USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > Memorial record of the county of Cuyahoga and city of Cleveland, Ohio, Pt.1 > Part 45
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Mr. Poole was married in Cleveland, by Rev. Brown, rector of the Trinity Church, to Eliza- beth G., a danghter of John Aplin, of the old firm of Gorham & Aplin. Their only child is Gertrude Irene.
Mr. Poole was Secretary of Riverside Lodge, Royal Arcanmin, two years, and First Gnard of Cleveland Tent, K. O. T. M., of which he was Record Keeper four years; a member of Ells- worth Lodge, No. 505, F. & A. M., and of the Cleveland Athletic Club.
G USTAVUS A. HYDE, the veteran civil engineer of the Cleveland Gaslight & Coke Company, was born at Framing- ham, Massachusetts, January 15, 1826, and after obtaining a moderate education, se- enred a position with the Boston Water Works in the engineering department, and remained there Trom 1815 to 1849, while constructing the aequednet from Cochitnate to Boston, thereby
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obtaining mneh knowledge of the great indns- trial art, civil engineering; and this caused him to decide to continue in that art as a calling for life
On leaving the Boston Water Works he en- gaged in land surveying and made a survey and map of his native town. Next he came West, to " grow up with the country," arriving at Cleve- land in April, 1850. Ile first was connected with the Cleveland & Pittsburg Railroad, having charge of the pile-driving along the lake front. In November of the same year he entered the civil engineer department of the Toledo, Norwalk & Cleveland Railroad Company, acting as transit man, and during the construction of that portion of the road was made resident engineer, stationed at Fremont and Norwalk, Ohio. He remained in this capacity and in charge of the bridge con- struction at Toledo until January 1, 1855.
At this time he returned to Cleveland for the purpose of obtaining the position of City Civil Engineer. At the spring election of that year Mr. Ilyde's name was before the voters for that position. The ticket was of the new political faith, Republican, and was successful, and Mr. Ilyde became City Civil Engineer. He was in charge of the department for two years, and the only publie improvements worthy of mention that were made during this term were the pay- ing of East River street, the building of the Main street bridge, and the improvement of the public square by fencing and the building of the fountain structure. Hle concluded his term of service for the city in 1857, and was employed thereafter on special work, making plans and es- timates for a proposed sewer From Brownell and Garden streets to the lake, and also made plans for and laid ont the Fremont (Ohio) cemetery.
February 1, 1859, he entered the employ of the Cleveland Gaslight & Coke Company as en- gineer and superintendent of manufacture and distribution of gas. The position of superin- tendent he held for the first ten years, but the position of engineer he has held to the present time. Hle planned and supervised the rebuild. ing of Works No. 1 on Front street, and planned
and supervised the building of Works No. 2 near the foot of Wilson avenue. Besides his work on the Cleveland plants he has designed and made plans for improvements on the gas- works at Sandusky, Fremont, Akron, Warren, Oberlin, State Asylum for the Insane at Cleve- land, and the Columbus Asylum, -- all in Ohio, -- and at Pontiac, Michigan, and Titusville, Pen- sylvania.
Ilis record as a volunteer observer of the weather is an important and extraordinary one. In 18-12 Professor J. P. Espy, of Washington, District of Columbia, entered upon an investi- gation of storms, partially supported by the United States Goverment, and called for vol- unteer observers. Mr. Hyde responded, and February 1, 1843, began taking observations on the weather at Framingham, Massachusetts, and continued the record until he moved to Ohio. On establishing himself permanently in Cleve- land in 1855, he again began taking observations and has continued them to the present, having the oldest record in northern Ohio.
Mr. Hyde is a son of Henry II. Hyde, who was born in Newton, Massachusetts, and spent his life in Framingham, that State. He was a tanner and currier by trade, and died in 1878, aged eighty-two years. He married Keziah Rice and had six children, the three daughters being still residents of the Bay State. The tra- dition as to the origin of the family in this country is that Jonathan Hyde emigrated from England to Massachusetts in 1610.
In Fremont, Ohio, November 6, 1852, the subject of this sketch married Mrs. E. R. Will- iams, daughter of Peter Fusselman, a Fremont merchant. Of the five children by this union three are living. The names of all are: Edward Allison, who died in 1855, at the age of one year and five months; Gustavus A., Jr., who died in 1891, at the age of thirty-four years; he was engineer and superintendent of the East Saginaw ( Michigan) Gas-works; Henry II., at. present the engineer and superintendent of the saine; Florence A., now the wife of Dr. M. Levkowicz, of San Francisco, California; and
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Engene A., secretary and superintendent of the gas and electric light works of Ravenna, Ohio. Each of the last three sons had two years' expe- rience with the Cleveland Gaslight & Coke Company.
Mr. Hyde, whose name heads this sketch, is a member of the Civil Engineers' Club of Cleveland, of the American Gaslight Associa- tion, the Western Gaslight Association and the Ohio Gaslight Association. He has prepared papers and read them before each of these bodies. lle is an active member of the First Baptist Church of Cleveland, of which he has for years been Treasurer and Deaeon.
S YAMUEL H. MATHER, LE. D., whose name introduces this biographical sketch, resided in Cleveland from 1835 to the time of his death, Jannary 13, 1894, always recognized as one of the most public-spirited citizens of the city.
Mr. Mather came to Ohio from New England. lle was born in Washington, New Hampshire, on the 20th day of March, 1813, as the younger of two sons (the only children) of Ozias and Harriet (Brainard) Mather. The older brother, the late Henry B. Mather, was for many years associated with the Ilon. Amos A. Lawrence in business at Boston, Massachusetts, where he died a few years ago. The father, Ozias Mather, was a physician by profession, and was educated at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of the city of New York. He was born and brought up at East Haddam, Connectient, where his father, Dr. Augustus Mather, lived and prac- tieed medieine many years. Ile was a direct deseendant of Rev. Richard Mather, an English- man, who came to this country as early as 1635. settling as a pastor of the church at Dorchester, now a part of Boston, Massachusetts. The celebrated Increase Mather and Cotton Mather were descendants of Richard Mather. In the year 1810, Dr. Ozias Mather removed to Lomp-
ster, New Hampshire, where he married Harriet Brainard, a daughter of Jabez Brainard. Subse- quently he removed to Washington, New Hampshire, where the subject of this personal sketch was born.
Samnel HI. Mather was given good educational advantages, graduating in 1884 at Dartmonth College, New Hampshire; and soon thereafter he took up the study of law at Geneva, New York, where he remained for a period of abont fifteen months. In December, 1835, Mr. Mather became a eitizen of Cleveland. The following Deeember he was admitted to the bar at Colmn- bus, Ohio, and in 1843 he was admitted to the United States District Court.
Mr. Mather opened a law office in Cleveland in 1837, and for a period of fifteen years there- after he was actively engaged in the practice of law. He gave np his profession in 1852, to de. vote his entire time to the business interests of the Society for Savings in Cleveland, in the founding of which he was a prime mover. As a lawyer he was snecessful, but to a different life work he was called rather early in life, and his career must be reviewed as a banker rather than as a lawyer. The first suggestion of a society for savings in Cleveland came from Charles J. Woolson, in a private conversation with Mr. Mather, in the ollice of the latter, in the sum- mer of 1848. These gentlemen were from New Hampshire, and when they met, New England, its people and institutions were fre- quent topics of conversation. On this occasion Mr. Woolson, speaking of the success and the benefits of the New England savings banks, said: " Why not have a savings bank in Cleve- land? I believe one could be established here that would be a snecess and a great benefit to the community. Now, you think of this, and see some of your business men. I believe they will take interest in it, and be ready to aid in the organization."
Following this suggestion, Mr. Mather con- sulted a minber of prominent business men. It met with their approval, and they at once offered their services in forwarding the enter ..
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prise. At their request, Mr. Mather, by the aid of Hon. F. T. Backus, Senator, and Hon. Leverett Johnson, Representative from Cuya- hoga county, procured, without opposition, the passage of an act of the Legislature of Ohio, March 22, 1849, incorporating " The Society for Sav- ings in the City of Cleveland." The name was suggested by the one in the city of Hartford, Connectient. It is strictly a society for sav- ings, being "a benevolent institution, withont capital, managed by trustees without salary, in the interest of depositors only, to whom profits are paid, or for whose benefit they are accumulated and reserved." The society is co-operative, in the broadest sense. The names of most of the early promoters of the enterprise appear in the act of incorporation, which was passed March 22, 1849, the day upon which the society began its legal existence, and in the following August entered npon the career of usefulness and pros- perity it has since maintained.
The society was organized June 18, 1849, by the election of new corporate members and its first board of officers. From the day of its or- ganization Mr. Mather was officially connected with the institution. Ile was elected its first secretary; but from the fact that his law office was in the same room as was the bank, and be- canse of his peenliar interest in its welfare, he had the work of the treasurer also to look after, and in 1852 he was elected treasurer, combin- ing the two offices in one, and from that time onward Mr. Mather gave his entire time and energy to the interest of the society. In January, 1884, Samuel Williamson, pres- ident of the society, died, and Mr. Mather was then elected president to succeed Mr. Will- iamson, and this position he held until Jan- nary 13, 1894, when death suatehed him away.
The Society for Savings has had a remarkably successful career, and much of its snecess has been due to the business ability of Mr. Mather, and the work he did in the npbuilding of this, one of the greatest. institutions of its kind in the United States, placed him among emi- nent bankers and financiers,
Outside of the arena of business and bank- ing, Mr. Mather was a useful citizen. He was always a stanch friend of education and the church. In the years 1840, '41, '54, '55 and '56 he was a member of the Board of Educa- tion and the County Board of School Examin- ers. He was one of the original members of the Second Presbyterian Church of Cleveland, organized in 1844, and from that day to his death he was an Elder in that church. "The death of Mr. Mather," says the Cleveland Leader, " removes a man than whom there was not one more prominent in business in Ohio. His name was the synonym for business in- tegrity and absolute, unquestioned trustworthi- ness. Ilis ability as the manager of the great savings institution of which he was the head was known throughout the country in business eireles, and the thousands who have deposited their earnings there felt that in him their inter- ests had a guardian that warranted implicit con- fidence. His death leaves a gap that will never be filled, though partly for the reason that the time will probably never come when exertions such as he put forth in the past for the Society for savings will ever be required for a similar institution in this city."
May 9, 1842, he was married, at Albany, Now York, to Miss Emily W. Gregory, daughter of Dr. U. M. Gregory of that city. Mr. and Mrs. Mather had two children, namely: Frederick G., journalist of Albany, New York; and Mrs. Ellen A. Mather, widow of the late Prof. R. II. Mather, of Amherst College, Massachusetts.
C OIIN WALKER, who for more than a quarter of a century has condneted so suc- cessfully the inner workings of the Cleve- land Rolling Mills as superintendent, was born near Denney, Sterlingshire, Scotland, November 15, 1828. At the age of sixteen years ho en- gaged with the Messrs. Board, of Gartsherrie, Lanarkshire, as an apprentice in iron-working and machinery, and remained with them six
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years. Next he was employed by the Caledoni- an Railroad Company, at Greenock, Scotland, as a blacksmith and forger; next in the locomo- tive works at Berkinhead, England, remaining four years.
In 1856 he left his native Scotland and be- came a citizen of Canada West, where he was in the employ of the Great Western Railroad Company as a forger of wheels, ete., and he con- tinned his business there and at Montreal until his removal to Buffalo, New York, in 1862, for the purpose of forging the iron for the United States gunboats then being built there; but within a year he returned to Canada and plied his favorite vocation at Montreal until 1868, when he was invited to assume charge of the Cleveland Rolling Mills as superintendent. The promotions referred to sufficiently indicate the competency of Mr. Walker in his line of work. Ile is now completing a long and eventful life; he has witnessed the greatest improvement in the manufacture of iron and in the machinery used that will probably ever be made in future, and has been an active participant in the achieve- ment of these results. Born full of energy, during all these years of continuous and un- ceasing application he has endured with that energy undiminished. Fraternally, he has been a Freemason for forty-four years, now affiliating with the members of Fidelity Council, Royal Arcanum, and will participate in the benefits of Vulcan Council of the National Union.
Ile is a son of Matthew Walker, a mill man who was engaged in the iron-smelting and blast furnace business during his entire active life. He died in Scotland, in 1867, aged sixty-three years. llo married Margret Henderson and they had eight sons and one danghter. Four of these are yet living, namely: John and Robert, with the Cleveland Rolling Mill Company; William, engaged in glass-works in Scotland; and Ellen, wife of Neal Garshore, a mechanic at the Etna Rolling Mill, at Cleveland.
Mr. Walker, onr subjeet, at the age of twenty- one years, in Scotland, married Miss Mary Rob- ertson Rankin, and they have now four children
living: Elizabeth, the wife of James Marshall, who is a mechanic in the Cleveland Rolling Mills; Mary, wife of John St. Clair, a resident of Alpena, Michigan; Helen Young, nnmarried; and John, a mechanic in the above mentioned roller mills.
W LLIAM LARKWORTHY, a well- known citizen of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, was born in Devonshire, England, Jan- uary 6, 1853, a son of John and Elizabeth (Fowler) Larkworthy, both natives of England. The family came to Chagrin Falls in 1856. There were six children, viz .: Susanna, wife of J. J. Davis, a well-known business man of Cha- grin Falls; William, subject of this notice; John, and Isaac; Mary Norah is deceased.
William was reared and educated in Chagrin Falls, and at fourteen found employment with E. Wheelock & Company for one year. Ile was in the paper mills here for five or six years. In 1876 he bought a grocery stock and carried on this business for five years. Ile then enlarged his stock so as to include provisions, crockery, gents' furnishing goods, etc. He was engaged in this trade until 1893, when he disposed of his entire stock of goods, and is now a dealer in gents' furnishing goods, boots and shoes, hard- ware, etc.
Mr. Larkworthy was married October 31, 1872, to Miss Martha Phinney, a lady of intel- ligence and good family, a daughter of II. and Sophia (Phinney) Phinney, both natives of New England. Mr. and Mrs. Larkworthy have three children, viz .: Gertrude, a graduate of Chagrin Falls high school; Walter, also a graduate of the high school, now attending college at Peo- ria, Illinois, and is now seventeen years of age; and Vilas, at home. Their third child, Virgil, died when two years old.
Mrs. Larkworthy is a member of the Disciple Church, as are also the two elder children. Mr. Larkworthy is a Democrat in politics, and served as Trustee of the township. He was a
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member of the I. O. O. F., Lodge No. 290, and a charter member of the Knights of Pythias, Lodge No. 487.
Mr. Larkworthy is in the prime of life, intel- ligent, frank and cordial, a popular citizen of Chagrin Falls.
W ILLIAM D. DRIPPS, deceased, onee the Mayor of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and for a number of years prominently identilied with this city, was born in Coates- ville, Pennsylvania, February 11, 1852, and was a gradnate of North Hampton College, Massa- chusetts. From 1873 until 1875 he was eon- nected with the Gilmore & Hewes Ember Company, and for six years afterward was the expert accountant of the American Sewing Ma- chine Company, during these years traveling over varions portions of the United States. In 1881 he removed to Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and formed a eopartnership with Mr. Charles Baker, in the hardware business, under the firm name of Baker & Dripps; but at the expiration of thirteen months Mr. Dripps assumed I'nll con- trol of the establishment, and condneted the business in his own name up to the time of his death, which event occurred May 12, 1893. Ile established a large and increasing business, making hosts of friends by his gentlemanly manner, straight forward business principles, and fair and mpright dealings. He was always foro- most, though modest and nuassuming, in any move toward the improvement of the town. Ile served one term as its Mayor. With the Ma- sonie fraternity he was prominently identified, being a member of the Golden Gate Lodge, F. & A. M.
Mr. Dripps was married February 27, 1877, to Emma Walter, in Elmira, New York. She was born in Watkins, that State. September 1, 1853. Iler father, Richard E. Walter, a native of New York, was for many years anditor of the N. C. & Valley Railroad. He was a prominent Mason, had a wide acquaintance, and was hon
ored by all who knew him. Her mother, nee Martha E. Coe, was also a native of New York. Mrs. Dripps was the eighth born in their fam- ily of nine children, and she and one sister are the only ones of that large family who are now living. She is a graduate of Ehnira College, is a lady of much culture and refinement, and sinee her husband's death has developed a won- derful business ability. She has full charge of the hardware store, is also doing a large coal business, and has recently completed the ereetion of a fine residence on Washington street in Cha- grin Falls." She has three children, Belle R., and IToward and Hellen, twins.
A SAHEL BRAINARD, now retired, is one of the prominent farmers and early settlers of Brooklyn township, Cuyahoga county.
Seth Brainard, his father, a native of Con- nectient, came to Cuyahoga county, Ohio, as early as 1814, and located in Brooklyn town- ship. Ile had traded a small tract of land in Connecticut for a large traet in this township, and came out here to take possession of the same, his whole capital being invested in this land. lle at once set about the work of build- ing a log cabin, cut down the trees himself, and ere long had a comfortable little home in the elearing. From time to time he kept adding to his original traet until he became the owner of abont 200 aeres. On this farm he remained the rest of his life. Ilis death ocenrred at the age of eighty-live years. Ilis life was one of great activity and usefulness. He served as a private in the war of 1812. Ilis experience in the war and his natural characteristics well fitted him for the life of a hardy pioneer, and in the little frontier settlement he was regarded as one of its most influential men, taking the lead in all movements that tended to advance its inter- ests. Ile was one of the first members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in this commu- nity, and for a unmber of years served as Stew-
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ard and Class Leader. His father, Joel Brainard, was of Irish descent, was born, it is supposed, in Connecticut, and lived and died the. The mother of Asahel Brainard was Delilah Brainard, and she, too, was a native of Connecticut. She died in her eighty-fourth year. Her father, Ozias Brainard, a native of Connecticut and a descendant of Irish ancestry, served during the latter part of the Revolution- ary war. Seth and Delilah Brainard were the parents of nine children, seven of whoin reached adult years, and six of this number are now living.
Asahel Brainard, the third born in the above named family, dates his birth in Brooklyn town- ship, Cuyahoga county, Ohio, Jannary 7, 1815. Born on the frontier, his educational advantages were, of course, limited. A portion of his carly youth was. spent in the little log schoolhouse near his home; but these log schoolhouses, with their puncheon floors, slab seats, open fireplaces and stick chimneys, have been so often described that it is unnecessary to speak further of them here. The most of young Brainard's time, however, was spent in assisting his father on the farm, and he remained at the home place until he was twenty-five years of age. Ile was then married to Matilda Foster, a native of Cou- neeticut, whose happy married life was termin- ated five years later by her death. For his second wife Mr. Brainard married Electa Avery, a native of Massachusetts. She had two chil- dren : Arysta, who died at the age of three years; and Electa M., the wife of E. II. Foster. Mrs. Brainard died May 1, 1850, and Mr. Brainard was married, in 1851, to Naomi Ring, who was born in Massachusetts, April 13, 1825. Their only child, Nora, died at the age of two years.
After their first marriage Mr. Brainard lo- eated on a farm in Brooklyn township, and in this township he has since lived, with the ex- ception of a year and a half spent in Parma township, this county. He has witnessed all the development of this part of the country, has seen the pioneers' cabins give place to more pretentions homes, has seen the forests swept
away, and has noted the growth of the varions towns and cities that have sprung up here and there. At one time he owned 150 acres of land here. Some time ago, however, he disposed of his farm for a handsome sum, and is now living off the interest of his money. He has been a Republican since this party was organized. When he was nineteen years old he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, with which he has since remained in loving fellowship. For a number of years he has served as Steward of the Church, and has all his life contributed liber- ally to its support.
A RTHUR HI. WILLIAMS .- The estab- lisliment of A. II. Williams, dealer in staple and fancy groceries, queensware, and flour and feed, is one of the leading and popular business houses of Chagrin Falls. It occupies the old stand of the father of the pres- ent proprietor, Alford Williams, who did bnsi- ness here for thirty-seven years, first in a frame building and afterward in the present brick building, which was built in 1870. In 1888 the sou bonghit the stock of his father, and has since done a large and profitable business.
The father, Alford Williams, was a native of New York State, a son of John Williams, who lived to be about eighty-four years of age. Al- ford learned the trade of a cooper, which he fol- lowed for some years. Ile was engaged for some time in making flonr barrels at Chagrin Falls before going into trade. He was married in February, 1844, to Louisa Green, danghter of Lovell Green. They had three children: Arris II., a soldier of the late war, a member of the Sixty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, who was killed at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, but a boy of eighteen; Arthur II., our subject; and Clara A., wife of II. M. Gates, of Bedford, Ohio. Al- ford Williams is a Republican in political faith. lle has served in the Town Conneil and as Town Treasurer.
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Arthur II. Williams was born July 31, 1853, at Chagrin Falls, reared and educated in his na- tive place, and also attended school at Hillsdale, Michigan, and was engaged for some time as a conductor on the Chagrin Falls & Solon Rail- road. Mr. Williams was married January 17, 1879, to Sophie S. Stoneman, a woman of in- telligence and good family, born, reared and edneated in Chagrin Falls. Her father is do- seph Stoneman of this place. Mr. and Mrs. Williams have two sons: Forest A., born Angust 6, 1886; and Clarence A., born December 15, 1893.
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