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(Source: 20th Century History of Steubenville & Jefferson Co.,
Ohio by Joseph B. Doyle - Publ Richmond-Arnold Publ. Co. - Chicago - 1910)
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WILLIAM
L. SHARP, whose long business career at
Steubenville was terminated by his death, on Dec. 21,
1902, for many years was one of the city's most
aggressive, successful and honorable business men.
He was a native of Ireland, born in County Cavan, Mar.
10, 1810, and was a son of James and Christiana
(Linton) Sharp.
James Sharp, with his son, William L., then
a lad of ten years, emigrated to America in 1821, the
mother remaining in the old country with the expectation
of joining husband and child at a more convenient
season. Her desires were never fulfilled for death
overtook her within six months. The father then
sent for his other children and they settled in
Philadelphia, where he died two years later, leaving
these children with the aid of their relatives to make
their own way in the world in a strange land.
Courage and industry William L. Sharp
undoubtedly possessed for by the time he was twenty-one
years of age, he had acquired a good common school
education and a thorough knowledge of the tinner's
trade. In 1832 he left Philadelphia and went first
to Cadiz, O., and later to West Middletown, Pa.,
remaining for three years at the latter place and then
returning to Cadiz. At both points he engaged in
the manufacture of tin and copper goods, in the course
of years acquiring a foundry at the latter place.
In 1845 he came to Steubenville where he spent the
remainder of his life. In addition to
manufacturing he enlarged the scope of his business,
adding hardware and stoves to the goods handled, and in
1847 he organized the Ohio Foundry, which was later
conducted under the firm name of W. L. Sharp &
Son, and is one of the largest in its special line
in the country, the plant being located in that section
of Steubenville bounded by Slack Street and the Pan
Handle Railroad. He remained alone until 1865,
when he took his son George E. Sharp, into
partnership in his foundry business and later his
grandson, A. B. Sharp was admitted, but
William L. Sharp continued his personal interest
until the close of his life. The present business
is conducted by George E. Sharp and his son A.
B. Sharp, under the firm name of The Ohio Foundry
Company.
In 1830 William L. Sharp was married to Miss
Isabella McFadden, who died Nov. 21, 1883.
They had six children, some of whom went into business,
while several of the sons became ministers in the
Presbyterian Church, of which Mr. Sharp was a
member for a half century. He was a man of
sterling character and commanded the respect of all who
knew him. Rising entirely through his own efforts,
he achieved a well deserved success.
(Source: 20th Century History of Steubenville & Jefferson Co.,
Ohio by Joseph B. Doyle - Publ Richmond-Arnold Publ. Co. - Chicago - 1910 - 763)
Photos Available upon request. |
AUGUST SCHROEDER, one
of the enterprising and successful farmers of Cross Creek
Township, resides on his farm of 115 acres, on which he
has placed substantial improvements. He was born in
Germany, Mar. 6, 1858, and is a son of Fred and
Christina (Bratz) Schroeder, both of whom spent
their lives in Germany.
August Schroeder attended school in his
native land and remained at home until he reached the age
for military service, after which he went into the army
and spent four years as a German trooper. Thus, when
he came to America in 1882, it was an honorable departure
from his own land, he having complied with the laws of the
empire. He located in the state of New York, where
for eight years he was in the lumber business and for two
years was engineer in a mill. He came then to Cross
Creek Township, Jefferson County, and took possession of
his present farm. Within five years he has changed
completely its appearance and has added hundreds of
dollars to its value. All the fencing and new
structures of all kinds he has put up, including a fine
bank barn, and has a place that equals any in the township
in its appearance of thrift and solid comfort.
In 1881 Mr. Schroeder was married to
Miss Wilhelmina Cransa, a daughter of
Christian and Philamina (Breaatka) Cransa.
The parents of Mrs. Schroeder never came
to America, and she has one sister in Germany -
Augusta - and Mr. Schroeder has
two sisters there: Carolina and
Augusta, and Minnie, who
lives in New York state. Mr. and Mrs.
Schroeder had one little daughter,
Augusta, who died in Germany. They have
reared Julius Rhoda as their own son
since he was eleven years of age. He was born in
Switzerland in 1887 and his adopted parents are now giving
him educational advantages at Ada College. In
politics Mr. Schroeder is a Democrat.
With his estimable wife he belongs to the German Lutheran
Church at Steubenville.
(Source: 20th Century History of Steubenville & Jefferson Co., Ohio by Joseph
B. Doyle - Publ Richmond-Arnold Publ. Co. - Chicago - 1910 - 696)
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JOHN K. SMITH, a
general farmer who owns seventy acres of fine land in
Springfield Township, Jefferson County, Ohio, and has
under his control an additional seventy-five acres,
situated two miles southeast of Amsterdam, was born in
Carroll County, Ohio, July 15, 1866, and is a son of
Simon and a grandson of Jacob Smith.
Jacob Smith was the founder of the family in
Carroll County, Ohio. He was born in Loudon
County, Virginia, and came from there to Carroll County,
selecting a farm near Kilgore, on which the rest of his
life was spent. He married Leah Heator, a
daughter of Benjamin and Mary Magdalene Heator,
and they had eight children: Simon, Mary, Leah,
Elizabeth, Ethelinda, George, John and Jacob.
The parents of these children died in Carroll County,
the father in 1874, at the age of sixty-six years, and
the mother when in her fiftieth year. They were
members of the Lutheran Church. In politics
Jacob Smith was a Whig.
SIMON SMITH, father of John K. Smith, was
born in Loudon Township, Carroll County, Ohio, Feb. 25,
1833. With the exception of one year spent
attending the Jefferson high school, Simon Smith,
obtained all his school training in Loudon Township.
After his marriage, in 1856, he continued to live in
Carroll County until 1868, when he moved to Jefferson
County and settled on a part of the farm now owned by
James K. Smith. Later he moved to the village
at East Springfield and was postmaster there for three
years, serving in the office at the time of his death,
Sept. 27, 1907. He was a fine man in every sense
of the word and was very highly thought of and was
frequently elected to office before moving to East
Springfield. In politics he was a Republican.
When the census was taken in 1900, he was one of the
enumerators, and for fifteen years he was a justice of
the peace.
On Mar. 1, 1856, Simon Smith was married to
Mary P. Knox, a daughter of William P. Knox,
of Springfield Township[, and they had six children,
namely: Janet Leah, born Dec. 19, 1856, who
married Cyrus M. Miser; Eliza Ellen, who
was born June 14, 1859, and died July 2, 1887; Mary,
who died in infancy; John K., of Springfield
Township; Howard C., of Columbiana County, Ohio;
and Joseph G., of East Springfield. The
mother of this family died June 17, 1885, and both she
and husband were buried in the Amsterdam cemetery.
John K. Smith was two years old when his parents
moved to Springfield Township and he attended the
schools near his father's farm. He grew to manhood
a well instructed farmer and after marriage lived for
two years on a farm near that of his father, and then
settled on what was the homestead of his Grandfather
Knox. About ten acres of the farm is yet in
timber and he can remember when his father cleared off
the part that is now under cultivation. A lame
shoulder made heavy agricultural work difficult for
Simon Smith, and it also prevented his being
accepted as a volunteer during the Civil War, although
he was an entire sympathy with the government and was an
active politician. He was one of the
organizers of the Know Nothing party in Jefferson County
and was chairman of the township central committee for
several years. He voted for Abraham Lincoln.
Although he was not accepted as a regular soldier, when
a party went out to intercept Morgan, the raider,
he joined it and when the latter was captured it was in
the sight of his party coming to help.
John K. Smith was married April 6, 1892, to
Miss Blanche Elizabeth Cattrell, a daughter of
William and Charlotte (Shober) Cattrell, and they
have five children: Raymond S., Lotta E., Mary
A., Grace I. and Ruth L. He is a member
of one of the elders in the Presbyterian Church of
Amsterdam. It was his father who organized the
Sunday school in this church and carried it on for
twenty-five years, beginning with twenty pupils and it
has developed into a school of 140 interested people.
So highly regarded was Simon Smith in this
connection, that he was presented with a handsome solid
silver watch as a token of esteem. Mr. Smith
is a republican and, like his late father, has
been an active and useful party worker. For
several years he has represented the local organization
as a delegate to the important conventions, including
county, senatorial and congressional, has served about
four years as road superintendent of his township and
for seven consecutive years as trustee, and in 1910 he
served as census enumerator. He has long been
identified with the Knights of Pythias and has been
through all the chairs of Lodge No. 373 at Amsterdam,
O., and he and his wife are members of the Pythian
Sisters. Mr. Smith has been elected as
delegate to the Grand Lodge for 1911.
(Source: 20th Century History of Steubenville & Jefferson Co.,
Ohio by Joseph B. Doyle - Publ Richmond-Arnold Publ. Co. - Chicago - 1910 -
1082) |
ROBERT
C. STEWART, postmaster of Toronto, O., is one of
the Jefferson County's best known citizens, having been
in the public service almost ever since he completed his
education. He was born at Toronto. June 4,
1876, and is a son of William P. and Lizzie M.
(Robbins) Stewart. Both parents reside in
Toronto and the father is engaged in the truck gardening
business.
Robert C. Stewart was educated in the Toronto
schools, graduating from the Toronto high school in
1896. In the following year he entered the county
clerk's office as deputy and continued there for five
years, during this time becoming well acquainted, and
making many friends among those from all over the county
who had business with this office. Later he did
abstract work for a few months and then became deputy
probate judge of Jefferson County, in which office he
continued until he was appointed postmaster at Toronto,
which office is in the third class and has two rural
mail routes. Postmaster Stewart has had charge
since Jan. 1, 1904.
Mr. Stewart married Miss Helen Davis, a
daughter of George and Nellie (Myers) Davis, and
they have two children: Nellie and Martha.
Mr. Stewart is identified with several fraternal
organizations including Knights of Pythias and the
Masons.
(Source: 20th Century History of Steubenville & Jefferson Co.,
Ohio by Joseph B. Doyle - Publ Richmond-Arnold Publ. Co. - Chicago - 1910 - 767) |
JAMES WESLEY SWINDLER,
who has been a valued resident of Irondale, O., for
twenty-seven years, and, until 1908 largely interested
in the real estate business, was born in Hancock County,
Ohio, Oct. 30, 1846, and is a son of Nathan and
Margaret (Russell) Swindler.
Nathan Swindler, father of James W., was
born in Jefferson County, Ohio on Sugar Grove Ridge,
Mar. 1, 1821, and was a son of James and Elizabeth
(Shaw) Swindler. The latter was a daughter of
Nathan Shaw, who was a soldier in the
Revolutionary War from New Jersey, whose record, copied
from the papers in the office of the adjutant-general of
the State of New Jersey, is as follows: "Nathan
Shaw, in commission as ensign and lieutenant, under
Capt. John Smith, in First Battalion, Cumberland
County, New Jersey Militia, 1776, at the battle of
Trenton, New Jersey, Dec. 26, 1776; battle of Princeton,
New Jersey, June 3, 1777, afterwards until 1781,
lieutenant of Capt. Jonathan Beasley's and
Capt. George McLaughlin's companies, died in
Jefferson County, Ohio, June 24, 1820." The
parents of Nathan Swindler settled on Sugar Grove
Ridge. They acquired land and among their
possessions was the Hollow Rock Company meeting grounds.
He was a farmer and was accidentally killed while
hauling a load of wheat to market. There were
three sons born to James and Elizabeth Swindler:
Nathan, Henry and Jesse, and six daughters:
Eliza, Julia Ann, Sarah, Elizabeth, Maria and
Susan, the last named dying in infancy.
Henry Swindler died of cholera, in 1849. With
his brother Nathan he was part owner of the
steamboat, the "Governor Waite," of which he was
clerk for a time and he also taught school at
Steubenville for six years. Jesse Swindler
went to Hancock County in 1836, carrying the sum of $500
in his belt, which he paid for land and engaged in
farming in Hancock County, where he died in 1884.
Eliza Swindler married Charles Hale, a son of
Randall Hale, of Sugar Grove. Julia Ann
married Calvin Hale. Sarah married Jacob
Grubaugh and survived until 1903. Elizabeth
married Michael Roller. Maria married
Dr. Philander Haven, who practiced medicine at
Lisbon and East Liverpool, O., and died at Mansfield.
The father of this family was a soldier in the War of
1812.
Nathan Swindler was a farmer and teacher and he
moved to Hancock County, Ohio, in 1837. He was a
soldier in the Civil War, a member of Company K, 118th
Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He refused a commission
as Captain and served mainly on detached duty. His
death occurred in 1864 as a result of army exposure.
He married Margaret Russell, who was born in 1835
and died in 1902. She was a daughter of William
and Margaret Russell, the former of whom came to
America from County Tyrone, Ireland. He was a
batter by trade and worked at the same at Pittsburgh but
later moved to Brush Creek Township, Jefferson County,
Ohio, where his wife died and she was buried in the
Mooretown United Presbyterian Church Cemetery.
They had four daughters and one son: Eliza, who
married Jesse Swindler; Mary, who never married;
Margaret, who became the mother of J. W. Swindler;
Jane, who married Henry Van Dyke, of
Jefferson County; and William. The latter
married Eliza Taylor and they moved to Hancock
County and both died there.
Ten children were born to Nathan and Margaret
(Russell) Swindler. Mary Jane, who died
in 1880, at Findlay, O., was the wife of Chesterfield
Jumper. William Russell married Mrs. Sadie
Sargent. He is a carpenter and contractor and
is also engaged in the oil business. Henry
is a resident of Bowling Green, O., where he engages in
contracting. He married Nancy Underwood.
Thomas Benton who is unmarried, lives at Findlay, O.
Elizabeth, who is the wife of Samuel Creighton
resides at Findlay; John is now deceased.
Silas M., a painter by trade, resides with his
family at Forest, O. Margaret Ellen has not
married. Elmer Ellsworth, who is in the
real estate and mining business, resides at Findlay.
He married Jeanetta Routson, a daughter of
David Routson. This record, with James
Wesley, completes the family.
James Wesley Swindler was afforded excellent
school advantages. He attended the Union school in
his own neighborhood and later an academy at Delaware,
O., in preparation for a theological course, but the
precipitation of the Civil War brought about a change in
his plans and he never completed his theological
studies. He enlisted for service in Company G,
118th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served through three
years and during this period marched with the forces of
General Sherman on the memorable march to the sea.
He was seriously wounded at the battle of Resaca and
still has a constant remainder in the shattered bone of
his arm. Nevertheless he participated in every
engagement in which his regiment was concerned except
the battle of Franklin, and received his honorable
discharge June 24, 1865.
After the termination of
his army service, Mr. Swindler returned to his
home in Hancock County and entered the office of
Colonel Mungen with whom he read law. Later,
in association with his brother Thomas he
began the manufacturing of tile on the home farm and
remained there until 1882, when he came to Irondale and
entered into the real estate and fire insurance
business. This he continued until 1908, when he
retired, proposing to give the larger part of his
attention to looking after his real estate in the West.
On May 9, 1877, Mr. Swindler was married to
Miss Jennetta Taylor, a daughter of John and Mary
(Swickard) Taylor. The Taylor family is
of Scotch-Irish extraction. John Taylor,
father of Mrs. Swindler, was born in Cross Creek
Township, Jefferson County, Ohio, Feb. 23, 1829 and died
July 8k, 1902. He was a farmer and cooper.
His parents were George and Jane (Snodgrass) Taylor
and they came to Jefferson County from Maryland.
On the trip over the mountains, George Taylor and
his one sister became separated and they never were
reunited. The children of George and Jane
Taylor were: Eliza, who is the wife of
Samuel Ryan, and still survives, being now in her
eighty-seventh year and lies near Steubenville;
Washington, who died young; James who was
accidentally killed by a horse; Margaret,
deceased, who was the wife of James Gilkison; Mary
Jane, who married Absalom Gilkison, and
lives in Missouri; Ann, who is Mrs. Meeums,
also lives in Missouri; Andrew, who was a soldier
in the Civil War from Jefferson County, later moved to
Indiana and died there: Alexander, who died
in the army during the Civil War; Sarah, who is
the widow of David Holmes, and resides at
Milwaukee, Wis., and John, the father of Mrs.
Swindler. The maternal grandfather, Daniel
Swickard, was a soldier in the War of 1812, and his
father, Martin Swickard was a Revolutionary
soldier. After the close of the war he secured
lands by patent, near Richmond, Jefferson County, and
was able to give each of his sons a farm. He was
twice married and reared many children. To John
Taylor and wife the following children were born:
Margaret Jane, wife of William Finnieum; Sarah
Jeanette, wife of J. W. Swindler; Emery
Milton; John Franklin, deceased; Ada Elizabeth,
wife of Lawrence Reed; William Ross, deceased;
George Marquis; Mary Belle, wife of Samuel Boop;
James Daniel; and Edward and Harry,
both deceased.
Mr. and Mrs. Swindler have two children:
Stanley J. and Mabel Grace. Stanley J.
Swindler attended the Irondale select school and Mt.
Union College, where he was graduated in civil
engineering. His first work was with the C. P.
Railroad, and for one year he was clerk and paymaster
for the Murphy Construction Company near Cincinnati.
On Sept. 2, 1907, he went to Denver, Col., accepting the
position of consulting engineer with the Colorado
Construction Company. Miss Mabel Grace Swindler
is principal of the Damascus public schools. She
completed her education at Wooster College.
Mr. Swindler has been very prominent in public
affairs for a number of years and has been identified
with politics in his native state ever since his return
from the army. In 1896 he served as a delegate to
the National Populist convention held at St. Louis, and
in 1900 was a delegate to the Democratic National
convention held at Kansas City. For four years he
was a member of the National Committee of the Populist
party and in 1896 was state chairman for Ohio. He
traveled over a large portion of the country while
active in political life and made his last political
speech at Chicago, in 1900. He is identified with
the Odd Fellows and belongs to the G. A. R.
(Source: 20th Century History of Steubenville & Jefferson Co.,
Ohio by Joseph B. Doyle - Publ Richmond-Arnold Publ. Co. - Chicago - 1910 - 743) |
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