USA > Ohio > Representative citizens of Ohio : memorial-genealogical > Part 30
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Hon. John Park Alexander
ROM an early period in the history of Summit County, Ohio, the name of J. Park Alexander has appeared frequently upon its records, often in connection with important public service, for he labored most effec- tively in the upbuilding of the city of Akron and community and he was always accorded the recognition which is justly due the pub- lic-spirited and progressive citizen whose unselfish efforts in behalf of the general welfare have been attended by splendid results. He had the greatest sympathy for his fellow men, was always willing to aid and encourage those who were struggling to aid themselves; yet in this, as in everything else, he was entirely unassuming, doing what he believed to be his duty as a citizen without thought of praise from his fellow men. Nothing could swerve him from a path which he believed to be the right one; he was a positive char- acter from early life, possessing that fortitude and stability which always accomplish results, and in his business career he was suc- cessful beyond the average man. He ever maintained an abiding faith and affection for his home city and did as much, perhaps, if not more, than any other individual for its general upbuilding. He was a man to whom friendships and the obligations of home life were sacred trusts, and his singularly upright, useful, and honor- able life, both in private and public affairs, commanded universal respect.
Hon. John Park Alexander was born in Bath Township, Sum- mit County, Ohio, August 7, 1834. He was the son of John and Mary (Scott) Alexander, a sterling pioneer family of this section of the State, who through their industry became well established here and were respected for their honesty and neighborliness. The subject of this memoir grew to manhood in his native community and when a boy made himself generally useful about the home- stead. He received his education in the district schools, Richfield Academy, and Marlboro Normal School, where he took a course in civil engineering. He began life for himself in the early fifties by teaching school, in which field of endeavor he met with pro- nounced success. He was principal of the Akron Grammar School from 1855 to 1857, but finally tiring of the school room he turned his attention to business, his first important venture being in 1866, when he purchased a site on Canal Street, Akron, and began to
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make stoneware. He also contracted for the output of a dozen pottery plants, having warehouses in Akron, Detroit, and Chicago. A year later he established his brick works on Canal Street. In the early seventies he operated two oil refineries and for twenty years was engaged in the oil business, in which he made a sub- stantial fortune and became known as one of the leading oil men in this section of the State, his business assuming extensive mag- nitude.
Mr. Alexander gave a great part of his life to public service, his earliest public efforts being devoted to the Summit County Agricultural Society, of which he was secretary from 1858 to 1863, and president for seven years thereafter. During this time he was also active in the state agricultural work, being treasurer of the State Board of Agriculture in 1872.
During the Civil War he enlisted in the famous "Squirrel Hunters" expedition, and afterwards remained in Kentucky in service as an independent sharpshooter. During the latter years of the war his interests in the Union cause would have led him to enlist, had it not been for the efforts of friends to keep him in the city, where his presence was needed. It was largely through his efforts that the unjust measures of the draft in Summit County were resisted and the size of the quota of recruits adjusted.
Mr. Alexander was one of the original members of the city council of Akron, being one of the most important members of that body from 1865 to 1888, and for eight years its president, serving in all fifteen years. When Akron was converted from a village to a city, street improvements were almost unknown here, and it was through Mr. Alexander's activity and leadership against strong opposition that the city was built up and civic im- provements were instituted. As president of council he had a rep- utation for his ability to put through a large amount of business in a given time. So thorough was his attention to municipal af- fairs and so deep was his study of the subject, that he became known throughout the country as an authority on civic matters, and his advice was frequently sought by other cities. His interest in this field brought fruit later in municipal legislation which he supported in the general assembly. In fact, his name has been identified with almost every worthy public movement of impor- tance in Akron during his lifetime. His last work was as a member of the Summit County Court House Commission, to which he was appointed by Judge J. A. Kohler. He was deeply interested in the planning and construction of the building, and in spite of his years and feeble health, assumed active duties in the commission.
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Mr. Alexander was elected representative in the legislature in 1882 and served one term with distinction. In 1888 he was elected State Senator from Summit, Portage, Geauga, Lake and Ashta- bula counties, serving in that important capacity until 1892, and again in 1898-1899, in a manner that reflected much credit upon himself and to the eminent satisfaction of his constituents and all concerned, making his influence felt for the general good of this locality and the entire State. While in the assembly his efforts were devoted largely to the colonization of imbeciles and feeble- minded youths. He secured the appropriation of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars with which an institution was established for this purpose. He continued to maintain an interest in this subject and served many years as trustee of the home, as well as of other public charitable institutions. He was also interested in the legislation for the benefit of the Ohio Penitentiary and took an intensely active part on the side of temperance in early legisla- tion on that subject. He was the author of the County Depositary Law. In state affairs he was universally recognized as a man of great and good influence.
In charity work he was a leader and served several years as president of the Union Charity Association, the work of which culminated in the establishment of Grace House.
Mr. Alexander was a loyal supporter of Marcus A. Hanna in his first fight for the United States Senatorship. As a matter of course he took a keen interest in politics all his life, and was an un- compromising Republican from his young manhood. In the ad- ministration of President McKinley he was tendered, but declined, the choice of several consulates. One of his last trips from his residence was for the purpose of registering. He had hoped to cast his vote in 1908, but was on his deathbed; he showed a lively interest however, in hearing the returns, living to hear the an- nouncement of Taft's election and showing great pleasure when he received the news.
He was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He was also a consistent member and liberal supporter of the First Congregational Church of Akron.
Mr. Alexander was married on September 4, 1860, to Martha D. Wright of Tallmadge, Ohio, where her people were prominent in the early days. To this union were born eight children: Clara W., who married Charles B. Wright, professor in Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont; Helen B., who married Henry B. Sperry, of Akron, is deceased; George Bates is deceased; Grace F. married C. N. Belden, of Akron; Martha D., who married C. H. Lit-
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tle, of Cleveland, is deceased; Bessie H., married S. H. Pitkin, of Akron; John Park, Jr., is deceased; and Alice Scott, who married F. E. Hulett, of Cleveland, is deceased.
The death of J. Park Alexander occurred Wednesday, Novem- ber 4, 1908, at his beautiful residence, Forest Hill, 422 West Mar- ket Street, Akron, Ohio, when he was past seventy-four years of age, and after he had suffered much from failing health for seven years, occasioned in part by the deaths of members of his family, which finally resulted in complete nervous collapse. Thus passed to his reward in the Great Beyond one who as teacher, manufac- turer, city councilman, state legislator, and public servant in many capacities lived one of the most intensely active and useful lives ever passed in Akron.
The Akron Beacon Journal, in its issue of November 4, 1908, said, editorially, under the caption "J. Park Alexander":
"In the absorbing interest which is still being taken in the re- sults of the election, the people of this community will pause to drop tears of regret over the death of our fellow townsman, J. Park Alexander. His death just at this time is the more pathetic for the interest which he has always taken in politics, and for the political honors which had been showered upon him. Mr. Alexander was one of the strong men in the history of Akron and Summit County. That he was such a strong man and of such a positive, determined nature brought him of course many opponents, to use no stronger term, but they all respected and admired him nevertheless for many of his qualities and characteristics. Mr. Alexander was a natural leader of men, and his has been a commanding figure for more than a generation past in all the circles of activity in the community. His declining years have been burdened with physi- cal ailment and grief over the loss of dearly beloved ones, and for these reasons his demise touches the heartstrings all the more."
Alanson Jalork
NE of the well remembered business men of Akron of a past generation was the late Alanson Work, who ac- complished much in placing on a solid and permanent basis one of that city's greatest industries. He worked not only for the present, but for the future, having an ardent am- bition that his company should, in due time, stand in the first rank of their line of industry. In the active management of the con- cern, he manifested keen intelligence, unfailing interest and far- seeing ability. Building upon a solid foundation, he had the pleasure of seeing his work develop into a success that proved the accuracy of his judgment and reflected credit upon his ability. Though a resident of Akron but a comparatively short time, he was generally recognized as one of the enterprising, aggressive and public-spirited men of the city, and he left the distinct impress of his personality on those with whom he had been associated, and though many years have passed since he passed from the life mili- tant to the life triumphant, he is still favorably remembered by the older residents of the city which had been honored by his res- idence.
Alanson Work was born at Quincy, Illinois, on March 1, 1842, and was the son of Alanson Work, Sr., a native of Connecticut. The family, which was originally of Scotch origin, came to Amer- ica in an early day, having been established in New England dur- ing the colonial period. The family name was originally spelled "Wark." Alanson Work, Sr., moved from his native State to Quincy, Illinois, where he remained for a time, but eventually he removed with his family back to Connecticut, where he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives. Alanson Work, Sr., was a man of positive convictions and pronounced views on the great moral and political questions of his day, being especially opposed to human slavery. Many years before the Civil War he ardently and openly advocated the abolition of slavery, and personally as- sisted many southern slaves on their way to the north and to free- dom. For this he was arrested in 1841 and was sentenced to twelve years' imprisonment, but after being confined for three years he was granted a pardon. After returning to Connecticut, the family first lived at Middletown, but later lived in Hartford.
Alanson Work, the subject of this sketch, was three years old when the family moved from Illinois to Connecticut, and in Hart-
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ford, of the latter State, he attended the public schools until he was seventeen years old. Then, for a year, he was a student in Trinity College, at the end of which period he entered the employ of Alexander T. Stewart, then the largest retail merchant in New York City. In that situation Mr. Work secured valuable expe- rience, and eventually entered the employ of the Metropolitan Bank, of New York, where he remained seven years. In 1869 he moved to Vineland, New Jersey, and one year later to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he acquired an interest in the contracting firm of Chamberlin, Gibbs & Company. The following two years he de- voted to railroad construction by contract and also the construc- tion of railroad bridges, in which work he was eminently success- ful. He was a good business man, even in his voung davs, careful in the exact performance of his contracts and a good handler of men under him, elements that contributed to the splendid results which he attained. Going to Rhode Island, Mr. Work secured the contract for rebuilding the bridges on the Providence & Worces- ter railroad, and in the completion of that contract he constructed fourteen double-track bridges in about one year's time, his work meeting the full approval and to the satisfaction of the officials of the company. Then, for about five years, Mr. Work served as superintendent of the Allen Fire Department Supply Company, at Providence, Rhode Island, where he demonstrated in an unmis- takable manner that he possessed abilities of a high order. Dur- ing the five vears in which he was connected with the supply com- pany, Mr. Work invented and took out several patents on fire en- gine supplies, some of which were of such merit that they quickly came into general use. One, known as the Work Patent Coupling, was a device of such practical utility that it was many years ago adopted by the United States Government, by whom it is still used. On January 1, 1879, Mr. Work came to Akron, Ohio, to be- come superintendent of the Akron Rubber Works, which later became the B. F. Goodrich Company. In this capacity he demon- strated capabilities of the highest order, and he contributed to the development and upbuilding of the rubber concern to a larger degree than probably any other person. Through his marked executive and administrative ability he was enabled to bring into effective operation policies and a system of operation which in- sured the success of the great enterprise with which he was con- nected. Eventually Mr. Work was made vice-president of the rubber company, retaining that position at the time of his death, which occurred on October 29, 1881, at his home in Akron. Mr. Work was ever a close observer of conditions and passing events
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and, being of an initiative turn of mind, he was able to compre- hend at once the defects and needs of whatever interest claimed his attention, and then to quickly determine upon a line of action. He was persistent along whatever line of effort he applied himself and in his business affairs he knew no such word as failure. And his success was not due alone to his knowledge of things and his executive ability, for there was in him that which commands suc- cess as imperatively as any other element, namely, character. Business demands confidence, and where that is lacking business ends. Mr. Work's integrity and fidelity were manifested in every relation of life, and in his dealings with others his word was as good as a bond. His plain. rugged honesty, his open-hearted man- ner, undisguised and unaffected. carried conviction and to a re- markable degree he held the confidence and respect of the circles in which he moved. He was of the highest type of progressive citizens and none more than he deserves a fitting recognition among those whose enterprise and ability have achieved results that awaken the wonder and admiration of those who knew them.
Politically, Mr. Work was a stanch supporter of the Republi- can party and not only took an active part in advancing its inter- ests, but was keenly alive to all the leading questions of the day along political, economic, and sociological lines. He was a wide reader and a deen thinker, held positive positions on these depart- ments of thought and activity and was at all times aligned with such movements as promised to promote the best interests of the people at large. Religiously, he was identified with the Congrega- tional Church, of which he was a liberal supporter.
On June 27, 1865, Alanson Work was married to Henrietta Wilcox Lane, who was born September 19, 1845, in Brooklyn, New York, where she was reared and received her education. She is the daughter of Anthony and Elizabeth (Stanton) Lane. Her father was a prominent and well known business man, who started his career in the office of Lewis Tappin. To become an employee of the last-named gentleman was to promise to never smoke or drink, and to go to church on Sunday and praver-meeting during the week. These conditions were not hard ones for young Lane to meet, for he had been reared to habits of temperance, sobriety, and morality, and his honest and straightforward record was his chief recommendation when applying for a new position. He was strongly opposed to slavery and helped to smuggle many slaves through on their way from the south. On the organization of the Fourth National Bank of New York City, Mr. Lane became con- nected with it and eventually became cashier of the institution.
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His business career was ever characterized by sterling honesty, promptness in the discharge of his duties and faithfulness to every trust reposed in him. To him and his wife were born the following children: Elizabeth B., who became the wife of David Fanning; Cornelia, the wife of Dr. Thomas C. Fanning; Henrietta W., Mrs. Work, and Ida M.
To Mr. and Mrs. Work the following children were born: Alice E., who became the wife of Walter F. Wilcox, a professor at Cornell University; they have four children, Bertram F., Mary G., Alanson W., and William B. Bertram G. married Marion Sawyer and they have one child, Bertram, Jr .; Dorothy W., who lives at home; Effie A., who became the wife of William C. Geer, of Akron. Frederick W., and Gerald S., who married Ida Zimmerly. Ber- tram G. Work is now president of the B. F. Goodrich Rubber Com- pany and is numbered among the leading business men of his city.
William JUI. Clark
HE success of men in business or any vocation depends upon character as well as upon knowledge, it being a self-evident proposition that honesty is the best pol- icy. Business demands confidence and where that is lacking business ends. In every community some men are known for their upright lives, strong common sense and moral worth rather than for their great wealth or political standing. Their neighbors and acquaintances respect them, the young generations heed their example, and when they "wrap the drapery of their couches about them and lie down to pleasant dreams" posterity listens with reverence to the story of their quiet and useful lives. Among such men of a past generation in Ohio was the late Wil- liam W. Clark, who was not only a progressive man of affairs, suc- cessful in material pursuits, but a man of modest and unassum- ing demeanor, well educated, a fine type of the reliable, self-made American, a friend to the poor, charitable to the faults of his neigh- bors, and who always stood ready to unite with them in every good work and active in the support of laudable public enterprises. He was proud of Canton and the grand State of Ohio and contributed to the best of his ability to their progress and prosperity. He was a man who in every respect merited the high esteem in which he was universally held, for he was a man of public spirit, intellectual attainments and exemplary character.
The subject of this sketch was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, on March 2, 1832, and his death occurred at his home in Canton on December 26, 1905. He was the son of James and Abbie Clark, both of whom were natives of Ireland, and descended from sterling old Scotch-Irish stock-a strain which has been one of the most important and influential in the formation and subsequent history of the great American commonwealth. James and Abbie Clark were reared and married in their native country, soon after which event they decided to come to the United States with the hope of bettering their financial affairs. Their first permanent location here was in Columbiana County, Ohio, where Mr. Clark engaged in bridge building, in which line of effort he was success- ful to a gratifying degree. Eventually they moved to Portage County, this State, and there engaged in farming for several years, their deaths occurring when they had reached advanced ages. They were born Quakers in their religious belief and were
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good people in the best use of the word. The subject of this sketch was their eldest son and the third in order of birth. A sister, Fannie, who was the first born, married, became the mother of two children, and died some years ago. Isabelle, the widow of a Mr. Stewart, is the mother of three children and now lives in Stark County. Jane married a Mr. Gilbert and is now deceased, leaving a son. James J., is a retired lawyer; Abrigal and Isaac deceased.
William W. Clark was reared under the parental roof and his educational opportunities were limited. He attended the common schools and later taught school and later attended school at Twins- burg, Ohio, near Cleveland. He first studied law with Alphonso Hart, at Ravenna, Ohio, and was admitted to the bar.
He entered upon the active practice of his profession in Can- ton some time during the early fifties, and was meeting with a fair measure of success in his profession, but he became interested in a number of business enterprises, in the handling of which he dis- played such pronounced aptitude for intricate business details and executive ability that he gradually relinquished the law for the office and counting room. The great manufacturing concern known all over the country as the Diebold Safe and Lock Company owes its rise and splendid success more to the enterprise, progres- sive spirit, determination, and aggressive policy of Mr. Clark than to any other one element. He was made president of the company and devoted himself to the business with such splendid results that the business was on a sound basis within a short time. Mr. Clark also had many other business interests in Canton, which made heavy demands upon his time, but he was so systematic and methodical in his business affairs that he was able to discharge a vast amount of work with ease. He had a remarkable faculty for comprehending the details of a proposition at a glance and was quick to form his plans and execute them. In local business cir- cles he exerted a large influence, his advice and counsel being sought frequently on questions of great financial importance.
In the civic and public life of Canton, Mr. Clark took a deep interest and his support was never sought in vain for those move- ments which promised to benefit the people generally in any way. He was a liberal contributor to worthy causes, among his public benefactions being the gift to the city of the plot of ground on which was erected the splendid Canton library. He was elected the first president of the library association and held the office continuously until his death. His private benefactions were many but he was so entirely unostentatious in his charity that but few people outside of his intimate family and friends knew of them.
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Politically, Mr. Clark was a stanch supporter of the Republi- can party and he served one term as mayor of Canton, his adminis- tration being characterized by a careful attention to the best in- terests of the people and by the introduction of a number of needed reforms in administration methods.
Mr. Clark was married in Canton to Eunice Hunt Bierce, who was born in Windham, this State, and educated in Canton, where she has lived for practically her entire life. She is the daughter of Alexander and Angeline Gray (Conant) Bierce, both of whom were Yankees by birth, the father being a native of Connecticut and the mother of Massachusetts. Their marriage occurred in Windham, Portage County, Ohio, shortly after which event they moved to Massillon, Stark County, where for some time Mr. Bierce practiced his profession, that of the law. However, he eventually came to the county-seat town and was here engaged in the active practice until his retirement. His death occurred in 1872, at the age of fifty-nine years; his wife died in 1864. They were both active members in the Presbyterian Church, in which he was an elder. Of their four children, Mrs. Clark is the only survivor. Of the others. two died in infancy, and Amanda K. died in 1885, at the age of fortv-one years.
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