JOHN I. CARSON, a prominent real estate and insurance broker in the borough of Washington, is a native of Virginia, born in Ohio county October 21, 1853. Richard Carson, grandfather of subject, an American by birth, married Elizabeth Irwin, who bore him the following children: Abner, John, Nancy, Joseph, David, Elizabeth and Irwin. He moved to Ohio county, Va., from Dauphin county, Penn. (near Harrisburg), some time in the latter part of the eighteenth century, and there purchased the farm which was afterward occupied by his son Joseph. He served in the war of 1812, and while on his way home from the army died at Delaware, Ohio; his widow subsequently married William Faris. In politics he was a Democrat, and in religion a member of the Ridge Presbyterian Church at West Alexander, in which he was an elder. Joseph Carson, father of John I., was born August 21, 1801, in Ohio county, Va., on the old home farm, and received his education at the subscription schools of the period. For several years he taught in his native county, one of his scholars being Prof. Ray. In 1828 Mr. Carson married Anna, daughter of William Brown, of Ohio county, Virginia, and their children were Elizabeth (Mrs. Robert Criswell), Hannah J. (Mrs. Harvey J. Milligan), Richard, Mary A. (Mrs. David B. Boggs), Sarah (Mrs. VanTassell), William, Almira S. (deceased), Harriet (deceased), Vincent B. and John I. The father died July 20, 1887, on the farm on which he was born, after a long life of usefulness, activity and enterprise, being always deeply interested in religious and educational affairs. He was a straight Democrat, and served as a justice of the peace; he was a consistent member of the West Alexander Presbyterian Church, in which he was an elder for a quarter of a century. John I. Carson, the youngest in the family of ten children born to Joseph and Anna (Brown) Carson, received his rudimentary education at the common schools of the vicinity of his place of birth, and West Alexander Academy, and at the age of sixteen he entered Waynesburgh College. On completing his studies he taught school in Ohio and Marshall counties, W. Va., and finally in Peoria county, Ill., from which latter locality he returned to his old home in 1875. On November 25 of that year Mr. Carson was married to Josephine M., daughter of Perry Whitham, of Ohio county, W. Va., and the children that have blessed this union are named respectively Ross Milligan, Glenn Pere, Muriel Joy and Salome. After marriage our subject resided in Chesterfield county, Va., four or five years, farming; thence moved to Philadelphia as clerk in a commission house, and from there, after one year's sojourn, came to West Alexander, and was principal of the Public Schools of West Alexander, this county, 1882. In July, 1891, he came to Washington and entered into partnership with J. W. Murray as pension agents, and in the real-estate insurance and loan business. Mr. Carson is a Republican, and in 1887 he was elected a justice of the peace at West Alexander, serving until 1892, and in 1892-93 he was secretary of the Republican County Committee. Mr. Carson is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and was leader of the choir at West Alexander ten years. On January 1, 1893, he was appointed deputy-collector of Internal Revenue of the Twenty-third District, having charge of the Seventh Division, embracing Washington, Greene, and part of Fayette counties.

Text taken from page 1098 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed March 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project. Published March 1997 on the Washington County, PA pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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