Lake County Ohio GenWeb

Augustus Harrington

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.

Augustus Harrington, one of the self-made men of Lake county, Ohio, and for sixty-three years a resident of Mentor, is a native of New York, born in Cincinnatus, December 29, 1809. His father, Nichademus Harrington, emigrated from New York to Ohio, and died near Columbus. His mother, Saloma (Sheldon) Harrington, a native of North Adams, Massachusetts, lived to the age of seventy-five years. Mr. Harrington's grandparents were over ninety years of age when they died, the grandfather being ninety-six.

Early in life the subject of our sketch was thrown upon his own resources. He is one of the two left of a family of five sons, and one daughter; his sister is now living. When a boy he lived for some time with a lawyer by the name of Putnam, a grandson of old General Putnam, and did chores to pay for his board while he attended school. Subsequently he became a clerk in a store at North Adams, where he was reared. In 1829 he came to Ohio and located at Mentor, having a brother here at that time. Here he was employed as a carpenter, and, being of a mechanical turn of mind, he easily acquired a knowledge of the trade, and, without having to serve an apprenticeship, he was in time able to start out for himself. Many of the attractive old residences in Mentor are specimens of his handiwork. As prosperity began to crown his efforts he loaned money from time to time, and by honest toil and careful economy he has acquired a considerable fortune. He has about 200 acres of land in one body, besides 130 acres in other small tracts. His investments, however, are chiefly in notes and mortgages.

Mr. Harrington has been twice married. In 1844 he married Hannah S. Slocum, who died in April, 1852, leaving three children: Edwin A., Emery S., and Josephine. October 21, 1854, he married Margaret Tear, a native of the Isle of Man and a daughter of William and Judith (Gown) Tear. She came with her parents to the United States in 1826, and was reared in Leroy township, Lake county, Ohio. Here her father died at the age of eighty-two, and her mother at seventy-five. Mr. Harrington and his present wife have had two children: John T. and James A., the latter being now deceased.

While Mr. Harrington's political views are in harmony with Republican principles, he does not take an active part in political matters. During the war he was Assessor of Mentor township. He was Captain of a company of militia in the days when drilling was in vogue. Mrs. Harrington is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mr. Harrington united with that church while in North Adams, but since coming West has not been a church member.