OHIO GENEALOGY EXPRESS

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TRUMBULL COUNTY,  OHIO
History & Genealogy
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Source:
 History of Trumbull & Mahoning Counties, Ohio
Published:  Cleveland: H. Z. Williams & Bros.
VOLUME I
1882

CHAPTER IV.
KINSMAN
Trumbull County, Ohio
Pg. 288

     LOCATION AND OWNERSHIP.

     Kinsman - township number seven in the first range - is situated in the northeast corner of the county, adjoining the Ashtabula county line on the north and the Pennsylvania line on the east.  On the south is the township of Vernon and on the west of township of Gustavus.  The township contains 16, 664 acres, to which was annexed by the equalizing board 1,857 acres (lot number eight, tract two) in the eleventh range, being a part of the land on which the city of Akron is now located.  The first township line run by the surveyors began at the south line of the reserve, five miles west from the Pennsylvania State line, and deflected so much from a parallel line as to be nearly five miles and a half from the State line at the lake shore, which accounts for the extra six hundred and sixty-four acres.  The draft was made in 1798 and is known as draft number eighty-one of that series.  The requisite amount to make a draft of a standard township was $12,903.23, and in this draft was assigned as joint owner in this township and in other lands drawn in other drafts.  In the division of the Kinsman and Perkins interest Mr. Kinsman took this township and Major Perkins the Akron and other lands.  Mr. Kinsman also purchased the interests of Joseph Coit and Uriah Tracy, who was then a United States Senator from Connecticut.

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PHYSICAL FEATURES, STREAMS, SOIL, TIMBER.

 

INDIANS.

 

ANCIENT HISTORY.

     Upon this subject the same writer says:
     That part of the township commencing near the mouth of Stratton's creek, skirting along the east bank of the Pymatuning, and west bank of Stratton's creek, first regarded of so little value, was a beautiful alluvial bottom, on which the first settlers noticed the evident signs of an old Indian corn-field.  Further up the land rises into an undulating surface of deep gravelly loam, which undoubtedly had been burned over by the Indians for a hunting ground.  Freed from timber the elk and the deer, in the grazing season, would come out from the dense forest on either side, to feed on the open grass plat and plain, and thus could be approached, and presenting a fairer mark for the Indian.  Bordering on the open prairie, on the farm now owned by Wayne Bidwell, Esq., upon the high ground in the rear of his house, were the remains of what was supposed to have been an old Indian fort.  The lines of an embankment and ditch were clearly defined and were often noticed by the early settlers of the town.  In the vicinity of this fort flint arrow-heads and stone axes were frequently found.  So late as 1866 Mr. Plant, in plowing up an old field on his farm (a part of the prairie), struck a nest of arrow-heads, which were undoubtedly lost or buried there by the Indians.  Until the War of 1812 the Indians made their yearly visits to this locality, where they spent weeks in hunting, fishing, and trapping.  Spots of earth, dark with intermingled charcoal, were found near the old fort, showing what was evidently an Indian camping ground.  The head waters of the Pymatuning were marked with a very permanent beaver-dam, which had been abandoned by its occupants before the settlement of the country by the whites.

SURVEY AND FIRST IMPROVEMENTS.

    Mr. Kinsman first came to the Reserve in 1799, making the journey, in company with Simon Perkins, on horseback across the Alle-

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EARLY SETTLEMENT.

     While the settlement of the township will date from the improvements made by Messrs. Kinsman and Reeve, above mentioned, Martin Tidd and his son-in-law, James Hill, and David Randall are regarded as the first permanent settlers, since they were the first to take up their abode with their families, which they did in the spring of 1802, Mr. Kinsman having made a contract with them to this effect the previous fall.
     In April the three families left Youngstown together, with two teams and wagons.  There was probably a good natured strife between the Tidd party, who occupied one wagon, and Randall, as to who should first arrive upon the ground, but an accident happening to Randall, his wagon breaking down at Smithfield (now Vernon), he was detained there over night.  Tidd and family, with Hill and wife, proceeded to Kinsman, and thus bore off the honors of being the first permanent settlers.  Tidd settled on the hill north of the Seth Perkins farm, getting one hundred acres in exchange for sixty acres in Kinsman.  Randall located on the Seth Perkins farm Tidd and Randall were originally from the Wyoming valley, Pennsylvania.  The former lived a short distance below the settlement of Wyoming at the time of the massacre, his house occupying a high bluff on the banks of the Susquehanna river.  His house is said to have been used as a block-house, and during the massacre afforded a place of safety for many of the inhabitants in the vicinity.  After removing from Wyoming he went to Westmoreland county.  In 1798 he came to Youngstown with his family

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and nephew, Captain Hillman, where he lived until his removal to Kinsman.  Tidd possessed the true spirit of the pioneer, though he continued to live in Kinsman until his death, yet he was restless during the progress of settlement and improvement of the country, and was only prevented from "moving on" by reason of his advanced age and out of deference to the wishes of his children, who did not inherit his pioneer spirit.  He died at an advanced age.
     Randall moved from Pennsylvania down on the Ohio river, settling near Marietta, Washington county, whence he came to Youngstown in 1800.  In his frequent removals from place to place he acquired an extensive acquaintance with the Indians, with whom his dealings were always characterized by such exceptional kindliness and honesty as to invariably win their confidence and good will.  At the time of the McMahan difficulty at the salt spring, elsewhere related, he went with Captain Hillman to visit the Indians, and endeavor to prevent the retaliatory measures which they seemed determined to inflict upon the whites.
     Randall lived but a short time on the Perkins farm, removing to the farm which in 1806 he exchanged with John Allen for land in Ashtabula county.  He resided in Ashtabula but a short time, returning to Kinsman and locating on Stratton creek.  He continued to live in Kinsman until advanced in life, when he removed to Michigan, where he died at the age of seventy-two.
     As a result of the contract Mr. Kinsman and Ebenezer Reeve, previously mentioned, the latter exchanged his land in Norwich, Connecticut, for land in Kinsman, and in 1802 moved out with his two daughters, Deborah and Hannah, and erected a log house opposite the site of the Sutliff frame house, where he lived until 1807.  In that year he built a two-story frame house in front of where the house of Wayne Bidwell was afterwards built.  This was the first two-story frame house erected in Kinsman.  Here Mr. Reeve spent the rest of his life.
     Besides those already mentioned a few families settled in 1802.  Paul Rice and his mother settled on land which subsequently became the Webber farm Alexander Clark began operations upon his farm.  Urial Driggs located east of Driggs' hill.
     In 1803 Captain Charles Case came into the township, and assisted in tending the Kinsman saw-mill.  He was accustomed to give singing lessons, free of charge, and gained considerable popularity thereby.  He removed to Williamsfield, and died there.
     The same year settlements were made as follows:  William Tidd, John Wade, John Little, Walter Davis, Isaac and John Matthews - with whom their sister Betsy lived - Robert Laughlin, Peter Yeoman, George Gordon Dement, George Matthews, Joseph McMichael, Joshua Budwell, and his son Henry, and William Knox settled in the township.  Several of these men and single.  John Murray, a carpenter and a single man, arrived and lived with the Davises.
    
In July, 1804, after a journey of seven weeks, John Kinsman and family arrived in the township.  His family then consisted of himself and wife and four children - John, Joseph, Sally, and Olive.  Accompanying him were several persons whom he had engaged to assist him in erecting a house and other buildings for his family.  In this party of settlers were Chester Lewis and family, also his mother-in-law, Mrs. Manning, and her son Samuel.  Lewis drove an ox team loaded with household furniture and farming implements.  Mr. Kinsman came with a number of teams.  On his way he bought a stock of goods, and placed them in charge of Joseph Coit, who came out to act as clerk in the store.  Louisa Morse, afterward the wife of Isaac Meacham, and Eunice Morgan, afterward Mrs. John L. Cook, came with the company; also Cook and Jahazel Lathrop, carpenters.

     In 1804 Plumb Sutliff settled on the creek, but moved to a farm on the center road a year later, where he died, in 1834, aged eighty-three.  He married, the year of his settlement, Deborah Reeve, of Kinsman.

     William Scott settled on the ridge in 1804.

     Deacon William Matthews settled during the same year.  He was a Revolutionary soldier.  In 1808 he was appointed justice of the peace.  Deacon Matthews was one of the most earnest of working Christians, and was largely instrumental in promoting the cause of religion in the new settlement.  He was always in attendance upon the religious meetings  Whatever the weather and frequently conducted the services,

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as clergymen were seldom in the township during its early years.
     Thirty families comprised the inhabitants of the township in 1805, together with twenty or thirty young unmarried men, and twelve or fifteen young women, who were single.  Some of the settlers whose names have not yet been mentioned were John Neil, Thomas, John, and William Gillis, Stephen Splitstone, Captain William Westby and his sons, James, John, and Ebenezer, William and Andrew Christy, Thomas Potter, Leonard Blackburn, David and Elam Lindsley.

     John Allen, of Norwich, Connecticut, came to the township in 1806.  The Allen family has played an important part in the affairs of this township.

     David Brackin, a native of Ireland, located in this township in 1806.  The same year came John Andrews.  He married Hannah, the youngest daughter of Ebenezer Reeve, to whom eight children were born.  Mr. Andrews was born in Connecticut, in 1782, and died at the age of eighty-one.  About 1812 he engaged in business as a merchant.  He was a useful member of society, and a warm supporter of schools and churches.  As early as 1825 a boarding school in Kinsman grew up under his patronage, and ten years later, at his house, built for such a purpose, a female boarding school was opened and successfully conducted until 1840.

     Jesse Meacham came from Hartland, Connecticut, in 1806, Lester Cone in 1807, Peter Lossee in 1808, Jairus Brockett in 1809, Michael Burns in 1808, Ira Meacham in 1812, Joshua Yeomans in 1814, Obed Gilder in 1815, Ebenezer Webber, John Yeomans, Simon Fobes, and others later.
 

EARLY EVENTS.

     In 1801 Ebenezer Reeve began work on a mill-dam, but it was swept away by the water the following spring.  The next year James King, from Pennsylvania, as mill wright, built and completed a saw-mill for John Kinsman.  It was put in operation the same year.
     In 1802 Mr. Kinsman brought a small stock of goods for the supply of his family and the settlers.  David Randall and Zopher Case were employed to tend the mill, and Joseph Coit subsequently became clerk in the store.  Mrs. Randall sometimes ran the mill and spun while the logs were moving through.

 

 

 

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ROADS.

 

 

 

 

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SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL BUILDINGS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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KINSMAN ACADEMY.

 

 

 

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Clark, 1855-58, E. L. Moon, assistant Mrs. Moon, 1858-59; E. P. Haynes and Miss E. C. Allen, 1859-60; Moses G. Watterson, 1860-61; Edwin L. Webber, 1861-62; Mrs. A. A. F. Johnston, 1862-65.  Assistants:  Miss Josephine C. Field, Miss Celia Morgan, Miss Mary Christy, Miss Louisa M. Fitch.  Mrs. Johnston was principal of the academy for a long period than any other teacher, and was greatly respected and beloved by her pupils.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

JOHN KINSMAN AND FAMILY * - 296, 297, 298

THE REEVE FAMILY OF KINSMAN - 298, 299, 300, 301

SETH PERKINS - 301

DR. PETER ALLEN - 301, 302

JEDEDIAH BURNHAM - 302, 303

[PORTRAIT of JAMES. C. BISHOP]

JAMES C. BISHOP - 303, 304

RIVERIUS and EUGENIA BIDWELL - 304, 305

[PORTRAIT of MISS LOTTIE FOBES]

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NOTES ON SETTLEMENT.
     CHARLES BURNHAM, oldest son of Jedediah Burnham, (a sketch of whom is given elsewhere) and Sophia Bidwell, was born in Kinsman, Ohio, Mar. 17, 1817.  He remained at home until 23 years of age, and in his younger days was engaged in clerking in Kinsman and elsewhere.  He purchased the place where he still resides, the old Ford place, in 1853.  He was married June 1st of the same year, to Elizabeth A. Galpin, daughter of Elnathan Gilpin, born in 1825.  They have three children, as follows:  Abbie S., born Mar. 15, 1857; Lizzie G. Feb. 19, 1859; Charles B., Feb. 20, 1861 to 1865, and was elected again the latter year, but declined to serve; has also served as assessor three terms.  His brother Thomas was a soldier in the Union army in the Rebellion, and was killed at Kershaw mountain, Georgia.

     BENJAMIN ALLEN was born in Kinsman township, Trumbull county, Ohio, Mar. 23, 1817.  His father, Benjamin Allen, Sr., was one of the earliest settlers and prominent citizens of the township, coming in 1805.   He was a clothier by trade, and had the first establishment of the kind in Kinsman.  He was a Representative in the State Legislature two terms, was justice of the peace, township trustee, and county commissioner, and a lieutenant in the War of 1812.  He died in 1851, aged sixty-seven.  Benjamin, Jr., was taught the occupation of his father, but afterwards adopted farming as a pursuit.  When eighteen he attended the Grand River institute for two years; was engaged in teaching school two terms in Kinsman.  Married, Jan. 6, 1841, Charlotte, daughter of Elnathan Galpin of Kinsman, born in Litchfield county, Connecticut, in 1820.  They have one son, Arthur B., born Jan. 2, 1858; married Nov. 10, 1880, Albie H. Morehead, born in New Castle, Pennsylvania.  Deacon Allen was township clerk for many years; was justice of the peace, but declined to qualify.  He has been a prominent member of the Presbyterian church for some forty years.

     LYMAN P. ANDREWS was born in Kinsman, Trumbull county, Ohio, May 26, 1822.  John Andrews, his father, a native of East Haddam, Connecticut, came to Ohio in 1804.  He settled first in Gustavus, where he cleared up a farm east of Gustavus center; afterwards removed to Kinsman, where he engaged in mercantile business.  He was the owner of sixty acres of land at the time of his death.  He was a sucessful business man, was a justice of the peace, and a member of the Presbyterian church.  His oldest son, C. B. Andrews, was a clergyman of the same denomination; went as missionary to the Sandwich Islands, under the auspices of the American Board of Foreign Missions, in 1843, actively engaged there for some thirty years.  While returning to the islands he died in 1876.  John Andrews married Hannah Reeve, daughter of Ebenezer Reeve, and raised a family of six children, of whom two survive - the subject of this sketch, and Mrs. Caroline Parker, of Cleveland.  Lyman P. Andrews derived his education at the common schools of Kinsman, and at Hudson college, which he attended two years.  He was married Aug. 3, 1843, to Miss Betsy Fobes, daughter of Aaron Fobes, one of the pioneers of this region.  Mrs. Andrews was born in Kinsman about 1826.  They have three children - Frank A., born in August, 1853, a resident of Chicago, Illinois; J. Edwards, July, 1856; and Emma S., December, 1861, both at home.  Mr. Andrews was a resident of Flint, Michigan,
for eleven years from 1867, where he removed for the purpose of educating his children.  He

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removed from the home place in Kinsman to the one he now occupies in 1879.  He was elected justice of the peace in Kinsman about 1848,
serving six years, and was also an incumbent of the same office in Michigan one term.  Enlisted in 1864 in the One Hundred and Seventy-first Ohio National guard, and was commissary sergeant; was taken prisoner by the rebels at Cynthiana, Kentucky; was paroled and finally mustered out of service at Johnson island, near Sandusky, Ohio.  He took an active part in the establishment of the Kinsman cemetery, originating it, and is still president of the board of trustees.

     ISAAC MEACHAM

     ALLEN W. GILLIS, son of Robert and Mary Gillis, was born in Kinsman, Trumbull county, July 28, 1830, married, in 1852, Miss Harriet Webber, born in Kinsman in 1833.  He has three children living, as follows:  Byron F., a merchant in New York city; Cora B., residing with her uncle in Ashtabula county; Maud H., at home.  His first wife died in 1869, and in Dec., 1870, he married Mary C. Webb, of Erie county, Pennsylvania.  In 1861 he enlisted in company B, Twenty-third Ohio volunteer infantry, and with his regiment was in many engagements, including those of South Mountain and Antietam, serving nearly three years.  He was discharged for physical disability.  In June, 1864, he again offered his services to the Government, joined the One Hundred and Seventy first Ohio National guard, and had command of his company at Cynthiana, Kentucky.  He was finally discharged as first lieutenant.  He settled in Kinsman village after the war, where he now resides.

     ROBERT GILLIS (deceased) was born in Maryland in 1801; came to Ohio with his father, Thomas Gillis, in 1806, who put up the first grist-mill in Kinsman, on the creek near the center of the township.  The site is now occupied by Hamilton Brothers' mill, the present mill being the third built by the Gillis familyRobert Gillis conducted the mill during his lifetime. Feb. 23, 1825, he married Mary King, daughter of Robert and Isabella King, born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, Nov. 3, 1801.  Her parents came to Kinsman in 1809, settling on the place now owned by Gordon BurnsideRobert King was a soldier of the War of 1812, a member of Captain Burnham's company.  He raised a family of twelve children, of whom nine are living.  Robert and Mary Gillis have had one daughter and eight sons - the daughter, Isabella, was the wife of Lewis Moats, of Mercer county, Pennsylvania, and died at the age of twenty-four; Thomas
lives in Jefferson, Ashtabula county; John K. died in California in 1878, where he went in 1852; Allen W., of Kinsman village, of whom a
brief sketch is given elsewhere; G. W., now living in Kansas (was a member of the Sixth Ohio volunteer cavalry three years during the Rebellion); Anderson J., now living in Jefferson township, Ashtabula county (was a member of company B, Twenty-third Ohio volunteer infantry, serving three years, afterwards re-enlisted and served until the close of the war); Amos F. enlisted in company B, Twenty-third Ohio volun-

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teer infantry, and served three years; re-enlisting, was promoted to captain and was killed in action at Berryville, Virginia, Sept. 3, 1864, leaving a widow and one daughter now residents of Cleveland.  Two children died in infancy.

     T. B. SCOTT, son of James and Sarah (Smith) Scott, was born in Kinsman, Trumbull county, Ohio, Jan. 28, 1849; married Oct. 19, 1870, to Miss Ada Williams, of Bazetta township, adopted daughter of John and Jane Williams, and has three children living, as follows: Jennie Ellen, born July 29, 1872; Sarah Alice, May 25, 1876; Mary Emeline, Nov. 21, 1880.  John W. died in infancy.  After marriage Mr. Scott continued to reside on the home place some six years, removing to his present place in the spring of 1877.  He owns one hundred and eighty acres at the village of Kinsman, and is a prosperous farmer and dairyman.  Himself and wife are members of the Methodist church.

     JOHN S. ALLEN was born in Kinsman, Trumbull county, Ohio, Nov. 1, 1813, oldest surviving son of Benjamin and Lydia (Meacham) Allen remained at home until twenty-five, when he was united in marriage Oct. 24, 1838, to Miss Julia E., daughter of Roswell Moore.  She was born in Connecticut Feb. 24, 1819.  Mr. and Mrs. Allen have had three children, two of whom are living: Darwin F., born June 27, 1839, and Antoinette J., born May 26, 1842, both at home.  Darwin was a member of the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Ohio volunteer infantry, and later of the One Hundred and Seventy-first Ohio National guard; was mustered out in the fall of 1864.  September 15th of the same year he was married to Jennie M. Collins, and has one son and one daughter - Fred L., born Oct. 31, 1864, and Theresa E., May 12, 1867.  Our subject settled on the place where he still lives in 1838, which was then but partially improved.  He was active in militia affairs during his early years; was first elected justice of the peace about 1860 and held that position six years, and was township trustee many terms.  Mr. and Mrs. Allen are members of the Presbyterian and Congregational church.

     JOHN W. McCURDY was born in Butler county, Pennsylvania, Oct. 22, 1804, oldest son of James and Margaret McCurdy.  He was brought up to agricultural pursuits, remaining at home until twenty-six.  He married, Sept. 4, 1832, Mrs. Catharine Thorn, born in Kinsman township Nov. 3, 1804, daughter of George
Matthews, who settled there in the spring of that year.  He was a prominent farmer and church member; died about 1855.  Mr. and Mrs. McCurdy are the parents of four children, three living and one dead, viz: Joseph Thorn, born May 16, 1830, now a resident of Michigan; George, July 29, 1833; Jane, Apr. 22, 1835, died Aug. 5, 1861; James, Jan. 27, 1837, a resident of Missouri, and an artist by profession.  After his marriage Mr. McCurdy resided for one year in Butler county, Pennsylvania, coming to Ohio in the fall of 1833.  He settled where he now lives about 1840, which place was then entirely wild.  Mr. McCurdy was township trustee one term.  He has been a member of the Presbyterian and Congregational church for many years.

     JOSEPH REED, oldest son of John and Elizabeth (West) Reed was born in New York, June 29, 1824.  With his parents went to Bath, Steuben county, New York, about 1826, where he went to school.  Was engaged in the lumber business in Pennsylvania for some twenty years, being a partner in a steam saw-mill.  He was married July 7, 1852, to Rebecca Everhart, born in Blair county, Pennsylvania, Apr. 3, 1831, and is the father of seven children as follow: William A., born July 21, 1853, now a merchant of Kinsman, of the firm of Gee & Reed; Susan E., born July 20, 1855, now wife of George Bennett, of Kinsman; Ella G., born Oct. 10, 1858; May R., May 19, 1860; Augusta D., Sept. 3, 1862; Edith B., Aug. 18, 1864; Minnie B., July 29, 1866.  Mr. Reed resided in Pennsylvania until 1869, when he purchased the Galpin place in Kinsman, where he has since lived.

     CHARLES B. WEBBER

 

 

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     JAMES W. STORIER

     WILLIAM B. EDWARDS, son of Lewis and Jane (Parks) Edwards, was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, July 28, 1825; was brought up in the family of his uncle, James Edwards, and his three sisters, with whom he came to Ohio in the spring of 1848.  He settled in Williamsfield, Ashtabula county, on a farm which he still owns.  One of his aunts who accompanied him to Ohio, is still living with him at an advanced age.  He continued to reside in Ashtabula county until the spring of 1881, when he purchased the Lyman Root place in Kinsman, where he now lives.  He married, October 3, 1855, Sarah F. Webb, of Mercer county, Pennsylvania, born about 1833.  He was township trustee in Williamsfield one term.  Himself and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at the State line.  James Edwards, his uncle, died May 10, 1874; was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church for many years.

     LESTER MATTHEWS, oldest child of Reuben and Lorenda (Eggleston) Matthews, was born in Kinsman township, Trumbull county, Ohio, Oct. 8, 1842.  Reuben Matthews raised a family of five children, of whom three survive.  He died in 1851, and his widow in 1864.  Lester was married Jan. 1, 1866, to Stella Woodworth, a daughter of Andrew Woodworth, of Ashtabula county.  Mrs. Matthews was born in that county in 1849.  They have had one daughter, Minnie A., born Jan. 23, 1867; died at the age of ten months.  Mr. Matthews occupies the family homestead, the dwelling having been built by his father about 1840.  Mr. and Mrs. Matthews are members of the Congregational and Presbyterian church.  George Matthews settled in an early day on the property now owned by his sons Ezekiel, Elias, and Reuben's heirs.  George Matthews was born Dec. 29, 1773, and his wife, Nancy (Scott), 1775.

     L. A. COLE, oldest living son of Harmon and Polly (Blackburn) Cole, was born in Kinsman, Trumbull county, Ohio, Aug. 6, 1834.  Harmon Cole was a native of Connecticut, born about 1800, and coming to Ohio about 1818, he settled in Kinsman, where he married Polly Blackburn.  He was a cooper by trade, and in later life a successful farmer.  He was justice of the peace one term about 1850; died Oct. 2, 1856.  Mrs. Polly Cole is still living with her sons, and is yet vigorous in mind and body.  L. A. Cole was united in marriage Oct. 3, 1855, to Amanda Simpkins.  To this marriage were born three children—Harmon B., a resident of Kinsman township, born Oct. 29, 1856; Mary E., born Oct. 2, 1858, now wife of John Brown, residing in the vicinity of her father's home; Otis A., born Apr. 21, 1861.  Mrs. Cole died Feb. 4, 1870.  Sept. 7, 1870, he was again married, this time to Miss

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Elizabeth Feather, born in Pennsylvania, Feb. 19, 1835.  To this union have been born two children, of whom one is living—Harriet Elizabeth, born Jan. 9, 1873.  After his marriage he settled on a portion of the family homestead, where he still resides; has been township trustee two terms.

     HARMON COLE was born in Kinsman township, Trumbull county, Ohio, Aug. 4, 1826; son of Richard and Priscilla ColeRichard Cole was a native of Connecticut, born in 1793; coming to Ohio about 1820, and settling on the place now owned by his son Harmon.  He cleared up this place, erecting a log house, where the present residence now is, which was built in 1853.  He died in the spring of 1880, his wife having died about 1854.  Harmon Cole was married, Mar. 15, 1847, to Miss Sivilla Royal, born in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, Aug. 24, 1827, daughter of Peter and Polly Royal, and has had a family of seven children.  Four are living, as follows: Orra C., born Jan. 3, 1848, now the wife of A. F. Waid, residing in Kansas; Charles C., born Feb. 15, 1850, a farmer, residing in Ashtabula county, Ohio; Albert S., born Mar. 7, 1856, a resident of Kinsman, and Emma L., born June 27, 1861.  Mr. Cole located on the home farm, where he has since resided, consisting of about four hundred acres of finely improved land.

     EDWIN YEOMANS, son of John and Elizabeth (Coyle) Yeomans, was born in Kinsman, Trumbull county, Ohio, Feb. 22, 1823.  His father came to Ohio in 1819 and settled on the place now owned by his son, David M.  He had a family of ten children, of whom three are living.  He died about 1853.  His wife survived him until 1881.  He was a soldier of the War of 1812, from Connecticut.  Edwin remained at home until his twenty-eighth year.  In 1853 he engaged in the paper manufacturing business at Cuyahoga Falls, where he resided until returning to the home place in 1880, where he has since resided.

     J. M. KING was born in Kinsman township, Trumbull county, Ohio, Jan. 17, 1825; oldest son of William and Sarah (McConnell) King.  Robert King, the grandfather of J. M. King, was a native of Ireland, coming to Ohio in the first years of the present century.  He settled on the place now owned by Mr. Burnside, which he cleared up and improved.  He raised a large family, the son William being the father of the subject of this sketch.  Robert King was justice of the peace, probably one of the first that filled that position.  He was a soldier in the War of 1812 from Kinsman township.  J. M. King was raised in the family of his maternal grandfather, James McConnell, until of age.  He was married in 1847 to Harriet L. Christy, daughter of James Christy, an early settler in the county.  The result of this union was six children, three of whom are living, viz: Frank C., Clara B., and Nellie.  His first wife died in 1857, and in December, 1858, he maried Miss L. C. Christy, daughter of John and Hannah Christy, also early settlers.  By this marriage he has three children, as follows: George E., Robert A., and Sadie M.  After his marriage he rented the farm of his grandfather for three years.  He afterwards bought a small place in another part of Kinsman which he improved and occupied until 1864; was a resident of Vernon for some eight years, where he purchased the Palmer farm, which he still owns.  In the fall of 1872 he removed to the place where he now lives, near Kinsman village.  Himself and wife are members of the Presbyterian and Congregational church.

     GORDON BURNSIDE

 

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released on parol, was finally mustered out after serving out his term at Johnson's Island, in the fall of 1864.

     JAMES J. CHRISTY, oldest son of Andrew and Elizabeth Christy, was born in Kinsman, Trumbull county, Ohio, July 25, 1818.  Oct. 24, 1844, was married to Margaret Hunter, daughter of James Hunter, of Mercer county, Pennsylvania, where she was born Nov. 22, 1822.  They have one son and one daughter - Wilbur A., born Sept. 26, 1845, a farmer of Mercer county, Pennsylvania; and Elizabeth J., Feb. 25, 18947, now the wife of James Jack, of Crawford county.  Wilbur was a member of the One Hundred and Seventy-first Ohio National guard; served out his term of service, and was mustered out with his regiment in 1864.  He married, in 1876, Isa Kinleyside, and has two children, Eleanor S. and Margaret.  In 1845 Mr. Christy settled on the place where he now lives, which was originally settled by Joseph McMichael.  He has been township trustee several terms; is a member of the United Presbyterian church of which church at Jamestown, Pennsylvania, he is still ruling elder.  He was formerly a Whig and anti-slavery man, and was active in assisting fugitives.

     ISAAC T. ALLEN, son of Daniel and Ruth (Meacham) Allen, was born in Kinsman, Trumbull county, Ohio, Nov. 5, 1828.  Daniel Allen was born in Connecticut Mar. 22, 1789, and came to Ohio with his father, John, in 1806, settling on the place now owned by Isaac T., his son.  He was a captain in the militia; died Feb. 20, 1859, aged nearly seventy years.  His wife died Feb. 6, 1856.  Isaac T. Allen was married Dec. 4, 1856, to Sophronia Nackey, born in Butler county, Pennsylvania, Sept. 17, 1836.  They have four children living and two dead, viz: Ruth E., born Oct. 24, 1857, now Mrs. D. T. Root, of Kinsman, has one son, Allen D., born Mar. 9, 1881.  Daniel F., born May 1, 1859, of Kinsman; Roswell J., July 28, 1866; Joel K., May 9, 1873.  Mr. Allen is an extensive dairyman and stock raiser, owning two hundred and fifty-five acres of good land. He offered his services to the Government during the Rebellion; served out his term of enlistment, and was mustered out at Sandusky, Ohio, in the fall of 1864.

     WILLIAM A. THOMAS

     L. W. ROBERTS

 

 

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     JOHN SISLEY

     GEORGE H. NICKERSON

     WILLIAM R. CHRISTY, son of Andrew and Elizabeth (McConnell) Christy, was born June 15, 1828, in Kinsman, Trumbull county, Ohio.  Andrew Christy came to Trumbull county in 1806.  He was married in 1812; built a hewed log-house, which they occupied until building the present family residence in 1832.  They raised a family of eleven children, of whom six are liv-

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ing.  He was a soldier of the War of 1812, for a short time.  He was born in 1776, and died in 1863.  His wife died Aug. 1863.  William R. Christy was married Apr. 4, 1867, to Miss Charlotte David, daughter of Walter Davis and has two sons - Lauren D., born Sept. 25, 1868, and Ward P., born Apr. 24, 1872.  Mrs. Christy's mother was Lucena Perkins, daughter of Seth Perkins, one of the pioneers of Kinsman township.  Miss Sarah Christy is residing with her brother, William R., and is a vigorous and intelligent lady, the oldest of the family.

     CHRISTIAN BETTS

     JOHN M. ALLEN, son of Daniel and Ruth (Meacham) Allen, was born in Kinsman, Trumbull county, Ohio, Nov. 5, 1827.  He remained at home until twenty-three, when he went to Crawford county, Pennsylvania, for five years, engaged in farming and conducting a saw mill.  He married there March 24, 1853, Miss Phebe Leach, who was born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, July 22, 1828.  She died October, 1854, leaving one daughter, now Mrs. Oscar Leland, of Geauga county, Ohio.  Nov. 8, 1855, Mr. Allen was again married, his second wife being Jane Eckels, born July 30, 1831.  By this marriage he has had eight children, seven of whom are living, viz: George S., born Sept. 1, 1856; Permelia, Mar. 9, 1858; Eva Jane, Oct. 25, 1860; Wilber J., May 24, 1862; Charles A., July 22, 1865; Jessie A., Nov. 23, 1868; Maggie H., Apr. 2, 1872.  In the spring of 1855 our subject returned to Kinsman from Pennsylvania, having the year before bought the place where he now lives.  In 1864 he enlisted in the One Hundred and Seventy-first Ohio National guard, and participated in the battle of Cynthiana, Kentucky, June 11, 1864; served out his term of enlistment, and was mustered out at Johnson's island at expiration of term of service.

     WILLIAM CHRISTY, son of William and Mary Christy, was born in Kinsman, Trumbull county, Ohio, Aug. 29, 1811.  William Christy, Sr., was a native of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, born in 1778; came to Ohio in 1805, and settled in Kinsman on the place now owned by his son, William.  He raised a family of twelve children, of whom but two survive - the subject of this sketch and Mrs. Mary Gibson of Kinsman.  He was a blacksmith by trade, which trade he followed until advanced in years.  He died in1854.  He was a soldier in the War of 1812, under Captain Burnham.  William, Jr., was married, Sept. 29, 1853, to Phebe Roberts, who was born in Pennsylvania Apr. 29, 1820, and has a family of three children, as follows:  Mary Jane, born Dec. 25, 1855, now wife of Levi S. Mowry and has one child - William R., born Jan. 14, 1881; William H., born Feb. 20, 1857, at home; Robert, born July 4, 1858, residing in Crawford county, Pennsylvania.  Mrs. Christy died Oct. 6, 1864.  Mr. Christy built his present residence in 1874, and owns one hundred and seventy-six acres, well improved.  He gives considerable attention to dairying and stock raising.

     ALBERT W. MATTHEWS was born in Kinsman township, Trumbull county, Ohio, Sept. 30, 1836.  His grandfather, Deacon William Matthews, came to Ohio in 1804, and settled on the place where the subject of this sketch now lives.  William Matthews was a Revolutionary soldier.  Albert W. Matthews enlisted in the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Ohio volunteer infantry, in 1862, and with his regiment was in the battles at Mission Ridge, Resaca, Dalton, Atlanta, and Franklin.  He served until the close of the war,

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securing a lieutenant's commission, and was mustered out with his regiment at Nashville, Tennessee, June, 1865.  He received a commission after being mustered out as sergeant.  After his return home he took charge of the homestead where he still lives. Aug. 30, 1866, he was married to Miss Sarah Johnson, daughter of John and Nancy Johnson, of Mercer county, Pennsylvania, where Mrs. Matthews was born Oct. 5, 1844.  They have two children, as follows:  William Albert, born Mar. 11, 1870, and Ruth E., June 28, 1871.  For one year after his marriage Mr. Matthews was a resident of Nebraska, when he returned to his former home.  He has been township trustee several terms.  His father, Thomas Matthews, was a soldier of the War of 1812.  In 1826 he had a leg amputated on account of injuries received by breaking through the ice on the Ohio river.

     DAVID S. GILLIS, youngest son of Francis and Mary Gillis, was born in Kinsman, Trumbull county, Ohio, Sept. 6, 1845; married Dec. 24, 1874, to Agnes M. Patrick, by whom he had one daughter, Emma M., born Dec. 4, 1875.  His wife Agnes died January, 1879, and Oct. 13, 1880, he married Miss Sarah A. Wood, daughter of Deacon Charles Wood, of Kinsman.  By this marriage he has had one daughter, Abbie, born Aug. 26, 1881.  Since the retirement of his father he has taken charge of the family homestead, giving considerable attention to dairying and stock-raising.

     FRANCIS GILLIS, son of Thomas and Mary (Mossman) Gillis, was born in Kinsman, Trumbull county, Ohio, July 8, 1806.  His father was one of the early pioneers of Kinsman, erecting the first grist-mill in the township.  He raised a family of nine children.  Francis was reared a farmer and remained at home until of age.  His father gave him one hundred acres east of the homestead.  This place, now the residence of his son David S., was then entirely wild, and he cleared it up and improved it.  Oct. 26, 1837, he married Mary Ann Sawyer, born in Greene county, Pennsylvania, 1816.  They were the parents of six children, three of who are living, John, at home; David S., a farmer of Kinsman, and Malvina C. at home.  Subsequent to his marriage he resided on the place now occupied by his son David until the spring of 1881 when he removed to Kinsman village.  His wife died in 1876.  She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.  Mr. Gillis was township trustee many years.  He owns over three hundred and seventy acres in Kinsman.  John, his oldest son, in 1862 enlisted in the army and served until the close of the war.

     JOHN CRAIG, son of William and Susan Craig, was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, Sept. 27, 1822.  Brought up on the farm and remained at home until his marriage, June 20, 1855, to Mary Brackin, whose father, Ezekiel Brackin, was one of the pioneers of the county.  Died about 1864.  They raised a family of nine children.  Mrs. Craig was born in Kinsman, Trumbull county, May 30, 1832.  Mr. and Mrs. Craig have had five children, as follow: Lida, the oldest, died young; Henry Clay, born Aug. 16, 1858; Della M., born Oct. 6, 1860; Fanny Blanche, Jan. 16, 1864; David B., Oct. 14, 1866.  After his marriage he continued to reside in Pennsylvania until April, 1874, when he came to Ohio, purchasing the Brackin homestead in Kinsman, where he still resides.

     PETER LOSSEE, youngest son of Peter and Nancy (McLaughlin) Lossee, was born in Kinsman township, Trumbull county, Ohio, May 10, 1812.  Peter Lossee, Sr., was a native of New Jersey; came to Ohio in 1808, settling on the place where the son now resides.  He raised a family of four children, the subject of this sketch being the only survivor.  He died in 1815, his wife surviving him thirty-three years, dying in 1848.  Peter, Jr., was married Sept. 10, 1832, to Elizabeth Reed, born in Pennsylvania.  Five children were born, four of whom are living, as follows: Jane, born in 1833, and died Mar. 15, 1862; Amanda Morford (widow) in Illinois; Wallace P., born in 1837 in Kinsman; Helen E., at home; Hattie A., wife of Lawrence Leffingwell, of Kinsman.  The mother died in 1849, and Mr. Lossee married for his second wife Eleanor, daughter of John Little, an early settler of Kinsman, where she was born Apr. 18, 1814.  They were married May 21, 1850.  Mr. Lossee has devoted considerable attention to dairying and stock raising; also to buying live stock, and has raised some valuable horses.  He sold two that brought $2,500.  Mr. Lossee, speaking of early times, says he has seen deer to the number of thirty-five in one herd,

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and met a bear on one occasion, which the neighbors finally killed.  His only son, Wallace P., was a member of the Second Ohio cavalry, serving over four years until the close of the War.

     A. H. PORTER, son of Daniel and Sally Porter, was born in Washington county, New York, May 2, 1822.  Coming to Ohio in the fall of 1844, he located in Andover, Ashtabula county, where he bought a place; was married in 1846 to Miss Ruth Dolph, born in Washington county, New York, in 1824.  They have had eight children, five living, as follows: Henry A. and Nellie (now wife of Reuben Foy) of Gustavus township; J. M. and Nettie (wife of John Turnbull) of Kinsman, and Carrie, still at home.  Mr. Porter continued to live in Ashtabula until the spring of 1850, when he removed to Kinsman township, Trumbull county, locating at what is known as Porter's corners, building a saw mill which he still owns.  He removed to his present home in the spring of 1866. He was a member of the One Hundred and Seventy-first Ohio National guard in the Rebellion, and was in the battle of Cynthiana, Kentucky, was taken prisoner and paroled.  He served out his term of enlistment and was mustered out at Sandusky, Ohio.

     MRS. HARRIET B. PARKER, daughter of Elam and Sarah (Hyde) Jones, was born in Hartford township, Trumbull county, Ohio, Feb. 2, 1806.  She attended a ladies' seminary at Kinsman; taught school one season at home; married, Jan. 8, 1824, Linus Parker, a native of Connecticut, born in 1778.  He was a manufacturer of edged tools, and had quite an establishment in Kinsman.  He came with his father to that township in the early years of the present century.  He died in 1837.  He was a member of the Presbyterian and Congregational church in Kinsman, of which his father, Lovell, was deacon, and was an active member.  He had a family of four children, of whom three are living, as follows: Sarah E., born Sept. 27, 1825, widow of William A. Gillis; Rufus H., born Dec., 1827; Lemira J. born Sept. 27, 1835; all residing in Kinsman.  The latter completed her education at an academy in Poland, Mahoning county, Hannah P., born Oct. 12, 1837, died Nov. 29, 1855.  Rufus H. received his education at a high school in Wayne township, Ashtabula county; was brought up to farming; went to California about 1852, where he was engaged some five or six years in mining and farming.  Returning to Ohio, he dealt in lumber and live stock a number of years.  After the close of the war he traveled for three or four years wholesaling goods for himself, establishing a store-house in Mercer, Pennsylvania; opened a wholesale family goods house in Sharon, Pennsylvania, and did an extensive trade.  He has now a fine home in Kinsman.  Mrs. Parker continues to reside on the home place.  She is a member of the same church to which her husband belonged.

     MRS. RHODA SPENCER

     GEORGE BALDWIN, son of Jacob H. and Florinda Baldwin, was born in Champion, Trumbull county, Ohio, July 7, 1836; obtained his education in the common schools, and at the high school at Warren, supplemented by an attendance for one term at Kenyon college, Gambier, Ohio.  He was engaged at clerking in Warren for one or two years; married, Oct. 1, 1861, to Emma R. Lesuer, born in Bolivar, New York.  They have two children: Gertrude F., born May 9, 1864, and Albert L., June 29, 1870.  He resided in Warren two years after marriage, then removing to Meadville, Pennsylvania, where he commenced the stove and tinware business.  One

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year afterwards his place of business was destroyed by fire.  He removed to Kinsman, Trumbull county, Ohio, in the spring of 1866, where he engaged in the stove trade, buying out the Kinsman foundry, which he conducted till 1870.  About 1873 he added to his business that of general hardware, and is doing a prosperous business.  He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church for the past twenty years, and is superintendent of the Sunday-school.

     DR. LUMAN G. MOORE, only son of Lorenzo and Caroline (Miller) Moore, was born in Kinsman, Trumbull county, Ohio, Feb. 16, 1849.  Lorenzo Moore came to Ohio with his parents about 1836, the family locating on the place now owned by John Wallace, where he spent the balance of his days.  He died in 1869.  His widow, born in 1789, is still living with her son, the subject of this sketch, quite vigorous for one of her age.  Dr. Moore was reared upon a farm, attending the common and high schools until twenty; was a student one year at the Ohio Wesleyan university, and also at Michigan university, Ann Arbor, one year; began the study of medicine with Dr. Jones in 1870, continuing three years, during which time he attended a course of lectures at Bellevue Medical college, graduating from Long Island Hospital Medical college, New York, in June, 1873.  The same fall he commenced practice at Kinsman, where he has since been located.  He was married in May, 1871, to Miss Elizabeth Patterson, and has two children living - Minnie, born June 29, 1879, and Luman G., Dec. 17, 1880.  He has been township trustee one year, and township treasurer two years.

     LYMAN ROOT, oldest son of Charles and Sally Ann (Laughlin) Root, was born in Mecca, Trumbull county, Ohio, June 2, 1839, and was a student at a seminary in Jamestown, Pennsylvania, at the breaking out of the war.  With four companions he went to Columbus, Ohio, and enlisted in the Eighty-fourth Ohio volunteer infantry for three months, was at Camp Laurens, Maryland, and returned home in October, 1862.  He re-enlisted in the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Ohio volunteer infantry for three years, and with his regiment participated in some of the principal battles of the war including Nashville, Mission Ridge, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, and Atlanta.  He was on detached duty as mail-carrier for some time, served until the close of the war, and was mustered out at Cleveland, Ohio, June, 1865.  He resumed his occupation of farming on the place formerly owned by his grandfather, James Laughlin; was married Jan. 10, 1867, to Miss Irene S., daughter of Thomas Mathews, and has three children: Hubert L., born Oct. 19, 1867; Alice S., Feb. 2, 1874: Ralph, June 2, 1876.  He remained on the Laughlin place until buying at Kinne's corners about 1870.  He sold out in 1880, and in the spring of 1881 located in Kinsman village, engaging in merchandising, having a general store.  He has been justice of the peace for twelve years in Kinsman, and also assessor for two terms.

     DANIEL C. CLINGINSMITH, for two terms.  Daniel C. Clinginsmith, born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, May 16, 1824; married, April, 1847, Electa J., daughter of Thomas and Eleanor (McLaughlin) Matthews, born Oct. 11, 1823, in Kinsman, Trumbull county, Ohio.  Mr. Clinginsmith was a farmer originally, afterward engaged in mercantile business; removed to Wisconsin in 1856, where he engaged in merchandising and was also postmaster.  He died Sept. 24, 1870; was worshipful master Free and Accepted Masons at the time of his death, and also member of the Methodist Episcopal church.  Mrs. Clinginsmith continued to reside in Wisconsin until the fall of 1879, when she returned to Trumbull county and located in Kinsman village, where she still resides.

     CAPTAIN E. C. BRIGGS was born in Newport county, Rhode Island, Sept. 13, 1804; son of Ethan C. Briggs and Mary Littlefield.  His father died when he was six, and when ten years of age he ran away from his home and mother; went to New York and engaged as cabin boy on a New York and Philadelphia packet, in which position he continued until fourteen, went before the mast to Patagonia, was subsequently promoted to second mate, still later to that of mate, and finally, when about twenty-four, was placed in command of the packet on which he began as cabin boy.  After wards he was master of a vessel plying between New York and Baltimore, and later filled the same position on a vessel engaged in the Caribbean sea and the Spanish main.  He was married June, 1834, to Anna C. Stanhope.  They had four children, two living—James Theodore,

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and Sarah R., residing in Denver, Colorado.  Ethan C., Jr., was born in 1843; enlisted in the war of the Rebellion and with his regiment participated in numerous engagements.  At Chattanooga, Tennessee, Sept. 21, 1863, he was captured by the rebels, being wounded in the leg.  The limb was amputated and he died a few weeks afterward.  Henry Clay, the other son, was thirty-three when he died, Dec. 10, 1880.  Mrs. Briggs died in 1863, and the captain was again married Feb. 21, 1867, to Cordelia, daughter of Benjamin Ward.  She was born in Hartford, Connecticut, Feb. 5, 1816.  Captain Briggs continued the life of a seaman until 1843.  For the next four years he was engaged in mercantile business in New York city.  Removing to Ohio in 1847 he settled on the place where he still lives in Kinsman, and since then has followed farming.  He is a fine specimen of the old style of sea captain, bluff and hearty, and withal hospitable; is vigorous in body and mind, and has never drank a tea-spoonful of liquor in his life.

     WAYNE BIDWELL, son of Riverius and Eunicia Bidwell, was born in Trumbull township, Trumbull county, Ohio, May 6, 1821.  Besides his attendance at the common schools he attended school at Oberlin three or four terms.  Married, Dec. 31, 1844, to Mary L., daughter of Ezra Hyde, an early settler of Vernon township, where she was born in January, 1823.  Mr. and Mrs. Bidwell are the parents of five children, three of whom are living.  Jasper R. lived to the age of thirty-one and died in Iowa in 1879; Caleb W. resides on the home place; Ezra H., of Kinsman village; and Chauncey D., of the same place.  Cora Lynn died when three years of age.  In addition to his farming Mr. Bidwell deals extensively in the buying and shipping of
live stock.

     J. W. CHASE

 

 

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