Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 46

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 46

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MAURICE G. SNYDER, manager of the Ohio Mining & Railway Company, at Akron, who has been a resident of this city since 1871, was born at New Baltimore, Stark County, Ohio, in 1860. Ilis father, John C. Snyder, was in the mereantile business at New Baltimore, for a number of years, and was a veteran of the Civil War.

Maurice G. Snyder was nine years old when his parents moved to AAkron, and he se- eured his education in this city. later going to Wadsworth, Ohio, where he worked in a printing othee for one year. He then came back to Akron, where he entered the offices of the Aultman-Miller Company, and he re-

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mained with that house for twenty-one years subsequently. He was then eleeted a member of the Board of Public Service, at Akron, and after serving one term embarked in a coal business. In April, 1907, Mr. Snyder ac- eepted the management of the Ohio Mining and Railway Company, a position which car- ries with it a large amount of responsibility. He is one of the stockholders and is chairman of the board of directors of the Ohio & Penn- sylvania League of professional base ball play- ers and has all the ordinary American's en- thusiasm for the sport.

In 1888, Mr. Snyder was married to Eliza Wigley, who was born in England. They have three sons. Maurice Il. and Paul and Park, twins. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder are mem- bers of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Ile be- longs to the fraternal order of Odd Fellows and the social organization, the Kirkwood Club.

N. C. STONE, president of the National City Bank, of Akron, was born in this city in 1854. Ile is a son of Nelson B. Stone, who was formerly a prominent citizen here, and a sketch of whom may be found on another page of this volume. Mr. Stone was reared in Akron, and after graduating from the pub- lic sehools, became a member of the elass of 1876 of Ohio Wesleyan University. at Dela- ware, Ohio. He then spent one year in Eu- ropean travel, at the end of which time, re- turning to Akron, he entered business life, becoming connected with the Weary-Snyder- Wilcox Manufacturing Co., manufacturers of and dealers in lumber. With this concern he remained for about seven years. He was then connected for a short time with the Sei- berling Milling Company. His next move was to Kansas City, but after a short stay there his business interests called him to New York City, where he was located for about two years. In 1887 he returned to Akron and entered the employ of the Selle Gear Com- pany, with whom he remained until the spring of 1888. In this year he entered upon an entirely different sphere of business activi- ty, becoming cashier of the City National Bank. On the expiration of the bank's char-

ter in 1903, by limitation, a new organiza- tion became necessary, and the National City Bank was aeordingly organized in May of that year, Mr. Stone becoming president, which office he has sinee retained. Mr. Stone is also interested in a number of manufactur- ing enterprises in AAkion. He is a man of sound and extensive information in regard to the business and financial conditions, both of Akron and the surrounding distriet, and while enterprising and fully abreast of the times, exereises a conservative judgment in all busi- ness matters which come before him for his deeision. In politics he is a Republican. He is affiliated with the First Methodist Episcopal Church, which he is now serving on the board of trustees. Mr. Stone was married in 1879, to Miss Margaret J. Oburn, of Chicago, Illi- nois.

C. H. BORST, president and manager of The Borst Stone & Brick Company, of Akron, has been identified with the business life of this city for the past decade. He was born in 1856, at Wadsworth, Medina County, Ohio, and is a son of the late J. 1. Borst.

The father of Mr. Borst resided at Wads- worth until the latter was sixteen years of age, where he was engaged in raising fruit with great success, and then moved to Green- town and for some time carried on a coal busi- ness. Subsequently he became interested in the growing of celery, and his investigations and experiments resulted in his becoming one of the first notable celery growers in this part of Ohio. Subsequently he became one of the most extensive growers in the State, and also produced the best varieties, of which he had 100 acres at the time of his death. in 1894. He has made a complete sucess of the indus- try.

C. II. Borst attended the High Schools of both Wadsworth and Greentown. His first work was in the line of civil engineering, and for two years he was connected with the Wash- ington, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railroad line, in Virginia. In 1878 he "went on the road," traveling between Cleveland and Canton, for two years, after which his field of work lay

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in Kansas. Missouri, Colorado, and New and Old Mexico. He spent nine years west of Mis- souri. Ile then came back to Ohio and for about seven years was connected with the city engineer's office at Akron, resigning that posi- tion in order to look after personal business interests. In the spring of 1905, The Borst Stone & Brick Company was incorporated, with a capital stock of $10,000, with Mr. Borst as president and general manager. The business of this concern is the manufacturing of all kinds of cement blocks, plain and orna- mental, and they do a general cement block contract work in all kinds of building. The firm stands at the head in this line of indus- try. Mr. Borst is a man of extensive experi- ence and thorough business integrity.

In 1895 Mr. Borst was married to Belle Tait. of Akron, and they have two children : Ilelen E. and Frank A. As a good citizen. Mr. Borst is interested in the perpetuation of honest city goverment. Fraternally he is an Odd Fellow. .

PHILIP WAGONER, a retired citizen of Akron, an ex-county commissioner of Sum- mit County, and a man long identified with its leading interests, was born in Franklin Township. Summit County, when it was still a part of Stark County, Ohio, April 3, 1829. lle is a son of George Wagoner, an early set- tler.

George Wagoner was born in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, and came to Ohio in 1812. locating in Jackson Township, Stark County, where he remained until 1821. He then sold his farm and entered 160 acres of Government land in what is now Franklin Township, Summit County, and there he re- mained engaged in farming and stockraising until the close of his active career. He died April 23. 1873. lle married Rebecca Sowers, who was born in Lancaster County, Pennsyl- vania, and died in 1886. They reared six of their family of ten children, the survivors at this writing being the following: Henry L., postmaster at Krumroy, Springfield Town- ship; Philip, residing in Akron; John J., re- siding at AAkron: Harriet, widow of Michael

Harpster, also residing at Akron; Amanda, widow of John Spangler, residing in Franklin Township, and Aaron of Akron.

Philip Wagoner was reared and educated in Franklin Township. For nine years he followed the carpenter's trade. Ile then turned his attention to farming and this occupation he successfully followed until he retired from active life in 1900. Ile has been an active participant in public matters in Franklin Township, voting first with the Whig party and later with the Republicans, having sup- ported every Republican presidential candı- date. On many occasions he has been elected to office, serving four years as township treas- urer of Franklin township, one year as assessor, in 1890 as census enumerator, and in September, 1900, assuming the duties of county commissioner, in which office he served for two terms or six years.

In 1850 Mr. Wagoner was married to Ilan- nah Henney, who died in August, 1900. Mr. and Mrs. Wagoner had twelve children born to them, the five living being the following: Amanda C., who married Ilenry Taylor, of Akron; Irvin S., residing in Colorado, where he is interested in gold mines; Emma, who married C. F. Reinhold, of Massillon, Ohio; Mary, who married Maurice Monegan, of West Richfield, Summit County; and Harvey Philip, residing at Akron. Sinee he was seventeen years of age, Mr. Wagoner has been a member of the Lutheran Church. He is one of Summit County's honored citizens.

LOREN WAY, one of the substantial farmers of Summit County, living on his valuable farm of ninety-two acres in Coventry Township, was born January 22, 1850, on his father's farm, which was situated on the pres- ent site of Barberton. Coventry Township. this county, and is a son of Joseph and Jane ( McCracken ) Way.

Ezra Way, the grandfather of Loren, was a native of Connectieut, whence he came to Ohio in 1817, settling on the present site of Barberton. Here he bought a tract of tim- berland extending from Wolf Creek to the Tuscarawas river. Lake Anna being in the

GEORGE SACKETT

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center of this property. Hle purchased this land for $3.00 per acre, and his only neigh- bors were a half-breed Indian and his squaw, who lived at the present site of Straw Board and hunted for a living. Mr. Way began to clear his 280-aere traet and built a log cabin in the woods, deer at this time being so plentiful that they had to be driven away from the wheat fields. Mr. Way's stock con- sisted of one horse, two oxen, one cow and one hog, which they brought with them from Connectieut. Mr. and Mrs. Ezra Way both spent the remainder of their lives here. Their four children were: Anna, Levi, Franklin and Joseph.

Joseph Way, who was born in 1801, eame to Ohio when sixteen years of age, and lent his hand towards developing the farm in the new country, although in his native State he had learned the trade of earpentering. The family's nearest white neighbor at this time came five years later than the Ways, Sylvester Van Hinning settling about three miles away. Joseph Way continued to make this property his home all the rest of his life. and died there in 1873. At one time Mr. Way and Abel Irish were the only two to vote the Dem- oeratic tieket in Norton township, which now has a large Democratic majority.

Joseph Way was married three times, first to Mi- Stellman, by whom he had four ehil- dren : Abigail, Henry, Martha and Charles. He had one child by his second marriage,- Joseph,- and after the death of his second wife he was married to Jane MeCracken, who came from Pennsylvania during the early days. Of this last union there were born five children: Loren; Caroline, the widow of David Eby; Mary, who married Noah Ea- ton ; Anna and John. The mother of these children died at the age of eighty-six years.

Loren Way attended the district schools and lived on the home farm until his mar- riage, the heirs selling about three years be- fore O. C. Barber located there. After his marriage Mr. Way built a house on the home farm and lived there for seven years, after which he purchased forty and one half aeres of land from Henry Sours, in Coventry Town-

ship, where he spent four years. This proper- ty, which is now used as a clay pit, was sub- sequently sold by Mr. Way, and in 1891 he bought his present farm from the J. Kepler heirs, where he has since carried on general farming with much success. His machinery is modern and his methods praetieal, and his property as a consequence yields abundantly every year. In politics Mr. Way is a Demo- crat, but he has neither held nor cared to hold public office.

In 1879 Mr. Way was united in marriage with Ella Berlien, who is a daughter of John Berlien. Of this union there is one child, Marvin Wilber, now an agriculturist of Cov- entry Township, who married Bessie Gerst and has three children: Ralph, Ethel and Ruth.

GEORGE SACKETT, for sixty years a prominent resident of Cuyahoga Falls, who was closely identified with its manufacturing industries, and many other of its upbuilding agencies, was born at Warren, Litchfield County, Connecticut, January 6, 1821, and died at Cuyahoga Falls, Summit County, Ohio, July 12, 1907. He was a son of Aaron and IInlda C. (Tanner) Sackett.

The Saekett family became established in Summit County in 1838, through the settle- ment here of Aaron Saekett and his house- hold. Both he and his wife were born in Connecticut, and the maternal grandfather of George Saekett, served in the Revolutionary War as an officer under General Anthony Wayne. In 1836 Aaron Saekett moved to Canandaigua, New York, that his children might enjoy the educational advantages of that place. In 1838 the Saekett family re- sumed their western journey and permanently settled on a traet of land in Tallmadge Town- ship, where Aaron Saekett resided until his retirement from active life in 1868. He died at the home of his son, William Sackett. in Copley Township, at the age of eighty-four years. His sterling traits of character were reflected in his children, who were ten in number, George being the third in order of birth.

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Mr. Sackett attended two sessions of the Tallmadge Academy, and then his school days were ended. Up to the time he attained his majority he performed faithfully the ar- duous part that fell to the lot of the eldest son in a large family living under pioneer conditions.

When twenty-one years old Mr. Sackett be- gan farming on his own account. His capital was $100. He leased a tract of land from the "Chuckery" Company, located in that sec- tion of the city of Akron now known as North Hill. Thanks to untiring industry, and the exercise of his unfailing good sense, these farming operations prospered greatly. Special attention was given to the production of wool and wheat raising. His farm at one time embraced the handsome total of 1,400 acres of excellent land.

Mr. Şackett was also interested in manufac- turing enterprises, and was for a number of years the president of the Cuyahoga Paper Company. Ile was a man of superior busi- ness ability and accumulated an ample for- tune. He engaged in coal mining, railroad building, and the general development of the country at Laredo, Texas, in partnership with Gov. A. C. Hunt of Colorado. At one time he had large holdings of real estate and min- ing properties in Colorado.

Mr. Sackett was from the very formation of the Republican Party its stanch and un- deviating supporter. He was the president of the first Republican Chub in Cuyahoga Falls. In 1867 he was elected County Com- missioner by the Republican party and served three years. In 1879 he was appointed a mem- ber of the State Board of Equalization, rep- resenting Summit and Portage Counties, and he also served in lesser offices. His superior judgment was exercised in the performance of public tasks with the same fidelity as in the pursuance of his private business. He was a man of honor in all transactions.

In 1848 Mr. Sackett was married to Helen Williams of Auburn, New York, who died in 1851. Mr. Sackett was married a second time, February 9, 1854, at Tallmadge, Ohio, to Frances V. Grant. a daughter of William and

Esther (Treat) Grant, of Orange, New Haven County, Connecticut, who, with one daugh- ter, Mrs. A. F. Smith, of Cleveland, survives him.

In 1847 Mr. Sackett purchased a valuable farm of 200 acres on which he resided until 1867, when he purchased the property on Second street, where he lived until he com- . pleted the building of a fine residence in 1902 on Broad street, Cuyahoga Falls. This beau- tiful home remains the place of residence of his widow. In 1902 Mr. Saekett completed the sale of the city lots into which he had divided his farm, making the Sackett addi- dition to Cuyahoga Falls now one of the most attractive parts of the city. For many years Mr. Sackett was an active, consistent, Chris- tian, a member of the Congregational Church, to which he gave generous support both of money and time. Until within a year of his death, Mr. Sackett enjoyed as good health as usually falls to the lot of men of his years, while his mind remained elear, and his in- terest in his family and immediate circle of friends never ceased. He was the last of his family save one, Mrs. H. C. Grant, of this city. George Sackett's was a pre-eminently successful career. In it all there was nothing to conceal. He was from first to last honest, upright, industrious, a good citizen, neighbor and friend.

F. W. ROCKWELL, a successful and rep- resentative business man of Akron, has been a resident of this city for over thirty-six years. He was born in 1851 in Kent, Ohio, then known as Franklin Mills. In 1859 he ac- companied his parents to the northwestern part of Missouri, where he resided for five years. They then returned to Ohio, taking up their residence at Andover, where they remained for about a year. A year was then spent at Windfall, Indiana, from which place they removed to Linesville, Pennsylvania for a residence of five years. During these early years the subject of this sketch attended the common schools, supplementing the education therein obtained by a year's attendance at Allegheny College. In 1871, at the age of

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twenty, he came to Akron, accepting a position as bookkeeper with the Akron Sewer Pipe Company, with whom he remained thirteen years. Beginning at the foot of the ladder he worked his way up until he became see- retary of the company.

Mr. Rockwell then went into business for himself as a manufacturer of stoneware, under the firm name of Johnson-Rockwell & Company. Afterwards purchasing Mr. Johnson's interest he continued the business under the style of F. W. Rockwell & Co., until 1890, when he sold out his interests to 1. J. Weeks. Ile had previously made arrangements to go to Huntingdon, Pennsyl- vania, to establish a sewer-pipe company, and accordingly he now established with others the Pennsylvania Sewer Pipe Co., Limited. His interests in this concern he sold out in 1892, returning to Akron. where for a year he was in the office of the Columbia Sewer Pipe Co. The concern was then merged with the Union Sewer Pipe Company, Mr. Rockwell re- niaining with them until 1896, when the con- solidated concern went out of business. He had previously-about 1893-become inter- ested in a grocery business, and he now gave his personal attention to it until 1899. He then became connected with the Robinson Clay Product Company, continuing to con- duct his grocery business, however, until 1903, when he sold out. For four years Mr. Rock- well had charge of the sale department of the Robinson Clay Product Company, but since then has had charge of real estate titles, insurance, and claims of customers.

Mr. Rockwell takes an active interest in politics. He was chairman of the Republi- can County Committee in 1887-1888; he also served on Akron's school board from 1881 to 1889; in 1883 he was elected president of the board : in 1887 he was elected its treasurer, and he was again elected president in 1888. In 1902 he was again elected, and has served continuously from that time up to the pres- ent. He served as president of the board in 1905 and 1906. During his service on the board the following buildings were con- structed: The Kent, Howe. Henry, Fraun-

felter, Samuel Findley, High School, and the Annex to the high school. Mr. Rockwell be- longs to the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, and to the Royal Arcanum, being a member of the local lodges of these societies.

He was married in 1875 to Miss Mary 1. Johnson, a daughter of Thomas Johnson, a pioneer hardware manufacturer of Akron. Mr. and Mrs. Rockwell have five children living, namely: George W., who is in the employ of the Lehigh Portland Cement Co., of Mitchell, Indiana; Frank J., an attorney, who is a member of the prominent law firm of Rodgers. Rowley & Rockwell, of Akron; Thomas, who is assistant purchasing agent for the Robinson Clay Product Co. ; and Mary and Ida, who reside at home with their par- ents.

WILLIAM CLOYD JACOBS, M. D., who at the time of death was, in point of service, the oldest medical practitioner at Akron, was also one of the most eminent. He was born February 26, 1840, at Lima, Allen County, Ohio, and was a son of Thomas K. and Ann (Elder) Jacobs.

Dr. Jacobs was of Welsh extraction and his great-grandfather was a soldier in the Revo- Intionary War. William Jacobs, his grand- father, was a native of Pennsylvania, where he lived until late in life and then joined his son at Lima, Ohio, where he died in 1848.

Hon. Thomas K. Jacobs, father of the late Dr. Jacobs, was born January 30, 1812, in Pennsylvania, and came to Ohio in 1835. In 1836 he settled at Lima, where he worked at his trade of tailor, and took an active interest in politics. In 1840 he was elected treasurer of Allen County, serving six terms in that office, and in 1859 was elected to the State Legislature, serving three years. He acquired a large amount of real estate and dealt largely in the same. He died November 12. 1884. He married Ann Elder, who was a daughter of Noah and Ann ( Alexander) Elder, and they had nine children, four of whom grew to maturity. as follows: William C .; Matilda, who married Henry A. Moore; Clara. who married John Brotherton: and Thomas K.,

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of Lima, now retired from the medical pro- fession and engaged in large real estate opera- tions.

.At the age of sixteen years, the late Dr. William C. Jacobs obtained the coveted ap- pointment of cadet in the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, but find- ing nautical training was not to his taste he resigned two years later, in 1859, and re- turned home with the intention of studying medicine, and later entered the Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati, where he was grad- uated March 3, 1862. On April 1, 1862, he was commissioned acting assistant surgeon in the United States Army and was imme- diately sent South and entrusted with various medical and surgical tasks. On account of an accident in the succeeding October, he was given a leave of absence and during this pe- riod he received his commission as surgeon, being then under twenty-three years of age. He joined the Eighty-first Regiment, Ohio Vol. Inf., January 9, 1863, and served with it at Corinth, in the campaign against Atlanta, in the "March to the Sea," and in all the operations of the army from Savannah, Geor- gia to Raleigh, North Carolina. He was mus- tered out of the service at Camp Dennison, Ohio, July 21, 1865, young in years but old in medical and surgical experience.

Dr. Jacobs settled at Akron in October, 1865, and until his demise took an active interest in all that concerned this city. In politics he was always an adherent of the Republican party, but never accepted any office except membership on the Board of Education, to which he was thrice elected.

Dr. Jacobs was married (first) September 10, 1863, to Huldah M. Hill, of Piqna, Ohio. Dr. Jacobs was married (second), March 6, 1895, to Mrs. Mary IJ. Wheeler, a daughter of Sheldon and Harriet (Speers) Brown, of Akron. Mrs. Jacobs survives and resides at No. 641 East Buchtel avenue.

Dr. Jacobs is also survived by one son, Ilarold H., born February 10, 1866, who was associated with his father in medical practice and is now his successor. Dr. Harold H. Jacobs graduated from Amherst College in

1888 and from the Ohio Medical College in 1891. As a medical practitioner he holds a high rank in the profession in this section. IIis office is in the Hamilton Block. Septem- ber 2, 1891, Dr. Jacobs was united in mar- riage to Elizabeth Griffin, daughter of H. G. Griffin (deceased) of this county. Dr. and Mrs. Jacobs have three children: Hulda G., Ilarriet T. and Mary Elizabeth.

The late Dr. W. C. Jacobs was a Thirty- second Degree Mason and was widely known in the fraternity. He belonged also to the Knights of Pythias and to the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States and to the Grand Army of the Repubhe.

1. T. WOODS, M. D., one of the expe- rieneed and valued medical practitioners re- siding at Loyal Oak, where he has been lo- cated for the past twenty-eight years, was born at Uniontown, Stark County, Ohio, April 6, 1856, and is a son of John B. and Susan ( Willis) Woods.

The father of Dr. Woods was engaged in a general mercantile business at Uniontown until his son was about 5 years of age, when he moved to Akron in the fall of 1860, where he entered into a banking business and for many years was president of the City Bank. Later he organized the City National Bank and was its first president. Many sections of the city were identified with the Wood- family, the father of Dr. Woods owning a large amount of real estate. He built the Woods Block in the year of 1862 on the cor- ner of Market and Main Streets. The old Woods homestead, on the corner of Union and Market Streets, is now the Renner home, but for many years it was the place where the Woods family found privacy, peace and con- tentment and also where their friends were hospitably entertained. Both parents of Dr. Woods died at Akron. Father on August 14, 1896; mother, June 26, 1897.

Dr. Woods was reared from the age of five years at Akron and enjoyed the advantages offered by the graded city schools and later the High School. In preparation for his med- ical college course, he read with Dr. II. M.

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Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 46

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