BIOGRAPHIES *

  Source
1798
History of Ashtabula County, Ohio
with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches
of its
Pioneers and Most Prominent Men.
by Publ. Philadelphia - Williams Brothers -
1878
(Transcribed by Sharon Wick)

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Residence of Nelson Maltby, Geneva Tp., Ashtabula Co., OH Mr. Nelson & Mrs. Maltby	Geneva Twp. - NELSON MALTBY was born on the 13th day of November, in the year 1827.  Is the youngest of a family of nine, the children of Jacob and Sally Maltby, who were originally from Norfolk, Connecticut, and settled in Geneva on lot No. 5, subdivision No. 4, being the same now occupied by the subject of the present sketch, in the year 1823.  Nelson acquired more than an ordinary education, attending, in addition to his common schooling, some eight terms at the Madison seminary, and finishing with two terms at Painesville academy.  His early intention was to become a member of the legal profession.  He read law for one year at Painesville, with William Mathews; but was, upon the earnest solicitation of his parents, induced to abandon his legal studies and return to the farm, and his life has been thus far devoted to the farming interest, in addition to such other pursuits as we shall notice presently.  Upon the introduction of sorghum into this section, Mr. Maltby was induced to put up a mill for the manufacture of syrup.  This was in 1858.  The building was a small affair, and the rollers and machinery were of simple construction, and propelled by horse-power.  Made a few gallons of syrup the first year, and gradually increased the product up to 1862, when the growing of sorghum had arrived at sufficient magnitude to warrant the enlargement of the building and machinery.  Accordingly this was done.  A ten horse-power engine and improved machinery were procured, and the making of cider commenced.  The greatest amount of sorghum syrup made at any time was five thousand five hundred gallons, and the average was about that for perhaps five years.  With the increase of custom in the cider department, a still further enlargement became necessary, and a fifteen horse-power engine was substituted.  This branch of the business has assumed large proportions.  In 1876 there were eighteen persons employed in the manufactory; sixty thousand bushels of apples were converted into cider, jelly, etc., making some eight thousand barrels of juice.  The elegant residence of this gentleman, a view of which appears in another part of this volume, was completed in 1874, is finely finished throughout, and cost the snug sum of four thousand dollars.      Mr. Maltby was, on the 21st day of April, 1852, united in marriage with Helen L., daughter of Warner A. and Hannah Munn, of Geneva.  The children of this marriage are Edna Genevra, born May 24, 1853, married Dec. 7, 1876, to Charles B. Tyler, of the firm of Tyler Brothers, grocers, Geneva, Ohio; Sarah Almira, born June 13, 1855, married May 27, 1875, to Hubert F. Morris, also of Geneva; S. Eliza, born July 24, 1858, died Feb. 19, 1860; Adelaide Elvene, born Jan. 5, 1861; Nina Irene, born June 18, 1863; Stella Gertrude, born Mar. 13, 1866; Helen Eliza, born Jan. 6, 1869, and Nelson Hiram Wirt, born Nov. 27, 1871.      Mr. Maltby is a member of North Star grange of the Patrons of Husbandry, No. 671, of which body he is at present Master.   He is also a member of the church of the United Brethren.  Politically, he is a Republican, though, being of strong temperance proclivities, he favors the Prohibition principles.  Was always an uncompromising adherent to the abolition element, and was, we learn, one of the managers of the "underground railway," and in that capacity aided many a colored man on his way to Canada.  The grandfather of Mr. Maltby was a soldier of the Revolution, was a native of Connecticut, and died in Southington, Trumbull county, Ohio, in about 1835, at the advanced age of ninety-seven years.  The race seems to be a long-lived one, Mr. Maltby s father having lived to be eighty-eight years old, and his mother to be seventy-six. Source: 1798 History of Ashtabula County, Ohio with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Pioneers and Most Prominent Men by Publ. Philadelphia - Williams Brothers - 1878 - Page 181
E. F. Mason (Recorder)	ERWIN F. MASON, COUNTY RECORDER.    The subject of this sketch was born in Andover, this county, on the 10th day of February, 1844, and is the eldest child of O. F. and Laura Mason, of that township, the former originally from Washington county, New York, and the latter from Wayne, Ashtabula County.  Erwin acquired his education in the common schools of Andover, with one year in Kinsman academy, and another in the college at Hillsdale, Michigan.  Prior to this, however, he had completed his military record, as follows: enlisted on the 26th day of August, 1861, in Company C, of that glorious old Twenty-ninth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, then in rendezvous at Camp Giddings, Jefferson, Ohio; went with the regiment to the front; participated with them in those “heavy” engagements which were ever the lot of that regiment, and was wounded at Gettysburg, on the last day of that memorable battle,—July 3, 1863,—from the result of which he was compelled to suffer amputation of the left foot and ankle, and was by reason of the same discharged from the service on the 20th of the following November.  Returning home, he attended Hillsdale college, as before stated; from there launched out as a school-teacher, and finally engaged in the insurance business, which he prosecuted until his election to the office of county recorder, which was in the fall of 1874, and in 1877 was re-elected.  On the 23d day of June, 1869, Mr. Mason formed a matrimonial alliance with Miss Loretta, daughter of A. D. and Louisa E. Clifford, of his native town.  Is an ardent Republican in politics, and a prominent member of Giddings post, No. 7, G. A. R., of Jefferson. Source: 1798 History of Ashtabula County, Ohio with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Pioneers and Most Prominent Men by Publ. Philadelphia - Williams Brothers - 1878 - Page 125
Dea. Joseph Mills	Austinburg Twp. - DEACON JOSEPH MILLS became a dweller upon the soil of this county seventy-eight years ago.   His coming hither was simultaneous with the ushering in of the century.  In June of the year 1800 the first white woman came to what now is the township of Austinburg.  She was the mother of the subject of this sketch,—he, an infant of a year old.  His parents starting from Norfolk, Connecticut, had consummated a long and wearisome journey, and on the night of June 6 had reached a locality in the forest but a few rods distant from Mr. Eliphalet Austin’s house, their destination.  Darkness and a severe storm overtook them, and they determined to encamp for the night in the woods.  During that dark and stormy night this intrepid woman sat upon her saddle on the ground with her infant son in her arms, while an umbrella was held over mother and child to protect them as best this feeble shelter might from the fury of the storm.  In this strange and novel manner was this pioneer resident of Ashtabula soil introduced to this forest region.  He was the third child of Sterling and Abigail Mills, the date of his birth being June 24, 1799.  In his early boyhood he was made serviceable to the settlement in carrying his father’s and his father’s neighbors’ grist to the mill on horseback.  He was the only boy in the colony of proper age to perform this duty, and his father owned the only horse in the settlement at that time.  Joseph was a studious lad, and although the advantages for obtaining an education were limited, he made diligent use of every available moment, and early acquired a literary taste that never deserted him.  Growing up to manhood upon his father’s farm, he was united in marriage with Chloe Caloway in the year 1819.  This lady was a resident of Austinburg, and had come to Ohio with Jacob Austin, Esq.  From this union were born eight children, as follows: Eliza, born in 1820; Harlow, born in 1821; Sterling, born in 1824; Laura, born in 1826; Edwin, born in 1828; John D., born in 1834; Alice, born in 1837; and Lewis Joseph, born in 1839.  The mother of these children died Apr. 20, 1843; and on November 29 of the same year Mr. Mills married again, the lady’s name being Lois Hotchkiss.  The children by this marriage were Willard, born in 1846, died in infancy; and Emma A., born in 1850, who married A. Krum.  His second wife died on Oct. 29, 1876, and in August, 1877, he married a third time, the lady’s name being Jane Case.  Deacon Mills died on the 22d day of March, 1878, being nearly seventy-nine years old.  One of the oldest citizens of the county, his life has been a useful one to the community in which he dwelt.  He was warmly attached to the Congregational church, of which he was a worthy and a prominent member.  He was early made a deacon of the church in Austinburg, and has been known among his neighbors for the last half-century or more as “ Deacon Mills.”  He has held some township offices, but his tastes were not in this direction.  He preferred the quiet of his home life, and took great delight in books, of which he was a diligent student.  His memory was wonderfully retentive.  A farmer, he acquired by slow, toilsome industry a handsome competence, being at his death the owner of some three hundred acres of land.  But few men of Ashtabula County saw more of privation and hardship incident to pioneer life, and none faced them with a more courageous and determined spirit.  Who would not wish to live the quiet, peaceful, long and useful life Deacon Mills has lived? and what higher tribute to his memory can be paid than that his integrity was spotless, his virtues manly, and that his name will long remain a household word in the homes of those among whom he dwelt? Source: 1798 History of Ashtabula County, Ohio with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Pioneers and Most Prominent Men by Publ. Philadelphia - Williams Brothers - 1878 - Page 194
	Williamsfield Twp. - REV. ELIAS MORSE.     The birthplace of Rev. Elias Morse was Worthington, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, Apr. 6, 1776.  He came to this Western Reserve on horseback, in 1809, to select land for his future home, in company with Ebenezer Webber.      He selected three hundred acres in section 21, where he lived until his death. The farm is now owned by his heirs. He was married to Miss Abiah Phelps, of Suffield, Hartford county, Connecticut, May 4, 1803, by Rev. Mr. Waldo.  They were the parents of three sons and two daughters, two of whom are now living, — B. F. Morse resides in Kentucky, and Maria Louisa occupies the old homestead.  He was the founder of Methodism in this part of the Reserve, being converted at a Methodist camp-meeting previous to his coming to Ohio.  After he had made the selection of his land he said to his friend, “Let us thank God for all his mercies and blessings in protecting us through our long journey to this wilderness.”  He knelt down there in the forest and poured out his thoughts in prayer to the Almighty for his care over himself and friend.  He earnestly prayed that he might be of some use in this new country, that he might do some good in the name of his Master.  He formed a number of classes or chapels in the west part of Crawford county, Pennsylvania, and one or two in Trumbull county, and one in Williamsfield.  Those classes were formed before there was any ecclesiastical body established belonging to the Methodists in this part of the county.  As soon as he arrived here with his family in 1811, he commenced preaching in his own or some neighbor’s house or barn, as the case might be.  About this time a mail-route was established on the State road, and J. W. Brown was appointed postmaster, but resigned in a few months, and Elias Morse was appointed instead, his commission bearing date 1812, and served as postmaster about thirty years.  He died Dec. 26, 1856, aged eighty years.  His wife died Dec. 29, 1872, aged ninety-seven years. Source: 1798 History of Ashtabula County, Ohio with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of its Pioneers and Most Prominent Men by Publ. Philadelphia - Williams Brothers - 1878 - Page 242
Alonzo P. Moses	ALONZO P. MOSES PORTRAIT ONLY NOTE:  In Morgan Township on page 196 he is listed in paragraph as follows: The following have served as township clerks:   Alonzo Moses, 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841 and 1843.

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