My Genealogy Hound

JOHN W. LESNETT, farmer, post office Bridgeville, was born in Upper St. Clair township, Allegheny county, Pa., in 1838, and is of German descent. His ancestors crossed the ocean in 1745 in the same vessel, and settled at Hagerstown, Md. The male ancestor married, about 1752, Christena___, a widow, having one child; he was a mechanic, a cabinetmaker by trade. Christy Lesnett enlisted in the army to come to Fort Pitt as a recruit, to hold it against the French and Pontiac, a chief of the Ottawa Indians, and was detailed to repair the supply-wagons. Being pleased with the country, he came back in the summer of 1768, with his two sons, Frederick and Frank, aged, respectively, fourteen and twelve years, and a man named Richard Gilson, who had located on land near, the preceding autumn. In order to be neighbors Mr. Lesnett bought an adjoining claim, that was located in 1767, in the fall of 1768. Christy and Mr. Gilson returned to Maryland and remained until spring, when with their families they came and permanently settled in South Fayette township, Allegheny county, twelve miles from Pittsburgh, on the Pittsburgh and Washington turnpike. The Lesnett family then consisted of the parents and nine children, as follows: Nancy, her child, his stepdaughter; Frederick, Frank, Stofle, Margaret, Christena, Sophia, Christy and George.

Frederick was the eldest son and inherited at his father’s death the property now known as “John Lesnett’s farm.” He married Isabella Wilson, of Scotch parentage, who bore him eight children. Frederick, who was always a farmer, died in 1830, aged seventy-six years. Wilson, the third son of the family, was born and reared on the farm purchased by his grandfather. He married Mary, daughter of John Weaver, of Cannonsburg, and they live near the old homestead. Seven children blessed their union: John W., Mary J., Frederick, Isabella (died in 1877, aged thirty one), William Wilson, Thomas Dell and Sarah E. Wilson died Jan. 1, 1886, aged seventy-eight years; his widow died April 13, 1888, and is buried in Melrose cemetery. Frederick was shot in the calf of the leg by an Indian in a canoe on the Ohio river. Christy was shot through (the ball going in at the back and coming out by the navel), in Ohio, by an Indian; he walked three miles, swam the river at Wheeling, and died at his stepsister’s about the year 1804, aged nineteen; he was buried at Wheeling. Stofle, who was always a soldier, spent some time at Cincinnati fort, and ran the gauntlet at Chillacaha at the time of St. Clair’s defeat. The old Lesnett men were large, powerful and fearless. Frank Stofle, John Vance and two of the Conner men went to Jones’ ferry to fight five Pittsburgh bullies. They sat down to wait for their men, who came and looked at them, but crossed back, not making themselves known, so there was no fight.