Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 40

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

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HON. DAYTON A. DOYLE, judge of the Common Pleas Court, was born in Akron. Sep- tember 27, 1856. He was graduated from the High school in June, 1874, and from Buchtel College, with the degree of A. B., June 26, 1878. After reading law for one year in the office of attorney-general Jacob A. Kohler, he entered the Cincinnati Law school, from which he was graduated May 26, 1880, with the degree of LL. B. He was admitted to the bar in the Supreme Court of Ohio, at Columbus. May 27, 1880, and to practice in the United States Courts, at Cleveland, May 26, 1882. In 1885 he opened a law office in Akron, being associated as a partner with Frederick C. Bryan, Esq. In April of that year he was elected city solicitor, and he was re-elected to that office in April, 1887, ef- ficiently performing its duties for four years. Up to the time of his elevation to the bench,

he was one of the most prominent and suc- cossful attorneys practicing in Akron.

FRANK D. CASSIDY was born January 29, 1849, at Peninsula, Summit County, Ohio, son of William P. and Caroline M. (Kohler) Cassidy. After some experience in merean- tile business, he began the study of law in 1877 with the firm of Edgerton & Kohler, and was admitted to the bar in March, 1879. He has since practiced his profession in Akron and has made a reputation as an able attor- ney. He married, in 1878, Miss Sarah J. Francis. a daughter of Joseph Francis.

NATHAN MORSE, ESQ .. was born at Union. Tolland County. Connecticut, Novem- ber 2, 1848; he was reared on a farm and graduated from Amherst College in 1874. Ile studied law with Senator George F. Hoar and at Boston University; and on examina- tion was admitted to the Suffolk (Boston) bar in 1875. After being a short time in Holyoke, Mass., he located at New Hartford, Conn., in 1876, and in June of that year he married Miss Ellen White, of South Hadley Falls, Mass. In April, 1882. he moved to Ak- ron. where he has since been engaged in the successful practice of the law. He has been closely identified with The People's Saving- Bank Company, as stockholder, director, and its attorney since about the time of its organi- zation. During all his Akron life, he has been connected with the First Congregational Church. Has been twice a delegate to the National Council of that body, and is now the registrar of Puritan Conference of the churches of that denomination.

CHAPTER XX

STATISTICS

Population of Akron (census of

1900)

42,728

State rank of Akron according to pop- ulation

National rank of Akron according to population

Valuation of Akron's property ac-

cording to general tax dupli-

cate

$22,644,670.00

Miles of paved streets in Akron. . 30

Miles of sanitary sewers in Akron ... 75

It is interesting to compare the neighbor cities of Youngstown and Canton in respect to the last two items. Youngstown has seven- teen miles of paved streets and fifty-four miles of sanitary sewers. Canton has eighteen miles of paved streets and thirty-five miles of san- itary sewers.

The sixth census-that of 1840-does not give the population of Akron. Summit County is given 22,560. At that time Cleve- land had 6,071; Steubenville, 4,247; Zanes- ville, 4,766; and Chillicothe, 3,977.

Census of 1850

Census

Bath

1.400

1,165

Boston

1,180

1,202

Copley

1,541

1,323

Coventry

1,299

1,368

Franklin

1,674

1,820

Green

1,928

1,885

Hudson

1,457

869

Northampton

1,147

972

Northfield

1,474

1,340

Norton

1,346

1,524

Portage

1,160

1,328

Akron

3,266

3,477

Richfield

1,268

1,053

Springfield 1,907

1,815

Stow

1,701

994

Tallmadge 2,455 1,086

Twinsburg

1,281 1,141

Cuyahoga Falls

1,515

Middlebury

710

ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF AKRON.

Book 219, page 253.

SECTION 1. Be it ordained by the Conn- cil of the City of Akron, Ohio, that as the inhabitants of said City generally desire to enlarge the corporate limits of said City by the annexation of the following territory, to wit:

Situated in the Township of Coventry, County of Summit, and State of Ohio, be- ginning at a point in the present south line of the Corporation of Akron, 180 feet eat of the center line of Brown street, which cen- ter line is also the west line of Lot No. 5, Tract 9. Coventry Township, and said be- ginning point is also 595.65 feet south of the north line of said Lot 5, and center line of South street; Thence south 0° 55' west 2082.95 feet to a point in the south line of said lot 5, 180 feet east of the southwest cor- ner thereof; Thence south 1º west 1004.70 feet to a point 180 feet east of the west line of Lot 6, in said Traet 9. Thence south 89º 36' west 11712.87 feet to a point in Lot No. 7. Tract 2, Coventry Township: Thence north 0° 39' 30" east 42157.45 feet to a point in the north line of Coventry Town-hip; Thence nearly cast along said north line of Coventry Township 2090 feet to a corner of Coventry Township: Thence east along the north line of Coventry Township 2430.50

of 1860

320

HISTORY OF SUMMIT COUNTY

feet to a point in the west line of the corpo- ration of Akron ; Thence south 2940 feet along said west line to the southwest corner of said corporation; Thence nearly east 2900 feet along the center of Crosier street; it being the present south line of said corporation and about 82° 58' east 437 feet to a point in the center line of Main Street; Thenee north 19" 48' east about 235 feet along the center line of Main street and line of said corpora- tion ; Thence nearly east 5230 feet along the south line of said corporation to the begin- ning. The courses here given as true merid- ian.

Situated in the Township of Portage. County of Summit, and State of Ohio, begin- ning at a point in the Portage Path at the northeast corner of Tract No. 5, Coventry Township: Thence west along the south line of Portage Township 278.97 feet; Thence north 0º 39' 30" east 14486.65 feet to a point in Lot No. 10, west of the Portage Path in Portage Township; thence south 89" 13' 30" cast 6362.87 feet to a point in the east line of the towing path on the east side of the Ohio Canal; Thence along said east line of said towing path the following courses and dis- tances; north 2º 31' 30" west 685.30 feet; north 13º 18' 30" west 225.00 feet; north 6° 12' 30" west 1343.40 feet ; Thence leaving said towing path and running north 89º 33' 30" Past 6075 feet to a point in the east line of Lot No. 3, in Tract 3, Portage Township; Thence along the line between lots Nos. 3 and 4 in Tract 3, and lots Nos. 4 and 5 in Tract 6, south 0° 18' 30" west 1978.50 feet to the cen- ter line of Tallmadge avenue; Thenee along the east line of Lot 22, in tract 6, and the same continued south 0° 57' 30" west 4018 feet to a point in the line between Tracts Nos. 6 and 7; Thence south 89º 51' west 504 feet to the east line of the corporation of Akron in Tract 6; Thence along the present east line of said corporation in Tract 6, north 1907.75 feet to a corner of said corporation ; Thence running nearly west 9180 feet along the present north line of said corporation in Tracts 6 and 5 to the present northwest cor- ner of said corporation ; Thence nearly south

104.30 feet along the present west line of said corporation to the south line of Portage Township; Thence west along the south line of Portage Township 2430.50 feet to a point in the Portage Path; Thence southerly along said Portage Path and along a line of Portage Township 2090 feet to the beginning.

The courses here given are true meridian.

This Ordinance passed August 14, 1899. An ordinanee accepting the application of the City of Akron for the annexation of ter- ritory above described was passed by Akron City Council, April 23, 1900. Instrument dated April 26, 1900. Received April 27, 1900. at 1:10 p. m.

Book 219, page 616.

An Ordinance authorizing the annexation of certain contingent territory to the City of Akron. The following deseribed territory is hereby authorized to be annexed, to wit :

The part of Lot 11, W. P. P. in the Town- ship of Portage, Summit County, Ohio, and bounded and described as follows:

Beginning at a point in the west corpora- tion line of the City of Akron, where said corporation line intersects the north line of Portage Park Allotment as recorded in Plat Book 7, page 50, Summit County Records of Plats; Thence west along the north line of said allotment in Mull Avenue, and along a continuation of said north line due west to the center of West Exchange street, a dis- tance of about 1421.60 feet; Thence south- easterly along the center line of West Ex- change street to its intersection with the west corporation line of the city about 1931.40 feet: Thence north along the west corpora- tion line of said City of Akron about 1336.50 feet to the place of beginning, containing about twenty-two acres of land, twelve aeres of which land is a part of the Portage Park Allotment and 6.41 acres of said 22 acres subject to public streets surrounding it as set apart for a public park.

Passed November 17. 1902. Ordinance passed by City Council of Akron, Ohio, to accept the annexation of the above premi-es to the City of Akron, passed April 20. 1903.

321

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

Instrument dated May I, 1903. Received May 4, 1903, at 10:50 a. m.

THE TREATY OF FORT M'INTOSH IN 1785.

On the 21st of January, 1785, George Rogers Clark, Richard Butler and Arthur Lee met a body of Indians at Fort McIntosh, who asserted themselves to be representatives of the Wyandots, Delawares, Chippewas and Ottawas. The document they signed on that occasion and known afterward as the Treaty of Fort McIntosh is in the words and figures following:

"The Commissioners Plenipotentiary of the United States in Congress assembled, give peace to the Wyandot, Delaware, Chippewa and Ottawa nations of Indians, on the follow- ing conditions:

Article 1. Three chiefs, one from among the Wyandot and two from among the Dela- ware nations, shall be delivered up to the commissioners of the United States, to be by them retained till all the prisoners, white and black, taken by the said nations, or any of them, shall be restored.

Article 2. The said Indian nations do ae- knowledge themselves and all their tribes to be under the protection of the United States, and of no other sovereign whatever.

Artiele 3. The boundary line between the United States and Wyandot and Delaware nation», shall begin at the mouth of the River Cuyahoga, and run thence up the said river to the portage between that and the Tuscarawas branch of Muskingum, then down the said branch to the forks at the crossing place above Fort Lawrence; then westerly to the portage of the Big Miami, which runs into the Ohio, at the mouth of which branch the fort stood which was taken by the French in one thousand seven hundred and fifty-two; then along the said portage to the Great Mi- ami or Ome River, and down the southeast side of the same to its mouth; thence along the south shore of Lake Erie, to the mouth of Cuyahoga, where it began.

Article 4. The United States allot all the lands contained within the said lines, to the

Wyandot and Delaware nations, to live and to hunt on, and to such of the Ottawa nation as now live thereon ; saving and reserving for the establishment of trading posts, six miles square at the mouth of Miami or Ome River, and the same at the portage on that branch of the Big Miami which runs into the Ohio, and the same on the Lake of Sanduske where the fort formerly stood, and also two miles square on each side of the lower rapids of Sanduske River, which posts, and the lands annexed to them, shall be to the use and un- der the Government of the United States.

Article 5. If any eitizen of the United States, or other person not being an Indian. shall attempt to settle on any of the lands al- loted to the Delaware and Wyandot nations in this treaty, except on the lands reserved to the United States in the preceding article, such person shall forfeit the protection of the United States, and the Indians may punish him as they please.

Article 6. The Indians who sign this treaty, as well in behalf of all their tribes as of themselves, do acknowledge the lands east, south and west of the lines described in the third article, so far as the said Indians former- ly claimed the same, to belong to the United States; and none of their tribes shall presume to settle upon the same or any part of it.

Artiele 7. The post of Detriot, with a dis- triet beginning at the mouth of the river Ro- sine, on the west end of Lake Erie, and run- ning west six miles up the southern bank of the said river, thenee northerly and always in six miles west of the strait, till it strikes the Lake St. Clair, shall be also reserved to the sole use of the United States.

Artiele 8. In the same manner, the post of Miehillimachinac with its dependencies and twelve miles square about the same, shall be reserved to the use of the United States.

Article 9. If any Indian of Indians shall commit a robbery or murder on any eitizen of the United States, the tribe to which such offenders may belong, shall be bound to de- liver them up at the nearest post, to be pun- i-hod according to the ordinances of the United States.

322

HISTORY OF SUMMIT COUNTY

Article 10. The commissioners of the United States in pursuance of the humane and liberal views of Congress, upon this treaty's being signed, will direct goods to be distributed among the different tribes for their use and comfort.

Separate Article. It is agreed that the Dela- ware chiefs, Kelelarrand, or Lieutenant-Col- onel Henry (alias Killbuck ), Hengue Pushees or the Big Cat, Wicocalind or Captain White Eyes, who took up the hatchet for the United States, and their families, shall be received into the Delaware nation, in the same situa- tion and rank as before the war, and enjoy their due portion of the lands given to the Wyandot and Delaware nations in this treaty as fully as if they had not taken part with

AAmerica, or as any other person, or persons in the said nations.

Giro. Clark, Packelant.

Richard Butler,

Arthur Lee,

Gingewauno, Waanoos,

Dannghquat,

Konalawassee,

Abraham Kuhn,

Ottawerreri,

Shawnaqnm, Inecookia.

Hobocan,

Walendightun,

Wingenum, Talapoxie,

Witness-Samuel J. Atlee, Franeis John- ston, Commissioners of Pennsylvania; Alex- ander Campbell; Joseph Harmar, Colonel Commandant; Alexander Lowrey; Joseph Nicholas, interpreter; J. Bradford; George Slaughter; Van Swearingen; John Boggs; (i. Evans; D. Luckett.

COL. SIMON PERKINS

Representative Citizens

COL. SIMON PERKINS. In Grace Park, Akron, stands a granite monument, which was erected by this city, in 1895, in memory of its greatest philanthropist and one of its most distinguished former citizens. It recalls to memory one whose almost entire life was gen- erously given to promote the prosperity of Akron and to advance the happiness of her citizens. Simon Perkins was born February 6, 1805, at Warren, Ohio, where he was reared to manhood, and was a son of General Simon and Nancy (Bishop) Perkins, natives of Nor- wich, Connecticut.

Colonel Perkins traced a clear line of ances- try back to Puritan forefathers. General Si- mon Perkins attained his military rank while commanding the United States forces in Northern Ohio, during the War of 1812. He had moved from Connecticut and settled at Warren, Ohio, in 1801, where he was made commissioner of the Connecticut Western Re- serve Land Company.

During his early manhood, Colonel Simon Perkins was associated with his father in han- dling the large amount of land which the lat- ter had acquired, and it was in relation to land that he came to Akron, in 1835. This city, then an insignificant one, became his per- manent home and as years went by greatly benefitted by his public spirit, his far-seeing judgment and his liberal and broad-cast gen- erosity. From the first he was a man of force and energy in every direction, and four years after coming to Summit County he was elected a member of the State Senate, and in

1841-42 of the House of Representatives, from this county. The selection of the county seat was one of the questions in which Colonel Per- kins took a personal interest, and he was the champion of many of the important meas- ures which now appear as laws on the State records.

While political life had many attractions for a virile, ambitious man like Colonel Per- kins, agricultural employments also elaimed a large part of his attention. He advocated farming along the most modern lines then known, and was the pioneer live-stock breeder, from standard stock, in this section. He owned hundreds of acres of productive land. He was also one of the first to see the ad- ventages aceruing from an extended line of railroad through Summit County, to run through Akron, and was the first president of the Cleveland, Zanesville & Cincinnati, now the Cleveland, Akron & Columbus Railroad, later becoming its general superintendent. In pushing the interests of this line, Colonel Per- kins is credited with sinking a large fortune, but even he could never have imagined the beneficial results this great transportation line has brought to the country through which it is operated. Perhaps no other citizen con- tributed so much, in time, energy, land and money, to the material development of 1k- ron, as did this broad-souled, large-hearted inan. He lived to sce the industrial, eduea- tional and charitable institutions which he had more or less founded, enter upon a peri- od of prosperity, and to realize, in a small degree at least. the gratitude of his fellow-

326

HISTORY OF SUMMIT COUNTY

citizens. Ilis death occurred July 21, 1887, at the age of over eighty-two years.

Colonel Perkins was married in 1832, to Grace I. Tod. a daughter of Judge George and Sally (Ingersoll) Tod, and a sister of the late Governor David Tod, a sketch of whom may be found in this work. Of the eleven children born of this marriage, ten reached maturity, and seven still survive. The Colo- nel's eldest son, Colonel George T. Perkins, is one of Akron's most prominent business men, being president of the B. F. Goodrich Com- pany and of the Akron Rubber Company. Mrs. Perkins died April 6, 1867. aged fifty- six years.

JOHN FREDERICK SEIBERLING, a former citizen of Akron, where he was for many years identified with a number of the important business interests of the city, some of which were directly the result of his own genius and energy, was born March 10, 1834. at Norton, Ohio. He was one of a family of fifteen children (thirteen of whom grew to maturity) born to his parents, who were Nathan and Catherine (Peters) Seiber- ling.

Mr. Seiberling completed his education at the Western Star Academy, and for two years, from 1856 to 1858, he was in the drug busi- ness at Akron. He was, however. of a me- chanical turn of mind. and in the latter year went to operating a sawmill at Norton. It was while there that he invented his noted Excelsior mower and reaper, with the drop- per attachment, and in 1861 he established works for their manufacture at Doylestown, which are still in operation. By 1864 the business had so expanded that extra works were needed, which were erected at Massil- lon. In 1865 the J. F. Seiberling Company was established at Akron, but in 1869, Mr. Seiberling withdrew and then began the manufacture of the Empire machine, which is so well known all over the country. Mr. Seiberling by this time not only had a per- feet knowledge of business conditions and trade relations in every section, but he had command of a large amount of capital, and

in 1871 he organized the Akron Strawboard Company, which he conducted until 1887. In 1883 he founded the Seiberling Milling Company and at this time built a six-story brick flouring mill, as well as the Academy of Music Block. In 1889 Mr. Seiberling ob- tained a controlling interest in the Akron Electric Street Railway. Later he expanded other inportant interests both in Akron and at other points.

On September 6, 1859, Mr. Seiberling was married to Catherine L. Miller, of Norton. Their family numbered eleven children, nine of whom are still living. They are as fol- lows: Anna A., wife of S. Samuel Miller, of Akron: Frank 1., president and general manager of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, who married Gertrude F. Penfield, and resides at No. 158 East Market Street; Charles W., treasurer of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, who married Blanche Carnahan, and resides at No. 76 Fay Street; Cora D., wife of Lewis T. Wolle, of Cam- bria, Wyoming; Harriet M., wife of Lueius C. Miles, of Akron; Grace I., wife of Dr. W. S. Chase, of Akron: Kittie G., wife of Luther HI. Firey, of Kansas City; Mary B., wife of IIenry B. Manton, of AAkron ; Ruth J., wife of Ernest A. Pflenger. also of Akron. The two deceased are John Frederick and Maude M., both of whom died in infancy. Mr. John Frederick Seiberling, the father of these ehil- dren, died September 6, 1903. His widow still survives, and resides at No. 144 East Market Street.

Mr. Seiberling was a man who was honor- able, prompt, and true to every engagement. Throughout his career of far-reaching use- fulness he remembered with a generous heart those who had not been so fortunate, and in quiet benevolence brought much cheer to those who needed it. For many years he was a member and a trustee of the Trinity Lutheran Church.

JAMES R. HEMPHILL, general manager of the Colonial Sign and Insulator Company, at Akron, was born in Summit County. Ohio, in 1860, and is a son of Robert Hemphill,

327

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

who came to Summit County about 1855, where he was first a farmer and later a dealer in lumber.

James R. Hemphill was educated in the schools of Fairlawn and Akron and started into business as an employe of the Aultman- Miller Company, with whom he remained five years. Since then, with the exception of a period of two years, he has been en- gaged in his present business, first with the Akron Insulator and Marble Company, which was organized in 1894, and which in 1904 was consolidated with the Colonial Sign Company. The business was incorporated with a capital stock of $50,000, as the Co- lonial Sign & Insulator Company. with H. B. Camp, president : C. R. Quine, secretary ; W. H. Motz, treasurer, and James R. Hemp- hill, general manager. Mr. Hemphill has al- ways displayed a helpful interest in under- takings outside his own sphere of work which have promised to benefit the city, and while never active in politics. performs every duty of a good citizen. In 1890 he was mar- ried to Louada Weeks, and they have had two children, Helen and Ray, the former of whom is deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Hemphill are members of the First Congregational Church.

GEN. SIMON PERKINS. Very many of the prominent families of Ohio trace their ancestry to Connecticut, and this is the case with the distinguished Perkins family. Si- mon Perkins, who for so long a period was one of the leading men of Ohio, was born at Lisbon, Connecticut, September 17, 1771. In 1795 he is found at Oswego, New York, and in 1798 he was chosen by the Erie Land Company to act as its agent in the explora- tion of the Western Reserve, and in this ca- pacity he spent his summers in Ohio. After his marriage, he settled permanently at War- ren, Ohio. where he was postmaster from 1801 to 1829, and was also special agent of the government in establishing local offices and treating with the Indians. In August, 1812. as brigadier general of militia, he took charge of the troops in Northern Ohio and

inarched to defend the northern frontier. At the close of the campaign in the following year, he was offered by President Madison a commission as colonel in the regular army, which military honor he declined on account of his many pressing business duties.

In 1813 General Perkins organized the Western Reserve Bank and remained its president until 1836. He was a member of the Ohio Canal Fund Commission from 1826 until 1838. In 1825, in association with Paul Williams, he founded the village of Akron, and in 1831, in connection with Judge King and Dr. Crosby, that portion known as North Akron. He donated ground for public buildings, parks, schools and churches, and enriched in every possible way the young town where he enjoyed passing much of his spare time. He died at War- ren November 6, 1844, aged 73 years, one month and nineteen days.

On March 18, 1804, he married Nancy Bishop, who was born at Lisbon, Connecti- cut, January 24, 1780, and who died at War- ren April 24, 1862, aged eighty-two years and three months. Among their children was Colonel Simon Perkins, now deceased, who for many years was a leading figure in the affairs of Akron. Colonel George Tod Perkins, president of the P. F. Goodrich Company and the Akron Rubber Company, a sketch of whom may be found in this vol- ume. is a grandson of General Perkins.

GEORGE P. GRAFTON, a prominent farmer of Norton Township, who carries on a general line of agriculture, operates a milk route and also grows many berries for the market, is serving as clerk of the School Board of this township, with which body he has been connected a number of years. Mr. Grafton was born in Jefferson County, Ohio, December 10, 1858, and is a son of John D. and Sarah J. (Palmer) Grafton.

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Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 40

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