EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of a weekly series on our region’s history coordinated by the Trumbull County Historical Society.

William Johnson Edwards was only 2 ½ years old when his mother remarried so the only father he really knew was Robert Montgomery, who was gone most of the time for business.

But his mother Louisa was a very savvy, capable and educated woman. She had read all of John Stark Edwards’ books, including all the law books. It is said that many of the early documents written in the Trumbull County Recorder’s office are actually done by Louisa.

According to a letter dated January 1816, her family consisted of Polly, who had lived with her for a long time, a nephew of Mr. Montgomery who was about 17, and a hired hand. They lived near Yellow Creek, 18 miles southwest of Warren with no close neighbors.

In the spring, Mr. Montgomery was back from Pennsylvania and they moved to a larger home. The farm consisted of about 440 acres, which Louisa had the responsibility for most of the time. She raised sheep for wool, hogs, turkeys, beef cows, apples, vegetables, and collected honey, maple sugar and syrup. Louisa was always welcoming to family and friends that came to call down the river from Warren or from Youngstown. Many parties took place at the Montgomery Dry Run farm.

William Edwards attended Norwich University in Norwich, Connecticut from 1826 to 1828. According to records, he was prevented from engaging in business pursuits because of deafness. A letter from his mother instructs him to be “attentive to his aunt” so one of Louisa’s siblings must have lived in the area of the school. Information in the book about the graduates of Norwich University says William engaged in farming in Mesopotamia from 1835-1848 and in Youngstown from 1848-1885.

He had further education in Erie. He was in New Haven (assuming in Connecticut) in September 1834 when his mother wrote him to ask him to come home as Mr. Montgomery was going to be gone and she was nervous about the canal going through. She states she is far from happy at having this nearby.

William married Mary Manning, daughter of Dr. Henry Manning, a very prominent and wealthy early citizen of Youngstown on Oct. 2, 1839. Her mother was Lucretia Kirtland, another well-known prominent family of the Mahoning Valley.

They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with several hundred guests, about 20 of them that had attended the wedding. They had one daughter, Louisa Maria Edwards, who obviously was named after her grandmother.

Maps show that William owned land in the northern portion of Mesopotamia Township, just to the west of Route 534 north of the Commons area. William and Mary lived in Trumbull County for nine years after their marriage, so possibly in Mesopotamia. The rest of their lives they lived in Mahoning County, on Mahoning Avenue, at the time of Mary’s death.

He possessed quite a bit of property to the east of the north end of Mill Creek Park. Edwards Avenue, whose northern end is at Mahoning Avenue, is the area where William owned many acres. Mary passed away in 1900 and William in 1901. They are buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, which is on property purchased from Dr. Manning. Daughter Louisa never married and passed away in 1941. She is buried with her parents.