Millers of Luzerne Twp, Fayette Co.

REBECCA JOHNSON  MILLER - LUZERNE TWP, FAYETTE CO. - PAGE 590
Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Fayette County by Gresham and
Wiley, 1889
p590
William H Miller of Bridgeport is of English Quaker descent on his
paternal side. His great-grandfather, Solomon Miller, who was a miller by
trade, was born in England, married there, and emigrated with his family
to America prior to 1750, and settled in York County, Penna. Of his
children was Robert Miller, who was born in York county, Penna, and in
early manhood removed to Frederick county, near Frederick, Maryland, and
purchased a farm, and soon after married Miss Cassandra Wood, a Virginia
lady, who lived near Winchester, Virginia.  They resided upon the farm
near Frederick City till 1796 when they removed to Berkeley county,
Virginia, where they reamained about three years, and then in 1799 came
into Fayette county and settled in Luzerne township on a farm purchased
of one Joseph Briggs, and now owned by Captain Isaac Woodward.  Residing
there for several years, his wife meanwhile dying, Robert Miller
eventually moved into Brownsville and took up his residence on Front
street, upon property now belonging to the heirs of Thomas Morehouse, and
there died about 1832. He was the father of four sons and four daughters,
all of whom grew to maturity.  
Of these was William Miller, who was born September 9, 1782, in Frederick
county, Maryland.  At the age of sixteen he became a clerk in a dry-goods
store belonging to his uncle William Wood in New Market, Virginia, and in
1799 came with his father to Fayette county. He soon after took up the
avocation of school-teaching and pursued it near Perryopolis, in the old
Friends' church, known as Redstone church in Bridgeport, on what was
formerly called "Peace Hill" and elsewhere.  He followed teaching until
1810 when he married Miss Rebecca Johnson, daughter of Squire Daniel
Johnson of Menallen, and at once settled on a farm in that township near
New Salem, and lived there until March, 1837. He then removed to
Brownsville and purchased a woolen factory (no longer standing) and a
flouring mill, then standing on the site whereon is located the present
flouring mill of his son W H Miller. He pursued milling till 1855, when
he retired form business and led a private life until his death which
occurred June 7, 1866. Mrs Rebecca Miller died November 14, 1833, and in
1834 Mr Miller married Ann Johnson, his first wife's half sister, who
childless herself, made a good mother for her sister's children. She is
still living, nearly eighty years of age, cheerful and buoyant in
spirits.
Mr William and Mrs Rebecca Johnson Miller were the parents of nine
children, all of whom grew to maturity, eight still living: Warwick
Miller born 12/11/1811; Hiram Miller, born 12/31/1813; Sarah Miller, born
9/7/1816; Mary Miller, born 2/5/1819; Cassandra Miller (deceased) born
3/3/1821; Lydia Miller, born 1/14/1823; Jane Miller, born 6/30/1825;
William H Miller, born 3/6/1829; and Oliver Miller, born 12/13/1831.
William H Miller, the eight in the above list, was educated in the common
and the Friends' school, and learned the milling business upon which he
entered in partnership with his brother Oliver in 1855 in the mill before
named, and which he and his brother inherited from their father.  The
partnership continued for five years, when Mr Miller bought out the
interest of his brother, who removed to a farm in Luzerne township. In
January, 1866, a fire destroyed both the flouring mill and the old woolen
factory before referred to. The buildings being uninsured the loss was
total. Mr Miller immediately put up a new and better building on the old
site, and to this time conducts business therein. As is noted above, Mr
Miller's great grandfather Solomon Miller was a miller by trade, and from
his day down to the present the trade has been practically and
continuously represented by his descendants.
Mr Miller has held several town and borough offices, and was for eight
years director in the Deposit and Discount Bank of Brownsville, which two
years ago gave up its charter, a portion of its stockholders uniting in
the organization of the National Deposit Bank of Brownsville, of which
bank Mr William H Miller is the president, the National Bank doing
business in the same house formerly occupied by the bank the place of
which it took. 
May 16, 1855, Mr Miller married Miss Margaret J Gibson, daughter of
Alexander and Mary Hibbs Gibson of Luzerne township. They have two
children: A Gibson Miller, born 2/7/1861; and Sarah Helen Miller.
Mr Miller was brought up an Orthodox Friend observing the faith of his
fathers, but is now a member, as is also his wife, of the Cumberland
Presbyterian church. In politics he is a republican.