Lake County Ohio GenWeb

Hiram Bohill

This biography is taken from Biographical History of Northeastern Ohio, Embracing the counties of Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake; Lewis Publishing Company, 1893.

Transcribed and submitted by Becky Falin, 1996.

Hiram Bohill, an old settler of Lake county, Ohio, and a well-known nurseryman, residing two miles east of Painesville, was born in Chautauqua county, New York, in 1819. His grandfather, Casper Bohill, was a native of Germany, where he was educated for a Roman Catholic priest. He came to America at the time of the Revolutionary war, in which he was a soldier. He afterwards settled on a farm in St. Lawrence county, New York, where he died in middle life. His son, John Bohill, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in that county and there reared to manhood. He learned cabinet making and was one of the pioneers of Chautauqua county, New York, where he followed his trade. He married Margaret Klumph, a native of Otsego county, New York, and they reared eleven out of twelve children, ten of whom now survive. Her father, Jeremiah Klumph, was born near Albany, in the Empire State, and was a farmer by occupation. His father was born in Germany, where he was for many years the Emperor's Treasurer. After his emigration to America, he resided for some time in New York State, where he followed farming, later removing to Michigan, then on the extreme frontier of civilization, where he died at the age of more than a hundred years. About 1845, the parents of the subject of this sketch came to Painesville, Ohio, where the father worked at his trade. Both parents died here, the mother aged about sixty years and the father aged eighty-eight. The latter was an ardent Whig in politics, and both were devoted members of the Methodist Church.

The subject of this sketch was the oldest child and was reared at Fredonia, Chautauqua county, New York. When eighteen years of age, he started out for himself, working at his trade of cabinet making, traveling throughout the South and Canada, and in course of time accumulating some money. He afterwards married and settled in Detroit, Michigan, where he opened a cabinet-making shop, which he conducted successfully and profitably for three years, when he was burned out, losing everything, with no insurance indemnity. The citizens afterwards loaned him money for a year, without interest, and Mr. Bohill resumed business for eleven months, when he sold out, and, paying up his indebtedness, came to Painesville, in 1848. He worked in the latter city by the year for seven years, after which he worked in Cleveland for a time. The present site of the courthouse in the latter city was at that time a cornfield. He then returned to Concord township, Lake county, and in 1866 started his present nursery, on a small scale. He now has forty acres of land, specially adapted to the nursery business, which returns him a handsome profit annually, his stock being sold at wholesale and retail. He formerly rented considerable land, but now owns his entire place, thus exemplifying what may be accomplished by industry and perseverance. Of all those who settled there when he did, he is the only one now remaining in the vicinity, and is justly looked upon as a pioneer of pioneers.

In 1844 he was married to Caroline Gutherie, a native of Scottsville, New York, whose grandfather came from Scotland to America in an early day. They have nine children living: Tressie, Mary, Carlton, Clara, Harvey, Nettie, Ella, Ida and Grant.

In politics, Mr. Bohill is a Republican with strong indepedent proclivities, and was County Supervisor for many years. He and his family are worthy members of the Methodist Church, and are numbered among the best people in the county.