My Genealogy Hound

GEORGE T. MILLER, retired, post office Port Perry, a son of Col. William L. and Jane (Torrence) Miller, was born in Fayette county, Pa., in 1825. The Millers are descendants of revolutionary stock on both sides. Col. Miller was born in New Jersey in 1793, and moved in 1800 to Fayette county, where he was brought up as a carpenter and builder. There he married, and was largely interested in the iron business, having built the Breakneck Furnace near Connellsville. In 1837, having made an advantageous disposition of his interests, he removed to Port Perry, where he purchased an extensive tract of coal-land. Port Perry was laid out and plotted in 1793, by John Perry, its founder, from whom it derives its name, but on completion of Philadelphia pike the village was deserted. Col. Miller resurveyed it and laid it out anew in 1848. This was at one time the head of navigation, and an old Indian trail led to the mouth of Turtle creek, where stood a large storehouse. The patent to the colonel’s purchase was taken out by John Frazier, who lived near, on the ground afterward Braddock’s battle-ground, and was with the English in the fight. Washington stopped and rested with Frazier when on a secret mission to French creek. Col. Miller was one of the prominent men of the state, and in addition to his furnace near Connellsville had a lumber-mill, paper-mill and saw mill, and found leisure to serve his constituency in the convention held to revise the state constitution, and was one of the youngest members of that body. His children were George T., Mary P., now Mrs. Dr. Knox, of McKeesport; Phebe Ann, now Mrs. Daniel F. Cooper, of McKeesport, and Albert G., who occupies and owns the old homestead. George T. Miller married, in 1851, Mary Jane, daughter of Samuel Craig, of Washington county. Mr. Miller has been extensively engaged in business, owning valuable lumber-and flouring-mills for thirty-five years, and also valuable coal properties. He resides on the banks of the Monongahela river, a delightful location, at Port Perry. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have four children: William S., a clergyman at Washington, D. C.; Mortimer C., at Turtle Creek, a member of the Pittsburgh bar; John T., at Edgewood, with the Philadelphia Gas company, and Joseph T., now being educated. Mr. Miller is one of the representative men of this portion of Allegheny county, but having sold out his coal and lumber interests is not actively engaged at the present.