Laertes Barnes Smith (1828-1896)

Portrait from the History of Ohio, Vol.3, by Charles B. Galbraith, 1925.

  For those of you who remember reading Shakespeare in high school, the name "Laertes" may sound familiar, as he was both the father of the title character in Hamlet as well as a figure in Greek mythology. Lorain County, Ohio jurist Laertes Barnes Smith lucked into getting "Laertes" as his given first name and was a practicing lawyer in Lorain County for over thirty years. Featured on this site's Facebook page back on July 23, 2014, Smith was a resident of Lorain County for nearly his entire life, and in 1871 was appointed as county Probate Judge, where he served for a decade.  Descended from a family with its roots in Lorain County extending back to the early 19th century, Laertes Barnes Smith was born in Amherst, Ohio on September 21, 1828, the son of David and Fannie (Barnes) Smith. 

  Smith's formative years were spent on his family's farm and attended the local district school. He left home at age twenty-one to learn the trade of harness-maker, and after a four-year stint removed to LaPorte, Indiana. Once settled, he worked as a clerk in a hardware store for five years, and in 1858 returned to Lorain County. He embarked upon law studies following his return, in the Elyria-based firm of Vincent and Sheldon, and in 1860 was admitted to the state bar. Smith's name was added to the firm following Vincent's retirement in 1861, and the firm continued until Smith's election to the judgeship.

  A Democrat prior to the Civil War, Laertes Smith switched political allegiance to the Republican party during wartime, and in June 1871 was appointed as Probate Judge of Lorain County. His appointment had been occasioned by the resignation of Judge John Steele, who had taken office in 1867. In the same year as his appointment, Smith married Margaret Smyth (1841-1936), to who he was wed until his death. The couple had seven children, Francis Marie (1873-1926), Roscoe (died in infancy in 1874), Clara Louise (1875-1965), Freddie Corliss (died in infancy in 1877), Frank Carlton (1878-1938), Gertrude Smith Horan (1880-1974), and Leroy Webber (1885-1907).

  Smith would win election to further terms as probate judge, the last in 1878. He left office in 1882, and his eleven-year tenure was later remarked by the Standard History of Lorain County as one of honor, noting that "the widow and orphan had a firm and just friend as long as Judge Smith was on the probate bench." He returned to private practice after leaving office and for a number of years afterward was a justice of the peace in Elyria. Smith died in that city on May 12, 1896, aged 67, and was survived by his wife and five children. Following her death at age 94 in 1936, Margaret Smith was interred alongside her husband at the Ridgelawn Cemetery in Elyria.

From the Elyria Recorder, May 16, 1896.

Lamech Rambo (1821-1896)

Portrait from the "Levering Family: History and Genealogy". 1897.

  We continue our stay in Ohio for the following write-up on Lamech Rambo, a Muskingum County native who, with a last name like Rambo, will immediately bring to mind that scruffy, angry Vietnam War veteran portrayed by Sylvester Stallone in the "Rambo" film series. Hailing from a county that has been well represented here on the site (Epaminondas L. Grigsby and Illion E. Moore also being Muskingum County natives), Lamech Rambo represented that county in the Ohio legislature for one term in the late 1870s. Following his time in the legislature, Rambo was elected as the Mayor of his hometown of Dresden, serving in that post until his death.

   Lamech Rambo was born in Levering, Knox County, Ohio on August 6, 1821, being the son of William and Grace Levering Rambo.  His unusual first name is of biblical origin, with Lamech being recorded in the Book of Genesis as the "son of Methuselah and the father of Noah". This Lamech is also mentioned as having lived to "seven hundred seventy and seven years", not quite the length of years reached by Methuselah, but still quite impressive!!

  Afforded limited educational advantages as a youth, Rambo first ventured into the working world at age fourteen, taking employment with a "wool carding and cloth dressing" business located in Fredericktown, Ohio. Rambo remained in that business for five years before striking out on his own, renting first a factory on the outskirts of Fredrickstown. He would marry in 1843 to Sarah Ann Walker (1822-1903), to whom he was wed for over fifty years. Their lengthy union saw the births of six children, who are listed as follows in order of birth: William Adna (died aged three in 1847); Elmira Alice (born 1845); Elmer Judson (born 1847); Miranda Flavilla (died in infancy in 1850); Viola Miranda (died aged one in 1854) and Alvy E. (born 1857).

  Following his marriage Rambo continued his rise in the wool-carding business, renting another factory in neighboring Licking County, which was destroyed by fire in January 1848. As his own insurer, Rambo is remarked to have suffered the full brunt of the fire monetarily, but, being made of the sterner stuff, he persevered. He refocused his efforts on Newark, Ohio, where in June 1848 he is recorded as being the owner of a "one set woolen mill." He removed from there in 1851 to Dresden in Muskingum County, where he would build up the Dresden Woolen Mills, a business which he would be affiliated with for over forty years. 

The Dresden Woolen Mills, circa 1875.

   Rambo's stewardship of the Dresden Mills saw him become "the largest employer in the area", a title that he would hold for over thirty years. A prominent landowner in the Muskingum County area, Rambo is also mentioned as being the owner of  "526 acres of land in the Muskingum Valley, the entire tract being exceedingly fertile and valuable." 

  Before his election to the Ohio State Assembly, Lamech Rambo had been a "Whig in politics" but later switched allegiance to the Republican Party. For six years he served Dresden as a member of the town school board and in 1875 was elected as one of Muskingum County's representatives to the Ohio State Assembly. His one term (1876-78) saw him sit on the committees on Railroads and Telegraphs and Manufactures and Commerce. His brief time in state government was favorably remembered in the Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Muskingum County, which noted that he:

"Served one term with distinguished ability, during which time he was true to his convictions and to the interests of the section which he represented."

  Rambo continued with his business interests in Dresden after his time in the assembly and is also recorded as being the Mayor of that town, his full dates of service being unknown at the time of this writing. He died in office on July 31, 1896, a few days short of his 75th birthday. Rambo was survived by his wife Sarah, who, following her death in 1903, was interred alongside her husband at the Dresden Cemetery.

Shotwell Powell (1808-1896)

    This rare portrait of Shotwell Powell is located in the collection of the 

      Ontario County Historical Society in Canandaigua, New York.

   Following up on August 17th's article on Naples, New York resident and legislator Cyrillo Southworth Lincoln, today's profile highlights the life of Shotwell Powell, another prominent 19th century resident of Ontario County, New York who was elected to two terms in the State Assembly in 1859 and 1860. Powell received a brief mention in Lincoln's profile a few weeks ago after I visited both of their gravesites at the Rose Ridge Cemetery in Naples while on vacation. At the time of that visit I hadn't yet seen an actual portrait of Mr. Powell and now, because of the diligence of Blanche Warner of the Naples Library and Ontario Historical Society Curator Wilma Townsend, a picture of Shotwell Powell has been located in the collection of the Ontario County Historical Society. I must give a hearty thank you to both of these ladies for their kind help in regards to researching this obscure man, as his article here really wouldn't be the same without your help!
   We'll begin with the birth of Shotwell Powell, which occurred in the small village of Clinton in Dutchess County, New York on October 31, 1808. The Rootsweb genealogical website gives note that Shotwell was one of fifteen children born to James and Martha Townsend Powell, natives of New Jersey and Westchester County, New York. Young Shotwell received a common school education in his birth county, and later spent several years of his adolescence living with an uncle in New Jersey.
   After returning to New York, Powell engaged in farming until relocating to Michigan in 1832. Soon after his arrival he "purchased several lots in that new country, remaining there about two years." In 1834 he returned home to Clinton, where he "purchased part of his old home", this according to his Naples Record obituary.
   On September 17, 1835, Powell married fellow Clinton, NY native Sarah G. Clapp (1815-1889) and they eventually became the parents of three children: Thomas J. (1837-1906), Israel (1839-1918) and Lydia Ann (1841-1917). In a strange and truly interesting twist, research has been found that notes that Lydia Ann Powell married on February 27, 1870, to William Elton Lincoln (1837-1915), who happened to be the younger brother of Cyrillo Southworth Lincoln!!! A truly amazing historical fact/political coincidence that I wouldn't have known about had I not begun digging through Shotwell Powell's genealogy! 
  The Powell family continued to reside in Clinton until 1844 when they moved to South Bristol in Ontario County, New York. Powell purchased a farm here (later referred to as Powell Hill) and over the succeeding years engaged in farming, while also being involved in local political affairs. 

                                Shotwell Powell's name as it appeared in an 1860s New York Red Book.

   In November 1858 Powell was elected to the New York State Assembly as a Republican, officially taking office in January of the next year. He was re-elected to the Assembly for the 1860 session and during his two terms is mentioned as having "secured the passage of many important measures, among which was one to prevent slave hunting in the Empire State."  Powell's tenure in the legislature is listed by Milliken's History of Ontario County as one of distinction, with Powell being mentioned as "a man of strong convictions and great moral courage, a strong anti-slavery man, an opponent to capital punishment, and a zealous advocate of temperance." After leaving the assembly Powell refrained from political activity until 1876, and in that year mounted an unsuccessful campaign as the Prohibition Party candidate for State Canal Commissioner of New York. 

                   An 1876 article mentioning Powell's candidacy for State Canal Commissioner.

   In 1870 Powell and his wife removed to Virginia, where Shotwell is known to have bought up large tracts of land, later establishing a Quaker colony in the Keysville, Virginia area. As a member of the Society of Friends, Powell is listed in his obituary as investing $6,000 for a piece of land to develop this settlement, "which he retained an interest in until his death." Powell's obituary also notes that "all liquor selling was to be excluded from the colony."
  For the next two decades, Powell would spend his winters in Virginia and his summers at his home in South Bristol, where he resettled permanently in 1889. In his twilight years, Powell maintained a membership in the Western New York Horticultural Society and is listed as attending its annual meeting in 1893. While at this meeting, Powell is listed as stating that "I want to say that in this, my 85th year, this is the grandest meeting I have ever attended. Progress is the immutable order of our being, and I think we are progressing."
   As he approached his 88th year, Powell's health began to fail, and in March of 1896 was stricken with paralysis which greatly reduced his energy and abilities. He died at age 87 on June 19, 1896, at the home of his son Israel in South Bristol, New York.

      Powell's obit as it appeared in the Rochester Democratic-Chronicle a few days following his death.

Shotwell Powell's Naples Record obituary from June 1896.

   The funeral of Shotwell Powell was held at his South Bristol home on the Monday following his death, and it was reported: "that there was a very large attendance, with neighbors and friends from all country round coming to pay their last tribute to one whom they honored and loved for his beneficent life." Shortly afterward he was buried in the Powell family plot at Rose Ridge cemetery in Naples. Powell's wife Sarah had been buried here several years previously, and their children Thomas, Israel, and Lydia are also buried here.

  As I related in Cyrillo S. Lincoln's article a few days ago, the search for both Lincoln and Powell's gravesite was done under severe time constraints (it was nearly 8 o'clock at night) and I was also dealing with scoping out a rather large cemetery with no clue as to where both were buried! After I found Mr. Lincoln's stone I set my sights on finding Shotwell's stone.....which my father successfully discovered less than fifty feet away from Lincoln!  As I have recently found that both of these oddly named politicians are related by marriage, I now have a good idea as to why both of their plots were located so close to one another.

  Powell's modest gravestone bears the names of all of the members of the Powell family (except Lydia Ann, who is buried elsewhere in Rose Ridge.) This stone also denotes Powell's name with the prefix "Hon." for "Honorable", indicating to anyone even remotely interested in history that someone of importance is buried there. All in all the above photo turned out rather well, considering it was taken at nearly 8:30 at night!

Camoralza Hagler Spahr (1826-1896)

             This rare portrait of  Dr. Camoralza H. Spahr is located in the collection of the Greene 
               County Public Library-Greene County Room-Local History and Genealogy in Xenia, Ohio.

   Every now and then on the site I get a chance to profile an oddly named politician who has virtually no information available online in regards to their life history and public career. Since the founding of this site one year ago I've lucked into the good fortune of beginning correspondence with several historical societies throughout the United States, enlisting their help in researching the life of a particular politician I'm going to write about. Today's profile is one of those wonderful occurrences, as I received a great deal of help from some very special people during my research!
  The bearded fellow shown above is one Camoralza Hagler Spahr,  an outstandingly named resident and physician of Greene County, Ohio who served a short term as that county's representative in the Ohio legislature during the mid-1860s. As it stands now, very little exists online in regards to this intriguingly named man, and I'm pleased to relate that upon the completion of his profile here there will be at least one substantial biography of Dr. Spahr available online, courtesy of the help and insight of the Greene County Historical Society and the Greene County Public Library.
  With that introduction, I'd also like to mention the portrait of Spahr shown above (located in the archives collection of the Greene County Public Library in Xenia, Ohio.) This picture was e-mailed to me a few days ago and the kind folks involved in both of the above-mentioned places graciously granted permission for its use on the site here! This portrait is in all likelihood the only picture of Camoralza Spahr you'll ever see, which speaks volumes about the rarity and obscurity of both the man and the picture. I want to send a big thank you to Green County Public Library Head archivist Deanna Ulvestad, Greene County Historical Society Director Catherine Kidd Wilson, and Greene County Library Director Karl Colon for all of their help and generosity in regard to this wonderfully named Greene County resident.

   

                From the Hundred Year Book and Official Register of the State of Ohio: 1789-1891, Inclusive.
  
   I'll begin Dr. Spahr's profile with a small bit of background on how this article came about. I first discovered the name of this oddly named Ohioan in an Ohio register that cataloged every member of the state senate and house of representatives up until 1891. Since his discovery three years ago little else could be found on him, with the exception being a small write-up in the 1881 work History of Greene County, Together With Historic Notes on the Northwest and the State of Ohio. After exhausting all of the available sources mentioning Spahr, I fired off an e-mail to the Greene County Historical Society and was soon rewarded with a message from that society's director, Catherine Kidd Wilson. In her e-mail, Catherine made mention of the above photograph and also was kind enough to send me two pictures of Dr. Spahr's gravesite in Jamestown, Ohio, as well as a newspaper transcription on his candidacy for the Ohio legislature in 1863. A short time later Greene County Library Director Karl Colon put me in contact with library archivist Deanna Ulvestad, who kindly provided me with access to Spahr's portrait! 
   Camoralza Hagler Spahr's story begins with his birth on January 30, 1826, in Greene County, Ohio, the third of nine children born to Gideon (1788-1856) and Phoebe Hagler Spahr (1798-1867), both Hardy County, Virginia natives who resettled in the Ohio area around 1816. It can safely be said that strange names ran in the Spahr family, with four of Camoralza's siblings being named Bingdella Eddy (1828-1861), Raper Apharaso (killed at the Battle of Stone River in 1863), Barzillai Nelson (later a Methodist clergyman), and Parthena (born 1833). No sources mentioning Camoralza Spahr give mention as to why he was endowed with his highly unusual first name, and it is also a mystery as to the exact origins of the name "Camoralza", although it sounds like it could be of biblical extraction.
   The Spahr family resettled on a farm near Jamestown, Ohio in 1832, and young Camoralza received his education in schools local to that area. He is recorded as engaging in farm work during his adolescence, and in 1846 began pursuing a career in medicine, becoming a student under two Ohio physicians, Dr. Ebenezer Owen and Dr. Adamson B. Newkirk. In the late 1840s Spahr enrolled in the Starling Medical College in Columbus, Ohio, and after completing his studies opened a medical practice in Jamestown in February 1854.
   Within a few years of beginning his medical practice, Spahr married Ironton, Ohio native Mary Ann Peters on March 11, 1858. This union eventually produced six children, who are listed as follows: Phoebe (1859-1913), Fannie (born 1864), George R. (1865-1938), and three other children (a genealogical website lists their names as John Peters, Mary Harriett, and Homer Mason) who are recorded by the earlier mentioned History of Greene County as dying in infancy.
  In 1863 Spahr threw his hat in the political ring, launching a campaign for a seat in the Ohio State House of Representatives. An excellent write-up on his candidacy was sent to me by Catherine Wilson and was originally featured in a September 2, 1863 edition of the Xenia Torchlight. The author of this newspaper article, Benjamin F. "Fogy" Shickley, makes special note of Spahr being an "eminent and successful physician" who had received "an excellent education. He is a pleasant and impressive speaker.  He is well posted in the politics of the country. He is a gentleman of excellent morals, and his voice, his labor, and his means have ever been employed for the preservation of the Union, and the suppression of the rebellion." "Fogy" goes on to state that during the Civil War, Spahr's "best professional services were promptly given, and without any charge to any and all of the family of volunteers that called upon him."
  Support for Spahr's campaign was marked by "Fogy" as one of "unanimity", with the author noting that "he is the right man!" and that "fellow citizens, my voice is for Spahr." Newspaper write-ups like this one proved to be a boon to Spahr, as he eventually won election to the Ohio House of Representatives in November 1863, "by the largest majority ever given prior to that time to any candidate for the same office in the county." 
  Spahr officially took his seat in January 1864 and is listed in his 1896 obituary as having "ably represented Greene County" during his tenure, which concluded in 1866. While still serving in the legislature Spahr is recorded as serving as chairman of a "Union meeting" in 1864 which discussed ongoing events regarding that year's state and national elections. Spahr is also noted as having been selected to attend a state convention on May 25th of that year. An article on that meeting (which appeared in the Xenia Sentinel) has been posted below.

   Spahr returned to his medical practice after leaving the legislature and throughout his later years was involved in various civic affairs in his native Greene County. His obituary mentions him as being an active parishioner in the local Methodist Episcopal Church, as well as his service as a Sunday school superintendent, and the 1881 History of Greene County denotes that Spahr was a charter member and past treasurer of the Grace Encampment No. 171 of the International Order of Odd-Fellows in 1873.

  Camoralza Hagler Spahr died at age 70 in the early morning hours of August 3, 1896, at his home in Jamestown. He had been a practicing physician for over 40 years and had maintained his practice until "being laid aside by disease" some years previously.  Camoralza's wife Mary Ann survived her husband by several years, dying at age 72 in October 1910, and both were subsequently interred in the old Silvercreek Cemetery in Jamestown, Ohio. Research has also shown that many other members of the Spahr family rest here, including Camoralza's parents Gideon and Phoebe, his children George, Homer, Mary, and John, and his brother Raper, who lost his life during the Civil War.

 Spahr's obituary as appeared in the August 7, 1896 edition of the Xenia Daily Gazette.

   In addition to locating the rare obituary for Dr. Spahr shown above, I was also rewarded with two pictures of his gravesite in the Silvercreek Cemetery, sent to me by Green County Historical Society director Catherine Wilson in one of the earlier mentioned e-mails! These pictures have been posted below, and as one can see his stone denotes his full name and that he was a "beloved physician in his native county for 42 years."