BIO:  Paxton H. RILEY, Liberty Township, Adams County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis

Copyright 2005.  All rights reserved.
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History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania
Chicago:  Warner, Beers & Co., 1886
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Part III, History of Adams County, Pages 471-472

PAXTON H. RILEY, farmer, P. O. Emmitsburg, Md., is descended from grandparents 
of Irish and German extraction, who lived in Fairfield, where his paternal 
grandparents died; the maternal grandfather died in Freedom Township, where he 
was a farmer.  Barnabas Riley, father of our subject, was born in the county, 
and died in Fairfield, in November, 1880.  He was a carpenter by trade, but 
later bought a farm in Liberty Township, which he sold a few years before his 
death, when he removed to Fairfield.  His widow lives near Fairfield with her 
daughter Lucretia.  Two of their children died quite young, and a daughter, 
Margaret, when seventeen years old.  Those who arrived at years of maturity were 
Lucinda A., wife of William Gerhardt, of Martinsburg, W. Va.; Allah E., wife of 
John Butt, of Highland Township; Paxton H.; Isaac T., married to Melinda 
Sprenkle, and living in Franklin County; Lucretia V., wife of Frederick Shully, 
of Hamiltonban Township, this county; Daniel B., married to Amanda Musselman, 
also of Hamiltonban Township; Isadore A., was wife of John Nunemaker, of this 
township, and died in 1878.  The subject of this sketch was born February 23, 
1838, at Caledonia Furnace, Franklin Co., Penn., where his parents were living 
for a short time.  When he was an infant they removed to Freedom Township, and 
later to his father’s farm in the township, where Paxton lived until 1866, when 
he came to the farm he now owns, which he bought a year or two later.  Since 
then he has bought an adjoining farm and saw-mill, which he now owns, also 
dealing largely in stock and in bark.  February 14, 1861, he was married to 
Harriet, daughter of Christian Musselman, of Hamiltonban Township, who was a 
brother of Joseph Musselman, under whose name a history of that family will be 
found.  She was born September 21, 1838.  They had ten children, of whom two, 
Andrew Lincoln and Nora Ada, died in infancy.  The eight living are Mary 
Catherine, born March 18, 1863, wife of Robert Watson, of Hamiltonban Township; 
David Paxton, born December 14, 1864, married to Laura I. Hahn, living on this 
father’s adjoining farm; Charlotte Isadore, born August 18, 1866, wedded to 
Samuel Manherz, living in one of her father’s houses; Trimple Gerhardt, born 
April 14, 1868; Harry Elmer, born May 26, 1870; Maggie Elizabeth, born April 30, 
1872; Eliza Jane, born February 24, 1874, and Ivan Roy, born July 24, 1879.  The 
five latter live with their parents.  Mr. Riley is a leader in public affairs in 
his township.  He was a justice of the peace for five years from 1879, and has 
held nearly all the township offices, and whenever he is a candidate “gets 
there” in spite of an adverse majority.  He is an active, enterprising and wide-
awake citizen of unblemished character.  He and his wife and family belong to 
the Lutheran Church.  In politics he is a Republican.