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BIOGRAPHIES
 Source:
A Standard History of Lorain County, Ohio
- Vol. II -
by G. Frederick Wright
1916
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CHARLES
P. EDWARDS.
When Charles P. Edwards came to Oberlin in
1882 he was an ambitious young man, possessing
considerable skill and experience in the tin and
metal working trade and as a plumber. For a
number of years he went steadily ahead as an employe
of different firms in the town, and in 1905 he
borrowed some capital and started a business of his
own. That he has done well is the general
consensus of opinion in that community. He now
furnishes perhaps the most reliable service in
plumbing and tin and metal work in the community.
He was horn at Seville, Medina County, Ohio, June 24,
1860. His parents were James D. and Ellen (Sickner)
Edwards. His grandfather was Andrew
Edwards, who was born at Paisley, Scotland, and
emigrated to the United States about 1825, first
settling in New York, and thence moving to Seville,
Ohio, during the early '50s. He was a tanner
and currier by trade, having served a thorough seven
years apprenticeship in those lines in Scotland.
The maternal grandfather of Mr. Edwards
was James Sickner, who was born in one
of the New England states and for many years sailed
the ocean as an able bodied seaman, and saw
practically all the ports of the civilized world.
On leaving the sea he came inland to Ohio, and there
followed his trade of blacksmith. James D.
Edwards, father of Charles P., was born
in Watertown, New York, in 1836, while his wife was
born at Strongsville, Ohio, in 1837, and died in
1897. They were married in Seville, Ohio, in
1858, James D. Edwards was a tinsmith for
more than forty years in Seville, and he now lives
at Jefferson and is still working at his trade.
He is a member of the Baptist Church and is
affiliated with the Masonic Order and the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows. As a republican he
served as mayor of Seville a number of years and was
also a member of the town council.
During the Civil war he was one of the Ohio
volunteers who aided in repelling Morgan's
raids, while his brother John lost his
life at the siege of Knoxville, Tennessee.
Reared in his native Village of Seville, Charles P.
Edwards acquired a common school education, and
when only a boy began working and learning the trade
of tinsmith under his father. After his
apprenticeship he became a journeyman, and while he
is duly modest about his own accomplishment, his
friends say that he has prospered by steady
adherence to one line and by doing everything he
undertakes well and thoroughly.
In 1881 he married Mary Freehold, of
Cleveland. To their union were born four
children: Arthur, who is in business
with his father; Mrs. Stella
Williams, of Elyria, whose husband is a
motorman; Mrs, Fannie Rathwell,
wife of a farmer in Lorain County; and Alma,
who is employed in a local telephone office.
The mother of these children died in 1893. In
1895 Mr. Edwards married Eliza
Rathwell, who was born at Oberlin. There are
also four children by this union: May
Udora, Grace and Harley, all of
them at home. Mr. Edwards is a
member of the Baptist Church, and finds an outlet
for his interests in fraternal work. He has
passed the chairs of the subordinate lodge of the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is also a
member of the Knights and Ladies of Security.
In politics he is a republican, and is a factor in
the municipal government of Oberlin, where he has
served in the city council for the past four years.
Source: A Standard History
of Lorain County, Ohio - Vol. II by G. Frederick
Wright - Publ. 1916 - Page 661 |
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JAMES L.
EDWARDS. A prominent and
old established real estate man of Oberlin, James
L. Edwards has been identified with this city in
a successful and public-spirited manner for
thirty-five years, and is numbered among those who
have been manner for thirty-five years, and is
numbered among those who have been instrumental in
helping to promote many projects for the upbuilding
and progress of the community. His present
position of prosperity and influence is the more
notable for the fact that he early became dependent
upon his own efforts to advance himself in the world
and has really had an active business career since
early boyhood.
He was born in Gorham, New York, Apr. 25, 1862, a son
of Thomas and Rachel (Morgan) Edwards.
Both parents were born in Wales, where their
respective families had resided for generations.
Thomas Edwards was born in 1823 and died in
1914, and the mother was born in 1824 and is still
living though past ninety-two years of age.
They were married in England, and in 1860 emigrated
to America and settled in New York State.
Thomas Edwards was a carpenter and contractor,
and kept at his work until a year before his death,
which occurred when he was ninety. In 1873 he
removed to Elyria, followed his trade there for a
time, and afterwards at Cleveland, and about 1904
established his home in Oberlin, where he spent the
rest of his years. Thomas Edwards had
the gift of song, like so many Welshmen, and took a
prominent part in the musical activities of his
church and also in the early days taught a great
number of singing classes. Though not a
citizen of the United States at the time, he
enlisted for service toward the close of the Civil
war and served as a carpenter in the army.
There were seven children in the family, and the
five are now living are: Sarah, who
lives in Oberlin; W. G., who lives at Oberlin
and was for eleven years in the hardware business;
James L.; M. F., in the advertising
business at Chicago; and Thomas L. a mail
carrier at Cleveland.
James L. Edwards
finished his education in the high school at Elyria.
When only thirteen years of age he gained his first
experience as cash boy in a store. For five
years he was employed as a clerk by Henry Brush
of Elyria and he then went on the road and sold the
goods of the Henry Brunt Pottery Company at
East Liverpool, Ohio He did that work for
about six months and in 1881 arrived at Oberlin,
where he spent three years with the Johnson &
Whitney dry goods store. On account of
failing health he was compelled to go to the open
prairies of Dakota, and he spent about two years
there. In 1891 he established himself in the
grocery business at Oberlin and after three years
sold out his stock, and has since been in business
as a real estate man. Mr. Edwards is
one of the reliable dealers in real estate and his
transactions have covered the entire State of Ohio
and he occasionally handles lands outside the state
limits.
In 1890 he married Ella Crittenden, of Ruggles
Township, Ashland County, Ohio. Mrs.
Edwards was educated in the Academy and the
Conservatory of Music at Oberlin. They have
one child, Gertrude, wife of R. L. Curtis
of Saginaw, Michigan.
The family are members of the Second Congregational
Church at Oberlin. Mr. Edwards served
as village assessor, has been president of the local
Board of Commerce, has been secretary and is a
director of the State Savings Bank, and for fully
twenty years has been very active in the Lorain
County Agricultural Association, of which he is
serving his second term as vice president. In
fact, everything that concerns his community is a
matter of concern to Mr. Edwards himself.
In addition to his regular business of concern to
Mr. Edwards himself. In addition to his
regular business he represents the Studebaker
automobile with agency covering three townships.
He resides in a beautiful home in the suburbs of
Oberlin, and owns a tract of twenty acres
surrounding it.
Source: A Standard History
of Lorain County, Ohio - Vol. II by G. Frederick
Wright - Publ. 1916 - Page 1021 |
Mr. & Mrs. Alfred B. Evans |
ALFRED B. EVANS
Source: A Standard History of
Lorain County, Ohio - Vol. II by G. Frederick Wright
- Publ. 1916 - Page 999
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H. O. Fifield |
HENRY OTIS FIFIELD
Source: A Standard History of
Lorain County, Ohio - Vol. II by G. Frederick Wright
- Publ. 1916 - Page 1022 |
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LEWIS
FISHER has occupied his present fine farm
home near Wellington since 1907, and in that time
has brought to a fine state of perfection his
homestead. He has proved himself upright and
honorable in citizenship and business dealings, and
is one of the vigorous men who are now carrying the
burdens of agricultural management in Lorain County.
A native of Michigan, he was born in Barry County,
Sept. 27, 1866, a son of O. L. and Sarah
(Ledyard) Fisher. Both parents were
natives of Lorain County, the father born in
Brighton township in 1841 and the mother in 1847,
and both are still living. Of their two
children, the daughter of Mrs. Erva Barnes of
Norfolk, Ohio. Mrs. Sarah Fisher is a
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and her
husband is a republican. He served in the
First Ohio Light Artillery for three years during
the Civil War, but without exception has spent
practically all his life as a farmer and now owns
and occupies a fine place of 127 acres in Huntington
Township. His father, Danford Fisher,
was a native of New England and came to Lorain
County in the early days. The maternal
grandfather, Hiram Ledyard, was a native of
Pennsylvania, moved first to Portage County, Ohio,
and afterwards to Lorain County, where he died at
the advanced age of ninety-three, his last fifteen
years having been spent in blindness.
Lewis Fisher grew up on a farm, had a practical
education, and at an early day identified himself
with farming pursuits. On Nov. 1, 1899, he
married Miss Mary Fay, who was born in
Rochester Township of Lorain County, a daughter of
John and Ann (Meach) Fay. The Fays
were early settlers in Rochester Township, Lorain
County, as were also the Meach family.
One member of the Meach family, Jarvis
Meach, gained considerable note by his heroic
action by killing two robbers who tried to get his
money. Mr. and Mrs. Fisher have three
children: Ruth, Herbert and Marjorie,
all of whom are in school. Mrs. Fisher
is an active member of the Congregational Church.
Politically Mr. Fisher is a republican.
Since leaving school he has gone continuously ahead
working out his own salvation and in 1907 he bought
his present farm in order to settle up an estate.
He has 142 acres, a fine brick house, does
considerable dairying, and is enjoying the
prosperity which he so richly deserves.
Source: A Standard History of Lorain County, Ohio -
Vol. II by G. Frederick Wright - Publ. 1916 - Page 984 |
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ORSEMUS L.
FISHER is one of the oldest living native
sons of Lorain County. His life career covers
more than three-quarters of a century, and among the
distinctive parts of his record which shed honor
upon his own name and distinction to his family was
three ears in the service of the army that defended
the integrity of the Union.
He was born in Brighton Township of Lorain County, June
11, 1839, a son of Danforth and Lucinda A.
(Wilcox) Fisher. His grandfather,
Eleazar Fisher, was born in Massachusetts, and
was one of the pioneer settlers in Brighton
Township, where he acquired a farm and spent the
rest of his life. He was the father of
fourteen children. The maternal grandfather
was William Wilcox, a farmer, who died at
Toledo. Danforth Fisher was born at
Burlington, Otsego County, New York, July 9, 1807.
He was married at Henderson, Jefferson County, New
York, Jan. 1, 1832, to Lucinda Wilcox, who
was born in that county Apr. 14, 1812. In 1836
they came West and located in Brighton Township,
which was then comparatively a wilderness.
After some years of pioneer farming they moved, in
1863, to Michigan, and made their permanent home at
Johnstown in Barry County. There the mother
died May 12, 1888, and the father on Apr. 16, 1889.
The mother was a member of the Disciples Church and
politically he was a strong republican. They
were the parents of eleven children. Those now
living are: O. L. Fisher; Alma,
widow of Hiram Wilson and living in
California; George F., who is connected with
the Lehigh Valley Coal Company in Chicago; Oren
D., who was educated in Oberlin College, Olivet
College in Michigan and Yale University and is a
minister of the Congregational Church now living in
Massachusetts; Peter A., a farmer in
Michigan; and Wilbur, who is in the lumber
business in Lorain County.
O. L. Fisher gained his early training in the
district schools of Wellington Township, along with
a practical discipline in farming on his father's
place. On Aug. 29, 1862, he answered the call
of patriotism and enlisted in Company I of the First
Ohio Light Artillery, and served three years.
He was sent to Eastern Virginia, participating in
the battles of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, and
later the battery was sent to Eastern Tennessee,
fought at Lookout Mountain and all the engagements
from Chattanooga to the fall of Atlanta, including
Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek and other
historic battles. After being in the hospital
for five months he received his honorable discharge
on June 13, 1865.
After the war he returned to Brighton Township, but
soon moved to Michigan, where he bought a small farm
and lived on it for six years. In 1872 he came
to Huntington Township and bought the 127 acre place
which has been his home now for forty-five years and
where he has carried on a profitable business as a
farmer and dairyman. He has made most of the
improvements on the farm, has a good residence, and
has earned the prosperity and comfort which he now
enjoys. As a young man he worked out at wages,
and he bought his present farm on credit, paying for
it as a result of much self-denial and constant hard
work.
On December 27, 1865, Mr. Fisher married
Sarah A. Ledyard, who was born in Huntington
Township July 11, 1846, a daughter of Hiram
Ledyard, one of the early settlers of that
township. To their marriage have been born two
children: Lewis, now a farmer in
Wellington Township; and Erva, wife of
George W. Barnes, a music teacher at Norwalk.
Mrs. Fisher is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal Church. Mr. Fisher has been
loyal to the principles for which he fought as a
soldier and has always been an active republican.
He has done his part in public affairs, has served
as road supervisor and school director and has lived
a straightforward, honest career, useful alike to
his own family and to the entire community.
Source: A Standard History of Lorain County, Ohio -
Vol. II by G. Frederick Wright - Publ. 1916 - Page 985 |
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