Husband Henry Graff 1 2 3 4
Born: 27 May 1794 - near Pleasant Unity, Mt. Pleasant Twp, Westmoreland Co, PA 1 4
Christened:
Died: 9 Sep 1855 1 4
Buried: - Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, PA
Father: John Graff (1763-1818) 1 2 5 6 7
Mother: Barbara Baum (1775-1841) 1 2 5 7 8
Marriage: 19 Sep 1820 9 10
Wife Elizabeth Lobingier 3 9 10
Born: 3 Apr 1800 9 10
Christened:
Died: 19 Jul 1869 9 10
Buried: - Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, PA
Father: Christopher Lobingier (1770-1850) 11 12 13
Mother: Anna Maria Kuntz (1776-1836) 13
Children
1 M John Graff 9 14
Born: 14 Jan 1822 9 14
Christened:
Died: 11 Nov 1901 9
Buried:
Spouse: Did Not Marry
2 M Christopher L. Graff 9 14
Born: 2 Oct 1823 9 14
Christened:
Died: 15 Feb 1897 or 1898 9
Buried:
Spouse: Arabella Blackmore (1839-1866) 9 14
Marr: 15 May 1858 9 14
3 F Priscilla Sophia Graff 9 14
Born: 31 Mar 1825 14 15
Christened:
Died: 14 Jan 1901 15
Buried:
Spouse: Paul Hugus (1812-1879) 14 16
Marr: 11 May 1846 17
4 M William Graff 9 18
Born: 27 Dec 1826 or 1828 9 18
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Missouri Isabella Coffin ( - ) 15 18
5 M Alexander C. Graff 9 18
Born: 10 Nov 1829 18
Christened:
Died: 7 Mar 1894 - Craig, Moffat Co, CO 9
Buried:
Spouse: Did Not Marry
6 M Thomas J. Graff 9
AKA: T. J. Graff,19 Thomas I. Graff 18
Born: 26 Oct 1832 9 18
Christened:
Died: 21 Apr 1890 15 18
Buried:
Spouse: Agnes C. Dickson (1847- ) 19
Marr: 25 Jun 1863 15 18
7 M Matthew Graff 9 18
Born: 1 Nov 1834 15 18
Christened:
Died: 19 May 1896 15
Buried:
Spouse: Jane Addison (1839-1880) 18 20
Marr: 3 Nov 1862 15
8 F Anna Mary Graff 9 21 22
Born: 12 Mar 1837 21 22
Christened:
Died: 29 Jun 1891 21
Buried:
Spouse: John M. Kirkpatrick ( - ) 9 22
Spouse: William Pore (1832-Aft 1906) 9 22 23 24
9 F Elizabeth Graff 9 22
Born: 29 Apr 1842 9 22
Christened:
Died: 19 Jan 1855 9 22
Buried:
Spouse: Did Not Marry
General Notes: Husband - Henry Graff
His birth-place was the old farm near Pleasant Unity, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. From the time he was old enough until he was twenty years of age, he assisted his father in farming. After the death of his grandfather in Germany, his father gave him a power of attorney and sent him there to settle and receive his share of the estate. He returned just before his father's death. Before leaving Germany, he purchased a great many farming utensils, such as hay-forks, shovels, spades, cutting-knives, scythes, &c. As these articles were scarce and high here, they were sold at a handsome profit. Among the articles which came from the estate were tea and table spoons of silver, and a valuable old clock which played a number of tunes, and struck quarters, half hours and hours. It was of the grandfather style, and was said to be an old clock when it was purchased it in 1760.
In 1822 he commenced business in Pleasant Unity by keeping a country store, consisting of dry goods, groceries, iron, fish, salt, &c. His goods had to be hauled in wagons from Philadelphia and Baltimore. As it took several weeks to transport them, the shipment was both tedious and expensive. He remained at Pleasant Unity about eleven years, and while there he taught his brothers Peter and Matthew the business. His business prospered, and in order to give his brothers an interest in it, he extended it and placed Peter in the small village of New Derry, about ten miles east of Greensburg. After several years of success, Peter sold out and located at Blairsville, Indiana County. Henry then sold his Pleasant Unity store to John, his brother, and moved to Blairsville, where he and Peter formed a partnership and traded under the firm name of Henry and Peter Graff. This was about the year 1833. They did a very extensive and profitable business, and built a large grain house on the Conemaugh river in the town. A year or two afterwards Matthew was given an interest in the business.
In 1836 Henry and Peter commenced the transportation of merchandise by railroad and canal, from Philadelphia and Baltimore, to Pittsburgh and the west. The line was called the Union Transportation Line. Merchandise was carried by rail to Columbia, then by canal boat to Hollidaysburg, then by rail over the Alleghany mountains to Johnstown, then by canal to Pittsburgh, 103 miles. The canal and railroad were owned by the State of Pennsylvania.
Peter moved to Pittsburgh and attended to receiving and forwarding the merchandise. In a year or two the forwarding business rapidly increased, and Henry also moved to Pittsburgh, and he and Peter gave their whole attention to the business. A year afterwards he commenced the manufacture of iron. He was a man of foresight, and was very successful in the iron business.
He was a thoughtful and Christian man. One of the noble acts of his life in connection with his brother Peter, was stopping the running of canal boats on the Sabbath. The Philadelphia partners who were connected with the line-not having the same Christian views-were very much opposed to the project. The brothers, however, insisted on a trial, so when the Sabbath came, boats were stopped (tied up as they called it), and man and beast rested on the Lord's day. The other transportation lines continued to run their boats as usual. The union line had posters put up at all public places in Philadelphia, Baltimore and the west, that they would stop on the Sabbath, and require a day longer to carry goods to Pittsburgh. This went on for a few months, when the other lines were obliged to adopt the same policy, as the merchants preferred the line which rested on the Lord's day.
Henry continued in the transportation business for many years until the state sold out the canal and railroad in 1853. A Pittsburgh paper said he was one of the leading citizens and the most active and successful commission merchant and iron manufacturer of the city. He was also successful in starting all his sons in business before his death. He was for many years a member of the Lutheran church, and one of the church pillars. He was a liberal giver to his home church, and before his death, made a large contribution to the seminary at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.