Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/717

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��CITY OF MAIiTSFIELD.

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��D. Keith ; this firm is engaged in a lucrative and con- stantly increasing business, and commands the confi- dence of the bar and people. During the war of the rebellion, Mr. Gailey served in the 87th 0. V. I. and also in the 86th 0. V. I. In 1872, he was married to Miss Sarah E. Nutting, by whom he lias two sons — John, aged 6 years, and Richard, aged 2 years.

GASS & HOTT, dealers in books, successors to C. A. Pendleton ; they handle a general line of school, mis- cellaneous and blank books, and stationery, wall-paper, curtains, curtain fixtures and similar goods, gold pens, archery, croquet-games of all kinds and a line of fine fancy goods, etc.

GASS, BENJAMIN (oldest son of William and .Jane Gass); was born in Brook Co., Va., on the 12th of June, A. D. 1794; came with his parents to Fairfield Co., Ohio, in .June of 1800 ; then to Knox Co., Ohio, in the spring of 1806, and to that part of "the new pur- chase" (so called) which is now Troy Township, Richland Co., Ohio, in the spring of 1812, arriving at their destination on the 2.3d of April. Benjamin was an extra good hand at hard work, and labored hard in assisting his father to clear up their wilderness farm, living mostly with his parents until he was married, in January of 1827, to Miss Elisabeth McCluer; they raised three sons and two daughters, all of whom are now living, except their youngest son (James G. Gass), who was a soldier through the rebellion, and died a few years after it was suppressed, perhaps in conse- quence of exposure while in the service ; he was in a number of hard battles. Benjamin's wife died in May of 1864, and in the autumn of 1867, he was again mar- ried to Miss Sarah M. Creigh, of Mansfield, who still survives him. He taught school a number of winters both before and after his first marriage, also singing- schools ; was a great lover of "old folks' singing." Was an ardent Antislavery man ; lectured and debated much on that subject when it was quite unpopular in "old Richland," though he was twice elected, and served as Auditor of the county. He left his farm a year or more before his death, and resided on his wife's property in Mansfield, where he died in Febru- ary of 1867, aged a little over 82 years and 8 months. He was hurt by a limb of a tree when he was 76 years old, and was unable to work after that; his wife lives on Market street.

GASS, ISAAC, youngest son of William and Rebecca Gass, was born in Troy Township, Richland Co., Ohio, in October, 1819; lived and worked on the farm dur- ing his minority and for some years afterward ; taught school frequently ; studied law with Judge Steward ; was licensed as an attorney in 1848. In the spring of 1848, was married to Miss Amelia B. Coates ; they had one son and two daughters ; their son, Mr. Florean P. Gass, and daughter (Bertie) still live in Mansfield, their oldest daughter (Mary) having died some years ago. Isaac removed to Mansfield and commenced bus- iness as a lawyer immediately after his marriage. In the fall of 1861, he raised a company to help in the sup- pression of the rebellion, and was elected as their Cap- tain, but about the time of their starting into service he was promoted to the lieutenant colonelcy of their reg- iment (the 64th) ; they were ordered to the battle of Pittsburg Landing in April of 1862, but only reached

��it as the rebels commenced the retreat. After a num- ber of months' further ^exposure, his health failed so that he was under the necessity of resigning. He was afterward elected and served as State Senator, repre- senting Richland and Ashland Cos., and subsequently to that was Mayor of Mansfield,"^ and Justice of the Peace, which last ofiBce he held at the time of his death, in October of 1875, when he was about 56 years old.

GATES, DAVID, farmer and dairyman; he was born in Madison Township Sept. 10, 1837, and received his elementary education in Mansfield ; afterward com- menced farming at the old homestead, where he re- mained until coming to Mansfield in 1872, when he purchased the omnibus line, in which business he was engaged six years, when he sold his interest in it, and since then has been farming in Madison Township. Mr. Gates was married in Madison Township May 18, 1859, to Miss Margaret M. Bell ; they have three chil- dren — Cora Irene, May Bell and Peter, all living.

GEDDES, GEORGE WASHINGTON, lawyer and Judge, and at present member of Congress for the Fifteenth District of Ohio. He was born in Mt. Yernon, Knox Co., July 16, 1824; he is the son of .James and Elizabeth Geddes, and on his father's side of Scotch descent, his paternal grandfather having emigrated from Scotland in the last century ; his father removed his family from Knox to Richland Co. when the subject of this sketch was but a child, and there he attended the public schools until he was 15 years old, when he returned to his native town, and entered a store as a clerk ; his employer was the well-known old merchant, James Huntsberry, of Mt. Vernon, with whom he re- mained until he was nearly of age, in the mean time de- voting nearly all of his spare time to the study of law ; he entered the law office of Hon. Columbus Delano (Secretary of the Interior during the first term of President Grant's Administration), with whom he read law for one year, after which he was admitted to the bar; he chose law as a profession for reasons satisfac- tory to himself, and removed to Mansfield among strangers, where, unaided, he commenced his profes- sional life in November, 1845; his first case decided his future ; engaged to try this case in the country before a Justice of the Peace, he accidentally met Hon. James Stewart ; that gentleman was so well pleased with the conduct of his first case, that he invited him to per- manently settle at Mansfield, and guaranteed him sufficient to defray his necessary expenses ; having re- mained with him under these conditions two years, he was, in 1847, taken into partnership, which continued three years, when, in 1850, Mr. Stewart was elected Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, and Mr. Geddes entered into partnership with Hon. Jacob Brinkerhoft'; this connection continued five years, and until Mr. Brinkerhoft" was elected to the Supreme Bench of the State, when this partnership thereupon ceased ; Mr. Geddes then practiced alone until, in 1856, he was elected Judge of Common Pleas, as the unwilling candi- date of the Democratic party, in opposition to his old partner, Mr. Stewart, whose term had expired ; he served the full term, until 1862 ; that year, at a dis- trict convention of both parties, he was renominated for a second term, and elected without opposition ; having

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