JOHN ASHTON, retired manufacturer and merchant, was born in Staffordshire, England, January 13, 1811, and is a son of Richard
and Esther (Skidmore) Ashton, both of whom lived and died in England.
John there grew to manhood, and attended a select school of his
neighborhood. He afterward worked in a rolling-mill, and in June, 1832,
immigrated to the United States, and found employment in an iron-mill
in New Jersey about two years. He then removed to Pittsburgh, Penn.,
and continued to work at the iron business there until the fall of
1850, when he came to Sharon with a number of other mill-men to form a
stock company with Joel B. Curtis, George Boyce, Peter Shoenberger and
David Agnew, under the name of the Sharon Iron Company. This company
built the first plant, and Mr. Ashton was connected with it till the
mill shut down. He subsequently followed farming a few years, and then
worked for the Westerman Iron Company. Mr. Ashton was one of the
company who erected and put in operation the Atlantic Iron Mills, the
firm being Alexander, Ashton & Co. P. L. Kimberly subsequently
bought Alexander’s interest, and the firm became Kimberly, Ashton &
Co. In 1871 Mr. Ashton sold out to Col. James Carnes, whose name
succeeded his in the firm. He next went into the grocery business, and
soon afterward engaged in developing the coal fields of Trumbull
County, Ohio. For the past seventeen years Mr. Ashton has not been
engaged in active business, except looking after his real estate and
other property. He was married May 28, 1835, to Miss Frances, daughter
of Stephen and Rebecca Manfull, natives of England, where Mrs. Ashton
was born. Ten sons and three daughters were the fruits of this union:
Richard (deceased), Mary Esther (deceased), William A. (deceased).
Joseph, Stephen M., John, C. A., David (deceased), Frank, James
(deceased), George W. (deceased) and Alice (deceased); five sons and
one daughter surviving. Mrs. Ashton died February 16, 1881, a member of
the Christian Church, to which denomination most of her children
adhere. Politically Mr. Ashton is a Republican, has served in the
borough council several terms, and one term as burgess. Coming to the
United States comparatively a poor man, he has accumulated through the
passing years a large estate, and is not only recognized as one of the
wealthiest retired business men of Sharon, but also one of its honest,
enterprising and respected citizens.
Source: (History of Mercer County, 1888, pages 704-705)
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