A biosketch of Seth Cummings reports [1]:
"S. G. Cummings, attorney, Galion. Mr Cummings was born in Crawford County, Ohio, in October, 1839. In l61, he commenced to read law with Bartly & Johnston, of Mansfield, Ohio. and remained with them until 1864. He was admitted to the bar in January, 1864, at Columbus, Ohio, when, in April 1864, he went to Montana, and engaged in gulch-mining until 1866, and was successful and then came to Galion, Ohio, and commenced to practice law there in 1867. He was elected Prosecutor of Crawford County, Ohio in 1873, and again in 1875, and served four years. He has been elected several times member of the School Board and Council, and is a member of both at the present time he also a member of the firm of Cummings & Meuser, attorneys at law, who have a good practice. He married Miss Sarah G. Ruhl, of Gallon, Ohio, in January, 1867 and has one son.
A biosketch of Seth Cummings reports [2]:
The subject of this sketch, who has attained distinction as one of the able members of the Mansfield bar, is now a member of the well known firm of Cummings & McBride. In this profession probably more than any other success depends upon individual merit, upon a thorough understanding of the principles of jurisprudence, a power of keen analysis, and the ability to present clearly, concisely and forcibly the strong points in his cause. Possessing these necessary qualifications, Mr. Cummings is accorded a foremost place in the ranks of the profession in Richland county, and stands to-day one of the esteemed members of the Mansfield bar.
He was born in Crawford county. Ohio, October 31, 1839, a son of Isaac and Sylvia (Reed) Cummings, both natives of Maine, of which state his ancestors were early settlers. His paternal great-grandfather moved from Massachusetts to Maine at a very early day, establishing the family in Kennebeck county, where he was subsequently killed by the Indians. He was one of the defenders of the colonists in the Revolutionary war. The grandfather and his eldest son were soldiers of the war of 1812, and both died at Sackett's Harbor, New York, from disease contracted while in the service of that war. The Reed family, as represented by the mother of our subject, was early established in Oxford county, Maine. In tracing Mr. Cummings' genealogy we find that his ancestors were of Scotch and Irish descent and were residents of Massachusetts in the early part of the seventeenth century. His parents were married in Richland (now Crawford) county, Ohio, where the father cleared and developed a farm, making it his home from 1824 until his death, which occurred December 15, 1880. The mother died in February, 1865, leaving two sons, of whom our subject is the elder. Samuel is still living on the old home farm.
Mr. Cummings received a good common-school education, and at the age of twenty-two years commenced the study of law in Mansfield, being admitted to the bar in 1864. From April of that year until November, 1866, he was engaged in the mining business in Montana, and in 1867 took up the practice of his chosen profession in Galion, Ohio, where he remained until coming to Mansfield in October, 1884. Here he formed a partnership with Hon. C. E. McBride. which still exists, he being the office lawyer of this well known and successful firm. Since 1887 he has conducted at his office a thorough system of abstracting, having a complete set of abstract books of Richlandcounty, and giving employment to two or three men in this department, which has become a profitable branch of his business. The firm have the largest and best selected law library in Mansfield, and do an extensive business as commercial lawyers and collectors, doing extensive trial business in various courts.
On the 24th of January, 1867, Mr. Cummings was united in marriage with Miss Sarah G. Ruhl, a daughter of Jacob and Sarah Ruhl, of Galion, where she was born, reared and educated. One son was born of this union, Glenn M., now a young man of twenty-seven years, who is employed in his father's business. He attended the public schools of Galion and Mansfield, and was graduated at Wittenberg College. Springfield, Ohio. In June, 1899, he was admitted to the bar as an attorney. He married Miss Almena Gotwald, of Springfield.
Politically Mr. Cummings is a Democrat, and has always taken an active interest in political affairs. While a resident of Crawford county, he served as prosecuting attorney two terms. Socially he is a member of the Masonic order, being a Master Mason, and religiously is a member of the English Lutheran church, to which his family also belong.
[1] William Henry Perrin, J. H. Battle, W. A. Goodspeed, History of Crawford County and Ohio (Chicago: Baskin & Battey Co., 1881), 841, [GoogleBooks], [HathiTrust].
[2] Abraham J. Baughman. A Centennial Biographical History of Richland county, Ohio (Chicago: Lewis Publishing, 1901), 207, [HathiTrust], [GoogleBooks].