USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > Memorial record of the county of Cuyahoga and city of Cleveland, Ohio, Pt.1 > Part 37
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II. T. Sandford was married in St. Paul, Minnesota, May 12, 1888, to Miss Pease, daughter of ex-Senator Pease, formerly of Mississippi but nowof Dakota. Mr. and Mrs. Sandford have two children, Robert L. and Taylor.
W ILLIAM M. GOBEILLE, a pattern manufacturer of Cleveland, was born March 12, 1859, in Dutchess county, New York. Until sixteen years of age he at- tended school during the winter session only, in the country district where his father resided. In 1875 he entered the Albany high school, and during his course as a student took prizes
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for excellence in mathematics and spelling, and graduated in the first classical division in June, 1879. In October of the same year he came to Cleveland and learned pattern-making.
In February, 1881, Mr. Gobeille formed a partnership with his brother, J. L., under the firm name of Gobeille and Brother, and opened a pattern establishment. In 1889 the business was sold to a stock company, William M. Go- beille retiring from the concern. One year later he opened an independent place of busi- ness and is now conducting it successfully.
In September, 1887, Mr. Gobeille married Miss Nettie B., a daughter of ITugh LeFevre, of the Mercantile Bank, and their children are: Addie May, deceased; Joseph Willis and Wm. Il ugh.
Politically Mr. Gobeille is a Republican, and religionsly an earnest member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was one of the first members of the Epworth League, and during the first three years of its existence was Vice President and Secretary, and was elected Presi- dent of the Cleveland League.
ILLIAM P. STACK, passenger con- duetor, came to the United States in 1856, locating in Syraense, New York, where he was engaged in various occupations for a time. Ile found employment in the fa- mons Syracuse Salt Works, and just before his departure for Ohio drove team near Oneida lake two years. In 1863 he came to Cleveland, and October 29th of that year began his railroad ca- reer. Two years afterward he secured the po- sition of brakeman, in 1872 was promoted as freight conductor, and since 1888 has been engaged in the passenger service. During his many years of railroad life he has never been absent from duty more than one week.
In July, 1867, Mr. Stack was united in mar- riage with Miss Annie, a daughter of M. Kelley. They have had two children, both now do- ceased, and one died in infancy. Mary departed
this life in December, 1887, and at the age of eighteen years and nine months. She would have soon completed her education at the Ursu- line Convent of Cleveland. Iler earthly chair is vacant, but she has merely passed over the river, and is waiting beyond.
(AMES F. RICHIMOND, conductor on the New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio Rail- road, was born at Columbia, Cuyahoga conn- ty, June 10, 1861, a son of L. A. Richmond, who was born in the Richmond settlement of Cuya- hoga connty, about 1824. That settlement is one of the oldest in the county, having been started carly in the present century, presumably by Levi Richmond, the grandfather of James F. Ile made his settlement in the dense for- est, beginning immediately to clear a farm. Ilis children and grandchildren have continued the work, and have made the name a synonym for honorable conduct and honest dealing. L. A. Richmond was a condnetor, and twenty-six years of his life was spent as an employe of the Lake Shore Company. During the last ten years of that time he was depot master at To- ledo, Ohio. Mr. Richmond spent four and a half years in the Federal army, was a gallant soldier, and laid down his arms only when there were no more enemies to vanquish. He was accidentally killed in 1876. The mother of James F. was a danghter of J. R. Ruple, who also resided in the Richmond settlement. Mr. and Mrs. Richmond had three children: W. E., an engineer on the Chieago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, and a resident of Minneapolis, Minnesota; Lizzie, wife of P. C. Christiers, a tobacco dealer of Cleveland; and James, whose name heads this notice.
J. F. Richmond moved with his father to the Forest City, where he passed his childhood days, and prepared himself for the stern duties of lifo. He afterward became a stationary en- gineer, but, not caring to follow that ocenpa-
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tion, secured the position of brakeman on the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad. Soon afterward he was promoted conductor. Mr. Richmond also demonstrates unusual talent as an artist. He has yielded to an innate desire to paint objects and scenes which impress him most, and has developed several pictures which would do justice to a pupil of several years' training under a master.
In August, 1885, he was united in marriage with Mary Eakin, a native of Mechanicsville, Pennsylvania, and a daughter of D. M. Eakin, who was a farmer by occupation. Mr. and Mrs. Richmond have three children: Nellie, Vietor and James. In his social relations, Mr. Richmond is a member of the O. R. C, the American Mechanics, and is a Master Mason, being a member of Haleyon Lodge.
ACOB FLICK, one of the prominent citi- zens of Bedford, Ohio, was born in Ven- ango county, Pennsylvania, at Franklin, January 23, 1818. Ilis father was Jacob Flick, Sr., born in Virginia, a son of Daniel Flick, who was a native of Pennsylvania. Jacob Flick, Sr., married Miss Ellen Losey, who was born, reared and educated in New Jersey. The Flick family came in 1826 to Canfield, Mahoning county, Ohio, and later the parents moved to White county, Illinois, where the father died, at ninety years of age, and the mother at eighty- two. They reared eleven children, five of whom are now living, two sons and three daughters.
Mr. Jacob Flick, whose name heads this sketch, grew up at Canfield, Ohio, learned from his father the trades of shoemaking and carpen- try, and in 1835 came to Cuyahoga county and ran a sawmill for some years. Later he settled on a farm near Bedford. As a business man he has been successful, and in 1881 he located in the village and retired from active life. He has a fine home and is surrounded by every comfort.
Mr. Flick has been married three times. Ilis first marriage was at Newburg, Ohio, to Mary Louisa Marks, a lady of intelligence and good family, born at Newburg. Her father was Nerimah Marks, who came from Connectient in 1822. By this marriage Mr. Flick has six children, viz .: Honorable W. Il. II., of Mar- tinsburg, West Virginia, a Prosecuting- Attor- ney and ex-member of the Legislature, was ap- pointed by President Arthur as United States District Attorney; Clara R., wife of Honorable V. A. Taylor, of Bedford; N. Flick, an attor- ney of Cleveland; Z. T., of Bedford, Ohio; John A., of Ravenna, Ohio, a prominent manu- facturer and ex-attorney; Cyrus P., an attorney of Wheeling, West Virginia. Mrs. Louisa Marks Flick died in 1886. Mr. Flick's second marriage was to Mrs. Amelia A. Streeter, widow of Dr. Streeter, of Bedford: she died in 1888. Ifis third marriage was in 1889, when he wedded Mrs. Georgia S. Smith, widow of Will- iam Smith. Her first husband was John T. Mellhenny, an able editor of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, proprietor and editor of the Gettysburg Star. Mrs. Flick's maiden naine was Georgie S. McCreary. She was born in 1838, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as a dangh- ter of David and Anna R. (Flohr) McCreary. Mrs. Flick, by her first husband, has two sons, -David MeIlhenny, of Cleveland, and Hugh Mellhenny, of Ravenna, Ohio. Mr. Flick gave to his children the advantages of good schools, and they are all well educated.
Mr. Flick has served as Treasurer of the School Board. He is a Republican in polities, and a member of the Disciple Church, in which he has held the office of Elder for forty years. Mrs. Flick is a Presbyterian.
AMES B. COX was born at Goshen, Co- Inmbiana county, Ohio, December 17, 1819. He is a son of Thomas Cox, a pio- neer of the above county, who was born in New Jersey, a son of William Cox. The mother of James B. was Mary Brown, also a native of
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New Jersey, and a danghter of Richard Brown, a native of the same Stato. In 1833 Mr. Cox's family settled in Cuyahoga county, about two miles south of Bedford. At this time the sub- ject of this sketch was a lad of fourteen years. Ile is the only surviving member of a family of seven sons and six daughters. Tho following are the names of these children: John, Eliza- beth, Richard, Mary, Ann, William, Delila, Hannah, Thomas, Sylvanus, Phebe, James B. and Martin. The mother of these children died October 21, 1847, and November 18, 1852, the father died. Ile was a farmer, cooper and shoe- maker. In politics he was a Whig, and in church faith a Methodist.
James B. Cox, the immediate subject of this sketeh, attended the old log schoolhouse and gained the rudiments of a common-school edu- cation. He has done much work in the clear- ing away of the forests and the development of farm lands, having helped to elcar five farms. In early life he went to Washington county, Wisconsin, thirty miles north of Milwaukee, and there he cleared a farm upon which he lived for ten years. IIc then sold out and re- turned to Bedford and located on a farm near by. In 1882 he removed to Bedford, where he owns three good houses.
Mr. Cox was married, in 1841, to Miss Adelia W. Wells, the first white child born at Solon, Cuyahoga county. Her parents were Oliver and Abigail Wells, early settlers of Cuyahoga county. Mr. and Mrs. Cox have five children, viz .: Elnora Gertrude, who was a successful teacher for thirty-eight terms: she is the de- ecased wile of Edgar Tenant, having died April 15, 1884, at Grand Rapids, Wisconsin; Mary, the second of these children, is the wife of N. N. Norton, of Michigan; Allison A., a citizen of Michigan; Frank J., a traveling man, of Chi- cago; and Emma Adelia, the wife of D. W. Jones, of Newburg.
Mrs. Cox, the mother of these children, passed away in death September 22, 1882, a worthy member of the Disciple Church, a faith- ful wife and a devoted mother.
In politics Mr. Cox is a Republican. Upon the breaking out of the Civil war he offered his services as a soldier, but was rejected because of his advanced age. Ile is an active member of the Disciple Church and three of his five chil- dren have been snecessful teachers, which is in- dieative of the fact that he has appreciated the importance of oducating his own and others' children. One of his daughters, Emma A., was a very successful music teacher.
Mr. Cox is a representative and respected citizen, esteemod by a wide acquaintance as a man of high integrity.
JOIIN F. LAHIFF, passenger conductor on the Cleveland, Cineinnati, Chicago & St. Lonis Railroad, was born in Win- sted, Connectient, June 1, 1851, a son of John Lahiff, also a native of that State. Ile followed agricultural pursuits in Connecticut until 1855, and then located at LaGrange, Ohio, where he died in 1856, at the age of forty-eight years. The nationality of the Lahiff family is Irish, but they have probably resided in this country since the Colonial period. The mother of the subject of this sketch, nee Catherine Lahey, was of Irish extraction. Mr. and Mrs. John Lahiff had three children: John F., Jo- sephine and Thomas.
John F., the subject of this sketch, remained on the farm nntil fourteen years of age, and then found it necessary to work for his own support. Hle accepted almost any legitimate employment he could find, but received nothing permanent nntil 1872, when ho was given the position of brakeman on the railroad. Ile worked on the road almost a decade before be- ing promoted to his present position. Mr. Lahiff has ever been constant and faithful, and takes a deep interest in the welfare of his fellow. citizens, among whom he is deservedly popular, as is evidenced by his election to the office of Chief Conductor of the O. R. C. He was also
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' chairman of the General Grievance Committee for the Big Four System four years, and he is a member of the K. of P., Lake Shore Lodge, No. 6.
Mr. Lahiff was married in this city, in 1878, to Miss Ilelen, a daughter of Morris Ritchie, a blacksmith of Berea, Ohio.
S N. PENNELL, a worthy representative of a prominent family of Mahoning county, Ohio, and a popular passenger conductor on the Erie Railroad, was born in Austintown, that county, December 26, 1850. Ilis father, J. J. Pennell, was the owner of the farm on which West Austintown is located, and on which the Pennell coal bank was opened by Andrews brothers, of Youngstown. IIe emi- grated to Mahoning county in 1827, from Greenville, Pennsylvania, where he was born in 1818. On coming to this State he was a boy with limited means, and his early history would develop a long and energetic struggle for suprem- aey over poverty. Ilis characteristic ambition made him successful, and he lived to enjoy a competency sufficient as a reward of honest toil. Ile died in March, 1886. The paternal grand- father of our subject, Robert Pennell, was born in Ireland and emigrated to free and promising America about the beginning of the eighteenth century and established himself in Pennsylva- nia, presumably near or at Greenville. Mr. J. J. Pennell married, in Trumbull county, Ohio, Miss Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel Hood, of Ohltown, and their children were six in num- ber, namely: Louisa, wife of Thomas Gallen, of Cleveland; James, a farmer of West Austin- town, Ohio; William, of the same township; S. N., our subject; Thomas J., agent of the Michigan Central Railroad Company at Warren, Michigan; and Nannie, who married Eli Ebert, an Austintown farmer.
Mr. S. N. Pennell secured a country-school training during the winter months of his youth-
ful service as a farmer. He left the uneventful, uninteresting life on the farm in 1870 and began railroading on the Niles & New Lisbon branch of the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Rail- road, as a brakeman. After some months' service he was transferred to the Youngstown yards in the same capacity, seenring in time the appointment as train baggemaster, where he re- mained four years. He received a deserved promotion in 1881, being made a freight con- ductor, and continued in this relation five years, or till 1886, since which time he has been in the passenger service, moving his family to Cleveland in May, 1888.
Mr. Pennell was married in Canfield, Ohio, October 3, 1871, to Miss Annie, daughter of William Brooks, deceased, once a Canfield jeweler. Ile was born in Pennsylvania, and came to Ohio in 1824. Hle married Miss Rachel, daughter of Cornelius Tomson, of Aus- tintown.
Mr. Brooks died at the age of forty six years. Mr. and Mrs. Pennell have two children: Flora, born in 1874; and George, in 1880.
Mr. Pennell is a member of the O. R. C .; of Bigclow Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and of the K. of P.
A C. KEESLER, who is engaged in general farming and stock-raising in Mayfield township, Cuyahoga county, Ohio, was born in the house in which he now lives December 13, 1857.
Ilis father, C. Keesler, was born in Seneca county, New York, March 30, 1811, and in 1816 came with his father, Peter Keesler, to Cuya- loga county, Ohio. Peter Keesler was born on the Mohawk river, in New York, and was of German descent. The mother of our subjeet, nee Wealtha A. Eggleston, was born at Marcel- lus, Onondaga county, New York, April 17, 1816. Her father, Richard Eggleston, a native of Connectient, had gone with his parents to
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New York when . he was thirteen years of age. The parents of A. C. Keesler were married in Mayfield township, this county, March 25, 1841, and after thoir marriage began housekeeping in a little log honse on the farm on which she still lives. They devoted their energies to the im- provement of this place, and as the yoars passed by developed a fine home and farm. He died here Marel: 31, 1864. In all the local affairs of the community he took an active part. For several years he served as School Director of his district. Politically he was a Democrat. They had a family of nine children, threo of whom died in infancy. The others are as fol- lows: ITiram C., of Mayfield; Peter O., de- ceased; Andrew J., Mayfield; William M., Idalio; Omer P., Cleveland; and A. C., the subject of our sketch. The names of tho de- ceased are Ilellen J., Martha C. and Ann O.
A. C. Keesler was married January 26, 1887, to Ella E. Willson, youngest daughter of Gen- eral Frederick F. and Eliza (Henderson) Will- son. Sho was born in the township in which she now lives, January 14, 1859. They have an only child, Hellen E.
Politically, Mr. Keesler is a Democrat.
M L. FOUTS .-- One of the oldest railroad men in point of experience in Cleve- land is M. L. Fouts, general agent of the passenger department of the New York, Lake Erie & Western Railroad Company. ITe was born in this city April 4, 1837, was graduated at its high school at tho age of eight- een, and at Bryant, Stratton & Folsom's Com- mercial College the next year, thus laying the foundation for that career of success which has followed him through life and which will be a monument to his invincible ambition and eease- less industry when he is retired to private life.
Mr. Fonts' first permanent employment on taking life's stern realities wasa clerkship in the freight office of the Cleveland & Mahoning
Railroad Company in 1858. He was soon mado cashier of the local freight office, and when he had completed a term of service in that capacity went upon the road as passenger conductor of the Cleveland & Mahoning Railroad, remaining in the train service one year. In 1862 he was made joint depot and ticket agent of the Atlan- tic & Great Western, the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis and Lake Shoro Rail- roads, the office then being located on Scranton avenne at the junction of all the tracks. In that position, with the addition of the ticket ageney of the Now York, Pennsylvania & Ohio, Mr. Fonts remained twenty-eight years, or until October, 1890, when he was promoted to the general agency of the passenger department, where he is rendering invalnable service as a manipulator of passenger traffic and as a sue- cessful competitor for new business.
Mr. Fouts is a son of Jacob Fouts, who came to Cleveland in 1827 from Philadelphia, Penn- sylvania, where he went for the purpose of completing an apprenticeship in mechanical engineering and architecture. Ile came to Cleveland a mastor builder, and in his day erected many good buildings in this city. Ile made that his life work, and was a resident here until his death in 1871, at the age of sixty-four years. His birth occurred in Jefferson county, Ohio. His father, Henry Fonts, a farmer, emi- grated from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1820 and setttled in Jefferson county. Tradition teaches that this was one of Baltimore's early families, certainly ante-Revolutionary, but no record ex- ists that any of them ever served in the war for independence.
While in Philadelphia Jacob Fonts met Har- riet E. Cleekner, whom he married. She was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and was a daughter of William Cleekner. The childron of this union now living are: Mrs. M. A. Bacon, of Cleveland; M. L. Fonte; Henry C., in New York city; William A., a carpenter of Clevo- land; Frank, in Brooklyn, New York; and Mrs. Hattio E. Ketchum, of New York city. June 17, 1862, M. L. Fouts married, in
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Cleveland, Aura M., a daughter of Sandford La- throp, who settled in Ashtabula county, Ohio, from Vermont in 1820, and in 1848 came to Cleveland. Ile was a merchant by ocenpation, and died in 1850, aged fifty years.
One child has been born in the family of Mr. and Mrs. Fonts, George E., February 28, 1864. Hlo graduated at the Cleveland high school at eighteen, spent two years in Adelbert Collego, expecting to choose some profession, but recon- sidered his decision and followed in the footsteps of his father. He became a clerk in the Erie ticket office in 1883, and remained so until October, 1890, when ho succeeded his father as joint agent of the " Big Four," Lake Shore & Michigan Sonthern and New York, Pennsylva- nia & Ohio railroads, having charge of both of- fices. September 14, 1893, he married Agnes Intje, an orphan lady of Cleveland, six years her husband's junior.
M. L. Fonts was a member of the City Pass- enger Agents' Association, and for some years was treasurer of the Mahoning Mutual Benefit Association.
A SAHEL SAWYER, familiarly known as "Asy" Sawyer, is one of the most prominent figures among the operatives of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad. October 17, 1863, is the date of his first coming into the service of the company, which was as locomotive fireman, his first engineers being Allen Cook and Austin Gnr- ner. February 1, 1867, he was promoted from the engine of Henry Goff. Then he did yard service about two years, and next went upon the road in the freight service. In 1891 he was assigned to duty in the passenger service, where he has ever since remained.
Mr. Sawyer is a native of the okl Bay State, born in Northfield, November 19, 1843, a son of Asahel Sawyer, Sr., a farmer, who was born in the same locality in 1795, was a political leader in his county, and was frequently chosen
to serve the publie in official capacities, which he did most creditably. Ilis death occurred in 1881. The founder of this family in New Eng- land was Ebenezer Sawyer, an English immi- grant who fonnd his way hither probably during Colonial times, or about tho Revolutionary period. The maiden name of the mother of our subject was Hannah Stratton, and she was a representativo of an old New England house- hold, her tenth and last child being Asahel, the subject of this notice. The other children were: Ilarris, of Montagne, Massachusetts; Elvira, who married a Mr. Morgan, now deceased; Lucy, wife of Elisha Stratton, of Northfield; Martha W., now Mrs. Alexander, of Springfield, Massachusetts; Albert, a retired machinist of Fiteliburg; Ellen, the wife of Edwin Stratton, of Greenfield, Massaclinsetts; and the remain- ing three are deceased.
The opening of hostilities between the North and the South and the calling for troops by President Lincoln, fonud Mr. Sawyer ready to do a loyal citizen's part in putting down seces- sion and its corollary, rebellion. He enlisted in Company F, Fifty-second Massachusetts In- fantry, which was mnstered in at Greenfield, that State, and at once boarded transports at New York city for the South. Disembarking at Baton Rouge, Lonisiana, the men remained stationed there during their entire time of en- listment. Mr. Sawyer was a participant in the bloody fight at Port Hudson, on the Mississippi river, and in many other scrimmages on the several campaigns about eentral Louisiana. IIe was mastered ont on the seene of his first inns- ter, perfeeted his arrangements and at once eame to Ohio.
IIe is a member of the B. of L. E., and has been quite prominent in the deliberations of that body: for a number of years he was Chief of tho local division, and for sixteen years served as secretary of the Brotherhood lu- snrance. ITis division has been honored by his boing a delegate to their national convention, which was held at San Francisco in 1883, where he represented a great portion of our north-
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western country. His journey there and back was a source of much mental and physical profit.
September, 1865, is the date of his marriage to Miss Delia E., a daughter of Dwight and Asenath Morgan, of Gill, Massachusetts. They have had but one child, Leroy E., born in 1880 and died in 1886.
C. NEWMAN, of Cleveland, Ohio, is a finishing contractor and manufacturer of finishings in this city, and is a business man of an excellent reputation; and his success in business has been due to his untiring energy, his enterprise and push in business, together with manifest integrity and fair dealing with those with whom he comes in business contact. When ten years of age he accepted employment with Mr. W. S. White, a builder of Cleveland, for the purpose of learning the trade of builder. With Mr. White he remained for a period of ten years, during which he was very active in his work, and by a close application of his time he not only succeeded in thoroughly mastering his trade in all its phases but also succeeded in gaining a favorable acquaintance in the city, and also by frugality and commendable ceconomy he was enabled to lay up capital enough to begin on a small seale business for himself.
In 1883 he opened an establishment on ITiekox street, and from that time to this date Mr. Newman has enjoyed a constantly in- creasing and successful business. Ile has taken some of the most important contracts for finish- ing work done in Cleveland, and has manufac- tured a very great deal of finishing material. He furnishes employment to a considerable member of men, and his business is such as renders him a well-known man among the con- tractors, builders and carpenters of the city. lle is a prominent member of the Employing Carpenters' Association, and sustains other im- portant relations in the social and business world.
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