USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > Youngstown > Century history of Youngstown and Mahoning County, Ohio, and representative citizens, 20th > Part 74
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LARKE WOODS, owner of a farm of 200 acres on which he resides, is one of the most highly respected and best known citizens of Youngs- town township. He was born on the old Woods homestead not far from his present home, February 14, 1827, son of John and Elizabeth ( Berry) Woods, both his par- ents being natives of Washington County, Pennsylvania.
This branch of the Woods family was es- tablished in this country at a very early day by the great-grandfather of our subject, who came from Germany. John Woods, father of onr subject, was born on Ten Mile Creek. Washington County, Pennsylvania. and was
married in that county, in 1816, to Elizabeth Berry, who was of English descent. In Eng- land her name was spelled Barry, but after coming to this country, it was changed to Berry. After his marriage Mr. Woods came to Mahoning County, then known as Trum- bull County, and located in Youngstown town- ship, on what is known as the Woods home- stead, where he lived the remainder of his life. He made the trip to this county on horseback and the country at that time was very wild and rough. Previous to coming north, he was drafted into service in the War of 1812, but had only one day's march when the war ended. Each man had to furnish his own rifle, and Mr. Clarke Woods still has the rifle his father carried. Six children were born to John and Elizabeth Woods, the eldest being the only one born in Washington County, Pennsylvania.
Clarke Woods was reared in Youngstown township on the home farm and with the ex- ception of one year, when he lived in Berlin township, has always resided here. What schooling he had was obtained in the district schools, but the greater part of his time was devoted to assisting with the farm work. Mr. Woods has lived lived on his, present farm since 1859 and built the house in that year. He was engaged extensively in stock raising, and made the greater part of his money in sheep, but for some time has been practically retired, and rents the farm out on shares.
Mr. Woods was married in 1851 to Laura A. Foster, a daughter of Jonas Foster, and they reared a family of four children : Alma, who lives at home, and her twin, Alice, who is a trained nurse; Florence, the deceased wife of Cleveland Brothers: and Sarah L., who re- sides at home. Mr. Woods has seven grand- children, and three great-grandchildren.
R OBERT L. BURTON. a representa- tive farmer and stock-raiser of Goshen township, residing on his home farm of 164 acres, situated in section 16, was born in Goshen town- ship. Mahoning County, Ohio, October 14,
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1851, and is a son of Samuel and Abigail (Lloyd) Burton.
The parents of Mr. Burton were born in New Jersey. They came as early settlers to Goshen township, Samuel Burton securing the farm which his son now owns, on which he passed the active years of his life. In age, he retired to Salem, where he died in 1889. He was a supporter of the principles of the Repub- lican party. For many years he was one of the pillars of the Bunker Hill Methodist Epis- copal Church of Goshen township. His death removed from this section a man of sterling worth, who left an honorable name behind him.
Robert L. Burton was reared in Goshen township and his education was obtained in the district schools. He has devoted his life to agricultural pursuits, giving much attention to the live-stock business. In addition to his home farm, Mr. Burton owns a second tract of sixty acres of fine land, also situated in Goshen township. He is numbered with the substantial citizens and prosperous farmers of this section.
Mr. Burton has a comfortable rural home and a happy domestic circle. He married Mary Mead, who is a daughter of the late William P. Mead, of Goshen township, and they have one son, Lester M., who was born July I, 1891.
Politically Mr. Burton is a Republican. He has never desired office but he willingly ex- ercises every duty pertaining to good citizen- ship, taking an interest in the public schools, in the building of good roads and in the pro- motion of better agricultural conditions. He is a member of Goshen Grange, No. 1103, Patrons of Husbandry.
ASPER NEWTON COWDEN. M. D., physician and surgeon at Lowell- ville, is one of the oldest practition- ers in Mahoning County and, in point of continuous service, the oldest in this town. Dr. Cowden was born at Mt. Jack- son, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, October
29, 1840, and is a son of James S. and Jane (McComb) Cowden.
The parents of Dr. Cowden moved in his infancy to Mt. Jackson, then in Beaver, but now in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. The father worked at blacksmithing there for sev- eral years and then went into the marble and granite business, which he followed for a long time. Subsequently he moved to Seneca County, Ohio, for a short time, and in 1858, to Edinburg, Portage County. There he was engaged in a sawmill and lumber business un- til 1868, when he moved to Lowellville, where he lived retired from business until his death in 1875.
Dr. Cowden attended the district schools in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, and later took a literary course at Poland, Mahoning County, Ohio, following which he was an as- sistant teacher in the Mt. Jackson district schools. The family then lived seventeen months in Seneca County, but as soon as his father moved to Portage County, he attended a select school in Edinburg and while there as- sisted his father in operating his steam saw- mill, which was the largest in the county. In 1861 he entered the Eclectic Medical School at Cincinnati, and in 1862 he became a student in the Ohio Medical School in the same city, where he was graduated, and began practice at Lowellville on September 4, 1862. When his father came to Lowellville in 1868, he pur- chased a stock of drugs and the father and son opened the first real drug store in the vil- lage. Dr. Cowden was sole manager of the drug store from 1868 until 1879. In 1893 Dr. Cowden entered the Cleveland University of Medicine and Surgery and was graduated from that institution in 1894. He is a member of the Lawrence County Medical Society. For many years he has controlled the larger part of the lucrative practice at Lowellville and is well known all through this section.
Dr. Cowden was married (first), in 1863, to Julia M. Dickerson, who died in 1885, leaving two children : James Lyman, M. D., and Charles Chester, the latter of whom is en- gaged in a fire insurance business. The elder son chose his father's profession. He was
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born at Lowellville, September 7, 1865, at- tended the town's graded schools and com- pleted his literary course at the Western Re- serve University. In 1893 he entered the Cleveland University of Medicine and Sur- gery, where he was graduated in March, 1896, and entered into practice in the same year. He and his father occupy the same office, but they have never been in partnership. Dr. Cowden was married (second) to Mary J. Cowden, the widow of the late Dr. I. P. Cowden, who was a second cousin.
Dr. Cowden is a man of both prominence and substance. He is one of the directors of the Lowellville Savings and Banking Com- pany ; owns a large amount of city realty ; a farm of 150 acres in Springfield township, Mahoning County, and one of 103 acres in Unity township, Columbiana County, while he has but recently sold a 160-acre farm near Topeka, Kansas. Fraternally he is a Mason and is affiliated with Western Star Lodge, F. & A. M., at Youngstown.
D OLPHUS COLUMBUS JUSTICE, residing on a farm of 93 acres lo- cated one mile west of Berlin Center, Berlin township, was born in Can- field township, Mahoning County, Ohio, in 1848, and is one of the substantial and enterprising citizens of the township, and one who has made his own way in the world.
Mr. Justice was reared until his ninth year with his grandfather, Ross Justice, whose name he was given, his father having been killed by an accident before his birth, but after- wards he lived with strangers. At the out- break of the Civil War, when only 14 years old, he enlisted in Company K. 197th Regi- ment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and immedi- ately went to Camp Chase, at Columbus, where he was mustered in with the regiment and went to Washington, thence to Alexandria and back again to Washington, then to Dover, Delaware. From there he went to Havre-de- Grace, Maryland, thence to Fort Wellington, at Baltimore, and in all saw about five months' 31
service, and was mustered out at Tod Bar- racks, Columbus, Ohio.
Mr. Justice returned to Canfield township, where he worked in a mill and drove a team on the railroad until 1878, then worked for William Swanson until the fall, when he went to Indiana, returning to Ohio in 1879, after which he cut ties for the New Lisbon Railroad until spring. He continued to be industrious and worked for John Boland during the suc- ceeding summer months, and then for Wil- liam Swanson for two years, and for Charles Swanson for one year, then at Boardman for one summer, and spent the following winter with Charles Swanson. Other farmers for whom he worked were: Henry Hartzel for one summer, Solomon Hartzel for one year, Frank Robins for one year, and Simon Hart- zell for eight years. In the spring of 1888 Mr. Justice bought his present fine farm of 93 acres, where he has ever since engaged in general farming.
Mr. Justice was married in 1890 to Sarah Hartzell, who was born in 1844, in Stark County, Ohio, and is a daughter of Tobias and Susanna (Dustman) Hartzell.
P HILIP RIBLET, a representative farmer of Youngstown township, re- siding on his valuable property of 7834 acres, situated in section 8, was born in Mercer County, Pennsylva- nia, March 21, 1871, and is a son of William and Theressa ( Bell) Riblet.
William Riblet was born, reared and mar- ried in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of John Riblet, who came to America from Germany. William Riblet served in the Civil War from 1861 until 1864. and did his full duty as a soldier. He married Theressa Bell and they reared a family of nine children. Mr. Riblet resides on his farm in section I. Austintown township, but his wife died in 1905, aged 63 years.
Philip Riblet was about three years of age when his parents moved to Mahoning County and bought a farm which is situated in four
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townships, Austintown and Youngstown, Ma- honing County, and Weathersfield and Liberty townships, Trumbull County, Ohio. He was reared on the home farm and at- tended the local schools. In 1897 he purchased his present farm and has been since engaged in general agricultural work, but mainly dairying. He has improved the place by the erection of a fine house and barn.
On December 31, 1894, Mr. Riblet was married to Maud Millikin, who is a daughter of George W. Mililkin, of Youngstown town- ship. They have two children, Nettie and Dale.
ACOB PHILLIPS, residing on his val- uable farm of 65 acres, in section 21, Smith township, has developed large dairying interests here, including a profitable milk and cream route at Alliance, which requires his daily attention. Mr. Phillips was born in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, February 16, 1843, and is a son of Nathan and Ann ( Eckert) Phillips.
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The father of Mr. Phillips was born in Mongomery County, Pennsylvania, and the mother in Bucks County. In 1854 the family came to Mahoning County and in the follow- ing year settled permanently in Smith town- ship, where both Nathan and Ann Phillips died. They were people of worthy character whose orderly lives brought them the respect of those with whom they became associated. Of their children, the following survive : James, residing in Smith township; Jacob; Samuel, residing at Damascus; Albert, resid- ing in Smith township; and Mary J., who mar- ried Abraham Greenawalt, residing at Damascus.
Jacob Phillips has been a resident of Smith township for fifty-three years and since 1875 has resided on his present farm. He attended the district schools in boyhood and was reared to all kinds of agricultural work, but from the age of 18 to 25 followed the trade of shoe- making. Before adopting dairying as his main
industry he was engaged for some years in raising fancy poultry.
On June 4, 1867, Mr. Phillips was mar- ried to Emily Snode, who was born in Smith township, January 29, 1846, and is a daughter of William and Sarah A. (Haines) Snode, the former of whom was born in 1810, in New Jersey, and died in 1899, aged 89 years. Her mother still survives, almost 90 years of age, and resides with her son, Warren Snode, and is numbered among the oldest residents of Smith township. Mr. and Mrs. Snode had a family of nine children, the seven surviving being: George, Jehiel M., Charles and War- ren, all residing in Smith township; Emma S., Mrs. Phillips : Esther, residing in Smith town- ship; and Elizabeth C., who married Walter Jenkins, residing at Alliance, Ohio.
Mr. and Mrs. Phillips have three children, namely: Laura, Joseph S., and Lena E. The eldest daughter is deceased. Joseph S. is a graduate of the art department at Mt. Union College. The younger daughter is engaged in missionary work and resides at Dobson, North Carolina.
Mrs. Phillips is a member of the First Friends Church at Alliance. Mr. Phillips
supports the Prohibition party. This is one of the best known and most highly esteemed families of this section.
J OHN S. STRAWN. Through Goshen township there are few more highly respected citizens to be found than John S. Strawn, who resides in sec- tion 21, on his valuable farm of over 150 acres. He was born in Butler township, Columbiana County, Ohio, July 29, 1824, and is a son of Abel and Hannah (Spencer) Strawn.
The Strawn family was founded in Amer- ica in the time of William Penn, and Daniel Strawn, the grandfather, was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. His son Abel was also born there and married Hannah Spencer after coming to Ohio. She came to Butler town- ship with her parents in 1805, and remembered
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an incident of the journey which was the spending of one whole day cutting down trees and brush in the thick woods, so that the wagons conveying the family, could get through. Abel Strawn was an early settler in the southern part of Goshen township, mak- ing his stopping place right in the wilderness, where he built a log house. Game of all kind was plentiful, and wolves came out in bands at night and howled around the lonely little pioneer home, but the settlers possessed the courage of a sturdy old English ancestry which enabled them to endure hardships and finally overcome them. The four survivors of Abel Strawn and wife are: Abel; John S .; Jehu B., who resides at Salem; and Martha, who married Joseph Burton, also residing at Salem. The venerable father survived until in his 90th year.
John S. Strawn was reared from child- hood, in Goshen township, was educated in the district schools near his home, and has al- ways been engaged in agricultural pursuits. His political affiliation is with the Republican party, and he has been frequently elected on its ticket to township offices. For a number of years he served as township clerk, for three years was a member of the board of trustees, and always has done his full duty in and out of office, as a worthy and public-spirited citi- zen. Mr. Strawn was very active also in bus- iness for a long period, serving as treasurer of the Summit Oil Company, of Pennsylvania, and as a director of the Aetna Manufacturing Company of Salem, which was an important industry at one time. During the Civil War, especial confidence was shown in him, by his fellow citizens, they choosing him as treasurer of the Goshen township military fund.
Mr. Strawn married Betsey Mead, who was born in England, and is a daughter of John Mead, a very early settler of this town- ship. They had the following children : Esther M., who married Albert Burton, vice-president of the Mahoning County Agricultural Soci- ety and formerly a director in the same ; Mar- garet A., who is the widow of John Smith, formerly treasurer of Goshen township; Eva, who married Howard Bardo, of Goshen town-
ship; and Josephine W., who married Alva J. Cobb, of Goshen township.
For a long course of years, Mr. Strawn has been one of the leading members of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church of Goshen township, and has served as one of its official board. He has always given encouragement to agricult- ural movements, is a member of the Goshen Grange, Patrons of Husbandry, and has served as its chaplain. Mr. Strawn is num- bered with the older residents of this section and he can recall many wonderful changes which have taken place since he was a boy. Many of the pioneer families of this section have entirely passed away, but the Strawns are possessed of great vitality and retain their full mental faculties and physical activity even into extreme age.
RANCIS WHITE, residing on his well improved farm of 46 acres, which is situated in Berlin township, two miles south of Berlin Center, is a represen- tative citizen of this section and is an honored survivor of the Civil War. Mr. White was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1835. and is a son of Joseph and Jane ( Mead) White.
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Joseph White, accompanied by his wife, three sons and a daughter, came to America in 1851, settling in Goshen township, Mahon- ing County. Ohio, where he engaged in farm- ing. With the exception of three years spent in Green township, Mr. White continued to reside in Goshen township until his death. Feb- ruary 19, 1873. when aged 86 years. His widow survived until 1895, dying aged 88 years and six months. Their children were: Francis: Mathew, residing at Alliance ; Henry, residing in Goshen township, engaged in farm- ing; and Mrs. Mary Cassaday, residing in Canfield township.
Francis White was reared on the home farm and attended the schools of Goshen town- ship. He was engaged in the peaceful pur- suits of agriculture, when he enlisted for serv- ice in the Federal army, August 1, 1862, in
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Company H, 105th Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he served faithfully and bravely, taking part in the famous march to the sea with General Sherman, and later en- joying the triumphal ceremonies of the grand review at Washington City, where he was mustered out June 3, 1865. When his patri- otic services were no longer needed, Mr. White returned to farming in Goshen township, where he continued until 1872, when he set- tled on his present valuable farm in Berlin township. He has made many substantial im- provements in the way of buildings and has both a comfortable and attractive home.
In 1867 Mr. White was married to Lydia M. Davis, who is a daughter of Samuel and Sarah Davis, of Goshen township. They have one daughter, Clara M.
In political sentiment Mr. White is a stanch Republican and has supported the prin- ciples of that party ever since the days of John C. Fremont, for whom he cast his first vote. At various times he has capably filled local of- fices. He has always taken a deep interest in Grand Army affairs and was the first com- mander of Asher Kirkbride Post, No. 600, Grand Army of the Republic, at Berlin Center.
J HOWARD EDWARDS was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, in 1869, and was reared and educated at Hub- bard. After completing his studies he taught school for two years, begin- ning when only 16 years of age. He then moved to Youngstown, and for the four fol- lowing years was engaged in reportorial work on the Youngstown Telegram and Vindicator. About this time he was selected by the city council as city clerk and was after- wards unanimously re-elected to the of- fice, serving through two terms of two years each. During his second term Mr. Edwards was editor and manager of the Youngstown Telegram, which paper he ably conducted for the succeeding six years. He has always been an ardent Republican and in 1899 he was unanimously nominated by his party for the office of clerk of courts, to which
he was elected; in 1902 he was re-elected by the largest majority received by any candidate in the county for any office, up to that time. He was one of the most popular officials Ma- honing County ever had. Since the expira- tion of his term of office, Mr. Edwards has devoted himself to the interests of The Ed- wards Company, bookbinding and printing es- tablishment, which he founded some four years since.
On December 14, 1894, Mr. Edwards was married to Rachel C. Simms, of Youngstown, who was at that time superintendent of the Akron City Hospital. They have two chil- dren, Jeanette L. and Helen L.
Mr. Edwards is affiliated with the Odd Fellows. Elks and Knights of Pythias and several other fraternal orders. He is also prominent in Masonry, having taken the 32nd degree, and belongs to the local bodies and to the higher branches at Cleveland, as well as to the Mystic Shrine in that city. For some years he has been secretary of the old Nine- teenth District Garfield Club.
D ANIEL LAZARUS, senior member of the prominent business firm of Lazarus & Moore, proprietors of the North Benton Mills, at North Benton, is one of the substantial men and leading citizens of this section. Mr. Laz- arus was born in Deerfield township, Portage County, Ohio, July 4, 1839, and is a son of George and Jane (Craig) Lazarus.
George Lazarus, father of Daniel, was born in Pennsylvania and was a son of Frederick and Christena (Hartzell) Lazarus, who came from Pennsylvania to Portage County, Ohio, when he was about one year old, settling in the wilds of Deerfield township, where they passed through many pioneer experiences and subsequently died. In 1850 George Lazarus moved to North Benton. Mahoning County, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits for many years, living to be 89 years of age. He was born on the natal day of Abraham Lin- coln, February 12. 1809, but his life was one of peace, far removed from the scenes of pas-
Ployer Broth
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sion and strife that brought about a nation's calamity. In his early years, George Lazarus was a miller and later a farmer. He was a man of sterling character, a strong Democrat, and an honest official when he was elected to township offices.
Daniel Lazarus accompanied his parents to North Benton where he attended school through boyhood, and later spent a short pe- riod in the Salem High School. For a number of years Mr. Lazarus has been identified with the North Benton mills. The firm operating these mills under the name of Lazarus & Moore, is made up of Daniel Lazarus and E. C. Moore. They manufacture choice flour, mill feed. corn meal, and buckwheat and Gra- ham flour, the best put upon the market. They have an excellent plant with modern machin- ery and make a specialty of the Leader and Armada brands of flour. This is an import- ant industry at North Benton.
On February 16, 1865, Mr. Lazarus was married to Drucilla Bosworth, who was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, and died July 7, 1884. She was a daughter of Thompson Bos- worth, an old resident of Trumbull County. They had two children born to them, namely : Effie MI., who married George P. Miller, re- siding in Smith township; and Mary B., re- siding at North Benton.
Mr. Lazarus is a stanch Republican. He is an elder in the North Benton Presbyterian Church and is a man of broad-minded views and charitable impulses, and enjoys the re- spect of his fellow-citizens.
L LOYD BOOTH, founder of the Lloyd Booth Company, now incorporated with the United Engineering and Foundry Company of Youngstown, was born in the village of New Scotland, not far from Albany, Albany County, New York, and was a son of Arza and Phoebe ( Beardslee) Booth, his father be- ing a farmer in that locality. He was edu- cated in Albany and learned the machinist trade in that city, subsequently securing work
as a master mechanic in the Erie Railroad shops at Susquehanna, Pennsylvania. Prior to the Civil War he settled at Knoxville. Ten- nessee, and later worked as a locomotive engi- neer on the East Tennessee & Georgia Rail- road. After retiring from railroad work he moved to Meadville, Pennsylvania, where he became a partner in the firm of Dick, Fisk & Company, manufacturers of engines and oil well equipments. In April, 1867, Mr. Booth came to Youngstown and bought an interest in the present concern. At that time the plant consisted of a small foundry and machine shops operated as Ward, Kay & Company. Later Mr. Booth bought out the other inter- ests, the name of the business being changed to Lloyd Booth & Company, and after it was incorporated, to The Lloyd Booth Company. In 1901 this plant became part of the United Engineering and Foundry Company, which has its general offices at Pittsburg. The Youngstown branch is carried on on a large scale, 400 men finding employment here.
Lloyd Booth was married at Susquehan- na, Pennsylvania, November 18, 1858, to Nan C. Gilbert. He had three children- Charles H., of whom further mention will be made in this article ; Gilbert B., who died May 5. 1896, and who was also connected with the Lloyd Booth Company ; and Grace B. When Mr. Booth's business was absorbed by the United Engineering and Foundry Company. he retired from active life. His death occurred August 28, 1901. He was a man widely re- spected as one who had risen by his own nat- ural ability and force of character to a posi- tion as one of Youngstown's notable captains of industry. He was a director in the Ma- honing National Bank. In the Masonic order he had attained the 32nd degree.
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