Joseph Franklin Klingensmith

JOSEPH FRANKLIN KLINGENSMITH. One of the well-known men of Hempfield township is Joseph Franklin Klingensmith. He is the son of Joseph Klingensmith, who was born in 1800 in Allegheny township, and married Catharine, daughter of Michael Frey, of Unity township. Their children were: Joseph Franklin and Levi Kemp Klingensmith. Mr. Klingensmith, the father, died in 1886 in Hempfield township. 

Joseph Franklin Klingensmith, son of Joseph and Catharine (Frey) Klingensmith, was born June 20. 1858, in Hempfield township, and received his primary education in the public schools. He afterward studied for two years at Greensburg Seminary, leaving in 1880 in order to devote himself to his chosen pursuit of agriculture. In 1890, in partnership with William S. Turnev of Greensburg, he embarked in the ice and commission business in that town the firm being known as Klingensmith & Turney. They were the first to enter upon that line of business in their section of the county. Later in the same year he purchased the "Gilchrist farm" in Hempfield township two miles west of Greensburg, and decided to lead thenceforth the life of a farmer and stockman Intrusting the care of the interests of the firm to Mr. Turney, he has since devoted himself with marked success to farming and dairying. Mr. Klingensmith married, October 2, 1882, at Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Margaret M., daughter of John and Mary Ruff, of Hempfield township, and they are the parents of the following children: Irene Estella, John Mac, Levi Franklin, Mary Naomi and Margaret Josephine, all living. 

Source: Page(s) 110 - 111, History of Westmoreland County, Volume 2, Pennsylvania by John N Boucher. New York, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1906. 
Transcribed June 2001 by Nathan Zipfel for the Westmoreland County History Project 
Contributed for use by the Westmoreland County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/westmoreland/)

Westmoreland County Genealogy Project Notice:

These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format, for any presentation, without prior written permission.