Century history of Youngstown and Mahoning County, Ohio, and representative citizens, 20th, Part 59

Author: Sanderson, Thomas W., comp
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1074

USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > Youngstown > Century history of Youngstown and Mahoning County, Ohio, and representative citizens, 20th > Part 59

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In 1868 Mr. Cochran was married to Mary Isabella Brownlee, a daughter of John and Leah ( Powers) Brownlee. They had two sons, Robert B. and Chauncy A., the former of whom is now deceased. Chauncy A. Cochran is a very prominent young busi- ness man at Youngstown, and is secretary of the Youngstown Iron & Steel Roofing Com- pany, and also of the Youngstown Pressed Steel Company. He married Sarah E. Davis, daughter of the late Hon. John R. Davis, of Youngstown, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume, and resides at No. 680 Bryson street, Youngstown.

Mr. Cochran has always been identified politically with the Republican party. During his residence at Haselton he served 22 years as postmaster, being an appointee of Presi- dent Grant. His fraternal connections include membership in all the highest

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branches of Masonry, he having attained the 32nd degree. Both he and his wife are members of the Memorial Presbyterian Church at Youngstown.

HAUNCY HUMASON ANDREWS. Perhaps no citizen of the whole Ma- honing valley presented, through a long and unusually active life, a more thorough ideal of the enter- prising, successful business man than did the late Chauncy Humason Andrews, and yet this was but one side of his life. On the other was seen the cultured, traveled gentle- man, the patron of art and literature and the silent partner from whose generosity came the means for the upbuilding of great charities. His life was prolonged to the age of the Psalmist, but it was all too short to finish much of the work his remarkable mind had planned and his energy brought into being.

Chauncy Humason Andrews was born at Vienna, Trumbull County, Ohio, December 2, 1823, and died at his home at Youngstown, after a painful illness, December 25, 1893. His parents were Norman and Julia ( Huma- son) Andrews. Norman Andrews was born in 1799, at Hartford, Connecticut, and in 1818 located in Trumbull County, Ohio, where he engaged in farming and mercantile business. He was one of the pioneer hotel keepers at Youngstown, opening the Mansion House here in 1842, which he conducted until he re- tired from business in 1850. By his first mar- riage he had three sons and three daughters.

Chauncy H. Andrews was educated at Youngstown. The old brick building, which served as school house in his boyhood, long since gave way to city improvements, St. John's Protestant Episcopal Church standing on its site. When he was about 18 years of age, he left his books and began to assist his father in the hotel. His mother died in 1848, and two years later his father disposed of the hotel business. The young man then became associated with a fellow townsman and to- gether they carried on for a time a successful 25

mercantile business under the name of Bren- neman & Andrews; but in 1853 they were jovertaken by reverses. Mr. Andrews then returned to the hotel business and continued as manager of the Mansion House for some four years. In the meantime he had become interested in coal mining and had ventured almost all he possessed in pushing his invest- ments.

In 1857 Mr. Andrews justified his pre- dictions and perseverance, opening up what was known as the Thorn Hill coal bank, on the Baldwin farm. From that time on, through enterprises of larger and larger magnitude, Mr. Andrews continued his successful career, becoming the promoter, operator and owner of mines, rolling mills, railroads and great finan- cial institutions, farms and high-grade stock, bonds and securities, acquiring all those varied possessions which make the millionaire. In recalling some of his greatest enterprises, it will be seen that a majority of them were designed to be of benefit to his own communi- ty ; in fact, Mr. Andrews was one of the mak- ers of Youngstown.

In 1876 Mr. Andrews was one of the pro- moters and organizers of the Pittsburg & Lake Erie Railroad Company; he was chiefly instrumental in organizing the Com- mercial National Bank of Youngstown, of which he was president and stockholder at the time of his death; he was vice-president of the Second National Bank of Youngstown; he was interested in the management of the Sav- ings Bank, which has since been merged into the Mahoning National Bank; with other cap- italists, he built the Montour Railroad; in 1879 he established the Imperial Coal Com- pany, which owns one of the largest and finest coal fields in Western Pennsylvania; in con- nection with the corporations of which he was a member, he opened three extensive lime- stone quarries in Mahoning County, Ohio, and Lawrence County, Pennsylvania; in 1880. with W. C. Andrews and William McCreery, he obtained the charter for the Pittsburg, Youngstown & Chicago Railroad Company, of which he later became president, and he was one of the Hocking Valley syndicate and

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a director and stockholder in the Hocking Valley Railroad Company. The above enumeration takes in but a small portion of the many interests which felt his influence. For years his strength seemed inexhaustible, but at last nature asserted herself and the time came when the busy hand had to rest and the tireless foot stand still. The brain kept on, however, and even when racked with pain Mr. Audrews was still able to send out from that clear mentality, which continued to the last, directions for the carrying on of his vast industries which were heeded by his thousands of employees.

In 1857 Mr. Andrews was married to Louisa Baldwin, of the old Mahoning County family, and they had two daughters, Edith H., widow of the late John A. Logan, Jr., and Julia L., wife of L. C. Bruce, both residents of New York City. Mrs. Andrews still sur- vives and resides in one of the palatial homes of Youngstown, at No. 750 Wick avenue.

In all that goes to make up perfect citizen- ship, the late Chauncy H. Andrews was a model-law-abiding, liberal and public- spirited. He voted with the Republican party, but his life was too thoroughly absorbed by his many private enterprises to permit him to ever consent to consider political position. His political friends, however, were numerous and included among them those whose names have reflected the greatest luster upon the commonwealth of Ohio. Around his death- bed gathered persons of distinction who were anxious to minister to his wants, and one of the honorary pall bearers was the late Presi- dent William McKinley, then Governor of Ohio, for whom he entertained a warm, per- sonal friendship. Other members of this not- able gathering were: Governor Russell A. Alger, of Michigan, lately deceased; the late John Newell, president of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad Company ; Judge Stephenson Burke, the great railroad lawyer of Cleveland; General Orlando Smith, of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company; W. J. Hitchcock; J. W. McKinnie, of Cleveland; General Thomas W. Sanderson; L. E. Coch- ran ; the late Henry Tod; J. G. Butler, Jr., and

and the late General J. L. Botsford. All of these distinguished men of great affairs had been closely associated with Mr. Andrews in business or public or social life and to each one his death came with a sense of personal loss.

The journals of his city united in naming him the foremost citizen of the great Mahon- ing Valley and placed him with the foremost industrial organizers of the state. They laid emphasis on his public spirit, his well-directed energy, his persevering courage in the face of early discouragements, his great executive ability and his unbounded generosity. Scarcely any worthy charity or philanthropic enterprise of all this section but felt his quickening help, and his hand was extended on many occasions to rescue dying enterprises or to give the needed impetus to languishing industries. Per- sonally, Mr. Andrews was magnetic. He pos- sessed the suave, affable manner of the man of social graces and at the same time the hearty geniality which can never be mistaken for in- sincerity. A portrait of this distinguished citi- zen may be seen on a neighboring page of this volume.

HAUNCY A. COCHRAN, secretary of the Youngstown Iron and Steel Roofing Company and of the Youngstown Pressed Steel Com- pany, is one of the prominent young business men of Youngstown, of which city he is a native. He is a son of Lucius E. and Mary Isabella (Brownlee) Cochran of Youngstown.

Lucius E. Cochran was born in Delaware County, Ohio, June 12, 1842, and is a son of Robert and Nancy (Hummason) Cochran, and a grandson of George H. Cochran, a mer- chant of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, who trans- ferred his mercantile interests to Vienna, Ohio, in 1816. Robert Cochran was a farmer by vo- cation and resided the greater part of his life in Logan County, Ohio. In 1862 Lucius E. Cochran, after having pursued a commercial course at Pittsburg, became bookkeeper for the firm of Andrews & Hitchcock, of Youngstown,

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and five years later became a member of the manufacturing firm of Andrews Brothers & Company, of Haselton, Ohio. In 1880 this concern was consolidated with the firm of An- drews Brothers and the Niles Iron Company and Mr. Cochran was made the first president and treasurer of the new concern. He has ex- tensive interests in various manufacturing concerns and ranks as one of the foremost men of the Mahoning Valley. In 1868 he married Mary Isabella Brownlee, a daughter of John and Leah (Powers). Brownlee. Into their household were born two sons: Robert B., who died at the age of 32 years; and Chauncy A.

Chauncy A. Cochran was educated in the public schools of Youngstown and subsequent- ly attended Peekskill Military Academy at Peekskill, New York, from which he was graduated. Upon attaining manhood he en- gaged with his father in the manufacturing business and is now secretary of the Youngs- town Iron & Steel Roofing Company and of the Youngstown Pressed Steel Company, of which concerns his father is president and chief stockholder.

Mr. Cochran married Sarah E. Davis, a daughter of the late Hon. John R. Davis, who for many years was prominent in Mahoning County both in public and business life. Mr. Davis was educated at Western University, Pittsburg, and then for three years filled the position of private secretary to Hon. A. How- ells, United States Consul at Cardiff, Wales. Upon returning to his native country in 1864, he enlisted in the 155th Regiment, Ohio Vol- unteer Infantry, in which he served until the close of the war. On January 1, 1867, he was married to Maria S. Richards, a native of Tioga County, Pennsylvania. After his mar- riage he was engaged in mercantile pursuits at Youngstown until 1872, when he was elec- ted sheriff of Mahoning County, being reelec- ted in 1874. On retiring from office January 1, 1877, he engaged in a real estate and insur- ance business, in which he was interested un- til his death, which took place February 13. 1900. His sons. John R. and Ralph G., now conduct the business under the style of John

R. Davis' Sons. Mr. Davis was elected a member of the General Assembly of Ohio in 1889 and reelected in 1891. Four sons and one daughter, Mrs. Cochran, survive him.

Mr. and Mrs. Chauncy A. Cochran are the parents of two children-Lucius D. and Maria. The family home is located at No. 680 Bryson street. Mr. and Mrs. Cochran are members of the Memorial Presbyterian Church of Youngstown. The former is a Republican in politics, a member of a Masonic fraternity, and belongs to the leading clubs of the city.

e HARLES R. TRUESDALE, a prom- inent member of the bar at Youngs- town, and a survivor of the great Civil War to which he devoted four years of his early manhood, in which for loyalty's sake he suffered hardship and imprisonment, was born in Mahoning County, Ohio, September 15, 1841, and is a son of Alexander and Harriet (Leach) Truesdale.

Mr. Truesdale comes of Revolutionary stock, his grandfather, John Truesdale, having served under General Washington. His father. Alexander Truesdale, was born in Washing- ton County, Pennsylvania, and was one of six brothers, who came to Mahoning County as pioneers, he being at that time 15 years of age. Subsequently he married Harriet Leach, who, with her two sisters and the father, came to Mahoning County, from Morristown, New Jersey. Alexander Truesdale and wife had ten children, the youngest, Joseph, perishing in the Civil War. The mother died in 1866 and was survived by the father until 1874.

From the farm and the school room, Charles R. Truesdale went into the Union army, in August, 1861, serving faithfully un- til the close of the war, under two enlistments. His first service was as a private of Company E, Second Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, and later, after reenlistment, as a non-commis- sioned officer in the same company. He par- ticipated in all of the important engagements in which his regiment took part and, although he escaped injury of a permanent nature, he

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was twice made a prisoner of war. He was captured first in 1863, at Greenville, Eastern Tennessee, but made his escape and rejoined his regiment. His second adventure of this kind was in July, 1864, at Monocacy Junc- tion, Maryland. He was held a prisoner, first at Danville and later at Libby Prison, until his exchange, February 22, 1865, but was kept on parole until his discharge in the following June.

Upon his return, with a soldier's record of which he has every reason to be proud, he com- pleted his education at the Western Reserve College, graduating in the class of 1871. After a period of law reading in the office of Taylor & Jones, at Warren, Ohio, Mr. Truesdale was admitted to the bar in 1872, and entered upon the practice of his profession at Youngstown. He was ambitious and entered into local poli- tics, and in 1875 was elected prosecuting at- torney of Mahoning County, in which office he served most efficiently through two terms. Since retiring therefrom he has devoted him- self to a large private practice and has long been recognized as one of the leading men of his profession in the city. His office is at No. 22 South Phelps street.

In 1872, the year of his admission to the bar, Mr. Truesdale was married to Louise M. Jacobs, a daughter of Nicholas Jacobs, of Coitsville. Ohio. Of this union there were two children-Joseph R. and Phoebe K.

Joseph R. Truesdale is a graduate of Princeton University, class of 1904, and of Columbia Law School, 1907, and is now en- tering upon the practice of his profession in New York City. The daughter, Phoebe K. Truesdale, a graduate of Vassar College, class of 1899, resides with her father. Mr. Trues- dale, with his family, belongs to the Presby- terian Church. January 1, 1902, Mr. Trues- dale was bereaved of his wife, who was a lady of many virtues and beautiful Christian char- acter.

In his political sentiments, Mr. Truesdale has always been affiliated with the Republi- can party. Fraternally he is a Mason ; he be- longs also to the Grand Army of the Republic.

L EWIS HENRY YOUNG, capitalist, farmer and leading citizen of Ma- honing County, is president of the Mineral Ridge Manufacturing Com- pany, a stockholder in the Youngs- town Sheet and Tube Company, a director in the Niles Car Works, a director in the First National Bank and the Dollar Savings Bank at Niles, a stockholder in the Dollar Savings and Trust Bank and the Commercial Bank at Youngstown, and president of the De Lasatu- nas Fruit Company of Cuba, which has its of- fice on Federal street, Youngstown; president of the Youngstown Furnace Company; vice- president of the Youngstown Cattle Company. In addition to the above interests, Mr. Young owns 218 acres of fine farming land, a part of which lies in Trumbull County, 88 acres, how- ever, being situated in Mahoning County, two miles west of Mineral Ridge. Mr. Young was born in Austintown township, Mahoning County, Ohio, October 18, 1861, and is a son of Henry and Julia (Wappler ) Young.

Henry Young, father of Lewis H., was born and grew to manhood in Germany, where he learned the trade of stone mason. He was married in Germany to Julia Wappler, and three children were born to them before they emigrated to America, namely: Philip, Su- sanna, who married August Kroeck, and re- sides in Austintown township; and William, who is deceased.

In 1853, accompanied by his family, Henry Young came to the United States, locating for the first two years at Cleveland. He then came down to Mineral Ridge to put in the foundations for the old blast furnaces which J. Warner was then erecting. While working on that contract, Mr. Young became so well satisfied with the surrounding country that he bought a residence situated between Austin- town and Mineral Ridge in which he continued to live until his death. He continued to do a large amount of contract work thereafter both in Mahoning and Trumbull counties, and was thus engaged up to the time of the Civil War, when he enlisted, in 1861, in the 12Ist Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He served in this regi-

HON. JOSEPH R. JOHNSTON

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ment until the close of the war, participating in a number of battles, and was promoted to the rank of corporal. He died in March, 1874, aged 49 years, and was survived by his widow until 1892, her age at the time of her death being 68 years. The seven children born after the family came to America were: Elizabeth, who married Henry R. Rupf; August, of whom there is no special mention; Lena, who married Charles Seifert; Lewis H., whose name begins this article; Rose, deceased ; Ju- lia, wife of Thomas W. Creed; and Louisa, who resides with her brother, Lewis H.

Lewis H. Young grew to manhood on the home place and was educated in the Austin- town schools. His eldest brother taking up the father's business, Lewis learned the stone ma- son's trade with him, and became his fore- man. When Lewis was about 20 years old he lost his brother, and the business came to him and his other brothers. His first contract was for the masonry on the P. C. & T. Rail- road, now the Pittsburg and Western branch of the Baltimore & Ohio system. The con- tract called for the building of the masonry be- tween Girard and Warren, the amount in- volved being about $50.000. From the suc- cessful completion of this work, Mr. Young has continued his contract work, dealing main- ly in bridge contracting, calling for heavy ma- sonry, and railroad work.

Mr. Young carries on general farming and is also largely interested in the breeding of Shropshire sheep. Jersey cattle and fine horses. He made his first purchase of land in 1893. in Trumbull County, but sold it as he also did land in Jackson township. He has. however, always retained the 30 acres, which he received from his mother. Since 1881 Mr. Young has resided on his well-kept farm which is situated on the line between Mahon- ing and Trumbull counties, on which he erec- ted his commodious and attractive ten-room residence and substantial barn and other buildings. This is a beautiful place, neatly surrounded by well-trimmed hedges and evi- dences are on every side of thrift and pros- perity.

On February 14, 1890, Mr. Young was married to Ida A. Ohl, who was born on the present farm, in September, 1868, and is a daughter of William and Eliza (Maurer) Ohl. Her mother was born and died at Aus- tintown. William Ohl married, second, Irene Kennedy of Cortland, Ohio, and they reside at Warren. Mrs. Young has two brothers : Alva M., residing at Warren, where he is en- gaged in the clothing business; and Charles F., a lawyer, residing at Youngstown.

Mr. and Mrs. Young have four children : William, Laverne, Lemar and Arthur. Fra- ternally Mr. Young is connected with the Ma- sonic lodge at Niles, the Elks at Youngstown, and the Knights of Pythias at Jackson.

ON. JOSEPH R. JOHNSTON, one of Youngstown's most prominent citizens, a member of both bench and bar, and also a surviving officer of the great Civil War, was born at Jackson. Mahoning County, Ohio, September 12, 1840, and is a son of John and Caroline ( Roberts) Johnston.

Judge Johnston comes of Scotch-Irish stock, his grandfather having been born in Ireland and his grandmother in Scotland. In 18II they came to Milton township, Mahon- ing County, Ohio, and here spent the remain- der of their lives. John Johnston,

father of Judge Johnston, was born in 1800 in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, and died at Jackson, Mahoning County, Ohio, in 1868. In this county he was married to Caroline Roberts, who was born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Her great-grandfather. William Roberts, was a soldier of the Revolu- tion. Her parents came to Ohio in 1816 and settled in Jackson township. Mahoning County, not far from the Johnston homestead. Mr. and Mrs. Johnston had these children : John Z., Louise, Joseph R. and David R.

Joseph R. Johnston spent his early life on his father's farm and attended the academies at both Canfield and Jackson. He had not at-

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tained his majority when he enlisted for serv- ice in the Civil War, in August, 1861, enter- ing as a private Company E, Second Regi- ment of Ohio Volunteer Cavalry. On February 17, 1863, he received his commission as second lieutenant of the 25th Battery, Ohio Light Artillery, which had been organized out of his former regiment. He remained in the service until September, 1864, when illness caused his resignation. He had participated in many of the great battles of the war and his regiment was one of which Ohio had reason to be proud.

Immediately upon his return from the army, the young soldier entered upon the study of the law and was admitted to the bar on September 12, 1866. From that time to the present he has continued in his profession, gathering a wide experience and many laurels. His private practice has only been interrupted during his terms on the bench, and also dur- ing the years in which he served in the state senate. Immediately after his admission to the bar, Mr. Johnston, with no previous ex- perience except such as he secured while clerk of the probate court, was brought forward by the Republican party and was elected pro- bate judge, and in 1869 was re-elected. Upon his retirement from the bench, he took up practice at Canfield, where he remained until 1888, when he located permanently at Youngstown.

In 1875 Judge Johnston become the logical candidate of his party for the state senate, and in the ensuing campaign proved his strength and was elected to the office, representing the senatorial district composed of Mahoning and Trumbull Counties. Judge Johnston was re- turned to the senate by re-election in 1877 and during a part of this period he did very effi- cient work in legislation as a member of the judiciary committee.

Seven years of private practice of his pro- fession followed his long term of public serv- ice, and then he was again called to the bench, being elected judge of the Court of Common Pleas, of the Second Sub-Division of the Ninth District. He was re-elected to this of- fice in 1891. During his years in public life,

his course both as statesman and jurist gained for him the confidence, respect and admira- tion of his fellow-citizens. Since 1897 he has quietly followed his profession at Youngs- town. His commodious offices are situated at No. 3 West Federal street, and his handsome residence at No. 533 Wick avenue.

Judge Johnston was married in 1868, to Mary S. Hartsell, a most estimable woman of rare culture and attainments. She died April 25, 1906.

Fraternal relations with the various Ma- sonic bodies are held by Judge Johnston, and he belongs also to the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States and to Tod Post, No. 29, Grand Army of the Republic. His connections with professional bodies are numerous and at various times he has held offices of responsibility in educational and philanthropical institutions, being one of the incorporators of the Northeastern Ohio Nor- mal College at Canfield, Ohio, and for many years was one of the trustees thereof. His por- trait is published in connection with this ar- ticle.

h ON. JOHN R. DAVIS was for many years one of Youngstown's most prominent and influential citi- zens, closely identified with her busi- ness interests and a potent factor in political life. Mr. Davis was born at Paris, Portage County, Ohio, July 26, 1840, and died February 13, 1900. His parents, Rev. Rees and Esther (Evans) Davis, were natives of Wales. The father, who was a pioneer Bap- tist preacher, came in 1830 to Eastern Ohio, where he labored with zeal and fidelity until his death, which took place in 1858, while he was filling a charge at Paris, Ohio. The mother of Mr. Davis came to America with her first husband, in 1831. He died in the fol- lowing year, and in 1833 she was united with Rev. Rees Davis, whom she survived until 1861.

The boyhood of John R. Davis was health- ily spent on a farm and he was afforded ex-

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cellent educational opportunities. In 1864 he enlisted in Company C. 155th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served until the close of the war.

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Century history of Youngstown and Mahoning County, Ohio, and representative citizens, 20th, Part 59

Author: Sanderson, Thomas W., comp Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1074

Author: Sanderson, Thomas W., comp
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1074