ASHTABULA COUNTY OHIO - BIO: JOEL BLAKESLEE (pub 1878)

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Date: 11 March 2003
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>From the The Ohio Biographies Project
http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~usbios/Ohio/mnpg.html
a part of The U.S. Biographies Project
http://members.tripod.com/~debmurray/usbios/usbiog.html

Transcribed by Cherre Loftus Flynn.

According to 
                      THE HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY, OHIO
                   WITH ILLUSTRATIONS AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
                     OF ITS PIONEERS AND MOST PROMINENT MENT
                     Published in Philadelphia by Williams Brothers in 1878

                               JOEL BLAKESLEE 

  "We cannot, perhaps, at this time, do greater honor to the memory of the 
former antiquarian and historian than by   quoting from an obituary written by 
a personal friend, under date of December 12, 1863, as follows:  "Mr. Blakeslee
was born in Colebrook, Connecticut, August 13, 1787.  His father was Colonel 
Samuel Blakeslee, son of Joseph,   who lived near the city of New Haven long 
before the Revolution.  Colonel Blakeslee, father of the subject of this
  notice, enlisted in the army of the Revoltion, July 1, 1776, then sixteen 
years of age.  He was in several battles, at   Valley Forge, Monmouth, the 
storming of Stony Point, etc., served something over three years, and was 
honorably   discharged.  He was several times elected to the State legislature, 
and was hightly respected as a citizen.  After a   term of years he moved to 
Avon, New York, and in the War of 1812, although exempt from military duty, he 
enlisted   and was promoted to colonel, in which capcity he served at the 
battle of Black Rock, where he came near losing his   life.  (He) returned to 
Avon, New York, where he spent the rest of his life.

  "Joel emigrated to Ohio in 1819, arriving in Lebanon (New Lyme) on February 16 
of that year.  After about one   month he removed to Colebrook and made a 
permanent settlement, remaining there the rest of his life."  Being of
  slight frame and frail constitution, the hardships of pioneer life were 
almonst beyond his endurance, yet he   persevered and lived to see the lands 
denuded of the forest, churches and schools flourishing around him, and
  society rapidly attaining that high and cultered condition for which Ashtabula 
County is justly famed.  He was not   adapted to the life of a farmer, and much 
of his time was devoted to the teaching of day and singing schools.  He
  had an easy, free delivery and was often called upon to deliver addresses in 
his own and adjoinging towns on   different occasions.  He was an examiner of 
school teachers, clerk of his township for many years, and in various
  ways served the public in a manner always satisfactory to them and honorable 
to himself.  "But the one   characteristic of his life that was the most 
prominent was his love of antiquity.  He lived in the past.  Perhaps no one
  knew better than he did the incidents connected with the early history of 
every town in the county.  Many of the   readers of this sketch will remember 
him in connection with a cabinet of relics of his own collection often exhibited
  at our county fair; these are deposited with the historical and philosphical 
association at Jefferson.  As agent of the   society, he spent much time and 
labor in preparing a history of the county."

  He was united in marriage on September 10, 1815, to Mary Emmitt, who was a 
daughter of Rev. Samuel Emmitt of   Sparta, New York.  The fruits of this union 
were seven children, viz., - Sarah P., born July 21, 1816, married James
  H. Williams (deceased); Harriet A., born August 20, 1818, married Lorenzo A. 
Sanders; Samuel E., born May 16,   1821, married Elizabeth De Lano; Nancy T., 
born January 2, 1824, married Sylvester Perrew; John A., born August
  12, 1826, married Lucinda M. Gladding; Lemuel L., born February 16, 1829, 
married Mary Cook; and Mary J., born   September 11, 1833, married William 
Addicott. 

  "He was a good neighbor, kind husband and father, a faithful friend, an enemy 
of no person, benevolent, and a true   Christian."  He was a life-long and 
worthy member of the Freemasons, and in his travels received much substantial
  aid from the brethrenof this mystic brotherhood.  His death occurred on the 
27th day of November, 1863, and his   funeral was conducted under the auspices 
of the order, a numerous audience being in attendance despite the   inclemancy 
of the weather.  His works will stand a perpetual monument so long as time 
endures."