History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 120

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

USA > Ohio > Stark County > History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio > Part 120

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Chicago Railroad. From IS49 to 1852, he was engaged in the carriage manufacture in Massillon. In 1852, in connection with Mr. Henry L. Yesler, he erected a very extensive saw mill in Seattle, Washington Territory. About the year 1856, he bought out a private banking institution in Massillon, in which he had become pecuniarily interested. conducted it for a few years, and finally wound it up, thereby seenring certain obligations due him by the firm. From the spring of 1862 to the fall of 1865, he was also engaged in the dry goods trade. From 1562 to IS6I. he served as Provost Marshal for Stark County. In the fall of 1867. he visited California and other portions of the Pacific coast, looking after the interests of his saw mill in Washington Terri- tory, and has since made annual trips to that portion of the West. In April. IS69, he en gaged in private banking, under the firm name of MeLain & Hunt, the latter being a son of Mr. Salmon Hunt: this arrangement continued for six years. Mr. MeLain's sons, James H. and Charles L. MeLain, being partners. In January, 1875, Mr. McLain was mado Presi- dent of the U'nion National Bank of Massillen. which position he still occupies. At various times he has served in the Massillon City Council. In politics, he is a stanch Repub- lican. On Jan. 10. 1839, he married Eliza. daughter of Isaac Austin, of Massillon, though originally from Vermont; six children resulted from this union, four of whom are living, and residents of Massillon. James H. and Charles McLain are now engaged in the milling busi- ness, and Clarence MI. is a dry goods merchant : the daughter, Mary, is the wife of Charles 3. Russell, of the firm of Russell & Co., of Mas- sillon. Mr. MeLain has been very successful in all his business ventures.

JAMES NEALL, coal-dealer, Massillon; was born Nov. 15. IS1I. in Talbot Co., Md .. son of James and Rachel (Cox) Neall. James, the father of our subject, was born in 1775, in same county, son of Solomon, whose father came over from England with William Pon. To Solomon Neall were born Frankie, James. Mary and Ruth. Rachel Cox was likewise born. in 1782, in Talbot Co., Md., daughter of Isaac, whose wife's maiden name was Price. The Nealls are of Scotch extraction, and were

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members of the Society of Friends. To James and Rachel Neall were born twelve children -- nine daughters and three sons. At the age of 17, the subject of these lines went to Phila- delphia, Penn., and entered as clerk in a hard- ware store, where he remained until 1836; he then went into a foundry and machine-shop, engaging in the business, in 1846, on his own account until 1864. when he came to Mas- sillon, where he has since lived, and is engaged in the coal business. Nov. 3, 1841, was the date of his marriage with Rachel Ann Keeler, who was born Feb. 15, 1813, in Jacobstown, N. J., daughter of Samuel and Fannie ( Kemp- ton) Keeler, both of New Jersey: Samnel and Fannie had four children born to them. To Mr. and Mrs .. Neall have been born three children, viz., Fannie K., Helen B. and Jose- phine. Mrs. Neall's parents were members of the Society of Friends, under which influ- ence she was brought up. Both Mr. Neall and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, of which Mr. Neall is one of the Elders.

J. V. NEWSTETTER, salesman, Massillon; was born in Tuscarawas Township, of a family of eight children, viz., Andrew, Sarah, Cathar- ine, Samuel, Joseph V., Jacob, David and Henry, all of whom were the offspring of Henry and Susanna Voris, whose father was Peter Voris, Henry Newstetter, the father of the above, was born in the "Old Dominion," on the James River, about the year 1792; his father was Conrad Newstetter, a native of Bremen, who emigrated to Pennsylvania prior to the Continental war, afterward removing to Virginia, where were born to him a family of nine children, viz., Henry, Conrad, Joseph, Mary, Nancy. Barbara, Elizabeth, Catharine and Sarah. Conrad emigrated West to Ohio, locating in Tuscarawas Township as early as 1812, where he entered 160 acres of land, upon which he lived until his death, which occurred about 1826. Henry, his son, who was the father of J. V., was a soldier in the war of 1812, afterward locating on a piece of land about half a mile from the homestead, which he cleared, Brookfield being now a part of the farm he located; he remained a constant resident upon this farm until his death, in May, 1871, his wife dying the March preced-

ing. Our subject was raised to farming, but in 1850 he left home and entered the store of Folk & Bro., where he remained some time; then went to Chillicothe, remaining two years and a half, when he moved to Waterloo, N. Y., where he married Nancy Ann Alleman in 1858; she died in 1861, leaving one child, Arthur A., who died in the same year as his mother. Returning then to Massillon, he sold goods ten years for William Humberger. Since 1877, he has been salesman in the store of Allman & Wetter. He is a Republican, and a member of the Episcopal Church.

C. N. OBERLIN, grocer, Massillon; was born in Tuscarawas Township Jan. 28, 1820; son of John and Catharino ( Newstetter) Ober- lin, he being born in Lancaster Co., Penn., in 1788, she near Yorktown, Va., in 1790; they (John and wife) came from Cumberland Co., Penn., where they were married, and located in Tuscarawas Township, where he entered land in 1812; he raised a family of twelve children-seven sons and five daughters-six of whom are now living: he died in 1849, his wife in 1858. Our subject was raised to farming until 12 years of age, when he came to town and clerked for four years, then ten years for Atwater & Dickey. In 1853, he began business with a partner, under the firm name of Oberlin & Beatty, which lasted until 1857, when Mr. Oberlin sold out to his part- ner, and then started on his own account, and has thus continued since. In 1847, he mar- ried Nancy MeDowell, a relative of Gen. Mc- Dowell, of the late civil war; she was born in Tuscarawas Township in 1827, daughter of John and Nancy (Hoagland) McDowell, who were from Washington Co., Penn .; had three children, two living-Ellen F., Mrs. Adam Knoblock, in Canton; and Edith, at home. Mrs. Oberlin is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Oberlin is one of the oldest grocers in the city, and is among the self- made men of the community. He is a Demo- erat.

S. OBERLIN, dry goods, Massillon. Among the prominent and self-made business men of Massillon is Mr. Oberlin, who was born Feb. 9, 1818, in Tuscarawas Township, son of Peter and Susanna (Cramer) Oberlin. Peter came West with his parents, Adam and Eve Oberlin,

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who wore natives of Lancaster Co., Penn., who moved to Cumberland, and then to this county, where he entered the land in this township upon which he lived until his death, in 1855: to him were born ten children, all of whom grew to maturity. Samuel left home at 13, and came to this town and clerked in a store until he engaged in business with Humberger in 18.16, which lasted four or five years; he then clerked for Cummins & Humberger three years, when he formed a partnership with Humberger, the firm name being Humberger, Oberlin & Co., which lasted about five years; James Harsh was the "Co." In 1857, he sold out his interest and crossed the street, and rented a store building, and in 1559 he bought the property, and has since continued there. In 1848, he married Mary E. Hoffman, born in Hagerstown, Md., in 1520, daughter of John A. Hoffman; has raised four children. Mary F., Mrs. William Yost: Willie J., Charles E .. Samuel H. His family are members of the M. E. Church. He is not a member of any church organization; is a member of the I. O. O. F., and a stanch Republican, and a public-spirited gentleman.

H. F. OEHLER, stoves and tinware, Mas- sillon; was born April 20, 1839, in Germany, the youngest of a family of eight children, who were Louie, Kate, Julius, Charles, Caro- line, Charlotte, Jeannette and H. F., all of whom were born to Henry and Elizabeth Oehler. The father of H. F. died when our subject was a mere lad, who remained with his mother until 1556, at which time he came to America, and, selecting Ohio as his future home, he came direct to Massillon; having no worldly possessions to begin with, he resolved to become a business man, and entered the Massillon manufacturing works, which were conducted by Mr. William Buckius, who in- structed him in the tinner's art; he remained with him until April, 1861, when he enlisted in Co. A. 13th O. V. I., for three months, and afterward re-enlisted for three years, and served until the expiration of his term, receiv- ing an honorable discharge Jan. 24, 1864: dur- ing his term of service, he participated in the battles in which his regiment was engaged. Upon his return home, he worked for Mr. Buckius until the fall of 1868. In February

of the following year, he engaged in business with David Stevens, buying out Mr. Huth and condueting business for eighteen months under the firm name of Stevens & Oehler, at which time Mr. Oehler sold out to his partner, and. in 1870, went to Worth Co., Mo., where he remained nearly two years, and then returned to Massillon; he worked a short time for Mr. Stevens, then associated in business for one year with F. W. Geis, when Geis purchased his interest. In 1874, Mr. Ochler bought out Mr. Stevens, his former partner, and has since conducted the business on hisown account; in 1878, he purchased the building he now occu- pies, where he keeps a largo assortment of stoves, and manufactures his own ware, and is doing a lucrative business. In June, 1866, he married Anna Kreisher, a native of this city ; they have three children-Henrietta, Edith and Alfred H.

JOHN F. PETER, dyeing and renovating, Massillon. Mr. Peter began his present pros- perous business in this city in 1877, at No. 13 South Mill street; he had formerly been on- gaged in the samo business at Bellaire, Ohio, afterward in Canton, subsequently coming to Massillon, as above mentioned. In this city he has built up a thriving trade, which is be- ing extended throughout the county and into other localities; the character of his work be- ing of such a nature, whether it be cleaning, dyeing, or anything pertaining to his line, gives entire satisfaction, which in every in- stance is guaranteed, no matter what the class or style of goods, silks, fine shawls, gloves-in fact, everything, as it passes from his hands, appears as new. He was born in Canton in 1852, son of Conrad Peter, who was born in 1809, in Hesse-Darmstadt; July 25, 1877, he married Frances Piero, of Canton: has one child-Leo P .: is a Catholic.

WILLIAM A. PHETZCKER, grocer, Mas- sillon; son of August Pietzeker, who was born in Moscow. Russia, in 1809, son of Charles Frederick Pietzeker, who was a native of Prussia. who was a Minister of the Interior: his father was President of the Police Court. August Pietzeker married Mary Bitterman, born in Lancaster Co., Penn., daughter of Joseph and Christina Bitterman. He served eight years as a soldier under Napoleon.

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August emigrated to this State in 1840, locat- ing in Stark County; he has had eight chil- dren born to him, seven of whom grew up- Augusta, Charles, William A., Daniel, Ezra, George, Ida and Henrietta (now deceased). August, the father of our subject, enlisted, in 1861, as a private soldier; after one year's service, was promoted to Hospital Steward and Assistant Medical Director; saw five years of army life in all; since his return from service, has been engaged as a machinist in this city. William A. was born in Bethlehem Township in 1852; at the age of 14, he began as elerk; was eight years in the employ of P. G. Al- bright. Nov. 1. 1880, he engaged in business with E. A. Heckert, under the firm name of Heckert & Pietzeker, which association lasted until April 27, 1881, at which time he pur- chased his partner's interest, and has since continued in business, keeping a full line of staple and fancy groceries; also, dealer in country produce. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias. In 1862, the family ro- moved from Bethlehem Tp. to Massillon, where they have since resided.

J. F. POCOCK, coal business, Massillon; was born in Baltimore Co., Ma., Jan. 25, 1839, son of Israel and Ruth (Gorsuch) Pocock, both natives of that county; they have five children who came to maturity. Israel was a son of Jesse. Mr. Pocock came to Butler Co., Ohio, in 1857; remained two years, then to Putnam County, where he stayed seven years, and then came to this town and engaged in the coal business, remaining here since. He was married, in 1866, to Amelia E. Foltz, daughter of Henry and Mary (Kindig) Foltz: she (Mrs. Pocock) was born in this town, and has three children- Gertrude, Henry F. and Ralph A. Mr. Pocoek is Secretary and Treas- urer of the Massillon City Coal Company, or- ganized in 1874. Mrs. Pocock's father had the following family: David B., in Navarre; Eliza. Mrs. Elisha Bond; Rebecca, Mrs. Dan Pocock, near Clyde, Sandusky Co .; George W. died in Wooster: J. F., the youngest now living. He is a Republican.

JAMES PEACOCK, book-keeper and ac- countant, Massillon; head book-keeper of Russell & Co.'s office; was born Feb. 4, 1836, in Kingston, Canada, son of Thomas Peacock

and Elizabeth Knight; the former was born in 1807, a native of Edinburgh, Scotland; she was born on the Emerald Isle, town of Mag- herafelt, County Derry. Our subject early in life learned the printer's trade in Buffalo, N. Y., which he followed for several years in Buffalo and in Cambridge City, Ind. At the outbreak of the war, he was among the very first to respond to the call, enlisting in Co. A, 8th Ind. V. I. as private, and was mustered into the service for three months three days from the time the call was made; after serving his term, being mustered out as Sergeant, Sept. 5 of the same year he enlisted for three years in the same regiment and same company. the letter of the company being changed to G; was soon promoted to 1st Sergeant, afterward to Sergeant Major, and finally to Adjutant of his regiment, serving in this capacity until the close of the war; was mustered out in August, 1865, serving nearly four years and a half; during all this time, he participated in all the battles in which his regiment was engaged; some of the engagements were Rich Mountain, Pea Ridge, Champion Hills, Siege of Vicks- burg, Magnolia Hill, Big Black Bridge, Mus- tang Island and Fort Espanza. In August, 1864, he was transferred to the Shenandoah Valley and served under Sheridan, and was engaged at the battles of Winchester and Cedar Creek: thence to Georgia, and finally joined Sherman at Savannah. Upon his re- turn to peaceful pursuits after laying aside the blue, he went back to Indiana and resumed his chosen vocation in the printing office, where he remained until March. 1866, when he took charge of the books in the office of L. Q. Sherwood, who was the general agent for Russell & Co .; remained in his employ until 1873, when he engaged with the Journal Com- pany, continuing in their employ as book- keeper until 1877, when he came to Massillon and took charge of the books in the office of Russell & Co., continuing in their employ up to the present. In May, 1864, he was united by marriage to Miss Annie Kavanagh, who was a native of England, daughter of Law- rence Kavanagh, of Irish birth and parentage; has three children- Edward A., James K. and Nicholas L. He is a member of the Episco- pal Church, a true Republican, and a zealous

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member of the Masonic fraternity, being ad- vanced from the lodge proper to the Scottish Rite.

ested in natural science, especially chemistry, mineralogy and geology, and since that time, as an amateur, has pursued those branches with much pleasure, as well as that of micro- scopy. He was born Nov. 28, 1819. in Aurora, Portage Co., this State: he has a large and lucrative practice.

ANSON PEASE. lawyer. Massillon; is a descendant of Robert Pease, who sailed in April, 1634. from Ipswich. England, landing at Boston, and settled at Salem, Mass. To this ancestor Anson Pease traces his descent. His R. A. PINN, lawyer, Massillon; was born in 1843 in Perry Tp., son of William and Zilpha ( Broxon) Pinn. The grandsire of our subject was born in the bonds of slavery in the "Old Dominion." While in servitude his name was Briggs, which family resided in Fauquier Co., Va. His children were free born, among whom was William, the father of Robert A .. who came to Ohio when a young man, living some time at Steubenville, where he worked at the blacksmith's trade several years. He came to Stark County. residing some time in Canton where he was married, afterward locating in Perry Tp. about the year 1833, and raised a family of seven children grandfather. Abner Pease, was actively en- gaged in the Revolutionary war, and received a Captain's pension: he was one of the pio- neers of the Western Reserve, having moved to Aurora. Portage Co., in 1505, James Pease, the father of our subject, served in the war of 1812: Amanda Parish, his mother, was born in Worcester. Mass. : in his boyhood, he passed through the usual experiences of pioneer life, to the age of 15, working on a farm and at- tending the district school. and subsequently spending a year at an academy at Aurora Conter: he then engaged to learn the harness- maker's trade, which business he had after- ward to resign on account of hing affection: Amanda. Martha, Robert A., Elizabeth, Susan. Levi and Harriet. After his coming to this township he was engaged in farming, - remaining here until his death, which occurred in the fall of 1874. He was a good citizen, honored and esteemed by all who knew him. His wife yet survives him: she was born in Mercer Co., Penn., and came West with her parents. Our subject was raised on the farm of his father until IS years of age. In 1862, he left home and went into the army, remain- ing in the sutler's department until Sept. 5, 1863, when he was mustered into United States Service, Co. "I" 5th U. S. C. I., as private, afterward promoted to Ist Sergeant, and acted Sergeant Major on the non-commissioned staff. He was in command of his company at New Market Heights, where he received three bullet wounds afterward received two medals from the Government for his bravery. After two years' of active service received an honorable discharge and returned home. After attending school at Oberlin College he went to South Carolina and began reading law nuder W. H. Thomas in 1875. Upon his return to this city, he entered the office of R. H. Folger. He was admitted to the bar in this county April 3. 1879, and is successful for several months he received instruction from the Rev. John Seward, a pioneer Presby- terian minister, who acted as his tutor: when 19 years of age, he entered a store as a clerk, remaining one year and a half, and then en- tered the Western Reserve College. Here he took the English and scientific course of in- struction. which occupied two years; then, re- turning to Massillon, he read law in the office of his uncle, Samuel Pease, and afterward with Robert H. Folger: during this time, he acted as Deputy Sheriff, and, by this occupa- tion secured means to enable him to support himself. In IS44. he was admitted to the bar, and since that time has been in the active practice of his profession. He served as a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1872 and 1873, being a Republican in politics. On the 6th of April. 1844. he married Miss Eliza Per Lee, a native of North Norwich, Chenango Co., N. Y .: three children have crowned this union, the ellest, a daughter. the wife of Charles MeLain: Dr. Per Lee. now a medical practitioner in Massillon: and Edward N., who served several years in the regular army, but is now in the clerical de. partment in the office of Russell & Co. While in college. Mr. Pease became much inter- in his profession. He married Emily J.

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Manzilla, daughter of Miles Manzilla, of Mahoning County; has no children.

ALFRED PEIRCE, Justice of the Peace, and conveyancer, Massillon. The Peiree family are descended from three brothers, who came over with William Penn; one brother settled in New England, one in Penn- sylvania. the other in Maryland. About the year 1800, Judge Eli Peirce suggested that the name of the Pennsylvania, or Quaker, branch of the family should be spelled with the " e" before the "i," which was adopted by all their descendants. The New England branch spell the name Pierce, while the Maryland branch spell it Pearce. Alfred Peirce was born in Philadelphia Sept. 12, 1812; lived in New York City from 1828 to 1839; next removed to Baltimore, where he was engaged in mercantile business until 1840, then moved to Philadelphia; in 1845, he came to Ohio and engaged in teaching and lecturing; in 1846, he came to Stark County, and in the same year he was married, in Salem, Columbiana Co., to Miss Elizabeth Borden, a native of Steuben Co., N. Y., who came to Ohio the same year; four children living-Charles L., Frank B., Velma and Minnie Alfaretta. For over twenty years Mr. Peirce was engaged as a commercial traveler, and since that period until the present time, has been a newspaper correspondent. In the spring of 1880 he was elected Justice of the Peace. His father, Isaac Peirce, was born in Chester Co., Penn., Aug. 22, 1788: removed to Ohio about 1835, and became well known throughout the State as an unflinching friend of the slave, and an active member of the Free-Soil and Republican parties, being also identified with the Temperance and other reformatory movements. His death occurred March 11, 185S. His wife, Elizabeth Painter. was born Dec. 25, 1790, and died Dec. 15, 1815. The ancestors of Mr. Peirce were Quakers of the Liberal or Hicksite branch. but he himself since his connection with this society ceased, at the age of 22, has not been united with any church.

FERDINAND RUCHTI, traveling agent, Massillon; was born June 1, 1834, in Wur- temiberg, Germany, eldest son of Joseph Ruehti and Margaret Heintzelman. His

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grandfather was Paul Ruchti, who served as soldier under Napoleon, being with him in all the wars of that period, and died at the age of 103. Joseph Ruehti was a merchant, to which business his son Ferdinand was raised until he became of age, when he came to Ohio --- to Canton, in 1853, and to Massil- lon the spring of the following year, and en- gaged in the employ of the Massillon Furnace Company, continuing until the year 1859. Sinee has been engaged with J. P. Burton, of this city, as traveling agent. Nov. 6, 1856, married Caroline Held, born in this city 1836, daughter of Philip Held and Philopena Sha- fer. Has but one child. Emma, now the wife of Dr. Simpson Harmount. Mr. Ruchti is a Republican, and since his residence in the city served six years as a member of the Town Conneil.

CHARLES M. RUSSELL, deceased. It may not inaptly be said that a man who for so many years assumed so prom- inent a position in the community in which he lived as the subject of this notice, becomes, as it were, a public character, and hence, every member of society feels a sort of prop- erty, or rather interest, in the facts pertain- ing to his life and death .. and which, in this instance, becomes more appropriate, from the fact that the far-reaching enterprise and energy, with which the deceased extended his own reputation conveyed the name of his home along with it. Mr. Charles M. Russell, whose portrait appears in this work, was born Oct. 1, 1806, in Middlesex Co., Mass. He was the eldest son of Cyrus and Louisa (Stratton) Russell, and removed with them to the State of New Hampshire, and afterward to Vermont State, where they died. Mr. Russell came to Massillon in the spring of 1838, and in the occupation of master builder, gave little promise of the extended usefulness of his future: but soon after, in connection with his brothers Clement and Nahum, under the style of C. M. Russell & Co., in the manufacture of agricultural implements, more particularly threshing machines. The genius of Mr. Rus- sell would never permit him to pursue the beaten track of others, but whenever there were imperfections in his way, improvement marked his course, and this characteristic

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added to his great energy and enlarged enter- prises never permitted him to rest until the manufactured articles of the firm had deserved and acquired a reputation surpassing that of any other in the country. This was particu larly the ease with their threshing machines, which are now in use from the State of Ohio east and west to the ocean line and propor- tionately in other directions, a fact which also shows the unerring judgment of the pub- lic as to its perfection. But the untiring energy of the firm did not rest with this sue cess, for in addition to their largo manufact- uring establishments which already formed an important feature of the business of Mas- sillon. they established an extensive manu- factory of cabinet ware, and soon after the completion of the railroad Mr. Russell, in con nection with Messrs. Wellman and Davenport. erected large works for the manufacture of railroad ears, which latter finally became the property of C. M. Russell & Co. At the elec- tion of 1556 for Directors of the Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad, Mr. Russell was elected a Director of that company, which position he held during its separate existence and after its consolidation under the style of Pitts- burg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad. until the time of his death. His position in the board was a prominent one, and his opinions had much weight in the conneils of that com- pany, in fact few men could sustain them- selves with more eredit in the many trials and embarrassments through which the road was compelled to pass: his loss was deeply felt by those who were interested in the road. Dur- ing the last year of his life in connection with Mr. Davenport, invented and obtained a patent for an Iron Railroad Car. Mr. Russell was, perhaps. in the most extended sense of the term, a "representative man " of the American people: for he possessed an individuality of the strongest character; and lost no oppor tunity of turning the course of events to his own advantage; but while taking advantage of every opportunity to augment his own fort- unes, instead of hoarding up the proceeds of his ingenuity and labors for the purpose of amassing riches, he was ever engaged in qui- etly distributing the surplus goods with which Providence had blessed him, to relieve the

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History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 120

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