John Balfour

JOHN BALFOUR, a highly respected citizen and prominent general farmer residing on his valuable estate of ninety-one acres, which lies in Adams Township, one mile west of Mars, was born in Wigtonshire, Scotland, August 4, 1835, and is a son of David and Margaret (Stephenson) Balfour.
The parents of Mr. Balfour were born, reared and married in Scotland, and they came to America with their two children, Samuel and John. The former married, but both he and wife are deceased. When David Balfour brought his little family to the United States his younger son was about ten months old. The voyage in the old-fashioned sailing ship consumed many weeks, but in August, 1836, the weary travelers were landed at the port of Philadelphia. David Balfour secured a horse and wagon, and in this conveyance he was safely transported over the mountains, and then, by way of the canal, in the course of time, reached Pittsburg, the place he had in view when he left Scotland. He soon found remunerative work and then sent for his wife and boys, who joined him at Pittsburg, where they lived for one year. Tiring of city life, he concluded to engage in farming and first rented land in what is now McAnlis Township Allegheny County, not far from Perrysville. There the family lived for four years, and then settled on a rented farm in Franklin Township, Allegheny County, for the succeeding seven years. By this time Mr. Balfour had developed into an excellent farmer and was able to purchase land for himself, and in February, 1851, he bought 185 acres in Adams Township, from Hon. John Braden, and moved on the place in the following April. David Balfour had worked hard to secure this home for his family, but he enjoyed it for a short time only, his death taking place on August 16, 1851, when aged fifty-three years. His widow survived until 1878, being seventy-eight years old at the time of her death.
There were buildings on the farm when the Balfour family came to it, but they were in a very dilapidated condition, and after the death of the father the mother and her two sons undertook to do a large amount of improving. The boys cleared the land and fenced it and the mother gave such assistance as pioneer mothers usually afforded, and they lived happily together and worked for the common good. In 1862 the elder son, Samuel, was married and then the land was divided, he taking the north farm and John taking the south farm, and then mother took up her residence with the younger son. At that time there was no indication how valuable this land would subsequently become, and had any one predicted to David Balfour when he settled here that his descendants would derive a more than ample income from the oil that lay concealed under the rough soil, he would have thought they were dealing in romance. But the fact is that on this farm was drilled the first lOO-foot oil well in Pennsylvania, probably in the United States. The drilling was accomplished in 1885 and for three years it produced sixty barrels of oil a day. Mr. Balfour at the present writing (1908) has five producing wells. He also carries on a general agricultural line, raising grain, hay and stock.
In 1873, Mr. Balfour was married to Miss Mary Ann Cochran, of Allegheny County, who died in October of the same year, aged thirty-two years. On October 12, 1875, he was married (second) to Miss Nevie Richardson, a daughter of G. W. Richardson, one of the early settlers of Butler County, and to that union eight children were born, namely: Amelia; Stewart, who died in 1897, aged nineteen years; Oliver, who died in 1885, aged six years; Frank; Isabella, who died in October, 1884, aged nine months; Chalmers and Myrtle, twins; and Dight. Myrtle was married October 25, 1906, to Leonard L. Besnaeker. Mr. Balfour and family are members of the United Presbyterian Church at Mt. Pleasant and he has been active in its various branches of work. In politics he is a Democrat and he has served as township auditor and in other offices.
Source: 20th century history of Butler and Butler County, Pa., and respresentative citizens, McKee, James A., 1909, page 1451-1452.