WILLIAM T DUNN

William Thompson Dunn
1825 – [? After 1895]

“William Thompson Dunn, contractor, Allegheny, was born at what was then called Georgetown, Mercer County, PA. In 1825 the son of James and Maria (Thompson) Dunn who were born in Crawford County PA in 1800 and 1802 respectively. His grandfather Alexander Dunn was born in Eastern Pennsylvania, and was for many years a justice of the peace. The maternal grandfather of Mr. Dunn was carried off by Indians while on a survey in Crawford County and held for ransom. The father of William T. Dunn was a carpenter and died in Allegheny in 1874. His wife died in 1865. Both were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. William received his education in the public schools and at Allegheny College, Meadville PA., graduating in 1852. He then went south in 1853 and taught school in Louisiana for three years. Returning in 1856 he in July 1857 began reading law with Judge Wilson McCandless, and in 1860 was admitted to the bar in Pittsburgh where he practiced law until 1867. He then associated with the late Edward Allen, as contractors and builders of sewers, etc. On April 25, 1861, Mr. Dunn was married to Amelia Frances Allen, the daughter of [SFF&HC member] Edward Allen (deceased). Her mother resides with Mr. Dunn. In 1884 Mr. Dunn purchased property at Emsworth, and has a beautiful home. He and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.”

(Source: History of Allegheny County, 1889).


William T Dunn was associated with the William T. Dunn and Company, which sold building supplies—chiefly terra cotta products such as sewer pipe. They were also cement dealers. Their offices were located at W. T. Dunn Co. 41 Federal Street.

William T Dunn served on the Committee of Public Safety in the aftermath of the Pittsburgh riots (as did Joseph Horne). Dunn served on the board of directors of the Armenia Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, along with SFF&HC member James S McCord. He was named an honorary member of the Hampton Battery Veterans’ Association. William T Dunn was a member of the exclusive Linden Club located on Boulevard Place, as were these SFF&CH members and relations, HC Frick, HP and JL McClintock, AW Mellon, JE Schwartz, Henry K Thaw, and WK Woodwell. Along with many other SFF&CH members, Dunn was also a member of the Sportsmen’s Association of Western Pennsylvania, which may have been the SFF&HC after the Flood (the membership list is from 1895); see the separate posting about the Sportsmen’s Association of Western Pennsylvania elsewhere on this blog.

For the record, the charter members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club were:R F Ruff; T H Sweat; Charles J Clarke; Thomas Clark; W F Fundenberg; Howard Hartley; H C Yeager; J B White; H C Frick; E A Myers; C C Hussey; D R Ewer; C A Carpenter; W L Dunn; W L McClintock; A V Holmes.

Listed in the Pittsburgh and Allegheny Blue Book of 1895, William T. Dunn and his wife Amelia Frances Allen lived at a home called ‘GLEN CRAGIE’ in the East End, which seems to have been owned by their married daughter and her husband, the Moores.

William and Amelia Dunn’s daughter Amelia Marie Dunn married Frank Moore.

From the Social Mirror of 1888: “Mrs. Frank Moore, nee Amelia Dunn, daughter of W. T. Dunn, of Laurel Station, is pretty, bright and entertaining and sings and plays excellently. In instrumental music she took a medal at the Pittsburgh Female College several years ago.” (Page 64) ...Mrs. Frank Moore, of Allegheny, the handsome wife of Mr. Frank MOORE. Moore, cashier of Odd Fellows' Bank, is a finished artist, some of her decorations ranking with the highest” (101)..

One child has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Dunn, Amelia Maria, wife of Frank Moore. The children of Amelia and Frank Moore include:

Frank Moore Jr.

The Dunns were among the founding families of Ben Avon in 1891.