Background
Starkweather was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island to Oliver and Miriam (Clay) Starkweather.
Starkweather was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island to Oliver and Miriam (Clay) Starkweather.
He graduated from Brown College in 1822, tutored there until 1824, and then left to study law in Windham, Connecticut.
Starkweather was admitted to the bar in Columbus in 1826. Starkweather moved to Cleveland soon after and joined the Cleveland Grays in 1837, where he took a prominent position in Cleveland politics. He was the first judge of the Cuyahoga Court of Common Pleas elected under the new Constitution and served a 5-year term.
Starkweather helped establish the first high school in Cleveland.
He also promoted railroads in Cleveland and helped establish the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad. He was collector of the ports of Cleveland, and built a lighthouse of which he was superintendent in 1831.
The United States Treasury paid him $4,997.00 on the lighthouse and $113.30 for expenditures for lieutenant The land cost $1,000.00.
He also built a lighthouse on Turtle Island, Lake Erie, Portuguese Clinton Ohio in 1832 for which the United States Government paid him $1,068.43.
The United States Government also paid him in 1831 for the support and maintenance of the lighthouses, floating lights, beacons, buoys, and stakeages. He also built or established a marine hospital on which the United States Treasury paid him $147.17. Starkweather married Julia Judd on June 25, 1828.
Their 4 children were Sarah, Samuel, William, and Julia.
Starkweather is buried in Lake View Cemetery.