Mercer County PAGenWeb

William Anderson 


William Anderson, farmer, post-office New Bedford, Penn., is a son of John and grandson of William Anderson, a pioneer of Mercer County, who immigrated to this country with his wife Betsey (Adams) Anderson and one child, the father of our subject. 

About 1796 John Anderson, a brother, followed and located a short distance from his brother William.  He was known as "Agent John Anderson," acting in that capacity for Dr. Nathaniel Bedford, of Pittsburgh, who owned large tracts of land in this and Lawrence Counties.  He married Jane McFarland, and had six children, all of whom are dead, the last survivor, William R., dying on the old homestead [Shenango Township] June 27, 1888, aged seventy.  He died in 1826, leaving an estate of 800 acres. 

William Anderson, the grandfather of our subject, and his son John, were progressive men of their day.  They erected on their farm one of the first gristmills built in this county, and were also extensively engaged in the distilling business.  John served with the army in the War of 1812.  He married Ellen, daughter of William Crawford, of Mercer County, and by this marriage was the father of eleven children:  William, Adam, deceased; James, deceased; David, Hiram, Robert, deceased; Alexander, of Fairview Township, Mercer County; Samuel, deceased; Betsey, wife of Frederick Breede, of Crawford County, Penn.; John and Louisa, deceased.  He died in 1860 at the age of sixty-three. 

His father died in 1859 at the age of ninety-three.  William was the eldest son, and was born in 1817 on the old homestead, and was educated in the common schools.  He was apprenticed to the carpenter's trade, which business he followed for some ten years, then engaged in farming upon a part of the homestead, and has since followed farming.  He married in 1851, Miss Mary A., daughter of David and Kate (Gundy) Crawford, and they have one child, David W.

Source:  History of Mercer County, 1888, pages 847-848, Chapter 33, Biographies of Shenango and Hickory - - Shenango Township



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