USA > Ohio > Portage County > A portrait and biographical record of Portage and Summit counties, Ohio > Part 18
USA > Ohio > Summit County > A portrait and biographical record of Portage and Summit counties, Ohio > Part 18
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59
Fred L. Harrington married, October 11, 1866, Mahala Carter, who was born October 11, 1842, and this union has been blessed with five children, viz: Charles E., born February 24, 1869; Burt C., April 19, 1872; Frank, December 13, 1874; Myron E., May 22, 1877, and Laurel, July 9, 1886. Mr. Harrington owns a fine farm of 120 acres, which, through
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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
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long cultivation and careful management, has been developed into one of the best in the township. It has been thoroughly improved in all its departments, and its buildings are neat, substantial and commodious. In poli- tics Mr. Harrington is a democrat and has ever enjoyed the confidence and esteem of his fel- 'low-townsmen, whom he has served as town- ship trustee two terms, as treasurer for thir- teen years, and for a number of years as a member of the school board.
J B. SWITZER .-- An eminent writer has appropriately written: "The true history of a nation is best told in the lives of its illustrious citizens," and the remark may be accepted as an axiom in com- piling the biographies of the more prominent citizens of a county. In the present instance it is peculiarly pertinent, as will be found by a perusal of the following lines, descriptive of the life of J. B. Switzer, who is a representa- tive and energetic agriculturist, and a gentle- man of more than ordinary educational ad- vantages, and comes from one of the best known and most highly respected pioneer fam- ilies in Summit county, Ohio. He was born in Coventry township, August 8, 1846, and is a son of Charles and Rebecca (Tousley) Switzer.
Charles Switzer, a well-known pioneer of this county, was a native of Franklin county, Pa., and was a mere lad when his father, An- drew, emigrated to Ravenna, Portage county, Ohio, but later came to Summit county. Charles, the father of J. B. Brewster, served as an apprentice to the trade of carpenter and joiner, although his chief occupation through life has been that of an agriculturist, and it is said that he is one of the most wealthy farm- ers in Summit county, as he possesses a vast amount of real estate within the limits of Sum-
mit and Portage counties. To his marriage with Miss Rebecca Tousley, daughter of John and Rebecca (Bishop) Tousley, both natives of Connecticut, have been born five children, viz: John A., a prominent agriculturist of Portage county and the father of five children, who are well educated, the eldest being now a law student under Mr. Willhelm, of Akron. The second born is Earnest, who graduated from the high school of Akron and is now en- gaged in teaching; Nettie, the third, is also a graduate of the Akron high school; Carrie and Earl are attending the district school. The second child of Charles Switzer was J. B., of this sketch; the third is L. Almira, who was first married to William Mongold, a carpenter, who died but a few years after his marriage; her next marriage was with John Brown, of Cuyahoga county, where she holds a position as postmistress. Orlando, the fourth child, died at an early age through an accident, and the fifth child is Daniel Scott Switzer, a well- known farmer of Springfield township.
J. B. Switzer was primarily educated in the common schools, and was then given a training in the seminary at Greensburg, Ohio, and was also especially trained in vocal music, and qualified for teaching the art of voice cul- ture by taking lessons at the Akron normal school, and also under such well-known music teachers as N. Coe Stewart, of Cleveland, James North, of St. Louis, Mo., Miss Trow- bridge, of Michigan, Cook & Son, of New York, and finally from Prof. Hammerstine.
In 1869, at the age of twenty-one, Mr. Switzer left the parental homestead and fol- lowed his profession, with marked success, in Summit and adjoining counties for several years, and then became instructor in music in the public schools, in which vocation he is still employed, his experience in this line now cov- ering a period of about thirty years, and he is also extensively engaged in agricultural pur-
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الوصية
صافية المحسنة الله احمد فعهي"
إشادة الأصل ينادي منا هاصديق
Rebecca (messick Switzer
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OF PORTAGE AND SUMMIT COUNTIES.
suits, being owner of one of the best farms in Summit county. He has likewise devoted considerable time and attention to drilling for oil.
About 1892, when the well-known oil ex- pert, H. D. Van Campen, of Belmont county, N. Y., made a tour of the west tracing the oil veins, he came to Toledo, Ohio, but con- cluded to change his course and came to Wadsworth, Ohio, and here convinced some of the leading capitalists that oil existed in large quantities, and could be obtained by bor- ing. He was successful in inangarating a com- pany and the drilling process began. They reached a depth of 2,700 feet, when they struck a vein of salt, which was 300 feet thick, and those financially interested called a halt against Mr. Van Campen's efforts. They thought that salt was as good an enterprise as they cared for, and it is true that the citizens of Wadsworth have one of the best salt plants in the state. Mr. Van Campen was not satis- fied, since he was under the strong impression that oil existed there, so he came on to Akron, and here was successful in convincing a cap- italist that oil could be obtained in Summit county. So the work began here, and the same vein of salt was struck as at Wadsworth, but at a slightly greater depth, and the citizen was of the same opinion as the Wadsworth people; but the tenacity, will and fortitude of Mr. Van Campen grew stronger, and the pro- cess of drilling was proceeded with, 250 feet farther, as the expert had desired, and an abundance of oil was discovered November 9, 1892, and on the strength of the prospect for a successful venture, a company, "The Akron Gas & Oil company," was incorporated to de- velop the enterprise, and a few well-known citizens became members, viz: Lewis Miller, George W. Crouse, Attorney Atterhault, Col. Conger, Dr. Kranz and others. No business was transacted under this manage-
ment, and the farmers of the immediate vi- cinity took upon themselves the responsibility of organizing a limited company. This com- pany was known as " The Brittain Gas & Oil company," and was incorporated in the begin- ning of the suinmer of 1893, when the follow- ing officers were duly elected: J. B. Switzer, chairman; T. J. Gilcrest, secretary; J. H. Lepper, treasurer; and a board of directors was elected comprising five meinbers, viz: J. B. Switzer, T. J. Gilcrest, J. H. Lepper, W. H. Jones and P. V. McCoy. A new drill was began August 5, 1893, and reached 3, 533 feet in less than 100 days. The business is at a standstill at present, although, at a recent meeting the stock was increased three times the former amount, and the future success of the enterprise is manifest. It may be added that at the solicitation of the citizens of Wads- worth, State Geologist Horton lectured before the people, and warned them not to venture upon any enterprise unless it was for coal. His prophecy, on scientific ideas, did not prove to be well taken.
J. B. Switzer was united in marriage July 5, 1875, with Miss Rebecca Yarrick, a scion of another old family, who were amongst the most prosperous farmers in Summit county. She is a daughter of Adam and Catherine (Switzer) Yarrick, is a native of Green town- ship, Summit county, and was born March 21, 1852, one of a family of seven sons and three daughters. Mrs. Switzer received her educa- tion in the common schools, and is a member of the United Brethren church at Akron, Ohio. His father was a native of Pennsylvania, was reared as a farmer and stock-raiser, and died January 23, 1885; her mother was born April 5, 1817, in York county, Pa., and died Jan- uary 30, 1897. Their remains lie interred in East Liberty cemetery, where a modest stone marks their last resting place. To the mar- riage of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Switzer have been
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born ten children, viz: Nellie J., who is a graduate of the Akron high school and of Buchtel college, having completed her educa- tion at the age of eighteen years, when she ac- , cepted a position as inspector in the Akron Rubber works, which she still holds; Oscar F., Lula V., Charles W., Marjorie I., Francis W. and Gladys V. are still living, and Claude, Rose R. and an unnamed infant arc deceased. The family are members of the United Breth- ren church, of which Mr. Switzer has been the Sunday-school superintendent for years. In politics he had for a long time affiliated with the republican party, casting his first presidential vote for Gen. Grant; of recent years he has espoused with ardor the principles of prohibition. Officially, Mr. Switzer has held the office of treasurer of Springfield town- ship, a strong democratic community, and he being an ardent republican. He has also been supervisor for two terms, and has been a strong supporter of the public schools.
Daniel Scott Switzer, brother of J. B., is a well-known farmer and a gentleman of honor and integrity. He married Miss Mary L. Stooldraher, a native of Summit county, and to their marriage have been born five sons and two daughters, of whom five are living, as follows: Maud, a graduate of the Akron high school and now one of the successful teachers in the public schools of the county; Grace, Bradie, Leo and James, at home. Mr. Switzer is a republican in politics, and he and wife affiliate with the Methodist Episcopal church of Pleasant Valley. Officially he has made a marked career in the directorship of the public schools.
Both the Switzer and Yarrick families are among the most prominent and highly re- spected in Summit county, and J. B. Switzer has made for himself a reputation that will last as long as Summit county holds a place on the map of Ohio.
J AMES ALVIN HATHAWAY, of North- field township, Summit county, Ohio, and an old soldier of the Civil war, springs paternally from an old Penn- sylvania-Dutch family, and on his mother's side from a New York state family of English descent.
James A. Hathaway was born in East Cleveland township, Cuyahoga county. Ohio, October 24, 1840, a son of Peter and Man- dania (Austin) Hathaway. He received a common-school education and was reared a farmer. He enlisted in battery B, First Ohio light artillery, at East Cleveland, Ohio, Au- gust 11, 1862, under Capt. William Standard, but was afterward under under Capt. Norman Baldwin. He was honorably discharged at Chattanooga, Tenn., June 16, 1865, having served nearly three years. He was in the bat- tles of Perryville, Stone River, Chickamauga Missionary Ridge, Lookout Mountain, Som- erset, Wild Cat Mountain, and several other important battles and in many skirmishes, and was in all the marches, campaigns, battles and skirmishes in which his battery took part and his battery never fired a gun in any engage- ment in which he was not present, and he vol- unteered several times to go with the infantry after guerrillas in Alabama. After the war he returned to Ohio and married, in Boston town- ship, Summit county, Amanda Mills, a daugh- ter of Curtis and Harriet (Richards) Mills, whe was born in Akron, Ohio, September 10, 1850.
Curtis Mills came from New York state to Akron at an early day and drove a team for William Buchtel, for whom he worked twenty- one years, but was killed when foreman of the lumbermen. His children were Hiram, Louisa and Amanda. He was a hard-working re- spected citizen and died aged about sixty years, a member of the Lutheran church.
Mr. and Mrs. Hathaway located, after mar- riage, in Boston township, where Mr. Hatlia-
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OF PORTAGE AND SUMMIT COUNTIES.
way farmed three years; he then moved to Northampton township and bought forty acres and finally moved to Northfield township in 1891. The children born to his marriage are Hattie, Curtis and Stella. Mr. Hathaway is an ex-member of Fadie post, G. A. R .. of Cuyahoga Falls, and in politics is a republican. Of his children, Hattie is married to Elmer McCuskey-a farmer of Stowe township, and has three children, two sons and one daughter; Curtis is a member of the Sons of Veterans of Bedford, Ohio, and the family is one of the most highly respected in Northfield township.
ICHAEL HAWK, a successful farmer and a highly respected cit- izen of Tallmadge township, Sum- mit county, Ohio, was born in the grand duchy of Baden, Germany, about the year 1834, a son of Philip and Margaret (Fooreman) Hawk, who were the parents of five children, all of whom reached mature years, and of whom Daniel resides in Grand Rapids, Mich .; Abbie, who was the wife of John Ginder, died March 3, 1881, at the age of seventy-two years; Katherine died August 1, 1894, aged sixty-three years, and the wife of Henry Swartz; Philip died August 7, 1895, aged eighty years, and Michael, whose name opens this paragraph. The family came to Ohio in 1840, and settled in Suffield township, Portage county, where the father departed this life December 28, 1868, at the age of six- ty-three years, a prominent member of the Reformed church, of which he had been a deacon for many years, after which sad event the widow joined her son Michael, in Tall- madge township, Summit county, where hcr decease occurred October ï, 1873, at the ad- vanced age of eighty-four years and nine months, also in the faith of the Reformed church.
Michael Hawk was but six years old when his parents settled in Portage county, which was then a wilderness. in which his father bought a tract of land. As Michael grew in size and strength, lie assisted in clearing off the forest growth from the homestead, and aided his father until twenty-three years old, receiving, meantime, the meager education afforded by the pioneer school of his youthful days. At the age mentioned, although a poor young man, Mr. Hawk entered upon life's conflict upon his own account, and through. hard work and good management has made himself one of the well-to-do farmers in the county of Summit. At the age of twenty- five years he found a helpmate in the person of Miss Albenia Bletzer, daughter of Michael and Catherine Bletzer, whom he married July 3, 1859, and which union has been blessed with three children, of whom two are still liv- ing, viz: Albert, a farmer of Tallmadge town- ship, and Lydia, wife of Frank Pieffer, and residing in Union Town, Stark county; Salinda, the deceased child, passed away at the age of five years and five months.
Mr. Hawk, after marriage, continued his farming operations in Suffield township, Portage county, meeting with every desired success until 1870, when he came to Tall- madge township, Summit county, and pur- chased the large farm owned by the late Ira Sprague, on which, a few years ago, he erect- ed his present commodious and handsome dwelling, which is furnished with every possi- ble modern convenience; but here, although blessed with all that wealth can buy, he has met with the saddest misfortune of his life in the loss of the beloved companion of his early manhood, mellow middle age, and declining years, who died May 24, 1393, at the age of fifty-two years and three months. She was a devoted member of the Reformed church and a true Christian, a loving wife and mother and
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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
a true helpmeet for her husband. Mr. Hawk is himself a member of the Reformed church, and while living in Portage county held the office of deacon a number of years, and is how a member of the Grace Reformed congregation at Akron. In politics he is a democrat, has served as township supervisor, and has been a . Inember of the school board for nine years.
Mrs. Albenia Hawk, the departed wife and mother, was born in Baden, Germany, March 26, 1841. was confirmed in the Reformed church April 22, 1855, and was always faith- ful to her church obligations. Mr. Hawk has ever been an industrious as well as a success- ful farmer, a kindly neighbor, and a free con- tributor of his means to the support of school and church, and to the promotion of every project designed for the advancement of the public welfare and the development of his township and county, and stands very high in the esteem of his immediate neighbors as well as in that of the community at large.
EORGE HEIMBAUGH, who resides near Monroe Falls, Summit county. Ohio, and an ex-soldier of the Civil war, was born in Middleton town- ship, Union county, Pa., February 3, 1837, a son of Peter and Amelia (Yarnell) Heimbaugh, natives of the same state and of German ex- traction.
Peter Heimbaugh, a hatter by trade, came from Union county, Pa., in the month of June, 1845, and settled in Summit county, but died in Suffield township, Portage county, Ohio, at the age of fifty-five years, a member of the Reformed church, and the father of eleven children, of whom there now live Jacob, William, George, Catherine, Barbara and Sarah.
George Heimbaugh was not quite eight years of age when he was brought to Summit
county by his parents. He received but a limited district-school education, and soon after coming here was bound out, until eight- een years old, to Abraham Tyson, who proved to be a good and kind master, and when his term expired Mr. Heimbaugh hired to him for one year as a farm hand. Mr. Heimbaugh then worked out in the same capacity until his marriage, February 14, 1858, in Springfield township, to Miss Amelia A. Weyrick, who was born in that township April 26, 1840, a daughter of David and Elizabeth (Walter) Weyrick.
David Weyrick, also a native of Union county, Pa., settled in Springfield township about 1827, bought and cleared up a farm of 149 acres, becoming a substantial citizen. To his marriage with Miss Elizabeth Walter were born eleven children, viz: Elizabeth, Cath- erine, Polly, Sally, Rebecca, Susannah, Car- oline, Leah, George, John and Amelia A. He was a man of moral character, never used to- bacco nor liquor nor profane language, and lived to be seventy-five years old, dying on his farm in the faith of the Reformed church, while his wife was a Lutheran.
George Heimbaugh enlisted, September 5, 1862, in Springfield township, in company I, One Ilundred and Fifteenth Ohio volunteer infantry, for three years, and served until July 6, 1865, when he was honorably discharged at Murfreesboro, Tenn., the war being closed. He was in the battle of Nashville, Tenn., was on the pursuit after Gen. Hood and his re- treating rebel troops, took part in many fierce skirmishes along the line of the Nashville & Tullahoma railroad, and sustained a flesh weund in his left arm during a skirmish at Stone River, on Lancaster pike, where, the same night, the Union troops captured a rebel cavalry regiment. Many members of. Mr. Heimbaugh's regiment were captured and about 100 imprisoned in Andersonville, and at
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OF PORTAGE AND SUMMIT COUNTIES.
least sixty of these were blown up on the steamer Sultana, on the Mississippi river, after having been exchanged and being on their way homeward. Mr. Heimbaugh was never captured, but was always at his post of duty, excepting a period of about sixty days in the early part of his enlistment, when he was confined at Camp Dennison with chronic diar- rhea. His brother William also served in the same regiment.
After his return from the war Mr. Heim- baugh located in Summit county, and in March, 1876, settled at Monroe Falls, where he bought a neat place of eleven acres, pleas- antly situated on the banks of the Cuyahoga river. There have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Heimbaugh four children, viz: Daniel W., George W. (died aged one year), David L. and Minnie E. Mr. and Mrs. Heimbaugh are members of the Methodist church, and in pol- itics he is generally independent, but with re- publican proclivities; he is a member of Eadie post, G. A. R., at Cuyahoga Falls, and is greatly respected as a straightforward, hard- working citizen.
HARLES P. HELLER, a prominent farmer, stock-raiser and dairyman of Bath township, Summit county, Ohio, is the only child of Levi and Eliza- (Dutt) Heller, and was born in Medina county, Ohio, October 1, 1855.
Levi Heller, father of Charles P., was born in Plainfield, Northampton county, Pa , Au- gust 16, 1827, a son of Charles and Mary (Reinmel) Heller, was a hotel-keeper in Stockertown, Pa., and in the early days drove stage between Easton and Mauch Chunk. In 1852 he married Elizabeth Dutt, who was born in Upper Mount Bethel, Northampton county, Pa., August 15, 1823, the eighth child of Charles and Dorothy Dutt. In 1853, Mr.
and Mrs. Heller came to Ohio and settled in Guilford township, Medina county, where Mr. Heller followed farming until his death, April 27, 1865, his widow surviving until July 7, 1893- both dying in the faith of the German Reform church.
Charles P. Heller attended school in Me- dina county until thirteen years of age and continued working on the home farm, taking care of his inother until he was twenty-six years old, when he came to Bath township, Summit county, bought his preseut farm and erected suitable modein buildings. April 28, 1883, he married Miss Mary Strunk, who was born in Hatfield, Montgomery county, Pa., August 21, 1857, a daughter of William and Mary (Shelley) Strunk, the former of whom was born July 22, 1821, and the latter March 15, 1823, emigrated to Sharon, Ohio, in 1861, and are now residing in Akron, the parents of seven children, viz: Sarah, who was born January 23, 1848, was married to Joseph Weaver, of Wadsworth, Wayne county. Ohio, and died August 10, 1880; Henry, born January 18, 1852; Matthias, born March 3, 1853, and died February 3, 1874; Katherine, born Feb- ruary 22, 1855, wife of F. J. Knapp, of Akron: Mary (Mrs. Heller); Samuel, who died in in- fancy, and Mahlon, born February 2, 1863, and died October 10, 1879. To Mr. and Mrs. Heller, however, no children have been born.
Mr. and Mrs. Heller are members of Bath grange, No. 1,331, and Mr. Heller is a charter member of Bath tent, No. 2SI, Knights of the Maccabees, was its first com- mander, and has filled all the chairs; he is also a member of Star and Crescent lodge, No. 7, Red Cross, of Akron, and in politics is a re- publican, by which party he has been honored by election to several offices of trust. Mr. Heller's farm comprises 148 acres of excellent land, mostly cleared, and he gives especial at- tention to dairying, owning stock of the high-
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est grades. Mr. Heller has always been a hard-working and industrious man, being what is usually termed self-made, and, it may be added, self-educated, for, although he was a pupil for a short time in the high school at Se- ville, Medina county, his information is practi- cally self-acquired. He and his wife are greatly respected by their neighbors for their uniformly kind disposition and charity of thought as well as upright lives, and they well deserve the es- teem in which they are held.
EWIS HOLZHAUER, of Northfield, Ohio, is one of the old soldiers of the Civil war and a respected citizen. He was born November 22, 1845, in Baden, Germany, a son of William and Cath- erine Ann (Forbach) Holzhauer. He came with his parents to America at the age of nine years, and shipped from Havre, France, in a sailing vessel to New York city, and was but twenty-three days en route-a very quick passage for a vessel of that class-and landed in December, 1854. His father settled in Cleveland, Ohio. He was a stonemason and worked at his trade in several places. Lewis Holzhauer received a common education and learned, when young, the stonemason's trade and plastering. He enlisted in August, 1863, at seventeen years of age, in Cleveland, Ohio, in company K, One Hundred and Twenty- fourth Ohio volunteer infantry, under Capt. Manning, for three years or during the war, and served until honorably discharged at Cleveland, in September, 1865, the war being closed. He was in the battles of Chattanoo- ga, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge and Buz- zard's Roost, and May 12, 1864, was shot through the right leg below the knee, was in hospital for several months and rejoined his regiment in March, 1865, at Bull's Gap, Tenn. He was in many skirmishes and was
an active soldier, and in all the battles, skir- mishes, marches and campaigns in which his regiment took part until wounded, and until that time was not sick a day, but always prompt and cheerful in the discharge of his duty. After the war he returned to Cleveland and worked at stonemasonry and plastering four years, and then was in a mercantile firm for nine years. In 1876 he bought the farm where he now lives, consisting of 172 acres. He was in company with his father in this deal, and traded city property for the land.
Mr. Holzhauer married in June, 1870, in Cleveland, Ohio, Helen Kirsch, who was born October 21, 1856. To Mr. and Mrs. Holz- hauer have been born Ida M., William W., Alfred A. and Helen H. In politics Mr. Holzhauer is a republican and has served as trustee of Northfield township. He is a mem- ber of Dunham post, G. A. R., at Bedford, Ohio. He has always been hard-working and industrious, is respected by all who know him and has reared an excellent family.
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