UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH LIBRARY

GENEALOGICAL AND PERSONAL HISTORY OF Western Pennsylvania

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF JOHN W. JORDAN, LL. D.

Librarian of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; Editor of "Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography"; author of various historical works.

ILLUSTRATED VOLUME II NEW YORK LEWIS PIISTORICAL PUBLISHING COMPANY

1915

WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA 529

In 1836 MalahGarbart, widow of John Garbart, arrived

GARBART in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her four children, locat-

ing in what is now known as the "W^est End," where she

died. John Garbart was born in London, England, there married and lived

until just prior to the birth of his second child. He then moved to Wales

and there worked in the mines for several years, finally returning to Lon-

don where he met accidental death. In 1836 his widow, Malah, brought

her four children to the United States, as stated. Children, all deceased:

William, a coal miner; John, of whom further; Sarah, married Perry Miller,

a steel mill worker of Pittsburgh ; Joseph, died in middle life, unmarried,

a river man and his mother's support.

(II) John (2) Garbart, son of John (i) and MalahGarbart, was born

in Wales, February 3, 1821, died April 14, 1891. His boyhood was spent,

from an early age, in the coal mines of the district in which he lived, and

later after the return of the family to England he worked in the English

mines. At age of fifteen years, in 1836, he came with his mother, brothers

and sister to Pittsburgh and for about three years after his arrival worked

in the coal mines of the Pittsburgh district. He then learned the ship car-

penter's trade and followed that occupation until his death. When the local

demand for boats failed to keep him busy he would build on speculation,

then float the boats down the Ohio river until a buyer was found. During

the Civil War he was in the employ of the United States government, boat-

ing coal down the rivers for use on the gunboats and steamers used by the

government. Often he was in great danger, Confederate guns having to be

run past, very often on the lower river. He married Harriet Graham, born

in Chartiers township, Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, in 1829. died 1874,

daughter of Samuel and Esther (Wilson) Graham, both born in Chartiers

township, of old Allegheny county families. Samuel Graham owned a farm

near the present town of Ingram which he cultivated, also operated a coal

mine on his own farm. He converted coal into coke in his own ovens, being

700 WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA

one of the very first coke manufacturers in that section. The log house in

which he Hved is still standing in part, but in the remodeling has largely

disappeared. He died aged seventy-eight years. He was known as "Judge"

Graham from his dignified appearance and grave manner. Esther (Wilson)

Graham, his second wife, died in 1895, aged ninety-four years. She was

a descendant of James Wilson, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

Children of Samuel Graham by his first wife : Mary Jane, Elizabeth, Lem-

uel and Addison, the two latter soldiers of the Union army, 1861-65. Chil-

dren of Samuel and Elizabeth (Wilson) Graham: Emily, married William

Miller, and lived in Chartiers township; Harriet, married John Garbart, of

previous mention; George, lived in Chartiers township; Avery T., now re-

siding in Pittsburgh West End. Children of John (2) and Harriet

(Graham) Garbart: Amelia, died in 1907, unmarried; Ross W., now a

retired glass worker; William G., a carpenter, residing in Pittsburgh, mar-

ried Margaret Spring; Ida M., resides in Westwood, Pennsylvania; Clara

Emma, died February 3, 1908, unmarried; John G., of whom further; Mary

B., married Charles Koener, manager for the National Biscuit Company,

at Westwood ; Esther M., married Ferdinand Andrews, and resides at Perth

Amboy, New Jersey.