BIO: Thomas Paxton, Cumberland County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Bookwalter Copyright 2009. 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 XXXVIII. BOROUGH OF CARLISLE. 390 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. THOMAS PAXTON, retired, Carlisle, was born on his father's farm near Cumberland, Alleghany Co., Md., May 24, 1807. His father Samuel Paxton, came from Scotland when a young man, with his brothers, Joseph and James. Joseph located in the western part of Pennsylvania, James somewhere in Virginia, and Samuel, the eldest of the three, in Bedford County, Penn., but afterward moved to near Cumberland, Md. Samuel Paxton was possessed of means, which, however, he lost before the birth of his youngest son. He was a captain in the Revolution. He was twice married, his first wife being a Miss Bageley, of Bedford County, Penn., who bore him three children: David and Joseph, who removed to Kentucky, and Prudence, who died unmarried; and his second wife was Miss Elizabeth Lesher, of English birth, who bore him four sons and five daughters: Nancy, Rachael, Mary, John, Joseph, Ellen, William, Susan, and Thomas. The latter was but an infant when his father died. He attended school until he was fifteen years of age, when he determined to become a business man. He secured employment on the Potomac, as chief clerk for Mr. George Hobbleson, who owned a line of produce boats. About this time our subject's old friend, Gen. Thomas Dunn, was appointed by Gen. Jackson superintendent of the Government works at Harpers Ferry, and young Paxton was employed as confidential clerk, in which capacity he remained until 1826, when Gen. Dunn was shot by an employe, who he had discharged. Subsequently Mr. Paxton became superintendent for Gen. Ridgley's iron works, at Piney Woods, five miles south of Baltimore, and as such served until the death of Gen. Ridgley, one year later. Soon after this (in 1828) Mr. Paxton received a proposition from Adam Hauk, of Cumberland County, to build a forge on Yellow Breeches Creek, in Dickinson Township, which he complied with. April 30, 1838, he was married to Miss Galbraith, of Cumberland County, daughter of Samuel and Nancy (Moore) Galbraith, and he, after his marriage, purchased and operated Moore's mill on the Yellow Breeches for about five years, when he sold out, and began to build railroads, first building some two miles of the Cumberland Valley Railway, and graded six miles of the Baltimore & Ohio Road, between Martinsburg and Cumberland, Va. He next performed work for the Pennsylvania Railway Company for four consecutive years, when he became employed on the North Pennsylvania Railroad, grading up through the coal regions, remaining for two years, when he built the Mechanicsburg & Dillsburg road. Mr. Paxton owns a great deal of stock in various roads east and west. He, in company with Robert Givin, organized the Farmers Bank of Carlisle, and on the death of Mr. Givin, some years later, who was its president, Mr. Paxton was elected his successor, remaining president of the bank some years, when he resigned and retired from business. Mrs. Paxton died in 1848, the mother of two children: Ellen, who died at the age of nine years, and Annie M., widow of Park Moore, the eldest son of Johnson Moore, of Carlisle. October 18, 1859, Mr. Paxton was married to Mrs. Olivia Farnsley, of Evansville, Ind., who was born in that place January 23, 1834, daughter of John and Elvira (Riggs) Mitchell (a large property owner of Evansville, and for many years president of the Branch of the State Bank of Evansville, from its organization until his death), and grand- daughter of Joseph Mitchell and Elizabeth Campbell, the latter of whom was a direct descendant of the celebrated Rob Roy and also of the Laird of Glenfalloch. The first husband of Mrs. Paxton was Dr. David A. Farnsley, whom she married December 21, 1854, he being a native of near Louisville, Ky., son of David and Sarah (Merriweather) Farnsley. Dr. Farnsley died in April, 1855. Mrs. Farnsley had one daughter, Albertina Olivia, who was born October 2, 1855, now wife of Frank E. Bradner, attorney at law, Newark, N. J. To the last marriage of Mr. Paxton were born two children: Thomas, who died in infancy, and Josephine E., who resides with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Paxton are members of St. John's Episcopal Church.