Husband John Wesley Kahle, Sr. 1 2
Born: 28 Dec 1821 - Warrior's Mark, Huntingdon Co, PA 1 2
Christened:
Died: Bef 1913
Buried:
Father: Judge Jacob Kahle (1799-1875) 3
Mother: Sarah Heiskell (1799-1872) 3
Marriage: 1845 1
Wife Ann Cheers 1 2
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Children
1 M D. P. Kahle 4
Born: 1845 4
Christened:
Died: Aft 1921
Buried:
Spouse: Rose Sigworth (1844/1845-1917) 4
Marr: 1868
2 F Mary Kahle 5 6
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Allison John Sigworth (1853-Aft 1921) 6
Marr: 1881 6
3 M J. C. Kahle 7
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
4 M John Wesley Kahle, Jr. 2 7
Born: 31 Mar 1858 - Shippenville, Elk Twp, Clarion Co, PA 7 8
Christened:
Died: 1909
Buried: - Grove Hill Cemetery, Oil City, Venango Co, PA
Spouse: Sadie Henry (1862-1900/1901) 7 8
Marr: 1885 7 8
Spouse: Cora Angela Emery (1868-1962) 8
Marr: 24 Apr 1904 8
General Notes: Husband - John Wesley Kahle, Sr.
He lived with his parents until 1844. That spring he was employed as book-keeper by William B. Fetzer, at Elk Furnace, and at the end of the first month was given the general management of the furnace. In 1859 he built on the Allegheny River, a few miles above Brady's Bend, for Samuel F. Plumer, the first coke furnace in Clarion County. He served as manager of furnaces for fifteen years. He moved with his family to Lineville, in the northwestern corner of Clarion County, in 1860, and there engaged in mercantile business, and also in farming.
A company of bankers in New York city had purchased a large tract of land along the Allegheny River, between Oil City and Franklin, and in 1864 employed Mr. Kahle to superintend the development of the property for oil. During his connection with the company he was loyal to their interest. At one time he was offered one hundred thousand dollars if he would give certain facts concerning the wells tested to the party offering the money one week before he gave them to the company employing him. He was urged by some of his friends to accept the offer, and become rich at once. His reply was, "The company are paying me a large salary to attend to their business. If there is anything to be gained by the first information given, the company shall have the benefit of it." In 1865 he recommended the company to bring the operations for oil in that territory to a close. The company urged him to continue. After satisfying himself that the income would not pay expenses he resigned.
In 1878 Mr. Kahle was elected a member of the Pennsylvania Legislature. He was there, as elsewhere, faithful and true to his constituents. He served eighteen years as school director, and also was postmaster for several years; his last appointment being March 30, 1870. He resigned in October, 1880, and his daughter Mary was appointed to the vacancy October 25, 1880, and continued the office in his store until her resignation. He was a delegate to the National Convention of the Anti-Monopoly and Greenback parties, which met in Chicago in 1883, and served on the committee to adopt a platform; also was a delegate to a National Convention of Greenback-Labor party, which met in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1884, and State delegate to the convention of Greenback-Labor party, which met in Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1885, serving again on platform committee.
Mr. Kahle has always been a faithful worker in the church; before 1862 in the M. E. Church, and after that in the Evangelical Association. [HCC 1887, 643]
He and his wife raised a family of eight children, four boys and four girls, all of whom were living in 1887. [HCC, ]
When four years of age he removed with his parents to what is now Clarion County, Pennsylvania, then a wilderness, with no educational advantages whatever, outside the tutorage of his parents, who were both above the average person in intelligence. In due time, his father, with other pioneers, erected a log school-house, which he attended. After working for his father, who was comfortably well off, until his twenty-third year, he was able to keep books at "The Furnace" in 1844. No long after a man visited that section selling scholarships for Allegheny College, who induced Mr. Kahle, who had a great desire for a college education, to purchase one, which he did with the first money he earned after leaving home. While his plans were for college work, yet he had not been in the office long before he was given the entire management of the plant, which was considered one of the most honorable positions to be had at that time, and the plans for a higher education were abandoned.
In 1849 he took an extensive journey West, during which he visited ten states, but, concluding that Pennsylvania was the place for him, he returned and married and continued his work as superintendent at "The Furnace" for fifteen years. At the end of this time Mr. Kahle purchased a house and lot at Shippensville, and went into the mercantile business, soon after purchasing a farm also. In 1864 he was sent as a delegate to the Democratic Convention held in Chicago, Illinois, which nominated George B. McClelland for the presidency. Upon his return home he received a letter from a company of bankers on Wall Street, New York City, containing a check for fifty dollars, in which it was stated that they had made the purchase of a large amount of oil land on the Allegheny River below Oil City, as well as on Oil Creek, and urged him to go and see the land for they wanted him to superintend it, stating that when they were at Franklin they had inquired of the Hon. Arnold Plumer whom he would recommend for such a position, and Mr. Plumer had given them his name. Mr. Kahle took charge and did an honest piece of work for the company, during which an effort was made to bribe him into giving to a strange gentleman some facts about the work being done, but he twice refused the generous offer of $100,000, believing a clear conscience of greater gain than great riches. But he did gain sufficient knowledge of how to conduct the business, and, after the company for whom he worked had disbanded, he went into business for himself and proved eminently successful.
In 1878 Mr. Kahle was elected to the Legislature from Clarion County, and played a prominent part in the legislative work of Pennsylvania, assisting in the defeat of the following bills: "The Pittsburgh Riot Bill"\emdash $4,000,000; "The Border Raid Bill"\emdash $3 000,000; "Tax on Oil and Oil Derricks"\emdash $3,000,000. In 1880 he was again a candidate for the Legislature, but was defeated, eventually, by the monopolies, after receiving a majority of thirty-six of the popular vote, with eight candidates in the field. In 1884 he was a delegate to the National Greenback Labor Party. In 1885 he was a delegate to the State Convention held in Erie by the National Greenback Party, serving on the committee to adopt the platform.
During his eventful life, Mr. Kahle was a member of the School Board eighteen years, serving as secretary; for many years he was postmaster, and, when he resigned, his resignation was not accepted for almost a year. When it was finally accepted, his daughter Mary was appointed in his place.
When twenty years of age Mr. Kahle was converted in the Methodist Episcopal Church at Shippensville, and was ever after a devout Christian. During the pre-war excitement his political party being assailed by over zealous churchmen, Mr. Kahle found it more comfortable to withdraw and unite with the Evangelical Church. When the Civil War was over and peace again reigned, a committee of his former church people waited upon him, urging him to return to their fold; but Mr. Kahle replied that he had found a good home in the Evangelical Church and preferred to remain. From the time he went to house-keeping until his death, his home was a home for all preachers, and he had the great joy of seeing the majority of his family of four sons and four daughters follow in his footsteps. [PAH, 67]