Biographical sketch Oliver W. Stoughton

From 20th Century History of Butler & Butler County, PA, by James A. McKee
Richmond-Arnold Publ. Co., Chicago 1909., p. 1270-1273.

OLIVER W. STOUGHTON, as superintendent of the Butler County Home, has made this public institution a credit to Butler County, is one of her best known and esteemed citizens. Mr. Stoughton was born March 6, 1853, in Clay Township, Butler County, Penna., and is a son of Matthew and Margaret (Davis) Stoughton.
Mr. Stoughton comes of sturdy old American stock. On both sides his grandfathers were upright, honorable men. Grandfather Stoughton was a leading member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, in which he at times served officially, while Grandfather Davis was equally prominent in St. John's Methodist Episcopal Church, situated in Clay Township. They both had come to the country as pioneers and both became men of substance and large landowners. They were both of the type that promoted the solid growth of the section which was fortunate in securing them and through long and worthy lives they encouraged and promoted the enterprises which resulted in the present fertile fields, churches, schools, charities, and happy households amid peaceful surroundings.
Matthew Stoughton, father of Oliver W., was born in Clay Township, Butler County, in 1831, and died in 1855, when aged but twenty-four years. During his short life after reaching maturity, he was associated with his cousin, Oliver Stoughton, of Harlansburg, in the stock business. He married Margaret Davis, who was born in Franklin Township, Butler County, in 1830, and is a daughter of Samuel Davis. To this union two children were born: Oliver W. and Mary Isabella, the latter of whom is deceased. Some time later Mrs. Stoughton was married (second) to Robert J. Davis, and three sons were born to that marriage, namely: Elmer, residing at Unionville, Butler County; Otis M., deceased; and James Monroe, also of Unionville. The mother lives at Unionville, where she is a valued member of the Presbyterian church. Although she has reached her seventy-eighth year, she is active in body and alert in mind.
When Oliver W. Stoughton was about four years of age, he went to live with his maternal grandfather and some years afterward, another relative, Mrs. Susan Davis, took charge of him and with her he resided until he was twelve years old and then became a member of the family of Thomas Brannon, with whom he remained for five years. For this man Mr. Stoughton cherishes feelings of esteem and veneration. To the fatherless boy he was as a parent and gave him a real home, being interested in his schooling, health, and comfort. When seventeen years of age, Mr. Stoughton left the kind care of Mr. Brannon in order to prepare himself for a future life of usefulness. He came to Butler with the expectation of starting to learn the wagon-making trade, but circumstances prevented and he worked awhile with farmers and then learned the plastering trade. While working as a plasterer in the summer he went to the Unionville schools in the winter until his health partially failed. Then he decided to prepare himself for teaching and attended Witherspoon Institute for three terms, after which he taught school for some years, mainly through the winter seasons, during 1874-5-6-7 and 1878. In the meanwhile he was married and in 1876, while he was teaching, his capable wife carried on a store at Holyoke, in Center Township. In April, 1878, Mr. and Mrs. Stoughton moved to Brady Township and opened up a store and the enterprise gave such promise of success that he decided to give up teaching and devote his entire attention to merchandising.
Mr. Stoughton continued his store business for several years when he decided to engage in farming and after selling his stock, he rented a farm in Brady Township, which he operated for two years and then repurchased his old store and continued to operate it for some years longer. He still cherished, however, a desire for an agricultural life and again bought a farm, this time in Prospect borough. While living there he organized and became the manager of the Prospect Creamery, his associates in the business being: John W. Shaffer, N. S. Grossman, James Wilson and David West. The creamery plant was built by a Pittsburgh company that failed to make it a success and Mr. Stoughton and his associates purchased the property for $1,000. A loss of a considerable amount, through early mismanagement, threw the burden of indebtedness on Mr. Stoughton, and he found himself liable for more than he felt able to pay, but he assumed the debts and every dollar was reimbursed. The selling of that plant followed and a new one was erected.

Return to Oliver W. Stoughton