History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 61

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

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0 BADIAH C. STIVER, a leading and influential resident of Leetonia, was reared and educated in Columbiana County, although he was born in Beaver township, Mahoning County, Ohio, October 23, 1846. His parents were Frederick B. and Catherine (Summers) Stiver and his grandfather, John Stiver. The last named was born in Germany but emigrated to America in 1818 and engaged in farming in Columbiana County, Ohio, for, the rest of his life. It was here, in 1821, that Frederick B. Stiver was born. He was also an agriculturist and a man highly esteemed by his neighbors as a peaceful, thrifty citizen. He was a strong Democrat but did not take an active part in politics, devoting his time to carrying on his farming operations by which he accumulated considerable means and left a neat property to his heirs. His death occurred in 1888. He married Catherine Summers, a daughter of John B. Summers, who was a pioneer of Col- umbiana County, coming from Philadelphia and purchasing the land which was later the birthplace of Mrs. Stiver and is now the site of Leetonia.

O. C. Stiver attended school in the Cherry Fork district and when he had reached his ma- jority started West to see the country that lay beyond the great Mississippi. The trip across the plains was taken in 1868 and consumed al- most three months of travel-an experience varied and exciting and never to be forgotten. He reached Colorado and from there extended his journey into Wyoming where he remained for almost nine years, becoming a typical cow- boy of the plains and enjoying to the full the wild, rugged life of the ranch, the herding of cattle and horses and the exhilarating and often dangerous rides across the stretches of prairie which his work required. In 1876 Mr. Stiver returned to this county and engaged in farming for about four years and then joined a small company and sunk a coal shaft with the expec- tation of opening up a rich bed of mineral. This hope proved futile, and after operating the mine at a loss for several years he abandoned the undertaking and went to New Mexico, where he became interested in gold and silver mining at Fairview and Kingston. This invest- ment was more satisfactory than the coal ven- ture and Mr. Stiver still retains an interest in it and also owns considerable real estate there. He was called home at the expiration of three- years by the death of his father and has since made Leetonia his home, taking charge of the large estate that was left. In 1901 he went to Oklahoma and bought largely of property at Anadarko, spending three months there. In addition to his large private business, Mr. Stiver has taken a deep interest in the municipal affairs of the city and has willingly given his services when they have been needed for the good of the community. He has served as mayor of Leetonia, was assessor of Salem township for eight years and is always among the promoters of all movements looking for the benefit of the general public. His name has been prominently mentioned as a candidate for the office of mayor on the Democratic tick- et that is to be presented to the voters in the fall of 1905. Mr. Stiver, is past chancellor of Firestone Lodge, No. 47, K. of P., and repre- sented that body in the Grand Lodge at various. times.

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

RANK A. SEBRING. The name which opens this biography is one well known in Northeastern Ohio. It belongs to one of four brothers who are the founders of the wonderful little city of Sebring, which, for rapid growth, diversified industries and brilliant future pros- pects, has no equal in the United States. These brothers, of whom our subject is the fourth in order of birth, have effectively demon- strated the strength of organization, have wrought wonders from simple elements, and through indomitable energy and resolution have established one of the greatest industrial cen- ters in this part of the United States. They have given employment to thousands of intelli- gent and energetic individuals and take pleas- ure in the great army of contented people who live through their enterprises.

Frank A. Sebring was born at Vanport, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, on July 20, 1865, and is a son of George and Elizabeth (Larkins) Sebring. The father was born in Beaver Coun- ty and the mother in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. They now live surrounded by all the comforts and luxuries of life, in the city established by their sons' enterprise. They reared a family of IO children, of whom Frank A. is the fifth in order of birth, the others being: Oliver H., president of The French China Company, of Sebring and interested in numerous other en- terprises; George E., president of The Oliver China Company, of Sebring; Elsworth H., of the French China Company, of Sebring: Jo- seph H., who died at the age of 27 years; Fred- erick E., president of The Limoges China Com- pany, of Sebring: Eva, twin sister of Frank A., who is the wife of Rev. J. H. Norris, of Pittsburg; William H., deceased, accidentally killed by a railroad train in December, 1904. who was formerly treasurer of The Limoges China Company, of Sebring: Emma, wife of C. J. Albright, who is secretary of The Se- bring Pottery Company; and Charles, a twin brother of Emma, who died aged five years.

When Frank A. Sebring was one year old. his parents moved to East Liverpool, Ohio, and his education was secured in the public schools there and in a normal school. When

he was about 17 years old, he accepted a posi- tion at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, his mother's native city, as manager of a shoe store and re- mained in that capacity for two years and thes returned to East Liverpool, where he went into partnership with his brother, Elsworth 11 .. in a grocery business under the firm name of Sebring Brothers. They made money. clear- ing about $6,000 in less than two years.

Encouraged with this financial success, the brothers planned largery enterprises, deciding to enter the pottery field and, after borrowing additional capital, in 1887, the four brothers Oliver H., Frank A., George E. and Elsworth H., together bought the Agner and Foutts Pot- tery, on which Mrs. Sarah Jane Campbell owned a mortgage. Thus they became owners and operators of their first pottery plant. The value of the first year's output was $8,000, the second $16,000, and the third $32,000, while now it amounts to $1,000,000.

In 1891 Frank A. Sebring, with his brother George E., leased the East Palestine Pottery Company's plant for a term of five years, and in 1893 they organized the Ohio China Company. and erected a plant at East Palestine. In 1895. with his three mentioned brothers, he organized The French China Company, building the plant in the East End. East Liverpool. When a de- termination was formed by the brothers to se- cure a property and build a great pottery town of their own, they consolidated their interests under the name of The Sebring Pottery Com- pany. On July 26, 1899, they consummated the purchase of 2.000 acres of land in the Southern part of Mahoning County, just over the Columbiana County line, and platted the city of Sebring. Here in 1000 they erected their first plant, that of The Oliver China Com- pany, selling the Ohio, French and Sebring pottery plants and duplicating them in the neir town under the name of The Sebring Pottery Company. Some two years since they again separated their interests and Mr. Sebring of this sketch became president of The Sebring Pottery Company and vice-president of The Limoges China Company, these two concerns having an annual output valued at more than $600,000.

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIANA COUNTY

The beginning of the great enterprise which has developed a town of 2,000 inhabitants with banks, church and educational edifices, rail- road facilities, a newspaper, a great mercantile houses and social organizations to fill the needs of a cultured community, all within the space of six years, dates its organization only as far back as 1887, in which year Frank A. Sebring was especially prominent in the initial organi- zation of The Sebring Pottery Company, which, with a capacity of two kilns and one decorating kiln and $30,000 worth of finished work per annum, was considered a prospering industry. From this small foundation the en- terprise of the brothers built up what is now, from a business point of view, probably the superior of any pottery town in America. Each of the brothers were practical potters, each had experience behind him, and all possessed the foresight which enabled them to recognize the feasibility of securing an unoccupied territory in the Mahoning Valley and of founding a town to be devoted to the expansion of their individual enterprises in combination. In June, 1905, the little city celebrated its sixth anni- versary. The plants of the Sebring companies embrace 25 ware kilns and 24 decorating kilns, employment being given in them to 1,200 work- men and the value of the annual output ex- ceeds $1,000,000. The floor space is over 276,- 000 square feet. The factories run throughout the whole year. They manufacture a high grade of decorated porcelain ware, while in addition the company operates a large stave and cask mill and is interested in other industries.

Frank A. Sebring was married in Septem- ber, 1884, to Miss M. L. Harbison, who was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and is a daughter of Adam and Jane Harbison. Thev have a bright, intelligent family of six child- ren, viz : Charles L., Helen L., Frank H., Ruth G., Nina E. and Marjorie, all of whom are at school. Their educational and social advantages will be of the best.

Mr. Sebring like his brothers, has erected at Sebring a magnificent home. . The town has everything to make residences here desirable. Wealth attained through the steady growth of business enterprise is very different from

that which is developed from speculation or is exacted through the crushing of competitors, and the residents of Sebring are people of set- tled industry and quiet lives. They enjoy every modern utility, have water-works, paved streets and electric lighting and every advant- age for culture in their libraries, lecture courses and opportunities for recreation and travel. In looking over the accomplishments of the past decade, our subject has every reason to feel a justifiable amount of pride.

Mr. Sebring devotes his whole time to his pottery interests and to the development of the city of Sebring. There is little here which has not felt his directing hand. He has encouraged the building and loan association, has pro- moted the building of churches and schools, the founding of clubs and charities and has also been concerned in the establishment of every modern comfort and convenience which mark this little city as a notable one in its day and generation. Mr. Sebring is prominent in Masonry, having taken the 32nd degree. A flourishing lodge is established at Sebring.

HOMAS A. McNICOL, secretary and treasurer of The Potters' Co-Opera- tive Company, of East Liverpool, is a native of this city and is the young- est child of John and Mary (Mc- Carron) McNicol. George McNicol, the grandfather of our subject, was born in County Donegal, Ireland, as was his wife, Margaret, and there they carried on weaving in their home, on the primitive looms common to that section. In 1834 George McNicol died and his widow struggled along there for three years and then moved with her children to Scotland. They settled in Glasgow where the sons found employment and they remained there until 1850 when the family came to the United States, locating in East Liverpool, where Mrs. Mc- Nicol died in 1874.

John McNicol was born in County Donegal. Ireland, October 30, 1823, and was a lad of 14 when the family moved to Glasgow. He at once secured work in the potteries of Glasgow

RESIDENCE OF ISADORE BISHOP

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and learned every branch of the business so that when he came to America 13 years later, he had no trouble in obtaining work in the pottery of John Blakely, of East Liverpool. He remained there but a short time when he was offered a better place with Knowles & Har- vey for whom he worked 17 years, leaving the firm to organize a joint-stock company. This `company purchased the pottery of A. J. Marks, built by John Goodwin, and made a specialty of "Rockingham" and yellow ware. Mr. McNicol conducted this business until 1879 when he transferred it to his son, Daniel E., and retired from active life. He was married to Mary McCarron of Glasgow, a daughter of George McCarron. They lost two children before com- ing to this country. Those who grew to mature years are as follows: Margaret, who resides in East Liverpool and has been twice married, --- her first husband was John Grafton and her second James Greene; Hugh A., president of The Potters' Co-Operative Company; Daniel E., president of The D. E. McNicol Pottery Company ; Mary E., a Sister in the Ursuline Convent, of Toledo, Ohio; John C., general manager of the D. E. McNicol Pottery Com- pany ; George P., manager of The Potters' Co- Operative Company; and Thomas A. The mother died April 12, 1880, and the father November 30, 1881.

.Thomas A. McNicol received a good, prac- tical education, attending the public schools of East Liverpool, spending two years at St. Vin- cent's Academy, in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and finishing with a course in Niagara University, Niagara Falls, New York. Returning home, he went to work for The Pot- ters' Co-Operative Company where he worked his way up, mastering every detail of the trade, and in 1902 he was made assistant secretary of the company. In 1903 he was elected treasurer and the year following he was elected secretary and treasurer. The members of the McNicol family have certainly made a remarkable record in the pottery industry and they are citizens who are a credit to any community.

Thomas A. McNicol married Margaret C. Gillespie, daughter of William Gillespie, of Mc- Keesport, Pennsylvania, and one child, Mar-

garet Mary, has been born to them. They are devout members of St. Aloysius Catholic Church. Mr. McNicol belongs to East Liver- pool Council, No. 509, K. of C .; East Liver- pool Lodge, No. 258, B. P. O. E. ; and 's a prominent member of the East Liverpool Driv- ing Association.

SADORE BISHOP, a retired citizen of Columbiana, was born April 4, 1840, and is a native of Germany, the country that has sent so many of her sturdy sons to our shores. His name was ori- ginally spelled Isidor in German, but when he entered the army in the War, of the Rebellion he was enrolled as Isadore, which forni of name he has since continued to use. His parents were Sebastian and Rosena (Ank) Bishop, who in the spring of 1853 took passage from Germany in a sailing vessel with their two children, Isa- clore and Joseph, and were 36 days in making the passage to America. They settled in Huron County, Ohio, where they engaged in farming and where the parents died, the mother in her 5Ist year and the father at the advanced age of 56.

Isadore and Joseph Bishop were educated in the public schools and assisted their father with his farming until the Civil War when both enlisted in Company K, II Ith Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf. This regiment was made up at To- ledo under Adjt. I. R. Sherwood, who was afterward colonel and later breveted brigadier general. Joseph went through the entire cam- paign without receiving a scratch. He married Martha Clark, and is now doing a prosperous, business in the mercantile line at Neosha Falls, Kansas. Isadore was not so lucky in his ex- perience in the field as he was wounded in the battle at Resaca, Georgia, in 1864, and suffered the loss of his left leg near the hip joint. After the war he returned to Huron County and de- cided, as he was unable to continue farming, to take up some work of which it would be possible to make a success and chose telegraphy. In order to get a thorough training in this he at- tended Oberlin College and familiarized himself

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIANA COUNTY

with the new system which had but lately been introduced of telegraphing by sound. The first position given him as operator was at Orville, Ohio, where he remained two years, being then transferred to Columbiana. Here he remained at the key-board for 29 years, when he retired from active service. When he came to Colum- biana, it was thought to be doing well to send one message over the wire, whereas it is a com- mon practice to-day to send four messages over the wire simultaneously. At that time Mr. Bell, father of the present station agent, was in charge of the station and the Youngstown freight was placed on cars and hauled to its destination. As there was no station at Lee- tonia, Crozier Bell had to go there to take the number of the cars and the dispatches for that village and Waterford were carried through as they had no operator. The streets were lighted by oil lamps, the portion lying south of the railroad being covered by heavy timber and Main street and vicinity being used as a pasture for cows and horses.

Mr. Bishop was married in 1871 to Harriet Hoffman, whose parents, Samuel and Susanna (Hardman) Hoffman, were natives of Colum- bianh County, while the grandparents, Daniel and Hannah ( Bosserman) Hardman, were na- tives of Maryland and Virginia, respectively, and among the first settlers of Columbiana County, Ohio. Daniel Hardman, the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Bishop, was judge of election in Fairfield township in 1830 and a chronicle of events in which these families participated would make a volume well worth the perusal of our readers. The forests which covered almost the en- tire county were filled with the finest game, while the wolves provided the spice of danger necessary to give zest to the chase. The table was mainly supplied by rod and gun and the home, itself, was rudely constructed of hewed logs. Mrs. Bishop was one of 12 children, eight girls and four boys, all of whom grew up and the following are living: Mrs. Elizabeth Heacock, of Dunkirk, Ohio; Mrs. Bishop; and Joseph, of Leetonia, and Albert of Canton, both of whom are married. Samuel Hoffman was a

farmer and lived to the age of 82 years. His wife reached the age of 88, dying in 1901.

Mr. Bishop spends his leisure time in caring for his yard and garden where he grows many fine flowers and fruit. He has a very pleasant home and his lots are well fenced with iron fencing. A view of his residence and its sur- roundings accompanies this sketch. He is a member of the G. A. R. and was formerly a member of the Council for 10 years. He was an organizer and director of the old Colum- biana Pump Company and a stockholder of the Columbiana Handle Company.

ILLIAM B. McCORD was born November 20, 1844, in Utica, New York. His parents, Robert and Margaret McCord, were of that sturdy stock which has done so much in the development of this section of the country, which came originally from Scot- land, by way of the North of Ireland, and whose members are known as the Scotch-Irish. They were "to the manner born" in County Antrim, in the North of Ireland, and came to- this country in 1836. Until 1849 they resided in the Empire State, and in the latter year, with a .party of pioneers and with a rapidly increasing family, they settled in Central Illi- nois, to remain there, however, but one year, owing to the unhealthfulness at that early day of the low, flat prairie section of the State. Dur- ing most of the years following, until 1867, the family lived at Steubenville, Ohio. Mean- while William had entered a printing office at 14, was foreman of a local newspaper office at 16, and at 18 had gone to Pittsburg, where he "held cases" on the old Pittsburg Gazette until 1864. In August of that year, having re- turned to his home in Steubenville, broken in health by over-work, he enlisted (then in his 20th year) as a private in what was afterward Company G, 179th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., barely passing the medical examination and muster. into the United States service. In the later years of the Civil War the physical examina-

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tion of recruits was not as strict as it had been in the earlier years, when young and middle- aged men were eager to enter the service. Dur- ing his 10 months of service-lasting until the latter part of the June succeeding the surren- der at Appomattox-he had been given the stripes of a non-commissioned officer, being the greater part of his term detached from his regi- ment and associated with the First U. S. Vet- eran Volunteer Engineers, guarding lines of communication and building block-houses and other railroad defenses in Central and Southern Tennessee. -

The war over Mr. McCord spent one year in the lumber business in Steubenville, then a year at the McNeeley Normal School, Hope- dale, Ohio, this supplementing the brief and intermittent course in the common English branches which he had received prior to his 14th year. Then he resumed in Pittsburg his trade as compositor, soon gaining a place as a reporter on the staff of a daily newspaper. When in the spring of 1872 (May 20th) he left the city to embark for himself in the news- paper business, he had been promoted to the chair of city editor of the Pittsburg Gazette. On the date mentioned he, associated with his brother Robert, entered upon the publication of the Wellsville (Ohio) Union, and also the conduct of a large job printing business. This partnership lasted about a year, after which William continued the business until the fall of 1878, when he disposed of it. November 25, 1879, he began the publication of the Sat- urday Review, East Liverpool. He founded the Evening Reviewe in June, 1885-which was the first daily newspaper published in Colum- biana County. December 1, 1891, Mr. McCord disposed of the Review, daily and weekly, and in April following established the East Liver- pool Daily News. In September of the same year (1892) the News-Review Publishing Company was formed, which took over and consolidated the two concerns, with William B. McCord as vice-president and editor. How- ever, before the close of the year, he sold his holdings, and retired for the time being from active participation in the business. For several months he did special newspaper, work and in

the fall of 1894 resumed regular work in the business in East Liverpool, after which for more than six years, or until the beginning of 1901, he was editor of the Crisis, daily and weekly. On April Ist of the latter year he entered upon the editorial management of the Salem Daily News, which position he resigned in May, 1904, thus completing 32 years of edi- torial work in Columbiana County. He was, therefore, in point of service, the oldest news- paper man and editorial writer in Columbiana County. In 1905 Mr. McCord continued to do special newspaper and literary work-the last of which, up to that date, was the editing and compiling of the work in which this sketch appears.

Up to 1905 Mr. McCord, while always an active Republican, had never held a public office. In that year, however, he was, without opposition, nominated on the Republican ticket to represent Columbiana County in the Ohio Legislature. He had been joined in wedlock November 6, 1872, with Helen Lydia Geisse, daughter of Philip F. Geisse, late of Wellsville. Three children, with the wife and mother, were all living in 1905. The children were: Wil- liam Rollins, of the editorial staff of the Pitts- burg Dispatch; Edith Frances (Morse), of Cleveland, and Philip Geisse, of the Cuyahoga Telephone Company, Cleveland. Mr. McCord since boyhood has been a member of the Pres- byterian Church, in which he has served for a number of years as ruling elder. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, in which he is a past commander. He has ser- ved three terms as president of the Columbiana County Pioneer and Historical Association.

EV. JAMES CLARK TAGGART, A. B., D. D., pastor of the First United Presbyterian Church, of East Liver- pool, Ohio, was born at East Pales- tine, Ohio, July 31, 1840, and is a son of John and Margaret Ann ( Elder ) Taggart. In 1801 Maj. John Taggart, the grand- father of Dr. Taggart, came to Columbiana County from Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, and

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entered a very large body of land. He was a major in the War of 1812 and afterward be- came a member of the Ohio State Senate. His daughter became the wife of Hon. Robert Forbes.

John Taggart, father of Dr. Taggart, was born in 1812 in the same farm house that later witnessed the birth of his son. His life was entirely devoted to agricultural pursuits and his home continued to be the old homestead farm. He married a daughter of Matthew Elder, a well-known citizen of Beaver County, Pennsyl- vania, who operated woolen-mills and con- clucted stores. Mr. Elder's wife was a member of the Frederick family, which was one of the first to establish a home in the vicinity of Lis- bon, where some of its members later operated a woolen-mill. These early settlers were all Presbyterians. The children of John Taggart and wife were the following: James Clark, the subject of this review; Matthew Elder, now deceased, who was an attorney-at-law at Leetonia; Robert Forbes, who resides on the old homestead; Rebecca, who resides at Aber,- (leen, Washington; Mary, who died at Phil- adelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1876, aged 22 years ; John Calvin, who resides at East Palestine; Margaret, who is the wife of Judge O. V. Linn, of Olympia, Washington; Nancy E., who died in 1891, aged 26 years; and two children who (lied in infancy.

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History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 61

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