SALMON SEYMOUR, Vice President of the First National Bank, Geneva, Ohio, was born in Oneida county, New York, Dec. 31, 1808, a son of Sala and Betsey (Barrett) Seymour, his parents being natives of Connecticut.  The father followed agricultural pursuits, and in 1805 removed to the State of New York; thence he went to Pennsylvania, and in 1823 came to Ohio, settling at Geneva when it was a hamlet of not more than ten dwellings.  He was engaged in farming for about thirty years, but in 1865 he retired.
     He assisted in the organization of the First National Bank of which he was president for sixteen years;  he now fills the office of vice president, and the success of the institution is largely due to his sagacity and sound judgment.  He is one of the principal stock-holders, and at one time was also engaged in mercantile trade with his two sons: Junius L., who was graduated with the degree of M. D., was at one time engaged in the practice of his profession at Geneva, but was afterward connected with his father in the drug trade.  He died Mar. 27, 1867, and his brother, Albert, who was a partner in the business, died Jul. 6, 1870.
     Mr. Seymour was married Nov. 13, 1834, to Matilda Smith, born Mar. 13, 1817.  She was a daughter of David and Philomellia (Bartholomew) Smith, natives of New York and pioneers of the West, having come to Ohio early in the present century.  Mr. and Mrs. Seymour will celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of their marriage in 1894.  Both are devout members of the  Baptist Church, and stand high in the estimation in the community in which they have dwelt so long.
     In early life Mr. Seymour was a ardent anti-slavery man, and labored with untiring zeal for the removal of the blemish that was upon this fair nation.  He has been a stanch Republican since the organization of that party and has rendered valuable service to that body in this locality.  He is a man of more than ordinary force of character, having the courage of his convictions and is always ready to express them.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 307

HENRY SHAFFER, Train Master of the Eastern Division of the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, and a highly esteemed citizen of Conneaut, Ohio, was born in Washtenaw county, Michigan, Apr. 4, 1851.
     His parents were S. W. and Elizabeth (Sellers) Shaffer, both natives of Michigan.  Absalom Shaffer, his grandfather, established a foundry at Ypsilanti when Michigan was a Territory, and his son Aaron W., succeeded him in the business, continuing the same as long as he lived.  S. W. Shaffer was well and favorably known as a useful and honorable citizen.  He died in 1882, aged fifty-five years, his death resulting from accident.  His widow is still living, an honored resident of Conneaut, making her home with her son Henry.
     Mr. Shaffer is the older of two children; his brother George is a locomotive engineer, and both are in the employ of the same company.  George married Miss Kittie Axe of Fort Wayne, Indiana.  Henry received his education in the public schools of Battle Creek and Ypsilanti, and at an early age entered upon a railroad career.  He began as fireman, afterward serving as brakeman and conductor, and for the past nine years has been train master.  His present position is one of great responsibility, and his long continuance in the same office is ample proof of his efficiency.  He served one term as Councilman of Conneaut, in 1887 - '88.
     Mr. Shaffer was married Dec. 23, 1873, to Miss Elizabeth Brown, of Detroit, Michigan.  Her father, J. B. Brown, a member of the Board of Public Works in Detroit, has held that position for the past eighteen years.  Mr. and Mrs. Shaffer have two children, Walter P. and Grace, and their pleasant home gives every indication of culture and refinement.  Both he and his wife are members of the Episcopal Church, of which he is a Trustee.  He is also a member of the blue lodge, chapter, commandery and Mystic Shrine A. F. & A. M.  He takes little interest in politics.  As a citizen he is held in high esteem for his many estimable qualities, both in business and social life.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 504

  LUCIEN K. SHAYLOR.  Few, if any, of Ashtabula's citizens are better known or more thoroughly esteemed than the subject of this sketch, whose long residence in this vicinity has afforded all an opportunity to judge of his merits and appreciate his numerous excellent qualities.
     The American ancestors of the Shaylor family came from England, where the name is found on tombstones, and spelled in the same manner as that of the present generation.  It is supposed, however, that the founder of the family came from Germany,  The Shaylor family settled in New England, eight miles below Hartford, which fact is mentioned in the early history of that commonwealth.  The paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch was born in Connecticut, and was a ship-carpenter by occupation.  He died from an accident received on the Connecticut river.  The paternal grand-mother was Lydia Goodrich, and their children were:  Edwin; Asy; Israel G., father of the subject of this sketch; Samuel; Alson; Mary, who married Jerry Goodrich; Jerusha, who married Mr. Morton; Parmelia, married to Mr. Richardson; and Sarah, twice married, first to Mr. Gray and afterward to Mr. Turner.  Two of the sons went to Wisconsin and have never since been heard from.
     Israel G. Shaylor, father of L. K. Shaylor, of this sketch, was born in Connecticut, Jan. 1, 1810, and was reared and educated in that State.  He afterward served an apprenticeship with a Mr. Samuel Stow as carpenter and joiner, and while thus engaged his employer concluded to remove to the West and settle in Ashtabula County, Ohio, whereupon young Saylor, then sixteen years of age, accompanied him.  The young apprentice completed his trade in this county, where he afterward prosecuted his work until stagnation in business rendered it difficult to secure work, although Mr. Shaylor was master of his trade and did good work.  Owing to this depression in building interests Mr. Shaylor was forced to employ himself at ship carpentry as a day laborer at $1 a day.  The first boat on which he worked had a 100-foot keel, and was dubbed "Shepard's Folly," and was built at the harbor.  He was the modeler and building of the "Nightingale," which was built in Conneaut, and the "Mary Collins," named after the wife of the chief engineer, Charles Collins, which was built in Ashtabula, the last two being at that time the fastest boats on the lake.  In the meantime, in connection with his work, Mr. Shaylor studied assiduously the methods of ship-building, in which he finally became an adept.  This fact alone amply demonstrates his ability in that he could thus master this complicated work with but a slight knowledge of mathematics.  He was married in Ashtabula county, to Mary Woodbury, daughter of William and Mary (Hall) Woodbury, natives of Vermont and New Hampshire, respectively.  Her father, also a carpenter and joiner by trade, settled in the Buckeye State in the early part of 1800, and passed his remaining days there.  His devoted wife died in 1849, aged sixty-five years, while he survived until 1862, dying greatly lamented by all who knew him.  They were the parents of seven children: Manley; Minerva, married to William E. Hilson; Mary, previously mentioned, born in 1814; Emily, who married Emery Luce; Sarah married L. D. Gates; Nathaniel W., living on Lake street in Ashtabula; and Amos J., a resident of Michigan.
     Mr. and Mrs. Israel Shaylor had seven children, and of them we make consistent record in this connection: Lucien K., gives title to this sketch; Frances married G. A. Streeter; Egbert is traveling salesman, and resides near Boston, Massachusetts; Horace lives in Portland, Maine, holds a professorship in a business college there, has a wide reputation as a penman, is author of the Harper Copy Book, published by the Harper Brothers, and possesses marked talent as an artist; Henry died at the age of thirteen years; Cornelia lived to be only two years of age; and Cornelius is a member of the firm of Bradley, Courier & Co., New York city.
     Israel Shaylor was the landlord, as early as 1840, of that somewhat noted hotel known as the Ohio Exchange, and situated upon the bluffs as Ashtabula Harbor.  The building is a large and substantial brick structure, and is now occupied by the Young Men's Christian Association.  While he was a popular landlord, his forte was in the line of mechanics, in which he had few equals.  His son Lucien possesses and highly prizes a model made by him as preliminary to the construction of one of his ships, of which latter the former is a perfect miniature.
     The subject of this sketch was born in Ashtabula county, Ohio, Nov. 22, 1833, where he was reared, and received his education in the district schools.  When twelve years of age he secured employment on a boat plying the lake as cook and later as steward, serving altogether for eight years.  Incidentally it is worthy of mention that in the vessel on which he was first employed was shipped from Ashtabula the white oak plank used in laying the first street crossing Chicago in 1845.
     On quitting the lake, in 1854, he went to the head of Lake Superior, whose silver waters were plowed at that time by only two boats.  In the winter of 1855 he rode in an open sleigh to Madison, Wisconsin, being seventeen days on the road, through a section marked by wild and interesting scenery.  He also witnessed the treaty meeting held on Madeline Island, one of the Apostle group, when that part of the country was ceded to the United States by the Chippewa Indians.  He later returned, in 1855, temporarily to Ashtabula county, Ohio, where he built a steam sawmill, which he afterward removed to Superior and there operated successfully for two years, when he sold it, receiving as part payment two shares in Portland, now the prosperous city of Duluth, where he also owned at one time 160 acres in the hart of that thriving metropolis.  He was for two years in Superior, now known as West Superior, before returning to Ohio, which latter State he reached in June, 1858.  Here he built a sawmill, which was located on his present farm, and which he operated fifteen years, afterward turning his attention to farming, in connection with which he has conducted a paying milk business.  He also operated for three years an engine for the Ashtabula Tool Company, all of which endeavors have added materially to his income.  He is now the owner of 182 acres of as fine farming land as is to be found in the State, besides which he has valuable property in the harbor and at Ashtabula, ample provision being thus made for his comfort in coming years, and all accumulations having been made by his own unaided efforts and ability.
     Mr. Shaylor was first married Mar. 29, 1855, to Diana T., a highly esteemed lady, daughter of William Brown, a favorably known pioneer of this county.  Her parents had seven children besides herself: Polly Ann, Martha B., Titus, Horace, Charles, Lewis, Martin, and one who died at the age of twenty-two years.  Mr. and Mrs. Shaylor had five children: Lu B.; Alice J., wife of Ralf C. Shepard; Mary, wife of W. S. Force; William and Nellie.  In 1881 Mr. Shaylor was called upon to mourn the loss of his devoted wife, who had been a faithful helpmeet for twenty-six years.  She was a woman of many amiable qualities, which won for her the regard of all who knew her.  Mr. Shaylor married Nov. 26, 1886, his second wife, Adelia Wright, an educated and refined lady, daughter of Samuel and Betsey E. (McCaulley) Wright, highly respected residents of this vicinity.  They have no children.  Mr. Shaylor is a member of the Republican party, as was his father before him.
     Thus briefly is recapitulated a life which has been filled with useful and honorable work, by which our subject has not only raised himself to prosperity and gains the esteem of the people, but has also materially contributed to the progress and welfare of his community.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 301

SHELLITO BROS. - The Western Reserve is noted for its business activity and has within its borders many important manufacturing industries.  Among these may be mentioned the manufacturing of keg and pail staves, which enterprise is carried on quite extensively in this region.  After investigation, we are satisfied that there are few, if any, more important plants employed in this branch of manufacture than that of the subject of this sketch.
     Shellito Bros. have conducted their extensive business in New Lyme since 1890, in which year they erected the large and well-equipped mill they now empty.  Previously they had conducted a similar business in Cherry Valley, where they remained nearly three years.  They had about fourteen men in their employ.  Before that time the Messrs. Shellito had been associated in various pursuits, having dealt extensively in the blocking business at Leon, Dorset and other places, shipping about 1600 cords of blocks per year.
     At New Lyme the Shellito Bros. now manufacture nothing but candy-pail and tobacco-pail staves and heads.  Without doubt they do the largest business in this line of all firms in northern Ohio.  Some Idea of the extent of their business may be gathered from the following fact:  About eighteen men are constantly employed to manipulate the seven saws of the mill.  Nearly thirty cords of staves are made per day.  During the four months immediately preceding this writing about 800 cords of forty-inch stuff and 100,000 feet of elm timber were consumed.  At present there are about 500,000 heads in the mill yard.  The weekly expenses of running the mill is about $350.  The chief kinds of timber used by them are elm, basswood, cucumber and white wood.  As these varieties are limited in quantity it is occasionally necessary to seek new fields.  During the coming autumn it is the purpose of the Shellitos to removed to Middlefield, Geauga county, and there erect a similar mill, which will probably be run on a more extensive scale than this.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 571

HORACE SHEPARD, a highly respected citizen and representative farmer of Sheffield township, Ashtabula county, Ohio, is deserving of more than cursory mention in the history of his county.
     William M. Shepard, his father, was born in Connecticut in 1803, and from there moved to Ashtabula county, Ohio, in 1835, locating where his son, Horace, now lives.  He was a self-education man, and was by occupation a farmer and shoemaker.  Politically, he was first a Whig and afterward a Republican. He served as Township Treasurer and as a Justice of the Peace for a number of years.  A consistent member of the Baptist Church, he for many years rendered efficient service as a local minister in that denomination.  William M. Shepard was a son of William Shepard, the latter having married a Miss Sanford, and both being natives of Connecticut, where they spent their lives and died.  William as a son of Moses; Moses, son of Timothy; Timothy, son of John; John, son of John; and John, son of Edward.  Horace Shepard's mother was before her marriage Miss Lucy Stilson.  She was a native of Connecticut and a daughter of Lazarus and Bessie Stilson, also natives of that State.
     William M. Shepard was twice married.  In 1824 he wedded Anna Griffin, by whom he had five children, viz.: William, a resident of Kingsville, Ohio; Andrew, deceased; Mary, who was the wife of Lyman Boynton, is deceased, as also is her husband; Susan, wife of Mr. Cunningham, resides in Columbus, Ohio; and one child that died in infancy.  In 1833 he married Miss Stilson, and they had four children, as follows: John who died at the age of twenty-two years; Horace; George, a resident of Erie, Pennsylvania; and James, a machinist of Ashtabula, Ohio.  Horace, George and James all served in the Union ranks during the Civil war.
     Horace Shepard was born in Ashtabula county, Ohio, in 1836.  He remained with his parents while they lived, and has continued to reside at teh old home place ever since, with the exception of the time he spent in the war.  He enlisted in 1862, in Company G, One Hundred and Fifth Ohio Infantry, and after a service of three months was discharged on account of disability, said disability being the result of a sunstroke.  He is now the recipient of a pension.  Mr. Shepard affiliates with the Republican party.  For twenty-seven years he has been Township Clerk of his native township, and served two years as Trustee.  He has also served as Assistant Postmaster of North Sheffield, and as a member of the School Board.  Fraternally, he is a Master Mason.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 420

WILLIAM SHEPARD, one of the prominent old settlers residing on a farm near Kingsville, Ashtabula county, Ohio, was born in Huntington county, Connecticut, Oct. 28, 1825.
     His parents were Rev. William M. and Anna (Griffin) Shepard, both natives of Connecticut, where they were reared and married.  William M. Shepard was by trade a tanner and currier, which occupation he followed in Connecticut and Ohio, having come to Ohio in 1835 and settled at Sheffield.  There he bought a small farm, and carried on both tanning and shoemaking.  For many years he was a Justice of the Peace.  As a local preacher he was the means of accomplishing much good for the Master.  His pure and upright life was in everyway above reproach; to know him was to honor and esteem him.  He baptized, married and buried hosts of people.  He died at about the age of seventy-two years. William Shepard, his father, a sea captain, died many years ago, and the whole family of three children, of whom William M. was the second born, are deceased. The mother of our subject, whose maiden name was Anna Griffin, was the only daughter of Andrew Griffin, and her only brother’s name was Andrew.  She died in 1883, at the age of twenty-two, leaving four children, namely: William; Andrew, who died at the age of thirty-four years; Mary, wife of Lyman Boynton, is deceased; and Susan, wife of T. Cunningham, is a resident of Columbus, Ohio.
     William Shepard has been a farmer nearly all his life, although at times he has been employed in sawmills and at other occupations.  He has been a resident of Ashtabula county ever since he was a boy, with the exception of six years spent in California, where he was engaged in mining and milling, in the latter case as an employee.  He made the journey to the Golden State via Nicarauga and returned by the Isthmus route.  When about ninety miles below Acapulco, on board the Winfield Scott, the vessel was wrecked, but the passengers and crew were saved.  It was in January, 1852, that he went to California.
     Mr. Shepard returned from California in 1858 and located in Denmark township, where he engaged in the lumber business and farming until 1875, when he removed to Kingsville, where he has since resided.
     Mr. Shepard has a beautiful farm of eighty acres, located southwest of Kingsville, where he is engaged in general farming, raising corn, wheat and potatoes, and giving special attention to small fruits.
     He was married to Sophronia E. Jarvis, now deceased.  She was a daughter of Sidney and Clarissa Jarvis, of McKean, Erie county, Pennsylvania.  Her father was a farmer there, and subsequently in Ohio, having moved to this State from Pennsylvania about 1873, and located on a small farm which he bought, near Mr. Shepard’s place.  His widow is now an honored resident of Kingsville, aged about seventy-eight years.  His death occurred soon after he came to Ohio.  Mrs. Jarvis has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for many years, and of this church her worthy husband was also an honored member.  Mrs. Shepard was the oldest of three children, the others being as follows: Sidney W., a resident of Fair view, Pennsylvania; and John Wesley, whose home is in McKean township, Erie county, Pennsylvania.  Mrs. Shepard was born in Onondaga county, New York, Mar. 18, 1836, and was a devoted member of the Methodist Church from her girlhood days.  Hers was a beautiful character, her many amiable qualities drawing around her a large circle of warm and appreciative friends, to whom her death was a source of great sorrow.  Mr, and Mrs. Shepard had five children: Frankie L., who married G. G. Kingsbury, June 18, 1880, resides in Kingsville, has two children, Paul and Guilford; Emma, born Mar. 9, 1863, was married to Horace Hunter Sept. 29, 1887, and died in 1892, leaving an only child, William Shepard Hunter; Lida V., a graduate of the Kingsville school, and a teacher for several terms, was taken sick while attending normal school at Ada, Ohio, and there she died June 6, 1888; Nellie G., also a teacher, is at this writing a student at Wesleyan University, Ohio; and Mary, a member of the home circle.  Both Emma and Lida V. had given their hearts to Christ, and were earnest and active workers in the Methodist Church.
     Mr. Shepard is an active member of the Masonic lodge, being Treasurer of the order.  In politics he affiliates with the Republican party.  He is a man of sterling qualities, and is ranked with the best citizens of the community.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 496

SAMUEL SHERMAN, a miller of Kingsville, and one of the prominent business men of the place, was born in Oneida county, New York, Mar. 1, 1827.  He comes from an ancestry in which he may justly take pride, and concerning whom the following facts have been gleaned:
     Harley Sherman, his father, was born in the German Flats of Herkimer county, New York, June 6, 1803, and died in July, 1879.  He was a son of Samuel Sherman, Jr., born at Williamstown, Massachusetts, Jan. 2, 1775, and grandson of Samuel Sherman, Sr., born at Bridgeport, Connecticut, in 1730.  Samuel Sherman, Sr., removed from Connecticut to Massachusetts about 1770, and in 1790 emigrated with all his family to Herkimer county, New York.  He had four sons and three daughters, the former being as follows:  Amos, Plumb, born in 1758; Lemuel, in 1759; Stiles, in 1762; Samuel, Jr., in 1775.  The daughters were Sarah, Parthena and Mabel.  Samuel, Jr., was married in 1799, to Miss Mercy Hopkins, daughter of William Hopkins a native of Exeter, Rhode Island, who went to Herkimer county in 1788, and who died there in 1812.  This William Hopkins, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.  Samuel and Mercy Sherman had twelve children, six sons and six daughters.  Following are the names of the sons: Harley, the father of our subject, was the oldest; William, born in 1804; James, in 1808; Charles, in 1810; Samuel, born in 1815, died in 1817; and Alonzo, in 1825.  Of the daughters we record that Rebecca was born in 1800, and died in 1844; Eliza, born in 1813, died in 1817; Louisa, born in 1818, died in 1859; Sarah, born in 1820, died in 1849; and Harriet, born in 1822, died in 1850.  Harley Sherman was married Apr. 18, 1826, to Miss Achsa Wilson, a native of Massachusetts, and a daughter of James Wilson, late of Tyringham, that State.  Their family embraced seven children, viz.: Samuel, born in 1827; Wallace, born in 1829; Mercy, born in 1832, died in 1864; Harley, Jr., born in 1834; Arbella, born in 1837, died in 1861; Julia, born in 1840; and Achsa, born in 1844.  The father of this family went to Elk Creek, Erie county, Pennsylvania, in 1832, and his brothers and sisters, some of whom were married, also went to that place about the same time.  There the survivors and most of their descendants are now living.  We are indebted to the Rev. David Sherman, of Boston, for some particulars in relation to the history of the Sherman family.  Writing to the subject of this sketch in regard to the matter, he says:
     "You descend from Hon. Samuel Sherman, who was born in Dedham, England, in 1618; emigrated to America in 1634, and settled at Bridgeport, Connecticut.  He had a brother, Captain John Sherman, born in 164, who came to America and settled at Watertown, Massachusetts.  From him descended Roger Sherman, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.  The youngest son of Hon. Samuel Sherman was Benjamin, born in 1692, who had a son Enos, your great-great-great-grandfather.  John, one of Benjamin's sons, settled in Woodbury, Connecticut.  From him descended Senator John and General W. T. Sherman, of Ohio."
     Harley Sherman had a deed, given him by his grandfather, Enos Sherman, to a piece of land in Stratford, Fairfield county, "in ye colony of Connecticut," and dated "Oct. 29th, in ye sixth year of ye reign of our sovereign Lord, George the Third of Great Britain, A. D. 1754."  This same document was shown the writer of this article, it being now in the hands of Samuel Sherman, of Kingsville.
     Samuel Sherman began life on his own responsibility at the age of sixteen, his capital at that time being a five-franc piece.  Going a Canada, he was employed as collector from Alfred Wilbar, starting with a salary of $8 per month, which amount was soon raised to $75 per month, and one year his monthly earnings were $100.  Subsequently he was for several years in the employ of Branner, of Pittsburgh, a wholesale jobber of fancy goods.  He went to New York in 1859 and engaged with a wholesale jobbing house, at a salary of $12,000 a year, selling goods from a wagon during the dull seasons.  He remained in New York until 1869, all this time in the employ of Lathrop, Luddington & Co.
     In 1869 Mr. Sherman came to Ohio and bought the mill he now operates at Kingsville.  This mill was built in 1812, and is one of the oldest landmarks in the county.  In 1870 he sold out to a Mr. Rhen, but in 1882 again became its owner, and from that date has continued to operate it.  In the meantime he was engaged in farming in Erie county, Pennsylvania, where he still owns land.  As a farmer, however, he does not claim to have been a success.  In 1883 he put a roller process in the mill, and from time to time made other improvements until it is now well equipped throughout.  He has an eight-three-horse power water wheel and a seventy-five horse power engine.  The building has three stories and a basement, its dimensions being 50 x 60 feet.  Mr. Sherman, being a practical miller, does his own grinding.  He buys grain every day, sometimes by the carload, and always pays cash upon delivery.  His product finds a ready home market and is also sold extensively in New York city and along the Hudson river. His two leading brands of flour are known as "Sherman's Extra American Crown" and "Willow Mills."
     Mr. Sherman was married in 1871, to Miss Adelaid L. Green, daughter of James A. Green, of Nyack, on the west shore of the Hudson river.  Their only child, Miss Esther, a native of Elk Creek township, Erie county, Pennsylvania, is now rendering efficient service as her father's bookkeeper.
     Mrs. Sherman's parents, James A. and Ruth T. (Smith) Green, were natives of the Empire State.  Her father was born in Greene county in 1814.  In early life he was engaged in mercantile pursuits, and later was a farmer; died Mar. 7, 1889.  Her mother, Ruth T., daughter of Jacob and Mary Smith, was born Feb. 22, 1813, and died Oct. 13, 1884.  She was of Quaker parentage and was reared in that faith.  Mrs. Sherman was the third born in a family of five children, the names of her brothers and sisters being Arietta, Albert S., Charles D. and Helen M.
     In politics, Mr. Sherman is a Democrat.  The first presidential candidate he remembers hurrahing for was Andrew Jackson, and he has ever since followed the lines of political policy advocated by this leader, only once failing to vote for the Democratic nominee, and that was when Horace Greeley was a candidate.
    He has absolute faith in a supreme, overruling power, and that he will have an existence hereafter; that power is capable of perpetuating life.  He respects all religious beliefs, and does not care to antagonize any.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 506

WILLIAM P. SIMMONS, an old established florist at Geneva, was born at Stubton, Lincolnshire, England, Jan. 5, 1828, a son of Thomas and Grace (Parker) Simmons.  Thomas Simmons was born on the estate of Sir Robert Heron, and lived there all his life; he was head gardener until the last twenty years, during which period he has been in charge of the menagerie of the place.  William P. Simmons, at the age of twenty years, went to the estate of the Marquis of Westminster, Eaton Hall, where he was employed as foreman for some time; he then took a position with the Joseph Knight Nurseries, London, where he remained until he went to the estate of the Hon. James Dutton, where he became head gardener.  At the age of thirty years he emigrated to America, for some time was engaged in farming.  In 1861 he came to Geneva and first did some landscape gardening.  He has had charge of one cemetery for more than twenty-five years.
     In 1871 he turned his attention to floriculture, and has since established a very extensive business; he does some exporting, and has an importing trade with all parts of the world.  His two sons, William H. and Ansel T., are members of the firm.
     Mr. Simmons was married to Vincy Louisa Ackley, Apr. 19, 1855.  She was born Nov. 24, 1823, at East Haddam, Connecticut, a daughter of Ansel and Lydia (Rowley) Ackley.  Both her maternal and paternal grandfathers were soldiers in the war of 1812, and her great grandfathers were among the soldiers of the Revolution.  Mr. and Mrs. Simmons are the parents of three children:  William H., born Feb. 8, 1856; Lydia A., born Sept. 3, 1857, wife of Edwin Booth, proof-reader on The Leader, Cleveland, Ohio, and Ansel T., born Dec. 16, 1859.  Mr. Simmons and his son Ansel are stanch Republicans, while William H. affiliates with the Democratic party.  The family are worthy members of the Episcopal Church.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 244

  CHARLES STETSON SIMONDS - As the native forests of Ohio are fast disappearing before the ravages of man, so the pioneers of this country are fast passing under the scythe of relentless Time until there are now but few landmarks of the olden days.  In the relation of some giant monarch of the forest stood Charles Stetson Simonds, one of the most prominent and worthy pioneers of the Western Reserve.  He was born May 1, 1815, in Westminster, Vermont, the second (living) son of Moses Simonds and his wife, Priscilla Cook Stetson.  The family removed to Ohio in 1821, making their final stopping place in Saybrook township, Ashtabula county.  Here in 1828, the father died, leaving his widow with six minor children.  They were poor in worldly goods but rich in the effects of the influence of a good mother.  Inspired by her to lives of industry and morality, as well as to the best use of such slender advantages of education as could then be obtained, they acquired a respectable position among their fellow citizens; and when, full of years, she passed to her reward, "her children's children rose up to call her blessed."
     At the age of seventeen, Charles entered upon the duties of a district school teacher; and in 1836, having earned $60 in the village school of Geneva, he set out with this sum in hand to seek his fortune in the great and unknown West. Reaching St. Louis, his adventurous spirit was somewhat checked by an insight into the barbarous life of the southwestern frontier, and he turned aside from his original purpose of going to New Mexico, choosing Illinois, instead as the field of his efforts.  After a varied experience of over two years, teaching school, farming or splitting rails as opportunity offered, he was prostrated by a severe attack of chills and fever, from the subsequent effects of which he was a sufferer all the rest of his life.  But he had had access to a good private library, and, having found there Blackstone's and Kent's commentaries, he became interested in the study of law and adopted that as his profession.
     He returned to Ashtabula county in 1839, and in the following spring entered the office of Wade & Ranney, in Jefferson, as a student.  In 1842 he was admitted to the bar, and shortly afterward opened an office in Jefferson.  In 1844 he was married to Louisa Warner, a daughter of Jonathan Warner, of Jefferson.  He acquired a respectable business, and was elected successively to the offices of Justice of the Peace and prosecuting Attorney.
     In 1847, Mr. Wade was elected Judge of the Third Judicial District, and the firm of Wade & Ranney was succeeded by that of Ranney, Simonds & Cadwell, the several members being Rufus P. Ranney, C. S. Simonds and Darius Cadwell  The 1851, Mr. Ranney was elected Judge of the Supreme Court, and the firm of Simonds & Cadwell was formed.  This partnership continued for twenty years, until the removal of Mr. Cadwell to Cleveland in 1871.  In the following year he entered into partnership with Edward C. Wade, but failing health compelled him to retire from active business in 1879.  His death occurred June 22, 1891.
     Of his life and influence in this community it may be briefly said that he was a Republican in politics, and active in all patriotic and educational enterprises, though never seeking for himself either the honors or emoluments of office.  His intellectual tastes and love of the beautiful in nature and in poetry were marked characteristics to those who knew him best, while his wisdom in counsel and sound judgment in business affairs are also well attested.  But above all he was a man of sterling integrity, who hated a lie, and discharged every trust reposed in him with conscientious fidelity.
     His children were: Charles H. whose biography follows this: Albert G., now a resident of Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he is an inspector of wheat for an elevator company; Maria  L., wife of Hon. E. C. Wade, a prominent attorney of Jefferson; Adaline W. at home with her mother; and Amelia P., wife of B. F. Beardsley, a prosperous citizen of St. Paul, Minnesota.
     Charles H. Simonds, a prominent and respected citizen of Jefferson, Ohio, was born Nov. 19, 1844, in this city, which has ever since been his home.  He received a fair education in the common schools and afterward learned the tinner's trade.  In 1870, he engaged in the tin and stove business on his own account and with his own capital, in Jefferson, continuing successfully in their business for three years.  He then became deputy in the office of the Clerk of Common Pleas and Probate Judge's office, in which position he served until the fall of 1878.  He was then elected Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas, and re-elected in 1881, and again in 1884, thus holding the office three terms, or nine years, which signifies both promptness and efficiency.  Such universal indorsement of his public services is but a just reward of merit which, it is gratifying to know, is appreciated.  Since his retirement he has devoted his attention to his private interests. 
     In politics Mr. Simonds is a Republican, and in fraternal relation he is a member of Tuscan Lodge, No. 342, F. & A. M.; of Jefferson Chapter, No. 141, R. A. M.; of Cache Commandery, No. 27, K. T., at Conneaut; also of the Consistory, A. & A. S. Rite, with the thirty-second degree and he is president of the Citizens' Library Association, in which he takes a great interest.  In person he is above the medium height, well proportioned and of gentlemanly deportment.  He is liberal and charitable, genial and companionable, and he is highly esteemed by the community in which he has so log dwelt, being a worthy scion of his distinguished father.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 285

RUSSELL M. SKEELS, one of the most prominent citizens of Cherry Valley township, Ashtabula county, Ohio, an ex-soldier and a man who has served his county in many official capacities, was born in Rutland, Vermont, Dec. 4, 1830.  He descends from a prominent New England family, his grandfather, Russell Skeels, having been born in that section, while Lyman Skeels, father of the subject of this sketch, was a native of the same county as his son.  Lyman married Sally Mason, who was born at Fort Ann, near Whitehall, New York, and they later removed to Franklin county, the Empire State, and subsequently to New Richmond, Pennsylvania.  Here the father died in Dec., 1837, leaving a widow and two children:  Harriet Burlingham; and Russell M., whose name heads this sketch.  The mother subsequently married Charles Spellman, and they emigrated  to Ohio settling in Ashtabula county.  They had two children: Elsine Beals and Leland.  The mother died in Williamsfield, age eighty years, sincerely regretted by many friends. 
      The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm and received his education in the district schools.  He learned the shoemaker's trade, which he followed for many years.  He was thus engaged at the time of the war, when, in August, 1864, he enlisted in Company D, of the One Hundred and Seventy-seventh Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry and served until the close of hostilities, receiving his discharge at Greensborough, North Carolina.  He then returned to Ashtabula county, settling in Cherry Valley, where he worked at his trade until 1884, at which time he bought of Dr. Lawyer his present farm of 121 acres, situated in Andover.  This Mr. Skeels has carefully cultivated and greatly improved, having a comfortable residence, two good barns for his grain and stock, besides other conveniences.  This prosperity is due entirely to his continued industry and intelligence, economical management of his means, and he justly deserves his good fortune.
     At the age of twenty-two, Mr. Skeels was married at Espyville, Pennsylvania, to Eliza Houlton, an intelligent and worthy lady, a native of Trumbull county, Ohio, who has assisted her husband in attaining his present success.  They have one son, Lyman W., who married Mary Stillman, a deserving lady, daughter of Olson Stillman, an old settler of Ashtabula county, and they have one daughter, Katy.  Although having but one child of their own, the kind heart of Mr. and Mrs. Skeels have led them to befriend many children, whom they have reared with the greatest care.  One of these, Ella Bell, married C. D. Moses, a well-to-do resident of this county, but she has since died.  Katy Hart, another charge of theirs, died of scarlet fever at the age of three years.  Gussie Fesler married O. H. Wilbert, a prosperous farmer of Ashtabula county.
     In politics, Mr. Skeels is a Republican and a prominent representative of his party.  He has served his township in many capacities of honor and trust, having been Postmaster of Cherry Valley twelve years, Justice of the Peace nine years and Associate Justice for one year.  He is a member of the School Board and has done much to advance the educational interests of his township.  He belongs to the Hiram Kile Post of the G. A. R.  Although not a member of any church, he contributes to that and all worthy objects.  His wife belongs to the Free-will Baptist Church.  He is a member of the A. F. & A. M. Lodge, No. 506, also of the Golden Rule Society of Cherry Valley, of which lodge he has been Master for some time.  He is a man of intelligence and integrity, frank and jovial, free-hearted and kind, and is a favorite with all who known him.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 528

AUSTIN J. SMITH, a worthy representative of one of the oldest and most highly esteemed and influential families of Ashtabula county, Ohio, is a native of this county, where he was born July 9, 1823.  His father, Thomas Smith, whose name was for many years a household word in this vicinity and whose memory is deeply cherished by the community for which he so unselfishly labored, was born in Connecticut - that grand old State which has produced so many great and good men - in 1793, in one of the most eventful periods of the country's history.  In 1811 he joined the western moving tide of emigration, coming to Ashtabula county, Ohio, being then eighteen years of age, with all the vigor and high aspirations of intelligent young manhood.  He became the owner of a portion of the townsite of East Village and labored industriously and systematically to make of it a city of large and beautiful proportions.  The broad streets of this village and its proposed parks, all of which he laid out and planned, show his knowledge of the needs of a city, and that his efforts were appreciated is amply testified to by the friendly interest with which his memory is recalled.  Nothing definite is known in relation to his law training, but that he possessed a naturally judicial mind, and clear insight and strong judgment is shown by his able fulfillment of the duties of a judiciary, to which he was elected by an admiring constituency.  It was while in the active performance of these duties that he contracted a severe cold, from the effects of which he died at the early age of thirty-two, thus terminating a career which promised much for the welfare and advancement of his community.  His loss was mourned as a public calamity, while each household felt as if it had lost a personal friend.  His wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Strong, was the daughter of Nathan Strong, a prominent pioneer of Ashtabula county, of whom mention will be made more at length further on.  Their children were: Elizabeth W., deceased; Henry T. died in 1860; Austin J., whose name heads this notice; and Thomas A., deceased, who married a Miss Prentiss of Jefferson, Ohio.
     Nathan Strong, previously mentioned, was also a native of Connecticut, born toward the last of the eighteenth century.  He possessed superior ability and energy and exercised a strong and beneficial influence on the communities in which he resided.  He was for many years a Sheriff in his native county in New England and also in Trumbull county, Ohio, at the time it included Ashtabula county and when Warren was the seat of government for that territory.  During the Revolutionary war, he was Quartermaster in the patriotic army, serving with efficiency and distinction.  In 1808, he came West, with a deed from the Connecticut Land Company for a large tract of school land, aggregating several hundred acres situated on the town site of Ashtabula.  His wife before marriage was Lucy Cornell and they had nine children: Polly, Nathan, Lucy, Samuel, Jabez, Nathaniel, Timothy, Elihu and Sarah, mother of the subject of this sketch.
     Austin J. Smith, whose name heads this notice, has resided in East Village and vicinity all his life and has been, during that long period, essentially a farmer.  Thirty years ago he took possession of his present place, which he has greatly improved until it is now one of the best in the county.  Here, in connection with his farming interests, he carries on a milk business, his milk wagon being one of the most familiar objects on the streets.  Some years ago, Mr. Smith was engaged in buying and shipping live stock, which business was at that time very profitable, but is not now followed by any one.  His prosperity is entirely due to his own industrious efforts combined with intelligent and careful management, strict economy and thorough integrity in business transactions.  He has thus won and retained the confidence of his fellow men.
     Mar. 11, 1847, Mr. Smith was married in Ashtabula, to Louisa Watrous, a lady of sterling worth, daughter of Winthrop Watrous, who was one of the first settlers in this county, and whom we will mention again.  Mr. and Mrs. Smith have had five children:  Albert C., a prosperous merchant at the Harbor, who married Miss Mills and has two children, - Nellie and Blanche; Elizabeth W., married H. B. Huff and they have two children, - Harry and Elizabeth; Fred died in Kingman, Kansas, where he was a prominent and popular merchant, possessing many of the qualities of his illustrious grandfather, and being one who, had his life been spared would have impressed himself on the commercial world.  He died at the same age as his grandfather, in Feb., 1893, greatly lamented by all who knew him.  The other two children are Henry T., at home, and Eugene.
     Mr. Watrous, Mrs. Smith's father, previously mentioned, was born in Connecticut, Apr. 22, 1792, and passed his younger years in the State of his birth.  In 1809, he came with his father, William Watrous, and the rest of the family to the Harbor, where his father erected a brick residence, which yet stands, being now owned by the Thayer estate.  Winthrop Watrous, of whom this portion of our sketch treats, engaged in shipping at the Harbor, in partnership with Henry Hubbard and Joab Austin.  They built vessels and did most of the carrying trade between Ashtabula and outside points on the lake.  He continued in this business until 1836, when he gave up the lake trade and settled on the farm to which he gave his future attention.  He was a soldier in the war of 1812 when the British threatened to capture Ashtabula, and served faithfully and well.  He was widely acquainted and was very popular with his associates.  He was married Mar. 28, 1816, to Parmelia Castle, and they had nine children: A. O.; Alvira Ann, deceased; John S.; Ann Louise, born Apr. 20, 1827, married the subject of this sketch; Mary S., married A. B. Robbins; Emily C.; Katherine, the wife of Clinton Markell, of Duluth, Minnesota; Frederick W., deceased; W. E. and F. E.  Those surviving are men and women of worth, who enjoy universal respect and esteem.
     In politics Mr. Smith is a Democrat.  He was reared in Episcopalian.  His wife is a member of the Baptist Church.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 608

FREEMAN R. SMITH, one of the leading and highly respected members of the bar of Ashtabula county, Ohio, is a native of Ohio, born in Aurora, Portage county, Apr. 13, 1827.  His parents were natives of New York and Connecticut, and were of English ancestry.  Whitney Smith, the father, accompanied his parents to Trumbull county, Ohio, about 1805, when he was twelve years of age.  They settled in Mesopotamia, that section. On the outbreak of the war of 1812, young Whitney, then a youth of nineteen but with the heroism and enthusiasm of a man, shouldered his musket and participated in the struggle with Great Britain.  He knew Cleveland, Ohio, when it was an unpretentious hamlet of six log cabins, revealing no signs of its present greatness and marvelous beauty.  He was an active member of the Disciple Church, and often entertained Campbell, the distinguished founder of that church.  His generous nature and liberal hospitality was by no means confined to the followers of Campbell, but his latchstring always hung out to the pioneer clergyman and all other wayfarers.  He departed this life at Aurora, Ohio, in February, 1872, regretted by all who knew him.  His good and amiable wife, Sophrona Rawdon, who sympathized and co-operated with him in his hospitality and good works, preceded him to the other world by about a month, leaving numerous friends to mourn her loss.
     Freeman R. Smith, the subject of this memoir, was reared on a farm, receiving a good common-school education.  At the age of twenty he began teaching, which occupation he followed for many years, during which time he also prosecuted the study of law, completing his course with Chaffee & Woodbury, in Jefferson, Ohio.  He was admitted to the bar in Cleveland in 1857, and soon afterward settled in Windsor, Ohio.  He did not enter at once into the active practice of his profession, but tried cases in the different magistrate courts.  He was for several years interested in the Cleveland Lightning Rod Company, with headquarters in Boston, from which point he operated chiefly in the New England States.  He had a large force with him and did an extensive business.  He would go East the first of April and return in October to his home in Ohio, where he gave part of his attention during the winter months to the practice of his profession.  While prosecuting the lightning-rod business, he became acquainted with many distinguished men of the nation and gained much valuable knowledge.  He continued to be thus occupied until 1870, when he began actively the practice of his profession, which he has continued since.  In 1880 he removed from Windsor to Geneva, where he now resides.  He has been engaged in many noted cases, among which was that of Webster, who was indicted and tried for the murder of Perry Harrington.  This was one of the most protracted and vigorously contested criminal trials before the courts of Ohio.  Mr. Smith has associated with him J. B. Burrows, an able lawyer.  Mr. Smith declined to take the case until he was fully satisfied that the prisoner was innocent and when assigned by the Court to defend the prisoner, he threw into the trial his whole soul.  On the first trial the prisoner was found guilty of murder in the first degree.  A new trial was granted with a change of venue, with the same result.  A third trial was then held and the prisoner was acquitted, the jury on the first poll standing eleven for acquittal and one for conviction, the juror casting the latter vote reserving the right to change it.  Each trial was before the Court four weeks, and it was two years from the opening of the cause to its completion.  The verdict of the jury was endorsed by the people, and the action of the attorneys approved.
     In 1870 Mr. Smith purchased in Windsor a farm of 158 acres, which he has since cultivated and upon which he has made many valuable improvements.  This is now in charge of his son-in-law, Mr. Rawdon.
     May 10, 1851, Mr. Smith was married to Hellen Merrill, Chardon, Ohio, a lady of superior attainments and rare worth of character.  They had two children:  Hetty, who died at the age of six years, and Carrie A., the wife of Freeland Rawdon.  Mr. and Mrs. Rawdon have two sons:  Howard L., aged fourteen, and Walter F., aged ten.  Mr. Smith is justlly proud of his grandchildren, both of whom are bright and promising boys.  Both are specially gifted in mathematics and rare scholars for their years.  Mr. Rawdon, his son-in-law, is a man of sterling; worth of character, of shrewd business ability and influence in his community, and the father has never ceased to admire the noble choice of his daughter.
     In politics Mr. Smith has been more or less active during the past thirty years.  He has frequently been a delegate to State and county conventions of the Republican party, for which he has done good work at the hustings.  In the presidential campaign of 1856 he made a speech at Orwell the night before election, and he has ever since continued to do so on the anniversary of that occasion.  He is an interesting, clear, and forceful speaker, and never fails to convince the minds of his hearers, he is especially strong in the discussion of the tariff issues, few people being so thoroughly acquainted with this complicated question.
     Fraternally, Mr. Smith belongs to the Masonic order, and has taken Knights Templar degrees. 
     Few lawyers in northeastern Ohio stand higher in their profession than Mr. Smith.  Although his earlier years were not devoted to regular practice, he has been singularly successful from the time he began to give serious attention to it.  This is largely due to an analytical and logical intellect, assisted by a careful, painstaking and thorough study of his cases, which enables him to master those points which contribute to success.  He is clear, concise and eloquent in pleading, always commanding the respect of the court and the confidence of the jury.  During his long practice he has never been known to resort to petty trickery or take any undue advantage of a brother attorney or of a client.  He is a man of large construction, physically and mentally, his genial, dignified presence always inspiring confidence and respect.  His tastes are domestic, and he is much attached to his family, to whom he has been a devoted husband and an affectionate, sympathetic father.  As a citizen, he is ever ready to lend his laid to the advancement of public interests and the development of the community.  He is liberal and broad-minded in thought, benevolent in action and genial in social contact.  In him the family has a stable, affectionate head, the bar a bright ornament, and the people a citizen to whom they can always point with pride.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 574

GEORGE W. SMITH, a farmer and stock-raiser of Jefferson township, Ashtabula county, was born in Streetsborough, Ohio, Oct. 21, 1853, a son of Linus Smith, who was born in New York, in 1812.  He grew to manhood in his native State, and when a young man located in Streetsborough, Ohio.  He was there married in 1842, to Miss Sarah Wait.  Eleven years afterward they located on the farm where our subject now resides, one mile northwest of Jefferson City, where the father died in 1880.  He was a man of sterling qualities, and was identified with the Democratic party.  Mr. and Mrs. Smith had five children, three now living:  George W.; Dewight, who married Miss Sarah Morris, has four children, and resides in Jefferson; and Edson, now employed on the J. & F. Railroad.  The mother now finds a home with the subject of this sketch.
     George W. Smith received moderate school advantages, and in early life developed an aptitude for the handling and raising of horses.  At the age of sixteen years he entered a school where the art of breaking and training horses was taught.   His first successful effort in this direction was the production, in 1875, of the celebrated trotting horse Raymond, which was entered in the county track at two years old, and took a part of the stakes of every trot entered into afterward.  Mr. Smith sold this horse in 1882, for $2,500, which enabled him to pay off all indebtedness on the farm and rebuild stables.  He now owns the celebrated horse, Oakleaf, and his full brother, both of whom have won almost every race in which they were entered.  Mr. Smith has also trained many noted horses, having driven the trotting horse Mink to his record of 2:29¼, and Mable May, which won the race at Cleveland in 1886, making a record of 2:33.  He also drove Idler to her record of 2:32½, and many other horses of note.  He owns a stock farm of 120 acres, which is subdivided into convenient fields and pasture.  He contemplates extensive improvements on his place, which will add greatly to the successful furtherance of his vocation.  Mr. Smith is truly a self-made man.  By his own industry and well directed efforts he now stands at the head of his profession.  In political matters, he affiliates with the Democratic party.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 790

H. P. SMITH, one of the representative citizens of Ashtabula county, Ohio, was born in Dorset township, May 8, 1836, a son of John and Charlotte (Cottrell) Smith, natives of Massachusetts, but early settlers of this township.  The father was a son of John and Mary (Bent) Smith.  John Smith, Sr., was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and his son, the father of our subject, took part in the war of 1812.  The latter was reared, educated and married in his native State, and was a farmer all his life.  He came by wagon to Ohio in 1820, and resided in Jefferson a few days, until he could erect a log house on his land.  His house, built in the dense woods, was 20 x 18 feet.  He cleared about 400 acres of land, and at that time the woods were filled with wolves, bear and deer.  On landing in this county Mr. Smith had only $1 in money, with which he purchased a grindstone.  In 1836 he erected the first brick house in this part of Ashtabula county, making his own brick for the construction of the same.  Mr. Smith was a man of determination and pluck, was a stanch Whig in political matters, and held many of the township offices.  Both he and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.  They were the parents of the following children:  John C., who died in 1892; Mary, wife of Chester Chapin, of Dorset; Alexander H., of Dorset; Philander, deceased; George, deceased; Philander (2d) deceased; H. P., our subject; Rufus, a resident of Nashville Tennessee, and Lucy, deceased.
     H. P. Smith, the subject of this sketch, was reared on the old home farm in Dorset, and received but a limited education, as his help was required in clearing the farm and assisting in the duties at home.  At the age of twenty-one years he began work in an oar shop, where he was employed about ten years.  Mr. Smith then located on his present farm of 100 acres of well improved land in Dorset township.  He has one of the best residences in this part of Ashtabula county.  The same was erected in 1891, and is constructed of tile or hollow brick, is two stories high, and 30 x 35 feet in dimensions.  He also has good barns and other substantial improvements, and is engaged in general farming and stock-raising.  Mr. Smith also owns 100 acres of timber land in Dorset.
     In 1876 he was united in marriage to Miss Lucy Bissell, a native of Geauga county, Ohio, and a daughter of Pezorra Bissell, a resident of Orwell, this State.  The fruit of their union was five children, vi.:  Agnes, Lizzi, Maude, Henry and Emma. The wife and mother died Nov. 4, 1887, and in 1890 Mr. Smith married Mrs. Addie Bingman, widow of Fred Bingman, and a daughter of Adam and Isabella (Morgan) Archibald.  They came from England to America about 1850, locating in Virginia, where Mrs. Smith was born. In 1854 they settled in New Castle, Pennsylvania, and later came to Trumbull county, Ohio, where they still reside.  Mr. and Mrs. Archibald had ten children, four now living: Lizzie, wife of Tyrus Price, of Hubbard, this State; Cynthia, wife of Andrew De Vosse, also of that place; John, a resident of Coalfield, Iowa; and Addie, wife of our subject.  Mr. Smith was made a Mason about thirty years ago, and is now a member of the Golden Rule Lodge, of Cherry Valley.  He affiliates with the Republican party, has held the office of School Director, and is one of the leading and enterprising citizens of Ashtabula county.  He is purely a self-made man, having risen, by his own industry and perseverance, from the bottom round of the ladder to his present high position.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 538
SHARON WICK'S NOTE:
I found the following: 
1850 Census - Dist. No. 8, Dorset,  Ashtabula Co., OH - John Smith, ae 61 b. MA; Charlotte Smith, ae 54 b. MA; Mary, ae 28, b. OH; Philander, ae 20, b. OH; Lucy A., ae 18, b. OH; Pomeroy*, ae 14, b. OH; Rufus, ae 12, b. OH
* Pomeroy may be H. P. as his birth year was ca. 1836 and H. P.'s birth year was 1836.  ALSO:  Found that H. P.'s name was Henry Pomeroy Smith md. to Adamina "Addie" Archibald Bingham.
Source of 1850 Census: Year: 1850; Census Place: Dorset, Ashtabula, Ohio; Roll: 659; Page: 495a
All children were out of the home except Rufus by 1860 census.
Also:  His family can be found at Find A Grave Memorial 51511439

HON. HENRY S. SMITH - Among those who have filled the majoralty of Jefferson, Ohio, and otherwise enjoyed positions of trust in the gift of the people, the subject of this sketch is conspicuous for his worth of character and general efficiency in the community's behalf.
     Henry S. Smith was born in Lenox township, Ashtabula county, Ohio, Oct. 7, 1847, son of Solomon H. and Orraetta (Monroe) Smith.  His father also was born in Lenox township and was a son of Asahel and Fannie (Hire) Smith, the former a native of Vermont, who removed to Ohio shortly after marriage and were among the pioneer settlers of Lenox Township.  They were accompanied by Asahel's brother and the young men took up wild land which they industriously improved making for themselves homes in the wilderness.  They had nine children, four sons and five daughters.  Of these, Solomon H. grew to manhood in his native township, and, as previously stated, married Orrazetta Monroe, a native of New York State, whose parents were pioneers of Ohio.  After marriage, Solomon began farming, in which he was successfully engaged until his death, which occurred when he was thirty-one years of age.  He left three children, of whom the subject of this sketch wasone, being then five years old.
     H. S. Smith lived with his mother on the home farm until he attained his majority, securing a fair education at the Kingsville Academy.  When eighteen years of age he began to teach school and was thus employed for thirteen successive terms during the winter months, being engaged during the alternate summer seasons in farming on his land in Lenox township.  He afterward laid down the ferule of the pedagogue to take upthe mace of the Justice of the Peace, in which responsible position he served with efficiency and impartiality for twelve consecutive years.  In the spring of 1883 he removed to Jefferson to assume the duties of Deputy Treasurer, in which capacity he faithfully served his community during the years of 1883, 1884 and 1885.  For two terms, during 1891 and 1892, he was at the head of the municipal government of Jefferson, in which he was distinguished for his usual energy and ability.
     Mar. 30, 1867, he was married to Miss Lucy Rood, a native of Vermont but who was residing at that time in Ashtabula county.  They had two sons: Charles E.,  who died in 1889; and Roy C.  Mrs. Smith and son are earnest and useful members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.  Mr. Smith is a Republican who always votes the straight ticket of his party, and is a member of the I. O. O. F., Ensign Lodge, No. 400.
     Few men enjoy in a fuller degree the confidence and esteem of his community, which good opinion has been earned by a life of earnest and honest endeavor.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 457

JOHN SMITH, conductor on the New York & St. Louis Railroad, and a valued Citizen of Conneaut, Ohio, was born in Brooklyn, New York, Sept. 3, 1850, a son of John and Mary (Reinbond) Smith, natives of respectively of Alsace and Lorraine, France.  His parents came to America at an early day and settled in New York.  His mother died about 1856, at the age of thirty-eight years, leaving three children, John, Josie and Frances.  By a previous marriage his father had two daughters, Mary and Kate.
     The subject of our sketch started out in life on his own responsibility at an early age.  His first employment was in the trimming department of a cooper shop, where he received $9.00 per week.  Afterward he learned the cooper trade.  Next, we find him running a circular saw at Queenspoint, New York.  June 27, 1871, he landed in Pittsburg, and soon afterward from there to Steubenville, Ohio.  His best opening there was in a stone quarry, where he was employed by a railroad company and received two dollars per day.  He continued thus engaged until November, 1871.  That winter he entered the service of the Pan Handle, in the employ of which company he remained until 1876, the last two years serving as conductor.  He has continued in railroad employe ever since.  He was freight conductor until 1881 and since then a passenger conductor.  Since January, 1886, he has been in the employ of the Nickel Plate.  In all his railroad career he never has been suspended a day.  His natural ability and his careful attention to business have gained for him the high esteem of the officers of the road as well as of his fellow workmen.  He is one among the large number of employes of the Nickel Plate who have rendered excellent service and are retained because of their thorough knowledge of the business, and their careful attention to the responsible duties devolving upon them.
     Mr. Smith was married in Dennison, Ohio, in 1875, to Miss Mary Liggett, daughter of Robert and Rebecca (McGrew) Liggett, of Dennison.  Her mother died in 1878, aged fifty-six years, and her father in 1890, aged seventy-six.  Their seven children are as follows:  Sarah, wife of John McRichie; Albert, who married Mary Davis, James, who married Mary Darr; Susan, wife of Stephen Fetterly; Mrs. John Smith; John and Harry - the last two unmarried.
     Mr. and Mrs. Smith had four children, three of whom, Josie, Aggie and Belle, are living.  James died soon after they came to Conneaut, aged four years.  The devoted wife and loving mother departed this life Nov. 24, 1890.  She was born at Port Clinton Ohio, Jan. 5, 1857.  Her life was characterized by the sweetest of Christian graces and the most loving devotion to her husband and family.  She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, as also was her mother.  A woman of culture and refinement, generous impulses, great energy and sunny disposition, she made her home happy and drew around her a circle of loving friends.  She rendered her husband valued friends.  She rendered her husband valued assistance in securing their comfortable home; but she was not destined long to adorn it with her presence, for disease soon marked her as its victim and she was called to her home above.  Her untimely death cast a gloom not only over the members of her immediate family but also over a large circle of friends and acquaintances.  Mr. Smith’s daughters preside over his home and are deserving of great credit for the way in which they conduct their household affairs.  Mr. Smith and his family attend the Baptist Church, of which he is a supporter.  He is a member of the Order of Railway Conductors, and his political associations are with the Republican party.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 305

JOSIAH SMITH. - The death of few men has caused more general sorrow throughout northeastern Ohio than that of the subject of this sketch, who enjoyed a large acquaintance and was esteemed by all who knew him for his manly character.
     He came of good old New England, Revolutionary stock, his grandfather having fought on the side of the patriots in the war for independence.  His parents removed to Ohio in 1818 and settled in Claridon, Geauga county, where his father entered, cleared and improved a good farm on which the parents resided until death.
     The subject of this sketch was born in Cheshire, Connecticut, Dec. 19, 1817, and accompanied his parents to Ohio the following year.  He was reared on the home farm near Claridon and received a good education in the schools of his vicinity.  When twenty years of age, he came to Orwell, Ashtabula county, near which city he purchased land that was then a wilderness, but which, under his skillful management and industrious labors, soon gave way to a highly cultivated and valuable farm.  He was married at the age of twenty-three to Miss Martha Haskell, of Bloomfield, Ohio, and they had seven children, two of whom died in infancy.  Those living are:  Albert H., of Bloomfield; Charles, professor in Adelbert College, Cleveland, Ohio, Jesse, residing in Kansas:  Julia, now Mrs. Anderson, of Orwell; and Mrs. H. E. Stetson, of Earlville, Iowa.  In February, 1872, the devoted wife and mother died, leaving her family and many friends to mourn her loss.
     June 18, 1874, Mr. Smith was married to Mrs. Emily A. Chrislette, a lady of refinement and ability.  Her maiden name was Hayward and she was born in Huishchampflower, Somersetshire, England, Feb. 10, 1839.  Her parents, Richard and Elizabeth Hayward, were also natives of England, from which country they emigrated to America in early life.  It was while on a visit to their native country that their daughter and only child, Mrs. Smith, was born.  They eventually resided in England until the mother's death in 1850, after which the father came to Ohio, where he died in 1868.  Mrs. Smith was first married Feb. 22, 1860, to William Chislette, also a native of England, and they had two children: William H., now in business in Chicago; and Elizabeth A., book-keeper in a wholesale house in the same city.  Mar. 23, 1873, the family were bereft by death of the kind and affectionate husband and father, who died aged fifty-six years.
     The following year Mrs. Chislette was married to Mr. Smith, with whom she lived happily until his death in Orwell Ohio, Apr. 4, 1893, after twelve days' illness with typhoid pneumonia.
     Mr. Smith was a very successful instructor in vocal music, having taught in nearly every township in Ashtabula and Trumbull counties, Ohio, and in Mercer county, Pennsylvania.  Among his pupils were Prof. N. Coe Stewart, of Cleveland; C. C. Case and other musicians of note.  His services were in much demand throughout northeastern Ohio for the conducting of musical conventions, he having been a talented musician and vocalist of wide reputation.  Later in life he did an extensive business as lightning-rod salesman and was also a successful farmer and more or less of a speculator.  In politics he firmly supported the principles and policies of the Republican party, and although not an office-seeker was an active participant in local and national elections. In domestic and social relations he was kind, considerate and obliging; as a business man he was capable and energetic, while as a citizen he was public spirited and progressive and held a high place in the esteem of the community.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 694

LEWIS W. SMITH. - If any one could be said to be wedded to the interests of Ashtabula, Ohio, it would be the subject of this sketch, who has watched its growth from a struggling village to a populous city.
     L. W. Smith, a prominent and public-spirited citizen of Ashtabula, was born in this city Sept. 23, 1826, a son of James and Laura (Scoville) Smith esteemed pioneers of this county.  His father was a native of New York State, where his ancestors for several generations were born.  The mother of the subject of this sketch was a relative of General Ward of Revolutionary fame.  His father was reared in Saratoga, New York, to early manhood, and while yet unmarried emigrated to Ohio in 1819, settling in Ashtabula county.  Here he built and operated a gristmill for a number of years, people coming as far as forty miles to his mill to get their grain ground.  He here married Laura Scoville, also a native of the Empire State, who came with his parents to Ashtabula in an early day.  They have five children:  Elizabeth, deceased; Ursula, Lewis W., James and William Ward.  The father was accidentally killed in his mill when the subject of this sketch was five years of age.  He was an enterprising and upright man and left many friends to mourn his loss.  The mother survived him a number of years and was re-married, but had no other children.
     Mr. Smith, whose names heads this sketch, was reared in Ashtabula, receiving a fair education in the schools of this city.  He passed his youth on a farm, on which he remained until 1850, when he engaged in the merchandise business in Cincinnati.  In 1851 he went to New York city and entered the wholesale silk, millinery and shawl business, in which he continued twenty-five years.  In 1861, he became a partner in the firm on Andrew, Giles, Sanford & Company, which afterward became Andrews, Sanford & Smith.  Mr. Giles retiring.  Mr. Smith was thus engaged until 1875, when he sold his interest and returned to Ashtabula, and there entered the general dry-goods business, to favor his son, James Smith, in learning the business.  In the meantime, he invested from time to time in Ashtabula real estate, and finally, in 1884 ,sold his dry-goods business to give his attention to his realty interests.  He has materially aided in the growth of Ashtabula, which he seen rise from a village to a city of 12,000 inhabitants, and in which advancement he takes a deep interest and a just pride.  In politics Mr. Smith is a Republican.
     In 1849, Mr. Smith was married to Miss Mary Gillmore, an estimable lady of Ashtabula, a daughter of Rev. James and Clarissa (Squires) Gillmore natives of New York.  Mr. Gillmore was an able minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church.  Mr. and Mrs. Smith have one son, James, a promising young business man of Ashtabula.
     Thus briefly are given the leading events of an eminently busy and useful life, whose motives have always been of the highest and which has been justly crowned with success.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 451

ORSAMUS SMITH. - The first settlement by New Englanders, and the first permanent settlement by any white men in Ohio was made at Marietta, on the bank of the Ohio river, in 1788.  In 1796 a similar lodgment was effected at Cleveland and cast of that place, by settlers from nearly the same section of Massachusetts as those who went to Marietta, and by others from Connecticut.  In both instances the settlers were mainly soldiers who had been connected with the Revolutionary war.  Few families were more intimately associated with these movements than those of which the above named gentleman is a representative.
     The lifting bodily of so large a portion of Puritan Massachusetts and Connecticut over the whole length of the great States of New York and Pennsylvania, across hundreds of miles of forest and mountains, and planting the same so quickly and so securely in the dense woods through which savage tribes were still roaming unchallenged, was an achievement without a parallel in history, and possible of accomplishment only at the hands of those brave determined men, to whose courage, strength and devotion was mainly due the triumphant success of a few colonies, sparsely settled and poor, in a seen years, war with the mightiest nation the world has ever known, whose proud boast it was that she had “dotted the surface of the globe with her possessions and military posts, whose morning drum-beat, following the sun and keeping time with the hours, circled the earth daily’ with the continuous and unbroken strain of the martial music of England.”  It is not a pleasant reflection, but truth demands its record, that when the brave men whose strong arms had given a continent to freedom, asked that of the illimitable expanse spreading from ocean to ocean, which they wrested from the British domain, a few acres each might be apportioned them for homes in lieu of the almost worthless script with which their priceless service had been paid, they asked in vain.  But the Government was willing to sell them land.  Some sort of organization had been effected in the asking, and this organization of officers and soldiers was made the basis of a company which bought for $1 an acre a million and a half acres of land in southern Ohio.  General Rufus Putnam, of Rutland, Worcester county, Massachusetts, who was one of the first organizers of this soldier movement, became a leader of a party of forty-eight men, his old comrades in arms, mainly from Worcester and Middlesex counties, and left Massachusetts, Dec. 1, 1787, landing at Marietta, Apr. 7, 1788.  This was the earliest settlement in Ohio.
     George Smith, also of Rutland, the father of Orsamus Smith, and a comrade in the army with General Putnam, while a shareholder and promoter of the enterprise, did not accompany the expedition, having just married, in 1787, Mary Bent, the daughter of Captain Silas Bent and sister of Captain Silas Bent, Jr.  The younger Bent accompanied the first party to Marietta, his father and mother following the next year.  Silas Bent, Sr., was born at Sudbury, Massachusetts, in 1744; was educated at Cambridge, Massachusetts; and married Miss Mary Carter.  He died at Belpre, Ohio, Apr. 4, 1818; she, at the same place, June 10, 1831, aged eighty-five years.  Captain Silas Bent, Jr., went from Marietta to Missouri in 1806, as Assistant Surveyor General; was afterward appointed Presiding Supreme Judge of Missouri Territory; died at St. Louis in 1827.  His son, Charles Bent, was the first Civil Governor of New Mexico, and was with his cabinet assassinated in the insurrection of Taos in 1847.  Several other members of the same family distinguished themselves in the Mexican and Indian border warfare as well as the political history of the West.
     During the earlier years of the Marietta settlement the settlers lived in a fort, built on the site of an ancient city and fort of the mound-builders, and suffered much from Indians, not less than thirty of their number being killed by the savages.
     Eight years after the settlement of Marietta, there landed, July 4, 1796, at the mouth of Conneaut creek, in the northeast corner of Ohio, a band of pilgrims under the leadership of Major Moses Cleveland.  There were fifty souls, among them two women and one young boy.  This boy was the son of Elijah Gunn, and one of the women Mr. Gunn’s wife.  Elijah Gunn was the son of Lieutenant Nathaniel Gunn, who had served in the Revolutionary war, as also had his six sons: Nathaniel, Stephen, Elijah, Elisha, Elihu, and Moses.  The Gunn family had for generations lived in the towns of Montague, Massachusetts, and Granby, Connecticut.  The daughters of Nathaniel Gunn were: Dorothy, Submit, Jemima and Mercy.  Mercy was the wife of Luke Kendall and the mother of Mrs. Orsamus Smith.  This Mrs. Elijah Gunn, who landed at Conneaut with her little son, was the daughter of a Captain Carver, an explorer who, just before the war of the Revolution, had secured a grant of land from the English Government, covering a large tract of land in northern Ohio, west of Cleveland. Captain Carver was in England when the war broke out. He was prevented from returning to America, and subsequently died in England, leaving two daughters, one of whom, as above stated, became the wife of Elijah Gunn, and the other married his brother, Moses Gunn. These brothers spent many years and a large amount of money in unsuccessful effort to obtain from Congress a ratification of the English grant. Elisha Gunn settled in Cleveland in 1796, and was living in good health and in possession of all his faculties in 1847, being then past ninety.
     Orsamus Smith was born in Peru, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, Nov. 9, 1807, son of George and Mary (Bent) Smith, the former a native of Rutland, Massachusetts, and the latter of Sudbury, Massachusetts.  He came to Ohio about 1828.  His father, as already stated, being a shareholder in the Connecticut Land Company, had given to each of his several sons a farm in Ashtabula and Trumbull counties.  After spending a few years in the woods of Ohio with his married brothers, older than himself, who had preceded him (John in Dorset, and Renselaer in Bloomfield), he returned to his home in Berkshire county, Massachusetts, where lie married Melinda Clapp, the daughter of Erastus Clapp, of Deerfield, Massachusetts.  Returning to Ohio, he settled on a tract of land at the center of Orwell, and, with his brothers, Pomeroy and Franklin, who with their father, George Smith, came to Ohio about the same time, at once began to lay the foundation for the present thrifty village.  They erected several good frame houses, a large hotel - still standing in 1893 - and other business places, inducing the location there of those two excellent business men, George A. Howard and R. C. Newell, so long identified with the prosperity of the town.  In a single year the place was trans- formed from a dense forest to a busy village.  The township was rapidly settled, and the town itself, being favorably located on the main thoroughfare of eastern Ohio, half way between Ashtabula and Warren, readily took a position abreast with older towns in the section, which position it has fully maintained.
     Here Mr. Smith lost his wife, who, dying at the age of thirty, left two little boys, George E. and Horatio M., and a little girl, Frances M.  In 1840 Orasmus Smith was again married, this time to Elmira Kendall, of Warren, Ohio, the daughter of Luke and Mercy (Gunn) Kendall, of Deerfield, Massachusetts, before referred to.  Of Luke Kendall, it is recorded that he enlisted in the service during the Revolutionary war, but, being very young, his brother David secured his discharge by going in his place.  The latter was taken prisoner and was held several years by the British.  Elmira Kendall was born in 1806, at Deerfield.  She was a pupil of the celebrated Mary Lyon, of Mt. Holyoke, Massachusetts, and at the time of her marriage was a teacher in Warren, Ohio.  The children of this second union were: William O. and Emma L. Smith.
     Orsamus Smith was represented in the Civil war by his two sons, Major Horatio M. and William O., both of whom served in the Army of the Cumberland from Aug. 13, 1862, until the close of the war, a period of three years.  Both enlisted as privates in the One Hundred and Fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry.  Major Horatio M. Smith served as Quartermaster in the held the first year and on the staff of Major General George H. Thomas the last two years.  He died in 1890, leaving three sons: Ford R., Louis Ord and Horatio Hoyt, and one daughter, Maud W. Smith. The other grandchildren of Orsamus Smith are: Ida M. and Augusta E. Smith, daughters of George E. Smith who lives in New York city.  Mrs. Frances M. Gilkeson, William O. Smith and Emma L. Smith, the remaining children of Orsamus Smith, live in Orwell.
     Orsamus Smith closed a long and busy life in Orwell, Dec. 31, 1886, in his eightieth year; and his wife, Elmira, passed away at the same place, Mar. 10, 1888, in her eighty-second year.
     Of these pioneer families, it should be further stated that Orsamus Smith had thirteen brothers and sisters; and that there were also fourteen brothers and sisters in Elmira Kendall’s family, nearly all of whom lived to maturity and brought up families in Ohio.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 687

PLIN SMITH, deceased, was born in Sheldon, Franklin county, Vermont, Aug. 5, 1802, a son of John Smith, a native of New London, "Connecticut.  The latter died when Plin was fourteen years of age.  The subject of this memoir, however, remained at home until 1821, when he came to Ohio, the greater part of the way on foot, arriving at the house of his uncle.  Roger Cadwell, in Andover, Feb. 15, of that year.  His first occupation, on reaching this wilderness, was chopping.  To procure an ax he cut an acre of heavy timber and piled the brush, and he estimated that this ax cost him at least $7.  Mr. Smith then hired out to chop, and continued to prosecute this vocation until he had cleared 100 acres of forest.  From the effect of this labor he became an invalid, and returned to his native place.  In doing this he was so fortunate as to engage for a gentleman to drive cattle over the mountains to Philadelphia.  B. F. Wade was his companion, and they received $9 per month for their service.  After arriving home, Mr. Smith learned the trade of wagonmaking.  In January, 1829, he went to Vermont, and in the following October again started for Ohio, and, after about two weeks spent on the road, arrived at the home of the above mentioned uncle.  He purchased twenty-five acres of wild land, erected a log house, and began housekeeping.  The first wagon he built was hewed from the adjacent timber, his wife assisting him in turning the hubs, and also in sawing logs from which to make the rails necessary to fence their farm.  Mr. and Mrs. Smith lived for a time in each Richmond and Austinburg township, but the greater part of their lives was passed in Andover.  Mrs. Smith now resides at Conneaut.  Mr. Smith died Mar. 20, 1881 aged seventy-nine years.
     Mr. Smith was married Jan. 25, 1829, to Aurelia Weeks, who was born Aug. 26, 1810, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Chapman) Weeks.  The grandfather of Mrs. Smith, Timothy Chapman, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and afterward drew a pension of $96 a year.  After his death his wife, nee Avis Curtis, drew the pension while she lived.  Mr. and Mrs. John Weeks had two sons and four daughters, and Mrs. Smith and a sister, Anna Traver, are the only ones now living.  The father died in 1810, and the mother afterward married John Ellithorp.  They had six sons, three of whom still survive.  The youngest, Albert Ellithorp, is the inventor of the Ellithorp air cushion for elevators.  Mr. and Mrs. Smith had eleven children.  The eldest, Philo, born Jun. 6, 1830, married Elsie Frink, who died Sept. 22, 1892, aged fifty-six years.  He now resides in Madison, Lake County.  Josetta born Nov. 4, 1832, is the wife of E. B. Linn, a physician of Richland township.  Sagito, born Aug. 23, 1834, married Alicia Lake, and now resides in Conneaut.  Delia, born Apr. 17,1 836, married Olmstead Baker, and lives in Andover.  Mary, born Mar. 28, 1838, married Rev. L. E. Beardsley, a member of the East Ohio Conference, and his death occurred June 14, 1889, at the age of seventy-four years; their two children are: Mark L. and Jay W., the latter a resident of Conneaut.  Mark L., a resident of Ashtabula county, married Dora Snow, and they have two children, Don and Retah.  John Harrison, born Mar. 29, 1840, married Martha Hartshorn and resides at Conneaut, Ohio.  Aurelia, born Mar. 12, 1842, married Cyreenus Laughlin, and their home is at Conneaut, Ohio.  Eliza Ann, born Mar. 19, 1844, died May 29, 1867.  Plin Weeks, born Jan. 1, 1847, married Mary Kelley, and died at Chicago, May 11, 1880, aged thirty-three years.  Amelia, born May 6, 1849, married Prof. . L. Guthrie, of Conneaut, and died Nov. 10, 1881, aged thirty-four years.  Lizzie, born Dec. 12, 1853, married Charles Morris, and died Aug. 21, 1887, at the age of thirty-three years.  The eldest child of Dr. and Mrs Linn,  Harriet A., is the wife of Dr. Bebee.  Both she and her husband were missionaries to China for seven years, after which they returned to this country for a year, and then went again to China.  Dr. Beebe is superintendent of the Philander Smith Memorial Hospital at Nanking, China.  The eleven children of Mr. and Mrs. Plin Smith were raised to years of maturity, and ten were married.  There are now twenty-two grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren.  Mr. Smith was a life long member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, with which his widow is still actively identified, having been a member from early youth.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 779

REUBEN S. SMITH, one of the progressive business men of Jefferson was born in Franklin, Delaware county, New York, Mar. 10, 1844, a son of Sylvester Smith, who was born in that county in 1807.  The latter was left an orphan at a tender age, and while yet a youth was thrown upon his own resources.  Although receiving but a limited education, he mastered the rudiments of mathematics, writing and reading, and at the time of his death was a well-posted man.  After his marriage Mr. Smith began farming, and gradually merged into the handling of real estate.  In 1854 he brought his family to Ohio, locating in Lenox, on the West road.  He purchased an improved farm, and remained there until his death, in1875, at a ripe old age.  He voted with the Democratic party, having cast his first vote for General Andrew Jackson.  Although not a church member, his life and dealings were always upright and honorable.  Mr. Smith was married in 1830, to Miss Mary Gillett, who was born in Franklin, Delaware county, New York.  She received a good education, and taught school several years previous to her marriage, that event occurring when she was in her twenty-third year.  Mr. and Mrs. Smith had five children, three daughters and two sons, and four still survive.  The daughters reside in Dorset, and a son, Delos Smith, united with the Congregational Church when young, and lived a consistent Christian life until her death, in 1888.
     Reuben S. Smith, our subject, was engaged at various occupations during his youth.  In the fall of 1861, at the age of nineteen years, he was employed as Government teamster, was assigned to duty at Camp Nelson, Kentucky, but a short time afterward circumstances compelled him to abandon the Government service.  In company with his brother be  next purchased his father's farm of 177 acres, but in the following year sold his interest to his brother.  In 1867 Mr. Smith located where his son now resides, the farm consisting of ninety acres, and located two miles south of Jefferson.  He improved his farm, built a large and commodious residence, and made many other improvements.  Mr. Smith in time began to deal in farming implements and machinery, selling to the local trade.  In 1890 he purchased his present home in Jefferson, located on Chestnut street, and in the same year engaged with the J. I. Case Manufacturing Company, of Racine, Wisconsin.  He is now engaged as their traveling salesman, handling a traction engine of the latest design, and the test improved thresher.  Our subject has been very successful in this undertaking, and has placed a great number of machines in northeastern Ohio and elsewhere.
     Dec. 19, 1866, he was joined in marriage to Miss Ellen M. Underwood, a daughter of Orville P. and Elvira (Chapin) Underwood.  The father was born in Sheffield, Massachusetts, in 1806, where he was married Feb. 9, 1831.  In 1847 he came via the canal to Buffalo, and from there by the lake to Ashtabula county, Ohio, purchasing the farm in Lenox township, now owned by Franklin Chapin.  His death occured at that place in 1865.  He was a member of the Congregational Church, and was identified with the Republican party.  The mother of Mrs. Smith was also born in Sheffield, Massachusetts, May 9, 1810, became proficient in the use of the bechtel and loom, and occupied much of her time in making linen and woolen cloth.  She was also an expert in the manufacture of cheese.  Mr. and Mrs. Underwood had two children, and the mother and the daughter, Mary J., now find a comfortable home with Mrs. Smith.  The mother and daughter are members of the Congregational Church.  Mrs. Smith was born in New Marlborough, Massachusetts, Apr. 30, 1847, and in the same year was brought by her parents to Ohio.  She attended the district schools of Lenox, and completed her education in the high schools of Jefferson.  She was married at the age of nineteen years.  Mr. and Mrs. Smith have one son, Cecil U., who was born Sept. 7, 1867, was reared to farm life, and completed his education in the Jefferson high school.  He was married June 26, 1889, to Miss Rubie Sheldon, of Jefferson.  They now reside on the farm in Lenox.  Our subject and wife united with the Congregational Church in 1872, and the former is now Superintendent of the Sunday school.  He was made a Mason in 1887, holding his membership in Tuscan Lodge, No. 342, and is also a member of the chapter.  In political matters, he affiliates with the Republican party.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 603

ROYAL P. SMITH one of the wealthy farmers of Monroe township, Ashtabula county, Ohio, appears as the subject of this article.
     He was born in 1840, near his present home, son of Isaac Smith, a native of Vermont to Ohio in 1832, and settled at Kelloggsville, where he farmed and carried on a mercantile business for half a century.  Although he had but limited educational advantages in his youth, he was a man of remarkable energy and business ability, and was successful in his various undertakings.  He began working out for wages when he was twelve years old, and until he was twenty one his mother, a widow, received his earnings.  When he landed in Kelloggsville, he bought 106 acres of land, and at the time of his death he was the owner of 640 acres and had money at interest.  Politically, he was a Democrat, and took a commendable interest in public affairs, frequently filling local offices.  For sixty years he was au honored member of the Masonic fraternity.  He died May 12, 1883, at the age of eighty-four years.  At the time of his death he was a Universalist in belief.  The Smiths are of English origin, some of the family having come to America previous to the war of 1812.  The mother of Royal P. Smith, who before her marriage was Miss Lucia Thompson, was born in New Hampshire, about twelve miles from Dartmouth College.  She had a good education, and was for some time engaged in teaching.  Her death at the age of seventy-six years occurred Apr. 24, 1881.  The Thompsons are of English descent.  Isaac Smith and his wife had five children, as follows: Isaac, who died Jan. 28, 1854, aged twenty-one years; Susan J., wife of G. G. Waite, Hutchinson, Kansas; Royal P.; Irving, a resident of Monroe township, Ashtabula county; and Lucia, who died Nov. 26, 1852, at the age of five years.  Isaac Smith was first married to Harriet Walker, who died without children.
     Royal P. Smith remained with his parents until 1861, when he married and began life for himself.  He is now the owner of 450 acres of land, in three different tracts, 200 acres being under cultivation.  In 1861 he was married to Corinna E. Swift, a native of Ohio, and a daughter of Dan and Mercy (Doubleday) Swift, natives of Italy Hill, Yates county, New York.  Mr. and Mrs. Smith have four children, namely: Charles, engaged in farming near Kingsville; Carrie M., wife of George Humphrey, Cleveland, Ohio; Harriet, a student at Buchtel College, Akron, Ohio; and Corinna, also attending college.
     Mr. Smith's political views are in harmony with Democratic principles.  For six or seven years he has served as Trustee of his township.  He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the State Police.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 619

SAGITO JAY SMITH, Mayor of Conneaut, Ohio, has been identified with that place for many years and has probably done more to advance its interests than any other one man.  It is therefore fitting that appropriate mention of him should grace the pages of this work.
     Sagito J. Smith was born in Ashtabula county, Ohio, Aug. 23, 1834, son of Plin and Aurelia (Weeks) Smith, natives of Sheldon, Vermont.  His parents came to Ashtabula county, Ohio, in 1829, and established her home in a log house in Andover.  The music of howling wolves was frequently heard from their cabin door.  Plin Smith was a wagon maker by trade.  Soon after moving out here he cut down an acre of trees on the farm of Roger Cadwell to pay for having his boots half soled.  The subject of our sketch was the third born in his family of eleven children, and is one of the seven who are still living.
     John Smith, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in New London, Connecticut and died in 1816.  His maternal grandfather, John Weeks, was of English ancestry, and died when he was thirty-one years.  He had a family of five children: Philo, Jedediah, Eliza, Ann and Aurelia.  Jedediah died when about fourteen years of age.  Plin and Aurelia Smith were the parents of eleven children:  Philo, Josett, Sagito, Delia, Mary, John H., Aurelia, Amelia, Eliza, Plin W. and Lizzie H.  Mrs. Smith died Apr. 21, 1893, at the age of eighty-three years, and was bright and active up to the time of her death.  Plin Smith was an old friend of Benjamin Wade, and in the early days they were much together.
     Mr. S. J. Smith received his education in the common schools of this county and at Kingsville Academy, and for two years taught in the country schools, "boarding around."  In 1854 he came to Conneaut and entered upon a mercantile career as clerk in the store of D. N. Webster, at $6.00 per month.  A few months later he entered the employ of Thompson & Rice, at an increase of $4.00 per month on his salary, and remained with that firm five years.  At the end of that time he formed a partnership with E. A. Keyes and opened out in business at the old Keyes stand at the foot of Main street.  A year and a half later, in 1860, he sold out to Mr. Keyes.  Then he engaged in the general merchandise business by himself at the stand where he first began clerking.  With $350 in his pocket he set out for New York to buy goods, on the day Fort Sumter was fired upon.  At the house of Butler, Cecil, Ross & Co., in that city, his honest face and straightforward manner ingratiated him at once.  Mr. Cecil, the financier of the firm, after a short interview with him, remarked:  "Young man, you have a small capital with which to start in business, but you look to me like a young man of energy and honesty and one who would succeed in business.  Buy all the goods you want.”  And during his long business career he bought more goods from that house than any other.  He made many visits to New York during the exciting times of the war, and did a successful business until the fall of Vicksburg, in July, 1863.  For five years after that date he barely held his own.  He continued in the general merchandise business here until 1887, and at various times had interests in branch stores else- where.  He still has some mercantile interests in the county, being a member of the firm of E. T. Dorman & Co., and also of the Andover firm, Smith & Baker.
     In the meantime he merged into manufacturing, buying the Conneaut paper mill at the foot of Main street in 1872.  After conducting the mill for some time he discovered that it could be run on a more paying basis.  Accordingly he put in new machinery and made a specialty of the manufacturing of payer flour sacks, completing and printing the sacks and selling them direct to millers.
     He put in six printing presses and employed a large force of hands.  In this enterprise he was very successful and continued to do a paying business until one night in December, 1889, when the mill, while in operation, was burned.
     During this time Mr. Smith formed a partnership with Thayer & Lake, the firm name being Lake, Thayer & Smith, and in 1880 they began a private banking business, Mr. Lake being president.  After the death of Mr. Lake the bank was reorganized into a national bank, and Mr. Smith has since been its president. In 1885, when the American Bag Company was organized, with Senator K. Kell of New York as president, Mr. Smith was chosen as one of the directors, he holding a large portion of the stock.
     Besides the business affairs already referred to, Mr. Smith has also been interested in real estate transactions.  He purchased several tracts of land in this vicinity about the time the Nickel Plate division was located here, in the establishment of which road he took an active part, making frequent trips to New York in the interest of the line. In 1880 he purchased the Herald, which he conducted for ten years, when, by reason of the destruction of his plant by fire, he joined with the Reporter, securing an interest in that office, from which both papers have since been issued —the Herald on Friday and the Reporter on Tuesday.
     Mr. Smith was elected, on the Republican ticket, Mayor of Conneaut in 1875 and served one term of two years, declining a second term.  In 1890, he was again elected to this office, and in 1892, was re-elected by an over-whelming majority.  His present term will expire in April, 1894.  From a leading publication we clip the following: “The municipal government, with S. J. Smith, Esq., as Mayor, is characterized for prompt, thorough and conservative legislation, while the general status of the city is excellent.  Ideal estate is held at reasonable prices, there are countless attractive sites obtainable and the citizens have already evinced their willingness to entertain and substantially encourage any legitimate manufacture that may bring liberal increase to the local population.”  Within his administration the water works and sewerage system of Conneaut were constructed.
     Mr. Smith was married Dec. 7, 1859, to Miss Alitcia Lake, daughter of Hiram and Lois (Gifford) Lake, of Conneaut.  She died May 28, 1889, aged fifty-three years, leaving two children, namely: Hiram L., who has succeeded his father in the merchandise business in Conneaut; and Lois, wife of E. T. Dorman, also of Conneaut.  Mrs. Smith was a member of the Congregational Church for many years.  Mr. Smith’s second marriage occurred Dec. 7, 1891, the lady of his choice being Mrs. Daphne (Jones) Loomis, daughter of Mrs. Hiram Lake by her former marriage to Solomon Jones, a well-known and highly esteemed citizen of Conneaut.  Mr. Smith has adopted his niece, Elsie, who is the daughter of his sister Amelia, who is deceased, as is also her husband, Nathan Guthrie.
     Mr. Smith built his residence, corner of Main and Mill streets, in 1865, the timber for which he hauled from his father’s farm, twenty-five miles south of here, helping to cut down the trees himself.  In 1868 he built the Lake & Smith Block, corner of Main and Harbor streets.  At this writing he is building a three-story block, which will be arranged for banking and store rooms below and offices above, the building to be fitted with elevator and all modern conveniences.
     Mr. Smith and his wife are members of the Congregational Church, of which he has been a Trustee for a number of years.  He was a member of the building committee of his church in Conneaut, the other three members of the committee being G. J. Record, M. D. Townsend and Hiram Judson.  This committee cleared over $1,700 in one day in running an excursion to Niagara Falls, July 4, 1876, which sum was paid over to the building fund.  In politics Mr. Smith is a Republican, and is an earnest temperance worker.  He has traveled extensively and is well informed on the general topics of the day.  After the death of his first wife he took a trip across the continent.  In 1892 he and his wife made an extended tour through Mexico and Southern California.  He was a delegate for the Nineteenth District of Ohio to the Republican National Convention at Minneapolis, which nominated Harrison for President.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 715

W. N. SMITH, who is engaged in the real-estate and insurance business in Conneaut, Ohio, was born in Hubbard township, Trumbull county, this State, Jan. 4, 1859.
     His parents, Aaron and Rosanna (Simpkins) Smith, were both born in Ohio, and now reside in Pierpont, this county, Mr. Smith being a retired farmer.  Both he and his son, W. N., were born in the same house in Trumbull County, the former's birth occurring in 1818.  Grandfather Smith died about the age of fifty-five years, and Grandmother Smith lived to be nearly a hundred years old.  Aaron and his two sisters are all that are now left of a family of twelve children, he being the youngest of the twelve.  Of these two sisters we record that Anna  is the widow of Daniel Randall and is now living with her son in Indiana; and that Polly, widow of a Mr. Simpkins, is a resident of Brookfield, Trumbull county, Ohio.  Aaron Smith was twice married, each time to a Miss Simpkins.  By his first wife he had five children, as follows: Cynthia A., wife of C. B. Hibler, Pierpont; Amos, who married Nannie Downing, lives in Pittsburg; Lovica, wife of William Stuble, Pierpont; Mary, wife of Joseph Giles, Pierpont; and Judson who is married and living in Pittsburg.  By his present wife Mr. Smith has five children:  Louisa, wife of C. G. Van Winkle, Pittsburg; Florence, wife of Dr. H. C. Holcomb, Pierpont; W. N., the subject of this article; Charles, who married Miss Tuttle, resides in Painesville, Lake County, Ohio; and Clara, wife of G. Warren, resides in Richmond, this county.  Mrs. Rosanna Smith was born in 1827 and is one of a family of eight children, four of whom are living.  Her father, William Simpkins, is still living in Orangeville, Trumbull county, and is now more than ninety years of age.  Her mother died in 1885.  Both Mr. and Mrs. Smith are members of the Christian Church, in which he has been Deacon for many years.
     W. N. Smith was educated in the schools of Detroit.  Upon reaching mature years, he engaged in merchandising in Youngstown, Ohio, where he clerked three years, and from there came to Ashtabula and clerked two years for L. W. Smith. In 1881 he came to Conneaut and entered the dry goods store of S. J. Smith, in which he remained as clerk three years.  At the end of that time he went into the dry goods business for himself continuing the same for seven years.  Then he sold out and turned his attention to the real-estate and insurance business, in the real-estate and insurance business, in which he has been engaged since 1892, with good success.
     Mr. Smith was married in 1882, to Miss Sylvia Booth, daughter of Thomas N. Booth, of Ashtabula.  They have one child, Theodore.  Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.  He is a member of the Uniform Rank, K. of P., and also of the Royal Arcanum, being Treasurer of the latter organization.  He never received a dollar that he did not earn, and that he has succeeded in the life is not due to blind luck but to honest industry, economy and good judgment.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 912

BENJAMIN S. SNYDER, foreman in the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad shop at Conneaut, Ohio, was born in Wyandot county, this State, son of Simon and Caroline (Edwards) Snyder, his father a native of Virginia and his mother of Connecticut.
     Simon Snyder came from Virginia to Ohio at an early day and settled in Wyandot county, being one of the prominent pioneers of that county and one of its well-to-do farmers.  He died at the age of forty years.  His wife survived him a number of years, her demise occurring Mar. 3, 1886, at which time she had reached the age of seventy-two years.  For more than twenty years she was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.  Benjamin S. is the youngest child of their six children, the others being as follows: W. W., a ranchman, is married and living at Eden, Texas; A. W., a miller by trade, married Miss Myram Peters, and resides in Licking county, Ohio; Lucy died at the age of forty-three years; Laura, wife of Joseph Baird, died at the age of thirty-nine; and Carey M., who married Miss Anna Robertson, is a resident of Tuscola, Illinois.
     B. S. Snyder has been engaged in railroading ever since he was sixteen years of age, beginning as a brakeman, afterward being employed as conductor, fireman and engineer, and at present is foreman in the shops.  With the completion of the road to Conneaut in 1882, he came from Columbus to this place.  He is engine dispatcher, and has charge of both the road men and shop men.  His long connection with the business and the many places he has filled eminently fit him for his present position which he has held the past four years.
     Mr. Snyder was married, Nov. 17, 1872, to Miss Lizzie Hogan, who was left an orphan at an early age.  She is a member of the First Baptist Church of Conneaut.  Mr. Snyder is an enthusiastic Mason, having the reputation of being better posted on Masonry than any other man in the town.  He has taken the degrees of the blue lodge, chapter, council and commandery, and in Eminent Commander of Cache Commandery of Conneaut, No. 27.  He takes little interest in political matters, but votes the Republican ticket.
     Personally, Mr. Snyder is a most genial and courteous man, popular with his railroad employers and associates, and, indeed, with all who know him.  His home surroundings indicate culture and refinement as well as contentment and happiness.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 534

J. P. SPINEWEBER, a farmer and stock-raiser of Lenox township, Ashtabula county, was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Aug. 29, 1857, a son of John and Margaret (Smith) Spineweber.  The father was born in Prussia, in 1826, and in 1848 came to America.  After lading in New York he went to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, was employed in the mines a number of years, and in 1858 became a member of the firm of Keeling & Co., coal dealers.  He was then given the position as superintendent of the mines which office he held for twenty-one years, and then purchased forty-eight acres of land in Butler county, Pennsylvania.  In 1887 he moved his family to that place, where he now leads a retired life.  He was an old-time democrat, having cast his first presidential vote for James Buchanan, but now affiliates with the Republican party.  Religiously, he is a member of the Roman Catholic Church.  The mother of our subject was also born in Prussia, but came with her parents to America at the age of ten years, and grew to womanhood in Pittsburg.  She was married at the age of twenty years, and her death occurred in June, 1882, at the age of forty-two years.  She was a member of the Roman Catholic Church.  Mr. and Mrs. Spineweber had ten children, seven of whom grew to years of maturity, and the surviving children now reside in Pittsburg, with the exception of our subject and one brother.
     J. P. Spineweber, the subject of this sketch, attended the public schools of Pittsburg, and afterward spent three years in the St. Vincent's College, near Laporte, Pennsylvania.  He was then employed as bookkeeper by the firm with which his father was connected, and subsequently became an engineer of both stationary and locomotive engines.  In 1886 he embarked in the butcher's business in Pittsburg, and conducted the enterprise successfully until 1890.  From that time until 1892 he was engaged in miscellaneous occupations. In November of the latter year, he purchased his present fine farm, consisting of 158 acres, located two miles east of Lenox, and five miles southeast of Jefferson.  The farm is under a fine state of cultivation, and his residence is one of the most sightly places in the community.
     Sept. 7, 1879, Mr. Spineweber was united in marriage to Miss Martha Ensell, a daughter of Edward and Mary Jane (Draper) Ensell.  The father was born in Pennsylvania, Aug. 14, 1814, learned the trade of a glass-blower while a youth, and followed that occupation through life.  His father, Edward Edsell, built the first glass factory west of the Alleghany mountains.  The former accumulated a large fortune, and now lives a life of retirement.  He was a soldier in the late war, first enlisting in the three months' service, and was discharged on the general order to release all men over forty-eight years of age.  Mr. Ensell immediately entered the Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, and took apart in the battles of the Wilderness, Malvern Hill, Lookout Mountain, Gettysburg, and many others.  He was wounded at the first named engagement.  Mr. Ensell was discharged from service at Washington, in June, 1865.  Socially, he is a member of the Pittsburg Post G. A. R., No. 151, and religiously a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.  The mother of Mrs. Spineweber was born in 1820, at Brownsville, Pennsylvania, where he was married at the age of sixteen years.  She is a member and an active worker in the Methodist Church, is Chaplain of the Ladies' Relief Corps, and takes an active interest in all charitable work.  Mr. and Mrs. Ensell had eleven children, nine of whom survive, and are, with the exception of two, all residents of Pittsburg.  Mrs. Spineweber, wife of our subject, was born in Pittsburg, Oct. 18, 1855.  She is a member of the Ladies' Relief Corps, of the Daughters of Liberty, and has taken the Rebekah degree in the I. O. O. F.  Mr. and Mrs. Spinewater have one child, John E., born Dec. 7 1880, is now attending school.
     In political matters, Mr. Spineweber affiliates with the Republican party.  Socially, he is a member of the Zeno Lodge, I. O. O. F., of the Knights of the Golden Eagle and the Commandery, No. 17, and of the Senior Order of the American Mechanics, No. 260, Birmingham Council.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 571

WILBUR F. STANLEY, an enterprising and highly esteemed citizen of Conneaut, Ohio, who has been engaged in railroad contracting for some years, was born in Summit county, Ohio, Feb. 19, 1843.
     Her parents, Daniel S. and Hannah C. (Cranmer) Stanley, were natives of Vermont and New York respectively.  Daniel S. Stanley came to Ohio in 1816, settled on a farm in Summit county, and was engaged in agricultural pursuits all his life.  Both he and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of many years, he holding various official positions in the church.  It was at a camp-meeting in Ohio that they first became acquainted.  She died in April, 1880, at the age of seventy-eight, and he the same year, at the age of eighty.  For a number of years he served as Justice of the Peace, and few men of Summit county were better known or more highly respected than he.
     W. F. Stanley is the youngest of twelve children, eight of whom, four sons and four daughters, are still living.  He remained on his father's farm until he was eighteen, receiving his education in the schools of his native State.  In 1861, his restless and ambitious nature led him to go West, and in the pineries of Wisconsin he was engaged in the lumber business two years.  Coming back to Ohio, he turned his attention to the railroad business.  He was division master on the track of the Lake Shore railroad until 1871, with the exception of some time spent in the army.  From 1871 up to the present time, he has been engaged in contracting, having built about 500 miles of road.  In March, 1865, he enlisted in Company C, One Hundred and Fifteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and remained in the service until November of that year, participating in several skirmishes, but most of the time being on guard duty. Mr. Stanley has been identified with Conneaut since Feb. 1, 1863.  He built the Stanley Block in this city in 1889-'90.  He is a stockholder in the Conneaut Mutual Loan Association.  He takes an active interest in the various public enterprises of the city; and, indeed, any movement which has for its object the advancement of the best interests of Conneaut is sure to find in him a hearty supporter.
     Mr. Stanley was married May 9, 1871, to Miss Alice Gould, daughter of Lorin and Mary (Silverthorne) Gould of Conneaut.  Her father died in 1889, at the age of eighty years, and her mother is still living, now seventy-one.
     Mr. Stanley has taken an active interest in social organizations.  He is a member of the Masonic order, of which he is Past Master of Evergreen Lodge, No. 222; Past High Priest of Conneaut Chapter, No. 70 Past T. I. M. of Conneaut Council, No. 40; member of the Cache Commandery, No. 27; is a member of the Knights of Pythias, and a comrade of Custer Post, No. 9, G. A. R.  In politics he is a Republican.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 562

BURT F. STEINS, proprietor of the Central Hotel, Conneaut, Ohio, is a young man of more than ordinary business enterprise and push.  By nature and training he is especially adapted for the business in which he is engaged, and seems to be exactly the right man in the right place.
     He was born in Pennsylvania, Jan. 4, 1862, and is a son of George W. and Esther (Cross) Steins, both natives of Pennsylvania.
     After his marriage, which event occurred Nov. 24, 1859, George W. Steins settled in Girard, Pennsylvania, where he lived until 1867, when he moved with his family to Conneaut, having however done business here previous to that time.  In 1882 he turned his attention to the hotel business, and soon afterward to the livery business, carrying on both until 1889.  From that date until April, 1892, he devoted his time exclusively to his livery, feed and sale stable, and then, selling out to B. F. Thayer, he retired from active life.
     Burt F. Steins, the younger of the two sons of George W. Steins and the subject of this article, was employed as clerk in his father's hotel after leaving school, and soon proved himself to be especially fitted for the hotel business.  In 1889, he became proprietor of the Central Hotel, which he has since successfully conducted.  In 1892, he renovated it and embellished it with all the modern improvements, such as steam heating apparatus, electric lights, etc., making it one of the most cozy hotels on the line between Buffalo and Cleveland.  He also deals in horses, usually keeping about a half dozen.  Socially, he is a member of the Elks of Conneaut.
     Mr. B. F. Steins' wife, a winsome and cultured lady, is a daughter of Roderick Frazier, of Meadville, Pennsylvania.  They were married at her father's home in Meadville, Nov. 6, 1884.
     There is no improvement by which strangers judge of the character of a city or town as readily as by the character of its hotel accommodations, and at the present time the traveling public expect and demand a good service from the various hostelries to which they accord their patronage.  Thus it is patent that he who would successfully conduct such a public enterprise must be naturally fitted for the business, must look to multitudinous details, must be genial and gain the good will of patrons and cater to their wants in every reasonable way.  Mr. Steins' success in the conduct of his model little hotel gives evidence that he fulfills all these requirements, and he numbers his friends among the traveling public by those who once stop at his house, as the expression goes with the commercial travelers; the house is a first-class place to put up, and the proprietor well merits the success and popularity which he has attained.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 813

JUSTIN F. STEVENS is a member of the Board of Trustees of Orwell township, Ashtabula county, Ohio, and ranks as a senior member, having served for two terms of three years each, and in the spring of 1893 was re-elected to the office by a large majority of votes cast by his fellow townsmen, which fact shows full well the confidence which is placed in him by those who know him best.  He owns a good farm of fifty acres on section 11, and one of 142 acres of section 16, both of which are well cultivated and valuable pieces of property.
     The birth of Mr. Stevens took place in Montville, Geauga county, Ohio, Sept. 13, 1837.  He is a son of Seth and Highley (Hart) Stevens.  The father was a representative farmer and reared his son to follow the same vocation.  The mother was one of those quiet, home bodies, devoted to her husband and children.  The oldest child, Amarette, is now Mrs. Newton Austin, and is a resident of Montville, Ohio.  Albert E. wedded Armena Rawden, by whom he had three sons and one daughter.  On July 18, 1879, this happy family were deprived of the husband and father, who, in the prime of life, was called to his final rest.  His family are now living in the village of Orwell.
     Justin E. Stevens was an infant of only two weeks when his mother died, and he knew not the maternal love and care until his father married Miss Emmeline Austin, a native of Connecticut.  In every possible way she was loving and kind to him, and he looks upon her, and has since his earliest recollection, as a mother in all the word implies.  Of this second union were born seven children: Latica, wife of Lewis Higley, of Windsor, Ohio; Nelson, who resides in Montville, Ohio; Catherine, Mrs. Porter Brace, a resident of Montville, Ohio; Zachariah, who lives in Connecticut; Rollin, who makes his home in Montville; Mary, who became the wife of Lewis Elliott and lives in Huntsburg, Ohio; and William, a business man of Warren, Ohio.
     The early life of our subject was spent on his father’s farm in the usual routine common to farmer lads, and he obtained his education in the district school.  His opportunities in this direction were cut short when he was seventeen years old, and from that time he became self-supporting.  At first he worked by the month for a farmer, and later was employed in a mill until twenty-five years of age.  About that time he engaged in farming on his own account and in time grew to be one of the model agriculturists of the county.  His pleasant home is situated on section 11.
     Justin F. Stevens and Miss Eunice Gould were pronounced man and wife Oct. 14, 1858.  The lady was a daughter of Thomas Gould, formerly an enterprising farmer of Hart’s Grove township.  The only survivor of his family is Mrs. Sarah Wright, who resides in Bloomington, Illinois, and who is a sister of Mrs. Eunice Stevens.  Four children graced the union of our subject and his first wife: Della married Peter Clute, of Wayne township, and is the mother of two children, Eva and Myrl; Luella is now Mrs. Elbert Paine of Warren, Ohio, and she also has two children: Raymond and Sadie. The Other two children, Fred and Nettie, are still living at home.  The birthdays of these four are as follows: Della, born Aug. 24, 1859; Luella, Apr. 22, 1867; Fred, Mar. 26, 1874; and Nettie, Jan. 3, 1876.  The last named who is an amiable and agreeable young lady, is possessed of considerable musical talent.  On Sept. 10, 1883, the dath angel claimed the wife and mother, who had endured a lingering illness of many months.  She was an earnest Christian woman and was greatly missed in the home circle, the church of which she was a member, and by all who knew her.
     The present wife of Mr. Stevens was formerly Miss Ruth Gould, and their marriage was celebrated Feb. 11, 1885.  Her father, Thomas P. Gould, lived in Green township, Trumbull county, Ohio.  Her oldest sister, Mary, married Chancy M. King and lives in Mantua, Ohio; a brother, Lewis, died in infancy; while her remaining brother, Newell, lives in Farmington, Trumbull county.  Julia died at the age of twenty-two years, and Clara, the youngest of the family, became the wife of Richard Coffield, and lives in Green township, Trumbull county.
     Our subject and wife have two sons: Hugh, who was born Apr. 22, 1887; and Harrison, born New Year’s Day, 1889.  They are both endowed with rare musical talent, and the writer had the pleasure of hearing little Hugh chant the Lord’s Prayer, accompanied by the organ played by his sister Nettie.  The little fellow’s rendering was beyond criticism, and both boys have remarkable voices.  Mrs. Stevens’ father was a native of Vermont, but came to Ohio when about fourteen years old.  He turned his attention to agricultural pursuits until shortly before bis death, which took place Apr. 19, 1875, when he was fifty- six years of age.  His wife bore the maiden name of Clarissa Smith.  She was born near Cazenovia, New York, and died Sept. 14, 1891, aged seventy-five years.  Both she and her husband were consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church
     The hospitable home of Mr. Stevens is always open to all their many friends, and the stranger will there find a cordial welcome.  In manners, Mr. Stevens is genial and agreeable, and makes his fortunate guest feel thoroughly at home.  With his wife and children he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he is a Class-Leader and Steward. 
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 345

CAPT. ALBERT WARREN STILES. - The lives of great and good men are incentives to the rising generation and all who are to follow, as perpetuating the greatest virtues and firing the emulation of others to imitate their example, and thus leave behind them names of honor and renown.  In the annals of Ohio, which bear many illustrious names, none is more worthy of mention than that of the subject of this sketch, who has proven himself, by a long life of private and public honor, to be possessed of those qualities which create and ennoble great States.
     Hiram Stites, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Plainfield Center, Otsego county, New York, in 1803, and died suddenly of heart disease, in Rome, Ohio, May 29, 1865, after a long and useful life.  His widow, Mandana Duty Stiles, was born in Ashtabula, Ohio, Dec. 12, 1812, and is now (1893) enjoying good health at her home in Rome, this State.  When young she taught school, and had for pupils a brother and sister of General Garfield, before the latter was born.  Mrs. Stiles’ grandfather, Moses Warren, Sr., was born in Northborough, Massachusetts in 1760, and was a soldier in the Revolutionary war from 1776 to near its close.  He was a descendant of General Joseph Warren, who fell at Bunker Hill, fighting for American liberty.  Moses Warren, Sr., married Miss Priscilla Nurse, also a descendant of an old and prominent New England family of Revolutionary fame.  The parents of the subject of this sketch had eight children, of whom the Captain is fifth in order of birth, four being now alive.  The following brief record of the children is pertinent: Asa D.; Persis E. Bishop; W. C., proprietor of the largest ship-timber mill in the United States, situated at Warren, Ohio; Amanda and Chloe, who died in infancy; Martha, who died aged twenty; and Elton H., who died in 1889.  The latter was employed in his brother’s mill, just referred to, as bookkeeper, and while temporarily engaged at the works was caught in the machinery, receiving injuries from the effect of which he died a few hours later.  He left a widow, Carrie Crosby Stiles, and three children.  He was a young man of ability and excellent standing, was active in church work and in all things tending to benefit his community, and was greatly mourned by all who knew him.
     Captain Stiles, of this notice, was born Sept. 3, 1841, in Warrensville, Ohio, where his earlier years were passed.  He attended the common schools of his vicinity until the fall of 1857, at which time he went to the academy at Twinsburg, Ohio, for one term.  In the spring of 1858 he removed with his parents to Rome, Ohio, and from that time until 1861 he was engaged in teaching and attending school.  It was in the winter of 1850-’51 that James A. Garfield, the martyred President, tanght school in the district where Albert Stiles lived, the former making his home with Mr. Stiles’ father.  Thus an acquaintance was begun which ended only with the life of the noble President.
     Apr. 24, 1861, when twenty years of age, Albert Stiles enlisted in the Civil war for the defense of the Union, having the distinction of being the first volunteer from Rome township.  He was mustered into Company D, of the Nineteenth Ohio Volunteer Militia, under the command of Captain Robert W. Crane, and was in a camp of instruction, Camp Taylor, in Cleveland, Ohio, for a short time.  He was then transferred with his company and regiment to Camp Goddard, at Zanesville, the same State, and from there went soon afterward to the field of operations in West Virginia, serving under General George B. McClellan, in General Rosecrans’ brigade.
     His first experience in battle occurred on July 11, 1861, at Rich Mountain, West Virginia, and he was mustered out at Ashtabula, Ohio, August, 29, of the same year.  He soon afterward enlisted as a private in what was subsequently known as Company A, Sixth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, after which his rise in rank was rapid and continuous.  In the following November, he was promoted to fourth duty Sergeant; Jan. 1, 1863, to first Sergeant of Company A; May 9, 1864, to Second Lieutenant Company D; Nov. 12, 1864, to First Lieutenant of Company B; and Jan. 25, 1865, to Captain of Company E, Sixth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry.  He served under Generals Fremont, Sigel, McClellan, Pope, Burnside, Stoneman, Pleasanton, Hooker, Meade, Sheridan and Grant, and was in more than forty battles and numerous skirmishes.
     When volunteers were demanded for particularly hazardous duty, he always offered his services, and on one occasion he volunteered, with 150 others from his division, for a forlorn hope during the second battle of Bull Run, in 1862.  The Sixth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry found itself on the morning of Apr. 9, 1865, across the pike and within a mile of Appomattox Court House, Virginia, having advanced the night before, about ten o’clock, and captured the works abandoned by General Custer just before dark of that day.  They were in turn attacked by General Gordon’s forces of Lee’s army, and were present at the surrender of General Lee.  Apr. 10, the brigade to Which the Sixth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry was attached, General C. H. Smith commanding, was detailed to escort General H. S. Grant to Burkeville Junction, Virginia.  In January, 1865, Captain Stiles was detailed with a detachment of his regiment, to go to Ohio as recruiting officer for the regiment, and returned March 10 following.  Like many others of his comrades in arms, he experienced the inhospitality of Libby Prison.  He was wounded and taken prisoner in a mounted cavalry charge at Upperville, Virginia, June 23, 1863, and was sent by way of Winchester and Staunton, that State, to Libby Prison, Richmond.  He was soon afterward paroled and sent to camp at Annapolis, Maryland, via City Point and Fortress Monroe, Virginia.  He resigned his commission at Petersburg, that State, and left the service June 29, 1865.
     He then returned to his home in Rome, Ohio, and commenced life again on the farm.  In the fall of 1869, he was elected Sheriff of Ashtabula comity, and assumed the duties of that office in the following January, being re-elected in 1871 and serving until 1874.  In 1878, lie was again elected, and re-elected to succeed himself in 1880, serving until January, 1883.  His record as Sheriff during tips long period was one of the best.  In November, 1881, he followed up and arrested Holden, of England, and White, of New York, for prize-fighting in the county for the feather-weight championship of the world.  He was also successful in assisting in quieting a riot of dock hands at Ashtabula harbor, in 1876.  He is a man of great courage, aud whether as soldier, Sheriff or citizen, has always acted with promptness and fortitude in the face of danger.  To show this trait of character, the following two instances are cited: Once, while standing on the highway, he saw a horse running furiously, with two ladies and a boy in the buggy, and succeeded in stopping the horse without injury to himself or to any one in the vehicle.  Again, in Columbus, while walking along a street leading to the principal thoroughfare, which is always crowded, he saw a span of horses, attached to an empty lumber wagon, running with terrific speed.  Realizing instantly that if they were allowed to dash out into that crowded street that great loss of life and property would follow, he made a rush for the runaways and succeeded in stopping them, with no damage other than a severe strain to his body.
     He was elected Presidential Elector by acclamation for the historic nineteenth district, the first instance in that district in which an elector was selected by the unanimous vote since the organization of the Republican party.  In May, 1886, he was appointed Steward of the Ohio Penitentiary, which position he resigned Mar. 1, 1889, to assume charge, as Superintendent, of the Girls’ Industrial Home, near Delaware.  He was removed from the latter position by Governor Campbell, on May 1, 1890, for “offensive partisanship,” but was appointed, in 1892, to the same position by Governor McKinley, and is the present incumbent of that place.  This Home is beautifully situated on the west bank of the Scioto river, and contains 330 girls at present, ranging from the age of nine to eighteen.  Captain Stiles is peculiarly fitted for his duties by his great executive ability and kindliness of disposition, while his worthy wife makes a most efficient matron, and is in all respects a valuable assistant to her husband.  As showing the large saving to the State accruing from his excellent management, it is only necessary to mention the expense of this institution under his predecessors in his present position, and that during his incumbency.  The per capita expense in 1891 was $128.38; in 1892, $120.49; while in 1893, under his management, it was $109.74 - showing a considerable saving.
     The Captain was from boyhood a very close friend of the late General James A. Garfield, and took an active part in all that great general’s campaigns.  He has many letters written by the hand of his distinguished friend, acknowledging his obligations to the Captain.  From one of these we quote a few sentences:
     MY DEAR CAPTAIN: - ................Now that the fight of October is over, I want to say that I can boast of one thing that few men can say with as much truth.  I have as noble a band of friends as any man can have, and none among them have done better or more wisely effective work than you. You have not only worked for the general cause, but yon have done very great service to me.
          As ever your friend,
                    J. A. GARFIELD.

     Captain Stiles is an aid-de-camp on the staff of General A. G. Weissert, Commander in Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic; and is a member of the Loyal Legion of Ohio, G. A. R.  He also belongs to the F. & A. M., and is a member of the Presbyterian Church.
     Sept. 24, 1866, Captain Stiles was married to Miss Jane E. Crosby, born Oct. 10, 1843, who was the youngest daughter of Levi and Sarah (Leonard) Crosby, prominent residents of Rome, Ohio.  Her father was born Apr. 2, 1803, and died in Rome, Jan. 30, 1883; while her mother , born in 1806, died in the same place in December, 1845.  The remainder of the family comprises her brothers, Giles Crosby, of Rome, Dwight, of Jefferson, Ohio; and a sister, Maria wife of E. Douglass, of Rom.  Captain and Mrs. Stiles have had three children; Jay, born Mar. 6, 1869, died May 6, 1871; Maud, born Dec. 3, 1876; and Charlotte, born Nov. 1, 1878, - have developed into beautiful young women, modest, talented and accomplished, receiving their finishing course in the city schools of Delaware, Ohio.
     Thus briefly is given an outline of an eminently useful career, whose efforts have all been those of progress for himself and benefit to his fellow-man.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 909

ELTON H. STILES was born in Warrensville, Ohio, Feb. 10, 1853. In 1858 he moved to Rome, Ashtabula county, Ohio, where the greater part of his life was spent until 1887, when he moved to Newton Falls, Ohio, where he was engaged in the ship timber business for a number of years. There he met with the sad accident which caused his death. His leg was caught in the machinery of a sawmill, and was wrenched from his body, his death resulting three-quarters of an hour later. This occurred May 17, 1889. Mr. Stiles was formerly engaged in farming and stock-raising. He was a prominent and active member of the Presbyterian Church, as also is his wife, and with the Odd Fellow and Knights of Pythias lodges he was prominently identified. By nature he was generous and charitable, ever giving of his means to promote all en­terprises he deemed for the best interest of his community, never turning a deaf ear to the poor and needy. In politics, he was an ardent Republican. He tilled several local offices. For several years he was Township Clerk, and he also filled the office of Assessor and Census Enumerator. Mr. Stiles was the youngest brother of Captain A. W. Stiles, a well-known resident of Ashtabula county.
     At his death Mr. Stiles left a widow, also three children, namely: Lee, born Nov. 29, 1879; Emir, Sept. 25, 1882 ; and Elliot, Aug. 27, 1884. Mrs. Stiles was before her marriage Miss Carrie J. Crosby. Her father, Elijah Crosby, was born in East Haddam, Connecticut, and in October, 1831, was married to Elizabeth L. Chester. In early life he followed the trade of carpenter and joiner, but for many years he has been engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was a Republican in politics, and has held various township offices, always performing with the strictest fidelity the duty entrusted to him. The year he was married he and his wife joined the Presbyterian Church, and since that time have remained active and consistent members of the same. Their family of children is as follows: Lydia A., born Dec. 23, 1832, was married May 3, 1861, to J. W. Springer; Frank E., July 29, 1834, married Emma Wood, Sept. 12, 1863; Orietta M., born Aug. 5, 1836, married Oliver Smith, Aug. 31, 1856; Elliot M., born Feb. 28, 1839, married Betsy Crowell Aug. 20,1865, and died Jan. 5, 1876; Albert C., born Jan. 24, 1842, married Sylvia Fobes Dec. 23, 1870; Sarah E., born May 2, 1844, married E. J. Crowell Dec. 16,1866; Phoebe C, born Feb. 22, 1847, died Ootober29, 1876; Alice L., born Apr. 22, 1850; and Carrie J., born Nov. 18, 1856.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 208

Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 389

Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 539

EDWARD F. STOLL, the efficient and popular proprietor of the Stoll House, in Ashtabula, Ohio, was born in Conneaut, this State, May 13, 1851.  His father, E. Frederick Stoll, was born on the Rhine in Germany, in 1803, and learned the tanner's trade, which he followed all his life.  In 1833 he came to the United States, this mecca of all ambitious spirits, and followed his business for a time in Erie, Pennsylvania, later in Chicago, and finally, in 1843, settled in Amboy, Ohio, where he spent the rest of his days.  After coming to the United States he was married to Margaret Simington, a native of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and of German descent.  They had eleven children, of whom but five survive.  The father died in Amboy, Ashtabula county, Ohio, in 1891, aged eighty-eight, while the devoted wife and mother now resides on the old homestead in that city, at the age of eighty years, universally beloved and respected.
     The subject of this sketch was reared in Amboy, and obtained his education at Kingsville Academy.  When seventeen years of age he began life for himself in Kingsville by learning the tinner's trade, after which he came to Ashtabula, where he was for four years foreman for Messrs. J. B. Crosby & Sons, hardware merchants.
     Nov. 29, 1873, Mr. Stoll was married * to Miss Jennie Warmington, an intelligent and accomplished lady, daughter of Robert C. Warmington, at that time proprietor of the Ashtabula House, then the leading hotel in Ashtabula.  In March, 1880, Mr. Stoll took charge of the Ashtabula House, which he managed for twenty-six months, when it was closed and converted into a business block.  He then, May 1, 1882, opened the Stoll House, which he has since conducted and which is the leading hotel in Ashtabula.  His devoted wife died Oct. 12, 1891, which was a great loss to him and many friends.  She was a model hostess, and, together with Mr. Stoll's capable management, they made a splendid reputation for the hotel.  She was a material aid in his successes and was considered one of the most popular landladies in Northeastern Ohio.
     Socially Mr. Stoll is a Uniform Rank Knight of Pythias, and is a member of the I. O. O. F., holding high positions in both fraternities.  As a business man he is honest, industrious and enterprising, while as a citizen he is a liberal-minded and progressive, ever alive to the best interests of his city, which he has done so much to advance.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 403
SHARON WICK's NOTE:  * Marriage can be found in Book G, Page 127 at Ashtabula Co., Ohio Courthouse)

EDWARD AUGUSTIN STONE, one of the old settlers of Conneaut, Ohio, was born in Ashtabula County, this State, Jan. 17, 1825, son of Captain Merrit and Arsula (Loomis) Stone.
     Captain Stone was a shoemaker by trade, but was for some years engaged in agricultural pursuits.  He was captain of a company in the war of 1812.  A brother of his, Randolph Stone, was a Presbyterian minister for many years, preaching in this county, and owning a farm here on Rock Creek.  Captain Stone went West (to Indiana or Illinois) to settle some land warrants, and died on the way.  He was traveling with ox teams and in company with a large party.  Little, however, is known of his sickness or death, as the facilities for obtaining news in those days were very poor.  His wife is also deceased.  She was a member of the Presbyterian Church.  Grandfather Stone died in Hampton.  He was twice married.  His first wife’s maiden name was Woodruff, and their only child was Captain Merrit Stone.
     Edward A. is the fourth in a family of seven children, namely: Balinda, unmarried, and an invalid for many years, recently went to California for her health, where she died, at the age of sixty-years; Lucinda married John Venen, and both she and her husband are deceased;  Amanda, unmarried, died in Kingsville, this county, at about the age of twenty years; Edward A.; Fernando, who spent some time on the ocean while a young man, was married in New York State, and afterward settled in Kingsville, this county, where his death occurred; Priscilla, who died at the age of twelve years; Henry Warren is married and living at Niagara Falls.
     The subject of our sketch was married Apr. 7, 1851, to Miss Eliza A. Venen, daughter of Dr. John Venen and his wife, Nancy (Haywood) Venen.  Her parents both lived to a ripe old age, her father dying at the age of ninety-two, and her mother two years later.  Dr. Venen and his wife had children as follows: John D., deceased; Virgil H., proprietor of a greenhouse in Conneaut; Eliza A.; Joseph A., a resident of Cleveland, engaged in the jewelry business; Darwin P., a jeweler of Conneaut; Laurel P., of Olympia, Washington; Laura L., a twin sister of Laurel P., is the widow of Levi Briggs, and lives in Conneaut; and Mary, wife of John Scott, is deceased.  Edward A. Stone and his wife have two children: Laura V. and Laura Eliza.  Laura E. married Charles Putnam, a furniture dealer of Conneaut, and has two children, Eppie May and Walter Edward.
     Mr. Stone learned the blacksmith trade in early life, and worked at that trade for thirty years.  He manufactured carriages and wagons, hiring trimmers and painters and running all the departments of a complete carriage shop.  Later he bought a farm and carried on agricultural pursuits, also having a shop on his farm and working in it much of the time. He has seen much of hardships and privations incident to pioneer life.  He has served in various minor offices, at one time being both Deputy Sheriff and Constable.  He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, in which he has a high standing, being a member of Evergreen Lodge, No. 222, A. F. & A. M.; Conneaut Chapter, No. 76, R. A. M.; Conneaut Council, No. 40, R. & S. M.; and Cache Commandery, No. 27, K. T.  He has passed all the chairs in the three former bodies and was a charter member of the three latter bodies and was a charter member of the three latter bodies.  He was also the Senior S. C. of Eureka Council, No. 1, R. T. of T.  He and his wife and two children are members of the Christian Church, all having been baptized the same day.  Thus far there has not been a death in either the Stone or Putnam families.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 734

LAUREL V. STONE, the leading jeweler of Conneaut, Ohio, was born in this city Apr. 7, 1855, son of Edward and Eliza A. Stone.  His early life was spent on his father’s farm, a mile and a half south of Conneaut, and his education was received in the Conneaut Academy and at Cobb’s Business College in Painesville, Ohio.  He learned the jeweler’s trade of D. P. Venen, at the time a prominent jeweler of Conneaut.  After completing his trade, in the fall of 1879 he engaged in business for himself at Vermillion, Ohio, where he remained six years, meeting with prosperity.  In 1885 he sold out and returned to the home of his youth.  He then purchased the jewelry store of E. H. Hiler, and by close attention business and untiring energy he has succeeded in building up a trade that has gained for him the reputation of being the leading jeweler of Conneaut.  He carries a well assorted stock of gold and silver, and also keeps musical instruments of all kinds.  Fine and difficult repairing is a specialty with him.
     Mr. Stone was married Feb. 20, 1879, by Rev. J. W. Martin, and has two children, Frank Edward and John Olmsted.  Mrs. Stone, formerly Miss Addie M. Olmsted, is a daughter of John and Hannah (Salisbury) Olmsted.  He and his wife are members of the Christian Church, and both are active church and Sabbath-school workers, he being Financial Secretary of the church and Assistant Superintendent and teacher in the Sunday-school, and she the Sunday-school Treasurer.  Mr. Stone votes with the Republican party, taking, however, little interest in political matters.  He is a stockholder in the Conneaut Gas, Light and Fuel Company.
     With fraternal as well as business circles Mr. Stone is prominently identified.  He is a member of the Evergreen Lodge, No. 222, A. F. & A. M., also of Conneaut Chapter, No.  76, R. A. M., and Conneaut Council, No. 40, R. & S. M.  He is Chancellor Commander of Maple Lodge, No. 217, K. of P., and is also a member of Conneaut Division, No. 114, Uniform Rank, K. of P.  In the last two named organizations he has passed all the chairs in the local lodges, being the Senior Past Officer in each.  He is Select Councillor of Eureka Council, No. 1, R. T. of T., of Conneaut; is Past President of Conneaut Circle, No. 38, P. H. C.; is Past President of Conneaut Council, No. 37, A. P. A.; is a member of Conneaut Council, No. 780, Royal Arcanum, and is a member of the Ohio State Police.  At the State Council Session, held at Youngstown, Ohio, May 9, 10 and 11, 1893, he was elected State Councillor of Ohio, in the Junior O. U. A. M., he having carved his way in the State Council, step by step, from the office of State Council Warden to the highest place in the gift of the State Council; he has the honor of being the first person in the history of Conneaut to fill the chief State executive office of any secret society, and his local Council Northern Star, No. 30, Jr. O. U. A. M., feel highly honored that one of their number should be thus favored.
     He is a member of Conneaut Tent, No. 100, K. O. T. M., and also holds a State office in this order, that of State Picket, and it is fondly hoped by his numerous friends that in the not distant future he will occupy the highest position in the order.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 734

RICHMOND E. STONE. - Among the prominent and influential citizens of Orwell, Ohio, the subject of this sketch deservedly holds a high place as a man of superior energy, ability and worth of character.
     His father, Stukley Stone, was born in New York State, July 4, 1801, and was reared to farming, which vocation many of his ancestors had followed, and like them he enjoyed the reputation of being a man of judgment and integrity.  He was married in that State and at an early day removed to Ashtabula county, Ohio, where he settled on a farm and became one of the leading men in the county.  He died in Orwell, Oct. 15, 1882, of heart trouble superinduced by old age.  His wife,
mother of the subject of this sketch, was also a native of the Empire State, where she was born Dec. 19, 1803.  Her father, Rev. Edmund Richmond, was a noted pioneer minister of northeastern Ohio, who settled in Rome township, Ashtabula county, more than half a century ago.  Here, heat once commenced to make a home for himself and family, which eventually numbered eight sons and four daughters.  He was industrious and enterprising and was prospered in his efforts, accumulating a comfortable income.  He was not forgetful of his duty as a minister, but simultaneously with his settlement in the county organized a little group of worshipers, ten in number, which in a few years increased to fifty.  He afterward removed to Sheffield, near which he bought land, that became in time a valuable farm.  He was a moving spirit in all enterprises of a beneficial nature and labored energetically in his Master’s cause.  Besides caring for his large family, he erected a comfortable church edifice on his own land and donated the building and site to the regular Baptist Church, of which he was a minister.  Three of his sons were ministers of the gospel and are notable for their able and earnest efforts in the cause of the church.  Judah L. was a graduate of Hamilton College, New York; Charles M., also a graduate of Hamilton College, practiced medicine for the last twenty years of his life, but never entirely gave up his ministerial duties; Cyrus R. was ordained a Baptist minister; Horace was insane for forty years; John L., a leading pioneer politician of Democratic principles, was a member of the Kansas Legislature; and D. T. is Mayor of Breckenridge, Missouri.  Mrs. Stone, mother of the subject of this sketch, is still living (1893) in Orwell, in the enjoyment of excellent health.  Her children were evenly divided between sons and daughters,, five of each, of whom but five are now living: the subject of this sketch, the oldest of those surviving; Horner J., of Orwell; C. R., of Kansas; Marietta, wife of Charles Babcock, of Orwell; and Susan, wife of Mr. A. Lamb of Rome.
     Richmond E. Stone, the able and popular proprietor of Stone’s Hotel, a life-long resident  and representative citizen of Orwell, Ohio, was born in Milford, Otsego county, Now York, May 18, 1826.  When he was but four years of age, his parents removed from the East to Orwell, which has ever since been his home.  He received his education in the primary and advanced schools of his county, finishing with a course at Kingsville Academy.  These advantages, combined with a naturally active intellect, have placed him in the front rank of financial and mercantile circles.  He possesses fair ability as a mathematician, grammarian and historian, and is a beautiful penman and expert stenographer.  A diary of 1851 which he has, with all the entries made in the Pitman system of shorthand, is a model of neatness.  He was for thirteen years one of the few successful school teachers in the county and was for a time township Superintendent of Schools.  His business life has been somewhat varied; he was successively engaged in different mercantile pursuits, in all of which he met with gratifying success, principally owing to his superior financial ability.  He is at present (1893,) the capable and popular proprietor and manager of Stone’s Hotel, known far and near for its neat, prompt and satisfactory service.  He owns property and has shown his generosity by deeding to the township of Orwell a desirable piece of land for a park, which will ever be a monument to his public spirit.
     Sept. 17, 1854, Mr. Stone was married to Miss Mary Ann Williams, an estimable lady of Parkman, Ohio, who was born Sept. 17, 1833.  Her parents, Joseph and Mary Williams, were natives of England, whence they emigrated in 1826 to the United States, on account of the strict entailment laws of inheritance.  They settled in Ashtabula county, where the father was a successful farmer.  He died July 27, 1865, at the acre of seventy-two years, and as if unable to endure a separation after 60 many years’ association, his wife followed him to the tomb two weeks later, dying Aug. 6, 1865.  Mr. and Mrs. Stone have three children living:  Ward B., born July 30, 1855, has two children; Lela D., born July 18, 1883; and Etta B., born Feb. 23, 1892.  Maryette C. died in infancy; Hattie R., born Sept. 20, 1862, married S. E. Payne, of Orwell, and has one child, Clarence, born Aug. 21, 1891; and Emma Grace, wife of L. A. Cook, a news dealer of Warren, Ohio.
     Politically, Mr. Stone is a conservative Republican, is well informed on the general topics of the day, honest in his convictions and energetic in his support of them.  He has tilled a number of offices of trust, having been Postmaster from 1869 to 1882, and during his term was instrumental in securing a money-order department for the post office at Orwell.  He was for many years Clerk of the township and has been a Notary Public for thirty years.
     Fraternally, he affiliates with the A. F. & A. M., to which he has belonged since October, 1858, and is a charter member of Orwell Lodge, No. 377, I. O. O. F. Industrious, public-spirited, liberal and progressive, he has attained financial prosperity and advanced the interests of his community, besides deservedly winning the esteem of all right-minded men.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 892

WARD B. STONE, a prominent merchant and highly respected citizen of Orwell, Ohio, was born at this place, July 30, 1855, only son of Richland E. and Mary Stone, appropriate mention of whom appears elsewhere in this work.  After completing a course of study in the Orwell Normal Institute, he went to Philadelphia, where he spent six months studying pharmacy.  Returning to Orwell at the expiration of that time, he and his father built the two-story brick building now occupied by Hall & Stevens, where for several years they kept a drug store, and also the postoffice.  He was for some years connected with the firm of G. B. De Voe & Co., of Orwell, and C. W. De Voe & Co., of Rock Creek, Ohio.  At this writing he is a member of the firm of De Voe & Co., of Orwell.
     Mr. Stone was married June 22, 1881, to Miss Emma H. De Voe, a native of this place and a most estimable woman.  For many years she has been a faithful member of the Presbyterian Church, and is beloved by all who know her.  Mr. and Mrs. Stone have two children, Leila D. and Etta B., the former born July 18, 1883, and the latter Feb. 23, 1892.
     Mr. Stone is identified with the Republican party, and is now serving as Township Clerk.  He is also Clerk of the Board of Health.  Fraternally, he affiliates with the R. A. M., Grand River Chapter, No. 104; and Rock Creek Lodge, F. & A. M., No. 277.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 1020

A. STRAUSS - One very important element of foreign population in the United States is the Hungarian, which forms a large percentage of the workingmen in shipping and mining districts, and contributes materially to the development of the country.  A worthy representative of this class is found in the subject of this sketch.
     A. Strauss, a substantial business man of Sweden, Ashtabula county, Ohio, was born in Hungary, Mar. 22, 1854. He received a limited
education in his native land, and when nineteen years of age emigrated to the United States, to try his fortune in a new country.  He landed in New York city, whence he came direct to Cleveland, where he was variously engaged at anything which would provide him with the necessaries of life.  Among  other things he tried peddling, at which he spent the greater part of his time.  He was also employed as canal boy and worked on the coal dyke at Fairport, besides sometimes working on a farm.  Thus in every way open to him he sought to earn an honest living.  It was while on a peddling expedition to Ashtabula Harbor that he became impressed with the opportunities afforded for an energetic business man to make money.  Acting upon this idea, he immediately unloaded his .little wagon into a building, and this constituted his first stock of goods.  As he was prospered, he enlarged his business, and as his surplus funds increased beyond the requirements of his store, he invested in real estate in the Harbor, which by its rise in value has placed him among the most substantial men of the city.
     He was married in September, 1885, to Miss Fannie Berkwitz, a most estimable lady, and, like himself, a native of Hungary.  They
have two interesting children: Mollie and Bertha.
     Politically, Mr. Strauss is a strong Republican, and is quite active in molding sentiment in his vicinity in favor of his party.  Fraternally, he affiliates with the Odd Fellows.  As a business man and citizen, he is characterized by honesty and enterprise, and has materially aided in advancing the interests of his favorite city.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 818

A. A. STRONG, the efficient and popular agent at Ashtabula, Ohio, for the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad Company, which office he has held for the last thirty years, was born in this city, Sept. 5, 1827.  His parents, Elihu C. and Caroline (Blakeslee) Strong, were both natives of Connecticut, the former born in Middletown and the latter in Saybrook. Nathan Strong, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was also a native of Connecticut and of English descent.  About the year 1812 he joined the westward tide of emigration to Ohio, then on the frontier of civilization, settling with his family near Bunker Hill, Ashtabula county, being one of the earliest settlers of the county.  At the call of his country in 1812, he patriotically responded and served with valor and efficiency in that war.  He was a farmer by occupation and became possessed of large tracts of land, which he divided among his children, of whom he had thirteen.  He was a man of energy and ability, of sterling qualities of mind and heart, and highly regarded by all who knew him.  He was the first Sheriff of Ashtabula county, and served in that capacity ably and honorably.  His son, Elihu, father of the subject of this sketch, was also a farmer and equally a man of high honor in the various walks of life.  He reared two children: a daughter, who died young; and son, whose name heads this notice.
     Mr. Strong, of this biography, was reared in Ashtabula, the place of his birth, where he has passed his entire life.  He obtained a common-school education and early in life taught for five or six years.  In 1858, he entered the employ of the railroad company and in 1864 he became the agent of the Lake Shore Railroad Company at Ashtabula, in which position he has ever since remained holding one office longer than any other employe of the company.
     In 1858, Mr. Strong was married to Mrs. Sarah C. Crocker, a lady of domestic tastes, and they have an adopted daughter.
     Fraternally, Mr. Strong is a Knight Templar Mason.  His long services in one position speaks well for his stability and worth of character, and he justly enjoys the best wishes of all for his future prosperity.
Source: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio - Publ. Chicago - The Lewis Publishing Co., 1893 - Page 673

DWIGHT F. STRONG was born in Claridon township, Geauga county, Ohio, May 17, 1840, a son of John F. Strong, May 17, 1840, a son of John F. Strong, a native of the State of New York.  The grandfather, Elijah Strong, was a native of Connecticut, but removed to New York, where he carried on farming in his younger days.  He finally removed to Ohio with his son, John, and died here at the age of seventy-two years.  John F. State, but removed to Ohio in 1833, making the trip via the Erie canal to Buffalo and thence by lake.  He was married here about 1838, and located in Claridon township.  He returned to New York in 1841, but came back to Ohio in 1847.  He owned a tract of sixty-two and a half acres, which he placed under cultivation.  He died at the age of fifty-one years.  His wife, whose maiden name was Laura C. Kellogg, was the second white female child born in Claridon township, and the daughter of A. Kellogg, one of the pioneers of this section.  She was the mother of eight children, six of whom lived to mature years; Herman R., Dwight F., Loren A., Edward C., Julia C. and Newton J.  She died in September, 1892, aged seventy-six years.  The parents of our subject were active members of the Congregational Church, and in politics, Mr. Strong was an active Whig until the organization of the Republic party.
     Dwight F. is the second-born of the family.  He attended the district school taught near his own home, and also was a pupil in the Chardon high school for three terms.  He had just reached his majority when his father died and left added responsibilities to the son.
     Mr. Strong was first married, Nov. 24, 1864, to Elizabeth Alexander, of Ashtabula county, Ohio, and they had one child, May, who died in her thirteenth year; the wife and mother died in 1871.  The second marriage was in September, 1872, when he was united to Alice Alexander, a niece of the first wife, by whom he had one child, Stuart D.  Mr. Strong has a choice tract of land, covering 103 acres, all of which is improved and under excellent cultivation.  He carries on a general farming business and runs a dairy, milking twelve cows.  He has a fine sugar grove of 800 trees, from which he makes a superior grade of sugar.  He has been very prosperous in his undertakings, and in 1892 rebuilt his residence after a more modern and convenient plan.
     Mr. and Mrs. Strong are members of the Congregational Church of Chardon, and he has been trustee for six years past.  In politics he adheres to the principles of RepublicanismSource: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio - Publ. Chicago - The Lewis Publishing Co., 1893 - Page 625

EDWIN T. STRONG, owner of the Clover Leaf Dairy Farm, of Ashtabula county, was born in Owasco, Cayuga county, New York, Sept. 2, 1827, a son of Walter and Sarah (Devoe) Strong, and a brother of Mrs. Hervey.  Edwin T. came to Jefferson, Ashtabula county, Ohio, with his parents at the age of sixteen years.  When a young man he returned to his native State, remaining there one year.  In 1862, he enlisted for service in the late war, was assigned to the Commissary Department, served under Captain Chapman, took part in the Missouri campaign, witnessed the battles of Pea Ridge and Rolla, and participated in many other engagements.  After the close of the struggle, Mr. Strong embarked in the livery business, but afterward began agricultural pursuits.  In 1878, in company with his brother, he started a dairy farm, having at that time seven cows.  He is now sole owner of the Clover Leaf Dairy Farm, and has twenty-six cows.  He has a fine residence, large barns, and a good orchard of small fruits.  Mr. Strong is deaf, and also suffered the loss of his right hand in a threshing machine in 1878.
     He was married in 1870, to Miss Matilda Parks, a daughter of Edwin W. Parks, a native of England.  He came to America when a boy, locating at Binghamton, New York, where he taught school, and was also a mechanic by trade.  He afterward became a farmer.  In 1843, he located in Jefferson, Ashtabula county, Ohio, where he died in 1873, at the age of seventy years.  Mrs. Strong was born in Binghamton, New York, in 1840, and came with her parents to Jefferson.  Mr. and Mrs. Strong are members of the Episcopal Church.  Politically our subject affiliates with the Republican party, and socially is a member of Lincoln Lodge, F. and A. M., No. 322.
Source: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio - Publ. Chicago - The Lewis Publishing Co., 1893 - Page 409

TIMOTHY C. STRONG, Jr., a prosperous and influential farmer and dairyman of Ashtabula township, Ashtabula county, Ohio, is descended from one of the oldest and best known families in this county. His ancestors were hardy New Englanders, his grandfather, Nathan Strong, one of the earliest settlers of Ohio, having been born in Connecticut in the latter part of the eighteenth century. He was a man of unusual ability and energy, and was easily a leader in any community in which he resided. He was for many years Sheriff in his native county in New England and afterward in Trumbull county, Ohio, when it included Ashtabula county, and when Warren was the seat of government for that territory. During the Revolutionary war, he was Quarter­master in the patriotic army, serving with efficiency and distinction. In 1808 he came West with a deed from the Connecticut Land Company for a large tract of school land, aggregating several hundred acres, situated on the town site of Ashtabula. He married Lucy Cornell, and they had nine children: Polly, Nathan, Lucy, Samuel, Jabez, Nathaniel; Timothy, father of the subject of this sketch; Elihu and Sarah.
     Timothy Strong, father of Mr. Strong of this notice, was born in Middletown, Connecticut, May 12, 1795, and accompanied his parents to Ohio in 1808, being then thirteen years of age. He attained his growth in Ashtabula county and became a successful farmer and dairyman, in which dual enterprise he was engaged many years, when he substituted sheep culture for dairying, an occupation which he followed until the time of his death. He was an enthusiastic Democrat of the Jeffersonian type, and gave much thought and labor to the local organization of his party, he and a few others controlling the politics of Plymouth township. One great desire of his life was to live to see the election of a Democratic president after the war, but this he was not permitted to do. He thought he was entitled to a pension for service in the war of 1812, but when the papers were submitted to him for his signa­ture, placing him on the rolls, he could not conscientiously sign them, though many other individuals secured such recognition by signing the documents without hesitation or conscientious scruples. This is but one of many instances of his upright and honorable disposition. He married Althea Cook, daughter of Erastus Cook, originally from New York State, and an early settler in Ohio. They had four children: Harriet P., who married A. Pattison, formerly an Indian trader, and later a wealthy merchant of Monmouth; Erastus C., deceased; Erastus, the second; and Timothy C., the subject of this sketch.
     The last mentioned, whose name heads this notice, was born in Ashtabula county, Ohio, Nov. 20, 1837, and secured his education in the district schools. He was reared to farming, in which he has been engaged all his life, having lived on his present place for fifty-five years. In connection with general farming, he was for a number of years employed in raising sheep, but later devoted his attention to the more profitable business of retailing milk. He owns 400 acres of as choice farming land as is to be found in the
county, all of which has been carefully cul­tivated and improved with buildings and all modern conveniences, until it is now one of the show places of the vicinity, and evinces plainly to all who see it that Mr. Strong is a practical and energetic farmer, with the industry to do and the intelligence to guide his efforts to successful accomplishment.
     Jan. 5, 1859, Mr. Strong was married to Mary A. Willey, a lady of intelligence and refinement, daughter of Andrew Willey, whose biography immediately follows, and who was an early settler of Ashtabula county. They had five children: A. W., born Oct. 12, 1859, married Hattie Umstead; Carrie A., born in 1863, died Apr. 13, 1864; Lewis E., born Jan. 15, 1866; Frank E, born Dec. 29, 1871, and Julia B., born Oct. 13, 1874, died Feb. 7,1880.
     In politics, Mr. Strong follows in the foot­steps of his father, although he is not quite as active a worker for Democracy as his immediate progenitor. Fraternally, he affiliates with the Royal Arch Masons and the Knights Templar. As a business man and citizen, he enjoys the confidence and respect of all who know him, and, with his family, is held in high social esteem.
     Another old and prominent family of Ashtabula county and closely connected with the Strong family, both by marriage and friendship, is that bearing the name of Willey, a family which is also from New England and of Puritan ancestry, the sterling qualities of which race they inherit in a strong degree. Charles Willey, their ancestor, was born in New Hampshire in 1742,and was an efficient soldier in the Revolutionary war, being a pensioner ^it the time of his death. He was a farmer, and when an hundred years old took active part in the work of the hayfield. After a useful life of remarkable longevity he died at the age of 107 years. He was the father of four children, of whom Andrew, previously referred to, was the youngest.
Andrew Willey, the founder of the family in Ashtabula county, was born in Nottingham, New Hampshire, Mar. 2, 1792, and grew to manhood in the State of his birth. At the age of twenty-four, he joined the west­ern tide of emigration and came to Ohio, set­tling in Ashtabula county. He and party came overland on horseback, and were several weeks on the way, many incidents of more than usual interest being connected with the journey. He was a blacksmith by trade, and he resumed this occupation on his arrival in Ashtabula county, in partnership with Holl Smith, Deacon Fisk and other early settlers. About 1820, Mr. Willey built, on his farm, a shop, where he followed his trade for a time, until he began teaming from Ashtabula to Pittsburg. He followed the latter occupation successfully until 1853, when the canal between Cleveland and adjoining points was completed. This new channel of transportation drew to itself most of the carrying trade, thus injuring his business, which he abandoned. He then turned his attention to farming, which he continued until his death. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, being hell in reserve at Lundy's Lane, but was not called into active service. His colonel was ex-Senator Silley and his captain was Josiah Bartlett. In politics, be was a strong Democrat and participated prominently in the cause, being known throughout the county as a leader and untiring worker for the Jeffersonian party and as a Freemason. He was married Jan. 22, 1820, to Almira Jones, who was born Aug. 26, 1803, and was ^ daughter of William Jones, a well-known pioneer, whom we will mention more at length later on. They had eleven children: William J., born
May 14, 1821, deceased; Lucy, born Aug. 11, 1823, deceased; Lydia, born Feb. 2, 1825, married W. A. Robertson; Lucy, born Aug. 13,1826, married Mr. Allcock; Julia, May 12, 1828, became the wife of Henry Ripley; Charles, Mar. 14, 1835; Albert P.; Almira, Dec. 11, 1838, deceased; Mary, Sept. 29, 1840; Horace, May 13, 1844; Elizabeth, Nov. 8,1847; and John, May 23, 1849. William Jone?, previously mentioned, was born in Connecticut in 1783, and was a carpenter and joiner by trade, but in later life followed farming. He came to Ashtabula county, Ohio, in 1808, and his daughter, Almira, previously mentioned, is probably the oldest living pioneer of this county. Mr. Jones served faithfully and well in the war of 1812. He was married Oct. 31, 1802, to Lucy Hubbard, who was born Nov. 24, 1784, and who also belonged to an old and respected family of the county. Their children were: Almira; James, born May 13, 1805; Susan, born Dec. 12, 1806; Julia, Nov. 5, 1808; Horace, Feb. 9, 1813; Lucy, May 10, 1817; Elizabeth, Oct. 11, 1822; and John, Nov. 9, 1824. After his wife's death, Mr. Jones married again in March, 1826, and the children by the second marriage were: Rosalind, born Mar. 9, 1827; Mary E., May 8, 1828; William J., June 17. 1832; and Peter S., in August, 1835. Mr. Jones died Mar. 8, 1869, universally lamented.  Albert P. Willey, the seventh child of Andrew and Almira (Jones) Willey, for many years a prosperous and influential farmer and citizen of his vicinity, was born in the house in which he now resides, in Plymouth township, Ashtabula county, Ohio, Mar. 29, 1837. He has worked on the same farm all his life, with the exception of one year, 1864, which be passed in California. He owns a tract of 250 acres, which is devoted to general farming, and which evinces by its thrifty condition the excellent care and management of the proprietor. Mr. Willey was a mem­ber of the regiment called the " Squirrel Hunters" at the time of the late war, and went with his command to Cincinnati when General Kirby Smith, of the Confederate army, was threatening that point.
Aug. 22, 1873, Mr. Willey was married, by Rev. J. M. McGilfert, to Mrs. Fannie Ford, daughter of Lewis Gilbert, who came to Ashtabula county in 1848, when he was fifty years of age. He was the father of five children: Emily, born Feb. 22, 1829, married Dr. P. E. Hall; Amiral, Dec. 19, 1832; E., Feb. 21, 1837; David, Mar. 13, 1840; and Fannie, now Mrs. Willey, born in Seneca Falls, New York, Jan. 24, 1843. Mrs. Willey had one child by her former marriage, now Mrs. Fannie Osborn, who was born Dec. 28, 1864. The children of her present marriage are: Albert L., born Dec. 10, 1874; Andrew, born Jan. 15, 1876; Sophia A., born Oct. 19, 1879, and Laura E., Sept. 22,1883; all of whom bid fair to reflect credit on the State and county of their birth.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 200

DR. LUMAN P. STURTEVANT, who stands in the front ranks of the medical profession in Conneaut, Ohio, was born in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, Mar. 16, 1846, son of Timothy and Rachel (Fisher) Sturtevant.  His father was born in New York, July 19, 1813, and at the age of five years went to Pennsylvania, where he remained until 1874.  The past nineteen years he has been a resident of Conneaut, Ohio, and now makes his home with the subject of this sketch.  A carpenter by trade, he was for many years engaged in contracting and building, his life being one of activity and usefulness.  The Doctor's mother was born in Berkshire county, Massachusetts, Oct. 8, 1811, and died Nov. 24, 1887.  Her father, Elezar Fisher, was in the war of 1812, and her grandfather Fisher was a Revolutionary soldier.  She was a member of the Christian Church, as also is her husband, and for the past thirty years he has been a Deacon in the church.  Mr. and Mrs. Sturtevant had six children, namely: E. F., a resident of Conneaut; Homer, who died at the age of twenty months; Anna M., wife of W. P. Laucks, of Kearney county, Kansas; L. P. the subject of this article; Mary J., wife of W. H. Limb, of  Springfield, Ohio; and William H., a resident of Sharpsville, Mercer county, Pennsylvania.
     Dr. Sturtevant was educated in the common schools and academy and received his medical education in Cleveland, being a graduate of the Homeopathic Hospital College with the class of 1874.  While in college he had two years' experience in Hospital work, and in June, 1874, immediately after his graduation, he began the practice of his profession in Conneaut, where he has since remained, meeting with good success.  He now has a large and lucrative practice.  He is a member of the Homeopathic Medical Society of Ohio, the American Institute of Homeopathy, and the Homeopathic Society of Erie county, Pennsylvania.
     Dec. 24, 1872, Dr. Sturtevant married Miss Callie E. Fruit, daughter of William and Sarah Fruit of Sharpsville, Pennsylvania.  Her father, in company with William Scott and James Pierce, development the first coal mine in Mercer county, Pennsylvania.  He died in1879, aged sixty-seven years.  His four children are as follows: Sarah wife of James Trimble Philadelphia; Mary wife of F. Livermore, Mercer county, Pennsylvania, is deceased; Mrs. Sturtevant; William W., who died at the age of thirty-seven years.
     Both the Doctor and his wife are members of the Christian Church.  For many years he has been a member of the official board and has also served as Sabbath-school Superintendent a number of years.  He affiliates with the Masonic fraternity, being a member of the blue lodge, chapter, council and commandery, having filled the office of Worshipful Master in the blue lodge and High Priest in the chapter.  He is also a member of the Knights of Honor and the Royal Templars of Temperance, and has been presiding officer in these organizations for some years.  Politically, he is a Republican.
     Dr. Sturtevant is in the prime of an active manhood.  He is public spirited and generous; believes in keeping pace with the times, and especially does he keep posted in all matter pertaining to his profession.  Dr. Miriam and Dr. Ward are the only physicians now living in Conneaut who were here when he located in the city.  Both professionally and otherwise, he has the respect and esteem of all who know him.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 288

L. T. SUNBURY, a farmer and blacksmith of Richmond township, Ashtabula county, was born in Canada East, Jan. 11, 1821, a son of Jacob Sunbury, a native of Vermont.  The latter's father, John Sunbury, was a native of England, and served as aide on the staff of General Burgoyne in the Revolutionary war, and was with him when he surrendered at Saratoga, New York.  His death occurred at the age of ninety-four years.  He was the father of eight children, six sons and two daughters.  The mother of our subject, nee Wealthy Terrill, was one of twelve children, five sons and seven daughters.  In 1836 Jacob Sunbury came to Trumbull county, Ohio, where he died at the age of fifty years.  He left a widow and five children:  Charles T., our subject; Edd S., deceased at the age of sixty-eight years; Daniel B., of Trumbull county, Ohio; Mary A., deceased; Martha J., of Ashtabula county, Ohio, was an army nurse, and afterward received a pension of $12 per month; and J. C. Spencer, her husband, served three years as a soldier, and is a pensioner.
     Charles T. Sunbury moved to Johnson, Trumbull county, Ohio, at the age of fourteen years, where he worked as a blacksmith for a number of years.  He also worked at Gustavus and Wayne, learning his trade.  In 1849 he began work at his trade in Richmond Center, where he was the pioneer blacksmith, and continues up to the present time, and has worked at it fifty-two years.  Mr. Sunbury has improved a farm of 175 acres near Richmond Center.  In 1878 he began the erection of one of the finest residences at the Center, two stories high, 30 x 30 feet, with an L, 22 x 26 feet, and his place also contains many other improvements.
     July 3, 1844, our subject was united in marriage with Charlotte J. Platt, a daughter of Hezekiah and Julia (Seager) Platt.  To this union has been born two children: Cornelia J. and Marion E.  Mr. Sunbury affiliates with the Republican party, has served as Justice of the Peace twenty-five years, ahs been Notary Public thirty years, and Township Clerk thirty-one years.  Socially he is a member of the I. O. O. F., and of he Masonic order, Tuscan Lodge, No. 32; also of the chapter.  He is a member of the Methodist Church.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 1004

GEORGE L. SWEET, a well-to-do farmer and respected citizen of Cherry Valley township, Ashtabula county, Ohio, was born in Orleans county, New York, Jan. 5, 1818.  He comes of good old New England stock, both his father, Noah Sweet, and grandfather, Samuel Sweet being natives of the New England States.  The mother of the subject of this sketch was Susan Hollister, a native of New York State and a representative of an old and respected family.  This worthy couple removed to Ohio in an early day, settling near Windsor in Ashtabula county, where the father improved a large farm, becoming in time one of the prominent and influential men of the county.  He was an industrious, honest and capable man, and enjoyed the respect of all who knew him.  He died on his farm at about eighty years of age and the mother expired at the same place, aged seventy-six.  They were the parents of twelve children, those surviving tilling honorable positions in business and society.
     The subject of this sketch was reared on his father’s farm and attended the district schools in his vicinity.  He was early inured to labor, his youth being passed in grubbing and chopping, as a result of which he succeeded in laying by vigorous out-of-door exercise the foundation of that robust health and determined spirit which have contributed to his present prosperity.  He now has a good farm of 126 acres, well cultivated, with fields for stock, and in connection with his farming operations conducts a dairy, also engaging in raising horses.  He has a good farm house, and three barns have been built for the accommodation of his stock and grain.  His house is well situated and surrounded by ornamental trees, the whole place breathing an air of thrift and contentment, all of which may be attributed to the careful management and untiring efforts of the proprietor.       Nov. 5, 1840, Mr. Sweet was married to Elvira Harrison, an educated lady, who was a successful teacher before marriage.  She was a native of New York, but came with her parents to Ohio in an early day.  Her father, William H. Harrison, was a relative of the president of that name, and her mother before marriage was Electa Finch.  Mr. Harrison died at the early age of forty-seven, leaving a widow and nine children: Henry, Frank, Lovina, Helen, Marian, Florence, Rachel, Eliza and Elvira, the last named being the wife of the subject of this sketch.  Two sons, Frank and Henry, served in an Illinois Regiment during the war, and both are now deceased.  The mother died in Lyons, Iowa, aged eighty-four, greatly lamented by all who knew her.  Mr. and Mrs. Sweet have had six children: William E., the eldest child; Alice, wife of Albert Green, of Norwalk, Huron county, Ohio; Homer; Zelma, wife of Seth Giddings, of Dorset, Ashtabula county; Marion, wife of E. Randolph, died at the age of thirty-seven; and May, who died at. the age of seventeen years.  William E. enlisted in Company B of the Twenty-third Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and later in the Thirty-eighth Regiment.  He was twice promoted for gallant and meritorious conduct, at Berryville and Winchester, Virginia, being eventually raised to the rank of Brevet-Major.  He served all through the war and later enlisted in the regular service, Regiment Thirty-eight, and afterward was assigned to the Twenty-fourth Regiment, serving as Lieutenant, with efficiency and honor.  He was wounded and had a limb broken, from the effects of which injuries he never recovered.  He was eventually offered a good position in the United States Treasury Department, at Washington, and was one of the four men who took $1,000,000 in Government bonds to Europe, receiving from the Rothschilds the same amount in British money.  His death was a great loss to his family and country.  He died at the comparatively early age of forty-live, leaving a widow and two sons, Dean and George, who are now attending Notre Dame College at South Bend, Indiana.  Major William E. Sweet was an honorary member of the Commandery of Colorado.
     In politics, Mr. Sweet is a Republican.  He is a whole-souled honorable man, enterprising and progressive, deeply interested in the public welfare and a representative citizen of his community, to the advancement of which he has materially contributed.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 407

J. S. SWEET, a well known citizen of Ashtabula county, was born Sept.  21, 1841, a son of Samuel N. and Olive A. (Ellis) Sweet, natives of New York.  The paternal grandfather of our subject, Captain Noah Sweet, was an early pioneer of Ashtabula county, Ohio.  Samuel Sweet departed this life in Trumbull county, Ohio, in November, 1891, and his wife died previous to that time.  They were the parents of seven children: Julia Fowler; Ellen; Albert, deceased at the age of thirty-one years; Sarah Wilcox; Jellett S.; Frank, a resident of Detroit, Michigan; and Emma Adams.  The father was a farmer by occupation, a Republican in his political views, and, religiously, a member of the Wesleyan Methodist.
     J. S. Sweet, our subject, remained in Windsor until twenty years of age, and was educated in the district schools of his native county and at Farmington.  In 1862 he enlisted in the One Hundred and Fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company K, and, on account of disability, was for a time on the Reserve Corps.  He was honorably discharged at Detroit, Michigan, in July, 1865.  In 1866 he returned to the old Captain Sweet farm at Windsor, this county, which is one of the finest places in the community.  This fine farmstead is well equipped, and has excellent buildings, including a good barn 52 x 82 feet, another 30 x 54 feet, and a residence built by Captain Sweet.  The place has also a good dairy, and many other improvements.
     Our subject was married at Windsor, at the age of twenty-four years, to Laura Adams, who was reared and educated in this county, a daughter of Horace and Asenath (Norris) Adams.  The former is deceased, and the latter still resides at Windsor, aged ninety-one years. They had six children, three sons and three daughters. The sons took part in the late war,—Herbert in the One Hundred and Seventy-seventh Ohio Infantry; Austin in the One Hundred and Fifth: and Emery J. in the One Hundred and Seventy-seventh.  The daughters are Ellen, Laura and Mary.  Mr. and Mrs. Sweet have two children,—Austa M., wife of H. C. Spencer, a physician of this county; and Mabel, aged twelve years.  Mr. Sweet affiliates with the Republican party, has served as Justice of the Peace two terms, and as Township Trustee nine terms.  He is a member of the G. A. R., Kile Post, No. 80, and of the Baptist Church.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 380

SILAS E. SWEET, a successful farmer of Ashtabula county, was born in Saratoga county, New York, Apr. 5, 1814, a son of Noah and Susan (Hollister) Sweet, natives also of that State.  The paternal grandfather of our subject, Samuel Sweet, was a native of Massachusetts. In 1830 Noah Sweet and family came to Cherry Valley township, Ashtabula county, Ohio, but when seventy years of age he moved to Windsor, Trumbull county, this State, where he died in October, 1881. His wife departed this life in December, 1876.  Mr. and Mrs. Sweet were the parents of twelve children: Warren H., Ruth Ann, Samuel, Sarah A., Silas E., Lena M., Susan C., Rachel, Ambrose, George Loomis, Frank and Susan S., The eldest, Warren H., a resident of Grant county, Wisconsin's now eighty-eight years of age.  On locating in this county, the father purchased 1,425 acres of land, which he gave to his children.  He was a member of the Baptist Church.
     Silas E. Sweet, the subject of this sketch, was early inured to the sturdy duties of farm life, and received his education at Saratoga and Clarendon, New York.  He was one of the early and successful teachers of Ashtabula county, having taught at Andover many years, and many of his scholars being now men of renown.  In 1839 he moved to his present location, where he now has 157 acres of land under a good state of cultivation, and provided with all necessary farm conveniences.  In political matters, he affiliates with the Republican party, and has served as Assessor, Trustee, and as a member of the School Board.
     Apr. 5, 1838, Mr. Sweet was united in marriage to Henrietta Wakeman, who was born in Wayne township, Ashtabula county, Apr. 17, 1819, a daughter of Samuel and Ruth (Wright) Wakeman, who were among the pioneer settlers of that township.  The father, a native of New York, died at the age of eighty-one years, and the mother born in Pennsylvania, departed this life at the age of ninety-three years.  They had fourteen children, namely: Jonathan, Polly, George, Samuel, Wright, Isaac, Henrietta, Ruth, Delight, Sally, Comfort, and three deceased in childhood.  Mr. and Mrs. Sweet have tour children: Silas Jerome, of Trumbull county, Ohio; Flora C. Phelps, of this township; Henry, a resident of Michigan; and Wright W., also of this township.  Our subject and wife have thirteen grandchildren.
Source:  Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing the Counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake - Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Co. - 1893 - Page 557