JOEL TRUESDELL, of West Alexander, was born October 17, 1822, in Claysville, Washington Co., Penn., where the most of his boyhood was passed. The Truesdells are of English origin, and in their native country were generally engaged in merchandising. They emigrated to Connecticut in the early part of the eighteenth century. James Truesdell, the great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a native of Connecticut. He enlisted in the war of the Revolution, and died in the service. He had three sons, Samuel, James and Joel, of whom Joel was born in Connecticut in 1769, and was twice married, his first wife being Mehetable Bradley, by whom he had five children, viz.: Cleric, who became the wife of Seth Gaylord, of New Haven, Conn.,: Male who became the wife of Ransom Bracket, of Bristol, Conn.; and Josiah, Calvin and Abel. At the age of seventy-five years Joel Truesdell married, for his second wife, a most estimable lady, Mrs. Sarah Plumb, who lived to be nearly one hundred years of age. Politically, he was a Democrat, was for many years a justice of the peace, and for several years a leading member of the Connecticut Legislature. He was one of the original stockholders and directors in the bank of Waterbury, Conn. While the agricultural pursuits were his chief life vocation, he also engaged in a number of other lines of business, and was always regarded as a valuable counselor, and altogether a very enterprising man, much respected for his excellence of character, gentleness and kindness of disposition, and politeness of manner. He died in the year 1856, having been a lifelong member of the Baptist Church. Josiah Truesdell, the eldest of the above, was born July 28, 1790, in Bristol, Conn., where he and the advantages of a superior education. In 1820 he came to Washington county, Penn., and after a years residence there he returned to his native State, and on August 21, 1821, was married to Mary, daughter of Daniel Tuttle, a member of one of the oldest of Connecticut families. The children of this union were: Joel, Luther C (a resident of Claysville), and Sarah M., the wife of T. C. Noble. Daniel Tuttle, the father of Mary Tuttle, was born near New Haven, Conn., and was a son of Samuel Tuttle, a direct descendant of William Tuttle, and Elizabeth, his wife, who sailed from Wales in the ship “Planter,” and after a voyage of ten weeks landed on Boston, July 1, 1635. William Tuttle was one of the founders and original proprietors of the city of New Haven, and owned the present site of Yale College. His descendants were leading factors in establishing and building up the College of New Haven, and include many of the best known names and families of New England, amongst them being the Rev. Dr. Jonathan Edwards, the theologian and president of Princeton College; Rev. Dr. Timothy Dwight, president of Yale College. Seth Thomas, who became so widely known by his extensive clock manufactories, was reared in Mrs. Truesdell’s father’s family, his wife being her full cousin. Mrs. Truesdell died January 30, 1876. In the year 1821 Mr. Truesdell located in Claysville, and entered into partnership with his brother Calvin. At the end of eight years the partnership was dissolved, and Calvin removed to Wheeling, W. Va., where he engaged in the wholesale dry goods business at the corner of Twelfth and Main streets, Josiah being a partner in the same business. About the year 1834, Calvin removed to Licking county, Ohio, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was a delegate to the convention that nominated William Henry Harrison for the presidency in 1836. In 1838 he went to Lake county, Ill., where he resided until the time of his death, which occurred in the spring of 1887, when he was in his ninety-second year. His son, Morgan, was a leading citizen of Lake county, Ill., having held the offices of recorder of deeds and mortgages, and also clerk of the courts. His grandson Gaylord Sankston Truesdell, is a well-known American artist abroad, having resided for the past five years in Paris. He recently contributed a picture to the Corcoran Art Gallery at Washington D. C., which has elicited a great deal of admiration. Josiah Truesdell and his wife were ardent Presbyterians, and the present house of worship, which was erected in the year 1830, and which has been used by the Presbyterian congregation at Claysville for the past sixty-two years, was erected mainly through the combined effort of Mr. Truesdell and Rev. Thomas Hoge, the first pastor of that congregation, and who, during his ministry at Claysville, was a resident of Washington; Mr. Hoge agreeing to furnish one-third of the funds necessary to erect the building, on the condition that Mr. Truesdell furnish two-thirds - a proposition that was fulfilled on the part of both, each giving liberally of his own means. While they lived there was the warmest friendship existing between Mr. Hoge and Mr. Truesdell. Mr. Truesdell was an enthusiastic admirer of John Quincy Adams, and gave one of the only two votes that were cast for him in Donegal township on the occasion of his candidacy for the Presidency. He was an enterprising man, ever having the interests of his borough, township and county at heart. In school matters he was very aggressive as a champion for a better and more advanced system of education. He died November 3, 1830, from injuries sustained by jumping from a stage coach while descending the hill, just immediately west of West Alexander on the National pike, near the West Virginia line. He was thus early cut off in the prime and usefulness of his life, and no one, perhaps, who has been a resident of that section, died more deeply lamented. Joel Truesdell, the subject proper of this memoir, received his education partly in the schools of his native place, and partly in select schools of Wheeling, taught at the time by Mr. Ezekiel Hildreth, father of the late Eugene Hildreth, M. D., and Prof. George B. Gow, a relative of the Hon. John L. Gow, late of Washington, Penn. In 1838 in entered the employ of Wilson & Humes, in Claysville, for whom he worked eight years, when he removed to West Alexander, and continued in the employ of Mr. George Wilson, senior member of the above mentioned firm, until 1852, in which year he embarked in business on his own account in that place. This venture proved a decided success under his superior energy and management, and he not only conducted a general store with an endless variety of stock, but also dealt largely in wool. In 1870 he retired from active business and has since been engaged in various other enterprises. On June 30, 1852, Mr. Truesdell was married to Elizabeth M., daughter of John Valentine, and two children, Mary E., and John V., were born to them, the latter dying in infancy. The mother died in 1862 and in 1864 our subject was wedded to Catherine, daughter of Isaac Mayes, of West Alexander, and one son, Charles L., who died at the age of five years, came to bless this union. In politics Mr. Truesdell was originally a Whig, and since the organization of the party he has been a Republican. He has represented his party in county and State conventions, has served the township in all its various offices, and has held nearly all the positions of trust in the borough of West Alexander. He was elected auditor of the county in1876, the board of auditors being composed at the time of himself, and Joseph Linton, who served with great satisfaction to their constituents. His party would have been glad at various times to have recognized his high qualities for some of the best offices in the gift of the county, but his politics not being in harmony with his tastes, he has declined such proffered honors. For many years he has been prominently connected with the Presbyterian Church at West Alexander, in which he is an elder, and has contributed largely to its growth and prosperity. He was for many years superintendent of the Sabbath-school, at all times taking a lively interest in its success. We may say that no one merits the esteem of the community where he has so long resided, or has the confidence of the people of the county, to whom he is generally known, more than the subject of this sketch. Mr. Truesdell is a man of generous instincts, takes a deep interest in his relatives and friends, and during his life has taken a great deal of pleasure out of making frequent visits to the old New Englnad home of his mother and father.

Text taken from page 273 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed May 1997 by Dawna Trainor of Baltimore, MD as part of the Beers Project. Published May 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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