BIO: William H. Allen, Cumberland County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Bookwalter

Copyright 2011.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/
______________________________________________________________________ 

History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania.
Containing History of the Counties, Their Townships, Towns, Villages, 
Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc.; Portraits of Early Settlers and 
Prominent Men; Biographies; History of Pennsylvania; Statistical and 
Miscellaneous Matter, Etc., Etc.  Illustrated.  Chicago: Warner, Beers 
& Co., 1886.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/beers/beers.htm
______________________________________________________________________ 

                                PART II.

             HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

                             CHAPTER LVII.

                         SOUTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP.

545  SOUTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP.

  WILLIAM H. ALLEN, dealer in horses, P. O. Lee's Cross Roads, was born 
near Carlisle, this county, February 14, 1834, son of Americus and 
Rachel (Swigert) Allen; former, a native of Massachusetts, of English 
descent, and latter a native of Lancaster County, Penn., of Dutch and 
Welch descent.  Americus Allen, who was a farmer, came to this county 
in an early day.  He was a captain in the war of 1812, but was never 
called into active service.  His parents were Capt. Jeremiah and Abigal 
(Putnam) Allen (Gen. Putnam, of Revolutionary fame, was her great 
uncle), former of whom was a captain in the Heavy Artillery, under Gen 
Putnam, during the Revolutionary war.  The maternal ancestors of our 
subject were generally farmers, and his paternal ancestors were 
generally active and successful business men.  Our subject's uncle, 
Samuel R. Allen, was a trader, and dealt largely in merchandise in the 
West Indies islands; he was a native of Massachusetts, and at the time 
of his death was a wealthy citizen of Boston.  William H. Allen, the 
subject of this sketch, the youngest in a family of eight children, was 
reared on the farm, in this county, and attended the district school, 
also the academy at Shippensburg.  He has resided on the farm all his 
life, but his principal business has been dealing in horses.  He has 
bought, imported, shipped and sold, and traded in horses very 
extensively for a number of years, and is an excellent judge of such 
stock.  William H. 

546  BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:

Allen was married, October 14, 1859, to Anna, daughter of William 
Clark, and of Irish and English descent, her grandfather, James Clark, 
was a wealthy pioneer farmer of this county, owning several hundred 
acres of land at the time of his death.  To Mr. and Mrs. Allen have 
been born nine children:  Americus R., Abigal P. (wife of James 
Lamond), William C., Albert E., Emma C., Daniel L., Annie A., Nellie 
and J. K. F.  Mr. Allen is a Democrat in politics; has been school 
director of his district.