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This township formerly
known as Westfield, contains 16,500 acres. It was purchased
from the Connecticut Land company by Samuel Fowler, of
Westfield, Massachusetts, and sold to settlers under his direction.
Titus Brockway was granted power of attorney to dispose of
10,000 acres. Abner Fowler, brother of the proprietor,
in consideration of services rendered in surveying this land,
received 100 acres at the center of the township.
The township was purchased by Mr. Fowler in
1798, for less than fifty cents per acre.
In 1806 Fowler was included in the Vernon election
district, which was organized that year. In 1807 it was set
apart as a distinct township and election precinct.
Fowler is a good farming region. Its soil is
mostly a fertile clayey loam. The surface is generally
slightly undulating. The western part of the township is
drained by two small creeks which flow westward into Mosquito creek.
Branches of Yankee creek form the watercourses of the eastern half.
Fowler center, a neat and enterprising little village,
is situated about one mile west of Fowler station. Tyrrell
Hill, a lively growing little place, is on the southern township
line, about one mile from the corner of Fowler and Hartford.
The Youngstown branch of the Lake Shore railroad passes northward
through the eastern half of the township.
Fowler is the fifth township of the second range, and
is bounded on the north by Johnston on the east by Hartford, on the
south by Vienna, and on the west by Bazetta.
In 1880 this township produced 6,187 bushels of wheat,
76 bushels of 4ye, 38 bushels of buckwheat, 16,924 bushels of oats,
13,547 bushels of corn, 2,950 tons of hay, 213 bushels of flax seed,
23,746 pounds of butter, 272,970 pounds of cheese, and in 1881,
12,437 pounds of maple sugar, and 691 gallons of maple syrup.
PIONEER HISTORY.
ABNER FOWLER was the first settler. The first cabin
was built by him in the spring of 1799, and stood on the site of the
public square a little northeast of the cross-roads. Mr. Fowler's
wife had died before he left Massachusetts and he lived along in his
pioneer dwelling until other settlers arrived. The Fowlers
were descendants of one of the oldest of New England families and
several of them were prominent both in the affairs of their native
State and of the Nation. Abner Fowler acted as advance
agent, or as a solicitor of settlers, and it was principally through
his influence that the first families of the township were induced
to locate here. Mr. Fowler lived to see his settlement
fairly started and the foundations of permanent improvement laid.
He died in 1806. This was the first death that occurred in the
township. His body rests in the old graveyard at the center.
Only two of Abner Fowler's children
settled here.
Abner, Jr., came out in 1805, and Chester in 1806 or
1807. The first marriage ceremony was performed in August,
1807, in uniting Abner Fowler, Jr., and Esther Jennings.
They were married by Titus Brockway, Esq., of
Hartford. The wedding took place at the house of Wakeman
Silliman in Fowler. Abner moved to Brookfield in
1816 and there ended his days. Chester
passed the most of his life in Fowler and died in Hartford.
The first family in the
township was that of LEVI FOOTE, from Westfield,
Massachusetts. Lydia Foote, daughter of Levi and
Milly (Allen) Foote, was the first white child born in the
township. Her birth took place July 5, 1805. She died
Apr. 21, 1881. The Foote family was quite large.
Levi Foote's mother was Miss Bathsheba Burr, a relative
of Aaron Burr. She was born in Granby, Connecticut, in
1755, and lived to be one hundred years old, lacking five days.
She was married three times. Her first husband was Asa
Foote, her second Isaac Flower, and her third a Mr.
Thompson. She died and was buried in Vienna.
Auntie Thompson, as she was long familiarly called, experienced
many of the hardships of pioneer life. It is said that the
first wolf killed by a settler of Fowler was brought down by a gun
in her hands. Her husband was absent when the hungry beast
visited the pig pen and was bold and voracious enough to seize one
of the little porkers in midday. When this fact was made
known to Auntie Thompson, she seized a gun and fired.
The wolf fell and was then carried to her doorstep by herself and
thought to be dead, but to make sure of her work the wolf was struck
with a club. This brought it to consciousness and it sprang to
its feet and would have been of had she not hurriedly dispatched it.
Mrs. Thompson spent the last years of her life at the home of
Dexter Clinton, near Vienna center.
Only five families settled in the township before 1805.
These were the families of Levi Foote, already mentioned;
Lemuel Barnes, who lived one-half mile north of the center;
John Morrow, at the center; Hillman Fisher,
and Drake, who lived on the ridge.
In 1806 seven families arrived from Connecticut, having
left that State in the fall of the same year. A month or six
weeks later they arrived in New Connecticut. These emigrants
were Elijah Tyrrell and wife,
nee Clarissa Meeker, with her brother, Justice,
Daniel, Lyman, and William Meeker; John Vaughn and
Wakeman Silliman. They all settled in the southeast of the
township in the vicinity of Tyrrell Hill or Tyrrell corners.
The company first halted at
the house of Joel Hummason, in Vienna, and the women and
children remained there, while the men went forward into Fowler,
cutting roads to their lands to build cabins. This work
completed the families took up their abode upon the farms which they
afterwards improved, and where most of them lived and died.
ELIJAH
TYRRELL built his house at the corners, on the northwest of the same.
The lot lines were established a few years later and the place has
been called Tyrrells corners and Tyrrell Hill ever
since. The corners are one mile north of the Vienna line.
Justice Meeker built
his house one-half mile north of the corners; Wakeman
Silliman, a few rods further north; Lyman Meeker,
three-fourths of a mile north, and his brother Daniel on the
opposite side of the road. William Meeker settled half
a mile south of Mr. Tyrrell's and John Vaughn one-half
mile east. Miss Esther Jennings, afterwards Mrs. Abner
Fowler, was one of this party of settlers, and soon after the
families were established in their homes taught school - the first
in the township - in the cabin of Wakeman Silliman.
This cabin stood on the bank of Yankee creek - a stream named after
the Yankee settlement made in its vicinity.
JOHN
KINGSLEY was one
of the pioneers, and for many years was an honored citizen. He
died in 1856 at the age of seventy-three. He was the first
justice of the peace in Fowler.
The family of
MATTHIAS GATES was
also in the township quite early. Later they removed to
Hartford.
ELIJAH
TYRRELL
built
the largest and most substantial cabin in that day. It was
built of small logs, 18x24 feet, chinked and daubed with mud.
The roof was made of clapboards, split out of oak logs, three and
one-half feet long, and from six to eight inches wide. These
were laid double and held down by weight poles. The upper
floor of this cabin was made of the same material; the lower or
first floor was made of logs about eight feet long. These logs
were split from four to six inches in thickness, and hewed on the
upper side. The windows consisted of mere holes cut in the
sides of the cabin, with upright and horizontal sticks placed across
for sash, and over the whole of this net-work was pasted oiled white
paper through which light was admitted. The door, rudely
constructed, was hung by means of two large wooden hinges reaching
across the door and pinned on with wooden pins. The hook or
pin upon which the hinge played was of wood also. Neither nail
nor spike was used in the construction of the building. The
bedsteads were made in the corners of the rooms with one post for
each bed, made of a round stick two and a half feet high, with two
holes bored through it, one above the other and at right angles.
Also two holes bored in the logs of the house, and poles placed in
these holes, reaching from post to house logs. These posts
formed the bed rails, and for bed cords hichory withes were used,
laid across or stretched from side to side. The tables were
made of four small poles, in pairs, crossed, which formed the legs.
Through the center of each of these pair of legs a pole the length
of the table was put, and then on top a puncheon was pinned fast for
a leaf. In this way their tables were made, somewhat clumsily,
to be sure, but very solid and durable.
The chairs were also of an odd construction, and were
made of blocks of wood; in short the furniture was in every respect
of the simplest manufacturer, and was made more for the use than for
ornament. Their knives, forks, spoons, plates, and dishes were
very limited as to number. These time, however, did not last
long, for about the year 1807 Justice Meeker built a shop, in
which he put his lathe, the only one then and for a long time
afterwards used in the township. This lathe had a spring-pole
fastened over head, with a buckskin string connecting the two, by
which the motive power was communicated. With this machinery
many and valuable were the articles manufactured, especially the
wooden plates, bowls, spoons, and wooden dishes, also wooden knives
and forks. The best of timber, generally maple, was used in
the manufacture of these articles. These vessels were used for
various purposes, in short, for as many purposes as the culinary art
of that early day required.
In 1805 HILLMAN
and DANIEL MEEKER
were in the township before they moved their families, and at that
time commenced the building of a saw-mill, but did not complete it
until 1807, when the mill was put in operation, and from that time
on the neighbors could secure boards instead of puncheons for their
floors, and for many other purposes. This mill was the first
one in the township. It was situated one-half mile north of
the corners, and one half mile east on Yankee creek. The
stream becoming turbulent washed out the dam before the mill was set
to running.
Groceries were hard to obtain in those days.
Sometimes the neighbors would take their rifles and ox teams and go
to Youngstown. These trips were not particularly dangerous,
save for the troublesome wolves, that kept the men awake at night,
and on guard, to protect themselves and their property. Salt
was at that time worth $25 per barrel, and other necessaries for
life were proportionally high and hard to obtain. In 1807
Harvey Hungerford built a flowering mill on the north side of
Yankee creek, on land subsequently owned by Milo Dugan,
which was the first flouring-mill in the township. It was
built on the south end of the dam of Meeker's sawmill.
Ebenezer Barnes made the mill-stones out of large bowlder found
in the woods, one half mile west of Tyrrell Hill, or about two miles
from the mill. Justice Meeker was the miller at that
time.
Some time previous
Elijah Tyrrell had increased the size of his blacksmith shop and
was by this time largely increasing his business; in fact, the
corners was becoming widely known. A saw-mill, a grist mill,
and a blacksmith shop being located here, drew custom from many of
the townships, and even from Youngstown and other points. In
1812 Abijah Tyrrell
moved to the township, and at first lived with his twin brother
Elijah, until he could build himself a house, and went with
Elijah Tyrrell's son, Asahel, now a resident of
Tyrrell Hill, into the blacksmith shop. In this shop,
which partook somewhat of the character of a machine shop, they
manufactured plows, shares, axes, scythes, shaving knives, hoes,
chains, etc. The Tyrrells made the first scythes
manufactured in Trumbull county, and were largely patronized in this
branch of industry until a Mr. Parker, of Kinsman, started up
a scythe factory, that was run by water-power, by which the cost of
manufacture was so much reduced that the Tyrrells
discontinued their business.
In 1807 Rev. Joseph Badger, the
noted pioneer missionary, visited the settlement and preached the
first sermon.
About this time Seth and Enoch Perkins arrived
and settled one mile west of Tyrrell Hill. Enoch Perkins
soon after his arrival married Clarissa Barnes. This
was probably the second wedding in the township.
Two settlers, Richard Houlton and Joseph
Pittman, came in 1808. They built their cabins within a
few rods of each other in the southern part of the township, dug a
well, cleared some land, and after living here three or four years
gave up pioneer life and returned to their former homes.
Houlton, however, afterwards returned and settled in another
part of the township. Solomon Dundee and Abraham
Farrow came to Fowler with these men and became permanent
settlers. They located east of Tyrrell corners.
Other early corners in the township made a few
improvements, but becoming weary of life in the woods or discouraged
by hardships, returned to civilization. Only stout hearts and
determined spirits can endure the life of a pioneer.
ALFRED
BRONSON
settled at Tyrrell's corners in 1812, and for many years was a local
preacher of the Methodist church. He is still living and
resides in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. He is now in the
ninetieth year of his age. While he resided in Fowler he was
often the orator at Fourth of July celebrations.
There was a Mr. Stewart at the corners, who
after clearing four or five acres and building a house already to
raise, suddenly left and never came back. This property was
afterwards taken by Alfred Bronson, the Methodist preacher.
The property owned by William Meeker, previously mentioned,
was cleared by a settler whose name has passed from recollection -
fenced in part, logs cut and hauled ready for raising a house, when
he suddenly left and never returned. This property, one
hundred acres in all, was one half mile south of the corners.
The next lot south of this, now owned by Asahel Tyrrell, was
at first taken by Hezekiay Reeder, who cleared and fenced
about four acres, planted his garden, raised his house but never
covered it, then left and never returned. This house was on
the bank of a little brook, which has since been called Reeder's
run. Mr. Reeder bought it in 1810, paying at that time
$3 per acre. Mr. Tyrrell bought it in 1824 and paid $5
per acre. He was then thirty-two years of age and is now
seventy-nine years old and has owned it ever since. But since
that time what a change! Then it was all a wilderness; now the
land is all cleared up, and a railroad runs through it within four
rods of where the old Reeder house stood. The depot is
about twenty rods from it. From four to six trains now pass
daily on this road, and some of the land is laid out in village lots
and a number of houses have already been built. Mr. Tyrrell
built a large flouring-mill, a hotel, and a store. There are
also some shops of different kinds, and a nail-keg head factory that
is doing some business.
About the year 1813 John Webster and Newman
Tucker moved into one end of John Vaughn's house, which
stood a little west of the corners. He afterwards built a
house three-fourths of a mile south of the corners on the east side
of the road. Tucker moved into Alfred Bronons
house, while Bronson was out in the army. Tucker
was taken sick, caused by a journey of forty-five days duration
without intermission, except for a single day, and when Preacher
Bronson came home the neighbors turned out (what few had not
gone to the war) and built a brush house for Tucker. It
was built in one day. Four posts were driven at suitable
distances apart in the ground, the other ends being forked, and upon
these forks poles were laid, reaching from one post to the other.
Small poles were also pinned on the sides. Brush was then
collected, and the roof and the sides of the shanty were plaited
with leaves and twigs. The roof was covered with brush.
A blanket was hung over the opening. Into this domicile the
family moved, and lived two months. The Tucker family
consisted of eight persons in all - the two old people and six
children, four boys and two girls. The boys were Charles,
Jabez, William, and John. The girls were Betsy
and Marilla.
THE WAR OF 1812.
There were but a few
scattering families at this time in the township, and the militia of
Fowler and Johnston townships was put under the command of
Captain Elijah Terryll.
Captain Tyrrell was ordered to draft one-half of his men, taking
every other man in order as the names stood on the muster roll.
This was the order given to each of the captains in the county.
It caused considerable excitement and hardship, as half of the whole
number of able-bodied men taken at such a time from their midst
would leave them is straitened circumstances. There were nine
in number drafted from Fowler township. Their names were:
Captain Elijah Tyrrell, Alfred Bronson,
Hoyt Tyrrell,
Roswell Tyrrell, Isaac Farrow, Cable
Meeker, and three of the Gateses. The service of
these men was not very long, most of them coming home in three
months. Some of the number staid six months.
Roswell Tyrrell re-enlisted. John Gates was
killed in the first engagement he was in.
Up to this time immigration was not very rapid, but
after the war the people began to see better times, and settlers
took up all the land except the swamps.
At late as the year 1826 there was no road passable for
teams, and few settlers from the center of Fowler to the center of
Hartford, and all the travel was done by the way of Tyrrell's
corners from Bazetta, Fowler, and other places north to get to
Hartford, or Burg Hill.
Mr. Asahel Tyrrell,
then a mere a boy, usually went to mill for his father and the
neighbors. His trips were made to Brockway's or to Bentley's,
and sometimes to Sharon. The distance was great for a boy to
make, and the wolves sometimes were so voracious as to cause him
some apprehension for his safety. His father's old white mare
which he rode, was the only one in the neighborhood.
PIONEER CUSTOMS.
In former times the women
spun and wove what clothing was worn, excepting the buckskin
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breeches and jackets which were worn by the men in the winter.
Linen was worn in the summer. Cotton was but little used in
early days; the home-made linen served all purposes then .
Many of the youngsters never wore boots or shoes, except wooden ones
or moccasins, in their childhood and youth. Leggings were
frequently worn. They were lashed tight over the shoes and
tied with garters around the knees. Instead of glass they had
wooden bottles that were often filled with whiskey from Mr.
Bushnell's distillery in Hartford. It was nothing unusual
to send a boy to the distillery for whiskey, with a bag thrown
across a horse with a gallon wooden bottle in one end and a stone in
the other to balance. These were times when a log-rolling,
house-raising, or a corn husking was not complete without the aid of
this much-prized stimulant. These were times, too, when the
daughters not only worked at the loom and spinning-wheel, but hoed
corn, raked hay, bound grain, pulled flax, and did any other work,
either out of or in doors, as the cause seemed to demand.
Stock, grain, or labor were used instead of money for exchange, cash
price, or cattle at trade prices or grain, cattle, or stock notes,
were the terms used when making a "dicker," or driving a bargain.
WILD ANIMALS.
were numerous and often troublesome.
Stock, especially young cattle and sheep, had to be looked after
very carefully or it would be destroyed. Hogs were sometimes
allowed to run in the woods too feed upon acorns, and not
unfrequently some of them became a prey to hungry bears.
Abner Fowler one day discovered a tree in the
forest which was scratched from top to bottom, as though it had
frequently been climbed by some sharp-clawed animal. Having a
curiosity to know what beast, if any, used the hollow tree as a
dwelling-place, Mr. Fowler cut it down. Out rushed a
huge bear, which the pioneer soon succeeded in killing.
As an evidence that the women of pioneer days were
possessed of the same courageous spirit that characterized the men,
the following incident is related:
Mr. Ira Fowler, son of Abner Fowler, Jr.,
states that when he was about four years old, just as night was
coming on one evening the family were disturbed by the howling of
wolves. His father was away from home and only Mrs. Fowler
and her three small children were in the house. Mr. Fowler
had just purchased a few sheep and this night they had failed to
come up to the house as usual. His mother, as soon as she
heard the cries of the wolves, hastily undressed the children and
put them in bed, commanding them on no account to rise until she
returned. Then lighting a torch of hickory bark she went out
into the fast gathering night alone to hunt up the sheep. She
found them huddled together in the middle of a field with their
heads erect. It was perfectly evident that they were aware
that their foes were in search of them. The howls sounded
nearer, but Mrs. Fowler began calling the sheep and they
followed her obediently homeward. Arrived at the house she
built up a bright fire in front of it. By this means the
wolves were kept away and the sheep preserved.
SCHOOLS.
A DISTILLERY.
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THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
THE UNITED BRETHREN
THE DISCIPLES CHURCH.
PHYSICIANS OF FOWLER.
MISCELLANEOUS.
The first
frame house in Fowler was built about 1814 by James Fowler,
the son of Samuel Fowler, the proprietor of the land of the
town-
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ship. It stood on the southwest corner at the center and was
used for many years as a dwelling. It is still standing, but
has been removed from its original location and is now an
out-building on a neighboring farm.
The first trial was an action for stealing, instituted
against Abijah Bolton by his brother-in-law, Gates.
Bolton was convicted and sent to the penitentiary. The
township has been remarkably free from crimes of a violent
character.
The first merchant was Elijah Barnes, who
kept a store at Tyrrell Hill. Adam McClurg kept the
first full stock of goods at the center. This was in 1838,
when he opened up a full line of goods. Mr. George Halleck
however, kept a small line of goods long before McClurg.
Fowler center is a small village near the center of
the township. The store and post-office is kept by Mr. E.
E. Clawson; a blacksmith shop by Warren Boston, and
another by Mr. Josiah Enos; hotel by John F. Trowbridge;
Nailkeg heads are manufactured by Lewis Alderman on an
extensive scale; a cheese factory, operated by C. A. Campbell,
who manufactures about fifteen cheese per day. There are two
good churches, one Methodist and one Disciple.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
ROBERT MORROW
SETTLEMENT NOTES.
WILLIAM JONES
(deceased) was a native of Massachusetts, born Feb. 28, 1800.
He was by occupation a farmer and stock dealer. He was married
Sept. 26, 1820, to Sarah, daughter of John and Hannah
(Irwin) Morrow, natives of Ireland. She was born Feb. 18,
1799, and came to Ohio with her parents in 1804; the family settling
on a place now owned by Mrs. Robert Morrow, She taught
school one or two terms prior to her marriage.
Mr. and Mrs. Jones had ten children, six of whom are living -
Edwin W., a farmer;
Robert, also a farmer and stock dealer; James, now a
resident of New Mexico; Aaron, a resident of Kansas; John
D., and Frank at home. Mr. Jones settled on
a farm one mile north of Fowler center, putting up a log-house.
He died June 4, 1861. He was a member of the Congregational
church (as is also his widow) and was a respected citizen and
successful farmer. Mr. Jones has a farm of fifty-two
acres.
ASAHEL TYRRELL was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Sept.
23, 1802; oldest son of Elijah and Clarisa (Meeker) Tyrrell,
of Connecticut. His father was born Mar. 8, 1775, and his
mother May 21, 1774. They were married July 23, 1796, and came
to Ohio in Oct. 1806, and located at Tyrrell's corners in
Fowler township, Trumbull county. They were among the pioneers
of the county, and worthy ones, too. They raised a family of
eight children, six of whom are living. Elijah Tyrrell
was a blacksmith by trade and also a successful farmer. He
bought one hundred acres and cleared the same, now owned by A. H.
Tyrrell. He was an active Whig. He died Apr. 11,
1848. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, and his father,
Asahel Tyrrell, was in the Revolutionary War and was killed at
the surrender of Burgoyne, in October, 1777. Asahel Terryll,
the subject of this sketch was a scholar in the first school taught
in Fowler township, taught by Miss Esther Jennings, one of
the original party consisting of seven families that came to the
county with the Tyrrells. The heads of those families
were all uncles of the subject of this sketch. Mr. Tyrrell's
opportunities for obtaining an education were exceedingly limited,
attending school but one month. He assisted his father in the
blacksmith shop and also learned the trade of carpenter and joiner.
He had built a saw-mill of green timber in the woods before coming
of age. He erected a house for his father to compensate him
for eight months of his time before reaching his majority. He
followed building and contracting for some twenty years, erecting
many of the finest residences in Fowler and surrounding townships.
Mr. Tyrrell was first married in 1823, to Lucretia
Webster, by whom he had four children, all living. One
son, A. H., is a well known resident of Fowler township.
Mr. Tyrrell's first wife died November 10, 1871, and he has
since been married twice. His present wife, to whom he was
married Feb. 20, 1875, was Polly Reeder, born in Connecticut
September, 1, 1811. Mr. Tyrrell has always been active
in promoting every public enterprise, was prominent in the founding
of Tyrrell Hill, and has taken an interest in the building of the
railroad and other interests. He was formerly a Whig, but has
been a Republican since the formation of the party. His home
residence was erected in 1840. The farm consists of one
hundred and forty-five acres, and he also owns three hundred and
eighty acres in Vienna and Howland townships.
ASA
FOOTE
was born in Fowler township, Trumbull County, Ohio, Aug. 31, 1807.
The Foote family was among the earliest pioneers of the
county, and the fifth family that settled in Fowler township.
Levi Foote, father of Asa, moved with his family into
that township in 1800. He served in the War of 1812. It
is said that Lyda Foote (Barber), who died in the spring of
1880, was the first white female child born in Fowler. Asa
was the oldest son of Levi and Amelia (Allen) Foote, and he
distinctly recollects when the red men roamed through the forests of
Fowler. He married November 12, 1840, Mary Dickinson,
born in Connecticut, Apr. 22, 1817, by whom he had six children.
Levi was a member of the Forty-first Ohio volunteer infantry,
and died in hospital Jan. 23, 1862. Philip M. was a
lawyer by profession; died Apr. 19, 1872. Curtis was a
member of the One Hundred and SEventy-seventh Ohio volunteer
infantry, and died at Nashville, Tennessee, Feb. 27, 1865. He
was married to Orell Baldwin, Dec. 31, 1868.
Lovilla died in infancy. Helen L. is the wife of
L. G. Spencer, of Hartford township, and has two children,
Bennie F. and Byron H. Auriel D., born Sept. 27,
1857, wife of Frank E. Clark, resides on the home place.
Mr. Foote was kicked a number of years ago on the head, by a
horse, and severely injured, thirty pieces of broken bone being
taken out, since which time he has been almost totally deaf.
Mrs. Foote died Mar. 15, 1872.
LEONARD CLARK,
son of Abel and Eunice
(Lamphear) Clark, was born in Petersburg, Rensselaer county, New
York, Feb. 27, 1808. His early educational advantages were
limited, yet by self study he acquired a fair education for the
times. He remained at home (but working for others) until he
was twenty years of age. He was a resident of Pittsfield,
Massachusetts, engaged in factory work for seven years. Dec.
23, 1836, he was untied in marriage to Miss Lucy Olds, who
was born in Middlefield, Massachusetts, Jan. 17, 1813. The
following spring he removed to Ohio and settled upon the place where
he still resides in Fowler township. The land was then wild,
but he rapidly improved the place, supplanting the log house with
his present residence in 1845. The farm is now fully improved,
and comprises two hundred acres, having deeded three farms to his
children. Mr. Clark is a prosperous, self made man, and
a gentleman of literary tastes. He was one of a family of
twenty-two children. One of his brothers, Adam A., was
a drum major in the War of 1812, and was the celebrated drummer.
Mr. Clark is the father of eight children, of whom six are
living, as follows: Harriet E., born July 29, 1839, now
wife of Emanuel Evarts, of Brookfield township; Leonard,
born Mar. 4, 1841, widow of Abner Viets, living in Fowler
township; Lester A., born June 18, 1843, living on a farm
adjoining the home place; George W., born Dec. 17,
1845, a resident of Hartford township; Sherman S., born Sept.
26, 1850, at home; Lucy, born November 5, 1852, wife of
Henry Viets, of Fowler township. Since coming to Ohio
Mr. and Mrs. Clark have been members of the Methodist Episcopal
church at Fowler center.
A. I. STEWART, son of Robert and
Catharine (Sinclair) Stewart, was born in Huntingdon county,
Pennsylvania, Nov. 12, 1811. Robert Stewart was
among the early settlers of Trumbull county, coming to Liberty
township in the spring of 1812, and settling on a place where he
spent the balance of his life. He died about 1850. When
sixteen years of age our subject learned the blacksmith trade, at
which he served an apprenticeship of two years; and afterwards
working as a journeyman for five years. He started in the
business in Liberty township in 1835, and has since carried on the
business there and for many years in Vienna township, removing to
Fowler township in the spring of 1872, purchasing the place where he
still lives in the northeast corner of the square at Fowler center,
where he owns sixty-nine acres of well-improved land, the house
being originally built for a hotel by Alanson Smith.
In connection with his trade he owned seventy-five acres of land in
Vienna, upon which was discovered coal, which he sold, and the
influx of miners caused him to seek a more retired house in Fowler.
Dec. 1, 1836, he married Miss Isabel, daughter of Thomas
and Rebecca Wilson, early settlers in Liberty township.
Mrs. Stewart was born there Dec. 1, 1819. They are the
parents of five children - Robert W., born Oct. 3, 1837,
residing in Iowa; Rebecca E., born Apr. 9, 1842, now the wife
of John P. Barber, and resides in Franklin Square, Ohio;
Kate A., Feb. 28, 1849, wife of Wilson S. Powers, and
residing in Niles, Ohio; Ettalissa, Oct. 13, 1851, wife of
B. H. Long, of Hartford township; Emma, born June 26,
1859, died Sept. 3, 1864.
ABNER LEONARD, youngest son of
Caleb and Margaret (Morrow) Leonard, natives of Pennsylvania,
was born in Bazetta township, Trumbull county, Ohio, Feb. 27, 1823.
Caleb Leonard was a mail-carrier from Ashtabula to Warren at
an early day, making his trips on foot. He died about 1830.
Abner was a pupal of the common school in Bazetta until
reaching the age of about fifteen. In 1837 or 1838 he removed
to Fowler township where he completed his attendance at school,
living in the family of John F. Kingsley until becoming of
age. He was married Aug. 28, 1845, to Miss Delia Clark,
who was born in Southwick, Massachusetts, in 1818. After his
marriage Mr. Leonard purchased a place and settled in the
northeast part of Fowler township. He carried on the dairy
business on the J. S. Jones place. He was a resident of
Hartford township for seven years, but about 1865 returned to
Fowler township, purchasing the place where he still resides - the
old Gersham Turner place. His farm
consists of sixty-three acres of well-improved land. Mr.
and Mrs. Leonard have an adopted son, Charles J., Feb.
22, 1861.
PHINEAS R. TUCKER was born in
Great Barrington, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, Oct. 20, 1808,
and came to Ohio with his parents in 1813. The family settled
in the woods where the family homestead now is, the land then being
in an entirely wild state. Newman Tucker, the father of
Phineas, died in 1831. He raised
a family of eight children, three of whom, besides the subject of
our sketch, are living, viz.: Betsey, widow of Isaac
Leonard, residing in Hartford township; Marilla (born
Apr. 14, 1802), who still resides upon the home place, and Henry,
a resident of Kansas. Phineas Tucker was brought up to
farming, and enjoyed only the advantages of a common school
education. He was married May 27, 1852, to Catharine B.
Stevens, born in Howland township, Trumbull county, Ohio, June
25, 1823, daughter of Samuel Stevens, an early settler
in Howland. Mr. and Mrs. Tucker were the parents of two
sons: Nelson R., born Nov, 8, 1853, and Homer P., born Oct.
24, 1855. The latter was married to Hannah Stevens,
Mar. 19, 1879, and has one child, Wilbur S., born June 7,
1881. Both of the sons reside at home. Phineas
Tucker was a successful farmer and an esteemed citizen. He
died Sept. 23, 1880. he home place consists of one hundred and
seventy-nine acres, the present residence being built in 1828.
JOHN
KINGSLEY, only son of John F.
and Sabrina (Gilbert) Kingsley, was born in Massachusetts, Mar.
13, 1811. John F. Kingsley was one of the pioneers of
Trumbull county, settling upon the place now owned by his son, in
the spring of 1813, clearing up the farm, where he spent the balance
of his life. He was a successful farmer and a prominent
citizen. He held the office of justice of the peace for
fifteen years, being elected five successive terms. He had a
family of four children, of whom two survive. He died about
the year 1856. John Kingsley received his
education in the common schools of Fowler township, where he came
with his parents in 1813. He was raised a farmer and remained
at home until he was of age. He was married Feb. 9, 1836, to
Caroline Ames, born in Jefferson county, New York,
Mar. 11, 1817. Mr. and Mrs. Kingsley are the parents of
twelve children, as follows: Jasper B., a resident of
Vienna township; James of Fowler township; Julia A.,
now wife of Jamen Cole, of Michigan; John, in some
Western State; Jane, wife of Wilson Trumbull, of Fowler
township; Flavel, a farmer of Fowler township; Hymen B.,
a resident of Vienna, owning a saw-mill; Randolph J., of
Fowler; Helen M., wife of Gershom Turner, of
the same township; Esther C., a school-teacher by profession,
now teaching in Michigan; Frank W., at home, and Mary L.,
wife of Walter D. Campbell, of Fowler. Mr. Kingsley
has resided in different places in fowler township, settling in 1857
upon the family homestead, where he has since resided. The
farm consists of one hundred and seventy-five acres. The
house, originally built by his father in 1824, he has rebuilt and
improved in later years by his son. Mr. Kingsley was
township treasurer five years. He is a Republican in politics
and was active during the war in raising troops.
N. C. RHODES, son of Jonathan and
Hannah (Davis) Rhodes, was born in Cazenovia, New York, Apr. 13,
1806. With his parents he came to Ohio in 1816, settling in
Fowler township, where he now lives. He helped his father
clear off the farm, remaining at home until of age, and for a few
years afterwards was in Pennsylvania employed in making shingles.
Feb. 17, 1831, he was married to Eliza Campbell, the
result of which union was nine children, of whom four are living as
follow: Catherine, wife of Addison J. Dawson, L. W.,
and Robert N., both farmers of Fowler township, and Orpha,
wife of Calvin Tyrrell, of Tyrrell Hill. After his
marriage in 1833 he settled on the place where he now resides.
His farm consists of two hundred and eighteen acres, well improved,
and he has given each of his sons a farm. His first wife died
July 18, 1853, and Nov. 30, 1858, he married for his second wife
Lucy M. Lewis, who was born in Connecticut Mar. 30, 1820.
By this marriage was born one son, Edwin Eugene, Apr.
13, 1862; died Oct. 18, 1868. Mr. Rhodes has been
elected township trustee for several terms, first about 1840.
Was elected justice of the peace in the spring of 1857, but after
one year's service resigned the office.
GEORGE ALDERMAN was a native of
Brookfield, Trumbull county, Ohio, born in the year 1816. Nov.
1, 1838, he married Mary M.,
daughter of John and Sarah (Webster) Greenwood, born in
Trumbull county, June 21, 1823. Mr. Alderman remained
upon his father's place in Brookfield until the spring of 1842, when
he removed to Fowler township, settling on the place now owned by
G. M. Greenwood, which place he cleared up. He
subsequently resided in Brookfield again a year and a half. In
the Springfield 1856 he removed to the place which is now the family
home. Mr. Alderman was an active, successful business
man and a worthy citizen. He died Nov. 5, 1871. Mr.
and Mrs. Alderman were the parents of seven children, as follow:
Harriet C., born Apr. 25, 1840, now wife of Josiah Medley,
residing in Vienna township; Eliza J., born Dec. 3, 1841,
died Nov. 19, 1957; John S., born on the 22d day of November,
in the year 1843, now of Michigan, married about the year 1869, and
has four children: Erastus S., born Oct. 9, 1848, now
conducting the home farm, married Oct. 3, 1877, to Miss Alice
Thompson, born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, Mar. 11, 1855,
and has one daughter and one son: Della, born Aug. 14, 1878,
and Roscoe, May 5, 1880; Worthy L., died in 1860, at
the age of ten years: Betsey S., born Mar. 12, 1852, wife of
J. L. Kennedy, of Warren; Homer L., born Apr. 2, 1859,
also of Warren. After her husband's death Mrs. Alderman
continued to carry on the farm which is now conducted by her son
Erastus. In 1878 he raised on two acres the unprecedented
crop of five hundred and thirty-eight bushels of corn, in the ear.
SAMUEL M. MEAKER was born in Fowler
township, Trumbull County, Ohio, Apr. 9, 1817. He married, May
8, 1842, Perlia Clark, daughter of Samuel Clark, a
well known citizen of Hartford township. Mrs. Meaker
was born in Southwick, Hampden county, Massachusetts, Jan. 6, 1821.
After his marriage our subject settled in Fowler, on the farm still
owned by his widow, occupying a log house which gave way to the
present residence built in 1850. Only slight improvement had
then been made. The farm consists of one hundred and fifty
acres and is now fully improved. Mr. Meaker was an
industrious, respected citizen, upright in all his dealings.
He served as township trustee one term. He died Nov. 17, 1876,
aged fifty-nine years, seven months and eight days. Mrs.
Meaker
continued to reside on the home place until 1880, when she purchased
the old Captain Jones' place, in Fowler center, where
she now lives. There was built the first framed house in
Fowler township. Mr. and Mrs. Meaker were the parents
of one son and one daughter - Lucy, born Aug. 11, 1843; died
Oct. 21, 1850, aged seven years, two months, and ten days; Isaac,
born July 11, 1845, a promising, well educated young man, died Oct.
10, 1871, aged twenty-six years, two months, and twenty-nine
days. He attended a college in Cleveland two winters, fitting
himself for a chemist. Mrs. Meaker came to Ohio
with her parents in the winter of 1835, who settled in Hartford
township. There were five children, four of whom are still
living, viz: Mrs. Abner Leonard, Mrs. Orson Trumbull,
and Mrs. Meaker, of Fowler township, and Mrs. Milton
Goddard, of Iowa.
ALPHEUS R.
WATERS, son of Gideon and Phoebe (Rhodes)
Waters, was born in Lee, Massachusetts, Jan. 15, 1810.
With his parents he came to Ohio in February, 1818, the family
locating on the place now the home of James McCleery, in
Fowler township. Gideon Waters was one of the hardy
pioneers of the county; cleared up several farms He was a
cooper by trade. He was prominent in the militia, of which he
was captain. He raised a family of seven children, five of
whom are still living. He died about 1859. Alpheus
was brought up to farming, but also learned the trade of cooper;
remained at home until after becoming of age. About 1835 he
bought a plae adjoining his present home. Nov. 9, 1837, he was
married to Miss Mary R., daughter of Andrew C. Meaker,
one of the original settlers of Fowler township. She was born
Sept. 3, 1818. One son was born of this marriage, James W.
born Dec. 15, 1838, married Aug. 6, 1879, to Lina E. Murphy,
born in 1860, and has one son, Ray A., born May 23, 1880.
The first wife of our subject died Jan. 7, 1839, and April 10th of
the same year he married Rosamond P. Bushnell, a native of
Connecticut, born Aug. 22, 1809, by whom he has one child living,
Julia P., born Mar. 5, 1847. His second wife died Aug. 17,
1857. Mr. Waters settled on the place where he now
lives, in the spring of 1838, cleared up the farm and made all the
improvements. James W. Waters, enlisted in 1862 in the
one Hundred and Seventy first Ohio National Guards, and was take
prisoner at Cynthiana, Kentucky; was paroled after three days,
returned to Johnson's island and was finally mustered out at the
close of term of service at Sandusky, Ohio.
SANDFORD L. STEWART was born
in Fowler township, Trumbull county, Ohio, Oct. 5, 1819, being the
eldest son of Standford and Bridget (Tew) Stewart. Sandford
Stewart was born in Tolland, Massachusetts, about 1794; was
married about the year 1811, and came to Ohio in 1815, first
settling in Portage county, and then came to Trumbull County in 1817
and settled on the place now owned by his son, the subject of this
sketch, which place he cleared up and improved. He was justice
of the peace for his township in 1832. He died in 1837.
Standford L. worked out some three years after his father's
death, and in 1842, Jan. 5th, he was married to Clarinda,
daughter of Linus Hall, who settled in Fowler township in
1815. She was born Nov. 5, 1819, in Fowler township, After
marriage he located on the homestead, which he still occupies, first
occupying a log house built by his father, erecting the present
dwelling in 1844. He was township trustee in 1862, and again
in 1867. He has had a family of three children, only one of
whom survives - Eliza C., born Mar. 19, 1843, still at home.
Pluma A. was the wife of Ahira Sigler, and died Mar.
21, 1879. Lucy M. was born June 21, 1848, and died July
17, 1875. She was the wife of A. G. McCleery, and left
one child - Nettie A., born Sept. 1, 1874, who resides with
her grand-parents.
JAMES McCLEERY, son of William
and Margaret McCleery, was born in Tyrone, Ireland, Nov. 20,
1818. He came to this county with his parents in 1819, and the
family the same year came to Trumbull county, locating in Liberty
township. They afterwards removed to Bazetta township, where
William McCleery cleared up a farm and spent the balance of
his life. He died about 1856, and his wife in 1871. They
were the parents of eight children, of whom three are living.
James McCleery was married Dec. 29, 1843, to Isabel C.
Sigler, by whom he had four children - George A., born
Dec. 16, 1844, a resident of Fowler township; Isabel L., born
Jan. 26, 1848, was the wife of George A. Clark, and died Aug.
23, 1877; James Luman and Andrew L, born June 18,
1850, both residing in Fowler. Mrs. McClerry died Sept.
28, 1864, and Nov. 22, 1865, he married a sister of his former wife,
Mary C., daughter of Uriah Sigler, born in Fowler
township Jan. 3, 1819. Mr. McCleery, subsequent to his
marriage, continued to reside on his original location until the
spring of 1872, when he removed to the place where he now lives.
HENRY TEW, a native of Rhode Island,
was born in 1799. He came to Ohio about the year 1819,
locating on the place now owned by his son, C. M. Tew, and
where he spent the balance of his life. Mar. 1, 1825, he
married Mary Smith and raised a family of eleven children of
whom five are now living. He died in 1873, and his wife in
1856. C. M. Tew, the youngest son, was born in Fowler
township June 8, 1846; married May 27, 1877, Miss Alice M. Smith,
daughter of William Smith of Bloomfield township, where she
was born Jan. 23, 1856. She died June 2, 1878, and he married
as a second wife, May 12, 1880. Miss Susie, daughter of
Thomas Bennett, born in Green township, Trumbull county,
Ohio, Jan. 12, 1859. Mr. Tew has always resided on the
family homestead which consists of one hundred acres, and is a
successful farmer and dairyman. (See note #1)
LEWIS ALDERMAN,
oldest son of Lyman and Lydia (Munson) Alderman, was born in
Brookfield township, Trumbull county, Ohio, Sept. 4, 1820. He
was brought up to farming and remained at home until his marriage,
Jan. 17, 1849, to Annie Hutchins of Hartford township.
By this marriage he has one daughter, May, born May 8, 1850,
and still at home. His first wife died May 17, 1850, and Apr.
21, 1852, he married Miss Margaret Butts, daughter of
Jonathan Butts, an early settler in Brookfield, where Mrs.
Alderman was born May 1, 1826. This union has resulted in
five children, as follow: Homer J., born Jan. 15, 1853,
living in California; Ella F., Apr. 29, 1854, now wife of
Charles Hallock, of Fowler township; Fred A., July 20,
1858; Harry H., May 1, 1868; Maria L., Nov. 28, 1869.
There three last named are at home. Homer J. married Ida
J., daughter of Darius Baldwin. After his marriage
Mr. Alderman settled at Tyrrell Hill, where he remained three
years. He was a resident of Wisconsin a year and a half; was
largely engaged in farming in Brookfield a couple of years.
February, 1858, he located in Fowler center and engaged in the
manufacture of cheese-box, singles and nail-keg heading, in which he
did an extensive business. Mr. Alderman has been
township trustee two terms, clerk two terms, and treasurer seven
terms. He and his wife are members of the Disciple church and
active in Sunday-school work. - pp. 223-224
CURTIS HALL, oldest
child of Amasa and Sarah (Remington) Hall, was born in Fowler
township, Trumbull county, Ohio, Mar. 21, 1820. Amasa
Hall was one of the pioneers of Fowler, settling upon the
place now owned by his son, F. A. Hall, in 1814. He raised a
family of six children. He died in 1859. The subject of this
sketch remained at home until his marriage, which took place Oct.
24, 1839, when he settled on the farm where he now lives. His
wife was Almira Sigler, daughter of George
Sigler, Jr., by whom he has had three children. Two died
in Infancy. The daughter, Mary E., born Oct. 29, 1843,
became the wife of Allen Cadwallader, and died July 10, 1874,
a few days after the birth of her son Elmo, born July 1,
1874. The subject of this sketch has been twice married.
His first wife dying Sept. 28, 1875, he married again Jan. 23, 1878,
Millie Barber, daughter of Romanta Barber,
of Fowler township. She was born in 1840. Mr.
Hall was first elected justice of the peace in 1859, and has
held the office constantly since. He has also been township
trustee at various times. During the war of the Rebellion he
was active in raising volunteers.
SIMEON BALDWIN was born in
Youngstown, Ohio, Apr. 17, 1821. His parents were Jacob H.
and Florinda (Waller) Baldwin, natives respectively of New York
and Connecticut. Jacob H. Baldwin was a pioneer of
Mahoning county, settling with his parents in Boardman township
about 1804. He is a prominent citizen. He removed to
Warren in an early day and was county auditor of Trumbull county for
fifteen years, and held other offices. He died in December,
1880. Our subject derived his education of Warren. He
was brought up to farming, and remained at home until his marriage,
in 1849. His wife was Lucy M. Baldwin, widow of
Homer Baldwin and daughter of Richard Gates, an early
settler in Hartford township, where she was born June 9, 1822.
Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin are the parents of two children, one of
whom is living - George L., born Oct. 14, 1859, at present
engaged in school-teaching, and Charles R. born Oct. 14,
1850, and died in infancy. After his marriage Mr. Baldwin
settled in Champion township, where he owned and improved a farm
until 1854, when he removed to Fowler township and settled on the
farm where he now lives, which consists of one hundred acres of land
under a good state of cultivation. Mr. Baldwin is a
Republican in politics and was active in raising recruits during the
Revolution.
RILEY HALL, oldest son
of Linus and Ruth (Barnes) Hall, was born in Fowler township,
Trumbull county, Ohio, Aug. 18, 1821. Linus Hall
was born in Hampden county, Massachusetts, in 1797, and came to Ohio
about the year 1815. He married about the year 1819, and had a
family of nine children, six of whom
are still living. He settled on the farm now owned by his son
the subject of this notice, the same year that Amasa Hall
settled on the adjoining farm. He cleared up the farm, first
occupying a log house, building the dwelling now occupied by the
son, about 1831. He died there in 1871. Riley
Hall was united in marriage, Dec. 19, 1844, to Lucy
Merritt, by whom he had one son Linus, born Nov. 20,
1847. His wife died Feb. 17, 1848, and he was again married
August 14th of the same year, to Mary J. Forward, daughter of
George Forward. She was born in Hampden county,
Massachusetts, Jan. 5, 1827. The fruit of this union is one daughter
and one son, Ella M., born Aug. 30, 1849, now wife of
Lucius Doud, of Howland, and Arthur, born Dec. 8,
1850, residing in Mecca township. In 1861 our subject enlisted
[Page 425] -
in the Sixth Ohio cavalry, and after some ten
Columbia, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, also in months' service, owing
to an accident (his horse having fallen upon him) he was discharged.
Returning to civil life he followed the carpenter and joiner
business for some time. He purchased a place in Fowler, upon
which he resided seven or eight years, then purchased another south
of where he now lives. He was a resident of Ashtabula county
some five years, returning to Trumbull in the spring of 1859, and
most of the time since has resided on the old homestead.
SYLVESTER I.
RAND
WARREN A.
HALL, son of Amasa and Sarah (Remington)
Hall, was born in Fowler township, Trumbull county, Ohio, Mar.
20, 1831. He remained at home until about twelve years of age
and subsequently resided with his uncle, Dr. Remington,
of Hartford county, Connecticut, for three years. Returning to
Ohio he shortly afterward commenced an apprenticeship, when about
seventeen, of about four years at the harness and saddlery trade, at
Bloomfield, Trumbull county. After acquiring a knowledge of
the trade he worked as journeyman in the District of Columbia,
Pennsylvania, and Virginia, also in Ravenna for some six months.
About 1856 he came to Warren, where he has since resided, with the
exception of one year in Farmington. He was married July 16,
1859, to Dorcas E. Mackey, daughter of John Mackey,
of Vienna township, born in July, 1841, and has two daughters:
Allie I. and Blanche M., born respectively in 1861 and
1878. About 1864, in connection with his brother-in-law, F.
J. Mackey, he commenced the harness and saddlery business in
Warren, the firm name being Hall & Mackey. Mr.
Hall has been councilman for a number of years and has also
held other local offices. He is a member of the Masonic order,
and has been an active Republican since the formation of the party.
GERSHAM
TURNER
ADDISON R.
SILLIMAN
[Page 426] -
EZRA S. AMES, oldest child of
Benjamin and Euretta (Shaff) Ames, was born in Jefferson county,
New York, on the 7th of August, 1801. He came to Ohio with his
parents in the spring of the year 1826, the family settling one-half
mile north of his present residence in Fowler township.
Benjamin Ames was a successful farmer, a school-teacher for
several years, and also for several years township clerk. He
reared a family of twelve children, of whom three only are living.
He died in the farm which he had cleared up, about the year 1870,
aged eighty-four. His wife died Mar. 1, 1878, aged eighty-six.
Mr. Ames was a soldier in the War of 1812, and was stationed
at Sackett's Harbor. Ezra S. Ames was brought up upon a
farm and enjoyed such educational opportunities - limited enough -
as were to be had in that day. He married Dec. 4, 1834,
Catherine Campbell, born Feb. 5, 1807. After his marriage
he remained on the old home place one summer, removing to his
present residence in the spring of 1836. His first wife died
Mar. 17, 1873, and on Aug. 18, 1874, Mr. AMes married in
present wife, Phila H. Stocking, born in Connecticut Apr. 2,
1836. He is the father, by his first wife, of three sons, only
one now living, to-wit: William C., born Aug. 22, 1837,
died Apr. 14, 1873; he married Nov. 26, 1863, Lozetta H. Patch,
and had two children. Horace B., born June 14, 1840,
enlisted in the Forty-first Ohio volunteer infantry Sept. 4, 1861,
and was killed at Pittsburg Landing, his first battle, Apr. 7, 1862.
Cyrus D., born Feb. 10, 1842, is a well known farmer of
Fowler township. He married in 1875 Ellen Hoover.
Mr. Ames, the subject of this sketch, has been township
trustee some five or six years. During the Rebellion he was
active in raising the quota. Mr. Ames is a member of
the Congregational church.
DAVID M. BUTTS, oldest son of
Jonathan and Eleanor Butts, was born in Washington county,
Pennsylvania, Dec. 4, 1818. With his parents he came to Ohio
in the spring of 1819. The family settled in Brookfield
township, Trumbull county, Ohio, where they remained till the spring
of 1829, when they removed to Fowler township. David M.
Butts obtained an ordinary education in the common schools, and
at the age of fifteen began an apprenticeship, serving some six
years at the blacksmith trade. He worked as journeyman one
winter, when he commenced the business for himself at Fowler center,
and continued for ten to fifteen years. Mar. 15, 1842, he was
married to Melissa, daughter of Gideon Watters, an
early settler in Fowler township. Mrs. Butts have had
three children, two daughters and one son - Malvina born Aug.
4, 1844, and died Nov. 5, 1865; Cyrus C., born May 2, 1846,
now a resident of Fowler center, and was married in 1878 to Eva
J. Rand, daughter of Sylvester J. Rand, of Fowler,
and has one daughter, Gracie B., born Aug. 25, 1880;
Phoebe Maria, born July 9, 1855, and died Dec. 11, 1862.
Mr. Butts settled upon the place where he now lives in the
spring of 1850. He owns one hundred acres of fine land, which
is well improved. He was for four or five years engaged in
milling. He was elected justice of the peace three terms at
various times and has been township treasurer five terms. Has
also been trustee. The family are members of the Disciple
church.
AUSTIN N.
SILLIMAN N. Silliman (deceased), son of
Abijah
[Page 427] -
EDWARD OATLEY was born in Bazetta
township, Trumbull county, Ohio, May 15, 1830, youngest son of
William and Sophia (Rhodes) Oatley. He resided at home
until he was eighteen, when he commenced an apprenticeship of three
years at the blacksmith trade in Farmington; worked as journeyman
some four years in various places. He was united in matrimony
Apr. 18, 1856, to Helen Morse, born in Ashtabula county,
Ohio, in 1832. The result of this union was six children, of
whom are living as follows: Edward P., born January,
1859; Charlotte E., 1862; Leota, 1864; Abiah,
October, 1871. The mother of these children died Sept. 24,
1873. June, 1874, our subject was married to a daughter -
Mary - of Rev. William Kincaid, a well-known resident of
Farmington township, where Mrs. Oakley was born in 1838.
Some three years after his marriage Mr. Oakley resided in
Minnesota. In the spring of 1859 he made a trip to Pike's
Peak. Returning to Trumbull county he engaged at his trade in
Cortland, continuing thee four years, when in the fall of 1864 he
purchased fifty acres where he now lives in Fowler township, where
he also established a shop and has since carried on the business in
connection with farming.
RICHARD
STEER
ISAAC A.
SMITH, youngest son of William V. and Sarah
E. (Townsend) Smith, was born in Beaver county, Pennsylvania,
Jan. 15, 1813. He remained at home until he was sixteen,
when he served an apprenticeship of some three years in Pittsburg at
the cabinet trade. He came to Trumbull county in 1831,
settling at Fowler center in the fall of 1832, working for Wesley
Hoge, the first cabinet-maker of that place. After working
for him some two years he commenced the cabinet and undertaking
business for himself at Fowler center, where he has since continued.
He was married Feb. 25, 1836, to Mary Hawley, daughter
of Chandler Hawley, born Nov. 13, 1818. He is
the father of six children, of whom are living Sarah, wife of
Hiram Post; Orpha, wife of Henry
Sheldon; Emogene, wife of Marshall Scovill; Vanzant I.,
who conducts the home farm; and Adell Lily, wife of Artual
Dawson. Mr. Smith was appointed
postmaster at Fowler center at an early day, and was for twelve
years township treasurer.
ORLIN H.
HAYES, oldest son of Enoch and Aseneth
(Gillette) Hayes, was born in Hartford county, Connecticut, Mar.
20, 1812. His father came with his family to Trumbull county
[Page 428] -
in the fall of 1832, and settled on the place
now occupied by James McIntyre.
Enoch Hayes was the father of six children. Of
these but two are living, the subject of this sketch and Richard
A., a farmer of Mecca township. Mr. Hayes, Sr.,
died in 1867. Orlin purchased the farm where he still
lives about 1837. He married Jan. 6, 1841, Miss Mary
Ann Fox, who was born in Hartford county, Connecticut,
May 6, 1820, daughter of Joel and Jannet (Mason) Fox.
Mrs. Fox was born in Chester, Connecticut, June 13, 1786, and
is still living with her daughter, and is a remarkable specimen of
mental activity and bodily vigor.
LEWIS G. LAMPSON, eldest son of
Milo and Martha A. (Cook) Lampson, was born in Fowler
township, Trumbull county, Ohio, Aug. 29, 1836. His father has
been a resident of the county since 1823, when he settled on the
ridge road, locating on his present place about 1850. He has
raised a family of eight children, seven of whom are living.
He is still a vigorous and hearty old gentleman. Lewis G.
was educated in the common schools and obtained a fair education.
He bought his present place in 1865. He had some war
experience during the rebellion, was in Kentucky, and was engaged in
several skirmishes.
WILLIAM CRATSLEY was born in
Hunterdon, New Jersey, Oct. 29, 1817; oldest son of Frederick and
Emma (Chamberlain) Cratsley. The family removed to Ontario
county, New York, in 1825, and thence to Ohio in 1837, locating in
Vienna township, where the father died in 1859. William
derived a good common school education and taught school during
seven winters. Nov. 4, 1841, he was married to Miss Sabrina
Kingsley, daughter of John F. Kingsley born in Fowler
township in 1824. They were the parents of eight children, of
whom six are living Mary E., wife of Hugh Lowry, of
Cortland; Martha J., wife of J. S. Webster residing in
Michigan; Olive M., wife of Moses Cooper same State;
Lucy wife of Joseph Holland, also in Michigan; John
F., a carpenter and joiner of Fowler center, born Dec. 22, 1851,
married in 1872 to Artelissa Rand, who was born in Mecca in
1853, and has two children: Frank born Dec. 29, 1855, a
book-keeper in a large mercantile firm in Toledo. Mrs.
Cratsley died in 1873. Our subject purchased a place and
settled in Fowler township, and engaged in farming, clearing up a
place and living there until about 1874. In 1878 he removed to
Fowler center, where he has since resided and led a retired life.
He was elected township clerk first in 1846, which office he held
ten years; was elected justice of the peace in 1856, and served in
that capacity fifteen years; was county commissioner in 1871; also
assessor three years and notary public seven years.
CHARLES F. HALLOCK
was
born Mar. 19, 1838, in Fowler township, Trumbull county, Ohio,
youngest son of George and Phebe Hallock, of Long Island, New
York. George Hallock was born Nov. 23, 1798, and
emigrated to the Reserve in the early years of the present century,
locating in Brookfield township, Trumbull county, Ohio. He was
engaged in mercantile business in Brookfield, and for two or three
years subsequent to his removal to Fowler center. He located
on the farm now owned by the subject of this sketch about the year
1836, where he spent the balance of his life. The place was
then unimproved with the exception of a log house and a small
clearing. He died Apr. 18, 1870. He was a man well and
favorably known throughout this region, and of more than ordinary
energy of character. Was justice of the peace one or more
terms. As a celebration July 4, 1824, held at Hartford, he was
the orator of the day. His widow still resides on the home
place, vigorous in mind and body. Charles Hallock
remained at home until of age, when he took charge of a cheese
factory at Fowler center, which he conducted successfully some ten
years. He was married in 1872 to Miss Ella, daughter of
Lewis Alderman, born Apr. 29, 1854, and has one son, Asel
J., born July 13, 1877. After his marriage he located upon
the home place, where he still resides. - p. 428
NOAH BELFORD, youngest son of
John and Sally (Tanner) Belford, was born in Fowler township,
Trumbull county, Ohio, Aug. 15, 1839. Mrs. Belford was
a daughter of William Tanner, an early settler of Fowler.
She died Jan. 5, 1869. She made her home with her son, the
subject of this sketch, during the latter years of her life.
At fifteen Noah was thrown upon his
[Page 429] -
own resources. At
the age of eighteen he learned the carpenter trade; he continued
that trade some eighteen years, during which time he has built many
fine buildings in Fowler and elsewhere. In the fall of 1873
Mr. Belford purchased the Tyrrell Hill flouring mills, which had
not been used as a mill for some years. He enlarged and
remodeled the building, putting in modern machinery, including a new
engine and boiler, and doing an extensive business.
JOSIAH ENOS, son of John and
Theodosia (Bushnell) Enos, was born in Genesee county, New York,
July 18, 1818. John Enos was a soldier in the War of
1812. Josiah served an apprenticeship at the blacksmith
trade at Buffalo when eighteen, and after learning the trade came to
Ohio in 1839. He worked as journeyman at Warren, Trumbull
county, for a time, where he was married Dec. 12th of the same year
to Sarah Neere born in Portage county, Ohio, by whom he has
had six children - Mary A., born Mar. 4, 1841, still at home;
Elizabeth, born May 25, 1843; Emily, Sept. 5, 1847;
Cornelia, residing in Pennsylvania; Josephine, born Sept.
5, 1852, wife of John Burnett, residing in Pennsylvania;
Alice, June 7, 1855, wife of William Lewis, of Cleveland,
Ohio. Mr. Enos commenced the blacksmith trade at Fowler
immediately after his marriage, and has since carried on the
business there. In 1851 Mr. Enos
enlisted in the Eighty-seventh Ohio volunteer infantry, afterwards
enlisting the Twelfth Ohio cavalry, and took part in some of the
principal engagements of the war, such as the Second Bull Run,
Pittsburg Landing, and other battles. He served until the
close of the war, and was mustered out at Chattanooga, Tennessee, in
September, 1865. He was present at the surrender of Joe
Johnston. He has been a member of the Disciples church
for thirty yeasr, and his wife was also a member of the same church.
LESTER A. CLARK, oldest son of
Leonard Clark of the preceding sketch, was born in Fowler
township, Trumbull county, Ohio, June 18, 1843. He attended
the schools in Fowler until he was eighteen, when he went to Hiram
college one term. He was brought up on the farm, where he
remained until he was twenty-two or twenty-three years of age.
Oct. 15, 1866, he married Ellen Coleman, born in Lorain
county, Ohio, in 1843, by whom he had three children, viz.:
Almira C., born in 1867, died Feb. 5, 1875; Coleman C.,
born Aug. 1, 1870; Lillie M., born Nov. 15, 1871. His
first wife died Nov. 3, 1875, and Oct. 23, 1878, he was married to
Miss Malinda, daughter of W. H. Clawson, of Fowler.
She was born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, June 8, 1851. One
child is the fruit of this marriage, Lettie M., born Oct. 8,
1878. After his married Mr. Clark remained on the
homestead one year and was also a resident of Hartford one year.
He located on his present place in the fall of 1868. In
connection with farming he does an extensive business in the
manufacture and sale of wood pumps.
DANIEL
TROWBRIDGE
E. J. FORWARD, oldest son of
George and Orphia (Hawley) Forward was born Oct. 19, 1828, in
Southwick, Hampden county, Massachusetts. Besides his
attendance at the common school in his native State he went one term
to an academy in Southwick. He came to Ohio in 1850,
and Jan. 19, 1853, was united in marriage to Maria Sigler
daughter of Philo and Esther Sigler, daughter of Philo and
Esther Sigler, who settled in Fowler township, Trumbull county,
as early as 1812. Mrs. Forward was born there Jan. 30,
1833. After his marriage he settled on his father-in-law's
place, where he remained till the spring of 1868. He is the
father of five children, of whom one is deceased. The
survivors are Alice M., born
[Page 430] -
Oct, 5, 1853, now wife of
Adelbert Card, of Fowler; Philo H., born Mar. 30, 1858,
now engaged in clerking; Minnie M., Dec. 19, 1861; George
M., Aug. 13, 1863, Amelia A., died when five years old.
END OF CHAPTER
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