Biographies

Source:
History of Summit County,
with an outline sketch of Ohio
Edited by William Henry Perrin.
Illustrated.
Chicago: Baskin & Battey, Historical Publishers,
186 Dearborn Street
1881

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Mr. & Mrs. Elmer A. Gault	ELMER A. GAULT, who, for the past ten years has had charge of all the concessions of the Lake Side Park, at Akron, is one of the city's best known and substantial men.  Mr. Gault was born in 1862 in Wisconsin, and in childhood accompanied his parents to Lodi, Ohio, growing to the age of sixteen years on a farm.      At the above-mentioned age Mr. Gault went to Cleveland, where he learned the business of manufacturing candy, and was engaged in the candy line at Lexington, Kentucky, for five years.  Failing health caused his return to Ohio, where he was married to Ella A. Zarle, of Wooster, in 1894.  After a year spent at Cleveland, Mr. Gault came to Akron and for one year conducted a pleasure resort at Chippewa Lake, and then embarked in his present enterprise.  He has a lease extending for eight more years and has felt justified in making many improvements on these grounds, in the spring of 1907 completing a large baseball diamond here at a cost of $2,500.      He has visited many parts of the United States and understands how to secure the best attractions.  He is one of the largest stockholders in the East Market Street rink and owns other property, including a fine home at No. 936 South Main Street.  The parents of Mr. Gault were Daniel and Sarah (Hutchinson) Gault, the latter of whom still survives, the father having died Feb. 17, 1906.  Their children were: U. H. Gault, residing at Lodi, Ohio, and engaged in well drilling and coal prospecting; S. L., a retired farmer, living near Lodi; E. A., of Akron; Mary, who married W. J. Feazel; Miller, of Lodi; Nellie, who married Edward Paden, an engineer, running the first express between Chicago and Pittsburg; Frederick, who is in the employ of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad as an electrical signal man; and Ida, who married William Bower, hose maker at the Diamond Rubber works, Akron.  Mrs. E. A. Gault is a leading member of the St. Paul's Lutheran Church on West Thornton Street, Akron. † Source: Centennial History of Summit County, Ohio and Representative Citizens - Publ. by Biographical Publishing Co. - Chicago, Ill. - 1908 - Page 691
	GEORGE P. GRAFTON, a prominent farmer of Norton Township, who carries on a general line of agriculture, operates a milk rout and also grows many berries for the market, is serving as clerk of the School Board of this township, with which body he has been connected a number of years.  Mr. Grafton was born in Jefferson County, Ohio, Dec. 10, 1858, and is a son of John D. and Sarah J. (Palmer) Grafton.      The parents of Mr. Grafton still reside on their farm in Jefferson County, where he was reared.  He obtained a good district school education, and was trained to be a careful and capable farmer.  He continued to lie in Jefferson County for eight years following his marriage, moving then to Medina County, where he remained for almost a year.  In March, 1892, he bought his present farm in Norton Township, and here has been since engaged in farming, dairying ad fruit-growing.  He devotes an acre to small fruit, finding a ready market for all he can produce.  He grows many potatoes, raising only the best varieties and giving them scientific care.      Mr. Grafton married Nora J. Swickard, who is a daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth (Zimmerman) Swiekard, and who was born and reared in Jefferson County.  They have had seven children, all surviving except Sidney, the sixth in order of birth, who died aged sixteen months.  Those living are: Elvah, Lizzie, Clyde, Mabel, John and Ella.      Mr. Grafton is a member of the First Lutheran Church at Barberton and is a member of the Church Council.  For about two years he has been a member of the school board and several years before completed a service of four years. † Source: Centennial History of Summit County, Ohio and Representative Citizens - Publ. by Biographical Publishing Co. - Chicago, Ill. - 1908 - Page 327
	JOHN GRILL, a successful agriculturist of Franklin Township, residing on his 160-acre farm, was born on his father's farm in Franklin Township, Summit County, Ohio Feb. 4, 1863, and is a son of John and Leah (Snyder) Grill.      John Grill, his paternal grandfather, was a native of Pennsylvania, from which state he came to Ohio in 1840, settling first in Stark County.  After a residence there of one year, he came to Summit County, and settled on the farm now owned by Charles Young in Franklin Township, which at that time was covered with a heavy growth of timber.  After clearing off the timber, he erected an old fashioned "up and down" sawmill, which he operated until his death at the age of seventy-five years.  His widow, Mary, survived him for some years.  The children of John and Mary Grill were: David, William, John, Daniel, Martin, Philip, Lydia, Sarah, Catherine and Mary of whom the only present survivors are:  Daniel, Martin and Mary.      John Grill, father of John Grill of Franklin Township, was also born in Pennsylvania, accompanied his father to Ohio in 1840, and for a number of years worked in his father's sawmill, later becoming the owner of a mill.  He was married in Franklin Township to Leah Snyder, who was born in Ohio, a daughter of Frederick Snyder her father being a native of Germany.  Mr. Grill died when eighty-three years old, in 1905, his wife having passed away in 1897 at the age of sixty-three.  They were the parents of seven children: Levi, Eliza Jane who married  George Huber; Alfred; Amanda, who married Noah Fraze; Emma who married David Johnson; John; and William.      John Grill received his education in the district school, and worked on his father's farm until after his marriage.  He then entered the employ of the Akron Electric Railroad as conductor, a position in which he served for seven years.  Mr. Grill then returned to the farm of his father, but in 1903 located on his present property, which he had purchased in the spring of 1902 fro the William Woods heirs.  In March, 1891, Mr. Grill was united in marriage with Miss Caroline Fetzer. † Source: Centennial History of Summit County, Ohio and Representative Citizens - Publ. by Biographical Publishing Co. - Chicago, Ill. - 1908 - Page 787
	EMSLEY O. GROSE, president and general manager of the of the Independent Tack Company, of Cuyahoga Falls, of which he was the organizer, is one of the representative business men of this city.  Mr. Grose was born at Tipton, Indiana, Feb. 17, 1872, and is a son of Joseph and Selindia (Welshonse) Grose.      Joseph Grose was born in Indiana, in 1844, and in a retired farmer living at Tipton.  He has been a very active member of the Democratic party in that section, and for eight years he was superintendent of the Tipton County Infirmary.  He saw service during the latter part of the Civil War, and is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.  He married Selindia Welshonse, who also survives, and eight of their family of eleven children grew to maturity.  The Grouse family is an old one in Indiana, extending back beyond the days of the grandfather.      Emsley O. Grose was the first born of his parents' large family.  He obtained a common school education in the Tipton schools and then learned the machinist's trade, at Anderson, Indiana, after completing his apprenticeship, entering the wire nail mill, which is one of the largest industries of that place.  He continued work there until he came to Cuyahoga Falls, in July, 1899, when he was with the E. A. Henry Wire Company for about eighteen months, from which place he entered the Rivet Works, remaining one year.  During all this time, while quietly working at his trade, Mr. Grose was evolving in his mind the plan of a different kind of wire nail machine, which he felt convinced would be of the greatest efficiency in making large-headed wire roofing nails, and in 1905 he completed his invention and went to Fostoria to see about putting it on the market.  There he organized the Seneca Wire and Manufacturing company, and remained six months as the superintendent of the nail department.  He then organized the Seneca Wire and Manufacturing Company, and remained six months as the superintendent of the nail department.  He then returned to Cuyahoga Falls and organized the Independent Tack Company. For several years he had been studying out a design for a tack making machine and succeeded in making a practical model during the early months of 1907, which has been a complete success in every way.  Mr. Grose has a dozen automatic machines at work in his factory and they are being rapidly installed in other places.  Their construction is unique, nothing of the kind has ever been put on the market previously.  To Mr. Green belongs the credit for a thoroughly practical  and labor-saving invention.  His factory needs no traveling representative, as the demand for its product already far exceeds the supply.      Mr. Grose married Rose A. Eeeney, who is a daughter of Charles Keeney, of Cuyahoga Falls, and they have had three children, namely:  Ethel and Margaret, living, and George, the eldest, who died at the age of thirteen months.  Mrs. Grose is a member of the Catholic Church, but Mr. Grose, like his father, has always been identified with the Democratic party, but takes no very active interest in politics..  He belongs to Fostoria Lodge, No. 86, nights of Pythias. † Source: Centennial History of Summit County, Ohio and Representative Citizens - Publ. by Biographical Publishing Co. - Chicago, Ill. - 1908 - Page 754
	EARL JAMES GRUBB, proprietor of Elmdale Farm, in Stow Township, is the manufacturer of the well-known Elmdale Creamery butter, carrying on general farming, dairying and poultry raising quite extensively.  Mr. Grubb was born in Stow Township, Summit County, Ohio, Aug. 15, 1878, and is a son of John William and Alice (Garrison) Grubb.      The father of Mr. Grubb was born in Pennsylvania Sept. 15, 1845, and died in Nov. 11, 1896.  He was a carpenter by trade and followed it, in addition to farming all his active life except during his term of two years in the service of his country.  He enlisted when very young in Company K, 151st Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry and saw much hard service.  A brother was killed during the war but John William survived, but only to suffer from exposure then endured all his remaining life.  He identified himself with the Grand Army post at Kent.  He was a member of the order known as the Knights of Honor.  John William Grubb married Alice Garrison, who was a daughter of James Garrison, of Franklin Township, Portage County, and they had the following children: William Edward, residing at Kent; Ernest Franklin, residing at Akron; Grace E., who married William Samuels, residing at Akron; Earl James; and Lela Ellen who died aged twenty-two years.  John William Grubb was a consistent member of the Disciples Church, at Kent, in which he served as deacon.      John Grubb the grandfather of Earl James, was the first of the family to own the farm which the grandson now possesses.  He came from Pennsylvania and married Hannah Sorrick, of Stark County.  They reared a large family.  John Grubb carried on farming and also worked as a stone-mason.      Earl James Grubb spent seven years of his early life, at Brecksville, in Cuyahoga County, where he attended school, and he spent three subsequent years in teh Kent High School, obtaining means to complete his education, by working years in the Kent High School, obtaining means to complete his education, by working in a meat market.  Mr. Grubb has practically taken care of himself since he was twelve years of age.  After leaving school he ran a meat market for one year at Mantua Station, and later worked in a Kent market house for a year, when he turned his attention to farming.  His first rented place was the old Hoover farm, after which he bought a milk route, selling his product at Kent, which industry he continued for three years.  During the last year he was also manager of the Crescent Poultry Farm at Kent.  He disposed of his business at Kent, and April 15, 1904, he purchased his present farm, consisting of eighty-two and one-half acres.  He winters about thirty-five head of cattle, raises his own for dairy purposes, and every season has a fine lot of hogs, a cross between the Chester White and the Berkshire, which Mr. Grubb thinks can not he excelled.  He raises corn, oats, hay and wheat and markets all he does not use for himself.  He also makes a specialty of poultry, raising broilers for the market, and has made a great success of this whole industry.  He has made a scientific study of this business and has constructed buildings for his poultry where they are as comfortable in winter as in summer.  The outlay has paid well, as on several occasions, in the depth of winter, from 102 hens, he has gathered ninety-three eggs, while the average is from five-to seen dozen a day.  Mr. Grubb has a fine silo on his land with dimensions of 11 by 11 feet, with round corners, which is 25 feet in depth.      Mr. Grubb's happy family includes wife and two children.  He married Mary Lappin who is a daughter of Marvin and Olive Lappin.  Mrs. Grubb was born in Franklin Township, Portage County.  The two children are named Gordon Glee who was born Feb. 28, 1903, and Naundas Mildred, who was born Mar. 14, 1907.  Mr. and Mrs. Grubb belong to the Disciples Church at Kent.  Politically Mr. Grubb is a Republican, but he is no seeker for office.  He belongs to the order of the Knights and Ladies of Security, at Kent. † Source: Centennial History of Summit County, Ohio and Representative Citizens - Publ. by Biographical Publishing Co. - Chicago, Ill. - 1908 - Page 796