THE CENTURY FARMS of Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, Sponsored and published by The Jefferson County Historical and Genealogical Society, Brookville, Pa. 1988 - Editor: Jean K. Harriger

ROBERT AND THERESA ALLSHOUSE

A thriving 166-acre beef cattle operation at R. D. 2, Brookville, in Knox Township, is the home of Robert and Theresa (Milliron) Allshouse. His ancestor, Henry Allshouse, came to Pennsylvania in 1748 from Wurttenberg, Germany, and first settled in Northampton County, where his son Henry served in the Revolutionary War in the Northampton county militia. Later the family moved to Westmoreland County, and eventually to Jefferson County, where John Allshouse, Bob's grandfather, bought 50 acres of land in 1864 from David Keck.

A second tract of 50 acres was added to the farm in 1880, and in 1925, a tract of 66 acres was added to the Allshouse holdings.

John Allshouse and his wife Mary Smith had nine children two of whom died in childhood. One of them, John Irvin, married Pearl Geist, and has a family of 12 children, of which Bob was one. They were: Francis M., born 1905, HAROLD H., 1906; Gladys M. (Bridge), 1908; Irvin F., 1910; Amanda A. (Garvey), 1913; Virgil H., 1914; Walter W., 1916, Robert R., 1917, Ivan J., 1919: June I., 1920; Ruth L., 1922, and her twin brother, Rufus W.

In 1916, John Irvin took over the farm from his father, and in 1953 it was purchased by his son Rufus W. and wife Theresa. However, in 1957 Rufus was killed in a farm accident, and Robert W. and Theresa Allshouse became owners.

In addition to his farm duties, Bob has served for many years as a road supervisor in Knox Township, and is highly respected by township residents for the way he has carried out these duties. He and Teresa are the parents of four children: Sandra (Geer), James, Rex and Beth (Hetrick)., all of whom are the parents of two children each and live on part of the Allshouse farm. An older son, Gary W., lives in Muncy, Pa., with his wife Judy and two children. A treasured gift from him is an album of family photos and history, from which much of the material for this article came, including the photo of John Allshouse, the original settler of the farm.

With four of their children still living near them on land which was part of the family farm, it is obvious that the Allshouses have instilled a love of the land in their descendants.