John Miller

As printed in 1908

JOHN F. MILLER, a general farmer, residing on his valuable farm of forty-eight acres in Portage Township, was born at Wadsworth, Medina County, Ohio, July 29, 1844, and is a son of George and Rebecca (Baughman) miller.

Jacob Miller, the grandfather of John F., was one of the earliest settlers in Medina County, locating at AVadsworth in 181(5, and purchasing a farm one mile east of the village. In journeying from Pennsylvania, Mr. Miller and family pa&sed through. Middlebury, then the infant Akron. They stayed for one year at Oanfield, MaJioning County, before pursuing their journey farther west. Jacob Miller, anxious to secure good land, examined its quality in.several.sections before purchasing. He was offered a farm for $3 per acre, which is now in the very heart of Akron, on the site of the Perkins public school. He was not satisfied, however, and went on to Medina County, where he invested his money. The maternal grandfather of

John F. Miller came also from Pennsylvania. locating between Wadsworth and Doylestown.

George Miller was born in Pennsylvania, and was a boy when his parents came to Ohio. His older brother, John Miller, went into partnership with John Pardee, in a mercantile business at Wadsworth, which was one of the earliest enterprises there, and when the brother died, George assumed his interests and continued in partnership with Mr. Pardee for some time. A few years later he bought a fai-m on Silver Creek, near Wad- worth, on which he lived for a few year. selling it at a later date. In 1853 he bought 240 acres, and on a part of this property Jolm F. Miller now lives. George Miller carried on farming and.stock-raising on this land quite extensively. In 1856 he built the substantial stone house which is still standing. He was a very just man, and divided his land so that all his children were provided for. He made three farms of the 240 acres he owned in Portage Township, and the old Miller homestead in AVadsworth Township he left to the heirs of his davighter, Mrs. Springer. There he died, four days after his both birthday.- George Miller married Rebecca Rauarhman and they had four children: Sarah, Paul, Martha and John F. Sarah, residing in Portage Township, married Solomon Koplin, Paul has lieen a resident of California since 1860. Martha, now deceased, was married, first to Dr. F. F. Falk, who died at Western Star, aged twenty-eight years. She married, second. Frank Springer. The mother of the subject of this sketch died in 1868 on the home farm.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

Mr. Miller recently sold twelve acres of it, for which he received $1,000 per acre, the purchaser being W. B. Miller, of Akron. Mr. Miller also owns another farm of sixty-four acres in Medina County, Ohio.

In October, 1868, Mr. Miller was married (first) to Charity Brouse, who died in February, 1892. They had four children: Elton Harry, Paul and Laura, of whom Laura died when aged fourteen months. Elton Miller, who resided on the farm in Wadsworth township, which is owned by his father and sons, was accidentally killed there September 13, 1900, by an accidental explosion of the steam pipes in a saw mill. He married Nellie Blackford. Harry Miller is foreman of the shipping department of the Quaker Oatmills at Akron; Paul Miller assists on the home farm. On October 20, 1897, Mr. Miller married (second) Mrs. Christeen (Mohn) Palmer.

For twenty-five years Mr. Miller was identified with the Prohibition party, and then united with the Democratic party. For four years he served as trustee of Portage Township. He has long been a prominent member of the AVest Congregational Church at Akron. In 1904 he and his wife took a trip to California, where he revisited.scenes made familiar to him in his first trip. On the way they visited the exposition then in progress at St.. Louis.

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.