History of Portage County, Ohio, Part 111

Author: Warner, Beer & co., pub. [from old catalog]; Brown, R. C. (Robert C.); Norris, J. E. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Chicago, Warner, Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 958

USA > Ohio > Portage County > History of Portage County, Ohio > Part 111

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).

ELIZUR A. CURTISS, farmer, P. O. Windham, was born in Granville, Hampden Co., Mass., son of Samuel and Sally (Fairchild) Curtiss, natives of Massachusetts, and who were the parents of eleven children: Saxton, Mary F., Anson, James, Hannah, Orpha, Elizur A. and Eliza (twins), Lowell, Sarah and Alonzo. The father died in 1851, the mother in 1868. Our subject in early life was employed in assisting on the farm and attending the common schools, to which his educational privileges were limited. He entered on the battle of life as a farmer, an occupation he always followed. He was married April 19, 1854, to Laura Seymour, born in Massachusetts August 27, 1832, daughter of Deacon Ardon and Orpha (Collins) Seymour, of Massachusetts, By this union there were ten children: Frederick S., Eliza S., William F., Charles E. (deceased), Julia C., Herbert E., Alice S. (deceased), Fanny A. (deceased), Ellen M. and Charles S. Mr. Curtiss came to this county in 1858 and located in Charlestown Township, where he remained two years, and then removed to his present place of residence in Windham Township. His farm is under a state of cultivation second to none in the township, and its appear- ance denotes its owner to be a practical farmer as well as an energetic and enter- prising man. During the war Mr. Curtiss was taken prisoner at Cynthiana, Ky., he having enlisted in Company I, One Hundred and Seventy-first Ohio National Guards. Politically he is identified with the Republican party. He and his wife are active members of the Congregational Church.

IRA S. CUTTS, farmer, P. O. Windham, was born in Addison County, Vt., October 22, 1829, son of Daniel B. and Lucy (Smith) Cutts, natives of Vermont, the former of whom was born in 1804. They had a family of eight children: Mary, Ira S., Henry (deceased), Sarah A., Roswell B., Jane, Henry and Fanny. They came to this county in 1831 and located in Windhamn Township, where Mr. Cutts followed his trade, shoe-making, for many years, thence moved to Paris Township, where he eventually purchased a farm and

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for many years previous to his death followed agricultural pursuits. He was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and died in 1874, his wife having preceded him in 1864. Our subject received a common school education and has always been a farmer. He was married in 1856 to Mary L. Russell, who died in 1871 and by whom he had one daughter-Perlea, wife of Charles Smith. Mr. Cutts next married Delia Russell, a sister of his first wife, and by her has a son-Daniel. Mr. Cutts is a man highly esteemed by the community in which he lives. He is very enterprising and energetic, and his property represents many hours of hard labor performed by his own hands.

NATHAN D. DUNBAR, Station Agent, Windham, was born in Bushkill, Pike Co., Penn., October 1, 1846, son of F. K. and Maria (Dewitt) Dunbar, who were parents of six children: Andy, Superintendent Eastern Division New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad, at Meadville, Penn .; Elizabeth, wife of George Van Tile, of Warren, Ohio; Katherine, wife of Lewis Wright, of Olean, N. Y .; Nathan D., our subject; John D., Station Agent at Cochran- ton, Penn., and who has been engaged in railroad business for twenty years, and Armida, now living at Olean, N. Y. F. K. Dunbar (the father), a native of New York, is a retired tailor now residing in Warren, Ohio. His wife died in 1873. Our subject acquired a common school education and began life for himself in canal business, in which he continued till 1866, when he removed to Evansburg, Penn., and was employed by the Atlantic & Great Western Railway Company as telegraph operator. He soon after became Station Agent at Orangeville, Ohio, where he remained until 1872, when he accepted a like situation at Windham, which position he still retains, and, as agent, has gained the respect of the community by his business ability, and kind and obliging manners. In September, 1872, he married Miss Nettie Graves, who was born at Harbor Creek, Penn., in 1848, and by her he has five children: Della, Imogene, Chauncey, Andy and Lorena. Mr. Dunbar has been for years a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics he is a Republican.

EBENEZER W. EARL (deceased) was born in Braceville, Ohio, Febru- ary 12, 1806, and came with his father's family to Windham, this county, in 1814. There were then fourteen families in the township, of which there are now but eight persons living: Eli Case, R. M. Higley, Lorin Higley, M. P. Higley, Moses A. Birchard, Jesse Lyman, Mrs. Eliza Birchard and Mrs. Clemens Snow. Soon after coming to Windham a friendly plan was hit upon, by which Mr. Earl was engaged as mill boy for a neighborhood of young married people-John Seley, Hardin Seley, A. P. Jagger, John Streator-who settled a mile or so south of the Center, so that they could clear up their farms without the delay incident to such necessary work. Mr. Earl's father and some others made it necessary that two or three trips a week should be made, as there were no roads opened, and only a bridlepath with blazed trees to guide the horseman. Two bushels of grain was a full load in those days, and Mr. Jagger owned the only horse in the syndicate. The most frequented road to Garrettsville led across the Rudd farm and very often a delay at the mill would necessitate young Earl's starting home when near dark, and when it would be almost impossible to keep the path. Many a time the howling of wolves in every direction would announce their fearful proximity to the path he was following. Hunger and danger were mighty strong powers for a lad of twelve years to contend with, and sorely it taxed the youthful energies of our hero many times to the utmost limit of endurance, as he toiled along his forest path in these labors of kindness during the four or five years of this service. On one occasion he made a trip to Barnum's mill in Braceville, and a severe thunder shower prevented his starting for home until sundown. As

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he emerged from the woods to cross Eagle Creek Bridge, east of Williamn Moore's present farm, the darkness was complete, and some fox-fire on a stump in the State road frightened him greatly, as he imagined it to be the glisten of a bear's eyes or some more furious animal. It was 11 o'clock when he reached home, and found all the family a-bed and asleep. On another occasion Mr. Earl made a trip to New Falls with a horse that was extremely ugly and vicious and a blow from a whip would cause him to rear and kick with such violence as to pitch both boy and grist clean off his back on short notice. Young Earl found the mill so crowded with grists, that he was unable to start for home until late in the day, and at his arrival at Mr. Brooks' place, with a long swampy mudhole ahead, the horse refused to go any further. After every plan he could think of had been tried to make the animal proceed, the boy reluctantly took his back track to the mill and stayed with Ben Yale, who then ran the mill at night. In the morning on reaching the same place the horse refused to proceed, and neither leading nor coaxing would induce him to advance a step. In this dilemma Mr. Brooks saw the boy and came to his relief with a whip, which he applied so vigorously that the kicking up "racket " was suspended, and a rapid advance made for home. Chopping was a favorite employment with Mr. Earl in those days, forty or sixty acres in one job being not uncommon, and he would slash down an acre in a day by the windrow style of felling a long line of trees across a "bush " by cutting them half or two-thirds through and directing the course of each so that the first tree of the line would fall against the second, the second against the third and so on until the roar and crash of falling timber for fifty or one hundred rods would bear comparison with a first-class cyclone of modern times. Splitting rails was another work in which Mr. Earl excelled, and he could split from 400 to 600 per day. The ordinary price for this kind of work was then 12} cents per 100. January 20, 1852, he left his home and started for New York with money to purchase eight tickets for California via the Panama route, and these were procured for $300. The company left in a few days for Chagres, Panama, and finding no boat on the Pacific side connected with the line they went by, they had to remain there eighteen days and were finally obliged to sue the purser of the boat they came on, whereby they received nearly enough returns to purchase tickets from there to San Francisco on an old sailing vessel; $252.50 secured their tickets and paid hospital fee at Chagres. They had a long, dreary voyage of sixty-five days, during which time they saw land only once and but one sail. A number of the passengers died on the passage, one of whom was Barnus Ives, of Nelson, this county. On arrival at Mayville they were obliged to walk seventy-five miles to the mines. The following December deep snow stopped the mule train, which carried the supplies a distance of thirty miles, and all their provisions had to be carried by men. The scarcity brought flour up to $2 per pound, but Mr. Earl managed to secure from the three bakeries twenty-five one-pound loaves for fifty cents each, and thus escaped the higher prices that followed. He was successful in securing a considerable quantity of gold. May 26, 1884, he died. His widow is now residing on the old homestead. Mr. Earl was an active worker in the Sunday- school and was a devoted Christian.

ORLANDO L. EARL, farmer, P. O. Windham, was born July 29, 1838, on the farm which is still his home. His father, James Earl, a native of Pennsylvania, a farmer by occupation, and a plastering mason by trade, was married to Elizabeth Higley, who bore him three children: Edwin D. (killed in the army), Amanda E. (deceased) and Orlando L. James Earl was a prom- inent man in his day, an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

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He died November 25, 1846. His widow, who still survives, was married in 1879, to David P. Robinson, who died the same year. Our subject was edu- cated in the common schools and the academy of this county, and farming has been his life's avocation. During the late war of the Rebellion he enlisted in Company.A, Forty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served for three years, participating in the engagements at Port Gibson, siege of Vicksburg, Thompson's Hill and Black River. He was married October 11, 1865, to Jane E. Cutts, born April 18, 1842, in Paris, and by whom he has three children: Edwin C., Mabel A. and Ernest B. Mr. Earl is a member of the School Board, and has served as Township Trustee for three years. He is connected with the Con- gregational Church; is a member of Earl-Milliken Post, G. A. R., at Wind- ham. In politics he is a Republican.

MATTHEW P. HIGLEY, farmer, P. O. Windham, was born in Windham Township, this county, September 12, 1813, the second white child to see the light of day in the township, and the oldest living resident now that was born here, son of Benjamin and Sally (McCown) Higley, who were the parents of seven children: Robert M., Edward, Loren, Matthew P., Sarah, Hannah and Alfred M. Benjamin Higley was a native of Berkshire County, Mass., born in 1877; came to this township in 1811; served as a Colonel in the war of 1812, and died about 1865, his wife having died several years previous. Our subject was raised on a farm, and made farming the principal occupation of his life. He was married September 25, 1839, to Miss Luna C. Robbins, born in Windham Township, this county, February 16, 1821, by whom he has had six children: Lodisa H., Philander R., Marion C., Benjamin P., Franklin (deceased) and Mack D. In 1869 Mr. Higley removed to Windham Center, still retaining his farming interests, however, for a few years. During the Rebellion he offered his services to the country, but they were not accepted. Politically he is a Republican, and though not an office-seeker he has held some of the minor township offices. He has been a member of the Congre- gational Church for forty-five years, and always took an active part in Sabbath- school work, until within a few years past, when deafness interfered with those duties.

HENRY A. HIGLEY, farmer, P. O. Windham, was born in Becket, Mass., February 21, 1814, son of Joseph and Sybel (Cogswell) Higley, the former of whom was born April 25, 1774, in Berkshire County, Mass. The latter, also a native of Massachusetts, was born March 14, 1776. They were the parents of eight children: Sybel R., born September 21, 1804; Joseph N., born Sep- tember 6, 1806; Sarah M., born November 6, 1808; Ezra C., born August 22, 1810; Elizabeth D., born April 22, 1812; Henry A., born February 21, 1814; John L., born January 17, 1816; Oliver B., born March 18, 1818. Joseph Higley was a farmer by occupation, an influential man, and an active church member. He died October 18, 1825; his widow December 1, 1864. Our sub- ject was brought by his parents to Windham Township, this county, when but two years of age, and here he grew to manhood, fully inured to the hardships of pioneer life. He has always followed agricultural pursuits. Mr. Higley was thrice married; first on May 7, 1840, to Mary E., daughter of James Seeley, born October 16, 1821, died October 4, 1866, leaving to his care one child-Henry J. (Charles O. died January 21, 1862). Our subject next mar- ried, November 7, 1867, Marion M. Udall, who died October 7, 1870, and by her he had one son-Frank S. August 24, 1871, he then married Sarah Jos- lin, born in Mesopotamia, Ohio, April 6, 1825, daughter of Reuben and Sarah (Parker) Joslin, natives of Connecticut and Vermont, respectively, and early settlers of Trumbull County, Ohio, and who were the parents of eleven chil-

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dren, of whom Mrs. Higley is the ninth. During the war Mr. Higley was one of the Township Trustees, and has held other offices of trust. He is a regular attendant of the Congregational Church, in which his wife is an active member. He has always been identified with the Republican party.

JOHN L. HIGLEY, farmer, P. O. Windham, was born January 17, 1816, in Windham. son of Joseph Higley (see sketch of Henry A. Higley). He was married in 1841 to Miss Elizabeth K. Frary, born in Becket, Mass., in 1820, daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Gifford) Frary, and has a family of six chil- dren. Mr. Higley is one of the self-made men of Windham Township, this county, and the property he has accumulated represents many hours of hard labor with his own hands. Though he took no active part in the late war of the Rebellion, he aided the soldiers' families at home. He has been a consist- ent member of the Congregational Church since 1841, and has also been an active worker in the Sabbath-school. Mr. Higley bears the reputation of being one of the substantial farmers of his township, which he has served as Justice of the Peace for one term and in other offices of trust. Politically he is iden- tified with the Republican party.

OLIVER B. HIGLEY (deceased) was born in Windham Township, this county, March 18, 1818, son of Joseph and Sybel (Cogswell) Higley. He was twice married, on first occasion to Eunice West, who bore him one son-Mil- ton. His second marriage, June 14, 1849, was with Betsey Case, born in Pennsylvania June 4, 1827, daughter of Daniel and Phalley (Peck) Case, natives of New York. By this union there were five children: Charley, Mary, July, Clint and Edwin. Our subject was reared on a farm and received a com- mon school and academic education, and entered upon his career in life as a teacher. At the age of twenty-one he went to Iowa, and for several years taught school in the Western States. Returning to Ohio in 1851 he turned his attention to farming and sheep-raising. He soon had his farm under a state of cultivation which won for him the reputation of being a practical as well as a representative farmer of his township. His motto was to excel, and all his efforts were to that end. He filled several of the township offices, and, although not identified with any religious denomination, was for many years previous to his death a professed Christian, and took an active part in the support of religious and educational institutions, as far as his limited means would allow. He died February 19, 1866, and since his death the farm has been successfully carried on by his widow with the assistance of her children.

JESSE LYMAN, farmer, P. O. Mahoning, was born in Windham Town- ship, this county, November 29, 1813. His father, Jeremiah Lyman, a tanner by trade but in later years a farmer, was a native of Connecticut, and was reared in Massachusetts, where he lived with an uncle until 1811, when he came to this county and became one of the original owners of what is now Windham Township. On his way to his new home his wife, Rhoda Fuller, died, leaving to his care four children: Anna, Hulda, Milton and Laura, all of whom are now deceased. He subsequently married Hannah Sperry, of Con- necticut, who bore him two children: Hannah (deceased wife of A. West) and Jesse. Jeremiah Lyman was a member of the Presbyterian Church. He died August 19, 1845, his widow surviving him until 1863. The subject of this sketch was married, March 27, 1839, to Miss Dorcas Finch, born in Otis, Mass., September 9, 1821, and by her has two children living: Clara H., wife of C. L. Bryant (they had three children: Stowell, Vernie, died March 8, 1885, aged twelve years, and Belle, died March 7, 1885, aged six years), and Lettie M., wife of E. J. Hill. Mr. Lyman, who has always been a farmer, resides on the old homestead. He has held several offices of trust in the township, and is energetic, enterprising and highly esteemed by the community.

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WILLIAM A. MESSENGER, farmer, P. O. Windham, was born March 12, 1827, in Windham Township, this county. His father, William Anson Messenger, was a native of Massachusetts, born December 28, 1794, son of Ebenezer N. Messenger, one of the original owners of Windham Township, where he was drowned October 13, 1828, in a spring on his farm. He, Ebenezer N., bad married Miss Campbell, who bore him ten children: Ebenezer O., Nathan H., Polly, Sarah, Susan, Lucinda, William A., Benoni Y., Wells and Marvin. William Anson Messenger came to Windham Township, this county, in 181], with his parents, in company with several other families. He was thrice mar- ried; first, February 24, 1819, to Desire Fowler, who died September 30,1822, leaving one daughter -- Phebe F. (Mrs. West). His second marriage, May 31, 1826, was with Edna Prentice, born May 2, 1798, died January 25, 1859. By this union there were four children: William A. (our subject); Edna D., born October 12, 1831 (died in infancy); Edna A., born April 30, 1833, married N. Whitney, of Oberlin, Ohio, and died June 5, 1854; and Adna C., born May 19, 1835, now a resident of Anderson County, Kan. Mr. Messenger married for his third wife, August 31, 1861, Lydia Cadwell, born April 6, 1833, and who is still living. He held nearly all the township offices, and was an influ- ential man, a liberal supporter of all public enterprises, and for many years was a consistent Christian and attendant at the Sabbath-schools. He died March 27, 1864. The subject of this sketch was married, September 26, 1852, to Elizabeth Ann Chaffee, born in Becket, Mass., October 5, 1831, daughter of Newman and Elizabeth (Phelps) Chaffee, natives of Massachusetts, both now deceased. Three children were the fruit of this union: Arthur W., Hattie

E., wife of P. B. Higley, and Nettie E., wife of F. B. Jagger. During the late war of the Rebellion Mr. Messenger enlisted in the 100-days service in Company I, One Hundred and Seventy-first Ohio National Guard. He has always followed farming as an occupation and came to his present place in 1867. Though at one time the Messengers were most numerous in Windham Township there are now but two male representatives of this name in the township-our subject and his son.

HENRY PALMER, farmer, P. O. Windham, was born in Palmyra Township, this county, June 25, 1820; son of Jesse and Amanda (Rogers) Palmer, the former of whom was born in Connecticut September 1, 1780, the latter in Connecticut November 7, 1782. They were married March 29, 1808, and had a family of eight children: Frederick, Caroline (deceased), James R., Laura A. (deceased), Clarissa (deceased), Milton, Henry and Harriet. Jesse Palmer, who was a farmer by occupation, a strict Christian man, died April 15, 1834, his widow surviving him until August 12, 1837. His parents dying when he was young, our subject worked as a farm-hand until he was twenty-five years of age, since when he has engaged in farming on his own account, and has the reputation of being enterprising and energetic, and is esteemed for his many good qual- ities. During the late war of the Rebellion he enlisted in Company I, One Hundred and Seventy-first Ohio National Guard, and participated in the engagement at Cynthiana, Ky. He was married, September 11, 1845, to Rebecca Turner, born in Windham June 28, 1817, daughter of Levi Alford, and widow of Samuel Turner, who was born August 1, 1810, married Septem- ber 10, 1834, and died December 17, 1842. (By Mr. Turner she had three chil- dren: Joseph L., Edna R. and Edward W.) To Mr. and Mrs. Palmer has been born one daughter-Emogene, born November 21, 1849, now the wife of J. Ramsdell, of Erie County, Ohio. Mr. Palmer and wife have been consist- ent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church for nearly forty-two years, and have also taken an active part in Sabbath-school work.

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SAMUEL A. PARDEE, farmer, P. O. Windham, was born in Addison County, Vt., September 10, 1829; son of Benjamin F. and Harriet (Perkins) Pardee, the former of whom, a hatter by trade, was a native of Connecticut, the latter of Vermont. They were parents of five children: Chauncey A., born July 1, 1816; Benjamin F., born August 27, 1818; Marcus L., born Octo- ber 19, 1820; Azro A., born November 6, 1823, and Samuel A. Benjamin F. Pardee died February 28, 1830, when our subject was not a year old, and when he was seven years of age his mother married Samnel H. Pardee (a brother of her deceased husband), who was elected County Assessor in 1838 and eventually became State Representative from Portage County, and with him our subject lived till he reached his majority. His mother died May 1, 1868. Samuel A. Pardee was brought to this county by his parents in 1836. He acquired a common school education, and early in life learned the carpenter and joiner trade, which he followed more or less for fifteen years, since when he has given his entire attention to farming. He was married July 7, 1851, to Diadama Owen, born in Lebanon Springs, N. Y., December 30, 1828, and has five children: Salmon A., civil engineer in California; William C., a physician in Warren County, Ohio; Ella A .; Howard I. and Silas O. Mr. Pardee, with the exception of five years, has lived in the same neighborhood for forty-eight years. During the war of the Rebellion he served in the 100 days service, enlisting in Company I, One Hundred and Seventy-first Ohio National Guards. He has held several offices of trust in the township. Politically he is a Democrat.

ALVAN V. RUDD, farmer, P. O. Windham, is a son of Nathaniel Rudd, who was born in Becket, Mass., May 17, 1795, and came to Windham Town- ship, this county, in 1816, purchasing land on which he made some improve- ment. The following year he returned to his native State and married, Janu- ary 15, 1817, Sophia Messenger, born May 22, 1797. In 1818 they returned in company with Xenophon Wadsworth and wife to this township, making the trip of about 500 miles with a team of horses and oxen in six weeks, entered upon pioneer life, and in a few weeks had erected the log-cabin which was to be their home for so many years, and where were born to them five children: William B., Alonzo M., Samuel V., Alvan V. and an infant, all of whom are now deceased but our subject. Nathaniel Rudd was an influential man in his day, always first in any enterprise tending to the improvment of the county and a liberal supporter of its public institutions. He was Captain of the State militia and also served a short time the war of 1812. He was a Whig in politics. He filled several offices of trust in Windham Township; was an active member of the Congregational Church and a leader in Sabbath- school work for several years previous to his death, which occurred December 19, 1844. His widow still survives him. The subject of this sketch was born August 15, 1830, in Windham and still resides on the farm which has always been his home. His father dying when he was but fourteen years of age his educational advantages were limited, but by reading and observation he has acquired an average education. Having a taste for live-stock, he early became the possessor of some Shorthorn cattle and has gradually increased his herd till it is now one of the finest in the county, and he is considered one of the oldest cattle-breeders in the same, having made his start in 1852. He has served in several of the minor township offices. During the war of the Rebel- lion he enlisted in Company I, One Hundred and Seventy-first Ohio National Guards, and served 100 days. Since he was fourteen years of age he has been identified with the Congregational Church. February 16, 1854, he was united in marriage with Miss Irene Franklin, born in Lewis County, N.

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History of Portage County, Ohio, Part 111

Author: Warner, Beer & co., pub. [from old catalog]; Brown, R. C. (Robert C.); Norris, J. E. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Chicago, Warner, Beers & co. Number of Pages: 958

Author: Warner, Beer & co., pub. [from old catalog]; Brown, R. C. (Robert C.); Norris, J. E. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Chicago, Warner, Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 958