USA > Ohio > Portage County > A portrait and biographical record of Portage and Summit counties, Ohio > Part 8
USA > Ohio > Summit County > A portrait and biographical record of Portage and Summit counties, Ohio > Part 8
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In 1607 a colony of English people came to
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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
Popham, Maine, being accompanied, as chap- lain, by Rev. Richard Seymour, a younger son of Sir Edward Seymour, duke of Somerset, but this colony was not successful, and in two or three years returned to England, where Rev. Rich- ard Seymour passed the remainder of his life. In 1639 the eldest son of this reverend gentle- man came from Barry Pomeroy, Devonshire, England, and located in Hartford, Conn., but removed to Norwalk, Conn., in 1650, and there died in 1655.
John Seymour, the second son of Rev. Richard Seymour, returned from Norwalk to Hartford, married Mary, daughter of John Watson, and died in 1713, the father of nine children. John, the eldest son of John Sey- mour, mentioned above, was born June 12, 1666, was married December 19, 1693, to Elizabeth, daughter of Robert and Hannah (Treat) Webster and granddaughter of Gov. John Webster. Mr. Seymour died in May, 1748, leaving a farm to each of his eight sons; his widow survived until May 15, 1754. The eldest of these boys, also named John Sey- mour, was born December 25, 1694, and was first married June 25, 1718, to Lydia Mason, who died in 1732, but soon after that bereavement he married Hannah Ensign. He moved from Hartford to New Hartford, Conn., in 1750, as one of the earliest settlers of that town, and there died July 25, 1758.
John Seymour. the sixth child born to John and Lydia (Mason) Seymour, mentioned in the foregoing paragraph, was born in Hartford, Conn., November 24, 1726. He was inspired with patriotism and a love of freedom (amor patriæ), as may be shown by the fact that he enlisted, at the early age of fifteen years, in the colonial army, and performed a brave and noble part in the French and Indian war; in the second war in 1756-58. against the French and Indian invaders, he also took an active part, and his military service culminated
in his bearing arms in the war of the Revolu- tion. He married June 19, 1749, Lydia Wadsworth, daughter of Sergeant Jonathan Wadsworth, of West Hartford, Conn., and died February 2, 1809-his widow surviving until 1817.
Asa Seymour, fifth child of John and Lydia (Wadsworth) Seymour, and the grand- father of the subject of this sketch, Judge Gideon Seymour, was born in West Hartford, Conn., September 16, 1757. He, also, was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, and was married, November 14, 1781, to Miss Abigail, daughter of Gideon Deming, and afterward moved to East Granville, Mass., where he died in 1840, a member of the Congregational church. Hischildren were born in the follow- ing order: Abigail, Asa, Alexander, Laura, Ardon, William, Elijah, Ruby and Gideon D.
Gideon D. Seymour, father of subject, was born in East Granville, Mass., April IS. 1801, and in 1841 settled in Rootstown, Port- age county, Ohio, but in 1845 died from an attack of black erysipelas, which at that time was epidemic throughout this section of the country. In his politics he was a whig, and in religion was a member of the Congrega- tional church, in which he was a deacon for many years. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Corinthia Gibbons, a daughter of Bil- dad Gibbons, of East Granville, Mass., be- came the mother of two children-Judge Gideon and Deming. The latter was born May 21, 1840, and came to Ohio with his father, and here married Harriet Hallock, daughter of W. R. Hallock, of Rootstown, and died in Windham, Ohio, in 1888. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Corinthia Seymour was married to Philo Stilson, but bore him no children, and died in Ravenna June 11, 1878.
Gideon Seymour, the subject of this biu- graphical memoir, was born in East Granville.
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Hampden county, Mass., February 23, 1836, his parentage being given above. He was reared on the old Seymour homestead, and in 1841 accompanied his father to Ohio, and was here educated in the district schools of Roots- town, Portage county. At the early age of eighteen he began teaching school, devoting himself to this vocation in the winter months and in the summer lending his aid toward the improvement of the home farm, assisted by his brother, the untimely death of their father, after reaching Ohio, rendering this course nec- essary. In 1859 he purchased the interest of his brother in this homestead, and continued its cultivation, devoting himself, however, during his farm life, to the study of the law at home, with Hart & Reed, of Ravenna, as his preceptors. In 1872, prior to his admission to the bar, which did not occur until 1875, his legal ability was fully recognized, and he was elected probate judge of Portage county, an office he filled with great credit to himself for nine years. On retiring from this office he entered upen the active practice of his profes- sion in 1881, in Ravenna, and was rapidly ad- vancing in his profession, and had obtained a good practice, but, unfortunately, at the expi- ration of three years of active and onerous work, his health failed, and he felt it incumbent, in order to restore his shattered energies to their pristine vigor, to return to his farm and recuperate, although the law has not alto- gether been abandoned, as he still gives his attention to special probate business.
Among the minor offices that have been held by Judge Seymour may be mentioned that of justice of the peace of Rootstown town- ship, which he filled twelve years, and to which he was first elected in 1864, and fre- quently thereafter; he was commissioned no- tary public in 1884, also served as township clerk several terms, and as treasurer of his township from 1859 to 1861. In his politics
the judge has been a life-long republican, has always worked energetically in the interests of his party, and was a delegate to the conven- tion that first nominated Maj. Mckinley for member of congress from Ohio. Fraternally he has for thirty years been a Freemason, and is now a member of Unity lodge, No. 12, and of Tyrian chapter, R. A. M., No. 91, of Ra- venna; he is also an Odd Fellow, being a member of Ravenna lodge, No. 65, and of en- campment No. 129, and is, beside, a charter member of Ravenna council, No. 376, Royal Arcanum; also a member of Ravenna grange. No. 32, Patrons of Husbandry. In religion he is a Congregationalist, has been a member since 1864, both at Rootstown and Ravenna, has been a deacon up to the present time, and also has served as superintendent of the Sun- day-school at both places, and was for fifteen years a singer and leader of the choir in his church.
The marriage of the judge to Lucy J. Par- ker, daughter of F. A. Parker, of Newton Falls. Ohio, occurred September 15, 1859. This lady led him a happy life until May 6, 1893, when she was called to a higher sphere. The children that blessed this happy anion were three in number, and were named Corinthia M., Mary L. (who died in 1876) and Fred- erick P .- the last-named being now associated with his father on the home farm, known as "Bonniebrook Farm," where, in addition to general farming, they make a specialty of breeding Durham cattle and Oxford-down sheep.
Few men in Portage county have passed through so varied and successful a career in life as Judge Seymour, and fewer still have maintained so high a position in the esteem of their fellow-men for so great a length of time, and he is a gentleman of whom his many friends and the population of Portage county may well feel proud.
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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
EMAN SWIGART, a well-known gen- eral farmer and dairyman of Copley township, Summit township, Ohio, was born in Edinburg, Portage coun- ty, Ohio, June 30, 1871. His father, George S. Swigart, was born November 12, 1838, and March 28, 1862, married Miss Laura Oviatt, who was born March 6, 1843, and this union was blessed with six children, viz: Nellie A., born February 27, 1864, and now the wife of Charles Adams, of Cleveland; Sherman G., born June 28, 1865, and at present a prom- inent civil engineer of the same city; Louis A., born September 30, 1868; Heman, the subject of this biography; Freddie, born February 16, 1877, died in infancy, and Maggie, who was born May 11, 1879.
Heman Swigart was educated in the high school of Copley, and September 4, 1895, married Miss Pearl Wager, who was born in 1876, a daughter of Edward and Anna (Gra- ham) Wager, and to this happy marriage has been born one child-George-June 24, 1896. Mrs. Pearl Swigart is a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, and a lady of many womanly graces and virtues.
Joseph Swigart, great-grandfather of He- man, was a native of Pennsylvania, was a farmer, married Elizabeth Peiffer, daughter of George and Catherine Peiffer, and became the father of eleven children, named George, John, Joseph, Samuel, Jacob, Catherine, Polly, Su- san, Peggie, Sarah and Martha.
Jacob Swigart, grandfather of Heman, was born in Cumberland county, Pa., October 18, 1815, was reared on the home farm until four- teen years of age, and then learned the car- penter's trade; he married, in Stark county, Ohio, Miss Abigail Stover, also a native of Pennsylvania, and a daughter of George and Catherine (Dauner) Stover. To this union were born four children, viz: John, deceased; George S., father of subject, who died June
15, 1895; Alfred, and Maggie. Mrs. Abigail Swigart died June 8, 1877, at the age of fifty- nine years and nine months, a devout member of the Reformed church, of which her husband was also a member.
Heman Swigart and his brother, Louis A., rent their grandfather's fine farm at Copley Center, and in connection with general farm- ing do a large dairying business.under the firm name of Swigart Bros., and have the largest inilk route in Akron. Their buildings are all of modern construction, and both brothers are highly respected for their strict business integ- rity, as well as for their genial dispositions and social good qualities.
ALTER BRONSON TAYLOR, one of the ablest of Ravenna's sales- men, was born in Palmyra, Portage county. Ohio, September 9, 1843, a son of Salmon A. and Mary Ann (Caulkins) Taylor, the former a native of Hoboken, N. J., and the latter of Old Lyme, Conn.
Salmon A. Taylor was of English and French extraction, his mother having been a Peret, a family well known in the commercial circles of New York city, and one of the fam- ily is now the Episcopal bishop of Baltimore, Md. Mr. Taylor, who was a merchant, opened the first store in Palmyra, Ohio, was married in Middlebury, Summit county, in 1841, and in 1848 removed to Ravenna, Port- age county, opened a grocery and established the first ice business in the city. September 18, 1863, he expired in the house now occu- pied by subject-his death being the result of an accidental fall. The male members of the Caulkins family were mostly seafaring men, four brothers of the subject's mother having been captains of ocean-going vessels. Her father, David Caulkins, however, was a cap- tain of land forces in the war of 1812. The
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death of Mrs. Mary Ann Taylor took place at the home of subject April 6, 1894, in the faith of the Congregational church. She was truly a christian woman, and spent her life for the benefit of others. Wherever there was pain, poverty or suffering, there was she, a minister- ing angel to the suffering. There were two children born to Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, the youngest being Catherine D., who is now the wife of Ezra Fowler, a justice of the peace and business man of Kent, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Fowler have two children, viz: Mary Addie, a teacher of instrumental music, with classes in Kent and Ravenna, and Lizzie Jen- nings, wife of John Arighi, of Kent. This lady is also a proficient instrumentalist, making a specialty of the violin.
Walter B. Taylor, the subject, attended the schools of Ravenna until seventeen years of age, and then entered the office of his cousin, Judge Taylor, as a law student. On the removal of the judge from the city, Mr. Taylor placed himself under the tuition of the law firm of John L. & H. C. Ranney for two years, at the end of which period the firing on Fort Sumter took place. Mr. Taylor then promptly enlisted, in April, 1861, in company G, Seventh Ohio voluteer infantry, under Col. Barney Tyler, and for three months served within the bounds of the state. After a few months passed in the office of his former pre- ceptors, he engaged with the government as contract nurse, and spent four months in Louisville, Ky., and it was while there his father died. On the expiration of his contract as nurse for four months, he returned to Ra- venna and re-enlisted, for 100 days, in the One Hundred and Seventy-first Ohio national guard, and was sent again to Kentucky. At Cythiana the regiment was captured by the rebel raider, John Morgan, the subject and two comrades only escaping by swimming the Lick- ng river. All of the captured, however, were
paroled with the exception of these three, who found their way to the Union lines. Subject was discharged at Johnson's island, Sandusky bay, at the expiration of the 100 days, and he then enlisted, at Alliance, in company D. Twenty-fifth Ohio volunteer infantry, October 3, 1864, and joined his regiment at Port Royal, S. C., where he was assigned to regular duty. then sent to Charleston, S. C., and then to the front. He was promoted to be corporal and company clerk. He took part in six regular engagements and numerous skirmishes during his service, acted as clerk of a military court at Columbia, S. C., under Gen. Ames, and was finally mustered out at Charleston, S. C., in November, 1865.
In May, 1867, in the Keystone state, Mr. Taylor was united in marriage with Miss Rosa- mond McKee, a native of New Castle, that state, and daughter of James and Amanda Mc- Kee, the former of whom is deceased and the latter now a resident of Salem, Ohio; there also reside William, the only brother of Mrs. Taylor, and a sister, Carrie; another sister. Mrs. Jackson Cotton, resides in Sabetha, Kans., where her husband is engaged in the banking business. To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have been born two children -- Effie B. and Percy M. Miss Effie B. has been for several years the leading lady clerk in the dry-goods establishment of D. M. Cle- well, of Ravenna, and Percy M., a cigarmaker, is employed in Kent.
After his return from the war, Mr. Taylor no longer felt an inclination for the study of the law, and so relinquished his legal studies. He has principally been engaged in the cloth- ing trade and has also been identified with the hotel husiness. He was at one time proprietor of the Poe (now Columbia) hotel, of Ravenna, having been trained to this line as clerk of the old Exchange hotel at Ravenna. In 1888-80 he conducted a winter resort in South Lake
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Weir, Fla., and was then a clerk in the Col- umbia (now Revere) hotel at Kent. He then established a hack line in Ravenna, over which he kept control for eight years-but in the in- terim traveled as salesman of gents' furnishing goods, two years as clothing salesman, and then for two years was a salesman in a clotli- ing store in Ravenna. He is now in the con- tract painting business. In politics Mr. Tay- lor is a stanch republican, is a member of the Garfield club of the Nineteenth district of Ohio, and of other republican clubs, and is a member of the National Union. He attends the Congregational church, and is never back- ward in his contributions to its support. Mrs. Taylor was a member of the Dorcas society, attached to this church, and also of the Ladies' Cemetery association, but was called from earth in June, 1897. a truly good woman and devout Christian.
e RASTUS R. TAYLOR, the promi- nent and very popular grocer of Ra- venna, was born in Randolph, Port- age county, Ohio, October 5, 1845. and is a son of Levi K. and Emily R. (Rossi- ter) Taylor, the former of whom was a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Massachu- setts. These parents had born to them four sons and three daughters, of which family all the sons and one daughter are still living, viz: Prentice A., William K., Louisa J. (wife of 1. S. France), Erastus R. and Joseph W.
Levi K. Taylor, the father of this family, was a farmer in his native state and early came to Ohio, settling in Randolph township, Portage county, where all his children were . born, and where he resided until 1881, when he removed to Marlboro, Stark county, Ohio, where his wife died in June, 1896, at the age of eighty-three years, a member of the Meth- odist church, of which church Mr. Taylor is
still a devoted member. The paternal grand- father of subject died in the east, at an ad- vanced age, the father of a large family, and the maternal grandfather, Erastus Rossiter, who was a farmer and an early settler of Ran- dolph township, Portage county, Ohio, also reached a good old age and there reared his family and there passed the major part of his useful life.
Erastus R. Taylor was reared a fariner on the home place in Randolph township, and there received his education in the district schools. Remaining at home until he reached full age, he became a clerk in a general store in Rootstown, and while thus employed, at the end of seven months enlisted in company H, One Hundred and Eighty-fourth Ohio volun- teer infantry, receiving an honorable discharge at the close of the war. After his return from the army he passed two years on the home farm, and then for a year was re-employed as a clerk in Rootstown.
June 18, 1866, Mr. Taylor was united in marriage to Miss Rosella Stanford, daughter of Chauncey and Katurah (Redfield) Stanford, to which union was born one daughter, Ina, who was married to C. F. Slaughter, a lithog- rapher of Chicago, Ill., and now the mother of one daughter, Nina. Mrs. Rosella Taylor died in November, 1868, and in 1870 Mr. Tay- lor came to Ravenna and for three years was employed as a clerk by Nelson Converse, and then by Smith Brothers. While in this em- ploy he married, March 21, 1877, Mrs. Emma Kearney, a daughter of Albert and Rebecca (Chamberlain) Christy, to which marriage has been born one daughter. To her first hus- band, however, Mrs. Taylor had borne a daughter -- Cora Kearney -- who is married to Frederick L. Root, of Ravenna, but now d resident of New York city, in the employ of the American Cereal company.
After a faithful service of eleven years with
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Smith Brothers, during which time he ma- terially promoted their interests, Mr. Taylor bought a half interest in the grocery house of Orlando Risdon, with whom he was associated until the latter's death, twelve years later, when he bought the interest of the Risdon heirs and has since been in business on his sole account, and has been very successful.
Albert and Rebecca (Chamberlain) Christy, the parents of Mrs. Emma Taylor, were both natives of the Buckeye state and were the parents of five daughters, of whom two are still living -- Mrs. Taylor and Mrs. Jennie Davis, widow of A. R. Davis, of Cleveland. Albert Chamberlain was in early life a farmer, but later became connected with the coal- mining interests of Tennessee, in which state he died about the year 1869. a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which religi- ous body his widow, who is residing with her daughter in Cleveland, is still a faithful mem- ber. Capt. James Christy, the paternal grand- father of Mrs. Taylor, was a man of mark in his day, was a pioneer of Trumbull county, Ohio, was a farmer, and had a family of five sons and two daughters; he was also a justice of the peace, held several minor offices, and died an aged man, respected by all who knew him. Joseph Chamberlain, the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Taylor, was a native of Trumbull county, was also a farmer and a substantial citizen. Mrs. Taylor was reared to womanhood in Brookfield, in the same county, and was there first married. She was reared in the faith of the Methodist Epis- copal church, of which she is still a devout member, and in which she has always been an active worker. Mr. Taylor is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Royal Arcanum, and in politics is a re- publican, but has never been an office seeker. The business career of Mr. Taylor has been one of steady progress and withal remunera-
tive, and to-day he stands before his fellow- citizens with a name for rectitude that is en- viable in itself and which will be forever prized by his descendants.
EV. JOHN THEIN, pastor of St. Jo- seph's church, at Randolph, and of St. Peter's mission at. Rootstown, Port- age county, Ohio, was born in Lux- embourg, Germany, September 8, 1848, a son of Philip and Elizabeth (Lux) Thein.
Philip Thein, father of Rev. John Thein, was a gentleman of some importance in his native province, having been mayor of Lux- embourg for a number of years, as well as be- ing a farmer and an extensive dealer in lum- ber. To his marriage with Miss Lux were born eleven children, of whom three are still living, viz: John B., in Germany: Rev. John, our subject, and Margaret, wife of Michael Eilembecker, also residing in the old country. Six children were called away in infancy; Henry died in 1890, and Nicholas, who was in the furniture business in Oak Harbor, Ottawa county, Ohio, passed away in 1897. The father of the family died in 1873 at the age of sixty-four years, but the mother still survives, and, at the venerable age of eighty-two years, resides at the old home in Luxembourg.
Rev. John Thein was graduated from the college of Luxembourg, and on coming to America studied philology at Montreal, Can- ada, and in 1871 entered St. Mary's seminary. Cleveland, Ohio, and for three years was there a student of theology. He was ordained in holy orders July 4, 1875, and his first appoint- ment was to the church of the Immaculate Conception at Port Clinton, Ottawa county, Ohio, with St. Joseph's mission, at Marble- head, same county, attached to his charge; in ISSo he was transferred to Toledo, as pastor of St. Louis congregation, where he remained
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until 1887, when he was appointed to the pas- torate of St. Martin's, Liverpool, Medina county, Ohio. In February, 1892, he was placed in charge at Randolph. His congrega- tion numbers about 1,200 souls. Here, as elsewhere, he has done an immense amount of arduous work in elevating the spirituality of his people and in improving their temporal condition -- winning the affection and respect of his flock. Rev. Thein is a profound scholar, an eloquent orator, and a pious Catholic, ever alive to the good work set before him, and is, moreover, an author far above mediocrity, having published two works that have attracted much attention in church circles --- Christian Anthropology and Answers to Difficulties of the Bible.
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RS. VIRGIL M. THOMPSON is one of the lady pioneers of Sum- mit county, and is the widow of the gentleman whose name she bears- Virgil M. Thompson, who was born in Hud- son township, Summit county, Ohio, March 14, 1810, a son of Dr. Moses and Elizabeth (Mills) Thompson.
Dr. Moses Thompson was born in Goshen, Conn., and in that state married Elizabeth Mills. He practiced medicine in Goshen, Conn., until 1800, when he came to Hudson, Summit county, Ohio, and became a well- known physician among the pioneers. His children were Susan, Louvira, Ruth, Emily, Mary, Sarah A., Martha, Elizabeth, Mills, Sylvester, Virgil M. and Guy, the last named dying young. Dr. Thompson was one of the early Masons of Hudson and a prominent and respected man. He owned and lived on his farm two miles south of Hudson for many years. This land he bought in 1 800 and cleared it from the wilderness, mak- ing a good farm of 200 acres, and here resided
until his death, at the age of eighty years, in 1859. The farm is still owned by his heirs.
Virgil M. Thompson, deceased husband of our subject, received a good education, at- tending for a time the Western Reserve col- lege, and was reared a farmer. He married, the first time, May 11, 1836, in Hudson town- ship, Maria Smith, who was from Vermont. There were no children by this marriage. She died twenty-two months after marriage, and Mr. Thompson next married, in May, 1842, in Cuyahoga Falls, Marie Antoinette Turner, who was born May 2, 1821, in Trumbull county, Ohio, a daughter of William and Ro- sanna (Owen) Turner. William Turner was born in Orange county, N. Y., September 5. 1782. He came to Trumbull county, Ohio, in 1818, bringing his family and making the journey via Pennsylvania with wagons, and was six weeks on the way. He was a car- penter and followed that work in Cuyahoga Falls, where he settled in April, 1828. His children were Grant B., Edward B., Marie An- toinette, and Harriet O. Mr. Turner was in politics a whig and republican. He was an energetic, industrious and honorable citizen, acquired a comfortable property, and brought up an excellent family. He lived to be about sixty-five years of age and died at Sea Falls in the year 1847.
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