A One-Name Study for the BARNUM/BARNHAM Surname
From the Historical Story, Olmsted Township: Villages of Olmsted Falls, North Olmsted, West View. Walter F. Holzworth. 1966: Another settler in Ridgeville was John Barnum. He was born April 22, 1758 and married Sally Parish December 9, 1792. In 1811 or 1812 they came from Vergennes, Vermont and settled in Florence, now in Lorain County. To enliven the drear existence in a wilderness he invited four young men and young ladies from Ridgeville to attend a quilting party at his home in Florence. In 1814 they came to Ridgeville. Their eldest son, Zenus, came a short time previous. Their other sons were Heman, Henry and John. The Barnum name has been carried all. through the history of Olmsted Township as well as Berea's. Today, 160 years later, the great-great grandsons of John Barnum still carry on. The names of their daughters are not mentioned but one daughter, Polly, married David Stearns, the eldest son of Elijah in 1819. That was the second marriage in the township. They had eight children. The Barnums were of English descent and perhaps in the records of descendants is a history of the Barnums of England and their coming to America. Evidently John Barnum at one time was a soldier. A mention of his death stated that Captain John Barnum died February 23, 1819, and was buried in North Ridgeville. Unfortunately the genealogy records which-Charles Barnum of Olmsted Falls so graciously offered, traces the family lineage only through the male descendants. The daughters were not mentioned. The complete history is much too long to relate in detail, so only the lineage of the Barnums of Olmsted Falls and Berea is followed through John Barnum, the youngest son of John and Sally Parish Barnum. He was born in Vergennes, Vermont on August 11, 1800 and came to Ridgeville with his parents. He found employment in the first saw mill in Lenox Township. Lemuel Hoadley, a builder of saw and grist mills, had erected one in Cedar Valley at about where the Lewis Road bridge-crosses the river. John Barnum married Eunice Hoadley, a daughter of Lemuel who also built what is believed to be the first frame house in Lenox. This became the property of John and Eunice Barnum and members of the Barnum family lived there until it was purchased by Wm. Prechtel. A section of this house is a part of the remodeled home of Mr. and Mrs. James Gifford, 5883 Columbia Road. Later Lemuel Hoadley and his son-in-law, John Barnum set up another mill at the junction of Plum Creek and the river. Here Hoadley built another house, a section of it is a part of the extensively-remodeled home of Dr. Mahoney. In 1820 John Barnum acquired a parcel of land in tract 5 of Olmsted Township from Eliphalet Williams that included the present Village Green, the Park at the river, and a part of the Community Church property. He built the original part of the home on Water Street that became known as the Fletcher home after Fletcher purchased it in 1904. John Barnum also donated the grounds for the first frame school house erected in 1830 within the village upon which the Olmsted Union school was built in 1874. This now is known as the Village Green and playgrounds and could be the basis of a fine park. John and Eunice Hoadley Barnum had two sons, Luther and John Nelson. Here again there is omission of daughters, however a death notice stated that Elizabeth Barnum, a sister of Luther, died suddenly in Cleveland on January 3, 1901 at the age of 53. Her funeral was held at the home of another sister, Mrs. J. B. Allen. John Barnum died December 1849 and was buried at Butternut Ridge. Their son, Luther Barnum was born November 1829. He married Miss Anna Reynolds, a daughter of John Reynolds, one of the first Catholics to settle in Olmsted. Luther embraced the Catholic religion. His wife's family and descendants were devoted and active members of Saint Marys of the Falls and Saint Marys of Berea. In 1874 Barnum started a stone quarry with a few helpers. When his sons became young men they became a sort of partners. This developed into the main quarry at Olmsted. Luther Barnum was Justice of Peace, a councilman and around 1884 served several terms as Mayor. The Luther Barnums had five sons and four daughters, namely, Mary, John, Luther Michael, Thomas, Charles, Francis Anna, Clara, and Cecilia. Their home on Water Street was a hub of young activity. John, the eldest son, was born in 1852. He married Mary Foots. He .became the first station agent in the new LS & MS railroad station built in 1876. He later was in the postal service and finally engaged in the insurance business. Luther Michael was born in 1865 and remained single. He died in 1940. Francis Joseph, the youngest son, was born in 1871 and died June 24, 1888 at the age of 17. Mary, the eldest daughter, was Dr. F. H. Rose's second wife. Anna married John T. Kelly on May 29, 1885. This was a gala affair in the old home. Tom Barnum, brother of the bride, was best man and Clara, a sister, was bridesmaid. Clara married A. Trepas and Cecelia married Aubry Hawkins. Thomas and Charles Harry, the third and fourth sons of Luther, figured quite prominently in most of the activities within the village. Music, both vocal and instrumental, was a talent that seemed to be inborn in the Barnum family. The Olmsted Falls Brass Band was organized in 1884. Tom Barnum was the leader with Lon Pillars as President, Frank Theman as Vice President, Charles Harry Barnum as Secretary, and William Perkins as treasurer. It seemed that no public program was complete without the musical contribution of the Barnum boys. Their sister, Cecilia, was a splendid singer and often added her fine voice to make up the Barnum Trio. Thomas, who was born in 1865 married Millie Reynolds. After her death he married Josephine Moley, a daughter of Phillip Moley. Their children were Rose and Leila (born with first wife), Agnes, Francis, Elmer, Marion, Helen and Paul (born with second wife). Charles Harry Barnum was born in 1867. He and his brother Tom assisted their father in the quarries at the Falls which became its most important industry of the 1870's and 1880's. Luther Barnum died in March 1888 at the age of 58 and his wife died on March 7, 1896. In 1886 the newly-incorporated Cleveland Stone Company bought up nearly all of the quarries in this region. The quarries at Olmsted and West View became units of this Corporation. Tom and Charles Harry continued as foremen until the Stone Company closed down all the smaller quarries. They were transferred to Grindstone City, Michigan, and Tom took charge of that quarry. This was also closed down several years later. Thomas was given the job of superintendent of the Berea quarries and eventually was promoted to General Manager of all the Cleveland Stone Company quarry operations. He died in 1940, but the Barnum family name in Berea is carried on by his son, Elmer, an attorney and real estate man, Frank J., Vice President of National City Bank, and Paul, a builder. Charles Harry was sent to take charge of a quarry at Peninsula, Ohio. He already had had quite a political career in Olmsted Falls that followed the pattern of his father, Luther Barnum. He was Justice of Peace, school board member, councilman, and then Mayor. He was one of the youngest men to be elected to that office. He married somewhat late in life, on July 12, 1904, to Gertrude Hickey, a daughter of James and Mary Fitch Hickey. Vincent Hickey, a brother of Mary was best man and Nellie Norton of Rockport was bridesmaid. Harry and Gertrude then made their home in Peninsula until 1917 where their three children were born. He was then transferred to Columbia Quarry and moved to West View in 1817. Frances Joseph was born in 1906 and married Beatrice Sanderson. He died in 1955. They had four children who were Francis, Charles, Kathleen, and Anne. Charles Thomas was born in 1908 and married Mary Sheppard, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Sheppard, at Saint Mary's of the Falls on June 12, 1933. Theresa Mary was born July 8, 1910. She married T. P. O'Brien in 1935. Harry Barnum died March 6, 1930 and was buried in Saint Mary's of the Falls. His wife Gertrude died January 15, 1949. Their son, Charles Thomas Barnum, the great-great grandson of John Barnum of Ridgeville, carries on with the tradition that the Barnums are a vigorous clan. A graduate of Baldwin Wallace, a fine singer, one time member of the school board, and active in civic affairs, he follows in the foot steps of the Barnums before him. Charles, dubbed the singing grocery man, built up a super market from the small store he started when he reopened the depression-closed old Walter Lock store in 1932. This store had been in business for 47 years. In his food market he proudly displayed the awards given for his career as a grocery man, and also for his contribution to his hometown's welfare. In 1950 he was President of Cleveland Retail Grocers Association and Vice President of the Lake Erie Grocers Association Warehouse Company. Through their three children, Charles and Mary Barnum project the Barnum name into another generation. Their children are Richard Charles, born 1935 and married Maxe Bauer in Munich, Germany in 1962; Mary Suzanne born 1936 and married Edward Lamparyk in 1957; and Elizabeth Jean born 1944 and married Raymond Posner in 1964.
Researcher Betty Goodgame gives his birthplace as Sharon, Litchfield, Connecticut.
Researcher Betty Goodgame gives his place of death as Ridgeville, Ohio.
A Research Guide to the Genealogy of the Barnum/Barnam/Barnham Family Worldwide
AncientFaces - Family History Photos
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