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James
Wheeler
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biography
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JAMES WHEELER, farmer,
post-office Henderson, is a son of Cyrus and Margaret (Downs) Wheeler.
The father of our subject was born in Providence, B. I., and at the age
of twenty years came to Mercer County, with the Hawthorn and Wilkins
families, and hired out to James Braden to manufacture bricks, and lived
with him several years. His wife was a daughter of Isaac Downs, of Cool
Spring Township, and after his marriage he located at Mercer, and
engaged in teaming from there to Pittsburgh. His wife died August 15,
1865, aged sixty-one years, and he lived with our subject until his
death, June 7, 1881, at the age of eighty-one years. In his early days
he voted with the Democratic party, and afterward joined the Republican
party. He was a member of the Hendersonville Methodist Episcopal Church.
His family consisted of seven children: Our subject, the oldest; Isaac,
of Jackson Township; Thomas, postmaster at Harmony, Butler County;
Almira, Mrs. Gibson Thompson, of Oil City, Penn.; Mary, Mrs. James Goff,
of Dakota; Elizabeth, Mrs. John Buckley, of Worth Township; Ellen, Mrs.
William Buckley, of Worth Township. Our subject was born July 12, 1824,
at Mercer, and all of his education was gained entirely at home. In 1846
he married Miss Annie Maria Howe, who was born in Sheffield. England,
and is a daughter of Robert Howe, of Jackson Township. By this union
they have four children: Robert, of Worth Township, married Mary C.,
daughter of Samuel Perrine, of Sandy Lake Township, and has five
children, Ellsworth, Ida, Elden, Herman, Nelson; Margaret, living at
home; Tina, Mrs. Martin Hicks, of Sharon, has one child, Maggie;
Elizabeth, Mrs. James Dick, of Irwin Township, Venango County, and has
two children, Nicholas, Linnie. Our subject first began farming in
Jackson Township, and remained there until 1857, when he purchased his
present farm which contains extensive veins of coal, which he has
opened. In 1883 he established a general store on his farm, which he has
since conducted. In 1861 he enlisted in Company G, One Hundredth
Pennsylvania Volunteers, and served until January 28, 1863. He has held
the office of school director and supervisor of the township, and has
always voted the Republican ticket. He is also a member of Worth Lodge
No. 554, I. O. O. F., and of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of
Hendersonville, having been steward of the church for over twenty years,
and superintendent of the Sunday-school for many years.
History of Mercer County, 1888, page
1081-82
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