Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 74

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 74

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Mr. Loeb located at Akron after reaching the United States, entering the employ of the reliable old firm of Koch & Levi, from which Mr. Levi retired in 1878, Mr. Loeb purchasing his interest, and he remained as- sociated with Mr. Koch, until January 1, 1907. when the latter retired. After the re- tirement of Mr. Koch, the business was in- corporated as the J. Koch Company. with a capital stock of $50,000. the officers being: Louis Loch, president: Philip Huber, vice president, and Solomon Goldsmith, secretary and treasurer. This is not only one of the oldest but one of the largest and most sub- stantial houses in its line in this section of Ohio.

In 1882 Mr. Loeb was married to Alice Moss, who is a daughter of HI. W. Moss, of Akron, and they have three children, namely: Edna, who is the wife of Arthur L. Abt, one of the leading business men of Canton; Joy T., who is in charge of the office of the J. Koch Company, and Irene, residing at home. Mr. Loeb and family be- lóng to the Akron Hebrew Congregation, and

I. F. ALLEN, vice president and treasurer of the R. & A. Supply Company, wholesale and retail dealers in hardware, located at No. 66 South Howard Street, is also vice presi- dent and secretary of another large business enterprise of Akron, the Jahant Heating Company. He was born in 1868, in Sum- mit County, Ohio, and is a son of John Allen, a retired resident of Akron. Mr. Al- len's father was born in 1829, on the same farm in Summit County on which his son was born thirty-nine years later. He is a son of Jonah Allen, who came to this section of Ohio from Connecticut in 1811. The fam- ily is one of the most respected and substan- tial ones of the county.

AAfter completing his education, which in- cluded a full commercial course at Ham- mel's Business College, I. F. Allen went to Cleveland, and for seven years was connected with the George Worthington Hardware Company, of that city. In 1891 he came back to Akron and bought the interest of Mr. Williams in the hardware firm of Wil- liams & Rohrbacher, the firm of Rohrbacher & Allen being then established. In October, 1907, the business was incorporated as the R. & 1. Supply Company with a capital stock of $50,000. The officers are: 1. C. Rohrbacher, president; I. F. AAllen, vice president and treasurer, and Mr .. Hawkins, secretary. The members of the firm are all practical hardware men and the business is one which extends over a wide extent and does a large amount of annual trading.

In 1891 Mr. Allen was married to Eva May Geddes, of Cleveland, and they have one child, Clifford I., who is a bright student in the Akron public schools. Mr. and Mrs. Allen are members of the First Church of Christ, Akron. Fraternally, Mr. Allen is a Knight Templar Mason, affiliated with the Masonic club, also an Odd Fellow.

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ALFRED WOOD, a leading citizen of Northfield Township, Summit County, Ohio, who owns a farm of fifty-six acres, about thirty of which are under cultivation, was born October 23, 1842, at Independence, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and is a son of Ben- jamin and Charlotte (Belden) Wood.

Benjamin Wood was born in 1816 on the Strand, London, England, where he attended boarding school until fourteen years of age, and at the age of twenty-one years came to America. He had learned the tailor's trade in his native land, but did not follow it to any extent, after a short residence at Cleve- land settling on a farm in Independence. From 1862 until 1900 he was connected with the firm of Benjamin Stair and Son, at Cleveland, and became a man of some means, making three trips to his native country. Mr. Wood was possessed of scholarly attainments, and was elected to a number of township offices, including that of trustee. His death occurred in August, 1905. Mr. Wood was married to Charlotte Belden, whose ancestry dates back to colonial days, and they had three children: Norman, who died Novem- ber 18, 1907; Alfred, subject of this sketch, and Martha, who is the widow of John R. Richardson. of Cleveland. Benjamin Wood was reared in the faith of the Episcopal Church, but there being no churches in In- dependence when he located there, he be- came a Presbyterian, and paid nearly half of the cost of erecting there the church of that denomination.

Alfred Wood received a common school education in Independence, and in youth se- cured employment with the firm of Benja- min Stair & Son, at Cleveland, for whom he worked for a year and a half. At the end of this time he rented a farm at St. Mary's, Canada, where he remained for five years, and then located at Akron, heing em- ployed in the Buckeye shops for sixteen years. Subsequently he became foreman of the Lamson and Session shops at Cleveland, but in 1893 purchased the Charles Viers · farm, a tract of fifty-six aeres in lot 65, about thirty acres of which Mr. Wood has

under cultivation. He keeps about eight head of cattle, is largely interested in bee culture, and raises blooded horses. His prin- cipal crops are oats, wheat, hay and corn, and he has a fine orchard of apple, peach, pear and plum trees.

Mr. Wood has given much attention to horticulture and was one of the charter members of the Summit County Horticul- tural Society. He has been very active in scientific work, being associated with Prof. Claypole of Buchtel College, his studies em- bracing all the natural sciences. On one oc- casion he read a paper before the Scientific Society of Buchtel College, setting forth the theory that the Cuyahoga River has always flowed north as at present, the accepted the- ory at that time (Newberry's), being that in prehistorie times the river flowed south. Mr. Wood's paper aroused wide discussion, but his theory was finally accepted, and was in- corporated in the reports of the State De- partment of Geology. Fraternally, Mr. Wood is connected with Hesperion Lodge No. 281, Knights of Pythias, of Cleveland. and he was a charter member of Etolia Lodge No. 24, Knights of Pythias, of Akron, of which he was secretary and treasurer.

Mr. Wood was married to Sarah J. Johns, who is the daughter of James Johns, and to this union there were born six children : Mary, who is the wife of F. H. Fanning, of Cleveland: Charlotte, who is a well-known artist of Cleveland; Norman B., who lives at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; Robert J., William H. and Amelia B., who reside in Cleveland. The family is connected with the Episcopal Church.

The Johns family, which is an old one of Hatherly, Devonshire. England. was founded in America by the parents of Mrs. Woods, who came to Canada when she was a child of three years, in 1843. James Johns, Mrs. Wood's father, was a machinist by trade. an occupation which he followed at Darlington. Ontario, until 1860, and then for a few years at Cleveland, Ohio. Later he removed to Independence, where he car- ried on farming for two years, hut he sub-

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sequently sold his farm and returned to his trade at Cleveland. Thence he went to Strat- ford, Ontario, in which place he established a machine shop. His death occurred in 1893, when he was in his eighty-ninth year; his wife, Mary (Bourne) James, died in 1891, when eighty-two years old. Mrs. Wood was the seventh of a family of sixteen chil- dren.

ARTHUR 1. MOORE, president of the People's Savings and Banking Company, at Barberton, and also interested in a real estate and insurance business, was born in Ashta- bula County. Ohio, September 15, 1857, and is a son of Reuben and Lavantia (Adams) Moore.

For a number of years Reuben Moore, father of Arthur. 1., conducted a general mercantile business at Leon, Ohio, and was concerned to a considerable extent in the lumber industry of Ashtabula County, where he owned mills. He also owned and operated mills in Florida. Both he and wife are resi- dents of Barberton.

Arthur A. Moore in boyhood attended the country schools near his home, and later the Grand River Institute at Austinburg. When eighteen years of age he started into busi- ness with his father with whom he remained two years. On attaining his majority, he decided to go into business for himself, hav- ing his own ideas concerning its develop- ment. Lacking, capital to purchase a horse and wagon, he hired them, bought a stock of seasonable goods, and started out through the country to sell them. He met with ex- cellent suecess, and soon established a store of his own at Leon, Ohio, keeping a man on the road, and was thus engaged for about thirteen years. When he eame to Barberton he immediately showed his enterprise by the erection of the first brick block in the place, a substantial building, in which he estah- lished a general store. He was appointed the first postmaster of the village, serving in this office for two years. Closing out his mercantile interests, Mr. Moore, in 1901, en- tered into the insurance and real estate busi-

ness, in which he is now the leader in this place. When the People's Savings and Bank- ing Company was organized, Mr. Moore was elected president of this financial institution, which enjoys the confidence of the publie. In many ways he has shown his publie spirit and demonstrated his progressive ideas, and he ranks among the most prominent citizens of Barberton.

In 1879 Mr. Moore was married to Dora N. Bailey, and they have three children, namely: Nellie, Lena and Hattie. For five years Mr. Moore served as a member of the Barberton Board of Education, all his influ- ence being given to encouraging good schools and other uplifting agencies. Mr. Moore is a member of the U. B. Church, of Barber- ton, and one of its most liberal supporters. Fraternally, he is a Mason.

NOAH FRASE, a prominent citizen of Franklin Township, who is engaged in agri- cultural operations on a well-cultivated tract of 100 acres, was born December 23, 1850, at the family home in Wayne County, Ohio, known as the Frase Settlement, and is a son of John A. and Mary (Ettling) Frase.

John A. Frase, the grandfather of Noah, was a native of Pennsylvania, and a tailor by trade. From Pennsylvania the trip to Ohio was made in wagons by Noah Frase, with his wife and five children, When John 1., was about two years old. They at once settled on a 100-acre tract of land, which was subsequently mainly cleared and operated by the children. Mr. Frase continuing with his tailoring until his death.

John A. Frase, Jr., father of Noah, was reared upon the home farm, and there re- sided until about five years after his mar- riage, when he purchased a traet of eighty acres in the northeastern corner of Wayne County, and also acquired land in Summit County so that he was considered a man of some wealth. Ile married Mary Ettling. who survived him twelve years. To them were born eight children: Noah, William, who resides at Ashtabula; Catherine, who married William Deckerhoof: Peter M., who

ROBERT S. PAUL

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is an employe in a bank at Clinton; John W., who resides on the old home place in Wayne County; Mary, who married Charles Opplinger; Emma, who married Henry Slee, and Ida, who married Christopher Albrecht. The father died in Wayne County in 1888.

Noah Frase was reared on the home farm and attended the district schools until he reached his twenty-first year, when he went to work in the coal banks, where he contin- ued for about ten years. He then worked for John Grill, at farming, and also in a sawmill for three years, at the end of which time he came to his present property, which he purchased from the old estate. Mr. Frase has been engaged in general farming here since 1887, and has proven himself a good, practical agriculturist. For the past seven years he has been a director in the Norton Mutual Insurance Company, of which he served two terms as treasurer. In political matters he is a Demoerat.

On October 28, 1880, Mr. Frase was mar- ried to Amanda Grill, who is a daughter of John and Mary (Snyder) Grill, and to this union there have been born six children : Elmer, who married Elizabeth Oar, has one child, May; Oscar, Ida, who died at the age of nineteen years; Clayton, Doyle and Eliza- beth. Mr. Frase, with his family, belongs to the Reformed Church, in which he serves as deacon.

ROBERT S. PAUL, third son of Hosea and Ellen Gamble Paul, was born at Cuya- hoga Falls, Ohio, October 3, 1842, and died at Akron, Ohio, May 23, 1905. He received his academical education at home, it being extended by attendance at the Lebanon, Ohio, Institute and at Oberlin, and later by an en- gineering course at the Pennsylvania Poly- technic at Philadelphia. He became practi- cally familiar with surveying operations and computations at an early age by reason of assisting his father, who was county surveyor and town engineer of Akron; his youthful activities, with the exception of a couple of terms teaching school, being thus quite ex- clusively in the line of service in later years.

During the Civil War, he spent about three years (1862-1865) with the Engineer Department, Army of the Cumberland, a part of which time was devoted to laying out the earthwork defenses for the city of Cincinnati.

He spent the years 1865 and 1866 sur- veying on Oil and Pithole Creeks, in Ve- mango County, Pennsylvania. He was then over two years in Cleveland with the engi- neering firm of Sargent & Hartnell, and re- turned to Akron in 1869 to reside perma- nently.

Upon the death of his father in 1870, he became county surveyor, and held the office three terms. From 1874 to 1877 he was en- gaged in surveying and was the chief en- gineer of the O. & T. R. R. He was the chief engineer of the Valley Railway in 1887 and 1888. He was president for two terms of the Ohio County Surveyors' Association, and was secretary and treasurer of the Ohio In- stitute of Mining Engineers, and was a mem- ber of the I. O. O. F., K. of P., F. of A. and I. O. R. M.

He was a member of the firm of Paul Brothers, civil and mining engineers and surveyors, one of the oldest and best known firms in the state. His written records, gen- erally full and definite, were supplemented and illuminated by a marvelous memory, which could recall every tradition, fact or circumstance. His knowledge of titles and land law was extensive and accurate. He had a wide acquaintance, and his advice and counsel were sought not only by his proferi- sional brethren but in many other directions. He was well equipped in mathematics, and a wide reader of the best literature, and gave much serious thought to deep problems.

Mr. Paul married Sarah M. Romig, July 25, 1872, and of this union there were seven children, four of whom are now living- Ellen Paul Nice, Ada Paul Bordner, Mary Paul and Edward W. Paul.

Robert. S. Paul had five brothers: Harri- son D. (deceased), George (deceased), Ho- sea, Jr., T. Dwight and Edward J., all of whom were or are now engaged in survey- ing and civil engineering. He had one sis-

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ter, Mary (deceased), who was an expert draftsman and helped extensively in both the business of her father and of her brothers.

EDWARD W. PAUL, of the firm of Paul Brothers, civil and mining engineers and sur- veyors, at Akron, has been identified with this kind of work ever since he entered into business life. He was born at Akron, Ohio, August 23, 1880, and is a son of Robert S. and Sarah M. (Romig) Paul. His father was one of the county's most prominent men for many years and was a son of Hosea Paul, one of the first surveyors of Summit County.

Edward W. Paul was reared and educated in Akron, graduating from the Akron High School in 1898, and received his knowledge of surveying and civil engineering from his father, having assisted him for many years. IIe has had considerable experience in the line of railroad engineering, having served in the engineering department of the Erie Railroad in New York State in 1897; with the N. O. T. & L. Co. in 1898 and 1901; with the Choctaw, Oklahoma & Gulf R. R. Co., in Indian Territory and Texas in 1902. and has charge of several railroad surveys in this section. He does a considerable amount of coal mine surveying and engineer- ing and is considered an expert in this line. He was married December 31, 1903, to Agnes M. Burman, and they have one child, Wini- fred Mary.

HARRY D. TODD, M. D., a well-known physician and surgeon of Akron, belonging to the Eclectic School of Medicine, was born and reared at Springfield, Ohio, and in 1895 was graduated from Wittenberg College. He then entered the Eclectic Medical Institute at Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was graduated in 1898. Dr. Todd immediately located at Akron, where he has been singularly suc- cessful in his practice. He is an enthusiast in his profession and keeps thoroughly posted on all matters pertaining to the scientific dis- coveries of the day; is a thoughtful student and a frequent contributor to medical litera- ture. He is a member of the most promi-

nent organizations of his school, including the Summit County and the Ohio State As- sociations, and is visiting physician of the Akron City Hospital staff. In 1900 Dr. Todd was married to Margery B. Pottenger, of Lib- erty, Indiana, and they have one child, James W. Fraternally, Dr. Todd is asso- ciated with the Elks and he belongs also to the Elks' club.

WILLIAM W. ROETHIG, a well known and respected citizen of Cuyahoga Falls, now retired from active business life, was born February 22, 1858, in this place, son of Fer- dinand Julius and Sarah J. (Faze) Roethig. He is of IIungarian ancestry, his father hav- ing been born at Krakow, Austro-Hungary, February 24, 1825. When Ferdinand J. Roethig was five years old his father died and he was taken by his mother-a woman of some means-to Germany. He was edu- cated in the schools of Leipsig, in which city he learned the trade of tinner and copper- smith. His heart remained true, however, to his native land, and he was one of the young men who fought nobly for Hungarian freedom under Louis Kossuth, whose for- tunes he followed for three years. On the defeat of the great leader, at Temesvar, Au- gust 9, 1849, most of the men in the regi- ment to which Mr. Roethig belonged escaped to the United States, he among them. Here he fell back on his trade as a means of sup- port. After working at it in New Orleans for a year. he ascended the Mississippi River to St. Paul, thence going to Chicago, where he remained a year. He then came to Cuya- hoga Falls, where he worked at his trade for many years, a part of the time for himself and for the remainder in the shops of L. W. Loomis and Parks and Gillette. After com- ing to Ohio he enlisted for service in the Civil War, but was stricken with illness at Massillon, which occasioned his discharge. Ile died April 17, 1886. He married Au- gust 30, 1852, Sarah J. Faze, who survived him and is now a resident of Cuyahoga Falls. She was born at Manchester, Carroll County, Maryland, February 24, 1832, and accom-

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panied her parents to Cuyahoga Falls when she was but five years old, the family taking three weeks to make the trip with wagons. Her father, Peter Faze, a native of Germany, came to this country with his parents at the age of five years. He was a paper-maker by trade and was accidentally killed in a paper- mill in April, 1852, being then fifty-nine years old. Of Mr. and Mrs. Ferdinand J. Roethig's nine children, the following arrived at maturity: Ferdinand J., deceased; Julia Sarah, afterwards Mrs. C. W. Moon, who, with her husband. is deceased; Charles B., a resident of Cortland, New York; Wil- liam Washington, whose name appears at the head of this sketch; Edward Loon, Lillian, Alfred Herman and Harrison T., all of whom reside in Cuyahoga Falls. All the members of this family were reared in the German Lutheran faith.

William W. Roethig, after attending the common and high schools until he had ac- quired a sound practical education, began in- dustrial life as an employe of Isaac Lewis in the grocery business, in which occupation he continued from 1867 until 1888. On January 16th of the year last mentioned he went into business for himself with his brother, Edward, they opening a meat mar- ket under the firm name of Roethig Bros. This partnership lasted for nineteen years, being discontinued January 16, 1907, when they sold out to their brother Fred. In 1899 Mr. William Roethig built the Roethig block on Front Street, which is now occupied by a meat market and the Post Office, with busi- ness offices on the second floor. Mr. Roethig is a member of Howard Lodge, No. 162, I. O. O. F., of Cuyahoga Falls. He is well known as a substantial citizen and successful business man, and his aid and influence can usually be counted upon in behalf of any worthy cause.

HOWARD W. HAUPT, superintendent of the Klages Coal & Ice Company at Akron, has been connected with this concern since he was twenty years of age. He was born in 1870, at Loyal Oak. Summit County, Ohio.

His father, William F. Haupt, has long been one of the leading citizens of Loyal Oak, where he lives retired after a successful agri- cultural life. He has served as trustee of Norton Township and in other local offices. IIe came to that Township in early man- hood, and has had much to do with its sub- sequent progress and development.

Howard W. Haupt went from the local schools to the Normal Schools at Wadsworth and his course there was supplemented by one at the Spencerian Commercial College at Cleveland. In 1890 he entered the employ of the Klages Company as assistant bookkeeper, later became bookkeeper, and still later was admitted to partnership. For the last six years he has been superintendent of the com- pany. He is interested also in other pros- pering concerns.

In 1897 Mr. Haupt was married to Nellie Murphy, who was born at Mt. Gilead, Ohio. He is a member of the Lutheran Church at Loval Oak. He is prominent in the brother- hood of Odd Fellows, being a trustee of Lodge No. 50 of Summit County and a mem- ber of the Board of Directors of the Odd Fel- lows' Temple at Akron. He belongs also to the order of Modern Woodmen and the Knights of Pythias.

FRANK E. AVERILL, one of Summit County's representative agriculturists, whose farm of 100 acres is situated in the south- west corner of Bath Township, adjoining Copley on the south and Granger Township, Medina County on the west. was born No- vember 17, 1861, in Bath Township. Sum- mit County. Ohio, and is a son of Benjamin and Louisa ( Harvey) Averill.

Benjamin Averill and his wife were both born and reared in New York State, where they married, and soon thereafter came to Ohio and settled on a farm in Bath Town- ship. about four miles east of Frank E. Averill's present home. In 1867 they re- moved to the present property, which then consisted of 105 acres, five acres having been sold. Mr. and Mrs. Averill both died on this farm. They were the parents of ten chil-

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dren, the survivors being: Ellen, who mar- ried D. L. Parker, of Copley Township; Charles, who is a stock dealer of Granger Township, Medina County, Ohio; Perry, who also resides in Granger Township; Frank E. Those deceased were: Mary E., Welthia A., Alice A., Clara A., Henry W. and Minnie L.

Frank E. Averill has resided on his pres- ent farm since his sixth year, and has always engaged in general farming, stock-raising and dairying. Ilis property is finely eulti- vated, his buildings of the most substantial kind, and his farming machinery the best to be secured. Ile is known as a good, practi- cal farmer, and his reputation as a citizen is beyond reproach.

In 1881 Mr. Averill was married to Anna A. McMillen, who is a daughter of James and Amanda (Peckham) McMillen, and to them there have been born three children, namely: William, who is an engineer and machinist, married Iva Hammond; Mary, who is the wife of Paul C. Crosier, lives in Granger Township, Medina County, and Earl, who resides at home.

Mr. Averill is a member of the Knights of the Maccabees and the National Protective Legion. In political matters he is a Repul)- liean, and has served as chairman of the Bath Township Board of Eleetion, and has been a school director for the past ten years. With his family he attends the East Granger Dis- ciple Church.

JOEL MYERS, residing on his 100 acres of valuable land which is situated on the old Smith road, in Bath Township, was born in Springfield Township, Summit County, Ohio, April 15, 1843, and is a son of Sam- uel and Mary (Paulus) Myers.

Samuel Myers accompanied his father, Ja- cob Myers, from Snyder County, Pennsyl- vania. The family settled near Uniontown, Springfield Township, in 1805. in faet the greater part of that village is built on the old Myers farm. Samuel was at that time a strong lad of twelve years and he learned the stone-mason trade, at which he worked on the construction of the old eanal. He

died on the farm in Springfield Township in 1883. He married Mary Paulus, who was born in Jackson Township, Stark County, Ohio, and died in 1868, the mother of ten children. Samuel Myers married a second time and had two more children.

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Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 74

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