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biography
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Irwin, James Harvey, deceased, was in his day one of the representative
businessmen of Allegheny county. He was born in Mifflin township on
September 16, 1825, and was a lineal descendant of one of the oldest
families in that section of the state.
His paternal grandfather, Joseph Irwin, was born in the southern part of
Ireland in 1710. In 1732, more than forty years before the Declaration of
Independence, he came to America taking up a tract of land and obtaining
the patent, calling it "Wormwood Farm" and located in what is now
Miffling township. There he followed the vocation of a farmer until his
death which occurred in 1790. There his son, James Irwin, grew to
manhood; married Miss Margaret Whittaker, the daughter of a neighboring
farmer, and one of the children born to this union was James H Irwin, the
subject of this sketch.
On June 10, 1860, he was married to Miss Eliza West, daughter of Matthew
and Mary West who were among the early settlers of the county. To this
marriage there were born three children: James Kennedy Irwin; Ettie M
Irwin; and Dessie Irwin, who is now the wife of R L Thompson of Ben Avon.
After his marriage, Mr Irwin located at East Bethlehem, Washington
county, Penna.
In 1870 he came to Pittsburg and soon after began dealing in real estate
and investing in various enterprises in which, owing to his sound
business judgment, he was usually successful. He continued in this
business all his life and from the very nature of his occupation, he
formed many acquaintances, a large majority of whom became steadfast
friends.
Politcally Mr Irwin was a whig in his earlier years. Upon the
organization of the republican party he became one of its staunchest
adherents, and remained so until 1876 when he voted for Tilden, and from
that time until his death he was a supporter of democratic principles. He
was a member of the United Presbyterian church, and died firm in that
faith on February 9, 1901. His widow is still living and is a resident of
Ben Avon, a beautiful suburb of Pittsburgh.
The son, J Kennedy Irwin, MD, who is well known in Pittsburgh as a
physician and specialist on diseases of the eye, was born in Washington
county, Penna, September 18, 1852, but shortly afterward removed to
Allegheny county, and has since resided there. Dr Irwin attended the
common schools of Allegheny county, and later St Vincent's college at
Latrobe, Penna, where he was graduated in a classical course in 1882,
receiving the degree of master of arts. He then entered Illinois state
pharmaceutical college and was graduated in pharmacy in 1884. Then he
attended Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, and graduated from
that institution in 1888 with the degree of MD. For four years after
graduating he practiced in Philadelphia with Professor L Webster Fox, a
prominent lecturer of ophthalmology. At the end of that time he came to
Pittsburg, where he has taken an eminent position among the leading
physicians of the city. He resides in Ben Avon, has offices in the Smith
building, and devotes the major portion of his time to diseases of the
eye. Dr Irwin is a member of the Philadelphia county medical society, the
American medical association, the alumni of Jefferson Medical College, is
medical examiner for the New York life insurance company, and chief
medical director for the Order of Unity.
He was married in 1891 to Margaret, daughter of Richard M Webb and
Pauline Miller Webb, her father having been a prominent leather
manufacturer in Jersey City, New Jersey. They had two children: James H
Irwin, Jr and Richard Webb Irwin. Mrs Irwin died July 4, 1896, and is
sincerely mourned by a large circle of friends.
Memoirs of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania; personal and genealogical.
Vol. 1 p 260
Contributed by Marta Burns.
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