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JOHN PARROTT.
Industry, honesty, frugality - the three golden keys which unlock the door
to success - used by John Parrott, of Ripley township, he finds
himself hale and hearty at the age of eighty-eight years, with broad, rich
acres and with the goodwill and respect of a host of friends. He is of
English birth, born Apr. 7, 1821, and the son of William and Hannah (Lee)
Parrott of Somersetshire. His parents with their nine children,
came to Ripley township, July 28, 1841, and opened up a farm. The
mother passed away six years later in September, 1847, and the father in
January, 1856. The children in order of birth were: Mary,
John, Charlotte, Frederick, William, Hannah, Angeline, Eliza and
George. Of these, John, Charlotte, Hannah and Eliza
still survive.
John Parrott, now one of the wealthiest
landowners of Greenwich, said that he landed in Huron county with "one cent
in may pocket, with which I bought a cracker." So with the cracker in
his stomach and a large and enthusiastic faith in his heart, he went out and
conquered the dragon of adversity. Hiring to a farmer for eight
dollars per month, he began the battle of life. He married at the age
of twenty-six, and in 1850 left home and friends to seek fortune in the
California gold fields. The overland journey of six months, with all
its attendant thrilling experiences, brought him to the scene of action.
But, like many others, the steady employment at large wages appealed to him
more than the uncertainty of mining. For a year he drove a three-yoke
team of oxen at one hundred dollars per month. Then family and
civilization drew him back to the Buckeye state, returning by the isthmus
route to find more gold in the soil of Greenwich township than he ever saw
in California.
The secret of Mr. Parrott's success is "work
persistently and consistently performed." Saving a little at eight
dollars per month, a little more at two hundred dollars, but always a
portion of what he earned and investing as opportunity offered. That
is the story. The six hundred broad acres of rich Ripley soil came to
Mr. Parrott through that channel. General farming and stock
raising have been his life-time occupations.
Voting the democratic ticket consistently each
recurring election day, and attending and liberally supporting the
Presbyterian church, to which his family belongs, has constituted the extent
of his political and religious life. He is a citizen whose influence
gives strength to the community, because of the fine example of his life.
John Parrott was married June 18, 1847, to
Miss Jane Harkness, whose mother had the distinction of being the first
white woman settling in Fairfield township. She was the daughter of
Amos and Martha (Samples) Harkness, who came to Fairfield township from
Pennsylvania, in 1816. The mother died in February, 1860, and the
father in July, 1869. To Mr. and Mrs. Parrott were born:
Charlotte A.; James P., now deceased; William H., also deceased;
and Frank, a farmer of Huron county.
SOURCE #2 - Page 109 |
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WILLIAM C.
PENFIELD, one of the prominent and prosperous farmers of
Norwalk township, is a native of Huron county, born in North township, is a
native of Huron county, born in North Fairfield township in 1839.
His father, Samuel Penfield, was born near
Danbury, Conn., in 1804, where he passed his boyhood on a farm, and when a
young man learned the trade of wagon maker. In 1827 he moved to North
Fairfield, Ohio, with his mother and two sisters, a third sister with her
husband and family accompanying them. He had previously walked from
Connecticut to North Fairfield, taken possession of a tract of wild land
inherited from his father, and built a log cabin upon it, and on the arrival
of the family they found this primitive home awaiting them. He
occupied and improved the farm for a number of years, during which time, in
1831, he was married to Miss Clara A. Woodworth, of North Fairfield,
a native of Central New York, and daughter of James Woodworth.
A few years after his marriage he rented the farm and moved into the village
of North Fairfield, where he worked at his trade for a short time, and then
engaged in mercantile business for several years. About 1846 he
returned to the farm, and there passed the rest of his days dying at the age
of fifty three years. There were six children born in the family,
namely: Ephraim P., Franes E., James W. (deceased), William
C., Charles (deceased) and Henry B. (deceased in infancy).
Of these, Ephraim P., a physician, resides in the
States of Washington; Frances E. married T. H. Kellogg, an
attorney of Norwalk, Huron County; Charles enlisted in the One
Hundred and First O. V. I., attached to the army of the Cumberland (he was
seriously wounded in the battle of Stone River, and died in 1871). The
father of this family died in 1857, in politics a stanch Abolitionist, a
strong temperance man, and in religious faith a member of the Baptist
Church.
William C. Penfield received his elementary
education in the common schools of his native township, after which he
attended the Normal School at Milan, Erie County, also a select school, and
then became a teacher himself, pursuing the vocation three years. In
1860 he took a trip to Pike's Peak, and for one year mined for gold, with
fair success. The following year he returned home, and the Civil war
having broken out he enlisted for three years in the Fifty-fifth O. V. I.
He participated in Fremont's campaign up the Shenandoah Valley in pursuit of
Stonewall Jackson, ending in the battle of Cross Keys; with Sigel
along the Rappahannock, the second Battle of Bull Run, Chancellorsville,
Gettysburg, Peach Tree Creek, and in numerous minor engagements. At
Chancellorsville he had some remarkably narrow escapes, being struck by
bullets no less than three times in less than a minute - one bullet drawing
blood on his knuckle, another striking his elbow, while a third pierced his
knapsack. At Gettysburg he was taken prisoner, conveyed by way of
Shenandoah Valley to Richmond, and continued in Belle Isle prison.
After his exchange the following spring, he rejoined his regiment on the
Atlanta campaign. At the close of his three years service he was
mustered out at Atlanta, but early in 1865 re-enlisted, being this time
attached to Gen. Hancock's corps, and was on duty in Washington
during the trial and at the execution of the conspirators who took part in
the murder of President Lincoln. In 1866 he was mustered out of
the service, having been in the army over four years, and during all this
time of service he was never absent from his company except while a
prisoner.
On his return home from the army Mr. Penfield
went to Michigan, and was there engaged in milling for five years, at the
end of which time he once more came to Huron county and engaged in farming.
He has a nice property of about ninety acres, just outside the city limits
of Norwalk. In 1869 he married Miss Agnes A. Perry, a farmer,
and three children were born to this union, viz.: Clara M.; Leah,
who died in infancy; and Louis P. Politically our
subject has always been a stanch Republican, and he and his wife are members
of the Baptist Church. |
THAYER K. PERRY.
Investigation into the history of Ohio indicates that the Perrys came
to the state during the pioneer times and were active in clearing away the
wilderness and utilizing the rich soil for farming purposes. The
great-grandparents of him whose name introduces this review were Joseph
and Sarah (Seward) Perry, the latter a relative of Secretary Seward
of President Lincoln's cabinet. Among their children was
Daniel Perry who on arriving at years of maturity wedded Elizabeth
Dow Tillson, a daughter of Thomas and Azubah (Noyes) Tillson.
Unto Daniel and Elizabeth (Dow) Perry were born seven children:
Edwin Louis, Charles Higgins, Dorcas Azubah, Seward Noyes, Anna Lucinda,
Elizabeth and Willie Daniel.
Edwin Louis Perry, the father of Thayer K. Perry,
was born in Peru township, Huron county, Ohio, Nov. 13, 1841, and was reared
in the usual manner of farm lads of the period, his education being acquired
in the public schools, the Baldwin University at Berea, Ohio, and Western
Reserve Normal School, of Milan, Ohio, while under the direction of his
father he received his training in the work of the fields. In the year
1866 he was united in marriage to Miss Emily Tamar Ruggles, who was
born July 20, 1843, in Ridgefield township, this county. The
Ruggles family is also numbered among those that formulated the pioneer
development of this part of the state. Her paternal grandparents were
Eden and Artemisia (Jackson) Ruggles, of Connecticut, and the family
is an old one of New England. Their son, Martin Luther Ruggles,
the father of Mrs. Emily Perry, was born in Connecticut, Nov. 13,
1803. He spent the days of his boyhood and youth in his native state
and about 1824, when twenty-one years of age, sought a home in what was then
the far west. In the primitive manner of the times he journeyed at
Huron county, Ohio, and took up his abode in Ridgefield township, amid the
wild scenes and environments of frontier life. Here he followed his
vocation as a skilled mechanic. HE was married to Miss Fidelia Webb,
who was born in New York, September 25, 1808, and their children were
Edward Harvey, Lester, Chester, Moses, Carrollton, Comfort Heber, Emily
Tamar and Isabella.
Of this family Emily became the wife of
Edwin L. Perry in 1866, and they have since traveled life's journey
happily together. Mr. Perry is a man of liberal
education, who supplemented his early advantages by study in Berea, Ohio,
and in the Milan Normal School. He engaged in teaching for one term
and with the exception of that period has devoted his entire life to general
farming since attaining man's estate. He has been a busy man, actively
engaged in the tilling of his fields, and the excellent appearance of his
place is indicative of his careful supervision and progressive methods.
In politics he is independent, voting for principle rather than for party.
His wife is a lady of broad culture, who supplemented her public school
privileges by further study in the Western Reserve Normal School at Milan,
Ohio. It was while they were students there that Mr. and Mrs. Perry
became acquainted and their friendship ripened into love and was
consummated in marriage. Mrs. Perry engaged in teaching school
for five years and has always been a warm advocate of the cause of
education. Both Mr. and Mrs. Perry are members of the Baptist
church, in the work of which they take an active and helpful part doing all
in their power to promote the growth of the church and extend its influence.
Mr. Perry has served as deacon in the church and as Sunday school
superintendent and teacher of the Bible class.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Perry have been born ten
children: Ralph, Edith, Irene, Floyd, Daisy, Beth, Gladys, Branch, Thayer
and one who died in infancy. Of this family Thayer K. Perry, whose
name introduces this review, was born May 20, 1889. He has become an
active assistant in the work of the home farm and is numbered among the
enterprising young agriculturists of the community. In his business
affairs he displays keen discrimination and sound judgment and he is proving
himself a worthy representative of one of the leading families of the
county. He is now teaching school in his second year. |
C. C. POST,
the well-known liveryman of New London, is a native of town, born April
6, 1841. He is a son of Hizah and Roxanna (Culver) Post, both
natives of Madison county, N. Y., the father born in 1808, the mother in
1826. They were married in New York State, and about the year 1840
came to Huron county, Ohio, locating in New London township, where they
engaged in agricultural pursuits. The mother died there in 1862, and
the father afterward moved to Wisconsin, making his home there until about
1889, when he went to New York, and there passed from earth in 1892.
Their son, C. C. Post, the subject proper of
this sketch, received a liberal education at the common schools of his
native town, and at the early age of twelve years went on the "Big Four"
Railroad as water boy, from which position he was promoted to brakeman, and
ran the first sleeping car that was run from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Pittsburg.
Not long afterward he was promoted to the position of traveling agent for
the Pittsburgh, Ft. Wayne & Chicago Railroad, with headquarters at
Indianapolis, Ind., thence moving to Chicago, having been appointed city
passenger agent for the Pennsylvania Railroad; then became ticket agent,
with office at the corner of Clark and Randolph streets, same city.
His next incumbency was a yet more responsible one- general traveling agent
for the same Company, over the united States and Canada a a position he
filled with characteristic ability and energy five years, after which he
came to New London, locating on a farm with G. W. Bissell, father of
his first wife, Sabra L. (Bissell), who died in 1883. He then
bought the livery business in the town of New London, which he has since
successfully conducted. Our subject by his after marriage with Miss
Ella Gates had two children: Clarence and Arline.
Politically Mr. Post is a Republican; he
served four years on the city council of New London and four years as deputy
sheriff of Huron county. |
JOSEPH
H. POST, whose name is known throughout Ohio and other states in the
Union in connection with thoroughbred Delaine merino sheep, now owns a farm
of eighty-three acres in New London township, in the operation of which he
is meeting with most gratifying success. He is numbered among the
native sons of Huron county, his birth having occurred in Hartland township
on the 18th of January, 1859.
Reared to
agricultural pursuits, he attended the public schools of his native township
in the acquirement of his education, and during the periods of vacation he
assisted in the work of the home farm. He continued to devote his time
to his text-books until eighteen years of age, when his father's feeble
health made it necessary for him to take charge of his business affairs.
The father passed away when Mr. Post was twenty-one years
of age, and he continued to reside upon the homestead, directing his efforts
to its management, until 1903, when the property was divided. He then
purchased eighty-three acres of fine farm land in New London township, upon
which he has since made his home. Here he has engaged in general
agricultural pursuits, bringing his fields under a high state of
cultivation, while for many years he was identified with sheep-raising
interests, making a specialty of thoroughbred Delaine merino sheep. He
was eminently successful in this branch of his business, gaining the
reputation of having one of the best breeding flocks of sheep in Ohio.
On account of ill health, however, he was obliged to give up his stock
interests, since which time he has confined himself to general farming.
The Post sheep, however, are still well known and are a very popular breed
throughout Ohio and adjoining states, while their reputation has even
extended as far west as the state of Washington, where they are handled by
the Baldwin Sheep & Ranch Company. Mr. Post
has enjoyed a substantial income from the fact that both branches of his
business - the raising of grain and the breeding of sheep - have proved
profitable, while his indefatigable industry, his intelligently directed
labors, his close application and his good business ability have been
salient characteristics in his success.
It was
in 1885 that Mr. Post was united in marriage to
Miss Minnie E. Miller, a native of Hartland township, born on the
1st of November, 1868, and a daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Miller,
residents of Hartland township. Mr. Post gives loyal
support to the republican party and is now serving as township trustee,
while he has also been township appraiser, at all times performing, the
duties of these offices in a prompt, efficient and highly satisfactory
manner. Having spent his entire life in Huron county, he has gained an
extensive circle of friends within its borders, and the fact that he is most
liked and respected where best known is an indication that the principles
which actuate him in his relations with his fellowmen are in harmony with
those which govern honorable and upright manhood.
SOURCE #2 - History of
Huron County, Ohio - Vol. II - By A. J. Baughman - Chicago - The S. J.
Clarke Publ. Co. - 1909 - 369 |
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