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Below is a family biography included in the History of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania published in 1889 by A. Warner & Co. These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary. Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more. There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.
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WILLIAM WALKER FORTUNE, civil engineer, Turtle Creek, was born in Pittsburgh April 16, 1854, a son of George and Jane (Campbell) Fortune, former a native of Philadelphia, latter of Scotland. George Fortune settled early in the present century at Pittsburgh, where he carried on the manufacture of saddletrees for many years. From 1850 to 1875 he was secretary of the board of guardians of the poor, and for twenty years was health officer of his city. He died in 1876, at the age of sixty-three, well known and respected. Politically he was a republican, and in religion he was brought up with the Roman Catholics, but united with the Unitarians. His wife died in 1870, at the age of sixty. Her father, John Campbell, was the first Unitarian preacher in Western Pennsylvania, and resided in Pittsburgh, where he died. The subject of this sketch was reared in Pittsburgh. He received his education at the Second ward school, and when fifteen years old entered the city engineer’s office, where he worked his way up rapidly, becoming, when but nineteen years old, chief engineer in charge of the grading of Fifth avenue. Since 1878 he has given his attention to railroad work, and for the past two years has been in charge of the Turtle Creek Valley railroad, with office at Turtle Creek. In 1879 Mr. Fortune married Virginia, daughter of Charles and Margaret Rahm, all of Pittsburgh birth. Martin and Dorothea, parents of Charles Rahm, came from Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Fortune had two sons born to them, the elder now living: Frank Rahm, born in July, 1880; George, the second son, died in 1887, aged six years.
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This family biography is one of 2,156 biographies included in the History of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania published in 1889 by A. Warner & Co.
View additional Allegheny County, Pennsylvania family biographies here: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Biographies
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