SUMMIT COUNTY OHIO - BIO: SNYDER, Abraham (published ) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Denise Snyder Dz552@aol.com November 29, 1998 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ABRAHAM SNYDER Abraham Snyder, a leading citizen of Springfield Township, who is engaged in threshing and operating both a grain and a sawmill, was born 5-7-1833, on a farm but one and a quarter miles distant from the one on which he lives, in Springfield Township, Summit County, Ohio. His parents were Jost A. and Salome (Baughman) Snyder. The father of Mr. Snyder was born August 25, 1791, in Low Hill Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, and came to Green Township, Summit County, which was then part of Stark County, after his marriage. He served under General Jackson in the War of 1812, and participated in the battle of New Orleans. When he settled in Summit County he had a wagon and two horses, by means of which he transported his family and possessions over the 500 miles between the old home and the new, and a money capital of $105, all but five dollars of which he paid for twenty acres of land. To this first purchase he made seven additions of adjoining land, and at his death owned sixty-three acres. He built first a cabin of logs, 10 by 15 feet in dimensions, which was supplanted by a larger cabin having a board roof, and this in turn was followed by a hewed-log house, two and one-half stories in height, its dimensions being 30 by 20 feet, and his fourth house and the last one which he erected was also of logs, framed about, 24 by 16 feet in dimensions, with a kitchen attached which was 10 by 12 feet. Mr. Snyder was a man of pioneer robustness and was reasonably proud of his prowess in hunting bear, and frequently shot wolves and deer on the very land on which Akron now stands. He never forgot the friends of his youth, and during his subsequent residence in Ohio, walked the distance of 500 miles back to Pennsylvania to visit those left behind, on three occasions. He was welcome wherever he went, being a man of kindly nature, jovial spirit and great native intelligence. He married Salome Baughman and they had fifteen children, namely: Joshua, Elizabeth, George, Joel, Isaiah, Jacob, Sophia, Daniel, Paul, Ezra, Jonas, Abraham, Nathan and Peter, all surviving to a good age except two, one of these being an unnamed infant born next to the youngest. They grew up resembling their father, large, fine appearing men and women. The survivors are: Nathan, residing in Brimfield Twp., Portage County; Paul, residing in West Twp., Marshall County, Indiana, and Abraham, of Springfield Township. Abraham Snyder had few educational advantages in his youth, his real school attendance being covered by two months, but he has always made the most of his opportunities and is able to write intelligently in both the English and German languages, something very many of the younger generation cannot accomplish. He thinks he is probably one of the oldest threshers in all this section, as he was not more than ten years of age when he began feeding a threshing machine. During his boyhood he worked in the mill in his neighborhood, during a large part of the time when not threshing, and during the winter seasons helped operate the old loom in the kitchen, where all the cloth for the big family was woven. He grew to manhood with ingrained habits of industry and thrift. When the Civil War broke out, Mr. Snyder commenced to consider the subject of enlisting, but like many others, private duties and responsibilities stood in the way. He had been reared a Democrat by a stanch Democratic father, but bother were men of loyal sentiment and, in 1863, Abraham Snyder proved that his patriotism was more than mere talk by offering his services and enlisting in Company F, Third Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served until the close of the war, with the rank of first lieutenant. He participated in many important battles and traveled thousands of miles on long and weary marches. After the close of the Civil War, Mr. Snyder returned to his home and engaged in farming and his previous occupations until 1888, when he moved on his present farm, where he is still engaged in milling and also in threshing. Snyder’s mill at Millheim is a historic landmark. The dam was built in 1817 and the mill constructed shortly afterward, and it is the oldest mill in Summit County. In 1828 it was rebuilt by Michael Myers and is situated on a part of lot 7, tract 6, on the banks of the Tuscarawas Creek. Mr. Snyder purchased the mill from H.J. Kreighbaum in 1899, he being the assignee of its former owner, William C. Shook. The stanch old framework is of hewed timber. A sawmill formerly stood near, but the grain mill was built soon after the first settlement. It is a paying property under Mr. Snyder’s excellent management. He grinds chop and feed and has all he can do, keeping the mill running both day and night. On June 19.1858, Mr. Snyder was married to Catherine Cranoble, who is a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Cranoble. She was born in Grote Twp., Center County, Pennsylvania, January 8, 1831, and accompanied her parents to Suffield Twp., Portage County, where they settled on the farm now owned by Jacob Mishler. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have had born to them four sons and one daughter, the survivors being: William, Stephen Douglas, Sarah and George Pendleton. William Snyder, residing at Millheim, married Mary Rodenbaugh, who is now deceased. She left two sons and one daughter, Curtis, Oscar W. and Sadie. Stephen Douglas Snyder married Mary Ellen Tritt, who is a daughter of Joseph Tritt, and they reside in the brick house near Tritt mill. They have six children, namely: Agnes, Frank, George, Stanley, Harry and Anna. Sarah Snyder married William Tritt, who has a farm and owns a home at Middlebury. He is engaged in the rural mail delivery service. Their children are: Norman, Hugh, Elton, Wilbur and Nettie. George, the youngest of Mr. Snyder’s family, is unmarried, and resides at home assisting his father. Both Mr. Snyder and his wife remain hale and hearty, and they both continue their usual avocations and enjoy the pleasant social life of the neighborhood with as much ease and zest as they did many years ago. They are people who stand very high in the esteem of the community and are known from one end of the township to the other. All his mature life, Mr. Snyder has taken an interest in seeing his neighborhood advance with the rest of the world and he has willingly done his share in developing it. He has been liberal in his contributions to schools, churches and public-spirited enterprises of various kinds, while he is noted for his many acts of benevolence, which he never discusses. For the past fifteen years he has served as township assessor, and in keeping his records he has preserved the ages of all the taxpayers in the township, finding it to sum up at present to 18,671 years. He is a faithful and efficient official. Bio of Abraham Snyder copied from the "Centennial History of Summit County, Ohio & Representative Citizens" by William B. Doyle, LL. B. pages 588-590. Copied exactly as it appears in the book. Indexed BY the Hudson Genealogical Study Group. A Chapter of the OHGS. Reprints Sold by Them. Contact their Website at http://www.rootsweb.com/~ohhudogs/hudson.htm