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 46
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business as a contractor and builder, the memorable scourge of cholera having visited Ohio and caused severe ravages in Toledo while he was a resident of that eity, but his having been the good fortune to escape unscathed. In the meanwhile he had married. in Erie County, Miss Isabel Douglass, who was born at Lancaster, Province of Ontario, Canada, and who was young at the time when she came to Erie County, further record concerning the family being given on other pages of this publication, in the sketch of the career of her brother, James Douglass. After his mar- riage Mr. Sage continued his business operation at Toledo for some time and later he became associated with the brothers of his wife in the fishing industry on Lake Michigan, their headquarters having been maintained at Manitowoc and Two Rivers, Wisconsin, for some time, and their oper- ations having also been carried on at Whitefish Point and other lake ports of that state. After a few years of identification with this line of enter- prise Mr. Sage returned to Ohio, where he became associated with Cyrus N. Davis in the same line of business from Lake Erie ports. Success here attended his undertakings and he continued his alliance with the fishing industry several years, the while the family home was maintained in the Village of Huron, where he long continued to reside, though the last few years of his long and useful life were passed in well earned retirement and in the home of his son, George J .. of this review, one and one-half miles from the village mentioned. This homestead, where he died on the 20th of January, 1898. at the age of about seventy-five years, is the present home of his son, George J., the property having been purchased by himself on the 4th of March, 1860. Here his loved wife likewise passed the gracious evening of her life, and she was summoned to eternal rest on the 13th of June, 1912, at a venerable age. Both were well and favorably known throughout this part of Ohio and their names merit enduring place on the roll of the sterling and honored pioneers of Erie County.
The present homestead farm of George J. Sage comprises seventy-five acres of most fertile and arable land and the same includes nearly all of the original tract purchased by his father in 1860. The fine place is attractively situated between the Berlin and Lake highways, with front- age on each of these roads, and the residence, an attractive house of seven rooms is in proximity to the Berlin Road, with a commanding view of the lake and harbor. Mr. Sage has made excellent improvements on his land and has proved himself one of the thrifty, progressive and sucress ful farmers and stock-raisers of his native township, where he manifests deep interest in all that touches the communal welfare, though never a seeker of office, insistent partisanship being not observed by him in poli ties, as he prefers to give his support to men and measures meeting the approval of his judgment. He and his wife are communicants of Christ Church, Protestant Episcopal, in the Village of Huron, and there also he is affiliated with Marks Lodge, No. 359, Free and Accepted Masons.
In 1883, in Milan Township, this county, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Sage to Miss Clara A. Cummings, who was born in the City of Toledo, on the 4th of August, 1861, and whose parents passed the closing years of their lives in Milan Township, where they established their resi dence in the spring of 1883. Mrs. Sage was afforded the advantages of the public schools, and was a student in the Huron High School while residing in this village in the home of her aunt. She is a daughter of James and Charlotte E. (Stephens ) Cummings. the former of whom was born at Sullivan, Ashland County, this state, on the 5th of October, 1830, and the latter of whom was born at Bellevue, Inron County, on the 17th of February of the same year. Mrs. Cummings was called to the life eter nal on the 5th of December, 1906, and her husband did not long survive
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her, as he passed away on the 18th of June, 1909. Mr. Cummings devoted the major part of his active life to agricultural pursuits in connection with which he attained to definite success. He was one of the argonauts who made their way to the newly discovered gold fields of California, in 1849, and was a youth when he thus endured the hardships and perils incidental to the long and weary journey across the plains to the New Eldorado. He was identified with mining in California and Nevada, and after returning to the East he finally went again to the Pacific Coast, making the trip by way of the Isthmus of Panama and remaining a few years, this second venture into the distant and isolated State of California having been made principally for the benefit of his health and his second return trip to the East having been made after the completion and by the medium of the Southern Pacific Railroad. On his first trip to California he had driven a number of eattle across the plains and upon his arrival at his destination he was enabled to dispose of this stock at very high priees. Mrs. Cummings was a daughter of Jacob and Mary (Merry) Stephens and she was a young woman at the time when her parents estab- lished their home in Milan Township, Erie County, upon their removal from Huron County, her mother having been a daughter of Ebenezer Merry, who was one of the honored and influential pioneers of Erie County and one of the founders of the village of Milan. Ebenezer Merry made the trip from Mentor, Lake County, to what is now Erie County by means of ox teams, with which he traversed swamps and densely tin- bered districts and became one of the very early settlers in Milan Town- ship, where he laid out the Village of Milan at a time when the Indians were much in evidence in this part of the historic old Western Reserve. At Milan he built and placed in operations one of the first grist mills in Erie County, and his versatility of talent made him specially influential and valued in the pioneer community. His hospitable home was the local inn for the stranger and wayfarer, and in the same he kept his cobbler's bench and appurtenances, for the purpose of providing a means of mend- ing the footwear of his neighbors, besides which he showed his skill to a higher degree by frequently manufacturing boots and shoes by the old- time fashion of hand work. His little log house was the first in the locality to be equipped with glass windows and he otherwise stood remarkable for his progressiveness under the conditions that then obtained.
Jacob Stephens was born November 1, 1799, presumably in the State of Connecticut, and his death occurred January 19, 1841. His wife was born November 14, 1803, and was of venerable age at the time of her death. Jacob Stephens was a son of Samuel Stephens, who was born in Connecticut, in 1756, and who was a pioneer citizen of Ohio at the time of his death, his wife, whose maiden name was Anna Brooks, having been a native of Boston and a member of a family which had prominent repre- sentatives in the historic "Boston Tea Party." She was born April 4, 1757, and died June 30, 1842.
Mr. and Mrs. Sage have but one child, William C., who was born January 28, 1888, and who was afforded the advantages of Oberlin Col- lege and also of Purdue University, at Lafayette, Indiana, in which latter institution he completed a thorough eonrse in electrical engineering and was graduated as a member of the class of 1910. Thereafter he was for two years in the employ of the General Electric Company, at Schenectady, New York, and this great corporation then sent him to the city of San Francisco, where he now has charge of the Motor Control out of that branch office. At Vermilion, South Dakota, was solemnized his marriage to Miss Edna I. Cromer, a daughter of Rev. Jeremiah Cromer, a clergy- man of the Congregational Church. The one child of this marriage is Ellen C., who was born January 3, 1913.
Henry Shirley
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HENRY SHIRLEY. Of all the Great Lakes, Erie is foremost in the pro- duction of fish on a commercial scale. Many firms have been engaged in this industry and around the lake shore can be found hundreds of the well known and substantial families whose activities have been mainly directed to this branch of business. Of the many men and families whose activities connect them socially with Lake Erie and its primary industry at Huron, none are perhaps better known or more prominent than the Shirleys. Shirley is a name that goes baek into the earliest history of this section of Erie County and the firm of Shirley Brothers have some special distinctions as fishermen and they and their family deserve special mention in the pages of this publieation. The firm comprises Henry Shirley and his brother, Orley W., both tried and experienced veterans of the fishing industry. Both have been identified with the pursuit more or less actively since they were fourteen years of age. For the past ten years they have been independently operating and have at ITuron well- equipped quarters, formerly the twine and fish house of the Kishman Company. Both men are masters of their trade, and are skilled not only in the practical business of fishing in the deep waters of Lake Erie but also in the details of their industry as net makers, and like many other fishermen around the lake, they manufacture all their own equipment. They own and operate a fine fishing boat and deserve much commenda- tion for their success.
Only a few people understand the general methods of the commercial fisherman in Lake Erie, and as a result of this laek of knowledge many misconceptions have arisen and in some cases have resulted in an unwise interference with the substantial business of those who pursue this work as a means of livelihood. The Shirley Brothers operate eighteen double- tunnel trap nets of the Earl pattern, better known among fishermen as the hell-devil trap net. The word "trap" as applied to this net has proved unfortunate, since it has been the cause of institution of a number of measures in the Legislature to prevent fishing by any means employ- ing devices that could in any way be called traps. As a matter of faet this type of net is in practical use the most humane method of taking fish. The entrance of the net is in heart shape, from which the fish enter the long leads extending from twenty-two to twenty-four rods in length, and thence pass through tunnels into a "erib" about twelve feet long by seven or nine feet wide, and then by other tunnels continue on into another «rib, where unable to proceed further, they must remain captive until the net and its contents are raised to the boats. In passing into these «ribs the fish go through tunnels which extend about two-thirds of the length of the eribs, and while entranee is easy, the fish never find exit through the noses of these tunnels, and as it is the nature of fish to seek the deepest water, they immediately, after entering the nose toward the top of the crib, sink down to the bottom and remain there. Like all other firms engaged in fishing on extensive scale with nets, the Shirley Brothers pay a large annual revenue to the Government for the privilege. They keep their nets and boats in operation abont eight months of the year, beginning in March and continuing until late in the fall. They handle many tons of fish every year, and this product is distributed to the retail trade all over the country.
The Shirley Brothers were both born in the same house in the Village of Iluron. There were nine other brothers and one sister. These brothers now ocenpy one home on Center Street. Henry was born August 14. 1856, and his brother, Orley W., on Mareh 13. 1863. Both were reared and edneated in the village and have always lived in Huron. Since he was fourteen years old Henry Shirley has practically lived on and close to the edge of Lake Erie, the greatest body of fishing waters in the world. Orley likewise began when a boy as a fisherman, but subsequently spent Vol. TI- 20
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a part of each year from 1885 to 1910 as a sailor on the Great Lakes. Since 1910 he has been aetively identified with his brother in the above firm. Orley is unmarried, and makes his home with his brother Henry.
The early record of the Shirley family in Huron is of particular interest to any historical account. The grandfather, Abitha Shirley, was one of the first pioneers in Hnron, having located in this part of Northern Ohio in the early years of the last century. He did much to keep up the activities and to build up the early town, having conducted one of the first inns or hotels, and having secured a large tract of land, all now in the corporation limits, donated a block for town purposes, and on that site the present town hall stands. He was a man of prominence, and in his character and activities was a fine type of the early settler. His death occurred as a result of the plague of cholera in 1834. IIe was born in Massachusetts, possibly in the Village of Shirley, and was one of the New Englanders who came out to oceupy a portion of the "fire lands" in the Western Reserve not long after the War of 1812. One of his dangh- ters, named Sarah, was born on the peninsula off the shore of Huron in Erie County as early as 1815. This daughter died after her marriage to Charles Atwater. Abitha Shirley had four sons and two daughters, all of whom are long since deceased.
Barton Shirley, one of the younger of the children, and the father of Shirley Brothers, was born in Huron, February 23, 1825. The date of his birth of itself indicates an extraordinarily early residence of the family in this community. The presence of Lake Erie early attracted his energies, and he spent practically all his active life as a fisherman. His death oeenrred on New Year's Eve in 1887. He was married in Erie County to Rhoda Martin, who was born near Montreal, Canada, and when a small girl was brought to Huron by her parents, Franeis and Angeline ( Lafayette) Martin. Her parents were of French parentage and both natives of Canada. Mr. and Mrs. Martin spent the rest of their lives in Erie County and died when quite old. Frank Martin, a brother of Mr. Shirley's mother, lives in Cleveland, Ohio, and is now ninety years old. the last of that old pioneer family of Martins. He was born near Mont- real, Canada. Rhoda Shirley survived her husband and died in IFuron in 1908 at the age of eighty-one. She was an attendant of the Episcopal Church, and in politics both the Shirley and Martin families were early whigs and later republicans.
Mr. Henry Shirley was married in IIuron, Ohio, in 1888 to Miss Elizabeth (. Kritzer. She was born in Erie County, July 8, 1868, and was educated in the locality of her birth. Mr. and Mrs. Shirley have six children : Milton J., now twenty-six years of age, is a fisherman ; Munson G., aged twenty-four, is a cement worker, and still unmarried : Manola is the wife of Basil Doane, of Detroit, Michigan; Gladys, who like the other daughters. has been liberally edueated. is a member of the high school class of 1915; Abbie is now in the first grade of the high school : and Elnora, the youngest, is also in school.
FRED H. WASHBURN. The value of a useful occupation, of making one's energy eount toward one thing, of forging steadily and energetically ahead regardless of obstacles and discouragements, found expression in the life of the late Fred H. Washburn, who for a number of years was engaged in agricultural pursuits in Huron Township. Mr. Washburn squared his aceount with the world in a manly and honest way, and when he died. July 10. 1908, it was felt that the community owed him much for the lesson in faithfulness and thoroughness taught by his success.
Fred II. Washburn was born near Milan, Erie County, Ohio, on the old Washburn homestead, January 28, 1866, the third ehild of his par- ents. the other two children being Theodore R., who still resides at Milan,
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is married and has two sons: and Mrs. Joseph Cutler, living on the old homestead, who has no children. Mr. Washburn was given good educa- tional advantages in his youth, attending the public schools of Milan and the Milan Normal School, and was brought up to agricultural pursuits. in which he was engaged throughout his life. After his marriage he lo- cated on a farm in Milan Township, where he resided for ten years, there making some general improvements, including the erection of a home, which was destroyed by fire and which he subsequently replaced. In 1905 Mr. Washburn disposed of his interests in Milan Township and came to lInron Township, where he purchased a tract of 224 aeres of fine land, located on South Main Street, two miles south of the Village of Huron. This continued to be his home during the remaining years of his life, and although he died when only forty-two years of age, he had already at- tained what it takes many men a lifetime to accomplish. Twin Poplars Farm, named for the two magnificent poplar trees which stand in the front yard, is a valuable property, its soil being a loam with a sub-soil of clay, suitable for raising corn, wheat and oats, and frequently pro- ducing 3,000 bushels of each. While the majority of the property was put under cultivation by Mr. Washburn there is still a good growth of timber, some sixty acres. The house, a large commodious residence painted white, contains twelve rooms, fitted with every comfort and eon- venience, while the other buildings include a large bank barn, 40x60 feet, for stock and grain, a modern buggy, automobile and tool shed, a corn erib accommodating 2,500 bushels of eorn, and a roomy chicken house and other buildings. Mr. Washburn made somewhat of a specialty of chickens and other poultry and always kept the best breed. He was known as one of the most practical, progressive and intelligent agriculturists of his Joeality and was a firm believer in modern methods and improved machin- ery, and in his death Erie County lost one of its firmest supporters of the elevation of agricultural standards. As a citizen he took a leading part in movements promising the betterment of his community. and among his acquaintances and business associates he was known as a man of the highest integrity, whose transactions were always carried on in an honorable and straightforward manner. In polities he was a republican, and his religions connection was with the Presbyterian Church, while fraternally he affiliated with Erie Lodge No. 239, F. & AA. M., and the P. of II.
On December 24, 1890, Mr. Washburn was united in marriage with Miss Emma Heimburger, at the bride's home in Huron Township, where she was born February 4, 1868, a daughter of William Heimburger, a well known agriculturist of Hnron Township, where he still resides. The eldest of her parents' children, she was educated in the schools of this township and grew up and was married here, and sinee her husband's death has been conducting the farm in a manner that shows she is pos- sessed of much business ability. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Washburn: Walter II., born in 1892. educated in the graded and high schools and a business college, and now residing at home with his mother. still single and a member of Marks Lodge No. 639. F. & A. M .: George T., born January 14, 1896, who graduated from the Huron High School in 1914: Edith Marion, born April 15, 1897. and now a junior at the Huron High School; and Dorothy Lena, born February 13, 1905. who is in the fifth grade at the Huron public school. Mrs. Washburn and her children are members of the Presbyterian Church.
JOY DIGGINS. Although the labors of Joy Diggins belong to the past rather than to the present of Erie County, he having died November 19. 1898, he is still remembered among the people of Huron Township as an industrious agriculturist and as a citizen whose upright and honest life
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won him the esteem and regard of the members of his community. He was born on the West Huron road, in Huron Township, Erie County, Ohio, March 27, 1857, a son of Richard and Ann (Large) Diggins.
The parents of Mr. Diggins were born in Cambridge, England, and belonged to an old and honored family of that place, where the name has been well known for generations. After their marriage, and the birth of one daughter, now Mrs. Mary Purcell, of Perkins Township, they emi- grated to the United States and either in the late '40s or early '50s came from New York to Erie County, Ohio. Here they passed the remaining years of their lives in agricultural pursuits in Perkins and Iluron townships, the mother dying at the age of fifty-seven years and the father when he was sixty. They were highly esteemed people and faithful members of the Methodist Church, and reared their children to lives of honesty and industry. Of their children, two still survive: Mrs. Mary Pureell and Clark Diggins, both residents of Perkins Township.
Joy Diggins was reared on a farm in Huron Township, and passed his early days in much the same manner as other Ohio farmers' sons of that day, dividing his time between working on the home farm in the summer months and attending the district schools during the winter terms. Ile was married in 1883 to Miss Mary M. Harris, and at that time they went to live on Mrs. Diggins' farm in Huron Township, where he continued to follow the pursuits of the soil up to the time of his death. IIe was a good and skilled farmer, raising large crops and employing the latest methods in his work, and had he lived would doubtless have become one of his locality's successful men. In polities he was a staunch repub- lican, but found no time to engage in public affairs save to cast his vote and support good men and beneficial movements. While Mr. Diggins was a member of no church, the existence of God and the innate divinity of Christ were to him lasting verities. Practical morality was to him more than any theoretical religion, and it was this principle which he sought to bring into his daily life.
Mary M. Harris was born on the old Harris homestead, near the one where she now lives. in Huron Township, Erie County, Ohio, June 23, 1844; was here reared and educated, and has always lived in this com- munity. In 1883 she received her present farm, a tract of fifty-eight acres of good soil, well developed and having good improvements, includ- ing a large barn and a small but well constructed and comfortable resi- dence. She is a daughter of William and Rachel (Powell) (Bedford) HIarris, whose other children were George, William Thomas, Priscilla and Elizabeth Ann. All the children grew up, were married and had children, except Priscilla, who was married but died without issue. All are now deceased except Mrs. Diggins, and their children are to be found now in various parts of the United States.
William Harris was born in Herfordshire, near Kingston, England, January 25, 1807, and his wife on the same date in 1806, at Prestyger, Herfordshire. He was a son of Thomas Harris, who was born in 1777, and brought up to farming, and became the owner of a small farm called the Wold, where both he and his wife, who had been a Miss Farr, both passed their lives and died. A very well authenticated tradition of the family is that the older ancestors were related to Lord Stanton of Eng- land. William M. Harris was a young man when he came to the United States on a sailing vessel, and settled in Erie County, Ohio, in 1833. He met and married Mrs. Rachel Bedford, nee Powell, in Detroit, Michigan, in June, 1832. She had been married to William Bedford in England and with him had come to America, where he died. There were six chil- dren in her first family, but all were at that time deceased with the excep- tion of one, John Bedford, who later died at Jackson, Michigan, when past eighty years of age, twice married, but without children. After
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their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Harris settled in Erie County, Ohio, where they secured a small piece of land in the southwest part of Iluron Town- ship. Through industry, energy and good management they were able to add to this original tract from time to time until they became the owners of 343 acres of rich and valuable land, on which they made numerous improvements. They lived long, useful and active lives, the father passing away April 27, 1883, and the mother October 31, 1881. He attended the Free Will Baptist Church, in which Mrs. Harris had been baptized and was an active member, and in its work and movements in Erie County they took an active part, donating liberally of their means to its support. As honest, upright, God-fearing people, doing their duty according to the dictates of conscience, they were much esteemed in the commumty in which they lived and labored for so many years. Mr. Harris was a stanch republican in his political views, but did not seek personal preferment, being content to spend his life as a good agricul- turist and honest neighbor.
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