USA > Ohio > Genealogical and family history of eastern Ohio > Part 6
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The family of which our honored subject is a worthy member is of New England stock, his father, Leonard Beecher, having been born in Cheshire, Connecticut, in 1814. The Beechers had been residents of that commonwealth for many generations prior to the time of Leonard Beecher. The latter's wife bore the maiden name of Ruth Webster, she being a daugh- ter of Noah Webster, and Walter A. is the only child of the marriage. His father died in Southington, Connecticut, in 1875, and his widow followed him to the grave in the year 1901, dying in Youngstown, Ohio.
Walter A. Beecher, the secretary and treasurer of the Ohio Powder Company at Youngstown, was born in Southington, Connecticut, in 1845, and was there reared, receiving his education in the common schools of that village. He remained at home until he was nineteen years of age, thence coming direct to Youngstown, where he has since continued to reside. and during that time has taken an active part in the civic life of the community. He is a director of the Mahoning National Bank and a director in several other corporations; has served as a member of the city council for a period of four years, during which time he was the presiding officer for two years: is one of the fifteen life trustees of the Youngstown City Hospital Associa- tion, and is at the present time one of the trustees of the Youngstown city
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water works, of which important board he was the president during the year of 1901. In politics he has always been a Republican, and for many years has been one of the active supporters of the principles of his party.
The marriage of Mr. Beecher was celebrated on the 18th of February, 1880, in Youngstown, Ohio, when Eleanor L., a daughter of Samuel Price, became his wife, and to this union have been born two children, George and Ward. Of an exceedingly urbane and social nature, Mr. Beecher finds de- light in membership in several of the leading fraternal organizations of the city, being connected with the blue lodge, chapter and St. John's Com- mandery No. 20, of Youngstown, with Alkoran Temple, Nobles of Mystic Shrine, at Cleveland, and is an active member of the Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks. He is a gentleman who combines many noble traits of citizenship, and is held in high esteem in the community which he has served so faithfully and well during his active business life.
JAMES K. MIDDAGH.
James K. Middagh, cashier of the Farmers Deposit and Savings Bank of Poland, Ohio, was born in Juniata county, Pennsylvania, on the 10th of October, 1863. The progenitor of the Middagh family came to this country from England on the brig Beaver in 1661, and landed on Long Is- land, and from him have descended all or nearly all bearing that name in America. The great-great-grandfather of our subject bore the name of John Middagh, and in a very early day he located in Juniata county, Penn- sylvania. His son John was born in 1760, and his death occurred in 1844. He was a farmer by occupation, and in his family were two sons, one of whom, who also bore the name of John, was born in 1787, and his death occurred in 1842. His wife bore the maiden name of Sarah Wharton, and they reared two sons and six daughters. One of the sons, John Middagh, was born in 1819 and died in 1887. On both the paternal and maternal sides the ancestors of our subject have been extremely patriotic, many of the representatives having taken part in the Revolutionary war, and one of his ancestors, William Wharton, served from the battle of Brandywine to the surrender of Yorktown. Two of his uncles, John Middagh and James Kidd, each served a period of three years in the Civil war, and during that struggle his father also served for a time as a member of the Pennsylvania Home Guards.
Samuel W. Middagh, the father of James K. Middagh, was born in Juniata county, Pennsylvania, in November, 1826. For his wife he chose Miss Margaret Kidd, who also. claimed Juniata county as the place of her
8. 12. Mid dragh
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nativity, her birth occurring in 1838. This marriage was celebrated in Jan- uary, 1862, and they then located on the old farm which the great-grand- father Middagh had entered so many years ago, and this estate, on which now stand two dwellings, is still in the possession of the family. In 1864 Mr. and Mrs. Middagh came to the Buckeye state, locating on a farm in Smith township, Mahoning county, but they are now spending the evening of their lives in the village of North Benton. Six children were born to this worthy couple, as follows: James K .; Sarah, who became the wife of James Hughes, by whom she has one daughter, and the family reside near Poland; Attie, the wife of Alvin Phillips, also of Mahoning county, and they have two children; John W., a prominent farmer at North Benton, and he is married and has one son ; Anna E., who has had the care of the home of her brother James for the past five years; and Bert W., a clerk in the Farmers Deposit and Savings Bank and also a member of his brother's household. The maternal grandfather of these children was Robert Kidd, who came to this country from county Derry, near Dublin, Ireland.
James K. Middagh was reared on the home farm to the age of twenty years, during which time he received an excellent education in the district schools and in the Poland Union Seminary, spending two years in the latter institution, and after putting aside his text-books he followed the profession of teaching for twelve terms. He became connected with the Farmers De- posit and Savings Bank in July, 1889, in the capacity of bookkeeper, and since 1902 has been its efficient cashier. This institution is one of the reliable financial concerns of Mahoning county, and in his official capacity Mr. Mid- dagh has become widely known, commanding uniform confidence by his straightforward methods. His political support is given to the Republican party, and during the past seven years he has served as the treasurer of his city and township. He is a trustee of the Poland Union Seminary, and has served as treasurer of its board during the past eight years. He is an elder and an active worker in the Presbyterian church.
The marriage of Mr. Middagh was celebrated on the 14th of June, 1893, when Miss Sannie May Hughes became his wife. She was born in Youngs- town, Ohio, being a daughter of James and Lydia (Jackson) Hughes, also of that city. Mrs. Middagh was called from this earth on the 19th of May, 1894, leaving an infant daughter, Margaret Esther, who has been reared by the sister of our subject, and she is now a bright and promising little lady of nine years. In all the relations of life, in official, business, church and social capacities, Mr. Middagh has been closely identified with the various interests of his community, and well deserves mention among its prominent and enterprising men.
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ARTHUR G. YOUNG.
At this juncture we are permitted to touch upon the life history of one who, if for no other reason, merits recognition by reason of his having been a life-long resident of Mahoning county and a representative of one of the sterling pioneer families of the city of Youngstown, where his father took up his abode more than fourscore years ago. But, superadded to this cir- cumstance, are others which render the appearance of his biography within these pages all the more consonant, for he has here attained a position of prominence in connection with the industrial activities of the county and is honored as one of the upright, genial and whole-souled citizens of Youngs- town, where he has been for many years engaged in business as a contractor and builder, and where he controls a large and representative enterprise in the line, his prestige being unmistakable, while he is at the present time incumbent of the office of treasurer of the Youngstown Builders' Exchange.
Arthur G. Young was born in Youngstown on the 19th of April, 1853, being the son of George A. and Elmira H. (Noon) Young. George A. Young was a native of the city of Baltimore, Maryland, where he was born in the year 1816, a son of Robert Young, who was born in the same old city about 1788, and who died within the same year that his son George was born, the latter having been the only child. In 1821, when five years of age, George A. Young accompanied his widowed mother, whose maiden name was Lucinda T. Day, on her removal from Baltimore to Youngstown, Ohio, which was then a mere village, while the work of reclaiming and de- veloping this section of the Buckeye state had been scarcely more than inaugu- rated. He was reared to maturity in Youngstown, receiving such educational advantages as were afforded in the somewhat primitive schools of the place and period, and as a youth he here learned the cooper's trade and also that of glover, and to these lines of enterprise he continued to devote his energies until 1875. He was one of the honored business men of Youngstown and guided his life according to the highest standard of integrity, so that the utmost confidence and esteem was accorded him in the community where he passed practically his entire life, his death occurring in Youngstown on the 22d day of March, 1897. The family is of sterling Scotch extraction and became identified with the annais of American history in the early colonial epoch, representatives of the name having been numbered among the early settlers in Maryland.
In the city of Cambridge, Massachusetts, on the 27th of October, 1842, was solemnized the marriage of George A. Young to Miss Elmira H. Noon, who was born in the city of London, England, and whose father came with
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his family to America when she was a child. Of the nine children of George A. and Elmira Young seven grew to maturity: Mary E. is the wife of Wells Clark; Kate is the wife of Martin Andrews; Susan M. is the wife of Edwin Tidball; Arthur G. is the immediate subject of this sketch; Dill man R. is a well known citizen of Youngstown; Emma is the wife of Will- iam N. Hull; and Althea, who became the wife of George H. Winsworth, is now deceased. The mother of these children was summoned into eternal rest in 1883, having been a woman of gracious and noble character and a devoted wife and mother.
Arthur G. Young is indebted to the public schools of Youngstown for the early educational advantages which were accorded him, and when about sixteen years of age he laid aside his text-books and began the work of pre- paring himself for the practical duties and responsibilities of life. He served a thorough apprenticeship at the carpenter's trade, and at the age of twenty- two was known as a master workman, while his ambition to excell in his chosen field of endeavor was shown by the assiduous application he gave to gaining technical and practical information which would gain him success in the connection. Thus we find that he devoted his evenings to learning pat- tern-making and architectural drawing, while applying himself to the prac- tical work of his trade during the day, the dual discipline amply fortifying him for the gaining of the precedence which is distinctively his in his vocation as a contractor and builder. He continued to be employed at his trade until 1887, when he engaged in general contracting in the way of building houses, and his independent business career has been one of cumulative success and one which stands to his credit as a thorough, reliable and honorable business man and as one of marked executive ability. He still continues active opera- tions as a contractor, and many of the fine dwellings and other buildings in Youngstown and other sections of the county stand in lasting testimony of his ability, while his architectural taste is finely developed, so that he has been enabled to secure the best results in both a technical and practical way. Mr. Young is known as a public-spirited and progressive citizen and has ever shown a lively interest in all that has furthered the advancement and material prosperity of his native city. In politics his proclivities are indicated in the unswerving allegiance he accords to the Republican party, and fra- ternally he is an honored member of the Masonic order; the lodge, encamp- ment and canton of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows; and the Benevo- lent and Protective Order of Elks. He and his wife hold membership in the Baptist church.
On the 31st of March, 1876, Mr. Young was united in marriage to
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Miss Ella Pollock, who was born in Pulaski, Pennsylvania, in the year 1857, and who died in 1884, leaving four children, namely: Cora D., the wife of William G. Wilson; Myrtle D., who remains at the paternal home; Bes- sie F., the wife of Robert W. Kernochean; and Wilbur B., who now resides at home. On the Ist of January, 1886, Mr. Young consummated a second marriage, being then united to Mrs. S. Anna Van Epps, whose maiden name was Shoup, a native of Pennsylvania and a daughter of John P. and Mary A. (Thorn) Shoup. John P. Shoup was born in the kingdom of Würtemberg, Germany, in 1831, and in 1836 he accompanied his widowed mother on her emigration to America, locating in Pennsylvania, where he was reared and educated and where he passed the remainder of his life, his death oc- curring in Butler county, that state, in 1895, while his widow still retains her home there. During the war of the rebellion Mr. Shoup enlisted as a private in a Pennsylvania regiment of heavy artillery, with which he served during the last year of the war, after which he returned to Pennsylvania, where he devoted the remainder of his life to farming. In addition to his local interests Mr. Young is concerned in the development of mining proper- ties in the state of Idaho, the operations being conducted by the Buckeye Mining Company, of which he is vice-president, while the proposition is one which promises a high degree of success.
HENRY NIEDERMEIER.
There is no element which has entered into our composite national fabric that has been of more practical strength, value and utility, than that fur- nished by the sturdy, persevering and honorable sons of the great empire of Germany, and in the progress of our American republic this element has played an important part. Intensely practical and ever having a clear and nor- mal comprehension of the ethics of life, the German contingent has wielded a powerful influence in social and economic affairs, and this service can not be held in light estimation by those who appreciate true civilization and true advancement. Our best type of citizens of German birth or extraction is distinctly American, and there is slight consistence in the oft-recurring use of the term "German-American," for while retaining a worthy affection for their fatherland, they have identified themselves completely with the spirit and functions of our national institutions and are as fully entitled to the unqualified title of American as is any native of the republic. Among the earnest men whose depth of character and strict adherence to principle have gained to them the confidence and esteem of their fellow men is Mr. Nieder- meier, and in his independent business career he has shown a tenacity of
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purpose, an indomitable energy and that self-reliant courage whose natural concomitant is definite success. He is one of the representative contractors in the line of stone and brick masonry in the city of Youngstown, Mahoning county, and has the distinction of being president of the Youngstown Build- ers' Exchange at the time of this writing, a fact that indicates the estimate placed upon him by those identified with the same and similar lines of enter- prise, while his position in the community is that of a valued citizen and progressive business man.
Henry Niedermeier is a native of Germany, having been born in the principality of Lippe-Detmold, on the 8th of February, 1848, and there he was reared to the age of eighteen years, having received his early educational training in the excellent schools of his native land. He is a son of William Niedermeier, who likewise was born in Lippe-Detmold, in the year 1801, and there he passed his entire life, having served as a lieutenant in the German army during the revolution of 1848, and his death having occurred in the year 1874. Of his nine children eight are still living, the subject of this sketch having been the youngest of the number.
When eighteen years of age Henry Niedermeier emigrated to America, in the year 1866, proceeding to the state of Missouri, where he remained four and one-half years, within which time he learned the trade of stonemason, becoming a thoroughly skilled workman. At the expiration of the period noted he returned to his old home, where he remained for three months, after which he returned again to the United States and located in the city of Cleve- land, Ohio, where he passed a few months. In the fall of 1871 he came to Youngstown, which has thus been his home for more than thirty years. Here he found employment at his trade, and that he has used discrimination in his efforts has been shown in the success which he has attained, for he has been consecutively identified with operations in the line of his trade ever since he located here, with the exception of two years, 1880-1, when he was a member of the police department of Youngstown. He inaugurated his independent operations as a stone and brick mason contractor and builder in 1882, and such has been his fidelity and such his recognized ability that he has advanced to a foremost position in his chosen vocation and now handles a large and profitable business, while his course has ever been such as to retain to him unqualified confidence and esteem.
Though never an aspirant for political preferment. Mr. Niedermeier has taken a proper interest in public affairs and gives a stanch support to the principles and policies of the Republican party. His religious faith is that of the German Reformed church, of which his wife also is a member, and
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fraternally he holds membership in the Masonic order and the Knights of Pythias. On the 2d of January, 1879, Mr. Niedermeier was united in mar- riage to Miss Martha Heller, a daughter of Nicholas and Frederica (Bofeld) Heller, of Youngstown, and of the six children of this union five are living. namely : Henry J., Louis, Clara, Doretta and William.
WILLIAM H. REED.
The Reeds are a highly respected family in Mahoning county, where the members are very numerous and occupy influential places in society. Grandfather William Reed is the first member of the household with whom this biography is concerned, and he came to this part of the country at an early day. He married Martha Thornton, whose father was one of the pioneers and had settled on one hundred and seventy-two acres of land, which he afterward divided between his daughter and his bachelor son John. This marriage occurred about 1810, and the five children born were as follows: Elizabeth, the wife of Moses Brownlee; Mary, the wife of David Brownlee; John H., mentioned later; William, who went to Mercer, Penn- sylvania, where he died; Nancy, the wife of James Milligen. The mother of these children died February 24, 1849, after which William was again mar- ried, but died in March, 1859, an octogenarian.
John H. Reed was born to these parents on the old farm, April 23, 1816, and died here September 5, 1898. He married Miss Jane Kimmell, who was born near here in 1818 and was the daughter of Phillip Kimmell and his wife Susan Waters, the father of the former having come from Germany and settled in this vicinity. Mr. Reed was married in 1836, when he was only twenty and his wife eighteen, and he often remarked that if he had it to do over again he would marry yet younger. They reared four of their seven children; the first was Lycurgus, who died at the age of twenty- four; Martha M. lived to be eighteen; Phillip died at the age of fourteen; William H. is sketched in the succeeding paragraph; Susan is the wife of William Creed of Struthers; Edward and Elizabeth were twins, and she died at the age of fifteen, and he at the age of thirty-five, leaving three daughters and two sons. After the death of his first wife in 1862, Mr. Reed was again married to Samantha McClellen, and they reared two chil- dren, Althea, the wife of Thomas McVey; Pluma, who died at the age of twenty-two shortly after becoming the wife of James Goodward.
William H. Reed was born to these parents in Coitsville township, Feb- ruary 24, 1849, and was a babe of six months when he was brought to the farm on which he now resides and part of which has become incorporated in
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East Youngstown. He was reared to farm life and had a fair common school education. He remained at home with his father, and on Christmas day of 1875 was married to Miss Mary Morris, who was born in Pittsburg and was the daughter of Rev. Nathaniel Morris, a minister of the Methodist church, who died in June, 1894, at the age of seventy-one, and his wife followed him in July, leaving seven children. Mr. and Mrs. Reed have lost four children in infancy, and the daughter Jane died at the age of nine, those living being: John is an electrician in Youngstown and is married; Nathaniel is a student in the State University at Columbus; Fer- dinand is a young man of twenty and is employed by the Morris Hardware Company in Youngstown; Henry is a lad of ten; and the youngest is Mary, a girl of five summers. Mr. Reed has quit farming since most of his place was absorbed in the town and now devotes his time to looking after his real estate, having built some dwellings and done some buying and selling of prop- erty. He is one of the popular residents, bears acquaintance and wears well both socially and in business circles, and is a well rounded man of the world. He is a straight republican, has served two terms as township trustee, and in the Methodist church, of which both he and his wife are members, he holds the official positions of trustee and steward.
OLIVER E. BEATTY.
Successful and valiant alike in peace and war, Mr. Beatty has a life record of which he may well be proud. The same qualities which enabled him to rise from the humble walk of the farmer's boy to the responsible posi- tion of president of a great corporation, also made him a devoted soldier and sustained him upon many a field of battle where shot and shell were flying and when the death angel hovered over all.
It was on a farm in Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1840, that Mr. Beatty was born, and there he lived until the age of eighteen, going to school, a distance of about two miles from his home, walking in all weathers, unmindful alike of heat and cold and drifting snows. When about seventeen years of age he went to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, for the purpose of learning the sheet-iron trade. Soon after, upon the breaking out of the war, he entered the service in August, 1863, having made application before that time and being refused on account of the state's quota being full. He en- listed in Knapp's Battery of Light Artillery as a private and served long and faithfully through many engagements. He was in the Army of the Potomac until after the battle of Chickamauga, when the battery joined Sherman's army, where it remained until the close of the war, being mus- tered out in June, 1865, at Camp Braddock. He was actively engaged in
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the following battles: Antietam, Chancellorsville, was three days at Gettys- burg, Wauhatchie, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, and then marched from Dalton to Atlanta under Sherman in his famous campaign to the sea. Later he participated in the grand review at Washington, D. C.
The war ended, and his duty to the country most honorably discharged, he returned to Pittsburg to his former work and in 1867 located at Youngs- town, Ohio, with the W. B. Pollock Company, where he was engaged for several years, after which he had charge of the boiler works of the Browu- Bonnell Company for about three years, and in 1884 he was instrumental in starting the Enterprise Boiler works with one partner. In 1897 the busi- ness, having grown in size, was incorporated, and Mr. Beatty was chosen its president. In 1870 he was married, on the 7th of April, in Youngstown, to Mary Jones, daughter of Thomas Jones, and to them were born two children : Alice, wife of Dr. T. F. Moore, of Pittsburg; and Grace, who is unmarried and remained at home.
Thomas W. Beatty, Oliver E. Beatty's father, was born in Pennsyl- vania in 1812. He was a farmer by occupation and married Maria Phelps, ' by whom he had seven children, four now surviving. Two of these sons served valiantly in the Civil war, Stephen, now deceased, in a cavalry com- pany from West Virginia, and William, was in a regiment of Pennsylvania infantry.
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