Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 70

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 70

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In 1883, Mr. Morton was married to Mar- garet Laber, who was born near Heidelberg, Germany. They have two children, Edna Ruth and Frederick William, the latter of whom is a bright student in the Akron High School.

DAVID A. McCOLGAN, who for twelve successive years has been a member of the Board of Education, and for six years one of the trustees of Springfield Township, resides on his farm of 132 acres, which he has placed under fine cultivation. He was born in Sum- mit County, Ohio, June 6, 1854, and is a son of James and Nancy (Moore) McColgan.

The father of Mr. McColgan was born in Ireland and came to America in 1835 at the age of twenty-five years, subsequently coming to Springfield Township, Summit County,

Ohio. He was married at Trenton, New Jersey, to Nancy Moore, who was also born in Ireland, where her parents died. She died in 1857. The grandparents of Mr. McColgan, Michael and Martha McColgan, followed their son James to America some five years after he had emigrated, and they both died in Spring- field Township, and were buried at Springfield Center. James McColgan died in 1870, hav- ing survived his first wife for thirteen years. There were four sons born to his first mar- riage, namely: William John, deceased, who married in Michigan, left two children ; James Shannon, resides in Northampton Township, engaged in farming, married Susan Adams and they have three children ; Charles Henry, who is deceased, and David A. There were three children born to a second marriage, all of whom survive.

David A. MeColgan obtained his education in the district schools and was reared on a farm near Pleasant Valley, where his father first settled. For six years he resided in Portage County, but in 1884 he settled on his present farm, since which time he has been en- gaged in growing grain and stock. His land is fertile and under his excellent management, is very productive.

In 1878 Mr. McColgan was married to Jen- nie Grotz, who is a daughter of John and Elmira (Martin) Grotz. The grandmother of Mrs. McColgan was the first white child born in Suffield Township. Portage County, and her mother can remember the time when Indians would frequently be seen in the neighborhood of her home. Mr. and Mrs. McColgan have had two children, namely: Bertie, who died aged nine months: and Claude, who was born July 12, 1882. and re- sides on the home farm. He married Elma Spade, who is a daughter of Henry and Louisa Spade, and they have a little two- year-old daughter, Mabel.

Mr. McColgan was reared a Republican. but for the past fifteen years he has been identified with the Democratic party. He has served for six years as township trustee and for twelve years as a member of the Board of Education. having a remarkable

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record in connection with both offices, that of never having missed a single official meet- ing in the whole period. He has been par- ticularly active in politics since 1890, and has been sent as a delegate to two State conven- tions. Both he and wife are active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Ile stands as one of Springfield Township's rep- resentative citizens.

CLARK E. WOOLF, residing on his finely developed farm of fifty-nine acres, situated in Springfield Township, is one of the leading men of this section. He was born at At- water, Portage County, Ohio, October 2, 1856, and is a son of George and Elizabeth (Baum) Woolf.

Mr. Woolf comes of old pioneer families of Ohio, on both sides, his ancestors having come to their respective settlements, from east- ern homes, in the days when Indians still roamed through the trackless forests and Na- ture had been practically undisturbed. Family records do not tell how early the pa- ternal grandparents settled in Columbiana County, but there they reared a family and both died when George Woolf, father of Clark E., was small. Of the twelve other children this biography does not treat, but all through this part of the State, their representatives may be found, usually among the respected and useful citizens. The maternal grand- parents, the Baums, were equally early set- tlers in Trumbull County, where the mother of Clark E. Woolf was born. It is related of Grandmother Baum, as indicative of her en- ergy and courage, that she made a trip on horseback from Salem to Ravenna, through the forests, following only blazed paths, car- rying with her the products of her own dairy for the purchase of warp for the weaving, which her busy hands carried on in the long winter evenings. She was the first white woman who ever faeed the dangers of such a journey over that ground, and she accomplished it in one day. She was the mother of a numer- ous and sturdy family. Left a widow, she re- mained on her farm near North Benton, Ma- honing County, a number of years and then

moved to the home of her son-in-law, George Woolf, at Atwater, where she died.

After George Woolf left Columbiana County, he settled for a few years at Ellsworth, Mahoning County, and then moved to At- water, Portage County, removing from there to the farm of Grandmother Baun, on which he remained for some years, subsequently re- turning to Atwater. He died in the fall of 1904, at the age of eighty-four years. He married Elizabeth Baum, who died December 2, 1880, aged fifty-nine years. They had six children, namely: Elizabeth, who died aged six years, and Preston G., Homer H., Morris O., Clark E., Wilson W. Preston G. Woolf, residing at Atwater, Ohio, owns and operates a large flour and chop mill. Hle married Amelia Luke, of Edinburg, Portage County, and they have had two children, a daughter, deceased, and a son, Merritt. The latter is an expert electrician and is foreman of a shop in one of the largest manufacturing centers of Indiana. Homer H. Woolf, residing at At- water, where he conduets the largest hardware business in Portage County, having been in business there for thirty-four years, occupies one of the largest store rooms in the city, hav- ing a space of seventy feet square. He mar- ried Carrie Crumrine, of Goshen Township, Mahoning County, and they have two daugh- ters and one son : Edith, Elsie and Leslie, the latter of whom is a physician at Ravenna. The elder daughter is bookkeeper in her fath- er's store, and the younger is a teacher in the public schools of Hudson. Morris O. Woolf resides near Rootstown, Portage County, where he owns a small farm, and a lake where he has made a summer resort, which is liber- ally patronized. He married Rhoda Harding, who was born on that farm, and they have had two children a daughter and son, the latter of whom died at the age of nineteen years. The daughter married Carl Brown. Wil- son W. Woolf, a mechanic by trade, resides ai Atwater and has been in the employ of a rail- road company for sixteen years. He married Anna Baith, who was born at Atwater, and they have one son and three daughters: Her- bert, Rena, Leta and Ethel. The son fills a

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responsible position in one of the banks of Alliance, having been appointed to the place on acount of the recommendations presented to the president of the bank, by the principal of the school in which the young man was educated.

Clark E. Woolf was the fourth member of the above family. £ He was reared on the homestead at Atwater where he remained un- til twenty-eight years of age, and was educated in the loeal sehools. In 1885, he moved to Springfield Township, Summit County, set- tling first in the southeastern part, where he lived for ten years, since when he has resided on his present farm, which he purchased in 1896. It had been improved to a considerable degree and under Mr. Woolf's management has continued to increase in value. He car- ries on general farming and keeps a few cows, but makes no special effort at dairying.

On October 9, 1879, Mr. Woolf was married to Alice Hart, who is a daughter of Benjamin and Mary (Meacham) Hart. The mother of Mrs. Woolf was born in Springfield Town- ship, Summit County, Ohio. Her parents died when she was young and she was reared by a family named Kent. Jessie Hart, the grandfather of Mrs. Woolf, came to Summit County, in 1812, making the journey from Connecticut in an ox-eart, and living to see the time when he could have purchased many of the fertile acres which were wild and un- cultivated when he first saw them. He lived to the unusual age of ninety-four years. Mrs. Woolf was born on the farm on which Grand- father IIart settled, as had been her father. The early log house gave way to a fine brick dwelling, the bricks for its construction hav- ing been burned on the farm. The family re- tained this property until within recent years.

Mr. and Mrs. Woolf have had three chil- dren, one son and two daughters, namely : Mary, Mahlon and Bessie. Mary was educated in the public schools of Suffield, and Bessie is a student in the schools of Springfield Town- ship. The son, Mahlon Woolf, has made a brilliant record at school. From the publie schools of Springfield Township, he entered the High School at Akron, where he was

creditably graduated in the class of 1904, after which he took a commercial course in an Akron Business College. For the past two years he has been a student at Wooster Uni- versity, and after completing a very thorough literary education, he proposes to study theol- ogy and subsequently enter the ministry of the Presbyterian Church.

Mr. Woolf has always been noted for good citizenship, attending carefully to the duties pertaining thereto. He is not closely identi- fied with either great political party, prefer- ring to keep free to vote more for the man of high principles than to support blindly any organization. He is a strict temperance man and naturally favors legislation along that 'line. In 1906, his fellow-eitizens elected him to the office of township treasurer. On Novem- ber 5, 1907, he was elected for another term, an honor he never sought, but a position he had filled with fidelity to the public's interest. With his wife and children, Mr. Woolf be- longs to the Presbyterian Church and is a liberal supporter of its various benevolent projects.

REV. A. B. CHURCH, D. D. LL. D., the scholarly president of Buchtel College, came to this noted institution of learning from a sue- cessful ministerial eareer, and has been iden- tified with it since September 1, 1897. This decade has been one of remarkable growth for the college, and to Dr. Church's scholar- ship, devotion and executive ability much of this progress must be attributed.

Dr. Church was born January 11, 1858. at North Norwich, New York, and is a son of the late A. William Church. The latter resided during the whole of his life on the same farm and was so talented a musician that he adopted music as a profession. On the pa- ternal farm, Dr. Church was reared and re- mained until he was twenty-one years of age. In the district school he developed an unusual boyish love of his books and he entered the Union schools at Sherburne. From there he went to the Clinton Liberal Institute, at Fort Plain, New York, and in 1882, he entered St. Lawrence University, at Canton, New York,

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where he was graduated with the degree of A. B. in 1886. He took the theological course in the same institution and was there gradu- ated in 1888, immediately entering the active work of the ministry. His first charge was the church at South Berwick, Maine, where he served from July, 1888, to September, 1890, when he accepted the pastorate of the North Adams, Massachusetts, church where he con- tinued until 1897. In that year he was of- fered and accepted the pastorate of the First Universalist Church of Akron, in which he labored until his appointment as president of Buchtel College, in 1901. Prior to this he had been identified with the faculty of the col- lege, teaching mental and moral philosophy, and entered upon his still more responsible duties with full comprehension of what they included. As a student, scholar and theo- logian, Dr. Church has been recognized hon- orably by many institutions of learning. In 1892 the degree of D. D. was conferred on him by his alma mater, in 1899 Buchtel College conferred the A. M. degree, and in 1904, Tufts College, of Boston, conferred the LL. D. de- gree.

On September 10, 1899, Dr. Church was married to Anne Attwood, who is a daughter of Rev. Dr. I. M. Attwood, then president of the Theological School of St. Lawrence Uni- versity. Dr. and Mrs. Church have four children : Evelyn, John Attwood, Harold and Dorothy.

FRANK J. SHAW, who is serving in his second term as treasurer of Norton Township, in which he is a leading citizen and successful farmer, was born in Summit County, Ohio, June 7, 1850, and is a son of Merwin and Emily (Betz) Shaw.

Merwin Shaw, father of Frank J., was born in Wadsworth Township. Medina County, Ohio, and was a son of Joshua F. Shaw, who came to Olio from New York at a very early date, and settled first in Wadsworth Township but later removed to Norton Township, and was the first owner of the farm which is now the property of his grandson, Frank J. Shaw. Ile died at Johnson's Corners. Merwin Shaw

followed agricultural pursuits through life. He married Emily Betz, who still survives at the age of seventy-three years and resides in California. She is a daughter of Abraham Betz, who was a pioneer from Pennsylvania, to Medina County. Merwin Shaw died on the present farm of his son, in 1903, in the old home built by his father. The four children of the family all survive, namely: Frank J., George A., Ella and Hattie, the older daugh- ter being the wife of William Yoder of Wads- worth, and the younger, the wife of William Shafer, of Akron.

Frank J. Shaw has always lived on the homestead farm and in addition to following agricultural pursuits here, he has operated a portable sawmill for about thirty years, and for the same length of time engaged in thresh- ing, owning an outfit. He still continues to run his mill, it being the only one in the vi- cinity nearer than Wadsworth. His farm in- cludes a little over 100 acres of excellent land. For several years after his marriage he lived on the part of the farm which contained the old home, and then moved to another part on which he had built a house and barn and made many improvements. Still later as his children grew up and married, he built houses and barns for his sons, and also purchased a small property with comfortable residence, for his son-in-law, Ward Ware. Mr. Shaw has thus shown his regard for the happinesss and welfare of his family and enjoys seeing their prosperity. He is a well-educated man himself, being a graduate of the High School of Seville, Medina County, and has given his two sons and two daughters many advan- tages.

On December 25, 1879, Mr. Shaw was mar- ried to Ruth Wilder, who is a daughter of Wells Wilder, of Medina County, Ohio, and they have the following descendants: Frank M., residing on a part of the home farm, is employed at the Stirling Works at Barberton, as a patternmaker, married Della Fending- ham and they have three children: Ruth, Gladys and Paul; Daisy A., who married Ward Ware, who follows the carpenter trade in Norton Township, has three children:

MR. AND MRS. HARVEY A. WISE

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Russell, Harold and Delight; Dora, who mar- ried william Weaver, who is a retail milk dealer at Barberton, has one child, Clara; and Ernest W., residing on a part of the home farm, married Dora Specht.

Mr. Shaw has never desired political office but has consented to serve when his fellow citizens have honored him. He was elected township treasurer in 1903, the only member of the Republican party to receive the elective vote in Norton Township, for many years, and approval of his service was shown by his re-election for a second term. He has also been a member of the township School Board. He is one of the leading members of the Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal Church. For a long period he served as class leader and in all the offices of the Sunday-school in the old church at Johnson's Corners.

HARVEY A. WISE, a highly esteemed citizen and practical farmer of Franklin Township, residing on his excellent farm of 160 acres, was born June 6, 1871, in Franklin Township, Summit County, Ohio, and on the same farm and in the same house in which he now resides. Ile is a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Kepler) Wise.

Henry Wise was a native of Pennsylvania, where in his younger days he was engaged in oil drilling and farming. As a young man he came to Ohio, and after his marriage set- tled on the present farm of his son Harvey, in Franklin Township, from which they sub- sequently removed to near Kenmore. Ilere Henry Wise died in November, 1905, aged 62 years, his wife still surviving him. Henry Wise was married to Elizabeth Kepler, who is a daughter of Jacob Kepler, and to this union there were born four children : Charles ; Harvey Allen; Ida, who married Martin Ling; and Ollie, who died young.

Harvey A. Wise received his education in the schools of his native district, and he has always been engaged in agricultural pursuits in Franklin Township, with the exception of three years when he carried on a livery busi- ness at Barberton, and two years spent on his father's farm near Kenmore. He inherited

his present property from his father-a fertile tract of 160 acres on which stands a large brick residence, one of the first in the locality.

In December, 1901, Mr. Wise was married to Mattie Snyder, who is a daughter of Isaac Snyder. Four children have been born to this union: Jesse, Lloyd, Grace and Howard. Mr. Wise, with his family, belongs to the Re- formed Church. Ilis portrait may be seen on an adjacent page.

FRANK PFEIFFER, a prominent and substantial citizen of Springfield Township, re- siding on his well-improved farm of 145 acres, was born November 3, 1860, in Portage Town- ship, Summit County, Ohio, and is the only child of Frederick and Catherine (Grohe ) Pfeiffer.

The paternal grandparents of Mr. Pfeiffer were George and Catherine (Bank) Pfeiffer, the latter of whom was a daughter of John Bank, and a sister to two ministers of the Lutheran Church, John, who had a charge at Buffalo, New York, and Charles, who was pastor of a large church at New Brunswick, New Jersey. The children of George and Catherine Pfeiffer were: Frederick; George, who died in California, after residing there many years; Catherine, deceased, who mar- ried Rev. George Rettig, resided at Monticel- lo, Iowa; Jacob, who resides at Akron ; Louisa, who died in 1902, in Medina County, married Mr. Monsmith; and Charles, residing at Akron, married Catherine Brown.

Frederick Pfeiffer, father of Frank, was born January 17, 1829, in Oldenburg, Ger- many, and came to America in 1848. Prior to reaching Akron, in the same year, he had resided for short seasons, in Pennsylvania and New York. He was variously engaged in his earlier years, at Akron. working in the Christy leather store and also in the flour mills. In 1856, he settled on the George Miller farm, of Western Star, from which he moved to a farm near Clinton, which he operated for one year, and then purchased a farm of sixty-one acres in Sharon Township, Medina County, which he sold after living there for eight years. From there he moved to

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Akron and bought a house and lot, but after six months of town life, he decided to return to farming and bought eighty-five acres of land north of Akron, on which he lived for fourteen years. After selling that property he bought 180 acres at Uniontown, Stark County, Ohio, on which he has resided since the fall of 1887. Frederick Pfeiffer married Catherine Grohe, who was born in Germany, April 23, 1829, and is a daughter of Adam and Catherine Grohe, both of whom died in the old home in Hemsbach, Baden, Germany. Mrs. Pfeiffer came to America in 1852, locat- ing at Randolph, Portage County Ohio. Both Frederick Pfeiffer and wife have reached the age of seventy-nine years, enjoy- ing excellent health and possessing all their faculties, They are valued members of the ·First Reformed German Church at Akron. Mr. Pfeiffer is a Democrat.

Frank Pfeiffer remained with his parents until after his own marriage. After com- pleting the public school course, he en- tered Buchtel College, where he spent two years. About 1881, he became the operator of his father's farm, north of Akron, and later conducted the home farm in Stark County, for eighteen years. He has always taken a great deal of interest in agricultural pursuits and entertains justifiable pride in his present fine, well-ordered farm, which he pur- chased in 1898, of the King Ellet heirs. He has made many fine improvements here, not the least of which is his elegant home, re- cently completed. It contains eight rooms, is of modern architecture, and is beautifully fin- ished inside in red and white oak, while its furnishings and surroundings are all that good taste demands.

Mr. Pfeiffer was married October 8, 1885, to Lydia Hawk, who is a daughter of Michael and Albertina Hawk, both of whom were born in Germany, and a granddaughter of Philip and Margaret Hawk, who came to Portage County, Ohio, in 1849, and lived on their farm there until death. Philip Hawk died in 1862, and his widow in 1874. They had five children, Michael being the young- est.

Michael Hawk was born in Germany, Sep- tember 27, 1835, and accompanied his parents to Portage County. He entered manhood with- out financial resources, but his industry and perseverance brought their own reward, and by 1870 he was able to purchase a farm of his own. He is now seventy-three years of age and owns an excellent farm of 144 acres, in Tallmadge Township, Summit County. Ile married Albertina Bletzer, a daughter of Michael Bletzer, of Randolph, Portage County, where she was born in 1840. She died in

1893, aged fifty-two years. They had two children, namely: Lydia and Albert, the lat- ter of whom resides in the West. Michael Hawk is a member of Grace Reformed Church, at Akron, to which his first wife also belonged. Mr. Hawk contracted a second marriage.

Mr. and Mrs. Pfeiffer have three children : George Frederick, Raymond Arthur and Clara May. The daughter was born November 30, 1892, and is a student in the public schools. The older son, George Frederick, was born August 28, 1886. He took a scientific course at Buchtel College and a course in the Scran- ton School of Civil Engineering, and is a civil engineer with the N. O. T. Company. The second son, Raymond Arthur, was born Au- gust 28, 1890, and is a bright student at Buchtel College. Mr. and Mrs. Pfeiffer are members of the Reformed Church on East Market Street, Akron, in which he is an elder and secretary of the church Consistory.

In politics, Mr. Pfeiffer is a Democrat and for a number of years has been active in poli- ties. While never pressing his claim to po- litical honors, he has frequently been chosen by his party for responsible offices. He served several terms as treasurer of Lake Township, Stark County, and also as justice of the peace. He was appointed a notary public first by Gov- ernor Bushnell, and has commissions which were subsequently issued by Gov. George K. Nash and also by Governor Herrick. For a number of years he served as central commit- teeman in Lake Township, and frequently has attended the important Democratic conven- tions as a delegate.

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JOHN G. OLIN for many years was one of the sterling men of Stow Township, a man whose integrity was never questioned, whose influence was felt in the practical development of his neighborhood and whose advice and judgment were sought by his fellow-eitizens. He was born at Streetsboro, Portage County, Ohio, October 17, 1851, and died on the prop- erty which he had acquired through indus- try and frugality, on April 1, 1900. The par- ents of John G. Olin were Alonzo and Elmira B. (Squires) Olin, and his grandparents were Samuel and Betsey (Green) Olin.

Samuel Olin, the grandfather, was the pioneer of the family to Ohio. He was born July, 1793, at Shaftsbury, Vermont, and there and at St. Albans, his early life was spent, helping his father until he was of legal age. He then went to Whitestown, Oneida County, New York, and assisted his uncle, Silas Raw- son, who kept a publie inn at that place, and while there, in December, 1815, he married his eousin, Betsey Green. She was born in April 1797. In 1818, Samuel Olin and wife moved to Perry, New York, where two of his brothers had previously settled, and all farmed in partnership until the spring of 1822, when Samuel returned to Whitestown and remained two years with his uncle, who needed his as- sistance. after which he returned to his farm. Later he bought another farm on which he lived until February 28, 1839, when he left there for Ohio. His household goods were packed in three great wagons, for he was a man of at least $10,000 of capital and prop- erty, and the first season after reaching Streets- boro, he built a fine brick house for hotel pur- poses, which was long known as Olin's Inn. He carried on his hotel for eleven years with profit, having had the necessary training with his uncle to make the business part of hotel- keeping a success, while his genial nature and hearty good fellowship made his companion- ship agreeable to travelers. The building of the Cleveland & Pittsburg Railroad defleet- ed trade and thus practically ruined his busi- ness. He spent the remainder of his life en- gaged in farming. At the time of his death,

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Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 70

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