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. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. *********************************************************************** OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 794 Today's Topics: #1 Fw: Bio - 1885 - Portage co, OH, # ["Maggie Stewart" To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <039d01bf342d$929e8c20$0300a8c0@local.net> Subject: Fw: Bio - 1885 - Portage co, OH, #4 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit ----- Original Message ----- From: Betty Ralph To: Sent: Thursday, November 18, 1999 4:12 PM Bios: Stanford, Stockberger, Stratton, Thompson, Townsend - Portage County, Ohio, from "History of Portage County, Ohio" published by Warner, Beers & Co., Chicago, 1885 Copyright C 1999 by Betty Ralph. This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. bralph@hiwaay.net ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any 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. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ************************************************************************ JAMES SPIERS, farmer, P.O. Atwater, was born in England, October 16, 1813, son of Thomas and Ann (Parkins) Spiers, with whom he immigrated to this country in 1833, and located in Deerfield Township, where Thomas Spiers died the following week. In 1840 our subject secured fifty acres of his present estate, now comprising eighty-two acres, which at that time was wholly wooded. A road through the forests had to be cut to make a clearing for the erection of a cabin. Their bread was baked in a kettle suspended on poles, over a fire, and they experienced all the other hardships and privations incident to a pioneer's life. He was married in Boardman, then Trumbull, now Mahoning County, Ohio, February 29, 1844, to Miss Betsey, daughter of Peter and Elizabeth Webber, by whom he has the following children living: Milo; Lucy, wife of Charles Craig (have one child - Ethel M.); and Celeste, residing at home, the joy and solace of her parents' declining years. The family are widely known and highly esteemed. C.J. STANFORD, member of firm of Stanford & Mendenhall, furniture dealers and undertakers, Atwater, was born in Randolph Township, this county, September 7, 1841. His father, Orrin Stanford, a native of Connecticut, came to this county when a youth, with his father, Oliver, who was one of the pioneers of Randolph Township. Orrin Stanford married Eliza Coe, a daughter of Deacon James Coe, Sr., who was born in Granville, Mass., March 19, 1769, and settled in Randolph Township, this county, in 1811. The Coe family came to this country from the County of Suffolk, England, where their ancestors for many generations back had resided. Robert Coe, of Milford, Suffolk, was burned at the state by orders from Queen Mary, September, 1555. Robert Coe (of the ninth generation) is the first of this name who came to this country. The subject of this sketch learned the carpenter's trade of his father and worked at the same until he joined the Union Army, in 1861, enlisting in Company A, Forty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and serving three years. He participated in the battles of Middle Creek, Ky., under Garfield, Pound Gap, Siege of Vicksburg, Arkansas Post, and in other skirmishes. After his return he worked at his trade until 1844 when he opened a furniture store and undertaking establishment at Edinburg. In 1880 he removed his business to Atwater, and in 1883 Mr. Mendenhall was admitted a partner in the concern. Mr. Stanford was married, March 15, 1883, to Miss Nina Mendenhall, by whom he has one son - William. W.H. STOCKBERGER, carriage manufacturer, P.O. Atwater Center, was born in New Lisbon, Columbiana Co., Ohio, in September, 1841, son of Frederick and Elizabeth Stockberger, who emigrated from Germany in 1835. They were married at New Lisbon and settled at Atwater Center in 1854. Their family consisted of four children: Caroline, W.H., Daniel and Lizzie. Frederick Stockberger was a carriage-maker by trade, and established the present business here, which he carried on to the close of his life, in 1878. His widow is still living. The subject of this sketch was married in Pittsburgh, Penn., in 1862, to Miss Louisa Rettman, also a native of Germany. Their living children are Jessie, Carrie, Mary, Frank, Lottie, Frederick, Walter and one not named. Mr. Stockberger has made great improvements in the carriage factory, moving the old building to the rear and erecting a substantial two-story structure. The main floor is used as a carriage repository and the upper floor as a paint shop and drying room. This addition was completed in 1880. Mr. Stockberger and family are members of the Lutheran Church. JARED STRATTON, farmer, P.O. Atwater, was born in 1841, in Atwater Township, this county; son of Jared and Damaris (Perkins) Stratton, natives of Connecticut, who settled in Atwater Township in 1821. Of their children, three are now living: Almon, born in this township, in 1831, married toRebecca Henline (they have two children: Willie J. and Howard S.); Jared; and Samuel, unmarried. Jared Stratton, Sr., was a carpenter by trade, and worked at this occupation until within a few years previous to his death in 1883. His widow is now a resident of the old homestead farm. The subject of this sketch, in 1871, settled on his present farm consisting of fifty-six acres, which he has greatly improved and cultivated. He was married in 1872, to Miss Lydia B. McLeish, who has borne him four children: Fannie, Frank, John and Walter. Mr. Stratton is present Clerk of this district, School Director and a member of the Board of Education. He was appointed a Deacon in the Congregational Church, of which he is a member, in 1883. SAMUEL STRATTON, farmer, P.O. Atwater, was born in Atwater Township, this county, June 21, 1843; youngest son of Jared Stratton, Sr., whose history appears above. Samuel Stratton has always remained on the homestead farm, and since his father's death, February 18, 1883, has been the support and companion of his respected mother, now in her eightieth year. Our subject has added thirty-seven and one-quarter acres to the original homestead, making a total of seventy-five and one-quarter acres. He is connected with the Congregational Church. WILLIAM THOMPSON, farmer, P.O. Atwater, was born in Deerfield Township, this county, in 1882, son of Uriah and Elizabeth (Allen) Thompson, natives of New Jersey, and among the pioneers of 1810 to settle in Deerfield Township. At that time there were but ten families in the township, the country was covered with woods, and wild animals were in abundance. Their nearest market was New Lisbon. Uriah Thompson secured eighty acres of land which he cleared, but subsequently removed to Atwater Township, where he and his wife died at the ages of eighty-four and seventy-nine, respectively. Of their six children, three now survive: Uriah, Jr., William and Elizabeth. Our subject has occupied his present farm, now comprising 225 acres, since he was eighteen years of age. He erected a cheese factory on his place, and has won for himself a wide reputation as a successful manufacturer of this commodity. He began life empty-handed, clearing his farm of woods and slowly improving it until he has now one of the best in the county. Mr. Thompson was married in 1855, to Miss Emily Fowler, of Pennsylvania. Of the children born to this union five are living: Louis, Owen P., Lillie, Leona and Wendell. SAMUEL TOWNSEND, ticket and station agent, Atwater, was born in Mahoning County, Ohio, in 1836; son of Jonathan and Ann Townsend of English and French descent, respectively. They came from Bucks County, Penn., and settled in Mahoning County, Ohio, in 1833, where they both died. Our subject was married in 1865 to Miss Lois Roller, of his native county. He was brought up on a farm and followed various occupation until his removal to Atwater in 1870. He was subsequently employed as assistant station agent until the resignation of H. Hillyer, in January, 1884, when he succeeded him, and has proved himself to be an efficient officer. He is well known and highly respected. ______________________________ ------------------------------ X-Message: #2 Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 09:35:27 -0500 From: "Maggie Stewart" To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <03a301bf342d$a7c45da0$0300a8c0@local.net> Subject: Fw: Bio - 1885 - Portage co, OH, #4 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit ----- Original Message ----- From: Betty Ralph To: Sent: Thursday, November 18, 1999 8:43 PM Bios: Waller, Warrington, Webber, Whittelsey, Willsey, Woolf - Portage County, Ohio, from "History of Portage County, Ohio" published by Warner, Beers & Co., Chicago, 1885 Copyright C 1999 by Betty Ralph. This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. bralph@hiwaay.net ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any 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. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ************************************************************************ SILAS P. WALLER, farmer, P.O. Atwater, was born November 6, 1841, on the Waller estate, this township, in the old log cabin which his father first occupied in 1837, since when two generations have been born within its honored walls. His father, David G. Waller, was born in Palmyra Township, this county, August 12, 1812, and was married to Catherine Webber, born in Pennsylvania, October 17, 1804, daughter of Peter Webber, who was born September 4, 1779, in Berkshire County, Penn., a son of Christian Webber, a native of Germany who fled from that country when eighteen years of age to avoid being pressed into the army. To this union were born the following children, viz.: Hiram, Silas P. (our subject), and David Webber. David G. Waller's parents, Silas, Sr., and Betsey (Knappen) Waller, were natives of Connecticut and parents of thirteen children, only two of whom now survive: David G. and Mason, a native of Palmyra Township, where he still resides. Silas Waller, Sr., was a son of Joseph (who died in Connecticut) and Sarah Waller who accompanied her three sons, Silas, David and Asel, with their families, who settled in Palmyra in 1805; she died February 21, 1815. Our subject was married June 2, 1870, to Miss Angeline V., daughter of Henry and Sophia Dawes, early settlers of Deerfield Township, natives of England and the parents of twelve children. To Mr. and Mrs. Waller have been born six children, four now living: Mary Sophia, Fannie Betsey, Cora Elizabeth and George Edmund. Our subject enlisted in 1861 in the three months' call, but did not go out. He re-enlisted for three years in Company G, Seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was wounded in the battle of Cedar Mountain, Va., August 9, 1862, and was honorably discharged on account of same, March 16, 1863. After being discharged from the army he attended school at the Poland Seminary, Mahoning Co., Ohio, for one year, and during the winter of 1864-65 he attended the Iron City Commercial College, from which he graduated in the spring of 1865. In October, 1865, he removed to Lawrence County, Mo., and was engaged in teaching school for five years, during which time he assisted in organizing a teachers' institute, and establishing a teachers' library of over 350 volumes; was one of the prime movers in establishing a normal school at Marionville (the building costing $12,000). He was a member of its first Board of directors, and Secretary of the Board of Directors for three years, and also one of the Building Committee. In the spring of 1870 he returned to the old homestead on a visit, during which he married Angeline Victoria Dawes, and in September returned with his bride to Missouri. During the winter he taught school. In the spring of 1871 he engaged in farming, in which he continued for five years, and during that time he held the offices of Township Clerk, Township Treasurer and Collector of Taxes; he was First Lieutenant of Company I, Missouri State Militia. During the fall of 1873 they lost their little boy, Edmund Guy, and in the spring of 1874 they buried their little boy, Henry Lester, over which his wife became very despondent. Her health remaining very poor all summer, she returned to Ohio on a visit the first of October, staying all the winter of 1874-75. During that time he was engaged in teaching school. In the spring of 1875 he returned to Ohio, and stayed all summer, during which time his wife's health greatly improved. In the fall of 1875 he proposed to his wife that they return to Missouri again, to which she objected, saying that she would rather live in Ohio in a log cabin than in Missouri in a mansion. He then decided to return to Missouri, dispose of his property and come back and settle on the old homestead and is now living in the old log cabin which has been standing some sixty-five years, and in which the third generation is now living. He has been a member of the Township Board of Education for seven years, and has always taken an active part in public and private enterprises. E. WARRINGTON, M.D., Atwater, was born in Butler Township, Columbiana Co., Ohio, in April, 1821, son of Abraham and Keziah (Woolman) Warrington, who were the first couple married in Springfield Settlement, Columbiana Co., Ohio, where they raised their family of ten children and resided the balance of their lives. Our subject was raised on a farm, receiving a primary education in Friends' select schools and at Mt. Pleasant Academy. After teaching twelve years and practicing surveying he began the study of medicine, and graduated at Cleveland in the Medical Department of the Western Reserve College in 1852. For five years he practiced his profession at North Benton, Mahoning Co., Ohio. In 1857 he settled in Atwater Center, where he has since been in constant and successful practice, and with two exceptions is the oldest living physician in the county. He has been a member of the Portage County Medical Society for sixteen years, ever since it was started; is also a member of the Northeastern Ohio Medical Association. During his twenty-eight years' residence in Atwater seven doctors at different time have tried to get a foothold there, but would remain only a short time. Dr. Warrington for many years back has used antiseptic method in the treatment of both wounds and diseases with marked success generally, and in some individual cases with marvelous results. In 1863 the Doctor was married to Miss Jane Sproat, who died in 1863, leaving two children - Richard and Jessie. He was married on second occasion in April, 1865, to Miss Elizabeth Ritchie, of Columbiana County, Ohio. Dr. Warrington has served as Township Treasurer and on Board of Education. He is connected with the Congregational Church. JAMES WEBBER, Jr., farmer, P.O. Atwater Centre, was born on the homestead farm where he now resides in Atwater Township, this county, April 8, 1825, the second son of James, Sr., and Phebe (Mix) Weber. Our subject was married in 1855 to Margaret, widow of Isaac L. Webber, eldest son of James Webber, Sr. (by whom she had three children: James B., Charles E. and Lida L), and a native of Harrison County Ind. To our subject and wife have been born two sons: Robert L. and Howard H. Residing from birth on the old homestead, our subjects life has necessarily been uneventful. He has served as Justice of the Peace some years and in various other township offices of trust. HIRAM B. WEBBER, merchant, P.O. Atwater Centre, was born in Atwater Township, this county, July 18, 1828, son of James, Sr., and Phebe (Mix) Webber, natives of Wallingford, Conn. The subject of this sketch left home when seventeen years of age, and followed mercantile business at New Albany, Ind., where he was extensively engaged for upwards of thirty years. He was united in marriage in Indianapolis, Ind., in 1856, with Miss Fannie E. Smith, of Bloomington, Ind., and who died in Atwater, this township, March 6, 1881. By this union there are three children, now living: Louis C., Mary J. and John L. Mr. Webber moved to St. Louis in 1872, and engaged in the sale of carpets, but in 1875 returned to his native place, where he erected his present place of business, in which he carries a general stock of goods. Mr. Webber was a stockholder and Director in the Ohio Falls Iron Works at New Albany, Ind., and has been otherwise identified with prominent operations here and elsewhere. FRIEND WHITTELSEY, farmer, P.O. Atwater, was born April 10, 1830, in Atwater Township, this county, son of Randolph and Clarissa (Mansfield) Whittelsey, of Wallingford, Conn., who are the parents of five children: Patrick, Edgar, Friend, Randall, and Clara, wife of Ambrose Goss. The paternal grandfather of our subject, John H. Whittelsey, also a native of Wallingford, Conn., of Scotch descent, settled in the woods near Atwater about 1807, on the farm now owned and occupied by John B. Whittelsey, Jr., his only living child. Our subject was married in 1856 to Miss Eliza Ballinger, of Atwater, who came from Cheltenham, England, with her parents in 1850, and who died in November, 1859, leaving one son - Elisha. Mr. Whittelsey was married, on second occasion to Miss Susan B. Smith, of Deefield, by whom he has two children: Susan B. and Edgar. Mr. Whittelsey occupies a part of the old homestead, having a farm of 260 acres. He is regarded as one of the substantial men of Atwater Township. RANDALL WHITTELSEY, farmer, P.O. Atwater, was born on the homestead farm, upon which he now lives, in Atwater Township, this county, August 30, 1842, the youngest son of Randolph S. and Clarissa (Mansfield) Whittelsey, natives of Wallingford, Conn., where the former was born September, 1799, and the latter in November, 1800. They reared a family of five children, all of whom are now living: Patrick, Edgar, Friend, Randall, and Clara, wife of Ambrose Goss. Randolph S. Whittelsey came to this county when seven years of age, with his father, John H. who founded a home on the land in Atwater Township, now occupied by John B. Whittelsey. Our subject was married November 16, 1876, to Miss Lucy L., daughter of Royal Merwin, of Palmyra Township, this county, and whose family were pioneers of that township. The three children born to this union are all living: Lois, born June 11, 1878; Clara Jane, born August 7, 1880, and Royal, Born August 1, 1882. The Whittelseys are among the most numerous of the pioneers, and are highly respected. Under our subject's able administration the homestead farm has become one of the finest in Atwater Township. A.V. WILLSEY, Postmaster and merchant, Atwater, was born in Schohaire County, N.Y., in 1823, son of Henry T. and Orpha (Snow) Willsey, natives of that State. The family located north of Atwater Center in 1840, and subsequently moved to Ashtabula County, Ohio, where Mr. Willsey died. His widow lived to attain her eighty-fifth year, and died in Atwater Township, this county, March 28, 1884. They raised a family of five children, all of whom are living, and of these, Moses, who served three years in the Union Army during the late war of the Rebellion, is now a resident of Ashtabula County, Ohio. The subject of this sketch learned the carpenter's trade in his native place, and followed this occupation in connection with farming until his appointment as Postmaster of Atwater by President Grant in 1871, which position he has filled continuously since that time. Mr. Willsey was married in 1843 to Miss Mary J. Clover, a native of Pennsylvania, by whom he has three children: Louisa, wife of Z. Crubaugh; Henry, and Delilah, wife of G. Gelhart. Mr. Willsey owns a farm in Atwater Township, this county, which he operates in connection with his other business. He has served six years as Justice of the Peace, and two terms as Notary. HOMER H. WOOLF, hardware merchant, Atwater, was born in Mahoning County, Ohio, October 24, 1851, son of George and Eliza A. (Baum) Woolf, natives of Columbiana County and Mahoning County, Ohio, respectively, and who had a family of six children, of whom five are now living: Preston G., Homer H., Maurice O., Clark E. and Wilson W. George Woolf came to this county in 1848, and followed farming until he retired from business. He is now a resident of Atwater township. His wife died December 2, 1880. Our subject was brought up on a farm, and after attending Mt. Union College three years, taught school nine terms and then embarked in business. He was married in Ravenna, June 17, 1875, to Miss Carry V. Crumrine, a native of Mahoning County, Ohio, by whom he has three children: Edith A., A. Leslie and Elsie L. Mr. Woolf, with his brother Preston, established their present business in Atwater in 1874, and in March, 1882, Preston disposed of his interest to our subject, who has since carried it on alone and is doing a good trade, having a stock of about $3,000. He is now serving his third tern as Justice of the Peace, and has filled other township offices. His father's family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. -------------------------------- End of OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest V99 Issue #794 *******************************************