History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 99

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

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Mr. Phillips married Jane R. Moore, daughter of Jackson Sprague Moore, of East Liverpool. The latter was named for two men who later became distinguished, the former as Governor of Maryland and the latter of Vir- ginia. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips have had two children, viz .: Edessa Edna, wife of Albert Lowther, of East Liverpool; and Frank O., who was accidentally killed by a train at the age of 26 years. The loss of this son in his bright young manhood was a crushing bereavement to his father. The family belong to the Protestant Episcopal Church.

Jackson Sprague Moore, father of Mrs. Phillips, was born in Baltimore and died in Ohio in 1901, aged 82 years. His father, Will- iam Moore, took part in both the War of 1812 and the Mexican War. He was one of the old charter members of St. Stephen's Protestant Episcopal Church, of East Liverpool, where he came to reside at an early day. Jackson Sprague Moore came to this section with his parents when a child. When he grew to man- hood, he located on a farm in what is now West Virginia and followed the river mainly until after. the Civil War. He was a member of the 72nd Virginia Regiment Vol. Inf. When he came to East Liverpool, he entered a pottery and followed the trade of sagger- maker. He married Mary Ann Davidson, a daughter of William and Jane Davidson, of East Liverpool. She was a member of the Methodist Protestant Church and he of the Protestant Episcopal Church.

Albert Lowther, son-in-law of Mr. Phillips, was born December 4, 1870, at Pullman, West Virginia, and is a son of Rev. Oliver and

Salome (Somerville) Lowther. His father was born at Pullman in 1840 and studied for the ministry in early life and preached as a member of the Methodist Protestant clergy for many years. He now resides at Pullman. His father was William I. Lowther, a farmer of West Virginia.

In 1899 Albert Lowther went to Wheeling, West Virginia, and there learned the clothing business, later becoming a traveling salesman for Kraft Brothers & Rosenburg, for four years. Then he removed to Steubenville and became traveling salesman for I. Sulzbacher, with whom he continued for four years. In 1898 he left there for Wellsville, where he en- tered the employ of Julius Goetz, a retail cloth- ing merchant and in 1903 he became a part- ner in the business. Mr. Lowther is a mem- ber of the fraternal order of Eagles. Mr. and Mrs. Lowther have one daughter, Mary Vir- ginia, who was born August II, 190I.

In politics our subject is a Republican but has never sought office. He is very prominent in fraternal circles, being a member of Riddle Lodge, No. 315, F. & A. M., of which he is past worshipful master; East Liverpool Chap- ter, No. 100, R. A. M., of which he is high priest; Pilgrim Commandery, No. 55, K. T., of which he is past eminent commander; and Steubenville Consistory, S. P. R. S., holding all the Scottish and York rite degrees except the 33rd. He is also a member of Crystal Chapter, No. 18, Order of the Eastern Star, of which he is . patron; Ohio Valley Ruling, No. 43, Mystic Circle, of which he is past worthy ruler ; East Liverpool Lodge, No. 258, B. P. O. E., of which he is past exalted ruler; Lucy Webb Hayes Council, No. 5, Daughters of Liberty ; Crockery Tent, No. 131, K. O. T. M .; and Order of United American Mechanics.

J AMES A. HOLLIDAY, proprietor of a well-stocked general store at Glas- gow, Madison township, was born August 5, 1862, on the small farm in section 27, upon which he resides at present. He is a son of Frisbie and Elizabeth (Mills) (Furness) Holliday and a grandson

GEORGE W. ARMSTRONG

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of James and Mary . ( Winkleton) Holliday. The grandfather was from Baltimore, Mary- larid, whence he moved to Pennsylvania and finally to Oskaloosa, Iowa. He worked at his trade as stone-mason for many years. He lived to the age of 88 and retired from active busi- ness several years before his death in 1886. His wife was a native of Mercer County, Penn- sylvania.

Frisbie Holliday was born at Edinburg. Pennsylvania, and now resides in Iowa, where he is engaged in farming. He was first mar- ried to Mrs. Elizabeth ( Mills) Furness, widow of Richard Furness. By her first marriage she had three children : Alonzo ; Mary L. ; and Mar- garet, who died in 1890, leaving her husband, John Roberts, of New Castle, and one child, Mary, since deceased. By her marriage with Mr. Holliday our subject's mother had five children, namely : James A .; John P., a potter, of Wellsville, who married Lillian Cox and has six children,-Alonzo, Edward, Mary, Grace Florence and Lorena; Joshua P., also a potter, of Wellsville, who married Bertha Driscoll ; Emma, deceased; and William, a clerk of Wellsville, who married Lorena Stamford and has three children,-Harold, Ralph and Edith. Mr. Holliday's second wife was Mary Cody, of Ottumwa, Iowa.

James A. Holliday received his educa- tion in Madison township. He bought three acres of the farm, upon which he was born and reared and here has erected a comfortable home and a store building, where he carries a com- plete line of general goods and has the patron- age of the surrounding country. He had previously been a salesman for various firms in Wellsville and also was engaged for some time in selling through the country goods from the various potteries, in which business he built up quite a trade. Mr. Holliday married Emma Johnson, of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and to them have been born the following children : Walter Mills, born April 26, 1888; Margaret Ellen, born October 15, 1893: and William Sullivan, born October 22, 1898. Mrs. Holli- day is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Holliday is a Republican and a member of tlie fraternal order of Eagles. The parents

of Mrs. Holliday were Isaac and Susan (Queer) Johnson, the former a son of Will- iam Johnson, of Johnstown, and the latter a daughter of a `farmer residing in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Of the six children living, Mrs. Holliday is the third in a family that originally numbered eight.

EORGE W. ARMSTRONG, a well- known farmer and fruit grower of Columbiana County, whose portrait accompanies this sketch, resides on his farm in section 15, Center town- ship, his postoffice address being Lisbon. He was formerly for 12 years engaged in house- moving, contracting, etc.

Mr. Armstrong was born at Elkton, Col- umbiana County, Ohio, June 1, 1850, and is a son of Andrew Armstrong, who served as county commissioner of this county from 1868 to 1874.

Andrew Armstrong was born in Colum- biana County, Ohio, in 1818, and died in the spring of 1900. He was a very successful farmer in Elkrun township, and was one of the most active advocates of the building of the new Court House which was erected in 1870. His father, also named Andrew Armstrong, had located here about 1803, and opened and cleared the farm. The latter built a log house where he conducted a country hotel or tavern. This house was afterward replaced by a brick house in 1830, which, in 1833, was completed for a home and hotel, and our subject's grand- father conducted it as a public house for years -until the traffic by stages was discontinued. He died here in 1855, and the farm is now owned by Frank S. Armstrong, a brother of the subject of this sketch. Grandfather Armstrong came from Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, and was one of the pioneer settlers of Colum- biana County.

George W. Armstrong's mother, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Bowman, was born in Elkrun township, Columbiana County, Ohio, in 1820. She died in 1900, about four months after the death of'hier husband. She was a

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIANA COUNTY

daughter of Christian Bowman, also a pioneer settler of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Arm- strong were married in 1843, and 50 years later celebrated their "Golden Wedding." They had eight children, seven of whom are living, one being in North Dakota, and the others in Col- umbiana County. No death occurred in the family until the youngest child was 37 years old.

George W. Armstrong was reared and schooled in Columbiana County, where he farmed, and afterward followed house-moving until he was accidentally injured at Lisbon.

Mr. Armstrong was married in Elkrun township to Lydia Morris, who was born there, and they have five children, namely : WV. Howard, who is married and resides in Lisbon; and Eva M., Lois E., Lawrence S. and Helen J., who are at home.

Mr. Armstrong is a thoroughly practical fruit grower, and is very successful. He has 1,200 apple trees, of which 600 are bearing. He has picked 464 bushels from 16 trees. His plan is to spray the trees in March with caustic soda, and later use three or four regular sprays. He sets 40 trees to the acre, and has raised 1, 100 bushels per acre.

Poltically, Mr. Armstrong is a Republican. He is a member of the Infirmary Board, to which he has been reelected for a second term, and has served the public in other capa- cities. Religiously, he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and officiates as superintendent of the Union Sunday-school in Center township.

K OCH BROTHERS, proprietors of Koch Brothers' Carriage Works, at New Waterford, have a recognized name in every trade center of the country. This firm name was adopted January 15. 1889. but the business was estab- lished by George J. Koch in 1883 and has developed from a little more than a village blacksmith business to one of the large and important industries of this portion of Ohio. The members of the firm of Koch Brothers are George J. Koch and Jacob H. Koch, formerly mayor of New Waterford.

GEORGE J. KOCH, the head of the firm, was born on the old family homestead in Fairfield township, Columbiana County, Ohio, January 18, 1863, and is a son of Henry and Mary Ann (Geiger) Koch, the former, of whom was born in Germany and the latter in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. George J. is the fourth in a family of 10 children. He was educated in the district schools of Fairfield township, which he left at the age of 18 years to learn the black- smith trade with John M. Ott. At the close of his apprenticeship in 1883, he started into business for himself, his first factory being the old blacksmith shop on the old homestead which was situated one mile northwest of New Water- ford. This little building with its dismantled forge still stands, a kind of landmark in the township and doubtless many a thrifty farmer has pointed it out to his sons as the place where the well-known manufacturer, laid the founda- tions of his present fortune.

The death of Mr. Ott, in 1884, left an open- ing in Mr. Koch's line of business, of which he was not slow to take advantage and he naturally succeeded to his former preceptor's large trade. He carried on business alone at Mr. Ott's old stand in New Waterford until 1889, when his older brother, Jacob H. Koch became interested, and on the date mentioned in the opening paragraph, entered into a part- nership which has continued until the present time. In dividing the cares of the business, George J. is the general salesman, being well equipped for this important end of the busi- ness, while Jacob H. has charge of the clerical department and also superintends the work- men engaged in building the various kinds of vehicles.

George J. Koch was united in marriage with Emma Hoffstot, who is a daughter of John Hoffstot, a well-known farmer of Unity township. They have two sons, viz. : John and Robert William. Mr. Koch is a member of the Lutheran Church. Politically he has been quite active and at present he is a member of the Village Council.

JACOB H. KOCH, the second member of the firm of Koch Brothers, was born in the old Koch homestead in Fairfield township, January 30, 1861, and is one of a family of 10 children

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born to his parents, Henry and Mary Ann (Geiger) Koch. He has seven sisters. His education was acquired in the public schools and he was reared a farmer. Until he entered into the carriage business when 28 years old, he was actively engaged in farming and still is interested more or less in agricultural pur- suits. He has large business interests includ- ing the carriage manufacturing enterprise and membership in the large mercantile business of J. H. & J. Koch.

Jacob H. Koch was united in marriage with Lizzie Garlach, who is a daughter of Jacob Garlach, and they have three children, viz. : Carl Henry, Mary Esther, and Paul Jacob.

Mr. Koch has always been one of the promi- nent men of affairs in this section and has twice served New Waterford as mayor. At present he is a member of the Village Council, being secretary of the board. He is a mem- ber of the Lutheran Church.

The constant expansion of the business of Koch Brothers is little less than marvelous. By 1890 the business had grown to such pro- portions that they erected a commodious two- story building on East Main street, but in a few years this structure was found to be too small, and in 1898 an additional building was erected, 100 by 40 feet in dimensions, the top floor being utilized as a painting room, the second as a trimming and varnishing depart- ment while the ground floor has the show rooms and office, with a frontage of 145 feet. In an older building with dimensions of 100 by 30 feet, two stories in height, the top floor is given over to painting and the ground floor to storage in front and to a wood shop in the rear. In addition there is a rear building, 76 by 30 feet, devoted to packing. In this estab- lishment a complete buggy is constructed from the bottom up, some 50 skilled workmen find -: ing employment here. The plant is well worth a visit. It is divided into wood room, black- smith shop (60 by 30 feet), painting room, trimming and varnishing department, erecting · room, packing and shipping room, warehouse and show room and the well-equipped office. Facilities have been provided by which the packed goods are easily transferred to the cars provided by the railroad on a siding.

Both brothers are men of great business enterprise and they have built up a great indus- try. Their name is a guarantee of excellence wherever found. When New Waterford cele- brates its centennial, the name of Koch will be one of those honored for business enter- prise, commercial integrity and for the estab- lishment of one of the town's most useful and successful industries.

SHERIDAN McGAVERAN, con- tractor and builder at East Liverpool, was born at Bridgeport, Ohio, Febru- ary 28, 1869, and is a son of Thad- deus and Frances Marian (Mum- ford) McGaveran.

The McGaveran family originated in Coun- ty Kilkenny, Ireland, so many years ago that its earliest history is lost in the mists of time, but there Malcolm McGaveran, our subject's great-grandfather, was born and from there emigrated to the United States and settled in Maryland. He later moved to what is now known as Rock Springs Park at Chester, Vir- ginia (now West Virginia), on the Ohio River. opposite East Liverpool. He served in the War of 1812 under General Crawford and survived its dangers but was subsequently killed by a fall from a horse. He married Han- nah Hartman, a native of Germany.

Thomas McGaveran, the paternal grand- father, son of Malcolm, was born at Frederick, Maryland, April 8, 1808, and was 10 years old when his parents moved to what is now West Virginia. He followed the carpenter's trade all his life and died at East Liverpool, about 1880, aged 68 years. He married Mar- garet Van Fassen.

Thaddeus McGaveran, father of our sub- ject, was born near, Richmond, Ohio, October 29, 1836. He learned the carpenter's trade with his father and followed it until 1870, when he moved to Wellsville and went into railroad- ing as fireman and brakeman. After some years on the road he came to East Liverpool in 1877 and went into contracting and became well known in this line. In 1894 he went to Wash- ington, D. C., and was in the employ of the

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIANA COUNTY

government printing office for seven years. Since then he has lived retired from active life. In the Civil War he entered the Union service, enlisting in Ohio but being subsequently trans- ferred to Company L, first Reg., Virginia Vol. Cav. He served 24 months, during which period he was seriously injured by his horse being shot and falling on him. He is a mem- ber of General Lyon Post, No. 44, G. A. R., of East Liverpool. He is identified with the Republican party. He has served as constable, policeman and as health officer.

On January 6, 1862, Mr. McGaveran was married to Frances M. Mumford, who was born in Yellow Creek township, Columbiana Coun- ty, Ohio, October 18, 1842, and is a daughter of Stephen Mumford. Five members of a fam- ily of seven children reached maturity, viz. : A. Sherman, now deceased, formerly a resi- dent of East Liverpool; T. Sheridan; Thomas S., deceased, of East Liverpool; Edgar S., of East Liverpool; and Frederick N., of Wash- ington, D. C. The parents belong to the First Presbyterian Church of East Liverpool.

T. Sheridan McGaveran was reared and educated in East Liverpool, and then learned the carpenter's trade with J. M. Smith and served as a journeyman until 1900, since which time he has been in business for himself, en- gaged in contracting and building. His work is confined mainly to residences and he is con- sidered a reliable and skilled man in his line. He employs a number of men and can show many specimens of his skill in and about East Liverpool.

Mr. McGaveran married Margaret A. Bro- beck. of East Liverpool. In politics he is a , Republican. Fraternally he belongs to the Odd Fellows and is past grand of East Liverpool Lodge, No. 379, and a high official of East Liverpool Encampment, No. 107.

AMUEL M. BURSON, one of the well-known business men of the vil- lage of Hanover, where he has been engaged in the drug business for many years, belongs to one of the pioneer families of Columbiana County. He was born in 1851 and is a son of Abraham and

Nancy ( Bosserman) Burson, and grandson of James and Elizabeth ( Myers) Burson.

The Burson family, which is of Welsh extraction, was founded in America about the year 1705 by four brothers, three of whom settled in Pennsylvania while one took up his residence farther south. They were members of the society of Friends. The Bosserman family, of which our subject's mother is a member, is of Holland Dutch extraction. Her ancestors removed about the year 1807 from the vicinity of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to Paris, Stark County, Ohio.

James Burson, the grandfather of our sub- ject, was a son of Edward Burson and was born in Greene County, Pennsylvania, in 1775. He was a man of enterprise as we learn that in March, 1802, he floated a flatboat, loaded with flour, smoked meats and liquors, from Rice's Landing, down the Monongahela River, to the Ohio and thence to the Mississippi, finally reaching his distinction, New Orleans, where he disposed of his cargo for the sum of $800. He then proceeded to Philadelphia by sailing vessel, from there traveled by -stage to the Allegheny Mountains and then walked the re- mainder of the way to his home in Greene County, Pennsylvania. . With the proceeds of this venture as capital, he came to Columbiana County, Ohio, in 1802 and located near Win- ona, where he bought a tract of 640 acres of government land, paying for it at the rate of $1.25 per acre. Accompanied by his brother, he had walked the distance from Rice's Land- ing to ( New) Lisbon, Ohio, it being necessary to follow the "blazed" trail left by surveyors in order to find their way through the forest. The land office at that time was located at Steubenville, Ohio. and thither the two brothers walked to enter and pay for their land.

The grandmother of our subject, Elizabeth (Myers) Burson, belonged to another old pioneer , family ; she was a daughter of Wil- liam Myers, was reared to womanhood in Loudoun County, Virginia, and accompanied her parents to Ohio in 1803. In the following year she married James Burson. She was a first cousin to the redoubtable old pioneer of Kentucky,-Daniel Boone. The Myers family

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settled in the northwest part of Hanover town- ship. In those days money was very scarce and to market their products and secure neces- sary supplies the settlers were forced to barter and exchange. Cash, however, was required when it came to paying the government for land, and this was secured by collecting and sell- ing ginseng roots, which always commanded a cash price and which were used for medicinal purposes. James Burson died in 1843, aged 68 years. His children were: Sina, who mar- ried Allen Hinchman and died in Indiana; Margaret, who married Isaac Malsberry, of Damascus, Columbiana County, and died in Iowa; Abraham, father of our subject; Wil- liam, who married Rebecca Bennett of Butler township, and died in 1864 in Hanover town- ship,-they had one daughter Eliza, who mar- ried Dr. George Sanor; David, who married Elizabeth Bennett,-he was a lieutenant in the army during the Civil War, went to Iowa in 1865 and died there; and Nelson, who mar- ried Laney Ann Harris, of Butler township, and died in 1900 in Hanover township,-he left six children, Winfield, Ottinger, Clifford, Willis, Clarence and Ainsley.

Abraham Burson was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, November 20, 1813, and in early life learned the blacksmith's trade at Damascus and followed the same in the vil- lage of Hanover. He was connected with the building of the Sandy and Beaver Canal, but in 1841 settled on the old Myers farm, two miles northwest of the village of Hanover. It was still a wilderness and pioneer conditions existed for a number of years. He died in 1889 in his 76th year. His widow, now in her 85th year, resides in Salem with her daughter, Mrs. Granville V. Sharp. Four of their children are now living: James, Mary, Samuel M. and Elizabeth. James Burson, the eldest, is now a resident of Rocky Ford, Colo- rado. During the Civil War he was a mem- ber of Company K, 104th Reg., Ohio Vol. Inf .. which, it will be remembered, captured 15 stand of colors at the battle of Franklin, Ten- nessee. These colors were carried to Nash- ville in front of the regiment as trophies of the battle. On the following day James Bur-

son was a member of the detachnient sent from this regiment to Greensboro, to receive the sur- render of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. On May 2, 1865, he was detailed as body-guard to Governor Morehead at the latter's residence and there lived for six weeks with the Gov- ernor's family. Mr. Burson was well known in his regiment and he and his famous gun were under fire for. 120 days during the march from Chattanooga to Atlanta. During his term of service he participated in 16 battles and the names and dates of these he has had en- graved on the barrel of his gun. In the stock of this noted fire-arm, Mr. Burson has inlaid in mother-of-pearl,-extracted from ocean shells, -the corps badges of a large number of the army corps which were operating most con- spicuously at the close of the war, which is a work of art most unique and beautiful. He had also preserved some of the old cartridges and the time will come when this muzzle-load- ing Enfield rifle will have great historic value. He also has his old army knapsack which proved a good friend, although often a heavy weight on many a long and weary march. Mr. Burson married Mary Shriver, of Colum- biana County, Ohio, and they have four chil- dren, viz. Mrs. Ada Irene Black, of Barstow, Texas : Oliver Thomas, of Chicago; and Law- rence and Harvey, who live at home.

Mary, our subject's eldest sister, is the widow of Dallas Graham, of Newgarden, Ohio, and has two children, viz: Flora Ella, who resides in Cleveland; and Anna Laura, who married Elmer E. Helman and has one son, Richard. Elizabeth, the younger sister of our subject, finished her education at Mount Union College and at Dr. Pershing's female seminary at Pittsburg, having taken a course in music at both institutions. She is the wife of Granville V. Sharp, of Salem, who is inter- ested in the manufacture of wall-paper; they have one son,-Harold Burson Sharp.

Samuel Burson was educated in the Han- over Union School and entered into the drug business in February, 1878, in the village of Hanover. For II years, from 1887 to 1898, he was located in Cleveland, Ohio, where he conducted a drug and real estate business.

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIANA COUNTY

Since 1898 he has been located in Hanover village, engaged in the drug business.

The members of the older generation of the Bursons were a very large race. Some of them were six feet, six inches in height, and all at- tained a height of over six feet.

HARLES GILL, manager of the American Hydraulic Stone Manu- facturing Company, of East Liver- pool, has been a prominent citizen of this city for more than a quarter of a century and has been a prominent factor in upholding the law and order of the com- munity. Whether as policeman, marshal, sher- iff or private citizen, he has always been found on the side of right and has used his strong personality in the cause of good. He was born in Jefferson County, Ohio, October 8, 1850, and is a' son of William and Elizabeth A. (Perry) (Campbell) Gill.

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History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 99

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