ELISHA FARNHAM, deceased, was of Puritan origin.  His father and grandfather participated in the Revolutionary struggle, and he inherited the same spirit of loyalty.  He was born in Hapton, Connecticut on June 8, 1806, and was the sixth in a family of ten children.  His parents, Thomas and Abigail Farnham, were by no means wealthy, and his advantages for schooling were limited, yet he acquired a good common-school education.   Being the eldest son, he was at an early age obliged to rely on his own resources, and a portion of his wages were also contributed to the support of his father's family.  He learned the machinist's trade and was a skillful workman.  In the fall of 1830 Mr. Farnham packed his worldly effects in a knapsack and came to Conneaut, Ohio, locating on land still occupied by his heirs.  In 1841 he erected the gristmill on the south ridge, still in operation, and at present owned by his son.  With good health, strict adherence to his business and a Connecticut birthright combined, he accumulated a competence.  His death occurred Oct. 4, 1875 at age 69 years and 1 month.  He is buried in Farnham Cemetery south of Conneaut on old Center Road.
     Mr. Farnham was twice married, first to Mary A. Ring, of Conneaut, Ohio, Nov. 14, 1833.  She died Aug. 11, 1849.  She is buried in Farnham Cemetery.  On Jan. 30, 1850, he was united in marriage with Mrs. Harriet A. Sanborn, who is still living.  The children, who were all born from the first marriage, are as follows:  D. Alphonso, born June 5, 1835, married Sophia Brooks, was a soldier in the Union army during the Rebellion and died in the service.  He died Jan. 22, 1862 and was buried in Farnham Cemetery; Flora, born June 12, 1837, is the wife of the popular Sheriff, T. S. Young; P. Henry, born Nov. 14, 1838, married Mary Mallory and lives in Conneaut; Mary, born Feb. 27, 1841, married Martin Reals; Lydia E., born Mary 30, 1843, married C. L. Fuller, who was drowned in Lake Erie; and Emily, born Sept. 21, 1847, married William G. Buss.  Mr. Farnham held many positions of trust, and was for many years a township officer.  He was not only a worthy citizen, but an obliging neighbor and an intelligent husband and father.
(Transcribed from Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing Ashtabula, Lake and Geauga Counties; published in Chicago: Lewis Publ. Co., 1893 - Page 983 with notes added by Sharon Wick)

For REFERENCE:
See Farnham Cemetery Index of burials

GEORGE L.  FELCH, who has been identified with the business interests of Ashtabula county, for many years, is one of her leading citizens, and as such it is imperative that some personal mention be made of him in this work.  The following data in regard to his life and ancestry have been secured:
     George L. Felch was born in New Hampshire, in 1837, son of Ezekial Felch, who was born in that same State in 1799.  The latter moved to Ohio in 1842 and located in Monroe township, Ashtabula county, where he passed the rest of his life and where his death occurred in 1870.  Previous to his coming to Ohio he was a seaman, but after locating in Monroe township he turned his attention to farming, in which occupation he was very successful.  His father, Nicholas Felch, was a farmer in New Hampshire.  The Felch family are of Welsh descent, dating their arrival on American soil back to the Colonial period.  Judith S. Swain was the maiden name of our subject's mother.  She was to a native of New Hampshire, as also were her parents.  Ezekiel Felch and his wife departed this life some years ago.  They are buried at Kelloggsville.  Of their family we make record as follows:  Sarah J., the oldest, now deceased, was twice married, first to Robert Craft, and after his death to Alsop Sage; John, deceased; Emeline E., wife of Daniel W. Cram; Irad P., who died in his twenty-fourth year; Dudly S., a resident of Bushnell, Ashtabula county; Samuel V., who resides in Kansas; George L., with whose name we begin this sketch; Harrison F., a member of Company G, One Hundred and Fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry was killed at the battle of Missionary Ridge in 1863.
     George L. Felch came with his parents to Ohio in 1842, and remained with them until he reached his majority.  Previous to that time he had received only a common-school education, but after he struck out for himself he determined to pursue his studies further.  He accordingly attended the academies at Kingsville and Conneaut for two or three years.  Then he began teaching school, which occupation he continued until 1862, and had completed arrangements to teach in the academy at Conneaut the very day he enlisted in the Union army.  It was in August, 1862, that he enlisted, and as a member of Company G., One Hundred and Fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, he went to the front.  After thirteen months' service, the exposure and hardships of army life unfitted him for duty, and he was taken to the hospital.  Being intimately acquainted with A. W. Tourgee, First Lieutenant of Company G, Mr. Felch was given special privileges, being allowed to board at the same place with his friend Tourgee at Danville, Kentucky.  In 1863, on account of continued ill-health, he was discharged from the service.
     Upon his return home Mr. Felch again engaged in teaching.  He had at this time completely lost the use of his right arm.  In 1864 he taught one term in the East Springfield Academy, Pennsylvania; and after that was employed at Hiram College two years, James A. Garfield being at this time connected with the school as Advising Principal.  From Hiram Mr. Felch came to Monroe township, Ashtabula county, where for two years he taught a select school.  In 1868 he turned his attention to the mercantile business, in partnership with H. F. Hitchcock, in which occupation he has since continued, also being interested in the lumber business and in farming.
     He was married in 1880 to Kate S. Ingalls, a native of Ohio.  She was educated in Vineland, New Jersey, and for five years was a teacher in the graded schools of that place.  Her parents, H. R. and Adalin (Randall) Ingalls, were born in New York, lived in Ohio for sometime, and are now residents of Vineland, New Jersey.  They have three children, namely:  Kate; Laura, wife of I. P. Felch, of Bushnell, Ashtabula county; and Fitch H., a resident of Vineland.  Mr. and Mrs. Felch have one child, viz:  Lloyd Ingles, born June 1, 1882, and Ella K., Aug. 9, 1886.
     Mr. Felch began life a poor young man and mainly by his own energy and pluck worked his own way to success.  He is now the owner of 260 acres of land, ninety acres of which are under cultivation.  His merchandise stock is valued at from $3,000 to $5,000, and he has lumber interests to the amount of several million.  Politically, he is a Republican.  For fifteen years he has served as Township Treasurer, and is also Postmaster and a Notary Public.  In the way of settling estates he has done a large amount of business.  Mr. Felch is very a hospitable man, temperate in his habits and gracious in his manner.  Few men in this vicinity have more friends than he.
(Transcribed from Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake Counties, Published 1893 - Page  578)

CHARLES FENTON, a venerable pioneer of Conneaut, Ohio, and next to the oldest citizen in the town, was for many years engaged in business here, first as a tailor and afterward as a merchant tailor and is now living retired.  The following sketch of his life will be found of interest to many.
     C. J. Fenton was born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, Jan. 10, 1816.  His parents were Dr. Samuel L. and Charlotte (Jennings) Fenton; the father a native of Ipswich, Northwold, England, and the mother of Norwalk, Connecticut.  They were married and settled in New York when both were quite young.  Dr. Fenton was educated in Ipswich and New York, having come to America about 1785.  He was the first president of the Tailors' Association of New York.  Coming West, he settled in Erie first, and in 1826 came to Conneaut.  The town was called Salem at that time.  Here he took rank with the foremost men of his day.  He was an eminent physician, a fine musician and a good conversationalist, and for his true worth he was highly appreciated by his fellow citizens.  He died in 1834, in the fifty fourth year of his age.  His wife died in 1860, aged seventy-eight.  They were the parents of eleven children, only three of whom are now living, viz.:  Carnot, a resident of Cleveland; Atkins, residing in Niles, Michigan; and Charles J., whose name heads this article.
     C. J. Fenton came to Conneaut in 1832, from Cumberland county, Pennsylvania.  At that time there was considerable business in East Conneaut.  After being in business some years, he bought a farm, moved to East Conneaut and has resided here ever since.  Financially, he has been successful, and now, in his declining years, is surrounded with all the comforts of life, his one affliction being that of deafness.
     In 1831, the year before he came to Conneaut, he was married in Pennsylvania to Miss Sarah Montgomery, daughter of John and Jennie (Fulton) Montgomery, of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, where Mr. Montgomery owned a large and valuable farm.  Her mother died when she was quite young, and she was reared by her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Fulton.  Following is a record concerning Mr. and Mrs. Fenton's children: William married Evelyn Putney, daughter of Henry Putney, and is a resident of San Francisco, California; Laura, wife of Orson Hewitt, resides at Alton, Illinois; Samuel who married Louise Van Gorder, lives in East Conneaut; Charlotte, wife of A. E. Keyes, died in October, 1877; Isabella, wife of J. B. Lathy, resides in Alton, Illinois; Lizzie and Nellie are twins; the former married S. D. Barrett and resides in Chicago; and the latter is the wife of A. O. Payne, of Conneaut; Mr. and Mrs. Payne have two children, Charles and Boyd; Clara is the wife of B. F. Kennedy; Grace died in 1876, at the age of twenty-three years; Jennie, is the wife of William P. DeWolfe, East Conneaut; Mr. and Mrs. De Wolfe have two children, Robert F. and George L., Jr.
(Transcribed from Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing Ashtabula, Lake and Geauga Counties; published in Chicago: Lewis Publ. Co., 1893 - Page 494)

AMOS K. FIFIELD, M. D., son of Doctor Greenleaf and Laura Fifield, was born Feb. 14, 1833, in Conneaut, Ohio.
     Was married May 30, 1860, to Maria S. Kellogg, daughter of Hon. Abner Kellogg, Jefferson, Ohio.  Has two children: Walter K. Fifield, born Feb. 6, 1866; Catherine L. Fifield, born June 30, 1868.
     The subject of this sketch commenced the practice of his profession immediately after graduation, in Conneaut, and continued to reside there until the commencement of the American civil war.  He entered the army as surgeon of the Twenty-ninth Regiment Ohio Volunteers, and was commissioned as such, and mustered into the United States service, Aug. 25, 1861.  He continued with the regiment during its organization at Camps Giddings and Chase, in this State.  Left the State for the seat of war with the regiment.  Was present and participated in the first battle of Winchester, when Stonewall Jackson was defeated, and General Shields badly wounded.  After the battle he was placed in charge of Court-House hospital.  This hospital was filled mostly by wounded Confederate prisoners, and while amputating the thigh of one of them, which had already become gangrenous, the doctor received a slight scratch from the point of the knife.  Erysipelatous inflammation of a very malignant type speedily followed, and he was in great danger of losing an arm, if not his life.  After partial convalescence, he was obliged to return home to recruit his health. At the expiration of thirty days, and while yet carrying his arm in a sling, he rejoined the army in the Shenandoah valley in time to participate in the march of General Shields to join General McDowell at Fredericksburg, on his route to Richmond.  He, however, immediately returned with General Shields to intercept General Jackson on his return from his raid up the valley after General Ranks.  General Shields succeeded in intercepting General Jackson, and was himself disastrously defeated at Fort Republic, Virginia, June 9, 1862, one division of his army being nearly annihilated.  After the wounded from this battle were cared for, and the field hospitals broken up, the doctor joined the army at Alexandria, Virginia, and proceeded with it to take part in the campaign of the valley of Virginia, the army being under the command of General John Pope. The disastrous results of this campaign are well known, and the army soon returned broken and shattered to the defenses of Washington, where they were again taken in charge by General McClellan.  The duties of the medical officers during this march, and the series of battles which culminated as the second battle of Bull Run, were extremely arduous.  The almost entire lack of proper supplies, and the constant moving of the wounded to the rear by railroad and wagon trains, made the position of the surgical staff one of unusual responsibility.  While with the army on its march to the field of Antietam, he was detached by general order from army headquarters, and sent to Washington on special duty, which being performed, he joined his command at Frederick City, Maryland.  He remained there on duty but a short time, and spent the winter of 1862-63 in performing various duties at Harper’s Ferry, Dumfries, and Aquia Creek.  While at the latter place, as surgeon-in-chief of the Second Division, Twelfth Army Corps, he organized a large field hospital, which, after the battle of Chancellorsville, grew to mammoth proportions.  The doctor was present and on duty during the campaign and battle of Chancellorsville, under General Hooker, after which he again returned to Aquia Creek, and remained there until the inauguration of the campaign which terminated in the battle of Gettysburg.  He was one of the chief operators during and after that battle, being at the operating-table two days and two nights continually, the operators of the surgical staff having after this battle an unusual number of severe or capital operations to perform.  Soon after the battle of Gettysburg, the doctor proceeded with the detachment ordered to New York to quell the draft riots of 1863 in that city.  After returning from New York, the detachment again joined the Army of the Potomac in Virginia.  Soon after this the doctor proceeded with the Eleventh and Twelfth Army Corps, under General Hooker, to reinforce the Army of the Cumberland, which they reached soon after the defeat of that army at the battle of Chickamauga.  He passed the winter of 1863-64 in charge of the hospital at Bridgeport, Alabama, serving at that time with Second Division, Twelfth Army Corps.  In the spring of 1864, previous to starting on the Atlanta campaign, the medical department of the army was entirely reorganized.  Each division had now a complete hospital of its own, making reports to the medical director of the army corps, but otherwise acting independently.  Each division hospital was composed of surgeon-in-charge and three corps of operators, consisting of three for each table, one of each of these to be chief of the table to which he was ordered.  Besides these there were innumerable assistant surgeons, as many as the surgeon-in-charge might think necessary.  These officers were all detailed and assigned by special orders from headquarters, and no surgeon was expected or allowed to perform an important operation except those detailed for that purpose.  To this organization there was attached the regular equipment of a field hospital, consisting of ambulances, baggage-and supply-wagons, hospital tents, cooking apparatus, medical supplies, etc. It was expected that this hospital could care for many hundred wounded at a moment’s warning.  When we consider that the surgeon-in-charge was responsible for all this property, that the wounded were properly cared for, and that all operations were promptly performed, while it might be necessary to move the hospital with the wounded nearly every day, and as early as daylight, it will be readily seen that the position was one of great mental and physical labor.
     At the commencement of the Atlanta campaign, Dr. Fifield was detailed as surgeon-in-charge of the field hospital of the Second Division, Twentieth Army Corps, it being one of the organizations heretofore described.  The labors of the surgical staff during this campaign were probably the most severe, unremitting, and long continued of any campaign of the war.  The doctor remained in charge of this hospital during the remainder of his term of service, and was mustered out by expiration of commission, Aug. 25, 1864.  After leaving the army, Doctor Fifield resumed the practice of his profession at Conneaut, Ohio, where he continues to practice at this time.
(Transcribed from Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing Ashtabula, Lake and Geauga Counties; published in Chicago: Lewis Publ. Co., 1893 - Page 121)

JAMES M. FIFIELD, a retired farmer and stock dealer, was born in Conneaut, Ohio, Mar. 23, 1823, a son of Colonel Edward and Sallie (Bean) Fifield, the former native of Scotland and the latter of Lower Canada.  The former moved to Wheelock, Vermont, when a boy, and he was engaged in trading in lands and valuables.  He afterward removed to Pennsylvania, remaining one year at Cold Station, and in 1815 came to Ohio.  Mr. Fifield first settled at Salem Corners, now Conneaut (the latter appellation being an Indian name meaning many fish), where he was employed as a trader.  Colonel and Mrs. Fifield had eleven children, of whom our subject is the tenth in the order of birth, and the only one now living, viz.: Greenleif, born Oct. 27, 1800, was one of the noted physicians in this part of Ohio, and his death occurred June 27, 1859.  He married Laura Kellogg, and they had one son and three daughters.  The son, Amos K., also a physician, died in April, 1893.  Ruth, the next in order of birth, was first married to Hollis Abbott, who died three years later and she then became the wife of George Morton.  They had seven children.  Hannah, born Dec. 26, 1806, married Aaron Whitney, and died Mar. 5, 1845.  Her husband and four children are also now deceased.  Benjamin F., born July 7, 1809, married Harriet Cole, and they had three children.  He died May2 6, 1866.  Mary, born Dec. 21, 1811, married George Morton, and died Oct. 17, 1831.  William H. H., born Feb. 15, 1814, died Dec. 9, 1849.  He married Abbie Jane Niles, and they had two children.  Sarah, born Jan. 12, 1815, married Samuel Slemmer, of Fort Sumter notoriety, and died July 19, 1871.  Emily, born Nov. 16, 1817, died in November, 1891.  She was the wife of James Oliver, and they had three sons and two daughters.  Harriet Eliza, born Oct. 22, 1820, married Brewster Randal, and died May 25, 1877.  They had four sons and two daughters: James M., our subject; Almira, born July 25, 1832, died Mar. 25, 1852.  The father, born Dec. 21, 1775, died Oct. 17, 1836, and his wife, born August 22, 1782, died Apr. 23, 1863.  The former was a Colonel in the war of 1812.
     James M. Fifield, the subject of this sketch was born, reared and educated in Conneaut, and is now the oldest resident citizen in Conneaut township.  He has held many minor offices, but has never been a seeker of public honor.  Jan. 31, 1848, he was united in marriage with Miss Mavia E. Gibson, a native of Conneaut, and a daughter of Thomas and Lucretia (Farnham) Gibson, who were born, raised and married in Connecticut.  The father was born Jan. 6, 1800, a son of James and Elizabeth Gibson.  Thomas Gibson came to Ohio in 1830, where, in company with his brother-in-law, he owned a gristmill in Conneaut.  The mill is still known as the Farnham Mills.  He was elected to the position of Trustee in 1842, and held that office fourteen years.  The mother of Mrs. Fifield was a daughter of Abigail Hampton Farnham.  Mr. and Mrs. Gibson had six children, namely: Charles, a farmer of Conneaut township, married Loanda Moon, and at his death left a widow and seven children; Mary, deceased, was the wife of Dr. Raymond, and the latter had two children by a former marriage; Mavia E., wife of our subject; Julia, wife of George Brown, of Kansas, and they have one child, Alice; John, deceased in 1893, married Roxie Burrington, and they had two children, Raymond and Catherine; and Thomas, a farmer of Conneaut, married Mary Clark, and they have five children living.  Mr. and Mrs. Fifield have had six children, as follows: Henry H., born Nov. 25, 1849, was a civil engineer by occupation.  He was married Apr. 19, 1877 to Mattie Hammond, of Berlin Heights, Erie county, Ohio, who died in 1885, at the age of thirty-six years; Clara Agnes, who was married Nov. 7, 1871, to Charles L. Cheney, and the latter died in 1886; Lillian J., who was married Apr. 1, 1881, to Frederick E. Garey, of Ludington, Michigan, and they have two children, Agnes C. and Margueritta; Benjamin F. married Ida K. Kennon, and they reside at East Conneaut.  They have one child, Isabel; Catherine H. married N. P. Phister, a graduate of West Point, and a Lieutenant in regular army; they have two daughters, Bell Duke and Catherine H.; James M., the youngest in order of birth, resides in Michigan.
(Transcribed from Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing Ashtabula, Lake and Geauga Counties; published in Chicago: Lewis Publ. Co., 1893 - Page 975)

JOSIAH FIFIELD, a retired farmer and one of the most substantial men of Ashtabula county, has been identified with this county all his life, having been born in Conneaut, Oct., 16, 1821.
     His parents, Benjamin F. and Hannah (Abbott) Fifield, were natives of Vermont and New Hampshire respectively.  Benjamin F. Fifield came to Ohio about 1816 with his mother, and was among the early pioneers of Ashtabula county, where he was engaged in farming until the time of his death.  During the war of 1812 he enlisted in the service, but the war closed before his regiment was called into action.  He was born in 1793 and died in 1871.  In early life he was a stanch Whig, but later was a Republican.  A Deacon in the Christian Church and an honorable and upright man, his integrity was never questioned, and few men in the county were more highly respected than he.  His wife, born in November, 1797, died in April, 1885.  She, too, was a member of the Christian Church, having obeyed the gospel in her girlhood days, and her whole life was adorned with Christian graces.  The Abbotts were also among the pioneers of Ohio, having settled on the lake shore at an early day.  Mr. and Mrs. Fifield had two children, Laura Ann and Josiah.  The former died in 1841, aged nineteen years.
     Josiah Fifield was reared a farmer, which occupation he as followed through life.  He was married Apr. 6, 1843, to Miss Emma T. Ford, daughter of Ambrose and Amanda (Barnum) Ford.  Her mother, a cousin of of P. T. Barnum, died at the age of twenty-five years, and her father lived to be seventy-eight, his death occurring in Pierpont, this county, where he had lived on a farm for many years.  Mrs. Fifield and her sister, Abbie, widow of John Miller, are the only survivors in a family of five children. 
     The family of Josiah F. Fifield consisted of three children, namely: B. Ambrose, who was Born Dec. 28, 1844, and died Oct. 24, 1864, aged twenty years; Greenleaf F.; and Ella M., wife of F. W. Chidester.
     Mrs. Fifield has been a member of the Baptist Church sine her seventeenth year.  Since 1855 Mr. Fifield has been identified with the Masonic fraternity, having taken the degrees of the blue lodge, chapter and council.  He has served as Worthy Master of the lodge and High Priest of the chapter.  Politically, he is a Republican.
(Transcribed from Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing Ashtabula, Lake and Geauga Counties; published in Chicago: Lewis Publ. Co., 1893 - Page 544)

JOHN FITZMAURICE, a railroad engineer on the Nickel Plate, is another one of the worthy citizens of Conneaut, Ohio.  Mr. Fitzmaurice was born in Niagara county, New York, June 22, 1856, son of Thomas and Ann Fitzmaurice, natives of Ireland.  His father was a slopewall layer on the Erie canal.  He located in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, in 1862, and lived there until the time of his death, July 6, 1873, aged sixty-six years.  His wife, still living in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania is now seventy years of  age.  She is a member of the Catholic Church, as also was her worthy husband.  Following is a brief record of their family of ten children:  James, a resident of Chicago; Margaret, who married Dr. Mahaney, of Erie, Pennsylvania, died at the age of thirty-three years; Thomas, who married Emma Coopenville, resides in Erie, Pennsylvania, he having been in the employ of the Erie & Pennsylvania Railroad for the past eighteen years, as conductor the last twelve years; John; Charles, an engineer on the Erie & Pennsylvania Railroad; Anna, wife of John Bogle, Sharon, Pennsylvania; Willie, an engineer on the Erie & Pennsylvania; Ella, wife of Matthew Donahue, Sharpsville, Pennsylvania; Lizzie, deceased; and Kate, who lives with her mother.
     At the age of Sixteen John began life on his own responsibility.  First, he shoveled ore, then he worked on the section, next attended a furnace, and after that was employed as a car inspector on the Erie & Pennsylvania.  In 1883 he accepted a position as fireman on the Nickel Plate, and after firing three years was given charge of an engine, March 12, 1886.  Since that date he has served as engineer on this road.  His long continuance with the company is evidence of his competency and faithful work.
     Mr. Fitzmaurice is married and has one child, Clara W.  Mrs. Fitzmaurice, formerly Miss Emma C. Peters, is a daughter of Charles and Ellen Peters of Sharpsville, Pennsylvania.  Her father has been yardmaster of the Erie & Pennsylvania for over twenty-five years.  Mr. and Mrs. Peters' family is composed of the following children:  Clara, wife of Dr. T. M. Brown; Joseph B.; Mrs. Fitzmaurice; Cora, wife of C. C. Jones, of Sharpsville, Pennsylvania; Charles, an employee of the Chicago & Alton, was killed while on the road, in 1885, aged twenty-four years; Edward, a bookkeeper in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania; Willie, who resides in Conneaut, is a conductor on the Nickel Plate.  Willie married Jett Hickins.
     Mr. Fitzmaurice and his wife are members of the Catholic Church.  He belongs to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, of which he is First Engineer.  His political views are in harmony with Democratic principles.
(Transcribed from Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing Ashtabula, Lake and Geauga Counties; published in Chicago: Lewis Publ. Co., 1893 - Page 923)
NOTE:  John and Emma Fitzmaurice are buried in St. Joseph Cemetery, Conneaut, Ohio.

NATHANIEL FOLLETT, one of the wealthy and influential men of Conneaut township, Ashtabula county, Ohio, dates his birth at Auburn, New York, in 1823.
     Gratis Follett, his father, was born in Ballston, New York, in 1792.  From Ballston he moved to the central part of that State, and in 1839 came to Ohio, locating in Pierpont, Ashtabula county, where he spent the residue of his life, and where he died in 1880.  He was a mechanic and worked at his trade in connection with farming.  In politics he was first a Whig and afterward a Republican.  During the war of 1812 he enlisted his services in the American cause and acted as sentinel.  He was one of a family of nine sons and one daughter, his parents being John and Sally Follett.  The Folletts have been residents of America for many generations, having emigrated to this country from England.  Mary (Hunter) Follett, the mother of Nathaniel, was born in New York in 1796, daughter of Francis and Mary (Millord) Hunter.  Her father was a native of Ireland and her mother of Scotland.  Francis Hunter, in company with his two brothers, came to America during the Revolutionary period.  For some time they were engaged in peddling.  Finally one of them settled in Philadelphia, another in Montreal, and the grandfather of our subject on a farm near Auburn, New York, being the owner of 600 acres of land at that place.  Gratis Follett was married in 1816, and he and his wife became the parents of five children:  Jane, deceased, was the wife of Henry Gaylord, of Pierpont, and had eight children, five of whom survive her; Dorcas, wife of James Tuttle, of Conneaut, Ohio, has had two children, one of whom is living; Nathaniel, whose name appears at the head of this sketch; Francis, who is engaged in farming; and Sarah, widow of Milo Huntley, has three children.
     Nathaniel Follett came to Ohio with his parents in 1839, and remained with them until 1849.  He had the benefit of a good education, and during his early life rendered his father efficient service in helping to clear up the farm.  When he married he bought the old home place, comprising 150 acres, and lived upon it until 1889, when he moved to Pierpont.  This farm had been bought of the old Connecticut Land Company.  Since 1890 he has resided at his present location in Conneaut township.
     Mr. Follett married Emily M. Bushnell, who was born in Connecticut in 1824, daughter of Lynas and Harriet (Osborne) Bushnell, and who came with her parents to Ohio in 1833, settling in Monroe, Ashtabula county.  Her parents are deceased.  She was the oldest of their five children, the others being: Truman, who died at the age of thirty-eight years; Cordelia, wife of E. B. Ford, is deceased; Rosann, who died at the age of twenty-one; and Martin, who died when sixteen.  Mr. and Mrs. Follett have three children: Idela A., wife of Calvin Austin; Harriet L., wife of W. S. Ashley, has one child; and Frank W., who married Georgie Turner, owns and occupies the old home place above referred to.
     Mr. Follett is one of the self-made men of his vicinity, having by his own energy and enterprise accumulated a competency.  Socially, politically and financially, he is ranked with the leading men of his township.  He votes with the Republican party.  For about fifteen year she has been Infirmary Director, and for several years he has also served as Township Trustee and Assessor.  Mrs. Follett is a member of the Baptist Church, and Mr. Follett, although not a member of the church, is one of its active supporters.  Indeed, he is generous in his contributions toward all worthy causes.
(Transcribed from Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing Ashtabula, Lake and Geauga Counties; published in Chicago: Lewis Publ. Co., 1893 - Page 675)

JAMES E. FORD, a farmer and the owner of valuable real estate at Conneaut, Ohio, was born in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, July 4, 1830.
     Mr. Ford's parents, Thomas and Catherine (Rick) Ford, were both natives of Pennsylvania.  Thomas Ford came to Erie county, Ohio, at an early day, and during the war of 1812, on account of Indian depredations, he and others returned to Crawford county, Pennsylvania.  Subsequently he volunteered as a private in the war, and served until the emergency was over.  He had one of the best ordered farms in Pennsylvania, was well known as a man of more than ordinary ability, and passed his whole life engaged in agricultural pursuits.  He died in his native State, March 21, 1861, aged nearly eighty years.  His wife died about 1834.  They had a family of fourteen children, of whom three daughters and two sons are still living.  The family was well represented in Civil war, two of the sons losing their life's blood on the field of battle.  Daniel enlisted in 1861, as First Lieutenant in the Twenty-seventh Michigan Infantry, was in the Army of the Potomac, and was instantly killed in the mine exploded by General Burnside at Petersburg.  He was about thirty years of age.  Alexander, aged about twenty-two years, was in the Eighty-third Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and was killed instantly in the battle of the Wilderness, in 1864.  His friends saw him fall, but his remains were never recovered.  He had been in the service since 1861.  Andrew, another brother, enlisted in 1862, in the One Hundred and Eleventh Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry; served all through the war, and came home at its close a physical wreck.  He is still living, in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, and has been an invalid all his life.  The names of this large family, in order of birth, are as follows:  John, who died in 1863; Eliza, a resident of Pennsylvania, now nearly eighty years of age; Julia, of Crawford county, Pennsylvania; Thomas, Jr., who was kicked by a horse and died a few hours later, in 1863; Andrew, above referred to; Lorena, a resident of Wisconsin; David, some place in the West; William, who died in 1857, at the age of twenty-seven; Silas, who died in 1893 of la grippe, aged sixty-four years; James E., whose name heads this article; Daniel; Margaret, who died at the age of thirty-five; Sarah, now Mrs. Johnson, residing at the old homestead in Crawford county, Pennsylvania; and Alexander.
     James E. Ford came from his native State to Conneaut, Ohio, in 1882, and has been engaged in farming here ever since.  He owns thirty acres of land at the Harbor, most of which is laid off in town lots, and all of which is valuable property.  The last lot he sold was in the fall of 1892, it being 25 x 72 feet, and bringing $750.  He has refused that price for other lots in the same locality.  His attractive home, located on Harbor street, is next to the last house between Conneaut and Canada.
     Mr. Ford was married, June 6, 1868, to Miss Sallie A. Henry, daughter of William and Sallie Henry, of Crawford county, Pennsylvania.  Her father was a farmer and a highly respected citizen.  Both parents died at about the age of eighty years.  Her mother was a life-long and devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.  Mrs. Ford is the youngest of their four children, the others being as follows:  John, engaged in farming at the old homestead; Mary, deceased, was the wife of J. E. Wilcox; and Ann, wife of Alonzo Fish, who resides on a farm in Pennsylvania.  Mr. Fish enlisted in the Union army in 1861, and served four years.  He was the last person who ever saw General McPherson alive.  He saw him riding toward the rebel lines, a moment later heard a rifle report, and then saw the horse returning without a rider.  He was in the Atlanta campaign, and went with Sherman from Atlanta to the sea.  The only injury he received in the war was from being thrown off his horse, his knee being hurt at that time, from the effects of which he is still lame.
     Mr. and Mrs. Ford have four children: Lillie, Perley Victor, Lulu and Flossie.  Mrs. Ford and her son are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the two oldest daughters are Baptists.
     Politically, Mr. Ford is a Democrat.  While a resident of Crawford county, Pennsylvania, he served three years as County Auditor.  Fraternally, he is a Mason and an A. O. U. W.  Public-spirited and generous, enterprising and progressive, he has done his part toward advancing in which he lives.
(Transcribed from Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio embracing Ashtabula, Lake and Geauga Counties; published in Chicago: Lewis Publ. Co., 1893 - Page 899)

JEROME N. FREDERICKS, blacksmith, Conneaut, Ohio, was born in Jefferson county, New York, June 29, 1823. He is a son of John and Eunice (Nutting) Fredericks.  The father, a native of Holland, came to America in 1806, and settled in Groton, Massachusetts, and in that State married Miss Nutting, a native of Massachusetts and a descendant of Scotch ancestry.  He was a mason by trade, and while in the East was employed in stucco work.  He moved to Conneaut in 1837, and passed the rest of his life in this county.  He died at Kingsville, Dec. 30, 1855, aged ninety years.  Few men were better known in this part of the State than he, as he did plastering and mason work all over north­eastern Ohio.  His wife died about 1859, aged sixty-six years.  Both were members of the Congregational Church for many years.  They had a family of nine children, namely: Emory, who resides in Canada; Betsey, wife of Luther Spencer, both deceased; Harriet, wife of Seth McNutt, is deceased; William, of New York State; Jerome N.; Mrs. Elial Risdon, Conneaut; Barsheba, widow of Captain Lent, resides with her sister, Mrs. Risdon; Levi, of Conneaut; and Elbridge, of Humboldt county, California.
     Mr. Fredericks started out in life as a clerk in a store in Buffalo, and remained there two years. He came to Conneaut in June, 1839, and at once began to learn the blacksmith trade. He was the first boy in this town to serve a regular apprenticeship at any trade.  After completing his term of service he traveled through this country and Canada, spending two years in Hamilton, Canada West, and eighteen months in St. Catherines, and after an absence of live years returned to Conneaut.  He has been a resident here since 1847. Some time in the '50s Mr. Fredericks opened his shop on Sandusky street.  His house, the first one built on the street, is still standing.  At that time all this part of the town was in timber.  About two years before the war he received an injury which rendered him unfit for service, and upon examination for entrance into the army was rejected.  He served as Councilman of Conneaut one term, at the end of which term he refused to serve longer.
     Mr. Fredericks married Miss Milura, daughter of Sylvester and Sophronia (Mason) Cowles, of Medina county, Ohio.  Both her parents are deceased, her father dying about 1878, aged seventy-three years, and her mother in 1875, aged seventy-five.  They were life-long members of the Congregational Church.  Mrs. Fredericks is the oldest of their six children, the others being as follows: Shepard, who was drowned at the age of two years; Newel M., engaged in farming in Medina county, Ohio; Shepard B., a Michigan farmer; Emily J., wife of Lewis Rensburg of Illinois; and Ellen H., who died at the age of five years.  Mr. and Mrs. Fredericks have had two children, namely: Edmund J., a partner in business with his father, and a young man of fine physique and good habits; and Minnie, who died in 1882, aged nineteen. Mrs. Fredericks is a member of the Christian Church.
     Mr. Fredericks' life has been characterized by industry and the strictest integrity.  His honest toil has been rewarded with success.  Today he is in comfortable circumstances and owns valuable property in Conneaut.  He has long been a Democrat, taking, however, little interest in politics now.  He is a member of the blue lodge, chapter, council and commandery of Conneaut, of the Alcoran Temple and of the Scottish Kite, having taken the thirty-second degree, at Cleveland. In all these organizations he has held official positions.  He is one of the members of Cache Commandery.
(For Source, see Note 1 below)