Biographical history of northeastern Ohio : embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake, Part 112

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 112
USA > Ohio > Geauga County > Biographical history of northeastern Ohio : embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake > Part 112
USA > Ohio > Lake County > Biographical history of northeastern Ohio : embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake > Part 112

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13, 1836; Eunice A., December 26, 1841; Julia J., May 6, 1844, died at the age of four years; and Henrietta M., December 6, 1847. The mother died here at the age of sixty-five years. Both she and her husband were Bap- tists and took an active interest in church work. In politics Mr. Shepard was first a Whig and afterward a Republican. The maternal grandfather of our subject was Warren Adams, and he, too, was a native of Berkshire, Massachusetts, where he was en- gaged in farming for many years, living to a ripe old age.

Henry H. Shepard was only six months old when he was brought by his parents to this county, and here he was reared and educated. He has been engaged in business for himself since he reached his majority. For about six years he kept a dairy at Harpersville, Ashtabula county, and from there came to his present location, where he ran a general store three years. Since that date he has been engaged in the produce business, ship- ping annually from seventy-five to 100 car loads of fruit and vegetables, his chief points of shipment being Philadelphia, Balti- more and Washington. He also runs a large cooper shop, where he mannfactures all his own shipping barrels. He belongs to that class of men, who, starting out in life without financial aid, have by their own pluck and energy won their way to success.

Mr. Shepard has been twice married. In Ashtabula county, December 23, 1858, he wedded Mary F. Hutchins, a native of Perry township, Lake county, but a resident of Ashtabula county at the time of her mar- riage. They had four children, namely: Mrs. Sarah F. Gleason, born December 22, 1864, is now a resident of Seattle, Washington: Walter H., born July 2, 1866, is a merchant; Agnes L., born January 29, 1868, is a gradu-

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ate of the college at Delaware, Ohio; and Kate E., born February 11, 1871. The mother of these children died May 22, 1885. She was a member of the Methodist Church, and hers was a beautiful Christian character. March 2, 1887, Mr. Shepard married Mrs. Anna E. Quinby, of Ashtabula. Both he and his wife, and indeed the whole family, are members of the Methodist Church. They stand high in the community in which they reside and are justly entitled to the respect and esteein in which they are held by all who know them.

Mr. Shepard affiliates with the Republican party, and has filled the office of Township Treasurer.

W ILLIAM E. BENDER, a conductor on the Nickel Plate Railroad, resides at Conneaut, Ohio, where he is well known and much respected. Following is a sketch of his life and ancestry:

William E. Bender was born in Fostoria, Ohio, May 18, 1856, son of Captain William H. and Prudence E. (Doke) Bender, natives of Pennsylvania and Ohio respectively. William H. was a son of Samuel and Sarah (Kinsey) Bender, of Pennsylvania, the former dying in December, 1892, at the age of eighty-two years, and the latter still living, aged eighty-one. He was the oldest of their family of five sons and three daughters, the others being as follows: John, an attorney of Fostoria; Rev. Daniel, a minister in the United Brethren Church, stationed at Wester- ville, Ohio; David, Charles and Henry, farmers at Coldwater, Michigan; Mary ; Libbie; and Amanda.

William H. Bender had a good education and taught sixteen terms of school in Ohio. Subsequently he was a commercial man in

the employ of ex-Governor Charles Foster, for many years, until the war opened, when he enlisted, in 1862, in Company I, One Hundred and Twenty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, entering the service as a Lieutenant and six months later being promoted to a captaincy. He was wounded in the battle of Winchester, receiving a shot through both hips, and with many others was captured. He was taken to Libby, then transferred to Andersonville and later to Columbia, South Carolina, where he died of yellow fever, after an illness of three days, having been a prisoner sixteen months. His treatment while in prison was horrible in the extreme. His re- mains rest in the national cemetery at Col- nmbia, South Carolina. He was a valiant soldier and a princely man. As a husband and father he was affectionate and devoted: as a citizen he was held in high esteem; as a soldier he was magnanimous, brave and true. His death was almost as a personal bereave- ment to all who knew him. He was married at Fostoria, in 1855, and some time after his death his widow became the wife of his brother, Jeremiah Bender. William E., the subject of this sketch, is the oldest of three children, his two sisters being Effie Augustus, wife of Chance Reynold, of Fremont, Ohio; and Frances, wife of W. F. Boley, a teacher in Fostoria. Mr. and Mrs. Reynold have two children: Georgia and Bessie.

The subject of our sketch has been engaged in railroading since 1872. He began as breakeman on the Lake Erie & Western, being in the employ of that company six months. Then he was brakeman on the Columbus, Ilocking Valley & Toledo nineteen months, after which he was in the employ of the Chi- cago & Alton eight months, four months as brakeman and four months as extra conductor. In the fall of 1881 ho began service with the

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

Nickel Plate. He was three years brakeman on this road and for the past nine years has been conductor, and during this long term of service he has never had a collision or any other trouble for which he was responsible.

Mr. Bender was married, January 24, 1878, to Miss Ida B. Miller, daughter of Louis L. and Sarah Miller, residents of Conneaut. They have one child, Emory J.

Mrs. Bender is the fourth in a family of seven children, six of whom are living. Her three brothers are William A., telegraph operator at Cleveland, Ohio; Roy, operator in the Postal Telegraph office at Atlanta, Geor- gia; and Newton, a Western Union Telegraph operator at Cleveland, Ohio. By her mother's

former marriage, to Mr. Lesher, there were two sons and two daughters: John, a travel- ing salesman; Frank, owner of a large stone quarry in Colorado; Mary, widow of George Fishbaugh; and Ella, wife of J. W. Will, of Denver, Colorado. Mrs. Bender and her parents are members of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

Mr. Bender is a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the order of Railway Con- ductors, having served as secretary and treas- urer of the latter organization for three years. Personally, he is a man of fine physique, pleasing address and generous impulses.

W ILLIAM WOODFORD, a prom- inent fruit-grower and wine-manų- facturer in Willoughby township, Lake county, Ohio, was born in Oxfordshire, England, February 4, 1838, son of John and Johanna (Wilkes) Woodford, both natives of England. He is the fourth in a family of five children, and one of the three are still living. His father, a builder by trade, died

in England at the age of sixty-eight years. His mother came to America in 1861, and made her home with him until the time of her death, November 20, 1884, in the seventy-ninth year of her age. While in England she was a member of the Methodist Church. Four of her children came to America, and one daughter went to Australia and died there.

William Woodford was reared in his na- tive village and had good educational advan- tages. He worked at garden marketing and helped in the store which his parents con- ducted. He came to America in 1861, and upon his arrival here located in Cleveland, where he engaged in the bakery business for about two years. After that he was variously employed for some time. He spent one year in market gardening near Cleveland. In July, 1869, he purchased his present farm in Willoughby township-123 acres of land on the Chagrin river road. Since that time he has devoted his attention to general farm- ing, wholesale butchering, fruit-growing and wine-manufacturing. For nine years he did an extensive wholesale butchering business. The last year he was engaged in butchering he slaughtered 1,600 calves, besides other stock, finding a market for the same in Cleve- land. He hauled his product to that city three times a week, a portion of the time employing five teams. For thirteen years he has been cultivating fruit. At this writing he has over forty acres of vineyard, nearly five acres of quinces, and two acres of pears. For several years he did an extensive busi- ness in manufacturing cider and vinegar, and recently has devoted his attention more par- ticularly to the manufacture of wines, using all his own vineyard product and considerable besides. He makes from 15,000 to 20,000 gallons of wine per year.

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OF NORTHEASTERN OHIO.

Mr. Woodford was married in 1874 to Ellen Wilkes, a native of Cleveland. Her father was an Englishman and her mother was of German birth. They resided in Cleveland for many years. Her father is deceased and her mother is now a resident of Brecksville, near Cleveland. Mr. and Mrs. Woodford have had eight children. The youngest died in infancy. Those living are William, John George, Ellen, Olive G., Mabel R., Mary M. and Bessie M.

Mr. Woodford is another example of the self-made man. He started out in life with- out capital, and that his career has been a successful one is due to his own untiring energy.

D ANFORD SMITH, another one of the well-known and highly respected farmers of Willoughby township, Lake county, Ohio, was born in Spafford, New York, March 8, 1819, a son of Sylvester Smith and a grandson of Asa Smith, the former a native of New York and the latter of

Connecticut. His great-grandfather Smith, a native of England, came to Amer- ica at an early period in the history of this country and settled in Connecticut, on the Con- necticut river. Asa Smith, a brick mason by trade, turned his attention to farming in the latter part of his life. During the Revolu- tionary war he was a teamster in the employ of the Government. His death occurred at the age of eighty-six years at Evanston, Indiana, where he had resided for some time. Sylvester Smith emigrated from New York to Ohio in 1827, and was among the first settlers of Willoughby township, Lake county. Here he purchased a piece of land, built a log cabin and at once went to work to clear and improve a farm. He died at the age of

sixty- eight years. He was a member of the Reformed Methodist Church and a man of many sterling qualities of mind and heart. His wife, whose maiden name was Lucretia Lyons, was a daughter of Luther Lyons, a resident of New York, who died at the age of one hundred years. She was seventy- three at the time of her death. The subject of our sketch was the fourth born in a fam- ily of seven children, three of whom are living, and in the pioneer schools of Will- oughby township he received his education.

Mr. Smith was married in 1842, to Miss Prudence Whelpley, a native of Warrens- ville, Cuyahoga county, Ohio. Her father moved to Ashtabula county, Ohio, at an early day, and while clearing land was killed by a falling tree. His wife died of a cancer. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have six children: Sarah, George H., Cyrus S., Harriet, Amelia and Willie.

After his marriage Mr. Smith located on his present farm. For fourteen years he carried on boot and shoe making, and since that time has devoted his attention exclu- sively to his farming interests, having cleared and drained the whole place. He has seventy-five acres of choice land, all under a high state of cultivation, and is en- gaged in general farming and stock raising.

Politically, he is a Republican; was form- erly allied with the old-line Whigs.

Such is a brief sketch of the life of one of the successful farmers of Willoughby township.

0 RRIN B. GRIDLEY, a successful " Waite Hill" farmer and horticul- turist, is one of the representative citi- zens of Willoughby township, Lake county, | Ohio. Of him we make mention as follows:

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

Orrin B. Gridley was born in Oneida county, New York, November 16, 1819, a descendant of an old New England family. His father, Lot Gridley, was born in Bristol, Hartford county, Connecticut, and his grand- father, Luke Gridley, was also a native of Connecticut. The latter died in his native State. Lot Gridley moved to Oneida county, New York, in 1804, where he was engaged in farming until the time of his death, which occurred in 1849, at the age of seventy-five years. He was a soldier in the war of 1812. Religiously, he was a Methodist. The mother of Orrin B. was Dorcas (Lindsley) Gridley, he being the youngest of her three children. She was Mr. Gridley's second wife. He was married four times, having one child by the first wife, three by the second, one by the third, and two by the fourth.

Orrin B. Gridley attended the district schools and for two or three terms was a stu- deut in a select school. He taught school two terms. Remaining at home and cultivating the farm until his father's death, he then bought the old homestead and continued farming on it for ten years longer. Selling out in 1856, he moved to Oneida, Madison county, New York, where he lived till 1864, engaged in the manufacture of soap and candles. In 1864 he moved to Willoughby township, Lake county, and purchased the property on which he now lives. This place consists of twenty-three acres, and besides this he also owns two or three other tracts of land in this vicinity. He has given con- siderable attention to fruit culture, raising peaches, grapes, etc.

Mr. Gridley was married, in 1843, to Cor- nelia Cowder, a native of New York, who died in January, 1883, leaving two children, viz .: Eliza J., wife of George Waite, an enter- prising farmer, living near her father; and

Eugenia, deceased. In 1888 Mr. Gridley married Mrs. Olive (Allen) Norris, a native of Ohio, and a daughter of Abner T. Allen.

Mr. and Mrs. Gridley are Presbyterians, he being an Elder in the church. Politically, he is a Republican. He has served as Township Trustee one term.

AMES S. MARTIN, a farmer of Ash- tabula county, was born at South Craw- ford, Chenango county, Pennsylvania, November 29, 1822, a son of Robert Martin, a native of Ireland. The latter located in Pennsylvania when nineteen years of age. He married Jane Stanson, a native of Wash- ington county, Pennsylvania, and a daughter of James Stanson, who was born in Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. Martin had seven children: James E., John, Susan, W. M., Emeline, Samuel L. and Robert. W. M. was a soldier in the late war. - The father died at the age of fifty-eight years, and the mother at the age of sixty-three years. The former was a Demo- crat in his political views, and a member of the Presbyterian Church.

James S. Martin was early inured to farm life, and received his education in the common schools of Pennsylvania. He learned the carpenter's trade in early life. In 1852 he came to Ashtabula county, Ohio, where he now owns 321 acres of good land, and has three residences and three barns. Mr. Martin owns a fine drove of Durham cattle.

In 1851 he was joined in marriage with Clarene French, a native of this county. They have three sons. The eldest, Robert H., was born July 14, 1859, and was married in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, September 9, 1886, to Elizabeth M. Burrows, a daughter of James and Amanda Burrows. To this

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union was born two children: Lottie Clarene and Ada Amanda. William French married Jessie Allen, a daughter of Elias Allen, and they have one son, Edson. The youngest son, Nelson J., was born October 15, 1868, and is now at home. Mr. and Mrs. Martin lost two children: Emma Jane, born Septem- ber 19, 1852, died April 10, 1861; and Flora, born April 25, 1855, died June 4, 1856. In his political relations, Mr. Martin affiliates with the Democratic party.

D AVID QUINCY, a prominent and well-to-do farmer of Mentor township, Lake county, Ohio, is a man who has made his own way in the world and is justly entitled to the place he occupies among the representative men of the county.

Mr. Quincy was born in Northampton- shire, England, February 18, 1834, son of Josiah and Rebecca (Drage) Quincy, also natives of that place. His father died at the age of fifty-two years, and his mother at sev- enty-five. They had a family of nine chil- dren, three of whom emigrated to America.

His father being a farmer, David was reared to agricultural pursuits, and has been engaged in farming all his life. When he was nine years old he worked out, receiving thirty-six cents a week. In 1854 he sailed from Liverpool for New York, landing at his destination after a voyage of nine weeks and four days. From that city he went to Rut land, Vermont, where he found employment as a farm hand and where he continued as such until the war came on. In the fall of 1861 he enlisted in Company D, Seventh Vermont Volunteer Infantry, and went South with his command. He participated in the battle of Pearl River, Louisiana, and was at Baton Rouge and Grand Gulf. At the

time he entered the service he weighed 187 pounds, and in less than a year, when he was honorably discharged on account of disability, he was reduced to ninety-six pounds! He was promoted to Sergeant, but was discharged before he ever got to fill the office.

After leaving the army Mr. Quincy re- turned to Vermont and remained there one year. Then he came to Lake county, Ohio, and settled in Mentor township, where he has since resided. Upon his arrival here he pur- chased land, to which he has added by subse- quent purchase until he is now the owner of 188 acres, all nicely improved.

Mr. Quincy was married in the fall of 1863 to Jane Kelley, a native of Washington coun- ty, New York. After her father's death, which occurred in New York, her mother came to Ohio with her family and settled in Lake county, her death occurring some years later in Willoughby township. Mr. and Mrs. Quincy have six children: Emma, Belle, George, Myra, Willis and David.

Mr. Quincy is a member of the Masonic order and the James A. Garfield Post, No. 591, G. A. R., of Mentor, having served as Commander of the Post three years. Politi- cally, he is a Republican, and has served in various local offices.

W ARREN E. SPENCER, one of the progressive farmers of Geauga coun- ty, Ohio, was born in this county in Claridon township, October 18, 1841,. a son of Erastus Spencer, a native of Connecticut, born September 30, 1805. The paternal grandfather, Nathaniel Spencer, was born in Connecticut but removed to Ohio as early in the century as 1811. He bought 600 acres from the Connecticut Land Company, a con- siderable portion of which he developed. He

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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY

was Captain of a company in the war of 1812; his death occurred February 3, 1849. His wife, Lydia Douglas, was born at Hartford, Connecticut, in 1795; she died June 27, 1845. Erastus Spencer was a child of six years when his parents came to the West. He received his education in the pioneer school, and when a young man taught several terms of school in this locality. He was Sheriff of the county in 1840 and for two terms thereafter; he was a member of the State Board of Equalization, and one of the directors of the Painesville & Hudson Rail- road Company for fifteen years. He owned 400 acres of good land and carried on a gen- eral farming business. In 1873 he retired from the farm and settled in Chardon, where he died September 2, 1884. He was married September 25, 1834, to Miss Julia C. Kel- logg, who was born in New Hartford, Con- necticut, November 17, 1810. She came to Ohio with her parents in 1816, and received her education on the frontier; she became a teacher and often had to take her pay in various commodities, as money was a scarce article. She was the mother of six children: Elenora A .; Clinton C .; Warren E .; Tracy A .; Lucy S .; deceased; and Lucy M. Mrs. Spencer died August 31, 1891. She and her husband were consistent members of the Congregational Church, and were charter members of the society at this place, which they supported liberally. Mr. Spencer was a strong Abolitionist, and kept a station of the underground railway. The maternal grandfather of our subject, Asahel Kellogg, was an early pioneer, and with his brother, Cotton, built the first mill in Claridon town- ship; he died March 17, 1843.

Warren E. Spencer is the third child of the family. He was reared to man's estate surrounded by the rude and meager comforts

of the frontier. He attended the district school, and at the age of nineteen entered Oberlin College, where he spent one term. He was married December 31, 1872, to Miss Nancy Douglas, a native of this county and a daughter of I. Douglas, who was the first white male child born in Claridon township; his father, Elijah Douglas, settled in the county in 1811, having removed from Con- necticut; he developed a fine farm before his death, which occurred at an advanced age. Mrs. Spencer's mother was Susannah Taylor, a native of Connecticut; she came to the West in 1828, and is still living at the age of eighty-two years; she is the mother of five children. Mr. and Mrs. Spencer are the parents of three children: Walter A., Tracy C. and Roy E.

On June 7, 1862, Mr. Spencer enlisted in Company B, Eighty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was mustered in at Camp Chase; he was sent thence to Johnson's Island, where he did guard duty until he was mustered out September 26, 1862.

Mr. Spencer owns a finely improved farm of 224 acres; he raises stock and grain, making a specialty of thoroughbred Short- horn and Durham cattle; his father was the first to introduce these famous breeds in this locality. He has excellent improvements and all the comforts that energy and thrift bring together. He is a Republican in poli- tics, and has served very acceptably as Town- ship Trustee.

H. BROWN, one of the leading mer- chants of Perry, Lake county, Ohio, is what in these days is called a hustler. Mr. Brown was born in Painesville town- ship, this county, in 1856, son of Moses and

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OF NORTHEASTERN OIIIO.

Mary A. (Coad) Brown, being the fourth in their family of six children. His parents were born and married in County Wexford, Ireland, and in 1849 came to this country, first settling in Painesville township. Lake county, Ohio, where the father engaged in farming. In 1851 he came to Perry, where he improved a farm of twenty acres and where he spent the rest of his life, dying in 1889, aged seventy years. The aged mother is still living, having reached her seventieth mile-post.

J. H. Brown was reared in his native county and received his education in the village school. He began life on his own responsibility when he was about fifteen. For six or eight years he was engaged in buying and shipping cattle to Buffalo. He opened his present establishment, a general merchandise store, in 1887, and has since conducted it successfully. He carried a well- assorted stock of general merchandise, in- cluding dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes, paints, oils, hardware, etc., and by his genial nature and honorable business methods has secured and holds a good trade. The success he has attained is due solely to his own energy and good management, he having started out in life a poor boy.

Mr. Brown affiliates with the Republican party, takes an active interest in political inatters, and has served as Judge of Elections.

EORGE HURLBURT, a prominent farmer and venerable citizen of Perry township, Lake county, Ohio, is a na- tive of this township and a son of one of its earliest pioneers. He was born Sep- tember 10, 1822.

Moses Hurlburt, his father, was born in Vermont, as also was his mother, whose maiden name was Betsey Parmley. They were married in Vermont and came out to Ohio in 1813, making the journey with an ox team. They settled on the lake shore in the northeast part of what is now Perry township, and here in the midst of the wil- derness they built their cabin and estab- lished their pioneer home. The Indians were numerous in this part of the State at that time, and the forest abounded in deer, bears and wolve ;. Mr. Hurlburt cleared some land, but for several years he was en- gaged in sailing on the lakes. He owned two boats, one of which was lost in a storm. His wife died at the age of thirty two years and he lived to be seventy-four. He was a member of the Methodist Church, and in politics was a Whig. They had four chil- dren: Hannah, Betsey, Johial and George, all having passed away except George.

George Hurlburt was reared in his father's frontier home and received his education in one of the primitive log schoolhouses of the county. When he was twenty years old he started out in life as a stage driver, and sub- sequently was for three years employed on the Ohio canal. After his marriage, which occurred in 1856, he settled in the northern part of Painesville township, and two years later moved to a place on the lake shore north of where he now lives. In 1886 he located on his present farm, 110 acres, most of which he has improved, and which he is now devot- ing to general farming and stock-raising. During his lifetime Mr. Hurlburt has wit- nessed the many changes which have been wrought in this county, developing it from little more than a wilderness to a fine farm- ing country, dotted over with enterprising towns.

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Biographical history of northeastern Ohio : embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake, Part 112

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