ALEXANDER H. LITLE, retired, was born August 25, 1827, in Buffalo township, Washington Co., Penn., a son of William and Mary Ann (Patterson) Litle. The former was a native of eastern Pennsylvania, whose ancestors came to America at an early date; the latter was a daughter of James Patterson, who came from Ireland to Washington borough, where he followed his trade of wheelwright, and died at a good old age. William Litle, father of our subject, came when a young man to Washington borough, working at carding and fulling. About the year 1823, he bought the land and moved to Buffalo township, where he carried on farming, and on this farm he died, October 18, 1887, at the patriarchal age of fourscore and ten years, being one of the oldest men in the township; his mother died in West Virginia, also at the age of ninety years. He was a member of the M. E. Church; and in politics a Democrat. He held only local offices. His wife died September 16, 1879, at the age of eighty years. They were the parents of ten children, of whom five are living: Henry, a farmer in Kansas; Robert, a farmer in Buffalo township, this county; Jane, wife of Stewart Litle, in Kansas; Kate, married to William McCreary, living on the old Litle homestead, and Alexander H. Four members of this family died on the old home farm. A. H. Litle remained at the family homestead in Buffalo township until he was twenty-four years of age, attending school and learning the trade of cabinet maker. In 1853 he and his brother Henry bought out the furniture business of A. B. Wolf, and for fifteen or sixteen years they continued together, when our subject assumed entire control and carried the concern on alone until 1888, when he sold out to Ed. Alexander and retired from business after a period of thirty- five years' close application to work in Washington, which brought him well-merited success and a generous competency. In 1882 Mr. Litle was married to Miss Mary, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Wolf) Shannon, the former of whom died in Washington county, in July, 1889, while the latter is still living on the old Shannon home place in South Strabane township. To our subject and wife has come one child, William A., born March 21, 1885. The home of the family is on North Main street, Washington the residence having been built in 1880. Mr. Litle owns various tracts of land in the State of Kansas, aggregating between eight hundred and nine hundred acres. He and his wife are members of the M. E. Church at Washington, and in politics he is a straight Democrat.

Text taken from page 32 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed March 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project. Published April 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

[ [Back to Beers Table of Contents] [Back to Beers Project Page]