USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > Biographical history of northeastern Ohio : embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Trumbull and Mahoning > Part 67
USA > Ohio > Trumbull County > Biographical history of northeastern Ohio : embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Trumbull and Mahoning > Part 67
USA > Ohio > Ashtabula County > Biographical history of northeastern Ohio : embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Trumbull and Mahoning > Part 67
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OF NORTHEASTERN OHIO.
ship with John S. Hunter. This they oper- ated until 1847, when they also established themselves in mercantile trade. In 1874 the mill was sold, and Mr. Watson continued the commercial branchi of the business for a year or two. He died May 17, 1892. In politics he was a Republican; until the last few years before his death he voted the Democratic ticket. He served as Township Clerk and Justice of the Peace for twelve years. He was a man of broad intelligence and strong convictions, and was highly esteemed by the entire community. William Watson mar- ried Peggy Jane Wallace, a native of Law- rence county, Pennsylvania, and a daughter of William Wallace, also a Pennsylvanian by birth. Her mother's maiden name was Breckenridge. Nine children were born of this union, of whom our subject is the fifth; James died in youth; John W. married Emma Page; Albert married Lucy Morgan, and has five children; Cordelia resides on the old homestead; Hugh is deceased: Angeline is the wife of N. Brown, First Lieutenant of the regular army; they have two children: Kate Helen died at the age of six years; Charles E. resides in New York city. Porter Watson was born July 6, 1841, in Lowell- ville, and remained with his parents until he was twenty years of age. He then went out in defence of his country's flag, enlisting in Company I, Seventh Ohio Infantry, for four months. At the end of that period he re- enlisted in the One Hundred and Fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was in this regiment until the close of the war. He was promoted until he filled the office of First Lieutenant, and participated in some of the most noted engagements of the war; he was mustered out June 3, 1865, and returned to Lowell- ville. He has since been employed in the furnaces at Mineral Ridge, Pilot Knob, Mis.
souri, Pittsburg, Sheffield and Birmingham, Alabama, and finally back in Lowellville, where he has been engaged in contracting and farming.
Mr. Watson was married, in 1865, to Miss Lois M. Barclay, a native of Mahoning coun- ty, Olio, and a daughter of Alexander Bar- clay, a native of Ohio. Of this union four children have been born: Helen C. is the wife of Lyman Cowden, and is assistant Post- mistress of Lowellville; Mary M. is at home; Grace W. died in January, 1889; John E. is a student at Youngstown. Politically, our subject affiliates with the Republican party. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the I. O. O. F .; he also belongs to the Knights of Pythias and to the G. A. R. and Veteran Legion.
C W. BUTLER, proprietor of the lead- ing grocery store of Niles, was born in this city, April 21, 1863, a son of Miles G. and Elizabeth (Battles) Butler. The father was born in Mercer county, Pennsyl- vania, was salesman for the Mahoning Val- ley Iron Company for sixteen years, was a inember of the Travelers' Protective Associa- tion, and was a man highly respected by all who knew him. His death occurred March 5, 1892, at the age of fifty-four years. Mr. and Mrs. Butler had seven children, viz .: Allie May, wife of L. H. Cook, of Cleveland; Charles W., our subject; I. E., on the old home farm; Ella, wife of Charles Gearing, of Warren; James P., of Niles; Mary Zell; and Laura Belle, deceased at the age of eleven years.
C. W. Butler, the subject of this sketch, received his education in the high schools of Niles. He was first employed by Young
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
Brothers for a time, next by McConnell & Church about four years, was with George C. Campbell & Company, and also with L. S. Cole & Company. .
Mr. Butler has had about ten years' expe- rience in the grocery business. He now car- ries a full line of fish, staple and fancy gro- ceries, and is one of the most popular busi- ness men of Niles.
October 14, 1884, at Girard, he was united in marriage with Dora B., a daughter of Joseph and Caroline Lintz. They have one child, Charles Raymond. In political mat- ters, Mr. Butler affiliates with the Republi- can party, and socially is a member of the Knights of Pythias, No. 138, of Niles.
P ROF. FRANK J. ROLLER, super- intendent of the public schools of Niles, was born in Washingtonville, Columbiana county, Ohio, a son of Rev. John R. Roller, who was born in Ma- honing county, this State, in 1819. The lat- ter was a son of General J. B. and Elizabeth (Gilbert) Roller. The parents had eight chil- dren; two of the sons were soldiers in the late war: Samuel J., a member of the One Hun- dred and Fourth Ohio Infantry, was a pris- oner at Andersonville nine months; and William A. was also a member of an Ohio regiment. The father died in 1891, at the age of ninety-seven years. Rev. J. R. Rol- ler was reared and educated in Ohio, has been a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church for many years, and is a member of the East Ohio and formerly of the Pittsburg Confer- ence. He was married at the age of twenty- one years, to Hannah Coy, a native of Ma- honing county, Ohio, and a daughter of Samuel and Nancy (Boyer) Coy, natives of
Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Roller had six children, viz .: Anna, the wife of J. R. Mc- Laughlin, of Blair, Nebraska; Jennie, wife of Hon. C. N. Snyder, of Columbiana county, Ohio; Mattie, of Niles; Edward I., now of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, South America; Frank J., our subject; and Aaron, deceased at the age of two years. Mrs. Roller died November 12, 1887.
Frank J. Roller was graduated in the classic course at Mt. Union College in 1881. He took charge of the Niles schools as superintendent in 1888. He has twenty-one teachers on his staff. He is now a member of the Trumbull County Board of Teachers' Examiners, has been active in institute work, and is regarded as one of the best educators of the county. The Professor is also a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In poli- tics he is a Republican.
W ILLIAM W. ROSENSTEEL, a prom- inent and well-known business man of Mineral Ridge, was born in Pitts- burg, Pennsylvania, June 6, 1848, a son of Phillip and Phoebe Rosensteel, he a native of that city, and of German and Irish ances- try. He married Phoebe Wright, a native of that place. They had nine sons and two daughters. Three of the sons were soldiers in the late war: Jacob, a member of Hamp- ton's battery of Pittsburg, was discharged as Sergeant; R. C., a member of the Seventh Pennsylvania Cavalry, served over two years, and after the war returned home to Pittsburg. He came to Mineral Ridge in 1889, and was accidentally killed in October, 1891, leaving a widow and four children.
W. W. Rosensteel, the subject of this sketch, was reared and educated in Pittsburg.
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OF NORTHEASTERN OHIO,
In August, 1862, although only fifteen years of age, he enlisted for service in the late war, entering the First Pennsylvania Battery, under Colonel W. H. Borrows. He served for two years and ten months, and took part in most of the battles and marches of the Army of the Potomac, serving until the surrender of Lee at Appomattox. After the close of the struggle Mr. Rosensteel worked at the carpenter's trade for five years, later as a millwright and mechanical engineer for a time, and in May, 1889, came to Mineral Ridge. Since that time he has been engaged as mechanical engineer for the Mineral Ridge Manufacturing Company in this city, in which he has one-third interest.
Mr. Rosensteel was married at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, November 7, 1872, to Mary E. McDonnough, a daughter of John and Martha J. McDonnough. The mother is a sister of John B. Goff, a prominent railroad official. Our subject and wife have two chil- dren, Phoebe and Martha. Mr. Rosensteel is a prominent and active worker in the Re- publican party, and socially is Commander of the John A. Logan Post, No. 620, G. A. R., a member of the I. O. O. F. and of the Masonic order at Niles. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which the former is an officer. Mrs. Rosensteel is an active worker in the W. C. T. U.
N ORTH NEWTON, a prominent and prosperous farmer of Boardman town- ship, Mahoning county, Ohio, was born at the place where he now lives in the year 1849, son of Sheldon and Rachel (Hahn) Newton. Ilis parents had five chil-
dren, the others being Warner, Olive, George and Sarah. Olive and North are the only ones of this number who are now living.
The Newtons are of English extraction, the first members of the family having come from England to America in 1676 and lo- cated in the Housatonic valley, Connecticut. Sheldon Newton was born in 1804, and died in 1888. His mother's maiden name was Olive Warner, she being a sister of Colonel Seth Warner of Revolutionary fame. Rachel Hahn was born in 1813, and her marriage to Mr. Newton occurred in 1837. They were among the early pioneers of Mahoning county, and he was prominently identified with local affairs here. He owned 150 acres of land; was a director in the Mahoning County Bank, and was vice-president of the First National Bank at Youngstown; was a Justice of the Peace forty years and also served as County Commissioner and Repre- sentative to the State Assembly, being elect- ed to these offices on the Republican ticket. His wife was a member of the Episcopal Church. Warner Newton, the oldest brother of our subject, enlisted in the Union army in 1861, and went out as a member of Company E, Second Ohio Cavalry. He was killed at Five Forks, Virginia, in September, 1861. He was serving as Major at the time of his death.
North Newton was married September 27, 1871, to Marinthe A. Kirk, daughter of William Kirk, of Boardman township, Ma- lioning county. They have two children: Gertrude R. and Sheldon W. Both have been educated at Youngstown and Painesville, this State.
Mr. Newton erected his commodious and attractive residence in 1891, and has one of the finest homes in the township. He owns 150 acres of Mahoning county's best soil, and
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
is engaged in general farming and stock- raising. He is a stockholder in the First National Bank of Youngstown, and is inter- ested in the Poland Milling Company at Poland. He takes an active interest in po- litical issues, affiliating with the Republican party, and has served as Justice of the Peace six years. He is a Freemason. Mrs. New- ton is a member of the Episcopal Church.
OHN S. DAVIS, of Niles, Trumbull county, was born at Berlin, Mahoning county, Ohio, November 2, 1825, a son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Gee) Davis, the former of Irish and the latter of Scotch de- scent. The father removed from Delaware to Mahoning county, Ohio, in 1823. The parents both died in Greene township, Trum- bull county, at the age of eighty-four years, and three uncles of our subject also died in this county at that age. Mr. and Mrs. Davis had twelve children, five sons and seven daughters, and eight grew to years of matu- rity: James, Ed, George, John, Jane, Nancy, Emily and Mary. Ed served a short time in the late war.
John S. Davis, the subject of this sketch, removed to Windham, Portage county, Ohio, in 1845, but in 1855 returned to this county. He also spent a few months in Madison county, Wisconsin. May 28, 1861, he enlisted for service in the late war, joining the Seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company H, and and was honorably discharged July 6, 1864. Mr. Davis participated in the battles of Cross Roads, Winchester, Slaughter Mountain, sec- ond battle of Bull Run, Antietam, Chancel- lorsville, and Gettysburg. After the defeat of General Rosecrans, his command was sent
with the Eleventh and Twelfth Corps under Hooker to Lookout Mountain to the support of Rosecrans, and took part in the battle of Ringgold, where the regiment lost most of its officers, Colonel Creaton and Lieutenant- Colonel Crane both being killed, and Adjutant Baxter severely wounded. Mr. Davis was slightly wounded in the land and left arm at the battle of Chancellorsville. After the close of the struggle he located in Mecca, Trumbull county, for a time, and since 1866 has resided in Niles, where he is engaged at the carpenter's trade. He was Councilman for four years, and at one time chief of the fire department.
Mr. Davis was married, at Windham, Ohio, April 12, 1848, to Fidelia Eggleston, who was born in Portage county, this State, Feb- ruary 14, 1830, a daughter of Zalmon and Laura (Lyman) Eggleston. The father was a native of Dracut, Massachusetts. Mr. and Mrs. Eggleston had four children; Angeline, Fidelia, Laura and Milton. The father died in March, 1847, and the mother departed this life at the age of forty-one years. Mr. and Mrs. Davis have three sons living: Chester M., of Minnesota; Wilber H., of Summit- ville, Indiana, has two daughters: Daisy and Lyla, and Valoris, a resident of Niles, has two sons: Raymond and Kenneth. Four children died in childhood. Mr. Davis affil- iates with the Republican party, and is Past Commander of McPherson Post, No. 16, G. A. R., of Niles.
OHN LEACH, a member of the City Council of Niles, was born at Trumbull county, Ohio, September 6, 1856, a son of Ben Leach, a native of Mahoning county, but now a resident of this township. He
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OF NORTHEASTERN OHIO.
married Mary Royen, a native of Canfield, Ohio. They had seven children, two sons and five daughters.
John Leach, the subject of this sketch, was six years of age when his father located in this township, where he was reared to farm life, and received his education in the district and public schools of Niles. He has been successfully engaged in the stone business in this city for a number of years, and is also a member of the City Council, elected in 1893 by Precinct B. Mr. Leach was married, No- vember 22, 1884, to Miss Millie Reel, a native of Howland township, Trumbull county, and a daughter of Lewis and Eliza (Heaton) Reel. To this union have been born three children: Mertie, May and Lida Mertie; Mertie and May passed away in 1892.
Mr. Leach is an active worker in the Repub- lican party, and is a member of the Royal Arcanum and the American Machinists. The family attend the Disciple Church. He owns a beautiful residence on Evans street, and is one of the jovial and popular men of his community.
C E. STEWART, proprietor of a livery, feed and sale stable of Niles, was born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, No- vember 18, 1869, a son of James S. and Sarah J. (Burnett) Stewart, the former a native of Hubbard, Trumbull county, Ohio, and the ' latter of Carlton, Greene county, Illinois. The parents were married in Vienna, this county, and had five children: Arden C., James M., John T., Charles E. and David B., all living bnt Arden. Mr. Stewart, the father, died June 26, 1893.
C. E. Stewart, the subject of this sketch, liad in 1892-'93 a large barn, 50 x 60 feet,
and kept as fine horses and carriages as could be found in the county. The barn is located on Park avenue, near the hotels and business center of the place; but during the present year he sold out this business. He is known as a reliable business man of Niles.
F RANCIS T. ADAMS .- The first of the Adams family to locate in Trum- bull county, Ohio, was Asel Adams, the grandfather of our subject. His eldest son, David, the father of our subject, was born in Canterbury, Connecticut, February 10, 1784, and came with his parents when a mere lad to Trumbull county, Ohio. For a num- ber of years he was engaged in carrying the mail from Cleveland to Pittsburg on horse- back. After his marriage he located on a farm of 370 acres in Weathersfield and Lib- erty townships, where he was engaged in general farming until his death, October 3, 1855. In political matters, Mr. Adams was first a Whig, later a Republican, served as Postmaster for over thirty years, and was Justice of the Peace a number of years. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church. He married Miss Annie Tylee, who was reared in Hubbard, this county. Of their children we make record as follows: Sybil, born Novem- ber 15, 1815, married Jesse Reeves, and died in Sharon, Pennsylvania; Francis T., born September 23, 1817; Olive Ann, born No- vember 17, 1819, died August 8, 1823; Laura A., born April 26, 1821, married Charles S. Quimby, and died at Sharon, Pennsylvania, April 29, 1872; Eliza Ann, born September 17, 1823, married Jabez Nelson and died in Girard, this county; Augustus A., born July 31, 1826, resides in Trumbull county; the next child died in infancy; Homer S., born
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
December 10, 1829, resides at Youngstown; Harriet S., born July 24, 1832, died April 9, 1836; and William F., born January 26, 1836, is a carpenter at 759 Clark avenue, Cleveland.
Francis T. Adams, the subject of this sketch, was born and raised on the old home farm, and received his education in the sub- scription schools. He remained with his parents until thirty-one years of age. Mr. Adams now owns 154 acres of well improved land, where he has one of the finest orchards in this part of Ohio, and is engaged in gen- eral farming. He is a stannchi Prohibition- ist, as are also his sons, was reared in the Presbyterian faith, and is a man of sterling worth.
February 8, 1848, Mr. Adams was united in marriage with Elizabeth Nelson, who was born September 3, 1815, and died June 16, 1891. They had six children: Charles F., born November 20, 1848, and a resident of the old home farm, was married December 26, 1890, to Mrs. Flora Ferguson, widow of C. W. Ferguson, and a daughter of Almon and Ursula A. (Courtney) William, of Vienna, this county; John, who died February 12, 1866, at the age of fourteen years; Harriet Adella, deceased February 15, 1866, at the age of nine years; Calvin A., at home; and twins, deceased in infancy.
AMES H. BEAN, a dentist at Girard, Trumbull county, Ohio, was born in Lagrange county, Indiana, January 30, 1869, a son of John and Mary (Berry) Bean, natives respectively of Pennsylvania and In- diana. James H., one of a family of nine children, five now living, was reared to farm life, and educated in the public and high
schools of Lagrange. He began the study of dentistry in 1886, with Dr. A. C. Beecher, of that city, with whom he remained two years. For the following two years Mr. Bean was engaged in the practice of his profession, and then entered the Dental College at Cincin- nati, Ohio, graduating at that institution in 1893. Since that time he has practiced den- tistry in Girard, Trumbull county.
June 10, 1891, Dr. Bean was united in marriage with Miss Della Smart, a native of Lagrange county, Indiana, and a daughter of Richard W. and Carolina (Thurston) Smart, natives of England and Indiana. They had five children: Dellin D., Ada, Hannah, Bry- son, and an infant, who died young. Our subject and wife have one child, Mary Vivian Viola. Dr. Bean is a member of the I. O. O. F., and the S. of V. Religiously, the family are members of the Methodist Epis- copal Church.
C. SCHNURRENBERGER, Treasurer of Mahoning county, Ohio, was born in Green township, this county, December 15, 1842. His father, Conrad Schnurrenber- ger, was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, in 1805, and died in Green township, Mahoning county, Ohio, 1885. He was a son of Louis and Barbara (Haller) Schnurrenberger, who came to America with their family in 1824, locating In Beaver township, then in Colum- biana county, now in Mahoning county, Ohio, where they lived and died. They had two sons and five daughters. The mother of our subject, nee Elizabeth Baker, was born in Jessamine county, Kentucky, in 1802, and her death occurred in 1875. She was a daughter of Lewis Baker, a native of Mary- land, although his parents were early settlers
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OF NORTHEASTERN OHIO.
of Kentucky. He emigrated to Green township, Colombiana county, now Mahon- ing county, Ohio, in 1825, where he after- ward died.
J. C. Schnurrenberger, the fifth in a family of seven children, was reared in Green township, this county, and still resides on his parents' old homestead. He has always been a Democrat in political matters. In 1873, he was made Director of the County Infirmary, which position he held until 1876. In 1880, he was elected Assessor of Green township, and in 1892 became the candidate of his party for Treasurer of Mahoning county, having been elected by a majority of 280 votes. The county usually went Republican by as many as 1,000 votes. His term will expire in September, 1895.
Mr. Selinnrrenberger was married in 1873, to Miss Sarah J. Stoffer, a native of Green township, Mahoning county, and of German descent. Her parents came from Pennsyl- vania to this county in an early day. Mr. and Mrs. Schnurrenberger have had nine children, five of whom are now living.
Z EBULON PARK CURRY, Clerk of the Courts of Mahoning county, was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, May 15, 1849. His father, John Curry, was born in Westmoreland connty, Pennsylvania, Octo- ber 10, 1810, and his parents were of Scotch descent. The mother of our subject, nee Harriet Collins, was a daughter of John Col- lins, of English parentage, and a resident of Pennsylvania. She died in Pittsburg in 1852, at the age of forty years. Mr. and Mrs. Cur- ry had four children, of whom our subject is the only one now living. After the mother's death, the father married Sarah, a danghter
of Colonel Mathiet, then a wealthy and prom- inent citizen of Laughlintown, Pennsylvania, where Mrs. Curry was born in 1821. John Curry and wife removed to Poland, Ohio, in 1869, where they still reside. The former is eighty-three years of age, but is a hale, healthy and active man. He followed the trade of a stair carpenter in early life at Pitts- burg, but afterward became a commercial traveling man, having remained on the road for over forty years. For the last several years he has been living a retired life.
Z. P. Curry, the subject of this sketch, was reared in Pittsburg. At the age of fifteen years he became an errand boy in the bnsi- ness honse of McFarland, Collins & Com- pany, in Pittsburg. In 1870, he became a partner in the concern, but in 1876 the firm discontinued business. During the same year Mr. Curry again embarked in mercan- tile pursuits in Poland, Ohio, bnt fourteen years afterward the store was destroyed by fire. However, in the fall of 1887, he was elected Clerk of the Courts for Mahoning county, entering that office February 9, 1888; hence he closed his mercantile interests after the burning of his store, and has since de- voted liis time to the duties of the office. He was re-elected to that position in 1890. Mr. Cnrry is a Republican in political matters, has always been an active worker in his party, and has performed his official duties with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of the public. His term of office will expire in February, 1894. As a citizen he is a very popular man, and enjoys the confidence and esteem of many friends.
In 1875, Mr. Curry was united in mar- riage with Nora R., a daughter of F. W. Jenkins, a prominent grocer of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. They have two children: Glasgow Dean and Athens M. E. Mr. Curry
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BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY
is blessed with a happy and accomplished family, which numbers among the highly re- spected residents of the city. They enjoy a high social standing, and reside in a hand- some home at No. 241 Madison avenue. Our subject is an active and popular member of several social fraternities. He has been a Mason since 1881, and is also a member of the I. O. O. F., of the Canton Royal of that order, of the order of Elks, and of the K. of P.
W ILLIAM HENRY DANA, F. C. M., President of Dana's Musical Insti- tute at Warren, Ohio, whose fame as a musical and literary author is interna- tional, was born in the city in which he re- sides, on June 10, 1846. He comes of New England stock, among whom are the New Hampshire Danas, so many of whom have been distinguished in jurisprudence and journalism; literature and science, including Professor James S. Dana, of Yale College, and Charles A. Dana, of the New York Sun. Professor Dana, of this notice, is related on his mother's side to the Potter family, so well known as educators, jurists, theologians and literati. With these stimulating ex- amples and ancestors it is less surprising that the subject of this sketch should have distinguished himself in paths of learning and usefulness to mankind.
Mr. Dana was reared in his native city of Warren and obtained his English education at Williston Seminary, East Hampton, Massa- chusetts. He was but a mere boy when the war cloud broke over the great Republic, and, impelled by youthful enthusiasm and heroism, he entered the army, serving first in the One Hundred and Seventy-first Regi- ment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, of the West-
ern Department, under General Burbridge. On the expiration of his term of service he immediately re-enlisted in the One Hundred and Ninety-sixth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under command of General Han- cock, whose field of operations were in the valley of the Shenandoah, and young Dana was a familiar figure at that general's head- quarters. The young soldier was thence transferred to the staff of General Shoepf, where he remained until the close of the war.
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