Orrin Smith Farr (1834 - 1908)

Born 24 May 1834 in Shalersville, Portage, Ohio, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Cynthia Kingsbury (Nash) Farr — married 30 Aug 1860 in Geauga, Ohio, United States

Died 23 Nov 1908 at age 74 in Tampa, Hillsborough, Florida, United States

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Joachim Hawn [send private message] and Daniel Farr [send private message]

Biography

Judge Orrin S. Farr, prominent lawyer and citizen of Tampa, Florida.

ORRIN SMITH FARR

He was the son of ABEL ASA FARR and BETSY MASTICK.

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ORRIN SMITH FARR

Is of English descent, his grandfather migrating to this country and settling in Connecticut, opposite Bellows Falls. The father of Orrin was the oldest of the family, and went to Ohio in 1813; served in the United States army in the war of 1812. He returned to Connecticut, and after two years married BETSEY, oldest child of NATHANIEL MASTICK, and with her removed to Ohio, settling first in Lorain County, near the site of the present town of Elyria.

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*From Williams Brothers' history

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Of Mr. Farr's great-grandfather, on his mother's side, whose name was JOHN SALTER, this story may be told. He was the only son of a rich Holland family, and when nine years old he went on board a British man-of-war, was decayed below, and carried to sea. He remained on shipboard in various capacities and remained in the English service nine years. Finally, when his ship was in Boston, he deserted, changed clothes with a stonemason, and pushed inland, under the name of JOHN MASTICK, and though pursued, escaped. He settled, married, had children; afterwards an advertisement appeared in a New York paper for the heirs of the rich Holland house, and one of his sons, with such proofs as he could gather up, went to Europe, and was never heard of after.

ORRIN SMITH FARR was the seventh of ten children, and born in Shalersville, Portage County, May 24, 1835. In 1840 the family moved to Troy, Geauga County, purchased and lived a little north of Fox's corners. Young Farr early evinced much energy, supporting himself at thirteen, and having the care of the family at eighteen, and from that time for many years. After the father's death the property became the subject of litigation, which lasted thirteen years, and till May of the present year, when it resulted in Mr. Farr's favor. Judge H. K. Smith, of Chardon, then at the bar, and who had charge of Mr. Farr's interest, suggested to him that he enter upon the study of the law under his care, and loaned him Walker's "American Law" and Blackstone. Acting on this suggestion, Mr. Farr, on his way home, purchased a small law library and took up the study, carrying on his farm at the same time. He pursued the law with commendable diligence, and was admitted to the bar in August 1868, then at the mature age of thirty-three.

Mr. Farr early had a decided inclination for the bar, but was hampered by so many embarrassments that the chance did not seem to come to him till an age when the experiment is usually deemed hazardous, unless to one with special aptitude, which Mr. Farr undoubtedly possessed. His friends and acquaintances had such confidence in his ability, that when at the bar but a year, he was brought forward, nominated, and elected prosecuting attorney of Geauga County, and removed to Chardon, where he has since resided. He was elected mayor of the town in 1876.

Mr. Farr's opportunities for an education were limited, but a quick, shrewd mind made up for much of the deficiencies. His father was a life-long Democrat. At nineteen young Farr secured the Boston Liberator, the New York Tribune, and Cleveland Plain Dealer. Whoever read the two former, even in connection with the Plain Dealer, would be certain to have healthful and enlightened political ideas, and as a matter, of course, he graduated a staunch Republican, and is known as an occasional effective political speaker.

He has all his life been a practical temperance liver and advocate, in support of which he is an able advocate, and recently won the deserved commendation of the Painesville press for a speech delivered in Kirtland.

In person Mr. Farr is medium size, well made, of pleasing person and manners, calculated to win his way, and sustains himself at the bar, where, for his length of practice, he has gained a satisfactory position.

His health disqualified him for military service. During the late Civil War, he was an ardent patriot, and devoted his time and means liberally to the common cause.

There is every reason to expect from Mr. Farr a growth and maturity at the bar which steadiness of application is sure to win for men of less ability.

In 1860 he was joined in marriage with CYNTHIA, youngest daughter of CHESTER and CAROLINE NASH, and granddaughter of JOSEPH NASH, esq., of Troy. Her mother, CAROLINE, was eldest daughter of BENJAMIN KINGSBURY, also of Troy.

JOSEPH NASH and BENJAMIN KINGSBURY both have honorable mention in our pioneer history of Troy. Mr. Farr is highly esteemed by a wide circle of friends and acquaintances.

Mr. Farr's election and re-election to the office of mayor of Chardon shows the confidence of the people in his executive ability, which is an acknowledged trait of his character, and which gives him his full share of business in his profession, as well as in a public capacity.

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Source:

1798

PIONEER AND GENERAL

HISTORY OF GEAUGA COUNTY

WITH

SKETCHES OF SOME OF THE

PIONEERS AND PROMINENT MEN

PUBLISHED BY

The Historical Society

OF GEAUGA COUNTY

1880

HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY

OCTOBER 27 1915

CHARLES ELLIOT PERKINS

MEMORIAL COLLECTION

Page 345

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Hillsborough County: An FLGenWeb Project Site

FARR, Orris S. (d. 1908)

June 12, 2013 Taneya Koonce

Judge O.S. FARR, a prominent lawyer and citizen of Tampa, died at his home in that city this week.

Source: The champion. (Arcadia, Fla.), 26 Nov. 1908. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn95047227/1908-11-26/ed-1/seq-6/

Hillsborough County: An FLGenWeb Project Site

FARR, Orris S. (d. 1908)

June 12, 2013 Taneya Koonce

"FARR, O.S. (d. 1908) | Hillsborough County." FARR, O.S. (d. 1908) | Hillsborough County. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jun. 2013.. http://www.taneya-kalonji.com/hillsboroughfl/farr-o-s-d-1908

Sources

• The champion. (Arcadia, Fla.), 26 Nov. 1908. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn95047227/1908-11-26/ed-1/seq-6/>

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn95047227/1908-11-26/ed-1/seq-6/

Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XZZB-631 : 8 December 2014), Orrin S. Farr and Cynthia K. Nash, 20 Jun 1860; citing Geauga, Ohio, United States, reference ; county courthouses, Ohio; FHL microfilm 873,466.

Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XZCG-ZZ6 : 8 December 2014), Orrin S. Farr and Cyntha R. Nash, 30 Aug 1860; citing Geauga, Ohio, United States, reference pg 377; county courthouses, Ohio; FHL microfilm 873,462.

United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MXQ9-631 : 9 November 2014), Orrin Farr in household of Abel Farr, Troy, Geauga, Ohio, United States; citing family 202, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MC2T-YQ5 : 30 December 2015), Aren S Farr in entry for Abel Farr, 1860.

United States Census, 1880," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M8MN-TMB : accessed 13 Jun 2013), Orrin S. Farr, 1880.

United States Census, 1900," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M36S-D7Z : accessed 13 Jun 2013), Orran Farr, 1900.

Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/QVV3-C3LJ : 13 December 2015), Orrin Smith Farr, 1908; Burial, Tampa, Hillsborough, Florida, United States of America, Oaklawn Cemetery; citing record ID 7865626, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

• "Florida Deaths and Burials, 1900-1921", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWMG-FY9 : 16 January 2020), O. S. Farr, 1908.
• "Florida Deaths and Burials, 1900-1921", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FWMJ-TP2 : 16 January 2020), Orin S. Farr, 1908.
• Hillsborough County: An FLGenWeb Project Site; FARR, Orris S. (d. 1908); June 12, 2013 Taneya Koonce; Judge O.S. FARR, a prominent lawyer and citizen of Tampa, died at his home in that city this week; Source: The champion. (Arcadia, Fla.), 26 Nov. 1908. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress; http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn95047227/1908-11-26/ed-1/seq-6/
• "Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-2013," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XZZB-631 : 26 August 2019), Orrin S. Farr and Cynthia K. Nash, 20 Jun 1860; citing Marriage, Geauga, Ohio, United States, , Franklin County Genealogical & Historical Society, Columbus; FHL microfilm.