Husband Rudolph Barnhart 1 2 3
Born: 6 Oct 1775 - Westmoreland Co, PA 2 3 4
Christened:
Died: 21 Mar 1851 - Butler Co, PA 4
Buried:
Father: John William Barnhart (1746-1822/1823) 2 5
Mother: Anna Schmidt ( - ) 3
Marriage:
Wife Christina Rice 2 6
AKA: Sarah Else 7
Born: - eastern Pennsylvania
Christened:
Died: 1854 2
Buried:
Children
1 M William Barnhart 6
Born: - Butler Co, PA
Christened:
Died: Bef 1909 - Ohio
Buried:
2 M Phillip Barnhart 8
AKA: Philip Barnhart 6
Born: 1801 - Butler Co, PA 6
Christened:
Died: 1872 6
Buried:
Spouse: Mary Wiles ( -Aft 1883) 6
Marr: 1825 6
3 F Susannah Barnhart 6
Born: - Butler Co, PA
Christened:
Died: Bef 1883
Buried:
Spouse: Jonathan Andre ( - ) 6
4 F Christina Barnhart 6
AKA: Christiana Barnhart,4 Tena Barnhart 7
Born: - Butler Co, PA
Christened:
Died: Aft 1883
Buried:
Spouse: Joseph Vensel ( - ) 2
5 M Frederick Barnhart 6 9 10
Born: 1809 - Fairview Twp, Butler Co, PA 9 10
Christened:
Died: 1879 9 10
Buried:
Spouse: Catherine Thorne (Abt 1823-1904) 7 9 11
6 F Elizabeth Barnhart 6
Born: - Butler Co, PA
Christened:
Died: Aft 1883
Buried:
Spouse: John Andre ( - ) 6
7 M Rudolph Barnhart 6
Born: - Butler Co, PA
Christened:
Died: while young
Buried:
8 M Simon R. Barnhart 12
Born: - Butler Co, PA
Christened:
Died: Aft 1883
Buried:
9 M Andrew Barnhart 2 13
Born: 12 Dec 1821 - Fairview Twp, Butler Co, PA 2 4
Christened:
Died: 26 Dec 1873 4
Buried:
Spouse: Priscilla Eberhart (1825-Aft 1895) 2 4
Marr: 1844 2 4
10 F Mary "Polly" Barnhart 6
Born: - Butler Co, PA
Christened:
Died: Aft 1909
Buried:
Spouse: Nicholas King ( - ) 6
11 F Catherine Barnhart 14 15 16
Born: - Butler Co, PA
Christened:
Died: Aft 1895
Buried:
Spouse: John Eberhart (1827-1885) 14 15 16 17
Marr: 29 Apr 1849 17
General Notes: Husband - Rudolph Barnhart
Six families of Barnharts came to Butler County, PA, in about 1796. They settled in what now constitutes Fairview Township, originally a part of Donegal. They did not bring their families on the first trip, but erected cabins on their several selections of land, and commenced the laborious task of clearing small spots of ground for cultivation.
He came near meeting with an untimely death, and the incident, as related by his descendants, is as follows: He had been successful in killing a fine buck, which he was carrying home, on his back, with its hind legs tied together over his neck. In getting over a fence he went on one side and the buck on the other, and it was only due to almost superhuman exertions that he escaped strangulation.
He was reared in Westmoreland County, PA, and in the year 1795 he came to Butler county and purchased 400 acres of land in what is now Fairview township. The following spring he brought this family to his cabin, which he had erected in the primitive forest, and took up his permanent residence in this county. They were among the earliest settlers in the vicinity of Millerstown, and he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives in that locality. They were members of the Reformed Presbyterian church. He was a man of strict integrity, and was widely known and respected.
He grew to manhood and then married and shortly afterward, he came to Butler County, PA, and stopped only long enough on the present site of Butler to note that the timber looked inferior, indicating a less rich soil than in other sections. He found land to his taste in Fairview Township, cleared four acres and sowed it with wheat. The tract is a part of what later became known as the Kincaid farm. He returned to Westmoreland County and when he came back to his wheat farm in the following spring, he was accompanied by the Hemphill family. He discovered that the wild inhabitants had taken charge of his farm and what grain the turkeys had not scratched out, the deer had devoured, and somewhat discouraged, he listened to the urgings of the Hemphills and accompanied them to what is known as Hemphill Hollow. He secured land which now bears the name of Barnhart Hollow, about one mile from Millerstown and there he built his cabin, on the south side of the creek and then brought his wife to the new home.
At that time the whole region was a wilderness and when he found it necessary to return in the following year and attend a session of court in Westmoreland County, it was with great misgivings concerning the safety of his wife. The nearest neighbors were the McCulloughs, five miles distant, but one of the daughters came to stay with Mrs. Barnhart during her husband's absence. The great fear entertained by them all was that some wild animal might attack them, and that this fear was not without foundation was proved when, on the second morning, the two women found an explanation of the noises they had heard outside the night before. When they summoned sufficient courage to venture out, they discovered the carcass of a huge bear that had probably been fatally wounded by a hunter and in its rage it had tried to find shelter in the little cabin. Women in those days were full of courage and without doubt the pelt of that bear was all preserved before Mr. Barnhart had returned from Westmoreland court. This little log cabin came to be the center of life in the township, a gathering place not only for religious services, but for a long time it was the election booth and very likely, on occasion, served as a courthouse. [HBC 1909, 903]
The Barnhart family was very liberal in their support of churches, and donated the following church lots: The Sugar Creek or White Oak church lots, donated by Andrew Barnhart, in 1813; ground for the English Evangelical Lutheran church at Millerstown, by F. W. Barnhart, in 1850; the lot for St. John's Reformed church, by David Barnhart, in 1869, and the Methodist Episcopal church lot, at Millerstown, by A. E. Barnhart, in 1874.