JAMES S. FORSYTHE, one of the well-to-do, progressive agriculturists of Washington county, is a native of the Keystone State, born in Fayette county December 2, 1845. William Forsythe, his grandfather, moved, in 1775, to that county from Maryland, and "tomahawked" a claim to a tract of wild land that is now a fertile farm, in the possession of some of his descendants. He died at the age of eighty-two years, the father of ten children. One of his sons, Eli Forsythe, married a Miss Jane McKee, a native of Ireland, and by her had ten children, of whom William, born in Fayette county August 27, 1799, became the father of the subject of this sketch. William Forsythe, son of Eli and Jane (McKee) Forsythe, was reared in the old home, and for the most part followed agricultural pursuits throughout his long and busy life. At one time he shipped coal to the southern markets. In 1829 he married Jane, daughter of John Steele, and settled on "Snow Hill," where he died at the age of eighty years. His widow died three years after, when aged seventy-five. They were the parents of eight children, of whom the following is a brief record: John died in California in 1852; Eli died in 1890; Nancy married James S. Elliott and lives in Fayette county; Johnson died in 1891; Elizabeth is the wife of Isaac T. Crouch; Mary is the wife of L. S. Miller; James S. is the subject proper of this memoir; Ruth is married to Frank Hough, and lives in Fayette county. James S. Forsythe was reared to farm life in his native county, his boyhood winter months being passed in the common schools of the district, and for a time in an academy, after which he took a commercial course at the Iron City Business College, Pittsburgh. He then returned home, and remained on the farm until the death of his parents. In 1879 he embarked in mercantile business at Redstone, Fayette county, which he carried on three years; then, in 1882, purchased a farm in Amwell township, this county, which he still conducts, and in connection with general farming deals considerably in live stock, making a specialty of Short horn cattle. In 1890 he moved into the borough of Washington, where he now has his home, situated about one mile from the courthouse. Mr. Forsythe married Miss Mary E. Morton, daughter of George Morton, of Philadelphia, Penn., a native of Ireland, of Irish lineage, October 4, 1876. By this union five children were born, viz.: Lilian S.; John Morton, who died September 24, 1886; Jesse H., Raymond D. and Robert N. Politically, our subject is a Republican, and has held various township offices. He is a Presbyterian in church connection.

Text taken from page 980 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 USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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