Brace P. Hill

As printed in 1908

BRACE P. HILL, residing on the old Hill homestead in Norton Township, a valuable tract of 199 acres, which is situated about two and one-half miles from Wadsworth. and lies on the county line between Medina and Summit Counties, has carried on general farming here with much success for the pat twenty-one years. Mr. Hill was born on this farm and is a son of Dr. John and Catherine (Pardee) Hill.

The late Dr. John Hill was born in Sussex, England, October 26, 1828, and was a son of.John and a grandson of.John, the name being a particularly favored one in the Hill family, appearing in every generation. The mother of Dr. Hill was Harriet Wickham. and she was born in County Kent, England. In 1828 the Hills sailed for America, from the now.sunken port of Rye, on the English Channel, and after a voyage of six weeks they landed in New York. The father of Dr. Hill engaged in farming in the vicinity of Utica, New York, until the spring of 1832, when he removed to Orange Township, Cuyahoga, County, Ohio, where he invested in farming land on which he lived until 1843.

After disposing of his interests there, John Hill moved to Tazewell County, Illinois, where he passed the rest of his life.

The son, John Hill, left his home to seek work with strangers when he was about fifteen years of age, but for five years thereafter he gave all his wages to his father. He was very anxious to obtain an education and was only a boy when he had determined to become a physician. Through rigid economy and persevering study he attained his ambition. In 1847 he began to read medicine with Dr. Alexander Fisher, at Western, Star, Summit County, and in the fall of 1848 he attended his first course of lectures at the Cleveland Medical College, returning for his second course in the following year. In 1850 he went to California, where he was taken sick and lay for six months in a hospital in Sacramento, but subsequently recovered and remained in that State until May, 1853, when he took ship for Australia. After a voyage of seventy days he reached the island continent, where he remained until the following May, when he went to London, England, on his way back to America. He left England in September, reached New York late in October, and Cleveland early in December, and during the winter of 1854 and 1855, he attended medical lectures in the latter city.

In the fall of 1855 Dr. Hill entered Jeff"person Medical College, at Philadelphia, where he was graduated in March, 185G, receiving his long sought diploma. For a short time Dr. Hill practiced at Western Star, from which place he removed to Sharon Township, in Medina County, where he practiced for a year, and then settled in Norton Township, Summit County. He was a man of such wide experience and much learning outside his profession that he soon became a leader among his fellow-citizens, and in 1870 he was elected county commissioner, in which office he served for almost nine years. In 1879 he was elected to the State Legislature and served one term, after which he retired from public life. His death took place December 13, 1890.

In March, 1857, Dr. Hill was married io Catherine Pardee, who is a daughter of Pbenezer and Almira (Brace) Pardee, and they had six children, as follows: Harriet Almira, who was born June 22, 1858, died October 30, 1878; John E., who was born August 7, 1859, resides at Barberton; Martha B., who married D. H. Taft, resides at Columbus, Ohio; Brace B., who was born August 12, 1865; Josephine Elizabeth, who married Richard Was.son, resides at Barberton, and Edward B., who was born January 4, 1881, lives in Illinois. The mother of this family still survives.

Brace P. Hill has always resided on the present farm, which has been under his direct management for many years. He attended the district schools of Norton Township and also the Norton High School. He married Anna Wiser, and they have five children: Margaret K., Karl W., Lawrence B., Walter and an infant son born September 23, 1907. Mr. Hill belongs to the fraternal orders of Modern Woodmen and Pathfinders. He is one of Norton Township's substantial and reliable citizens, and has served as a member of the School Board and as clerk of the incorporated village of Western Star. Mr. Hill at present holds both of these offices.

As printed in Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens (1908). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.