Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 61

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 61

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Colonel Conger, wife and sons were all members of St. Paul's Protestant Church at Akron, Ohio.

DANIEL TAYLOR, a representative citi- zen and agriculturist of Copley Township, where he owns 125 aeres of valuable farming land. was born on his father's farm in Cop- ley Township. Summit County, Ohio, Decem- ber 4. 1831, and is a son of Theodore and Matilda ( Hoyt) Taylor.

Theodore Taylor was born in Connecticut in 1801, and in 1818 accompanied his parents, Wade and Diana Taylor to Ohio, after which they lived for two years in a log cabin in Norton Township, near the Copley line, on the Channcy Beckwith farm. Then Theo- dore and his brother, David, took up 160 acres of land, on which the father and mother

FRED M. HARPHAM

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both died, the father's burial being the first to take place in the carly graveyard of the township.

For some ten years the Taylor brothers lived together on the farm, and then Theo- dore acquired eighty acres for himself, paying for it $2.50 per acre. To this he later added thirty-five acres which cost him $5.00 an acre, and for which he made part payment with one yoke of oxen and three head of cows. Itis wife, Matilda, whose family name was Hoyt, was born in New York, and was ten years old when her parents brought her to New Portage, where Barberton now stands, the long journey being made with ox teams. For eight years after their marriage, Theo- dore Taylor and his wife lived on the Charles Hemple farm, and then moved to the farm on which Daniel Taylor was subsequently born. There both parents died, the father aged sixty-one years and the mother at the age of seventy-one. Of their thirteen children all died young except five, namely: Orson, now deceased; Daniel; Charles: Correl, who died while in service in the Civil War; and Orphelia, who married F. Arnold.

Daniel Taylor assisted his father to clear the homestead farm and was reared to habits of industry and honesty. On November 4, 1858, he married Louisa Foster, who is a daughter of Alanson and Elvira (Harvey) Foster. After marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Tay-

lor conducted the tavern at Copley for four years. He then sold it and bought his pres- ent farm from the Bruno Brothers. Two years later the husband and wife started a dairy, and for seventeen years they made cheese which found a ready sale at Akron, their son in the meanwhile operating a milk route. For a number of years Mr. Taylor raised fine cattle, in addition to farming. He has made many improvements on his place and has built his present house and a new barn. the old one having been destroyed by lightning.

Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have five children, namely: Harrison, who married Martha Bramley ; Martha, who married Charles Crum, and has two children-Pearl and Arlis, the

former of whom married W. Smith; Carl, who married Ida Edgar, and has three ehil- dren-Ethel, Glen and Earl; Bert, who mar- ried Amanda Squires, and has two children -Lewis and Gladys; and Frederick, who mar- ried Etta Riley, and has one child-Frances. Politically Mr. Taylor is a Republican and served four years as township constable. He voted twice for Abraham Lincoln. He has seen this section of country develop from a wild region to its present cultivated state and he can remember when his father caught deer and bear on this farm and sold their skins at Canton.

FRED M. HARPHAM, one of Akron's en- terprising young business men, junior mem- ber of the firm of Akers & Harpham, the lead- ing roofing and cornice manufacturing house of this city, was born at Akron in 1875, and is a son of the late William Harpham.

William Harpham was born in England and in 1870 came to Akron, where he engaged in the roofing and cornice . business, brick manufacturing and dealing in builders' sup- plies. He was one of the representative busi- ness men of the city and was honored and es- teemed by his fellow citizens. At the time of his death he was president of the City Council.

Following his graduation from the Akron High School, Fred M. Harpham was em- ployed for a time in the Akron Savings Bank, but on the death of his father he assumed the latter's interest in the firm of Akers & Harp- ham. He is also a stoekholder and a director in the Akron Brick & Tile Company, and is a director and treasurer of the Akron Vitri- fied Clay Manufacturing Company.

In 1904 Mr. Harpham was married to Cecil A. Johnson, who is a daughter of Judge A. B. Johnson, of Kenton, Ohio. They have one child, Louise Murcott. Mr. . Harpham for some time represented the Sixth Ward on the Board of Education, and during this period he started a new era of school building. It was while he was the chairman of the build- ing committee that the Miller school building was built, which was considered by experts one of the model school buildings of the

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country. This type of building was imme- diately followed by the construction of the Lane, Fraunfelter, Findley and Portage Path Schools, which are of a similar type.

JOSEPH A. P. WHITNEY, who has been connected with the Diamond Rubber Com- pany, at Akron, since 1897, is a well-known and respected citizen, and is a veteran of the Civil War. Mr. Whitney belongs to a prom- inent old New England family, and he was born in 1842, at Boston, Massachusetts.

He was reared and educated in his native eity, and was in his eighteenth year when he entered Company D, Sth Regiment, Massachu- setts Militia, as a private, which regiment responded to the first call of President Lincoln for troops. It became famed for its practi- cal work, being called the "Working Eighth," an honorable appellation which it deserved, being made up of expert mechanics. Mr. Whitney was its youngest member, but he did his part in the building of bridges and the construction of roads in the vicinity of Annap- olis and Washington City. This regiment formed part of the command under General B. F. Butler, and having served out its first enlistment of three months, immediately re- enlisted for nine months, and again for 100 days, the last service being mainly in Vir- ginia. At the end of his period of service, Mr. Whitney was honorably discharged, with the rank of sergeant, and returned to his home in Boston. He has been an interested and honored member of the Grand Army of the Republie, ever since its organization.

Mr. Whitney went into the rubber business in 1859. and prior to starting out as a com- mercial traveler in this line, was taught how to sell rubber goods by Robert D. Evans, who started in the rubber business at $3.00 per week and rose to be president of the Ameri- ean Rubber Trust Company. He continued to sell rubber goods for some years and then embarked in the hardware business, which he conducted for twenty-five years. In 1897 he came to Akron, and has since been asso- ciated with this city's largest rubber industry.

At Roxbury, Massachusetts, which is now a

part of the city of Boston, Mr. Whitney was married, in 1862, to Emma D. Bills, who is a daughter of Mark Bills, who founded the omnibus line that was formerly run between Cambridge and Boston. Mr. and Mrs. Whit- ney have two children: Florence Bills, who married A. H. Marks, superintendent of the Diamond Rubber Company at Akron; and Lynwood Gore, who is engaged in business in New York City.

Mr. Whitney has been a Republican since casting his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln. He is identified with the leading fraternities, having been a Mason for thirty- five years, an Odd Fellow for thirty years, a Knight of Pythias for the same length of time, and a member of the Royal Areanum sinec it was organized. He belongs to the Episcopal Church.

WILLIAM F. BRUNSWICK, junior mem- ber of the firm of Dietrich & Brunswick, pro- prietors of the pattern works operated under the above name, is one of Akron's progres- sive young business men. He was born in Germany in 1878 and is a son of John Bruns- wick who brought his family to Akron and established a home on Arlington Street, where he still resides.

William F. Brunswick, after acquiring his education in this city, went to work for the American Cereal Company, and was later with the Buckeye Mower & Reaper Company, where he remained six years. He then en- tered the employ of the Akron Pattern Works; and still later, for over four years, was con- nected with the Taplin-Riee pattern shops. Subsequently, in partnership with A. J. Diet- rich, he established the Dietrich & Brunswiek Pattern Works, which is now a thriving in- dustry.

On June 3, 1898, Mr. Brunswick enlisted for service in the Spanish-American War, en- tering the Third U. S. Artillery, which he accompanied to Tampa, Florida .. He was sent several weeks later to Santiago. and subse- quently was detailed with his comrades to participate in the expedition to Porto Rico, under General Miles, Mr. Brunswick was in

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the West India Islands for six months, and after his return was mustered out at Fort Riley, Kansas, February 23, 1899.

In 1900, Mr. Brunswick was married to Hattie Cutting, who was born and reared in Kansas, but who later resided in Akron. They have two sons: Wilbur F. and Dewitt John, sturdy little Americans, but showing a trace of their German ancestry. Mr. Bruns- wick belongs to the Knights and Ladies of Honor, and to other beneficial societies.

ANDREW T. BROOKS, general merchant at Macedonia and manager of the Brooks Creamery Company at this point, was born at Cleveland, Ohio, July 2, 1859, and is a son of John H. and Catherine (Plunkett) Brooks.

The father of Mr. Brooks was born in Hol- land, in 1831, and was brought to America when he was fourteen years of age. He learned the trade of shoemaking at Cleve- land, where he followed it for a number of years, and in 1866 moved to Brecksville, where he was engaged in business for him- self until 1894, when he retired. He served during the last three months of the Civil War. He is a member of the lodge of Odd Fellows at Brecksville.

Andrew T. Brooks attended school at Brecksville through boyhood up to the age of fifteen years. He learned cheese-making and followed this industry until 1890, during the last seven years being in partnership with J. E. Wyatt, under the firm name of Wyatt & Brooks. After selling his interests in the cheese business to his partner, Mr. Brooks be- came associated with Jesse J. Barnes, under the firm name of Barnes & Brooks, and to- gether they purchased the general mercantile business of T. T. Richie & Co., at Macedonia. Mr. Brooks continued to increase his business interests and in 1900, when the Macedonia Implement Company was organized, he be- came its president, with J. L. Ranney as man- ager. The company handles agricultural im- plements and make a specialty of manufactur- ing a can washer, for the use of dairymen. In 1896 the Brooks Creamery Company was in-

corporated, Mr. Brooks being manager and main stockholder, and he is also president of the Northern Ohio Dairy Company of Cleve- land.

By marriage, Mr. Brooks is connected with a well-known family of Macedonia, his wife being a daughter of Abram C. Munn. They have two children-Norma L. and Neva L. Politically Mr. Brooks is strongly Republican in his sentiments. Hle was appointed post- master by the late President Mckinley. He served as a justice of the peace for six months, resigning the office, and is a member of the Macedonia village council. His fraternal relations are with Summit Lodge, No. 213, F. & A. M., of Twinsburg; the Odd Fellows of Brecksville, and the Maccabees, of Mace- donia.

O. W. BAUM, of the firm of McIntosh & Baum, leaders in the insurance line at Ak- ron, dealing extensively also in loans, invest- ments and real estate, occupies a prominent position in the business circles of this city and is identified with numerous important concerns. He was born at New Berlin, Stark County, Ohio, in 1862, and has been a resi- dent of Akron for fifteen years.

Mr. Baum completed his education in the ITigh School at Canal Fulton, and then taught school for about three years in Stark County. He then became connected with the retail de- partment of the George Worthington Com- pany. of Cleveland, Ohio, with which he re- mained associated for three years. For the following three years Mr. Baum was interested in a hardware business at Greenstown, Ohio, and later became traveling salesman for the Standard Hardware Company. of Akron, rep- resenting it for four or five years. He then turned his attention to fire insurance, and with a Mr. Graham, bought out the insur- ance business of App & Carr. later purchasing Mr. Graham's interest. In 1900 he was elected secretary of the Summit County Build- ing & Savings Company, which. in 1903. was consolidated with the German-American Building & Loan Association, assuming the name of the latter, of which Mr. Baum has

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been secretary ever since. In 1905 Mr. Mc- Intosh purchased an interest in the business and the firm of McIntosh and Baum was es- tablished. This firm does an immense busi- ness and stands deservedly high among simi- lar concerns in Summit County. Mr. Baum is also secretary of the Summit Real Estate Company, and is a stockholder and director in the Dollar Savings Bank Company.

In 1887, Mr. Baum was married to Jennie C. Spangler, of Manchester, Summit County, Ohio. Their only child, Lucile, is now de- ceased. Mr. Baum is identified with a num- ber of fraternal organizations. He is a mem- ber of Nemo Lodge, of Odd Fellows; Akron Tent, No. 126, Maccabees, and of the Uniform Rank of that order; the Protected IIome Cir- cle; the Independent Order of Heptasophs; and the Junior Order of American United Mechanics. He takes a deep interest in and is a member of the Young Men's Christian Association. Ile belongs to Grace Reformed Church.

HIRAM W. LIMBERT, vice-president and manager of the Limbert-Smith Plumb- ing Company, is one of Akron's representa- tive business men. He was born in Tall- madge Township, Summit County, Ohio, in 1875, and is a son of the late John Limbert.

The Limbert family was established in Summit County by the grandfather of the subject of this sketch in pioneer days. John Limbert was born in Summit County and dur- ing his active life took a deep interest in everything concerning the welfare of this sec- tion. He was for some time engaged in the pottery business in Tallmadge Township.

H. W. Limbert was reared and educated in Tallmadge Township. When sixteen years old he came to Akron and went to work for the Baker-MeMillen Company. Later he was connected with other shops in the plumbing business, was with J. A. Smith for two and one-half years, then was with Whyler & Smith for two years, with Englehart & Eckert one year, with the Akron Plumbing & Heating Company for two years, and in 1903 he be- came connected with the firm of Slater &

Smith, the firm name then becoming Slater, Limbert & Smith Company. The business was incorporated in 1904 as the Limbert- Smith Plumbing Company, with a capital stock of $10,000, its officers being: J. D. Slater, president; H. W. Limbert, vice-presi- dent and manager; and B. G. Smith, secre- tary and treasurer. All these officers are men of practical experience and their business con- cern is a leading one of the city.

Mr. Limbert was married May 29, 1895, to Nellie Hall, who is a daughter of J. L. Hall, of Akron. They have three sons: Donald Arthur, Garland Ardell, and Wayne. Mr. Limbert is affiliated fraternally with the Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen.

ALEXANDER NESBIT, general farmer and a well and favorably known citizen, of Northfield Township, was born on the farm on which he now lives, on March 10, 1843, and is a son of William and Lucinda (Hun- gerford) Nesbit. William Nesbit was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and came to Northfield Township as an early settler. He cleared a farm and acquired 100 acres of valuable land. He was a son of Wil- liam Nesbit, who was born in Scotland, who settled first in Westmoreland County and came to Northfield Township in 1834, where he died. William and Lucinda Nesbit had four children. namely: David G., of Cleve- land: Emily Lucinda, who married Samuel Gallie, of Northfield; Caroline Esther, who married William Deisman, of Bedford, Ohio; and Alexander. of Northfield.

Alexander Nesbit was reared on the home farm, which he now owns, a valuable tract of land, consisting of sixty-two and one-half acres, of which he has fifty under cultivation. He raises corn, oats. wheat and hay. keeps four head of cows, and raises calves for the market.

Mr. Nesbit married Josephine Fillius, who is a daughter of Philip Fillius, of Hudson, and they have one daughter. Grace E., who is residing at home with her parents. Mr. Nesbit and his family belong to the United Presbyterian Church. During its existence,

MR. AND MRS. A. PETERSEN

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he belonged to the old Northfield Grange. Although his father was a Jacksonian Dem- ocrat, Mr. Nesbit is identified with the Repub- lican Party.

A. PETERSON, proprietor of the A. Peter- son Company, located at No. 482 South High Street, Akron, is one of the city's enterprising and successful business men. Mr. Peterson was born in Denmark, in 1869, where also he was reared and edneated. Denmark has contributed a large number of valued citizens to the United States, many of them having come as emigrants, and others, like Mr. Peter- son, with lives of useful effort and a measure of social prestige baek of them. Mr. Peterson owes to his interest in publie movements his present establishment in one of the most prosperous cities in the State of Ohio. lle was sent from Europe to the World's Fair at Chicago, in 1893, as a representative of the So- cial Democrat Press, and came with the expec- tation of returning to Denmark. Finding bet- ter opportunities for business in New York than he had anticipated, he entered Wrigley's box factory, in that eity, and learned the busi- ness. remaining there until 1901, when he came to Akron. By this time Mr. Peterson was prepared to embark in business for him- self. and although confronted with competi- tion, he started a factory with eight employes. He has since achieved a remarkable success. Where at first his few men scarecly had enough to keep them busy, he now finds fifty- four none too many. His plant is fitted with all kinds of modern box-making machinery. and its finished product is sold all over the country. In 1893 Mr. Peterson was married to Dagmar Henriette Jenson, who was born in Denmark, and they have two children: Mag- da Marie and Reinholdt. The A. Peterson Company is made up of Mr. Peterson and his wife, the latter being a capable business wom- an.

M. M. NEUMAN, secretary and treasurer of the Stein Double Cushion Tire Company, of Akron, was born in Hungary in 1859, and was there reared and edueated. At the age

of twenty-one he came to America and first found employment for about three months as a traveling agent. This was followed by two years' office work as bookkeeper, after which Mr. Neuman was engaged for three years in the grocery business in Zanesville, Ohio. In 1885 he went to Cleveland and entered into the cigar business, in which he was engaged until 1902. In September, 1902, the Stein Double Cushion Tire Company was organized and incorporated with a capital stoek of $100,- 000, with Mr. C. K. Sunslian of Cleveland, president; J. Neuman of Cleveland, vice-presi- dent ; and M. M. Neuman, secretary and treas- urer. In the following year the firm began business as manufacturers of a double cushion tire, in which they have been very succesful, they having now about sixty employees.

Mr. Neuman was married in 1888 to Miss Hattie Stein, of Meadville, Pennsylvania. Ile and his wife are the parents of two children -Miriam J. Neuman and Beatrice S. Nou- man. Mr. Neuman is a member of the IIe- brew congregation of Akron. He is one of the substantial business men of the city.

A. C. BACHTEL, manager of the Bachtel Paper Company, at Akron, has been prom- inently identified with important business in- terests in this eity for many years. He was born May 4, 1855, near Huntington, Indiana, from which point his parents moved to Can- ton, Ohio, in his childhood, and there he was reared and educated. One of his favorite teaeher- was Miss Anna Mckinley, a sister of the late President William MeKinley.

Early in his business career. Mr. Bachtel eame to Akron and engaged in the manufac- ture of brooms, under the firm name of Bach- tel & Pontious. The firm became one of eon- sequence, and continued in business for near- ly a quarter of a century, their trade relations extending over Ohio and Western Pennsyl- vania. They continued a jobbing business until 1898, when the Bachtel Paper Company succeeded the firm of Bachtel & Pontious. This firm does a jobbing business in all kinds of wrapping paper, paper bags, stationery and

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wrapping twine, giving employment to a large force and keeping one inan on the road.

In 1873, Mr. Bachtel was married to Amelia T. Pontius, who is a daughter of Nicholas Pontius, of a prominent Ohio fam- ily. They have two children, Edwin S. and Ella, the latter residing at home. Edwin S. Bachtel is connected with the Carter Rice Paper Company, of Boston, Massachusetts, with headquarters at Denver, Colorado.

Mr. Bachtel is one of the leading Odd Fel- lows of Ohio, belonging to all divisions of the order and having been a delegate to the Grand Lodge on two occasions. He was responsible for the motion that started the agitation which resulted in the building of the beautiful fra- ternity temple, at Akron, and served several years as its president. In political sentiment, Mr. Bachtel is a stanch Democrat and has served his party and city in a number of im- portant positions. During his term of five years as park commissioner, Mr. Bachtel de- voted himself so closely to the extension and improvement of the park system of the city and with such great results, that he justly considers it a satisfactory and productive period of his public life, one that shows him possessed of enterprise, sound judgment and civie pride.

DAVID HANKEY, a representative agri- culturist of Copley Township, as well as one of its best-known citizens, having served as a justice of the peace and in other offices, resides on his farm of sixty aeres of valuable land. He was born on his father's farm in this town- ship, Oetoher 8, 1850, and is a son of Sam- uel and Maria (Witmer) Hankey. Lewis Hankey, his grandfather, came to America from Germany. In earlier years he followed the trade of shoemaker, but in later life was a farmer and also a preacher. He died in Copley Township, aged eighty-eight years. His children were: Lewis, John, Jacob, Sam- uel, Sarah, Catherine and Susan, all of whom have passed away.

Samuel Hankey, father of David, was a young man when he came to Wavne County, Ohio, where he married Maria Witmer, a na-

tive of Pennsylvania. Hle then bought a farm near the reservoir, in Copley Township, from which he subsequently moved, purchasing land where South Akron now stands, which place he farmed for five years. After that he moved to the farm now owned by his son David, on which he lived many years, moving thence to a farm where White Elephant has been built, and there both he and wife died. They had five children: David, whose name begins this sketch; Mary Ellen, who married P. S. Prentiss; Catherine (deceased), who mar- ried Charles Travor; John Frederick, who owns a farm in Copley Township; and Eliza- beth, who married J. D. Arnold.

David Hankey attended the district schools of the localities in which his parents lived, but as he was the eldest of the family, more responsibility fell upon him than upon the others. He has been accustomed to farm work almost from childhood, and has made farming his main occupation in life. He purchased his present farm from his father, elearing a part of the land and putting up substantial buildings.

Mr. Hankey was married (first) in Novem- ber, 1872, to Amy First, who left at death one child-Forest, who lived but three years. Mr. Hankey married (second), in June, 1881, Agnes Delong, a daughter of Jonathan De- long. Of this union there is a daughter, Maude Ethel, who is now an educated and ac- complished young lady, a graduate of the Copley High School. It was a pleasant inei- dent that at the time of her graduation her father was president of the School Board and had the agreeable duty of presenting her with her diploma. She subsequently married Wal- lace Gingery, and they reside in Akron. Politically, Mr. Hankey is a Republican. With his wife he belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church, being a member also of the official board.

C. I. BRUNER, vice-president of the See- ond National Bank at Akron, president of the Akron Building and Loan Association and president of the Bruner-Goodhue-Cook Com- pany, all of Akron, is also identified with

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other large business interests here. either as principal, director or stockholder. Mr. Brun- er was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, in 1856. When he was ten years of age, his. parents removed from Ohio to Wabash, In- diana, where he was educated, and where dur- ing his earlier business years, he was asso- ciated with his father in a grain and later in a hardware business. Subsequentiy he es- tablished himself in the hardware business at Kokomo, Indiana, afterwards taking charge of a wood-working plant there. Seven years later this manufacturing plant was consoli- dated with a similar one at Ludington. Mich- igan, and a central agency was established at Akron, of which Mr. Bruner had charge for three years. After disposing of his interest in that concern, he went into the real estate business and was engaged in it to a large ex- tent for some years. He then became cashier of the Citizens' National Bank, and in 1903, at the time of its consolidation with the Sec- ond National Bank, he became its vice-presi- dent. He is a director in the Whitman-Barnes Manufacturing Company. treasurer of the Werner Company, treasurer of the E. A. Pflueger Company, a director in the Peo- ple's Savings Bank, and for four years has been president of the board of trustees of the city sinking fund. The quiet efficieney with which he discharges the duties of all these responsible offices, marks him as a man pos- sessed of great natural ability, sound judg- ment. and a clear business foresight that re- sults in successful achievement.

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Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 61

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