Genealogical and Personal History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, 1912


Sturgis, John Biography

The history of the Sturgis family begins in Fayette county with John Sturgis, of English ancestry, who in October, 1775, enlisted in Captain Josiah Harmer 's company of the First Pennsylvania Battalion, commanded by Colonel John Philip De Haas, under whom he served at Crown Point and Ticonderoga. He had two brothers, Natlian and Amos, the latter the grandfather of General Samuel D. Sturgis, whose son, Lieutenant "Jack" Sturgis, perished with Custer.

(I) John Sturgis, "the settler," came to Fayette county, Pennsylvania, in 1787. He married Leah Phillips and had four sons: Isaac, who in 1808 owned a part of the present site of Cincinnati, Ohio; Philip, drowned when a young man; Phineas F., mentioned below; John P., father of Rev. Alfred Sturgis, and grandfather of Hon. George C. Sturgis, of Morgantown, West Virginia.

(II) Phineas F., son of John Sturgis, was a farmer of Fayette county, his farm being in Georges township, near Smithfield. He married Elizabeth West, and their son Enos is mentioned below.

(III) Enos, son of Phineas F. and Elizabeth (West) Sturgis, was born in Georges township, Fayette county, where he passed his entire life as a farmer. He married Diana Jones, of Welsh ancestry, and their son, Morgan Jones, is mentioned below.

(IV) Morgan Jones, son of Enos and Diana (Jones) Sturgis, was born near Smithfield, Georges township, Fayette county. He was a prosperous farmer, and a member of the Baptist church, as was his wife. Politically he was a Republican. He married Margaret F. Schnatterly, of German and English descent, a sister of State Senator T. B. Schnatterly and a daughter of John and Malinda (Kendall) Schnatterly, Children: Cameron C., now living in Fayette county; Orin Jones, mentioned below; Alma, married Hugh Burchinel, a brick manufacturer of Uniontown; Sabra, married A. J. Sutton, now postmaster of Smithfield, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Sturgis died April 1, 1896, aged sixty-seven years eight months and four days, and the death of Mr. Sturgis occurred at Uniontown, Pennsylvania, when he had reached the advanced age of eighty-three years.

(V) Orin Jones, second son of Morgan Jones and Margaret F. (Schnatterly) Sturgis, was born June 12, 1853, in Nicholson township, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, and grew to young manhood on the home farm, attending the public schools and preparing for college at Georges Creck Academy. He entered Monongahela College, later was a student at Bucknell, and then matriculated at Brown University, whence he was graduated in the class of 1879. He taught five terms, from 1871 to 1876, in the public schools of Fayette county, before entering the university, and was principal of the Uniontown public school for two years after graduation.

In June, 1881, Mr. Sturgis entered the newspaper field, becoming in the course of time one of the leaders of modern journalism in Southwestern Pennsylvania. He first became a partner of J. K. Ewing, Jr., in the purchase of the Republican Standard, which he edited for ten years, then sold his half interest to Mr. Ewing and moved to Pittsburgh, where he was a writer on the editorial staff of the Commercial Gazette, and also edited the Baptist Exponent, a religious weekly newspaper, until 1893. He then returned to Uniontown to take charge of the Republican Standard, which he purchased in October of the same year. A little later a stock company was formed which consolidated the Republican Standard and the Uniontown News under the name of the News-Standard. Mr. Sturgis was a director of the company and managing editor of the consolidated papers. He remained for sixteen years the chief head of the News-Standard.

For one year, from 1884 to 1885, Mr. Sturgis was postmaster of Uniontown, but always retained editorial control of the News-Standard, During these years he was correspondent for several metropolitan journals. While his paper was aggressively Republican he always sought to make it represent every department of thought and field of activity, and to stand as a model of good English and a true representative of the inland press of the country. He was an enterprising news-gatherer and strove hard for exclusive news, valuing a "scoop" more than most country newspaper men. As managing editor he secured willing service from his staff, being very quick to appreciate good work and slow to condemn. He had a comprehensive grasp of all public questions and was a power in the Republican party, upholding the policy of that party in strong editorials which often left his opponents at a loss, maintaining his opinions against all comers and wielding a powerful influence.

Mr. Sturgis was among the first to develop the editorial paragraph, or short current comment, and the first to introduce the permanent daily newspaper and the modern newspaper plant into Fayette county, while increasing the size and decreasing the price of the weekly paper. He made a specialty of publishing historical matter concerning Fayette county, and many of his editorials and articles on educational and other topics were frequently quoted and commended. His university training endowed him with breadth of view, fullness of knowledge, the power of keen and logical analysis and a style admirable for its choice diction, its simplicity and its directness. On questions affecting the public welfare or morality he stood unswervingly for the right, following the dictates of his conscience, sometimes at a distinct loss to himself in profit and popularity. He was a member of the Royal Arcanum, and a deacon and trustee of Great Bethel Church, Uniontown.

Mr. Sturgis married, December 27, 1882, at New Geneva, Isa Dora Greene, whose ancestral record is appended to this sketch, and they became the parents of a son and daughter: Harold Greene, mentioned below; Edith Evans, born March 27, 1897. The death of Mr. Sturgis, which occurred at Uniontown, May 14, 1908, was sincerely and deeply lamented as a loss to the entire community. It was said of him by one who knew him well: "He has been in touch with the life of the whole people, and advocated all their interests. The value of his years of service to the public cannot be estimated. It is beyond measure."

(VI) Harold Greene, son of Orin Jones and Isa Dora (Greene) Sturgis, was born October 9, 1887, in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, where he received his preparatory education in the public schools, afterward entering Brown University, whence he was graduated in the class of 1909 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He then took a post-graduate course of one term at Cornell University, subsequently becoming city editor of the News-Standard. He is president of the News-Standard Publishing Company and is interested in other Uniontown enterprises. Mr. Sturgis is a member of the University Club and the Uniontown Tennis Club. Of the former he has been at different times president, treasurer and secretary, and he has also served as secretary and treasurer of the latter. He belongs to the college fraternity Delta Phi, and in politics maintains the family tradition, adhering to the Republican party. He is a member of the Baptist church.

(The Greene Line).

William Greene, great-grandfather of Mrs. Isa Dora (Greene) Sturgis, was a native of New England and settled on Whitely creek, Greene county, Pennsylvania. He married Rebecca La Rue, and they became the parents of five sons and three daughters. One of the sons, Matthew, is mentioned below.

(II) Matthew, son of William and Rebecca (La Rue) Greene, was born February 17, 1806. He owned a valuable and fertile farm of one hundred acres in Monongahela township, Greene county. He married, in 1829, Rachel, born in 1796, daughter of Henry and Barbara (Seltzer) Sycks, and granddaughter of Conrad Sycks, who came from Germany in 1760 and settled the Sycks tract of about two hundred and fifty acres on Dunkard creek. Henry Sycks was a native of Virginia, a pioneer of Greene county, and served in several campaigns against the Indians. Mr. and Mrs. Greene were the parents of four children, three daughters and one son, Wilson, mentioned below. Mrs. Greene died in 1869, and the death of Mr. Greene occurred January 24, 1891. He was a Democrat and a member of the Baptist church.

(III) Dr. Wilson Greene, son of Matthew and Rachel (Sycks) Greene, was born December 1, 1829, in Monongahela township, Greene county, Pennsylvania. He received his early education in the common schools, and by teaching several winter schools he was enabled to complete a liberal English education in a select school at Brownsville. He studied medicine with Dr. John A. Stone, of Greensboro, Greene county, and after five years' reading entered Cleveland Medical College and continued his studies there during 1858-59. A diploma was granted him by the Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. In 1859 he went to Bristol, Perry county, Ohio, and for five years practiced successfully. In 1864 he settled at New Geneva, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, where he passed the remainder of his life. Probably no physician in the county enjoyed a wider practice, its territory including the southern parts of Fayette and Greene counties and the adjoining counties of West Virginia. In politics Dr. Greene was a Republican, but notwithstanding his keen interest in public affairs neither sought nor accepted office. He was influential in the Baptist church of which, for many years, he and his family were members. Dr. Greene married, March 23, 1859, Pleasant Myers Evans (see Evans line). and two children were born to them: Isa Dora, mentioned below; and William Wood, who was educated at Monongahela College, graduated from Duff's Commercial Business College, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and married, October 2, 1890, Annie L., daughter of Irwin T. and Lizzie (Lindsey) Gillespie, of Brooklyn, New York. They have one child, Daryl, born October 20, 1892. W. W. Greene was appointed postmaster by President Taft in 1908, and is now (1912) serving in that capacity. Dr. Greene died in 1894, surviving his wife two years.

(IV) Isa Dora, daughter of Dr. Wilson and Pleasant Myers (Evans) Greene, was born in Ohio, was educated at Monongahela College, and was a graduate of Dana's Musical Institute, Warren, Ohio. She possesses a sweet and cultivated voice and has a rare talent for vocal and instrumental music. She became the wife of Orin Jones Sturgis, as mentioned above. Mrs. Sturgis is a member of the Baptist church, and since her widowhood has resided in Uniontown.

(The Evans Line).

Lewis Evans, great-great-grandfather of Mrs. Pleasant Myers (Evans) Greene, was born in 1716, in Wales, and was of Caernarvonshire. He married Sarah -, and their children were: Daniel; John; Barbara; Jeremiah, mentioned below; Sarah; Abel. In 1752 Mr. and Mrs. Evans, with their children, emigrated to Pennsylvania, settling in Vincent township, Chester county, After the death of Mr. Evans in 1762 the family removed to Uwchlan township, in the same county, and purchased land, three hundred and thirty-three acres of which are now owned by descendants. Mrs. Evans died in 1805, having attained the venerable age of ninety-three.

(II) Jeremiah, son of Lewis and Sarah Evans, was born in 1749, in Wales, and was a young child when brought by his parents to this country. He spent his life as a farmer in Chester county, and married Mary, daughter of Abner Evans (not a kinsman), who emigrated from Wales prior to 1755. Six children were born to them: Sarah; Lewis (2), mentioned below; Anna; Abner; Evan; Rachel. The mother of this family died in 1815, at the age of sixty, three, and the father passed away in 1835, aged seventy-seven.

(III) Lewis (2), son of Jeremiah and Mary (Evans) Evans, was born December 17, 1778, In Chester county, and about 1800 moved to Springhill township, Fayette county. He married, in 1803, Rachel, daughter of Robert and Jane (Bolton) Jones, granddaughter of Griffith Jones, pastor of the Welsh Baptist church at Duck Creek, Delaware, and great-granddaughter of the Rev. Morgan Jones, of Alt Fawr, Llannon, Carmarthenshire, Wales, who began to preach in 1646, was pastor of a Baptist church in Swansea, Wales, in 1662, and married a daughter of Lord Griffith Griffiths. Following are the children of Lewis (2) and Rachel (Jones) Evans: Evan, mentioned below; Mary; Jesse; Jeremiah; Jane J.; Robert J.; Eliza; Rebecca. John Jones, brother of Mrs. Evans, was the father of Robert (2) Jones, whose daughter Sophia married Fred Burdette and became the mother of Robert Jones (3) Burdette, popularly known by his pen name of "Bob" Burdette. Lewis (2) Evans died April 28, 1858, and his widow passed away March 20, 1867.

(IV) Evan, son of Lewis (2) and Rachel (Jones) Evans, was born December 20, 1805, at Springhill Furnace, Fayette county, and early went with his parents to Greene county, where he became a prosperous farmer and stockraiser. He married, March 22, 1827, Nancy, daughter of Peter A. and Pleasant (Corbly) Myers, and granddaughter of John and Nancy (Lynn) Corbly. John Corbly was a pioneer Baptist minister, born in England, in 1733. His first wife, Elizabeth (Tyler) Corbly, and three of their children were murdered by Indians in 1782. Mr. and Mrs. Evans were the parents of the following children: Sarah J. (Alexander); Lewis K.; Pleasant Myers, mentioned below; Nancy E. (Johnson). The mother of these children passed away May 14, 1836, in the thirtieth year of her age, and the death of Mr. Evans occurred June 18, 1865. His pastor wrote thus of him: "When such a man dies his loss is felt, not only in his family and the community, but in the church, and in this instance seems almost irreparable. He was not only a good citizen and exemplary Christian, but he was a true patriot. When the rebellion was inaugurated and the life of his Government threatened, he had but two sons old enough to enter the military service of their country, both of whom he willingly laid on that country's altar." (V) Pleasant Myers, daughter of Evan and Nancy (Myers) Evans, was born September 1, 1833, near Garrard's Fort, Greene county, and became the wife of Dr. Wilson Greene, as mentioned above. Her character was one of rare loveliness, and it has been said of her that, as wife, mother, neighbor, friend, she was a model Christian woman. She was a devoted member of the Baptist church, noted for the hospitality which she extended alike to ministers of her own and other denominations. Mrs. Greene passed away August 4, 1892, leaving a memory which is an inspiration to all who were ever brought within the sphere of her beautiful influence.


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





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