History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 150

Author: Andrews, Martin Register, 1842-; Hathaway, Seymour J
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1490

USA > Ohio > Washington County > Marietta > History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 150

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

These families represent some of the best, most reliable and substantial people of Wash- ington County.

ILLIAM MITCHELL, M. D., a successful physician and surgeon, of Marietta, Ohio, with office at No. 128 Front street, was born March 9. 1851, in Monroe County, Ohio, and is a son of John Julius and Lydia ( Wilkerson ) Mitchell.

Dr. William Mitchell was but one year old when his parents moved to Washington Coun- ty, Ohio, and here he has since lived. After completing his preliminary schooling, he took a course in the Eclectic Medical Institute. from which he was graduated June 7, 1881. Since then he has been engaged in the practice of medicine with marked success, and his son, Dr. Frank G. Mitchell, is now associated with him.

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HISTORY OF MARIETTA AND WASHINGTON COUNTY,

May 21, 1876, Dr. Mitchell was united in marriage with Belle Moore, they had the fol- lowing children : Frank G., born May 26, 1877: Fred W., born October 12, 1878; For- rest M., born June 22, 1880; James H., born March 18, 1884: and Raymond, who was born May 27. 1888, and died at the age of six weeks. Mrs. Mitchell died October 21, 1890. The Doctor was married December 10, 1891, to Mary A. Miller, and they have one son. Robert Taylor, who was born April 20, 1893, and named Taylor, after his great-grandfather, Colonel Taylor, the first soldier buried in Mound Cemetery. William Mitchell has one grandchild, Lloyd William Mitchell, who was born August 28, 1901, and is a son of Frank G. and Ida ( Fitch ) Mitchell. Previous to her marriage, Mrs. F. G. Mitchell resided in Cin- cinnati, Ohio. In politics, the subject of this sketch is a Republican. Socially, he belongs to American Union Lodge, No. 1, F. & A. M. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, while his wife is a Baptist.

OSEPH C. BRENAN, now serving his second term as prosecuting attorney of Marietta, is law partner of Hon. C. C. Middleswart, the firm being one of the strongest legal combinations of the county. He was born at Marietta and is a son of J. J. Brenan.

J. J. Brenan came to this country from Ire- land in 1841. He was a Republican in politics. He died in the summer of 1900, at the age of 71 years. He married Eliza J. Richards, who was of English parentage. Her father. John Richards, an early merchant of Marietta, died in 1885. Six children blessed this union, namely: Joseph C .; Rev. Edward H., pastor of the Unitarian Church at Warwick, Massa- chusetts; Frederick F., who is identified with the Standard Oil Company, at Charleston, West Virginia: Carl L., a druggist, of Cam- bridge. Ohio; Bayard R., assistant cashier in the freight offices of the "Big Four" Railroad, at Columbus, Ohio: and Laura E., who is at- tending Marietta College.

Joseph C. Brenan pursued academic and collegiate courses at Marietta, graduated from the Cincinnati Law School in 1891, and was admitted to the bar of Washington County the same year. He then began the active practice of law and has since continued with great suc- cess. He was city solicitor during 1894 and 1895, and is now serving his second term as prosecuting attorney. He is a Republican in politics. In November, 1900, he formed a part- nership with Hon. C. C. Middleswart, and the firm commands a large practice. Socially, Mr. Brenan is a member and past master of Amer- ican Union Lodge, No. 1, F. & A. M., of Mari- etta : a member of Marietta Commandery, No. 50. K. T. : and of Syrian Shrine, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Cincinnati, Ohio. In religious at- tachment, he is a member of the Unitarian Church. Mr. Brennan was married in 1898 to Stella H. Harper. of Marietta, Ohio, and has one child Francis V.

Hon. C. C. Middleswart was born Septem- ber 11, 1870, in Warren township, Washing- ton County, Ohio, and is a son of A. A. and Sarah ( Dye) Middleswart. He was educated in the common schools of Warren township, Harmar Grammar School, Marietta Academy. and in Marietta College, from which he was graduated in 1894. with the degree of A. B. He was superintendent of schools of New Matamoras, Ohio, from 1894 to 1896. He at- tended the law department of the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, during 1897, and afterward spent one year in Ohio State Univer- sity. where he graduated in 1808, with the de- gree of LI .. B. Since then he has practiced law at Marietta. He first formed a partnership with Hon. W. E. Sykes, which continued from August, 1898, to November, 1900, when he be- came associated with the subject of this sketch. Ile was elected to the Ohio Legislature in 1899. and was re-elected in 1901, serving with honor and credit, and to the satisfaction of the most exacting of his constituents. Mr. Middleswart was married, September 10, 1900, to Bell L. Otis, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, who graduated from the University of Michigan with the class of 1897. They have a daughter, Helen May. born January 30. 1002. They reside at No.

A. T. NYE.

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410 Sixth street. Fraternally, the subject of this sketch is a member of American Union Lodge, No. 1, F. & A. M. ; Knights of Pythias : Odd Fellows; and Sons of Veterans. Relig- iously, he is a member of the First Presbyterian Church.

T. NYE is general manager of the A. T. Nye & Son Company, which operates a large foundry and stove manufacturing plant at the corner of Ohio and Muskingum streets, Mari- etta. Ohio.

The business now conducted by this com- pany was established more than 75 years ago by A. T. Nye, grandfather of the subject of this sketch. It was managed by .A. T. Nye ( 2), his son, from 1854 until his death in 1899. when the present company was formed and in- corporated with the following officers: G. L. Nye, of St. Paul, Minnesota, president : H. B. Nye, of Cleveland, treasurer; M. C. Nye, of Marietta, secretary; and .A. T. Nye ( 3rd ). general manager, in active charge of the busi- ness. The first site of the original foundry and machine shop was on the west side in Mari- etta. where a few Franklin stoves were manu- factured. In 1867 A. T. Nye (2nd ) bought a woolen-mill plant, which forms a part of the present plant at the corner of Ohio and Mus- kingum streets, where, with the exception of three small lots, they now own an entire city block. The office building contains three stor- ies, and is of brick, the dimensions being 40 by 120 feet. The first floor is devoted to mounting cast-iron stoves and ranges : the sec- end floor is equipped with modern appliances for manufacturing steel stoves and ranges, and the offices are also located on this floor. The third floor is used for storage and an iron-pat- tern shop. The central building is 125 by 00 feet in dimensions, and five stories high. The first floor is the shipping department. the sec- ond floor the nickel-plating and wood-pattern shop, and the third, fourth and fifth floors are for storage of manufactured stock. The foun- dry building is partially of two stories, its di

mensions being 60 by 140 feet, and is used entirely by stove moulders, and for the storage of flasks. Two sheet-iron buildings, of two stories each, contain the shipping clerk's office, and storage room for patterns and stove trim- mings. The plant is located near the Ohio River, and within convenient distance of the depot. This is the only exclusive stove fac- tory in the city, besides being the pioneer foun- dry. Traveling representatives cover a terri- tory reaching from the Atlantic coast to the Mississippi River, and from 60 to 75 skilled laborers are employed in the plant.

.A. T. Nye, the subject of this biography, was born at Marietta, as was also his father, who died in 1809. He was rearel at Mari- etta, and until he was 21 years old was associ- ated with his father in the business. He then accepted a position with the Perry Stove Com- pany, at South Pittsburg, Tennessee, and re- mained there until 1892, when he returned to Marietta. He was then a traveling salesman for a number of years, and' in 1800 became general manager of the A. T. Nye & Son Com- pany. He possesses unusual ability, and has had wide experience in this industry. He has given his entire time to the success of the en- terprise, and the amount of the company's busi- ness has increased fully 75 per cent in the past five years.

A. T. Nye married a daughter of Capt. S. B. Ilempstead, who owned the Excelsior Stove Works at Hanging Rock, Ohio, and they have three sons-Walker 11. : Allen T. : and Dudley D. Fraternally Mr. Nye is a member of the B. P. O. E.

ILLIAM JOHNSON CRAM. The family of Cram is an early one in Marietta. the first, Jonathan Cram. having settled in Marietta with his family in 1810. The American Crams descend from European family of Von Cramm, through Hans Von Cramm, a younger son, who went from Germany to England in 1528. The family records in Europe are veri- fied to 1210. The baronial standing of the

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family in Europe has been recognized from an early date. The tombstone of Hans Von Cramm, the head of the English branch, is built into the side of the entrance of the south porch of the old church at Jarrow, England. His birth is recorded in 1504.

John Cram came from England to Boston in 1635. In 1638 he joined the adherents of the "Independent Old Puritan," Rev. John Wheelwright, and with him and his followers went to Exeter, New Hampshire, where the colony adopted a code of laws styled a "Com- bination," now historic. John Cram was one of the signers of the "Combination." He was a selectman at Exeter. but afterwards he purchased land at Hampton Falls, near Exeter, which he many years resided on and cultivated and where several succeeding generations of his family lived. He is styled in historie annals, "a judicious and honest man." The record of his death on the "town book" at Hampton Falls is as follows,-"5 March, 1681-2" "Good old John Cram, one just in his generation."

Jonathan Cram was the great-grandson of John Cram, of Exeter and Hampton Falls. He inherited the homestead at Hampton Falls and resided there after his marriage to Sally Dodge, in 1804, until 1816, when he came to Marietta. The old Cram dwelling at Hampton Falls, erected by John Cram over 250 years ago, is still standing. It is a fine specimen of early New England architecture, with the large chimney in the center of the building, spacious rooms, wainscoted to the ceilings with hand- some panels, and containing many other inter- esting features of the dwellings of that period.

The father of Jonathan Cram was Col. Jonathan Cram, of the Revolutionary Army. a resident of Hampton Falls. Jonathan Cram was one of the early merchants of Marietta, where, upon his arrival, he engaged in the gen- eral mercantile business with his brother-in-law N. Dodge. The location was on Ohio street, then the business part of Marietta. His fa- ther-in-law, Nathaniel Dodge, a pioneer set- tler of Marietta, in 1804, owned the ferry priv- ileges between Marietta and Harmar on the Muskingum River, and Mr. Cram moved his

business near to the eastern landing of the ferry. In these stores every merchantable ar- ticle, from a needle to a plow, was kept. Early pictures of Marietta show his store building, located near where the United States govern- ment lock-building now stands on the commons below Putnam street. While yet a young man and in the full tide of a successful business life, Mr. Cram, who was born in 1779, died in Mari-

etta in January, 1821, aged 42 years. He left a widow and four children. The children who survived him were,-Jonathan Augustus, John Oliver, Jacob, and one daughter, Rebecca Dodge, who became the wife of Anselm Tupper Nye, of Marietta.

Jonathan Augustus Cram was reared in Marietta, and received the most of his educa- tion at Ohio University at Athens. At a suitable age, he engaged in mercantile pursuits in Mari- etta and elsewhere. Later in life he moved to California, where he died at the advanced age of 82 years. He was married three times, but left no children.

John Oliver Cram, like his brother, was reared in Marietta and obtained his education chiefly at Ohio University at Athens. Arriv- ing at manhood, he engaged in business at Zanesville, but returned to Marietta in 1836, for permanent residence. He became one of the active business men of the town, and "to him, probably, more than to any other citizen, Mari- etta owed its public improvements up to the time of his death." The "Cram Surveys" of the city are still the standard surveys and oc- casional attempts at deviations from the lines then laid down have always ended in errors, troublesome to the city. Mr. Cram established and operated the flouring and sawmills now known as the "Phoenix Mills," and rebuilt them twice after they were destroyed by in- cendiary fires. He was one of the promoters, and a director, of the old "Plank Road," and was also a promoter and director of the Mari- etta & Cincinnati Railroad. He rendered finan- cial assistance to Marietta College. "To an un- common degree, he impressed his views and his personality on the community in which he lived." He died November 2, 1860, at the early age of 48 years. His wife and five daugh-

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ters survived him, and the latter have married and settled away from Marietta.

Jacob Cram, the father of William Johnson Cram, was born August 3, 1820, in Marietta where he was reared and educated. His father. Jonathan Cram, died when Jacob was but six months of age. From the time that he arrived at manhood, Jacob Cram was actively engaged in business affairs, a part of the time in the milling business with his brother, John Oliver Cram. He was also interested in a commission shipping concern and in ship-building. In 1847, the brig "Walhonding" was built by a company at Marietta. Upon the completion the vessel carried a cargo of pork to New York. Capt. Jacob Cram going as supercargo. After a second trip from New Orleans, the vessel was sold in New York. Jacob Cram was a man of standing and influence in Marietta, and was al- ways alive to the interests of his native town. Through his business connections, he had a large acquaintance in the South. In the years preceding the Civil War, he had a keen fore- sight of the dreadful conflict which was im- minent, and although he was in every way op- posed to war, when it at last came, his patriot- ism and loyalty allowed no question as to where he stood. He was a true patriot. The whole country was his country, and the United States government was the one to which his allegiance held firmn. U'nable, because of ill health, to go with others to the front, he took an active part at home in the support of military operations. A military hospital was established in Marietta on Second street, above Montgomery street. Soon, sick and disabled soldiers were gathered there, and there in his care for them Mr. Cram contracted typhoid pneumonia, which nearly cost him his life, and left him with permanent ill health. In 1863. the Rebel general Morgan, entered the State of Ohio with hostile troops. .A call was made for troops to repel this in- vasion. Mr. Cram, although entirely unfit for hardship, raised a company of cavalry and called them the "Putnam Guards," in honor of Col. William R. Putnam, commandant of the ! post. On July 16. 1863. they left Marietta and were assigned to Captain Wood's command. On the night of July 17. they went to the fords

at Buffington Island, where Morgan, hotly pur- sued by Hobson, was aiming to cross the river. Captain Cram's company was there assigned to duty as a scouting force. On the morning of July 19. while thus engaged, Captain Cram was taken prisoner by Morgan's men. His horse and arms were taken from him and he was paroled. After the battle with Morgan. Cap- tain Cram was acting as aid to a Union Army officer. His duties required him to pass be- tween two Union posts, a mile, or less apart. At this time he happened to wear a suit of but- ternut brown, the coat being made in what was called a "hunting-shirt" style. This suit hie wore when he left home. It was a costume often seen in Ohio, in the days before the war. At the time of the war, however, it was dis- tinctly the dress of the Southern bushwacker. While in discharge of duty, on the morning of July 20, he was challenged by some Union soldiers of the 8th Reg., Mich. Vol. Cav. From his dress, they mistook him for a Southern cavalryman. As he made no reply to their challenge, butt rode on, they cruelly shot him. and he died instantly. He was buried near the spot where he fell, by the kindly hands of strangers. llis brother. J. A. Cram, and his nephew, B. T. Nye, went to his resting place. recovered his remains, and brought them home for burial. On August 2, 1863, his funeral was held from his old home on Putnam street, which had been his father's house, and where his sister. Rebecca ( Mrs. Nye), resided. He was buried by the side of his parents in Mound Cemetery. His wife and three young children survived him. Ilis age was 43 years.

William Johnson Cram, whose name heads these lines, is the only living male descendant bearing the name of Cram, of the family of Jonathan Cram, the early settler of Marietta. William J. Cram was born February 2, 1863, and was but six months old at the time of his father's death. Under the tender and wise care of a devoted mother, he and his brother, the late Oliver Dodge Cram, and his only sister, Grace Blocksom Cram, were reared and edu- cated in Marietta. While still a youth. in 1880. Mr. Cram entered the employ of the Argand Refining Company, of Marietta. He and his

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brother, Oliver, became holders of a large block of stock in this company. In 1897, the business, having been eminently successful for a number of years, was sold to the Standard Oil Company. For 12 years previous to this sale, Mr. Cram had been manager of the busi- ness.

Since 1807, Mr. Cram has been actively en- gaged in business operations, chiefly in Mari- etta. He is the chief stockholder in the St. Clair Building, on Putnam street, which he projected and erected, and where his office may be found. lle was an active promoter of the People's Banking & Trust Company, in which he is a stockholder and director. This com- pany occupies a part of the St. Clair Building, for business purposes. Other business mat- ters also engage Mr. Cram's attention.

On May 9, 1901, the subject of this sketch was united in marriage with Emma Safford Cole, daughter of Reese N. Cole, whose resi- dence is at "Highland Farm," Warren town- ship, in Washington County.

The residence of Mr. Cram is at his coun- try place, "Hemlock-on-Muskingum." three miles, or more, above Marietta.

The mother of Mr. Cram, who is still liv- ing, was Caroline Virginia Blocksom, daughter of Judge William Blocksom, of Zanesville. Ohio.

ATHANIEL ELDRED KIDD, a well- known attorney and justice of the peace located in Marietta, Washing- ton County, Ohio, is a native of that county, and was born in 1870. He is a son of Nathaniel and Harriet A. ( Barstow ) Kidd.

Nathaniel Kidd, the great-grandfather of Nathaniel Eldred Kidd, had the following sons, viz: John: William; Thomas; Isaac; Joseph and Nathaniel. The last named was the youngest. They settled near Waterford but, on account of fever and ague in the low- lands. removed to a branch of Duck Creek, which is still known as Whipple Run. There they took up a tract of land, settling there in the summer of ISO ;.

Nathaniel Kidd, father of the subject of this sketch, was born there in 1833 : he now resides less than a mile from the old homestead, and owns a part of the original settlement. Na- thaniel Kidd married Harriet .A. Barstow, a daughter of Henry E. Barstow ; she was born in Newport township, January 3. 1840. Her father was also born there but removed to Will- iams County, Ohio, in 1869, his death occur- ring there in 1880. Nine children were born to Nathaniel Kidd and his wife, of whom two sons and one daughter are deceased. The others are-Mrs. Mary L. Cunningham, of . Eva, West Virginia ; Clark E., a farmer ; Fre- mont : Carrie A. : and Addie.

Nathaniel Eldred Kidd, the subject of this biography, attended the common schools of his native county, and was afterward a pupil in the grammar and high school of Harmar. He pre- pared for college in Marietta, and read law with the well-known attorney. W. G. Way. He , was admitted to the bar, March II, 1898, and has since practiced in Marietta. He is also a justice of the peace in that city, and enjoys a large and increasing practice. Previous to taking up the practice of law, Mr. Kidd taught school in Washington County. He has always been of a studious turn of mind, and is con- stantly seeking knowledge which tends to ad- vance him in his profession. September 7, . 1893, Mr. Kidd was married to Mrs. Bessie - (Carroll ) McVay, of New London, Ohio.

From the formation of that party the Kidds have always been Republicans. Meth- odism has always been the family religion.

ILLIAM H. GURLEY, who has been a resident of Marietta, Ohio, for more than half a century, has followed the occupations of a mer- chant, steamboater, lumberman and oil prospector during his long and useful life. He was born in Portland, Mane, in 1824, is a son of Roval and Nancy ( Hull) Gurley, and grandson of Rev. Ebenezer Gurley, who grad- uated from Dartmouth College in 1772, and died four years later at the early age of 29 years.

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Royal Gurley was born at Portland, Maine, "from $20,000 to $25,000 in a lumber opera- in 17-6, and served as a lieutenant in the tion in Virginia, near Gordonsville. The United States Navy. He, too, was a graduate of Dartmouth College, having completed the course in 1704. His death took place in 1824, when he was 48 years old. He was joined in marriage with Nancy Hull, a daughter of Capt. Samuel Hull, a cousin of Isaac Hull, and a niece of Gen. William Hull. Eleven children were born to Royal Gurley and his wife. two of whom are living .- Helen G. and William H. The former is now the wife of a Mr. Burlin- game, of Springfield, Ohio. plan, as represented to them by a Cap- tain Harris, "the promoter." was for the New York parties to obtain contracts from the various lumber dealers for all kinds of sawed lumber, and for ties from the railroad companies. Large contracts were made and orders were forwarded to Harris. and the company was wanting and expecting shipments that never came. Mr. Gurley was asked to go to Gordonsville and investigate the situation. On arriving there he found a very remarkable state of affairs. The Captain gave a very confused account of the business, and threatened to shoot Mr. Gurley if he interfered with him. Mr. Gurley, however, brought him to terms, but found little had been done toward producing lumber. Mr. Gurley was asked what he would take for the business, and replied that he would close it out on the refunding, by Har- ris, of the money the company had furnished.

In company with his mother, William H. Gurley left Portland and located in New Ha- ven. Connecticut, where a part of his youth was spent. At the early age of 12 years, he began work as a clerk in a store. In 1846 he went to Marietta, Ohio, and opened the first book store ever established in that city. It was located at Front street, at the present location of the H. P. Theis hardware store. After sev- eral years of successful business, Mr. Gurley sold his bookstore to Charles E. Glines, and turned his attention to steamboating.

For three years he followed this occupation on the Ohio River, between Cincinnati and Charleston. Prior to the erection of a bridge across the Muskingum River, he ran the ferry boat "Two Sisters." between Marietta and Harmar. He brought from Wheeling, on flat- boats, the first railroad iron, locomotive and cars to equip the Marietta end of the Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad. The engine was called the "lligbland."

In the course of his career on the water Mr. Gurley has met with various disasters, has sus- tained heavy losses, and in some instances, has barely escaped with his life. His steamer "Vir- ginia Home" was wrecked and lost in a tor- nado on the Ohio river. Later, Mr. Gurley was ingaged in the lumber business in Michi- gan, and while there, the steamer "Morning Star," on which he took passage, was wrecked on Lake Erie, and he was adrift on a loose cabin door from Io P. M. to 8. A. M., when he was rescued.

In 1873 Mr. Gurley was called to New York by some friends who had invested 56

Harris said he would bring a party from Washington and buy Mr. Gurley out. The party came and Mr. Gurley was introduced to a "Colonel Ryan," who was a long-haired man of foreign appearance. He said he had over a thousand men on his pay-roll, and was very busy with Cuban affairs, but would close up the purchase in a few days, on the terms proposed. He then left, but failed to return. Mr. Gurley found that the money had been mostly ex- pended for arms and outfit for a Cuban tili- bustering expedition, Ryan and Harris sailed from New York for Cuba on the "Virginius." and were captured by the Spaniards, carried to Havana and shot.

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History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 150

Author: Andrews, Martin Register, 1842-; Hathaway, Seymour J Publication date: 1902 Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1490

Author: Andrews, Martin Register, 1842-; Hathaway, Seymour J
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1490