USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > A history of Cleveland and its environs; the heart of new Connecticut > Part 14
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H. W. Beattie was educated at Stratford, Ontario. He was one of a household of eleven children, all of whom but one grew up and nine are still living. Mr. Beattie continued to make his home at Stratford, Ontario, until about twenty-four years of age. He learned the diamond business there, serving an apprentice- ship for six years with John Welsh, a jeweler and diamond merchant. In 1884 Mr. Beattie came to Cleveland, several years after his parents, and engaged in business for himself on the corner of Ontario and Prospect streets. For three years he continued in the general jewelry business and he then went to Cam- bridge, Ohio, and managed the establishment of J. F. Salmon, who during Cleveland's ad- ministration was postoffice inspector. Two
years later Mr. Beattie returned to Cleveland, and has since been continuously in business, gradually eliminating his jewelry stock until since 1906 he has dealt exclusively in jewels. He handles nothing but perfect diamonds and no second rate stock is ever permitted to come into his store. It is the only store of its kind in Cleveland, and for loose diamonds, designs of precious stones, and mounting of all kinds of gems this store is the first resort for all peo- ple of particular tastes.
Like many successful business men, Mr. Beattie has a hobby, and that is farming. In fact his home is on a farm in Chagrin Town- ship, in Cuyahoga County, where he owns eighty-five acres of highly developed land. Mr. Beattie is a republican, a member of the Cleve- land Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Club, and though reared as a Presbyterian is now a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Chagrin Falls.
February 1, 1893, at Cleveland, he married Miss Lucy Northup, daughter of Curtis N. G. and Margaret (Morton ) Northup. Both parents are now deceased. Her father was a business man of Cleveland, coming here many years ago, and conducted a general merchan- dise store on Superior Street. Mr. and Mrs. Beattie have three sons, Hugh N., Reveley G. and Milton M. Hugh has from time to time taken special courses in the Ohio State Univer- sity Agricultural Department and is a practi- cal farmer on his father's place in Chagrin Township. The son Reveley G. attended Ohio Wesleyan University three terms and then be- came associated with his father as special de- signer. He is now in the United States Navy, being on the United States steamship Astoria. Milton, a student in the Chagrin Falls High School, is also with his father as a designer. All the sons were born in Cleveland on old Madison Avenue, now Seventy-ninth Street, and were educated in the local schools.
HARRY C. ROBINSON educated himself for the law, but after a brief practice entered business affairs at Cleveland, at first as a manufacturer and for the past thirteen years has been connected with The Guardian Sav- ings and Trust Company and is now the first vice president of that great financial insti- tution.
Mr. Robinson's family history connects him with a number of men and women who were pioneers in Northern Ohio and people who have played an active and worthy part in dif- ferent spheres of the world's work. He was
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born in Royalton Township of Cuyahoga County November 6, 1869, son of Charles and Maria M. (Bark) Robinson. His grandfa- ther, Ebenezer Robinson, like most of the early settlers of Northern Ohio, came out of the State of Connecticut. About 1820 he set- tled at Richfield in Summit County, Ohio, followed farming there, but about 1882 sold his farm and retired to the Village of Brook- lyn, now in the City of Cleveland, and died when about eighty-one years of age. Ebenezer Robinson married Diana Chaffee, an aunt of General Chaffee, who was killed in the Philip- pines.
Mr. Robinson's maternal grandfather was Francis Bark. When Northern Ohio was still a wilderness he started from Canadaigua, New York, and walked all the way to Royal- ton Township of Cuyahoga County, carrying a rifle on his shoulder. He located a tract of land in that township, but for a time worked at his trade of tanner in Cleveland. Every Monday he would leave his farm and walk to Cleveland, a distance of twelve miles, put- ting in the working days of the week at his trade and then return home Saturday. Later he gave up his trade and settled down as a farmer. Francis Bank married in Royal- ton Township Lucina Granger, one of whose brothers fought as a soldier in the War of 1812. The Granger family have a number of prominent members who have been active in making history. One of the brothers of Fran- cis Bark was an officer in the English army.
Charles Robinson, father of the Cleve- land banker, was born at Richfield in Sum- mit County, Ohio, and in early life became a farmer in Cuyahoga County. Later he opened a merchandise business on West Twenty-fifth Street in what was then Brooklyn Village. He kept a general store and was in business there over thirty years. He then retired, and died December 22, 1914, at the age of eighty-three. He was widely known in pub- lic affairs and as a republican, was a mem- ber of the village council of Brooklyn and was deputy sheriff under Sheriff Dewstoe. He had a very wide acquaintance throughout the southern part of Cuyahoga County and was a citizen who commanded complete re- spect wherever he was known. He and his wife were married in Royalton Township June 16, 1859, and they lived to celebrate their golden wedding anniversary in 1909. His wife was born in Royalton Township and died at Cleveland July 20, 1917, at the age of eighty-five. Thus on both sides Harry C.
Robinson comes of long-lived and vigorous stock. His mother was a member of the Brooklyn Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church for over half a century and was de- voted to its various causes.
Harry C. Robinson is the only living child of his parents. His only brother died in in- fancy and his sister died at the age of six years. He grew up in a home of comfort and with an environment calculated to in- spire his best abilities. He graduated from the Brooklyn Village High School with the class of 1886, and in 1891 received the Bache- lor of Science degree from the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware. In the meantime he was studying law in the offices of Henderson, Kline & Tolles, working at his law books after- noons and evenings, while the rest of the day he spent as a practical newspaper man. He was city editor of the old Sunday Sun, a paper that was issued only on Sunday, and which expired after the Cleveland dailies be- gan publishing Sunday issues.
In 1892 Mr. Robinson was admitted to the Ohio bar, but practiced law only two years. He then engaged in the manufacturing busi- ness, being one of the organizers of the Cleve- land Chocolate & Cocoa Company. He was its vice president and was an active factor in the management for ten years, when in 1903 he and his associates sold out. The busi- ness is still a flourishing industry at Cleve- land.
On February 21, 1904, Mr. Robinson be- came connected with The Guardian Trust Company, now The Guardian Savings & Trust Company, as manager of its real estate de- partment. In 1913 he was promoted to the position of vice president. Mr. Robinsou is also a director and president of The James A. Hind Realty Company, president and di- rector of The Continental Realty Company, secretary of The Cleveland Wire Goods Com- pany, and director of The Metal Craft Com- pany. He is also widely known in civic and social affairs, being a member of the Union Club, University Club, the Country Club, Mayfield Country Club, Civic League, Cleve- land Chamber of Commerce, Cleveland Au- tomobile Club, Bankers Club of Cleveland, and in politics is a republican. His recrea- tions are golf and motoring.
The Robinson home is at 1858 East Eighty- second Street. November 1, 1900, he married Miss Josephine Crawford. They were mar- ried in Chicago, Illinois, where Mrs. Robinson was reared from early childhood. She was
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born at Durham, Canada. Her father was Dr. Joseph Crawford, who died there when she was a small girl. Later her mother, Ma- rian (Finlay) Crawford, moved to Chicago. Mrs. Robinson is well known in Cleveland social circles.
EDWIN BAXTER is cashier of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, having joined the official staff with the establishment of the bank in 1914. Prior to that time he was iden- tified with the Cleveland Chamber of Com- merce, of which he was one of the executive officials for a number of years.
Mr. Baxter has been a resident of Cleve- land through his college years and his active business career. He was born in Grand Ha- ven, Michigan, September 12, 1878, but spent most of his boyhood in Southern California. He is a son of Edwin and Ellen Louise (Sca- gel) Baxter, both of whom are now deceased. Judge Baxter spent his early life at Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he was city clerk. He was there when the war broke out and en- listed in the First Regiment of Michigan Me- chanics and Engineers as lieutenant in Company C. He served from 1862 until the close of the war. Following the war he lo- cated at Grand Haven, Michigan, and for a number of years was prominent in affairs there as a lawyer and was also probate judge of Ottawa County. In 1881 Judge Baxter moved to Los Angeles, California. He served as court commissioner at Los Angeles, as pres- ident of the Southern California Historical Society, and was active in Grand Army af- fairs, at one time being state commander of the California department. His death oc- curred in Los Angeles in 1910. His wife had died there in 1895. Edwin Baxter was the only child of his mother; he has a half-sister by his father's earlier marriage, Miss Minnie S. Baxter, now a school teacher in Los An- geles.
Edwin Baxter was educated in the public and high schools of Los Angeles, graduating from the latter in 1897. In the fall of that year he came to Cleveland to enter Adelbert College of Western Reserve University. Dur- ing the sophomore year of 1899 he left col- lege to earn some money and finance his fur- ther education. In 1901 he resumed his work in the university and graduated A. B. with the class of 1903.
In February, 1902, while still in college, Mr. Baxter was made the first secretary of the Convention Board of the Cleveland
Chamber of Commerce, using his afternoons and such other time as was necessary in trav- eling to secure conventions and perform other work. In 1905 Mr. Baxter was made secre- tary also of the Retail Merchants Board of Cleveland, and assistant secretary of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce. In 1912 he was also made industrial commissioner of the Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Baxter was secretary of the joint com- mittee of the Chamber of Commerce and other organizations which carried out the success- ful campaign to secure the location of the Federal Reserve Bank for this district in Cleveland. He was made secretary of the Federal Reserve Bank and on January 1, 1916, was promoted to cashier.
Mr. Baxter is secretary of the Bankers Club of Cleveland, a member of the University Club and the Cleveland Chamber of Com- merce, and president (1917-18) of the Cleve- land Heights Civic Club. He spends many of his leisure hours among his books. His home is at 3037 East Overlook Road. At Cleveland June 22, 1904, Mr. Baxter married Miss Marguerite Noakes, formerly of Mon- roe, Michigan. They have one son, Alan Ed- win, born at Cleveland November 19, 1908.
JOHN ROLLIN BLAKESLEE, who was identi- fied with the City of Cleveland from 1878 un- til his death, was a prominent manufacturer and business man, founding and serving many years as president of The Ajax Manufacturing Company.
The success he attained was partly due to the expression of his individual character and also by many worthy qualities which he in- herited from his ancestry. The record of the Blakeslee family in America goes back into the seventeenth century. They were a most sturdy class of English people, were high-minded, in- dependent thinking, and able in both word and deed. One of the salient characteristics of the family was its devotion to church and religion.
The great-grandfather of the late John R. Blakeslee was Samuel Blakeslee, a soldier and officer in both the Revolution and War of 1812. In his declining years he wrote out for the benefit of his descendants a record of the early family and of his own career, especially the incidents of his military service. It is chiefly from a transcript of this record that the fol- lowing account is condensed.
The American founders of the family were two brothers, Samuel and John Blakeslee.
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They were blacksmiths and on coming from England they brought their anvil, vise and other implements, landing at Boston. They bought the narrow and barren strip of land joining the peninsula of the Town of Boston to the mainland, and known then and since as Boston Neck. Here they lived with their fami- lies a few years and endeavored to support them by blacksmithing. As the Village of Boston was then poor and small and the land where they were located unproductive, they left that locality with their families and going around by the seashore reached New Haven, Connecticut. Here Samuel bought land while John went northwest of New Haven and into the western part of what is now the State of Connecticut. John founded a family that afterwards had many prominent representa- tives. It is to be remarked that the brothers on leaving Boston did not sell their land, thinking it would enhance in value in after years. Time went on and they failed to look after their interests and let the title lapse by inattention to land which is now worth many millions.
Of the two brothers, Samuel Blakeslee was the founder of the branch in which this article is particularly interested. In the course of years his descendants became scattered all about the several towns in which the original Town of New Haven was divided, most of them being in North Haven. Samuel Blakeslee the immigrant had a son Ebenezer, one of whose sons was named Samuel, and this Samuel was the father of Joseph, father of the Revolu- tionary soldier Samuel Blakeslee. Samuel, grandfather of the soldier, had his home in the Town of Wallingford, Connecticut, part of the original. Town of New Haven. He lived and died there, as did his son Joseph in the same house.
Grandfather Samuel married Elizabeth Dolittle, and was the father of two sons and nine daughters. The sons were Joseph and Samuel, the latter dying at the age of nineteen. Samuel Blakeslee, the writer of the record, was about two years of age when his grand- father died, and it was at his request that the grandson was named Samuel. The daughters in the family were named Elizabeth, Susan- nah, Abigail, Miriam, Zuriah, Thankful, Han- nah and Phebe. All of these lived to be a great age and had large families of children.
Joseph Blakeslee, father of Colonel Samuel, was born on the 1st day of April. old style, and was married the 1st day of April, new style. The maiden name of his wife was Lois
Ives. She was the daughter of Stephen Ives, of Wallingford. Joseph Blakeslee was a non- commissioned officer in the French war and was in the battle of Lake George. He married after his return from the war. They had twelve children, the first two dying in infancy. Among these Col. Samuel Blakeslee was born November 23, 1759.
Colonel Samuel's record of his Revolution- ary service has an abiding interest for all his descendants and is a valuable commentary upon some phases of the struggle for inde- pendence. The record is therefore given en- tire.
"The Revolutionary war broke out when I was about fifteen years old. The country be- ing in an uproar and confusion volunteer com- panies were raised, the boys caught the mili- tary fever and boy companies with wooden guns were raised. In one of these companies I was chosen captain, this being in the year 1775. The next year I conceived the idea of going into the army. In those days a boy of sixteen was liable to bear arms. The British then lay in Boston and after many pleadings with my parents they gave me leave to enlist as a soldier under Capt. Isaac Cook, of Wal- lingford. This being about the month of Feb- ruary, 1776. My father took me to the cap- tain for enlistment. The captain said I looked like a good strong boy and, as he thought, a little too small for a soldier, but if I could measure five feet five inches tall he would take me. But to my mortification I was only five feet four and one-half and was of course de- nied enlistment. The following June there was a company raised by Capt. John Thatcher, of New Haven. Ephraim Chamberlain, of Wallingford, one of his lieutenants, agreed to enlist me as a soldier. I accordingly enlisted under him in July, 1776. I joined my com- pany at New Haven, received my arms and marched on to the northward as far as Skeens- borough. now Whitehall, and joined the army there, lying then under the command of Gen- eral Waterbury. Here our army became sick with the ague and suffered everything but death. Generals Gates and Arnold, with the remnant of the army that fled from Quebec, were stationed down the lake at Ticonderoga, and all the effective men at Skeenshorongh were ordered there. At this time I was so sick that I could scarcely help myself, but was de- termined to go down the lake. Mv officers gave me liberty to do so and I was helped on board of a gallev and was landed at what was called Old Ty Point, but the same day crossed the
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lake to Mount Independence with the rest of our regiment. The mount at this time was a wild forest. I laid sick on the ground night and day for some time by a fire with the well soldiers until they built a small log hut. At this time the American fleet moved down the lake. Generals Arnold and Waterbury and all the men that were acquainted with seafaring were put on board the fleet. My captain and part of his company were on board. They had a naval engagement and the American fleet was destroyed. My captain and his men were made prisoners and sent home on parole, but those that escaped set fire to Crown Point Fort and Bannock's Barracks which was consumed with a tremendous fire and smoke that exhib- ited scenery at Ticonderoga. Here I stayed until about the 1st of December, was then dis- charged, and after a long and wearisome jour- ney arrived at my father's house the 16th day of December, worn out and sick. There were enlisting orders for two months and a half for men to go to White Plains. I conceived the notion of trying another short campaign. I enlisted on the 1st of January, 1777, under Lieut. Dan Johnson, of Wallingford. The company was commanded by Capt. Angustus Collins of Guilford and joined the regiment at New Rochelle, near White Plains, commanded by Colonel Cook, of Wallingford. In these two campaigns I was too slender and young for a soldier. However, I bore them with mil- itary fortitude.
"In the spring of 1777 I was drafted from the militia and stationed at New Haven. At this time the standing army was being raised and Connecticut regiments were rendezvous- ing at this place. The fine regimentals and martial music so raised my feelings that I re- solved to become a soldier in the standing army. I obtained a pass from my officers to go home for two days, which was eighteen miles distant. The reason I obtained this pass was to consult my parents about enlisting. The first time I enlisted as a soldier I promised them that I would never enlist without their consent, but I secretly resolved that I would not leave teasing them until I had worn out their patience, which was the case in my first two enlistments. On my arrival at home I candidly told them my errand. I told it to my mother first, and to my surprise she told me that my father and herself had been talking on the same subject and thought that since sol- diers must be had it was likely that I would be called away in the militia and that I might as well make a business of it first as last and
be receiving my pay. My parents were poor but industrious and found it hard to support their family in the time of war. I was a sav- ing boy and out of my five months wages at the northward, which was $6 a month, mak- ing $30, I brought home to my father $20 1 shilling and 1 sixpence, and 1 saved all my wages that were paid me for my ten weeks winter campaign, which was paid my father by my captain. I expect that the distress of the times and the urgency of their case was a great inducement to them to make me a sol- dier. The next day after my arrival father took me to Lieutenant Chamberlain and I en- listed under him for three years service in the standing army. The bounty paid my father down was, from the United States $20 and the town for encouragement of the recruiting service paid each soldier $40, amounting in all to $60. At the time of raising the standing army the Legislature, for the encouragement of the war, passed an act that any two men that would hire one man for the service should be exonerated from being called on themselves during his service. At this time my father and Charles Ives hired Barngath Hall for three years and paid him $40. At my enlistment he sold me to Robert Rice, the other man I have forgotten or never knew, for $106.66, paid in hand, so that my father cleared himself by hiring for three years and sold me for the same time with a saving of $86.66, in addition of the $60 from the state and town.
"My enlistment was made on the 1st of May, 1777, and I was called to leave home about the 1st of June with my officer, Lieutenant Cham- berlain, and a number of other soldiers. My father accompanied us with a horse to help along our baggage as far as Danbury, about fifty miles, where he gave me his farewell ad- dress, which I shall not do him justice to men- tion without weeping. The next morning my father returned home and we took up our march for Peekskill and joined the army, which was collecting at that place. Here the army was taught the military exercise and had many hard marches as scouting parties. I well recollect that I was on private guard when one John Murray was confined and under sentence of death to be executed the next day. I stood sentry over him more than sixteen hours out of twenty-four. I was taken sick in the night but did my duty until relieved the next morn- ing by a new guard. At the 8 o'clock drum the troops were paraded and marched to Gal- low's Hill, I under arms with the rest, and saw him hanged. After being dismissed I was
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soon found to be broke out with the measles. However, I was fit for duty again in a few days. About this time Lord Howe landed his army at the head of the Elk River and a part of the troop was called for. Eight regiments were sent to the southward, six from Con- necticut and two from Rhode Island. My colonel was Homer Swift. The battle of Brandywine was before our arrival, but we hastened and joined Washington's grand army. In about a week we had marching or- ders about sunset, and marched all night. About 4 o'clock in the morning we received information that Lord Howe had the day be- fore marched his army to take possession of Philadelphia, but had left 4,000 men as a rear guard. and General Washington was calcu- lating to take or destroy them. This informa- tion was conveyed from rank to rank by whis- pers. This aroused my feelings as I had never seen bloodshed in all my service. However, I was determined to stick and hang. I had at that time sixty-four rounds of cartridges with three buckshot in each. The battle commenced at daylight with a tremendous roar, a little on our right, by Lord Sterling, and the British gave way. I then belonged to the left wing of the army commanded by Major General Stevens, of Carolina, but the fate of the day turned against us and we had to retrace our steps. After these events the army took up their winter quarters at a place called Valley Forge, where I was stationed on General Var- num's Guard, from whence I was taken and put under the care of a drum major by the name of William Chandler and by his instruc- tion and my own exertions became a good drummer, in which employ I continued dur- ing my term of service, which was about two years. About the last of May, I think, Lord Howe left Philadelphia for New York. Gen- eral Washington followed him up until he ar- rived at Monmouth, New Jersey, where he gave him battle that terminated favorably for the Americans .. After this battle the army marched to Peekskill, from thence to White Plains, from thence to winter quarters, some one way, some another. The Connecticut troops built huts at Danbury, in their native state. During the winter provisions, clothing and pay became very scarce and the troops grew uneasy. The Connecticut troops, about 600 of them, disbanded and took their march for Connecticut, but were met by General Put- nam and after some conversation returned to their duty, although there was one man killed by the name of Crosby. In the month of Feb-
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