William Sterling Marshall

• General Notes
  • William Sterling Marshall, son of Samuel, was born on the old homestead farm of his father, near Clarksburg, Indiana county, and he died Nov. 19, 1874, aged sixty-four years. His wife, Rebecca (McConnell), was born near Greensburg, Westmoreland county, and died Jan. 24, 1880, aged sixty-four years. Her parents, who came over the mountains from the East to Westmoreland county, were Scotch-Irish Presbyterians. William Sterling Marshall and his wife settled soon after marriages, which occurred Feb. 15, 1830, in Armstrong county. He came out first, selected his land and cleared a place for the cabin he built, and the following spring he moved here with his wife, first stopping at Glade Run (near Dayton) awhile with the Marshalls, relatives. They stayed with his cousin, old "Uncle" Robert Marshall, the grandfather of Reed Marshall, now a merchant and leading citizen of Dayton. Then they moved to his cabin and new home. When they came to live in Wayne township, near what is now Belknap. Armstrong county, neighbors were scarce and far apart, and they settled in a rank growth of timber out of which he cleared a farm. There the young pioneer couple made a home and reared their family and lived good and useful lives. Farming was always his occupation. They had four children: David P., who married Martha Brown, of Westmoreland county; Sarah M., who married Attorney Thomas Hindman; Martha P., who married Andrew Thompson; and Mary E., who married John Speer. The parents were stanch Presbyterians.