Posted on: Venango Co. Pa Biographies Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Pa/VenangoBios/10361 Surname: Rhoades, Holeman, Collins, Burns, Carroll, Cannon, Humphrey, McClelland, McCray, Webber, Pennell, Johnson, Borland, Saltzman, Rohrer, Burchfield, Bowman, Pickett, Mason, Wilhelm ------------------------- “History of Venango County, Her Pioneers and People”, 1919, Vol. II, pps. 829 - 830 Lyman D. Rhoads Lyman D. Rhoades of Oil City, has been associated with the oil business in this section for considerably more than fifty years, having settled in the oil country in 1861, from which year his connection with its leading industry dates. Mr. Rhoades is a native of Conneaut Lake, Crawford Co., Pa, born in June 1846, son of Samuel Rhoades and grandson of Samuel Rhoades, the first representative of the family in Venango County, Pa. His great-grandfather came from Rhode Island. Samuel Rhoades, grandfather of Lyman D. Rhoades, came to this region from Livingston County, N.Y., under government appointment as Indian agent for the Cornplanter tribe. He continued to serve in that capacity until his death, which occurred when he was fifty-six years old, at Polk. His grave is in the old cemetery at Franklin. Mr. Rhoades acquired valuable interests of his own here, making his home at Waterloo (now Polk) and owning a big tract of land where the Polk Institution is now situated. He had part of it under cultivation. His religious connection was with the Presbyterian Church, and his political support was given to the Democratic party. By his first wife, whose maiden name was Holeman, Mr. Rhoades had five children, namely: Charles; Samuel; Rebecca, who became Mrs. William Collins; Nancy, wife of John Burns; and Margaret, wife of John Carroll. To his second marriage was born one daughter, Ruth, who married George B. McClelland, a captain in the Civil War, and (second) a Mr. Humphrey. Samuel Rhoades, father of Lyman D. Rhoades, was born in the Genesee Valley in Livingston County, N. Y., and died July 8, 1860, in the “Guard House,” Third aand Smithfield Streets, Pittsburgh, Pa. He is buried at Kittanning, Pa. In his active and varied life he did some important contract work in several parts of the country, being so engaged during the better part of his business career. One of his first undertakings in that line was the construction of a mile of the Bellefonte and Erie pike. Conneaut Lake was developed from a swamp as a feeder to the Erie extension canal by him; in 1852 he built a part of the Fort Wayne & Chicago railroad (originally part of the Ohio & Pennsylvania system); a bridge across the Allegheny at Kittanning; and from there went South to lay part of the Iron Mountain railroad in Missouri and Arkansas. His next work was in Mississippi, where he constructed the levee at Carmacks steamboat landing in Issaquena county, and where he ws attacked by the illness which caused his death. He employed many men and managed his extensive business interests most successfully. Like the family generally, Mr. Rhoades was associated with the Presbyterian Church, and he was a Republican in political sentiment. To his marriage with Margaret Cannon were born five children: Samuel A., who married a Bowman, died at White River, S. Dak.; John C. died at Kansas City, Mo., when seventy years old; Lyman D. is mentioned below; Hortensia J. married A. F. McCray, of Caldwell County, Mo.; Anna Murrell, widow of James Webber, lives in Kansas City, Mo. The mother of this family was a native of Columbiana County, Ohio, daughter of John Cannon, who built the first flouring mill in that region, and who was a member of the family for whom Canonsburg, Pa., was named. Mrs. Rhoades died in 1884, at the age of seventy years, and is buried in Grove Hill cemetery, Oil City. Lyman D. Rhoades acquired his education in the schools of New Brighton, Beaver Co., Pa, Kittanning, Armstrong Co., Pa., and Curry Seminary at New Brighton, which institution has since been removed to Pittsburgh. After his father’s death he began work in 1860, in the lumber woods in Jefferson County, Pa., hauling square timber to a place on the Clarion River then known as Armstrong’s Dam, now Clarendon, during the winter. He arrived in the oil country April 9, 1861, and made his first trip to Oil City the latter part of that month, finding a permanent position in July. For ten years he was engaged in boating and teaming oil, and he gained thorough familiarity with the different branches of the business as carried on in the vicinity, though he has always been principally identified with production in which he is still interested. He has also acquired holdings in other territories, but his operations as a producer have all been within three miles of Oil City. Formerly he was a member of one of the directors of the Ridge View Sand Company, producers of oil and sand, who maintained an office in the Levi block in Oil City. He is a member of the First Presbyterian Church and a Republican in political association, but has never been active in any circles outside of business, though he has high standing wherever known. Mr. Rhoades married Eliza B. Pennell, a native of Johnstown, Pa., and they are the parents of the following children: Harvey L., now engaged in the men’s furnishings business in Erie, Pa., married Elizabeth Johnson and has children, Virginia, Lyman D., Harry and Margaret. Gertrude A. is employed in the office of the Borland Lumber Company in Oil City and lives at home. Ralph is engaged in the oil business as a producer and contractor, being established at Oilton, Okla. Randall P., salesman for the Kern wholesale grocery house of Oil City, married Bertha Borland. Colonel Winfield was with the Hill Contracting Company of Chicago, Ill, until his death, which occurred at Flushing, L. I. (he left a wife, Sylvia, of Rochester, N. Y., and one child, Robert Winfield). William J., a drilling contractor, was instantly killed in an automobile accident July 3, 1916 (he married Salinda Saltzman, and had one child, Emma Louise). James Pennell, father of Mrs. Lyman D. Rhoades, was born in Philadelphia, Pa., and after settling in this section of Pennsylvania followed the oil business, merchandising and other activities. He was a Democrat and took an active part in politics, held membership in the Presbyterian Church, and was a well - known man of his day. His death occurred at the age of seventy-two years in Pleasantville, Venango County, where he and his wife, Sarah (Miller) are buried. She was reared in Philadelphia, being a daughter of martin Miller, formerly of that city, who took up considerable land in Venango and Forest counties when he came to this part of the State. Later he engaged in the oil business, and removed to Oil City, and he acquired much valuable property in the course of his prosperous career. For some time before his death he lived retired. He and his wife, whose maiden name was Rohrer, are buried at Titusville. Children as follows were born to Mr. and Mrs. James Pennell: William (who is deceased) married Nancy Burchfield; Laura is the wife of Hamilton Bowman, of Fairmont, W. Va., now living retired; James, who married Ada Bowman, is a resident of Alliance, Ohio; Eliza B. is the wife of Lyman D. Rhoades, of Oil City; Mattie, now living in New York, is the widown of John Pickett, auditor for the Tidewater Pipe Lines; Martin is in the oil business near Fairmont, W. Va.; Bessie, deceased, was the wife of Dr. Mason, and lived at Roaring Spring, Pa.; Leonard, a resident of Jamestown, N. Y., married a Wilhelm. Transcribed by a non-family member.