Husband of Mary C. Iredell. Seth was a Pennsylvania Quaker storekeeper. On March 12, 1836, the Ohio State Legislature granted North Akron, Ohio, population 682, and South Akron, population 661, a single town charter. The first elections were held in June of 1836 at Clark's Tavern at the northeast corner of Main and Exchange Streets in Akron. This had been the first building constructed in the original town. Rivalry was strong between North and South Akron and most on both sides did not want to combine. (The Civil War a few years later would help to unite the two.) At the elections, both sides wanted someone they could trust for their first mayor. The apponents were a local man, Dr. Eliakim Crosby, who was thought to be an honest man as he was a medical doctor. The other was a former partner to Clark, of Clark's Tavern, Seth Iredell. Iredell had a small trading-type store in town and most had had dealings with him in the past. Everyone knew how Iredell had helped newcomers to the area, and had made sure that families low on cash were still able to get the food and equipment they needed to survive. He had never asked for any interest on his loans, it had always been, "just pay me when you get it." In some cases, when they got it he still wouldn't take it as he knew that it was all they had. Thus, Seth Iredell died with many people owing him money. Seth beat Dr. Crosby in the election for office of mayor thus making Iredell Akron, Ohio's first mayor. He served the people very well and once his term was up, he simply returned to running his small store. Seth's wife, Mary, had died in 1839 while he was serving his term as mayor.
________________________________________________

NOTE: Back in 2001, when I went searching for the Iredells, I looked throughout section one and two and could not find them. At the cemetery office, they could find no listings for Seth Iredell or his family. I thought, possibly they were buried elsewhere. But, since Seth was Akron's first mayor and most of the city's earlier politicians were buried there at Glendale, I decided to look again. Sure enough, the Iredells are buried in section one right next to the fence and the graves are well marked. I returned to the office with the grave locations and now they are in the files.
________________________________________________