History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 111

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1060

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GEORGE REX, Assistant Superintendent at C. Aultman & Co., Canton : is a native of Canton, Ohio. He was born April 26, 1842, and received his schooling in his native city. ! At the age of 18, he apprenticed with (. Ault- man & Co. as a machinist, and in August, 1862, he enlisted in the 115th O. V. I., continu- ing in service until June 25, 1865, when he was mustered out. and returned to Canton, resum- ing his place with C. Aultman & Co., and has continued with the company since, having held the positions of inspector, foreman of finishing department, and, for the past five or six years.' his present position.

WASHINGTON R. REEVES, retired, Can- ton : is a native of Greene Co., Penn .; he was born May 11, 1817. His parents, William and Elizabeth (Umstead) Reeves, moved to Holmes Co., Ohio, in 1821, where William Reeves died the following year ; Mrs. Reeves afterward married Mr. John Brown; they finally settled at Okl Rochester, where they died. Some three or four years after his father's death, our sub- ject was bound out to John Garver. at Rogers- ville, and lived there seven years, when, after living one year with his step-father, he went to Massillon, where he apprenticed to the carpen- ter's trade ; his health failing some two years later, he went to his brother's, in Pennsylvania, and learned the stone cutting trade. In 1837, he came to Navarre, Ohio; in 1838, he cut stone for the aqueduct on the canal at Dresden. April 7, 1839, he married Miss Ann Baxter. a native of Canton, Ohio ; he then lived in Can-

SAMUEL H. ROCKHILL, Principal S. W. Grammar School, Canton ; is a native of Stark Co., Ohio ; he was born Nov. 10, 1835, and is the tenth child born to Samuel A. and Nancy (Bryan) Rockhill, who had twelve children ; they were natives of Burlington Co., N. J., and were early settlers in Stark Co., Ohio. Our subject lived at home with his parents until he was about 17 years of age ; he received a course of study in the district schools, and at the age of 17 began teaching school, from that time on taking care of himself teaching winters, and attending school summers, for some ten years, during which time he took an extended course of study in the Mt. Union Seminary. At about the age of 27, he began farming and dealing in stock. In August, 1865, he married Miss Maggie King, a native of Chester Co., Penn .; she came to Mahoning Co., Ohio, with her parents, and was engaged in teaching in Stark Co. at the time of her marriage. Our subjeet continued his busi- ness about seven years after his marriage, when he came to Canton and engaged in the grocery business with George W. Lawrence ; they con- tinued three years ; he then went to New Jer- sey, and farmed for three years in Camden Co., where he yet owns a farm which he conducts, hiring the labor. and raising sweet potatoes, furnishing about 100 barrels per annum to the Canton market. From New Jersey he returned to Canton, and took charge of his school, which he has taught since. In January, 1881, he became a partner in the firm of Erwin & Co.,

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doing a furniture business in Canton. Mr. Rockhill has a family of three children, viz. : Charles S., Harry K. and Mary F.

HARRIS RAYNOLDS (deceased), was a son of William and Betsy S. (Fisk) Raynolds, men- tioned elsewhere in this work. Our subject was born in Canton, Ohio, and reared in his native city. where he became identified with its mercantile interests for many years, and, finally, owing to failing health. he engaged in farming. after which he returned to Canton. where he lived mainly retired from active business until his death, in May. 1873. Mrs. Isabella Raynolds, his wife, was a daughter of Thomas and Isabella (MeConnel) Commins ; she was born in Pennsyl- vania. near Shippensburg, in 1831, and came to Massillon, Stark Co., Ohio, in 1832. Her father conducted the mercantile business in that city. and was also identified with the milling interests of that vicinity ; he was a soldier in the war of 1812. and in later years moved to lowa, where he died. Mrs. Raynolds and her two children are living in the old home at Canton.

HORACE SOMERS, druggist, Canton. Among the young and enterprising business men of Canton we find none more worthy of mention than the subject of this sketch. He is a native of the Buckeye State ; has had the advantages in ( ducation of a classical course in the l'niversity of Wooster. and of an advanced course in chemistry. In business life. he began as a clerk in a drug store in Burbank. Wayne Co., going from there to Delavan, Ohio, where he was engaged in the same eapacity and busi- ness for three years ; and then in Philadelphia. where for a short period he was engaged in the retail drug trade. In 1880, his business con- nection with Canton commenced, and is proving successful and increasing. His place of busi- ness is at 59 East Tuscarawas street, where he has a pleasant room, and an extensive and complete stock of drugs, medicines and sundries. Mr. Somers is a pleasant and agrecable gentleman, possessing good business attributes, and en- dowed with enterprising ideas, which will. in time, place him in the front rank among the successful self- made business men of Canton.

ION. THOMAS C. SNYDER, manufact- urer of iron roofing, Canton, and the present member of Legislature from Stark Co .; is a native of Trumbull Co., born in 1843. He is a son of John and Anna Snyder, who were farmers in that county, and upon the farm our subject

passed the years prior to manhood. Ile re- ceived an academic education, and was an early volunteer in the late service. llis first enlist- ment was in Co. A, lst O. V. 1 .. but after being in service a few months, was taken sick, and after lying in the hospital for a few months, was discharged. one year from time of enlist- ment. Returning home. he engaged in teaching school, and in the winter buying army horses, at which he continued until 1864. when he again enlisted in the service, becoming a ment- her of the 171st Regulars, in the 100-day serv- ice, serving 120 days, during which time he was taken prisoner, but was soon after released. I'pon receiving his discharge. in August. 1861, he re-enlisted immediately in Co. G, of the 177th O. V. 1 .. and remained in service until the close of the war. participating in the on- gagoments at Shelbyville Pike, siege of Nashi- ville. Fort Anderson. Town Creek, Wilmington and many other minor skirmishes. He was at the time of his discharge First Sergeant, re- ceiving his papers in June. 1865. at Wilmington. I'pon returning to his home in Ohio, he em- barked in oil speculation, which proved dis- astrous. llis health at this time was quite precarious, and for many years it afflicted him so as to unfit him for active business life. After teaching school for a number of years he, in 1869. in connection with other parties, leased some coal land in Trumbull Co., Ohio, and Mercer Co .. Penn .. which were operated until 1872. when he came to Stark Co., locating at Waynesburgh, where he acted as agent for a company of gentlemen operating coal lands there, until the spring of 1873. when he bought the mines and operated them for three years, selling out in 1876, which closed his coal opera- tions. Ile then engaged in the manufacture of iron roofing. in Waynesburgh. under the firm name of T. C. Snyder & Co., continuing there until January, 1880, when he removed this business to Canton, which presented a larger field and better facilities, since which time he has been a resident of t'anton. superintending his business, which has increased until his goods are shipped to nearly all the States. While a resident of Waynesburgh, Mr. Snyder served as Justice of the Peace four years, re- signing upon being elected to the Legislature. In 1879, he was nominated and elected to represent Stark Co. in the State Legislature, and is now (1881) a candidate for re-election.

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During his term in the Legislature he has served the people with fidelity and zeal. He has championed the cause of the miners of the State, securing a revision of the mining laws ; also was an active agent in securing for the State the St. Clair papers, consisting of letters from Washington, La Fayette, Gen. Greene and others, which furnished some missing links in history. He also secured the passage of the vitriol bill, making the throwing of vitriol a felony ; and at all times has, by his honorable course and habits. commanded the respect and esteem of his fellow-members in the House. Ile is a member of Eagle Masonic Lodge and Nimissilla Lodge I. O. O. F. As a citizen and business man he ranks as one of the most pro- gressive and enterprising, and has, by his genial and courteous manner, won hosts of friends all over the State.

JOHN SCROGGS (deceased), who was among the earliest of the Tuscarawas street business men of Canton, was born in the city of Balti- more. Maryland, June 9, 1794. But little of the surroundings of his early life are known. During the war of 1812. he enlisted in the de- fense of his native country, and was engaged in the bombardment of Ft. McHenry and North Point. After the close of his military service, he came to Ohio and settled at New Lisbon, where on May 8, 1822, he was married to Miss Anna Shawke. The year following this event they moved to Canton, where Mr. Seroggs en- gaged in the mercantile business, conducting the same successfully until 1839, when he removed to Bucyrus, where he resided until his death, which occurred in 1861. Of the four sous and two daughters born to them, but two of the former and one of the latter are now living ; Jacob, an attorney and for many years connected with the Crawford County bar ; Jack, also an attorney, and now a resident of Wyan- dotte. Kansas. The daughter, Mrs. Mary Giles, with whom her mother, now in her 84th year, resides, is a resident of Freeport, Ill.

JOHN SLUSSER, whose portrait appears in this work, was born in Cumberland County, Penn., Sept. 9, 1790. His father, Philip Schlos- ser, came to Stark County in 1805, with a fam- ily of ten children, five sons and five daughters. all deceased save one, Mrs. Jacob Danner, now in her 79th year. All are buried in Stark County, excepting the eldest son Philip, who removed with his family to Illinois, over forty

years ago. It is doubtful whether any other family have as many of the connection interred in the county. They were among the first set- tlers ; in fact, were here several years before the county was organized. It was then the Western frontier ; Indians were numerous, and dwellings of the whites few and far between. The now flourishing city of Canton consisted of less than half a dozen log cabins, only two of which were occupied. Phillip Schlosser, the father, built the first grist-mill in the county. It was on the site now occupied by the East Canton Mill, where Ninth street crosses Nimi- shillen Creek. Ile erected a saw-mill the year before, and it was as manager of this that the subject of our memoir dates the commence- ment of his career with the outside world. But 16 years of age, with very limited education and no experience, he was yet required to take all the responsibility involved in dealing with new settlers, all clamorous for accommodation. He often referred to it as an experience that proved of practical utility in after years. In keeping the saw-mill in repair, and occasionally assisting the millwright while working on the grist-mill, he acquired considerable skill in the use of wood tools, and as emigrants arrived in the neighborhood, and wanted certain articles for domestie nse, such as a dough-tray, table or cupboard, there being no cabinet-maker within reach, he was solicited to make them. In this way, without having served an apprenticeship at the trade, he became a cabinet-maker, Dnr- ing the last war with England, when there was a call for troops from this section, Mr. Slusser, then 22 years of age, enlisted. While near Sandusky he was taken with a fever, which seriously impaired his constitution. Soon after his muster-out, he married Nancy Dewalt, daughter of Phillip Dewalt, who came from Dauphin County, Penn., and settled in Canton in 1807. Ilis father gave him a portion of Sec. 4 (now in the city limits) which he had previously purchased of Government, and upon this he erected a frame dwelling house, and a work-shop. Here he remained, following the trade of cabinet-maker for a number of years. The bureaus and elock-cases of his make that have been handed down through several gene- rations, yet in good state of preservation, attest the workmanlike manner of their construction. In 1825, he exchanged his property for a two- story brick house, and lot, corner of Tuscarawas

CITY OF CANTON.

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and Piedmont, belonging to and occupied by John Webb. Soon after removing to town, he engaged in merchandising, and in company with several other merchants. rode on horseback to Philadelphia and New York, and with their assistance, purchased a stock of miscellaneous goods, such as were kept in stock by merchants at that day. Ile continued in this business until 1850, accumulating considerable means, most of which he invested in western lands. In 1833. he sank a tan-yard on the lot now or- eupied by the Connotton depot. Mr. SIusser was twice married. His first wife died in 1842. They had seven children -Sarah, the eldest, is the wife of Madison Raynolds ; Samuel D. and Lewis are living in Canton ; Mary and Alfred died of scarlet fever in 1833 ; John died in South Carolina in 1860, and Rebecca, the young- est, is the wife of David Zollars. Mr. Slusser married a second wife, Mrs. Catharine Whitman. in 1843, but by her he had no issue ; she died in 1879. Mr. Klusser died in 1859, respected by all who knew him, as an honest. upright man.

LOUIS SCHAEFER, attorney. Canton ; was born in the department of the Moselle, France. Dec. 25, 1815, and is the son of Philip and Catharine (Lochr) Schaefer. Ile was educated chiefly at the schools of his native place. and also received much valuable instruction from his father, who was a teacher by profession. He came with his parents to this country in 1830, and located in Stark Co. He studied law in the office of Griswold & Grant, in Canton, and was admitted to practice in 1842. In the fall of 1843, he was tendered. by the friends of the administration of John Tyler, the Secretary ship of the Legation to France, which. for validreasons, he respectfully declined. Although closely devoted to his legal pursuits, he has ever taken a prominent and active part in ad vancing the interests of his adopted city. He was for many years connected with the City Council of Canton, and also for a considerable period with the Board of Education, and devoted much of his time to the welfare of the public schools. in the establishment of the Canton City Water-Works. Mr. Schaefer was the leading spirit. J. L. Pillsbury, civil engineer of that enterprise, thus speaks of Mr. Schaefer in his official report . " In concluding this final report of the condition of the water-works, I wish to render a just tribute to the originator

of the scheme, Louis Schaefer. Esq .. who sng- gested it, and worked it up to completion. in the face of all discouragements, personal and financial, and who. without compensation, devot- ed his entire time to the work, and who, with mno- tives impugned. and factional influence to com- bat, kept the project running steadily onward. until now he has the satisfaction of seeing the work he labored so long for. completed, and in successful operation. We only state what every citizen knows to be true. in saying, that to his general knowledge of the subject, and unre- mitting labors in the Conneil. in financial circles and in the field, the Canton City Water Works unquestionally owes their existence." Mr. Shaffer was also prominently active in securing the passage of the bill authorizing the County Commissioners to build court houses, and the present Stark County Court House was the first one erected under that law, and he was very efficient in pushing the enterprise to com pletion. In 1867, Mr. Schaefer erected his fine business block. which includes the Shaffer Opera House. Owing mainly to his efforts, sev- eral large manufacturing establishments have been added to the industries of Canton. In 1866. he was a candidate on the Democratic ticket for Congress, although. as a rule, he has not sought political preferment. lle repre- sented the Seventeenth Ohio District on the Commission sent to Washington City to demand the release of Vallandigham. In May. 1849. he married Catharine Anna, daughter of Rer Stephen A. Mealy, of Savannah. Ga. She was an estimable lady of more than ordinary intelligence and accomplishments. She died Aug. 17. 1879. having been the mother of three children. Louis M. was educated in Kenyon College. Gambier. Ohio, studied law with his father, and was admitted to the bar in September, 1877 Mary E. is the wife of William R. Day, of the law firm of Lynch, Day & Lynch, of Canton. Ohio. Alice L ... the second daughter, died in 1874. aged 21 years.

GEN. GEORGE STIDGER (deceased), who was among the most prominent of Stark County's pioneers, was born in Baltimore, Md .. Oct. 9. 1781. His father was a native of Ger- many, and his mother of Holland, though they became residents of Baltimore during the carly part of their lives. As was customary in those days. Gen. Stidger. when a boy. learned a trade

that of a hatter. But little of the surround-

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ings of his early life are known. In 1806, he became a resident of Canton, where he em- barked in the mercantile business. Hle was married in New Lisbon, Columbiana Co., Ohio, to Miss Mary Reiley. Ten children were born to them, of whom are Mrs. M. A. Lester and Mrs. Julius Whiting, both ladies of the highest circle of society of Canton. Gen. Stidger con- tinned the mercantile business until his death. which occurred on Sept. 29, 1826, during a trip to Eastern markets to buy a supply of goods. In his death. Canton lost one of her most enterprising spirits. In the war of 1812, he entered the service of his country as a Captain. His bravery and gallant soldierly conduct soon made him a fit subject for promotion, and he rose rapidly to the rank of General, by which title his name is familiar to the citizens of Stark Co.

JOHN SAXTON (deceased), who was editor and founder of the Ohio Repository, Canton, Ohio, was born in Huntingdon Co., Penn., Sept. 28, 1792. and died in Canton. Obio, April lo, 1871. He was the oldest of a large family, and learned the printer's trade when he was a boy. Early in 1815, he came to Ohio, and. locating in Canton, started the Ohio Repository. in March of that year, on which he labored without interruption for fifty-six consecutive years. His newspaper longevity is strikingly illustrated by the fact that he recorded the final battles of both Napoleons. In 1815. he wrote and published the account of the battle of Waterloo, and the arrest of the first Napo- leon. In 1870, he wrote and published the ac- count of the battles of Sedan, and the arrest of Napoleon III. It is believed that not another man in the United States has labored so long and on one newspaper. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and while on garri- son duty at Black Rock, near Buffalo, partially lost his hearing. In the discharge from duty, he was under a large cannon, when a soldier fired it off, and the concussion occasioned this loss. During the whole time he was connected with the Repository, he was unremitting in his application to duty, and was constantly active in the office up to within a short time before his death. The causes that sustained and pro- longed his life and activity were a good con- stitution, regular and temperate habits and a quiet conscience. Ile belonged to the Anti- Federalists, which was, in his early manhood.

the Republican party. Subsequently he was a Whig, and, after the dissolution of that party. he espoused the principles of the present Re- publican party soon after its organization. He voted for the following Presidential candidates : Madison. Monroe, Adams. Clay in 1832, Harri- son in 1836 and in 1840. Clay again in 1844, Taylor, Scott, Fremont, Lincoln in 1860-64, and Grant in 1868. For several years in each he served as Auditor and Treasurer of Stark Co., and also Postmaster at Canton. Not less noted for regularity and well-sustained con- sistency were his church relations. He was one of the oldest members of the Presbyterian Church at Canton ; was elected Ruling Elder in 1837, and retained that position until his death, and had not been absent from Church duty for forty years, unless detained by sickness. Ile arranged his business and the day of publica- tion of his paper with a view of always being present at the prayer-meeting. He possessed a remarkable evenness of temper, and was especially fond of children ; he was greatly be- loved by them. He preached religion in his daily life, and was a Christian in everything. His was a cheerful, happy, conscientious, lov- ing performance of religious duty. Ile was, of all men, the kindest and most careful not to wound the feelings of others. All, without distinction of party, respected and revered him. His wife, Margaret Laird, he married in 1815. She died in 1858, having been the mother of nine children. Since his death, the publication of the Repository has been conducted by his youngest child, Thomas Wilson Saxon, who was born in Canton, Ohio, Oct. 9, 1831, and was educated in the public schools of his native city. At the age of 13, he entered the printing office of his father, passing through the various departments until 1851, when he became a partner with his father in the paper, and has been connected with it until the present time. In 1860, he was elected Auditor of Stark Co., and filled that office until August, 1862, when he enlisted in the army as Quartermaster of the 115th O. V. 1., and served as such until May, 1865, when he resigned and returned home. In 1867, he purchased the father's interest in the paper, and in 1868 the Ohio Re- pository was consolidated with the Stark Coun- ty Republican, under the name of the Canton Repository and Republican. In May. 1874, the name of the paper was changed to the Canton

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Repository. its present title. It is an ably-con- ducted daily and weekly journal, the daily issue having first appeared in February, 1878. Mr. Saxton was one of the leaders in the Know-Nothing campaign of 1851 espoused the cause of Republicanism upon the birth of that party, and has since been quite an active Republican politician. Ile has made the Repository one of the best Republican journals in the State. His personal character- istics are those of a plain, unassuming, agreca- ble gentleman. On March 31, 1857, he mar- ried Maria S .. daughter of Samuel Slanker, now a retired business man of Canton. and she has borne him two sous- Herbert and Samuel.

T. SULLIVAN, County Treasurer, Canton ; became a resident of Stark Co. in 1859, and located at Canal Fulton, where he engaged in the mercantile business ; he was very success- ful in business. and, though beginning on a somewhat limited scale, by elose application and good financiering he soon established a business that stood second to none in that lively little town. Becoming almost involun- tarily interested in political affairs, the position of a leader in the Democratic party was quickly accorded him by his friends ; in the October election of 1877. he was elected to the office of County Treasurer, and eleven months there- after he took formal possession of the office. in 1880, he was re-elected to the same office, and is now actively engaged in the discharge of his duties. While a resident in Canal Ful- ton he not only became a leading merchant of the place, but he also took an active part in social and church affairs, and at the building of the Catholic Church of that place he was one of the largest individual contributors ; since becoming a resident of Canton he has transferred his membership to St. John's En- glish Catholic Church.

DAVID SHERRICK, retired farmer, Can- ton ; was born at Hagerstown. Md., in the year 1807. son of John and Nancy (Wyant) Sher- riek, who were natives of Lancaster Co .. Penn .. and were married in Washington Co., Md. ; they lived in Maryland a number of years, and removed to Pennsylvania, remaining two years, and then came to Ohio ; they had six children at the time, and came on by team. Mrs. Sherrick riding the entire way on horseback ; they settled two and a half miles southeast of Can- ton in 1816, where they lived until his death, at

the age of 75 years she died some three years later ; David lived at home until he was about 26 years old, his education being limited to the schools of the time; at 26 he and his brother Jacob made a raft of pine logs at State Line, between New York and Pennsylvania, which they took to Cincinnati, remaining there some time in the lumber busi- ness ; after which he located near Canton on a piece of land belonging to his father, when he began manufacturing carthenware which he continued but a short time : he removed to St. Louis soon after but did not remain long, returning by wagon to Dayton, Ohio, where for four years he followed canal boating ; in 18-10, he returned to Canton and was engaged in farming and in manufacturing stoneware. and lived in several different neighborhoods : in 1868, he moved into Canton where he has ever since resided. In 1836, he married Miss Rebecea Longstarf she died in 1861 ; they had six children two of whom are living- Emma, now Mrs. Kitzmiller, living north of Canton, and John. living in Canton.

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History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 111

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey Number of Pages: 1060

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1060