Biographical Sketch of John BUCKWALTER (1893); Chester County, PA

Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by John Morris <jMcDmorris@comcast.net>.

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Source: "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Penn-
sylvania, comprising a historical sketch of the county," by Samuel T.
Wiley and edited by Winfield Scott Garner, Gresham Publishing Company,
Philadelphia, PA, 1893, pp. 243-4.

"JOHN BUCKWALTER, one of the enterprising and useful citizens residing
in the vicinity of Kenilworth, is the eldest son and second child of
William and Catherine (Lotshaw) Buckwalter, and was born in East Cov-
entry township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, January 27, 1856.  The
Buckwalter family in America was founded by Francis Buckwalter, a
Protestant refugee from Germany who settled on the Manavon tract, at
what is now Phoenixville, in 1720.  There he purchased six hundred and
fifty acres of land from David Lloyd, the patentee, for one hundred and
ninety-five pounds.  His children were Joseph, Jacob, Johannes, Mary
and Yost, and from them are descended the numerous Buckwalter family
of this section.  They have intermarried with some of the oldest and
best families in Chester county, and among them have been a number who
have distinguished themselves in various lines of activity, including
stock raising, finances, merchandising and official station.

"David Buckwalter, paternal great-grandfather of the subject of this
sketch, was born in Chester county, and passed his entire life within
her borders, actively engaged in agriculture.  He married a Miss
Ziegler, by whom he had a family of seven children: John, Daniel,
David, Samuel, Joseph, Jacob and Barbara.

"Samuel Buckwalter (grandfather), was born on the old Buckwalter farm
near Phoenixville, this county, about 1782, and died in East Vincent
township in 1877, aged nearly ninety-five years.  He was a wheelright
by trade, and in politics a whig and republican.  For a number of
years he served as school director in his township, and was a member
of the Mennonite church.  He married Mary Johnson, and had a family
of fourteen children: Samuel, Annie, David, Joseph, Jacob, William
(father), Mary, Barbara, Samuel (2), Nathan, Seth and Sarah (twins),
Benjamin and Lovina.

"William Buckwalter (father) was born in Upper Providence township,
Montgomery county, this State, January 2, 1818, where he grew to
manhood and received a common school education.  He then learned the
trade of carpenter, but has worked very little at that business, pre-
ferring agricultural pursuits.  While yet a young man he removed to
Chester county and has continued his residence here ever since, for
the last ten years residing with his son in North Coventry township.
In politics he is a pronounced republican with whig antecedents, and
in religion a strict adherent of the Mennonite church.  On St. Val-
entine's day, 1850, he was united in wedlock with Catherine Lotshaw,
a daughter of Jacob Lotshaw, of East Pikeland township.  To this
marriage was born a family of four children, three sons and one
daughter: Annie, now the wife of Seneca Mowry, a prosperous farmer
of East Vincent township, by whom she has four children - Samuel
Howard, William Ashley, Milton and Newton; John (subject); Theodore,
who died in infancy, and Hiram, who wedded Elma Grubb, resides in
East Vincent township, and has five children - Ada, William, Bessie,
Russell and Annie.  The mother, Mrs. Catherine Buckwalter, died in
1882, aged nearly fifty-seven years.

"John Buckwalter was reared principally in this county, and received
his education in the public schools of East Coventry township.  After
attaining manhood he began life on his own account as a farmer and
has followed that vocation all his life, meeting with good success
and accumulating some property.  In his political affiliations he is
a republican, and in 1892 was elected to the office of school director.
Religiously he is a Dunkard, of German Baptist, and has long been an
active and useful member of that denomination.  On December 13, 1879,
Mr. Buckwalter was married to Ella Prizer, a daughter of Harmon Prizer,
of East Coventry township, and the fruit of their union has been two
children: Clifton, born September 28, 1880; and Wilmer, born November
22, 1885."