History of Richland County, Ohio : (including the original boundaries) ; its past and present, containing a condensed comprehensive history of Ohio, including an outline history of the Northwest, a complete history of Richland county miscellaneous matter, map of the county, biographies and histories of the most prominent families, &c., &c., Part 100

Author: Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Mansfield, O. : A. A. Graham & co.
Number of Pages: 968

USA > Ohio > Richland County > History of Richland County, Ohio : (including the original boundaries) ; its past and present, containing a condensed comprehensive history of Ohio, including an outline history of the Northwest, a complete history of Richland county miscellaneous matter, map of the county, biographies and histories of the most prominent families, &c., &c. > Part 100

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).

it as the rebels commenced the retreat. After a num- ber of months' further exposure, his health failed so that he was under the necessity of resigning. He was afterward elected and served as State Senator, repre- senting Richland and Ashland Cos., and subsequently to that was Mayor of Mansfield,; and Justice of the Peace, which last office he held at the time of his death, in October of 1875, when he was about 56 years old.

GATES, DAVID, farmer and dairyman; he was born in Madison Township Sept. 10, 1837, and received his elementary education in Mansfield ; afterward com- menced farming at the old homestead, where he re- mained until coming to Mansfield in 1872, when he purchased the omnibus line, in which business he was engaged six years, when he sold his interest in it, and since then has been farming in Madison Township. Mr. Gates was married in Madison Township May 18, 1859, to Miss Margaret M. Bell; they have three chil- dren-Cora Irene, May Bell and Peter, all living.

GEDDES, GEORGE WASHINGTON, lawyer and Judge, and at present member of Congress for the Fifteenth District of Ohio. He was born in Mt. Vernon, Knox Co., July 16, 1824 ; he is the son of James and Elizabeth Geddes, and on his father's side of Scotch descent, his paternal grandfather having emigrated from Scotland in the last century ; his father removed his family from Knox to Richland Co. when the subject of this sketch was but a child, and there he attended the public schools until he was 15 years old, when he returned to his native town, and entered a store as a clerk ; his employer was the well-known old merchant, James Huntsberry, of Mt. Vernon, with whom he re- mained until he was nearly of age, in the mean time de- voting nearly all of his spare time to the study of law ; he entered the law office of Hon. Columbus Delano (Secretary of the Interior during the first term of President Grant's Administration), with whom he read law for one year, after which he was admitted to the bar; he chose law as a profession for reasons satisfac- tory to himself, and removed to Mansfield among strangers, where, unaided, he commenced his profes- sional life in November, 1845; his first case decided his future; engaged to try this case in the country before a Justice of the Peace, he accidentally met Hon. James Stewart ; that gentleman was so well pleased with the conduct of his first case, that he invited him to per- manently settle at Mansfield, and guaranteed him sufficient to defray his necessary expenses ; having re- mained with him under these conditions two years, he was, in 1847, taken into partnership, which continued three years, when, in 1850, Mr. Stewart was elected Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and Mr. Geddes entered into partnership with Hon. Jacob Brinkerhoff; this connection continued five years, and until Mr. Brinkerhoff was elected to the Supreme Bench of the State, when this partnership thereupon ceased ; Mr. Geddes then practiced alone uutil, in 1856, he was elected Judge of Common Pleas, as the unwilling candi- date of the Democratic party, in opposition to his old partner, Mr. Stewart, whose term had expired; he served the full term, until 1862; that year, at a dis- trict convention of both parties, he was renominated for a second term, and elected without opposition ; having

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served a second full term, he was, in 1866, nominated by his own party for a third term, but, although run- ning ahead of his own ticket by nearly five hundred votes, he was defeated by a majority of only seventeen votes ; he then returned to the practice of his profes- sion in Mansfield, until 1868, when, the Legislature having provided for an election of an additional judge, he was, by a majority of over eight hundred votes, elected to fill that position ; having served out the full term of this, his third election to the Common Pleas Bench, he decided not to be again a candidate ; in the mean time, without solicitationon his part, in 1872, he was, at the State Convention, nominated for the Su- preme Bench, but, with the other candidates on the ticket, defeated. A matter worthy of notice in this connection is, that Judge Geddes was never present in any convention that nominated him (until his nomina- tion for Congress), and never solicited a nomination ; after his last term of office, he resumed the active prac- tice of his profession, associated with Col. M. R. Dickey and John W. Jenner, Esq., under the firm name of Geddes, Dickey & Jenner. Judge Geddes has always taken much interest in educational and benevolent institutions, and is a Trustee of the Ohio Wesleyan Col- lege at Delaware ; during the war, he was resolutely in favor of the suppression of the rebellion, and closely identified with the party known as War Democrats ; a Trustee and Steward of his church, the Methodist Episcopal, he is a liberal promoter of all that tends to elevate and relieve the community in the benefaction for charitable objects. In 1848, he married Miss Nancy Lemon, of Ashland Co., and two living children have been the issue of this union. Judge Geddes was, in June, 1878, nominated without solicitation on his part, by one of the most memorable district conventions ever held in Ohio ; after a struggle of five days between the several candidates before the convention, on the 1,255th ballot, the nomination was conferred upon him by the unanimous vote of the convention, and in October he was elected by a majority of 4,578, to represent in the Forty-sixth Congress the Fifteenth District of Ohio.

GERBERICH, DANIEL, dealer in music, musical instruments, etc .; he was born Jan. 26, 1819, in Leba- non Co., Penn .; engaged in farming for twenty years. He was married, Nov. 4, 1841, to Eliza Wise (daughter of Judge Wise), who was born in Lebanon Co., Penn., Dec. 9, 1823 ; they engaged in keeping hotel for three years, after which he engaged in the music trade; they had four children-Dr. E. W. Gerberich, born June 24, 1842, and now resides in Des Moines, Iowa, engaged in the practice of medicine ; Allen D., born Nov. 6, 1845, enlisted in the 127th Penn. V. I., and died in the service in 1862; P. A. Gerberich, born Nov. 1, 1847 ; and L. S. Gerberich, born July 23, 1849.

GERBERICH BROS., agents for pianos and organs ; also, musical merchandise of every description ; they have been engaged in this business for nine years ; their knowledge of music and experience in this busi- ness have given them an extensive reputation in this and adjoining connties.

GILBERT, A. J., firm Gilbert, Waugh & Co .; Mr. G. came to Ohio from New York, his native State, with his brother, in 1865, and purchased an interest in the mills, where he is yet associated.

GILBERT, FRANK A., firm Gilbert, Waugh & Co .; Mr. G. is a native of New York ; he came to Mansfield in 1865, and purchased the " City Mills ;" afterward, the Gilbert Bros. sold an interest in the mill to Mr. J. W. Waugh, the three now owning and operating the mills.

GLESSNER, JOHN Y., editor and publisher of the Shield and Banner ; this well-known citizen of Mans- field has for nearly half a century been prominently identified with the newspaper history of Ohio, as printer, editor and publisher; he was born in Somer- set, Somerset Co., Penn., where he acquired the print- ing business practically, and afterward, in connection with a younger brother, Jacob Glessner, purchased the Democratic paper which they edited and published for three and a half years, when they sold out to the Hon. Daniel Weyand; they removed to St. Clairsville, Ohio, in 1833, and purchased the St. Clairsville Gazette of the Hon. George W. Manypenny, which they edited and published four and a half years ; in the meantime, they also started the Cadiz Sentinel, which was conducted by the younger brother until both offices were disposed of; in the ever-memorable log-cabin and hard-cider cam- paign of 1840, when Gen. Harrison was elected Presi- dent, John Y. Glessner was connected with the busi- ness department of the Ohio Statesman, then so ably edited by Col. Samuel Medary ; in May, 1841, he came to Mansfield and purchased the Shield and Banner of Mr. John Meredith, which he has edited and published continuously for thirty-nine years the present month (May, 1880) ; for forty-three years and a half he has been in active editorial life in this State; adding the three and a half years in Somerset, Penn., he has been editing Democratic papers forty-seven years, and still possesses much of the vigor and perseverance of his more youthful days ; he is now the oldest editor in Ohio.

GOODWIN, P. W., harness-maker. The parents of P. W. Goodwin will be remembered by the older citi- zens of the county. His father, Wm. T. Goodwin, came to Ohio and first settled in Wayne Co. in 1816, and removed to Richland Co. in 1844. He was married to Miss Phebe Bullock, of Rochester, N. Y., in 1813; to them were born ten children, of whom P. W. Good- win was the ninth. His father died in November, 1863, in Medina Co., and his mother Dec. 2, 1875 ; both were earnest Christian people and members of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church. P. W. Goodwin commenced the trade of harness-making in 1852, which he con- tinued until the breaking-out of the war. On the 19th of July, 1859, he was married to Miss Jane Wharf, in Mansfield, to whom have been born four children-two boys and two girls-May Alleta, Melvin Pearson, Wm. Henry and Maud Estella. In November, 1861, Mr. Goodwin entered the army and enlisted in the 42d O. V. I., serving his full term of enlistment, and partici- pating in all the battles in which his regiment was engaged-notably among them the battles of Middle Creek, Chickasaw Bayou, Miss. (there wounded); Arkansas Post; Thomson's Hill, May 1, 1862; Cham- pion Hill, May, 1862; Raymond, Big Black, and after- ward at the siege of Vicksburg, and continued with his regiment until the close of the war, since which time he has been engaged at his trade. Now in business in Mansfield.

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CITY OF MANSFIELD.

GROVE, W. A., dealer in clocks, watches and jewel- ry ; was born in Hanover, York Co., Penn .; learned the jewelry business in Baltimore, Md., with Henry Ebaugh, on Gay street, between Front and High. He was married, in 1858. to Lavina Forney, of Hanover, York Co., Penn. In the fall of 1859, moved to Frank- lin Co., Penn .; remained there till June 17, 1863, at which time he was driven out by the rebel soldiers and lost his entire stock ; afterward moved to Mansfield in November, 1863, and established the jewelry business. Mr. and Mrs. Grove have two children-Naomi, born July 12, 1872 ; John A., Aug. 12, 1875. Mr. Grove is still engaged in the jewelry business ; he always has on hand a complete stock of every thing in his line, and will not be undersold ; also repairing clocks, watches and jewelry. Main street, near the Savings Bank.

HALL, DR. J. B., homœopathic physician, was born in Franklin Township, Richland Co., in the year 1847, his father, now living, being one of the early settlers of this county ; Dr. J. B. Hall spent his early life on the farm with his father, attending school during the win- ter months until about 18 years of age, then, removing to Mansfield, commenced the study of medicine under the instruction of the late Dr. Stull ; in the fall of 1867, he attended his first course of lectures at Cleve- land, and afterward returned to Mansfield, where he continued his studies until the fall of 1868, and then attended his second course of lectures in Philadelpia ; afterward, commenced practice in Mechanicsburg, Penn., where he remained one year, when he removed to Mansfield, where he still resides with his wife and two children, having a fair and growing practice.

HANCOCK, R. G., contractor and stonemason ; he was born in Wiltshire, England, June 11, 1842, and, although a comparatively young man, he has already acquired an enviable reputation as a me- chanie and builder; he emigrated to America and landed in New York City May 5, 1870 ; having learned his trade in the city of Bath, where he lived five years ; in 1862, he removed to London, England, which was his home until his departure for this country ; he located in this city Oct. 4, 1870, and, the following day, commenced work at the court house, then in the course of erection; April 24, 1870, the firm of llancock & Co. began building the stonework of the Congregational Church, of this city, which they finished, and, in the spring of 1873, the stonework of the savings-bank ; in the spring of 1874, the stonework of the Plymouth and Shelby Schoolhouses, and, in 1875, built the freight-house of the C. C. & I. R. R., at Columbus, and the passenger stone depot at Berea ; in 1876, the stonework of the Marysville High School, and, in 1877, the city hall of Marysville, and Masonic Hall of Marion; in 1878, the Marion County Jail; since then, he has been engaged in numerous other private and public contracts in this city and elsewhere, notably among them the Jenner, Keith & Scattergood Building; he is at present with his partner, Mr. Dow (who has been with him since 1873), the contractor for the stonework of the new jail in Mansfield. He was married in November, 1877, to Miss Scutts, by whom he has had four children-two sons and two daughters.

HARDING, FREDERICK (deceased) ; he was born in Stafford, England, May 10, 1816, and received his youthful education at Ashton-under-Lyne; in the year 1833, he was apprenticed by his father, George Hard- ing, shoe manufacturer of Ashton-under-Lyne, to Charles Dawson, of the borough of Stafford, to learn the art of a chemist and druggist ; the indenture was drawn up with great care, and the conditions were very stringent, as was the custom in England ; after four years of service, he was granted a diploma as a chem- ist and druggist. Mr. Harding was married, in Man- chester, England, to Miss Frances Tinker, youngest daughter of D. Tinker, of Ashton-under-Lyne, on the 19th of October, 1846; three children were the result of this marriage, two of whom died in infancy; the third came with his parents to this country in the fall of 1852, and is now a printer in the Government print- ing office in Washington ; Mrs. Frances llarding died Feb. 8, 1853; Frederick Harding was married, May 6, 1855, to Amelia, third daughter of Charles and Sarah IIutchinson, in Richland Co .; to them were born three sons-F. H. Harding, April 30, 1857 (printer); C. F., Jan. 24, 1859 (clerk) ; J. H., June 8, 1861, and died Aug. 11, 1862. Mr. Harding entered the Union army in October, 1861, as a private in the 64th O. V. I., and served his full term of enlistment; in August, 1863, he received an appointment in the United States army as Hospital Steward, and was considered among the best chemists and druggists in the service. He died in Mansfield Nov. 25, 1866.

HARRINGTON, L. F., hardware merchant; he was born in Bellville, this county, Jan. 6, 1835, where he resided until coming to this city, in 1860. He served as Deputy Auditor during Jonas Smith's administra- tion of that office; in 1873, he was elected Auditor of Richland Co., and re-elected in 1875; he served the full terms to the satisfaction of the people. Since 1877, he has been engaged in the hardware trade in this city. He was married in Mansfield to Miss Dollie Sheets in 1863 ; they are the parents of one child, a daughter-Ozella, a resident with her parents of this city.

HAWKINS, J. A., photographer ; he was born in Rochester, N. Y., in 1853; in 1869, he went to Toledo, where he remained seven years, learning his trade ; he then came to Mansfield, and at once opened a good gallery ; he now has one of the best in the city, located over McCoy's dry-goods store, near the corner of Fourth and Main streets.

HEDGES, JAMES, GEN. (deceased); he was the sixth son of Charles Hedges, who was a resident of Eastern Virginia ; the family consisted of nine sons and two daughters, as follows-Joseph, Samuel, Elijah, John, Josiah, James, Hiram, Otho, Ellzey, Sarah and Mary; of these sons, Joseph, Samuel, Hiram and Otho settled in Virginia, and remained there during all their lives; Elijah removed to Fairfield Co., Ohio, where some of his descendants still reside ; John removed to Muskingum Co .; James and Josiah first settled in Belmont Co., and, in 1812, Josiah Hedges was the Clerk of the courts of Belmont Co., and James Hedges was the Sheriff of the county, while the youngest brother, the late Ellzey Hedges, was acting as a deputy of both. James Hedges was commissioned as

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:

Captain of cavalry in the United States army, and entered the military service, his younger brother, Ellzey, closed the office of Sheriff, and, in 1812, carried on foot the returns of the Presidential election to the capital of the State. James Hedges, who was a surveyor, upon this trip entered the land on which Mansfield is built, and, after the war, resigned his commission, and settled at Mansfield ; here for a time he was engaged in mercantile business with his brother, Josiah Hedges, who remained at St. Clairsville, Ohio, under the firm name of J. & J. Hedges. Gen. James Hedges died in Mansfield Oct. 4, 1854.

HEDGES, HENRY C., attorney. He is a son of the late Ellzey Hedges. He was born in Mansfield, where he has always resided. He graduated at Delaware, Ohio, in 1852; he studied law in the office of Charles and John Sherman, and was afterward a partner of the latter. After Mr. Sherman's election to Congress, Mr. Hedges continued in the practice of law, in which he is now engaged. Mr. Iledges served in a number of

public capacities, being a member of the School Board over twenty con- secutive years.

HEDGES, W. C., mer- chant; he was born in Tiffin, Ohio, and has re- sided in Mansfield for several years. His father, W. C. Hedges, was a son of Josiah Hedges, the founder of Tiffin, Ohio, and brother of the late Ellzey Hedges, of this city.

HEDRICK, ALFRED G., butcher. Among the oldest living residents of Mansfield is the man whose name stands at the head of this biog- raphy. Joseph Hedrick and Sarah Knode, the father and mother of the above, were married in Sharpsburg, Washington Co., Md., in the year 1813. Alfred G., the first son, was born in Washington Co., Md., Oct. 15, 1814, and came to Ohio with his parents, who first settled near Mansfield Oct. 25, 1826, where he remained until 22 years of age, working on the farm ; in the fall of 1837, he removed to Vicksburg, Miss., going by stage to Cincinnati, thence by steamer ; here he remained one year, when he re- turned by way of St. Louis, then up the Illinois River, afterward by stage to Chicago, then to Huron by steamer, and stage to Mansfield. Alfred G., in his younger days, worked at his trade of housepainting ; since then, he has been engaged in different occupa- tions and has traveled extensively over the western part of the country ; for a time he was engaged in the grocery business, but upon the discovery of rich fields of gold in California in 1849, his love of travel and adventure again found him one of a party with William McNulty, destined for that then com- paratively new country, going by the way of New York and the isthmus; thirteen months afterward, he

HEDGES' BLOCK.

returned by the way of New Orleans, and engaged in farming, which occupation he continued for fifteen years, when he again removed to Mansfield and went into business, but, not yet satisfied, he again joined a company for the mineral region of Idaho, where he remained eight months ; some time afterward, he be- came interested in a large dry-goods business, which he continued for three years, when he removed to Kansas, and, shortly after, returned to Mansfield, where he has since resided. Alfred G. Hedrick was married, Nov. 15, 1838, in Madison Township, to Ann Case ; they have had nine children born to them, seven of whom are living and two dead. This year, Mr. Hedrick is yet in active business in Mansfield, and can recall many of the early incidents in its history.

HELPS, WILLIAM, bookseller, and dealer in maga- zines, daily papers, stationery, etc., Main street.

HERRING, JAMES H., blacksmith and wagon man- ufacturer ; he was born in the village of Bloody Run, Bedford Co., Penn., Nov. 27, 1842; he is a son of the late George W. Herring, who died in this city June 6, 1870, and a descendant of the Her- rings, of Bedford Co., Penn., an influential fam- ily, who first came to this country from Hol- land in an early day. His parents came to Ohio in 1853 and located in Salem, where they re- mained one year and then removed to Rush- ville and thence to Lan- caster; they came to Mansfield in 1856. When of sufficient age, James H. commenced working at the trade of black- smithing, which he ac- quired in the usual time, and at which he continued until the breaking-out of the civil war. He volunteered in the United States service and was a member of McMullen's Ist Ohio Independent Battery, and remained with it until the close of the war and the expiration of his term of service ; during his long career in the army. he actively participated in seventeen engagements. After his return, he resumed his trade of blacksmithing, which is his occupation at present. He was married in Mans- field, Dec. 19, 1867, to Miss Nancy J. West, a daughter of Sylvester West, an old resident of Mansfield ; four children have been given them ; three sons are living -John, George and Dimon; James Henry died in infancy.

HERRING, CHARLES D., tinner ; was born in Bed- ford, Northumberland Co., Penn., Jan. 30, 1825, and came to Mansfield in 1857, and belongs to the same family of Joseph and Andrew J., and ą twin brother of the latter. Mr. Herring was married in Mt. Gilead, Ohio, to Martha Longsdorf, in the fall of 1857, to whom have been born eight children. Mr. Herring enlisted in the late civil war and was a member of McMullen's

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Battery, in which he remained and took part in all the engagements in which that battery was engaged while able to do duty, a great part of the time being unable on account of sickness; he remained in the army and was honorably discharged after about twenty months' service. Mr. Charles D. Herring is now engaged in business in Mansfield.

HERRING, ANDREW JACKSON, blacksmith. He is the son of Michael and Mary Messersmith Herring ; Michael was a son of old Christian Herring, who set- tled in Berks Co., Penn .; A. J. Herring was born Jan. 30, 1825 ; a twin brother, Charles C., resides in Mans- field ; they were born in Bedford, Co., Penn .; A. J. Herring came to Ohio, and settled first in Fairfield Co., and to Richland in April, 1863. Mr. Herring was married, Jan. 5, 1854, in Rushville, Fairfield Co., Ohio, to Matilda Dick; to them have been born three chil- dren-Mary E., Joseph C. and John Willard, all living in Mansfield. Mr. Herring and wife are members of the Methodist Church in this city.

HERRING, JOSEPH F., blacksmith, and inventor of steel plowshares. Was born in Bedford, Bedford Co , Penn., Feb. 16, 1825 ; he came to Ohio in 1855, and to Mansfield in 1856; Mr. Herring learned the trade of blacksmithing in his native town with his father, and continued the same after his removal to Mans- field until Aug. 18, 1874, when he received letters patent on his invention of GAS the steel plowshare, the manufacture of which occu- pied his time, and since then has been wholly en- gaged in manufacturing that justly celebrated in- J.SCHENK-BUFF vention, which has been in- troduced into almost every State in the Union and con- ceded to be as near perfection as any now in use. He was married in Hollidaysburg, Penn., to Miss Nancy Herbert, to whom have been born four children, two of whom are living-Emma, the first, and Eugenia. Nancy Herbert Herring died in Mansfield in 1857. Mr. Herring was married in Mansfield to Mary Zerby ; they have a family of interesting children.

HERSHISER, CYRUS, builder and contractor. His father, Samuel, was one of the old residents of Bedford Co., Penn., where Cyrus was born Nov. 8, 1824 ; he came to Mansfield in 1844, where he commenced the carpenter trade in the spring of 1845, since which time many of the largest buildings and residences in Mansfield have been erected by him. In the year 1847, he was mar- ried to Miss Rebecca F. Hagar, who died in Mansfield in 1849; one child by this marriage, died in infancy. In 1850, Mr. Hershiser was married to Miss Margaret A. McCormick, a daughter of one of the old resi- dents of Mansfield, by whom he had five children, three of whom are living-Alice B., Ella J. and Emma A .; Mrs. Margaret Hershiser died in Mansfield in

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HICKS BROWN & CO.'S MILL.

December, 1871. In February, 1874, he was married to.Miss Lena Seger, of Mansfield, with whom he now lives; one son by this marriage, died in infancy ; Mr. Hershiser has been prominently identified in the enter- prises of Mansfield for a number of years, and is now one of the largest builders and contractors in the city.

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Author: Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848- Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Mansfield, O. : A. A. Graham & co. Number of Pages: 968

Author: Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Mansfield, O. : A. A. Graham & co.
Number of Pages: 968