USA > Ohio > Portage County > Portage heritage; a history of Portage County, Ohio; its towns and townships and the men and women who have developed them; its life, institutions and biographies, facts and lore > Part 82
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On April 9, 1889, he married Miss Eleanor Wallace of Cincinnati. To them a daughter was born, Miss Helen Beatty, who still resides in the old Beatty home where her father was born.
Mr. Beatty was not only interested in politics but served on committees for various civic projects. He was a member and vestryman of Grace Episcopal church; member Knights of Pythias lodge; B.P.O. Elks; Unity Lodge No. 12, F.&A.M .; and Knights Templar and Scottish Rites, thirty-second degree.
John C. Beatty
John C. Beatty, who was prominent in Ravenna business and political life for over a half century, was born February 4, 1833, at Bristol, Penna. He was the son of Robert and Catherine Anne (Cabeen) Beatty. They were of Scotch-Irish ancestry and the family came to Pensylvania about 1750, later adopting the Quaker faith.
John C. Beatty was educated in Bristol and in his early years engaged in the retail business there. With his uncle, he came to Ohio in 1855 and selected Portage County as his new home. He and his brother- in-law, John Bostwick, had a store at Campbellsport, later coming to Ravenna where he was associated with Henry Lewis Day, a merchant. In 1859 he married Henrietta, a daughter of Mr. Day. To them were born four children. They were Robert G., long in business in Ravenna; Harry L., lawyer; Henry Clay and Mary E., deceased.
Mrs. Beatty died in 1869 and in 1871 Mr. Beatty married his brother's widow, Mrs. Mary Lukens Beatty of Bristol, Penna. A daughter was born to them, now Mrs. W. L. Tor- rance of Detroit, Mich.
Mr. Beatty dissolved partnership with his father-in-law and in 1871 started his own business, that of men's clothing. Later his son, Robert, joined him under the name of J. C. Beatty & Son. The store continued until 1909 when it was sold to Harper Bros.
Mr. Beatty's political and civic activities were manifold. He was postmaster of Ravenna from 1888 to 1892 and was a member of the Ravenna board of education more than 25
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years, serving as clerk much of the time. He was county treasurer one term and held a number of state appointive offices and was active in party organization.
He belonged to the Ravenna Episcopal church and various Masonic groups.
Willis J. Beckley
Willis John Beckley was born in Ravenna October 6, 1866, son of Charles A. and Henrietta (Brigham) Beckley. The father was a Ravenna business man, a descendent of settlers from Connecticut as was his mother.
Willis Beckley attended Ravenna schools, graduating from high school in 1883. He then entered the University of Michigan, from which he was graduated in 1889 with the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy. In the following year he entered the law school there, later continuing his studies under a local preceptor and was admitted to the bar in 1891. A partnership was formed with Robert H. Day, later a justice of the state supreme court. Mr. Beckley was elected as prose- cuting attorney in 1898, in which office he made a fine record, handling a number of difficult cases effectively, and serving two terms. He also served as Ravenna city solicitor for a time.
In the private practice of law Mr. Beckley gained a large and lucrative clientele and soon became a leader of the bar. His conscientious application in behalf of his clients and a pleasing personality brought him a wide following.
In politics Mr. Beckley was a Republican, though he supported Theodore Roosevelt in 1912, being a delegate to the Bull Moose convention that year. In 1928 he was an alter- nate to the Kansas City Republican convention.
In his business connections he was a member of the board of directors of the Cleveland Worsted Co., the Oak Rubber, the Browning Foundry and the Second National Bank.
Fraternally he belonged to the various Masonic bodies including Knight Templars; K. of P. and B.P.O. Elks. His college fraternity was Zeta Psi.
He was a lover of sports and played tennis until well past middle age.
In 1896 he was married to Miss Lora B. Geiger, daughter of Capt. David and Hattie (Shurtz) Geiger of Ravenna. They had no children. In their latter years they built a fine home overlooking Lake Hodgson.
Mr. Beckley died in 1940.
James H. Bigalow
James H. Bigalow was born in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, in 1866. He was the son of H. U. and Abbie Cooper Bigalow. Early in life Mr. Bigalow showed a keen business mind and when only eighteen years of age, started work as a traveling salesman for an Akron con- cern, being one of the youngest men on the road. Later he became associated with his father, brother and uncle in the wholesale fruit business in Cleveland, known as the Bigalow Fruit Co.
In 1890, he married Miss Mary Helen Williams of Chagrin Falls. In 1905, he moved to Ravenna, to be associated with his father-in-law in the A. C. Williams Co., first as general manager and later president, which position he held until his retirement in 1951.
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He was always active in civic affairs and for several years served as a member of the city council and was a trustee of the White Hospital Nurses Training School.
He was much interested in sports, such as horseback riding, deep sea fishing and golf, belonging to the Canter- bury and Accacia Golf Clubs of Cleveland and Twin Lakes Golf Club. He was also one of the earliest members of the Cleveland Athletic Club.
Mr. Bigalow was a 32nd degree Mason and a member of various Masonic organizations for over fifty years, from which he received various honors.
The Bigalows had two daughters-Mrs. Anita Heisler and Mrs. Jeannette Fletcher, both of Ravenna. Mrs. Bigalow passed away in September, 1932, and Mr. Bigalow died in April, 1955.
Frederick C. Byers
Frederick Charles Byers was born in Ravenna May 19, 1891. He was the son of Frederick and Kate (Palm) Byers.
Mr. Byers was educated in Ravenna, graduating from Ravenna High School in 1909. In the same year he entered Hiram College, where he remained for one year, then trans- ferring to Case Institute of Technology, Cleveland. From Case he graduated in June, 1914.
He then entered the automobile business and conducted his own establishment in Ravenna. He was elected mayor of Ravenna, serving in 1916-17.
In February, 1918, Mr. Byers entered military service, serving his time in the states and being discharged in De- cember, 1918.
In the years 1919 to 1921 he worked in the automobile business in Cleveland and in 1922 became associated with the Mason Tire & Rubber Co., of Kent. He remained there until 1925, when he went to the engineering department of the Byers Machine Co. at Ravenna, being engaged there for four years.
In 1928 he entered the oil business and has been at it ever since, serving local and farm trade.
Mr. Byers was married Aug. 27, 1917, to May O. Whit- taker of Ravenna. The couple has one daughter, Barbara Ann, now Mrs. Chas. H. Weiss, living in Mantua. There are three grandchildren-Frederick, Sally and Susanne Weiss.
He belongs to the Elks, Masonic Blue Lodge, Lake Erie Consistory and Shrine and is past president of the Ravenna Rotary club.
John Frederick Byers
For nearly one hundred years the name of Byers has been prominent in the industrial and commercial life of Ravenna.
John Frederick Byers was born near Shippensburg, Penna., Nov. 13, 1844, son of Fred- erick and Anna Maria Reichard Byers, whose forebears came from Germany. The father was a breeder and dealer of horses and in 1859 brought his family to Ravenna after a short
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residence in Frederick, Milton township, Ohio. There Charles C., Harriett and George R. were born.
As a boy John F. Byers assisted his father in business and after the latter's death bought out other heirs, built a small shop and followed his natural bent as inventor and manu- facturer. Among the more important was an oatmeal cutter, which he patented and sold to the Quaker Mills of Ravenna. His chief interest, however, was in hoisting machinery. About 1881 he erected a shop on South Prospect St., in Ravenna to do a general machine business. This business increased so rapidly that a new plant was soon built on South Sycamore St. He was the first president of the John F. Byers Machine Co., 1891. Here the John F. Byers Machine Co. continued until 1926 when it changed ownership, one of the major concerns of the town and retaining the Byers name.
Mr. Byers was married August 7, 1890, to Kate Palm, daughter of John A. and Mary Eva Elise (Bausch) Palm of Rootstown. Four children were born to them-Frederick Charles, May 19, 1891; Anna Catherine, July 10, 1892 (died Sept. 6, 1906); John Reichard, Sept. 29, 1894; and Eva Irene, Mar. 17, 1896.
Mr. Byers retired from active participation in the machine company to work on a new project-automobiles-and to build a new home, unfinished at the time of his death in 1905, the result of an accident. He had then developed several new inventions, one of which was a concrete block machine. His widow, Kate Palm Byers died June 1, 1929.
Mr. Byers belonged to the I.O.O.F. and was independent in his political thinking.
H. Larry Brown
H. Larry Brown was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is a graduate of Columbiana High School and Mount Union College, with a Master's degree from Teachers College, Columbia University.
After serving as Mathematics teacher, coach and Principal at Ravenna Township High School for four years and as coach and Principal at Ravenna City High school for fifteen years, he has held the position of Superintendent of Schools in Ravenna since 1939.
Mr. Brown served two years in military service during World War I and served on the local selective service board in World War II. He is a member, trustee and chairman of the Commission of Education of the Ravenna Methodist Church and also is a member of the Ravenna Kiwanis Club and a past Lieutenant Governor of Kiwanis. He is currently serving as a member of the Board of Trustees of Mount Union College.
Throughout his professional career he has continously belonged to the District, State and National Education As- sociations and for many years has been a member of the American Association of School Administrators. On two different occasions he has served as President of the State Board of control of the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
He and his wife Hazel Grove Brown are the parents of two sons, Dr. Bruce L. Brown of Warren; and Douglas G. Brown of Cleveland.
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Eva Irene Byers Brown
Eva Irene Byers Brown was born in Ravenna, Ohio, March 17, 1896, the daughter of John F. and Kate Palm Byers. She was educated in the Ravenna Public Schools and Emma Willard School for Girls, in Troy, New York. She has studied music from childhood until her mother's death in 1929, having taught piano for several years at the Gartner-Sweet School of Music in Ravenna. She married William Roger Brown of Lakewood, Ohio, April 8, 1931. She was Nutrition Chairman of Portage County Chapter of American Red Cross during World War II, and after that, has been County Canteen Chairman of the Blood Donor Service of American Red Cross.
Mrs. Brown joined the Women's Association of Robinson Memorial Hospital in World War II time, serving as a volunteer, later being elected to the Executive Board and serving as President two years, during which time The Ravenna Antiques Show was started, and which has continued every year, contributing considerably to the needs and comfort of patients of the hospital. After retiring from the executive board, she was one of those who organized the Mary Robinson Hospital Guild, which organization also supports the Hospital in any way it can. She has served as president for two years with this group.
Since 1934 she has been a member of the Annevar Garden Club, also serving as Presi- dent for two years. She belongs to Junior Tuesday Club of Ravenna, and has served as trustee of its Haymaker House, for three years.
She has been associated with her husband in the Roger Brown Lumber Company since its beginning and is Vice-President and Secretary of the concern.
William Roger Brown
Wm. Roger Brown was born at Athens, Ohio, June 25, 1900, son of William Dean and Maizie (Rogers) Brown. Wm. D. Brown's mother was descended from the family that built the Block House at Marietta, Ohio. His father came of a prominent farming and lumber dealing family in southeastern Ohio.
Roger Brown was educated in the Lakewood Public Schools and also at the University of Wisconsin School of Forestry Products. After leaving school he was employed by the Cleveland Cartage Co., driving logging trucks, helping to haul logs from Northern Portage County and near-by country to Cleveland. From this work, he traveled from Saskatchewan to southern Georgia, buying lumber and grading it.
Then he joined the Theodore Kuntz Co. of Cleveland, where he was put in charge of curing all lumber used by the concern in the manufacture of all kinds of wood products, including sewing machine cabinets, most all of the church pews and school-seats and desks used in the United States at the time.
The Walnut Lumber & Veneer Co., of Dayton, Ohio was his next stop, where he worked as Lumber inspector & Grader, for a couple of years. From here, he was employed by a Canadian Saw-Mill Company as manager of the Saw-Mill at Nipigon, and later had charge of the Saw-Mill at Sioux-Lookout.
After his return from Canada, he joined the Peoples Lumber Co. of Salem, O. as manager of the Ravenna branch lumber yard, in 1927. He bought the lumber yard January 21, 1931, and has added much more to it. The Roger Brown Lumber Co. is now one of the best known custom mill-work and cabinet manufacturers between Lake Erie and the Ohio River.
On April 8, 1931, he married Eva Irene Byers, daughter of John F. and Kate Byers. of Ravenna.
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He was baptized into the Presbyterian Church of Athens as a baby and as a young man, joined the Lakewood Presbyterian Church. During World War II he served on the original Gasoline Ration Board and to its end, after which he was chairman of the original Zoning Board of the City of Ravenna. He has belonged to The Ravenna Chamber of Commerce and the Kiwanis Club for many years. He has several hobbies, one of which is model rail- roading. He has quite a fine collection of equipment, most of which he has made, himself, but his chief hobby is making and finishing fine furniture for his own home.
Lester L. Campbell
Lester L. Campbell was born July 13, 1898, at Upper Sandusky, Ohio, being the son of Pear! L. and Anna (Kramer) Campbell. He was the oldest of five children and the only boy.
When he was in childhood the family came to Medina where he received his grammar and high school education. He then entered Ohio State University where in 1921 he re- ceived a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture.
Mr. Campbell was a high school teacher for 15 years, 14 of which were in Portage county and four of which were as principal (Brimfield and Atwater). In this time he studied law at the Akron Law School and did other work at Kent State and Western Re- serve Universities. He entered the practice of law Nov. 1, 1943 at Ravenna and still occupies the same office. He saw service in the U. S. Army in 1918.
For eight years Mr. Campbell held the office of justice of the peace in Ravenna Township and was a member of the Ravenna Zoning Board and Planning Commission.
Professionally, he belongs to the Portage County Bar Association; Ohio State Bar Association, in which he served six years on the real estate committee; and the Ohio Title Association.
He belongs to the Ravenna First Methodist church, where he is a member of the board of trustees, and has been a teacher in the Sunday school 11 years. He belongs to the Elks lodge, the American Legion post at Ravenna and the Theta Chi fraternity at Ohio State.
Mr. Campbell was married May 19, 1923, to Helen S. Palmer of Copley, Ohio. To them were born two children-Walter R. Campbell, of San Antonio, Texas; and Marian Campbell Thrush of Mansfield, Ohio.
Albert L. Caris
Albert L. Caris was born in Ravenna, Ohio February 12, 1890, being the son of Edward C. and Anna (Engelhardt) Caris.
He was educated in the public schools of Ravenna, served two terms as Clerk of Courts of Portage County; was appointed Probate Judge of that County to succeed the late E. F. Robison in 1917. He was then elected to a full term in that office in November 1920, re- signing as such Probate Judge in April 1923 to enter the practice of law with H. R. Loomis of Ravenna, Ohio, becoming a member of the firm of Loomis & Caris.
Judge Caris practiced law in that firm until April of 1950 when he resigned to campaign for the office of Common Pleas Judge of Portage County to which he was elected in No-
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vember, 1950. He has served in that capacity until the present date.
Judge Caris is a member of the Congregational Church, Ravenna, Ohio; Unity Lodge No. 12, F. & A. M .; Ravenna Lodge No. 1076, B.P.O.E .; member of The American Bar Association; Ohio State Bar Association; Portage County Bar Association; Common Pleas Judges' Association and has served as delegate to the Council of Delegates of The Ohio Bar Association. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Second National Bank, Ravenna, for the past eleven years.
Judge Caris and Mrs. Caris are the parents of one child, Elizabeth Sullivan residing at Ravenna, Ohio, and have two grandchildren, Timothy J. Sullivan and Priscilla Sullivan.
Carl H. Caris
Carl H. Caris was born at Ravenna, Ohio, June 28, 1894. He was the son of Edward C. and Anna (Englehardt) Caris. He received his education in the Ravenna schools, graduat- ing from Ravenna high school in 1913.
He immediately went into the employe of the Pennsyl- vania Railroad Co., working in the station department at Ravenna and in Cleveland from June, 1913, to June, 1935. He served as mayor of Ravenna in 1934-35.
Mr. Caris was appointed postmaster at Ravenna in June, 1935, and still holds this office, having been re-appointed without term on April 29, 1940.
On May 28, 1924, he married Miss Coletta I. Dillon. She passed away July 21, 1926. On January 4, 1934, Mr. Caris married Elizabeth M. Sollberger. They have two children, now Mrs. Coletta I. Luoma and David J. Caris. There are also two stepchildren-Paul Kaehne and Mrs. Betty Adams.
Mr. Caris is a member of American Legion Post 331, and of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
Amody Coates
Amody Coates was born in Colliano, Province of Salerno, Italy, July 17, 1874. When he was ten years old he came to America to join his father who had preceded the family here. His schooling was obtained mostly in his native Italy, but later in Ravenna parochial and public schools.
The family came to Ravenna when he was still a youth. After various small jobs, he joined with his brothers, Frank and Angelo, in the operation of a store on West Main St. After eighteen years here, he entered the employe of the A. C. Williams Co. but in a short
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time joined the Oak Rubber Co. force. He remained there 25 years, a popular and useful employe. He retired in 1945.
Mr. Coates took much interest in civic affairs. He was naturalized in 1896 at Ravenna and for many years acted as court interpreter in cases before the court. At one time he served on the Ravenna city council.
On August 27, 1898, Mr. Coates was married in Water- bury, Conn., to Marie Josie Gaudiose. She was born March 19, 1880, and died August 16, 1933.
The couple was survived by two daughters. They are Mrs. Adeline Rowbottom, Ravenna; and Mrs. Violet Sprockett of Warren. There were also two sons, Joseph and Bert, both of Ravenna.
Mr. Coates was a life member of the Knights of Colum- bus, and a member of the Ravenna Immaculate Conception church.
He died April 28, 1955.
Angelo M. Coates
Angelo M. Coates was born in Colliano Province of Salerno, Italy, December 18, 1884. He was the son of Daniel and Philomena Coates.
The boy came to America with his parents when he was five years old. When he at- tended school in Ravenna he and his brother, Amody, were the first Italian children to attend the public schools there.
After the death of his father he secured work at the A. C. Williams Co. shop, Ravenna, when he was twelve years old, in order to help support the family.
In 1905, with his brother Amody, he established the Coates Brothers Grocery. He worked here until 1925 when he established a news agency handling the Cleveland Press and the Akron Times-Press, following this work until his death in April 27, 1932.
On November 27, 1903, he married Rose Schuch, daugh- ter of Dr. and Mrs. Francis Shuch of Randolph. Three chil- dren were born to them. They were Marie Philomena, now Mrs. F. E. Bisson; Louise Odelia, now Mrs. P. J. Prendergast; and Francis Daniel, deceased.
Mr. Coates was naturalized in Ravenna and frequently acted as interpreter in hearing court testimony.
He belonged to the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, being a member of the choir there, and was also a member of the Knights of Columbus.
Mrs. Coates died March 7, 1934.
Frank Coates
Frank Coates was born Jan. 7, 1859 in Mount Carviive, near Naples, Province of Salerno, Italy. He was the son of Daniel and Philomena Coates. His father was a foreman in a large lumber business in his native Italy. Young Frank secured his education from the local parish priest as at that time there was no public education. He learned the tinner's
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trade and in that capacity traveled considerable distances through surrounding territory. For four years he served in the Italian army, his pay being the equivalent of about two cents a day.
In 1881, at the age of 21, he left the army and came to America, joining his father who had come here five years previously. He was in New York two years but was not able to secure steady employment. He then had an opportunity to come to Akron to work for the B.&O. Railroad, then building a new line. He helped build the line from Akron to Youngs- town, working four years during which he usually lived in a box car. He then worked for the Penna. R.R. for two years.
In 1886 Mr. Coates came to Ravenna and started a grocery store on West Main St. Four different locations were used successively.
In May, 1887, Mr. Coates was married to Anna Marie Arglitz, who came with his mother, two brothers, and four sisters. Theirs was the first Italian marriage in Ravenna as his was the first Italian family there. Seven children were born to the couple-Fanny Agnes, now Mrs. Frank Gregory; Daniel, deceased; Helena Isabella; Margaret, deceased; Margaret, now Mrs. Andrew Pace. Two other children died in infancy. Mrs. Coates died Oct. 15, 1905.
Mr. Coates continued his grocery business 56 years and the store was continued by Lena Coates until 1953. He was naturalized as a citizen while in Ravenna and often acted as interpreter on various occasions, and helping others of his countrymen to securing citizen- ship papers.
Mr. Coates died April 20, 1942.
Hugh B. Coit
Hugh B. Coit was born in Shalersville, Ohio, August 6, 1891. He was the son of B. N. and Minnie (Cooley) Coit. The father, B. N. Coit, started a monument business in 1870, moving it to Ravenna in 1911.
Hugh Coit attended Shalersville schools, graduating in 1909, later attending high school at Ravenna. After this he attended Wooster College, studying mechanical drawing for one year. In 1913 he entered the monument business with his father, which business still continues, furnishing high grade monuments over a wide area. The father passed away in 1954.
On Dec. 21, 1915 he was married to Miss Luva Smalley, a daughter of F. O. and Laura (Hulbert) Smalley of Freedom. To them a daughter was born-Jane, now Mrs. C. V. Weid- eman who lives in Winston Salem, North Carolina. There are three grandchildren: Louise, Russell and Darlene Weide- man.
In August, 1918, Mr. Coit entered the army, serving in Zachary Taylor Camp, Kentucky. He was discharged in December, 1918.
Mr. Coit is a member of the American Legion and the I.O.O.F. lodge. Mrs. Coit belongs to the Rebekahs.
Mr. Coit is also a member of the Ohio State Monumental Association.
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Paul E. Collette
Paul Edwin Collette was born on February 19, 1895, in Akron, Ohio, the son of Wil- liam Rogers and Eltina (Marble) Collette. He was one of four children.
Paul was educated in the public schools in Akron, Ohio, but due to family circum- stances was forced to leave school during his sophmore year. He entered the sales department of the Miller Rubber Com- pany. In April of 1916, with John W. Shira, he formed The Oak Rubber Company in Akron, Ohio. In 1918, through negotiations with Ravenna Chamber of Commerce, he and Mr. Shira moved the company to Ravenna. He was active as an officer and director of the Oak Rubber Company until his death in May of 1950.
Mr. Collette was married in 1916 to Miss Odette Hast- ings, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Terry Hastings of Akron, Ohio. To them were born three children, Marion Eltina, Wil- liam Robert, and Richard Hastings.
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