Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 98

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 98

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Solomon Kepler attended the district schools of his native locality, and has been since engaged in agricultural pursuits. His fine farm. which is a part of the old home- stead, includes a large house and substantial barns. built by Mr. Kepler himself, and the large, productive orchard planted by him. Ile is in very comfortable circumstances, and in later years has devoted some time to travel, visiting the home of his ancestors in Pennsyl- vania, and going as far West as California. In polities he is a Democrat, and has served as township trustee and as school director.

In 1861 Mr. Kepler was married, first. to Elizabeth Garst, and their children were: Samuel, who died in infancy; Oliver, who died at the age of six years; Belle, who mar-

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ried E. Rex, and has two children-Howard and Edith; Amanda, wife of N. Foust, with five children-Clarence, Jacob, Samuel, Oran and William; and Mabel, who married M. Grove, and has two children -- Willard V., and a baby girl unnamed. After the death of his first wife Mr. Kepler was married, second to Ilattie Herring, a daughter of Samuel Her- ring. Of this union there were born seven children-Andrew, Aaron, Solomon, Elsie, William, Florence and Blanche.

ALBERT G. DURSTINNE, a highly re- spected citizen and retired farmer, residing on his farm of eighty acres, which is situated in Franklin Township, was born in an old log house that stood on the present farm, in Sum- mit County, Ohio, April 1, 1855, and is a son of Abraham S. and Susanna (Swartz) Dur- stine.

The Durstine family, which is an old one in America, was established in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in 1660, by Michael Durstine, who emigrated from Alsace, France. The grandfather of Albert G. Durstine was Abra- ham Durstine, who was the founder of the family in Ohio. He was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, February 9, 1800, and was a son of Jacob Durstine, who lived on the farm on which the original Durstine settled, and which is still a possession of the family. The grandparents of Albert G. eame in pioneer fashion to Holines County, Ohio, bringing as many of their possessions as they

conld. 9 Later, the family moved to Wayne County, but prior to his death, Abraham Durstine returned to Holmes County and died at Smithville, in March, 1878. The death of his first wife had preceded his own by twenty-four years, and he contracted a second marriage with a member of the Guiley family, who died without issue. The chil- dren of the first marriage were: Jacob, John, Abraham S., Catherine, Mary and Sarah.

Abaham S. Durstine was born in Holmes County, Ohio, in 1828, and died in 1887. When he reached manhood he married Su- sanna Swartz, who was a daughter of Henry and Elizabeth (Thornton) Swartz. She died

in 1902, aged seventy-four years. The Swartz family came to Sunnit County from Lancas- ter, Pennsylvania, when Mrs. Durstine was eight years old. Her father helped to build the Reservoir and he donated sixteen acres of the necessary amount of land. Abraham S. Durstine, in 1853, bought the present farm of his son Albert, from Daniel Deihel, and he resided on the place for the rest of life. They had two children, Albert and .Ellen. The latter, who married Isaac Carmany, is now deceased.

Albert G. Durstine was given a district school education, but much of his youth was spent in working on the farm and also, oc- casionally, at the carpenter's trade. This fine old farm has always been his real home, and he has never been absent from it with the ex- ception of three years.

On October 12, 1875, Mr. Durstine was married to Maria Rhodes, who is a daughter of Frederick and Margaret (Snyder) Rhodes, and they have one child, Edward, who man- ages the home farm. The latter married Mabel Reynolds, who is a daughter of Ransom and Hannah (Fosnacht) Reynolds, and they have one child, Otis Nathan. This promis- ing little grandson of Mr. Durstine was born February 18, 1900, just 100 years, to the day, after the birth of Abraham Durstine, his great-great-grandfather. The Durstines are a prominent family in Franklin Township.

F. B. GOODMAN, one of Akron's represent- ative business men, who has been a resident of this city for the past twenty-seven years, fills the important position of assistant man- ager of the M. O'Neil Company, which is a leading mercantile house of this section of Ohio, its stability as well as its volume of busi- ness giving it this prominence.

Mr. Goodman was born at Atwater, Portage County, Ohio, June 6, 1854, and was there reared. He is a son of the late Henry Good- man, who was a substantial farmer of Portage County. After leaving school, Mr. Goodman was employed in a general mercantile store in his native county for five years. He then went to Alliance and was a salesman for the

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mercantile firm of Wann & Warren, of that city, for three years. For the following three years, Mr. Goodman was in a general mercan- tile business for himself, in Stark County, and in 1880, he came to Akron and entered the employ of the mercantile house of O'Neil & Dyas, with which he continued until the death of Mr. Dyas. About this time the business was incorporated as. The M. O'Neil Company, Mr. Goodman remaining with the firm, and since this period being assistant manager. For over a quarter of a century he has been connected with this house, and his fidelity to its welfare, and co-operation in its poliey of fair dealing with the public, have made him a noteworthy factor in its suc- cess. Mr. Goodman was married in 1880 to Anna Martin, of Stark County, and they have one son, Walter, who has charge of the house- furnishing department of the M. O'Neil Com- pany. Mr. Goodman is a member of the En- glish Lutheran Church.

MAHLON S. LONG, senior member of the Long & Taylor Company, a leading business house of Akron, was born at Spring Creek, Warren County, Pennsylvania, in 1867, and is a son of Joshua W. and Matilda II. Long. The parents of Mr. Long removed from Warren County, Pennsylvania, to Mentor, Ohio, when he was a babe of six months. His father resides at Newton Falls, Ohio, on a farm in that vicinity, and is now retired from active life. Formerly he followed black- smithing and carriage-making. In 1861, he enlisted for service in the Civil War, enter- ing Company F, 19th Regiment, Ohio Vol- unteer Infantry, but one year later was hon- orably discharged on account of disability.

Mahlon S. Long spent his boyhood and youth at Mentor and Toledo. In 1881 he went to Newton Falls, and was graduated from the Newton Falls High School in 1885. After teaching school for one year at the latter place, he entered Mt. Union College, and af- ter two terms there, he went to work in the basket factory at Newton Falls. Twelve months later he went from that place to Chi- cago. Mr. Long remained in the metropolis

of the middle west for a period of five years, mainly engaged as a salesman with a large cigar firm. In May, 1892, he came to Ak- ron and engaged as shipping elerk with what is now the Standard Oilcloth Company. He continued with this firm for a year and a half. The panic of 1893 caused many of the employes to be laid off by this house, he among the number, and he fell back on his old work of basket-making. Ile continued making grape baskets during the following fall, at Kirtland, Ohio, and returned to Akron on the first of the following October, determined to go into business for himself and be independent of the ups and downs of more ambitious concerns. Ile had a little capital and this he invested in a small cigar store, on the site of the pres- ent magnificent new modern building.

With small capital, few resources and ac- tive competition, Mr. Long found the first three years hard ones to push through, but by working fifteen hours a day, and careful management, with honest and courteous treat- ment for every one, he built up a constantly increasing trade. He found it necessary, ere long, to increase his space by adding another room. Later, when it proved impossible to still further add to the building he occupied, as his business demanded, he resolved to pur- chase this piece of property then for sale, at the point of the intersection of Main and Howard Streets, and he acquired it in 1898. Its flatiron shape, 86 feet lying on Main Street and 92 feet on Howard Street, 60 feet wide at one end and 9 feet at the other, de- termined the name of the magnificent build- ing, the erection of which was commeneed in July, 1906.

In 1895. H. H. Taylor became associated with Mr. Long and the firm name became M. S. Long & Company. On account of in- ereasing business the first change was made to an additional store at Nos. 20-22 South Main Street, with dimensions of 30 by 102 1-2 feet, which they subsequently bought. On this land the firm built a briek structure, with three stories and basement, occupying two store rooms, one as a candy and ice cream

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

department and the other with a general line of cigars, stationery, athletic goods and news- papers. The entire basement is used for a candy factory, a very complete plant here be- ing installed, where are manufactured choice candies and "Purity" ice cream for retail and tine family trade. In July, 1907, they began the erection of the finest business block and office building in the city of Akron. It is seven stories in height, with basement and sub-basement. Since the completion of the building the Long & Taylor Company occu- py the entire lower floor and part of the base- ment with two similar stores to the ones at 20 and 22 South Main Street. The Long & Taylor Company was incorporated in 1902, with a capital stock of $65,000, with H. H. Taylor as president and M. S. Long as treas- urer and general manager. The main business of the company is conducted here, but the old quarters at Nos. 20-22 South Main Street are also utilized. The magnificent flatiron build- ing is a source of pride to every citizen of Akron and it must be particularly so to Mr. Long, who, as no other can, realizes the strug- gles he went through in order that the pres- ent great enterprise became a fact.

In 1891 Mr. Long was married to Marion E. Taylor, and they have two children : Ger- trude MI. and Robert II. T.

Mr. Long is a 32nd degree Mason and be- longs to the Blue Lodge, Chapter and Com- mandery at Akron, and to Lake Erie Consis- tory and Al Koran Temple A. A. O. N. M. S. at Cleveland. During his residence in Chi- cago he was very active in the order of the Sons of Veterans, and at one time was com- manding officer of Camp No. 1. of that city.

JOHN GRILL, a successful agriculturist of Franklin Township, residing on his 160- acre farm, was born on his father's farm in Franklin Township, Summit County, Ohio, February 4. 1863, and is a son of John and Leah (Snyder) Grill.

John Grill. his paternal grandfather, was a native of Pennsylvania, from which state he came to Ohio in 1840, settling first in Stark County. After a residence there of one

year, he came to Summit County, and set- tled on the farm now owned by Charles Young in Franklin Township, which at that time was covered with a heavy growth of tim- ber. After clearing off the timber, he erected an old-fashioned "up and down" sawmill, which he operated until his death at the age of seventy-five years. Ilis widow, Mary, sur- vived him for some years. The children of John and Mary Grill were: David, William, John, Daniel, Martin, Philip, Lydia, Sarah. Catherine and Mary of whom the only pres- ent survivors are: Daniel, Martin and Mary.

John Grill, father of John Grill of Frank- lin Township, was also born in Pennsylvania, accompanied his father to Ohio in 1840, and for a number of years worked in his father's sawmill, later becoming the owner of a mill. lIe was married in Franklin Township to Leah Snyder, who was born in Ohio, a daugh- ter of Frederick Snyder, her father being a native of Germany. Mr. Grill died when eighty-three years old, in 1905, his wife hav- ing passed away in 1897 at the age of sixty- three. They were the parents of seven chil- (Iren : Levi. Eliza Jane, who married George HIuber: Alfred; Amanda, who married Noah Fraze: Emma, who married David Johnson: John; and William.

John Grill received his education in the district school, and worked on his father's farm until after his marriage. He then en- tered the employ of the Akron Electrie Rail- road as conductor. a position in which he served for seven years. Mr. Grill then re- turned to the farm of his father, but in 1903 located on his present property, which he had purchased in the spring of 1902 from the Wil- liam Woods heirs. In March, 1891. Mr. Grill was united in marriage with Miss Caroline Fetzer.

LEONARD ROBINSON, a highly re- spected retired farmer of Richfield Township. residing on his grain and dairy farm of seventy-four acres, was born in Virgil Town- ship. Cortland County, New York. May 21. 1837, and is a son of Luman B. and Mary (Sweet) Robinson.

HISTORY OF SUMMIT COUNTY

The parents of Mr. Robinson were also na- tives of New York. The father came to Ak- ron in 1846 where he followed the carpenter trade until within five years of his death, when he moved to a farm in Copley Town- ship, Summit County, where he died in 1856. He was a Republican in polities, and prior to the Civil War was in sympathy with the Abolition movement. He married Mary Sweet and they had thirteen children, eleven of whom grew to maturity, namely: Levi, who is deceased; Lewis; Lydia, who is the widow of Jerome Wellman, of Akron ; Lyman, resid- ing at Edinburg, Ohio; Leonard; Lueina, deceased, who married Daniel Allen, also de- ceased; Lester, residing in Iowa; Laura, who married John Mann, residing at Akron; Louisa, who is the widow of Norman Smith, residing in Copley; Lavina, deceased, who married George Tream; and Alonzo, who is deceased.

Leonard Robinson attended school at Ak- ron, and learned the carpenter trade with his father. Ile easily learned other trades, being a natural mechanic, and for twenty years was employed as stationary engineer at various points, at one time working in this capacity in the old Allen barrel factory. He worked also in the pinery swamp in Copley, and for six years was engineer at the elay mills of Middlebury. In the spring of 1888, he came to his present farm, which he conducted as a grain and dairy farm until his retirement from business activity.

Mr. Robinson married Mary Swinehart, who was born in Pennsylvania, and is a daughter. of John Swinchart. They had four children born to them, namely: Henry, re- siding at Cuyahoga Falls; Mary, who married Charles Webb: Rosa, who married Charles Howe, who operates Mr. Robinson's farm; and William, residing at Shinrock, Erie County, Ohio.

The paternal grandfather of Mr. Robinson was a Revolutionary soldier and at the elose of the war was given a land warrant for 160 aeres, but he never took advantage of this claim.

A. H. NOAH, treasurer of the Diamond Rubber Company, at Akron, has numerous other important business connections here and is a representative of large interests. Mr. Noah was born in 1858, in Summit County, Ohio.

Mr. Noah was educated in the local schools and at Oberlin, Ohio, and later engaged in teaching for three years. In 1886 he organ- ized the Akron Building and Loan Associa- tion, and continued secretary of the same for ten years, becoming also well known in the abstract and title business, as a member of the firm of Wileox and Noah. In September, 1897, Mr. Noah became general manager of the Diamond Rubber Company, and when the business was reorganized, he accepted the position of treasurer. Ile is also vice-presi- dent of the Bruner, Goodhne, Cooke Con- pany ; is a director in the Akron Building and Loan Association and the Jahant Heating Company, and is secretary and treasurer of the Pan-American Rubber Company. He is an active, publie-spirited eitizen, and has served on the Akron library board.

In 1880 Mr. Noah was married to Kittie B. McGill, of Urbana, Ohio, and they have one son, Robert H., who is a student in the public schools. Mr. Noah is a vestryman of St. Paul's Episcopal Church.

Mr. Noah is a 32nd degree Mason and is a prominent Odd Fellow. He is a member of the Portage Country Club.

JOHN J. STARR, secretary of the Robin- son Clay Produet Company, one of Akron's most important industries, is a native of this city, born here in 1867, and is a son of Jona- than Starr and a grandson of Jonathan Starr.

The grandfather of Mr. Starr was a native of Conneetieut. He came to Summit County in 1813, became a man of substance and prominence and was a member of the first board of Summit County commissioners. He owned large bodies of land in Copley Town- ship, and there he reared his family, his son Jonathan being born there in 1831.

John J. Starr was reared and educated at Akron. When fifteen years of age he entered

R. A. MAY

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the employ of the E. 11. Merrill Pottery Com- pany and he has worked himself steadily up- ward through the grades of promotion until he has become secretary of one of the largest pottery concerns in the United States.

In 1892 Mr. Starr was married to Adelaide Akers, who is a daughter of Alfred Akers, of AAkron, and they have four children, namely: Helen, Anna, Miriam and Harriet.

Mr. Starr is a 32nd degree Mason and be- longs to the Blue Lodge, Chapter, Council and Commandery at Akron and to Lake Erie Con- sistory of Cleveland.

R. A. MAY, senior member of the firm of May and Fiebeger, which after twenty-seven years of partnership was formed into a stock company-the May-Fiebeger Company-of which Mr. May is principal stockholder, has, after over forty years of active business man- agement, retired from active service.

Mr. May was born near the borders of Sax- ony, and came to America with his parents when a child, settling in Akron and remain- ing there ever since. His education was ac- quired in the public schools of this city and also, being a lover of books, through much personal study. When a young boy, while vis- iting an unele in Columbus, Mr. May learned the tinner's trade. He worked one year for John B. Cramer, and then entered into part- nership with his employer, forming the firm of Cramer and May, successors of J. B. Cra- mer, who succeeded Rockwell and Cramer, successors to Justus Rockwell. Justus Rock- well succeeded H. O. Hampson and Hampson succeeded Russell Gale, who owned the first tin shop and stove store in Akron, even clear- ing away the bushes on what is now the northwest corner of Howard and Market Streets, where he built his store.

While with Cramer and May, Mr. May started the first galvanized iron cornice busi- ness in Akron, being pioneers of cornice work in this vicinity and extending their business east into New York State and west into In- diana. The galvanized iron fronts on the buildings of May and Fiebeger on North Howard Street are a sample of his work.

When architecture changed, so that stone could be used to replace galvanized cornices, Mr. May saw that galvanized cornices would be gradually displaced, and bent his energies to the heating and ventilating business, being the pioneer of the furnace business in Akron. He studied heating in all its various forms, and the burning of various kinds of fuel, and invented the air blast, the process of ad- mitting air into and over the fire, which made the burning of soft coal successful, and revolutionized the burning of soft coal in fur- naces and stoves. All the so-called blast fur- naces of every description that are in use to- day have sprung from this.

Mr. May also patented the two-way diving flue and numerous other devices, which made furnaces so successful that they are now sold in every soft coal state in the United States and are sent to foreign countries. Some of the most successful furnace manufacturers, salesmen and workmen in his line have sprung from his employ. AAmong them, Frank Fiebeger of the firm of The May-Fie- beger Company, William Clerkin of the Tap- lin, Rice, Clerkin Company. and George Maag, of the Twentieth Century Company.

For forty years he continued in the same line of business, continually increasing the plant and always keeping up the highest standard and enjoying the confidence of the business world. Ilis motto always was, "Nothing succeeds like success."

Mr. May was married twice. In 1872 he married Miss Susan Rhodes of Randolph, Ohio. The children born to this union were : Mary L., Louis R., Helen C., Frank G., and Rosalia A.

In the spring of 1894 Mr. May lost his first wife, and in the fall of 1899 he married his present wife, Miss Elizabeth M. Roussert, of Akron. Mr. May has always been a member of St. Bernard's German Roman Catholic Church, and is highly respected by all its members. After over forty years of strenu- ous business life, Mr. May has for the present retired to become acquainted with his family and enjoy the fruits of his labor.

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SAMUEL IMAMMETT PRICKETT, resid- ing on his valuable farm of 110 acres, situ- ated in Richfield Township, is a representa- tive citizen and on several occasions has served as township trustee. He was born near Mar- ion, Wayne County, New York, January 6, 1829, and is a son of Samnel and Ilannah Ann (Allen) Prickett.

The father of Mr. Prickett was born at Med- ford, New Jersey, and his parents were John and Sybilla (Hammett ) Prickett. They lived to be over ninety years of age. Samuel Prickett was well educated for his day and for nearly fifty years he kept a diary, in which is re- flected not only family happenings, but often pictures of passing events of importance. Af- ter some years of marriage, he moved to New York, with his wife and three children, re- maining in that state for seven years, and then came to Ohio. Ile reached Richfield Township, June 8, 1834, where he purchased 200 acres of land and developed the same into a grain and stoek farm. In early days he was a Whig, later a Republican. He died in 1886, aged over eighty-eight years. He mar- ried Ilannah Ann Allen and they had the fol- lowing children: Franklin, who is deceased ; Caroline, who is the widow of Samuel Clark, of Richfield; and John, Hannah Ann, Allen S. and Aaron, all deceased; and Samuel. The parents of Mr. Prickett were reared in the Society of Friends, but attended the Congre- gational Church in Richfield Township.

Samuel H. Prickett was young when his parents came to Richfield Township, and he obtained his education in the district schools of this neighborhood. Ile remained on the home farm until in November, 1854, when he went to California, where he became in- terested in a claim, and remained, variously engaged, in that state until 1864. In the year following his return to Richfield Township, he purchased his present farm and has de- voted himself to its cultivation and improve- ment. Mr. Prickett enltivates about eighty acres and keeps from 100 to 200 sheep. He is a member of Richfield Grange.

Mr. Prickett married Ann Amelia Garth- waite, who left one daughter, Edith, at death.

He married (second) Edith Welton, who is a daughter of Samuel Welton, of Richfield Township, and they have two children: Dana Welton and Marion Louise.

In politics, Mr. Prickett is identified with the Republican party. In addition to serv- ing as township trustee, he has been a mem- ber of the School Board, and at all times has been a citizen actively interested in all move- ments beneficial to this section.

GEORGE IN. LODGE, assistant treasurer of The Silver Lake Park Company, of Silver Lake, Summit County, was born at Newburg, Ohio, November 30, 1875, and is a son of Ralph Ilugh and Julia A. (Plum) Lodge.

Mr. Lodge can trace his remote ancestors to a Huguenot family that found refuge in England, and to those members who later ac- companied William Penn to Pennsylvania .. On land granted to a Lodge, by the great col- onizer, the grandfather of George H. Lodge, whose name the latter bears, was born in 1801, and he was reared in New Jersey and prob- ably was still residing there in 1829, when he married Rebecca Smith. With his wife he came to Ohio, about that time, settling on a Small farm in Stow Township, Summit County. In 1836 he assisted in the material development of what is now Monroe Falls, and in the vicinity of that village all his children were born. They were as follows: Emma, George H., Mary, Cornelia, and Caro- line, the eldest being Ralph Hugh the father of George H. In 1846 the family moved to Cleveland, and in 1848, settled on what was then known as the Leonard Case farm, and in 1855 removed to a tract of 100 acres, which is now a busy part of that city.

Ralph Hugh Lodge was born August 3, 1830, at Monroe Falls, Summit County, Ohio, and as the eldest son assisted his father in all his enterprises, in 1872 assuming the man- agement of the farm on which the family resided for seventeen years. He purchased property and engaged for a time in a mer- cantile business, but the real occupation of his life was the developing of what is known as The Silver Lake Park, and in this great en-

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Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 98

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