The original
proprietors of the lands of this township, who received
their titles from the State of Connecticut, were Jonathan
Brace, Enoch Perkins, and Roger Newberry, and the
deed conveying the lands to these persons is dated Apr. 22,
1799.
On the 10th of December, 1800, the above persons
associated themselves with Justin Ely, who
with Jonathan Brace was proprietor of Newton
township, and they together conveyed their several interests
to Pardon Brown for the purpose of reconveying
the same lands to the grantors, which was done the same day,
and the five proprietors above named became joint owners of
the soil. At a later period the proprietors made a
partition of their unsold lands, giving to each one a
separate interest in different tracts. In 1802 the
township was surveyed into lots or sections one mile square,
and by the survey of the Connecticut Land company the
township embraced an area of fifteen thousand and four acres
of land. The first title deed made by the proprietors
to a purchaser was made to Francis Freeman, on Nov.
21, 1803, and is the same land on which Ralph
Freeman settled, being the west part of section sixteen,
in the southwest part of the township.
FIRST
SETTLEMENTS.
In the spring of
1803, a man by the name of Millan, a "squatter,"
built a small log cabin on the ledge, on the township line
between Braceville and Warren. After completing the
cabin he left it for the purpose of bringing his family, but
during his absence a fire was started in the woods, probably
by the Indians, as it was a common thing in those days,
especially on the hunting grounds, and the Millan cabin was
burned down, and he, hearing of the disaster, never
returned. From this incident the township was called
Millantown, which it retained until its organization in
1811, when it was named Braceville, after Jonathan
Brace, one of the proprietors, as before mentioned.
In July, 1803, Ralph Freeman and
William Mossman, two unmarried men, came into the
township and erected a log cabin on the bank of the Mahoning
river near the former residence of Asa W. Parker, now
the residence of John Hippie. Mossman had
purchased one hundred acres of land on which the cabin was
erected; Freeman becoming owner of the land deeded to
his brother, as before mentioned, in section sixteen.
They kept bachelor's hall for more than a year, chopping on
their lands. They had one cow which fed on browse, and
the milk they kept in a gourd; during the warm weather the
handle of this gourd became infested with maggots, and to
remedy the evil they cut it off, thus seriously damaging the
usefulness of the vessel. The dishes belonging to the
culinary department of this pioneer establishment were
necessarily very few, and they partook of their plain fare
in the well-known Pennsylvania fashion of "sup and bite."
William Mossman
sold his interest m the
land to Ralph Freeman and went to Warren,
where he married and kept a public house for some years,
afterwards moving to near Buffalo. Freeman
remained on his farm alone and continued to make necessary
improvements, and is therefore entitled to the honor of
being the first pioneer settler of Braceville.
In 1804
Samuel Oviatt, Sr., of Goshen,
Connecticut, purchased about one thousand acres of land in
this township, and his sons, Samuel and Stephen,
with their wives, moved into Braceville; these two women
being the first white women in the township. Their
journey was a long and tedious one, being over six weeks on
the road, and coming over the Allegheny mountains by way of
Pittsburg, to Warren, from which place they were compelled
to cut a road through the wilderness, thus making the first
wagon trail from Warren to Braceville. In this same
year Jacob Earle came to the township.
The winter of 1804-5 was one of great destitution to the
pioneers of this township, there being as yet no mills and
little grain. The Oviatt families
subsisted principally on boiled corn and baked potatoes and
such wild game as they could get, and for an entire week
they subsisted on potatoes alone. At one time,
becoming entirely destitute of provisions of any kind, just
at sunset on a Sabbath evening, while they were reflecting
on their destitute situation, as if sent by a kind
Providence, a fine turkey gobbler perched upon a tree near
their lonely cabin. One of the men seized his gun, and
though it was now quite
dark, he succeeded in bringing down his game, and it is safe
to say that that one turkey furnished ample provision for
all Braceville. Mrs. Sally (Storn) Oviatt, wife
of Stephen Oviatt, was the mother of the first
white child born in the township—William J. Oviatt,
who moved from here to Wisconsin.
An incident is related of Mrs. Oviatt, as
follows: One day in the absence of the men a large
deer came into the "chopping" near the cabin; she seized her
husband's rifle and with unerring aim fired and brought down
the game, a noble buck. She look an axe and hurried to where
the deer lay, to make sure of the capture, and in her
excitement, it is stated that she cut the animal's throat on
the back of its neck; at least this is a standing joke on
Mrs. Oviatt in the community.
In February, 1805,
Joshua Bradford, with
his sons, Joshua, Joel, and William,
settled on lot fifteen; and in the spring of the same year
Samuel Oviatt, Sr., and his sons, Edward (and
wife), Seth, and Mark, also his two daughters,
settled on lot twenty-three. At this time a small
tribe of Indians, with their chief, Paqua, bad a camp
in the forks of the Mahoning river, where they remained
until the spring of 1806. This is the same tribe with
which General Cleveland held a council near Conneaut
in 1796. They were friendly and inoffensive, but
somewhat annoying to the whites on account of their constant
begging for whiskey and powder. They were especially
so to the elder Oviatt, who had brought a quantity of
powder for the use of his sons in the new settlement.
Early in the spring after the difficulty at Deerfield—
an account of which appears elsewhere in this work—this
tribe disappeared down the river in their canoes. In
searching through their camping-grounds, among other things
was found a large iron kettle and other utensils for making
maple sugar. The kettle is now kept as a relic, and is
supposed to have belonged to General Parsons, who had
used it in his operations at the old salt works in
Weathersfield in 1789.
FIRST ELECTION OF JUSTICE OF THE PEACE.
The first election
for justice of the peace was held Apr. 22, 1812, and
Fowler Merwin was declared elected, Solomon Oviatt
being the opposing candidate. The election was
contested and set aside on the ground that the successful
candidate was the only clerk of election. On the
[Page 503]
30th of May following another election was held with the
same candidates in the field, resulting in the election of
Solomon Oviatt. This election was also
contested and set aside on account of informality.
Forty votes were cast. The above are the only cases of
contested elections or in which any election was set aside
for any reason, whatever, in this township.
On the 4th of July following a third election was held,
and the good people of Braceville becoming wearied of the
contest between the two candidates for the office, and
determining to have a justice of the peace they went into
the election with that kind of patriotism common in early
days on 4th of July occasions, embracing all the elements
that the day and occasion usually required, and succeeded in
electing Robert Freeman as the first justice of
Braceville. When the result of the election was
officially announced three cheers were given by the crowd,
and the newly elected candidate was borne upon the shoulders
of the inspired electors, into the school-house, where he
made a very laconic speech, of which there is no further
report, and according to the custom of the times called in a
"jug and grog." This would seem a remarkable mode of
procedure in Braceville now, but it
was then the invariable rule for the successful candidate in
any election to "treat."
ROBERT FREEMAN, ESQ., lived with his son
Ralph, and was affable and courteous in his manner,
amiable in disposition, kind and generous as a neighbor, and
prominent as a citizen. He was chairman of the
organization and first election of the township; was one of
the first trustees, and held the office of justice of the
peace until his death, being the first adult person that
died in the township. He was first interred on the
Freeman farm, but was afterwards removed and
placed in the public cemetery at Braceville center.
JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
Robert Freeman,
July 12, 1812;
Auren Taft, May 1, 1813, three and
one-half years;
Edman Oviatt, Sept. 1, 1813, six years;
Philoceles Lewis, May 5, 1819, six years;
Samuel Oviatt, July 22, 1820, six
years;
Hervey Stow, Aug. 4, 1825,
three years;
Warren Arnold, June 20, 1826
(resigned);
Seth Oviatt, Sept. 2, 1826, three
years;
William Benedict, Aug. 28. 1828,
eighteen years; |
Benami
Johnson, Aug. 22, 1829, six years;
William Griswold, Aug. 2, 1835, two
years;
Uriah Merwin, Nov. 10, 1837, six
years;
George Lyman, June 16, 1838, nine
years;
Franklin E. Stow, May 30, 1846, six
years;
Ancil Bosworth, Apr. 5, 1847,
three years;
Parker Boynton, Apr. 1, 1850,
three years;
Allison A. Preston, May 1, 1852, three
years;
Augustus Elwell, Oct. 13, 1857. |
CONSTABLES.
Harvey Allen
served as constable of Braceville from 1820 to 1845;
he was known as the standing constable of Braceville.
He was pleased with the office and made an excellent
officer, and might have served his township many years more
had he not moved to Wisconsin where he has since died.
Jacob S. Smith was elected in 1844 and served
seven years. He was an efficient officer, and in 1859
was elected commissioner.
John H. Clark served as constable from 1850 to
1860. The people of Braceville do not allow the
question of politics to exclude a worthy man from holding
township offices, and through the township is largely
Republican,
Franklin E. Stow as township clerk, and
Nathan O. Humphrey as
treasurer, each held their respective offices nine years,
both being Democrats.
LOCATION - SURFACE FEATURES -
POPULATION.
Braceville
township is located in the southwestern part of the
county—town four north, and range five west, and is bounded
on the north by Southington, east by Warren, south by
Newton, and on the west by Portage county.
The soil consists generally of sand and clay,
productive of the ordinary cereals and superior quality of
hay, and the surface generally rolling, is well adapted to
all kinds of agricultural pursuits and grazing. The
timber is of the general order, and varieties commonly found
in this section of the State—oak, maple, etc.
The Mahoning river takes its winding zig-zag course
from the central part of the south line, and flowing
westward across the southeast corner, enters Warren township
from section six, north of the central part of the west
boundary line.
The northern part of the township is drained by Eagle
creek and its tributaries, which takes its rise in the
extreme northwest, and flowing in a southeasterly direction
and crossing the west boundary in the north part of the
township, and enters Warren where it empties into the
Mahoning.
[Page 504]
The Atlantic & Great Western railroad extends from east
to west almost directly through the center, making the main
station at Braceville. The Cleveland & Mahoning road
enters about the central part of the west line, and takes a
northwest course through the township, with a station at
Phalanx, directly north of Braceville.
The Narrow Gauge extends through the central part of
the township from north to south, connecting the stations
Braceville and Phalanx, thus affording ample railroad
facilities.
The population of the township is almost entirely
rural, there being no incoporated towns, nor
extensive manufacturing interests to collect communities of
any considerable size.
Braceville center is the most important point of trade
and local settlement, and has two churches, two small
stores, a post-office, a wagon and smith shop, a town house,
and a number of dwellings.
The township does not vary materially in the census
reports of the past thirty years. In 1860 it was
1,049; in 1870, 958, and according to the last enumeration
(1880) was 1,019.
POST-OFFICES.
Since the
day of railroads, telegraphs, and other means of
communication, the post-office loses some of its importance
to the public, but in early times, when the mail-carrier was
the only means of communication, its importance was well
known and appreciated. In 1816 the first post-office
was established at Braceville, of which Auren Stow
was appointed postmaster, and on the 1st day of January the
first mail for Braceville was received. The first
postmaster served until 1850, when he was succeeded by
Franklin E. Stow, who served until he was succeeded by
G. C. Reed, who was followed by Isaac
Ingraham, after which F. E. Stow again took the
office, which subsequently passed to the hands of the
present postmaster—Seth Lee.
SCHOOLS.
The people
of this township early sought means for the proper education
of their children, and as early as Braceville had any
organization whatever she had a school. The first
regularly organized school in this township, and among the
first in Trumbull county, was taught by Hervey
Stow at the center of Braceville, and though the
township has not been able to support schools of higher
grades than the common district schools, yet these have been
supplied from time to time with ample facilities for an
ordinary district school education, and the township now
supports eight schools, situated in various localities of
convenience throughout the township.
A TERRIFIC TORNADO.
The year 1860 will
ever be remembered by the people of this locality as the
year of the tornado. On July 23d of that year a
tornado, of which the following is an account left among the
papers of Franklin E. Stow, visited Braceville:
In the fore part of the day the clouds indicated rain,
with a gentle southwest breeze. About n o'clock A. M.
the wind lulled away and it became extremely hot and sultry.
The first indication of an approaching storm, about 12
o'clock, was observed in the excited state of the clouds.
Two dark clouds were seen rapidly approaching each other,
one from the north and the other from the West; they came
together and instantly a dark body was seen to fall rapidly
toward the earth, about one mile northwest of Braceville
Station, on the farm of Heman Rood, where the
work of destruction commenced. The stoutest trees were
twisted off and scattered like wisps of straw, rocks torn
from their beds, fences swept away and scattered in every
direction. The storm raged, whirling and roaring, and
moving in a southeast direction with great rapidity.
The first building in its course was Dr. Manly's
farm-house, occupied by Gillette Griffin,
which was torn to atoms. In the house were Mrs.
Griffin, two children, and Mrs. Charles Mason; it
was thrown six rods over a wood-pile seven feet high, and
while the building was moving Mrs. Griffin
jumped out and had her collar bone broken. Mrs.
Mason and the children were buried in the ruins, the
former having her skull fractured and was otherwise bruised;
the children sustained but little injury; one of them,
however, was so entangled in the ruins that it could not be
extracted until the frantic mother ran to the station for
help. Next was the house of Charles Mason,
about twenty rods distant from Manly's, which was
torn to fragments; the heavier timbers were scattered over a
space of two acres, while the lighter materials were
scattered far and wide.
The power and whirl of the wind is shown in
[Page 505]
[Page 506]
CEMETERY.
The burial grounds
at Braceville center were first laid out on grounds donated
by Hervey Stow, to which his son, Franklin E.,
afterwards made valuable improvements, and beautified the
grounds. The grounds were laid out in 1812, and the
first interment was that of Saber Lane, wife of
Isaac Lane, who died Jan. 27, 1813. The
cemetery is now under the jurisdiction of the township
trustees, and is at present a well-kept and beautiful
resting place for the dead, and many of the names of leading
men and the old pioneers, who have ample mention in this
history, may be found on these marble slabs. "Men die
but their works live forever."
RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS.
The
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
[Page 507]
THE UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH.
THE DISCIPLES (CHRISTIAN) CHURCH,
BRACEVILLE
CENTER.
[Page 508]
[Page 509]
of Elder O. A. Richards, when twenty-five were
received into the membership of the church, and the
congregation is now enjoying a commendable degree of
prosperity.
PHALANX FOUR-MILL.
In
the year 1811 Eli Barnum erected the first flour-mill
on the site of the present Phalanx flour mills on Eagle
creek, in the northwestern part of the township. It
afterwards passed into the hands of the Phalanx company,
then to William Bail, of whom W. P. and A. E.
Goodrich purchased. In 1865 A.G. Rood & Co.
came into possession and operated about eight years, when
the present company, F. A. & A. G. Rood, began
operations. The capacity of the mills is about sixty
bushels of wheat per day; has two run of stone–one for wheat
and the other a chopper. They also have a saw-mill
attached, and both propelled by water-power received from
Eagle creek.
THE TRUMBULL PHALANX
COMPANY.
THE CHEESE-BOX FACTORY.
This
manufactory is located in the northern part of the township
on the center road, and on the farm owned by the proprietor,
Michael Templeton, who has operated in
this locality for twenty nine years. He first began
making cheese boxes by hand, then horse power until 1870,
when he began at the present location, where he is now
extensively engaged using steam power, propelled by a
forty-horse power engine. The capacity of the mill is
about two hundred boxes per day. The saw-mill is used
in connection with the factory, and also in doing general
custom work.
EAGLE CREEK CHEESE
FACTORY.
This
factory is located near the Phalanx Flour mill, and was
first operated in 1872 by Charles Prentice, who
continued about two years, when he sold to Mr.
Peck, who worked the factory but one season, and sold to
Walter Morton, who operated here until the
past fall, when George Bear took possession,
who operated with considerable success, using in the best
season six or seven thousand pounds of milk per day, and
realizing good prices for his product. There is another
factory in the township located east of the center, but it
is not now in operation.
SETTLEMENT NOTES.
The second family
in Braceville was that of
SAMUEL OVIATT. He
removed from Goshen township, Connecticut, in 1805, and
built a log-house across the river from where his grandson,
Henry H., now lives. His father, Samuel
Oviatt, Sr., came out a few years afterward
and located where his son had settled, the latter then
building the home west of the river, where he always lived
afterward. He built, in 1808, the first frame barn in
the township, which is still on the place, and in good
preservation. His brother, Stephen Oviatt,
and his young bride, they having been married the day they
left Connecticut, came out at the same time. They
lived in Braceville a short time, and then moved to Milton.
Lucretia Oviatt, daughter of Samuel Oviatt,
Jr., was the first female child born in Braceville, born
about 1807. Samuel and Lois (Beckwith) Oviatt
were the parents of nine children who grew to maturity of
whom but four are now living, as follows: Mrs. Joseph
James, in Charlestown, Portage county; Mrs. Thomas
Douglass, of Warren, Ohio; Mrs. Nathan Wilson, of
Ravenna, Ohio; and Mrs. Lucina Mitchell, living in
Wisconsin. Moses L., the second child, who
occupied the homestead until his death, was born in
Connecticut, Mar. 30, 1802. He married July 26, 1825,
Lovina Purple, of Parkman, Geauga county, born
July 25, 1803. They first settled at Newton Falls,
where he operated a saw-mill and also engaged in farming.
He afterwards settled on his father's place, which he
purchased and occupied until his death, Apr. 20, 1869.
His wife survived him ten years lacking four days.
They were the parents of twelve children, all of whom lived
to reach manhood and womanhood, except one. The
following are the survivors: E. L. Oviatt, of
Marshalltown, Iowa; Mrs. Harriet L. Stow, of
Braceville; Julia L. Humphrey, of Pans, Portage
county; Ancil P., in Ravenna; Cornelia, wife
of Comfort Ernest, of Warren township;
Henry H., occupying homestead in Braceville; and
Jemima (unmarried), in Ravenna. E. L.
served in the Union army in the war of secession, and was a
prisoner one year at Belle Isle and Andersonville.
Henry H., born in August, 1844, married Esther A.,
daughter of B. C. Allen, and has three children
living and two deceased.
COMFORT STOW was born in
Middletown, Connecticut, June 27, 1762. In 1783 he was
married to Rachel Goodwin and in 1810 with his
wife and oldest son, Hervey, removed to Braceville,
Trumbull county, Ohio. The most prominent member of
the family in this county was Franklin E. Stow.
He was born in Braceville Jan. 2, 1813. His father was
Hervey Stow and his mother Lucretia
Oviatt, who came to Braceville as early as 1805.
Mr. Stow learned surveying, and in April,
1834, was appointed deputy county surveyor, and in 1835 was
elected county surveyor, and reelected in 1841. In
1842 he was elected justice of the peace, serving four
terms; appointed postmaster in 1845, which office he
resigned in 1850, when he was nominated for State
Representative. In 1856 he was again appointed
postmaster which position he held until his death. In
1851 he was elected a representative to the State
Legislature and served with fidelity and ability. In
1847 he was appointed district assessor for the purpose of
valuing real estate. His district comprised six
townships. His valuation was not changed by the board
of equalization but was taken by them as a standard for the
remainder of the county. In the fall of 1861 he raised
a company of infantry which was attached to the Nineteenth
regiment as company G. At the battle of Shiloh he
distinguished himself for gallantry. He was
subsequently prostrated by sickness as a result of that
battle, and died on board the steamer Shenango, Tennessee
river, April 30th. His remains were brought home for
burial. He was married on the 15th of May, 1837, to
Miss Mary Amy Heath, of Sandisfield, Massachusetts.
One son was born in 1844. Mrs. Stow still
resides in Braceville.
EZRA ROPER was born in
Connecticut in 1784; came to Ohio in an early day, and
settled two miles west of the center of Braceville. He
served in the War of 1812, and was wounded. He was
twice married, first, to Abigail Lawson, by
whom he had two children—Mary and Lorinda.
His first wife died Mar. 15, 1834, aged thirty-seven.
He married for his second wife Lois Bristol,
of Nelson, Portage county, and by this marriage had five
children—Charles, living in Nelson; Lois (Doty),
in Cleveland; George, at Braceville center; Aaron,
in Youngstown, and Francis, in Cleveland. Ezra
Roper died June 7, 1850. George Roper
was born in 1841; married in March, 1862, Emeline
Tousley, and has three children. He located at
Braceville center twenty years ago, where he has carried on
general blacksmithing and carriage and wagon-making for the
past thirteen years.
SAMUEL CRAIG, son of
Samuel and Elizabeth (Baxter) Craig, born Jan. 18, 1811,
in county Monaghan, Ireland, came to the United States in
1836, landing at Quebec. He came to Warren in July the
same year, and worked on the Pennsylvania & Ohio canal as
stone-cutter, which occupation he followed many years.
He purchased the farm in Braceville now owned by William
Anderson, about 1839, and erected the first house in
that part of the township, which was then entirely a
wilderness. He resided in Warren two years, afterwards
purchasing where
[Page 510]
he now lives. He married in Pennsylvania in 1841,
Margaret Darling, born in New York State in 1822.
They are the parents of nine children, of whom five survive,
viz: Samuel B., Benjamin, Josiah W., Maggie
(Daugherty), and Charles F.
ROBERT A. WALKER
was born
in Baltimore, Maryland, Dec. 27, 1790, and went to Lancaster
county, Pennsylvania, where he married Abbie
Griswold, removing afterwards to
Beaver county, where he resided until 1832, when he removed
to Warren township, Trumbull county, Ohio. He had
purchased land in Weathersfield and Warren a number of years
before his removal. He resided in Warren, where he
first settled, some twelve years, then moved to Braceville,
and settled where George Benedict now lives.
He afterwards moved to the northeast part of the township,
where he spent the balance of his life. He died May
20, 1868. In the early part of his life he followed
the trade of stone-mason. His wife died three years
previous to his own death. Their family numbered nine
children, all of whom grew to mature age. The
survivors are Susan (Bartman) in Canfield, Mahoning
county; Rachel Ann (Regal) at Baldwin's
corners, Mahonmg county; Elisha in Braceville,
Trumbull county; J. P. in Cass county, Michigan;
Abby (North) in Braceville; Robert A. in
Jackson county, Michigan; William H. in Brookfield,
Eaton county, Michigan.
ELISHA WALKER
was born in
1822, July 4th, in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, and married
in 1834, Lucy Ann Humphrey, who died in October,
1867. He again married in March, 1868, Maria Clark
(Richards), born May 14, 1832. By the first
marriage four children were born, viz: Franklin D., Abbie
S. (Benedict), Robert Norris, Mary E. (Woodward).
The result of the second marriage is one daughter, Effie
B. Mr. Walker first settled in Warren
township west of Leavittsburg, afterwards removing to
Wyandot county, but after a short time returned to Trumbull
county, locating in Braceville, where he has since resided.
[Page 511]
JOHN G. GRETZINGER
was
born in Wurtemburg, Germany, Apr. 28, 1811, and came to
America about the year 1839. He went to Pittsburg,
Baltimore, and other cities, following his business, which
was that of butchering. He came to Trumbull County
about 1842, and after residing in Warren township purchased
a farm in Braceville, on Eagle creek, where he resided until
his death, which took place Oct. 2, 1880. Mr.
Gretzinger was a hard-working and industrious man.
He was sick and helpless the last twenty years of his life.
He was first married m 1842 to Mrs. Rebecca Fry, who
died in 1853. By this marriage he had six children, of
whom five are living. He again married in 1856
Paulina Crouse, of Columbiana county, born in Wurtemburg,
Germany, Feb. 21, 1832, and coming to this country in 1855.
Four children were the result of this marriage, three of
whom are living
—Paulina (Brown), Henry W., and Mary A. In
the spring of 1882 Mrs. Gretzinger left the
farm and removed to the center of Braceville, where she now
lives.
LUTHER MATTHEWS, son of
James Matthews, was born in Liberty township,
Trumbull county, Ohio, May 15, 1819. Jan. 7, 1847, he
married Lavinia Lightbourn, daughter of
Joseph and Eleanor (Kyle) Lightbourn, who was born in
Youngstown, Mahoning county, Ohio, June 29, 1825. Joseph
Lightbourn was a native of Pennsylvania, born in
1795, came to Trumbull county in an early day, and located
in Youngstown. He died in 1824. His wife
survived him until October, 1856. After their marriage
in 1847 Mr. and Mrs. Matthews
settled on the place where she still lives, which they
cleared up and improved. Besides general farming he
also dealt in live stock. He died Dec. 11, 1877.
They were the parents of six children, of whom five are
living—Ella S., born Nov. 21, 1847, now the wife of
Frank Brown, and residing in Meadville,
Pennsylvania; Frances M., born Oct. 30, 1849, wife of
C. P. Rodenbaugh, of Kent, Ohio; Mary E., born
Mar. 18, 1852; Alfred E., May 4, 1866; Luther E.,
Aug. 30, 1870.
WILLIAM ERNEST came to
Trumbull county with his mother and step-father when fifteen
years of age, in the fall of 1833. The family settled
in Champion township. He was born in 1818; married in
1839 Nancy Leonard, and located in Warren.
He learned the carpenter trade, and has followed it ever
since. He has always been a hard-working, industrious
man. He has three children, viz; Henry H., Comfort
A., and Mary I., wife of John C. Pew, of
Lordstown. Henry was born in Warren, Ohio, Apr. 14,
1840, mar-
[Page 512]
ried Fidelia McKibbin, of Braceville, and until
recently has lived in that township; has one child,
Rowley Ward. Comfort A., born Feb. 10,
1842, married Cornelia Oviatt, of Braceville,
and has three children, viz.: Albert, Hattie,
and Jessie.
CHRISTIAN GLEICH
was a
native of Germany, and emigrated to this country with his
parents when about eight years of age. His father,
John Gleich, was a soldier under Napoleon, and
was wounded in several engagements. He settled, on
coming to Trumbull county, in Warren township, afterwards
removing to Braceville. He died in Indiana at the age
of ninety-three or ninety-four, having removed to that State
in 1867. Christian Gleich married about
1847, Caroline Smith, of Braceville, and settled soon
after where his son George now lives. He was
engaged in farming and dealing in live stock during his
life. He died in 1871, in the fiftieth year of his
age. His widow is still living at Phalanx. They
were the parents of five children. Two sons and two
daughters are living, as follows: George, on the home
place (married Almira C. Heintzleman, and has four
children); Caroline (Weaver), in Braceville;
Frank, at Phalanx; Eliza Ann living
with her mother. Edward was killed by the kick
of a horse in June, 1875, in his fifteenth year. George
Gleich, who occupies the home place, is engaged in
farming, and is an extensive dealer in live stock.
JOHN G. BARKLEY, a native
of Germany, emigrated to the United States in an early day
and settled in Warren township. He married
Christina Houseman, also born in Germany. He
worked on the Pennsylvania & Ohio canal, and also followed
farming. He lived on Duck creek, one mile south
of Leavittsburg, and died there in 1848. His wife
survived him, and died May 21, 1867. They were members
of the Lutheran church. Gottleib D. Barkley, their
second son, was born in Warren township, Trumbull county, in
1843; married Emma Josephine, daughter of
Thomas Craig, of Warren township, and settled
where he now lives in Braceville. He has one child
living, and one deceased—John C., and
Lucy J.
JAMES BURNETT was born in
Kent, Portage county, Ohio, Sept. 11, 1820. His father,
Samuel Burnett, was born in Pennsylvania, May 11, 1792,
and came to Ohio in 1804, locating in Portage county.
He married in Trumbull county, Isabel Matthews,
and removed to Weathersfield about 1835, and to Braceville
in 1856, where they lived until their deaths—he died in
August, 1869, and his wife in 1861. James
Burnett learned the blacksmith trade, and worked at his
trade in Austintown, now Mahoning county, two years, then
settled in Braceville, Trumbull county, where he remained
until 1871, when he removed to Warren, purchasing the Dr.
Leavitt place, where he still lives. For the
past three years he has followed farming and stock-raising,
owning two farms of one hundred and fifty-three and one
hundred and thirty-five acres each. He was married
Dec. 29, 1844, to Miss Elizabeth,
daughter of Joseph Lightbourn, who was born in
Youngstown, Ohio, Jan. 11, 1820. Two children were
born of this union—Mrs. Reuben Johnson,
born Nov. 20, 1847, and Mrs. S. A. Elwell, Dec. 20,
1854.
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