My family told me that my great-grandfather, Plenty Wheaton STEELE owned a farm in Armstrong Co. PA .b. 1848 d. 1950. But I was told he made his "fortune" as a traveling salesman with a horse and cart traveling between Pittsburgh and Franklin PA. He has a brother named Lee T. STEELE who served in the Civil War with a soldier from Slippery Rock, PA. Lee returned to the family homestead in Armstrong county and reportedly gave many accounts of his friend from Slippery Rock, Butler Co. PA. PW enjoyed the description of Slippery Rock so much, he (reportedly) decided "to someday live in Slippery Rock". During his travels up the highway designated as Route 8 someone told PW that he had heard of a farm for sale in Slippery Rock. So PW did purchase that farm and moved his family to Slippery Rock. He bought the farm from a CHRISTLEY. The farmhouse was made of brick dug and fired on the property. The house was a relatively elegant home built in the Victorian style.
I am very curious to find out what company he may have been affiliated with as he sold his goods along the highway. I am in possession of some antique/vintage items labeled Fuller Brush along with some other interesting items that are labeled but not Fuller Brush.
The farm left the STEELE family hands around 1958. The new owner allowed the house abandoned until it was finally for sale, and in the 1990's it was restored, expanded and is now the Apple Butter Inn in Slippery Rock Township.