History of the Western Reserve, Vol. II, Part 94

Author: Upton, Harriet Taylor; Cutler, Harry Gardner, 1856-
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago ; New York : The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 886

USA > Ohio > History of the Western Reserve, Vol. II > Part 94

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Luke C. Cook, his father, born about 1791, in Massachusetts, migrated to Ohio in 1833, settling on a farm in Andover, Ashtabula county. He brought his family and goods with him, coming with wagons drawn by horses, he and his older children walking a large part of the way. The land that he purchased was covered with a heavy growth of timber, which he was forced to clear off before be- ginning to cultivate the land. Here he car- ried on farming until his death, about 1859. To him and his wife, whose maiden name was Clarica, eight children were born, as follows: Polly, who was ninety years of age when she died ; Lucy ; Nathaniel; Lydia; Caroline; Lu- cina; Luke; and Calvin.

Luke Cook assisted in the pioneer labor of redeeming a farm from the wilderness, his as- sistance, although but eleven years old when the family located in Andover, having been of considerable importance to his father. He subsequently chose agriculture for his life work. and in addition to farming carried on a good business for many years as a well dig- ger. On June 10, 1862, Mr. Cook offered his services to his country, enlisting in Company G, One Hundred and Fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he remained until receiv- ing his honorable discharge at the close of the war. He was at one time taken prisoner, but was soon paroled. Mr. Cook lived for thirty vears in Michigan, and while there was for four years treasurer of the Grand Army post to which he belonged, and was afterwards president of the post five years. A Republi- can in his political views, he was constable for

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three years, and for two years was road super- visor. Uniting with the Baptist church, he continued as one of its most faithful members.

In September, 1843, Mr. Cook married Per- sis Merritt, and they became the parents of three children, namely: William, born in May, 1845, lives in Ensley township, Newaygo county, Michigan; Wesley, born in 1850, is a resident of Dorset, Ashtabula county ; and James, born in 1853, married, and lives in Pierpont township.

EDWARD JAMES CLAGUE .- Eminently worthy of special mention in this volume is Edward James Clague, late of Leroy township, who spent his entire life in Lake county, enjoying the fullest confidence and esteem of his neigh- bors and associates. He was born, January 10, 1836, in Concord township, and died on his home farm, in Leroy township, May 20, 1909, his death being a cause of general regret.

Among the first Manxmen to settle in Lake county were Edward James Clague, Sr., and his wife, Letitia (Carlett) Clague, who were born on the Isle of Man, and emigrated to Ohio soon after their marriage. They lived first in Concord township, but in 1837 bought land adjoining the Clague homestead, and lived there nine years. In 1846 they removed to the present property of the Clague family, and there spent the remainder of their lives. Ed- ward J. Clague, Sr., was born March 17, 1804, and died November 21, 1864, while his wife, whose birth occurred August 20, 1808, sur- vived him, dying December 18, 1882. To them five children were born (who grew to maturity), as follows: Letitia, who married John Garrett, died at the age of fifty-seven years; Edward James, the special subject of this sketch; Margaret married Thomas Kis- sick, and died when sixty-two years old ; John, who was born October 1, 1843, and died Au- gust 7, 1892, in Painesville, was county re- corder at the time of his death; and Eliza, wife of Nathan Rogers, of Concord, Lake county.

A lad of ten years when his parents removed to the present homestead, Edward J. Clague remained at home until his marriage, obtain- ing a practical knowledge of the science of agriculture. He was subsequently employed on the Pennsylvania Railroad for several years, first as fireman, and later as engineer. Leav- ing the road to assume the management of the home farm, his father being in ill health, he cared for his parents until the death of his

father a year later, when he bought the inter- ests of the remaining heirs in the estate. Con- tinuing his agricultural labors, Mr. Clague met with gratifying results, and made marked im- provements on the place, rebuilding and en- larging the house, and otherwise adding to the value and attractiveness of the farm. He took great interest in local affairs, support- ing the principles of the Republican party, and served as school director several terms.

On October 4, 1866, Mr. Clague married Susan Rogers, who was born September 5. 1844. in Concord township. Her father, Thomas J. Rogers, a native of New Hamp- shire, came to Lake county, Ohio, as a young man, and spent the remainder of his forty- two years of earthly life in Concord township, where he improved a good farm. He mar- ried Lydia Hobart, who was born in New Hampshire and died in 1864 on the old home farm. They reared four children, namely : Adaline, who married Sheldon Olds : Perley- ette was the wife of Benjamin Winchell, and she died about 1894; Nathan ; and Susan, now Mrs. Clague. Mr. and Mrs. Clague became the parents of six children, namely: Emma, wife of George Gorman, of Perry township; Burton, of Cleveland, an employe of the Amer- ican Express Company; John, of Hudson, Ohio, is a farmer, and also a machinist in the Otis Steel Works ; Liddia married Nelson Vin- cent, of Michigan; Letitia, wife of William H. Kewish, superintendent of the Portland Ce- ment Company, in Richard City, Tennessee ; Harry, a student in the University of Michi- gan. Letitia is also finely educated, having been graduated from the Woman's College of the Western Reserve University with the Class of 1906.

JOHN B. HEISER. - Throughout nearly his entire life, John B. Heiser has been identified with the interests of Portage county. When he started out in life for himself, at the age of twenty-two years, he established his home just opposite his father's residence in Atwater township, and for fifteen years worked with three brothers at carriage manufacturing. But at the close of that period the brothers dis- continued business, although John B. Heiser still continued the manufacture of buggy rims there until the fall of 1907. At that date he came to the town of Atwater, erected his building and resumed the manufacture of buggy rims. He ships his products to the Hardware Supply Company at Akron, Ohio.

MR. AND MRS. EDWARD J. CLAGUE

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Mr. Heiser was born at Florida, in Defiance county, this state, May 19, 1861, a son of John C. and Elizabeth (Hull) Heiser, the mother a native of Mahoning county and the father of Germany, born in 1822. He was but two years of age when brought by his parents to Ohio, and after reaching, manhood's estate he learned the blacksmith's trade. In 1850 he came to Atwater, and he remained here until his death in 1893, his wife, born in 1827, surviving until the year of 1898. John B. Heiser was the last born of their five chil- dren, and he received a common and high school education. In August of 1884, when twenty-two years of age, he married Jennie Garrison, born in Deerfield township, and she died without issue in 1887. In September of 1889 he wedded Dena Parham, also from Deer- field township, a daughter of Hiram and Lyona (Kipler) Parham, and their only child is a daughter, Mildred, who was born in May of 1902. They also have an adopted daugh- ter, Vaughnie, born in May of 1895. Mr. Heiser is a member of the Methodist Epis- copal church at Yale, Ohio, and he is much interested in Sunday school work as a teacher, and has also served as the steward of his church. In politics he upholds the principles of the Republican party.

HARVEY BALDWIN was born in Bainbridge, Geauga county, Ohio, April 14, 1823, and he is a representative of a family who came to the Western Reserve from Danbury, Connecti- cut, as early as 1806. This western founder was his grandfather, Samuel Baldwin, who journeyed hither with a team of horses, cross- ing Lake Erie in the dead of winter on the ice, and locating first in Cleveland. Two years later, in 1808, he came to Aurora and bought about 400 acres of land in the township, in- cluding the property now the home of his grandson Harvey. He became prominently identified with much of the early history of this community, and reared a large family of sons, the eldest of whom, Smith Baldwin, served as the first sheriff of Cuyahoga county. Another of these sons, Harvey Baldwin, who became the father of the Harvey of this re- view, was born in Danbury, Connecticut, De- cember 31, 1796. While in Bainbridge, Geauga county, Ohio, about the year 1818, he married Laura Kent, born March 23, 1797, and they had four children-Laura Ann, Harvey, Phi- lander and Oscar O. The second wife of Harvey Baldwin was before marriage Lucinda

Brown, of Louisville, Kentucky, and there were four children also by this marriage- Ellen, Belle, Hester A. and Wesley.

Harvey Baldwin Jr., a son of Harvey and Laura Baldwin, attended school in Aurora when it was held in the old town house, and he also attended school in the town of Streets- boro. His father moved from Bainbridge to Aurora when he was but four years old, and after leaving school he worked on his father's farm here. He has served his township as a trustee, and in politics he is a Democratic voter. On the 23d of December, 18.47, in Au- rora, he was married to Emily Carver, born in this township November 8, 1823, a daughter of Chester and Annie (Eldridge) Carver, promi- nent old residents of the Western Reserve, where they were married about the year of 1818. Six daughters have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin, the eldest being Ella F., who was born September II, 1848, and on the Ist of September, 1874, in Aurora, she was married to E. R. Merrell, and the three sons of this union are Ernest Baldwin, Richard K. and Gilbert Harvey. Alice M., the second daughter, was born November 10, 1850, and married, on August 25. 1869, T. A. Gould, and their two children are, Lee Harvey, born December II, 1870, and Carrie Edna, born August 21, 1876. Carrie Estelle, the third daughter, was born June II, 1855, and died on the 21st of March, 1871. Hattie Eulalia, born August 24, 1858, married George W. Snyder June 10, 1906. Anna Laura, born July 23, 1860, married on the Ist of June, 1891, George F. Rehm, and their son, Vernon F., was born in Chicago, Illinois, April 9, 1893. Mr. Rehm died on the 17th of November. 1893, and on the 14th of November, 1899, she married James H. Nichols, who died on the 17th of November, 1908. Minnie Carver, the youngest of the six daughters, was born De- cember 17, 1862, married Frank H. Warren in January, 1885, and died in Chicago, Illinois, March 1, 1891.

JAMES W. COPELAND has long been identi- fied with the agricultural life of Portage county, where he and his son Roy now own a splendid and well improved estate of 200 acres in Charlestown township, but he is a native of Ireland, born on the 14th of February, 1842. He was but a youth of six years, however. when he came with his parents, John and Agnes (Wright) Copeland, to this country, arriving in New York on the 5th of Novem-

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ber, 1848. The father became a land owner in this country, owning an estate of 150 acres. and the son James remained in the parental home until his marriage, on the 3Ist of Octo- ber, 1865, to Susan Shalliday, and he then began for himself on fifty-two acres of land which he had purchased. Mr. and Mrs. Cope- land have become the parents of three sons and four daughters-Will, David, Bessie, Mary, Stella and Belle ( twins), and Roy ; but David, Stella and Belle are now deceased. The four living, children are married, the eld- est son, Will, living in Braceville, Trumbull county, Ohio, and Bessie, Mary and Roy are in Portage county. They also have six grand- children-Harold, James and Margery Curtis, and Eva, Waldo and Kenneth Copeland. The daughter Mary is now Mrs. W. H. Loomis.

In his political affiliations Mr. Copeland is a Republican, and he has held the office of justice of the peace for six years. He is a inember of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, a charter member of the Grange, and a member of and a deacon in the Congrega- tional church.

W. H. CONNOR, storekeeper for the Balti- more & Ohio Railroad shops at Painesville, is a native son of that city, and was born there March 30, 1867; he is the son of Mark Con- nor, a former employe of the same company. Mark Connor came from Long Island to Painesville about 1857 ; he was employed for several years by the Baltimore & Ohio Rail- road Company, formerly called Pittsburg & Western Railroad, serving as foreman in the maintenance of way department, supervisor of section men, etc., and at the time vessels were loaded and unloaded by hand, before the estab- lishing of the dock company, he was foreman of this work, then of considerable importance. For some years before his death he was em- ployed by the Painesville Gas Light & Coke Company. He died in 1888, at the age of fifty-eight. Mark Connor married . Elizabeth Nestor, of Hudson, New York; she was born in Ireland and was left an orphan at the age of eighteen, by the death of her father, who was a cattle drover, and while shipping to England he was killed in a wreck in that coun- try. Her mother had died a few days after reaching the United States. Three sisters were left, and Elizabeth lived with a family in Hud- son, New York. She afterwards' visited a sister who was married and had settled in Painesville, and was there married, having for-

merly met her husband in New York. She saw, when a girl, the first train to run on the track of the New York Central Railroad. She has been living at the same location for fifty years. Mark and Elizabeth (Nestor) Connor became the parents of ten children, of whom nine are living.

W. H. Connor as a boy attended the public and Catholic schools, and at the age of thir- teen entered the employ of the nursery firm of Storrs & Harrison Company, remaining with them for seven years. He then spent some time in the employ of Hill Clutch Com- pany, manufacturers of a friction clutch, in the capacity of assistant superintendent of their works. For the past ten years Mr. Con- nor has been identified with railroads, begin- ning at Alleghany with the Pittsburg & West- ern road. Since September 1, 1904, he has been a resident of Painesville, identified with the Baltimore & Ohio road, of which he is now storekeeper, having three assistants in his office and ten outside men to handle material. The stock in his charge sometimes amounts to $88,000, and in one month he has issued as much as $44,000 worth of material, mostly for the use of the Painesville shops.

Mr. Connor takes a keen interest in public affairs, and in 1905 was the registered nomi- nee of the Democratic party for the office of county clerk, though the Republican sentiment in the county overbore him. He is a member of the Democratic county central committee, of which he was at one time secretary, and he is secretary of the central committee of Lake County Law Enforcement Association. He spent considerable time and energy to carry the county for the cause of temperance ; the great efforts put forth in this direction have resulted in great benefit for the railroad em- ployes, as well as many others. He is a mem- ber of St. Mary's Catholic church. Frater- nally he is a member of the Knights of Colum- bus, of which he is deputy grand knight. Mr. Connor married, November 22, 1905. Anna Gaffney, of Painesville, and they are the par- ents of two children, Gertrude and Mark.

WILLIS A. CARLTON .- Possessing a thor- ough knowledge of his chosen occupation, and carrying it on with both pleasure and profit, Willis A. Carlton is one of the foremost agri- culturists of Lafayette township. Medina county. His farm, which is finely located, is highly improved, and has a substantial dwell- ing house, two good barns, and is well

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equipped with all the necessary modern ma- chinery and appliances for successfully carry- ing on his chosen work. A son of the late William A. Carlton, he was born August I, 1861, on the farm where he now resides, com- ing. from thrifty New England ancestors, the founder of the Carlton family having settled in New England on coming to this country.

Solomon Carlton, grandfather of Willis A., was born, in November, 1773, in Groton, Massachusetts, and there spent the early part of his life. About 1804 or 1805 he moved to Saint Lawrence county, New York, but not liking that part of the country remained there a comparatively short time. Coming in 1827 to Portage county, Ohio, he took up a tract of timbered land, erected a log house in the woods, and, having cleared a part of his pur- chase, was there employed in tilling the soil until his death, June 13, 1856. He married Nabby Haven, also a native of Groton, Massa- chusetts, and they reared five children-Solo- mon, Eri, William A., Rebecca and Betsy.

William A. Carlton was born February 7, 1812, near Santa Cruz, on an island in the St. Lawrence river, which was Canadian soil, and was a lad of about fifteen when they came to Ohio. He was a sturdy lad, and did his full share of cutting down the huge giants of the forest and assisting his parents in establishing. a home in the wilds. In 1834 he bought 108 acres of forest-covered land in Lafayette town- ship, Medina county, paying three dollars and seventy-five cents an acre. The ensuing winter he cleared seven acres of the timber, which he planted in corn, in the meantime keeping bach- elor's hall, an irksome and unsatisfactory way of living. Taking unto himself a wife, there- fore, he continued his labors, improving a good homestead, on which he resided until his death, January 20, 1899. He married, November II, 1836, one of his old schoolmates, Lydia A. Thomas, who was born in Adams township. Jefferson county, Ohio, a daughter of Benajah C. and Nabby (Sanger) Thomas, both natives of Connecticut, his birth having occurred in Roxbury, and hers in Norwich, the Thomas family being of Welsh descent, and the San- gers of French origin. She was one of a fam- ily of twelve children-eight sons and four daughters-eleven of whom grew to years of maturity. Mrs. William A. Carlton died March 4. 1885, fourteen years before the death of her husband. Their union was blessed by the birth of eleven children, as follows: Celia N. died in August, 1899; William E., living

in Chatham township; Charles A. died in the twenty-eighth year of his age, September I, 1870; Franklin H. died January 9, 1885 ; Mary L., wife of I. W. Gates, of Lodi; George W., a farmer in Lafayette township ; Julius C., also a farmer in Lafayette township; Eli S., en- gaged in agricultural pursuits, also of Lafay-, ette township; Marvin A., living in Chatham township; Lydia A. died at the age of three months; and Willis A., the subject of this sketch.

The youngest member of the parental house- hold, Willis A. Carlton received his elementary education in the district school, after which he attended high school one term. He subse- quently taught school one winter, but at the death of his father turned his attention en- tirely to agriculture, buying out the interest of the remaining heirs in the home farm, which consists of 141 acres of choice land. Here Mr. Carlton is pursuing, his independent occu- pation successfully, making a specialty of growing sheep for their wool, and likewise for market, producing a superior quality of mut- ton.

Mr. Carlton married, in 1886, Zildia Eaken, of Lafayette township, a daughter of Abraham H. and Anna E. (Smith) Eaken. Six chil- dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Carlton, namely : C. Wayne : Jesse L., died in infancy ; Letha Annitta : Lillian A .; Clayton Howard ; Floyd Hiram ; and Clarence Ward, who died in . infancy. Mrs. Zildia Carlton died Febru- ary 9, 1901, leaving an unblemished record as a devoted wife and mother, a sincere friend, and a conscientious member of the United Brethren church. Mr. Carlton married second, February 14, 1904, Ella I. Knepper, of West- field township, Medina county, a daughter of George and Alice (Harrington) Knepper, and they have two children, Forest Wayland Carl- ton and Genevieve Elizabetlı.

WILLIAM DECKER .- A farmer of well- known ability, William Decker, of Henrietta township, Lorain county, has had an extended experience in agricultural pursuits, and may well be considered an authority on this par- ticular branch of industry. Born, August 20. 1875, on the farm where he now resides, he has performed his full share in bringing the estate to its present state of good cultivation, and is now reaping profitable harvests each season.

His father, Emanuel Decker, was born in 1837, in Wurtemberg, Germany, and at the age

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of ten years came with his parents to this coun- try, and for a number of years resided in Brighton, Ohio, where he learned the trade of a wagon maker. At the age of twenty years he bought a tract of timbered land in Henri- etta township, and immediately began the pio- neer labor of redeeming a homestead from the wilderness. Hopeful, courageous and perse- vering, he cleared a large part of the land, made improvements of value, and here lived, a trustworthy and respected citizen, until his death. He married Elizabeth Winger, who was born in 1842, in Switzerland, and came with her parents to Henrietta township, Lo- rain county, in 1868. Six children blessed their union, namely: Frederick, born in 1872 ; Bertha, born in 1873; William, the subject of this brief biographical sketch; Charles, born May 15, 1877, died in November, 1898; Lydia, born February 15. 1880, died October 25, 1895 ; and Lewis Arthur, born September 10, 1883.

Succeeding to the ownership of the parental farm, William Decker is managing it with characteristic enterprise and success. He has continued the improvements already begun, each year adding to the value of his property. Faithfully performing his obligations as a loyal citizen, he has filled various official posi- tions, having served as constable of the town- ship, and for ten years being road supervisor. Politically he is identified with the Republican party, and fraternally he belongs to the Hen- rietta Grange. Religiously he is a consistent member of the German Methodist church.

GEORGE REICHARD BYERS stands at the head of a large industrial enterprise in Ravenna, and has built up a fine trade in the carriage busi- ness. His large repository, thirty by fifty fect in dimensions, was erected in 1891, and he keeps it constantly stocked with a large and well selected line of buggies and carriages.

Mr. Byers was born in Milton township, Mahoning county, Ohio, August 4, 1847, a son of Frederick and Anna ( Reichard) Byers, who were born in Guilford township, Frank- lin county, Pennsylvania, and he is a grand- son of Frederick Byers, also from Franklin county, and of John Reichard. Mr. Byers continued on at the home farm until after the death of both his parents, attending both the district schools, and after his father's death he purchased, with his brother John, the old Byers farm and followed general farming and stock raising. In 1895 he also bought three acres of land just south of Ravenna, and thereon he built his home in 1897, and in the

same year entered upon his successful career as a retail dealer in buggies. Previously, in 1891, his health had become so impaired that it was necessary to abandon the work of the farm, and he accordingly engaged in his pres- ent line of work. He has also been a school director.

WILLIS J. BECKLEY .- Within the pages of this compilation will be found specific mention of citizens who stand representative in the various spheres of endeavor which touch the welfare and designate the civic status of the various communities of the fine old Western Reserve. One who has here attained to marked precedence as a member of the bar of Portage county and who is engaged in the active practice of his profession in his native city is Willis J. Beckley, known as one of the representative citizens of Ravenna.

Willis John Beckley was born in Ravenna on the 6th of October, 1866, and is a scion, in the third generation, of a pioneer family whose name is honorably and prominently linked with the annals of Portage county. His father, Charles A. Beckley, likewise was a native of Ravenna, where he was born in the year 1844, and he was a son of Albert W. and Sarah (Root) Beckley, the former of whom was born in Berlin, Connecticut, and the latter of whom was a native of Rootstown, Ohio. In 1837 Albert W. Beckley came from Connecticut to Ohio and took up his resi- dence in Ravenna, where he entered the em- ploy of Cyrus Prentice, who was one of the prominent pioneer merchants of this section of the Western Reserve. In 1855 Mr. Beck- ley purchased the store and hardware busi- ness of his employer, and he became one of the leading business men and influential citi- zens of Portage county. He continued to be identified with the general merchandise busi- ness in Ravenna for nearly two score of years and up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1889.

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History of the Western Reserve, Vol. II, Part 94

Author: Upton, Harriet Taylor; Cutler, Harry Gardner, 1856- Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Chicago ; New York : The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 886

Author: Upton, Harriet Taylor; Cutler, Harry Gardner, 1856-
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago ; New York : The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 886