History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 142

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 142

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FRANKLIN G. STIPE, painter, Akron, eldest son of Harrison and Anna (Neutchen) Stipe, of Green Township. He was born at Greentown, Stark Co., April 23, 1846, and when quite small his parents removed to Green Township, Summit Co., where Franklin was

raised and educated. He attended the common schools, and at the age of 14, entered the Semi- nary at Greensburg, in which institution he re- ceived instructions for three or four terms. During the next few years he taught school in various districts of Summit County, teaching during the winter and assisting his father on the farm in the summer. He was a member of the Ohio National Guards during the rebellion, and as such was called into active military duty in 1864, serving from May to September in Co. H, 164th O. V. I. About the year 1866, he removed to Akron, and since that time has been engaged in that city at painting. He was married Sept. 7, 1865, to Soviah Koontz. who was born Nov. 17, 1843. She is the daughter of Jonas and Sarah (France) Koontz. Mr. and Mrs. Stipe are members of the First Methodist Church of Akron. They have four children, -Nora Elnor, Harry Jonas, Mable Lonely and Mattie Maria.

JACOB SNYDER, President of W. S. & Co., and architect, Akron ; was born in Columbia Co., Penn., March 12, 1823, and is a son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Miller) Snyder, natives of Eastern Pennsylvania. He was a contractor and builder, and died in Columbia County, in 1849. She died there about 1854. Jacob, the subject, lived at home until 1845, during which time he learned the trade of carpenter and builder, and also received an academic educa- tion. In 1845, he entered Dickinson College, at Carlisle, Penn., and remained there three years, taking a general college course, also a theoret- ical course in architecture. He returned home and for two years engaged in contracting and building and practical architecture. He was married May 21, 1849, to Miss Mary A. Rine- hart, a native of Cumberland Co., Penn. He came to Ohio in 1833, and settled in Akron, where he was for a time connected with the grocery trade. About 1855, he engaged in his business of contracting and building and archi- tecture, which he followed until 1870, since which time he has devoted most of his time to architecture. In 1863, he formed a partner- ship in the Inmber manufacturing business, with Messrs. Weary, Wilcox & Jackson; and still continnes liis interest in the business, most of the time having been President. He has served as a member of Board of Education and as Trustee of Portage Township. Of his mar- riage there were four children, one of whom is

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living, Mrs. B. L. Dodge, of Akron. He was raised a Democrat and adhered to that party until the second election of President Lincoln, since which time he has been a Republican. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church since 1842, and taken an active part in its affairs. He was Superintendent of the Sab- bath school a number of years, and is now a teacher and historian of the same. Mr. S. stands among the first in having contributed to the modern and advanced idea of Sabbath school architecture, and at present his practice in this kind of design extends throughout the State.

HUGO SCHUMACHER, book-keeper, etc., Akron, Ohio ; the oldest son of William Schu- macher, was born in Saxony, Germany, Jan. 14, 1853 ; he was 6 years old when he came with his parents to the United States and to Akron ; from 1865 to 1868, he attended a private school at Braunschweig, and returned to Akron in the latter year, and entered the mills as packer, until 1871, when he became head book-keeper and cashier for F. Schumacher, a position he has ever since held. In May, 1875, he was married to Miss Amelia Mills, of Akron ; they have one son.

DR. WILLIAM SISLER, Akron, is a native of Lycoming Co., Penn., and was born Sept. 12, 1819. He is the sixth child in a family of ten children born to Lewis and Margaret (Marsh) Sisler. They were natives of Pennsylvania, and moved to Erie Co., N. Y., in 1826, and en- gaged in farming, where he died. Mrs. Sisler continued her residence there until 1850, when she came to Manchester, Ohio, and lived with her children until her death, in 1872. At the age of 21 our subject came to Manchester, Ohio, where he followed teaching and farming. In 1843 he began reading medicine with Dr. Fernando Dalwick, of Canal Fulton, and in 1846 or 1847, he moved to Manchester, Summit Co., Ohio, and began to practice, his graduation at the Med- ical Department of Western Reserve College having been delayed because of his limited means. Upon the graduation of his brother, in 1852, they formed a partnership which con- tinued until 1873. During the war, he responded to the call of Gov. Tod, and served in the hos- pitals after the battles of South Mountain and Antietam. In the fall of 1867, he was elected on the Republican ticket Representative from this County, to the State Legislature, and served

one year. Upon coming to Akron, he, in com- pany with his brother-in-law, John F. Hoy, opened a drug store, which was continued until the fall of 1879. During his residence in Akron, the Doctor has not practiced medicine, ex- cept to accommodate some of his friends. In the fall of 1875, he was elected County Com- missioner, and was re-elected in the fall of 1878. On July 23, 1846, he married Miss L. R. Hoy, a native of Manchester, Summit Co., Ohio, of which place her parents are pioneers. Six children were born, of whom three are living, viz., Mary I., now Mrs. Diehl ; Emma, now Mrs. Neiburg, and Henry.

JUDGE NEWELL D. TIBBALS, Akron. Alfred M. Tibbals was born in Granville, Mass., Aug. 4, 1797 ; he came to Ohio with his father in 1804, and settled at Deerfield, Portage Co., on wild land ; here he followed farming until his death, in 1858, being 61 years old ; he was a successful farmer, and one of the carly and influential members of the Methodist Epis- copal Church ; he never sought public office. He married, in 1821, Miss Martha Swein, a native of New Jersey, and one among the early settlers of Salem. She was born in 1800, and is still living ; she was the mother of five sons, one of whom died at the age of 13 ; those living are J. Lincoln, a farmer near Kent ; Frederick D., a farmer on the old home- stead ; Curtice S., a farmer in Deerfield, and Newell D., the subject of this sketch, who was born in Deerfield, Portage Co., Ohio, on Sept. 18, 1833, where he remained until he was 17, at which age he entered the MeLain's Academy, at Salem, Ohio, from which he graduated in the spring of 1853. In September of that year he came to Akron and entered the law office of Otis & Walcott, where he studied until Sep- tember, 1855, when he was admitted to the bar at Akron, and at once opened an office, engag- ing in active practice until 1875, when he was elected Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of the Second Subdivision of the Fourth Ju- dicial Distriet-Summit, Medina and Lorain Counties. To this position he was re-elected in 1880, for five years, to date from May, 1881. In the spring of 1865, he was elected City Solicitor (first), and filled that office two terms, having been influential in securing the present charter for the city of Akron, being employed by the Council to assist Mr. H. W. Ingersoll, Recorder of the incorporated village of Akron

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under old charter. In the fall of 1865, he was elected to the State Senate from Summit and Portage Counties ; in 1860, he was elected Prosecuting Attorney, and re-elected two years later ; in 1870, he participated in the prepara- tion of the charter and other papers for the organization of Buchtel College, and has been a member of its Board of Trustees ever since its organization. He was a member of the City Board of Education, and served as a mem- ber of the Ohio National Guards. Oct. 22, 1856, he married Miss Lucy A. Morse, of Akron, Ohio ; she bore him three daughters and two sons.

COL. DAVID W. THOMAS, lumber and planing-mill, Akron ; a native of Millersburg, Ohio ; was born March 9, 1841, and is a son of George and Jane (Wilson) Thomas. His father was mostly brought up in Columbiana Co., Ohio, and at the age of 20 went to Holmes Co., where he was married in about 1840. His wife died in 1842, leaving an only child, David W., the subject, but an infant. In 1845, Mr. Thomas came to Akron, and about the year 1847, married, Miss Mary Caldwell, of Akron, who survives him, and had six children. He died in 1873. Only two of the last family of chil- dren are now living-Louisa J., wife of D. A. James, of Akron ; Eva, wife of William Picton, of Akron. For some years, Mr. T. did a large contracting business, and added lumber, finally establishing planing-mills on Market street. He built many of the public buildings of Akron ; was a member of the Council for several years, and prominently connected with the interests of the city. He was a Free-Soiler and one of the first Republicans ; was a member of the Baptist Church and a devoted Christian. David W., the subject, was 4 years of age when his father came to Akron. He here attended school until he was 16 years old, when he went to Tallmadge to learn carriage-making with Oviatt & Sperry, serving an apprenticeship of four years, returning to Akron in February, 1861. In April following, he enlisted in Co. G, of the "old 19th," O. V. I., for three months, under Capt. Lewis P. Buckley, afterward Colonel of the 29th O. V. I. The 19th served in West Virginia until its term expired, and was in the battle of Rich Mountain. In October, 1861, Mr. T. enlisted in Co. H, of the 29th O. V. I. Their first engagement was at Winchester in which they were commanded by Gen. Shields.

He was also at Port Republic, in which his com- pany came out with but fifty men ; at Cedar Mountain ; Chancellersville, where he was slightly wounded by a fragment of shell, and at Gettysburg. They were next sent to New York to quell the riot there, consequent upon the draft. Upon their return they were sent to the department of the southwest, and were at Wau- hatchie and Lookout Mountain. Dec. 10, 1863, the almost entire regiment re-enlisted, and at the expiration of veteran furlough, joined Gen. Sherman in the Atlanta campaign. Mr. T. par- ticipated in all the engagements of that stirring period. He was made Sergeant Major, and for a time commanded Co. H, as Orderly Sergeant. At Atlanta he was commissioned First Lieu- tenant; went with Sherman in his "march to the sea," and, reaching Savanah, he was pro- moted to Captain, and assigned to Co. A, the post of honor. He was mustered out of the service at Louisville, Ky., June 22, 1865. On his return to Akron he engaged in the lumber and planing-mill business with his father, until 1873, when, upon the death of his father, Charles Miller and son became partners with him, re- maining so until 1877, when subject sold out his interest to R. N. Kratz. The firm of Mil- ler & Kratz closed up in 1878, and subject leased the planing-mill and lumber-yard, and conducted the business two years, when he bought it and has since done well in it, employ- ing in the building season from sixty to one hundred men. In 1876, subject was elected Colonel of the 9th O. N. G., which was after- ward consolidated with the 8th Regiment, and he was assigned ten full companies ; it is one of the best-drilled and appointed regiments in the State. He has been an active member of the G. A. R. since its organization, and at the annual Encampment in 1880, he was elected Depart- ment Commander. He was married Sept. 11, 1868, to Miss Alice Hale, a daughter of J. M. Hale, of Akron. They had four children, viz .: George H., James A., Frank and Elizabeth. His wife died Jan. 11, 1880.

ALBERT B. TINKER, Financial Secretary of Buchtel College, Akron ; was born Jan. 28. 1852, and is a son of Horace and So- phronia (Skinner) Tinker. He is a native of Portage Co., and was brought up on a farm until 18, when he entered (in 1870) Hiram Col- lege, teaching during the winters. In the fall of 1873, he entered Buchtel College, and gradu-

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ated in June, 1876, when he retired to the farm, his health being impaired. He taught during the winter until 1878, when he came to Akron, and entered the law office of Green & Marvin, where he studied until 1879, when he was elected Financial Secretary of Buchtel College, a posi- tion he has since filled. He was married Dec. 25, 1876, to Miss Georgie Olin, of Windsor, Ashtabula Co., Ohio.

JAMES B. TAPLIN, Akron. In Clermont, N. II., on Aug. 12, 1812, was born to John and Abigail (Sperry) Taplin, the subject of this sketch, whose portrait appears in this work. At the age of 5 years, his parents moved to New Haven, Vt., where he lived three years, at the end of which time, he was taken with them to Franklin Co., N. Y., in which region he lived until about 22 years of age. His youth-time was employed in farming and attending school; the last six months of his school life were passed in the Franklin Academy, at Malone, N. Y. When 20 years of age. he began to learn carpentering, but only worked at that a short time, when he began millwrighting, and followed that in New York State until 1834. In the fall of 1834, he came to Akron, Ohio, partly by canal, and partly on foot ; he then worked at carpentering for a short time, but followed mill- wrighting until 1848, during which time he worked on most of the early mills. In October, 1839, he married Miss Rachel Grandy, of Port Byron, N. Y., who had taught for some time in Akron. In 1840-41, he built a large mill in Constantine, Mich., returning to Akron in July, 1841. In company with G. D. Bates and Chas. Webster, under the firm of G. D. Bates & Co., he started the Globe Foundry at Akron, in 1848, in a small building, and on a small scale. In some two or three years, Bates retired, and the business was continued by the firm of Webster & Taplin, which continued with some changes until 1860, when fire destroyed a portion of the work, and the subject retired ; in 1861, the present foundry was built, the firm being Taplin, Rice & Ford, as partnership until 1867, when a stock company was formed, and the business incorporated under the name of Taplin, Rice & Co., which continues. Of his marriage, there are two sons and a daughter, viz., John L., superintendent of machinery department; Chas. G., book-keeper for Standard Oil Co., Cleve- land, Ohio, and Ella, who is still at home. In addition to these, there were three children,

two of whom died in infancy, and one son, Jas. F., died at 7. The subject is a member of the Congregational Church, and was a member of the Council.

WILLIAM H. UPSON, attorney, Akron, son of Daniel and Polly (Wright) Upson, was born Jan. 11, 1823, at Worthington, Franklin Co., Ohio, where he lived until his 10th year, when, with his father's family, he moved to Tallmadge Township, this county. At the age of 15, he entered Western Reserve College, Hudson, as a member of the Freshman Class, and graduated from that institution in July, 1842, standing second in his class in scholar- ship, and delivering the salutatory at its com- mencement exercises. Directly on leaving col- lege, he began the study of law under the direction of Judge Reuben Hitchcock, of Painesville, Ohio, with whom he remained for the period of two years, when he entered the Law Department of Yale College, where he at- tended one year. In September, 1845, he was admitted to the bar at Cleveland, and, in Jan- uary of the following year, began his profession at Akron, where he has continued in successful practice ever since. As general attorney for the Atlantic & Great Western Railway Com- pany (now the N. Y., P. & O. R. R. Co.), and, later, as counsel for its Receiver, his attention for years has been especially directed to rail- way matters, in the important litigations of which he has been called much into other States, and twice to Europe. In politics he is a Republican. He was elected Prosecuting Attorney of this county in 1848, and served in that capacity two years. He was elected to the State Senate in 1853; to the Forty-first Congress from the Eighteenth District, com- prising the counties of Cuyahoga, Summit and Lake (usually called the Cleveland District), in 1868, by a majority of over 6,000, and was re- elected in 1870. He was a member of the Committee on Reconstruction in the Forty-first Congress ; Chairman of the Committee on Pri- vate Land Claims, in the Forty-second, and a member of the Committees on Elections and Manufactures, in both. He was one of the leaders of the opposition to the measure giving back-pay to members, from its inception. When under cover of a general appropriation bill it was brought before the House for adoption, his moral sense was keen enough to discover at once the wrong sought to be perpetrated, and

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securing, by persistent effort, a recognition from the Chair, he denounced it in no uncertain words, and made the motion to strike out the objectionable clause. This was the key-note of opposition to what is known as the "salary grab ;" others, recognizing the justice of his position, joined him in that strenuous fight against the measure, that gained for him and them the hearty approval and thanks of an un- divided country. The old Eighteenth (Cleve- land) District was recognized as one of the most important and influential in the nation. Its wealth, its growing and diversified interests and industries, the character of its people, all combined to make the office of its representa- tive one of peculiar honor, responsibility and influence. The trust reposed in him was so well performed that when, upon the close of his second term, he withdrew from political life, its press and people, without regard to- party, gave him the warmest and most gratifying ap- proval. He was a delegate to the National Convention, at Baltimore, which renominated Abraham Lincoln in 1864, and was a delegate at large from Ohio to the Convention at Cin- cinnati, which nominated Rutherford B. Hayes. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Western Reserve and Oberlin Colleges, and also of Lake Erie Female Seminary, at Painesville, Ohio. He was first President of the Summit Co. Bar Association, and is now a member of the Executive Committee of the State Bar As- sociation. On May 20, 1856, he married Miss Julia A. Ford, of Akron. They have two sons and two daughters.

P. UPINGTON, harness-maker, Akron ; the leading dealer in South Akron in harness, sad- dles, etc. Came to Akron in 1848, and began at "jour " work ; he followed his trade in this way for about one year, and then began business on his own account. He was born March 3, 1821, in County Cork, Ireland ; he learned his trade with his father, and received a fair education in his native land. In 1847-the year of the great famine in Ireland-he was one of a committee whose business it was to distribute the dona- tions. In 1848, as before stated, he came to Akron, where, after engaging in business on his own account, he continued it without interrup- tion, except during the war, when he spent a time in the trimming department of Mr. Col- lins' carriage factory. In 1876, he built the store he now occupies, which is 24 feet frontage

by 55 feet deep, three stories and basement, and located near the corner of Main and Ex- change streets ; he also owns considerable real estate in different parts of the city. He is a member of the order of A., F. & A. M .. and of the following Lodges : Akron Lodge, No. 83 ; Washington Chapter, No. 25 ; Akron Council, No. 42 ; and Akron Commandery, No. 25. He was formerly a member of Massillon Command- ery No. 4, and, upon the organization of Akron Commandery, he became one of the charter members.

W. R. UPHAM, boot and shoemaker, Middle- bury ; was born in Windsor Co., Vt., in 1810, and was brought up on the farm. At the age of 17, he was apprenticed to his trade, and, after com- pleting same, went to Burlington, Vt., where he worked for one year, thence to Rochester, N .. Y., remaining there one year, and, in the fall of 1833, came to Akron. In the spring of 1844, he moved to Middlebury, where he has since resided. He worked at shoe-making until 1850, when he went to keeping hotel in the Temperance House ; also conducted a livery and feed stable until 1856. He then sold matches for six or seven years, traveling in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, after which he resumed his trade, and has worked at it ever since. He served as Constable in 1848 ; was elected Justice of the Peace in 1870, but did not qualify or serve. He was a Whig in poli- tics, and, upon the organization of the Repub- lican party, adopted its principles. He was married, in 1834, to Miss Susan E. Burns, a native of Albany, N. Y., and ten children have been born to them, seven of whom are living- William Potter (lives at Red Wing, Minn.), Almira (Mrs. Robert Vance, also lives at Red Wing), Elizabeth (now Mrs. George Capell, lives in Detroit, Mich.), Ella (Mrs. James Cur- rans, lives in Middlebury), George (Red Wing, Minn.), Charles (lives in Iowa), Walter Potter (lives at home) ; all are married except George and Walter.

DR. W. J. UNDERWOOD, physician, Akron ; was born in Dillsburg, York Co., Penn., March 20, 1840, and is the fourth of five children born to Josepli and Hannah (Wells) Underwood. His parents were natives of Pennsylvania, his father being of Quaker descent and his mother of German. His father was a whip-maker, and followed his trade in Dillsburg until his death in 1842. Mrs. Underwood was subsequently

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married again, but is now a widow and living at Wooster, Ohio. Dr. Underwood lived at home until 1860, acquiring such education as the schools of the neighborhood afforded, at the same time teaching during the winters up to the time of his beginning the study of medi- cine. In 1860, he began reading with Dr. Ira Day, of Mechanicsburg, Penn., and graduated from the Jefferson Medical College in Philadel- phia in 1864. In 1862, he went out with the 19th Penn. V. M. as medical officer, and after a short period, the regiment being disbanded, he was assigned to the hospital at Chambersburg as Assistant Surgeon. A month later he was transferred to the hospital at Camp Curtin, where he served about two months, being assigned at the expiration of that time to the 151st Penn. V. I., with which he served as Assist- ant Surgeon during the term of that regiment's enlistment. Returning from the army, he com- pleted his studies, graduating as noted above. In the spring of 1864, he came to Ohio and began practice in company with Dr. A. Houtz, in Canal Fulton. This partnership was contin- ued for two years, when it was dissolved. After practicing a year by himself, he came to Akron in August, 1867, where he has since been actively engaged in the practice of his profes- sion. Dr. Underwood is a member of the Sum- mit County Medical Society, of the Union Medical Association of Northeastern Ohio, of the Ohio State Medical Society, and of the American Medical Association. In the two first he has served in various official capacities. In December, 1864, he married Miss Harriet, daughter of John J. Shoemaker, Esq., of Har- risburg, Penn. ; she died Dec. 9, 1873 ; three children were born, of whom two only are liv- ing-Edward S. and Alfred C. Feb. 28, 1877, he married Mrs. Francis C. Pizzala, of Brook- lyn, N. Y. In 1878, Dr. Underwood was appointed Examining Surgeon for Pensions, an office he now holds. He has also served the city of Akron as Councilman.

ALVIN C. VORIS, Brevet Major General United States Volunteers, whose portrait ap- pears in this work, was born in Stark County, Ohio, on the 27thi of April, 1827, the eldest of nine brothers and four sisters, children of Peter Voris and Julia (Coe) Voris, all of whom lived to attain manhood and womanhood ; the first death among them occurred in the summer of 1864, from starvation, in the Andersonville

rebel prison pen ; five of these brothers served in the Union Army in the war of the Great rebellion, three of whom lost their lives by reason of that service, and the other two were badly wounded and will carry to their graves broken down and painful bodies in consequence of these wounds. His father was a Pennsyl- vanian by birth, and, at the age of 16, with his parents, settled in Stark Co., where he con- tinued to live till the spring of 1834, when he moved into what is now Summit Co., then Por- tage Co. Peter Voris represented Summit Co. in the General Assembly in 1847-48, was the Whig candidate for the State Senate for the Summit and Portage District in the fall of 1848, but was defeated by a combination of Democrats and Free-Soilers ; in 1850, was ap- pointed one of the Associate Judges for his county, and served in that capacity till the office was abolished by the present Constitu- tion. In 1857, he removed to Illinois, where he died in January, 1880, at the age of 81 years. Judge Voris always had the confidence of all who knew him, possessed rare intelligence and purity of character, was public spirited, fearless and outspoken with his convictions, and a most sturdy hater of all kinds of meanness. Gen. Voris says of his father that he never heard him utter an oath or obscene expression, that, not only in manners, but in essense, was he an every-day Christian gentleman. Julia (Coe) Voris was a Connecticut Yankee by birth and education, and possessed great force of charac- ter, intelligence and grace of manners, was richly endowed with those womanly qualities that eminently fitted her for society, and the nurture and moral development of her chil- dren; she was a most devoted Christian and was universally respected and beloved. The sub- ject of this sketch says of himself that there was nothing remarkable about his birth or early life, except that he was the first baby in the family, but supposes that he was as good and bothersome, as studious and frolicsome, and heedless and playful as boys in general ; that he was a good scholar and took his juvenile switch- ings as complacently as any other of the boys, is not denied. He lived with his parents till after he was 18 years old, when he went from home to school, one year at Twinsburg Insti- tute, and the two following years at Oberlin College, Ohio, taking an elective course, teach- public school, in the winter months, and working

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History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 142

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