Husband Abraham Overholt Tinstman 1 2 3 4 5 6
Born: 13 Sep 1834 - East Huntingdon Twp, Westmoreland Co, PA 2 3 5 6
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Father: John Tinstman (1807-1877) 2 3 5 7
Mother: Anna Overholt (1812-1866) 2 5 8
Marriage: 1 Jul 1875 3 4 5 6 9
• Additional Image.
Wife Harriet Cornelia Markle 4 5 6 9 10
Born: 28 Sep 1847 - Westmoreland Co, PA 6 10
Christened:
Died: Aft 1890
Buried:
Father: Gen. Cyrus Painter Markle (1810-1882) 11 12
Mother: Sarah Ann Lippincott (1814-1868) 10 12 13
Children
1 M Cyrus Painter Markle Tinstman 9 14 15
Born: 3 Dec 1878 15
Christened:
Died:
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Spouse: Bess K. Dunlap ( - ) 6
General Notes: Husband - Abraham Overholt Tinstman
Turtle Creek, Allegheny Co, PA
He received his education in the common schools, attending them during the winter season until about twenty years of age, and continued laboring on the farm with his father until he became twenty-five years old, when he went to Broad Ford, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, to take charge of his grandfather Overholt's property at that place, the business consisting of the manufacture of the celebrated Overholt whiskey, the cutting of timber by steam saw-mill into car and other lumber, and the farming of the lands connected with the Broad Ford property. He thus continued to manage and do business for his grandfather until 1864, when the two formed a partnership, named A. Overholt & Co. He, however, continued to conduct the business until the death of his grandfather, A. Overholt, who died in 1870, in the eighty-sixth year of his age.
During Mr. Tinstman's residence in the county and his partnership with his grandfather he caused the erection of the most important buildings in Broad Ford, some of which are the large mill and distillery now there, as well as many houses for the use of employes.
In 1865 he and Joseph Rist bought about six hundred acres of coking coal land adjoining the village of Broad Ford. Mr. Tinstman thereafter (in 1868) sold one-half of his interest in the same to Col. A. S. M. Morgan, of Pittsburgh, and with him established the firm of Morgan & Co., who put up one hundred and eleven coke-ovens at the point now known as Morgan Mines, on the line of the Mount Pleasant and Broad Ford Railroad, and built one mile of railroad from Broad Ford to said mines, at which place the first coke was manufactured along what is now the Mount Pleasant and Broad Ford Railroad. Morgan & Co. at this time held almost entire control of the coke business of the Connellsville region.
In 1870, A. O. Tinstman with others organized a company, of which he was elected president, and built the Mount Pleasant and Broad Ford Railroad, he holding the office of president until the sale of said road to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company in 1876.
About 1871, Mr. Tinstman purchased a portion of Mr. Rist's interest in the six hundred acres of coal land previously mentioned. Mr. H. C. Frick, who was at this time keeping the books of A. Overholt & Co., was very desirous of starting in business, and aspired for something more than book-keeping, and having shown by his indomitable energy, skill, and judgment that he was not only capable of keeping an accurate and beautiful set of books, but that he was able to conduct business, manage employes, etc., Mr. Tintsman and Mr. Rist associated Mr. Frick with them, under the firm-name of Frick & Co., and made him manager of the association, etc. This company built at Broad Ford two hundred coke-ovens. The first one hundred were built along or facing the Mount Pleasant and Broad Ford Railroad, and were known as the Frick Works, or "Novelty Works." The other hundred were built in blocks along the Pittsburgh Division of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and facing the road and Youghiogheny River, and were known as the Henry Clay Works.
In 1872, Col. Morgan and Mr. Tintsman (as Morgan & Co.) bought about four hundred acres of coking coal land at Latrobe, Westmoreland County, and there built fifty ovens. About this period and on continuously to 1876 (during the panic period) Mr. Tintsman bought large tracts of coal lands on the line of the Mount Pleasant and Broad Ford Railroad, comprising nearly all the best coal lands in that region; but the pressure of the panic proved excessive for him, the coke business, like everything else, becoming depressed, and he failed, losing everything. But having great confidence that the coke business would revive, and foreseeing that it would be one of the earliest as well as surest of manufacturing interests to recuperate, he bought in 1878 and 1880 on option a large extent of coal land in the Connellsville region, and in 1880 sold about 3500 acres at a good advance over cost price to E. K. Hyndman, who then organized the Connellsville Coal and Iron Company.
This sale enabled him again to take a new start in the world as a business man. He then, in 1880, established the firm of A. O. Tintsman & Co., and opened an office on the corner of Seventh Avenue and Smithfield Street, Pittsburgh, and soon after bought a half-interest in the Rising Sun Coke-Works, on the June Bug Branch of the Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad. In 1881 he bought the Mount Braddock Coke-Works, located on the Fayette County Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad; and in the same year he bought the Pennsville Coke-Works, on the Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad, embracing in all about three hundred ovens. [HWC 1882, 548]
He received a common-school education, and remained on the farm until twenty-five years of age, when he went to Broad Ford, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, to take charge of the mill, distillery and lands of his maternal grandfather, Abraham Overholt. In 1864 he became a partner with his grandfather, and continued to manage the business until the death of the latter, in 1870. Five years previous to this event, Mr. Tinstman and Joseph Rist had bought six hundred acres of coal-land near Broad Ford, and in 1868, in partnership with A. S. M. Morgan, they opened what is now called the "Morgan Mines" and engaged extensively in making coke. Morgan & Co. then controlled almost the entire coke business of this region, and built a mile of railroad to secure an out-let for their product. Mr. Tinstman was among the organizers of the Mt. Pleasant & Broad Ford Railroad company in 1870, and remained its president until the line was sold to the B. & O. six years later. In 1871 he became associated with Messrs. Frick and Rist (as H. C. Frick & Co.), and this firm built two hundred coke-ovens, known as the "Novelty" and "Henry Clay" works. In 1872 Morgan & Co. bought four hundred acres of coal-lands at Latrobe, and Mr. Tinstman also made extensive purchases of other coal-tracts, which led to the loss of his entire possessions in the panic of 1873. He set bravely to work to retrieve his losses, and in 1878 and 1880 was enabled to purchase options on coal-lands in the Connellsville region. In the last-named year he sold thirty-five hundred acres at a good profit, and soon bought a half interest in the "Rising Sun" Coke-works. About this time he established the firm of A. O. Tinstman & Co. in Pittsburgh, and was highly successful in his operations. In 1881 he acquired Mt. Braddock & Pennsville Coke-works, and three years after sold all his coke interests. For some years thereafter he engaged in the purchase and sale of coal-lands, and made some large deals. [HAC 1889 II, 418]
During the Civil war, when General Morgan was making his famous raid through the state of Ohio, Mr. Tinstman raised a company in twenty-four hours at Broad Ford, Pennsylvania, and went to Salineville, where they arrived just in time to assist in Morgan's capture.