My Genealogy Hound

WILLIAM DRAYTON HOUGHTELIN, justice of the peace, Hulton, was born in Penn township, this county, Aug. 5, 1842, a son of Hezekiah and Mary Magdalen (Headgrass) Houghtelin, both of whom were of German descent, and natives of Adams county, Pa., and Columbiana county, Ohio, respectively. Hezekiah Houghtelin, who was thirty years a teacher in this and Westmoreland counties, Pa., died Sept. 3, 1874. He lived in Verona (then Penn township) after he married, and later on a farm in Penn township, where our subject received his education, and worked until he enlisted, Sept. 20, 1861, in Company B, 77th regiment P. V. I. This command was sent to Louisville, Ky., and participated in the battles of Shiloh, siege of Corinth, the invasion of Kentucky, battle of Liberty Gap, Stone river, Chickamauga and other engagements. Mr. Houghtelin reenlisted as a veteran Jan. 4, 1864, and was promoted to sergeant. He participated in the battles of Resaca, Adairsville, Cassville, Newhope Church, Kenesaw, Atlanta, Jonesboro, Lovejoy Station, Franklin (Tenn.) and Nashville (Tenn.), and was discharged with the rest of his company Dec. 6, 1865, at Victoria, Lavaca county, Tex., and paid off in Philadelphia, Pa., Jan. 18, 1866. Returning to Penn township, our subject learned the wagon-maker’s trade, carried on a shop in Sandy Creek in 1871-72, and moved to Verona in April, 1873, and carried on a shop there until he was burned out in 1885. Politically he is a republican, always voting the straight ticket. He was elected justice of the peace March 11, 1876, serving continuously; has also been school director, assessor for twelve years, and has held many other town offices. He is a member of the G. A. R, being past commander, and of the I. O. O. F., being the oldest past grand of Verona; is also a P. C. in the K. of P., Iona Lodge No. 141; also belongs to Encampment No. 1, Union Veteran Legion. Our subject was married in 1872 to Hannah H., daughter of John H. and Margaret (Bell) Pollitt, natives of Pittsburgh and Baltimore, Md. Her father, who is a gun smith in the Thirty-first ward, Pittsburgh, is a native of Derbyshire, England, and came here when seven years old. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Houghtelin, two of whom are living: Atlanta Sherman, aged fifteen years, and Elmer Ellsworth, aged ten years. Those deceased are Mary L., James Garfield, who died at the age of eighteen months; Percival Drayton, who died when aged seven months, and John Morton, when nine years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Houghtelin are members of the Baptist Church.