MATTHEW H. PAFFRATH, proprietor of the �American
Hotel� at Ford City, Armstrong county, has lived at that place since 1888
with the exception of a brief stay at Alexander, Pa., and he is now one of its
successful business men. He is a
native of Germany, born Aug. 18, 1861, in Rheinland, son of William and
Catherine (Mueller) Paffrath, both also natives of Rheinland.
William Paffrath was a shoemaker by trade.
He came to America with his family in 1886.
To him and his wife were born six children, two sons and four
daughters: Matthhew H.; Theodore,
a traveling salesman, who lives at Butler, Pa.; Theresa, wife of Frank Dohner,
of Tarentum, Pa.; Annie, deceased, who was the wife of Arnold Tieons;
Gertrude, who married John Danhof, a glass worker, of Ford City; and Bertha,
who married Charles Heinrichs, of Coal Center, Pennsylvania.
Matthew H. Paffrath attended school in Germany, but he has had to
acquire his knowledge of English through his own efforts.
He came to America with the family in 1886.
When but thirteen years old he had gone to work in the glass works at
Schalke, Germany, working there until he came to this country.
The family settled at Tarentum, Pa., and he went to work in the
Pittsburgh Plate Glass Works, continuing at that point for two years, at the
end of which time the company sent him to their plant at Ford City.
Here he worked for them until 1896, in which year he went to Alexander,
Pa., working at that place until 1900 and then returning to Ford City, where
he was again in the employ of the glass company.
In 1906 he embarked in the wholesale liquor business, in which he was
engaged until 1909, at that time buying the �American Hotel,� to the
operation of which he has since given the principal part of his attention.
He has met with gratifying success, and is one of the substantial
citizens of the borough, respected for his industrious career and the
enterprise he has shown in advancing himself in spite of many obstacles in his
early life.
On Jan. 10, 1885, Mr. Paffrath was married to Theresa Roll, of
Altendorn, Germany, and they have had a family of five children: Therese,
married Anton Kracht, a glass worker of Ford City, and they have four
children, August, Mary, William and Therese; William, who is with his father
at Ford City, married Margaret Wintgens, and has two children, Margaret and
William; Mary is at home; Annie married Joseph Rauscher, a glass worker at
Ford City; John, a glass worker, lives at home.
Mr. Paffrath and his family are members of St. Mary�s Catholic
Church, at Ford City, and socially he holds membership in the Knights of St.
George, Fraternal Order of Eagles (Aerie No. 606, of Ford City) and the
Shooting Club of Ford City. In
politics he is a Democrat.
Source: Page 855-856, Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and
Present, J. H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed May 2002 by James R. Hindman for the Armstrong County Beers
Project
Contributed for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)
Armstrong County Genealogy Project Notice:
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