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

JOHN LOUER,

John Louer[p. 687] whose excellent farm of seventy-five acres is situated on the State road between Mt. Jackson and Moravia, about two miles northwest of the latter town, is one of the representative citizens of North Beaver Township. Mr. Louer was born January 18, 1826, in Mahoning Township, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, on a farm which was situated between Edenburg and Parktown, and is a son of Samuel and Susanna (Butterball) Louer.

The parents of Mr. Louer were married in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, after which they started for their new home, in a four-horse wagon, and camped each night, by the way, until they reached the place where they desired to settle. The father was unfortunate in the purchase of his first farm, a tract of 160 acres, then situated in Mercer County, as the man from whom he bought had no clear title to the land. They then moved from the first farm to one two miles south, where the father bought 160 acres, right in the woods, on which he built a log cabin and spent the remainder of his life engaged in clearing and improving his property. The mother died when John Louer was four years old, leaving five children, after which the father married the widow of Nicholas Bryan and four children were born to the second union.

John Louer was the eldest son of the family and he remained at home and helped his father until he was twelve years old. Differences have arisen on account of the stepmother, a not unusual occurrence, he left home and went to Youngstown, Ohio, where he worked for William Rice, a farmer, for four years. By that time he was a sturdy young man of sixteen years and he went to New Castle, hoping to get work in the mills, but after he reached there he found no vacancy, and rather than be idle, he went to work for L. V. Quipps, a shoemaker, and as he found the work more agreeable than he had expected, he remained until he learned the trade, some four years. He returned to his father for a year, being married in 1850, and then went to Mahoningtown, where he operated a shoe shop for fifteen years, not only selling shoes, but also making them, finding it necessary to employ from two to three hands. In 1866, Mr. Louer came to his present farm, where he has carried on general farming for over forty years. He enjoys a beautiful home, having erected a fine house, and substantial barn, and all necessary farm buildings, and made the many improvements which may be noticed on every hand.

In 1850 Mr. Louer was married to Mary Chambers, who is a daughter of Samuel Chambers, formerly a farmer in North Beaver Township. They had five children born to them, namely: Theresa, who died aged four years; Samuel Edward, who, in partnership with his son, John, runs a hardware business at Mahoningtown; William John, deceased, who left a widow and one son, Clyde; Sidney, who rents the home farm, married Laura Alexander and they have two children, Dale and Pearl, and George, who died when aged four years. Mr. Louer is a member of the Mt. Jackson United Presbyterian Church. Mrs. Louer died July 9, 1907.


20th Century History of New Castle and Lawrence County Pennsylvania and Representative Citizens Hon. Aaron L. Hazen Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, Chicago, Ill., 1908

Previous Biography | Table of Contents | Next Biography
Explanation/Caution | Lawrence Co. Maps | Lawrence Co. Histories
Updated: 26 Nov 2001