History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 126

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1104

USA > Ohio > Summit County > History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio > Part 126

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CITY OF AKRON.

Episcopal Church, and, for some years, has been a Vestryman of the same. In addition to the business in which he is principally en- gaged, he has encouraged and aided other busi- ness enterprises in Akron, among which were the Whitman & Barnes Manufacturing Co., the Akron Rubber Works, doing business as B. F. Goodrich & Co., a joint stock company in which he is a Director ; the Akron Manilla Paper Co., doing business as Thomas Phillips & Co., a copartnership in which he is a one- third owner. In 1870, he assisted to organize the Bank of Akron, in which he is a stock- holder, and of which he is President. In poli- tics, he is a Republican, carrying the same ear- nestness into the partisanship of his political convictions that characterizes him elsewhere. He married Miss Martha K. Parsons, of Port- age County, on Oct. 18, 1859, of which union there are five children, four daughters and one son, viz., Martha P., Julia M., Mary R., Nellie J. and George W., Jr.

ARTHUR L. CONGER, manufacturer, Ak- ron, was born to John and Hannah (Beales) Conger Feb. 19, 1838, in Boston, this county, Ohio. He spent his early days working on his father's farm and in his brick-yard, until he was 20 years old, when he spent two summers boating on the Ohio Canal, attending school in winter, by his own efforts gaining such knowl- edge of the English branches as enabled him to teach, which vocation he followed from 1860 to July, 1862, when he enlisted in the 115th O. V. I. as a private soldier, having recruited a large number of men before entering the serv- ice. Of this company he was successively made 1st Lieutenant and Captain, serving with it nearly three years in the Army of the Cum- berland under Gen. Thomas, being mastered out in July, 1864, having been for much of the time on detached duty. Assigned to the staff of Gen. Ammon, as Acting Assistant Adjutant General, at Covington, Ky .; there he acted al- so as Provost Marshal, and served as a member of the court martial under Judge Advocate R. M. Corwin, serving on this court 100 days, during which time a large number of impor- tant cases were disposed of. By Mr. Corwin's special request, he then became a member of a new court martial subsequently organized, but his regiment being ordered to the front, he went with it, and was detailed in the Engineer Corps as an Assistant Inspector of railroad

defenses in the Department of the Cumberland. His experience in this branch becoming known to Gen. Thomas, that officer recommended his appointment as a Captain and Commissary of Subsistence, with the view of having him issue rations by special train to the garrisons of the block-houses and railroad defences throughout the Department of the Cumberland, in addition to his duties as Inspector, but the war came to a close before this appointment could be made, and Mr. Conger returned to Boston, and for a year after worked on a farm, when, in 1866. he was elected Treasurer of his native county, serving one term, when he was re-elected and served the second term, in all four years. His wife, formerly Miss Emily V. Bronson, of Pe- ninsula (second daughter of H. V. Bronson, one of the pioneers of Boston Township, of whom see sketch), whom he married Nov. 1, 1864, proved herself truly worthy by assist- ing him at that time, doing whatever of writ- ing he could place in her hands, which saved for him no small amount of the salary which otherwise had been placed in the pocketbook of a deputy. It cannot be estimated how much of men's success, financially and other- wise, is due to their wives' helpful, loving hearts and hands. In 1867, Mr. Conger moved to Akron, and, in 1870, he became a stock- holder and director in the Whitman & Miles Manufacturing Co., and at the close of his official duties as Treasurer of Summit Co., he became the traveling salesman for this com- pany, and much of its western business was built up by his sagacity and personal efforts. The business of the company was manufactur- ing mower and reaper knives, sickles, sections, etc. In 1876, he was made Vice President of this company. In 1877, the Whitman & Miles Manufacturing Co. was consolidated with George Barnes & Co., of Syracuse, N. Y., under the name of The Whitman & Barnes Manufact- uring Co., with works at Akron, Ohio, and Syra- cuse, N. Y. Of this new company he was made Vice President, with increased responsibilities. Later the company established works at Can- ton, Ohio, and St. Catharines, Ontario, and Mr. Conger was given the management of the western business. The new company make a specialty of manufacturing mower and reaper knives, sickles, sections, guard-plates, spring keys and cutlery, and complete cutting appa- ratus for mowers and reapers. It is the larg-

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est establishment of the kind in the United States or in the world, employing in all over five hundred men, and its business aggre- gating over $1,000,000. In 1879, Mr. Conger, in company with G. W. Crouse, Col. George T. Perkins and John McGregor re-organized the old Akron Steam Forge Company. Of this new organization, Mr. Conger was elected President. The company have done a prosper- ous business in the manufacture of car-axles and heavy bridge works, with an annual prod- uet of $150,000. He has been a member of the Board of Education of Akron, and Secre- tary of the same. Has served several years as Treasurer of Portage Township and the city of Akron. He is a prominent Republican, and an active and sagacious worker in its organi- zation. Has been for many years a member of the Republican County Central and State Committees, and, in 1880, served as Chairman 1 of the Republican State Central Committee. He is a member and vestryman of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Akron. He has four chil- dren, viz .: Kenyon Bronson, Erastus Irving (deceased), Arthur Whitman and Latham Hub- bard.

WILSON M. DAY, associate editor of the Daily Beacon, Akron, is of New England par- entage. His father, Rev. William F. Day, D. D., now of Titusville. Penn., was born in West Springfield, Mass., Nov. 11, 1821, and his mother, whose maiden name was Ann Delia Grover, was born in Tolland, Conn., March 19, 1822. Both came to the West early in life. Mr. Day, their second son, was born in Clarion, Clarion Co., Penn., Nov. 5, 1850. Following the fortunes of a Methodist minister's family, he lived success- ively in Clarion, Penn., in 1850 ; Franklin, Penn., in 1851-52; Northeast, Penn., in 1853-54; Akron, Ohio, in 1855-56 ; Poland, Ohio, in 1857-58; Cleveland, Ohio, in 1859-60; Ravenna, Ohio, in 1861-62; Meadville, Penn., in 1863- 65; Jamestown, N. Y., in 1866-67; removing to Akron for the second time in August, 1868. Completing his preparatory studies in the Jamestown, N. Y., Union School and Collegiate Institute, from which he graduated June 17, 1868, he entered the Sophomore Class of Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, in the fall of 1868, graduating from the classical course June 29, 1871, one of a class of 46 mem- bers. In 1874, he received from his Alma Mater the degree of M. A., in cursu. He ac-

cepted the position of city editor of the Akron Daily Beacon, under Mr. S. A. Lane, in August, 1871, and upon the accession of Mr. T. C. Rey- nolds to the editorship, in December of that year, became associate editor, which position he has since held, with the exception of an interval of about six months-from November, 1874, to May, 1875-when he served as night editor of the Cleveland Leader. In March, 1876, he sailed for Europe, spending six months abroad, and visiting England, Scotland, Ireland, Hol- land, Belgium, France, Italy, Bavaria, Germany and Switzerland. He was married, May 15, 1878, to Mattie A., eldest daughter of Judge N. D. Tibbals, and has had two children, one of whom died June 7, 1880.

WILLIAM F. DRESSLER, grocer, Akron, eldest son and second child of Reuben and Matilda Dressler, was born in Wayne Co., Ohio, May 4, 1841, and lived on a farm until he was 25, when he came to Akron. His father and mother were of German descent, and natives of Berks Co., Penn .; they both came to Ohio when young and were married in Wayne Co. His father still lives in Wadsworth ; he was a plas- terer, and our subject learned the trade of him when a boy and engaged at it at Akron until 1877, controlling from fifteen to thirty hands and executing plain and ornamental work on the principal buildings of Akron. October, 1877, he opened a grocery and provision store at 624 East Mill street, which since he has conducted with good success. March 9, 1871, he married Miss Sue F. Zwisler, of Canfield, Mahoning Co., Ohio. They have one child. His sisters and brothers are : Miss Flora, of Akron ; Sam- nel, of Akron ; Mary M., wife of J. H. Arm. strong, Wayne Co., Ohio ; Miss Laura, of Akron, and Miss Adelia, a student at Oberlin.

REV. JACOB DAHLMAN, minister, Ak- ron ; was born at Barmen, Rhenish-Prussia, to John Jacob W. and Helena (Hahn) Dahl- man, on the 11th day of April, 1831. He was baptized on the 27th, and confirmed at the adjoining town of Elberfeld April 7, 1846, by the Rev. F. W. Krummacher, D. D., afterward court preacher of William IV. After his con- firmation he entered as apprentice in a count- ing-house at Elberfeld, where he remained two years. In the spring of 1848. with the family of his father, he sailed for the United States, and landed at New York City in June. They journeyed westward to Wooster, Ohio, where

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our subject, not being able to speak English, found employment in a tannery, and served a thorough apprenticeship at the tanner and cur- rier's trade for three years with one Harvey Robinson. He then worked at his trade as journeyman throughout the cities of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Michigan, and while sojourning at Detroit in 1854, from his convictions of duty for some time impressed upon his mind, he determined to study for the ministry. From this time he so shaped his affairs that in September, 1855, he entered Franklin and Marshall College at Lancaster, Penn., from which he graduated in 1860. Ile then entered for two years the theological sem- inary at Mercersburg, Penn., graduating in 1862. He became a member of the Philadel- phia Classis of the Reformed Church, and was by it ordained to the work of the ministry June 15, 1862, and simultaneously began his ministerial labors in the organization of a Ger- man congregation in West Philadelphia, which was effected in 1862, and was known as the German Evangelical Reformed Emanuel's Church. On Sept. 23, 1862, he married Miss Catherine M. Kopp, of Lancaster, Penn. His first pastorate extended over a period of over eighteen ycars, during which he built a large church and commodious parsonage, and raised the membership to 245 communicants. But Mr. Dahlman's labors were not confined to simply his own congregation. He was Stated Clerk of the Philadelphia Classis from 1863 to 1873, and while in that body labored, and also in the General Synod of which he was Assistant Clerk, for the interests of the German portion of the church, and to his efforts are largely due the organization of the German Classis, which leaves that element in the Church unfettered to advance the interests of their people without the restraint of geographical limits. He also labored for the organization of the German Synod, of which he is Stated Clerk. Mr. Dahl- man received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from Ursinus College, of Collegeville, Penn., in 1880. In November, 1880, Dr. Dahlman re- ceived a call to the pastorate of the First Ger- man Reformed Church of Akron, and severing the valued and cordial relations with his first charge, he assumed the new duties in 1880.

R. N. DOWNEY, proprietor Cascade House, Akron ; was born in Yates County, N. Y., Aug. 1, 1831, where he spent his youth on a farm, re-

ceiving common school advantages. He en- tered a hotel when 21 at Watkins, N. Y., serv- ing as clerk some four years. In 1858, he re- moved to Elmira, N. Y., and clerked in a hotel until 1862, when he went to Penn Yan, N. Y., re- maining two years in a like position. July 13, 1864, he came to Akron and clerked for Brown & Folger, in the Empire House, until April 1, 1866, when he bought the entire stock and fur- niture and leased the building, conducting the house with fair success until 1876, a year later leasing the Cascade House, which hotel he still conducts. The house is convenient to the depot, and has thirty-six light, airy, comforta- ble rooms for guests, and the proprietor fur- nishes his table with the substantials and luxu- ries of the season. He was married July 4, 1864, to Julia A. Kitchen, of Wayne County, N. Y. They have one daughter.

WILLIAM A. DURAND, Chief Clerk and Cashier N. Y., P. &. O. R. R., Akron Depot, is a native of Pennsylvania. He was born in Provi- dence Township, Luzerne Co., of that State, April 30, 1848, and is the second of five chil- dren born to Silas and Phœbe (Drake) Durand, a sketch of whom will be found elsewhere in this work. William lived at home until he was 26 years of age. At the age of 16 he was ap- prenticed to a brass molder and served about three years ; he then came to Akron and took the position of laborer in the freight house of the N. Y., P. &. O. R. R., and has been in the employ of the company ever since, save about eighteen months. By strict attention to busi- ness, he has been advanced through the ditfer- ent positions up the important one he now holds. During some ten years of his time with this company, he had charge of the ticket de- partment of the road at this station. In No- vember, 1877, he accepted the position of book- keeper for Barber & Grant, grain dealers, but returned to the employ of the railroad in the spring of 1879. He has held his present posi- tion upward of eleven years, save the time stated. Feb. 25, 1874, he was married to Miss Sarah Berg, a native of Akron, and daughter of Anton and Augusta (Capella) Berg. By this marriage there are two children-Lottie A. and Edward J.

DIEHL & CASKEY, house furnishing, dec- oration and floor covering, Akron. This firm was established in 1875 by Diehl & Oviatt. In 1878, the business was moved to Nos. 219 and 221 East

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Market street, where the business occcupies the entire three floors, 90x40 feet. In 1880, the present partnership succeeded the old firm, Mr. Caskey buying the interest of Mr. Oviatt. This is the only house in the city dealing ex- clusively in this line of goods. W. H. Diehl of this firm is a native of Summit County, being born in Manchester July 5, 1843. His father, Daniel Diehl, came here from York County, Penn., and settled in Franklin Township, this county, in 1827 ; he married Miss Hannah Har- ter. W. H. Diehl was the second of four chil- dren born of this marriage. His younger days were spent in Manchester, but at the age of 11 years his parents moved on a farm, where he remained until 1861. In August of this year he enlisted in the 2d O. V. C., and served three years, taking part in the engagements and raids led by Gen. Sanders to Knoxville ; at Bull's Gap, Richmond, Ky., where he was slightly wounded, but remained with his com- pany ; at Lebanon, Ky., Huff's Ferry, Tenn., Campbell's Station, at the siege of Knoxville, and in the march to Atlanta. In September, 1864, he returned home and attended school at Akron. In the following spring, he entered a dry goods store of Akron as clerk, where he was engaged for eight years. In 1871, he en- gaged with Oliver Baker as clerk in the carpet business, and some four years later, opened up a business of his own. Mr. Diehl, on Sept. 26, 1867, married Miss Mary A. Sisler, a daughter of Dr. William Sisler, of Akron. This marriage has been blessed with three children-John, Jennie and Fred.

SILAS DURAND, General Station Agent New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad, Akron ; was born in Schoharie Co., N. Y., March 7, 1822, and is the third child of a fam- ily of five children born to Samuel and Phœbe (Barner) Durand ; his father was a farmer, and Silas assisted on the farm, gaining his rudiment- ary education at the district schools until the age of 19 ; at this time, he began attending an academy, and, after studying a year, he began teaching, following this occupation for a number of years in York State and Pennsylvania, in Providence and Scranton. In 1848, he engaged with a mercantile establishment in Dunmore, near Scranton, as book-keeper, where he re- remained until 1850. Moving then to Monroe- ville, Ohio, he engaged with the firm of D. Squires & Co., merchants of that place, and

continued with them for about two years, when the business was destroyed by fire, and the firm dissolving by mutual consent, the business was not revived. Mr. Durand then went to Crest- line and took charge of the books of a ware- house and lumbering establishment, continuing here some four or five years, during which time he served one term as Mayor of the vil- lage. From this point he went to Delaware, and became Auditor and Treasurer of the S., Mt. V. & P. Railway, holding the position until the sale of the road some three years later ; he then moved to Galion, Ohio, where he was appointed Ticket Agent of the C., C., C. & I. Railway ; subsequently he engaged with the A. & G. W. R. R. Co., and was assigned to the office at Urbana, which he opened ; being versed in the business and the first agent here, he instructed the agents along the line toward Galion ; November, 1864, he was sent by H. F. Sweetzer, General Superintendent, as agent at Akron, Ohio ; in the following spring, he moved his family to Akron, and has since been a resi- dent of the city. While teaching at Providence, Penn., he married Miss Nancy Drake, a native of that city ; five children have blessed this union-Mary H., now Mrs. Parrott, of Bryan, Ohio ; William A .; Norman N .; Frank S., bag- gage master and car clerk at Akron ; and Eu- gene, deceased November, 1864, at Galion. Mr. Durand is an old member of the Methodist Church, dating his connection with the church some thirty-eight years back. In politics, he affiliates with the Democratic party, but is more influenced by the fitness of the candi- date than by his party connections.

JOHN H. DIX, Superintendent of W. B. Doyle & Co., Akron ; was born in Portage Co., Ohio, Oct. 25, 1823, and is the eighth of ten children of John and Polly (Bigelow) Dix, who were natives of Vermont and came to Portage Co. in 1813 ; he was a stone-cutter by trade, and also followed farming ; he cleared up a farm in Portage Co., on which he died July 4, 1839. Mrs. Dix is still living in the vicinity of the old homestead at the advanced age of 91 years. The subject lived at home until 1846 ; in the fall of that year, he married Miss Rosette Durham, who died in 1857 ; they had three children, two of whom are living-Ella R. and Edwin H. Mr. Dix came to Akron in 1847, and worked as a carpenter until 1852; in company with Na- thaniel Finch the firm of J. H. Dix & Co. was

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formed and leased a water-power near the Ætna Mill, and fitted up a planing-mill and flouring-mill-the first in the city-and con- tinned until 1856, when the mill was burned ; after burning out, the firm erected the brick mill now occupied by W. B. Doyle & Co .; in 1857, the firm of J. H. Dix & Co. sold out, and Mr. Dix worked as foreman seven years in the same mill with different firms; he in Septem- ber, 1865, became a partner in W. B. Doyle & Co., which has since continued. April 10, 1863, he was married a second time to Miss Celia Stowell, a native of Connecticut, who came to Summit Co. with her parents about the year 1853 ; three children are the result of this mar- riage, viz., Harry N. G., Marian J. B. and Ber- tie C. W. Mr. D. has affiliated with three political parties-was raised a Democrat, then was a Republican, and of late years has been a Greenbacker.

W. B. DOYLE, of the firm of W. B. Doyle & Co., lumber dealers and manufacturers, Akron, Ohio, was born in Franklin Co., Penn., March 5, 1825, and is the youngest of three children born to Thomas J. S. and Ann (Tay- lor) Doyle. His mother was a native of Carlisle, Cumberland Co., Penn. His father, Thomas J. S., was a native of Franklin Co., Penn., and was the son of Barnabas, the son of Felix Doyle, who came from Ireland to this country, and, as near as can be learned, first settled in Eastern Pennsylvania, and afterward joined a party of pioneers who attempted to make a set- tlement at Burnt Cabins, in Southwestern Penn- sylvania, which was then Indian territory. These settlers were driven out by the soldiers under orders of the Governor, and their cabins burned. This was before the French and Indian wars. Afterward he purchased 1,000 acres of land in Franklin Co., then a wilderness, and settled there, where four generations have since lived. Thomas J. S. Doyle was raised a farmer ; during the latter part of his life he engaged in mer- cantile business at Concord, in his native county. W. B. Doyle was also raised on the farm, and received a limited common-school education. At the age of 13, he went to Shippensburg, Penn., where he apprenticed to the cabinet trade, and served for three years ; he then returned home, and soon after visited his brother, a man- ufacturer of fanning-mills at Williamsport, Md. While here, he determined to go to Tiffin, Ohio, taking a boat on the canal, which met with an

'accident at Johnstown, Penn., and he walked from there to Pittsburgh (ninety miles), where he worked a few months and then resumed his journey, stopping at Akron, where he got a job at his trade, and concluded not to go to Tiffin. He worked at his trade, and in the fall bought the business of his employers. Being short of funds, he fell back with the rent, and in the spring he made a trip to Pennsylvania, where he made some collections, and returned and paid his rent, continuing in the business several years, when he sold out and engaged in the meat business, which he followed for fifteen years. He then occupied a farm near Akron he had previously bought, and lived on same for four years, when he sold the place and stock for $16.000. Going back to his old home in Pennsylvania, he decided to go to Tennessee, but having some business in Akron, he visited the city, and while there bought the lumber manufacturing business of S. G. Wilson, the consideration being $35,000, and associated J. H. Dix and Daniel Farnam with himself. styling the firm W. B. Doyle & Co .; they have contin- ued to the present. Mr. Doyle has been four times married ; first in 1845 to Miss Phebe Budd, a native of Ithaca, N. Y .; she died about the year 1850. The second wife was Miss Har- riet Sage, a native of Monroe Co., N. Y .; she died in 1862 ; of their two children one is liv- ing. The third wife was Miss Mary Ann Lantz, a native of Akron, Ohio ; she died in her native city ; they had three children, viz. : Willie, Della and Dean, all at home. His present wife was Mrs. Louisa Baird, a native of Springfield Township, Summit Co., Ohio. They have one child, viz., Anna.

WILLIAM EMMITT, retired, Akron, whose portrait appears in this history as a representa- tive pioneer of Springfield Township, was born Sept. 20, 1805. His people are of Scotch ori- gin, though his grandfather was a native of Ireland. He emigrated to the United States in an early day and settled in Lancaster Co., Penn. During the war of 1812, when the Indians were giving the settlers in Montour Co. (whither they had removed) so much trouble, he returned to Lancaster Co. When the Indian troubles had subsided, he removed to what is now Columbia Co., Penn. There John Emmitt, the father of William, was mar- ried to Jane Aikman, whose people were for- merly of New Jersey. William was the young-

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est of eight children, and when he was about 6 months old his father died. His mother, with a large family of small children, was left to manage the farm and bring her family to honorable manhood and womanhood. William attended school until he was 12 years old, and then had no more opportunities for doing so until he was 18, except a few weeks in his 17th year. When 18, he spent three months only in school, but he had a natural aptitude for learn- ing, and with the poor opportunities afforded him he succeeded in getting a good education, and in becoming a good civil engineer, a busi- ness that he has spent more or less time at since his becoming a resident of Summit Co. In September, 1829, he married Miss Mary McBride, an old schoolmate, and, in the follow- ing April, they began a twelve days' journey westward by team, which brought them to their new home in Springfield Township. Two children were born to them-Franklin and John, both of whom are well-to-do farmers of Tallmadge Township. They were given a lib- eral start by their father, and have profited by his kindness. Mr. Emmitt first bought 125 acres of land upon his arrival in Springfield, and though he has bought, sold and given away other tracts since that time, he still owns his original purchase. During his residence in the township of Springfield, he held the different offices of Township Trustee, Clerk and Justice, besides, in 1870, he took the cen- sus of several townships of Summit Co. The 1st of April, 1875, he bought a neat little home in Akron, whither he and his wife removed. Mrs. Emmitt, however, lived but a short time to enjoy the rest she had so richly earned. On April 27, the same month of their arrival, she died, leaving Mr. Emmitt but little hope of happiness in the new home that had been looked forward to with so much of gladness. Mr. Emmitt is a member of the Disciples' Church, and during his life he has always taken an active interest in the building-up of churches and schools and in the cause of tem- perance.

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History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 126

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848- Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1104