BIO: Oliver L. STEWART, 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 70, 73. __________________________________________________________________ OLIVER L. STEWART, Huntingdon, Pa., was born in Oneida township, Huntingdon county, Pa., December 8, 1846. He is a son of John P. and Lucy A. (Foster) Stewart, and is of Irish extraction, both of his grandfathers having been among the early settlers of central Pennsylvania, emigrants fro the mother country. John Stewart, the paternal grandfather, took up his residence in Oneida township among its first settlers, and passed the rest of his life there. The maternal grandfather, Mr. Foster, first spent some time in Dauphin county, but soon also came to Oneida township. His business there was lumbering and contracting; he was the contractor for the building of the county jail, in Huntingdon. John P. Stewart, father of Oliver L., was born in Oneida township. He was twice married. His first wife was Miss Green, of what is now Miller township. They had eight children, six of whom survive: Miss Vienna; Miss Mary Etta; and Miss Alvernon, all residing in Huntingdon; Palmer, a prosperous farmer of Juniata township, Huntingdon county; Eveline, widow of Jacob Eckley, residing in Porter township, Huntingdon county; and Asbury J., of Pittsburg. The second wife of Mr. J. P. Stewart was Miss Foster. One of their children died in infancy. The others are: Anna M. (Mrs. William H. Linton), of Huntingdon; Oliver L.; John F., of Huntingdon; William B., of Muscatine, Iowa; Thompson C., a prosperous farmer of Miller township, Huntingdon county; Delila (Mrs. Jacob Longenecker), of Logan township, Huntingdon county; Adeline, of Huntingdon; Walter Scott, of Oregon, and David M., merchant, of Hanover, York county. In the comfortable farm house of his father, amid pleasant surroundings, Oliver Stewart lived until he reached his nineteenth year. In the early part of 1865, he enlisted in Company D, Ninety-first Pennsylvania Volunteers, and served until the close of the war; he was discharged at Philadelphia in July 1865. After returning home he went to Pittsburg and took a course at the Iron City Commercial College. From the close of his studies there until 1871, Mr. Stewart taught school during the winter terms, and attended school in the summer. Since 1871, he has been engaged as a traveling salesman. In 1886 he formed a partnership with J. G. Isenberg in the retail clothing and gentleman's furnishing business; the partnership was dissolved in February, 1893, when Mr. Isenberg purchased Mr. Stewart's interest, and Mr. Stewart commenced business on his own account at his present stand, Sixth and Washington streets. He is a member of the Heptasophs, and of the P.O.S. of A. Mr. Stewart is a Republican; has served two years as councilman and one as burgess of Huntingdon. He was one of those who assisted in carrying out the plan for raising the funds to pave the streets of Huntingdon. Oliver L. Stewart was married at Orbisonia, Huntingdon county, in December, 1879, to Martha M., daughter of Adam and Margaret Heffner, of Shirleysburg, Pa. Of their three children, one died in infancy; two daughters, Maud H. and Mary B., survive. The family attend the Reformed church, of which Mrs. Stewart and the elder daughter are members.