Westmoreland County PA Archives Biographies.....Johnston, Andrew A. October 23, 1812 - March 31, 1885 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 October 14, 2018, 3:41 pm Source: See Below Author: See Below ANDREW A. JOHNSTON. The late Andrew A. Johnston of Youngstown, a brother of Governor William Erearme Johnston of Pennsylvania and one of the remarkably successful business men of the county, was a son of Alexander and Elizabeth (Freame) Johnston. Ho was born at Youngstown, Westmoreland county, Pa., October 23, 1812, and died March 31, 1885, when in the seventy-third year of his age. His paternal ancestors were originally from Annandale, Scotland, where Capt. Alexander Johnston held the estates of Brackenside. He was killed at the battle of Fontenoy in 1745. His family lost the estate through legal troubles and political strife and settled in Ireland where Alexander Johnston (father) was born at Scarbrae, county Tyrone, July 10, 1773. He came to Carlisle, Pa., where his cousin, Gen. William Irvine, advised him to seek a home west of the Alleghenies. His family located at Greensburg, where he married Elizabeth, second daughter of William Freame, who was a native of Belfast, Ireland; had fought under Wolfe at Quebec, and settled in Pennsylvania, where he married Elizabeth Johnston, who came from Ireland in 1782. To Andrew and Elizabeth Johnston were born eight sons and two daughters. These sons varied in height from six feet to six feet six inches and in weight from two hundred to two hundred and fifty pounds. Two of them were Governor William F. and Col. John W., whose biographies are given in this work. After several years' residence in Greensburg he removed to Pittsburg, where he was engaged in the mercantile business, which he relinquished some years later to embark in the manufacture of iron. He purchased large tracts of land in Unity, Derry and Ligonier townships and erected Kingston iron works. As an iron master he met with but poor success and soon removed to Greensburg where he remained until 1836. In that year he returned to Kingston house and resided there till July 16, 1872, when he was called from his earthly labors at the ripe old age of ninety-nine years and six days. From 1807 to 1836 he held several county officessheriff by election, justice of the peace, treasurer and register and recorder by appointment. He was a federalist until the dissolution of that political party when he became a democrat, He was endeared to his family, to his friends and to all who knew him by his many virtues, his kindness and sterling integrity. With faculties unimpaired and with a mind clear and unclouded when nearly to the century line he passed to his final rest and left behind him what is infinitely better than wealth or famean untarnished name. Alexander A. Johnston was reared at Youngstown and Greensburg and in Pittsburg. He learned the trade of tanner but never followed it. He was well fitted for a business life and in his day was probably one of the best known business men in this county. He was an extensive contractor on the construction of the P. R. R. and in connection with a Mr. McFarland erected the present court-house at Greensburg. He was president of the Greensburg and Stoystown pike, a stockholder of the Ligonier railroad and for many years prior to his death was engaged in buying and selling horses and cattle, He was a republican in politics, and although an active and influential leader in his party, yet never aspired to any of the various offices which were within his grasp if he had seen fit to have accepted them. He died at his residence at Youngstown in 1885 and left behind him the record of a useful life. He was over six feet in height and was a pleasant and affable gentleman. On January 10, 1850, he united in marriage with Caroline Fritz, who was born in 1830 and is a daughter of Samuel Fritz, of Somerset county, this State, who married Sarah Hickey and reared a family of six sons and six daughters. Col. and Mrs. Johnston were the parents of nine children: Isabella, who married Thomas Copperstone and died November 24, 1888, aged thirty-eight years; Andrew A., Jr., married Annie Everts and resides in Iowa; Alexander B., married Joanna Kuhns and lives at Youngstown; Caroline, wife of Andrew Murphy, of Pittsburg; Sarah E., Mary M., married Rev. H. J. Kuder, pastor of Christ Lutheran church of Pittsburg; Thomas, William Freame and Laura E. Mrs. Johnston is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church and still resides at Youngstown. Additional Comments: Extracted from Biographical and Historical Cyclopedia of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania Compiled and Published by John M. Gresham & Co. Samuel T. Wiley, Chief Assistant 1890 Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/westmoreland/photos/bios/johnston742gbs.jpg This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/ File size: 5.2 Kb