THOMAS PETTIT, a prosperous and enterprising farmer of Cross Creek township, Washington Co., Penn., is a son of Matthias Pettit, who was born on a farm near Washington borough. He was reared to agricultural pursuits, but his inclinations were opposed to farm life, and when a boy he learned the tailor's trade. He was married to Sarah, a daughter of Barnabas Hughes, a prominent farmer living near Washington. Soon thereafter Matthias Pettit moved to Elkhart county, Ind., and there worked at his trade the remainder of his life, dying in 1838. He left three children, namely: Margaret Ann (wife of John Munce), Thomas, and William H. (a blacksmith of Beaver Falls, Penn.) Thomas Pettit was born April 4, 1836, in Elkhart county, Ind., and soon after the death of his father came to the home of his grandfather in Amwell township, Washington Co., Penn. He remained on the farm in Amwell township until reaching maturity, and on March 27, 1861, was united in marriage with Miss Margaret Boone, who was born in 1836. The following children have been born to their union: Calvin M., born in 1862 (a clerk in R. P. Wallace's glass store, Pittsburgh, Penn.); William H., born in 1864 (living with his father); Minnie, born in 1866 (wife of G. Hunter Patterson, foreman of the R. P. Wallace glass store, Pittsburgh); Charles E., born in 1868, and Thomas M., born in 1873, are residing with their parents. Thomas Pettit began life working by the month, continuing to labor as a farm hand for five or six years, when he began farming on shares. Two years after his marriage he purchased his first farm, which was situated near Washington, but sold it the following year. He then lived in different parts of the county, sometimes buying a farm and occasionally renting one. In 1889 he bought a fine place of 102 acres, where he has since resided, and upon which is a comfortable residence, which enhances the value of the property. Politically, Thomas Pettit is a stanch Republican, as were his ancestors, his grandfather being one of the two men in Amwell township, this county, who voted for J. P. Hale for President on the Abolition ticket. Mr. Pettit is an active member of the Disciple Church at Middletown.

Text taken from page 536 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed June 1997 by Paula Talbert of Caldwell, OH as part of the Beers Project. Published July 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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