My Genealogy Hound

JOHN B. BEATTY, retired, post office Hoboken, was born in Allegheny county, Pa., in 1821. The original spelling of the family name was Beattie. Francis Beatty, the pioneer of the family, as early as 1808 left his native home in the eastern part of New York state, and came to Allegheny county. He was a farmer, and purchased three hundred acres of land in Indiana township, where he remained until his death. He married a Miss Hall, a native of the state of New York, and they became the parents of four sons and three daughters. Of these Francis, Jr., was among the youngest. He was born in 1795, and at an early date learned the hatter’s trade, which, however, he abandoned on account of ill-health, and commenced farming. He married Sarah Black, of Scotch-Irish parentage, but a native of South Carolina, and five sons and four daughters were the result of this union, John B. being the eldest. Francis Beatty, Jr., died in 1871, aged seventy-six years, his wife in 1852, aged fifty-four years. John B. Beatty was educated at the common schools, and has followed farming, but taught school in his younger days. He married, in 1845, Sarah, daughter of Andrew and Mary (Stewart) Erwin, and five children blessed their union, four yet living: Harry, at home; Minnie E. (Mrs. Graham), Ella E. (Mrs. Thursby) and May E. (Mrs. Dr. Kelley, of Wheeling, W.Va.). Mr. Beatty has taken an active part in the advancement of his township, and for twenty-five years was school director; during the war was enrolling officer, and took the census in his township in 1880. He is a member of the United Presbyterian Church, politically a republican. He owned one hundred and twenty-two acres of his grandfather’s tract, the balance being purchased by the city and county of Allegheny.