Bios: WILLIAM HENRY WEINSCHENK, 20th Century History of New Castle and Lawrence County Pennsylvania and Representative Citizens
  
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      WILLIAM HENRY WEINSCHENK,
  
  [p. 722] a gardener and florist of Shenango Township, Lawrence County,
  Pennsylvania, is engaged in supplying the wholesale trade of the cities
  and boroughs within a radius of 100 miles of his home. His business is
  one of great magnitude and the prestige he enjoys is by no means
  confined to Lawrence County. He is especially well known as a grower of
  lettuce and cucumbers, his annual output in the past being about 150,000
  pounds of lettuce and 2,000 dozen cucumbers. With the completion of the
  plans now under way, the output will be greatly increased. In addition,
  he raises all other vegetables, and has large celery and asparagus beds.
  During the summer months Mr. Weinschenk gives employment to some
  eighteen men. The history of this business, begun in a small way, is one
  of uninterrupted success and constant growth, At first the entire output
  was disposed of in the home market, but as his reputation grew from time
  to time it became necessary for him to enlarge his plant in order to
  meet the demand which came from distant points. His start in business
  was made in 1894, when he rented of his father the old McCandless
  homestead of ninety acres, of which he subsequently purchased sixty
  acres. He engaged in truck gardening, and about 1897 built his first
  greenhouse, the dimensions being 180x56 feet. The following year he
  erected another, 76x30 feet, and later still another, 200x81 feet. He
  has now under construction what will be, with one, exception, the
  largest greenhouse under one roof, in the United States, its dimensions
  being 600x120 feet. When this is completed he will have 108,500 square
  feet under glass, with all the modern devices and methods necessary for
  the successful prosecution of the business on an extensive scale. This
  plant has done much toward adding to the material welfare and prosperity
  of the community, and is one in which the people take a commendable pride.
  
  William H. Weinschenk was born in that part of Taylor Township now
  included in the Seventh Ward of New Castle, May 28, 1866, and is a son
  of George G. and Margaret (Mack) Weinschenk, and grandson of John G. and
  Katherine (Retter) Weinschenk. George G. Weinschenk was born in
  Gerardstetten, Wurtemburg, Germany, April 10, 1835, and was reared to
  maturity in that country. He began making his own way in the world at
  the early age of fifteen years, and at twenty-two left his native land
  for America. He sailed from Havre in May, 1857, and after an eventful
  voyage of thirty-five days landed in New York City. He immediately
  thereafter wended his way westward to New Castle, Pennsylvania, where he
  arrived June 22, 1857. In his native land he had received thorough
  training in the art of gardening and floriculture, and upon his arrival
  here he secured employment with Mr. Butz, then the leading gardener of
  New Castle. He continued with that gentleman a period of two years, was
  then for a time in the employ of Mr. Peebles, after which he went south,
  spending five or six years in and about the city of Louisville, Ky. He
  was there in charge of private gardens of rich planters until the
  ravages of war made his occupation a useless one in that vicinity. He
  again returned to New Castle, and after one year spent in the service of
  Mr. Butz, purchased a tract of land in Taylor Township, where he engaged
  in gardening some eight years. At the end of that time he sold out there
  and purchased his present home place in Shenango Township, consisting of
  twenty-four acres of valuable land. He engaged in gardening here with
  great success and had about a half acre under glass. He is a man of
  frugal habits, and possessed of great energy, and as time passed he
  added to his realty holdings until he owned numerous tracts in various
  parts of the county. He was united in marriage with Margaret Mack, and
  they became parents of the following children: William Henry; Annie M.,
  wife of Charles F. Alborn; Alice, and Margaret, deceased.
  
  William H. Weinschenk was about six years of age when his parents moved
  to Shenango Township, where he attended the district schools and later
  attended the public schools of New Castle until he was sixteen years of
  age, and supplemented this with a course in Duff's Business College in
  Pittsburg, from which institution he was graduated March 7, 1884. He
  then assisted his father in gardening, and during the ten years which
  followed mastered the details of the business with such thoroughness
  that at the end of that time he was qualified to go forth in the world
  and do for himself. This he did in March, 1894, and with what success we
  have already recounted. In 1896 he erected a magnificent residence on
  his farm, one which is not excelled in this part of the county. He is a
  man of stability, is progressive and enterprising, and has always been
  among the foremost to advance the best interests of the community.
  
  March 22, 1894, Mr. Weinschenk was joined in marriage with Miss Levinah
  Reed, who was born and reared in Shenango Township, and comes of a
  prominent old family of that section. She is a daughter of John C. and
  Phoebe Ann (Iddings) Reed, and on the paternal side traces her ancestry
  back to one John Reed, who was the first of the family to locate on
  american soil. John Reed was born in Ireland, and was a son of Michael,
  who lived in the North of Ireland all his life. Upon coming to America,
  John Reed located at Zanesville, Ohio, and followed his trade as a
  weaver until 1806, when he moved to Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. He
  married Margaret Lutton, daughter of Ralph Lutton, and among their
  children was one, William Reed.
  
  William Reed, paternal grandfather of Mrs. Weinschenk, was born in
  Zanesville, Ohio, in 1803, and was three years of age when his parents
  located in Lawrence County. For some years he followed the trade of a
  wheelwright in New Castle, and in 1825 moved to Shenango Township, where
  he worked at his trade and farmed. He died at the early age of forty
  years. He married Anna Cannon, who was born in Mahoningtown, February
  10, 1805, and was a daughter of James and Betsy (Hendrickson) Cannon,
  the latter being a daughter of Dr. Hendrickson, who came to the county
  from Pennsville, N. J., as early as 1797, being the first physician in
  the county. James Cannon was born at Shirleysburg, Pa., and was a son of
  James Cannon, Sr., who had come to Mahoningtown to look over the
  prospects; returning to Shirleysburg, he sold out his farm, and with the
  proceeds of the sale started for Lawrence County. As he was never heard
  from again an inquiry was made along the route, with the result that his
  horse and saddle were found, but his body never recovered. It was
  supposed he was murdered and robbed of his money. He was a Revolutionary
  soldier. Among the children born to William and Anna (Cannon) Reed was
  John C. Reed.
  
  John C. Reed was born in Shenango Township, May 3, 1826, and there
  engaged in agricultural pursuits throughout his entire life, dying
  January 28, 1895. He was eminently successful as a business man,
  acquiring a large property in the township. His word was as good as his
  bond, and he was everywhere held in highest esteem. He married Phoebe
  Ann (Iddings), who was born in Shenango Township, and was a daughter of
  Joseph and Hannah (Hoopes) Iddings, her father being the first school
  teacher in the county. He and his wife were natives of Chester County,
  Pennsylvania, she being of Quaker stock and descended from a sister of
  Sir Anthony Wayne. Her father was Ezra Hoopes of Chester County. John C.
  and Phoebe Ann Reed became parents of the following children: William
  E., of Shenango Township; Joseph, a practicing physician of Sharon;
  Charles A., a well-known physician and surgeon of New Castle; Hannah,
  deceased; Anna and Mary, both deceased; Sarah J., wife of Richard Wright
  of Taylor Township; Levinah (Weinschenk); John W., deceased, and Luther M.
  
  Mr. and Mrs. Weinschenk are parents of five children, as follows:
  Margaret, Joseph, Virginia, Sarah and George G. Mr. Weinschenk is
  independent in his political views, and has served his township as a
  member of the School Board and as auditor. He was one of the organizers
  of the South New Castle Telephone Company, which he serves as treasurer.
  Religiously, he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal
  Church of Savannah, of which he is trustee, and is superintendent of the
  Sabbath-school.
  
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
  20th Century History of New Castle and Lawrence County Pennsylvania and
  Representative Citizens Hon. Aaron L. Hazen Richmond-Arnold Publishing
  Company, Chicago, Ill., 1908
  
  Updated: 10 Dec 2001