J. W. ALLISON, farmer,
post-office Mercer, was born November 29, 1840, in Hickory Township, to
James and Elizabeth J. (Gettis) Allison, natives, the father of
Westmoreland County, and of Scotch extraction, and the mother of
Ireland, an immigrant to America at the age of six years with her
father, Archibald Gettis. They settled in Pittsburgh, where he
merchandised for a number of years. He died in 1840 and his widow died
in 1854. James H. Allison was engaged in cabinet-making in Pittsburgh
when he was married in 1832, and the following year he came to Hickory
Township, where he remained for many years. In 1835 he and a Mr.
Lightner began a search for coal on their respective farms. The first
shaft was sunk on Mr. Lightner’ s farm, with no success, and the next
was on Mr. Allison’s farm, which was with good result. His son claims
that these were the first coal shafts sunk in Mercer County. Mr.
Allison subsequently sold his farm, and died at his home in Illinois in
1863. His widow died August 7, 1885, at the home of J.W. Allison. They
had eighteen children, nine of whom grew up: James C., enlisted in the
One Hundred and Thirty-ninth Pennsylvania Volunteers; Thomas C.; J. W,
Mary J., married S. J. Wier; Henry J., a merchant at Pittsburgh;
Margaret, married John Nelson; Fannie, married F. Bastress; Emma,
married Abner Rice, and Joseph. Our subject attended the common schools
and Allegheny College, at Meadville, and taught eight terms of school,
two of which were in Shelby County, lnd. He enlisted in Company I,
Eighth Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Three months afterward he enlisted
in Rabb’s Light Artillery, but was rejected owing to a wound received
in service with Company I. He was married in 1861 to Elizabeth Wilson,
and has by her James, Homer, Robert, Edith, Jennie, Mary and Benjamin.
Mr. and Mrs. Allison are members of the Second United Presbyterian
Church of Mercer, and he is a Republican. He and his boys are
extensively engaged in the dairy business, running a milk wagon to
Mercer. They are all farmers, and give especial attention to raising
small fruits.
Source: (History of Mercer County, 1888, page 974)
Additional Info: John W. Allison died 28 July 1916 and is buried in Mercer Citizens Cemetery. |
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