Hiram Hill Sipes
HIRAM HILL SIPES (or Sipe), assessor of south Buffalo township, Armstrong county, was born in that township Dec. 29, 1848, son of George Sipes, and resides on the old homestead which was purchased by his grandfather, Charles Sipes (or Sipe), from James Mathias and William Sloan, the original patentees, in 1811.
Charles Sipes, the grandfather, was one of the very first settlers in this region, having come here from Westmoreland county with his wife and infant son in 1797 and located on the ground now occupied by the old Lutheran graveyard, the site of the "old mud church," on the Freeport and Kittanning pike, midway between Freeport and Slate Lick. He cleared the land. Charles Sipes was a very well-known and useful man among the early settlers, having been both a gunsmith and blacksmith. Settlers came for many miles to his shop, the site of which may still be seen on the old homestead, to have rifles made and repaired. Some of the rifles made by him are still in the possession of old families in this region, one being now owned by Alex Livingood. He died Dec. 15, 1831, and is buried in the old Presbyterian cemetery at Slate Lick. His father John was a veteran of the war of 1812.
George Sipes, son of Charles, and father of Hiram Hill Sipes, was born Feb. 13, 1805, in South Buffalo township, and married Dec. 20, 1831, Barbara Painter, who was born in the same township May 25, 1806. Besides Hiram H. they had five children: Charles, John and Anna Eliza being now deceased; the surviving brother, Robert M., now living in Pittsburgh is remembered as a famous stonemason and bricklayer and was admitted to the bar in both Butler and Allegheny counties. The surviving sister, Melissa, is unmarried and resides with her brother Hiram. Hiram H. Sipes also had a half-brother, Thompson McCamish, now deceased, who was a veteran of the Civil war, and a half-sister, Mrs. Harriet Ferry, also deceased. These were children by Mrs. Sipes� former marriage.
Hiram H. Sipes was married Nov. 19, 1879, to Mary Golden, daughter of the late William A. Golden, of Freeport, Pa., and of the children born to this union the following survive: Chester Hale, formerly a teacher in the schools of South Buffalo township and at present a member of the Butler bar, and principal of the Renfrew high school; Charles Krauth, also a former teacher of this township, at present employed in the United States Internal Revenue service; Hiram Hill, Jr., formerly a teacher and at present a teacher in the Lutheran Church schools in India, the first layman ever sent out by the mission board of the Lutheran Church; and Barbara, Alameda, Florence, David Golden and John Luther, at home. Two children died, William George in infancy and Alice in 1903.
Mr. Sipes still follows farming on the old homestead place, raising berries and other fine fruits in addition to general crops. He is also a breeder of good stock, horses and cattle being his specialties.
In politics Mr. Sipes is a stanch Democrat, and though the township is Republican has been elected to important local offices. At present he holds the office of assessor. In religion he is of the Lutheran faith, and is a member of St. Matthew�s congregation at McVill; he served many years on the official board of the church.
Source: Pages 770-771 Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and Present, J.H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed September 1998 by Kathy Zagorac 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:
These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format, for any presentation, without prior written permission.Return to the Beers Project
Return to the Armstrong County Genealogy Project
Return to the Armstrong County Genealogy Project
Return to the Armstrong County Genealogy Project