J.M. SEELYE, a well-to-do farmer of Ridgeville township, where he owns forty-four acres all in a good state of cultivation, is a native of Lorain county, born in Avon township, July 26, 1836.

He is the son of Cornelius and Rachel (Smith) Seelye, who were natives of New York State, where they were married, and whence in an early day they came to Ohio locating in the woods of Avon township, Lorain county, near French creek, where Mrs. Seelye died in 1843. They remained here till 1847, and then moved to Crawford county, Wis, where the father continued to live until 1854, in which year he returned to Lorain county, taking up his home in La Porte. He died in Avon township in 1866. For his second wife, Mr. Seelye married, in Avon township, Mary Cadwell, who died in Elyria in 1888. By his first marriage he had fourteen children – seven sons and seven daughters – as follows: Humphrey, married, residing in Wellington; Esther, who married John Cockrell, and died in Wayne county, Ohio; Joseph, deceased in Iowa; Thomas, who resides in Michigan; Phebe, deceased wife of Hart Smith, of New York, Elmira, who was the wife of William Hubbard, died at French Creek; Daniel, married, residing in Crawford county, Wis.; Phineas, also residing in Crawford county, Wis.; J.M, subject of this sketch; Florentine, who married Asa Frary, and died in Wayne county, Ohio; Ursula, wife of William Vandeveer, of Kalamazoo, Mich.; McKindre, who enlisted in the Civil war in Avon township, and died from the effects of disease contracted in the service; and two others whose names have not been given. By his second marriage there were no children. Politically Mr. Seelye was first a Whig, later a Republican.

J.M. Seelye, the subject proper of this sketch, received his education in part at the schools of Avon township, Lorain county, and in part at those of Wayne county, Ohio, whither he had removed at the age of twelve years. After a four years’ residence there he returned to Lorain county, and in Ridgeville township worked by the month for Randall Stetson for about eight years, at the end of which time he moved to Crawford county, Wis., sojourning there one winter, and then coming back to his old home in Ridgeville township. Again he worked for Mr. Stetson, getting out lumber, until May, 1860, when he went to California, and was there engaged in the dairy business till 1864, in which year he once more found himself in Ridgeville township. In 1866 he made a trip to Michigan, where in Van Buren county he bought 120 acres of land, and farmed three years; then in the city of Lawrence, same county, he conducted a butchering business eight years. Next we find our Protean friend in the lumber business, buying and selling until 1889, where he once more came to Ridgeville township to finally remain.

In 1866 J.M. Seelye was united in marriage with Miss Jane M. Stetson, born in Ridgeville township, Lorain county, a daughter of Randall and Adeline Stetson, and by this union there was one son, Randall, who died in Michigan at the age of six years. In politics our subject is a straight Democrat, and is a member of the school board.

Pages 1023 – 1024 “Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Huron and Lorain, Ohio: Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, and of Many of the Early Settled Families,” published Chicago 1894 by J.H. Beers & Co.

[Son of SGS # 3439 –; J.M.; Cornelius (# 3439); Daniel (# 1554); David; Charles; Samuel; Jonas; Obadiah]