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Below is a family biography included in the History of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania published in 1889 by A. Warner & Co.   These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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JOHN HOFFMAN, farmer, post office Castle Shannon, was born June 8, 1824, on the Rhine, Bavaria, Germany, a son of John and Mary Ann (Kline) Hoffman, who had four sons and four daughters. Of these Daniel, Mrs. Barbara Klump and John immigrated to America, where Daniel was killed on the railroad. When John was only ten years of age his father died, and when older he became apprenticed to a damask-weaver (at that time the weaving was all done by hand and was considered quite an art, there being only three masters of it in the province of Rhein Phaltz). He worked eight years and became a skillful hand. During the revolution of 1848 he came to America, and in New Jersey worked on a farm a short time. The following year he came to Pittsburgh, and for twelve months operated a brewery, after which he turned his attention to teaming, carrying water to the people on the South Side at twelve and a half cents per hogshead. Subsequently he became a successful farmer, and at present is in possession of three farms containing 122 acres of land. He married, April 14, 1850, Catherine Fox, daughter of George Fox, and their children were Catherine (deceased), Mary M. (deceased), John D., Henry (deceased), Charlie, George, Mrs. Katie Mathew and Mrs. Carrie McAnulty. Of these John D. is married to Anna B., daughter of John Knapp, a shoe-dealer, of South Side; Charlie is married to Ettie, daughter of Henry Streng, farmer, of Baldwin township. Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman are members of the G. P.. Church; he is a democrat.

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This family biography is one of 2,156 biographies included in the History of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania published in 1889 by A. Warner & Co.

View additional Allegheny County, Pennsylvania family biographies here: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Biographies

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