Husband Orren Cartright Allen 1 2
Born: 1 May 1840 - near Russellburg, Pine Grove Twp, Warren Co, PA 1 2
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Father: Samuel P. Allen (1810-1893) 1 3
Mother: Mary Elizabeth Thompson ( - ) 1 3
Marriage: 12 Jul 1864 2 4
Wife Maria C. Cook 2 4
Born:
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Father: William H. Cook ( - ) 2
Mother:
Children
1 M William Harrison Allen 2
Born: 21 Jul 1867 - Warren, Warren Co, PA 2
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Spouse: Grace Mary Stone ( - ) 5
Marr: 6 Apr 1892 - Washington, D. C. 6
2 M Samuel G. Allen 7
Born: 24 Aug 1870 2
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Spouse: Anna Hayward Lewis (1871- ) 7 8
Marr: 14 Oct 1896 7
General Notes: Husband - Orren Cartright Allen
He was reared on the farm on which he was born, remaining at home until he was twenty-one years of age. The farm was a pretty rough one, requiring hard work to manage it and gain a good livelihood from it, which they did. During his boyhood he attended the district schools in the winter time and worked on the farm every summer; the sons generally managing the farm while their father looked after the lumbering business. During the fall, as they approached manhood, the boys had the privilege of attending select schools in Russellburg for one or two months. Later still O. C. Allen went to the academy at Jamestown and at Randolph, New York, leaving the latter school in the spring of 1861. He remained on his father's farm until the harvesting was over in August of that year, when he came to Warren and began to study law in the office of Scofield & Brown. During two or three years before he was twenty-one years of age, and one winter after he began to study law, he taught winter schools to earn his own money. He reached Warren a comparative stranger, and with very little money. He rented a room in the Johnson Exchange building, purchased an outfit, and diminished his expenses by cooking his own provisions. This he continued for two years, at the same time pursuing his studies with the utmost diligence. The income from a little business which came to him then enabled him to live better, and he boarded at the Tanner House. In February, 1864, he was admitted to practice in the courts of Warren county, on the same day that witnessed the admission of his brother, S. T. Allen. His preceptors, Scofield & Brown, kindly gave him the use of their office for the first season free of rent, and he began to practice on his own account. Only one year later he was nominated and elected the district attorney for Warren county, and then opened his office in A. H. Ludlow's building. His success in practice was something unusual and was constantly on the increase; but after a few years he became connected with oil operations in Tidioute, Warren County, and being somewhat broken in health, he concluded to abandon the practice of law for a time, and removed with his family to the village later called North Warren, though then less euphoniously denominated Berry's Corners. Several years in that place failing to bring him to a return of health, he removed to Richmond County, Virginia, purchased a farm, planted a large peach orchard, and remained a portion of the time for four years. He returned to North Warren about the time of the location there of the hospital for the insane. As soon as he discovered that the hospital was surely to be erected there, he and several other gentlemen purchased lands in the vicinity and laid them out into village lots. After disposing of these lots and of other land at a gratifying profit, he returned to Warren, and in company with his brother, S. T. Allen, and Dr. Laban Hazeltine, later of Jamestown, engaged in the drug business at the corner of Second and Liberty streets. At the end of a year he and his brother sold their interests, and the same season he was appointed postmaster of Warren, succeeding Captain Robert Dennison. He acted as postmaster eight years. On leaving the office he again engaged in the practice of law, in the office of his brother, and then formed a partnership with the district attorney, G. H. Higgins.
In June, 1886, he was recommended by the county of Warren as a candidate for the State Senate in the Forty-eighth Senatorial District, composed of Warren and Venango counties, and was nominated at the district convention. The nomination was followed by a very spirited campaign, resulting in his election by a plurality of 1,830 votes, and in Warren county of a majority of 1,557 votes, or 500 more than were given to the State ticket at that time. He was a strong member of the Republican party, but a courteous and just opponent.
He was always extensively interested in building operations, and a few years before 1887 erected a block which he then occupied.
He was for many years president of the board of trustees of the State Hospital for the Insane at Warren, Pennsylvania.