History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 146

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 146

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GEORGE W. WEEKS, of the firm of Bald- win & Weeks, Akron, a son of Leavitt and Celes- tia (Taylor) Weeks, was born Nov. 24, 1831, in Wadsworth Township, Medina Co., Ohio. In June, 1832, the family removed to a farm in Copley Township of this county, where his youth was spent, and where he attended the common and select schools of the time. His mother died when he was 17, and the family was broken up. At 18, subject went to Iowa and worked on a farm near Burlington until 1854, when he went to the "gold diggings " near Georgetown, Cal., by way of Panama.

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CITY OF AKRON.

He returned the next year, by the same route, to Copley Township, and engaged in farming. In 1864, he moved to the village of Copley Center and taught school for a time. In 1866, he leased a farm in the vicinity, and operated it until 1873, when he came to Akron and as- sumed the office of County Clerk, to which he had been elected the year previous. He filled the office six years. Feb. 4, 1880, he became a partner in the firm of Baldwin & Weeks, doing a large business in furniture, undertaking and upholstery. He was married in February, 1856, to Miss Mary A. Coon, of Copley Township. They have six children living-Vira E., George W., Jr., Leavitt A., Olie M., Irving H. and John L. Mr. W.'s father, Leavitt Weeks, was born in 1792, and when a child, the family re- moved to Vermont, where they followed farm- ing until about 1819, when he came to Wads- worth Township. There were three brothers- Moody, Peter and Leavitt ; the two latter were carpenters. Leavitt married Celestia Taylor, a native of Connecticut, and died in Michigan in 1866. They had ten children-Darius died at Middlebury in 1879; Cyrus, a farmer near Des Moines, Iowa ; Mandred F., is sheep-raiser in Sandwich Islands ; our subject ; Rossney M., oil producer at Bradford. Penn .; Martha, wife of late Mr. Ford, at Santa Barbara, Cal .; Mary, wife of M. L. Warner, of Cuyahoga Co .; Harrison, a farmer in Copley ; Peter, a grain merchant at Beason, Ill .; Henry, at same place.

HORTON WRIGHT, Akron. Horton, son of Chester and Abigail (Davis) Wright, was born at Elyria, Ohio, Sept. 22, 1825. The greater portion of his youth was passed in Cleveland, to which city the family removed in 1836, Peninsula, Summit Co. and Ft. Wayne, Ind., having in the meantime, been places of resi- dence. Remaining here for a period of thirteen years, occupied for the most part in attending school, working at the printer's trade, and in the grocery business. He removed, in 1849, to Columbus, and in 1850, accepted a position at Cincinnati as tuner in a musical instrument factory. In this business he remained until 1875, being employed successively by H. B. Horton & Co, Akron; Child & Bishop, Cleve- land, and the successors of the firm of II. B. Horton & Co., of Akron, and as a general piano tuner. At the last-named date (1875), he be- came Librarian of the Akron Public Library,

which position he now holds. With the excep- tion of two years' residence in the West he has lived in Akron continuously since 1862. In November 1856, he was married in Columbus to Miss Susan W. Baker, daughter of Edward Baker, of Akron, and has two sons, John B. and Charles B., both of whom reside at home.

GEN. THOMAS F. WILDES, Lawyer, Ak- ron ; son of Patrick and Mary (Gough) Wildes, both of whom were natives of Balbriggan, near Dublin, Ireland, where they were mar- ried. They came to Montreal, Canada, in 1832, where they lived until 1839, when they removed to Ohio and settled on a farm near

Ravenna. Mr. Wildes died there in January 1877, and his wife in November, 1875. Three sons were born to them, viz., Thomas F. (the sub- ject), John C., who enlisted in Co. A., 4th Michi- gan Cavalry, and died in Murfreesboro Hospital, April 2, 1863 from wounds and typhoid fever; and James, a coal dealer of Akron. Thomas F. Wildes, the subject of these notes, was born near Montreal, Canada West, June 1, 1834. He came with his father's family to Portage Co., Ohio, in 1839, and remained there on a farm until he was 17 years of age, when he left home with an education limited to reading and writing, and for several years worked for farmers near Ravenna during the summer, and went to school in the winter time. He attended the Twins- burg Academy, and also an Academy at Marl- boro, Stark Co., Ohio, and still later. 1857 and 1858, spent two years at Wittenburg College, Springfield. He became Superintendent of the Wooster Graded School during the years 1859 and 1860. He purchased the Athens, Ohio, Messenger, of which he became editor and owner on the 1st of January, 1861, and re- mained in charge of it until August 1862, when he relinquished it to become Lieutenant Colonel of the 116th O. V. I. He was almost constantly in command of this regiment or its brigade, until February, 1865, when he was promoted to Colonel of the 186th O. V. I. The 116th was in twenty-eight battles, and according to the report of the War Department made in 1855, it stood fourth among Ohio regiments in point of number of men and officers killed in action, and sixth in these regards and number of men who died of disease. In all these engagements, Gen. Wildes was in command of the regiment or of the brigade to which it was attached. He was wounded several times during the war ;

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some of these wounds were so serious, that he has not yet recovered from their effects. One of these wounds was received at the battle of Cedar Creek, when "Sheridan was twenty miles away," and in which Gen. Wildes commanded his brigade. He got off his horse, bound up the wound, which was in the thigh, with his handkerchief, and then returned to his saddle and there remained until the battle ended. His brigade was the only one of Crook's corps which remained unbroken when the Confederate Gen. Gordon struck and flanked it that memorable morning. This bri- gade was composed of the 116th, 123d Ohio, 34th Massachusetts and battalion of the 5th New York heavy artillery-the battalion being captured on the picket line. The three regi- ments stuck together through that awful flank- fire, made four separate charges during the day, and at night camped in their old quarters. This was the only brigade in the corps that saved its camp equipage and stores from the disaster of the early morning, and it was done by hard fighting. For his gallant conduct in this battle, Col. Wildes was commissioned Bre- vet Brigadier General. In February preceed- ing this promotion, he was made Colonel of the 186th, as already stated, and was sent with it to Chattanooga, where, in command of a brigade he served until the close of the war. Septem- ber 18, 1865, he was mustered out, having been in the service over three years, the larger portion of the time as Brigade Commander in the Army of West Virginia, the Army of the James and the Army of the Tennessee. Upon leaving the army, he turned his attention to the law, and on the 2d of April, 1866, he grad- uated from the Law Department of the Cincin- nati University, and was simultaneously admit- ted to the bar. He entered upon the practice of his profession at Athens, Ohio, where he resid- ed until 1872, when he removed to Akron, and has been an active practitioner in the courts of Summit and surrounding counties ever since. In 1866, he was a candidate before the Republi- can State Convention, and lacked but three votes of a nomination for Secretary of State. He was also prominently mentioned for the same office in 1880, but declined the candidacy. He is an able lawyer, a pleasing speaker, an enthusiastic advocate and an energetic worker in political campaigns.

RICHARD B. WALKER, Akron. Aaron

Walker was born in Belchertown, Hampshire Co., Mass., as was also Miss Submit Clark, whom he married. They were the parents of ten children, of whom but one was a daughter. In 1850, they removed to Illinois, where they died. Richard B. was born to them in Belcher- town, Mass., Aug. 11, 1825 ; he was the seventh of their nine sons. In January, 1852, he mar- ried and came to Akron, previous to which time he had been engaged in mercantile pur- suits. After his arrival here he purchased a stock of agricultural implements which he sold at retail, it being the first store of the kind in Akron. Connecting this with hardware he did a thriving business until 1862, in which year he was employed by Aultman, Miller. & Co., as traveling salesman for Northern Ohio. As at that time there were but few of the now popu- lar " Buckeye " machines in his assigned terri- tory, he was successful in effecting great sales. Owing to their superiority over the mowers and reapers he had previously sold, he devoted his time exclusively to them from 1858. It re- quired a great deal of labor to introduce the first machines ; when set up ready for action, there was always a great crowd of spectators, anxiously awaiting its movements. In the winter of 1858-59 he purchased one hundred of them, and, in spite of the frost, sold ninety- seven. From that time the business has been constantly and rapidly increasing. At one time there were many competitors, but the number is lessened now ; each year he has con- ducted numerous field trials and has done the active outside work. In 1859, the " Buckeye " won a $10-prize offered to the machine among the best then made that would most quickly mow a half-acre of land. In January, 1852, our subject married Miss Mary E. Jen- nie, of Ware, Mass .; they have four sons, viz., William, a book-keeper at Cleveland, Ohio ; George R., a lawyer at Chicago; Charles, also a book-keeper at Cleveland, and Arthur H., a student at Williams College. He is a member of the Congregational Church.

ADAM E. WALKUP, painter and grainer, Akron ; born in Van Buren Co., Iowa, June 28, 1847, to David and Elizabeth (Brower) Walkup. The Browers are of old Holland Dutch extrac- tion and heirs of the famous Anneke-Jans-Bo- gardus estate now in litigation. The subject of this brief sketch is the youngest of three sons ; four daughters younger composing the family.

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CITY OF AKRON.

At the death of his mother in 1856, he went to live with a man by the name of John Clark, who resided in Decatur Co., Iowa, with whom he lived until his 19th year, learning earding and spinning, which he subsequently followed in different parts of Iowa and Illinois, until in the year 1869. In the year 1868, while work- ing at the mills in Warsaw, Ill., he was caught in a pair of steel cog-wheels, which tore the flesh from the bone of his right leg, from the knee to the ankle, making a very painful wound, which laid him up for a considerable time ; also at Burlington, Iowa, he narrowly escaped death by being accidently caught in machinery. His father, with the two oldest sons, fought nobly in the late war, and, after a second mar- riage, moved to Nebraska, where he is now liv- ing. In 1870, the subject of this sketch came to Millersburg, Ohio, where he engaged in his present occupation, and in the spring of 1871, came to Akron, where he was married the fol- lowing November to Susie Henry, daughter of William and Susan (Evans) Henry, residents of Green Township, this county. By this marriage there have been born three sons-William Ed- mond, born Jan. 2, 1874 ; Royal Andrew, Jan. 3, 1876 ; Orvil Stephen, June 22, 1878. They are members of the Evangelical Association, and he is a stanch Republican.

HENRY YOUNG, son of Daniel and Anna M. Young, was born in Wiltshire, England, Feb. 22, 1831, and was but a babe when the family came to the United States, settling in Wayne Co., Ohio. There the father had preceded them, and had rented a mill three miles from Wooster. He operated several mills in Wayne and Richland Cos. until his death in 1845. The subject of this sketch worked on a farm until he was 18 years old, when he learned the

cabinet trade at Millersburg, Ohio, with one Isaac Harpster, serving three years. He worked at La Grange, South Bend and Logansport, Ind., returning to Millersburg in 1854, where he opened a cabinet-shop, and carried on business until 1864. He then came to Akron, and at the opening of the Buckeye works entered as a wood machinist. In October, 1867, he was made foreman of the wood-work department, which position he still retains, having over a hundred men under his supervision. . Mr. Young is a member of the Congregational Church, is a Democrat in politics, and has been in past years, and and is now, a member of the School Board for the Second Ward. On the 30th of May, 1854, he married Miss Elizabeth C. Justice, of Millersburg, Ohio. Their only child is Robert J., of Akron.

ROBERT J. YOUNG was born at Millers- burg, Ohio, on the 1st day of 1855, and came to Akron with his parents at the age of 10. He graduated from the Akron High School in the summer of 1871 ; entered Western Reserve Col- lege in the fall of 1872, where he remained two years, and completed his collegiate course at the University of Michigan, being a member of the class of 1876, of which he was class- day orator. Having studied law for a time in the office of Hon. Wm. II. Upson, he went to Toledo where he served as city editor of the Daily Commercial until the summer of 1878. Returning then to Akron, he resumed his law reading, and was admitted to the bar in June, 1879. Since that date, he has practiced in the city, first as junior member of the firm of Hodge & Young, afterward alone. On the 28th of June, 1877, he was married to Miss Ida Mount, of Ann Arbor, Mich .. who died at Akron on Jan. 30, 1881.

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PORTACE TOWNSHIP.

JOSEPH BABB, farmer ; P. O. Akron ; was born May 4, 1820, in Berks Co., Penn. His father's name was David Babb ; his mother's, Susan (Marks) Babb. The grandfather's name was Mathias; he was a native of Germany. He had three sons. David, Samuel and John ; he had also three daughters. The eldest son was the father of the subject of this sketch. The mother of Joseph Babb had cleven children. Joseph came to Osnaburg, Stark Co., Ohio, about 1825, and stayed two or three years, and then came to Springfield Township where he resided until 1859, when he moved to Portage Township where he still lives. The father of Joseph was a cabinet-maker. He had eleven children born, seven of whom reached matu- rity-Catharine, Sarah, Polly, Susan, David, Samuel, Joseph. The last mentioned started out in life at the age of 14, binding himself to H. G. Weaver (subsequently a Representative from Summit Co.) for three years. The terms of the bond were six months' schooling, board and clothing, and 80 acres of Government land. At the expiration of the three years, Joseph took the value of the land in cash, pre- ferring it to the real estate. He continued in the employment of Mr. Weaver for two years at $130 a year, and one summer at $12 a month. He then went to Stark Co., and worked for his brother David three years, at an average of $128 a year. After this, he rented the farm of Mr. Weaver and purchased a threshing machine at the same time, the two he ran for three years. His was the first cleaning machine in Summit Co. Mr. Babb subsequently went into the pot- tery business in Springfield, in the Purdy Pot- tery, which he managed for two years. He then hired the Purdy farm in Mogadore, work- ing it for four years. After the expiration of that time, he returned to Stark Co., Lake Township, and purchased a farm and saw-mill, which he owned for four years, when he dis- posed of it and came to Portage Township, this county, where he finally settled down, having bought 260 acres in the extreme northeast cor- ner of the township upon which he continues

to reside. The land cost him $28 an acre and is now worth $100. Mr. Babb was married March 25, 1847, to Elizabeth Wise. His wife was born July 30, 1822, in Stark Co. She was the eldest child of George H. Wise. The fam- ily of Mr. Babb consists of five sons and one daughter, their names are Jacob M., George W., Amelia M., the wife of Horace Camp ; Wm. W., Frank N. and Edwin. The father began in Portage comparatively poor, but by thrift and economy has acquired a competence. In pol- ities, he is a Republican ; in religion, he is skeptical.

HARRISON BAUCHMAN, farmer and dairyman ; P. O. Akron ; was born in Lehigh Co., Penn., Oct. 15, 1833 ; the son of Theobold and Mary Ann (Wilhelm) Bauchman, who moved to Norton Township during the spring of 1835 and settled upon a farm of 160 acres which they purchased from a Mr. Pardy ; the Bauchman family afterward removed to Spring- field Township, and finally into Coventry, where Theobold died in February, 1866 ; Mrs. Bauchman died in August, 1872. At the age of 14, Harrison was employed by his elder brother, who farmed their father's land in Nor- ton Township, and continued with him until he attained his majority ; he then worked for other parties some twelve months; when about 22 years of age, he purchased a threshing ma- chine, which he ran for several seasons ; for the next seven years, he was employed by John R. Buchtel on the farm now owned by Mr. Banch- man, which he purchased from his employer some sixteen years ago ; he bought 75 acres of Buchtel and 15 of another man, sold 34 acres, and has at the present time 56 acres. Mr. Bauchman has been engaged in the dairy bus- iness for many years ; his establishment, which stands second to none of its kind in the county, is conducted upon a system adopted by the pro- prietor after years of experience ; at the pres- ent time, he keeps over forty cows, and these are mostly of the Jersey grade. June 6, 1867, he was married to Miss Amanda Richards, daughter of William Richards, of Akron ; their

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present residence, built during the summer of 1875, is one of the largest farmhouses in Sum- mit Co., and so neat and tasty in appearance that it would be an ornament to the city if lo- cated in the finest quarter of Akron.

CHARLES W. BAUER, farmer; P. O. Akron ; the subject of this sketch was born in Northampton Co., Penn., Nov. 22, 1836 ; he was the son of Charles and Saloma (Miller) Baner, who moved to Summit Co. in 1842, and purchased in Norton Township 140 acres of land, which tract was occupied by the Bauer family for over twenty-five years, and owned by Mr. Bauer at the time of his death, in Oc- tober, 1876 ; his wife is still living in Norton Township. Charles W. Bauer was educated in the common schools of Norton, and, for two terms, he attended the Western Star Normal School ; he worked for his father until 23 years of age; was married May 26, 1860, to Miss Mary Serfass, daughter of Andrew and Sarah (Hawk) Serfass ; then worked for his father-in- law for two years. In 1862, he removed to Berrien Co., Mich., and resided there nine months ; then returned to Norton Center, and for about three years, worked at coopering ; the next five years he farmed in Norton Town- ship, first renting 100 acres of land belonging to Jacob Wise, and then 160 acres of David Baughman ; about the year 1873, he rented the Dodge farm in Portage Township, continuing on this land four years ; then purchased 73 acres some three miles west of Akron, which he occupied three years. In the spring of 1880, he returned to the Dodge farm, upon which he is now located, managing at the present time this tract of 380 acres and his own farm. For the past six years he has been engaged in the dairy business, which he condnets very success- fully on an extensive scale. He has always been a Democrat and voted the ticket " straight " at State elections ; at other times supports the best men. Mr. and Mrs. Bauer are members of the Lutheran Church, at Loyal Oak. They are the parents of five children, all living-Hiram Elmore, Albert Franklin, Erving Wellington, Artie Monroe and Viola Jane.

EDWARD A. BARBER, farmer ; P. O. Ak- ron ; was born in Genesee Co. (now Wyoming) N. Y., Dec. 30, 1826; son of Jared B. . and Electia (Turner) Barber, who were both born in Connecticut, Jared B. on Feb. 1, 1793, and Electia June 29, 1799; they were married at

Wales, Erie Co., N. Y., Dec. 25, 1815. Electia Turner was the daughter of Jacob and Phœbe (Spencer) Turner, early settlers of what is now Buffalo, N. Y .; Phobe died Oct. 11, 1811, and was buried in the woods, and the site of her grave is now in the heart of Buffalo; Jacob died Nov. 3, 1820. Jared B. Barber was a sol- dier for a short time during the war of 1812, and his wife drew a pension from the Govern- ment for several years previous to her death. They removed to Ohio in July, 1831, and set- tled in Norton Township, then Medina County ; after two years, the Barber family removed to Copley and purchased 66 acres of land from Gad Bronson ; they remained here some fifteen years, then returned to Norton Township for a short time, and, finally, settled on a small piece of land in Portage Township, where Jared B. died April 17, 1854; Electia his wife died March 29, 1881. They were the parents of three children-Jane, now Mrs. Dennison Pet- tibone, a resident of Akron ; Spencer T. en- listed in the 13th Mich., V. I., during the rebellion and died in the service; Edward A., the youngest child and subject of this sketch, was four years of age when his parents removed to Ohio; he received a common-school educa- tion and worked on his father's farm until 22 years of age; then removed to Indiana where he remained some six months. He returned to Ohio and purchased, with his brother Spencer, the 66 acres in Copley belonging to their father; this tract was too small for both to farm and Edward A. sold his interest to Spencer, and shortly afterward bought a small piece of land in Portage, to which he has added since then other real estate, and now owns about 40 acres. After returning from Indiana, Edward A. worked at the stonemason's trade for five years ; then learned the carpenter's trade and followed this for over twenty years in Akron, working both in the city and in the country ; he is at the present time engaged in farming; was married May 17, 1851, to Miss Caroline Derthick, daugh- ter of Corydon and Fannie (Judd) Derthick, of Copley Township ; she was born Oct. 6, 1831 ; they have one daughter, Florence, who was mar- ried Sept. 4, 1871, to Levi Monosmith. Mr. and Mrs. Barber and daughter are members of the Disciples' Church of Akron. Mr. Barber has served for two terms as Assessor of Port- age Township.

SOLOMON BARE, retired farmer and gar-

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dener ; P. O. Akron ; born in Berks Co., Penn., May 28, 1814; son of John Adam and Susan (Knæhr) Bare, who resided in Berks County, some eighteen miles from Reading, until the year 1833, when they removed to Niagara Co., N. Y. John Adam was always a farmer ; he afterward returned to Pennsylvania, and died in Mercer County about the year 1863 ; his wife died many years previous. Solo- mon received a knowledge of the common branches in the schools of Berks County ; lie worked at farming until about 32 years of age, then learned the trade of a boat-builder, and was employed by Lyman A. Spaulding, of Lock- port, for several years, after which he followed this trade a short time in Erie, Penn., and Cleveland, Ohio. About the year 1853, he re- moved to Summit County, and for some three years worked at the carpenter's trade; then worked at Wadsworth, Medina Co., for six months, then removed to Norton Township, where he continued in the hotel business many years ; was located first at Bates' Corners, then at Johnson's Corners and removing to Bates' Corners. While in Norton Township he pur- chased his present property near Akron, pay- ing $100 per acre for 20 acres, and removed to this land in October, 1864, where he has since resided. He was engaged for many years rais- ing small vegetables for the Akron market, which proved a very lucrative business. In later years, he laid out upon his land two addi- tions to the city of Akron, and a street between them has been named Bare street in his honor ; this land has been much improved by the pro- prietor, who has erected several houses upon various lots, but a portion has been sold by him at the rate of $1,200 an acre. Mr. Bare started out in life as a poor boy, but, by industry and good management, he has secured a com- petency. He was married first to Miss Eliza Lindsey, daughter of George W. Lindsey ; by her he had two children-Thomas J., the eldest enlisted in the 29th O. V. I., during the rebell- ion, and was killed at Rocky Face; the young- est, Frances Louisa, is now Mrs. Thomas Raw- lins, of Akron ; Mr. Bare's first wife died, and he was married to Mrs. Mary Baughman, daugh- ter of Abraham Burgey ; by her Mr. Bare had three children-Isabella and Ida, who now re- side with their father, and William Henry, who died aged 4. Some two years since, he was married a third time to Miss Caroline Hartman,

daughter of Peter Hartman. Mr. and Mrs. Bare are members of Grace Reformed Church of Akron. Mr. Bare has always been a Demo- crat, but, during the war, gave his support to the Union party, voting for Brough in 1863, and Lincoln in 1864.

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History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 146

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