HON. JOHN BARCLAY FINLEY, a distinguished citizen and business man of Monongahela, was born in the city of Philadelphia, Penn., November 17, 1845. His grandparents came to western Pennsylvania from Cecil county, Md., immediately after the close of the Revolutionary war, his grandfather having served in that war, locating first in Allegheny City, shortly after moving to a point eight miles west of Pittsburgh near White Hall and Sargents Hall, six miles east of Finleyville, or as it was then called "Rowgalley," where he had a sister married to James Barclay, who had also come from Cecil county, Md. John Finley was a farmer, and owned a body of land, on which Finleyville was built. The original tract on which the town was located was called "Mount Pleasant." and the warrant was taken out by John Wall, December 3, 1787, purchased by James Barclay, who sold the most of it to John Finley in 1788. It was named Finleyville, in honor of John Finley. He and his wife had children as follows: William, born January 16, 1788, never married; Robert, March 27, 1790, never married; John, January 17, 1792; Jane, May 20, 1793; Sarah, April 19, 1795; Levi, January 3, 1798; Margaret, March 30, 1800; Isabel, March 11, 1802; Mary, November 28,1804; James (father of J. B. Finley), June 10, 1806, and Susan, June 23,1808. Of these Margaret married a Mr. Baldwin; Isabel married a Mr. Cochran; Jane married Dr. Joseph Curry; Susan married a Mr. Curry; Mary married a Mr. St. Clair; Sarah, married a Mr. Neil. John Finley was a very large land owner in Washington county. James Finley, father of subject, was born in 1806, on the old homestead six miles east of Finley on the Pittsburgh and Brownville road. He learned merchandising with his brother, Robert, who was the first postmaster of Finleyville. A short time after James went to Pittsburgh, where he entered a mercantile house, remaining here from the time he was twenty.flve to thirty years of age, when he proceeded to Philadelphia, and from there traveled abroad. Returning to Philadelphia, he there engaged, in company with a partner, in the wholesale dry-goods business. In 1851 the firm failed, and had to close out the business at a great loss. Having saved from the ruin a small amount of money, he was enabled to open a general store at Finleyville. Here he remained several years, dying in 1857, at the age of fifty-one years. Mr. Finley was married to Miss Catherine O'Neil, who was born at or near Albany, N.Y., a daughter of John O'Neil. To this union were born seven children, viz.: James, who died aged seventeen; William P., who was but eighteen years old, when in May, 1862, he was killed at the battle of Williamsburg, Va. (he was a member of the "Friend Rifles," of Pittsburgh); John Barclay, our subject; Byron S., unmarried, and residing in Otley, Iowa (he and his mother, the latter now aged seventy-one years, and sister Florence E., reside together); Rowland W., who resides in Goodland, Kans. (he was county clerk two terms, going out of office in 1890; he owns a considerable body of land near the county seat, and also a flouring mill at Goodland; he married Miss Laura White, of Iowa); Florence E., mentioned above; Robert F., unmarried and residing in San Francisco, engaged in the erection of gas plants. When six years old our subject came with his parents to Finleyville, Washington Co. Penn., at the common schools of which place he received his primary education, finishing with a course at the normal school in Monongahela City. Soon after leaving school he engaged as a clerk in the mercantile house of Alexander & Co., in that city, continuing with them in merchandising until 1865, when they disposed of their mercantile interests, and engaged exclusively in banking. Mr. Finley remained with them until 1870, when, the Peoples Savings Bank being established, he was made cashier. The bank was, in 1880, reorganized under the title of "The Peoples Bank," Mr. Finley being elected president, which position he continues to fill. He was one of the original organizers and promoters of the Monongahela City Gas Co., having been a director since its organization and treasurer since 1880; has been director of Williamsport Bridge Co. for a number of years, president since 1888, and he rebuilt it after the fire in 1884; he is a director, and for two years was president, of the Bellewood & Monongahela Natural Gas Co., and is also one of the principal stockholders of this company; is also one of the incorporators of Monongahela Cemetery Association; is also president and principal stockholder of the Lawrence Gas Co. of New Castle, Penn., and of the New Castle Electric Co., and treasurer and principal stockholder of the City of New Castle Water Co.; president of and stockholder and director in the Broad Top & Cambria Coal Co.. and is a director in the Fifth National Bank of Pittsburgh. Politically Mr. Finley is a Republican, and represented Washington county in the Legislature 1887-88, and was elected to fill the unexpired term of Hon. James K. Billingsly, 1889-90; served in the House of 1891, and resigned in April, 1892, in order to accept office as councilman so as to more effectively advocate improved streets and sewerage for Monongahela City; he had been a member of council before, and president of councils three or four terms, also clerk of council a number of years. Mr. Finley is a prominent Freemason, having attained the thirty-second degree; is a Sir Knight Templar and member of the Shrine. He is a member of the Americus Club, and the Duquesne Club, of Pittsburgh. He was a member of the Revenue commission of 1887 (along with M. S. Quay, John Faunce. W. Norris, James S. Graham, H. K. Boyer, Christopher E. Hydrick, Jerome B. Niles. Henry Palmer, Thomas V. Cooper, and others) to examine into the tax laws of the State and recommend State tax legislation. During the war of the Rebellion he enlisted in Company G, Eighteenth Pennsylvania Militia, in answer to a call of Gov. Curtin in 1862, and was stationed near Hagerstown, Md. After Lee crossed the Potomac his regiment was ordered back to Greencastle and thence home. Mr. Finley was united in marriage, February 21, 1878, with Miss Marguerite Bowman, who was born in Monongahela City, a daughter of Michael Bowman. Mr. and Mrs. Finley are members of the First Presbyterian Church.

Text taken from page 246 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed February 1998 by Ed Macke of Flower Mound, TX as part of the Beers Project. Published February 1998 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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