USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > Biographical history of northeastern Ohio : embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Trumbull and Mahoning > Part 44
USA > Ohio > Trumbull County > Biographical history of northeastern Ohio : embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Trumbull and Mahoning > Part 44
USA > Ohio > Ashtabula County > Biographical history of northeastern Ohio : embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Trumbull and Mahoning > Part 44
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He is the only child of Ansol and Emma B. (Bartlett) Miner, and when he was three years old had the misfortune to lose his father. Ansol Miner was born in Hartford, * this county, and was engaged in farming here all his life. The Doctor's mother now makes her home with him. Dr. Miner was married November 10, 1892, to Miss Winifred L. Wilkenson, daughter of Rev. Hudson L. Wilkenson, associate editor of the Pittsburgh Christian Advocate. Our subject and his wife are members of the Methodist Episco- pal Church.
Dr. Miner secured the nomination for Coroner from the Republicans and was elected in the fall of 1893.
A BRAM KLINE, a farmer of Liberty township, was born at Briar Hill, Ohio, May 5, 1831, a son of Peter Kline, who was born in Northampton county, Pennsylvania, in 1802. He was a son of Abram Kline, a native of Pennsylvania, but was one of the early settlers of Youngs- town, Ohio. Peter Kline came from Briar Hill to Liberty township, Trumbull county, was a drover by occupation and an extensive cattle dealer. At one time he drove 200 head of cattle over the mountains, first having
them shod. He was a prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and gave $3,800 for the erection of the house of worship of that denomination at Church Hill. Mr. and Mrs. Peter Kline had four children: Sarah Lynch, deceased; Zenas, one of the prominent citizens of Liberty town- ship, died in August. 1888; Abram, our sub- ject; and Jenny, wife of Rev. C. W. Reeves, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Churchi, of Cleveland. Mrs. Kline departed this life in 1877, at the age of seventy-two years, and Mr. Kline died at Girard, at the age of eighty-eight years.
Abram, our subject, was reared and ed- ucated in Mahoning county, Ohio, and caine to Trumbull county about 1880, locating on the old Kline homestead, known as " Sun- ny Side." This place consists of 325 acres of fine agricultural land, has a large resi- dence, good barns and sheds for cattle. Mr. Kline has also a fine herd of short-horn cattle.
Ile was married at Coitsville, December 30, 1852, to Lucy A. McCartney, who was born on Federal street, Youngstown, Ohio, a daughter of James and Elizabetlı (Maxwell) McCartney. Mrs. Kline was a successful and popular teacher, teaching at Coitsville and in Liberty township, Ohio. Mr. Kline taught school at North Lima, Ohio. Our subject and wife have two children living: Frank Maxwell, a farmer now living near the old home, who married Mattie Keizer, and they have four children: Mabel, Zenas. Vincent and Allen; and Effie, wife of W. W. Ash- ald, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, and they have one daughter, Lucy. Mr. and Mrs Kline lost two children by death; Mary Esther, who was the wife of C. F. Baird. She was educated at Monnt Union College, and was a successful and popular teacher for twenty .
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terms, and at her death, left one daughter, Effie; and James, deceased in infancy.
Mr. Kline affiliates with the Prohibition party, and in 1893 was a delegate to the State Convention at Cleveland. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, a Trustee and a Class-leader.
H ARRIS EWALT, one of the leading farmers of Howland township, Trum- bull county, Ohio, was born on the farm on which he now lives, October 7, 1818. His father, John Ewalt, was born in New Jersey, near Philadelphia, February 1, 1776, son of Jacob Ewalt, whose father, Jacob, was a native of Germany. He emi- grated to this country, and lived in New Jer- sey until he reached the advanced age of 115 years, when he mysteriously disappeared, nothing ever having been heard of him. John Ewalt was married November 6, 1803, to Rebecca Ewalt, a native of Pittsburg, Penn- sylvania, and a daughter of Samuel Ewalt, a noted Indian fighter and one of the first set- tlers of this county. In 1801 John Ewalt came on horseback to Trumbull county, Ohio, and upon his arrival in what is now Howland township he bought 160 acres of land, the farm on which his son Harris now lives. His primitive log cabin was in time replaced by a modern brick residence, and as the years rolled by he developed a fine farm. Here he and his wife reared their family, passed the rest of their lives and died, his death occurring in 1858, at the age of eighty-three years, and hers in 1843. He was a prominent man among the pioneer settlers, and his good wife was noted far and near for her Christian acts of kindness. Following is a brief record of their ten children: Samuel H., born in 1804; .
Sarah A., 1806; Abigail, 1808; Jacob, 1810; John and Rebecca, twins, 1812; Hetty, 1814; Z. T., 1816; Harris, 1818; and William H., 1820. Three of these sons, Jacob, Z. T. and Harris, lived to celebrate their golden wed- dings on the farm on which they were born and on which they had thus far passed their lives.
Harris Ewalt was married December 29, 1841, to Margaret S. Trew, a native of Weath- ersfield township, this county, and a daughter of Andrew and Jane (King) Trew, she being of Scotch-Irish descent. They have had four children: John A., born May 25, 1843, was a member of Company B, One Hundred and Fifth Ohio Regiment, and died at Louisville, Kentucky, in July, 1863; Henry Clay, born December 28, 1844, is engaged in business at Pittsburg; Eliza Jane, born in 1846, died at the age of eighteen months; and Charles Harris, born January 13, 1848.
Charles Harris Ewalt was married June 4, 1873, to Ida Hoyt, of Painesville, Ohio, danghter of Comfort L. and Eliza (Bright) Hoyt. They have had four children: Harry, born September 5, 1874, died March 20,1875; Mary L., born March 14, 1876; Bessie, born August 5, 1881; and Karl H., born July 31, 1884. The family are members of the Pres- byterian Church. Mr. Ewalt is a Republi- can, and has never failed to vote since he was of age. He is a member of the Masonic order.
OHN REEVES, whose fine farm and comfortable home is located in Howland township, Trumbull county, Ohio, is ranked with the prominent and well-to-do citizens of the county. A resume of his life is as follows:
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OF NORTHEASTERN OHIO.
John Reeve's was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, March 21, 1815, son of John Reeves, Sr., one of the first settlers of the county. The senior Mr. Reeves was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, June 6, 1781, son of Abner Reeves, a native of New Jersey and a soldier in the Revolu- tionary war. John Reeves, Sr., was married in Washington county, Pennsylvania, April 16, 1801, to Sarah Quinby, a native of that county, born April 30, 1786, she, too, being the daughter of a Revolutionary soldier. In 1802, not long after their marriage, they came to Ohio and settled in the woods of Trumbull county, being surrounded on all sides by wolves, bears and Indians. Mr. Reeves was drafted for service in the war of 1812, but procured a substitute. Mr. Reeves came out here in a canoe, with guides, while his wife subsequently made the journey on horseback. During the war of 1812, they removed to Washington county, Pennsylva- nia, and when the war closed they returned to Trumbull county. For a number of years they kept hotel. After a long and useful life he passed away November 20, 1851, and his good wife was called to her last home, Febru- ary 3, 1880, she having reached the ad- vanced age of ninety-four years. Bothi were zealous members of the Baptist Church, he being a Deacon for many years. Politically, he was a Whig. They had twelve children, as follows: Arthur, Samuel Q., Abner, Jesse, Ephraim, Joseph P., John, Lewis R., Sarah, Reno, Engene Little, Nancy Dawson, and Hannah Barnes.
The subject of this sketch was reared in the town and on his father's farm and in Trumbull county, and received his education in a little log schoolhouse near by. After he grew up he gave his attention to farming chiefly, and traded in cattle and hay, buying
and shipping and doing a profitable business. In 1849, when California gold fever spread over the country, he caught the disease, and, equipped with a mule team and other neces- sary articles, holding the honorable and important position of " M. M. D." (master mule driver), he started on the long and tedious journey across the plains. In due time he reached his destination, having been 101 days in making the trip from the Mis- souri river to California. He was gone four- teen months, a part of which time he was engaged in trade on J street, Sacramento, and then for three months he was engaged in mining. He returned East by the Isthmus ronte. During the Civil war he was active in the Union cause. He raised a company of 100 men, was given a Captain's commission, and he and his company became a part of the One Hundred and Fifth Ohio Regiment. He also helped to raise the Sixth Ohio Cav- alry. His farm in Howland township com- prises 172 acres and has excellent improve- ments upon it. His brick residence, sub- stantial barns, etc., together with his broad pastures and well-cultivated fields, all have the appearance of thrift and plenty.
Mr. Reeves was married February 21, 1839, to Harriet Mason, a native of Essex county, New York, and a daughter of Am- brose and Jemima (Turner) Mason. Mr. and Mrs. Reeves have had six children, four of whom are living, namely: Abner R., a resi- dent of Wright county, Iowa; Sarah, wife of James Lamb, Warren, Ohio; Mary Parsons, and John Reeves, Jr., a commercial traveler.
Politically, Mr. Reeves is a Democrat. He served as County Treasurer in 1856-'57, having been the first Republican elected to to that office. For over forty years he has served most of the time as Justice of the Peace. On various occasions he has served
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as delegate to conventions. Personally, he is a man of genial nature and generous im- pulses, and his many estimable qualities have endeared him to a large circle of friends and acquaintances in this county where he has lived so long.
A MES McROBERTS, a farmer of Weathersfield township, Trumbull coun- ty, was born at Belfast, Ireland, April 5, 1833, a son of Andrew McRoberts, who was born in county Down, that country, in 1804. The latter was a son of Andrew McRoberts, Sr., a native of that county, and his father was born in the lowlands of Scotland, but removed to Ireland at the time of the Cromwell war. The mother of our subject, nee Mary McClure, was a native of county Down, Ireland, and a daughter of James McClure. The latter was a brother of Sergeant-General McClure, of the British navy. The mother of Mrs. Mc- Roberts was Georgiana Witherspoon, a cousin of Dr. John Witherspoon, one of the fifty- six signers of the Declaration of Independ- ence. Mr. and Mrs. Andrew McRoberts came to Austintown, Ohio. The former died in September, 1863. He was identified with the Democratic party, and was a member of the Covenant Church. Mrs. McRoberts, born in 1817, died at New Castle, Pennsyl- vania, in 1881, at the age of sixty-four years. They bad eight children: James, John B., Georgiana, Caldwell P., Mary Ann, Jordan, Helen and Rachel. John B. enlisted for ser- vice in the late war in 1861, in Company B, Third Ohio Infantry. For gallant service at Perryville he was promoted to the rank of Captain, and later had command of the guard that hung Mrs. Surrat and the other con- spirators, at Washington, District of Colum-
bia. C. P. was also a soldier in the Civil war, in the Nineteenth Ohio Infantry, but died of disease contracted in service, at the age of twenty-three years. Helen and Mary Ann were both successful teachers at New Castle, Pennsylvania.
James McRoberts, the subject of this sketch, was reared and educated at Austin- town, Ohio. For thirteen years he was superintendent of a coal mine, and later was foreman on a railroad. March 15, 1865, he enlisted for service in the late war, entering the One Hundred and Ninety-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company B. After the close of hostilities Mr. McRoberts was en- gaged in the oil region nntil 1868, and in that year came to his farm of ninety-three acres in Trumbull county, which is under a fine state of cultivation. He makes a specialty of market gardening.
October 12, 1858, our subject was united in marriage with Laura M. Draper, a daugh- ter of Elihu and Rachel (Dunlap) Draper. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. McRoberts, Nathan Draper, came to Trumbull county, Ohio, in 1803, locating on a farm which had partially been cleared by the Indians. Nathan married Hannalı Cartwright, and both died on the above mentioned farm, the former at the age of ninety-four years, and the latter at seventy years. Rachel Draper's death was caused by being frightened by burglars. They had nine children: Kittie, John, Mary, Will- iam, Laura, Hannah, Nathan, Elihu and Warren. Nathan was a soldier in the Nine- teenth Ohio Infantry, and his death occurred in Arkansas, in 1879. Warren also served in that struggle, in Company C, Nineteenth Ohio Infantry, and was honorably discharged at San Antonio, Texas, December 25, 1866.
Mr. and Mrs. James McRoberts had four children: Ida May, engaged in business at New
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OF NORTHEASTERN OHIO.
Castle, Pennsylvania; Emily Alice, wife of J.P. Smitlı, of Mahoningtown, Pennsylvania; John P., a resident of Niles; and Mary Rachel, who died June 25, 1893, at the age of twenty-five years. She was a lady of intelligence, cnl- ture and refinement, and was loved by all who knew her. The wife and mother died May 30, 1870, having been a consistent member of the Disciple Church. In 1871, Mr. Mc- Roberts married Isabelle White, widow of John White, and a daughter of William and Catherine (Justice) Arnold, natives of Law- rence county, Pennsylvania. Both died in this connty. Politically, Mr. McRoberts affil- iates with the Republican party, and socially is a member of the G. A. R., McPherson Post, No. 16. He has been a member of the Presbyterian Church for many years. Mr. McRoberts is well informed on the general topics of the day, is a good student and his- torian, and favors education, religion and temperance.
T. MASON, a farmer of Trumbull county, Ohio, was born in Essex county, New York, December 10, 1816, a son of Jude Ambrose Mason, a native of Washington county, that State. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and was one of the leading citizens of Essex county, New York, for a number of years. His father, Nathan Mason, was a son of a minis- ter, and was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. The Mason family in America are descended from three brothers who came from England in an early day, and two located in New England and one in Virginia. Ambrose Mason married Jemima Turner, a native of Washington county, New York, and in 1835 they came to Trumbull county, Ohio, where
the latter died at the age of seventy-six years. Mr. Mason departed this life at the age of ninety years. He was a farmer and mechanic by occupation, and was identified with the Democratic party. He was Judge of the Court of Common Pleas in New York, was the first postmaster of Niles, and was Justice of the Peace four years at Girard. Mr. and Mrs. Mason had eleven children: Lncy, Mandy, Eliza, Dean E., Electa M., H. T., H. H., Harriett, and three deceased in Essex county when young. For history of the Mason family, see biography of H. H. Mason, in this volume.
H. T. Mason, the subject of this sketch, was reared and educated in his native place, and was afterward engaged as a sailor on Lake Champlain between Port Henry and White Hall. In 1835 he came to Trumbull county, Ohio, worked by the month for eight years, farmed on rented land seven years, owned and operated a foundry for eighteen months in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and then returned to this county. He now owns 235 acres of fine farming land, where he lias two dwelling-houses, large barns, and many other improvements.
Mr. Mason was married, in Howland town- ship, Trumbull county, at the age of twenty- three years, to Margaret Cherry, a native of this place, and a danghter of John and Re- becca (Hank) Cherry, who came from Greene county, Pennsylvania, to Howland township, and both are now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Mason have had five children, namely: Am- brose, who was a soldier in the late war. He enlisted first in April, 1861, three months' service, Company B, Nineteenth Ohio Volun- teer Infantry. His second enlistment was in the Forty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company A, in which he served about one year, when he received a commission from Gover-
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
380
nor Tod, as Second Lieutenant to recruit for the One Hundred and Fifth Regiment. After serving a few months as Lieutenant he was promoted to the rank of Captain of Company C, One Hundred and Fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He died at At- lanta, Georgia, August 24, 1864, at the age of twenty-four years, and was buried at Chat- tanooga, Tennessee; Allien, deceased at the age of five years; Albert H., on the home farm; Clara, wife of T. A. Winfield, of Niles; and Jesse E., also at the home farm. The great loss of this family was in the death of the beloved wife and inother, September 12, 1882, she having been a consistent member of the Disciple Church. Mr. Mason affiliates with the Republican party, and served as County Commissioner for six years during the late war, when it took men of nerve and good business ability to carry on the finance of the country, He is an officer in the Dis- ciple Church, and is honored and respected by all who know him.
P ETER FENSTERMAKER, deceased, was during his life one of the respected citizens of Trumbull county, Ohio. He was born in Pennsylvania, a son of German parents who emigrated from Saxony to this country and located in the Keystone State, where they reared their family, passed the rest of their lives and died. Their set- tlement in this country was previous to the Revolutionary war, in which the father of our subject was a participant. Peter Fenster- maker was reared to farm life in his native State, and was there united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Goldner, she, too, being of German extraction and a native of Pennsyl- vania. Soon after his marriage he came to
Jackson, Mahoning county, Ohio, where he lived a number of years. In the spring of 1841 he moved to Champion township, where he located a tract of timber land, sixty acres in extent, the same property on which his son Joseph now lives. His life was not unlike that of the other pioneers in this sec- tion of the country. He built a cabin home in the woods, toiled early and late the year round, working at the coopers' trade in win- ter and in summer devoting his energies to clearing and cultivating his farm. His life was characterized by simplicity, honesty and industry. He made it a point to attend strictly to his own business. By his many estimable qualities he won hosts of friends, few of the early pioneers being more highly respected than he. He was a member of the Lutheran Church, and in politics was a Dem- ocrat. He and his wife had a family of ten children, of whom we make record as fol- lows: Samuel, a resident of Champion township, is engaged in farming; Susan, de- ceased, was the wife of Jerry Shafer; Eli, who is engaged in farming in Noble county, Minnesota, served all through the late war as a blacksmith in the Sixth Ohio Cavalry; George, a lumberman, resides in Farmington township, this county; Sarah, wife of Abner Munson, lives in Vienna, Ohio; Joseph, of whom further mention is made in the con- clusion of this sketch; Peter, who served in the Sixth Ohio Cavalry all through the late war, died in Champion township, this county, from the effects of exposure inenrred during his service; Charles, who is engaged in farm- ing in Bazetta township, this county; Lewis, also a farmer of this county; and Eliza C., who died in early childhood. The father of this family died at the age of seventy-five years, the mother surviving him a few years and dying at about the age of eighty-one.
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OF NORTHEASTERN OHIO.
Joseph Fenstermaker was born in Jackson, Mahoning connty, June 15, 1841, and in his infancy was bronght by his parents to Cham- pion township, Trumbull county, to the farm upon which he now lives. He remained on the home farm, caring for his aged parents until their death, after which he bought out the other heirs to the farm, and has contin- ued to occupy the old homestead, consisting of sixty acres. He was married at the age of thirty-one to Miss Adaline Clemens, a native of this township and a daughter of William Clemens, one of the oldest settlers in the township. They have two children: Carrie, wife of Sherman Shafer, of this township; and Charlie, who lives with his grandfather Clemens.
The Fenstermaker home is located five miles and a half north of Warren, and is one of the most attractive country seats in this vicinity. The residence is surronnded with evergreens and ornamental trees, and there are about 500 rods of Osage hedge on the place. Mr. Fenstermaker is one of the most progressive men in the township. Politi- cally, he is a Democrat.
C HARLES HOLMAN, the leading photographer of Warren, Ohio, is located in the Franklin Block, where his elegant parlors are arranged according to his own plans and ideas. Hle has long been identified with this business in Warren, hav- ing been first employed by Mr. Rice, a prom- inentartist of this city, and in 1878 succeeded Mr. Potter, whose gallery and equipments he purchased, the establishment at that time being located at No. 25 Park avenne, the quarters now occupied by the Y. M. C. A. He continued business there until he moved
to his present location. He now has one of the finest operating rooms in eastern Ohio. His apartments are commodious and are ar- ranged with regard to both elegance and con- fort.
Charles Holman is a native of Nortlibor- ongh, Massachusetts, and is a son of Na- thaniel and Mary B. (Rice) Holman, also na- tives of Massachusetts. His parents were descended from some of the oldest families in New England. His father died in Massa- clinsetts a number of years ago, and after his death his mother came to Ohio, and made her home with her son. She died while on a visit to New England, in 1890. They had a family of three children, of whom Charles is the only one now living. When he was a lad of five years he went to New York city, where he grew to manhood, and from the time he was nine years old he has been self- supporting. His youth was spent in a shoe factory in that city. In 1868 he came to Warren, Ohio, and spent one year with his uncle, Mr. Rice, the photographer above re- ferred to. He then returned to New York, this time to Utica, where he became asso- ciated with a shoe company, with which lie remained until 1875. That year he returned to Warren and entered the photograph gal- Jery of his uncle, with whom, as above stated, he learned the business.
Mr. Holman was married February 4, 1871, to Miss Ann Colgan, a daughter of James F. Colgan, of Brooklyn, New York, Mr. and Mrs. Holman have two children: Charles and Mary.
With fraternal circles Mr. Holman is prom- inently identified. He is a thirty-second de- gree Mason, a member of the uniform rank, Knights of Pythias, and is also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In the latter organization he has filled all the
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
chairs and served as District Deputy. He was one of the organizers and active workers in the leading I. O. O. F. team of the State of Ohio. This team performed the work at the meeting of the Sovereign Grand Lodge at Columbus, in 1889. In politics Mr. Hol- man is a Republican.
R EV. THOMAS SWAIN, Postmas- ter of Sodom and Justice of the Peace of Liberty township, Trumbull coun- ty, Ohio, was born in Shropshire, Eng- land, November 20, 1831, a son of Charles and Ann (Upton) Swain, the former a native of Birmingham, Warwickshire, and the latter of Shropshire. When Thomas was three months old his parents moved to Blaina, Mommonthshire, Wales. At the age of six years he began working in the mines, follow- ing. that occupation until coming to America, at the age of thirty-two years. Mr. Swain landed at Portland, Maine, April 13, 1864, was afterward engaged in mining for a time at Six Mile Run, Bedford county, Pennsyl- vania, spent five months at Hickory Corners, Mercer county, that State, later went to Co- shocton, Ohio, and in 1867 came to Trumbull county. He was engaged in mining until 1887, and in that year began farming on a tract of land he had purchased in 1877. Mr. Swain now owns thirty acres of well im- proved land, where he is engaged in general farming. He is a staunch Republican in his political relations, has served as Justice of the Peace in Liberty township since 1884, and Jaunary 15, 1891, was appointed Post- master of Sodom, which position he resigned Angust 15, 1893.
He was married at Llanelly, Breconshire, Wales, December 31, 1853, to Miss Eliza
Ann Howell, a native of Bath, Somersetshirc, and a daughter of Thomas and Eliza Ann Howell. They have now been married nearly forty years, yet their love for each other has increased, while they enjoy the confidence and esteem of their community. Mr. and Mrs. Swain have had four children, but all were gathered to their Master in infancy.
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