Bios: The Stitt Family: Gilpin Twp, Armstrong Co

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ARMSTRONG COUNTY - PA
HER PEOPLE, PAST AND PRESENT
AN EXCERPT FOR THE STITT FAMILY

	The STITT family is one of the oldest and most representative of sound Americanism
in  Pennsylvania. Members of this family fought during the Revolution, the war of
1812, and in other  conflicts for the country of which they were so proud, and the
name has always stood for sterling honesty  and fidelity to a strong sense of duty.

	William STITT was born in what is now Gilpin township, Armstrong county, and was a
miller  and farmer during his long and active life. In young manhood he served as a
soldier in the Revolution,  and the war of 1812, found him just as patriotic, for he
once more became a soldier and fought for his  country. His two brothers, Samuel and
Jacob, were also soldiers in the latter conflict, and the former  rounded out his
days in what is now Gilpin township. These brothers used, as did all the soldiers of
the  times, the old flintlock gun. William STITT was a landowner, and died upon his
farm in Gilpin township.  His children were as follows: Samuel, John, James,
William, Eliza and Margaret.

	Samuel STITT, son of William, had the following family: William, James, Jacob,
Samuel, John,  Noah, Joseph, Andrew, Elizabeth, Sarah, and Sophia.

	John STITT, another son of William, was born in what is now Gilpin township, and
was a  miller, and farmer all of his life. A fine mechanic, he built the old STITT
mill along the Carnahan run in  1818, in what is now Parks township. This was one of
the early mills of the county, and all of the wheels  were made by hand. So well
known and generally recognized was the sterling honesty of Mr. STITT, and  the
superiority of his process, that the saying became popular, whenever a comparison of
merit was  needed, as good as the wheat in STITT's mill.  Mr. STITT lived here,
operating the mill, until his death  in 1832. His remains were interred in a private
burying ground on Capt. Henry Truby's hill. His wife bore the maiden name of Esther
Frantz. Their children were as follows: Israel, born April 8, 1818; Hiram,  Nov. 23,
1819; Delia, Sept. 30, 1821; Lavina, Jan 3, 1824; Levi, Aug. 18, 1826; Hetty, Sept.
18, 1828;  Leah, Aug. 24, 1830; and John F., July 26, 1833.

	John F. STITT, son of John, was born on the above mentioned date at the old
homestead of his  father, in what is now Parks township. He was a carpenter and
farmer, and like his father a good  mechanic. At different periods he was foreman of
building gangs, and assisted in the construction of the  Canadian Pacific railroad.
His latter days were spent in his native township, where he met his death, being 
killed by a passenger train on the Pennsylvania railroad, on Sept. 22, 1894. His
remains were laid to rest  in the STITT cemetery (Laurel Point) in Parks township.
He married Anna K. KAUFFMAN, daughter of  George and Jane (ELDRIDGE) KAUFFMAN, and
she survives, making her home with her son Thomas  A. STITT. Children as follows
were born to John F. STITT and his wife: Harriet I. married George W.  STITT; Esther
J. died young; Levi G. married Lida M. HANNA and lives in Parks township; Anna M. 
married Newton A. LONG; Thomas A. is mentioned below: Margaret L. married Levi
SCHALL; Benton  F. lives at Columbus Ohio; Edith A. married James KEPPLE, and
(second) Prof. James BANDEEN, and  they reside in Texas.

	Thomas A. STITT, a farmer of Parks township, was born in that township Jan 21,
1865, son of  John F. STITT, referred to above, and his wife Anna E. (KAUFFMAN)
STITT.

	Until he was fourteen years old he attended school, and then began farming, which
he has  continued ever since with the exception of seven years when he was employed
in the Vandergrift Steel  Mills. He owns a tract of thirty-three acres of land lying
in Parks and Kiskiminetas townships, and also  farms his mother's property, making a
specialty of raising fruit, which he sells at the Vandergrift markets.  Mr. STITT is
unmarried. He belongs to the Grange and takes an intelligent interest in its work.
Politically  he is an independent voter.

	Levi G. STITT, master mechanic and traveling engineer for the American Sheet & Tin
Plate  Company, was born in what is now Parks township Oct. 28, 1860, son of John F.
and Anna  E.  (KAUFFMAN) STITT. During his boyhood days Mr. STITT attended school in
his native township. At  the same time he assisted in running the farm, and helped
his father at carpenter work, gaining a practical  knowledge in both. Remaining with
his father until twenty-two years old, he then entered the employ of P.  H. Laufman &
Co., at Apollo, as a carpenter, but later became a millwright and was made a master 
mechanic. From the spring of 1882 until 1886 he worked with this concern, and upon
its absorption into  the American Sheet & Tin Plate Company, he was continued as its
valued employee. He built the present  fine plant at Vandergrift, which is the most
modern in the country. In addition to his other interests Mr.  STITT owns
eighty-three acres in Parks township, which was taken up by A. FISCUS, but later
sold to  Philip CARNEY, from whom Mr. STITT purchased it. He has a beautiful home
built by him in 1909 and  equipped with all modern improvements and the site
commands a magnificent view. Mr. STITT married  Lida M. HANNA, daughter of Alexander
and Barbara (ROSS) Harris, and they are the parents of the  following children:
Herbert LeRoy, Arthur P., Nellie I., Goldie (died at the age of four years) and
Veryl V.  Mr. STITT is an independent voter politically. His family are Methodists.
Fraternally he is a member of  Kiskiminetas Lodge No. 617, F. & A. M. of Vandergrift.

	Levi STITT, son of John STITT and grandson of William STITT, was born in
Allegheny  township Aug. 18, 1826. Like so many of the STITT family he became a
skilled general mechanic and  millwright, at the same time following farming. He
operated a mill and worked at the carpenter's trade,  being good in all lines, and
so continuing until his death which occurred on his farm in Parks township,  April
21, 1902, while he was planting an apple tree. He married Eliza KERR, daughter of
Alexander  KERR. Their children were Jane, who married Charles LONG; Mary, who
married David FETTIES;  Ellen, who married Daniel KUNKLE; Lavina, who married G. M.
WIGLE; Eden; John, deceased; Hugh  A; George; Howard; and Trusy, the last named,
deceased.

	Hugh A. STITT, sheet roller at North Vandergrift, was born in Parks township March
6, 1873,  son of Levi and Eliza (KERR) STITT, grandson of John STITT and
great-grandson of William STITT.  As a boy he attended school in his native
township, but at an early age commenced working for the  Pennsylvania Railroad
Company, remaining with that company for seven years. In 1893 he went to  Apollo to
become an employee of the Apollo Iron & Steel Company, which has been absorbed by
the  American Sheet & Tin Plate Company. Mr. STITT is now with the Vandergrift
plant, and since 1904 has  been a sheetroller. His house is on the STITT homestead.
In 1897 Mr. STITT married Julia BARR,  daughter of John BARR, and their children
are: Esther, Harold and Robert. Mr. STITT is a Democrat, and  since 1910 has been
serving on the school board. He belongs to the Lutheran Church.