USA > Ohio > Ashland County > History of Ashland County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 60
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Mr. Mansfield was married to Miss Anna Saiger, of Mifflintown, Juniata county, Pennsylvania, February 1, 1848. Of this union there were eleven children. seven boys and four girls; two boys died young, and five sur- vive. Two members of the family are married, William and Antna Belle.
GEORGE SWINEFORD
was born in Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, Sep- tember 22, 1797, and came to Ashland county with his parents in 1819. He married Miss Rosa Ewing, of Mo- hican township, in 1820. She was a daughter of John Ewing, one of the pioneers of that township. Mi. Swine- ford was a tanner by trade, and one of the first mechanics of Ashland. His tan-yard stood where the agricultural works of David Whiting were built. Mr. Swinetoid continued in business until about 1850, when he re- moved to his farm in the country, some two miles east of Ashland, on the Wooster road. Mr. Swineford was for several years in feeble health, and died in 1866, aged sixty-nine years. His family consisted of nine living children, and three deceased, at his death. They were- - Mahala, Sophiarus, Anthony, Harriet, John, Lewis, Ellen, Almira, Rosa; and the dead, Rosa, George and William.
Mrs. Swineford survived until April 15, 1878, when she deceased, aged seventy-two years.
WILLIAM W. HEGAR
was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, June 27. 1843. and came to Ashland in 1830. He had learned bis trade
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HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.
at harness making and as a saddler in Pennsylvania. When he first came to town he worked in the shop of the late Hugh Davis about three years, and started a shop of his own, and has continued in business since the year 1839. For the last ten years he has been engaged in carriage trimming, at which he is a fine mechanic. He was married to Miss Mahala Swineford, daughter of George Swineford, in 1842. His family consists of Charles, George, and Clara, and three boys dead. Charles, Clara and George are married. Mr. Ilgar is much respected as a citizen, and has frequently been elected to the town council and other offices.
MICHAEL MYERS
was born January 24, 1814, in Germany, and came to America with his parents and settled in Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, in the fall of 1814. From there his par- ents removed to Dauphin county, where they lived about eight years, and then removed to Center county, where they resided until 1832, when they removed to Columbia county, where they remained about two years, and then emigrated to Richland county, Ohio, in 1836, and set- tled near Savannah, then known as Haneytown, in Clearcreek township.
Here he became acquainted with and married Miss Anne Mason, daughter of Martin Mason, and then re- sided about two years in Ruggles township, Huron county, after which he removed to Montgomery town- ship, and purchased his present homestead. The fruits of his marriage have been sixteen children, fourteen of whom still survive. His sons are Charles, Alonzo, John, Martin, Joseph, Frank, and George; the girls are Mary Anne, Lucia, Elizabeth, Irene, Ella, Ida, and Maggie; all married but two boys and one girl. .
Mr. Myers came in 1836, and has been a resident of Montgomery township forty-four years, and, all the time, he has been a practical farmer. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church ten years. He now attends all Protestant churches, miscellaneously. Mr. Myers owns a good farm, which is in an excellent state of cultivation, and yields an abundance to reward him for his toil. He has quite an interesting family who have been raised to habits of industry and economy, and are respected as useful and exemplary citizens.
DANIEL VANTILBURG, SR.,
was born in New Jersey, in 1781, and with his father's family settled in Jefferson county, Ohio, about 18og or iSio, where he served as a soldier under General R. Beall, in the war of 1812, in the Sandusky campaign. He located one hundred and sixty acres of land, one and one half iniles south of Ashland, on the Hayesville road, which be cleared up and improved, and where he died, August 4, 1866, at the ripe old age of eighty five years. He married, in 1813, in Jefferson county, Ohio, Miss Margaret Clinton, by whom he had siv children, three boys and three girls. The boys were: Henry, who
dicd in 1843; John, who died in 1346; and Daniel, who died in 1877. Mrs. Vantilburg died in 1864, aged about seventy-one years.
Daniel Vantilburg, jr., died in May, 1877, aged fifty- six years. His family consisted of Margaret, John, William, and George. Margaret married Dr. Charles Campbell, and died in 1879. Mrs. Vantilburg's name before marriage was Clarissa Myers. She was born January 22, 1828, and was married to Daniel Vantilburg, jr., January 3, 1846.
JOHN RAMSEY
was born in Maryland, near Baltimore, February, 1790, and came into Wayne county, Ohio, about 1822, and afterward settled on his homestead in section thirty-five, in Orange township. His father located in Jackson township, and by his assistance cleared up the farm which came into the possession of John, after the death of his father, whose name was William, and who died at the age of eighty-six years. Mr. Ramsey passed through ail the early pioneer scenes, such as cabin-raisings, log- rollings, corn-huskings, attending the first mills, or in the use of hominy blocks, which were in extensive de- mand, flax-pullings or scutchings, and the evening dances on such occasions. These were regarded as occasions of much fun by the young people. Those days are all gone. Age gradually comes on, and many of his associ- ates of fifty years ago have been gathered to their long home. Mr. Ramsey has a fine estate, and has always lived on agreeable terms with his neighbors, and does not know of a single cnemy in the world. He states that he has always obeyed the dictates of conscience, and treated all men kindly, and believes when his time is at an end, the Good Being will reward his actions in a better world. He has always lived a single life, believing that he would have less trouble and be quite as happy as those who married. He has one hundred and sixty six acres of land in Orange township, and ninety in Jack- son, and thinks he is in no danger of coming to want. William Ramsey, of Jackson, is a brother. He is eighty- two years of age. Mr. Ramsey resides with a widowed sister on his one hundred and sixty acte lot in Orange township. The widow is the wife of the late Samuel Tilton, and aged about seventy-two years. Mr. Ramsey is quite cheerful and is perfectly contented and happy. and may live to see his hundredth anniversary.
EPHRAIM WELCH
was born November 27, :800, in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and came to Orange township, Richland, but now Ashland, county, in February, IS&S. The farm upon which he located, and which he cleared up and improved, section two, southeast quarter, had been entered by his father, and some timber girdled prior to his improving 8. He married Miss Jane Meldoo, of Scotch-Irish descent, October 2, 1827, in Washington county, Pennsylvania, who came with him when he
J. W. SMITH.
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HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.
put up his first cabin, and submitted to all the hardships of pioneer life. The union was blessed by four sons, James, John, Johnson, and Rankin, and two daughters, Catharine, married to Dr. Bailey, and Mary Jane, mar- ried to Levi Mason, of Ashland.
Ephraim Welch deceased April 1, 1874, aged about seventy-four years. Mrs. Welch resides in district num- ber one, and remembers many of the early teachers. She mentions among their number: Isaac Stull, Clari-sa Rising, Shadrach Bryan, and others. Mrs. Welch has one hundred and sixty acres of land in the old home- stead, which is well improved and valuable. She states that her earliest neighbors were, John McConnell, Wil- liam McConnell, Thomas McConnell, George McCon- nell, all from Washington county, Pennsylvania; Jacob Ridenour, Robert Walters, Thomas Donley, John Bishop, Samuel Mackeral, Robert Culberson, Peter Bid- dinger, Robert Mickey, James Clark, John Sibert, John Haun, and Jacob Hiffner. Mrs. Welch is a member of the United Presbyterian church, of Savannah, and has been for fifty years. She is at this time in good health, and seems to possess a clear recollection of former events in Orange township.
DANIEL SUMMERS
was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, May 27, 1788, and came to Orange township, Richland county, Ohio, in 1818, and located on section ten, where he died, August 15, 1863, aged seventy-five years and seventeen days. During his pioncer life, he passed through many hardships incident to the times, such as cabin raisings, log.rollings, corn-huskings, flax-scutchings, and the like. For the first few years, he and his family niet with many privations; but he met all bravely, and was employed often in assisting his neighbors to improve their lands, and in erecting cabins. Mr. Summers mar- ried in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, December 5, 1815. At his decease his family consisted of seven girls and four boys: Barbara, Mary, Catharine, Margar- et, Susan, Eliza, Hannah, Henry, Adam, Daniel and Ja- cob. Four of the girls, Susan, Catharine, Eliza and Barbara, are dead; the boys are all living.
The first settlers, Mrs. Summers states, were: Philip Fluke, James Clark, Peter Biddinger (the first gunsmith), Thomas Donley, Robert Mickey, Mr. Wheeler and sons, William Patterson, Jolin McConnell, William McCon- nell, George McConnell and others, now nearly all gone. Mrs. Summers also states that the earliest teachers in that district remembered, were: Isaac Stull, Sage Kel -. logg, Elijah Banning, and many others not now remem- bered.
Mrs. Summers is a member of the German Reformed church, and has been for the past sixty-four years. She remains on the old homestead, and taught her children lessons of industry, morality and economy.
JAMES W. SMITH, ESQ.,
was born March 2, 1818. His father, John V. Smith, then resided three miles east of Wooster, Ohio, and owned what was known as Smith's mill, situated on Apple creek. In 1824 he built a mill in Cedar valley, six miles northwest of Wooster, where he lived until 1841, after which he continued to reside in Wooster until his death, January 24, 1852.
James W. was the fourth son, and was one of a family of thirteen children by the same parents. At an early age he manifested a strong desire for education, and soon acquired a knowledge of all the branches then taught in the common schools. At the age of fifteen he left the paternal home and engaged in a drug store, with Dr. J. I'. Coulter, of Wooster, but, after an experience of about one year, he was engaged by his eldest brother; V. C. Smith, as a clerk in his dry goods store at Con- gress (then Waynesburgh), where he remained another year, when his brother sold out and quit business there. It was then that he fully determined to engage in literary pursuits, and not being satisfied with a common school education, he and his brother, William Harrison Sinith, shouldered their bundles of clothing, and, for want of a better mode of travel, footed it across the country to the then famous Norwalk academy, in two days, a distance of fifty miles, where he remained until 1835, when the academy building burned down. The school was tem- porarily suspended, and Mr. Smith returned to Wooster, and became a clerk in the store of V. C. Smith & Co., the firm consisting of his brother and father.
In 1837 he, in company with his friend, the late Sam- uel Hemphill, esq., of Wooster, took passage on a canal- boat at Canal Fulton, for the Ohio university, at Athens, Ohio, and, having reached Lancaster, they were com- pelled to foot it across to Athens, a distance of forty-five miles, there being neither stage-coach, canal, or railroad, between the towns at that time. Hope then boomed. and the prospect was fair for a classical education, but, after studying the languages and higher mathematics for a year or more, he was induced to suspend the collegiate course, and entered the law office of the late Judge Cox, of Wooster, and, in the month of October, 1841, was. admitted to practice as an attorney and counsellor-at- law, at Millersburgh, Ohio. He first commenced prac- tice at Bucyrus, Ohio, but, on the death of Silas Rob- bins, esq., an old lawyer well known to the older settlers of this county, Mr. Smith located at Ashland, in July, 1842, and opened a law office with his late preceptor, Judge Cox, as his partner.
Ashland county had no existence at that time, but was part of Richland county, and, in this connection, it is worthy of note, that having experienced the great incon- venience of practicing law away from the county-seat, and feeling that the growing demands of the time for a new county must give Ashland the superiority over all other localities, at the suggestion of the late I. P. Roz nor, Mr. Smith took measures to call the first new county meeting that was ever beld in Ashland, by giving notice in person to the citizens of the town to meet at the counting-room of Luther & Crall, at a time named, to
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HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.
consider the question of a new county, with Ashland as the county-seat. The meeting was accordingly held, and he was made chairman of the committee, and actually drafted the notice and petitions to be signed by the citi- zens, and presented it to the legislature, fixing the boun- daries of the proposed new county. In the winter of 1845-46, being the second session of the legislature after the enterprise began, it was successful, and the county of Ashland began its own independent existence, and thus became historic.
In the month of October, 1843, James W. Smith was married to Miss Angusta Burnham, who was then attend- ing the Ashland academy as a pupil, residing with her sister, the late Mrs. T. W. B. Hibbard. She was born at Rumney, New Hampshire, September 29, 1823, where she lived until she came to Ashland, at the age of eighteen ; and having been born and raised beneath the shade of the granite mountains of her native state, and possessed of more than an ordinary share of the graces of her sex, with admirable health and personal attractions, she found it no hard task to capture the young Buckeye lawyer, and to this day it is said he still entertains the opinion that she has lost none of the qualities that so much ennoble and dignify woman in all the relations of life.
The children consisted of two sons and two daughters. The two youngest, Charlie and May, died in childhood, the former at seven, the latter at two and a half years old.
George B. Smith was admitted to the bar as an attor- ney at law in the year 1867, and has been his father's law partner ever since. He was elected prosecuting at- torney of the county in :878, and was married to Miss Jessie Sutherland, daughter of the Hon. J. W. Suther- land, of St. Louis, Missouri, on the 29th day of May, 1879.
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Belle H. Smith was married December 3, 1869, to Frederick S. Hanford, esq., an educated and talented young lawyer of Akron, Ohio, who died January 29, 1879, of congestion of the lungs, after a brief illness, leaving two little daughters, Ethel and Grace Hanford, the fruits of said marriage.
Mr. Smith has been in the active practice of law since his settlement in Ashland, and by close application to the business of the profession, careful and thorough in- vestigation and preparation of cases confided to him, and a strict regard for the interests of his clients, prompt at- tention and honest and fair dealing in all matters of busi- ness, has secured to him a larger share of public confi- dence as a lawyer, and a greater number and variety of cases than fall to the lot of most lawyers, which, to- gether with his temperance principles and Christian char- acter, entities him to the confidence and respect of all men as a citizen, and place him as a member of the legal profession in a position worthy of the emulation of the fraternity. During his long residence he has been iden- tified more or less with all the enterprises and business interests of Ashland, has at various times been placed in nomination by his party for office, in earlier times for prosecuting attorney and state senator, and lder for judge of the court of common pleas of the sixteenth: ' ney in the valley of trials and troubles.
judicial district, third sub-division, composed of Ash- land, Richland and Morrow counties; but being a Repub- lican in politics, although in the latter instance he ran five hundred votes ahead of his ticket, it was not enough to overcome the Democratic majority of his judicial dis- rict, and therefore was not successful.
SOLOMON VANCE
was born in Richland county, Ohio, April 1, 1828, and when two years of age went with his parents to Alle- gheny county, Pennsylvania, where he remained ten years, and returned with his parents, and settled on section five in Orange township, then in Richland, but now of Ashland county, upon the farm upon which he now resides. He attended the early schools of that township, where he obtained a knowledge of the En- glish branches as then taught. - He married Miss Eliza Richards, daughter of Samuel Richards, of Troy town- ship, by whom he has had eight children, all of whom are living, five girls and three boys. One daughter is married and lives in Nebraska, and another in Troy township; and one son, married, resides with Valentine Vance, his grandfather, in Orange township, upon a part of the old homestead, which contains one hundred and thirty acres.
Mr. Vance is in prosperous circumstances as a farmer, and much respected by his neighbors. He is a member of the Christian Union church, as well as his lady.
Valentine Vance was born December 18, 1797, in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and when seventeen years of age, came with his father, Valentine Vance, to Canton, Ohio, and from thence to near Mansfield, in Richland county, Ohio, where he resided as a pioneer, and then sold his land.
He married Mrs. Eliza Chapman in July, 1827. She was a widow, and had been married to Mr. Chapimin in Harrisburgh, Pennsylvania, by whom there is yet living one son.
Mr. Vance, after selling his land near Mansfield, re- turned to Allegheny county, and remained there several years, and finally returned to Richland county, and located on section five in Orange township. His first neighbors were John Krebs, Robert Mclaughlin, William Murray, William Patterson, Henry Hiffner, Edward Munay, Ja- cob Krebs, and Philip Biddinger. The country was new and the times were hard.
Mr. Vance is the father of eight children, four boys .... Solomon, Job H., David and George; and three girls .- Fannie, Rachel and Matilda D .; Rachel and Matilda D. are deceased; and David died young; the rest are all living and married. Mr. and Mrs. Vance belong to the Christian Union church. Mr. Vance is now ci hty-three years of age, and quite feeble. Mrs. Vance was eighty years old June 14, 1885, and seems to have excellent health and a clear mind. Mr. Solomon Vance now owns the old homestead, and seems solicitous to render the old people happy and comfortable, while they jour-
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HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.
COLONEL JOHN BERRY
was born in Center county, Pennsylvania, July 2, 1807, and emigrated with his father's family (Jacob Berry) to Huntingdon county, in 1803, where he remained till the spring of 1819, in May, when his father and family came to Perry township, Ohio, and located on what was known as the old Peter Berry farin (section sixteen), and resided there until 1821, when he located on section sixteen in Jackson township, then in Wayne county, Ohio. When his father landed in Jackson the settlers in the north part were: James Durfee, Josiah Lee, John Measor, James McBride, Thomas and Stephen Cole, Thomas Green, Lawrence Swope, John Hazzard, Hankey Priest, Charles Hoy, and perhaps a few others. A few Delaware Indian hunters yet remained on Black river, but were quite harmless. "Billy Dowdee" had often hunted on a run that now bears his name. A Delaware by the name of "Wolf" also hunted there-a run bears his name. John Measor had bored for salt water some time before Mr. Berry and father arrived, but found it in insufficient quantity to be profitable, and continued to boil the water but a short time when the works were abandoned. Mr. Berry attended school but a part of a winter after his parents settled in 1823, to James Duifee, teacher. It was a little subscription affair in a cabin house. Rev. John Hazzard, John Rigdon, Charles Rigdon, Sidney Rigdon, and Thomas Cole held occasional meetings at that time in the cabins of the settlers. The first doctor called to Jackson is believed to have been Dr. Ecker, of Rowsburgh, and Dr. Church, from Jeromeville, who made frequent visits to the township. Game was then quite plenty, such as deer, bear and turkey. Wolves and wild cats were also very common, and quite destructive on sheep and hogs. Mr. Berry was elected lieutenant, and afterward captain, and finally promoted adjutant and colonel, and finally made brigade inspector under the old militia system, while Jackson township was yet in Wayne county. After the erection of Ashland county, in 1845, Mr. Berry served six years as justice of the peace, and prior to that time served as constable contin- uously for fifteen years, and also as township clerk and supervisor a number of times. He was elected commis- sioner of Ashland county seven years, two terms, and served one year by appointment, in lieu of Robert Cowan, who removed west. Colonel Berry married Mary Smith, of this county, October 22, 1833, by whom he had the fol- lowing children: Leander S., Allen J., Robert J., and Mary J., Josephine and Emma, and two deceased when quite young. Allen J. was accidentally killed by being thrown from a vicious horse in November, 1876. The rest of the family are believed to be all living. The colonel possessed much military enthusiasm and made a fine officer. As commissioner of the county he was watchful and prudent in the expenditure of the people's money, and stands high as a man of integrity and up- rightness.
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JACOB BERRY
was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, June 5, 1789, and married Miss Elizabeth Herring in 1866, and emigrated to Wayne county, Ohio, in'S19, and settled on section sixteen, in Jackson township in #821. His wife deceased about 1866, after which he resided with Colonel John Berry, a son, where he deceased, March 31, 1874, aged about eighty-five years and ten months. His family con- sisted of John, Philip, Jacob, Christena, Henry, Mar- garet, Peter, William, Susannah, and Elizabeth, all of whom are believed to be living except Philip, William, and Elizabeth.
Philip, Jacob, and Peter removed to Richland county, Illinois, and Henry to West Salem, Wayne county, Samuel and John remain in Jackson township, and Christena, wife of Samuel Landis, and Margaret Fast, of Eli, in Ruggles township.
Jacob Berry and his wife were for many years mem- bers of the Lutheran church.
As one of the reminiscenses ef the past, it may be re- marked that Jacob Berry was a very successful hunter, and often averaged over one hundred deer during sea- son. Colonel John states, that he and his father killed large numbers of deer as well as other game. John also states that he has seen his father shoot a wolf and kill it a distance of one hundred and ninety yards. There was a nest of wolves in a hollow log, near the spot where he killed the wolf, and the next morning he and his sons returned and killed four half-grown cubs. The bounty, at that time, was twelve dollars for old ones, and six dollars for young ones. He received thirty-six dol- lars for the job, at Elyria, in the county where he had killed them, being in Homer township, Haron county.
ISAAC STULL
was born in Green county, Pennsylvania, January 13, 18to, and removed with his parents to Jefferson county, Ohio, in 1818. In December, 1820, his father and fain- ily removed to Orange township, then in Richland, but now in Ashland county, and located near the farm of Jacob Young, on lands nos owned by Mr. Saddler.
Isaac continued to reside with his parents until he be- came of age, and then he learned the trade of a mill- wright, from Colonel John Murray. At the conclusion of his apprenticeship, he worked at the trade for several years, and then purchased a farm and made farming his occupation, until about 1865, when he removed to Ash- land and purchased a homestead, and opened a shoe store. He carried on the shoe furnishing business for some four years, then sold out; and purchased a hard- ware store with his son-in-law, Mr. Joseph Charles, with whom he is at present engaged in active business.
Mr. Stull gives the following reminiscences of the car. ly settlement of Orange township:
The first road was from Rowsburgh to Jacob Young's, on the Je rome branch of the Mohican, along the old inciar tadi, and thener to Savannah likes.
The other read was known as the Cuyahogy road, and passed
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HISTORY OF ASHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.
through the present site of Ashland, then Uniontown; after which it was known as the Harrisville and Cuyahoga road.
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