F. W. Myers

FRANCIS MYERS, representa- 1* five to the state legislature from Suml,P mit county, and an active business man of Mogadore, Springfield township, and senior member of the well-known pottery firm of Myers & Hall, is a descendant of a worthy German family, which dates its transplanting in this country a century and a half ago. His father, Joseph Myers, was a native of West Earl township, Lancaster county, Pa., and a son of Christian and Magdalene (Hoover) Myers, representative agriculturist, of the "old Keystone state." He grew up a farmer lad, and, although his scholastic training was necessarily limited to the opportunities of the time, acquired a common-school education of more than average breadth. Tiring of farm life he learned the tailor's trade, which he followed for some years, and afterward engaged in mercantile business for himself, opening a country store in which he carried a general line of merchandise. He continued this business for ten years with considerable success. In 1838 he emigrated to Wayne county, Ohio, thence to Springfield township, in Summit county, where he spent the remainder of his days. During his business career he amassed a comfortable fortune and was one of the highly respected citizens of his county. He took an active interest in local affairs and was an earnest political worker, although he never aspired to holding any office. He was an intense abolitionist and an ardent temperance man, and in those exciting days, when the agitation of the slavery question was uppermost in the public mind, his home was one of the most important in a long chain of "Underground railroad stations."

In 1825, in Lancaster county, Pa.,' he married Miss Susan Winger, daughter of Joseph 'inger, a worth)' neighbor and large farmer, whose right to his acres extended back to the year 1741, seven generations of Wingers having been reared on the homestead. The founder of the Winger family was Christian Winger, who came from Switzerland to America in 1727. There were born to Joseph and Susan Myers the following children: Louisa, wife of Jacob Mishler; Maria, wife of Samuel Shoemaker — Mrs. Shoemaker is now deceased; Francis W., the subject of this biography; Amos; John; William; Joseph and Meno, who is the wife of John Longnecker. There were also born two sons, Isaac and Michael, who died in infancy.

Hon. Francis Myers also claims Pennsylvania as his birth state, having been born in Earl township, Lancaster county, December 4, 1830. His boyhood days were spent upon his father's estate, and during his early life, whilst there, at intervals received the rudimental education common with many of the farmers' lads of those days. His education being very limited as to courses of training under tutors, he can be freely classed as a self-educated man. At the age of eighteen he entered as an apprentice to learn the trade of a potter in a factory in Springfield township, Summit county, and his business life has been spent in that particular calling.

Mr. Myers celebrated his marriage with Miss Lydia M. Mishler, a native of Springfield township, Summit county, a daughter of Joseph and Mary (Palmer) Mishler. They were married in September, 1852, and to this union has been born live children — three died in infancy; the eldest living is Maria Louise, wife of Dr. W. C. Steele, residents of Berlin. Stark county, Ohio. She was educated in the common schools, also was a student at the academy at Smithville, Ohio, and also Akron

Buchtel college. She received a training in instrumental music and was one of Summit county's honored teachers. Grace Eugenie resides at home. She is a graduate of the Mogadore high school and graduated at Findlay college in music, at Findlay, Ohio. She has been a successful teacher in instrumental music also.

Hon. Francis Myers has been all his life a devoted to his belief in political liberty. He cast his first presidential vote for Gen Winfield Scott in support of the old-line whig party, and at the birth of the republican party, when Gen. John C. Fremont was the champion of that political faith, he espoused those sterling principles of republicanism.

Officially, Mr. Myers has served for almost five years in the responsible capacity of chairman of the county election board, resigning this office in 1895, when he was called to represent his county in the state legislature. There were seven candidates in the field for this office before the county nominating convention that year, but Mr. Myers received on the first ballot a large majority of the votes of the delegates, a gratifying mark of the honor in which he is held throughout the county. His record as a legislator has but further exemplified his fine personal and executive qualities, and his service in this capacity has given the utmost satisfaction to his constituency. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Mishler, the parents of Mrs. Myers, were people of sterling integrity and worth, were early and respected pioneers of Stark county, were prosperously engaged in agricultural pursuits, and noted for their zealous work in the church. Socially, the subject of our sketch is a member of the K. of P. lodge, Mogadore, No. 482. He and wife are ardent supporters of the Disciples' church at Mogadore, and have always been prominent in the upbuilding of this particular society as well as the Sunday-school.

Officially in the church Mr. Myers has been both an elder and deacon. Mr. and Mrs. Myers have been honored residents of Mogadore for almost one-half a century, and their sterling lives have been as monuments to their general worth as citizens.

As printed in A portrait and biographical record of Portage and Summit counties, Ohio (1898). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.