Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/749

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��CITY OF MANSFIELD.

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��Mary Gertrude, March 21, 1867 ; they ai-e now resi- dents of Wood street, and members of the Congrega- tional Church.

STRONG, FREDERICK W., deceased; he was born near Frederick, Md., Feb. 16, 1812 ; he came to Ohio when quite young, and located in Mansfield in 1840, where, for many years, he was engaged in the dry- goods trade, and afterward, and until his death, was the founder and head of the well-known produce and commission house of F. W. Strong, Son & Co. ; during his long residence in this city, covering a period of nearly forty years, he was accounted one of its leading citizens and merchants ; a man of sound judgment and business tact, he was active and successful. Mr. Strong was married March 4, 1838, to Miss Lucina R. Poppleton, to whom were born two children — Lyman A. and Lucina J. ; Lucina was married in this city Oct. 29, 1861, to Prof. W. H. IngersoU, who died in Cleveland, Ohio, Sept. 80, 1876 ; one child, a daughter, by this marriage, is now living. F. W. Strong died June 10, 1879, in Mansfield, having lived an upright and consistent Christian life, and been a member of the Congregational Church for many years.

STRONG, LYMAN A., merchant; he was born March 2, 1839, and received his elementary education in this city, and afterward continued his studies at the Marietta College, where he graduated in 1861 ; return- ing home, he commenced the study of law in the office of Watson & Dirlam, and was admitted to the bar in 1864. Since 1865, he has been a member of the well- known firm of F. W. Strong, Son & Co., produce and commission merchants, and is one of Mansfield's repre- sentative business men. He was married Oct. 31, 1865, to Miss Fannie M. Whitney, of this city.

STURGES, EBEN P., Sr. (deceased) ; Mr. S. was born in Fairfield, Conn., on the 12th of August, 1784. At the early age of 14, he embarked in a subordinate capacity on board of a merchantman owned by a rela- tive. It was not his design to make a sea-faring life his profession, but while on the vessel no one discharged his duties more assiduously. At 16 years of age, he was first officer, and before he was 21 was master and part owner of the ship. He commanded the merchant vessel Madisonia when hostilities broke out betvreen Great Britain and the United States in 1812. Soon after the commencement of the war, he was homeward bound, on a voyage from South America, with a valuable cargo. Early in the voyage, he was informed by an American privateer of the existence of hostilities, and a few days subsequently, he was captured by a British frigate — the Garland — and sent with his crew as pris- oners of war to Kingston, .Jamaica. Here, after endur- ing severe hardships and passing through an attack of yellow fever, he was released on parole. He em- braced the first opportunity to return to the United States, where he arrived safely, but enfeebled in health by confinement and disease. After recovering sufficient strength, he came to Ohio on a visit to his sister, the late Mrs. Ebenezer Buckingham, of Putnam. Having determined to relinquish the sea he tarned his mind to a new field of enterprise. This portion of the State of Ohio was then an almost unbroken wilderness. Form- ing his plan, he returned east and formed a connection with Buckingham Sherwood, late of Newark, Ohio.

��They purchased a stock of goods, which they transported in wagons to Zanesville, designing to take them from that place to Gen. Harrison's camp near the frontier. In the accomplishment of this plan, they succeeded in conveying their goods with great difficulty to Mansfield, then the site of a new village. On their arrival, they were informed of the hostilities of the Indians along their proposed route, and were induced by the solicita- tion of the inhabitants to remain and oflFer their goods for sale to the settlers here. A store was opened in a cabin nearly opposite to where the Wiler House now stands, and thus Mr. Sturges became the first merchant who settled in Mansfield. Enterprising and energetic, he soon built up a large trade, attracting business from (at that time) quite remote points. Mr. S. was during his whole life an efficient friend of religious institutions. He, more than any other man, aided in the erection of the First Presbyterian Church in this city. Subsequently he embraced in heart the Gospel, the support of which he sought to promote by his means. After he made a profession of religion, he largely helped in building the Congregational Church here, where, while he was able to hear preaching, he regularly worshiped with in- terest and sincerity For many years before his death, he suffered from deafness, which prevented him from hearing ordinary speech. Mr. Sturges was married three times. In 1821 to Miss Amanda Buckingham, of Putnam ; in 1834, to Miss Jerusha M. Hale, of Connecti- cut, and, in 1850, to Miss R. M. Tracy, of this city. By his first wife he had three children — Messrs. Dimon, Col. S. B., and Edward. By his second — Henry A. and Miss Amanda. His last wife had no issue. She still survives him. He died Jan. 1, 1862.

STURGES, EDWARD, Sr., deceased. He was born in Fairfield, Conn., Dec. 5, 1805, and was the son of Dimon Sturges, who was a soldier of the Revolution, and Sarah Perry. His great-grandfather, Solomon Sturges, was killed by the Tories "during the attack of the British on Fairfield, July 8, 1779. At the early age of 14, Mr. Sturges left the home of his ancestors for the then " Western wilderness." He traveled over the mountains on horseback, and arrived in Mansfield in April, 1820. He immediately entered the store of his brother, E. P. Sturges, then an apparently rude estab- lishment located on the corner where. the Sturges Block now stands, the firm name being Sturges & Sherwood. In 1823, Edward Sturges became a partner in the place of Mr. Sherwood. The firm name then became E. P. & E. Sturges. He continued to be a leading and influential partner in this old and successful business house through all its various changes till 1863, when H. H. Sturges took his place, and the firm became Sturges (it Wood. In January, 1854, he entered into the banking business in company with A. L. Grimes and S. B. Sturges, under the firm name of E. Sturges, Sr. & Co. This firm continued its business until it merged into the Richland National Bank. He was also connected with the Farmers' National Bank, and with other financial and manufacturing interests of the city. He was for a long time a large stockholder in the Mansfield Machine Works, and it was mainly due to his counsels and material assistance that this large establishment was saved from utter financial ruin on the very verge of which it was at the beginning of the

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