History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 110

Author: McCord, William B., b. 1844
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 912

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Mr. Fisher has been twice married; first, on December 8, 1872, to Josephine Virginia

Bunting, who was born at Wellsville, Ohio, July 20, 1849, and was a daughter of Samuel. and Mary (Gorrell) Bunting, the former a native of Wellsville, the latter of Philadelphia. The children of this marriage were: Helen M., who is the wife of Dr. J. Bert George, a well-known dental surgeon of East Liverpool and Charles B., who conducts a shoe store in East Liverpool. On June 16, 1892, Mr. Fisher. was married to his second wife, Alice B. Har- vey, who was born at Waynesburg, Pennsyl- vania, and is a daughter of Samuel and Sarah ( Thockmorton) Harvey. They have one son, Samuel Harvey, Mrs. Fisher comes of Revolutionary stock and is eligible to member- ship in the Daughters of the Revolution through her great-grandfather, who was a. general in the Revolutionary Army, and whose epaulets she has as mementoes of his patriot- ism. The family has been attached to the Presbyterian Church for many years: The sub- ject of this sketch when questioned as to his. present religious belief gave the pertinent ans- wer: "By their fruits ye shall know them." He is a member of the Royal Arcanum and has held several offices in the order. His first vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln for President in 1864, but he voted for Grover Cleveland, when he was elected the second time in 1892.

Mr. Fisher has in his possession a rather remarkable relic of unknown age. It is an awf made out of deer's horn and tipped with a long spear. This primitive instrument was found by his grandfather in a house where all the' family had been murdered by Indians.

RANK M. BENNER, one of the lead- ing business men of Lisbon, is the. owner of the oldest established jew- elry house in the county, one which was founded in 1847 and has been conducted by a Behner, father and son, ever since. ' Mr. Benner was born in 1856 in Lis- bon, and is a son of Josiah F. and Mary A. (Miller ) Benner.

The Benner family was established in Col- umbiana County by Henry Benner, a farmer

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and school teacher, the grandfather of our subject. He owned land in Center township which he developed into a fruit farm, and it is still operated as such by a grandson. J. F. Benner, father of our subject, was born on this farm, four miles west of Lisbon, one of three children, all now deceased. In young manhood he left . the farm and learned the jeweler's trade. - The present business of our subject was established at Lisbon, in 1847, by a Mr. Scott. In 1848, J. F. Benner bought the business and continued to conduct it until he retired from active life. He died in March, 1898, aged 76 years. He married Mary A. Miller, who was born and reared in Columbiana County, and still resides in Lisbon. She is a daughter of Jacob Miller, who was born in Pennsylvania, and came to Ohio at an early day. He settled on a farm three miles west of Lisbon, where he devoted much attention to stock-raising, and made a specialty of raising horses. The only survivors of his large family are: Mrs. Ben- ner, now 77 years of age; Mrs. Sarah Green, of Salem, Ohio; and Mrs. Luckey, of Elmore, Ohio.

Frank M. Benner was reared at Lisbon and obtained his education in the schools of his na- tive place. When he reached manhood, his father admitted him to partnership in the jew- elry business, in which he has continued ever since, for the past 25 years being the sole pro- prietor. It is one of the substantial, old, re- liable concerns of Lisbon.

Mr. Benner married Mary Lodge, a native of Lisbon and a daughter 'of the late Abel Lodge, who died here in the fall of 1904, one ·of the city's patriarchs, aged almost 90 years. His early youth was spent on a farm in this county, and his active business life was passed as a banker in Lisbon. Mr. and Mrs. Benner have one daughter, Ada. The family occupies one of the beautiful homes of this quiet little city, Mr. Benner owning considerable real es- tate, including his residence, his store building and a large interest in what is known as the Benner Block, formerly the Exchange Block. The family attend the Methodist Episcopal Church. .

Politically Mr. Benner is a Republican and

he has, at various times, accepted public office. He has served as cemetery trustee and as water trustee and has been interested in school im- provement. He is a member of the board of directors of the. Columbiana County Mutual Insurance Company and of the loan association at Lisbon. Mr. Benner is very prominent in fraternal circles. As a Mason he belongs to the Blue Lodge and Chapter at Lisbon; is a charter member of Salem Commandery, and was knighted at Youngstown before the Salem Commandery was organized. He is a charter member of the Knights of Pythias lodge at Lisbon, has served two terms as chancellor commander and in other official ca- pacities.

0 HIO CEMENT COMPANY. One of the industries of Eastern Ohio is the Ohio Cement Company, which is located at Lisbon, and which is in the hands of capable and energetic business men, being under the direct manage- ment of E. B. Rawson, who fills the offices of president, treasurer and general manager. C. L. Douglass, of Cleveland, is secretary.

The main offices of this company are at Lisbon. The business was incorporated in 1875 by A. G. Smith, William Dennon and others, all men of capital and business stability. The plant is located three miles west of Lisbon, adjacent to the Erie Railroad. Its exclusive business is the manufacture of hydraulic ce- ment; 22 men have continuous employment here.

Until 1891, the late A. G. Smith was the active manager, of the business, but since 1875 he has been identified with the affairs of Lis- bon. His death occurred in 1900, being sur- vived by four daughters, viz: Mrs. C. L. Douglass of Cleveland; Mrs. Charles F. Fish, of Saratoga Springs, New York; Mrs. Helen Evans, of Sharon, Pennsylvania ; and Mrs. E. B. Rawson. Mr. Smith had much to do with building up many of Lisbon's business en- terprises and he is most kindly remembered for his public spirit and for the personal in- fluence he exerted. He was a liberal contri-

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butor to benevolent institutions, and was generous in his support of the Protestant Epis- copal Church, with which his family was con- nected.

Mr. Rawson, president of the Ohio Cement Company, and son-in-law of the late Mr. Smith, was born at Akron, Ohio, and came to Lisbon from Cleveland, Ohio, in 1889. Since 1891 he has had the entire management of the busi- ness. Mr. and Mrs. Rawson have two child- ren, viz: Levi, a civil engineer at Sistersville, West Virginia; and Mary J., who lives at home. Mrs. Rawson died December 9, 1904, at her home after a brief illness of one week and was buried in a family lot in the Erie Street Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Rawson is.a Republican but takes no very active part in party matters. He is a member of the Presby- terian Church.

0 ACOB J. WEISEND, the well-known contractor and carpenter of the East End, East Liverpool, was born Au- gust 21, 1854, in Monroe County, Ohio. His parents were Peter and Barbara Ann (Seling) Weisend and his pater- nal grandfather was Jacob Weisend, who, with a brother and their families, came from Alsace, France, and settled in America. . They lived in Monroe County, Ohio, where Jacob died in 1864 in his 84th year.

Peter Weisend was a child of three years when the family came to America. He has al- ways carried on farming, at first in Monroe and later in Bethel township, Noble County, to which township he removed in 1870. After remaining there several years, he went to Lud- low township, Washington County, where he lived until his wife's death, after which he made his home with his daughter, also in Ludlow township. He was a Democrat in politics. He answered the call for 100-day men in 1864 and performed guard duty, not being sent to the front. where the fighting was going on. He maried Barbara Ann Seling, whose father was a Hessian and fought under Napoleon. She was three years of age when her parents located in Noble County. She became the

mother of 15 children, II of whom reached mature years, as follows: Mary, deceased, who was the wife of David Burkhard, of Lud- low township, Washington County; Margaret, wife of August Vogt, of Ludlow township, Washington County; Jacob J .; Barbara, wife of John Schneider, of Independence township, Washington County; Peter, of Muskingum County ; Caroline, wife of Nicholas Blatt, of Wetzel County, West Virginia ; Christine, wife of Joseph Burkhard, of Muskingum township, Washington County ; Abelone, wife of James H. Robinett, of East Liverpool ; George J., of Marietta, Ohio; John, of Terre Haute, Indiana; and Raymer S., of Marietta, Ohio. Mrs. Weisend died in 1899 at the age of 66 years. They were members of the Catholic Church.

Jacob J. Weisend grew to man's estate in Monroe County, Ohio, and learned the trade of a carpenter. He then went to Washington County and worked at carpentering there for several years and in 1888 came to East Liver- pool. In 1890 he moved to the East End. While he was, from the year he located in this city, working at his trade, he did not begin tak- ing contracts until 1892. He has all the work he can perform and keeps from four to six men constantly employed. He has built many resi- dences.

Mr. Weisend was married to Hannah Welch, who was a native of Washington Coun- ty and a daughter of Peter Welch. She died February 23, 1905, in the 44th year of her age. She was the mother of 10 children, six of whom are living. viz: Margaret; James : Bar- bara May; Agnes: Beatrice: and Catherine. Mr. Weisend is a strong Democrat and has taken a lively interest in politics. He served for three years as clerk of Independence town- ship. Washington County : and while a resident of that county was the Democratic nominee for State Senator in 1884. He was president of the first library in East Liverpool, established by the Trades Labor Council and served six years until it was absorbed by the Carnegie Public Library, when he was appointed by the City Council as director of that institution. Upon the expiration of his term, he was reappointed

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by Mayor Weaver, but declined to serve. In 1901 he was nominated for mayor of East Liverpool and made a good run but failed of election as the city is strongly Republican. He served three terms as president of the Trades Labor Council and twice represented that body in the Ohio Federation of Labor. He has been organizer for the American Federation of La- bor for the past 10 years. He is a member of East Liverpool Council, No. 509, Knights of Columbus, of which he has been deputy grand knight, and he is also a member of the Royal Arcanum.

RANK J. ECKSTEIN, junior member of the clothing firm of Smith & Eck- stein, No. 67 East Main street, Sal- em, ranks with the successful and en- terprising business men of this city. He was born at North Georgetown, Colum- biana County, Ohio, December 13, 1870, and is a son of Amos and Leanda (Epperwein) Eck- ștein.

Amos Eckstein came of German ancestry, his grandfather founding the family in Penn- sylvania, where he became a large farmer and a leading member of the Lutheran Church. David W. Eckstein, our subject's grandfather, was born in Pennsylvania and came a pioneer to Ohio. He reared a family of 14 children. Amos Eckstein was born in Columbiana Coun- ty and died here aged 51 years. During the Civil War, he enlisted in Company D, 12th Reg., Ohio Vol. Cav. He served over three years and was wounded by a shot in the leg. Aside from this duty performed to his coun- try, he led a quiet, agricultural life. Politically he was a Republican. The mother of our sub- ject was born in Pennsylvania and died in Ohio. The family consisted of eight children, namely : Mary, wife of William Whinnery, of Salem; David W., a railroad conductor ; Frank J., of this sketch; Robert C., a farmer; Lu- cinda, wife of Walter Ward, of Newgarden, 'Columbiana County; Edward, of Industry, Pennsylvania ; Homer, employed in the office of the Stewart Contract Company, of Pittsburg; and Elizabeth, who is a teacher in the Colum- biana County public schools.

Reared to the age of 16 years on his father's farm, Mr. Eckstein gained much practical knowledge in that direction, while he also trained his mental faculties in the common and high schools. He entered upon a business ca- reer as a clerk for H. Cohen, in the clothing business, remaining two years and then worked three years in a nail-mill, subsequently entering the employ of Triem & Murphy, with whom he continued over five years, in 1901 going into business under the firm name of Smith & Eck- stein, in the clothing and gents' furnishings business, his partner being Ambler Smith.

In 1896 Mr. Eckstein was married to Mary J. Ward, who was born in Columbiana Coun- ty, Ohio, and is a daughter of James and Ella Ward. They have two bright little sons,- Ward and Thirl. Mr. Eckstein is a prominent Mason, a member of the Commandery and also belongs to the Elks.

OHN L. ARNOLD, superintendent of The Potters' Mining & Milling Com- pany, of East Liverpool, and for many years a successful contractor here, was born in Pittsburg, November 22, 1848, and is a son of Jacob and Catherine (Greenwald) Arnold.

Jacob Arnold was born in Pittsburg and commenced to follow the river when a lad. He was engineer for many years and mate of a steamboat many years more. He finally bought a farm in Ross township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and engaged in agriculture until the Rebellion, when he sold this farm and moved to Marietta, Ohio, where he continued to farm until his death in 1899 at the age of 84 years. He was made a Mason in Pittsburg. He was a Democrat in politics during his earlier years but afterward became a Whig and still later a Republican. He married Catherine Greenwald and had a family of II children, viz: John L .; Jacob, deceased; William, a resident of Marietta; Mary, wife of Joseph Schilling, of Marietta; Frederick, also of Marietta ; Samuel, who lives in Montana; An- drew, who died at the age of 18: Henry, of Idaho; Carrie, of Marietta; and Susan, wife

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of John Bunger, of Marietta. The mother reached the 83rd year of her age, passing away in 1901. They were Roman Catholics. The children are all Protestants, belonging to sev- eral different denominations.

When John L. Arnold was 14 years of age, he was apprenticed to a carpenter of Pittsburg. After serving his time there, he went to Cin- cinnati and became a millwright and worked at that business, for the greater part of the time in Pittsburg until 1881. He came to East Liverpool, Ohio, in that year and for seven years Kaufman & Arnold were the leading con- tractors and builders of the city, his partner be- ing George Kaufman. When The Potters' Mining & Milling Company established their plant here, to Mr. Arnold was entrusted the work of construction and this, as well as a great many other buildings, stands as a monu- ment to his skill and good workmanship. At its completion, he was placed in charge of the business and has been its able and efficient su- perintendent ever, since, having about 30 men under him. It is the largest plant of this kind in the world, having a daily output of about 125 tons of pulverized flint and about 16 tons of feldspar, the product being sold to the local potteries.

Mr. Arnold married Mary E. Hoskins, daughter of Washington Hoskins, of Pitts- burg, and five children blessed their union, namely : Washington, who died at the age of 25 years; Irene, who died at the age of 25 years; George, who resides in Pittsburg; John W., a resident of East Liverpool; and Law- rence, who died in his 13th year. Mrs. Arnold died in 1899, when in her 52nd year. She was a devout member of the Methodist Church. Mr. Arnold is a member of the Second United Presbyterian Church. He was one of the or- ganizers of the East Liverpool Land Company, which developed that part of the East End known as the "Klondike" and is prominent in fraternal circles, being a member of East Liver- pool Lodge, No. 379, I. O. O. F., East Liver- pool Encampment, No. 107, I. O. O. F., and the Royal Arcanum. He is a Republican and served eight years in the City Council from the Fourth and First Wards.

1 SAAC B. CAMERON, late of Lisbon, Columbiana County, and Treasurer of State for two terms, but now president of the Columbus Savings & Trust Com- pany, was born in the city of Nairn, Scotland. When he was yet an infant, his widowed mother emigrated to America to bet- , ter her condition and to provide greater facili- ties for the education of her family, of which the subject of this sketch was the youngest of six, believing that in so doing she would af- ford them more abundant opportunities for suc- cess in life. Upon arriving in this country, the family located on a farm in Jefferson County, Ohio, a short distance south of Saline- ville, removing thence about the year 1855 into the village. Here the children of the fam- ily were reared.

Mr. Cameron attended the public schools there and graduated from the Iron City Busi- ness College of Pittsburg. At an early age he accepted a position as a bookkeeper for a local mercantile firm, with whom he remained until 1874. His marked business ability soon ad- vanced him to a partnership in the business, which was successfully conducted until 1880, when Mr. Cameron became the sole owner, after which the business continued to grow and prosper until 1893, when he was elected treas- urer of Columbiana County, by a majority the largest ever given to any candidate for any office in the county up to that time. He was reelected in 1895. The business system he introduced and enforced during the four years of his encumbency in that office established a standard and created a model worthy the emu- lation of all public officials.

When in 1898 the First National Bank at Lisbon was declared to be insolvent, Mr. Cam- eron, having but a short time previously retired from the office of county treasurer, was the unanimous choice, alike of the creditors and stockholders, for appointment as receiver, such was their confidence in his ability to disentangle the labyrinth of complications resulting from the reckless conduct of its affairs upon the part of its management.

In this work he was engaged for more than a year, during which time he brought order

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out of chaos. He succeeded in fixing the re- sponsibility for the failure of the bank, and. although the books were miserably kept and outrageously falsified, obtained judgments in every suit brought by him, having for its object the recovery of funds belonging to the unfor- tunate institution, thus proving the wisdom of those interested, in their selection of him for receiver.

Mr. Cameron was nominated for the office of Treasurer of State, at the Republican State Convention held in the city of Columbus, June 2. 1899, on the first ballot, a compliment which the representatives of the Republican voters of the State honored themselves in bestowing. He was elected in November, 1899, by a large majority and was inducted into office on the first Monday in January, 1900. He com- pletely remodeled the interior of the office, and inaugurated a much needed system for ex- pediently and safely conducting the large vol- ume of business of the department, which ag- gregates in receipts and disbursements many millions of dollars annually. In order that the funds of the State might be safely cared for, and the securities required by law to be de- posited with the Treasurer of State might be properly classified and securely stored, Mr., Cameron planned and had constructed in the treasurer's office a large steel vault, made by skilled workmen, and of the best material known to the art, weighing in all some 20 tons. In this vault, he had built, for the storage of bonds and other securities, steel filing-cases, all the compartments of which are so numbered and lettered that, in connection with a card index system installed by him, any security or paper of value entrusted to the treasurer's keeping may be easily located and readily pro- (luced. All of which demonstrates Mr. Cam- eron to be a thorough, systematic business man, well qualified to discharge in an acceptable manner the responsible duties of the positions he so ably filled.

At the Republican State Convention held in Columbus in June, 1901, Mr. Cameron was nominated by acclamation for Treasurer of State for a second term, to which he was elec- ted and which he filled with equal ability as he | of Lisbon ; J. M., a physician of Canton, Ohio;

did the first term. He retired from the office of Treasurer of State in January, 1904; was elected secretary and treasurer of the Columbus Savings & Trust Company in February of that year, and in January, 1905, was elected presi- dent of that institution.

In politics he has always been a Republican, and has ever assumed an active share in the party work. Scarcely had he attained his ma- jority, when he was chosen a member of the Columbiana County Central Committee, and so well was his work done there, that he was soon chosen chairman of the County Executive Com- mittee, and three times honored with a reelec- tion. While he was chairman. Columbiana County gave the Republican ticket the largest pluralities in its history. He was a member of the Republican State Central Committee in 1893 ; also a member of the 18th Congressional District Committee in 1898 and 1899.

Mr. Cameron is a 32nd degree Mason, a Knight Templar, a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, a Knight of Pythias and an Elk.

He was married in 1875, to Laura A. Ir- win, daughter of John B. and Mary A. Irwin, of Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Cameron have one child, a son, Roy MacDonald Cam- eron, who was born in the year 1883.

ILLIAM BYE, one of the prosper- ous general farmers and stock- raisers of Hanover township, who owns 142 acres of fine land in sec- tion 15, was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, on the farm which adjoins his property on the east, December 25. 1831. He is a son of Samuel and Ruth ( Morlan) Bye.

Samuel Bye was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and came to Colum- biana County and located in Hanover township in pioneer days. He secured 160 acres of land from the government and lived here until his death at the age of 68 years. He was survived by his widow and eight children, the five still living being : William, of this sketch ; Samuel,

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Elizabeth Ann, wife of Oliver Whiteleather ; and Joseph. The mother died in 1872, aged 73 years.

Our subject and his brothers and sisters attended the local schools and after, the death of the father, William and Samuel worked the home farm together for some years and then divided, William taking his present farm as his portion of his father's estate. Since then he has made many substantial improvements to the buildings and has made his residence one of the finest in the district.

In 1879 Mr. Bye was married to Maggie Pilmer, and they have two children: Mary, who was born March 18, 1878, and William Emerson, born November 2, 1880.

Mr. Bye has always been a good citizen. In 1864 he enlisted in the 143rd Regiment, Ohio National Guard, and served until the command was mustered out. In politics he is a Republican. He is one of the county's reliable and representative men.

RUMAN W. McCAIN, a prominent manufacturing cooper of East Liver- pool, the founder of the large busi- ness with which his name has been identified since 1882, is one of the city's successful and representative men. He is a son of James and Abbie Frances (Webb) McCain.

Mr. McCain comes of New England ances- try, both parents having been born in Con- necticut and on both sides the record reaches to the "Mayflower." His paternal grandfather was a native of Connecticut, from which State he entered the War of 1812 in which he lost his life.

James McCain, father of Truman W., was born in Connecticut in 1806. He came to Ohio and settled near Ellsworth, in Mahoning Coun- ty, about the same time as did the family of Capt. George Webb. Subsequently he married the daughter of Captain Webb and they moved to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where he entered into partnership with a Mr. Stuckrath, also a tanner, and they carried on the manufacture of

leather there for some eight or 10 years, dur- ing which period Mr. and Mrs. McCain had. several children born to them.

Mr. McCain then returned to Ohio with his family and opened up a tannery in Stark Coun- ty and also engaged in farming until 1858, when he took up his residence near Dry Run, but in the following year he went West and located at Jefferson City, Missouri. There he followed the peaceful avocation of farming until 1862. Had there been no Civil War he probably would have passed his remain- ing years on his excellent property there. But he was a man of strong convictions. and he had the courage to avow them upon all occasions. He was a pronounced. Union man and that was a dangerous locality in those days for a Union sympathizer to live- in. His patriotic attitude made many enemies. and for the sake of his family more than from any personal considerations, he left Missouri. and removed to Madison, Jefferson County,. Indiana. Although at that time too old for enlistment in the army, to which he had given three sons, Warren T., Charles C. and Francis W., Mr. McCain found many ways in which to aid the Union cause, unfortunately making himself so conspicuous that he attracted the attention of the raider, Morgan. When the latter made his famous raid through Indiana and Ohio, in passing through Dupont, Jeffer- son County, a peaceful town which had no. means at hand with which to repulse him, he took Mr. McCain a prisoner and ordered him to .. be shot unless he would take an oath to never bear arms against the South. This the stern, stanch old Unionist never would consent to. and when the line of soldiers was drawn up to. carry out their commander's sentence his cour- age never faltered. Almost at the last moment the citizens in a body succeeded in dissuading the guerrilla from his purpose. They used all kinds of arguments, calling attention to Mr. McCain's age and assuring Morgan that al- most half his time he was crazy, and doubtless" giving any reason that occurred to their minds: at the moment.

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History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 110

Author: McCord, William B., b. 1844 Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 912

Author: McCord, William B., b. 1844
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 912