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Knox County, Ohio
History & Genealogy |
Biographies
Source:
The
Biographical Record of Knox County, Ohio
To Which is Added an Elaborate Compendium of National Biography
Illustrated
Publ. Chicago : The Lewis Publishing Company
1902
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EDWIN J. CAMPBELL.
This influential citizen of Morgan township, Knox county, Ohio,
is a son of James and Eliza A. (Sperry) Campbell, and was
born on the farm on which he now lives May 8, 1849. He was
educated in the public schools of district No. 3, Morgan
township, and in a Cincinnati college, where he was a student
for one year. After leaving school he engaged in farming
on the old Campbell homestead and soon developed
into one of the most successful farmers in the township.
He now owns two hundred and ninety-six acres of rich farm land,
nearly all of which is under cultivation, and besides raising
general crops gives much attention to stock-raising. His
home is one of the most attractive in this vicinity.
In religion Mr. Campbell affiliates with
the Baptist church. In politics he is a Republican, and he is an
active and influential Patron of Husbandry. He has filled
the offices of secretary, overseer and master of his grange, and
is thoroughly devoted to all its interests. He was
married, May 24, 1893, to Margaret D. Lewis, daughter of
Samuel and Mary J. (Gallant) Lewis, a woman of high
character and many accomplishments, who had been to him in every
sense a worthy helpmeet.
David Campbell, grandfather of the
subject of this sketch, emigrated to Ohio from Virginia and
settled in Butler township, Knox county, afterward removing to
Morgan township, where he lived until his death, which occurred
Mar. 14, 1820. James Campbell, father of Edwin
J. Campbell, married Eliza A. Sperry and died Mar.
21, 1894, aged seventy-four years. They had seven
children, as follows: David Presley; Mary
Angeline; Martha; Elizabeth, who married
William Sellers and died in February, 1894; Hugh
S.; Edwin J.; and Clyde Ernest. Samuel
Lewis, father of Margaret D. (Lewis) Campbell, was
a son of John Lewis and was born in Wales, Aug. 8, 1832.
He married Mary J. Gallant, a daughter of Elisha and
Eleanor (Moore) Gallant, and had five children, as follows
Ella, who married Edward E. Jones and lives at
Richwood, Ohio; Elisha Judson; Minnie, who
married Walter Cox, of Radnor, Delaware county,
Ohio; Margaret D., wife of the subject of this sketch;
and Elizabeth, who married Chauncey Prouty
and is now a widow living at Radnor, Ohio. The father of
these children died Feb. 21, 1891, aged sixty-nine years; and
the mother died Aug. 20, 1900, aged sixty-four years.
Source: The
Biographical Record of Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 - Page 297 |
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GEORGE E. CONNING
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 218 |
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JAMES M. CANNON
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 180 |
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ARTHUR C. CASSELL
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 60 |
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ALEXANDER CASSIL
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 112 |
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ROBERT CASSIL
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 318 |
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EDWARD A. CAVIN
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 272 |
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LEANDER CAYWOOD
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 368 |
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JOHN COCHREN
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 268 |
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C. W. COE
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 209 |
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CHARLES H. COE,
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 207 |
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JAMES W. COE
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 45 |
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JAMES
PERRY COLLINS, farmer and stone mason of Miller township,
Knox county, Ohio, is one of the most widely known brick and
stone contractors in Knox and adjoining counties. He is a
son of Washington and Susan (Hunter) Collins, and was
born at Brinkhaven, Knox county, Ohio, Feb. 2, 1853.
Washington Collins, father of the subject of
this sketch, was born in Guernsey county, Ohio, 1826. He
was served four years in the Civil war was as a member of
Company G, One Hundred and Twenty-first Regiment, Ohio Volunteer
Infantry, and is now residing with his son, James P.
By his marriage with Susan Hunter he became the father of
five children, named as follows in the order of their birth:
James Perry; Jackson, of Newcastle, Ohio; and George,
Edward and Adaline, who are dead. Mrs.
Collins died at about the age of seventy years.
James Perry Collins is a member of Mt. Zion
Lodge, No. 9, Free and Accepted Masons, of Mount Vernon, and is
also a Chapter Mason there, and is a member of Sycamore Valley
Lodge, No. 553, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He
married Miss Angeline Dripps June 14, 1876, and she has
borne him two children, Minnie, wife of Benjamin
Wright, of Miller Township, and Gertrude, at home.
Mrs. Collins is a daughter of Harrison and
Rachel (McFarland) Dripps, and was born in Milford township,
Knox county.
Mr. Collins is a citizen of public spirit,,, who
has the best interests of his township and county at heart, and
his fellow citizens have learned that they may safely depend
upon him to encourage earnestly and substantially any movement
for the general good. His patriotic inclinations cause him
to feel a deep interest in all national affairs, and he is an
intelligent observer of all passing events.
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 88
SHARON WICK'S NOTE: Perry Collins, a widower was married a
second time at ca. ae 53 years of age on Mar. 23, 1906 to
Christine Lugenbeal ae 50 at Muskingum Co., Ohio. (Copy of
marriage license, etc. at www.familysearch.org) |
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JONATHAN A.
COLOPY Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 342 |
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SIMON A. COLWILL
has spent his entire life in Knox county an dis among the
honored citizens who have aided in erecting the superstructure
of the county's present prosperity and progress. He was
born on the farm on which he now resides, on the 20th of
October, 1855, a son of Simon and Ann (Hurd) Colwill.
The father was born in the county of Cornwall, England, in 1810.
In 1835, soon after his marriage, he came to the United States,
settling in Gambier, Knox county, Ohio, where he followed his
trade of a wheelwright and carpenter. after some years
spent in that city, however, he removed to Massillon, where he
worked at his trade for a time and then returned to Gambier.
Some time in the early '40s he purchased the place on which our
subject now resides, consisting of a tract of ninety acres,
where he was engaged in farming until his life's labors were
ended, passing away on the 7th of September, 1884. He was
a Republican in his political views, and religiously was a
member of the Episcopal church. His wife was also born in
County Cornwall, England, in 1812, and she now makes her home
with her son, Simon A., having reached her ninetieth
year. Unto this worthy couple were born ten children,
seven of whom are now living, namely John T., a prominent
farmer of Monroe township; Charles, of Knox county;
Simon A., the subject of this review; Mary, the wife
of Augustus Barker, of Boone county, Iowa;
Elizabeth, the wife of Robert Hall, a farmer
of Pleasant township, Knox county Emma, the wife of
Ross Pumphrey, of Clay township, Knox county; and
Fannie, the wife of Dr. A. D. Welker, of Gambier.
Simon Augustus Colwill acquired
his early education in the common schools of Knox county, with a
preparatory course at Harcourt grammar school, and his studies
were completed in Kenyon College, of Gambier, Ohio. In
1876 he entered the school room as an instructor, following that
profession for six years during the winter months, while in the
summer seasons he was employed in the work of the fields.
In 1880 he assumed charge of the old home place, which he farmed
on shares until his father's death, and he then conducted the
same for his mother. In 1889 he purchased a tract of
thirty-seven and a half acres adjoining the homestead on the
east, and he has since carried on the work of both places.
His efforts along the line of his chosen vocation have been
attended with a high degree of success, and he is now classed
among the leading and representative agriculturists of the
township.
The marriage of Mr. Colwill was
celebrated on the 2d of October, 1882, when Miss Emma McKee
became his wife. She is a native daughter of Knox county,
and her father, Charles McKee, is a prominent
farmer of Harrison township. The union of our subject and
wife has ben been blessed with five children, -
Pearl B., who is attending the high school at Gambler;
Everett, who is also a student in that city; Ernest,
at home; Harold, deceased; and Burton, at home.
The Republican party receives Mr. Colwills active
support and co-operation, and for about eight years he has
served as a member of the school board, the cause of education
ever finding in him a firm friend. His religious
preference is indicated by his membership in the Episcopal
church, while his wife is identified with the Christian church.
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 91 |
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CHARLES COOPER.
The history of a country is chiefly the chronicle of the lives
and feeds of those who have conferred honor and dignity upon
society. The world judges the character of a community by
that of its representative citizens, and yields its tribute of
admiration and respect to the genius, learning or virtues of
those whose works and actions constitute the record of a
country's prosperity and pride; and it is in their character, as
exemplified in probity and benevolence, kindly virtues and
integrity in the affairs of life, are ever affording worthy
examples for emulation and valuable lessons of incentive.
To a student of biography there is nothing more
interesting than to examine the life history of a self-made man
to detect the elements of character which have enabled him to
pass on the highway of life many of the companions of his youth
who at the out set of their careers were more advantageously
equipped or endowed. The subject of this review through
his own exertions attained an honorable position and marked
prestige among the representative men of his state, and with
signal consistency it may be said that he was the architect of
his own fortunes, having builded wisely and well.
Charles Cooper,
who during his life time as a resident of Mount Vernon and was
the founder of the C. & G. Cooper Engine Works, was born
in Clinton township, Knox county, Ohio, on the 2d of January,
1811. He was a son of Cary and Elizabeth (Ruple) Cooper.
The father, born in Morris county. New Jersey, on the 29th of
January, 1781, came to Knox county, Ohio, in 1806, and here
spent the remainder of his life, passing away in 1831. His
wife, also a native of New Jersey, born in March, 1784, passed
away in death in this county in 1868, at the age of eighty-four
years. Their marriage was celebrated in Washington county,
Pennsylvania, in 1803, and they became the parents of six sons
and three daughters. Their son, Charles, was reared
to manhood on the home farm, and about 1831 he removed to
Zanesville, Ohio, where he was engaged in coal mining on a
moderate scale for two and a half years. Business,
however, did not prosper to the extent desired by our subject,
and one day, in a discouraged condition, he threw himself upon
the grass and while engaged in thought observed the smoke
issuing from a cupola of an old-time Zanesville foundry.
The thought at once flashed through his mind that he would
establish a foundry in Mount Vernon and springing to his feet,
resolved to make this inspiration a reality. A rapid and
firm decision and instantaneous and effective action were the
qualities most uppermost in Mr. Cooper's business
character, and these won for him his remarkable success.
In 1833 he and his brother, Elias, erected their foundry
and began the manufacture of plows, hallow-ware and such
castings as were demanded in Mount Vernon and the surrounding
country. This enterprise grew rapidly, and Mr.
Cooper delighted to relate to his family and intimate
friends the circumstances which led to the establishment of this
successful concern. On one other occasion was he similarly
influenced by some unforseen force. Bowed down and
disheartened by business losses during the panic of 1857, while
crossing the Mount Vernon square he experienced a renewel of
determination and strength in answer to a prayer, and this
prepared him to successfully weather the financial storm which
was so keenly felt throughout the country.
In 1840 the firm began the manufacture of threshing
machines, this proving a profitable addition to their already
extensive business. Elias Cooper died in
1848, and in the following year T. L. Clark purchased a
third interest in the plant, business being then conducted under
the firm, name of Cooper & Clark until 1850, when
John Cooper, a brother of our subject, also
purchased a third interest, the firm being then known as
Coopers & Clark. In 1853 Mr. Clark
retired, the business style then becoming C. & J. Cooper.
In January, 1868, F. L. Fairchild purchased an interest
and the business was then conducted under the firm name of C.
& J. Cooper & Co. In January, 1869, the works of C.
& J. Cooper & Co. and Coopers & Rogers were
consolidated and C. G. Cooper, a son of Elias Cooper,
and Colonel George Rogers were admitted to the
partnership, the business continuing under the firm name of
C. & J. Cooper & Co. In November, 1869, John Cooper
retired, and the business was thereafter conducted under the
firm, name of C. & G. Cooper & Co. In 1881
Colonel George Rogers retired from the business and D. B.
Kirk and C. F. Cooper, a son of Charles Cooper,
became interested in the business. Colonel George
Rogers' business career was ended in death in 1882.
In 1853 C. & J. Cooper built one of the first
locomotives constructed west of the Allegheny Mountains, which
was used on the Ohio Central Railroad for many years. They
constructed a number of locomotives, but the original plant has
been lost in the rapid growth and development of this important
concern. The plant now covers an area of several acres.
For a number of years the company have confined their efforts to
the manufacture of Corliss engines, and in this line they have
established a reputation second to none in the United States,
their products being shipped to all parts of the world.
In 1895 the business was incorporated under the name
and style of The C. & G. Cooper Company, and the
following officers elected: Charles Cooper,
chairman of the board of directors, which position he held until
the time of his death; F. L. Fairchild, president of the
company; C. G. Cooper, secretary; D. B. Kirk,
treasurer. The same officers have continued up to the
present time.
Charles Cooper had a remarkable record, and from
the study of his life history one may learn valuable lessons.
It illustrates in no uncertain manner what is possible to
accomplish when perseverance and determination form the keynote
to a man's life. Depending upon his own resources he arose
from comparative obscurity to a place of prominence in the
business and social world, and the town of Mount Vernon owes
much to him on account of his connection with her business
interests.
In politics Mr. Cooper was a Whig, with strong
anti-slavery sentiments, and he assisted many a slave to
continue his march toward freedom, the colored population of
Mount Vernon always finding in him a friend. In 1856, on
the formation of the Republican party, he joined its ranks, and
in 1868 he was the Republican candidate for congress. He
was also a friend to the poor and needy, but his gifts were
without ostentation. Oberlin, Kenyon and other educational
institutions were the recipients of his generous gifts, and he
was always greatly interested in local charities, the Children's
Home having been an object of special interest to him and of
which he was the founder and constant benefactor. He was
for several years and up to the time of his death the president
of the Knox National Bank, of Mount Vernon, president of the
Mount Vernon Gas Company, and was also president of the board of
trustees of Mound View cemetery. The public library also
received his financial support. In his religious views he
was a worthy and zealous member of the Congregational church,
the cause of Christianity ever finding in him a warm friend and
active worker.
On the 23d of June, 1833, Mr. Cooper was united
in marriage to Miss Almeda, a daughter of John Murphy,
but after a few years of happy married life the wife was called
to the home beyond, leaving one child, who is now the wife of
A. F. Seeberger, of Chicago, Illinois. On the l0th of
March, 1846, Mr. Cooper was a second time married.
Miss Isabel Weaver becoming his wife. She is a
daughter of Jacob and Mary (Rogers) Weaver, of Mount
Vernon, but formerly of Connellsville, Pennsylvania. Unto
this union were born the following children Alice, widow
of the late Dr. J. W. Stamp, of Mount Vernon, and they
had two children, Charles Marcus and Jane; Mae,
who married Desault B. Kirk, of Mount Vernon, whose
history also appears in this work, and her death occurred on the
30th of March, 1887; Adel, who married X. L. Otis,
a son of Judge L. B. Otis, of Chicago, but formerly of
Fremont, Ohio, and they have one daughter, Louise; Cora,
who married General C. C. Howell, of Knoxville,
Tennessee, but formerly of Colorado, and they have two children,
Helen C. and Cornelia C. Charles F., the only son
of the family, was born in Mount Vernon, in 1858, and his death
occurred on the st of September, 1894, at the age of thirty-six
years. He received his education in Oberlin College, and
after completing his studies he became a. member of the C. &
G. Cooper Company. Outside of his business interests
his chief pleasure was found in travel and study, and he thus
became a well informed man. His friends were many and on
the list were numbered many of the representative men of the
locality. His death was the cause of wide spread regret,
while the community mourned the loss of one of its truest and
best citizens. He married Miss Amelia Sturges, of
Mount Vernon, a daughter of F. D. Sturges,
president of the First National Bank, of this city. Their
union was blessed with the following children: Charles,
who was named in honor of his father and grandfather; Isabel,
Ethel, James Sturges and Eunice.
Charles Cooper's life's labors were ended in death
on the 7th of February, 1901, passing away at his home on West
Sugar streets, having reached the ninety-first milestone on the
journey of life. His path was ever upward both in the
spiritual and temporal sense. As this review shows he was
distinctively a self-man - one of nature's noblemen whom no
force of circumstances could prostrate or draw into obscurity.
He indeed deserved mention among Ohio's representative citizens,
and should find a place in the history of the men of business
and enterprise whose force of character, sterling integrity,
control of circumstances and whose marked success in
establishing great industries have contributed in such an
eminent degree to the solidity and progress of the entire
country. His life was manly, his actions sincere, his
manner unaffected and his example is well worthy of emulation.
On the occasion of Mr. Cooper's death one of the Mount
Vernon papers truthfully said to him: "Death ends the labors of
man. The passing of Mr. Cooper from the scenes of
his earthly activities and usefulness is sincerely mourned by
all who have had the honor of a personal acquaintance with Mount
Vernon's grand old man,' or who have appreciated the extent and
unostentatiousness of his benefactions to the community and to
individuals. Nor will the magnificent engine works, which
he developed through sixty-seven years, from an insignificant
shop be his most enduring monument, but in each heart that has
felt his benevolent influence will be reared a cenotaph* that
shall endure forever. His career was intensely human, and
on the book of life his name is enrolled as one who lived his
fellow men. May he rest in peace."
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 14
* SHARON WICK'S NOTE:
A cenotaph is a monument that honors a
deceased person whose remains are located elsewhere or cannot be
recovered. The
word "cenotaph" comes from the Greek words "kenos" (empty) and "taphos"
(tomb), literally meaning "empty tomb". Cenotaphs
are often erected in memory of war veterans or other individuals
whose remains are not located at the memorial site. |
| |
JAMES FENIMORE COOPER.
- In speaking of this noted American novelist, William Cullen
Bryant said: "He wrote for mankind at Large, hence it is
that he has earned a fame wider than any American author of
modern times. The creations of his genius shall survive
through centuries to come, and only perish with our language."
Another eminent writer (Prescott) said of Cooper:
"In his productions every American must take an honest pride;
for surely no one has succeeded like Cooper in the
portraiture of American charger, or has given such glowing and
eminently truthful pictures of American scenery.
James Finimore Cooper, was born Sept. 15, 1789,
at Burlington, New Jersey, and was a son of Judge William
Cooper. About a year after the birth of our subject
the faily removed to Otsego county, New York, and founded the
town called "Cooperstown." James Fenimore Cooper
spent his childhood there and in 1802 entered Yale College, and
four yeas later became a midshipman in the United States navy.
In 1811 he was married, quit the seafaring life, and began
devoting more or less time to Literary pursuits. His first
work was "Precaution," a novel published in 1819, and three
years later he produced "The Spy, a Tale of Neutral Ground,"
which met with great favor and was a universal success.
This was followed by many other works, among which may be
mentioned the following: "The Pioneers," "The Pilot,"
"Last of the Mohicans," "The Prairie," "The Red Rover," "The
Manikins," "Homeward Bound," "ome as Found," "History of the
United States Navy," "The Pathfinder," "Wing and Wing," "Afloat
and Ashore," "The Chain-Bearer," "Oak-Openings," etc.
J. Fenimore Cooper died at Cooperstown, New York, Sept. 14,
1851.
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 58 |
| |
PETER COOPER was
in three particulars - as a capitalist and manfacturer, as an
inventor, and as a philanthropist - connected intimately with
some of the worst important and useful accessions to the
industrial arts of America, its progress in invention and the
promotion of educational and benevolent institutions intended
for the benefit of people at large. He was born in New
York city, Feb. 12, 1791. His life was one of labor and
struggle, as it was with most of America's successful men.
In early boyhood he commenced to help his father as a
manufacturer of hats. He attended school only for half of
each day for a single year, and beyond this his acquisitions
were all his own. When seventeen years old he was placed
with John Woodward to learn the trade of coach-making and
served his apprenticeship so satisfactorily that his master
offered to set him up in business, but this he declined because
of the debt and obligation it would involve.
The foundation of Mr. Cooper's fortune
was laid in the invention of an improvement in machines for
shearing cloth. This was largely called into use during
the war of 1812 with England when all importations of cloth from
that country were stopped. The machines lost their value,
however, on the declaration of peace. Mr. Cooper
then turned his shop into the manufacture of cabinet ware.
He afterwards went into the grocery business in New York and
finally he engaged in the manufacture of glue and isinglass*
which he carried on for more than fifty years. In 1830 he
erected iron works in Canton, near Baltimore. Subsequently
he erected a rolling and a wire mill in the city of New York, in
which he first successfully applied anthracite** to the puddling
of iron. In these works, he was the first to roll
wrought-iron beams for fire-proof buildings. These works
grew to be very extensive, including mines, blast furnaces, etc.
While in Baltimore Mr. Cooper built in 1830, after his
own designs, the first locomotive engine ever constructed on
this continent and it was successfully operated on the Baltimore
& Ohio Railroad. He also took a great interest and
invested large capital in the extension of the electric
telegraph, also in the laying of the first Atlantic cable;
besides interesting himself largely in the New York state
canals. But the most cherished object of Mr. Cooper's
life was the establishment of an institution for the instruction
of the industrial classes, which he carried out on a magnificent
scale in New York city, where the "Cooper Union" ranks
among the most important institutions.
In May, 1876, the Independent party nominated Mr.
Cooper for president of the United States, and at the
election following he received nearly 100,000 votes. His
death occurred Apr. 4, 1883.
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 37
* SHARON WICK'S NOTE:
ISINGLASS
is a semitransparent, naturally occurring substance derived from
the swim bladders of certain fish, primarily sturgeons. It's
used as a fining agent, especially in brewing and winemaking, to
clarify alcoholic beverages by promoting the settling of
suspended particles. Isinglass
is also used in other applications, including as an adhesive, in
making jellies, and for parchment conservation
** Definition and use of Anthracite - See
https://www.britannica.com/science/anthracite |
W. C. COOPER |
COL.
WILLIAM C.
COOPER is one of the most conspicuous
figures in the history of jurisprudence in Knox county, nor is
his reputation limited by its boundaries, for throughout the
state he has won distinction by reason of marked ability.
He entered upon practice more than thirty-five years ago and his
success came soon because his equipment was unusually good, he
having been a close and earnest student of the fundamental
principles of the law. Nature endowed him with strong
intellectual powers and he has acquired that persistent energy
and close application without which there is no success. A
man of sound judgment he manages his cases with masterly skill
and tact; is a logical reasoner and has a ready command in
English. His powers as an advocate have been demonstrated
by his success on many occasions and he is an able lawyer of
large and varied experience in all the courts.
Thoroughness characterizes all his efforts and he conducts all
his business with a strict regard to a high standard of
professional ethics.
The ancestral history of Mr. Cooper in the
paternal line is purely American for many generations remote,
while on the maternal side he is of Scotch-Irish lineage.
Prior to the establishment of th efamily in Ohio his
grandfather, Daniel Cooper, and his father,
Thompson Cooper, reside in Pennsylvania, both being natives
of Butler county, that state, whence they came to Mount Vernon
in the year 1806. Daniel Cooper entered the army in
the war of 1812 and, holding the rank of captain, rendered
valuable service to his country in her second war with England.
He continued his residence in Knox county until his death, which
occurred in 1841. Thompson Cooper, the father of
our subject, was but a boy when the family came to Ohio, and
therefore was reared amid the wild scenes and circumstances of
pioneer life. As the years progressed he took his place
among the leaders of thought and action in the county and was
very prominent and influential in public affairs. For
thirty years he served as justice of the peace and for eight
years was mayor of Mount Vernon, his long continuance in office
indicating unmistakably the high place which he occupied in the
public regard. His career was above reproach, his public
faithfulness being equalled by the probity and uprightness of
his private life. He was serving as mayor at the time of
his death in 1863, and it is safe to say that no citizen of
Mount Vernon has been more widely or deeply mourned. He
married Rebecca Craig, a native of Washington county,
Pennsylvania, who possessed the strong traits of character of
her Scotch ancestry, thrift, perseverance, unfaltering honesty
and conscientiousness. She endeavored to impress upon the
minds of her children lessons of industry and truth, thus
preparing them with the fortifications of an upright character
to meet the battles of life.
During his youth Mr. Cooper enjoyed
instruction in private schools and in Mount Vernon Academy, and
through the months of summer assisted in the work of the home
farm, developing thereby the strong physical powers which have
formed the basis of his work, enabling him to carry on the
mental activity so necessary to success at the bar. In
early life it became his strong desire to enter the legal
profession and to this end he began study under the direction of
Joseph W. Vance and James Smith, Jr. When
twenty-two years of age he was admitted to the bar and soon
afterward entered into partnership with his former preceptor,
Mr. Vance, this relation being maintained until the death of
Mr. Vance, who was killed on the field of battle.
Soon after the inauguration of the Civil war they closed their
office and entered their country's service, Mr. Vance
becoming a colonel. He was commanding his regiment at the
time he was killed. Mr. Cooper was among the first
to enlist in defense of the starry banner of the nation,
becoming first lieutenant of Company B, Fourth Ohio Infantry,
with which he continued in active service until the following
January, when he resigned in order to attend to the business of
the firm and important personal matters. Early in 1864,
however, he returned to the service for one hundred days as
colonel of the One Hundred and Forty-second Ohio Volunteers,
with which he participated in the Petersburg campaign.
At the conclusion of his second term Mr. Cooper
returned home and resumed the practice of law alone. Later
he was for two years in partnership with Henry T. Porter
and for eight years was at the head of the firm of Cooper,
Porter & Mitchell. He is remarkable among
lawyers for the wide research and provident care with which he
prepares his cases. In no instance has his reading ever
been confined to the limitations of the questions at issue; it
has gone beyond and compassed every contingency and provided not
alone for the expected, but for the unexpected, which happens in
the courts quite as frequently as out of them. His logical
grasp of facts and principles of the law applicable to them has
been another potent element in his success, and a remarkable
cleverness of expression, an adequate and precise diction, which
enables him to make others understand not only the salient
points of his argument, but his every fine gradation of meaning,
may be accounted one of his most conspicuous gifts and
accomplishments. He is quick to master all the intricacies
in a case and grasp all details, at the same time losing sight
of none of the essential points upon which the decision of every
case finally turns. His fidelity to his clients' interests
is proverbial, yet he never forgets that he owes a higher
allegiance to the majesty of the law. His diligence and
energy in the preparation of his cases, as well as the
earnestness, tenacity and courage with which he defends the
right as he understands it, challenges the highest admiration of
his associates. Yet he scorns the glittering chaplet of
forensic triumph if it must be gained by debasing himself,
debauching public morality or degrading the dignity of his
profession.
The name of Mr. Cooper figures
prominently in connection with the history of the Republican
party in Ohio, for, though he has never been a politician in the
sense of office seeking, his opinions carry weight in the
councils of his party and he is a director of public thought and
feeling. Prior to the Civil war Colonel Cooper held
the office of prosecuting attorney for four years. In 1860
he was elected mayor of Mount Vernon and served for two
consecutive terms. In 1871 he was chosen to represent his
district in the state legislature and at the close of the term
declined a second election. He was for six years president
of the board of education of Mount Vernon and for five years was
advocate general of the state of Ohio. These are the only
civil offices held by him until he was elected to the Forty
ninth congress in 1884. In 1886 and again in 1888 he was
re-elected. His reputation as a lawyer gave him a standing
which was maintained and advanced by the wisdom of his counsel
in the committee-room and his power in debate on the floor.
He was not only a very able, but also a very useful member and
he served on some of the most important committees of the house.
During his first term the bill providing for the order of
succession in the office of president was passed and he was a
member of the committee in charge of the bill. His
argument on the subject was masterly and patriotic. He was
influential on the committees on elections, on territories, on
banking and on currency. He managed several campaigns as
chairman of the Republican state central committee and was the
representative of the Republican party in Ohio in the national
committee from 1876 until 1884, during the period of greatest
contention in the party, and was a delegate to the national
convention in 1872 and 1880.
In January, 1864, Mr. Cooper was united in
marriage to Miss Eliza Russell, a daughter of Dr. John
W. Russell, a physician of prominence, who for sixty years
practiced his profession in Mount Vernon. Two
daughters were born unto them. Mr. Cooper's social
relations connect him with the Grand Army of the Republic and he
has twice represented his state in the national encampment.
His citizenship has ever been characterized by unswerving
loyalty to the best interests of city, state and nation and by
mastery of every subject upon which his actions could have
direct or indirect bearing; socially he is most popular, for he
is genial, courteous and kindly, and true merit can always win
his friendship; profession ally he is most talented and
prominent, his comprehensive understanding of the principles of
jurisprudence, combined with his logic and power in argument,
rendering him one of the most able members of the Ohio bar.
Such is the life record of one who for seventy years has been an
honored resident of Mount Vernon.
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 32 |
| |
AUSTIN CORBIN,
one of the greatest railway magnates of the United States, was
born July 11, 1827, at Newport, New Hampshire. He studied
law with Chief Justice Gushing and Governor Ralph
Metcalf, and later took a course in the Harvard Law School,
where he graduated in 1849. He was admitted to the bar,
and practiced law, with Governor Metcalf as his partner,
until Oct. 12, 1851. Mr. Corbin then removed
to Davenport, Iowa, where he remained until 1865. In 1854
he was a partner in the banking firm of Macklot &
Corbin, and later he organized the First National bank of
Davenport, Iowa, which commenced business June 29, 1863, and
which was the first national bank open for business in the
United States. Mr. Corbin sold out his
business in the Davenport bank, and removed to New York in 1865
and commenced business with partners under the style of
Corbin Banking Company. Soon after his removal to New
York he became interested in railroads, and became one of the
leading railroad men of the country. The development of
the west half of Coney Island as a summer resort first brought
him into general prominence. He built a railroad from New
York to the island, and built great hotels on its ocean front.
He next turned his attention to Long Island, and secured all the
railroads and consolidated them under one management, became
president of the system, and under his control Long Island
became the great ocean suburb of New York. His latest
public achievement was the rehabilitation of the Reading
Railroad, of Pennsylvania, and during the same time he and his
friends purchased the controlling interest of the New Jersey
Central Railroad. He took it out of the hands of the
receiver, and in three years had it on a dividend-paying basis.
Mr. Corbin's death occurred June 4, 1896.
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 205 |
| |
WILLIAM H. COVER,
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 22 |
| |
STEPHEN CRAIG
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 92 |
| |
HENRY A. CRIPPEN
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 86 |
| |
ALEXANDER
CRITCHFIELD.
Throughout his entire life Alexander Critchfield
has been a resident of Knox county, and has been identified with
many of the interests that have contributed to its substantial
development and improvement. His probity, fidelity and
sterling worth have won him the unqualified confidence of his
fellow townsmen, and his pathway is now brightened by the love
and respect which should ever follow an upright career.
Mr. Critchfield was born upon the farm
where he now resides, Sept. 11, 1845. His father, Jesse
Critchfield, claimed Pennsylvania as the state of his
nativity, but in an early day he came to Knox county, Ohio,
where his death occurred when he was yet in the prime of life,
passing away at the age of fifty-eight years. The mother
of our subject bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Mowrey,
and she, too, was born in the Keystone state. She reached
the ripe old age of eighty-nine years. This worthy couple
became the parents of thirteen children, of whom our subject was
the eleventh in order of birth. His youth was spent in the
usual manner of farmer lads of the period, devoting his time
during the summer months to the work of the farm and in the
winter season he attended the common schools of the
neighborhood. In 1862, when but seventeen years of age, he
enlisted for service in the Civil war, entering Company F, One
Hundred and Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he
served until the close of hostilities. During his career
as a soldier he took part in the Atlanta campaign, was with
Sherman on his celebrated march to the sea, and took part in
the last battle fought at Bentonville, North Carolina.
From that place they went to Richmond and then on to Washington,
D. C, where they participated in the grand review, the grandest
military pageant ever witnessed on the western hemisphere.
Receiving an honorable discharge at Camp Dennison, Ohio, on the
22d of July, 1865, Mr. Critchfield then returned
to his home and again took up the quiet duties of farm life.
After his father's death he purchased the interest of the other
heirs in the old homestead, and has there resided throughout his
entire life. He now owns one hundred acres of fertile and
well improved land, on which he has erected commodious and
substantial buildings, and his is now one of the most valuable
homesteads of its size in the locality. He is engaged in
the raising of the cereals best adapted to this soil and
climate, and his efforts in the line of his chosen vocation are
bringing to him, a high and well merited degree of prosperity.
Jan. 12, 1867, Mr. Critchfield was united
in marriage to Tilda Humbert, a native of Howard
township, Knox county, and they have one daughter, Emma,
the wife of Frank Mavis. They make their home upon
the old family homestead with her parents. Mrs.
Critchfield's parents, John and Susanna Humbert, came
from Pennsylvania, their native state, to Knox county, Ohio, in
a very early day, and they became prominent and leading citizens
of their locality. They were the parents of thirteen
children, Mrs. Critchfield being the seventh in order of
birth. Our subject maintains pleasant relations with his
old army comrades through his membership with LeRoy Baker
Post, No. 120, G. A. R; in which he is now serving as senior
vice commander. His political support is given to the
Republican party, and at all times he is a progressive and
public-spirited citizen who takes a deep interest in every thing
pertaining to the welfare of the community.
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 35 |
C. E. Critchfield |
CHARLES E. CRITCHFIELD.
The subject of this review is actively connected with a
profession which has important bearing upon the progress and
stable prosperity of any section or community, and one which has
long been considered as conserving the public welfare by
furthering the ends of justice and maintaining public right.
For thirty-six years he has been judicial and legislative
offices and his public and professional career have been alike
above reproach.
Judge Charles Edward Critchfield is so widely
known in this portion of the state that his life history can not
fail to prove of interest to many of our readers. He was
born in Coshocton county, near the Knox county line, Nov. 25,
1836, and is descended from good old Revolutionary stock, his
great-grandfather, who was of German lineage, having
fought for independence in the war which gave rise to the
American republic. William Critchfield, the
grandfather of the Judge, was born in Somerset county,
Pennsylvania, and in 1812 emigrated to Knox county, Ohio, where
his death occurred. He was one of the honored
pioneer settlers, who aided in laying the foundation for the
present progress and prosperity of this portion of the state.
Charles
Critchfield, the father of the Judge, was born in
Somerset county, Pennsylvania, and during his early boyhood
accompanied his parents to Knox county, whence he afterward
removed to Coshocton county, but when our subject was a lad of
twelve years he returned with his family to this county and
located upon a farm which is still in possession of his
descendants. He followed agricultural pursuits throughout
the greater part of his life and was an enterprising farmer and
honorable man. He married Matilda, daughter of
Benjamin Butler, who, with Joseph Walker and
Thomas Bell Patterson, at one time owned the town site of
Mount Vernon, and laid out the town there in 1805. Mr.
Butler came from Virginia to the Buckeye state. It
will thus be seen that on both the patrenal
paternal and maternal sides the Judge is a representative of
families that have been identified with Knox county from the
days of its earliest settlement. There were but three
children in his father's family and his brother is now a
resident of California, the sister died at about twelve years of
age.
In the public schools Judge Critchfield pursued
his literary education and afterward began reading law in the
office of Major William R. Sapp. In 1865 he was
admitted to the bar, and, opening an office in Mount Vernon, has
since engaged in practice. His is a nature that could
never content itself with mediocrity and with resolute will he
set himself at the task of winning a prominent place at the bar.
He knew this could only be done by close application, thorough
study and absolute devotion to his clients' interests and those
qualities have ever characterized his professional career.
With the exception of the time when he served on the bench his
practice has been of a general character and on all departments
of the law he has comprehensive knowledge. In 1869 he was
elected probate judge of Knox county for a term of three years,
and that he most capably and fairly discharged his duties is
indicated by the fact that he was thrice elected, thus being
continued in the position for nine years, although the service
was not consecutive, there being an interval of three years
between his second and third terms. Other public offices
have been conferred upon him. He was a member of the city
council for one term and from 1893 until 1897, during President
Cleveland's second administration, was post master of Mount
Vernon. He has been a life-long Democrat, and on that
ticket in 1889 he was elected to represent his district in the
state legislature. It was during the ensuing session of
the general assembly that Calvin S. Brice was elected
United States Senators.
In 1862, in this county, Judge Critchfield
was united in marriage to Miss Amanda Vincent, a daughter
of Alexander and Eliza (McElroy) Vincent, of Washington
county, Pennsylvania, whence they came to Ohio, locating on a
farm in Knox county. The Judge and his wife have two
children Charles Vincent, who is manager of the
electric light and gas plant in Hillsboro, Ohio, and Nellie,
at home.
The Judge has a wide acqaintance
acquaintance in this portion of Ohio where his entire life has
been passed, and the marked strength of his character, his
ability and enterprise have secured to him professional and
political honors and successes. His public career has ever
been marked by fidelity to duty and in the course of several
decades he has always commanded the confidence and good will of
his fellow men.
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 248 |
| |
JOSEPH
CRITCHFIELD, the efficient and popular
postmaster of Howard, is one of the leading and representative
citizens of his locality. He was born in Howard township,
Knox county, Ohio, on the 11th of October, 1838, a son of
Lewis Critchfield, also a native of this county. The
latter's father, Joseph Critchfield, claimed Pennsylvania
as the state of his nativity, and after his marriage he and his
wife made the journey from that state to Ohio on horseback,
locating in the dense woods of Howard township, Knox county.
They made their home for many years on the farm now owned by
Daniel McGuigan, Jr., and Mr. Critchfield was
subsequently killed by a horse. His son, Lewis C.,
the father of our subject, was reared to years of maturity on
his father's farm, and upon taking up the active duties of life
on his own account he chose the occupation to which he had been
reared, and throughout his active business career he followed
the tilling of the soil in Knox county. His life's labors
were ended in death when he had reached the age of seventy-seven
years. In early life he gave his political support to the
Whig party, but after the organization of the Republican party
he joined its ranks and was ever afterward a loyal supporter of
its principles. He held membership in the Christian
church, in which he took an active and helpful interest, having
greatly assisted in the organization of the church at Milwood,
and for many years he was an officer therein. For his wife
he chose Mary J. Dawson, who was born in Washington
county, Pennsylvania, but when a young lady she accompanied her
parents on their removal to Knox county, Ohio, and her death
occurred when she had reached the age of sixty-six years.
Her father, Dr. John Dawson, followed the tilling of the
soil in the Keystone state and was also a physician by
profession, following both occupations after his removal to
Howard township. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs.
Critchvield was blessed with a family of six children, of
which our subject was the eldest in order of birth. Two of
the number died in infancy, and a son, John Dawson
Critchfield, who was a prominent attorney of Mount Vernon,
was called to his final rest in 1900. The two surviving
daughters are: Elenor, the wife of Matthew Walch,
of Howard; and Mary J., the wife of J. Thompson
Witworth, a prominent farmer of Monroe Mills.
Joseph Critchfield, whose name introduces this
review, has spent his entire life in the place of his nativity,
and the educational privileges which he enjoyed in his youth
were those afforded by the log school house of his neighborhood.
In October, 1861, in response to his country's call for aid, he
enlisted as a private in Company A, Sixty fifth Ohio Volunteer
Infantry, and in January, 1863, he was made a musician of his
regiment, serving in that position until the close of the war.
His military career covered a period of four years, two months
and eighteen days, and during that time he participated in the
battles of Shiloh, Corinth, Stone River, Chickamauga, Missionary
Ridge and many others equally important. On the 1st of
January, 1864, he veteranized at Blain's Cross Roads, in East
Tennessee, and on the following March he received a thirty days
furlough, but during his stay at home he was sick with the
measles. Rejoining his command on the 5th of April, he
took part in the battles of Jonesborough, Spring Hill, Franklin,
and in all the battles of the Atlanta campaign. During his
entire career as a soldier he was never wounded or captured, but
he suffered greatly from sickness, and at the close of
hostilities, on the 26th of December, 1865, he received an
honorable discharge at Columbus, Ohio, retiring from the service
with the rank of first lieu tenant.
Returning to his home in Knox county, Mr.
Critchfield was for a time engaged in mercantile pursuits
with his father-in-law, Jonathan Hammond, which
relationship was maintained for seven years, on the expiration
of which period our subject sold his interest to his partner and
for the following nine years was engaged in farming in Union
township. He then took up his abode in Lancaster,
Fairfield county, Ohio, where he made his home until October,
1883, when he came to Howard and again turned his attention to
mercantile pursuits, in partnership with Eli Wolfe, thus
continuing for about ten years. Mr. Critchfield
then sold his interest to his partner, since which time he has
been engaged in superintending his farm of one hundred and
eighty-two acres in Howard township, located one and a half
miles southeast of the village of Howard.
In 1864, during his absence from the army on his thirty
days' furlough, our subject was united in marriage to Mary E.
Hammond, who was born in Knox county, Ohio, a daughter of
Jonathan and Hannah (Lybarger) Hammond. Two daughters
have been born unto this union, - Lulu, the wife of
George A. Cheney, station agent for the Chicago, Akron &
Columbus Railroad at Mount Vernon; and Keturah, the wife
of Charles Cheney, who is engaged in the livery business
in Danville, Ohio. The Republican party receives Mr.
Critchfield's active support and co-operation, and during
President Harrison's administration he was appointed to
the office of postmaster of Howard and was reappointed in 1901,
by President McKinley. In LeRoy
Baker Post, G. A. R., he maintains pleasant relations with
his old army comrades, and of the Methodist Episcopal church he
is a worthy and honored member.
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 124 |
| |
MAJOR
NATHANIEL
CRITCHFIELD.
Major Nathaniel Critchfield, one of the prominent early
settlers of Knox county, an ex-soldier of the Civil war and at
all times a loyal citizen, is numbered among the leading farmers
of his locality. He is a native son of Howard township,
his birth having here occurred on the 25th of February, 1834,
and he is of German descent. His paternal grandfather,
Nathaniel Critchfield, was a native of the state of
Maryland, but in a very early day he came to Knox county, Ohio,
entering eight hundred acres of land in Howard township, where
he spent the remainder of his life, passing away in death at a
ripe old age. He became a very prominent man in his
locality, and for many years he held the office of justice of
the peace. The father of our subject, Benjamin
Critchfield, was also a native of Maryland, but when only
seven years of age he was brought by his parents to the Buckeye
state. After his marriage he located on a farm in Howard
township, where he followed farming and black smithing for many
years. His life's labors were ended in death when he had
reached the age of eighty-four years. In early life he
gave his political support to the Democracy, but after the
organization of the Republican party he joined its ranks, voting
for Abraham Lincoln.
Mr. Critchfield was married in Howard township,
Knox county, to Mary Welker, who also claimed Maryland as
the state of her nativity, as did her father, Abraham Welker,
and the family was of German descent. Unto this worthy
couple were: born nine children, but only two of the number grew
to mature years. The mother was called to her final rest
when she had reached the age of eighty-two years.
Nathaniel Critchfield,
whose name introduces this review, was reared to manhood on his
father's farm in this locality, and the early educational
advantages which he enjoyed were those afforded by the primitive
schools of the neighborhood, which he was only permitted to
attend during a few months of the year. Later, however, he
attended a select school in Mount Vernon, which was taught by
R. R. Sloan. In 1856, when a young man, he undertook
the long and tedious journey across the plains, but after
reaching Iowa the company of which he was a member disbanded,
and he then returned to his old home in Knox county. The
year following his marriage the Civil war was inaugurated, and
on the 17th of October, 1861, Mr. Critchfield became a
member of Company A, Sixty-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry,
entering the ranks as a private, but he soon received his
commission as principal musician of his regiment, serving in
that capacity for seventeen months. He participated in the
battle of Stone River, which continued for eight days, was in
the battle of Shiloh and also took part in many of the other
important engagements of the war. On three occasions he
was slightly wounded but never seriously, and after the close of
hostilities, with an honorable military career, he returned to
his home to again take up the duties of civil life. He has
ever since devoted his attention to general farming. He
follows advanced and progressive methods of agriculture, and his
place is neat and thrifty in appearance, owing to his diligent
labors and careful supervision.
In October, 1860, occurred the marriage of Mr.
Critchfield and Miss Ellen E. Cassil, who was born in Howard
township, Oct. 14, 1836, a daughter of John and Matilda (Critchfield)
Cassil. The father came from Washington county,
Pennsylvania, to the Buckeye state in a very early day, locating
in Howard township, Knox county, and here his remaining days
were passed, dying at the age of sixty-five years. The
mother was a native daughter of Knox county, and she reached the
ripe old age of eighty-four years. She was an earnest Christian
woman, and was a worthy and valued member of the Christian
church, in which Mr. Critchfield also holds membership.
Mr. and Mrs. Cassil became the parents of three children,
two daughters and a son, as follows: Mrs. Critchfield; James
R., deceased; and Nancy J., who has also passed to
her final rest. The union of our subject and wife was
blessed with two children, but both have now passed away, -
Johanna B., who died in her twenty-sixth year, and one who
died in infancy. Mr. Critchfield is a member of
LeRoy Baker Post, No. 150, G. A. R., of Danville, in which
he has held many of the offices, and for thirty-five years he
has also been a member of the Masonic order, his membership
being with the lodge at Danville.
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 147 |
| |
ROLAND
CRITCHFIELD
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 300 |
| |
MILTON M.
CUNNINGHAM
Source: The Biographical Record of
Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 ~ Page 65 |
| |
HENRY
B. CURTIS. It was in 1885 that Henry B.
Curtis passed from this life—full of years and of honors,
but the result and influence of his life work still lingers.
There has been no resident of Mount Vernon who has taken a more
active or helpful interest in the welfare and progress of the
city and for years he was numbered among its distinguished
lawyers and capitalists. He was born near the village of
Champlain, New York, Nov. 28, 1799, a son of Zarah and
Phalley (Yale) Curtis. The former was born in Litchfield
county, Connecticut, in 1762, and served as a soldier in the
Revolutionary war, loyally fighting for independence. His
wife was the eldest daughter of Aaron and Anna (Hosmer) Yale
and was born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1762. They were
married in 1785 and removed to Charlotte, Vermont, where some of
their daughters were born, while Hosmer Curtis, an older
brother of our subject, was born in Litchfield, Connecticut.
His death occurred in Keokuk, Iowa, in 1874, at the advanced age
of eighty-five years. From Charlotte, Vermont, the family
removed to a farm on the west side of Lake Champlain, near the
village of that name, where they resided until 1809, when they
went to Newark, Licking county, Ohio. A few years later
the father purchased a farm at the South fork of the Licking
river, where the family were living when Henry Barnes Curtis
started out in life on his own account. That property was
afterward sold and another farm purchased, on which the father
died in 1849, in the eighty-eighth year of his age, beloved and
respected as a member of the Christian church.
Henry B. Curtis was a lad of only nine years
when he came to Ohio. At that time Newark was a village of
but fifty or sixty rude houses, mostly log cabins. The
opportunities for a thorough education were somewhat limited,
yet the private schools of Roswell Mills and Amos H. Coffee
gave to the diligent and faithful students facilities for an
education, not only in the common school studies, but also in
the higher English branches. Under these faithful teachers
and some private instructors in a partial classical course Mr.
Curtis, by hard study, gained a liberal education.
During the whole period he assisted his father in the farm work
and even after leaving home he continued to pay his parents all
his wages except what was necessary for his expenses until he
was twenty years of age. When a youth of seventeen
he left the farm and came to Mount Vernon, where his brother,
Hosmer, was then practicing law. With his assistance
he obtained a position in the clerks office, where his assiduity
and ready skill soon secured him the appointment of deputy
clerk. Thus he became acquainted with the distinguished
lawyers of that day and won their friendship.
Familiarized with courts and legal forms of proceedings in this
way, he was naturally directed to the law as a life work.
In the fall of 1820 he became a law student in his brother's
office and on the 9th of December, 1822, he was admitted to the
bar.
As an evidence of the kindly estimation in which he was
held by the judges of the court, after he had retired from the
deputy clerkship and while yet a student, the four judges on the
bench appointed him recorder of the county, a position which he
filled for seven years. This advancement in the outset of
life was a material aid to him. It gave him position and
with the general acquaintance he had previously secured, his
familiarity with the forms of legal proceedings, a well-read
knowledge of the law and a diligent application to the study of
his cases and preparation of his briefs, he soon fell into a
large and profitable practice. When he entered upon the
practice of the law there were but two other resident lawyers in
the county, but others soon came—men of ability and
prominence—and it was the capable lawyer that held a foremost
position at the bar, as did Mr. Curtis. In the
earlier years of his practice his professional circuit embraced
besides Knox the counties of Licking, Richland, Delaware and
Coshocton, with frequent extension in special cases to more
remote courts. On the 9th of January, 1863, he was
admitted to the bar of the United States supreme court in
Washington and at different times his practice took him to this
court as well as to the supreme court of the state and the
United States circuit and district courts. In December,
1872, he celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his admission to
the bar by giving a supper at his residence, "Round Hill," to
the resident members of the profession and many old time
friends. He announced on that occasion that he would
decline all new retainers thereafter, and leave the field to his
younger brethren and thence forward he would try to give better
attention to his private business. Mr. Curtis
never deserted his profession to seek political preferment.
In view of the success that crowned his career it is evident
that in the choice of his profession he acted wisely.
On the 2d of July, 1823, Mr. Curtis
married Miss Elizabeth Hogg, daughter of
Percival and Elizabeth Hogg, of Mount Pleasant, Jefferson
county, Ohio. Her family had but recently arrived in this
country from Durham, England, where she was born June 22, 1803.
She died in Mount Vernon July 17, 1878. They had six
daughters and two sons, but only one is living, Ella, the
wife of Joseph C. Devin, a lawyer of Mount Vernon, who at
one time was state senator from Knox county.
In politics a Republican, Mr. Curtis was
present and took part in the convention in which the party was
organized in Ohio. Although he believed firmly in the
principles of the party and always voted therefor he would never
become a candidate for office, save in 1840, when he accepted
the Whig nomination for congress and succeeded in reducing his
opponent's previous majority by overdone thousand.
Although he desired not political office he was honored with
many public trusts. He represented Knox county in the
state board of equalization in the winter of 1840-41, a body
legislative in form of organization and in which many vital and
important question in regard to the material interests of the
state were discussed and settled. For twelve years
preceding the dissolution of the board he held the office of
trustee of the Central Lunatic Asylum. At the time of the
transfer of its powers to three commissioners of the building,
and for sometime previous, he was acting president of the board.
This trust involved the care of over five hundred insane, the
administration and general government of its affairs, and after
the burning of the old buildings the carrying forward the
construction of the immense new edifice for the institution.
About the summer of 1823 Bishop Chase first
visited Mount Vernon with a view of finding a suitable location
for a proposed institution, now known as Kenyon College.
Through the influence of Mr. Curtis, a tract of
about eight thousand acres was purchased. He gave all the
aid he could toward building up and advancing the interests of
the school, and in 1881 he received from the institution the
degree of Doctor of Laws. He served for a long period as a
member of its board of trustees and in 1881 he made it a
munificent donation, by the terms of which he established and
endowed a perpetual and growing fund for free scholarships, and
to aid, when needed, deserving students.
When Mr. Curtis became a member of the
bar the court docket was full of cases against the Owl Creek
Bank, of Mount Vernon, or rather against its members, for it had
no corporate existence. The subject was finally referred,
after many judgments had been rendered and bills filed, to a
special commissioner and receiver, to which honorable position
Mr. Curtis was appointed by the supreme court.
After years of investigation and arduous labor the intricate
affairs of the bank were brought to a satisfactory conclusion.
Every dollar of outstanding liability was paid and the losses
adjusted and equalized among the several members of the
unfortunate association. Ion acknowledged principles of equity
and justice. Mr. Curtis' proceedings and
their results were fully approved and confirmed by the court,
with flattering commendations. In 1848 he organized and
established the Knox County Bank, of Mount Vernon, a branch of
the State Bank of Ohio, its capital stock being one hundred
thousand dollars. He was its president during its
existence, nearly twenty years, and for about the same period
was an active member of the state board of control. In
1865 he organized the Knox County National Bank, of Mount
Vernon, capitalized for one hundred and fifty thousand dollars,
and continued as its president until his death.
During the Civil war Mr. Curtis was
active in raising volunteers and assisting in forming companies
and regiments that were organized in the county. He gave
pecuniary aid freely as well as his personal influence, and
often presided at the public meetings called forth by the
various successes or disasters of the Union forces.
Holding at the period of the war the appointment of United
States commissioner for the northern district of Ohio, his
judicial services were often required in disposing of cases
connected with the military movements and restraining the
outbreaks of those who, sympathizing with the south, would
sometimes venture to obstruct the operations of the laws for
raising and organizing troops for the public service.
Mr. Curtis was active in every enterprise for the
improvement of Knox county and especially of Mount Vernon.
He drew up its charter, secured its passage through the
legislature and filled its various municipal offices, including
those of councilman and mayor. His taste and study of
architecture enabled him to give shape to many of the public
buildings, and especially to two successive court houses, and to
encourage a more tasteful style of private residences.
During his life he constructed many new houses, now among the
most ornamental and pleasant residences of the city. He
was active in forwarding every railroad enterprise of his city
and was a director of the first railroad that entered the city.
He was a director in the Lake Erie division of the Baltimore &
Ohio Railroad at the time of his death.
In the spring of 1873 he was appointed by President
Grant a member of the board of visitors at West Point.
The board held daily sessions from the 28th of May until the
12th of June. While in this service Mr. Curtis
learned that some eighty children of professors, Officers and
employes at West Point were destitute of the usual means of
common school education, except as a few had the advantage of
private instruction. Being on a military reserve the
jurisdiction of which belonged to the United States, it was held
that the residents were not included within the provisions for
the benefits of the common school system of the state. He
therefore introduced and advocated a resolution in the board
recommending congress to make provision for this want by a
suitable appropriation for maintaining at the Point a common
school for the benefit o-f the children. The resolution
was unanimously adopted and incorporated in the report.
Mr. Curtis was a man of pronounced views,
possessed of social and genial qualities and ever accessible to
the poorest member of the community. His beautiful home,
Round Hill, was the seat of elegant refinement and hospitality.
The habit of self control and the genial disposition which he
ever cultivated made his life a serene and happy one.
Naturally of quick and warm impulses, he has clearly
demonstrated that "he who governs himself is better than he who
takes a city." He reached the age of eighty-five, a
venerable man, honored and respected, for his had been an
unblemished character.
Source: The
Biographical Record of Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 - Page 18 |
| |
HENRY LAMBTON CURTIS.
From the earliest period in the development of Mount Vernon,
Ohio, the name of Curtis has been associated with the
history of the progressive old town. The excellent work
instituted by the father, HENRY B. CURTIS,
was carried forward by the son, Henry Lambton Curtis,
who, faultless in honor, fearless in conduct and stainless in
reputation, added new lustre to the family record.
Mr. Curtis was born in Mount Vernon, May 7, 1
1841, a son of HENRY B. and Elizabeth (Hogg) Curtis
and the youngest of their eight children. His birth
occurred at the old homestead at the corner of Main and Chestnut
streets, now occupied by the Hon. and Mrs. J. C. Devin.
At the usual age he began his education in the public schools,
of Mount Vernon and was for a time a student at Sloane's
Academy. In 1856 he entered the Kenyon grammar school, now
known as Kenyon Military Academy, where he was prepared for
Kenyon College, which institution he entered in 1858 and at
which he was graduated in 1862. While in college he became
a member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity, in the welfare of which
he was deeply interested during the remainder of his life.
The Civil war broke out while Mr. Curtis was yet
in college and after he was graduated he enlisted. May 13,
1864, as: a private in the One Hundred and Forty-second
Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and went to the front.
He was soon promoted to be quartermaster sergeant, a position
which be ably filled until he was mustered out of the service at
the expiration of his term of enlistment, Sept. 21, 1864.
May 7, 1892, be was mustered into Joe Hooker Post, No. 21, Grand
Army of the Republic, of Mount Vernon, of which he was a member
until his death.
After his return from his service in the war Mr.
Curtis entered the law office of Curtis &
Scribner, and having mastered the principles of
jurisprudence be was admitted to the bar in 1866. He was
identified with the law firm mentioned for a number of years and
after Mr. Scribner's removal to Toledo and his
father's retirement from active practice be practiced
independently until he formed a partnership with the Hon. J.
C. Devin, which existed seven years, until the death of
Henry B. Curtis, when be retired from the profession to
assume charge of his father's estate. His devotion to his
clients' interests was proverbial and he prepared his cases with
great thoroughness and precision. While practicing his
profession he was never an active pleader at the bar but devoted
his time and attention to office work, for which he was
especially adapted and in which he was remarkably proficient.
Mr. Curtis was a man of resourceful
ability and his attention was by no means confined to one line
of labor. Upon the death of his father in 1885 he was
elected the letter's successor as a member of the board of
directors and president of the Knox National Bank and remained
at the head of that sound financial institution until his own
death twelve years later, and during that period his admirable
business policy fully sustained the high reputation which the
bank had always enjoyed. He was one of the alumni trustees
of Kenyon College and a member of the executive committee of the
Kenyon Alumni Association, and was a director of the Mount
Vernon Gas and Coke Company. He was a member of the
various Masonic bodies of the city, and he was one of the
original incorporators of the Masonic Temple Company, serving
from the time of its organization as a member of its board of
trustees and as a member of its building committee, thus having
much to do with the erection of the Masonic Temple.
The marriage of Mr. Curtis to Miss Lucia B.
Chittenden, of Keokuk, Iowa, was celebrated Oct. 28, 1868.
Of this union four children were born: Ada B. Curtis;
Carita Belknap Curtis, who died in 1895, at the age of
twenty-one years; HENRY BARNES CURTIS, of
Mount Vernon; and WALTER CHITTENDEN CURTIS, who was
graduated at Kenyon College in 1901, and is now in the
real-estate and insurance business at Mount Vernon.
LUCIA B. (CHITTENDEN) CURTIS died in 1880, and June 10,
1885, Mr. Curtis married Elinor C. Shaw, who
survives him. He is also survived by one sister, Mrs.
Ella C. Devin.
Mr. Curtis, whose death occurred at his
home, Round Hill, Mar. 27, 1897, was prominently identified with
the best interests and welfare of the city and was a leader in
all good works in the community. A broad-minded,
public-spirited man, he acquired large business interests in a
legitimate way and exerted a marked influence upon his fellow
citizens. Quiet and unostentatious, his opinion upon many
public questions was eagerly sought and had great weight.
In his business relations he was scrupulously honest and in his
home life he was a model husband and father; to everyone he was
a polished and courteous gentleman. He was ever a loyal
citizen, interested in the welfare of his county, state and
nation, and at the time of the Civil war, as has been seen, he
gave evidence of his patriotic spirit by doing a soldier's duty.
He was prominently connected with church work and was a liberal
supporter of religion, giving generously toward the maintenance
not only of St. Paul's Episcopal church, of which he was a
life-long member and for more than twenty-five years was
connected with its vestry, but also to other churches of various
denominations. In educational matters also he took an
active part, assisting not only Kenyon College but doing much in
a general way to promote popular learning. It has been
said of him that he never withheld his support and co-operation
from any movement or measure which he believed would promote the
general good and it seems untimely that a career of such wide
usefulness and helpfulness should have so soon been brought to
an end; yet Mr. Curtis accomplished more in the
business world and more for his fellow men than many useful men
whose lives span a much longer period than his. He left to
his family and friends an untarnished name which they consider
not the least of their heritage from him.
Source: The
Biographical Record of Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 - Page 262 |
| |
L. B. CURTIS -
See HENRY L. CURTIS
Source: The
Biographical Record of Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 - Page 262 |
| |
WALTER C. CURTIS
- See HENRY L. CURTIS
Source: The
Biographical Record of Knox County, Ohio -
Publ. 1902 - Page 262 |
NOTES:
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