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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
Portrait and Biographical Record
of
Tuscarawas County, Ohio
containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and
Representative Citizens of the County
Together with Biographies of all the Presidents of the
United States.
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Chicago:
C. O. Owen & Co.
1895
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PHILIP
A. GARVER was born at Navarre, Stark
County, Ohio, on the 8th day of February, 1835.
His father, John William Garver, was a
native of Baden, Germany, and his mother,
Elizabeth Wysbrod, was a native of
Switzerland. His parents emigrated to
America in 1832, and settled at Bethlehem, Stark
County, Ohio, where the father followed the
trade of carpenter and house-builder.
During a period of forty years he labored most
of the time at Massillon, Ohio, where he aided
and superintended the framework in the
construction of many of the older and best
buildings in that city.
Philip A. Garver is the eldest of seven brothers
and two sisters, who are all still living,
excepting one brother, Emil Garver,
who died last summer, at Defiance, Ohio.
In his boyhood days the education of the youth
of the country seldom extended further than a
few months’ attendance each year at a
subscription school, kept in the primitive log
schoolhouse, taught by very ordinary teachers,
whose best qualifications usually consisted in
the fact that they did not spare the rod.
Here the subject of this sketch made the best of
his opportunities, and his early schoolmates are
still wont to congratulate him on their
remembrance of the fact that he always stood
first in his classes. His reputation as
the best speller, the best reader, the best
writer and the best cipherer in the township was
undisputed. When prizes were contended for
in educational and literary contests, he always
carried off the first. In this connection
he acknowledges with gratitude that his parents
gave him every aid and facility to better his
education which the support and education of a
large family, with very meager means, permitted.
Running the streets of the then busy villages of
Bethlehem, Navarre and Rochester (now one town),
playing with like companions along the banks of
the Ohio Canal and the beautiful Tuscarawas
River, and laboring at odd jobs until the age of
sixteen, he was fired with the ambition to
become a school teacher. At this time
teaching began to lift itself to a higher plane;
well qualified teachers were in good demand;
better schoolhouses were being built, and the
new and excellent school system provided by the
laws of Ohio made the profession more honorable
and remunerative. As a first preparation
to this end, and by the exercise of great,
economy, as well as a little financial aid
received from his father, he was enabled to pay
his way for two terms at the Mt. Union Seminary.
He was granted his first certificate (for nine
months) at New Philadelphia, Ohio, on the 14th
day of October, 1853, by P. W. Hardesty,
P. H. Haag (who wrote his full name with
capital letters) and M. H. Bartilson,
County School Examiners. This certificate
is still in his possession, and is highly prized
as a souvenir.
Mr. Garver taught his first school, of
one hundred days, in Franklin Township,
Tuscarawas County, Ohio, at $1 per day. At
the end of the term he had given such good
satisfaction, that the Directors met on the last
day and re-engaged him to continue the school
eighty days longer, to cover all the money the
district had in the treasury, thus making a
continuous term of one hundred and eighty days.
He then returned to Mt. Union Seminary, and with
the money he had saved was able to pay his own
way, and avail himself of every facility and
benefit afforded by this humble but useful
institution, which has since grown to be one of
the noble colleges of the land. Here he
attended school five terms in all, off and on,
alternately teaching winter schools at Navarre
and its vicinity. He was the first teacher
in his township to have his wages raised to
$1.50 per day, and well remembers how
strenuously some of the tax-payers protested
against the paying of such an outrageous price,
through fear that it would bankrupt the
treasury.
Having taken an active part in the election of James
Buchanan to the Presidency in 1856, by
making speeches in every school district in the
township, our subject was honored the spring
following by his party nominating and electing
him Justice of the Peace, at the age of twenty-
two years. He then served two successive
terms in this office, with satisfaction to his
constituency and honor to himself, and had the
reputation of keeping the best records in the
county. During this time, in partnership
with his brother Alexander, he purchased
the drug store owned by Dr. James L. Leeper,
of Navarre, and together they conducted the
business for several years.
On the 8th day of October, 1858, Mr. Garver
was married to Franceska Kapizky,
a very estimable and well educated young lady,
who, a few years previously, had emigrated to
this country from Bavaria, Germany, and who was
engaged in teaching music at Navarre and
Bolivar. As a pianist she had few, if any,
equals in the country, and is still noted for
her musical accomplishments, and her ability to
entertain her friends with charming and
delightful music, though now of an age when such
things are usually laid aside in accordance with
the sedateness of whitening years. She has
made her husband a most excellent helpmate in
all his undertakings, and in the rearing and
educating of their five children has developed
qualities and made an impress for their moral,
as well as material, good which they will
remember with pride. They had nine
children, four of whom died in infancy.
In the fall of 1864 our subject took the
superintendency of Meyer Bros. &
Co.’s wholesale drug business at Ft. Wayne,
Ind., at a salary of $2,000 per year. This
firm has branch houses at St. Louis, Kansas
City, Ft. Worth, Tex., and a large importing
trade in New York City, and has the reputation
of transacting the largest similar business in
the world.
During the late Civil War Mr. Garver took
an active part in the recruiting service, and
swore into the military service of the United
States not less than five hundred soldiers.
Among his most treasured possessions bearing on
this work are autograph letters received by him
from Gen. Ed M. Canby, Gen. James A. Hardie,
of the War Department, and William H. Seward,
Secretary, and F. W. Seward, Assistant
Secretary, of the State Department at
Washington. He also served two years and
nine months as First Sergeant of Company D, of
the Forty-fifth Regiment, Ohio National Guards,
and one hundred days in Company H, of the One
Hundred and Sixty-second Regiment, Ohio
Volunteer Infantry. During a part of his
service, his company was on detached duty,
recruiting the One Hundred and Seventeenth
Regiment of United States Colored Infantry in
the state of Kentucky. To detail the
humorous, pathetic and serious incidents,
observations and experiences connected with this
invasion of slavedom for the purpose of
enlisting the negro as a soldier in the United
States army, would require a volume. It
was no easy task, but a regiment of over one
thousand stalwart colored men was recruited from
the slaves of Kentucky, which, physically
speaking, had no superior in the United States
army. Among his most highly prized papers
is the executive order of thanks and certificate
of honorable service issued by President Abraham
Lincoln and Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton
to the Ohio National Guards for their services.
In this connection the military record of his
father’s family is worthy of mention. His
father served six years in the First Regiment of
the Line in the army of the Grand Duke of Baden,
and his honorable discharge is now in the
possession of the subject of this sketch.
His brother Emil enlisted in Company F,
of the Nineteenth Ohio Volunteers, and was
severely wounded in the battle of Pittsburg
Landing. His brother Charles served
three years, and to the close of the war, in
Company E, of the One Hundred and Fourth Ohio
Volunteers. His brother Kossuth, who is now
located at San Francisco, Cal., served sixteen
years in the regular army of the United States.
In the summer of 1866 Philip A. Garver
reluctantly severed his enviable and lucrative
connection with Meyer Bros. & Co.,
who begged him to remain with them at any salary
that would satisfy him. But on account of
ill health in his family, and the urgent
persuasions of relatives and friends, he removed
to Strasburgh, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, and
started a general store. He commenced on a
small scale what was then, probably, the first
real department store in that section. His
idea was that to do a successful business in a
small country village, there should be
kept on sale any and everything which enters
into the daily wants of the general public.
In futherance of this idea, he succeeded in
establishing a good and fairly remunerative
trade. In connection with his mercantile
interests he also served sixteen years as
Justice of the Peace of Franklin Township,
Tuscarawas County, Ohio; sixteen years as
Postmaster at the village of Strasburgh, and
also held the offices of Township Treasurer,
Clerk, School Director and Notary Public.
Among his official souvenirs are commissions
issued to him as Justice of the Peace and Notary
Public by the following named Governors of Ohio:
S. P. Chase, David Tod, R. B.
Hayes, Edward F. Noyes, W. Allen, Charles
Foster, Richard M. Bishop, George Hoadly, J. B.
Foraker and William McKinley.
Born and raised in the Democratic faith, our subject
was an ardent adherent of that party until The
War of the Rebellion. Under the
indignation caused by the secession of states
from the Union, and the patriotism aroused by
the commencement of actual war, old party ties
were for the time cast aside by the loyal people
of the North, and all were merged info the Union
party. The purpose was to unite men of all
political shades into one compact organization
in support of the Government until the rebellion
was suppressed and the Union saved. He was
Chairman of the first Union convention held in
Stark County, Ohio, which was a large and
enthusiastic assemblage of the most prominent
citizens of all parties. The Union party
was organized with the unanimous resolve of firm
cohesion till the end of the war, but this did
not suit the politicians, the office-seekers and
the partisan press, and it was of short
duration. The old parties were again
reorganized as Democrats and Republicans, and he
felt constrained by patriotic motives to
affiliate with the Republicans, and has remained
a stanch Republican ever since.
In the year 1886 Mr. Garver retired from
active business, and was succeeded by his sons.
George Rudolph and Gustave
Albert, who, in partnership with their
cousin, E. P. Kapizky, are conducting the
business, under the firm name of Garver
Bros. & Co., and have greatly enlarged
upon his idea of the department feature in
country stores. Modest and unassuming in
all the relations of life, contentious only for
what he believes is right, his philosophy sees
in the steady progress and elevation of the
human race the final consummation of the
universal brotherhood of man, the triumph of
right over wrong, peace, love and virtue
everywhere, and the merging of all beliefs and
creeds in the one sentiment of the highest good,
happiness and liberty to all.
Source: Portrait and Biographical Record
of Tuscarawas Co., OH, Publ. 1895 - Page 119 |
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BENSON
L. GRIMM, a well known citizen of New
Philadelphia, is one of her practical business
men, and for nearly his entire life has resided
within her limits. He conducts a good
livery, which is well supplied with a fine line
of coaches, carriages and buggies. In
connection with this, he runs a horse-shoeing
shop, and has all repair work done under his
personal supervision.
The parents of our subject were John and Harriet
(Gants) Grimm The father was a native
of Pennsylvania, but came to Ohio with his
parents in childhood. He was reared on a
farm on the line of the Old Town Valley Road.
On arriving at man's estate, he followed
farming, and also occasionally did carpenter
work. For a number of years he was a
preacher in the Methodist denomination, and
while holding a protracted meeting at Blakes
Mills he was suddenly stricken with congestion
of the brain, which resulted in his death.
In politics he was a Republican. He wife
is still living, her home being in New
Philadelphia. She was born and reared in
Carroll County, Ohio, and her parents were also
natives of the Buckeye State. John and
Harriet Grimm had a family comprising six
children: Sarah E., now the wife of
George V. Bowers, of this city; Hiram A.
and George M., whose homes are in
West Virginia; Mary, Mrs. John
Hammond, of Blakes Mills; Benson L.;
and Hattie E., wife of C. M. Law,
of this place.
The birth of our subject occurred Nov. 1, 1854.
He was reared under the parental roof, and
received his elementary education in the
district school. When nineteen years of
age he began learning the blacksmith’s trade of
Charles Haupt, and served a
three-years apprenticeship. After
completing his term of service, he continued for
a year as a journeyman, after which he embarked
in business for himself on East Front Street.
In connection with his blacksmith shop, he
carried on a lively business for about nine
years, and made a specialty of furnishing
carriages and hearses for funerals, coaches for
parties, etc. In his wagon shop he has
been engaged in manufacturing and general
repairing. In 1890 he removed from his old
stand to his present place of business, selling
out everything except the lively. This he
has since conducted with success.
Our subject carries a fine and well selected line of
various kinds of carriages, and among others has
four coaches, which he purchased at a cost of
81,000 each. The arrangement of his livery
stable is very complete; the carriages are kept
in one department, and separate places are
devoted to horses, harness, hay, feed, etc.
The livery is lighted with electricity, and is
modern in all its appointments. Mr.
Grimm owns about half of the business
block in which his lively is located, and has
erected several fine dwelling-houses in other
parts of the city, which are attractive in
appearance and built on the most approved plans.
The kindness and benevolence of our subject are
well known in this locality, and when death has
entered the family of some poor person he has
frequently supplied coaches free, and those,
too, of the very best in his possession.
Nov. 15, 1876, Mr. Grimm married
Hannah B. Patterson, who was born in this
county. The parents of Mrs.
Grimm were W. J. and Amanda (Pierce)
Patterson, old settlers of this county.
The former was for years connected with Blakes
Mills, but is now deceased. To our worthy
subject and his wife have been born six
children, namely: William, Pearl, Myrtle,
Oscar, Ambrose and Ivey. Myrtle
and Ambrose have both been called to
their final rest. Mr. and Mrs. Grimm
are faithful workers and members of the Lutheran
Church.
Our subject affords a strong illustration of what
application, industry and energy can accomplish.
He is self-made in every sense of the word,
having carved out his own fortune, and has
prospered in his various undertakings. In
disposition he is upright and honorable, and he
is fortunate in possessing the esteem and
confidence of the entire community.
Fraternally he belongs to Schoenbrun Lodge No.
107, I. O. O. F., and has passed through all the
chairs of Equity Lodge No. 75, K. of P. In
politics he uses his ballot in favor of the
Republican party, and takes great pride in the
success of the organization.
Source: Portrait and Biographical Record
of Tuscarawas Co., OH, Publ. 1895 - Page 334 |
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JOSHUA
P. GRIMM, proprietor of one of the
leading livery stables in New Philadelphia, is
one of the prosperous business men of the city
and prominent in its public life. He was
born here, Apr. 22, 1839, to Solomon and Mary
(Iler) Grimm. The former was a native
of York County, Pa., having been born there Jan.
11, 1809. He was about three years of age
when he was brought by his father and mother to
this state, the journey being made in what was
then called a "prairie schooner."
John Grimm, the paternal grandfather of
our subject, was the son of Swiss parents, and
when ready to embark in life for himself,
located on a large tract of land on Old Town
Creek, which he developed into one of the best
farms in the vicinity, living there until his
decease. There his son Solomon was
reared a man's estate, and trained to a thorough
knowledge of farm pursuits. When a young
man of twenty-two years the latter came to New
Philadelphia and apprenticed himself to learn
the trade of a blacksmith. After following this
business for a time, he abandoned it to engage
with the Ohio State Company as driver,
continuing in their employ for several years.
He afterward purchased a livery stable, and,
owning his own horses and vehicles, ran stage
coaches between New Philadelphia and
Uhrichsville, also between Massilon and
Millersburg. He worked these routes until
the building of the railroads, when he was
obliged to discontinue this slow method of
travel. He still operated his livery,
however, until 1888, when he retired from the
active duties of life. He is now living in
this city, where he is well known and highly
esteemed.
The mother of our subject was born of Irish parents.
She was a most estimable and worthy lady, and
departed this life about fifteen years ago.
She became the mother of eleven children, six of
whom grew to mature years. Hannah
died at four years of age; our subject was next
in order of birth; then followed Rebecca, Lee
H., Elmer B., Frank R. and John A.
All are now deceased with the exception of our
subject.
Joshua Grimm was educated in this city,
first attending the public schools, and
afterward studying under the tutelage of
Professor Welty. He began the
battle of life on his own account by working at
the printer’s trade. This he followed off
and on for about four years, but was finally
obliged to abandon that branch of work on
account of being troubled with asthma.
After this he was variously occupied until he
enlisted in the Union army, which he did Aug.
19, 1862, at Steubenville, becoming a member of
Company K, Ninety-eighth Ohio Infantry,
Colonel Webster commanding. The
same day he was mustered into service at Camp
Mingo, and left with his regiment on the 20th
for the field of battle.
First going to Lexington, Ky., Mr. Grimm
was assigned to the Tenth Brigade, Fourth
Division. Fourteenth Army Corps, under
General Thomas, and the first
engagement in which he participated was at
Perryville, Ky. After that conflict the
forces moved on to Crab Orchard, and later to
Lebanon, where occurred many skirmishes.
In one of these encounters our subject was
wounded in the hand by a musket ball, on account
of which he was given a furlough and returned
home, and was later honorably discharged, Mar.
13, 1863, on account of disability.
When fully recuperated, Mr. Grimm again
offered his services in defense of his country’s
Flag, and was mustered in May 2, 1861, in
Company E, One Hundred and Sixty-first Ohio
Infantry, under Col.
Source: Portrait and Biographical
Record of Tuscarawas Co., OH, Publ. 1895 - Page
180 |
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PROF.
ALVA B. HALL, was called to accept the
principalship of the Cambridge High School in
1891, and is still serving in that School in
1891, and is still serving in that position.
Though a young man, he has had considerable
experience as an education, and has had
considerable experience as an educator, and has
met with distinct success in his chosen life
vocation. Under his direction the high
school of this city has fully sustained its
excellence and fine system. Professor
Hall is a Republican in politics, and is now
serving his sixth year as County Examiner.
A native of Guernsey County, A. B. Hall was both
near Spencer's Station, Aug. 8, 1859. His
parents, Amos and Deborah (Webster) Hall,
were likewise natives of this county.
Nathan, father of Amos Hall, was born
in North Carolina, and came to Ohio in 1826.
At that time he was seventeen years of age, and
at his death, which occurred Feb. 8, 1880, he
was in his seventy-second year. His wife
bore the maiden name of Deborah Parry.
The great-grandfather of our subject, Caleb
Hall, was a farmer and a pioneer of the
Buckeye State. Mrs. Deborah (Webster)
Hall was a daughter of Thomas and Anna
Webster, natives, respectively, of
Westmoreland County, Pa., and Loudoun County,
Va. Thomas Webster located near the
site of Quaker City at a very early day.
Amos Hall and his wife had but three
children, of whom the Professor is the eldest,
and the others are Clarence W., an
employe of the Cambridge Roofing Company; and
Clayton T., a physician, who is practicing
in warren County, Ohio. Amos Hall
died in 1882, aged forty-five years, while his
wife, who survived him about five years, was
fifty-two years old at the time of her demise.
Alva B. Hall was reared to farm life, and
received a district-school education in his
boyhood. He added to this by a course of
training at the Friends' Boarding School at
Barnesville, Ohio, and at the Central Normal at
Danville, Ind. In 1877 he commenced
teaching in the country schools of Noble County,
Ohio, and taught for forty-five months in that
locality. For sixty-three consecutive
months he was Principal and Superintendent of
the Quaker City Schools. In 1891, as are
have before stated, he came to this place and
assumed his present responsible position.
Fraternally he is a Knight of Pythias, and of
the Masonic order is a Knight Templar.
Religiously he is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal denomination.
Apr. 6, 1882, Professor Hall married Ella
Lay, and three children, all daughters,
have home to bless their home, their names being
as follows: Laura Grace,
Edna Bertha and Ethel
Goldie.
Source: Portrait and Biographical
Record of Tuscarawas Co., OH, Publ. 1895 - Page
122 |
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