History of Maria Furnace, (Adams County) Pennsylvania United States of America

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William Miller Paxton, educator, was born at Maria Furnace, Adams county, Pa., June 7, 1824; son of James Dunlop and Jane Maria (Miller) Paxton; grandson of William Paxton and of William Miller, and great-grandson of John Paxton of the Revolutionary army and pastor of Lower Marsh Creek, Adams county, Pa. Another great-grandfather, James Dunlop, was an officer in the Revolutionary army, and subsequently member of the Pennsylvania legislature for twenty-seven years. After attending school at Millerstown, now Fairfield, and at Gettysburg, William M. Paxton was graduated from Pennsylvania college, Gettysburg, Pa., in 1843; studied law for two years, but decided to enter the ministry, and was graduated from the Princeton Theological seminary in 1848. He was ordained by the presbytery of Carlisle, Oct. 4, 1848, was pastor at Greencastle, Pa., 1848-50, and became pastor of the First church, Pittsburg, Pa., in 1851. He was married, first, in July, 1852, to Hester V.B., daughter of Colonel Wickes of Chestertown, Md., and, secondly, Nov. 8, 1855, to Caroline Sophia Denny of Pittsburg, Pa.; was professor of sacred rhetoric at the Western Theological seminary, Allegheny, Pa., 1860-67, and pastor of the First Presbyterian church, New York city, 1866-83. He was instructor in sacred rhetoric at Union Theological seminary, New York, 1872-75; became a member of the board of foreign missions in 1866, and served as its president, 1881-83; was a member of the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions, 1866-80, and president, 1876-78. He was chosen professor of ecclesiastical, homiletical and pastoral theology at the Princeton Theological seminary in 1883, and became president of the faculty in 1900. The honorary degree of D.D. was conferred on him by Jefferson college in 1860 and that of LL.D. by the same institution in 1883. He was moderator of the general assembly of the Presbyterian church of the United States which met in Madison, Wis., in 1880; a director of Western Theological seminary, 1851-65; was elected trustee of the College of New Jersey in 1867; trustee of Jefferson college, 1853-65; served as trustee of Leake and Watts Orphan asylum, New York, 1866-83, and as a trustee of the Sailors' Snug Harbor, New York, 1866-83. He is the author of: Memorial of the Rev. Francis Herron, D.D.

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

History of Maria Furnace, (Adams County) Pennsylvania

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