History of Adams County Pennsylvania United States of America

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Biographies:

David McConaughy, educator, was born in York (now Adams) county, Pa., Sept. 29, 1775. He graduated from Dickinson college in 1795, and was licensed to preach in 1797. He was pastor of the United Christian churches at Upper Marsh Creek and Conewago, Pa., 1800-31, and was elected principal of Washington college, Washington, Pa., Dec. 21, 1831. He served as president of Washington college, 1831-49, resigned Sept. 27, 1849, and continued to reside in Washington. The honorary degree of D.D. was conferred on him by Jefferson college in 1833, and that of LL.D. by Washington college, in 1849. He is the author of: A Brief Summary and Outline of Moral Science (1838); Discourses, chiefly Biographical, of Persons Eminent in Sacred History (1850); besides many sermons, addresses and tracts. He died in Washington, Pa., Jan. 29, 1852.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Samuel Carrick, educator, was born in Adams county, Pa., in July, 1762. He came from Scotch ancestors, who immigrated to Pennsylvania from the north of Ireland. He was educated at Augusta academy, Va, and entered the Presbyterian ministry. He was a trustee of Liberty Hall academy, 1784-91; migrated to Knoxville, Tenn., in 1788, when he founded the First Presbyterian church, and organized Blount college, known as East Tennessee college after 1808, and of which he was president, 1794-1809. The inscription on his gravestone at Knoxville, near the graves of Gov. William Blount and Col. James White, founder of the city of Knoxville, reads as follows: "Sacred to the memory of the Rev. Samuel CZR. Carrick, who died Aug. 17, 1809, aged 49 ys., 1 mo. He first planted the Presbyterian religion in the wilds of Tenn. He was the founder & the first pastor of the church and the first president of E. T. college."

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Joseph Lawrence, representative, was born in Adams county, Pa., in 1788; son of John and Sarah (Moffitt) Lawrence. His father died and his mother with three sons and six daughters removed to a farm eight miles east of Washington, in Washington county, Pa., in 1791. Joseph received a limited education, and worked on the farm. He was a representative in the state legislature, 1818-24, and speaker for two sessions; and a representative in the 19th and 20th congresses, 1825-29, where he supported the policy of Henry Clay, and the candidacy of John Quincy Adams for President. He was again a representative in the state legislature, 1834-36; state treasurer in 1837; and a representative in the 27th congress, 1841-42, not living to serve out his term. He was twice married: first in 1814 to Rebecca Van Eman, who died in 1822; and secondly, in 1826, to Maria Bucher of Harrisburg, Pa. William Caldwell Anderson Lawrence (1832-1860), and Samuel Lawrence, both representatives in the Pennsylvania legislature, were sons by his second wife. He was summoned from Washington, in 1842, to the death-bed of a son and a daughter, and while there contracted the disease that resulted in his death in Washington, D.C., April 17, 1842.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Alpha Jefferson Kynett, clergyman, was born in Adams county, Pa., Aug. 12, 1829; son of John and Mary (Peterson) Kynett, and of Pennsylvania German descent. He removed with his parents to Ohio in 1832; to Indiana in 1838, and settled in Des Moines county, Iowa, in 1842. He obtained a good education, principally under the tuition of a graduate of Oxford university. He then engaged in teaching, and at the same time pursued the higher branches of learning, intending to devote his time to law. He entered the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal church in 1851, and was pastor of leading churches of the Iowa and Upper Iowa conferences. He was presiding elder of the Davenport district, 1860-64, and in 1861 and 1862 he served on the staff of Governor Kirkwood in recruiting and hospital service and in the organization of Iowa as a branch of the U.S. sanitary commission. He founded and was in charge of the church extension work of his conference, 1864-66, and was then appointed corresponding secretary of the Church Extension society for the entire Methodist Episcopal church, with headquarters in Philadelphia, which had been founded and organized through his infiuence at the general conference of 1864. This society was in 1872 brought under the control of the general conference as a board, largely through his influence. He was a delegate to the general conference, 1864-96, and was chief executive officer of the church extension work, 1868-99. While Dr. Kynett was in charge of its affairs the board collected and disbursed $6,240,000 and established a loan fund with a permanent capital of $1,044,000. In all more than $6,250,000 passed through his hands. He received the degree of D.D. from Ohio Wesleyan university in 1867, and that of LL.D. from Allegheny college in 1886. He was one of the founders of the National Anti-Saloon league, and at the time of his death was president of the Pennsylvania Anti-Saloon league. He edited Christianity in Earnest in the interest of church extension and saloon suppression; and is the author of: Laws and Forms concerning Churches (1897.) He died in Harrisburg, Pa., Feb. 28, 1899.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Adams County Pennsylvania

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