The

Edgerton

Database

Home

Index

Sources

Search

Researchers

Notes...

Contact info

Photos

Links

Credits…

Chester Edgerton, son of Reed and Betsey (Lyon) Edgerton.

Augusta Fusselman, daughter of Peter P. and Eliza S. (Eckman) Fusselman.

Children:

1. Frank, b. August 27, 1847; Fremont, Sandusky Co., OH.
2. Harriet Eliza, b. March 21, 1850; Fremont, Sandusky Co., OH.
3. Fanny Augusta, b. August 7, 1852; Fremont, Sandusky Co., OH.
4. Maude Hunter, b. February 16, 1855; Fremont, Sandusky Co., OH.
5. Chester Lyon, b. June 7, 1857; Fremont, Sandusky Co., OH.
6. Harry Gilbert, b. April 23, 1859; Fremont, Sandusky Co., OH.

Chester Edgerton was born at Pawlet, Vermont on August 19, 1819, the son of Reed Edgerton and his first wife, Betsey Lyon.  Chester’s mother died when he was still an infant and Chester was raised by his step-mother, Harriet (Griswold) Edgerton.  Following the death of his father in 1829, Harriet was remarried to Ezra Williams.

In 1844, Chester left Vermont and removed to Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio, where he was married on November 19, 1845 to Augusta Fusselman.  Augusta was the daughter of Peter and Eliza (Eckman) Fusselman and was born at Liberty Township, Trumbull County, Ohio on November 28, 1826.  Chester and Augusta had a family of six children:  Frank, Harriet Eliza, Fanny Augusta, Maude Hunter, Chester Lyon and Harry Gilbert.

Chester Edgerton was an attorney and businessman.  He served one term as mayor of Fremont, Ohio and also worked as an attorney for future president Rutherford B. Hayes.  For a number of years he operated a lumber business in Fremont, in partnership with his half-brother, Gilbert G. Edgerton.

The household of Chester Edgerton was recorded in the 1850 Federal Census of Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio (pg. 409; dwelling #245; family #256; enum. July 19, 1850), as follows:

The enumerator of this census evidently made an error in listing Chester’s eldest child as a daughter, “Sarah”.  There is no other record of a daughter named Sarah in this family; Chester and Augusta’s eldest child (aged three at this time) was a son – Frank.

In 1857, Chester Edgerton “of Sandusky County, Ohio” purchased a tract of public land from the U.S. government in Anoka County, Minnesota.  The property, consisting of 160 acres, was located in the “South East quarter of Section Eleven in Township Thirty-one North of Range Seventy-two West, in the District of Lands subject to sale at Stillwater, Territory of Minnesota.”  The deed was signed on April 3, 1857 (certificate #3810).

The household of “Ches.” Edgerton was recorded in the 1860 Federal Census of Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio (pg. 162; dwelling #302; family #326; enum. June 7, 1860), as follows:

The household of Chester Edgerton was recorded in the 1870 Federal Census of Ballville, Sandusky County, Ohio (pp. 5-6; dwelling #78; family #78; enum. June 4, 1870), as follows:

At the time of the 1900 Federal Census, Chester Edgerton was residing in Ballville, Sandusky County, Ohio, in the household of his son, Chester L. Edgerton (pg. 17; dwelling #349; family #316; enum. June 26, 1900).  He was enumerated as: “Chester Edgerton, landlord, born August 1819 in Vermont”.

The following biographical excerpt is taken from The Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Sandusky and Ottawa, Ohio (J.H Beers & Co.; 1896; pp. 99-100):

“Prominent among the businessmen of Fremont, Sandusky county for nearly half a century has been Chester Edgerton, who was born in Pawlet, Vt., in 1819, and came to Ohio in 1844.  He is now seventy-six years old, and is living retired.  He was an attorney in his day, and a very successful collector.  He was also for a number of years engaged in the lumber business, as a member of the firm of Edgerton Bros.; by fair dealing and close attention to business he accumulated a small fortune, and is recognized as one of the most successful men of the early days of Fremont.  He is a Republican in politics, and in the the year 1847 was elected mayor of the city.  In 1845 he married Miss Augusta F. Fusselman, who was born in 1826, and six children were born to them:  Frank, now living in Tennessee; Hattie, wife of G. Kinney, an attorney at law, of Fremont; Fannie A., who died in 1879; Maude, wife of Lieut. John Garvin, U.S.N.; Chester, living in Kansas City, Mo.; and H.G.”

Chester Edgerton died on February 8, 1905 at Fremont (possibly Ballville), Ohio, aged 85 years.  He was buried at the Oakwood Cemetery in Fremont.  Most of Chester and Augusta’s children resided in Sandusky County, Ohio.  The eldest son, Frank, resided for a time in Waltham, Mower County, Minnesota, before moving south to Bradley County, Tennessee.

Original Source Documents:

1850 Federal Census – household of Chester Edgerton; Fremont, Sandusky Co., OH.

Land Patent – Chester Edgerton; Anoka, Anoka Co., MN; Bureau of Land Management; Stillwater Land Office, certificate #3810.

1860 Federal Census – household of Chester Edgerton; Fremont, Sandusky Co., OH.

1870 Federal Census – household of Chester Edgerton; Ballville, Sandusky Co., OH.

Obituary – Mrs. Augusta (Fusselman) Edgerton; Fremont Daily News – Monday, September 7, 1896.

Obituary – Mrs. Augusta (Fusselman) Edgerton; Fremont Messenger – Tueday, September 8, 1896.

Obituary – Chester Edgerton; Fremont Daily News – Thursday, February 9, 1905.

Obituary – Chester Edgerton; Fremont Daily Messenger – Thursday, February 9, 1905.

Obituary – Chester Edgerton; Clyde Democrat – Thursday, February 16, 1905.