Bios: WILLIAM PARSHALL : Lawrence County, Pennsylvania

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  Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Lawrence Co transcribers.
  Coordinated by Ed McClelland

  Copyright 2004.  All rights reserved.
  http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
 
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  Biographical Sketches of Leading Citizens
  Lawrence County Pennsylvania
  Biographical Publishing Company, Buffalo, N.Y., 1897
  
  An html version with search engine may be found at 
  
  http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/lawrence/1897/
  
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    WILLIAM PARSHALL,
    
    [p. 444] an esteemed resident and justice of the peace of Wampum, Big
  Beaver township, Lawrence County, who in addition to his official duties is
  carrying on a successful business as a prominent lawyer, and as an insurance
  agent, was born in Springfield township, Mercer Co., Pa. He was a son of
  Joseph and Elizabeth (Wilkin) Parshall. Joseph Parshall was probably born
  east of the mountains in Lackawanna County, in 1822, and was a son of William
  and Jane (Hawthorn) Parshall; William Parshall was of Scotch origin, and took
  part in the War of 1812, afterwards following the life of a farmer, and
  living to a good old age. Our subject's father was a stone-cutter by trade
  and worked at that trade for thirty-seven years, when his lungs became so
  affected with the dust made by his chisel that he went west to seek his
  health in the mountain climate of Wyoming; the disease proved too serious to
  be remedied, and he died in Virginia City in 1874, aged fifty-two years. He
  was a United Presbyterian in church matters, and a member of the Masonic
  brotherhood. Mrs. Elizabeth (Wilkin) Parshall, mother of the subject of this
  sketch, was a daughter of William and Sarah (Harlan) Wilkin, the latter a
  daughter of William Harlan, an Englishman, who was a hatter by trade. William
  Wilkin was also an Englishman; he followed the occupation of a miller and died
  at the age of seventy-five. His wife was a member of the Baptist Church.
    
    William Parshall, whose biography, is herein set forth, was born and raised
  in Mercer County and attended school until he was eighteen, He was an
  ambitious lad, and wished to prepare himself for one of the learned
  professions, and so became a student in Westminster College; in 1872 at the
  end of four years he completed the scientific course. Having been enrolled as
  a student in the office of Griffith & Mason for a year previous to his
  graduation, he now put himself wholly under their direction, and after one
  year's faithful work in reading law was admitted to the bar of Pennsylvania
  in the spring term of court. He opened an office for himself in Mercer, where
  he stayed until 1879, when he left for David City, Butler Co., Neb., where he
  practiced two years, and then returned to his native State. Upon once more
  becoming a resident of the Keystone State, he selected Wampum as a suitable
  location, and he has never had cause to regret his decision. In 1890, he was
  elected justice of the peace, and received an endorsement of his good
  services by an additional term of five years in 1895. In addition to his
  legal work, Mr. Parshall is the agent of several of the oldest and strongest
  insurance companies in the field.
    
    On Feb. 26, 1874 in New Castle, occurred the ceremonies that united for
  life our subject and his wife Eliza J. Nelson of Mercer Co., daughter of John
  and Elizabeth (Daniels) Nelson, who are highly respected people of Lawrence
  County. Mr. and Mrs. Parshall are the parents of four children, whose names
  are: Mary Elizabeth, now Mrs. William J. Miller of Wampum; Beriah G.; Clark
  M.; and Elta J. Mrs. Parshall is a member of the United Presbyterian Church.
  Our subject has been faithful to his duty as a citizen and has not missed one
  election since he cast his first ballot in 1870. He is a Republican, and was
  chief burgess of Wampum for seven years. He was formerly an Odd Fellow, and
  is now a member of Wampum Council, No. 226, Junior Order of United American
  Mechanics. Mr. Parshall is a gentleman who takes a deep interest in the
  growth and the development of the community in which he resides, and he may
  always be found aiding and assisting any movement that is calculated to
  further its interest. He is whole-souled, affable and kind-hearted, never
  turning a deaf ear to real charity, and ranks among the foremost citizens of
  Wampum as well as Lawrence County.