Quinby, Ephraim

Ephraim Quinby was the founder of Warren, Ohio.

Quinby was born on May 11, 1766, in New Jersey. Shortly after Quinby's marriage to Ammi Blackmore in 1795, he relocated his family to Washington County, Pennsylvania. The Quinbys remained in Pennsylvania until 1799, when they moved to the Connecticut Western Reserve. Here, in 1801, Ephraim Quinby established the town of Warren, which he named after Moses Warren, one of the original surveyors of the Connecticut Western Reserve.

Upon arriving in the Western Reserve, Quinby purchased approximately four hundred acres of land from the Connecticut Land Company. His land existed on both the east and west banks of the Mahoning River at the site of present-day Warren. Quinby engaged in several professions, including milling and farming. He also operated a mercantile store. In addition to these pursuits, Quinby also served as an associate justice on the Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas.

Like many other early Ohioans, Quinby sought to improve his fortunes on the American frontier. While many people failed, others, like Quinby, succeeded. Quinby died on June 4, 1850.