This excerpt is from the 'History of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania'.  

O. J. is from a different Clawson family than mine but lived in the same area of Pennsylvania.


O. J. CLAWSON, one of the leading grocers and tobacco dealers of the enterprising town of Greensburg, was born in Bell township, Westmoreland county, Pa., March 13, 1841, and is a son of James and Sarah (Alcorn) Clawson.  His paternal grandfather, Peter Clawson, was a native and farmer of Westmoreland county, and was descended from a Clawson family of Holland.  He married Barbara Ringle, daughter of a large land-holder in Sewickley township.  She lived to be quite aged; her death occurred about twelve years ago.  His father, James Clawson, was born in August, 1812, in Bell township.  He is a prosperous farmer, a democrat and an influential member of the Evangelical Lutheran church.  He married Miss Sarah Alcorn, of near Saltsburg, Pa., and eight children were born unto them, of whom five sons and one daughter are living.  Mrs. Clawson's father, Michael Alcorn, came from Ireland to near Saltsburg, Pa, at thirteen years of age, and was a firm believer in the teachings of the Presbyterian church.

0. J. Clawson was reared on a farm, educated in the common schools and Saltsburg academy, and in 1862 removed to Illinois, where he was engaged in merchandising for twelve years.  In 1873 he returned to his native county and was engaged for seven years in business at Helena, a station on the W. P. railway.  In 1879 he removed to Greensburg, and successfully engaged in his present large and prosperous wholesale and retail grocery and tobacco trade.  His establishment is ample in size, well arranged, and heavily stocked with a fine assortment of staple and fancy groceries and choice tobaccos and segars.  Mr. Clawson owns real estate in Bell township, besides considerable real estate in and around Greensburg.  He is president of the Westmoreland Mutual Insurance Company and his business interests are chiefly in this county.  He is an active and successful business man, honorable and fair in all his dealings, and is especially deserving of the success he has achieved.

 

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