BIO: David McCAHAN, Huntingdon County, PA

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Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley: 
Comprising the Counties of Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata and Perry, 
Pennsylvania, Containing Sketches of Prominent and Representative 
Citizens and Many of the Early Settlers.  Chambersburg, Pa.: J. M. 
Runk & Co., 1897, pages 75-76. 
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  DAVID McCAHAN, Huntingdon, Pa., was born in the Licking Creek, Valley, 
about six miles from Mifflintown, Juniata county, Pa., January 27, 1830.  He 
is a son of John and Sarah (Reynolds) McCahan.  His grandfather, Patrick 
McCahan, came from his native country, Ireland, early in life, and settled 
in Juniata county; his wife was of a Quaker family.  Mr. McCahan's maternal 
grandfather, Stephen Reynolds, a preacher of the Society of Friends, who 
came from Nottingham, England, at an early period of our colonial history; 
he settled in Cecil county, Md.  His brother William settled in New York, 
and his brother John somewhere in the Carolinas.  Henry Reynolds' first 
wife, an English lady, having died, he married in America a widow, Mrs. 
Haines.  He had two daughters and twelve sons, some of whom served in the 
Continental army during the Revolution.  It seems probable that Gen. John F. 
Reynolds, of Lancaster, who was killed at Gettysburg, was descended from 
some one of these twelve sons.  One of them, who was named Benjamin, married 
Mary Job.  They had six sons, as follows:  Stephen, married Deborah 
Sidewell, after her death Elizabeth (Hartman) Kreider; David, married Polly 
Purdy, and afterwards Mrs. Elizabeth Moore; Isaac, married Polly Cole; John, 
married Annie Knight; Levi, married Mrs. Nancy (Wilson) Purdy, and Jesse, 
married Mary Guinna.  The eldest son of David Reynolds, Dr. John Reynolds, 
was one of the heroes who perished in the memorable defense of the Alamo, 
March 6, 1836.  Stephen Reynolds, eldest son of Benjamin, had sixteen 
children.  Those by his first marriage were:  Polly (Mrs. James Cummings); 
Henry, Benjamin, married Sarah Burdge; and Stephen.  Those of the second 
marriage, with Elizabeth Ricketts, are:  David, married Amelia Major, of 
Lewistown, Pa.; Stephen, married Mary Black; Isaac, married first to Fanny 
Guinna, afterwards to Nancy Rothrock; Azzar; Sarah (Mrs. John McCahan); and 
John.  The children of the third marriage are:  Jefferson, married Kate 
Graybill; Levi, married Hannah Vanormer; Deborah (Mrs. Thomas Berryman); 
Eliza (Mrs. Jacob Boehl); Jesse, died young; and Susan, died young.  Both 
Mr. and Mrs. John McCahan were born in Juniata county, where they resided 
until 1856.  They then removed to Huntingdon county, and there spent the 
remainder of their days.  Mr. McCahan was all his life a farmer, and 
followed this vocation both in Juniata and Huntingdon counties.  They had 
eight children:  Jacob s., a farmer and resident of Juniata county, 
deceased; Stephen R., farmer, and later freight conductor on the Huntingdon 
and Broad Top Railroad, was killed in a collision; Jane A., wife of E. B. 
McCrum, ex-editor of the Altoona Tribune, died in Altoona; Elizabeth R., 
wife of Rev. Samuel W. Sears, died in Bloomsburg, Pa.; Mary, second wife of 
E. B. McCrum, of Altoona, died in Mifflintown; J. Fletcher, died while 
serving in defense of his country, at Vicksburg, Miss.; Deborah, wife of 
George A. Black, of Huntingdon, died in Altoona; and David, who is the only 
surviving member of his family, his father having died March 29, 1859, and 
his mother July 15, 1887.
  Mr. McCahan's early associations and education were those of a farmer's 
boy.  But although his opportunities were limited to such as were afforded 
by a common school, kept in an old log house during the winter season, yet 
when his course was over, he was found to be qualified for an instructor, 
and taught school for one term at Licking Creek, and one at Mifflintown.  In 
the following year he was clerk for James North, in his store at Mifflin 
Station.  Mr. North was then agent for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, 
and while in his employ Mr. McCahan learned telegraphy.  In the spring of 
1856 he was appointed telegraph operator for the Pennsylvania Railroad at 
Paoli, Chester county, Pa.; in 1858 he received the additional appointment 
of agent.  He filled this position for nine years.  In 1867 he became 
passenger agent and operator at Huntingdon, Pa., but since 1873 his duties 
have been confined to those of passenger agent.  He is a faithful and 
competent official.  Mr. McCahan is a "gold Democrat."
  David McCahan was married at the place now called Malvern, in Chester 
county, Pa., October 31, 1861, to Rebecca A., daughter of Albert A. and Mary 
A. Johnson, residents of what was then called West Chester Intersection, 
Chester county.  Their children are:  Charles M., supervisor's clerk of the 
Norfolk and Western Railroad, at Richlands, Va.; Albert J., teller in the 
First National Bank of Huntingdon; Clara E. and Lily M., both daughters 
residing at home.  The family attend the Methodist Episcopal and Baptist 
churches.