My Genealogy Hound

THOMAS DAWSON, retired, Bellevue, was born in Ohio township, Beaver county, Pa., Dec. 29, 1815, and is the son of Michael and Rachel (Porter) Dawson, former of whom was born in Maryland, and became one of the first settlers in Ohio township, where large tracts of land were taken up by the Dawsons. The mother died in 1818, and the father about ten years later, leaving Thomas four hundred acres of land along Island run, supposed to be of little value, but afterward sold at high prices for oil-wells, thus leaving Mr. Dawson wealthy. Our subject passed his early life on Island run, and from 1845 until 1864 carried on farming there. He then moved to Glasgow, and two years later to Rochester, retiring from business altogether and leaving the remaining part of the farm in charge of his son George B. He moved from Rochester to Allegheny City, and five years later exchanged property there for his present home at West Bellevue, where he has lived since 1872. He married in 1845, and his wife, Mrs. Nancy Dawson, had three children, now living, viz.: Elizabeth, George B. and Nicholas. She died in 1856, and in 1867 he married a native of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Elizabeth Dawson have five children living, viz.: Thomas, Edith, Catherine, Porter and Elmer Ellsworth. The family are members of the M. E. Church.