Biographical history of northeastern Ohio : embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake, Part 111

Author: Lewis Publishing Company. cn
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1094

USA > Ohio > Ashtabula County > Biographical history of northeastern Ohio : embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake > Part 111
USA > Ohio > Geauga County > Biographical history of northeastern Ohio : embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake > Part 111
USA > Ohio > Lake County > Biographical history of northeastern Ohio : embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake > Part 111

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).

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OF NORTHEASTERN OHIO.

Thomas M. Morley received his education in the district schools and the seminary at Kirtland, and at the age of seventeen began teaching, continuing that occupation several years. His whole life has been spent at the old homestead, and since he was twenty-four he has had charge of most of the farming operations. He is now the owner of 330 acres of well-improved land, utilized for gen- eral farming purposes, and among its attract. ive features is a fine sugar orchard.

Mr. Morley was married in 1864 to Lucy Martindale, a native of Kirtland, this county, and a daughter of Timothy Dwight Martin- dale, who emigrated from Massachusetts to Kirtland about 1817, when he was twenty- two. His whole life was spent in agricul- tural pursuits. Mrs. Morley was educated at Kirtland Seminary and at Mount Holyoke College, in Massachusetts, and for some time previous to her marriage was engaged in teaching. They have six children: Lillis, Thomas Dwight, Lucy H., Nelson W., Mary and Bertha. The three oldest children are graduates of Oberlin College, Ohio, and have taught school. Nelson W., formerly a stu. dent at Oberlin, is now in the Case School at Cleveland. The two youngest are also in school.

Politically, Mr. Morley is an ardent Re- publican. Actively interested in the educa- tional affairs of his community, he has served as Clerk of the School Board for nearly twenty years. During the war he was among the first to enter the Union service. He en- listed August 9, 1861, in Company G, Second Ohio Cavalry, and after serving in that com- pany about one year he was transferred to a battery. This battery became the Twenty- fifth Ohio Independent Battery, and he was commissioned its Second Lieutenant. He was with the forces that operated in the West

and continued on active duty until July, 1864, when he was taken sick, and the fol- lowing September was honorably discharged on account of disability. During his sick- ness he was in a private family at Little Rock, Arkansas, being at the point of death for several days.

Mr. Morley and his wife have a member- ship in the Congregational Church at Kirt- land.

AMES W. ROGERS, another one of the successful farmers and representa- tive citizens of Willoughby township, Lake county, Ohio, was born on the sea coast of New Jersey, June 3, 1827, son of Abner and Lydia (Jeffery) Rogers, both natives of New Jersey. His grandfather, Jesse Rogers, was also a native of that State, his ancestors being among the early settlers of New Jersey.

Abner Rogers was a sailor in early life and later turned his attention to farming. In an early day he emigrated to Indiana, and en- gaged in farming at Newberg (now called Newport), where he remained until after the death of his wife. Then he removed to Shiawassee county, Michigan, and while in Michigan his second marriage was consum- mated. His next move was to the plains in Lake county, Ohio, and from here he subse- quently returned to New Jersey, where he died at a ripe old age.

James W. Rogers is the only one of his father's family now living. When quite young, and while residing in Michigan, he left home and worked out by the month, thus earning his own living. It was not until he was twenty that he returned home. He has had a varied career, and is familiar with all the ups and downs of life. Coming to Lake county, Ohio, when a young man, he pur-

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

chased land in Willoughby township, on the west branch of the Chagrin river, on the development and improvement of which he has expended a great amount of hard labor. His farm comprises 138 acres. He has a choice variety of fruits, and has been success- ful in his farming operations. Having started out in life without means, his present pros- perity is the result of his own unaided ef- forts.

Mr. Rogers was married in New Jersey, in 1852, to Miss Amanda Rogers, a native of that State. Their five children are as fol- lows: Lydia, wife of Arthur Brown, Sedalia, Missouri; Isabella, wife of Edwin Williams, Willoughby, Ohio; Salina, wife of Amos Cleverton, Kirtland township, Lake county, Ohio; James W., who is married and en- gaged in farming in Mayfield township, Cuyahoga county, Ohio; and Eva, at home.

Mr. Rogers affiliates with the Democratic party.

E DWARD THOMPSON .- A history of Geauga county would be incom- plete without a sketch of the life of this venerable pioneer. He is a native of the county, born at Middlefield, December 18, 1813, a son of James Thompson, who was a Pennsylvanian by birth. The grandfather, Isaac Thompson, was also a native of the Keystone State, of Welsh extraction; he was a farmer by occupation, and served during the Revolutionary war, contributing his aid to secure independence to the colonies. He removed from Pennsylvania to Mentor town- ship, Lake county, in 1799, unaccompanied by any member of his family. He was an expert hunter and trapper, and found an abundance of wild game. In 1800 he came to Geauga county, and built a log cabin on

the present site of Middlefield, being the first settler in the township. He died at the age of eighty-four years. James Thompson, his son, went from Pennsylvania to Virginia in 1798, coming afterward to Lake county. It was in 1800 that he came to Middlefield township; he, too, was a hunter and trapper, and in this occupation earned enough money to buy 100 acres of land; there were many bear, deer and wolves, and numerous Indians dwelt in this locality. Milling was done up near the Lake, the trip being made on horse- back. Mr. Thompson cleared 100 acres of land, and as his means increased made an- other purchase of 200 acres. He erected the first sawmill in this section of country, and sawed all the lumber used in the construction of pioneer houses. He was a man of fine constitution, his years of toil seeming to add to his length of days. He had just passed his ninety-eighth birthday when he was called to his final rest. He married Sarah Wells, of Pennsylvania, and they had a family of six children; she died at the age of thirty years. He was married a second time to Mercy Tracy, a native of New York State, and they had a family of eight children; the mother died at the age of sixty years.

Edward Thompson was the fifth-born of the second family of children. He received his education in the common schools, and in early youth became inured to the hard work of pioneer farming. He assisted in clearing the land, and aided in all the du- ties of the home; wild animals roved at large, and it was necessary to protect sheep and calves at night. He was a good marks- man, and became an excellent hunter and trapper, laying low many a proud deer, fero- cious wolves and cunning foxes.

Mr. Thompson kept the tavern in Middle- field for a period of eight years during

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OF NORTHEASTERN OHIO.

the early times, but turned his attention to farming; he also had some commercial in- terests, but finally settled on his present farm, a good tract of 115 acres; he does a general agricultural business, and has a dairy in connection. In politics he supports the Republican code.

Mr. Thompson was united in marriage in 1843 to Jane E. Alden, a native of Massa- chusetts, having emigrated with her parents to the West in 1830; they have had a family of six children: Arte L., Mary, Nellie and Emily are deceased; Rosetta and Albert sur- vive.

A LANSON LOVELAND, a prominent and wealthy farmer of Madison town- ship, Lake county, Ohio, has been an industrious man all his life, and to his honest industry he attributes the success he has attained. As one of the representa- tive men of the county, we present a sketch of his life in this work.

Alanson Loveland was born in Rutland county, Vermont, March 2, 1823, son of Alanson Loveland, and grandson of Treat Loveland, both natives of Vermont, the fam- ily being of English descent. Grandfather Loveland was a farmer all his life. He came to Ohio about 1826, and died here at the age of eighty years.

The father of our subject, Alanson Love- land, Sr., was a cloth dresser by trade. Mov- ing to Ohio in 1826, he located in Thomp- son, Geauga county, everything being in its wild state here then. For some time he lived in a log house without doors and windows, the openings being screened by blankets. Subsequently he removed to Licking county, Ohio, and a short time later to Painesville, this county. At the latter place he worked

at his trade for awhile. His last move was to Madison township, where he died at the age of fifty-eight years. His wife, Sophia, was a daughter of General Orms, who served in the war of 1812. Mr. and Mrs. Loveland reared two children, Cornelia and Alanson. The mother died at the age of fifty-eight years.

Alonson Loveland was three years old at the time his father emigrated to Ohio, and in the primitive log schoolhouses of this State he received his education. With the exception of eight months spent in work at his father's trade, his life has been devoted to agricultural pursuits. After his marriage, which occurred in 1843, Mr. Loveland set- tled on a tract of timber land in Madison township, and after clearing and developing 100 acres sold it. He then located on his present farm, 107 acres, nearly all of which is improved and which is devoted to general farming and stock-raising.

Mrs. Loveland's maiden name was Laura Long. She was born in New Hampshire and has been a resident of Ohio since her girl- hood. Their three children are: Henry, La- mar and Ella.

In his political views, Mr. Loveland is in harmony with the principles advocated by the Republican party.

S TEPHEN B. BUSS, a self-made man and representative farmer of Ashtabula county, Ohio, is deserving of some per- sonal mention in this work.

William Gilman Buss, his father, was born in Vermont, in 1810, and about 1849 re- moved from the Green Mountain State to Ohio, making the journey hither by way of the New York and Erie canal and lake, and

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

settling in Conneaut township, Ashtabula county. Here he remained until his death, in 1862. By occupation he was a farmer. Politically, he affiliated with the Republican party, and, fraternally, with the I. O. O. F. His father, William Buss, the grandfather of our subject, passed his life and died on a farm in Vermont. The Buss family have resided in America since before the Revolutionary war. Electa S. (Cook) Buss, the mother of Stephen B., was born in Vermont, January 19, 1814, and died December 1, 1892. She was the daughter of John and Phoebe Cook, natives of Germany. William G. Buss and Electa S. Cook were married in 1841, and in time became the parents of three children, viz .: Minerva, wife of G. W. Salisbury, of Conneaut township, Ashtabula county, Ohio; Maranda, wife of Frank Willard, of Cleve- land, has one son and seven daughters; and Stephen B., the oldest of the family and the subject of this article.

Stephen B. Buss was born October 16, 1843, and remained with his parents as long as they lived. When he was twenty-five years old he bought the home farm, about 100 acres, upon which he has since been en- gaged in farming and stock-raising, making a specialty of the sheep business, in which he has been very successful. He was married in 1867 to Della Smith, who was born in this county in 1848, daughter of Barlett B. and Eliza (Cheney) Smith, natives of New York and Vermont respectively. Her father passed away June 5, 1891, and her mother in March, 1872. Both were members of the Universal- ist Church. Mrs. Buss is one of a family of ten children, two of whom are deceased- an infant and Lovina. Those living are: Sidney, of Hazelton, Pennsylvania; Bessie, wife of J. R. Warner, Special Pension Exam- iner, Washington, District of Columbia;

Abbie R., wife of W. F. Richards, Conneaut, Ohio; Della; Frank W., Sunbury, Pennsyl- vania, is in the employ of the Reading Rail- road Company, as station agent; Fred F., Conneaut, Ohio; John C., a Wichita farmer; and Willis, a grocer at Elmdale, Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Buss have three children-Gracie, Warner and Helen.

Mr. Buss is a Republican and is now serv- ing as Trustee of his township. He is a mem- ber of the Knights of Honor.

JOHN GAFFNEY, proprietor of the Conneaut House, Conneaut, Ohio, was born in Ashtabula county, this State, July 11, 1866, son of John F. and Bridget Gaffney.

His parents came from the old country to America previous to their marriage. The father was a traveling man for many years- traveling until the Conneaut House was built, after which he was its proprietor until the time of his death, February 28, 1892, at the age of sixty-six years. He had been a resi- dent of Conneaut since before the war. Mr. Gaffney was a devout Catholic, as is also his wife. The names of their children are as follows: Janie, Margaret, Elizabeth, Delia, John, Frankie, Agnes and Thomas. All are at home and unmarried except Janie, who is the wife of Thomas E. McGinnis, a railroad engineer and a resident of Conneaut. Mr. and Mrs. McGinnis have two children: Benita and Eugene. Of John F. Gaffney's brothers and sisters we record that one brother, James, resides in Erie, Pennsylvania; that Elizabeth is the wife of Patrick Cozens, of Conneaut; that Patrick, another brother, is deceased; and that Mary is the wife of Peter Mc Gordy, Chicago. Mrs. Gaffney had a brother and

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OF NORTHEASTERN OHIO.

sister who came to Conneaut, Terrence Quinn, who died here; and Mrs. Edward Tinney,'still of this place. She has two brothers, Thomas and John, farmers in lowa, and one brother, Henry, in St. Louis.

John Gaffney's first employment was that of yard clerk at the Nickel Plate, where he remained for two years. After this he clerked in his uncle's store in Erie some time. Then he went on the road as traveling salesman, being in the employ of S. Peterson & Co., a wholesale grocery and flour house of Chicago, and continued on the road until after the death of his father, since which time he has conducted the hotel.

The Conneaut House is situated on the west side of Mill street, south of the New York, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railroad, being conveniently located for railroad men, who are its chief patrons. Mr. Gaffney, having spent some years on the road, is acquainted with the wants of the traveling public, and he knows how to cater them in a courteous and pleasing manner. Indeed, he is eminently fitted for the position he occupies.

He affiliates with the Democratic party, and is a member of the Catholic Church.

R AYMOND FREEMAN, County Com- missioner and a prominent and wealthy farmer residing in Madison township, Lake county, is an excellent example of the self-made man. Following is a resume of his life:

Mr. Freeman was born in Lorain county, Ohio, January 28, 1836, son of llenry Free- man, a native of Brown county, New York, and grandson of Joseph Freeman, also a native of the Empire State. The Freemans are of German descent, their ancestors hav- ing located in this country previous to the

Revolutionary war. Grandfather Freeman passed his life and died on a farm in his native State. Henry, his son, was also a farmer. He made the journey to Ohio with an ox team in 1831, bought seventy-five acres of Government land in Lorain county, and there built his rude cabin and went to work to develop a farm. It was all thick woods there at that time. Wolves were abundant, and the wildcats were so numerous that on one occasion they fought on the roof of Mr. Freeman's cabin. Deer were also plenty. When his children grew up and began to go West, Mr. Freeman moved to Dane county, Wisconsin, where he spent the rest of his life, and died at the age of seventy-two years. His wife, whose maiden name was Nancy Noles, and who was a native of Rutland, Vermont, also lived to be seventy-two. She was an active member of the Disciple Church. They had a family of nine children, Raymond, the subject of our sketch, being the eighth born.

Raymond Freeman was reared in Lorain county. He began life on his own responsi- bility when he was seventeen, at which time he went to Geneva, Ashtabula county, this State, and commenced working on a sec- tion of the Lake Shore Railroad, at ninety cents per day. This was in 1852. He con- tinued in railroad employ for twenty eight years, and during all that time never lost a day. Starting in as a common laborer, he was promoted as foreman of the section and had charge of ten miles of road, and after- ward was made road master between Cleve- land and Erie. He had charge of building twenty miles of that road. Finally, on ac- count of failing health, he was compelled to quit the business. At this time he was offered six months' vacation with steady pay and free transportation to wherever he wished to go,

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

if he would continue with the company, but he refused it. Subsequently he turned his attention to contracting. He built twenty- five miles of the Nickel Plate Railroad, and built yards at Ashtabula and Collinswood for the Lake Shore. Afterward, on seventeen miles of road he built for the West Shore line, he cleared $25,000. He erected the high- service reservoir at Cleveland, which cost $150,000, and he also built the waterworks at Findlay, Ohio. His last contract for rail- road work was nine miles for the Lake Shore, near Youngstown.

Mr. Freeman bought his present farm, 165 acres in Madison township, in 1884, and has since been engaged in agricultural pursuits. This land is composed of a great variety of soil and is well adapted to general farming, for which purpose it is utilized. The fine residence, good barns, and general appearance of his premises are all indicative of the pros- perity which has attended the owner.

Mr. Freeman was married December 25, 1856, to Anna Rennington, a native of Rut- land, Vermont. She is a member of the Congregational Church and is a most estima- ble lady. Their three children are: Cora, Mary and Frank.

Politically, Mr. Freeman affiliates with the Republican party. He was elected Commis- sioner of Lake county in the fall of 1891, and is now serving in that office. Socially, politically and financially, he is ranked with the leading men of the county.

A LMERON FOLLETT, a venerable pio- neer of Madison township, Lake county, Ohio, was born in Berkshire county, Massachusetts, September 13, 1810, son of Rogers and Elizabeth (Cady)

Follett, natives of Connecticut. The father, a mechanic by trade, died when Almeron was eighteen months old. The mother reared her family of eight children, and lived to be seventy-five years old.

When a boy of ten years, the subject of our sketch came with his older brother and mother to Lake county, Ohio, making the journey here by team, and being twenty-one days en route. They settled in the southern part of Madison township, on the river road, there being few improvements here then, and the forest abounding in game of all kinds. That was in 1820. Young Follett frequently indulged in the sport of hunting, and after settling here attended school some. At the age of sixteen he began self-support. After working out on farms for a while, he learned the carpenter's trade and worked at that trade for thirty years, many of the buildings in Madison township having been erected by him. He settled on his present farm, fifty- seven acres, in 1835. At that time there were only a few acres of this land cleared and all the improvements upon it have been put here by him. He also owns fifty acres south of his home place, and twenty-five acres west of here. He had another fifty-acre tract still further south, which he sold some time ago.

Mr. Follett was married in this township in 1832, to Clara Miller, who was born and reared here, and who died at the age of fifty- five years, leaving nine children, namely : Sylvester, Granville, Harmon, Mary, Ransdier Alta, Elizabeth, Edgar and Ellen. Novem- ber 9, 1871, Mr. Follett wedded Clara Or- cntt, who was born in Parkman, Geauga county, Ohio, June 18, 1824. Her father, Samuel Orcutt, was a native of New York, and was one of the first settlers of Geauga county. Mrs. Follett is a member of the Methodist Church.

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OF NORTHEASTERN OHIO.

Mr. Follett started out in life a poor boy, and by honest toil and judicious investment of his earnings worked his way on to success, and now as old age creeps upon him he is comfortably situated and is enjoying the fruits of his early years of labor. Politically, he is a Republican.

C LARK O. WILEY, another one of the representative citizens of Ashtabula county, Ohio, dates his birth in Shef- field township, this county, in 1828. Of his life and ancestry we make record as follows:

William Wiley, his father, was born in Vermont in 1796, and in 1828 came to Ohio and settled in Sheffield township, Ashtabula county. Here, with the exception of a few years when he lived in Michigan, he spent the rest of his life, the last few years making his home with his son, the subject of this sketch. He died in 1875. During the war of 1812 he served under Colonel Miller, in Company L, Twenty-first Regiment, partici- pating in the battles of Lundy's Lane, Chryst- ler Farm and Little York. Miller's regi- inent stormed and took the British regiment on the Heights, and in that engagement Mr. Wiley received a bayonet wound through the thigh. He was honorably discharged at Fort Erie, August 18, 1814. He was a Whig un- til after the organization of the Republican party, when he gave the latter his support. For some years he was a member of the Christian Church. The Wily family origin- ated in Ireland, some of them having come to America previous to the Revolutionary war. James Wiley, the father of William, was born in Ireland, and he, too, was a soldier in the war of 1812. He was killed in the battle of Plattsburgh. William was reported as

killed at Lundy's Lane, and on his return home on the day of his father's funeral there was a scene of mingled joy and sorrow. The Wileys were for several generations engaged in farming. Martha (Howard) Wiley, the mother of Clark O., was born in 1800. She removed with her parents from her native State, Vermont, to New York, where, in 1825, she was married to Mr. Wiley. Her parents, William and Mary Howard, were also natives of Vermont. Mr. and Mrs. Wiley had nine children, viz .: James W., a contractor and builder residing in Michigan; Nelson A., also a carpenter, died in Cleve- land in 1881; Clark O., whose name heads this article; Henry P., deceased, was at the time of his death a conductor on the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad; Melis- sa, who died in New York in 1852; Seth S., a resident of Michigan and a farmer by occu- pation; Edwin F., a resident of Kelloggsville, Ohio; Carrie. wife of George D. Parker, Jus- tice of the Peace at Ashtabula; and the youngest died in infancy.

Clark O. Wiley resided with his parents until he was about eighteen years of age. At that time he went to Kelloggsville and learned the trade of tanner and currier, at which trade he continued to work until 1881. He then turned his attention to farming, in connection with which he has also been doing an insur- ance business.

He was married in 1853 to Ann M. Clute, a native of New York, who came with her parents to Ohio. Her parents, John and Caroline Clute, were also natives of New York. Mr. Wiley and his wife have had five children, as follows: Edgar A., who died at the age of seventeen; Herbert J., an engineer; Mattie C., wife of M. H. Porter, a Florida fruit-grower; Laura and William A., both at home.

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

Mr. Wiley's political affiliations are with the Republican party. He is now serving his eighth term as a Justice of the Peace, and before he entered upon the duties of this office he served sixteen or seventeen years as Constable. He is also a member of the State Police.

H ENRY H. SHEPARD, a prominent and wealthy produce dealer and an old settler of Perry township, Lake county, Ohio, dates his birth in Berkshire, Massachusetts, November 13, 1836.

Mr. Shepard's father, John M. Shepard, was born in Berkshire, Massachusetts, May 9, 1804, son of Samuel Shepard, also a native of Massachusetts, born January 12, 1778, second in the family of eight children of Daniel Shepard. Samuel Shepard married Ruth Wilkinson, whose birth occurred at Berk- shire, Massachusetts, December 25, 1778, and they reared five children, as follows: Electa, born December 23, 1799; Sarah, August 18, 1802; John M., May 9, 1804; Clarissie, Sep- tember 26, 1807; and Ruth W., May 26, 1813. John M., the father of our subject, was reared and married in Massachusetts. In 1837 he came West with his family and settled a mile and a half west of the village of Perry, where he developed a fine farm of 105 acres. At the time he settled here only six or eight acres of the land had been cleared and the only improvement on the place was a log cabin. He lived to the ripe old age of eighty-four years, honored and respected by all who knew him. His wife, whose name before marriage was Laura Adams, was born in Berkshire, Massachusetts, July 3, 1810. They had a family of six children, namely: Samuel W., born October 10, 1830; Warren S., October 29, 1832; Henry H., November

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Biographical history of northeastern Ohio : embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake, Part 111

Author: Lewis Publishing Company. cn Publication date: 1893 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1094

Author: Lewis Publishing Company. cn
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1094