Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 108

Author: Doyle, William B., b. 1868
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1150

USA > Ohio > Summit County > Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens > Part 108

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Mr. Bishop owns some of the finest Jer- sey stock in this section of Ohio, taking a great deal of interest in it, but not engaging in farming to any extent.

Mr. Bishop married Anna L. Swearer, who is a daughter of Alfred Swearer, of Browns- ville. He is affiliated with the Republican party but is not active. He is prominent in Masonry, belonging to Tyrian Lodge, F. & .1. M., of Cleveland; Webb Chapter, R. A. M .; Oriental Commandery, K. T .; Lake Erie Consistory, and Al Koran Temple of the Mystic Shrine.

THOMAS BLACKBURN, a well-known citizen and retired farmer of Hudson Town- ship, was born October 9, 1833, near Gains- borough, on the River Trent, Lincolnshire, England, and is a son of William Blackburn, who died during the Civil War.

Thomas Blackburn came to America in 1858 and located at Peninsula, with his brother John, who had come to America four years previously. In September, 1861, he en- listed for service in the Civil War, entering Battery D, First Ohio Light Artillery, under Captain Conkle, and after the close of his first enlistment, he re-enlisted in 1863, and was honorably discharged July 15, 1865. His first service was in the Western army but

863

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

after the Atlanta campaign, he was connected with the Southern force.

After his return from his military ser- vice Mr. Blackburn rejoined his brother at Peninsula, and in the following year was married and then settled on a farm which was owned by his father, in Hudson Township. It contained sixty-six acres and he rented the estate for five years, and culti- vated it antil six years since. To the original tract he added sixty-eight acres, and to this his son has added eighty more, making 215 acres. It is well stocked, and under the care- ful management of Mr. Blackburn and son, has been developed into a fine place. The aged mother lived with Mr. Blackburn until her death, at the age of ninety-three years, during the latter part of her long life being blind. Mr. Blackburn has two brothers, namely: John, who lives near Peninsula; and Henry, who lives at Cleveland.

On April 10, 1868, Mr. Blackburn was married to Hannah Cowley, who was also born in England, being four years of age when her parents brought her to America. They were Joseph James and Hannah (Hunt) Cowley. Her father settled at Middlebury, where he carried on a blacksmith business. Mr. and Mrs. Blackburn have had six children, as fol- lows: Florence J., Harry James, Lotta, Mary Edna, and two who died in infancy. Flor- ence J. married Frederick Stauffer and at her death, January 6, 1903, left two children: Alice and Louise. Harry James married Clara Shaffer, and they have four children : Grace Augusta, Meta Aileen. Helen and Har- riet. On May 13, 1898, he enlisted for three years as first lieutenant of Company B, Eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served under General Shafter at Santiago, Cuba and was honorably discharged at Wooster, Ohio, No- vember 21, 1898. Prior to the Spanish- American War he had been a member of the Ohio National Guards. entering April 23, 1893, in the following July was made corporal, on May 12, 1894. sergeant, on June first, 1896, second lieutenant, and first lieutenant, July 15, 1896. After the close of the Span- ish-American War he retained Ins commis-

sion as first lieutenant, and in September, 1899, he was elected captain and so continued until he resigned his commission in 1902, when he was honorably discharged. He is bookkeeper in the First National Bank at Akron. Mr. Blackburn's second daughter, Lotta, married R. E. Miller, and they reside in Hudson and have one daughter, Claire Louise.

In politics, Thomas Hudson is a Repub- lican. For twelve years he served as a trustee of Hudson Township and took an active in- terest in public affairs. He is a member and liberal supporter of the Congregational Church. He belongs to W. T. Sherman Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and Mrs. Black- burn is serving her fifth year as president of the Woman's Relief Corps.

L. H. OVIATT, county commissioner of Summit County, residing at Hudson and owning farming and cattle interests near Hudson, has his official residence in the Court House at Akron. He was born in Por- tage Township, Summit County, Ohio, in 1860, and is a son of Salmon F. Oviatt.

The grandfather of Mr. Oviatt was Benja- min Oviatt, who, with his brother, Herman Oviatt, came to Ohio from Connecticut, and settled near Hudson, Summit County, in 1802, when this whole country was a wilder- ness. Benjamnn Oviatt resided there until IS47, when he removed to Twinsburg Town- ship, where he lived until his death. Salmon Oviatt, father of L. H., resided at Hudson, where he was born in 1827, until his father moved to Twinsburg Township, and he still resides on the same farm, having reached the age of eighty years. He has long been a prominent citizen of that section.

L. H. Oviatt was reared and educated at Twinsburg and subsequently became an ex- tensive farmer and cattle raiser. Ever since attaining manhood he had been active in politics, and has served in all the important township offices. having been a member of the School Board. assessor and trustee. In the fall of 1901, Mr. Oviatt was first elected county commissioner, and assumed the duties

864

HISTORY OF SUMMIT COUNTY

of the office in the fall of 1902. Ilis re- election took place in the fall of 1904. Mr. Oviatt has been chairman of the building commission for the erection of the Court House, and is also a member of the Summit County Agricultural Socity.

Mr. Oviatt was married in September, 1881, to Nina E. Slocum, who is a daughter of John Slocum, who was born in New York and be- came later a resident of Akron. Mr. and Mrs. Oviatt have two children: Ida, who is the wife of Silas E. Sawyer, who is en- gaged in a grocery business at Falls Junction, Ohio, and Fayette L., residing at home. Mr. and Mrs. Oviatt are members of the Congre- gational Church at Twinsburg. Mr. Oviatt is a member of the Knights of Pythia -.

KENT A. FULMER, a representative citi- zen of Bath Township, who owns forty acres of excellent farming land one mile east of Hammond's Corners, was born in Sharon Township, Medina County, Ohio, February 27, 1862, and is a son of Jacob and Matilda (ITigh) Fulmer.

Jacob Fulmer was born in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, and as a young man re- moved to Wayne County, Ohio, subsequently going to Sharon, Medina County, where for thirty years he was in the potash business. He then engaged in farming, and at the time of his death, in 1892, owned a tract of sev- enty-one acres, in Sharon Township. Mr. Fulmer was married to Matilda High, who is a daughter of Abraham and Hettie (Whis- tler) High, the former of whom was an uncle of County Treasurer U. G. High, of Sum- mit County. Mr. and Mrs. Fulmer had the following children: Ida E., who married William Wagar; Norman L., Kent 1., Jen- nie E., who married Alexander Steese : Abbie, who married Harland Ganyard, and one child which died in infancy. Mrs. Fulmer was married (second) to Andrew Kaskey, who died in 1903. Mrs. Kaskey now makes her home with her son, Kent A.

Kent A. Fulmer was reared in Sharon Township, where he carried on farming until he attained his majority, at which time he

went to Akron, where, for three years, he worked in the boiler works. He then entered the employ of the Goodrich Rubber Company, with which he remained seven years, after which he worked one year at the Diamond Rubber Works, and for three years more, he was employed at the Whitman-Barnes Rub- ber Works. In 1900 he purchased his pres- ent farm, buying from Jeff Mull, and here he has carried on agricultural pursuits quite successfully, and in addition thereto performs the duties of constable of Bath Township, having been elected to that office in 1901, on the Republican ticket. Ile is a member of the Knights of the Maecabees.

In January, 1884, Mr. Fulmer was mar- ried to Annie Ritchie, who is a daughter of George Ritchie, and they have one child, Opal, who married Miller Underwood.

CHARLES BOLTZ. a well known citizen of Bath Township, who owns 178 acres of fine farming land located about one mile cast and one-half mile south of Hammond's. Corners, was born June 19, 1866. just south of Ghent, Bath Township, Summit County, Ohio, and is a son of Peter W. and Elizabeth (Sheets) Boltz.

Peter W. Boltz was born and reared in Pennsylvania, where he was married. After the birth of three children, Mr. Boltz came to Ohio and settled first in Bath Township, where he engaged in work by the day. Later he rented the present property of J. Hershey, in West Bath, and there resided for eighteen years, but at the end of this time removed to William Hardy's place, one-half mile cast of Botzum, in Northampton Township. rent- ing this farm for three years. The next year was spent on the W. B. Doyle farm in Port- age Township, and the family then removed to a farm of sixty-seven acres near Harris Mill, in Bath Township, which Mr. Boltz had purchased in the previous year. The house on this farm burned down while Mr. Boltz was sick. and he was removed to the old Wil- liam Barker farm, where he died while his own house was in course of being rebuilt. Mr. and Mrs. Boltz were the parents of eleven

865

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

children, all of whom but one are living, namely: Amelia, who is the widow of W. Bennage; Thomas, who resides at Cuyahoga Falls; Jane, who is the wife of Alfred Carver, of Akron; Charles, Sadie, who is the wife of George Snyder; John, who lives at Akron; Albert, who resides in Bath Township; Sher- man and Sheridan, twins, and Carl. Clara died when eleven years of age. Mrs. Boltz still survives and makes her home in Bath Township.

Charles Boltz was educated in the schools of his native section and until marriage re- sided at home. After this, he and his wife went to housekeeping on a rented farm in Northampton Township, where they resided for one year, then removed to a farm in Bath Township, which they rented for two years, and subsequently located on the old Stephen Dales farm in Copley Township. After two years on this place, they lived at Hammond's Corners, for a year, and then came to the present farm. Mr. Boltz rented a large part of the farm for five years before he purchased it, and to the original tract, he subsequently added sixty-three acres which adjoined it. bringing it up to 178 acres. Ile carries on general farming and dairying, keeping from ten to twenty cows.

In 1890 Mr. Boltz married Lydia Myers. and they have three children, namely : Edith, Harley and Irma.

BURT DONCASTER, funeral director at Hudson, was born in Tallmadge, Summit County, Ohio. August 1, 1865, and is a son of James and Louise (Collins) Doncaster.

The grandparents of Mr. Doncaster were William and Hannah (Darley) Doncaster, who were born and married in Lincolnshire. England. After coming to America they lo- cated at Streetsboro, Portage County, Ohio, but later moved to Hamden, Geauga County. The grandfather met an accidental death at Chardon.

James Doncaster, father of Burt, was born July 20, 1836, in Streetsboro Township, Por- tage County, and died at Hudson, March 30. 1906. He learned carriage-making at Tall-

madge and followed this trade after coming to Hudson, together with undertaking, be- coming a member of the firm of Wadhams & Doncaster, in 1871, later buying Mr. Wad- ham's interest. He married Louise Collins, who was born at Brimfield, Summit County, August 7, 1837, who was a daughter of John Collins, who came to Ohio from Pennsylva- nia. The two children born to this marriage are : Burt and Grace, the latter of whom was born July 13. 1867, and both reside at IFud- son. James Doncaster was a Republican in his political views and frequently filled public office, serving many years as township trustee, also as assessor, and for thirty years was su- perintendent of the Hudson cemetery. He belonged to Hudson Lodge, F. & A. M.

Burt Doncaster was two years old when his parents came to Hudson, where he acquired a common school education. He became an employe of the Adams Express Company and remained with them for twenty years, during one year of that period living at Cleveland, and during three and one-half years at Cuya- hoga Falls. He succeeded his father in the undertaking business, and later attended an embalming school at Sandusky. Mr. Don- caster has well-equipped quarters and is pre- pared to answer every call in his line of busi- ness.

On October 23, 1887, Mr. Doncaster was married to Nellie Scott. who was born at Bedford and is a daughter of De Witt Clin- ton and Adlantha (Acker) Scott. They have four children : Hazel, born January 12, 1889; Harley. born February 3, 1891; Lena Rose. born June 22. 1898, and Clarine Mil- dred, born June 30, 1902. Mr. Doncaster is a Republican.

HORACE LAWRENCE DEACON, resid- ing on the old home farm, in Hudson Town- ship. Summit County. Ohio, on which he was born May 1, 1833. is one of the representa- tive citizens of this section. His parents were John and Julia Ann ( Lawrence) Deacon.

The grandfather of Mr. Deacon was Mar- maduke Deacon. who was born in Ireland. In 1805 he came from Washington County,

866

HISTORY OF SUMMIT COUNTY

Pennsylvania, to Summit County, Ohio, buy- ing 160 acres of land in Hudson Township, which was a portion of the present home farm. To his original purchase he added, buying from the Connecticut Land Company, and he became a large owner of valuable lands in this section. His wife, Mary Carter, died in July, 1806, in the little log cabin which had been completed in the previous April. She left motherless. the little four- year-old son, John, who was born in Penn- sylvania. He grew to sturdy manhood and cultivated 101 acres of the land now owned by his grandson, L. W. Deacon. John Dea- con married Julia Ann Lawrence, who was born at Seabrook, Connecticut, in 1813, and was a daughter of Martin Lawrence, who came to Hudson Township in 1817. They had the following children: Horace Law- rence, John Wesley, formerly a resident of Hudson Township, where he died aged sixty years; Mrs. Caroline Campbell, who is de- ceased; David, residing at Hudson; Mrs. Emily Slubaugh, widow, residing at Cleve- land; Cyrus B., who died at Hudson: Ed- mund, residing in Bath Township; Louis; Lucinda, who is deceased; Frederick, residing at Akron, and Louisa, who married John Musson.

Horace L. Deacon spent his childhood in the old log house which was built by his grandfather. On this land he has continued to carry on agricultural pursuits, and is con- sidered one of the excellent farmers of Hudson Township. He lived for a short time in Boston Township, but his home has mainly been in the vicinity of his birth. On May 12, 1863, he was married to Electa Johnson, who was born in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and is a daughter of Clark and Polly (Ferris) Johnson. Her grandfather came from Penn- sylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Deacon have three children : Emma, who married Frank Oviatt, residing in Northfield Township, have two children, Cliff and Opal; Julia May, who married Van Nostram, residing in Northfield Township, have two children, Mildred and Arleen, and Lawrence, who married Beatrice Della Van Nostram, has had two children,

Harold Lawrence, deceased, and Kenneth Samuel. In politics, Mr. Deacon is an inde- pendent voter.

JOHN KEMERY, a well-known resident of Bath Township, who owns a fine 160-acre farm, was born March 1, 1842, in Wayne Township, Wayne County, Ohio, and is a son of Daniel and Susanna (Yergin) Kemery.

Daniel Kemery came to Wayne County, Ohio, from New York, and was here married. He rented farming land in Wayne Town- ship, on which he lived until his death in 1850. He left a widow and five children, namely: Catherine, deceased, who was the wife of Benjamin Allman; David, who died in the fall of 1906; Caroline, who is the wife of Jared Sheldon; John and Samantha Jane, who married Silas Payne, of Richfield.

John Kemery was about eight years of age when his father died, and the oldest of the children was not more than fourteen. Both he and his brother, David, were put out to work for neighboring farmers at an early age. In 1851 the mother removed to Rich- field Township, where she owned a tract of fifteen acres, and there John Kemery was principally reared. The mother died in Rich- field Township in 1883. Prior to his mar- riage, Mr. Kemery was engaged in the lum- ber business and in operating a sawmill, but afterward settled on a farm he bought in Richfield Township, from which he removed in 1882 to his present property, this being purchased in partnership with Israel Baum- gardner, whom he later bought out. Mr. Kemery has made many improvements, in- cluding the erection of all the buildings, the clearing of about fifty acres and setting out of trees. He has one of the best cultivated farms in the township and has been very successful in his farming and dairying in- dustries. In 1900 Mr. Kemery served as real estate appaiser of Bath Township.

Mr. Kemery was married in Richfield, in 1865, to Mary A. Peach, who is a daughter of David and Elizabeth Peach, and they have one son, Melvin Orlando, who was born Au- gust 31. 1866. He is engaged in farming

867

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

the home place. He married Anna Snyder, · who is a daughter of Isaac and Pauline (Powell) Snyder.

WILLIAM F. MILLER, general farmer and stockraiser of Bath Township, who re- sides on his well-improved property of fifty- two acres, was born September 6, 1853, at Canton, Ohio, and is a son of David and Mary (Killinger) Miller.

David Miller was born in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, where he was reared, and shortly after his marriage he came to Can- ton, Ohio, where he worked at shoemaking and also carried on farming. In 1856 he re- moved to Copley Township, Summit County, where he purchased a farm of eighty acres, one mile north of Copley, on which he re- sided until retiring from agricultural pur- suits in 1875, when he removed to Copley Center, and there his death occurred in April, 1904, aged ninety-four years. His wife had died in August, 1876. They were the parents of the following children: Mahlon, who died an infant at Canton, Ohio; Alice, who mar- ried Albertus' Kellar, of Portage County, Ohio; Caroline, who is the widow of Urias Miller, lives at Battle Creek, Michigan ; Eliza- beth, who is the wife of William Vickers, who is a farmer of Fulton County, Michigan, and William F.

William F. Miller was reared in Copley Township, and all of his mature life has been spent in farming, with the exception of six years, when he was engaged in teaming at Akron. He remained at home until he was married, when he rented a farm in Copley Township for one year, and then removed to Richfield Township, to what was first called Baldwin's, and later Miller's Corners, just across the Bath Township line. He purchased a farm of eighty acres in 1877, but in 1893, removed to Akron, where he lived for six years, and then returned to his farm for an equal period. In 1905 Mr. Miller sold that farm and purchased his present one.

In 1876 Mr. Miller was married to Mary Goodman, who is a daughter of Peter and Mary (Jackson) Goodman. She was born

and reared in Pennsylvania, and moved to Copley when about twelve years of age, at which place the father died in 1888. Her mother still lives at Copley. To Mr. and Mrs. Miller the following children have been born: Clarence, who died at the age of eighteen months; Marcia, who died when twenty-five years old, was the wife of Harry Brock, and left one child, Clarence Brock, who lives with Mr. Miller; Earl, who is a shipping clerk for a large Cleveland shoe house, married Gertrude Vallen ; Maude and Dana, who live at home, and Leta, who died at Akron, aged six years.

PHILIP J. HEINTZ, a highly esteemed resident of Bath Township, Summit County, Ohio, where he owns and operates ninety-six and three-quarters acres of excellent farming land, was born in Germany, January 20, 1839, and is a son of Philip and Mary (Baird) Heintz.

Philip J. Heintz was six and one-half years old when his parents left Germany for America, and on June 15, 1845, the family arrived at Akron, Ohio. One month later they removed to Coventry Township, where the father had purchased a farm of fifty acres. On this farm the parents of Mr. Heintz spent the remainder of their lives.

Philip J. Heintz was the next to the oldest and is now the oldest living, of a family of eleven children. He was reared in Coventry Township and was trained to be a farmer on the home place, on which he remained until March, 1878. On Thanksgiving Day, 1877, he purchased his present property, to which he moved when he left the homestead. HIe erected the house and barn, and after the destruction of the barn by fire in July, 1892, he built his present substantial one, which is 38x66 feet in dimensions.

On November 23, 1865, Mr. Heintz was united in marriage with Mary Hendricks, who is a daughter of Jesse Hendricks. She was reared in Pennsylvania, and when the other members of her family removed to Iowa, she accompanied her sister to Akron. Mr. and Mrs. Heintz have one child: Henry,

868

HISTORY OF SUMMIT COUNTY

who was born August 20, 1869. He is um- married and helps his father to operate the farm.

EDWARD E. ROGERS, one of Hudson's prominent citizens, who has been identified with its important interests during a long and useful life, was born in Hudson Town- ship, Summit County, Ohio, January 14, 1836. Ile is a son of Norman and Minerva (Lusk) Rogers, and a grandson of Henry and Mary (Day) Rogers, who came from Massa- chusetts and settled in Deerfield Township, Portage County, in 1800.

Norman Rogers was born at West Spring- field, Massachusetts, and he was twelve years of age when he accompanied his parents to Deerfield Township, where he lived four years and then came to Hudson Township. He became a man of influence here and for a number of terms served as a justice of the peace. In early political life, he was a Whig, but later became affiliated with the Re- publican party. He died in 1862. He mar- ried Minerva Lusk. who was born in New York and died in 1839. She was a daughter of Capt. Amos Lusk, who was an officer in the War of 1812, and his wife, Mary (Adams) Lusk, the latter of whom was a cousin of John Quincy Adams. They had a farm two miles northeast of Hudson. They reared five ehil- dren, namely: Amos, who died aged eighty years, residing at that time in Michigan; Laura, who died in 1877; Mary, who died in 1895: Ilorace, who died in 1894; and Ed- ward E. The late Horace Rogers resided with his brother Edward until his death. He was a well-known artist and the work of his pen and peneil may be seen in the old atlas of Summit County.

Dr. Rogers has passed the greater part of his life in Hudson and is one of her most. highly esteemed citizens. From the loeal schools he attended a preparatory course in the Western Reserve, and when twenty-four years of age began the study of dentistry, which he praetieed for a short period in Me- dina County, but afterward returned to Hud- son. Occasionally, Dr. Rogers still practices,

but to no great extent. For some thirty years, he has also been interested in a fire and accident insurance business, representing some of the leading organizations of the country. Dr. Rogers is identified with the Republican party and has been a leading and influential factor for many years. Ile served two terms as mayor of Hudson, for twenty- five years was a justice of the peace, and for over that time served as township clerk.

On March 13, 1867, Dr. Rogers was mar- ried to Catherine A. Whedon, who was born in the residence which the family occupies, at Hudson, in which she has lived all her life. Hler parents were John B. and Catherine (Wells) Whedon, the latter of whom was born in Connecticut, and the former in Ohio. Her father built the present residence and a drug store adjacent, the latter of which he conducted for many years. Mrs. Rogers is an accomplished pianist and for a number of years taught instrumental music. They have two daughters, Elizabeth Minerva and Catherine Wells, both residing at home. The former has been a teacher in the State insti- tution for the Feeble-minded, at Columbus. The latter has been a stenographer at Cleve- land. Dr. Rogers and family belong to the Episcopal Church.

COULSON MONROE FOSTER, general farmer and representative citizen of Twins- burg Township, where he operates a large farm, owning 135 1-4 aeres, was born in Bos- ton Township, Summit County. Ohio, May 13. 1846, and is a son of Edwin Francis and Ann Elizabeth (Deisman) Foster.

Pardon Foster, the grandfather. came to Summit County from Rochester, New York, when Edwin Francis was nine years of age. The latter grew to manhood here and ac- quired a large amount of land in Summit County, one farm of seventy-five acres, one of 128 acres, a third of 135 aeres, and still another of 180 acres.

Coulson M. Foster attended excellent schools through boyhood and even into manhood, enjoying advantages at Boston. Oak Hill and Brandywine. He remained with his father

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 108

Author: Doyle, William B., b. 1868 Publication date: 1908 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1150

Author: Doyle, William B., b. 1868
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1150