Carey W. Knapp (1839 - abt. 1903)

Born 14 Feb 1839 in Farmington, Trumbull, Ohio, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Jeanette (Teachout) Knapp — married 1859 in Geneva, Ashtabula County, Ohio, USA

Died about 1903 at about age 63 in Geneva, Ashtabula County, Ohio, USA

Biography

"CAREY W. KNAPP, senior partner of the Knapp & Pratt Manufacturing Company, is well known as one of the most enterprising and successful business men of Geneva. In September, 1890, the firm of which he is a member purchased the business of the Enterprise Manufacturing Company, of which Mr. Knapp had been Secretary and Treasurer for twelve years. The Knapp & Pratt Manufacturing Company manufacture house-keeping hardware and hardware specialties, theirs being the only house in the United States west of Connecticut sending out these goods. They transact a large business, shipping to all States in the Union, and to foreign ports.

Mr. Knapp is a native of the Buckeye State, born at Farmington, Trumbull county, February 14, 1839. From the age of six years he was reared at Jefferson, Ashtabula county, attending the common schools of that place; Judge Howland being one of his teachers. He finished his studies at Twinsburg. Ohio, and during the four years following he traveled for the American Bible Society in - Ohio; one year he was employed by a Pittsburg glassware manufactory, and in 1865 engaged in the hardware business in Jefferson. It was in 1872 that he came to Geneva, taking a position as traveling salesman with the Geneva Tool Company. At the end of six years he became Secretary and Treasurer of the Enterprise Manufacturing Company.

September 1, 1864, Mr. Knapp was united in marriage to Miss Minnie L. Canon, daughter of Porter and Mary (Olds) Canon. She died August 20, 1885. June 9, 1887, he married Mrs. Nettie Maltbie, of Jackson, Michigan, a daughter of Charles Teachout,of that city.

The parents of Carey W. Knapp, Rev. B. S. and Mary (Wolcott) Knapp, were natives of Vermont and Ohio-respectively, the mother being a .member of the same branch of the family as was Governor Wolcott, of Connecticut. The father was a clergyman of the Baptist Church, and was pastor at Geneva and subsequently at Jefferson, where he died February 22, 1850. The paternal grandfather of our subject was one of the pioneers of Trumbull county, Ohio, and was a blacksmith by trade.

Mr. Knapp is a Republican, having cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln. He served as Mayor of Garrettsville, and has been a member of the council of Geneva. He is a member of the Masonic order, being a Knight Templar, and belongs to the I. O. O. F." ^[1]

"The attention of the people was so much taken up by the war, that there was little or nothing done in Temperance reformation till the year 1868, when the Good Templars lodge was organized. About the first of January 1868, Lester Loomis, Rev. E.C. Farley, Carey Knapp, and Judson Knapp, met in the Hardware store of Carey Knapp, when the conversation turned to the subject of temperance. During the war, and the three or four years which had elapsed since its termination, intemperance had increased, and these men each saw and felt the need of work. They agreed that some kind of an organization was necessary. They had noticed that the open organizations heretofore had been of temporary duration. After discussing the subject they agreed that they would use their influence in securing the organization of a lodge of Good Templars and shook hand over it as a pledge of their sincerity. Through their influence a public meeting was called and addressed by W.C. Howells. Another meeting was held and addressed by Thomas Fricker. The ordinary temperance pledge was circulated at each meeting. The gentlemen before mentioned, were soliciting the names of those who would unite in the lodge. On the evening of January 13th, those willing to join the lodge met at the photograph rooms of M.A. Loomis, and "Jefferson Lodge No. 471," of the Independent Order of Good Templars, was instituted by Wm. Nelson, of Trumbull, with the following as charter members: Jennie Loomis, Ida Allen, M.E. Gibbs, Minnie Knapp, Weltha A. Beede, H.B. Farley, Christiana Gill, E.C. Farley, A. Gibbs, R.J. Sim, H. Gill, Lester Loomis, I.H. Welch, W.F. Beede, Geo. Loomis, Chas. Ballard, E.A. Clark, J.B. Knapp, C.W. Knapp, F.A. Morse, H.J. Covell, A.M. Williams, James A. Norris, Eugene Cushman, Orril H. Loomis, Harrison Loomis, and H.H. Stanford. I have been furnished the following facts in reference to this lodge by its Worthy Chief Templar. Since its organization ten years ago the 13th day of January, it has taken in and expended about $2000. I presume this is more money than has been expended by all the other temperance efforts of our town. Three hundred and twenty-six persons have joined the lodge. Of this number, fifteen have died. It seems as if this was a small percentage for ten years. It helps to prove what the friends of temperance claim, that abstinence from intoxicating liquors is favorable to long life." from: Condensed History of Jefferson, Ashtabula County, Ohio: Compiled from Early Records and verbal accounts of old residents of the town., J.A. Howells & Co., Jefferson, OH, 1878

He was issued United States Patent No. 261,932 on Aug. 1, 1882, for a saw handle. He was issued United States Patent No. 272,268, on Feb 13, 1883, for a rake.

Sources

1. ↑ Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio, Chicago, Lewis Pub., 1893, page 303.

• Ohio, County Death Records, 1840-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F6DR-YYF : 13 December 2014), C W Knapp, 04 Jun 1903; citing Death, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio, United States, source ID item 1 p 195, County courthouses, Ohio; FHL microfilm 1,977,439.
• Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV2J-MV3W : 13 December 2015), Carey W. Knapp, 1903; Burial, Geneva, Ashtabula, Ohio, United States of America, Evergreen Cemetery; citing record ID 71760033, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.