USA > Ohio > Genealogical and family history of eastern Ohio > Part 38
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James B. Gordon was born in Youngstown in 1858, when that now
James . B. Gordon
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flourishing city was only a hamlet. He has always lived at home and en- joyed, with all his brothers and sisters, excellent school advantages. One of the acts for which he will always respect himself and be honored by others was the faithful keeping of the promise made to his father that he would care for his mother, and he can say that he has fulfilled his pledge. The house and barns and the fine orchard on the place are all the result of the father's diligent effort. Whether the elder Gordon had a prophetic vision when he bought his land or not, the location was so fitting that in 1901 James Gordon sold twenty-nine acres of the original tract to the East Youngstown Land and Improvement Company for eight hundred dollars per acre, and this is now incorporated in the town of East Youngstown." Since his mother's death he has done what the westerners term "batching," but the neat and careful order of the house is worthy of a much more dignified word. His only companion is his brother's little son, and they live happily on the old place, surrounded with all the comforts of life. He is a member of the lodge of the Maccabees, and, like his father, is a Republican in political faith.
LAWRENCE M. THOMAS.
Readers of this volume will doubtless notice the frequent mention of Staffordshire in connection with biographies of those concerned in the pottery industries at East Liverpool. In fact, while these plants have drawn re- cruits from many different countries, there seems to have been a steady stream flowing in from old Staffordshire, from an early period of the country's history; nor will any one gainsay the fact that old England has no reason to blush for the representatives she has sent to assist in building up this enterprising city of eastern Ohio. Among this number is the Thomas family, which has been identified with the interests of East Liverpool for more than sixty years. John Thomas, who was born in Staffordshire in 1808, emigrated to the United States as early as 1831 and first located at Troy, Ohio, but ten years later came to East Liverpool. He was a crate- maker by trade, possessed in a marked degree the English characteristics of dogged determination and steadiness of purpose, and proved a good and true citizen of his adopted state until his death in 1889. Before leaving England he married Mary Stanley, by whom he had three children: Richard; Maria C., deceased wife of the late Jethro Manley; and William H.
Richard Thomas, eldest of the three children above mentioned, was born in Staffordshire, England, in 1827, and consequently was but four years old when brought to America by his parents. He attended school
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during his ten years' residence at Troy and after coming to East Liverpool in 1841 qualified himself as a steam engineer, which business he followed for some years. In 1864 he enlisted in Company I, One Hundred and Forty- third Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served with that command one hundred and eighteen days. In 1869 he removed to Beaver Falls, Penn- sylvania, bought a two-thirds interest in a knob factory at that place and remained in business there four years. In 1873 he returned to East Liver- pool, and in partnership with his son George W. started a modest pottery, consisting of only one kiln, but which, as will appear later, has grown mar- velously since that time. Mr. Thomas' only official service has been as a mem- ber of the city council, in which body he served several years. In 1851 he was married in East Liverpool to Esther, daughter of William and Mary (Smith) Warrick, and of the ten children born to this union seven survive: George W., president of the R. Thomas & Sons Company and president of the Thomas China Company at Lisbon, Ohio; Lawrence M .; Atwood W .; Mary, wife of George B. Harvey; Ella, wife of A. G. Mason; Hattie, wife of Charles E. Bradshaw; and Charles R. The father died in 1896, but the business etsablished by him and now so ably conducted by his sons will remain as an enduring monument to his memory.
Lawrence M. Thomas, second in age of the surviving children, was born at East Liverpool in 1854 and remained at home, attending school until the completion of his period of adolescence. Besides the common schools, he spent some time at Mt. Union College, in Stark county, and after finish- ing this course became an employe in his father's pottery at East Liverpool. In 1875, one year after beginning, he became a member of the firm of R. Thomas & Sons, which was conducted as a partnership until 1892, when it was incorporated. Mr. Thomas was made treasurer as soon as he became a member of the firm and in 1896 was elected vice president and treasurer of the company. When his father first started this "infant industry," as previously stated, its equipment for production consisted of a single kiln. This has been increased twelvefold, and the capital stock at present is one hundred thousand dollars. The company manufactures porcelain for elec- trical purposes, doorknobs and a variety of other articles; the annual output from the twelve kilns being valued at about one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
In 1884 Mr. Thomas was united in marriage with Josephine, daughter of Reeves Gardner, but has no living children. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, acts politically with the Republican party and has served three terms on the city board of health.
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ALEXANDER McBANE.
Alexander McBane, the secretary of the East Liverpool Sagger Com- pany, was born on a farm near Glasgow, Columbiana county, Ohio, in 1854, and in his life he has exemplified many of the sterling traits of character of his Scotch ancestry. His grandfather, William McBane, was born in In- verness, Scotland, in 1768, and in 1806 bade adieu to the land of hills and heather, crossing the Atlantic in a sailing vessel to the new world. He fol- lowed farming throughout his entire life, or until advanced age caused him to put aside active labor, and he died in 1860, at the age of ninety-two years.
Alexander McBane, Sr., the father of our subject, was born in Inver- ness, Scotland, in 1803, and was therefore only about three years of age when his parents sailed for the new world and took up their abode in the midst of the Scotch settlement in Columbiana county, Ohio. As he gained in years and strength Alexander McBane, Sr., assisted in the arduous task of developing a new farm upon the frontier,-for this section was then almost upon the borders of civilization. When he had attained to adult age he began farming on his own account and always followed that pursuit in order to provide for his family. In 1838 he married Miss Christina McIntosh, a daughter of Donald McIntosh, and they became the parents of six chil- dren : William; Nancy, who died in 1860, at the age of eighteen years; Mary, who died in 1898; Daniel F. ; Christina; and Alexander. The mother was called to her final rest in 1860, and the father, surviving her for about fifteen years, died in 1875. He became a leading and influential citizen of the Scotch locality in which he settled and for many years filled the office of justice of the peace. He was also filling the position of postmaster of Glas gow at the time of his death, having been in charge of the office from the time of its establishment. William McBane, the eldest brother of our sub- ject, was a soldier of the Union army during the Civil war. He enlisted in February, 1862, as a member of the Seventy-eighth Ohio Volunteer In- fantry and served for two years, when on account of physical disability he received an honorable discharge. In May, 1864, however, he again went to the front for one hundred days' service as a member of Company B. One Hundred and Forty-third Ohio Infantry.
Alexander McBane, the youngest member of his father's family, was reared upon his father's farm until fifteen years of age, and during that time pursued his education in the public schools. When a youth of fifteen he entered the employ of the Cleveland & Pittsburg Railroad as fireman, filling that position for three years, when he went upon the west division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, where he spent two years. On the expiration
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of that period he returned to the old homestead and was engaged in farming for ten years, but at length he abandoned the work of the plow in order to become a resident of East Liverpool, where he obtained a clerkship in a hardware store, in which he was employed for several years. He was after- ward engineer for Wallace & Chetwynd, owners of a pottery here, and was similarly employed in other potteries until January, 1902, when the East Liverpool Sagger Company was organized and Mr. McBane became its secretary, which is his present business relation.
In 1876, in Columbiana county, Mr. McBane was united in marriage to Miss Margaret N. McIntosh, a daughter of Alexander S. McIntosh, and their union has been blessed with three children: Nettie F., Lillian J. and Lester A. The family attend the services of the Presbyterian church. He also belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows as a representative of the lodge, encampment and canton. His entire life has been passed in this county, and that many who have known him from his boyhood are now numbered among his warmest friends, is an indication that his has been an honorable and upright career.
JOHN RINEHART.
The subject of this sketch, who has been long and favorably known in the business circles of East Liverpool, came on the scene of life's activities just as the Civil war was well under way, and during that terrible struggle made one of those records which furnishes the veteran so much ground for proud retrospective, when the passing years have introduced him to the evening of life. Mr. Rinehart served long, and, like all the other participants in the Titanic conflict, has many tales to tell, such as can only be told by those who bared their breasts to the storm in the days that "tried men's souls." Rinehart is a name that has been familiar in some parts of Ohio ever since it has been a state, as our subject's ancestors were among the earliest of the pioneers. His grandfather was John Rinehart, a native of Pennsylvania, and a Lutheran preacher by occupation, whose life extended over the period from 1772 to 1859. His son, Emanuel Rinehart, was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, in 1809, combined the occupations of farming and milling and lived until 1861. He married Hannah Arnold, and of their eleven children, eight grew to maturity and the following four are still living : Barbara; Mary, wife of Robert Mackey; John, the subject of this sketch; and Joseph A.
John Rinehart, fourth of the above enumerated children, was born on a farm in Jefferson county, Ohio, in 1843, and remained at home until the
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progress of the Civil war made it impossible for any young man of patriotic spirit to withhold his services from the cause of the Union. Therefore, in August, 1862, Mr. Rinehart enlisted as a private in Company G, Fifty- second Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he remained until the last "taps" was sounded after the surrender of Lee under the famous appletree at Appomattox. It is needless to say that being a member of the "old Fifty-second Ohio," Mr. Rinehart saw his share, perhaps more than his share, of the hardships and vicissitudes of war. First there were the fights which took place on the retreat from Lexington, Kentucky, and later the bloody battle at Perryville in the same state. Mr. Rinehart also went with his regiment through the engagement at Missionary Ridge, Buzzard's Roost, Lookout Mountain, Chickamauga and Stone River, a list which embraces some of the most important as well as the most sanguinary of all the encounters during the deadly struggle. When Sherman began his famous campaign of 1864 at Dalton, the Fifty-second was with him, and Mr. Rine- hart got a taste of many of the almost innumerable skirmishes around At- lanta, being later one of the mighty host which marched so proudly across the state of Georgia, until, like Xenophon with the famous "ten thousand," they were rejoiced by a glimpse of the boundless ocean. While the regiment was on its way up the coast to take part in the final strokes that were to end the rebellion, Mr. Rinehart met with his first serious mishap by being captured near Columbia, South Carolina. Fortunately, however, the "John- nies" only held him eighteen days and then turned him loose, after which he lost no time in hastening to rejoin Sherman's army at Wilmington, North Carolina. Every one knows the story from that on,-how the matchless Army of the Republic, the rebellion completely crushed, completed the rest of its journey to Washington; how it was marshalled there in the greatest parade ever seen under the sun; how the foot-sore and weary veterans, covered with grime and dust, were paraded through the streets of the capital to be reviewed by Grant, Sherman and Sheridan and others of the most distinguished men of the nation; how, when it was all over, each command took its train for the distant homes in all parts of the loyal states and finally obtained that muster-out and final "honorable discharge" which is cherished by each recipient as his most precious possession.
When Mr. Rinehart obtained the paper which notified him that his duty as a soldier was done, and was released from his military obligations in June, 1865, he returned forthwith to his old home in Jefferson county. Shortly afterward he was married and in 1867 removed to Ford county, Illinois, where he spent six months on a farm, then came back to Ohio, and
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engaged in the sewing-machine business. In 1876 he located at Toronto, Ohio, and embarked in the undertaking and livery business, which he fol- lowed in that place two years, and then settled permanently at East Liver- pool, where he has continued in the same line up to the present time.
By this marriage with Margaret Kelley, in August, 1865, Mr. Rinehart has four sons: Harrison S., James S., Lyman P. and Leroy. Mrs. Rine- hart died in 1889, and in 1890 Mr. Rinehart was united in marriage to Mrs. Ollie Logan. Naturally, like all old soldiers, he likes to talk of the stirring times of the great rebellion, and meet his surviving comrades in social re- unions and he is able to gratify this desire by his membership in Lyons Post No. 44, G. A. R.
H. H. HOUSTON.
In whatever profession or occupation one engages there is some criterion, whether a just one or not, by which the world judges his success. The judgment of men is never apt to be exact, and especially in the case of one who has chosen the ministry as his calling and has devoted his life to the saving and uplifting of others is a just appreciation difficult. In the career of Rev. Houston, of Struthers, Ohio, one tangible evidence of his ministerial success, besides the multitudinous works of righteousness which every de- voted man of God performs, is the remarkable manner in which he has built up the church in Struthers since he first took charge there, a truly excel- lent record for anyone. When he entered upon his duties in Struthers in 1885, the only church in the town was a mission church, erected the preceding year, and containing forty members. He led and encouraged this flock like the faithful shepherd, and when he resigned his pastorate in 1900, to the sincere regret of every member, the membership of the United Presbyterian church of Struthers was two hundred and eighteen. But he would not count this gain in numbers as his principal work, for he did a yet greater in wiping out the liquor from the beautiful town of Struthers, which, as a result, is a clean, moral place of residence, and a wholesome environment for the training of the young. He was almost alone in his fight at first, but in the end his de- termination and the cause of right triumphed, and much of the credit is due to Rev. Houston.
The life history of this reverend gentleman begins in Ireland, where his parents were born in Antrim county, Thomas Houston in September, and Nancy Adair in November, of 1810. They were married in 1832 and as a wedding trip went to America, being nine weeks and three days on the honeymoon voyage. For eight years they lived in Pittsburg, then came to Mercer county, Pennsylvania, having small means to start with, and settled
H. H. Houston
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on a heavily timbered tract of one hundred acres. He cleared and made this an excellent farm, and added to it two hundred acres more. Sixty years of his life were passed on this place. These worthy people lived to an advanced age, he passing away in 1898 and she in 1900. They reared seven of their ten children, and all married and had children except the youngest son, who is farming the old homestead.
H. H. Houston was born to these parents in Mercer, Pennsylvania, and, thanks to his wise parents and his own desire, he remained in school through- out his youth, completing a full classical course in Westminster College at New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, from which he graduated in 1871. He then took a theological course in the United Presbyterian Theological Seminary at Allegheny, where he was graduated in April, 1874. On March 2, 1875, he was ordained by the Monmouth (Illinois) Presbytery, after which he was the settled pastor at Laprairie, Illinois, for ten years. He came to Struth- ers in 1885 and held the pastorate until 1900, when he resigned. For the past nine years he has been stated clerk of the United Presbyterian presbytery of Cleveland, Ohio, and moderator of the first synod of the United Presby- terian church in 1903. He is still very active in all that concerns the up- building of his church.
On December 23, 1875, he was married to Miss Lizzie Bole of Allegheny, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Hugh M. and Mary A. (Hare) Bole, who are both deceased; the former was an able mechanic and for forty years an engine builder. Mrs. Houston was the only daughter, and there were four brothers in the family. She died March 16, 1885, leaving three children : Mary Evangeline, a graduate of the Poland Seminary, is the wife of William G. Knox and resides next door to her father, having an infant son; Nancy Gertrude Houston is a graduate of Poland Seminary and is a stenographer in the office of the American Sheet Steel Company at Struthers; Hugh Mil- ler Bole Houston is a graduate of the Youngstown high school and is in his first year at the Ohio State University, where he is fitting himself for a mechanical engineer. On October 6, 1887, Mr. Houston was married to Miss Melissa Boston, who was born near Mercer, Pennsylvania, and is the daugh- ter of Adam and Christina (Crill) Boston, both deceased. There were seven children in the Boston family and five are now living, one of the sons, Samuel L., being the pastor of the Third Presbyterian church at Steubenville, Ohio. By this second union Mr. Houston had three children, but Ina Elizabeth, who is twelve years old, is the only survivor and is in the Struthers public school. The family reside in one of the most pleasant homes in the town and enjoy the high regard of all.
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JACOB SHENKEL.
Jacob Shenkel is an honored veteran of the Civil war and at all times has been equally loyal and true to the best interests of his country. He is well known in East Liverpool, where he has been an active factor in industrial circles. His birth occurred in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, on the Ist of Jan- uary, 1841, and he comes of a family of German lineage, the name being originally spelled Schenkle. His father, Nicholas Shenkel, was born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1814 and in 1833 bade adieu to home and friends and sailed for the new world. He took up his abode in Pittsburg, Pennsyl- vania, where he remained for fifteen years. In 1848 he came to East Liver- pool, where his death occurred in 1856. He was married in Pittsburg in 1833, to Katharine Gross, and they became the parents of ten children, of whom eight reached years of maturity, while two died in childhood. Those who grew to adult age were: Josephine, the deceased wife of Thomas Robinson, also deceased; Charles H .; Jacob; William; Frederick; Albert; Mary, the deceased wife of Joseph Peterson; and George W. The mother of this family, long surviving her husband, passed away July 15, 1902, in East Liverpool, at the advanced age of eighty-six years. Mr. Shenkel was a member of the German Lutheran church, and the mother held membership in the Presbyterian church.
Jacob Shenkel was a little lad of seven summers when he accompanied his parents on their removal to East Liverpool. He entered the common schools here, pursuing his education until he had acquired a practical knowl- edge of the branches of learning that prepare one for life's responsible duties. After putting aside his text books he entered upon his business career in the capacity of a clerk in a general store in East Liverpool and was thus engaged at the time of the outbreak of the Civil war. He had watched with interest the progress of events in the south concerning the question of slavery and of secession, and when it was seen that the war was about to be no mere holiday affair, that it would take the combined efforts of many of the brave sons of the north to suppress the Rebellion in the south, he left home and went to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where on the 8th of August, 1861, he enlisted as a defender of the Union, becoming one of the boys in blue of Company L, Sixty-second Pennsylvania Infantry, and served with that command until August, 1864, when he received an honorable discharge, having been for three years with the army. He had participated in many engagements, including the siege of Yorktown, the seven days' battle around Richmond, the second battle of Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chan- cellorsville, the battle of the Wilderness, Spottyslvania, the second battle of
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Cold Harbor, the memorable three days' fight at Gettsyburg and the battle of Petersburg, where he remained until July 24, 1864.
After receiving his discharge at Pittsburg on the 15th of August, 1864, Mr. Shenkel returned to East Liverpool, Ohio, and in the following year he established a grocery store, continuing in that business with success until 1880. He then sold out and joined N. A. Frederick and A. B. Allen in the establishment of the Globe pottery under the firm name of the Globe Pottery Company. Mr. Shenkel was chosen manager of the new concern, and under his capable direction the enterprise proved a profitable investment. The business constantly grew in volume and importance, and its large output brought to it a good financial return. Mr. Shenkel continued as manager until 1899, when he retired from that office, but he still retains an interest in the business. He is now, however, practically living retired from the control of business affairs, and his rest is well merited, for he has long been an honored factor in commercial and industrial circles of East Liverpool.
On the south side of Pittsburg, on the Ist of January, 1867, Mr. Shenkel was married to Anna E. Cowan, a daughter of Byram Cowan. They had five children, but one son, Florine, died at the age of twelve years. Four of the number are yet living : Mentor, who married Ella French ; Pearl, Remus G. and Daisy K. In his social relations Mr. Shenkel is a prominent Mason. He has attained to the Knight Templar degree of the York Rite and is also connected with the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. In his political affiliations he is a stanch Republican and served for one term as a trustee of Liverpool township, Columbiana county, while at the present time he is serving for the third term as water works trustee. In the spring of 1903 he was elected a member of the board of public service of East Liverpool. The terms progress and patriotism might be considered the keynotes of his character, for throughout his career he has labored for the improvement of every line of business or public interest with which he has been associated and at all times has been actuated by fidelity to his country and her wel- fare.
WILLIAM J. ALLEN.
Among the residents of Columbiana county who fought for the pres- ervation of the Union during the dark days of the Civil war was Wliliam J. Allen, who is now acceptably filling the position of kiln foreman at the Knowles, Taylor & Knowles pottery in East Liverpool. A native of Ohio. he was born on a farm in Belmont county in 1843, his parents being James and Margaret ( Blackwood) Allen. His father was born in county Antrim.
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