USA > Ohio > Portage County > A portrait and biographical record of Portage and Summit counties, Ohio > Part 10
USA > Ohio > Summit County > A portrait and biographical record of Portage and Summit counties, Ohio > Part 10
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most respected residents of Green township, and personally, Mr. Traster is one of the most popular.
ARON B. STUTZMAN, A. M., Ph. D., superintendent of the public schools of Kent, Portage county, was born in Wayne county, Ohio, March 23, 1842, a son of Henry and Catherine (Mil- ler) Stutzman, who were of German descent. His great-grandfather, on the paternal side, came from Germany to America about the time of the Revolutionary war, and settled in Easton, Lancaster county, Pa., where the grandfather of Prof. Aaron B. Stutzman was born, but in manhood removed to Somerset county, where he followed farming as his vocation.
Henry Stutzman, the father of Aaron B., was born in Somerset county, Pa., and there married Catherine Miller, a native of the same county, whose father. Christian Miller, a farmer, was accidently killed, at an advanced age. Henry Stutzman, soon after marriage, came to Ohio (in 1826) and settled in Wayne county, being accompanied by his wife and his brothers, John and David, making the journey by ox-teams, and each pre-empting a quarter section of heavily-timbered land. Here Mrs. Stutzman died in 1848, the mother of nine children, all of whom attained their majority, and were named, in order of birth; Jeremiah M., who was a teacher and farmer, served as sergeant in the One Hundred and Sixty-ninth Ohio volunteer infantry through the Civil war, and died in Wayne county, Ohio, the father of two daughters and one son; Susan is married to J. P. Fouch and resides in Canaan, Wayne county; Daniel died at the age of twenty-two years; Elizabeth was married to Rev. Elias Schrock, but lost her husband by death in June, 1896, and she is now a resident of Wayne
county; Christian C. resides in Akron; Eus was a volunteer in the One Hundred ani Twentieth Ohio volunteer infantry, and died at Memphis, Tenn., while in the service; Aaron B. is the subject of this review; Anna is the wife of David MI. Yoder, a farmer of Wayne county, and Henry lives in Johnstown, Pa. The father of this family succeeded in clearing up his farm from the wilderness and developed it into one of the best fruit farms in the country. He was one who cared more for the comfort and training of his family than lie did for wealth, and died a greatly honored man in 1876.
Aaron B. Stutzman, the subject proper of this biography, was reared on his father's farm and received his elementary education in the country schools, and later attended the Smith- ville high school, and, still later, the Mount Union college at Alliance-attending during the summer and teaching during the winter, thus earning the means to defray his expenses. He graduated from Mount Union college in 1871 with the degree of A. M., and for the follow- ing two years was the principal of the schools at Dalton, Ohio, then for two years at Doyles- town, Ohio, and then for three years at Wads- worth, Ohio, where he was also a member of the board of examiners of Medina county. He resigned the superintendency of the Wads- worth schools to accept a like position in Kent in 1878, at which place he has been superin- tendent of the public schools since, and is now serving his third term as member of the board of school examiners of Portage county. When Prof Stutzman took charge of the Kent schools there was but one central school-building and a one-room primary school; there are now three large school-buildings, in which there are employed eighteen regular and two special teachers.
In order to strengthen his professional et- ficiency, Prof. Stutzman took a full post-grad-
Aaron B Stutzenau.
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OF PORTAGE AND SUMMIT COUNTIES.
uate course at Wooster university, and in 1888 this institution conferred upon him the degree of Ph. D., since which time he has still more assiduously endeavored to advance the schools in their usefulness-revising and extending the courses of study and placing them on a higher plane of educational excellence; he has also contributed many valuable articles to the edu- cational journals of the day. In 1878, Prof. Stutzman was granted a life certificate of high qualifications by the Ohio board of school ex- aminers, which is valid in any public school in the commonwealth.
During the Civil war Mr. Stutzman served in the Union army as a member of company A, One Hundred and Sixty-ninth Ohio vol- unteer infantry, as a faithful soldier. He is now a member of A. H. Day post, No. 185, G. A. R., of which he is past commander, and has also represented his post in the grand encampment. Of other fraternal societies, he is a member of Rockton lodge, No. 316, F. & A. M., and of Brady lodge, No. 183, I. O. O. F., in which he has passed all the chairs; he is also a member of the encampment at Akron. In politics Mr. Stutzman is a republican and cast his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln.
Mr. Stutzman was united in marriage Au- gust 15, 1872, with Miss Jennie Clippinger, daughter of Israel Clippinger, a dry-goods mer- chant of Dalton, Ohio, and an ex-soldier of the Civil war, in which his son, Edwin, and his son-in-law, Dr. F. F. H. Pope, also served. To this happy union have been born four chil- dren, viz: Edwin, who died at seven years of age; Grace F., William G. and Charles A., and of these Grace E. and William G. are graduates of the Kent high school. Mr. Stutz- man built his commodious residence at the corner of Park and Woodard avenues, and has a delightful home, where he enjoys the asso- ciation of hosts of admiring and ardent friends. 22
' UDGE CHARLES R. GRANT, a dis- tinguished lawyer of Akron, Ohio, and senior member of the firm of Grant & Sieber, with offices at Nos. 40 and 42 Akron Savings Bank building, is a native of Connecticut and was born in New Haven county October 23, 1846. At the early age of fifteen years, inspired with patriotic ardor at the firing on Fort Sumter, he enlisted in the Twelfth regiment, Connecticut volunteer in- fantry, and was assigned to the perilous posi- tion of bearer of dispatches on the staff of Gen. B. F. Butler, in the department of the Gulf, and was later transferred to the staff of Gen. Banks, under whom be served until October, 1863, when he was honorably dis- charged, having done good and faithful service.
After his return from the army he paid a brief visit to his native state, and then, in April, 1864, came to Ohio and located at Cuyahoga Falls, where he engaged in farming and private study until prepared for college. In September, 1868, he entered the fresh- man class at the Western Reserve college of Cleveland, where he passed through the entire curriculum, and graduated in 1872 as valedic- torian of his class of eighteen students, and soon afterward entered the office of Judge N. D. Tibbals, at Akron, as a law student. After a course of study extending through a period of a little over two years, he was ad- mitted to the bar of Akron, in September, 1874, but, on account of impaired health, re- engaged in farming for two years, and then, in 1876, formed a partnership with H. B. Foster, of Hudson, and in November of the same year located in Akron as member of the firm of Foster, Marvin & Grant, which firm con- ducted a prosperous business until September 16, 1883, when Mr. Grant was appointed probate judge of Summit county by Gov. Foster, to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Judge Goodhue. In 1884, Judge Grant
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was elected to succeed himself in this office. and in 1887 was re-elected, a flattering tribute rendered by the people to his ability, faithful- ness and integrity.
The first marriage of Judge Grant took place October 9, 1873, to Miss Frances J. Wadhams, who was called from earth Sep- tember 14, 1874. November 9, 1876, Judge Grant chose, for his second bride, Miss Lucy J. Alexander, of whom he was also bereft, she dying June 8, 1880, leaving one child, Frances Virginia, who was born September 24, 1877. The third marriage of Judge Grant was con- summated August 19, 1891, with Miss Ida Shick.
Judge Grant is the senior member of the law firm of Grant & Sieber.
ULIUS A. UPSON, a venerable and respected citizen of Cuyahoga Falls, was born in Tallmadge township, Sum- mit county, Ohio, October 11, 1818, and springs from sterling English Puritan stock.
Jolin Upson, founder of this family in America, came from England about 1635, with the Puritan emigrants, accompanied by two brothers. The great-grandfather, Ste- phen, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. John Upson, grandfather of subject, lived in Connecticut and was the founder of Litchfield, and his children were Stephen, Daniel, Hora- tio, John, Thurman, (the latter a sailor who followed the sea all his life), Reuben, Hulda, Sylvia and Lucinda. In his old age, in 1810, John Upson came to Tallmadge township and lived with his son Reuben until his death, a member of the Congregational church.
Reuben, son of above, and father of sub- ject, was born in Waterbury, Conn., August 14, 1771, received a good common-school ed-
ucation for his time, and taught school in his younger days. He married, December 25, 1798, in Waterbury, Hannah, born October 18, 1780, a daughter of Ebenezer Richardson. Mr. Upson learned the trade of carpenter and joiner in New Haven, and worked at both trades when young. In 1808 he came to Ohio, with his family, and his brother Stephen and his family, making the journey with a five- horse team and covered wagon. They were six weeks on the way, cutting through the for- est much of their road. They settled in Port- age county, Suffield township, where the brothers had bought land of the Connecticut Land company before they came out, and were among the first settlers. The brothers had a large tract of virgin land, covered with heavy timber, which they bought at seventy- five cents per acre. The children born to Reuben and wife in Connecticut were Phebe, Emma, Reuben and Polly. Mr. Upson cut logs with which to build his log house, and had to clear a place from the forest to erect same. The Indians were numerous but friendly, and used to stop at his cabin to ob- tain food. Mr. Upson cleared up sixty acres, sold out and went to Tallmadge, Summit county, and bought a farm of Priest Leonard Bacon, a celebrated character who lived at Tallmadge, roo acres of which he also cleared.
Mr. and Mrs. Upson lived here until 1818, and then moved to the northeast part of Tall- madge township, and bought 300 acres of land, but, not obtaining a clear title, he received, in lieu of it, 100 acres in Tallmadge township, 100 acres on the Cuyahoga river, and 100 acres near by. He cleared up a good farm, or hired much of it done, as he worked at his trade. He improved his farm with good buildings, and here died, aged seventy-seven years, in 1844. He was a strict inember of the Congregational church and in politics a whig and a strong anti-slavery man; was also one
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OF PORTAGE AND SUMMIT COUNTIES.
of the earliest Masons on the Western Reserve, belonging to lodges at Canfield, Mahoning and Columbus. He was much respected and a man of high character. The following chil- dren were born to him in Ohio: Chloe, Han- nah, Julius A. and George. Mr. Upson was deputy county clerk for many years, was a skillful penman, and one of the school-teachers in Springfield, Summit county, for several winters in early pioneer times, and taught in a log school-house. He was very strict, and had an unruly school of rough pioneer boys and young men, who had carried out a former school-teacher and ducked him in the brook, but Mr. Upson ruled them with a rod of iron.
Julius A. Upson, whose name opens this memoir, was reared among the pioneers, and during his long life has witnessed the entire improvement of the county. When he was seven years old he went with his father on a load of wheat, probably forty bushels, drawn by three horses, to Cleveland, and received for it one barrel of salt. calico enough for a dress for his mother, and one pound of tea, all of which could now be bought for about $2. 50. The father stated that if he had stopped over night at the tavern, the cash value of his sale would not have amounted to enough to pay his tavern and feed bills. On this occasion he and Julus A. slept in the wagon two nights in October, it being twenty-eight miles over rough roads, and carried their food with them. Julius A. received a good common-school education for his day, and was reared a farmer. He married, at the age of twenty- two years, Lucy A. Lowrey, who was born February 3, 1820, in Tallmadge, a daughter of Shubell H. and Anna Peck (Norton) Lowrey. Shubell H. Lowrey was born May 7, 1788, in Canaan, Conn., and was of Scotch-Irish de- scent. The Nortons were of French descent and also early settlers in Connecticut. The Pecks were of English stock. Mr. Lowrey
married, October 3, 1811, Annie P. Norton- born April 6, 1794. They came to Tallmadge in 1808, and there Mr. Lowrey cleared up 198 acres. He was a blacksmith and a great worker, and noted for his industry. He lived to be eighty-two years of age and died April 14, 1871, in Cuyahoga Falls, a member of the Methodist church and highly respected. His children were Henry, Leonard, Elthina, Lucy A., Susan, Deming, Philo and Hiram. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Upson settled in Huron county, Ohio, in a Quaker settlement, on a farm of 260 acies, and there cleared up 160 acres, and nine years afterward moved to Cuyahoga Falls and engaged in paperhanging for nine years, and was fairly successful. Then he engaged in the livery business, also con- ducted a flouring-mill thirteen years and has generally been successful. To Mr. and Mrs. Upson were born Lucy M., Leonard, Norton L., Charlie N., Sarah and Helen. In politics he is a republican and has held the offices of constable and marshal fourteen years. Mr. Upson is one of the highly respected citizens of his county and has always been an upright and honorable man. His wife died in 1893, aged seventy-three years.
Norton L. Upson, son of Julius A., en- listed at Cuyahoga Falls, when but sixteen years of age, under Capt. Dudley Sward, to serve 100 days, in company F, One Hundred and Sixty-fourth Ohio volunteer infantry. He served out his time and re-enlisted as a vet- eran in 1864, in the Second Ohio cavalry, for three years, or during the war, and served about one year, when he was honorably dis- charged on account of the cessation of hostili- ties. Julius A. Upson himself enlisted, when aged about fifty-eight years, at the time of Morgan's raid, in the organization known as the Squirrel Hunters. Lucy M. Upson, eld- est daughter, married Benison Babcock. who at the age of eighteen years enlisted in the
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One Hundred and Fourth regiment, company H. Ohio volunteer infantry, under Capt. Hope Ford, and served through the war.
e LAM UNDERWOOD, a well- known and very prominent farmer of Brim- field township, Portage county, Ohio, is a native of this county, was born March 6, 1833, and is a son of Lybia . and Julia (Minard) Underwood, both now deceased -. the former a native of Massachusetts and the latter of Connecticut.
Lybia Underwood, the father of Elam, came to Ohio about the year 1812, located at Brimfield, and for a number of years dealt heavily in live stock, as well as farmed on a large scale. He here married Miss Minard, and to this union were born nine children, of whom four still survive, viz: A. H., Elam, Bruce, and Millie, the wife of Charles McLoye. The deceased were Juliet (Mrs. Charles Os- burn), Mary Ann (Mrs. Harry Hunt), Parmelia (Mrs. C. H. Chapman), William and Candis E. Mr. Underwood was a greatly respected citizen, and served about twenty years as a justice of the peace, and for a number of years was a township trustee; he died in 1878. at the age of seventy-six years, a member of the Universalist church, but his wife had pre- ceded him to the grave in 1849, when but forty-seven years old, and the remains of both were interred in Brimfield.
Elam Underwood attended the district school until twenty years old, and passed his life on the home farm until attaining his ma- jority, when he engaged in the lumber busi- ness, which he followed twenty or more years, traveling a great deal through the pine dis- tricts. November 20, 1855, he married Miss Emeline Mmora, a native of Ohio, and a daughter of Tallman and Elizabeth (Rawson)
Minard, and this union has been crowned by the birth of one child -- Emerson A. The pa- rents of Mrs. Underwood were natives of Con- necticut. The father was a farmer and filled various offices in Brimfield township after set- tling here, being a straightforward and re- spected citizen. To him and wife were born five children, of whom three still survive, viz: Luther, Mrs. Underwood, and Amanda, now wife of Servilleus Hoskins; the deceased were named Mary and Albert. Both parents, now also deceased, were members of the Disciples' church.
Mr. Underwood has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows for the past thirty years, has also been actively con- nected with the Rootstown Protective associa- tion for a long time, and for the last five years has adjusted all its losses. He is still en- gaged in farming, and his premises show that he well understands this prime industry. His name stands without reproach, and few fam- ilies in the township stand higher in the pub- lic esteem than his. In politics, he is a dem- ocrat, though, in most cases, he votes for the man, rather than the party.
'OSEPH WAGGONER, M. D., de- ceased, who was one of the oldest and most experienced physicians of Ra- venna, was born near Richmond, Jef- ferson county, Ohio. December 30, 1821. His father, William Waggoner, was a native of northeastern Maryland, was of German-Irish parentage, and married Miss Sarah Jackson, who was born in the northwestern part of Delaware, and was of Scotch-English descent. Immediately after their marriage they came to Ohio, and in 1804 settled on a quarter-section of land near Richmond, Jefferson county, built a log cabin, there passed their honorable and
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OF PORTAGE AND SUMMIT COUNTIES.
useful lives, and reared a family of eight sous and four daughters.
Dr. Joseph Waggoner, the tenth child of this family, was reared on the home farm, re- ceiving his education in the district schools during the winter months. At the age of eighteen he began teaching, devoting the sum- mers to study in a select school, and at his majority entered the academy at Steubenville, preparatory to a collegiate course, but failing health debarred him from classical study, and rest for nearly a year became requisite. In the spring of 1843 he commenced the study of medicine under Drs. Johnson & Henning, of Steubenville, finishing in the fall of 1846. The winter of 1846-47 was passed in attending lectures at the Cleveland Medical college, which subsequently conferred on him the de- gree of M. D., and in the spring of 1847 he located for practice in Deerfield, Portage coun- ty, and for sixteen years steadily gained in reputation and remuneration. In the spring of 1863 he sought the broader field of practice in Ravenna, where he found a wider scope for the exercise of his consummate skill, which immediately met with an appreciative recog- nition. Feeling, however, that the disasters of war were demanding all the experienced medical talent available-although it could be ill-spared at home-he went to Washington, D. C., and tendered his services to the gov- ernment, which eagerly accepted them, and he was appointed at once assistant surgeon in the army and placed on duty at Lincoln hos- pital. But in a short time thereafter the health of the doctor's wife became precarious, which fact induced him to resign and return to Ravenna, where he was long assiduously and actively engaged in attending to the require- ments of his constantly increasing list of patients.
In June, 1862, Dr. Waggoner was most happily united in matrimony with Miss Mary
M. Regal, of Deerfield, who, through her many domestic virtues, proved to be a true helpmate, indeed. But still affliction found a foothold within the doctor's otherwise happy home, and was the only shadow that lowered over his domestic felicity. Of the four children born to this marriage but one survives --- George Joseph, the eldest, of whom further mention will be made. Arthur and William, two manly and promising boys, aged eleven and eight years, respectively, succumbed to that dread disease, diphtheria, and were buried on the same day, January 18, 1880, and, to add to the grief of the doctor and wife, their only daughter, Mary Josephine, was called away July 18, 1888, at the age of eleven years. Bearing up against these afflictions, however, the doctor still continued on the even tenor of his way, and never neglected one case that required his attention in the prosecution of his responsible life-work. The doctor not only stood high in the esteem of the general public, but was equally respected by his fellow-practitioners, with whom he heartily affiliated. He was a member of the American Medical association, the Ohio State Medical society, the Northeastern Ohio Med- ical society and the Portage county Medical society, and his contributions to these, whether of a professional, literary, social or even polit- ical tendency, were eagerly and carefully perused. The doctor was very liberal in his professional views, and fraternized freely, at the call of humane interests, with gentlemen of other schools. A Freemason in good stand- ing, he was tolerant in matters theological, and would have gladly welcomed the day when religious differences might disappear. He was generous in his contributions to the various churches, as he believed in Christianity and in its ennobling influence over mankind. In politics the doctor in early life was a whig, and was a great admirer of Henry Clay, for
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whom he cast his first presidential vote, but becanie a republican after the organization of that party and voted for all its presidential nominees - Fremont, Lincoln, Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Blaine, Harrison and Mckinley. The doctor was a genial, yet austere, straightfor- ward, honest man, and it has been well said of him that " He is courteous and gentlemanly in manner, genial in disposition, and liberal in spirit and action. He enjoys the esteem of all those with whom he is acquainted profes- sionally or socially. As general practitioner and family physician he has few equals- always endeavoring to keep his patients well as much as to cure them." No higher com- pliment than that conveyed in the last sentence could be paid a physician.
Dr. George Joseph Waggoner, subject's eldest and only living child, was born May 10, 1865, graduated from the Ravenna high school, and later graduated from the literary depart- ment of the university of Michigan at Ann Ar- bor, in 1887, with the degree of A. B. In 1890 he graduated in medicine and surgery from the university of the city of New York, and since then has been in active practice with his fa- ther. He is a member of the Portage county Medical society, and of the Ohio state Medical society, and the American Medical association, and also of the Zeta Psi fraternity of his alma mater. He was united in marriage October 14, 1891, with Miss Mary A. Clewell, daugh- ter of D. M. and Mary (Beebe) Clewell. Two children have come to bless this union-Mary C. and Joseph D. He is a master Mason, and his moral character is irreproachable. He has lived all his life in Ravenna, his college days excepted, and has won the respect of all the citizens who have ever known him. Mod- est and retiring in manner, he is yet firm in the prosecution of his responsible profession, with which he is greatly in love, and in which he has made a decided success. He and wife
stand high socially, and, with his present bright professional prospects, it is doubtful that he will ever wish to abandon his native city.
Dr. Joseph Waggoner died June 6, 1897, of neuralgia of the heart. Sickenss had never confined him to his bed an entire day during his lifetime.
ARON WAGONER, cashier of the Akron Savings bank, was born in Franklin township, Summit county, Ohio, September 19, 1844, a son of George and Rebecca (Sours) Wagoner, both natives of the Keystone state.
George Wagoner was reared to manhood in his native county of Cumberland, Pa., and there learned the cooper's trade, which he be- gan at the age of fourteen years. In 1812 he married Sarah Rhodes, and shortly afterward came to Ohio and settled near Canal Fulton, Stark county, and engaged in farming and teaching school at their proper seasons. There his wife died, after having given birth to four children, and after a due season of mourning Mr. Wagoner married Rebecca Sours, a native of Lancaster county, Pa., and a daughter of Henry and Catherine (Harter) Sours, also of Pennsylvania birth and of German descent. Shortly after this marriage Mr. Wagoner came to Summit county and settled near Manches- ter, in Franklin township, where his remaining days and those of his wife were passed away. To this second marriage were born ten chil- dren, viz: Catherine and Saralı, both de- ceased; Harriet, wife of Michael Herpster; Ann R., wife of David Keller; Amanda. wife of John Spangler; Henry L., Philip, John J., a deceased infant, and Aaron, the subject. In politics Mr. Wagoner was first a whig and afterward a republican, and held the office of township treasurer many years. He was very popular and influential in Franklin township. although of a quiet, unassuming disposition,
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