Reazen Frye, p. 1445

REAZEN FRYE, a worthy representative of one of the oldest families of Washington county, was born July 5, 1821, on the old homestead at Lock No. 4, this county.

He is a grandson of Abraham Frye, a native of either Washington county, Penn., or North Carolina, and who became a pioneer farmer of Fallowfield township. He married Hester Johnson, of North Carolina, and the children born to them were Johnson, Noah, James, Benjamin, Mary, Abraham, Thomas, Elijah, Hester and Smith. Mr. Frye was a member of the Baptist Church.

Thomas Frye, father of subject, was married to Anna West, a native of Fallowfield township, and the children born to them were: Luke, Reazen, Louisa, Eunice, Hester, Lucinda Jane, Abraham J., Nancy, Mary E., Smith, and Anna E. The mother died in 1861, the father in 1876, and they are buried in the Horseshoe Church cemetery. He was a Jackson Democrat originally, and during the latter part of his life was a Republican. He was a member of the Baptist Church, of which he was a trustee.

Reazen Frye attended the old log-cabin school, and assisted in clearing the pioneer farm. On November 20, 1845, he was united in marriage with Carrie B., daughter of John and Nancy (Dickey) Eckels, the former of whom was a native of Pennsylvania, born and reared in Chester county. When a young man Mr. Eckels came to Monongahela, and for some time followed teaming from Philadelphia westward, after which he learned the trade of carpenter and cabinet maker, which he carried on in Monongahela as well as the undertaking business. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, under Maj. Warne. When a young man he married Nancy Dickey, a resident of Monongahela, and the children born to their union were: John Hamilton, Margaret, Mary, Benjamin, Carrie B., Andrew J., Hannah Ann, Catherine Eaton, and Daniel James. The father of this family died in 1857, the mother on June 3, 1872, and both are interred in Monongahela cemetery. In politics Mr. Eckels was a Democrat.

After marriage our subject and wife located on a farm of 120 acres of land situated one mile from the Monongahela river, in Fallowfield township, this county, and after years of assiduous toil finally succeeded in paying for the place. Mr. Frye then realized a good sum from the sale of a coal vein underlying his land, and with the money thus obtained he purchased 143 acres of land in Carroll township, to which, in 1874, he moved; it is distant about one mile from the business portion of Monongahela. To Mr. and Mrs. Reazen Frye have been born the following children: Thomas F., a farmer of Chase County, Kans.; Margaret Emeline, wife of Samuel Richardson, living at Lock No. 4; John Hamilton, farming on his father's old property at Lock No. 4; Stephen Reed, in the United States Mail Service; Eliza Adeline, deceased at the age of eighteen years; Hester Ann, who died when seven years old; James D., who died at the age of five years, and Carl, who passed away at the age of ten months and twenty days.

Although now retired from active business life, Mr. Frye is interested in the buying and selling of stock. Politically he was originally a Democrat, but a visit to the South, some time prior to the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion, brought about a revolution in his ideas in respect to politics, and he has since been active in the ranks of the Republican party.

Text taken from page 1445 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).

Transcribed January 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project.
Published January 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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