Hugh B. Andrews has found a profitable field for his labors in Oil
city, and as a well qualified builder and conscientious contractor has,
while building up a thriving business, furthered the material
improvements of the city to a notable degree. With many prosperous
interests centered there, the demand for high-class services has
afforded him desired opportunities for undertaking and executing
substantial and attractive work, and there are many specimens of his
handicraft in the city to testify to his ability and honorable
fulfillment of contracts. As H. B. Andrews, general contractor, he has
attained high standing among the men in his own line and those who have
had occasion to avail themselves of his talents.
Mr. Andrews, in both paternal and maternal lines, belongs to old
settled families of this part of Pennsylvania, his grandfather, Hugh B.
Andrews, having lived and died in Mercer County, where he was engaged
in farming. He was hardly middle-aged at the time of his death, and he
is buried with his wife in the old U.P. Cemetery at Greenville, Mercer
County. Her maiden name was Potter, and they had four sons, of whom
Hugh and Thomas went West when young men; John P. is
mentioned below; Joseph died near Sharon, Mercer County.
John P. Andrews, father of Hugh B. Andrews, was born in March, 1828,
near Adamsville, Crawford Co., Pa., and spent most of his life in
Mercer County. He learned the blacksmith’s trade and during his earlier
life was also engaged for many years in boating on the Pittsburgh
& Erie canal, living at Greenville, where he was engaged at his
trade until ten years before his death, July 2, 1907. When he retired
he removed into the country one and one-half miles east of Greenville,
in West Salem Township, owning a small patch of ground on which he did
gardening. He died there, and is buried with his wife in the new
cemetery at Greenville. They attended the U.P. Church, and Mr. Andrews
held to the principles of the Democratic party in politics. His wife
was Elizabeth Sherbondy, who died April 21, 1886, aged forty-five
years, five months, five days, the mother of eight children, namely:
William of Greenville, Pa.; Hugh B.; David, deceased; Frank and John,
both residents of Greenville; and Malissa, Rebecca and Laura, all three
deceased.
David Sherbondy, Mr. Andrews’ great-great grandfather on the maternal
side, was a pioneer of Mercer County, where he settled before the
Indians had left the country. He received a grant of between seven
hundred and eight hundred acres of land from the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, all in the woods, and succeeded in clearing a large
portion of it. Upon his death it was divided between two daughters and
four sons, Mrs. Logan, Mrs. Mason, George, David, Philip and John.
George lived on that part directly adjoining his brother David’s;
Philip sold his interest and moved to Crawford County, where he bought
another farm and resided until his death; John’s death was the result
of an accident.
David Sherbondy, youngest son of David, received the old homestead with
log house and log barn and 175 acres, which he cleared with the aid of
his sons and improved greatly, building a new house and barn as
prosperity enabled him to do so. He followed general farming all his
life, living to the age of seventy-nine years, and his wife, Rebecca
(Leininger), was about the same age at the time of her death. She was a
daughter of David Leininger. Mr. and Mrs. Sherbondy favored the U.P.
Church, and he was a Democrat in his political opinions. Of their
children, Elizabeth married John P. Andrews; Henry received fifty acres
of land north of the homestead; David J. obtained fifty acres and the
homestead buildings; Mina, deceased, was the wife of James
Loutzenhiser; Laura, deceased, was the wife of John Smith; two children
died in infancy and were buried on the home farm. The parents are
interred in the new cemetery at Greenville.
Hugh B. Andrews was born Nov. 18, 1865, at Greenville, Mercer
Co., Pa., where he attended school until ten years old. At that time he
went to live in the home of his uncle, Henry Sherbondy, on a farm in
Greene Township, same county, where he continued his education in the
township schools and assisted on the farm, remaining there until
nineteen years of age. Upon leaving the farm he served a three years’
apprenticeship to the carpenter’s trade, working for various
contractors until he commended on his own account. He has had his share
of important contracts in and around the city, the Henry I. Beers
building, United Presbyterian Church and a number of very desirable
residences being of his construction and comparing very favorable with
the best work in this section. Mr. Andrews is well known in other
relations, having taken an active part in city affairs, and he has the
distinction of having been the first councilman ever elected there on
the Prohibitionist ticket, representing the Ninth ward. He is a member
of the First U.P. Church and a present trustee and fraternally he is an
Odd Fellow, affiliated with Latonia Lodge, No. 1018, of Oil City, and
the Encampment.
Mr. Andrews married Elizabeth Moreland, and they have one child, Ralph
Moreland, born July 28, 1903, who is a junior in the Oil City high
school.
Mrs. Andrews is a daughter of Robert Moreland, whose family has been
established in Mercer County from the time of its earliest settlement.
He engaged in farming during his young manhood, but while setting up
the frame of a new barn in 1851 decided to go to California to try is
fortune in the gold fields, starting the next day. He was absent nine
years, during which time he was given up for dead by his family. His
folks at home advertised for him all over the country, and were ready
to sell out his property when he returned, a stranger visiting his camp
in California having told him, upon learning his name, that the papers
had notices regarding his disappearance. He left camp without delay and
arrived home a day before the proposed sale. Continuing farming on his
old property, which comprised 120 acres, he prospered, built a new
house and band barn, and spent the rest of his life there, reaching the
age of eighty-two years. Mr. Moreland married Mary Thompson, daughter
of Hugh Thompson, of Greene Township, Mercer County, and she died many
years before him, at the age of forty-five years. They are buried in
Greenville cemetery. He was a Democrat and a member of the U.P. Church.
Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Moreland: Frank, who died when
about three years old; Austie, of Cortland, Ohio; and Emma and
Elizabeth (Mrs. Andrews), twins.
The following history of the Moreland family was compiled for
the Moreland family centennial, 1796-1896, the first family centennial
celebration ever held in Greene Township, Mercer County, eight hundred
and fifty people meeting in the picturesque grove on the farm of
William and J. S. Moreland in honor of the occasion.
“In the North of Ireland, near the town of Coleraine, County
Londonderry, lived John and Letitial Moreland. Their cottage and
weaver’s sop stood on the bank of the Ban River. This honored couple
were blessed with six sons, Isaac, William, Alexander, John, James and
Robert, and two daughters, Margaret and Elizabeth. They were the direct
descendants of the study Scotch Presbyterians, their forefathers having
fled from Scotland to Ireland during King James’ persecution, and
nearly all their descendants have been adherents of some branch of the
same church.
“As their family grew to manhood and womanhood it became plain to all
of them that their environment would seriously interfere with their
desire to become independent men and women. ‘America, the land of the
free and the home of the brave,’ caught and held their attention. Money
to pay passage, however, was not easily obtained. Isaac, the eldest
son, was apprenticed to a weaver in Scotland, with whom he served two
years. He worked three years more before he could save enough money to
pay passage for himself and his brother William to Philadelphia. In
1793 they took passage on the ship ‘Little Mary.’ Their captain loved
strong drink and sacrificed the lives of many of his passengers by
sailing is ship in the wrong direction. They voyage should have been
made in about twelve weeks, but to the sore distress of all on board,
it occupied twenty-one weeks. They were reduced to a half pint of flour
and a pint of water each per day.
“After working for a time in Philadelphia, they came to Westmoreland
County, where they were employed until 1796, when they came to that
part of Mercer County where the centennial was held to honor our
ancestors. They cleared a piece of land near the stone house during the
first summer. In the fall of 1797 Isaac went to Philadelphia and made
arrangements for the rest of the family to come to the new home. He
started to return, but owing to heavy rainfalls the rivers were so
swollen that he was compelled to remain until spring. All this long
winter William lived alone, near this very place, with no companions
save bears, wolves and Indians, the latter being the most unwelcome of
all. In 1798 the whole family removed from Ireland, and after stopping
for a short time in Westmoreland County, at the home of their uncle,
Isaac McKissick, they came to this place. While in Westmoreland County
a long dreaded sorrow befell them in the death of James.
“Had not these pioneers heeded the Scriptural injunction, ‘It
is not good for a man to be alone,’ we would not be here to-day
enjoying the fruits of their labors. They were married as follows:
Isaac to Lillias Mossman; William to Jane Minto; Alexander to
Nancy Wilson; John to Martha McGill; Robert to Martha Mahan; Margaret
to Thomas Smith, and Elizabeth to William Hanna. In this
particular their descendants have not closely followed their good
example.
“In 1797 Isaac and William Moreland each took up a tract of land
containing eight hundred fifty acres, for which they paid two thousand
dollars. Their father settled one hundred acres, and John and Alexander
each the same amount. Robert bought one hundred and fifty acres east of
Jamestown. A large portion of the land settled by our honored ancestors
is still owned by their descendants. And so we think it fitting that we
meet on this, the centennial of their advent, to do honor to their
memory.”
Source: (Venango
County Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People, Vol
II, Chicago, J.H. Beers & Co.,1919, pps. 1028 - 1030.
Submitted by Penny Kulbacki)
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