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Genealogical and Personal History of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, 1912
Carr Family Biography
The American progenitor of the Carrs of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, herein recorded, is Nicholas Carr, born in Ireland. He came to the United States when a young man and became identified with the live stock business. He settled in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, after a residence in Indiana. He was associated in business with the Fullers of Perryopolis, Pennsylvania, who were the pioneer shippers of dressed beef to Europe. Mr. Carr spent a great deal of time in Philadelphia, where his business was very extensive among the butchers of that city and of New York, they depending on him for a regular supply of the live stock used each day in their business. He was energetic in character, and whether on his farm or in his cattle dealing was uniformly active and pushing. He succeeded in business, and continued actively interested until his death in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, in 1879. His wife Catherine was born in Ireland of Scotch parentage, her mother being a Burns and a cousin of the great Scotch poet, Robert Burns. She was married in the United States, died 1868. Children: Mary, James, William, Margaret, Charles, John D., of whom further; Catherine Jane, Nicholas F., George W.
(II) John D., son of Nicholas and Catherine Carr, was born in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, December 16, 1849. He was educated in the public school, and reared on the home farm. Quite early he became interested in the marble business, and has been during the greater part of his life engaged in interior construction and decoration, the leading features of his business being the different forms in which marble, tile and concrete are used in interior construction, and furnishing cabinet mantels with tile decorations being one of his specialties. He located at Fayette City, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, and came to Uniontown in 1885, where he still continues in business. He is a stockholder of the Citizens Title & Trust Company and interested in other Uniontown enterprises. He is a Democrat in politics and has always been active in the public affairs of his city and county. He was superintendent of poor for Fayette county, from 1885 to 1894. In 1909 he was the candidate for congress. He is a man of influence, which he rightly uses for the best purposes. He is a member of the board of trustees of Uniontown Hospital and of the executive committee of the Braddock Memorial Park Association. He is a prominent Mason, being a member of both York and Scottish Rites bodies. He is a member of the Grand Lodge of the State of Pennsylvania, and district deputy grand master of the Thirty-first Masonic District of the state. He is active and influential in the order and has devoted himself to its service, belonging to no other order or society. He is a Presbyterian in religious faith, his family belonging to that church and to the Episcopalian.
He married, August 23, 1869, at New Brighton, Pennsylvania, Amanda M. Cook, born in Butler county, Pennsylvania, December 8, 1848, daughter of James R. and Isabel Cook. Children: 1. Wooda N., of whom further. 2. John D., born August 23, 1872, graduate of Monongahela College, graduate of Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, degree of M.D., class of 1895, now a practicing physician of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 3. Charles H., born September 3, 1874, now a contractor, residing in Unlontown, Pennsylvania. 4. Edna E., born March 1, 1877, married Dr. Alexander M. Duff, of Pittsburgh, now located at Republic, Pennsylvania; children: John D. and Alexander. 5. Ethel C., born January 9, 1879, educated in the public school and St. Xavier's Academy, married to Thomas J. Gearing, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 6. Walter Russell, of whom further. 7. Catherine, born November 11, 1886, educated at St. Xavier's College, resides with parents.
(III) Wooda N., oldest son of John D. and Amanda M. (Cook) Carr, was born in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh, North Side), February 6, 1871. He was educated in the public school of Fayette City, Pennsylvania, coming to Uniontown with his parents in 1885, there completing his public school study. He then entered Madison College and later Monongahela College at Jefferson, Pennsylvania, whence he was graduated A. B., class of 1891, the college later conferring the degree of A. M. He engaged in journalism in Uniontown after graduation: was editor of the News for two years, now consolidated with the Standard and known as the News-Standard, then became editor of the Democrat, continuing until 1893. He began the study of law under the direction of D. M. Hertzog, of Uniontown. He was admitted to the Fayette bar in 1895, later to the supreme court of Pennsylvania and to the federal and supreme courts of the nation. He has been actively engaged in practice since admission and is well established as a skillful practitioner and learned lawyer. He practiced alone until 1908, when he formed a partnership with his brother, Walter Russell Carr, as Carr & Carr. He is a member of the state and county bar associations and actively interested in the work of these societies. He is a Democrat in politics and has always been influential and active in the party. In 1900 he was the candidate of his party for congress from the district then composed of Fayette, Greene, Washington and part of Allegheny counties, now divided into three congressional districts, The district was then strongly Republican, but Mr. Carr greatly reduced the normal Republican majority. In 1902 -1903 he was chairman of the Fayette county central committee, having been almost continuously a member of that committee since entering political life. He received the unanimous nomination of his party for congress in 1912 and is at this time engaged in the campaign. He is a frequent delegate to county, district and state conventions of his party, where his opinions and judgment are always sought. He is past master of Fayette Lodge, No. 228, Free and Accepted Masons; is a companion of Uniontown Chapter, No. 165, Royal Arch Masons and past eminent commander of Uniontown Commandery, No. 49, Knights Templar. He is also a member of Uniontown Lodge of Perfection, American Association Scottish Rite. He is also past exalted ruler of Uniontown Lodge, No. 370, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and a most effective worker and speaker in that lodge. Mr. Carr excels as a platform orator, possessing the not frequently combined qualities of logical strength, rare eloquence and personal attraction. He is a powerful advocate and a tower of strength to the cause he champions. He is a member of the Presbyterian church, his wife an Episcopalian. His recreation is taken with his books, he having probably the best selected if not the largest private library in the state. The refined literary tastes of Mr. Carr and his wife are reflected in this rare collection of books and in the appointments of their home at 25 Ben Lomond street.
He married, October 21, 1903, Julia, daughter of John W. and Margaret (Lenox) Kisinger, of Brownsville, Pennsylvania. Child: John D., born November 30, 1906.
(III) Walter Russell, youngest son and sixth child of John D. and Amanda M. (Cook) Carr, was born in South Union township, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, May 3, 1885. He was educated in the public schools and was graduated from Uniontown high school, class of 1902. He continued his studies at Washington and Jefferson College, (Washington, Pennsylvania ) whence he was graduated B. A., class of 1906. In 1909 the same college conferred upon him the degree of M. A. In 1906, after graduation, he began the study of law with his brother, Wooda N. Carr, and on April 25, 1908, was admitted to the Fayette county bar; to the supreme court of Pennsylvania, October 24, 1910; to the superior court of Pennsylvania, April 17, 1911, and to the United States court, October 24, 1910. He is a member of the well known law firm of Carr & Carr, an association founded in 1908 with his brother and perceptor, Wooda N. Carr, who had then been in practice alone since 1895. He is an able lawyer and foremost among the young men of the Fayette bar, Carr and Oratory seem synonomous terms. At the meeting of the State Bar association in 1909, Mr. Carr delivered an address on the "Younger Bar" which made even those oratory hardened lawyers recognize a master and pronounce it of "wonderful force and eloquence." In the same year, as a delegate to the Democratic state convention, he made the speech placing in nomination for auditor-general, J. Wood Clark, later nominated by the convention.
Mr. Carr is much in demand as a campaign orator, where he is very effective. He also is a frequent speaker in the orders to which he belongs, especially the Lodges of Sorrow held by the Elks. In political life he has always been active and useful in his party, the Democratic. He has served as chairman of the county central committee and has frequently sat as a delegate in county, district and state conventions. In 1911 he was the candidate of his party for district attorney, but failed to overcome the heavy normal Republican majority in the county. He belongs to the Masonic Order; the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; the Fraternal Order of Eagles; the Professional State and County Bar Associations, and the Uniontown Country Club. He is president of Uniontown High School Alumni Association and a devoted friend of the cause of public education. His college fraternity is Phi Kappa Psi, Pennsylvania Alpha Chapter at Washington and Jefferson College. A feature of his college life was the organization of the Washington and Jefferson Debating Society, of which he was the founder and first president. This society became and still remains one of the strongest and most beneficial of all the student bodies. He was also president of the senior class and always among the leaders in progressive college movements, notably the present honor system employed in the college, being the first president of the Student Board. Popular with all classes, Mr. Carr gives bright promise of adding greatly to laurels already won and of becoming a shining light among the great luminaries that have made the bar of Western Pennsylvania famous. He is a vestryman and member of the Episcopal church. He is unmarried.
Source: Genealogical and Personal History of Fayette County, John W. Jordan, Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1912.
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