genealogical and Personal History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, 1912


Hogsett Family Biography

The progenitor of this prominent Fayette county family was James Hogsett. born in the North of Ireland, came to the United States prior to 1820, settied in North Union township, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, where he died about 1850. He was a man of industry, and although unable to leave his children worldly wealth did bequeath the more important legacies, health, courage and self reliance. He married a daughter of Robert Jackson, of the old Menallen township Jackson family. who were the chief organizers of Grace Church near Searights, the oldest Protestant Episcopal parish in Fayette county.

(II) Robert, son of James Hogsett, was born in Menallen township, March 2, 1820, died August 4, 1895. He had few educational advantages in his youth, as he became a bread winner at the early age of twelve years. He was first employed by a neighboring farmer, Job Wheatley, remaining with him one and one-half years. He then for five years engaged in the occupation very common among the boys and men of the county, breaking stones for the building and upkeeps of the "Old National Pike." During this period his wages were a "levy" (twelve and a half cents), a perch for stones broken into small pieces, a days work being from two to five perches according to size. From the "Pike" he went to the employ of Joseph Strickler, a farmer, miller and stock raiser, operating a part of the large estate of Colonel Samuel Evans in North Union township. He remained eight years running the mill engine, working on the farm and performing the many duties inherent to such occupations as farming and milling. He had now rehogsettd the age of twenty-five years; had been frugal and saving, but as his wages had never exceeded one hundred and twenty-five dollars in any year, he was not unnecessarily burdened with surplus money. His next position was with Mrs. Sampey, widow of James Sampey, of Mount Washington. She owned a large farm (the site of old "Fort Necessity"), which he managed and also the hotel at Mount Washington, of which his employer was proprietress. This was a regular stopping place for the "Good Intent" line of stage cohogsetts running on the National Pike and an exchange stand. He remained as manager for Mrs. Sampey one year and cleared for her in that time a profit of four thousand dollars.

At this point in his career he married and soon after rented a small farm from his father-in-law in North Union township and began business on his own account. After two years as tenant, he purchased the farm which contained one hundred acres, the first piece of real estate he ever owned and to which he was so sentimentally attached that he never parted with it. The price paid was fifty dollars an acre and was purchased on easy terms, but it was not long before it was paid for and in addition well stocked. He hauled the products of his farm to the different taverns on the National Pike, then a crowded thoroughfare, which furnished a ready market for his grain and other crops at better prices than his home market paid. After disposing of his load he would go to Cumberland and secure a load of freight to be delivered to the merchants in Brownsville and Wheeling, thereby earning the title of "Sharp-shooter" bestowed on those occasional freighters in distinction from those who made it their regular business. For several years he devoted his energies to regular farming and stock raising, but as prosperity came he branched out in other lines; opportunity always finding him waiting, when stopping at his gate. In 1859 the first railroad, called the Fayette County railroad, was built at Uniontown, and seeing chance for profit, Mr. Hogsett contracted and built a mile of the road including Hogsett Cut. His promptness and energy impressed the directors and when completed he was offered the superintendency, a position he held but a short time, not fancying railroading on so small a scale. In 1864 he purchased the Isaac Wood tract near Mount Braddock, a large farm underlaid with a nine-foot vein of coking coal. He moved to this property, leaving the old homestead, Foster farm, to the care of his sons. He lived on the Wood farm for several years, later, in company with Judge Wilson, purchasing the adjoining farm known as the Jacob Murphy tract, also underlaid with a rich coking coal vein. A short time later he purchased Judge Wilson 's interest; connected with these two tracts was a large mountain tract covered with timber; he cleaned from this the timber, making cross ties, peeling tan bark and burning charcoal, continuing for about six years. In 1871 he formed a coke company, erected coke ovens and for several years reaped the rich returns of the coke manufacture; later he was sole proprietor of this company. This property was sold in 1893 to W. J. Raney at an enormous profit. He next bought the Judge Nathaniel Ewing farm, one mile north of Uniontown, which he has made his home for many years. He became very wealthy, owning many thousand acres of land in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, and Logan county, Ohio, over three thousand acres being of the best Fayette county farming land underlaid with the rich Connellsville vein of coking coal. He was at one time a part owner of the Lemont Furnace, of which he was manager, and later purchased stock from time to time until he became sole owner. He superintended his vast farming operations as well and associated his sons with him in all his enterprises.

He was one of the finest examples of the American "self made" man that Western Pennsylvania ever produced. Every dollar of his large fortune came through his own energy and business foresight, starting life without a dollar, or an influential friend, he accumulated a very large estate without wronging any man or receiving special legislative or other favors. He was always a worker, plain and abstemious in his habits, never using tobacco or indulging in profanity, cared nothing for display, but loved to entertain his friends in simple farmer fashion at his home, where all met with warm old time hospitality. He was happy in his home life and met with his first great misfortune in the death of his first wife. He was never active in politics, having no taste for public life, but in his political preference was a Democrat.

He married (first) Jane, daughter of John F. Foster, of North Union township, who sold his son-in-law his first piece of land. She died in 1875. He married (second) Susan Allen, who died about 1889. Children of Robert and Jane (Foster) Hogsett: 1. John F., married Hannah A. Humbert; nine children, eight of whom are living. 2. Lucinda, married James Hawkins; seven children, of whom five are living. 3. Fuller, of whom further. 4. Sturgeon, died aged seventeen. 5. William, married Elvira Deyarman; three children. 6. Samuel E., married Matilda J. Sutton; four children, three of whom are living. 7. Robert, married Eldora Smith; three children. 8. Jane, married Dr. T. N. Eastman; left one child.

(III) Fuller, second son and third child of Robert Hogsett, was born in North Union township, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, September 4, 1850. He was educated in the public schools, and grew to manhood on the home farm. On attaining legal age he became associated with his father in coke manufacture, continuing until the sale of their coke plants. Since then he has been a leading operator in coal and coke land dealings, now retired. He is a Democrat in politics, and a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Uniontown.

He married, June 12, 1873, A. Alcesta, daughter of Robert Hustead, of North Union township, Fayette county, Pennsylvania. Children: 1. Rebecca Jane, married Thomas T. Coffin; children: Fuller Hogsett and Jane Alcesta. 2. Maude Allen, married Laurence Palmer.


Source: Genealogical and Personal History of Fayette County, John W. Jordan, Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1912.





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