History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 138

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 138

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MARTIN QUIGLEY, late of Middlebury, in this county, was a member of the ancient and no- ble family of O'Coigley, now written Quigley, or- iginally from the neighborhood of the Giant's Causeway, in Ireland, later of Queen's County, near Dublin. The Rev. Dr. Quigley, who was honored with a state prosecution by the British Government in the memorable rebellion of '98, and whose intimacy with Lord Cloncurry caused the imprisonment of the latter in the Tower of London the same year, was a member of this family. Dr. Quigley was one of the first victims of '98, having been executed at Penenden Heath on the 7th of May of that year. The ancient arms of the family, on which is cantoned the celebrated " Red Hand of Ulster," still borne by the members here, attest their illustrious station in Irish history. In carly times, individual names were indica- tive of personal qualities. Quigley, in Irish, signifies tall hero, and the four young men of the family here, all of whom are over six feet in heighth, and each of whom has fought his way to honorable distinction, show that they are in every sense worthy of their ancient name.

Martin Quigley, the subject of this article, was born in Timahoe, Queen's County, Ireland, Nov. 11, 1805. His father was a prosperous

gentleman farmer, with fourteen children- seven sons and seven daughters, Martin being the thirteenth child. The children were edu- cated partly in the parochial school, partly by private tutors. The eldest son, Cornelius, was a distinguished graduate of Dublin University. His brother Patrick was a Magistrate of Queen's County, and died there a few years ago at the age of 84. He founded the Leinster Independent, the leading paper of the county ; owned more than a hundred houses in Mary- boro, the county seat of the county ; farmed over five hundred acres of land, and was one of the most popular men in the country, not only for his dignity and ability as a magis- trate, his enterprise and public spirit as a citi- zen, but for his unfailing fund of wit and humor which delighted all with whom he came in contact. The writer of this notice had the pleasure of being entertained by him at his hospitable mansion near Mary boro, during quite a little visit there some years ago, and thus had personal knowledge of these facts.

Martin Quigley, subject of this notice, mar- ried there, in 1839, Miss Mary Ann Moore, of the old family of the O'Moore's, once Princes of Leix and Offaly, and formerly Kings of Leinster. Her brother, the Hon. James Moore, who had, in part, represented the city of Boston for four terms in the Legislature of the State of Massachusetts, prevailed on Mr. Quigley to come to this country, which he did with his family in 1848. It was expected that Mr. Quigley would settle in Boston, but he had his eye on the broader fields of the West. Mr. John Dunne, well known forty years ago in Summit County, was a cousin of Mrs. Quigley, and his reports of the prospects of Summit County induced them to locate here. They came in July, 1848, and, in illustration of the rapidity with which Mr. Quigley acted in busi- ness matters, it may be mentioned that in three days' time from his arrival in Akron, he had purchased a tract of land in Springfield Township, and had his family settled on it. He afterward bought the Landis farm, within half a mile of Middlebury ; later, another farm in Copley Township, and, finally, a residence property on High street in Middlebury, which is still the family homestead.

One of the chief industries of this county now is the manufacture of stoneware, but when Mr. Quigley came here thirty-three years ago,

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this industry was almost unknown. With rare sagacity Mr. Quigley saw from the start that something could be done in this matter. He had bought land immediately on his arrival with the intention of engaging in farming, but he soon began studying the stoneware business. There were then but two small potteries in Middlebury doing a trifling business. Mr. Quigley prospected around, found a bed of good clay, bought it and began to push things. He soon furnished the Middlebury potteries better clay and at lower rates than they had been able to get before. They could not take anything like all his output, so he looked abroad for a market, and was the first man to ship this clay out of the State. He sent it first by canal, and later, by rail to Cleveland, and thence by boats to Michigan, Wisconsin and other neighboring States. He became an enthusiast on the sub- ject. Unable to persuade the timid owners in Middlebury to enlarge their works, he bought into the business himself and began to spread it. Clay, until his time, had been ground here in the old horse-power mill. This was too slow for his quick, Celtic blood. He went to Cleveland, bought a twenty horse-power engine and began grinding clay by steam. His part- ners got frightened ; he bought them out and ran the business alone until 1862, when his two eldest sons, Thomas and William (twins, by the way), came on the scene. Having now reared and educated men to run the business according to his own ideas, he turned the manu- factory over to them. Thomas and William were soon re-enforced by Hugh, and they, un- der the name of the Quigley Brothers, have pushed the business until they have warehouses now of a storage capacity of nearly three million gallons of ware. They send their goods by rail and water all over the United States, doing a business of over a $150,000 a year. Though Mr. Quigley turned the business over to "the boys," he still watched over it fondly to the day of his death, and much of its suc- cess is, doubtless, due to his continued super- vision. He found the business in Middlebury a small affair. employing only a few men. He lived to see it grow to be one of the leading enterprises of the State, with millions of dollars invested, and thousands of men employed in it. He was always proud of his connection with it. He loved to sit on the broad, shady porch of his house on High street and look out on the

blaze everywhere rising from the stoneware kilns ; on the volumes of white smoke caused by " salting off" the ware; to hear the, to him, sweet music of the factory whistles while the smoke rose in clouds from the stacks of the steam clay-mills he had been the first to intro- duce, all telling of triumphs of industry, skill, patience and intelligence-triumphs which to him, probably, more than to any other man, the country was indebted. These triumphs would, doubtless, have come in time without him, but, how long the clay lay there, comparatively un- touched until his arrival ! How quick the whole country heard of it when he put his hand to the work ! His sons still carry on the business, but they exert themselves in the larger field of handling the manufactured ware.

William married in November, 1864, Miss Theresa Smith, eldest daughter of Mr. John Smith, of Cleveland, one of the "solid " men of that city. Hugh married, May 2, 1876, Miss Helena Daly, eldest daughter of Mr. Peter Daly, likewise a prominent citizen of Cleveland. " Tom," being still a Benedict, does the travel- ing for the concern. William, on his marriage, withdrew from the firm, but carries on the same business on his own account.

Patrick, the youngest son, now known as Dr. Quigley, showed from his youth an inclination for the church. He made his college course in Cleveland, and, later, also his theological course, and was ordained a priest in the Catholic Church in 1869. Having shown unusual talents, the Bishop encouraged his going to Rome to profit by the higher instruction there. He spent four years in the Eternal City, attending the cele- brated Collegio Romano, and came back with the proud distinction of being the only Ameri- can student who ever won the title of Doctor from that institution. He has acquired con- siderable celebrity in this country as an author- ity on Canon law, having given to the public the result of some of his studies on some recondite branches of that subject, and being at this present writing attending Court in Pitts- burgh as an expert in a case there in which a question of Canon law is involved. He has been for eight or nine years a professor in the Diocesan Seminary at Cleveland, in this State. He has the fine personal appearance character- istic of his family and, rare thing for a thorough student, is possessed of fine oratorical powers. Ilis services are in great demand for addresses

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on special occasions, and he has taken a very prominent part lately in the public discussion of the land league question, attracting now so much attention in this country as well as in Ireland. He learned German while a youth in this country, and French and Italian in Rome, so that he preaches in English, German, French or Italian, as occasion requires.

To return to the subject of this memoir. Mr. Quigley died in Akron, Oct. 8, 1878, being then 73 years of age.

The Akron Daily Beacon, the oldest news- paper, we believe, published in Summit County, had the following notice of his death, from which, as furnishing a cotemporaneous account from a publie print, we copy the concluding portion, as follows :

" Mr. Quigley's earnest religious convictions and his uniform readiness to discuss, amicably, and defend the tenets of his church-the Ro- man Catholic-have, for years, been greatly respected by the whole community. His regu- larity and vigor in attending the services of his church 'in season and out of season ' have for long years been praised and admired by members of all denominations. And more- his religion gave him a rule of conscience in all his business transactions. Mr. Quigley's wonderful devotion to his most estimable wife, as well as to all his sons' interests, have often been commented upon as a beautiful example of a most affectionate and large-hearted hus- band and father. His obsequies were held yes- terday, the 10th inst. The procession from the family home in the Sixth Ward, to St. Vin- cent de Paul's Church was one of the largest our prosperous city ever witnessed. The serv- ices at the church were solemn and impressive and the spacious and magnificent edifice was filled with the friends of the deceased. The remains were met in the vestibule of the church by clergy in cope or surplice and with solemn chant escorted to the altar railing. The Rev. Dr. Quigley, of Cleveland, youngest son of the deceased, celebrated a Solemn Requiem Mass, assisted by Revs. John Brown, of this city, and A. R. Sidley, Pastor of the Immaculate Con- ception Church, Cleveland, as deacon and sub- deacon. The pall-bearers were Messrs. P. Smith, of Cleveland ; E. Rowley, H. Baldwin, T. Johnston, John Cooke, Sr., and James McCal- ister, Sr., of this city. Amongst the clergy in the sanctuary, besides those above mentioned,

were Rev. N. A. Moes, Rector of the Catholic Seminary, Cleveland ; Rev. William McMahon, Pastor of St. Bridget's Church, Cleveland ; Rev. Dr. Mahar, of the Cathedral, Cleveland ; Rev. M. Murphy, of Warren ; Rev. P. O'Mara, of Hudson ; Rev. William Finucan, of Massil- lon ; Rev. F. O'Neil, of Kent, and Rev. Father Mahony, Pastor of the deceased. After the Solemn Mass, Rev. Father Mahony delivered an able funeral oration in which he paid a high tribute of respect to the deceased as a most devoted husband, a good father, and a prac- tical, fervent Catholic, and stated that he had a golden record on the parish books. and was equal, if not superior, to any other member of the congregation in supporting the interests of religion, and in contributing to the erection of St. Vincent de Paul's splendid church. The preacher even described the generosity of the deceased as 'princely' and applied to him the words of the Apostle Paul : 'I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.' After the funeral ser- mon, some excellent chanting was done by the clergy in the Sanctuary, and Rev. Dr. Quigley pronounced the last absolutions. The funeral procession was formed again and proceeded to the vault of the Soldiers' Monument, accom- panied by all the above mentioned clergy, where the remains, were deposited temporarily. Later they are to be interred in the family burial lot in the Catholic Cemetery on West Hill."

Mr. Quigley was a most agreeable companion, always overflowing with wit and humor, and had the full measure of characteristic Celtic vivacity. A small book could easily be filled with most interesting accounts of his humorous and numerous controversial contests, political and religious, with various celebrities of the county, but lack of space forbids further mention of them here.

His beloved wife, a lady of well-known in- tellectual powers and womanly virtues, now past her 80th year, sorrowing, survives him. She is of a long-lived family, her great-grand- father having attained the patriarchal age of 132 years. She resides with her son, Hugh, in Akron, and will long be most affectionately re- membered by all who have enjoyed the pleas- ure of her acquaintance.

Mr. Quigley was one of the few of whom it may be truly said, not only that he was with- out fear and without reproach, but that, by

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reason of his skill in opening up new avenues of trade, his energy in developing new sources of wealth and his success in furnishing new fields for employment, he ranks as a public benefactor, one who has deserved well of his country. He is a man whose memory this community will always delight to honor.

THOMAS CRAIGHEAD REYNOLDS, A. M., editor of the Akron Beacon. was born Sun- day, June 18, 1848, at Reynolds' Mill, just south of Canton, Ohio. He was the fourth child of his father, Mr. George Reynolds, old- est son of Mr. William Reynolds, first Clerk of Stark Co., Ohio. He was the oldest son of Mr. R.'s second wife, Jane (Lamb) Rey- nolds, oldest danghter of Thomas Craighead, of Cumberland Co., Penn., where men of that name were the earliest settlers of the Scotch- Irish, and the first Presbyterian preachers west of the Susquehanna River. Mr. George Rey- nolds' paternal ancestors were Virginians, his mother being a daughter of a Newport (R. I.) sea captain, and both of English stock. T. C. Reynolds spent his boyhood with his maternal grandparents in Canton, attending private school, and in Akron with his parents, who owned and kept the Empire House, attending the public schools. Thence, in April, 1863, he went to the Western Reserve College Prepara- tory School, and remained there through his freshman year. His college studies were com- pleted at the University of Michigan, graduat- ing from the classical course June 24, 1868, at 20, the youngest of his class, except Mark W. Harrington, since Professor of Astronomy at the University. His long vacations were spent upon the United States Survey of the Northern and Northwestern Lakes, that work being then under the superintendence of his uncle, Gen. W. F. Reynolds, of the United States Engineers, to whom Mr. R. also owes the liberal advances of money that secured his education and his interest in the Beacon Publishing Co. After graduating, and while upon duty with a longi- tude party of the Lake Survey at Oswego, N. Y., Mr. Reynolds was offered a reporter's place upon the Detroit Post, and began journalistic work July 14, 1868. Six months later, he went home. to Akron as the Beacon's first re- porter, soon being offered and declining a recall to Detroit with a better position and salary, and in January, 1869, he began work upon the Beacon, and on Dec. 6, 1869, the daily edition

was begun. Six months later, he left the paper because of an attempt to divide his pay with another, and, July 14, 1870, began work upon the Pittsburgh Commercial, next under C. D. Brigham, as paragraph writer and associate, succeeding Bartley Campbell, the dramatist, and being succeeded by Col. Richard Realf, the brilliant poct. In March, 1871, he visited St. Louis, Mo., with a view to starting an evening paper there with H. H. Byram, relinquishing his Pittsburgh situation. This was not practica- ble, and finally he got a place in Cincinnati upon an insurance and manufacturing journal, owned by one Tillinghast, Mr. R. being associated with Levi E. Thorne, since editor of the Daily Amer- ican Exchange, at New York. Thanksgiving Day, 1871, he returned to Akron as editor of the Beacon, the internal trouble being terminated by the purchase of the interest of the trouble- makers by a number of business men as a stock company, with Mr. S. A. Lane, as busi- ness manager. Nov. 1, 1873, Mr. Reynolds left Akron, Mr. W. Scott Robison having offered him nearly a double salary to edit the Cleve- land Sunday Voice and the Trade Review. Dur- ing this time, he also wrote upon the Leader's editorial page. In June, 1874, Mr. R. went to Toledo as Clark Waggoner's associate editor of the Morning Commercial, remaining until Jan- uary, 1875, when a re-organization of the Beacon Company brought him back to Akron to stay. This had been Mr. R.'s fixed purpose in all his changes, and he was joined in accomplishing it by Mr. Frank J. Staral and John H. Auble. Two years later, Mr. Auble's interest was bought by Reynolds & Staral, the latter since being business manager. When Mr. Reynolds first went to the Beacon in January, 1869, Mr. Staral, then a Bohemian boy, had just entered the office as the only bindery workman. He began then to board with Mr. R.'s parents, making that his home until his marriage in July, 1877, the two being associated as broth- ers since. In June, 1873, Mr. Reynolds united with the Congregational Church of Akron, and Jan. 3, 1878. he married Lillian Alice, only daughter of John II. and Laura A. Wag- goner, of Akron. In December, 1878, a son was born to them-William Waggoner Rey- nolds. Mr. R. has held no office, and secks none.

GEORGE T. RANKIN, carpenter, Akron City ; born in the City of Hudson, N. Y., Feb.

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21, 1843 ; he was the son of Matthew and Mary (Linn) Rankin, who were the parents of nine children, as follows : Ellen, now Mrs. Amos Macy ; Charles, died in 1880 ; Matthew, now of Cleveland ; Mary, now Mrs. Peter Decker ; Esther, now Mrs. B. F. Harris ; George T., of Akron ; Joseph, of Hudson, N. Y .; Elizabeth, now Mrs. Cornelius Shaw ; John, of Cleveland. Mrs. Rankin was a lady of fine mental attainments, but died in 1849, while most of her children were quite small. Her husband died Jan. 15, 1871, in the 61st year of his age. The subject of this sketch, when 12 years of age, moved to Waterloo Township, Jefferson Co., Wis., where he remained about four years. In the fall of 1859, he returned to Hudson, N. Y., where he learned the carpenter and joiner's trade, serving an apprenticeship of three years ; he then removed to New York City and worked at ship joinering, pattern making and general carpenter work, from the year 1862 to 1871. He was married, Sept. 8, 1870, to Mrs. Mary C. Weimer, who was born Jan. 21, 1847 ; in May, 1871, they settled in Akron, and since then have resided in the city. Mr. Rankin has frequently been employed at fine designs, which required much skill, and his workmanship on these tasks is a lasting proof that he is a master mechanic at his trade ; he was employed for several years at mill- wright work since settling in Akron, and was agent, for some five years, for the Cleveland Electric Supply Company. At the present time, Mr. Rankin is a general carpenter and builder, employing, at times, six and eight hands. Mr. and Mrs. Rankin are members of Methodist Episcopal Church, of Akron ; they are the parents of two children-Irving Cor- nelius and George Thomas. By her former husband, Mrs. Rankin had one daughter, Jennie T. Weimer.

W. G. ROBINSON, stationer, Akron, was born in Middlebury, now included in the city of Akron, March 20, 1838, and is the eldest of six children born to John C. and Margaret (Kelly) Robinson. His parents were natives of Union County, Penn., and came to Middlebury in the Spring of 1836. Mr. John C. Robinson was a farmer and followed this business in Ohio until his death in 1875. His wife's death preceded his some four years, occurring in 1871. Both were active members of the Presbyterian Church and were highly respected in the com-

munity in which they lived. W. G. Robinson was brought up on the farm, gaining his educa- tion in the select schools in the neighborhood and in the Iligh School of Akron. In 1857, he began as a clerk with Mr. A. Sawyer, in his book and stationery establishment, where he continued for four years. He then bought the business of Mr. Sawyer and has since conducted it with signal success. In August of 1879, he associated himself with other gentlemen in the formation of stock company, known as the Akron Telephone Company, for operating Bell's telephone in the cities of Akron, Canton, Massillon, Youngstown and Springfield, of which he was made President, a position he still occupies. He is also Manager of the Akron Academy of Music, which has been under his direction ever since its erection in 1869. Mr. Robinson made his home with his parents until his marriage in 1861. On the 1st of January in that year he was united in marriage with Miss Mary E. Buckingham, a native of Watertown, Conn.

ENOCH ROWLEY, retired, Middlebury, is a native of Staffordshire, England, and was born Dec. 22, 1814. His father, William Rowley, was a potter and Enoch was taught the trade. In February, 1849, he landed in New York, pre- pared to try his fortune in the new country. He came to Cuyahoga Falls, having heard of that place in England. He worked at farming and gardening for about eight months, and in the fall of the same year, he came to Middlebury and bought his present place, where he has since resided. In the Spring of 1850, he and his two brothers-in-law, Edwin and Herbert Baker, began the manufacture of yellow and rockingham ware; it was the first made in the county, and was represented at the county fair in 1851. In 1853, he erected a stoneware manufactory and has been identified with the same ever since. He married Miss Eliza Baker April 21, 1834. She is a native of England. Of their eleven children but one is living, viz., William ; of the deceased but two were mar- ried, one of whom leaves a family, viz., Ann J., married Mr. F. Manton, a native of England, who came to America about the year 1852, and is now a farmer located near Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. By their marriage there were three children, viz., Charles F., Francis C. and Eva E. Mr. Rowley, though coming a stranger to a new country has by industry and economy been

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successful in business, securing for himself and wife an ample competency for their old age. Both have spent over one-half a century as members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he has taken an active interest, and has served in its several offices, being a class, leader for the past twenty-two years. In poli- tics, he has taken his stand in the ranks of the Republican party.

WM. ROWLEY, stoneware manufacturer, Middlebury, Ohio ; is a native of England, and was born in Staffordshire, Dec. 17, 1837. At the age of 12, he came with his parents to America, and settled in Middlebury, now Sixth Ward of Akron, where he has since lived. He began to work in a pottery, and, at the age of 18, established a business of his own, erecting a shop where his present establishment is. Since the destruction of his shop by fire, the building has been rebuilt of brick and he is now enlarg- ing it so as to double its present capacity, which will employ from twenty-five to thirty hands. Mr. Rowley was one of the incorpora- tors of the Middlebury Clay Company, and since the first year he has held the office of Secretary and Superintendent of the same. May 10, 1864, he married Miss Mary Jane Wills, a native of England. She came to the United States with her parents, and was living with them at Cuyahoga Falls at the time of her mar- riage. Of their four children, three are living, viz .: Arthur J., Mand L., and an infant.

WILLIAM H. RAGG, Marshal, Akron, Ohio. Wm. Ragg, Sr., was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, and came to the United States when 18 years of age, pursuing here the calling of baker and confectioner. He was prominently connected with the bakery of Queen Victoria, in England. He died in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1854, in his 43d year. Jane (Farquer) Ragg, (his wife), died at Paterson, N. J., in 1840 ; she was of French parentage. The only son of their marriage is the subject of this sketch, who was born in Paterson, N. J., Dec. 6, 1840. When 8 years old, he went with his father to Syracuse, N. Y., afterward living in Water- town, N. Y., until 1853, when they came to Cleveland, Ohio, where subject lived until 1871. At 16, he was apprenticed to H. P. Hopkins, where he served nine years at sign painting- the last six as journeyman. Then he opened a paint-shop in Cleveland, and carried on busi- ness until 1871, when he removed to Oil City,

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History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 138

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