Seiberling, John Frederick, b. 1834 Ohio -m. in 1857 Catherine L. Miller
from a book found on HeritageQuestOnline.com -not in my line as far as I know
Title: Akron and Summit County
Authors: Grismer, Karl Hiram
City of Publication: Akron, Ohio
Publisher: Summit County Historical Society
Date: 1952
Page Count: 831
Notes: Date of publication suggested by OCLCQ in OCLC
"Biographies": p. [647]-821
Reproduction of original in the Newberry Library
Includes bibliographical references (p. [822]) and index
ill., maps, ports.
Reel/Fiche Number: (Genealogy and local history; LH14656)
Akron and Summit County, Ohio
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John Frederick Seiberling. a son of Nathan and Catherine (Peters) Seiberling, was born in Norton Township March 10, 1834. He completed his education at Western Star Academy and for two years, from 1856 to 1858, was in the drug business at Akron. He then returned to Norton to operate his father’s saw mill and while there invented the Excelsior mower and reaper, with the dropper attachment.
With John T. Hower as a partner, he organized the Excelsior Mower & Reaper Co., of Doylestown, in 1861. The business prospered and Mr. Seiberling started another plant in Massillon in 1864 and a third, the J.F. Seiberling Co., in Akron, in 1865. Four years later he withdrew from the Akron firm and later organized another company, the Empire Mower & Reaper Co., for the manufacture of his Empire machine. This became one of Akron’s leading industries.
In 1871 he organized the Akron Strawboard Company which he conducted until 1887. In 1883 he founded the Seiberling Milling Company and erected a six-story, brick flour mill. Both these plants were located in East Akron.
For two decades Mr. Seiberling was the owner of Akron’s most famous amusement place, the Academy of Music, located on the northeast corner of Main and Market. This building, started in 1869 by W.R. Carver, was purchased by Mr. Seiberling August 17, 1870, for $65,000 and completed. It was partially destroyed by fire June 18, 1878, but was immediately rebuilt. In 1889 Mr. Seiberling exchanged this building for controlling interest in the Akron Electric Street Railway, of which he became president. In 1892 he extended the Howard Street line up North Hill to Calker’s Landing and three years later to Cuyahoga Falls and Silver Lake. During the mid-1890’s, all the companies in which Mr. Seiberling was interested lost heavily because of the hard times, and he suffered severe financial reverses.
On September 6, 1857, Mr. Seiberling was married to Catherine L. Miller of Norton. They had eleven children, nine of whom were living when Mr. Seiberling died on September 6, 1903:
1. Anna A. Seiberling (Mrs. Stephen Samuel Miller),
2. Franklin Augustas Seiberling, b. Oct. 6, 1859; m. Oct. 12, 1887 Gertrude Penfield, dau. of James Penfield of Willoughby, Ohio
3. Charles W. Seiberling
4. Cora D. Seiberling (Mrs Lewis T. Wolle)
5. Harriet M. Seiberling (Mrs. Lucius C. Miles)
6. Grace I. Seiberling (Mrs. W.S. Chase)
7. Kittie G. Seiberling (Mrs. Luther H. Firey)
8. Mary B. Seiberling (Mrs. Henry B. Manton)
9. Ruth J. Seiberling (Mrs. Ernest A. Pflueger)
Two children died in infancy: John Frederick and Maude M.