USA > Ohio > Portage County > A portrait and biographical record of Portage and Summit counties, Ohio > Part 30
USA > Ohio > Summit County > A portrait and biographical record of Portage and Summit counties, Ohio > Part 30
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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
William Ferguson, in whose interest this sketch is chiefly written, received a good com- mion-school education, and was reared on his father's farm until nineteen years old, at which early age he enlisted, March 7, 1865, at Alli- ance, Ohio, in company A, One Hundred and Ninety-seventh Ohio volunteer infantry, to serve three years, unless sooner discharged by reason of the close of the then pending war, which event happened, and he was honorably discharged at Baltimore, Md .. in July, 1865, after serving principally on guard duty, in Washington, D. C., Alexandria, Va., Dover, Del., and Baltimore, Md. He then returned to Deerfield township, and thence, in 1866, went to Martinsville, Ind., where he lived two years, and then returned to Ohio, and was married, at Streetsboro, to Miss Frankie A. Clark, who was born on the farm Mr. Fer- guson now occupies, a daughter of Robert and Jeannette (Wilcox) Clark, who were the par- ent of two children only-Arvilla, who died a married woman, and Frankie, now Mrs. Fer- guson. Mr. Clark died in middle life, and his widow was later married to A. Plum; to this union two sons were born-one living, Willard C; John B. died, aged eight years.
After marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson lived in Ravenna two years, he being there employed in a saw-mill, and then settled in
Streetsboro township. Here Mr. Fergason purchased a farin, on which he lived mine years, and then moved to another, which he cultivated for thirteen years, and then, in 1891, purchased his present farm, consistin . of fifty-five acres. This was the original homestead of the Clarl. family, Robert Clail:, the grandfather of Mrs. Ferguson and a pin- neer of Streetsboro township, having cleared it up from the primeval forest. Mr. Ferguson has greatly improved the place, has thoroughly repaired the buildings, and has made a com- fortable home for himself and wife and four children, who are named Prentiss, Harry C .. Bessie and Ardell. In fact, he has made it the neatest place in the township, and for its dimensions one of the most profitable.
Mr. Ferguson is an ex-member of A. H. Day post, No. 185, Grand Army of the Re- public at Kent, and in politics is perfectly in- dependent, voting for such as are, in his judg. ment, best fitted to fill the offices for which they are nominated. The family is greatly respected throughout the county, Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson being descendants of pioneers, and Mr. Ferguson having served as a member of the school board and as constable.
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EORGE W. FLEMINGS, one of the old soldiers of the Civil war, and a respected citizen, springs from sturdy Scotch-Irish ancestry, who were car- ly settlers of Vermont in colonial times and of old Revolutionary stock. He was born :: Freedom, Portage county, Ohio, July 4, 1543. a son of Richard and Mary (Puffer) Fleming: He received a common education in the dis. trict schools at Hampden, Geauga county, Ohio, where he went with his mother and family :: ft- er the death of his father, which occu !!! when he was about five years old, and had his trade thoroughly learned when the Civil war
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OF PORTAGE AND SUMMIT COUNTIES.
broke out. He enlisted as a private at Paines- ville, Ohio, December 9, 1863. in the First Ohio light artillery, battery C, Capt. M. B. Gerry, for three years or during the war, and was honorably discharged, on account of the closing of the war, at Cleveland, Ohio, with his battery, June 15, 1865. His battery served in Gen. Butterfield's division, Twentieth army corps. He was on the famous Atlanta cam- paign, during which the Union troops were un- der fire more than 100 days and nights. He was in the battles of Resaca, Ga., May 13-16, 1864; Cassville, May 18-22; Dallas, May 25, to June 4; New Hope church; Kenesaw Moun- tain; Peach Tree Creek, July 25; siege of At- lanta, July 28 to September 2; siege of Sa- vannah, December 10 to 21. This was on Sherman's celebrated march to the sea; and at Averysboro, N. C., March 16, 1865; Ben- tonville, N. C., March 19-22, 1865. He was in hospital No. 19, at Nashville, Tenn., for a few days.
Mr. Flemings was always an active soldier, and on duty with his battery every day, and was in all the campaigns, marches, battles and skirmishes in which his battery took part. He was not wounded nor a prisoner, and served the country faithfully and well until the war closed. His hardest march was from Savan- aah, Ga., through the Carolinas. He was on the return march to Washington and was pres- ent at the grand review. His hardest battles were on the great Atlanta campaign. Mr. Flemings suffered greatly from exposure dur- ing the Atlanta campaign; for nearly three weeks it rained almost all the time and he con- tracted rheumatism, from which he is now a constant sufferer. After his services to his country as a soldier, he returned to Ohio, and worked at his trade of a painter. He married, in Smithtown, Mahoning county, Ohio, Jann- ary 1, 1874, Elizabeth A. Cline, who was born April 6, 1840, in Berlin township, Mahoning
county, Ohio, daughter of Jacob and Clarissa (Leonard) Cline, her parents being of sturdy Pennsylvania-Dutch ancestry.
Jacob Cline, her father, was born in Berlin township, and he was the son of John and Susan Cline, pioneers of Mahoning county and substantial farmers, who cleared np a good farm from the woods. Jacob Cline was also a good farmer. His children were Elizabeth, Will- iam, Anthony, Henry, John (died aged ten years), Maria, Mary, Harriet and Lorinda. Jacob Cline was a republican in politics and had one son, William, in the Civil war as private of the One Hundred and Fourth regi- ment, Ohio volunteer infantry, three years' service, and was in many battles. (See sketch of his comrade, Jerome B. Hinman). Jacob Cline lived to be forty-two years old. He was a member of the United Brethren church and a respected and upright man, who reared an excellent family.
After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Flemings moved to Freedom township, where they lived for some years and then moved to Mantua Corners, about 1880, where they now live. Politically he is a stanch republican. He has always been a respected citizen, very industri- ons, and upright in his dealings and of excel- lent character. Richard Flemings, his father, was born in Vermont and came with his par- ents to Ohio and settled in Parkman town- ship, Geauga county, Ohio, where the family were pioneers and cleared up lands from the woods. He married Mary Puffer, who was of Vermont ancestry, and who came with her parents to Ohio, and were pioneers of Portage county. They were of Revolutionary stock.
Richard Flemings and wife were the par- ents of the following children, viz. Jamies, Ann, Cornelia, George W., Andrew and Joseph. Mr. Flemings had three sons in the Civil war -- Joseph, George W. and James. Joseph and George W. were in the same bat-
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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
tery, company C, First Ohio light artillery. Joseph was poisoned by eating pie which he bought of a rebel pie-peddler, and died from this cause at Nashville, Tenn., aged only seventeen years. He was a good soldier. James was in the Twenty-ninth regiment, Ohio volunteer infantry, and served four years and was in many battles, and was wounded, cap- tured and imprisoned.
Richard Flemings, father of subject, died aged about forty years. He was an upright and respected man and reared an excellent family. IIc was a cooper by trade and a very skillful mechanic.
George W. Flemings, subject of this sketch, was one of the charter members of Bentley post, G. A. R., Mantua Station, Ohio.
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ENRY A. FRITZ, manager of the American Straw Board company's mill at Barberton, Summit county, Ohio, was born in Wayne county July 21, 1863, and is a son of John and Emma (Clark) Fritz, who were the parents of five children, viz: William H., deceased; Frank O., of Nebraska; Henry A., the subject of this biography; Charles M .; and John C., the last named also deceased.
Martin Fritz, great-grandfather of Henry A. and the progenitor of the American family of that name, came to this country from Ger- many, after his marriage, and fought under Washington for American independence, serv- ing in the army of his adopted country eight years. After the war, he came from Pennsyl- vania to Ohio, and with his land warrant, granted him for his services in the war of the Revolution, entered 160 acres of forest land in Milton township, Wayne county, and was absolutely the first white settler there among the red men and wild animals of the primeval
woods, and died a member of the United Brethren church, and in politics a democrat
Philip Fritz, grandfather of Henry A., was a boy when he came to Chio with his father. He received his education in the pioneer schools and ably aided his father in clearing up the wildwood farm, and married, at matur- ity, Ann Long, of Wayne county. He was a Jackson democrat in politics, a charter mem- ber of the United Brethren church of Shiners- ville, Wayne county, Ohio, attained promi- nence in his community, and died full of hon- ors at the age of seventy-eight years, his wife following to the everlasting home at the age of eighty-three.
John Fritz, the father of subject, was born on the old Fritz homestead in Wayne county and was reared to farming, and received his education under more favorable circumstances that those which had been granted to his father, and, although an industrious man. lived, comparatively, in greater ease. His wife, Emma Clark, was born near London, England, in 1843, and was a daughter of John A. and Martha Clark. This lady was bereft of her husband about the year 1873. by the explosion of a boiler in a saw-mill, thus leav- ing her, with her five children, whose names have already been given, and the eldest of whom was then but fourteen years of age and the subject but nine, not only to mourn he untimely death, but to wend their way through the weary world alone and unpro- tected. But the widow was equal to the task. and by some self-denial so reared them that they never failed to honor her. After accom- plishing this worthy duty, she become the wife of W. F. Long, to whom she has borne one son, George M., and now has her pleasant home in Barberton.
Henry A. Fritz, prior to the death of i. - father, had started out in life for himself at the age of twelve years, and was in the city-
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OF PORTAGE AND SUMMIT COUNTIES.
ploy of one fariner until he icached the age of nineteen years, and during this interval of time he not only clothed and educated him- self, but devoted considerable of his earnings to the support of his father and mother, and more particularly to that of the latter. At the age last mentioned he entered the tele- graph office of the railroad company at New Portage (now Barberton) and a year later was made "supply" operator, which position he filled two years, after which he filled the posi- tion of station agent four years, ending with 1888, He then entered into the employ of the American Straw Board company of New Portage as shipping clerk, and was promoted to be bookkeeper a year later; the nex year he was made manager of the plant, which is the largest and best equipped of its kind in the world, and this position Mr. Fritz has held with credit to himself and to the entire satis- faction of his principals until the present hour.
The felicitous union of Henry A. Fritz and Alice 1 ... Davis took place September 21, 1886. The lady was born in 1861, on a farm adjoining Lake Annie, near the center of what is now Barberton, a daughter of Frederick M. and Louisa (Richards) Davis, the former of whom died in the faith of the United Brethren church in February, 1893. To the union of Henry A. Fritz and wife have been born three children, who were named, in order of birth, Claude C., Howard E. and Roy D. In his politics, Mr. Fritz has from earliest manhood been a democrat, and as such was a member of the school board when the $12,000 school- house was erected in Barberton. He is at the present time a member of the town council, and has ever been active in the promotion of the interests of the community in which he now has his home. Fraternally, he is a member of lodge No. 568, F. & A M., of which he is secretary, and in his society relations holds a most enviable standing.
HERON GILBERT, one of the old- est and most respected farmers of Deerfield township. Portage county, Ohio, was born in Palmyra town- ship, November 25, 1823, a son of Charles aud Amelia (Batterson) Gilbert, natives of Litchfield, Conn., where their marriage was solemnized.
Truman Gilbert, paternal grandfather of Theron, a native, also, of Connecticut, was a soldier of the Revolutionary war, and in 1806 caine to Ohio by means of ox-teams, settling in Palmyra township, Portage county, where he engaged in farming until called away by death. He reared a family of nine children, of whom the names of eight can be recalled to memory. viz: Charles, Truman, Lyman, Marvin, Walter, Champion, Ezra and Re- becca. The maternal grandparents of Theron Gilbert were of German descent, and the grandfather, on this side of the house, was a skilled blacksmith.
Charles and Amelia Gilbert, parents of Theron, caine from Connecticut to Palmyra township, Portage county, Ohio, in 1806, and the father followed the vocation of farmer the remainder of his days. To their union were born nine children, of whom only one survives -Theron, whose name opens this biography. The deceased eight were named Reilly, Noble, George, Champion, Theodore, Martin, War- ner and Laura, the last named of whom was first married to Ebenczer Olmstead, and then to David Waller. The parents both died in the faith of the Disciples' church, and were highly honored as pioncers of the township and as most respectable citizens.
Theron Gilbert was reared on his father's farm, in the meantime receiving as good an education as the district school of his early days afforded, and also learned blacksmithing. He remained on the home farm until twenty- one years of age, although, previous to reach.
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ing his majority, he had married, August 31, 1843, Miss Elizabeth Kibler, daughter of Henry and Barbara (Frank) Kibler, which union has been blessed with five children, viz: Julian, who is married to Sarah Folk, and re- sides in Palmyra township; Caroline, wife of James Derwechter; Laura, now Mrs. John H. Grate; Harriet, married to James Shilliday, and Amy, wife of Thomas G. Ewing.
Theron Gilbert is an expert mechanic, and in addition to his knowledge of the black- smithi's strade, is well posted as a gunsmith and in bicycle tepairing. While still a young man, he went to Meadville, Pa., where he was employed by the then Atlantic Railroad com- pany as a blacksmith and assisted in the con- struction of the company's bridge across French creek, and on his return to Deerfield was employed by the county for six months in constructing a bridge on the public road. In 1844, Mr. Gilbert purchased a tract of land in the woods of Deerfield township, cleared away the timber, and began its cultivation, and in 1847, settled down to housekeeping in a log cabin, which, in 1861, he replaced with a com- modins frame dwelling, also building a sub- stantial barn, and this farm is now known to be one of the most productive in the township. His attention has been devoted almost entirely to general agriculture and blacksmithing since residing here, although for some years he was engaged in raising live stock, owning, at one time, some of the best horses in the township. He has served his fellow-townsmen as school director and is one of the most highly es- teemed residents of Deerfield township.
Henry Kibler, father of Mrs. Elizabeth Gilbert, was born in Virginia of German de- scent, was a miller by trade, and was married in his native county of Shenandoah, and there were born to him three children, viz: Eliza- beth (Mrs. Gilbert), August 31, 1824; Andrew, who resides in Edinburg. Ohio, and Alexan-
der, of Palmyra township, Portage county. In 1828 Mr. Kibler brought his family to Pal- myra township, purchased a farm on which stood an old grist and saw-mill, which he rat: a short time, when the plant was destroyed by fire; but he at once erected a larger and more substantial structure and followed his occupa- tion until his death at the age of eighty-four years, a member of the Methodist church, his wife having died at the age of seventy-six, in the same faith.
Thereon Gilbert has always been a most industrious farmer and mechanic, and in con- sequence has met with a success that has won him deserved esteem throughout the township and county. His name is the synonym of honesty and respectability, and his wife and children enjoy with him the good opinion and respect of the cominunity in which they live.
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OSEPH B. CARTER, one of the most respected agriculturists of Northfield township, Summit county. Ohio, as well as an ex-soldier of the Civil war descends from sterling English stock of co !- onial Connecticut ancestry and was born Feb- ruary 28, 1839, in Twinsburg township, a son of Thaddeus A. and Esther (Marshall) Carter. He was reared a farmer, received the usual common-school education, and enlisted in Twinsburg township August 24, 1861. He was inustered into the United States service at Camp Ford, Alliance, Ohio, for three years. or during the war, and was assigned to company K, Nineteenth Ohio volunteer infantry, under Capt. Paul Kirby, and served until honorably discharged at Indianapolis, Ind., in October. 1864. He was in the siege of Corinth, battles of Perryville, Wild Cat Gap, Iska. Shiloh an ! Stone River, and in skirmishes too aumer >' !- to mention. On the last day of the battle 1 Stone River, a minie ball struck the clasp
joseph & Garten
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OF PORTAGE AND SUMMIT COUNTIES.
his army belt, and although this is very heavy metal, it passed entirely through and hung just at the end of the belt. This ball struck the U. S. on the belt exactly in the center. Mr. Carter had pulled the belt around to the left side, to more conveniently get hold of his cartridges, and he was further pro- tected from the ball, which had spent its force on the belt clasp, by his heavy clothing and the give of his body. The shock rendered him breathless, and, immediately after. he was shot in his left kg, close to the knce-joint, and the ball is still imbeded in the bone. The stock of his rifle was also shot. He remained on the field until night, and was taken to field hospital and thence to Nashville, where he lay in hospital eight weeks, and was then in hospital at Louisville, Ky., four weeks, at Camp Dennison, Ohio, one week, and at Cleve- land about six months. Not fully recovering, he was sent to the invalid corps. in which he remained until the close of the war. He has, however, always since been troubled by his wound. Mr. Carter was in all the marches, campaigns, battles and skirmishes in which his regiment took part until disabled by his wound January 2, 1863. After the war. Mr. Carter returned to Ohio, and married, at Cuy- ahoga Falls, Ohio, Miss. Amarilla Spafford, of Northfield township, where she was born Au- gust 4, 1852, a daughter of Jason and Philena (Cranson) Spafford. Jason Spafford was born in Solon township, Cuyahoga county, to which his father, Nathan Spafford, came from one of the eastern states as a pioneer. The latter was a soldier in the war of 1812, married Mary Morrison, and their children were Al- mon, Lydia, Amarilla, Zeloma, Seth, Mary and Jason. Nathan Spafford passed all his remaining days in Ohio, but moved at any early day to Northfield township. Summit county, and died at the age of sixty-six years. Jason Spafford was a farmer, owning a large 31
farm, and was prosperons. Ile died, at the age of forty-five years, a respected citizen and a member of the Baptist church.
Alter marriage Mr. and Mrs J. B. Carter settled in Twinsburg township, where Mr. Carter bought the Carter homestead, consist- ing of 117 acres, and then the Jason Spafford homestead, consisting of 275 acres, a part of it being inherited by bis wife. In 1889 Mr. Carter moved to his present homestead in Northfield township, consisting of ?74 acres, and is a prosperous farmer. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Carter are Lena May and Thad B. Both Mr. and Mrs. Carter are members of the Methodist church at Twins- buig, in which he is steward and trustee. As a republican he held the offices of township trustce and assessor and is a member of the school board.
Thaddeus A. Carter was born in Connecti- cut, came in 1826 to Ohio, and returned in 1828 to Connecticut and married Esther Mar- shall. He then settled in Twinsburg town- ship, on 160 acres of land, and made a good home. His children were Nora A., Samuel" N., Rollin B .. Mary E., Esther A., Joseph B., Hiram W. and John E. Of these, John E. and Joseph B. were soldiers in the Civil war. John E. was in the One Hundred and Seventy-seventh regiment Ohio volunteer in- fantry in the three years' service, was in sev- eral skirmishes, and died in hospital in North Carolina. The military record of Joseph B. has already been given. Thaddens A. Carter was a member of the Methodist church and in politics was first a whig and later a republi- can. He lived to be sixty-nine years old and died on his farm, a much respected citizen. Joseph B. Carter is one of the substantial farmers and respected citizens of Northfield township and has reared an excellent family His daughter. Miss Lena May, is a student at Mount Union college, at Alliance, Ohio, is a
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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
member of the class of 1899, and has been a student here for two years. His son, Thad B., is a student at the Northfield high school.
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AMES SMITH FRY, a representative farmer of Suffield township, Portage county, Ohio, was born on the old Fry homestead February 14, 1854, a son of Wyerman and Martha (Brown) Fry, both na- tives of the Buckeye state. His paternal grandparents were natives of Pennsylvania. The grandfather served in the war of 1812, in the army of the Center, afterward became an early settler of Stark county, Ohio, where he was a shoemaker; from there he moved to Suffield township, Portage county, located on a farm of 100 acres, on which he spent about a year and a half, and died of a fever in 1828. Then his wife and part of his family moved to Knox, Ind., where she died in the year 1874. They were both members of the Presbyterian church.
Wyerman, the father of James S., remained on the old homestead, where he passed nearly all his life, and which is now occupied by his son, James S. He had born to him six chil- dren. of whom but two survive-Margaret Jane and James S. He was a republican in poli- tics, and honored by his fellow-citizens by elec- tion to various offices of trust in his township; he died at the early age of forty-five years, a member of the Reformed church, in which he had filled all the offices. His widow, now about seventy-five years of age, is still in good health, and resides with her son, James S., who is affectionately caring for her in her de- clining days. The paternal great-grandpar- ents of James S. Fry were natives of Germany.
James S. Fry has passed all his life on the farm on which he was born, with the excep- tion of four months spent at school in Deer- field, for which he had been prepared by an
attendance at the district school in his native township. February 20, 1879, he was married to Miss Ellen Myers, daughter of Simon and Catherine (Crist) Myers. The fruit of this union is five children, of whom three still sul - vive: Elson M., born January 9, 1880; 1. Cleve, born June 13, 1882, and Lester R .. born January 11, 1892. The deceased were H. Floyd, who died May 13, 1887, aged six months, and Lillian Grace, who died March 30, 1890, aged one year and twenty days.
Mrs. Fry, who was born September 12, 1856, and died February 1, 1887, a devo :: Methodist for nearly twenty-three years. Her father, Simon Myers, is a farmer of Summit county, Ohio, and to his marriage, in 1854, to Catherine Crist, were born five children, and of the survivors Hattie is the wife of Allen Cook; Delilah is the wife of Charles Adams; Wilson is married to Ella Gates, Florain to Lulu Wise. The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Fry were natives of Mahoning county, where the grandfather was for a time a mer- chant, but later became a miller, and then a farmer, and was the owner of a large estate at the time of his death. He was the father of three children, of whom Catherine (Mra. Myers) and Harrison are still living. The grandfather of Mrs. Fry died April 11 1891, and the grandmother January 14, 1892, in the faith of the Evangelical church.
James Smith Fry is a stanch republican in politics, and wasa warm advocate for the election of William Mckinley.
RS. SYLVESTER GAYLORD, of Munroe Falls, Ohio, widow of Syl- vester Gaylord, was born May 2, 1817, at Middletown, Conn .. 2. daughter of Selah and Anna (Newell) North. Sylvester Gaylord was born in Middletown, Conn., November 1, 1808, and was a son of
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