History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II, Part 55

Author: Williams (H.Z.) & Bro., Cleveland, Ohio, pub
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland : H. S. Williams
Number of Pages: 726

USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II > Part 55
USA > Ohio > Trumbull County > History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II > Part 55

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

village. His wife died in 1876. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Gillis was township trustee many years. He owns over three hundred and seventy acres in Kinsman. John, his oldest son, in 1862 enlisted in the army and served until the close of the war.

John Craig, son of William and Susan Craig, was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, September 27, 1822. Brought up on the farm and remained at home until his marriage, June 20, 1855, to Mary Brackin. whose father, Eze kiel Brackin, was one of the pioneers of the county. Died about 1864. They raised a fam. ily of nine children. Mrs. Craig was born in Kinsman, Trumbull county, May 30, 1832. Mr. and Mrs. Craig have had five children, as follow : Lida, the oldest, died young ; Henry Clay, born August 16, 1858; Della M., born October 6, 1860; Fanny Blanche, January 16, 1864; David B., October 14, 1866. After his marriage he continued to reside in Pennsylvania until April, 1874, when he came to Ohio, purchasing the Brackin homestead in Kinsman, where he still resides.

Peter Lossee, youngest son of Peter and Nancy (McLaughlin) Lossee, was born in Kins- man township, Trumbull county, Ohio, May 10, 1812. Peter Lossee, Sr., was a native of New Jersey; came to Ohio in 1808, settling on the place where the son now resides. He raised a family of four children, the subject of this sketch being the only survivor. He died in 1815, his wife surviving him thirty-three years, dying in 1848. Peter, Jr., was married Septem- ber 10, 1832, to Elizabeth Reed, born in Penn- sylvania. Five children were born, four of whom are living, as follows: Jane, born in 1833, and died March 15, 1862; Amanda Morford (widow) in Illinois; Wallace P., born in 1837 in Kins- man; Helen E., at home; Hattie A., wife of Lawrence Leffingwell, of Kinsman. The mother died in 1849, and Mr. Lossee married for his second wife Eleanor, daughter of John Little, an early settler of Kinsman, where she was born April 18, 1814. They were married May 21, 1850. Mr. Lossee has devoted considerable at- tention to dairying and stock raising; also to buying live stock, and has raised some valuable horses. He sold two that brought $2,500. Mr. Lossee, speaking of early times, says he has seen deer to the number of thirty-five in one herd,

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and met a bear on one occasion, which the neighbors finally killed. His only son, Wallace P., was a member of the Second Ohio cavalry, serving over four years until the close of the war.

A. H. Porter, son of Daniel and Sally Porter, was born in Washington county, New York, May 2, 1822. Coming to Ohio in the fall of 1844, he located in Andover, Ashtabula county, where he bought a place; was married in 1846 to Miss Ruth Dolph, born in Washington county, New York, in 1824. They have had eight children, five living, as follows: Henry A. and Nellie (now wife of Reuben Foy) of Gustavus township; J. M. and Nettie (wife of John Turnbull) of Kins- man, and Carrie, still at home. Mr. Porter con- tinued to live in Ashtabula until the spring of 1850, when he removed to Kinsman township, Trumbull county, locating at what is known as Porter's corners, building a saw-mill which he still owns. He removed to his present home in the spring of 1866. He was a member of the One Hundred and Seventy-first Ohio National guard in the Rebellion, and was in the battle of Cynthiana, Kentucky; was taken prisoner and pa- roled. He served out his term of enlistment and was mustered out at Sandusky, Ohio.

Mrs. Rhoda Spencer was born in Trumbull county, Ohio, June 20, 1809; oldest child of John and Elizabeth (Mızener) Waldorf. Her father was one of the pioneers of Hubbard. With her parents she removed to Vernon township in 1812; was educated in the com- mon schools; taught school three terms prior to her marriage. She was married, January 15, 1829, to Warren Spencer, born in 1801. Her husband was a cooper by trade; came to Ohio about 1820, settling in Ashtabula county; came to Kinsman about 1826. After their mar- riage Mr. and Mrs. Spencer settled on the place now owned by Scott Mizener; settled in the woods, putting up a log house, cleared up and improved the farm, which they occupied until 1860, when they purchased the place formerly the Ben Allen farm, where Mrs. Spencer still re- sides. Mr. Spencer was an original anti-slavery man, and a Methodist until the division of the church upon the question of slavery. He died November 23, 1863. Mrs. Spencer is a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church at Kins- man.

Mrs. Harriet B. Parker, daughter of Elam and Sarah (Hyde) Jones, was born in Hartford town- ship, Trumbull county, Ohio, February 2, 1806. She attended a ladies' seminary at Kinsman; taught school one season at home; married, January 8, 1824, Linus Parker, a native of Connecticut, born in 1778. He was a manu- facturer of edged tools, and had quite an estab- lishment in Kinsman. He came with his father to that township in the carly years of the present century. He died in 1837. He was a member of the Presbyterian and Congregational church in Kinsman, of which his father, Lovell, was deacon, and was an active member. He had a family of four children, of whom three are living, as follows: Sarah E., born September 27, 1825, widow of William A. Gillis; Rufus H., born De- cember 24, 1827 ; Lemira J. born September 27, 1835; all residing in Kinsman. The latter com- pleted her education at an academy in Poland, Mahoning county: Hannah P., born October 12, 1837, died November 29, 1855. Rufus H. re- ceived his education at a high school in Wayne township, Ashtabula county; was brought up to farming ; went to California about 1852, where he was engaged some five or six years in mining and farming. Returning to Ohio, he dealt in lutu- ber and live stock a number of years. After the close of the war he traveled for three or four years wholesaling goods for himself, establishing a store-house in Mercer, Pennsylvania; opened a wholesale family goods house in Sharon, Penn- sylvania, and did an extensive trade. He has now a fine home in Kinsmar. Mrs. Parker con- tinues to reside on the home place. She is a member of the same church to which her hus- band belonged.

George Baldwin, son of Jacob H. and Florinda Baldwin, was born in Champion, Trumbull coun- ty, Ohio, July 7, 1836; obtained his education in the common schools, and at the high school at Warren, supplemented by an attendance for one term at Kenyon college, Gambier, Ohio. He was engaged at clerking in Warren for one or two years; married, October 1, 1861, to Emma R. Lesuer, born in Bolivar, New York. They have two children: Gertrude F., born May 9, 1864, and Albert L., June 29, 1870. He resided in Warren two years after marriage, then removing to Meadville, Pennsylvania, where he com- menced the stove and tinware business. One

TRUMBULL AND MAHONING COUNTIES, OHIO.

year afterwards his place of business was de- stroyed by fire. He removed to Kinsman, Trum- bull county, Ohio, in the spring of 1866, where he engaged in the stove trade, buying out the Kinsman foundry, which he conducted till 1870. About 1873 he added to his business that of gen- eral hardware, and is doing a prosperous busi- ness. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church for the past twenty years, and is superintendent of the Sunday-school.

Dr. Luman G. Moore, only son of Lorenzo and Caroline (Miller) Moore, was born in Kins- man, Trumbull county, Ohio, February 16, 1849. Lorenzo Moore came to Ohio with his parents about 1836, the family locating on the place now owned by John Wallace, where he spent the balance of his days. He died in 1869. His widow, born in 1789, is still living with her son, the subject of this sketch, quite vigorous for one of her age. Dr. Moore was reared upon a farm, attending the common and high schools until twenty ; was a student one year at the Ohio Wesleyan university, and also at Michigan uni- versity, Ann Arbor, one year ; began the study of medicine with Dr. Jones in 1870, continuing three years, during which time he attended a course of lectures at Bellevue Medical college, graduating from Long Island Hospital Medical college, New York, in June, 1873. The same fall he commenced practice at Kinsman, where he has since been located. He was married in May, 1871, to Miss Elizabeth Patterson, and has two children living-Minnie, born June 29, 1879, and Luman G., December 17, 1880. He has been township trustee one year, and town- ship treasurer two years.

Lyman Root, oldest son of Charles and Sally Ann (Laughlin) Root, was born in Mecca, Trumbull county, Ohio, June 2, 1839, and was a student at a seminary in Jamestown, Pennsyl- vania, at the breaking out of the war. With four companions he went to Columbus, Ohio, and enlisted in the Eighty-fourth Ohio volunteer infantry for three months; was at Camp Laurens, Maryland, and returned home in October, 1862. He re-enlisted in the One Hundred and Twenty- fifth Ohio volunteer infantry for three years, and with his regiment participated in some of the principal battles of the war including Nash- ville, Mission Ridge, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, and Atlanta. He was on detached

duty as mail-carrier for some time, served until the close of the war, and was mustered out at Cleveland, Ohio, June, 1865. He resumed his occupation of farming on the place formerly owned by his grandfather, James Laughlin; was married January 10, 1867, to Miss Irene S., daughter of Thomas Mathews, and has three children: Hubert L., born October 19, 1867; Alice S., February 2, 1874: Ralph, June 2, 1876. He remained on the Laughlin place until buying at Kinne's corners about 1870. He sold out in 1880, and in the spring of 1881 located in Kinsman village, engaging in mer- chandising, having a general store. He has been justice of the peace for twelve years in Kinsman, and also assessor for two terms.

Daniel C. Clinginsmith, born in Mercer coun- ty, Pennsylvania, May 16, 1824; married, April, 1847, Electa J., daughter of Thomas and Eleanor (McLaughlin) Matthews, born October 11, 1823, in Kinsman, Trumbull county, Ohio. Mr. Clinginsmith was a farmer originally, afterward engaged in mercantile business; removed to Wisconsin in 1856, where he engaged in mer- chandising and was also postmaster. He died September 24, 1870; was worshipful master Free and Accepted Masons at the time of his death, and also member of the Methodist Epis- copal church. Mrs. Clinginsmith continued to reside in Wisconsin until the fall of 1879, when she returned to Trumbull county and located in Kinsman village, where she still resides.

Captain E. C. Briggs was born in Newport county, Rhode Island, September 13, 1804; son of Ethan C. Briggs and Mary Littlefield. His father died when he was six, and when ten years of age he ran away from his home and mother; went to New York and engaged as cabin boy on a New York and Philadelphia packet, in which position he continued until fourteen ; went before the mast to Patagonia, was subsequently promoted to second mate, still later to that of mate, and finally, when about twenty-four, was placed in command of the pack- et on which he began as cabin boy. After- wards he was master of a vessel plying between New York and Baltimore, and later filled the same position on a vessel engaged in the Carib. bean sea and the Spanish main. He was mar- ried June, 1834, to Anna C. Stanhope. They had four children, two living-James Theodore,

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and Sarah R., residing in Denver, Colorado. Ethan C., Jr., was born in 1843; enlisted in the war of the Rebellion and with his regiment par- ticipated in numerous engagements. At Chatta- nooga, Tennessee, September 21, 1863, he was captured by the rebels, being wounded in the leg. The limb was amputated and he died a few weeks afterward. Henry Clay, the other son, was thirty-three when he died, December 10, 1880. Mrs. Briggs died in 1863, and the captain was again married February 21, 1867, to Cordelia, daughter of Benjamin Ward. She was born in Hartford, Connecticut, February 5, 1816. Captain Briggs continued the life of a seaman until 1843. For the next four years he was en- gaged in mercantile business in New York city. Removing to Ohio in 1847 he settled on the place where he still lives in Kinsman, and since then has followed farming. He is a fine speci- men of the old style of sea captain, bluff and hearty, and withal hospitable; is vigorous in body and mind, and has never drank a tea-spoonful of liquor in his life.

Wayne Bidwell, son of Riverius and Eunicia Bidwell, was born in Trumbull township, Trum- bull county, Ohio, May 6, 1821. Besides his attendance at the common schools he attended school at Oberlin three or four terms. Married, December 31, 1844, to Mary L., daughter of Ezra Hyde, an early settler of Vernon township, where she was born in January, 1823. Mr. and Mrs. Bidwell are the parents of five children, three of whom are living. Jasper R. lived to the age of thirty-one and died in Iowa in 1879; Caleb W. resides on the home place; Ezra H., of Kinsman village; and Chauncey D., of the same place. Cora Lynn died when three years of age. In addition to his farming Mr. Bidwell deals extensively in the buying and shipping of live stock.

J. W. Chase was born in Yates county, New York, November 23, 1817; son of David and Polly (Welsh) Chase. He was raised to the trade of his father, that of carpenter and joiner. With his parents he came to Trumbull county, Ohio, in the fall of 1835, and located in Gusta- vus township, where he followed his trade, erect- ing many of the best buildings in that vicinity. In the fall of 1836 he started on a trip South, and made an extended trip through the South and West and alsoto the northwest as far as Green Bay,

Wisconsin, working at his trade at various places. At Fort DesMoines he saw the famous Black Hawk and seven hundred warriors. At Galena, Illinois, he put up the second brick building in the place. Returning home, the next year he again went west, thence south to Vicksburg, Missis- sippi, making a portion of the trip down the Mississippi in a skiff. At Vicksburg he worked at his trade some six years, the panic breaking him up. He returned to Galena, where he remained one year, then made a trip up the Wisconsin riv- er to the pineries, and engaged in trafficking with the Indians. He finally concluded his wander- ings, and on November 10, 1843, was married to Laura, daughter of David Chapman, born in Vernon township, November 14, 1823. They are the parents of three children, of whom two are living-Leroy, born September 1, 1844, re- siding in Missouri, and Jane Ann, at home. Mr. Chase continued to work at his trade until compelled to give it up on account of rheuma- tism. He followed farming for a time, conduct- ing the farm of Thomas Kinsman, and run an extensive dairy. Cheese then brought but four cents per pound; subsequently kept a hotel in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, for a couple of years during the oil excitement, afterwards pur- chasing a farm in Pennsylvania. October, 1861, he enlisted in the Sixth Ohio volunteer cavalry; raised a company and was made first lieutenant. In the spring of 1872 he removed to Kinsman, where he now resides. For the past thirty years he has followed more or less the business of auc- tioneer. He has also been efficient in detecting horse thieves.

CHAPTER V. FARMINGTON.

LOCATION AND NATURAL FEATURES.

Farmington township, number six in the fifth range, is bounded on the north by Mesopotamia, on the east by Bristol, on the south by Southing- ton, and on the west by Geauga county. The surface, like most of the townships of the coun- ty, is undulating, and the soil is largely clay, though in the northern part a sandy loam is found.

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The principal streams are Grand river, Swine creek, and Dead branch. Grand river runs through the township a diagonal course from the southwest to the northeast. Dead branch is a southern branch of Grand river. Swine creek drains the northwestern part of the township.

OWNERSHIP AND SURVEY.

This township contains seventeen thousand one hundred and fifty-seven acres, and was in draft number fourteen, drawn with other lands by Joseph Bowell, William Edwards, Samuel Henshaw, Joseph Pratt, Luther Loomis, David King, John Leavitt, Jr., Ebenezer King, Jr., Timothy King, Fidelio King, and Sylvester Gris- wold. These owners sold to one another and quit-claimed to others at different times from 1798 to 1811, at which time Solomon Bond owned the greater part of the township.

The survey was made under the direction and personal superintendence of Luther Henshaw, and the township was called Henshaw until it was organized as Farmington in 1817.

SETTLEMENT.

This township was first settled mainly hy Con- necticut people. Its growth was a slow one and not until long after its organization was it thickly populated.

Lewis Wolcott, best known as Captain Wol- cott, and David Curtis, were the first arrivals. They came in the spring of 1806, from Vienna township. Lewis Wolcott, son of Theodore, was a descendant of Henry Wolcott, who came to this country about the year 1630. In the spring of 1805 he made the journey from Con- necticut to Ohio on foot, carrying all his earthly possessions in a knapsack. He stopped one year in Vienna, working for Joel Humiston. David Curtis, a son of lawyer Curtis, was the companion of his journeying. Upon their ar- rival here they built a pole cabin for a summer residence, near the spot where Mr. Kibbee's house now stands at West Farmington.

In the summer of 1806, Zenas Curtis, David or lawyer Curtis, and Elihu Moses brought their families and located. Zenas Curtis built a cabin on the Fuller farm on the State road ; the land is now owned by C. A. Mackay. David Curtis built on the old Ransley Curtis farm, where Dr. Meyers now lives, and Elihu Moses on the op- posite side of the road from S. H. Loveland's.

The next arrivals are mentioned in the bio- graphical sketch of the Wolcott family given below :

Josiah Wolcott, was born September 17, 1755, and married Miss Lydia Russell, of Weathersfield, May 13, 1779. The children of this union were as follows : Catharine, Daniel R., Horace, Susan, Mary, Josiah W., Erastus, and Edmund P. The mother of Edmund P. died April 19, 1805, aged forty-three years. His father again married ; his second wife was Mrs. Nancy Higgins, widow of Dr. Higgins, of Weathersfield, Connecticut; the time of his marriage was February 16, 1806. The names of the children following this union were Lydia R., Caroline, and Charlotte. Their mother died October 13, 1824, aged fifty-eight years. Josiah Wolcott married a third time, the object of his affections be- ing Mrs. Brown, of Warren. They had one daughter, Nancy.

Mr. Wolcott died January 18. 1838, in his eighty-third year. His native place was Weathersfield, which he left about the year 1800, and settled in the town of Bristol, Con- necticut. His occupation was that of a farmer. He lived in Bristol until 1806, when he was persuaded, by the glowing representations of a New Connecticut land speculator, one Solomon Bond, to make a purchase of one thousand acres of land in the then unbroken wilderness. He visited his new territory in the fall or winter of 1806 and 1807, in company with his son Horace. Mr. Wolcott's brother Theodore, and his son Lewis, and Gad Hart, came out at the same time. They "rolled " up a log house, perhaps fifteen feet square, without the help of a team; in this place they wintered. The ground on which this bachelor residence stood on northwest corner of centre, was a few feet west of the Wolcott store. This building was raised, inclosed, floors laid, and inside finished without having a sawed piece of timber in it. Here the company passed the winter. At that time the place was nothing more nor less than a wilderness; not an article of food, either for man or beast, was to be had in the township. They brought the straw to fill their bunks from Mesopotamia, and as the forest was so dense that they could not get their straw through, they were obliged to travel down the old path from Mesopotamia to Warren, as far as Grand river, and then come up on the ice to their lodgings.

Mr. Josiah Wolcott returned to his family early in the spring, after a most fatiguing journey, made more so by los- ing his horse in Pennsylvania; he made the rest of the jour- ney on foot, at the time when the roads were in their worst state. He disposed of his farm and arranged his affairs, and left the land of "steady habits," as it then was appropriately called, arriving with his family and three of his second wife's children, viz: Nancy, Silas, and Polly Higgins. In the meantime his son Horace had put up a log house for the ac- commodation of the family; the size, perhaps, might be 20 × 22. In this a family of from twelve to fourteen had to find a home, but it was highly prized by all. Now the busi- ness was to clear off the timber, and that was undertaken with a will; the boys were working at it every day, except the Sabbath, and on that day services were held at some private house, either at the centre or at some one's house at the west, usually at David Curtis's. Situated as they were, it would seem they had no time for sickness, or no accommodla- tion when they were ill. Yet one of their number, a sister Mary, was during the spring and summer months gradually sinking under the scourge of our race, viz: consumption. Their son, Dr. Silas, attended her, but nothing seemed to produce a good effect, and she died September 2, 1808. A

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few trees were felled, and a grave dug. This spot was where the present cemetery now is. Her funeral was the first, and her grave the first in the township. *

Mr. Wolcott felt that meetings on the Sabbath must be kept up, and succeeded in carrying out his convictions of pro- priety in this particular idea. As it was seldom the case that they had preaching, when meetings were not requested at other houses they held meeting in their own place-often had preaching in Parkman, and Judge Parkman and lady frequently attended here. The way of getting to church was on horseback for those who had horses, or with ox-teams.

Mr. Wolcott, considering the help had, had cleared quite a farm before the breaking out of the War of 1812. But from that time he saw the great disadvantage all were laboring under, in not having mills of any kind; and in this state of things two men called upon him, professing to be number one mill-wrights, and persuaded him to undertake the build- ing of a saw- and grist-mill.

They eut and hewed and hauled on to the ground a large quantity of timber, and partially constructed running-gear, etc., but in consequence of indebtedness which was likely to send him to the "lock-up," the main part of his workmen left, and the undertaking was abandoned. The project of mill-building rested for several years. Another mill-wright appeared, who proposed to put up one on the spot where A. D. Kibbee & Co.'s mill now stands; but their mill soon went down, and proved a failure. The scheme went to rest again, and after a space of one or two years a third trial was made, and they succeeded in getting a good saw-mill.

About this time complaints were made by parties who had erected mills above Seats; vexations suits were commeneed and continued in court for some ten years. Several judg- ments were obtained and paid. Mr. Wolcott being confi- dent that his dam did not back water to the injury of the up- per mills, the Legislature enacted a law giving the party wishing to erect or sustain a dam across any stream the privilege to summon a special jury, who should view the premises and decide how high the party might raise a dam without injury to others. This act was complied with, and that put an end to the litigation. Twelve of the best men in Trumbull county gave their verdict to the effect that he had been put to all the costs and vexation of ten or more suits unjustly.

E. P. Wolcott, son of Josiah Woleott, was born November 17, 1800, in Bristol, Connecticut. His advantages for an ed- ucation were limited; he however obtained a good practical and business knowledge. He was reared a farmer, -worked at it till he was thirty,-then went to selling goods at Farm- ington. He married Clarissa Bosworth, of Farmington, No- vember 19, 1829 :- result of this union, nine children, seven of whom are living, viz: Julia E., William W., Amelia, Ce- cilia, Charles F., Addison L., and Mary E. Mr. Wolcott lived some ten years at Chagrin Falls, and while there was justice of the peace. He also held several offices of trust

« Miss Wolcott's death was the result of a serious accident which happened while the family were on their way from Connecticut to Ohio. As the roads were had the women walked much of the way. As Mary-or Polly-was attempting to cross a stream on a log, steadying herself with a pole, she fell into the water. It being late in the season she took a severe cold, from the effects of which she never recovered. The following epitaph was placed upon the head- stone which marks her grave :

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History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II, Part 55

Author: Williams (H.Z.) & Bro., Cleveland, Ohio, pub Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Cleveland : H. S. Williams Number of Pages: 726

Author: Williams (H.Z.) & Bro., Cleveland, Ohio, pub
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland : H. S. Williams
Number of Pages: 726