Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens
Lawrence County Pennsylvania 1897

JOHN C. OFFUTT,

[p. 440] president of the firm of Offutt, White & Co., the leading furniture dealers of the city of New Castle, was born Oct. 15, 1847, in Plain Grove township, Lawrence Co., Pa. Our subject spent his boyhood days at home with his parents, and at the age of eighteen went to Youngstown, Ohio, where he clerked for a year, and acquired needful experience in business methods. He then went into business for himself at Volant, this county, handling general merchandise, and was burned out only about a year after he opened the store. He was next in business in Sharon, Pa., where he remained until 1873, disposing of his interests then, and as times were slack did not again engage in business until 1882. In that year he launched a mercantile venture in Clarksville, and continued it until 1887, when he sold out his interests to White & McKinney. In the spring of 1887, Mr. Offutt became associated with the firm of Dunn & Co. of New Castle, which firm did an extensive business in furniture; after a year and a half's connection with the firm, he bought out Mr. Dunn, and the firm name was changed to Offutt & Co., and remained so until 1893, when Mr. White was taken into the firm, and it now stands as Offutt, White & Co., funeral directors and furniture dealers.

Mr. Offutt is a son of John Offutt, and a grandson of John Offutt, Sr., who was a Quaker, and the first representative of the Offutt family in America; he settled in the State of Maryland. His wife was a daughter of Captain Cook, the commander of the sailing vessel which brought him over. Four children were born to them, as follows: Nathan; James; George; and John. Our subject's father was born in Maryland, and came to Lawrence County some little time previous to his marriage; he located in Plain Grove township, and engaged in farming. His wife, Margaret Patterson, died July 20, 1878, aged seventy-six years. He followed her to the land beyond the river just two months later, dying Sept. 20, 1878, aged seventy-eight years. Their children were: Nancy (Lowrey); Mary J. (Streeter); Susan (Hamilton); Elizabeth (Brown); James; Martha (Martin); Caroline (Rice); Thomas P.; and John C., our subject.

John C. Offutt married Louisa E. Bovard, daughter of Hutchinson Bovard of Plain Grove township. They have two children, Martha H. and Frank B.


Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens Lawrence County Pennsylvania
Biographical Publishing Company, Buffalo, N.Y., 1897

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