(RETURN TO THE TITLE PAGE) 450 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY centrating his energies upon the attainment of a definite objective, he was carried steadily forward and eventually reached a field of broad influence and usefulness. His life was filled with unrecorded acts of charity and kindness, and his memory is cherished by all with whom he was associated. EUGENE ADELBERT HAWKINS Eugene Adelbert Hawkins was seventy-three years of age when death called him on July 15, 1927. He had long enjoyed an enviable position as one of the foremost residents of Copley township, being treasurer of the Summit Rural Telephone Company, a large owner of farming land and proprietor of a business at Copley Centre, where he handled coal, farming implements, wagons, cement and particularly fertilizers, devoting his personal attention almost exclusively to selling the latter commodity. For many years he resided on forty acres of his land, the home farm being situated on Stony Hill, on the south side of the Bath and Copley township roads, about nine miles west of Akron. Mr. Hawkins was born on this farm June 28, 1854, and was a son of George Washington and Matilda (Hubbard) Hawkins. Samuel Hawkins, father of George Washington Hawkins, came from Connecticut to Copley township at an early day and spent the remainder of his life on his pioneer farm. George Washington Hawkins, father of Eugene A., was the first white child born in Copley township, where he spent the whole of his life. He assisted his father to clear the land and frequently told his children how in early days he followed a blazed trail to the village of Akron, carrying grain to and from the mill. He always engaged in general farming and during the Civil war he also did some garden trucking. He married Matilda Hubbard, whose parents came to Ohio from Vermont. Thereafter George W. Hawkins settled on the farm which subsequently became the property of his son, Eugene A., and cleared a part of the land, continuing to reside thereon until his death, which occurred in 1896. For a decade he had survived his wife, who passed away December 5, 1886, when seventy years of age. Their family numbered five, children, namely: Adelia, who died in early life; Eliza, who became the wife of Warren Miller and who is now deceased; Alice, who gave her hand in marriage to Dr. A. 0. Huntley; George, who AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 453 passed away at the age of twenty-five years; and Eugene A., of this review. During his youthful days Eugene A. Hawkins attended the country schools and through vacation periods worked upon the home farm, so that he early became familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. He was married when in his twenty-fourth year and he and his bride began their domestic life on a farm near the home place of which he had been in charge since attaining his majority. In 1892 he was engaged as local agent for the Philadelphia firm of S. M. Hess & Brother, manufacturers of fertilizer. Mr. Hawkins at first accepted the agency of only Bath and Copley townships, but he made such progress in his sales that more territory was added until he had control of sixteen Ohio counties for the company. Practically his entire time and attention was required in advancing the interests of the concern which he represented throughout this extensive territory. He was a man of excellent business foresight. In 1903 he began the conduct of a coal and fertilizer business of his own at Copley Centre and in the same year admitted Newton Smith to a partnership but later purchased Mr. Smith's stock and took in his son-in-law, Homer A. Swigart, who attended to the business at Copley Centre, while Mr. Hawkins continued on the road. Mr. Hawkins was the first dealer to handle coal in Copley township and in 1906 he sold over three thousand tons. Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins owned a half interest in the Summit Rural Telephone Company, of which the former was treasurer. He also remained a most capable, efficient and trustworthy representative of the Hess interests until 1919, when he resigned in order to accept the office of county commissioner and took up his abode in Akron. Mr. Hawkins was frequently called upon to serve in public office and his devotion to duty was one of his marked characteristics. During his residence in Summit county he served on the school board for twelve years and was a member of the committee which built the first high school in Bath township and also the new district school on Stony Hill. A spirit of progress and improvement actuated him at all times, and after Copley cemetery had been in a dilapidated condition for some time Mr. Hawkins started a campaign to put it in order. He was named one of the cemetery trustees and made chairman of the board and instituted work that resulted in making the cemetery one of the finest in the state. His political allegiance was always given to the republican party and he was again and again chosen as a delegate to party 15-VOL. 2 454 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY conventions. He did not seek the office of county commissioner and in the year in which he was elected the county went democratic. However, he received a majority of the votes cast—a fact indicative of his personal popularity and the confidence reposed in him. In the fall of 1920 he was reelected for a three years' term with the largest vote of any candidate on the ticket. He was serving as a member of the board at the time the North Hill viaduct was completed and he procured options on the property for the opening of North Main street. He was also on the board when the annex to the court house was built and thus he was closely associated with many progressive interests which contributed in substantial measure to the benefit and upbuilding of his community. On the 1st of January, 1878, Mr. Hawkins was married to Miss Juvie 0. Colson, daughter of Orren and Valencia Colson. The wedding ceremony was performed in the bride's home on Copley road by the young minister, Rev. George Peckham. Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins became the parents of three children. Jessie Hawkins was the wife of Professor Harvey 0. Bolich, and died in November, 1918, leaving four children : Gerald H., Donald E., Ruth R. and Doris M. Mabel A. married Homer Swigart, who died March 2, 1924, leaving two children : Alverda M., now the wife of Ralph Long; and Alice V., the wife of Raymond Osborne. Mrs. Swigart was married again in October, 1927, to Dr. George A. Huntley, and they resided at Greene, Trumbull county. Dr. Huntley died June 3, 1928. Ruth B., the youngest of the family, is the wife of David V. Cowan. Mr. Hawkins held membership in the High Street Church of Christ, to which his widow still belongs and in which he was a trustee, taking a very helpful part in the church work. He was also a member of the Akron Chamber of Commerce. His home was his lodge and his club. He found his greatest happiness in the midst of his family and at his own fireside and enjoyed the companionship of the young people who visited his own children. He found recreation in a ball game and he also took great interest in horses. For twenty-five years he had a party on his birthday, entertaining his children and grandchildren. There are few men who have given more of themselves to their families than did Mr. Hawkins and he counted no personal effort on his part too great a sacrifice if it would enhance the pleasure or welfare of his wife and children. At the same time he sought to advance the public good in every possible way and labored effectively to pro- AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 455 mote the interests of his native county. Not long before his demise he published an article in the Beacon Journal which was a protest against the hard conditions that are oppressing the farming industry and in this relation mentioned foolish laws, regulations, inspections and high taxes which have so discouraged many farmers from owning land. Mr. Hawkins was the type of man who made friends through his honesty, his courage and his loyalty to his convictions. He represented one of the pioneer families of Summit county and among his cherished relics of the early days was a cradle made by his father, George W. Hawkins. After his marriage the latter had settled on the Stony Hill farm and cleared a part of his land. With his own hands he had made all of the household furniture, including the cradle which had been in existence for ninety-two years when Eugene A. Hawkins passed away. AU of the five children of George W. Hawkins were rocked in that cradle and after them the three daughters of Eugene A. Hawkins. Another of the prized possessions of Eugene A. Hawkins was the old signboard of the G. H. S. Inn, just east of Stony Hill. The old signboard remains, having been in use one hundred and four years ago, but the building has long since been torn down. There is also a clock which has been in the Hawkins family for over a century and there are ancient andirons and other relics of pioneer times. Eugene A. Hawkins was ever much interested in the history of the past as well as he was in later progress and he was a most worthy representative of an honored pioneer family. So closely was he associated with the work of improvement and development here that no history of Summit county would be complete without reference to him. FRANK HUTCHINS SACKETT Agricultural and mercantile pursuits occupied the attention of Frank Hutchins Sackett, who spent the greater part of his life in Summit county and was a highly esteemed citizen of Tallmadge. He was born in Tallmadge township, this county, September 13, 1861, and was a son of Hiram A. and Eliza (Treat) Sackett, the latter a native of Tallmadge. Hiram A. Sackett made farming his life work and always resided in Ohio. He was prominent in the affairs of a number of agricultural societies and labored earnestly and effectively to advance the standards of farming in his state. Religious work also claimed a considerable 456 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY portion of his time, and for thirty years he was a deacon and clerk of the Congregational church of Tallmadge. Frank H. Sackett was graduated from the high school at Kent, Ohio, in 1881 and later attended the Eastman Business College of New York. After completing his course he returned to Ohio and cultivated the home farm near Tallmadge for some time. He spent about two years in Cass county, Nebraska, and after his marriage took his bride to that state, in which they established their home. Mr. Sackett opened a hardware store and also became a dealer in furniture, fostering the growth of the business by close attention to detail, judicious management and efficient service. In 1902 he returned with his family to his native state, purchasing a farm on the outskirts of Tallmadge, and there he resided during the remainder of his life. Having an expert knowledge of the occupation of farming, he utilized the most effective methods in tilling the soil and as the years passed transformed the place into a comfortable and beautiful home. On February 14, 1893, Mr. Sackett married Miss Margaret McNely, who was born in Waupaca, Wisconsin, and previous to her marriage filled a secretarial position in Akron, Ohio. Her father, John A. McNely was justly proud of his ancestors, some of whom fought in the American army during the Revolutionary war. He was born in Ashley, Ohio, but resided for many years in Wisconsin. Mr. McNely devoted the earlier years of his life to teaching and was later called to offices of trust and responsibility in his locality. His wife, Esther A. (McCauley) McNely, was of Scotch and Irish lineage, was a woman of scholarly tastes who taught school previous to her marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. Sackett were born three children. Paul F., the eldest, is manager of the Greenville, South Carolina, branch of the Crane Company of Chicago. He is married and has three children : Margaret C., Julianne and Jean. Rosalind is the wife of Stanley S. Rothrock and resides in Tallmadge. Kathryn M., who completes the family, is a senior in the Tallmadge high school. Mr. Sackett was a Congregationalist in religious faith and a zealous church member. While in Nebraska he was elected city assessor and filled the office for a number of years. He was a charter member of the Summit County Grange and was also identified with the Knights of Pythias. His interest in the welfare of his community was deep and sincere, and he was ever ready to further plans for its advancement. A man of fine character and substantial worth, Mr. Sackett possessed the sincere AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 457 affection of all with whom he was associated, and his death on February 20, 1928, was deeply regretted. Mrs. Sackett resides on the home place, which is situated near Tallmadge Center and is known as "Echo Farm." While in Nebraska she was secretary of the State Federation of Women's Clubs and served for two years. She aided in organizing the Country Study Club, becoming one of its charter members, and she also belongs to Cuyahoga Portage Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Her heart responds readily to the call of the needy, and her influence has been a potent force for good. ADOLPH ADAM LEY The interests and activities of Adolph Adam Ley were of that character which makes for public progress as well as individual success and Akron numbered him among its leaders of business enterprise and citizens of worth. He was born in a frame dwelling which stood on South Main street on the site now occupied by the building which houses the business of the Commercial Savings & Trust Company, his parents, Theodore and Mary Agnes (De Couvy) Ley, being pioneer settlers of Akron. In the acquirement of an education he attended St. Bernard's parochial school and completed his studies in the Perkins public school. While in the employ of the Dales Company he learned the jeweler's trade, which he followed until the death of his brother, Theodore Ley, when he took over the latter's barber shop, which was located where the Eastern Cigar store is now situated. Adolph A. Ley successfully conducted the shop until 1920, when because of poor health he discontinued the business. He had for many years the management of his mother's property near Main and Buchtel streets, and he also owned considerable real estate in Akron. An expert valuator, he was well qualified to direct investments and the force of his personality, the keenness of his insight and the soundness of his judgment brought him to the fore in business circles of Akron. Mr. Ley was married November 17, 1897, in this city to Miss Anna F. Noonan of Akron, and they became the parents of six children, five of whom are living and all are graduates of Sacred Heart Academy. They are as follows : Mary L., who is the wife of Paul M. Burke and the mother of two children, Paul M., Jr., and Marjorie Ann; Adolph A., Jr. ; Bernard W., who took a 458 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY course in domestic commerce at the University of Notre Dame, from which he was graduated with high honors; Theodore, who specialized in athletics and domestic commerce at the University of Notre Dame, of which he is also a graduate, and for some time has been connected with Livingston and Company, brokers; Charles E., who is now in the employ of Otis & Company, brokers; and Gertrude Ann, who lived but five months. Mr. Ley was an ardent democrat and for a number of years was presiding judge of voting booths. He attended St. Bernard's Catholic church and was one of the energetic members of the Chamber of Commerce. Deeply attached to Akron, he was constantly striving to further its advancement and championed all movements for the general good. He enjoyed his home and was devoted to his family. With the exception of a few months spent in the country, he always resided within a few blocks of the house in which he was born and was one of the best known men in Akron. His innate courtesy and high sense of honor made him universally respected, and his death on March 3, 1921, was deeply mourned. Mrs. Ley resides at No. 516 Roslyn avenue in Akron and has a wide circle of friends in the city, possessing those qualities which inspire esteem and respect. JOSEPH FREDERICK BETZLER Akron was the city of opportunity to Joseph Frederick Betzler, who fought life's battles alone and unaided. The exercise of effort developed his latent powers and strength of character, and he became widely known as an inventor and manufacturer of fountain pens. He was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, April 9, 1868, and received his education in the public schools of that country. In 1882, when a youth of fourteen, he responded to the call of adventure and made the voyage to America. Having an uncle, William Mangold, in Akron, he came direct to this city and obtained work in the plant of the American Hard Rubber Company, which was then a subsidiary of the B. F. Goodrich Company. While thus employed he attended a night school and also took a business course, exerting every effort to advance. He remained with the same firm for six years and then went to Chicago. A year later he journeyed to Cincinnati, where he spent four years, and in 1891 returned to Akron. In association with Wesley E. Wilson he embarked in the AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 461 business of manufacturing fountain pens and this partnership existed for a quarter of a century. Mr. Betzler was the senior member of the firm and the. inventor of a self-filling fountain pen which stood the most thorough tests. It was hand turned and hand molded and rapidly gained in popularity, proving superior to other products of a similar character. Betzler & Wilson featured this pen, which was sold throughout the United States, and manufactured one hundred styles in all, also making other hard rubber goods. They had a model plant on East South street and maintained a high standard of production, developing an industry of extensive proportions. Endowed with executive force as well as inventive genius, Mr. Betzler left the indelible impress of his individuality upon the business. About 1918 he retired from business, disposed of his residence at 172 Oakdale avenue and established his home in Cleveland, where he spent the remainder of his life, passing away May 1, 1920, at the age of fifty-two years. On December 24, 1895, Mr. Betzler had been married in. Cincinnati to Miss Elizabeth Kipp, who survives him and is now residing at No. 959 Wye Drive, Akron. Their only child, Alma Elizabeth, is the wife of Theodore L. Cook, assistant secretary of the Ornamental Iron Company of Akron, and they have become the parents of two children, Joseph Frederick and Geraldine Martha. Mr. Betzler was a past grand in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and a Scottish Rite Mason of the thirty-second degree. His membership relations were with Lake Erie Consistory and he was also a Shriner. In religious faith he was an Episcopalian and his political support was given to the republican party. Mr. Betzler resided in South Akron for about fourteen years, and to him is due much credit for the establishing of the Lincoln school, which drew its pupils from a section that previously necessitated the school children crossing dangerous railroad tracks but the location of the new school eliminated that danger. During the thirty-six years of his residence in Akron he witnessed notable changes in the aspect of the city and materially furthered its advancement along industrial lines. He was an enthusiastic motorist and owned one of the first automobiles in Akron, purchasing an Olds car in April, 1902. In 1909 he went to Germany for the purpose of visiting his mother and greatly enjoyed the trip. Mr. Betzler was the soul of honor in business and private life and enjoyed to the fullest extent the 462 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY esteem and confidence of his fellowmen. He was devoted to his family and friends, and his death occasioned deep and widespread regret. COLONEL GEORGE MITCHELL WRIGHT Of the highest type of American manhood, unswerving in his loyalty, unfaltering in the performance of duty, Colonel George Mitchell Wright rendered distinguished service to his country and his state and brought additional luster to an honored family name. A natural leader of men, he brought the Ohio National Guard up to a high standard of military efficiency and was a commanding figure in the Spanish-American war. His achievements as a geologist won for him widespread prominence and his superior legal attainments made him a recognized leader of the Akron bar. Colonel Wright was born August 8, 1847, in Tallmadge township, Summit county, Ohio, on the farm on which his great-grandfather, Captain John Wright, and his grandfather, Alpha Wright, settled in 1809. It was there that his father, Clement Wright, was born, and four generations of the family lived on the homestead, while the Colonel's children represent the fifth generation of Wrights in Tallmadge. The family is of English origin and was founded in Connecticut prior to 1640. Through his mother, Lucy Ayer (Whitney) Wright, the Colonel was a descendant of an ancient and prominent family of Herefordshire, England, tracing his lineage to one of the invaders who aided William I of Normandy in the conquest of 1066. Of this branch of the family the emigrant ancestor was John Whitney, who left England in 1635 and came to America with his wife, Elinor, and five children, settling in Watertown, Massachusetts. Reared on the home farm, George Mitchell Wright obtained his early instruction in a country school and was next a pupil in Tallmadge Academy, afterward attending the Western Reserve College at Hudson, Ohio. His law studies were pursued in Akron in the office of Sidney Edgerton, his uncle, and Jacob A. Kohler, and on June 16, 1873, he was admitted to the Ohio bar. He began practice in Akron with Henry McKinney, with whom he was associated until 1882, when he was appointed assistant geologist in the United States Geological Survey, and acted in that capacity for four years. His time was devoted to geological field work and AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 463 investigations for the government, and his duties took him to Nevada, California, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, the Yellowstone National Park being included in the territory assigned him. While his work was concerned with structural and dynamical geology in general, his specialty was volcanic and crystalline rocks—a subject on which he was thoroughly informed. In 1886 he resigned his position and resumed his professional activities in Akron, where he practiced with marked success until the outbreak of the Spanish-American war. Keenly interested in military affairs, Colonel Wright joined the Ohio National Guard and for five years had been an officer in the First Regiment of Light Artillery. On May 13, 1898, he entered the United States army as second lieutenant and battalion adjutant of the Eighth Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry and on the following day was made acting ordnance officer of the regiment. On June 13, 1898, he was appointed aide-de-camp and brigade ordnance officer on the staff of Brigadier-General George A. Garretson and served as such until the close of the war. In July, 1898, he sailed from Charleston, South Carolina, for Cuba on the United States Steamship Yale, carrying Major-General Nelson A. Miles, in command of the United States Army. Colonel Wright was sent to Porto Rico and was present when General Miles planted the flag and took possession of the island for the United States. During the Porto Rican campaign Colonel Wright was especially commended for gallantry and coolness under fire and recommended by General Miles for brevets as first lieutenant and captain. On November 21, 1898, he was honorably discharged from the service and returned to Akron. For eight years he was chief of staff of division of the Ohio National Guard, with the rank of colonel, serving under General Charles Dick, and had charge of the funeral procession of President McKinley. He also had charge of the dedication of the McKinley monument at Canton. He was highly complimented by President Roosevelt for the manner in which he conducted the funeral arrangements of President McKinley, of which he had complete charge. From 1899 until his death on June 19, 1923, Colonel Wright practiced continuously, building up an extensive clientele. Felicitous and clear in argument, he was a formidable adversary in legal combat and won a large percentage of his cases. Throughout life he remained a student, constantly adding to his store of legal knowledge, and he closely observed the unwritten ethics of the profession. While his office was located in Akron, he always lived in Tallmadge, and the 464 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY furnishings and appointments of his beautiful home reflected his refined and cultured tastes. Colonel Wright was married October 18, 1876, in Akron to Miss Lucy Josephine Hale, who was born in Akron, March 14, 1854, on Howard street opposite Cherry street, where the Polsky department store now stands. She is of English lineage in the paternal line. The American progenitor of the Hale family came to the new world about the year 1635, settling in New England, and some of his descendants migrated to the Western Reserve of Ohio. Mrs. Wright's father, James Madison Hale, was born in Bath township, Summit county, where the family home was established in 1810. He was a son of Jonathan Hale, one of the first settlers in this part of Ohio, and the mother, Mercy Sanderson (Piper) Hale, was of Scotch lineage. Mrs. Wright's mother, Sarah (Allen) Hale, was a daughter of Jesse and Catherine (Teithrich) Allen and of Holland Dutch descent. Jesse Allen fought in the War of 1812, and his father served in the Revolutionary war, sacrificing his life for the American cause. Colonel Wright gave his political allegiance to the republican party and was affiliated with the Tallmadge Congregational church, in which members of the family have been earnest workers for more than fifty years. He invented the gun sling that is now in use in the regular army equipment and was also an able writer, contributing articles to the Journal of United States Artillery of Fortress Monroe, Virginia, and the Journal of Military Service Institution of Governors Island, New York. His professional standing is indicated by the fact that he was called to the presidency of the Akron Bar Association and was its first secretary, and he was also a member of Alpha Delta Phi, a college fraternity, the Philosophical Society of Washington, D. C., the Sons of the American Revolution and various military organizations. His was a many-sided, forceful personality. Possessed of high ideals and patriotic impulses, he left the deep impress of his individuality upon the annals of his state and died rich in accomplishments, rich in attainments and rich in service. During his long and useful career Colonel Wright never knew fear, either moral or physical, and of him it can truly be said that he approached his grave "Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch About him and lies down to pleasant dreams." Mrs. Wright was reared in Akron and completed her high AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 465 school course in 1872. She is one of the Daughters of the American Revolution, a member of the Historical Society of Tallmadge, and president of the Country Study Club. During the Spanish-American war she organized the Soldiers Aid and for a number of years was chairman of the Red Cross auxiliary of Tallmadge. She is active in church affairs, taking part in the work of its societies. Unselfish, patriotic and broad-minded, she has fostered many worthy movements and is esteemed and admired in the community in which she has so long resided. Colonel and Mrs. Wright became the parents of three sons. Clement Hale, the eldest, was born in Tallmadge, July 4, 1882, and in 1900 entered the United States Military Academy at West Point, from which he was graduated in 1904. Since the latter date he has served continuously as a commissioned officer in the United States infantry, being at present a major. His service has included military duty in the Philippines, in the Hawaiian islands, on the Mexican border, and in September, 1918, he went to France with the American Expeditionary Force, returning to the United States in April, 1919. He is an honor graduate of the school of the line, a graduate of the general staff school, the Army War College and the Naval War College, and since August 15, 1928, has been a member of the General Staff Corps, on duty with the war department general staff at Washington, D. C. At Hartwell, Ohio, he was married January 1, 1906, to Miss Laura Mitchell, a daughter of the Rev. Frank Gridley Mitchell, D. D., and Mary Electa (Davis) Mitchell. Eleanor Mitchell Wright, the only child of this union, was born at Schofield barracks, Oahu, in the territory of Hawaii, June 23, 1911. Allen Whitney Wright, born July 17, 1889, completed a course in the Tallmadge high school and attended Buchtel College at Akron for a year. For four years he was a student at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and was graduated with the class of 1916. On the 12th of May, 1917, he enlisted and was sent to the first officers training camp at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indiana. He was commissioned a second lieutenant August 15, 1917, and assigned to the Three Hundred and Thirty-first Infantry, Eighty-third Division, at Camp Sherman, June 2, 1918. On the 1st of January, 1918, he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant and went overseas with the Three Hundred and Thirty-first Infantry, Eighty-third Division, June 2, 1918. He served with the construction engineers in the Le Mans area of France and on June 1, 1919, was made captain of the One Hundred and 466 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY Thirty-first Company of Engineers. On the 6th of August, 1919, he was honorably discharged and since 1923 has been an electrical engineer in the employ of the Ohio Bell Telephone Company, being at present connected with the Akron office. He was married August 25, 1917, to Miss Louise Carter Nelson, a daughter of Judge Frank and Ida (Withers) Nelson, of Rustburg, Virginia, and they reside in the old home in Tallmadge. George Maltby Wright, the third son, was born June 24, 1892, and was graduated from the Tallmadge high school in 1911. He attended Buchtel College for a year and during 1911-12 was a student at the University of Virginia. In 1915 he enlisted in Battery B of the First Ohio Field. Artillery and during 1916 was stationed on the Mexican border. He was commissioned a second lieutenant of the Twentieth United States Infantry in March, 1917, a first lieutenant in May of that year, and in August, 1917, was promoted to the rank of captain, serving in that capacity until August, 1919, when he resigned. He is now at the head of the solid tire department of the business of the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company and resides in Akron. On the 5th of February, 1919, he was married in Kansas City, Missouri, to Miss Marjorie Byford Jerrems and they have become the parents of three daughters: Helen Elizabeth, who was born December 11, 1919; Marjorie Jean, born November 24, 1921; and Virginia Louise, born July 27, 1924. ANTHONY JORDAN Enterprising, resourceful and methodical, Anthony Jordan has been successful in widely divergent lines of activity and is now dealing in real estate, insurance and bonds, figuring prominently in business circles of Akron. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, March 29, 1879, and is a son of Charles and Nancy (Bellucci) Jordan, who were natives of Italy. They came to the United States in 1867 and established their home in Pittsburgh. At the time the Pennsylvania Railroad was built between Pittsburgh and New York the father was superintendent of construction and continued in the same line of work until his death in 1913. The mother passed away in 1926. To their union were born thirteen children, four of whom survive : Anthony; Louis, who lives in Pittsburgh ; Mrs. Rose Modarelli, AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 469 of Youngstown, Ohio; and Mrs. Josephine Tronzo, a resident of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Anthony Jordan received his early education in Italy, where he was taken as a child of two years, and was ten years old when he was brought back to Pittsburgh, there completing his education. Entering on his business career he became associated with his father in railroad building and remained with him until 1902. While in Kent, Ohio, he had charge of the construction of the Pennsylvania line and later supervised the construction of the Ravenna, Hudson & Youngstown Belt Line Railroad, completing the work in 1907. He then embarked in merchandising in Akron and was thus engaged until 1911, when he sold the business, having been elected constable. For two terms he was the incumbent of that office, retiring in 1914, and in the following year he became connected with the sales department of mechanical goods, of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company. Mr. Jordan was placed in charge of a force of experienced salesmen who carried on a campaign throughout the United States and created a widespread demand for the Wingfoot rubber heels which still continues. In 1917 he severed his relations with the Goodyear Corporation, becoming a salesman for the insurance firm of Aker & Garrigan, and was employed along that line until 1925. At that time he entered the field independently and now has a prosperous business with offices on the sixth floor of the Second National Bank building. Mr. Jordan is local agent for the Canadian Life Insurance Company and writes all forms of insurance. His real estate activities have covered a wide scope, and the bond department is another important feature of his business, which is conducted with system and efficiency. He employs about ten capable salesmen and is one of the directors of the Mendler-Jordan Realty Company. Mr. Jordan was married April 3, 1897, in Youngstown, Ohio, to Miss Mary Aceirno, a daughter of Rocco Aceirno, who was born in Italy and became a resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Jordan became the parents of five children but one died in infancy and Charles W. is also deceased. Julia, now Mrs. L. J. Clinton, the eldest, was born April 22, 1898, in Pittsburgh and was graduated from the West high school in Akron. She resides in Akron and at one time was deputy county clerk of Summit county. Virginia, born March 30, 1901, in Pittsburgh, is also a graduate of the West high school. She completed a course in the Russian Academy of Dancing in New York 470 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY city and is now a teacher of dancing in that metropolis. Adeline, who was born February 2, 1902, in Pittsburgh, also received a diploma from the West high school and later was graduated from Buchtel College of Akron. She won the Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pittsburgh and is a teacher of history and English in the Forest Hill school. Mr. Jordan is a member of the real estate board of Akron, the Automobile Club and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. His mental and physical powers are well balanced, and his labors have been manifestly resultant. He is a broad-gauged man and one of Akron's "boosters." Throughout life he has followed the course dictated by conscience and honor, and the respect accorded him is well deserved. Mr. Jordan's residence is at 79 Rose boulevard, Akron, where he has resided since 1913. ARVED ELMER HINMAN Arved Elmer Hinman, a Tallmadge pioneer, has been dependent upon his own resources from an early age, and the prosperity which he now enjoys is the merited reward of an upright life o' well directed industry. He was born in West Richfield, Ohio, August 19, 1858, and his parents, Oliver Benton and Jane (Pool) Hinman, were also natives of this state. His grandfather, Marcus Hinman, lived in Waterbury, Connecticut, during his youth and about 1820 migrated to Ohio, casting in his lot with the early settlers of Summit county. Oliver B. Hinman was born in Tallmadge in 1834 and attained the age of seventy-seven years, passing away in 1911. His wife, who was a member of one of the old Quaker families of the east, was called to her final rest on April 18, 1867. They were the parents of three children : Arved E.; one who died in infancy; and Mrs. Minnie Oles, who lives in Akron. Reared on his father's farm, Arved E. Hinman attended the district school near his home and when a boy of twelve obtained work in a store. He was thus employed until he was about fifteen years of age and then came to Tallmadge, where he has since resided. For some time he was a carpenter's apprentice and also worked for a painter, mastering both trades, which he has followed for many years. He has been intimately connected with AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 471 building operations in this locality, which bears many evidences of his craftsmanship, and success has attended his undertakings. Mr. Hinman was married March 2, 1882, in Tallmadge to Miss Sarah A. Williams, a daughter of Daniel and Jane (Marsden) Williams, natives of England. Mrs. Hinman's father was born in Somersetshire in 1853 and made the voyage to the new world in childhood. The mother was born in Yorkshire and came to America in 1854. In their family were ten children, seven of whom are deceased. Those who survive are : Mrs. Hinman, who was the fourth in order of birth; and Mrs. Emma Orchard and Walter Williams, who live in Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Hinman have four daughters. Helen, the first born, is the wife of H. J. Walters, foreman of a tile shop at Tallmadge, and they are the parents of three children, Floyd, Kenneth and Bernice. Olive E. is Mrs. Austin Sayer, of Smithville, Ohio, and is the mother of four children, Harold, Clara B., Delbert and Ralph. Mabel J. Hinman is in the employ of the Polsky Dry Goods Company of Akron and lives at home. Clara B. is the wife of Francis Hoffman, of Tallmadge, and has been in the service of the Goodrich Rubber Company for eleven years. Mr. and Mrs. Hinman are affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal church and for an extended period he has been one of its stewards. The cause of education finds in him a strong advocate and his public spirit is expressed by service on the Tallmadge school board, of which he has been president for three years. His residence in the community covers more than a half century and notable changes have occurred during that period. With deep interest he has watched the progress of civilization in this region, and his conversation is enriched with interesting reminiscences of the early days. Time has proven his worth, and no citizen of Tallmadge occupies a higher place in public esteem. ANTON PETERSEN Anton Petersen, who was a well known box manufacturer of Akron, was born in Denmark, October 23, 1869, and was reared and educated in that country. In 1893 he was sent from Europe to the World's Fair in Chicago as a representative of the Social Democrat press and intended to return to Denmark when his tasks were completed. However, he found the opportunities in this country so alluring that he decided to remain in the United States 472 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY and secured a position with the Wrigley box factory in New York. There he remained until 1901, acquiring a comprehensive knowledge of the paper box industry, and then located in Akron. Here Mr. Petersen established a factory at No. 482 South High street, starting with eight men, and organized the A. Petersen Box Company but later adopted the present style of the Akron Paper Box Company. In the development of the business he achieved the full measure of success and remained at its head until his death on March 17, 1928, when he was in his fifty-eighth year and at the height of his usefulness. His passing was deeply regretted by the leaders of that industry as well as by those with whom he was associated in other relations of life, for he was a high-minded man of exceptional worth. He was long a familiar figure in conventions of paper box manufacturers and a faithful attendant at the Indiana-Ohio-Michigan group of sessions, being present at the last meeting of this kind, which was held October 4, 1927, in Columbus. His membership was with the Western Association of Box Makers, and in religious faith he was a Universalist. On May 22, 1894, Mr. Petersen had married Miss Dagmar Henriette Jensen, who was also born in Denmark and who proved an ideal companion and helpmate, aiding him materially in the upbuilding of the business. He is survived by Mrs. Petersen and their two children : Reinholdt; and Magda P., who is the wife of W. H. Juve and the mother of four children, Robert, Richard, Walter, Jr., and Henriette Marie. Reinholdt Petersen, the only son, was born July 10, 1900, and completed his studies in the South high school. In 1913 he started to work in the plant of the Akron Paper Box Company, being at that time but thirteen years old, and eventually he passed through the various departments. He was elected secretary and treasurer of the company and thus served until March, 1928, when he succeeded his father as president. Thoroughly experienced and efficient, he meets every requirement of this important office and is ably assisted by his mother, who discharges the duties of secretary and treasurer. The industry is located at No. 476-482 South High street and furnishes employment to about sixty skilled mechanics. The factory is equipped with the latest types of box-making machinery and its product is sold all over the country. On September 19, 1920, Reinholdt Petersen was married in Akron to Miss Hazel Pritchard, of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Mr. Petersen is deeply engrossed in his work, and his connection with AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 473 outside interests is limited to membership in the Akron Automobile Club. A young man of pleasing personality, he readily wins friends, and his record sustains the high reputation which has ever been borne by the family. HOWARD A. THAM Constantly expanding the scope of his activities, Howard A. Tham has become a dominant personality in industrial circles of Akron and also figures conspicuously in other walks of life. He was born in this city, April 30, 1891, his parents being Conrad and Louise (Bickel) Tham, natives of Germany. Both left that country when very young, the father being a child of four when brought by his parents to the United States. He was reared and educated in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and when a young man located in Akron, where he was married. For a number of years he was identified with the steel industry and later became a refrigerating engineer, following that profession until his death in 1909. The mother passed away in 1920. They left a family of four children : Irwin, Elmer and Howard A. Tham, and Mrs. Helen Zimmerman, all residents of Akron. Howard A. Tham completed his studies in the Central high school of Akron and afterward served an apprenticeship in a machine shop. For seven years he followed that line of work and then aided in forming the Mechanical Mold & Machine Company, of which he is now the treasurer. All of the original officers of the company are still serving and take an active part in the operation of the plant, which is located at No. 962 South High street. This is one of the largest and best equipped institutions of the kind in the state and furnishes work to about one hundred and fifty persons. The members of the firm have taken every possible precaution to safeguard the lives of their employes and enjoy the distinction of having the lowest insurance rate of any industrial organization in Ohio. A harmonious spirit of cooperation prevails throughout the institution, thus facilitating the work of production, and the extent of the industry is proof of the high quality of the output and the efficiency of the men who control the business. Mr. Tham is also a director of the South Akron Savings & Loan Company, the Sun Rubber Company, the Falls Paper Box Company, and the West Exchange Realty Company. He has an unusual capacity for detail and readily grasps the 474 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY possibilities as well as the difficulties of a business situation, carefully avoiding the latter while improving the former to the fullest extent. On December 29, 1917, Mr. Tham was married in Akron to Miss Mabel A. La Monte, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles La Monte and a member of one of the prominent families of Detroit, Michigan. In Masonry Mr. Tham holds the thirty-second degree and is identified with both the York and Scottish Rites. He belongs to the Masonic Club and is president of the Gyro Club. As a member of the Chamber of Commerce he is working earnestly and systematically for Akron's development, and his religious belief is indicated by his affiliation with St. Paul's Lutheran church. Mr. Tham is a tireless worker and his rapidly expanding powers have carried him into important relations. He typifies the spirit of progress in Akron and is a young man of exceptional worth, esteemed and respected by all who know him. His residence is at 298 Long street. CHESTER ARTHUR PIERCE Chester Arthur Pierce, president of the C. A. Pierce Oil Company, is one of Akron's live, energetic business men, who has built up a successful organization and occupies a foremost position in his line of commercial activity. Mr. Pierce is a native of Michigan, born in Merrill, on the 5th of March, 1883, his parents being A. D. and Emma (Friend) Pierce, the former being a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Ohio. They removed to Michigan shortly after their marriage and for a time lived in Merrill but later returned to Ohio and established their home in Medina county. The father was a mason contractor during his active life. Both he and his wife are now deceased. They were the parents of five children : C. Arthur; E. E. and George F., who reside in Dayton, Ohio; Mrs. Lola Bentz, of Akron; and Mrs. Estella Rarog, of Los Angeles, California. C. Arthur Pierce was but a child when his parents removed from Michigan to Medina county, Ohio, so that he was practically reared and received his schooling in that county. He learned the bricklayer's trade, which he followed for a number of years, first as a journeyman and later went into the general contracting business for himself, which he followed successfully AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 477 until in 1921, when he turned his attention to the oil business. Success has followed him from the beginning for he has built up a fine business and has one of the most complete and up-to-date bulk plants in the state of Ohio. He is now the owner of sixteen major oil stations and is extensively interested in others. Mr. Pierce puts out the Blue Ribbon line of oils and station accessories that have become well known through their high standard of excellence which he makes a special effort to maintain. He has been the executive head of this business ever since its incorporation, and its growth and development offers a magnificent tribute to his enterprise and straightforward methods. On the 8th of March, 1904, Mr. Pierce was married to Miss Blanche Hamilton, of Gardner, Ohio, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hamilton. Mr. and Mrs. Pierce have a son and two daughters: Thelma, who was born in Seville, Ohio; Nelson A., born in Rittman, Ohio, March 27, 1910; and Wanda, also born in Rittman. Mr. Pierce is a member of the Akron Automobile Club and also belongs to the Akron Chamber of Commerce and East Akron Board of Trade. He is actuated by a progressive spirit in all that he does, whether for the public good or the advancement of his individual interests. What he has accomplished in life is the sole result of his own efforts and his energies wisely directed. He is accorded a most creditable position among Akron's strong and able business men and highly respected citizens. Mr. Pierce's city residence is at No. 130 Berkley avenue, while his summer home is on East Reservoir. RAYMOND EDWARD MILLER For many years Raymond Edward Miller has been associated with the National Malleable & Steel Castings Company of Cleveland, which he has represented in various capacities, always loyal to the interests of the corporation and faithful in the discharge of every duty entrusted to him. He makes his home in Hudson, where his birth occurred August 11, 1874, and is a son of Sebastian Miller, who was also born in Hudson and was descended from Holland and New England ancestry. Sebastian Miller held various village and township offices, the duties of which he discharged most faithfully. He was also allied with the Episcopal church of Hudson and took a keen interest in the moral 478 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY development of the town. For many years he engaged in merchandising here and his reliable business methods were one of the strong elements in his success. He died in the early '90s, when but fifty-one years of age. His wife, Lillias (Hawkins) Miller, was born in Portage county, Ohio, and represented one of the old New England families. They became parents of three children: Clare G., who died in 1895; Florence M., who is living in Cleveland; and Raymond E., of this review. Raymond E. Miller acquired his elementary education in the public schools of Hudson and subsequently attended the Western Reserve Academy, in which he completed a course with the class of 1893. Later he studied in the Spencerian Business College of Cleveland and thus qualified for life's practical and responsible duties. It was on the completion of his school life that he became associated with the National Malleable & Steel Castings Company of Cleveland, which he has now represented through all the intervening years, covering more than a third of a century, in various capacities. No higher proof of his capability, faithfulness and efficiency could be given than the fact that he has been associated with the corporation throughout all this period. On the 27th of September, 1899, Mr. Miller was married to Miss Lotta A. Blackburn, of Summit county. Her parents were natives of England and came to the United States in early life with their respective families, who settled in northern Ohio. Her father served throughout the Civil war as a member of Battery D, First Ohio Volunteer Light Artillery and participated in thirty-three battles. He was present in the engagements at Shiloh and Murfreesboro, went with Sherman on the march to the sea, took part in the batttle of Antietam and of Lookout Mountain and was also a participant in the siege of Atlanta. Although in the service for four years, he was never wounded nor imprisoned. To him and his wife were born four children : Florence J., the wife of Fred Stauffer; Harry J. ; Lotta A., now Mrs. Miller; and Edna, the wife of Harry M. Page. At the time of her marriage to Raymond E. Miller, Lotta A. Blackburn was a young lady who had enjoyed the advantages of an education at the Western Reserve Academy and had for several years been a teacher in the rural schools of Summit county and in the Hudson schools. She is now very prominent as a club woman, active in the local organization and in the state federation. She is also an untiring worker in various branches of the church, has been a teacher of the Bible class for a number AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 479 of years and cooperates in every activity that promises the development of the church. She has likewise served on the board of Associated Charities of Cleveland and also on the board of St. Luke's Maternity Hospital of Cleveland. At the same time she has carefully reared her children, the elder of whom is Claire Louise, now the wife of Alden C. Dittrick and the mother of one daughter, Mary. The son, Roger T. Miller, is a student in the Hudson high school. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have been members of the Hudson Congregational church from early youth and stand ready at all times to give of their service and of their means to the church work and to every project for the betterment and uplift of the community. Mr. Miller, like his wife, has held various offices in the church and in community affairs he has taken an active and helpful part, serving for many years on the Hudson council and on the city school board, while at the present writing he is Hudson's mayor and is giving to the city a businesslike and progressive administration which has brought about various reforms and introduced many municipal improvements. Evidence of his public spirit is found at all times and no public project of worth fails to receive his allegiance. He is a member of the Cleveland Athletic Club and of the Hudson Club, is a lover of nature and finds pleasure and recreation in fishing and golf. WILBUR E. PERRINE Self-reliance, energy, intelligence and determination were the youthful patrimony of Wilbur E. Perrine, whose success has been achieved through the stimulating friction of battling with difficulties. His postgraduate work in the school of experience has placed him at the head of a large furniture house in Akron and as mayor of Munroe Falls he is proving an ideal public servant, working at all times for the best interests of the community. Mr. Perrine was born in Sherodsville, Carroll County, Ohio, May 15, 1883, a son of John A. and Annie E. ( Totten) Perrine. The mother, who was a native of the same county, passed away in February, 1920. The son of Peter Perrine, a Union veteran, John A. Perrine was born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and came to Ohio at an early age. The greater part of his life has been spent in the Buckeye state and since the death of his 480 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY second wife in 1926 he has resided with his son, Wilbur E. Perrine. The latter was a child of two years when the family settled near Cadiz in Harrison county, Ohio, and his early education was acquired in the schools of that locality. In 1898 the family removed to Alliance and about a year later located in Minerva, Ohio. His first money was earned when he was a boy of eight and at the age of twelve he became a section hand, "paddying" on the Panhandle Railroad. Later he worked on a farm and at one time was employed in a restaurant. In 1898 he started to learn the molder's trade and in 1899 entered a blacksmith shop, where he served a three years' apprenticeship. During that time he met drovers and butchers, and became interested in the meat business, being next a meat cutter in a Minerva market. Afterward he spent six months in Kent, Ohio, and then proceeded to Cuyahoga Falls, where he remained for a year, working for the firm of Roethig Brothers. His brother, Charles H. Perrine, now deceased, who was connected with the Kirk Furniture Company of Akron, urged him to enter the service of that firm and he started as assistant on a truck, of which he was made the driver soon afterward. Later he was sent on the road and traveled for the house until 1902, when he returned to the store as floor salesman, window trimmer and decorator of the retail sales department. For thirteen years he was in the employ of the company and during nine years of that period was manager of the office and credit department, which handled over six thousand, five hundred accounts, valued at more than three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. In 1913 Mr. Perrine became office and credit manager for the Star Rubber Company and a year and a half later entered upon his duties as sales manager for the Ravenna Rubber Company. At the end of six months he resigned the position and returned to Akron. On the 28th of March, 1917, he joined J. C. Cranmer in forming the Cranmer-Perrine Furniture Company, which first occupied a room twenty-five feet wide and ninety feet long, but in the fall of that year the floor space was increased by the acquisition of a double store room fifty by ninety feet in dimensions. Starting with a capital of only three hundred and fifty dollars, they prospered beyond their expectations and with the aid of outside capital leased the entire building at Nos. 5-7 North Arlington street in the spring of 1918 at a rental of three hundred dollars per month. At an outlay of twenty-two thou- AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 481 sand dollars they made extensive repairs and improvements and in 1919 they transacted a business of more than two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Needing additional storage room, they leased ground on East Market street in 1919 and erected a warehouse one hundred by seventy-five feet in dimensions and three stories in height at a cost of one hundred and twenty-seven thousand dollars. In August, 1922, Mr. Perrine severed his connection with the firm and on September 1 of that year he perfected his.plans to reenter the furniture business in Akron, making a loan of funds to cover the first month's rent of a twenty-two by seventy-five foot room at the corner of Mill and College streets, while on the same day he purchased stock to the value of ten thousand dollars. The capacity of the store was doubled January 1, 1923, and on May 1 of that year he again enlarged his quarters, securing a total of twenty thousand square feet of floor space. Continued success in the undertaking enabled Mr. Perrine to close a deal for the majority of the stock of the Cranmer Furniture Company, the business which he had aided in founding, and for a number of years he conducted both stores. In 1927 he closed the Arlington street establishment and the business is now centered at Mill and College streets, while the warehouse is located at No. 816 East Market street, where the wholesale department is maintained. The Perrine Furniture Company, of which he is the president, is one of the largest and most progressive firms of the kind in the state. Their house is noted for its friendly atmosphere and courteous service, while taste, quality and moderate prices distinguish the display of merchandise. Mr. Perrine was married September 3, 1907, in Akron to Miss Luella I. Evans, a native of Kenton, Hardin county, Ohio, and a member of one of its pioneer families. Her parents, David and Verina (Fry) Evans, are deceased. Her father was a farmer and conducted two large farms in Kenton, on one of which was an artesian sulphur well. Mrs. Perrine has three brothers : Earl, a resident of Akron; and Emory and Willis Evans, who live in California. Mr. and Mrs. Perrine have two sons, Charles E. and Louis D., both at home. The family residence is situated on the Stow-Tallmadge road and is regarded as one of the most modern and attractive country homes in Summit county. Mr. and Mrs. Perrine are earnest members of the Stow t of which he is a deacon, and both are keenly 482 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY interested in religious work. For four years Mr. Perrine was one of the school directors of Stow township, doing all in his power to advance the cause of education in that district, and his service as mayor of the village of Munroe Falls has been equally resultant and beneficial. He belongs to the Stow Civic Association and is always found in the van of movements looking toward the accomplishment of real and practical good. The East Akron Board of Trade numbers him among its charter members and he is also connected with the Exchange Club. He belongs to Pavonia Lodge, K. P., at Cuyahoga Falls, and is also a prominent Mason, belonging to Akron Lodge, No. 83, F. & A. M.; Washington Chapter, No. 25, R. A. M. ; Akron Council, No. 80, R. & S. M. ; Akron Commandery, No. 25, K. T., and Tadmor Temple of the Mystic Shrine. Mr. Perrine is much interested in aviation, and trout fishing is his favorite sport. A business man of exceptional acumen and ability, he has left the indelible impress of his individuality upon his work, and the strength that he manifests in mercantile affairs has its root in those qualities which command respect and inspire confidence and esteem. HAROLD S. WAGNER Harold S. Wagner, one of the young men of Akron who is steadily forging to the front, is now a director and the secretary of the Metropolitan Park Board and is regarded as an authority upon horticulture and floriculture, while years of study and application have gained him wide knowledge of landscape gardening, so that he is well qualified for the responsible position he is now filling. Mr. Wagner is a native of Boston, Massachusetts, his birth having there occurred December 18, 1892, his parents being Henry and Barbara (Heintz) Wagner, the former a native of Bavaria, while the mother was born in Boston. In early life Henry Wagner came to the new world and for many years has engaged in the furniture business in Boston, where he still makes his home, but his wife has passed away. Their family numbered four children, including three daughters—Minnie, Lillian and Ethel. The only son, Harold S. Wagner, attended the public lic schools of Boston, passing through consecutive grades to the high school, while later he devoted three years to intensive study AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 485 at the Arnold Arboretum, the tree museum of Harvard University, acquainting himself with the most modern and scientific methods of tree culture, including tree surgery and subsequent care. When he had completed his course he became an associate of Warren H. Manning, a noted landscape architect, under whom he continued to study for a period of five years while representing his employer in many important projects. It was during that period that he was sent to Akron to design and lay out Fairlawn Heights, and through his excellent work he also contributed greatly to beautifying that district. When that work was accomplished he became connected with the Akron city park commission and for two years was superintendent of parks. He next became director and secretary of the Metropolitan Park Board, which positions he now fills, and his work is eminently satisfactory, for he embodies the most advanced methods of landscape architecture. His broad knowledge enables him to visualize a completed task and to recognize the possibilities of improving and beautifying any district. His labors have been indeed of great benefit to the city and the results achieved reflect credit and honor upon him. On the 8th of April, 1917, Mr. Wagner was married to Miss Bertha Rau, of Boston, a daughter of Gottlieb and Minnie Rau of that city. They now have one child, Barbara Wagner, who was born in Boston, May 18, 1919. Mr. Wagner is a Mason who loyally follows the teachings and high principles of the craft. He is a member of the American Institute of Park Executives, National Parks Association, Playground and Recreation Association, National Conference on State Parks, National Conference on City Planning, and American Civic Association. He belongs to the Exchange Club and during his residence in Akron he has gained a wide acquaintance and is most favorably known here, his sterling qualities and traits of character gaining for him warm friendship and kindly regard. Mr. Wagner's residence is at 1026 Emma avenue. JOHN WESTON EWART John Weston Ewart is one of the successful agriculturists of Springfield township and represents an honored pioneer family whose members have influenced the development and progress of this part of the state for a period of one hundred and sixteen 16-VOL. 2 486 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY years. He was born on the home farm in Springfield township, October 14, 1878, and in the maternal line traces his ancestry to the colonial epoch in American history. His father, Charles C. Ewart, was born July 13, 1849, in Springfield township, and was a son of John Ewart, who came with his parents from Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, to Tallmadge, Summit county, Ohio, in 1812. Later the family removed to Springfield township, acquiring a tract of three hundred and twenty acres, which constituted the Ewart homestead until 1919, when a portion of the land was sold. Charles C. Ewart was reared to manhood on this farm and supplemented his public school education by a college course in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He then returned home and engaged in farming, sheep raising and dairying for many years. Success attended his well directed labors and about 1914 he retired, establishing his home in Springfield Center, where he spent the remainder of his life. On New Year's Day of 1874 he had married Miss Leora Weston, a native of Springfield township and of English lineage. Her parents were S. N. and Mary Jane (Force) Weston, both of Revolutionary stock. Mr. Weston's forbears migrated from New England to Ohio and were numbered among the early settlers of Summit county. He was born in Springfield township and served in the Union army during the Civil war. His wife was a native of Akron, Ohio, and an adherent of the Quaker faith. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Ewart were six children, four of whom survive: Eva, who is Mrs. L. E. Housley, of Brooklyn, New York, and has one child, Burton ; Aurie, who is the wife of Curtis Ewart of Pomona, California, and the mother of four children, Robert, Elizabeth, Charles and Mary; John W.; and Elizabeth, who is in the employ of the Uniontown Savings & Loan Association. The father was a Presbyterian in religious faith and filled various offices in the Springfield Presbyterian church. He was an exemplary citizen, and his death in 1917 was the occasion of deep and widespread regret. His widow and daughter Elizabeth occupy the home in Springfield Center, and he is also survived by a brother, Perry G. Ewart; and two sisters, Belle, who is the wife of John Shephard, of Painesville, Ohio; and Ada, who is Mrs. Hubert Wright, of Perry, this state. John W. Ewart attended the district school near his home and continued his studies in Akron and Columbus. He then returned to the home farm and has since devoted his energies to its AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 487 development. Through scientific methods he has enhanced the fertility of the soil and follows diversified farming. He has a good grade of stock and has found dairying a profitable industry. The work is expedited by up-to-date equipment, and no farm in this district is more highly developed or more efficiently operated. Mr. Ewart is one of the most progressive farmers in the township and is also interested in financial affairs, being connected with the Uniontown Savings & Loan Company. On the 24th of May, 1917, Mr. Ewart was united in marriage to Miss Emma Loreaux, a daughter of Desire and Adeline (Graber) Loreaux and the third in order of birth in a family of seven children, six of whom survive. Previous to her marriage Mrs. Ewart was engaged in educational work and taught for a number of years in the public schools of Akron and Barberton, Ohio. Mr. Ewart is a member of Apollo Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, which he joined at East Akron, and his religious views are in harmony with the doctrines of the Presbyterian church. He bears a name that has long stood for the highest traditions in Ohio's citizenship and is esteemed and respected throughout the district in which his life has been spent. WILLIAM E. HINMAN William E. Hinman is one of the venerable citizens of Tallmadge and represents an honored pioneer family that has been closely associated with the development of this district for more than a century. He was born in 1839 and has always resided in this community, to which he is deeply attached. His ancestors settled in New England in colonial times, and his grandfather, Lemuel Hinman, was a Continental soldier during the Revolutionary war. Although much younger, he was a close friend of General Washington and because of this friendship was chosen standard bearer, proudly carrying the American flag from the beginning of the struggle for independence until its close. His son Marcus, who became the father of William E. Hinman, was a native of Waterbury, Connecticut. He journeyed from that state to Ohio and arrived in Summit county, May 27, 1819, the day on which he attained the age of twenty years. He was married October 14, 1824, in Tallmadge to Miss Harriet Saxton, who was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and they became the parents of four children, all of whom are deceased except William 488 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY E. Hinman. He was reared on the home farm and attended the local schools. During his youth he assisted his father in the work of plowing, planting and harvesting and received thorough training in agricultural pursuits, which occupied his attention for a considerable period. Tiring of farm life, he decided to enter the field of commerce and for twenty years was engaged in merchandising in Tallmadge. His stock was carefully selected, and his enterprising methods and well known honesty enabled him to win a large share of the local patronage. On the 7th of March, 1864, Mr. Hinman was married in Tallmadge to Miss Nellie Barber, who was born September 14, 1844, in Copley township, Summit county, and was a daughter of Colonel Barber. A stanch republican, Mr. Hinman exerted considerable influence in the local councils of the party and was a member of the county executive committee for eight years. He was elected a member of the school board, on which he served for seven years, and furthered the educational advancement of the district to the extent of his ability, also cooperating in other movements for the general good. Although afflicted with blindness for years, he is alert and active, appearing much younger than he is, and keeps in close touch with affairs of public moment. He lives in the house in which his father was born—a substantial, commodious dwelling, situated on the outskirts of the village of Tallmadge. This homestead has been in possession of the family for more than one hundred years and throughout that period has been kept free of all encumbrances. Mr. Hinman is a nonagenarian and comes of a long-lived race. His paternal grandfather attained the remarkable age of one hundred and ten years, his father died when ninety years old and his mother reached the ripe age of eighty-five years. Imbued with a strong sense of duty and honor, Mr. Hinman has conscientiously fulfilled life's responsibilities and obligations, and his reward is the unqualified respect of his fellowmen. THE CAMP BROTHERS COMPANY Among the up-to-date business institutions to which Mogadore is indebted for its industrial growth and prosperity is that of The Camp Brothers Company, which specializes in clay products. Building operations were started June 19, 1919, and in 1921 the plant was opened for business. It is equipped with the AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 489 most improved machinery, and modern methods are used throughout. A high degree of efficiency is maintained in the operation of this model institution, which has a capacity of one hundred thousand bricks per day. The promoters of the business chose this location because of the fact that they were able to secure many acres of valuable clay land which enables them to produce an unusually fine line of brick and tile. The industry is controlled by business men of proven ability and worth and mirrors their enterprise and high commercial standards. The officers of the company are : Henry H. Camp, president; Louis W. Camp, vice president; R. E. Armstrong, secretary; and C. C. Baird, treasurer. Henry H. Camp is a native of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and a son of Horace B. and Amelia (Babb) Camp, both of whom were born in this state. The father's birth occurred in New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas county, November 7, 1838, and in 1907 he was called to his final rest. The mother was born in Uniontown, Stark county, in 1853 and now resides at No. 87 Highland avenue in Akron. They had a family of four children : Grace, who became the wife of R. E. Armstrong and died in 1918; Henry H.; Louis W., who is married and resides in Akron at the corner of Mayfield and Twin Oaks road; and Laura, who is the wife of Professor William E. Mosher, of Syracuse, New York, and the mother of five sons. When Henry H. Camp was a child of six the family left Cuyahoga Falls and settled on a farm which the father purchased in Tallmadge township, Summit county. He was manufacturer of sewer pipe and the clay soil on his property was admirably adapted to this purpose. Henry H. Camp remained in Tallmadge township until he was eighteen and supplemented his common school education by a course in the Western Reserve Academy at Hudson, Ohio. His first independent venture was in 1906, when he organized the Camp Conduit Company and began the manufacture of clay products in Cleveland, Ohio. This business he learned under his father and it has constituted his life work. There is no phase of the industry with which he is not thoroughly familiar and success has attended all of his undertakings. He enjoys his work and through concentrated effort and judicious management has made The Camp Brothers Company one of the leading organizations of the kind in northern Ohio. Mr. Camp is a director of Central Savings & Trust Company, also the Mo- 490 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY gadore Savings Banks and the Akron Coal Company, and is a trustee of the City Hospital of Akron. Mr. Camp was married September 10, 1902, to Miss Anna Metlin, a daughter of John and Alice (Christy) Metlin and a member of an old and prominent family of Akron. Mr. and Mrs. Camp usually spend a portion of each winter in Florida. Their residence in Akron is at No. 138 Fir street, the old Christy mansion, and they are now making plans to remove to their modern home in Fairlawn, an attractive suburb of the Rubber city. For three years Mr. Camp has been a director of the Akron City Club and the Portage Country Club and is also connected with the Fairlawn Golf Club, the Turkey Foot Island Club and Akron Lodge of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. His energy, ability and determination have brought him to the fore in local business circles, and his innate courtesy and high moral qualities have enabled him to win and retain the esteem and confidence of his fellowmen. FRANCIS HENRY HOLTON It is hardly possible to realize what would be the business status and condition of Akron without the rubber interests here. For a considerable period Francis Henry Holton, who passed away January 19, 1918, at the venerable age of eighty-six years, was closely associated with the rubber industry in this city but was even more broadly connected with the rubber industry of the country, having been a pioneer in this field of development. His contribution to progress along this line was notable and his inventive genius brought out many valuable devices. Francis H. Holton was born in Northfield, Massachusetts, November 17, 1831, a son of Luther and Marcia (Mixer) Holton. The family was founded in America by one of the name who emigrated from Ipswich, England, in 1630 and settled near Hartford, Connecticut, whence more immediate ancestors of Francis H. Holton removed to Northfield in 1735. Only limited educational opportunities came to Mr. Holton inasmuch as he began earning his living when a youth of fourteen years. He was employed in the shoe and rubber store of his uncle, Samuel Holton, in finishing for the market the crude rubber shoes imported for the American trade before these were superseded by the kind made under the Goodyear patents. From that time for- AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 493 ward Mr. Holton was continuously associated as dealer, inventor and manufacturer with the rubber interests of the United States. In 1856 he removed to New York, where he was employed as a clerk by a Broadway firm dealing in rubber goods, but soon resigned that position to engage in the manufacture of druggists' and stationers' specialties in rubber, opening a factory on Broadway, near Thirty-seventh street. In 1856 he took up his residence in Brooklyn and removed his business to that city four years later. The enterprise prospered from the beginning and in 1868 William Gray was admitted to a partnership, remaining with the firm until 1870, when he sold his interest in the business to Charles B. Dickinson, who in 1874 acquired sole ownership by purchasing the interest of Mr. Holton. At that time the latter established a factory in New York but in 1877 again moved his business to Brooklyn at the foot of Adams street. He began his rubber manufacturing with only five or six employes and the business had grown to such proportions that in 1883 he was giving employment to from eighty to one hundred people. The demand for his output, however, far exceeded the capacity of the plant and it was this that led him to seek larger quarters, but through the influence of Dr. B. F. Goodrich he was induced to close out his interests in Brooklyn and remove to Akron. In the meantime he was closely studying the needs of the trade as well as the processes of manufacture and his initiative resulted in various inventions of note. One of these, seemingly small in itself but regarded as an absolutely indispensable adjunct of every home and business house of the world, was the rubber eraser. He was also the inventor of coil pads for guns. Mr. Holton was himself a good marksman, very fond of shooting, and it was this experience that led to his study resulting eventually in the production of the coil pads. To him belonged the distinction of having received Patent No. 1,000,000 from the patent office in Washington. There were many others who sought to obtain this, and although Mr. Holton did not have it in mind, it was accorded him on his invention of an automobile tire. He was also the first man to make rubber sponges in this country, prior to which time sponges of that character had been imported from Russia. Others had attempted the manufacture, but without success, and to Mr. Holton came the distinction of producing a marketable article of value. It was while conducting his own manufacturing plant in Brooklyn that he was induced to come to Akron as superintendent of the rubber specialty depart- 494 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY ment of the Goodrich Company, which profited greatly by his work, and he remained with that corporation until 1898, when he retired, after which he spent the next three years in travel and recreation. At the end of that time he answered the call of the rubber business by going back to work. His contribution to the trade is inestimable and as a pioneer he aided in establishing the rubber industry upon a broad and substantial basis in America. He entered the field at a time when practically all rubber goods in the United States were manufactured in New York, New Jersey and New England, with New York as the leading center of production, and Mr. Holton's plant there was the principal one of a dozen or more located in the Empire state. He was always recognized as the pioneer of the rubber industry in the east and Akron felt that she had gained a valuable addition to her ranks when he decided to become actively allied with rubber production in this city. He introduced many new and useful products while he was connected with the Goodrich Company and a most substantial trade was developed in connection with his department. In young manhood Mr. Holton was united in marriage to Miss Anna M. Blake, who passed away in Akron in 1894. Two years later, in 1896, he wedded Leora L. Hodgeman of Akron. There were four children by the first marriage, but Mr. Holton outlived all of his descendants save one granddaughter, Florence Holton, now a resident of Brooklyn, New York. He is survived by his wife, who is most highly esteemed in Akron, where she has long occupied an enviable position in social circles. In 1924 there was a family reunion held at the old Holton homestead in Northfield, Massachusetts, which has been in possession of the family since 1737, the grant thereto being received from the king of England, while the property has been handed down from father to son through many generations. There was at the same time a Holton reunion held in Pasadena, California, for members of the family who were too far away to attend the Northfield celebration. Mr. Holton won fame through his marksmanship, which gained for him many medals and prizes. He was a veteran of the Twenty-third Regiment of the old New York National Guard and also of Company G, Thirteenth Regiment of the National Guard of New York, usually called the Brooklyn City Guard. While a member of those organizations he became recognized as an expert shot and received many tangible tokens of his skill. AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 495 He belonged to the famous Creedmore Rifle Club of New York and to the Rifle Association of America and in both organizations was recognized as one of America's best marksmen. His life was also rich in its social contacts, for he had the ability to win and retain friendships. He was intimately acquainted with Ralph Waldo Emerson and many other distinguished men who cherished his companionship and felt honored by his friendship. There are few men who have so adequately expressed in their lives the principles and qualities which are embodied in the term gentleman. Throughout his entire career he held to high ideals and one of his marked characteristics was his consideration for and courtesy to others. He was charitable in his opinions, benevolent in his relations to those who needed assistance and at all times he not only practiced but advocated right living, his conscience being his strong guide. He knew what sacrifice and adversity were, having experienced both, but he never allowed them to embitted him nor did he allow his successes to dwarf his kindly nature. He was a lover of clean wit and humor and both enriched his conversation. He found great pleasure in reading history, with which he was widely familiar, and he also enjoyed literature of a scientific and educational nature but cared nothing for fiction. He thought broadly and his opinions were the result of careful consideration guided by his conscience. Loyalty in friendship was one of his marked traits and if at any time a friend abused his confidence his attitude was one of forgiveness. His entire life was the expression of high ideals of service and of devotion to his opportunities to contribute to the material, intellectual and moral progress of the world. He reached the age of eighty-six and his were "the blest accompaniments of age—honor, riches, troops of friends." SAMUEL HENRY POST In business circles of Hudson no name is more highly spoken of than that of Samuel H. Post, who for the past fifteen years has had the local agency for the Willys-Knight and Overland automobiles, in the selling of which he has met with distinctive success, while his business methods have been such as have gained for him the confidence and good will of all who have had dealings with him. Mr. Post was born on a farm in Boston township, this county. 496 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY on the 7th of October, 1884, a son of Lyman Curtiss and Sarah Nancy (Tyson) Post, of whom extended mention is made elsewhere in this work. He received a common school education in his home neighborhood and remained on the farm with his parents until thirty-two years of age, devoting his efforts to farming and stock raising and assisting in the management of the farm. He purchased his father's threshing outfit, which he operated a number of years, being one of the few successful men in that line in Summit county and always having a big run. He also owns a sawmill and cider mill, which are in operation on the farm at the present day. From 1914 to 1916 Mr. Post was engaged in the automobile business, being connected with the Willys-Knight Motor Company, and, in October, 1917, he moved to Hudson, where he purchased property and built a substantial garage. Here he has continued the handling of Willys-Knight and Overland cars. He has a modern, well equipped and attractive salesroom, in connection with which he maintains storage and repair departments, and is doing a very satisfactory business, being at this time the second oldest dealer in point of service with the Willys-Knight company in northern Ohio. At her home in Boston township, November 14, 1906, Mr. Post married Miss Zella Maxan, a daughter of John B. and Ella O'Dell (McBride) Maxan. Her father, who was born in Twinsburg, Summit county, in 1854, devoted his life to farming and died at his home in Boston township, July 12, 1915. Her mother, who was born in Boston, Summit county, is now living with her son, LeMarr Maxan, in Cleveland, Ohio. To Mr. and Mrs. Maxan were born four children, two sons and two daughters, as follows: Isaac, who lives in Cleveland; Eva, who is the wife of C. W. Gleason and lives in Northfield, Ohio; Zella, now Mrs. Post; and LeMarr, of Cleveland. Mr. and Mrs. Post are the parents of five children, namely: Laura Dell, born July 25, 1908; Clarice Mary, March 7, 1910; Samuel Henry, January 1, 1912; Allan Lyman, November 7, 1915; and Ray Elwood, January 29, 1920. In his political views Mr. Post is a republican on national issues, but in local affairs he maintains an independent attitude. He has shown a proper interest in the welfare of his community and rendered effective service as a member of the board of public affairs of Hudson from 1920 to 1926. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, the Knights of Pythias and the Order of the Eastern Star, Mrs. Post also belonging to the last named order, AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY - 497 of which she is past worthy matron. The family are members of the Church of Christ. Mr. Post is an ardent sportsman and each season enjoys a trip to the big woods of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Canada, from which he usually brings home trophies of his skill as a marksman. In his gun locker at home he has a valuable assortment of guns, for both large and small game during the various hunting seasons. His has been a life of varied and useful activity, productive of excellent results not only in the attainment of individual success, but also in the advancement of the community welfare, and his sterling worth as man and citizen is attested by all who know him. JAMES THOMAS MCILWAIN James Thomas Mcllwain, for many years prominently known in railway circles as a construction engineer, was recognized as an expert bridge builder, making his own plans for timber and other bridges. He was born in Peninsula, Summit county, Ohio, on the 10th of November, 1854, of Scotch-Irish parentage, a son of William and Mary (Crawford) Mcllwain. The father was a ship carpenter and joiner. James T. Mcllwain attended the district school in Peninsula and for a time worked with his father as a carpenter, but in June, 1873, entered the railway service in connection with the building of bridges, trestles and buildings on the old Valley Railroad between Cleveland and Valley Junction, becoming superintendent of bridges and buildings in 1882. In 1891, when the branch of the Baltimore & Ohio was extended westward to Chicago Junction, Mr. Mcllwain in sixty days constructed all the depots, water tanks and freighthouses for the contractors, between Warwick and Chicago Junction. In 1902, when the Valley and the Cleveland, Lorain & Wheeling Railroads were consolidated to become the Cleveland division of the Baltimore & Ohio, Mr. Mcllwain was made master carpenter, which position he held during the remainder of his active life. To him was accorded a service record of which any railroad man would well be proud. In this it was officially certified that he had never caused an accident or a wreck through faulty construction of any bridge or building which he had built. In 1897 he was in sole charge of the construction of the Everett block in Akron in connection with his work for the railroad company. 498 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY On the 4th of October, 1893, in Akron, Mr. Mcllwain was married to Miss Mary M. Jones, a daughter of Watkin W. and Ann (Thomas) Jones. Their children are : Mary Ann, who is on the staff of the Akron Public Library ; and James Thomas, who is connected with the engineering department of the General Fire Extinguisher Company of Philadelphia. Mr. Mcllwain always found his greatest happiness at his own fireside and was devoted to the welfare of wife and children. He attended the West Congregational church and was a man of high character and esteemed by all who knew him. The death of Mr..McIlwain occurred August 17, 1915. A. LOUIS GRANER A. Louis Graner, vice president and treasurer of the Akron, Canton & Youngstown Railway Company, has been identified with railroad interests ever since he entered on his business career and is one of the well known railroad officials in this section of the state. He was born April 18, 1882, in Oak Harbor, Ohio, a son of John and Mary (Clarke) Graner, who are also natives of the Buckeye state, in which they have spent their entire lives. The father is engaged in the grain elevator business and is also an extensive raiser of poultry. His family consists of two sons and two daughters: A. Louis, Grover E., Iva and Bessie, all residents of Akron. A. Louis Graner attended the Akron schools and after leaving high school pursued a course of study in the Fremont Business College. He then entered the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, remaining with that corporation from 1902 to 1912. He occupied various positions, winning promotion from time to time as the recognition of work well done and his capacity for assuming greater responsibilities. He resigned from that connection to become auditor of the Akron, Canton & Youngstown Railway Company and has since been advanced until he is now identified with the executive management and control of the company. The development of the Akron, Canton & Youngstown Railway is one of the outstanding achievements among the smaller railroad lines in this part of the country and offers a magnificent tribute to its management. It is a locally owned line and is giving to northeastern Ohio a valuable and efficient service. Mr. Graner is also a director of the Akron, Can-