USA > Ohio > Huron County > History of Huron County, Ohio, Its Progress and Development, Volume II > Part 6
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On the 18th of April, 1864, while at home on a recruiting mission, Mr. Pierce was united in marriage to Miss Docia A. Waugh, a daughter of Lansing and Docia (Minor) Waugh, of Wakeman township. Unto them were born five children, the record of whom is as follows: Clarence H., who is associated with his father in business, was married on the 9th of February, 1886, to Miss Eva Brandt, a daugh- ter of W. Shannon and Elizabeth (Cassell) Brandt, of Richland county. They now have four daughters: Flora A., Bessie B., Mabel B. and Docia E. Arthur M. Pierce, who is associated in business with his father and brother, celebrated his marriage on the 25th of December, 1890, the lady of his choice being Miss Flora Marshall, a daughter of William H. and Rebecca (Will) Marshall, of Richland county. By this union there are three children: Lester, Florence and William, Gilbert Pierce, son of William H. Pierce, passed away when but two years of age. Ada M. was called to her final rest at the age of twenty-five years, and Anna died in infancy. In 1909, Mr. Pierce was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who passed away on the 14th of January of that year, her demise being the occasion of deep and sincere regret to all who knew her.
Though his business interests make extensive demands upon his time and en- ergies. Mr. Pierce still finds opportunity for active co-operation in matters per- taining to the public welfare and is an influential factor in the local ranks of the republican party. . He is a member of the republican county committee and al- most every year attends the county, district and state conventions as a delegate. He polled Wakeman township for twelve consecutive years, his service in this connection being remarkable for its accuracy. He was recognized as the most expert poller of voters in Huron county, for in most instances it was found that his polls were absolutely correct and in perfect accord with the results shown on election day. For a number of years prior to 1880, which year witnessed his re- moval to Richland county, he served as postmaster at Wakeman and after re-
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turning to this town, he was again appointed postmaster in 1890, capably dis- charging the duties of the office for four years. He has also acted as constable of Wakeman township and was likewise township trustee and township clerk for a number of years. From the time that he returned from the army until within the past few years, his fellow townsmen kept him almost continuously in public office-a fact which speaks in unmistakable terms of his personal popularity and the confidence and trust reposed in him. His sons, emulating the splendid rec- ord of their father in private and public life, have become widely recognized as substantial and progressive citizens and take a helpful interest in matters of public concern. Clarence H. Pierce now serving as treasurer of Wakeman town- ship. A valued representative of the Masonic fraternity here, William H. Pierce belongs to Gibson Lodge, No. 301, F. & A. M., in which he has filled most of the offices. He is also a member of Wilson Todd Post, No. 559, G. A. R., in which he has filled all of the offices and for the past twelve years, has been quar- ter-master of the post. He has frequently been a delegate to the state encamp- ments, often attends the national encampments and for the past forty years, has been a regular attendant at the annual reunions of the Forty-first Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He and his family are prominent members of the Con- gregaticnal church and are active workers in both church and Sunday school. Mr. Pierce having frequently served as an officer on the different church boards. Such in brief is the life history of one of Huron county's most widely known and highly respected citizens. In whatever relation of life we find him-in the govern- ment service, in political circles, in business or in social relations-he is always the same honorable and honored gentleman, whose worth well merits the high regard which is uniformly given him.
WILLIAM A. KNAPP.
One of the influential business men of Greenwich township, Huron county, is William A. Knapp, a farmer, stockman and banker. He was born in Maranac, Connecticut, January 10, 1841, and is the son of William A. and Harriet (Mar- shall) Knapp, both of whom were natives of Westchester county, New York. They grew up and were married there. The second year after their union they removed to Connecticut, where Mr. Knapp assumed the management of the farm of Judge I. Roosevelt, the grandfather of ex-President Theodore Roosevelt, who though a resident of New York had large farming interests in the adjoining state. In 1846 Mr. Knapp decided to bring his family to Ohio, and made the trip by the circuitious route of the Erie canal to Buffalo and by lake vessel from Buffalo to Huron, Ohio, which they reached October 3, 1846. The family located in Fitchville township, where Mr. Knapp purchased fifty acres of good land from his father Sylvanus Knapp, who had secured the land in 1836 as a part of the Firelands reservation, but had never become a resident of Ohio. The entire fifty acres were heavily covered with timber, and the winter of 1846- 47 was spent in clearing two acres and in building a frame house for his family, which was one of the first frame buildings erected in that township. In the spring
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of 1847 the two acres he had cleared Mr. Knapp planted in corn, employing a method of doing this that was crude in the extreme. With his ax he would first make a hole in the ground, drop in the grains of corn, and then with his foot brush back the dirt to cover the hole. The work of clearing went on rapidly. and as he saw opportunity Mr. Knapp bought large tracts of land until he owned two hundred and forty acres. He pursued general farming and also engaged in stock buying and shipping, finding a market for his stock in Buffalo. In 188I he sold his farm and removed to Greenwich, where he became active in the organization of the Greenwich Banking Company, the first bank in the village. He was elected its first president and held the position until his death, July 17, 1888. He was a man of means, who took a deep interest in public mat- ters. although he never participated in politics with a view to self-advance- ment. Originally he was a whig, but of later years espoused the republican cause and was always to be seen at the polls at election time. He had for a number of years been a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church and when he died was mourned as a man of sterling traits of character. His wife, who pos- sessed many virtues and was beloved by all who knew her, survived him a little over a year, her death occurring on the 10th of September, 1889, and she was buried by his side in the cemetery at Fitchville.
William A. Knapp, the subject of this sketch, was reared under the parental roof and received his education in the district schools of the county, but because of the need of his services on the farm did not continue the period of his train- ing beyond his sixteenth year. During the Civil war he enlisted in Company C, One Hundred and Sixty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served for four months with the Army of the Potomac. At the end of his term of enlistment he entered the government telegraph service under Dennis Doren, superinten- dent of construction with the Army of the Potomac. During the two years he was engaged in this work he was rapidly promoted and was given the position of foreman for meritorious service. In the fall of 1867, when the telegraph lines south of the Mason and Dixon's line were returned to the control of the original owners, Mr. Knapp left the employ of the government, entering that of the Western Union Telegraph Company. He remained with this corporation for one year, in that time assisting in the building of the cable connection between Pirate's Cove, on the northern line of Nova Scotia, to the northern line of New Brunswick. Returning home at the expiration of a year, he engaged with his father in farming and stock shipping, a partnership that continued until the older man removed to Greenwich village, after which Mr. Knapp continued the business alone. In 1895 he removed to Greenwich, where in addition to his farming and stock business he has identified himself with the village life and work. He was made president of the Farmers' Banking Company and is a stockholder in the First National Bank of New London and in the Capital Trust Company of Columbus. In 1900 he served as land appraiser for Fitchville town- ship and has in other ways evinced his interest in public matters. In politics he is a republican and is frequently a representative of his party in county, district and state conventions.
On the 27th of March, 1879, Mr. Knapp was married to Miss Philena Kirk- patrick, a daughter of William and Charlotte (Coden), the former a farmer of
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Fitchville township. To Mr. and Mrs. Knapp have been born two sons, Jay D., who was formerly assistant cashier of the Greenwich Banking Company, but on account of ill health has removed to California; and Harley B., who is assistant cashier of the Farmers Banking Company, of which his father is president. Mrs. Knapp died July 31, 1892, mourned by those who knew her and had been the re- cipients of her many acts of thoughtfulness and kindness.
Mr. Knapp and his family affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal church and support all Christian and charitable work. He belongs to Floral Lodge, No. 260, F. & A. M., in which he takes an active part. A man of means, his land- holdings amount to three hundred and ten acres besides his fine home in Green- wich. He is distinguished for his public spirit and is a strong advocate of good government and improvements, being of the opinion that by such things may the progress of a community be gauged.
BYRON EMORY JENNINGS.
Byron Emory Jennings, who is now living practically retired in North Fair- field, where he owns a tract of ten acres of land, was formerly actively and suc- cessfully identified with the agricultural interests of this county. His birth oc- curred in Fairfield township, Huron county, Ohio, on the 26th of October, 1853, his parents being Ezra S. and Harriet (Godden) Jennings, who were natives of Connecticut and New York respectively. The father was born on the 6th of August, 1828, while the mother's birth occurred October 13, 1829.
Byron Emory Jennings has always devoted his time and energies to agricul- tural pursuits, in which he has met with excellent success, annually harvesting good crops as the result of his practical and progressive methods in the cultiva- tion of the soil. He has now disposed of his farm, however, and is living practi- cally retired on a tract of ten acres in North Fairfield.
On the 24th of January. 1877, Mr. Jennings was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Cowpe, whose birth occurred in England on the 15th of June, 1858, her parents being John and Ellen (Frith) Cowpe, also natives of that country. The latter, who was born March 24, 1827, gave her hand in marriage to John Cowpe on the 23d of March, 1853. Mr. and Mrs. Cowpe made the ocean voyage to the United States when their daughter Jennie was but nine months old and in 1859, took up their abode at Olena, Huron county, Ohio. The father was a brickmaker by trade and followed that pursuit until the outbreak of the Civil war, when he enlisted in defense of the Union as a member of Company E, Fifty-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was killed at the battle of Peach Tree Creek on the 20th of July, 1864, thus laying down his life on the altar of his adopted country. Unto him and his wife were born the following children: John Sherman, Jennie and Mary Ann. Mr. and Mrs. Jennings had four children, namely : Otto, born Octo- ber 3, 1878, who wedded Miss Grace Kinger on the 30th of June, 1906, and resides in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania ; Clair Elbert, whose birth occurred March 13, 1886, and who is now pursuing a course in mechanical engineering at the Ohio State
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HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY
University ; Lee, born May 19, 1891, who is at home ; and Harold, born October 5, 1897, who passed away on the 3d of January, 1898.
Mr. Jennings is a consistent member of the Presbyterian church, in the work of which he takes an active and helpful interest. He is well known and highly esteemed throughout the county in which he has made his home from his birth to the present time, his upright and honorable life commanding the respect and admiration of all with whom business or social relations have brought him in contact.
ELIAS BEACH MITCHELL.
Elias Beach Mitchell, a retired agriculturist residing in North Farifield, was born in Greenfield township, Huron county, Ohio, on the 30th of December, 1839. The paternal grandfather, James Mitchell, who was of Scotch Irish descent, was born in New Jersey, about 1745. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Lorena Sutton, was of Holland Dutch lineage. Their children were seven in number, namely : William N., Betsy, Sarah, Polly, Hezekiah, Moses and James. William N. Mitchell, the father of our subject, whose birth occurred in Montgomery county, New York, on the Ist of January, 1799, came to Greenwich township, Huron county, Ohio, in 1821, making the journey with his father. As a compan- and helpmate on the journey of life, he chose Miss Charisy Beach, who was born in Montgomery county, New York, in October, 1812, a daughter of Elias and Amanda (Herrick) Beach. Her parents were natives of Massachussetts and Connecticut respectively, and the father served as a soldier in the War of 1812. Mrs. Mitchell was the eldest in a family of eleven children, her brothers and sisters being as follows: Miles, T., Milton, Erastus, Marshall, Thomas, Jane, Sarah, Emily, Flora and Henrietta. About 1824, the Beach family established their . home in Ashtabula county, Ohio, and about 1830, they came to Huron county, this state. Unto William N. and Charisy (Beach) Mitchell, were born two children : Philander ; and Elias Beach, of this review.
The last named obtained his education in the common schools of his home neighborhood and after putting aside his text-books, became identified with gen- eral agricultural pursuits, in which he was successfully engaged throughout his active business career. At the present time, however, he is living retired in the enjoyment of the fruits of his former toil, having left the farm and removed to North Fairfield in the spring of 1909. He still retains possession of his farm, which is a rich and productive tract of land of sixty-four acres in Fairfield town- ship. He is now a member of the board of directors of the Huron County Farm- ers' Mutual Insurance Company, of which he formerly served as vice-president.
On the 4th of November, 1862, Mr. Mitchell was united in marriage to Miss Cornelia Place, whose birth occurred in New York city on the 26th of Nevember, 1843, her parents being Thomas and Dora (Barker) Place, whom she accom- panied on their removal to Huron county, Ohio, in 1856. Mr. and Mrs. Place had a family of five children, namely : George, Lorenzo, Walter, Sarah and Cornelia. Unto Elias B. and Cornelia (Place) Mitchell, were born the following children : Fremon P., whose birth occurred November 5, 1866, and who wedded Miss Kate
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HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY
Ryerson, of Greenfield township, Huron county ; Donald W. ; Philip ; and Cornelia. Subsequent to the death of his first wife Mr. Mitchell was again married, in 1886, his second union being with Mrs. Martha J. Sherman, a widow, who was born in February, 1843. Her parents were Jonathan and Eliza ( Munsel) Collin- rood.
Mr. Mitchell is a prominent and valued member of the Baptist church, in which he has served as trustee for about nineteen years. He has always made his home in this county, and the fact that many of his stanchest friends are those who have known him from his boyhood to the present time, is an indication that his life has at all times been honorable and upright-worthy of the high esteem in which he is uniformly held.
DOOR TWADDLE.
Door Twaddle, a well-to-do farmer of Clarksfield township, Huron county, Ohio, was born in this township, March 28, 1852, the son of John J. and Julia A. (Palmer) Twaddle. The father was a son of Alexander Twaddle, and was born in the southwestern part of Pennsylvania, where the family lived from 1823 to 1836, and engaged in farming. John J. Twaddle, and his brother Alexander came to Clarksfield township in 1835, where the former was married to Miss Julia A. Palmer, who had come to Ohio with her parents from Westchester county, New York. After their marriage the young couple lived near Norwalk, Ohio, where John J. Twaddle worked for Isaac Underhill, a pioneer resident of that section. During the twelve years in his employ, Mr. Twaddle saved up sufficient money to purchase a farm in Clarksfield township, which was his home until his death, which occurred December 28, 1885. His widow survived him until November 8, 1889, when she was buried by his side in Clarksfield cemetery. Of the children that were born to Mr. and Mrs. Twaddle, Frank died in infancy ; Ella married J. T. King, and is now a widow living in Wakeman village; Door is the subject of this sketch; Charlotte married Eugene Fox and lives on the old homestead in Clarksfield township; Leroy and Lilly A., were twins. The former of the two died December 14, 1897, but the other married J. L. Judd and lives in Marshall county, Kansas.
Door Twaddle was educated in the schools of Clarksfield and spent his youth on his father's farm, assisting in every way he could with the work that went on there. At the age of sixteen, he went to Michigan to purchase some land and while there worked at various pursuits. At the age of nineteen, he returned home and began learning the cheese manufacturing business, entering the factory of Parker, Morgan & Hovey. He worked for them for four years and then was appointed night superintendent of the factory, subsequently, being put in full charge of the establishment. Some years later, he became a partner in another cheese factory, located in Clarksfield, which business he conducted for seven years. He next entered the firm of J. C. Ransom & Company, where he gained a repu- tation as a successful cheese separator. In 1882, Mr. Twaddle gave up his in- terests in the cheese factory and took up farming, to which he has devoted all
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his attention since. He has a tract of two hundred and six acres, all fine land and under a fine state of cultivation.
Mr. Twaddle married Miss Celia Rowland, the daughter of Daniel and Har- riet (Chaffee) Rowland, a pioneer family of this county. They came here from New York state in 1818 and became very prominent in the development of the resources of the township. To Mr. and Mrs. Twaddle have been born three child- ren. Wanda, the only daughter, married Elmer P. Finch, of Wilmington. Will- iam E. was married on the 17th of June, 1903, to Miss Edna Spurrier, the daugh- ter of Royal and Rheta (Stiles) Spurrier. Jay C., the youngest, was married May 9, 1903, to Miss Bertha Pearsall, the daughter of James and Julia (Scott) Pear- sall. Both sons are excellent young men, well educated and thoroughly equipped for the affairs of life. They assist their father in the management of his large acreage and are up-to-date in the best manner of cultivating the soil.
Mr. Twaddle is a democrat and is deeply interested in public affairs, though not active in his party. He has, however, on many occasions served the people well as township trustee, as road supervisor and as a member of the school board. He is a member of the Gibson lodge, No. 301, F. & A. M., of Wakeman and also of the chapter. The New London lodge of the Independant Order of Odd Fellows as well numbers him upon it roll call. In the meetings of his lodges and in the general affairs of life, he has proved to be a man of sound principles and strong personality. He is progressive and well informed and is accounted one of the prosperous farmers of Clarksfield township.
F. P. STONE.
F. P. Stone, a well known and enterprising agriculturist residing on his farm of thirty acres in Fitchville township, was born in Lorain county, Ohio, on the 9th of October, 1849, his parents being Ezra and Isabelle (Baldwin) Stone, the former a native or Vermont and the latter of Jefferson county, New York. In his boyhood days, Ezra Stone was brought to Lorain county, this state, by his father, Josiah Stone, who there purchased a farm of one hundred and fifteen acres. Ezra Stone successfully carried on general agricultural pursuits throughout his active business career and subsequent to the death of his father, he came into pos- session of the latter's farm, thereon spending his remaining days. Eighty-five acres of the original farm of one hundred and fifteen acres is still in possession of the family, now belonging to Mrs. Olivia Mull and Joseph P. Stone, a sister and brother of our subject. The father gave his political allegiance to the men and measures of the democracy. In the year 1846, he wedded Miss Isabell Bald- win and their union was blessed with six children, two of whom died in infancy. F. P .. of this review ; Orlando G., whose birth occurred in 1853; Mrs. Olivia Mull ; and Joseph P. With the exception of the first named, all are residents of Lorain county. The father, who was born June 7, 1824, died February 15, 1880, and the mother, whose birth occurred April II, 1825, passed away May 19, 1902.
F. P. Stone remained under the parental roof until after he had attained his majority, working out by the month as a farm hand. When twenty-three years
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HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY
of age, he was united in marriage to Miss Julia L. Clark, a daughter of Jewett and Adeline Clark, of Lorain county. For fourteen years after his marriage, he followed his trade as a carpenter and joiner and then turned his attention to the work of farming, which has since claimed his time and energies. In 1898, he bought his present place of thirty acres in Fitchville township, Huron county, and annually gathers good harvests as a reward of the intelligence which he displays in the planting and cultivation of his crops.
Mr. and Mrs. Stone have three children : Roy E., who was born in 1874 and completed a course in the Oberlin high school and Moody Institute of Chicago, Illinois ; Ona M., who is married to Frank Russell of Clarksfield, this county and Leon B., who is a teacher in the schools of Fitchville. Both were educated in the Fitchville high school.
In his political views Mr. Stone is a stanch republican, being a firm believer in the principles of that party. Both he and his wife are esteemed in their home community as people of genuine personal worth, the hospitality of the best homes being freely accorded them.
HARLOW CASE STAHL.
Among the names of those who stand as the most prominent representatives of industrial Ohio, is that of Harlow Case Stahl. Not by leaps or bounds but by steady progress that ultimately reaches the objective point has he gained his present position, yet his rise has been rapid, owing to his ready recognition and intelligent appreciation of opportunities. He early learned to place the cor- rect value upon life's contacts and experiences and this, combined with his study of trade conditions, has placed him in a position to quickly utilize every oppor- tunity and make each moment count to the best advantage. He is today widely known as the president and treasurer of the Ohio Cultivator Company and since its inception, has been the leading spirit in the enterprise.
Mr. Stahl was born in a log house on a farm south of Fremont, Ohio, Feb- ruary 12, 1849, and as the name indicates is of German descent. His grand- father, John Stahl, was born in 1773, and came to the United States at an early day. His son, Jacob B. Stahl, the father of our subject, was also born in Ger- many and came to Ohio in 1832 at the age of eighteen years. He devoted his life to farming and spent his latter years near Fremont, Ohio. On the 21st of De- cember. 1841, in Fremont, Ohio, he was married to Rachel E. Camp, who died September 5, 1877, while his death occurred January 27, 1883. He was borni February 10, 1814, and he was, therefore, in the sixty-ninth year of his age at the time of his demise.
After acquiring his preliminary education in the public schools of Fremont, Harlow C. Stahl pursued a special business course at Oberlin, Ohio. His youth- ful days were largely devoted to the work of the home farm, whereon he remained until he attained the age of thirty, at which time he became identified with manu- facturing interests in Fremont. The Ohio Cultivator Company, which stands today as Bellevue's largest industry, was established on a very small scale at
716 Stahl
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HISTORY OF HURON COUNTY
Fremont in 1878. Mr. Stahl's mechanical ingenuity and his recognition of needs in the agricultural world that might be met through invention and manufacture, led him to take up the work of building cultivators, and his first year's output amounted to eighty-one machines, which were practically manufactured and marketed by him with the assistance of a local blacksmith. Up to that time, no successful riding cultivator had ever been placed upon the market and the first year's output was disposed of to farmers in the immediate vicinity of Fremont. The machines met with such unbounded success that their popularity was soon heralded in the neighboring counties so that it was possible for Mr. Stahl to find ready sale for two hundred cultivators in the second year. They were manu- factured throughout the winter months in the blacksmith shop and when the spring trade cpened were trailed behind a wagon and retailed to the -farmers personally by Mr. Stahl. His keen prescience enabled him to recognize the pos- sibilities of this piece of farm machinery and the necessity for increased capital prompted him to form a partnership under the name of Stahl & Peck. Origin- ally, they conducted a feed store in connection with their manufacturing busi- ness, but the rapid increase of the trade led to the concentration of their energies upon manufacturing lines and this step toward expansion was rapidly followed by the organization of a stock company known as the Fremont Cultivator Com- pany. From the beginning the growth of the business has been rapid and sub- stantial, so much so that in 1886, enlarged quarters had to be secured. At that time negotiations were opened with the citizens at Bellevue for a location which terminated in the Fremont Cultivator Company's leaving its cramped quarters and removing to Bellevue. Soon afterward the business was reorganized under the name of the Ohio Cultivator Company, and although the new location gave them at the time much needed manufacturing facilities, this condition lasted for only a short time, as the increasing popularity of the famous Ohio cultivator was ex- tending into the corn belts of the west. The growing trade demanded additions to the factory and the main building was converted into a three-story structure, ifter which a foundry was built, for up to that time both grey iron and malleable was purchased under contract from foundries in Cleveland.
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