BIOGRAPHIES.

Source:
 History of Trumbull & Mahoning Counties, Ohio
Published:  Cleveland: H. Z. Williams & Bros.
VOLUME I
1882

CHAPTER I.
HOWLAND TOWNSHIP
Trumbull County, Ohio

	DRAKE FAMILY.* Abraham Drake, of Monmouth, New Jersey, was in the habit of going with others to Schooley mountain, in that State, in the fall of the year, for the purpose of hunting. On one of these occasions he became acquainted with a Miss Stark, a relative of  Colonel John Stark of Revolutionary fame, and married her. He bought two hundred acres of land near Haskelstown, New Jersey, where they settled, and to them were born three sons, viz: Abraham, Aaron, and Sylvenius. Abraham, the oldest, was born in 1756. In 1788 or 1789 he married Sarah Bell, of Sussex county, New Jersey. To them three daughters and six sons were born, viz: Elizabeth, Sarah, and Meriam, Jacob, Simeon, Aaron, George, Abraham, and Amos. And for some years they lived near the above-named town, but the father dying, and having willed all his property to his son Aaron, Abraham and Sylvenius were dissatisfied.  Abraham endeavored to persuade Aaron to allow him to have the house and a small piece of land belonging to his father's estate, and on which he then lived, and which would enable him to maintain his family by his occupation, being a weaver, but in this his efforts proved to be of no avail, and on returning home from this mission, late one evening, sadly disappointed, and as no other avenue seemed open to him whereby he might support his family, he said to his wife, "We will go West," and with this decision, which was characteristic of the man, he soon bid his friends and native place a last farewell, for he never returned, and the writer believes never heard of them afterward. He removed his family to Jefferson village, Morgan township, Washington county, Pennsylvania, where they stayed some six months, while he went on to Ohio to look for a place to locate their future home. This was in the year 1804 or 1805. He purchased three hundred and twelve acres of land in Howland township, for which he paid $655, and settled on that part of it which is the farm now owned by his grandson, Amos Drake. Here they began by earnest and unceasing toil to supply their wants from their own productions, amid the privations and hardships incident to the times. It was even no small task to guard the few domestic animals, which they had or could get, from the attacks of wild beasts.  Well does the writer remember the log pen in which the sheep were secured at night to keep the wolves from them, and also of the trap made of logs in the woods, to catch those prowling invaders, yet with all of their vigilance sheep were frequently killed, and bears would kill the hogs and calves, and the deer would persist in feeding upon their wheat in the fall and spring. And yet amid these scenes with willing hands they soon began to gain for themselves a comfortable home. But when it seemed they most needed each other's presence to assist and cheer them in their efforts death took from the home the wife and mother. She died May 16, 1808, aged forty-two, leaving the husband and eight children, the youngest a son only a year old.      The household duties henceforth devolved upon the daughters, Elizabeth and Sarah. In 1813 he built the house (yet standing) in which he afterwards lived until his death, July 17, 1818, aged sixty-two years, and here would my pen fondly linger to pay a tribute to one whose industry, honesty, and uprightness of character were proverbial. The impress of the virtues of that father and mother was seen upon their children in after years, and made them moral, upright, unassuming, faithful men and women.      Elizabeth having married, the care of the family fell on Sarah, which duties she faithfully performed for some years, she and Jacob keeping and living on the homestead. Simeon and  Aaron settled on a part of the land which belonged to their father; George and Abraham settled on the west side of the creek in this township. Elizabeth moved to Poland, now Mahoning county, all following agricultural pursuits. George in 1844 removed with his family to Howard, Knox county, Ohio. Sarah in 1833 sold her interest in the homestead to Jacob, and built a house on the farm of Abraham, where she lived until April 1851, when she ceased to keep house, and lived with Aaron and his family until April, i860, when she returned to the old home, and lived with her nephew up to the time of her death October 26, 1864, aged seventy-two years. She and her brother Amos were not married—he dying July 30, 1821. Meriam died in infancy in New Jersey. The following are marriages of the the sons and daughters of Abraham and Sarah Drake; the number of children born to each marriage; the death and age of parents, and the number of children now living.      June 11, 1811, by Dan Eaton, justice of the peace, James Stull, of Poland, and Elizabeth Drake, of Howland. To them were born three daughters and one son. Death and age of parents unknown. One daughter survives.      January 3, 1822, by Isaac Heaton, justice of the peace, Simeon Drake and Lucretia Williams, of Howland. No children, she dying soon after marriage; age unknown.      May 8, 1825, by John Hank, justice of the peace, Aaron Drake and Mary Williams, of Howland. To them were born five sons and three daughters. He died August 22, 1855, aged fifty-six years; his widow, three sons, and one daughter survive.      June 9, 1825, by R. L. Seely, justice of the peace, Simeon Drake and Olvina Hank, of Howland. To them were born four sons and one daughter. The father died March 12, 1859, aged sixty years ; the mother February, 1880, aged seventy-six years. Three sons survive.      June 15, 1826, by Alford Brunson, justice of the peace, George Drake and Nancy Smith, of Hubbard. To them one son was born. The mother died May, 1827. The son survives.      May 30, 1829. by Adamson Bendy, minister, George Drake and Mary McElroy, of Washington county, Pennsylvania. To them were born two daughters. The mother dying in 185-; the father February 23, 1871, aged sixty-eight years. One daughter survives.      May 17, 1830, by A. Bently, minister, Abraham Drake and Jane McElroy, of Washington county, Pennsylvania. To them one son was born; the mother dying October, 1842; the son surviving.      May, 1844, by A. S. Hayden, Abraham Drake and Phebe Moffit, of Solon. To them was born one daughter; the father dying May 24, 1849, aged forty-four years. His widow survives.      April 11, 1826, by Joseph W. Curtis, minister, Josiah Drake and Agnes Anderson, of Howland. To them were born two sons and one daughter, viz: Amos, Alva, and Agnes. The mother died September 19, 1831, aged thirty-six years.      February 12, 1833, by John Henry, minister, Jacob Drake and Artlissa Lane, of Austintown. To them were born a son and daughter, viz: George and Emily. The father died September 28, 1842, aged forty-six years; the mother August 22, 1846, aged thirty-seven years; his daughter Agnes October 4, 1846, aged fifteen years.      The following are the marriages of the sons and daughter of Jacob Drake referred to and the number of children surviving : April 24, 1851, by Isaac Errett, minister, Amos Drake, of Howland, and Lavinia J. Hull, of Champion. To them a son and daughter were born—Charlie W. and Ida M.—who reside as above written.      September 6, 1860, by Mathias Christy, minister, Alva A. Drake and Lide J. Grove, both of Howland, where they still reside.      Emily went to Clinton county, Iowa, in 1847, where she married Dr. S. D. Golder. They settled in Charleston, Missouri. To them four sons and one daughter were born. The mother died January 31, 1875, age forty-one years. The daughter and three sons survive.      George went to Colorado in i860, where he married Martha A. Brown. To them two sons and one daughter were born. An infant son survives.      Alva A., second son of Jacob and Agnes Drake, was born in Howland township in the year 1829. After obtaining a fair English education he devoted himself to agricultural pursuits. In i860 he married Miss Lide Grove, daughter of Jacob and Rachel Grove, of Austintown, and later of Howland. Mr. Grove was born in Beaver, Pennsylvania, in 1802. While but a child his parents removed to Austintown, and there he married, in 1830, Rachel Woodward. He removed to Howland in 1850, and died April 16, 1881. Mrs. Grove died March 31, 1880. They had two children—John C. and Lide. The former died in 1861, leaving two children—Minnie and Lulu. Mr. Drake settled on the farm on which he now resides in 1865. He is an extensive and practical farmer and dealer in fine Merino sheep. He has accumulated two hundred and fifty acres of land, which is in good condition. While he is enterprising and industrious he is at the same time liberal and companionable. He held the office of justice of the peace in Howland township, and on account of reliable judgment in business matters was chosen real estate appraiser. He is a representative of one of the oldest and most respectable families in the township, as the preceding family sketch will show. *Prepared by Amos Drake. ok
	KENNEDY FAMILY.  Samuel Kennedy (Howland), the pioneer of this family in Trumbull county, was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, in 1764, from whence he moved to Ohio in 1814, and settled on the Kennedy homestead in Howland, where he lived until his death, which occurred in 1816. On this farm he erected the first saw-mill in the township on Kennedy run, on the east part of the farm. This mill was operated from that time until about 1873.      He was married to Jane Kennedy, and to them were born the following children : Montgomery K. (deceased), Nancy, now living in Howland, Elizabeth (deceased), Mary, mother of J. F. King, Tabitha (deceased), James, now on the home farm, Maxwell (deceased), Thomas and William, of Bazetta; and Ann, widow of M. J. Iddings, of Howland.      James Kennedy was born in Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, in 1807, and came with his father to Ohio, when he was but seven years old. From his boyhood to his present advanced age he has been a resident of Howland, and always prominently identified with all the public interests of the township. In early times every settler from necessity became expert in the use of a gun; but Mr. Kennedy was, and is now rated, as an extra good shot. He relates that he succeeded in killing forty-two wild turkeys in forty-four shots; and now exhibits a target about two inches in diameter in which eight bullet holes cluster about the center. He was also a mechanic and manufactured articles of furniture and cutlery with considerable skill.      He was married in 1831 to Miss Alice Scott, who was born in 1809. Their children are William Wallace, of Newton Falls; George W., of Howland; James Lawrence, of Warren, and John Scott.      The Kennedy family of Howland was represented in the late civil war by George W. Kennedy, who enlisted August 22, 1861, in company C, Second Ohio cavalry. The regiment immediately went into camp at Cleveland, where they spent the winter. Afterwards were ordered west to Platte City, Missouri, and were employed mostly as scouts in the Indian country. The first skirmish in which they were engaged was at Independence, Missouri, afterwards being engaged in a battle at Cowskin prairie, and, also, at the second battle at Pea Ridge. In 1862 or 1863 they returned from the West and in following campaign were engaged as scouts in Kentucky and Tennessee; was through the memorable campaign of the wilderness under Grant; also at the siege of Knoxville, Tennessee. He was considerably disabled by his horse falling on him at Somerset, Kentucky, breaking a leg and three ribs.      In the fight at Piney Creek church his horse was shot from under him while in command of his company, to which he succeeded on account of the cowardice of his captain while under fire, he holding the rank of sergeant at the time. At the famous battle at Winchester, Virginia, he had another horse disabled, and was present when General Phil. Sheridan appeared after his famous ride—"saving the day at Winchester."      After following the regiment through many hard campaigns he was discharged September 18, 1864, on account of injuries received as above mentioned. On his return home he was married November 11, 1865, to Eliza Bailey, who was born July 25, 1837. They now have one child, Jimmie Frank, who was born April 5, 1868. After his marriage, he settled on the east part of the homestead farm and operated a saw-mill. He afterwards returned to Sharon, Pennsylvania, where he kept a hotel; also, afterwards engaged in same business at Warren. He removed to the present farm in Howland in 1877, where he now resides—having served his township as assessor, school trustee and supervisor.      John Scott Kennedy was born in 1850, and was married m 1876, to Jennie King, who was born in 1855. They have one child, Grace.      He is now a member of the firm of M. C. & J. S. Kennedy, marble and granite works, Cortland, Ohio; was census enumerator of 1880, and had the honor of presenting the best set of books in the census district; he has also held the office of town assessor for two years, having been elected to that office while absent from home. He now resides on the home-farm in Howland. ok
James F. King	JAMES FRANKLIN KING, widely and favorably known throughout this part of Ohio as a stock dealer and farmer, is a descendant of one of the earliest settlers of the county. His grandfather, Barber King, was a native of Connecticut, and was employed in that State as an iron worker.      He made the acquaintance and courted Irene Schoville, a lady of aristocratic family, whose parents objected to her marriage with a laborer; and the old Connecticut statutes made it a crime for a man to lead a lady to Hymen's altar without her parents' consent. But Cupid has never been easily bound by statutes, and when in earnest always finds a way of evading them. In this instance Miss Schoville rode to her affianced's house, gave him a place behind her on her horse, and rode to a magistrate's office, where they were lawfully married. Mr. King joined the second company of surveyors sent out by the Connecticut Land company in 1797, and while thus employed selected a place for settlement near the present site of Canfield. The following spring he removed with his wife from Connecticut and made an improvement on the lot which had been selected. They lived there two years, then removed to a lot at the present village of Girard. After a residence on this lot of about six years, having made considerable improvement, General Perkins proposed an exchange of one hundred acres in Howland for the lot on which  Mr. King lived. After viewing the ground the proposition was accepted, on condition that the center of the one hundred acres should be a certain strong, clear, flowing spring. Beside this spring Mr. King built his house in Howland, and moved into it in June, 1806, on the day of a total eclipse of the sun. The house stood on the ground now occupied by J. F. King's residence. Mr. King was a plain, unambitious farmer. He lived to the age of sixty-nine years.  Mrs. King lived to the advanced age of eighty-six years. During the Revolution she was taken prisoner at Wyoming by the Indians and held captive for six months. The family of Barber and Irene King consisted of seven children— Jonathan, James, Samuel, William, Bliss, Anna, and Sarah. Sarah (Mrs. William Brinton) is the only member of the family living. They all settled in Howland township except James, Anna (Mrs. Jabez Bell), and Sarah Brinton.      William King, father of James F. King, was born April 9, 1798, and died October 8, 1866. He was married in 1820 to Mary B. Kennedy, a daughter of Samuel and Jane Kennedy. She was born in 1801, and died January 3, 1869. Mr. King was a man of great energy and progressive ideas; his wife was plain, unassuming and industrious. They were both members of the Presbyterian church and were remarked in their neighborhood for sympathy and kindness in cases of sickness. Their family consisted of four children—James F., Irene (deceased), Orvilla (Mrs. William Chamberlain), and Jerusha (Mrs. Charles Hunt).      James Franklin, whose portrait appears on an adjoining page in this volume, was born March 12, 1822. He owns and resides on the old homestead of his grandfather and father, and where he was born and raised. He attended the district school and received a fair English education, but it was farm work that mainly occupied his attention. Soon after thoroughbred shorthorn cattle had been introduced into the county, in 1841, by Thomas and Frederick Kinsman, Henry B. Perkins, and the Cowdens of Gustavus, Mr. King saw the opportunity of building up a successful industry. The first importations of cattle had been from New York.  Mr. King accompanied Messrs. Kinsman and Perkins to the Bluegrass region in Kentucky in 1850, at which time he made a purchase of short-horns, and has since continued to supply his herds with stock cattle from that region and from southern Ohio. He has for about forty years given close and intelligent attention to the breeding and raising of stock cattle. He keeps on his farm about one hundred head. Of late years Mr. King has been dealing to some extent in thoroughbred Southdown sheep. He has been identified with the Trumbull County Agricultural society as an officer ever since its re-organization in 1846, and for eight years was president.  Under his management the annual fairs were made of special interest to the general farmers. He aimed to make the annual exhibitions what they professed to be—agricultural fairs. He is a man of good executive talent, being energetic, correct and decided.  Mr. King married in 1862 Miss Cornelia J. Andrews, daughter of Samuel and Lorena (Hutchins) Andrews, of Howland township. They have a family of two children. ok
	JOHN RATLIFF. Among the surviving pioneers of Trumbull county few are more deserving a place in this history than Judge Ratliff. He was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, December 17, 1799. His grandparents came to this country from England, but at what date is not known. His father was John Ratliff, and his mother Mary Vandyke, both of whom were natives of Delaware, where they lived until about the year 1798. They moved to Westmoreland county and thence to Beaver county in 1801, near the Pennsylvania and Ohio State line. On the 1st day of April, 1811, his parents removed to Trumbull county, Ohio, arriving at their destination in the northwest part of Howland township on the 3d day of the same month. There the subject of this sketch grew to manhood, surrounded by all the difficulties attending a pioneer settlement. In 1818 he married Elizabeth Wilson, daughter of Robert and Elizabeth (Hyde) Wilson, who were natives of Ireland but came to this country when quite young. In April; 1821, he was elected township clerk of Howland and served in that capacity for a period of eighteen years. About the year 1823 there was a regiment of volunteer riflemen organized in Trumbull county. The township of Howland raised a company of about eighty men, who were uniformed and equipped with good rifles. At the first election of officers Richard L. Seeley was chosen captain but was afterwards promoted and Judge Ratliff was elected captain, serving seven or eight years, shortly after which the regiment was disbanded. About the year 1839 he was elected justice of the" peace and served in that capacity six years, when, in 1845, he was elected one of the associated judges of the common pleas court of Trumbull county, which office he filled with ability until the change in the State constitution in 1851. His associates on the bench were Edward Spear, of Warren, and Asa Haines, of Vernon, the presiding judge being Hon. Benjamin F. Wade.      September 1, 1844, Judge Ratliff became a member of the Disciples church of Warren, and in the following year was elected by the congregation one of the overseers of the church and officiated in that capacity till about 1870, when he was released from the duties of the office on account of his age. May 3, 1855, the Disciples church in Warren became an organized body under the laws of Ohio for the incorporation of churches and he was elected one of the trustees and still holds such office.      He is the father of seven children. Two died in infancy. The others are as follow: Isaac, now living in Howland; Robert W. of Warren; Ann (deceased), wife of Josiah Soule; Mary (deceased), wife of Henry Hoagland; and Lydia Maria, wife of Daniel L. Jones, of Warren, with whom the subject of this sketch makes his home. Mrs. Ratliff died in Warren March 16, 1875, aged seventy-seven.      Judge Ratliff's occupation through life has been that of farming. He has been unusually blessed with good health, and, possessing a naturally vigorous constitution, he is to-day, notwithstanding his advanced age, a hale and hearty old gentleman. At this writing (March 17, 1882) he is eighty-two years and three months old. ok

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