History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 113

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

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ILLIAM JOHNSTON. a retired farmer and leading business man of East Palestine, was born at Darl- ington, Beaver County, Pennsyl- vania, in 1868 and is a son of Si- las and Eliza M. (Crowl) Johnston. The an- cestors of both parents were among the early settlers, the names of Johnston, Crowl, and Martin being intimately associated with the early history of Beaver County, Pennsylvania. His great-grandfather Johnston had many skirmishes with the Indians when he made his home in the new country and had to flee from them for his life. His son, James Johnston, owned the old homestead which descended to Silas and upon which our subject was born.

.Silas Johnston came to Columbiana County, Ohio, in 1871 and bought a fine piece of land in

Unity township. Most of this lies in section I,. but 96 acres in section 12. The farm com- prises 207 acres, all in one piece, and is one of the finest farms in the county. Silas Johnston married Eliza M. Crowl, daughter of Peter. Crowl, who settled near Darlington, Pennsyl- vania. Five children were born to them, namely : Mary Belle, who died in 1870 at the age of 12 years; Mrs. Elizabeth Scott, a resi- dent of Enon Valley, Pennsylvania, with whom the mother makes her home; Annie M., who died in 1886; Franklin, an attorney of New Waterford; and William. The father died in 1897.

William Johnston has been a resident of Columbiana County since his third year and attended college at Grove City and later the Ohio Normal University at Ada, Ohio. He then engaged in teaching for a period of eight years and was a very successful educator, being principal of the Petersburg (Mahoning Coun- ty) schools. He then returned to the farm, which was the home of his childhood and is now owned by him, and attended to its cultiva- tion until 1904, when he retired to the town of East Palestine, where he now resides. He still owns and is proud of this farm, which it has been his pleasure to improve until it is second to none in the county. The buildings are all modern and nearly new, while the barn is such a model in its appearance and convenience that its equal can scarce be found in Columbiana County. Everything about the place is in keep- ing with the buildings-trim fences, clean, well-kept yards and neat, weedless fence cor- ners, making the place an object to arrest the attention of even the casual passer-by. Mr. Johnston has by no means given up active work, on account of taking up his residence in town. On the contrary he is a very busy man. He is yice-president and director of the First National Bank; president of the Petersburg Creamery Company ; and secretary and man- ager of the Unity Township Telephone Com- pany.

Mr. Johnston was married in this county to Olive Trotter, whose father, John Trotter, now deceased, served in the Civil War. They have three children : Arthur, aged six years :

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Ruth, aged three; and an infant son. Mr. and Mrs. Johnston are Presbyterians. Our subject is a member of Laurel Tent, K. O. T. M., of Petersburg.

P ETER YOUNG BROWN, proprietor of the "Valley Home Farm" in Mid- dleton township, was born on this place, where he has always resided. He was born July 5, 1834, and is a son of . William and Mary Magdalene ( Young) Brown.

The records of the Brown family reach very far back, even to George Brown, the great- great-grandfather of Peter Y. Brown. This ancestor was a resident of West Nantmeal township, Chester County, Pennsylvania, and is described in his will as "gentleman." That document was executed April 10, 1756, and was probated May 28, 1756, his death occurring sometime between these dates. The records of that county go to show that he was the possessor' of 400 acres. He and his wife Mary were the parents of four children : Jane, wife of Joshua Cope; Mary, wife of James Graham ; Alexander; and William.

William Brown, son of George and great- grandfather of our subject, was educated as a physician and is said to have served in the Revolutionary Army as such. He probably was also a surveyor, an occupation very lucrative at that time. In addition to being a personal friend of General Washington, he had a local reputation as an astronomer, and is thought to have published an almanac. Will- iam Brown was probably the first settler in Menallen township, Fayette County, Pennsyl- vania, whither he removed about 1778. He and his wife Mary had seven children, namely : Sarah, George, Mary, .Jane, Alexander, Alice and John.

Hon. George Brown, grandfather of Peter Y., was born June 29, 1773, in Chester Coun- ty, Pennsylvania, and was but a boy when he accompanied his perents to Fayette County. In April, 1804, he came to Columbiana County, Ohio. locating on what is now the G. W. Justi-

son farm in Middleton township. He had to blaze his course through the woods so that when he came over the path again with his family, he could find the way.

The family made its appearance in the new locality in a very primitive manner, riding on horseback with the family possessions fastened on packhorses. "Our subject rement- bers many of the incidents and adventures of this typical pioneer moving, as frequently re- lated by his father and grandfather. George Brown became a prominent man in the little community which soon broadened and was subsequently given various testimonials of the esteem in which he was held by his fellow- citizens. In the course of time he was made associate judge and still later was elected a member of the Ohio Legislature. His death took place November 13, 1828.

Judge Brown married Alice Hardesty, who was born April 20, 1770, and died November I, 1848. They had II children, viz. : Agnes, William, Susan, John, Mary, Nancy, Sarah, George Hardesty, Alice, Mary and Elizabeth. Alice married James Taggart, of Unity town- ship and became the mother of Capt. Robert Clark Taggart, a record of whom appears else- where in this work. Mary became Mrs. Dan- iels and Elizabeth, Mrs. Hoffstott.

William Brown, the second child of George and Alice Brown and father of our subject, was born in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, February 27, 1793. He accompanied his pa- rents to Middleton township, Columbiana County, Ohio, and lived on the home place un- til he moved to the farm across the road. About 1815 he located on the farm now owned and occupied by Peter Y. Brown, it being a part of the section of land which his wife's family had acquired. He made all the early improvements on this place, erecting a sub- stantial frame house to which was added the brick addition in 1835. Some improvements have been made since it has been in the posses- sion of our subject, but it stands very much as it did 70 years ago, a landmark in the vicinity. Its builders were those who fashioned it for a hoine and not for a fleeting abiding place for people. who recked not whether the

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materials were stanch or the building true to line and plummet. As then, as ever since and as now, it is a fine home. The building of the commodious barn was an undertaking of 1833 but in 1878 its capacity was enlarged and now it is 46 by 110 feet in dimensions.

William Brown was originally a Whig and then fell in with the views of the Free Soil party and was quite ready to become a member of the Republican party on its organization in the '50s. Although actively interested in pub- lic affairs and local movements, he was never an aspirant for political honors, although on numerous occasions he was elected to minor offices and served as township trustee for 22 years. He was a man of firm religious con- victions and for, many years was a leading member of the Achor Baptist Church.

William Brown was united in marriage with Mary Magdalene Young, who was born April 13, 1791, and died in 1868. She was a daughter of Baltzar and Elizabeth (Boose) Young. They were of German birth and set- tled in York County, Pennsylvania, at a very early day. In 1803 they came to Middleton township, Columbiana County, Ohio, and first located where Mrs. Hazen now lives,-in Achor village. Mr. Young acquired a section of land, of which the present Brown homestead is a part. The Young family has been a promi- nent one in the affairs of this locality. Samuel and Peter Young, sons of Baltzar, were the first to agitate the idea of building a railroad west from Pittsburg to the wheat-growing counties of Ohio. Interest was soon aroused and a public meeting was called which met at the home of Peter Young in Achor in the build- ing that is now the Achor Baptist church par- sonage, the prominent men present being : Dr. A. G. Richardson, Samuel Young, Peter Young and William Brown. The project be- came noised about and resulted in activity in other localities and the movement finally re- sulted in the building of the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway.

William and Mary M. Brown became the parents of 10 children, namely : Jacob Young, 'born May 16, 1814. deceased February 10, 1.837; John, born October 20, 1815, deceased ;

Baltzar, born November 25, 1817, deceased; Margaret, born September 7, 1819, deceased, who was the wife of Samuel Read; David, born August 24, 1822; Phebe Ann, born May 31, 1825, deceased, who was the wife of Will- iam Williams, of Lawrence County, Pennsyl- vania; William Young, born July 22, 1827; Garretson Addison, born December 24, 1829, who was a probate judge in Minnesota ; Elvira Harriet, born April 24, 1832, deceased; and Peter Young, the subject of this record. Rev. William Young Brown, of the above family, is a Presbyterian minister residing in Philadel- phia. He has a daughter who married Pro- fessor Lindsay of the University of Pennsyl- vania, who was appointed by President Roose- velt as commissioner of education at Puerto Rico, where he has the responsibility of estab- lishing schools and placing teachers.

Peter Y. Brown attended the old log school- house of his district in Middleton township and enjoyed three terms in Beaver Academy at Beaver, Pennsylvania. He then returned to the home farm, where he has since resided. He carries on general farming and stock-raising on his farm of 325 acres and makes a specialty of blooded stock, paying particular attention to Jersey and Aberdeen-Angus cattle. He is a member of the American Jersey Cattle Club. Mr. Brown has always been prominently identified with the public enterprises of the township. He was one of the original in- corporators of the New York, Pittsburg & Chicago Railroad, which is now the Pitts- burgh, Lisbon & Western Railroad. He was also one of the enterprising spirits, who pro- jected the present thriving town of Negley.

EORGE LOWER. formerly post- master of Columbiana, and for a number of years an extensive stock- raiser in Fairfield township, now re- sides in his beautiful modern home ,on South Main street. Columbiana, one of the town's most highly esteemed citizens. He comes from one of the oldest families of Fair- field township, in which township, on his

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIANA, COUNTY

grandfather's farm, he was born in 1840. He is a son of Elias and Elizabeth (Starr) Lower.

Mathias Lower, the grandfather, was the first permanent settler of Fairfield township. He was born in Maryland and in 1800, or possibly in 1799, he joined a party of other pioneers from Westmoreland County, Penn- sylvania, who came on a prospecting tour through this section of Ohio. The party "squatted" in the valley of Bull Creek long before the land was surveyed and spent 13 nights in this wilderness, subsisting on the game they killed. Subsequently they returned to their homes in Pennsylvania but came back with their families. Mathias Lower united with William Hale in purchasing section 23, Fairfield township, the northern part of which section became his own as early as 1803. In the fall of that year the first Court of Common Pleas for the county was held in his log barn, and as the 'building did not afford a separate room to which the jury might retire to make up their virdict, it is related that a large log which lay in the forest near by was used as a seat for the jurors as they deliberated on the guilt or innocence of the parties brought before them.

The western part of this section of land is now the property of our subject, and the eastern part, where the old buildings are still partly preserved is now owned by Ira Seachrist. This is the most historic and interesting portion of Fairfield township. The greater number of the pioneer settlers here were men of sub- stantial character who had come from Bucks, Chester and Westmoreland counties, Pennsyl- vania, a peaceful people who were in search of favorable locations on which to establish perma- nent homes. William Hale above-mentioned, the co-partner of Mathias Lower, was the one under whose direction the greater part of the county was surveyed. He settled with his family on section 26 and lived in Columbiana County for more than 60 years, being active in his profession until 1850. He finally re- moved to Cedar County, Iowa, where he died June 4, 1867, aged 100 years, eight months and 28 days. Two of his brothers. John and Nathan, came with him and also settled in Fairfield township.

The home of Mathias Lower was selected as the place of holding the first term of the Su- preme Court of Columbiana County, on June 14, 1803. The judges present were Hon. Sam- uel Huntington and Hon. William Sprigg. An interesting document in this connection is the following certificate.

STATE OF OHIO, COLUMBIANA COUNTY, SS :

I do hereby certify that at a Supreme Court held at the house of Mathias Lower, in the county of Colum- biana aforesaid, the 14th day of June in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and three, before the Honorable Samuel Huntington and William Sprigg, Esq., Judges of the said Supreme Court, that William Larwell of Pittsburgh in the State of Pennsyl- vania, Esquire, was admitted as attorney and counselor of this court and authorized to practice as such in the several courts of record in this State.

In testimony of which I have hereunto affixed the seal of the said court above written.

REASON BEALL, Clerk Supreme Court.

This is supplemented by the official paper and certificate which is signed by Judge Huntington.

Mathias Lower at first settled his family in section II, Fairfield township, remaining there. until Ohio was admitted as a State. He cleared up some seven acres of land there, but later, with William Hale, entered section 23. as noted above. He married Elizabeth Arner.

Elias Lower, father of our subject, was born in 1818 and he was reared on the old homestead. His education was only that which could be obtained during the winter nionths in the little log schoolhouse in the clearing, but he was a man of natural ability and good mind and became well informed through reading. In 1838 he married Elizabeth Starr and they had six children, namely : George, of Columbiana : Mrs. Sarah Trucksass: Hannah, wife of Isaac Stallcup, of Kansas City: Catherine, wife of Seth Bradfield; Mathias, Jr., who resides un- married on the old homestead; and Phebe, who died in infancy. The mother of this family was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and died in May, 1871. Elias Lower married. in 1874. Mrs. Caroline Rauch, widow of John. Rauch and a daughter of a pioneer, John.

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Peters. She still survives, residing in the vil- lage of Unity, advanced in years.

Elias Lower was a stanch old Jacksonian Democrat, but he was a man of such sterling character that, although he lived in a strongly Republican township, he was elected year after year to office, serving for nine years as town- ship trustee. He was a consistent member of the Reformed Church and was a perfect type of a generation of men distinguished for their personal integrity and solidity of character. He lived to a good old age.

George Lower's boyhood was passed before all pioneer conditions had passed away in Fair- field township. The log schoolhouse, with its slabs for seats and its indifferent equipment, was the scene of his early educational progress and a wonderful contrast to the stately structures and modern furnishings, which the taxes he pays assist in keeping in order for the present generation. However, those old log schools turned out a notable body of men, the most of them clear of brain and many robust of body, Mr. Lower being an example. He grew up on his father's farm, becoming a master of agriculture and giving much atten- tion to stock-raising and fruit growing. In 1863 he enlisted for service in the Civil War,, entering Company F, 143rd Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., and was at the front for a short time.

After his return from the army, Mr. Lower settled on his own land in the western part of section 23, Fairfield township, where he owns two farms, hoth of which he now has under rental. He devotes the greater part of his energies to the fruit business at Columbiana, being a large producer, buyer and shipper. He is considered one of the city's most capable business men.

Mr. Lower was married, first, in 1868 to Henrietta Flickinger, who was a daughter of Samuel Flickinger. She died in 1871, leaving one son, George H. His second union was with Ada Bradfield, who died in 1881, the mother of one child, Carrie, who died aged six years. On September 17, 1884, Mr. Lower was married to Minnie O. Witt, who is a daughter of John Witt, and they have one daughter,-Luella.

Politically Mr. Lower is a Democrat and 1

he has been more or less active in county, State and district politics for many years. Under President Cleveland he served four years as postmaster at Columbiana. He and his wife are members of Grace Reformed Church.

E DWARD G. WHITACRE,* president of the E. G. Whitacre Boiler Com- pany, of Wellsville, and one of the city's most prominent and public- spirited men, was born in Wellsville, Ohio, May 28, 1856, and is a son of Thomas and Sarah ( McCauley) Whitacre.

All the Whitacres sprang from Sir Knight Simon of Whitacre or Whiteacre, or, to give it the original spelling before the letters "w" and "h" came into orthographical use, Quitacre. Sir Knight Simon, at the time of the "Domesday Survey," under the direction of William the Conqueror, was found to be possessed of a tract of land in Warwickshire, which was arable, wheat-producing land and was after- ward enfeoffed to him. Sir Knight Simon was made a King's commissioner and his successors in his family held the office for over 200 years. At the present time his great property is div- ided into two townships, which are known as Whitacre Superior and Whitacre Inferior.

The name is one familiar in many localities, but it is not definitely known from which sec- tion or branch came John Whitacre, the emi- grant to this country, from whom came the sub- ject of this sketch. With good reason it is sup- posed, however, that he came from Yorkshire, England. In 1672 persons to the number of 37 were discharged from the common gaol for the county and city of York having been com- mitted on the charge of belonging to the then despised sect, the Quakers, and one of this number was John Whitacre.

In 1699 the sect had grown strong enough to become a menace to the wild, loose living of the court and people of England so that persecu- tions became unbearable and a goodly number decided to dare the dangers of the deep and trust to the hospitality of unknown shores in order to enjoy the rights of religious freedom. Hence a large concourse of Quakers, or Friends.

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as they are now denominated, gathered from Lancaster and Yorkshire and embarked on the "Britannia," bound for America and for the State of Pennsylvania. The vessel arrived safely at Philadelphia prior to August 25, 1699, although during the long voyage a pestilence had broken out, by reason of which 50 persons died at sea and about 20 more after landing. Among the latter number was one Thomas Wilson. He left a will which was proven November 25. 1699. He appointed as execu- tives his friends, John Scott, late of Yorkshire, and Anthony Morris, of Philadelphia. The ·connection with the Whitacres came in the mar- riage of Jane, the widow of this John Scott, "12th month, 1702," to John Whitacre, and it is very probable that this John Whitacre was a passenger on the "Britannia."

John Whitacre, Jr., son of John and Jane (Scott) Whitacre, was born May 14, 1704. He was a member of the Falls Monthly Meeting, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and he re- tained his membership after his mariage. He resided there until 1757 when he removed to the vicinity of the Kingwood (New Jersey) Monthly Meeting, and in 1761 to the vicinity of the Fairfax (Virginia ) Monthly Meeting. His first wife whom he married in Philadelphia was Naomi Hulme. His second wife's name was Rachel.

Edward Whitacre, son of John Jr., and Rachel Whitacre, was born April 26, 1761. in Loudoun County, Virginia, moved to Ohio in 1806, and died at Minerva, Ohio, in 1840. He married Martha Brown, who was born in December, 1766.

Thomas Whitacre, the second child of the above marriage, and the grandfather of our subject, was born August 18. 1785. Both he and his father were buried in the Plains grave- yard, on the old Mckinley farm.

Thomas Whitacre, son of Thomas, was born in Augusta, Ohio, in 1822, and died in 1884. He learned the trade of cabinet-maker and became a well-known manufacturer of fur- niture. In 1854 he located in Wellsville. Ohio, where he started the Whitacre Hotel. which was, at that time. the best hostelry in Columbi- ana County. He conducted this until 1860. :ably assisted by his capable wife, who managed

it during her husband's absence in the army. He was a lieutenant in the 104th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., but was discharged on account of physical disability. After his return he re- sumed hotel keeping but sold the property in 1869 and moved to Whitacre's Mills, about nine miles from Wellsville. Here he operated a farm and a grist and sawmill until 1880, when he returned to Wellsville. Later he incorporated what was known as Whitacre & Company, for the manufacture of hardware, plumbers' and tinners' supplies, starting in a very small way, but the business grew to such proportions that by 1890 he was employing 75 men. He continued to actively supervise the business as long as he lived. He was a man of excellent business ability and was one of the county's first-class citizens. He supported the Republican party but was no politician.

Thomas Whitacre married Sarah Mc- Cauley, a daughter of Patrick McCauley, who owned a farm between Wellsville and Summit- ville, where she was born. She died in 1903, aged 80 years. Of the family of six children, four grew to maturity, viz: William J .. now deceased; Harvey H., of Wellsville: Edward G., of this sketch; and Mary S., the wife of Richard Bean, of Los Angeles, California. The father of this family was a consistent member of the Disciples Church, but the mother had been reared in the Methodist Epis- copal faith ..

Edward G. Whitacre was born May 28, 1856, as noted, coming upon the scene of life at a very important epoch in our country's history. He was but a child when his father went into the Civil War and remained with his mother in Wellsville, where he was edu- cated in the public schools. He began his busi- ness career in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and continued with that cor- poration for three or four years and then went into the machine shops and learned the trade of machinist. In 1870 he was engaged by Knowles, Taylor & Knowles, potters of East Liverpool, to be their traveling representative and he continued with that great company for the next 10 years. He then became associated with his father in organizing Whitacre & Com- pany and remained connected with this enter-

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prise until 1890, when the business was re- moved to Michigan. For one year thereafter Mr. Whitacre continued his connection with it, and then returned to Wellsville, where he organized the Page Boiler Company. This continued as such until 1900 when the business was incorporated as the E. G. Whitacre Boiler Company. The company's business is that of heating and ventilating engineers. The fac- tory is located at Detroit, where some 50 men are constantly employed, but contracts are taken all over the country. In addition they employ about 100 men in the different .con- struction gangs in the various States. The main office is located in the Whitacre Block on Third street, Wellsville, one of the finest business locations in the city. This fine struct- ure covers the entire square on Third street from Commerce street to Lisbon street. The company manufactures hot water and steam- heating boilers, radiators and heating supplies. manufacturing 500 boilers annually. It is one of the city's important concerns.

Mr. Whitacre married Addie B. Malone, daughter of Lemuel Malone of Wellsville, and they have two children: Edward G., Jr., and Julia Frances. Mrs. Whitacre is a member of the Christian church.

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History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 113

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