Twentieth Century History of Youngstown and Mahoning County Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 128

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 128

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).

Dr. Reese was married in Wales to Sarah Richards, and they have five children, namely : Polly, Sarah. Elizabeth, Katheryn and Gert- rude. Sarah married Theodore Johns, of Youngstown. Dr. Reese belongs to the Welsh Congregational Church, He is a 32nd degree Mason.

HRISTIAN WERREN, who owns an excellent farm of 60 acres, sit- nated in Goshen township, on which he successfully carries on general farming and dairying, is a well- known citizen highly esteemed in this locality. 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 came to America, with other members of his family, about 1881. set- tling in Smith township, Mahoning County.

where he still resides, being engaged in agri- cultural 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, residing in Goshen township ;; Catherine, a resident of Stark County, Ohio; Sophia, a resident of Al- fiance; 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 native land, had afforded him a fair education. He re- mained with his father in Smith township and then moved to Stark County, Ohio, where he continued to follow farming until 1896, when he came to his present place in Goshen town- ship. Hle has a well cultivated farm and raises the usual grain of this section and devotes a portion to pasturage, as he keeps a munber of cows for dairy purposes. He is a good farmer and excellent manager. He learned the En- glish language while attending 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.

E LIAS BARE, a general farmer of Boardman township, residing on a tract of 165 acres, was born March 1. 1855, on the home farm in Beaver township, Mahoning County. Ohio and was a son of John and Anna ( Blusser) Bare.

John Bare was born in Pennsylvania where he was reared to mmhood after which he came to Mahoning County, and settled on a farm in Beaver township. Here he married Anna Blos- ser. who was born in Rockingham County, Virginia, a daughter of John Blusser. When 16 years of age she came to Ohio with her father, who settled in Beaver township on a farm which was quite well improved and on

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which he and his wife both died some years later. She was the eldest of the family of 12 children, namely: Anna, mother of Elias Bare; Rudolph, Enos, Joel, Noah, Peter, Dan, Susan. Magdalene, Maria, Jonah, and Jacob. John and Anna Bare continued to reside in Beaver township all their lives, the former passing out of this life just previous to the birth of his son Elias. Seven children com- pleted their family, namely : Noah, David ( de- ceased ), John. Jacob, Jouas, Peter, and Elias, subject of this sketch. Mrs. Bare died in 1895 at the age of 83 years.

Elias Bare lived at home with his widowed mother until 12 years old, when he went to reside with his uncle Noah Blosser of Beaver township, with whom he remained until at- taining his minority. He assisted his uncle with the farm work and attended the district school, and he subsequently worked for two years for his uncle by the month. Shortly after his marriage he moved to his present farm of 165 acres which he purchased from the Barbara Klien heirs, and has since resided here engaged in general farming. being recog- nized as the most successful agriculturist of the township. He remodeled his nine-room frame house which was on the place when he purchased the land, and has made various other improvements.

Mr. Bare was married November 4. 1880, to Anna B. Musselman, who was born Novem- ber 26. 1864. in Page County, Virginia. Mrs. Bare is the daughter of Isaac and Catherine ( Blosser ) Musselman, who came from Vir- ginia in 1870, and settled in Green township, Mahoning County, where they both died. They were the parents of four children: Virginia, who married John Hendricks; Lydia ( Mrs. Allen Calvin ) ; Flora, who died young ; and Anna, the wife of the subject of this biography.

Ten children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bare, namely : Noah, who died aged four months : Warren, a resident of Green township. who married Blanche Hendricks, and has one child, Theda: Effie 1 ..; Charlotte, who died aged three years: Eva I., Elmer. Alvin, Ho- mer, Mary and Leo.

Politically Mr. Bare is a Republican and is at present a member of the board of school directors. Religiously, he and his family are members of the Mennonite Church.

IL.LIAM BONNELL, whose hon- ored name is indissolubly asso- ciated with the great iron industry at Youngstown, was identified for years with all that promoted the development of this section, and no history of the Mahoning Valley, however cursory, could be written without extended mention of his life of struggle and success. William Bonnell was born in Yorkshire, England, June 10. 1810, and was a son of John and Elizabeth (Gomersal ) Bonnell.

Mr. Bonnell's parents were in but modest circumstances and the youth learned the busi- ness or trade of wool dyer, which, in the great manufacturing districts of his nativity, was one which gave him support. But after he married and had three children, his income proved in- adequate, and he decided to emigrate to Amer- ica, where, according to current report, every trade and craft flourished and high wages pre- vailed. Like many other credulous workmen. Mr. Bonnell found that many of the stories of certain prosperity were exaggerations, and after he reached Cincinnati, in March. 1841. he discovered that there was no call at all for the exercise of his skill as a wool dyer. In a new country without any friends to hold out a helping hand, and with a growing family to care for. Mr. Bonnell experienced many anx- ious months. Although entirely removed from any work that he had previously done, he at length decided to become an iron worker. for which class of labor there was a demand at New Castle, Pennsylvania, and in 1845. he removed with his family to that city. Here success crowned his earnest efforts. Mr. Bon- nell, perhaps to his own surprise, found how quickly he became interested in all the details of iron-making. and when he was taken into the offices of the company and made book-

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keeper, he continued his study of the processes of this great industry. He made friends with the capitalists with whom he was now associ- ated and his judgment was often consulted and his views accepted, while his services were em- ployed both at Pittsburg and New Castle.

In 1843, a small mill had been built by Youngstown capitalists, on the bank of the okdl Ohio and Pennsylvania Canal, near Youngs- town, but for want of practical operators the enterprise had not proven a success and the mill remained closed for some years. During the winter of 1854-55 this mill came into the united possession of William Bonnell, Joseph H. Richard and Thomas Brown, all practical iron workers. The concern of Brown, Bonnell & Company, was then founded, and from a mill which had a total capacity of but seven tons of product a day to the present plant, which is one of the largest iron manufacturing plants in the world, the progress has been continu- ous. The business was not incorporated until 1875, at which time the late Henry O. Bonnell was president, and William Scott Bonnell was treasurer. William Bonnell had lived to see the accomplishment of his great purpose, the buikling up, in a large degree through his own efforts, of a great industry which opened ave- nes of prosperity for his chosen place of resi- dence and brought peace and plenty into the homes of thousands of workingmen. Through all his great successes he never lost sight of the steps by which he had arisen nor forgot the friends of his early days. His death took place May 25, 1875.

On September 18,, 1834, William Bonnell was married to Sarah A. Scott, a daughter of George and Sarah ( Hutchison) Scott, all of England. Eight children were born of this marriage, as follows: Sarah Jane, widow of G. H. McElvey, of Youngstown; Eliza A., widow of J. H. Bushnell; Henry O., born in England, who died January 16, 1893: Wil- liam Scott, president of the Mahoning Na- tional Bank, and at the head of mumberless other important enterprises, of whom a sketch may be found in this work : Caroline H., wife of John C. Wick, vice-president of the Dollar

Savings & Trust Company, at Youngstown, of whom also a sketch appears in this volume ; Mary, who died at the age of three years; Elizabeth, wife of Myron C. Wick (see sketch) ; and Martyn, who is a large manufac- turer at Cleveland, Ohio. Mrs. Bonnell died in 1898. She was a lady of beautiful charac- ter, one in whom husband and children found devotion, affection and virtuous example. Both Mr. Bonnell and wife were consistent members of the First Presbyterian Church for many years, Mr. Bonnell serving as an elder.

ILLIAM TRAUT, proprietor of the Crab Creek Distillery Company, wholesale and retail dealers of liquors, of Youngstown, Ohio, was born in Communbiana County, Ohio, in 1857.

Mr. Traut was reared on a farm in Colum- biana County, and attended school until about 15 years of age, when he went to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and having already learned the tanning trade, he engaged there in that busi- ness, for about one year. Later he learned the distillery business, on the Monongahela River. In 1896, he came to Youngstown and built the Crab Creek distillery, which he later sold, and is now a wholesale and retail dealer in liquors.

Mr. Traut was married in 1894 to Anna Miller of Allegheny, Pennsylvania. They have one son. William Traut, Jr. Mr. Trant is a member of the Elks, Eagles, Knights of Pythias, and is past master of the Stuckrath Lodge, No. 430, F. & A. M., of Allegheny. Pennsylvania.

D UNCAN LIVINGSTONE .* associate partner with Ezra C. Welsh in the firm of Wire, Welsh & Company, the largest distillers in Springfield town- ship or adjacent to it, with an im- meuse plant at New Middletown. is one of Ma- honing County's popular citizens and success-

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ful men. Hle was born August 7, 1864, at Powers, at the foot of Loveland Hill, in Youngstown, Mahoning County, Ohio, and is a son of Andrew and Agnes (Calderhead) Livingstone.

Mr. Livingstone is of Scotch ancestry and parentrige. His grandfather Duncan Living -. stone, a mining contractor in Scotland, never came to America. In his native land he mar- ried Jane Claxton, and they had the following children: James, who came to Mahoning County but subsequently moved to lowa ; Rob- ert, deceased; John, who resided for a time at Youngstown, and subsequently returned to Scotland: Duncan, who died in Scotland: An- drew. the father of the present Duncan Living- stone; Archibald, who is a eivil and mining engineer, residing in Scotland; Mrs. Jane Hamilton, who died in Scotland; Agnes, who married William Hardy, residing in White County, Temessee ; Mrs. Margaret Currier, residing in Ireland; and several children who died when young. .

Andrew Livingstone, father of Dunean. was born January 8, 18go, in Airdrie, Seot- land, and when young accompanied his parents to Armadale, Linlithgow, Scotland. In his native lind he learned and followed the trade of miner. In Linlithgow, June 19. 1863. he was married to Agnes Caklerhead. She was bern about one mile from Glasgow, Scotland. February 8, 1845, and is a daughter of John and Agnes ( Bishop) Callerhead. farming peo- ple, who took up their residence in Linlithgow when she was young. She was one of the fol- lowing children : James, residing in Colorado; Thomas, also residing in Colorado; John, re- siding in Arkansas; Agnes. Mrs. Livingstone; Barbara, residing still in Armadale, Scotland, who married, first, a Mr. Morton and, second, a Mr. Forsythe.

In May. 1864, Andrew Livingstone came to this country, with his family and found en- ployment at the old Power coal mine in Ma- honing County, Ohio, In the fall of 1869, he settled in Springfield township. midway be- tween New Middletown and Petersburg, where

he continued to work at mining until June 24. 1882. when he was accidentally shot by a nephew, who had been out hunting with his son. He and his wife had nine children, namely : Duncan, subject of this sketch; Agnes, who married Ezra C. Welsh; John C., born Decem- ber 15, 1867; Jane, born August 22, 1869, who died September 9, 1870; Barbara, born April 7. 1871, who married Levi Witzennan, resid- ing in Medina County ; Robert, born December 9. 1872, residing at Alberta, Canada; James, born November 21, 1874, residing at Leth- bridge. Alberta, Canada; Jane, born June 2, 1876, who married Rev. John Wesley Miller, residing at West Alexander, Ohio; and Mar- garet, born January 16, 1879, who married Curtis Wekker, residing at New Castle, Penn- sylvania.

Duncan Livingstone was reared in Spring- field township and educated in the public schools for a short time attending a private school at Petersburg. He remained on the home place and worked at mining until 1800. when he went to Temessce, where he secured a position as mine foreman, and it was while performing the duties of that position that he was appointed, in 1891, by President Harri- son. a storekeeper and ganger for the 18th District of Ohio, which position he continued to fill until March 15, 1804. On May 1, 1894, Mr. Livingstone became a partner with Wire, Welsh & Company, distillers, of which con- cern he is a joint owner, with his brother-in- law. Ezra C. Welsh.

Mr. Livingstone married Elsie L. Knesal. who was born March 10, 1870, at Petersburg, and is a daughter of John G. and Henrietta ( Whitmyre) Knesal. They have one son, Duncan W., who was born at the family home in New Middletown. Mr. and Mrs. Living- stone are still members of the Methodist Epis- copal Church at Petersburg. In political senti- ment. Mr. Livingstone is a Republican. Fra- ternally he is connected with Starlight Lodge, No. 224. Knights of Pythias, at Petersburg; Allen Lodge. No. 276, F. & A. M. at Colum- biana, and the Eagles, at Palestine.

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HOMAS PARROCK,* general mana- ger of the Youngstown Foundry & Machine Works, and a representative citizen of Youngstown, was born in England in 1853.

Mr. Parrock was reared and educated in his native country, and after reaching man- lunk! was employed as roll turuer. When 28 years of age he came to America and located! in Pennsylvania, where he followed his trade In 1880, he came to Youngstown and engaged with the firm of MeCurdy & Company, with whom he remained until 1892, when the com- pany was consolidated with the Youngstown Steel & Iron Company, under the firm name of L'nion Iron & Steel Company. He remained with the firm as general superintendent until 1900, when he became general manager of the P. & R. Iron & Steel Company, which position he held until 1904. He then became general manager of the Youngstown Foundry & Ma- chine Company, in which capacity he is still serving.

Mr. Parrock was married in England to Miss Fannie Williams. They have four chil- dren : Harry Percy; James D .: George: and May Gladys.

of age and then took charge of the home farm in Lawrence County. for his mother. Here he continued until 1872, when he came to Ma- honing County, settling in Smith township on a farm, a part of which is now the site of the village of Sebring. There he carried on a full line of agricultural operations until, as above stated, he came to Beloit.

Mr. Allison was married (first) in 1863, to Mary Cole, of Beaver County, Pennsyl- vanin. Ile was married (second) in 1897, to Martha Antrim, who was born in Stark County. Ohio, and is a daughter of William Antrim, one of the early Pennsylvania settlers in Stark County.

In politics. Mr. Allison is a Republican, with Prohibition leanings, His sterling char- acter as a man and citizen has been generally recognized by his community and he has been elected to a number of responsible positions. Ile has served one term as mayor of Beloit, is' a notary and justice of the peace, and for nearly a quarter of a century he has been secre- tary of the Smith Township Aid Society. He is a very active member of the United Presby- terian Church, at Sebring, Ohio, of which he is one of the founders and an eller, and has always been interested in the work of the Sunday-school.

E E. ALLISON, justice of the peace and notary public, at Beloit, has engaged also in an insurance business since 1880), when he left his farm in Smith township and established himself in R ICHARD H. FENTON .* a highly re- spected citizen and general farmer of Poland township. residing on a val- nable farm of 99 acres, situated in lot 77, was born November 27, 1870, in Edenburg. Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, and is a son of George and Etza Jane (Stan- ley ) Fenton. this town. Mr. Allison was born in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, June 14, 1841, and is a son of John and Charlotte ( Stewart) Alli- son. On the maternal side, Mr. Allison comes of New England ancestry, one of his grand- fathers bringing his family from Connecticut, with an ox-team, and settling near Haselton, When about nine or ten years old Richard 11. Fenton came to Poland township with his father, and has since spent much of his time here. remaining at home until after his mar- riage. He first worked in the oil fields of in Mahoning County, on what is known as the old Fitch farm, on which the mother of E. E. Allison was reared. John Allison, who was a native of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, and a farmer by occupation, died when his son, the : Pennsylvania for some time, after which he subject of this sketch, was 12 years old bnt the 1 went to West Virginia, and then returned to latter contintied at school until he was 16 years . Mahoning County. He later went to Cleve-

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land and worked in a sheet and plate mill, of which his brother, John, was superintendent, remaining there about two years. After his marriage he took up railroad work, beginning as a brakeman, from which position he went in- to the Wilson Avenue shops of the ErieRailrond in Cleveland, working in the wrecking depart- ment. He subsequently came to Youngstown as a car inspector, after whielt he became fore- man on the wreck car on the Pennsylvania Railroad and then engaged in farming. In 1903. he embarked in the dairy business with his father-in-law, Isaac Justice, and has con- tinued in that business for the past 18 years; they run a milk wagon in Lowellville.

Mr. Fenton was married in 1892, to Della B. Justice, a daughter of Isaac and Mary ( Emery) Justice, and they have three chil- dren : Ray Marshall, Marie, and Chester. Mr. Fenton is a member of the Knights of Pythias at Lowellville.

A ARTHUR M. LYON .* merchant and postmaster at Struthers, is one of the leading men of this place and is a worthy representative of an old and honorable family of Ohio. Mr. Lyons was born at New Watertown, Columbi- ana County, Ohio, November 23. 1875. son of Marcena and Hannah J. ( Lewis) Lyon. Ilis grandparents both hore names which became particularly distinguished during the Civil War. John Lyon, the grandfather, and the brave and beloved General Lyon, who was killed early in the Civil War, at Wilson's Creek, Missouri, were first consine, while the grandmother was a Thomas and belonged to the military family of that name. and was a near relative of General Thomas the "Rock of Chickamauga." where memory is perpetuated in the history of his country and whose achievements are recalled whenever old veterans congregate.

Marcena Lyon acquired a farm in the vicin- ity of New Waterford and for a number of years was engaged in business as a carpenter and contractor. He died in Columbiana

County, in 1894, but his widow still survives and resides on the home farm. They have five suns, all of whom survive, namely: E. L. Lyon, who is mayor of East Palestine, Ohio, and is also engaged there in the practice of law : Harry O., residing at East Palestine, who is superintendent of the Metropolitan Insur- ance Company for Eastern Ohio; Arthur MI., subject of this sketch : J. HI. C. Lyon. an at- torney residing at Youngstown; and Walter I., who is a student of law in the Northern Ohio L'niversity at Ada.

Arthur M. Lyon was reared on the home farm and educated in the district school and at a college of pharmacy, in Harrison County. Ohio, where he was graduated. Ile had pre- viously served as a drug clerk with P. F. Voll- nogle, at East Palestine, and after completing his education; he accepted a position as mana- ger of the Johnston-Cryvette Pharmacy, at Butler, Pennsylvania, where he remained until le came to Struthers, in 1899. Mr. Lyon lo- cated in a building which then stood on the site of his present one, but in 1901 he was burned out. suffering great loss. His first store was of frame, but Mr. Lyon replaced it by a substantial brick structure, three stories in height, which he has occupied ever since, car- rying a large and well-assorted stock of season- able goods, such as are carried by all up-to- date pharmacies, together with fresh drugs and patent medicines, while prescriptions are carefully compounded. Since 1901, Mr. Lyon has been postmaster at Struthers, being in full accord with the present administration. Other enterprises which claim his attention are lead- ing ones in this section. He is local manager of the Central U'nion Telephone Company and has charge of the Youngstown Consolidated Gas and Electric Company at Struthers.

On April 12, 1899. Mr. Lyon was married to Grace Moore, who was born at East Fair- field. Columbiana County, Ohio, and they have one son, Arthur Marcena.

Fraternally, Mr. Lyon is connected with the Masons, the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Elks.

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S AMUEL BRUNSTETER .* whose fine farm of 180 acres is situated one and one-half miles north of West Austintown, on the Austintown and Warren highway, and is watered by the Meander Creek which flows through it, was born on the old homestead farm in Austin- town township. Mahoning County, Ohio, No- vember 10, 1844. He is a son of Jacob and Anna (Graver) Brunsteter.

The grandfather of Samuel Brunsteter was Jacob Brunsteter, who married Julia Gilbert, in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. From that place they came to Ohio, making the journey in a great covered wagon, which resembled a boat, being low in the center and high at each end. probably the kind best fitted to make a path through the heavy underbrush of the forests and to cross swollen and unbridged streams. The travelers reached Caufield town- ship, then in Trumbull but now in Mahoning Connty, and the old boat-wagon had to con- tinue to be a home until a place could be cleared in the forest on which to build the first log house. Jacob Brunsteter was a practical black- smith and this helped him in providing a home and fitting up comforts and conveniences for and family, and later he tound plenty of work to do as a blacksmith in his neighborhood. Be- fore the youthful sons had acquired strength enough, his helpful wife often assisted at the forge and was able to strike the metal with sure and telling blows. Together they faslı- ioned horse-shoes and sheep-bells and even made the old-fashioned lamps in which a wick was burned in lard or oil. He was considered a very expert mechanic.

After a residence of two years in Canfield township, Jacob Bransteter bonght a farm of 200 acres in Austintown township, which he cleared and on it subsequently built a good frame house. He was a very liberal man, and donated an acre of land for a burial place which to this day is known as the Brunsteter ceme- tery. Much local history might be learned of those interested by consulting the cpitaphs which are still legible, being engraved, usually with the symbol of a weeping willow, on the

old flag-stones in this silent spot. Five sons of Jacob Brunsteter were among the first to be laid to rest here. His family was large, these names having been preserved: Rebecca, who died in 1906, was the wife of John Harding. and had lived to the age of 96 years; Jacob; Mary, who married Samuel Ohl; and Levi. Henry and Samuel, all of whom have passed away.

Jacob Brunsteter, a son of Jacob and father of Samuel, was born in Canfield township, in 1813. He was young when the family re- moved to Austintown township, where he grew to manhood on the home farm and later learned the blacksmith trade with his father. For a great many years he ran a shop at Aus- tintown and became a man of property and local importance. He was a stanch Democrat and on that ticket was elected county commis- sioner, and it was during his period of service that the first county infirmary was built. That structure burned down, but another was erec- ted on the same site.

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Twentieth Century History of Youngstown and Mahoning County Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 128

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