[p. 383] general farmer and dairyman, residing on his valuable farm of 136 acres, situated in Shenango Township, is a well known and representative citizen of this section. He was born on this farm December 25, 1843, and is a son of William and Mary (Chambers) McLaren.
William McLaren's father was born Ireland and he was one of the first settlers at New Castle, his residence standing about where the Diamond now is situated. He died when his son, William, was six years old. The latter was born in Neshannock Township and resided in Lawrence County all his life, dying in the spring of 1875, when aged nearly seventy years. He was a natural-born mechanic and, although he never served an apprenticeship, he made brick that went into the construction of many houses in New Castle, contracted and built a number of the schoolhouses in Shenango Township and built the house his son, Uriah C., occupies. When he came to this farm it was heavily timbered, but he cleared it and put it under cultivation. He was a man who was just and honest and, while he required the men whom he constantly employed to serve him well, he paid accordingly. He served in many township offices, being elected to these on the Republican ticket. He married Mary Chambers, who was a daughter of Alexander Chambers, and of their nine children five reached mature years, namely: Alexander, who lives in Slippery Rock Township; Robert, who was a soldier in the Civil War, gave up his life at the second battle of Bull Run; Uriah C., and Margaret, who is the wife of Rev. Joseph Sharpe, who is a minister of the United Presbyterian faith, residing at Wilmington. The parents were members of the United Presbyterian Church.
Uriah C. McLaren has always resided on the home farm, containing 115 acres, which he owns, together with twenty-one acres of the old McIntyre place. His land is fertile and his crops of corn, oats, wheat hay and potatoes are abundant. He also has a fine apple orchard. He requires help on the farm, always employing at least two men. In 1896 Mr. McLaren started in a small way in a dairy business, establishing a route through New Castle. This has grown until he has now about 160 retail customers and uses sixty gallons of milk a day, a part of which he produces on his own farm and the remainder he purchases from his neighbors. He supplies milk and cream to the larger number of the New Castle hotels.
Mr. McLaren married Lucy A. Baldwin, who was born at Center Church, Shenango Township, a daughter of Joseph Baldwin, and died in 1893, aged forty years. She was a most estimable woman and was a member of the United Presbyterian Church, to which Mr. McLaren is also attached. She is survived by the following children: Nellie Frances, Joseph, of New Castle; Minnie, of Wilmington, and Edna and Roy L., at home. Nellie Frances was graduated from Westminster College, the youngest of the class of 1907, and bore off the honors.
20th Century History of New Castle and Lawrence County Pennsylvania and Representative Citizens Hon. Aaron L. Hazen Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, Chicago, Ill., 1908
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