Twentieth Century History of Youngstown and Mahoning County Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 105

Author: Sanderson, Thomas W
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 993

USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > Youngstown > Twentieth Century History of Youngstown and Mahoning County Ohio and Representative Citizens > Part 105

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Solemon Detclon, with his brothers, was reared on the home place and when the fa- ther's estate was divided at his death, each son received his just portion. Solomon con- tinned the manufacture of the bull plow until

1840, when the invention and introduction of the iron plow made the business no longer profitable. He also followed farming and stock-raising and became a man of substance like his father. He had 300 acres of land and built a comfortable home on it, in which he died in 1869.

Solomon Detchon married Anna Diantha McKee, who was a daughter of William Mc- Kee, a native of Connecticut and an early set- tler in Trumbull County, where Mrs. Detchon was born. For six years she was a successful teacher, taking her first school when 18 years of age and continuing to teach until her mar- riage, the greater portion of the time in Mer- cer County, Pennsylvania. east of Orangeville. After the death of her husband she sold the farm and removed to Poland where she re- sided with her daughter Elmira until her death in 1898, when over & years of age, hav- ing survived her husband for 29 years. They were the parents of the following children : Cyrus; Elmira; Alfred, residing in Milton township, Mahoning County. engaged in farm- ing, who is a veteran of the Civil War; Minerva A., deceased, who married Rev. A. T. Copeland, also deceased, who was a min- ister in the Methodist Episcopal Church; Wil- bur F., who died at Washington City, D. C., during the Civil War, drom wounds received in the battle of Fredericksburg; and Lucy J., who married Charles A. Fisk, residing at Girard, Pennsylvania.

Cyrus Detchon was reared to manhood on the homestead and he was educated in the dis- trict schools and at the Poland Institute. He began to teach school when 20 years of age and continued in the profession for the fol- lowing 12 years, filling positions in both Ma- honing and Columbiana counties. In 1865 Mr. Detchon bought his present farm on which he has resided until the present. making all the excellent improvements himself. When he came here the residence was a house that had been built in 1811. It was renovated and made habitable, but in 1886 was torn down to make away for the present commodions and attractive home. In 1906, Mr. Detchion still

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further improved his property by buikdling a substantial barn, 62 by 70 feet in dimensions. He has always carried on a general line of farming, devoting his land to wheat, corn, oats and hay. He is a believer in the use of first-class machinery and the adoption of nowlern methods of agriculture.

Mr. Detchion was married (first) in 1856, to Martha J. Poulton, who died in 1863. She was a daughter of Alfred Poulton and at that time was, like himself, a teacher in Colum- biana County, having previously taught at l'o- land. There were four children born to this marriage, namely : Anna Belle, Alfred Otho, Charles Almar and Cyrus Franklin, Anna Belle Detchon, who died aged 25 years, re- sided for six years with her maternal grand- parents at Canton, Missouri, where she at- tended the High School, subsequently becom- ing a successful teacher in Poland township. Alfred Otho Detchon, the eldest son, attended the Poland Institute and a Normal School in Worthington, Ohio. He then engaged in teach- ing in Poland, but for sume years has been in the real estate business at Pittsburg, Penn- sylvania. He married Jennie Elliot, who is a daughter of B. A. Elliot, a well-known florist of Allegheny City, and they have three chil- dren. Benjamin Cyrus, Margaret and Charles Poulton. Charles Almar Detchon, residing on the home farm and managing it for his father, attended the Poland Institute and also taught school in Poland township for some eight years. He married Julia Hunt, who is a daughter of Alfred Charles Hunt, and they have two children, Almar Hunt and Martha Anna. Cyrus Franklin, a traveling salesman, attended l'oland Union Seminary and the Ohio Wesleyan University for three years and then taught in the public schools of Youngstown for two years. In 1865 Cyrus Detchon was married ( second) to Hattie Shelton, who died in 1883.

Mr. Detchon is one of the leading mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Poland, in which he served as one of the stewards for 38 years. For 42 years he has been a teacher in the Sunday-school and form- erly served many years as its superintendent.

EORGE CAMPBELL FENTON, trustee of Poland township and the owner of a fine farm of 76 acres, which is situated about one-half mile north of Lowellville, was born at Austintown Center, Mahoning County, Ohio, April 15, 1836, and is a son of Abner Cone and Barbara (Campbell) Fenton.

Abner C. Fenton was born in Vermont, came to Ohio in young manhood, and worked first at the old Eaton furnace at Niles, where he learned the blacksmith trade. He then moved to Austintown Center and then to Min- eral Ridge, settling then on a jarm in the southeastern part of Youngstown township, which subsequently became the property of Hamilton Harris. At the time of this trans- action, George C. Fenton was 18 years old, and as his father then went into a coal busi- ness, with Henry Manning and O. H. P. Green, of Youngstown, in the vicinity of Homestead, Pennsylvania, George C. became employed in the enterprise to which his father had devoted his attention and capital. After five years at this point, Abner C. Fenton re- moved with his family to Edinburg, Pennsyl- vania. At Niles, Ohio, he married Barbara Campbell, who was born in Liberty township, Trumbull County, Ohio, and was a daughter of George Campbell, who was born in the north of Ireland.

One year prior to moving to Edinburg, George C. Fenton had purchased a canal boat, which he operated until the canal was aban- doned. He worked his boat from Brier Hill and Girard, loading with pig iron for Pitts- burg, and sometimes made a trip that cx- tended down the Ohio River as far as Steu- henville and even to Wheeling, West Virginia. When boating conkl no longer be carried on, Mr. Fenton turned his attention to merchan- dising and bought an interest in a dry-goods store at Edinburg, which he carried on tor about six years, when he became interested in farming. For several years he remained in the vicinity of Edinburg and then took posses- sion of what was known as the Hmmm farm in Poland township, which he operated two years, then moved to the Batteiger farm for

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three years. and in 1889, he purchased the farm on which he has resided ever since. He here owns a very valuable piece of property, which is kept in fine condition, and although Mr. Fenton has reached the age of 71 years, he is hale and hearty and still enjoys his farm work, which he carried on without any assist- ance.

On June 18, 1876, Mr. Fenton was mar- ried to Rebecca Hill, who is a daughter of John and Maria Hill, of Hillsville, a town that was named in honor of the Hill family. Mr. and Mrs. Fenton have had eight chil- dren, five of whom survive, namely: John, residing at Muncie, Indiana, where he is as- sistant manager of a rolling mill; Thomas, residing in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, where he is a master mechanic in a blast fur- nace; Richard, residing in Poland township, operates a dairy; Maud, who married Rev. William Barnes, who is pastor of the Disciples Church, near Newcastle, Pennsylvania; and Chauncey L. The latter, after graduating from the Lowellville schools took the severe com- petitive examination required and was ap- pointed by Congressman Taylor, a cadet to West Point, where he was graduated June 15. 1904, with the rank of second lieutenant of artillery. For a short time Lieutenant Fen- ton was stationed at Portland, Oregon, then at Cheyenne, Wyoming, and then accompanied his battery across the Pacific Ocean to Ma- nila. After six weeks there he was ordered to report at West Point, in August, 1906, where he has since been instructor in math- ematics. He is a young man of brilliant gifts. The three children of Mr. Fenton whose death he has been called upon to mourn were two sons, Orus C. and Joseph, and one daughter, Nellie, the latter of whom died aged 12 years. Orus C. Fenton and his brother were both railroad men and both were killed within a mile of Niles, on the same road, the Baltimore and Ohio line, but at different times.

Politically, Mr. Fenton is identified with the Republican party and in 1803 he was elected on that ticket, township trustec. in which office he has faithfully served ever since.

He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the order of Knights of Pythias. He be- longs to the Disciples Church.

R B. MURRAY, who has attained much prominence in the practice of his profession, is one of the leading at- torneys of Youngstown, in which city he was born, and is the son of Ira and Hannah (Carothers) Murray.

Ira Murray was born in New York in 1806, and came to Wayne, Ashtabula County, in 1821, but subsequently located in Youngs- town in 1826, where he practically passed the remainder of his life, engaged in following his trade as a tanner.

R. B. Murray was reared in Youngstown, attending the public schools of the city and la- ter attending Allegheny College, of which he is now a trustee, and the University of Mich- igan. After leaving the latter institution he opened an office in Youngstown in 1868 and embarked in the practice of his profession, and has been in continued practice since that time. For a period of 16 years, from 1870 to 1886 inclusive, he was associated with the Hon. A. W. Jones, but since then has been alone the greater part of the time, and has long enjoyed one of the most extensive and lucrative practices in the city.

Mr. Murray was married in 1872 to So- phia Bond, of Geneseo, New York. She died on November 19, 1885, leaving no children. Mr. Murray's second marriage occurred on June 30, 1807, to Wealthy A. Darby, of Meadville, Pennsylvania.

While never seeking political preferment, Mr. Murray has always been an active party man, and has always worked for the success of his party without any expectation of per- sonal reward. He is a member of the follow- ing fraternities: Phi Beta Kappa, a Greek fraternity, which was founded in 1775, by Washington, Jefferson and others, at Will- iam and Mary College, Virginia, and of which he is one of the two members now in

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Mahoning County; a member of the Ma- sonic order for many years. He is now and for most of his life has been an active member of the Trinity M. E. Church, of which he has for a number of years been a member of the board of trustees.

e HRISTIAN WERREN, who owns an excellent darm of 60 acres, sit- uated in Goshen township, on which he successfully carries on general farming and dairying, is a well- known citizen who stands very high in the esteem of his fellow-citizens. He was born December 3, 1865, in Berne, Switzerland, and is a son of Jacob Werren.

The father of Mr. Werren was born also in Switzerland, and he came with other mem- bers of his family to America about 1881, set- tling in Smith township, Mahoning County, where he still resides, carrying on agricultural pursuits. He was twice married and eight of his children still survive, as follows : Christian, residing in Goshen township; Mag- gie, residing in Alliance, Ohio: Jacob, resid- ing in Goshen township; Catherine, residing in Stark County, Ohio; Sophia, residing at Alliance; Elizabeth, residing at Salem; and Louis and Emma, both residing in Smith township.

Christian Werren was 16 years of age when he accompanied the family to America, and a course in the public schools of his na- tive land, had afforded him a fair education. Ile remained with his father in Smith town- ship and then moved to Stark County, Ohio, where he continued to follow farming until 1806, when he came to his present place in Goshen township. He has a well-cultivated farm, raises the usual grains of this section and devotes a portion to pasturage, as he keeps a number of cows for dairy purposes. He is a good farmer and excellent manager. He learned the English language while attend- ing school for two winters in Stark County.

In Stark County he married Mary Har- mon, who died in June, 1905. She was a

daughter of Michael Harmon. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Werren, Clara E. and Bertha A.

OHN S. MILLER, a leading citizen of Ellsworth township, residing on his finely-improved farm of 276 acres, was born on this place, December 12, 186t, and is a son of Emanuel and Margaret (McNeilly) Miller, and a grandson of James McNeilly.

The maternal grandparents of Mr. Miller were born in Ireland and emigrated to Amer- ica, settling in Jackson township. Mahoning County, Ohio, in 1827 and coming to Ells- worth township, in 1830. The paternal grand- parents came to Ellsworth township from Pennsylvania. Their children were: four daughters, and the following sons. Eli, Jesse, Josiah, David, John, E. P., and Abraham. The paternal grandiather died at the age of go years.

Emamiel P. Miller, father of John S., was born in 1829 on his father's farm in Ells- worth township, on a part of which he still resides. He married Margaret McNeilly, who died in March, 1895, aged 62 years.

John S. Miller attended the district schools of his native township and select schools at Ellsworth, and spent some time as a student at Oberlin College. He has resided on his present farm all his life, like his father, fol- lowing agricultural pursuits, but devoting especial attention for the last 18 years to breeding registered Jersey cattle. Up to 1890 he was in the sheep and cattle business to some extent, but in this year he began his present enterprise, with four head of Jerseys, and now has the finest herd of registered cat- tle in Mahoning County. Ile keeps from 35 to 45 head of milkers, and in 1906 he put on the market over 12,000 pounds of Jersey but- ter. He supplies some 50 families at Youngs- town with his farm products, for which he re- ceives the highest market price paid. He looks after his deliveries himself, going to the city every Friday and returning home on the fol- lowing day.

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Mr. Miller brought the first registered im- ported male Jersey to Malumning County, and much of the improvement in cattle in this sec- tion may be directly traced to his enterprise. as he raises stock to sell for breeding purposes. Formerly he has bred only the St. Lambert Jerseys, but is now making the experiment of crossing the same with what is known as the Island-bred. He has tried various other breds but finds that the Jersey cattle are de- ciderly the most economical and by far the best for dairy purposes. He has made this business a scientific study. Iligh prices do not prevent his buying such stock as meets his re- quirements, and he is justly proud of a beauti- ful heifer for which he recently paid the sum of $225. On his fertile and well-cultivate1 farm Mr. Miller grows just enough for his own use in taking care of his cattle. He has erected all of his barns and his residence, and they are substantial in construction and med- em and sanitary in their equipments.

Ou October 5. 1880, Mr. Miller was mar- ried to Jessie May Smith, who is a daughter of Walter and Judith P. Smith, and a grand- daughter of Walter Smith, who was a pio- meer from Connecticut to Ellsworth township. Mrs. Miller traces her ancestry hack to the Mayflower. Mrs. Miller, like her husband. was the only child horn to her parents. Her father was a soldier in the Civil War, a mem- ber of Company F, 41st Regiment, Ohio Vol- unteer Infantry, and died from fever, in 1862. The mother of Mrs. Miller still survives. She is a daughter of Henry Ripley and a grand- daughter nf Gen, William Ripley, of Connec- ticut. who married a Miss Susan Bingham, General Ripley came to Ohio on horseback. one of the early settlers in the Western Re- serve. He became a mian of great prom- inence and served twice as member of the Ohio Legislature.

Mr. and Mrs. Miller have had four chil- dren, namely : Walter Waklo, Lulu May. Lester and William Ray. Lester is deceaseil. Mr. Miller and family belong in the Presbyte- rian Church at Rosent mt.

Politically, Mr. Miller is a Republic'in. lle has shown his continued interest in educt-

tic nal matters by consenting to serve on the school board for a long time, and during two years was its president. He belongs to the s raternal order of Maccabees.

ILBERT MARINER, proprietor of Tanglewood Farm, consisting of 62 acres located in section 14. Coitsville township, was born November 30, 1847, in Youngs- town township. Mahoning County, Ohio, near Central Square. Youngstown, and is a son of Ephraim W. and Martha J. (Wilson) Mariner.

Ephraim W. Mariner was born on the same farm and in the same house in which his son resides, and was a son of Asa Mariner, who was a native of Connecticut, and a sur- veyor by trade. He came to this county in 1800 with a party of surveyors and located on a tract of 160 acres, and then returned to Connecticut, but came again to Mahoning County, in 1801, and settled on his land in Coitsville township, on which he resided dur- ing the remainder of his life. He engaged in farming and also operated a saw mill and a grist mill which he built on the place. He married Sarah Beggs, who came of one of the uld pioneer families of Coitsville.

Ephraim W. Mariner, father of Wilbert, was reared on his father's farm in Cuitsville township. He was a large, powerful man, six feet seven inches tall. He learned the black- smith trade with Cyrus Jackson, after which he moved to Youngstown and started a black- smith shop. in partnership with his brother-in- law. B. L. Wilson. He married Martha Wil- son, who was born at Brier Hill. on the line between Trumbull and Mahoning counties. who was a daughter of Andrew Wilson. They had but one child. Wilbert. Ephraim Mariner (lied at the age of 22 years from brain fever when his son was hot 18 months ohl. His widow subsequently married his brother, Ma- jor James Mariner, who was an officer in the State militia. They had two children: Lois, who is the widow of lemmel Treester, resid-

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ing on part of the home farm; and Edith, who married Myron Clark. Major James Mariner died in 1887, and his widow in 1897, aged 74 years.

Wilbert Mariner was reared on the farm where his grandfather located in 1801, his mother and step-father removing there when he was a small chikl. He has lived on this farm all his life, and has always been inter- ested in farming, and owns 77 acres of farm land in Coitsville township, having another tract of 15 acres besides the farm on which he resides. In connection with his farming he runs a small dairy, disposing of the milk at wholesale. Mr. Mariner for 10 years worked during the winter months in a saw mill for Joseph Jackson, and for three years for the Mahoning Coal Company as weigh master.

Mr. Mariner was married in 1886 to Cora A. Stacey, a daughter of James A. Stacey. Nine children were born to this nnion, the fol- lowing surviving: James S., Genevieve, Martha Virginia, Wilbert Judson. Mar- guerite and Ephraim Minola. Those de- ceased were: Catherine Jane, Joseph K. and Florence R.

Mr. Mariner is a Republican and in 1903 he was elected treasurer of Coitsville town- ship.

D DAVID HAMMOND STEWART, an extensive peach-grower and farmer, of Poland township, residing on his 83 acres of valuable land, which is situated in lots 6 and 16, adjoin- ing the corporation line of the village of Po- land, is a member of one of the oldest settled families of Mahoning County. He was born at Thorn Hill, in Consville township. in the historic old house built by his grandiather, which is now the home of Isaac Rush. His parents were Alexander and Mary ( Ham- mond) Stewart.

Probably there are few families in Ohio that can more clearly trace their line of an- cestry than can the Stewart family. It reaches to John Stewart, a Scotch Covenanter who

Hled from Scotland to County Down, Ireland, int 1665, to escape penalties incurred for non- compliance with royal edicts respecting forms of religious worship. Jolm Stewart died in 1720.

Robert Stewart, son of John, was born at Glasgow, Scotland, in 1665, and died in Ireland in 1730.

Samuel Stewart, son of Robert, was born near Glasgow, Scotland, in 1098, and died in 1770, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. In 1720, with his brother Hugh, he went to Ireland, and together they came to America in 1735, landing in the city of Philadelphia. They settled in Drumore township, Lancas- ter County, Pennsylvania, near Chestnut Lev- el, where there was a Scotch-Irish colony.

Robert Stewart, son of Samuel and great- grandfather of David Hammond Stewart, was born in Ireland in 1732, and died on his farm in Liberty township, Adams County, Pennsyl- vania, November 1, 1811. He bought 100 acres of land in what was then York, but is now Adams County, May 30, 1765, and as his first child was born December 20, 1765, he was probably married in the early part of that year to Sarah Stewart, of Chester County, a cousin, who was born in 1737 and died March 31, 1796.

James Stewart, son of Robert and grand- father of David H., was born in Pemsylvania, October 27, 1768. He came from Adams County, Pennsylvania, to Mahoning County in company with his brother Jolin, in 1802, se- lecting 374 acres of land in Coitsville town- ship. He went back to Pennsylvania, but in 1803 he returned to Coitsville township with his family and built the old log cabin which is still standing. He was married (first) to Jean Smiley, who was a daughter of John and Ann Honton (Stewart) Smiley, a cousin, who was born in Washington County, Pennsyl- vania, May 19, 1771, and died in Coitsville township, Mahoning County, September 5. 1812. James Stewart was drafted for the War of 1812, bat on account of the serions illness of his wife at that time. he hired a substitute, paying hint the sum of $100 and a gun. Ile had six children by his first mar-

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riage. He was married (second) to Jean Buchanan, who was born October 11, 1785, and died March 30, 1871, at the home of her son Alexander, in Poland township.

Alexander Stewart, father of David H. Stewart, was the 13th child of James Stewart and the seventh of his second marriage, and he was born in Coitsville township, Mahoning County, Ohio, September 3, 1825, and died in Poland township, December 14, 1903. He married Mary Hammond, who is a daughter of John and Margaret (Neilson) Hammond. They continued to live on the old Stewart homestead until 1863, when Mr. Stewart sold the Coitsville farm and moved to Poland, where he resided during the remainder of his life. His widow still survives.

David Hammond Stewart was about one year old when his parents moved to Poland township, and he was reared on the farm now occupied by his brother, James Stewart. He was educated in the Poland schools and Po- land Seminary. He has always devoted him- self to agricultural pursuits and has been so successful in raising peaches that he is desig- nated "the peach man" of Mahoning County, a very honorable title, showing that he pos- sesses much scientific knowledge, to make the growing of this desirable fruit one of such importance in .this section. He has an or- chard of 700 peach trees.

On June 30, 1886, Mr. Stewart was mar- ried to Sarah Frances Giesy, who is a daugh- ter of Jacob H. and Julia Ann ( Wolf) Giesy, natives of Fairfield County, Ohio, where Mrs. Stewart was reared and carefully educated. She, with HI. T. Stewart and Miss Alice Caro- line Stewart, compiled the exhaustive history of the Stewart family, which was brought out in 1900 in book form. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart have two children, Bertha Minnetta and Mary Edna. The former was born January 25, 1889. In June, 1907, she was graduated from Poland Seminary, after graduating from the Poland High School, in the previous year, and is to enter Wilmington College, in Law- rence County, Pennsylvania. The second daugliter was born Jannary 5. 1803. The

family home is a handsome frame residence which was erected in 1894. The family be- long to the United Presbyterian Church at Struthers, in which Mr. Stewart is an elder. He has never taken any very active part in politics, but has consistently acted the part of a good and public-spirited citizen. He is a member of the Poland Union board of edu- cation.

AMES PARK, a prominent farmer and highly respected citizen of Canfield township, and owner of 110 acres of well-improved and highly cultivated farm land, was born April 16, 1842, in Ireland and is a son of David and Mary (Mcharg) Park.

David Park, a native of Drumlee District, County Down, Ireland, was a farmer by oc- cupation. Hle was one of a large family of children, but he and his sister, Mrs. Jane Mc- Knight, were the only members who came to America, the latter of whom settled in Philadelphia, and is now deceased. David Park married Mary Meharg, whose father, James Mcharg, was of Scotch-Irish descent. Seven children were born to David and Mary Park, four of whom were born in Ireland and three in America. In 1840, David Park start- ed for the United States, with his wife and children, taking passage in a sailing vessel, which required six weeks to make the voyage. Having friends in Mahoning County, Ohio, he at once came here and settled in Canfield township. After staying with friends at Can- field for a short time he bought and located on the farm now owned by Issac Clay. The land was partially cleared and they moved into a log honse which was on the place, in which they resided for several years, and after Mrs. Park's parents came to this country. they they bought land in partnership. David was killed in an iron ore bank when our subject was but 12 years oldl. He left a family of seven children: Jane, who married William Braden, both deceased: James. Edward. de- ceased; Margaret, who married James Wal-

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Twentieth Century History of Youngstown and Mahoning County Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 105

Author: Sanderson, Thomas W Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 993

Author: Sanderson, Thomas W
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 993