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 96

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 96

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).

BERNO, PETER, merchant, Mansfield, Ohio ; he was born in Rhein Pfaltz, a province of the Kingdom of Bavaria, Germany, and came to this country, with his parents, June 10, 1851, and to Mansfield, Ohio, June 16, 1851 ; his father's name was Jacob

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Berno, and his mother's Fredricka Profit. His

grandfather, on his father's side, was a soldier in the French army during the French Revolution, and, dur- ing the invasion of Germany by the French, was taken prisoner. He subsequently remained and became a citizen of that country. The name was originally spelled "Bernoux." The subject of this sketch was married to Christiana Bohm, whose parents were of German origin, and residents of Mansfield since 1850.

BIGELOW, PERKINS, druggist ; he was born in Marlboro, N. H., Nov. 11, 1814; here we find him a farmer boy, alternately attending school during the winter months, and working on his father's farm dur- ing the remainder of the year, until 18 years of age. The school being situated in a remote part of the dis- trict, young Bigelow was compelled to traverse several miles daily, in that bleak, winter climate, in order to gain that knowledge which has been so useful to him in his after life. Directly after leaving school, he was employed in dry goods, as clerk, for five years previ ous to his removal to Ohio ; arriving at Newark, he continued as a salesman in dry goods for three years, where, joining a colony for Texas in 1841, he accom- panied them as far as Arkansas, then up the White River until near the boundary of the Cherokee Nation, undergoing the hardships incident to such a trip at that time. While there, he assisted in building the first log cabins of the colony, but soon after was com- pelled, by reason of sickness, to return to Newark, Ohio, where he entered a drug store, reading medicine at the same time; then to Mansfield, in the year 1847, on the same block in which he has continued in that business up to the present time, ranking now as the oldest living merchant in continuous business in Mansfield. During Dr. Bigelow's long and useful life in Mansfield, he has been prominently connected with all enterprises undertaken in the improvement of the city and the welfare of its inhabitants, and has fre- quently been called by them to positions of honor and and trust. Elected as Mayor of the city in 1852, he was re-elected in 1853. For twenty years, he has been a useful member of the Cemetery Association, the plans and improvements of which have been, in a great measure, due to his judgment and skill. For fifteen years, he held the position of Worshipful Master of the Mansfield Masonic Lodge, and at present is a member of the Richland Mutual Insurance Co. Perkins Bige- low was married in Zanesville, Ohio, in 1846, to Miss Anna Maria Palmer; they have two children-one son and one daughter.

BIRD, SHARPLESS E., long connected with the St. James Hotel, in Mansfield, was born on the 20th of December, 1844; his father and mother, William and and Jane (Sharpless) Bird are residents of this city. S. E. Bird was married July 4, 1869, in Mansfield, to Liz- zie Vonhof, a daughter of Louis Vonhof, proprietor of the St. James building; to them have been born four chil- dren, three of whom are dead and one living. Mr. Bird, though a young man, has aided in years past in giving Mansfield a high position by his skill in conducting one of the best hotels in the State; he is now engaged in the mercantile business.

BLACK, JOSEPII H., dealer in staple dry goods, corner of Fourth and Main streets ; was born in 1833,

at Ballgreen County, Donegal, Ireland ; emigrated in 1851 to McConnelsville, Morgan Co., Ohio ; engaged as salesman with Thomas W. Simpson, in dry goods. Came to Mansfield in August, 1859 ; entered in partner- ship with Moses Black, under the firm name of MI. & J. H. Black, dry goods ; continued in partnership for sixteen years ; dissolved in 1875, then resumed business in his own name; continues to do the largest exclusive dry-goods trade in the city. He is a very hard and ear- nest worker in the mercantile business ; by his long experience and close application, is thoroughly posted on all matters connected with the dry-goods business, as he has been almost raised in a dry-goods store ; he is a solid, practical, business man, and an excellent financier. Was married in 1866 to Miss Alice G. Gra- ham, daughter of Francis Graham, of Ashland, Ohio ; their children are Mary, Augusta F., Joseph H., Jr., and William G. Black. Residence on Mulberry street, No. 45.

BLOSER, S. P., retired ; he was born in Cumberland Co., Penn., in 1824; he came to Ohio in 1850. He was married in 1852 to Elizabeth Snyder, who was born in Lockport, N. Y .; they have one daughter-Minnie, who is married to Henry Uhlich.

BOLLMAN, JERRY S., Recorder; was born in Leb- anon Co., Penn., Jan. 20, 1834, and removed with his parents to Richland Co., where they settled in Frank- lin Township in 1849. Mr. Bollman came to Mansfield and began the trade of cabinet-making in 1852 with Capt. Reinaker, and served his full apprenticeship of three years, when he entered the store of John H. Wigle, where he remained for some time; then into Remy & Co.'s dry-goods store, Scattergood & Penrose, Robinson & Vance, C. L. Avery's and Black's. In the year 1877, Mr. Bollman was elected Recorder of Rich- land Co., on the Democratic ticket, and took possession of the office on the 7th of January, 1878, and now fills that position with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of both political parties ; the abstract office, in con- nection with the one which he fill's, is a model of con- venience, and reflects great credit on him, to whom it personally belongs. Mr. Bollman was married to Miss Lydia A. Dill in Mansfield July 7, 1858; they have four children, all living-Barton T., now a telegraph operator in Mansfield; Curtis J., a druggist ; Milton F., and Roy J. Mr. Bollman is at present a resi- dent of the Third Ward, Mansfield, and enjoys the confidence of the entire community.

BOSSLER, HENRY, woodworkman in the Mansfield Machine Works; he was born in Madison Township, Richland Co., Jan. 14, 1839. Married, Sept. 27, 1863, Josephine McIlvain, who was born in Mansfield May 22, 1843; they have one son-William T., born March 17, 1865. Mr. Bossler has been engaged with the Mansfield Machine Works over two years, and has won the entire confidence of his employers through his industry and frugality, and is recognized as one of our substantial and active citizens.

BRINKERHOEF, HON. JACOB, was born in the town of Niles, Cayuga Co., N. Y., Aug. 31, 1810. His father, Henry I. Brinkerhoff, was a native of Pennsyl- vania, having been born near the town of Gettysburg ; his grandfather, however, was from Hackensack, N. J., and belonged to the old Dutch family of

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New York, the progenitor of which came from Drent- land, in Holland, in the year 1638. His mother, nee Rachel Bevier, wasof Huguenot descent, and came from Ulster Co , N. Y. After a thorough English education, obtained at the public schools and at the academy at Pratisburgh, Steuben Co., N. Y., he entered the law office of Messrs. Howell & Brother, in Bath, Steuben Co., in 1834. Here he regularly prosecuted his studies two years, and in the spring of 1836, removed to Mans- field, Ohio, where, in May, 1837, he was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of the State, and imme- diately entered upon the practice of his profession. He soon acquired reputation as a lawyer of more than average ability, and in the course of a year or two was elected Prosecuting Attorney for Richland County, the duties of which he performed successfully for four years; at the expiration of his office, in the fall of 1843, he was elected to Congress, on the Democratic ticket ; while serving as a member of this body, he became affiliated with the Free-Soil party, and drew up the famous resolution introduced by David Wilmot, of Pennsylvania, and since known as the Wilmot Proviso ; the original draft of this resolution, in his own hand- writing, is still in his possession. Several copies of this resolution were made and distributed among the Free- Soil members of Congress, with the understanding that whoever among them should catch the Speaker's eye and get the floor should introduce it ; Wilmot was the fortunate man, and thereby his name was attached to the resolution, and it has gone into history as the " Wilmot Proviso," instead of the Brinkerhoff Proviso, as it should have been. At the close of his Congres- sional career, he resumed the practice of law, at Mans- field, in which he successfully labored until he was elevated to the Supreme Bench, his first term com- mencing Jan. 9, 1856; in this highly honorable posi- tion, he was rétained for three successive terms, cover- ing a period of fifteen years, and it is but justice to mention that a fourth term was offered him, but he declined a renomination. The Ohio State Reports con- tain many of his opinions, delivered during his term upon the Supreme Bench, and they are everywhere very highly regarded by the profession. lle was married, Oct. 4, 1837, to Caroline Campbell, of Lodi, Seneca Co., N. Y., who died at that place while on a visit, Nov. 18, 1839. His present wife was Marion Titus, of Detroit, Mich , by whom he has four children now living, two sons and two daughters, viz. : Malvina, George, Roelof and Ger- trude. The Judge has retired from his profession, and still resides at Mansfield, but in feeble health.

BRINKERHOFF, GEN. ROELIFF, was born in Owasco, Cayuga Co., N. Y., June 28, 1828. The Brinker- hoffs of America are all descended from Joris Dericksen Brinckerhoff, who came from Drentland, Holland, in 1638, with his wife Susannah, and settled in Brooklyn, N. Y., then New Netherlands. The members of the family are now numerous, and for the most part are settled upon Long Island, and in the valley of the Hud- son, but still a few families of the name can be found in almost every Western State. The Western Brinker- hoffs are mostly descendants of Ilendrick, son of Joris, who settled in New Jersey, and who dropped the letter c from his name. Gen. Brinkerhoff is of the seventh generation in America ; his father, George R., was born

near Gettysburg, Penn., but his grandfather, Roeliff, came from Hackensack, N. J .; his ancestors on his mother's side (the Bouviers), and on his grandmother's (the Demarests), were French Huguenots, fleeing from religious persecution, who found safety and a home among the tolerant Dutchmen of the New Netherlands. Roeliff, the subject of this sketch, at the age of 16 was a school teacher in his native town; at 18, he was in charge of a school near Hendersonville, Tenn .; at 19, he was a tutor in the family of Andrew Jackson, Jr., at the Hermitage, and remained there until 1850, when he came North and entered as a law student in the office of his kinsman, the Hon. Jacob Brinkerhoff, at Mans- field, Ohio; in 1852, he was admitted to the bar, and entered the practice, and remained in the profession until the war of the rebellion ; during that time, June, 1855 to 1859, he was one of the editors and proprietors of the Mansfield Herald. In September, 1861, he entered the military service as First Lieutenant and Regimental Quartermaster of the 64th O. V. I .; in November of the same year, he was promoted to the position of Captain and Assistant Quartermaster, and during the winter was on duty at Bardstown, Ky ; after the capture of Nashville, he was placed in charge of transportation, land and river, in that city ; after the battle of Pittsburg Landing, he was ordered to the front, and placed in charge of the field transportation of the Army of the Ohio ; after the capture of Corinth, he went home on sick furlough, and was thence ordered to Maine as Chief Quartermaster in that State ; subse- quently, he was transferred to Pittsburgh, Penn., in charge of transportation and army stores, and thence to Washington City as Post Quartermaster, and remained on that duty until June, 1865, when he was made a Colonel and Inspector of the Quartermaster's Depart- ment ; he was then retained on duty at the War Office, with Secretary Stanton, until November, when he was ordered to Cincinnati as Chief Quartermaster of that Department; in September, 1866, he was breveted a Brigadier General of Volunteers ; he was also tendered a commission in the regular army, but declined ; on the Ist of October, at his own request, he was mustered out of service, having completed five years of continuous service in the army. Gen. Brinkerhoff is the author of the book entitled "The Volunteer Quartermaster," which is still the standard guide for the officers and employes of the Quartermaster's Department. After his retirement from the army, he returned to the prac- tice of his profession, at Mansfield. In 1873, upon the organization of the Mansfield Savings Bank, he became its executive officer as cashier, and has since retained that position ; he is also a member of the Board of State Charities, and President of the National Confer- ence of Charities. Gen. Brinkerhoff, Feb. 3, 1852, mar- ried Mary Lake Bentley, of Mansfield, daughter of Baldwin Bentley, and grand-daughter of Gen. Robert Bentley, by whom he has a family of four children, two sons and two daughters-Robert Bentley, Addie Hor- ton, Mary and Roeliff, all now living at Mansfieid.

BRINLEY, SAMUEL G. (deceased) ; was born in Mifflin Township Sept. 10, 1831; his father, John Brinley, is a resident of La Grange Co., Ind. Samuel G. was the first child. When 16 years of age, he com- menced clerking in a dry-goods store in Petersburg,

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where he lived four years ; soon after, he removed to this city, and was engaged in the dry-goods store of James Weldon, where he remained ten years. For several years during the war, he held the position of Deputy Provost Marshal aud United States Marshal, and was a clerk in the Treasurer's office of this county under T. J. Robinson. He was married, Oct. 30, 1853, in Mansfield, to Miss Elzina S. Grubaugh; they are the parents of seven children. Charles Oscar was born Aug. 7, 1854; John Allen was born Aug. 1, 1857; Joseph Franklin was born March 27, 1860; Harry S. was born July 16, 1864; Elzina S. was born Dec. 15, 1866, and died April 15, 1868; Aden was born June 25, 1870, and Lee was born Feb. 19, 1872. Mr. Brin- ley died in this city Dec. 26, 1876; he was, for a num- ber of years before his death, a successful contractor and builder, and had the confidence and esteem of the community. He was a member of the I. O. O. F. for a number of years, and of the Methodist Church for twenty-five years. Mrs Elzina Brinley was born near Loudenville, Ashland Co., Nov. 19, 1833; she is now a resident of West Bloom street.

BRISTOR, T. G., dentist ; he was born in Washing- ton, Washington Co., l'enn., in 1837; he came to Steu- benville, Ohio, in 1844, where he studied dentistry ; he came to Mansfield in 1858, and engaged in the prac- tice of dentistry. In 1865, he went to St. Louis, Mo., and practiced dentistry until 1872, when he returned to Mansfield ; he has been engaged here since. He is the oldest dentist in the city. He has branch offices at Shelby, Shiloh, Bellville and Hayesville, which places he visits once each month-Mondays and Tuesdays.

BRISTOR, JAMES R., dentist, Mansfield ; he was born in Washington, Washington Co., Penn., Jan. 28, 1834, and emigrated to Steubenville, Ohio, April 1, 1845, with his father and mother; in 1857, he con- nected himself with the dental profession and moved to Mansfield, in 1860, and located. He was married, Jan. 6, 1873, to Hannah M. Duncan, widow of Alex. Critchfield, of Millersburg, Ohio; she was born at Bloomfield, Coshocton Co., Ohio, Feb. 26, 1840, and moved with her father and mother to Millersburg, Ohio, in the fall of 1852, and to Mansfield in January, 1873; they have three children-John Henry, born April 25, 1874 ; Harriet Louisa, Sept. 14, 1875 ; Laura Virginia, April 20, 1878. In 1876, MIr. Bristor was elected from the Fourth Ward as one of the city Coun- cilmen, and, in 1879, he was chosen to preside as Pres- ident of Council of the city of Mansfield. James R. Bristor was born of Henry M. Bristor and Minerva Ruple Bristor, his wife, both of whom were born in Washington Co., Penn. Henry M. Bristor was born of Thomas Bristor and Elizabeth Dubany Bristor, his wife, both of whom were born near the James River, in Eastern Virginia ; their parents lived within hearing distance of the cannon at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, Va. Minerva Ruple Bristor was born of James Ruple and Dina G. Ruple, in Washington Co., Penn. Hannah Duncan Bristor was born of John Duncan and Nancy Casey Duncan ; her father emigrated from Washington, Penn., to Ohio, and her mother from Harper's Ferry, W. Va.

BRONSON, S. A., D. D., Pastor Protestant Episco- pal Church ; Dr. Bronson is a lineal descendant of

Abraham Bronson, one of the two Bronsons who, in 1673, petitioned the court for the privilege of settling on a plantation in what is now the town of Waterbury, Conn .; Dr. Bronson's father, Bela Bronson, emigrated from Connecticut to Ohio and settled in what is now Columbia, Lorain Co., in 1807; the Doctor was then in his infancy, and was carried in his mother's arms across the Cuyahoga, with the first team that crossed in the tide of Western emigration; he was taken to church by his mother and was baptized in Waterbury, his native place; the first minister of the Gospel he remembers to have seen was when he was about 9 years old; his mother and the church service, read by lay- men, were his only teachers ; at the age of 16, he trav- eled on horseback about seventy miles in the fruitless search for a Latin dictionary ; he afterward attended school at Kenyon College, where he graduated in 1833 ; two years after, he was ordained to the ministry ; from 1845 to 1850, he was President of Kenyon College; in 1867, he was Professor of Ecclesiastical Ilistory in the same institution ; in 1872, he came to Mansfield to accept the pastorate of the church here ; he had, how- ever, filled the pulpit a year and a half before coming.

BURNS, BARNABAS, attorney at law. The parents of Mr. Burns, Andrew and Sarah (Caldwell) Burns, were Irish Catholics, and emigrated to America about the year 1800; they had a family of five children, three sons and two daughters. Mr. B., the young- est of five children, was born in Fayette Co., l'enn., June 29, 1817 ; he emigrated with his parents to Milton Township, Ashland Co., settling there June 20, 1820; Mr. Burns remained on a farm until he was of age; he received a common-school education, and also spent a short time in the Ashland and Mans- field schools. He came to Mansfield April 9, 1838, where he has resided ever since. He was Deputy Clerk of the Courts, from 1839 to 1846; he studied law in the offices of Hon. Thomas W. Bartley and Hon. Samuel J. Kirkwood, and was admitted to practice in the summer of 1848, and has practiced law in Mansfield from that date to the present time. In the fall of 1847, Mr. Burns was elected to the Ohio State Senate, and re-elected in the fall of 1849; he was Presidential Elector for the State at large, on the Democratic ticket, in 1852; he served as Colonel of the 86th O. V. I. in the war of the rebellion, doing excellent service there ; after his return, he again began the practice of his pro- fession. In 1873, he was elected a member of the Con- stitutional Convention, and the same year was nominated on the Democratic ticket as Lieutenant Governor; out of a vote of nearly 600,000, he was defeated by only about five hundred votes; in 1876, Col. Burns was one of the Ohio Commissioners at the Centennial Exposition, fill- ing that office, like all others, in a manner satisfactory to all the interests concerned therein; Col. B. has served several terms as one of the Trustees of the Ohio Soldiers' Orphans' Home; he is now, although 63 years old, actively engaged in the practice of his profession. being one of the oldest members of the Mansfield bar now in practice ; he has always been an active and con- sistent Democrat. Col. Burns was married, Sept. 16, 1841, to Miss Urath Gore; Mr. and Mrs. B. became the parents of seven children, two of whom died in infancy ; three sons and two daughters yet survive-

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Mary (wife of Dr. Geo. Mitchell), John Caldwell, Kate, Jerrie II. and Barna G.

BUSHNELL, WILLIAM, physician. The family from which Dr. Bushnell descends dates back, in America, to early in the sixteenth century. Sometime in that period, Francis Bushnell came from England to Amer- ica, and located in Guilford, Hartford Co., Conn .; he died in 1646, as the records show, his death being the first authentic date in possession of the family. He left five sons-Francis, William, John, Richard and Isaac. The second son, William, married and settled in Con- necticut, and, at his death, left four children, the second of whom, Ephraim, also lived in Connecticut, and raised a family of seven children. His third child, James, was born March 12, 1716, and, about the year 1736, married a Miss Dudley. He was a seafaring man, and, soon after his marriage, went to sea on one of his voyages, and was never afterward heard from. It is supposed his vessel was lost at sea. After his departure to sea, his only son, Alexander, was born June 2, 1737. Feb. 12, 1761, he married Chloe Waite, a member of the Waite family of Lyme, Conn. (Chief Justice Waite, of Ohio, is a descendant of the same family). Miss Waite was born June 20, 1738. She lived to be 94 years old, dying Oct. 28, 1832. She became the mother of eleven children. The sixth child, Sterling G., the father of Dr. Bushnell, was born in Hartford Co., Conn., in 1781. The exact date is not known, as the record has been lost. Mr. Bushnell came to Trumbull Co., Ohio, in 1805, and to Vermillion Township, Ashland Co., May 20, 1820. His family then consisted of eleven children-Betsey, Lury, Will- iam, Collins, Sedelia, Jotham, Huldah, Rosella, Horner, Olive and Thomas. Of these, six are now living-Bet- sey, William, Sedelia, Huldah, Rosella and Thomas. Mr. Bushnell lived in this township until August, 1847, when his death occurred. He was 76 years of age. His wife lived several years after her husband's death, dy- ing in the old homestead; she lives with her son Thomas, who is there yet. Mr. Bushnell was a man of scholarly attainments, and great force of character. He was a surveyor, and surveyed parts of the Reserve in the counties of Ashtabula, Medina and Lorain ; while living in Trumbull Co., he surveyed a good deal of its territory there. William B. remained at home in Ver- million Township, teaching school about one year, assisted in opening the farm, and studying medicine ; he then went to Trumbull Co. to study medicine ; in 1825, he went to the old Ohio Medical College, at Cin- cinnati, where he remained about one year at the medi- cal school ; at the end of the time, he went to New Orleans, and settled at Point Coupee, where he practiced medicine one year; while there, he taught in an acad- emy seven months: from there he returned to this county, and located in Mansfield; this was in July, 1828. The Doctor has since lived here, engaged in the practice of medicine. When Dr. Bushnell was a boy, he took a small part in the war of 1812. He was quite ambitious of military life then, as were all boys of the day, and enjoyed at least one adventure. After Hull's surrender, when in his 12th year, the 1st Regiment of the 3d Brigade, and the 4th Division of the Ohio Militia, on its way to the frontier, halted and took dinner at the residence of his father, who was Adjutant of that regi-

ment. William, believing he was old enough to go with the troops, pleaded his cause so earnestly to accompany the regiment, that he was allowed to do so, and marched with it to the vicinity of Cleveland, where the troops were encamped. A battle being imminent with the Indians, his father told him he must go back home. He obeyed very reluctantly, as he desired to take a hand in the fighting. He retraced his steps alone through the dense wilderness, guided only by the trail left by the regiment.

April 5, 1836, Dr. Bushnell married Mary, only daughter of Gen Robert Bentley, a man of much abil- ity, who resided in this county. Of their children only one is living-Martin B., a resident of Mansfield. Dur- ing his long and successful career as a physician, Dr. Bushnell has also devoted himself to public business, and held several places of responsibility. Many of the internal improvements in the northern portion of the State were either projected by him, or owe their exist- ence to his energy and influence. He was one of the Directors of the Alantic & Great Western Railway, not only during its construction, but for some years after its completion. In 1849, Dr. Bushnell was elected a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, and sub- sequently re-elected, and served several terms in that legislative body. After the establishment of the Cleve- land Medical College, he was connected with it as a Censor for about fifteen years. He is a member of the American Medical Association, and also of the Ohio Medical Association ; and, as a physician and surgeon, he ranks with the most eminent in the State. Possessed of a remarkably vigorous constitution, he has been enabled to perform an unusual amount of work. In the early days of his practice, with almost impassable roads to travel long distances, it required the constant exer- cise of those virtues. He is possessed of an exceed- ingly dignified and pleasant appearance, and commands the respect of the community where he has lived so long, and with satisfaction to his constituents, whom he has represented. In June, 1878, he was appointed by Gov. Bishop the Delegate of Obio to the International Congress on prison reform, called by and under the auspices of Sweden, to take place in Stockholm on the 29th of June. The Doctor took passage on the Inman steamer City of Chester, to attend to the duties of his delegation, and at the same time enjoy a European tour. Since his return, he has been quietly living in the city, enjoying the fruits of a long and busy life.

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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