Rev. Benjamin Wright Cope
Rev. Benjamin W. Cope, one of Smithfield Township's best known and most esteemed citizens, a minister in the Friends' Church at Smithfield and the owner of over sixty-two acres of his grandfather's old farm, was born here, in the large brick house which was then the family residence, March 8, 1843. His parents were Joseph H. and Rebecca M. (Millhouse) Cope.
Joseph H. Cope was born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, in 1801, and was a son of Samuel and Martha (Vickers) Cope. Samuel Cope was born at Westchester, Pa., where he married, and later, he and wife crossed the mountains on horseback to Fayette County, where he lived for a number of years. He was a blacksmith by trade and later did a large business, for his day, in manufacturing sickles, bringing all the steel on horseback across the mountains, these reaping hooks being in general use at that time. He manufactured all the sickles with his own hands that cut all the grain west of the Alleghany Mountains. At a later date he came to Ohio and settled in Jefferson County, taking up a section of land in Smithfield Township, a part of which is still in the jaossession of his descendants.
Joseph H. Cope came to Ohio in 1824 and taught school in Belmont County until his marriage, after which he came to his father's farm in Jefferson County. In order to build his house he had to clear a place in the forest and later replaced the log structure with the brick house in which his son, Benjamin W., was born, who, in turn, replaced it with his comfortable farm house of more modern construction. Joseph H. Cope received a quarter section of land from his father and he continued to add to it at different times until he owned 1,100 acres. He became one of the most extensive sheep growers in eastern Ohio. He was a man of much business enterprise and while still residing on his farm, became president of the Mt. Pleasant branch of the State Bank of Ohio. Later he organized the First National Bank at Smithfield, of which he became president and continued so until his death, which occurred Februaiy 15, 1879. Joseph H. Cope possessed sterling traits of character. From youth he had heard the question of slavery discussed and the older he grew the more convinced he became that the "peculiar institution" was wrong. He had the courage of his convictions and before any other thoughtful and deeply conscientious man in his community had proclaimed his adherence to the Abolitionist party, he had given over his house as a secret station of that great system known in those days as the underground railway. Through it a great niunber of slaves escaped to freedom in Canada and Benjamin W. Cope recalls the part he took in this work, on many occasions having successfully hidden escaping slaves in the high grass in the meadows, while the slave owners were searching for them.
To Joseph H. and Rebecca M. (Millhouse) Cope seven children were born, namely: Lindley, William, Willis, Samuel, Benjamin Wright, Martha and Sarah. Three of the above mentioned family survive: Samuel, who lives in Kansas; Benjamin W., and Sarah, who is the wife of Thomas Cox, of Smithfield. The mother died in 1900, being then ninety-three years of age.
Benjamin Wright Cope has always resided on the farm on which he was born and obtained his education in the local schools. From his father he received a portion of the estate and later, in partnership with his brother William bought the whole farm. Subsequently the brothers divided the land, Benjamin W. taking the old home portion, and he has lived here ever since, erecting his large and substantial barn in 1882 and his comfortable residence in the following year. Since he was ten years old he has been engaged in growing sheep and devotes the larger part of his time to this industry, handling the Improved America Merino variety, having made over thirty trips to the state of Vermont for this purpose, all his stock being registered.
On December 22, 1868, Mr. Cope was married to Miss Amelia A. Tuttle, a daughter of Harmon P. and Mary (Kelsey) Tuttle, old residents of Ashtabula County, Ohio, where Mrs. Cope was reared. Her father, a teacher of music in Bethany College, lectured on music and also traveled through different sections selling pianos and melodians. Mrs. Cope is a musician and formerly taught music and also at times accompanied her father in his travels. To Mr. and Mrs. Cope six children have been born, as follows: Walter, who is cashier of a bank in Salt Lake City; Florence, who is a school teacher in South Dakota; Burton H., living in Smithfield Township, who married Minnie Purviance and has one child, Miriam; Alice, who is a school teacher; E. June, who is principal of the Smithfield schools; and J. Harold. Mr. Cope and family are members of the Friends Church at Smithfield, in which he has been a minister since 1891. In his political views he is a Prohibitionist.
20th Century History of Steubenville and Jefferson County, Ohio, by Joseph B. Doyle. Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, 1910