Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 77

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 77

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town council of Western Star. He is a mem- ber of the Evangelical Church, in which he is serving as an elder.

CURTIS FENTON, vice president, superin- tendent and general manager of the Akron Smoking Pipe Company, with main factory at Mogadore and braneli factories at Point Pleas- ant, Clermont County, Ohio, and Hampton, Virginia, is one of the leading men in the clay industry, in this section, his experience eov- ering many years. Curtis Fenton was born at Mogadore, Summit County, Ohio, January 22, 1853, and he is a son of Almus and Susannah (Lee) Fenton.

Almus Fenton was born at Ogdensburg, New York, May 27, 1825, and he aceom- panied his father, Alonzo Fenton, to Cleve- land, Ohio, where. prior to 1840, he was en- gaged in the red clay manufacturing business. Later he settled at Mogadore, and at the time of his death. in October, 1892, he was the oldest clay potter in the place. He married Susannah Lee, who died in July, 1906, and was buried on her eighty-fourth birthday. She was born in 1823 and was one of four- teen children. Her father was William and her grandfather was Alexander Lee and they came from Pennsylvania and settled at Greensburg, Ohio. The old Fenton farm on which Almus Fenton was born, by the ero- sion of the water has all slipped into the St. Lawrence River. Almus Fenton and wife had four sons, namely : William and Thomas. twins, John Curtis, and Curtis. William Fen- ton is a resident of Mogadore. John Curtis died when two years old.

Curtis Fenton attended the common schools at Mogadore and later took a course in the Spencerian Business College at Cleveland. After leaving school he was employed in a pottery and he has continued from that time to be connected with the clay industry. For eight years he was engaged in the manu- facture of stoneware at Tallmadge. He was a member of the firm of Baker and McMillan, which acquired the small pipe factory, which became the nucleus of the Akron Smoking Pipe Company. Later it consolidated with

another small firm and for the past eighteen years the Akron Smoking Pipe Company has been a very important factor in the industrial world in this section, and is the only firm in the United States devoted exclusively to the manufacture of clay smoking pipes.

The Akron Smoking Pipe Company was organized in 1889, with F. W. Butler a- pres- ident, Curtis Fenton as vice president, and C. H. Palmer as treasurer. The board of di- rectors was made up of these leading citizens : C. H. Palmer, F. W. Butler, William II. Pal- mer, W. H. Merrill and Curtis Fenton. The capital stock was $70,000, which was later increased to $100,000. The branch factory at Hampton, Virginia, employs twenty-five workmen and is devoted exclusively to the manufacture of clay pipes, as is also the fac- tory at Point Pleasant. At the main factory the industry is now confined exclusively to the manufacture of insulators. More than 100 men are given employment in the various plants and the value of the output is more than $100,000 per annum.

Mr. Fenton manufactured the first third rail insulators ever used for the equipping of the third rail system for the New York Cen- tral Railroad, in 1906, and manufactured also all of the insulators for the West Shore road of the same system. From Mr. Fenton's fae- tory 10,000 insulators for the General Electric Company, for export, have been shipped, and recently the first insulators for the California third rail system have been dispatched, mak- ing four carload- of finished products. This company's trade relations cover Canada, the United States, Europe and other parts of the world, there being a demand for their goods at every point where modern methods of trans- portation have been adopted. The company keeps abreast of the times and considers every new appliance in its line of manufacture, adopting it wherever it has proved to be of obvious utility.

Mr. Fenton married Kate Louise Ferguson, who is a daughter of Dr. J. C. and Mary (Ward) Ferguson, and a granddaughter of Calvin and Lydia Ward, who were natives of Connecticut and were the first settlers in Ran-

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dolph Township, Portage County, Ohio, where they died. Dr. Ferguson was a well-known physician of Mogadore for many years. He was a graduate of the medical department of the University of Michigan, and of the Cleve- land Medical College and was a man who was largely self-educated. Prior to coming to Mo- gadore, he practiced at North Baltimore, Ohio, and after he located at this place he entered into partnership with Dr. Jewett. Dr. Fergu- son died in 1886, aged sixty-six years. He married Mary Ward, who died at the age of forty years. Their surviving children are: Mrs. Fenton, George W., residing at Mogadore, who married Georgia Speora, and has five children ; and Mrs. Weimer, who is the wife of George C. Weimer, and for thirty-one years was a resident of Cincinnati. She now resides with her only daughter, Mrs. Wilson Cross, in Lon- don, England. Dr. Ferguson was identified with the Masonic fraternity.

Mr. and Mrs. Fenton have had four chil- dren, the eldest of whom, James T., was born October 12, 1875, and died January 7, 1877. The three survivors are: Mary Ferguson, who was born in November, 1879, was married January 25, 1905, and resides at Mogadore; Marjorie Ruth, who was born July 20, 1889; Harry Weimer, who was born December 12, 1880, all three children having enjoyed su- perior educational advantages. The family residence was built in 1899 and is one of the handsomest in Mogadore.

Mr. Fenton does not consider himself a politician but has ever taken an active inter- est in public affairs looking to good govern- ment. In political sentiment he is a Repub- lican. His only fraternal connection is with the order of Maccabees. Mr. Fenton has been a resident of Mogadore for the past twenty years.

GEORGE W. BABB, one of Summit County's most substantial citizens, is proprie- tor and owner of the Cold Spring Farm, con- taining 155 acres, situated in Portage Town- ship, and also of a tract of 100 acres, situated in Stow Township, known as the Springdale Celery Garden. Mr. Babb was born in Spring-

field Township, Summit County, Ohio, No- vember 5, 1850, and is a son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Wise) Babb.

The pioneer of the Babb family in Spring- field Township was the grandfather, George Babb, who came from Berks County, Penn- sylvania, settling among the early home-seek- ers of this section. His days were ended in Springfield Township. Joseph Babb was born in Berks County and he was a boy when he accompanied his father to Ohio. In early manhood he was married, at Greentown, Stark County, Ohio, to Elizabeth Wise, who was a daughter of George Wise, who was an early settler and became a large landholder in Por- tage Township. Joseph Babb and wife had the following children: Jacob, George W., Mrs. Amelia Camp, William J., Frank and Edwin, all surviving, and Charles, who died in infancy.

George W. Babb was nine years old when his parents moved to the farm in Portage Township, on which he lives. Joseph Babb bought 350 acres of land, which became val- uable in every part, Mr. Babb's home farm being particularly so as it is located on the northeast corner of Portage Township, lying just outside the limits of Cuyahoga Falls and adjoining Northampton Township. In 1870, Joseph Babb built the large brick residence which Mr. Babb occupies. Joseph Babb and wife subsequently moved to North Hill, Ak- ron, where both died. They were people who were held in high esteem.

This pleasant old farm has been the home of George W. Babb ever since he was nine years old with the exception of four years, three of which he spent on his farm in Stow Township; and one in Tallmadge Town- ship, where he formerly owned a farm of seventy-five acres. He carries on farming and dairying on his Portage Township land and devotes twenty acres of his Stow Town- ship land to the growing of celery.

On July 28, 1880, Mr. Babb was married to Anna Kingsbury, who is a daughter of Les- ter Wayne and Elizabeth (Fosdick) Kings- bury. Lester Wayne Kingsbury was a sewer- pipe maker by trade, and worked at this busi-

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ness first in Illinois, where Mrs. Babb was born. She was nine years old when he moved to Cuyahoga Falls. He entered the employ of II. B. Camp, where he remained for many years. During the Civil War he enlisted in the army from Illinois and served three years, when he was discharged on account of sick- ness. His death occurred in August, 1884. His widow still survives, at the age of eighty- five years, and resides with her daughter, Mrs. Edwin Babb, of Akron. Mr. and Mrs. Kings- bury had four children, namely : Elsie, Anna, Albert and Abbie. The three daughters all married Babbs, three brothers. Elsie, de- ceased. was the wife of William J. Babb. Ab- bie is the wife of Edwin Babb. Albert Kings- bury is a graduate of Cornell University and is a mechanical engineer for the great West- inghouse Company. His home is at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. For some years he taught school at Durham, New Hampshire, and later was connected with a college at Worcester, Massachusetts.

Mr. and Mrs. Babb have five children, namely: Bessie, who married Harry Albers, resides at Cuyahoga Falls and they have two children, Wayne and Bertha; Lester, who married Bessie McDonald, has one child, Donna, and they reside on the Springdale farm; and Joseph, Hugo and Karl, all at home.

ITENRY VOGT, the capable superintend- ent of the great park system of Akron, and one of the city's prominent and substantial citizens, was born in Bavaria, Germany, June 7. 1838, and when young accompanied his father. John Vogt, to America, the family lo- cating in Springfield Township, Summit County, Ohio. He was reared on his father's farm in Springfield Township, and in his boyhood attended the district schools. In early youth he came to Akron and for five years was in the employ of Russell Kent. Ho then became connected with the Middlebury Coal Company and continued with that firm for eighteen years. Mr. Vogt was subsequent- ly appointed a member of the police force of Akron, serving one year, and was then ap-

pointed by the park commissioners to the of- fice of superintendent of parks. At that time the position did not carry with it a large amount of responsibility, but during the twenty-five years that have since elapsed a very different condition of things has been brought about, chiefly through Mr. Vogt's own ef- forts. Probably Akron is now as well equipped with public parks as any city in Ohio, and much of their beauty and general utility must be attributed to the efforts of Mr. Vogt. His conscientious performance of every duty in connection with this work, together with his natural love of beauty, and fine executive ability, have contributed to make him a most useful public officer, and have resulted in benefitting every resident of Akron.

In 1861, Mr. Vogt was married to Lovina Walter, who was born in Summit County, Ohio. He has three children-Frank, resid- ing in Akron; Ella, who married William Wheeler, residing in Akron; and Abbie, whe married Bert Taggart, and also a resident of Akron.

GEORGE ZELLER, one of Portage Town- ship's representative citizens and successful agriculturists, resides on his valuable farm of ninety-five acres, which he has placed un- der an excellent state of cultivation George Zeller was born in Stark County, Ohio. March 19, 1852. and is a son of William Zeller.

The Zeller family originated on the farther side of the Atlantic ocean, its first members in America having come here from Germany. William Zeller came to Ohio and settled in Stark County, and in 1860 he eame to Sum- mit County. He was a saddler by trade but turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, acquiring large tracts of valuable land and when he died. March 2, 1907, at the age of eighty-two years, he was a man of ample for- tune.

Up to the age of twenty-four years George Zeller remained at home and assisted on the homestead farm, and then went to Akron for a few years and worked in the Buckeye shops ; and then he worked as a steamfitter. Event- ually he returned to the country, purchas-

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ing at that time his present farm, on which he has since continuously resided. Formerly he raised many head of hogs, but now con- tents himself with keeping about twelve head of cattle, shipping his milk to Akron, and to raising abundant crops of wheat, corn and oats. Mr. Zeller's farm is somewhat noted for the magnificent barn he put up in 1897, re- placing one that had been destroyed by fire in the previous year. Its dimensions are 70 by 40 feet and the supports are 18-foot posts. The interior of this structure is well finished, and his cattle have clean and sanitary quar- ters.

George Zeller's family is made up of wife and two children. He married Lenora Sharp, a lady who was born at Akron. Their son, Fred G., is a prominent farmer and stock- raiser, who owns 186 acres of land in North- ampton Township. Summit County. Their daughter, Clara, lives with her parents. Politically, Mr. Zeller is a Republican, but he is not an active politician. He is a good, reliable, straight-forward man, one whose neighbors know just where to find him on any question involving right and wrong.

JOHN SMITH, a representative citizen and substantial resident of Tallmadge Township, owns two farms of sixty-five acres each, one of which is situated within the city limits of Akron. Mr. Smith was born about seventy- two years ago, in County Antrim, Ireland, and was fifteen years of age when his parents came to America. They were named Robert and Mary (McCracken) Smith, children res- spectively of Robert Smith and Patrick Mc- Cracken.

In England, prior to his losses, which were caused by the murrain in his cattle, the father of John Smith was a successful raiser and dealer in stock. He was born in the north of Ireland, where he owned three farms at one time. After his losses he decided to come to America. He embarked on one of the frail old sailing ships, which required six weeks and three days to make the voyage which the latest ocean marvel has accomplished in about four days, but it landed the family safely on

American soil and they came immediately to Akron. They lived first on Broad Street, re- inoving later to Rubber Street. John and his brother went to work in the woolen mills of Rouse & Goodrich, where they remained for a number of years. In the meanwhile the father bought a farm of 160 acres from Ros- well Kent, a part of which he sold for city lots.

The large family of Robert and Mary Smith included nine sons and three daughters. Joseph died in 1861. Robert died in the same year. Ilugh married and moved to Missouri, where he died. William also died in Mis- souri. Samuel lived to within ten years ago. James, who lived on the homestead, died in the fall of 1906. Patrick inarried and is prospering in Arizona. John, as noted above, lives in Tallmadge. Eliza married John N. Ilankey and died at Cleveland. Mary is the widow of John Honodle, who died in 1891. Margaret never married.

John Smith has spent a large part of his active life at work in woolen mills, his last labor in this line having been in mills at Cleveland. He resides with his two sisters on the farm which the family has owned for the past fifty years. Every acre of it is valuable. The Smith family belong to the Presbyterian Church, in which they were reared by their Christian parents. Politically, Mr. Smith is a stanch Republican and he cast his first pres- idential vote for Abraham Lincoln.

CHRISTOPHER SCHECK, who operates a well-improved tract of farming land. con- sisting of fifty-five acres, in Portage Township, Summit County, Ohio, was born March 10, 1851, in Germany, and is a son of Jacob and Frederica (Reichard) Scheck.

When but one and one-half years of age Mr. Scheck was brought to America by his parents, who settled first at Liverpool, Me- dina County, Ohio, but after five years re- moved to Northampton Township, Summit County, where the father purchased twenty- five acres of land. Here he carried on farm- ing until about 1864 or 1865, when he bought the property now owned by Christopher

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Scheck, on which was situated a log house. This house originally stood near the river, but it was moved by the family to the loca- tion of the present home, which was erected by Christopher Scheck after his marriage. The farm was cleared and gardening com- menced, and later the parents purchased forty-five acres of land, about one-quarter of a mile away, which land is now occupied by William and John Scheek, brothers of Christopher. Here Jacob and Frederica Scheck spent the remainder of their lives.

Christopher Sheck was married (first) to Louise Eberhart, who was born in New York, and was a daughter of George Eberhart. Four children were born to this union, namely : Fred, who died aged about seven years; Kate, who married Gus Schmeidel, of Akron, has two children, Gertrude and Margaret; and Clarence and George. Mrs. Scheek died in 1887, and Mr. Scheck was married (second) to Mrs. Lena (Gestner) Rebaux. One child, Lillian, has been born to this union. Mrs. Scheck has a son by her first marriage, Cur- tiss A. Rebaux, who lives in New York City, where he is a mail carrier. lle was in the Spanish-American War, in Company Il, Eighth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, during the whole period of war.

After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Scheek lo- cated on their present farm, where Mr. Scheck has been engaged in raising vegetables, the larger amount of which he sells at wholesale. IIe is considered one of the reliable men of the township, and has served efficiently in the capacities of school director and supervisor. Mr. Scheck and family belong to the German Reform Church and Mrs. Scheck belongs to the German Lutheran Church.

CORNELIUS ALEXANDER JOHNS- TON, a highly esteemed retired citizen of Tallmadge Township, was born in Green Township, Summit Couny, Ohio, July 16, 1842, and is a son of William and Elizabeth G. (Moore) Johnston.

Cornelius Johnston, the grandfather of Cor- nelius A. Johnston, was one of the earliest settlers in Green Township. He was a native

of Pennsylvania. He lived in Green Town- ship until his death when aged about eighty years. His birth is recorded in Center County, Pennsylvania, February 17, 1782. He mar- ried Elizabeth Wilhelm, March 25, 1806, who was born June 18, 1787, a daughter of Abra- ham Wilhelm, who settled in Green Township in 1814. Cornelius Johnston entered 320 acres of land on which the town of Greens- burg is now located. His children were as follows: Mary, born March 3, 1807, resided at Akron until her death; Alexander; Abra- ham W .; John, born February 11, 1813, mar- ried Elizabeth R. Newton, February 4, 1840, and died January 26, 1876; William, born in Green Township, August 3, 1815, and was the third white ehild born in the township in which his father had located in the pre- vious year.

On April 22. 1841, William Johnston was married to Elizabeth G. Moore, who died in 1894. They had two children: Cornelius Alexander, named for his grandfather and for an uncle, who was born in Center County, Pennsylvania, in 1808; and John M. The latter is a retired eiizen of Akron and one of the Board of Infirmary directors of Summit County. In 1844, William Johnston moved to Copley Township, settling on lot 15, where he resided until his death, in 1886. He was a man of quiet tastes, a farmer and good citi- zen. He was identified with the Republican party.

Cornelius Alexander Johnston was educated in the district schools and the Twinsburg In- stitute and also enjoyed two years at Union College, at Mt. Union, Ohio. When twenty- three years old he embarked in the coal busi- ness in Coventry Township, as a member of the Johnston Coal Mining Company, with which he remained connected for four years, and then sold his eoal bank, purchasing an interest in an oil refinery at Akron. In 1874 he disposed of this interest and purchased a farm of 104 aeres, one miles south of Tall- madge, which was the old Alpha Wright farm. This farm Mr. Johnston continued to operate until he retired in 1897.

On October 22. 1869, Mr. Johnston was

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married to Sarah A. Swartz, who was a daugh- ter of Christian and Elizabeth Swartz. She died December 8, 1894. They had three children : Elizabeth May, Clara B., and one that died in infancy.

Ever since attaining his majority Mr. John- ston has consistently supported the candidates and measures of the Republican party. IIe is not bigoted in his views, however, and has a kindly tolerance for those whose ideas con- fliet with his own. This pleasant tempera- ment perhaps has something to do with mak- ing Mr. Johnston so universally esteemed in his community. He has been a progressive, and intelligent promoter of public-spirited en- terprises and has shown that he has had the best interests of his neighborhood at heart.

DANIEL P. STEIN, sheriff of Summit County, and a capable and conscientious pub- lic officer, was elected in the fall of 1906, and assumed the duties of this responsible office, January 7, 1907. He was born in Green Township, Summit County, Ohio, in 1859, and is a son of Henry and Mary E. (Cramer) Stein.

Henry Stein was born in Germany and set- tled in Green Township shortly after coming to America, but prior to his death removed to Springfield Township. Four of his six children still survive, namely: Amanda, who is the widow of Emanuel Killinger, residing at Akron, Emeline, who is the wife of Benja- min Hollen, residing in Marshall County, In- diana; William Henry, who is engaged in farming in Green Township; and Daniel P., whose name begins this sketch.

Daniel P. Stein was reared and educated in Green Township and continued to farm there until 1890. He then became connected with the street railway business, in which he continued for thirteen years, when he turned his attention to the grocery business. In this latter business he prospered and it was only given up in order that he might assume the duties of sheriff to which his fellow-citizens had elected him. For the past fifteen years he has been active in politics and has served

as a member of the City Council from the Seventh Ward.

Sheriff Stein was married January 25, 1879, to Celia A. Hartong, who is a daughter of Al- lan Ilartong. Their family consists of five sons and five daughters. Fraternally, Sheriff Stein is an Encampment member of the Odd Fellows, is a Knight of Pythias, Uniform Rank, Company 21, and of the Modern Wood- men of America. He is one of Akron's repre- sentative men and is popular all over the county.

RUFUS P. UPSON, a prominent citizen of Tallmadge Township, where he owns two fine farms aggregating 175 acres, was born No- vember 23, 1834, in Summit County, Ohio, and is a son of Anson and Polly ( Upson) Up- son.

The earliest ancestors of this family in America came from England in 1635, two brothers of the name being with the colonizing Puritans. Stephen Upson, the great-great- grandfather of Rufus P., was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. The maternal Upson line follows:

John Upson, the great-grandfather of Ru- fus P., lived in Connecticut. His children were: Stephen, Daniel, Horatio, John, Thur- man, Reuben, IFuldah, Sylvia and Lucinda. In 1810, when advanced in years, John Up- son came to Tallmadge Township and lived with his son Reuben until his death. He was a member of the Congregational Church.

Reuben Upson, the grandfather of Rufus P., was born at Waterbury, Connecticut, .1u- gust 14, 1771. He received a good education for his time and taught school. On December 25, 1798, he was married to Hannah Richard- son, who was born at Waterbury, October 18, 1780, a daughter of Ebenezer Richardson. By trade, Reuben was a carpenter and joiner. In 1808 he came to Ohio with his brother Stephen and family, making the trip with a five-horse team, but even then the journey re- quired six weeks of time as the road had to he cut through the forest. They settled in Portage County, where the brothers had bought land from the Connecticut Land Com-

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pany, paying 75 cents an acre. The children of Reuben Upson and wife were: Phebe, Emma, Reuben and Polly, born in Connecti- cut.

The land upon which Reuben Upson set- tled was heavily timbered and it required hard work to clear up even 60 acres, after which Mr. Upson sold that land and moved to Tall- inade Township, Summit County, where he purchased a farm of Priest Leonard Bacon, a celebrated character of that day. Reuben Up- son cleared 100 acres of this land and lived on that farm until 1818, when he moved to the northeastern part of Tallmadge Town- ship, where he bought 300 acres. Not being able to secure a clear title to this land, he re- ceived in lieu of it, 100 acres in Tallmadge Township, 100 acres on the Cuyahoga River and 100 acres near by. Mr. Upson now worked to a large degree at his trade, and hired others to clear the farm and make im- provements. He died on this farm in 1844, aged 77 years. He was a strict member of the Congregational Church. In politics he was a Whig and later a Republican, having strong anti-slavery views. He was one of the earliest Masons in the Western Reserve and he belonged to Masonic Lodges at Canfield and Columbus. Four more children were born to him after he settled in Ohio, namely : Chloe, Hannah, Julius A. and George M.

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Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 77

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