My Genealogy Hound

DAVID N. LEA, post office Woodville, is the second son of Robert and Mary Lea. He was educated at the public schools of Scott township, and early in life commenced the study of steamboat-engineering, which business he has followed over thirty years. In 1846 he made his first trip to New Orleans, under Capt. Steven Stone, on the steamboat Pennsylvania, and after that made three trips to New Orleans from Pittsburgh. He belonged to the volunteer fife company of Pittsburgh for eight years, and fought the big fire of 1845 from beginning to end. During the war, in the year 1861, he was employed by the government to take four engines from Pittsburgh, by railway, to St. Louis, to place on the two gunboats Carondelet and Pittsburgh, and deliver them by water, on the Mississippi, ready for service at Cairo; then returned home on account of sickness in the family. Among his most noted voyages was that in 1881, when he safely carried the government supplies up the Yellowstone and Big Horn rivers, to a point beyond Fort Custer, which, until then, had never been explored so far by steamboat. This trip required three months, and Mr. Lea regards with pride the success of the enterprise. His principal work has been on the waters of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. He is now living retired on a part of the old homestead, which is some of the original tract purchased by his ancestors. He was married, in 1848, to Ellen Fryer, and to them were born Annetta (Mrs. Keller) and Kate (Mrs. Gullett). His second marriage took place in 1865, with Miss A. E. Harbison, daughter of Matthew and Jane (McCormick) Harbison, and two children were born to this union: William K., a painter by trade, and Jennie, now Mrs. Watson. Mr. Lea, although retired from active life, superintends the work on his farm. He is a republican; the family are members of the U. P. Church.