In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1881) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
From History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio .. (1879), History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio ... : with portraits and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers (1881)
ALFRED KELLEY.
Hon. Alfred Kelley, the second son of Daniel Kelley, was born in Middletown, Connecticut, November 7, 1789. He was descended in the fifth generation from Joseph Kelley (ist) who was one of the first settlers of Norwich, Connecticut. His great-grandfather, Joseph Kelley (2d), son of the person just named, removed to Vermont, and died there in 1814 at the age of nearly ninety years. Alfred Kelley's gi'aiul father, Daniel Kcllev, lived in Norwich, Connecticut, where Daniel Kelley (2d), the father of the subject of this memoir, was born on the 27th day of November, 1755. He married Jemima Stow, daughter of Elihu and Jemima Stow, and sister of Judges Joshua and Sil-.is Stow, of Lowville, New York, on the 28th day of January, 1787. He died at Cleveland August 7, 1831. Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Kelley had a family of six sons. They removed from Connecticut to Lowville, New York, when Alfred was nine years of age, where the head of the family was principal judge of the court of common pleas of Lewis county, being also one of the founders of Lowville academy and president of its board of trustees.
Alfred Kelley was educated at Fairfield academy, New York, and read law in the office of Jonas Phitt, a judge of the supreme court of that State. In the spring of 1810 he traveled on horseback in company with Joshua Stow and others to Cleveland. He was admitted to practice in the court of common pleas in November, and on the same day, being his twenty-first birthday, he was appointed by the court to pot as prosecuting attorney. He was continuously appointed prosecuting attorney until 1821, when he declined to act any longer in that capacity. lu 1814 Mr. Kelley was elected a member of the Ohio house of rojjresentatives; being the youngest member of that body, which met at Chillicothe, then the temporary ca]>ital of the Sate. He continued, with intervals, a member of the legislature from Cuyahoga county until 1822, when he was appointed, with others. State canal commissioner.
The Ohio canal is a monument to the enterprise, energy, integrity and sagacity of Alfred Kelley. He was the leading member of the board of commissioners during its construction, and the onerous and I'responsible service was performed with such fidelity and economy that the actual cost did not exceed the ediniate! The dimensions of the Ohio canal were the.same as those of the Erie canal. New York, but the number of locks was nearly twice as great. i\Mr. Kelley's indomitable will and iron constitution triumphed over all difficulties, and the Ohio canal, connecting the Ohio river with Lake Erie, was finished in 1830. During its construction Mr. Kelley removed first to Akron and then to Columbus, where he made his home during the remainder of his life. After the canal was finished he resigned the position of commissioner in order to regain his health (badly shattered by close application to the duties of his office), and to devote himself to his private affairs.
In October, 1830, Mr. Kelley was elected to the Ohio house of representatives from Franklin county, and was re-elected to the same office in the next two legislatures. He was chairman of the Whig State Central Committee in 1840, and was one of the most active and influential managers of that campaign, in which Gen. Harrison was elected to the presidency. He was.appointed State fund commissioner in 1840. In 1 841 and '42 a formidable party arose in the legislature and State, which advocated the non-payment of the maturing interest on the State debt, and the repudiation of the debt itself. Mr. Kclley went to New York and was able to raise nearly a quarter of a ui'Uion of dollars on his own personal security, by which means the interest was paid at maturity, and t]ie State of Ohio was saved from repudiation.
In 1844 yiv. Kelley was elected to the State senate from the Franklin district. It was during this term that he originated the bill to organize the State Bank of Ohio and other banking companies, which was generally admitted by bankers and financiers to be the best American banking law then known. While Mr. Kelley was a member of the legislature many valuable general laws originated with him, and most of the measures re(iuiring investigation and profound thought wei'e entrusted to his care. He was the author, in 1818, of the first legislative bi'l — cither in this country or in Europe — to abolish imprisonment for debt. It failed to become a law, but in a letter to a friend.Mr. Kelley said: "The time will come when the absurdity as well as inhumanity of adding oppression to misfortune will be acknowledged."
[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]
.Mr. Kelley closed his public life as the member from Columbus of the State senate of 18oT. During the last year of this service his health was declining. Yet such was his fidelity to his trust that he went daily to the senate, and he carried through the legislature several important measures for the purpose of ascertaining the condition of the State treasury, and securing the safety of the public funds. He was also, during his legislative career, vei'y active in remodeling the tax laws, so as to relieve land-owners from excessive taxation and place a i)art of the burden on those who had property in bonds and money.
[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]
Mr. Kelley was Uiarried on the 3.5th of August, 1817, to Miss Mary S. Wells, daughter of Jfelaucthon Wells, Esq., by whom he had a family of eleven children, viz: Maria Jane, who became Mrs..Judge Bates, of Columbus; Charlotte, who died at six years old; Edward, who died at the age of two years; Adelaide and Henry, who died in infancy; Helen, who became Mrs. Francis Collins, of Columbus; Frank, who died at four years old; Anna, who married Col. C. J. Freudeiiberg, U. S. A.; Alfred: and Kate, wife of Kcv. W. II. Dunning, of Cambridge.
As printed in History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio .. (1879). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
ALFRED KELLEY.
Hon. Alfred Kelley, the second son of Daniel Kelloy, was l)orn in Middletown, Connecticut, November 7, 1789. He was descended in the fifth generation from Joseph Kelley (ist) who was one of the first settlers of Norwich, Connecticut. His great-grandfather, Joseph Kelley (2d), son of the person just named, removed to Vermont, and died there in 1814 at the age of nearly ninety years. Alfred Kelley's grandfather, DanierKellev". lived in Norwich. Connecticut, where Daniel Kelley (2d), the father of the subject of this memoir, was born on the 27th day of November, 1755. He married Jemima Stow, daughter of Elihu and Jemima Stow, and sister of Judges Joshua and Silas Stow, of Lowville, New York, ou the 28th day of January, 1787. He died at Cleveland August 7, 1831. Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Kelley had a family of six sons. They removed from Connecticut to Lowville, New York, when Alfred was nine years of age, where the head of the family was principal judge of the court of common pleas of Lewis county, being also one of the founders of Lowville academy and president of its board of trustees.
Alfred Kelley was educated at Fairfield academy, New York, and read law in the office of Jonas Piatt, a judge of the supreme court of that State. In the spring of 1810 he traveled on horseback in company with Joshua Stow and others to Cleveland. He was admitted to practice in the court of common pleas in November, and on the same day, being his twenty-first birthday, he was appointed by the court to act as prosecuting attorney. He was continuously appointed prosecuting attorney until 1821, when he declined to act any longer in that capacity. In 1814 Mr. Kelley was elected a member of the Ohio house of representatives; being the youngest member of that body, which met at Chillicothe, then the temporary capital of the Sate. He continued, with intervals, a member of the legislature from Cuyahoga county until 1822, when he was appointed, with others. State canal commissioner.
The Ohio canal is a monument to the enterprise, energy, integrity and sagacity of Alfred Kelley. He was the leading member of the board of commissioners during its construction, and the onerous and responsible service was performed with such fidelity and economy that the actual cost did not exceed the estimate I The dimensions of the Ohio canal were the same as those of the Erie canal. New York, but the number of locks was nearly twice as great. Mr. Kelley's indomitable will and iron constitution triumphed over all difficulties, and the Ohio canal, connecting the Ohio river with Lake Erie, was finished in 1830. Duriug its construction Jlr. Kelley removed first to Akron and then to Columbus, where he made his home during the remainder of his life. After the canal was finished he resigned the position of commissioner in order to regain his health (badly shattered by close application to the duties of his office), and to devote himself to his private affairs.
[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]
In 1844 Mr. Kelley was elected to the State senate from the Eranklin district. It was during this term duit he originated the bill to organize the State Bank of Ohio and other banking companies, which was generally admitted by bankers and financiers to be the best American banking law then known. While Mr. Kelley was a member of the legislature many valuable general laws originated with him, and most of the measures requiring investigation and profound thought were entrusted to his care. He was the author, in 1818, of the first legislative biu — either in this country or in Europe — to abolish iuiprisdiimonl for debt. It failed to become a law, but in a letter to a friend Mr. Kelley said: "The time will come when the absurdity as well as inhumanity of adding ojjpi-session to misfortune will be acknowledged."
[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]
Mr. Kelley closed his public life as the member from Columbus of the State senate of 1857. During the last year of this service his health was declining. Yet such was his fidelity to his trust that he went daily to the senate, and he carried through the legislature several important measures for the purpose of ascertaining the condition of the State treasury, and securing the safety of the public funds. He was also, during his legislative career, very active in remodeling the tax laws, so as to relieve land-owners from excessive taxation and place a part of the burden on those who had property in bonds and money.
At the end of this term of the senate his health was much broken down (caused by an over-taxation of mind and body), and he seemed to be gradually wasting away without any settled disease. He was only confined to his room a few days before his death.
which took place on the 2d day of December, 1859. So gentle was the summons, when his pure spirit left its earthly tenement, that his surrounding friends were scarcely conscious of the great change.
It has been said of him, that few persons have ever lived who, merely by personal exertions, have left behind them more numerous and lasting monuments of patient and useful labor.
Mr. Kelley was Uiarried on the 25th of August, 1817, to Miss Mary S. Wells, daughter..t Melancthou Wells, Esq., by wli„ni he had a family..f eleven children, viz: Maria Jane, who became Mrs. -Judge Bates, of Columbus; Charlotte, who died at six years old; Edward, who died at the age of two years; Adelaide and Henry, who died in infancy; Helen, who became Mrs. Francis Collins, of Columbus; Frank, who died at four years old; Anna, who married Col. C. J. Freudeuberg. L'. S. A.; Alfred; and Kate, wife of Kev. II. Dnnninn:, of Cambridge.
As printed in History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio ... : with portraits and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Their biographies name Alfred Kelley: Samuel Cowles John Crowell (b. 1801) Henry B. Payne Reuben Wood Thomas M. Kelley (b. 1797) Henry B. Payne (b. 1810) Reuben Wood
The printed record stops around 1879. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.