USA > Ohio > Erie County > A standard history of Erie County, Ohio: an authentic narrative of the past, with particular attention to the modern era in the commercial, industrial, civic, and social development. A chronicle of the people, with family lineage and memoirs > Part 19
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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY
years of age, somewhere in the vicinity of Northern Ohio not far from Cleveland. He was kept by the Indians for seven years, at the end of which time he escaped. One of his brothers was killed at the same time, and an aunt was taken prisoner with her baby, the latter being killed by the savages because of its persistent crying. Reuben Parker and wife after their marriage spent their last years south of Indian- apolis. After David Lesley and llannah Parker were married they located on a farm in Randolph County, Indiana, and there he passed away at the age of ninety years ten months, having been born in 1800, and his wife died in 1890, her birth having occurred in February, 1806. Mrs. Stahl has a brother, John Lesley, who was eighty-nine years of age in June, 1915, and is now living in the State of California. Her sister Susan, the widow of Henry Johnson, lives in Richmond, Indiana, and is seventy-five years old.
In the fall of 1861 following their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Stahl located on a farm in Berlin Township a half mile east of the Village of Berlin Ileights. Ile set industriously about the improvement of forty aeres, and for many years was successfully engaged in general farm- ing and fruit growing. Ile developed an orchard of five acres in apples. five acres in pears, two acres in peaches and four acres of grapes, erected excellent farm buildings, and also the comfortable ten-room house, with all the conveniences for modern living, which is now occupied by Mrs. Stahl. Mrs. Stahl has shown executive ability in managing this estate since the death of her husband. The late Mr. Stahl, while aequir- ing material prosperity did not withhold his active influence from all publie spirited movements in the community, and not only lived up- rightly himself but influenced others in the same straight and narrow way. Politically he was an independent republiean.
While Mrs. Stahl is a woman of independent mind and character, she finds great comfort in her children, of whom she has four. The oklest was Dorothy, who was liberally educated and is a graduate of Oberlin College. She married Rey. Gordon Birlew, who was a well known missionary among the Mexican people under the auspices of the Congregational Church, and died while in the prime of his activity. Since his death Mrs. Birlew has taken up the study of osteopathy, and now enjoys a large practice in that profession at Pasadena, California, where she lives with her son Paul, who recently graduated from the high school at Pasadena. Lesley D., the second child of Mr. and Mrs. Stahl, was born in 1864 and died in 1884 when a student at Oberlin College. Spencer N., born June 25, 1867, was also educated at Oberlin, and died at his home in Berlin Township at the age of twenty-seven. leaving a wife, whose maiden name was Allie Kilburn, and a daughter Mabel, both of whom are now deceased. Daisy, the youngest child, was born July 14, 1869, was liberally educated, and is the wife of Moses Jenkins, a plumber at Berlin Ileights. They have two children : Lesley S., now twenty-three years of age, a graduate in chemistry and science from the University of Ohio at Columbus, and now connected with an aluminum manufacturing plant at St. Louis; and Clyde Jenkins, who was born February 20. 1897. and in 1915 graduated from the Berlin Heights High School.
ROBERT J. HUMM. A thrifty representative farmer in the fine agri- cultural community surrounding Berlin Heights, Robert J. Humm owns several of the most notable farms in that community. One is the place of his own residence, and the other is the old homestead where he was born and where his father lived for many years. They are not far apart, and his father's farm comprises ninety-one and a half aeres in
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its original form, in addition to seventy-six acres know as the Woods Place, and 100 acres known as the Pearl Farm. Mr. Ilumm's farm where he himself lives comprises eighty acres. All these farms have improvement, and equipment of the most modern type, the soil is well drained and well cultivated, and on each place is an individual group of farm buildings, and also a large amount of fruit. Altogether Mr. Humm has about ten acres of grapes, 2,300 peach trees and 600 pear trees, and fruit growing is an important source of his total revenues. He keeps good grades of live stock, and for a number of years has been one of the wool growers of Berlin Township. It was on his father's old homestead above mentioned that Robert J. Humm was born JJune 8, 1874. and grew up in this community, attended the public schools at Berlin lleights and Florence, and as a result of early training entered manhood as a practical farmer and has never departed from the ways and train- ing of his youth.
llis parents were Robert and Martha (Reer) Humm. His father was born in Canton Aargau, Switzerland, in 1845, and his mother in Germany in 1849. They were brought by their respective parents to the United States and each was at that time nine years of age. Robert Ilumin was a son of Jacob and Elizabeth ( Worley) Humm, and his mother died in Switzerland. Jacob married a second wife before setting out with his family for America in 1834. They arrived in New York City after a voyage by sailing vessel of more than six weeks, went on to Cleveland and later into Erie County, and for some years lived in Milan Township. Subsequently they went to Florence Township in Erie County and bought another farm. There JJacob and his second wife spent their deelining years, and he was nearly fourscore when his death ocenrred, which had been hastened as a result of being kicked by a horse, his leg being broken in two places. They were members of the German Reformed Church. Robert Humm grew up in Northern Ohio, and in Erie County married Martha Reer. She was born in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, and came to the United States and to Erie County with her parents, Emanuel and Elizabeth Reer, both of whom were natives of Germany. Her parents lived on a farm in Berlin Township until they died, when about fifty-nine years of age. After the marriage of Robert Humm they began their careers as people in humble circum- stances but by the hardest kind of work and many sacrifices for the sake of the future they finally laid the foundation for a prosperity that placed them among the most substantial citizens of Berlin Township. It is a fact deserving of special note that Robert Humm actually saved $1,000 by employment as a farm hand at monthly wages. For five years he was in the employ of Richard Jarrett, one of the prominent citizens of Erie County. With these accumulations he bought ninety-one and a half acres in Berlin Heights, the piace already mentioned as owned by his son. He paid $1,000 down, and assmned obligations of $6,000 which by close management and by co-operation between himself and wife was liquidated within ten years. After the farm was all paid for he erected a large barn 35x90 feet and put up a substantial dwell- ing house, of ten rooms. Thus surrounded with the comforts and im- provements which represented their own labor they spent their last years in peace, and died on the old farm. The mother passed away March 20, 1897, and the father on March 29, 1908. In all that part of Erie County they were esteemed for their honest and sterling worth. and it is the memory of such people that should last longest in the recollections of descendants and friends.
The only son of these industrious and hard working parents, Robert J. Ilumm has not only profited from prosperity which they accumulated.
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but has shown much enterprise and ability in extending and increas- ing the talents inherited. On January 26, 1899, Mr. Humm was mar- ried in Cleveland to Miss Anna C. Keller, who was born in that city July 9, 1874, and received her education in the city schools. Her par- ents were Jacob and Barbara (Karcher) Keller, both natives of Ger- many. Iler father was born in Rhinepfaltz in 1846 and died in Cleveland, Ohio, February 6, 1906. The mother was born January 13, 1848. They were married in Germany in 1867 and while living there their son IIenry G. was born April 3, 1869. In August following his birth the family emigrated to New York, went on to Cleveland, and in that city Jaeoh Keller followed his trade of cabinet maker and joiner until his death. He was a skilled workman. His widow is still living in Cleveland. She is a member of the Evangelical Church and her husband was a republican.
To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Humm were born three children : Karl F., on April 25, 1903, and now a student in the public schools; Dorothea M., on August 20, 1904, and now in grade sehools : and Martha Barbara, on April 22. 1912.
JOHN H. POYER. Some of the lines of relationship of the late John H. Power were established in this part of Northern Ohio almost a cen- tury ago. John H. Poyer himself was a splendid type of the substantial farmer citizen, was a man of intrinsic patriotism and held a commission in the Union army during the Civil war, and it is only a proper tribute to his memory that the following sketch should be introduced into this history of Erie County.
The l'oyer home comprises 100 acres on the state road in Berlin Township, where Mrs. Poyer is still living. It was there that John 1I. Poyer passed away January 16, 1905. He was born in Vermillion Town- ship of Erie County, March 2, 1837, a son of Tilly and Mary (Curtis) Poyer. His father was born in Ontario County, New York, and came to Erie County with his parents. The mother was born in the State of New Jersey and also came to Ohio with her parents, the Curtises having set- tled in Vermilion Township as early as 1816. Tilly Poyer married for his first wife Mary Ilonek, who died in the prime of life, leaving two daughters, both of whom married and are now deceased. The story of early pioneer life applies to the families of Poyer, Van Houghton, Hlouck and Curtis, representatives of all of whom came here when there were few clearings in the wilderness, and their early labors have helped to bring about the conditions their descendants enjoy. After Tilly Poyer was married he became a farmer on the large estate, and his wife, Mary Curtis Poyer, died there about middle age, leaving five children. After her death he married Margaret Van Houghton of Vermillion Township. She became the mother of twins, who died as infants, and a son that married and died about four years ago. This third wife survived Tilly Poyer, who passed away at the age of forty-three. The family were all members of the Florence Congregational Church. The late John H. Poyer was the second in a family of five children, the others being : Dwight, who died at the age of twenty-one; Julia, who married Alfred Smith of Vermilion, a farmer, and died leaving three children : Carrie, who died unmarried at the age of fifty ; and Cordelia, who died as the wife of William Greenough, leaving three children.
In the country district of Vermilion Township John II. Poyer grew to manhood and acquired his education partly in the district schools and also graduated from the Norwalk High School. For five years he was clerk in a store at Jonesville, Michigan, for Bennett Tueker, but from there returned to Erie County and at Florence established a general store. ITis business as a merchant at Florence was continued with increas-
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ing prosperity until 1883. At that date he sold his store, and moved to Berlin Township, where he acquired 100 acres of land on the state road, about midway between Berlin Heights and Florence on which his years were passed in quiet industry and comfortable circumstances until his death more than thirty years later.
In 1862, while a merchant at Florence, John Poyer raised Company G for the Seventy-second Regiment of Ohio Infantry and became its lieutenant under Captain Fernald and Colonel Buckland. His active service covers eleven months, at the end of which time he resigned. He was engaged in the great battle of Pittsburg Landing, where his com- pany suffered severe losses, though he himself escaped injury. He was honorably discharged and given a recommendation as a brave and faith- ful soldier and officer. For many years Mr. Poyer gave his stanch sup- port to the republican party, but when Mr. Bryan became a candidate he accepted his leadership and remained a democrat until his death. For two terms he served as assessor and for two terms as treasurer of Berlin Township, and for many years performed the duties of justice of the peace.
In Florence Township on October 12, 1857. John II. Poyer married Miss Lodema Mason. She was born in Florence Township, April 7, 1840, and was reared and edueated there and at Milan and Elyria, and from the age of sixteen was a teacher until her marriage. Mrs. Poyer has always been known as a woman of many capabilities, a devoted wife and kind mother, and has successfully managed the estate and farm left her by her husband. She likewise represents a family that has had fully a century's residence in this part of Ohio. Her parents were Harley and Susie (Cahoon) Mason. Her father was born at Castleton, Massachu- setts, in 1796, and her mother in Sheffield, Massachusetts, in 1797. They came to Avon in Lorain County, Ohio, along with the first group of set- tlers, and were married in that township, but spent many years of their lives in Florence Township of Erie County, where they died on their farm. Harley Mason was a millwright and constructed many mills in this seetion of Ohio. He died in 1850 at the age of fifty-five, and his wife passed away in 1880 in her eighty-fourth year. They were active workers in the Baptist Church and he was a democrat. Harley Mason was a son of Thadius Mason and Anna (Warren) Mason, both of Massa- chusetts. Harley Mason came to Erie County in 1816 and his parents followed him about two years later to Florence Township. In coming west, the Mason family traveled overland as far as Albany, New York, made a large part of the journey from there to Buffalo by water, and embarked on the lake boat Walk-in-the-Water for Sandusky. The Masons established their home on forty acres which Harley Mason had located in the wilderness of Florence Township, and before his death Harley Mason acquired 600 acres of land in the same township. Mrs. Poyer has a sister, IInldah Marsh, wife of John Marsh, both now living at Fort Dodge, Iowa, Mr. Marsh at the age of ninety or more and she past eighty-six.
To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Pover only one child survives, Wil- ber J., who was born in Florence Township, March 25, 1860, was educated in Oberlin College and for several years was a teacher, but has been chiefly successful as a farmer and is now manager of his mother's estate. He has also been a factor in local affairs, and is chairman of the school board. Ile was married in Vermilion Township. April 4, 1881, to Miss Cora Ball, who was born there October 24, 1860, a daughter of Jesse and Mary A. ( Hubble) Ball. Both her parents were natives of New York State, and were brought as children in their respective families to Erie County. Both the Balls and the Hubbles originally lived in Connectient, and spent many years in Erie County. It was characteristic of them that
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nearly all members attained advanced years, and Jesse Ball and wife were about eighty years old when they died. They were active members of the Methodist Church. Mrs. Wilber Poyer was one of six children, three sons and three daughters, all of whom are married and still living Wilber Poyer and wife have two children. Jesse J., born February 26, 1882. was educated in the public schools, assists his father in managing the farm, and in JJanuary, 1905, married Eunice Witter of Berlin Town- ship, and they have one son, Douglas E., now one year of age. John W .. the second son, was born in 1883, and married Faye Durling of Birming- ham, Ohio. They live at Oberlin. Mrs. Poyer is a member of the Chris- tian Science faith.
MATHEW B. CARROLL. To have passed a hundred milestones on life's journey is itself an unusual distinction and one that would justify a special tribute to Mathew B. Carroll, who at the time of the writing of this history of Erie County is in his one hundred and first year. Mr. Carroll has spent the greater part of his life in Erie County and is still active in mind and body, and has his home in the environment of com- forts which the labors of his early years secured on a farm of 161 acres in Berlin Township on the state road between Berlin Heights and Flor- ence villages. Mr. Carroll came to Erie County many years ago, without money and without friends, showed himself industrious and trustworthy. acquired the confidence of the community, and many years ago was able to retire from the heavier responsibilities of farming, and with ample material means has since enjoyed the devotion and affection of his chil- dren and the esteem of his hundreds of friends.
Ile has lived at his present location since July, 1870. A year prior to that his home was in Oxford Township, but with that exception he has lived in Berlin Township ever sinee coming to Erie County in 1849. It was as a farm laborer that he was first introduced to the citizenship of Erie County and by hard work and economy he bought twenty-six acres of the old Norman Walker Estate, and that was the nucleus of his accumulations. Subsequently he bought sixty-four aeres from the David Walker property, and in 1873 secured the remainder of the land now included in the Walker Estate from the widow of David Walker. He occupies one of the interesting old homes of Berlin Township formerly owned by the Walker family, who came from Connectieut and acquired 140 acres of the land almost directly from the Government, it having been deeded by the Government to Squire Barnes. A substantial house was built by the Walkers, comprising eleven rooms, and is one of the most interesting of the older homes of the township and still in good repair. After Mr. Carroll secured this farm he set out an orchard of three acres of apples and also a large number of peach trees, but these have since been removed. As a farmer Mr. Carroll was successful as a general crop and fruit grower, and also gave much attention to horses and eattle and sheep.
On March 8, 1815, about the close of the second war with Great Britain, Mathew B. Carroll was born at Oldeastle, in County Meath. Ireland. Thus his lifetime covers practically the entire period since the United States as a result of the second war with the mother country became firmly established in its nationality. When Mr. Carroll came to his hundredth anniversary in the spring of 1915 he was greeted by a shower of posteard remembrances and good wishes from his friends and neighbors, and more than 150 such cards came to his home on that day.
His parents were Byron and Jane (Garry) Carroll, who spent all their lives in Ireland, where his father died at the age of seventy-seven and his mother at seventy-four. The family were all members of the Catholic Church, and farmers by occupation. The grandparents were
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Mathew and Bridget ( Chadden) Carroll, who also lived as Irish farmers, and the former died at forty-four and the latter at eighty-eight. Mathew Carroll was the second in a family of nine children. ITis older brother John came during young manhood to America, but was lost sight of and his history no longer known.
Mr. Carroll grew up in Ireland, and received his education under many trying circumstances. The people in his neighborhood hired for school purposes an old vacant house which had not a stick of furniture, and the only means of heating was a big fireplace. Rough seats were improvised by bringing stones into the house, covering them with straw mats. The fire was kept burning in the chimney with peat which was carried to the schoolhouse by the pupils. The teacher himself, James Mulvaney by name, had a very meager equipment, and received equally meager wages from the patrons of the school. Mr. Carroll learned rap- idly from his primer and "Reading Made Easy" and the I'niversal Speller, and soon knew as much or more than the teacher. Studions by nature, Mr. Carroll has always been a great reader and has been dis- tinguished for his sound scholarship. It is also an evidence of his physical vigor that he has never used eye-glasses and was able to read without their aid until ninety-seven years of age, at which time he had to give up the personal perusal of papers and books. He was also strong in mathematical studies.
In 1849 on the Queen of the West Mr. Carroll left Liverpool for America, and landed at New York City on the 15th of April in the same year, making a very quick passage for the days of sailing boats. He was at that time unmarried, came on west as far as Buffalo, New York, by railroad, and up the lake on a steamer to Huron, Ohio. In the same year he arrived in Berlin Township, and soon found employment with Ilenry Walker, and later with his father, David Walker, who was the owner of the farm that Mr. Carroll has since acquired as a result of his own work and economy. In Berlin Township Mr. Carroll met and in 1858 married Miss Bridget Grimes, who was born in Ireland in 1834, and died at their comfortable home in Berlin Township, March 10, 1912. They had lived together, and helped each other to prosper and had reared their family, and their associations were unbroken until four years beyond the celebration of their fiftieth or golden wedding anniversary. Mrs. Carroll's parents both died in Ireland. Iler brothers and sisters were Thomas, John and Frank and Ellen and Margaret, and of these Ellen, Thomas and Frank are still living. Mrs. Carroll came to America when nineteen years of age, spent several weeks on the ocean voyage from Liverpool to New York, and for four years was employed on Long Island. She then came to Erie County, and was living with the family of Mr. Ruggles when she married Mr. ('arroll. Both she and her husband were members and devoted attendants of the Catholic Church.
Their marriage was blessed with a large family of children. Thomas. the oldest, died unmarried. Mary lives at home with her father and with her sister has proved a devoted companion to his declining years. Sarah was well educated in the public schools, was a teacher in the township and county for nine years, and is now living with her sister Mary and caring for their father. Ella is the wife of Lewis Nolan and they live on a small farm near the Carroll homestead, and their children are C'ar- roll, Bernadette, Angela and Vincent. all at home. Margaret is living in Berlin Heights and is a seamstress. Mathew, Ir .. lives on a farm in Berlin Township, and by his marriage to Della C'only has the following children, Ethel, Loretta, Thomas, Margaret, Joseph and Mathew. Cath erine is the wife of Henry Andress, living on a farm in Vermilion Town- ship, and they have a son, Carroll HJ. All the children were confirmed in the Catholic Church. While Mr. Carroll and his sons are independent
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democrats in politics, the father has long been an admirer of the prin- ciples of democraey as expounded by the great Andrew Jackson. Ile formerly served as a member of the local board and his career has been as useful as it has been long.
ELMER COOK. The Cook family has many interesting associations with Erie County and this part of Northern Ohio. In the main they have been substantial farming people, but the relationship also includes ministers of the gospel, merchants, and several who have at different times identified themselves with other lines of business and the pro- fessions. Mr. Cook owns one of the well-kept and managed farms of Berlin Township, his home being on Rural Route No. 4 out of Norwalk.
His grandfather, Aaron Cook, was a native of New York State and after his first marriage came to IIuron County about 1840. His first wife died there, and he married for his second wife Rachel Barney. Some years later they moved to Michigan and improved a farm west of Kalamazoo, where they died when full of years. They were good Chris- tian people and in politics he was a republican. The children of the second marriage were Harrison, Henry and Emily, all of whom were married and lived in the western states. By the first marriage the ehil- dren were Hiram, Lorin, Milo and Allen. These became farmers, and Hiram died in Montana, while Lorin and Allen passed away in Michigan. They were all natives of Cattaraugus County, New York.
Milo Cook, father of Elmer, was born in 1818, and was a young man when his parents came to Huron County. He married Adelia Vining, also a native of Cattaraugus County, where she was born about 1820. She came out to Huron County with her parents, where they died, and after her marriage in 1851 Milo and wife located at Townsend Station, now Collins, and built a hotel, which they eondneted until 1854. This hotel they traded for a large farm in Jasper County, Indiana, moved to that locality, and Milo died there in 1858, when in the prime of life. His widow subsequently lived with her daughter lola, now the wife of Rich- ard Cook, an Englishman. Richard Cook is a fruit and vegetable gar- dener, near Norwalk, and his children are Ehner, Willis and Gertrude. Mrs. Milo Cook subsequently moved to Michigan, lived on a small farm there, and in the spring of 1864 took her two children to Missouri, but in the fall of the same year returned to Ohio and located in Berlin Township of Erie County. She died a few years later when abont forty-three years of age. She was a member of the Baptist Church. Her father was Rev. Record Vining, a pioneer Baptist minister throughout both Erie and Huron counties, having come here from New York State. He died in Jasper County, Indiana, when eighty years of age. Though devoted to the cause of the church which he served so faithfully, he preached with- out remuneration, and supported himself and family largely through his farming enterprise. His widow, whose maiden name was Lydia Wil- liams, subsequently returned to Ohio and died in Berlin when past eighty years. Record Vining was one of the best known men in East Townsend and, as before stated, was a preacher of the gospel withont remuneration. He reared a family of seven children, two sons and five daughters: Ebenezer, of Ohio, was a farmer ; Jared died in Michigan ; Mary married IIiram Cook and lived and died in Montana : Lydia, who married Ansil Bryant, lived in Ohio, later lived in Michigan for several years. and then returned to Ohio, where both died; Abigail married Edmund Waldron and lived and died in Ohio; Sarah married Chester Jackson and lived and died in Ohio; Adela became the mother of the subject of this review.
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