ANDREW J. FORD, a representative self-made, prosperous citizen of the borough of Washington, now living retired, is a native of Pennsylvania, born December 23, 1828, in Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland county. Andrew Ford, father of our subject was of Irish extraction on his father's side, of Scotch descent on his mother's, and was, it is believed, a native of New Jersey. He was left an orphan at an early age, and coming soon thereafter from Mt. Pleasant to Washington, this county, he learned the trade of wagon maker. He married Miss Martha, daughter of John Lennox, a shoemaker by trade, who had come to Washington county over a century ago, where he died. Andrew Ford returned with his young wife to Mount Pleasant, where they remained some six years, and then once more came to Washington, the subject of this sketch being at the time not three years old. Here the father worked at his trade for many years with "old John Morrow." He died in 1873, at the age of seventy-four years, a life-long Democrat. His widow is yet living in Washington, at the patriarchal age of ninety-three years. Eleven children were born to them, ten of whom were the following: Sarah, widow of Samuel Eckles, in Washington, Penn.; David, deceased; Martha, deceased wife of C. C. Turner, in Washington county; Mrs. Margaret Lennox (widow), living in Washington; Andrew J.; Sidney; John, in Monongahela, this county; Mrs. Emily Wheatley (widow); Mrs. Ann Eliza Boggs, and Mrs. Mary Ellen Hutchinson. Andrew J. Ford, whose name opens this sketch, received his education at the common schools of Washington, and early in life entered the arena of business. Of his father he learned the trade of wagon maker, which he followed for some time, and then commenced that of brickmaking with one Bushfield, in the meantime working at gunsmithing during the winter months. For thirty-five years he carried on a brick yard in Washington, supplying the brick for many of the principal buildings in the borough. In 1874 he formed a partnership with G.W. Moninger, in the lumber trade, which continued thirteen years, when it was dissolved, our subject carrying on the business alone; but in 1888 he sold it to Pollock & Baker, and retired. In 1880 he built his present dwelling house on West Chestnut street. On March 20, 1851, Mr. Ford married Miss Sarah Mackey, only child of Joseph and Ann Mackey; the father died when Mrs. Ford was a child, and the mother passed away at the home of our subject, in 1890, at the age of eighty-seven years. Mr. and Mrs. Ford have no children of their own, but several years ago they adopted a little girl, who, in their home, grew to womanhood, and then, marrying, left it; she died in 1876, leaving two children, a boy and a girl, who were taken care of by Mr. and Mrs. Ford. The boy, Andrew Ford McConhew, was taken from them by the hand of the Reaper on October 9, 1888, when almost fifteen years of age; his sister, Annie, is now living with our subject and wife. Mr. and Mrs. Ford are adherents of the First Methodist Protestant Church of Washington, of which he has been a member for thirty years, and is at present a trustee. In politics he is a Democrat, has held town offices, and has been member of the council several times. Mr. Ford owns a fine farm in Amwell township, comprising 106 acres, all under cultivation.

Text taken from page 317 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed July 1997 by Linda Carroll of So. Chicago Heights, IL as part of the Beers Project. Published July 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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