Husband Wesley S. Guffey 1 2
AKA: Westly Guffey 3
Born: 22 Feb 1842 - Madison, Westmoreland Co, PA 1
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Father: Alexander Guffey (1804-1863) 4
Mother: Jane Campbell (1807-1861) 5
Wife
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Marriage:
Children
General Notes: Husband - Wesley S. Guffey
He received a common school education at the Sulphur Spring school, and in his early years assisted his father in his coal operations. He there acquired a practical knowledge which in after years proved a great benefit to him. In 1864, the year following the death of his father, he join-ed the rush of oil prospectors to Pithole, Penn-sylvania. Being successful in his first venture, he devoted himself perma-nently to the pursuit of oil and gas develop-ment, and in subsequent years followed up the operations carried on by the tireless army of prospectors in the Pennsylvania counties of Venango, Butler, Clarion, Greene and Alle-gheny, and also in West Virginia. One of his most successful ventures was the development of the Gould field in Butler county. At Wildwood, Pennsylvania, in November, 1890, a well producing four thousand five hundred barrels daily was brought in on the day of the election of Robert E. Pattison, as governor, on the Democratic ticket. Three Democrats were employed on the well, and they named it the "Pattison," with the full approbation of Mr. Guffey, who was himself an old school Dem-ocrat of the "rock-ribbed" type. In addition to his operations in the oil fields he made large investments in coal lands, the West Virginia developments especially engaging his attention. Here the experience of his earlier years stood him in good stead and enabled him to secure rich returns.
He was conspicuously identified with Pitts-burgh politics, particularly in connection with movements in behalf of municipal reforms. In every attempt to secure the election of hon-est and competent men to office; in every struggle to force the enactment of reform legislation for Pittsburgh by the General As-sembly of the state, he was a tireless and enthusiastic worker. Frequently he con-veyed train loads of reform advocates to the state capitol at his own expense, and he was known to remain at Harrisburg through-out the entire sessions of the legislature, labor-ing for the cause of good government. He uniformly declined to accept public or party honors in recognition of his services.
He remained unmarried and lived in a magnificent house on the corner of Liberty and Atlantic avenues, Pittsburgh, over which a married sister presided. Straight-forward and unaffected in manners, pro-nounced in his opinions, loyal to his friend-ships, fearless in the pursuit of what he deemed to be the right, and withal a courtly gentleman, he represented the best and worthiest type of American citizenship, and earned accordingly an unusual degree of respect and friendly regard from his fellows. [GPHAV, 858]