Robert Buchanan Stewart

  Noted events in his life were:

• Military Service: From History of Indiana. Robert was in company H, 12th Pennsylvania R. C., three years. He was wounded.

• Occupation: Farm laborer, 1860, Center Township, Indiana, Pennsylvania. From 1860 Census, working on his father's farm.

• Residence: From 1870 Census, 1870, Pennsylvania. Robert Stewart
United States Census, 1870
Name Robert Stewart
Event Type Census
Event Year 1870
Event Place Pennsylvania, United States
Gender Male
Age 35
Race White
Race (Original) W
Birth Year (Estimated) 1834-1835
Birthplace Pennsylvania
Page Number 29

0" Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
Robert Stewart M 35 Pennsylvania
Sarah J Stewart F 29 Pennsylvania
Eliza Stewart F 4 Pennsylvania

• Occupation: Lumberman, 1870, Green Township, Indiana, Pennsylvania. From Census

• Residence: From 1900 Census, 1900, Knoxdale, Jefferson, Pennsylvania. Robert B Steuart
United States Census, 1900
Name Robert B Steuart
Event Type Census
Event Year 1900
Event Place Knox Township Knoxdale, Jefferson, Pennsylvania, United States
Gender Male
Age 65
Marital Status Married
Race White
Race (Original) W
Relationship to Head of Household Head
Relationship to Head of Household (Original) Head
Years Married 22
Birth Date Jul 1835
Birthplace Pennsylvania
Marriage Year (Estimated) 1878
Father's Birthplace Pennsylvania
Mother's Birthplace Pennsylvania

Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
Robert B Steuart Head M 65 Pennsylvania
Dellie L Steuart Wife F 41 Pennsylvania
Blanch R Steuart Daughter F 20 Pennsylvania
Ira N Steuart Son M 19 Pennsylvania
Mandel J Steuart Son M 18 Pennsylvania
Ivey A Steuart Daughter F 18 Pennsylvania
Reba M Steuart Daughter F 13 Pennsylvania
Ivin Steuart Son M 0 Pennsylvania

• Residence: From Census, 1910, Brookville, Pennsylvania. Robert B Stewart
United States Census, 1910
Name Robert B Stewart
Event Type Census
Event Date 1910
Event Place Brookville, Jefferson, Pennsylvania, United States
Gender Male
Age 74
Marital Status Married
Race White
Race (Original) White
Relationship to Head of Household Head
Relationship to Head of Household (Original) Head
Birth Year (Estimated) 1836
Birthplace Pennsylvania
Father's Birthplace Pennsylvania
Mother's Birthplace Pennsylvania
Sheet Letter A
Sheet Number 10

Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
Robert B Stewart Head M 74 Pennsylvania
Dellia Stewart Wife F 50 Pennsylvania
Turby W Stewart Son M 26 Pennsylvania
Irvin Stewart Granddaughter F 10 Pennsylvania
Carrie Herne Servant F 34 Pennsylvania

• Residence: From Miriam's Obituary, 2 Sep 1912, Brookville, Pennsylvania.

• Family History: From "Jefferson County, Pennsylvania - Her Pioneers and People," Vol. II, by Dr. William James McKnight, published in 1917 by J. H. Beers & Company, Chicago, page 79, 1917. ROBERT BUCHANAN STEWART is now living retired, having withdrawn from active business associations after a notable career in the lumber industry, with which he was connected for a period of forty years and by far the largest operator ever engaged in that line in Knox township. He gave employment to many men, cleared up large areas of forest land, and not only played a leading part in the development of this region along material lines, but was a foremost advocate and supporter of progress in social and educational affairs, his breadth of character and purpose having long been a dominating factor in the advancement of the locality. For many years he also had extensive agricultural interests. Mr. Stewart is of Irish ancestry, his grandparents having been natives of Ireland, whence they came to this country at an early day, settling east of the mountains in Pennsylvania. Samuel Stewart, his father, was born in Pennsylvania, and settled in Indiana county, where he died in 1882 at the age of eighty-three years. In his younger life he followed farming, and he also conducted a tannery and a distillery. To his first marriage, with Jane Wilson, were born three children: Joseph, who entered the Union army and was never afterwards heard from; James, who died in the State of Indiana; and Matthew, who was a Confederate soldier during the Civil War, and was not heard from afterwards. Mr. Stewart's second marriage was to Elizabeth McFarland, a
native of Pennsylvania, daughter of John McFarland, a native of Ireland and an early settler in Indiana county. She died in 1867, aged sixty-seven years, and was buried in Brush Valley township, Indiana county. Five children were born to this union: Robert Buchanan; Miriam, who married Nelson Lomison and survived him; Nathaniel W., a retired farmer of Indiana county, and a Civil war veteran; William M., deceased, who was also a farmer in Indiana county and a Civil war soldier; and Samuel M., now of Johnstown, Pa. For his third wife Samuel Stewart married Margaret Virtue, by whom he had one son, John, who met an accidental death when twenty-one years old, by falling on a saw in a sawmill.

Robert Buchanan Stewart was born July 16, 1835, in Brushvalley, Indiana county, and remained on the home farm until he reached the age of nineteen years. He gave most of his time to farming during his residence in that county, having purchased a tract of 150 acres in Centre township, though he had to borrow one hundred dollars to make the first payment. He gave $1,400 for the property, and in 1865 sold it for $3,480 and purchased a half interest in a tannery at Homer City, for $2,300, entering into partnership with Peter Johnson. But the venture turned out unprofitably, and he gave it up after three years, selling his interest long afterwards, in 1892, for five hundred dollars. He and Mr. Johnson continued in partnership, however, for six years, engaging in the lumbering business and milling, and when they ended the association, in 1874, each took a sawmill as his share. In 1873 Mr. Stewart moved to the farm in Knox township, which was his home for so many years, the property comprising 580 acres, of which he had 350 acres cleared and highly cultivated. In 1885 he raised one thousand bushels of wheat, besides other grain. Lumbering, however, was his principal business, and he carried it on for forty years after his removal here, operating also in Clearfield and Armstrong counties, and running as many as five sawmills at one time. During the financial panic of 1873 he was carrying on two sawmills in Knox township. Entirely as the result of his own judgment and good management he accumulated a handsome property, and in 1904 closed out his last mill and retired to Brookville to enjoy the leisure he had earned so well, giving up all business cares except the management of his real estate interests. Some unfortunate mining investments made the inroads on his fortune, but he still has valuable property holdings. Upon his removal to Brookville he bought the residence of D.F. Hibbard, where he lived until 1915, when he returned to Knox township, settling at his present home, which he purchased for his daughter Mrs. Blanche Smith. Meantime he had sold a large part of his old farm to his son I.N. Stewart. On Nov. 22, 1864, Mr. Stewart married Sarah J. Johnson, daughter of Peter Johnson, and she died July 3, 1871, the mother of one child, Orlando, who is now a farmer of Knox township; he married Flora Bell, and to them were born six children. Mrs. Stewart is buried at Homer City. On Feb. 5, 1878, at Belleview, Pa., Mr. Stewart married (second) Dillie L. Sebring, a native of Indiana county, daughter of William and Sarah (Fyock) Sebring, who were married at Mechanicsburg, Pa., in April, 1851. Mr. Sebring was a carpenter until he retired during his latter years, and died at Greenville, Indiana county, at the age of eighty-three. His wife, who survived him, was born Nov. 14, 1825, in Somerset county, Pa., daughter of David and Mary (Hoffman) Fyock, both of whom died in Indiana county. After Mr. Sebring's death his widow lived with her daughter Mrs. Stewart. They had four children: Albert, a farmer and carpenter of Knox township; Mary, wife of Albert Knabb, a stave manufacturer, of Pittsburgh (he was also engaged in the manufacture of barrels at Warren, Pa.); Ellis, of Knox Dale; and Mrs. Stewart, who was reared at Greenville. Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Stewart: Maud C. married Samuel G. Lowry, a carpenter, now on the Stewart land; Blanche R., who married Centennial Smith, of Knox township, has two children, Ivan and Robert; Ira Norris, of Knox Dale, is secretary of the Stewart Coal Company, and is mentioned elsewhere; Mr. Truby is established in business at Brookville as a dealer in automobiles; Inez A., is the wife of James McCann, of Knox Dale, a stock holder in the Stewart Coal Company; Rheba M. is the wife of J.M. Rhoads, deputy county treasurer, of Brookville. Mrs. Stewart, the mother of this family, died at Brookville May 11, 1914, aged fifty-four years. Mr. Stewart and his family have long attended the United Brethren Church at Knox Dale, which he served as steward for twenty years in succession. He also took a prominent part in the administration of the local government, filling a number of the township offices, and discharging his duties with such conscientious regard for the general welfare that there could be no question of his fitness for such responsibilities and no doubt as to the high standards he held. Politically he has always been a Republican, and during the Civil war he enlisted, in April, 1861, as a member of Company H, 12th Pennsylvania Reserves, which regiment was attached to the Army of the Potomac. He saw much active service, the 12th taking part in all the general engagements of that army throughout its term, which expired June 1, 1864, when he was mustered out after an honorable record. He was wounded in the arm.

Robert married Sarah J. Johnson, daughter of Peter Johnson and Unknown, on 22 Nov 1864 in Pennsylvania. (Sarah J. Johnson was born in 1841 in Pennsylvania and died on 3 Jul 1871 in Pennsylvania.)

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• Marriage: From Robert's biography.

Robert next married Dillie L Sebring, daughter of William Sebring and Sarah Fyock. (Dillie L Sebring was born in 1859 in Pennsylvania and died on 11 May 1914 in Brookville, Pennsylvania.)