Biographical information about the Stewart families of Buffington Township, Indiana County, Pennsylvania, including John Stewart [00249], Charles Stewart [00260] and Major James Stewart [00242].

Source: C. T. Arms and E. White, History of Indiana County Pennsylvania 1745-1880 (Newark, Ohio: John Alexander Caldwell, 1880), Page 541, Major James Stewart; digital images, ProQuest, Heritage Quest Online (http://www.heritagequestonline.com/hqoweb/library/do/index (via Huntsville Public Library) : downloaded 16 December 2009.

Transcription:

Buffington Township

Was separated from Pine township, in 1867, and was named in honor of Judge Jos. Buffington.

The first settlers were, Joseph McCartney, on the place now occupied by Benson Dill; Michael Campbell, where William Wachol now resides; John McPherson; John Stewart, where John G. Stewart resides; Charles Stewart, on the present property of Joseph Baird; Thomas Bracken; William Clark, who lived not far from David Tombs; the Dills, Hugh Cameron, Glassford, McFeaters, Misner, Strong, and others.

Campbell, McPherson, and the Stewarts, had been soldiers in the army of Lord Cornwallis, in the Revolutionary war. They were natives of Scotland, and long after the cessation of hostilities, wended their way to what is now Buffington township.

[...]

Major James Stewart was born on the place now occupied by John Stewart, in 1796, and was a son of John and Margaret Stewart nee McFarland. The pioneer was a native of Scotland, and came to what is now Indiana county, (in company with his brother Charles, a soldier in Lord Cornwallis' army,) sometime after the close of the Revolution. He served in the Indian wars, being wounded severely in the breast, and made a settlement at an early date, on the tract where our subscriber was born. He died in 1844, at the age of ninety-two--his wife in 1796. John Stewart's children were: Mary, d., m. to William Wilson, d.; James, d. in 1879, m. first to Mary Graham, d., and second to Elizabeth Galbraith, d. James Stewart held the office of captain, major, &c., in the militia, over forty years. His children were: John, m. to Sarah Grove; and James, m. to Elizabeth J. Cole. The warrant of the John Stewart place was dated February 13, 1797, and the patent, March 28th, 1799. The tract was called "cornfield." There are some mounds on this farm, which the old settlers pointed out as Indian graves.