The following biography transcription was submitted by Bobbi
Harville of Middleburg, FL and submitted for inclusion at
the Genealogy in Washington Co., PA
web site in February 1998.
Bobbi writes:
Taken from the History of Washington County pages 1084 & 1085.
Additional info: Stewart Dague and Sallie Sprowls had two other children: Opal L., born 1912,
and Stewart A. born 1914.
Stewart A. Dague who owns a fine farm of 125 acres, which lies in
East Finley Township, Washington County, Pa. is one of the representative
men and substantial farmers of this section. He was born in Somerset
Township, in 1869, and is the son of John A. and Melissa J. (Roberts)
Dague.
The father of Stewart A. Dague was born in West Bethlehem Township,
Washington County. His occupation was farming and he carried on
agricultural pursuits in East Finley Township for 25 years and his death
occured there. He served for three years as a soldier in the Federal Army
during the Civil War. In politics he was a Republican and frequently elected
to office by his fellow citizens by whom he was generally esteemed.
He married Melissa J. Roberts, who is also deceased, and they both rest
in Fairmount Cemetery. Their children were as follows: Anna R., who is
deceased: Stewart A.., Ella N., who married D. Wyland, of Strabane Township;
David E. who lost his life in the Phillipine Islands; Ollie, who lives in East Finley
Township; Daniel who resides in North Strabane Township; Lucy E,. who resides
with her eldest brother; and L. E., a stenographer, who lives in Washington, Pa.
Stewart A. Dague attended the district schools of West Finley Township
until he was about eighteen years of age and then went to work on a
farm by the month, four years later becoming a tenant farmer. He continued
to rent land for for seven years and then purchased a farm of eighty acres from
the Alexander Montgomery estate and resided there for four years before
deposing of it. After that transaction, Mr. Dague bought his present farm
of 125 acres from the Hamilton Carrol estate. There are few rural homes provided
with the comforts and conviences that he has installed in his residence.
He has made extensive improvements as soon as he came here and together
with other buildings added a porch, and slate roof to the dwelling and introduced
a modern system of hot and cold water throughout the whole building. In addition
to general farming, Mr. Dague looks after the output from two valuable oil wells
which bring him a fine revenue, one of these producing 100 barrels of oil a day
for an entire year. He is a director and stockholder in the Farmers National Bank
of Claysville. Mr. Dague is one of the township's men of ample means and for this
condition he is indebted only to his own industry and good management, no
peticular good fortune having descended upon him except what he brought about
himself.
In 1891, Mr. Dague was married to Sallie A. Sprowls, a daughter of Simon and
Jane (Wise) Sprowls, of East Finley Township. They have one daughter Ruby F.,
who was born 1901. Mr. Dague is recognised as a man of judgement and character
by his fellow citizens as has been frequently shown when they have chosen him by
their ballots for responsible township offices. He has served several times on
the board of elections and at the present is a road supervisor.