Twentieth Century History of Youngstown and Mahoning County Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 21

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 21

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His wife survived him several years. They were the parents of eleven children : Lucy, who married Jonathan Edwards; John, George, Timothy, Henry, William, Walter, Samuel, Elizabeth, who became the wife of George Tayler; Louisa Maria, married to Robert W. Tayler, and Stark Edwards.

DANIEL SHEHY was born in County Tipperary, Ireland. The exact date of his birth is not known. He was well educated, and after arriving at man's estate came into possession of his inheritance and emigrated to America, this being just after the close of the Revolutionary War. At Albany, New York, he met John Young, by whom he was per- suaded to seek his fortunes in Ohio, and whom he accompanied on the latter's first trip to the Western Reserve. In company with Mr. Isaac Powers he assisted in the survey of the Reserve. Their only white predecessor was Colonel Hillman, whom they met on the banks of the Mahoning. Mr. Shehy selected and purchased one thousand acres of land for which he paid $2,000, four hundred acres of which lay east of the present city of Youngs- town, and the other six hundred on the south bank of the river. Having concluded the bar- gain in good faith and secured, as he thought, a homestead, Mr. Shehy married Miss Jane Mclain, of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, and built a cabin on the bank of the river, between Youngstown and Haselton. Here for many years they endured patiently the hardships and privations of pioneer life, and would have been

content, but for one cloud which darkened their horizon. This was the difficulty in get- ting a title to their land. Mr. Young, who had been offered by Robert Gibson for the land south of the river fifty cents an acre more than Mr. Shehy had paid, refused to give the latter a deed, and there being then no law courts, the latter had no legal redress. This led to trouble between the parties, and on one occasion it is said, Mr. Shehy gave Mr. Young a sound thrashing, for which he was imprisoned and fined. As a last resource, Mr. Shehy left his wife and children in the wilderness, and set out on foot to Connecticut to try to obtain justice from the original proprietors of the land. The latter obliged Young to give Mr. Shehy a deed for the remaining four hundred acres. Though his health had been severely tried by the hardships he had undergone, he lived to rear a large family, and was recog- nized by his neighbors as a warm-hearted, gen- erous, intelligent and public-spirited citizen. In religious faith he was a Roman Catholic.

NATHANIEL GARDNER DABNEY was born in Boston, Mass., about the year 1770 or 1771, and was a member of a respect- able and influential family. His father, Na- thaniel Dabney, who was surgeon of a ship owned by himself and brother, was lost at sea, the vessel leaving port and never after being heard from. The mother of the subject of this sketch, was in maidenhood a Miss Betsey Gardner, of Connecticut, a woman of very su- perior qualities. Nathaniel was the only child of his parents and was given an excellent edu- cation. Having considerable means and de- siring to see something of the western country, he came to Pittsburg, where he was induced by a friend to join with him in the purchase of a tract of land in Youngstown township, their intention being to engage in mercantile business. The friend dying before their plans were completed young Dabney found himself in possession of land which he scarcely knew how to turn to account, having no practical knowledge of agriculture.

Marrying, in 1797, Miss Mary Keifer, of Pennsylvania, a farmer's daughter, he settled

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on the land, on which he soon erected com- fortable buildings. Here he reared a family of six children-three daughters and three sons.

In 1813. Mr. Dabney, after a short illness, died of consumption, and his farm was divided among his children. He had a large family,. several members of which subsequently be- came well known and prominent in the busi- ness and social world of Youngstown.

COLONEL CALEB B. WICK was born October 1, 1795, son of Henry and Hannah ( Baldwin) Wick. He was a descendant of Job Wick, of Southampton, Long Island, N. Y., who, according to the family records, was married to Anna Cook December 21, 1721. In April, 1802, Henry Wick purchased of John Young the square in Youngstown bounded by West Federal. Wood, Phelps, and Hazel streets, and a lot of thirty-seven acres outside of the town plat for $235. Here he engaged in business as a merchant, and in the spring of 1804 removed his wife and four children to Youngstown. He died November 4. 1845. His widow, Hannah B. Wick, died April 10, 1849.

Caleb B. Wick received such an education as was obtainable in the schools of that period. a part of his time being spent in assisting his father in the latter's mercantile business. In the fall of 1815 with Dr. Henry Manning, he opened a country store, connecting with it a drug store, the first in this part of the Reserve. He remained in partnership with Dr. Manning in this store for about ten years.

Subsequently he continued in mercantile business in other buildings until 1848, at which time he retired. His time afterwards was de- voted to the care of his estate, which had be- come very large. He died June 30, 1865. when nearly seventy years of age, having been for some years previously the oldest citizen in Youngstown.

During his active life he held a number of positions of public trust and honor. On June 2, 1817, he was commissioned by Governor Worthington lieutenant of the Third Com- pany, First Batallion, First Regiment, Fourth

Division, Ohio Militia, having been first elected to that position by the company. Sep- tember 3. 1818, he was commissioned captain of the same company. On March 22, 1822, he was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the same regiment, and in the fall of the same year colonel of the regiment, which position he held for several years.

He was twice elected township clerk of Youngstown-in 1820 and 1824-was subse- quently trustee, and held other township of- fices. He was also postmaster of Youngs- town from November, 1841, to March, 1843.

Colonel Wick married, January 1, 1816, Miss Rachel Kirtland, daughter of Jared Kirt- land, of Poland, Ohio. Of this union there were two children, one of whom died in in- fancy. In November, 1828, he married for his second wife, Miss Maria Adelia Griffith, of Youngstown, previously of Caledonia, Liv- ingston County, N. Y., who bore him ten chil- dren. "In social life, as a citizen, a neighbor, and a friend, Colonel Wick was liberal, kind and warm-hearted. In his house everybody felt at home and his hospitality knew no limit. Indulgent to his own family in social joys, and cheerful to the last, he had great delight in the society of the young as well as the old."

JOHN M. EDWARDS was born in New Haven, Conn .. October 23. 1805. His parents were Henry W. and Lydia ( Miller ) Edwards, and he was a grandson of Judge Pierrepont Edwards, one of the original proprietors of the Western Reserve, and a great grandson of Jonathan Edwards. the eminent theologian and an early president of Princeton College. On his father's side he was of Welsh and Eng- lish descent. His maternal grandfather was John Miller, a native of London, England, who came to America prior to the Revolution- ary War and who was a captain in the mer- chant marine.

The subject of this sketch was graduated at Yale College in 1824. afterwards read law with Judge Bristol at New Haven, and was admitted to the bar of Connecticut in 1826, and to the bar, of the Circuit Court of the United States in 1828. He came to Youngs-

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town in July, 1832, but at that time remained but a few months, soon after removing to the northern part of Trumbull county, where he engaged in business other than that pertaining to his profession. Admitted to the bar of Ohio by the Supreme Court in August, 1838, he began the practice of law at Warren. In 1840, and for some years thereafter he was editor of the Trumbull Democrat. A bankrupt law being passed in 1841, he was appointed by the United States district court commissioner of bankrupts for Trumbull County, which office he held until the repeal of the law. In 1842 he was nominated by a Democratic convention, and without any previous knowledge on his part that it was contemplated, representative in Congress from the old Nineteenth district to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of Hon. Joshua R. Giddings, and although not elected, his party being greatly in the minority, he largely cut down the opposition vote. He was commissioned captain of militia in 1841. and in 1843 was appointed school examiner for Trumbull County.

On the organization of Mahoning County in 1846, Mr. Edwards removed to Canfield, where he practiced law until 1864, at which time he removed his office to Youngstown. In 1868 he took up his residence in this city, re- maining here subsequently until his death. While a resident of Canfield he was several times appointed school examiner for Mahon- ing County, and was tendered a re-appoint- ment after his removal to Youngstown, which, however, he declined.

He was one of the clerks of the Senate during the session of the Ohio Legislature of 1864-65. Subsequently he was several times elected justice of the peace of Youngstown township, holding that office from 1869 to 1878.

A large part of Mr. Edwards' time was oc- cupied by journalism. Shortly after his re- moval to Canfield in 1846 he became editor and one of the publishers of the Mahoning .Inder, the first newspaper published in Ma- honing County, and from 1855 was weekly correspondent of the Mahoning Register of

Youngstown, writing under the nom de plume of "Quill Pen." This correspondence was con- tinued up to 1864, in which year he became associate editor of the Register, and was con- nected with it for several years subsequently. For some fourteen years-from 1865 to 1879 -he was the Youngstown correspondent of the Cleveland Herald. He was also one of the founders of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society in 1874, and with William Powers, was editor of the valuable and interesting volume of "Historical Collections," published by the society in 1876. He contributed to the press many interesting articles containing rem- iniscences of pioneer days, and one of his last and most congenial labors was the editing of the "History of Trumbull and Mahoning Counties," published at Cleveland, O., in 1882.

Mr. Edwards was married, July 14. 1842, at Warren, O., to Miss Mary P., daughter of Joseph Grail. Mrs. Edwards was a talented amateur artist. She died at Youngstown, May 15. 1877, Icaving three children, of whom Henrietta Frances, married Stanley M. Cas- per, of Youngstown, and Henry W. became a merchant in Philadelphia.

PATRICK O'CONNOR was born in Clonmel, county Tipperary, Ireland, March 9, 1840. His father was a tanner who emi- grated to America with his wife and son in the spring of 1842. They went first to Quebec and thence to Montreal, finally settling in Up- per Canada, in the village of Newmarket, be- tween Toronto and Lake Simcoe. Here the family was increased in course of time by one other son and three daughters, and here also the subject of this sketch received his elemen- tary education, to which he subsequently added largely by private study.

In March, 1854, he began a five years' ap- prenticeship to the printer's trade in New- market. Toward the close of this period a change took place in Mr. O'Connor's religious faith, which was brought about in agitation on the subject of establishing separate schools for the children of Roman Catholics. Mr. O'Connor had been brought up a Catholic, but on this question he took issue with his co-re-

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ligionists. A careful study of the Scriptures resulted in his rejection of the doctrine of papal infallibility, and in January. 1859, he united with the Wesleyan Methodist church. At this time he was about nineteen years old. His change of faith being rebuked by his as- sociates, and by his mother, now a widow, he left home and set out to wander as a journey- man printer from place to place. In June, 1862, he reached Youngstown and entered the em- ploy of John M. Webb, then publishing the Mahoning Sentinel, a Democratic weekly paper that was opposed to President Lincoln's war policy. Mr. O'Connor's study of Ameri- can politics while employed on this paper had the effect of making him a strong Republican, for he could not help being struck with the "in- consistency of Irishmen voting with the pro- slavery Democratic party while their fellow countrymen were suffering the oppression of tyranny on their own green isle."

In the spring of 1863 Mr. O'Connor re- turned to Canada, but resumed residence in Youngstown in 1864. On June 30th of the latter year he was married to Miss Lorinda Dorothea Ewing, adopted daughter of the late Cramer Marsateller, and a resident of Youngs town. Early in 1865, in company with his brother Richard. Mr. O'Connor began the pub- lication in Youngstown of the Mahoning Courier, an independent, afterwards Republi- can, newspaper, of which he was editor until

1872. About the year 1868, during his editor- ship of this newspaper, Mr. O'Connor at- tracted considerable attention to himself through a newspaper controversy with the Rev. E. M. O'Callaghan, of Youngstown, on "The Errors of Rome." which was conducted through the columns of the Courier.

In the winter of 1869-71, Mr. O'Connor and his brother instituted the first steam plant for newspaper printing used in Youngstown.

In 1872 Mr. O'Connor sold out his interest in the newspaper business and subsequently spent some time as an itinerant preacher in the Erie conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Afterwards, on account of failing health, he returned to the newspaper business. In 1875 he was one of the editors and pro- prietors of the Youngstown Commercial, and in the following year became proprietor of the Morning Star, a short-lived paper devoted to the Greenback cuse. In July, 1876, Mr. O'Connor removed his family to Cleveland O., where he resided until August, 1878, working as compositor on the different newspapers of that city. He then returned to Youngstown and was for a short time editor and publisher of the New Star.

In 1869. Mr. O'Connor left the Republican party, owing to his failure, at a convention held in Canfield. to commit the convention to an espousal of the prohibition policy.

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CHAPTER XVI

TOWNSHIPS AND TOWNS

Settlement and Organization of the Townships-Settlement and Founding of the Towns- Sketches of Lowellville, Canfield, Poland, Petersburg, Sebring, and Other Towns.

AUSTINTOWN TOWNSHIP

Austintown is township No. 2 of range No. 3 of the Connecticut Western Reserve. The soil in general is good and easily tilled, though in places stony. The early history of the township is somewhat obscure, as many of the first settlers remained but a short time, subsequently removing elsewhere. The re- cords show that John McCollum, born in New Jersey in December 25. 1770, bought the first land in the township in 1798 and erected a cabin on it, to which he moved his family in 1800. His wife, Jane, whom he married in June, 1798, was born in New Jersey, in 1767. By a previous marriage to Robert Hamson she had five children. By her marriage to Mr. McCollum there were eight children, David, Mary, Robert. John, Daniel, Anna, Ira and Harvey. The McCollnms were people of in- dustry and resolution, well fitted for pioneer life. Mrs. McCollum was a good weaver, and after other settlers moved in, occupied what spare time she had by taking weaving to do. to assist her husband in paying for the farm. They succeeded in carving ont a good home- stead for themselves and their children, their farm being situated one-half a mile west of the line between Austintown and Youngstown. The parents died in 1849. within a few weeks

of each other, Mrs. McCollum on March 19th and her husband on April 7th. The latter saw military service in the War of 1812 under Colonel Rayen.

Another early settler was Wendell Grove, who came from Pennsylvania in 1801, and whose son John succeeded to the homestead. Then there were James Russell, Jacob Miller, and Theophilus Cotton, who settled suc- cessively on the same farm. afterwards owned by the widow Arms. The Webb family came to the township in 1814. John Lane and David Dillon were also early settlers, Dillon was the first captain of the militia in the township. John Russell, above mentioned, was also a cap- tain in the militia at an early date. Dillon afterwards sold out and removed to the west- ern part of the state. He had seven sons- William, Aaron, Asa, Jonathan, Jesse, Cyrus, and Eli-some of whom moved to other parts of the State. Robert Russell was one of the early settlers in the southwestern part of the township, coming here with his parents in 1806. He subsequently married a Miss Ilam- son, and they had four sons-James, who re- moved to Jackson township, John. Hlamson, and Samuel.

George Gilbert and family at a very early date took up a farm adjoining the Russell farm on the east. The Gilberts were a large

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family, members of which settled in different parts of the county. John Duncan settled on the Hamson farm in the southeastern part of the township. In the eastern part were Jacob Leach and Jacob Parkius, who settled on Jacob Leach's farm, and afterwards sold out to Ben- jamin Leach, who spent his life in the town- ship. Benjamin had two brothers, John and Abraham, who resided in the eastern part of the township for several years.

Henry Ohl, Sr., a blacksmith, came to the township about 1803, and set up a blacksmith shop on his farm. He had a family of ten children-Michael, David, Jacob, John, Abra- ham, Henry, Jr., Jonathan, Eve, Mary and Polly. Henry Ohl, Jr., in his later years re- sided in Canfield. David and Michael were drafted for the war of 1812, but after getting as far as Youngstown were returned. The family resided in a two-story log house, with a porch in front, where, it is related, that upon one occasion the daughter Eve courageously attacked and killed a monstrous rattlesnake.

William Wick, an early settler in the east- ern part of Austintown, had the first bearing orchard in the township. John Truesdale set- tled about half a mile southwest of the center. He had a large family. His sons, John, James, and William, married and lived on the home farm until their death.

Another early settler was James J. Rus- sell, who came from Pennsylvania about 1806, and who died in 1870. He had ten children- six sons and four daughters. Robert Fuller- ton cleared a farm near the center and brought up a large family. Henry and Anthony Weatherstay settled near Four Mile Run ; both had families, the members of which are all long since dead or moved away. Another early set- tler in the same neighborhood was Jacob Wise. Archibald Ewing and Jacob Harding settled in the township about 1808, Harding on a partially cleared farm. Both had good sized families.

Jolin Jordan came to Austintown in 1813, having previously resided for a few years in Poland township. His family consisted of five sons and five daughters. He died in 1824, his wife's death occurring a few years later.

The Cotton family were also among the first settlers. One of them, Joshua, was a cap- tain of the militia. Frederick Moherman set- tled in 1803 in the eastern part of the town- ship. His two sons, Daniel and Winchester, became prosperous farmers.

Jacob Harrof came to Austintown from Canfield. He was twice married; his two chil- dren by the first marriage, John and Elizabeth, died in Portage County. By his second mar- riage he had four sons and three daughters- Jacob, Andrew, William and Lewis, who all lived and died in Austintown, and Sarah, Leah and Rachel.

Henry Strack settled in the southern part of the township, and lived and died upon the farm subsequently owned by Henry Crum, second. He had six sons-Henry, Samuel, John, William, Joseph and Jacob-and some of his descendants still reside in the township. Abraham Wolfcale, with his sons, John and Abraham, were early settlers on the road east of the center. Henry Crum was an early set- tler at Smith's corners.

An eight-hundred-acre tract of land, which was a part of the Salt Springs tract, and was known as the Whitman tract, as it belonged to the Whitman heirs in Connecticut, was partially cleared by Samuel Whitman, who set- tled at the center.

Frederick Shively settled in the township in 1812, and was succeeded in possession of the homestead by his son George, who resided there for many years.

The first white child born in Austintown township was John McCollum, son of the first settler, the date of his birth being 1803. He settled in Milton township, where he died in 1881.

EARLY CONDITIONS.

Large families were the rule among the early settlers. The women manufactured all the clothes for the household, and the spinning wheel and loom were kept going early and late. Wild animals were abundant and bears and wolves often wrought great havoc with the flocks. At night the howling of the wolves

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could be heard in all directions. Deer were also numerous, and furnished the early settlers with a large part of their meat supply. The amount of taxes due in 1803 was $9.22, di- vided among twenty-six tax-payers.

SCHOOLS.

School was usually kept in some log cabin which had been abandoned for residence pur- poses, and, as in other parts of the county, parents wishing to send their chikiren were ex- pected to subscribe a certain amount for tui- tion. One of the earliest schools was situated near the site of the Disciple's church. Among the early teachers there were Asa Dillon and Elias Wick. There was another school house on the Shively farm, where John Fullerton taught at an early date. By 1812 there were several schools in various parts of the town- ship. One, one the farm of Jacob Parkus, was taught by Isaac Alley.

There are now seven schools in the town- ship with a total attendance of abont 150. They are located respectively as follows:

Cornersburg, superintendent, W. H. Heth- ington.

Four-mile run, superintendent, Harry May.

Smith Corners (U. Evangelical), C. Bis- hof: (Evangelical), W. S. Peck.

Austintown, superintendent, George De Hoff.

West Austintown, Evangelical, George Jordan.

West Austintown. Evangelical, superin- tendent, Mr. Patterson.

The population of Austintown is divided in religious belief. The Disciples' church was organized in 1828, a church bnikling being erected soon after at Four-Mile Run. New buildings have been subsequently erected. Among the earliest members were William Hayden and John Henry ( who were also among the first preachers and elders). John Lane, several of the Lanternrms, Ira McCul- lom and Mrs. Jane Henry. Alexander Camp- bell, the founder of the sect, frequently preached here.

The Evangelical church at West Austin- town was organized about 1841, the first meet- ing being held in Jacob Harrof's barn. As the first church building was not erected until 1853, meetings were held in private houses, barns, and school houses for a number of years. The first preacher was Rev. Joseph. Long.

The United Evangelical church at West Austintown, a frame structure with stone foun- dation, was erected in November, 1900, at a cost of $3,000. At one side of the main build- ing there is an annex pulpit. The present pastor, Rev. S. T. Brandyberry, assumed charge September 20, 1904, his previous pas- torate having been at Findlay, Ohio. In addi- tion to presiding over the church at Austin- town he is also pastor of two other churches, one at Sample and one at Calla, Ohio. Grace Reform church has as pastor Rev. I. C. Shaaf. The Sunday-school superintendent is G. S. Jordan.

WEST AUSTINTOWN.

W'est Austintown, a thriving little settle- ment, was built soon after the completion of the Niles and New Lisbon Railroad in 1869. The first store was kept by D. B. Blott. The Anderson block was built by Robert MeClure in 1871. The postoffice was established in. 1870, Windsor Calhoun being the first post- master.

The first store in Austintown Center was kept by Alexander Thompson about 1822. Soon after Dr. Packard, James Hezlip, and Colwell Porter engaged in business. The last named became quite wealthy. He finally left Austintown and went to Cincinnati, where he continued in mercantile business with similar success, Judge Rayen started a store here about 1830, employing Cornelins Thompson to keep it. John Cotton kept store on the southeast cor- ner in 1830-31. John McCaughtsey kept the first public house and later went into the cloth- ing Imsiness

The coal mining industry, which is now at a practical standstill owing to the exhaustion of the mines, was started at West Austintown by

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Twentieth Century History of Youngstown and Mahoning County Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 21

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