Elisha Teeters (1814-1899)
Class of 2026 – Founder
Elisha Teeters was one was one of the most important landowners and early developers in the growth of Alliance during the late nineteenth century.
At one time, Teeters owned nearly all of the land on which the early section of Alliance was built as he laid out a large portion of the town.
One of the most frequently cited accounts of early city development states that Elisha Teeters directed his son, Jesse Teeters, to plow a roadway through his farm property as land was being prepared for subdivision. According to early local histories, this roadway became the original alignment for what is now Main Street in Alliance, explaining why it is a dead end on the east.
Elisha Teeters was born on January 11, 1814, a few miles northeast of Alliance, to John and Mary Cook Teeters. He was the eldest son in a family of 10 children, his father having served as a colonel under General Harrison during the War of 1812.
On July 16, 1835, he married Eliza Webb (1818-1866). One month later, they removed to Lexington Township where he cleared an opening and built a home. Through hard work, he soon was the owner and operator of a flouring farm, being considered one of the most prosperous farmers in Stark County.
In the business of land development, Teeters was also involved in partnerships with other local leaders, including Levi L. Lamborn. These partnerships were responsible for laying out and selling large residential additions that supported the city’s rapid growth during the railroad era and helped establish much of the early urban grid.
During the early history of Alliance, Elisha Teeters was also engaged in the dry goods business and did considerable banking, being in partnership with his son Richard W. Teeters in that endeavor.
He was treasurer of the Lake Erie, Alliance & Wheeling Railroad Company. He was also president of the Nixon Agricultural works, an enterprise in which he lost surety money aggregating $250,000.
About 1875, he was elected Stark County commissioner, being reelected to several terms. For many years he was also a trustee of the Fairmount Children’s Home.
He was the father of 10 children, including Jesse W. Teeters (1836-19030) and Richard W. Teeters (1841-1899), who remained in Alliance, along with, Rachel (James) Amerman (1845-1931), and Laura (William) Fogg (1857-1942). Residing in Ohio were Mary “Sue” (John) Shimp (1838-1900) and Elisha Prentiss Teeters (1854-1923). Meanwhile, locating to Kansas was Isaac Teeters (1846-1900) and Charles Teeters (1852-1934). Rosa Jane (Chauncey) Edson (1850-1938) resided in St. Louis. A daughter, Eleanor P. Teeters, died in 1854 at the age of 10.
After the death of Eliza Teeters in 1866, he remarried on July 14, 1871, his second wife being Sarah R. Hester (1824-1907), the daughter of Mathias Hester, another founder inducted into the Alliance Historical Society Hall of Fame in the 2026 inaugural class.
Elisha Teeters died June 17, 1899, leaving behind a large number of grandchildren and a large estate. He is buried in the Alliance City Cemetery.