Capt Louis Marchand Speer

Capt. Louis Marchand Speer was one of 4 Louis Marchand Speer. There is also one Louis Marchand Speers with an s on the end, the son of Solomon Powers Speers and Margretta B. Speer, who were cousins. Louis's father was Civil War Union Brevet Colonel William Finley Speer and mother was Mary Starrit (or Sterret) Power born in Belle Vernon PA and buried in Homewood Cemetery in Pittsburgh. Capt Louis was one of 4 boys and 1 sister. There are also 4 William Finley Speer and the family has other members with duplicate first and middle names - James Rowland Hughes Speer for instance, there are 3 with this name, the last is still living in 2013. The first James R H Speer was Capt Louis's uncle. Louis's grandfather was the 1st Louis Marchand Speer who founded North Belle Vernon. This Louis's father Noah Speer/s founded BV in 1813/14 and Noah's brother Rev. Henry Speers founded Speers PA about 1787 across the Monongahela river. Their brother Jacob Spears went to KY in 1787 and "named" Bourbon Whiskey in 1810. Their other brother Solomon Spears was killed by Indians south of Louisville in 1788. Notice the 3 spellings.

Capt Louis piloted steamboats for the John A. Wood & (coal) Co. who had a mine in Belle Vernon. John A. Wood was Capt Louis's wife Millie Wood Speer's father. Capt Louis's father William F Speer manufactured 4 steamboats between 1879 and 1883 in Sewickley PA before the business burned down. Belle Vernon is a French name meaning "beautiful green". Capt Louis and Millie Wood Speer had 3 boys - William Wood, Clyde Edward, and Louis M Speer Jr (one of the 5 Louis Marchand Speer/s). Jr drowned in Huntingdon WV while helping his girl friend with a hoop skirt after they fell out of a canoe.* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Mar 12 2021, 20:49:10 UTC