Joseph Buffington, p. 591

JOSEPH BUFFINGTON stands prominent in the array of native-born agriculturists of Washington county, as a weather-worn giant tree towers in a forest of majestic oaks. He is the grandson of John Buffington, of an old-time Quaker family, who came into the wilds of what is now the State of Pennsylvania with their great leader, William Penn.

This John Buffington was the first postmaster of Philadelphia, when the now great city was a place of a few straggling cabins, built at the intersection of two country roads. He held this office until the Revolutionary war, when he came to Washington county, making a settlement in Pike Run township, where he patented a large tract of land. He married Sarah Young, of Chester county, who bore him the following named children: Joseph, Sethecia and Aca. A tailor by trade, Mr. Buffington followed it to a certain extent in connection with farming, but the latter was his chief employment through life. In politics a Whig, he took an active interest in the affirs of the nation in his day struggling through a period of comparative infancy. Mr. Buffington died at about the age of seventy years.

Sethecia Buffington, father of Joseph, was born and reared in Pike Run township, and when a young man learned the hatter's trade, at which he was employed a few years in early life, the latter portion being devoted to farming pursuits. Like his father, he had to undergo the many trials and hardships, incident to pioneer life, and his name in the vicinity of his labors is "as familiar as household words." For a long term of years he held the office of justice of the peace, in fact, until the revision of the constitution of the United States. In 1846 he pushed farther westward, making a settlement in Iowa, where he passed the remainder of his active life, dying in 1851 at the age of about three-score years. Children as follows were born to him: Orpha, John, Polly, James, Joseph, Seth, Jessie, Robert, Sarah, Abbie and William B., of whom are now living: Joseph (in Washington county, Penn( Abbie (Mrs. Deems, in Missouri), and William B (In Henry County, Iowa).

Joseph Buffington was born March 2, 1806, in East Pike Run township, three miles west of Brownsville, where he was educated and reared to farm life. His education was received at the old-fashioned log-school-house of those primitive days, presided over by some worthy antiquated dominie, who, perhaps, knew but little more than did his pupils. In his youth our subject learned the tanner's trade with David and John McKennan, and for nine years was engaged in the business, during five of which he conducted a tannery at Beallsville, this county, and then returned to the farm. In February, 1845, he removed from Pike Run to East Bethlehem township, where he has since resided. Mr. Buffington was united in marriage with Miss Mary, daughter of John Thompson, an early resident of East Bethlehem township, and to them were born children as follows: John, Andrew Jackson, Ruth, Mary, Sarah, and Emma. Of these John is deceased. Andrew Jackson married Elizabeth Taylor, of west Pike Run township, and now resides in Henry county, Iowa; Ruth married James Irwin, and resides at Front Royal, Va; Sarah married Jacob Dague, and has her home in Somerset township, this county; Mary is the widow of Frank Jordan, and lives with her father; Emma is the wife of Miles G. Ruble, and resides in Kentukcy (our subject reared two of their children, one of whom is now attending college at California, Penn).

Mr. & Mrs. Buffington celebrated the sixty-third anniversary of their marriage. Mrs. Buffington died October 28, 1892. Mr. Buffington is hale and hearty for a man of his years, and is as straight as an arrow, wonderfully agile, and gifted with a remarkable memory. He is a Democrat, although from principle he voted for Gen. Harrison and Abraham Lincoln. His farm consists of seventy-three acres of prime land, whereon are cultiviated under his immediate supervision various small crops.

Andrew J. Buffington, son of Joseph, is a Republican in politics, has twice served in the Pennsylvania Legislature, and is at present county commissioner of Henry county, Iowa.

Text taken from page 591 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).

Transcribed March 1997 by Elizabeth Burnes of Phoeniz, AZ as part of the Beers Project.
Published April 1997 on the Washington County, PA pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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