History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 55

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 55

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Mr. Brantingham was married, first, to Sarah Gilbert, who was born in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and died at Winona, in 1884, aged 44 years. Mr. Bratingham was married, second, to Rachel Kirk, who was born at Mount Pleasant; they have two sons, viz : Joseph C. and Wilson J. The family belong to the Society of Friends.'

Mr. Brantingham has been identified with the Republican party all his life and has al- ways taken more or less interest in public mat- ters. He is one of the substantial business men of his section, one of the principal stockhold- ers and one of the directors of the Winona Creamery Company of Winona, and is also a

director in the Winona Central Telephone Com- pany.

In a number of his business enterprises, our subject has been associated with his brother William, who is now superintendent and treas- urer of the Winona Creamery Company. This . is one of the county's very successful indus- tries. It was organized in 1890, when a stock company was formed. At the time of incorpor- ation there were 18 stockholders, but the num -; ber has since been reduced to 13. Like many other prosperous concerns, it was started in a. small way, handling but 900 pounds of milk per day; the business has grown steadily and at the present time 25,000 pounds of milk are used each day. Four experienced hands are constantly employed and the company's fine creamery butter and excellent quality of cheese. find a ready market in Salem and in Pittsburg.

William Brantingham, our subject's broth- er, was born in Winona, January 4, 1860, and has always resided in Butler, township. In, addition to his creamery interests, he owns a fruit farm of 18 acres near Winona and is a+ stockholder in the Winona Central Telephone,- Company. . In 1881 he married Anna Cope,. a native of Westmoreland County, Pennsyl- vania, and a daughter of Edward Y. and Alice- G. (Gilbert) Cope. They have two children,. viz :. Alice A., a normal school teacher, and' Elma. Like his older brother, Mr. Branting- ham is a Wilburite Friend. He is also identi- fied with the Republican party. Both are men of substantial worth and good citizenship. "

ON. J. A. MARTIN, the present pro- bate judge of Columbiana County, formerly mayor of Lisbon, and one of the city's representative citizens, was born in the northern part of. Jef- ferson County, Ohio, in 1852.

Judge Martin, whose portrait accompanies this sketch, was educated in the common schools of Jefferson County and at the Hope- dale Normal School, and subsequently entered Mount Union College, where he was graduated. with the class of 1876 .. Tudge Martin's ambi --

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tion was fixed on the law, but prior to giving it much study he taught school for some years. During this time he was superintendent of the schools at Salineville, for three years, and spent two years at West Salem, Wayne County. He then came to Lisbon and entered the law office of Wallace & Billingsley, where he read law. In the summer of 1882, he was admitted to the bar before the Supreme Court at Colum- bus. Since then he has been located in prac- tice at Lisbon.

Judge Martin is one of the leading Repub- licans of this locality, is chairman of the Re- .publican County Central Committee and of the Republican County Executive Committee. In 1898 he was elected mayor of Lisbon and gave the city a clean and economical administra- tion. For some ten years Judge Martin served as justice of the peace, and in the fall of 1902 was elected to his present responsible position. He entered upon his duties on the bench in February, 1903, for a term of three years.

In 1887 Judge Martin was married to Mil- lie Shearer, of Lisbon, and they have one daughter, Edith L. The family attend the United Presbyterian Church.

Judge Martin is fraternally connected with the Knights of Pythias, the Knights of the Maccabees and the Elks.

ILSON S. SMITH is one of the pro- gressive farmers and stockraisers of St. Clair township, and was born on the farm upon which he now resides. He is a son of John and Mary ( Fisher ) Smith, who were early set- tlers of Columbiana County. The paternal grandfather was John Smith, a native of North- umberland County, Pennsylvania, and a very iprosperous man, owning a woolen-mill and a flour and oil-mill there. During a raid of the Indians, the family were hurried to Harris- burg for protection, and none too soon for the 'savages completely destroyed the property, set- ting fire to it and leaving John Smith in pov- erty. He secured a wagon and team of horses by means of which he moved his family and

what goods they could scrape together to East Liberty, Pennsylvania. There he rented 400 acres of land from a man named Winebiddle and in two years time had managed to save sufficient money to make a new start in a new country. In 1802 he sent his son John to Ohio to enter a quarter-section of land in the new country which was just then being opened up to civilization and was the Mecca of many poor families. The land chosen was in what is now section 18, St. Clair township, Columbiana County, and was covered with a dense growth of underbrush and timber. In 1803 two of the sons, John and Adam, came to the new home and built a log house into which the family moved. This cabin occupied a position near the spring-house of Wilson S. Smith. When it was built, there was but one house between that point and Cleveland.

John Smith, Jr., our subject's father, was born in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, in 1780 and was married to Mary Fisher whose father, Henry Fisher, came from Pennsylvania and entered land near where Calcutta now stands. When Mr. Smith lived at East Lib- erty, Pennsylvania, he grubed stumps from land that is now in the city of Pittsburg. After liv- ing two years on the farm in section 18, St. Clair township, one of his neighbors, Thomas Moore, a man of means and the owner of a flour mill near East Liverpool, proposed to John Smith, to whom he had taken a great fancy, that Smith should go to Pittsburg, Penn- sylvania, purchase a flatboat, come down the river, load up with flour which Mr. Moore would furnish at $3.50 per barrel and take it to New Orleans where it could be disposed of at a good price. To this proposal young Smith replied : "No, I have no money for such an enterprise." To which Mr. Moore answered, "I will furnish the money and will go with you to Pittsburg to buy the boat." When this scheme was broached to the elder Smith, he op- posed it as a hazardous undertaking which would plunge his son into a debt from which he would be unable to extricate himself should. the boat sink or some such calamity happen. Mr. Moore finally overcame these objections, the boat was bought, loaded and started on

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its journey. Arriving at his destination, Mr. Smith disposed of his cargo at $9.50 per bar- rel, receiving his pay in silver. He took a boat to Philadelphia where he obtained a check for the amount on the old Pittsburg bank, reserv- ing enough to buy a horse, saddle and bridle with which to get home. He rode to Pittsburg, cashed his check and returned with enough money to pay for his flour and boat and have sufficient besides to place the entire family in easy circumstances. The elder Smith died soon after this at 80 years of age. John Smith, Jr., reached his 74th year, dying in 1853 and his wife four years later at the age of 75.

Hon. George Smith, the eldest of the chil- dren of John and Mary (Fisher) Smith, was born January 2, 1809, and died July 14, 1881. He served in the Ohio State Legislature two terms and then moved to Caldwell County, Mis- souri, and served in the Missouri State Legis- lature for five terms. While a member of that body he drew up the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railway bill and had it passed. In 1862 he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Missouri. Under President Grant's administration he was United States marshal for six years, his ter- ritory covering 72 counties in Northwestern Missouri.

Wilson S. Smith is the 13th, and the only survivor, of a family of 14 children. He was educated in a country school but for two terms went to a select school in Calcutta and took up the occupation of farming, being engaged ex- tensively in raising sheep and horses, his wool alone bringing him no inconsiderable sum each year. He erected his residence in 1881 and has. surrounded it with a pleasant lawn and with cutbuildings that are in keeping with the gener- al air. of coziness and comfort.

At the age of 28, our subject was married to Caroline Fisher, daughter of Peter Fisher, of St. Clair township, and seven children have been born to them, viz : Harry, who died at the age of five; John Edwin, who married Florence Dickey and has six boys ; Orlando, who lives on the home farm; James N., who married Miss Reed and has one child; Laura W., who mar- ried, Dr. H. H. Chamberlain, of Canton, Ohio, and has one son; Alice, who died in her sixth year; and Wilson S., Jr.

Mr. Smith was a director of the Columbiana County Agricultural Society for four years and president of the said society for five years. For a period of 21 years he was president of the Township Line Mutual Insurance Company. He has held a number of local offices, among which have been those of township trustee and justice of the peace. For a period of 31 years he served as school director. He was reared a Democrat and always voted that ticket until Clement L. Vallandigham was candidate for Governor in the '60's; since then he has given his allegiance to the Republican party. He is a member of the Long Run Presbyterian Church, of which he is an elder. In 1898 he was elected as one of the delegates from the Steubenville Presbytery to the General Assem- bly of the Presbyterian Church, which met that year at Winona, Indiana,-this has been the crowning office of his life.

OUIS T. FARR, one of the leading members of the bar of Columbiana County, and a well known, public- spirited citizen of Rogers, was born July 24, 1865, at East Carmel. Colum- biana County, Ohio, and is a son of Jonas H. and Christena A. (Gardner) Farr.

William Farr, the paternal grandfather, was born and reared in Loudoun County, Vir- ginia, and moved to Elkrun township, Colum- biana County, Ohio, in 1824. Our subject has in his possession one of his grandfather's pa- pers which was signed by him and a brother, in Virginia, as far back as 1819. He married Rachel Humphrey, of Quaker origin. The great-grandfather was Jonas Farr, who was a school teacher in Virginia. The name is not confined to that State, however, as one branch went to New England, whence came Maj. Everett W. ,Farr, Member of Congress from New Hampshire, while another removed to Ohio and still others settled at various places in the South.

Jonas H. Farr, father of our subject, was born in Elkrun township, Columbiana County. Ohio, December 26, 1825, and followed farm- ing in this county all his life, dying June 30,

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1896. He was township trustee for many years and held other local offices. He had two brothers, Levan and Elijah; and four sisters,- Mrs. Theresa Cannon, Mrs. Maria Morlan, Mrs. Sarah Weeden and Mrs. Rebecca Dickey. Mr. Farr married Christena A. Gardner, who was born October 24, 1827, and died November I, 1884. Her birthplace was the old Morris farm in Elkrun township. She had two broth- ers, viz : William, who served in the artillery with the Western Army in the Civil War and is now a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, at Prescott, Kansas; and Harrison, who died at his home at Winterset, Iowa, in 1902. For many years the parents of our sub- ject were members of the United Brethren Church.

The children of Jonas H. Farr and wife were: William A., who resides on a farm ad- joining the old homestead at East Carmel; Mrs. Letitia J. Montgomery, of East Carmel ; Emmett E., a farmer at East Carmel; Michael E., a contractor and builder at Salem; and Louis T., of this sketch.

Louis T. Farr. spent his boyhood days on a farm in Middleton township and attended the district schools first and later took a classical course at Mount Hope Seminary, where he was graduated June 12, 1889. He received his degree of A. M. from Volant College, in Penn- sylvania. His reading of the law was pursued under J. W. & H. Morrison of Lisbon and he was admitted to the bar at Columbus, Decem- ber 3. 1891, and to the Superior Court of Cali- fornia in 1892. He has been in the practice of the law at Rogers ever since and has ably hand- led the greater port of the litigation of import- ance in his section ever since, being considered one of the county's ablest attorneys. He has served at city attorney, as school director, as member of the County Board of Elections and has been deputy State supervisor. of elections.

Mr. Farr has long enjoyed an excellent practice and from its emoluments has become possessed of a fine office adjoining a handsome home. a fine library and an income which per- mits the enjoyment of many of the good things of life.

Mr. Farr was united in marriage on Decem- ber 24, 1891, 21 days after he was admitted to

the bar, to Pearl A. Byers, of Colfax, Indi- ana, a step-daughter of the late Dr. H. W. Vale, who came to Rogers in 1888, and a daughter of Marion and Almarine (Blacker) Byers, one of the oldest and best families of Clinton County, Indiana. Mrs. Farr had four uncles in the Civil War, all of whom survived.,

Politically Mr. Farr. is a Republican, as was his father from the organization of the party. Fraternally he is a member of Negley Blue Lodge, No. 565, F. & A. M .; New Lis- bon Chapter, No. 92; and Pilgrim Command- ery, No. 55, K. T., of East Liverpool. Mr. Farr is a member of the Christian Church.

RIAH S. NOLD, a solid and sub- stantial merchant of Leetonia, is a representative of a family whose name is indissolubly linked with the history of the county's early days. He was born in this village February 4, 1858, and is a son of Abraham and Sarah (Sitler) Nold. Among the early settlers of the county, none was better known or more highly respected that Jacob Nold, the grandfather of our sub- ject. Coming here at a time when the land was. wild and unsettled, roamed over by savage beast and still more savage red man, he built his cab- in and established his home, fearless alike of dangers and hardships. His father built the first grist-mill in this part of the country, which later came into the possession of Jacob Nold; in connection with it, a saw-mill and a dis- tillery were also operated. In addition to op- erating his mills, Jacob Nold did teaming be- tween this point and Pittsburg and at one time, in company with the father of Judge Wells, loaded a boat at East Liverpool with flour and apple-butter and took it to New. Orleans and .sold the boat and cargo. He was as vigorous and energetic as he was keen in business and a story told of him which illustrates these characteristics is known to be authentic: He went to Pittsburg, a distance of 65 miles, on horseback and while there he had an opportun- ity to sell his horse at a good price which he did, delivering the animal at once. Starting back at night, he walked to Leetonia in time for

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supper on the following day. He was a man of deeply religious convictions and one of the first members of the Mennonite Church.

Abraham Nold was born in Fairfield town- ship, this county, September 28, 1826, and is still one of the most prominent and highly ven- erated citizens of Leetonia. He carried on farming operations for many years and as the village was near his land he laid out part of his property in town lots which now constitute the eastern section of Leetonia. He has always been at the head of every public-spirited move- ment and is an active member of the Mennonite Church. He has been a life-long Republican. His wife Sarah, is a daughter of Solomon Sit- ler; their family consists of five children, viz : Solomon S., general manager and assistant secretary of the Avery-Caldwell Manufactur- ing Company, of Bellaire, Ohio; Emma, wife of Joseph Shontz, a machinist at Leetonia; Uriah S., our subject; Lizzie, wife of H. R. Phillips, of Muncie, Indiana; and Ida, wife of Emmett E. Morgan, agent for the Erie Rail- road at Leetonia.

Uriah S. Nold received a good common school education, supplementing this with a course in the Leetonia High School. He then devoted his time to agricultural pursuits until 1897 when he engaged in the mercantile busi- ness in Leetonia and has since continued in that line. Mr. Nold is a Republican and takes a lively interest in all political questions. He was married in 1879 to Minnie Hepliner, daughter of Henry Hephner and a family of five children have blessed this union, namely : Edith; Howard, who is with the Harbison- Walker Company, of Pittsburg; Myrtle; Helen and Laura. The family are members and earn- est workers of the English Lutheran Church.

OEL B. TAYLOR, Jr., superintendent of the decorating department of The Vodrey Pottery Company, at East Liverpool, was born at Hanover, Columbiana County, Ohio, October 31, 1863, and is a son of Joel B. and Martha Isabel R. (Lamb) Taylor and grandson of Anthony and Abigail ( Bishop) Taylor.

The grandfather of our subject was born in New Jersey in December, 1788, and came to Salem, Ohio, when the town was a mere niche in the surrounding forest, there being but a few houses at the time in the village. He was a wheelwright by occupation and followed his trade in Salem for a number of years. He afterward engaged in agricultural pursuits in Green township, where he resided seven years and then kept a hotel at New Albany, Mahoning County, for a numbr of years, carrying on his trade while tending to the duties of his public house. In 1840 he started a foundry at New- garden and there manufactured the "Taylor" plow. He was also the inventor and maker of the "shear cutter," which has been extensively used in this and other States. He died in New- garden in 1852 at the age of 64 years. His wife, Abigail Bishop, was also a native of New Jersey, born in February, 1788. She lived to the advanced age of 92 years, dying in 1880. They raised a family of seven sons and five daughters, of whom Joel B. Taylor, Sr., the father of our subject, is still living.

Joel B. Taylor, Sr., was born at Salem, Ohio, March 24, 1825, and attended the com- mon schools at intervals during the years of his minority and the age of 20 began working at the wheelwright's trade, which he had previously learned in his father's shop. His compensation for the first 18 months was 50c. per day ; notwithstanding such small wages he continued at his chosen calling and with in- creased wages was able to lay by a good deal of money, finally accumulating a handsome competency. In 1862 he enlisted in the Third Ohio Independent Battery as artificer and was with his command nine months, when, owing to a stroke of paralysis, which unfitted him for further duty, he was obliged to leave the service. On returning from the army, he removed to Cincinnati, where he resided one year and then returned to Columbiana County, which has since been his home. He is a well known busi- ness man in the village of Hanover, being one of the leading citizens of the place. Some years ago he began the publication of a local weekly newspaper called the Ohio Crowder, which was afterward changed to the Visitor; he continued

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to issue it regularly for some time but it finally ceased to make its visits because of other busi- ness matters that claimed Mr. Taylor's atten- tion. He still carries on a general job printing office, which has a good patronage and in con- nection with the printing he conducts a queen's- ware and book store, in both of which lines he has a paying trade.

On September II, 1845, Joel B. Taylor, Sr., was united in marriage with Martha Isabel R. Lamb, who was born in London, England, September 13, 1825, being a daughter of Christopher Joseph Lamb, of Scotch ancestry. The wedded life of Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, ex- tending for a period of 49 years until her death, was blessed with the birth of 13 children-six sons and seven daughters-five of whom are still living, namely: Annie, Henrietta, Mary Alice, Thomas L. and Joel B., Jr., the subject of this sketch. After the death of his first wife, Mr. Taylor married again and after eight years was again made a widower. He has been mar- ried to his third wife for over two years. He has served the town of Hanover as mayor. three terms and has also been justice of the peace and township trustee, one term in each position. He is now borough treasurer and notary public. He belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic, and with his wife is identified with the Church of the Disciples, in which he holds the position of elder.

Our subject was reared at Hanover, at- tended the schools of his native place and then learned the trade of carriage painter. After completing his apprenticeship, he went to Pull- man, Illinois, and entered the employ of the Pullman Palace Car Company, where he re- mained about six years. In 1884 he came to East Liverpool and opened a shop in which to carry on carriage painting, which business he kept in operation until the fall of 1888. Then he entered the employ of The Vodrey Pottery Company, his duties being both in the office and on the road. In the summer of 1894 he became superintendent of the decorating de- partment, a responsible position that he con- tinues to fill, with 50 employees under his super- vision.

Mr. Taylor was married to Ellen Vodrey,

a daughter of James N. Vodrey, of East Liver- pool, and they have one daughter and one son, Alma Vodrey and William Hard. Both Mr. and Mrs. Taylor are active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is one of the stewards, has been a member of the board of trustees and has taken a deep interest in the Sunday-school work. He has also been one of the city's able temperance workers and is con- sidered one of the city's sincere reformers.

Politically, Mr. Taylor is a Republican but he has never consented to have his name used in connection with political honors. Fratern- ally he belongs to Riddle Lodge, No. 315, F. & A. M .; East Liverpool Chapter, No. 100, R. A. M., and Pilgrim Commandery, No. 55, K. T.

m ELKER H. ENDLY, whose well- improved farm of 168 acres is. situated in section 23, Center township, is a native of this county, and was born in Hanover township on May 22, 1837. His parents were Jacob and Mary (Harbaugh) Endly.

The great-grandfather of our subject was born in Germany and when he came to the United States settled in Fayette County, Penn- sylvania, where he reared his family. His son, John Endly, our subject's grandfather, was born on the old homestead, but he died in Carroll County, Ohio, to which he had come as one of the first settlers. Jacob Endly, father of Melker H., was born at Uniontown, Penn- sylvania, in 1805, and he was about seven years of age when he accompanied his parents to Ohio. His father located in Carroll County near the Columbiana County line and took up land there. Jacob Endly was a tanner up to 1847, when he went to farming and followed agricultural pursuits the remainder of his life. His death occurred when he was about 75 years old.

The mother of our subject was born at Lisbon, Ohio, and her whole life was spent in Columbiana County, where she died aged 68 years. She was a daughter of Capt. Daniel

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Harbaugh, who came here from Uniontown, Pennsylvania, and settled at Lisbon in 1801. He went back to his native State and married and then returned to Ohio, in 1802, locating at Lisbon when that city was represented by one log house. He entered a large body of land and at one time owned seven farms and paid more tax than any man in the county. He was a tanner by trade. During the War of 1812, in which he was a captain, he had his men construct corduroy roads over which can- non were transported to Cleveland. On num- erous occasions he served in the State Legisla- ture and was one of the leading men of his time in this section. He lived to the age of 95 years. The children born to Jacob Endly and wife were 10 in number, two of whom, Charles and Cornelia, died in 1862, from diphtheria. The survivors are: Mrs. Elizabeth Hickock, of Nebraska ; Mrs. Harriet Patterson, of Lisbon; Melker H., of this sketch; David, of Lisbon; Katherine, widow of ex-Sheriff Harbaugh, of Lisbon; Mrs. Anna Springer, of Nebraska; Lewis, of Lisbon; and George, of Center township.

Our subject was not over two years of age when his parents located in Center township and he has claimed this as his home ever since. When about 20 years of age he went to East Liverpool and remained there several years as a clerk in a stove store, after which he en- gaged in business in partnership with John Thompson for several more years and then operated an oil business at Island Run for two years. In the spring of 1864 he enlisted for the 100-day service, entering Company I, 143rd Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., and was out six months, the most of the time being located in the vicinity of Petersburg. He was discharged at Camp Chase.

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History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 55

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