Husband Ernest F. Acheson 1 2 3
Born: 19 Sep 1855 - Washington, Washington Co, PA 2 4
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Father: Judge Alexander Wilson Acheson (1809-1890) 5 6
Mother: Jane Wishart ( - ) 5 7 8
Marriage: 22 Nov 1882 4
Wife Jannie Bushfield Stewart 1 4
AKA: Janet B. Stewart 2
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Father: Galbraith Stewart (Abt 1813-1877) 1 9
Mother: Phoebe McKeever ( -Aft 1889) 1 10
Children
1 F Phoebe Stewart Acheson 4
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2 M Alexander Wilson Acheson 4
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3 F Elizabeth Scott Acheson 4
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4 F Janet Wishart Acheson 4
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5 F Martha Wishart Acheson 4
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General Notes: Husband - Ernest F. Acheson
He was a member of the class of 1875 of Washington and Jefferson College. He read law with his father, and after being admitted to the practice of law, he found that journalism was more congenial to his tastes, and purchased the Washington Observer in 1879. He made it a straight Republican newspaper, and under his direction it became one of the leading newspapers west of the Alleghanies, with in-fluence throughout the State.
"Identified with the progressive element of the Republican party, Mr. Acheson's newspaper for years advocated the system of representation recommended and finally adopted at the State con-vention of 1891, providing for representation in State, district and county conventions, with the actual Republican vote cast as the basis thereof. It is a singular fact that his advocacy of this plan of popular representation, which is manifestly fair, caused the defeat of Mr. Acheson as the party candidate for Congress in 1892 in the Twenty-fourth District of Pennsylvania. A little county, which was a small part of the district, demanded a wholly disproportionate number of delegates in the district convention which nominated Mr. Acheson for Congress. This was properly refused, and a disastrous revolt followed, instigated by disappointed leaders. During the fourteen years of Mr. Acheson's control of the Observer, he has been interested in politics. During the years in which he personally conducted the campaigns, the county of Washington, which has been classed as doubtful, became reliably Republican, with pluralities ranging from fifteen hundred to two thousand. In 1884 Mr. Acheson represented his district at the Chicago convention as a devoted follower of James G. Blaine.
"Mr. Acheson is a Presbyterian, a man of correct habits, thoroughly sincere and loyal in his friendships. In 1882 Miss Janet B. Stewart, of West Middletown, Penn., became his wife. They have four bright children, and in his home Mr. Acheson finds all the rest and recreation from the demands of his profession and business and pol-itics.
"As a writer Mr. Acheson is admirably equipped. Thoroughly familiar with a fine library-chiefly historical-and intelligently informed on current events, Mr. Acheson writes with ease, dignity and strength. If mathematical proof is to be adduced, Mr. Acheson has the statistics at hand, carefully gathered and verified, and he presents his array of figures with confidence born of knowledge. Mr. Acheson's impulses are patriotic. He believes in his own town, his own county, his own State and his own country, with faith unfaltering." [CBRWC, 29] Original source of the quote is unknown.
He was born on West Maiden street, Washington, Pennsylvania. He was reared and educated in his native city and was graduated from Washington and Jefferson College with the Class of 1875. He then pursued the study of law and was admitted to the bar in 1877, immediately afterward becoming a member of the firm of A. W., M. C. and E. F. Acheson, of which his father was senior member. After some two years in practice he withdrew from that firm and on Oct. 17, 1879, purchased a half interest in the Washington Observer, the leading weekly newspaper of the county. In 1890, he established The Daily Observer, and in 1902 The Observer Publishing Company was organized with a capital stock of $35,000. In the fall of the same year this company purchased The Reporter, which had been established as a weekly as early as 1808, and as a daily in 1876. After this purchase The Observer Publishing Company increased its capital stock to $150,000, and built new quarters on leased ground. In addition to publishing two dailies, this company did an extensive jobbing business. Mr. Acheson was president of the company from its inception in 1902.
In 1892, Mr. Acheson was defeated as the Republican nominee for Member of Congress from the 24th District of Pennsylvania, which comprised at that time Washington, Greene and Fayette Counties, the boroughs and townships of Allegheny County south of the Monongahela and Ohio Rivers and between the Youghiogheny and Monongahela Rivers the city of McKeesport and the 38th Ward of Pittsburgh. He was again a candidate in 1894 and was honored with election, and was re-elected in 1896, 1898 and 1900 from the district as above constituted. The census report for 1900 showed it to be one of the biggest congressional districts in the United States, with a population approximating 400,000, and it was redistricted to include Washington, Beaver and Lawrence Counties. Mr. Acheson was elected from the new district in 1902, and was re-elected in 1904 and in 1906. He served seven full terms in Congress and was a member of numerous important committees.
Mr. Acheson has been a member of the board of trustees of Washington and Jefferson College since 1894; was a trustee of the California State Normal School; a director of the Washington Board of Trade, of which he was once president; was manager of the Washington Cemetery from 1893; was president of the Citizens' Water Company; and a director in the Citizens' National Bank. He was president of the Pennsylvania State Editorial Association in 1893, and was secretary of the National Editorial Association one year. [TCHWWC, 815]
General Notes: Wife - Jannie Bushfield Stewart
from West Middletown, Washington Co, PA