RICHARD WAUGH. The Waugh family have been in Pennsylvania at least one hundred and fifty years, and came west from Adams and Cumberland counties. Richard Waugh was born December 3, 1796, on a farm, now owned by W. W. Dinsmore, on the road from Buffalo to West Middleton. He grew to manhood on a farm now owned by James Hanna, near Independence. Mr. Waugh was a grandson of David Boyd, an officer in the war of Independence, whose thrilling story is mentioned in Crumrine's "History of Washington County." Throughout life he was noted for his energy and indomitable perseverance. In 1823 he married Eliza, daughter of John Moore, who owned 600 acres of land embracing what is now known as "Waugh's Mill." Mr. Moore inherited part of this tract from his father, who bought it from Lawrence Van Buskirk. Both Van Buskirk and his wife were killed by the Indians, the wife in 1792 and the husband in 1793. Immediately after his marriage, Mr. Waugh removed to what is now Brooke county, W. Va., and purchased from his father-in-law the old frame mill, one of the first operated in that part of the country. This mill stood just where the bridge reaches the south bank of Buffalo creek, after you pass through the first tunnel in going from Wellsburg. Some time before Mr. Moore had attempted to pierce the hill called "the backbone," for a mill race, but the enterprise was abandoned for some years. Mr. Waugh completed this work, and the race is used to this day, as it affords the best water-power in the county. He built two mills, each using a tunnel for a race, and, with these mills, he turned out as much as 10,000 barrels of flour in a year, besides manufacturing all his own barrels. He also did a large amount of country work.
He was a man of enterprise, both public and private. He made, at his own expense, two tunnels for the Wellsburg & Bethany road, both of which are still in use. By these works and the bridges he constructed, generally at his own charges, he greatly shortened and improved the roads of his adopted county. No man, before or since, in his section did so much for the improvement of the roads. More than half of his life was passed in Washington county, and, as much of the grain for his mills was purchased from the farmers in that section, he was well-known throughout the county. The old mill books show that much of the wheat brought only 37 1/2 cents a bushel, and flour but $2.50 per barrel. Mr. Waugh was also a farmer and stock-grower. Although he began life in narrow circumstances, at the time of his death he was owner of more than 2,000 acres embracing some of the best lands in Brooke county. Part of this land extended from a point below the Waugh mill for two miles along the pike toward Bethany. He also owned a steam flouring mill in Lagrange (now Brilliant), Ohio. He was an active member of the Presbyterian Church, and his liberality is still remembered. He offered Dr. John McCluskey a farm of 100 acres if he would consent to settle as pastor of the Lower Buffalo Church. It is said that he would make up whatever was lacking in the pastor's salary, after the other subscriptions had been made. His death occurred at the early age of forty-eight, and when his career is considered, it is surprising to learn that for fifteen years before his decease he had been a confirmed invalid. He left the reputation of a conscientious, upright man and public-spirited citizen.
Joseph Waugh, the fourth son of the above, was born in Brooke county, Va., in 1835, and received his education in the common schools, West Alexander Academy (under Dr. John McCluskey), Washington College, and the Western Theological Seminary. He graduated with honor from college in 1857, and from the Theological seminary in 1860; was licensed to preach by the Washington Presbytery in 1859, and ordained by the Presbytery of Mississippi in 1860. For one year, until the outbreak of the Civil war, he preached near Natchez, Miss. His decided Union sentiments brought him North. He then taught two years in Washington College, and two years in the Steubenville Seminary, after which he took charge of the Hollidaysburg Seminary, being its first principal. Here he continued eleven years, and, with the assistance of his devoted wife, made it one of the leading institutions of its class in Pennsylvania. It is still a flourishing school. On account of ill health Mr. Waugh was forced to relinquish his educational work, and retired to a farm in Delaware, where for several years he was interested in fruit growing, and still reads the reports of the peach crop with occasional anxiety.
The subject of this sketch married, April 12, 1864, Miss Arabella S. Todd, sister of A. M. Todd, Esq. She was a native of Kentucky, daughter of the Rev. Andrew Todd and Catherine (Wilson) Todd. Mrs. Waugh was a lady of unusual intelligence and accomplishments, whose life was marked by a special spirit of self-sacrifice and devotion to duty. As vice-principal of the Hollidaysburg Seminary, she made many ardent friends, and her character and noble life made themselves felt upon all with whom she came in contact. Fourteen years before her death she received injuries by being thrown from a carriage. From these she never recovered, but bore her suffering with marked patience and resignation, and continued her works of kindness and devotion to the very day of her death, which occurred January 21, 1892. In 1889 Mr. Waugh returned to Washington, Penn., and has since made it his home. He is treasurer of Washington and Jefferson College, does some insurance business, occasionally writes for the papers, is an Independent in politics, and is suspected of having some leanings towards free trade.
Text taken from page 201 of:
Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893).Transcribed March 1997 by Karen Souhrada of Pittsford, NY as part of the Beers Project.
Published March 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.[ [Back to Beers Table of Contents] [Back to Beers Project Page]