Donated by Marta Burns, thank you Marta!
[Marta Burns]
Hugh Wylie came to this town (Washington, Penna) before 1796 and on the
26th of July in that year he purchased of John Hoge and William Hoge lot
number 283 on Maiden Street where J Shan Margerum's store now is. In 1803
he was appointed postmaster and his office was located in his house. He
was a merchant also and kept the post office until his death in 1828.
His son, David Wylie, acted as deputy postmaster. After his father's
death, he retired to his father's farm in Chartier's township and lived
there till his death. His sons now own the farm.
Hugh Wylie was an elder in the Presbyterian church of Washington. As
postmaster he was frequently asked for letters by people from out of town
who were at church on Sundays. As a matter of accommodation this request
was granted until the hour of the service became a regular hour of
distribution on Sundays. Attention was drawn to this after a time, and it
was thought to be not right. The matter was brought before the church and
decided adversely to the action of Mr Wylie, and upon his persisting, he
was expelled.
It was carried to the General Assembly that met at Pittsburgh in 1810 and
the decision was affirmed. In 1812 a petition of citizens of Washington
was presented to the General Assembly asking them to reopen the case and
reconsider their action. The petition was not granted.
Robert Hamilton was a blacksmith and woolcarder. He was mentioned as a
blacksmith in the assessment roll of 1799. In the year 1810 he owned
three lots "on which are a Smith Shop, Dwelling House, Machine House and
unfinished brick house" at the lower end of Maiden Street. He carried on
the business of wool carding until 1815 when he retired from personal
attention of the business, but still retained an interest. He advertised
May 20, 1816, that "he will run four wool-carding machines and one picker
at Thomas H Baird Esq's steam mill opposite his old stand." In 1815 he
opened a store in the brick house where he lived and kept it till his
death in 1823, and his widow continued the business many years later. He
married the daughter of ___ Mitchell of Washington. Mrs Charles Sisson, a
daughter of Robert Hamilton, lives in the brick residence where she was
born in 1811. The old frame dwelling and other buildings are still
standing below the brick house, and are now used as dwellings.
Patrick Bryson emigrated from County Down, Ireland, 1796 and settled at
Washington, Penna, on Catfish Run. He bought a lot of Hugh Workman and
erected a horse-mill on the lot now owned by the Vankirks. It did the
grinding for many miles around, but little was done with it after 1822
when it was sold to Thomas Jones who erected it on Chestnut Street.
Bryson lived at this place during his lifetime and died in 1860, aged
ninety five years. His wife died at the same time at eighty four years of
age, and they were buried the same day. William Bryson of Washington,
Penna, is a son of Patrick Bryson.
History of Washington County, Pennsylvania: with biographical sketches
of many of its pioneers and prominent men / edited by Boyd Crumrine.
Illustrated. Philadelphia: L.H. Everts and Co., 1882. P487
Historic Pittsburgh
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