Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 76

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 76

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acres been taken by the Lake Erie and Penn- sylvania Railroad. Thirty-nine acres and a fraction of the original farm belongs to Charles E. Mr. McConnell has seventy-five acres of his land under cultivation, his crops being hay, corn, wheat and oats. He keeps on an average fourteen head of cattle and forty head of sheep.

Mr. McConnell is one of the most modern farmers of this section. He makes use of the best machinery, keeps a man all the year around and makes his business a thorough success.

Mr. McConnell married Ella H. Nesbit, who was a daughter of James Nesbit, of Northfield, and they had two children : Myrtle Louis and Rebecca. Mrs. McConnell died December 19, 1904, at the age of. thirty-seven years. This was a heavy affliction from which her family have not yet recovered. She was a lovely Christian woman, a devoted mem- ber of the United Presbyterian Church, to which religious body Mr. McConnell also be- longs.

A. J. PAUL, secretary of the Akron Selle Company, at Akron, has been identified with the interests of this city and Summit County

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throughout the whole period of his business life. He was born in 1863 at Allentown. Penn- sylvania, where he remained until twenty years of age, enjoying in the meanwhile the advantages offered by the public schools.

From Allentown Mr. Paul came to Akron, where he was employed for one year in the county recorder's office, during the adminis- tration of Recorder 1. A. Bartlett. following which he was in the office of Auditor laron Wagoner, working on the tax duplicate for a vear. He then entered the employ of the C. A. & C. Railroad, and remained with that corpo- ration for fourteen years, as agent and tele- graph operator. For three years more he was connected with the American Cereal Com- pany, for one year he was with the Whitman- Barnes Company, and then he worked for a year for the Diamond Rubber Company. For the past three years has been secretary of the Akron Selle Company. Mr. Paul has thus been associated with a number of Ak- ron's leading business houses, and the knowl- edge and experience he has gained have broad- ened his commercial views and increased his capacity for work. He is interested in the Selle Company as a member of its Board of Directors, in addition to being its secretary.

In 1889 Mr. Paul was married to Mary A. Wolf, who was born in Allentown, Pennsyl- vania. He and his wife have two children : Ruth V. and Earl R. With his family, Mr. Paul belongs to Grace Reformed Church. In politieal sentiment Mr. Paul is a Republican. He is pre-eminently public-spirited and enter- prising, and all that pertains to advancing the public welfare, receives his hearty endorse- ment. He is a leading member of the Ma- sonic fraternity at Akron, belonging to the Blue Lodge. Chapter, Council and Command- ery.

SAMUEL S. C.ARPER, a leading citizen of Springfield Township, residing on his well- improved farm of ninety-seven aeres, was born in Springfield Township, Summit Coun- tv, Ohio, October 27, 1873. and is a son of George and Elizabeth (Young) Carper.

The Carper family came to Ohio from

Pennsylvania. Samuel Carper, the grand- father, being the first one of the name to set- tle in Stark County, where he and wife both died. They had four sons and four daughi- ters, namely : John, Andrew, Samuel, George, Catherine, Elizabeth, Susan and Sarah.

George Carper, father of Samuel S., was born in Stark County, Ohio, April 15, 1838, and grew to manhood on his father's farm, which was situated two and one-half miles south of Hartville, and was educated in the district schools. In the fall of 1860 he was married in Springfield Township to Eliza- beth Young, who was born in 1843, and was the only child of Henry and Margaret (Mish- ler) Young. Henry Young was born in Pennsylvania and lived to the age of eighty- five years. His widow still survives, aged six- ty-nine years. There were five children born to George Carper and wife, as follows: Henry, who died, aged nine years; Amanda, who married Alvin Holl, resides with her hus- band and two daughters. Lorena and Elvina. one-half mile south of Mogadore; Margaret, deceased, who married Frank Cordier, left two daughters, Lizzie and Amanda; and Samuel S. and Reuben F. The latter was born in 1877 and resides on and farms the homestead for his mother. He owns sixty aeres of fine land. He married Flora Hall, who is a daugh- ter of Alonzo Hall, of Stark County, and they had one child that died in infancy.

After his marriage, George S. Carper, then a poor young man, settled first in his wife's old home and assisted his father-in-law. but later bought a farm of 142 aeres. While he operated his farm he was also in partnership with his father-in-law for about eighteen years in the stoneware clay industry. a business which was very remunerative at that period. Subsequently he acquired different traets of land which made him one of the most sub- stantial men of the township. He purchased 172 acres north of Mogadore and later the farm on which his son. Samuel S., resides, which was known as the John B. Mishler farm, the latter having built the old house and barn. This residence was the first frame

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house ever erected in Springfield Township, and is still in an excellent state of preserva- tion. George Carper later bought the John Royer farm of sixty aeres, and at the time of the death of Henry Young he acquired the old Young homestead of eighty aeres, to- gether with eighty more acres in Suffield Township. At the time of his death, October 27, 1905, George Carper was the largest land- owner in Summit County, being possessed of more than 732 acres. He was a man of great business capacity. He was widely known also for his sterling traits of character and enjoyed the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens. For twenty-eight years he was a minister in the German Baptist Church and for a long period was pastor of the church of this body in Springfield Township.

Samuel S. Carper was reared in his native township and attended the district sehools. Ile was taught habits of industry and fru- gality in his youth and had the advantages resulting from the religious teaching of Christian parents. He has devoted his atten- tion through mature life to farming and stock-raising and some eight years since pur- chased his present farm of ninety-seven aeres from his late father. The remainder of his father's large estate has not been divided. Mr. Carper has a very valuable property, which, under his eareful management, is probably one of the most productive in Springfield Township.

On October 2, 1894, Mr. Carper was mar- ried to Lillie E. Kurtz, who is the youngest daughter of Eli and Catherine (Koones) Kurtz, and they have had three children : George, who was born January 7. 1896, died March 11. 1896; Eunice, who was born May 31. 1898; and Clariee, who was born July 22. 1903. These little daughters are particular- ly attractive children and give promise of amiable and beautiful womanhood.

In politics, like his father, Mr. Carper is a stanch Democrat. He is a good citizen, but he has no desire to hold public office. He and wife are members of the German Bap- tist Church and he is a liberal supporter of the same.

JOHN W. CLAPPER, whose magnificent farm of 175 acres, all in one body, lies three and one-half miles north of the Smith road, on the line road separating Medina and Sum- mit Counties, is one of Bath Township's lead- ing citizens, and is also a veteran of the Civil War. Mr. Clapper was born in Baughman Township, Wayne County, Ohio, February 12, 1845. and is a son of John and Lydia Ann (Beers) Clapper.

Jacob Clapper, the grandfather, was the first of the family to come from Pennsylvania and settle in Baughman Township, where he secured several hundred aeres of land. There his son, John Clapper, the father of John W., was born and he died three months previous to John W.'s birth. Mrs. Clapper subsequent- ly married Abraham Zimmerman and had four more children. The two born to her first. marriage were: Sarah Ann, who is the widow of R. Y. Robinson, residing in Bath Township; and John W. Those of her see- ond marriage were: Mahala, who married Adam Cook, of Baughman Township; Wes- ley, who died in boyhood; Jesse B., who lives in Bath Township; and Laura Elizabeth, de- ceased, who married Thomas Welsh.

During his boyhood, the mother and step- father of John W. Clapper, moved to Chip- pewa Township, and took up land in the woods. and there the boy grew to nineteen years, when he enlisted for service in the Civil War. Ile entered Company I, Fifth Regi- ment, Ohio Cavalry, in the winter of 1864. He remained in the army until the close of the war, performing the duties and bearing the hardships of a soldier all through Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Vir- ginia and Kentucky.

When his army service was over, Mr. Clap- per returned to his home in Chippewa Town- ship and worked by the month for different farmers until the fall of 1867, when he was married to Mary Martha Huston, who is a daughter of William Huston, of Baughman Township. Mr. Huston formerly owned the farm which is now the property of Mr. Clap- per. The latter bought first a one-third in- terest in 102 acres and in 1906, bought sev-

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enty-two acres of land adjoining on the south, and on this purchase he has built a very fine barn. He is making plans to build a nice residence here also, which will be for rental. On the older part of his farm he has put up all the buildings, except the house, which has been completely remodeled. Formerly, Mr. Clapper was a very large raiser of stock and still keeps many sheep, hogs, cattle and horses, but not to the extent that he once did.

Mr. and Mrs. Clapper have four children : Emma. who married John Wilson, has one child, Georgia; William, who married Edith Swigart, a paper-hanger and painter, at Bar- berton, has three children, Earl, Ellen and Lucille; and Sadie and Ross, residing at home.

Mr. Clapper is a member of the- Grange and he belongs also to the Grand Army of the Republic.

MILAN TREMAN, whose well-cultivated farm of 118 acres lies in Bath Township, one mile west of Montrose, on the Smith road. has owned his property and carried on gen- eral farming and stockraising here since the fall of 1880. Mr. Treman was born in De- Kalb County, Indiana, October 8, 1844, and is a son of Edgar and Laura (Speneer) Tre- man.

Edgar Treman, father of Milan, was born in Granger Township, Medina County, Ohio, and is a son of John Treman, who came to Medina County, from New York, in pioneer days. Later, John Treman moved to In- diana, accompanied by his three sons, and settled on the farm in DeKalb County, on which Milan Treman was subsequently born. At the age of nineteen years, Edgar Treman was married to Laura Spencer, who was reared in Granger Township. Medina County, Ohio, and died in Indiana. Her father, Nathaniel Spencer, came to Ohio from the same section as did John Treman, the latter of whom died in Indiana.

Milan Treman was reared in DeKalb Coun- ty and attended sehool until about eighteen years of age, when he came to Ohio to visit relatives in Medina County and was so pleased

with the country and people that when he was twenty-one and at liberty, he left home and returned to Ohio. For several years he worked on various farms, and on October 7, 1869, was married to Sarah Arnold. who was born in Copley Township, Summit County, Ohio, September 8, 1843. She is a daughter of Daniel and Sophia (Porter) Arnold, the former of whom was born in Wayne County, Ohio, and was a son of Daniel Arnold who eame to Summit County from Maryland. His wife came also from a Maryland family that settled in Medina County.

After marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Treman went to live on the old Seth Dye farm, in Granger Township, where he had worked for threa years previously, and he spent fourteen years in all on that farm. In 1879 he bought his present farm in Bath Township, settling on it in the following year. Ile has made many fine improvements here and among these is his substantial barn, 40 by 80 feet in dimen- sions, which he erected in 1886.

CLARENCE D. CRUMB, of the sales de- partment of the Falls Rivet and Machine Company, of Cuyahoga Falls, has been an ac- tive citizen of this place for a number of years, during which period he has served as mayor and in other publie offices. He was born at Canastota, Madison County. New York. December 7. 1855. and is a son of Jo- seph D. and Nancy H. (Hale) Crumb.

The father of Mr. Crumb was born in Che- mung County, New York, and followed car- penter work all his life. Ile died in 1899. aged seventy-four years. He was connected fraternally both with the Masons and the Odd Fellows. In polities he was a Republican. Ilis wife. Nancy, died in 1864, aged thirty- three years. They had four children, of whom there now are two survivors: Clarence D. and Nettie, the latter of whom married W. H. Stanley and resides at Cuyahoga Falls.

Clarence D. Crumb attended school in the old Cuyahoga Falls High School, having come first to this seetion when thirteen years of age, and his first industrial employment was as a elerk in the general store of Samuel

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Comstock, where he remained for three years, and during the next three years he carried on a hardware business for himself. For five years subsequently he was with the firm of Snyder and Blood, who were succeeded by Harvey Snyder, and in turn by the Phoenix Hardware Company, and during this period Mr. Crumb served as bookkeeper and a part of the time as secretary. In 1885 he was ap- pointed deputy revenue collector and served as such until 1889, following which he was engaged for four years in the insurance busi- ness. In 1885 Mr. Crumb located at Akron, where he resided until 1890, moving then to Cleveland, and from there in 1894 back to Akron, his business demanding these changes. Until 1898, Mr. Crumb was engaged as book- keeper with the Akron Iron and Steel Com- pany, and when that organization retired from business, he was in the accounting de- partment of the Whitman-Barnes Company for about two years. The Falls Wire Works then secured him in their auditing depart- ment, where he continued for three years, coming back to Cuyahoga Falls in 1902. In 1905 he accepted his present responsible po- sition in the sales department.

Mr. Crumb married Ella Haynes, who is a daughter of John N. and Martha Haynes, of Cuyahoga Falls, and they have two children, namely: Mabel M., who married Ray C. Hoiles. and resides at Alliance, and Metta, who is residing at home with her parents. The family belong to the Episcopal Church, in which Mr. Crumb is a vestryman.

In politics, Mr. Crumb has always been a stanch Democrat, but, notwithstanding, in 1895, he was elected mayor of the town, which is distinctively Republican. He made an admirable magistrate. but resigned hi- honors when he was appointed a member of the revenue service. Since 1903 he has served as village clerk. Fraternally, he is a Mason, belonging to Star Lodge, No. 187, and to Washington Chapter, R. A. M., at Akron.

JACOB HERMAN, one of Akron's leading general contractors in brick, stone and cement work, has been a resident of this city for the

past twenty-one years and during this time has been identified almost exclusively with the building trades. He was born June 21, 1858, in Wayne County, Ohio, and is a son of Ilenry and Elizabeth Felger Herman. The parents of Mr. Herman were old residents of Chester Township, Wayne County, where they engaged in farming. Of their family of nine children eight survive.

In 1886 Jacob Herman came to Akron and for about ten years he worked as a journey- inan bricklayer and mason, having learned his trade in Wayne County. He has carried on a general contracting business in Akron for many years and has built a number of the most substantial structures in this city. He gives employment to about ten men, in- creasing the number when the business de- mands it. He is a stockholder in the Odd Fellows' Temple and in other enterprises. In 1886 Mr. Herman married Emma M. Hoff. who was born at Sterling, Ohio, and they have five children-Verna, Ada, Leroy, Freda and Marguerite. Mr. Herman is identified fra- ternally with the Odd Fellows. He is one of Akron's substantial and valned citizens.

LANSON BARKER, a representative citi- zen of Bath Township, residing on his val- uable farm of 155 acres, which is favorably situated within three-quarters of a mile of Ghent, was born on this farm, in Summit County, Ohio, February 6, 1857, and is a son of William and Anna Eliza (Hutchinson) Barker.

Mr. Barker is a member of a pioneer family of Ohio, of New England ancestry. The grandfather, Lanson Barker, whose hon- ored name has descended to the grand-on, was born in Connecticut, in 1791, and his father, Jared Barker, was born in England. Lanson Barker moved to New York and sub- sequently to Ohio, settling first in Holmes County, later in Medina County. and still later in Cuyahoga County, where he died in 1855. His children were: Roxie A., Wil- liam, Jared, Jolin, Lyman, Mary, Frances and Nelson.

William Barker, the eldest of the above

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family, was born in New York, July 30, 1817, and accompanied the family to Ohio. After a prospecting visit to California, in 1849, he returned to the East, and in 1853 he purchased a farm in Bath Township, Sum- mit County, Ohio. To the clearing and de- veloping of this farm he devoted practically the rest of his life, making of it some of the most valuable land of this section. He died February 10, 1896. He was a man of sterling character, honest and upright in his deal- ings with his fellow-men and was entitled to the respect and esteem in which he was held. He was a stanch Republican and at various times held public office. He married Anna Eliza Hutchinson, who was born April 3, 1826, and died October 2, 1876. They had four children, the two survivors being: Lan- son and Jared, the latter of whom was former- ly sheriff of Summit County.

Lanson Barker has always lived on his present farm. with the exception of three years of boyhood spent at Ghent. His education was secured in the schools ncar his home. His occupation has been farmning ever since he reached mature years and he is numbered with the progressive and successful agricul- turists of Bath Township. He cultivates 155 acres. having recently sold sixty acres.

Mr. Barker married Alice Behmer, who is a daughter of Moses and Mary Ann (Myers) Behmer. She was born in Springfield Town- ship, Summit County, but was reared in Rich- field Township. They have three children: Anna. Frederick and Alba. The son is a student in a business college at Akron. The family residence is a commodious and com- fortable frame building which Mr. Barker erected in 1895. ITe is a member of the Dis- ciples Church at Ghent and one of the trus- tees. He takes a deep interest in educational affairs and for several years was a member of the township School Board, and a director of District No. 4. one in which Bath Town- ship takes particular pride on account of the excellence of its schools.

DURASTUS VALLEN, township trustee, and one of Bath Township's prominent and

substantial citizens, resides on his valuable, well-improved farm of eighty acres, and owns an additional twenty-five acres, which is sit- uated in Northampton Township. Mr. Val- len was born in Northampton Township, Summit County, Ohio, December 16, 1840, and is a son of William and Catherine (Chris- man) Vallen.

Abel Vallen, the grandfather, came to Ohio with his family among the pioneers of Medina County, bringing his household goods from New York in huge ox-drawn wagons. The Vallens lived long enough in Medina County to prove that they were people of merit, but the grandfather decided to move farther east, and later invested in a farm in Northampton Township, Summit County, where he lived until his death. His widow spent her last years with a daughter at Nor- walk, Ohio.

William Vallen was a boy when the fam- ily left New York and settled in Ohio. He remained at home assisting his father, and when he reached man's estate, the farm was divided. William taking the western portion, on the line separating Northampton and Bath Townships. He proved to be a good business man and from time to time kept adding to his land until he acquired 217 acres, which he owned at the time of his death, in 1878. He was a man who was highly respected by all who knew him and in every sense was a good citizen.

William Vallen married Catherine Chris- man, who is a daughter of George Chrisman. who was a native of Pennsylvania. They had seven children. namely: Enos, residing in Williams County. Ohio: Durastus: Sylvester, residing on the old homestead in Northamp- ton Township; Lavina, who married Perry Moore, residing in Bath Township: Adeline, who is the widow of Charles Boies: and two deceased, Oscar, the eldest of the family, and Miranda, the youngest. The mother died in 1858.

Durastus Vallen remained at home work- ing for his father and attending the district schools, until he was twenty-one years of age, at which time he owned his own team and

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went to farming by the month. After his marriage, when twenty-four years old, he settled for one year on a farm in Copley Township, and spent two years on a farm in the western part of Bath Township, in 1871, moving to his present farm, one that his father had previously bought of J. Park and Joseph II. Alexander. It was not much im- proved and Mr. Vallen built a barn the same year that he came to the place, which he later rebuilt, and in 1882, he ereeted his fine residence.

In 1864 Mr. Vallen was married to Wealthy Averill, who died December 22, 1905, on the forty-first anniversary of her wedding. She was a daughter of Benjamin Averill, a. na- tive of New York, and she was born in Cop- ley Township, but was living in Bath Town- ship at the time of her marriage. She was a kind and faithful wife and a devoted mother and her death left a sad vaeaney. Mr. and Mrs. Vallen had four children, the only survivor being the youngest, Frank D., who operates the home farm. Ile married Eva HIeller and they have one daughter, Frances. Mr. Vallen's other children were daughters and all died in childhood: Jennie, aged four years, Ruby, aged sixteen months, and Nellie, aged two and one-half years.

Mr. Vallen has earried on general farm- ing and has raised eattle, horses and hogs very profitably. Politically, he is a Repub- lican, and in 1900 he was elected township trustee and has been continued in office. He has also served on the School Board.

JEREMIAHI HARTER. residing in the pleasant village of Western Star, owns an ex- cellent farm of eighty aeres, situated on the county line road, about one mile south of the town. Ile belongs to a pioneer family of Stark County, which was established there in the days of his grandfather. Mr. Harter was born in Stark County, Ohio, on a farm one mile east of New Berlin, August 14, 1838, and is a son of Jesse and Deborah (Essig) Harter.

Jesse Harter was born also in Stark County on the farm on which his father, Jacob Har-

ter, had settled when he came to Ohio from Pennsylvania, in 1812. Jacob Harter owned about 480 acres. Jesse Harter married De- borah Essig, who was reared near Canton, in Stark County. They became the parents of twelve children, seven of whom still sur- vive.

Jeremiah Harter was the eldest born of the family and on him fell the responsibilities at- tending that position. He gave his father all the assistance possible and remained on the homestead until he was almost forty years of age, and during this time had acquired a part of the property. After selling this land he purchased a farın, in 1877, in Norton Township, Summit County, on which he moved in the spring of 1878, and there con- tinued to carry on general farming until 1905, when he removed to Western Star, placing the Norton Township property under rental.

Mr. Harter was married (first) to Harriet Sehaar, who died July 23, 1889. She was a daughter of Daniel Sehaar, who was a native of Laneaster County, Pennsylvania. There were ten children born to this marriage, as follows: Laura, who married L. . O. Benner, resides at Akron, and they have seven ehil- dren: Henry, married, resides at Akron ; Nathan, married, resides at Akron; Mary Frances, who married Aaron Teeple, resides at Akron: Ede Rosanna, who married J. M. Swain: Clara, who married Forest Swain; Pearl May, who married Wallace Santee, re- sides at Wadsworth; and three who are de- ceased, Harvey D., Alice D. and a child that died in infancy. Mr. Harter was married (second) to Lorinda R. Lautzenheiser, who is a daughter of John Lautzenheiser.

Mr. Harter has always taken a good eiti- zen's interest in publie matters and political movements and he has frequently been called upon to officiate in office. For three years he served as trustee of Plaine Township, Stark County, later served two years as treas- urer of Norton Township, for ten years he was a member of the Western Star School Board, during the latter part of this period being its treasurer, and is now serving in the

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Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 76

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