20th Century History of New Castle and
Lawrence County Pennsylvania and Representative Citizens

WILLIAM T. JENKINS,

[p. 961] a leading citizen of Big Beaver Township, residing on his valuable farm of fifty-five acres, which is situated about ten miles south of New Castle, was born March 11, 1863, on his father's farm in Big Beaver Township, near Wampum, Pa. His parents were John H. and Sophia (Hennon) Jenkins.

The paternal grandfather, Andrew Jenkins, probably came to Washington County, Pennsylvania, from Ireland. In 1800 he removed from there to Lawrence County, being one of the earliest pioneers in his section. Andrew Jenkins and wife traveled by means of a small boat, carrying with them a handful of domestic utensils and when they landed near what is now called Jenkins' Bridge, they found it necessary to put up a shelter. The pioneers were people of resourceful quality, and very soon a temporary home was made with bushes and sapling poles, which served until a clearing could be completed and a log cabin built. Andrew Jenkins remained on that farm until he completed clearing it and acquired more and more land until he owned 1,000 acres, including the old Hatchet Tract, of eighty-four acres, which is still in the family. He was a man of great energy and enterprise. Besides being a surveyor he operated a saw and grist-mill and ran a distillery. During the War of 1812 he was a major in one of the regiments, his son Thomas holding the same rank during his service in the Civil War.

Andrew Jenkins was married twice and the children of his first union were: Eliazor, deceased; Anna, wife of Thomas McChesney, both deceased; Rebecca, wife of William McCullough, both deceased; Robert; Aseneth, wife of John White; Lucinda, wife of Milton Leonard; Andrew and John Henry, all of whom are deceased. The children of Andrew Jenkins by his second marriage were: Thomas K., of Missouri; Mary, wife of Aaron Reed, both deceased; David, deceased, and Ellen, wife of William Stafford.

John Henry Jenkins was born in North Beaver Township, Lawrence County, before it was separated from Beaver County, and until he was twenty-one years of age he assisted on the home farm. After that he engaged in teaming, hauling logs with his three-ox team, to his father's water power saw-mill, in the meanwhile learning the plasterer's trade, which he followed for forty years. He lived a long and respected life, dying March 4, 1904, aged seventy-eight years. His widow survives. Her maden name was Sophia Hennon and she is a daughter of Thomas Hennon. They had six children, namely: William Thomas; Anna M., who married Robert Buchanan, of Lawrence County; Ida, who married Hugh McCready; Joseph R., who married Maud Crawford, and two who died in infancy.

William T. Jenkins obtained his education in the district schools and has followed farming and threshing for many years. In September, 1879, he moved to his present farm and here carries on a general line of agriculture. For some seven years he devoted a large part of his time to threshing and selling farm machinery. On March 30, 1895, he was married to Lillian M. Beatty, who is a daughter of Almatrim and Jane (Patterson) Beatty, and they have two children, Frank W. and Edna May. The family belong to the United Presbyterian Church at New Galilee, of which Mr. Jenkins is treasurer. He has been elected to a number of important township offices on the Democratic ticket and at present is township assessor.


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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Updated: 9 Feb 2002