My Genealogy Hound

ISRAEL JAMES, an aged gentleman and respected citizen of Jamestown, was born in Cumington, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, March 13, 1814, and is the son of Moses and Polly (Vining) James. The stock were natives of that State for at least two generations prior to these mentioned, and may have been among the first arrivals. Moses James, Sr. (grandfather), was a native of Massachusetts, but emigrated to Ohio 1812, and purchased one thousand acres of land, a part of which he cleared and began farming. He was married, before leaving Massachusetts, to Rebecca Ketts, and reared a family of twelve children, one dying while an infant. Mr. James was a whig, and took an active interest in the political affairs of the early republic. Moses James (father) was a native of Massachusetts, but went to Ohio about 1813, where he followed his trade (tanning) until he died. He was a whig, and a member of the Presbyterian church. He was twice married: first in 1813, to Polly Vining, by whom he had three children (the name of but one is remembered, Israel); and after her death, in 1822, he married for his second wife Catherine Williams, who bore him one child, Lucretia, who married Henry Wales.

Israel James has been an energetic and very active business man. After receiving the education commonly given in the schools in the early half of this century, he was apprenticed to and learned blacksmithing, which he followed for a number of years, and then began the development of the iron industry, which since has grown to such magnitude in Ohio. His work in this line was done at Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, it being the manufacture of wrought iron. With the acquisition of experience car axles were attempted, and the first that were used by the New York, Pa. and Ohio R. R., now a division of the Erie railway, was turned out by Mr. James, and used in the manufacture of cars by a car-building firm doing business at Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. James was engaged in the rolling-mill business about thirty-five years, and came to Jamestown in 1885, and purchased six acres of land, which at that time was covered with woods, and which he cleared and built upon.

On September 5th, 1835, Mr. James married Hannah T. Steele, who bore him two children: the eldest died in infancy; and Henry, a traveling salesman, who resides in Jamestown, and married Kate Bush. Mrs. James died in 1847, at Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and Mr. James married Mary E. Randall, daughter of Elias Randall, of Jefferson county, this State, by whom he has two children: Laurel E., married to Minnie E. Pryor, and resides in Ohio; and Minnie L., wife of E. J. Squire, who is employed in a shoe factory in Jamestown where they reside.

Politically Mr. .Tames is a republican, and has been since eighteen years of age a member of the Methodist church, in which he was a steward for thirty-eight years at Cuyahoga Falls, and has also been a trustee. Many years ago he joined the Masonic fraternity at the above-named place, which membership he still retains.