David Achre    

DAVID ACHRE, farmer, post-office Mercer, was born August 10, 1823, to Daniel and Rebecca (Richard) Achre, natives of Lehigh County, Penn., who came to this county about the year 1836. They settled near Greenville, and six years later moved to the farm adjoining that of our subject. Here the parents died after having been blessed with the following children: William, Daniel, David, Elias, Elizabeth, married Joseph Humphrey; Margaret, married David Baxter; James, deceased; Henry, deceased, and Lucy A. The parents were Lutherans. David Achre was educated in the country schools, and was married in 1851 to Salome Miller, who died in 1857, leaving two children: Gilbert W., born May 16, 1852, married Eva S. Reed, and Newton, born February 2, 1858. He was subsequently married to Mary E., a sister of his first wife, and by her had: Eva, born May 21, 1868, died August 24, 1865; Victor D., born April 28, 1873, died December 28, 1874, and an infant, born July 6, 1877, died July 10, 1877. Mr. Achre settled on his present farm in 1861. He and wife are members of the Second Presbyterian Church of Mercer. He is a Republican. Peter J. Miller, the father of Mrs. Achre, was born in Westmoreland County, Penn., September 6, 1807, and grew to manhood in that county, where he learned the art of coverlet weaving. In October, 1829, he married Miss Sarah Cribbs, of the same place, and for several years followed the occupation of weaving as a trade. In 1836 he moved with his family to Mercer, Mercer County, and engaged in weaving coverlets, carpets, table linen and all kinds of fabrics, some of which will be kept and handed down to future generations as mementoes of his workmanship. He also held offices of trust, having been elected justice of the peace two terms in succession. In 1866 he moved to Minnesota, and there died August 14, 1886. Mr. and Mrs. Miller reared a family of ten children, five sons and five daughters, eight of whom are now living: Susannah was for many years an efficient teacher in the common-schools of Mercer County, married Jacob Beighley, of this county, and in 1857 settled with her husband in Minnesota, where he is a prominent and prosperous grain merchant. She has one daughter, named Ruth E., who married William Buchannan. Mr. and Mrs. Beighley are Methodists; Sarah married David Cook and lives in Mercer County; Louisa married S. P. Beighley, and with him lives in Minnesota. She is the mother of ten children: Samuel M., Mary E., Harvey F., Joseph E., Ellen E., Maggie L., James A., Agnes B., Ruth E. and Grace E.; Michael P., married Oleanna Alson and resides in Minnesota. Joseph H. married Rachel J. Burnes and lives in Minnesota. John L. married Mary Buchannan and resides in Minnesota, where also his single brother, Samuel, lives. Joseph H. was in the service of his country from Mercer County, and was taken prisoner and confined in Andersonville and Libby prisons for about six months. Peter Beighley, the father of Jacob and Simon P. Beighley, came to Mercer County with his family in 1846. They settled in Lake Township, but his sons soon became tired of clearing away the large timber and prevailed upon their father to allow them to take Greeley’s advice "to go West and grow up with the country." Accordingly the family went to Minnesota in 1857, where he died in 1876. His widow died in 1878. Their son, Simon P., was engaged in fighting the Indians in Minnesota in the early part of the Rebellion, and later came to the support of his country in Company C, Fifth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. He was in the service about three years, and fought in the battle of Gettysburg.

History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania : its past and present : including its aboriginal history, its early settlement and development, a description of its historic and interesting localities, sketches of its boroughs, townships and villages, neighborhood and family histories, portraits and biographies of pioneers and representative citizens, statistics, etc. : also, a condensed history of Pennsylvania. Chicago, Ill.: Brown, Runk & Co., 1888.  Read this book on line - Free Trial  Search Hundreds of 1880s-1890s Pennsylvania County History Books for biographies and historical information on your ancestors.  View the book page images on line and print them out for your genealogy file!  Free Access to the old history books - plus birth & death records, census images and ALL other records at ancestry.com.