Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/748

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��BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES:

��writ of habeas corpus, being under 18 years of age. He returned to Mansfield, commenced the study of law with the firm of Bartley & Johnson ; was admitted to the bar in 1865 ; then went to Pittsburgh, Penn., and com- menced the practice of law, and continued one year and six months ; then returned to Mansfield in the winter of 1866, and resumed the practice of law. In 1869, was nominated Prosecuting Attorney by a majority of 1,190 over his opponent, Thomas McBride, and served in that office two years. Went to Marysville, Union Co., Ohio, in 1873, and resumed the practice of law. Engaged in the political campaign for Hon. E. F. Pop- pleton ; stumped the entire district. In 1875, was strongly solicited to become a candidate for nomination for member of Congress ; district composed of the coun- ties of Marion, Delaware, Union and Hardin. He re- ceived the caucus vote of Union and Hardin Cos., and peremptorily refused to be a candidate, having pledged himself to give his influence to Hon. E. F. Poppleton for his renomination. In the winter of 1878-79, returned to Mansfield, resumed the practice of law with the Hon. R. B. McCrory.

STEWART, JAMES (deceased). Judge Stewart was born in Chanceford, York Co., Penn., Aug. 2, 1802 ; his paternal ancestors came from Ireland about the middle of the eighteenth century ; his father, John Stewart, was born in York Co. in 1776; his mother, Jane Dun- dan, was of Scotch descent ; they were married about the year 1800, and became the parents of three chil- dren — two boys and one girl ; the eldest son, according to the custom of those times, inherited the homestead where his son, James, now resides. In the spring of 1805, the parents of Judge Stewart moved to Ontario Co., where they remained until 1824, when they came to Richland Co. ; when they moved to Ontario Co. it was then the "West," in a measure, and was yet unpopulated ; they purchased a farm of the Govern- ment, near the town of Seneca, and erected a hewed-log house, much better than the average cabins of the day ; they were industrious, frugal and economical, and soon had a pleasant and comfortable home. Under such influences Judge Stewart passed his early life ; of an active mind, he soon learned to read and write, and having the advantage of good schools in Seneca, he made rapid progress in learning ; afterward he entered the academy at Canandaigua, where he continued to pur- sue his studies (save a few intervals spent in teaching) until he came to Mansfield in 1822; here he established the first academy in the town, which he conducted two years, when (in the autumn of 1824) he went to Oxford College, remaining only a year or so, not completing his course. In 1826, he was married to Margaret Loughridge, a beautiful woman, possessed of a lovely Christian character, from whom he had the sad mis- fortune to be separated by death two years later ; she left one daughter, Cecilia, now Mrs. John Sherman, of Washington City. Two years after he was married. Judge Stewart was admitted to the bar, having studied law in the office of Judge Parker ; he soon rose in practice, occupying the front rank in his profession ; he continued the duties of his profession until the spring of 1850, when Judge Parker's term, as Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, expiring, he was appointed to the vacancy, in accordance with the unanimous wish

��of the bar; in the fall of 1851, this office was vacated by the new constitution ; Judge Stewart was called by the unanimous vote of the people of his district to the position of District Judge, there being no opposing candidate ; from this time until the expiration of his judicial term, in 1856, he was constantly occupied with the duties of the bench ; two years after the expira- tion of his term his death occurred (Feb. 24, 1858). He was married the second time, to Mary Mercer, who died Aug. 14, 1860. As a jurist. Judge Stewart had few superiors ; he was prompt, accurate, clear, unprejudiced and independent; his mind was emi- nently a judicial one, and to no one could the younger members of the bar go, in whose word and opinion they could have more confidence ; in all public inter- ests he was ready and willing to do his part ; as a private citizen he was unexcelled, while as a parent and husband he was kind, congenial and true.

STRAUB, JACOB, wagon-maker; he was born in Lancaster Co., Penn., April 11, 1826, and removed to Richland Co., Ohio, with his parents when but 4 weeks old ; they settled on Sec. 17, in Mifflin Township. Having chosen wagon-making as his trade, he came to Mansfield, and began work in the shop of William Ber- ringer, where he completed his trade in 1847. Directly afterward, he commenced piece-work until accumulating suflBcient capital to buy the stock of his employer in 1848, in which business he has continued to the pres- ent time ; now considered the pioneer wagon-maker of Richland Co. He was married in 1850, to Elizabeth Christman, who died April 29, 1868, in Mansfield; he had three children by this marriage, one of whom is living. Again married in June, 1871, to Mary Lehr ; he has one son by this marriage — Harry, born Jan. 9, 1873. During Mr. Straub's long and active life in this county, he has passed through many of the experiences of those who preceded him — having but a few dollars when leaving the homestead — nothing daunted, he has continued steadily at his trade while being called by his fellow- men to positions of honor and trust, as Land Appraiser, repeatedly chosen Assessor, and elected a member of the City Council three terms, three years of which he acted as its President, serving with distinction.

STRICKLER, CHRISTOPHER, cabinet-maker and wheelwright. The subject of this sketch was born in Chester Co., Penn., April 27, 1827 ; he is the fourth son of Amos and Mary Scott Strickler, one of the old fami- lies of that county; when 17 years of age, he was apprenticed to learn the trade of wheelwright, which he completed at the age of 21 ; not wholly satis- fied with this vocation, he worked at cabinet-making several hours each evening, which trade he finally accomplished some years later by denying himself many hours of rest ; some time after, however, he continued the trade of wheelwright exclusively, in his native county, where he remained until April, 1868, when he removed with his family to Mansfield, Ohio, and was employed in the shops of Blymeyer, Day & Co. ; since then he has been constantly engaged in the Mansfield Machine AVorks. Mr. Strickler was married in Phila- delphia, Penn., Dec. 16, 1852, to Miss Susan Hopton, a descendant of an old Quaker family, by whom he has had four children— Sallie, born Sept. 30, 1853 ; Anna Elizabeth, Oct. 22, 1862; Clinton, April 15, 1865;

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