Capt. John W. Manning

In Volume 3 of HISTORY OF THE WESTERN RESERVE, by Harriet Taylor Upton, we read that John W. Manning was born in Miami County, Ohio, on February 23, 1827, to Nathaniel and Sarah (Line) Manning. In 1861, John W. Manning enlisted in Company I of the 20th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He also served in Company D, according the to Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System. Eventually, John W. Manning rose to the rank of Captain during his service in the 20th O.V.I. Four of John's brothers also served in the 20th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Elias Manning died during the war in LaGrange, Tennessee in April of 1863.

John W. Manning lived in several different places in Ohio. In the 1850 U.S. Census, John W. Manning was age 23, and living in Shelby County, Ohio. Nancy Jane Manning, age 19, was also residing in the Manning household. In 1860, John and Jane Manning were still living in Shelby County, Ohio, along with children Edmund, age 9, and Minnetta, age 2. In the 1870 Census, John W. Manning was living in Hardin County, Ohio. Also in the family at this time were listed Annie, age 23, and Edmund, age 19. By 1880, John W. Manning was age 53, and living in Hardin County, Ohio. In this particular census year, John's wife was listed as Salema Manning, age 40. By 1900, John W. Manning was age 73, and was married to Martha Manning. They were living in Sandusky, in Erie County, Ohio.

Mrs. Upton wrote in HISTORY OF THE WESTERN RESERVE that J. W. Manning supported the Republican party in his political views. He had to be taken to the polls in an invalid chair to cast his vote for William Howard Taft in the 1908 election. John W. Manning died on December 30, 1909. He was buried in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery.

Charles Cross, First Catholic Mayor of Sandusky

Charles Cross was born in London about 1812 and came to the United States as a young man. The Sandusky Daily Register of December 3, 1889 carried an article entitled “An English Colony” in which the writer, Hudson C. Ward, describes the trip. In June 1830 the New York packet ship the Hudson sailed from Portsmouth, England to New York. Many other families from England were on the ship, including Dr. I. B. Ward, who settled in Zanesville, Ohio.
(Hudson C. Ward was actually born aboard ship during the ocean passage to America. He was too young to recall the trip, but his parents told him the story of their journey to America.)

Charles Cross, Mr. Ward wrote, “was very devoted member of the Roman Catholic religion all his long life.” Mr. Cross was the Mayor of Sandusky from 1853 through 1856. He also held other positions in the community, including Justice of the Peace and secretary of the board of trustees of the Water Works.

On November 18, 1889, Charles Cross passed away. (His wife Patience Matilda Manning Cross had died many years before her husband.) Charles Cross is buried in St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio.