In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1908) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1829
From Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens (1908), History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio (1881)
LEWIS MILLER, manufacturer and inventor, Akron, the youngest of three sons of John and Elizabeth (York) Miller, was born in Greentown, Lake Township, Stark Co., Ohio, Aug. 24, 1829. His parents were respectable and industrious people. His father, a cabinetmaker, house-builder and farmer, originally came from Marjland, removing to the West in 1812. He was a man of sterling integrity, and universally esteemed, holding a prominent position in his community. Lewis, the subject of this article, spent his boyhood on a farm, until about 17, attending school in one of the old-time schoolhouses built of logs, having slab benches, etc. In 1846, he learned the plastering trade, serving two years with a man named Wm. Essig; he worked at this trade for five years, also attending academies in Illinois during winter seasons and teaching in Stark Co., Ohio, two terms, in that time having moved to Plainfield, 111, near Chicago, in the meanwhile. In 1851, he returned to Greentown, where he connected himself as a partner with the manufacturing firm of Ball, Aultman & Co. (afterward of Canton) and by patience, determination and energy, soon mastered the machinist's trade, serving for but 50 cents per day at first while learning. In the fall of 1851, the company with $6,000 capital in all, removed to Canton. The partners were six in number, viz: E. Ball, C. Aultman, David Fouser, Lewis Miller, Geo. Cook and Jacob Miller. They first manufactured threshing machines, stoves and plows, and old Obed Ilussey reapers, and did repairing. They had no competition in reapers except one shop on the Ohio River. During 1849, our subject worked on the old "Hussey" reaper, and ever since that time he has been experimenting on reapers, every season, in harvest field. His remarkable aptitude for the machinist's trade, manifested itself so plain, that, in a short time after his apprenticeship he was advanced to the superintendency of the works, and while in this position he invented the world-renowned "Buckeye Mower and Reaper" — known in the market as the double-hinged floating-bar — a distinctive feature from which all two-wheeled floating-bar machines are patterned. To this great and valuable invention he afterward added others of scarcely less utility, chief among which is his table rake (a self-rake), which he invented in 1865, and which attained a wonderful popularity, within a few years. With the manufacture of the "Buckeye" the business of the Canton house became so largely increased that, in 1863, it was found necessary to establish a branch concern at Akron, under the incorporated name of Aultraan, Miller & Co., and in the following year he removed to Akron to take charge of the works here, since which time he has been superintendent and had full charge of the same. In this position he has lived to see the once insignificant shop expanded into wider halls, wherein is executed a business which, of its kind, is one of the most extensive in the country, which grand success is due, no doubt, to each partner giving all his time and attention to active work, wearing, so to speak, when the business was first commenced at Canton, the work apron himself, instead of hiring other men to do it. No dividends were declared until 1 866. They attained success thi'ough hard labor, and some disappointments. On May 5, 1855, while they were all filled with machines ready for market, their entire establishment burned to the ground, with a loss of $50,000, there being only $7,000 insurance. It was in June, 1856, that the first patents were granted for the "Buckeye," and at various times over one hundred patents were granted to the firm, one of which was for "Miller's Binder," which machine is the result of Mr. Miller's study. The business has increased from six threshers and ten or twelve reapers per year, to twelve hundred threshers and about twenty thousand reapers and mowers per year, or one complete machine to every four and one-half minutes during working hours. They began building the traction engine in 1877, the capacity now being five hundred engines per year. At the present time, he is President of the Canton manufactory, and of the Akron Iron Co.; also Superintendent of the Akron manufactory, and member of Board of Directors of the Weary, Snyder Manufacturing Co., of Akron. He is a Director of the Bank of Akron, and a stockholder in the First National Bank of Canton. He is a member of the Board of Education and was twice President of the same. He has taken a deep interest in politics, and worked in the Republican party, being an anti-slavery man, he is now connected with the National party. He became a member of them. E. Church in 1843, has held all positions in the church, and been Sunday School Superintendent for twenty-eight years. He was three times a lay delegate to the General Conference of the church, and has been honored from time to time with other prominent positions of trust. He was President of the Ohio Sunday School Association; and of the Chautauqua Association, having been the originator of the Chautauqua scheme, and, as coworker with Dr. J. H. Vincent, has infused new life into the methods of Sabbath school work, always the President. In educational matters he has taken a great interest, especially so in the case of Mt. Union College. He is President of Mt. Union College Board of Trustees, and is a Trustee of the Ohio Wesleyan University, and of Allegheny College. On Sept. 16, 1853, he married Mary D. Alexander, of Plainfield, Ill., who bore him eleven children, ten of whom are living, and are viz., Jennie, Ira M., Edward B., Robert A., Lewis A., Mina, Mamie, Grace, John V. and Theodore W. Eva died when 16.
JOHN McGregor, Secretary and Treasurer of the Akron Steam Forge Company; he was born in Columbiana County, near Wellsville, June 14, 1836; his parents, John and Margaret (McBean) McGregor, are natives of Scotland; they emigrated to America in 1828, and settled in Columbiana County, where they now reside. The subject of this sketch was raised on his father's farm, and, in 1861, entered Jefferson College at Cannonsburg. Penn., from which institution he graduated in 1863, standing sixth in a class of thirty'-nine; he then entered Ohio Law College, at Cleveland, Ohio, where he remained one year. In 1864, he entered upon the practice of his profession at Akron, continuing at this for seven years, during which time he was elected City Solicitor, filling this position two years, from 1869
- to 1871; he then purchased an interest in the Akron Steam Forge Works, and when the establishment was re-organized in 1872, under the control of a joint-stock company, he was elected Secretary and Treasurer of the association, which position he has faithfully filled ever since. Mr. McGrregor is, at the present time, Treasurer of Portage Township; he was first chosen for this office in 1877, and has been reelected each succeeding spring since then. He was married Nov. 11, 1868, to Miss Hattie E. Folger, daughter of William M. and Julia A. (Hayden) Folger; they are the parents of three children — Julia F., John and Mary.
As printed in History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio (1881). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
LEWIS MILLER. Few citizens of Akron, now passed off the scene of life, have more claims to remembrance than the late Lewis Miller, the genius who invented the Buckeye Mower and Reaper. He was born July 24, 1829, at Greentown, Stark County, Ohio, and his useful life closed February 28, 1899.
Mr. Miller completed his education in the Academy at Plainfield, Will County, Illinois. From 1846 until 1851 he taught school during the winter seasons and worked as a plasterer in the summers. All the time he was studying out inventions, many of which have been since patented and put on the market.
In 1851 he became a member of the firm of Ball, Aultman and Company, manufacturers of stoves, plows, threshers, and the old Hussey reaper. After the firm removed to Canton, Mr. Miller became superintendent of the plant. Then followed his invention of the Buckeye Mower and Reaper, and in 1865 of the Buckeye Table Rake and still later, the self-binders. To his inventive genius, Akron and other manufacturing cities of Ohio owe a large part of their prosperity. In 1864 works were erected at Akron for the further enlargement of the business, under the firm name of Aultman, Miller and Company, Mr. Miller being the president and superintendent of the organizations with which his name was connected. His capital became invested in numerous other manufacturing plants, particularly at Akron and Canton, as well as in links and other business organizations. He was a trustee of Mt. Union College, of Allegheny College and the Ohio Wesleyan University, and at Akron was connected prominently with educational work. Although a good citizen he was never a prominent politician, being too busily engaged otherwise, but at various times he consented to serve on the City Council, and gave generously of hi time to promote all civic measures of importance. Thousands each year enjoy the benefits of the Chautauqua Association, of which he was the originator and founder.
Mr. Miller was united in marriage, September 16, 1852, to Mary V. Alexander, a native of Macoupin County, Illinois, who was born December 6, 1830. They were the parents of eleven children, of whom eight, are now living, namely: Ira, who resides in Akron; Edward, also of Akron; Robert, postmaster of Porto Rico; Lewis, residing at the family home in Akron; Mina, wife of the distinguished inventor, Thomas A. Edison, of Llewellyn, New Jersey; Mary, who is single and resides at home; Grace, a teacher in a select school at Cleveland, and John B., who is associated with Mr. Edison in his scientific work. Those deceased are: Eva, who died just before reaching her sixteenth year; Jennie, who was the wife of Richard Marvin, who is also deceased; Theodore, who was killed in Porto Rico during the Spanish- American war.
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.
The printed record stops around 1908. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.