USA > Ohio > Portage County > A portrait and biographical record of Portage and Summit counties, Ohio > Part 57
USA > Ohio > Summit County > A portrait and biographical record of Portage and Summit counties, Ohio > Part 57
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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
HOMAS R. WILLIAMS, ex-sheriff of Portage county, and a greatly re- spected retired farmer of Palmyra township, was born in Wales, No- vember 23, 1823, and was but eight years of age when brought to America by his parents, William and Martha ( Roberts) Williams, who settled in this township, in 1832. Thomas R. is the eldest born in a family of five children, of whom two only are still living-he and a sister, Maria, wife of William L. Williams, of
Thomas R. Williams was educated in the district school and assisted on the home farm until eighteen years of age and then served an apprenticeship of three years at painting and paperhanging with M. Carnahan, for whom he worked as a journeyman three years longer, and then bought him out and continued the business for six years on his own account. taking his stock to Ravenna. He then sold out to a Mr. Turby and returned to Palinyra and engaged in farming on the home place until 1858, when he was elected sheriff of Portage county on the republican ticket, and so well did he fill the duties of the office he was re-elected at the expiration of his term. At the conclusion of his second terin he re- sumed farming, and in 1864 was elected coro- ner of Portage county for two years, and about 1868 was elected justice of the peace. Mr. Williams has also filled many township offices, such as constable, school director. etc., and in every position has given thorough satisfaction to his constituents and gained the approbation of the general public.
Mr. Williams was united in marriage Oc- tober 28, 1850, to Miss Mary E. Merwin. daughter of William M. and Phebe ( Vaugh !! Merwin, and this union has been blessed with seven children, four of whom are still living. viz: Martin R., who lives in Anderson. Ind., and is manager of the strawboard works. 3 J., an employee of the Muncie Land compra of Ohio; Arthur E., with the strawboard works in Anderson, and Herman M., with the
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same company, with headquarters at Noble- ville. . The deceased children were: Nelson who died at the age of twelve years; Alice, who died when eleven years old, and one child, who died in infancy. The mother of this family was called away July 27, 1896, at the age of fifty-nve years, in the faith of the Methodist church, of which she had been a devout and exemplary member for many years. Her parents were both natives of Ohio and had born to them four children, all now de- ceased, viz: Sarah, who died when small; Cordie; Abigail, wife of David Force, and Mrs. Williams. The father had been a very prom- inent man in his day, and for fifteen years was a justice of the peace, dying in office in 1851. at the age of fifty years.
Fraternally, Mr. Williams has been a Free- mason since 1861, and is now a member, in good standing, of Charity lodge, No. 530, of Palmyra. He has been all his life a man of enterprise and public spuit, and has done much toward the development of Palmyra township, and no man stands higher in the es- teem of its residents than he.
J ULIUS T. WILLIAMS, a prosperous business man of Brimfield, Portage county, Ohio, is a native of the town, was born February 27, 1833, and is a son of the late James C. and Elizabeth (New- hour) Williams, pioneers of Portage county.
age of forty-eight years, a member of the Methodist church, but the mother survived until October 3, 1870, when she expired at the age of seventy-eight, in the same faith.
Julius T. Williams passed his early boy- hood on the home farm, receiving but a lim- ited education, as he was but twelve years of age when he lost his father. At the age of sixteen he began learning the shoemaker's trade, which he continued to follow, in all, sixteen years, studying, in the incanwhile, and greatly adding to the meager education ac- quired in boyhood. On relinquishing shoe- making he embarked in the grocery business. which he has conducted with marked success ever since, handling, also, wool, clover and timothy seed. In 1887 he erected a large cheese factory in Brimfield, which is still un- der his sole management and ownership.
In politics Mr. Williams has always been a democrat, and for four years filled the re- sponsible office of township treasurer, and that of township trustee four years, and for twenty years was postmaster of Brimfield, retiring from the latter office in the spring of 1897.
The marriage of Mr. Williams took place April 3, 1853, to Miss Sarah A. Moulton, danghter of Anson and Daphne Moulton, and to this union have been born five children, of whom three still survive, viz: Cora, a school- teacher, and still unmarried; Millie, wife of Ralph Waldron, and Harry, who married Miss Nina Moulton. The deceased were Clarence, who died November 13, 1856, at the age of eight months, and an infant, who died un- named. The father of Mrs. Williams was a native of Massachusetts and was a farmer; her mother was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. They were married in 1820, and had born to their union fourteen children. The father of Mrs. Williams, who had held various public offices,
James C. Williams, father of subject, was born in Meadville, Pa .: Elizabeth Newhour was a native of Amsterdam, Holland, and when a child was brought to America by her parents. James C. was a farmer, early came 1 to Portage county, Ohio, and to this union with Miss Newhour were born fourteen chil- dren, of whom four are still living, viz: Silas, James, Julius T., and Martha, wife of Samuel : died at the age of seventy-six years, and his Fauser. The father died June 2, 1845, at the ! wife at the age of seventy-eight. Jeremiah
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Moulton, paternal grandfather of Mrs. Will- blacksmiths of his battery. He always iams, was of French descent, was a farmer marched with his battery and was on active and school-teacher, a justice of the peace and . duty until he was disabled by exposure and also a county judge, and died at the age of seventy-six years, a member of the Methodist church, in which faith his wife also died at about the same age. They reared a family of ten children, all now deceased.
hardships in the mountains of Kentucky, where he took a severe cold, which finally caused valvular disease of the heart. He was in hos- pital at St. Louis, Mo., in 1862, from the ! middle of May until January 3 following, at Mr. Williams is emphatically a self-made man, and is bighly esteemed in trade circles which time he was discharged as not being fit for further duty. He returned to Freedom, for his enterprise and integrity, and in social : Ohio, where he lived until he came to Hiram life he and family are among the most re- ; about December, 1863, and on partial recovery spected of the residents of Brimfield.
RVIN WILSON, one of the old sol- diers of the Civil war, and a re- ; spected citizen of Hiram, Portage county, Ohio, was born February 19, 1817, at Tyringham, Mass., a son of Capt. Oliver and Patience (Thompson) Wilson. He | received a common education and early began to work for biniself, as he was but ten years old when his father died. He learned the fork- makers' trade, and afterward learned the trade of a blacksmith. He first married, in Massachu- setts, May 28, 1840, in Sandersfield -- Louisa B. Wolcott, who was born in Sandersfield, a 1 daughter of Capt. Samuel and Rebecca (Mark- ham) Wolcott. Mr. Wilson continued to live in Tyringham, where there were born two children to him, and then, in 1847, came to Ohio and settled in Shalersville, in Portage county, and worked at his trade of blacksmith until he moved to Freedom, Ohio- - a short time before the breaking out the Civil war, and there enlisted, September 10, 1861. in Capt. A. J. Konkle's battery D, First Ohio light artillery, to serve three years, unless sooner discharged, and was honorably discharged at St. Louis, Mo., January 3, 1863, on account of disability. Shortly after his enlistment he was detailed as an artificer, or as one of the
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worked at his trade of a blacksmith, but for more than twenty years has been entirely dis- abled, and for some years he owned and lived on a small farm north of Hiram. The chil- dren by his first wife were Maria R .. Alzadia L. and Mary S. Mrs. Wilson died at Sbalers- ville and he next married, at Mantua Center, Lucella Reynolds, who was born in Mamua, April 5, 1835, a daughter of Robert G. and Elizabeth (Stevenson) Reynolds.
Robert G. Reynolds was born January 26, 1796, and his wife was born May 15, 1809. His children were Louisa, born August 27. 1824; Lucius, born February 13, 1826; Me- lissa, born February 3, 1828; Robert C., born July 25, 1829; Alvin V., born June 26, 1833; Orrin, born October 23, 1836; W. H. H., born July 15. 1840; Vincent, born December 19. 1841; Albert, born July 9, 1843; Walter, born March 15, 1845; Orville, born February 2, 1848; Emory, born July 25, 1851; Martha, born October 17, 1855, and two others. There were fifteen children, ten sons and five daugh- ers, of whom all lived to maturity, and four - teen of them raised families. Of the Reynolds children five served as soldiers in the Civil war -- Alvin, Vincent, W. H. H., Albert and Orville. Alvin served in an Ilincis regierent the remainder in Gen. Garfield's regiment and all escaped without wounds, although in many battles. Mr. Reynolds was a whuig m
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politics and was a strong Union man. He 1
was well educated for his day, and taught school in Auburn a number of years --- also at Kingville and Mantua. He was a straight- forward and respected man, and died at the age of seventy years.
.. Mr. and Mis. Wilson have been settlers in Hiram since December, 1863. They were the parents of one daughter, Lora, who died at the age of eleven years. Mr. Wilson has always been known as a respected citizen and upright man, and he and wife are members of the Disciples' church. In politics he was first a democrat, but later became one of the original republicans, and was a justice of the peace two terms, and constable at Freedom.
Mr. Wilson is now a venerable man, but retains his mental faculties unimpaired, and has an excellent memory. Ihis father, Capt. Oliver Wilson, died aged about forty-five years. He was the son of Joseph Wilson, and was a lieutenant in the militia. Capt. Oliver Wilson was a captain in the old Massa- chusetts state militia. His wife, Patience Thompson, was a daughter of James Thomp- son, a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and was a boy about sixteen years old when he was on the campaign against Lord Cornwallis. Capt. Oliver was the father of Charles, Aba- line, Jarvis, Arvin, William, Harriet and Lovell.
Joseph Wilson, the grandfather of Arvin Wilson, was a farmer, and a strong member of the old republican party, and represented his town in the Massachusetts state legislature for several years.
ARREN A. WILLMOT, junior part- ner in the firm of Miller & Willnot. proprietors of the Actual Business college of Akron, was born in Mas- sillon, Ohio, June 12, 1868. His parents,
Joseph and I ncinda Willmot, were respect- ively natives of Brussels, France, born No- vember 28, 1844, and Richville, Ohio. August 13. 1840.
The paternal grandparents of Warren A. Willmet, also natives of France, came to America in 1846, and settled in Massillon, Ohio, where the grandfather followed his trades of cooper and wagonmaker until his death, at the age of seventy-six years. Of the paternal great-grandparents of Mr. Willmot not much is remembered, but they were re- nowned for great physical strength, and the great-grandfather for longevity; he died at a great age, but his wife was killed in the bon- bardment of Luxembourg by being struck by a cannon-ball. The maternal great-grand- parents were also noted for their longevity, the great-grandmother attaining an age of over 100 years. Grandmother Willmot, who bore the maiden name of Remy, was a native of France, was small of stature, but also noted for her great strength as well as longevity, as she lived to be eighty-one years of age. The maternal grandparents of Mr. Willmot were natives of Pennsylvania, came to Ohio early in the 'thirties, and settled at Richville, near Massillon, where Grandfather Wear followed his trade of weaver, but later moved to Can- ton, where he died at the advanced age of ninety-two years-his wife having died at the age of seventy-seven years.
Warren A. Willmot began his school career at the early age of four and one-half years in Canal Fulton, whither his parents had removed, and continued his studies until nineteen years old. He then learned telegraphy in the of- fice of the Cleveland, Lorain & Wheeling Railroad company at Easton, Ohio, and then for seven years was employed in the telegraph and accounting service of the following rail- road companies: Cleveland, Lorain & Wheel- ing; Cleveland, Canton & Southern ; Cleveland
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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
& Marietta: Cleveland, Akron & Columbus; Northern Pacific; Erie, and Baltimore & Ohio.
December 27, 1894, Mr. Willmot relin- quished the railroad service and took up the study of shorthand at the Akron school of Standard Phonography, which was then under the control of H. A. Miller, his present part- ner, and studied the art under the personal di- rection of that gedtleman until May, 1896, at which tinte he accepted a position with the N. C. Alten Hardware company, at Lorain, Ohio, which position he held three months .. Sep- tember 1, 1896, he associated himself with H. A. Miller in the ownership and management of the Actual Business college of Akron, un- der the firm name already mentioned, and of which further information may be gained from a preceding review of the life of Mr. Miller.
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ALVIN G. WILSON, traveling sales- man for Voegle & Dinning, dealers in candies and cigars at Mansfield, Ohio, has been a resident of Akron since 1869, and has his residence at No. 418 West Center street, this city. He is a native of the Buckeye state, having been born at Wilson's Corners, Medina county, December 24, 1837, a son of John and Elizabeth Wilson, who were among the pioneers of the county named, where the father was first a farmer, but later engaged in the manufacture of matches, being one of the first to embark in that industry in that part of the country.
At the age of fourteen years Calvin G. Wilson was withdrawn from the public schools of his district and sent on the road by his fa- ther with a wagon to sell cigars and matches, and thus initiated into his present employ- ment. At the death of his father in 1861, an elder brother of the subject succeeded to the business, for whom our subject continued in the same capacity until Angust, 1864, when he
shipped on board the gunboat Argosy, No. 27. of the Mississippi river squadron, and served seven months as captain of the hold, on the lower river. After being honorably discharged he returned to his native county and town and conducted a small grocery store for one year; then went to Seville, and thence came to Akron, and for nine years was employed as traveling salesman by Collett & Carr, candy manufacturers, and for the following four and a half years traveled for Clark & Co .. Elyria, Ohio, also manufacturers of candy. In 1882 he formed his present business connection. and the statement that he has been phenom- enally successful and faithful is substantiated by the fact that he has held this position for over fourteen years, traveling all over the ter- ritory of northeastern Ohio.
Mr. Wilson was admitted as a member of Wadsworth lodge, No. 119, I. O. O. F., in 1866, and is at present a member of Akron lodge, No. 547; he is also a member of Akron encampment, No. 18, and a charter mem- ber of Akron canton, No. 2. He is likewise a member of the Cleveland Commercial Travel- ers' association, the Travelers' Preferred of Chicago, and of the United Travelers' council, No. 87, of Akron.
Mr. Wilson was united in marriage June 12, 1859, with Miss Emily E. Houghton, daughter of Oliver Houghton, and this union has resulted in the birth of three children --- Charles L., Carl A .. (deceased) and Frank C.
Frank C. Wilson, city clerk of Akron, and also clerk for the city commissioners, is the youngest child born to Calvin G. and Emily E. (Houghton) Wilson, who are spoken of in full above. He has been a resident of Akron since two years of age, having been brought to this city by his parents in 1869. His birth took place in River Styx. Medina county. Ohio, October 10, 1867. He was educated in the public schools of Akron, and at the age of
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OF PORTAGE AND SUMMIT COUNTIES.
fifteen years entered the city engineer's de- partment, where he was employed nine years. April 25. 1893, he was appointed commission- ers' clerk, which position he has most ably filled until the present time, through annual re-appointments. April 20, 1896, he was elected city clerk by the republican party, of which he is a stanch adherent in principle and active in support, and has also served as sec- rotary of the city board of elections. He is a member of McPherson lodge, K. of P., Akron lodge, I. O. O. F., and is active in all things pertaining to the welfare of the city and county, having for the past two years been treasurer of the Union Charity association. Hle was married October 4, 1893, to Miss Ma- bel E. McChee, and has his happy home at No. 416 West Center street.
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OSEPH K. WISE, a representative farmer of Randolph township, Portage county, Ohio, was born in Lorraine, France, March 19, 1819, a son of John and Eva Wise, but was brought to the United States when only five years of age, his parents coming herc early in 1832, and being seventy- three days on the ocean. Their family con- sisted of six children, of whom three are still living, viz: Joseph K., John and Anthony; Catherine died at the age of twenty-six years, Eva at the age of thirty, and Theressa, who was married to Wendell Uhlem. The father died at the age of sixty-six and the mother at seventy years --- all in the faith of the Catholic church. On coming to America the family lived one year in Canfield, Ohio, and then came to Randolph, Portage county, where they remained six years on a farm, when they sold the estate and moved to Knox county, where they lived four years, and then came back to Portage county. In 1841 the father bought
the farm on which our subject now lives, and here passed the remainder of their days.
Joseph K. Wise was reared to agricultural pursuits and was well trained in pioneer farm- ing. He has been twice married-first, in January, 1856, to Miss Elizabeth Earhart, a daughter of Lawrence Larhart, but this lady was called away in 1858, at the age of thirty- nine years, leaving no issue. The second mar- riage of Mr. Wise took place May 2, 1859, to Miss Catherine Kline, daughter of john and Elizabeth (Knapp) Kline, and this union has been blessed with ten children, born in the fol- lowing order: Mary, who is the wife of George Becks, of Kent; Eva, wife of Philip Seigfried: Joseph, who married Ella Bixler; Clara, mar- ried to john Kauffman; Louisa, wife of Michael Hoover, of Akron; Emma, now Mrs. William Colton, of Rootstown; Frank, who married Emma Maxon; George, inanager of a machine shop in Kent; Rosie and Laura, still under the parental roof. . The mother of this family was called to her eternal home September 16, 1889, at the age of forty-eight years, dying a true Catholic. Her parents were natives of Ger- many, and came to the United States about 1831, settling in Randolph township, where the father engaged in farming until his demise, in 1888, at the age of eighty years, in the faith of the Catholic church, his remains be- ing interred in Saint Joseph's cemetery, beside those of his wife, who had passed away in 1857. Of their seven children five survive, viz : Adam; John; Elizabeth, wife of Harvey Ward; Nancy, widow of William Neff, and Betsey, wife of Peter Kline.
In politics Mr. Wise is independent, and votes for the man best fitted for the office. He has served as township supervisor and school director many years. He is a devout Catholic, being a member of Saint Joseph's congregation, and has been very liberal in his contributions to the church and in aid of all
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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
its charities and good works. He is greatly : O. B. Bardin & Co. pottery, and afterward respected for his many excellent traits of char- acter, and well deserves the high esteem in 1
which he is held by his neighbors, with whom he has passed so many years of his useful life.
R. JOSEPH WINGERTER, veteri- nary surgeon, No. 804 Sonth Main street, Akron, Ohio, is.a native of this city, was born February 6, 1864, and is a sou of Lewis and Mary (Smith) Win- gerter, the former of whom was born in Paris, France, and the latter in. the province of Alsace-Lorraine, Germany. :
Lewis Wingerter, on reaching America with his wife and younger children, at once came to Akron and superintended the Wilcox pottery on Lock avenue natil lis removal to Coventry, Summit county, where he erected a pottery of his own in 1840, and operated it until 1891, when he retired from business. In politics, as a democrat, he served as postmaster of Coventry seven or eight years, and also filled several township offices. Having lost his wife in the spring of 1893, he has since made his home with his daughter, Mrs. Lewis Yeck. To Lewis Wingerter and wife were born six children, in the following order : Lena, wife of Lewis Yeck. of Coventry; Lewis, who is a potter in Coventry; Philip, who resides at No. 135 Wooster avenue, Akron, and is comb in- spector at the Goodrich rubber works; Leo, a potter, residing at No. 205 Wooster avenue, Akron; Augustus, a horse-trader, residing in Coventry, and Joseph, the subject of this biography.
Joseph Wingerter was reared in Coventry, or Wingciger's Crossing, was educated in the common schools, and later entered the Ontario 1 Veterinary college at Toronto, from which he graduated in 1894. On first quitting school, however, he became a shipping clerk in the
was for eight years connected with a brother in the livery and saloon business, but his livery barns having been destroyed by fire, he en tered the veterinary college mentioned above. and since his graduation therefrom has been in active practice in Akron. In connection with 1 his veterinary practice he conducts an infir- mary for the treatment of unsound. sick of in- jured animals, and has, beside, a well equipped livery stable, and in all these he is doing a thriving business.
Mr. Wingerter is a member of the Veteri- nary Medical Association of Toronto, Canada, and is considered, by his fellow-members, and the public in general, to be an able veterinary surgeon. He is careful, tender and humane in his treatment of the animals confided to his care, inflicting no unnecessary pain in his surgical operations. He is, like all his family, a devout member of the Catholic church, and as a citizen is respected by all who know himn. He was united in marriage February 6, 1897, to Miss Clara A. Serfass, a native of Summit county, Ohio, and daughter of Peter and An- sennetta Serfass.
HARLES L. WILSON, the accom- modating and popular proprietor oi the livery, feed and sales stables at No. 717 South Main street, Akron, was born June 24, 1860, at Wilson's corners. Medina county, Ohio, and is a son of Calvin G. Wilson, whose biography will be found above. He came to Akron in 1869, with the remainder of the family, as has already been mentioned in the biography of his father, and here he was educated in the excellent public schools of the city. At the age of eighteen years he entered the employ of the cry in is. engineering department, in which he remained seven years, reaching the position of assistant
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OF PORTAGE AND SUMMIT COUNTIES.
city engineer. His next position was with the Akron Knife works, in the shipping department of which he performed his responsible anties in a most satisfactory manner for five years He then succeeded Mr. Buhrlee in the livery business on South Main street, and, in com- pany with his brother, under the firm name of Wilson Bros., carried on a very satisfactory trade until the fall of 1895. when he assumed control in full of the establishment. In con- nection with his ordinary livery, feed and sales stables, he also does a great deal of coach work, but as a livery and sales stable his es- tablishment has its broadest celebrity, inas- much as it is one of the best ordered in the city.
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Pohtically, Mr. Wilson is a democrat, and in his fraternal relations is a member of Akron lodge, No. 547, I. O. O. F., with which he has been united for more than fifteen years. No- vember 2, 1883, Mr. Wilson was married to Miss Clara Cahow, a daughter of Daniel Ca- how, of Akron, and this union has been blessed with six children, viz: Bessie, Josephine, Hazel, Mabel, Calvin G. and Catherine. The residence is at No. 563 Exchange street.
Y'ACOB E. WISE, a young and sucessful farmer, and a respected citizen of Green township, Summit county, Ohio, was born here March 10, 1868, on his present farm, which was entered by his grand- father.
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