Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/609

 CO LUM BIA A N D M ONTOUR COUNTIES have become the fiarents o f children as follow s: Mar)% Downer, a civil engineer, now o f Little Hock, A rk., who married L iva Davcnport, of Plymouth, Pa., and has one child, Catherine; and Chivcrton, who resides wilh his parents at Berwick. W II-L IA M A . B U T T, partner in the Benton Store Company and United States gauger for the T w elfth district, was bom in Columbia county. P a., near W aller, in Jackson township, Ju n e 4, 1874, son o f Zcphaniah A . Butt, grandson o f Joseph Butt and greatgrandson of William Butt, a pioneer settler of the county. William Butt came from England to Am erica in the early part of the nineteenth century, and located in New Jersey. Ahout 1840 he came to Columbia county and liought two farm s, one near D errs and the other near W aller. He w as a shoemaker, and followed his trade at intervals when the farm tasks were completed. H e died at the age o f ninetyfive, leaving two sons, Joseph and ZcphanLih. The latter w as a physician and slave owner, living in O cala, Florida. Joseph Hutt. grandfather o f William A. Rutt. followed farming for a short time after reaching his m ajority and then went to work on the old Pennsylvania canal, in Schuylkill county, continuing in this work for a number o f years. In the later years o f his life he returned to the farm, where he died at the age o f seventy-two. He was married to M ary, <laughter o f Peter Hodges, and (hey had six children: Sarah, deceased, xvifc o f W . L . P ark e r: Theodosia, deceased, w ife o f S . W . McHcnr)*: Anna, w ife o f S. L. Hess, of Renton: Josephine, w ife o f S. R. Rtein: Zqihaniah A ., mentioned below; and J. A ., living at Du Bois, Pennsylvania. Zcphaniah A. Butt, the father o f WiUiam A. Rutt, was Ixim In Jackson township M ay 18, 1850. and while attending the country schools assisted his father on the farm. F o r sixteen years he followed the occupation o f lumberman, and then in 1903 came to Benton and engaged in the marble and granite business, which he is still operating, his son. W illiam A ., being associated with him as |>artncr. M r. Butt has a farm o f 107 acres in Benton township. In 1870 he married G a r a, (laughter o f Daniel L . and M ary (B ro w n ) E verIiart, and four children came to this union: Hon. G aren ce Hutt. attorney at law and reprcsentalive in Congress from the Slate o f Oregon, has two children. Ralph A. and Joseph D .; William A. is mentionetl late r;

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M ary, a school teacher, is living at home; Anna Alvcrda is the w ife o f R oy M cHenry, M r. Butt is a Republican |>olitically. lie served as tax collector and school director for eighteen years, and was presidetU, secretary und treasurer of the lioard; w*as assessor for six years, and s c m d as county auditor for one term. He is a member of the P. O. S. o f and was at one time an Odd Fellow, William A. Butt attended public school and a select school at Benton, later entered the Bloomsburg State Normal 5 khool, and then took a course i t Woods Business College, from which he graduated. H e (aught six tcrnvs in (he schools o f Columbia county, until 1898, when he established the Benton Marble and Granite orks. H e w as also for a time interested in a confectionery at Benton, In i he w as appointed United States gauger for the old T w elfth district, a position which he still holds. In 1905, when the Benton Store Conqiany was organized, he became one u f the partners, and in 19 12, when the firm w as incorjiorafed, he assumed the presidency of the organization. He is a half owner in the business and sole owner of the store building. In (900 M r. Butt married Georgiana, daughter o f TlKinipson and Clara (H ess) McHenry. M r. Rutt is a past master o f Orangevilic Lodge, No. 460. F . 8r A . M., but has tra n s fc rr ^ his mcmlicrship to Benton I,.odge, No. 667. He belongs to the Craftsm an O ub o f Bloomshurg. is a Republican. ,and is a mcmlier of the O iristian Church. R O B E R T Y O R K S G E A R H A R T is assistant cashier of the First National Ikink o f Danville, with which institution the family has been continuously connected for a period of almost fifty years, since his father became teller in 1805. T he Gearharts have been a numerous and prominent family in Nortlnnnlierland county, Pa., since shortly after the close of the Revolutionar)* war, and one o f its townships has lieen named in their honor. T w o brothers, Jacob and William Gearhart, settled in that county about 1790. the former in what is now Gearhart township, the latter in Kush (ownship. jacoli Gearhart w as Ixirn in 1735 in Sirasburg, then a city o f France, now liclonging to Geniuiny. and came to the N ew W orld whni a young man. landing at New Y o rk in 1754* We soon crossed over into Hunterdon county, N. J .. where he made his home for m.iny years. When the Revolution broke out he was one of the first to offer his services to his