John Andrews

biography

Andrews, John, retired farmer, P.O. Evansburg, was born in Vernon Township, this county, April 6, 1816, son of Robert and Sarah (Chidester) Andrews, who had eight children, five now living. Robert Andrews was a native of County Tyrone, Ireland; came to America in 1784, locating at Harrisburg, Penn., from thence moving to Allegheny County in 1792, and finally to what is now Crawford County. Here he made a clearing on French Creek, Vernon Township, and erected a building. In the fall of 1792 he and a number of others started for Harrisburg, Penn., but got lost, their pack-horse died of starvation, and they were obliged to subsist on a couple of snakes which they found and a deer-skin that was roasted after the hair had been burned off. After innumerable privations they reached their destination. On their return home they employed an Indian guide to conduct them to Franklin, but in him the party placed little confidence, being in constant dread lest he should betray them. When within a day’s journey of Franklin they came to a camp fire, a little beyond which they discovered a horse. After resting a day in Franklin they met there a man named Vansickle, who informed them the horse they had seen was his; that he and two comrades, named Power and Wallace, were surprised at the camp fire by Indians firing on them from an ambuscade. Power and Wallace were killed, but Vansickle showed the savages his heels, and although chased by one of them armed with a tomahawk for a considerable distance he succeeded in outrunning the Indian, who then gave up the pursuit. Robert Andrews returned to his clearing in Vernon Township the following spring (1793) in order to hold his title, as the law was that "a settler must have smoke on his premises every day for five years." This farm is still owned by his descendants, and on it John Andrews was born and reared. Our subject learned milling as an occupation. He was married, June 2, 1847, to Mary D. Abbott. By this union were born six children, three now living: Eva B., Sadie and Ella. The sons are all deceased. Mr. Andrews is a member of the United Presbyterian Church, in which he is also an Elder. His nephew, James M. Abbott, with whom he spends many leisure hours, does a hardware business at Evansburg.

History of Crawford County, Pennsylvania: containing a history of the county, its townships, towns, villages, schools, churches, industries, etc., portraits of early settlers and prominent men, biographies, history of Pennsylvania, statistical and miscellaneous matter, Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co., 1885.