William A. Louden
WILLIAM A. LOUDEN, who occupies a high position among the prosperous and representative business men of Kittanning, was born July 10, 1853, in Clarion county, Pa, son of David and Lydia (Westner) Louden. David Louden was born in Westmoreland county, Pa., but settled in Clarion county in 1850, and there reared his family of ten children, viz.: Francis, William A., Henry A., Jennie, George W., Mary, John, Elizabeth, Rena and Annie. The father of these children followed farming all his active life. He is now eighty-seven years old.William A. Louden attended public school at Cherry Run, Clarion Co., Pa., and worked on the homestead farm until sixteen years old, when he went to Oil City, Pa. For twelve years thereafter he was engaged in drilling gas and oil wells in that vicinity. He then went to the Clarion oil fields to work at tool dressing for five years, when he resumed his drilling of wells, spending twelve years more in this line. By this time he was able to buy an outfit, and began drilling wells under contract. Owing to his good judgment and experience Mr. Louden is able to select fruitful spots, having only twenty dry holes against him, a most remarkable record, for he has drilled over six hundred wells in Pennsylvania alone, besides many in West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois, His record for Armstrong is about three hundred, and in nearly all of them he found gas as well as oil. For some years Mr. Louden has been working with a partner, W. H. Smith, under the name of Louden & Smith Company, this firm being one of the best known in this line in Pennsylvania. In 1906 the firm rented and subsequently bought out the Kittanning Tool Company, owners of a well equipped shop, furnished with all machinery for manufacturing and repairing all kinds of oil well tools and other appliances. Mr. Louden has accumulated considerable valuable realty, and is building several houses in Kittanning, for he has great faith in the future of this city, from which he conducts his business operations.
In 1884, Mr. Louden married Martha Dison, daughter of Robert Dison, of Monroe county, N. Y. Six children were born of this marriage, three of whom died in infancy: William J., who is in business with his father, having charge of the repair shop at Kittanning; Clarence E., also engaged with his father, drilling wells; and Clara May. Mr. Louden belongs to the Masonic lodge at Bellview, Pa. In religious faith, he is a United Presbyterian, being a member of the church of that denomination at Kittanning, and serving it as trustee for several years.
Source: Pages 439, Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and Present, J.H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed September 2001 by Vaughn Davis for the Armstrong County Beers Project
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