Aug 26 2000 12:00AM By Judy Hruska: New Castle News Going way back: Morehead family can trace its roots in New Castle to mid-1700s Suzanne Peluso's ancestors have been a part of New Castle's history since the mid 1700s. The East Side resident's fourth generation great grandfather, William Morehead, came to the United States from Scotland and settled in Westmoreland County. He relocated to a farm between New Castle and Mahoningtown that would later become the site of the Shenango Tin Mill. The next two generations of the Morehead family were born on that farm. William married the former Elizabeth Bornett around 1765 and they had 11 children: Martha, Agnes, Elizabeth, Mary, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Lydia, Samuel, Josiah and James. William was the first elder of First Presbyterian Church in New Castle, as well as a revolutionary soldier in Cumberland County. He died on May 27, 1819, at the age of 71. His wife, who lived to be 86, died on March 20, 1832. Their son, James, grew up to farm the same tract of land where he was born. He married the former Catherine Henderson and they had nine children: William, Joseph, Samuel, John, Hugh, Selinda McCleary, James, Elizabeth McKinley and Harvey. Their son, Hugh, born July 8, 1814, took up bricklaying and plastering at the age of 17. Later he joined his brother, Samuel, in the leather business. In 1841, he married the former Rachel Falls. Their "wedding trip was taken by horseback in accordance with the custom of the times," her obituary read. They lived in a framed house on a site once occupied by the Hotel Henry. Today, the Zambelli Building, at the corner of Market and South Mercer, sits on the property. Later, Hugh built a house on East Street with lumber he had floated down the river. Hugh and Rachel had eight children: Maria Harbison, Sarah Cunningham, Ellen Bard, Eva Long, Mary White, Fannie Morehead, Lizzie Morehead and Thomas F. Morehead. Hugh retired from the leather business in 1864 because of changes in the trade and continued to be involved in public service. When Rachel died on Sept. 7, 1911, she was the oldest female New Castle native. Hugh died on Jan. 3, 1899. Their son, Thomas F., was born on Oct. 30, 1863. He became a highly successful and well-known city businessman. As a young man, Thomas entered the insurance company Harbison and Knox. After Harbison's death, Thomas became a partner and the name changed to Knox and Morehead. He remained in the insurance business until his retirement in 1924. Thomas also served as director of the Lehigh Portland Cement Co., which constructed nine miles of railroad in Lawrence County for the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburgh Railway. He also helped form and presided over the Shenango Valley Corporation and Improvement Co., was director of First National Bank of Lawrence County and the Union Trust Co. and was treasurer of the New Castle Forge and Bolt Co. On Oct. 5, 1887, Thomas married the former Dorothy Elizabeth Taggart, a daughter of John and Nancy Hamilton Taggart. They bought property on Moody Avenue at the site Calvary Independent Church now occupies. During World War I, Thomas headed the local American Red Cross chapter and other war work activities. As chairman of the greens committee of the New Castle Field Club, he supervised the construction of its golf course. Thomas was one of the original backers for The Castleton Hotel, supervised its construction and served as president of its board for many years. According to family folklore, Thomas had thee cars, two Packards and one Buick with a jump seat that folded under the dash. At 5 feet, 7 inches tall, he had a difficult time seeing over the steering wheel of the Packard. Dorothy died in 1931 and Thomas, in 1938. They had two daughters, Rachel and Dorothy. Rachel married Rufus C. McKinley on Aug. 1, 1916. They had two children: John and Elizabeth. John married the former Patricia Reznor and they had three children, John R., Tom and Mary. John R.'s wife, Sue Ann, and their children - Jamie, Megan, Ethan and Benn - live in New Wilmington. Tom also lives in New Wilmington with his wife, Mary, and four children - Cameron, Colin, Mayer and Maggie. Mary lives in Seven Lakes, N.C., with her husband, John Stewart. Dorothy married Harold Heck and they lived across the street from her parents. Today, Suzanne Peluso's cousin, Roger Narlee, lives in the Hecks' house and runs R. Narlee and Associates, a steel building contractor, from a remodeled building that had once served as a chicken coop. Suzanne, 49, remembers her grandmother, Dorothy Heck, as a prim and proper woman who was small and, in her later years, confined to a wheelchair. The two share a birthday - Aug. 28. Dorothy was a member of First Presbyterian Church and its ABD Society. She also was a board member of the Almira Home, a past president of the Jameson Junior Guild and active with the American Red Cross during World War II. Suzanne remembers spending time with her grandfather, Harold, after Dorothy's death in 1968. "We had nice long conversations," she recalled. "He had a German lady cook for him and they would get into these conversations and one would just feed on the other. They'd sit there and wink at me and I would just howl. It was so comical." Harold was a heating contractor for 50 years before retiring. He was 93 when he died in 1985. Harold and Dorothy had three children: Thomas, Nancy and Dorothy Louise. Dorothy Louise Narlee Baxter has four children: Nancy Brehm of Texas, Andrew of Mercer, Roger of New Castle and Ron of Warren, Pa. Roger and his wife. Kathy. have two children: Jared and Caitlyn. Nancy is married to Sam Byers and they live on the North Hill. They have two children, Jeff and Lynda. Jeff and his wife, Nancy, have three boys and live in Wisconsin. Lynda lives in Portland, Ore. Thomas married the former Maxine Bilger on Nov. 18, 1941. They live in Volant, in the former summer home of Dorothy and Harold. Thomas continues to farm the land at the age of 82. Thomas and Maxine had four children: Elizabeth, Thomas Jr., Suzanne and William. Elizabeth married George Horchler and lives outside of Volant. Their children are George "Woody" Horchler of Volant and June Marie Horchler in Washington, D.C. Thomas Jr. married the former Judy Brower and they live in Mentor, Ohio. Their children are Jason Morehead Heck and Gretchen, who is married to Sean McGinnis. Suzanne is married to Raymond Peluso III and they live on the East Side with their children, Raymond P. and Donald. William G. Heck lives in Mentor, Ohio, and has two children, Erin and William Zackary. (The New Castle Public Library contributed to this story.)