History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 50

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

USA > Ohio > Columbiana County > History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens > Part 50

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early days comprised everything that was in demand in the locality,-staple groceries, cloth- ing, boots, shoes, millinery, harness, furniture, etc. A vast amount of business was done, the annual amount being as much as $100,000. In 1884 a private bank was organized as Cham- berlin Brothers & Company, which is still doing business, and our, subject has been connected with it since its first board of directors was elected.

Mr. Chamberlin was married September 8, 1864, to Lydia J. Brittain, who is a daughter of Joseph and Belinda (Clark) Brittain. The Brittains were very early settlers in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, from which section they came to Columbiana County. The father died February 19, 1900, aged 84 years, and the mother in August, 1887, aged 78 years. Mr. and Mrs. Brittain were the parents of five chil- dren, namely : Jeremiah, William Clark, Eliza- beth Esther, Lydia J. and Joseph I. Rev. Jeremiah Brittain, the eldest, was pastor of the United Presbyterian Church at Greenville, Pennsylvania. For 22 years he was an active worker in the anti-saloon movement and at the time of his death, on December 24, 1903, was State superintendent for New Jersey and Dela- ware. He was a man of noble character whose influence will be felt for untold years. The second son, Dr. William Clark Brittain, is a well-known physician in Pennsylvania. Eliza- beth Esther Brittain married J. N. Andre, formerly a carriage manufacturer at New Brighton, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, who is now a missionary in Kentucky. The youngest of the family, Hon. Joseph I. Brittain, is at present American consul at Kehl, Germany. He was born in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, and was educated in the local schools, Brighton High School and Beaver Academy. For 30 years he was a citizen of Ohio, formerly was in the mercantile business and for three years was editor of the Echo, at East Palestine. He was elected to the 70th General Assembly, serv- ing from 1890 to 1892, and again, from 1893 to 1894. A man of brilliant intellect he was selected for diplomatic service and on Octo- ber 15, 1897, he was sent to France where he served so acceptably for four years that on

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June 6, 1902, President Roosevelt appointed him to his present consulate at Kehl, near Strasburg, Germany.

Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlin have five chil- dren, viz: Frank Brittain, a graduate of the East Palestine High School and of Geneva College, Pennsylvania, who married Annie Orr, of Ocean Grove, New Jersey; Nancy Maria, a graduate of the East Palestine High School and of Monmouth College, Illinois, who is the wife of Rev. R. M. Little, pastor of the Sixth United Presbyterian Church, of Chicago; Elizabeth Florence, a graduate of the East Palestine High School and of Westminster Col- lege at New Wilmington, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, who is the wife of Rev. C. W. Eldredge, a clergyman in Evanston, a suburb of Cincinnati; Joseph Clark, a graduate of the East Palestitne High School and of West- minster College; and Lydia Elma, also a grad- uate of Westminster College.

Aside from his business interests, Mr. Chamberlin has been a useful citizen of East Palestine, with the other members of his fam- ily taking a deep interest in all movements which have had for their object the improve- ment of the town's utilities or the advancement of its culture. He has served on the Board of Public Affairs, on the Board of Education and at various times in the Town Council. He is a man who bears the reputation of being honor- able and trustworthy, kind and generous, just and public spirited.

R OBERT V. HAMPSON, president of the Farmers' National Bank of Salem, Ohio, secretary and treasurer of the Salem Gas Company, is one of the leading business citizens of Columbiana County. His whole business life of 45 years has been connected with the in- terests of Salem and vicinity. Mr. Hampson was born in 1836, at Carrollton, Carroll Coun- ty, Ohio, and is a son of George Y. and Cath- erine (Frush) Hampson.

George Y. Hampson, father of our subject, was born in Pennsylvania, and for many years

was a prominent citizen of Huntingdon County. In 1831 he removed to Carroll County, Ohio, where the remainder, of a long and useful life was spent. His death took place in 1876, at the age of 82 years. He was an old-time Demo- crat and was honored on numerous occasions by his party, being elected sheriff and also treasurer of Carroll County.

Robert V. Hampson became a resident of Salem in young manhood and has been in the banking business practically all his life. He was only 22 years old when he became cashier of the State Bank of Salem, in 1858, being at the time the youngest cashier, in a similar in- stitution in the United States. He continued in this position until 1865, when the State Bank of Salem was merged into the present institu- tion, the Farmers' National Bank, and occupied the same relations with the latter organization until the death of Hon. J. Twing Brooks, whom he succeeded as president.

The history of the Farmers' National Bank of Salem is as follows : On March 25, 1865, a certificate of incorporation was issued by the bank department of the State of Ohio to 12 incorporators, namely : J. Twing Brooks, L. W. Potter, George England, Joel Sharp, Allan Boyle, Robert Tolerton, James Binford, Alfred Wright, Lewis Schilling, R. V. Hampson, James Fawcett and J. A. Kerr. The charter of this bank was dated April 1, 1865, and its capi- tal was $200,000. The officers in 1879 were : J. Twing Brooks (now deceased), president, and R. V. Hampson, cashier. Since the death of Mr. Brooks, Mr. Hampson has been at the head of this old, sound and conservative institu- tion. In March, 1885, the charter of the bank was extended and 20 years later it was again extended. The present officers are the follow- ing: President, Robert V. Hampson ; cashier, W. B. Carey ; directors,-Robert V. Hampson, James R. Carey, W. F. Deming, M. L. Young and L. L. Gibbert. The capital stock of the bank is still $200,000 ; a surplus of $55,000 has been accumulated, after paying stockholders substantial dividends for 40 years.

Mr. Hampson was married at Salem to Elizabeth Beatty, a member of an old New Jer- sey family which has been established at Salem

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for a long time. Mr. and Mrs. Hampson have four, children, viz: Carrie, who is the wife of James R. Carey, senior member of the law firm of Carey & Mullins, of Salem, attorneys for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company for the Fourth District of Ohio; Helen, who is the wife of George B. Shephard, treasurer of the Cleveland Malleable Iron. Company, of Cleve- land; Effie, who is the wife of J. R. Thomas, assistant secretary in the service of the Ameri- can Steel Wire Company ; and Lucy, who re- sides at home. The family occupy a beautiful home at No. 349 Franklin avenue, Salem.

Mr. Hampson is recognized as one of the city's progressive and public-spirited men, one whose interests are coincident with those of his city. For many years he has been and is now president of the School Board and has given time, attention and aid to numerous civic organizations. For some years he has been treasurer and secretary of the Salem Gas Com- pany. Fraternally he belongs to the higher branches of Masonry, and has attained the 33rd degree. He is past grand commander of Ohio of the Knights Templar and is present grand treasurer of the Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons of Ohio, having served as such for the past 20 years.

ON. S. J. FIRESTONE, president of Firestone Brothers' Bank at Lisbon, one of the soundest financial institu- tions in this part of the State, has at- tained distinction as lawyer, soldier, judge and banker. For nearly a half century he has actively participated in the affairs of the county seat and has been identified with its most important enterprises, public and private, giving to the development of the city the ener- getic support of a patriotic and public-spirited citizen.

S. J. Firestone was born in Knox township, Columbiana County, Ohio, October 2, 1833, and is a son of Daniel and Nancy (Lower) Firestone. His father was born in Pennsyl- vania in 1797 and moved to Knox township prior, to his marriage. He engaged in agricul-

tural pursuits until his death in 1864, aged 67 years. His wife, Nancy Lower, born in West township, Columbiana County, Ohio, in 18II, came of a pioneer family of this county, her father having located a section of land in West township in 1803, most of which property is still owned in the family. Our subject is one. of 12 children born to his parents, seven of whom grew to maturity as follows: John L., deceased, who lived and practiced medicine at Salem; Leander, also a physician, located at Wooster, Ohio, but now deceased; Daniel J., for 20 years in partnership with our, subject in the banking business, who died in Lisbon in 1896, aged 60 years; S. J .; Mrs. A. B. King, of Salem; Mrs. Jason King, of North George- town; and Mrs. Dan Bartges, of North George- town.

S. J. Firestone attended the common schools. of his native district, and in later years entered Mount Union College at Alliance, Ohio, where he continued until 1858. He then entered upon the study of the law in the office of McSweeney & Given, of Wooster, one of the most success- ful firms in Ohio. He was admitted to the bar in 1860 and immediately thereafter located in practice at Lisbon, where he has remained con- tinuously since with the exception of the time spent in the Union Army during the Civil War. He was one of the first to respond to Lincoln's call for. volunteers and was mustered in as a private August 26, 1861, in the 19th Regiment Ohio Vol. Inf. He was promoted to Ist lieutenant December 16th, the commission bear- ing date of August 26, 1861. His regiment was with the Fourth Army Corps, Army of the. Cumberland, and participated in 22 of the principal engagements of the war, among them the siege of Corinth, battle of Nashville, Pitts- burg Landing, the pursuit of General Bragg, the defense of Louisville, and the battles of Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Orchard Knob, Mission Ridge, Kenesaw Moun- tain, Peach Tree Creek and Franklin. He served through the Atlanta campaign with credit, being present through the siege and fall of that city. He was later in the service in Texas, and was mustered out November 21, 1865. In recognition of his courageous con-

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duct and valiant services he was promoted to the rank of captain on August 7, 1862, to that of major on March 29, 1865, and was com- missioned lieutenant-colonel May 31, 1865.

Returning home at the close of the war, 'Colonel Firestone resumed the practice of law, and was in 1866 nominated and elected to the office of probate judge of Columbiana County. He was reelected in 1869 and served a period of six years in that capacity. Possessing a high sense of justice and fairness and a compre- hensive knowledge of the law, his career on the bench was one which gained for him the highest respect and confidence of the people, so that when his term expired and he resumed practice he found a greatly increased clientage. In 1873 he formed a partnership with Judge William A. Nichols under the firm name of Nichols & Firestone, a firm which was probably the best known and most successful in the county dur- ing its existence.

In 1878, in partnership with his brother, Daniel J., Judge Firestone established Firestone Brothers' Bank, which has done the largest banking business of any institution at Lisbon. Since the death of Daniel J. Firestone, our sub- ject has devoted his entire attention to his bank- ing business and his extensive real estate hold- ings in the county. The officers of this institu- tion are : Hon. S. J. Firestone, president ; Ed. Firestone (son of Daniel J.), cashier; and Ross W. Firestone, assistant cashier. Judge Firestone owns considerable city property and farming land throughout the county, all highly improved, and has in the neighborhood of 80 tenants. He has acted as trustee of several very large estates, including the Leetonia Iron & Coal Company, in the failure of which he repre- sented creditors to the amount of $1,000,000. He was administrator of the Robert Patterson estate, executor of George S. Nace, who was at the time of his death one of the wealthiest citizens of the county, and was also executor of the estate left by Mrs. Nace. He is in robust health and has the vigor, and strength of a man many years his junior. He has had very little sickness in his life, and served throughout the four years of the Civil War without an in- jury or a day of sickness.

Judge Firestone was in 1860 united in mar- riage with Annie E. Williams, who was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, where her people were pioneers, residing in the vicinity of Damascus. Three sons and one daughter blessed this union, namely : Clark B., W. S., Ross W. and Flora. Clark B., who is on the editorial staff of the New York Mail and Ex- press, was graduated from Oberlin College, where his first editorial work was on the col- lege paper. He has spent considerable time in Europe as correspondent for his paper. W. S. is engaged in the life insurance business at Cleveland. Ross W. is assistant cashier of Firestone Brothers' Bank. Flora is the wife of Dr. A. P. Howland, a prominent physician . of Cleveland. Religiously, Mrs. Firestone is a member of the Disciples Church.

The subject of this biography has always been an enthusiastic supporter of the Republican party, whose principles he has defended and advocated on the stump in his home county. Although he has never sought for office since leaving the bench, he has served as a member of the Lisbon Council many years, on the School Board many years and as treasurer 15 years. Fraternally he is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and is a Royal Arch Mason. He is numbered among the county's most substantial men, and can with pride look upon his record in business, his rise from obscurity to prominence and affluence having been wholly through his own efforts. He has always identified himself with the best interests of the community, whose progress has kept pace with his own.

ON. DANIEL W. CRIST, member of the State Assembly from Columbiana " County, and the owner of a finely im-, proved farm of 130 acres, which is situated in sections 8 and 9, West township, is also extensively engaged in music publishing at Moultrie. He was born in West township, Columbiana County, Ohio, in 1857, and is a son of Robert and Mary (Ruff) Crist. The Crist family is of English extraction

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and was founded in Maryland by John Crist, the great-grandfather of our subject. He lo- cated at a very early day on land now covered by a large part of the city of Baltimore. It was leased to the county and this lease has but recently expired and, did the family wish to go into litigation, there is no doubt but their claim could be established to an immense es- tate. The grandfather, Robert Crist, moved to Ohio in 1827 and settled near Canton, Stark County, where he first rented a farm and later purchased a quarter section of land near Marl- boro. He had nine children.

Robert Crist, son of Robert and father of Daniel W., was born in Maryland in 1825, and was brought to Ohio when a babe of two years. He grew to manhood in Stark County and began to teach school when only 16 years of age. After his marriage he located in West township, which was his home until his death in 1898. He married Mary Ruff, who was a daughter of Daniel and Barbara (Bair) Ruff. The Ruffs came to America from Germany in 1760 and settled in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, where the family to this day is numerous and prominent. No less so is the Bair family. Mr. Crist's great-grandparents were Rudolph and Anna Mary (Sanor) Bair, the latter of whom was a daughter of Michael Sanor, who was an aide-de-camp to General Washington during the Revolutionary War. Rudolph Bair was the first Representative to the General Assembly from Jefferson County, Ohio, of which Columbiana County was then a part, in 1803 and was the one who laid out the State road which runs from Canton to Lisbon, Ohio.

Daniel W. Crist received his primary edu- cation in the county schools and then took a course in the Northwestern Ohio Normal School. Owing to a breakdown in his health, he abandoned his chosen profession, that of school teaching, and took up the study of music, for he is a natural musician. His talents de- veloped in childhood and had Mr. Crist given his sole attention to music alone, it is probable the world would have numbered him as one of the most eminent figures in the world of music. He took up the teaching of music

at first, and kept on studying and ere long be- gan musical composition. He found here a congenial field of work and in the years inter- vening since then, he has composed the music for many Sunday-school song-books and sev- eral day-school song-books not to mention over 100 piano conpositions, a number of these hav- ing at present a national reputation.

In addition to composing music, Mr. Crist publishes it, having probably the largest music publishing house in Ohio. It is located at Moultrie where he also has his business office. He has been in public life for a number of years and is one of the leading Republicans of the western section of Columbiana County. He was elected a member of the General Assembly in 1901 and was reelected in 1903, and his popularity is on the increase. His fine rural home is situated on section 8, West township ..

In 1882 Mr. Crist was married to Mary Reed, who is a daughter of James and Nancy (Newcomer ) Reed. The Newcomers were na- tives of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Three children have been born to this union, viz : Myrtie M., born April 18, 1885 ; James R., born August 4, 1887, and Arthur D., born March 17, 1898. Mr. and Mrs. Crist belong to the Christian Church. Mr. Crist is promi- nent in Masonry, being a Knight Templar.

OEL SHARP. With the death of Joel Sharp, on July 28, 1898, there passed from Salem one of its venerable and most honored citizens. His birth took place in Goshen township, Columbiana County, Ohio, February 22, 1820, and he was the youngest child of Joel and Rebecca (Tyrrel) Sharp.

There are few families of Columbiana County which deserve more extended mention than that of Sharp, not only on account of its commercial achievements, but also for the high personal character of its members. The father of the late Joel Sharp was born August 13, 1779, at Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, where in early life, he was adopted by Aaron Stratton and reared as the latter,'s son until manhood.

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He married Rebecca Tyrrel, who was born in New Jersey, November 17, 1783. When Mr. Stratton moved to Ohio in 1806, Joel Sharp ac- companied him, and they located in Goshen township, Columbiana County, where they es- tablished a sawmill and operated it in partner- ship for some years. The Strattons belonged to the Society of Friends and Joel Sharp and wife joined the meeting of that sect on May II, 1813. Joel Sharp died in the month fol- lowing the birth of our subject, on March 8, 1820, but his widow was spared to her children for many years, passing away at her home in Salem, June 12, 1875, aged 91 years. They were parents of these children : Ruth, who died unmarried; Martha, who married Daniel Bon- sall; Thomas, born in 1808, who died at Salem, in 1896; Clayton, who died at Olmstead, near Cleveland, Ohio; Mary Ann, who married Caleb Hunt, of Salem; Aaron, who died in in- fancy; Simeon, of whom extended mention will be found in this work; and Joel, of this sketch.

When Joel Sharp was seven years old, he was considered of sufficient age to begin' to earn his own living, and with Spartan firmness his mother apprenticed him to farmer Daniel Bonsall, with whom he remained until he was 14 years old. He then joined his mother at Cleveland, Ohio, she in the meantime having married Nathan Hunt. Joel spent the follow- ing five years as a clerk in Cleveland, using a part of his earnings to pay for one year's tuition at a Friends' school at Mount Pleasant, Ohio. In 1841 he went to work for his brother Thomas, who was operating a sawmill at Cleveland, and four years later he began to learn the trade of a machinist with the Cuya- hoga Furnace Company.

In 1848 Mr. Sharp returned to Salem and entered into a business partnership with his brothers, Thomas, Clayton and Simeon, in the establishing of the Sharp Brothers' foundry, this being really the nucleus of what later de -. veloped into one of the greatest industrial plants in this section of the State. All the brothers, except the late Thomas Sharp, sub- sequently entered into a partnership under the firm name of Sharps, Davis & Bonsall, which,

in 1871, was incorporated as the Buckeye En- gine Company, with these officers : Joel Sharp,. president ; J. C. Boone, secretary and treasurer ;. Milton Davis, vice-president ; Joel Bonsall, su- perintendent ; and Simeon Sharp, assistant su -- perintendent. From this date until his demise, our subject continued as the president of the' company and much of its success came from his business capacity and judgment.

Other large and important business enter- prises claimed his attention also. In 1885 he was one of the organizers of the Salem Wire Nail Company and later became its president, filling that office until it was absorbed by the American Steel & Wire Company in 1898. He: was mainly instrumental in forming the Salem. Coal Company and became one of its directing: board and it was through his efforts in great. degree that the Salem Railroad became an es- tablished fact. He was also largely interested. in the First National Bank of Salem, one of its: directors and at all times a careful conservative: adviser. During his long life in Salem, he was closely identified with her many public-spirited movements, accepted civic offices in order to, lend influence to wise and judicious movements, for the city's welfare and took as conscientious. care in guarding public interests as he did in! caring for, his own affairs. He was a man of progressive spirit and was one of the first mem- bers of the City Council to favor city water- works and electric lighting. As far back as 1856 he identified himself with the Republican party and actively supported its principles until his death.

Mr. Sharp was united in marriage on No- vember, 21, 1844, to Angeline Lee, who is a daughter of Josiah and Hannah (Boone) Lee,. members of old and well-established families- of Pennsylvania, where the names are held in great respect. Josiah and Hannah Boone were both born in Berks County and were married there in September, 1818, and moved from there to Salem, Ohio, where the family resided' permanently. Josiah Lee died in 1844 while. on a business trip to Memphis, Tennessee. He. was survived many years by his widow, who, died in 1890, when within eight years of com- pleting a century. From the same stock came

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Daniel Boone, the great Kentucky pioneer and Indian fighter.

" Mr. and Mrs. Sharp had two children : Frances and Herbert H. The former was born at Salem, Ohio, August 31, 1845, and was mar- ried to Charles H. Ellis on August 22, 1872. She resides with her venerable mother. Herbert H. Sharp was born at Salem, January 9; 1860. He was educated in the public schools, at Andover Academy and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he studied me- chanical engineering. After leaving school, he served an apprenticeship with the Buckeye En- gine Company and in 1886 he entered the em- ploy of the Salem Wire Nail Company as ship- ping clerk. In 1892 he became superintendent and continued in this position until the sale of this plant to the American Steel & Wire Com- pany was consummated. After the death of his father, he became a director of the Buckeye Engine Company and this was followed by his election to the presidency in January, 1903. Herbert H. Sharp was married September 26, 1888, to Bessie Church Rush. They have one son, born April 8, 1896, who was named Joel Herbert.

The name of Sharp is so closely connected with the leading enterprises of Salem that, as a. family, it commands more than the usual amount of notice. Investigate the community's commercial interests, its philanthropic move- ments, its quiet charities, its educational ad- vancement, and the refined social enjoyments, and it will be discovered that in very few of these the members of this old and honored fam- ily have not been either leaders or promoters of all that is best in the city's life. It may be justly claimed that in business, public and so- cial life here, the name is a household word.

F. STODDARD, one of the active and self-made business men of East Pales- tine, Ohio, was born in 1868, in Sewickley, Allegheny County, Penn- sylvania, and resided in that county until 12 years old, when he came to East Pales- tine, Columbiana County. Mr. Stoddard left

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History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 50

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