JOHN CALHOUN of Elizabeth Township
Title: History of Pittsburgh and environs,from prehistoric days to the beginning of the American revolution Vol. 6...
Authors: Fleming, George T. (George Thornton), 1855-1928., American Historical Society.
Pg. 21
JOHN FRANCIS CALHOUN – Four generations of the descendants of ADLY CALHOUN are named in this review: JOHN FRANCIS CALHOUN, of the Allegheny bar, now located in Pittsburgh, Pa.; his grandfather, JOHN CALHOUN, a farmer of Elizabeth Township; his father, ALEXANDER CALHOUN, a farmer of the same locality, Allegheny County; and the two children of JOHN F. CALHOUN; NOEL A. CALHOUN, and GLADA FRANCES CALHOUN.
ADLY CALHOUN, the founder, was born in Ireland, and about 1776 came to this country and found a home in Elizabeth Township, Allegheny Co., Pa.There he planted several hundred acres of government land, upon which he built his home of logs cut from the site of that home.These acres he cleared and cultivated, and in that home, JOHN CALHOUN, only son of ADLY CALHOUN, was born.Two daughters died in girlhood; another, NANCY, died at the age of 84, unmarried; another, MARY, married a MR. CLUGSTON, and died in Pittsburgh.
JOHN CALHOUN was born at the homestead in Elizabeth Township, Allegheny Co., Pa., and there spent his entire life, dying in June, 1849.Being the only son, he inherited the large farm, and during his lifetime completed the clearing-off of the forest which was covering it when ADLY CALHOUN settled thereon.The old log house was replaced by a frame one and there the family lived and prospered.His wife, MARGARET, died in April, 1849, he only surviving her two months.There were the parents of eight children, all born at the homestead: 1. ADLY.2. a Presbyterian minister, who died age 27.3. MARY A., who married JOHN K. GRAHAM.3. JOHN, a farmer who died in early manhood.4. NANCY, who married THOMAS RANKIN.5. JAMES, a lumberman and saw mill owner.6. THOMAS, a farmer.7. MOSES, a farmer.8. ALEXANDER.
ALEXANDER CALHOUN was born at the Allegheny County homestead of the CALHOUNS, Sept. 27, 1839, died at his farm, a part of the original ADLY CALHOUN tract, May 23, 1903.He attended the public district school and was his father’s assistant until the latter’s passing, when he inherited a share of the homestead.He later bought the share of his brother, JAMES CALHOUN, upon which the latter had built a comfortable home, this giving him a farm of 225 acres.There, in the home erected by his brother, he passed the after years of his life in contentment and prosperity, holding the respect and confidence of his neighbors.He was a Democrat in politics for many years, a school director, and for thirty years an elder of the Presbyterian Church.
ALEXANDER CALHOUN married, Jan. 2, 1862, in Lincoln Township, Allegheny Co., Pa., SARAH McCLURE, daughter of FRANCIS and MARTHA (CURRY) McCLURE, granddaughter of ALEXANDER and SARAH (McCLURE) McCLURE, and great-granddaughter of RICHARD McCLURE, who came to Western Pennsylvania from “east of the mountains” and settled on the present site of Glassport.MARTHA (CURRY) McCLURE was a daughter of ROBERT and MARY (BARNES) CURRY, of Coal Valley, Pa., and granddaughter of a Revolutionary soldier.FRANCIS McCLURE owned and worked the farm in Elizabeth Township, adjoining the CALHOUN land.His daughter, SARAH, was educated in the public schools of McKeesport and at Remington Academy.After the death of her husband, MRS. SARAH (McCLURE) CALHOUN continued at the farm, which was managed by her son, JOSEPH W.The children of ALEXANDER and SARAH (McCLURE) CALHOUN were: JOHN FRANCIS, of further mention; EDWARD ALEXANDER, a farmer; ROBERT CALVIN, a county employee; JOSEPH WALTER, manager of the home farm; and SARAH BELLE, who married WILLIAM C. BOYD.JUDGE FRANCIS McCLURE, who occupied the official bench in Pittsburgh the longest of any judge here, and was over one hundred years of age at his death, was a brother of MR. JOHN F. CALHOUN’S great-grandfather.
JOHN FRANCIS CALHOUN, eldest son of ALEXANDER and SARAH (McCLURE) CALHOUN, was born at the homestead in Lincoln Township, Allegheny Co., Pa., Dec. 20, 1862.He attended the district schools and McKeesport Academy, going thence to Curry University, Pittsburgh, whence he was graduated, class of 1884.During these years he had been variously employed, but after graduation, taught school in McKeesport and later was principal of the Tenth Ward Public School.Deciding upon the legal profession, he made some preparation, then entered the law school of the University of Michigan, whence he was graduated LL. B., class of 1890.On June 13, 1891, he was admitted to the Allegheny county bar and has since practiced continuously, his present offices being in the Bakewell Building, Pittsburgh.
For a year after his admission to the bar, MR. CALHOUN practiced alone, then formed a partnership with G. A. Johnson, that association continuing until 1907.He again practiced alone until the admission of his son, NOEL A. CALHOUN, to the bar in 1914, father and son then associating in a partnership, under the firm name of CALHOUN & CALHOUN, which continues (1921).He is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association.
In politics, MR. CALHOUN is a Republican and although he has served for 25 years on the school board in McKeesport, and is now president thereof, he takes no part in political life and has consistently refused all offers of nominations for various city and county offices.He is a member of the Presbyterian church; the Royal Arcanum; Junior Order United American Mechanics; and the Alumni Association of Michigan University.
He married, Oct. 27, 1884, SARAH M. DIAS, born in the same township as her husband, and they are the parents of a son, NOEL ALEXANDER, of whom further; and a daughter, GLADA FRANCES, who died age six months.The family home is in McKeesport.
NOEL ALEXANDER CALHOUN, of the fifth generation of his family in Western Pennsylvania, only son of JOHN FRANCIS and SARAH M. (DIAS) CALHOUN, was born in McKeesport, Pa., March 8, 1886.He prepared in the public schools of McKeesport and after graduation from high school entered Washington and Jefferson College, whence he was graduated A. B. class of 1909.He prepared for the profession of law at the Pittsburgh Law School, of Pittsburgh, there receiving his LL. B. with the graduating class of 1914.In October, 1914, he was admitted to the Allegheny County bar and has since practiced in association with his father, under the firm name of CALHOUN & CALHOUN.He married MILDRED DAVIS, of Glassport, Pa., and they are the parents of three children: SARAH FRANCES, JEAN DAVIS, and NOEL ALEXANDER.
MR. CALHOUN is widely known all over the U. S. for his prowess as a trap shooter, his chief recreation.He has been a member of the Western Trap Shooters’ League since his 41st year (1903), and since 1914 has been vice-president of the league.He has been captain of the two, three, and four men championship teams for many years, and with them has engaged in shooting tournaments and matches all over the states. He has won the individual Western Pennsylvania Championship on three different occasions, the last time in 1911.He won the Western Pennsylvania Championship on doubles in 1920, as well as capturing the Class “A” championship on the league for the same year.In 1921, with a score of 98 out of 100, he led his team in winning the three-man team championship of Pennsylvania, and has won personally over 200 prizes, while his club and team victories have been many.He also ranks very high in actual field work, and abundant testimony is at hand to prove a statement that he is the surest shot on a driving pheasant that the State can produce.Ten days in every year he devotes to hunting, and nothing is allowed to interfere with that vacation.