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BIOGRAPHIES
 Source:
Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio -
Publ. Chicago - The Lewis Publishing Co.,
1893
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OTIS A. SHATTUCK, a
prominent farmer and an old settler of Geauga county, Ohio, is a native
of the State, born in Lake county, Aug. 20, 1834. His father,
Almon Shattuck, was a native of New York State, who came to Ohio
when a boy and settled in Lake county, in Concord township, where he
resided until 1837. In that year he removed to Parkman township,
Geauga county, where he developed a farm. In 1848 he located in
Hampden township, where he still makes his home, at the age of
eighty-two years. His wife, whose maiden name was Emily Brown,
was a native of New York State. They had a family of nine
children, six of whom grew to maturity. The mother died at the
early age of thirty-eight years. In his political opinions Mr.
Shattuck adheres to the principles of the Republican party. He
is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and has always been
actively interested in its work. In his early life in this country
he endured many of the trials and privations incident to pioneer life,
but persevered in the task undertaken until he had accomplished
his object. Otis A. Shattuck is the oldest of his father's
family. He lived in Parkman township until he was a lad of
fourteen years, and acquired his education in the primitive log
schoolhouse, with its rude furnishing. At the age of twenty-one
years he assumed the responsibilities of life, and began to make his own
way in the world.
He was united in marriage, Dec. 5, 1860, to Lizzie
Carver, a native of Massachusetts, and a lineal descendant of
John Carver, one of the early governors of Massachusetts. In
1856 she came to the West with her parents, David and Frances (Homer)
Carver. Mr. and Mrs. Shattuck are the parents of three
children: Emma, George and Irvin.
Mr. Shattuck enlisted in the service of his
country Aug. 20, 1862, joining Company G, Forty-first Ohio Volunteer
Infantry. He was mustered in at Columbus, Ohio, and was sent to
Kentucky, taking part in may skirmishes throughout the State. He
participated in the battles of Stone River, Chickamauga, Missionary
Ridge, and was in the siege of Atlanta, although he was not actively
engaged in this campaign on account of ill-health. He was the
Thomas in the Nashville campaign, after which he went to Huntsville,
Alabama, where his command went into winter quarters. He was
mustered out at Nashville, June 15, 1865, coming directly home.
After his marriage he settled in Hampden township, where he has a farm
of 130 acres, well improved with first-class buildings. He carries
on general farming, raising a large amount of live stock. Mrs.
Shattuck is a member of the Congregational Church, of which her
husband is also a regular attendant. They are liberal supporters
of the society. Politically, he adheres to the principles of the
Republican party. He has served as Trustee of the township twelve
years, and has been Justice of the Peace nine years, never having had a
reversal of decision. He belongs to the G. A. R. Post at Chardon.
Source:
Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio - Publ. Chicago - The Lewis
Publishing Co., 1893 - Page 614 |
JUDGE HENRY K. SMITH,
who has presided over the Probate Court of Geauga county for the past
twenty-seven years, was born in Parkman township, Geauga county, August
10, 1832. The Smiths are of English descent. His
grandfather, Seth Smith, was a native of the State of Vermont,
where he married his wife, Polly Marsh. Judge Smith's
father, Marsh Smith, was born at Brattleborough, Vermont, in
1799, and accompanied his parents on their removal to the State of New
York when he was a mere boy. In 1817, when at the age of about
eighteen years, Marsh Smith, full of energy, hopefulness and
courage, removed to Parkman, where he made his home, encountering the
obstacles and trials which beset the path of the pioneer, and by his
labor and good management cleared up and developed a large and
productive farm. Seth Smith, in early life, was a Baptist
in belief, but before his death became a Universalist, as was also
Marsh Smith, who was, moreover, a strong Abolitionist, early
assisting many fugitives from slavery, and from its organization until
his death being identified with the Republican party. Seth
Smith died in Parkman, in 1855.
Marsh Smith was united in marriage, Oct. 28,
1823, with Miss Eliza Colton, of Nelson, Portage county, who had
come with her parents from Connecticut about the same time that he came
to Parkman, and the fruit of their happy union is a family of four sons
and three daughters. Being elected to the office of County Auditor
in 1850, he sold his farm in Parkman and removed to Chardon, holding
that office six years, and the office of County Commissioner two years,
after which he lived a retired life among his children until his death
in 1887, at the age of eighty-eight years. His wife died Sept. 30,
1884, at the age of eighty-one. Her father, Theron Colton,
was a native of Connecticut, but an early settler of Portage county.
For many years he operated a blacksmith and wagon shop at Colton's
Corners, the place being named for him, and also owned a good farm.
He possessed much ability, and was widely known as a man of unusual
force of character. In his religious faith, he was a Presbyterian
of the most radical type.
Henry K. Smith was reared on the farm, and grew
to manhood in the atmosphere of a home well calculated to develop those
finer traits and higher excellencies of character with which he is
endowed. His early education was received in the common schools
and academies of this section, and from a private tutor. At the
age of nineteen he came to Chardon, and for several years assisted his
father in the Auditor's office, receiving discipline and acquiring
experience, which have been invaluable to him in his long professional
and official career. His natural aptitude and sterling worth were
recognized by all with whom he came in contact. In 1851 he taught
school for a time, and at the age of twenty-one years began studying for
the profession he had chosen as his life's vocation. He entered
the office of Riddle & Thresher, and in 1856 was admitted to the
bar at Chardon.
After filling several minor positions with credit, he
was entrusted with the responsibilities of the County Treasurer's
office. Upon the death of the clerk of the courts, A. H. Gotham,
in 1857, he was appointed his successor for the unexpired term, and in
the autumn of the same year was elected Prosecuting Attorney, holding
the office two terms. During this period the noted murder trial of
Hiram Cole occurred, and he was associated in the prosecution with
Hon. A. G. Riddle, who for many years has been one of the most
distinguished members of the Washington city bar. Soon after his
election as Prosecutor he formed a partnership with the late W. O.
Forrist, and in 1861 became associated with Judge D. W. Canfield,
this relationship continuing until his election in 1866 to the office of
Probate Judge, which he has since continuously held, in every instance
being nominated by acclamation, an honor almost without precedent, his
integrity and efficiency being universally recognized.
Judge Smith was married, Feb. 22, 1854, to
Miss Harmony Stocking, a daughter of D. W. and Mary (Wells)
Stocking. They have had three children, one dying in infancy;
the eldest, Stuart S., has been for a number of years cashier of
the Geauga Savings & Loan Association, and at present is cashier of the
First National Bank of Chardon; Halbert D. is a graduate of
Buchtel College and of the Cincinnati Law School; he has entered upon a
promising law practice in the city of Cleveland.
Judge Smith, like his honored father, is a
stalwart Republican, having formerly held the position of Chairman of
the Republican County Committee for a number of years. He is a
member of the Masonic lodge of Chardon, and of the Eagle Commandery at
Painesville, and also of the I. O. O. F.
Judge Smith was among the most active and
efficient in the rebuilding of Chardon after the destructive fire which
visited the business portion in the summer of 1868. He has always
devoted much attention to farming. No man has exercised a wider or
more beneficial influence in Geauga county, and no man was ever more
utterly devoid of those traits which mark the mere demagogue. The
confidence which he enjoys is the deserved tribute to worth and
excellence.
Source:
Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio - Publ. Chicago - The Lewis
Publishing Co., 1893 - Page 763 |
|
MILFORD B. SMITH,
one of the most progressive and intelligent young farmers of Chardon township,
was born in
Geauga County, Ohio, Aug. 20, 1856, a son of
Oliver Smith, also a native of Geauga
County, born Oct. 12, 1825. The
grandfather, Loren Smith, was a
native of Vermont, born Oct. 29, 1795; he
emigrated to Geauga county, Ohio,
at an early day, bringing his family and making the trip by team. He took up land on what is now known
as King street, Chardon, built a log
house, and cleared a farm. His wife,
Almeda Canfield, was born Dec. 31,
1800, and died July 6, 1855. They
had born to them thirteen children, eleven of whom lived to maturity. Both were consistent members of the
Disciples’ Church.
Mr. Smith died Apr. 15, 1854.
Oliver Smith, the father of
Milford B., was the fourth-born and
second son.
Albert Smith, a son, went to
California during the gold excitement of 1849, and finally became editor of
a Monticello (Iowa) newspaper.
Oliver Smith was a farmer by
occupation, but in later life engaged in mercantile pursuits at Chardon. The failure of his parents’ health
necessitated his return to the old homestead, where he cared for them during the
remainder of their lives and there also passed his declining years. He died July 9, 1882. He was a prominent member of the
community, active in public and religious movements. He was an honored member of the
Masonic and I. O. O. F. fraternities.
He married Jane Randall, who
was born in Geauga county, Ohio, Oct. 4, 1829,
a daughter of Jason Randall, a
pioneer of Geauga County. Their union occurred Jan. 1, 1850,
and the wife survived to Mar. 12, 1865, leaving a family of three children:
Alice M., born Sept. 23, 1853, is the
wife of Henry E. Branch; Milford B. and Emma J., born Sept. 22, 1860; two children died in infancy.
Mr. Smith was married a second time
Nov. 12, 1865, to Nancy E. Little, who is yet living; no
children were born of this union.
Oliver Smith was a life-long member
of the Disciple
Church, and held the position of the financial Deacon for
twenty-years. During the last few
years of his life his time was devoted almost entirely to the settlement of
estates, as executor or administrator, and when he died he left a large amount
of this business for his son to close up.
He was a Trustee of the township for more than fifteen years.
Mr. Smith, the subject of this sketch
passed an uneventful youth, attending the district schools until the age of
fourteen years, when he entered the village school at Chardon, and at the age of
twenty years began teaching.
Although he pursued this calling only two terms he earned an enviable reputation
as an educator, having conducted one of the best schools ever taught in Munson
township. Abandoning his profession
on account of his father’s ill heath, he returned to the farm to take charge of
the business there.
He was married
Sept. 26, 1878, to Huldie A. Lacy, a
native of Portage county, Ohio, and a daughter of
Ralph and Achsah (Little) Lacey,
whose families emigrated from
Massachusetts
to the West in an early day.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith are the parents of
three children:
Birdie A., born June 4, 1880; Mertie A.,
born Aug. 4, 1882; and Kittie M.,
born Sept. 10, 1884. They are
members of the Disciple
Church, taking an active part in its various work.
Mr. Smith has been Superintendent of the Sunday-school for six years, and conducts a
large bible class.
He has been very
successful in his farming, and has a finely improved place, consisting of 110
acres with good farm buildings. He
has 500 sugar trees and a vineyard and orchard, and carries on a general
agricultural business after the most approved methods. In politics
Mr. Smith is a Republican.
Source:
Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio - Publ. Chicago -
The Lewis Publishing Co., 1893 - Page
802
|
THERON C. SMITH,
proprietor of Springbrook farm, is one of the most enterprising and
successful business men of Geauga county. He is a native son
of the Buckeye State, born at Parkman, Geauga county, Apr. 12, 1835,
a son of Marsh and Eliza (Colton) Smith, whose names appear
in connection with that of Judge Henry K. Smith
Theron C. received his education in the common and select
schools of his day, and began teaching at the age of nineteen.
He followed his vocation for some time, and then turned his
attention to farming. In 1862, he embarked in the cheese
business in Geauga county, representing a New York firm. He
was elected Treasurer of Geauga county in 1870, and served four
years, transacting the business of the office with good judgment and
great fidelity to the interests of the county. In 1873, he was
chosen cashier of the Geauga Savings & Loan Association, tilling the
position for eight years, and giving to the institution the benefit
of ripe experience. Since 1881 he has resided on his farm
north of the pretty little courthouse town of Chardon, devoting his
time to various business enterprises.
Mr. Smith was married in 1859, to
Lavinia Hopkins of Troy township, Geauga county, and a daughter
of Bradley and Rhoda (Lampson) Hopkins, natives of New York,
who came with their parents to the West at an early day, and passed
their lives in Troy township. The maternal grandfather of
Mrs. Smith was Ebenezer Hopkins, who was a soldier
in the war of the Revolution. The parents were consistent
members of the Congregational Church. They died in Geauga
county. Mrs. Smith is one of a family of ten
children; she attended Hiram College during the time James A.
Garfield was connected with the institution, and was at one time
a student at the school in Seneca Falls, New York. Mr. and
Mrs. Smith had born to them two children who died in infancy.
Always a stanch Republican in politics, in his younger
days Mr. Smith took an active put in the counsels of
that body. In 1891 lie assisted in the organization of the
Citizens’ Bank of Chardon, and was cashier for more than a year.
He owns a farm of 240 acres, part of which is within the corporation
limits of Chardon, and a tine tract of land near Muscatine, Iowa,
besides other real estate in Chardon. He has been interested
in high bred horses, and has done much to raise the standard in this
section. One of his animals, Prince M., has a record of 2:16¾,
and some of his horses have sold for the sum of $3,000. As his
capital increased he has taken a financial interest in those
enterprises which have been of great benefit to Chardon, and where
opportunity offered has aided and encouraged those movements tending
to advance the common cause of humanity. Mrs. Smith
is a member of the Congregational Church, to which they give
liberal support. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity, being a
member of the blue lodge, chapter and commandery.
Source:
Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio - Publ. Chicago - The Lewis
Publishing Co., 1893 - Page 827 |
CULLEN M. SPENCER,
a highly respected citizen of Ashtabula county, was born at Geneva,
Ohio, May 26, 1827, a son of Harvy S. and Louisa (Schnedeker)
Spencer; the father was born at Fishkill, Dutchess county, New
York, in 1797, and the mother was a native of the same State, born
in 1804. Harvey S. Spencer was reared to the life of a
farmer, and in early life became accustomed to the hard labor of the
husbandman. In 1811 he removed to Ohio, which was then the
border of the Western frontier, and settled on land which is now
owned and occupied by his son Cullen M. Here he
underwent all the trials and hardships incident to pioneer life,
rearing a family of eight children. The oldest, a
daughter, married J. P. Jones, was the mother of live
children, and died in 1891; Pierce lives in Geneva, and has a
family of three children; Warren A. died in infancy;
Warren P. was a prominent citizen of Geneva, for many years
being editor of the Times; he died in 1883, without children;
Percis J. married Mr. Woodworth, and has one child
living; Marcia is the wife of Mr. Richards,
deceased, and the mother of three children; Wayne A. served
in the war of the Rebellion as a private, and died at the Soldiers’
Home at Dayton, Ohio. Cullen M. is the fifth born.
He secured a common-school education and chose agriculture as his
calling in life. lie was married in 1849 to Mary A. Wilder, a
native of Ashtabula county, Ohio, and of this union three children
were born, two sons and a daughter: Warren, born May 31,
1851, was married in August, 1873, to Ida Putman, and
they have two children; Alanson and Heber;
Lewis, the second child of our subject, was born Feb. 4, 1869;
he married Miss Theda Spring, and they have one
child, a son named Robert; Susan the only daughter,
married Luzern Bedell, and is the mother of two
children. Two brothers of Mrs. Louisa Spencer
were soldiers in the war of 1812; and her youngest brother was slain
at Alamo, Texas, at the time David Crockett was massacred by
the Mexicans.
Mr. Spencer gave his best energies to the
cultivation of his land, and in 1869 he bought five acres adjoining
his farm as a pleasure resort; the place is now known as Sturgeon
Point, and is one of the most delightful retreats on the shores of
Lake Erie. Three acres are thickly wooded with maple trees,
under whose umbrageous boughs are many cottages for campers; near by
is a hotel accommodating seventy-five guests. During the warm
season many tents of campers are pitched here, and nature dispenses
her comforts of quiet and peace with a bounteous hand.
In opening this resort Mr. Spencer has
proven a benefactor to his fellow-men, securing to many a place of
rest where the sterner duties of life forsake one, and cares fly
away, giving the gentle forces of nature undisputed sway in their
life-giving and life-sustaining mission.
Source:
Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio - Publ. Chicago - The
Lewis Publishing Co., 1893 - Page 627 |
ABRAM H.
STAFFORD, a well-known farmer of Chardon township, was born
in Geauga county, Ohio, Mar. 31, 1841. His father, Reuben
Stafford, was born near Palmyra, New York, in1812, and his
grandfather Gadins Stafford, was also a native of New York
State. The latter emigrated to Ohio and settled at Auburn,
Geauga county, in 1824. He took up land there, but afterward
came to Chardon township and bought land on which he lived several
years, removing to Michigan, where he died at the age of
seventy-five years. He was a soldier in the war of 1812.
Reuben Stafford was one of a family of nine children, and was
twelve years old when he came to Ohio. He was reared to a life
of a farmer and followed agricultural pursuits all his life, his
death occurring in 1881. His wife was Almira Robinson,
a daughter of Timothy Robinson, who emigrated from New York
State, and was one of the earliest settlers of Chardon township;
He died at the age of ninety-three years. Mrs. Stafford
is still living and makes her home with their son. Abram H.
Stafford is the only child of his parents. He was reared
to the old homestead, where he has ever since resided.
He was married in 1865, to Miss Mary Churchill,
and four children have been born of their union: Vielda,
Reuben R., Fred L. and Sadie. Reared
under a most favorable environment, they have good
opportunities for acquiring an education, and are well fitted for
useful positions in life.
Mr. Stafford enlisted Aug. 9, 1862, in Company
E, One Hundred and Fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, but was
subsequently transferred to the One Hundred and Third regiment.
He first went to Covington, Kentucky, thence to Knoxville,
Tennessee, where he took part in the siege of that place. He
was through the Atlanta campaign, and was at Nashville and Franklin.
The left wing of his regiment was taken for a guard at headquarters,
and he was sent to Washington with General Schofield;
then he was sent to Fort Fisher, North Carolina, and later he was
with his division when they captured Fort Anderson. HE was at
Wilmington, North Carolina, and at New Berue and Raleigh. He
was honorably discharged in June, 1865; he was never confined to the
hospital excepting for a single day. Returning to his home he
resumed his former occupation of farming. He has 260 acres of
fine land in a high state of cultivation, has been very successful
in business, and as his means increased he invested in stock in the
Citizens' Bank of Chardon.
Politically, he supports the Republican party, and has
served as Justice of the Peace several terms. He belongs to
the Masonic order, and is a worthy member of the Grand Army of the
Republican.
Source:
Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio - Publ. Chicago - The
Lewis Publishing Co., 1893 - Page 947 |
GEORGE
W. STAFFORD, of the firm of G. W. Stafford & Co.,
cheese box manufacturers, Auburn Center, Ohio, is one of the
prominent and wealthy
men of this place. Of his life, we present the following
resume:
George W. Stafford was born at Auburn Center,
Geauga county, Ohio, Aug. 20, 1837. Christopher
Stafford, his father, a native of New York State, was one of the
early settlers of Auburn, having made the journey across the lake to
this place about 1831. He bought sixty-three acres of land
northwest of Auburn, returned to New York
for his family soon after, and here on the frontier he built his
cabin and established his home. The woods, abounded in game of
all kinds, and it was not an unusual thing for him to kill a deer.
He cleared up his farm, was engaged in agricultural pursuits for
many years, and died at the ripe old age of eighty-four. His
good wife, whose maiden name was Emily Rockwell, and
who was also a native of New York State, lived to be seventy-two.
Both were members of the Free-will Baptist Church, and in politics
he was a Republican. They had a family of seven children, of
whom the subject of this sketch was the third son and fourth child.
Young Stafford was reared on his father’s farm,
and received his early education in a log schoolhouse near by. At
the age of twenty he entered Hiram College, and for a part of two
years was a student in that institution, being in some of Garfield’s
classes. He began life on his own responsibility at the age of
twenty-one. He served an apprenticeship of six years to the
carpenter’s trade. In 1870 he bought an interest in a
cheesebox factory, in the operation of which he was engaged until
the spring of 1874, when the factory burned down. This was a
total loss, as it was not insured. The same year the present
large factory was built, in order to accomplish which undertaking he
was obliged to mortgage all the property he had. He has since
been doing a prosperous business. He makes from 80,000 to
90,000 cheeseboxes per year, furnishing the supply for four
counties, and doing some custom work besides. He employs
twelve to fifteen men in the factory, one of whom has been with him
eighteen years. Mr. Stafford is also engaged in
farming to some extent. His home farm comprises seventy-three and a
half acres. In 1882 he bought 104 acres in Aurora township, Portage
county, this State, which he now has rented. He built a
factory there of the same capacity as the one above described, and
operated the same for a period of six years. Then he sold the
machinery.
Mr. Stafford was married in 1865, to
Harriet Ellis, a native of Auburn. Her father,
Horace Ellis, was an early pioneer of this place, and was
a farmer by occupation. Mr. and Mrs. Stafford have had
no children. He is a member of the Free-will Baptist Church,
while she is a Congregationalist. He affiliates with the
Republican party. For five years he served as Township Clerk,
and for the past eight years has been Township Treasurer. He
is a Mason, having his membership at Chagrin Falls.
Mr. Stafford is a fair example of the
self made man. He began life a poor boy, and the success he
has attained is due to his own industry and good manag
Source:
Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio - Publ. Chicago - The
Lewis Publishing Co., 1893 - Page 684 |
JAMES
E. STEPHENSON, one of the oldest members of the bar in Geauga
county, Ohio, was born in Staten Island, Aug. 17, 1819, a son of
Thomas B. Stephenson, a native of New York city. The
paternal grandfather, Ebenezer Stephenson, was born in
Boston, Massachusetts, the youngest of six brothers, whose father
assisted in celebrating the Boston Tea Party. In early youth
he went to New York city and opened a tannery for preparing morocco
goods exclusively, having mastered the trade in Boston; this
business he followed all his life, which ended July 4, 1852, at the
age of seventy-five years. Thomas B. Stephenson passed
his boyhood and youth in New York city cared for by an aunt, his
mother having died when he was four years old. He was educated
in the schools of the city, and at the age of twenty-one years was
ordained a Baptist minister. He preached five years on Staten
Island, and was then sent as a missionary to the Western Reserve in
the spring of 1823, by the societies of Dr. Cone's and Bethel
churches of New York city. He remained one year, and then
brought his family, who arrived Aug. 8, 1824. He was largely
instrumental in the establishing of the Baptist Church in this
section. He married Hannah Demott, of New York city.
They reared a family of five children: J. E., the subject of
this notice; George B.; William; Mary and Eliza.
The mother died at the age of sixty-three years; she was very active
in assisting her husband and was ever faithful to the cause they had
espoused. The father's death occurred Nov. 4, 1861.
J. E. Stephenson is the eldest of the family; he was five years
old when he came to the West, and so received his education in the
common schools, which were of the primitive pioneer type; he was
also a student at Chester Academy several terms, and at the age of
twenty-one years began the study of law, having determined to make
this profession his vocation in life. He went to Columbus,
Indiana, and read under the supervision of Samuel Smith, then
county Prosecuting Attorney. Returning home at the end of one
year he engaged in mercantile pursuits for many years at Chester,
Geauga county, during all of which time he was Justice of the Peace
of his township. He completed his law studies in the office of
Thrasher, Durfee & Hathaway, and was admitted to the
bar. In 1878, he was admitted to practice before the United
States Court. Possessed of many noble traits of character he
has brought to his profession a fine sense of justice, tempered with
that broad charity which recognizes the universal brotherhood of
man. He is widely known for his many kindly, generous deeds,
and is held in the highest esteem by the bar throughout the State.
Mr. Stephenson was married July 6, 1843, to
Lavelia Norton, a native of Geauga county, Ohio, whose father
emigrated from Litchfield, Massachusetts, to Aurora, Portage county,
Ohio, in 1812. Four children were born of this union.
Four children were born of this union; James P., professor of
Greek in Des Moines (Iowa) College; Herbert N., who has
charge of the mortgage department of the Farmers' and Mechanics'
Savings Bank, Minneapolis, Minnesota; George R., a lawyer by
profession residing in Woodson county, Kansas; and Charles F.,
of Chardon, a tinner by trade. Mrs. Stephenson died May
27, 1891; both father and mother are consistent members of the
Baptist Church.
In his legal practice Mr. Stephenson was
associated with Lucius E. Durfee, now deceased, for
twenty-five years. Politically, he has supported the Whig
party, and assisted in the organization of the Republican party in
Ohio. He was a member of the first convention which organized
the Republican party in the State. In 1862 he was appointed by
Governor Tod Draft Commissioner for Geauga county. He
has served the people of his county as Prosecuting Attorney,
discharging his duties with that rare fidelity characteristic of his
every endeavor.
To the above sketch is added a few thoughts by a
life-long friend of the subject of this biography. Mr.
Stephenson, in many respects, is a remarkable man, and deserves
from history more than a passing notice. To him, more than
usual to the lot of men, came the endowment of a wealth of physical,
mental and moral qualities which developed into the highest
conception of perfect manhood and an illustration of an upright,
pure and successful life; a man of decisive character, open, frank
and fearless in the expressions of the right, no the side of which
he has always been frank, cautious and deliberating, he possesses to
a high degree of powers of self-content and severity of mind amid
exciting surroundings. Unambitious, he has without malice or
envy ever exhibited a broad and liberal respect for and
consideration of the rights of those with whom he has come in
contact. Thoroughly honest and just, he has always been relied
upon to be the same to others. True in his friendships and
eminently just in his judgments of others; true as steel to friends
and to those in adversity, a willing helper. Whether as a
public man or in the fireside circle, there are few men more
sincerely respected and esteemed. His mental characteristics
are strength and depth rather than brilliancy. He has fine
professional abilities, is an able advocate and a good, sound
lawyer, and occupies an honorable position at the bar. His
genial and generous disposition and urbane manners have made him
universally popular, but his natural modest temperament, shrinking
from publicity, has undoubtedly prevented him from receiving that
political preferment his merits deserve. However the universal
judgment of all who know him is that in his life he exemplifies the
characteristics of an ideal man whose life is worthy of emulation.
Source:
Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio - Publ. Chicago - The
Lewis Publishing Co., 1893 - Page 76 |
ALBERT E.
STEVENS was born in Martinsville, Ohio, Aug. 2, 1836.
For some time he was engaged in the lumber and milling business, but
for several years past has given his attention to agricultural
pursuits. After his marriage, which event occurred Dec. 26,
1863, he settled in Geauga county. In June, 1874, he moved to
Kansas, but the following August he returned to Ohio and located at
Orwell, where he has since resided. June 7, 1862, he enlisted
in Company B, Eighty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was
honorably discharged at Camp Chase Sept. 26, of the same year.
He is a stanch Republican, but is not active in political circles.
The date of Mr. Stevens' marriage has already
been given. Mrs. Stevens' maiden name was Armena E.
Rawdon. She was born July 22, 1845, daughter of Ariel
and Ruie (Johnson) Rawdon, of Windham, Ohio. Her father
died Feb. 22, 1862, and her mother is still living. The latter
was married a second time, to Sumner Barr, her last husband
dying May 28, 1886. Mrs. Stevens has one
brother, Emery D., a resident of Kansas.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Stevens are as
follows: Charles E., born Jan. 4, 1866, married Lucy
Brook and has one child; Bert E., born Mar. 25, 1871;
Emory R., born Jan. 22, 1873; and Amaret L., born Oct.
15, 1874.
Source: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio - Publ. Chicago -
The Lewis Publishing Co., 1893 - Page 957 |
ASAHEL W.
STRONG is prominently identified with the growth and
development of Geauga county, and is entitled to more than passing
notice in this record of the lies of leading citizens. He was
born in Huntsburg township, May 16, 1832, a son of Baxter Strong,
a native of Westhampton, Massachusetts, born in 1804. The
paternal grandfather, Amasa Strong, was also a native of
Westhampton, Massachusetts, and was descended from Elder John
Strong, the first member of the family to take up residence on
America soil. He emigrated from England and located in
Connecticut in 1630. He afterward removed to Northampton,
Massachusetts, and reared a large family of children, whose
descendants are numbered in the thousands. In 1837 Amasa
Strong emigrated to the Western Reserve, accompanied by one
brother, two having preceded him. He cleared and improved a
farm, contributing his mite to the development of the Great West.
Baxter Strong came to Ohio in 1829, when a young man, making
the journey partly by the Erie canal and on foot; he settled on wild
land in the north part of the township and built a house in the
woods. From this beginning he cleared a number of farms, and
owned several hundred acres. He was married in 1831, to
Juliana Strong, of Westhampton, Massachusetts, and she reared a
family of four children; she died at the age of fifty-one years, and
he lived to the age of eighty-one years. In politics he
supported successively the issues of the Whig, Free Soil and
Republican parties. Mrs. Strong was one of the earliest
members of the Congregational Church in this township.
Asahel W. Strong is the oldest of a family of
four children. He received his education in the pioneer
schools, the high school at Unionville and the old Kirtland Academy
in Lake county. He made his home with his parents until he was
27 years of age, although at the age of eighteen he began to teach
school, conducting twelve terms very successfully. He spent
one winter teaching at Reading, Hillsdale county, Michigan, and two
winters he was in central Ohio.
Mr. Strong was married Dec. 1, 1861, to
Charlotte E. Barnes, whose family history will be found
in connection with that of her brother, O. M. Barnes, who
died at the age of nine months. Subsequently they adopted a
son, Harry W., who lived to the age of nine years, but their
home has not been empty, as they have reared four other children to
maturity. They took a young babe, - foster daughter, -
Sarah Eliza, who is now ten years old.
Mr. Strong purchased his farming 1860, and has
made many substantial improvements. His wife owns 150 acres in
the southern part of the township; there are 101 acres in the home
place, all of which is under good cultivation. Mr. Strong
and his wife are members of the Congregational Church, of which he
has been a Deacon for twenty years; he is also Clerk of the church.
Politically he adheres to the principles of the Republican party.
He was first elected Justice of the Peace in 1860, and, with the
exception of two years, has ever since held the office; he is also
Notary Public. During the war he was on the military committee
and was one of the most active workers in raising money to save the
township from a draft, and was at the time Township Clerk.
Being a man of superior business ability and unquestioned honor he
has been called upon to settle many estates, and in the capacity of
Justice he makes every effort to settle all cases without the
expense of trial. He has a wide circle of friends and enjoys
the confidence of the entire community.
Source: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio -
Publ. Chicago - The Lewis Publishing Co., 1893 - Page 756 |
DWIGHT F.
STRONG was born in Claridon township, Geauga county, Ohio,
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. Strong was reared to manhood in New York 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 wife 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 party.
Dwight F. is the second-born of the family.
He attended the district school taught near 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.
Source: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio -
Publ. Chicago - The Lewis Publishing Co., 1893 - Page 625 |
JOSEPH N.
STRONG, a representative farmer of Thompson township, and a
member of the Board of Commissioners of Geauga county, is a native
of the Buckeye State, born Mar. 3, 1839. His father, Elias
Strong, was a native of Massachusetts, but emigrated to the
frontier when it was a vast, unbroken wilderness. His
grandfather, who was also named Elias Strong, came with his
family and took up several hundred acres of land which he soon
afterward turned over to his three sons, who cleared it and placed
it under cultivation.
Elias Strong, Jr., followed agriculture all his
life; he witnessed the wonderful changes which have come to this
country, and aided in making the way for the Progressive movements
which have brought prosperity and plenty to his descendants.
He died in 1888, at the age of eighty-eight years. His wife,
whose maiden name was Harriet E. Russell, is a native of
Massachusetts, but came to the West soon after the Strong family;
she is now living at the age of eighty-seven years. Both
were members of the Congregational Church in early life, and have
contributed liberally to its support. They reared a family of
six children, four of whom still survive. Joseph N. Strong
is the eldest son. He received his education in the district
schools, and has lived all his life on the old homestead with
the exception of one year.
Mr. Strong was married in 1868 to Miss Rose
Mathews of Geauga county, Ohio, a daughter of Richard and
Lucy (Parks) Mathews, natives of Maine and Ohio respectively.
Mr. Mathews came to Ohio when a lad of nine years,
accompanying an uncle; he is a carpenter by trade, and is a resident
of Thompson, Geauga county. Mr. and Mrs. Strong were
parents of six children: Charles; Willie, deceased; Elias;
Julia; Mary and an infant, deceased.
The Republican party of Geauga county elected Mr.
Strong a member of the Board of Commissioners in the fall of
1887, and expressed their approbation of his management of affairs
by re-electing him in 1890. He has given much attention to
agriculture, and owns 215 acres of choice land.
Believing in the equal rights of men, Elias Strong,
Jr., was an ardent Abolitionist, and was active in politics
during the war, giving liberally of his means to support those
movements which were inaugurated for the liberation of the slave.
His son Charles was also a zealous patriot; he was a
member of the One Hundred and Fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and
fought in the engagements at Perryville and Stone River. He
died of measles at Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1863, and was brought
home and buried in Thompson.
Source: Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio -
Publ. Chicago - The Lewis Publishing Co., 1893 - Page 933 |
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