USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > Memorial record of the county of Cuyahoga and city of Cleveland, Ohio, Pt.1 > Part 41
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In 1874 he with others built the V. Swain at a cost of $70,000. Since that time he and others have built a number of steamers, among
the last of which are the Horace A. Tuttle, IIenry J. Johnson and Geo. Presley. In over twenty vessels has Captain Johnson been in- terested.
He began the life of a sailor shipping before the mast, and rapidly rose to the position of master. He has, by taet, energy and good busi- ness management become a man of large means and influence. The first vessel in which Cap- tain Johnson was ever interested was known as the William Case, which he manned for three years, Unt at the present time he has no interest in any vessel other than the H. J. Johnson, the Swain, the steamer Business, and the schooners Helvetia and Minnehaha, in all of which he has controlling interest.
Besides being interested in vessels Captain Johnson has invested in real estate to a consid- erable extent, taking considerable pride in Cleve- land property. He has built a number of resi- dences, tenement blocks, etc. His interests are divided between lake vessels and real estate.
In 1870 he was married to Miss Anna, daughter of Alexander Campbell, of the West Side. The following are the children of Mr. and Mrs. Johnson: Henriette, wife of Clarence Cobbs, shipbroker of Cleveland; Elwell, a sailor; Russell; Anna; Winfield; Everett and Leslie, twins; and Alexander.
The family are of the Congregational church faith. In politics Captain Johnson has always remained a Republican, but in public affairs he has taken no activo part.
H ENRY BOTTEN, chief of the West Side pumping station, and an old resi- dent of Cleveland, was born in London, England, May 21, 1836, and the same year was brought to this city by his father, Will- iam Botten, who was engaged in gardening here, and died in 1843, aged forty-four years. Ilis widow, nee Charlotte Price, afterward married William Farrar. William Botten's children were Henry and Charles W., both now of Cleve- land.
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Henry Botten, whose name introdnees this brief sketch, was only sparingly educated, being forced at an early age to contribute to the family income. His first employer was Philo Scovill, for whom he worked seven years ; . then in succession he was employed as follows: At the Cuyahoga Works as an apprentice at machinery work for three years; engineer at the Northern Ohio Lunatic Asylum two years; Big Four railroad shops at Galion, Ohio, about four years; Cuyahoga shops again for half a year; then in the shops of the Cleveland, Co- himbns & Cincinnati Railroad; next six months in the shops New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad, at that time called the Mahoning shops; then he was employed in the Cleveland & Pittsburg shops, where he had charge of a gang of machinists, in 1866; in the fall of that year he and his brother Charles purchased a brewery in Newburg (now South Cleveland), which they ran nearly two years, and sold out; next the subject of this sketeh began work for the Cleveland Rolling Mill Company, where for seventeen years he had charge of machinery and boilers in the plate and sheet department. In 1885 he entered the employ of the city as assist- ant engineer, and in 1888 became chief of the West Side station.
In August, 1861, Mr. Botten married Mary Ann Quayle, daughter of John Quayle, a Manx- man, and the children by this marriage are: Edward C., eity editor of the Leader; William, a tinner; Harry II , a dentist; Aliee M., Lucy Quayle and Riehard Price.
T THOMAS DUFFIN, railroad engineer, was born in county Wexford, Ireland, in 1840. Upon coming to this city in 1867 he proceeded to apply himself to shoe- making, a trade which he had put himself in possession of in the mother country. But life was monotonons, uneventful and not specially profitable on the bench, and he decided to co- gage in railroading. He was employed by tl.o
Cleveland & Pittsburg Company as yard brake- man, and two years later was made yard cou- dnetor. The same year he was in the employ of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Com- pany, a brief period. He returned to this com- pany as general utility man and in a short time began firing. In ten years he was promoted to be engineer, since which time he has been a knight of the throttle and is one of the faithful and reliable men in the employ of the company. Hle was Second Engineer of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, and was First President of Branch Fifteen of the C. M. B. A. and Grand Secretary of the order of the I. A. Legion two years. IIe is also a member of the Knights of St. John. He visited his native land in 1889 and made something of a tour of the island, sight-seeing.
Mr. Duffin is a son of Richard Duffin, who was in the employ of the English Goverment as Superintendent of Drainage. His wife, whose name before marriage was Miss Potts, has borne him eight children, four of whom are in this country, namely; James, William, Thomas and Bessie. Mr. Thomas Duffin was married the day he left Ireland for America, January 10, 1867, to Mary Whalen. Their children are: Richard, firing for his father; Mary Ellen, deceased; Mary Ellen (second); John, deceased; John Thomas; Margaret and Teresa, twins; and Bessio.
JOIIN JOYCE, a gentleman who has spent nearly an average lifetime in the service of the "Big Four" Railroad Company and more than half of this time as night man in whatever position he happened to be serving, is at present yard master and next in line by pro- motion to the position of general yard master. At twelve years old he quit school and went to work on the road, as per agreement with the company at his fathers' death, to give the boys work as soon as they could do ereditable service. Entering in 1865 for the " Big Four" Railroad Company as flagman and brakeman, he came up
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through the positions of yard conductor and yard- master for the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad Company, being in their employ ten years. He entered the service of the " Big Fonr" in the lower rank and advanced by meritorious service to assistant general yard master, receiving the last named appointment in 1889.
During all these years of continnons service Mr. Joyce has met with only one accident of any degree of seriousness, and this accident re- sulted in the loss of one finger. He was born in 1850 and is prematurely gray on account of his excessive night service.
Mr. Joyce came by second nature into rail- roading, his father, "Pat" Joyce, being a railroad brakeman and an employee of the " Big Fonr" Railroad Company at the time of his accidental death in 1851. He was born in Ire- land and came to Cleveland. He married Cath- erine Gibbons, who bore him Henry, an em- ployce of the " Big Four " Company ; and John, onr snbjeet.
Mr. John Joyce married in Cleveland, in 1872, Mary Ann Gibbons, of Irish parentage. Their children are Margaret, Ellen and Henry, the latter a nephew of Mr. Joyce, but reared by him, and enjoying the same privileges as are extended to his own children.
EOPOLD BENEDICT, one of the car- liest Hebrew settlers in Cleveland, ar- riving here July 3, 1850, was born in Carlsbad, Bohemia, December 27, 1828, the son of Abraham and Fannie (Loewenstein) Ben- edict, who came here direct from Europe and made their home with their son, Mr. Leopold Benedict, nntil their death. The father died in 1867, at the age of eighty-four years, and the mother in 1876, aged seventy years. They had three sons, namely: Leopold, whose name heads this sketch; Heury, deceased, who died in Rochester, New York, in 1893, leaving a son and a daughter (the son, Abraham, is a promi- nent attorney in that city); and Frederick, an
optician of Cleveland. Mr. Benedict's father and also his grandfather Benediet were also opti- cians by trade.
Mr. Benedict, subject the of this sketch, was reared in his native country, trained to optical work by his father and in the Ophthalnie College at Vienna, where he graduated in 1848. At the age of nine years he entered his father's factory, where he was employed between school hours until he entered college, and learned to maufac- tnre all kinds of lenses.
When twenty-two years of age he came to America, locating at Hartford, Connecticut, where lie accepted a position as foreman in the spectacle factory of Spencer & Company. Eigh- teen months later he stopped a short time in New York city, working as a fitter in optical goods for Buckley & Sons, and then came on to Cleveland. IIere he established the optical business of Benedict Brothers, which firm ex- isted until 1888, when, on account of illness of one of the brothers, they dissolved; and our subject, becoming well advanced in years, did not care to continue in the business. He has a wide and pleasant acquaintance throughout the State, having been the traveling agent for the firm throughout its long career. He claims the distinction of being the first optician in the State. Ile has given his entire life to his pro- fession. In religion he is a member of the Anshe Chesed congregation, Hebrew, and he is also a member of Cleveland City Lodge, No. 15, F. & A. M.
Angnst 20, 1852, in Hartford, Connecticut, he married Miss Minnie Frendenthal, a native of Baden, Germany, who was brought when a child by her parents to this country. She died in 1866, at the age of thirty years. By that marriage there were six children, namely: Min- nie, wife of Fred Benedict of this city; Morris, a resident of Detroit, Michigan, patentce of the "All Right " coal-oil stove, which he is now en- gaged in manufacturing, and by profession he is an optician; Emma, who married Mr. F. Sweet, who is engaged in the drug and paint trade in Detroit; Josephine, wife of Mr. Leo
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Rothschild, one of the heaviest cattle-shippers of Omaha, Nebraska; Cora, deceased, wife of David Meyer of Lincoln, Nebraska; Emanuel, a resident of Detroit, and traveling agent for his brother in the stove business. For his present wife Mr. Benedict married, in 1866, Sarah Baker, a native of Bavaria, Germany, and by this marriage there have been five children, viz .: Isaac, Abraham, Edward and Robert, constituting the firm of Benediet Broth- ers, frescoe artists; and Elenor, at home. Abra- ham married a daughter of David Levi, and Edward married Miss Emerick.
W ILLIAM O. DEMARS, one of the en- terprising and successful business men of Cleveland, was born in Detroit, Michigan, October 27, 1843, a son of Antwin and Rose (Nolette) De Mars, natives of Paris, France. They came to Montreal, Canada, in 1819, but five years afterward located in Detroit, Michigan, where they were among the early pioneers. They settled on twelve acres of tim- ber land, where Mr. De Mars followed gardening the remainder of his life. His death occurred in 1877, and his wife departed this life one year later. Their family consisted of nine children: Anthony, deceased at the age of three years; Fred, who died on board the ship while return- ing from France, where he had been looking after his business interests; Henry, a resident of Europe; William O., our subject; Lonie, of Minneapolis, Minnesota; Joseph, also a resi- dent of Minneapolis; Adeline, wife of Jolm Mercer, of that city; Emily, wife of Fred Selle, of Akron, Ohio; and Mary, deceased, was the wife of William Rich, of St. Paul, Minnesota.
William O. was reared amid the scenes of pioneer life in Michigan, and was early initiated into the art of handling the ax, having ent and marketed many cords of wood in his boyhood days. He received only limited educational ad-
vantages, but, being a close observer, has fitted himself for any business that might devolve upon him. At the early age of fourteen years his father apprenticed him to a Mr. MeLyons, to learn the blacksmith's trade, For which he was to receive $26 per year. Not being satis- fied with a hard day's work, his employer hoaped upon his young shoulders wany outside duties, which became so burdensome to young DeMars that after eighteen months' service he decided to flee from boudage. He spent the following year in the employ of Charles Par- sons, wagon-maker and blacksmith of Pontiac, Michigan; was engaged with Sage & Ebbie, of Flint, that State, one year; and in 1861 entered the employ of Charles Woll, carriage manufac- turer, of New York city, where he remained two years and nine months. At the latter place Mr. DeMars began at the bottom round of the ladder, but moved upward until he entered the finest department of the establishment. While there he received an offer to take charge of the large carriage and wagon shop of Thomas Con- nelly, of Dubuque, Iowa. On beholding young William, who was a mere boy in appearauce and age, being only twenty years old at that time, Mr. Connelly was muel disappointed, but after talking with young De Mars decided to place him in charge, which proved decidedly satisfactory. After spending two years with that gentleman he entered the employ of Jacob Hoffman, of Cleveland, one year afterward began work in the Cleveland Carriage Works, remaining there three years, and during that time was also engaged in speculating in real estate.
In 1867, in company with three others, Mr. DeMars established the New York Coach Works, but two years afterward purchased the interest of two of the partuers, thus becoming three-fourths owner of the establishment. The business developed into the largest carriage manufacturing works in the city, employing at that time as high as sixty men. In 1873 Mr. De Mars purchased the remainder of the stock. In the following year he opened the first carriage
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repository in the city, shortly afterward opened another in San Jose, California, but through misplaced confidence in the party in charge of his Western branel he was soon obliged to close ont his business. During the following five years Mr. DeMars was engaged in the oil business. In 1885 he seenred the position of engineer for the Variety Iron Company, en- gaged in erecting quartz mills throughout the various mining regions of the Western and Southwestern States and Territories, serving in that capacity five years. After returning to Cleveland, he was engaged with the engineer eorps in erecting the first street eable railway system in this eity. In 1890 he purehased a wagon and repair shop, and three years after- ward bought property at 1945 to 1949 Enelid avenne, where he erected a shop and carriage repository.
Mr. DeMars was married in this eity, in 1866, to Miss Maria Roek, a daughter of Andrew and Margaret (Chivalier) Rock, of Freneli ancestry, and residents of Cleveland. Mr. and Mrs. De Mars have four children: William A., born in 1866; Teressa, in 1868; Oliver P., in 1870; and Gertrude Ilelen, in 1885. Teressa is the wife of Harry A. Hayward, of Chicago, and they have one child, William A., born January 3, 1892. In his social relations Mr. DeMars is a member of the K. of P., and politically is identified with the Republican party.
W ILLIAM STONEMAN, EsQ., is one of the prominent and highly respected old settlers of Orange township, Cuyahoga county, Ohio. Indeed, there is not a larger or better known family in the township than the Stonemans.
William Stoneman was born in Devonshire, England, January 5, 1821, son of John and Ann (Neweomb) Stoneman, both natives of Devon- shire. It was in 1836 that John Stoneman and his family emigrated to this country and settled on a farm in Orange township, Cuyahoga
county, Ohio. On this farm the parents spent the rest of their lives and died, the father pass- ing away at the age of seventy-seven, and the mother at eighty-nine. They were devoted Christians, were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and their lives were charae- terized by honesty and industry. To know them was to honor and esteem them for their many sterling qualities. In their family were nine children, seven sons and two daughters, viz .: Mary, the oldest child, who died in 1846; Phillip, who died in this township, leaving a widow and six children; William, whose name heads this sketel; Ann Fry, who died in Iowa, leaving six children; Joseph, of Chagrin Falls; Thomas, of Orange township; John, who died, leaving a widow and seven children; Jabez, of Cleveland; and Jacob, of old Virginia.
William Stoneman was a sturdy lad of fifteen years when he landed in America. Previous to his coming here he had been edneated chiefly at home, but afterward he attended school some at Cleveland. He remained on the farm with his father until 1847, when he located on the plaee he now owns and ocenpies. This farm comprises 250 aeres of choice land, all well im- proved, among the improvements being two good frame houses, three barns, well-kept fenees, an excellent orchard, ete. In connec- tion with his farming, Mr. Stoneman gives con - siderable attention to the stoek business, keep- ing horses, eattle and sheep.
HIe was married October 26, 1843, to Naney Bowell, who was born near Warren, Trumbull county, Ohio, daughter of Zadoc and Ann (Hill) Bowell, early pioneers of Trumbull county. Both were natives of Pennsylvania, her father born in Fayette county, her mother in Greene county. They came from Trumbull to this county, and for several years lived in Solon and Warrenville. The mothier departed this life at the age of seventy-eight years, the father at ninety-two. They had a family of nine children, viz .: Angeline, Thomas, Margaret, Naomi, Naney, Reece, Rachel, Priscella and Elizabeth. Mr. and Mrs. Bowell were Baptists. As the
WVW- Robbins
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years rolled by sons and daughters were born to Mr. and Mrs. Stoneman, ten in all, a record of whom is as follows: Martha, wife of Andrew Beard, of Laclede, Kansas, has three children; Mary Whitlom, who died, leaving three sons; Henry, who died at the age of thirty-seven years; Sallie; Charles is married and has two children; Anna, wife of W. Sheldon, Pocamoke, Maryland; Angusta, wife of W. Parsons, of Warrenville, Ohio; Jolin, of Warren, Kansas, is married and has three children; Walter, who lives near the old home place; Eleanor, wife of Ed Lockemer, of Orange, is married and has two children.
The family are Methodists.
Politically, Mr. Stoneman is a Republican, and for twenty years has been a Justice of the Peace. Ile has also held most of the offices in the township, -- Trustee, Treasurer, Clerk, and school offices. Ile commenced by being Con- stable of the township. Ile was a Whig in 1810, and one of the first Free Soilers of the township, and has taken active part in political matters.
W ALTER W. ROBBINS, one of the venerable citizens of Solon, now living retired, forms the subject of this arti- cle. Mr. Robbins was born in Rock Hill, Con- neetient, November 29, 1817. Ilis father, Captain Jason Robbins, a sca captain for thirty years, was a native of Connecticut, and was twice married. By his first wife he had fonr children, one of whom, Captain Archibald Rob- bins, was shipwrecked, and was on the African desert for nineteen months before he was able to get away. The maiden name of our subject's mother was Eleanor Williams. She was the second wife of Captain Robbins, and was the mother of eight children, two sons and six daughters: Honor, Sophia, Jane, Mariah, Eliza, Walter W., Jason, Jr., and Corlenia. It was in 1820 that the Robbins family came to Ohio and
settled at Solon. That was when this place was on the frontier and every thing here was new and wild. Both the Captain and his wife lived to a good old age, her death ocenrring when she was seventy-seven, and his at the age of ninety. He was a member of the Disciple Church and in politics was a Republican.
Walter W. Robbins was a child when his parents emigrated to the Western Reserve, and at Solon he was reared, his education being re- ceived in one of tho primitive log schoollionses. After ho grew up he purchased the old home- stead, subsequently added to it by additional purchases, and finally became the owner of 317 acres, well improved and under a high state of cultivation, among the improvements being good buildings, fences, etc. In 1883 he sold his farm and moved to Solon, where he has since been retired from active life. Ilere he owns a handsome residence, and is surrounded with all the comforts that one could wish for. The country being almost perfectly wild when he commenced life here, he has done his share in clearing ground, killing wild beasts, etc. One time he ent down a tree on which were three bears!
Mr. Robbins was married when he was twenty- five to Miss Sally Aun Reeves, a native of New York State and a danghter of William Reeves, one of the old settlers of Solon township. They became the parents of four children, three of whom are living, viz .: Adella, wife of E. C. Blackman, of Solon; Cora, wife of N. C. Bos- worth, of Cleveland; and Grace, wife of Me- Clelin Inrd, of Cleveland. The third child, Ellen, died at the age of eleven years. Mrs. Robbins departed this life October 15, 1888, and Mr. Robbins was subsequently married to Mrs. Harriette E. Chamberlain, of Twin-burg, Ohio. She was born in Addison county, Ver mont, daughter of Ira and Hannah (Crampton) Ward, both natives of the Green Mountain State. By her former marriage Mrs. Robbins has four children, namely: O. E., W. W., and Cora J. Griswold, all of Twinsburg, Ohio; and Helen Nichols, of Cloveland, Ohio.
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Politically, Mr. Robbins has long been iden- tified with the Republican party, and for years he served as Township Trustee. He is a mem- ber of the Disciple Church, and has been a worker in the same, in official relations, etc., for many years.
C C. HASKINS, locomotive engineer, was born in Middlesex county, Massachusetts, in February, 1845, left the Bay State alone at the youthful age of fifteen, west-bonnd, and stopped in Owego, New York, where he entered the employ of a shoe dealer, becoming a salesman and remaining in such service eight years. Ile then made another move westward, this time stopping in Springfield, Illinois, where he began his railroad career, with the Great Western of Illinois, in the capacity of fireman, becoming an engineer after two and a half years of service. During much of his ser- vice he was engaged in transporting Federal troops to the South along his division and re- turning with Rebel prisoners for Camp Butler and Springfield. In April, 1865, he came to Cleveland, and for one year was in the employ of the Standard Oil Company, but in the year 1866 returned to railroading, with the Cleve- land & Pittsburg Railroad Company, remaining till July, 1870, when he came to the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Company, and in December of the same year was given an engine.
Mr. Haskins' father, John F. Haskins, was a stone-entter by trade, whose ancestors were originally French. He married Lucinda Jen- nings, of English birth. Their children were: C. C .; Harriet, now Mrs. Wakefield; Mrs. Mary A. Burton, of Shrewsbury, Massachu- setts; and John F., of Cleveland.
C. C. Ilaskins married, at Owego, New York, Jannary 9, 1861, Miss Rowena Sawyer, whose father, Nathan Sawyer, was born in Now Hampshire. He married Huldah Baker and roared five children. Three sons were born in
the family of Mr. and Mrs. Haskins: George F., who died in Springfield, Illinois; Charles Fred, with the Standard Oil Company; and George Guy, in the employ of the Lake Shore Company. . Mr. Ilaskins is a Master Mason, and was for nine years Chief of the Collinwood Division of the Brotherhood of Locomotive engineers.
F W. FEY, chief clerk of the local freight department of the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad Company at Cleveland, was born in this city April 24, 1844. His father, John F. Fey, established the family name in Cleveland. He came here from IIessen-Darmstadt, Germany, where he was born, and became a citizen of the Forest City in 1832. Many of his first years here he spent in the employ of Ohio railroads, but lastly was en- gaged in the coal business. He died in 1882, at seventy-three years of age. His wife, whom he married in this city, was Miss Louisa Herring, born in Wurtemberg, Germany, in 1816, and died in Cleveland at the age of sixty-three. Her father, Andrew Herring, became a settler near Liverpool, Ohio, in 1831, and was a tiller of the soil.
The first three children of Jolm F. Fey died in infancy. The others in order of birth werc: Louisa; Fred W .; Amelia, wife of C. F. Thon- son; Theophilus, an insurance man; and W. E. Fey, bookkeeper for A. II. Stone & Company.
Fred W. Fey attended the public schools of Cleveland until he was seventeen years of age, when in response to a desire to become a railroad man he sought and secured a position with the Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati Railroad Company as slipper on the receiving desk, and later on the city receiving desk.
Ilis service was interrupted about this time by enlistment in the Federal army, being as- signed to Company G, Twenty-ninth Ohio Vol. unteer Infantry. This company was raised for the 100-day service, and was stationed in Fort
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