F. E. Wildman
Biography
Biography
F. E. WILDMAN. A leading representative citizen and prosperous merchant of West Clarksfield, this gentleman deserves more than a passing notice in the pages of this volume.
He comes of old Connecticut stock, the homestead of his great-grandfather, Samuel Wildman, being now part of the town of Danbury. The following is a brief record of the children of this Samuel Wildman: Esther, born in 1779, married Samuel Husted, and they came to Clarksfield township, being pioneers (she died at the age of sixty-three); Samuel died in October, 1842, in Danbury, Conn., aged eighty years; Mary married Levi Stone, in Danbury, and later moved to Kent, Ohio, where she died in September, 1845, when aged eighty-six years; Grace was married in Connecticut to Hezekiah Rowland, a Revolutionary soldier, and she died in Clarksfield, Ohio, in May, 1846, when aged eighty-five years; Eli, who was a farmer, died in Danbury, Conn., July 5, 1849, at the age of eighty-four; Ezra was the grandfather of our subject; he had a twin brother that died in infancy.
Ezra Wildman, grandfather of F. E., was born April 20, 1775, on his father's farm near Danbury, Conn., and learned the hatter's trade. On June 10, 1798, he married Anne Hoyt, who was born April 19, 1779, near Danbury, a daughter of Comfort and Eunice (Mallory) Hoyt, the former of whom was born May 5, 1751 (old style), the latter on March 23, 1751 (old style). After marriage Ezra Wildman continued his trade in Danbury, where were born to him and his wife children as follows: Mary Ann, born January 21, 1804, who married Daniel Stone and moved to Clarksfield, Huron county, where they both died; Cornelia, born November 14, 1806, died at the age of three years; William H.; Frederick A., born June 5, 1813, ex-county clerk, and a prominent citizen of Norwalk, Huron county; and Cornelia E., born June 18, 1816, who married Alfred R. Segar, and afterward became the wife of S. G. Wright (she died in Kansas City). Comfort Hoyt, Mrs. Ezra Wildman's father, who was a merchant in Danbury, had his store and contents damaged by British soldiers during the war of the Revolution, in compensation for which he was given, by the Government of Connecticut, a tract of land in what was then known as the "Western Connecticut Reserve," afterward becoming the State of Ohio. This land Comfort Hoyt divided among his children, Ann's portion lying in what is now Clarksfield township, Huron county, the same being recorded as "Lot 10, Section 3." Ezra Wildman made several trips from the East to inspect this land, and have improvements made thereon. In May, 1828, he and his son, William H., drove to Ohio, arriving on June 1 following, and there the son remained, the father, after a brief sojourn, returning eastward. In the fall of the same year Ezra came finally with his entire family, both single and married, the journey being made by canal and lake, the party arriving in Huron county October 21, and they immediately took up their residence in Clarksfield township, at the home prepared for them, where they set to work to clear the land and cultivate the new soil. Grandfather Wildman died here February 26, 1858, his wife in June, 1859, after a married life of nearly sixty years. Their remains repose in Clarksfield cemetery, east of Hollow. Politically, Ezra Wildman was originally a Federalist of the old school, then a Whig, and finally a Republican.
William H. Wildman, father of the subject proper of this sketch, was born July 23, 1810, in Danbury, Conn., and was there educated, first attending subscription school, afterward select school. When fifteen years old he commenced learning the hatter's trade with his father, and was eighteen years old when, as already related, he came to Ohio, where, in Milan, Erie county, he worked four years at his trade for Henry Lockwood. On April 20, 1831, in Fitchville, Huron county, he married Miss Mary Ann Seger, who was born February 27, 1814, in Connecticut, a daughter of Eli Seger, an early settler of Clarksfield township. This wife died childless July 29, 1834, and was buried in Clarksfield. On March 27, 1836, Mr. Wildman was united in wedlock, in Genessee county, N. Y., with Miss Fanny Knapp, born February 11, 1815, in Danbury, Conn., a daughter of Thomas B. and Mercy (Seger) Knapp, highly respectable farming people. The children born of this union were as follows: Elbert K., born August 31, 1844, now of Cleveland, Ohio, an attaché of the Cleveland Plain Dealer; and Frank E., the subject of this sketch. Until 1880, Mr. and Mrs. William H. Wildman resided in Clarksfield township, on their farm, which was a part of the Connecticut grant; afterward lived two years in Oberlin, then seven in Wakeman, and they now have their home with their son, F. E., in West Clarksfield, respected and honored by all who know them.
F. E. Wildman, whose name opens this sketch, was born September 24, 1846, in Clarksfield township, Huron county, where he received a liberal education in part at the common schools and in part at select school. In early manhood he entered the employ of Bates & Gilbert, millers at Norwalk, Huron county, as a helper; later went west, and at Iowa Falls, Iowa, was engaged in a general store as a clerk. Returning home, he resided for several years on the farm owned by his father. In 1880 he removed to Oberlin, Ohio, where he bought a wholesale notion wagon, and carried on a wholesale notion business. After a few years he bought a stock of goods in Kipton, Ohio, remaining there two years; then in 1889 he removed to Clarksfield, same State, and in 1891 to West Clarksfield, where he has since been engaged in merchandising, conducting one of the largest general stores in the county. Mr. Wildman's well-known pleasantness and courtesy, together with his thorough business principles, have won for him a wide popularity.
In 1872 Mr. Wildman was united in marriage to Miss Mary Akers, who was born in Birmingham, Erie Co., Ohio, April 2, 1850, a daughter of P. G. Akers, a farmer and mechanic of that town. Two children have blessed this union: William H., clerking in his father's store, and Mary Grace. Mr. Wildman is a stanch Republican, and April 1, 1892, he was appointed postmaster at West Clarksfield; at present with characteristic fidelity and ability he is filling various offices of trust. An active member of the Congregational Church, he is a deacon in same, and for several years was superintendent of the Sabbath-school.
Source: Commemorative and Biographical Record of the Counties of Huron and Lorain, Ohio, J. H. Beers, 1894, pp. 172-174.
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He comes of old Connecticut stock, the homestead of his great-grandfather, Samuel Wildman, being now part of the town of Danbury. The following is a brief record of the children of this Samuel Wildman: Esther, born in 1779, married Samuel Husted, and they came to Clarksfield township, being pioneers (she died at the age of sixty-three); Samuel died in October, 1842, in Danbury, Conn., aged eighty years; Mary married Levi Stone, in Danbury, and later moved to Kent, Ohio, where she died in September, 1845, when aged eighty-six years; Grace was married in Connecticut to Hezekiah Rowland, a Revolutionary soldier, and she died in Clarksfield, Ohio, in May, 1846, when aged eighty-five years; Eli, who was a farmer, died in Danbury, Conn., July 5, 1849, at the age of eighty-four; Ezra was the grandfather of our subject; he had a twin brother that died in infancy.
Ezra Wildman, grandfather of F. E., was born April 20, 1775, on his father's farm near Danbury, Conn., and learned the hatter's trade. On June 10, 1798, he married Anne Hoyt, who was born April 19, 1779, near Danbury, a daughter of Comfort and Eunice (Mallory) Hoyt, the former of whom was born May 5, 1751 (old style), the latter on March 23, 1751 (old style). After marriage Ezra Wildman continued his trade in Danbury, where were born to him and his wife children as follows: Mary Ann, born January 21, 1804, who married Daniel Stone and moved to Clarksfield, Huron county, where they both died; Cornelia, born November 14, 1806, died at the age of three years; William H.; Frederick A., born June 5, 1813, ex-county clerk, and a prominent citizen of Norwalk, Huron county; and Cornelia E., born June 18, 1816, who married Alfred R. Segar, and afterward became the wife of S. G. Wright (she died in Kansas City). Comfort Hoyt, Mrs. Ezra Wildman's father, who was a merchant in Danbury, had his store and contents damaged by British soldiers during the war of the Revolution, in compensation for which he was given, by the Government of Connecticut, a tract of land in what was then known as the "Western Connecticut Reserve," afterward becoming the State of Ohio. This land Comfort Hoyt divided among his children, Ann's portion lying in what is now Clarksfield township, Huron county, the same being recorded as "Lot 10, Section 3." Ezra Wildman made several trips from the East to inspect this land, and have improvements made thereon. In May, 1828, he and his son, William H., drove to Ohio, arriving on June 1 following, and there the son remained, the father, after a brief sojourn, returning eastward. In the fall of the same year Ezra came finally with his entire family, both single and married, the journey being made by canal and lake, the party arriving in Huron county October 21, and they immediately took up their residence in Clarksfield township, at the home prepared for them, where they set to work to clear the land and cultivate the new soil. Grandfather Wildman died here February 26, 1858, his wife in June, 1859, after a married life of nearly sixty years. Their remains repose in Clarksfield cemetery, east of Hollow. Politically, Ezra Wildman was originally a Federalist of the old school, then a Whig, and finally a Republican.
William H. Wildman, father of the subject proper of this sketch, was born July 23, 1810, in Danbury, Conn., and was there educated, first attending subscription school, afterward select school. When fifteen years old he commenced learning the hatter's trade with his father, and was eighteen years old when, as already related, he came to Ohio, where, in Milan, Erie county, he worked four years at his trade for Henry Lockwood. On April 20, 1831, in Fitchville, Huron county, he married Miss Mary Ann Seger, who was born February 27, 1814, in Connecticut, a daughter of Eli Seger, an early settler of Clarksfield township. This wife died childless July 29, 1834, and was buried in Clarksfield. On March 27, 1836, Mr. Wildman was united in wedlock, in Genessee county, N. Y., with Miss Fanny Knapp, born February 11, 1815, in Danbury, Conn., a daughter of Thomas B. and Mercy (Seger) Knapp, highly respectable farming people. The children born of this union were as follows: Elbert K., born August 31, 1844, now of Cleveland, Ohio, an attaché of the Cleveland Plain Dealer; and Frank E., the subject of this sketch. Until 1880, Mr. and Mrs. William H. Wildman resided in Clarksfield township, on their farm, which was a part of the Connecticut grant; afterward lived two years in Oberlin, then seven in Wakeman, and they now have their home with their son, F. E., in West Clarksfield, respected and honored by all who know them.
F. E. Wildman, whose name opens this sketch, was born September 24, 1846, in Clarksfield township, Huron county, where he received a liberal education in part at the common schools and in part at select school. In early manhood he entered the employ of Bates & Gilbert, millers at Norwalk, Huron county, as a helper; later went west, and at Iowa Falls, Iowa, was engaged in a general store as a clerk. Returning home, he resided for several years on the farm owned by his father. In 1880 he removed to Oberlin, Ohio, where he bought a wholesale notion wagon, and carried on a wholesale notion business. After a few years he bought a stock of goods in Kipton, Ohio, remaining there two years; then in 1889 he removed to Clarksfield, same State, and in 1891 to West Clarksfield, where he has since been engaged in merchandising, conducting one of the largest general stores in the county. Mr. Wildman's well-known pleasantness and courtesy, together with his thorough business principles, have won for him a wide popularity.
In 1872 Mr. Wildman was united in marriage to Miss Mary Akers, who was born in Birmingham, Erie Co., Ohio, April 2, 1850, a daughter of P. G. Akers, a farmer and mechanic of that town. Two children have blessed this union: William H., clerking in his father's store, and Mary Grace. Mr. Wildman is a stanch Republican, and April 1, 1892, he was appointed postmaster at West Clarksfield; at present with characteristic fidelity and ability he is filling various offices of trust. An active member of the Congregational Church, he is a deacon in same, and for several years was superintendent of the Sabbath-school.
Source: Commemorative and Biographical Record of the Counties of Huron and Lorain, Ohio, J. H. Beers, 1894, pp. 172-174.
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