Cyrus T. Long

CYRUS T. LONG, among the leading surveyors and most thoroughly accurate civil engineers of western Pennsylvania, as well as an ex-county surveyor of Westmoreland county, was born three miles north of Mount Pleasant, Mount Pleasant township, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, November 1840, the son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Tedrow) Long. The American story of the Long family was Jacob Long (grandfather), who was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, in 1759. He emigrated to America, served as a teamster in the war of the revolution, and came to Westmoreland county in 1803. He purchased a farm of one hundred and seventy-five acres near Mount Pleasant, and died in 1841, at the age of eighty-two years. He had four sons and one daughter, all long since deceased. 

Jacob Long (father of Cyrus T. Long) was born in Caernavon township, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, November 19, 1797, and came with his parents to Westmoreland county when but six years of age. He was a highly successful farmer, a Republican in politics, and a staunch member of the Evangelical Lutheran church. In manners, he was a quiet, unassuming man, and died September 26, 1871. His wife was Elizabeth Tedrow, youngest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Tedrow, of Fayette county, Pennsylvania. They had two children: Cyrus T., and Nancy, who married William G: Kell, now deceased. 

Cyrus T. Long received his education in the common public school, and at Sewicklev Academy which he attended two and one-half years, when It was under the charge of Professors L. Y. Graham and W. A. Raub. He made a specialty of mathematics during his academic course, yet made much progress in Greek and Latin studies. He began reading law with Hon. Henry D. Foster in 1859, and four years later went to Johnstown. Pennsylvania, where he completed his legal studies with his cousin, Cyrus L. Pershing, who subsequently became judge of one of the eastern Pennsylvania counties. In September 1864, Mr. Long was admitted to the bar of Cambria county, Pennsylvania, and in August 1865, to the bar of Westmoreland county, but he soon forsook that profession for what seemed to be more to his natural liking-surveying, which profession he had commenced in his boyhood days. He was elected county surveyor in Westmoreland county in 1871, and re-elected in 1874. For a score of years and more he has been employed by individuals and large corporations to do their surveying. He is thoroughly competent in this line, and possesses a fine library on the subject, as well as a fine collection of the best standard books in literature and science. The universal opinion in this part of the state is that he has few equals and no superiors, as a practical engineer and surveyor. He married, July 8, 1872. Barbara S. Durstine, daughter of Henry Durstine, near Mount Pleasant. Their children were: I. John D., born February 12, 1874; a graduate of Washington and Jefferson College, with a degree of Doctor of Medicine from the University of Pennsylvania. For the last four years he has been practicing in the United States service at Manila, Philippine Islands. 2. Henry D., born March 13, 1876, a medical doctor, who graduated from Johns Hopkins University, and now located at Ellis Island, New York, in the service of the United States government. 3. Edwin C., born April 13. 1878, attended Washington and Jefferson College, but left prior to graduation. When the Spanish-American war came on, he enlisted from the college he was attending as a private soldier for one year and was promoted to second lieutenant and served as such two years in the Philippine Islands, came home and was promoted to first lieutenant, and is stationed at San Francisco, California. He was appointed by President McKinley. 

Mrs. Long died the last week in December, 1894, greatly mourned by a well reared family. Mr. Long is still vigorous, and attends to the duties of his profession with the same skill and industry as would one a score of years younger. Politically he is a Democrat, but he has never taken to campaign work, preferring to attend strictly to the calling of his life in which he is a master. He has had an active career in his profession, and there are many results of his work in western Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Presbyterian church at Greensburg, his home. 

Source: Page(s) 107 - 109, 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/)

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