BIO: John Graham, Cumberland County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Bookwalter

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http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/
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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
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                                PART II.

             HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY. PENNSYLVANIA.

                              CHAPTER XLI.

                         BOROUGH OF NEWVILLE. 

  JOHN GRAHAM, tanner, Newville.  This gentleman is of Scotch-Irish 
descent, his great-great-grandfather, Jared Graham, having emigrated 
from the North of Ireland in the

451 	BOROUGH OF NEWVILLE.

eighteenth century, locating in Lancaster County, Penn.  His 
descendants have in their possession a deed from "Thomas and Richard 
Penn, proprietaries of the Province of Pennsylvania," dated March 13, 
1734, to Jared Graham, of Salisbury Township, Lancaster County, for a 
tract of land in the Manor of Maske, West Pennsborough Township, 
Cumberland Co., Penn., on the south side of the Conodoguinet Creek.  He 
never lived on this land, bur continued to reside in Lancaster County, 
where he died.  About 1745 his son James removed to this tract, at that 
time called the back woods, which was conveyed to him in 1762.  His 
cabin was about thirty miles west of the Susquehanna.  He died in 1807, 
aged eighty-two, leaving five sons:  Jared, Thomas, Arthur, Isaiah and 
James.  Thomas was the grandfather of our subject.  On the death of his 
father Jared removed to Ohio. James was educated at Dickinson College, 
Carlisle, where he graduated, and, having studied theology under the 
learned Dr. cooper, was licensed as a Presbyterian minister, and 
received a call from the congregation of Beulah, eight miles east of 
Pittsburgh, where he remained thirty-eight years until his death in 
1844.  On the death of his father the land was divided between Thomas, 
Arthur and Isaiah.  The two latter resided on the land, and Arthur's 
portion is yet held by his descendant, Robert Graham.  Isaiah's 
descendants are represented by Duncan M. Graham, Carlisle.  Thomas was 
married to Mary McKeehan, who was born in December, 1778, and died 
January 23, 1842.  They had but one child - George, father of John 
Graham - who was born December 24, 1802, a short time before the death 
of his father.  He inherited the farm, on which he lived until 1866, 
when he removed to Newville, having sold the farm.  He died March 20, 
1870.  February 3, 1830, he was married to Miss Eliza Alter, who was 
born January 16, 1805, and died February 26, 1870.  They had nine 
children, three of whom, Laura, George and Jane, died in infancy, and 
two, Lizzie and Mary, when nearing maturity.  The others were George 
W., born December 6, 1840, who enlisted in his brother's Company F, 
Thirteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, and was killed at Ashby's Gap, Va., 
May 16, 1863; Thomas J. was born November 25, 1830, and has been living 
in Colorado for twenty-six years past; Jacob A., born September 30, 
1832, went into the army from Kansas, and afterward was captain of the 
company of which George W. was a member when killed.  John, the subject 
of our sketch, was born August 4 1843, on the homestead, attended 
district schools, and received a commercial education at Eastman's 
College, Poughkeepsie, N. Y.  After a few months spent in the West he 
returned to Newville, this county bought a store, which he sold two 
years later, to become book-keeper in the First National Bank in 1870, 
and resigned in 1876 when, in company with Joseph E. Hurst, he bought 
the Big Spring tannery, which they still own, and is also engaged in 
other business enterprises.  November 10, 1870, he married Miss Harriet 
McKee, of Newville, who died eleven months later.  June 12, 1878, he 
was married to Miss Isabella Sterrett, an amiable and accomplished 
lady, daughter of Brice Innis Sterrett, of West Pennsborough Township, 
this county.  In 1882 Mr. Graham was elected to the Pennsylvania 
Legislature, and reelected in 1884.  He is now serving his second term 
with eminent satisfaction to his constituents.  The people among whom 
his life has been spent speak of him in terms of highest praise, and 
none grudge him the honorable position he has achieved.  He and his 
wife are members of Big Spring Presbyterian Church, of which he was 
trustee.  In politics he is a Democrat.