John Richard Steele and Edith Percy Douthett

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Husband John Richard Steele ^{1 2}

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           Born: 29 Nov 1848 - near New Castle, Lawrence Co, PA 1 3
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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         Father: Stephen Davis Steele (Abt 1826-1853) 2
         Mother: Susanna Watson (1828-1918) 2

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       Marriage: 20 Aug 1877 - New Castle, Lawrence Co, PA 4 5

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Wife Edith Percy Douthett ^{4 5}

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           Born: 7 Apr 1856 - New Castle, Lawrence Co, PA 5
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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         Father: Joseph Douthett (1819-1907) 5
         Mother: Myrtilla A. Crawford (1825-1857) 5

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Children

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1 F Regina A. Steele ^{4 5}

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           Born: 15 Jun 1878 5
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

         Spouse: George Harding Lewis (      -      ) 5

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2 M Richard Kenneth Steele ⁵

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            AKA: Richard Kenith Steele 4
           Born: 5 Jul 1881 5
     Christened: 
           Died: 20 Aug 1882 5
         Buried: 

         Spouse: Did Not Marry

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3 F Helen P. Steele ⁴

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            AKA: Helen Mar Steele 5
           Born: 10 Jun 1884 5
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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General Notes: Husband - John Richard Steele

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He was born in Mahoning County, Ohio. [HVC 1890, 893]

He was born on a farm in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, near New Castle, and grew up there, obtaining his early education in the village of Mount Jackson. He was occupied in assisting with the farm work until his enlistment during the Civil war, before the completion of his fifteenth year, at New Castle, whence he was taken to Louisville, Kentucky, being held in camp for some time before his assignment to Company H, 77th Pennsylvania Infantry, under Colonel Stambaugh and Brigadier General Negley. The regiment formed part of the 4th Army Corps, attached to the Army of the Cumberland under Gen. George H. Thomas, and he saw service all through the campaign from Chattanooga to Atlanta, ending at Nashville under General Thomas. His command then followed Hood, the troops embarking at Nashville and going down the Cumberland to Cairo, Illinois, thence on to New Orleans and Texas, some landing at Galveston. Mr. Steele's division disembarked at Indianola, delivering forty-five thousand stands of arms and munitions to the Mexicans for use in their operations against Maximilian. Returning by boat to Cincinnati, he journeyed by train from that point to Philadelphia, where he was stationed at Camp Cadwalader until mustered out, Sept. 23, 1865.
Going back to New Castle, Pennsylvania, Mr. Steele not long afterward secured a position as clerk in a hardware store at Youngstown, Ohio, where he remained for three years, meanwhile learning the trade of tinner and galvanized cornice worker. His early ambition was to prepare for the medical profession, but he made no mistake in continuing business life. After leaving Youngstown he followed his trade at Akron and Cincinnati, Ohio, Louisville, Kentucky, St. Louis, Missouri, Omaha, Nebraska, Chicago, Illinois, Cleveland and Toledo, Ohio, spending several years in Cleveland. Then he spent three years at New Castle conducting a hardware business in partnership with his brother and a Mr. McCaskey, under the firm name of Steele, McCaskey & Company, and meeting misfortune in the panic of 1873 the brother went West, and Mr. Steele sold out his interest there in 1876. The next year he came to Oil City, arriving April 5, 1877, and immediately opened a hardware, tin and stove business on State Street, having one of the first establishments of the kind on the south side of Oil City, and continuing his association therewith for almost fifteen years. He had various partners during this period, the firm being first Steele & Hoskins, later Steele, Hoskins & Chambers and finally John R. Steele & Company, one of his clerks, a Mr. Hazlet, holding membership in the firm during the latter years of its existence. Selling out his interest in this business Jan. 1, 1892, Mr. Steele became a traveling salesman for the Lockwood-Taylor Hardware Company of Cleveland, Ohio, and he continued this association for many years, except for the years he withdrew to fill the office of treasurer of Venango County, to which he was elected in 1902, serving in 1903-05. He resumed his relations with the Lockwood-Taylor Company in 1907, and continued with them through the various changes in ownership. In 1910 the company consolidated with the Luetkemeyer Company, and they later bought out Lockwood & Henry, the business being carried on by the Luetkemeyer Company. Mr. Steele's territory was in northwestern Pennsylvania, and he was highly successful. Besides attending to his duties as traveling salesman he sustained some independent business connections, having been engaged in oil production since 1906, with up to sixteen wells in operation; and he was an extensive owner of local real estate, which he handled very skillfully.
Mr. Steele took a leading part in the administration of city affairs in Oil City. He served four terms in the common council and two terms in the select council, and at different times as president of both branches, showing well developed gifts for leadership in the direction of public matters, and a degree of integrity in discharging the trusts reposed in his care that made him very popular with his fellow citizens. He was a Republican on political questions. As a Civil war veteran he was in-strumental in organizing G. A. R. Post No. 435, of South Oil City, in which he held office from the beginning, being elected commander in 1888. He was also a Charter member of Oil City Lodge, No. 344, B. P. O. Elks, and of Latonia Lodge, I. O. O. F., of Oil City; was affiliated with Petrolia Lodge, No. 363, F. & A. M.; and was active in the A. O. U. W. (select knight) and K. O. T. M. He and his wife held membership in the Second Presbyterian Church, and she was a member of the local chapter of the Red Cross. [HVC 1919, 746]

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General Notes: Wife - Edith Percy Douthett

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She was a native of New Castle, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, and received her education there and at Oakdale Seminary, in Allegheny County.

1 Editor, History of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk, & Co., Publishers, 1890), Pg 893.

2 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 745.

3 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 746.

4 Editor, History of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk, & Co., Publishers, 1890), Pg 894.

5 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 747.