Son of Wm. Evans and Susan Wilkins
Husband of Sara Evans and father of Margaret, Nellie and Mary
Brother to A.W. and W.A. Evans and Mrs. Sue McCormick

Civil War Veteran
Co H 41st Reg, 12th Reserves Pvt


SAMUEL WILSON EVANS, deceased,
was born in Brushvalley township, this
county, in March, 1839, a son of William



Hugh Evans, his grandfather, was born in
Wales, and came to the United States in early
manhood on the same vessel as his future wife
although when they set out on the voyage they
were not acquainted. Owing to a crippling
of the crew on account of severe storms, the
passengers were pressed into the service, and
during the many weeks of the passage friend-
ships were formed which in one case at least
deepened into love. Hugh Evans married his
fair fellow passenger and they settled in
Brushvalley township, Indiana Co., Pa.,
where he became a heavy land owner. In
addition to looking after his land he built a
flourmill, manufactured woolen goods, and
was a lumberman, operating his large inter-
ests profitably and developing into one of the
dominant men of his time and locality.

As his sons grew older he gave them farms.
He died greatly respected by all who knew
him. The children of his first marriage were :
Hugh, Evan, James, John, William, Ann,
Mary and Elisabeth. After the mother died
he married Hettie Cresswell, by whom he had
Ellen, Rebecca and Lucy (wife of Rev. A. B.
Runyan) .

William A. Evans, father of Samuel W;
Evans, spent the greater portion of his life
on the property given him by his father, com-
prising a portion of the homestead in Brush-
valley township. A man of principle, he was
a pioneer in prohibiting the use of whiskey
at any gathering of men at his home, when it
was the general custom to serve whiskey to
all workers, and when on raising his barn he
made known to the men his principle they at
first refused to go on with the work, but when
they understood that it was withheld on ac-
count of conscientious scruples they good-
naturedly went ahead, honoring him for this
proof of his strength of character. In 1833
or 1834 he married Susan Wilkins, a woman
of Scotch-Irish descent, also a native of Brush-
valley tovnship, and to them were born the
following children: John, a surgeon in Com-
pany H, 12th Regiment, Pennsylvania Vol-
unteers, during the Civil war, who afterward
practiced medicine in Homer City until his
death; Andrew Wilkins, who died at his
home at Washington, D. C, in 1911 ; Samuel
W. ; William A., who lives at Reed station;
Mrs. Nancy Rhodes, deceased; Mrs. Sue Mc -
Cormick, of Indiana ; Elisabeth, who died in
early life; and George, who resided until his
death on a farm which is the present site of
Lucerne, this county.

Samuel Wilson Evans grew to manhood in
Brushvalley township, and was engaged in
farming when President Lincoln issued his
first call for troops, to which he responded by
enlisting in a company made up of boys from
Brushvalley and Wheatfield townships, under
Captain Bolar. They were assigned to the
12th P. V. I., and he served three years.
At the close of the war he returned to his farm
in Brushvalley, where he lived until within a
few years of his death, finally retiring to In-
diana, Pa., where he passed away Sept. 26,
1908.

On Oct. 27, 1874, Mr. Evans married Sarah
Elliott, a native of Armagh, Indiana county.
From boyhood, Mr. Evans was a Presbyter-
ian, and he always gave that congregation
loyal and generous support. Politically he
was a stanch Republican, as were many of the
men who risked their lives in fighting for the
principles upon which the Republican party
was founded, but he did not care for public
office. Joining G. A. R. Post No. 144, of Me-
chanicsburg, he took great pleasure in meet-
ing his old comrades, and by them was made
commander of the post, which office he held
for years. He and his wife became the par-
ents of three children: Margaret, Nellie and
Mary. A man of principle, Mr. Evans al-
ways lived up to his convictions of right and
wrong. The name of Evans is linked with
much of the history of Indiana county, and
its representatives have ever been found
worthy of their name.


Indiana County, Pennsylvania; her people, past and present; Volume 2 by Joshua Thompson Stewart

Son of Wm. Evans and Susan Wilkins
Husband of Sara Evans and father of Margaret, Nellie and Mary
Brother to A.W. and W.A. Evans and Mrs. Sue McCormick

Civil War Veteran
Co H 41st Reg, 12th Reserves Pvt


SAMUEL WILSON EVANS, deceased,
was born in Brushvalley township, this
county, in March, 1839, a son of William



Hugh Evans, his grandfather, was born in
Wales, and came to the United States in early
manhood on the same vessel as his future wife
although when they set out on the voyage they
were not acquainted. Owing to a crippling
of the crew on account of severe storms, the
passengers were pressed into the service, and
during the many weeks of the passage friend-
ships were formed which in one case at least
deepened into love. Hugh Evans married his
fair fellow passenger and they settled in
Brushvalley township, Indiana Co., Pa.,
where he became a heavy land owner. In
addition to looking after his land he built a
flourmill, manufactured woolen goods, and
was a lumberman, operating his large inter-
ests profitably and developing into one of the
dominant men of his time and locality.

As his sons grew older he gave them farms.
He died greatly respected by all who knew
him. The children of his first marriage were :
Hugh, Evan, James, John, William, Ann,
Mary and Elisabeth. After the mother died
he married Hettie Cresswell, by whom he had
Ellen, Rebecca and Lucy (wife of Rev. A. B.
Runyan) .

William A. Evans, father of Samuel W;
Evans, spent the greater portion of his life
on the property given him by his father, com-
prising a portion of the homestead in Brush-
valley township. A man of principle, he was
a pioneer in prohibiting the use of whiskey
at any gathering of men at his home, when it
was the general custom to serve whiskey to
all workers, and when on raising his barn he
made known to the men his principle they at
first refused to go on with the work, but when
they understood that it was withheld on ac-
count of conscientious scruples they good-
naturedly went ahead, honoring him for this
proof of his strength of character. In 1833
or 1834 he married Susan Wilkins, a woman
of Scotch-Irish descent, also a native of Brush-
valley tovnship, and to them were born the
following children: John, a surgeon in Com-
pany H, 12th Regiment, Pennsylvania Vol-
unteers, during the Civil war, who afterward
practiced medicine in Homer City until his
death; Andrew Wilkins, who died at his
home at Washington, D. C, in 1911 ; Samuel
W. ; William A., who lives at Reed station;
Mrs. Nancy Rhodes, deceased; Mrs. Sue Mc -
Cormick, of Indiana ; Elisabeth, who died in
early life; and George, who resided until his
death on a farm which is the present site of
Lucerne, this county.

Samuel Wilson Evans grew to manhood in
Brushvalley township, and was engaged in
farming when President Lincoln issued his
first call for troops, to which he responded by
enlisting in a company made up of boys from
Brushvalley and Wheatfield townships, under
Captain Bolar. They were assigned to the
12th P. V. I., and he served three years.
At the close of the war he returned to his farm
in Brushvalley, where he lived until within a
few years of his death, finally retiring to In-
diana, Pa., where he passed away Sept. 26,
1908.

On Oct. 27, 1874, Mr. Evans married Sarah
Elliott, a native of Armagh, Indiana county.
From boyhood, Mr. Evans was a Presbyter-
ian, and he always gave that congregation
loyal and generous support. Politically he
was a stanch Republican, as were many of the
men who risked their lives in fighting for the
principles upon which the Republican party
was founded, but he did not care for public
office. Joining G. A. R. Post No. 144, of Me-
chanicsburg, he took great pleasure in meet-
ing his old comrades, and by them was made
commander of the post, which office he held
for years. He and his wife became the par-
ents of three children: Margaret, Nellie and
Mary. A man of principle, Mr. Evans al-
ways lived up to his convictions of right and
wrong. The name of Evans is linked with
much of the history of Indiana county, and
its representatives have ever been found
worthy of their name.


Indiana County, Pennsylvania; her people, past and present; Volume 2 by Joshua Thompson Stewart