BIO: JAMES SAXTON HUSTON, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Joe Patterson OCRed by Judy Banja Copyright 2004. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/ _____________________________________________________________ >From Biographical Annals of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Chicago: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905, pages 686-688 _____________________________________________________________ NOTE: Use this web address to access other bios: http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/zeamer/ JAMES SAXTON HUSTON. Samuel, the second son of Samuel and Isabella (Sharon) Huston, married Esther Waugh, and by her had six children, viz.: John, Samuel, James, Richard, Esther and William. A son and a daughter of this family emigrated to the West, but with a single exception, nothing is known as to what became of the others. The exception was the son Samuel. He remained in Silver Spring and spent the active part of his career in the part of the township in which he was born. He was a farmer, but living in the period when the products of the farm had to be transported to market by the means of the old Conestoga wagon, he was much on the road with his team between his home and Philadelphia and Baltimore. For some years he owned the farm lying at the foot of the North Mountain, on the road to Miller's Gap, and there erected the large barn that is still standing. Afterward he lived upon the old Clendenin farm, adjoining the former on the east, since long owned by the late Emanuel Neidlich. Samuel, son of Samuel and Esther (Waugh) Huston, married Nancy Clendenin, who was a daughter of Capt. John and Elizabeth (Caldwell) Clendenin, and his second cousin. By her he had issue as follows: William, Samuel, Robert; John and James. The two last named were twins. Nancy (Clendenin) Huston died at a date CUMBERLAND COUNTY. 687 not known, and is buried in the Pine Hill graveyard. In his latter years Samuel Huston lived in the family of his son Robert. He died on Jan. 1, 1860, in his eighty-fifth year, and is buried in the graveyard of the Silver Spring Church. William, the oldest son of Samuel and Nancy (Clendenin) Huston, married Elizabeth Lininger, and by her had a large family. He always lived in Silver Spring township, and died at New Kingstown on Oct. 8, 1868, in the seventieth year of his age. His remains rest in a graveyard lying on the south side of the turnpike, a short distance west of New Kingstown. Samuel, son of Samuel and Nancy Huston, married (first) Mrs. Ann McHoe, widow of Adam McHoe, a son of William McHoe. Her maiden name was Ann Monosmith. By her he had four children. His first wife died in January, 1849, and he afterward married Mary Reed, by whom he had five children. Samuel Huston engaged at farming and made a specialty of breeding the Clifton strain of horses, and long was celebrated for his fine teams. He and his family removed to Illinois in 1862 and his descendants are now scattered widely over the West. Robert, son of Samuel and Nancy (Clendenin) Huston, married Mary Murdock, daughter of Francis Perry and Ann (Clendenin) Murdock. Ann Clendenin was a daughter of James and Isabella (Huston) Clendenin. To their marriage were born five children, four of whom grew to maturity: Agnes, Emily, James C. and Robert E. Robert Huston lived for many years on the north side of the Conedoguinet creek, in Silver Spring and Hampden townships. In 1853 he removed to the vicinity of New Cumberland, where he died in February,1869, at the age of sixty-three years. His remains are buried at Silver Spring. John, one of the two twin sons, died when about twenty years of age. His remains are buried at Pine Hill. James, the other twin son of Samuel and Nancy (Clendenin) Huston, grew to manhood and married Mary Saxton, a daughter of Michael Saxton, who lived at the foot of the North Mountain in the same locality that the Hustons lived. The Saxton farm formerly was a part of the estate of Christopher Huston, who in April, 1773, made his will wherein he willed it to his son John, who afterward removed to Dickinson township. In March, 1817, John Huston and his wife Margaret conveyed it to Michael Saxton. Subsequently this farm for a long time was owned by the late Henry Crissinger and is now (1904) owned by Jacob Simmons. James and Mary Saxton (Huston) had four children, viz.: John E., Sarah E., Samuel Finley and James Saxton. James Huston died in 1838, at the age of thirty-eight years, and his remains are interred in the Pine Hill graveyard. James Saxton Huston, the youngest child of James and Mary (Saxton) Huston, and the subject of this sketch, was born June 25, 1836, in Silver Spring township. His father dying whet he was but two years old he was put to live with his grandfather Saxton, who then lived near New Kingstown. Before he was five years old his grandfather died and soon afterward he was put out with farmers of the vicinity, and from that time until he reached his sixteenth year did such work in summer as usually falls to farmer boys and attended the country district school. He then concluded to learn harnessmaking and served an apprenticeship of three years with his brother, who then was in the busi- 688 CUMBERLAND COUNTY. ness of harnessmaking in New Kingstown. After completing his apprenticeship he went into business at Hogestown, but remained there only a short time. In the spring of 1857 he married, and went to Wayne county, Ohio, where he worked at harness-making for one year and then returned to Cumberland county. He then for a period of two years followed harness-making at New Kingstown, after which he a second time moved to Wayne county, Ohio. After a stay of two years in Ohio he again returned to Pennsylvania and located at Mechanicsburg, where he has lived ever since. Upon settling in Mechanicsburg he set up at harnessmaking, and soon acquired a large trade. In 1869 he invented a leather fly-net which he continued to manufacture in large quantities until 1880. He then bought the Bucher flouring-mill and farm, situated on the Conedoguinet creek, a short distance north of Hogestown, and embarked in milling and farming. While in business there he suffered several heavy losses by fire. In July, 1881, his mill took fire and was entirely destroyed, together with a large amount of grain and flour and the miller's home. He immediately rebuilt the mill, but in September, 1885, it again burned down, with greater loss than at the former fire. On Jan. 15, 1856, Mr. Huston married Sarah E. Huntsberger, a daughter of Jonas and Leah (Tyson) Huntsberger, of Lower Allen township, and by her had four children, three of whom died in infancy. Arthur J., the surviving child, is a harnessmaker and is living in Mechanicsburg. He married Annie C. Witmer, a daughter of Samuel and Clarissa (Williams) Witmer, of Middlesex township. Mrs. Sarah E. (Huntsberger) Huston died Sept. 14, 1898, and Mr. Huston afterward married Mrs. Emma C. Kauffman, of Mechanicsburg. Mr. Huston is a good business man and a worthy citizen, and is universally esteemed because of his integrity and social qualities.