William Allen

As printed in 1881

WILLIAM ALLEN, fai-mer; P. O. Akron; son of Jonah Allen, was born Oct. 14, 1798; died May 15, 1874; he of Jesse Allen. His mother was Cynthia Spicer ( for further history of Spicer family, see Avery Spicer); she was born May 21, 1803, and died Sept. 11, 1860. The family of Jonah and Cynthia were Catharine, born Nov. 5, 1822; Mrs. Beckwith, who died Jan. 23, 1855; Edward, born Aug. 18, 1824, died July 9, 1841; William, the subject of this sketch, bom Feb. 18, 1827; John, whose history appears in another place in this woi'k; and Cynthia, who died in infancy. William received but a meager district-school education, being employed upon the farm until about 17 years of age, when he began work at the Akron City Woolen Mill, his father being a heavy stockholder, where he learned the various branches of the business, such as cai'ding, coloring, finishing, etc.; subsequently returning to the old farm south of the city, "where he and his brother John farmer together for a time; then returned to the city, where he kept for one year the boai'diug department for the Perkins Company, to whom the former company had sold. At the expiration of that year, the factory being converted into a flour- ing-mill, he again returned to the farm, where he has since resided. He was married Nov. 11, 1847, to Amy Amanda Beckwith, daughter of Chauncy and Susannah (Barnes) Beckwith, who came to Norton Township, about 1820, from Hartford, Conn. Mrs. Allen was the second daughter of a family of six child'en, three sons and three daughters; she was born Sept. 16, 1830, and by her marriage has two children — Newton W,. born April 2, 1857; and Cynthia Anna, Sept. 11, 1860. Newton was married, April 28, 1880, to Mary E. Grove, daughter of David Grove, a prominent farmer of Franklin Township. Mr. Allen has held the most prominent positions in the township, such as Trustee, Township Clerk and President of the School Board; a man of good business tact, which has been conducive to his success, and of a Christian spirit, he and family being members of the Disciples' Church, to which he is a liberal giver as fell as to all other societies promoting the cause of Christianity.

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.