[p. 968] proprietor of the Keystone Garden, which is situated in Big Beaver Township, about three miles south of Wampum, also fills the office of secretary of the Big Beaver Telephone Company. He was born June 15, 1875, at New Castle, Pa., and is a son of George and Amanda (Shaffer) Hoopengardner.
George Hoopengardner was born in 1846, in Fulton County, Pennsylvania, of German parentage. He was reared on his father's farm, where he gave particular attention to gardening and in all his subsequent life as a farmer he found time and space to do a little work in that line. When he later moved to New Castle he worked for George Crawford, in his planing mill, still later in a grist-mill belonging to Lee Raney. For three years he rented a farm near Mahoningtown, and then returned to New Castle and built him a residence on the west side of the city, where the family lived for five years. Mr. Hoopengardner then resumed farming and operated Rev. Bradford's farm, near Enon, for a time. In 1881 he moved to Homewood and established the Keystone Gardens, later renting the McCready farm in Big Beaver Township. He operated that farm for ten years and then bought the farm on which his son, Andrew H., resides. At the time of purchase it was wild land and this he cleared and later erected all the substantial buildings that are in evidence. Here he died May 15, 1902. He was a Democrat in his political views and his sons were reared in the same belief. He was liberal in the support he gave to the Methodist Episcopal Church. He married Amanda Shaffer, who was born at Rochester, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, the only child of Charles and Eliza (Daugherty) Shaffer. They had five children, namely: Charles residing in Chicago, Ill.; William J., residing in Lawrence County; Andrew Howard; Rebecca J., wife of Frank L. Herbert, residing in Lawrence County, and Jessie May, residing with her brother, Andrew H.
Andrew Howard Hoopengardner spent his boyhood days at New Castle, Enon and Homewood, securing an excellent common school education. When seventeen years of age he became interested in printing and opened a job printing office on the home farm, an enterprise he still continues. In 1900 he went to Chicago to take charge of the printing department of the Farmers' and Merchants' Insurance Company, for Montgomery & Funkhouser, of Lincoln, Neb., and remained there for one and one-half years. After the death of his father he took charge of the Keystone Gardens. On June 1, 1907, he organized the Big Beaver Telephone Company, a prospering enterprise, of which he was elected secretary. There are ten stockholders and the other officers of the company are: H. K. Hartsuff, Jr., president; F. L. Herbert, vice president, and R. J. Davidson, treasurer. He is also substitute for Rural Mail Route No. 3 from New Galilee. He has been active in politics for a number of years, has served in all the township offices and his party has made him its choice for county offices on many occasions.
The Keystone Gardens are well known in this section. Mr. Hoopengardner grows hot-house flowers and small plants and supplies cut flowers for every occasion. He has inherited the taste for this work and was trained to it. With his mother and sister, he occupies one of the finest residences in the outskirts of Wampum. He is a very popular citizen.
20th Century History of New Castle and Lawrence County Pennsylvania and Representative Citizens Hon. Aaron L. Hazen Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, Chicago, Ill., 1908
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