DAN H. FARGO - As a worthy representatives of one of the oldest and most prominent families of Ashtabula county, Ohio, the subject of this sketch is deserving of mention in this history.
     The Fargo family is of Welsh descent, the great-great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch having been at one time a loyal subject of the Prince of Wales.  However, he emigrated to America in the early history of this country.  His grandson, Ezekiel Fargo, was born, lived and died in Massachusetts, where he married and had five daughters and two sons, the latter being Thomas, who died in Illinois, and Jason, father of the subject of this sketch.  The maternal grandfather of Mr. Fargo of this notice was Anan Harmon who was born in Berkshire county, Massachusetts, and who was an efficient soldier in the war of 1812.  He married Tryphina Harmon and they had seven children: Clarissa, Edwin, Roxy, Elizabeth, Folly, Anan, Jr., and Achsah.  Jason Fargo, the father of Dan Fargo, was born in Sandisfield, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, Aug. 15, 1790.  He was reared on a farm in that State and in an early day came West with a party of men, making the journey by water.  He was married in Ashtabula, June 1, 1817, to Clarissa Haron, a native of the same county and State as himself.  Her birth occurred Feb. 27, 1801.  He passed the first year of his residence in this county in farm work with his father-in-law, and the second year he bought of Martin Smith 156 acres, covered with a dense forest, for which he paid $100 down, securing time for the payment of the balance.  In order to discharge his indebtedness, Mr. Jason Fargo bought an ox on credit and at once began to cut and haul to market large quantities of cord-wood, by which means he was enabled to make payments on his land.  Later, in company with his father-in-law, he contracted to build a portion of the turnpike road through the Maumee swamp, and with the proceeds from this labor he made final payment on this place.  This became in time, under his industrious efforts and sagacious management one of the best cultivated, most highly improved and most valuable pieces of property in the county.  Industry and honesty were his strongest characteristics.  His habits were his strongest characteristics.  His habits were good and his manner affable and kind.  His parents were Baptists, but he never professed religion, feeling content to observe the golden rule.  Public service had no charms for him, but he yielded to the desire of his friends and accepted the trusteeship of his town, in which capacity he discharged his duties with his usual uprightness, promptness and ability.  He had no military record, but was a member of a company in the old training days.  His six children were: Dan. H., whose name heads this sketch; George D., born Feb. 25, 181, died Dec. 25, 1890; Anan, born Oct. 21, 1823, died in Butte county, California, Jan. 5, 1863; Edwin, born Aug. 5, 1827, died at the South Pass of the Rocky Mountains, June 25, 1852, of cholera; Ellen T., Apr. 27, 1834, married Horrace Dunshee, and died June 18, 1863; and Lucius J., born June 18, 1845.  The devoted father died in Ashtabula, Sept. 20, 1861, followed by the regrets of all who knew him, and who thus esteemed him for his many estimable qualities.  His wife survived him until Aug. 21, 1880.
     Dan. H. Fargo, of this notice, a prosperous farmer and stock-raiser and worthy citizen of Ashtabula county, was born in this county, Aug. 29, 1819.  He was reared on a farm and received his education in the neighboring schools.  Since then he has followed agricultural pursuits, he and his brother, Lucius J., being now equal partners in the farm, dairy and stock business.  Dan. H. Fargo has for fifty years with the exception of 1892, made an annual trip to Buffalo, New York, for the purpose of disposing of his farm products, the sale of which has netted him a comfortable income.  Previous to the construction of the railroad to Ashtabula, he marketed his stock in New York and Massachusetts, driving the animals the entire distance.  Their farm contains 570 acres of the finest land in the county, adjoining East Village.
     The subject of this sketch has never married, but his brother, Lucius J., married Miss Belle F. Savage, an estimable lady, daughter of L. Savage, a widely and favorably known citizen.  They have four children: Clara L., born in 1877; Dan. H., May 10, 1883; Julia Ellen, Mar. 11, 1885; and Alonzo L., Apr. 23, 1887.  Mr. Fargo is a Republican in politics, and honorable, industrious, enterprising and progressive.  Mr. Dan. Fargo has contributed as much as any other man to the advancement of the community and deserves the esteem which he so generally enjoys among his fellow townsmen.
     The following stanza, dedicated to the mother of our subject, was written by P. R. Spencer, who was a distinguished citizen of Ohio and whose name is well known through-out the Union.  The lines were penned many years ago, and the author, under date of Nov. 16, 1863, presented them with "Respects to the friend and schoolmate of my boyhood, Mrs. Clarissa Fargo:"

The Lord, the High and Holy one,
Is resent everywhere:
Go to the regions of the sun,
And thou wilt find Him there;
Go to the secret ocean caves,
Where man hath never trod,
And there, beneath the flashing waves,
Will be our maker, God.

  Source: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio Embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Publ. by Chicago:  Lewis Pub. Co. - 1893 - Page  653

 HON. HENRY FASSETT

  Source: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio Embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Publ. by Chicago:  Lewis Pub. Co. - 1893 - Page  221

IRAD P. FELCH, an energetic and prosperous young business man of Bushnell, Ashtabula county, Ohio, is ranked with the representative men of his county.
     Dudley S. Felch, his father, was born in New Hampshire in 1831, and has been a resident of Ohio since 1845, when he settled in Ashtabula county.  For a number of years he was engaged in farming.  Having a competency, he is now retired from active life.  His parents, Ezekiel and Judia (Sain) Felch were both born in New Hampshire.  The *(mother of Ira P. was by maiden name Miss) Angeline A. Ring, she being a native of Conneaut, Ohio, and a daughter of Joshua and Polly (Thayer) Ring, early settles of Ohio.  Her father was a prominent farmer of this county.  She was twice married, first to Fowler F. Peters, who died, leaving her with three children, as follows:  Cora now deceased; Wendell who died at the age of twenty-five; and Lola , wife of L. H. Means, an attorney of Ashtabula.  Her marriage to Mr. Felch occurred in 1859.  Their only child is the subject of this sketch.
     Irad P. Felch was born in Monroe township, Ashtabula county, Ohio, in 1860.  He remained with his parents till he reached his priority after which he worked on a farm for wages two years.  Then he was for a time employed by the tile company of Ashtabula.  Returning to Bushnell, he turned his attention to mercantile pursuits, in which he is still engaged.
     He was married in 1888, to Laura Ingalls a native of Vineland, New Jersey, and for several years a teacher in Ohio.  She is a sister of Mrs. George L. Felch.
     Mr. Felch began life with $50, a present from his father.  He is now the owner of a tract of land, a comfortable home, business property and good business.  He is Postmaster at Bushnell, and has been Township Clerk for seven years.  Courteous in manner and honorable and upright in all his dealings, he has the confidence and respect of all with whom he comes in contact.
  Source: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio Embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Publ. by Chicago:  Lewis Pub. Co. - 1893 - Page  933
*SHARON WICK'S NOTE:  This was inserted as the first line on page 932 but didn't quite fit there:  "mother of Ira P. was by maiden name Miss".   It should be included in the first line of page 933 in the Biography of Irad P. Felch.

CHARLES FENTON, a venerable pioneer of Conneaut, Ohio, and next to the oldest citizen in the town, was for many years engaged in business here, first as a tailor and afterward as a merchant tailor and is now living retired.  The following sketch of his life will be found of interest to many.
     C. J. Fenton was born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, Jan. 10, 1816.  His parents were Dr. Samuel L. and Charlotte (Jennings) Fenton; the father a native of Ipswich, Northwold, England, and the mother of Norwalk, Connecticut.  They were married and settled in New York when both were quite young.  Dr. Fenton was educated in Ipswich and New York, having come to America about 1785.  He was the first president of the Tailors' Association of New York.  Coming West, he settled in Erie first, and in 1826 came to Conneaut.  The town was called Salem at that time.  Here he took rank with the foremost men of his day.  He was an eminent physician, a fine musician and a good conversationalist, and for his true worth he was highly appreciated by his fellow citizens.  He died in 1834, in the fifty fourth year of his age.  His wife died in 1860, aged seventy-eight.  They were the parents of eleven children, only three of whom are now living, viz.:  Carnot, a resident of Cleveland; Atkins, residing in Niles, Michigan; and Charles J., whose name heads this article.
     C. J. Fenton came to Conneaut in 1832, from Cumberland county, Pennsylvania.  At that time there was considerable business in East Conneaut.  After being in business some years, he bought a farm, moved to East Conneaut and has resided here ever since.  Financially, he has been successful, and now, in his declining years, is surrounded with all the comforts of life, his one affliction being that of deafness.
     In 1831, the year before he came to Conneaut, he was married in Pennsylvania to Miss Sarah Montgomery, daughter of John and Jennie (Fulton) Montgomery, of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, where Mr. Montgomery owned a large and valuable farm.  Her mother died when she was quite young, and she was reared by her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Fulton.  Following is a record concerning Mr. and Mrs. Fenton's children: William married Evelyn Putney, daughter of Henry Putney, and is a resident of San Francisco, California; Laura, wife of Orson Hewitt, resides at Alton, Illinois; Samuel who married Louise Van Gorder, lives in East Conneaut; Charlotte, wife of A. E. Keyes, died in October, 1877; Isabella, wife of J. B. Lathy, resides in Alton, Illinois; Lizzie and Nellie are twins; the former married S. D. Barrett and resides in Chicago; and the latter is the wife of A. O. Payne, of Conneaut; Mr. and Mrs. Payne have two children, Charles and Boyd; Clara is the wife of B. F. Kennedy; Grace died in 1876, at the age of twenty-three years; Jennie, is the wife of William P. DeWolfe, East Conneaut; Mr. and Mrs. De Wolfe have two children, Robert F. and George L., Jr.
  Source: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio Embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Publ. by Chicago:  Lewis Pub. Co. - 1893 - Page  494

ALBERT FIELD. - Ashtabula, Ohio, has no more representative citizen than the subject of this sketch, who, by ancestry and residence, has been connected with the city since its foundation.
     The earliest ancestor of teh family in this country, William Field, was from Wales and was residing in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1636, in which city he died in 1665.  He died childless, but designated as his heir his nephew, Thomas Field, who was in Providence at the time of his uncle's death.  In 1667, this nephew took the oath of allegiance to this country, where he afterward lived.  He had three children: Thomas, William and Elizabeth.  Nehemiah Field, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, descended from this remote ancestor, and was born in Rhode Island, May 15, 1757.  He married Sarah Whitman and they had six children: William Whitman, Arthur F., Aaron Lealand, A. Wait, Nehemiah and Sarah.  The father of this family died in Adams, Massachusetts, June 14, 1815.
     Aaron Lealand Field, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Chester, Vermont, Oct. 14, 1787, and grew to manhood in his native State.  He first married Anna Ostrander, who died, leaving three children.  He was afterward married Anna Ostrander, who died, leaving three children.  He was afterward married to Diana Mowry, born in Smithville, Rhode Island, in 1794, and in 1818 he and his family joined the westward tide of emigration of Ohio, at that time defining the frontier of civilization, where Indians and wild game roamed at will amid the primitive forests.  Four years after coming to the State, the family settled near Ashtabula, in Ashtabula county, where the father passed his life in farming and stock-raising.  He was prospered in his efforts and at the time of his death was the owner of 320 acres, including the present site of the town of Sweden.  He was an active politician and stanchly Democratic, but never sought office.  By his second marriage there were four children:  George, Eliza Jane, Albert and Arthur.  The family were called upon to mourn the loss of the devoted and loving father on Mar. 22, 1860.  He died in Ashtabula, at teh age of seventy-three years.  He was a man of energy and ability and was largely instrumental in starting Ashtabula on that path which has culminated in its present prosperity.
     Albert Field, whose name heads this sketch, is the able and popular proprietor and manager of the Fisk House, in Ashtabula.  He was born on his father's homestead near this city, Feb. 20, 1826, and remained on the farm until twenty years of age when he began boating on the great lakes, an occupation in which he was engaged for twenty years.  He followed this calling in various positions, much of the time being a mate on some of the larger boats.  In 1861 he varied his occupation by purchasing two sleeping cars, which he operated for a year on the Cincinnati, Chicago & Air Line Railroad, after which he sold them to the railroad company.  He then bought the parental homestead, on which he was engaged in farming for five years.  In the meantime he bought the Fisk House, the oldest hotel in Ashtabula of which he took charge in 1868 and which he has since successfully conducted, adding largely to its patronage and making it a credit to the city.
     In 1853 Mr. Field was married to Miss Mary Leafy Cheney, and they have one daughter, unmarried.
     In politics, Mr. Field follows in the footsteps of his illustrious father, stanchly advocating the principles of the Democratic party.
     Of extensive experience, executive ability and genial personality, Mr. Field is amply equipped for attaining success in life, and a host of friends maintain a hearty interest in his welfare.
  Source: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio Embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Publ. by Chicago:  Lewis Pub. Co. - 1893 - Page 326

MRS. CAPTAIN GEORGE FIELD. - One of the most prominent families of northeastern Ohio, of which Ashtabula county is a component part, is that by the name of Cheney, of which the oldest and most central figure is Thomas Cheney, father of the subject of this sketch.  So far as date is now accessible, a record of his life is as follows:
     Thomas Cheney was born in Windsor, Connecticut, Sept. 12, 1797, and his parents were John and Mary (Stowel) Cheny  He grew to manhood in his native State and obtained a liberal education, which, combined with an excellent intellect, made him a conspicuous figure among men.  He had the faculty of presenting his opinions in a logical and interesting manner, and while he laid no claims to oratory and rarely spoke in public from announcement, he experienced no difficulty in entertaining his hearers when he had a bout with a political enemy.  He was a familiar object on the streets of Ashtabula, during the exciting times before the war, when he might be seen expounding anti-slavery doctrines to miscellaneous assemblies.  He was one of the four original abolitionists of Ashtabula county, and assisted many a slave to cross the Canadian border to liberty and happiness.  He possessed no military history, other than serving as Fife Major of a militia regiment during the old training days before the war, although, had he lived, there is no doubt but he would have supplemented his arguments for freedom by telling blows in her fair cause.  He was in early life, politically, an anti-Mason, later a Free Soiler, and, finally, an uncompromising Republican.  He was by occupation a shoe merchant and manufactured his own goods, in which in he was killed by a falling tree in 1852, expiring in his fifty-sixth year, greatly lamented by all who knew him.  His wife, nee Lois Bush, to whom he was married in 1820, two or three years after his advent to Ohio, was born in 1800 and survived her worthy husband until 1885, dying at the age of eighty-five.  She was a daughter of Charles Bush, originally a merchant near Bainbridge, New York, who, early in the nineteenth century came to Painesville, Ohio,and purchased a farm near that city, preparatory to removing his family to this State, but who died in some village on his return trip, all his valuable papers disappearing with him.  His widow afterward married Mr. McAdams, and in 1818, they moved to Ashtabula, Ohio, accompanied by his family.  They came from Buffalo to this point on a small freight and passenger vessel of but a few tons' capacity, which conveyance forms a striking contrast to the present magnificent steamers which ply the lake.  The family settled on South Ridge, where they resided for many years, when late in life the old people went to Springfield, Pennsylvania, where they both died.  The children of Thomas Cheney and wife were: Samantha, born June 17, 1823, who married Birdsey Metcalf, and died ten months later, leaving one child; Ruth, born Apr. 1, 1825; Mary, born Dec. 25, 1832, wife of Albert Field, of Ashtabula; and P. H., born Apr. 13, 1836.
     Ruth, the second daughter and the oldest surviving member of the family, was reared and educated in Ashtabula county, attending an academy in this vicinity.  Mar. 26, 1856, she was married to Captain George Field, widely and favorably known on  the lakes and throughout the adjoining country as an able and experienced seafaring man.  Rev. Waldo, a Presbyterian minister and a professor in Austinburg College, officiated at their at their marriage.  Captain Field was born in Mentor, Ohio, Apr. 15, 1819, and was employed on the lakes from early youth to middle age.  He then engaged in buying and selling stock, in which business he continued about tea years, after which he returned to his first occupation, carrying business on the lakes, this time as a boat owner and later as an owner of tugs, operating from Saginaw, Detroit, Toledo and Ashtabula.  The Captain died Mar. 10, 1889, after a long and useful life, leaving his family well provided with the comforts of the world benifices secured by his persistent industry and able management.  His father, Aaron Field, was born in Rhode Island, of New England ancestry, and was a farmer by occupation.  Captain and Mrs. Field had three children: Arthur, born Nov. 5, 1845; Frank, born Sept. 30, 1849, and Charles T., born Dec. 29, 1855.  The last named married Miss Kate M. Sperry, a lady well known in social circles in Ashtabula, of which city her father is a prominent resident.  They have four children:  George, Bessie, Willie and Ruth.
     Mrs. Captain Field is an earnest and useful member of the Presbyterian Church, and holds a high social position.  She is intellectual, possesses unusual executive ability, is deeply interested in the material, educational and moral progress of her community, to which she has contributed, and is deserving of the esteem which she so fully enjoys. 
  Source: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio Embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Publ. by Chicago:  Lewis Pub. Co. - 1893 - Page  298

JAMES M. FIFIELD, a retired farmer and stock dealer, was born in Conneaut, Ohio, Mar. 23, 1823, a son of Colonel Edward and Sallie (Bean) Fifield, the former a native of Scotland and the latter of Lower Canada.  The former moved to Wheelock, Vermont, when a boy, where he was engaged in trading in lands and valuables.  He afterward removed to Pennsylvania, remaining one year at Cold Station, and in 1815 came to Ohio,  Mr. Fifield first settled at Salem Corners, now Conneaut (the latter appellation being an Indian name meaning many fish) where he was employed as a trader.  Colonel and Mrs. Fifield had eleven children, of whom our subject is the tenth in the order of birth, and the only one now living, viz.: Greenleif, born Oct. 27, 1800, was one of the noted physicians in this part of Ohio, and his death occurred June 27, 1859.  He married Laura Kellogg, and they had one son and three daughters.  The son, Amos K., also a physician, died in April, 1893.  Ruth, the next in order of birth, was first married to Hollis Abbott, who died three yeas later, and she ten became the wife of George Morton.  They had seven children.  Hannah, born Dec. 26, 1806, married Aaron Whitney, and died Mar. 5, 1845.  Her husband and four children are also now deceased.  Benjamin F., born July 7, 1809, married Harriet Cole, and they had three children.  He died May 26, 1866.  Mary, born Dec. 21, 1811, married George Morton, and died Oct. 17, 1831.  William H. H., born Feb. 15, 1814, died Dec. 9, 1849.  He married Abbie Jane Niles, and they had two children.  Sarah, born Jan. 12, 1815, married Samuel Slemmer, of Fort Sumter notoriety, and died July 19, 1871.  Emily, born Nov. 16, 1817, died in November, 1891.  She was the wife of James Oliver, and they had three sons and two daughters.  Harriet Eliza, born Oct. 22, 1820, married Brewster Randal, and died May 25, 1877.  They had four sons and two daughters: James M., our subject; Almira, born July 25, 1832, died Mar. 25, 1852.  The father, born Dec. 21, 1775, died Oct. 17, 1836, and his wife born Aug. 22, 1782, died April 23, 1863.  The former was a Colonel in the war of 1812.
     James M. Fifield, the subject of this sketch, was born, reared and educated in Conneaut, and is now the oldest resident citizen in Conneaut township.  He has held many minor offices, but has never been a seeker of public honor.  Jan. 31, 1848, he was united in marriage with Miss Mavia E. Gibson, a native of Conneaut, and a daughter of Thomas and Lucretia (Farnham) Gibson, who were born, raised and married in Connecticut.  The father was born Jan. 6, 1800, a son of James and Elizabeth Gibson.  Thomas Gibson came to Ohio in 1830, where, in company with his brother-in-law, he owned a gristmill in Conneaut.  The mill is still known as the Farnham Mills.  He was elected to the position of Trustee in 1842, and held at that office fourteen years.  The mother of Mrs. Fifield was a daughter of Abigail Hampton Farnham.  Mrs. and Mrs. Gibson had six children, namely: Charles,  a farmer of Conneaut township, married Loranda Moon, and at his death left a widow and seven children; Mary, deceased, was the wife of Dr. Raymond, and the latter had two children by a former marriage; Mavia E., wife of our subject; Julia, wife of George Brown, of Kansas, and they have one child, Alice; John deceased in 1893, married Roxie Burrington and they had two children, Raymond and Catherine; and Thomas, a farmer of Conneaut, married Mary Clark, and they have five children living.  Mr. and Mrs. Fifield have had six children, as follows: Henry H., born Nov. 25, 1849, as a civil engineer by occupation.  He was married Apr. 19, 1877, to Mattie Hammond, of Berlin Heights, Erie county, Ohio, who died in 1885, at the age of thirty-six years; Clara Agnes, who was married Nov. 7, 1871, to Charles L. Cheney, and the latter died in 1886; Lillian J., who was married April 1, 1881, to Frederick E. Garey, of Ludington, Michigan, and they have had two children, Agnes C., and Margueritta; Benjamin F. married Ida K. Kennon, and they reside at East Conneaut.  They have one child, Isabel; Catherine H. married N. P. Phister, a graduate of West Point, and a Lieutenant in regular army; they have two daughters, Bell Duke and Catherine H.; James M., the youngest in order of birth, resides in Michigan.
  Source: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio Embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Publ. by Chicago:  Lewis Pub. Co. - 1893 - Page  975

JOSIAH FIFIELD, a retired farmer and one of the most substantial men of Ashtabula county, has been identified with this county all his life, having been born in Conneaut, Oct. 16, 1821.
     His parents, Benjamin F. and Hannah (Abbott) Fifield, were natives of Vermont and New Hampshire respectively.  Benjamin F. Fifield came to Ohio about 1816 with his mother, and was among the early pioneers of Ashtabula County, where he was engaged in farming until the time of his death.  During the war of 1812 he enlisted in the service, but the war closed before his regiment was called into action.  He was born in 1793 and died in 1871.  In early he was a stanch Whit, but later was a Republican.  A Deacon in the Christian Church and an honorable and upright man, his integrity was never questioned, and few men in the county were more highly respected than he.  His wife, born in November, 1797, died in April, 1885.  She, too, was a member of the Christian Church, having obeyed the gospel in her girlhood days, and her whole life was adorned with Christian graces.  The Abbotts were also among the pioneers of Ohio, having settled on the lake shore at an early day.  Mr. and Mrs. Fifield had two children, Laura Ann and Josiah.  The former died in 1841, aged nineteen years.
     Josiah Fifield was reared a farmer, which occupation he has followed through life.  He was married Apr. 6, 1843, to Miss Emma T. Ford, daughter of Ambrose and Amanda (Barnum) Ford.  Her mother, a cousin of P. T. Barnum, died at the age of twenty-five years, and her father lived to be seventy-eight, his death occurring in Pierpont, this county, where he had lived on a farm for many years.   Mrs. Fifield and her sister, Abbie, widow of John Miller, are the only survivors in a family of five children.
     The family of Josiah F. Fifield consisted of three children, namely: B. Ambrose, who was born Dec. 28, 1844, and died Oct. 24, 1864, aged twenty years; Greenleaf F.; and Ella M., wife of F. W. Chidester.
     Mrs. Fifield has been a member of the Baptist Church since her seventeenth year.  Since 1855 Mr. Fifield has been identified with the Masonic fraternity, having taken the degrees of the blue lodge, chapter and council.  He has served as Worthy Master of the lodge and High Priest of the chapter.  Politically, he is a Republican.
  Source: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio Embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Publ. by Chicago:  Lewis Pub. Co. - 1893 - Page  544
Note:  See Fifields is buried in Center Cemetery, Conneaut, OH

JOHN FITZMAURICE, a railroad engineer on the Nickel Plate, is another one of the worthy citizens of Conneaut, Ohio.
     Mr. Fitzmaurice was born in Niagara county, New York, June 22, 1856, son of Thomas and Ann Fitzmaurice, natives of Ireland.  His father was a slopewall layer on the Erie Canal.  He located in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, in 1862, and lived there until the time of his death, July 6, 1873, aged sixty-six years.  His wife, still living in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania, is now seventy years of age.  She is a member of the Catholic Church, as also was her worthy husband.  Following is a brief record of their family of ten children: James, a resident of Chicago; Margaret, who married Dr. Mahaney, of Erie, Pennsylvania, died at the age of thirty-three years; Thomas, who married Emma Coopenville, resides in Erie, Pennsylvania, he having been in the employ of the Erie & Pennsylvania Railroad for the past eighteen years, as conductor the last twelve year; John; Charles, an engineer on the Erie & Pennsylvania Railroad; Anna, wife of John Bogle, Sharon, Pennsylvania; Willie, an engineer on the Erie & Pennsylvania; Ella, wife of Matthew Donahue, Sharpsville, Pennsylvania; Lizzie, deceased; and Kate, who lives with her mother.
     At the age of sixteen John began life on his own responsibility.  First, he shoveled ore, then he worked on the section, next attended a furnace, and after that was employed as car inspector on the Erie & Pennsylvania.  In 1883 he accepted a position as fireman on the Nickel Plate, and after firing three years was given charge of an engine, Mar. 12, 1886.  Since that date he has served as engineer on this road.  His long continuance with the company is evidence of his competency and faithful work.
     Mr. Fitzmaurice is married and has one child, Clara W.  Mrs. Fitzmaurice, formerly Miss Emma C. Peters, is a daughter of Charles and Ellen Peters of Sharpsville, Pennsylvania.  Her father has been yardmaster of the Erie & Pennsylvania for over twenty-five years.  Mr. and Mrs. Peters' family is composed of the following children: Clara, wife of Dr. T. M. Brown; Joseph B.; Mrs. Fitzmaurice; Cora, wife of C. C. Jones, of Sharpsville, Pennsylvania; Charles, an employe of the Chicago & Alton, was killed while on the road, in 1885, aged twenty-four years; Edward, a bookkeeper in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania; Willie, who resides in Conneaut, is a conductor on the Nickel Plate.  Willie married Jett Hickins.
     Mr. Fitzmaurice and his wife are members of the Catholic Church.  He belongs to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, of which he is First Engineer.  His political views are in harmony with Democratic principles.
  Source: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio Embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Publ. by Chicago:  Lewis Pub. Co. - 1893 - Page  923

S. B. FOBES, a farmer of Cherry Valley township, was born at Kingsville, Ashtabula county, Apr. 29, 1834, a son of Artemus Fobes.  The latter's father, Walter Fobes, came with three brothers from Massachusetts to this county, where they were among the first settlers.  The mother of our subject was Lorinda Trowbridge, a native of Lorain county, Ohio, and now a resident of Sioux county, Iowa, aged eighty-two years.  Mr. and Mrs. Fobes were the parents of fifteen children, fourteen of whom grew to maturity, namely: Eliza Davis, of Clayton county, Iowa; Pauline Duntley, deceased at Oshkosh, Wisconsin; Selvin B., our subject; William, of Sioux county, Iowa, was a soldier in the late war; Walter  was a member of the Sixth Ohio Cavalry during that struggle; Adaline Strong, of Jones county, Iowa, is deceased; Warren, a member of an Iowa regiment, died during his service in the war; Winfield, who was also killed in an Iowa regiment; Edd, of Cherokee county, Iowa; Albert, a resident of Lyons county, Iowa; Clistie Thompson, of Rock Rapids, that State; Alva, of Washington; and Royal, a resident of Sioux county, Iowa.
     S. B. Fobes, the subject of this sketch, was reared to farm life, but afterward was engaged as a sailor on the lakes for five years.   He next was engaged in the manufacture of boat oars ten years.  In 1874 he purchased what was known as the Deacon Gillett farm, consisting of 111 acres, all of which is now well improved, Mr. Fobes has a good, two-story dwelling, 18 x 28 feet, with an L. 16 x 26 feet, and a fine dairy.
     Oct. 29, 1860, he was united in marriage to Elizabeth Pelton, a native of Pultney, Steuben county, New York, and a daughter of Deacon Ansel and Betsey (Thomas) Pelton, the former a native of New Hampshire, and the latter of Massachusetts.  The father died at Gustavus, Ohio, at the age of sixty-seven years, and the mother survived him but three years, dying at the same place and at nearly the same age.  They had six children: Amos T., deceased; Ezra, who died in this township; Elias of Hutchinson, Kansas; Rhoda M. Stone, of Cherry Valley, deceased; Lewis, of Gustavus; and Elizabeth, wife of our subject.  Mr. and Mrs. Fobes have had three children, viz.: Elloise, wife of H. Mellinger, of Cherry Valley township; L. Royal married Etta Wright of Le Roy, Lake county, and merchant of this place; and Albert C., at home.  Mr. and Mrs. Mellinger have one child, Ruby J.  Mr. Fobes affiliates with the Republican party, and he and family are members of the Baptist Church.  Mrs. Fobes was a school-teacher formerly, having taught several terms in this and adjoining towns.  Their two oldest children proved successful teachers.
  Source: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio Embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Publ. by Chicago:  Lewis Pub. Co. - 1893 - Page  648

JAMES E. FORD, a farmer and the owner of valuable real estate at Conneaut, Ohio, was born in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, July 4, 1830. Mr. Ford's parents, Thomas and Catherine  (Rick) Ford, were both natives of Pennsylvania.  Thomas Ford came to Erie County, Ohio, at an early day, and during the war of 1812, on account of Indian depredations, he and others returned to Crawford county, Pennsylvania.  Subsequently he volunteered  as a private in the war, and served until the emergency was over.  He had one of the best ordered farms in Pennsylvania, was well known as a man of more than ordinary ability, and passed his whole life engaged in agricultural pursuits.  He died in his native State, March 21, 1861, aged nearly eighty years.  His wife died about 1834.  They had a family of fourteen children, of whom three daughters and two sons are still living.  The family was well represented in the Civil war, two of the sons losing their life's blood on the field of battle.  Daniel enlisted in 1861, as First Lieutenant in the Twenty-seventh Michigan Infantry, was in the Army of the Potomac, and was instantly killed in the mine exploded by General Burnside at Petersburg.  He was about thirty years of age, Alexander, aged about twenty-two years, was in the Eighty-third Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and was killed instantly in the battle of the Wilderness, in 1864.  His friends saw him fall, but is remains were never recovered.  He had been in the service since 1861.  Andrew, another brother, enlisted in 1862, in the One Hundred and Eleventh Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry; served all through the war, and came home at its close a physical wreck.  He is still living, in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, and has been an invalid all his life.  The names of this large family, in order of birth, are as follows;  John, who died in 1863; Eliza, a resident of Pennsylvania, now nearly eighty years of age; Julia, of Crawford county, Pennsylvania; Thomas, Jr., who was kicked by a horse and and died a few hours later, in 1863; Andrew, above referred to; Lorena, a resident of Wisconsin; David, some place in the West; William, who died in 1857, at the age of twenty-seven; Silas, who died in 1893 of la grippe, aged sixty-four years; James E., whose name heads this article; Daniel; Margaret, who died at the age of thirty-five; Sarah, now Mrs. Johnson, residing at the old homestead in Crawford county, Pennsylvania; and Alexander.
     James E. Ford came from his native State to Conneaut, Ohio, in 1882, and has been engaged in farming here  ever since.   He owns thirty acres of land at the Harbor, most of which is laid off in town lots, and all of which is valuable property.  The last lot he sold was in the fall 1892, it being 25 x 72 feet, and bringing $750.  He has refused that price for other lots in the same locality.  His attractive home, located on Harbor street, is next to the last house between Conneaut and Canada.
     Mr. Ford was married, June 6, 1868, to Miss Sallie A. Henry, daughter of William and Sallie Henry, of Crawford county, Pennsylvania.  Her father was a farmer and a highly respected citizen.  Both parents died at about the age of eighty years.  Her mother was a life-long and devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.  Mrs. Ford is the youngest of their four children, the others being as follows: John, engaged in farming at the old homestead; Mary, deceased, was the wife of J. E. Wilcox; and Ann, wife of Alonzo Fish, who resides on a farm in Pennsylvania.  Mr. Fish enlisted in the Union army in 1861, and served four years.  He was the last person who ever saw General McPherson alive.  He saw him riding toward the rebel lines, a moment later heard a rifle report, and then saw the horse returning without a rider.  He was in the Atlanta campaign, and went with Sherman from Atlanta to the sea.  The only injury he received in the war was from being thrown off his horse, his knee being hurt at that time, from the effects of which he is still lame.
     Mr. and Mrs. Ford have four children: Lillie, Perley Victor, Lulu and Flossie.  Mrs. Ford and her son are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the two oldest daughters are Baptists.
     Politically, Mr. Ford is a Democrat.  While a resident of Crawford county, Pennsylvania, he served three years as County Auditor.   Fraternally, he is a Mason and an A. O. U. W.  Public-spirited and generous, enterprising and progressive, he has done his part toward advancing the best interests of the community in which he lives.
  Source: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio Embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Publ. by Chicago:  Lewis Pub. Co. - 1893 - Page  899

NATHANIEL FOLLETT, one of the wealthy and influential men of Conneaut township, Ashtabula county, Ohio, dates his birth at Auburn, New York, in 1823.
     Gratis Follett, his father, was born in Ballston, New York, in 1792.  From Ballston he moved to the central part of that State, and in 1839 came to Ohio, locating in Pierpont, Ashtabula county, where he spent the residue of his life, and where he died in 1880.  He was a mechanic and worked at his trade in connection with farming.  In politics he was first a Whig and afterward a Republican.  During the war of 1812 he enlisted his services in the American cause and acted as sentinel.  He was one of a family of nine sons and one daughter, his parents being John and Sally Follett.  The Folletts have been residents of America for many generations, having emigrated to this country from England.  Mary (Hunter) Follett, the mother of Nathaniel, was born in New York in 1796, daughter of Francis and Mary (Millord) Hunter.  Her father was a native of Ireland and her mother of Scotland.  Francis Hunter, in company with his two brothers, came to America during the Revolutionary period.  For some time they were engaged in peddling.  Finally one of them settled in Philadelphia, another of Montreal, and the grandfather of our subject on a farm near Auburn, New York, being the owner of 600 acres of land at that place.  Gratis Follett was married in 1816, and he and his wife became the parents of five children: Jane, deceased, was the wife of Henry Gaylord, of Pierpont, and had eight children, five of whom survive her; Dorcas, wife of James Tuttle of Conneaut, Ohio, has had two children, one of whom is living; Nathaniel, whose name appears at the head of this sketch; Francis, who is engaged in farming; and Sarah, widow of Milo Huntley, has three children.
     Nathaniel Follett came to Ohio with his parents in 1839, and remained with them until 1849.  He had the benefit of a good education, and during his early life rendered his father efficient service in helping to clear up the farm.  When he married he bought the old home place, comprising 150 acres, and lived upon it until 1889, when h moved to Pierpont.  This farm had been bought of the old Connecticut Land Company.  Since 1890 ghe has resided at his present location in Conneaut township.
     Mr. Follett married Emily M. Bushnell, who was born in Connecticut in1824, daughter of Lynas and Harriet (Osborne) Bushnell, and who came with her parents to Ohio in 1833, settling in Monroe, Ashtabula county.  Her parents are deceased.  She was oldest of their five children, the others being:  Truman, who died at the age of thirty-eight years; Cordelia, wife of E. B. Ford, is deceased; Rosann, who died at the age of twenty-one; and Martin, who died when sixteen.  Mr. and Mrs. Follett have three children:  Idela A., wife of Calvin Austin; Harriet L., wife of W. S. Ashley, has one child; and Frank W., who married Georgie Turner, owns and occupies the old home place above referred to.
     Mr. Follett is one of the self-made men of his vicinity, having by his own energy and enterprise accumulated a competency.  Socially, politically and financially, he is ranked with the leading men of his township.  He votes with the Republican party.  For about fifteen years he has been Infirmary Director, and for several years he has also served as Township Trustee and Assessor.  Mr. Follett is a member of the Baptist Church, and Mr. Follett, although not a member of the church, is one of its active supporters.  Indeed, he is generous in his contributions toward all worthy causes.
  Source: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio Embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Publ. by Chicago:  Lewis Pub. Co. - 1893 - Page 675

JEROME N. FREDERICKS, blacksmith, Conneaut, Ohio, was born in Jefferson county, New York, June 29, 1823. He is a son of John and Eunice (Nutting) Fredericks. The father, a native of Holland, came to America in 1806, and settled in Groton, Massachusetts, and in that State married Miss Nutting, a native of Massachusetts and a descendant of Scotch ancestry. He was a mason by trade, and while in the East was employed in stucco work. He moved to Conneaut in 1837, and passed the rest of his life in this county. He died at Kingsville, December 30, 1855, aged ninety years. Few men were better known in this part of the State than he, as he did plastering and mason work all over north­eastern Ohio. His wife died about 1859, aged sixty-six years. Both were members of the Congregational Church for many years. They had a family of nine children, namely: Emory, who resides in Canada; Betsey, wife of Luther Spencer, both deceased; Harriet, wife of Seth McNutt, is deceased; William, of New York State; Jerome N.; Mrs. Elial Risdon, Conneaut; Barsheba, widow of Captain Lent, resides with her sister, Mrs. Risdon; Levi, of Conneaut; and Elbridge, of Humboldt county, California.
     Mr. Fredericks started out in life as a clerk in a store in Buffalo, and remained there two years. He came to Conneaut in June, 1839, and at once began to learn the blacksmith trade. He was the first boy in this town to serve a regular apprenticeship at any trade. After completing his term of service he traveled through this country and Canada, spending two years in Hamilton, Canada West, and eighteen months in St. Catherine's, and after. an absence of live years returned to Conneaut. He has been a resident here since 1847. Some time in the '50s Mr. Fredericks opened his shop on Sandusky street.  His house, the first one built on the street, is still standing. At that time all this part of the town was in timber. About two years before the war he received an injury which rendered him unfit for service, and upon examination for entrance into the army was rejected. He served as Councilman of Conneaut one term, at the end of which term he refused to serve longer.
     Mr. Fredericks married Miss Milura, daughter of Sylvester and Sophronia (Mason) Cowles, of Medina county, Ohio. Both her parents are deceased, her father dying about 1878, aged seventy-three years, and her mother in 1875, aged seventy-live They were life-long members of the Congregational Church. Mrs. Fredericks is the oldest of their six children, the others being as follows: Shepard, who was drowned at the age of two years; Newel M., engaged in farming in Medina county, Ohio; Shepard B., a Michigan farmer; Emily J., wife of Lewis Rensburg of Illinois; and Ellen H., who died at the age of five years. Mr. and Mrs. Fredericks have had two children, namely: Edmund J., a partner in business with his father, and a young man of fine physique and good habits; and Minnie, who died in 1882, aged nineteen. Mrs. Fredericks is a member of the Christian Church.
     Mr. Fredericks' life has been characterized by industry and the strictest integrity. His honest toil has been rewarded with success. Today he is in comfortable circumstances and owns valuable property in Conneaut. He has long been a Democrat, taking, however, little interest in politics now. He is a member of the blue lodge, chapter, council and commandery of Conneaut, of the Alcoran Temple and of the Scottish Kite, having taken the thirty-second degree, at Cleveland. In all these organizations he has held official positions. He is one of the members of Cache Commandery.
  Source: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio Embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Publ. by Chicago:  Lewis Pub. Co. - 1893 - Page  194

NELSON FRENCH, a retired farmer of Lenox township, Ashtabula county, Ohio, is well known and universally respected here.  Without more than a passing notice of him a history of this part of the country would be incomplete.
     Nelson French was born in his father's pioneer home in Ashtabula county, Ohio, Jan. 24, 1824, son of Chauncey and Cynthia (Fowler) French.  Chauncey French was born in October, 1795, and grew up as a farm hand.  His brother Ira had come out to Ohio in 1816 and built a sawmill and log house, and a year later Chauncey came West to join him.  Together the brothers bought 400 acres of the primitive forest, the tract extending west from the home of our subject to Ray's Corners, and stretching away to the south.  Here they toiled early and late to clear and develop their land.  Game of all kinds was plenty, and a supply of deer and wild turkey was always on hand.  Gradually the dense forest gave way to well-cultivated fields.  Other settlers moved in from the East, other cabin by the country assumed a different appearance.  In 1820 Chauncey French was married.  The brothers then divided their land, and upon Chauncey's share they put up another cabin, in which he and his bride began their happy married life.  The work of clearing and improving went on, and right bravely did these pioneers meet and overcome the difficulties and privations incident to their life on the frontier.  In 1834 Chauncey French built the fine old home in which his son Nelson now lives.  It is a commodious residence of ten rooms.  The timber used in its construction all had to be taken from the stump, and the completion of the house required two years and a corps of skilled mechanics.  On his farm Chauncey French spent more than a half century of his rugged life, and Nov. 8, 1868, was called to his long rest.  Few men did more to advance in interests of this part of the to advance the interests of this part of the country than he.  For twenty years he served as Township Treasurer.  He was a veteran of the war of 1812, having served as a private in the volunteer infantry at Boston.  In early life he was a Democrat.  His last vote, however, was cast for Abraham Lincoln.  He was a man of the strictest integrity, and was generous to a fault.  Of his wife, the mother of our subject, we record that she was a native of Connecticut, born in 1802, and that she came to Ohio with her parents and settled in Ashtabula county at an early day, being eighteen years of age at the time of her marriage.  Her only child is the subject of this sketch.  She was a member of the Congregational Church for forty years, and her whole life was characterized by the sweetest of Christian graces.  Her husband, although not a church member, was largely instrumental in the building of the Congregational Church near their home, and always contributed liberally to the support of the same.  Mrs. French died Jan. 14, 1881.
     Nelson French grew up on his father's farm, and received his education in the district school.  After the death of his father he assumed charge of the home place, and, with filial solicitude, cared for his mother during her declining years.  He was married, in 1848, to Miss Sophia Royer, whose happy married life was of but short duration.  Some time after her death Mr. French married Miss Martha J. Baily, daughter of Frank Baily.  She was born in Morgan township, Ashtabula county, in 1825, and their marriage occurred Nov. 13, 1851.  They have had three children: B. A., a resident of this county; Julia, a graduate of Grand River Institute, Austinburg, died at the age of twenty-two years; and Dwight, deceased. 
     Mr. French has lived on this same farm all his life, engaged in farming and dairying until a few years ago, when he retired from active business.  Following in the footsteps of his honored father, he has always taken an active part in local affairs.  He was elected to the office of Constable when he was twenty-four years old, and has been a township officer ever since.  He was Township Treasurer eight years, a Justice of the Peace two terms, and has been a School Director for many years.  He and his wife have long been consistent members of the Congregational Church, with which he united in his youth.  In the temperance cause he has also been an earnest and active worker.  Few men in the county have witnessed more of the changes that have brought about the development and prosperity of northeastern Ohio than has Mr. French, and we are safe in saying that none are held in higher esteem than he.
  Source: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio Embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Publ. by Chicago:  Lewis Pub. Co. - 1893 - Page  642

HON. NEWTON E. FRENCH.  The subject of this sketch is peculiarly worthy of mention in a history of Ashtabula county, Ohio, where he was born and of which his parents were prominent and respected pioneers, who did their part toward home, with all the modern conveniences of natural gas, water works, a comfortable house with a tastefully arranged and attractive yard and lawn, besides commodious barns and other valuable improvements, being altogether one of the most desirable places in the county.
     Mr. and Mrs. Walter have three children: Tibbitts, now twenty-seven years old, is a young man of unusual promise.  He completed a four years' course at the Grand River Institute, Austinburg, in three eyars' time, and was valedictorian of his class.  He is also a post graduate of the Wesleyan University of Connecticut, where he won a $300 prize for excellence in Greek, and he graduated from the Albany, New York, law school, in June, 1893.  He is a most worthy young man and was Steward of the Ashtabula Methodist Episcopal Church before he was twenty-one.  Georgia, their only daughter, married Frank Piper; and McBain, a lad of fourteen, gives promise of as bright a future as his brother, being an intellectual prodigy.
     Thus successful, not only in financial matters, but also in domestic happiness.  Mr. Walker has ever reason to be thankful for his good fortune, which rests on a surer foundation than riches, which "take to themselves wings and flee away," being of that higher bliss, which, like the imperishable granite, last for ever.
  Source: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio Embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Publ. by Chicago:  Lewis Pub. Co. - 1893 - Page  333

  Source: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio Embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Publ. by Chicago:  Lewis Pub. Co. - 1893 - Page  317