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OHIO GENEALOGY EXPRESS
A Part of Genealogy
Express
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WELCOME to
COLUMBIANA COUNTY,
OHIO
History & Genealogy |
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MASON
CALVERT BEAUMONT, a prominent citizen and
representative farmer of Butler township, the owner of a
fine farm of 80 acres in section 10, was born Feb. 19, 1851,
at Canastota, Madison County, New York, and is a son of
James T. and Henrietta (Cramphire) Beaumont.
The Beaumont family is a very old one in
America and is descended from old Huguenot stock. The
father of our subject was born at West Chester, Chester
County, Pennsylvania, Mar. 21, 1814, which was his home
until 10 years of age when he came, about 1854, to Ohio,
later settling on the farm now occupied by his son, where he
died in 1893, aged 79 years. His whole life was
devoted to agricultural pursuits and he made a specialty of
sheep growing, raising them for breeding purposes. He
also was a scientific horticulturist and gave considerable
attention to floriculture. He was a great reader and a
very well-informed man. His father, James Davis
Beaumont, was for many years keeper of the "Whitehall
Tavern," at West Chester, Pennsylvania, which was a popular
resort for politicians and stockmen.
James Davis Beaumont lived to the age of 91 years
and was a man of unusual virility. It is recorded that
when he was 80 years old he could crack hickory nuts with
his teeth. James T. Beaumont was a Republican
in his political sentiments. He was a consistent
member of the Presbyterian Church.
The mother of our subject was born Mar. 5, 1818, on a
Maryland plantation situated between Washington City and
Baltimore, and died at the present farm of our subject in
1893. She was a daughter of Thomas and Caroline
(Calvert) Cramphire. Her father owned 10,000 acres
of land and more than 150 slaves, being one of the typical
lords of the manor of those days, keeping open house and
welcoming frequently to his board such men as Henry Clay
and John C. Calhoun. His wife was descended
from one of the Calverts
who founded the city of Baltimore, one of the proudest
old families of wealth and aristocracy in Maryland.
Mrs. Beaumont too three of her slaves with
her to New York, where she later freed them and became a
convert to anti-slavery beliefs at a subsequent date.
Our subject is the third child of the family of five
born to his parents, the others being: Virginia, of
Salem; James D., deceased in 1903, who was an
engineer on the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway for
15 years; Alexander, a gold and silver miner in
California and Arizona; and Charles O. The last
named is a leading business man of Philadelphia, who
conducts a large copper sheet works, established by
Joseph Ost in 1784. much of his time prior to
engaging in his present building plant of the Cramps.
Our subject was three years old when the family came to
Ohio and five years old when they settled north of Salem.
In 1861 the family removed to the farm in section 10,
Butler township, now owned by our subject. His
fathers' first purchase was one of 50 acres, his second
purchase, one of 30 acres, coming 10 years later. An
old house of hewed logs, built about 1800, stood on the
place but the family did not occupy it. The
substantial family home was built in 1850. The
property is one of the finest in the township and is known
as "Locust Farm." For the first 15 years after its
purchase it was operated as a sheep farm, being stocked with
the finest strains brought from New York, having been
purchased of
Wright's celebrated stock. Then it was
converted into a dairy farm and a fine herd of registered
Jersey cows has been kept ever since. The product is
sold in Salem.
Mr. Beaumont was married in 1889 to Leora
Welker, who was born at North Jackson, Ohio, June 27,
1855, and is a daughter of Peter Welker, a large
merchant and produce man at Jackson before the days of
railroads, maintaining long wagon trains between distant
sections and trading extensively in produce and especially
in wool.
Mr. Beaumont is one of the educated men of his
community and is especially well fitted to fill the public
offices to which he is so frequently elected.
Politically he is a Republican and has served two terms as
township treasurer, many years as school director and is a
leader in all local affairs. For the past 36 years he
has been the leader of the choir of the Presbyterian Church
and has frequently served as superintendent of the
Sunday-school.
Source: History of Columbiana County, Ohio and
Representative Citizens - Publ. by Biographical Publishing
Co. , Chicago, Illinois - 1905 - Page 641 |
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FRANK M.
BENNER, one of the leading
business men of Lisbon, is the owner of the oldest
established jewelry house in the county, one which was
founded in 1847 and has been conducted by a Benner
father and son, ever since. Mr. Benner was
born in 1856 in Lisbon, and is a son of Josiah F. and
Mary A. (Miller) Benner.
The Benner family
was established in Columbiana County by Henry Benner,
a farmer and school teacher, the grandfather of our
subject. He owned land in Center township which he
developed into a fruit farm, and it is :still operated
as such by a grandson. J. F. Benner, father
of our subject, was born on this farm, four miles west
of Lisbon, one of three children, all now deceased. In
young manhood he left the farm and learned the jeweler’s
trade. The present business of our subject was
established at Lisbon, in 1847, by a Mr. Scott.
In 1848, J. F. Benner bought the business and
continued to conduct it until he retired from active
life. He died in March, 1898, aged 76 years.
He married Mary A. Miller, who was born and
reared in Columbiana County, and still resides in
Lisbon. She is a daughter of Jacob
Miller, who was born in Pennsylvania, and came to
Ohio at an early day. He settled on a farm three
miles west of Lisbon, where he devoted much attention to
stock-raising, and made 4 specialty of raising horses.
The only survivors of his large family are: Mrs.
Benner, now 77 years of age; Mrs. Sarah Green,
of Salem, Ohio; and Mrs. Luckey, of Elmore, Ohio.
Frank M. Benner was reared at Lisbon and
obtained his education in the schools of his native
place. When he reached manhood, his father
admitted him to partnership in the jewelry business, in
which he has continued ever since, for the past 25 years
being the sole proprietor. It is one of the
substantial, old, reliable concerns of Lisbon.
Mr. Benner married Mary Lodge,
a native of Lisbon and a daughter of the late Abel
Lodge, who died here in the fall of 1904, one of the
city’s patriarchs, aged almost 90 years. His early
youth was spent on a farm in this county, and his active
business life was passed as a banker in Lisbon.
Mr. and Mrs. Benner have one daughter, Ada.
The family occupiesone of the beautiful homes of this
quiet little city, Mr. Benner owning considerable
real estate, including his residence, his store building
and a large interest in what is known as the Benner
Block, formerly the Exchange Block. The
family attend the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Politically Mr. Benner is a Republican
and he has, at various times, accepted public office.
He has served as cemetery trustee and as water trustee
and has been interested in school improvement. He
is a member of the board of directors of the Columbiana
County Mutual Insurance Company and of the loan
association at Lisbon. Mr. Benner is
very prominent in fraternal circles. As a Mason he
belongs to the Blue Lodge and Chapter at Lisbon; is a
charter member of Salem Commandery, and was knighted at
Youngstown before the Salem Commandery was organized.
He is a charter member of the Knights of Pythias lodge
at Lisbon, has served two terms as chancellor commander
and in other official capacities.
Source: History of Columbiana County, Ohio and
Representative Citizens - Publ. by Biographical Publishing
Co. , Chicago, Illinois - 1905 - Page 814 |
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CHARLES BOYD,
a leading attorney at Wellsville, city solicitor and a
prominent figure in Republican politics, was born at
Wellsville, Ohio, July 12, 1873, and is a son of
William and Elizabeth (Frazer) Boyd.
The father of Mr. Boyd
was born in County Down, Ireland, in 1844, and there
learned the mason's trade. In young manhood he
came to America with a brother and together they went to
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. In 1866
William Boyd came to Wellsville and here formed a
partnership with Jefferson Abrahams.
They engaged in building and contracting. Later
Mr. Boyd had other partners and did a great deal of
stone work for the Pennsylvania Railroad and was engaged
in completing one of the road's contracts when he was
accidentally killed at Alliance, in 1879. He was a
competent, reliable man and Wellsville lost a good
citizen when he died. He married a daughter of
Capt. Daniel K. Fraser, of Yellow Creek township.
She was born in Wellsville and still resides here.
Her father was born in Yellow Creek township, July 19,
1817, and died in 1902. He was a carpenter by
trade but for many years followed the river as captain
of a steamboat. Before they days of railroads he
was a large river trader. He also kept a store for
a number of years after leaving the water. He was
a director of the First National Bank and in many ways
was one of the town's prominent and influential
citizens. Our subject has two sisters:
Mabel and Mary. The maternal grandmother,
Lexy McBane, daughter of William McBane, was
born in Scotland.
After completing the common and high school course at
Wellsville, Mr. Boyd entered the office of W.
F. Lones, a well-known attorney of Wellsville, and
was admitted to the bar in 1898. He has always
been active in politics and was elected by the
Republican party city solicitor in 1901, and his
efficiency is proven by his being retained in office
ever since.
Source: History of Columbiana County, Ohio and
Representative Citizens - Publ. by Biographical
Publishing Co. , Chicago, Illinois - 1905 - Page 807 |
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JOSHUA
BRANTINGHAM. In taking a review of the
reprehensive men of Columbiana County, many residents of
Butler township merit notice and among the Joseph
Brantingham takes a prominent position, for he
belongs to an old and honorable family and possesses all
the attributes of a man of sterling character.
Mr. Brantingham resides on a fine farm
located in the southwest quarter of section 26, in
township 16, range 4, where he was born July 4, 1852,
and is a son of Alfred and Ann (Dean)
Brantingham.
The family to which Mr. Brantingham
belongs originated in England, where George and
Joseph Brantingham, sons of Joseph
and Sarah Brantingham, were born. The
birth of George Brantingham occurred at
Iverson, Durham County, on Nov. 7, 1770. Both he
and his brother Joseph emigrated to America and
settled in the vicinity of Baltimore, Maryland.
Joseph removed at a later date to the neighborhood
of New York City. George Brantingham was
married Mar. 9, 1801, to Phoebe Boulton,
of Burlington, Mansfield County, New Jersey. They
had issue as follows: William, Joseph,
Hannah, George and Sarah.
Joseph Brantingham was born at Baltimore,
Maryland, Jan. 27, 1807, and married Lydia
Whinnery, and they had these children: Rachel,
William, Alfred, Elizabeth,
Cyrus and George L. His second
marriage was to Anna M. Stratton and they had two
children: Lydia and Sina.
The family was established in Ohio by our subject's
great-grandfather, George Brantingham, who
seems to have been a man of great energy and enterprise.
Joshua Brantingham has in his
possession a journal which was kept by his ancestor in
which are related the occurrences of the long voyage
across the Atlantic. It is a remarkable account
and is in every way interesting. When George
Brantingham came to Columbiana County, he was
prepared to invest in property and it is recorded that
on June 5, 1824, he bought 120 acres of land of
Christian 'Shade, paying therefor the sum of
$1,550. On Oct. 22, 1838, his son Joseph
bought the above farm of his father for the sum of
$3,000. On Aug. 23, 1852, Joseph
Brantingham sold 114 acres of the. foregoing farm to
James Whinery, for the sum of $3,500.
The next change was when James Whinery
sold 110 acres of the farm aforesaid, on Apr. 11, 1871,
to George Gilbert, -for the sum of
$11,000. At the public sale of the estate of his
father-in-law, George Gilbert, held on
Apr. 2, 1883, Joshua Brantingham purchased
for $10,052 the above mentioned farm, which then
contained 109 58-100 acres.
After disposing of the farm in 1852, Joseph
Brantingham, our subject's grandfather, headed a
company, composed of three of his married children and
their families, namely: William Brantingham,
Mrs. Elizabeth B. Dean and Alfred
Brantingham, together with Edwin Holloway,
Michael Stratton and Ezra Hall,
which set our for Minnesota, with the intention of
taking up government land near the. site of the present
city of St. Paul. The journey was a hard one, all
of it being accomplished by stage and boat through many
localities where roads were scarcely more than cut.
In the vicinity of Freeport, Illinois, Mr.
Brantingham was attacked with cholera, to which he
soon succumbed. Left without a leader, the company
became discouraged and most all of the pioneers returned
to their former homes in Columbiana County.
Alfred Brantingham, father of Joshua,
was born on this farm in August, 1830, and died here in
August, 1904. He was a farmer, carpenter and merchant
and was a man who was successful in his business
enterprises. After returning to Columbiana County,
following the death of his father, he resumed his old
occupations and remained in the county the remainder of
his life. He always gave hearty support to the
Republican party. From 1876 until 1885 he was
postmaster at Winona. He belonged to that branch
of the Society of Friends known as the “Willburites,”
and by example and precept sustained a reputation for
integrity and Christian spirit.
The mother of our subject, Ann (Dean)
Brantingham, was born in Carroll County, Ohio, and
was a daughter of Barton and Hannah
(Jackson) Dean, natives of New York and
Virginia, respectively. The children of Alfred
and Ann (Dean) Brantingham
were: Joshua, of this sketch; Elizabeth,
wife of Joseph C. Stratton, of Butler township;
Hannah D., wife of Abraham Stratton,
of Philadelphia; William, superintendent and
treasurer of the Winona Creamery Company, of Winona; and
Mary, wife of Daniel Test, who is
superintendent of the Pennsylvania Hospital at
Philadelphia.
Joshua Brantingham was educated in the
local schools of Butler township and worked on the farm
until the age of 18 years and then learned the
carpenter’s trade at which he was employed for
seven years. Then, in association with his father,
he bought a store at Winona and this was conducted for
seven years under the firm name of Brantingham &
Son. His brother, William Brantingham,
and his brother-in-law, Abram Stratton,
were associated with him, as partners in the firm, for
several years. In 1883 he purchased the ancestral
home and here took up his residence in 1884. The
farm now contains 144 acres. Mr.
Brantingham found the property much run down and at
first he devoted the land to the raising of sheep.
For the last 16 years, however, he has made it a dairy
farm and keeps as many as 40 head of Jersey cows,
milking 30 head at a time. Almost all of these are
high grade, either registered or eligible. The
beautiful, modern home was built in 1893. Large
barns and other buildings, including a good tenant
house, are found here, with all the necessary equipment
in the way of machinery and appliances necessary for the
successful carrying on of an extensive business.
It is one of the most attractive as well as one of the
most valuable places in the vicinity of Winona.
Mr. Brantingham was married, first, to
Sarah Gilbert, who was born in Westmoreland
County, Pennsylvania, and died at Winona, in 1884, aged
44 years. Mr. Bratingham was
married, second, to Rachel Kirk, who was born at Mount
Pleasant; they have two sons, viz: Joseph C. and
Wilson J. The family belong to the Society of
Friends.
Mr. Brantingham has been identified with
the Republican party all his life and has always taken
more or less interest in public matters. He is one
of the substantial business men of his section, one of
the principal stockholders and one of the directors of
the Winona Creamery Company of Winona, and is also a
director in the Winona Central Telephone Company.
In a number of his business enterprises, our subject
has been associated with his brother William, who
is now superintendent and treasurer of the Winona
Creamery Company. This is one of the county’s very
successful industries. It was organized in 1890,
when a stock company was formed. At the time of
incorporation there were 18 stockholders, but the number
has since been reduced to 13. Like many other
prosperous concerns, it was started in a small way,
handling but 900 pounds of milk per day; the business
has grown steadily and at the present time 25,000 pounds
of milk are used each day. Four experienced hands
are constantly employed and the company’s fine creamery
butter and excellent quality of cheese find a ready
market in Salem and in Pittsburg.
William Brantingham, our subject’s
brother, was born in Winona, Jan. 4, 1860, and has
always resided in Butler township. In addition to
his creamery interests, he owns a fruit farm of 18 acres
near Winona and is stockholder in the Winona Central
Telephone, Company. In 1881 he married Anna
Cope, a native of Westmoreland County,
Pennsylvania, and a daughter of Edward Y. and Alice
G. (Gilbert) Cope. They have two children,
viz: Alice A., a normal school teacher, and
Elma. Like his older brother, Mr.
Brantingham is a Wilburite Friend. He is also
identified with the Republican party. Both are men
of substantial worth and good citizenship.
Source: History of Columbiana County, Ohio and
Representative Citizens - Publ. by Biographical
Publishing Co. , Chicago, Illinois - 1905 - Page 395 |
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JOHN BROOKES
is too well known to the people of Columbiana County as
the successful florist and truck gardener of East
Liverpool, to need an introduction by us. He is by
birth an Englishman and a son of John and Lydia
(Steele) Brookes. He was born Oct. 14, 1856,
at Hanley, Staffordshire, England, but has lived in the
United States since his sixth year. His paternal
grandfather, John Brookes was born at Hanley in
1800, and was a crate maker. In 1872 he came to
America and made his home with his son, John Brookes,
and grandson, John Brookes, until his death in
the 86th year of his age. Our subject's maternal
grandfather was Joseph Steele a kiln foreman of
Hanley, who died in 1864, at the extreme age of 92
years.
John Brookes, the father of our subject, was
born at Hanley, England, in 1831, and was a turner in
the potteries. In 1862 he came to this country and
settled in East Liverpool where he had been preceded by
a brother-in-law and sister-in-law. He soon
secured work with Salt & Mear at the old
Mansion Pottery and several years later became an
employee of William Brunt. In 1879 be moved
to a farm near West Point, Columbiana County, and
followed farming for about five years. He then
returned to East Liverpool and accepted a position with
Knowles. Taylor & Knowles,
remaining with them until sickness rendered it necessary
for him to cease work a few years previous to his death,
which occurred in 1898. He was a man of resources
and an original thinker, whose practical mind saw the
possibilities offered to the individual taking the
initiative in the florist business in East Liverpool.
About 1867, only a few years after he came to this
country, he built a small 18 by 24-foot greenhouse, the
first in East Liverpool. He raised a general
assortment of bedding plants, devoting his summers to
his greenhouse and garden and spending his winters at
work in the pottery. He succeeded beyond his
expectations and as his business grew he added to the
number of his buildings until he had three greenhouses
50 by 11 feet and three 50 by 24. His market
extended from Pittsburg and Allegheny on one hand to
Wheeling on the other and the work was a source of
satisfaction and pleasure as well as profit to him.
He was a Republican in politician sentiment.
Fraternally he was a member of Riddle Lodge, No. 315, F.
& A. M.; and East Liverpool Lodge, No. 379, I. O. O. F.,
of which he was treasurer for many years. He was
at one time a member of the Board of Health. He
married Lydia Steele and became the father
of eight children, five of whom survive, viz.: Alice,
wife of Alexander Allison, of Chester,
West Virginia; John; Elizabeth, wife of
George Dunn, of Akron, Ohio; Annie,
wife of Burgess Mick, of Glasgow,
Columbiana County; and Charles, who lives in East
Liverpool. The mother died in June, 1897, aged 66
years. They were members of the First Methodist
Protestant Church and Mr. Brookes was a
member of the committee which looked after the inside
finish of the building when that edifice was erected.
John Brookes was educated in the East
Liverpool schools and then became a turner in the
pottery trade. After working in that department
for several years he became a decorator. working
in the independent shop of John F. Steele for 14
years until that gentleman retired from business.
Mr. Brookes then turned his attention to truck
gardening and raising flowers and has built up a large
business. In 1888 he purchased his present little
truck farm of 13 acres; there is no better land in the
county than he has under careful cultivation. He
has added materially to the improvements on his place,
converting the house he found on the property into a
comfortable seven-room residence and otherwise adding to
the attractiveness and utility of the premises. In
1897 he built a greenhouse 10 by 32 feet and was so
successful with the plants raised that he added more
buildings until he has five at present. These are
mostly devoted to the raising of bedding plants, which
are disposed of in the home trade, the supply scarcely
equaling the demand.
Mr. Brookes is the inventor of an iron
railroad tie, which has met the approval of railroad
experts and rail manufacturers and its adoption will
make him independently rich. This tie, which is
pronounced the best thing of its kind in existence, is
so constructed that the rails rest in a groove at each
end and are held in place by flanges at the top and a
key at the side, the latter being held in place by a pin
which is driven through from the top. This would
do away with the present method of spikes and plates to
hold the rails and would render the occurrence of
accidents much less likely.
Mr. Brookes married Elizabeth Moore,
daughter of Stephen Moore, of East
Liverpool. They have six children: Alice E.,
Lillian E., L. Mary, Charles R., Annie L. and
Ruth M. They are members of the First
Methodist Protestant Church of East Liverpool; Mr.
Brookes was leader of the church choir for many
years. He is a musician of far more than average
ability, and played first alto horn in the old band when
it was in existence and was violinist in the Lazarus
Orchestra. He is a member of the Royal Arcanum.
In politics he affiliates with the Republicans.
Source: History of Columbiana County, Ohio and
Representative Citizens - Publ. by Biographical
Publishing Co. , Chicago, Illinois - 1905 - Page 611 |
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JOSHUA
TWING BROOKS was born Oct. 27,
1840, in Salem, Ohio. His parents, Joseph J.
Brooks and Judith Twing, removed to Ohio from
Vermont and settled in Salem in 1838. His father
was a lawyer, a man of strong intellect, great energy
and executive ability, qualities which the son inherited
in a marked degree. He attended school at Canfield
and the Salem High School and completed his preparation
for college at the Kimball Union Academy, Meriden, New
Hampshire, where he graduated with honors. In 1860
he entered Yale, but early in his junior year it became
necessary for him to leave college, on account of the
death of his father, and assume the responsibilities of
head of a large household of younger brothers and
sisters. He became president of the Farmers’
National Bank of Salem in January, 1862, which position
he held until his death. Taking up the study of
the law, he was admitted to the bar in August, 1865, and
formed a partnership with Hon. Peter A. Laubie,
of Salem, which continued until 1875. It was a
strong firm, and quickly became one of the leading law
firms of Eastern Ohio. In 1865 he was elected to
the Ohio State Senate, and was reelected in 1867,
serving with honor and credit alike to himself and his
constituents. In May, 1870, he was elected
president of the State Bank of Ohio, a corporation
consisting of about 36 banks in the different parts of
the State, whose charter terminated in 1866, but whose
corporate existence was continued for a while longer in
order to enable it to wind up its affairs. In
December, 1866, he was appointed solicitor of the
Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad Company for
Eastern Ohio; and also in July, 1869, solicitor for the
Pennsylvania Company for the State of Ohio, having
charge of its legal business on the line of the
Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad, which had been
leased to the Pennsylvania. This position he held
until November, 1877, when he was appointed general
counsel of all the Pennsylvania lines west of Pittsburg.
He continued in that position until in May, 1891, when
he was elected 2nd vice-president of the Pennsylvania
lines, in charge of the law, real estate and treasury
departments, and held that position at the time of his
death. He received the honorary degree of M. A.
from Yale in 1882.
Mr. Brooks was married Sept. 7, 1865, to
Annie Miller, of Brownsville,
Pennsylvania, who survives him. They had five
children: Charles Twing,
Elizabeth, William P., deceased Aug. 5, 1872,
Judith T., and Mary Augusta. His
son, Charles T., a graduate of Yale, class of
1899, of the Harvard Law School, 1894. is practicing law
in Cleveland, Ohio.
Mr. Brooks’ health began to fail about a
year and a half before his death, but he continued to
discharge the duties of his office until December, 1900.
when he was forced to retire to his Salem home. He
was a sufferer from Brights’ disease. During the period
of his decline he took several trips to the South and
returned apparently somewhat benefited; and it was
thought that he might live in comparative comfort
perhaps for years. He had been driven out almost
daily until the day before his death, which at the last
came suddenly on the morning of Oct.11, 1901. The
funeral services were held at the beautiful home on
Highland avenue, Salem, on October 14th. The
presence of a large number of distinguished men from
Ohio and other States testified to the wide respect and
honor in which his character, ability and services were
held. The business of the city was suspended
during the obsequies. He was looked upon by his
fellow-townsmen as a benefactor of the city, almost
every business interest in it depending upon him for
counsel or for financial help. Its streets and
buildings are an enduring monument to his liberality and
progressive spirit.
The following in regard to his political affiliations
and services is quoted from an account of his life
contained in the Pittsburg Times of Oct. 12, 1901:
“Entering political life as a stalwart Republican, he
held that the great problems of the war would be better
settled by the election of some one else rather than by
the reelection of Gen. U. S. Grant. His
independent method of thought brought him over to the
support of Grover Cleveland on the great
question of a high protective tariff, and he was one of
Mr. Cleveland’s stanchest supporters
through the 12 years of the latter’s leadership of the
Democratic party. When Mr.
Bryan was nominated on a pledge for free silver,
Mr. Brooks refused to support him and took
the platform for William McKinley, and in
1896 made a tour of the Middle States, which was
scarcely less strenuous and exacting than the famous
tour of Mr. Bryan himself in that year.
After his election, President McKinley
personally expressed his high appreciation of Mr.
Brooks’ aid in the campaign. Mr.
Brooks had the highest personal regard for Mr.
McKinley and would have taken an active part in
his second campaign had not failing health prevented him
from doing so.”
As stated above, Mr. Brooks was a
vigorous supporter and close friend of President
McKinley, and the story is told, with good evidence
of truth, that upon the retirement of Hon.
John Hay from the post of Ambassador to Great
Britain to accept the Secretaryship of State,
President McKinley offered the former
position to Mr. Brooks, who, however,
declined to entertain the proposition. On being
requested by the President to state whom he would like
to have appointed, he named Joseph H. Choate.
Accordingly, the place was offered to Mr.
Choate, who is reported to have said: “Before I
accept, 1 must first see my creator.” The
following extracts are made from the minutes adopted at
a meeting of the board of directors of the Pennsylvania
Company, held Oct. 24, 1901, and at a meeting of the
board of directors of the Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Chicago
& St. Louis Railway Company, held Nov. 1, 1901:
“As a lawyer his work was principally the development
of corporate interests, and his conservative efforts
resulted in sure foundations upon which extensive
corporate powers were exercised. From his labors
in this direction have sprung up large corporations
whose business extends over many States.
“His broad-mindedness on public questions and his
patriotism led him to take an active part on the
platform in national political campaigns, wherein he
knew the issues involved were of vital importance to the
welfare of his country.
“He was especially esteemed by his official associates
on account of his kind and genial manner, his unfailing
good humor and his high-minded sense of right.
“He was always a student of world problems and a great
reader of books bearing thereon.
“His person and mental characteristics made him a
delightful companion in official and social circles.
“He possessed a broad, public spirit, was hospitable to
his friends, benevolent to his neighbors and ever
tolerant of the opinions of others.
“He will be sadly missed in our counsels, and each
associate feels keenly the loss sustained by the company
and themselves, and they desire to express to his family
a heartfelt sympathy in their great bereavement."
The following is quoted from the proceedings of the
Columbiana County bar, at a meeting held at Lisbon,
Ohio, October 19, 1901:
"An estimate that will do justice to the character of
J. Twing Brooks is difficult to give. He
was many-sided, of great intellect, unbounded energy and
vast executive ability. A student of men and of
books, the knowledge thus acquired was ever at his
command. His standard of morality, political,
civil and social, was of the highest, and his code of
ethics was impressed upon all with whom he came in
contact. * * *
His love of nature was a marked characteristic. It
was his custom when at home to rise very early in the
morning and go to his farms, spending as much time in
the woods and fields as possible. In his home,
surrounded by his family and friends, he found his
greatest happiness. ‘His life was gentle, and the
elements so mixed in him that nature might stand up and
say to all the world. This was a Man.’ ”
The closing sentences of an elaborate memorial address
by William A. Lynch, Esq., of Canton, Ohio,
before the Ohio State Bar Association at Put-in-Bay,
July 10, 1902, were as follows:
“Mr. Brooks was a most interesting and
attractive character. He lived a fine life and did
a great work; and it must be our constant regret that he
died in the very prime of his powers, when he should, in
the ordinary course of nature, have had many years of
usefulness before him. But the lessons of his life
remain, and it is hard to conceive of a career more full
of useful teachings to young men.”
Source: History of Columbiana County, Ohio and
Representative Citizens - Publ. by Biographical Publishing
Co. , Chicago, Illinois - 1905 - Page 600 |
| |
PETER YOUNG
BROWN, proprietor of the "Valley Home Farm" in
Middleton township, was born on this place, where he has
always resided. He was born July 5, 1834, and is a
son of William and Mary Magdalene (Young) Brown.
The records of the Brown family reach very
far back, even to George Brown, the
great-great-grandfather of Peter Y. Brown.
This ancestor was a resident of West Nantmeal township,
Chester County, Pennsylvania, and is described in his
will as "gentleman." That document was executed
Apr. 10, 1756, and was probated May 28, 1756, his death
occurring sometime between these dates. The
records of that county go to show that he was the
possessor of 400 acres. He and his wife Mary
were the parents of four children: Jane,
wife of Joshua Cope; Mary, wife of James
Graham; Alexander; and William.
William Brown, son of George and
great-grandfather of our subject, was educated as a
physician and is said to have served in the
Revolutionary Army as such. He probably was also a
surveyor, an occupation very lucrative at that time.
In addition to being a personal friend of General
Washington, he had a local reputation as an
astronomer, and is thought to have published an almanac.
William Brown was probably the first settler in
Menallen township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, whither
he removed about 1778. He and his wife Mary had
seven children, namely: Sarah, George, Mary, .Jane,
Alexander, Alice and John.
Hon. George Brown,
grandfather of Peter Y., was born June 29, 1773,
in Chester County, Pennsylvania, and was but a boy when
he accompanied his parents to Fayette County. In
April, 1804, he came to Columbiana County, Ohio,
locating on what is now the G. W. Justison farm
in Middleton township. He had to blaze his course
through the woods so that when he came over the path
again with his family, he could find the way.
The family made its appearance in the new locality in a
very primitive manner, riding on horseback with the
family possessions fastened on packhorses. Our
subject remembers many of the incidents and adventures
of this typical pioneer moving, as frequently related by
his father and grandfather. George Brown
became a prominent man in the little community which
soon broadened and was subsequently given various
testimonials of the esteem in which he was held by his
fellow citizens. In the course of time he was made
associate judge and still later was elected a member of
the Ohio Legislature. His death took place
Nov. 13, 1828.
Judge Brown married
Alice Hardesty, who was born Apr. 20, 1770, and
died Nov. 1, 1848. They had 11 children, viz.:
Agnes,
William, Susan, John, Mary, Nancy, Sarah, George
Hardesty, Alice, Mary and Elizabeth.
Alice married James Taggart, of Unity
township and became the mother of Capt. Robert
Clark Taggart, a record of whom appears
elsewhere in this work. Mary became Mrs.
Daniels and Elizabeth, Mrs.
Hoffstott.
William Brown, the second child of George and
Alice Brown and father of our subject, was born in
Armstrong County, Pennsylvania,
Feb. 27, 1793. He accompanied his parents to
Middleton township, Columbiana County, Ohio, and lived
on the home place until he moved to the farm across the
road. About 1815 he located on the farm now owned
and occupied by Peter Y. Brown, it being a part
of the section of land which his wife’s family had
acquired. He made all the early improvements on
this place, erecting a substantial frame house to which
was added the brick addition in 1835. Some
improvements have been made since it has been in the
possession of our subject, but it stands very much as it
did 70 years ago, a landmark in the vicinity. Its
builders were those who fashioned it for a home and not
for a fleeting abiding place for people, who recked not
whether the materials were stanch or the building true
to line and plummet. As then, as ever since and as
now, it is a fine home. The building of the
commodious barn was an undertaking of 1833 but in 1878
its capacity was enlarged and now it is 46 by no feet in
dimensions.
William Brown was originally a Whig and
then fell in with the views of the Free Soil party and
was quite ready to become a member of the Republican
party on its organization in the ’50s.
Although actively interested in public affairs and local
movements, he was never an aspirant for political
honors, although on numerous occasions he was elected to
minor offices and served as township trustee for 22
years. He was a man of firm religious convictions
and for, many years was a leading member of the Achor
Baptist Church.
William Brown was
united in marriage with Mary Magdalene Young, who
was born Apr. 13, 1791, and died in 1868. She was
a daughter of Baltzar and Elizabeth (Boose) Young.
They were of German birth and settled in York County,
Pennsylvania, at a very early day. In 1803 they came to
Middleton township, Columbiana County, Ohio, and first
located where Mrs. Hazen now lives, in Achor village.
Mr. Young acquired a section of land, of
which the present Brown homestead is a part.
The Young family has been a prominent one
in the affairs of this locality. Samuel and
Peter Young, sons of Baltzar, were the first
to agitate the idea of building a railroad west from
Pittsburg to the wheat-growing counties of Ohio.
Interest was soon aroused and a public meeting was
called which met at the home of Peter Young
in Achor in the building that is now the Achor Baptist
church parsonage, the prominent men present being: Dr.
A. G. Richardson, Samuel Young,
Peter Young and William Brown.
The project became noised about and resulted in activity
in other localities and the movement finally resulted in
the building of the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago
Railway.
William and Mary M.
Brown became the parents of 10 children, namely:
Jacob Young, born May 16, 1814, deceased
Feb. 10, 1857; John, born Oct. 20, 1815,
deceased; Baltzar, born Nov. 25, 1817,
deceased; Margaret, born Sept. 7, 1819,
deceased, who was the wife of Samuel Read;
David, born Aug. 24, 1822; Phebe Ann,
born May 31, 1825, deceased, who was the wife of
William Williams, of Lawrence County,
Pennsylvania; William Young, born July 22,
1827; Garretson Addison, born Dec. 24,
1829, who was a probate judge in Minnesota; Elvira
Harriet, born Apr. 24, 1832, deceased; and
Peter Young, the subject of this record. Rev.
William Young Brown, of the above family, is a
Presbyterian minister residing in Philadelphia. He
has a daughter, who married Professor Lindsay
of the University of Pennsylvania, who was appointed by
President Roosevelt as commissioner of
education at Puerto Rico, where he has the
responsibility of establishing schools and placing
teachers.
Peter Y. Brown attended the old log schoolhouse
of his district in Middleton township and enjoyed three
terms in Beaver Academy at Beaver, Pennsylvania.
He then returned to the home farm, where he has since
resided. He carries on general farming and
stock-raising on his farm of 325 acres and makes a
specialty of blooded stock, paying particular attention
to Jersey and Aberdeen-Angus cattle. He is a
member, of the American Jersey Cattle Club. Mr.
Brown has always been prominently identified with
the public enterprises of the township. He was one of
the original incorporators of the New York, Pittsburg &
Chicago Railroad, which is now the Pittsburgh, Lisbon &
Western Railroad. He was also one of the
enterprising spirits, who projected the present thriving
town of Negley.
Source: History of Columbiana County, Ohio and
Representative Citizens - Publ. by Biographical
Publishing Co. , Chicago, Illinois - 1905 - Page 834 |
|
George F. Brunt |
GEORGE F. BRUNT
Source: History of Columbiana County, Ohio and
Representative Citizens - Publ. by Biographical
Publishing Co. , Chicago, Illinois - 1905 - Page 725 |
|
|
WILLIAM BYE,
one of the prosperous general farmers and stock-raisers of
Hanover township, who owns 142 acres of fine land in section
15, was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, on the farm which
adjoins his property on the east, Dec. 25, 1831. He is
a son of Samuel and Ruth (Morlan) Bye.
Samuel Bye was born in Westmoreland County,
Pennsylvania, and came to Columbiana County and located in
Hanover township in pioneer days. He secured 160 acres
of land from the government and lived here until his death
at the age of 68 years. He was survived by his widow
and eight children, the five still living being:
William, of this sketch; Samuel, of Liston; J.
M., a physican of Canton, Ohio; Elizabeth Ann,
wife of Oliver Whiteleather; and Joseph.
The mother died in 1872, aged 73 years.
Our subject and his brothers and sisters attended the
local schools and after, the death of the father, William
and Samuel worked the home farm together for some
years and then divided, William taking his present
farm as his portion of his father’s estate. Since then
he has made many substantial improvements to the buildings
and has made his residence one of the finest in the
district.
In 1879 Mr. Bye was married to Maggie
Pilmer„ and they have two children: Mary, who was
born Mar. 18, 1878, and William Emerson, born
Nov. 2, 1880.
Mr. Bye has always been a good citizen.
In 1864 he enlisted in the 143rd Regiment, Ohio National
Guard, and served until the command was mustered out.
In politics he is a Republican. He is one of the
county’s reliable and representative men.
Source: History of Columbiana County, Ohio and
Representative Citizens - Publ. by Biographical
Publishing Co. , Chicago, Illinois - 1905 - Page 819 |
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