My Genealogy Hound

DAVID K. CALHOON, farmer, post office Homestead, was born on the old mansion farm, April 3, 1831. His grandfather, Dr. Calhoon, who was of Scotch-Irish descent, was born east of the mountains, and at the age of seventeen years teamed to Pittsburgh. In the latter part of the eighteenth century, after the Revolution, in which he was a soldier and fought many battles, he settled in Mifflin township. His patent, known as the Calhoon & Shier patent, for three hundred acres of land was granted in 1803. At the beginning of the war of 1812, at the age of sixty years, being yet a strong, active man, he shouldered his musket and marched out with the troops to Gen. Harrison’s headquarters but the general ordered him to Pittsburgh, where he was placed in command of the fort. He died, aged eighty years, a strict United Presbyterian, and is buried in Mifflin church cemetery. His sons, James and John, and his father, James Calhoon, are buried at Lebanon cemetery. David Calhoon married Eleanor King, by whom he had eight children: Sarah, Thomas, Mary, James, Elizabeth, John K., David and Eleanor. Of these, John K. farmed the old homestead, where he died. He married Mary R., daughter of Robert Hays, a native of Ireland, who bought the Shier portion of the old homestead, and they had three children: Mary H., Robert R. and David K.

The subject of this sketch owns the old homestead, where he yet resides. He married Alice P., daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Stewart) Hays, the latter a daughter of Lazarus Stewart, first sheriff of Allegheny county, who was induced to come here by grandfather David Calhoon. Mr. and Mrs. Calhoon have been blessed with seven children: Mary H., John K., Sarah J., Flora H., Alice Eleanor, David R. and Charles. The old members of the Calhoon family were Seceders, and later joined the U. P. Church. Politically they were first democrats, and then republicans.