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BIOGRAPHIES
HISTORY
OF
LORAIN COUNTY
OHIO
With
Illustrations & Biographical Sketches
of
Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers.
Publ. Philadelphia:
by Williams Brothers
1879
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HOMER MASON AND FAMILY.
Sampson Mason, father of Homer, and
twelfth son of Sampson and Mercy (Baker) Mason,
was born in South Adams, Berkshire county,
Massachusetts, Apr. 15, 1799. He was brought
up on a farm, and received a common school
education, equal to the times. The first of
May, 1822, he was married to Miss Hannah Childs,
and commenced farming in the town of his birth.
Miss Hannah Childs, fourth daughter of
Stephen and Zilpa (Brooks) Childs, was born June
20, 1792. The births of the children were as
follows: Nancy, born Mar. 4, 1823;
Stephen C., born Mar. 28, 1826; Angeline,
born Aug. 13, 1827; Minerva, born Dec. 15,
1831; and Homer, born Sept. 18, 1833.
In 1835, Mr. Mason and family came to
Wellington, Ohio, and settled upon land where the
homestead now is. (See engraving.)
Nancy married Henry Allyn; she now
resides in Hiram, Portage county, Ohio. There
have been five heirs, three now living.
Henry Allyn died Dec. 11, 1878.
Stephen C. married Mary Barge; he settled
in Wellington. They had three children.
Stephen C. died June 20, 1872.
Angeline married I. S. Van Deusen; they
now reside in Passaic, New Jersey. They have
three children, and one grandchild.
Minerva died June 4, 1848.
Horace married Ellen Lyon, of Wellington,
Aug. 22, 1858, continuing to reside at the old
homestead, where their children were born as
follows: Harry B., born Nov. 20, 1860;
Hattie M., born Oct. 1, 1867; Willis L.,
born Nov. 21, 1869; Annah E., born July 16,
1876; and Arthur D., born Apr. 18, 1878.
These children are receiving the advantages of a
good education, as age permits, and bid fair to
become an honor to their parents.
Hannah, wife of Sampson Mason, died May
16, 1858. Mr. S. Mason still resides at
the old homestead, bearing the honorable title of
grandfather and great-grandfather - a venerable man,
whom the children delight to honor.
Mr. and Mrs. Homer Mason received a good common
school education, and their home is one of culture
and refinement, where many people are hospitably
entertained. Mr. Mason's politics is
republican. He has been a prominent member of
the Union agricultural society of Wellington.
He is an excellent farmer, a good citizen and held
in high esteem by all acquaintances.
 Source:
History of Lorain County, Ohio - Publ. Philadelphia:
William Brothers - 1879 - page 346 |
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SAMUEL MATTHEWS.
When a truly good man passes away, the community in
which his noble qualities were known and appreciated
stand in awe at the divine dispensation, and are
naturally led to wonder why Providence should select
one who, by the very excellence of his life and
character, could be so much more benefit to mankind
in general than many others. But his ways are
inscrutable, hence the seeming inconsistency of
events, as viewed from a mortal's standpoint.
The above thoughts are called forth by reference to
the obituary notice of the death of the late
Samuel Matthews, who departed this life May 8,
1877, and of whom it can be truly said, no better
man ever lived within the limits of Russia township.
Samuel Matthews was born in Addison county,
Vermont, Sept. 19, 1817. His ancestors had
been prominent citizens of that State for many
years, and we find his father, Lucius Tuttle
Matthews, and his grand-father, Darius
Matthews, residents of Cornwall, the latter
living there in 1788, and the former born there in
1793. They were a hardy, honest and practical
class of citizens, just the kind, in fact, to be the
progenitors of pioneers.
When Samuel was a boy, his father emigrated to
Ohio, and settled in Thompson, Geauga county.
In the year 1837, at the age of nineteen, he (Samuel,)
struck out for himself, came to Russia township, and
contracted for one hundred acres of land, upon which
his widow and daughters now reside. He made
his home with his uncle, Deacon Daniel B. Kinney,
while making a start upon his new farm. With
but little capital, except a strong constitution, a
brave heart and willing hands, he commenced making
an opening in the wilderness, got out timber for a
barn, erected a log house, and brought his father
and mother on to share his home. Here they all
lived together until 1849, when, on the 19th of
September of that year, he married Lomanda,
daughter of Enoch Barnum. She was born
in Ashtabula county, Ohio, Mar. 12, 1816. Her father
was a soldier of the war of 1812, during which he
was severely wounded, and on that account was a
pensioner. There were born to them two
daughters, Emma Augusta, born Feb. 14, 1851;
married Herbert H. Barnum, Jan. 18, 1871;
(has two children, Maud Louise, born Nov. 18,
1871; Ryo David, born Jan. 7, 1875;) Myra
Louisa born Mar. 25, 1857; died Dec. 25, 1861.
As showing how difficult a matter it was, in early
days, to obtain money, and what slow work it was to
pay for his farm, he used to raise oats and sell
them for one shilling per bushel, and when he had
thus gathered a few dollars, he would go to Amherst,
the home of the agent, on foot, after a hard day's
work, and pay it on his article, and so persevered,
paying little by little, until his farm was all paid
for.
His parents were Christians of the old puritan
Congregational school, and being naturally sober and
thoughtful, he early made a profession of religion,
and soon after arriving in Russia united with the
Congregational church of Oberlin. At the
division of the society, he was one of the number
that withdrew from the old church and formed what is
now known as the Second Church. His heart was
enlisted in the work of erecting a church edifice,
and he voluntarily pledged two hundred dollars to
this object to be paid in installments, but
realizing the immediate need of funds, he borrowed
the money, at ten per cent interest, and paid it all
at once. He and his excellent wife, who joined
him in every good work, afterward took one hundred
dollars in the building fund, which they soon after
paid. He was never forward or ostentatious,
never seeking notoriety, but in his quiet, retiring
way; was ever a steady, earnest, consistent
Christian. His deeds of charity were numerous
and constant; many were the acts of kindness which
he performed without any hope of reward, and which
will live in the hearts of his neighbors long after
his mortal remains shall have mouldered to dust.
His home was a constant hospital for the needy and
suffering. After his marriage his father and
mother went to Iowa, to live with children there,
but at the death of his mother, his father returned
to finish his days with his son Samuel.
The father and mother of Mrs. Matthews also
found a home in his house, and in their declining
years were cared for with generous kindness until
removed by death.
Mr. Matthews was a man whom to know was to love,
and whose name from the first to the last continued
a synonym for all that was benevolent, generous and
good. His character for personal integrity was
above reproach. In the exalted relations of
husband and father he was kind and affectionate, a
good provider, but reasonably exacting in family
discipline and obedience. In fine, he was a
man whose life in general constituted a worthy
example of practical usefulness.
Source: History of Lorain County, Ohio - Publ.
Philadelphia: William Brothers - 1879 - page 196 |
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CRISPIN
MENNELL was born in Norton, England, in the
year 1786. At the age of thirteen he commenced
working on a farm, and continued in that occupation
uninterruptedly until his marriage, in 1809.
He married Elizabeth, daughter of William
Wellborn. By this union were born to them
one son and one daughter, the latter of whom died in
1876; the son is still living. Mr.
Mennell emigrated to America in 1817, and first
settled in what is now the city of Albany, where he
resided three years. He then removed to
Pittsfield, Mass., and lived there six years.
In 1826 he moved to Ohio and settled in Grafton
township, Lorain Co., where he continued to reside
until his death, May 22, 1857. He was a good,
practical farmer, and a man of sound common sense.
He had no education except what he obtained the few
years he was able to attend the national schools of
the old country. He held several offices of
trust in the township of Grafton, all of which he
filled with fidelity, and to the satisfaction of the
people whom he served. He was among the early
settlers of the township, and his loss was generally
considered a public calamity.
DUKE MENNELL, only son of
Crispin Mennell, was born in
Fimboro', England, in the year 1810. He lived
with his father until the latter emigrated to this
country, when he went to reside with his
grandfather, William Wellborn, who
would not consent to his accompanying his father to
the United States. In 1823, however, Duke
accompanied his uncle Jesse, Wm.
Wellborn, and Wm. Mateham to the
New World, joining his father in Massachusetts.
On the 23d of June, 1835, he married Rachel,
daughter of Theodore Curtis.
Eight children have been born to them, four sons and
four daughters, all of whom, save one, are living.
Their names are Elizabeth (died Apr. 29,
1854), Andrew J., Theodore C., Mary
G., Anna H., Charles B., Flora
A., and Elmer C. Mr. Mennell's
first wife died Sept. 29, 1858; and for his second
wife he married Mary A., widow of Charles
Johnson, and daughter of John Hardy,
in 1861. They had four children,—three sons and one
daughter,—namely: Perry D., J. D., A.
E., and Elizabeth M., all living.
Until the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion,
Mr. Mennell was a Democrat; but
contemporary with the firing of the first gun on
Fort Sumter his political sentiments changed, and he
has since been a consistent Republican. He has
held the office of township trustee, performing the
duties thereof faithfully and well. He is an
industrious citizen, a kind and affectionate husband
and father, and a worthy representative of his
respectable parentage generally.
Source:
History of Lorain County, Ohio - Publ. Philadelphia:
William Brothers - 1879 - page betw. 260 & 261 |
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E. D.
MERRIAM, M. D. The pioneer practitioner
of medicine had many obstacles to surmount and
difficulties to overcome. In the early days of
a new settlement much sickness, particularly of a
malarial form, was prevalent; and such also may be
said to have been the case twenty-five or thirty
years ago. Among those who have been prominent
in battling with disease and in the professional
care of the sick, none enjoy a better reputation
than Dr. Merriam. For nearly thirty
years he has steadily practiced the healing art, and
during that protracted period has met with good
general success.
E. D. Merriam was born in the town of Champion,
Jefferson county, New York, July 18, 1824. He
is the son of Sylvester Merriam, who moved to
Ohio, accompanied by his family, including the
subject of this sketch, in the year 1826. He
settled in the eastern part of LaGrange township, on
what is now known as the Dean farm.
There were then but five families residing within
the present limits of the township. The first
few years of Dr. Merriam's life was spent in
agricultural prusuits, and the acquisition of
an elementary education at the common school of
LaGrange. In 1842, he entered the Oberlin
collegiate institute, where he received a liberal
literary education, completing which, he commenced
the study of medicine under Professor Dascomb, M.
D. The next few years were spent in
alternate teaching and professional study, and in
149 and '50 he finished his medical education with
Professor H. A. Ackley, M. D., at the old
medical school of Cleveland. Returning to La
Grange, in the spring of 1851, he commenced the
practice of medicine under very favorable auspices,
receiving from the first a liberal share of
patronage. At the age of fifty-four years, we
still find Dr. Merriam in the active practice
of his profession.
In June, 1862, Dr. Merriam was married to
Laura A., daughter of Daniel Bartholoomew,
of Watertown, New York. She was born in that
city Aug. 23, 1835, and with her parents moved to
Ohio in May, 1856.
It is not only as a professional man that Dr.
Merriam enjoys the respect and esteem of the
community, in which he has passed nearly all his
life, but also in the many other walks of life in
which his general intelligence and rectitude carry
him. As a man and citizen, the doctor is held
in high regard, and deservedly occupies an exalted
social position.
Source:
History of Lorain County, Ohio - Publ. Philadelphia:
William Brothers - 1879 - page 316 - 317 - La Grange |
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SILAS MILLER AND FAMILY.
Ephraim, second son of Ephraim Miller,
was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, June 8, 1774,
and married Rachel Buttolph Mar. 13, 1800.
Rachel Buttolph was born in Stonington,
Connecticut, Oct. 2, 1773. After the marriage,
Mr. and Mrs. Miller settled in Chester,
Massachusetts, pursuing the avocation of farming,
the same as his ancestors. IN Chester all
their children were born, to wit: Silas, born
Apr. 13, 1802; Emily, born Feb. 5, 1804;
George, born Feb. 28, 1806; Moses, born
Jan. 8, 1809; Ephraim, born Oct. 26, 1811;
Edmund, born Jan. 27, 1814; Fordis, born
Apr. 12, 1816; died Aug. 18, 1829.
Ephraim Miller died, at his son Silas'
house, in Wellington, Mar. 30, 1868, and had reached
the remarkable age of ninety-four years.
Rachel his wife died in Mindon, Michigan, Sept.
27, 1869, the year following her husband's death.
This couple lived together sixty-eight years, never
being separated over a week at a time, their
affection being like that of Ruth for
Naomi.
Silas Miller was born, as stated above, April 13,
1802. He received a good common school
education, and beside the knowledge of farm life,
acquired at at home, he learned the trade of
tanning leather, of William Hubbard,
Cummington, Massachusetts. Being a youth of
much enterprise and true grit, he was bound to get
on in the world, his motto being: "If I fall, I will
get up again."
He married Miss Cynthia Holcomb, in West
Hartford, Connecticut, Dec. 25, 1828.
Cynthia H., daughter of Ansel and Martha (Flagg)
Holcomb, was born in Granby, Connecticut, July
29, 1799. They settled at housekeeping and
farming in Chester, Massachusetts, The record
of births in the family are as follows:
Caroline S., born Oct. 2, 1832; Fordis N.,
born Apr. 3, 1835; and Sarah E., born May 26,
1838. Cynthia, wife of Silas Miller,
died Feb. 16, 1840. The family having moved to
York, Medina county, Ohio, the year previous, May
26, 1839.
Aug. 20, 1840, Silas Miller married Miss
Lydia Branch, of York, Medina county, Ohio.
Lydia Branch, third child of Nathan
and Polly (Capron) Branch, was born in
Gratten, Tompkins county, New York, Jan. 16, 1810.
The birth of children are as follows: Silas
F., born June 23, 1842; Herman, born Nov.
9, 1843; Lucinda, born Feb. 18, 1847;
Nathan, born June 18, 1849; George, born
Oct. 8, 1852.
Sarah E., daughter of Silas and Cynthia
Miller, married and settled on the Cumberland
mountains, Tennessee.
Caroline was well educated, and followed the
occupation of teaching for a goodly number of years,
making a record of worth.
Fordis N. married Augusta Howe, and
settled in Noble county, Indiana, and carries on a
mercantile trade. The fruits of this union are
four daughters and one son, viz: Cynthia,
Carrie, Laurie, Emily and Silas.
Augusta, wife of Fordis N. Miller, died
Mar. 3, 1877.
Silas F., son of Silas and Lydia Miller,
died in the army, May 8, 1863. He belonged to
the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Ohio volunteer
infantry, - a soldier in the war of the great
rebellion.
Herman, also a soldier, served three yeras in
the United States artillery, suffered as many other
soldiers suffered, and contracted a disease (chronic
diarrhœa), of
which he has never fully recovered, and which will,
no doubt, be the means of shortening his life.
Herman married Miss Mary Knapp, of
Wellington, Feb. 8, 1868. Evelyn L.,
only daughter of Herman and Mary Miller, was
born July 23, 1871.
Lucinda married Jerry Whitehead, of
Wellington, Dec. 28, 1875, settled in Ogden,
Michigan, and her husband follows the avocation of
farming.
Nathan (the bachelor,) resides with his parents;
a youth of enterprise, spirit, and ability, well
qualified to keep up with the progress of the age.
George died Dec. 2, 1871, - a youth of fair
promise, just merging into manhood. His death
was a severe affliction to the family.
From York the family moved to Lorain county, settling
in Wellington Apr. 9, 1864, where they now reside on
the farm formerly owne4d by O. S. Wadsworth,
engaged quite extensively in dairying as well as
farming.
Mr. Miller has been an active, stirring man,
possessed of a remarkable memory, retains events,
dates, names, and places in mind, as the famed
Napoleon. He is known far and near, as his
journeyings have taken him into many States.
In politics he is a republican, and his general
character is good, as his code of morals, as well as
those of his family, is most excellent.
Source: History of Lorain County, Ohio - Publ. Philadelphia: William Brothers
- 1879 - Page 364 |
Residence of
George G. Morse,
Brownhelm Tp.,
Lorain Co., O.
Anna Ray Morse
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Brownhelm -
GEORGE G. MORSE. Among
the prominent citizens of the town in which he
resides, the subject of this sketch occupies a
foremost position. He is one of the pioneers
of the county, and also one of its best practical
farmers. He is the fifth child of Abishua
and Anna Morse, and was born in the town of
Great Barrington, Mass., Feb. 15, 1819. Two
years prior to the time when he first saw the light,
his grandfather, Seth Morse, himself a native
of Massachusetts, made a visit to Ohio for the
purpose of selecting lands. His choice fell
upon the place where his son (Abishua)
settled in the fall of 1821. It was not,
however, until about the year 1826 or 1827 that
Seth Morse came to reside on the land he had
purchased. After his second coming, he
remained until his death. Abishua
erected a primitive log house near where George
G. now resides. To do this he had to fell
some trees in order to effect a clearing. He
continued to improve his farm, and a short time
subsequent to the erection of his log house, he
built a frame barn, and a few years preceding his
demise he erected the present residence of his son,
of whom we write more particularly.
At the time of his death, which occurred Dec. 11, 1835,
he possessed from two hundred to two hundred and
fifty acres of land, and he lived to an old age he
would doubtless have been a very wealthy man, as he
was a very good one. He enjoyed the esteem and
respect of all who knew him.
George G. Morse began life as a farm laborer,
working for his brother and others for some eight or
ten years. His first start for himself was the
purchase of forty acres of land, about the year
1845. From that time to the present he has
been eminently successful, and now occupies the
position of a good citizen and first-class
agriculturist, and an honest man. This is the
natural result of untiring energy and ceaseless
industry.
Mr. Morse has been twice married. His
first wife was Mary A., daughter of Purley
Moulton of Brownhelm, with whom he united his
fortunes May 15, 1851. She died Aug. 15, 1861.
His second and present wife was Elizabeth J.,
daughter of Jesse Ball, Jr., of Vermilion
township. They have had five children born to
them, namely: Henry G., Herbert J., Jennie
E., George B., who died at the age of four
years, and Freddie Ray. Mrs. Morse
is an exemplary member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. Mr. Morse is a
liberal contributor to religious and educational
enterprises, having assisted in building nearly
every church in his vicinity.
He is the owner of a fine farm of two hundred and fifty
acres, upon which are good frame buildings, an
illustration of which appears in another page of
this work.
Owing to general regular habits, he preserves the hale
and hearty appearance of a man in the prime of life,
and in his personal appearance resembles very
closely Prof. Morse, of telegraph fame, to
whom he is related.
Source:
History of Lorain County, Ohio - Publ. Philadelphia:
William Brothers - 1879 - page betw. 218, 219 |
Mr. & Mrs. R. B. Munro
R. B. Munro Residence
LaGrange, Loraine Co., Ohio |
R. B. MUNRO
was born in Herkimer county, New York, Jan. 21,
1817. When he was three years of age his
father removed with his family to Jefferson county,
New York, where they remained until 1833, when they
emigrated to Canada, residing there until about
1838, when they returned to York State, and
continued to live there until 1844, when the subject
of this sketch moved to Ohio, and settled in La
Grange, Lorain county, whither he was followed by
his father in 1846. He was born in
Connecticut, and during his last sicknes she
resided with and was carefully attended by his son.
He died in 1870.
R. B. Monro started in Ohio by working on a farm
by the month, which he did four years, during which
time he purchased fifty acres of land, paying for it
with his earnings. In 1848 he was married to
Margaret, daughter of John McGregor.
They have one son, James, who resides at
home, and also, an adopted daughter. Mr.
Monroe has held various township offices, among
others those of road commissioner and school
director. In politics he is a democrat.
He is a self made man, and generally considered a
worthy citizen, and an upright and honest man.
Source:
History of Lorain County, Ohio - Publ. Philadelphia:
William Brothers - 1879 - page 317 |
NOTES: |
