USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II > Part 28
USA > Ohio > Trumbull County > History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II > Part 28
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from Hull's army caused him with others to re- turn to their homes. He was an honest, up- right man, and a good citizen, warmly attached to his adopted country, but owing to some pecul- iarity of his disposition never became natu- ralized. He and his wife were members of the Reformed church.
Alexander E. Ewing, oldest son and fifth child of John Ewing, of the preceding sketch, was born in Jackson township, Mahoning county, October 2, 1814. He remained with his father on the farm until he was twenty-seven, when, in 1842, he moved on the farm where he now lives which was then covered with forest. On May 19, 1842, he married Mary Ann Cook, dangh- ter of James Cook, of Lawrence county, Penn- sylvania. She was born March 14, 1821. They had five children : Margaret J., born March 24, 1843, died June 7, 1860; William J., born May II, 1845; James C., born May 7, 1847; Gibson C., born February 24, 1851; and Mary Ellen Tirzah, born August 17, 1859. Mr. and Mrs. Ewing are members of the Reformed Presby- terian church. Mr. Ewing is the oldest resident of this township who was born in it.
Gibson Ewing, second son and eighth child of John Ewing, was born in Jackson township, Mahoning county, July 23, 1818. He attended the common schools of his boyhood days a short time during the winter months, but he acquired learning easily and made such progress that for five successive winters after his nineteenth year he taught school. He remained at home until he was nearly twenty-five engaged at farming, when not teaching, and on May 19, 1842, mar- ried Margaret Riddle, who was born in Jackson township September 18, 1823. This union resulted in eleven children, five dying in infancy. The following lived to maturity, viz: Samuel J., born July 17, 1844; Martha, born August 7, 1846; James R., born October 4, 1852; Ruther- ford B., born October 9, 1858 (died January 23, 1881); Mary A., born May 18, 1861; Sarah M., born November 3, 1863. Samuel was in the army in the war of the Rebellion in company F, Forty-first regiment, and was shot at the battle of Murfreesboro, on Stone river. Mrs. Ewing died January 10, 1872. She was a member of the Reformed Presbyterian church. Mr. Ewing is now connected with the United Presbyterian church of Youngstown.
William Shafer was a native of Virginia, born in 1813. When he was yet a boy his father, Samuel Shafer, emigrated from northern Vir- ginia and settled a little over a mile southwest of Austintown center. He was the father of eight children, vız: Henry, John, William, Samuel, Daniel, Edward, Maria, and Eliza Jane. School- houses in that early day being very scarce, Wil- liam and his brother attended school for a time in Jackson township. William received but a meager education in these schools, working meanwhile upon the farm. A few years after his marriage he bought one hundred acres of land in Champion township, on which there had not been a stick of timber cut. The first winter they lived in a log house which was built without a fire-place and which was destitute of a stove. He lived upon that place, clearing and improv- ing it, and working also at his trade, that of stone-mason. He married Elizabeth, daughter of George Gilbert, of Austintown. He was a soldier in the War of 1812. This marriage re- sulted in a family of five children, viz: Eliza- beth, Henry, Jonathan R., Cornelius, and Phebe J., of whom all are living except Cornelius, who died in the winter of 1880-81. William Shafer died in 1855 in the forty-second year of his age.
Henry Shafer, oldest son of the subject of the foregoing sketch was born in Austintown town- ship, Mahoning county, October 28, 1835. His parents having settled in the woods when he was a child, where the nearest school-house was over two miles distant, and there being so much hard work required upon the farm he enjoyed slender advantages for the acquirement of an education. He remained upon the farm until he was about twenty years of age, when he learned the car- penter's trade, and has made this a part of his business since, though farming is his chief occu- pation. In October, 1860, he was married to Louisa, daughter of Abraham Strock, of Austin- town township, by whom he has had six children, as follow : William, Frank B., Leander D., . Lewis A., George W., and Charles Caster, of whom William and Lewis are dead. Mrs. Shafer died November 2, 1879. She was a member of the Christian church.
Jonas Wannemaker was born in Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, December 12, 1821. His father, Daniel Wannemaker, was also a Pennsyl- vanian and a miller by trade. He married Cath-
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arine Kistler, whose father was a Revolutionary soldier and died of camp fever near Philadel- phia. By this marriage there were seven chil- dren-Nathan, Sophia, Abbie, Daniel, John, Benjamin, and Jonas. Abbie and John are dead. When the subject of this sketch was about twelve years of age his father died and some three years afterward his mother and her family, except the oldest child, emigrated to Trumbull county, and located in Southington township. Mrs. Wannemaker there married Daniel Murrboyer, of Warren township. When the subject of this sketch was seventeen he be- gan clearing a farm of one hundred and eight acres, which fell to him and his brother Benja- man from the estate. For some four years after he was twenty-one he worked most of the time at carpentering with his brothers, Daniel and John. Since that time he has been engaged at farming. About thirty years ago he purchased and moved upon the farm where he now lives. January, 1847, he married Hannah Ebert, of Jackson, by whom he has had ten children -- Mary, Charles A., Thomas, Wesley, William Henry, Sarah A., Lottie C., Elmer D., Jonas F., and L. Dell. Mary died in infancy and Charles at the age of twenty-two. Mrs. Wannemaker died May 23, 1879. She was and he is a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Tobias Kimmel was born in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, in 1802. When quite a small boy his father, Isaac Kimmel, came to Youngs- town township, Trumbull county, now Mahon- ing, where he remained for a number of years and then removed to Coitsville township. He was a farmer by occupation. Tobias Kimmel when a young man learned the blacksmith trade and for a number of years carried on a shop in Youngstown. About 1824 he moved to his farm which he occupied some eight years, when he moved to Poland township where he resided until his death. His wife was Rebecca, daughter of William Smith, of Mercer county, Pennsyl- vania, who became the mother of the following named children, all living to mature age, viz: Abraham, William, Philip, Smith, Dwight, Mary, John, Sarah, Ruth Ann, and Tobias M. Philip died at the age of twenty-two. After his wife's death Mr. Kimmel married Lida Shearer, nee McBride, who is still living. Mr. Kimmel died January 20, 1880.
Smith Kimmel was born in Coitsville town- ship September 9, 1830. He derived his educa- tion in the common schools, and farming has been his chief occupation although for a number of years he has carried on a blacksmith shop with his brother Abraham in Coitsville township. December 21, 1852, he married Julia Ann, daughter of David Struble, of East Hubbard. This marriage has been blest with eight children, to wit: Martin A., David A., Alice N., Mary E., Frank E., Charles E., Gilbert B., and Arthur D. Alice is deceased. In 1864 Mr. Kimmel was called out with his company and regiment- company C, One Hundred and Seventy-first Ohio National guard-and served one hundred days under Heintzleman. While in the service he contracted a fever from which he has never wholly recovered. He resided in Coitsville township until six years of ago when he pur- chased the John Ewing place, in Jackson town- ship, where he now resides.
James Hervey Webster was born in the State of New York. He was a mason by trade and also carried on a farm in Chautauqua county. When a few years old he moved to Sandusky county, Ohio, where he married Mary Ann Tucker, daughter of Nathaniel and Mary Tucker, now living at an advanced age in Sandusky county. Soon after their marriage they moved upon a farm in Chautauqua county, New York, where he remained until his death, which occurred April 1, 1870. He was an old-time Whig and afterward a Republican. He was the father of ten children, of whom three died in infancy, Jason, Herbert T., Henry H., Ella A., Ralph D., Israel J., and Nelson R. The mother of these children afterward married Philip R. Snider, and is now living near Port Clinton, Ottawa county, Ohio.
H. H. Webster, M. D., was born in Portland township, Chautauqua county, New York, July 30, 1849. He is the third child of James H. Webster, a sketch of whose life has been given. Dr. H. H. Webster was educated in the common schools, and through the influence of his brother, Dr. H. T. Webster, for five years a practicing physician of Jackson, he began studying medi- cine, and graduated after attending three courses of lectures at the Eclectic Medical institute of Cincinnati, in the spring of 1873. He located first at Niles with his brother, where he remained
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until August, 1874, when he went to Montville, Geauga county, where he remained until January 11, 1879, when he came to Jackson and bought out his brother, and has since practiced in that town and vicinity. February 18, 1875, he mar- ried Martha Jones, daughter of Samuel Jones, of Lordstown township. She was born May 18, 1850. They have two children, Samuel J., born October 25, 1876; Hervey, born Novem- ber, 1877. Mrs. Webster is a member of the Disciple church. Dr. Webster is a member of the society of Free and Accepted Masons.
Thomas Woodward, a native of Milford town- ship, Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, was born De- cember 17, 1799. He is the fifth child of Jehu Woodward, who married Rachel Rummins, of Mifflin county, Pennsylvania. They had the following children: James, Ruth, Joseph, Lydia, Thomas, William Leonard, Jehu, Elizabeth, Rachael, Joel, and Ezekiel. When Thomas was seventeen years old he was apprenticed to learn the carpenter's and cabinet-maker's trade, serving two years, after which he worked at his trade about two years. In April, 1823, he came to Austintown where he remained a year, then went to Youngstown where he built houses which are yet standing. He then bought land which con- stitutes his present farm. This was a dense for- est at that time, out of which he made a fruitful farm and comfortable home. He married Janu- ary 10, 1823, Margaret Shively, daughter of Frederick Shively, of Austintown. She was born in Tyron township, Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, August 17, 1805. They had thir- teeen children: Jehu, Leonard, John, Abraham, Elizabeth, Margaret, Rachel, Joel, Angeline, Mary, Ezekiel, Melissa Olive, and Almina, of whom Leonard, Rachel, Margaret, and Ezekiel are dead, the two former living to be grown. He has been a Democrat from Jackson's time; has held several township offices, and was for eleven years justice of the peace of Jackson. He is one of the oldest residents of the town- ship. Mrs. Woodward has been for years a member of the Methodist church. He is an upright man enjoying the esteem of all who know him.
William Young was born in Little Beaver town- ship, Beaver county, Pennsylvania, January 14, 1804. He was the fourth in a family of nine children of James and Esther Young. He re-
mained with his father until he was about six- teen, and on starting out in life he went to Buffalo where he worked out six months teaming. He spent the winter at home threshing with a flail for the tenth part, and in the spring he went up the Allegheny river, and for three years was at work on the canals in Pennsylvania and Ohio. September 8, 1830, he married Sarah McGeorge, a former school-mate, and on the third day after their marriage he and his young bride started on horseback for Trumbull county, Ohio. He purchased the farm on which he now lives and moved upon it in 1837. There was but little clearing done and a log house and barn constituted the improvements. He has since added to his original purchase until he owns over three hundred and twenty acres in the southeast part of Jackson township. His farms are now managed by his three sons. By his first marriage he had eight children : William, Hatton, Adaline, Julia A., James, John, Mary, and Clark, of whom the oldest and youngest are dead. His first wife died October 27, 1854, aged fifty-two, and July 5, 1855, he mar- ried Margaret Anderson, of Poland township, by whom he had two children : Emily and Mar- garet. His second wife died April 9, 1858, aged nearly forty-two, and he married a third time, May 5, 1859, Ellen Wallace, from near Petersburg, Mahoning county. His third wife died April 4, 1880, aged sixty-two. He had by this marriage one child, W. M. Wallace. Mr. Young is a member of the Reform Presby- terian church. His daughter Adaline married John Truesdale and is now living in Richland county, Wisconsin ; Julia married Daniel Gib- son, and now resides in Beaver county, Pennsyl- vania ; Mary became the wife of Charles An- thony, and lives in Nodaway county, Missouri ; Margaret married Sylvester Calhoon, and resides in Sumner county, Kansas ; and Emily resides at home with her father.
James Russell was born in Austintown town- ship, Mahoning county, July 1, 1815. His father was Robert Russell, who settled in that town- ship in 1806. The subject of this sketch de- rived his education in the schools of that early period, the teachers of which, in many instances, taught both English and German. He worked upon the home farm until he was twenty-six years of age, when he moved to the farm in
21
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Jackson where he now lives, which now consists of two hundred acres. May 4, 1841, he married Catharine, daughter of Henry Foos, one of the pioneers of Austintown and a soldier of the War of 1812. He moved into Austintown just at the close of the war. Mrs. Russell was born Octo- ber 21, 1820. They have a family of seven children, as follows: Clark, Austin, Henry, Robert, Newton, Almeda A., and James Mon roe. Mr. Russell has always attended strictly to his own affairs ; has never been a witness at court and has never been a litigant, either as plaintiff or defendant, which few can say. He and his wife are members of the Disciple church, and are worthy citizens.
Gideon Fusselman, a native of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, removed from that State to Ohio in the year 1814, and settled in Warren township, Trumbull county, on the Storer farm which was then owned by John Fusselman, Sr. In about a year he removed to Canfield and established a tannery (he being a tanner by trade) one mile north of the center. This was conducted by him until his death. In about 1812 he married Eve Schriber, also a native of Lehigh county. They had five children, John C., Mary, Sarah, Catharine, and Elizabeth, all of whom are living. Gideon Fusselman died August 30, 1844, in Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, while on a visit to that place. His wife died January 22, 1878, at the age of eighty-three years.
John C. Fusselman was born in Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, February 25, 1813. He was the oldest child of Gideon Fusselman who removed to Ohio when John was about a year old. He received a common school education and staid upon the farm with his father until June, 1830, when he began clerking for J. R. Church at Canfield in a general merchandise store, remaining here five years. He then went into partnership with Mr. Church in Ellsworth in merchandising, where he remained until 1840. He then clerked for William Ripley one year, when he went into business for himself until 1856. He then came to Jackson and began the same business with 1). Anderson, which contin- ued six years. Then the firm of Anderson, Shaffer & Co. was formed. April, 1881, Mr. Anderson retired, and the firm Shaffer & Co. continue the business, with a full assortment of goods usually kept in a country store. On Au-
gust 11, 1837, J. C. Fusselman married Catha- arine Houts, daughter of William Houts, then of Green township, Mahoning county. She was born September 24, 1815. This union was blessed with seven children-Louisa Ann, Lottie B., Frank A., Mary, Ella H., John R., and Ralph, who died at three years of age. He and his wife are both members of the Methodist church. For twenty years prior to 1856 he was justice of the peace of Ellsworth township.
D. B. Blott, was born in Jackson township, Mahoning county, October 6, 1837. He is the second child of Benjamin Blott, a native of Pennsylvania, who was born January 16, 1812. He is a farmer, residing a short distance south of North Jackson. D. B was educated in the common schools, and attended also for a short time Hiram college. At the age of fifteen he was apprenticed to learn the bricklayer and stone mason trade, serving two years-afterward work- ing at his trade for ten years, when, on account of poor health, he was obliged to stop work for about three years. Then for six years he kept a store in Lordstown. After this he kept a store for several years at West Austintown. He now keeps a store at Jackson, where he carries a line of assorted goods. He married Lucinda Bailey, daughter of Jesse Bailey. They have five chil- dren, Charley C., born 1863 ; Seamon Edward, 1865, William A., 1869, Marietta, 1874, and Emory B., 1876.
Robert McClure, a native of county Donegal, Ireland, was born November, 1816. His father, Robert McClure, died when he was three years old, when he was taken by his paternal grand- father, who was a farmer. He remained with him until 1839, when he sailed to America, com- ing in the same ship with William Porter, of Aus- tintown. He came at once to Austintown and began as day laborer here and there, and for five months worked on the extension of the Erie canal. A few years afterward he bought the land where he now resides. He at one time owned over two hundred acres of land, but by unfortu- nate indorsements he lost a part of this. He owns one hundred acres under good cultivation. May 14, 1846, he married Eliza Anderson, daughter of Arthur Anderson, of Poland town- ship. She was born in that township November 20, 1819. This marriage was blessed with eight children, William, a physician of Cleveland ;
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Mary, who married William Turner, of Aus- tintown ; Arthur, who died in early child- hood; John S., an attorney of Chicago; Em- ily ; Nettie ; Nancy, a teacher of Youngs- town ; Robert, a teacher, who, with Emily, are still at home. Heis a member of the Pres- byterian church, and his wife is a Covenanter.
Peter Ivy was born in Perry county, Pennsyl- vania, March 8, 1805. He was a son of Sam- uel Ivy, and twin brother of William Ivy, who at last accounts was living in Clark county, Ohio. His father, Samuel Ivy, died when he was an infant, and his mother married Michael Wag- goner, and soon after the family removed to Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, whence in the fall of 1822 they immigrated to Stark county, Ohio, where they remained about four years, during which time Mr. Waggoner died, when Peter brought the family to Austintown, where he had gone in the spring of 1823. After farm- ing there a few years, Peter moved in 1831 upon the farm where he now lives, which he purchased the previous year, and upon which he made a small clearing and erected a cabin. He has now over a hundred acres under cultivation. August 13, 1826, he married Sarah Miller, daughter of Jacob Miller, a Virginian, who, in advanced life, became a resident of Austintown township. She was born in Augusta county, Virginia, Septem- ber 12, 1798. She became the mother of seven children, Mary, Christian, John, Alfred, William, Elizabeth, who died when small, and Sarah. The oldest child died before it was named. She was a Presbyterian in belief, and an estimable lady, who, after a long and useful life, died Sep- tember 8, 1879. He cast his first vote for Jack- son.
John Lynn, son of Nicholas Lynn, was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, and emigrated to Ohio with his brothers, Peter and George, and settled in. Canfield township, Trumbull county (now Mahoning), about the year 1806. They settled in the same neighborhood. John, in company with his sister Barbara, purchased the farm originally owned by Ira Wilcox, and they lived together a number of years. Late in life he married Sophrona F. Burgart of Ellsworth town- ship, by whom he had six children, viz: Sarah Ann, who married Joseph Hartman; John N. O., David, Elizabeth, who married George E. Harding, George, who died in infancy, and
Mary, who died when two years of age. Mr. Lynn died in 1835, at the age of fifty-six years. He was a member of the German Reformed church. His widow afterwards married Solomon Gordon, of Canfield.
John N. O. Lynn was born in Canfield town- ship, August 8, 1826. When he was about twenty years of age he and his brother and two sisters began the management of the farm, which he continued for seven years. He after- ward moved to Atwater township, Portage county, where he lived eighteen years engaged in farming, which has been his lifelong occupa- tion. In April, 1875, he returned to Mahoning county, and has since resided at North Jackson. April 29, 1855, he was married to Elizabeth, daughter of Abraham Moherman, who was born March 15, 1835. They have no children, but are raising two-Chester and Mary. He and his wife are members of the Disciples church.
David Lynn, second son of John Lynn, was born December 31, 1829. He adopted the oc- cupation of his father, cultivating the soil and dealing to some extent in stock and fruit grow- ing. At the age of twenty-five he married Miss Mary Ann Peters, by whom he had four sons- Willis, Emory, Homer, and Alfred. While en- gaged attentively at his business he has not neglected the education of his children, his old- est son graduating at Heidelberg college, Tiffin, Ohio, in the class of 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Lynn are members of the Reformed church.
CHAPTER VIII. COITSVILLE .*
INTRODUCTORY.
This is township two of range one of the Connecticut Western Reserve, and forms the ex- treme northeastern corner of Mahoning county. Coitsville is thus bounded : on the north by Hubbard, Trumbull county ; on the east by Pennsylvania ; on the south by Poland ; and on the west by Youngstown. The township con- tains the little village of Coitsville Center, which, however, is situated a litile south of the geo-
*Mainly from facts collected by John Shields.
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graphical center of the township; also a por- tion of the little mining village known as Thorn Hill, now in a condition of decline.
The land of the township is excellent for farming purposes, the soil being generally a deep and fertile loam. The nearness of Youngstown gives the farmers the advantage of a ready market, and as their land is constantly rising in value, we find them generally well-contented and prosperous.
The surface is quite variable. In the eastern and southern portions of the township are a number of steep hills of considerable elevation, reaching back some distance from the Mahon- ing river. This stream cuts across the south- eastern part of the township, and its green banks and fertile bottom lands here form some of the finest natural scenery in the whole county. From the big hill east of Struthers can be oh- tained a view of the Mahoning valley surpassing- ly rich in its extent and beauty. Busy hamlets overhung by dark clouds of smoke impress the spectator with the greatness of the industries of the valley ; while vast expanses of woodland, in- terspersed with many richly cultivated farms adorned with fields of waving grain which sur- round the comfortable farm houses and barns ; the sleek cattle grazing in the meadows; the busy farmers in their corn-fields, or driving along the roads with wagons heavily laden with the fruits of their toil, all show that the agricultural community is as thrifty and as active as the manufacturers. Could one of the men who in 1798 entered this beautiful valley and found it as silent and as wild as ever primeval forests were, its solitude invaded only by the prowling savage, the stealthy beasts of prey or flocks of birds-could such a one now rise from his years of sleep in the grave and behold this bustling scene, his astonishment, surprise, and amaze- ment would doubtless equal the feelings of Rip Van Winkle on his return to his former home.
Excepting the Mahoning, the streams in this township are small and unimportant. Dry run pursues a winding course and drains a consider- able portion of the surface. Other small streams are numerous.
Coal has been mined to some extent in former years, but at present no mines of importance are in operation. Thorn Hill and vicinity formed a busy mining community, but the banks were
deserted for other and more promising ones not situated in Coitsville. Agriculture is the main- stay and support of nearly all the inhabitants of the township.
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