Harry Oliver Sackett, a prominent citizen of Sewickley, Pennsylvania, is descended on the maternal side of the house from a family long associated with that region, although his own birth took place in Alliance, Ohio. His maternal grandfather was Robert Green, a native of Ireland, where he was born in the year 1800. He later, in company with his brother Charles and his sister Ann, came to the United States, and settling first in Delaware, finally removed to the western part of Pennsylvania, where they founded the old Green homestead in what is now Sewickley. Mr. Green and his sister Ann kept the first store in Sewickley, and Miss Green married Abram Wakefield, the collector of the tolls on the Ninth street bridge, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for many years, and, indeed, until the bridge was made free to the public. Mr. Green in early life was a drover, and later went into the mercantile enterprise in Sewickley, and was engaged in this at the time of his death in 1852. He was one of the pioneers of that region, and in the early days bought the corner of Broad and Beaver streets, Sewickley, from the Rev. Charles Thorn, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church. This property is still in the possession of Mr. Green's heirs. Mr. Green was married to Eliza Smith, a native of Leetsdale, where she was born May 11, 1820, on the old Leet homestead. Mrs. Green was a daughter of William and Kate (Bean) Smith of that place. Mr. Smith was a riverman and one of the pioneers thereabouts. He and his wife lived for many years in Sewickley, and there eventually died. Their children were five in number, four daughters and one son; Eliza, Ann, Kate, Susan and Absalom. To Mr. and Mrs. Green were born four daughters, as follows: Mary, deceased; Rebecca, the mother of the subject of this sketch; Margaret, a resident of Sewickley; Ann, deceased.
Harry Oliver Sackett was born May 12, 1868, at Alliance, Ohio. His education was received in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, the public schools of which he attended during his boyhood. Upon completing his studies, he learned the trade of plumber, which he followed for a period of four years. At the end of that time, he secured a position with the Pennsylvania Railroad, and has now been employed by it for twenty-five years. In 1900 he was promoted to the position of freight agent at Sewickley, his predecessor having been J. W. Warren, who held the post for forty-four years. Mr. Sackett's home now stands on Blackburn avenue, Sewickley. Politically Mr. Sackett is a member of the Republican party, and takes a keen interest in the conduct of local affairs and issues of a general nature.
Mr. Sackett was married, October 16, 1895, to Cora Palmer, of Harrison county, Ohio, where she was born. To them have been born two daughters: Hope, born July 31, 1898, and now a student in the Sewickley High School; and Rebecca Green, born November 23, 1908. Mr. and Mrs. Sackett are both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, as, indeed, were his mother and grandmother, and in this persuasion, they are rearing their daughters.
Extract from John W Jordan (Editor-in-Chief), Genealogical and Personal History of Western Pennsylvania, Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York (1915), vol 1, pp 330-331. (Researched by Myra Roper).