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Biographies
Source:
* Fifty Years and Over of Akron and Summit County,
by Ex-Sheriff Samuel A. Lane.
Akron, Ohio: Beacon Job Department -
1892
Rev. David Bacon |
REV. DAVID BACON, - the
founder of Tallmadge township, as herein written, was born
at Woodstock, Connecticut, in 1871, being baptized Sept. 15,
of that year. Piously reared and educated, he was
ordained a minister by the missionary society of
Connecticut, Dec. 31, 1800, and assigned to duty among the
western Indians, with headquarters at Detroit, having
already, the previous autumn, made a preliminary survey of
the field, performing the journey either way mostly on foot.
His salary, paying his own expenses, was fixed at one
hundred and ten cents per day. On his second journey,
in January, 1801, he was accompanied by his young wife,
having meantime, December 24, 1800, been married to Miss
Alice Parks, of Lebanon, Connecticut, then but 17 years
of age, the first part of the journey by sleigh, and the
balance on horseback. Here the devoted couple, amid
great discouragements and privations, labored faithfully
some four years, their first son, the since celebrated Dr.
Leonard Bacon, having been born there,
February 14, 1802. Want of adequate support by the
parent society, and other untoward circumstances, finally
compelled the abandonment of their cherished enterprise, and
late in the Fall of 1804, they regretfully turned their
steps eastward. The balance of their story is told in
the history of Tallmadge, of which township Mr. Bacon was
the founder and pioneer. Mr. Bacon died
at Hartford, Connecticut, August 27, 1817, in the 46th year
of his age, Mrs. Bacon dying at New Haven,
Connecticut, in 1850. Dr. .Leonard Bacon, the
son, after a long and useful life, as minister, educator and
philanthropist, died at New Haven, December 24, 1881 the
grandson, Rev. Leonard Woolsey Bacon, D. D., being
now pastor of the Second Congregational Church, at Norwich,
Connecticut. MR. BACON SHAKES THE DUST OF TALLMADGE
FROM His FEET.
Realizing the failure of his pet scheme and deploring
the unexpected opposition to his general plans, both
temporal and spiritual, not only from the "outsiders" who
had found lodgment in the township, but from some of the
members of the church which he had founded, and also having
become somewhat financially embarrassed, Mr. Bacon,
early in 1812, returned with his family to Connecticut,
selecting for the text of his farewell sermon the ninth
verse of the third chapter of Paul's Second Epistle to
Timothy: "But they shall proceed no farther; for their
folly shall be made manifest unto all men, as theirs was
also," his remarks being very pointed, and somewhat bitter
towards those who had opposed, and possibly thwarted, his
cherished plans. Mr. Bacon died at
Hartford, Conn., August 27, 1817, at the early age of 46
years, his son, Rev. Dr. Leonard Bacon, noted for his
learning, piety, philanthropy and patriotism, five years of
whose boyhood were spent in Tallmadge, dying at New Haven,
Conn., December 24, 1881, at the age of 79 years, 10 months
and 5 days. Through the courtesy of Rev. Leonard W.
Bacon, D. D., of Norwich, Conn., grandson of Rev.
David Bacon, we are enabled to present to the
readers of this work the accompanying most excellent
portrait of the earnest and self-sacrificing founder of
this, in all respects, model township reliable Old
Tallmadge.
Though the planting of the church was the first and
paramount duty performed by the pioneer settlers of
Tallmadge, the cause of education was by no means neglected.
The first school, in a small log house built for the purpose
at the south four corners, was kept by Miss Lucy
Foster, afterwards Mrs. Alpha Wright, mother
of Mrs. Homer S. Carter, the late Mrs. Sidney
Edgerton, and Clement and Benjamin D. Wright.
Other similar schools were opened in convenient localities,
as the population increased, but who taught them is not now
remembered.
Source: Fifty Years and Over of Akron and Summit County, by
Ex-Sheriff Samuel A. Lane. Publ. Akron, Ohio: Beacon
Job Department - 1892 - Page 1042 |
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GENERAL LUCIUS V. BIERCE. Another lawyer of great distinction was General
Lucius V. Bierce. He practiced law a great many
years. He came to Akron about the year 1836 and died in
1864, and during that time he was engaged in perhaps as many
suits in the courts of this county and Portage as any other
lawyer of that time. He was very skillful. Among
his partners during that time was Charles G. Ladd, and
subsequently Alvin C. Voris. General Bierce was
very efficient in aiding the government during the Civil War;
he raised several companies of men for the military and naval
service. He was elected to represent Portage and Summit
Counties in the Ohio Senate, and made an enviable record as a
Senator. And in later years, towards the close of life,
he was elected mayor of the city of Akron. He was an
able and vigorous writer, and in the intervals of his large
legal practice he prepared a number of lectures, which he
delivered in various parts of the country. But above all
General Bierce was a large practitioner, and very
successful in his business.
Source: Fifty Years and Over of Akron and Summit County,
by Ex-Sheriff Samuel A. Lane. Publ.
Akron, Ohio: Beacon Job Department - 1892 - Page 414 |
John Buchtel |
JOHN BUCHTEL,
- born in Myers township, Center county, Pa., Nov. 6, 1797;
came with parents to Ohio 1816, settling in Coventry; a few
years later removing to Green township. Jan. 18, 1821,
he was married to Miss Catharine Richards, of Green
township, who bore him five children - three daughters and
two sons, the latter of whom only, John R. and
William, whose portraits appear elsewhere, are now
living. Mr. and Mrs. Buchtel pluckily began
their marital life in a log stable, until a more comfortable
dwelling could be provided. After 13 years residence
in Green, they sold their farm there and bought another in
Coventry, where they happily lived for 41 years. In
1875, Mr. and Mrs. B. removed to a small place just
north of Akron city limits, where Mrs. B. died July9,
1882, aged 85 years. Mr. B., now in his 95th
year , and still in possession of all his faculties, except
good eyesight, is kindly cared for by his youngest son,
William, at 807 East Market street. Mr. Buchtel
has been a consistent member of the Evangelical church for
nearly 50 years. In politics he was originally a
Jackson Democrat, but on the breaking out of the
slave-holders' rebellion, became an earnest Republican, to
the principles of which party he still gives a vigorous
support.
Source: Fifty Years and Over of Akron and Summit County, by
Ex-Sheriff Samuel A. Lane. Publ. Akron, Ohio: Beacon
Job Department - 1892 - Page 716 |
Mr. and Mrs.
John R. Buchtel |
JOHN
RICHARDS BUCHTEL, - son of John and Catharine
(Richards) Buchtel, was born in Green township, Jan. 18,
1820; education limited; raised a farmer, working land on
shares, then buying twenty acres in Coventry, and afterwards
the 210 acres farm, since known as the Thornton farm,
now a populous portion of the city of Akron; for several
years agent for Canton Buckeye Reaper and Mower Works, and
largely instrumental in securing the Aultman, Miller
& Co. breach for Akron; during the war, active in securing
enlistments, raising bounty money, and averting the draft;
largely promotive of many of the industrial enterprises of
the city, including blast furnace and extensive coal and
iron mines in Athens County; Grant presidential
elector, in 1872; Prohibition candidate for Secretary of
State in 1874; managing trustee of Ohio Agricultural College
for several years. An ardent Universalist, while
unstintedly liberal towards other denominations, his crowing
glory is his munificence, aggregating nearly a half a
million dollars, toward the college that bears his name,
fully written of elsewhere. Married Jan. 8, 1844, to
Miss Elizabeth Davidson, never having been blessed
with children of their own, though both physically infirm
for many years, Mr. and Mrs. Buchtel jointly devoted
the accumulation of their lives, for the benefit of the
children of their neighbors and the general welfare.
Mrs. Buchtel, - daughter of John Davidson,
was born in Union County, Pa., Aug. 25, 1821; removed to
Ohio, with his parents, in 1834, settling in Coventry; after
marriage sharing with her enterprising husband the labor of
founding for themselves a home and a fortune, and sharing
equally with him the pleasure of dispensing, while living,
the wealth thus jointly accumulated, in the founding of
Buchtel College, and the promotion of the various other
educational, moral and benevolent enterprises of the day.
In June, 1881, Mrs. Buchtel was stricken with
paralysis; but notwithstanding her great infirmity, and its
many deprivations, she was ever cheerful and helpful of her
distinguished husband, who became similarly afflicted Mar.
21, 1887, still retaining her interest in all of their joint
enterprises and benefactions, to the last, her death
occurring Friday, May 22, 1891, at the age of 69 years, 8
months and 27 days.
Mr. Miller entered upon his duties in January,
1870. Meantime a lively competition was in progress,
between the inhabitants of several of the cities of the
State and Akron among the rest. It was finally
authoritatively announced that the location would be given
to the city that would furnish a suitable site and subscribe
$60,000 to the funds of the College.
To this proposal, the people of Akron and Summit County
promptly responded, Mr. John R. Buchtel leading off
with a subscription of $25,000 to the endowment fund and
$6,000 to the building fund. Other followed with equal
liberality, in proportion to their means, and on May 31,
1870, Financial Secretary Miller reported to the
trustees and committee that the stipulated sum of $60,000
had been subscribed and the proper site secured by the
people of Akron.
Source: Fifty Years and Over of Akron and Summit County,
by Ex-Sheriff Samuel A. Lane. Publ. Akron, Ohio:
Beacon Job Department - 1892 - Page 150 |
William Buchtel |
WILLIAM BUCHTEL,
- born in Green township, Dec. 23, 1822; educated in
district schools; raised to farm life, at 22 purchasing his
father's farm, 106 acres, and engaging largely in wheat
growing; in 1856 rented his farm and engaged in milling, in
Springfield township; served in 164th Regiment, O. N. G., in
defense of Washington during the late war, receiving an
honorable discharge in the fall of 1864; after the war for
many years engaged in the lumber business, first as a member
of the firm of Jackson, Buchtel & Co., and
later under the firm name of William Buchtel & Sons,
handling during that time, over 20,000 acres of Government
and State pine lands in Michigan; is now president of the
Akron Savings Bank; vice president of the Thomas
Lumber and Building Company; treasurer of the Akron Building
and Loan Association, and owner of the finest hotel building
in Northern Ohio - the Buchtel- corner Main and Mill
streets. Mr. Buchtel was married to Miss
Martha Henderson of Springfield, Mar. 7, 1842, four
children having been born to William M. and Catharine
Jane. Mrs. Buchtel dying Dec. 17, 1884, Mr. B.
was again married, to Mrs. Nora Sackett Wilcox,
in Cleveland, Dec. 3, 1885.
In July, 1870, the Bank of Akron, a private
institution, was organized with a capital of $200,000, in
the Academy of Music building; Col. George T.
Perkins, president, and Alden Gage, cashier.
Mr. Gage dying Nov. 12, 1875, Mr. George W. Crouse
was elected president of the bank, and Col. Perkins
cashier. After a successful run of nearly 18 years,
this bank was consolidated with, and merged in, the Second
National Bank of Akron, as above stated, in March, 1888.
Akron Savings Bank, corner of Main and Mill Streets -
From Architects' design, by Weary and Kramer, 1891.
The Akron Savings
Bank, organized April 1, 1888, Capital stock $200,000.
Officers: William Buchtel, president; Charles R.
Grant, vice president; Aaron Wagoner cashier;
Charles J. Butler teller. This company is now
located in its own splendid six-story fire-proof building on
the northwest corner of Main and Mill streets. It has
also established a branch in the neighboring village of
Cuyahoga Falls, in charge of Mr. A. B. Clarke.
Source: Fifty Years and Over of Akron and Summit
County, by Ex-Sheriff Samuel A. Lane. Publ. Akron,
Ohio: Beacon Job Department - 1892 - Page 542 |
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