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Medina County,
Ohio
History & Genealogy |
BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
History of Medina County, Ohio
Chicago: Baskin & Battey, Historical
Publishers
1881
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Litchfield Twp. -
MILES LEACH, farmer, P. O. Litchfield; was the
fifth of a family of nine children. His father's name was
Benoni Leach, whose ancestors came from Wales. Three of
his grandfather's brothers served in the Revolutionary war. In
his younger days, he helped his father in his occupations and worked
every hard. After coming of age, he sold the clocks
manufactured by North, in Connecticut, traveling principally in the
State of Pennsylvania. He came into this State via Cleveland,
and bought his present farm of one hundred acres, paying $6 per acre
for it. There were only two and a half acres of slashing done
on the place and he has improved it to its present high state of
cultivation by great industry and toil; his farm buildings are of
the substantial sort, and no one has a better right to be proud of
his achievements than Mr. Leach. He is independent in
thought, so far as religious subjects are concerned, and believes
truth should be taught in preference to creeds and dogmas. He
was married in Litchfield, Ohio, in 1843, to Miss Martha E.
Bradley, who was born in Suffield, Conn., July 8, 1817.
Their children were William E., born Apr. 2, 1844, who left
the college in Oberlin, Ohio, and enlisted for one hundred days in
the army, but, during what is known as Early's raid upon the
capital, he was wounded, and died in front of Ft. Stevens,
Washington, D. C., July 11, 13, 1864. Thus fell the eldest of
the family, in his young manhood, for his devotion to the old flag.
Harvey E., born Aug. 13, 1845; Byron B., born May 2,
1851, and died Nov. 4, 1851; Harvey E., who married Miss
Matilda Kinney, who was born in La Fayette Township, this
county, Jan. 8, 1850; they were married Sept. 26, 1871. Their
children are Willis E., born July 24, 1874; Orra L.,
born June 29, 1876; Carrie E., born Aug. 10, 1879.
He takes an active interest in the temperance question, and has held
for two terms the position of President of the Temperance Children
Union Association of Litchfield Township.
Source: History of Medina County, Ohio - Chicago: Baskin & Battey,
Historical Publishers - 1881 ~ Page 746 |
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Medina Twp. -
O.
N. LEACH, clothing and gents' furnishing goods, Medina; was
born in Sullivan, Ashland Co., Ohio, in 1841. In 1858, he
entered the Preparatory Department of Oberlin College, and remained
there until 1860. He then engaged as clerk in the general
merchandising business of Baldwin, Laundon & Co.; in
1868, he formed the partnership of Fitch & Leach, they doing a
clothing and gents' furnishing goods business. July 16, 1866, he
married Miss Electa Fitch, a native of Cuyahoga Co., Ohio.
They had four children, of whom two are living- Frank H. and
Florence A. In 1872, Mr. Leach came to Medina, and
opened business in the Empire Block, and later moved to the Dental
Block, but, not having sufficient space to accommodate his trade, in
the fall of 1878, built his present brick store, thus securing an
elegant room, 24½x80 feet, in which he
has placed a mammoth stock. Prominent among the many advantages
he offers the trade, is his one-price cash system, which unites
satisfaction and cheapness for the buyer. Mr. Leach
has also an admirably managed custom department that cannot fail to be
appreciated by all who love a snug fit.
Source: History of Medina County, Ohio - Chicago: Baskin &
Battey, Historical Publishers - 1881 ~ Page 693 |
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Homer Twp. -
HOMER LEE, farmer; P. O. Albion, Wayne Co.;
was born in the latter county Jan. 23, 1833, and was married, Oct.
9, 1856, to Miss Maranda R. Tanner, who was born July 19,
1839. Their children were named Sarah J., born Oct. 4,
1857; Rosa M., Apr. 19, 1859, died Feb. 26, 1862; Cora B.,
Jan. 15, 1865; Lillie G., Jan. 26, 1877; Sarah J., now
Mrs. Aaron Swartz, married Dec. 6, 1877; they have one child
- Lucius L. Swartz, born Jan. 31, 1879. Mr. Lee
went to California in 1852, during the gold fever excitement, taking
the overland route and traveling in the saddle or with the wagon
train. It took them three months to make the trip, halting a
week at Salt Lake City to recruit their teams. They were
threatened on the way by Indians, who were probably more in search
of plunder than a fight. At this time, they were joined by
another train, and, by coralling their teams and protecting
themselves as best they could, they passed a very disagreeable
night, waiting for the expected attack. Morning came, and they
were left to pursue their way unmolested, with the exception fo
losing some of their stock. They entered the Golden State at
Hangtown, now called Placerville. He worked in the mines in
various parts of the State, remaining there three years, coming home
via the Nicaragua route, landing safely in New York, and arriving
home by way of Cleveland. Mr. Lee has been living in
Homer Township for twenty-four years, on what used to be called the
Albro farm of 80 acres, but has made additions from
time to time, until now he owns 181 acres of good land, making a
farm of which he may well be proud, as he is pleasantly situated and
surrounded with home comforts of no ordinary degree. His
father, Josiah Lee, living in Albion, Wayne Co., was born in
the State of Connecticut, Thompson Township. Oct. 14, 1796,
and moved to the State of New York, with his father in 1798.
He married Miss Agnes Lafler Nov. 3, 1816, and came to this
State in 1819, settling in Jackson Township. There were no
improvements on the land he entered, and no roads but as they
cleared them between here and Cleveland, coming by way of Medina,
which then could boast of one solitary log house and another in
process of construction. Before they reached the future county
seat, it grew quite dark and threatened rain. Turning the oxen
loose to browse in the slashing, they sought the log house for
shelter, but were lost in the darkness of the stormy night.
Their loud halloos were finally heard, and they were kindly taken in
and cared for by the pioneer's family. They reached Wayne Co.
in due time, and entered 320 acres of land, at $2 per acre.
Mr. John Mason, three-fourths of a mile east, was their only
neighbor, and Wooster the nearest post office. Their children
were John H., born Mar. 14, 1818, died Aug. 17, 1822;
Phoebe, Nov. 24, 1819, died Aug. 11, 1822; James, Apr.
30, 1822; Josiah, Jul. 2, 1824, died Aug. 20, 1851;
Elizabeth, Mar. 23, 1826; Jacob, Jul. 12, 1828, died Oct. 23,
1853; David B., Oct. 21, 1830; Robert, Jan. 23, 1833;
Oliver, Jan. 9, 1836; Lucene, Feb. 7, 1839 (now
Mrs. G. M. Reed); Elizabeth married Mr. P. C. Bunt;
George, Jul. 14, 1841, died Dec. 15, 1854. Mrs. Agnes
Lee died Apr. 8, 1860, and on Jan. 26, 1868, Mr. Lee
married Phoebe Smith. They had one child - Jessie,
born Dec. 6, 1869; she died Mar. 2, 1878. Three of the
brothers were in the army during the war of the rebellion.
David enlisted in Co. B, 4th O. V. C., and served in the Army of
the Potomac until the battle of Gettysburg, where he was wounded in
the right hand. Soon after, he was honorably discharged from
the service, but, upon the wound healing, he again enlisted in the
178th O. V. I., and served to the end of the war, participating in
the great battle of Murfreesboro and many skirmishes between
Nashville and the front. James enlisted in Co. K, 102d
O. V. I., and served for three years. Oliver enlisted
in the same regiment and company (Capt. J. M. Sloan's), and
was in the battles of Decatur, Ala., Stevenson, Perryville,
Frankfort, etc.
Source: History of Medina County, Ohio - Chicago: Baskin & Battey,
Historical Publishers - 1881 ~ Page 920 |
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Brunswick
Twp. -
PETER LEISTER, farmer; P. O. Brunswick; was
born in Prussia Jan. 5, 1825, and obtained a common-school
education. He emigrated to America in 1846, and went to
Cleveland, and remained there until 1850, when he came to Brunswick,
where he has been living ever since. He was married, in 1850,
to Anna C. Krause, a native of Prussia. She emigrated
to America with her parents in 1845; they have four children-
Anton A., Adam, Eliza and Caroline.
Source: History of Medina County, Ohio - Chicago: Baskin & Battey,
Historical Publishers - 1881 ~ Page 767 |
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Chatham Twp. -
EZRA LEONARDSource: History of Medina County, Ohio - Chicago:
Baskin & Battey, Historical Publishers - 1881 ~ Page 812 |
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Wadsworth Twp. -
GEORGE W. LEONARD, farmer; P. O. Western Star; was born in
Cuyahoga Co. June 1, 1857; is a son of Roland and Malinda
(Norman) Leonard, the former a native of Stark Co. in about
1805, as a land-jobber and surveyor; his great-grandfather on his
father's side of the house came from County Fermanagh, Ireland,
early in 1700, and settled in York State. The subject of this
sketch attended the Cleveland Public Schools until his graduation at
about 19 years of age, when he attended Mt. Union College one year,
his vacations being spent in assisting his father in the dry
goods business in the city of Cleveland. He afterwards engaged
in the grocery and meat business, shipping stock two years, with his
brother-in-law. His father having retired from business in
Cleveland, is now farming near Kent, Portage Co., Ohio.
George was married, Dec. 20, 1877, to Melissa Young, who
was born in Stark Co., Ohio. Oct .14, 1858, and is a daughter
of Cyrus and Margaret (Shaffer) Young, who were also natives
of Stark Co., Ohio, by whom he has one child - Florence M., -
born Mar. 27, 1879. Mr. Leonard is engaged quite
extensively in the stock business, and is also carrying on a large
farm. He is of Irish-French descent, a Republican is his
political belief, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
Source: History of Medina County, Ohio - Chicago: Baskin & Battey,
Historical Publishers - 1881 ~ Page 713 |
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Medina Twp. -
MAJOR G. W. LEWIS, lawyer, Medina; began
reading law with Mr. John B. Young, in Medina, in October,
1865, and read with him until February, 1867. He was elected
Probate Judge in the fall of 1866, and was re-elected Probate Judge
in the fall of 1866, and was re-elected in 1869, serving, in all,
six years. In January, 1872, he was admitted to the bar by the
Supreme Court. In February following, he became a member of
the law firm of Blake, Woodward & Lewis, which dissolved in 1875,
since which time he has followed his profession alone. The
Major is a native of Bavaria, Genesee Co., N. Y., he was born Apr.
13, 1837; in 1840, his parents came to Ohio and settled on a farm in
Spencer Township, Medina Co. He lived at home until he became
of age; his education was obtained in the Spencer and Medina
district schools; he also attended the Oberlin College; he began
teaching during the winter of his 19th year, and taught some
thirteen terms in all. In the fall of 1860, he went to
Illinois, and took charge as Principal of the public schools of
Ashley, in Washington Co. In 1861, he raised a private school
of sixty scholars. The term was to began Apr. 15, of that
year. But, owing to the breaking-out of the rebellion, he
volunteered and was assigned to the 11th Ill. V. I., he being a
private in Company C, he served four months, and then returned to
Medina, Ohio, and taught school the following winter, and, in the
spring, he hired on the farm of Mr. James Eglin for $14 per
month, and worked for him until Aug. 12, 1862; he ten, with about
forty others, enlisted at Spencer; they were sworn in by Abel
Wood, and went to Cleveland, where they were known as the West
Medina County Company. They had no officers until in
September. The County Military Company obtained leave of Gov.
Tod, for the company to elect its own officers, which resulted in
the election of G. W. as Captain, and they were
assigned to Company B, 124th O. V. I., and served until the close of
the war, participating in the battles of Chickamauga, Orchard Knob,
Mission Ridge, Rocky Face, Resaca, Atlanta, Franklin, Nashville and
others; at the battle of Nashville, our subject was wounded, losing
his left arm, and served thereafter as Major, he being promoted for
gallant conduct in that fight; his commission as Major was by
Gov. John W. Groff, and dates Jan. 18, 1865, and, in June
following, he was commissioned Lieutenant Colonel; from the army he
came to Medina, and began reading law. Oct. 19, 1862, he
married Miss Mary F. daughter of Leonard and Sallie
(McDougall) Ashley, she was born in Greenfield, Huron Co., Ohio,
where her parents were early settlers. Four children have been
born by this marriage, two of whom are living, viz.: Dan
Ashley, born Aug. 4, 1866; and Jennie G., born Oct. 18,
1868; Frank McS., was born Oct. 3, 1875, and died July 28,
1876; Mary E. was born Aug. 18, 1877, and died Sept. 23,
1880.
Source: History of Medina County, Ohio - Chicago: Baskin & Battey,
Historical Publishers - 1881 ~ Page 693 |
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Chatham
Twp. -
SETH LEWIS, farmer; P. O. Chatham Center; born
Sept. 30, 1809, in Otsego Co., N. Y.; son of Seth and Elizabeth
(Rogers) Lewis, both of whom were natives of Connecticut.
Seth was a son of Cyrus. The Lewis
family came West about the year 1821, locating in Harrisville
Township, on the farm where Mrs. Elisha Lewis now resides.
There were seven children born to Seth and Elizabeth;
but two of the number are living, viz., Seth, the subject of
this sketch, and Selinda A., now Mrs. John
Jason, of Harrisville. Seth did not leave home
until 25 years of age; during this time was at work for his father.
July 4, 1837, he was married to Phoebe P. Clark, who was born
in Catharine Township, Tioga Co., N. Y. Her birth occurred
Oct. 1, 1820. She was a daughter of Peter and Hannah
(Taylor) Clark. Peter was born in Orange Co., N.
Y.; son of Elias, a native of Connecticut, and a Colonel in
the Revolution, and rose with Gen. Washington.
Hannah Taylor was a daughter of John Taylor,
a native of Scotland. Mrs. Lewis was of a family
of thirteen children, nine of whom grew to maturity. The
family came to this township in 1832, and remained here until their
removal to Michigan in 1849, where they both died in the year 1858.
Sept. 5, 1837, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis located on the farm they
now own, which was but slightly improved at the time of their
purchase. Of six children born to them, but two are living -
Lester Allen, in Granger Township, who has three children -
Harry S., Dolly and Charles Foster; Harriet J., now
Mrs. James Buck, of Gratiot Co., Mich. They have five
children - Allen D., who resides with his grandparents;
Jennie A., Minnie M., John L. and Walter.
Mr. Lewis lost one son - Shepherd E., who died at
the age of 26. Mr. Lewis has 76 acres of land;
is a man of quiet demeanor, taking but little interest in matters
outside of his own home and neighborhood circle. Mrs. Lewis
is a lady that is well read in the general topics of the day, and
always has had a desire to store her mind with the best knowledge
and literature of the time. For forty-six years, they have
been professors of religion, and are of Methodist belief.
Source: History of Medina County, Ohio - Chicago: Baskin & Battey,
Historical Publishers - 1881 ~ Page 812 |
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Litchfield Twp. -
JAMES LIFE, general merchandise, Litchfield.
This gentleman's ancestry is traced back to a prisoner in one of hte
wars in Denmark, who was exiled to the British Islands, and settled
in Scotland. After several generations, the family moved to
England, this time settling in Hull, Yorkshire, on the property
known as the Cockgrove Farm. Mr. George Life,
grandfather of hte subject of this biography, married Miss Ann
Swinglehurst, the last descendant of the generation of the
Helms and Hays families. They had owned and
occupied the ancient property known as St. Johns of Jerusalem, a
freehold landed property, which descended to the Life family
by the marriage as mentioned above, and which is still held by them.
Mr. John Life, the father of our subject, was born in the
northern part of Yorkshire, England, and came to this country in
1854, and settled in the township of Royalton, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio.
He was born in 1805, and was, by occupation, a farmer and shoemaker.
He was known and respected as an honest and industrious citizen,
strictly moral and conscientious in all his intercourse with his
fellow-men. He married Miss MAry Bramley, of
Lancashire, England, was was born in 1803, and they were married in
1830. Their children were James, Mary Ann (now Mrs.
Isaac Gifford, of Cuyahoga Co., Ohio), Swinglehurst and
Richard. Mr. John Life died Nov. 10, 1879, in the
triumph of a faith in Christ. Mr. James Life was born
Feb. 15, 1829, in Bury, Lancashire, England, and married Miss
Susan Barefoot, of Oxford. They were married at Preswich,
Lancashire, Aug. 29, 1854, and, for a wedding tour, the day after,
set sail for the United States, and, after a safe sea voyage,
settled in Royalton, Cuyahoga Co. Their children are
William, born Sept. 12, 1855; Emily, born Mar. 17, 1857;
Henry, born June 1, 1859; Arthur Helm, June 10, 1861, and
Celestia, born Aug. 20, 1865. Mr. Life, while in
England, served as an attendant and nurse in the Preswich Hospital
under the celebrated Dr. Joseph Holland and Dr. Willson,
of Paris. It was while there he became proficient in the use
of drugs and in the care of the sick. This enabled him to
render his adopted country good and efficient service during the
war, as he went south in the fall of 1862, as a volunteer Hospital
Steward under Drs. Harvey and Flack, of Illinois.
The first service rendered was at the battle of Perryville, and here
his experience in the English hospital was very valuable to this
country, as there was a scarcity of educated help, and, night and
day, he was busy dressing the wounded and caring for those in his
charge. The battles of Lebanon and Murfreesboro followed,
while the work of the hospital attendants was very severe and
arduous. The soldiers whom he had relieved appreciated this,
and in some of the newspapers published their thanks to Mr. Life
for his kindness and devotion to the sick and wounded in his care.
Mr. Life engaged in the drug business for some two years, and
then went into the general merchandise business at Royalton, moving
to Litchfield Aug. 1, 1880, where he now conducts the same business
with the help of his sons. His thoughts and ideas of both
religious and politics are of the liberal, progressive kind, and he
has always lent a helping hand to the permanent reforms of the day,
and toward such enterprises as help build up society and benefit the
town in which he lives.
Source: History of Medina County, Ohio - Chicago: Baskin & Battey,
Historical Publishers - 1881 ~ Page Page 746 |
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Brunswick
Twp. -
EPHRAIM LINDLY, farmer; P. O. Brunswick; whose
portrait has been selected and appears in connection with the
history of Brunswick as a fit representative of the old pioneers,
were born in Rutland, Vt., Sept. 16, 1796, and is the son of Abia
and Nancy (POwer) Lindly. So far back as we are able to
give it the genealogy of his father's people, only reaches to the
grandfather of the subject of this sketch. Jacob Lindly,
his grandfather, was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. His
married Mindwell Pond, and they reared a family of ten children,
three daughters and seven sons. Abia, one of the
latter, was the father of Ephraim. He was a loyal
citizen, and served his country in the war of 1812. In 1802,
he, with his wife, went to Connecticut, where they remained until
1811. They then came West, and settled in the Western Reserve.
This trip was made overland in a two wheeled cart, drawn by a yoke
of oxen, and one horse, driven at tandem. They were two months
on the journey. Ephraim attained only a
common0school education, he being obliged to spend much of his early
life helping his father to clear land. On his mother's side,
National Power, her grandfather, was born in Cumberland, R. I., June
23, 1748. He died Apr. 17, 1835, in Lenox, Penn., in his 89th
year. Lucy Tingly, the wife of Nathaniel Power,
was born in Attleboro, Mass., in 1758, and was married to
Nathaniel Power on Nov. 29, 1774; Nancy Power, daughter
of Nathaniel and Lucy, was born in
Attleboro, Mass., on Dec. 15, 1777, and was married to Abia
Lindly, on Jan. 1, 1794, in Kingsbury, N. Y. In October,
1816, Ephraim Lindly became a resident of Brunswick Township,
and, in 1821, he was married to Miss Mary Crittenden, who is
a native of Massachusetts. Their beginning in life was under
difficulties to be overcome, requiring the stoutest hearts and the
most willing of hands. Few of the present generation, who are
residents of Brunswick Township, can comprehend the loneliness of
their little cabin home in a vast wilderness, surrounded by wild
animals and Indians. Yet, under these difficulties, they have
in the years of their residence in Brunswick, builded for themselves
a home and a reputation that stands as a monument to their honesty
and industry. Mr. Lindly has been a member of the M. E.
Church for about half a century. For the past forty years, he
has been Superintendent of the M. E. Sabbath school connected with
his church. He was also elected a delegate to the Annual
Conference held in Wooster, Ohio. The citizens have honored
him with the office of Township Trustee. They have reared a
family of six children, named as follows: Julia, now
wife of James O. Johnson; Mary, now wife of David S.
Safford; Rachel, now wife of Edward Hulet; John W.,
George E. and Francis W. The latter, who married
Miss Hattie M. Stevens, has taken a very active part in the
prosperity of the M. E. Church and Sabbath school, in which he has
been elected Steward and Recording Steward for the Brunswick
Circuit. He was born in 1839, and now lives with his father.
During the war of the rebellion, he served his country nobly in the
103d O. V. I., C. K. While in the battle of Kenesaw Mountain,
he was wounded, by which misfortune he lost one of its limbs.
Source: History of Medina County, Ohio - Chicago: Baskin & Battey,
Historical Publishers - 1881 ~ Page 766 |
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Brunswick
Twp.
HANNAH M. LOCKWOOD; P. O. Brunswick.
Andrew Lockwood was born Apr. 6, 1763, in Stamford, Conn.
He married Elizabeth Webb, who was born Mar. 16, 1771, in the same
place. They had six children - Benjamin, Isaac, Webb,
Oliver F., Maria Jane and Rena. Oliver F., the
husband of the subject of sketch, was born in Stamford, Conn., Apr.
26, 1807. He learned the trade of shoemaker. He was
married, in 1829, to Hannah M. Finney. They removed to
Ashtabula, Ohio, in 1834; remained there until 1847, when they
removed to Brunswick. They have five children - Mary E.,
who married Daniel Strong; Josephine E., who married Lewis
T. Rogers; E. Webb, who married Marietta Doolittle;
they have two children - Frank R. and Burton M.; John A.,
married to Mary J. Moon; They have four children -Gertrude
L., Harley F., Jesse L. and Lena; Maria J.
Source: History of Medina County, Ohio - Chicago: Baskin & Battey,
Historical Publishers - 1881 ~ Page 767 |
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Liverpool
Twp. -
ROBERT LOOMIS, farmer; P. O. Liverpool; was
born in Berkshire Co., Mass., in 1797; the son of Loren Loomis.
He attended the common school, and, when sixteen years of age,
enlisted in the army, and was a participant in the war of 1812.
He served under Gen. Brown and enlisted under Captain
Ingersoll. After the war closed, he returned to
Massachusetts and remained there several years, coming to Medina
Co., in 1825, when the land was yet unsettled. He located on
the banks of a creek and has lived there ever since. He was
married in 1817, to Ruth Davis, a native of Massachusetts.
Their children are - Melvin, Truman, Robert and Phebe.
His wife died in 1870. He is one of the few old settlers who
can relate of the times when deer, bears and wolves reigned in the
thick forests of the county. He is a member of the Free-Will
Baptist Church, and has served as Township Trustee several terms.
He is a sturdy old veteran Democrat, having always voted that
ticket.
Source: History of Medina County, Ohio - Chicago: Baskin & Battey,
Historical Publishers - 1881 ~ Page 750 |
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