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WHO WAS WHO in PLUM TOWNSHIP
~ Titusville Herald ~ Dec. 16, 1957 ~
By H. W. Strawbridge

Samuel Carpenter

Samuel Carpenter, a well-known resident of Wallaceville during the last third of the nineteenth century was born on Sept. 8, 1821. No facts have been handed down as to where he was born or reared.
It is known that his grandfather, who was an only child, had come to America from England. Also Samuel’s father was an only son who reached maturity. Lastly, Samuel himself was an only son, besides having a sister who married a man named Jackson.
Samuel married Miss Ellen C. Jones on Oct. 23, 1845. She was born July 18, 1825, in Juniata County, near Granville, Pa. Her parents were Rev. and Mrs. Daniel Jones. Rev. Jones was a Methodist minister. The Jones were descended from Wales.
Where Samuel and Ellen lived during their early years of marriage isn’t known. However they were living at Cooperstown, Venango County, when they bought a 12-acre property in Wallaceville on April 30, 1864. They paid $650 to John Alsbaugh of Cherrytree Township for this place.
They moved on their new place, and their one-story house with five rooms stood a short distance north of the present Samuel Hartman residence. The remains of an old apple tree still stand beside where the Carpenter house stood.
At the time Carpenters moved there, the blacksmith shop of Hezekiah Thomas stood across the road from the Carpenter house. Also a spring run went through the Carpenter property and crossed the road. The bridge that stood over the run was for many years afterward known as “Carpenter’s Bridge”.
Samuel and Ellen were the parents of seven children and, sadly enough they outlived six of these seven children. They were Sarah Jane Carpenter, Alfred C. Carpenter, Ida Ann Carpenter Cowen, Frances (Fannie) E. Carpenter Green, Clinton J. Carpenter, Willis H. Carpenter, and Bertha E. Carpenter.
Sarah Jane and Alfred both died of black diphtheria on Jan. 9, 1853, within two hours of each other, and were buried at midnight in a double grave. Sarah Jane was seven and Alfred four. It seems that Mrs. Carpenter and these two children went visiting one evening previously. When they arrived at the house, the lady came out and told them that her own children had sore throats and perhaps Mrs. Carpenter wouldn’t want to bring her children in and expose them to whatever the ailment was. Since Mrs. Carpenter and her children had walked quite a ways and were tired, she said they would come in and rest. A few days later Mrs. Carpenter was horrified to learn that it was diphtheria, and Sarah Jane and Alfred took down with it.
Clinton died at the age of three months on Sept. 10, 1858, of cholera infantum.
Bertha died Sept. 25, 1867, aged two years. Hers was an unusual death. Mrs. Carpenter was outdoors hanging up clothes while Bertha was inside watching out the window. Suddenly a gust of wind came up and fluttered the hanging clothes. Bertha threw up her hands in fright and dropped over backwards dead. She evidently had a weak heart.
Fannie married John H. Green of Plum Twp. On Sept 10, 1881. They went to Pittsburgh on their wedding trip and she evidently contracted typhoid fever there. She died on Nov. 7, less than two months after her marriage. She was 27.
Willis, commonly called Will, married Miss Nellie Orra Cowen in February, 1883. He was a smart young man and became official court stenographer at Franklin, besides being the Wallaceville postmaster. He had a brilliant future ahead of him when death took him on June 5, 1886, at the age of 26. He had blood poisoning in a leg. He still has a daughter, Mrs. Kittie Fox, living in Venus.
Mrs. Ida Cowen, wife of W. P. Cowen, was the only one of the Carpenter children that reached a good age. She died Feb. 20, 1940, aged 87. Her daughter, Mrs. Nellie Weber, lives in Titusville. She has the old Carpenter Family Bible.
Samuel Carpenter was a tall, thin man. He had had a good education and knew law very well, it is said. He was a successful manager and many times loaned money to friends who were in need.
He was a fine gardener and each year raised much produce. He generally planted one half of his garden on one side of the spring run, and the other half on the other side. Thus in dry times his garden was never lacking in water. He raised wonderful muskmelons and he would take them up to Mr. Long, the Wallaceville storekeeper, who in turn would take them to Titusville and sell them.
Samuel built a foot bridge across the spring run. It was quite a rustic bridge, having poles arranged and crossed in a fancy manner.
Samuel was always to be found in the Long store each evening, talking over the subjects of the time with other neighbors.
When he got old he became quite stooped and walked with a cane. He generally held the cane about two feet in front of him while walking.
Mrs. Carpenter was a rather small woman, weighing about 100 pounds. She was an especially good cook. She united with the Methodist Church in Wallaceville on June 10, 1877, and remained a member for the rest of her life.
As far as pictures of local people are concerned, this one of Samuel and Ellen is the oldest this writer has ever seen. It is their wedding picture taken in 1845. It is owned by the granddaughter, Mrs. Fox, and her daughter, Mrs. Jennie Woods of Venus.
Just after election in November, 1900, the old couple moved into the home of their son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Cowen, between Wallaceville and Sunville. This is presently the William Marschinke home. An addition was built onto the house and Mrs. and Mrs. Cowen lived in one part while the old couple lived in the other.
On May 16, 1901, Mrs. Hattie Hoover, a neighbor, came to visit the family. She walked into the Carpenter half of the house and found Mrs. Carpenter dead on the couch. She had simply lain down to take a nap and died in her sleep. She had been in failing health.
Samuel then became quite melancholy and failed. He wouldn’t even come out to eat his meals. Mrs. Cowen carried them in on a tray to him. He would talk so much about his late son and wife, and required quite a lot of care at last.
On the morning of Sept. 19, 1901, Mrs. Cowen carried his breakfast in to him and found him dead. He survived his wife by less than four months.
The family with the exception of Sarah Jane, Alfred and Clinton, is buried at Wallaceville.
The Samuel Carpenter house has been gone for years. After standing vacant for a long time, the late M.N. Kopf of Wallaceville bought the building and took it away.

Transcribed by Paula Harry
dharry@pa.rr.com

Disclaimer:there may be errors due to transcription of information from both early and late (current contributors) work.