Western Pennsylvania Genealogy
Compiled by Douglas H. Lusher


Family Group Record



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James Laughlin and Ann McCully Irwin


Husband James Laughlin 1 2 

           Born: 1 Mar 1806 or 1807 - near Portaferry, County Down, Ireland 2 3
     Christened: 
           Died: 18 Dec 1882 - Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, PA 3
         Buried: 


         Father: James Laughlin, Sr. (      -      ) 3 4
         Mother: 


       Marriage: 10 Sep 1837 5 6

Wife Ann McCully Irwin 1 6 

           Born: 23 Mar 1813 3
     Christened: 
           Died: 6 Nov 1891 3
         Buried: 


         Father: Boyle Irwin (1772-1860) 7
         Mother: Eliza McCully (1786-1867) 7


Children
1 M Henry Alexander Laughlin 5 8 9 10 

           Born: 12 Dec 1838 - Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, PA 5 10
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Alice Ben Denniston (      -1873) 10 11
           Marr: 10 Sep 1860 10 11

         Spouse: Mary B. Reed (      -Aft 1893) 8 9 10 11
           Marr: 1876 10

2 M Irwin Boyle Laughlin 6 11 12 

           Born: 21 Dec 1840 2 11
     Christened: 
           Died: 9 Apr 1871 - Nice, France 11 12
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Mary Woods Bissell (      -      ) 6 11 12
           Marr: Sep 1870 11 12

3 M Maj. George McCully Laughlin 10 13 14 

           Born: 21 Oct 1842 - Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, PA 10 11
     Christened: 
           Died: 11 Dec 1908 - Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, PA 11
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Isabelle Bowman McKennan (1843-1891) 13 15
           Marr: 16 Nov 1865 15 16

4 M James Laughlin, Jr. 16 17 

           Born: 18 Jun 1847 - Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, PA 16 17
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Sidney Page (      -      ) 16 18
           Marr: 10 Feb 1870 16 18

5 F Eliza Irwin Laughlin 6 19 

           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Maj. Duncan Clinch Phillips (      -      ) 6 19

General Notes: Husband - James Laughlin


He received his education the neighboring city of Belfast, Ireland, after which he returned to his home to assist his father in the management of the estate. His mother died before his twenty-first year, and this bereavement had much to do in determining his father to consent to emigrate to America, where another son, Alexander, had been established for some years in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The family property was sold, and James with his father and two sisters embarked for America. After a somewhat eventful passage they arrived at Baltimore, Maryland, then proceeding to Pittsburgh, where James engaged with his brother Alexander in the provision business. The new firm was known as Alexander Laughlin & Company, and besides the main store at Pittsburgh, they established a branch at Evansville, Indiana, where they erected a pork packing establishment. The management of the Evansville branch was the special charge of James Laughlin, and to promote its interests he spent the greater part of every winter there. The journey from Pittsburgh to Evansville in those days was a matter of two weeks or more, depending on the weather, and was made by stage or horseback. The firm of Alexander Laughlin & Company was dissolved in 1835, but the business was continued by James Laughlin, who then placed the Evansville branch in charge of Samuel Orr, a fellow countryman and trusted friend. Some time after this Mr. Laughlin formed a partnership with Mr. Orr, to carry on a general merchandise and iron business in Evansville. The business was continued for about twenty years.
Mr. Laughlin was largely interested in the organization of the Fifth Ward Savings Bank of Pittsburgh in 1852 and was elected its president. This institution was succeeded by the Pittsburgh Trust Company, organized under a state charter, July 12, 1852. Five years later this company, having surrendered its charter, was organized as an association with the same officers. It filed an application for a charter under the National Currency Act of April 11, 1863, and on August 7, of the same year was incorporated as the First National Bank of Pittsburgh, Mr. Laughlin continuing in the presidency. At that time the idea of national banking was far from being popular, indeed, many of the best business men viewed it with distrust. It is therefore worthy of note that the application of the Pittsburgh Trust Company to the Secretary of the Treasury was the fifth in the order of those filed, and that this institution was the first organized bank in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, that made application for a charter under the new federal banking system. In 1855, Mr. Laughlin retired from the provision business and turned his attention to the manufacture of iron, which had been for some years the chief industry of Pittsburgh. He associated himself with Mr. Benjamin F. Jones in the firm of Jones & Laughlin, which took a leading position from the start. In 1860 was founded the firm of Laughlin & Company, which became the owner of the Eliza Blast Furnaces, Mr. Laughlin being the principal owner. Step by step the firm of Jones & Laughlin steadily arose and developed in the iron industry and became one of the greatest commercial and industrial powers of the iron world. James Laughlin remained a member of the firm until his death, and thereafter the place was filled by his sons and grandsons. He also remained president of the First National Bank of Pittsburgh until his death. In point of continuous service he was one of the oldest bank presidents in the State of Pennsylvania. "We bear testimony", declared the directors of the bank at a special meeting held soon after his death "that in all our personal and business relations with Mr. Laughlin extending in some instances over thirty years, we have found him a type of the successful American banker, readily grasping opportunities, difficulties and dangers of extended financial operation; meeting all questions with extraordinary freedom from all personal bias or prejudice, keeping pace even in advancing years with the liberal progressive principles of finance and business, conciliatory and kind in personal intercourse, yet always just in business relations."
Mr. Laughlin served a term as member of the Select Council of Pittsburgh, in which he represented "the old Fifth Ward", but he had no taste for politics and persistently refused to allow his name to be used in connection with any public office. His religious affiliations were with the First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh, of which he was one of the oldest members and most liberal supporters. He was also one of the founders and deeply interested in the Western Theological Seminary of Allegheny, and served as president of its board of trustees until his death. He was one of the incorporators of the Western Pennsylvania Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, located at Pittsburgh, and one of its trustees from its foundation until his death. The higher education of women was a subject in which he took sincere interest and his views and wishes on the subject found cordial expression in the Pennsylvania Female College, of which he was the founder and first president, and to which he contributed liberally. Mr. Laughlin was always in full sympathy with those employed by him and as careful of their interests and feelings as though he were personally related to them.

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Sources

1 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania (New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1911), Pg 831, 947.

2 John W. Jordan, LL.D, A Century and a Half of Pittsburg and Her People, Vol. IV (New York: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1908), Pg 214.

3 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania (New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1911), Pg 831.

4 John W. Jordan, LL.D, A Century and a Half of Pittsburg and Her People, Vol. IV (New York: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1908), Pg 213.

5 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania (New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1911), Pg 833.

6 John W. Jordan, LL.D, A Century and a Half of Pittsburg and Her People, Vol. IV (New York: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1908), Pg 215.

7 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania (New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1911), Pg 830, 947.

8 Boyd Crumrine, History of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA: L. H. Everts & Co., 1882), Pg 481.

9 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 191.

10 John W. Jordan, LL.D, A Century and a Half of Pittsburg and Her People, Vol. IV (New York: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1908), Pg 216.

11 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania (New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1911), Pg 834.

12 George P. Donehoo, Pennsylvania - A History (SW) (New York, NY; Chicago, IL: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1926), Pg 74.

13 —, Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893), Pg 101.

14 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania (New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1911), Pg 829.

15 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania (New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1911), Pg 834, 1645.

16 John W. Jordan, LL.D, A Century and a Half of Pittsburg and Her People, Vol. IV (New York: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1908), Pg 217.

17 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania (New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1911), Pg 837.

18 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania (New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1911), Pg 838.

19 John W. Jordan, LL.D., Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania (New York, Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1911), Pg 839.

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