[p. 460] general farmer, residing on his valuable farm of 100 acres, in Shenango Township, where he has eighty acres under cultivation, is one of the representative citizens of this section. He was born in Shenango Township, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, November 22, 1850, and is a son of David and Margaret (Newton) Houk.
The Houk family was established in Lawrence County by Philip Houk, who came from New Jersey and settled in Wayne Township, where he acquired 150 acres of land, purchasing it from Ben Chew. The date of this transaction has not been established, but there is a record of one of his daughters marrying a John Newton, in Wayne Township, in 1792, the two families having been closely identified for a long period. The above Philip was the great-grandfather of John C. Houk, and the grandfather had the same name, and he became a resident of Shenango Township, where his son, David, was born. David Houk died in that township May 1, 1871, aged fifty-five years. He was a general farmer and stock-raiser, and at various times in his life held township offices, to which he was elected on the Republican ticket. He married a daughter of John Newton, of Wayne Township, and seven of their ten children grew to maturity, namely: Samuel, deceased; Narcissa, deceased, married John Newton; Nina, deceased, married Arthur A. Newton, also deceased; Alexander M., residing in Shenaingo Township; John C., Mary Ann, deceased, and Preston, residing in Slippery Rock Township. The parents of the above family were members of the Slippery Rock Presbyterian Church.
John C. Houk was reared in his native township, where he attended school and learned to be a practical farmer on the home place. In 1886 he purchased his present farm, which was the property of his father-in-law, and here he has resided ever since. In addition to raising corn, oats, wheat and hay, Mr. Houk grows many strawberries and raspberries, finding a ready market for his fruit. He raises fine stock and feeds about twenty-five cattle for the market annually.
Mr. Houk married Louisa Klein, who is a daughter of Conrad Klein, of Shenango Township, and they have the following children: Jennie, who is the wife of William Forrest, of New Castle; Margaret, who is the wife of William Wellhauser, of Wayne Township; Ella, who is the wife of W. C. McConnahy, of New Castle; Sarah, who is the wife of James Gibson, of Slippery Rock Township; and Conrad, Edith, Samuel, Edna and Hazel, at home. Mr. Houk and family belong to the Slippery Rock Presbyterian Church.
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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