Biographical history of northeastern Ohio : embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Trumbull and Mahoning, Part 62

Author: Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 786

USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > Biographical history of northeastern Ohio : embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Trumbull and Mahoning > Part 62
USA > Ohio > Trumbull County > Biographical history of northeastern Ohio : embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Trumbull and Mahoning > Part 62
USA > Ohio > Ashtabula County > Biographical history of northeastern Ohio : embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Trumbull and Mahoning > Part 62

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A. JUSTICE, the able and popular City Solicitor for Youngstown, Ohio, was born in Mahoning county, this State, March 16, 1837. His parents, John and Nancy (Sexton) Justice, were pioneer settlers of Ohio, and active participators in its early de- velopment. His mother was a relative of 34

Mr. Sexton, the great Irish lawyer of to-day. HIer father, Stephen Sexton, was a native of Pennsylvania, of pure Irish parentage, and a farmer by occupation. In 1818, he joined the western tide of emigration, removing to Mahoning county, Ohio, where he settled on new land in the woods, which he transformed by industrious cultivation and valuable im- provements into one of the best farms in the county. He was of the Protestant faith in religion, and he and his worthy wife died in their Ohio home, he at the age of ninety-six years, and both followed by the regret of many friends. John Justice, father of the subject of this sketch, a man of upright char- acter and kindly disposition, was a tanner and currier by trade, which he learned in New Castle, Pennsylvania. He operated a tan- nery in Mount Jackson, Pennsylvania, for six or eight years, when, about 1823, he re- moved to Austintown, then in Trumbull, but now in Mahoning, connty, Ohio, where he re- sided until his death, in 1883, at the age of cighty-nine years. He was an Elder in the Presbyterian Church for more than forty years and Treasurer of the same for more than twenty-five years. He was a modest, un- assuming man and worthy citizen, not aspir- ing to public office and declining to hold a position of trust except in the church, in which he was a devont and earnest worker. His genial, kindly spirit drew friends from far and near, for all of whom he had a warm hand and generous heart. He and his worthy wife lived happily together for more than sixty-four years and celebrated their golden wedding. The devoted wife and mother died ninety days before her husband, the latter of whom so shortly followed as if unable to endure a separation after so many years of close companionship. She was a generous, noble, Christian woman, a consistent member

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of the Presbyterian Church, in which she was an active worker. The influence of her quiet, earnest life, and thoughtful care for others, still lingers to bless those of her household and the community where she led a long and useful life. Eight out of thirteen children reached maturity and four survived the death of the parents: Morrison, a prosperous farm- er of Goshen township, Mahoning county, Ohio; Sarah Jane, wife of A. P. Taylor, a prominent citizen of Denver, Colorado; the gentleman whose name heads this sketch; and Eliza, since deceased, who was the wife of John Thompson, a well-known resident of Austintown, Ohio.

Mr. Justice, of this notice, enjoyed the ad- vantages of a common-school education until he reached the age of nineteen, and learned his father's trade of tanning, which work, however, he abandoned on account of ill health. He then entered a Presbyterian Academy at Poland, Ohio, remaining there two terms, after which he attended Mahoning Academy, in Canfield, this State, without, however, completing any specified course. He then taught school five winters, attending the academy during the summer, and is es- sentially self-made, the only assistance to ward attaining a higher education which he received having been three months' board. He enjoyed teaching, but his ambition led him to abandon that occupation for the more lu- crative one of law. He commenced reading law by himself at night while teaching and engaged in other pursuits, and then spent six months in the law office of Hon. S. W. Gil- son, of Canfield, being admitted to the bar in the fall of 1867. In the spring of 1868, Mr. Justice entered into partnership with his pre- ceptor, Mr. Gilson, under the firm name of Gilson & Justice, with whom he continued to practice for three years. At the end of this

time, the partnership was dissolved, Mr. Jus- tice remaining in Canfield. The first suit which he tried alone was a land case, in which his former partner was opposing counsel, and Mr. Justice won the case, of which victory he was justly proud.

In 1870, Mr. Justice was elected Justice of the Peace of Canfield and Clerk of the Union School Board, and through his efforts and those of J. W. Canfield, still living, a new and large union school building was erected. This action was taken because Mr. Justice had learned that the administrators of Simeon Jennings, a millionaire, who had just died, had in their possession several hun- dred thousand dollars, which could be used for that purpose, and in this manner procured a first-class school building at small cost to the remaining tax payers. In 1872, Mr. Justice removed to Youngstown, where he continued to practice his profession, and took an active part in securing the removal of the county seat from Canfield to Youngstown in 1876. In the fall of 1873, county officers were nomi- nated irrespective of politics, on what was known as the "removal ticket," and Mr. Justice was nominated for Prosecuting At- torney, against William Osborn, the former Mayor of Youngstown, by a vote of 125 to fifteen, and was elected by a majority of more than 2,500. While Mr. Justice was Prose- cutor, he sent for a young man in Indiana, who became his partner, and is now ex-Civil Service Commissioner and practices law in Chicago, his name being Hon. L. D. Tho- man. In March, 1888, Mr. Justice formed a law partnership with M. W. Johnston, a per- sonal friend, with which gentleman Mr. Jus- tice had tried many cases at the Mahoning county bar, and when engaged on the same side they were never beaten but twice. Mr. Justice's present partner is Thomas Mc-

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Namara, Jr., a capable lawyer, a graduate of the Law College in Cincinnati, Ohio. In the spring of 1892, Mr. Justice was nominated for City Solicitor by the Democrats and elected, notwithstanding the fact that the city was 600 majority for the Republicans, and he still holds that office.

Mr. Justice has given much attention to fraternal beneficiary societies, in the affairs of which he has taken a prominent part. He has been Representative three times to the Grand Lodge of Knights of Pythias, also Past Grand Master of the A. O. U. W. He has been Representative four times to the Supreme Lodge of A. O. U. W., and has just been elected Supreme Representative to that supreme body, which meets in San Francisco, California, next June. He is also now Chair- man of the Supreme Committee on Laws and Appeals for the Heptasophs. He is a mem- ber of the People's Five Year Benefit Order of Solon, the International Progressive As- sociation, the International Fraternal Organ- ization, and the Royal Templars of Temper- ance.

He has been prominently identified with local musical matters for many years, having served as choir leader in the Presbyterian Churches of Canfield and Youngstown for twelve years, and was once offered the posi- tion of teacher of vocal music in the Youngs- town public schools.

Mr. Justice was first married to Dorcas Hitchcock, an estimable lady of Canfield, an old class-mate of his, and they had two danghters: Flora, wife of J. W. Mansell, a successful carpenter of Youngstown; and Lilla, wife of George Morrison, a prosperous farmer of South Dakota. Mr. Justice was called upon to mourn the death of his de- voted wife in 1872, in which sorrow he had the sympathy of numerons friends, who

knew and appreciated her Christian virtues. She was a devoted member of the Presby- terian Church and prominent in all good works. In 1874, Mr. Justice was married to Miss Helen Warner, also an academic elass- mate of his and for many years a successful teacher. They had four children: Charles W., a stenographer, now in Mr. Justice's office; Clara, a student of stenography; Frank and Nettie, at school. In March, 1883, Mrs. Justice died, leaving an infant four weeks old. She was a woman of superior ability and rare worth of character, an active mem- ber of the Presbyterian Church, and a de- voted wife and mother. In 1885, Mr. Jus- tice was married to his second wife's sister, Miss Rose Warner, an educated and refined lady, of Lorain county, Ohio. Both Mr. and Mrs. Justice are prominent and useful mem- bers of the Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church of Youngstown.

In politics, Mr. Justice is a Douglas Demo- crat, deeply interested in public affairs and the good of his country. He is genial, courteous, enterprising and progressive, of commendable public spirit and the highest integrity and morality, and reflects credit on his community, which has often sought to honor him.

AMES CLARK, another one of the rep- resentative citizens of Brookfield town- ship, Trumbull county, was born at this place May 5, 1831, son of Samuel and May (Smith) Clark. He is the oldest of three children, his brothers being John D. and Peter S. The former died in 1851, at the age of twenty years. Samuel Clark was born iu Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1801. He was a carpeuter by trade, at which occupation he

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worked in early life, but later settled down to farming and stock-raising and became a prominent and wealthy man. He and. his wife were members of the Disciple Church, and in politics he was a Democrat. Grand- father Clark was born in Dungannon, Tyrone county, Ireland, and in 1784 came to America and located at Pittsburg. When a young man he was a brewer, but the later part of his life was devoted to agricultural pursuits. Grandmother Clark was born in the northern part of Scotland. They were among the early settlers of Trumbull county. He died at Warren in 1834, and she passed away at Hubbard.

James Clark was reared on the farm and at an early age was engaged in driving stock on the road. He farmed and dealt in stock, and later carried on merchandising in con- nection with his farming operations. He now has an undertaking establishment at Brookfield. At one time he owned 120 acres of valuable farming land, and gave consider- able attention to the raising of sheep.

In June, 1851, Mr. Clark married Elsie Ann Waldorf. Her mother was born in Ire- land, June 10, 1802, and died February 26, 1841, and her father, a native of New Jersey, was born October 25, 1795, and died October 25, 1836. The latter was by trade a gun- smith and blacksmith. Mr. and Mrs. Clark have six children, a record of whom is as fol- lows: Temperance A. was married in December, 1872, to Jolin H. VanSlyke; Florence G. is the wife of Edward H. Fussle- man; Samuel W. married Kate McMullen, in March, 1876; John D. married Martha F. Welch, August 26, 1880; Ellen L. mar- ried V. J. Groves, June 17, 1879; and James C. married Alice C. Taylor, February 6, 1889. Samuel W. Clark is extensively en- gaged in the fruit business on his father's

farm, making a specialty of strawberries. This year, 1893, his strawberry crop amounted to 300 bushels.

Mr. Clark is an active politician and is identified with the Democratic party. For twenty-one years he has served as a Justice of the Peace. He has on different occasions been the choice of his party for Represent- ative and Senator, but each time was defeated by his Republican opponent.

A LBERT C. BURNETT, who is en- gaged in the insurance business at Warren, Ohio, has his office in room No. 1, in the Franklin Block. Mr. Burnett has had an experience of fifteen years in the insurance business and for the past five years has been at his present location. He represents no less than eighteen com- panies, fire and tornado, and prominent among these companies we mention the following: North America, Northern, Lancashire, Ohio Farmers', Milwaukee Mechanics', American of Philadelphia, Phoenix of Hartford, Phenix of Brooklyn, Pennsylvania, West Chester, and Western, of Toronto. He first engaged in the insurance business in 1877, in the lit- tle town of Hartford, this connty, and in 1883 lie moved from there to Cortland, where he remained until coming to Warren.

A. C. Burnett was born near Niles, Ohio, June 8, 1847, son of Joseph and Casandria (Courtney) Burnett. His father is still liv- ing in Hartford, Ohio, at the age of 86; and his mother died in May, 1892. He moved to Hartford with his parents when he was nine years old, and there grew to manhood, working on a farm and in a sawmill nntil lie was sixteen. His parents still reside at Hartford. He received his education in the

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OF NORTHEASTERN OHIO.

common schools, the academy at Hartford, and the Edinboro (Pennsylvania) Normal School. When he was sixteen he began teaching school, and taught for fifteen terms, being engaged in teaching up to the time he engaged in the insurance business, with the exception of three or four years when he was farming with his father. Mr. Burnett is especially adapted for the business in which he is now engaged, and probably does a larger insurance business than any other man in the county, his operations extending over Trumbull county and into the southern part of Ashtabula county.

Politically, Mr. Burnett is a Democrat. He has been placed in nomination for various offices by his party, but, being with the party which is largely in the minority here, he has failed of election. Personally, he is affable and courteous, and makes friends wherever he goes. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., Mahoning Lodge, No. 39, and also of the Royal Arcanum.

Mr. Burnett was married in 1868, to Miss Florence Townsend, of Brookfield, danghter of Coles and Fannie Townsend. Mr. and Mrs. Burnett are the parents of six children: Della, Mary, Fannie, Josie, Cassie, and Al- bert. Della is the wife of E. L. King and resides in Los Angeles, California, and Mary is the wife of Charles Lewis, of Warren, Ohio. The other children are at home. Mr. and Mrs. Burnett are members of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church. Their residence is located at No. 133 Belmont street.

F RANK WHITE is one of the well- known and highly esteemed citizens of Berlin township, Mahoning county, and a loyal citizen of the commonwealth of

Ohio. He was born in Yorkshire, England, August 4, 1835, a son of Joseph and Jane (Mead) White; his parents were born, reared and married in Yorkshire, and in 1848 emi- grated to the United States; they settled in Goshen township, Mahoning county, Ohio, where the father died in 1873, leaving a widow and four children; Mrs. White sur- vives, at the advanced age of eighty six years, and resides in Goshen township, Ohio. Her children are: Matthew; Mary, wife of Will- iam Casidy; Henry; and Frank. Joseph White was a Republican in his political views, and in his religious faith was a Methodist; lie was a farmer by occupation, and was one of the worthy pioneers of Mahoning county. Frank White was a lad of thirteen years when his parents came to the United States, and located in Mahoning county; in his own country he had attended the common schools of Yorkshire, and also the common schools of this land.

During the late war when Lincoln called for 300,000 men, Mr. White responded, joining Company H, One Hundred and Fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Angust 1, 1862; he served in this regiment until June 3, 1865, when he was honorably discharged. He took an active part in the battle at Perryville, Kentucky, as a member of Captain Parsons' battery, and was there taken prisoner; he was paroled, sent to Camp Chase, and in March, 1863, joined his command at the front; he participated in the engagement at Hoover's Gap, Murfreesborough, Chickamanga and Mis- sionary Ridge, and with General Sherman through the Atlanta campaign on his march to the sea; he returned through the Caro- linas and on to Washington, District of Co- lumbia, where he was present at the grand review after the establishment of peace. Mak- ing a desperate effort to escape at the battle

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of Perryville, leaping from his horse, Mr. White injured his wrist and has never fully recovered from his hurt. Returning to his home he resumed the peaceful occupation of agriculture.

In 1872 he purchased the farm on which he now resides; he has a fertile tract of forty- seven acres, which is well improved in every particular; the land is under good cultivation and the dwelling, barns and cribs are most substantially built. The chief feature of the live-stock is a herd of Jersey cows, that pro- duce as fine butter as any graded animals in the county.

Mr. White was married June 4, 1868, in Goshen township, Mahoning county, Ohio, to Lydia Davis, a daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Silver) Davis, residents of Goshen township. Of this union one daughter has been born, Clara M. Politically, Mr. White affiliates with the Republican party ; he has served as Trustee of his township, and in 1886 was the choice of his party for County Commissioner; he was elected to the office, and served two terms. Hc discharged his duties with rare fidelity, winning the con- fidence of the entire community whose inter- ests lic represented. He is a member of Kirkbride Post, No. 600, G. A. R., and for the first three years of its organization was Commander, a position for which he is pecu- liarly fitted by a wide experience. He is now Quartermaster.

W ILLIAM I. HAHN is a member of the firm of J. Hahn & Son, dealers in general merchandise, Greenford, Ohio. His father, Jesse Hahn, was born in Springfield township, Mahoning county, Ohio, March 10, 1819; he remained under the pa-

rental roof until twenty-seven years of age; after he had attained his majority he worked for his father for $50 a year, and at the end of six years had saved the most of his earnings. After his marriage he managed his father's farm until 1851, when he embarked in mer- cantile trade with his brother Tobias, at New Middleton; they conducted the business six years, and he then removed to Orangeville, Ohio; at the end of nine years the business was closed out, and Mr. Hahn came to Green- ford and entered into partnership with Jon- athan Ernst, under the firm name of Ernst & Co .; they carried on a dry-goods business until the spring of 1875, since which time the firm has been J. Hahn & Son. Politi- cally Mr. Halin affiliates with the Democratic party, and for many years served the people of his township as Treasurer. His parents, Joshua and Catherine (Martin) Hahn, were natives of Maryland, descended from Ger- man ancestors, who first settled in Maryland after emigrating to the United States. Jesse Hahn was married in 1846, to Elizabeth Seitner, who was born in Mahoning county, Ohio, in 1824, the daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Rummel) Seitner. Three children were born to them: Saralı, wife of E. R. Fell; William I., the subject of this biographical sketch; Alvena, wife of A. W. Thompson, of Orangeville, Ohio; they have two children: Hattie E. and Sadie.

William I. Hahn was born February 28, 1851, in Mahoning county, Ohio, and until six years of age lived with his parents in Springfield township; thence they removed to Orangeville, and afterward to Greenford. In 1875 he became a partner of his father in the general mercantile business at Greenford, having been employed as a clerk previous to this time. He was married in 1871, to Caroline E. Schroy, a native of Mahoning

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OF NORTHEASTERN OIIIO.

county and a daughter of Henry and Char- lotte (Robins) Schroy, who were also born in this county; they reared a family of two sons and four daughters. Mr. and Mrs. Hahn are the parents of four children: the eldest died in infancy; Estella Z. is a stu- dent of music; Alvena M. died January 19, 1893, at the age of fifteen years: she was a pupil in the Canfield Normal School; Jesse H. died in March, 1880, aged seven months.

Mr. Hahn supports the issues of the Re- publican party, and for ten years has served the people of his township as Treasurer; he was elected Justice of the Peace in 1893, and in December, 1889, was appointed Postmas- ter. He is a man of good business ability, and enjoys the confidence and esteem of the en- tire community. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, Greenford Lodge, No. 514, and he and his wife belong to the Lu- theran Church, of which he is a Trustee.

AURIN D. WOODWORTH, an attor- ney of Youngstown, was born Sep- tember 10, 1837, in Windham, Portage county, Ohio. He was the second son of William and Lurannah M. Woodworth. Mr. Woodworth's parents emigrated to Ohio, in 1835, from Madison county, New York. Upon both sides of his house he is of Anglo-Saxon lineage and his ancestry were American since early in Colonial days. His grand- father, Joseph Woodworth, was a Revolu- tionary soldier, serving for five years, chiefly in the Continental line. Several of his moth- er's relatives were also soldiers in that war.

The boy life of Mr. Woodworth was passed upon a farm among " the clearings." His school education began in a country district school. At the age of thirteen years he be-

came a student in Windham Academy, where he remained two years, after which he en- tered the Western Reserve Eclectic Institute, now Hiram College, where he remained, oc- casionally omitting a term to teach, as a means of paying his way, until the age of twenty. In one particular at least, he was fortunate in the matter of education: his mother, whose maiden name was Ensign, having been a teacher in a Connecticut semi- nary, was well prepared to superintend the early education of her children. Mr. Wood- worth has been often heard to say that to his early home training he was largely indebted both for the desire for and the foundation of such an education as he was afterward able to obtain.

Upon the completion of his course at Hi- ram he entered upon the study of the law in the office of Hon. O. P. Brown, a very prom- inent lawyer, abolitionist and politician of Ravenna, Ohio. While a law student at Ra- venna he was a member of the County Board . of School Examiners, serving with James A. Garfield, afterward President of the United States, with whom he had been a student for a short time at Hiram.

After his admission to the bar, Mr. Wood- worth, to better qualify himself for the prac- tice of his profession, took a course of study in the Ohio State and Union Law College, from which he received the degree of Baclie- lor of Laws.

He was married, October 6, 1859, to Miss Celia A. Clark, of Windham, Ohio, who is still living. A short time before this event he had entered into a partnership for the practice of his profession with his former preceptor, Mr. Brown, which business rela- tion continued until interrupted by the war.

Iu politics, Mr. Woodworth was a Repub- lican of the Abolition school. The extreme

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anti-slavery men of his section upon the day of the execution of John Brown held a meet- ing of conference and sorrow at Charleston, Ohio, at which he was the speaker. A large mob of men, who thought otherwise, gathered, and a little distance from the stand rang bells and fired guns in token of rejoicing and for the purpose of breaking up the meeting, which, however, they did not succeed in do- ing.

In the campaign of 1860, which resulted in the election of Abraham Lincoln, Mr. Woodworth took an active part as a campaign speaker. When the war broke ont in the spring of 1861 he at once placed himself at the service of Union leagues and committees, and so large a share of his time was given to

· attendance at meetings in various localities that he, in justice to his law partner, with- drew from the firm. He enlisted in Cotter's Battery, afterward Battery A, First Ohio Light Artillery, for the three months' service, but was rejected by the examining surgeon for total blindness of right eye. In July, 1862, he was appointed Major of the One Hundred and Fourth Ohio Volunteer Infan- try, then a paper regiment, but which was so rapidly recruited that early in August it went into camp of rendezvous at Massillon, Ohio, with 1,800 men. This was more than the. number required, and from the overplus the One Hundred and Fifteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry was formed. In the latter part of August the regiment was ordered to join General Nelson, who was then in southern Kentucky. Near Covington, Kentucky, it was met by the advance column of Smith & Heath's Rebel Division and driven back be- hind the works at Fort Mitchell. Here on the 10th of September the first engagement took place. That night the enemy retreated, closely followed by the Union forces, a part

of which was the One Hundred and Fourth Ohio. This retreat continued until a junction had been formned between Heath & Smith's division and Bragg's army, when the battle of Perryville was fought. In this battle, how. ever, Major Woodworth's regiment was not engaged. From this time until winter put a stop to further operations he was engaged with his command against guerrilla forces under Pegram and the noted John Morgan. As the enemy were generally mounted this involved severe and incessant marching, fre- quent attacks, and often shortage of supplies. The result npon Major Woodworth was the incurrence of a disease from which he has never fully recovered. He was offered a transfer into the invalid corps then proposed for an army of occupation, but this he de- clined upon recommendations of the surgeons of his regiment, upon whose certificate of disability he was honorably discharged De- cember 26, 1862. From this time until the autumn of 1864 he was in Cincinnati and other places, under treatment of specialists.

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Biographical history of northeastern Ohio : embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Trumbull and Mahoning, Part 62

Author: Lewis Publishing Company Publication date: 1893 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 786

Author: Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1893
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 786