Charles Stratton

biography

CHARLES STRATTON Was born at Evansburg, Crawford county, Pa., May 19th, 1833, and is a son of Franklin Stratton, who came to Crawford county from Franklin county, Mass., in 1820. Charles attended the district school at Evansburg until he was ten years old, after which he completed his education at the academies at Albion, Ohio, Meadville, Pa., and Kingsville, O., his school days ending when he was 16 years of age. He began clerking in a store at Linesville. Pa., in 1850, and four years later became a partner with S. C. Stratton. In 1856 he opened a store in Evansburg, and carried it on until 1863, when in connection with it, he engaged in the manufacture of the Foust Hay Loader. He continued in the store, with change of firm, and in company with Mr. Foust, the inventor, making the Hay Loader until 1867, and then sold the store, entering the lumber and stave business. In 1869 he came to Meadville, as Superintendent of the Agricultural Works, then in the hands of a stock company. Afterward he became a partner of A. McLean White, and later of Arthur Cullum, making, since 1874, a specialty of the manufacture of the Hay Loader, also retaining his interest in the lumber and stave business in Evansburg, having his cousin, R. A. Stratton, there as partner.

Directory of Crawford County, PA, 1879-80, page 239