William Elkin

WILLIAM ELKIN, one of the best known and most influential men of West Jeannette. Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, was born in county Tyrone, Ireland, May 2, 1850. He is the son of Hugh and Margaret (Watson) Elkin, who lived and died in Ireland and were the parents of seven children, three of whom survive: David, of Fayette county: Annie, widow of William Lemon, of Ireland: and William Elkin. of whom later.

On his seventeenth birthday William Elkin left his native place and sailed for America shores, landing in Quebec, Canada, thence to Glenham Dutchess county, New York, where he resided for four or five years, being employed during this time in a dyeing establishment. In 1872 he removed to Pittsburg, where he was employed in an iron works for fourteen years, with the exception of a few months spent in Wellsville, Ohio. In 1886 Mr. Elkin decided to enter into business for himself and accordingly opened a hotel in Pittsburg, at 1240 Pennsylvania avenue. He conducted this establishment for six years with considerable success, and then selling out his business removed to West Jeannette, where better opportunities presented themselves for an extensive and profitable business. Mr. Elkin established his hotel on property which he had purchased three years prior to his removal to that place, and spared neither time nor labor to make his establishment a well-equipped and commodious house. Ever since the Elkin House was opened to the public it has been counted among the most popular and best paving hotels of that section. and the proprietor, -Mr. Elkin, is to be congratulated on his well deserved success. As a citizen Mr. Elkin is held in the highest esteem by his fellow townsmen, which is demonstrated by the fact that he was elected this spring to his third term as school director, and is counted among the most influential men of Jeannette. ¢4r. Elkin's political sympathies lie with the Republican party, and while he has never aspired to public office he takes a deep and lasting interest in all affairs bearing upon the welfare of his town and county. He is a member of Jeannette Lodge, No. 468, B. P. O. E. and the Orangemen's Lodge. In religious matters he affiliates with the Episcopal church, and was a member of the building committee during the construction of the church building in 1904.

November 10, 1875, Mr. Elkin was united in marriage to Elizabeth C. Elkin, a native of Indiana county, daughter of Francis and Elizabeth (Pratt) Elkin, and a sister of John P. Elkin. Their children are: William F.. with his father in the hotel business; Lilly May, teacher in the Jeannette schools; Margaret Myrtle, a teacher in Hempfield township schools: Charles Alfred, reading medicine in the University of Pennsylvania; Olive Florence; at home; and Hazel Catherine, at home.  

Source: Page(s) 218, History of Westmoreland County, Volume II, Pennsylvania by John N Boucher. New York, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1906.
Transcribed August 2008 by Nathan Zipfel for the Westmoreland County History Project
Contributed for use by the Westmoreland County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/westmoreland/)

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