History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 98

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

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIANA COUNTY

Brunt retired several years later, and William H. Brunt has since operated the plant alone. Henry Brunt is a member of General Lyon Post, No. 44, G. A. R., having served in the Civil War as a member of Company I, 143rd Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., under Colonel Vodrey and Capt. William Brunt. He is also a mem- ber of the Odd Fellows. He was married at East Liverpool to Annie Holzmann, who was born at. Pittsburg, and is a daughter of Francis and Rachel (Cletzley) Holzmann, both of whom died at East Liverpool, the latter at the age of 88 years. Her father was one of the or- ganizers of the first foundry in East Liverpool. Mrs. Brunt has a brother living,-Joseph Holzmann, of East Liverpool. The latter dur- ing the Civil War, enlisted from Pittsburg, July 23, 1863, in Company G, 82nd Reg., Pennsylvania Vol. Inf., and was mustered out at Hall's Hill, Virginia, July 13, 1865. He was in the Sixth Army Corps, First Division, First Brigade, in the Army of the Potomac, and participated in about 30 engagements, be- sides many skirmishes. He contracted asthma in the service, which has bothered him ever since. He is also a member of General Lyon Post, No. 44, G. A. R. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Brunt have, in addition to the two sons men- tioned, a daughter, -. Emma B., wife of Charles F. Thompson, of Chicago. Henry Brunt is a Republican in politics, and served as council- man in the early days.

George F. Brunt was reared at East Liver- pool, and received his educational training in the public and private schools, and in a business college in Chicago. At an early age he be- came identified with the business he now owns, and in 1894 with Charles F. Thompson took charge of it. In the latter part of 1895 he became sole owner and has since conducted it alone. It is a characteristic of this family to possess exceptional business ability and George F. Brunt is no exception to the rule. He has from 75 to 100 men in his employ at all times, and ships to the trade in all parts of the United States, his goods being handled through jobbers. He was married a few years ago to Miss Leighton, who was born at Pitts- burg and is a daughter of Edward Leighton,

who was formerly an engineer on the Pennsyl- vania Railroad. In politics, our subject is a Republican. Fraternally he is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

€ LI C. LEWTON, one of Center town- ship's first-class farmers .and promi- `nent citizens, owns a fine farm of 163 acres in section 13, which'compares favorably with any other farm of like size in Columbiana County. Mr. Lewton is also a survivor of the great Civil War. He was born October 18, 1836, at Scroggsfield, Carroll County, Ohio, and is a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (George) Lewton.

The Lewton family is of English extraction and those in America are undoubtedly con- nected with the owners of the great estate known as Lewton Place, London, England. The family has been established in America for some generations, however, as the grand- father, Isaac Lewton, was born in Maryland. Jacob Lewton. the father of our subject, was born in Maryland and was five years of age when his parents came to Carroll County, Ohio, and he probably entered the State with as un- usual a steed as ever boy rode, this being a pet sheep, who eased many a weary mile of the road. Jacob Lewton became a prominent agri- culturist and at one time owned 240 acres of well-improved land. Early in life he was a strong Whig, but after the formation of the Know Nothing party he identified himself witlr the Democrats, and our subject recalls going to the polls with his father, when he cast his first vote, his own ballot being for Abraham Lincoln and that of his father for Stephen A. Douglas. The death of Jacob Lewton took place in 1871, at the age of 62 years. He was a consistent member of the United Presby- terian Church.

The mother of our subject was born in 1812, at Scroggsfield, Ohio, and her whole life was spent in that locality, where she died at the age of 74 years. The children of Jacob and Elizabeth Lewton were: Eli C., of this sketch ; Thomas and Lucinda, both deceased; Andrew,

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who was a soldier in the Civil War, with our subject, deceased in 1872; Elizabeth Ann, a resident of Minerva, Ohio; Henry Albert, of Indiana ; and Jacob Calvin, of East Liverpool.'

Our subject grew up a farmer boy and was educated in the local schools where he made such good use of his opportunities that when but 16 years old he was engaged as teacher. He continued to teach through the winters and also taught two summers prior to enlisting for service in the Civil War. On August 1, 1862, he was entered as a corporal in Company H, 98th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf., under Colonel Web- ster and Captain Thomas, and he saw much hard service until honorably discharged after the Grand Review at Washington, June I, 1865. . He took part in the battles at Perry- ville and Chickamauga and participated in all the engagements of the southwestern campaign and of the long march to the sea until Atlanta was taken. He was never absent from his regiment except when prostrated with typhoid fever in the hospital at Nashville, Tennessee.

After his return to Carroll County, Mr. Lewton soon married and entered into a mer- cantile business in partnership with Major Scott, the firm being Lewton & Scott, which continued three years. After the partnership was dissolved, Mr. Lewton continued in busi- ness for four years, when the death of his father recalled him to the farm, which he operated for the next six years. In 1878 he came to his present farm in section 13, which he has improved with a fine brick residence, substantial barns and other necessary buildings. He has made this a very valuable as well as attractive farm. For about four years he paid a great deal of attention to dairying, but now devotes his land to general farming and the raising of fine stock. He has always been more or less interested in sheep growing, Merinos ex- clusively.

Mr. Lewton was married on September 14, 1865, to Elizabeth M. Campbell, who was born in Carroll County, Ohio, December II, 1842, a daughter of William and Mary (Welsh) Campbell, natives of Pennsylvania. The chil- dren of this union were: Elmer, of Center township, who married Mina Switzer, of Cen-

ter township; Jessie, who married Harry L. Ingledue, a resident of Washingtonville; Will- iam, of Lisbon, who married Carrie Johnson, of Lisbon; and Walter, Mary and Henry Leroy.

Mr. Lewton has always been identified with the Republican party. Although he has never sought public office, he was elected township. trustee while residing in Carroll County and has always been looked upon as a responsible, representative man wherever he has lived. He was reared by careful, Christian parents in the faith of the United Presbyterian Church, in. which he has been an elder for many years.

ILLIAM CALVIN BUNTING, one of the progressive business men of Wellsville, manufacturer and wholesale and retail dealer in ice- cream and confectionery, was born in Hancock County, Virginia (now West Vir- ginia ), just across the Ohio River, from Wells- ville, February 17, 1849, and is a son of Samuel and Mary (Gorrell) Bunting.

Samuel Bunting, father of our subject, was born May 10, 1813, and died February 19, 1888. In the early days prior to the building of railroads in this section, Samuel Bunting kept a wharf-boat in Wellsville and also owned several hundred acres of farm land, which he hired cultivated He married Mary Gorrell, who was born in County Cork, Ireland, July 15, 1822, and came to America in girlhood to make her home with an aunt in Philadelphia. She was on a visit to Wellsville when she net Samuel Bunting, who she married March 21, 1838. She died in August, 1895. They had 10 children, nine of whom reached maturity, viz. : Clarissa, widow of George Carnes, of Wells- ville; Albert R., deceased in 1904, aged 60 years; Mary, residing on the homestead in Wellsville; William Calvin; Josephine Vir- ginia, deceased, who was the wife of George S. Goodwin, of East Liverpool; James Robert, of Cleveland; Elwood Samuel, of Wellsville ; Missouri Belle, wife of James H. Baker, of Oil City, Pennsylvania ; and Ida May, who lives on

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HISTORY OF, COLUMBIANA COUNTY

the old homestead. The mother united with the Presbyterian Church in' girlhood.

Our subject has had a life filled with many unusual events, from the age of 10 years when he began to follow the water with his older brother. About 1845 Capt. Albert Bunting and his sister came to Wellsville and settled on a farm where they were joined by our subject. He attended the old Jethro school for a time and then was taken by his brother on his vessel that plied on the Ohio River. Captain Bunting gained considerable distinction on account of his daring in taking his steamer north to Pitts- burg at the opening of the Civil War, being the last officer to succeed in getting through the lines. The government, fearing disaster, had ordered the vessel to stop at Steubenville, but through bravery, tact and diplomacy, Cap- tain Bunting succeeded in running the gaunlet and reached his destination in safety, thus pre- serving a valuable cargo of freight.

After following the river for a period of four years here, our subject shipped under Cap- tain Marsh on the steamer "H. C. Nutt," which belonged to the Missouri River Transfer Com- pany. At Cincinnati, Captain Marsh left the boat and instructed Mr. Bunting to take it to Omaha. The latter hesitated as he had never previously commanded a steamer, but he finally took command and reached the destination safely. He was subsequently in command of the first steamer that ever went up the Des Moines River above the dam. Later Mr. Bunt- ing became associated with a party of engineers and continued with it in its work of laying out towns through the West, many of which are now thriving municipalities.

In 1877 he returned to Wellsville, having been in Des Moines, Iowa, and Chicago for some time, and worked for a few years with his father in a dairy business. In 1888 he engaged in his present large and successful en- terprise,-a confectionery and ice cream busi- ness, manufacturing both for the wholesale and retail trade. This is now' the oldest business of its kind in Wellsville. One had been estab- lished in the town before he engaged in the business, but it is not now in existence. In 1885 he admitted his brother Elwood as part-

ner and they continued together for three years, when our subject purchased his brother's in- terest. Mr. Bunting ships ice cream to all sec- tions of the Ohio Valley in the vicinity of Wellsville and even has a large trade in Pitts- burg. In addition to giving much of his own time to the business, he employs four helpers.

Until 1901 Mr. Bunting operated a large bakery business in which several skilled bakers were kept busy, but as his health was not very good at that time he sold the bakery business and later opened a harness store, which was operated under the name of the Wellsville Har. ness Supply Company. This has also developed into a large and prospering industry. Mr. Bunting, makes all kinds of fine harness and does an extensive repair business, handling all kinds of harness and carriage supplies and of- fering also a great variety of bags for all pur- poses. He has proved himself a man of fine business ability and ranks with the leading manufacturers of the city.

Mr. Bunting was married in 1881 to Rose A. Bowers, who was born in r853 and is a daughter of Michael and Mary (Torrence) Bowers. Michael Bowers was born on the Susquehanna River, at Halifax, Dauphin Coun- ty, Pennsylvania, and died at Wellsville, Ohio, January 1, 1891, aged 65 years. In youth he learned the carpenter's trade and came to Wellsville in 1848. For a number. of years he followed building and assisted in the construc- tion of the old United Presbyterian Church, the older school buildings and the Smith & McNicol pottery. About 1853' he went into the grocery business and continued in that until his death, when he was succeeded by his son Oscar.

The mother of Mrs. Bunting was a daugh- ter of William G. Torrence, and was born at Greensburg, Pennsylvania. She still survives at the age of 77 years. She is a devoted mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church, but her husband belonged to the German Lutheran faith. He was also a member of Iris Lodge, I. O. O. F., of Wellsville. Of the seven chil- dren of Mr. and Mrs. Bowers, five grew to maturity, namely: Amanda, of Wellsville : Rose A., wife of Mr. Bunting; Oscar P., of

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Wellsville; Caroline, of Wellsville; and Helen B., wife of Dr. O. P. Andrews, of East Liver- pool. Michael Bowers was a Democrat.

In his political affiliation, Mr. Bunting is a Republican and as one of the city's substantial, representative men has frequently been elected to local offices. He has always been regarded as a man of public spirit and is a popular mem- ber of the Wellsville Board of Trade.

D AVID S. SMITH, a well-known hard- ware merchant of East Palestine, and one of the substantial, influential men of the town, was born in February, 1843, and belongs to a family that has taken a prominent part in the development and prosperity of Columbiana and Mahoning counties for more than a century. His father, William Smith, venerated and esteemed throughout the entire county, is a familiar figure in Petersburg, Mahoning County, Ohio, where he is spending the sunset years of life, surrounded by the friends of a lifetime. The Smith family is of German descent and was established in the United States by the great- grandfather of our subject, who came to this country at the age of 14 years and settled at Baltimore, Maryland, where he reared a large family, consisting of five sons and six daughters.

One of these children was Peter Smith, who married Sophia Cahill and soon after mi- grated to Ohio, being among the first to locate in Columbiana County, then unknown to fame and devoid of bridges, railroads or other im- provements, the path through the forest being located by blazed trees. He purchased 100 acres of timber land of Peter Musser (now spelled Mercer), who with his brothers, John and Jacob, had braved the dangers of the fron- tier and entered large tracts of land. New Lis- bon, now known as Lisbon, was at that time a point of considerable importance as a trad- ing post. When the family ran short of meal, he would go on horseback to the mill with a sack of grain thrown across the back of his steed. After waiting until it was converted into meal

or flour, he would return home in the same. way. Peter Smith cleared the timber from his land and proceeded to cultivate it, using a wooden mold-board plow to break his ground and a cradle to harvest his grain. He reared nine of the 10 children born to him and they were of great assistance to him in clearing and. tending his farm and became honored mem- bers of society. He died at the age of 82 years and his children also lived to a good age. Mar- garet (Mrs. Forsnaft) but recently ( 1905) passed away at the age of 90 years; William is in his 89th year; and Jessie, wife of David Burla, a resident of Columbiana, has also at- tained a good old age.

William Smith, more familiarly known as "'Squire" Smith, was born February 9, 1817, in the cabin of hewed logs built by his father in the timber and was reared in Springfield township, Mahoning County. He there car- ried on farming and it is interesting to hear him recall the varied changes which have taken place under his observation. He married Rachel McNutt, daughter of Alexander Mc- Nutt, and soon after marriage took up his resi- dence on the farm in section 2, Unity town- ship, which had been purchased by his father and was partly under cultivation. Mrs. Smith spun and wove the 'clothing used by the fam- ily and cooked the meals on the crane before the large fireplace, which occupied one end of the cabin. Flint and tow or punk were used to start a fire. It was no uncommon thing to find the fire had gone out; if the materials for kindling a fire were not at hand, the settler, had to borrow from a neighbor, perhaps many miles distant. Mr. Smith also used the primitive implements employed by his father and hunted with the old flint-lock rifle. He lived on the farm for upward of 40 years and saw the luxuries of that day become the necessities of this, while the crude implements were replaced with modern and labor-saving devices; his farm, when he left it in 1899, was in striking contrast to the one he moved on 40 years be- fore. Mr. Smith was active in all public enter- prises and was justice of the peace for more than 21 years before he left the farm. He was also assessor for six years before the vil-

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lage of Mechanicsburg was incorporated and became East Palestine.

The union of William Smith and Rachel McNutt resulted in the birth of seven children, namely : Peter, born January 6, 1840, who is a farmer of Fairfield township; Sarah, born June 8, 1841, who married Amos Warner and re- sides in Petersburg; David S., our subject; William A., born May 4, 1848, who married Miss Felger and lives at Youngstown; Cow- den M., born November 26, 1850, who lives in Leetonia; George S., born July 12, 1853, who married Miss Peters and lives in Youngstown ; and Rachel; who is her father's housekeeper: Mrs. Smith was born in May, 1814, and died January 28, 1886. William Smith has 14 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. He is a member of the Reformed Church, as was his wife.

0 LIVER J. ASTRY, president of the Salem Driving Park Association, is one of Salem's successful business men, an extensive dealer, in real es- tate and one of the leading insurance men of the northern section of Columbiana County. Mr. Astry was born in Salem town- ship, Columbiana County, Ohio, August 3, 1876, and is one of a family of six' children born to his parents, William and Mary Ą. (Weaver) Astry.

The father of our subject was an early set- tler 'in Salem township where he became a large land-owner and successful farmer: His death occurred there in October, 1893, and that of his wife in November, 1901.

Mr. Astry spent his boyhood in Salem township, where he attended the local schools and assisted on the home farm. Since attain- ing his majority, however, he has been a resi- dent of the city of Salem and has been an operator in real estate, handling both city prop- erty and farming lands. He is also one of the old and reliable insurance agents here, at pres- ent writing risks in seven of the leading com- panies.

Mr. Astry , was united in marriage with Lorena Graham, who is a daughter of James

Graham, and they have one son, Paul W. The comfortable family home is located at No. 290 East High street, while Mr. Astry has con- venient business offices at No. 811/2 East Main street.

Politically Mr. Astry is identified with the Democratic party. For the past three years he has served as a justice of the peace at Salem and is well known and very highly considered. His fraternal association is with the Elks.

ONATHAN FITZ-RANDOLPH, who has resided on the old Randolph farm in section 13, Middleton township, all his life, has been very successful in business affairs. For many years he conducted a tannery at Achor, but in recent years has devoted his energies exclusively to farming.

Mr. Randolph was born October 31, 1828, and is a son of Richard F. Randolph and his wife, Eliza Bailey. His grandfather, James Randolph, who was of English birth, came to this country at an early age and located near Rahway, New Jersey, moving from there to near Rice's Landing in Greene County, Penn- sylvania, where he died. The family name, correctly given, is Fitz-Randolph, but for some generations it has been abbreviated to F. Ran- dolph, as it is now spelled.

Richard F. Randolph, father of our sub- ject, was born near Rahway, New Jersey, but at the age of about 12 years moved with his parents to Greene County, Pennsylvania, where he lived until 1811. In that year he came to Middleton township, Columbiana County, Ohio, where he located on what has since been known as the Randolph homestead in section 13. There he conducted a tannery for a period of almost 45 years, and in 1855 moved to East Fairfield, where he died in 1872, aged 85 years and five months. He married Eliza Bailey, who was born in Greene County, Pennsylvania, and was a daughter of. Eli Bailey. Twelve chil- dren were born to them: Hannah, who died young; Matilda, who died at the age of 19 years; Bailey, who for a time lived at Clark-

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son but later returned to the home farm where he died, leaving a son, Lemoine, who lives in Chicago; Ruben, deceased; Kersey, deceased; Rebecca A., who married Robert McGregor, lived in Beaver, Pennsylvania, and died in Pittsburg, leaving two children,-Donald R. who is in the United States Navy and Mary (McCreedy), of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania ; Jonathan, who was the seventh child born to his parents ; Richard, deceased : Eliza, who mar- ried Baltzer Young and died at Lisbon; Eli James, who lives in New York City; Jo- seph, deceased, whose wife was Susan Eells; and Ira, deceased in infancy. The mother of this family was a member of the Society of Friends and was buried in the cemetery at East Carmel.

Jonathan F. Randolph attended the primi- tive schools of his home district and was reared on the home place, which he has never left for more than a month at a time. He learned the trade of a tanner under his father and when the latter left the home place, our subject con- tinued the tannery in partnership with his brother, Bailey, until the latter's death. He thereafter conducted it alone until 1887, since which time his efforts have been exclusively 'devoted to agricultural pursuits. In addition to the home place of 67 acres he owns a quarter- section of land in Middleton township, known as the old Todd place, buying 120 acres of it in 1895 and the remainder in 1902. He is a man of physical strength for his years, being now 77 years of age; every day he works on the farm as in his younger days, but is ably as- sisted by his son. He is a man of pleasing personality and is held in highest esteem by his many friends throughout the township.

On June 28, 1860, Jonathan F. Randolph was united in marriage with Rebecca Louise Ashford, a sister of Ammon Ashford, of Rogers. Five children were born to bless this union, four of whom are now living. The record is as follows: Charles Fremont, who died at the age of four months : Louis Sheridan born January 31, 1865. who attended the Achor district schools, who is unmarried and lives at home, assisting his father on the farm; Jessie Deborah, born June 2, 1866, married Dr.

George J. Boyd of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, and has three children,-Jessie, George and an unnamed infant; Eliza Unas, born November 17, 1872, who married Benjamin F. Hennessy, of Middleton township, and has five children,- Ammon, Julia, Franklin, Lola and Paul; and Mary Virginia, born September 1, 1875, who married Norman Patterson, of Unity town- ship, and has one son,-James F. Randolph. Mr. Randolph has nine grandchildren.

Jonathan F. Randolph is a member of the Baptist Church at Achor. Politically, he is a Republican and has been a stanch supporter of that party's principles ever since its organiza- tion.

EORGE JUNIUS BEEBE PHIL- LIPS, stone contractor at East Liverpool, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, March 17, 1852, and is a son of Arthur M. and Lucinda (De Rella) Phillips.

Arthur Martin Phillips, the grandfather, was born in Connecticut and possessed all the mechanical ingenuity with which natives of that fine old State are credited. He came to Ohio early in the last century and worked as a ma- chinist, establishing his own business at Steu- benville. For many years he held the office of river inspector. Arthur M. Phillips, his son and father of our subject, was born at Wheel- ing, Virginia (now West Virginia), and learned the trade of machinist in boyhood, later taking up engineering on the river steamers. This was his occupation as long as he lived an active life. He retired some years prior to his decease. His wife was a native of Marseilles, France. They had but two children, Arthur, M., who died in infancy, and George J. B., of this sketch. The mother survived until 1882, dying at the age of 53 years.

Our subject was a resident of West Vir- ginia during the early part of the Civil War. Later he learned the trade of stone-cutter which he followed at Moundsville, West Virginia, and this he followed as a journeyman until 1869. Then he came to East Liverpool and worked at his trade, first on the old Fourth Street school-

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house. About 1871 he went into business for himself, and in 1873 he entered into partner- ship with J. C. Kerr, under, the firm name of Phillips & Kerr, a connection which lasted un- til 1899. The firm did the stone work on the United Presbyterian Church, the Methodist Protestant Church, both edifices of the Protestant Episcopal Church, the Central School Building, the First National Bank Building and many others, including business blocks and residences. In 1895 he purchased a quarry on Harker Hill, which is one of the finest stone quarries in the Ohio Valley.

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History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 98

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