History of Cleveland
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HISTORY OF CLEVELAND. [BIOGRAPHICAL VOLUME.] A HISTORY OF THE CITY OF CLEVELAND. [BIOGRAPHICAL VOLUME.] BY JAlVIES HARRISON KENNEDY, Editor of "The Jhz.;:azine of lYe stern Hist~ry; '' Author of "The 1::-arly Days of L11ormomsm;" "The American Razlroad;" "Three Witnesses of the Book of illormon;" " The Bench and Bar i!f Cleveland," etc. Corresponding IV! ember of tlze Western Reserve Historical Society, etc., etc. Illustrated with Portraits of Leading Citizens. CLEVELAND: lrbe 11"mpertal !Press. MDCCC XCV fl. Copyright I897, By THE IMPERIAL PRESS, Clevelatzd. PREFACE. This volume is issued as a companion, or supplement, to the ''History of the City of Cleveland,'' published sev eral months ago. It contains the biographies of a number of men who have aided, in various ways, in the upbuild ing of Cleveland, and in the extension of her influence and fame. These are accompanied by several historical articles, from the pens of those who are competent to speak upon the topics discussed, and also by special treat ment of a number of historical points, for which space could not be taken in the main volume. CONTENTS. PAGE. PREFACE v RUFUS P. RANNEY STEVENSON BURKE r6 J. H. DEVEREUX 3I JOHN G. W. COWLES 47 NATHAN PERRY 56 HENRY B. PAYNE 6o vVILLIAM BINGHAM 68 SOLON BURGESS 73 J. H. WADE 79 RANDALL PALMER WADE 86 JEPTHA HOMER WADE 87 JOEL SCRANTON go GEORGE MYGATT 94 FRANKLIN T. BACKUS g6 TRUMAN P. HANDY 104 EDWIN R. PERKINS 107 CHARLES HICKOX I 10 FAYETTE BROWN I I 5 SAMUEL LIVINGSTON MATHER II8 WILLIAM H. PRICE 122 JOHN VICKERS PAINTER 125 J. H. MORLEY !28 RT. REV. MGR. THORPE 135 jOHN OUTHWAITE 138 STEPHEN VANDERBURG HARKNESS 141 vzii" CONTENTS. PAGE. THOMAS STERLING BECKWITH I47 jOHN HUNTINGTON I52 H. J. WEBB I6o HARVEY DANFORTH GouLDER 166 S. H. HOLDING I7I DAVID MORISON I72 JAMES CORRIGAN 177 WILLIAM J. WHITE I79 CHARLES C. BALDWIN I85 HENRY CLAY RANNEY I9I JAMES M. HOYT I 97 COLGATE HOYT 200 JAMES H. HOYT 207 ANDREW SQUIRE 209 PATRICK SMITH 2 I I W ASHINGTOK H. LAWRENCE 2 I 5 A. McALLISTER 220 CLEVELAND'S FIRST BANKS 22I BANKING IN CLEVELAND 22 3 A CENTURY OF MEDICINE IN CLEVELAND 228 THE INLAND MARINE . 238 THE COAL AND IRON INDUSTRY OF CLEVELAND 245 AFTERMATH 256 LIST OF PORTRAITS. PAGE. RUFUS P. RANNEY Frontispiece STEVENSON BURKE facing I6 J. H. DEVEREUX facing 31 JOHN G. w. COWLES facing 47 NATHAN PERRY 57 HENRY B. PAYNE facing 6o WILLIAM BINGHAM facing 68 SOLON BURGESS facing 73 J. H. WADE facing 79 RANDALL PALMER WADE facing 82 JEPTHA HOMER WADE facing 87 JOEL SCRANTON facing 90 GEORGE MYGATT facing 94 FRANKLIN T. BACKUS facing 96 TRUMAN P. HANDY facing I04 EDWIN R. PERKINS facing I07 CHARLES HICKOX facing I IO FA VETTE BROWN facing I I 5 SAMUEL LIVINGSTON MATHER facing I I 8 WILLIAM H. PRICE I23 JOHN VICKERS PAINTER facing I25 J. H. MoRLEY facing I28 RT. REV. MGR. THORPE· facing I35 JOHN OUTHWAITE facing I38 STEPHEN VANDERBURG HARKNESS facing I4I THOMAS STERLING BECKWITH facing I47 LIST OF PORTRAITS. PAGE. JOHN HUNTINGTON facing 152 H. J. WEBB facing r6o HARVEY DA:"iFORTH GOULDER facing r66 s. H. HOL])ING facing I 7 I DAviD Moiuso;--.; facing I72 J A:\IES CORRIGAN facing I77 WILLIAM J. WHITE facing I79 CIIARLES c. BALDWl~ facing r8s HE!\RY CLAy RA:\"NEY facing Igi COLCY!'E HOYT facing 200 jAMES H. HOYT facing 207 ANDREW SQUIRE facing 209 PATRICK S;\IITJI facing 2 I I W ASIIINGTO.N H. LA \YREKCE facing 2 I 5 A. McALLISTER facing 220 THE HISTORY OF CLEVELAND. [BIOGRAPHICAL VOLUME.] RUFUS F. RANNEY. For many years, Judge Rufus P. Ranney represented to Ohio lawyers all that they admired and emulated. The unanimity with which he was elected the first president of the Ohio State Bar Association was not marred by even the thought that any other choice was possible. It is not strange that when death came to him on the 6th day of December, 1891, men everywhere united with his family, the host of his friends, his associates at the bar, and the multitude who had profited by his services, in mourning his inestimable loss to his profession and the world. 1 Rufus P. Ranney was born in Hampden County, Mass., October 30, 1813. In common with many other farmers who had grown tired of cultivating the sterile hill-sides of New England, his father was attracted by the fertility of the Ohio soil, and removed in I 822 with his family to what is now Freedom, Portage County, Ohio. Rufus was then nine years old. His home was the log-hut of the earlier settler, surrounded by forests; wolves and bears were a constant menace to domestic animals; of course there were no roads, schools or churches; privations were abundant, but they were cheerfully borne; the energies 1 It is only a matter of justice to state that this sketch of Judge Ran ney is taken largely from an able memorial address, delivered by Hon. Samuel E. Williamson, before the Ohio State Bar Association, on July I4th, r8gz. 2 HISTORY OF CLEVELAND-BIOGRAPHICAL. of the whole family were devoted for the time to obtain ing food and clothing. But the first settlers of the West ern Reserve always cherished the hope of giving their children an education, and, in boys like young Ranney, a firm determination gave reality to the hopes of their par ents. Yet the necessity of clearing the timber from the farm permitted him but one winter·s schooling in six years. Such a life could be endured no longer, but his parents could not help him. He therefore chopped wood enough for a neighboring merchant to pay for a Virgil. He also secured instruction enough to fit him for Western Reserve College at Hudson, where he was a student for about a year, supporting himself by manual labor and teaching. It was pathetic as well as amusing to hear him tell of his first appearance in college in a suit of home spun butternut. In the spring of I 8 34, he left college and commenced the study of law with Joshua R. Giddings and Benjamin F. Wade, in Ashtabula County. His prep aration for the study of law had been a hard and at times a bitter experience, but there was no reason to regret it. Much of his success may be traced to his knowledge of pioneer life, his thorough sympathy with the people, and their methods of thought and honesty of purpose, and his complete dependence upon himself and his own conclusions, the result of habit formed under the necessity of reaching conclusions without books or the advice of friends. After two years and a half of study he was ad mitted to the bar of the Supreme Court in I836, and com menced practice in Warren, Trumbull County. Early in the following year the partnership between Giddings and Wade was dissolved, and Ranney became Wade's partner. The firm of Wade & Ranney had an extensive business for about ten years. After Wade's election to the bench of the Court of Common Pleas, Ranney continued in practice alone until I850. In the meantime he made Warren his home again, and married, in I 839, Miss Adeline Warner, the daughter of Jonathan Warner, one of the pioneers of Ashtabula County, who served as associate HISTORY OF CLEVELAND-BIOGRAPHICAL. 3 judge for some years. Both Wade and Ranney were ar dent politicians, but they werE? by no means harmonious in their political opinions. Ranney was a Democrat of the old-fashioned type and believed in Jefferson and Jack son. His party admired him, trusted him and frequently made him its candidate for office, but as he lived in a sec tion of the State where his party was generally in a hope less minority, even his ability and popularity could not save it from defeat. He found time also to make up to some extent the deficiency in his early education. Acci dent and taste combined to direct his attention particu larly to the language of France, and as soon as he could read it easily he made a profound study of her literature, politics, history and law. The civil law and the debates which resulted in the Code Napoleon became as familiar to him as the commentaries of Blackstone, and had their part in forming his clear ideas of natural justice and public policy. In I85o, he was elected a member of the convention called to revise the constitution. In March, I 8 5 I, he was elected judge of the Supreme Court by the Legisla ture, to succeed Judge Avery, who resigned. The new constitution took effect September I, I 8 5 I, and at the first election in October of that year Judge Ranney was chosen by the people to become one of the judges of the new Supreme Court. In assigning their terms by lot, he drew the longest term, five years, and served until I856, when he resigned and removed to Cleveland, where he resumed the practice of his profession as a member of the firm of Ranney, Backus & Noble. He was appointed United States District Attorney, but resigned at the end of a few months. In I859, he was the unsuccessful candidate for his party, against William Dennison, for the office of gov ernor. Three years afterwards the Democrats were un expectedly successful in electing their State ticket, and he found himself again a member of the Supreme Court, much against his wishes, as it was his desire that his partner, Franklin T.