USA > Ohio > Portage County > A portrait and biographical record of Portage and Summit counties, Ohio > Part 47
USA > Ohio > Summit County > A portrait and biographical record of Portage and Summit counties, Ohio > Part 47
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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
Lincoln. He is a member of George L. Water- man post, G. A. R., No. 272, in which he has held the office of senior vice-commander and most of the other offices, and no man in the township is better known or more sincerely re- spected than Corporal Charles Skinner.
.. UGUSTUS P. SHUMAN, of the firm of Mendenhall & Shuman, well known furniture dealers and funeral directors of Atwater, was born in Portage coun- ty, Ohio, August 15, 1871, and is a son of John P. and Mary (Amick) Shuman, natives of Ger- many.
In 1850, the parents of subject came to America and for a number of years lived in Rootstown, Portage county, Ohio, but finally moved to Randolph, in the same county, where the father carried on shoemaking, served as postinaster three years, filled the offices of town- ship treasurer and township trustee, and was also treasurer of the Randolph Mutual Fire In- surance company, but is now living on his farm of fifty acres in the neighborhood of the town. .To their marriage were born five children, viz: Frank, Lewis, Augustus P., Charles (deceased) and Curtis.
Augustus P. Shuman was educated in the common and high schools of Randolph, then clerked in the dry-goods store of C. Elletts, of the same place, and later, in Atwater, clerked for a Mr. Jackson and E. S. Goodman until 1893, when he formed a partnership with W. T. Mendenhall under the present firm-style. This finin carry a large stock of household fur- niture, carpets, crockery, etc., and also con- duct an undertaking business, and in both branches their transactions take the lead in the township.
22, 1873, a daughter of John and Susan Kel ler, old-time residents of Portage county. In his fraternal relations, Mr. Shuman is a mem- ber of Atwater lodge, No. 649, Knights of Py- thuas, of which he is the present vice-chancel lor, and in which he has also filled the office of outer-guard, master-at-arms and prelate. In politics he is a republican, and during the presidential campaign of 1896 was president of the Atwater Mckinley club. Although not identified with any religious organization, Mr. Shuman is a strictly moral man, and is greatly respected for bis business integrity and his use. fulness as a citizen, as well as for his geni. 1 disposition and other praiseworthy attributer.
27JOHN B. SILVER, one of the most ste. cessful agriculturists of Deerfield town- ship, Portage county, was born in Sandy township, Stark county, Ohio. December 18, 1851, a son of Alpheus and Catherine (Binkley) Silver.
David Silver, paternal grandfather of John B., was a native of England, came to Ohio early in life, located in Stark county, where by followed farming all his life, and reared a fat- ily of eight children, viz : Martha, Ezek !!. Polly, John, Sarah, Arthur, David and .\! pheus. Felix Binkley, maternal grandfather of subject, was born in Lancaster county, Pa .. was a farmer and married Catherine Graybill and to this marriage there were born sev a children, named as follows : Leah. Fanus. Felix, Graybill, Abraham, Catherine (M: Silver) and John.
Alpheus Silver, father of John B., was a native of Stark county, Ohio, where he w. ; engaged in farming all his life, with the exce; tion of about twelve years, during two ye. i. of which he served as justice of the peace .. for ten years was in the loan business. .
The marriage of Mr. Shaman took place December 25, 1893, to Miss Lavinia Keller, who was born in Randolph, Ohio, November : his marriage with Miss Catherine Binki v.
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OF PORTAGE AND SUMMIT COUNTIES.
who was a native of Lancaster county, Pa., were born the following named children : Sarah, widow of Philip Van Voorhis; John B., the subject of this notice; Martha, deceased wife of James Faulk, and David, who died January 15, 1885. at the age of forty-four years. Alpheys Silver died September 4. 1SS5, at the age of sixty-eight years, and Mrs. Catherine Silver was called away July 8, 1887. aged sixty-nine years, both dying in the faith of the Methodist church.
John B. Silver was reared to farming, and at the early age of thirteen years united with a brother-in-law in working the home place, his father granting them a share of the pro- cceds. He attended school until seventeen years old, when not actively employed on the farm, and October 18, 1871, was first married, in Belleville, Ill., to Miss Anna Bair, daughter of Jesse and Anna Eliza (Bonfield) Bair, and to this union were born four children, viz : Jesse F., August 8, 1872; James A., July 19, 1874: Ada H. and Homer T.
Of these children Jesse F. was educated in the common schools and at Mount Union col- lege, and in 1892 began teaching school; he taught two successive terms, then for a year sold books, and, in 1895, entered the ministry. He preached for a short time in New Castle, Pa., then went to Blairsville, in the same state, where he filled the pulpit until the fall of 1895, when he was assigned to a charge in Indiana county, where he preached two years. In October, 1897, he was ordained and as- signed to Greensburg, Pa., and was there mar- ried to Miss Maggie George. James A. Silver was also educated in the common schools and at Mount Union college, attending the latter about three years, and since 1893 has been en- gaged in school-teaching. The mother of the above family passed from earth fine 4, 1881, at the early age of thirty-one years, and July 1, 1883, Mr. Silver married Miss Calista Kim-
nel, daughter of Henry and Caroline ( Wheed- ling) Kimmel, and this marriage has been blessed with three children-Henry M., Edwin R. and Rena. To the parents of Mrs. Anna Silver were born four children, viz: James, who is still living; Martin, a soldier, perished in the wreck of the steamer Sultana, in 1864. at the age of thirty-three years; Victoria, who was married to John Votaw, and died the mother of seven children. Mrs. Anna Silver, after the death of her mother, was reared to womanhood by John and Sarah Greves, of Osnaburg township, Stark county, Ohio, with whom she remained until the winter of 1870. The following spring she went to Belleville, Ill., where her father resided, and there lived until married to Mr. Silver. After this event, Mr. and Mrs. Silver returned to Ohio, re- mained here until 1873. then went to Mont- gomery county, Kans., intending to settle, but, disliking the country, returned to Belleville, Ill, where they lived until 1874, when they came back to Ohio, where Mr. Silver pur- chased his father's farm in Stark county, on which they lived until they came to Deerfield township, Portage county.
The parents of the present Mrs. Silver, Henry and Caroline Kimmel, were both born in Stark county, Ohio, the father, August 7, 1826, and the mother, November 22, 1833. and were married December 4, 1852, the union resulting in the birth of three children -- John, Mrs. Silver and Addis. The parents are members of the Lutheran church, in which Mr. Kiminel has served as a deacon for many years, and he has also served as township trustee. David, the paternal grandfather of Mrs. Silver, was a native of Pennsylvania, and a pioneer of Stark county, Ohio, where he married Susan Welker, who bore him six chil- dren, all still living, viz: Joseph; Nancy, wife of John Sickafoos; Henry; Michael, Susan, widow of Samuel Lutz, and Lydia, married to
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William Howenstine. The grandfather died in 1857, at the age of ninety-one years, in the faith of the Methodist church. The inaternal grandparents of Mrs. Silver were natives of Alsace, Germany, and were also early settlers in Stark county, Ohio. The grandfather had | children died in March, 1846, and the father 1
been a merchant until twenty-two years of age, and then began farming, a vocation he fol- lowed as long as he was able to work. To his marriage were born five children, three of whom still survive, viz: Caroline, Lewis and William; John died in the army, and Samuel died in civil life, at the age of forty- two years, and his wife in 1885, at seventy- five years of age, both in Stark county, and both in the faith of the Lutheran church.
John B. Silver followed farming in Stark ; $12 per month of twenty-four days; in 1850 county until 1884, when he came to Deerfield, ' he went to Sheboygan, Wis., taught during Portage county, and purchased one of the . the suminer terms, then returned to Ohio aud finest farms in the township. He has served as supervisor and school director, and he and wife are devoted members of the Reformed Lutheran church, of which Mr. Silver has long been a trustee, and, for one year, superintendent of the Sunday-school. The family are all highly esteeemed in the community, and Mr. Silver has won inany warm friends through his per- soual merits.
ARVEY D. SMALLEY, justice of the peace and retired school-teacher of Atwater, Portage county, Ohio, was born in Monroe county, N. Y., De- cember 25, 1825, a son of Donald and Betsey (Frost) Smalley.
Donald Smalley was born April 3, 1782, in Randolph, Vt., went to New York state when a young man, and in 1813 married, in Monroe county, Betsey Frost, who was born in Berk- shire, Mass., in 1/ 92. In 1836 Mr. Smalley came to Ohio, and bought a farm of 130 acres . ley filled the offices of township trustee ami one and one-half miles south of Randolph township clerk while in Randolph, and after
Center, Portage county. There were born to him three children, viz: J. F., who died in 1853; E. J., who is president of the Smalley Manufacturing company, of Manitowoc, Mich., and H. D., our subject. The mother of these
returned to New York state, where here-inar- ried, but died on his Ohio farm in December. 1859, an honored man.
Harvey D. Smalley was eleven years of age when brought to Ohio by his parents. He was educated in the common schools of Port- age county, and for two terms attended Lin- nean academy. In 1843, at the age of eighteen years, he taught his first school, known as the : Marshall district school, in Randolph-at
taught in Stark county-including the public schools of Alliance for three years --- and in 1860 opened a private school in Randolph; in 186. he was appointed superintendent of the Marl- boro union school, which position he held until the spring of 1864, when he enlisted in com- pany H, One Hundred and Sixty-second Ohio volunteer infantry, served in Kentucky until the expiration of his teri of enlistment- 100 days -- and was mustered out at Camp Chase, Ohio, with the rank of orderly sergeant.
On his return to Randolph, Mr. Smalley opened his second private school; in 1866 h. passed six months in Youngstown as editor of Mahoning Register, the editor proper, E. V. Smalley, being then in Washington, D. C. In 1876, the subject, H. D. Smalley, relin- quished his vocation of teacher and purcha .... i a farm of twenty-eight acres, on which he 14- sided until the spring of 1893, when he r .- moved to Atwater, where he parchased be present dwelling. As a republican, Mr. Stra-
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OF PORTAGE AND SUMMIT COUNTIES.
settling in Atwater was elected, in the spring of 1894, justice of the peace- an office he still conscientiously and satisfactorily exercises.
March 26, 1846, Mr. Smalley was joined in wedlock with Miss Sophronia Cleverly, danghter of John and Minerva (Matton) Clev- erly, of Atwater, where Mrs. Smalley was born December 26, 1825. Her father, John Clev- erly, was a native of Connecticut, born Feb- ruary 14, 1800, and died in Atwater, Ohio, in 1886. To Mr. and Mrs. Smalley no children have been born. They are members of the Disciples' church of Randolph, of which Mr. Smalley is an elder, and has been secretary and treasurer for a year, and superintendent of Sunday-school five or six years. Mr. Smalley is a member of Hanford post, No. 647, G. A. R., of Randolph, and his social relations are ele- vated, refined and enjoyable, be and wife min- gling in the best circles of Atwater township.
e NOS CARLOMAN SMITH, president of the First National bank and the oldest merchant in Garrettsville, Port- age county, Ohio, and one of the sub- stantial and most highly respected citizens of the county, was born in Hart's Grove, Ashta- bula county, October 19, 1829, and is a son of Norman and Sallie M. (Hickok) Smith. The father, who was of Scotch extraction, was born in Sherburne, Vt., in 1801, and came to Ohio in 1818; the mother was born in New York state, and came to Ohio in 1820, and were married in Ashtabula county. Soon after the birth of subject, the family removed to Parkman township, Geauga county, where Enos C. passed his boyhood and youth, receiv- ing such school advantages as were afforded by the district school and township academy; when not attending school, he assisted in till- ing the home farm.
At the age of twenty he tried teaching
school, for which he received $17 per month, and boarded with patrons of the school. His father died about this time (1849), and, Enos being the eldest of the children, the care of the family, to a certain extent, devolved upon him. For a time he worked on the farm, then clerked in a drug store. Gold having been discovered in California, he, like many others, concluded to go there and seek a fortune. He was without money, but he borrowed $350 and in December. 1851, left home. The journey was made via New York city and the isthinus of Panama, and on May 25, 1852, he reached San Francisco, having had a quick voyage. He soon was engaged in mining, but when winter canie on, the snow was too deep to fo !- low that pursuit, and so returned to San Fran- cisco, and through the exercise of considerable pluck secured the position of steward on the steamer Golden Gate, which, plied between San Francisco and Panama. He subsequently filed a claim, paying $1,450, and one year later sold out for $2.700. The same tract now furnishes the water supply for the city of Oak- land. Mr. Smith remained in California about five years, and on his return to Ohio, in Au- gust, 1857, he formed a partnership with A. A. Barber, and under the firm name of Barber & Smith succeeded Dr. O. Manley in the hard- ware trade in Garrettsville. This firm con- tinucd until 1886, when C. C. Payne assumed Mr. Barber's interests, and the firm became Smith & Payne, which style continued six years, when Mr. Smith became sole proprietor.
Mr. Smith early became identified with the financial interests of Portage county, and as far back as 1870 subscribed to the stock of the Farmer's Savings & Loan association, which was incorporated under the state law in 1871, with R. M. Hank as president, Mr. Sinith as vice-president. and James Norton as cashier In 1872 this association was merged into tl.c | First National bank, No. 2034, at Garrettsville,
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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
with a capital stock of $60,000, which was in- creased to $100,000 in 1874, and in 1880 re- duced to $80,000, its present capital. Of this bank Mr. Smith has been president since 1893, and still holds that honorable position.
To the parents of Mr. Smith were born seven children, viz: Enos C., our subject; Marsh H., a physician of Manchester, Ill .; Marie Louise, who was first married to Edwin Moore and next to Harrison C. Crawford, and died in Garrettsville; Ellen J., wife of C. S. Pates, cabinet-maker at Clinton, Iowa; Mary Ann, widow of a Mr. Guthrie, of Raymond, Ill., George D., of Garrettsville, and Sarah, married to Jeffrey McConnell, of Manchester, Ohio.
August 27, 1857, Enos C. Smith married Marion B. McClintock, who was born July 4, 1829, in Trumbull county, Ohio, a daughter of William and Chloe (Ferry) Mcclintock, the former of whom was born in Whitehall, N. Y., in 1793, and the latter in Brookfield, Orange county, Vt., in 1798. Mr. and Mrs. McClin- tock came to Ohio in 1832 and settled in Gar- rettsville, where Mr. McClintock died August 7, 1873. and his wife June 17, 1878, both in the faith of the Baptist church. No children have blessed the marriage of Mr. Smith and his wife.
In politics Mr. Smith has always been a free-soiler of republican, and cast his first pres- idential ballot for John C. Fremont. He as. sisted in organizing the first election board at Hesse's Crossing, Cal., and later seven times assisted in nominating James A. Garfield for congress, and was once himself candidate for the state legislature before the republican con- vention. He has served as mayor of Garretts- ville and as councilinan, and has filled every trust with fidelity and ability. Fraternally he is a knight templar Mason, and with his wife is a member of the Eastern Star branch, and is also a member of the I. O. O. F. He en-
joys the unbounded confidence of his fellow- citizens, and no one is more highly esteeined.
George D. Smith, younger brother of Eno- C. Smith, was born in Wooster, Ohio, January 28, 1843. He was educated in a common school and lived on the home farm until four- teen years old, then went to Manchester. Ill., and further attended school until the outhreal. of the late Civil war. In May, 1861, he en- listed in company F. Fourteenth Illinois vol- unteer infantry, and saw his first service in Missouri, under Gen. John C. Fremont; he later participated at Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Farmington, Hatchie, Black River, siege of Vicksburg, in many skirmishes, receiving at different times wounds in the hands and h: ad, which, though not serious, were rather "close calls." For nine months during his service he had charge of the body guard of Gen Crocker. and was finally discharged at Springfield, Ill., in Jaby, 1864, as a non-commissioned officer.
After returning from the war, Mr. Smith married, in 1866, in Garrettsville, Ohio, Miss Emma A. Daniels, a native of Freedom town- ship, and a daughter of Norton J. and Mary A. (Wight) Daniels, the father a carpenter by trade. For three years after marriage Mr. Smith lived in Manchester, Ill., engaged in the stove and tinware trade, then returned to G. r- rettsville, where, since 1872, he has been en- gaged with his brother, Enos C., in the hard- ware trade. To Mr. and Mrs. Smith bave been born one daughter, Ethel, wife of C. (). Judd, of Garrettsville.
In politics Mr. Smith is a strong republican. and under Harrison's administration was post- master of Garrettsville; he has also served as councilman and as treasurer of the board of education. Fraternally he was made a Mason in 1865, is past master of Garrettsville k doe No. 246, and is high priest of Silver Creek chapter, No. 144, R. A. M. He is also a miem !. ber of the G. A R. In religion, he and wife
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OF PORTAGE AND SUMMIT COUNTIES.
are members of the Congregational church, of which heis a deacon. He has built a pleas- ant dwelling on Smith street, were he and wife enjoy every social refinement and the esteem and respect of their neighbors.
ON. IRA P. SPERRY. of Tallmadge, Ohio, and one of its representative and prominent citizens, descends from a long line of English Puritan ances- try, who were among the founders of the Con- necticut colony.
Richard Sperry, who settled in New Haven, Conn., about 1640, was the sturdy Puritan who furnished aid, comfort and lodg- ing to the judges who condemmed King Charles to death, during the reign of Crom- well. His children were John, Mary, Rich- ard, Jr., Hester, Nathaniel, Thomas, Ebe- nezer, Daniel and Joseph. Richard Sperry was a Welshman, but his wife was an English Jady. President Stiles, in his History of the Regicides, gives a very glowing account of the character, ability and shrewdness of Richard Sperry, and his descendants have good cause to congratulate themselves on being members of the Sperry family.
Ira P. Sperry the subject of this biography, is a son of Lyman and Lydia (Peck) Sperry. Lyman Sperry was born in Connecticut at Woodbury, and married there, the first time, Deborah Newton, also born in Connecticut, and by her he was the father of Asmodeus N., Mary Amonds, Phebe and Adna. Delorah died, and he married Lydia Peck, and their chil- dren were Lyman, Lydia, Elizabeth, Levinus, Lewis, Ira P., Samuel, Ebenezer and Dr. Willis.
Lyman Sperry moved with his family to Olio in 1819, making the journey with horses and ox-teams --- quite a party coming together. Mr. Sperry settled on the north line of Tall-
madge township, a little east of Monroe Falls, and here bought a lot of 160 acres, which he cleared from the woods. aided by his sons. He and wife were both members of the Congrega- tional church. His first wife died in Con- necticut and he came to Ohio with his second wife and six of her children; three others were born in Ohio-Samuel, Ebenezer and Willis. lle was a straightforward and respected pio- neer of Tallmadge township, was well known for his integrity of character, and in politics was a whig.
Ira P. Sperry was born November 24, 1817, at Waterbury, Conn., and was brought when an infant by his parents, in 1819, to Tallmadge. He received a common-school education, and attended an academy a Cuyahoga Falls, learned when young the blacksmith trade and carriage business, and engaged in the manufacture of carriages, under the firm name of Oviatt & Sperry, and carried on an extensive business, the firm keeping a depository of carriages in Cincinnati for four- teen years. After this, Mr. Sperry engaged in the sewer pipe business for twenty years. the firm being changed several times, and do- ing a successful business. In 1850 he crossed the plains to Colorado, being ninety days on the way, and remained one year in the gold mines, meeting with gratifying success. Mr Sperry has, throughout his career, been one of the most enterprising business men of Sum- mit county. His carriage manufactory for many years was the most extensive in the west- ern country, and added greatly to the pros- perity of the county -- the firm of Oviatt & Sperry continuing for nearly a quarter of a century. In addition to supplying a consider- able portion of northern Ohio with fine car- riages, from $20,000 to $25.000 worth of fine carriages were yearly sold at their depositors in Cincinnati. In 1850, with his brother, Dr. Willis Sperry, and Samuel J. Ritchie, he es-
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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
tablished extensive sewer-pipe works in Tall- madge, which in connection with his son, George P. Sperry, was successfully conducted for about twenty years, or until the death of George P. Sperry, November 17, 1892, at which time the father retired from business on a competence.
Mr. Sperry was one of the original aboli- tionists of Tallmadge township and liberally assisted this cause with his means; he was also one of the original republicans of Summit county in the state legislature, having been elected in 1858 on the republican ticket and serving only two years.
September 27. 1841, Mr. Sperry married Miss Clarissa Carlton, of Portage county, a daughter of Peter and Clarissa (Ladd) Carlton. Their children were Willis C., born December 12, 1847, now a practicing physician; Charles O., who died in infancy; Mary A., who was born July 30, 1853. and died in Oberlin, Ohio, October 17, 1870, aged seventeen years; George P., born September 30, 1858, was a sewer pipe manufacturer of Tallinadge; Fran- eis L., born October 22, 1861, is a chemist, and Henry B., who was formerly secretary and treasurer for the Sewer Pipe company at Huntington, Pa. Mrs. Sperry was a devout member of the Congregational church and died May 31, 1897. aged nearly seventy-seven years, a woman of many virtues and highly esteemed in the community.
It is related of this branch of the Sperry family that when the regicides, Gough and Whaley, were in hiding on the Sperry farm, that a maternal grandmother, who was also a Miss Sperry, carried food to them when she was a young girl. It is also stated that the Sperry family came from England with the Deavenport colony.
cessful business man. He is a fine specie: of the pioneer and splendidly preserved at the age of eighty years.
Dr. Willis Sperry, brother of Ira P. Sperry. is one of the prominent physicians and hon- ored citizens of Summit county, Ohio. Th: doctor was born July 14, 1823, on the Speny homestead near the north line of Tallmade township. He received his early education .t Twinsburg, Ohio, and attended the Cleveland medical college during the winter of 1850 1851, and immediately thereafter began the practice of medicine at Peoria, Il., the next year, 1852, he went to California via the isth- mus of Panama, practiced medicine ten year. in Tuolumne county, and witnessed the early scenes in the palmy days of gold mining. In 1862 he returned to Tallmadge, and here has very successfully practiced medicine since Ile has accumulated a valuable library during his long medical practice and is a patron of the leading medical reviews, both foreign and American.
Fraternally, the doctor is a member of the Northeastern Ohio Medical association, and also of lodge No. 83, F. & A. M., Akron, Ohio. In politics he has been a republican ever since the organization of the party, and in religion a inember of the Congregational church. Th- doctor was married May 27, 1855, in Sonora county, Cal., by the Rev. John Henry Bro.It. to Hulda E. Carlton, who was born November 23, 1833, in Mantua township, Portage comu- ty, Ohio, a daughter of Peter and Clar :.... (Ladd) Carlton. Peter Carlton was of En- glish ancestry and came from Connecticut His wife was from Massachusetts and both families were of old colonial stock. Dr. Sperry and wife were the parents of Willis P., bort September 23. 1856, and Emily Carlton. Foto October 25, 1859, both in California: Era-to . Darwin, born January 5, 1864: Rosaline Indi
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