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BIOGRAPHICAL AND PORTRAIT CYCLOPEDIA

old when his parents came to the United States. He received his early training and education in Greencastle. In the War of 1812, our second struggle for independence, Henry Layton, then a boy of about seventeen years, entered the army and served under that renowned soldier, General Winfield Scott. He served until the close of the war, having taken part in the battle of Lundy's Lane and Chippewa. He was a weaver by trade, and located in Johnstown, this county, in 1833. He was a republican in politics, and served as justice of the peace for a number of years. He died in Johnstown in 1871.      Joseph P. Layton received his education in the common schools of Johnstown, and in his youth learned the trade of blacksmith, which occupation he has always followed.      In 1853, when the Cambria Iron company's works were built in this city, he was made general foreman of the blacksmith shops of that company. He filled his position very acceptably for forty years, and at the close of this long period of faithful service, he was made clerk of that department, in which capacity he acts as timekeeper. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, and is identified with a number of lodges. He belongs to Corona Lodge No. 999, I. O. O. F., at Conemaugh; to the Cambria Lodge, No. 278, F. and A. M.; and Mineral City Lodge, No. 100, Knights of the Mystic Chain. He is very prominently identified with the order of Good Templars, and with the Sons of Temperance. Being a strong advocate of the cause of temperance he is a member of the Prohibition party, and has been before the public as a candidate for the state legislature and for various county offices.      He has been twice married. His first marriage was with Miss Elizabeth Huber, to which union three children were born: John H., of

McKeesport, Pennsylvania; Anna L., who is the wife of John G. Ball, of Kansas City, Missouri; and one child, who died in infancy. His second marriage was with Miss Anna Jane Purse. This marriage has resulted in the birth of seven children: Ella Grace, wife of Reuben Joder, of Morrellville, this county; Mary L., Bertha B., and Joseph W., residents of Johnstown; and Mabel, Jennie, and Benjamin, deceased. COL. SAMUEL W. DAVIS, the present affable and efficient prothonotary, of Cambria county, and a substantial and progressive citizen, of Ebensburg, the county seat of that county, is a son of William and Elizabeth (Davis) Davis, and was born near Ebensburg, in Cambria township, Cambria county, Pennsylvania, February 13, 1841.      His father, William Davis, was a native of the principality of Wales, born in the year 1802, and in the year 1818 he left the land of his birth to seek a home in the New World. He landed at the port of Baltimore, and then proceeded, via Philadelphia, to central Pennsylvania. His first location was at Ebensburg. There, however, he remained but a short time, until he removed to Cambria township, where our subject was born. Subsequently he returned to Ebensburg, where he passed the remainder of his life, his death occurring in 1878. He was engaged in general merchandizing, lumbering and stock dealing, in which triangular enterprises he was uniformly successful, attesting in a marked degree his general business qualifications.     Formerly he was an old-line whig, but upon the organization of the present Republican party, in 1856, became identified with its interests and remained a republican, staunch and firm in his convictions, until his death.

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