BIO: John W. LYTLE, Huntingdon County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Denise Phillips

Copyright 2006.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm 
**********************************************************
__________________________________________________________________  

Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley: 
Comprising the Counties of Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata and Perry, 
Pennsylvania, Containing Sketches of Prominent and Representative 
Citizens and Many of the Early Settlers.  Chambersburg, Pa.: J. M. 
Runk & Co., 1897, pages 111-112.
__________________________________________________________________ 

  JOHN W. LYTLE, Coalmont, Huntingdon county, Pa., was born in 
Loysburg, Bedford county, Pa., November 15, 1832.  He is the son of 
Benjamin C. and Lydia (Cole) Lytle.  His grandparents were William and 
Miriam (Carpenter) Lytle.  William Lytle's son, Nathaniel, was the 
father of Milton S. Lytle, of Huntingdon, Pa.  Benjamin Lytle, father 
of John W. Lytle, was born in Centre county, Pa.  He received a fairly 
good education at Jersey Shore, Pa.  Mr. Lytle learned tailoring with 
James Thompson at Birmingham, Huntingdon county, and worked at his 
trade in Hollidaysburg and Martinsburg, Blair county, and at 
Marklesburg, Huntingdon county.  In 1853 Mr. Lytle abandoned his trade, 
and for six years was an agent for obtaining patent rights.  He was 
justice of the peace in Hopewell and Lincoln townships for ten years.  
Mr. Lytle was a member of the Republican party.  He filled the office 
of auditor of Carbon county for one term.  Benjamin Lytle was married 
at Spruce Creek, to Lydia Cole, a native of Pennsylvania.  Their 
children are:  Emma, deceased, married John Stone, who died from the 
effects of a wound received at the battle of Gettysburg, afterwards 
married J. R. Weaver, of Shy Beaver, Pa.; John W.; Miriam; Benjamin, 
killed in the battle of Spotslvania; Samuel, died young; Annie (Mrs. 
David Weaver), of Shy Beaver; James, living in the west; Augustus; and 
Josephine (Mrs. James S. Dieter), of Somerset county, Pa.  Mr. Lytle 
was a member of the Baptist church, and was deeply interested in church 
affairs.  He was an invalid for the last fifteen years of his life.  He 
died in Entriken, Lincoln township, April, 1873.  His wife died in 
Coalmont, December 24, 1882, at the home of her son, John W. Lytle.
  John W. Lytle received a limited education in the schools of Penn 
township, and in a night school which he attended for some time.  He 
began life as a day-laborer, working for wages for his father and for 
the farmers in Penn and Hopewell townships.  During the autumn and 
winter, he worked at tailoring.  For three years Mr. Lytle was employed 
on the Huntingdon and Broad Top Railroad.  In 1852 he spent four months 
as clerk for Black, Chalfont & Co., of Braddocks Field, Pa., and in 
1853 entered upon his life work as a teacher.  For forty-five years Mr. 
Lytle was a successful teacher in the schools of Huntingdon county.  
Many of his pupils, who have attained to high positions in the county, 
ascribe their success to his faithful and judicious care.  At 
Barnettstown he taught classic Latin.  He enlisted at Coffee Run, 
Huntingdon county, April 21, 1861, in Company D, Fifth Pennsylvania 
Volunteers, Colonel McDowell, Capt. B. F. Miller, of Huntingdon.  Mr. 
Lytle took part in the second battle of Bull Run, the battles of South 
Mountain and of Antietam, where he was wounded in the leg and in the 
right side.  He was in the hospital from September, 1862, to February, 
1863, when he was discharged at Alexandria, Va.  Returning to 
Huntingdon county, he again engaged in teaching, but his health was 
broken by the hardships of army life, and he was greatly hindered by 
sickness.  Mr. Lytle was deputy burgess of Coalmont, and town clerk for 
six years.  In 1886 he was appointed postmaster of Coalmont, and served 
four years.  He was again appointed in September, 1895, and still holds 
that position.  Mr. Lytle is highly esteemed and very influential in 
Coalmont.  He is a member of the K. of M. of Pennsylvania; G. A. R., of 
Saxton, Heffner Post, No. 166; founder of the K. and A. of Coalmont; 
member of the Knights of Labor, of the Sons of Temperance, and of the 
Junior Sons of '76, F. I. or B. of Pa., Brotherhood of the Union, and 
the order of G. T., and E. L.
  John W. Lytle was married in Tod township, January 28, 1864, to Annie 
E., daughter of Frederick Crum, of Tod township.  Their children are:  
Horace G., resides with his father, John W. Lytle; Blanchard C., a 
mechanic of Pittsburg; Lydia K. (Mrs. James Brewer), of South Fork, 
Pa.; George, a miner in Broad Top, and Laura Grace, at home.  The 
family, except Mr. and Mrs. John Lytle, are members of the Methodist 
Episcopal church.  John W. Lytle and his wife were once Baptists, but 
for many years have attended no church organization, he himself having 
always been a liberal in principle.  He believes that religion does not 
consist in form or mode of baptism, but in character and act.