The Graff Family

Frederick Graff in Portrait and Biographical Record of Tuscarawas County, Ohio

The full biographical sketch as printed, transcribed from the public-domain book. Spelling and wording are the original author’s; a few scanning errors may remain.

FREDERICK GRAFF, merchant, Blake’s Mills, New Philadelphia, was born January 1, 1844, in the Canton of Berne, Switzerland. His parents, James R. and Elizabeth Graff, came to this country, and landed in this place, then called Lockport, in April, 1851. Here our subject was reared, and received his educa- tion. In January, 1865, he enlisted in Company A, One Hundred and Eighty- fifth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served in defense of his adopted country until the close of the war. After returning from the service, Mr. Graff engaged in business as a merchant in Lockport, Ohio, having for his partner one Frederick J. Graff, to whom he sold out in 1872. He then formed a copartner-

AA

Digitized by

Google

ship with Simon H. Darst. (See sketch of Graff & Darst). Our subject was mar- ried, October 2, 1873, to Mary Warner, a native of this township, who bore him five children — Walter C., Frederick, Clarence, Hermann and Hattie. Mr. and Mrs. Graff are members of the German Reformed Church. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias ; has held the office of Trustee of Goshen Township ; in politics, is a Democrat.

GRAFF & DARST, Blake’s Mills, is a firm doing an extensive dry goods, grocery and general mercantile business at the old stand occupied in former years by C. Coppersmith. Graff & Darst have always on hand a full and well-selected stock of goods, and enjoy a growing trade. The firm also carry on an extensive coal mine at New Castle, two miles below Blake’s Mills, on the Ohio Canal, where they employ from eight to ten men. They ship three boat- loads of coal per week.

WILLIAM B. GRAY (deceased) was born in Pennsylvania June 18, 1807, and was a son of George K. and Elizabeth B. Gray, the former of Irish and the latter of German descent. They migrated from Westmoreland County, Penn., to Ohio in 1814. They were the parents of ten children, of whom only two survive, Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Fowler. Our subject came with his parents to New Phil- adelphia, remaining with them until he went to learn the carpenter’s trade. He then went to Wheeling, W. Va., where he worked at his trade for a time; then re- turned to New Philadelphia and opened a shop of his own. He was twice mar- ried, first on June 12, 1832, to Hannah Baltzy, born October 31, 1810, died April 2, 1844 ; five children were born to this union. Mr. Gray then married, Decem- ber 10, 1846, Sarah Catherine Shaffer, born November 9, 1824, who bore him twelve children, and died August 29, 1875. Our subject was the father of follow- ing children, with dates of births and deaths : George James, March 20, 1833, died May 3, 1855 ; Elizabeth, April 29, 1836, died August 16, 1837 ; John Will- iam, February 3, 1839, died June 4, 1862 ; Lucinda, September 2, 1840 ; Oliver A., August 17, 1847 ; Etelia Susan, July 9, 1849. died September 4, 1850 ; Sarah Jane, June 28, 1851, died August 28, 1851 ; Delia Ann, September 13, 1852, died June 28, 1854; James Beers, March 12, 1856 ; Mar}’ Louisa, February 27, 1858 ; Martha Ellen, December 30, 1859, died February 5, 1862 ; Islmer Frank- lin, August 25, 1861 ; Edward Aughe, March 15, 1863, died September 2, 1863; Maggie Virginia, July 24, 1864 ; Emma Alice, August 17, 1869. Oliver A. was married to Martha Keller, and James B. to Anna M. Deamitt. Our subject fol- lowed farming after leaving New Philadelphia till his death. He died August 6, 1883, aged seventy-six, leaving 320 acres of land and an interest in the Gray property in New Philadelphia. Mr. Gray was a Republican, and a member of the Lutheran Church for nearty fifty years.

Source: Portrait and Biographical Record of Tuscarawas County, Ohio. See the original pages at the Internet Archive.