Commemorative historical and biographical record of Wood County, Ohio : its past and present : early settlement and development biographies and portraits of early settlers and representative citizens, etc. V. 1, Part 18

Author: Leeson, M. A. (Michael A.) cn; J.H. Beers & Co. cn
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1060

USA > Ohio > Wood County > Commemorative historical and biographical record of Wood County, Ohio : its past and present : early settlement and development biographies and portraits of early settlers and representative citizens, etc. V. 1 > Part 18

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Judge Henry H. Dodge is a native of the State of New York, born in 1830; was graduated from St. John College, New York City, in 1849. and two years later began the study of law with Victory Birdseye, of Pompey, N. Y. In the fall of 1852 he came to Perrysburg, and finished his

WOOD COUNTY, OHIO.

preparation for the Bar in the office of Spink & Murray, and was admitted in 1855. After his admission he went into partnership with James Murray, Mr. Spink having died, and continued in practice with him until Mr. Murray was elected attorney general of Ohio. Mr. Dodge then formed a partnership with James R. Tyler, which lasted until 1869. Subsequently, he was for a short time a partner with Edson Goit, of Bowl- ing Green, now deceased, and later was asso- ciated in practice with Jasher Pillars. In 1887 he was elected judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and was on the Bench for ten years, making an enviable record for judicial ability. On his retirement in I888, he resumed his law practice, forming a partnership with John W. Canary, and is the oldest practicing member on the Wood county roll.

John H. Reid was a native of the State of Pennsylvania, born in Pittsburg, in 1823. He was a carpenter by trade, but not content with this vocation, and with a limited education, he, by his own efforts, worked his way through col- lege, graduating at Oberlin, Ohio. He then read law at Findlay, Ohio, and on being admitted to the Bar located in the practice at Delta, Fulton county, this State, and, in 1851, was elected prosecuting attorney for the county. He re- mained there until in 1853, when he located at Perrysburg. He served the people of the latter place as postmaster, and during the war organ- ized and was made captain of Co. D, 86th O. V. I., and later was quartermaster of the 144th Regiment, O. V. I. At the close of the war Capt. Reid resumed his practice at Perrys- burg, and at the time of the contest over the county seat, he was retained on the side of Bowl- ing Green, whose interests he heartily espoused and earnestly defended. Later he removed to Bowling Green. His death occurred November 1, 1885.

Francis Hollenbeck, deceased, was a native ef the State of New York, born in ISog. In 1847 he located at Perrysburg, this county, and here lived until his death which occurred in 1894. In his early life he was a newspaper writer, and for a time was managing editor of the Toledo Blade. He was one of the founders of the Per- rysburg school in 1848. In 1856 hs was ad- mitted to the bar, and for upward of a quarter of a century was a prominent member of the Wood County Bar.

Judge Edwin Tuller was a native of Delaware county, Ohio, born in 1821. He was a mer- chant and business man before he became a lawyer. He began to read law in the office of

James Coffinberry, of Maumee, and in 1865 was admitted to the Bar. He was appointed probate judge in 1863, and was twice elected to that office. Subsequently he was associated in the practice of law with James R. Tyler. He was active in politics, and for thirteen terms served as a justice of the peace. He was postmaster at Otsego for several years. His death occurred at Tontogany, August 29, 1896.

From 1868 to 1878 the majority of the senior members of the present Bar settled in the county. S. W. Clay, who died about ten years ago, and E. H. Hull, who moved to Bryan, Texas. selected Bowling Green as a place of res- idence in 1867. In 1868, John W. Canary and Henry S. Siple came, and W. A. Benschoter was admitted that year. Seth H. Fairchild and Henry A. Lease were admitted in 1869. Early in the "seventies" the names of Simon P. Harrison, James O. Troup, Frank A. Reid, J. R. Swigert. Jasher Pillars, J. M. Hord, Robert Dunn and Robert S. Parker were enrolled as members of the Bar. Edson Goit had moved to Bowling Green, where he died in 1880. Elam Day was at Weston or Grand Rapids; R. I. Campbell located here in 1876; Guy C. Nearing began practice at Bowling Green the same year; H. E. Averill came in 1877; Frank A. Baldwin located at Weston in 1877; Benjamin L. Abbott, George Smith, Andrew D. Stewart (now of Toledo, Geo. R. Miller, Henry S. Bunker, William H. Harris and Albion E. Lang were admitted here in 1878; J. C. Elder (now of Deshler) in 1879: while William B. McCarty, D. W. H. Day, Thomas Meehan, A. M. Treadwell, G. P. Thompson and L. K. Parks, were resident attor- neys of Wood county prior to 1880. Judge Dodge. Canary, Fairchild, Troup, Reid. Dunn, Parker, Baldwin, Nearing, Abbott, Parks, McCarty, Har- rison, Bierly and Thompson belong to the Bar of the present time. N. R. Harrington, Benjamin F. James, Rufus B. Moore, Andrew J. Mears. Ira C. Taber, A. R. Campbell, Edward Beverstock. Leander C. Cole, Perry J. Chase, W. S. Haskell, C. R. Painter, Thomas F. Conley. Joe Baird, Datus R. Jones, E. G. Mc- Clelland, E. M. Fries and A. B. Murphy. who located here within the last fifteen years, are known as residents of Bowling Green: Thomas N. Bierly ( also of Toledo ), and J. P. Hoyman, of Pemberville; D. K. Hollenbeck and M. Bowers, of Perrysburg; Christopher C. Lay- man, of Woodville; Simon P. Harrison, E. K Dean, E. H. Westenhaver, William Anderson. Frank Taylor and W. H. McMillan, of North Baltimore; Daniel C. Bemis, of Haskins; G. P.

WOOD COUNTY, OIIIO.

Thompson, of Weston; George Fries, of Jerry City; Lewis C. Edgar, of Prairie Depot; G. C. Sheffler, of Risingsun, and Jesse Stephens, of Fostoria, are well known members of the Bar.

Edson Goit was born in the State of New York in ISO8, and before he was of age came to Ohio, and at Tiffin read law under the direction of Abel T. Rawson, and, after admission to the Bar, located in the practice at Findlay, where, in the course of time, he became extensively en- gaged in mercantile pursuits in connection with his profession. Later in life Mr. Goit located in Wood county, and for many years was a promi- nent and successful member of the Wood County Bar. His father died when he was but an infant, and he had few opportunities to improve his mind by the aid of books; but such chances as presented themselves he availed himself of, and by the time he was twenty years old he was capable of teaching. He was a man of great force and strength of character, and of great energy, and made a success of life. It is said of him by all his clients, that he would not, for the sake of money, encourage litigation. In his pro- fessional capacity he was a peace-maker among men, always counseling the settlement of diffi- culties without going into court if it was consist- ent with the honor of both parties. He was a sincere friend, and in his most prosperous days never forgot those who were his friends at the beginning when he was poor. His death oc- curred in 1880.

H. A. Lease is a native of Ohio; was admit- ted to the Bar in the Supreme Court of Califor- nia in 1861; served by appointment, as district attorney for Colusa county, Cal., for one term, returned to Ohio in 1866, and in 1867 was admit- ted to the Bar in Ohio, and, in 1869, located at Bowling Green. He was enrolling clerk of the Ohio Senate for the sessions of 1872-3.

S. P. Harrison is a native of this State, born in 1849; read law in the office of Watson & Strong, of Norwalk, Ohio, and later entered the law department of Michigan University, from which he was graduated in 1872, and located in the practice at Bowling Green. He remained here for some twelve years, and after an absence of several years from the State, returned and located at North Baltimore, of which he became the first city solicitor, elected in 1890. He had served as mayor of Portage in 1870 and '71, and as a justice of the peace in Bowling Green in 1874, '75 and '76.

James O. Troup is a native of Scotland, born in Aberdeen; studied law in the office of Hon. Asher Cook, in Perrysburg, and was admitted to

the Bar in this county in April, 1873. He re- sided in Perrysburg in the practice of the law- until 1880, since which time he has lived in Bowling Green, and followed his profession, in which he is at the present time actively engaged.

Judge Guy C. Nearing was born in Ohio, and raised on a farm in this his native county. He began the study of the law in 1873 with Col. John A. Shannon, in Bowling Green, and was ad- mitted to the Bar in 1876, and then located in the practice at Bowling Green. He has served this city as city solicitor, and is now serving his second term as probate judge of Wood county.

Robert S. Parker is a native of Ohio. He at- tended the publc schools at Findlay until twelve years of age. In early youth he learned the cigar-makers trade, which he followed seven years, during part of which time he also attended school. He began reading law at Findlay, Ohio. with Shaffer Bros., then under the direction of his father. He was admitted to the Bar in April, 1876, and at once began practice at North Bal- timore in partnership with William H. Anderson, and in September of the same year located in Bowling Green. The first year he practiced alone, and then became associated with Col. John A. Shannon under the firm name of Shan- non & Parker, which firm continued about two years. In 1890 Mr. Parker became associated with R. B. Moore, and the partnership lasted some five years, since which time he has prac- ticed with E. M. Fries. During the twenty years of his active professional life, he has never missed a term of court in Wood county. He served as prosecuting attorney of the county two terms, and he was nominated by the Repub- lican parly for judge of the Court of Common Pleas, but failed of election. In the fall of 1894 he was endorsed by the Wood county delegation for representative in Congress, but was defeated in the convention.

Frank A. Reid is a native of the State of Ohio, a son of John H. Reid, whose sketch ap- pears above. He was graduated from the law school at Ann Arbor, Mich., in 1877, and located in the practice in this county, becoming asso- ciated with his father.

Frank A. Baldwin was born in the State of New York, attended for a time the high school at Toledo, Ohio, and Eastman Business College, at Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Later he was prepared for the Bar under the direction of J. R. Tyler, of Perrysburg, and McCauley & Pennington, of Tiffin, and was admitted in April, IS ;;. In June of the same year he began practice at

WOOD COUNTY, OHIO.

Weston. A few months later he was elected prosecuting attorney of Wood county.

Thomas N. Bierly is a native of Center county, Penn. He grew to manhood in Wood county, this State, and read law at Perrysburg, under James R. Tyler. He was admitted to the Bar in 1877, and opened an office for the prac- tice of his profession at Pemiberville. Mr. Bierly served as mayor of the latter village several terms, and was once a candidate for prosecuting attorney for the county, but was defeated at the election. In 1895 he located in Toledo, where he opened an office.

B. L. Abbott, of Bowling Green, was born in this State, though his early life was passed in Michigan. He began the study of law at Bowl- ing Green with an uncle, Philander Abbott, and some years later, in August, IS78, was admitted to the Bar. He began practice with Edwin Goit, a former preceptor, which partnership lasted until the latter's death.Mr. Abbott was elected mayor of Bowling Green, in 1886, and for more than thirteen consecutive years has been a justice of the peace.

Abel Comstock is a native of the State of Pennsylvania, but grew up near Bowling Green, to which place the family removed in his youth. He was prepared for the Bar by Col. J. A. Shannon, with whom he afterward formed a part- nership, which continued until in 1886. He began his law studies in 1879, and has given especial at- tention to pension claims. He has been a jus- tice of the peace in Bowling Green since 1 890.

William S. Haskell, recently mayor of Bowl- ing Green, and of the law firm of Mears & Haskell, is a native of Michigan; received a lib- eral education, having been graduated in a class- ical course from the University of Michigan in 1872, and in August, 1877, came to Bowling Green. From 1877 to 1883 Mr. Haskell was the superintendent of the public schools of the latter city. He afterward read law with Cook & Troup, and in 1885 was admitted to the Bar, and since 1894 has been associated in the prac- tice with Mr. Mears.

Lewis C. Edgar, of Prairie Depot, is a native of Ohio, and before coming to the Bar was for many years a school teacher. He read law at Toledo and at Fostoria, Ohio, and was admitted to the Bar in 1882, and located in the practice at Bowling Green, Ohio, and there remained until 1887, when he removed to Prairie Depot.

Ira C. Taber is a native of Wood county, this State. He was graduated in 1882 from the pub- lic schools of Bowling Green, and at once began the study of law in the office of Frank A. Baldwin

of that city. Subsequently he entered the Cin- cinnati Law School, from which he was graduated in 1885. He at once began practice at Bowling Green, and is now the senior member of the law firm of Taber & Painter, of the latter city.

Frank Taylor, of North Baltimore, is a native of Maryland. He came to Ohio with his father in his youth, and was here educated. For a time he attended Heidelberg College at Tiffin, and the College at Oberlin. Later he was oc- cupied as a school teacher in his native State, and in 1878 took charge of the public schools at North Baltimore. He was admitted to the Bar in 1886, and has since followed the legal profes- sion at that place.

Benjamin F. James was born near Mt. Gilead, Ohio, and, until fifteen years of age, was cm- ployed on his father's farm. He was a student at the Ohio Wesleyan University, Dennison Uni- versity and the Chicago University, at which lat- ter he was graduated in ISS4 at the age of twen- ty-one, with the degree of A. B. He took a post-graduate course and law studies at Yale Col- lege, receiving the degree in 1887 of LL. B. In October of that year he began the practice of law in partnership with Judge Nearing, of Bowling Green, and later became associated in the prac- tice with his present partner, Edward Beverstock, the firm being styled James & Beverstock, and has offices both in Bowling Green and in Toledo, Ohio, the Toledo location being in the Spitzer Building. In 1890, Mr. James was chosen vice- president of the Ohio Republican League, and a year later a vice-president of the National League. . In 1890 he was elected city solicitor, and in 1891 he was elected to the General Assembly of Ohio.

Edward Beverstock, the junior member of the law firm of James & Beverstock, is a native of Ohio, born in Wood county. He was reared on a farm, and in 1889 completed a classical course, and was graduated from Oberlin College with the degree of A. B. He was subsequently graduated from the Cincinnati Law School, re- ceiving the degree of LL. B. in IS91, and in June of that year was admitted to the Bar.

A. B. Murphy, prosecuting attorney of Wood county, is a native of this State. He was gradu- ated in the scientific course from the Ohio Wes- leyan University, at Delaware in 1885, with the degree of A. B. In 1884, he won the college prize for oratory, and in February, 1885, took the second place among eight contestants in the State oratorical contest in Oberlin. He began the study of law with John S. Jones, of Delaware, Ohio, and, in 1886, entered the senior class of

WOOD COUNTY, OHIO.

the Cincinnati Law School, and graduated the following year. In the fall of 1887, he located at Bowling Green and began practice. In No- vember, 1890, he was appointed mayor to suc- ceed Andrew Mears, and the following April was elected to that office. He was re-elected in 1892, but resigned to take the office of prose- cuting attorney January 1, 1894.

L. C. Cole is a native of Ohio, and grew to manhood on a farm in Jefferson county. He at- tended college at Mount Union and Richmond, and afterward read law, with Judge Robert Mar- tin, of Steubenville, Ohio. He was admitted to the Bar in 1872, at Newark, Ohio, and began the practice of the law at Massillon, Ohio, where he was engaged in the profession until in April, 1887, when he came to Bowling Green. For a number of years he served as city solicitor of Massillon, and, in 1884, he was elected to the State Legislature in Stark county, in which he served two terms. Mr. Cole is connected with a number of business enterprises. He was a mem- ber of the State Central Committee for a num- ber of years; also one of the executive committee for several years. In 1894, he was defeated for probate judge of this county.

N. R. Harrington is a native of Pickaway county, this State; was educated in the public schools of Warren, Ohio, and began a business career as bookkeeper for the Lima Paper Mills of Lima. Ohio. He later became secretary and superintendent of the mills. He resigned in 1884, to study law, which he did in the office of his uncle, C. A. Harrington, of Warren, Ohio. While pursuing his law studies he served as deputy clerk of the court. He was admitted to the Bar in March, 1887, at Columbus, Ohio, and in the fol- lowing May began the practice of law at Bowling Green. In 1888 he was elected city solicitor on the Republican ticket.

Rufus B. Moore is a native of Ohio; was grad- uated from the high school at Galion, Ohio, in 1878, with the highest honors of his class, and also with the same grade from Otterbein Univer- sity in 1883, where he took a classical course. After graduation he taught one year in the gram- mar school at Bowling Green. He then went to Kansas, and was superintendent of schools and high-school teacher at Burden for two years. He returned to Bowling Green in 1886, and studied law with R. S. Parker. and was admitted to the Bar in June, 1888, and immediately after formed a partnership with that gentleman, which contin- ued until January 1, 1895. Mr. Moore was elected city solicitor of Bowling Green in the spring of

1892, and is now serving his third term in that office.

Thomas F. Conley, of Bowling Green, was born in the city of Baltimore, Md., and there grew to manhood, where he attended the public schools and business college. He began life as a messenger boy in the freight office of the B. & O. railroad, from which position he rose step by step, until he became private secretary to the general manager of the road. In 1890 he be- came the official stenographer for the Court of Common Pleas at Bowling Green. He studied law for two years with Messrs. Cook & Troup, and afterward attended the Law School of the Cincinnati College, from which he was graduated with the degree of LL. B.

E. M. Fries is a native of this county. After having attended the district schools at home, he spent two years in the academy at Fostoria, and the same length of time in the Ohio Normal University at Ada. He fitted himself for a civil engineer, and after having taught one year he entered the employ of the L. E. & W. R. R. as civil engineer. He passed upward of a year at Seattle, Washington, as a civil engineer for a land company. Subsequently he returned to Ohio and took a course of law in the Cincinnati Law School, from which he was graduated in 1893 with the degree of LL. B., and located at Bowling Green.

John S. Hoyman read law with Thomas W. Bierly, graduated from the Cincinnati Law School in 1894, which admitted him to practice in all the courts of Ohio. On his admission he formed a partnership with his former preceptor which lasted until August 1, 1896, since which time he has been in the practice alone.

J. R. Tyler, who made a reputation as a suc- cessful criminal lawyer, passed away only a few years ago. Col. Shannon moved to Mason, Michigan, where he died only recently; C. F. Lewis was at Weston in the "eighties." A. C. Houston, of Risingsun, moved to the Indian Territory; Jasher Pillars returned to Tiffin ; C. W. Everett, who resided near Millgrove, resides at Toledo; Jason Barbour established an office at Toledo, and is prosecuting attorney of Lucas county; Thomas H. Tracy, of Millbury, is now an attorney of Toledo; Thomas Meehan, who was here in the " seventies, " was mayor of Find- lay, Ohio, in 1894; W. S. Thurstin is a member of the Lucas County Bar; C. F. Lewis was here in ISS4: R. C. Wilson came in 1885. removed to the new State of Washington in 1888 or 1889 ; and is now in the Senate of that Commonwealth;

WOOD COUNTY, OHIO.

Fred Hollenbeck was admitted here, but moved to the State of Washington; R. F. Beausey, su- perintendent of the Pemberville schools, was ad- mitted in March, 1895; George H. Withey, now of Grand Rapids, Mich., began practice in this

county, and L. D. Heller, another school teach- er, now a lawyer of Columbus, Ohio, was ad- mitted here; Clyde R. Painter, who studied in Ira C. Taber's office, is one of the most recent additions to the law circle.

CHAPTER XV.

POLITICAL STATUS OF WOOD COUNTY-THE TOLEDO WAR-INCIDENTS CONNECTED THEREWITH- THE WHIGS AT FORT MEIGS-ELECTIONS IN THE COUNTY UP TO 1896-LISTS OF NATIONAL, STATE AND COUNTY OFFICIALS.

T HE political status of Wood county, down to 1840, was scarcely considered by can- didates for State or National offices. Be- yond the limits of Perrysburg, the can- vasser for votes seldem strayed, unless indeed, he considered it advisable to visit the enterprising towns along the Western Reserve road. To local politicians, however, the county was an open book; for they knew all the nooks where a vote rested, and, when the roads or trails were passable, directed their steps to secure it. ' For fully twenty years after its organization, the people paid very little attention to the outside world. Gen. Harrison's visit to Fort Meigs, in 1840, attracted their attention, and, by degrees, the Congressional, Senatorial, Representative and Judicial contests interested them, but never distroyed their absorbing interest in county and township elections. The Toledo War irritated the pioneers, who, in the sober hours after the conflict, speculated on their narrow escape from civil strife, and wondered why or how the author- ites, elected to direct their affairs, would entail upon them such risks. From 1835 to the fall of 1839, the people avoided State politics, and, not a few, looked upon the State officials with sus- picions of their competency. This was all due to the trouble with Michigan.

The Toledo War. - This ludicrous fiasco is an example of the excess to which the individual or people of one State may go to rob another State of its territory. Ohio played this game on Michigan, and Illinois on Wisconsin, each taking a strip from its northern neighbor without regard to the law, only with regard to the profits, and each building a large city in relative positions, on the lake shore of the acquired territory.

The history of the transaction relates only

remotely to Wood county, but there are circum- stances in connection with it which justify a men- tion of the fiasco in these pages. A Wood county citizen, W. V. Way, wrote a mnost com- plete sketch of the little attempt at civil war; Perrysburg was converted into an arined camp for the would-be warriors, among whom were many of Wood county's old settlers, ready to advance against the soldiers of Michigan. Ohio was determined to hold the "Six-Mile Strip." The trouble may be said to have preceded the Act of the Ohio Legislature, February 23. 1835, author- izing the governor to appoint three cominis- sioners, for running the north line of the State, from the southern extremity of Lake Michigan to the most northerly cape of the Maumee Bay. On February 12, 1835, the Michigan Council passed an Act to prevent the organization of a foreign jurisdiction within the limits of the Ter- ritory. On March 31, 1835, Gov. Lucas and the boundary commissioners, appointed by him, arrived at Perrysburg en route to re-mark the Harris Line, and, about the same time. 600 militia. under Gen. John Bell, of the Seventeenth Ohio Militia District, went into camp round the old British Post, known as Fort Miami or Fort Campbell. According to Judge Way's history:

The force consisted of five companies of the 1st regi- ment, 2d brigade of the 17th division of militia, under the command of Col. Mathias Vanfleet. The captains of these companies were J. W. Scott, of the Perrysburg company; Stephen S. Gilbert, of the Maumee company; John Pettin- ger, of the Waterville company; Felton, of the Gilead cont- pany, and Granville Jones, of the Lucas guards, an inde- pendent company at Toledo. These companies numbered abont 300 men. There was also a part of a regiment from Sandusky county, commanded by Lewis Jennings, and a part of a regiment from Seneca and Hancock counties, un- der command of Col. Brish, of Fittin. These numbered about Sen more, making the total force 600 men. I am un- able to give the particulars of the recruiting of any of the companies in Col. Vanfleet's regiment, except that of Capt.

WOOD COUNTY, OHIO.

Scott. Agreeably to military usages, he employed a drum- mer to wake up the martial spirit of the inhabitants. Instead of establishing headquarters at some particular place, he made them rove up and down nearly the whole length of Front street, in Perrysburg, That street was the only one, except Louisiana avenue, that contained many inhabitants. He selected a spot some distance below the avenue, and one near the upper end of the town, between which the drummer was required to beat the drum, from early morning until night. The drummer was a very large man by the name of Odle. He had a brother who was of usual size; but the drummer was so much larger than his brother, that he went by the name of the " Big Odle." He was so large. that while marching beating a common-sized drum, the drum appeared, in comparison of size with him, no greater than one of those small drums in toy shops, for the use of little boys, would appear in the hands of an ordinary sized man. He wore a two-story white felt hat, with a narrow brim; but by long use it had become softened and the crown bulged up so that it was really a two-story and an attic. A strip of paper with the words "recruiting for the war," in large letters printed on it, was fastened around it. His coat was an old rifleman's uniform of green color, trimmed with black lace. His pants were domestic cloth, colored with oak bark, and also trimmed with black lace down the legs.

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Commemorative historical and biographical record of Wood County, Ohio : its past and present : early settlement and development biographies and portraits of early settlers and representative citizens, etc. V. 1, Part 18

Author: Leeson, M. A. (Michael A.) cn; J.H. Beers & Co. cn Publication date: 1897 Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co. Number of Pages: 1060

Author: Leeson, M. A. (Michael A.) cn; J.H. Beers & Co. cn
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1060