SPROWLS FAMILY. Over one hundred years ago there emigrated from Ireland to Pennsylvania two brothers, John and James Sprowls, who, after a short sojourn at Carlisle, came to Washington county, where James settled on a farm in East Finley township. He married a Miss Enlow, who had come to America at the same time as her husband, and they had children as follows: Melinda (married to Joseph Martin), Cyrus, Jesse, John, Simeon and James. The father of this family died in East Finley township in 1837, the mother in 1865, at a very advanced age. Simeon Sprowls, son of the old pioneer James, was born in East Finley township in 1822, and, as he was but a boy when his father died, was taken care of and reared by Albert Squires, in Morris township, where he learned the trade of carpenter. He worked at this throughout the county till 1848, when he bought a farm adjoining the one on which he was born, and during the rest of his life followed agricultural pursuits. He died in June, 1878, at the age of fifty-six years, of typhoid fever; his widow is yet living on the old home place. Simeon Sprowls was a man above the average, he was well educated, and had, moreover, strong native talents. He was a Democrat in politics, and held many positions of trust in the community in which he lived. He was married in East Finley township to Mary, daughter of Hugh Montgomery, and the following named children have been born to them: Oliver M., in West Finley township; Albert S., of whom special mention will presently be made; Harvey B., on the old homestead in East Finley; George B., a merchant in Claysville; Ruth E., at home with her mother; Jennie M., married to Christian Plant, of Claysville; and William M., at the old home, caring for his widowed mother. ALBERT S. SPROWLS was born July 3, 1854, in East Finley township, Washington Co., Penn., and was reared on the home farm, attending, during the winter months, the common schools of his district. At the age of eighteen he commenced study at Waynesburg College, where he spent a few summer seasons, his winters in the meantime being occupied in teaching country schools. In February, 1875, he went to Mt. Union College, in Ohio, where he graduated in the classical course in 1877. He had registered as a law student with Alexander Wilson, Esq., Washington, in 1876, and after graduation read law with him. In September, 1879, he was admitted to the bar of the county, and in 1881 commenced the practice of his profession in Washington, in partnership with T. F. Birch, which continued till 1888, when it was dissolved by mutual consent. Since then our subject has carried on the business alone. He is a Democrat in politics, and in 1882, when Robert E. Pattison was running for governor, he was chosen chairman of the Democratic County Committee. He worked with unflagging zeal for the cause, and was in every election precinct during that fall. In 1883 he received the nomination for district attorney. While at college he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity, and is also a F. & A. M.

Text taken from page 487 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed January 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project. Published January 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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