USA > Ohio > Trumbull County > A twentieth century history of Trumbull County, Ohio; a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 47
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
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
The first marriage in Kinsman was that of Robt. Henry and Betsy Tidd.
The first death that of John Tidd in 1804. His also was the first interment in the cemetery. The first girl to die was Sallie Kinsman, daughter of John and Rebecca.
The first two-story house was erected by Ebenezer Reed.
The first children born were twins, Sally and Phoebe Randall.
The first distillery was erected in 1804.
521
HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
Josiah Yeomans made the first broom-corn brooms in the county.
In the winter of 1805 and '06 a night school for boys was taught by Leonard Blackburn. The next year he had a school in the Neal cabin. The first schoolhouse, a log one of course, stood on Stratton creek. It had the log benches and the usual desks. Jedediah Burnham was the first teacher in this building, and he taught also in the following year. Like all the early teachers, he took his pay in produce and boarded round. Ben- jamin Allen taught part of the winter of 1807 and 1808. Dr. Peter Allen finished out his term. Joseph and John Kinsman were among the early teachers. Ezra Buell and Josiah Yeo- mans taught between the years 1810 and 1816. Eunice Allen, afterwards Mrs. Meacham, taught the first summer school in 1807. Lucy Andrews ( Mrs. Jones ) of Hartford, Miss Bushnell (Mrs. Beecher of Shalersville) were among those who taught in that building during late years. The second log schoolhouse was erected in the north part of the township and the third one stood near the stone house built by Seymour Potter. Dr. Dud- ley Allen, the son of Peter, attended this school. There was also a schoolhouse near the Pennsylvania line. In 1820 the town ยท was divided into districts, and a subscription resulted in the building of a frame schoolhouse. Daniel Lathrop taught this school. It was a very good building for the time. This build- ing was afterwards removed onto the Meadville Road, where it was conducted under the name of the village schoolhouse. Here Darius Caldwell, whom all residents of Trumbull County of that day knew, and who was for a long time judge in Cleve- land, taught for some time. When the schoolhouse of 1853 was built it stood near L. (. Perkins' old home. In 1822 a log schoolhouse was built: in 1825 the second frame building, and in 1828 one which stood near David Brackin's house. Two were built in 1834. Kinsman did not lead in establishing higher schools, although they came to realize their importance early. Mr. JJohn Kinsman gave land for an academy which was erected in 1842. Squire Andrews gave the timber and, as money was very scare at that time, other contributions were made. The first trustees were John Christy, Albert Allen and Dr. Dudley Allen. A long list of capable men and women were the teachers in this academy. Mrs. Johnson perhaps taught longest and was most respected and best known. Many of her pupils went
522
HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
directly from that academy to colleges and seminaries and did good work in those institutions. Because the people of Kins- man were as a rule well to do, and because they valued schools, they considered it their duty to educate their children. And probably no township has more people of higher education, un- less West Farmington be the exception. Of course Warren is so large a town that it is not included in the comparison.
At the present time Kinsman has no district schools. The two public schools maintained in the township are known as the Kinsman Special and the Kinsman Centralized. The former has been in existence for a number of years, and the latter was established in 1901 and has been highly successful. The board of the Special school is: President, H. G. Griswold; clerk. Stephen Emery ; treasurer, J. P. Karr, and Walker Jewell and James McClyster. The Centralized board members are: Presi- dent, George Allen; clerk, Lanren Cristy, and Jay Thompson and Clande Mayborn. The Special school enrolls 105 pupils, and the Central 145. J. M. May is superintendent of the Spec- ial and D. C. Hadsell superintendent of the Centralized school. each having four teachers under him.
Among the substantial families of Kinsman was that of James McConnell King. His brother Joseph was at one time pastor of the First Christian Church in Warren. The family traces its aneestry back to John Knox, the great Scottish re- former. James McConnell King married two consins-Harriet Christy, who had three children-Frank, Clara, Isabelle E. and Mary Ellen. The first lives in Kinsman; the second married Henry A. Delin and died in 1906; while the third, Mrs. Joseph L. Cox, resides in Sacramento. The second wife was Lucy Christy. Their children were George E. King, now of Kinsman ; Robert A. King, now professor of German at Wabash college, Crawfordsville, Indiana, and Mrs. Sadee K. Izant, of Warren. Prof. King married Kate, daughter of Hon. A. W. Jones; and Sadee became Mrs. Robert Izant.
CHAPTER XLIV .- LIBERTY.
FIRST SETTLERS .- GIRARD, CHURCHILL AND SODOM .- THE PROMI- NENT FAMILIES OF TOWN AND COUNTRY .- GERMAN- AMERICAN RESIDENTS .- SCHOOLS .- FIRST CHURCH ORGANIZATION .- LIBERTY CHURCHES.
The records of Liberty township are more imperfect than of many others. JJust who built the first cabin and settled there- in is not positively known. His name was Swager, but whether it was Jacob or his cousin Henry, is not known. Henry Swager probably was there as early as 1798. He lived west of Church- ill, but did not stay very long, selling his place to JJacob Boyd. He then moved into the southeast part of the township and died when he was ninety-seven. It is said that James Mathews came in 1798, and resided in Liberty until 1825, when he moved to Warren. He was a distiller and kept a tavern. John Stull came in 1798, and his father the year after. The latter did not settle there until 1800. John Ramsey came the year that Val- entine Stull did. He was a Virginian. John Ramsey was one of the first, and George Campbell, a native of Ireland, who had lived in Pennsylvania, was there in 1801. He lived nearly fifty years in the same place. JJohn and Abram Nelson, two other Virginians, Samuel Dennison and Neal McMullin were early found here. Robert Walker was there about 1808 and his son, Robert H. Walker, who was later well known in Youngstown, kept a store at Churchill in 1833.
There were three hamlets in the beginning in this township -Girard, Churchill and Sodom. Churchill was at one time quite an important place. Coal was discovered there, and many industries grew up from that. With the exhaustion of the coal supply the town declined.
Girard has grown constantly and is now almost a suburb of Youngstown. It promises to be a place of good size since the
523
524
HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
Mahoning Valley is growing towards the west. It will not be very long before Warren will be connected with Youngstown, and the lines hardly marked. Girard will be a factor in build- ing up this valley population. The slack water of the Mahoning river at this point affords good boating, and the railroad facili- ties, the Erie, B. & O. and Pennsylvania, all running through, are good. In fact, Girard was laid out because of the water ad- vantages.
William Richards, a very successful iron-worker, lived in Girard, building the place which Evan Morris afterwards owned and where his heirs now live. He later moved to Warren, where he owned and operated the furnace and where the panic ruined him financially. He had a large family of children. The only one now residing in Trumbull County is his daughter Frank, who married Jules Vautrot, the son of Jules Vautrot Sr., who was a successful jeweler in Warren in the '60s and '70s.
Abner Osborne, who was born in Youngstown, came to Girard in 1841. He was engaged with Josiah Robbins and Jesse Baldwin in the grist mill. His wife was Abigail Allison, a sister of Mrs. William McKinley Sr. Margaret married Mr. Stambaugh of Youngstown, and their daughter Anna married a grandson of David Tod. Abner Osborne's sons, Frank and Wallace, are among the leading business men of Cleveland. A son of Abner, William, was a lawyer in Youngstown and in Bos- ton. When his cousin, William MeKinley, was made president he was appointed consul general to London, and died a little time thereafter.
Peter Kline was the most extensive landholder in Liberty township. The family came from Pennsylvania and settled first near Youngstown. His father died in 1816. One of his brothers, Solomon, lived in Cortland; Jonathan, the oldest brother, in Canfield. He was a stockraiser and it was in this business that he made his money. At one time he had over seven hundred acres of land. He married Esther Brown, and had four children. In 1877 he married Elizabeth Woodbridge Tayler, the daughter of Elliott Woodbridge of Youngstown, a great-granddaughter of Jonathan Edwards, and the widow of George Tayler, who was the cashier of the old Western Re- serve Bank. Mrs. Tayler by her first marriage had a large family of children, only one of whom, Lucy, the wife of Will- iam C. Andrews, whose father was A. E. Andrews of Warren, survives. She is in appearance and nature largely like her
1
523
HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
mother. In addition to the success Mr. Kline made with his cattle-raising, coal was found on his farm, and his property greatly increased. He was a successful man, but rather dieta- torial in his later years.
Mr. William Raven belonged to a well known family of old Trumbull County. His father lived in Girard until 1833, when he moved to Champion. He died there in 1852. He married Sallie Porter, and his daughter Florence was for many years teacher in the Raven School in Youngstown and is now Mrs. J. H. MeEwen. William Rayen moved to Girard in 1853 and married Iney Mosier, for whose family the portion of the town known as "Mosier" was named.
Many of the substantial citizens were of German extrac- tion. Of these, Lonis and David Hanser were well known.
Isaac Hartzell was also born in Germany but did not come to America until 1867. For many years he did business in Girard and is now located in Youngstown.
C. D. Goodrich was the son of Roswell Goodrich, who pur- chased the Holliday mills in Liberty township. Mr. Goodrich the elder, spent his last days in Vienna. The son, C. D., was a man of umisnal ability. He had one of the best libraries in the town. IFis sons inherited his talent and like the father had more than ordinary tastes. Frank R., who is now connected with the Southern Railroad in Washington, had he turned his attention to either drawing or writing, would have made a name for himself. Will and S. E. have the same talent. The daughters, Mrs. Ovens and Mrs. Jones of Denver, are capable women. C. D. Goodrich was a justice of the peace for ten years and after an interval has lately been re-elected. He is an active and interested member of the order of Free Masons, Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias.
Frederick Krehl was born in Germany in 1840, came to America in 1853, and after living at Canfield and Poland moved to Girard, where he has since been engaged in the tannery business. He was twice married, his first wife being Mrs. Sanzenbacher, and the other Mary Krehl. He has three chil- dren by first marriage and seven by the second. Louis Hanser was long engaged in business with him and his extensive tan- nery was burned a few years ago, since which time his son has carried on the business.
George Lotze was also born in Germany and in 1855 was a blacksmith in Vienna. Two years later he came to Girard and
526
HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
engaged in the jewelry business. He married Catherine Keck and they had seven children. Louis L. Lotze was one of the most promising men of the valley. If he had not died early, he certainly would have made his mark in the community. As a young man he was township clerk. He was postmaster under Cleveland. He was filled with civic pride, and communicated the same to his companions. His brother, Ed Il. Lotze, is now one of the leading business men of the village.
Among the very earliest settlers was Ambrose Eckman. He lived near the river and was on the ground so early that the Indians were there also. He had a son Ambrose who married Alice Wilson, the daughter of William Wilson, mentioned else- where. Mrs. Ambrose Eckman Sr. was a clever woman and her sister, Betty Coy, was the milliner of the town. The women of Girard remember Betty and how she used to say to them when the hats did not properly fit, "O, von are just like me, head so big." In her day it was thought strange for a woman not to marry and she was sometimes twitted about it. She would reply, "Those I have wanted I couldn't get; those I could get the devil wouldn't have."
William Wilson came to Girard in the very early days. His children were W. W., George C., who married Theresa Hauser, and two daughters now Mrs. Eckman and Mrs. Anderson.
Henry Barnhisel had one of the most beautiful honses in the township of Liberty. It stood south of the Lutheran church and always commanded the attention of travelers on the state road. He had a large family of children who were prominent in the social life of Trumbull County and who married into the old families of that time. Ann married Mr. Calvin Harmon, a son of Heman Harmon of Warren. Her danghter Clara is now Mrs. Will Smith of Youngstown. Frank married Will. the son of Governor Tod; Sne a Mr. Bunts, whose son is the well known physician in Cleveland and whose granddaughters married Mr. Jolin Stambangh of Youngstown and Mr. Hugh Wick. Lucy married Peter Rush and for many years lived in Warren. Mary married Milton Powers and several of the Powers family have inter-married with the Krehils. The sons were Peter, John and Abe.
Grover Marshall married his wife Margaret when she was fifteen years old. They were among the early settlers. She went to school in the log schoolhonses which had the greased
521
IHISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
paper windows. They owned a beautiful place np on the brow of the hill towards Niles where the Vineland Farm now is. They were grand folks for those times. Their house had a ball room and was a social center. They had a large family of children. Henry married Mary Frack, a niece of Evan Morris. Will married Sophia Walters, Mrs. Shook's daugh- ter. Stan's wife was a southern girl. Grover married Rachel Wise. Virginia married Ed Crandon, and Grace, John Sampson. Mrs. Marshall, although a great-grandmother, is a young-looking woman and interested in the affairs of the day. As a middle-aged woman she encouraged girls to do for them- selves in business, to get educations, and to make the most of their lives possible. She used to say that she herself had not half a chance in her youth. Her daughter, Mrs. Crandon, with whom she makes her home, is one of the most enterprising citi- zens of the town. Long left a widow, she has been the father as well as the mother of the family. Wherever she is placed, in home or church, she has been equal to the demands made upon her. Mrs. Crandon's daughter, Mrs. Canffield, has been most of her life a member of this household. Her hus- band being engaged in such business as to take him away from home. Her two children, William MeKinley and Elizabeth, have lived with her, so that four generations have lived in peace and happiness under one roof. At present Mrs. Canffield and her family live in Cleveland. Mr. Ed Crandon's father, that is, the grandfather of Mrs. Cauffield, was one of the very earli. est settlers in Girard. He owned a tannery and Mr. Krehl bonght it, and that was the start of the business which Mr. Krell and his sons have so long carried on. When Mrs. Canf- field was a candidate for the board of education, people inter- ested in her canvass wanted her picture which could be used in the paper. This she stubbornly refused to do. Finally Mr. Krehl waited upon her and after using all kinds of arguments. brought about the wished for result by referring to the great friendship existing between him and her grandfather Crandon in the long ago.
Among the very earliest of the settlers was Peter Carlton. llis daughter Mary married John Allison. John Allison was a brother of Mrs. William McKinley Sr. Their son Will mar- ried Maggie Bixler. Another member of this Carlton family married Martha Rudolph, a cousin of Mrs. Garfield. So in
528
HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
the little town of Girard, two families are connected by mar- riage with two presidential families.
One of the most interesting elderly people now living in Girard is Mrs. Charles Schoenfeld. Many people in that town call her Aunt because of the relation she sustained to the fam- ily. She was a mid-wife and hundreds of children were brought into this world under her attendance. So much was the idea of babies connected with her that when the children of a family wanted a brother or a sister they always threatened to go to Annt and get one. She is eighty-eight years old, keeps house by herself, and says she thinks it is so funny that it tires her nowadays to put down carpets.
Mrs. Sophia Walters, who had children of her own when she married Mr. Shuck, was one of the women in the early days of Girard who made a place for herself. She and her husband kept a store, but it was she who looked after the business and cared largely for the detailed work. She made a success of this business when it was hard for women to make a success in like places and few are the people of the older families residing in Girard today who do not remember her and respect her. One daughter married Henry Smith and another Will Marshall.
Mr. John G. Bixler, a well educated German, when he saw his little family growing up around him decided to come to America in order that they might be reared in a republic. He was a man of a good deal of strength intellectually, but of. course was imbued with German ideas. He married Rebecca Kopp and she was undoubtedly the best educated woman in Liberty if not in the greater vicinity. As she lived out her life and added to her knowledge her husband used to think that she knew too much for a woman and reproved her therefor. She, however, did not mind that. She was a woman of progressive ideas and in that long-ago time when her friends believed in a literal Hell, she declared that Hell was simply where God was not. Her oldest danghter, Mary, married David Hauser, and had six children. Mrs. Hanser is a woman of unusual strength of character. She was the mother to her parents in their old age, to her sisters in their youth and devoted herself to her children. Until a few years ago this family was unbroken. David Hauser was born in Germany and when a young man was fond of pranks and jokes, and it is told of him that he was the best waltzer among his set. He was one of the most industri- ous men that lived in Girard. He was a butcher by trade and
529
HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
in summer arose at one o'clock, butchered his cattle and had the meat in Youngstown before breakfast. In those days there was little ice, no coolers and fresh meat was in demand. In the lat- ter days of his life, suffering from an incurable disease, it was not so hard for him to hear the pain as it was to cease work. He was lame the last years of his life. In chasing a steer or, as the Germans put it, "a piece of cattle, " in the neighborhood of Squaw creek, north of the state road, the animal jumped over an embankment and Mr. Hauser in his anxiety to reach it went over too. He injured his hip, from which he never recovered.
The members of the Hanser family were partienlarly de- voted to each other. The oldest son George, who died a year and a half ago, left a widow and a son, David. E. L. Ilanser, the second son, who was in business with his father and brother. now has charge of his own and the family business and is one of the leading men in Girard. Although of the minority party, Democratic, he has been village elerk, and has been appointed to a number of positions of trust. Minnie C. is book-keeper and stenographer, having in the beginning taught school. She is a capable business woman. Georgena married Clyde MeKinney, the son of Dr. John MeKinney, of Mineral Ridge. Mrs. Dr. Mckinney was a Tibbetts and that family were descendants of Moses Cleaveland's brother, whose remains were interred in the Girard cemetery, a stone marking the resting place.
Elizabeth J. Hanser, the youngest of the daughters, is one of the leading advocates of the woman suffrage movement in Ohio, and of late has had charge of the national headquarters of this association in Warren. She has also been chairman of the National Press Committee and occupied several important posi- tions in the association. Few women have given as much thought and time to the question of woman suffrage as has she. And few women have had this industry coupled with ability. Charles D. Hauser, the youngest of the family, is one of the leading doctors in Youngstown. Graduating in Buffalo. he supplemented his education in Europe and has devoted his time as energetically to his work as his father did before him.
Mrs. David Hauser had brothers and sisters. Elizabeth married Charles Hunt, the second son of Simeon Hunt of War- ren. She was a woman of strong character and some facts in regard to her life are given in the chapter on the Episcopal church of Warren. Maggie, the youngest. married William Al- lison, referred to elsewhere, and now living in West Newton.
Vol. 1-34
530
HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
Louis Hauser, the older brother of David, and his wife Lonisa, spent most of their married life in Girard. He was identified with the business interests of that town and was well known throughout the valley. He had a peculiar sensitiveness about being indebted to others, and when it came time to cele- brate his golden wedding, instead of allowing other people to give presents to him he presented each of his children with a goodly sum of gold. Ilis oldest daughter, Mrs. Keifer, lives in Youngstown. Sophia, Mrs. Dr. MeCartney, who is, lately de- ceased, lived in Girard. Theresa, Mrs. George Wilson, lives in Girard. Louise, Mrs. Charlie Sidells, who is an invalid, resides in Warren.
Among the older settlers of Girard was James MeCartney. His son John was a physician and mention of him is made in the chapter on doctors. Another son was Andrew, and his son James, who graduated at the Western Reserve Medical Univer- sity, went as a medical missionary to Chung King, China. His work was done for the Methodist church. Ilis first wife, Keziah Thomas, had two children in China and died there. His second wife was a Canadian and he resides in her country now.
The first schoolhouse built in Girard was of logs with thatched roof and parchment windows. It was built about 1800. It was situated on the right side of the road, leading from Youngstown to Warren, on land owned by Peter Carlton. The Morris Coal Company's office is now on that same site. and Evan Morris' estate now own the land. The directors of this school were J. Adams, Augustus Adams, Samuel Everitt and Peter Carlton. The school district was then five miles square. but in 1836 it was divided. Seats in this schoolhouse consisted of planks with four holes bored in them, with sticks for legs.
In 1836 a schoolhouse was built in Girard on what is now Market street, at the public square. When the new street was opened in 1864 it was moved from that point. A little later a schoolhouse built in Mosier was struck by lightning and burned. Later a building on High street was used as a high school. This is now used by Allen Patterson as a carpenter shop.
At the time the schoolhouse was built in. Mosier there was one built in Weathersfield, which was in this school district. It was later burned, and all the books were destroyed which worked hardship to the children of that neighborhood. There was no bridge in that neighborhood, and a good deal of the
531
HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
time it was dangerons to ford the river. The schoolhouse was finally replaced.
Governor Tod gave some land to the village of Girard, which was known as "Jefferson Square." In 1861 a brick schoolhouse was built on this, which cost about $5,000. A thon- sand dollars was paid by Liberty township and the rest was raised by popular subscription. The brick work was done by Watson & Bevey and the carpenter work by Mathews, Hall & Patterson. John MeGlothery and Thomas Gessop were putting sheeting on the belfry, and in taking down the scaffolding it collapsed and the men fell on the debris on the roof. Me- Glothery was not meh hurt, but Gessop was hurt about the back, and they put him in a big chair, and with block and tackle and a gin-pole used to hoist material to the top, let him to the ground. Mr. Caldwell, spoken of in the early part of this his- tory, was first teacher in that school. He is now common pleas judge in Cleveland. The building is now used for publie pur- poses. Ilere are the village offices, the council chamber, mayor's office, solicitor's office and town hall. Edward Kees was the architect of this building, and he was secured through the efforts of Governor Tod. Among the prominent men at that time were Aber Rush, Abner Osborne, Mart Heuston and William Richards.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.