Henry W. Stinaff
Henry W. Stinaff, late foreman of bridges, Second Division and Franklin Branch, New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad, was born in Ravenna August 11, 1823; son of William and Sarah (Babcock) Stinaff. His father was a native of Sheffield, Mass., and a son of William Stinaff, of that place. When a young man he came to Ohio on horseback, and settled in Ravenna in 1819. He was a carpenter by trade, which he followed all his life in Ravenna and Kent. He is still living at the age of eighty-seven, and resides with our subject. His wife was a native of Granville, Conn., and a daughter of Perry and Cynthia M. Babcock, who settled in Ravenna in 1819. Her father was a blacksmith, but the latter part of his life, though he still worked at his trade, he carried on a farm and accumulated a good property. The children of William Stinaff were three in number: Cynthia M. (deceased), Henry W. and Sylvanus P. The subject of this sketch was reared in Ravenna, where he received a common school education. In 1840 he went in his father's shop to learn the carpenter's trade, and when of age went into business with his father, the partnership existing up to 1862. He then entered the employ of the A. & G. W. R. R. Co., having been engaged on that line of road to the present time, with the exception of two years, when with his father he took the contract for building the Union School of Kent, one of the finest buildings in the county. The following is clipped from a local paper:
Mr. H. W. Stinaff, who for many years held the position of foreman of bridges and buildings on the N. Y., P. & O. R. R., retired from the service of the company November 29. Mr. Stinaff commenced work at building bridges for the A. & G. W. R. R. April, 1862, on the First Division, making twenty-two years and eight mouths. He was absent about two years while building the Kent Union School Building. Then returning as foreman on the Third and Fourth Divisions, afterward was assigned to the Second Division and Franklin Branch as foreman of bridges and buildings, which position he held about fifteen years up to the time of his retirement. The following letter from Mr. Charles Latimer, Chief Engineer of the N. Y., P. & O., shows the esteem in which Mr. Stinaff was held by the company:
Engineeking Dep't N. Y., P. & O. R. R. Co.
[Cleveland, Ohio, December 4, 1884.
Mr. Henry W, Stinaff: Dear Sir.—I wish to express my regret to you that any change should have occurred in the road management necessitating the change made whereby you leave the service of the company, and to also express my great satisfaction that in all of the eleven years past during which you have been foreman of bridge building, there have been no accidents or loss of property in your jurisdiction which could in any way be ascribed to your failure. Your work speaks for itself, and I hope that you will feel that in retiring you take with you a record to which you can point with pride. Wishing you health and happiness in the future, I am your friend,
Charles Latimer.
Mr. Stinaff has been married four times, his first wife being Lydia Button, of Kent, by whom he had one child— Charles H. (deceased). His second wife was Maryette Loomis, of Ravenna, by whom he had three children: William C, George and Perry (all deceased); his third wife was Mrs. Emily Plum, of Ashtabula County, Ohio, and his present wife was Mrs. Ellen Whitney, of Greenville, Penn. In politics Mr. Stinaff was formerly a Whig, casting his first vote for Henry Clay. He joined the Republican party at its organization, and has acted with it ever since.
From History of Portage County, Ohio, Warner, Beers & Co., Chicago, 1885