OHIO STATEWIDE FILES OH-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. *********************************************************************** OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 218 Today's Topics: #1 WILLIAM HERMAN GEIGER - CARROLL CO [AUPQ38A@prodigy.com (MRS GINA M RE] #2 CAPT. HARRY W. KIRBY - CARROLL COU [AUPQ38A@prodigy.com (MRS GINA M RE] #3 LEWIS W. LEWTON - CARROLL COUNTY [AUPQ38A@prodigy.com (MRS GINA M RE] #4 CARROLL COUNTY - PART 2 [AUPQ38A@prodigy.com (MRS GINA M RE] ------------------------------ X-Message: #1 Date: Tue, 6 Apr 1999 10:58:05, -0500 From: AUPQ38A@prodigy.com (MRS GINA M REASONER) Subject: WILLIAM HERMAN GEIGER - CARROLL COUNTY HISTORY OF OHIO, The American Historical Society, Inc., 1925 Volume IV, page 35 WILLIAM HERMAN GEIGER, who represents a family that has lived in Eastern Ohio for a century, is one of the leading educators of the state, being superintendent of schools of Lisbon. His brother, Franklin Paul Geiger, is an educator also, in Columbiana County, being superintendent of schools at East Liverpool. William Herman Geiger was born near Malvern, in Carroll County, Ohio, December 27, 1879. The farm where he was born and where he grew up is now owned by his brother, Edwin C., and is the original Geiger homestead, settled by his great-grandfather, John Jacob Geiger. This ancestor was a native of Baden, Germany, and came to America in the early '20s of the last century, settling on and improving the farm noted above in Carroll County, where he spent the rest of his life. His son, John Paul Geiger, was born in Baden, Germany, in 1818, and was about four years of age when brought to this country. He also made farming his lifelong vocation, and died at his farm near Malvern in January, 1892. His wife was Mary Magdalene Schneider, who died near Malvern. John Jacob Geiger, father of William H. Geiger, was born near Malvern, February 4, 1846, and spent all his life in that community, where he was successfully engaged in farming until his death on May 5, 1918, at the age of seventy-three. He was a very substantial and influential citizen, an active worker in the Reformed Church, and always voted as a republican. His wife, Mary Schory, was born near Minerva, December 4, 1847, and is now seventy-seven years of age. Their children were seven in number, the oldest being Franklin Paul Geiger, above mentioned as superintendent of schools at East Liverpool; Anna S., deceased, was the wife of Clarence Foltz, a farmer near Malvern; Edwin C., owns and operates the old homestead; Emma died at the age of two years; William Herman is the fifth in age; Mary Edna married Herbert A. Weaver, who is in the offices of the Timken company, autombole accessory manufacturers at Canton, and John Q., the youngest, lives at home. William Herman Geiger's early associations were with the home farm in the community where the Geigers have lived for four generations. He attended rural schools in Brown Township of Carroll County, graduated from the Malvern High School in 1898, and did his first work as a teacher in the rural district of Stark County, where he continued teaching five years. In the meantime he was spending his summers and other vacation periods advancing his won education in Mount Union College, and in 1910 graduated with the Bachelor of Philosophy degree from that college. He was a member of the Alpha Tau Omego fraternity at Mount Union. In the meantime, from 1903 to 1907, he had been superintendent of schools at Waynesburg, Ohio, and during 1907-08 he taught in the City High Schools at Alliance. In 1908-09 he was superintendent of schools in Lexington Township of Stark County, doing this work while carrying his studies in college. After graduating Mr. Geiger spent the school year 1910-11 as a teacher in the East Liverpool High School, and during 1911-12 did post-graduate work in the University of Chicago, where he received his Master of Arts degree in June, 1912. While at the University of Chicago he was elected a member of the teachers' fraternity, Chi Delta Kappa. Mr. Geiger was superintendent of schools in Caldwell, in Noble County, from 1913 to 1917, and since the latter years has been superintendent of the city schools at Lisbon. Lisbon has three schools and a staff of twenty-eight teachers, the scholarship enrollment being about one thousand. Mr. Geiger is well known in educational circles, being a member of the Columbiana County Teachers Association, the Columbiana County School Masters Club, the Northeastern Ohio Teachers' Association, the Ohio State Teachers Association and the National Educational Association. He is a member of the Lisbon Kiwanis Club, is a republican, is an elder in the First Presbyterian Church, and is affiliated with Noble Lodge No. 459, Free and Accepted Masons, at Caldwell, and Cumberland Chapter No. 116, Royal Arch Masons, at Caldwell. On August 8, 1912, in Knox Township, Columbiana County, he married Miss Esther S. Yaggi, whose parents, Christian and Lucinda (Hoffman) Yaggi, now deceased, were prosperous farmers in that section. Mrs. Geiger finished her education in Mount Union College. They have two children, Doris Virginia and Martha Lynette. ------------------------------ X-Message: #2 Date: Tue, 6 Apr 1999 10:58:06, -0500 From: AUPQ38A@prodigy.com (MRS GINA M REASONER) Subject: CAPT. HARRY W. KIRBY - CARROLL COUNTY BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL RECORD OF ADAMS COUNTY INDIANA The Lewis Publishing Company, 1887 Page 400 CAPTAIN HARRY W. KIRBY, a brother of Mrs. Thompson, was born at Lamartine, Carroll County, Ohio, December 18, 1845. Entered Harlem Springs College in 1860. In 1861 enlisted in the Eightieth Ohio Regiment, served through the war under Grant and Sherman and rose to Captain. In 1865 he entered the University of Michigan, and remained until his senior year, when he accepted the position of Professor of Mathematics in Harlem Springs College; studied law under Judge Tripp, of Carrollton, Ohio, was admitted to the bar in 1880, never settled down to practice, but has handled many intricate cases successfully. In 1882 he came to Willshire, Ohio, to nurse his brother with small-pox; after which was principal of schools at Pleasant Mills, Indiana, for three years, and has since made his home in Adams County. He served one term as deputy county surveyor. He has contributed to the leading journals of the country, and is at present arranging to publish a volume of his own poems. ------------------------------ X-Message: #3 Date: Tue, 6 Apr 1999 10:58:10, -0500 From: AUPQ38A@prodigy.com (MRS GINA M REASONER) Subject: LEWIS W. LEWTON - CARROLL COUNTY BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL RECORD OF ADAMS COUNTY INDIANA The Lewis Publishing Company, 1887 Page 360 LEWIS W. LEWTON, farmer, section 17 and 20, Root Township, was born in Adams County, Indiana, November 12, 1841. When he was quite young his parents moved to Adams County, locating in Decatur, where the father died in December, 1845. The latter was born April 16, 1815, and was married March 2, 1837. He was a son of Perry and Mary (Le Masters) Lewton, the former a native of Carroll County, Ohio and when a young man came to Adams County, Indiana. He was married in Adams County. The mother was born in Carroll County, Ohio, April 11, 1816. Her parents were John and Nancy (Baxter) Le Masters, both of whom died in Root Township. Mr. Lewton's grandmother died January 9, 1864, her husband having died previously. Mr. Lewton was reared in Decatur and Root townships. After his father's death the family removed to a farm. The mother afterward married Zedekiah Brown. There were three children in the family of Mr. Lewton's father -Nancy E., born February 10, 1838, died at the age of thirteen years; Lewis, and Perry A., born March 12, 1845. All were born in Adams County. There was one half brother -James B., born September 22, 1852, and died April 16, 1853. Our subject was married November 24, 1867, to Miss Sarah J. Robison, who was born in Adams County, and died August 15, 1870, leaving two children -Mary E., born August 20, 1868, and Lewis C., born December 6, 1869. January 3, 1872, Mr. Lewton was married to Miss Mary C. Robison, a sister of his former wife. Her parents were James and Elizabeth (Douden) Robison. Mr. and Mrs. Lewton have had six children -Carrie D., born January 14, 1873; Amos J., born January 17, 1875; Ada M., born June 15, 1877; Hattie, born June 7, 1879, died August 27, 1880; Edgar W., born May 8, 1882, and Daisy, born October 9, 1884. Politically Mr. Lewton is a Democrat. He was elected township trustee in 1884, and re-elected in 1886. His grandfather, Jacob Lewton, was born in Maryland, and died in Harrison County, Ohio, at the age of eighty-five years. He was twice married, and the father of fifteen children. During the late war Mr. Lewton enlisted in Company K, Eighty-ninth Indiana Infantry, and served three years. He enlisted August 28, 1862, and was mustered out July 19, 1865, at Mobile, Alabama. His first battle was at Munfordville, and was there taken prisoner September 17, and was paroled the same day and went to Indianapolis. He returned home and remained until exchanged. His regiment was in General Bank's Red River expedition, under the command of General A.J. Smith, Division Commander. ------------------------------ X-Message: #4 Date: Tue, 6 Apr 1999 10:58:16, -0500 From: AUPQ38A@prodigy.com (MRS GINA M REASONER) Subject: CARROLL COUNTY - PART 2 HISTORICAL COLLECTION OF OHIO, By Henry Howe, LL.D. 1898 TRAVELING NOTES "You must see Gen. Eckley when you visit Carrollton," said various parties when I was in the counties adjoining. "He can tell you everything." He was, they said, "a man of great public spirit and large intelligence." On the evening of my arrival, Friday, June 11, I found two old gentlemen seated on a dry-goods box on a street corner -I may say two old boys -engaged in a social chat; and one of these was Capt. John Beatty, the first sheriff of Carroll county,; the other Gen. Ephraim R. Eckley, who was a judge before he was a general -a man of law before a man of war. His first greeting was, "You've grown old since I have seen you." I did not remember to have ever seen him, but must have done so when formerly here -when I took the old view shown on an adjoining page -took it as one told me he remembered seeing me seated on a wheel-barrow in the centre of the street. Gen. Eckley has lived almost the entire period of the history of the State; was born in 1811. Having been long in public life, he has witnessed many changes. Among his experiences was his being in at the death of the Whig party in 1854; the Free-Soil party, in nautical phrase, had "taken its wind." He was then the Whig candidate for the United States Senate, which was the last effort of the Whigs at organization. In 1861 he served in the Virginia campaign under Rosecrans; later, under Sherman, had command at Paducah; in April, 1862, was elected to Congress, where he remained until 1869. He gave me these interesting items, illustrating the morals of the people here, viz: that the jail was generally empty, and when used at all it was largely for violation of some police arrangement; and that from 1842 to 1863, a period of twenty-one years, Carroll county had not supplied a single inmate for the penitentiary. Other counties in Ohio, I find, can give a like record. Such, however, have mainly rural populations. GENERAL HARRISON AND THE HONEST GERMAN. -On July 4, 1838, Harrison addressed a Whig meeting at Massillon, and the next day came here and "put up" at the tavern of David J. Levy. In the evening he made an impromptu address from the hotel steps. Next morning he arose early to take a walk before breakfast, the ostensible purpose being to get a drink from John Young's spring, a spot on the outskirts where Mr. Young had a tannery with a bath-house and fine spring of water. On his arrival there he met Jonas Miller, an honest, simple-hearted German, on his way to town. Harrison bade him good morning, and observing he had his hand done up in a bandage, asked him "What was the matter with it?" he replied he had a felon on it and was going to town to get a drink of whiskey; thought it would ease the pain. Harrison advised him kindly not to drink, it would be only the worse for him, gave him a receipt for its cure and the twain walked into the town together. Harrison was dressed in a plain suit of fustian, and, after parting from Miller, some one asked the latter if he knew whom he had been talking with? He replied "No." When told, he was so overcome that he sat down and cried like a child. Miller had been a strong Democrat, but thenceforth was an enthusiastic Harrison man. In speaking of this event he would say in broken English; "Mein Gott, it was the great Gineral Harrison that walked down the street and talked with me and cured my felon." RURAL SIGHTS. -Having slept upon the General's chat I took a walk the next morning. There is an advantage in these small towns; a few steps take one into the country where the green earth, and the blue sky have an open chance to look at each other square in the face and exchange notes; and there, too -and it is not a small matter -are the cattle on a thousand hills, peaceful, patient and picturesque; chewing the cud and whilom keeping the fly-brush agoing and often with a rhythm so well pronounced that some painstaking, head-scratching poet might pause there for a hint, if so disposed. Carrollton is on undulating ground and the country around a series of beautiful swells. Each house is generally on an ample home lot and the people live mostly in cottages. The gardens of the villagers, rich in flowers, were yet moist with the dew of morning, while the sunlight, stealing in long, slanting ribbon-bands across their beds, illuminated them in richest glory of color and in sweetest blending of light and shade. And the thought came upon me, now this very morning, all over this broad land, there are multitudes of just such villages as this with just such scenes and with just such worthy, virtuous people as these. And with this grateful fact upon the heart, should we question is life worth living? Whatever man might answer, the bee, flitting on golden wing from flower to flower, would reply, "Yes; don't I get honey?" THE OLD LADY AND HER FLOWERS -On coming to one of the cottages I saw an old lady on her knees with a wet cloth in hand wiping her porch. She was surrounded by the pots of flowers which she had nursed through the winter and had brought them out alongside of those that kind mother Earth had put forth from her bosom in the open air. "Good-morning," said I. With that she turned her head, lifted her sunbonnet and arose to her feet to see who it was that had greeted her. I then continued, as she still held her cloth in her hand with her arm limp by her side: "Do you know Madam, what a favor you confer upon every passer-by by your display of flowers?" Upon this she smiled and said, "Why I never thought of that; I cultivate them because I love them." "You people," I rejoined, "appear to live very pleasantly and the country around looks very sweet to me as I see it rolling away in graceful swells of grassy fields interspersed with clumps of trees." "Yes," she rejoined, "and it is now in all its beauty." Yes! she was right. It was the beautiful month of June that had come, and had she felt like quoting the poetry she might have started straight for Longfellow, as he thus speaks for June: "Mine is month of roses; yes, and mine The month of marriages! All pleasant sights And scents, the fragrance of the blossoming vines, The foliage of the valleys and the heights Mine are the longest days, the loveliest nights; The mower's scythe makes music to my ear; I am the mother of all dear delights, I am the fairest daughter of the year." "You people," I continued, "appear to live in this village in a great deal of comfort and freedom. "I don't like it," she replied. "There is too much style for me! Until I was forty years of age I lived on a farm, and I pine for its open, free life. There is so much to interest one, and the animals are a continued source of gratification. Then your neighbors run in and out without any formality and we all seem as one great family. This village life has too much restriction. If one's gate gets open and your cow happens to get out she is taken up and put in the pound, and there is seventy-five cents or a dollar to pay to get Muley out." "Trouble everywhere," I said. "Yes, she rejoined, and opening wide her mouth, displayed a full set of perfect, pearly white teeth. God bless the dentist, I then thought, whose inventive art permits a refined old lady like you to give full play to her merriment without compelling her, when the hinges of her mouth relax for a good hearty laugh, to hide it with her hand. A moment later I met a young mother happy as a lark. Instead of turning over her children to the care of Bridget and lolling on a luxurious couch, absorbed in reading the details of the make-up of Mrs. Cleveland's wedding-dress, she was leading by the hand, amid these rustic surroundings on this bright June morning, her own little girl, perhaps her first-born. I watched as I came up the slender limbs of the little one alternately stealing in an out from beneath the folds of her blue dress and said, "Good-morning: I see the blue birds are out." "Yes, sir; this one." -------------------------------- End of OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest V99 Issue #218 *******************************************