Class _ _E4a±_ Book , C4_C3_ A CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNT! T OHIO ILLUSTRATED NEW YORK and CHICAGO The Lewis Publishing Company L902 PREFACE. UT of the depths of his mature wisdom Carlyle wrote, " History is the essence of innumerable biographies." Believing this to be the fact, there is no necessity of advancing any further reason for the compilation of such a work as this, if reliable history is to be the ultimate object. Champaign County, Ohio, has sustained within its confines men who have been prominent in public affairs and great industrial enterprises for almost a century. The annals teem with the records of strong and noble manhood, and, as Sumner has said, "the true grandeur of nations is in those qualities which constitute the greatness of the individual." The final causes which shape the fortunes of individ- uals and the destinies of States are often the same. They are usually remote and obscure, and their influence scarcely perceived until manifestly declared by results. That nation is the greatest which produces the greatest and most manly men and faithful women; and the intrinsic safety of a community depends not so much upon methods as upon that normal development from the deep resources of which proceeds all that is precious and permanent in life. But such a result may not consciously be contemplated by the actors in the great social drama. Pursuing each his personal good by exalted means, they work out as a logical result. The elements of success in life consist in both innate capacity and determination to excel. Where either is wanting, failure is almost 4 PREFACE. certain in the outcome. The study of a successful life, therefore, serves both as a source of information and as a stimulus and encour agement to those who have the capacity. As an important lesson in this connection we may appropriately quote Longfellow, who said : "We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while we judge others by what they have already done." A faithful personal history is an illustration of the truth of this observation. In this biographical history the editorial staff, as well as the pub- lishers, have fully realized the magnitude of the task. In the collec- tion of the material there has been a constant aim to discriminate carefully in regard to the selection of subjects. Those who have been prominent factors in the public, social and industrial development of the county have been given due recognition as far as it has been possible to secure the requisite data. Names worthy of perpetuation here, it is true, have in several instances been omitted, either on account of the apathy of those concerned or the inability of the compilers to secure the information necessary for a symmetrical sketch; but even more pains have been taken to secure accuracy than were promised in the prospectus. Works of this nature, therefore, are more reliable and complete than are the " standard " histories of a country. THE PUBLISHERS. INDEX. Abbott, William J., 16C Anderson, James \V., 160 Anderson, John J., 205 Aughinbaugh, Barnet A., 197 Bailar. Mrs. Julia. A.. 141 Bailar, William F., 140 Baker, C. A., 355 Baker. Lyman E., 586 Banta, Edgar G., 177 Barger, Frederick N., 665 Harnett. Samuel, 569 Behney, Christopher, 518 Berry, Thomas C, 339 Berry, Thomas H., 336 Black. Charles B., 236 Black, Elias P., 402 Black. James W., 77 Black. John R.. 525 Black. Peter, 302 Blose, James I., 416 Rlose, William. ri2 Brand, Frank W.. 634 Brand, John F., 637 Brand, Joseph C. 628 Brand. Thomas, 629 Brand. Thomas T.. 631 Brand. Thomas T., Jr.. 635 Brelsford, Charles, 143 Brittin. Lewis. 22 Butcher. John C, 559 Calland. William, 555 Chamberlin, Joseph, 51 Chance, Frank, 320 Cheetham, James K., 256 Cheney, E. Ervvood, 342 Cheney, James H., 42 Clark, John H., 453 Clem, David, 156 Coffey, Joseph, 31 Colbert, Isaiah H., 596 Codwell, Calvin F„ 17 Colwell, Peter E., 353 1 '■< h ik, Harry, 623 Coulson, Joseph. 723 Cowgill. Samuel, 395 Cowgill, Thomas A., 182 Craig, Claude C, 154 Craig. Harrison, 170 Crain, James L., 422 Crane, Marcus H., 713 Crawford, Frank J.. 15 Criffield, George W., 406 Crow, Horace M.. 607 Crow, Thomas D.. 306 Crowl, William. 486 Dagger, Charles, 553 Dagger, Jacob, 105 Daniels, Perry. 657 Davis, J. E., 291 Davis, John R., 546 Davis. Joseph W.. 538 Deaton, Sherman S., 428 Dibble, Robert B., 719 INDEX. Dickinson, Martin M., 103 Diltz, Isaac N., 529 Eichelberger, George M., 327 Enoch. John, 466 Fairchild, Ora, 710 Fairchild, Simeon D., 698 Frank, David, 592 Fromme, Grant V., 537 Fulton, James W.. 252 Funk, Aaron B., 460 Fyffe, Edward P., 11 Fyffe, Joseph, 12 Galligher, Michael, 344 Ganson, Charles II. . 440 Gaumer, Edward B., 330 Gaumer, Thomas M., 90 Gehman, William M., 385 Goul, John, 149 Gowey, Hartland D., 548 Gross, August T., 231 Grove, Shepherd B., 234 Guthridge, Marion, 535 Guy, Charles W., 455 Guy. Edward A.. 400 Hagenbuch, Edwin, 293 Halterman, Isaac. 86 Hancc. John P.. 258 Hanna, Elijah. 364 Happersett. Isaac B., 709 Marian, John, 134 Harris. Benjamin F., 282 Hedges, Emory, 66 Heiserman, Clarence B., 677 Henderson. Robert, 309 Hitt, John W„ 715 Hitt. Samuel W., 349 Hodge. John 11., 567 Hopkins. A. G., 418 ITorr. Jacob, 118 I fouser, Daniel C, 599 Hull, Benjamin F., 571 Hull, Daniel J., 347 Hunter, Calvin R., 152 Hunter, John M., 221 Hunter, Thomas E., 635 Hupp. George W., 717 Hyde, William F., 76 James. Daniel, 284 Jenkins, Oliver P., 551 Jennings, Absalom C, 46 Jennings. Edward. 59 Johnson. David J., 62 Johnson, James B.. 317 Johnson, Nelson B.. 124 Johnson. Silas. 495 Jones, Caleb, 431 Kenaga, John W., 408 Kenfield, David, 271 Kenton, Gabriel, 590 Kenton, Simon, 579 Kiser, G. R., 381 Kizer, Isaiah P., 19 Kizer, Jason, 674 Klapp, George S., 261 Knight, John P., 473 Lauppe, Charles, 497 Lee, James A., 449 Logan John G„ 420 Longfellow, Joseph E., 2S6 Loudenback, Abraham P., 366 Loudenback, Jonas, 684 Loudenback, Lewis C, 243 Loudenback. Washington, 533 Madden, Benjamin M., 94 Magrew, Hamilton, 208 Magruder, Vesalius S.. 410 Marvin, Clitus H., 230 Marvin, William B., 231 Marvin, William H, 226 Mast, Joseph K.. 379 McCarty, Enoch, 192 Mel arty, Thomas, 122 INDEX. McClellan, Elwood S., 601 McClellan, Hiram, 605 McConnell, Thomas, 706 M-cCrea, George G., 652 McDonald, Duncan B., 576 Mcllvaine, James F., 445 McKinney, Tulley, 574 McLaughlin, Claience M., 478 McMorran, Jacob, 188 Middleton, A. II., 669 Middleton, Evan 1'., v ;_>3 Miller, Benjamin r., 110 Milkr. Cyru.. 420 Moody, John R., 465 Moore, William, 530 Morgan, Masked b., 4,',/ Moses, Joseph S., 499 Mi 1. grove, Adam, t)20 Mosgrove, James M., 276 Mosgrove, Samuel M., 372 Moulton, R. C., 661 Murphey, Roger 11.. 266 Neer, Adam, 26 Neer, Fred, 362 Neer, John P., 500 Neer, Jonathan S., 694 Noble, Orville, 358 Norman, John C., 688 O'Brine, David, 696 Oflfenbacher, Charles A., 179 Organ, Charles F., 714 Owen, Thomas B., 563 Pangborn, William C, 296 Patrick, Frank B., 233 Patrick, Mrs. Maria, 164 Patrick, William, 240 Pearce, A. B., 383 Pearce, Henry C., 172 Pearce, Henry M., 176 Pence, Elijah, 72 Perry, D. S., 659 Pickering, George W., 300 Pickering, R. H., 676 Poland, George W., 721 I'm terrield, I tomer, 004 Powell, James D., 510 Piintz, Franklin, 25 Rawlings, Thomas, 580 Ream, Ceorge, 523 Ring, William F., 340 Rock', William M., 223 Rouse, William, 557 Runyon, John H., 200 Russell, Joseph G, 703 kiuaii, Daniel W., 136 Sanders, Robert, 374 Sarver, Jacob S., 92 Saxbe, Martin b., 681 Sceva, John C, 388 Scoli, -\.a JN., by Seaton, John A., 447 Shanely, Christian, 640 Shanely, David, 649 Shanely, Isaac, 651 Shanley, Jacob, 644 Shanley, John, 647 Shockey, Abraham, 595 Shrigley, Wintield T., 68 Sibley, Warren D., 126 Slusser, Samuel, 55 Smith, Azro, 433 Smith, John N., 40 Snapp, Benjamin, 251 Snodgrass, Morton M., 368 Sowers, Samuel K., 33 Spain, James F., 520 Speece, William, 274 Stickley, Philip L., 392 Stone, Ferdinand F., 588 Stone, Samuel L. P., 480 Talbot. Marion, 399 Talbott, George A., 194 Taylor, Alfred F., 74 Taylor, Charles O., 132 8 INDEX. Taylor, Oliver, 129 Taylor, Simeon, 507 Thatcher. Jonathan, 06 Thomas, Ivan B., 81 Thomas, John H.. 492 Thomas, Marion W., 614 Thomas, William, 488 Thompson, William, 101 Todd, David, 625 Todd, David W„ 36 Todd, John E„ 564 Todd, Thomas M„ 627 Toomire, John W., 561 Tritt, Randolph, 396 Vance, Alexander F., 279 Vance, Alexander F., Jr.. 246 Ward, William. 671 Warnock, William R., 263 Weaver, George A., 701 West. Mrs. Hester, 457 Whetsel, Fenton, 412 Wh.tmore, Simon W., 312 Williams, Milo G., 214 Williams. Richard Du Val, 603 Wilson. Andrews, 106 Wilson, Ebenezer, 686 Wilson, William H., 692 Wilson, W. W., .609 Woodcock, Elijah T.. 611 Yeisley, John W., 83 Young. John H.. 311 Ziegler, Augustus M., 116 Zimmer, Frank A., 672 Zirkle. Samuel, 667 EDWARD P. FYFFE. A CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, OHIO EDWARD P. FYFFE. Edward P. Fyffe was born in Urbana, April 23, 1810, and was a son of William II. and Maximilla 1 Petty) Fyffe. The father was a native of Virginia and emigrated to Kentucky, whence he afterward came to Urbana in 1805. Here he was married to a daughter of Joseph Petty, one of the first settlers of the city. In the early schools of Urbana, Colonel Fyffe acquired his pre- liminary education anil was later a cadet at West Point for a short time. In 1846 he was graduated in medicine and was engaged in practice at the time the Civil war was inaugurated. He served with distinction. rose to the rank of colonel ami was brevetted brigadier-general. Dr. Fyffe was united in marriage to Sarah Ann Robinson, a native of Franklin count}'. Ohio, but a resident of Urbana at the time of her marriage. The} became the parents of f, ur children, who reached years of maturity: Joseph; .Max F., the widow of Frank James Crawford; Mr-. Mary F. Thornton, of Pontiac, Illinois; and Mrs. Sarah A. Gee, of Cleveland, Ohio. 1 12 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. In his political views Colonel Fyffe was a Republican, strongly endorsing the principles of the party and both he and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He died September 25, 1867, and Mrs. Fyffe survived him for rive years. During the Civil war he was a most brave and loyal officer and his utter fearlessness in the face of clanger often inspired his men to deeds of valor. In his chosen profession he won distinction by the superior skill and ability which he acquired as the result of his study and investigation, as well as practical experience. In the first half of: the nineteenth century he was a promi- nent figure in social and professional life of Urbana and well does he deserve mention in her history. REAR ADMIRAL JOSEPH FYFFE. The history of the American naval service contains a record of no greater loyalty, valor and capability than that of Rear Admiral Joseph Fyffe, who devoted the long years of his manhood to his country's serv- ice. He was born July 26, 1832. His father, General Edward P. Fyffe, is mentioned above and his record as a brave and loyal defender of the [Jnion was a stimulus to the son. When he was fifteen years of age, however, Joseph Fyffe was appointed to the navy on the 9th of Septem- ber, 1847, being in active service for over forty-seven years, and was then retired at the age limit of sixty-two years in July, 1894. His first duty was on the Cumberland and afterward on the bomb vessel Strom- boli m the Gulf of Mexico. He saw active service in the Mexican war. although not yet sixteen years of age. The following year he was or- dered on duty off the coast of Africa on the sloop-of-war Yorktown, and was serving on her when she was wrecked off the Cape Verde Islands. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i 6 Later he was highly commended for his gallant conduct on that occasion. His third cruise was in the frigate St. Lawrence, which was sent to England to represent the United States at the time of the World's Fair in London. Subsequently he returned to the Naval Academy at Annapo- lis for one year, and on the 15th of July, 1854, was promoted to the rank of passed midshipman. In 1855 he made a special cruise in the San Jacinto. In 1856 he volunteered for and was detailed on the Griiinell expedition to the Arctic regions under Lieutenant Hartstine on the ship Release, in search of Sir John Franklin, rescuing and bringing home Dr. Kane and his party while on that trip. For his services in this expedi- tion the queen of England decorated him with the medal of the Arctic Order of Victoria. On his return to the United States he was commis- sioned master and lieutenant on the same day — September i(>. 1856. Admiral Fyffe next served on the Relief in the Brazil Squadron in 1856 and 1857, which was followed by a three-years cruise in the East India Squadron on the sloop-of-war Germantown. In i860 he was ordered to the steam sloop Lancaster on the Pacific station and then to the frig-ate Minnesota, the flagship of the North Atlantic Block- ading Squadron. He was commissioned lieutenant commander in July, [862. On the Minnesota he experienced two vears of active service, during which time he took part in the destruction of the blockade run- ner Hebe and commanded the landing party which captured the two- gun battery that protected the blockade runners near Fort Fisher. North Carolina, in August, 1863. He also took an active part in the destruc- tion of the Ranger, another blockade runner, and was in an engage- ment with infantry below Fort Casewell, North Carolina, in January, [864. In 1864-5, Admiral Fyffe commanded the double-ender gunboat Hunchback on the James river with brilliant success. The Civil war being over, be ti ok part in his first shore duty at the Boston yard in 1866. The next year he was ordered to the Oneida, i 4 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. sailing for the Asiatic station. On the 2nd of December, 1868, he was commissioned commander and placed in command of the monitor Cen- taur of 'the North Atlantic Squadron. Later he was lighthouse in- spector of the fourteenth district. He next commanded the Monocacy on the Asiatic station in 1875, continuing there until 1878 and in [879 he was promoted to the grade of captain and commanded the receiving ship St. Louis, from which, in 1880, he was transferred to the Frank- lin, acting as its commander for eighteen months. Through the suc- ceeding six months he was captain of the flagship Tennessee, of the North Atlantic Squadron, followed by service as commander of the flag- ship Pensacola in the Pacific station. Admiral Fyffe was then sent home on sick leave. In 1888 he was ordered as captain to the Boston Naval Yard, remaining- there for more than three years. He was promoted to the grade of commodore in February, 18S0. and was assigned to special duty at Boston in 1890. During" the succeeding summer he was ordered to command the New London naval station until July 13, 1893, when he took charge of the Boston Naval Yard, — his last duty ending with his retirement July 20, 1894. I lis name was on the navy register for forty-nine years and his active service continued for over forty-seven years, while his actual sea service covered twenty years. No more patriotic and thoroughly Amer- ican officer ever sailed under the stars and stripes; no officer took better care of his men or maintained discipline with less severity. As a sailor he had few equals and no superiors. His fighting qualities were unsur- passed, as is his war record. Tender in all his sympathies, he was yet a man in dignity and strength. His strong personality impressed all who came in contact with him. Generous, kindly, chivalric and brave. — those were the qualities that drew men toward him and made them love him. His last year of duty was one of great happiness. He was endeared to every one — officers and their families, subordinates, sailors and em- FRAHK J. CRAWFORD. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 15 ployes, — in fact, all connected with the Boston station, and he thor- oughly delighted in the kindly feeling which all entertained for him. Then came the promotion to the rank of rear admiral — the ambition and culmination of an officer's career. At Pierce, Nebraska, on the 25th of February, 1896, Admiral Fyffe died of acute gastroenteritis, from which he had long suffered in a chronic form, the result of fevers contracted in tropical countries during active service in earlier years. He was buried at Urbana, Ohio, his birthplace and for many years his home. FRANK JAMES CRAWFORD. Deeds of bravery have been the theme of song and story from the earliest days, and the world pays a tribute of respect and admiration to the man who fights for his country and his principles. One of the distinguished officers of the Civil war was Frank James Crawford, who was born in Birmingham, Huntingdon county. Pennsylvania 1 , July 12, 1S34. He was educated in Alleghany College, in Meadville, Pennsyl- vania, where he won the degree of M. A. A short time after his grad- uation he engaged in teaching scln ol in Maryland and in Pennsylvania, but predilection for the law led him to prepare for the liar, doing to La Salle county, Illinois, in 1855, he studied law in Ottawa and was admitted to practice in 1858. He then opened an office there and steadily rose to prominence. No bitter novitiate awaited him. Nature bountifully endowed him with the peculiar qualifications that combine to make a successful lawyer. Patientlv persevering, possessed of an analytical mind, and one that is readily receptive and retentive of the fundamental principles and intricacies of the law : gifted with a spirit of 1 6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. devotion to wearisome details; quick to comprehend the most subtle problems and logical in his conclusions; fearless in the advocacy of any cause he may espouse, and the soul of honor and integrity, few men have been more richly gifted for the achievement of success in the ardu- ous and difficult profession of the law. At the time of the Civil war, however, Mr. Crawford entered bis country's service, enlisting as a private of Company E, Fifty-third Illi- nois Infantry, on tbe 28th of December, 1861. The same day he was appointed quartermaster sergeant of the regiment. On the second day of the battle of Pittsburg Landing, be displayed marked gallantry as well as knowledge of military tactics, and for this reason was promoted to tbe rank of second lieutenant. On tbe 10th of November, 1862, be was appointed by President Lino In, commissary of subsistance with tbe rank of captain, in which position be served throughout the Tennessee and Vicksburg campaigns with marked distinction. Later he was on duty at Port Hudson, Louisiana, where he was stationed until the close of the war. having served for three years and eight months. When hostilities were ended he was brevetted map r of the United States Vol- unteer Infantry for meritorious service in the held. Returning to Ottawa, Illinois, in December, 1865, Mr. Crawford there resumed tbe practice of law, but in 1872 sought a broader held of labor in the growing metropolis of tbe west, and became a distinguished, prominent and honored member of the Chicago bar, where he practiced successfully, enjoying a large and distinctively representative clientage until his death, which occurred in Urbana. October 14. 189S. Major Crawford had married in Urbana, Ohio, in 1865, the lad) of his choice being Miss Max P. Fyffe, a daughter of Brigadier-General Edward P. Fyffe. She now resides in Urbana and has one daughter, Mrs. Annie Crawford Merritt, of Highland Park, Illinois. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 17 CALVIN FLETCHER COLWELL. When a citizen of worth and character lias departed this life it is proper that those who survive him should keep in mind his life-work and hold up to the knowledge and emulation of the young his virtues and the characteristics which distinguished him and made him worthy of the esteem and confidence of his fellow men. We therefore are grati- fied in having the privilege of entering at this point a memoir of the representative citizen of Urbana whose name appears above. He lives in the memory and affection of his family and friends as a devoted hus- band, kind father and public-spirited citizen and as one whose life was one of singular beauty and nobility. He passed his entire life in Ur- bana and was always liberal in his contributions to aid the social, ma- terial and religious advancement of the city and county of his home, while his prominence in local business circles was through enterprises of marked importance. Mr. Colwell was born in Urbana, Champaign county, Ohio, on the 26th of February. 1831. the son of Peter E. and Lavina (Fitch) Col- well, the former of whom was born in Xew Jersey, whence he came to Ohio and located in Urbana in 1815: while the latter accompanied her parents on their removal from her native state. Kentucky, to Urbana about the year 1806, so that in both the agnotic and maternal lines the subject of this memoir was identified with pioneer families of this fa- vored section of the Buckeve state. He had such educational advant; as were afforded in the early schools of his native town, and then learned the trade of chairmaking under the direction of his father, who was here engaged in that line of enterprise for many years. Calvin E. worked at his trade up h > the time of his marriage, soon after which event he became interested in the manufacturing of flooring and in the cabinet- making and furniture business, being first assi ciated with his brother, iS CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. the late Robert Colwell, and later having other partners, while the na- ture of the business underwent various changes, meeting the exigencies of trade and expanding in scope and importance. Finally was effected the organization of the Colwell Lumber Company, which conducted a flourishing business for a long term of years, our subject standing at the head of the enterprise, whose affairs were guided with that dis- crimination and ability which marked his entire business career, in its varied avenues of usefulness. He continued to be identified with this concern until within a few months prior to his death, while for a score of years he was president of the Citizens' National Bank, in which he was the chief stockholder and to> which he gave the benefit of his mature judgment and distinctive executive talent, doing much to give it its high reputation as a solid financial institution. As has been before stated, Mr. Colwell was imbued with the deep- est public spirit and was ever ready to lend his aid and influence in sup- port of all legitimate measures advanced for the general good, and though he gave an unwavering support to the principles and policies of the Republican party, he never sought nor consented to accept the honors or emoluments of political office. His interest in the cause of Christianity was vital and unflagging and bis faith was that of the Methodist Episcopal church. He was one of the charter members of Grace church, whose spiritual and temporal affairs received his devoted care and support until the close of his honorable and useful life. He held various official positions in the church, and a quarter of a century practically represents the period of his incumbency as class-leader of his church. He was a man of lofty ideals and spotless integrity, and in his death, on the 16th of June. 1900. the community in which he had passed his entire life was called upon to mourn the loss of one of its noblest and most valued citizens, while to those associated with him in the sacred CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 19 ties of the home his memory will ever rest as a benediction that follows ■ after prayer and bespeaks true spiritual exaltation. On the 22d of November, 1855, was solemnized a marriage which united the life destinies of Air. Colwell and Miss Malinda M. McCom- sey, who survives him and who remains in the home so hallowed by the associations of the past. She was born near Median Ksburg, Cham- paign county. Ohio., the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Burnside) McComsey, who were early settlers of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Col- well became the parents of two children, — Elizabeth, who died at the age of six years; and Max F., who is the wife of Frank Ross, of Chi- cago, Illinois. ISAIAH P. K1ZER. Isaiah P. Kizer, a member of the firm of Kizer & Long, prom- inent lumber dealers of Saint Paris, is a member of a prominent old pioneer family of Champaign county. His paternal grandfather. Jo- seph Kizer, was horn in Shenandoah county, Virginia, and was there married to Catherine Comer, a daughter of David Comer also of the Old Dominion. Two children were born to them in that commonwealth, Peter and Daniel, and afterward the family started with teams and v igi ns for the Buckeye state, arriving about 1S1 1. and on the journey they were accompanied by the Comer family. They took up their abode in the locality near Millerstown, where a few Virginia families had pre- viously settled, and there Mr. Kizer entered a tract of heaivily timl government land, on which he erected a cabin and began life in true pioneer style. Five children were added to the family circle in this state. — Benjamin. Philip. Charles. Martin and Polly. The daughter be- came the wife 1 f Jacob Rhoades, but the children are now all deceased. 20 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Joseph Kizer wa.s a representative and progressive citizen and a very prominent man in his locality. For many years he held the office of justice of the peace, and in the latter part of his life became a member of the Baptist church, dying in that faith at the age of eighty-nine years. His wife was called to her final rest when she had reached the eightieth milestone on the journey of life. Benjamin Kizer, the father of him whose name introduces this re- view, was Born on the old Kizer homestead near Millerstown, Champaign county, in 1813, and was there early inured to the labors of field and meadow. He was a very studious youth, and largely through his own efforts succeeded in fitting himself for the teacher's profession, proving himself an able instructor along the lines of mental advancement. On the 2 1st of November, 1844. he was united in marriage b 1 Mary, a daugh- ter of Isaac and Catherine ( Wiant ) Pence, and three children were born of that union. — Isaiah P., Sarah C. who married Samuel McMorran, and Ira, deceased. The wife and mother was called to the home be- yond on the 2d of December, 1853. and on the 4th of February, [855, the father married Matilda Guss, by whom he had three children. — Frank. Charles O. and Elmer Grant, but the eldest is now deceased. For twenty-one years Mr. Kizer served as a justice of the peace in Johnson township, and also held many other township offices. He was a prac- tical and successful farmer, and at his death left to his family about three hundred acres of land. Up to the time of the Civil war he gave his po- litical support to the Democracy, but from that time until his death \ 1 ited for the men and measures of the Republican party. He was a man of deep religious convictions, and from early life a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, having been active in the organization o>f that denomination in Saint Paris and also in the erection of its house of worship. He filled every office within the gift of that church with CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 21 the exception of Sunday-school superintendent, and in its faith he passed away on the 6th of December, 1884, but is still survived by his widow. Isaiah P. Kizer, of this review, supplemented the knowledge gained in the common schools by a year's course in the Wittenberg College, of Springfield, Ohio. On the 2d of May, 1864, while serving as a member of the Ohio National Guard, Governor Brough called for troops to serve one hundred days and his command was organized into the government service, becoming the One Hundred and Thirty- fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and Mr. Kizer became z. member of Company I. With his regiment Mr. Kizer was on duty principally ini Virginia, in the vicinity of Richmond and Petersburg, and. on the expiration of his term of en- listment received an honorable discharge and returned to his home. On again taking up the duties of civil life he resumed the teacher's pro- fession, which he followed until his marriage. On the 27th of Feb- ruary. 1868, he came to Saint Paris, where he embarked in the lumber business with H. H. Long, which relationship has continued through thirty-four years. For twenty years Mr. Kizer has also been a director in the First National Bank of Saint Paris. Few men have become more prominent or widely known in this enterprising little city than he. In business circles he has long been an important factor and his popularity is well deserved, for in him are embraced the characteristics of an un- bending integrity, unabating energy and industry that has never flagged. On the 14th of November, 1867, he was united in marriage to Asenath Carey, a daughter of Isaac and Rosana Carey, and six chil- dren have blessed the union, namely: Alta, now Mrs. J. E. Kite; Elma, wife of W. L. Hunt: Delia, at home; and Mary, Benjamin and Grace, who have passed away. Since their early youth Mr. and Mrs. Kizer have been members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he has filled all of the offices and for ten years was superintendent of the Sun- day r -school. He has ever been loyal to the duties of citizenship and has 2 2 CENTENNIA L BIOGRA PHICA L HIS TOR Y. given an unwavering support to the principles of the Republican party, while for nine years he served as a member of the school board and for a time was the efficient city clerk. Socially he is a member of Pharos Lodge. No. 355, F. & A. M., and of H. C. Scotl Post, Xo. in. G. A. R. LEWIS BRITTIN. Lewis Brittin is one of the pioneer farmers of Champaign county, his home being pleasantlv and conveniently located a mile east of Me- chanicsburg on the Milford and Mechanicsburg pike. For four score years he has been a witness of the growth and progress of this portion of the state, for he was born in Goshen township, Champaign county, May 12, iS_»o. His father, John Brittin. was a native of Berks county, Pennsylvania. When a young" man he went to Virginia and subse- quently came to Ohio, settling on the Scioto river in Ross county, nine miles south of Chillicothe. About 1804 he arrived in Champaign county and was one of the first men to take tin his abode in what is now Goshen township. He settled in the midst of the green woods and built a log cabin, in which he lived in true pioneer style. The Indians in motley garb still stalked through the forests, claiming dominion over this por- ton of the country and wild animals were numerous, but gradually the accessories of civilization were introduced and the animals and red men were driven further westward. He was quite prominent in an early day and gave the land which was used as a burying ground. His death occurred in May. 184'). He gave his political support to the Democracy, served as a justice of the peace and was a very prominent and influential man of his day. In the Baptist church he held membership. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary Parker, was of German lineage, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 23 her parents having came from the fatherland to the new" world, making a settlement in Pennsylvania. Mrs. Brittin lived to he about eighty years of age and by her marriage became the mother of three children. Lewis Brittin is the eldest and only one now living. He was reared in I ioshen township and when a buy pursued his education in an old log school house,, into which light was admitted through greased paper windows. The seats were made of slabs and the floor of puncheons, and the large fireplace occupied almost one entire end of the building. It was so large that a log five feet long could be placed therein. Mr. Brittin spent about three months each year in school during a period of five years and each- winter was under the instruction of a different teacher. When eleven years of age he began to plow corn and from that time forward was an active factor in the work oif the fields. He remained at home, assisting in the farm work until his marriage and for one year thereafter. It was on the 22d of March, 1840, that Mr. Brittin was united in marriage to Elizabeth Brittin, who was born in Franklin county, Ohio, ten miles northwest of Columbus, in a place called Dublin, her natal daj being March 17, 1815. Her father, Benjamin Brittin, was born in Vir- ginia and her mother, who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Grace, was also a native of the Old Dominion, in which state they were mar- ried, removing thence to Franklin county about 181 2. In their family were eleven children. Mrs. Brittin being the seventh in order of birth. James Smith Brittin, who resides in Columbus, is her brother. She was reared 111 her native township and she, too, pursued her education in a log school house. The young couple began their domestic life upon his father's farm, but after a year removed elsewhere. Soon, however, they returned to the old homestead in order to take care of the aged father and mother, with whom they lived until John Brittin and his wife passed away. Our subject and his wife are now the oldest couple 24 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. of the county, having' lived together for more than sixty-two years. Four children came to bless their union, but only one is now living. Eda, a daughter married James Sceva and had one daughter, Dollie, who is the wife of Dell Gross. Margaret is the deceased wife of Jacob Chid- ester and they have had three children. Walter, Eda and Emma. Walter, a sun of Mr. and Mrs. Brittin. married Lizzie Clark. The only surviv- ing member is Wilson Shannon, who resides upon a farm in Goshen township and is an enterprising agriculturist. He served for three years as a Union soldier in the Civil war. He married Elizabeth Laferty and they have three children — Clark, Alice and Lewis. There are also three great-grandchildren, namely: Dorothy Guy, Brice Brittin and Isabell Brittin. Mr. Brittin. of this review, gave his political support to' the Democ- racy until Franklin Pierce became a candidate of the party. He then joined the ranks of the new Republican party, casting his vote for Abra- ham Lincoln in i860 and again in 1864. Since that time he has never failed to vote for the Republican presidential candidates with the ex- ception of one time when he voted the Prohibition! ticket. For ten years he served as township trustee, at one time was justice of the peace and in all positions of public trust has been most faithful and loyal. Both he and his wife hold membership in the Christian church. He was a mem- ber of the Methodist Protestant church for some years and burned the brick to build the first church in Mechanicsburg. He is one of the pioneer settlers of Champaign county and one of its most honored and respected men. He to-day owns a valuable farm of one hundred and eighteen acres, upon which he has long resided. He has now reached the age of eighty-two years and because of his upright, useful and hon- orable life, he can look back over the past without regret and fi rward to the future without fear. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 25 FRANKLIN PRINTZ. From a very early period in the history of the Buckeye state Frank- lin Printz has been prominently identified with this section, and now in his declining years he is practically living- retired, crowned with the veneration and respect which should ever be accorded to honorable old age. His paternal grandfather, Frederick P. Printz, was born in Ger- man) - , but in a very earlv day he came to this country, taking up his abode in Pennsylvania. During the Revolutionary war he served for eight years as a brave and loyal soldier, and his death occurred in the Keystone stale when he had reached the age of seventy years. Daniel P. .Printz, the father of him whose name introduces this review, also claimed Pennsylvania as the state of his nativity, and as a life occupation he chose that of a farmer. In 1825 he left his Pennsyl- vania home for Clark county, Ohio, where for three years he farmed on rented land, and then purchased a tract of one hundred and sixty acres in Miami county. Later he became the owner < f a farm, which is now- included in the corporate limits of the. city of Springfield, and there he passed away in death at the age of sixty-eight years. His life was most honorable and upright, and commanded the respect of all who knew him. For his wife Mr. Printz chose Lizzie Heaton, a native of Penn- sylvania, whose parents also came to this country from the fatherland. Unto this union were born twelve children, namely: Angeline. deceased; Franklin; Elizabeth, deceased; Sarah; Daniel, deceased: Susan: Mary; John, deceased; Rebecca, deceased; Catherine, deceased: Henry: and James K. Franklin Printz. of this review, was but five years of age when he was taken by his parents to Clark county. Ohio, and in the common schools of his locality received the educational advantages which he enjoyed in his youth. On taking up his abode in Champaign county he 26 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. located on the farm which is still his home, and as an early pioneer and successful agriculturist is well and favorably known throughout the com- munity. He has been twice married. His first wife bore the maiden name of Catherine Gordan, and she was born in Clark county, Ohio. On the 14th of March. 1877, she was called to her final rest, leaving one son. Scott, who is now a prominent resident of Champaign county. September 4, 1879, Mr. Printz was united in marriage to Emma Brus- man, a native of the city of Dayton, where she was also reared and edu- cated, and at the age of sixteen years she accompanied her parents on their removal to Urbana. Her parents were both natives of Pennsyl- vania, but were among the early pioneers of Clark county, Ohio. In their family were five children, as follows: Charles, deceased; Mrs. Printz; Elda and Elizabeth, deceased; and Horace. Mr. Printz gives his political support to the Democracy, and religiously he is an active worker and leading member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Urbana. *-++ ADAM NEER. Adam Neer, living in Saint Paris, Champaign count)-, was born in Logan county. Ohio, May 7, 1843. His father, George Neer, was born in Licking county, Ohio, in 1817, and his death occurred at his home in Bellefontaine, on the 18th of November, [901. He was of German descent, his father, Adam Neer, having been born in that coun- try. For his wife he chose Anna Karnes, their wedding having been celebrated on the 4th of August, 1842, and she was called to the home beyi nd March 18, 1894. She was the eldest of eight children, six sons and two daughters, born unto Michael and Rhoda Karnes, and during her early life she lived among the Indians near Cherokee. Logan county. > o >< S IS fd b 2 a ts is fd CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 29 Adam Neer, the eldest son of his parents' ten children, six daugh- ters and four sons, received his elementary education in the district schools of Logan county and later became a student in the school in Bellefontaine, while during the summer months he assisted his father in the work of the farm. In early life he evinced a talent for mechanics, and as he grew in stature and years his bent in that direction was cor- respondingly developed and when yet in his "'teens" he conceived a number of original mechanical ideas which later on took practical and definite form. On the 30th of April, 1867, he was granted a patent on a dumping device for unloading wagons, and with this he traveled for a number of years, selling territorial rights. In 1872 he was allowed a patent on a pitman connection for reapers and mowers, a device of unquestionable merit, and in 1882 he perfected and had patented an anti-rattling buggy coupling. On the 7th of June, 1898, he was allowed a patent on a corn harvester, a machine which easily takes precedence over any other of its kind in use. It is of one-horse draft, cuts two rows at a time and with it two men can easily cut and set up two hundred shocks in a day. It works equally well in large or small corn, and Mr. Neer has testimonials from farmers over the entire country who speak in words of highest praise of this invention. In 1897 he arranged with a manufacturing company to introduce his machine on a royalty contract, but this company succeeded in defrauding him of the royalty on several hundred machines, they having put out the harvesters under their own name and rendered no account whatever to Mr. Neer. In December, 1901. he brought suit against this company under the original contract, and although he was successful in the suit he only obtained a settle- ment for fourteen machines, and now has a suit pending in the federal court for forty thousand dollars damages against H. L. Bennett & Com- pany, one-half of which is in favor of the United States for violation of the patent laws. 3o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. After his marriage, in 1873, Air. Neer moved to a farm three miles east of Saint Paris, hut in 1877 sold this place to George W. Kite and purchased a tract of fifty acres just west of his first farm, purchasing the land of William Kite. Disposing of this farm to Simon Snapp in the spring of 1880, he bought ninety-five and a quarter acres two miles southwest of Belief* mtaine, on which he took up his abode on the 1st of March of that year. On the 16th of August, 1883. he again disposed of his possessions, after which he bought sixty-five acres of land three and a half miles southeast of Saint Paris, purchasing the property of his father-in-law. William Kile, and on which he erected an attractive and commodious residence in 1884, while later, in 1888, he further im- proved the place by building a substantial barn. In the spring of 1887, however, he left his farm ami moved to Urbana, where for a short time he was engaged in the restaurant business, but again desiring to take up the quiet duties of the farm he disposed of his restaurant and returned to his country home. From August, 1893, until the 1--1 of November, 1893. lie was employed by the Milsom Rendering and Fer- tilizer Company, of Buffalo, New York, whom he represented in western Ohio and Indiana, his work being to establish agencies and to look after collections. On the 10th of February, 1896, he removed to 1 Saint Paris, where he is now living. Mr. Neer is now extensively engaged in the manufacture of the corn harvester in the Neer Manufacturing Com- pany, of Saint Pari-, Ohio, of which shen town- ship, was horn in this township on the nth of November; 1838. His father. Tatom Coffey, was a native of Pennsylvania, burn in Lancaster county, whence he came with his parents to Ohio, settling in Clark county. After the family located there a daughter — a sister of Tatom Coffey — was born, being the first while child born in Pleasant township. The grandfather of our subject was Joseph Coffey, an honored pio settler of Clark county, who developed a farm there in the midst of the forest. It was upon diat place that Tatom Coffey was reared, and in 1 82 1 he came to Champaign county, locating in Goshen township, where he spent his remaining days, passing away at the age of seventy- seven. In politics he was a Whig and a stanch Republican, becoming identified with the latter party after the dissolution of the former. In religious faith he was a Baptist and took an active and helpful interest 32 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. in the work of the church to which he belonged. He married Rebecca Roberts, who was born in Clark county, Ohio, where her parents had located in pioneer times, her father being William Roberts. Mrs. Cof- fev died in 184 2. She had become the mother of eig'ht children:, six sons and two daughters, of whom seven reached mature years, while five of the number were married. Joseph Coffey was the youngest and was only five years of age at the time of his mother's death. He remained with his father, however, until the fall of 1861, when, prompted by a spirit of patriotism, he responded to his country's call for aid, enlisting in Company I, Sixty- sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, as a private. He was promoted to the rank of corporal, however, and served for three years, two months and eight days, participating in fifteen of the most hotly contested battles of the war, including Port Republic, Cedar Mountain, Antietam, Gettys- burg, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Ringgold, Kenesaw Moun- tain and the siege of Atlanta. He also went with Sherman in the cele- brated march to the sea, and received an honorable discharge at Savan- nah, Georgia, December 22, 1864, returning to his home with a most creditable military record. Mr. Coney then resumed farming upon the old homestead, where he remained until his marriage, which important event in his life occurred in 1865, the lady of his choice being Lydia A. Moody, a daughter of Moses and Maria (Guy) Moody. She was born in Madison county, Ohio, and there remained until twelve years of age, when she came to Champaign county with her parents. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Coffey have been born seven children: William S., born January 3, 1866; John V., born August 2, 1867; Guy U., born July 17, 1869; Sarah E., born Sep- tember 12, 1873; Martha A., born August 21, 1877; Mary E., born November 17, 1881 ; and Joseph M., born September 17, 1885. Of this number Mary E. died on the 27th of August, 1896. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 33 After his marriage Mr. Coffey remained on the old family home- stead for about four years and then located on a claim in Goshen town- ship, but after a year took up his abode on another farm, which was his home for two years. He next removed to a place east of Mechanics- burg, where he continued for four years and then settled upon the farm which is yet his place of residence. He here owns one hundred and seventy acres of well improved land, upon which is a pleasant dwelling, which he erected in 1894. He carried on general farming until within recent years, but is now largely living retired. He belongs to Baxter Post, No. 88, G. A. R.. and is a stanch Republican in politics. SAMUEL K. SOWERS. In section 12, Mad River township, is found one of the fine farm- steads for which Champaign county is justly celebrated, and this is the property of Mr. Sowers, who is known as one of the progressive agri- culturists and representative citizens of this section of the state. Samuel Rosier Sowers claims the old Keystone state as the place of his nativity, having been born in Perry county, Pennsylvania, near the city of Harrisburg, on the 28th of November, 1834. His father. Henry Sowers, was born in Maryland and was about six months of age when his parents removed thence to Perry county, Pennsylvania, where he was reared to maturity. He became a potter by trade, but devoted the greater portion of his life to agricultural pursuits, con- tinuing his residence in Pennsylvania until his death, at the age of four score years. He was a son of William Sowers, who likewise was born in Maryland, whence he removed to Pennsylvania in 1804, heing a farmer by occupation, and there he and his wife, who was also horn 34 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. in .Maryland, of German lineage, continued to make their home until their life labors were ended in death. The maiden name of our sub- ject's mother was Elizabeth Rosier, and she was born in York county, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Jacob Kosier, who was born in Adams county, that state, of German descent. Mrs. Elizabeth (Kosier) Sowers died in her eighty-second year, having passed her entire life in the Keystone state. Her two sons and three daughters all grew to years of maturity, and of them we give the following epitomized record : Isabel is the wife of George Bernheisel, of Cumberland county, Pennsyl- vania; Samuel K. is the immediate subject of this review; Jacob is a residenl of Perry county, Pennsylvania, as is also Amanda, who has never married; and Alary Ann is deceased. Samuel K. Sowers was reared in his native county and there received a common-school education, attending the district schools dur- ing the winter months and assisting in the work of the farm during the summer seasons. At the age of nineteen he gave inception to his independent career by securing employment in a gristmill, and lie was thus engaged for a period of about three years, after which he secured a clerkship in a mercantile establishment at Oxford, Pennsylvania, where he remained about one year. In the spring of 1859 he came to 1 hampaign county and became a clerk in the general merchandise estab- lishment of Jacob Aulabaugh in Westville, being thus employed about a year, when he entered into partnership with his employer, the associa- tion continuing about two years, at the expiration of which time, in [861, Mr. Sowers was married, and soon afterward located on his present farm, where he has ever since maintained his home, having been energetic, progressive and far-sighted in bis methods and having attained a high degree of success in his farming and stock-raising, while the improvements on his place are those characteristic of a model farm of the twentieth centuiy epoch. Mr. Sowers lias a fine farm of one CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 3 5 hundred and sixty-eight acres, and lie carries on diversified farming and also raises a high grade of cattle, horses and swine. In politics he has ever given a stanch allegiance to the Democratic party, and served as treasurer of Mad River township for one term, having been elected to this office for two terms and having given a most capable and economical administration of the fiscal affairs of the township. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in Urbana. and is one of the substantial and popular men of the county. On the 12th of December, 1861, Mr. Sowers was united in mar- riage to Miss Eunice E. Blose, who was born in Mad River township on the 28th of July, J 841, being the daughter of Daniel and Susan (Pence) Blose. Her father was an infant of about six weeks when his parents came to Mad River township, from Virginia, and located in the forest wilds of the early pioneer clays, and here he was reared to maturity and passed the remainder of his life. Susan (Pence) Blose was born in Mad River township, whence her parents came from Vir- ginia and became numbered among the early settlers in this township, which was then practically a virgin forest, while the Indians far out- numbered the white settlers in the locality. She became the mother of four children, of whom Mrs. Sowers was the third in order of birth and aliout three years of age at the time of her mother's death. .Mr. Blose subsequently married Miss Louisa Colbert, and they became the parents of eight children. Mrs. Sowers was reared in this county, attend- ing the district schools in her childhood and completed her educatio il discipline in the Urbana Seminary. Mr. and Mrs. Sowers have had five children, and of them we here enter brief record, in order of birth: Lillie V. is the wife' of Andrew J. Broyles, a merchant of Westville, this county, and they have five children, — Jean S., Lucv M.. Homer !>.. Eunice and Elizabeth; Daniel H. Sowers (who has one sun, David D.), who is a representative member of the bar of Columbus, married 36 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Elizabeth Deshler, a daughter of William G. Deshler, a prominent busi- ness man of that city ; Mary L. is the wife of Edward Taylor and the mother of three children, Helen M., deceased, Harry O. and Edgar S. Mr. Taylor is a successful farmer of this township and the son of Simeon Taylor, of whom mention is made on another page; John K., who is not married, is engaged in the lumber business in Columbus; and Emory, who is a graduate of the Ohio State University, at Colum- bus, is a scientific electrician and now located in Columbus. Since the above was written Mr. Sowers has passed away, having died June 24, 1902. DAVID W. TODD. David W. Todd, best appreciated as a lawyer, politician and soldier, and for many years a resident of Urbana, was born in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, December 31, 1835, a son of David and Sarah (Mc- Cormick) Todd, natives also of Pennsylvania. The father brought his family to Ohio in 1846, and while prospecting in Champaign county left them in the care of a brother in Warren county. Greatly impressed with the advantages to be found in this part of the state he settled the fol- lowing year in Pretty Prairie, near Urbana, where his death occurred in 1868. The first impressions of life and work gained by David W. Todd were on his father's farm, where he performed his share of the arduous duties, attending at the same time the district schools. His higher ed- ucation was acquired at Miami University, at Oxford, Ohio, from which he graduated in i860, and he thereafter studied law in the office of Shellabarger \- Goode. of Springfield, being admitted to the bar in 1863. Almost from the beginning of his practice in Urbana a fair measure of JJ CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 39 success came his way, and in the fall of the same year he was elected county prosecutor, and re-elected in 1865. From 1873 until 1875 he embarked upon a business venture as superintendent of the Urbana Ma- chine Works, but this proving" somewhat disastrous, he returned to law, and in October of 1878, was elected probate judge of Champaign county, serving in all four consecutive terms of three years each. This service performed, he again returned to his former professional allegiance, and has since assembled under his erudite and capable banner many import- • ant cases in the county and city. The same energy and devotion to duty apparent in the general life of Mr. Todd found emphatic expression in his Civil war career, during which he won the rank of colonel. He joined Company F. ■ >f the Sec md Ohio, which was organized at Spring-field, Ohio, and went to Columbus, from which they were ordered to Washington. D. C. At Lancaster they were mustered into the United States service. His enlistment occurred April 29, 1861, and he was mustered out of the three months' service July 31, 1861, at Columbus, Ohio. In 1862 he assisted in the organiza- tion of Company B, Eighty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, of which he was commissioned second lieutenant June 1, 1862, and later first lieu- tenant, after which he served as regimental quartermaster from June 16, 1862, until September 25, of the same year. He was mustered out at Camp Delaware. Ohio, and May 6, 1864, was commissioned lieutenant- colonel of the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer In- fantry. After participating in the first battle of Bull Run and many minor skirmishes, and in 1804 in the advance on Petersburg and Rich- mond, Virginia, he was again mustered out, August 31, 1864. S'nce the war Mr. Todd has been very active in Grand Army circles, and is a member of the W. A. Brand Post, Number 98, department of Ohio. In 1863 Mr. Todd married Virginia H. Hamilton, who died in 1868, leaving two children, Lee H, who is a merchant in Urbana ; and 40 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Robert M., a resident of Columbus, Ohio. In 1869 Mr. Todd married Ella W. Hovey. and of this union there are two children, Nancy H., the wife of Clarey Glessner; and Frank \Y., a newspaper reporter of this city. Mr. and Mrs. Todd are members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Todd is one of the foremost progressive elements of Urbana, and his professional standing is an enviable one. Courteous and faithful to clients, attentive to business, measuring professional duty and effort by recognition of obligations and ends attainable, together with available knowledge of legal principles and an aptitude in their application, all combine to bring him a creditable place among the positive forces of the bar. JOHN N. SMITH. John N. Smith, who is residing in Mad River township, was born in Warren canity, Ohio, March 1, 1846. His father, Stafford Smith, was a native of the same county and was a farmer by occupation, fol- lowing that pursuit throughout his entire life. He died at the age of seventy-two years. The family had been founded in the Buckeye state by the grandfather of our subject, who emigrated westward from New Jersey. The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Letitia Morgan and was also a native of Ohio. Her life span covered seventy years. Her lather, Ree^e Morgan, was a native oi Virginia and a brother of John Morgan, who made the raid into ( (hio at the time of the Civil war. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Smith were born nine children, five sons and four daughters, all of whom reached mature years, with the exception of one daughter who died when about fourteen years of age. John N. Smith is the eldest son and second child, and when about CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 41 two years old was taken by His parents to Clark county, Ohio, where he was reared and educated, attending the common schools. He re- mained at home until 1863, when he enlisted in the Civil war, respond- ing to the country's call for aid as a member of Company F, Forty- fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Later he enlisted in the Eighth Ohio Infantry and served for about two years and eight months as a private. He took part in many important engagements, including the battles of Lynchburg and Liberty. His command then proceeded to the Shenan- doah valley and he was under fire at the engagements of Cedar Creek and Winchester when Sheridan made his famous twenty-mile ride, rallied the Union forces and thereby turned the tide to victory. He was taken prisoner on the nth of January, 1865, at Beverly. West Virginia, and sent to Libby prison, where he remained for forty days. When cap- tured lie weighed one hundred and eighty pounds, and when released weighed but ninety-six. Afterward he was sent to Columbus, on a thirty days' furlough, and on the expiration of that period he rejoined his regiment at Philippi. West Virginia, being mustered out at Clarksburg. Virginia, on the 5th of August, 1865. He received an honorable dis- charge at Camp Dennison, near Cincinnati, and witli a most creditable record for valiant seivice he returned to his home in Clark county. Ohio. Mr. Smith there engaged in farming until 1868. when he came to Champaign county, settling in Mad River township, ami here on the 9th of September, 1869, he was united in marriage to Miss Martha E. God- dard, whose birth occurred in Mad River township, Champaign county, April 18. 1850. Her parents were the Rev. Jesse and Mary ( Edmisti m Goddard. Her father was born in Kentucky and when a young man came to Champaign county, settling in Mad River township. He was a minister 1 I the Methodist Episcopal church and his influence was marked throughout the community. His wife was born in Tennessee and there spent the first ten years of her life, after which she came to 42 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Ohio, her people settling in Pike township, Clark county. In the family were two sons and three daughters, of whom Mrs. Smith was the fourth in order of birth. She pursued her education in the district schools and was reared upon the home farm. Four children grace the union of our subject and his wife: Emory H. ; Elliott G., who married Edith Lutz; Nannie, at home; and Minnie, deceased. Mr. Smith is well known throughout Champaign county. Here he engaged in the operation of a threshing machine for thirty-six years and was also engaged in the agricultural implement business, selling farm machinery for more than twenty years. He likewise conducted a feed mill and sawmill for a number of years, and 'is now agent for Reeves & Company, threshers and engineers of Columbus, Indiana. He has given his time and attention also to the development and cultiva- tion of his own farm, and is a representative agriculturist of his town- ship. He votes with the Republican party and is a member of Powell Post, No. 381, of Tremont, Ohio, and is likewise identified with the Masonic fraternity, belonging to the blue lodge and chapter in St. Paris and the commandery in Urbana. He holds membership relations with the Knights of Pythias fraternity in Tremont; the Junior Order of American Mechanics and with Storm Creek Council, T. H., of Ohio. He is popular in fraternal circles and esteemed in social circles, and in all life's relations commands the respect and regard of those with whom he has been brought in contact. JAMES HENRY CHENEY. Collectively the farmer in whose hands has rested the fundamental development of communities, however great their ultimate commercial inclination, needs no epitaph to sound his praises in the ears of posterity. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 43 His accomplishments are an ever present blessing-, and it is sufficient that the acres wrested from primeval inactivity yield of their abundance with the coming of every summer, and that while factories burn and industries are crowded out of existence by the progress of science or the amalgamation of interests, the husbandman comes into his own with the sole hindrance of his own incapacity or the inclemency of the weather. And because of his inestimable services in all lands it may be said that the monument of the agriculturist is the luxury and opulence of the world, no matter how remote this happy state from his own fireside, and his enduring fame is the dignity of labor and the nobility of col- laborating with nature. Individually his sphere is enlarged or narrowed by his ability to cope with the political and governmental elements by which he is surrounded, and his personality is reflected in the condition of his fences and barns, his sanitation and cattle, his appreciation of modern improvements, and his tact and enterprise in bringing within the borders of his possession the pleasures and conveniences of present day existence. But the stable prosperity of this or any other section of the country cannot be noted solely from the standpoint of generaliza- tion. In the early days more than ordinarily astute and progressive minds came to Champaign county, and with splendid faith in its possi- bilities not only guided the plow, but raised their voices in the legislature in behalf of the most intelligent welfare of the community. A name associated with agricultural and political advancement through all the succeeding years since 1808 is that of Cheney, a family of pioneer and present distinction, and of which James Henry Cheney, one of the large land-owners of Champaign county, is a typical representative. In Union township, first pioneered by the Cheneys, James Henry Cheney was born in this county, December 1, 1839, a son of Jonathan and Rachel (Williams) Cheney, and grandson of Benjamin and Sarah (Cochran) Cheney. Accompanied by his wife, Benjamin Cheney left 44 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. his native state of Virginia in 1808, and on the backs of horses made the journey to his future home in Union township. He inherited no wealth, his besl possessions being an honest name, good business ability, strong intellect and nobility of purpose. The unsettled conditions had need of just such material for the furtherance of general activities, and Mr. Cheney soon made his influence felt to a conspicuous extent. His unsurpassed thrift and sagacity resulted in the accumulation of an estate comprising nearly two thousand acres, but up to the time of his death, in 1834, he never moved from his first location. As a politician he entered into all the important county undertakings, and was not only a justice iff (he peace for many years, but was a member of the lower house of the Ohio legislature for twelve years. His political career was char- acterized by incorruptible integrity, and his duties were discharged with rare discretion and fidelity and commendable zeal. The wife, whose life terminated soon after his own, was the mother of seven sons and (me daughter, and of these Jonathan, the father of James Henry Cheney, possessed many of the admirable traits of his father. Jonathan Cheney was bum on the paternal farm in Union township in August of 1816, and in 1836 married Rachel, daughter of John W. and Eleanor (Duval ) Williams. Of this union there were eight suns and three daughters. The life occupation of Mr. Cheney was stock-raising, and, like his sire, his interests extended bej-ond his fertile fields to the general improve- ment of the county. He also was a justice of the peace for many years, and for two years he represented his county in the state legislature. lie bad the faculty of recognizing and improving opportunities, and his death. .March 6, 1864, removed one of the honored, progressive and popular members of the community. At the present time James Henry Cheney controls nearly a thousand acres of line farm land in Champaign county, and his operations are on an extensive scale, both as to general farming and stock-raising. His CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 4 5 life has contained man}- elements of interest, and his man}" capabilities have connected him intimately with the latter day advancement of his locality. During the Civil war he served for a short time in Company E, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and is m w a member of the Stephen Baxter Post, No. 88, Department of Ohio, Grand Ami}' of the Republic. In i860 he married Beatrice S. 'Full is, daughter of Ezra C. and Sarah Elizabeth ( EdnDondston ) Tullis, natives respectively of Champaign county. Ohio, and Maryland. The paternal grandfather. Ezra Tullis, was a Virginian who removed to Ohio in the early days, and after living a few years in Warren county settled in Champaign county, which remained his home until his death. The parents of Mrs. Cheney were married in Champaign count}', thereafter settling in Goshen township, where she was born, and where her early days were spent. Her father was a very successful farmer and large kind-owner, and he was an influential man in the county up to the time of his death, in 1869, at the age of fifty-four years. His wife, who is now living with her daughter, Mrs. James Henry Cheney, still retains the mental alertness which rendered her such an invaluable aid to her husband in his early struggles, and a large share of his energy is devoted to work in the Methodist Protestant church, of which she has been a member for manv years. She is seventy- four years old, and is the mi ither of one son and one daughter, of whom the former, \\ illiam E. Tullis, died in the service of his country, July 9, 1864, while a soldier in Company C, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infan- try. To Mr. and Mrs. Cheney have been born the following children: E. E., of whom a personal sketch appears elsewhere in this work ; Brooke E.. who died at the age of twenty-seven; Lizzie R., who is the wo Marion L. Burnham ; and. William H., who is living with his parents. In 1875 Mr. and Mrs. Cheney left the farm near Mutual, upon which they had settled after their marriage, and took up their residence 4 6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. in Mechanicsburg that their children might receive better educational training. Both were fortunate in inheriting landed possessions, which, however, have been increased by wise management, and a scientific study of agricultural methods. For many years the Cheney home has been the center of gracious hospitality, the chatelaine thereof being a woman cf sterling traits of character and much tact, and who for years sang in the choir of the Methodist church. Mr. Cheney has maintained and even exalted the prestige established by earlier members of his family, yet he is withal an unassuming gentleman of the old school, and modestly bears his honors as one of the most public spirited and substantial citi- zens of the town and county. He is a Republican in national politics. ABSALOM C. JENNINGS. The history of a state as well as that of a nation is chiefly the chron- icles of the lives and deeds of those who have conferred honor and dignity upon society, whether in the broad sphere of public labors or in the more circumscribed, but not less worthy and valuable realm of in- dividual activity through which the general good is promoted. The name borne by the subject of this memoir is one which has stood ex- ponent for the most sterling personal characteristics, the deepest appre- ciation of the rights and privileges of citizenship, and is one which has been identified with the annals of Ohio history from the early pioneer epoch, when this now great and prosperous commonwealth lay on the verv frontier of civilization. Upon the personal career of our subject rests no shadow of wrong. His life was one of signal activity and use- fulness, his efforts being disseminated in various fields of endeavor and his success being' the direct sequel of his own discriminating and well ABSALOM C. JENHIHGS. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 49 directed efforts. He did much to promote the industrial prestige of champaign county, and here his name is held in lasting honor by all who know him. As a detailed record of the ancestral history appears in connection with the sketch of Edward Jennings, brother of our sub- ject, on another page of this work, it will not be necessary to recapitulate in this article. Absalom C. Jennings was a native son of the Buckeye state, hav- ing been born on a pioneer farm in Clark county, Ohio, on the 28th of February, 1815, being the second in order of birth of the five chil- dren of George and Jane (Chenoweth) Jennings, who emigrated from Virginia to Clark county, Ohio, in the year 18 14. Further details con- cerning them will be found in the sketch to which reference has already been made. All of the children are now deceased. Our subject was reared on the homestead farm and his early educational privileges were such as were afforded in the primitive district schools of the day. When a young man he came to Urbana. Champaign county, and here entered the employ of E. B. Cavalier, who was engaged in the general mer- chandise husiness. Here also he learned the saddlery and harness trade, and eventually he engaged in business in this line, at Marysville, Union county, Ohio, where he conducted a successful enterprise for a period of four years, being a natural salesman and a progressive and able busi- ness man, as was manifest in every portion of his long and honorable business career. In 1844 Mr. Jennings removed to New York city, where he was for two years in the employ of a leading merchant, J. L. Cochran. At the expiration of this period he associated himself with T. B. Read, under the firm name of Jennings, Read & Company, and engaged in the wholesale hat, cap, straw goods and fancy millinery busi- ness, the enterprise being conducted with consummate skill and discre- tion and proving successful. In 1859 Mr. Jennings disposed of his inter- ests in this concern and returned from the national metropolis to Cham- 50 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. paign countv, Ohio 1 , locating in Urbana. He had purchased a tract of land in this county, and after residing in Urbana for a time he removed to his farm, in Salem township, in order the better to supervise his in- terests there. He erected the "round barn" on the place, and the same remains as one of the landmarks of this section of the state. Here he became one of the pioneers in the introduction of the important enter- prise of breeding fine horses and Jersey cattle in the county, and through his vigorous and timely efforts there was given an impetus to these lines of industry that has continued to be felt to the present, the value of his initiative efforts being inestimable. His place was known as the Nut- wood Farm, and under his supervision became one of the noted stock farms of this section of the Union. He gave special attention to the raising and training of standard and thoroughbred horses and the breed- ing of the highest type of Jersey cattle, being exceptionally successful and acquiring an extensive and valuable' landed estate in the county. From 1874 to 1877, inclusive, Mr. Jennings was engaged in the dry- goods business in Springfield, this state, but after disposing' of this busi- ness he continued to devote his entire attention to his farming and stock interests in Champaign county until his death, maintaining his resi- dence in the city of Urbana. where his death occurred on the 10th of March. 1895, aiK ' where his widow still maintains her home, the beau- tiful residence being hallowed by the memories and associations of the past. In his political adherency Mr. Jennings was originally an old-line Whig, but upon the organization of the Republican party he transferred his allegiance to the same and thereafter continued to support its prin- ciples and policies. While he was public-spirited and every ready to co-operate in any enterprise for the promotion of the general good, he never aspired to the honors of public office, holding his business interests as worthy of his undivided attention. He was beyond the age limit CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 5> of military service at the outbreak of the Rebellion, but manifested his loyalty and deep patriotism by sending two men into the service at his personal expense. He was broad and tolerant in his views, having a high regard for basic religious principles, though he never became a member of any church. He was however, a liberal contributor to the support of the Presbyterian church, of which Airs. Jennings has long been a de- voted adherent. Fraternally he was identified with the Masonic order and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His integrity of purpose was beyond cavil, in person he was genial and courteous, winning warm and enduring friendships, and in all the relations of life he stood as an upright, high-principled gentleman, commanding the respect and esteem of all with whom he came in contact. On the 26th of November, 1839, Mr. Jennings was united in mar- riage to Miss Julia A. McXay. who was born in Logan county, Ohio, the daughter of David and Rhoda (Wilcox) McXay, natives respectively of Kentucky and Xew York, from the former of which states they came to Ohio in the pioneer days, settling in Logan county. Mr. and Mrs. Jennings had no children. JOSEPH CHAMBERLIX. Few. if any, of the old residents of Champaign county have done more for its improvement in every direction than has the subject of this narrative. He was born in Livingston county, Xew York, on the 9th of May, 1834, and is a son of John and Sarah (Bodine) Chamberlin, also natives of that commonwealth and both descended from old colonial families. The founder of the family in America came from England with his wife and three children, and he was subsequently drowned in a whirlpool off the coast of Xew Jersey. His three sons settled in 52 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. different parts of the United States, one locating in New England, one in the southern states and one in New Jersey. The great-grandparents of our subject were Joseph and Amy Chamberlin. Their son William, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Hunterdon county. New Jersey, in October, 1772, and on the 10th of June, 1793, he was united in marriage to Elizabeth Duckworth, and they had twelve children, eight sons and four daughters. In 1834 the family came to Ohio, locating on a farm at Vienna, Trumbull county. His death occurred on the 19th of March, 1 85 1 , when he had reached the age of seventy-eight years. John Chamberlin, the father of him whose name introduces this review, was born in New Jersey on the 10th of March, 1796, and in the state of his birth, on the 3d of March, 181 7, he was united in marriage to Sarah Bodine, by whom he had twelve children, — Matilda; Mary; Eliza- beth; Ann; Sarah Jane; John V. R. ; Emma and Hope, of Illinois; Joseph, of Ohio; Effie; and Angelina and William, both of Kansas. In 1854 the family came to Champaign county, locating in Woodstock, where the parents spent the remainder of their lives. The father was an Adventist in his religious belief, and the mother was a member of the Presbyterian church. Joseph Chamberlin, of this review, received his elementary educa- tion in the public schools of Livingston county, and afterward attended the high school of Rochester, New York. When a young man he came with his parents to Woodstock, Ohio, where he was successfully engaged in mercantile pursuits for fifteen years, both before and after the Civil war, and during that time he also took large contracts for building gravel roads, having constructed in all fifty-three and a half miles of gravel road in Champaign, Logan and Union counties. In 1861, at the out- break of the Civil war, he enlisted in the Sixty-sixth Ohio Regimental I !and. in which he served until August, 1862, and during that time was a member of the Army of the Potomac, operating in Virginia. Dur- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 53 ing his army service he contracted rheumatism and heart trouble, and this necessitated his discharge at the above mentioned date, after which he returned to his home and resumed his mercantile business, thus con- tinuing until 1S80. In that year he received the nomination for the office of county sheriff, to which he was elected in the following Novem- ber, and so ably did he discharge the duties incumbent upon him in that important position that he was unanimously elected for a second \erm. His services therein were particularly appreciated by the Champaign county bar, who presented him with a gold-headed cane, bearing the in- scription "To Joseph Chamberlin, Sheriff, by the Bar of Urbana, Ohio, January 3. 1885," General Young making the presentation speech. Prior to his election to that office he had served his township as its treasurer for eleven vears. and for a long period he ably served as a constable. The cause of education has ever found in him a warm friend, and it was principally through his instrumentality that the special school district of Woodstock was organized, and he was also active in placing the cemeteries under the power of cemetery trustees. Mr. Chamberlin framed both bills, and it was through his influence that they were carried into effect. Six years ago he was made a notary public, and he is also a pension agent, discharging the duties of both positions to the entire satisfaction of all concerned. His farm, located in Rush township, com- prises one hundred and forty-five acres of rich and productive land, and all is under an excellent state of cultivation and improved with good and substantial buildings. Mr. Chamberlin was married on the 6th of January, 1859, "hen Miss Harriet Smith became his wife. She is a daughter of Jesse and Minerva Smith, of Woodstock, Ohio. The father was born in Wood- stock, Vermont, a son of Samuel and Phoebe (McCutcheon) Smith, also natives of that state, and the latter was of Scotch descent. Samuel Smith was the founder of the family in Champaign county. He was 54 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. accompanied on the journey here by his wife and one child, Cyrus, and his brothers, and they arrived in Woodstock in 1820, where they were the first settlers. The family purchased a large tract of land in the vicinity of that village, where they made their permanent home. Unto Samuel and Phcebe Smith were born the following children: Cyrus, Jesse, Lois, Stephen and Amy, and all were born in this county with the exception of the eldest, who was born ere the family removed from their old Vermont home. The father was only permitted to enjoy his new home a few )ears, for his life's labors were ended in death about 1827. His brother, Jesse Smith, was an officer in the war of 1812, while another brother, Stillman, was killed at the battle of Fort Niagara, and Samuel was also a soldier in that war, in which he participated in the battle of Plattsburg. Jesse Smith, the father of Mrs. Chamberlin, married Mary M. Thomas, a daughter of Gardner and Thankful Thomas, who removed from near Stowe, Vermont, to Champaign county, Ohio, in 1834, locat- ing on a farm in Rush township, where they made their home for many years. He, too, was a soldier in the war of 181 2, and was at the battle of Plattsburg. He subsequently removed to Illinois, and there died at the home of a son. After the birth of their ten children Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Smith removed to Union county, Indiana, where they both died, the father in 1880 and the mother in 1872. Their children were: Helen, Harriet, Calvin. Phcebe T., Eliza A., Charles A., Ida L. Clarence M. J., Carroll and Solon H. Unto the union of our subject and wife have been born the following children: Charles, who was born October 2, 1859. am ' died on the 14th of October, i860; Sarah, who was born August 24, 1861, and is the wife of Lincoln Burnham, of Goshen town- ship. Champaign county; Jessie Helen, who was born June 4, 1865, and died August 10, 1865; Harriet Maude, who was born December 9, 1874, and married C. K. Lincoln, of Rush township: and Bell, win was born lime 3, 1881, and died July 21 of the same vear. Mr. Chamberlin CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 55 is identified with the Masonic order, being a charter member of Cham- paign Lodge, No. 525, of Urbana, is a member of Woodstock Lodge, No. i-'j, I. O. O. F., and is also a charter member of W. A. Brand Post. G. A. R., of Lrbana. Politically he is a lifelong Republican and is an active worker in the ranks of his party. Mrs. Chamberlin is a member of the Universalist church. SAMUEL SLUSSER. An able representative of the agricultural interests of Champaign county is Mr. Slusser, whose finely improved and attractive farmstead is eligibly located in Johnson township, while he is known as one of the progressive and representative citizens of the community. Mr. Slusser is a native son of the old Buckeye state, having been born on a farm in Miami county, Ohio, on the 25th of October, 1829, the date signifying that he is a representative of one of the pioneer families of the state. His father, Peter Slusser, w : as born in Virginia, whence he emigrated to Miami county. Ohio, when a young man and subsequently to the war of 1812. in which he was an active participant. In Montgomery count}', this state, was solemnized his marriage to Miss Mary McFadden, who was born and reared in Pennsylvania, and they became the parents of six children, namely: David, who is deceased; Samuel, who is the immediate subject of this review; Charlotte; Mary Ellen: and two who died in infancy. When our subject was a child of four years the family came to Champaign county and located on the farm which he now makes his home, the place having been at the time heavily timbered and having 56 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. no improvements. The father cleared a portion of the tract of eighty acres and became the owner of an estate of sixty-five acres. Here lie devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred in the year 185 1, after which the estate was divided among the heirs. The mother of our subject passed away in 1890. Mr. Slusser now has an excellent farm of sixty-five acres, the land being exceptionally prolific and having appreciated in value by reason of the discriminating care taken in its improvement and cultivation. He has practically passed his entire life on this old homestead, and his early educational advantages were such as were afforded in the district schools maintained in the pioneer epoch. In politics he gives his support to the principles and policies of the Democratic party, and he and his family are devoted members of the Mount Pleasant Baptist church, of which our subject is a trustee arid one of its most valued members, having been actively identified with the erection of the present church edifice, while his influ- ence has ever been cast on the side of all worthy undertakings and causes. He is one of the county's honored pioneer residents and has the esteem of all who know him. On the 2d of November. 1856, Mr. Slusser was united in marriage to Miss Louisa Jenkins, who was born in this county on the 15th of August, 1820,, the daughter of Edden and Elizabeth (Pence) Jenkins, both of whom were born in Virginia, their marriage being solemnized in Champaign county. Thev became the parents of twelve children, of whom only two are now living, Mrs. Slusser having been the seventh in order of birth. Our subject and his estimable wife, who has been his devoted companion and helpmeet for nearly a half century, have three children, all of whom were born on the old homestead. Mary E. is the wife of .Andrew Jordan, of Johnson township; John is engaged in farming in Jackson township; and Corey is a successful farmer of John- son township on the old homestead. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 59 EDWARD JENNINGS. To have attained to the extreme fulness of years and to have had one's ken broadened to a comprehension of all that has been accomplished within the flight of many days, is of itself sufficient to render consonant the consideration of such a life in a work of this nature, but in the case at hand there are more pertinent, more distinguishing- elements, — those of usefulness, of high honor, of marked intellectuality, of broad humanitarian spirit and of well earned success, — which lift in high regard the subjective personality of one who has ever stood four square to every wind that blows. No shadows darken any period of the long and honorable life of the venerable subject of this review, who has now passed the age of four score years and ten. and his has been the advantage of an ancestry typical of all that makes for integrity and true worth. A resident of the city of Urbana, where many years of his life have been passed, though his efforts have been desseminated over a wide field of business enterprises in various sections of the Union, this patriarchal citizen is known to practically every member of the community and to him is granted that reverence due to so advanced age and to one whose life has been of signal integrity and honor. No record touching the life histories of the representative men of Champaign county would be con- sistent with itself were there failure to revert to the career of Edward Jennings. Back to that cradle of much of our national history, the Old Dominion state, must we turn in tracing the genealogy of our subject, and it is found that he was born in Berkeley county, Virginia (now West Virginia), on the 1st of April, 181 1, being the eldest of the five children of George and Jane (Chenoweth) Jennings and the only one living at the present time, the other children having been Absalom C. (elsewhere mentioned in this work). Amy Jane, Sarah C. and Nancy C. 60 CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. The parents of our subject were both born in Berkeley county, Virginia, whence they came to Ohio in the year 1814, locating on a tract of land in Clark county, where the father reclaimed a farm from the forest wilds, in later years he became interested in farming, and while on a business trip in connection therewith met an accidental death, being drowned in the Ohio river, about the year 1825. About nine years later his widow moved to Urbana, where she passed the residue of her life, being sum- moned into eternal rest in 1876. She was a woman of gentle and noble character, a zealous worker in the Baptist church, exemplifying her Christian faith in the daily walk of life, and winning the love of a large circle of devoted friends. Edward Jennings was about four years of age at the time of his removal to Ohio, and was reared on the old homestead farm in Clark early beginning to contribute to the work of the same and having such educational advantages as were offered in the primitive log school-lion^ ■ of the period. Upon attaining the age of seventeen years he left the home farm and came to Urbana, where he found employment in the general merchandise store of E. B. Cavalier, one of the pioneer business men of the town, fie was thus engaged for a period of five years, at the expira- tion of which he removed to Circleville, Pickaway county, where he held a clerkship about one and one-half years, proceeding thence to Chilli- cothe, where he secured an interest in a general store and also engaged in the grain business, disposing of his interests four years later, in 1837, and being for the next year at leisure, passing the greater portion of this interval in New' York city. In the meanwhile he entered into partnership with other citizens of Chillicothe, under the firm name of Wilcox, Barber & Jennings, and established the first wholesale dry-goods enterprise in that place, the firm becoming Wilcox & Jennings one year after the open- ing of the business. This enterprise was thus continued for six years, at the expiration of which Air. Jennings disposed of his interests and went CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 61 to New York citv, where he engaged in the same line of enterprise, under the firm name of Mozier, Jennings & Company, Mr. Mozier withdrawing at the end of two years, whereupon the firm became Tweedy, Jennings & Company. Two years later our subject sold out his interests, having in the meanwhile associated himself with his brother, Absalom C. and with T. B. Read, both of Urbana, in the manufacturing of straw hats and in the wholesaling of the products, together with hats, caps and fancy mil- linery, under the firm name of Jennings, Read & Company. Mr. Jen- nings gave no personal attention to this enterprise and finally withdrew from the firm, as did also his brother. He had acquired considerable real estate in Highland and Clinton counties, Ohio, and there he passed s< .me time in the supervision of his interests. Finally, owing to the im- paired health of his wife, he took her to Cincinnati for treatment and this led to his forming acquaintances in that city, where he finally secured an interest in a wholesale grocery business, which was conducted under the firm title of Jennings & Butterfield and later that of Jennings, Butter- field &: Clark. For nearly twenty years our subject continued to retain an interest in this business, which became one of importance. He con- tinued his residence in Cincinnati about five years and then came to Urbana. in 1859, where he has ever since maintained his home. — a term of more than forty years, within which he has been known as a public- spirited citizen, lending aid and influence in support of measures for the public good and contributing to the progress and material prosperity of the city, whose growth from the position of a primitive country town he has witnessed. Mr. Jennings has extensive landed interests in Cham- paign county, and when he came here in 1859 interested himself in the raising of high-grade stock upon a large scale, doing much to promote this line of industry in this section of the state. He owns what is known as the Governor Vance farm, one of the finest properties in the county, and also other valuable lands. While he has been a stanch adherent of 62 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. the Republican party from the time of its organization, Mr. Jennings has never sought political preferment and has invariably refused to permit his name to be considered in connection with candidacy for office. His life has been a successful one from every viewpoint, and his prosperity has been achieved by worthy means, thus retaining to him uniform con- fidence and esteem. He lives in a modest farm home, the same, however being within the city limits of Urbana. On the 4th of June, 1839, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Jennings to Miss Anna M. Bentley, who was born in Highland county, Ohio, the daughter of Colonel Eli P. Bentley, one of the pioneers of Highland county, but was living at Chillicothe at the time of her marriage. She proved a devoted companion and helpmeet to her husband, being a woman of sterling character and gentle refinement and holding the deep affection of those who came within the immediate sphere of her gracious and kindly influence. She passed away in April, 1890, at the age of sixty-seven years, having been a communicant of and zealous worker in the Protestant Episcopal church. Mr. and Mrs. Jennings became the parents of three sons and three daughters, of whom there are now living only the two sons, — Edward P. and George B. both of whom are resi- dents of Urbana. DAVID J. JOHNSON. David J. Johnson, a representative of a prominent old Virginia family and a leading agriculturist of Champaign county, was born in Frederick county. Virginia, May 11, 1820. In the Old Dominion his paternal grandfather was also born, and he was of Dutch descent. Amos Johnson, the father of our subject, claimed Frederick county as the place of his nativity, his birth there occurring on October 30, 1775, and he was o K o s p O W B t» O E CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 65 there reared and married. The year 1833 witnessed his arrival in the Buckeye state, his first location being in Licking county, but in the fol- lowing year he came to Champaign county, purchasing a farm near Kings Creek, Salem township. His death occurred in Wayne township, this county, when he had reached the eighty-fifth milestone on the journey of life. He was a life-long farmer, a member of the Christian church, and a supporter of the Democracy, fie was ever a loyal and progressive citizen, and was a soldier in the war of 1812. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary Groceman, was also a native of the Old Dominion, born in 1782, and she, too, was a member of a prominent old family of that commonwealth and of Dutch descent. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson be- came the parents of twelve children, eight sons and four daughters, all of whom grew to years of maturity and with one exception all were married. David J. Johnson, whose name introduces this review, is the eleventh in order of birth in the above family and the only one now liv- ing. When twelve years of age he left the county of his nativity, and in the following year came to Champaign county, where he received his education in the old time log school house. After his marriage he made his home in Salem for a time, but in 1848 located on the farm on which he still resides. He here owns seventy acres of rich and fertile land, all of which is under an excellent state of cultivation, and his fields annually return to their owner abundant harvests. In Salem township. Champaign county, on the 26th of February, 1845, Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Gutridge, who was born in that locality on the 3d of August, 1822, a daughter of Richard and Lucretia (Manus) Gutridge, prominent early settlers of this county. Four children have blessed the union of our subject and wife, namely: Eliza Jane, the wife' of Charles W. Hollingsworth. of Urbana; James I., who married Mary Norman and resides on the old 66 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. homestead ; Ella, the wife of L. R. Marshall, of Mingo, Wayne township; and S. Elizabeth, the deceased wife of John Nincehelser. Mr. Johnson has been a life-long member of the Democratic party, and for over fifty years has been a member of the Baptist church, in which he has long been an office holder. He has made good use of his opportunities through life, lias prospered from year to year and all who know him have the highest admiration for his good qualities of heart and mind. EMORY HEDGES. Aiming the native sons and representative farmers of Champaign countv the subject of this sketch enjoys marked prestige as one of the pioneer citizens and as one who has attained a high degree of success through his efforts in connection with the noble art of husbandry. He has nearly attained the psalmist's span of three score years and ten, but the vigor begotten of the free and invigorating life of the farm has warded off the encroachments of the years and he is a sturdy and active man and one who takes pleasure in the supervision of the work of his fine farmstead, which is located in Urbana township, in section 14. Mr. Hedges was born on the farm which is now his home, the date of his nativity having been June 1, 1833. His father. Jonas Hedges, was born in Berkeley county, Virginia (now West Virginia), and was there reared to maturity, having been an active participant in the war of 1812, alter which he married and came to Champaign county, Ohio, as one of its earliest pioneers. He located in Urbana township, in the midst of the forest wilds, and here cleared and improved a considerable tract of government land, having at one time owned the farm now owned by M. B. Saxbe, as well as that occupied by our subject, and having made improvements on both. He was an influential man in the pioneer com- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 67 munity, was originally a supporter of the Whig part}-, but transferred his allegiance to the Republican party at the time of its organization, and was thereafter an active worker in its local ranks, while he served for many years as justice of the peace and was also a member of the board of directors of the county infirmary. He and his wife were both zealous and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Jonas Hedges died in 1864, at the age of seventy-five years. He was a son of Samuel Hedges, who likewise was born in Berkeley county, Virginia, and there devoted his life to agricultural pursuits, having been a Whig in his political proclivities. The original American ances- tors came to this country in the year 1600, and representatives of the name may now be found in the most diverse sections of the Union. The maiden name of our subject's mother was Elizabeth Robinson, ami she also was born in Berkeley county, Virginia, of stanch old Irish stock. Jonas and Elizabeth Hedges became the parents of twelve children, all but three of whom were born after the family's removal to Champaign county, the subject of this sketch being the youngest. Emory Hedges had a somewhat extraordinary experience ere he had attained sufficient age to appreciate the same, and it is almost a miracle that he lived to learn of the incident. When he was a child ol eighteen months he fell into a well fifty-two feet in depth and was rescued uninjured. The early routine of his boyhood was not materially changed by reason of this accident, resulting from the venturesome spirit of inquisitive childhood, and he early began to assist in the work of the farm, while his educational training was secured in the public schools of the locality and period. He had completed his educational discipline at the age of nineteen years and thereafter continued to assist his father in the work of the old homestead until the time of his marriage, in 1 S 5 7 . when he removed to Clark county, this state, and was there engaged in farming for an interval of about eight years. His father's death 68 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. at this time brought about our subject's return to the present home- stead, which he inherited by the terms of his father's will, and here has he ever since been actively engaged in general farming and stock- raising, devoting special attention to the raising of a fine grade of swine. His farm comprises one hundred and twenty acres and the same has the best of permanent improvements and is under most effective cultivation, being one of the valuable places of this township. Mr. Hedges is a stalwart Republican in politics and has ever taken a proper interest in local affairs of a public nature. His first presi- dential vote was cast in support of General John C. Fremont, the first candidate of the Republican party, in 1856. He is now serving as trustee of his township and is one of the honored old settlers of the county. During the war of the Rebellion be was in service for one hundred days, having enlisted as a private in the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and he received his honorable discharge at the expiration of his term of enlistment. Mr. Hedges and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and he is at the present time a member of the board of trustees of his church. In December, 1857, Mr. Hedges was united in marriage to Miss Nancy G. Gener, who was born in this county. They have the foil' iw- ing children, namely: Henry, Nettie, Robert, Morley C, Mary and Anna, the eldest son being a graduate of the Ohio State University, at Columbus, and being now a successful teacher in the public schools. WINFIELD T. SHRIGLEY. For many years W. T. Shrigley has been identified with the agri- cultural interests of Champaign county. He was born in Coshocton coun- ty,Ohio, on the 31st of August, 1847, son of James and Eliza (Shaffer) MR. AHD MRS. WINFIELD T. SHRIG-LEY. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 71 Shrigley. The former, a coal miner by occupation, was a native of Ohio, of Dutch and Irish descent, and was a soldier in the war of the Rebellion. The mother was born in Loudoun county, Virginia, and was of German descent. In their family were three sons and two daughters. VV. T. Shrigley, the eldest in order of birth of five children, enjoyed the advantages afforded by the common schools of his*native county, and during the summer months assisted in the work of the home farm. On the 4th of April. 1883, he arrived in Champaign county, and immediately located on the farm on which he still resides. He has ever been an active worker in the ranks of the Republican party. In 1892 he was elected to the office of township trustee, and for six years served in that position, while for many years he has been a school director. At one time he en- listed in the independent militia, and later re-enlisted for a three years term, but on account of his age and size he was rejected, and he now holds an honorable discharge. In his social relations he is a member of the Junior Order of American Mechanics. On the 19th of October, 1880, Mr. Shrigley was united in marriage to Mrs. Rebecca J. (Loder) William-, a native of Coshocton county, Ohio, and a daughter of Aaron and Rebecca (Darling) Loder. Aaron Loder was born in Pennsylvania and remained there until the age of twelve or fourteen, when he removed to Coshocton county, Ohio, where he became a successful farmer and died at about the age of seventy-six years. His wife was born in Coshocton county, her father being James Darling, a farmer and stock-raiser, who achieved great success in that line of business. Mrs. Shrigley, the youngest of the ten children of Aaron and Rebecca Lcdei, was born in 1848, and in her native county she was reared to years of maturity. By her marriege to Mr. Shrigley she has became the mother of two children, — Winfield L., born December 30. 1882, at home; and Leatha May, born September 25, 1891, who is now eleven years of age. No one in the community enjoys a better repu- 72 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. tation for word or deed than Mr. Shrigley, and when a man stands high in the estimation of the people who have known him during the greater part of his life no greater testimonial to his worth can be given. ELIJAH PENCE. This well known and honored citizen of Champaign county has passed practically his entire life in Mad River township, and is a rep- resentative of one of the sterling pioneer families of the county. That the name became identified with the annals of Champaign county at an early period in its history is evident from the very fact that our subject was born here nearly eighty years ago, and he is particularly entitled to representation in this work, which has to do with those who have been the founders and builders of the count)'. Mr. Pence was born in Mad River township on the 9th of May, 1823, being the son of Henry Pence, who was born in Shenandoah count)', Virginia, where he was reared to maturity and where occurred his marriage to Elizabeth Mouser, who was likewise born in the Old Dominion state. Henry Pence was the son of Lewis Pence, who was one of the first settlers in Champaign county, as was also John Pence, who was his cousin. Loth settled in Mad River township, taking up govern- ment land and reclaiming farms in the heavily timbered region. Both the father and the grandfather of our subject died on the farm which is now his home, the same being located in section 8. The mother lived to attain the age of sixty-one years. She was a daughter of John Mouser, who likewise was one of the pioneer settlers of this county. Henry and Elizabeth Pence became the parents of two sons and three daughters, the subject of this sketch having been the third child and CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 73 the elder of the two sons. All the children were born on the old home- stead farm where he now lives and all attained years of maturity and were married. Elijah Pence grew up under the discipline of the pioneer farm- stead, earlv beginning to contribute his quota to the strenuous toil demanded in the reclamation and cultivation of the land, and receiving such educational discipline as was afforded in the primitive schools ot the earlv days. He remained at the parental home until his marriage, in 1849, and he then located on a tract of land which he had purchased in this township, there retaining his residence for about two years, at the expiration of which he disposed of his property and removed to Fayette coutny, Iowa, where he purchased a tract of land and there engaged in agricultural pursuits for a period of about fifteen years. He then removed to Audrain county, Missouri, where he purchased a farm, but he disposed of the same about eighteen months later and returned to Iowa, locating in Washington county, where he purchased a farm and there continued to reside for fifteen years, at the expiration of which he came to Champaign county once more, here effecting the purchase of his present fine homestead, which was the place of his birth, the land having been taken up by John Pence. Our subject has made the best of improvements on the old homestead, including a residence which is one of the best farm dwellings in the count}-. Mr. Pence now rents his farm and has practically retired from active labor, enjoying, in his venerable age, that quiet and dignified repose which is the just reward of years of earnest toil and endeavor. In politics he gives a stanch support to the principles and policies of the Republican party, and both he and his wife have long been devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church. On the 8th of June, 1849, Mr. Pence was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth J. Marklev, who was born in Maryland, whence her 74 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. parents emigrated to Champaign county when she was about three years of age. Her father, Andrew Markley, was born in Maryland in the year 1800, and he died when about thirty years of age. His wife, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Garloch, was likewise born in Mary- land, and she survived him many years, passing away at the age of sixty-eight. Mrs. Pence was the youngest in a family of four sons and two daughters and is the only survivor of the family. Our subject and his wife are the oldest couple in Mad River township, and they have been companions on the pathway of life for more than half a cen- tury. They are held in the highest esteem in the community, where their friends are in number as their acquaintances. They have no children. •-•-• ALFRED F. TAYLOR. One of the prominent and influential farmers and stock-growers of Champaign county is the gentleman whose name introduces this paragraph, and it is fitting that we incorporate a brief review of his career, which has been one of marked success and honor. Mr. Taylor is a native of Cambridgeshire, England, where he was born on the 8th of Nov ember, 1850, being the sou of George Taylor, who was likewise born in Cambridgeshire, whence he emigrated to America in the year 1851, and he located on a farm in Wayne county, Ohio, where he maintained his home for about fifteen years, having sent to England for his family in 1854. From Wayne county he removed to Ontario county, New York, where he lived for a number of years, but he now resides with his son William in Hillsdale county, Michigan, having attained the venerable age of eighty-three years. His wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Heigho, died in 1898. They CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 75 became the parents of eight children, namely : Edward, Henry, Will- iam, Alfred F., George, Arthur. Charles and Anna May. All are liv- ing except the daughter, who became the wife of William Burnett and died November 13, 1900. Alfred F. Taylor was about four years of age when he came with his mother tc America, and was reared on the paternal farmstead in Wayne county, his educational advantages being such as were afforded by the public schools of the locality. He assisted his father in the opera- tion of the farm until he had attained the age of twenty-one years, when he gave inception to his independent business career by engaging in the contract for getting out one thousand tons of plaster rock in Phelps township, Ontario county, New York, the contract being for the amount of seven hundred and fifty dollars. He thereafter continued to make his home in Ontario county until the spring of 1874, when he located in Summit county, Ohio, where he was associated with his brother Will- iam in farming', thus continuing for a period of three years. During the next three years he was employed by O. S. Burt, of Granger. Ohio, in the buying of produce, and he then passed a similar period in connec- tion with a grocery business in the city of Cleveland. After his mar- riage he was engaged as a traveling salesman until 1887. when he came to Champaign county and located on a farm one mile north of Wood- stock, and there continued to reside about three years, when he came to this county, where he now owns one hundred and seventy acres in Mad River township, which is one of the best places in this section of the county. He has devoted special attention to the raising of high- grade live stock, and is known as one of the leading stock-growers of this section of the state. Mr. Taylor is enterprising, progressive and energetic, and has attained a high degree of success through his well directed efforts, while his course has been such as to retain to him the confidence and esteem of all with whom he has come in contact. In 76 CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. politics he is a stalwart Republican, and fraternally is identified with Magrew Lodge, No. 433, Knights of Pythias, at Westville. He is a member of the schood board of his district and takes marked interest in all that concerns the progress and material prosperity of the o im- munity. In the year 1876 Air. Taylor was united in marriage to Miss Rachel Spensley, who was horn in Medina county, Ohio, and they have one son Edward T., who is associated with his father in the management of the farm. * • » WILLIAM F. HYDE, M. D. The true spirit of progress and enterprise is exemplified in the lives of such men as Dr. William Fulton Hyde, — men whose energetic natures and laudable ambition have enabled them to conquer many adverse circumstances and advance steadily to a leading position in business life. The Doctor is a worthy representative of this class, and is now- a prominent figure in the professional circles of Champaign count)'. Dr. Hyde was born in York township. Union county, Ohio, <>n the 23d of December, 1856, a son of John B. and Elizabeth ( Davis) Hyde, the former of English and the latter of Welsh and Irish descent, and both were born in the eastern part of Ohio. The father was a farmer by occupation, and his father, Samuel Hyd:, died during the removal of the family to Union county. The marriage of John B. and Eliza- beth (Davis) Hyde was blessed with nine children, five sons and four daughters, of whom the Doctor was the youngest in order of birth. His elementary education was received in the district schools of his native county, and later lie entered the Richwood high school, in which he CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 77 was graduated in 1S74. In order to defray the expenses of a medical education he then began farm labor, and after receiving the necessary means entered the Columbus Medical College, in which he was grad- uated in 1887. He immediately began the practice of his chosen call- ing in Bokes Creek, Union county, where he remained for six years, and since 1893 has been numbered among the medical practitioners of Christiansburg. His knowledge of the science of medicine is compre- hensive and accurate, and by the constant perusal of medical literature he keeps thoroughly abreast with the times. In 1875 Dr. Hyde was united in marriage to Sarah A. Monroe, a native also of Union county, Ohio, and a daughter of L. G. Monroe, one of the early pioneers of Logan county, this state. Mr. and Mrs. Hyde have three children, namely: Willard Blackborn, who is preparing for the medical profession at Columbus ; Stella Atlanta, a successful school teacher; and Maude Monroe, who is attending school. The Doctor was formerly a member of the Medical Society, and is also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Rebekah lodge and the Masonic fraternity. Religiously his membership is with the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he is an active worker, while in his political affilia- tions he is a stanch Republican. His fidelity to every duty of public and private life has gained him high esteem, ami his ability in the line of his profession has won him a gratifying financial success. JAMES W. BLACK. James W. Black is a well known farmer of Salem township, his home being in section 20 and within the borders of this township, his birth occurring October 28. 1S54. his parents being James and Caroline 78 CENTENXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. (Culbertson) Black. He is the youngest in a family of eight children and was reared in the place of his nativity, his education being acquired in the district schools. He worked on the home farm, the duties of field and meadow early becoming familiar to him through practical experience. He chose as a companion and helpmate for the journey of life Miss Lizzie Robbins, the marriage being celebrated on the 21st of December, 1882. The lady is a native of Logan county, Ohio, her birth having occurred in West Liberty, March 8, 1862. Her father, John W., was a native of New Jersey, and emigrated westward, taking up his abode in Logan county, Ohio, about 1857. By trade he was a blacksmith and long followed that pursuit, his death occurring when be was fifty-two years of age. His wife bore the maiden name of Rebecca Huff and her birth occurred in Hunterdon county, New Jersey. They became the parents of three children : Bell, the wife of J. R. Black, who is mentioned on another page of this volume: William, a resident of California ; and Mrs. James W. Black, of this review. She was reared in West Liberty and after her marriage went as a bride to the old Black homestead, the young couple taking up their abode in the house that his grandfather, Captain Alexander Black, had erected in 1818, our subject being a representative of the third generation to occupy this home. He carries on general farming and stockraising, and in con- nection with his brother owns and operates about six hundred acres of rich and arable land, his farming interests being crowned with a very creditable degree of success. He is also a stockholder and one of the directors of the Farmers Banking Company of West Liberty, and is financially interested in a business block at that place. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Black has been blessed with four chil- dren : Burr R., born in 1887; Geneva B., born in 1890; Howard C, born May 24, 1893; and Virginia, born August 23, 1901. Mr. Black votes with the Republican party and has served as a school director, but D v??/&. 'I homas is the eldest and the only survivor. Tjpon the home farm, where he is yet living, our subject was reared and his education was pursued in a log school house near by, seated with hewed log seats and supplied with a puncheon floor. As soon as old enough to handle a plow he began work in the fields and has since been an active factor in the cultivation of the soil. In connection with his brother he carries on a grain business, as a member of the firm of Ivan B. Thomas & Brother, their elevator being located in Kennerd. Mr. Thomas became connected with this line of commercial activity in 1866 and is still engaged therein, being the oldest grain merchant in the county. His operatic ins in this line, however, have not demanded all of his at- tention for he has always carried on farming. He is likewise one of the stockholders in the Citizens National Bank and has been one of its di- rectors from 1878 until the present year. 1902. In 187O Mr. Thomas was united in marriage to Lucretia Burnett, a native of Tuscarawas countv, Ohio, who was there reared and educated. Our subject and his wife now have four children: Edward B., Robert P., Mara and Roy J. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 83 For nine years Mr. Thomas filled the office of justice of the peace and the prompt and faithful manner in which he has ever discharged his duties has won him the confidence and commendation of all concerned . He is a stanch Republican, having voted for that party since he cast his first ballot for Fremont in 1856. He has also been judge of elections, acting in that capacity throughout the period of the Civil war. His fellow townsmen have often solicited him to become a candidate for county offices but he has always refused, preferring to devote his time and energies to his business interests in which he has met with very gratifying success. Under the call of then Governor Tod, of Ohio, for minute- men to protect the state at the time that General Kirby Smith was in Kentucky and threatening Cincinnati, our subject went as a private to the defense of that city and when the danger was over returned. In 1861, our subject belonged to the state militia, served as captain and retained that position until they were honorably discharged. JOHX W. YEISLEY. Rev. John William Yeisley, pastor of the Reformed church at Saint Paris, was born in Millmont, Union county, Pennsylvania. May 17. 1866, and is a son of Elias and Rebecca (Lenig) Yeisley. natives of Pennsylvania and of German descent. The family is an old colonial one and was founded in Northampton county, Pennsylvania, prior to the Revolutionary war. and some of its descendants still reside there. The father of our subject followed the tilling of the soil as a life occupa- tion and was a loyal soldier in the Civil war. He became the father of six children, three of whom are still living. The mother was called to 8 4 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. her final rest in 1901, she having been a member of the Lutheran faith. The boyhood days of John W. Yeisley were passed upon the farm, and in the public schools in Union county he received his elementary education. His knowledge gained therein was later supplemented by a course in the Central Pennsylvania College, of New Berlin, that state, in which he spent three years, and during the succeeding year he pur- sued his theological studies in the Reformed Episcopal Seminary, at Philadelphia. He next entered the Heidelberg Seminary, at Tiffin, Ohio, in which he also spent one year. For a similar period he was a student in Wittenberg Seminary. During these three years he regularly filled appointments as a student supply. He was licensed to preach at Hamil- ton, Ohio, in 1898, and a few days later, on the 17th of May. was ordained at Saint Paris, by Rev. D. Burghlater, now editor of the Christian World, the official organ of the church in the middle states, and by Rev. F. W. Hoffman, pastor of the First church at Tiffin, Ohio. In 1896 Rev. Yeisley came to Saint Paris as a student supply to the Tremont City charge, which he now serves and which includes three preaching stations. He has been eminently successful in his ministerial work here, as is shown by the fact that when he took charge of the church it numbered one hundred and thirty-seven members, but by indefatigable work he has increased the membership to nearly five hun- dred members, while in addition he has also greatly developed the finan- cial condition of the church, the property being now worth several thousand dollars more than when he took charge. He now has plans under way for the erection of a new church building at Saint Paris, which he hopes to carry out in the near future. Rev. Yeisley is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Saint Paris Lodge, No. 246, and with its Rebekah auxiliary at Saint Paris. He is also a member of the Crystal Lodge of the Knights of Pythias at York, Pennsylvania, the Junior Order of United CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 85 American Mechanics at Tremont City, Ohio, and the Daughters of Poca- hontas at Saint Paris. In Redmanship he is past sachem of Washeaugah Tribe of Saint Paris, and also chaplain general, with the rank of brigadier general, in the Red Men's League of Ohio. He is undoubtedly the best known speaker in the order, and has lectured extensively in nearly all of the states of the Union in the interest of the organization. He is now writing a book, which when published will be known as the "Popular History of Redmanship." In temperance work he has always evinced a commendable interest, working untiringly to minimize the evil of intemperance, which blights wherever its touch is laid. He is a member of the state executive committee of the Prohibition party in Ohio, also a member and secretary of the state central committee and chairman of the Champaign county committee. In this line of work he has lectured extensively throughout the country, and has also lectured in connection with the Women's Christian Temperance Union on "The Use and Abuse of Tobacco." He has written a book entitled "Tobacco and My Child." and has in course of preparation several other works- Throughout his life he has had an extensive acquaintance with the book publishing business, and before entering the ministry served as editor and manager of several papers in Pennsylvania. He is now the prin- cipal owner and manager of the Cornerstone Publishing Company, cap- italized at fifteen thousand dollars, which is operated under the laws of New Jersey. The company own and publish four papers, — The Reform Review, the Saint Paris Era-Dispatch, the Saint Paris News and the Corner Stone, the latter being the official organ of the Prohibi- tion party in Ohio. The company employ a working force of sixteen people. Rev. Yeisley is a forceful writer, keen and penetrating in his style, persistent and conservative in thought and has the courage of his convictions in whatever he champions. As a speaker he is concise and clear, nature having endowed him with the grace of oratory. His life 86 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. has been a laborious one, he having labored for years under the disad- vantages of debt incurred to obtain an education, but by his persistence and enterprise he overcame all obstacles that obstructed his way and the future undoubtedly has in store for him still hi°her successes. ISAAC HALTERMAN The pioneer history of Champaign county has upon its roll the name of Isaac Halterman, who throughout his entire life has resided within its borders and is one of its oldest residents. He was born in Adams township, Champaign county, on the farm on which he now resides, May 7, 1825. His father, George Halterman, was born in Vir- ginia, in 1788, and was a son of Charles and Elizabeth (Huffman) Hal- terman. Charles Halterman was also a native of the Olid Dominion, a Whig in his political views and during the Revolutionary war served as a Hessian soldier. George Halterman, the father of our subject, was reared in the place of his nativity, but in 181 7 left his southern home for the Buckeye state, and about 1822 located on a portion of the farm which our subject still owns. The tract then consisted of seventy-eight acres, and this he cleared and improved. He gave his political support to the Democracy, and his death occurred on his old home farm the 17th of January, 187(1. Ere leaving the Old Dominion he was united in mar- riage to Elizabeth Rex road, a native also of Virginia, where she was reared and educated. Eight children were born unto that union, — Eleanor, Samuel, Isaac, Sarah, Jane, Marguerite and Lewis, twins, and Elizabeth. With the exception of the eldest, who was a native of \ 'ir- ginia, all were born on the old home farm in this county, and all are in >w living except the two eldest. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 87 Isaac Halterman, of this review, assumed control of the Halter- man homestead fifteen years before his father's death, during which time he cleared about twenty acres and added many valuable impri >\ ements to the farm. This has been his home throughout his entire life, and as prosperity has rewarded his well directed efforts he has added to its boundaries until it now contains one hundred and two acres of rich and productive land. By perseverance, industry, economy and good man- agement he has attained a position among the substantial agriculturists of the community, and his worth is widely acknowledged by those who are familiar with his honorable business methods. In the year 185 1 was ecelebrated the marriage of Mr. Halterman and Miss Sarah Jane Hall. She is a native of Adams township. Cham- paign county, where she was bom on the 31st of May, 1833, a daugh- ter of German and Ruth (Newcomb) Hall, early settlers of this county. and here they both died. Of their nine children Mrs. Halterman was the second in order of birth. She was called to her final rest on the 13th of December, 1899, leaving ten children. — Mary, Emily. Calra Ruth, George Riley, Marguerite Ann, Eliza Jane, Dora Elizaheth. Joseph Thomas, Ida Pearl. Charles E. and Shepherd Clyde, all born on the old home farm. The Democracy receives Mr. Halterman's hearty suppi rt and co-operation, fraternally he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the A. H. T., of Rosewood, and was formerly identified with the Grange. His religious preference is indicated by his membership in the Christian church, at Carysville. in which he is an active worker. ASA X. SCOTT. Asa X. Scott, a representative farmer and citizen of Johnson town- ship, Champaign county, was born in Adams township, this count}'. Au- gust 24, 1857. He was named for his paternal grandfather, who was a 88 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. native of Trenton, New Jersey, born March 2, 1793. In that place the grandfather was reared and educated and he was also married in the east to Mary White and had a family of four children, when he came to Ohio, settling in Miami county, about 1830. Seven years later he came to Champaign county, where he cleared and developed a farm. Two of his children are now deceased, Harvey and James, the former having died in August. 1891, the surviving members of the family are Hannah B. and Jasper. The latter was the father of our subject. He be- came a well known farmer of Johnson township, where he successfully carried on the tilling of the soil for many years. He was born in Hunt- ington, New Jersey, February 25, 1825, and was about four years old when brought by his parents to Ohio, coming to Champaign county when a youth of eleven years. Here he was reared and educated, re- maining at home until thirty-three years of age, when he removed to Adams township, where he purchased two hundred and twenty-two acres of rich land. He cleared most of this and made his home thereon for fif- teen years when he returned to the old farm homestead in Johnson town- ship, purchasing the interest of the other heirs in the property. He de- voted his attention not only to raising of grain, but also carried on the raising of hue stock cmite extensively and conducted a dairy business. He married Cordelia Corey, who was born October 29, 1855, in Steuben county, New York, coming to Ohio with her parents when a young lady. The family located in Miami county, but she was living in Shelby county at the time of her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Scott became the parents of three children : Asa N., Emerson and Rosey, the two last mentioned being deceased. Asa N. Scott was a youth of fourteen years. when the family re- moved to the farm which is yet his home. In his youth he became fa- miliar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agri- culturist. He was married in Shelby county in 1882, to Jennie E. Flow- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. So ers, who was born in Jackson township. Champaign county, September 10, 1865, and there resided until she was four years of age, when she, with her people, removed to Shelby county, where she remained until her marriage. Her father, Charles Flowers, was a native of New Jersey, born in 1S22, and on removing westward took up his abode in Cham- paign county in 1S32, making his home in Jackson township, on what is known as the H. H. Bucourt farm. There he remained for some time, but afterward removed to Indiana, where he purchased land. When he again came to Ohio his father was dead and he bought the interest of the other heirs in the old home property. Later, however, he sold this and went to Miami county, and there again bought and sold a farm, his next place of residence being Shelby county, where he is now living. He was married in Champaign county to Lucy Wert, who was born and reared in Trenton, New jersey, and became a resident of Shelby- county when twenty-one years of age. In their family were four chil- dren : Mattie, Theodore, Sarah and Mrs. Scott, all born in Champaign county. After his marriage Mr. Scott removed with his bride to Adams township, locating upon a tract of one hundred and sixty acres of land belonging to his mother. There he remained for five years, clearing the land and making some good improvements thereon. He next came to his present farm in Johnson township and now has two hundred and fifty-eight and one-half acres of valuable land all under a high state of cultivation, while the father has one hundred and seventy-four acres of improved land. Mr. Scott is an enterprising agriculturist and the neat and thrifty appearance of his place is an indication of the diligence and energy which has ever characterized his career. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Scott has been blessed with two children : Harley Emerson, who was born in Adams township, April 30, 1883, and Jasper Leou. who was born in Johnson township, June 2^, 1890. -go CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Mr. Scott is a member of the Knights of the Golden Eagle and also holds membership relations with the Independent Order of Odd bel- lows. Like his father, he is a Republican, unfaltering in his advocacy of the principles of the party, and is a public spirited man, deeply in- terested in everything pertaining to the welfare and progress of his com- munity. His entire life has been devoted to farming interests and he is well known and progressive agriculturist of his native county. THOMAS MALAXCTIIOX GAUMER. Back to patriot sires and model matrons Thomas Mai mcthon "Gaumer traced his descent, and justly cherished a pride of birth which begot potent purpose and unfaltering effort to maintain, and perchance exalt, through the mediums of medicine and journalism, an enviable an- cestral record. Thomas Malancthon Gaumer was burn in Adamsville, Ohio. Feb- ruary 2, 184R, a son of Jonathan and Mahala ( Barrett) Gaumer, a grand- son of Daniel Gaumer. and great-grandson of Jacob Gaumer. Jacob Gaumer was born- in Pennsylvania, and in his country's time of need left his farm and those dear to him and followed the martial fortunes of Washington from Fort Du Ouesne to Yorktown. In 1806 be removed from Pennsylvania to Muskingum county, Ohio, where his death oc- curred in 1824. Daniel Gaumer was also born in Pennsylvania, and emi- grated to Ohio in 1809, his death occurring in 1859. Jonathan Gaumer was born in Ohio, and devoted his entire life to agriculture, and his death occurred in 1859. To himself and wife were born the following children : 'Thomas M. ; Charies X.. a prominent citizen and newspaper man of Mansfield, Ohio; Hannah J.; Rachel V. ; Daniel H., who is deceased; Mary; Martha: and Cidda. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 91 While still young in years Thomas Malancthon removed with his parents to a farm in Muskingum county, which continued to be his home until 1876. He was educated in the public schools and at Denison Uni- versity at Granville, and subsequently taught school for a number of years. Having determined to devote his life to the practice of medi- cine he entered the Ohio Medical College of Cincinnati, and graduated therefrom in 1876. The year previous he married Eliza M., daughter of Barton and Julia (Walker) Cone, and thus became allied with a family as meritorious as his own. Barton Cone was born in Monroe township, Muskingum county, Ohio, August 23, 1824, and was a son of Jared Cone, a pioneer of Muskingum county. Jared Cone, son of Tared, son of Mathew, son of Jared, son of Daniel, the latter of whom was born in Edinburg, Scotland, in 1626. Daniel Cone came to America with two brothers in 1660 and settled in Haddam, Connecticut, where he died in 1706. Mrs. Gaumer's paternal grandmother, Eliza (Schoff) Cone, was a daughter of Philip Schoff, one of the heroes of the Revo- lution. After his marriage and graduation Mr. Gaumer located in Wyan- dot county, Ohio, and after practicing medicine for a time removed to Adamsville, which continued to be his home until 1882. In the mean- time his aspirations had undergone a change, and he seems to have found less in his profession than he expected. At any rate, after weighing the chances, he decided in favor of journalism, and henceforward medical science knew him only as an erstwhile practitioner. After purchasing the Champaign Democrat, at Urbana, he edited and published the same for about a year, and then, in partnership with his brother, D. II. Gaumer, ran the Zanesville Signal, a daily paper. Upon disposing of his interest in the Signal in 1887, he re-purchased the Champaign Dem- ocrat, and from then until the time of his death, September 30, 1S93, his energies were devoted to making of this sheet a practical and inter- y2 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. esting news dispenser. He was a stanch Democrat, a keen observer of men and events, and had the faculty of finding out what the public wanted to know. His editorials evinced a world of common sense, and an intelligent understanding of all sides of prevailing public conditions. He was a member of the Lutheran church, and was fraternally associated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His wife, who survives him, is the mother of three sons, Charles Edmund, Frank Cone and Bruce Barton. Charles Edmund is editor and owner of the Middletown (Ohio) Daily Signal, and inherits much of his father's ability as a news- paper man. The two younger sons and their mother own and pub- lish the Champaign Democrat, of which Frank C. is editor and manager. He is one of the most promising young journalists in Champaign county, and is exceedingly popular in social and business circles. He also is identified with the Odd Fellows. Mrs. Gaumer is a member of the Baptist church, and is a woman of fine personality, and sterling quali- ties of heart and mind. ■* » » JACOB S. SARVER. As one reviews the history of the county and looks into the past to see who were prominent in its early development he will find that al- most throughout the entire century the name of Sarver has been closely conncted with the progress and advancement of this section of the state. The paternal grandfather of our subject, Jacob Sarver. was one of the first to take up his abode in Champaign county, and on his arrival here he located on the farm on which his son Jacob now resides. Here he cleared and improved two hundred and ten acres, and on this valuable homestead spent the remainder of his life. He was married in Vir- ginia to Xancv Robinson, who was born and reared in that common- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 93 wealth, and after her marriage made the journey with her husband to this state on horseback. On their way here they passed through the present city of Urban a, but it then contained but one log cabin, and wild was the region in which they settled. Six children were born unto this worthy couple, and with the exception of one all were born in Cham- paign county. Jacob Sarver, the father of him whose name introduces this re- view, was born on the farm on which he now resides in 1816, and here he has spent his entire life. He assisted his father in clearing and cultivating the land until the latter's death, after which he assumed entire charge of the place, and here he has since been engaged in farming and sheep-raising. He has ever been an active worker in the ranks of the Republican party, and on its ticket he has been elected to many of the township offices. He has been a member of the United Brethren church for many years and materially assisted in the erection of the church of that denomination at Salem. Jacob S. Sarver, the immediate subject of this review, is a native son of Harrison township. Champaign county, his birth here occurring on the 25th of June, 1847. He assisted in the work of the old home farm until twenty-one years of age. and for the following four or five years operated a thresher in this canity, during which time he still re- mained under the parental roof. For one year thereafter he remained on his father-in-law's farm in Concord township, and on the expiration of that period took up his abode on his present farm of eighty acre-, which he has since cleared and placed under an excellent state of cultivation, the many valuable improvements thereon standing as monuments to his thrift and ability. While attending to the many duties of his farm he has also foitnd time to devote to public affairs, and for eleven years served his township with efficiencv as a trustee, while in 1892 he was made a county commissioner, remaining an incumbent of thr.t important 94 CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. position for six years and nine months. The Republican party receives his active support and co-operation. In Concord township, Champaign county, Mr. Sarver was united in marriage to Enda Johnson, who was born, reared and educated in that township, and is a daughter of Levi Johnson. Five children, three sons and two daughters, have been born unto this union, namely: Will- iam J.; Ardella May, the wife of Duncan Russell, a prominent farmer of Adams township; Alvey B. ; Pearl; and Carry, the wife of William Madden, a. farmer near Urbana. All were born and reared in this county. In his social relations Mr. Sarver is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Rebekah order at Crayton, of the Red Men at Millerstown and of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics. The family are members of the Methodist church at Crayon, and Mr. Sarver was a member of its building committee. BENJAMIN M. MADDEN. Classed among the substantial and highly respected agriculturists of Champaign county is Benjamin M. Madden. He was born in Auglaize county, Ohio, August 4, 1854, and is a son of William Madden, a na- tive of Harrison county, Virginia. When a young man the latter came to Ohio, anil for the following two years worked in a still-house in Champaign county, receiving nine dollars a month in compensation tor his services, and for a similar period he was also employed by Governor Vance. In the latter position he did not receive any compensation for his services until the two years had expired. He next went to Auglaize county, ami thence came to Champaign county. Here he was united in CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 95 marriage to Charity Moffitt, a native of the county and a daughter of Nathan Moffitt, one of the early pioneers of the locality. With his bride Mr. Madden returned to Auglaize county, where he cleared and improved a large farm, and there his wife died at the age of forty-two years. Cuming thence to Champaign county, he made his home on a farm here until his death, which occurred when he had reached the seventy-fourth milestone on the journey of life. His political support was given to the Democratic party. Two of his brothers also came to Champaign county from Virginia. Benjamin Madden, his parents' only child, was but four days old when his mother died, and he was reared by his aunt, Miss Hannah Moffit, who afterward became his father's wife. When a small child he was brought to Champaign county, and when the time came for him to assume the responsibilities of life he 1< cated on a farm in Salem town- ship, near where he now lives. As the years have passed by prosperity has rewarded his efforts and he is now the owner of three valuable farms, containing, in all, four hundred and sixty acres, ami there he is engaged in general farming and stock-raising. He is a thorough farmer and excellent financier, progressive in his methods and earnest in his desire to promote the well being of his neighbors and the community in general. In politics he is a true Democrat. In 1877 Mr. Madden was united in marriage to Jennie Hoagland, a daughter of Samuel and Emily Agnes (Walker) Hoagland. the former a native of Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, and the latter of Yellow Springs, Clark county. Ohio. Of the eleven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Hoagland, seven sons and four daughters, ten grew to years of maturity, and Mrs. Madden is the third child and eldest daugh- ter in order of birth. She was born and reared hi Clark county, Ohio, and by her marriage to Mr. Madden became the mother of five children, namely: Bessie, deceased; William H.. who married Carrie Sarver and 96 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. resides in Champaign county; and Dessie H., Forest E. and Benjamin Grover, at home. The family are among the most honored residents of Champaign county. JONATHAN THATCHER, M. D. Both as an educator and as a medical practitioner has Dr. Jonathan Thatcher won distinction, and he enjoys an extensive and remunerative practice. He is progressive in all his methods, constantly reading and studying, and keeps in close touch with the spirit of the times. His paternal grandfather. Jonathan Thatcher, was what is known as a Ger- man Quaker, and his wife was also a member of that faith. Samuel Thatcher, the father of our subject, was a native of the Old Dominion, and was there reared in Berkeley county. When about twenty-one vears "I age he came to Greene county. Ohio, and in Greene. Champaign and Miami counties followed the teacher's profession, during a part of which time he taught in the i >li i sti me -i >1 hi >use located on the farm of James Reid, where the latter's sou. W'hitelaw. was enrolled among his pupils and where he and our subject were schoolmates. Throughout his active business career Mr. Thatcher's name was inseparably interwoven with the histor) of the educational interests of the Buckeye state. I lis broad intelligence, scholarly attainments and full appreciation of the value of knowledge as a preparation for life's responsibilities made him an able educator, and he stood in the front rank of his profession. He was a valued member of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he long -crved as a steward and class leader, and until the Douglas campaign e his political support to the Democracy, after which he upheld the principles of the Republican party. His life's labors were ended in death when he reached the fifty-ninth milestone on the journey of life. /a^a 7/Cu*^ s^re, who has four sons, two, Richard B. and Lewis, by a former marriage, and two by the second union, Burnett and [Martin; Ray, who is married and has three children, Sylvester, Nettie and Louisa; and Cora V., the wife of Ora A. Garard, who has seven children. Margaret, Fay, Vir- ginia, Estella, Louise, John Ralph and Alpha. Mrs. Dickins n resides at her pleasant home in Salem township, where she owns one hundred and thirty acres of rich and productive land, the cultivation of which is earned on by her grandson. She is a worthy member of the Presbyterian church. JACOB DAGGER. The Dagger family is one of the oldest in Champaign county and has been noted for many years for the sterling straits that are so character- istic of the subject of this sketch. Thev were among the first to locate in Concord township, this county, and there Jacob Dagger was born on the 2d of November, 1856. His father, Charles Dagger, was also born and reared in that township, and his sketch will be found elsewhere in this volume. Jacob, the fourth child and second son in his parents* family of ten children, was early inured to the labors of the farm, assisting bis father in the cultivation of the home place during the summer months, while in the winter seasons he attended the district schools of the neigh- borhood. In 1 89 1 he took up his abode in Wayne township, and after his arrival here purchased his present farm of two hundred acres. He has been identified with agricultural pursuits from his youth up and has made a success of his enterprises in this line. He has greatly improved his 106 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. place, and his is now one of the valuable homesteads of the township. At the present time he is the candidate for the nomination for county commissioner on the Republican ticket. In his social relations he is a member of the Golden Eagle and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Cable, of the encampment at Woodstock; of the Junior Order of Amer- ican Mechanics at Urbana, Mad River Council, No. 56, of the Patrons of Husbandry Grange at Reynolds. He is also a member of the Baptist church at Kings Creek, in which he has served as trustee. In October, 18S2, Mr. Dagger was united in marriage to Miss Ida Norman, a native of Johnson township, Champaign county, Ohio. Her mother died when she was a child, and her death occurred May 7, 1897, leaving three sons. Lawrence E., Golden N. and Roily D., all at home. Since attaining to years of maturity Mr. Dagger has given an active sup- port to the principles of the Republican party, and has ever taken an active interest in the welfare and development of his locality. He is broad in his views and liberal in his judgments, strong in his convictions and earnest in his opinions, but he has a social disposition, courteous and genial manner, and throughout the county in which his entire life has been passed he has a host of warm friends. ANDREWS WILSON. The name of Andrews Wilson is enduringly inscribed on the pages of Ohio's history in connection with her honored pioneers. He was born in Urbana township, Champaign county. December 3, 18x3. His lather, William Wilson, was a native of county Tyrone, Ireland, born September 25, 1780, and when sixteen years of age came with his parents, James and Rebecca Wilson, to this country, the voyage consuming six d^ihMP t3 Whum CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 109 weeks. They, too, were natives of the green isle of Erin, and were the parents of five children, three sons and two daughters, and all were born in Ireland. After their arrival in this country the family first located in Virginia, thence to Clark county, Ohio, there remaining until 1808, when they took up their abode in Harrison township, Champaign county, one and a half miles west of our subject's present place of residence. They afterward spent three years in Urbana township. William Wilson, the father of our subject, accompanied his parents on their various removals, and from the age of fourteen years fought the stern battle of life for himself. His death occurrel in Harrison township, Champaign county, on the nth of November, 1836. He was married in Greenbrier county, Virginia, to Rebecca Humphrey, a native of Ireland. When she was but two years of age she was brought by her parents to the United States, the family locating in Virginia, where she was reared and married. Unto this worthy couple were born eight children : Mary, James, Andrews, William, Margaret, John R., Adams and Rebecca. With the exception of the eldest daughter all were born in Champaign county, Ohio, and all are now deceased but our subject and his brother William. When but three years of age Andrews Wilson was brought to the farm on which he now resides, and when about sixteen years of age he accompanied the family on their removal to another farm in the same township, but on account of the impure water there they returned to this place. The original boundaries of the farm have been increased until the tract now contains one hundred and fifty-seven acres, all of which is under an excellent state of cultivation and adorned with substantial and valuable improvements. When the family first located here the Indians would camp near their home, and at one time an Indian and British attack was expected, but it was afterward learned that the rumor was without foundation. Fur three generations, including the grandfather, no CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. father and subject, thev have supported the principles of the Republican party, but the latter"s first presidential vote was cast for Harrison in 1840. He has served his township as trustee, and has ever been active in all measures and movements intended for the general good. The marriage of Mr. Wilson was celebrated in 1846, when Miss Elizabeth Jane Wright became his wife. She is a native of the Old Dominion, as were also her mother and father. Unto this union have been born the following children : Sarah Jane, Virginia, Hamilton. Selestine, Martha, Mary Ann, Benjamin, Harry anil Ellen, all born on the old homestead in Champaign county ; one child, named Charles Franklin, died in infancy, and two of the others, Selestine and Ellen, are now also deceased. The family are members of the Presbyterian and Methodist Episcopal churches. Mr. Wilson is now the oldest native born resident of Champaign county. In all the relations of life he has ever been faithful and true, and in his life work no shadow of wrong and suspicion of evil doing darkens his honored pathway. BENJAMIN F. MILLER. Honored and respected by all, Benjamin F. Miller has for many years been identified with the agricultural interests of Champaign county. He was born in Salem township, this county, on the 8th of August. 1852. His father, Joseph Miller, traced his nativity to the Old Dominion, his birth there occurring in Page county, but when a young man he made the journey to Champaign county, Ohio, on horseback, and here his death occurred on the 9th of December, 1902, at the age of seventy-eight years. He drove the last spike on the Sandusky division of the Big Four Railroad. He was a leading member of the Baptist church, in CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i.u which lie was an active worker and liberal contributor, and for many years served his church as a deacon. He was one of the promoters of the Kings Creek church. He was descended from a prominent old Vir- ginia family, and his father, Henry Miller, who was of German descent, was there called to his final rest. The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Fannie Herr, and she claimed Pennsylvania as the state of her nativity. When a child she came with her parents to Ohio, and now lives on the old state road in Salem township. Benjamin F. Miller, the eldest of his parents' nine children, received his elementary education in the common schools of his neighborhood, afterward attended the high school at Urbana and also took a business course in the A. DeWitt Business College, of Dayton, Ohio. He began his business life in Union county, Ohio, near Milford Center, where for eleven years he was engaged in the tilling of the soil, and on the expira- tion of that period came to the farm on which he now resides. His home- stead consists of one hundred and thirty-seven acres of rich and fertile land, where he is engaged in general farming and stock-raising. In 1892 he erected the beautiful and commodious residence which now adorns his place, and this is one of the finest homes in the locality. On the 13th of January, 1881, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Miller and Miss Mary G. Mcllroy. She was born in Rush township, Champaign county, Ohio, August 17. 1857. and is a daughter of John and Clariet 1 Kimball ) Mcllroy. Her parents died before she was ten years old, and she was reared by her maternal grandfather, T. M. Kim- ball, in Champaign county, where she received a common-school edu- cation, and also attended the Normal schools of Lebanon and Urbana f< >r a short time. She then taught school four years in Iowa and Ohio pre- vious to her marriage. One daughter. Lois Marie, born June (\ 1885, is now attending the high school at Urbana and expects to graduate next spring. Mr. Miller is a stanch Republican in his political views, and re- ii2 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ligiously is a member of the Baptist church at Kings Creek, in which he has served as a clerk for a number of years. Mrs. Miller and her daugh- ter, Lois Marie, became members of the Christian Catholic church located at Zion City, Illinois, the former on April 7, 1899, and the daughter October 18, 1899. From an early day representatives of the Miller family have been among the leading citizens of Champaign county, and he of whom we write shows the same generous spirit of hospitality and progressiveness which has characterized the ancestral line. WILLIAM BLOSE. The subject of this sketch is numbered among the representative farmers of Mad River township, where he has passed the entire period of his life, being a member of one of the pioneer families of Cham- paign county, with whose history the name has been inseparably and honorably identified from the early days when was inaugurated the work of reclaiming the heavily timbered land for cultivation. Mr. Blose was born in this township, on the 28th of September, 1845, being a son of Lewis Blose, who likewise was born in this town- ship, in the year 1819, and was here reared and educated, passing his entire life in this township and devoting his attention to the noble art of agriculture from his youth up. He died at the age of sixty years, honored by aJl who knew him and recognized as one of the influential men of the community. In politics he was originally a AMiig- and later a Republican. He was a son of John Blose, who was born in Virginia, whence he emigrated to Ohio and became one of the early settlers in Champaign county, locating in the virgin forests of Mad River township and here passing the residue of his life, his death oc- c46^fJ*n^sv^ CO^r^c WILLIAM BLOSE. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 115 curring when he was about sixty years of age. The maiden name of our subject's mother was Elizabeth Anderson, and she likewise was born in Mad River township, where her father, John Anderson, was one of the early settlers. She died at the age of seventy years. Her father was a native of Virginia, whence he came to Clark county, Ohio, where he remained for a time and then came to Champaign county, where he was engaged in agricultural pursuits until his death. Lewis and Elizabeth Blose became the parents of seven children, all of whom attained years of maturity, their names, in order of birth, being as follows: Margaret is deceased: William is the subject of this sketch: Mary C. is the widow of George Mauk and lives in Urbana township; John is a resident of Urbana township; Louisa is the wflFe of Lewis Cook, of Mad River township ; Susan is the widow of Percival Kiser and is a resident of Tremont City, Clark county ; and Emery T. is de- ceased. William Blose grew up on the parental farmstead in Mad River township and in the district schools he received his early educational training. After his marrage, in 1866, Mr. Blose located on a farm in Urbana township, where he remained for a period of six years, after which, in 1872, he purchased a portion of his present homestead and has here maintained his residence since that time, the farm comprising one hundred and sixteen acres, in section 11, and being well improved and under an excellent state of cultivation. Our subject also devotes considerable attention to the raising of high-grade live stock, and his place is one which shows the evidences of the energy and progressive methods which have been brought to bear in its management. In poli- tics Mr. Blose is Democratic in his views, but in local affairs casts his vote in support of the men he considers most eligible rather than being inflexibly partisan in the exercise of his franchise. Fraternally he is identified with Urbana Lodge, No. 46. I. O. O. F., and with lib CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Magrew Lodge, No. 433, Knights of Pythias, of which he is a charter member, at Westville. On the 29th of November, i860, Mr. Blose was united in mar- riage to Miss Missouri Bechtel, who was born in Clark county, the daughter of Samuel and Christena (Sagers) Bechtel, both of whom were of German descent. To our subject and his wife have been born three children, namely: Minnie, who is deceased: Zella. who also is deceased: and Dollie, who is the wife of Henry L. Slager. manager of the Springfield Elastic Tread O impany, manufacturers of rubber shoe- heels, of Springfield, Clark county. AUGUSTUS M. ZIEGLER, M. D. For many years Augustus M. Ziegler has been numbered among the leading physicians of Mingo, and is well deserving of a place in a volume which contains the histories of Champaign county's most sub- stantial business men. On the paternal side the family is of German descent, and from that country they made the journey to the new world with William Penn, locating in Pennsylvania. John Ziegler, the grand- father of our subject, was born in that commonwealth, and his son, Jeremiah Ziegler. was born in Perry county, Ohio. The latter was a shoemaker by trade, and followed that occupation throughout his entire business career as a means of livelihood. His death occurred in Mus- kingum county, this state, on the 25th of February, 188 1. when he had reached the age of seventy-two years. For his first wife he chose a Miss Overdear, who bore him two daughters and a son, — Amelia, the wife of Charles Dutoit, of Columbus; Josephine, the wife of Joseph Bugh, of Fultonham, Ohio ; and John, who died in Champaign county, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 117 Ohio. After her death he married Elizabeth Cullum, who was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but when fourteen years of age came with her parents to Muskingum county, Ohio. Her father, John Cullum, was also a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and was of Scotch descent. He was a miller by occupation, and prior to the Civil war owned many slaves. Mrs. Ziegler's death occurred in her seventy-seventh year. By her first marriage, to George Porter, she became the mother of two children, a son and a daughter, but the former died in infancy. The daughter, Olevia, is the wife of Henry Bugh, of Fultonham, Ohio. By her marriage to Mr. Ziegler seven children were born, five sons and two daughters, namely: Augustus M.. of this review; Henry, a civil engineer at Fultonham, Ohio; George, a prominent farmer of Champaign county; Harry, a physician of Flat Rock, Illinois; Perry, a druggist of Columbus, Ohio : Mary, who died in infancy : and Harriet, who died on the 6th of December, 1891, when twenty-six years of age. Augustus M. Ziegler, whose name introduces this review, was born in Fultonham, Muskingum county. Ohio, November 8, 185 1, and to the pioneer school of that town he is indebted for the educational privileges which he received in his youth. After completing his education he again entered the schoolroom as an instruct >r, spending the first year in the schools of his native towi;. For the following two years he taught in the schools of Xew Comerstown. Ohio, while the succeeding year was spent as an instructor in Adamsville, Ohio, after which he returned to Fultonham. After remaining one year in his native city he taught in a school west of West Liberty. While following the teacher's profes- sion he decided to make the practice of medicine his life work, and accordingly in 1876 entered the office of Dr. YanAtta. of Fultonham, and three years later, in 1S79, entered the medical college of Columbus. He afterward matriculated in the Starling Medical College, in which he was graduated on the 25th of February, 1881. and from that year 1 1 S CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. until 1883 was engaged in the practice of his chosen profession at Kings Creek, Champaign county. In the latter year he located for practice in Urbana, where he remained until the fall of 1885, an< ^ smce that time he has been numbered among the leading practitioners of MingO, where he has built up a large and lucrative patronage. In addition to his large general practice he is examining physician for a number of insurance companies, and for fifteen years has been notary public. In his social relations he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, North I.ewisburg Lodge, No. 546, and of the Masonic fraternity at the same place, Blazing Star blue lodge and Star Chapter. In 1883 Dr. Ziegler was united in marriage to Mary Winters, the widow of David Winters and a daughter of John F. Rettberg, of Kings Creek. Four children have been born unto this union : Vaughan, born April 7, 1885; Naomi, born March 7. 1S90; Ruth, born February 16, 1895; and John, born April 14, 1898. Dr. Ziegler gives a stanch sup- port to the Republican party, and in all the varied relations of life he has been honorable, sincere and trustworthy, winning the praise and admiration of all with whom he has been associated. JACOB HORR. An enterprise in Mechanicsburg which represents in its rapid growth a vast amount of well directed energy and pronounced business sagacity is the lumber and coal business of Jacob Horr, one of the well known citizens of the town. Owing to his honest and careful methods of dealing with the general public Mr. Horr finds himself the recipient of a patronage gratifying from both a personal and financial standpoint, and a continued demand fur his necessary commodities is a prediction O-^-^ CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 121 justified by the success of the past. So nearly were his first business expectations realized that in 1889 he broadened his interests to the extent of operating a well equipped saw and planing mill, and the combination thus effected has materially augmented the output of the yards. With the exception of temporary absences. Mr. Horr has spent his entire life within the radius of his present surroundings, and he was born not far from Mechanicsburg, March 13, 1844. His parents, Will- iam and Mary (Coan) Horr, were born in Carthage, Jefferson county, New York, in which city thev were married, and from there removed to Goshen township, this county, in 1837. As early pioneers of their lo- cality they contributed much to the agricultural prosperity, and their well tilled farm continued to be their home for the remainder of their lives. Not the least meritorious of their many claims to the consid- eration of the coniimunity was the rearing to lives c f usefulness of seven children, two of whom are now deceased. The children were taught the dignity and utility of a model farming existence, and educationally were permitted every advantage at the disposal of their parents. With his brothers and sisters Jacob Horr attended the public schools of Mechanicsburg, and further qualified for the future by taking a course in the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, from which he graduated in the spring of 1866. His career at the university was interrupted in the spring of 18G4. at which time he enlisted in Company C, One Hun- dred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with the rank of cor- poral, and served until October of the same year. Although not a long service, he gained a fair knowledge of the horrors of war, and of the character of that grand and silent soldier, Grant, with whom he fought at and around Petersburg. Since the war he has been a member of the Stephen Baxter Post, No. 88, Grand Army of the Republic. After completing his education Mr. Horr taught school for about four vears, and then turned his attention to fanning in the vicinity of 122 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Mechanicsburg until 1886. During that year he saw an opening for a live business in coal and lumber, and wisely devoted his energies to the building up of his present lucrative industry. A large measure of success he attributes to the assistance of his wife and helpmate, who was formerly Sarah Magruder. and whom he married in Mechanicsburg in 1S71. Of this union there is one daughter, Xellie, who is now the wife of John B. Outram, of Lippincott. Ohio. Mr. Horr is a Republican in national politics, but has never desired or accepted official recognition. He is a member of and generous contributor to the Methodist Episcopal church. The farming and stock-raising enterprises to which he devoted several years of his life are still maintained on a large scale, but in other respects he is identified with the energetic and resourceful life of the town which has benefited to no slight degree by his admirable citizenship. thomas Mccarty. One of the straightforward, energetic and successful agriculturists of Champaign county is Thomas McCarty. whose birth occurred in Rush township, this county. September 5, [849. His father, James Mc- Carty, was a native of Virginia, but became one ohio, was born in New Castle county, Delaware, May 3, 1832, a son of John and Lydia (Woodward) Harlan, natives of Chester county, Pennsyl- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 135 yania. The genealogy of the family is authentically traced to two brothers, George and Michael, who, in 1687, left the home of their fore- fathers among the sheltering hills of Wales and for a time cast their fortunes with the scarcely improved prospects of Ireland. Intent upon yet broader chances, they came to America and settled on the Brandy- wine in Pennsylvania. The parents of Mr. Harlan came to Champaign county in 1833, and in the spring of the following year made a permanent settlement in Rush township, where the father died in 1874, at the age of eighty, while the mother died in 1889, at the age of ninety. These pioneers in a strange state faithfully tilled their land and labored for the general well being of their locality, and at the same time reared a large family of .children, four of whom attained maturity. This same farm, with its associations of parental care and early struggles, is now owned by the commissioner of Champaign county. The father was a Democrat in political affiliation, and both he and his wife were reared in the Quaker faith. The youth of John Harlan did not differ materially from that of the farmer boys whom he met at the district schools and at the little meeting house, but he acquired practical ideas of life and work, which later found vent in his individual management of the old homestead. In 1855 he married Lydia Margaret Runyon, daughter of Elias and Martha (Crockett) Runyon, the Runyons being natives of Xew Jersey. The Harrisons were related to the William Henry Harrison family, and the Crocketts were related to David Crockett. Mrs. Harlan's grand- father. John Runyon, was an early settler and prominent citizen of Champaign county, and for several years served as judge of the circuit court. He and his wife. Mary ( Conkling) Runyon. were natives of Xew Jersey, and removed to Kentucky, and thence to Ohio in 1802, 136 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. settling in Union township, this county. The family is of Welsh descent. During the Civil war Mr. Harlan served for one hundred and twenty days as a private in Company D. One Hundred and Thirty- fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and since the war has been a member of the W. A. Brand Post, Grand Army of the Republic. Though re- markably successful as a farmer, and abreast of the times as to agri- cultural science and general improvements, he retired permanently from his old-time occupation in 1899 and took up his residence in Urbana. As a stanch Republican he has been foremost in the political affairs of the county for many years, and his first election as commissioner occurred in 1896, and he is now holding his second term in this important capacity. His service has been well received throughout, and he is cred- ited with possessing not only intelligent knowledge of the needs of the community but with absolute integrity in furthering the fulfillment of practical measures. DANIEL W. RUTAN. \ representative of one of the prominent pioneer families of Cham- paign county, Daniel William Rutan has spent his entire life within its borders, so that his history is known to many of its citizens. His large circle of friends is an unmistakable evidence of a well spent life, and it is therefore with pleasure that we present his record to our read- ers as that of one of the leading and honored business men of the com- munity. He was born in Goshen township, Champaign county. April 30. 1830. His paternal grandfather. Daniel Rutan. claimed Maryland as the state of his nativity, and he was one of the very early pioneers of this county, where he resided on a farm in Goshen township. He was <=*cJ ) &>^c^6£ // /^*^^ CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 139 twice married, his first union being with Mary Hazel, while for his second wife he chose Mary Riddle. Daniel M. Rutan, the father of our subject, also had his nativity in Goshen township. Champaign county, and for his wife he chose Hannah Colwell, a native of Rush town- ship, this county, wdiere her father, John Colwell, had removed from New Jersey. After their marriage they took up their abode on a farm in Goshen township, where the father died before his son had reached the age of three ye:rs, but the mother, who was born in i8u, lived to the age of seventy-four years. They became the parents of two chil- dren, a son and a daughter, and the latter is the widow of George A. Rowinsky. She is a correspondent for the Urbana Citizen. Daniel W. Rutan, the younger of the two children, received the advantages of a common-school education in bis youth, and at the early age of eighteen years he started out in life to battle for himself. He first secured employment on the neighboring farms, and later he taught school until his labors were interrupted by the Civil war, when, in 1 86 1, he enlisted for service in Company D, Thirteenth Ohioi Volun- teer Infantry, entering the ranks as a private, and was soon promoted to the position of corporal, and at the close of his service, in 1864, was discharged with the rank of second lieutenant. During his military career he took part in many of the hard-fought battles of the war, in- cluding those of Pittsburg Landing, Stone River, Chickamauga, and Missionary Ridge. Although he was ever in the thickest of the fight he was never wounded or captured, and he participated in every en- gagement in which the gallant Tbirteenth took part up to the time of his discharge in 1864. After his return home Mr. Rutan again took up the quiet duties of the farm. After his marriage he located on a small farm in this locality, but later he sold that tract and purchased a part of his present place. Pie is now the owner of two valuable farms in Champaign 140 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. county, consisting of three hundred and twenty-nine acres. During recent years, however, he has abandoned the raising of the cereals and has devoted his attention entirely to the stock business. He is an ex- tensive feeder of stock, and his 'efforts in this direction are meeting with success. His methods are in keeping with the progressive spirit of the times and his well improved property is a monument to his thrift and business ability. On the 1st of September, 1864, occurred the marriage of Mr. Rutan and Miss Lucy A. Kimball. She is a native of Union county, Ohio, and was reared in both Union and Champaign counties. By her marriage to our subject she has become the mother of eight children, namely : Warren, who married Clara Gove and is a prominent farmer of Union township; Glen, who was first married to Xettie Doak, and for his present wife he chose Delia McAdams; Hiram E., who is still unmarried and makes his home in Greene county, Ohio; Benjamin M., married Jennie Owen and is engaged in the creamery business at Marys- ville, Ohio; Mary, the wife of A. E. Bullard, a farmer of Goshen town- ship; Nellie, the wife of Dr. A. O. W'hitaker, a practicing physician of South Charleston, Clark county, Ohio; David \Y., who is also in Greene county, and Martha D., at home. In politics Mr. Rutan is a Republi- can, and a member of Stephen Baxter Post, No. 88, G. A. R., in which he maintains pleasant relations with his old army comrades. He is widely known throughout Champaign county, many of his friends hav- ing been his associates from boyhood, and all respect and honor him for his irenuine worth. WILLIAM F. BAILAR. As one reviews the history of the county and looks into the past to see who were prominent in its early development he will find that almost throughout the entire century the name of Bailar has been closely con- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 141 nected with the progress and advancement of this section of the state. William F. Bailar is a native son of Champaign county, his birth occur- ring in Adams township March 24, 185 2. His father, George W. Bailar, was born in the same locality on the 21st of October, 1S25. and the lat- ter's father, John Bailar, came to Champaign county from Pennsylvania, his native state, taking up his abode on a farm in Adams township. At that time only one other family resided in the township, and wild was the region into which he came. He secured a farm of one hundred and twenty-four acres, which he cleared and improved, and he soon became recognized as one of the leading citizens of the county. In his political views he was what is now called a Democrat. In this county he was married to Catherine Pence, who was a member of a prominent old fam- ily of Virginia, and they became the parents of nine children. George W. Bailar. the third son in the above family, remained at home until his marriage, during which time he assisted his father in the arduous task of clearing and improving the home farm. In Adams township, about 1850, he was united in marriage to Julia A. Licklider, who was born in Virginia on the iSth of October, 1825, but when nine years of age, in 1834, she came with her parents to this county, the fam- ily locating on a farm in Johnson township, where she was reared and educated. She was a daughter of David and Catherine (Clem) Lick- lider. Six sons blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Bailar, — John David, William F., Sanders, George R., Corey E. and Charles. Three of the sons, John David, Sanders and Charles, died in infancy, and all were born on the old homestead in Champaign county. The father of this family was a Democrat in his political views, and for several years he served his township as its trustee. In his social relations he was a mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity, and religiously was a member of the Christian church, having assisted in the erection of it; house of worship 142 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. at Carysville, and he was treasurer of the same for many years. He was called to his final rest in 1888, but is still survived by his widow. William F. Bailar, whose name introduces this review, was reared in the township of his nativity, and to its public school system he is in- debted for the early educational privileges which he was permitted to enjoy. He remained at home until he was twenty-four years of age, assisting his father in clearing and cultivating the old homestead. In 1876 he was married, but still continued to live on the old homestead for seven years, during which time he followed farming. He then moved to a portion of his present farm, consisting of seventy-eight acres, but as the years have passed by he has been enabled to add to> his original purchase until he is now the owner of one hundred and thirty- nine acres, most of which is under a fine state of cultivation. Like his father and grandfather, he upholds the principles of the Democracy, and for two terms he has served as a trustee o>f his township. The marriage of Mr. Bailar was celebrated in 1876. when Miss Flora I. Newcomb became his wife. She is a native of Champaign county and is a. daughter of Howell Newcomb, who was born in Adams township, this county, October 6, 1825. The latter's father, Joseph New- comb, came from New Jersey to this county, where he was among the very early pioneers. He located on a farm in Adams township. In this locality Howell Newcomb. the father of Mrs. Bailar. was married to M'iss Eliza Johnson, a native of Adams township and a daughter of Walker Johnson, the first settler of Johnson township. He cleared and improved one hundred and sixty acres of land there, and was one of the influential >citizenJs of the community. He was a Democrat in his political views and was a member of the United Brethren church, in which he was an active worker, and assisted materially in the erection of its house of worship in Adams. Mr. and Mrs. Newcomb became the parents of six children. — Napoleon F, Hamilton G.. Sarah A., Mary CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 143 Jane. Flora I. and Victoria. With the exception of the two last men- tioned all died when young. Three children have blessed the union of our subject and wife, namely : Victoria May, the wife of John E. Huffman, the proprietor of a creamery in this county; Enda C, the wife of Clyde Stevenson, a farmer of Adams township; and Goldie M. The two eldest were born on the old Bailar homestead, and the youngest was born on our subject's present farm. In his social relations Mr. Bailer is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Anti- Horsethief Association, both of Rosewood. He is a member of the Christian church at Carysville, in which he has long served as treasurer and as a deacon, and for a long period was superintendent of the Sunday- school. CHARLES BRELSFORD. This honored veteran of the Civil war is now a resident of Saint Paris. Ohio. A true patriot and devoted citizen in both times of peace and war, he merits the high regard which is universally bestowed upon him. He was born near Madison, Wisconsin, November 20, 1846, and is a son of William and Hannah (Scott) Brelsford. In a very early day the Brelsford family removed from New Jersey to Montgomery county, Ohio, and in a small town in that county the father of cur subject was reared to mature years and there followed pump-making. In an early day he came to Champaign county, where for several years he followed the same occupation near Lena. He was there married to Hannah, a daughter of Asa and Mary ( White) Scott. The Scotts were also mem- bers of a prominent Xew Jersey family, but in an early day they left their eastern home for the Buckeye state, taking up their abode near Lena, Champaign o unty. There the father died on the old homestead 144 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. farm in 1864, after reaching the Psalmist's span of three score years and ten. He followed the tilling of the soil as a life occupation. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Scott were born four children, namely: Hannah, now Mrs. Brelsford; Harvey Y., who died in Faribault. Minnesota, in 1901 ; James G., who died near that city in 1896; and Jasper. James G. and Harvey G. were among the "forty-niners" who crossed the continent to seek the treasures of the Golden state, making the overland trip, and after leaving the Pacific coast they settled in Minnesota. After his marriage Mr. Brelsford continued to reside in Champaign county until the early '40s. when he removed with his family to Wiscon- sin, locating on government land near Madison, and there he followed agricultural pursuits in connection with pump-making until his death, in 1849. After his demise Mr. Scott went to Wisconsin and with a team and wagon brought Mrs. Brelsford and her children to Champaign county, where they made their permanent home near Saint Paris. The children born unto Air. and Mrs. Brelsford were: Caroline, the widow of Edward Flowers; Sarah, who became the wife of A. E. Pond; Phoebe, who was first married to J. T. Northcott ami afterward to Simeon Pence, and she is now a widow: Harrison; Asa: Mary E., the wife of Ira Poffenberger, of Urbana ; Emma, the wife of Henrv Gibbs; and Charles. Mrs. Brelsford still survives her husband and is living in Saint Paris, in the eighty-fourth year of her age. For fifty years she has been a devoted member of the Baptist church. Charles Brelsford, of this review, received but limited educational advantages during his youth, as he was only permitted to attend the public schools during the short winter months, while during the sum- mer season he assisted in the work of the home farm. In 1862 he enlisted for three months' service in the Civil war. entering the service as a member of Company H. Eighty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and during the term of his enlistment was engaged in guarding the Balti- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 145 more & Ohio Railroad through West Virginia. The regiment was dis- banded at Delaware, Ohio, and for the following year Mr. Brelsford re- mained at home, working on his grandfather's farm. In January, 1864, he re-enlisted, entering Company L, Eighth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, and his first service in that command was under General Hunter in the Lynchburg raid in Virginia. After participating in the battles of Lynchburg and Liberty he, with a part of his regiment, was transferred to the Shenandoah valley, under the command of General Averill, where he remained until November, 1S64. He participated in the hard-fought battle of Winchester and was much on detached service as a scout. In November, 1864. the two sections of his regiment were reunited at Beverly, West Virginia, where they were engaged in picket duty until the 1 ith of January, 18C-5, when General Rosseau made an attack on that city and captured about four hundred and eighty soldiers, including the Eighth Ohio Cavalry. The prisoners were taken to Richmond, Virginia, and the journey to Libby prison was a most trying one, the weather being cold and rainy, and icicles often clung to their clothing. They were obliged to wade all the rivers on the route, and for three days Mr. Brelsford was without food, after which he was given a small piece of fat pork, which he ate raw. They were incarcerated in Libby prison until the 17th of February, when they were exchanged, and our subject returned home on a thirty-days' furlough. On the expiration of that period he returned to Philippi, West Virginia, where a part of his regi- ment was stationed, and at Clarksburg, Virginia, it was mustered out of service in August, 1865, our subject leaving the ranks as a corporal. His brother Asa also enlisted for service in 1861. becoming a member of Company A, Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he served for three years. During a part of enlistment he was on detached service as a blacksmith, and he was honorably discharged in 1864. Mr. Brels- ford. of this review, took with him into the service a small pocket Bible, 146 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. with his name and regiment inscribed on the fly-leaf, but the Bible was lost at the battle of Lynchburg. Thirty-four years after that engage- ment he received a communication from the commander at the govern- ment arsenal at Augusta. Georgia, stating that a lady there residing had in her possession a Bible found on the battlefield of Lynchburg and bearing Mr. Brelsford's name. The latter was located through the pen- sion department and he received his Bible. After his return to civil life Mr. Brelsford located at Millerstown, Champaign county, and in that city and also in Bowlusville and Saint Paris he was engaged at the blacksmith's trade for a time, spending seventeen years in the last named place. For the following three years he was engaged in agricultural pursuits in Champaign county, on the expiration of which period he removed to Shelby county, Ohio, and from that time until 1890 he there followed the tilling of the soil. After his return to Champaign county he was first engaged in the imple- ment business with a Mr. Kite, which relationship was maintained for five years, and since that time during the winter months he has been en- gaged in the poultry business. For a time he was engaged in that enterprise with the late Mr. Cline at Jackson Center, and previously he was associated with a Mr. Riker in Saint Paris. He owns a tract of one hundred and fourteen acres in Champaign county. In the year 1868 Mr. Brelsford was united in marriage to Mary E. Ilauback, and four children were born of that union. The eldest, D. Orrin. is a popular and successful teacher in the public schools of Saint Paris, and is also president of the teachers' examining board. The second son, Millard, is the pastor of the First Baptist church at Urbana, 1 Ihio. He is a graduate of the Saint Paris high school, of the Granville College, of the Rochester, New York, Theological School, and was ordained to the ministry in June, 1900. Asa and Sarah are both de- ceased. The family are members of the Baptist church of Saint Paris, MR. AND MRS JOHN GOUL. CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 149 of which Mr. Brelsford is one of the charter members and for many years he has held office therein. His political support is given to the Republican party, and while residing in Shelby county he held the office of trustee. In his fraternal relations he is a member of Saint Paris Lodge, No. 246, I. O. O. F.. and also of Scott Post, No. 111, G. A. R., of which he has served as commander. He is truly an honored hero of the Civil war. During his army career he was imprisoned and suffered much from privations and exposure, yet he was always found faithful to the duties imposed upon him, and at all times he is a loyal citizen, true to the interests of county, state and nation. JOHN GOUL. John Goul, who resides on the Mechanicsburg and Bellefontaine pike, was born in Union township. Champaign county, on the 6th of February, 1832. His father, Christian Goul, was a native of Rock- bridge county, Virginia, where he was born on the 6th of September, 1804. In 1817, when thirteen years of age, he came with his parents to Champaign county. His father, Adam Goul, was born near Frank- fort, Germany, in 1761, a son of Frederick Goul, also a native of the fatherland, and he died at sea while on his way to America. Adam Goul came to America in 1763, and during the latter part of the Revo- lutionary war he served as a teamster therein. He was married to Miss Elizabeth Lutz, who was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1773. and after their marriage they moved to Rockbridge county, Virginia, where they made their home until 18 17. In that year they came to Champaign county, locating in Goshen township, about two miles north of Mechanicsburg, where they cleared and improved a farm. They be- i 5 o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. came the parents of eight children, — Mary, George. Frederick, William, John, Christian and Henry. Gertrude died when young and George died of camp fever while serving his country in the war of 181.2, but the other children lived to a good old age and were married. Adam Goul died on the uth of October, 1845, aged eighty-four years, and his wife was called to her final rest on the 13th of November, 1846, in her eighty-third year. They were members of the Presbyterian church, and were numbered among the prominent old pioneers of Champaign county. Christian Goul, the father of him whose name introduces this re- view, received his education in the county of his nativity. After his marriage he located on government land in Union township. Champaign county, where he remained for about three years, and during that time our subject was born. Mr. Goul thence returned to Goshen township, later made his home in Marysville. Union county, for about one year, for three years was a resident of Richwood, Ohio, and in 1854 again returned to Goshen township. His death occurred in Mutual, Unit >n township, September 6, 1879. passing away in the faith of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, of which he was long a worthy member. In the early days his residence was always the home of the ministers, and he did all in his power to promote the cause of Christianity among his fellow men. He also assisted materially in the erection of the house of worship at Mutual. Nearly his entire life was spent within the boundaries of Champaign county, and all who knew him entertained for him the highest respect and esteem, for his enire life was above reproach. In his early manhood he voted with the Whig party, and after the organization of the new Republican party he joined its ranks. Mr. Goul was married in Goshen township, Miss Ruth Lawson be- coming his wife. She was born in Brown county. Ohio. December 8, 1806, but at three years of age was brought to Goshen township. Champaign county, and here she lived to the age of ninety-two years. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i ;i Her father, Thomas Lawson, was a native of Pennsylvania, but sub- sequently removed to Brown county, Ohio, and in 1809 took up his abode in Goshen township. He was of German descent, and his wife was of English origin. Mrs. Goul was the second of their eight chil- dren, and the eldest daughter. Eight children were born unto the union <>f Mr. and Airs. Goul. namely: Luellyn, a farmer of Madison county, Indiana; Adam, a resident of Union township. Champaign county. Ohio: John, of this review; Newton W, also a farmer of Union town- ship; Jane, the wife of John Strode, a farmer of Johnson township. Champaign county; Sarah, deceased; Rachel, also deceased; and Anna, the widow of Thomas Thompson, a resident of Union township. John Goul, the subject of this sketch, attended the subscription schools of his neighborhood during his early youth, and was afterward a student in the district schools. He remained at home and assisted his father in the work of the home farm until after his marriage, which occurred on the 28th of September. 1854, Miss Susan F. Coffe'nberger becoming his wife. She was born near YYilliamsport, Maryland, on the 23d of December, 1835, a daughter of George and Elizabeth (Turner) Coffenberger. both natives of Virginia. The father died in Maryland, and afterward, in 1845, the mother came with her family to Champaign county, locating in Union township. Mrs. Goul was then about ten years of age. and she has spent the remainder of her life in this locality. She is the sixth in order of birth of her parents" seven children. Mr. and Mrs. Goul began their domestic life in a little log cabin on the farm on which they now reside, which continued as their place of abode for six years, and then, in i860, they removed to Union town- ship, where they built a small log cabin and cleared a farm. Selling their possessions there in 1864. he purchased another farm in the same township, and on the 2d of May. of the same year, enlisted for service 153 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. in the Civil war, joining Company E, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, as a private. He enlisted for one hundred days' service, and on the expiration of that period received an hon- orable discharge and returned to his home and family in Union town- ship. In 1869 ne traded his place there for the old homestead, which has been in the possession of the Lawson and Goul families since 1815, and here he has one hundred and fifty-five acres of excellent land, all under a fine state of cultivation, thirty-seven and a half acres in Union township, which farm is also well improved. He is also one of the stockholders in the Farmers' Elevator at Mechanicsburg. Five children have been born unto the union of our subject and wife, two sons and three daughters, namely: Ella, who was born September 3, 1855, and died on the 9th of October, of the same year; George, who was born April 25, 1857, and married Ollie Wyant, of Madison county, Indiana; Isabel R.. who was born July 3, 1859, and died on the 28th of July, 1880; Parthenia F., who was born Novem- ber 7, 1861, and died October 16, 1870; and Walter S.. who was born February 18, 1808, and married Louisa Pullens. They reside in Colum- bus, Ohio, where he is employed in a steel plant. Mr. Goul has been a life-long Republican, his first presidential vote having been cast for Fremont, and he twice voted for Lincoln. He has been the choice of his party for many township offices, but he would never allow his name to be used as a candidate for county offices. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Mechanicsburg, in which they are active and prominent workers. CALVIN R. HUNTER. The business stability of Mechanicsburg has been augmented by the successful career of Calvin R. Hunter, senior member of the firm of C. R. Hunter & Company, grain merchants, and president of the CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 153 Central Bank. A native son of Mechanicsburg, Mr. Hunter was born September 15. 1857, a son of Vincent and Sabina (Weaber) Hunter, the former born in Clark county, Ohio', in 1819, and the latter in Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, in 1829. The maternal grandfather, William Hunter, was a native of Virginia, and upon starting out to fashion his own career located in Clark county, Ohio, of which he was one of the earliest settlers. An equally worthy and successful pioneer of Clark county was the maternal grandfather. Philip Weaber, a native of Penn- sylvania, and who in later life removed from Clark to Champaign county, Ohio. Following the marriage of the parents of Mr. Hunter they took up their residence in Goshen township. Champaign county, Ohio, where the elder Hunter attained to considerable prominence in general affairs, and by reason of well applied industry accumulated a competence. He was chiefly interested in farming and milling, occupations in which he was well versed and progressive, and for many years he was a large dealer in grain in Mechanicsburg. His death, in 1884. at the age of sixty-five years, removed one of the substantial men of the community and a stanch supporter of the Republican party. The wife, who sur- vives him, is still a resident of Mechanicsburg. where also live her two surviving children, one of whom is Mrs. Laura Burnham. The earliest business inclinations of Calvin R. Hunter were nat- urally along the lines adopted by his father, and while still a youth attending the public schools he gained a fair knowledge of grain and general elevator trade. Eventually he embarked upon an independent venture, which was none other than the beginning of the present busi- ness of C. R. Hunter & Company, established in 1890. and which has since known uninterrupted prosperity. So long and extensive an ex- perience has qualified Mr. Hunter to speak with authority upon the grain possibilities of Ohio, a state resource in which he has unbounded 154 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. faith when accompanied by expert management. Mr. Hunter is also interested in general farming and stock-raising, and he has been presi- dent of the Central Bank since January 2, 1893. Although a stanch upholder of Republican principles and issues, he has never entered the arena of political preferment, his time having been devoted principally to the discharge of business obligations. Fraternally he is assi dated with the Knights Templar. He married Lizzie Burnham, daughter of D. D. Burnham. in 1890, and of this union there are two children, Eldon and Norvell. Mr. Hunter is a business man of unquestioned integrity, and his reputation 'in the community is in keeping with his public spirit and devotion to the general well being. CLAUDE C. CRAIG, M. D As one of the representative young members of the medical pro- fession of Champaign county, of which he is a native son. Dr. Craig assuredly merits a place in this compilation. He is successfully engaged in the practice of his chosen profession in the city of Urbana, where he is associated with Dr. Harry Cook, under the firm name of Drs. Cook & Craig, and to them is also due much credit for the maintenance of a high-grade sanitarium and hospital in this city, the same proving of great value to the community and being conducted with marked ability, while its equipments are of the most modern and approved order, facili- tating the treatment of varied classes of disease and effective surgical work. Dr. Craig is a representative of one of the pioneer families of the county, having been born on the parental homestead, in Concord town- ship, on the 18th O'f September, 1873, the son of Harrison Craig, an CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 1 55 hundred citizen of Urbana, to whom individual reference is made on other pages of this work. To the article in question we refer the reader for further data concerning- the genealogy of our present subject. The Doctor was reared under the sturdy discipline O'f the farm and received his early educational training in the district schools, after which he entered the Urbana high school, where he completed the course and properly fitted himself for the technical study and reading which pre- pared him for his chosen life work. For a period of three years he was employed in the egg-case factory of his father, and then began reading medicine under the direction of Dr. H. C. Houston, of Urbana. In 1894 he was matriculated in the Cleveland Homeopathic Medical College, where he was graduated, with the degree of Doctor of Medi- cine, in March, 1897, after which, in order to more fully fortify him- self for the practical work of his profession, he passed one year as in- terne in the Huron Street Hospital in Cleveland, where he gained ex- ceptionally valuable clinical experience. He then returned to Urbana, where he has since been actively engaged in the practice of his pro- fession and where he has gained prestige as a finely qualified and discriminating physician and surgeon, while his genial personality has been a distinct factor in promoting his popularity in both professional and social circles. As has already been stated, Dr. Craig is associated in practice with Dr. Harry Cook, and they are proprietors of the Ur- bana Sanitarium, whose headquarters are the old Hotel Sowles, a commodious and conveniently arranged building, which has been fitted up with special reference to the use to which it is now applied. The sanitarium has the equipment of a first-class hospital, having appliances for hot air and other baths, the best of electrical devices, static, galvanic and faradic, for the treatment of nervous disorders and other diseases, and a specially efficacious apparatus utilized for the treatment of catarrhal conditions. The sanitarium has comfortable and cheerful 156 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. rooms for the accommodation of patients, who may here receive the best of attention in every respect, the institution being a valuable acqui- sition to the city and being admirably conducted. In his political allegiance Dr. Craig gives his support to the Re- publican party, but he has never sought public office, the only official incumbency he has retained being that of health officer of Urbana, in which capacity he served for a period of two years. He is an able exponent of the theories and methods of Hahnemann, keeps thoroughly in touch with the advances made in the sciences of medicine and surgery and is one of the representative members of his school of practice in this section of the state. On the 14th of June. 1899, Dr. Craig was united in marriage to Miss Stella Talbott. daughter of George A. Talbott, of Urbana, Ohio. Fraternally the Doctor is identified with the time-honored order of Free and Accepted Masons, holding membership in Champaign Lodge. DAVID CLEM. There is no element which has entered into our composite na- tional fabric which has been of more practical strength, value and utility than that furnished by the sturdy, persevering and honorable sons of Germany, and from that nationality our subject is descended. His pa- ternal great-grandfather was born in the fatherland, but when a young man left his home across the sea and came to America, taking up his abode in the Old Dominion, and in that commonwealth his son David was born. The latter became the grandfather of our subject, and his son Isaac was also a native of Virginia, born in Shenandoah county, where he was reared and married. In iN_><) he came to Champaign county, Ohio, locating on a farm in Johnson township, but in 1853 ne RESIDENCE AMD BARS OF DAYID CLEM. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 159 sold that tract and bought a farm west of Saint Paris, where he died at the age of seventy-five years. His political support was given to the Democracy. For his wife he choise Rebecca Crabill. also a native of Virginia, as was her father, John Crabill. She reached the age of seventy-nine years, and by her marriage to Mr. Clem became the mother of nine children, six sons and three daughters, all of whom, with the exception of one, who died at the age of four years, grew to maturity, and live sons and two daughters are still living, our subject being the third child and second son in order of birth. David Clem, of this review, was born on the home farm in John- son township. Champaign county, on the 30th of September, 1836. During his youth he attended the primitive school of the neighbor- hood during the winter months, while the summer seasons were spent in assisting his father in the work of the farm, thus continuing until he reached his majority. He then started out to make his own way in the world, and for a time thereafter worked for neighboring fanners by the day or month. For about six years he was also employed at the shoemaker's trade in Saint Paris, after which he purchased a farm in Johnson township, near Millerstown, on which he made his home for about one year, on the expiration of which period he si hi that tract and purchased one hundred acres in Adams and Johnson townships. Four years later he again sold his farm, after which he removed to Caldwell county, Missouri, and in Davis county, that state, purchased a farm. Returning after a time to Champaign county, he became the owner of one hundred and thirty-five acres in Urbana township, but after a residence there of five years he sold that tract and purchased his present homestead, consisting of three hundred acres, in Salem township, and in addition he also owns one hundred and sixty-seven acres in the same township, two hundred and seven acres southeast of of \\ est Liberty and one hundred acres in Johnson township, thus mak- 160 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ing his landed possessions consist of seven hundred and seventy-four acres. Starting out in life a poor boy. he has steadily worked his way upward, gaining success and winning public confidence. Mr. Clem was married in 1876. when Miss Romelia Perry became his wife. She was born in Virginia, but when ten years of age ac- companied her parents to^ the Buckeye state, the family locating in Clark county. Her grandfather, Abram Perry, was a native of Penn- sylvania and was of Dutch descent, while her maternal grandfather, Henry F. Hensley, was a native of Virginia and was a member of a prominent old southern family. Mrs. Clem's parents, George and Mar- garet (Hensley) Perry, were also natives of the Old Dominion, but in 1865 they came to Clark county, Ohio, where the father died in 1868, and he is still survived by his widow. They were the parents of nine children, five daughters and four sons and seven of the number grew to years of maturity. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Clem has been blessed with six children, — five of whom are living: Joseph, born October 20, 1877; Samuel, born January 24, 1879; Pearl, October 16. 188 1 ; Ivan, October 17, 1883; and Blanch, born March 15. 1891. One daugh- ter, Grace, died in infancy. Since attaining to mature years Mr. Clem has given his political support to the Democracy. He stands on the side (if progress, advancement and civilization, favoring education, re- ligion, law and order, and whatever makes for the good of the people as individuals and as communities. JAMES W. ANDERSON. Mr. Anderson was born in Augusta county, Virginia, on the 6th of November, 1827. being the second in order of birth of the eight children of John and Fannie (Clark) Anderson, the former of whom CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 161 was born in the same county of the Old Dominion state, on the 12th of December. 1788. while the latter was born in Clarke county. Virginia, on the 4th of August. 1804. John Anderson was a son of James and Isabella (King) Anderson, the former of whom was born in the pic- turesque Shenandoah valley of Virginia, in 1749, while his wife was a native of Pennsylvania, where she was born in 1758. James Anderson was a son of James. Sr., who married a Miss McLanehan. He was bom in Ireland, being of Scotch-Irish lineage, and came to America in his youth, his parents having removed from Scotland to the north of Ireland in 1665. Upon coming to America he located in Pennsylvania, where his marriage occurred, and thence he went on an exploring ex- pedition through the Shenandoah valley, having organized a company for this purpose and having started from Philadelphia about the year 1725. After making due investigation he returned to his home in Pennsylvania, whence he later removed with his family to the Shen- andoah valley, being one of the first settlers in that beautiful section of the Old Dominion. During the early days there he was an active participant in many sanguinary conflicts with the Indians and there he passed the remainder of his honorable and useful life. His son James, grandfather of our subject, served with marked distinction as a soldier in the Continental line during the war of the Revolution. His wife. Isabella ( King) Anderson, was a daughter of John and Isabella (Christian) King, of Scotch-Irish stock. Fannie (Clark) Anderson, mother of the subject of this review, was a daughter of Joseph and' Mary ( Reynolds) Clark, both natives of Maryland and the latter being a daughter of John Reynolds. Her maternal grandfather. John Reynolds, was captain of the first company organized in Washington county, Maryland, at the inception of the war of the Revolution and held this office in the Sixth Regiment of Maryland Volunteers. He was killed by Indians on the Ohio river in 1799. His father, John i62 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Reynolds, a son of a Scotchman, emigrated to America in 1714, and was the original progenitor of the family in the New World. He was a Presbyterian of the stern and unbending Scutch type and his wife was a member of the established church of England, she having been born in Ireland, of Welsh ancestry. They were married in Ireland in the year 1681, and came to the United States in 17 14, locating in Penn- sylvania. John and Fannie (Clark) Anderson became the parents of eight children, namely: Mary H., deceased; James W.. the subject of this sketch; George D., a resident of Augusta county, Virginia; Jane C. the widow of Henry Coyner- and now residing in Augusta county, Vir- ginia; Isabella A., deceased; John J., of whom specific mention is made elsewhere in this work; Xorval W, who was a valiant soldier in the war of the Rebellion, in which he sacrificed bis life in defense of the Union, having been killed in the battle of Stone River in 1863; and Sarah M.. the widow of Captain George H. Killian, who served on the staff of Stonewall Jackson. The parents of this family passed their entire lives in Virginia, where the father devoted his life to farming. James W. Anderson was reared and educated in Virginia, where be secured such advantages as were afforded in the common schools, so fortifying himself as to become eligible for pedagogic work, having been a successful teacher for some time in his youthful days. He de- voted his attention to agricultural pursuits in his native state until he had attained the age of twenty-nine years, when, in 1856, he came to Champaign county, Ohio, and took up his permanent abode in Urbana, where he established himself in the drug business, in which he con- tinued for the lung period of forty years, being one of the pioneer busi- ness men of the city at the time of his retirement, in 1896, and having attained a competency through his able and discriminating efforts. A man of marked intellectuality and unswerving integrity in all the re- CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 163 lations of life, he has commanded the unbounded confidence and esteem of the community in which he has passed so many years of his life, and here, in well earned retirement from active business, he rests secure in the regard of old and tried friends. Though he has never sought the honors of political office he has not been unmindful of his civic duties and has given his support to the Republican party since 1861, and prior to that time was a Whig. He and his wife are zealous adherents of the Methodist Episcopal church and are members of the First M. E. church of Urbana. with whose work they have been identified for many years. On the 19th of December, 1872. Mr. Anderson was united in mar- riage to Miss Caroline Baldwin, the daughter of Judge Samuel Vance and Catherine (YanMeter) Baldwin. Our subject and his wife have no children. Samuel V. Baldwin, lather of Mrs. Anderson, was born in Hamp- shire county. Virginia, being a son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Wilson) Baldwin, the latter of whom was a granddaughter of Captain Wilson, who distinguished himself in connection with the Indian wars both prior and subsequent to the war of the Revolution. Samuel V. Baldwin was a lad of ten years at the time when his parents removed from the Old Dominion to Clark county, Ohio, where they were numbered among the early pioneers. Here he was reared to maturity, having such edu- cational advantages as were afforded in the primitive schools of the locality and period and effectively supplementing this by a most devoted and careful self-application and study. He studied law and ably fitted himself for the practice of his profession. He came to Urbana about the year 1835, becoming one of the distinguished members of the early bar of the county, where he was held in the highest esteem. He held preferment as prosecuting attorney of Champaign county and for eleven years was incumbent of the office of probate judge of the county, being the first probate judge of the county after the office was created. His 1 64 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. administration was one of signal ability and honor, and his death oc- curred just after his re-election. His political support was originally given to the Whig party, but he became a loyal adherent of the Repub- lican party at the time of its organization and was thereafter an uncom- promising supporter of its principles and policies. Judge Baldwin en- tered into eternal rest in 1861, at the age of fifty-five years, his widow surviving until 1881. when she passed away, at the age of seventy-one years. Of their eight children seven attained maturity and four are living at the present time. MRS. MARIA PATRICK. The venerable lady whose name initiates this sketch is certainly worthy of representation in a volume which has to do with those who have lived and wrought to goodly ends within the borders of Cham- paign county, for not only is she one of the pioneers of this county but is a representative of one of the sterling pioneer families of the state. She has now reached the age of nearly four score years and ten, and is a veritable "mother in Israel," revered by all who know her and having within her mental ken a purview of the mavelous changes which have been wrought in this section of the Union during the flight of many years. She retains her home in the city of Urbana and is undoubtedly the oldest living pioneer of the county, a noble type of those true-hearted and courageous women who contributed in so large a measure to the . development and material prosperity of this locality. Mrs. Patrick is a native of the old Buckeye state, having been born near the town of London, Madison county, on the 2d of February, [813, mi that her ninetieth birthday anniversary will occur within a few CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. .65 months after this work is issued from the press. Her parents were Charles and Mary (McDougal) Atchison, and in their early life they were residents of Kentucky, where they met with reverses, principally through the burning of their property, which led them to seek a new home in Ohio and to here endeavor to retrieve their fortunes. They became squatters, as the title was familiarly given in the early days, in Madison county, where they passed the residue of their lives, the mother of our subject passing away when Mrs. Patrick was hut ten years of age, and her father when she was but fifteen, so that she was orphaned while still a child. Her father had been previously married, and there were three children of the first union and six of the second, Mrs. Patrick being the only survivor at the present time. After the death of her mother she lived for a short interval in the home c f one of her half-sisters, and when she was eighteen years of age she came to Urbana to live with another half-sister. She arrived in the city which is now her home on the 30th of November. 1S30. and on the 12th of November, 1833, the night made memorable by one of the most notable meteoric showers ever witnessed in this section of the Union, she was united in marriage to Jacob H. Patrick, who was born in Urbana, the son of Anthony Patrick, the date of his nativity having been September 22, 181 1, and his death occurring March 12. 1890, so that he lived to attain the patriarchial age of nearly eighty years. Of this union nine children were born, of whom three only are living at the present time, namely: Ellen, the widow of John S. Kirby; Emily, the wife of Joseph C. Vance; and Walter K.. of Urbana. Owing to the exigencies of time and place, the early advantages of Mrs. Patrick were limited in scope and were of primitive character, but her receptive mind, keen powers of observation and personal appli- cation enabled her to effectively supplement this early and meagre dis- cipline. Her husband, who was a man of sterling integrity and who 1 66 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. was honored by all who knew him, in early life learned the saddler's trade, bnt he devoted his attention to the same only for a short time and then engaged in the hardware business, which he followed for many years, being- recognized as one of the representative citizens of Urbana, where his entire life was passed. He retired from this enterprise a few years prior to his death, and thereafter devoted his attention to looking after his farming interests, also conducting an insurance business. He was a stanch Republican in his political proclivities, but never sought official preferment, the only office of consequence of which he was in- cumbent having been that of member of the city council. He was a devoted member of the Baptist church, while for more than seventy years his widow has been an active member of the First Methodist Episcopal church in Urbana. where her name and zealous services are held in reverence as the many golden years rest as a crown upon her aged head. In early life Mrs. Patrick purchased and brought to Urbana a sewing machine, and it is worthy of particular mention that this was the first ever brought to this city. Her gentle character and noble attributes have endeared her to a wide circle of friends in the younger generations, as also was true in her own, and the years have rested lightly upon her and have been crowned with love and esteem, as is most justly due. WILLIAM J. ABBOTT. William J. Abbott, a farmer and representative citizen of Con- curd township. Champaign county, and one of the leading farmers of the county, is numbered among Ohio's native suns, for his birth occurred in Shelby county, January [3, 183(1. His paternal grandfather, Will- iam Abbott, was a native of Pennsylvania and in pioneer days took up his abode in Shelby county, Ohio, taking an active part in the work TftLsteJtfir CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 169 of improvement ami progress there. His political support was given the Whig party. His son, James Abbott, the father of our subject, was a native of Pennsylvania, but when a boy left the Keystone state and came with his parents to Ohio, the family settling in Shelby count}-, where he was reared, acquiring his education in the district schools. He was married there to Susan Schlusser, a native of Shelby county, reared and educated within its borders. Her death occurred about four years after her marriage in 1839 and in 1S40 the father was again married, removing thence to- Champaign county in 1845, ms home being in Johnson township. There he remained until his death, which oc- curred in 1853. Unto the parents of our subject were born two chil- dren, the younger being John, who is now deceased. The second wife was Matilda Beach, a native of Shelby couuty, while her parents were natives of Virginia. There were six children born of this union, of whom three have passed away. All of the number were born in Cham- paign county with one exception. William J. Abbott acquired the greater part of his education in this county, completing his studies when twenty-one years of age. He engaged in teaching school for twelve years, first in Shelby county and afterward in Champaign county. He hail begun his work as an edu- cator before he completed his own education. At length he turned his attention to farming, renting a tract of land in 1864 and in 187 J removed to the farm of James D. Powell, which was his place of resi- dence until 1877. With the capital he had thus acquired through his in- dustry and economy he purchased a farm of eighty acres and made most of the improvements thereon, ditching, draining and clearing the land of timber. He remained thereon until 1883 and then came to' his present home in Concord township. He makes a specialty of stock raising and in his business affairs is meeting with creditable and de- served success. 9 170 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Mr. Abbott was married in Champaign county, in 1858, to Emily V. Compton, who was born in Virginia but became a resident of Cham- paign county when twelve years of age. Her father had died in the Old Dominion, after which her mother removed with her children to Ohio. The family are all now deceased with the exception of Mrs. Abbott. Unto our subject and his wife have been born five sons and five daughters, all natives of Champaign county, namely: Charles M., who is engaged in the clothing business in Chicago. Illinois; John H., at home: Anna, who is the wife of Walter S. Wilson, a farmer of Champaign county, Minnie A., the wife of Dr. W. H. Hinkle: Emma Maude, the wife of D. H. Taylor, a farmer of Champaign count)- ; Oma J., the wife of Dr. C. E. Stadler of West Cairo. Ohio; Ora M., the wife of Frank J. Barger of Champaign county: and Chester P., at home. Two of the sons died in infancy. Mr. Abbott has served as township clerk for a number of years and in his political affiliations is a Republican, taking an active and helpful interest in the work of the party. Both he and his wife are members of the Concord Methodist Episcopal church and their labors have contributed to its upbuilding and growth. Mr. Abbott is a rep- resentative farmer, whose progressive methods, unremitting diligence and resolute purpose have been salient features in his success, enabling him to win a place among the substantial men of his community. He now farms two hundred and seventy-eight acres and is one of the lead- ing farmers of Champaign county. Since 1882 he has. in addition to his own land, been cultivating the Oliver Taylor farm. HARRISON CRAIG. The subject of this sketch occupies a position of prominence in connection with the industrial activites of Champaign count)-, of which he is a native son, and he is recognized as one of the representative CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 171 and progressive business, men of the thriving city of Urbana. where lie In ilds the dual office of secretary and manager of the Urbana Egg Case Company, whose enterprise is one of the must extensive of the sort in the Union. In the agnatic line Mr. Craig is of stanch Scottish lineage, as the name implies, while on the maternal side the genealogy is of German origin. He was horn in the city of Urbana on the 23d of August, 1847, being the son of William B. and Indiana (Hess) Craig, the former of whom was born in Berkeley county, Virginia (now West Virginia), and the latter in Champaign county, Ohio, whither her father, Jacob Hess, removed from Hillsboro, Kentucky, and became one of the pioneer settlers in Champaign county, where he devoted his life to agricultural pursuits. The father of our subject was reared and educated in the Old Dominion state, but when a lad of thirteen years he severed the home ties and came to Zanesville, Ohio, where he remained until he had attained his legal majority, when he came to Champaign county, where he was engaged in farming during the residue of his active and useful lift, being successful in his efforts and being honored as one of the ster- ling citizens of the county. His death occurred in 1886, at the age of sixty-eight years, and his widow still resides on the old homestead farm in Harrison township. Of their union were born six sons and three daughters, of whom all are living, the subject of this review being the eldest of the family. Though born in Urbana, as has been noted, Harrison Craig was reared to the sturdy discipline of the old farm, while to the public schools of the locality and period he is indebted for the early educational privi- leges which were accorded him. In 1870 he was united in marriage to Miss Alary M. Baker, and they took up their abode on a farm in Har- rison township, where he was successfully engaged in agricultural pur- suits for a score of vears. 172 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. In the year 189.1 Mr. Craig took up his residence in the city of Urbana, where lie was one of the organizers of the Urbana Egg Case Company, of which he became secretary and manager, having ever since retained the incumbency and having been one of the prime factors in the building up of the large and important business of the company,, whose operations are now of wide scope, making the enterprise one of marked value in connection with the industrial activities of this section. The other members of the executive corps are W. R. Ross, who is president and treasurer; and H. N. Kirby, who holds the office of vice- president. In politics Mr. Craig is independent, and while taking proper interest in public affairs of a local nature he has never sought the honors or emoluments of public office. He and his wife are members of the First Methodist Episcopal church. They have six children, namely : Minnie L., Claude C. Mamie G., Ethel A., Grace G. and Chauncv D. HEXRY C. PEARCE, A. M.. M. D., Ph. D. Henry Clay Pearce, who for a number of years has been actively engaged in medical practice in Ohio, is one of the representative mem- bers of the profession in this section of the state. He has ever stood as the champion of progress, and his influence has been exerted at all times on the side of right and truth. The Doctor was born in Union township, Champaign county, April 10, 1833, a son of Hjarvey C. and Beulah (Barrett) Pearce, also natives of this county. The father, who was born in 1805, was called to his final rest in 1891, and the mother passed away in death in 1885, at the age of seventy-six years. The former was a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Collins) Pearce, and Thomas Pearce was a hero of the American Revolution. He removed J^ £<3W«~- Th.,2. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 175 from New York to Maryland, and in a very early day came to Ohio. The mother of our subject was a daughter of Captain Abner Barrett, a ■soldier in the war of 1S12, and he, too, was among the very early settlers in Champaign county. In his early life Harvey C. Pearce fol- lowed agricultural pursuits, but for many years thereafter was a prom- inent shoe merchant of Urbana. In political matters he was a Whig, and for several years while residing in Union township he served as a justice of the peace. Both he and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and they lived consistent, Christian lives, while for many years he was a local minister and did effective work in the cause of his Master. This worthy couple became the parents of eight children, namely: Henry Clay, of this review; Lucas E.. de- ceased; Abner B.. a resident of Champaign county: John \\\. of Chi- cago; William Raper and Mary E., both deceased: Richard S., of Ur- bana; and Harvey C, deceased. Dr. Henry C. Pearce received his elementary education in the com- mon schools of the neighborhood. At the age of twenty years he be- gan the study of medicine, first under the preceptorship of Dr. Carter, of Urbana. and afterward with Dr. Dawson, while still later he became a student in the Starling Medical College, in which institution he was graduated in 1863. For five years previous to his graduation he had practiced his chosen profession at Mutual. Champaign county, and since 1864 he has been numbered among the leading medical practitioners of Urbana. From 1866 until 1874 he served as professor of physiology and microscopic histology in the Starling Medical College, of Columbus, Ohio, was the founder and trustee of the Columbus Medical College, and from 1874 for a period of seventeen years was professor of ob- stetrics and surgical diseases of women in the Columbus Medical Col- lege, retiring from the latter position on account of failing health. He has long been a member of the Ohio State Medical Society and of the 176 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. American Medical Association, and in 1866 was made surgeon by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, a position which he has since contin- uously held, covering a period of longer service with the company in that capacity than any other surgeon. For nineteen years the Doctor was a member of the school board of Urbana, the cause of education ever finding in him a warm friend, and for over fifty years he has been a worthy member of the Methodist church. In 1854 Dr. Pearce was united in marriage to Sarah Jane Morgan, but she was called to the home beyond in 1872, leaving four children, — Laura Etta, the wife of C. E. Macher, of Piqua, Ohio; Ella, who be- came the wife of George E. Lee. and is now deceased; Charles W., of Urbana; and Henry M. A daughter also died in infancy. In 1873 the Doctor was a second time married, Binnie A. Keller becoming his wife. She is a daughter of William Keller, an old and prominent resi- dent of Urbana, who at one time served as mayor of the city. Unto this union were born two children, — Frank C, a physician of Edith. Ten- nessee, and a graduate of the Tennessee Medical College, of Knox- ville ; and William K, a promising young man who died at the age of twenty-two years. The Doctor is both a Knight Templar and Scot- tish Rite Mason. Henry M. Pearce, a son of Dr. Henry Clay Pearce, was born and reared in Urbana, the date of his birth being December 20, 1868. His early education was received in the public schools of this city, and after completing his studies therein he began preparation for the med- ical profession under his father's direction. In 1867 he entered the Starling Medical College, of Columbus, in which he was graduated on the 4th of March, 1890, and, associated with bis father, he has since followed the practice of his chosen profession in Urbana. He is a mem- ber of the Ohio State Medical Society, of the Champaign County Med- ical Society, of the American Medical Association, and since the begin- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 177 nirig of his professional career has served as surgeon for the Pennsyl- vania Railroad Company. For eleven years he served his county as its physician and is now the city health officer. He is a Republican in politics, a Knight Templar Mason and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1890 Dr. Henry M. Pearce was united in marriage to Anna M. Sleffel, a native of Australia, and they have two children, — Linda Etta and Edwin Claw EDGAR G. BAXTA. Among the young men of Urbana whose records partake of the remarkable by reason of brilliant successes achieved is Edgar S. Banta., a gentleman of splendid ability, of keen discernment and unfaltering enterprise and yet one whose success has been so worthily achieved that there is not a blot on his record. He was born in Urbana, November 30, 1871, and is a son of John A. and Emma R. (Geiger) Banta His father was a native of New York and in the early 'fifties came to Cham- paign county. Our subject was born and reared in his native city, and acquired his early literary education in the public schools, being grad- uated on the completion of a high school course in 1888. He then pursued a general course in the Urbana University and his law studies were pursued under the direction of his grandfather, Judge Levi Geiger, and Grant V. Fromme. In June, 1893. he was admitted to the bar and at once opened an office, where, by close application to business, by care- ful preparation of his cases and by a thorough understanding of legal principles, he has built up an enviable reputation. He has made a specialty of patent law and is thoroughly informed in this department' of jurisprudence. Prior to his admission to the bar Mr. Banta estab- 178 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. lished what is now one of the largest fire underwriting agencies of the county. His first company was the American Central of St. Louis. A few months after establishing his agency he formed a partnership with his uncle, Charles L. Geiger. which continued until the latter's death in January, 1895. Rapid progress was made along this line of business, the number of companies increasing from one to seven, representing a capital of over eleven million dollars, the following old, reliable and well known companies now comprising the agency : Phenix Insurance Company of New York ; St. Paul Fire and Marine, Minnesota ; Glens Falls Insurance Company of New York; Girard Fire and Marine In- surance Company of Philadelphia ; Reliance Insurance Company of Philadelphia; German Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburg; the North German Fire Insurance Company of New York; and the Delaware Insurance Company. Mr. Banta has also adde 1 the life, accident and employers' liability branches to his insurance business and represents the leading companies of America in these lines. He is now the senior member of the firm of Banta & Spahr, Ohio managers for the Illinois Life Insurance Company. Mr. Banta also represents, as attorney and special agent, the Indemnity Savings and Loan Company of Cleveland, the capital stock of which is ten million dollars, and in this connection has done a large amount of business. He also negotiates real estate transfers and his activity in this direction has contributed not a little to business prosperity in Urbana. A man of resourceful business ability, he carries forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes, and his efforts have been so persistently directed along well defined lines of labor that he has met with splendid success. In 1898 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Banta and Miss Alberta A. Spahr, a daughter of the Rev. A. N. Spahr, a former minister of the Grace Methodist Episcopal church. Socially he is identified with the Harmonv Lodge, No. 8. F. & A. M. He gives his political support to CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 179 the Republican party and as a citizen is deeply interested in everything pertaining- to the public welfare and progress. His business methods are of interest to all, because of the brilliant success he has achieved, and yet his prosperity has been won along the lines of old and time-tried maxims. He has placed his dependence in industrial perseverance and a careful outlook over the future and these qualities have been the im- portant elements in his career. CHARLES A. OFFEXBACHER, M. D. On the roll of the able and honored members of the medical frater- nity in Champaign county is to be found the name of the subject of this sketch, and he is established in practice in St. Paris, where he has at- tained high prestige in his profession and built up a large and representa- tive business, being a close student of medical and surgical science and having thoroughly fortified himself for the practice of the same. A re- view of his life is consistently incorporated in this volume, and it is the more consonant from the fact that he is a native son of Champaign county. Dr. Offenbacher. as the name indicates, is of German lineage, though the family has long been identified with the annals of American history. He was born on a farm in Jackson township. Champaign coun- ty, on the 9th of December, 1845. being a son of Aaron and Mary (Alexander) Offenbacher, his father having been a native of Virginia, whence he emigrated to Ohio in the early '40s, locating in Johnson town- ship, Champaign county, where he devoted the remainder of his life to agricultural pursuits. He was twice married, and his first wife died shortly after the removal to Ohio, having been the mother of eight chil- 1S0 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. dren, all of whom are now deceased. Mr. Offenbacher subsequently married Miss Mary Alexander and they became the parents of three chil- dren. — the Doctor and Amanda, who is the wife of James Hone, of De- graff. Logan county. Aaron Offenbacher died on the ist of January. 1859, and his second wife was summoned into eternal rest on the 6th ■ if April, 1895. The subject of this sketch received his preliminary educational dis- cipline in the district schools of his native township, and so applied him- self to his studies and had such distinct powers of assimilation that he became eligible for pedagogic honors, giving inception to his career as a teacher when eighteen years of age and thereafter devoting his attention to this line of work during a period of six years, in Champaign, Miami and Shelby counties, and being very successful in his work. It was but natural that a man of such distinct individuality should early form definite plans for a future career, and thus we find that in the midst of his duties as a teacher he began reading medicine under the direction of Dr. M. V. Speece, of (Juincy, Logan county, who was his preceptor dur- ing the entire course of his preliminary technical study. The Doctor was dependent upon his own resources in thus preparing himself for his pro- fession, and had the good judgment to so husband his means as to be able to continue his work under the best of conditions, since he finally was matriculated in the Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery, where he completed the prescribed course, being duly graduated as a member of the class of 1870 and receiving his coveted degree of Doctor of Medicine. Six months after his graduation Dr. Offenbacher entered upon the active practice of his profession in the village of Spring Hills, this state, and there be built up a large and lucrative practice, continuing his residence there for a period of twelve years, within which time he failed to respond to only three calls, his devotion to his profession having ever been of the most unequivocal order, while his humanitarian spirit has prompted CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 181 him to never refuse to minister to those afflicted, no matter what their station in life. In 1883 the Doctor came to Saint Paris, where he has since devoted himself to the demands of his practice, which has been cumulative in character from the beginning and which is of the mi »st representative order. He keeps in close touch with the advances made in all branches of his profession, and in 1897 took a special post-graduate course in the Chicago Polyclinic, while two years later he took a special course in clinics under Dr. H. H. DePew, a representative specialist residing in Chicago. For the past three years our subject has been giving special attention to the treatment of hemorrhoids and hernia, having made a careful study of these diseases and the most effective methods of treat- ment, and having been particularly successful in the handling of cases of the sort. As a specialist in these lines he has attained a high reputation, and his services are in requisition on the part of many from outside the normal confines of his professional field of labor. Dr. Offenbacher has always taken a lively interest in local affairs of a public nature, and his political allegiance is given to the Democratic party, minus the whisky element. During a decade of the twelve years of his residence in Spring Hills he served as a member of the board of education, and since locating in St. Paris he has been incumbent of a similar position for seven years, while for two years he has been clerk of the municipal corporation. Fraternally he is identified with the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows, being a member of St. Paris Lodge, Xo. 246. Russell Encampment, Xo. 141, and having passed all the official chairs in the subordinate body. On the nth of August, 1870, Dr. Offenbacher was united in mar- riage to Miss Sarah C. Smoot, a native of Shelby county, and they have four children, namely: Minnie, who is the wife of Franklin Clem: ami Tames V., Charles F. and William E. The family are prominent in the 1 82 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. social life of the community and the Doctor is held in the highest esteem by all who know him, while recognized as one of the representative physicians and surgeons of the state. THOMAS A. COWGILL. The name of Captain Thomas A. Cowgill stands conspicuously forth on the pages of Ohio's political history. He was born near Ken- nard. Champaign county, July 31, 1840. The Cowgills came from Eng- land to America on the ship with William Perm, locating first in Dela- ware and afterward made their way to Virginia. In the latter com- monwealth. Thomas Cowgill, the grandfather of our subject, was born and there reared and married. In 1800 he took up his abode in Colum- biana county, Ohio, where he followed farming and blacksmithing until 181 7 and in that year came to Champaign county. He was a Quaker in his religious belief, and in that faith died in 1846. He donated the ground on which the Mount Carmel church was built.. Henry Cowgill, the father of our subject, was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, in 1801, and in 1817 came with his parents to Cham- paign county. His death here occurred in 1870. at the age of sixty-nine years. He, too. was a member of the Friends' church. For his wife he chose Anna Marmora, who was born in North Carolina in 1S01. Her father, Martin Marmon, was also a native of North Carolina and was a farmer by occupation. In 1805 he took up his abode in Logan county. Ohio, locating near what is now Zanesheld, where he improved a large farm. He took an active part in the organization of the county, and for many years served as its treasurer. The Marmon family were originally Huguenots, and thev left their southern, home on account £S^^O CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 185 of the slavery question. Unto Mr. and Airs. Cowgill were born eleven children, nine daughters and two sons, and all but two of the daughters grew to years of maturity, while six of the number are still living : Eliza, the wife of Edwin L. Carrol, of Adell, Iowa; Susan M., the widow of William M. Mead, of Salina, Kansas; Samuel, of Salem township. Champaign county ; Electa and Cynthia, who are still unmarried ; and Thomas A., the subject of this review. Those who have passed away are Angelina, Martha A. Morgan, Sarah Pellett and two who died in child- hood. Thomas A. Cowgill was born on the farm on which he still re- sides. His youth was spent as a student in the primitive log school houses of the period and in assisting his father in the work of the home farm. In 1862 he enlisted for service in the Civil war, becoming a> mem- ber of Company E, Ninety-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, of which he became captain, and with his command he served as a brave and loyal soldier for two years, on the expiration of which period he was dis- charged on account of ill health. During his military career he served in many of the principal battles of the war, including that of Vicks- burg. Receiving an honorable discharge in 18G4, he then returned to the old home farm, where he remained until 1807, and in that year, in company with J. B. Thomas, he erected an elevator at Kennard and engaged in the grain business. In 1875 he was first elected to the house of representatives, becoming a member of the sixty-second gen- eral assembly, in which he served as chairman of the committee on agriculture and also on other important committees. His services were so satisfactory to his constituents that they secured for him a renomina- tion without any opposition. Re-elected in 1877, he became a member of the sixty-third general assembly, which proved to be the most un- savory in the history of the state, mainly by reason of the fact that the house of representatives contained but thirty-nine Republicans to seventy- 1 86 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. one Democrats. Realizing their helplessness in the face of this powerful majority, at the beginning of the term the Republican members held a consultation, which resulted in a unanimous agreement to commit the en- tire political and parliamentary management of the minority to the judg- ment and discretion of Hon. Peter Hitchcock, the veteran member from Geauga, ami Mr. Cowgill. It is safe to say that no minority ever did such effective work, not only for the party but for sound legislation also, as did that of the sixty-third. So well were Mr. Cowgill's judgment, tact and parliamentary skill appreciated by his political brethren that be- fore the clase of that session he was assured that in the event of his return and the house being Republican, he would be their candidate for speaker. The Republicans of this county were swift to recognize the excellent record, and he was accordingly renominated, witli sub stantially no opposition, for a third term, an unprecedented proceed- ing in old Champaign county, two terms in succession having been awarded to but three of his predecessors. Elected in 1879 by an in- creased majority, upon the organization of the sixty-fourth general as- sembly. January 3. 1880, he was elected its speaker, his competitor being- General John S. Jones, of Delaware, formerly a member of congress from the ninth district. Of Mr. Cowgill's administration of the duties of the high office of speaker, the first member ever elevated to that sta- tion from his section of the state, it is necessary only to say that it was eminently satisfactory, as the unanimous vote of thanks tendered him at the close of each session abundantly testified. No appeal was ever uttered against his decisions, nor were his rulings ever seriouslv ques- tioned. In 1885 Mr. Cowgill was requested to be again a candidate for the legislature, and was accordingly nominated and elected for the fourth time by the largest majority ever given for that office 'in the county. Soon after the organization of the sixtv-seventh general assembly CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 187 charges of bribery and corruption in connection with tbe election of the United States senator were alleged against three members of the house. Mr. Cowgill was strongly urged by the leading Republicans to offer a resolution of inquiry as to their truthfulness. He did so, and was made chairman of what became known as the "Payne Investiga- tion," in many respects the most celebrated in the history of the state. In 1887 Mr. Cowgill was nominated for senator by the Republican senatorial convention which convened at Springfield for the eleventh district, and at the election received the highest plurality ever given a nominee for that office in this now widely known senatorial district. His services in the Ohio senate were laborious and conspicuous. He was an active member of the joint legislative committee on "constitu- tional revision," which formulated the proposed amendments to the con- stitution voted upon at the last election, and was also chairman of the committee on penitentiaries, universities and colleges. As will be seen he served ten years in the general assembly of Ohio, and it is worthy of remark that this length of service has been equalled by but two men now living. ex-Senator Ford, of Geauga, and ex-Senator Reed, of R'oss, neither of whom was ever speaker of the house. For eleven years he has served as a trustee of the Ohio State University, for four years of which time ex-President R. B. Hayes was a member of the university board, and for a few years has been president of its board of trustees. He was made a delegate to the Republican state convention at Colum- bus, which nominated the state delegates for the election of Abraham Lincoln, and this was the beginning of his political career. While Captain Cowgill does not desire further conferment of office he is as much alive to-day to the best interests and work of the party in the state as he has ever been. It is safe to say, that as long as life continues the Captain will be politically alive and abreast of the times in state politics. Since [892 Mr. Cowgill has lived in quiet retirement at his pleas- 1 88 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ant home near Kennanl. where he owns a fine homestead of three hun- dred and fifty acres. In former years he was largely engaged in the stock business, and has also served as a trustee for many large estates. He is a man of strong mentality, keen discernment, great tact and reso- lute purpose, and was therefore well fitted for the political honors con- ferred upon him. His business interests have also been capably man- aged and have brought to him the handsome competence which to-day enables him tO' live retired. He commands the respect of his fellow men by his sterling worth, and Ohio numbers him among her honored sons. JACOB McMORRAN. That Jacob McMorran is one of the leading and influential citizens of Champaign county and that he enjoys in a high degree the confi- dence of his fellow townsmen is indicated by the fact that he has been called to serve in many public offices in this locality. He was for six years county commissioner and proved most capable in that position, exercising his franchise prerogatives in support of all measures which he believed would contribute to the general good. He is now living retired in Saint Paris, having formerly been connected with the grain trade there. Mr. McMorran was born in Jackson township, Champaign county, on the 15th of June, 1833. His father, Samuel McMorran, was a na- tive of Rockingham, Pennsylvania, while the paternal grandfather, James McMorran, was a native of Scotland. Taking up his abode in Pennsylvania, he there died when his son Samuel was about eight years of age. His wife was a native of Ireland and was of Scotch-Irish de- scent. Samuel McMorran was reared in Pennsylvania, and New York, and when a young man came to Champaign county. He started out to earn his own living when about twelve years of age and nine years o o e o S O Ed Ed a s Ed CO |w :. o DO S o o Ed Ed a CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 191 later took up his abode in Ohio, locating first in Dayton. He was employed as a farm hand in that locality or working at anything that he could get to do that would yield to him an honest living. He was married in Dayton and then came to Champaign county, settling in Millerstown. As the years passed he prospered in his business under- takings and became a leading and active citizen of his community. He was honored with a number of local offices and gave his political sup- port first to the Whig party and afterward to the Republican party. He voted in Johnston township when there were about thirty Whig votes and two hundred Democratic votes. He held membership in the Mis- sionary Baptist church, taking an active interest in its work, and his support was ever given to every measure which he believed would pro- mote the progress and welfare of his community. He lived to the age of eighty-seven years. His wife, who in her maidenhood was Barbara Ueaston, was born in Virginia, and when about twelve years of age came with her parents to Ohio, the family settling near Hamilton. Her father was a native of Germany and when a young man crossed the Atlantic to the new world. Mrs. McMorran died when about seventy- four years of age. By her marriage she had become the mother .if the following named: John, James, Christopher, Samuel, Jacob and Eliza. Jacob McMorran was the youngest son and is the only survivor of the family. He was reared within one mile of Saint Paris and at the usual age entered the district schools where he became familiar with those branches of learning which serve as a foundation of all suc- cess in life. As a companion and helpmate for life's journey he chose Miss Mahala Boswell, the wedding being celebrated mi the 6th of No- vember, 1853. The lady is a native of this county and a daughter <>t David and Nancy (Colbert) Boswell, who were early and honored 10 192 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. pioneer settlers of Champaign county. The former came from Ken- tuck}- and the latter from Virginia. Fi r three years after his- marriage Mr. McMorran resided upon the 'Id farm homestead and then located in Saint Paris. Subsequently he spent six years in Woodford count}-, Illinois, where he was engaged in farming and on the expiration of that period returned to Ohio, set- tling in Samt Paris, where he engaged in the grain trade for many years, handling a large quantity of grain annually, his sales bringing to him a comfortable competence. When elected county commissioner in [884 he turned the grain business over to his sons, John and Grant, who have since continued it with good success. Mr. McMorran served so capably in the office that he was re-elected in 1887 and continued in the position for six years, a most worthy and faithful incumbent. He has also been treasurer of Johnson township and a member 1 f the council of the village of Saint Paris. In politics he has ever been a stanch Republican from the organization of the party. He voted for Fremont, its first candidate, and in iqoo his support was given to William Mc- Kinley. Socially he is connected with the Masonic fraternity and is a member of the Baptist church, of which Mrs. McMorran has also been a member for more than fifty years. His life has ever been as an open book, which all may read. Flis entire career will hear investi- gation and throughout the years of his manhood he has been found an earnest champion of improvement and progress along social, intel- lectual and moral lines. enoch Mccarty. Throughout his entire life F.noch McCarty has been a resident of Champaign county and for many years was accounted one of her leading, influential and progressive business men. but he is now living in quiet re- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 193 tirement, his labor in former years having enabled him to lay aside active cares. He was burn on the farm on which lie now resides, on the 1 ith of January. 1833. His father, Stephen McCarty, was a native of Vir- ginia, and in Loudoun county of that state was united in marriage to Deborah Thompson, who also claimed the Old Dominion as the state of her nativity, and after the birth of two of their children they came to Ohio, locating near Zanesville. Later they took up theirabode in Goshen township, Champaign county, and two years afterward bought the farm on which cur subject now resides, their first residence here being a little log cabin, which during the first summer contained but a dirt floor. The land was then in its primitive condition, not a stick of timber having been cut, and everything was new and wild. As the years passed by, however, Mr. McCarty succeeded in placing his land under a tine state of cultivation, and on this farm both he and his wife spent their remain- ing days, the former passing away at the age of eighty-six years, while the latter was called to her final rest at the age of seventy-six years. They became the parents of six children, namely: Elizabeth Ann, de- cease 1 ; Tames, who prior to his death was one of the representative citi- zen- 1 f Champaign canity: John, also deceased: Daniel, a resident of Auglaize county, Ohio: Enoch, of this review: and Thomas, who died when young. In an early day Mr. McCarty voted with the Whig party, and after the organization of the Republican party he joined its ranks and afterward remained loyal to its principles. He was a public-spirited and progressive citizen, manifesting a commendable interest in everything pertaining to the public welfare, and his honorable record wen him the confidence and respect of the entire community. Enoch McCarthy, of this review, has spent his entire life on the farm on which be now resides, and in his youth was a student in the primitive log schoi 1 hi use of the neighborhood, which he attended about three months during the year, the remainder 1 if his time having been -pent 194 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. in assisting his father in the work of the home farm. In 1864 lie enlisted for service in the Civil war, entering- Company D, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for one hundred days, and on the expiration of that period received an honorable discharge at Colum- bus. Ere leaving for the war, in 1864, Mr. McCarty was united in mar- riage to Miss Rebecca Jane Morgan, a native of Wayne township. Cham- paign county, ( >hio, and a daughter of Abel Morgan, one of the prom- inent pioneers of that township. Two children have graced this marriage. — Louisa, the wife oi J. W. Ratchford, a railroad employe in Saint 1'ai is. Ohio, and John S.. who married Susan Cushman and resides on the oli] homestead. Throughout his entire business career our subject has devoted his energies to agricultural pursuits, and the community has long numbered him among its representative citizens. His homestead con- tains three hundred and twenty-four acres of rich and fertile land, and all of the improvements thereon stand as monuments to his thrift and ability. Since the 1 irganizatii in 1 if the Republican party he has given a stanch sup- port to its principles, his first presidential vote having been cast in 1856, and he supported Lincoln at both elections. He continues his old army associations through his membership in the Grand Army of the Republic, Harry Davis Post, Xo. — . at Woodstock, anil is also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellow s 1 if that city. He is a man of integrity, of firm convictions and marked fidelity to the duties of life, and Cham- paign county numbers him among her worthy sons. GEORGE A. TALBOTT. America owe- much of her progress and advancement to a posi- tion foremost among the nation- of the world to her newspapers, and in no line has the incidental broadening cut of the sphere of usefulness- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 195 been more marked than in this same line of journalism.'. In main of the smaller cities of the Union there have been enlisted in the newspaper field men of broad mental grasp, cosmopolitan ideas and notable business sagacity, and the hour has not yet arrived when it can be said that "country journalism" is ineffective or that its functions are exercised without vigor and marked influence. For more than a quarter of a century the subject of this review lias been identified with newspaper work in Urbana, Champaign county. Ohio, rising from the lowest position through all grades of mechanical, editorial and managerial duty and proving himself a valuable factor in each position occupied. It is interesting to note that he has during this long period been concerned in a single journalistic enterprise, though the sope of the same has been broadened from time to time to meet normal business exigencies and popular demands, and that his identification has been consecutive save for an interval when he withdrew to render service in an office of distinctive public trust and responsibility. He is now business manager of the Daily Citizen and Weekly Gazette, in the office of which he began his apprenticeship as a devotee of the "art preservative of all arts" in the year 1874. The propriety of incorpor- ating a review of his career in this work is manifest, since he is recog- nized as niie of the representative citizens and business men of the thriving city of Urbana. George A. Talbott is a native son of the Buckeye state, having been born in Barnesville, Belmont county, on the 8th of January. 1854, being the son of William A. and Rebecca C. Talbott, representatives of pioneer families of the state. He is indebted to the public schools of his native town for his early educational discipline, there continuing his studies until he had attained the age of sixteen years, when he entered the office of the Barnesville Enterprise. to> learn the printer's trade. It has been well said that a newspaper office offers a liberal education, and in the 196 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. case of our subject it is evident that through this source he most effect- ively supplemented the training received in the schoolroom. In Oc- tober, 1874, Mr. Talbott came to Ufbana and secured a pi sition in the office of the old Citizen and Gazette, which was then a hebdomidal pub- lication, under the control of the venerable Joshua Saxton and William A. Brand. Of his rise an article previously published speaks as follows: "For twenty-two years he followed his chosen vocation, filling every, position from the bottom to the top. When the Daily Citizen was founded he was called from the case and made city editor, a position which he tilled until a year ago (1895), when he retired to enter upon his duties as a public official." The office mentioned was that of county treasurer, to whch he was elected in the year noted, giving a most capable and discriminating administration of the finances of the county and being chosen as his own successor in 1897, thus serving continuously for four years. Economy was brought about through his well directed efforts and lie retired from the office in 1900 with an enviable record. Mr. Talbott then became identified once more with the newspaper enter- prise to which he had given many years of service, and he is now busi- ness manager of the concern, being a stockholder of the company and handling its affairs with distinctive ability, making the siicces- of the enterprise cumulative in character. In his political proclivities Mr. Talbott is a stalwart Republican, and he has been an enthusiastic and effective worker in the cause of his party for many years. He was chairman of the Champaign county executive committee of the party from 189] to [894, both dates in- clusive, while in [893 and 1894 he was a member of the Republican slate central committee, ili- influence in the local political field has been marked, and he has ever taken an active interest in public affairs, aiding in every possible way all projects and enterprises advanced for the good of bis city and county. Fraternally be is identified with the CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 197 Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Royal Arcanum, and his re- ligious faith is that of the Methodist Episcopal denomination, both he and his wife being members of Grace church in their home city. On the 12th of April. 1877. was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Talbott to Miss Julia V. Ross, who was born in Urbana, the daughter of the late Philander B. Ross, one of the representative citizens of the count} - . Mr. and Mrs. Talbott have three children, — Frank. Stella and Bert. BARNET A. AUGHINBAUGH. There is an obscurity in the game of life that, to the robust mind, is always attractive. The uncertainty which must, perforce, ever exist augments rather than minifies individual incentive. To push forward to the goal of definite success is the one common impulse and ambition of humanity. But in this vast concourse of struggling competitors the number who achieve success is comparatively small, and the man who makes his life prolific and useful and who becomes independent and suc- cessful through the exercise of indomitable will, untiring energy and honesty of purpose, is assuredly deserving of a due measure of credit and the unqualified esteem of his fellow men. The subject of this re- view is numbered among the representative citizens and progressive business men of the citv of Urbana, with whose industrial activities he has been identified for nearly two score years, building up an enterprise 1 f no inconsiderable scope and importance, winning success by his own efforts and gaining the confidence and good will of all with whom he has been thrown in contact. The records of such lives justify the com- pilation of works of this nature. From records extant it is evident that the Aughinhaugh family has i9» CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. been identified with the annals of American history from the colonial epoch, the original American ancestor having come hither from Germany and located in Pennsylvania, where several generations of the line have been born. Barnet Asbury Aughinbangh, the immediate subject of this review, is a native of the old Keystone state of the Union, having been born in the city of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, on the 19th of Oc- tober. 1 S37, the son of William and Lydia Ann (Deal) Aughinbangh, both of whom were born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, the former being a son of Barnet Aughinhaugh, who was likewise born fn the Keystone state, becoming one of the prominent and influential citi- zens of Cumberland county, where he held various positions of public trust and responsibility, retaining his 'residence in Carlisle for many years and there conducting a hotel. William Aughinbangh was reared and educated in the city of Carlisle and there learned the tinner's trade, to which he devoted his attention for a number of years. He was one of the California argonauts of 1849, making the long and perilous jour- ney to the new Eldorado in that memorable year and there devoting his attention to the mining of gold for nearly twenty years. He then re- turned tn the east and joined his family, who had removed to Cincin- nati. Ohio, about the year 1859, and later they removed thence to Illinois, where the husband and father died in the year 1867, at the age of fifty-six years. His widow eventually came to (Jrbana and was thereafter cared for with true filial solicitude in the home of her son, the subject of this sketch, until her death, in 1892, at the age of seventy-five year--. Of her seven children five survive. Barnet A. Aughinbangh received his early educational discipline in the public schools of his native state, the family having removed to Ship- pensburg when he was a lad of about ten years. He there served an apprentice-hip at the trade of carriage manufacturing, and thus laid the foundations for that successful business career which has been his in CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 199 connection with this line of industry. After the completion of his three years' apprenticeship he was employed as a journeyman in various lo- calities, finally locating in the city of Cincinnati, where he was employed at his trade for a period of seven years. At the expiration of this time Mr. Aughinbaugh came to Urbana, in 1866, and here entered into part- nership with Aaron Heiserman, establishing a manufactory of fine car- riages and buggies and conducting business under the firm name of Heiserman & Aughinbaugh for six years, when the firm of Aughinbaugh & McConib was organized, and this alliance continued six years, while for an equal period were operations continued in turn under the firm names of Aughinbaugh & Baker Brothers and Aughinbaugh & Todd, and then our subject became sole proprietor of the enterprise, which he has ever since continued to conduct under his own name. He has a well- equipped factory, and the products of the same include the highest grade of lighter vehicles, a specialty being made of hand-made work and special designs being executed with the highest grade of workmanship and finish, thus giving the concern a reputation which is unassailable, forti- fied as it is by long years of straightforward and honorable dealing on the part of the proprietor, who has been consecutively identified with the enterprise from the time of its inception. In addition to the manufac- tory Mr. Aughinbaugh also- deals in vehicles manufactured by ether con- cerns, thus having various grades and being enabled to cater to all •demands in matters of price, style, etc., the repository and general head- quarters being located at 206 West Court street. Mr. Aughinbaugh cast his first vote in support of Abraham Lincoln for the presidency, and he has ever since been a stalwart Republican, though he has never taken an active part in political affairs and has never been an aspirant for office. Both he and his wife are members of the First Methodist Episco- pal church and both are highly esteemed in the social circles of the city where thev have made their home for so long- a term of years. 200 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. In the year 1870 Mir. Aughinbaugh was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Clark, who was born in Virginia, the daughter of William Clark, who removed thence to Champaign county, Ohio, in 1848. Our sub- ject and his wife have no children. JOHN H. RUNYON. When it is stated that for more than ninety years the name of the subject of this memoir has been prominently identified with the history of Champaign county, the natural inference will come that he was a representative of one of its earliest pioneer families. He passed his entire life here, bearing and honoring an untarnished name, and his history forms a link between the primitive past and the modern days of prosperity and opulent privileges and improvement. He saw the county in the days when it seemed almost on the borders of civilization, — its land wild and uncultivated, its forests standing in their primeval strength, it- 1> g cabin homes widely scattered, and evidences of develop- ment few. In the work of progress, through which such marvelous change- have been wrought, he bore his part, as had his father before him, and he gained rank as one of the substantial and successful farm- ers oi his native county, honored for his sterling integrity of purpose and for all those attributes that make for string and noble manhood. Thus it becomes signally fitting that here be entered and perpetuated a mem. iir of his \vi irthy life. John II. Runyon was bom on the farm, in Union township, where his widow now maintains her home, the date of his nativity having been December 10. 1 S 1 7 . His father. Richard Runyon, was a native of New Jersey, whence he emigrated to Champaign county in 1801, M feJ o t- 1 te) td W |M o B o W Q Bg W a B o B CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 203- tMe vear prior to the admission of Ohio to the Union. He located in the forest wilds of Union township, being one of the earliest settlers in that section, and here he reclaimed a portion of his land and became one of the founders and builders of the Buckeye commonwealth. He continued to reside on his pioneer farm until his death, at the age of ab ut three score years and ten. He married Betsy Sargent, who came to this county from Virginia, and they became the parents of eight children, of whom the subject of this memoir was the third in order of birth, his mother having passed away at the age of seventy-three years. John H. Runyon was early inured to the arduous work in- volved in the clearing and otherwise improving of the old homestead, where he was reared to years of maturity, his educational advantages being such as were afforded by the primitive subscription schorls which were precariously maintained by the early pioneers. His first presiden- tial vote was cast on his home farm, in support of William Henry Har- rison, his father having been justice of the peace at the time and a man of prominence in the community, his official position leading to the holding of the elections at his home, where, it may well be imagined, the facilities were few and the formalities slight, but no corruption or ballot-stuffing could ever fie charged against those honest and sterling pioneers, whose lives were simple and their manhood exalted. Our subject early took a prominent part in political affairs of a local nature, having been identified with the Whig party, and though his early ad- vantages were most meager he had an alert mentality, ami by reading and other personal application became a man of broad and exact infor- " mation. He assisted in the organization of the Republican party in this county and was a prominent factor in its affairs, having been for ■'■ixteen years treasurer of Union township and for eight years o untj o mmissii ner, while f< r a long period he was a school director of his district, ever taking an active interest in all matters touching the gen- 204 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. eral welfare and advancement of the community. His religious faith was that of the Presbyterian church and was a dominating factor in his life. He was one of those principally concerned in the erection of the Buck Creek church of this denomination, and for about a score of years held the office of deacon in the same, being one of its most zealous and devoted adherents. From the time of casting his first vote for Harrison, in 1840, until his death, he supported every presidential candidate of the Whig, and later the Republican party, his last ballot having been given in support of the lamented President McKinley, in 1900. He passed his entire life on the old homestead on which his father located in the early days, and here he made the best^of improvements and at the time of bis death left a valuable landed estate of two hundred and fifty-five acres. He passed away on the 4th of March, u)Oi, in the fulness of years and crowned with the honors which reward a life of usefulness and sterling integrity, his death being felt as a personal be- reavement by the people of the community where he had lived and .labored to such goodly ends. ( )n the 6th of November, 1849, Mr. Runyon was united in mar- riage to Mi^s Mary H. Todd, who survives him and who maintains her abode in the home so hallowed by the memories and associations of the past. She was horn in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, on the 4th of Oct* ber, [822, being the daughter of Samuel and Nancy (Allen) Todd, both of whom were natives of that same county, where their marriage was solemnized. In 1840 they came to Champaign county, Ohio, and located near Buck Creek church, in Union township, and here the father died at the age of forty-six years, being survived by his widow for many years, and having been in her sixty-ninth year at the time of her death. They became the parents of eight children, of whom two survive, Mrs. Runyon having been the third in order of birth. She was all' mi seventeen years of age when the family came to Champaign CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 205; county, and here she lias ever since maintained her home, having the sincere esteem and friendship of the people of the community and being a devoted member of the church with which her husband was so long and prominently identified. She became the mother of two sons and one daughter, of whom R. Heber and Nancy A. are deceased. The surviving son. John X.. has control of the homestead farm and has re- mained a bachelor. JOHX j. AXDERSOX. Champaign county, Ohio, contributed to the federal armies many a brave and valiant soldier during that greatest of internecine and fra- tricidal conflicts, the war of the Rebellion, and among the honored vet- erans who remain t< > recall the incidents of the struggles on man}' a san- guinary battle-field, yet holding at bav that one invincible foe. death, which is fast disintegrating the noble ranks of the Grand Army of the Republic, stands the subject of this sketch, who was loyal t<> his country in her hour of peril and who has remained her loval supporter in the "piping times of peace." in which he has likewise won decisive victories. lie is numbered among the representative business men of Urbana and his high standing in the community entitles him to distinctive representa- tion in this compilation. Mr. Anderson is a native son of the Old Dominion state, having been born in Augusta county, \ irginia, on the 9th of March, 1835. the son of John and Fannie (Clark) Anderson. John Anderson, Sr., was born in the same county, on the 12th of December, 1788, being a son of James and Isabella ( King) Anderson, the former of whom was born in the beautiful Shenandoah valley of Virginia, in 1749. while his wife was a native of Pennsylvania, where she was born in 1758. James Anderson was a son of James, who was of Scotch-Irish lineage, having 206 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. been born in Ireland, whither his parents had emigrated from Scotland in 1665. He emigrated to America in his youth and here married a Miss McLanehan. About the year [725 he went from Philadelphia, Pennsyl- vania, to the Shenandoah valley, Virginia, as the organizer of an ex- ploring party. He returned to his home and later removed with his fam- ily to this famous valley, being one of the first to make permanent set- tlement there. He was an active participant in many of the Indian con- flicts in the early days and he continued to reside in that section of Vir- ginia until his death. His son James, grandfather of our subject, served with distinction as a soldier in the war of the Revolution. His wife. Isabella, nee King, was a daughter of John and Isabella (Christian) King, who were of Scotch-Irish lineage. Fannie (Clark) Audi iim .ther of the subject of this review, was born in Clarke county. Virginia, on the 4th of .August, 1804, the daughter of Joseph and Mary ( Smith) Clark, both of whom were born in Maryland, the latter being a daughter of James Smith. John Reynolds, great-grandfather of our subject in the maternal line, was captain of the first company organized in Wash- ington county, Maryland, at the inception of the war of the Revolution, in which he served as captain in the Sixth Maryland Regiment of Volun- teers, and he met his death, at the hands of the Indians, in .March. 1700. on the Ohio river. His father. John Reynolds, came to America fro Ireland and the latter's father was born in England, the religious faith of the family being that of the Presbyterian church and of the rigid Scotch type. The wife of the last mentioned ancestor was of Scotch. ancestry, was bom in Ireland and was a member of the church oi Eng- land. They were married in the Emerald Isle, in 1681, and came to America in 1714. locating in Pennsylvania. John and Fannie (Clark) Anderson became the parents of the fol- lowing named children: Mary H.. deceased; James \Y.. to whom in- dividual reference is made on other pages of this work; George 1 ). ; CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 207 I u C.j Isabella A., deceased; John J., subject of this sketch; X \V.. deceased : and Sarah M Norval \\ . was a Union soldier in the war of the Rebellion and was killed in the battle of Stone river, in 1863. The pa rents passed their entire lives in Virginia. John I. Anderson was reared and educated in his native state, where lie remained until he had attained his legal majority, when, on 1856, he . Line to Champaign county, Ohio, where he has ever since made his home. i [ere he devoted his attention to carpenter work until the outbreak of the war of the Rebellion, when his intrinsic loyalty and patriotism were quickened to definite action. On the 17th of April, 1861, he enlisted as a private in Company K, Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and at the expirations oi his three months term he re-enlisted, becoming a member of Company G, Third Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, in which he served as a private until the close of the war, his service thus covering practicallv the entire period of this great civil conflict. Mr. Anderson participated in many of the most notable battles of the war. among which may be men- tioned the following: Bull Run, Bowling Green, siege of Corinth. Mun- fordville, Beardstown, Lexington. Chickamauga, McMinnville, Shelby- ville, Decatur, Moulton, Kenesaw Mountain. Vining Station. Peach Tree Creek, Lovejoy Station. Franklin (Tennessee), Selma (Alabama), I olumbus and Macon (Georgia), besides main- other skirmishes and gements. With his command he performed arduous and faithful service in supporting the Union cause, and his military record is that of a gallant son of the Republic, for he always evinced the In soldierly qualities, was ever found at the post of duty and bore uncom plainingly the hardships and vicissitudes which attended the pn gress of them ible civil war in the annals of history. At the battle 1 E Mur- boro Mr. Anderson received a gun-shot wound in his left 1 from the effects of the same he was confined for a brief interval in the field h »spital. returning to his command at the end 1 if f< >ur weeks, and 208 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. this being the only occasion on which he was incapacitated for duty dur- ing his long and faithful service. He received his honorable discharge at. Edgefield, Tennessee, on the 4th of August, 1865, victory having then crowned the Union arms. He retains a lively interest in his old comrades and this fraternal spirit finds definite manifestation in his identification with the Grand Army of the Republic. He is a prominent and popular member of \Y. A. Brand Post. No. 98, department of Ohio, and has held all the offices in this post. After the close of the war Mr. Anderson returned to Urbana, where he followed contracting and building until 187 J, in which year he was elected city marshal of Urbana, an office which he retained consecutively for a period of twelve years, proving a capable and popular official. After his retirement from this position Mr. Anderson engaged in business, his enterprise being the handling of coal, lime, brick and building material, and in this line his efforts have been attended with gratifying success, the business having shown a continuous growth and being one of the import- ant enterprises of the city. In politics he has ever given a stanch alle- giance to the Republican party, and fraternally, aside from his member- ship in the Grand Army of the Republic, he is identified with the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. He and his wife have been for many years zealous members of the First Methodist Episcopal church. At Urbana, on the iSth of September, 1868, Mr. Anderson was united in marriage to Miss Harriet E. Kimber, who was born in Miami county, Ohio, the daughter of Emor and Phoebe Kimber. Our subject and his wife have no children. HAMILTON MAGREW. Within the pages of this work will be found specific mention of many worthy and representative citizens who have passed their entire lives in Champaign county and whose memories link the pre>ent-day O^a^va^^-^^v-L^ t//i a-4/l&<*/~ &£~ld 1)' - minion state, and he became one of the early settlers in Champaign county, where he erected what was known as the Taylor mill, in what was then called Taylortown, in Salem township, the village now being known as Kingston. He carried on a successful gristmilling business there for many years and was succeeded by his son. The family is of German extraction. The father of our subject died at the age of sixty- eight years, bis wife long surviving him and passing away at the age of eighty-three years. They became the parents of five sons and five -daughters, and six of the number grew to years of maturity, while only two of the family are now living, — Caroline, who is the widow of Milton Fithian and who now maintains her home in Chicago, Illinois; and Ham- ilton, who was the youngest of the children and is the immediate subject of thi< sketch. Mr. Magrew was reared on the farm where lie now resides, and bis ■early educational privileges were such as were am rded in the primitive log school house of the pioneer epoch, the same being' equipped with -lab scats, while the desks utilized were of slabs supported by pins driven into the log walls. Later be supplemented this training by a course of study in the academy at Urbana. After his school days be returned to tbe old homestead ami continued to. assist his father in carrying on the work pertaining thereto, ami after his marriage, in iN;N, be still ;inied his residence in tbe house where be was born and which he CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 213 still occupies, the same having been the home of four generations of the family, including his children. Here he has ever since continued to devote his attention to general farming and stock-raising, having made a specialty of the latter department of his industrial enterprise and having attained a high degree of success through his energetic ef- forts and marked business discrimination. He has made excellent im- provements on his farm, which comprises one hundred and ninety-one acres, and has placed the major portion of the farm under a high state of cultivation. The old homestead has been consecutively in the pos- session of the family from the time when the grandfather secured the land from the government in the early pioneer days, and in the three generations the representatives of the Magrew family have worthily contributed to the work of development and progress and have stood for the most sterling integrity of character, retaining the unqualified esteem of the community in which they have lived and labored to: so goodly ends. Mr. Magrew is a stockholder in the Citizens' National Bank of Urbana, and is also a member of its directorate. He at one time owned property in Fargo, North Dakota, and has traveled quite extensively through the northwest. In politics he has been an uncom- promising Democrat from the time of attaining his legal majority, and fi r fifteen years served as trustee of Mad River township. Fraternally be is one of the most prominent members of Magrew Lodge. No. 433, Knights of Pythias, which was named in honor of himself and his brother, the late Lemuel Magrew. -aid lodge having its headquarters in the village of Westville. I >r the 1st of November, [858, Mr. Magrew was united in mar- riage to Miss Elizabeth Snyder, who was born in thi- township April 16, 1838, being the daughter of Daniel and Anna ( Kizer \ Snyder, who were early settlers in the county, Mrs. Mkgrew's grandparents, on the paternal side, having located in Champaign county a- early as 1806. 2. 4 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. She received her educational training in the schools of Urbana and Springfield, this state, and is a woman of refinement and gracious pres- ence. Our subject and his wife became the parents of three children, namelv : Luella, the wife of William F. Ring, a prominent attorney i f Urbana and who is individually mentioned on another page of this work; Cyrus II. died at the age of fifteen year-: and Elizabeth II. re- mains at the parental home. The father of Mrs. Magrew died in Mad River township July 9, 1S70, at sixty-two years of age and the mother of Mrs. Magrew died in the same township March 22, 1881, having been horn in [810. The father was born in Virginia, as was also the mother. Daniel Snyder, Sr., the grandfather, was horn in Virginia in 1785, and died in Mad River township in [849. The grandmother was Bar- bara 1 I'ence ) Snyder, horn in Virginia in 1788, and died in 1866 in this township. Her maternal grandfather, Philip Kizer, was horn in Vir- ginia, came to Ohio in 1805, was a soldier in the war of 18 12, in which i e was a captain, and died in 1817. His wife lived until 1837. MILO G. WILLIAMS. A. M. Whatever the future may have in -tore for that noble educational institution maintained under the auspices of the Xew Church, Urbana University, at no point can there fail to be on the part of those who enji v its "privileges a deep and reverent appreciate m < f the devoted lab 1 - of the one who St od at its head in the formative period. Though Pn - fessor Williams, with that personal modesty so typical of the man. never ented to actually accept the title 1 1 presidenl of the university, he as virtually and essentially the incumbent of this office from the time of the organization of the institution, more than a half century ago, until his final withdrawal from active participation in the educational CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 2\ 5 work, a score of years later. He was a distinct power in his chosen of endeavor, and it is not too much to say that he distinguished himself by the fidelity with which his multifarious duties were discharged after he was placed at the head of the infant institution. The formation of his plans was marked 1>\ wisdom and their execution by unwearied labor and rare, and as a scholar, an educator and a man he commanded the highest respect and confidence. The history of his life is an integral pi rtion of the history of Urbana University, and it is demanded that in a work that touches those who have lived and wrought so nobly within the borders of Champaign county a memoir and tribute he paid to Pro- fessor Williams, though the limitations of the work will not permit the entering into manifold details as to the inception and growth of the in- stitution he so dearly loved and for which he so zealously labored. The family of which the subject of this memoir was a representa- tive was one which has long been identified with the annals of American history, as will presently be shown. Milo G. Williams was a native son of Ohio, having been born in the city of Cincinnati on the 10th of April. 1804. the son of Jacob and Eunice (Grummond) Williams. His father was born in the year 1775. in Xew Jersey. He was a son of Joshua and Sarah (Higgins) Williams, the former of whom was born in the ancient and picturesque old city of Elizabeth. Xew Jersey, being the son of Miles Williams, who. with his brothers John and Samuel, emigrated from their native land, Wale-, to America in the colonial epoch. Records still extant -how that Joshua Williams was a patriot soldier in the war of the Revi Union, having been a member of the "minute men." who held them- selves in readiness to respond to an alarm in the quickest possible time, thus gaining the name. He lived in Xew Jersey until his death, having there accumulated a large landed estate and becoming one of the influen- tial citizens of the locality. He had inherited a large estate from his father, and his house, large mill and other property were destroyed by 216 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. fire during the Revolution, but after the close of the struggle he re- couped his fortunes, having for a time maintained his home in New Vnrk city. His son Jacob, at the age of fourteen years, was sent to New York, where he held a clerkship in a mercantile establishment fur nne year, after which he went to Poughkeepsie to learn the blacksmith's trade. At the age of twenty, however, he became imbued with the "west- ern fever," and finally made his way down the Ohio river and disem- barked at Fort Washington (now the city of Cincinnati) in 1705 or 1796. There he was united in marriage to Eunice Grummond, daugh- ter of David Grummond, who, like himself, was a pioneer of Cincinnati. He engaged in the work of his trade there and eventually built up an extensive business, operating a large machine shop, and there he died in the year 1840, his marriage having been blessed with thirteen chil- dren. Milo G. Williams was reared and educated in his native city and when sixteen years of age gave inception to his long and useful peda- gogic career by engaging in teaching in district schools. He thus began educational work in 1820 and did not withdraw from the same until 1870, — a full half-century later. At the age of nineteen years Mr, Williams established a private school in Cincinnati, and this proved a success, while in 1833 he accepted the general supervision of .1 manual training school established in Dayton. At the expiration of two years he withdrew from this position to accept the principalship of the Spring- field high school, and in 1840 became principal of a Swedenborgian school in Cincinnati. In 1844 he effected a reorganization of Dayton Academy, at Dayton, and continued at its head until called upon to accept the presidency < 1' Urbana University, in 1850, the charter of the institution bearing date of March 7U1 of that year, while Professor William- was numbered among the incorporators, the university being in absolute embryi e for its charter, it- organization and a plat of ground in CEXTEX.X1AL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 217 Urbana, the same having been donated by John H. James, of this city. We can not do better at this point than to quote from a historical nar- rative appearing- in the Annual of Urbana University, published under the auspices of the Delta Sigma Literary Society, in June. 1901. to com- memorate the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the college: In the minds of its projectors the most urgent need of the uni- versity at this stage of its affairs was a suitable person to take charge of its educational interests, and the opinion was unanimous that Mr. Mil. 1 G. Williams possessed in an eminent degree the necessary quali- fications. He was accordingly invited to accent the position. Mr. \\ ill— iams was at that time conducting an academy in Dayton. Ohio, and his reputation as a teacher was already well established through' ait the state. The plan of establishing a Xew Church university at Urbana being- submitted to him, and also the proposition that he should come and assume charge of the same. Mr. Williams took the matter into prayerful consideration. The records made in his private journal at this time fully testify to the weight and responsibility which he attached to the undertaking, and the serious thought which he gave the question of his acceptance of the position offered. In answer to the question, early submitted to him, of the practicability of the undertaking and the suitability of the location at Urbana, he says: "I expre-hio. Mr. Hunter settled on a tract of wild land in the northern pari of ■hat is now Salem township, Champaign county, where he cleared and improved a good farm and where he passed the residue of his honorable and useful life, which was devoted to the great basic art of agriculture. In the year 1820 lie erected a stone house, an exceptional improvement in tho^e days, when the usual domicile of the locality was the primitive log cabin, and this building is Mill standing and is in an excellent state of :rvation, standing as a landmark of the early days ami as a monu- 222 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ment to the energy and progressive spirit of this noble pioneer. In poli- tics Grandfather Hunter gave his allegiance to the Whig party, and his religious faith was that of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he was a most devoted member, doing much to promote the cause of the Master in the community, while his house was a sort of religious center and a place where a genuine and cordial welcome was ever accorded to the faithful circuit-riders of the church during the pioneer epoch. Samuel Hunter, son of the honored pioneer and father of the subject of this review, was horn in Greenbrier county. Virginia, and was a lad of about six years at the time of the family removal to Champaign county. where he was reared to maturity and where he devoted his life to agri- cultural pursuits, becoming one of the prominent farmers and repre- sentative citizens of the county. He died at the old homestead, in Salem township, in the year 1870, at the age of sixty-five years. He married Maria Miller, who was bom in ("lark county, Ohio, whither her parents came as pioneers from Kentucky. She passed away in 1885, at the age of seventy-four years, and like her husband was ever sustained and com- forted by a deep Christian faith, being a zealous member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church. Samuel and Maria (Miller) Hunter became the parents of ten children, — five sons and live daughters, — of whom one son and one daughter are deceased. John M. Hunter, the immediate subject of this review and one of the representative citizens and business men of the city of I'rbana, was born on the old homestead, in the northern part of Salem township, on the 22d of .March, [838, and he lias passed his entire life in his native count}-, honoring the name he bears by his upright and useful career Growing up under the invigorating discipline of the farm, he has ever retained the highest respect for the dignity of the noble vocation which figures as the bulwark oi our national prosperity, and he continued to be identified with agricultural pursuits until be had attained the age of CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 223. forty years, his educational privileges in his youth being such as were afforded in the public schools of the locality and period. Upon leaving the farm Mr. Hunter located in the village of West Liberty, where for fi lurteen years he was successfully engaged in the agricultural imple- ment business. At the expiration of the period noted he disposed of this business and came to Lrbana, where he has since devoted his atten- tion to the real-estate and insurance business, in which, by his honor- able business methods and progressive and discriminating management, he has attained marked prestige and. developed an enterprise of no inconsiderable scope and importance, his agency taking front rank and retaining a representative support. In politics Mr. Hunter exercises his franchise in support of the principles and policies of the Republican part)-, but has never sought the honors or emoluments of public office. Fraternally he is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and his religious faith is that in which he was reared, both he and his wife being active workers in the First Methodist Episcopal church, while our subject has been for thirty-five years prominent in the work of the Sunday-school, where is laid the foundation of true Christian faith and worthy manhood and womanhood. On the 19th of November, 1S62, Mr. Hunter was united in mar- riage to Miss Sallie Baldwin, who was born in this county, the daughter of Richard Baldwin, one of the pioneer farmers of this section. Of this union have been born three children, namely: F. Edgar, who is now a resident of Chicago; Xellie M., the wife of Dr. Ben S. Leonard, of West Liberty, this county: and Ralph Waldo E.. who is associated with his father in business. Mrs. Hunter died April 9, 1902. WILLIAM M. ROCK. Biography should he written not less for the sake of perpetuating records which, prove a portion of generic history than for the pui of inculcating valuable lessons, that those who read may place them- 224 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. selves in contact with facts and affairs and he inspired to build them- selves up to and into a life of excellence, not in any chance sphere of endeavor, but rather in their own rightful places, where they may keep snd their individuality augment its power. With the history of Cham- paign county and the state of Ohio the name of Ruck has been indis- solubly linked from the early pioneer epoch, and has ever stood for the must exalted integrity of character and for individual usefulness and honor. Thus it becomes specially consistent that we enter a review of the career of William M. Rock, justice of the peace in the city of Urbana, which is his native city, and in which he is honored for his sterling character and also as a representative of worthy pioneer families. Mr. Rock was born in Urbana, Ohio, on the 16th of February. 1857, being the son of John D. and Mary (Merrill} Rock, both of whom were likewise born in Urbana, the former in the year 1830 and the latter in 1832. John D. Rock was a son of William and Alice (Glenn) Rock, the former of whom was born in Virginia, whence he came to Ohio as a young man and here married Miss Glenn, who was born in Champaign county, Ohio, the daughter of William Glenn, who was a pioneer of this county, whither he and his brother John removed from the state of Kentucky. The father of our subject passed prac- tically his entire life in his native town, and here his death occurred in the year [898. I lis wife still maintains her home in Urbana. Her father, Rev. David Merrill, was born in the old Green Mountain state of Vermont and was one of the pioneer clergymen of the Presbyterian church of Urbana. He eventually returned to his native state in New England, and there passed the residue of his long and singularly noble and useful life. The old residents of Urbana yet recall to mind a stirring temperance senium which he delivered during his pastorate here, and the same is almost invariably referred to as the "'ox sermon," apropos of the principal illustration used in the discourse, which was one of great fervor and power. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 225 John D. Rock was reared and educated in Urbana and in his youth became a clerk in the establishment of W. D. &; C. McDonald, who were pioneer merchants of the town. In [866 Air. Rock became an interested principal in the business, the original firm being - then succeeded by that of .McDonald & Rock, who continued to conduct a general mer- chandise business for a number of years, but finally gave their atten- tion Lo the handling of dry goods and carpets exclusively, Air. Rock continuing to be actively identified with this important enterprise until the time of his death. In his political proclivities he was an uncom- promising Republican, but was never an aspirant for official preferment, though he ever maintained the attitude of a public-spirited citizen, doing all in his power to further the general welfare of the community and being honored for his ability and sterling manhood. He was one of the zealous and devoted members of the First Presbyterian church, active in all good works, and for many years he served as an official of his church and was also incumbent of the position of superintendent of the Sunday-school. His widow stiil retains her active interest in the work of the church, and her gentle influence has been felt in the various depart- ments. She is the mother of two children, — Alice G., who remains with her mother in the old home; and William M., the subject of this review. William M. Rock was reared and educated in Urbana, being grad- uated in the high school as a member of the class of 1874. For a decade after leaving school he was engaged as a clerk in the mercantile ilishment of McDonald & Rock, eventually becoming manager of the carpet department. In 1885 Air. Rock engaged in business on his own responsibility, entering into partnership with J. R. Hughes, Jr., and establishing a furniture business, under the firm name of Rock & Hughes, operations being continued by this firm for a period of ten years, at the expiration of which our subject closed out his interests in the enterprise. 226 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. In political matters Mr. Rock lias ever been stanchly arrayed in support of the Republican party and its principles, and in 1896 was elected to the office of justice of the peace, while he was re-elected in 1899, and elected again in 1902 for a term of three years, having given a must discriminating and able administration of the affairs coming within his jurisdiction. Fraternally he is identified with the Knights of Pythias. ( >n the 25th of June, 1886. Mr. Rock was united in marriage to Miss Mary Noble, daughter of Orville Noble, a well known citizen of Urbana, and their pleasant home is a center of generous hospitality. WILLIAM H. MARVIN. Death often removes from our midst those whom we can ill afford to lose and when William H. Marvin was called from the scene 1 if earthly activities Urbana felt that it had lost one <>f its most valued and hon- ored citizens, for during his life he had accomplished much for himself and for his fellow men and for the community with which he was asso- ciated. As the day with its morning of hope and promise, its noontide of activity and its evening' of accomplished effort, ending in the rest and quiet of the night, so was the life of this honored man. Mr. Marvin was born in Le Roy, Genesee county. New York, De- cember 15, [829, and when a small boy accompanied his father on his removal to- Morrow county, Ohio, the former settling at Sparta. His business career commenced when he was fifteen years of age, at which time he began clerking for J. S. Trumble, of Mount Gilead, for whom be worked for three years. In that time by strict economy he saved eighty dollars and then engaged in business for himself at Sparta, car— w^2*~' CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 229 rying on operations there for several years. He then removed to Card- ington, where he engaged in the dry goods business, which he conducted with great success. In [876 he became an organizer of the First National Bank of Cardington, Ohio, and for ten years thereafter was engaged in the banking business, being interested in and a director of hanks in Shelby. Galion and Columbus. He was also the president of the First National Bank of Cardington, and Ins control of these financial insti- tutions placed them upon a good paying basis and made them import- ant elements in the business life of the cities in which they are located. In 18S0 Mr. Marvin came to Urbana and in company with J. F. Brand established a wholesale grocery under the firm name of W. H. Marvin & Company, beginning business in 18S7. This was attended with gratifying success, but in 1896 the firm discontinued the wholesale grocery trade on account of the large increase of the business which they had instituted in the meantime. About 1892 they began cleaning fruit and manufacturing mince meat, and this proved extremely profitable from the commencement. Currants were imported from (ireece and cleaned by the process originated by the firm, after which they were packed in cartons and sent to all parts of the United States, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, for the excellent quality of the goods and the reliability of the house secured them a growing patronage, which made' their business eventually one of mammoth importance. The firm also cleans and packs California raisins, and on an extensive scale manu- factures condensed and wet mince meat. The firm v. ted 1 n the 13th of October, [897, under the name of W. H. Marvin Company. The business has had a wonderful growth and the factory presents a scene of great activity, seventy-five employes being there found. Mr. Marvin was the central and controlling figure of this industry until his death., serving as president of the company. September to. [855, occurred the marriage 1 f William II. Marvin 12 230 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. and Miss Loretta F. Wolcott, a native of ( >akville, Genesee county, New York, whii died in 1892. In their family were the following children: Anna M., the wife of James X. Johnson, of Qrbana; Clitus Harry and William B. Mr. Marvin gave his political support to the Republican party and always kept well in formed on the issues of the daw althi ugh he never sought office. He was a Royal Arch Mason and a member of the Episcopal church. His death occurred May 11, 1898, and thus closed a useful and honorable career. His reputation was unassailable, for from the beginning of his connection with commercial interests he exemplified in his career the old adage that honesty is the best policy. He belonged also to that class of representative American citizens, who, while promoting individual success also advance the general welfare. The social dualities of his nature endeared him to man)' friends, and he was no less honored in business circles than esteemed and liked in private life. Clitus Harry Marvin, the elder son. was born in Cardington, Ohio, September 11, 1800. and after pursuing his preliminary education in the public schools, entered Kenyon College. Later he became teller in the First National Bank at Cardington and afterward of the Morrow County Dank at Mount Gilead. With his father he came to L'rbana in [886 ami has since been the secretary and treasurer of the \V. H. Marvin Company. Although he entered upon a business already estab- lished he lias proved his abilit\ by carrying forward the work to still greater perfection and has manifested keen sagacity, resolution and enterprise, which have classed him among the representatives of indus- trial and commercial interests of his adopted city, lie is president oi the Crbana Telephone Company, one of the best systems in the state. He votes with the Republican party and for three years served as a member of the school board. He and his wife are members of the Epis- copal church. In 1888 he married Miss Amelia Talbott, a daughtei of CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 231 J. G. Tallinn, and they now have two interesting children: Clitus and Katherine. William B. Marvin, the younger s< n of William H. Marvin, was horn in Cardington, Ohio, May 30, 1865, and obtained a liberal educa- tion. He has made Urbana his home since 1886 and is now the presi- dent of the VV. H. Marvin Company, also acting a^ manager of the manufacturing department. Both sons are men of good ability, who fear not the laborious attention to details which insures success. The straightforward business policy inaugurated by their father is main- tained by them and the house has a reputation which is most creditable. AUGUST T. GROSS. Born among the peasantry of Wurtemberg, Germany, September 4, 1849. August T. Gross, son of Charles Frederick and Pauline ( Reuther) Gross, has found in America a field of opportunity which, faithfully em- ployed, has won for him a prominent place among the hotel men of Ohio. Although left an orphan when eight years of age Mr. Gross experi- enced some compensations in his childhood, one of which was more than ordinary educational advantages, culminating in a two years' course at the agricultural college of the principality. Equipped also with the inherited and fostered traits of thrift and economy, he migrated in America in 1865, and though but sixteen years of age hopefull) an even enthusiastically viewed the future among the altogether strange surroundings. In Cincinnati. Ohio, he found employment in the Xew and Bakery, and after learning the trade during his two years of seryice repaired to Carlyle. Brown county, this state, where he worked n uncle in his general merchandise store. Two years later found 232 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. him performing" various duties on a farm in the neighborhood, and while thus engaged he met and married, in 1870. Elmina Hughes, who bore him five children, two sons and three daughters. After his mar- riage Mi". Gross moved and tenanted another farm until 18S3. which year witnessed his initiation into the hotel business as manager of a hotel at Jamestown. While in this town he became prominent in gen- eral affairs and especially in Republican politics, and not only served for six years as township clerk, but was for three years the municipal head of the city. Although convinced of Ins special aptitude for managing the traveling public, he yielded to one of those impulses ever afterward unaccountable, and for a time engaged in the show business with trained animals. This combination proved a losing venture, and after parting with alacrity from his well meaning but expensive finite friends be returned to his former occupation, and became manager of the h Portsmouth. A still later charge was the Hotel Sailor, at Massillon, Ohio, where he remained for nine months, and then went to Mount Sterling in a similar capacity. At Mechanicsburg Air. (iross managed the Hotel Taylor for four vears. and during this time entered into partnership for a year and a half in the management of the Reese 1 louse, at Kenton. Ohio. In October of 1899 he assumed control of the Douglass Inn. at I'rbana, and has since been with this popular and well kept hotel." He is well known in several avenues of activity in the town and county, and is fraternally prominent, being connected with the Knights of Pythias, the Chapter Masons and the Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks. The particular forte of .Mr. Gross lies in his ability to straighten out the affairs of temporarily disabled or run down hotels, whose particular ailment be is quick to discern, and the reliable and warranted remedy 1- equally ready and forthcoming. Needless to say that he lays par- ticular stress upon proper provision for the inner man: upon absolute CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 233 cleanliness in all departments of the hotels which he manages, and upon exactitude in the discharge of the innumerable little aids to success, known onh to the manager who is born and not made. Personally Mr. Gross is aided by a thorough knowledge of migrating and stationary human nature; by a tact which is unfailing in dealing with applicants swung from the accustomed moorings of their own fireside, and by that rare attribute, memory of faces and names. FRANK B. PATRICK. In this age of colossal enterprise and marked intellectual energy the prominent and successful men are those whose abilities, persistence and courage lead them into large undertakings and assume the respon- sibilities and labors of leaders in their respective vocations. Success is methodical and consecutive, and however much we may indulge in fan- tastic theorizing as to its elements and causation in any isolated instance yet in the light of sober investigation we will find it to be but a result of the determined application of one's abilities and powers along the rigidly defined line of labor. America owes much of her progress and advancement to a position foremost among the nations of the world to her newspapers, and in no line has the incidental broadening out of the sphere of usefulness been more marked than in this same line of j' mi nalism. The subject of this review has been closely and prominently associated with journalistic interests for many years and his influence in this regard has been of no restricted order. The younger son of William R. and Isabella (Given) Patrick, was born in Urbana, Ohio, March 12, 1869. He was reared in Urbana and when seventeen years of age was 234 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. graduated in the high school. He afterward spent two years in the Ohio Wesleyan University and after leaving college was engaged in teaching for two years. On the expiration of that period he went to Florida, where he remained for a year as stenograper for a well known law firm in Bartow. In 1S91 he returned to the north to become the official stenographer fur the finance committee of the lower house of the Ohio state legislature, a position which he held for two terms, and later was official stenographer in the Ohio state senate. For eight years he was identified with the Urbana, Citizen as city editor. In June, iyoo. he became manager of the Urbana edition of the Springfield (Ohio) Press- Republic, which position he has since held with credit and success. He has had other newspaper experience, for during three years he was on the editorial staff of the Columbus Press and the Ohio State Journal. Mr. Patrick is an accomplished and capable newspaper man. having a genius for descriptive and humorous writing, as well as good business and executive ability. In 1895 was celebrated the marriage of Frank B. Patrick and .Miss Mamie G. Craig, a daughter of Harrison Craig, of Urbana. Their home is brightened by the presence of a little son, Robert Craig Patrick. Politically Mr. Patrick is a Republican, ardent and unfaltering in sup- port of the principles of the party. Fraternally he is a member of Har- mony Lodge, Xo. 8, F. & A. M., of Urbana, and also of the Juni ir < inler of American Mechanics. • • » SHEPHERD B. GROVE. Champaign county, Ohio, is favored in having represented in the list hi its officials and executives individuals whose endowments fully capacitate them for the discharge of the responsible duties which devolve CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 235' upon them, and in this connection we may now advert to the more salient points in the life history of Mr. Grove, who is incumbent of the office of county auditor, in which he has rendered most efficient service, and who has passed the greater portion of his life in this county, identi- fied with various business enterprises and enjoying marked esteem and popularit} in his home city of Urbana. Shepherd Brown Grove is a native of Fayette county, Pennsyl- vania, where he was born on the 1 6th of February, 1847. the son of John W. B. and Jane (re the maiden name of Catherine Felgar, and she was a native of Pennsylvania, of German descent. She is still living in Wayne township, where she lo- cated in a very early day. Five sons and three daughters blessed this union, namely : Samuel F. ; Isaac F. ; Henry E. : Granville P. ; Lucretia, the wife of AVilliam Berry; Emma E., deceased: Charles B., of this re- view ; and Cora B., deceased. C. B. Black received his elementary education in the common schools •of Wavne township, and was afterward a student in the normal school at Urbana. After completing his education he engaged in farming and reading law with Judge Middleton, of Urbana, but on account of failing health was obliged to abandon the latter occupation, and since that time has given bis entire time and attention to his farming operations, lie is now the owner of one hundred and eighteen acre- of land adjoining the village of Cable, which is valued at one hundred dollar- an acre, and this land is under an excellent state of cultivation and impr 1 with commodious and substantial buildings. He has always taken an 2 4 o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. active part in the public life of the county, and on the Republican ticket, of which he is a stanch supporter, he has been elected to many positions of trust and responsibility. At one time he was the candidate for the office of prosecuting attorney in a field with six candidates, and came within a few votes of winning the election. He has represented his district in all the county, state and judicial conventions of his party, and has served his second term as justice of the peace and member of the school board. His fraternal relations connect him with the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, Cable Lodge, No. 395, in which he has served as a delegate to many of its encampments. He passed through the chairs and is also a member of the Encampment. In 1887 Mr. Black was united in marriage to Minnie Guyton, and of their four children only one is now living. Zella, who is thirteen year-; of age and attending school. For his second wife he chose Myrtle Schertzer. She is of German descent, her grandfather having been born in that country, and her parents are Emanuel and Amanda (Spring) Schertzer. This union has been blessed with two children. — Dewey, born November 8, 1808, and Helen M., bom March 30, [901. Mr. Black has led a busy and useful life, and in addition to his valuable homestead he is a stockholder in many enterprises. By his progressive and honorable methods and capable management he has gained a place among the substantia] citizens and must highly esteemed business men of his county. JUDGE WILLIAM PATRICK. Conspicuous among the pioneers who helped to lay the foundation upon which the prosperity and progress of Urbana now rests was Judge William Patrick, and no compendium such as is defined in the essential CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 241 limitations of this volume would be complete without mention of his career. He was born in New Jersey in 1796. and in 1806 removed to Ohio with his father, Anthony Patrick. The father purchased a small tract of wild land in Brookfield township, two miles west of the boundary line of this state and Pennsylvania. During the years of 1806-7 arK l 8 the family endured many hardships, trials and discourage- ments. They needed teams with which to cultivate and clear the land, and farming implements in order to till the fields. Cows and oxen were used instead of horses and the family had little means to procure the flour and feed which could only be purchased at almost fabulous prices. and could be procured no nearer than Pittsburg. Spice-wood and sassa- fras were used for tea and rye for coffee. The family remained at Brookfield until the spring of 181 1. when the father united with rive neighbors in building a boat of sufficient capacity to contain their fam- ilies and goods. They waited for a rise in the Chenango river and when it came the current carried them to the Big Beaver, where the crew disembarked and were conveyed in wagons to the foot of the falls. where they renewed their journey to the confluence of the Ohio river, proceeding down that stream to Cincinnati, where the families dispersed. Anthony Patrick removed his family to Lebanon, Warren county, where he remained until August, 181 1, at which time he took up his abode in Urbana. The same year William Patrick entered school, which was conducted on the subscription plan. As regularly as opportunity would afford he attended until the war of 181 2, when his father was drafted for service and William offered to go as a substitute and was accepted. When his company was ordered to Fort Meigs he carried with him his English grammar, devoting every leisure moment t" its study i;i order to complete his knowledge of that branch of learning. In May, 1813, he belonged to the corps that relieved the beleaguered 242 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. garrison of Fort Meigs, and at the close of the war he was the second in command of that fort. When hostilities had ceased Judge Patrick returned to Urhana, where he learned the trade of cabinet making, which was also his father's occupation and which he followed actively and successfully until 1857. In that year he retired from business and was succeeded by his two sons, Evan B. and William R., who were engaged in the furniture busi- ness until a few years ago, when the latter died and the business was ■closed out. Judge Patrick was an active factor in industrial circles. and his business ability was supplemented by integrity and straightfor- ward dealing- above question. The Judge was married, April 30. 1820, in Urhana, to Miss Rachel Kirkpatrick. a native of Pennsylvania, born in December. 1795. She died August 21. 1863. In their family were seven children. "Well fitted for leadership, Judge Patrick was often called to posi- tions of public trust, and during the greater part of his life was engaged in 1 it'ticial service. He was appointed township clerk of Urhana town- ship as early as 1819, and was elected to the same position for thirty- two consecutive years. From 1824 until 1830 he was commissioner of insolvents. In 1831 he was elected justice of the peace in Urhana town- ship and was five times re-elected, holding that position until it was superseded in 1848 bv the associate judgeship, in which capacity he served until J832. In 1841 he was elected mayor of Urhana and after serving for one term declined re-election, but in 1839 was a g ; dn chosen by popular suffrage for that office and for six consecutive terms was re-elected and at last declined to again become a candidate. In [897, although not soliciting the honor, he was elected justice of the peace and was several times re-elected. Pie held minor offices, such as assessor and recorder, and for several years was a member of the city council. Over the record of his public career and his private life there falls no CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 243 shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil. His course was ever marked by the utmost fidelity to duty and he ever placed the national welfare before partisanship and the general good before self-aggrandizement. Largely through his efforts Oakdale cemetery was purchased in 1854, and in 1859 a strip of land comprising a half acre was purchased for a driveway to the cemetery and called Patrick avenue. This thor- oughfare was laid out and trees were planted through his superintend- ency and the beautiful willow driveway on Patrick avenue is a living monument to his memory. Judge Patrick was an intimate friend of the historic Indian fighter. Simon Kenton, who spent many years of his life in Lrbana, and it was largely through Judge Patrick's efforts that the body of the noted warrior was brought to Oak Dale cemetery, where- a beautiful monument now stands to mark the last resting place of this sturdy pioneer. Judge Patrick was a talented and forceful writer. He wrote the part of the first "History of Champaign and Logan Coun- ties" relating to this county, and was the author of many interesting- sketches of the early history of the city which were published at intervals in the local papers during his long and honored life. He died in 1891, at the age of ninety-five years. LEWIS C. LOUDENBACK. For many years Lewis C. Loudenback occupied a very conspicuous place among the leading business men of Champaign county. He was prominently connected with the industrial interests of the locality, and through the channels of trade contributed not alone to his individual perity but to the welfare of the county as well. Hi- career was that of an honorable, enterprising and progressive business man. whose well 244 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. rounded character also enabled him to take an active interest in educa- tional, social and moral affairs, and to keep well informed concerning the momentous questions affecting" the welfare of the nation. In all life's relations he commanded the respect and confidence of those with whom he came in contact, and the memory of his upright life is an inspiration to the many friends who knew him well and were familiar with his virtues. Air. Loudenback was born in Mad River township. Champaign county, September 15, 1843, tne third child and second son of Allen and Elizabeth (Kiblinger) Loudenback and a grandson of Daniel Louden- back, one of the early pioneers of the county. In his family were four children, and the youngest had reached the age of rift}- years ere the family circle was broken by the hand of death. Allen Loudenback, the father of our subject, was born in 1814, and lived to a good old age. Lewis C. Loudenback, of this review, was reared and educated in lii^ native locality, attending the common schools of the neighborhood during his youth, and remained under the parental roof until his mar- riage, when he was twenty-two years of age. He then located with his bride on a farm in Concord township. Champaign county, where he made a specialty of the raising of hogs and short horn cattle, which products annually returned to him handsome financial profits. A- the years passed by and prosperity rewarded his well directed efforts he constantly enlarged his business, and at the time of his death was recog- nized as one of the leading farmers and stock-raisers of Champaign county, raising principally Short-horn cattle. He placed his fields under an excellent slate of cultivation and in his pastures could be seen a fine grade of stock. His efforts, however, were not confined to the work of the farm, and he carried forward to successful completion whatever he undertook. For many years he was interested in the Citizens Natii >nal Bank of Urbana, in which he held an important office, and was a director CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 245 of the Ohio Straw-board Company. In his political views Mr. Louden- bacl: was a lifelong Democrat, and for a time served as the trustee of Mad River township, discharging his official duties to the satisfaction of all concerned. He was also a prominent member of the Nettle Creek Baptist church, in which he long served as a trustee. In 1866 occurred the marriage of Mr. Loudenback and Miss Sarah V. Nighswander. She is a native daughter of the county, her birth having occurred in Mad River township November 4. 1843. Her father, Levi Nighswander, was one of the early settlers to locate in this section of the county, coming here as early as 1830. where he followed the car- penter's trade, and many of the finest homes of the locality stain 1 as monuments to his industry and ability : For his wife he chose Elizabeth Neff, and they became the parents of seven children, five daughters and two sons, namely: James M., a resident of Idaho; F. M., a prominent contractor and builder of pikes and bridges in Oregon; Keziah Ann. at home: Lydia, wife of Lorain Hoak and a resident of the old home- stead in Mad River township: Mrs. Loudenback : Malinda Kiblinger, oi Hardin county. Ohio; and Louisa, who died in 1803. Mrs. Louden- back was reared in her native localitv. and to the public schools of Mad River township and Urbana she is indebted for the educational priv- ileges which, she received in her youth. At the early age of fourteen years she began teaching, following that profession for about seven years or until her marriage. She now owns and carries on the work of two farms, one in Concord township which consists of one hundred and fifty-nine acres, and the other, a fifty-two-acre tract, in Mad River town- ship. She also ha< an interest in the Citizen-- National Bank, of Urbana, and in the Ohio Strawboard Company, and she was the only repre- sentative of her estate at the business meeting of the Ohio Strawboard Company in 1902, where she cast a vote for the directors. Aite husband s death she purchased property in Westville, Champaign county, 246 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. where she now has a pleasant and attractive home. She is a prominent and worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in the social circles of her locality occupies a prominent place, as did also her husband during his life time. In business circles he was also respected and honored for his industry, energy, punctuality and honorable and systematic methods, — all of which contributed to a large success, which he richly deserved. His last days were spent at his beautiful country home, and there he closed his eyes in death July 9, 1900. The entire community mourned his loss, for he was a man of worth to Champaign countv. Mr. and Mrs. Loudenback had no children of their own, but they have reared three, — Elijah Hazlett, Clyde Swisher and Grace Stover. MAJOR ALEXANDER F. VANCE, Jr. Honored and respected by all. there is no man in Urbana who oc- cupies a more enviable position in commercial and financial circles than Major Alexander Franklin Vance. Not alone because of his splendid success, but also by reason of the straightforward, honorable course he has ever followed. He forms his plans readily, is determined in their execu- tion and is notably prompt, energetic and reliable. His business ability has been an important factor in the successful conduct of more than one enterprise which has contributed to the general prosperity and wel- fare of Urbana and his career proves that success is not a matter oi genius, but is the outcome of persistent and earnest effort guided by strong judgment. Major Vance is a native of Salem township, bis birth having oc- curred on the 26th of January, 1840. He i- descended from Revolu- tionary ancestors in both the paternal and maternal lines and has back CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 249 of him an ancestry honored and distinguished. For eighteen years his father served, as judge of the probate court of Champaign county, while his grandfather, Joseph Vance, represented this district in congress i< r twenty years and was the eleventh governor of Ohio. In the militia he advanced until he became major general and high political honor-. were conferred upon him. He served in the state militia in 1812, rep- resented his district in congress from 1820 until 1836, and again was chosen to that office in 1843, while in the meantime he had been called to the highest office within the gift of the people of the state, serving; for one term in the executive chair. In 1839 ne was a member of the Ohio senate and in 1851 served in the constitutional convention. His death occurred in 1852 but he left the impress of his individuality upon the public life and policy of the state. The history of Judge Vance, the father of our subject, is given on another page of this work. Major Vance, whose name introduces this record, spent his youth as a farmer boy until eighteen years of age and after putting aside the work of field and meadow he accepted a clerkship in a dry goods store owned by Simeon Weaver, subsequently he became bookkeeper in con- nection with the Stoney Point Mills conducted by his uncle, and as an accountant served in that establishment until after the inauguration of the Civil war. No longer could be content himself to remain in the quiet pursuits of civil life when, the country needing the aid of her loyal sons, he assisted the government by becoming paymaster clerk in [862. Toward the close of the time he was appointed paymaster with the rank of major of cavalry. Immediately afterward Major Vance went to Xew York City, where for five years he was engaged in the whole-ale boot and shoe business and upon returning to Urbana he took up his ab do 1 n the old farm. devoting his attention to agricultural pursuits, but hi- services were needed in other fields of labor and public enterprise -ought I nice. 13 250 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. In 187s, while he was still serving upon a farm, he was elected as- sistant cashier of the Third National Bank of Urbana ami in March, 1881, he succeeded to the office of cashier. Soon afterward he left the farm and has since resided on Scioto street in Urbana. He served the Third National Bank and its successor, the National Bank, with fidelity and ability and the prosperity of both institutions has been largely due to his capable management and untiring vigilance. A man of resource- bul business ability his efforts have not been limited to one line alone, for lie has been for some years president of the Natural Gas Commis- sion and has been an active and influential factor in public alt air--, serv- ing as a member of the board of education of Urbana for three terms. as infirmary director for one term and was elected for am ther term, but resigned shortly afterward. In February, [868, Major Vance was united in marriage to Miss Mars Glenn Jamieson, a representative of one of the well known and In noted families 1 f Urbana. Their union has been blessed with 1 me child. Louise, now the wife of Charles Brand. The Major is connected with the Masonic fraternity and is one of the most prominent representa- tives of the craft in the state. He has held the office of master, high priest, tin ice illustrious master and eminent commander in all the h cal organizations. In Harmony Ledge, No. 8, F. & A. M.. the Major, bis father and grandfather have all served as masters. He has also been grand, commander 1 f the Grand Commandery 1 f the Knights Templar of < )hio, and on the i8th of February, 1873, obtained the thirty-second E the Scottish Kite, while in [885 he received the thirty-third 1 boston, Massachusetts, being one 1 f the very few who have to that rani the 1 ted States. Vs a citizen he is public spirit .' 1 local advancement and national progress both ti hi hi rl He ha et allowed the accumulation of weal ;i'|) his kindh nature, but has a heart \ band clasp and ready CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 251 smile for all of the old-time friends, as well as those whom he has won in later years, lie is indeed an honored and valued native son of Cham- paign county and his efforts have contributed to the general good as well as to his own individual success. BE^ T TAMIX SXAPP. One of the prominent old pioneer families of Champaign county is that of the Snapps. They have ever borne their part in the upbuilding and development of this region, and have invariably been exponents of progress and liberal ideas upon all subjects. The grandfather of our subject, Rhynard Snapp, was born and reared in Pennsylvania. As early as 1806 he came to the Buckeye state, taking up his abode on a farm in Montgomery county, and shortly afterward came to Champaign county, where he spent the remainder of his life. Daniel Snapp, his sun ami the father of our subject, was born in the Keystone state in 1804, and when only two years of age was brought by his parents to Ohio. He was reared and received his education in Montgomerv county, and when twenty-one years of age located in the wilds of Jackson town- ship, Champaign county, where he secured eighty acres of congress land. While residing in Montgomery county Mr. Sua])]) was united in marriage to Marguerite Barnhardt, a native also of Pennsylvania, and there she was reared and educated. In that commonwealth her parents also had their nativity, and they subsequently became numbered among the early pioneers of Montgomery county, Ohio. Ten children were born unto this union, nine sons anil ,-1 daughter, namely: Solomon; Rhynard, deceased; Daniel; William, deceased: Leonard, deceased; jamin ; Simon; Catherine ScfiSjamm ; Philip, deceased; and Frank. With the exception of one all were burn in Champaign county and all were 252 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. reared in this locality. Throughout the years of his majority Mr. Snapp upheld the principles of the Democracy, and was a member of the Ger- man Lutheran church at Saint Paris. He assisted in the erection of the house of worship there, anil was one of the founders of the Spring Grove Cemetery Association in Johnson township. He passed away at the old homestead in 1890, after a long and useful career. Benjamin Snapp. whose name introduces this review, is a native si m of Jack-' m township, Champaign county, his birth having here occurred on the 6th of 'Slay. 1836. When the old home farm was divided he loc ited "ii his portion in Johnson township, and as the years have passed' by he has cleared and improved his land and has added thereto until the family is new the owner of two hundred and sixty-four acres. The place is fertile and productive and is considered one of the most valuable homesteads in the county. In the year 1863 he was united in marriage to Barbara Pence, a native of Concord township. Champaign county, and a daughter of Simeon and Elizabeth 1 McMpran) Pence. They also claimed this locality as the place of their nativity, and here they spent their entire lives. Of their two children Mrs. Snapp is the eldest in order of birth, and her brother Russell was killed in a runaway in 1S01. By her marriage to Mr. Snapp she has become the mother of one son, Gary, who was born on the 7th of May. 1S64. In political affiliations Mr. Snapp inclines to the principles of the Republican party. J VMKS W. FULTON. The hon E this memoir became a resident of Cham- paign county in the early pioneer epoch and here he passed the greater pi rtion of his sefnl life, fed in aj ural pursuit-, and JAHES W. FULTON. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 255 red for his sterling character. It is fitting that in this publication en a brief tribute to the memory of this worthy pioneer, who has now passed to his reward. James William Fulton was born in Loudoun county, Virginia, in the year 1823, being the son of David Fulton, who came from the Old Dominion state to Champaign county, Ohio, in an early day, locat- ing on the farm where .Mrs. Fulton, the widow of our subject, now main- tain- her home, the same being' situated on section 4, Urbana township. Here he continued to devote his attention to agricultural pursuits until his death, having- been one of the sterling pioneer- of the county. He was originally a Whig- in politics, and later a Republican, and his re- ligious faith was that of the Methodist Episcopal church. James W. Fulton was nineteen years of age at the time of the family's removal to this countv, and he drove a team of horses through from Virginia to the new home in the county where he was to pass the remainder of his life. He assisted his father in reclaiming the land, putting in a crop the first year, continued to abide in the paternal home until his marriage, and eventually became the owner of the old homestead, which is now one of the well improved and valuable places of this section. Here he con- tinued to be successfully engaged in farming for a long term of years, winning the respect of all by his integrity of purpose and straightfor- ward course, and being one of the substantial farmers of the county. In politics he gave a loyal support to the Republican party, and was a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church, as is also his widow, who -till maintains her residence on the old homestead, so endeared to her by the associations of years. Mr. Fulton passed away in the mouth of April. 1893, having attained the age of three score years and ten and having made his life prolific in good. In the year 1849 M r - Fulton was united in marriage to Miss Anna Flick, who was born near Northampton, Ohio, in 1828, being the daugh- 256 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ter of Jacob Flick, who was born in Jefferson county, Virginia, whence his parents removed to Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, when he was but four months of age. He died near Northampton, Ohio, in his eighty-sixth year. His wife, whose maiden name was Catherine Harshbarger, was likewise born in Virginia, and died at the age of seventy-two years and six months, having been the mother of two chil- dren. Mr. and Mrs. Fulton became the parents of three children, namely Catherine Jane. Mary Ann and Frances Elen, the last men- tinned being deceased. ■» « » JAMES K. CHEETHAM. James K. Cheetham is a well known and prominent representative of business interests in Urbana, and his efforts have been effective in promoting commercial activity here. At the same time he has won success in his undertakings and has ever been honored by reason of his reliable methods. He was born in West Liberty, Ohio, March 5, 1845, a son of Richard H. and Mary H. (McCord) Cheetham. The father was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1819, and was of Scotch descent, the ancestors of the family coming, however, from England to America many years ago. In 1839 Richard H. Cheetham took up his abode in Champaign county and here he was married to Mar)- H. McCord, a daughter of John McCord, also of Pittsburg, and a soldier of the war of 1812. Her mother was Sally Kenton, a daughter of Simon Kenton, the celebrated explorer. In 1844, two years after his marriage, Richard H. Cheetham settled in West Liberty, Ohio, where he resided for nineteen years successfully engaged in general merchandising. He then returned to Urbana and was an honord and respected resident of this city. In his family were- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 257 the following children: John A., deceased; James K.. of this review; Samuel (>.. a fanner residing near Urbana; Mrs. Robert Young, of Urbana; Richard II.. who has passed away; and George H. and Mary Catherine, also deceased. In taking up the personal history of James K. Cheetham we present to our readers the life record of one who is widely and favorably known in Champaign county. He was reared and educated in West Liberty and his business training was received in his father's store. When his parents came to Urbana he was eighteen years of age. His father then purchased a bakery and confectionery, doing a wholesale and retail busi- ness. He purchased an establishment which had been founded in [838 by Samuel K. McCorcl, his brother-in-law. Mr. Cheetham, Sr., had learned the baker's trade in Pittsburg. Pennsylvania, and here con- ducted his new enterprise from 1863 until 1882. During that time our subject remained! in his father's service and at the latter date became owner of the bakery which he has now conducted for twenty years. Pie is most proficient in all the details of the trade. His bakery, which is twenty by seventy feet in dimensions, is a model of neatness and con- venience and is supplied with the best ovens made. He has a weekly capacity of more than ten thousand loaves of bread, besides cakes and crackers. He manufactures all kinds of breadstuff s, crackers, cakes and pies, and the excellence of his products, together with his splendid busi- ness ability and honorable dealing, has secured to him a most liberal patronage. He is also a director in the Ohio Strawboard Company, the Home Loan Company, and is interested in farming. It will thus be seen that his efforts have never been limited to one line, but have been directed along thr.se channels of industry whereby he has won success and has also contributed to the public prosperity. In 1868 Mr. Cheetham was married to Miss Laura J. Coulson, a daughter of Joseph Coulson. and their children are Mrs. Ada L Downey 258 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. and Joseph K. At the time of the Civil war Mr. Cheetham was con- nected with the famous "Squirrel Hunters" in 1862. and in 1864 he became a member of Company A, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Vol- unteer Infantry, which went to the front for one hundred days service and remained for four months. He is identified with W. A. Brand Post, G. A. R., in which he formerly served as commander, and for twenty-three years has been an active member of the Royal Arcanum. He takes a deep and earnest interest in political affairs, supporting the Republican party, and for one term was a member of the council, and is now serving as president of the cemetery board. To him there has come the attainment of a distinguished position in connection with the great material industries of the county, and his efforts have been so discerningly directed along well defined lines that he seems to have realized at any one point of progress the full measure of his possibilities i"« > 1 accomplishment at that point. A man of distinct and forceful indi- viduality, of broad mentality and most mature judgment, he has left and is leaving his impress upon the industrial world. For years he has been an important factor in the development of the natural resources of the state, in the upbuilding of Urbana and in the promotion of the enterprises which add not alone to his individual prosperity, but also advance the general welfare and prosperity of the city in which he makes his home. JOHN P. HANCE. In the attractive city of Urbana resides John Perry Hance. who is a representative of pioneer families of the Buckeye state and who is numbered among the successful and influential citizens of the count}. He has been engaged in business in Urbana for a period of twenty CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 259 years, and by his own efforts has attained a success worthy the name and a high place in the confidence and esteem of the community. Mr. Hance is a native son of Ohio, having been born in a pioneer log cabin in Elizabeth township, Miami county, on the 8th of December, 1854. the son of Alfred and Elizabeth (Miller) Hance, of whose family of ten children only one is deceased. The paternal grandfather, Benjamin Hance, was born in Kentucky, whence he came to Obi" in an early day, being one of the pioneer settlers in Miami county, where his son Alfred was horn, and where he entered the military service of his country dur- ing the war of 1S12. Jonathan Miller, the maternal grandfather of our subject, was numbered among the early settlers of Clark county, and there occurred the birth of his daughter Elizabeth, so that both fam- ilies have been long identified with the annals of Ohio history. Alfred Hance devoted his life to agricultural pursuits, having individually cleared a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in the early days, and hav- ing been successful in his efforts, accumulating a good property and being known as an upright man and sterling citizen. Both he and ins wife are now deceased. He manifested his patriotism by enlisting for service during the war of the Rebellion, and after its close disposed of his original farm and purchased another, near Fletcher, Miami county, where he passed the residue of his life. John Perry Hance. the immediate subject of this sketch, was reared under the sturdy and invigorating discipline of the farm, and his educa- tional advantages were such as were afforded in the district scln.nK of the place and period. In 1876 he left the homestead farm and came to Urbana. having not a penny of capital hut being well fortified with energy, self-reliance and determinate purpose. Upon thus coming to Champaign county he secured employment in a country grocery, where he remained for a few weeks. Hie Centennial exposition, in Phila- delphia, was then in progress, and the young man became imbued with 2 6o CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. the desire of seeing the same and learning somewhat mure of the world, and he valiantly set forth for the "City of Brotherly Love," having no money but being successful in working his way through to his destina- tion. He visited Philadelphia and other eastern cities and alter an absence of one month returned to Urbana, where he devoted his atten- tion during the ensuing winter to acting as a salesman of machines, while the next year he did effective service in selling agri- cultural implements. Finally he entered the employ of J. C. Coulson, dealer in groceries and queensware, remaining thus engaged for a period of six years, within which he became thoroughly familiar with all details of the business and thus laid the foundations for his future success. His marriage occurred in the year 1882, and shortly afterward he engaged in the groceiy business on his own responsibility. By careful and dis- criminating management and correct business methods he made the enter- prise a profitable one from the time of its inception, and he has ever since continued operations in the line, controlling a fine trade and having a finely equipped establishment, with a select and comprehensive stock. As his resources were augmented Air. Hance made judicious invest- ments in real estate, and through the same he has realized excellent returns. At the present time he is the owner of an excellent farm in this county, is a stockholder in local banking institutions and is known as one of the progressive and public-spirited citizens and business men of his home city. He is distinctively the architect of his own fortunes, and is deserving of credit for the aide and upright manner in which lie has forged his way forward to the goal of determinate success. In politics Mr. Hance gives his allegiance to the Republican party, and fraternally he is identified with Champaign Lodge. No. 525, A. F. & A. M. lie and his wife are members of the First P.aptist church and he is trustee of the same at the present time, taking a deep and abiding interest in its work. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 261 On the 19th of June. 18S2, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. 1 [ance to Miss Clara Downer, daughter of Rev. John R. Downer, pastor of the First Baptist church in Urbana at that time. She was born in Zanesville, < )hio, hut was reared in the state of Xew York and completed her education in Philadelphia. Air. and Mrs. Hance have two children, — Perrv and Lillian. GEORGE S. KLAPP, Deceased. A life of signal usefulness and honor has heen that of the subject of this review, who passed the greater portion of his life in Champaign county engaged in agricultural pursuits, and who hecame the owner of a valuable farmstead in Johnson township. Air. Klapp was a native of the state of Maryland, having been born in Washington county on the 7th of May, 1826, so that he had passed the psalmist's span of three score years and ten, though he retained up to the last marked vigor in both mind and body and was a type of that virile strength which is begotten of the sturdy and invigorating dis- cipline incidental to the art of husbandry. He was a son of Rev. George Klapp. who was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, in the year 1801, and was there reared and educated, learning the trade of tailoring. After his marriage he removed to Maryland, where he remained until about 1832, when he emigrated to Ohio, locating at Dayton, where he continued to follow his trade. Finally he went to Miamisburg. Mont- gomery county, where he studied theology and .prepared himself for the ministry of the Lutheran church, of which he had long been a devoted member. He preached his first sermon in Saint Paris. Champaign county, about the year 1839, an d thereafter continued in the active work of the ministry, in connection with farming, until his death, in 1842, -262 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. having been a man of a high order of intellectuality and having made his life a power for good in all its relations, in Hagerstown, Maryland, Rev. George Klapp was united in marriage to Miss Lydia Newman, who was born and reared, in that state, and they became the parents of seven children, namely: Mary, deceased; Jeremiah, who likewise is deceased; George S., the subject of this sketch, now deceased; and Lizzie, Luther, Sarah and Martin, deceased. All the children were born in Maryland except the youngest, who was a native of Champaign county. Our subject was a lad of about five years when the family removed from Maryland to Dayton, where he attended the public schools, as did he later in Miamisburg during the family's residence in that place. In 1839 the family located on the farm which he afterward owned, and though our subject thereafter made various removals to other farms in the locality and was for one year engaged in the grocery business in Saint Paris he finally returned to his late homestead in 1853. He and his father cleared fifty-eight acres and placed the same under cultiva- tion, and the place at the present time comprises sixty-two acres, the land ! icing of the utmost productivity and the enterprise having yielded to cur subject the best of returns for the labors he had expended. ( >n the 10th of January, 1850, Mr. Klapp was united in marriage to Miss Amanda M. Briggs, who was born in Berks county, Pennsyl- vania, on the 3d of November, 1831, and who was there reared to the age of twelve years, when she accompanied her parents on their removal to Champaign county. Ohio, locating in Saint Paris. Her father. Jacob J. Briggs, was born in Pennsylvania October 4. 1804, and there was celebrated his marriage to Ann Eliza Blakey, who likewise was a native of the old Keystone state, and they became the parents of nine chil- dren, namely: Samuel B. (deceased), Mary E., George W., Amanda M. (Mrs. Klapp). Letitia W., William Henry. Joseph C. (deceased), Rachel C. and Rose E. All were born in Pennsylvania except the young- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 263 est. To Mr. and Mrs. Klapp eight children have been born, of whom Benjamin E., Florence and Mary L. are deceased. Those surviving are Lydia O.. Sarah E.. Madora, Susana M. and Margaret, all having been horn and reared in Johnson township. The family are members of the Lutheran church at St. Paris, with whose organization our subject was identified, while he was prominently concerned in the erection of the present church edifice and was ever active in the work of the organiza- tion. His political allegiance was given to the Democratic party, and he served for fourteen years as supervisor of his township and for six- teen years as a member of the board of school directors of his district. No man in the community commanded more unqualified confidence and esteem, and we are pleased h 1 incorporate this brief tribute to one of the sterling old citizens of Champaign county. WILLIAM R. WARNOCK. With the judicial and political history of Champaign county the name of the Honorable William R. Warnock is inseparately interwoven, and his reputation is not limited by the confines of this district. His oirse is one which reflects credit upon the state by which he has been honored and his life record, constitutes an important element in the events which form the annals of this portion of Ohio. In a profession where advancement depends entirely upon individual merit, upon strong- intellectuality and close application he occupies a place of eminence. Mr. Warnock was born August 29, 1838, and is a son of the Rev. David and Sarah A. 1 Hitt) Warnock His father was born in Ireland February 14, 1810, and when eighteen years of age crossed the Atlantic to thf new world, continuing his education in Strongsville Academy, 264 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. near Cleveland, Ohio. Determining to devote his life to the work of the ministry, he became a member of the Ohio conference of the Meth- odist church in [S32. For a number of years he served as pastor of various churches in this state, and about 1857 came to Urbana, making a permanent location here, lie had previously been pastor of the church here and now became presiding elder of his district. During the last years of his life he occupied superannuated relations to the church, yet was frequently found in the pulpit delivering the message of Chris- tianity to those who sought to know its truths. His reputation and his influence were of no restricted order, and he was widely recognized as one of the leading divines of the Methodist ministry in the middle part of the nineteenth century. In 1837 he married Sarah A. 1 lilt, a woman whose beautiful Christian character proved a potent element for good in every community in which she lived. By her marriage she became the mother of nine children. That William R. Warnock, one of this family, is a man of scholar!) attainments and broad general learning is due entirely to his own efforts, for through the means won by teaching and in other employment he provided for the education which he obtained after completing the com mon school course. In July, Sm. he was graduated in the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, and having determined to make the practice of law his life work he began preparation for the bar a student in the office of Judge Ichabod Corwin. After a few months, bowever, he put aside business and personal interests that lie niigln aid in the preservation of the Union and recruited a company of which he was commissioned captain in July. [862. It was assigned to the Ninety-fifth Ohio Infantry and after one year's service Mr. Warnock was made major in recognition of his gallant and meritorious conducl on the field of battle. At the battle of Nashville, in December, 1' he was promoted to the rank" of lieutenant colonel and assigned to duty CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 265 as chief of staff for the eastern district of the Mississippi, working in that capacity until August, [865, when he was mustered out of the service. During the three years and two months in which he was con- nected with the army he was never away from his regiment except on of absence for twenty days, and he participated in all the marches, skirmishes and battles in which that command displayed its allegiance to the Union cause. At the close of hostilities, Mr. Wamock returned to Urbana and resumed his law studies, under Judge Corwin, being admitted to the bar in May, 1866. X" dreary novitiate awaited him. It was not long before he had acquired a good practice. lie entered into partnership with George M. Ekhelberger, and the association has been maintained ci ntinuously since, with the exception of a period when Mr. \\ arnock was < n the bench. In [879 he was elected on the Republican ticket to the position of judge of the court of common pleas, and acted in that capacit) until 1889. His decisions were strictly fair and impartial and displayed marked legal knowledge. From 1868 until [872 be held the ofhce of prosecuting attorney in Champaign county. On leaving the bench he again took up the private practice of law and his clientage is of a distinctively representative character. He has been connected with much of the important litigation brought in the court- of hi- district and his strength in argument, his li gical reasoning and lit- just con- have made him one of the most successful lawyer- practicing at the Champaign county bar. t868 the Judge was united in marriage to Miss Kate Murray, county. Ohio, and they have three children: Clifford: Ann fat! id Elizabeth. The Judge and his wife hold member-hip in the Methodist Episcopal church and he is identified with W. A. Brand Post, X . 107, G. A. R.. and of the Loyal Legi >n, in which he served for t\ = as junior commander, while at the present time 266 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. he is commander, a fact which indicates his popularity among his com- rades who wore the blue. Fraternally he is connected with Harmony Lodge, No. 35, F. & A. M., has attained the Templar degree of the York Kites and lias taken all of the degrees of the Scottish Rite ex- cept the thirty-third degree. He has always been a stanch advocate of Republican principles and aside from the offices in the line of his profession which he has filled he has been honored with other positions of public trust. In 1875 he was elected to represent his district in the state senate and when Governor Hayes was about to leave Columbus and go tn Washington, there to be inaugurated as president of the United States, the general assembly of Ohio tendered the president- elect a farewell reception and to Air. Warnock was unanimously given the high honor of making the farewell address on that occasion on behalf of the senate. In 1900 our subject was elected a member of congress. In the legislative halls of state and nation he ha- given earnest and care-^ ful consideration to every question which has come up for settlement and his course has been marked by loyal patriotism and statesmanship and he has ever placed the nation's welfare before personal considera- tions and the good of the people before self-aggrandizement. The ju- dicial and political honors and success which he has gained have been well merited and are but the just recognition of superior ability. R< >GER H. MURPHEY. In viewing the mas- of mankind in the varied occupations of life, the conclusion is forced upon the observer that in the vast majority of case- men have sought employment not in the line • 1' their peculiar fit- , but -in those fields where caprice or circumstances have placed them, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 269 thus explaining' the reason of the failure of ninety-live per cent, of those who enter commercial and professional circles. In a few cases it seem- that men with a peculiar fitness for a certain line have taken it up and marked success has followed. Such is the fact in the ease of the subjeel cf this biography. He is now serving as postmaster of Urbana. Mr. Murphey was born in this city, December 23, 1852, and is a son of Charles 11. and Sophia B. (Long) Murphey. His father was horn in Scotland, January 12, 1S17, and died in Urbana, January 12, 1891. He was of Scotch-Irish lineage and his birthplace was within two miles of where Robert Burns was born. In the year, 1843, be came to America, taking up his abode in Cincinnati, Ohio. Shortly afterward, however, he removed to Peoria, Illinois, where he remained for several years, be- ing employed in a distillery, having previously learned that business in his native country. The same line of occupation claimed his attention on Mad River, Ohio, for a number of years. In 1852 he was married in Cincinnati to Miss Sophia B. Long, who was born in Germany and came to the United States when a little maiden of six summers with her father. They landed at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and afterward re- moved to Cincinnati, where she remained until her marriage. Mr. Murphey brought his bride to Urbana and here spent his remaining days. For several years he was superintendent of the James cemetery, subsequently purchased the cemetery property and for several years was engaged in the nursery and greenhouse business, which he followed until about a year prior to his death, when he sold out to his son. the subject oi this review. His careful management and keen discernment in Dusiness affairs had made him successful and his honorable methods had gained for him the respect and confidence of those with whom he was associated. His death occurred in this city. January 12. [81 His widow still survives him and is living in Urbana at the age of seventy years. In their family were five sons and one daughter: Roger II.. 14 2-jo CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Charles H., Ella C, Walter T.. George C. and Thomas L. The father was a member of the United Brethren church, while his widow belongs to the Lutheran church. Roger H. Murphey, whose name introduces this record, was horn and reared in the city of Urbana, and pursued his education in the pub- lic schools. In his youth he assisted his father in the greenhouse and in the conduct of the nursery. At one time he spent five years away from home, visiting France in 1874. He spent some time in the best green- houses of that country, in order to familiarize himself with the methods of carrying on business there. He is now the owner of one of the three greenhouses of Urbana, having become his father's successor in June, 1890, at which time his brother, W. T. Murphey. also owned an interest in the business, but the following year our subject became sole proprietor. Since that time the volume of trade has largely increased and the facili- ties he has enlarged to meet the present demands. He now has fifteen thousand feet under glass and the prosperity of the undertaking is con- tinually growing. He raises all kinds of plants and has distributed these through operating florists in Canada and throughout this country from Maine to California. He makes a specialty of raising roses for the wholesale trade. At the present day he is associated with his son under the firm name of U. 11. Murphey & Son. hi 1878 ocurred the marriage of our subject ami Miss Anna C. Keller, of Urbana. They have four children. Charles R., who is his father's partner; Mary E. ; E. Frank; and William M. In his political views Mr. Murphey is a pronounced Republican, for two years served as chairman of the executive committee oi the county and was a member of the s' L ;ite central committee. His opinions carry weight in the councils of his parly and for thirteen years he served as treasurer of the state central committee. He was appointed by President McKinley a special agent of the rural free deliver) service and acted in that capacitv for CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 271 eighteen months when in Aprii, 1899, he was appointed postmaster of LJrbana. He is now discharging the duties of that office in a most com- mendable manner, his administration being prompt and business-like. He is connected with the Masons, the Knights of Pythias, the Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Junior Order of American Me- chanics. His connection with any undertaking insures a prosperous out- come of the same, for it is in his nature to carry forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes. He has earned for himself an en- viable reputation as a careful man of business, and in his dealings is known for prompt and honorable methods which have won him the deserved and unbounded confidence of his fellow-men. DAVID KENFIELD. Among the agriculturists who became identified with the interests of Champaign county in pioneer days, and with the passing years aided m the development and improvement of this section of the state was J >a\ id Kenfield, now deceased. He was a worthy, intelligent and en- terprising citizen, one of those whom the Empire state furnished to Ohio. He was born in Genesee county. New York, February 11, 1829, but when only eleven years of age he was taken by his parents. Xehemiah and Sallie Ann ( Canfield ) Kenfield, to Michigan, where the son David grew to years of maturity and was married. At the time of the dis- covers of gold in California he became imbued with the "fever," and accordingly went overland to the coast, a part of the journey being made on horseback, and there he followed mining for two vears, on the ex- piration of which period he returned to Michigan, five hundred dollars better off than when he started. In 1855 he came with his wife and children to Champaign county, locating at Woodstock. He was a potter 272 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. by trade, having learned that art in Michigan, and in that line lie be- came an expert workman. After his arrival in Woodstock he built the first tile factory ever put into operation in the state, which enterprise pn ved eminently successful, and hi- output was in great demand by the farmers throughout the surrounding country, hi- efforts thus 1 'ring- ing to him a snug little fortune. His products were often exhibited at the state fairs, where they invariably wuii first premium,-. Mr. Iveniield o ntinued in this business until 1871, but prior to that time, in 1868, he had purchased one hundred and thirty-one acre- O'f land east of Woodstock, where his widow and children now reside, and from 1871 until the nine of his death he devoted his attention to the cultivation of his farm. During that time he also bought and si Id other lands. By his first marriage Mr. Kenfield became the father of five chil- dren, namely: Frances, who died at the age of twenty year-: Sylvia, who married Sylvanus Dix and now resides in Kansas; Sallie Ann, who died in infancy: Chester, of Lafayette, Indiana: and Marion. The wife ami mother was called to the home beyond in 1861, and three years later, on the 24th of May, 1863, Mr. Kenfield married Euseoia Kegina Dix, who was born in Union township, Champaign county, Ohio, May 25, 1838. Her father, Clark Dix, was born in Wayne count}. Penn- sylvania, where he was a shoemaker by trade, and there married Clarissa Thankful' Clough, also a native of that county. Their mrriage was celebrated on the 9th of March. 1837, and in the following spring they started in a one-horse wagon for the Buckeye state, bringing with them their per-- ma] effects and a few hundred dollars in money. They reac 11 d Columbus at the time the corner-stone of the state house was being laid. Not being plea-ed with the outlook this section then presented, Mr. Dix left his family here and pi 1 his i> urney al ne to Missi nri. in quest of a better location. That was before the da) 1 railr ads, and he probably n I part of the j urney b} stage. Not finding the object CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 273 of his search in that commonwealth he accordingly returned to Cham- paign countv. and for several years thereafter worked as a farm em- ploye. He later purchased a small farm in Rush township, which lie- came their permanent home, and there Mr. Dix passed away in death on the 6th of July. 1890, at the age of seventy-five years. His wife sur- vived him until the 23d of April. 190T, when she. too, was called to her final rest, passing away at the age of eighty-five years. Unto this worthy couple were horn nine children, eight of whom grew to years of maturity, namely: Eusebia Regina, now Mrs. Kenheld : Clark, now a wealthy man of Marion, Ohio; Clarissa, wife of Frank Willoughby, who was killed at Richmond, Kentucky, during the Civil war after which his widow married D. Fay, of Iowa; John A., a physician in the state of Washington; Samantha. who married Pearl Smith, of Woodstock; Sylvanus, who ran away from home at the age of fourteen years to en- list in the Union army: Benjamin, a resident of Kansas: and Peter, of l.iwa. J( ihn A. and Clark also served their country during the Civil war, and the former was incarcerated in Andersonville prison for nine months. The latter was in the signal service for four years. Mrs. Kenheld attended the common schools of Champaign county during her girlhood, and there fitted herself for the teacher's profession, which she followed for eight tears in the public schools. She received her first certificate to teach when only sixteen years of age. and her ability to impart to others the know ledge she had received soon won her recognition in this calling, giving her rank among the prominent edu- cators of the county. She is a prominent member of the Universalist church at Woodstock, and throughout all the relations of life has ever discharged her duties with unswerving faithfulness. Mr. Kenheld was also a worthy member of that denomination, and in his political views was a stanch Republican. During the Civil war he gave freely of his means to preserve the Union, and for a number of years served his town- 274 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ship with efficiency as its trustee. He neglected no duty of citizenship and was always foremost in support of any movement calculated to prove of public benefit. His death occurred on the 6th of February, 1879, when he had reached the age of forty-nine years, eleven months and twenty-six days, and many friends mourned the loss oi one whom they had learned to respect and admire. In his fraternal relations he was a member of North Lewisburg Lodge, F. s Mary R. Ward, a daughter of Colonel William Ward, who resided upon a neighboring farm. Their marriage relation was an ideal one. their mutual love and confidence increasing as the years passed. They celebrated their golden wedding marking the close of a half century of happy married life. The children of this union were William YV., CENTENNIAL' BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 281 now deceased; Joseph C, of Chattanooga ; A. F., who is represented on another page of this book; John, also a resident of Chattanooga; II. Colwell, who is living in Urbana ; Mrs. Rev. John Wbods, ( 1 Lud- ington, Michigan; Mrs. Thomas C. Berry and Ella P. Five other chil- dren have departed this life. One child died in infancy and am ther at the age of seven, while Ed was accidentally shot about the beginning of the late war. Major D. M. Vance died in March, 1887, and Elizabeth in April of the following year. The relation between father and children was a most happy one, for he was not only their guide and counsellor, but their friend. fudge Vance took a deep and active interest in every movement and measure calculated to benefit his community and advance its upbuilding. He was very prominent in military affairs at an early date and under the 1 M military organization of the state served as adjutant general of militia for his district. When the war broke out he raised a company for serv- ice at the front and was elected its captain. This command was mus- tered in at Camp McArthur and offered its services to the government at once, but as the quota was already filled the offer was not accepted and circumstances forbade Judge Vance from again enlisting, but he was ably and nobly represented in the great conflict by four of his sons. His loyalty all through the years of his active and useful life was above question and his devotion to his country furnished an example well worthy of emulation. The Judge was a very prominent Mason, hav- ing become a member of the order in Harmony Lodge, May 15. 1845. Steadily he advanced through the various degrees and in his life ex- emplified the beneficent teachings of the fraternity. He also took the degrees of the Chapter, and in that organization filled many offices in a most capable manner. He also received the three degrees of Cryptic Miasonry and became a templar in 1869. Again official honors and duties were conferred upon him. He believed most firmly in the teach- 282 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ings of the craft, which are based upon the brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God. and while lie was well informed concerning the work of the lodge room he also exemplified in his daily life the true spirit of Masonry. In September, 1850, he became a member of the First Meth- odist church of Urbana, but later united with the First presbytefian church and his life was that of a faithful, constant Christian. Fi [865 he wa^ chosen a ruling elder and remained continually in that office until 1880. when, at his own request, he was omitted from the b As long as his health remained he was a regular attendant on the church services, but for five months prior to his demise he was not able to leave his home. He had firm and unbounded faith in a future life and wel- comed his release from pain not as one who enters upon the unknown, but as one who goes to his old home. Devoted in his attachment to his wife and children, faithful to his friends, loyal in citizenship, honorable in business and conscientious in his church life, his was a noble ex- ample which made the world better for his having lived. BENJAMIN F. HARRIS. In the early settlement and subsequent history of Champaign county the ancestors of Benjamin F. Harris were prominent. His grandfa ther, George Harris, was a native of Virginia, but as early as 1806 came to the Buckeye state, locating in what i- now Champaign county. Ik- established his home on Darby creek, in Rush township, five miles above Milford Center, and the family were among the first to locate in the county. Daniel Harris, the father of our subject, was a],,, a native of Virginia, his birth there occurring in 1800. and he was hut six years of age when he was brought by his parents to this state. Ik- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 283 was reared and married in Champaign county, and his last days were spent in Salem township, where he died at the age of eighty-four years. His lather was a birth-right member of the Friends church, but he united with the Christian church, and both were lifelong farmer-. Daniel Harris married Sibyl B. Lathrop, a native of Connecticut, as was also her lather, Benjamin Lathrop. and when she was thirteen years of age her parent- located in Union county, Ohio. Her death occurred when she was seventy-six years of age. Of their nine children, six sons and three daughters, six grew to years of maturity, and our subject was the fourth son and seventh child in order of birth. Benjamin F. Harris, the only representative of his family in Cham- paign count v, enlisted for service in the Civil war in 1864, joining Com- pany F, Thirty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he served until his discharge, in July, 1865. lie entered the ranks as a corporal, but fi r meritorious service was promoted to first sergeant and was later made a second lieutenant. During his military career he took part in many of the hard-fought battles of the war, was with Sherman on his celebrated march to the sea and participated in the grand review at Washington. On his return from the army he located in Union town- ship, Union county, Ohio, where he was engaged in agricultural pursuits for a number of years, and in 1882 came with his family to his present location, purchasing a portion of the John Enoch farm. His landed 1 ssions now consist of four hundred and six and a half acre-. He has improved hi- farm, and has long been numbered among the prac- tical and thrifty farmer- of his locality. On die 6th 'i April. [866, .Mr. Harris was united in marriage ; Laura Webb, a native of Clark county. Ohio, and a daughter of VV. R. and Harriet (Clark) Webb, natives of Connecticut. Their mar- riage was celebrated in Clark county, and they became the p; seven children, of whom Mr-. Harris was the th rder of birth. 284 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. She was but three years of age when she was taken by her parents to Union county, Ohio, and in its public schools received her early educa- tion, while later she became a student in the Marysville high school. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Harris have been born three sons. The eldest, Emiuitt, married Maud Dixon and resides in Seattle. Washington, where lie is general manager of an agency for the National Cash Register Company, of Dayton, Ohio. William R. married Leona Black, and they have two daughters, lna and Ruby. He is also employed with the National Cash Register Company. Charles P. has also left his home and works in connection with his brothers. In his political preference Mr. Harris is a stanch Republican, ami is always loyal in his support of all measures calculated to benefit the community or the general pub- lic. For a long period he served as a member of the township school board, and while a resident of Union county served as the trustee of Union township. In his fraternal relations he is a member of Poysell Post, No. 103, G. A. R., in which he has filled many of the offices. DANIEL JAMES. Champaign county is fortunate in the personnel of her farming con> nvunity and those who here follow the great art of husbandry are alike fortunate in the possession of fine landed elites, where the earth yields forth its increase and where peace and contentment come as the natural sequel, so that there is no occasion to envy the lot of the busy toilers in the thronging mart- of trade and commerce. Among the successful and honored farmer- of Urbana township 1- numbered Mr. James, who is a native son of the old Buckeye state, having been horn in Pike county, Ohio, on the 14th day of May. [835. I lis father. Perry James, was likewise horn in the state. K< ^ county having been the place of his CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 285 nativity, while the year thereof was [812, clearly demonstrating the fact that 1 ur subject is a representative of one of the early pioneer families of this great commonwealth. Peri} James, who devoted his life to ag- ricultural pursuit-, became one of the pioneers of Champaign county, as had he also been of both Tike and Scioto counties. He was four times married, there being two children by the first union, one by the second, live by the third and none by the last, the subject of this review having been the elder of the two children born of the first marriage. His mother, whose maiden name was Mildred Daily, was born in Pike county, Ohio, and died when he was a mere child. Daniel James was reared in his native county, where he received his educational discipline in the district schools and so supplemented this by personal application that he became eligible for pedagogic work, having successfully taught three terms of school in Pike county. At the outbreak of the war of the Rebellion the young man's intrinsic patriotism and loyalty led him to tender his services in support of the Union, and in 1861 he enlisted as a private in the Fifty-third Ohio Volunteer In- fantry, which was in command of Colonel Wells S. Jones, while the captain of the company of which our subject was a member, was James K. Percy. Mr. James proceeded to the front with his regiment and was in active service until May 24. 1865. when he received his honorable dis- charge. He participated in many of the most memorable battles of the great civil conflict, including those of Shiloh, Vicksburg, Jacksonville and Chattanooga, and accompanied Sherman in the Atlanta campaign and the famous inarch t'> the sea. His last battle was that of Resaca. Georgia, where lie was wounded, and after partially recovering from his injury was sent to Cincinnati, where he was assigned to light duty and there remained until he was mustered nut. He then returned to his home in Pike county, where he dew ted his attention to farming- until the fol- lowing year, when he came to Champaign o unty and took up his abode 286 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. on his present farm, where he has ever since maintained his home'. He has made excellent improvements on the place and it is maintained under a high state of cultivation, the area of the farm being ninety-six acres. The same year that he came to this county Mr. James was united in marriage to Miss Eliza Pence, who was born in Champaign county, where her parents were numbered among the early settlers. Mr. and Mrs. James have had eight children, all of whom were born in this county, their names, in order of birth, being as follows : Charles P., Carrie, Augusta, Estella, Orville, Lulu. Margaret and Jacob H. In politics Mr. James is a stanch Republican, having cast his vote for John C. Fremont, in 1856, the first presidential candidate of this grand old party. He and his wife are members of the Baptist church. JOSEPH V. LONGFELLOW. M. D. The profession of medicine, while a very inviting field for the stu- dent and the humanitarian, is one that demands much self-abnegation, the exercise of repression and the sacrificing of the ordinary methods of securing personal advancement. It is one oi the noblest of all voca- tions, one of the most responsible and exacting and is the one, above all others, which, while it must needs be prosecuted for legitimate gain, is in its very nature nearest to beneficent charity. One of the prominent rep- itatives of this noble calling in Champaign county is Dr. Joseph V. Longfellow, of (Jrbana, who is a member of a family that ha-- been iden- tified with the annals of Ohio history from the early pioneer epoch. Tims there is peculiar propriety in making definite record concerning this honored citizen and able physician, who i< a native son of Champaign count)-. r ^c^L^Mc^r- CENTEX.XI.IL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 289 Joseph Valentine Longfellow was born on a farm in Concord town- ship, this county, on the 21st of March, [858, being the eldest of the four children of Silas X. and Minerva A. (Russell) Longfellow. The other three children are Mary E., now the wife of H. H. Brower, of Dayton, Ohio; Margaret W., wife of S. M. Green, of Urbana, Ohio; Victor 1 )., who is completing his medical studies with his brother, the subject of this sketch, and who will graduate at the coming session "l college. Silas X. Longfellow was born in Concord township. Champaign county. on the 5th of June, [834, being the son of Joseph and Martha (Hull) Longfellow. Joseph Longfellow was born in the state of Delaware, on the 9th of November, 1766, and. was there reared to maturity. In May, 1805. he became a resident of Ohio, coming to Champaign county and entering claim to one hundred and sixty acres of government land in section 15, Concord township, reclaiming the same from the sylvan wilds and there improving a good farm, which continued to be his home during the residue of his life, lie attained a patriarchal age, his death occur- ring in the year 1865, at the age of nearly one hundred years. His first presidential vote was cast for General Washington, and thereafter he exercised his franchise at each successive presidential election, his last vote being cast in support of Abraham Lincoln, at the time of his second election to the presidency. Joseph Longfellow was thrice married, his first union having been with Miss Teresa Merida, who passed away less than a year after her marriage. About seven years later he wedded Miss Mary Fowler, who bore him thirteen children, her death occurring in the year 1822. In 1826 lie consummated his third marriage, being then united to Mrs. Martha 1 I lull) Crow, the widow of Joseph Grow, to whom she bore six children, one dying in infancy. She was a nan. \ irginia, whence sin- accompanied her parents on their removal to < 'bio in the early pioneer days, the family settling near Chillicothe. By her marriage to Joseph LongfelloVs she became the mother 1 f six children, 15 290 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. of whom five survived her. and at present three are living. Lemuel U., David and Silas N. She passed away in 1804. at the age of sixty-eight years. Silas N. Longfellow has devoted his entire life to agricultural pursuits, and now resides on his homestead farm, of sixty-five acres, in Concord township. In politics he is a Republican and one of the t honored and influential citizens of his native county. Possessed ol high musical talent he has been a successful instructor in this art, to which he has long been devoted. In 1S57 was solemnized his marriage to Miss Minerva A. Russell, who was born in Champaign county, Ohio, on the jjth of May, 1839, the daughter of Valentine Russell, one of the pio- neers of this section of the Buckeye state. Dr. Joseph V". Longfellow was reared under the sturdy discipline of the old home farm, and is indebted to the public schools for his early educational training. Later he was for five years a student in the Ohio Wesleyan University, in the city of Delaware, where he practically com- pleted his prescribed course, though failing health prevented him from full\ completing his work and thus graduating in the institution. After recuperating his energies he entered vigorously and enthusiastically upon the stud)' of medicine, and in order to thoroughly fortify himself for his chosen profession he finally was matriculated in the Miami Medical Col- lege, in Cincinnati, where he was graduated as a member of the cla^s of 1880. lie soon afterward entered upon the active practice of medicine at Kris, Champaign county, where be continued for four years, at the ex- piration oi which he located in Urbana, where he has ever since been in active practice, having been very successful and holding a supporting ; air mage of representative order, while he is held in the highest esteem in both professional and social circles, his popularity being based upon his integrity of character, his genial ami sympathetic temperament, his professii nal ability and his power of looking on the bright side of life. The Doctor is a member of the Champaign County Medical Society and CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 291 the American Medical Association, and keeps in close touch with the ad- vances made in his profession through careful study and investigation and through courteous and appreciative association with his professional confreres. In politics he exercises his franchise in support of the Repub- lican party, and his religious faith is that of the Methodist Episcopal church. J. E. DAVIS. The farming interests of Champaign county are well represented by J. E. Davis. He was born in Goshen township, on the old farm home- stead. August 31, 1N44. His father, S. C. Davis, was a native of Greene county, Ohio, but when nine years of age was brought to Goshen ti >wn- ship. Champaign county, by his parents, Jonathan and Piety (Maxim) Davis, natives of Virginia, who on immigrating to the Buckeye state took up their abode in Greene county. The year 1824 witnessed their ar- rival in Champaign county, where they were numbered among the pio- neer settlers. The father was reared, educated and married in Goshen township and located on the old farm homestead, where he remained until his death, which occurred when he was about sixty-five years of age. His political support was given to the Whig party and later he became a stanch Republican, being recognized as one of the leaders in its ranks. He was also an active and helpful member of the Baptist church and for twenty years served as superintendent of the Sunday-school, bis life ever being in consistent harmony with his professions. lie married Jane Brittin, a native of Goshen township. Champaign county, and a daughter of Nathan and Mary (Jones) Brittin. She was reared in Goshen township and belonged to one of the old pioneer families of the county. Her death occurred when she was eighty-one years of age. In the family of this worthy couple were nine children, three sons and six 2Q2 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. daughters, of whom one son and four daughters are yet living. All are married and are residents of Mechanicsburg. They are: Edrianah, tlie wife nf Mathin Comestoek; Emily, the wife of W. W. Legge; Etta, the wife 'if J. W. Tway; anil Callie, the wife of Joseph Mumma. Mr. Davis of this review was the fourth child ami eldest son of the family. He was reared in his native township mi the old farm hotme- stead and during his In yhood attended the district schools. In [863 he enlisted in Company K, One Hundred and Thirteenth Ohio Volun- teer Infantry, as a private and served until the close of the war. being the last man. with one exception, to he mustered out <>f the regiment. He was wounded at Kenesaw Mountain 1 in the 27th of June. 18(14. r( - J_ ceiving a gunshot wound in the shoulder, in the hand and in the finger. He was then taken to the hospital at Columbus and after he had re- (i vered from his injuries was in the mustering-out office at Chicago. He was one of the fifty men who took the United States mail through the Escanaha and Marquette district of Michigan in [865 and was Ra- tioned at Negaunee in the northern peninsula for thirty days, after which he returned to Chicago and was mustered out in September, 1865. Mr. Davis then came hack to his home in Goshen township and en- gaged in farming with excellent success, following that pursuit until 1898, when lie buill his present resilience in Mechanicsburg. and is now- living a retired life, lie still owns the old place, however, which has been in the family for three generations. lie was a progressive agricult- urist, keeping in touch with modern methods ami his system of farming was mic which brought to him a good return for his labors. Idis busi- ness methods were ever such as would hear the closest investigation and his responsibility and integrity were above questii On the 30th of January. [868, .Mr. Davis was united in marriage to Sylvia Fox, a daughter of Isaac ami Permilla (Rosebery) Fi \. The lady was horn in Madison county, < >hio, where Iter people had loc CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 293 in pioneer days. Mr. and Mrs. Davis had two daughters, but Lulu died at the age of three and a half year-. Ella D. is the wife of John T. Brown and they reside on the old Davis homestead, being the fourth generation of the family to occupy this place, which comprises two hun- dred acre- of rich land. Mt. Davis was superintendent of the Maple Grove Cemetery for several years and was a member of its board and the treasurer. In politics he is a stanch Republican and has never failed to vote at an elec- tion since casting his first presidential vote. He also attends the pri- maries and takes an active part in every measure and movement that he believes will secure Republican success. He is always a leader in the demonstrations of the party, often acting as marshal in its parades. He is a prominent member of Stephen Baxter Post. Xo. 88. (I. A. R.. in which he has tilled all the offices. He also belongs to Myrtle Lodge, No. 113, F. & A. M., Caroline Chapter. Xo. 38. O. E'. S.. and of the latter is the present worthy patron. He holds membership relations with the Methodist Episcopal church and is serving as its steward and as one of its board of deacons. His life has ever been commendable, for he has lived in accordance with upright principles. He was a loyal soldier of his country upon southern battle fields, has ever been known as an honest business man and as a wi >rthv friend, husband and father. EDWIX HAGEXBUCH. Few men are more prominent or more widely known in the enter- prising city of Urbana than Edwin Hagenbuch. He has been an imp< >rt- ant lactor in business circles and his popularity is well deserved, as in him are embraced the characteristics of an unbending integrity, unabating 294 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. energy and industry that never flags. He is public-spirited and thor- oughly interested in whatever tends to promote the mural, intellectual and material welfare of Urbana. Air. Hagenbuch was born ini Salem township. Champaign county. May 8, 1850, and is a son of Henry and Martha J. (Long) Hagenbuch. The father was born in Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, about 1809 and 'comes of a family of Holland Dutch lineage. When a young man he sought a home in the west. At the early age of twelve years he had lie- gun earning his own living by clerking in a store in Pennsylvania, and steadily worked his way upward until he became a partner in a mercan- tile enterprise. Thus having accumulated some money, he sought a broader field of labor in the west. He made his way to Kings Creek, Ohio, where he had a cousin living, and there it was that he met the lady who became his wife. He purchased a store and mill there, con- ducting both business enterprises with success for many years. Event- ually, however, he sold out and purchased farm land, giving his attention to agricultural pursuits throughout his remaining days. His marked energy, keen business sagacity and unflagging enterprise, were the means of bringing to him creditable and gratifying success. In 1865, he re- moved his family to Urbana, where he spent his remaining days, in politics he was a stanch Republican and a strong Union man, who gave liberally of his means to aid various societies during the war. He held membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, to which his wife also. beli nged. She was born in Champaign county, and was a daughter of James and Susan Long, pioneer settlers of this portion of the state. Two children were born of this marriage that grew to years of maturity. The younger was Ella, now the wife of L. C. Moore, of Urbana. The elder is Edwin Hagenbuch, of this review. He spent the first fifteen years of his life on the home farm and afterward continued his studies in the schools of Urbana, while later he entered the Ohio Wes- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 29s leyan University, where he remained for six months, when he was com- pelled to leave that institution on account of failing health and was never able to return, lie took a deep interest in his father's business and practically managed his affairs for some time, relieving him of all care and responsibility. He was also in the employ of the United States Rolling Stock Company, car manufacturers, acting as clerk and store keeper, and since that time he has been largely interested in farming and stock raising, making a specialty of tine blooded sheep of the Ramboullet breed. In 188c Mr. Hagenbuch was united in marriage to Miss Nellie Howard, a daughter of George Howard, of Champaign county, and unto them have been born two sons, George Edwin, who is a member of the junior class in the Ohio State University, and Frank, who is a member of the senior class in the high school of Urbana. In his business affairs Mr. Hagenbuch is energetic, prompt and notably reliable. Keen perception and honesty of purpose are among his chief characteristics and have been salient features in this prosperity. He has been successful in business undertakings, yet it has not alone been the goal for which he has been striving, for he belongs to that class of representative American citizens who promote the general prosperity while advancing individual interests. He has rendered effective service to his city and district in public office. He is spoken of as one of the best councilmen that ever served in Urbana. While on the finance com- mittee he was influential in re-adjusting the natural gas debt at a saving to the city of about thirty thousand dollars, and his efforts along other lines were equallv beneficial. In 1S99 he was elected to the general assembly, and in 1901 was re-elected by an increased majority. He served as a member of the committee on finance, salaries and claims in the seventy-fourth general assembly, and in the seventy-fifth was chair- man of the committee on railroads and telegraph and second on the 296 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. finance committee. His ability was early recognized in the general as- sembly, where out of ninety applicants for membership on the finance committee he was selected for that important position. Socially he is equally prominent. He belongs to Harmony Lodge. No. 8, F. ei A. M. ; to Urbana Chapter. No. 34. R. A. M. ; Urbana Council. No. 59, R. & S. M. ; Raper Commandery, No. 19. K. T. ; and in the Scottish Rite he has attained the thirty-second degree as a member of the consistory at Cincinnati. He is also a member of Antioch Temple of the Mystia Shrine at Dayton. He has presided over the four local bodies and is at the present time grand secretary of the Grand Chapter of Ohio. Mr. Hagenbuch well deserves mention among the most prominent and hon- ored residents of Champaign county. Such, in brief, is the life history of Edwin Hagenbuch. In whatever relation of life we find him — in the government service, in political circles, in business or in social relations — he is always the same honorable and honored gentleman, whose worth well merits the hisfh regard which is uniformly eriven him. WILLIAM C. PANGBORN. A career whose main-sided usefulness is recalled with pride and gratitude by the citizens of Mechanicsburg is that of William C. Pang born, a native of the town where he was known in educational, business and professional circles, and where his birth occurred December 4. [825. His father, Freeman Pangborn, w; 1 ^ one of the very earl) settlers of Champaign county, whither he had removed in his young manhood from his native state "\ Pennsylvania, and to the development of which he devoted the best energies of Ins remaining years. In Mechanicsburg William C. Pangborn acquired his education at '6, fL,,^ CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 299 the public schools, and while still young in years evinced habits oi thrift and industry. His acquirements were put to the practical tesl in his native city, where for a number of years he engaged in educational work, the high character of which gained him a reputation among the chief promoters of knowledge of his time and place. After the death of his mother he undertook to learn the trade of tannin-, an occupation not sufficiently congenial to warrant long continuance, and which was aban- doned entirely for the more ambitious project of law. In the office oi Judge John Corwin, of Urbana, he gained the first insight into the pro- fession to which he devoted himself up to the time of his death. February 14. 1897. He became renowned for his lucid exposition of the prin- ciples of law. and for his devotion to its highest and most lasting' tenets. Interspersed with his professional duties were numerous business ven- tures of more or less importance, and for seven or eight years of the best part of his life he engaged in farming and stock-raising in the vicinity of Mechanicsburg. In whatsoever line of activity chosen, he wielded an influence for progress and substantiality, the more so because his accom- plishments were due rather to his own efforts and wise acceptance of sur- rounding opportunities, than to any special favor bestowed by a prejudiced fortune. Through his marriage with Martha Spry, in 1851, Mr. Pangborn had yet another incentive for continued success, for his wife proved a helpmate indeed, and a never failing source of sympathy and apprecia- tion. Mrs. Pangborn comes of a family long associated with New \ - >rk, from which state her father. William Spry, removed to Ohio at an early- day. To Mr. and Mrs. Pangborn were horn three children, two of whom are deceased. Charles, the only survivor, is now living in Mexico, while his mother continues to reside among the familiar scenes of her youth, marriage, and later life in Mechanicsburg. Mr. Pangborn was politically affiliated with the Republican party, but his conservative nature never 300 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. lent itself to the feverish uncertainties of office-seeking and general politics. He was a Mason fraternally, and was connected with innumer- able efforts for the general upbuilding of his native town. GEORGE \V. PICKERING, M. 1). The noble profession of the physician and surgeon afford; to the students in these branches of science a never failing source of investi- gation and experiment. New remedial agents are constantly being dis- covered and practically applied in therapeutics; wonderful progress is being made in the domain of surgery; and new methods of treatment are being evolved. It is needless to say that the physician who would keep in touch with the advances made must be a close student of his profession, devoting much time and thought to specific reading and in- vestigation, in addition to meeting the practical demands placed upon him by the work of his chosen vocation. In the noble army of workers in this humane held may be found Dr. Pickering, who is one of the rep- resentative members of the medical profession in Champaign county and whose success indicates his personal popularity and his ability in his profession, with which he is thoroughly en rapport, sparing no pains to keep abreast of the advanced thought and knowledge pertaining thereto. The Doctor is a sterling type of the self-made man. to whom our republic points with just satisfaction and pride, and his is the strength and prestige which is begotten only of definite persona] ef- fort. Dr. Pickering is a native son of the Old Dominion state, that cradle of much of our national history, having been born in Rockingham county, Virginia, on the i >t of July, [859, the seventh in order of birth of the CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 30 1 nine children of Richard and Jeanette (Smith) Pickering, both of whom were likewise born in Virginia, where the death of the former occurred soon after the close of the Civil war, while the latter passed away .March 12, 1900. Richard Pickering was a farmer by occupa- tion, and his son, the Doctor, grew up under the sturdy discipline of the homestead, receiving his preliminary education in the schools of his native state and early beginning to contribute his quota to the work of the farm. As his father died when he was a mere child, the Doctor early became dependent upon his own resources, and upon attaining the age of nineteen years left his native state and came to Urbana, Ohio, where he continued his studies in the high school until he Lie- came qualified for pedagogic work, being a successful teacher in the untry schools of this section for five terms, within a period of three years. In the meanwhile he had formulated decisive plans as to his vocation in life, having determined to prepare himself for the profession of medicine. He began his technical reading in the office and under the preceptorship of Dr. William J. Sullivan, of Urbana, ami in order to properly fortify himself for his chosen work then entered Starling Med- ial College, in the city of Columbus, where he was matriculated in the year 1883. completing the prescribed course in this celebrated institution, where he was graduated, with the coveted degree of Doctor of Medi- cine, as a member of the class of 1886. Dr. Pickering instituted the practical work of his profession by locating in the village of Eris. Champaign county, where he remained for a period of nine year-, securing precedence as a devoted and capable physician and surgeon. In seeking a wider field of endeavor he then came to Urbana, where he has ever since been established in a practice of representative character and wdiere he has gained still further prece- dence in his chosen life work. He is a member of the Champaign < ounty Medical Societv and takes a lively interest in its affairs, while 302 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. he is a close and receptive student of the best medical literature and thus keeps fully in touch with the advances made in the various branches of this most exacting of all professions. In April, 1901, the Doctor was appointed a member of the board of examining surgeons for pensions in his county, and is rendering efficient and faithful service in this capacity. In politics he exercises his franchise in support of the principles and policies of the Democratic party and fraternally he is identified with the local lodge of the Improved Order of Red Men. and Harvey Lodge, A. F. & A. M. On the 5th of March. r886, Dr. Pickering was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Rinaker, who was born in Champaign count}', the daugh- ter ( f Simeon Rinaker. and they have two daughters, — Jeanette and Helen, aged fifteen and nine, respectively. PETER BLACK. In the best development of Champaign county Peter Black bore an important part. He was identified with the agricultural interests of this section oi the state from pioneer days and while promoting the material welfare < t the c< immunitv also ga\ e an active and liberal support to those measures which tended to advance its intellectual and moral status. His life was filled with good deeds and kindly thoughts, and all who knew him entertained for him the highest regard, by reason of his upright, horn irable life. Mr. Black was born in Wayne township, Champaign county, May [4, r.828. His father. Peter Black, Sr., was of German descent and was born in Pennsylvania, but he became one of the early pioneers of Cham- paign county, Ohio, taking up his abode in Wayne township, lie fol- MR. AND MRS. PETER BLACK. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 305 lowed the tilling of the soil as a life occupation. His wife, whose maiden name was Mary Hughes, was also a member of a prominent old family of this county, her father, Abram Hughes, having located here in a very early day. Ot their seven children Mr. Black, of this review, was the sixth child in order of birth, and he was reared and educated in Wayne township, and when hut a boy he began the active battle of life for him- self alone and unaided. On the 9th of March. 1851. he was united in marriage to Catherine Felger, who was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, fulv 27. [832. Her father. Samuel Felger, also claimed that locality as the place of his nativity, but as early as [834 came to the Buckeye state, locating in Allen comity, where he resided on a farm until 1840, and m that year took up his abode in Henry county. Iowa, where he passed away in death in 189.?. For his wife he chose Lucretia Trout, and she, too. was a native of Pennsylvania of French descent. Tier parents having emigrated t« the United States and located in the Keystone state. Of the nine children, five daughters and. four sons, born unto Mr. and Mrs. Felger, Mrs. Black is the eldest. She was reared in Allen county, Ohio, and in Henry county, Iowa, and in the latter place, in 1850. gave her hand in marriage to Mr. Black. They began their married life on a farm in Wayne township. Champaign county, but live years later they removed to Henry county, Iowa, where they made their home for a year and a half. Returning thence to Champaign county, they located on the farm on which Mrs. Black now reside-, consisting of one hundred and ninety-eight acres. Since her husband's death she has given a careful supervision to the property and is an excellent business woman. By their thrift and economy they succeeded in gaining a competence for old age, and at one time they owned as high as eight hundred and sevent) acres oj land, fogetherthey worked very successfully. In any business I actions of importance he always consulted his wifi ■ ; I . her business ability has been well tried since he pa ay. 306 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Nine children came to brighten and bless the home of our subject and wife, but one died in infancy, the others being Samuel. Freemont, Henry E., Granville, M. Lucretia, the wife of William Berry; Emma, •deceased; Charles I'..: and Cora, who died in [896. The living children are all married and have good homes of their nun. Air. Black spent his last days at his pleasant bums in Wayne t iwnship, and there closed bis eyes in death in 1899. A prominent representative of industrial inter- ests, a popular factor in social life, a faithful friend, a kind husband and father and a consistent Christian, be left behind him an untarnished record. THOMAS DENTON CROW. That adverse conditions build up the strong and break down the weak is a truism emphasized in the life of Thomas Denton Crow, lawyer, educator, and erstwhile man of affairs of Urbana and Champaign county. Though at present retired from the strenuous activity which has characterized a well directed career, and a serene spectator of the pros- perity of which he has been a developing force, no more convincing example is available for those who are discouraged and beset with limi- tations, of the possible preponderance of mind and determination over obstacles however great or deterring. A native son of Ohio, Air. Crow was born in Harrison township, ( hampaign county, < October 21, iNji, and comes of paternal German and maternal New England descent, lli^ father, Joseph Crow, was horn in Virginia, October 1. 1790, while bis mother. Mania (Hull) Crow, was born January 4. 171)0. The parents were married in 1813, and thin after settled on a farm in Harrison township, of which the paternal grandfather Crow had been a very early settler. Joseph Crow was a CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 307 man of more than ordinary intelligence and education, and a devoted member of the Methodist church, in which he was a class leader and exhorter. His death in [825 left to the care of his widow one daughter and four sons, over whose irresponsible youth the shadows of loneliness and unhappiness were doomed to fall. A desire to further the interests of her children induced the mother to remarry the following year!, and through a union with Joseph Longfellow, an old resident of Con- cord township, she hoped to relieve the financial and general depression under which they were laboring. This marriage proved something of a disappointment to one of the noblest of pioneer mothers, who lives in the memory of her children as one who possessed unusual faithful- ness and piety, and whose death, August 2, 1864, closed an existence crowded with toil and deprivation. Six children were born of the second union, but the futility of her sacrifice must have embittered her heart at the beginning of her life with Joseph Longfellow, for one of her first husband's children was sent away at once, and two others soon followed them to exile from her care and tenderness. Thomas D. be- came a bound boy on the farm when eight years of age, and during the five years of hardship which followed, experienced little of the joy and expectancy of youth. The school privileges stipulated in the contract were igni red altogether, and it was with a sense of loosened chains that In- release came at the end of the allotted time. Henceforth he was at least free, and the world lay before him full of chances to be seized by In- stn ng arms and intellect and courageous young heart. Foremost in hi- thought was the desire for an education, and as the money left him by his father had disappeared under the management of his step-father, he was obliged to plan a combination of work and study in order to meet the expense of tuition. At the age of fourteen he began to learn the trade oi tailoring at Urbana. and while thus employed fur several years occupied his leisure in acquiring the desired knowledge. So studious 308 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. was he that at the age of eighteen he had qualified as a teacher, and at nineteen he entered the Ohio Conference High School, at Springfield, and met his current expenses by teaching during vacation, doing janitor week and performing such other tasks as yielded needed remuneration. By the practice of the most rigid economy, and a large portion of the time subsisting on brown bread and water, lie was able, at the end of four years, to pass the preparatory examination required of students at Augusta College. Here again his tact and resourcefulness were truly surprising, for though he entered the institution somewhat in debt, at the time of graduation in [846 he was not only out of debt but had saved four hundred dollars out of his salary as principal of the prepara- tory department of his Alma Mater. 1 in his return to L'rbana Mr. Crow found the Ohio Conference of the Methodist Episcopal church in session at Piqua, and into this body of enthusiastic workers he was admitted as a member, and subse- quently filled several important charges. For two years he was a mem- ber of the faculty of the Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware. Uhio, and by i860 had determined to devote his career to the practice of law. The following year he graduated in April from the Cincinnati Law School, and thereafter practiced for two years in Monticello, Indiana. In the meantime the pressing need of his stricken country bail not fallen on unconscious cars, for he had been busily engaged in raising troops for the Union army, and would himself have enlisted had it not been for his three motherless children. The year 1864 found him again in Urbaqa working up a law practice, and the next war his enthusiastic advocacy of education found an outlet as superintendent of public schools of l'rbana. For a number of years he served as county examiner, and from [869 until [872 be was chief clerk and acting state commissioner of schools, and temporarily resided at Columbus, < Ihio. After the com- pletion of this responsibility Mr. Crow returned to Urbana, and not until CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 309 a few years ago did he terminate a vigorous and capable professional career, his retirement heing actuated by a compelling need of rest. Thrice married, the union of Mr. Crow in T847 with Henrietta Downs, win 1 died in Cincinnati in 1858, resulted in four sons and one daughter. Of his second marriage there was one daughter, and in 1868 he married Mrs. Eliza M. Crabill, nee Hedges. Since the organization of the party Air. Crow has allied his political fortunes with Republican principles and issues, and has stanchly supported the same in city and countv. Innumerable enterprises for the general upbuilding of the community have received his practical support and been benefited by his far-sighted council, for few can more fully realize the benefit of progressive measures when backed by wise conservatism. Out of a life containing much of success as well as grief and misfortune he has evolved philosophies optimistic and helpful in the extreme, and the city is fortunate in the possession of a citizen who has so deftly fashioned harmony out of discord and so unfalteringly based his actions upon the principles of truth and humanity. ROBERT HENDERSON, M. D. Dr. Henderson is a most skillful and successful physician oi L'r- bana and is a popular and highly respected citizen. He was born in Parkersburg, AVest Virginia, March 22, 1851. and is a son of Richard H. and Anna Maria (Shanklin) Henderson, both of whom were natives of the Old Dominion. The Doctor was reared in his native town dur- ing tiie greater part of his youth, but for a time resided with hi- par- ents in Wheeling and in the schools of those two cities he acquired his literary education. Determining to devote his atti ■ one of the 16 310 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. most important and valuable professions to which man can give his at- tention — the alleviation of human suffering — he began the study of med- cine while clerking in Parkersburg and afterward matriculated in the College of Physicians and Surgeons, of Baltimore, Maryland, being graduated in that institution with the class of 1878. The Doctor then located in West Virginia, where he remained for only a brief period, and then took up his abode in New Moorefield, Clark county, Ohio, where he retained his residence until the fall of 1884, when he came to Urbana, having since remained continuously in this city. He is a member of the Champaign County Medical Society, the Ohio State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. The interchange of thought and knowledge and the importance of investiga- tion and experiment, given in these organizations, have enabled him to keep in constant touch with the progress that is continually advancing the practice of medicine toward perfection. In 1875 the Doctor was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth S. Thomas, of Point Pleasant. West Virginia. They have two children, Richard T. and Helen, the latter yet in school. The son was bom in Parkersburg, West Virginia, in 1878, and after attending the public, schools of Urbana, entered the Urbana University, lie studied medi- cine under the direction of his father, was graduated in the Starling Medical College of Columbus in the spring of [900, and has since been associated with his father in practice, the firm having a large and lu- crative patronage. Dr. Henderson of this review C an active Democrat, unfaltering in his .advocacy of the party principles and during Presi- dent Cleveland's second administration he served as a member of the pension board. Fraternally he i- a Master Mason, but he has never sought political or fraternal honors, preferring to give his attention in ;.:: undivided manner to his professional duties, which are stcadilv in- creasing. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 311 JOHN H. YOUNG. During many years of his lifetime John II. Young was .me of the conspicuous characters of Champaign county, prominent because of his activity in public affairs, and respected and esteemed for his many ex- cellent traits of character. He was born in Franklin. Warren county, Ohio, September 15. 1813, a son of General Robert Young, a native of Dauphin county, Pennsylvania. General Young settled in Warren county, Ohio, in 1796, and won his rank as an officer in the war of 1812. He subsequently located in Piqua, Miami county, Ohio, of which town he was a pioneer, and prominent citizen and attorney. A master- ful grasp of his profession, and an intelligent understanding of the needs and conditions by which be was surrounded resulted in his call to many positions of trust and responsibility, among them being that of state senator. When fifteen years of age John H. Young began business life in a printing office, but soon after entered Oxford College, from which he was graduated in 1835. He soon after read law with General Israel Hamilton, of L'rbana, and was admitted to the bar in 1837, his rise in his profession being almost instantaneous. He married in [838 with Elizabeth J., daughter of Joseph White, a pioneer of Ohio, and after- ward a resilient of Urbana. Of this union there were born three chil- dren, viz.: Frances, widow of the late Hon. Frank Chance, of Urbana; Carrie, wife of M. E. Barber; and Robert, a resident of Urbana. .Mr. Young was admitted to practice at the bar of the United States courts of Ohio in 1844. and the same year was the unsuccessful Demo- cratic candidate for congress, bis opponent being ex-Governor Joseph Wince. Some years after be was again a candidate for congress, but though defeated by Moses 1'.. Corwin, his popularity on both occasions may be inferred from the fact that he always ran far ahead of bis party 3i2 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ticket. Ili- was a member of the Ohio constitutional convention of 1:873, ar "' l ""' s ' a prominent part in the debates and deliberations of that august body, being- a member of three of the must important committees, and chairman of the committee on amendments. On several occasions he was presidential elector, and held many local offices devolving on men of known character and ability. During the war 1 1 the Rebellion he was an active suppi rter of the government, and favored all measures tend- ing to the vigorous prosecution of the war. For many years he was president of the National Bank, and his ceaseless but conservative activ- ity penetrated many grooves of business and professional interest. He was a member of the Presbyterian church, and his character was builded on the principles of truth and justice. SIMON W. W H1TMORK. Of the pioneer families which have materially contributed to the prosperity of Champaign county, and particularly to that of Mad River township is the one represented by S. W. Whitmore. They have ever been peaceful, law-abiding citizens, industrious, just and conscientious in all their transactions, and their name and record is still untarnished. John Whitmore. the grandfather o\ our subject, was born in Rocking- ham count)', Virginia, March t. i", - ' 1 - In 1802, however, he left his southern home for the Buckeye state, locating on the farm on which our subject now resides, and here his death occurred on the 17th of Septem- ber, 1850. He was a soldier in the war of iSu. His wife. Elizabeth 1 Pence') Whitmore was also a native of the Old Do , her birth oc- curring ii of February, 1777, and she reached the age of more than three score vears and ten. W s o 2 b *i |w B M f CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 315 [aa >b Whitmi ire, their si >n and the father of < >ur subject, w as 1>< irn in !il family heme in Virginia, but when only two years of aye, in iN 12, was brought by his parents to Champaign county, Ohio, lie was here married to Catherine Zimmerman, who was born in this county Decem- ber 20. 1S07, and their wedding was celebrated on the 24th of March, [826. Tier father, George Zimmerman, came from Virginia, the state of his birth, to Champaign county, Ohio, when but a boy. lie was one of the first to follow the blacksmith's trade in the county, and he als 1 erected and operated a sawmill, known as the Zimmerman mill. His death occurred about 1S45. The Whitmore family is of German descent, the paternal great-grandfather of our subject having emigrated to Amer- ica from that country, and on his arrival here he took up his abode in Shenandoah county. Virginia. The maternal great-grandfather was also a native of the fatherland. The marriage of Jacob and Catherine (Zim- merman ) Whit-more resulted in the birth of seven children, five daugh- ters and two sous, as follows: Eliza Jane, deceased; Barbara A., the wife of Charles Dagger, a prominent farmer of Concord township. Champaign county; Sarah J., the wife of Mathew Barger, a prominent business man of Concord township; Elizabeth, the wife of Leonard Barger, who is living retired in Johnson township, this county: Simon W., of this review : Joseph M., who died at the age of four years: and one, the twin of Barbara, who died in infancy. The father of this family passed away in death on his old home farm in Mad River township on the 17th of September, 1850, and his wife was called to her final rest when ihe had reached the age of eierhty-four years. Simon W. Whitmore, whose name introduces this review, was born on the old homestead farm in this county on the 16th of Maw 1835, and during his youth enjoyed the educational advantages afforded by the primitive log school house of the neighborhood, which he was permitted to attend about n\t months during the year, while for a time be was also 316 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. a student in the subscription schools. Remaining' with his parents until his marriage, he then located on a tract of sixty acres in Concord town- ship, but two years later returned to this locality, and with the exception ol the time there spent lie has continually made his home in Mad River township. After his return here he located on his father's old home- stead, and after the latter's death purchased the interests of the remain- ing heirs, thus becoming" the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of 'and. About [872 he disposed of this property and purchased the old homestead which his grandfather had located on first coming to the county, about 1802. and here he now owns one hundred and ninety- seven acres of rich and productive land. His life has been well spent, and in business affairs he has been rewarded by a well merited com- petence. December 25, 1NO0, Air. Whitmore was united in marriage to Eliza- beth W'iant. who was born in .Mad River township. Champaign county, November 7, 1840, a daughter of Brightbury and Jerusha (Ward) W'iant, prominent early settlers of the locality. Mrs. Whitmore' s grandfather, John W'iant. was one of the first tanners in Champaign county. He was born in Virginia and died in Mad River township, this county, at about seventy-five years of age. Five children have been born unto the union of Simon ami Elizabeth (Wiant) Whitmore. three daughters and two sons, as follows: Sylvia Ida. the wife of Ross Wiant, a prominent farmer of Champaign county, and they have three living children. — Warren, Brightbury and Simon Marlev. Minnie llva is the wife of Daniel S. Sibert, of Newton county, Missouri, and the) are the parents of three children. — ('.race. Jenefer and Frank W. Samuel 6. W. married Ora E. Neff and resides on the old homestead. 'I hex have one son, Simon Joe. Dottie M. is the wife of William Gumpert. of Cono rd township, ami has two children. — Lillian E. and Harold Whitmore. Harry P. \. i> still at home with his parents. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 317 Since attaining to mature years Mr. Whitmore lias given his political support to the Democracy, and although he is at all times a public- spirited and progressive citizen he has never sought or desired the en ments of public office, preferring t<> give his undivided time to his busi- ness interests. Me is one of the valued members of the Myrtle I ree Baptist church. His sterling worth commands the respect and confidence 1 1 all, and he is one of the valued members of his native county. JAMES B. JOHNSON. Labor, honorable and well directed, has long since been granted its proper place in the plans of the world, and it is the busy man who assumes leadership in all affairs. His fidelity to the duties by which his business is carried on is that by which he is judged by his fellow men. and the verdict is rendered in accordance with his accomplished purposes. In this sense Mr. Johnson has won the commendation and respect of all with whom he has come in contact. Dependent upon his own resource- from an early age. he has led a busv and useful life and by his own efforts has worked his way steadily upward, achieving a position of prominence and independence ere he had attained the prime of life. He has ever had the highest respect for the dignity of honest toil and endeavor, being mindful of the steps by which he has personally risen, and hi- ex- ecutive ability has been quickened by his varied experiences, through which there has been no vacillation of purpose and through which he has shown that elemental strength and self-reliance which have made for worthy success and gained to him unqualified confidence and regard. He is now numbered among the representative citizens and business men of Urbana, whose people have manifested their appreciation of his eligi- 3i8 CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. bility by twice electing him to the chief executive office of the municipal government, in which he is now serving his second term, having made a record as one of the most able and popular mayors the city has ever had and giving an economical and thoroughly business-like administra- tion. lames B. Johnson was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on the 9th of April. [860, being the son of Alfred and Anna M. (Thorn) John- son, the former of whom was born in Warren county, Ohio, and tbe lat- ter in Dutchess county, New York, of English lineage. They now main- tain their home in the citv of Richmond, Indiana, the father being a • ■ beloved and devoted minister of the Society of Friends, of which he is a birthright member. Of his eight children three are deceased. The parent- of our subject removed from Kansas City to Wilmington, Clin- ton county, Ohio, when he was an infant, and there he was reared to the age of sixteen years, having received such educational advantages as were afforded by the public schools. At the age rioted Mr. Johnson gave inception to his independent career, securing a position as newsboy tor the Union News Company and running on trains out of the city of Indianapolis, Indiana. Later he was employed in a dairy at Friends- wood, sixteen miles distant from that citv, in Hendricks county, and his next occupation was as a conductor on tbe Indianapolis street car lines owned b) lien. Thomas Johnson, of Cleveland. From Indianapolis he made his way to St. Louis, where he was employed for a time as driver on street cars and later operated the passenger elevator in the Planters i fotel, in the meanwhile putting his leisure hours to good use by attend- ing night school. Ever alert to improve his position, we next find the young man installed in charge of the livery and carriage agency in the Southern Hotel, the other leading caravansary of the Missouri metrop- olis. Finally, in r.880, when twenty years of age, Mr. Johnson se- cured tin- position as messenger in that well known financial institu- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 319 tii m, the Chase National Bank, of New York City, where he remained four years, being advanced to the position of clearing' house clerk of the hank. He left this position to accept that of secretary to the treas- urer of the Erie railroad and in [886 went to western Kansas, where for two years he was identified with the real-estate and banking busi- ness, while in 18S7 he was incumbent of the office of mayor of Scott City, that state. In 1888 he returned to New York City, where he re- mained two years in the employ of W. H. Fletcher & Company, im- p* rters ami manufacturers of lace curtains. Thereafter he passed two years in the city of Philadelphia, and in 1890 came to Urbana, where he accepted a position as traveling salesman for the wholesale grocery house of the W. II. Marvin Company. He continued to represent this house through its trade territory until 1897, when he was elected mayor of Urbana and in addition to assuming his official duties also engaged in the retail furniture and house-furnishing business, utilizing the old Mar- vin headquarters, where he continued operations until October, 1901, when he removed to his present finely equipped and eligibly located quarters, at 119 North Main street, where he has built up a large and flourishing business, receiving a representative patronage and command- ing the confidence of the local public by his careful and honorable meth- ods and unvarying courtesy. His administration of municipal affairs was suc h as to gain for him marked popular endorsement, leading to his re-election in 1900, and he is still incumbent of this office. Fra- ternal!) Mr. Johnson is prominently identified with the Masonic order, in which he has completed the round of the York Rite, being a member/ oi Raper Commandery, Knight- Templar, and also holding prestige as a noble of Antioch Temple of the Mystic Shrine, at Dayton, while he is also identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and the United Com- mercial Travelers. In his political proclivities Mr. Johnson is an ardent 320 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. advocate of the principles and policies of the Republican party, and his religions faith is that of the Protestant Episcopal church, he and his wife being communicants of the Church of the Epiphany, while both take an active interest in the general and parochial work of the chinch. On the 3rd of September, [896, Mr. Johnson was united in mar- riage to Miss Anna W. Marvin, daughter of William H. Marvin, presi- dent of the wholesale grocery company which bears his name and known as 1 ne of the representative citizens of Urbana and the state. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have three children. — Loretta, Marvin and Elizabeth. FRANK CHANCE. The judicial history of Champaign county and of this portion of the state of Ohio would he incomplete without mention of the Hon. Frank Chance. If biography is the home aspect of history, as Wilmot has expressed it. it is certainly within the province of this volume to make record of the life and deeds of those whose work has helped to shape public policy and to mold the minds of men in lines leading to its substantia] progress and improvement. Such a one was Frank Chance, a man of scholarly attainments, of keen discernment, of loyalty in cit- izenship and of untarnished honor. rle was born in Champaign county, Ohio, and acquired his early education in the district schools near Westville, while later he became a student in the high school at Urbana and subsequently continued his studies in the Miami University at Oxford, Ohio. In the fall of i860 he entered upon the study of law in the office of General John II. Young, of Urbana. but when the country became involved in Civil war he put aside all personal consideration that he might assist in preserving the CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 321 I foion intact. Hardly had the smoke of Fort Sumter's guns cleared awaj when on the 17th of April. 1861, he became a private of Company D, Thirteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, being honorably discharged on the 22nd of August of the same year, on the expiration of his term. In May. 1862, however, he re-enlisted in response to the call for troops to serve for three years, and joined the boys in blue of the Eighty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. His comrades chose him as first lieutenant and he proved a loyal advocate of the old flag. When his military service was over, Mr. Chance took up the study of law in Cincinnati and on the 4th of May, 1863, was admitted to the bar by the district court of Hamilton county, but his country was still engaged in warfare and on the 23rd of November. 1863. he entered the naval service as acting master's mate and was in the memorable and dis- astrous Red River expedition. On the 25th of June. 1804, he resigned and in the fall of the same year became a member of the law firm of Young, Leedom & Chance. Subsequently he was appointed solicitor for the Pittsburg, Columbus, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad Company and acted in that capacity up to the time of his death. He was also a well known factor in financial circles and was one of the charter mem- bers of the Third National Bank, to the presidency of which he was chosen on the 12th of January, 1892. Upon the reorganization of the institution as the National Bank of Urbana, he was continued in the presidency and remained at the bead until bis life's labors ended. He was hardly more than a boy when he became connected with the Third National .and soon afterward entered upon the presidency, but in the discharge of bis duties displayed marked capability, keen foresight and financial power. He was also the president of the Urbana Electric Light & Rower Company and was identified with several other business enter- prises in this city. Perhaps Mr. Chance was best known, however, in connection with 322 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. the practice of law. and in the proceedings of a memorial meeting, hell by the Champaign Bar Association to take action upon his death, is found the following: *' \s a lawyer he was studious, industrious and methodical; pos- sessed of a logical mind, by his industry and studious habits he became a lawyer of more than ordinary ability. lie believed in the dignity and the authority of the court, the supremacy of the law, and always conducted himself in accordance with his belief. It mattered not how- bitter the contest, he always treated the opposing counsel with proper courtesy, and had a due regard for the feelings and rights of all persons connected with the trial. Both in the trial and settlement of cases he was an example of fairness, dignity and courtesy, worthy of imitation. He was true to his client, but never played the part of pettifogger. He always labored for his clients according to his rights, the facts and the law as he understood them. '"During the past few years of his life disease preyed upon him and at times his suffering was great, and vet through it all he was a model of patience and gentleness. By reason of the foregoing" and his many other estimable qualities of heart and mind not mentioned, we realize that in his death our loss is great, and we shall ever revere his memory. While our loss is great, vet deeper and greater is the loss to his beloved family, and we hereby extend to the widow and children our deepest sympathy." Mr. Chance was married October 14, 1N05, to Frances Sarah Young, a daughter of General Young, a distinguished and honored resi- lient of Champaign county. Her father died in November, [895, while her mother passed away on the 30th of January. i8()_>. Both were de- voted Christian people, the former belonging to the Presbyterian church and the latter to the Methodist Episcopal church. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Chance was blessed with three daughters: Carrie G.. now CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 323 the wife of Clark Gregg, of Denver, Colorado; Blanche and Edith. The Chance homestead was a very happy home and the spirit of comrade- ship existed between father and daughters as well as between wife and husband. Mr. Chance gave his political support to the Democracy and strongly advocated its principles. His was an upright manh 1, one that subordinated personal ambition to public good. In speaking of him, 1 1 f the local papers said: "Colonel Chance was an able lawyer — but more than this, he was one who brought to his splendid professional character a charm of polish and broad culture which commanded the admiration of friend and opponent alike. His career was an inspiration to the bar of which he was a member, and its record now adorn- Cham- paign county history with that of those distinguished ones who have given the legal profession of this state its high standing. In all his estates, in family, profession and community, his life was an example, the loss of which is sincerely and deeply felt." EVAN P. MIDDLETON. Evan I*. Middleton, who is now serving as judge of the court of common pleas of Champaign county, has long occupied a position of distinction at the bar of Urbana. He was horn on his father'- farm in Wayne township, April [9, [854, his parents being John and Mary I McCumber) Middleton. In tracing the lineage of the Middleton fam- ilj it is ascertained that the ancestors of colonial time- were of South Carolina. The family is of English origin, hut because of long residence and frequent intermarriages with person- of other nationality, the stock be -aid to have become a modern American o • fn colonial clays the early ancest rs of the family in America v. minent in the- 32 4 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. agitation for liberty which led to the Revolutionary war. Arthur Mid- dleton, one of the ancestors, was a 'member of congress from South Carolina and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Members of the family went to Virginia from South Carolina and the paternal grandparents of our subject were natives of Fairfax county, Virginia. They came to Ohio in 1810 and setled in Brown county, near George- town. The grandfather served in the war of [&I2. Me was a civil engineer and surveyor and assisted in surveying and establishing the county lines of I 'ike. Brown, Adams and other counties in the southern part of Ohio. His occupation was that of a farmer and with his fam- ily he removed to Champaign county, settling upon a tract of land, which he continued to cultivate throughout the years of his active busi- ness career, and. when he had put aside farm labors he still made his home upon that place, passing away there at the age of ninety-five years, while his wife reached the advanced age of ninety-three years. They had passed the seventieth anniversa'ry of their wedded life before either of them died. John Middleton, his son and the father of our subject, devoted his life to agricultural pursuits and died in [88l of pneumonia, at the age of sixty years on his farm in Wayne township. His birth had < c- curred in Brown county, Ohio, and his entire life was passed in this state. He wedded Mary McCumber, who was horn in the Empire state and died at the age of seventy-eight years, her death occurring in the village of Cable, near the old homestead in 1894. She was of Scotch and German parentage, her father having been of Scotch lineage, while her mother's ancestor- came from Germany. By her marriage Mrs. Middleton had seven sons and three daughters, of whom two sons died in infancy. William West served three year- and more in the Civil war in Company E, Ninety-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and died in [897 from trouble due to> his army service. Lucinda T. is the wife of Charles CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 325 R. Sanders, of Springfield, Ohio. Cornelia A. married H. M. Darnell, of East Monroe, Ohio. John W. is a resident of Union county, Ohio. Staten E. is a resident fanner of Champaign county. Evan P. is the subject of this sketch. Arthur N., who died in [889, was a lawyer of unusual ability, for ten years the law partner of his brother, Evan P. He served two terms as city solicitor lor Urbana and won for himself a state reputation as a municipal corporation lawyer, and was an active Republican politician. Mary Elizabeth is the wife of C. X. Dodson, a farmer of Champaign county. Abner H. is engaged in the practice of medicine in Cable. Ohio; and Milton C. is an agriculturist residing in Unii n county, Ohio. Evan P. Middleton acquired his early education in the country schools of Wayne township, where he was reared upon his father's farm. At the age of seventeen he entered the high school of Urbana. there continuing his studies for about a year. When eighteen years of age he began teaching and followed that profession for eight years. During this period he and his brother, Arthur X.. kept up a course of literary and classical studies under the direction of a private tutor, studying the higher branches of mathematics and Latin classics, as well as English literature. During the last two and one-half years of this course they devoted their time to the study (if law also, under the preceptorship of the late General John H. Young. In iS;S they were admitted to the bar 1 efi re the supreme court of Ohio at Columbus, and the following year the brothers opened a law office in Urbana, thus entering upon the prac- tice of law together under the firm name of Middleton & Middleton. tins relation was continued harmoniously until the death of Arthur X. Middleton in 1889. Evan P. Middleton was elected prosecuting attorney of Champaign unty in [883. and re-elected in [886, serving in the office for -in wars with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents. In 1891 lie 326 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. was appointed by the supreme court and served for one year as a mem- ber of the board of examiners of the law school of Cincinnati. He be- came a candidate for nomination by the Republicans for congress in the eighth congressional district against the Hon. A. Lybrand, repre- sentative from that district, at the end of his second term in 1898, and in that convention received the solid support of the delegates from Champaign and Hardin counties and from a majority of the d< iron; Logan county, but the support was not sufficient to nominate him. He has always been a Republican and has taken an active part as a cam- paign speaker in furthering the interests of his party for many years. He served one year on the Republican state central committee from his congressional district and four years as chairman of the Champaign county Republican executive committee. In 1000 he was unanimously nominated for state senator by the Republicans of the eleventh district, composed of the counties of Champaign. Clark and Madison, and was elected in November by an unusual majority. While in the senate he served as chairman of the committee on state buildings ami was a mem- ber of the committees on judiciary, county affairs, common schools and school lands, insurance, federal relations and privileges and elections. On the 6th of September, 1901, Governor George K. Nash appointed him to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of the Hon. C. B. Heiserman as judge of the court of common pleas for the second sub- division of the second judicial district, to accept which he resigned the office 1 i siate senator. In the Republican convention he was unani- iii' ush nominated for election to the office o\ judge 1 i the court of common ideas and on the 5th of November, [901, was chosen by popular suffrage for the office, so that he is the present incumbent. Judge Middleton was married on the 29th of December. 1875. to Miss Zeppa Rippetoe, daughter of William and Martha (Farmer) Rip- ormer a native of Virginia and the latter of Kentucky, for years highly respectable residents of Champaign county. Mrs. Mid- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 327 dleton was born in Wayne township, this count), December 14. [854, and died ar her home, over which she so gracefully presided in Urbana, on the 3d of November, 1901, leaving three children: Lucy Edith, the wife of A. lav Miller, an attorney of Bellefontaine, Ohio*; William R. and George S. Mrs. Middleton was an active member of the First Presbyterian church of Urbana and a lady of many admirable accom- plishments. As an attorney at law Judge Middleton has long ranked with the most successful. . He secured his education unaided by friends or family and has always been a close and earnest student. As a speaker lie is gifted and as an advocate he is strong and persuasive, — on the bench is distinguished by the highest legal ability. To wear the ermine worthily it is not enough that one possess legal acumen, is learned in the principles of jurisprudence, familiar with precedents and thoroughly honest. Man}- men, even when acting uprightly, are wholly unable to divest themselves of prejudice and are unconsciously warped in their judgments by their own mental characteristics or educational peculiari- ties. This unconscious and variable disturbing force enters more or less into the judgments of all men. but in the ideal jurist this factor becomes so s m al] as not to be discernible in results and loses its potency as a dis- turbing force. Judge Middleton is exceptionally free from all judicial bias. His varied legal learning and wide experience in the courts, the patient care with which he ascertains all the facts bearing upon every case which comes before him, gives his decisions a solidity and an ex- haustiveness to which no members of the bar could take exception. GEORGE M. BICH ELBERGER. ! he above named gentleman is actively connected with a profes- sion which has important bearing upon the progress and stable pros- perity of any section or community, and one which ha- 1 con- 17 328 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. sidered as conserving the public welfare by furthering the ends of jus- tice and maintaining individual rights. His reputation as a lawyer lias been won through earnest, honest labor, and his standing at the bar is a merited tribute to his ability. He now has a very large practice. and his careful preparation of cases is supplemented by a power of argu- ment and a forceful presentation of his points in the court room, so that he never fails to impress court or jury, and seldom fails to gain the verdict desired. Mr. Eichelberger was born in Montgomery, Ohio, December 16, [843, and is a sun of Joseph E. and Mary (Maley) Eichelberger. His father was born in Washington county, Maryland, near Hagerstown, December id. 1816, ami was a son of John and Catherine ( Zimmerman) Eichelberger, the former born in Martinsburg, Virginia, and the latter near Frederick City, in Frederick county, Maryland. The Eichelberger family is of German lineage and was established in America in colonial days. The great-grandfather of our subject served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war. rendering valiant aid in the struggle for independ- ence. In the year 1824 John Eichelberger, the grandfather of our sub- ject, became a resident of Ohio, settling on a farm a half mile from Ger- mantown. in .Montgomery county. He was a miller and foil,, wed bis trade throughout the greater part of his life. He died in 1840 when ab in sixty-five years of age. and his wife passed away in 1868 at the age of ninety-three. In their family were eight children: Henrietta. Sam- uel. William and Daniel, all now deceased; Henry, of Dayton, Ohio; foseph E. ; John and Susanna have also passed away. Their --on. Jo- seph E. Eichelberger, the father of our subject, in the year [843, married Mary Eliza Maley, who was bom in Urbana and was a daughter of the Rev. George W. Maley, a leading Methodist minister, who engaged in hing the g< -pel iii si uthwestern ( Him. Kentucky and Indiana. They CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 329 were the parents of eight children: George M., of this review; Edwin S.. deceased; Alonzo, who died at the age of three years; William A., who has passed away; Joseph F, also deceased; Isabella, of Xew York, the wife of Edgar M. Ward, an artist of wide reputation; Katie, de- ceased; and Robert A., who also won distinction as an artist, but who has ii' w passed away, having died at the age of twenty-nine. In the year [853, the father of this family became a resident of Miami county, Ohio, where he followed farming and also engaged in the grain busi- ness. In 1864 be came to Champaign county and built a warehouse, where be successfully conducted a grain trade for a long period, but is now living retired, having put aside business cares about twelve years ago. He still owns farm lands and this returns to him a good income. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and is now eighty- rive years of age. George M. Eichelberger, whose name introduces this review, ac- quired his rudimentary education in the common schools and afterward attended the high school at Piqua. while later he pursued his studies in Cincinnati. In i860 he entered the Ohio Wesleyan University at Dela- ware and from the recitation room went to the army, joining Company C, Eighty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He enlisted in May. [862, was made corporal and served for three months, after which he re- turned to college and resumed his studies, receiving a diploma of gradu- ation from the Ohio Weslevan University in June, 1864. In May of the same year he again volunteered and re-enlisted in Company F, One Hundred and Forty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and at the close 1 f bis term of service he came to Urbana, to which place his parents bad removed in the meantime. Here he and Mr. W. R. Warnock became fellow students of the law under Judge Ichabod Corwin. They were admitted to the bar in 1866. entering into partnership relations, and began the practice of law. which tliev continued together for ten years, when CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Mr. YVarnock was elected common pleas judge. In 1871 Mr. Eichel- berger was elected county prosecuting attorney, in which position he served for four years with success. . On the 17th of October, [872, Air. Eichelberger was united in marriage to Miss Emma Ring, a daughter of Hamilton King, of Urbana, and their Hving children arc as follows : ( ieorge H., the eldest, is a prom- inent and rising young attorney of Cleveland, Ohio, who served for two years as United States marshal of the consular court at Shanghai, China, but resigned the position to enter upon the practice of law; Frederick Benteeri, the second member of the family, is assistant chief in the agri- cultural division of the Census Bureau; Susie, who married Jerome B. Zerbe, of Cleveland, Ohio; and Frank and Robert, who are at home. Mr. Eichelberger is a charter member of the W. A. Brand Post, No. 107, G. A. R. In politics he has always been a stanch and active Re- publican and was a delegate to the Republican national convention of 1884, supporting James G. Blaine for the presidency. He was again a delegate to the national convention in 1896. He served as chairman of the executive county committee for many years and his oratorical abil- ity has been greatly sought in campaign work, his addresses being elo- quent, logical interesting and convincing. As a lawyer he has obtained a foremost position at the Urbana bar. h : s skill and ability placing him among these who have long since left the ranks of the many to stand among the successful few. •WARD B. GAUMER. It is with particular pleasure and satisfaction that we turn attention to the life histon o\ the bom irecl cil izen of 1 Frbana \\ In ise name initi this paragraph. For not only has he })^cn for many years prominently identified with the industrial activities of the city, being" now the only MR. AND MRS. EDWARD B. GADMER. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 333 resident of the place who has been consecutively in business here Erom the time when he founded his enterprise— nearly a half century ago- so that his is the distinction of being the oldest business man in the city : but in addition to this circumstance stands the record of an honorable and proline life and a genealogical history which bespeaks long identifica- tion with the annals of the nation, the Gaumer family having been founded in Pennsylvania prior to the war of the Revolution. The original American ancestor in the agnatic line was Johannes Dietrich Gaumer, who was one of a company of about fifty emigrants who came from Wurtemberg, Germany, to the United States in the year 1720. locating in Pennsylvania, whither they had fled to escape religious persecution in their native land, all being of the Lutheran faith. Edward Benjamin Gaumer. the immediate subject of this sketch, was horn in Macungie, Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, on the 30th of August, 1827, the son of Charles and Lucy Ann 1 Snyder) Gaumer. Charles Gaumer was a son of Frederick and Sallie ( Desch ) Gaumer. the latter of whom was a daughter of Adam Desch. who came from Wurtemberg, Germany, and located in Pennsylvania, where he pur- chased a tract of land, on the 23d of September, 1788. He and his Mile. Gertrude, had two sons and four daughters, namely: Jacob, Philip. Catherine. Elizabeth, Mary and Sallie. Lucy Ann Snyder, the mother of our subject, was born in Pennsylvania, the daughter of Peter and Sophia ( Friend) Snyder, the former of whom was a son of Peter and Dorothy Snyder, of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania. In the various generations the families have clung to the faith of the Lutheran church and have represented the most sterling manhood and woman- hood. Charles and Lucy Ann ( Snyder) Gaumer became the parent- of six children, namely: Edward B., the immediate subject of this sketch: Sarah Ann, James Aaron and Charles Madison, who are deceased; and Josephine Clarissa and Sophia. The father was a tailor by trade and 334 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. vocation, and both lie and his wife passed their entire lives in the Key- stone state. Edward V>. Cannier was reared in his native town, where his edu- cational advantages were somewhat limited in scope, ami there he served an apprenticeship of three years at the trade of carriage-making, after which, at the age of nineteen years, he left home and went to Reading, Pennsylvania, where he was employed as a journeyman at his trade for a period of about five years. Thereafter he was located about a year in Philadelphia, returning thence to Reading for a time and then com- ing to Marshall ville, Wayne county, Ohio, the home of one of his aunts. Thence he went to Wooster, where he was employed for a time in making hoppers fur threshing machines, after which he made his way mi foot to Zanesville, the hardships encountered while en mute being such that be was incapacitated for active work for six weeks after his arrival in the town mentioned. There he was employed at his trade for nearly a year and then passed an equal period in similar occu- pation in the city of Columbus. From the capital of the state be came to Urbana, arriving on the ist of March, 1854. By industry and econ- omy he had accumulated a small financial reserve, and this proved adequate to enable him to engage in business on his own responsibility. He associated himself with William Warren in the purchase of a carriage shop in Urbana, and the firm of Warren & Gaumer thereafter con- tinued in business until the death of the senior member, in 1890, when the firm of E. B. Gaumer & Sons was organized and has since con- tinued the enterprise, which has grown to one of no inconsiderable si >pe and importance, involving the manufacture of all varieties of light vehicles, sleighs, etc. The factory is well equipped and its products are of die highest degree of excellence, being built upon honor and invariably showing the best workmanship and finish. This is the oldest manufacturing concern in the city, and its history has been one CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 335 characterized by progressive methods and indubitable integrity on the part of the interested principals, while the venerable founder of the enterprise still strong and vigorous, is well known throughout this section of the state and is honored and esteemed by all who know him. Mr. Gaumer has always been an uncompromising Republican in his political views, hut has never consented to serve in any public office. He has been a lifelong member of the Lutheran church and upon his entire career rests no shadow of wrong or suspicion of equivocation in any of the relations of life, his sturdy honesty of purpose being a dominating characteristic. He has given close attention to his business and has not been denied a due measure of success nor the reward of public respect and good will. On the 13th of March, 1850. Mr. Gaumer was united in marriage to Miss Hannah Hamman, who was horn in Lehigh county. Pennsyl- vania, on the 28th of January. 1825, and who proved to him a devoted wife and true helpmeet, her gentle and noble character endearing her to all with whom she came in contact, while her memory remains as a benediction resting upon those who were nearest and clearest to her. She was summoned into eternal rest on the 17th of August. 1890. hav- ing been a devoted member of the Lutheran church. Mr. and Mrs. Gaumer became the parents of five children, all of whom are living except Mary Lucy, who died in childhood. The survivors are Augustus H.. George E., Alice L. and C. Blanche. Augustus H. Gaumer was born in Urbana on the [8th of Decem- ber, [856, completed his education in the high school of his native city, where he was graduated as a member of the class of 1874. and during his business career has been identified with the enterprise established by his father nearly a half century ago. In 1884 he was united in mar- riage to Miss Cyrena Johnson, of Urbana, and they have two daugh- ters, — Josephine A. and Reran J. 336 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. George E. Gaumer, who is likewise associated with his father in business, was boim in Urbana on the 25th of January. 1861, and was graduated in the local high school in [879. In 1897 was solemnized his marriage to Miss Martha Kunath, who was burn in Neustadt, Ger- many. They have two children, — Edward K. and Agnes H. The two daughters of our subject still abide beneath the paternal roof, and the old home is a center of generous hospitality. THOMAS H. BERRY. Thomas H. Berry was born January 5, 1820, in Urbana, and was a son of Judge E. C. Berry, one of the most prominent and leading factors in the earl) history of Champaign county. Thomas H. Berry spent his entire life in the city of his nativity with the exception of three years passed in Chicago and in Danville, Illinois. Throughout his connection with the business interests here he was largely engaged in the grocery trade. It is said that his characteristics in childhood were obedience and a tractable spirit which could always be influenced by reasonable methods. As a man he was upright and honest in all busi- ness relations, was kind, loving and considerate as a father in the house- bold and helpful as a friend and neighbor. In matters of citizenship he was loyal and trustworthy, and for nineteen years served as town- ship treasurer, proving a worthy custodian of the public finances. His dead) occurred November 9. 1870. and bis many excellent qualities had so endeared him to his family, however, and made him such a worthy factor in business circles that his lnss was deeply felt through- out the entire community. On the 1st of May, [846. Thomas 11. Berry was united in mar- ■ ^w* *►" CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 339 riage to Luxima Hughes, a daughter of James R. Hughes, of < Oxford, Ohio, who was a son of the first Presbyterian minister of Champaign county and the first principal of Miami University, at Oxford, Ohio. The lady was born in that city, June 8, 1820, and now resides in Urbana. By her marriage she became the mother of seven children : One daugh- ter. Mar}- Lamme: Thomas C, who is connected with the grocery trade of this city; James H. and Harry M., both of Wichita, Kansas; Will- iam E., who is assistant cashier in the National Bank of Urbana; Charles ]., of California: and Lou B.. who is an insurance agent of Urbana. The father was a consistent member of the Presbyterian church for nearly thirty years and took an active interest in its work and in all that ex- tended its influence. His life was capable; his honor unimpeached, and his integrity unquestioned. THOMAS C. BERRY. Thomas C. Berry was born in Urbana January 27, i8_)9. and in the schools of this city pursued his education, whereby he was fitted for life's practical and responsible duties. When quite a young man he entered his father's grocery store and thus became familiar with com- mercial methods. Later he was admitted to a partnership in the enter- prise, becoming a member of the firm in [870, when twenty-one years of age. under the name of T. H. Berry & Son. As the years passed more and more of the management and control of the business devolved upon him. and upon his father's death he succeeded to the enterprise as sole proprietor, but retains the firm name of T. H. Berry's Son, out of respect for his father, who established the business. He has a large grocery house in which he carries a full and complete line of staple and 340 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. fancy groceries and his business has assumed extensive proportions, so that his trade is now gratifying and profitable. Ln 1874 occurred the marriage of Mr. Berry and Miss Eudora Vance, granddaughter of Governor James C. Vance, and unto them have been born two children: Bertha, the wife of Frank McCracken, of Crbana; and Bessie, now Airs. George McCracken. Both Mr. and Mrs. Berry hold membership in the Presbyterian church. He is .111 earnest adherent of Republican principles and for twenty years has been township treasurer, a fact which indicates unmistakably the confidence and trust reposed in him. Although he entered upon a business already established, many a man of less resolute principles would not have suc- ceeded in carrying forward the undertaking. In all trade transactions, however, he has shown keen discernment, unfaltering energy and hon- esty which is beyond question, and his career proves that success is not a matter of genius, but the outcome of labor and experience. WILLIAM F. RING. The subject of this review, who is one of the representative mem- bers ol the Liar of Champaign county, is one whose ancestral history traces back to the colonial epoch of the nation and to that period which marked the inception of the greatest republic the world has ever known. 1 he family is of stanch Swedish extraction, the original American an- cestor having located in Maryland, where many of hi- descendants are still to be found and where the name has been one of no slight promi- nence in the public and private affairs of that commi nwealth. Though William F. Ring has passed the greater portion of his life in Ohio, he is a native of the sunny southland, having been bom in the CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 341 city of Natchez. Mississippi, on the 27th of June. 1858, the son of Dr. Hamilton and Susan (Whitelock) Ring, both of whom were born in Maryland, where they were reared and educated, their marriage being solemnized in the city of Baltimore. The paternal grandfather of our subject was David King, who bore the full patronymic of his father. David, Sr.. and both were born in Maryland, thus giving assurance that the family there had its foundation in an early day. Prior to the war of the Rebellion the father of our subject removed from Maryland to LJrbana, Ohio, where he was engaged in the practice of bis profession for several years, after which he removed to Mississippi, locating in the city of Natchez, whence he later removed to Port Gibson, where he was located during the war. He then returned to Urbana, where he was actively engaged in the practice of medicine until 1884. when he suffered a stroke of paralysis, from the effects of which he died, at the age of sixty-two years. He was a physician of marked ability, controlled a representative practice and was uniformly loved and honored for his noble character and intrinsic kindliness. His widow still maintains her home in Urbana, as do her four children, namely : Emma, who is the wife of George M. Eichelberger ; Dr. Charles F.. who is here engaged in the practice of medicine; Elizabeth C, who remains with her mother; and V, illiam F., the immediate subject of this review. V. illiam. F. Ring secured his preliminary educational discipline in the south, where be passed his boyhood days, and thereafter continued his studies in the Urbana public schools and the Urbana University, which institution he entered in 1872, completing the prescribed course and being graduated as a member of the class of 1879. ^ n January of the following year he became deputy clerk in the office of the probate judge, retaining this incumbency until October of the following year, when he resigned the positii n in order to begin the work of preparing himself for the profession of law, which be had determined to adopt as 34^ CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. his vocation in life. He was duly matriculated in the Cincinnati College of Law and was there graduated in May, [882, simultaneously securing admission to the bar of the state, lie returned to Urbana and entered upon the practice of his profession, his novitiate being of practically brief duration, since his talents, devotion and energy soon gained him recognition. He is a strong advocate, presenting no case until he has thoroughly summed up the salient points and prepared himself to meet all exigencies, while as a counsel he is safe and conservative. His knowl- edge oi the science of jurisprudence is broad and accurate, and he has won distinction and prestige in his chosen profession. In his political allegiance Mr. King is found stanchly arrayed with the Republican party, and though he takes a proper interest in public affairs he has believed his profession worth}" of his entire time and best efforts and has never been a seeker for political preferment. He is secretary of the Home Loan Company, fraternally is identified with the Masonic order and the Knights of Pythias, in which latter he has passed the various official chairs, and his religious faith is that of the Swedenborgian church, in which he was reared. On the 15th of June, 1882, Mr. Ring was united in marriage to .Mi-- Luella Magrew, of Champaign county, and they have two chil- dren. — Gertrude M. and Hamilton M. E. ERWOOD CHENEY. Judge Cheney is a native of Champaign county, his birth having occurred in Goshen township. July _'. (86l, his parents being lames Henry and Beatrice S. (Tullis) Cheney. His father, also a native of this county, is now residing in Mechanicshurg. and was a son of fona- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 343 Cheney, one of the honored pioneer settlers of this portion of the state. The family name is of French origin and was originally spelled ( hene. meaning "oak." The mother of our subject was born in this county, and her father. Ezra Carter Tullis, was also a native of Cham- paign county, while his grandfather, Ezra Tullis. was born in \ ir- ginia. The father of our subject was a farmer, following that pursuit until his retirement from active business. Thus upon the home farm our subject spent the first fourteen years of his life and then accom- panied hi- parents 1 n their removal to Mechanicsburg. He is the eldest of four children, the others being Brooke, who died July 2, 1890. leav- ing a widow, who i- m w deceased, and one child; Lizzie Rachel, who he wife of Marion L. Burnham. of London, Ohio; and William Henry, at home. Judge Cheney is indebted to the public school system of this state for the early educational privileges which he enjoyed. He is a gradu- ate 'if the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, having completed the classical course in 1883, while in 1885 he was graduated in the Cincin- nati Law Schoul and was admitted to the bar on the 25th of May of that year. He began practicing in Urbana in 1888, having previous to this time been engaged in settling up the business of the Mechanicsburg Machine Company, while for fifteen months he acted as manager for its successor, W. C. Downey & Company, who have since removed to Springfield, Ohio. After entering upon the practice of law Judge Cheney became a partner of C. B. Heiseman. the relation between them being maintained for five years. In the fall of 1896 our subject was ted probate judge, entering upon the duties of the office February 9, [897. When two years had passed he was re-elected, so that he is the present incumbent. Hi- legal learning, 1m- analytical mind, the readi- ness with which he grasps the points in an argument, all combine to make him one of the mi -t capable jurists of this court, and the public 344 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. and the profession acknowledge him the peer of any mind that has ever sat upon this bench. In [888 Judge Cheney was married to .Miss Cora M. Burnhaim, of Madison county, Ohio, a lady of superior culture and refinement, who was graduated from the Ohio Wesleyan University in 1884. They have two daughters, Helen and Ruth. Fraternally the Judge is a Knight Templar Mason and also belongs to the Mystic Shrine at Dayton. He has passed all of the chairs in the chapter, lodge and commandery, and his life exemplifies the beneficent spirit of the craft. He holds member- ship in the First Methodist Episcopal church and is serving as one of its trustees. Honored and respected in every class of society, he has for >ome time been a leader in thought and action in the public life of Champaign county, and his name is inscribed high on the roll of its leading citizens. MICHAEL GALLIGHER. Michael Galligher was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, January 16, 1831, a son of Michael and Henrietta (Lutz) Galligher. The father was born in Millers, Lancaster county. Pennsylvania, and was a son of Michael Galligher, Si\, whose birth occurred in Ireland and who tool up his abode in Lancaster county as a pioneer settler, spending his re- maining days there. By occupation be was a farmer and in his family were the following named children: John; Daniel; Samuel; Hugh; Michael: Mary and Elizabeth. Michael Galligher, the father of our subject, was the eldest son and was born and reared in Lancaster county. Excellent educational privileges were afforded him and he was graduated in the old Pennsyl- vania University. Subsequently he studied law in an office in Hani-.- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 345 burg with the elder Ellmaker, a noted jurist of that place, and after his admission to the bar engaged in the practice of his profession in Gettys- burg, Pennsylvania. It was in that city that he was married; later he re- moved to Pittsburg and afterward to York. Pennsylvania. His wife was born in Baltimore, Maryland, of German parentage. Mr. Galligher died in York, November 16, [863, at the age of seventy-seven years, and his wife passed away in the same city. March 7, 1850. at the age of forty- tun years. Their children were Caroline, now deceased, Michael. Hen- rietta, William, Joseph and Samuel, all of whom have passed away except the subject of this sketch. The father gave his political support to the Whig part}' until its dissolution, when he joined the ranks of the new Republican party. In religious faith he was a Roman Catholic, while his wife belonged to the Lutheran church. Michael Galligher, whose name introduces this record, spent the first years of his life in Kittaning, Pennsylvania, to which place his parents removed when he was about a year old, going thence to ^ ork, when he was a youth of fifteen years. His early education was obtained in the Kittaning Academy and he afterward pursued a classical course under a private tutor at York. Later he began reading law un- der the direction of his father and at the age of twenty-nine years he responded to President Lincoln's first call for troops in the defense of the Union, going on the 25th of April, 1861, as a member of Company l ! . Sixteenth Pennsylvania Volunteers. Upon the organization of the c mpany he was elected first lieutenant, and served until July 31, 1861, when he received an honorable discharge by reason of the expiration of his term of enlistment. During that period the command was compelled 5S the Potomac river six times, wading in water up to their neck-. Mr. Galligher caught a severe cold and was afterward troubled with hemorrhage of the lungs. Later, however, he assisted in raisin- the Cue Hundred and Forty-seventh Pennsylvania Regiment, but about the 346 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. time the organization was effected his ill-health was manifested in the way mentioned and on account of his physical disability he was com- pelled to resign from further military service, otherwise he would have been elected major, fie had been commissioned captain to recruit for the service, with the understanding that he would he major of the or- ganization recruited. He is now a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and also of the military order of the Loyal Legion, being o n- nected with the commanderv of Ohio. In i8(u Mr. Galligher came to Urbana and engaged in merchan- dising, conducting a dry goods store until 1878, with fair success. He had been admitted to the bar in 1868, but by the advice of his physician turned his attention to merchandising, the doctor believing it would prove more beneficial to his health than the practice of law. but commercial pursuits were not entirely to his taste. He had been admitted to the bar in York, Pennsylvania, and ten years later was admitted t<> prac- tice in the courts of Ohio. In 1866 he was elected a justice of the peace and served for one term, when finding that his official duties interfered with the private practice of law, he declined a further election. In 1878, however, he was again chosen to that position and has continued in it up to the present time, being chosen by popular suffrage at each elec- tion. His decisions are ever marked bv impartiality and fairness and he has won the confidence of the people. He has likewise attended to his private law practice and has prosecuted many pension and other claims against the United State- government. Ihe Major was married on the 13th of December. 1883, x " Adelia E. Wicker, and they have a pleasant and hospitable home in Urbana, where their circle of friend-, i- extensive. They hold member-hip in the Methodist Episcopal church and the Major is a very prominent Ma- son, belonging to Harmony Lodge. X". X. F. & A. M., Urbana Chap- ter, No. 34, R. & A. M.. Urbana Council. R. & S. M., Draper Com CE.XTEX.XI.IL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 347 mandery No. 19, K. T., and has taken the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite, belonging to the Ohio Consistory at Cincinnati. He has been worshipful master of the lodge, high priest of the chapter and twice illustrious master of the council. In politics he has ever been an active Republican, having firm faith in the principles of the party, and doing everything in his power to promote its growth and secure its suc- cess. He was a delegate to the convention that nominated John C. Fre- mont in 1856 and has been a consistent Republican ever since, always taking an active interest in all public matters. DAXIEL J. HULL. Champaign county figures as one of the most attractive, progress- ive and prosperous divisions of the state of Ohio, justly claiming a high order of citizenship and a spirit of enterprise which is certain to bring about steady development and marked advancement in the material up- building of the section. The county has beer, and is signally favored in the class of men who have controlled its affairs in official capacities, and in this connection the subject of this review demands representa- tion as one who has served the county faithfully and well in positions of trust and responsibility. He is now filling the office of sheriff, to which he was elected on the Republican ticket by the vote of his fellow townsmen. Mr. Hull was born on a farm in Union township. Champaign county, May 14. 1859, his parents, George and Mar) Ann (Stout) I lull, both being natives of York county. Pennsylvania, where they were re and married. In 1851 they came to this county and settled in Me- chanicsburg, but about two years afterward removed I Salem t 18 348 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ■ ship and subsequently to Union township, where their remaining days were passed. The father carried on agricultural pursuits, but was a blacksmith b) trade and followed that occupation for a half century, abandoning it on account of failing eyesight, lie met with a fair de- gree of success in business and bore the reputation of an honest and re- liable man. In his political views be was a Republican, but never sought or desired office. Both he and his wife were devoted and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Her death occurred De- cember 26, 1879, at the age of fifty-nine years, and the lather long surviving her passed away at the age of eighty-four years and twenty- four days, on the 21st of July, 1901. In their family were nine children, but three of the number died in infancy. Those still living are: Louise C. the wife of John Sigman, of Mutual. Ohio; Dr. William II.. of Ko- komo, Indiana; Jesse E., of Gallatin, Missouri; George C, of Cushing, Payne county. Oklahoma; Daniel J.; and Winfield S., of Okmulgee, Indian Territory. On the old family homestead Daniel J. Hull remained until twenty- one years of age. He was educated in the public schools and in the Northwestern Ohio Normal University at Ada, Ohio. On attaining his majority he entered the United States railway mail service on the Pitts- burg. Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad, being thus employed for three years. He afterward became a traveling salesman, representing the firm of Hackedorn, Baxter & Company, wholesale cracker manufac- turer; of Lima. Ohio. Later he was with the firm of Lewis, Fox & Company, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, wholesale cracker bakers and con- fectii iie'-. Subsequent!) he represented the Standard Oil Company, for twel < u 3 traveling in tvestern Ohio from the lake to the < Ihio river, and left the read when he went into public office. lie was a popular and successful traveling man. known for his reliability in business and liked for his genial and courteous manner. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 349 On the 31st of January. 1884, Mr. Hull was united in marriage b Miss Jennie C. Slechter. of Ada. Ohio, and unto them were born the following children: Harry B. : Claudine; Gladys, a bright and in- teresting child, who died at the of nine years; Dean: and Elizabeth Louise. Air. Hull has always been a stalwart Republican, doing all in his power to promote the growth ami insure the success of his party. For several years he served as a member of the county central committee and was twice elected its chairman. He was never a candidate for public office until 1900, when his name was placed on the Republican ticket as the nominee for sheriff. Being elected, he entered upon the duties of the office. January 7. 1901. and is now filling the position most creditably. He is a manber of Harmony Lodge, No. 8. F. & A. M. ; Urbana Chapter. R. A. M. : and is identified with Mosgrove Lodge, I. O. O. F. ; Launcelot Lodge, No. 107. K. P.: the Junior Order of American Mechanics ; and Urbana Council, No. 139. United Commercial Travelers. A man of natural ability, he has won success in business, has gained a wide acquaintance among men, who esteem him fur his gen- uine w>.rth, and is justly regarded as one of the representative and prom- inent citizens of Champaign county. SAMUEL W. HITT. It i- an important public duty to honor and perpetuate as far as possible the memory of an eminent citizen — one who by his blameless and hi norable life and distinguished career reflected, credit not only upon the city in which he made his home, but upon the state. Through such memorials as this an individual and the character of hi- services are kept 350 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. in remembrance, and the importance of those services acknowledged. His example, in whatever field his work may have been done, thus stands as an object lesson to those who come after him, and though dead he still speaks. Long after all recollection of his personality shall have faded from the minds of men, the less perishable record may tell the story of his life and commend his example for imitation. No man was ever more respected in Urbana or ever more fully enjoyed the confi- dence of the people than Samuel \V. Hitt. For many years he was act- ively associated with mercantile interests in Urbana. and his efforts contributed not alone to his own prosperity, but also to the welfare and commercial activity of his city. Mr. llitt was born on a farm about one mile north of the city of Urbana. in the year 1817, his parents being Rev. Samuel and Ann (Smith) llitt. About the year 1N14. two brother-. .Martin and Samuel Hitt. both .Methodist ministers, came from Virginia and purchased a section of land, which they divided between them and most of which now lies within the present bounds of Urbana. Samuel Hitt was not only a pioneer settler of Champaign count) - , but also a pioneer Meth- odist minister in the county, and possessed many sterling qualities of heart and mind. His wife was a native of Maryland and was a wo o] many graces. Samuel W. Hitt began his business career at the age of fifteen years, by accepting a clerical position in the general store then ated by John Reynolds, a pioneer merchant of Urbana. Bv dint of industry, integrity and remarkable talent for mercantile affairs he Mse to a high position and in the year [852 purchased an interest in the business. About 1840 P. B. Ross had purchased an interest in the busi- ness and the firm style became John Reynolds & Company, which was changed to Ross, llitt & Company on the admission of Mr. llitt to a partnership. Up n the death of Mr. Reynolds in 1857, the name was changed to Ross & llitt and in [866, upon the retirement of the senior CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 35' partner, Mr. Hitt became sole proprietor. Fur a time he was alone and then admitted his brother-in-law, Mr. White, and his son-in-law, Mr. Mitchell, to an interest in the business, under the name oi Hitt, White & Company. The successors of this firm were Hitt & Mitchell. The next change made the firm style Hitt. Fuller & Rhoads, and this was followed by Hitt & Fuller. In 1888 George W. Hitt, the son of our subject, and James R. Fuller, his son-in-law, together with Edward Rhoads, succeeded to the business and on the retirement of Mr. Rhoads 111 [892 the style of the firm became Hitt & Fuller, and was maintained even after the death of Mr. Fuller. Since his demise Mr. Hitt has been manager and owner of the business, maintaining the high standard which has ever characterized the house. This store is the oldest in Ur- bana, having been established by Mr. Reynolds about 1806. Until after the war a general retail business was carried on. Butter, eggs, wool and country produce were purchased and a general line of merchandise was sold. However, a change was gradually made in the stock and for more than twenty years the store has been supplied only with a line of drv goods, notions, cloaks and carpets. Throughout the years of its existence, the management of the store has ever been along lines of con- servatism, strict integrity and honesty. This system was inaugurated and strictly maintained by Samuel W. Hitt and has been continued by the present management. Samuel W. Hitt deserves more than passing notice in this connection. From the humble capacity of errand boy he gradually worked his way upward until he became a partner and then sole proprietor of the oldest and leading dry goods house of Urbana. His business methods were attended with gratifying success and more- over he enjoyed in an uncptalified degree the highest confidence of his fellowmen, for his reputation in trade circles was unassailable. In the year 1843 Samuel VV. Hitt was united in marriage to Miss Sara!) B., daughter of Joseph and Rebecca White, who were early set- 352 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. tiers and highly respected people of this community. When the First Methodist Episcopal church endeavored to erect a building, Mr. White mortgaged his property in order to aid in the enterprise. He was a native of this state and his wife of Pennsylvania. In 1836 he removed to Urbana, becoming a pioneer shoe manufacturer and dealer of this city. His life was ever honorable and upright, in perfect harmony with Ins Christian principles and at his death he left to his family an untar- nished, name. His children were Mrs. John Young-. Mrs. F. W. Winston, Mrs. Malinda Smith, Joseph, and Mrs. Hitt. The last named was horn near Glendale, in the vicinity of Cincinnati, April 9, 1834, and when only two years old was brought by her parents to Urbana, where she has since made her home. By her marriage she became the mother of five children, namely: Joseph, who was killed while in action at Atlanta, as a soldier in the Sixty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry; Anna R., the widow of John T. Mitchell; George W. ; Lizzie, the widow of James R. Fuller; and Mary, who married J. E. Burchard. .Mr. Hitt died April 20, 1892, in his seventy-sixth year, leaving a widow and four children to mourn his loss. Mrs. Hitt is yet living in Urbana and is uniformly respected for her many sterling qualities and Christian graces. She is identified through membership relations with the First Methodist Episcopal church, of which Mr. Hitt was a worthy and honored member through many years, contributing liberally to its support, both of his time and money. For many years he served as chorister of the church and otherwise was an active Christian worker, lie was generous and public spirited and aided largely in the upbuild- ing of Urbana. He is yet and for many years to come will lie held in affectionate remembrance by his numerous friends, as well as by his im- mediate family. George W. Hitt. -on of the late Samuel W. Hitt. was horn in Urbana, January 14. [850, and educated in the schools of the city. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 353 Early in life he entered the store of his father, under whom he received his business training. For more than ten years Mr. Hitt has been the active member of the dry goods firm of Hitt & Fuller, conducting the business with marked success and enterprise, and is to-day recognized as a leading and capable business man among merchants. He was mar- ried in 1878 to Miss Julia Van Meter and they have one son— Joseph W. -Mr. and Mrs. Hitt are members of the First Methodist Episcopal church and are prominent in social and Masonic circles. PETER E. COLWELL. From the age of thirteen years Peter E. Colwell depended entirely upon his own resources for a livelihood and well has he earned the proud American title of a self-made man. His diligence and persistency of purpose at length brought to him success, so that be is now enabled to live retired, enjoying the fruits of bis former toil. He makes his home in Mechanicsburg and is one of the native sons of Champaign county, his birth having occurred in Rush township, February 24. 1826. His father. John Colwell. was a native of New Jersey, and the grand- father also bore the name of John Colwell and was of Scotch-Irish de- scent. In the state of his nativity the father was reared and married the lady of his choice. Electa Hand, who was born in New Jersey and lived to be about seventy-six years of age. while Mr. Colwell died about July 29, 1829, being killed by a falling tree. On leaving his native state he removed to Pennsylvania, thence to Hamilton county. Ohio, and afterward came to Champaign county, settling about ten miles east of Urbana in Rush township. On selling that farm he removed to a place two miles east in the same township, his home being one mile 354 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. and a half south of what is now the village of Woodstock. Unto John and Electa Colwell were burn ten children, of whom two died in in^ fancy : Abrani, Hannah and Azel are also deceased. Benjamin L., born September II, 1815, now a resident near Wood River, Nebraska; Phebe, Mary and Charlotte have also passed away; John H., born July 29, 1824. is a prominent minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, now- living in Champaign county, Illinois. Peter E. Colwell, the youngest member of the family, spent hia youth on the old home farm. He was only three and a half years of age at the time of his father's death and when a youth of thirteen began earning In- own living by working as a farm hand by the month. He attended school to a limited extent in the winter seasons, pursuing his studies in a little log building with greased paper windows and -lab seats. Ibe plow which he used in breaking the new ground had a \\i» .den mould-board and the other farm implements were e'qually as primitive, lie worked by the month until his marriage, which oc- curred in 1845, when he was twenty years of age. The lady of his choice was Lucinda J. Rutan, wdio was born in Goshen township. Cham- paign county, April 4, 1825, a daughter of Daniel and Mary 1 Riddle) Rutan. who were early settlers of Champaign count}-. Her father en- tered land from the government in Goshen township and upon that farm .Mi's. Colwell was born. The young couple began their domestic life upon a rented farm two miles north of Mechanicsburg, where they re- mained for a year. Eater Mr. Colwell engaged in the operation of a farm one mile north of Mechanicsburg, making it his home for three years, when with the capital he had acquired through hi- own labors he bought a farm of one hundred and fifty acres four miles north of the town.. When three years had passed, however, he sold that property and purchased another tract of land. lie has been engaged in buying and selling farms, while the grocery, undertaking and furniture business CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 355 and other enterprises have also claimed his attention. In his various dealings he has so managed his affairs as to meet with creditable and gratifying success. He now owns seventy-five acres of good land near Mechanicsburg, and has been interested in the furniture and undertak- usinesS; but of late years has retired from active connections. Mr. and Mrs. Colwell have no children of their own, but reared two children. The girl whom they adopted, however, died at the age of thir- teen years. The boy is now D. W. Rutan, a well known citizen of Cham- paign comity. Mr. Colwell is an earnest and pronounced Republican and cast his first presidential vote for John C. Fremont. He has be- longed to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows since 1866 and is a loyal and devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he is steward, while for a quarter of a century he has been trustee. He began life a poor boy. but with the assistance of his admirable wife, who has indeed proved a helpmate to him. he has worked his way steadily upward from a humble financial position to one of affluence. C. A. BAKER. C. A. Baker, who is now living retired, has through his own un- aided efforts acquired a most comfortable competence. He is one of the oldest residents of Mechanicsburg, his birth having occurred in Dayton, Montgomery county, on the 8th of October, 1830. The family i- «'i' Dutch origin and was founded in America at a very early date. The paternal grandfather was a large landed proprietor of Virginia, where he owned three thousand acres and was regarded a- one of the promi- nent and wealthy residents of bis part of the state. Among his chil- dren was John Baker, the father of our subject. He was born in the 55& CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Old Dominion and was numbered among the pioneer residents of Day- ton. Ohio. In 1830 he came to Mechanicsburg, where lie made his home until called to his final rest on the 13th of February, 1841. For many years he served as justice of the peace, and his rulings were so fair and impartial that he won the high commendation of all concerned. By oc- cupation he was a grocer and his well conducted store brought to him a good financial return. He strongly endorsed temperance principles and labored to promote the non-use of alcoholic beverages. He gave his political support to the Whig party, voted for William Henry Harri- son in 1S40 and was a warm admirer of Henry Clay. He was widely known as 'Squire Baker and was highly respected because of his genu- ine worth. In his religious views he was a Universalist and his life was so honorable and upright that he left to his family an untarnished name. He was twice married, his first union being with Miss Kirby, by whom he had a son and daughter, the latter being Charlotte, the wife of Dr. F. Owens, now deceased. She was eighty-two years <>f age in 1901. '1 he son of the first marriage has passed away. His second marriage was with Ann M. Henderson, a native of Virginia, born in 1807. Her father, Charles Henderson, was also born in Virginia, and followed the occupation of farming. Mrs. Baker was called ti > her final rest in July, 1885, having survived her husband many years. Bv her marriage she became the mother of seven children, of whom our sub- ject was the second in order of birth and the eldest son. His brothers and sisters were: Margaret A., now deceased: Amelia J., the widow of Benjamin Taylow, Sarah J. l.wing, of Mechanicsburg; Robert B. 11.. also oi Mechanicsburg: Joseph, who has passed away; and 1 n< died in infancy. ( '. V Baker, of this review, was about two years old when brought to Champaign county by his parents. He was reared in Mechanicsburg and educated in the public schools and at the age of sixteen years began CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 357 learning the tailor's trade, completing his apprenticeship in Piqua. Ohio, ,„ ,s 4 S He then returned to Mechanicsburg and continued Ins educa- te for a year with Professor Henkle and Mr. Wilson. In t8 49 , how- ever he turned his attention to the grocery trade in Mechanicsburg, following that pursuit tor about a year. In 1850 he went to Milford Center where he engaged in the tailoring business for a year, on the expiration of that period returning to Mechanicsburg, where be again established a grocery and also conducted a clothing business in connec- ts W ith J P. Smith, now deceased. He was thus an actrve factor in. business circles in this place until about ,853. when he purchased two farms, comprising three hundred and forty acres. Locating upon Ins land he carried on agricultural pursuits for thirteen years and on the expiration of that period sold out and in August. 1867, once more took up his abode in Mechanicsburg. which has been his home continuously since. For some years he engaged in buying and selling stock, but ts now living retired in the enjoyment of a well earned rest. On the 24th of April. 1853, Mr. Baker was united in marriage to Miss Jane Fullington, a native of Union county, Ohio, whose father was a large land owner in both Union and Mason counties. Mrs. Baker is the eldest of four children and was reared in the county of her na- tivity She reached the age of seventy-eight years on the 4* ot Jan- uary iqoi but is now suffering from ill-health, having been stricken with paralvsis November 23, I9°i- Unto Mr. and Mrs. Baker have been born three children: Abbie, who became the wife of Charles Frarv, of Chicago, and died, leaving one son. Herbert B.. a resident of Cleveland. Ohio ; Walter S.. who first married Laura Kates and after- ward wedded Lillian Stacy, by whom he has one daughter, Abbie J.; and diaries, who died when about one year old. In his political views Mr. Baker is a stanch Republican and has. filled the office of justice of the peace, yet has neve, been a politician 358 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. in the sense of office-seeking. He is ;i prominent Mason, who has at- tained the Knight Templar degree, belonging to Raper Commandery, No. 19, at Urbana. He has been a lifelong member of the Methodist Episcopal church and he believes in the final salvation of all mankind. With one exception he is the oldest resident of Mechanicsburg. Through many years he has been a witness of the growth and development of this county and has ever taken a deep interest in its progress and improve- ment, his own efforts contributing in no small measure to that end. Throughout his long business career his course was ever one of honor and industry, perseverance and keen sagacity being numbered among his strong characteristics and proving potent elements in winning him success. +-— ORVTLLE NOBLE. The old 'lav state of Massachusetts, where was cradled so much of our national history, figures as the native place of this venerable and' bom ired citizen of Urbana, where he has maintained his home for nearly half a century, having been actively identified with its business activities for many years, and finally retiring to that dignified repose and surcease of active labor which constitute the just reward of earnest and honest endeavor. As the shadows of his life lengthen be can look back with satisfaction upon the exertions of past years and rejoice in the prosperity which has attended his efforts and enabled him to crown his days with peace and restful calm, '"far from the madding crowd's ignoble si rife." ( h\illc Noble was born in the village of Russell. Hampden county, Massachusetts, or the 2d of January, 1821, being, in both the paternal and maternal lines, a representative of old and honored families of this Ch-lfC&^tfa44^ CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 361 colonial commonwealth. In the agnatic line the family is cf Eni derivation, and the original American ancestor came from the "tight little isle' and settled in Massachusetts in the early colonial epoch. The parents of our subject were Reuben and Cynthia (Gowdy) Noble, and both were born in Massachusetts, where the}- passed their entire lives, becoming the parents of two sons and three daughters, all of whom are deceased with the exception of the subject of this review. Silas Noble, grandfather of out subject, was a man of prominence in his day and was one of the influential citizens of Hampden county, Massachusetts, lie had five sons and two daughters and his descend- ants are to be found in diverse sections of the Union. Our subject was reared to the age of six years in his native town and then the family removed to Granville, in the same county, and that place continued to be his home until his removal to Urbana, Ohio, in 1856. Having availed himself of such advantages as were afforded by the common schools of Granville, he supplemented this discipline by a course of study in an excellently conducted select school in Springfield, Massachusetts. That he duly profited by his scholastic advantages is evident from the fact that he qualified himself for pedagogic work, becoming a teacher at the age of twenty-one years and following this vocation with gratify- ing success for a period of eight years thereafter. In the town of Granville. Massachusetts, in the year 1846, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Noble to Miss Caroline A. Bates, a member of a prominent family of that state. She accompanied him on his removal to Urbana and here passed the residue of her life, prov- ing a devoted companion ami helpmeet to her husband, sharing in his joys and sorrows, aiding and encouraging him in his efforts and walk- ing by his side down the checkered pathway of life fir more than half a century, when the veil was lifted to grain the new elorv of and noble life, death setting its seal upon her mortal lips on the 14th 362 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. of November, 1899. They became the parents of one child, .Mary A., who is now the wife of William M. Rock, of Urbana, and who accords to her father the utmost filial solicitude. Upon his arrival in Urbana Mr. Noble engaged in the garden-seed business, in which he success, fully continued for a period of thirteen years, while he also became interested in agricultural enterprises ami other ventures which rendered him good returns, enabling him to secure a competency for the declin- ing years of his life. He is the owner of a good farm in Salem town- ship and has an attractive residence property in the city of Urbana, where he continues to make his home, honored as one of the venerable and sterling citizens of the county and having the so'.ace conferred by many audi warm friendships. In politics Mr. Noble originally gave his support to the Whig party, but upon the organization of the Republican party transferred his support to the same, though he lias never been active in political maneuvers and lias never sought public office. He has long been a devoted member of the Presbyterian church, as was also his wife, whose life was in harmony with the faith which she professed. Fraternally our subject has long held membership in the Masonic order, being 1 member of Harmony Lodge, F. & A. M. ; R. A. M. ; and Raper Com- manders- , No. [9, Knights Templar, of which he was recorder for nine years. FRED NEER. Fred Xeer i> one of the progressive, wide-awake and enterprising men of Mechanksburg, where he is conducting a creamery, lie was horn in Clark county, Ohio, November 22, 1864, and 1- a brother of J. S. Neer. He was the fifth child in his father's family and like the CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 363 others of the household pursued his early education in the district schi ols, later continuing his studies in the high school of Mechanicsburg. He was only four years of age when brought by his parents to this county and remained with his father upon the old farm homestead until, he had attained his majority, assisting in the labors of the field. When nineteen years of age he began teaching school, following that profession for ten years in Union and Champaign counties. For two years he was a teacher in the Milford Center high school and assistant principal at that place. In his educational work he displayed marked zeal and his own interest was an inspiration to his pupils, hi 1894 he pursued a course in pharmacy in Ada, Ohio, and afterward engaged in clerking in a drug store at Milford Center, where he worked for about two years. In 1 81 > 1 he came to Mechanicsburg. where he engaged in the grocery busi- ness 111 partnership with J. K. Whittemore, there remaining three years. On the expiration of that period they dissolved partnership and Mr. Neer turned his attention to the creamery business in connection with D. McCreery & Son, who are now located in Crbana. He was associ- ated with them while the}- were at Milford Center for a period of about one year and in 1898 embarked in the creamery business at Mechanics- burg. his enterprise being known as the Mechanicsburg Creamery. His plant o st about three thousand dollars and is one of the best in the state for the purpose. The capacity is about seven hundred pounds of butter per day and the product is of such excellent quality that it rinds a ready sale on the market. In 1886 Mr. Neer was united in marriage to Miss Sallie Wilson, a daughter of William and Minerva Wilson. Her father served for four and one-half years in the war of the Rebellion and died soon after his return from the army. In his family were four children, two sons and two daughters, of whom Mrs. Neer was the eldest. She was born in Milford Center. Union county, and is a graduate of the high school 364 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. of Mechanicsburg. For two years she engaged in teaching in Goshen township. Champaign county, and is a lady of culture and refinement. The marriage of our subject and his wife has been blessed with two children: Lois E., and Reed B. Air. Neer exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Republican party. He is president of the school board of Mechanicsburg and has always taken an active interest in ed- ucational matters, exercising his franchise prerogatives in support of all movements and measures that he believes will promote the intellectual advancement of his community. Socially he is identified with the Knight of Pythias order and has tilled all of the chairs therein. He is a member of the Methodist Protestant church and is well known in busi- ness circles as a man' of responsibility and energy, who has placed de- pendence not upon fortunate circumstances, but upon unremitting labor and sound judgment. ELIJAH HANNA. For many years Elijah Hanna was a prominent figure in the annals of Champaign county, and aided materially in its development. Llv a life of uprightness, industry and honorable dealing, — a life devoted to the support of whatever was good and true, — he won the admiration and genuine regard of a large circle of acquaintances, who sincerel) mourned his loss when he was called upon to lay aside the burdens, joys and sor- rows which had fallen to his share, as to a ll, in the journey of life. .Mr. Hanna was horn on the ;th of May, 1824, in Nicholas county, West Virginia, of which Iocalit) his parents. Nathan and Alice 1 Mc< Hanna. were also natives. The father was a farmer by occupation and' both he and his wife died in the Male of their birth. Their son Elijah, who. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 365 was the youngest son of their twelve children, six sons and six daugh- ters, came to Champaign county, Ohio, in [844, when about twenty years 01 age, and as he was without means began his career in this state as a farm laborer. He subsequently located on the farm on which his widow now resides, purchasing the same from his father-in-law. Mr. Hanna was first married to Emily J. Haller. a daughter of William Haller, and of their three children, only one, William, who makes his home in [owa, is now living-. Mrs. Hanna passed to the home beyond on the 3d of July, 18O0. For his second wife our subject chose Miss Mary Arrowsmith, who was born in Concord township. Champaign county, December 15, 1834. Her father. Mason Arrowsmith. was bom in Mad River township, this county, January 16, 1806, on the farm on which Mrs. Hanna now resides, and was there reared to mature years, receiv- ing his education in the primitive log school house of the neighborhood. In the township of his birth he was married to Miss Margaret Rock, wh.. was born in Concord township in 1819, a daughter of Felix and Mary (Kelley) Rock, early pioneers of Champaign county. The pa- ternal grandfather of Mrs. Hanna, Ezekiel Arrowsmith, was burn in Maryland, but subsequently boated in Mason county, Kentucky, where he was married to Elizabeth Kenton. In 180 1 they came to Champaign county, Ohio, locating on the farm on which Mrs. Hanna now resides, but at that time it was an unbroken forest. He erected one of the first cabins and was one of the first settlers in Champaign county, at that time there being no other white settlers nearer than Sandusky or Toledo on the north. Mr. and Mrs. Mason Arrowsmith became the parents oi seven children, four still living,— Mary, Holly, George and Margaret. The last named is the wife of Aten Allen, of Eos Angeles, California. The father of this family was first a Whig and later a Republican in his political views, and the mother was a member of the Methodist church. 19 366 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Mrs. Hanna, the eldest daughter and second child in the above fam- ily, was educated in the district schools of Mad River township, the school house having been located on the dividing line between that and Concord townships. On the 25th of March, 1862, she gave her hand in marriage to Elijah Hanna, and they became the parents of four children, — Charles S.. Frank M.. Edgar B. and Laura L. The first born is now deceased, and the three surviving ones are still at home. With her children Mrs. Hanna resides on a line farm of two hundred acres, the work of which is carried on by her sons. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and of that denomination her hus- band was also a worthy and valued member. In that faith he passed to In- final reward on the 23rd of September, 1901. He was a kind and loving husband and father, sympathetic and responsive to the needs of the poor and just and noble in all the relations of life. ABRAHAM P. LOUDENBACK. \" a native of England, as were also her parents. William and Elizabeth Chaple. When she was but a year and a half old she was brought by her parents to America, the family locating in Boston, Massachusetts, where she remained until six years of age, and was then brought to Urbana. Her father v carpenter and cabinet-maker by occupation. Mr. and Mrs. Louden- back have four sons, — Arthur. Royal, Clifford and Paul, all at home. Mr. Loudenback is a member of the Baptist church of Urbana, and is active and enthusiastic in church work, lie is loyal in his support of all measures calculated to benefit the community or the general public, and in the locality where his entire life he is honored and re- spected by all. -0 n 1 1 M. SNODGR VSS. From out a childhood heavy with responsibility, and brightened by of the helpful and encouraging smiles of fortune, Morton M. Snod- if the well known grocers of Mechanicsburg, ! . n] a iy business and go< d name and gained a fail 1 1 nee. In this 1, which cl m as an honored citizen. In is bom [une 23, 1861 'Z~Z*-<£/ CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 371 and the Civil war then thundering at the gates of peace brought desola- tii 'ii and loss into the humble home where there were tour other sons and two daughters. The father, Henry Milton Snodgrass, left his native state of Virginia when a young man, and after settling in Champaign countv married. Amanda Shepherd, a native of this section and daughter of Joshua Shepherd, one of the early pioneers of Champaign county. The elder Snodgrass was a blacksmith by trade, and with his country's need of strong men exchanged his musical anvil for the deadly armament of war. As a soldier in Company I, Sixty-sixth Ohio Volunteer In- fantrv. he served until the memorable battle of Lookout Mountain, from which field of carnage he was conveyed wounded to a hospital in Phila- delphia, where his death occurred in 1863. He was brought home for burial, and almost immediately want and deprivation settled over the hitherto happy hi >me. With the other children in the family Morton M. Snodgrass was in- troduced to labor as soon as his growing strength permitted, and his op- portunities for acquiring an education were hampered by the necessity of providing his share towards the family maintenance. Nevertheless, in his environment of work he gained much that the schools cannot give, and at the age of fourteen had a fund of common sense of invaluable use in his capacity as an employe in a hardware establishment in Mechanics- burg. At the end of six years he resolved to try his luck in Wisconsin, where he remained for three years as a clerk for a large lumbering con- cern. Upon returning to this town he embarked in a small way in the grocery business, and his honest methods and fair treatment of the pub- lic have won a deserved patronage. His experience in his chosen occu- pation was acquired first as a clerk, and during the four years in this positii m he learned the business from the bottom up. In 1883 Mr. Snodgrass married Anna Williams, and of this unii n there has been a son and daughter, the latter of whom is desceased. Mr. 372 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Snodgrass is a Republican in political affiliation, but bas so devotedly at- tended to business that no thought of political honors have entered into his calculations. Fraternally lie is associated with the Royal Arch Masons and with the Knights of Pythias. He is also a stockholder and director in the Central Bank. In April, 10,02, he was elected president of the hoard of education after having served for three years as a member of the hoard. SAMUEL M. MOSGROVE, M. D. As a successful practitioner Dr. Samuel M. Mosgrove has gained advancement in the prosecution of his chosen profession and has a large clientage, which is an indication of his superior skill and ability. He was born in Urbana, Ohio. August 4, 1851, his parents being John A. and Elizabeth (Miller) Mosgrove, who were also natives of Urbana, the father's birth having occurred here in 1818. He was a son of Adam .Mosgrove. a pioneer physician of the city and thus through many years the family has been closely associated with this line of business, contrib- uting to the general welfare. The father of our subject was a com- mission merchant, carrying on business here for a long period and in his undertakings he prospered, owing to his keen sagacity, marked en- terprise and unflagging industry. He bought and handled grain on an extensive scale and also dealt largely in wool, becoming widely known as a prosperous and enterprising business man. 1 1 i ^ political support was given the Republican party, but he never sought the rewards of office in recogniton of party fealty. Prior to his marriage he spent sev- eral years in Illinois, Michigan and other western states, where he pur- chased cattle, driving them east to the Pittsburg markets. Ili^ business reputation was unassailable and it was known that his integrity made CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 373 his word as good as any bond that was ever solemnized by signature or seal. He wedded Elizabeth Miller, who was born in Urbana, July 30. 1825, and is still residing in this city, having here made her home „. J only through her entire married lite, but also since her husband's death, which occurred in 1888. She was a daughter of Samuel Miller, a pioneer merchant of Urbana. and a most successful business man. He died, however, at a comparatively early age of about forty-seven. By her marriage Mrs. Mosgrove became the mother of six children, but three of the number died in childhood. Those still living are Mrs. Fannie Bacon, of Indianapolis ; Samuel M.; and Emma, who reside, with her mother. The Doctor was educated in the public schools and in the Sweden- borgian College in Urbana and with a broad literary knowledge to serve a. the foundation upon which to rear the superstructure of professional learning, he took up the study of medicine when eighteen years of age under the direction of Dr. James M. Mosgrove, his uncle, a practicing physician of Urbana. Later he entered the Miami Medical College c,f Cincinnati, in which he was graduated with the class of 1872 and after practicing for a few months in Urbana, he matriculated in the Bellevue Hospital Medical College, of New York City, where he was graduated in 1873. Since then he has been actively connected with the profession here. He is a member of the Ohio State Medical Society and the Na- tional American Medical Association. He has strict regard f< .r the ethics of his profession and anything that tends to bring to mind the key to that complex mystery which we call life elicits the deep interest and co- operation of Dr. Mosgrove. In his political views the Doctor is a Republican and has been hon- ored with public offices, serving as health officer, also as county coroner for three terms, while for eight years he was a member of the pension board. Still higher 1 tfncial honors awaited him, for in [893 he was elected 374 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. to the state senate, where he served for one term, representing Cham- paign, Clark and Madison counties. He is the auth< c of Mosgrove's Medi- cal Bill, requiring the registration of physicians. Socially he is a Ma and he also belongs to Mosgrove Lodge, I. O. O. F., which was named in honor of his father. He served as surgeon of the Seventh Regiment. Ohio National Guards, and holds membership in the Episcopal church. In the year 1891 the Doctor was united in marriage to Miss Nannie Fisher, of Cincinnati, and they have two children. Louise and John. The Doctor is not so abnormally developed in any direction as to be called a genius, but has manifested deep interest in the various depart- ments of activity, which go to make up the sum of life. He is devoted to his family and friends and is a valued factor in fraternal circles. His political activity has reflected honor upon the party of his choice ami in hi- profession he has won distinction. Honored and respected in every class of society he has for some time been a leader in thought and action on the public life of comity and state and his career adds lustre to the history of this portion of Ohio. ROBERT SANDERS. It is with satisfaction that the biographer adverts to the life history of one who has attained the maximum of success in any vocation to which he has directed his thought and effort, whether it be one of calm but consecutive endeavor or of meteoric accomplishment, and such a life must ever offer both lesson and incentive. The subject of this review- is a native of that fair land of hills and heather, bonnie Scotland, and that in his character abide those sterling traits which mark the individ- uality of the Scottish type is manifest when we come to consider the Uu4^ J^t^yrf CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 577 mure salient points in his life history, which has been one marked by constant application, invincible spirit, sturdy loyalty and unwavering honor, — attributes which have most naturally eventuated in securing to him a high place in the respect and esteem of bis fellow men and in the attainment of a definite and worthy success in connection with the practical activities of life. He is known as one of the representative citizens and business men of the progressive city of Urbana, Champaign count v, where he has maintained bis home for nearly half a century and where be has been consecutively identified with an industrial enterprise of no secondary scope and importance. He has achieved success through his own efforts, and now, as the shadows of his life begin to lengthen, he re : i voted his time to the mastery of the principles of medical science, lie then entered the Starling Medical College at Columbus, and was graduated in 1S63, locating for practice at Kings Creek, where he remained for fourteen years. He was also engaged in practice fur six years in Ur- bana, and spent a similar period in Vincennes, Indiana, whence he came lo his present home in Salem township in 1 89 r . Here In- has I continuously since and his attention is given to his professional duties, which make heavy demands upon his time. On the 17th of September, 1867, Dr. Pearce was united in marriage diss Ella Sheperd, a native of Montgomer) county, Ohio, whence she removed to Clark county. Pier parents, Jacob and Elizabeth (Grimes) Sheperd. had a family of four daughters: Erne I . the wife of M. S. Seaton, of Salem township; Minnie M., tin Rufus Detwiller, of Urbana; Mattie 1... who is engaged in teaching in Nine- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 3§5 ceheltcer; and Jessie, who is also a teacher. They also lost • >ne son, who died in infancy. Dr. Pearce is a member of the Champaign County Medical Society and alwavs keeps abreast with the progress of the times, especially along the line of his profession. Fraternally he is a Mason, belonging to Kings Creek Lodge, and is also identified with VV. A. Brand Post, G. A. K.. of Urbana, being entitled to membership therein because of Ins military service in the Civil war. In May. 1864, he enlisted for one hundred days, entering the army as a private, but being made surgeon of his regiment. In politics he is a stanch Republican, unswerving in his allegiance to the party and its principles and in religious faith is a Methodist, serving as trustee of the church to which he belongs and in the work of which he takes an active part. He is a valued representa- tive of an honored pioneer family of Champaign county, which through an entire century has been represented in this portion of the state, its members taking a very active and creditable part in the work of im- provement, progress and upbuilding. WILLIAM M. GEHMAN. The life record of William M. Gehinan is deserving of a promi- nent place in the history of Champaign county. He has represented his county in the state legislature, has been actively connected with educational interests and is also known as a progressive farmer. His connection with all these important departments of life has made him a valued citizen and at all times he has commanded uniform o nfidence and. respect by his loyalty to public duty and his liberality in all life's relations, lie resides in section 10. Salem township, and it was upon 20 386 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. this farm that lie was born, < Ictober 22, 1852. His father, B. W. Geh- nian was a native of Pennsylvania, while the grandfather, Benjamin Gelnnan, was born in Hanover, Germany, where he spent the days of his boyhood and youth, coming to America when a young man. He then located near Reading, Pennsylvania, where he followed the occu- pation of tanning. He lived to the advanced age of ninety-two years, while his wife reached the extreme old age of ninety-three. Among their children was B. W. Gehman, who was reared in the Keystone state and in 1837 journeyed on horseback from Pennsylvania to Iowa. lit the latter state he purchased the tract of land upon which the city of Des Moines now stands, buying it from the Indians. lie then returned by the same method of travel to Pennsylvania and was there married. It was his intention to take up his abode upon his Iowa land and with his bride he started for the Mississippi valley, but on reaching Cham- paign county his wife became ill. They resolved to spend the winter there and during that period Mr. Gehman was persuaded to buy the old Walker homestead, the place upon which our subject now resides. Accordingly he gave up his anticipated western trip and the land event- ually returned to the Indians or to the government. Throughout his re- maining days the father resided upon the farm which is mm the home of 1 ur subject and there lived until called to bis final rest at the age of sixty-three. He was a prominent Methodist and served as a local preacher, taking an active part in religious work in many ways. I lis lite was -o upright and honorable that his example was well worthy of emulation and his memory remains as a blessed benediction to all who knew him. In politics he was a Republican from the organization of the party and prior to that time gave his supporl to the Whig party, lie married Elizabeth Morris, a native of Reading, Pennsylvania, and a daughter of William Morris, a merchant of that city. Her father re- ed to Morgantown, Pennsylvania, and was then' engaged in mer- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 387 cantile pursuits for some time. He was of English descent. Mr. Geh- man died in the sixty-third year of his age. while his wife passed away in her sixty-sixth year. They were the parents of four children, two sons ami two daughters, all of whom reached adult age, namely: Ella M., a resident of Kansas: Anna M., now deceased; Benjamin F.-. a stock farmer of Hutchinson, Kansas: and William M. Mr. Gehman, of this review, is the youngest of the family, and was reared upon the home farm where he now resides, attending the district schools in his youth and later supplementing his early educa- tional privileges by study in the academy at Lancaster, Ohio, and in the State University at Columbus. He was also a student in the high school at Urbana at one time and afterward engaged in teaching school in order to earn the money for his more advanced education. This was indicative of the elemental strength of his character and gave promise that the future has fulfilled. He remained in the university for about three years and after leaving that institution engaged in teaching school for more than eleven years proving a most capable educator, imparting clearly and concisely to others the knowledge he had acquired. In 1880, however, he gave up school work and turned his attention to farming upon the old homestead where he is now living. On the 26th of October, 1882. Mr. Gehman led to the marriage altar Miss Hattie E. Chance, a native of Union township, Champaign county, and a daughter of William and Henrietta (Jones) Chance. Mrs. Gehman was engaged in teaching school for some years in Urbana un- der the superintendence of Professor A. C. Duel, one of the leading educators of Ohio. Mrs. Gehman attended Professor Duel's schools and afterward engaged in teaching under him. She was also a student in the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware. By her marriage she has become the mother of four children: Morris. Walter. Ruth and Ralph. 388 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Since age gave to him the right of franchise Mr. Gehman ha? been a stalwart Republican and his fellow townsmen, recognizing his fitness for leadership and his patriotic allegiance to the county, elected him as their representative in the state legislature in 1805. He served for cue term, filling the position most acceptably. To every question which came up fur >ettlement he gave his earnest consideration and left the impress of his individuality upon the legislation enacted during his term. He ha? also heen trustee of Salem township for several vears and has been president of the Kings Creek Farmers' Institute, which was or- ganized, in [892. lie assisted in its organization and filled the position of presiding officer for six years. He has always heen on the side of improvement, reform and progress and ha- heen especially helpful in political, educational and church circles. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church of Kings Creek; is an active worker in the church and Sunday-self 1 1 and his wife is also a worthy helper in the latter. Mr. ( iehman is a man of more than ordinary ability, is a gentleman of schol- arly attainments and broad general knowledge and is well fitted for leadership, honored and respected by all, has much influence over public thi ught and feeling and is most untiring in hi- effort- in behalf of the general public. .1' IHN C S( h\ V Mechanicsburg is fortunate in the possession of citizens who are themselves not only creditable acquisitions to their respective financial, professional, industrial or commercial environment, but who have the added incentive of nativity, and are stimulated to precedents established by pioneer fathers who. with splendid zeal, worked out their destinies in the self-same surroundings. Such a one is John t '. Sceva, president 01 the Farmers' '".auk, and born in this city November 21, 1838. JOHN C SCEYA. CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 591 His parents. Nathaniel and Rosalin (Woodard) Sceva, were born near New London, New Hampshire, the latter being a daughter " : fames and Dollie (Dale) Woodard. After the marriage of the parents the} determined to seek the supposed larger opportunities in Ohio. and. accompanied by the Woodards, settled on a farm in Goshen township, Champaign county, where the latter lived for a few years, but passed their last days in Mechanicsburg. Nathaniel Sceva was a carpenter by trade, and was thus employed up to his fortieth year, thereafter turning his attention in various directions. 1 fe possessed marked execu- tive ability, and was a man of progressive thought and action. As a Stanch upholder of Democratic principles he left his impress upon several political offices, among them that of county commissioner, which he held for one term. During the presidential administration of Bu- chanan he served as postmaster of this city. He died in 1872, at the age of sixty-two years, and was survived by his wife until 1896, at the age of a little over eight}-. Both were members of the Baptist church, and they were the parents of several children. One of the sons, Benjamin F., was a graduate of Union College, and served for four years in the Civil war as a soldier in the Tenth New York Cavalry, rising from the rank of private to that of colonel of his regiment. Alter the war he engaged in the practice of law in Washington, D. C. in which city he died in 1S76. John C. is the second child in his father's family; James H. is a farmer of Madison count}-, Ohio; Jennie is the witi- of Dr. A. !.. Sidner, of Mechanicsburg; Horace M. is a resident of Mechanicsburg and is engaged in dairy farming; and Lewis C. is a lawyer of this town. After completing his education in the public schools of Mechanics- burg John C. Sceva spent two years at the Ohio YYesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio. His first business experience was acquired .1- a clerk in his father's general store, and later in a dry-g Is store, after 392 CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. which a partnership was formed with his brother-in-law, C. W. Will- iams, in a dry-goods business, which was amicably continued from [865 until [875. He was elected a director in the Fanners' Hank of Me- chanicsburg, which position lie held for some years. Mr. Sceva was made vice-president, and in iqoi succeeded to the presidency. Through his marriage, in [865, with Ella J. Williams, who died in 1894. two children were born: Anna, wife of F. M. Clements, of Mechanics- burg; and Hattie. wife of E. A. Roberts, of Cleveland, Ohio. In [899 Mr. Sceva married Mrs. Lida S. Hinckle, nee Sanford. Politically a Democrat, he is yet liberal enough to vote for the best man, but it cannot be said that he has to any extent identified himself with general political matters. He was postmaster under Cleveland's first adminis- tration and held the office nearly five years. Since 1857 he has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he is an offi and for eight years was superintendent of the Sunday-school. He was a member of the building committee of the church and ha- been treasurer ol the church a number of years. Mr. Sceva is one of the substantial men of the city, and for his pronounced business ability and many line personal attributes deserves and receives the appreciation of his community. « » » PHILIP L. STICKLEY. One of the representative farmers 1 i Mad River township is Mr. Stickley, whose fine homestead is located in section 18. He i- a native 01 the Old Dominion state, having been horn in Shenandoah county, Virginia, on the 10th of October. 1844, being the son of foseph Stickley, who was born in the same county, to which his father emigrated from Germany, his native land. The maiden name of our subject's mother CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 393 was Mary C. Setzer, who likewise was born in Shenandoah county, being erf Irish lineage. Joseph and Mary C. Stickley became the parents of three sons and five daughters, all of whom are living with the ex- ception of two of the daughters. Philip L., the subject of this sketch, is the eldest of the children; Anna is the wife of .Martin Lineburg; Cohn M. is a successful farmer (if Urbana township, this county; Josej h B. reddes near Pittsburg. Pennsylvania; Mollie is the wife of William Parker, of Virginia; Irena is the wife of Noah Minnch, oi Westville, this county; and the other one of the eight children died in childhood. Philip P. Stickley was reared in his native county up to the age of about eighteen years, when the outbreak of the Civil war occurred and he tendered his service- in support of the cause of the Confederacy. enlisting as a member of Chew'- battery, which was a part of Ashby's cavalry. He continued in active service until the close of the war. having participated in many of the most memorable battles, including the engagements at Antietam, Gettysburg, Richmond. Kernstown, New- market and the Wilderness. In the last mentioned battle he received a severe scalp wound from a piece of -hell, while previously he had been wounded in the left arm. He served for a time as a non-commis- sioned officer and was ever to be found at the post of duty, earnestly battling for the cause of the south. After the close of the war Mr. Stickley returned to his home in Virginia, where he devoted hi- time t such work as he could find to do. the support of bis parent- devolving upon him to a very large extent. In 1868 be came to Champaign o unty. Ohio, and here secured employment by the month on the farm oi S. P. Sowers, with whom he remained about nine month-, while he was similarly employed for the following three years by Daniel Pilose. After this a few months were passed in the employ of another fanner oi this locality, and then Mr. Stickley began agricultural operations on hi- own responsibility. He wa- married in the year 1873. and forthwith la 394 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. on the farm which he now owns and which he has brought under the most effective cultivation, while he lias attained independence and marked success entirely through his own well directed efforts, so that he is to be considered as essentially a type of the self-made man, while he has so directed his course as to ever retain the confidence and esteem of those with whom be has come in contact in the various relation- oi life. Mr. Stickley has added to his original purchase as prosperity attended his efforts until he now has a fine landed estate of two hun- dred acres in the home place and a good farm of sixty-four acres in Madison count}'. In politics our subject has ever given a zealous allegi- ance to the Democratic party, and served two terms in the office of township treasurer, giving an able administration of the fiscal affairs of Mad River township. Fraternally be is a member of the lodge, chap- ter and commandery of the Masonic order at Urbana and of the Knights of Pythias at Westville. On the 25th of February, [873, Mr. Stickley was united in mar- riage to Miss Fannie Harr, the daughter of Newton H. Harr. one of the pioneers of this county. Of this union six children were born, namely: Ada V. (the wife of Elijah Stickle}). Edgar II.. Cara M.. Blair M.. Omer B. and Smith F. The devoted wile and mother was summoned into eternal rest on the 3d of August. [896, and on the 30th hi August, [898, our subject was united in marriage to Mrs. Elizabeth (Huffman) Caldwell, the widow of Thomas B. Caldwell. She was born near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Samuel ami Margaret (Elkins) Huffman, who removed to Champaign county, < »i!ii. when ^be was a child, and here she was reared and educated. Her father was born in Philadelphia but eventually removed to South Charleston. Clark county, Ohio, where he conducted a successful dairy business. Our subject has an attractive home, and the family enjoj marked popularity in the community, where Mr. Stickley is held in the CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 395 highest esteem by those who have witnessed his earnest endeavors which have been crowned with so high a degree of success. Mr. Stiddey is a member of Raper Commandery, No. 19, Knights Templar, and Westville Lodge, No. 433. Knights of Pythias. SAMUEL COW GILL. The family of which Samuel Cowgill is ; most honored representa- tive is a pioneer one in Salem township. Champaign county. He has taken a patriotic part in everything bearing upon the upbuilding and progress of the community, and has aided in many enterprises which have greatly benefited his county and state. A native son of the town- ship, his birth here occurred on the 1st of July. 183 1. and he is the eldest son of Henry and Anna Cowgill, whose history will be found on another page of this volume. When twenty-eight years of age their son Samue! left the home of bis birth and removed to Nemaha comity. Kansas, where he entered a section of land from the government, and there made his home until 1863. In i860 he returned to Ohio, and was here married to Caroline Burhngton, a native daughter of Champaign county, her father having located here some time in the '30s. Return- ing with his bride to his Kansas home, Mr. Cowgill there remained until just before the death of his wife, which occurred in 1863, when he again returned to the Buckeye state. In company with hi- sister, he now owns two hundred acres of rich ami productive land in Salem township, and has prospered in bis financial undertakings. As a citizen his course has been worthy of commendation, for he has given his means and influence to the maintenance of law. order and good government. Firm in his conviction that the principles of the Republican party have 396 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. brought to this country its present wonderful prosperity, he is never absent from the polls and manfully strives to promote its welfare. For a period of six years he served as the trustee of Salem township, for twenty years was the efficient school director and has served as trustee lor several large estates. lii 1865 Mr. Cowgill was united in marriage to' Mary Linville, a native of Wayne township, Champaign county. He is a birth-right member of the Society of Friends and has always loved the church and labored for its growth and upbuilding. Mr. Cowgill is now and lias been for three years president of the Champaign and Logan County Pioneer Association, which was organized about thirty-five years asro. RANDOLPH PRITT. Randolph Tritt is now living retired in King's Creek, Salem town- ship, his rest coming as a reward of many years of faithful activity in agricultural circles. He was horn in Frederick county, Maryland, Janu- ary 20, 1829, and has therefore passed the seventy-third milestone on life's journey. The family is of German lineage and the parents of our subject spoke the German language. His father. Joseph Tritt, also born in Frederick county, Maryland, and there remained until after his marriage, when with his family he came to I )hio about [835. When thirty years had passed he left the Buckeye state and in [865 fc ok up his abode in Jasper county, Illinois, where he died at the age of seventy- four years. 1 [e was :m active and helpful member in the Baptist church, and the Republican party received his earnest political support, lie served as a trustee in Salem township and was also known in militan circles, serving as a major j n the war of [812. Throughout Champaign CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 397 county he was known by the title of Major Tritt. By trade he was a carpenter and erected many buildings in Champaign county and also in Greene county. ' He located in the latter when he came to Ohio, but in [847 took up his abode in this county, which was his place oi resi- dence until his removal to Illinois in 1865, with the exception of a -hort period passed in Greene county. Ohio. He married Elizabeth Arnold, also a native of Maryland, and her death occurred in that state at the age of forty-one years. She was a daughter of Daniel Arnold, who was horn in Maryland or Pennsylvania and was of German lineage. Ji seph Tritt twice married and by the first union had fine sons and a daughter. After the death of his first wife he married Sarah Snyder tnd they became the parents of two sons and two daughters. Randolph Tritt was the fifth in order of birth in the first family, lie has but one surviving brother. Ezra, who resides in King's Creek. Randolph Tritt spent the years of his boyhood in the place of his nativ- ity until he attained the age of twelve, when he became a resident of Greene county, Ohio. When a youth of fifteen be began learning the carpenter's trade under the direction of his father and became quite expert. lie was thus employed until 1851, having in the meantime come to Champaign county with his father in 1847. They erected many residences in this county and in 1S47 built what is known as the Regular Baptist church in King's Creek. This edifice is still one of the old land- marks of the community and is used by the people of the same denomi- nation for which it was built. In the year 1K51 Mr. Tritt. of this re- view, went west to Illinois, where he became connected with the opera- tion of a sawmill, following that pursuit in Sangamon county. When two years had passed, however, he returned to Ohio and again took up his abode in Champaign count v. On the 3d .if October, S853, Mr. Tritt was joined in wedlock to Sarah Jane Stewart, a daughter of Archibald and Elizabeth 1 Mason) 39» CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Stewart. She was born in Salem township, where her parents located in pioneer days. Her father was a captain in the war of [812 and served as county commissioner for twelve years. He came to this state from Pennsylvania and was known as a prominent and influential citi- zen. He took an active and earnest part in the work of the Baptist church at King's Creek, to which his wife also belonged. His death occurred when he was about seventy-four years of age and Ids wife was eighty-one years old at the time of her death. Mr. and Mrs. Tritt began their domestic life in Urbana in 1853. our subject entering the employ of the firm of Brown, Willey & Pat- rick, proprietors of the flouring mill. In the spring of the succeeding year he removed to a farm in Salem township, renting the land for about three years. He then purchased what i- known as the X. A. Adams farm and conducted it until 1865. when he sold that propert) and purchased what is known as the Henry llaganbauch farm in Salem township, rhis he still owns and to its cultivation and development he devoted his energies until 1884. when he removed to his present home a.t King's Creek. He has one hundred and seventy-one and one-half acre- m| land in Salem township, constituting a well improved farm, and lie also owns sixty and one-half acres in Clark county, Ohio. He has been quite successful in stock-raising, as well as in the cultivation of the fields, and his business interests have brought to him very creditable success. Into Mr. and Mrs. Tritt have been born two children: S. Eliza- beth is the wife of Alfred Miller, of Columbus, < >hio, a real estate dealer, by whom she has two sons. Edward R. and James S. William A. mar- ried Ida A. Rule and resides in Springfield, Ohio, where he is engaged in manufacturing. They have three children : Harry R., Sarah E. and Merrel M. .Mr. Tritt united with the Baptist church in Greene county, Ohio, in 1N44. and has since taken an active part in its work, doing CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 399. his dutv to promote it- growth and extend its influence. In politics he is a stanch Republican, having cast his ballot for J. C. Fremont and Abe Lincoln and for each presidential candidate of the party since that time. He has twice been elected county infirmary director, receiving a unanimous nomination on the second occasion. He served in that capacity for six years and his record in office and his course in business are alike creditable. His diligence and unflagging enterprise have brought to him a handsome competence and he is living in retirement from labor. MARION TALBOT. As a representative of one of the sterling pioneer families of Cham- paign county and one that has figured prominently in its industrial life from the early days when was inaugurated the work of reclaiming the forest wild-, there i- particular propriety in according recognition to Mr. Tall iot in this compilation, even were his personal prestige and honorable accomplishment less pronounced than they are. For nearly a decade he has been incumbent of the position of deputy county clerk,, and in this office lie has rendered signally able and discriminating serv- ice in the handling of the manifold and important details of this portion of the comity government. Mr. Talbot was born on the ancestral homestead in Jackson town- ship, Champaign county. ( Ihio, on the 28th of July, iS> >_*. being the si n of George W. Talbot, who is still engaged in agricultural pursuits on the old farm. The latter is a son of Harvey Talbot, who came to this a nnty in the year 1802 with hi- father, Sampson Talbot, wdio was one 1 the hrsl settlers ■ ; Concord town-hip and for many years was a justice of the peace for that town-hip. Harvey Talbot established his home in the sylvan wild- of Jackson township, where he cleared and 40o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. improved the farm how owned by his sun, the same being one of the valuable places of this favored section of the Buckeye state. Our sub- ject received his preliminary educational discipline in the public schools and was thereafter matriculated in Oberlin College, where he continued his studies for a time and then entered Dennison University; where he completed his scholastic training. He left the home farm when seven- teen years of age and thereafter was a successful and popular teacher in the county for a term of six years. In 1891 he was appointed to bis present position as deputy county clerk and bis tenure of the office has been consecutive from that time, his thorough knowledge of the affairs of the office and his capable management and executive ability having led to hi- retention by the successive incumbents of the office of county clerk. In politics Mr. Talbot has given an unequivocal support to the Re- publican party and its principles, and fraternally is identified with the time-honored order of Freemasonry, being a member of Champaign Lodge, Xo. 525. F. & A. M. ; Crhana Chapter, No. 34, R. A. M. ; and Urbana Council, No. 59, R. X' S. M. lie and his wife are members of the First Baptist church of Urbana. On the 3d of December. [885, Mr. Talbot was united in marriage tn Miss Lillie M. Zerkel. who was born in Champaign county, Ohio, the daughter of Solon Zerkel. In April, [902, Mr. Talbot was nomi- nated to the office of county clerk of Champaign countv. EDWARD A. GUY. I'll" many years the subject of this memoir has been classed among the prominent and influential citizens of Champaign county, where he is well known as an agriculturist and as a tile manufacturer. His birth CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 401 occurred in Madison county, Ohio, on the 17th of November, 1829. I le is descended from a prominent old Vermont family, his paternal grand- father, lames Guy, having been born in that commonwealth, but he became one of the early pioneers of Madison county, Ohio'. In the Green Mountain state the father of our subject, William Guy, was also hum. and when ten years of age was brought by his parents to Madison county. He was there married to Adelaide Fullington, who came from Vermont, the state of her nativity, to Ohio at the age of ten year-, and her father, George Fullington, was also one of the early pioneers of Madison county. She was called to her final rest at the age of eighty; years, and her husband reached the good old age of ninety-three years. They became the parents of eight children, five sons and three daugh- ters, all of whom grew to years 01 maturity with the exception of one sun. who died at the age of three years. Edward A. Guy. the first horn of the eight children, was reared to years of maturity in Pike township, Madison count}', Ohio. After his marriage he took up his abode in Champaign county and on the farm on which he first located he has ever since continued to make his home. At one time his landed possessions consisted of three hundred and ninety acres, but he has since sold a part of that tract and at the pres- ent time his homestead consists of only eighteen acres. In 1882, in con- nection with his farming and stock-raising interests, he embarked in tile manufacturing, and in both lines of trade has been eminently suc- cessful. He is a man of uprightness in word and deed, and all who know him or have had business dealings with him speak in the highest terms of his justice and honor. In the year ICS54. in Union county, Ohio, Mr. Guy was united in marriage to Adelaide McMullan. a native of Madison county. Illinois, where her father, John McMullan. was among the early pioneers, and Mrs. Guy is the fifth in order of birth of her parents' eight children. 402 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. This union has been blessed with the following children: Lucy, the deceased wife of Ed Ho FRAHCIS H. BLACK. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 405 labor for both parties for two years. Mr. Black went into Union county, near Bvhalia. where he was engaged in making- maple sugar, which he hauled to Cincinnati and sold, using the proceeds to pay for his farm of one hundred and six acres which lie had purchased in this township. Dur- ing a part of ihis time he was associated in business with Samuel Ilanes and a Mr. Coom. After paying for his land he purchased another tract of one hundred acres, which he paid tor by making "Black Salts" from the ashes of the timber which had been cut from his land, and later he became the owner of an adjoining tract of fifty acres. He subsequently went to Kansas and purchased seventeen hundred and sixty acres on the Usage river, in Anderson county, which is now owned by his son, Judge F. M. Black, of Kansas City. His life's labors were ended in death when he had reached the age of seventy-three years. His was a remarkable record, and it illustrates in no uncertain manner what it is possible to accomplish when perseverance and determination form the keynote to a man's life. Depending upon his own resources, he arose from comparative obscurity to a place of prominence in the business world. Mrs. Black reached the age of seventy-five years. This worth}- couple became the parents of seven children, four of whom grew to years of maturity, namely: Lydia A. Archer, of Woodstock; Frank M., a judge of Kansas City, Missouri; and Harriet 11.. deceased Elias P. Black, of this review, is the sixth child in order of birth in the above family. He was reared on the farm on which he now s. and Ins primary education was received in the primitive log school house ol tin- neighborh 1. Later he became a student in the na high school, and afterward received a course in the university at Delaware, Ohio. On account of his father's illness he was obliged ave the schoolroom and return to the home farm, and after the latter- death be 1 eel to care for his aged mother until she. too, was called to the home beyond. In 1SS5 he added the dairs business is general farming, and he now keeps aboul one hundred bead of 21 406 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. registered Jerseys, to which he feeds ensilage. He was the first to man- ufacture this food, of which he now feeds about two hundred and fifty Ions a year, and he has three siloes, with a capacity of from seventy- five to one hundred tons each. He does all of his own separating and ships his cream, this branch of his business yielding him an average of two hundred dollars a month, lie is also a stockholder and now president of the Woodstock Hank, which was organized eighteen years ago. The bank was organized with twelve stockholders, but it now has only three. Mr. Black lias ever kept himself well informed on the political issues, and gives an intelligent support to the Democratic part)', although he is very liberal in his views. For seven years he served as t lie trustee of his township, and at one time was nominated for the position of county commissioner on the Democratic ticket, but the county at that time contained a Republican majority of about seventeen hun- dred and Air. Black' came within sixty votes of winning the election. lie has many times served as judge of elections before the Australian ballot system was inaugurated. He is a prominent citizen of the com- munity, and his fine homestead of two hundred and twenty-two and a hall acres is one of the desirable places of the county. Mr. Black was united in marriage to Miss L. I\. White, of Dela- ware. < >hio, and they have reared four orphan children. In his social relations he is s member of the Masonic fraternity at Urbana, and of the Junior < Irder of American Mechanics at Mingo. GEORGE W. CRIFFIELD. George W. Criffield, a farmer residing in King's Creek, after long years of close and honorable connection with agricultural pursuits has now put aside business cares and labors and is enjoying a well merited CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 407 rest. He was born in Salem township, October 2, 1837. and on the paternal side was of Welsh descent, while on the maternal side he is of German lineage. He was reared in the faith of the Society of Friend-, his maternal grandfather having been connected with that religious seel. His father, Isaac Crifheld. was a native of Virginia and on attaining his maturity left the Old Dominion in order to seek a home upon what was then the western frontier, taking up his abode in Salem township, Champaign county. He was twice married, his first union being with a Miss Leonard, by whom he has three children, but all are now deceased. In Salem township he wedded Margaret Parkes. a native of Chester countv. Pennsylvania, who came to Champaign county when about twenty years of age with her brother, John Parkes. Mr. Critfield, the father, died at the age of forty-four years. In their family were three children. George W. Crifheld, the eldest and the only one now living, is indebted to the public school system of his native township for the educational privileges which he enjoyed. In his youth he assisted in the work of the home farm from the time of early spring planting until the crops were harvested in the autumn. When he had arrived at years of maturity he sought as a companion and helpmate Miss Barbara Herr, and unto them were born four children : Charles A., who married Eva Davis and resides upon the old home farm; Abe II.: Frances, who died at the age of nineteen years; and one who died in infancy. In Febru- ary, 1902. Mr. Crifheld was again married, his second union being with Johanna Bowers, and they are now residing in King's Creek. Air. Crifheld provided for hi- family by following agricultural pur- suits and stock-raising and he remained upon the old homestead until 'line. 1902. At the time of his second marriage he removed to King's Creek, where he now has a pleasant home. He i- yet the owner of two farms, one comprising two hundred and ten acre- and the other fifty acre-. It is all rich and arable land, located in Salem town-hip, and 4 o8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. returns to him an excellent income. In politics he is a stanch Republic can and takes an active interest in political work, lie has served as school director and as a member O'f the board of education for a num- ber of years. For thirty-five years lie has held membership in the King's (reels Baptist church and has taken a very active and helpful part in its work. He has held a number of offices in the church and for a num- ber iii years served as superintendent of the Sunday-school, lie i^ a public-spirited and progressive man who never withholds his aid or influence from movement or measure calculated to promote the general good. Energetic, industrious and enterprising, these salient features in his character have won for him creditable success. JOHN WESLEY KENAGA. John Wesley Kenaga, one oi the leading rqjresentatives of the agricultural interests of Champaign county, was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, April [8. [833. Bis paternal grandfather, Joseph Ken- aga, was one 1 i the early pioneers of this locality, and here he spent the remainder of his iil'e. Hi- son and the father .if our subject, fohn Kenaga, claimed Maryland as the State of his nativity, where he reared and educated, but when a young man he moved to Berks county. Pennsylvania, where for eleven years he was engaged in the milling business. In [836 he left his home in that state and came to Cham- paign county, 1 >hii . where for the firsl two years he was engaged in agricultural pursuits and then removed to Urbana City, there seen an interest in a stage business. In [862, however, he returned to his farm, but shortly afterward again located in the city of Urbana, where he was engaged in the clothing business with !' liven. Selling his CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 409 interest therein. Mr. Kenaga sought his country home, later again re- ed to Urbana and there his remaining days were passed, he having closed his eyes in death in 1889. As a companion on the journey oi life he chose Miss Frances Bruner, also a native of Berks county, Penn- sylvania, and her death occurred in Urbana in 1882. This worthy couple became the parents of seven children, namely: John Wesley; William F. ; Bruner. deceased; Joseph; Heber, deceased; Brooks, de- ceased: and Emma. John Wesley, who was the first born, was but four years of age when brought by his parents to this county, and his education was re- ceived in the public schools of Urbana. After his marriage he located where he now resides, on a farm consisting of one hundred and twenty- eight acres of valuable and highly improved land, and there is exten- sively engaged in general farming and stock-raising. His fields are under a most excellent state of cultivation, and everything about the place shows evidence of a thrifty and progressive owner. In 1856 occurred the marriage of Mr. Kenaga with Miss Sally Powell, a native daughter of Champaign county, where her parents were among the early pioneer settlers, they having come to this locality from Kentucky. Unto this union were born three children. — Etta, deceased; Carrie; and Bruner, deceased. Mrs. Kenaga died August 28, 1892. Carrie, the only living child of Mr. and Mrs. Kenaga, was born on the old homestead near Urbana in 185.) and was educated at the Urbana schools. In 1881 she married Dr. Isaac Pearce Owen, who died Febru- ary [3, 1889, leaving his widow with two children. Etta K. and Isaac Pearce. In 1893 Mrs. Carrie (Kenaga) Owen was united in marriage 10 Henry Freyhof. a native of Louisville, Kentucky, born in 1870. Io this union one child. Earl L.. has been bom. Mr. Freyhof is a Repub lican in politics and is now engaged in farming on the old Kenaga homestead. Mr. Kenaga gives his political support to the Republican 4 to CENTEX X I AL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. party, having cast his first presidential vote for Fremont in 1856, and for three years he served as the trustee of his township. He is an act- ive member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in all movements for the betterment of his fellow men he takes a conspicuous and leading- part. VESALIUS S. MAGRUDER. Of worthy Scutch ancestry, Vesalius S. Magruder, at present en- gaged in the real-estate and insurance business in Mechanicsburg, was born in this city May 22, 1846, a son of James L. and Eliza E. 1 Staf- ford) Magruder, and grandson of Xinian and Elizabeth (Lyons) Ma- gruder. On both the paternal and maternal sides of the family the emi- grating forefathers settled in the Old Dominion state, and at Win- chester. Virginia, James L. Magruder was born August 29, 1S17. Un- til his nineteenth year his association with his family remained unbroken, and then, accompanied by a brother-in-law. Filander Maine, they set out for the home of the latter in Vienna Crossroads, (lark county, • liii". their means of locomotion being a single horse, which between them they "rode and tied." After a year at the Crossroads, Mr. Ma- gruder came t<> the conclusion that his field of usefulness lay elsev so journeyed to West Liberty, where he learned the trade of harness- making, ami where he remained For nearly four years. As early as [838 he Incited in Mechanicsburg, and here found employment with William Rutan, one of the pioneers of tin- town. In 1S41 lie started an independent business, and in the shop originally -elected fur the mak- ing of his harness he has since continued to ply his trade, the industry established by him constituting one of the interesting landmark- of the CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 4" locality. A well merited success has crowned his efforts as a busi man and citizen, and no other has mure happily allied with his industry a delightful and optimistic personality, a finely balanced character, and a high regard for the worth-while things of life. These admirable traits pre-suppose unstinted esteem, and in the case of Mr. Magrudei have brought also popularity and general good will. He was married at West liberty in 1842, with Eliza E. StaftV.nl, a native of Pennsyl- vania and of Irish descent. Mrs. Magruder, who died in 1900. at the age of seventy-six, was the mother of two children, a sun and daughter, the latter, Sallie E„ being now the wife of Jacob Horr, of Mechanics- burg. Politically Mr. Magruder was originally a Whig, and is at pres- ent a Republican. It was but natural that \ esalius S. Magruder should early acquire a knowledge of the harness business, and after finishing his education in the public schools, he completed the trade under his father's able instruction. Dunn- the Civil war he enlisted for four months. May 2, [864. in Company C. One Hundred and Thirty-Fourth Ohio Volunteer infantry, and during the service learned enough about war to appre- ciate the benefit of peace. He has since been a member, and for two terms commander, of the Stephen Baxter Post, No. 88, Grand Army of the Republic. In 1867 Mr. Magruder became interested with his la- ther in the harness business, and continued the association until the pres- ent year, when the time-honored simp, with its multitudinous reminders public appreciation, and of its genial and well loved founder, is about to pass into other hands. In the meantime Mr. Magruder has bee .me interested in real estate and insurance, in which lines of activity succ may be predicted, if general business ability is any guide. A whole- some interest in p. .lilies has added somewhat to the cares of Mr. Ma- gruder, and he has creditably filled several minor offices, am rig them being that of corporation clerk of Mechanic-burg, which be held for 4 i2 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. twelve rears, and that of a member of the school hoard for four years. For thirty-five years he has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In 1869 Mr. Magruder married Annie Horr. a native of this town, of which union there is one sun. James \\\, a medical practitioner of Peru, Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Magruder are members of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, and the former has been connected with the offi- cial board for many years. He hears an excellent reputation in the com- munity, and thus it happens that the name of Magruder, through father and son, has come to be regarded as indicative of business and moral strength. FENTON WHETSEL. The line farm owned and occupied by the subject of this sketch is located in section 12. Mad River township, and lie i^ known a-- one of the substantia] and progressive agriculturists of this favored section of the stale. Mr. Whetsel is a native of the Old Dominion, having been horn in Shenandoah county, Virginia, 011 the [8th of February, 1845, the si 'ii of Samuel Whetsel, who was born in the same county, where he was reared to maturity and where bis marriage occurred, the maiden name of his wife having been Elizabeth Eariari. He lived 1" attain the age of about seventy-six years, and died in Licking count}-. ( »hio, where his widow still maintains her home. They became the parents of eight children, all of whom are living, namely: Uriah, Fenton, Joseph, James, Lemuel, Rufus, Robert and Mary, the last named being the wife of Thomas Horner, of Licking county. Fenton Whetsel was reared and educated in Virginia, where he grew up under the sturdy discipline of the farm. In 1862 lie tendered MRS MARTHA J. WHETSFL. FEHTON WHETSEL. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 415 his services to the Confederacy, becoming a member of Company EC, Twelfth Virginia Cavalry, with which he rendered valiant service until the close of the war, having participated in many of the most notable battles of the great conflict. On two occasions he had his horse shut beneath him and was personally struck twice by the enemy's bullets, but during his entire term of service he was never disabled and was always at his post of duty. Shortly after the close of the war, in 1865, Mr. Whetsel came to Champaign county, and for the following eleven years was employed by the month on various farms in this section of the state. After his marriage he located on a small farm in Concord town- ship, where he remained until 1894, when he took up his residence on his present farm, which comprises about seventy acres, well improved and under most effective cultivation. He has attained independence and definite success through his own efforts, has been indefatigable, energetic and faithful, and has known the meaning of hard work, so that none can begrudge him the prosperity which he has so worthily achieved. He is the owner of property in Licking county, where he showed ins filial devotion by purchasing a lot and erecting thereon a comfortable residence for his father and mother, the latter of whom srill makes her home there. In politics Mr. Whetsel gives his support to the men whom he considers the best fitted for office, and fraternally he is identified with Westville Lodge, No. 433, Knights of Pythias, while he attends the Methodist Episcopal church, being held in the highest esteem in the community. On the 4th of May. 1S75, Mr. Whetsel was united in marriage to Miss Martha J. Osborn, who was horn on the farm where our subject now lives, January 17, 1840, her father having been one of the pioneers ot this c ainty. She died on the 1 ith of October, 1900, leaving no chil- dren. She proved a devoted companion and helpmeet to her husband and was a woman whose gentle and gracious character had endeared 4i6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. her to a wide circle of friends. She was a daughter of Noble and Susan (Kenton) Osborn, who located in Champaign county in an early day and here passed the remainder of their lives. JAMES 1. BLOSE. In scanning the lives and careers of the citizens of Champaign county, Ohio, it is pleasing to note the exercise of enterprise in every walk of life, and the achievement of success in every department of busi- iii-" and industrial activity. The personal career of the subject of this review has been an active and successful one, and the intelligence and ability shown by him in the management and direction "i his business affairs, as well as those pertaining to important public office of which lie has been incumbent, and the interest he has always shown in the advancement of measures for the good of the county, have caused him to he classed among the representative citizens of this section of the Mate, while there are additional points of interest attaching to his ca- reer from the fact that he is a native son of the county and a representa- tive of pioneer families of sterling character. Mr. Blose was born mi a farm in Mad River township, Champaign county, Ohio, on the i8th of October, 1852, being the son 1 f Daniel and Louisa 1 Colbert) Blose, the former of whom was born in Virginia and the latter in Champaign county, Ohio, where their marriage was solemnized. Daniel Blose was a mere boy at the time when his par- ents removed from the Old Dominion state to Ohio, and his father, Henry Rl se, thus became one of the pioneer farmers of Champaign county, as was also John Colbert, the maternal grandfather of the suh- ject of this sketch. Daniel Blose was twice married, his first union being CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 417 to a Miss Pence, who bore him three children, while Lv the second union there were five sons, of whom three are living at the present time. Mr. Blose died at the age of fifty-five years, having devoted his active life to agricultural pursuits, and his widow survived him by many years, passing away in ro/Oi, at the venerable age of eighty-two years. James I. Blose remained on the homestead farm until be had at- tained the age of seventeen years, early beginning to contribute his quota td its work and receiving his preliminary educational training in the district schools and supplementing the same by a course of study in Urbana University. Upon leaving the farm he secured a clerical po- sition in the Urbana office of the Panhandle Railroad, where he re- mained about a year, and then entered into partnership with John C. Edmistcn and engaged in the grain business in Urbana, building up an excellent business and continuing operations under the firm name of Blase & F.dmisti >n about six years. In his political adherency Mr. Blose has ever been arrayed in sup- port oi the principles and policies of the Democratic party and he has taken an active interest in public affairs of a local nature. In 1876 lie was elected to the office of county treasurer, and so capably and sat- isfactorily administered the financial affairs of Champaign county that lie was chosen as his own successor in 1878, being thus in tenure of the office i.ix years of age at the time of his father's death, after which our sub- ject and his brother, Marion, supported the family until after the inauguration of the Civil war. Both enlisted, the subject of this review becoming a member of the One Hundred and Thirty-Sixth Ohio In- fantry in [864. He joined Company B, and served until the expira- tion of his term of service, tie then returned to Union county, but after a short time removed to St. Petersburg, Pennsylvania, and en- gaged in speculating in the nil district, being connected with that busi- ness for twelve vears. On the expiration of that period he sold his interest in Pennsylvania, where he had met with creditable success, and then came to Champaign county, where he purchased the farm upon which he now resides. He has since been engaged in the tilling of the soil and stock raising. He has two hundred and seventeen acres of well tilled land, upon which is a good residence, substantial barns and all modern equipments. Mr. Hopkins is also one of the stockholders of the Farmers' Bank of Mechanicsburg. In [882 occurred the marriage of our subject and Miss Xettie .Miller, a daughter of James and Emeline (Burnham) Miller. Mrs. Hopkins was born in Madison county, < Ihio, and unti tins marriage have been born two sons, Roy and Harold. The former is now an illustrator for magazines in New York, while the latter, a lad of nine years, is at une. Mr. Hopkins is a stanch Republican and for eleven years has held the office of township trustee, discharging his duties with marked fidelity and promptness. He belongs to Mechanicsburg Lodge, F. & A. M . and also ti • the 1 Irder of the Eastern Star of that place. He is likewise a member of Stephen Baxter Post No. 85, Grand Army of the Republic, of which he i< now serving as commander, lie belongs t> 4 20 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. the Methodist Episcopal church, is a member of its board of trustees and takes an active interest in everything pertaining to its growth and upbuilding. His interest in public affairs is broad and helpful. His life has been well spent and as the architect of his own fortunes he certainly deserves credit for what he has accomplished. JOHX G. LOGAN. One of the native suns of Champaign county who holds precedence as ( >ne of its influential and successful farmers is Air. Logan, whose valuable landed estate is located in section 22, Urbana township, lie was born in this township, on the 15th of October, 1835, being a son of Elijah Logan, who was born in Kentucky, whence his father. Samuel Logan, removed to < )hio in the year 1812, locating in Urbana township, this county, where he took up a quarter sectii n of government land in what is now section 21, and here his death occurred in the following year. His son Elijah was reared on this pioneer homestead, which has thus been owned by the family for three generations, the same being now an integral portion of the tine estate of the subject of this review. In this township was solemnized the marriage of Elijah Logan to M'iss Roxaline Powell, who was born in this township, being a daughter of Samuel Powell, who came from his native state of Kentucky to Cham- paign count}- in [806, becoming one of the first settlers in Urbana town- ship. The mother of our subject died at the age of fift) years, and her husband passed away when about sixty years of age. He was originally a Whig and later a Republican in politics and was one of the prominent men of his township, where he held various official positions. 1 lis wife CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 421 was a devoted member of the Baptist church. They became the par- ent- of eleven children, of whom seven attained maturity, while only three are living at the present time, namely: Samuel, who is a resident of Lincoln, Logan county, Illinois; Adell, who resides in Kansas; and Juhn G.. the subject of this sketch and now the only member of the family in the county. Mr. Logan was reared on the old homestead and his early educa- tional advantages were such as were afforded in the district schools. With the exception of two years, which he passed in Kentucky, he has passed his entire life in this county and has been consecutively identi- fied with agricultural pursuits. In 1862 he was united in marriage to .Mrs. Mary A. (Rohrer) Blose, who was born in Mad River town- ship, this county, the daughter of Daniel and Sarah (Loudenback) Kohrer, who were representatives of two of the early pioneer families of the county, the father having cine from Pennsylvania and the Lou- ick family from Virginia. Our subject and his wife base four children, namely: Emma Edith, who is the wife of John L. Wlood- burn. of Urbana; Ethelbert R., who married Annette Bailey and re- sides in this township; Edna Esther, who remains at the parental home; and John Karl, who married Clara < >bers and lives in this township. Our subject has resided on his present homestead from his youth up. and is now one of the most extensive land-holders in the county, having at the present time a landed estate of one thousand acres and being one of the most influential and successful farmers of this section of the state. He has one of the finesl residences in the county, the dwelling having been remodeled in 1SS7. while other additions were made at a later date, so thai it is specially spacious and attractive. In politics Mr. Logan is a stanch supporter of the Democratic party and is held in the highest confidence and esteem in the county where he has I 3sed practically his entire life. 422 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. j \.\IES L. GRAIN. Of one of the honored pioneer families of Champaign count}' is the subject of this sketch a representative, and here lie has passed the entire span of his life, now holding prestige as one of the successful fanners and horsemen of Union township and -landing as one of the leading citizens of that section of his native county. James Lewis Grain was born in Prett) Prairie, this county, on the 24th of February, 1830, being the son of Lewis F. Grain, who wai born in the state of Kentucky, where he was reared to maturity, and whence, as a }'oung man, he came to Champaign county, and here engaged in the raising of and dealing in horses and hogs. He located a large tract of land on Pretty Prairie, Urbana township, being one of the first settlers in that locality. He was a son of Lewis Grain, who likewise was horn in Kentucky, w here he devoted his life to agricultural pursuits, having been a Whig in his political views. Lewis F. Grain was married, in Clark county. Ohio, to Miss Clara Phifer, who was born in Virginia, in the district of the Greenbrier river, her parents having been of German descent. From Virginia they came to Ohi - when their daughter Clara was a child, and located first in Franklin county, whence they later removed to Clark county, where the) passed the remainder of their lives. Lewis P. and Clara Grain became the parents of three children, — James L., the subject of this sketch ; Lucinda J-. the w 1 low of I ienry Espey, formerly a prominent hanker of Urb find Loui > the widow ,,f John D. Fligger, who was a rail- id man. Out subject received his educational training in the public schools al Springfield, this county, but leu school al the early age of fifteen -.. and thereafter remained with his step-father 1 his own father having died when our subject was only p ears of age), William MRS. MARTHA A. CRAIH. JAMES L. CRAIH CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 425 Vance, a brother of ex-Governor Vance of Ohio, and thus he continued until the death of Mr. Vance, in 1866. He was but seven years of a°"e when the farm upon which he now resides became his home, and early began to aid in the work of clearing and improving the place. In £856 he and his step-father erected a gristmill in this township, and the building is still standing. The farm owned by Mr. Crain was pur- chased in the early '60s by 1\. E. Robinson, who secured the property at a public auction, and in [868 our subject purchased the place of the gentleman named and now has an estate of nearly five hundred acres, upon which he has made the best of improvements. In connection with his diversified farming Mr. Crain devotes special attention to the raising of live stock, particularly horses of the best type, and at the time of this writing lias on his farm fifty head of very highly bred animals, and also keeps a stable in L'rhana. lie has attained a high reputation as a breeder of fine horses, and takes an enthusiastic interest in this branch of his business. On the 26th of March, 1850, Mr. Crain was united in marriage to Miss Martha A. Todd, who was born in Pennsylvania, and who is a sister of Mrs. Alary H. Runyon, widow of J. H. Runyon, of whom a memoir appears on another page of this volume. Of this union five children have been born, namely: Clara A., who remains at the parental home: Caroline J., the wife of Elmer Powell, a successful farmer of Union township, who helps our subject in the training of his horses; William L. and Florence, who are deceased; and a daughter who died in infancy. Mr. Crain is one of the honored veterans of the war of the Rebel- lion, 111 which he served with marked loyalty, participating in many of the important battles of thai greatest of all civil conflicts. On the 2d of March. 1X04, he enlisted as a private in Company K. One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer infantry, being made second sergeanl 22 426 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. of his company, with which he served until the close of the war, receiv- ing his honorable discharge in Urbana. In politics Mr. Grain gives a stanch allegiance to the Republican party, and has been an active worker in the ranks of the same, his first presidential vote having been cast in support of John C. Fremont'. His religious faith is that of the Presbyterian church, and he has been for many years a member of the church at Buck Creek, having contributed liberally to the erection of the church building. He is held in the highest esteem in the community and is known as a progressive and public-spirited citizen. CYRUS MILLER. Cyrus Miller was born in Mad River township, Champaign count) . < Hum. August 7, 1855. His father, David Miller, was a native of Shen- andoah county, Virginia, born August 5, 1813, and came to Ohio when about fifteen years of age making the journey alone, lie made his way •direct to Champaign county, settling in Mad River township, lie was a wagonmaker by trade and began work along that line soon after his arrival, carrying on business at Terrehaute for many years. By his well directed efforts he accumulated a handsome competence and at length was enabled to retire from active business life, passing- away at the age of seventy-five years. lie gave his political support to the Democracy and was at one time township trustee, lie also belonged to the Lutheran church. His record was one commendable and worthy, for he started out in life empty-handed at the early age of fourteen years and steadily worked his way upward until his enterprise and industry had made him a successful and prominent man. He was united in mar- riage to Keziah [ones, a native of German township, Clark county, Ohio, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 427 where their marriage was celebrated. Her parents were David and Margaret ( Bruner) Jones, who were earlj settlers of Clark county, tak- ip their abode there when the Indians were still residents of that district. Mrs. .Miller still sun husband. She was born Augusl and has therefore passed the eighty-fifth milestone on life's ley. By her marriage she became the mother of five children, of win 111 Cyrus .Miller is the fourth in order of birth and the third son. He is also the only survivor, fur the others died in infancy. In his native township Mr. Miller of this review was reared ■ lii^ education in the common schools of the district, while later he pursued a high school course for four years, lie devoted his en- ergies to educational work, spending three years in Mad River township and one in Clark county, Ohii , as a representative of educational in- terests there, lie remained at home until his marriage, which occurred \. vember _•. 1879, the lady of his choice being Nella Sifers, a native of Mad River township, Champaign county, and a daughter of William and Hester (Hullinger) Sifers, the former a native of Virginia and the : .if Champaign county, < >hio. Mr-. Miller was their third child and youngesl daughter. She was reared and educated in Mad River town- ship and tu her husband she has proved an able assistant on life's jour- ney, [mmediately after his marriage Mr. Miller located in Terrehaute, where he ha- since resided. After abandoning the work of an he engaged in the operation of a sawmill at this place, continuing in that line fur five year-. In [886 he v. hip eler! served continuously in thai until the 1 -t of September. [898. ' rS86 he has been notary public, having been appointed bv G ■ er. He 1- also interested in the real estate business, own- ing a number of farm-, including forty-four acres which adjoi haute. Mosl of hi- laud i- in Mad River township, and in all ag - four hundred and thirl 3. Mr. Mill* 428 CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. upon to settle a number of estates, a fact which indicates his well known honesty and proverbial trustworthiness. He also carries on an insur- ance business and the policies which he writes each year amount to a considerable sum. In his fraternal relations Mr. Miller is a Mason, belonging to the lodge and chapter at Saint Paris and the commandery at Urbana. lie is also a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and in his political views is a stalwart Democrat, taking an active part in everything tend- ing to advance his party's success. He is also actively interested in all movements for the general welfare and as a citizen is known as one who is ever loyal to the public good. In business circles he-sustains an unassailable business reputation and his sterling worth is widely acknowledged by main' friends who have long known him. To Mr. and Mrs. Miller were born three children: The oldest, David William, was born November iq. 1880. and died September 13, 1881 ; Mabel, born August 7, 1883. is taking a high school course; Ben- jamin Franklin, born Januarv t, 1886, is still at home. SHERMAN S. DEATON. Among the practitioners at the Champaign county bar who have won distinction i< Sherman S. Deaton. If honor and success could lie won by purchase, main- a man who goes through life upon a common plane would rise to a position of eminence, but in a learned profession onl) unremitting diligence, zeal and strong mentality avail and it has been a- the resull - f these alone that Sherman S. Deaton has become known a- a rm -t capable attorney-at-law. He was bom in Kosciusko county, Indiana, on the -'3rd of February, 1865, his parent- being George CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 429 \V. and Frai tnej 1 Deaton, both of whom were natives of Clark county, Ohio. In the year [863 they removed to Indiana and set- tled on a farm in Kosciusko county. They had eight childn and one daughter, but the eldest son and the daughter are now deceased. Mr. Deaton of this review was the fifth in • rder ol birth. His father died when the son was thirteen yeai ■■ and tin survived for thirteen years, thereafter passing away in death December i-'. 189 (.. man S. Deaton was reared on the home farm and has always retained a deep interest in thi 1 who cultivate the soil and carry on that branch of activity known as agriculture. In the common e obtained his early education and being of a studious nature lvanced rapidly in his studies, so that at the earlv age of seven- teen years he ed a certificate and became a teacher. For twelve ereafter he followed thai profession, having been empli during the first five the public schools of rndiana, wdiile for seven years he was a teacher in the graded schools of Honey Creek, Jack- ivi - p, 1 hampaign county, being principal of the grammar md during the last three years of that period also tilling the uperintendent of the schools of Jackson town-hip. being one of the first township superintendents in the county. Hi- early educa- tion acquired in the country schools was supplemented by a brief term tudy in the Warsaw (Indiana) high school and the Fort Wayne the Methodist Episcopal church at Fort Wayne. Indiana. Durii Minmer- of [887, [888, 1889 and 1890 he also attended the Northwestern Ohio Normal University at Ada. Ohio. While engaged in teaching school Mr. Deaton studied law and continued his task of mastering the principles of jurisprudence while at \da. lie completed bis law studies ii th< f the Hon. E. P. Middleton, a prominent attorney of I'rbana and now judge of the 43Q CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. court of common pleas, and was admitted to the bar December 7. 1893. In June, 1894, lie opened a law office in Saint Paris, Ohio. On the 6th of October, of the same year, he was nominated by the Republicans as their candidate for the office of prosecuting- attorney for Champaign county, receiving the nomination over five other candidates, and was elected on the 6th of November, following, receiving a plurality of twenty hundred and twenty-five votes over his competitors. On the 2nd of November, 1897, he was re-elected without opposition, receiving more votes than any other candidate on either county or state ticket. He made a good record in the office, vigorously prosecuting felonious and malicious criminals, but discouraging a waste of public funds in where there was no probability of securing conviction. In June, 1901, Governor George K. Nash appointed Mr. Deaton a member of the state hoard of pardons, commissioning him for a term of four years. Since January, 1895, he has been associated in the practice of law as a partner of George Waite and this firm has gained a large and desirable clientage, being regarded as one of the strongest law firms in the county. As a lawyer Mr. Deaton lias won a most enviable reputation. A student by nature, thorough and painstaking in all litigation, he is also pos- sessed of superior gifts of oratory and is a formidable adversary in the court roi .in. In 1898 Mr. Deaton wedded Miss Mabel West, an accomplished lady, who was reared in Champaign county, ami their home is celebrated lor its generous hospitality. Fraternally Mr. Deaton is connected with Champaign Lodge. F. & A. M., and the Junior Order of American Me- chanics. Politically he lias always been an enthusiastic Republican and his campaign addresses have been received with interest and in many- places have often carried conviction to the minds of his auditors. For six years he served as treasurer of the Champaign county Republicaw cutive committee and was its chairman during the political campaign CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 431 of 1901 and 1902. He has been the architect of his own fortunes. In early life he taught school and with the compensation thus received was enabled to further continue his own education and make preparation for entering the profession of law. With energy and determination lie has steadily advanced and for the gratifying success he has achieved de- serves no little praise. Of a generous nature, genial and agreeable he makes friends readily and is a most popular and honored resident of Urban a. (' \i.Kr. JONES, M. D. For many years an active factor in the professional life of Saint Paris and Champaign county, Dr. Jones has gained a wide reputation as a physician of skill and ability. He was born in Piqua, Ohio, June 2, 1851, and on the paternal side is of Welsh descent. His grandfather, Caleb Jones, was a blacksmith by trade, as was also his son. William \. The latter was a native of Ohio, and for many years was employed in making the irons for the locks on the Miami canal. He married Delilah (oats, whose father. David Coats, was a millwright and a mem- ber of the Quaker faith. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Jones was celebrated in 1850. and they became the parents of two children, and the daughter. Mary Ellen, is now the wife of Wallace Williams and resides in ( )bio Cit\ , Ohio. Caleb Jones, whose name introduces this review, received his early education in the common schools of his native comity, while later he enjoyed superior advantages in the Piqua high school and afterward received the Chautauqua course, in which he now holds a diploma. De- siring to enter the practice of medicine as a life occupation, he accord- ingly began study under the preceptorship of Dr. William Goodlove, 432 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. of M'ontra, Shelby enmity, Ohio, who continued as his instructor for three years, on the expiration of which period he attended lectures in the Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery, graduating therein in the class of [876. He began the practice of his chosen profession at Harper. Logan count}', and on the J 3th of February, 1877. he came to Saint Paris, where, in partnership with A. Musselman, he embarked in the drug business, the firm of Jones & Musselman succeeding that of Brown & Henderson. This relationship continued for a period of twelve years, after which Mr. Jones became associated with Dr. W. S. Cx, now deceased, in the drug business and the practice of medicine for rive year-, -nice which time the business has been carried on under the firm name of Jones & Hunt. In the year iqoo Dr. Jones was appointed United States pension examiner for Champaign county, and he is now president of the board. In October of the same year he was made president and medical director of Parkhurst Willow Bank Institute, of Saint Pari-. This institution was established December 1, 1900, by J. E. McMorran, M. L. Bull, AI. VV. Thomas, C. II. Darnell and C. Jones, the latter being the medical director in charge and president of the asso- ciation, lie abandoned a lucrative practice to give his undivided atten- tion to those seeking relief from alcoholic drinks. The sanitarium is a modern and commodious structure, well adapted to the purpose for which it was designed, and its appointments are all that could be de- sired In the building are large reception room-, a reading room, labora- tory and offices, in fact everything for the comfort of the patients, repro- ducing in a large measure the convenience- of home On tin- 25th of January. 1S7J, Dr. Jones was united in marriage t' Mi-- Sadie Morris, and they became the parents of three children, — Mamie. Xerxes and Foster. The wife and mother was called to the home beyond in October, [879, and in October. 1880. the Doctor mar- ried Mi-- Julia A. Goodin, the eldest of four daughters bom unto David CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 433 and Hattie A. Goodin. Six children have blessed the union of Dr. and Mrs. Jones, namely: Cecil V., < >asis < \., Caleb, Tracy. Inita and Lowell. The Republican party receive- the Doctor's support and co-operal and he has been elected president of all the Republican clubs organized in Saint Paris. He is a worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In his social relations he is past district deputy grand master of Saint Paris Lodge. Xo. 246, I. O. O. F. ; also past district deputy grand chancellor and past representative of Saint Paris Lodge, No. 344. K. of P.: past master of Pharos Lodge, No. 355. F. & A. M. ; and past patriarch of Russell Encampment. No. 141. Throughout the years which mark the period of Dr. Jones' professional career he has met with gratifying success and is recognized as one of the talented members of the profession in the state. He has always stood boldly forth as trie champion of progress, and his influence has been exerted at all times on the side of right and truth. Dr. Jones is the author of a volume entitled '"Drunkenness or Modern Ideas on the Liquor Habit," which ha- recently been issued. The volume consists of one hundred and sixty-four pages and has al- readv attracted a liberal sale. AZRO SMITH. The ancestors of Azro Smith a- far back as their history can be traced are noted for their sterling trail- of character. Thomas Smith, his paternal great-grandfather, was born in England, but between 1730 and 1740 crossed the Atlantic to the new world, locating in Hadlev, Massachusetts. His son. Sylvanus Smith, was a native of Connecticut, as was also the latter's second wife, whose maiden name was Amy 434 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Sprague, and they became the grandparents of our subject. Both passed away in their native state. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. probably serving with the Connecticut troops, in which he held the office of ensign. Sylvanus Smith, Jr., the father of our subject, was one of the two final settlers in Champaign county, the journey from Vermont to this state having been made in a one-horse wagon, and they arrived here in October, [816, after two months spent upon the road. He was accompanied by his brother Samuel and family. In the fall oi 1819 they took up land on the present site of Woodstock, where they erected cabins and there made their home until the following April. Sylvanus Smith proved himself a very useful man in that earl} day. and creditably filled the office of justice of the peace for thirty years, while for a longer period he filled the position of township treasurer, also holding other local offices. He was a well educated man for that day, was an excellent mathematician and grammarian and always kept in touch with progressive movements. On first coming to the county he purchased one hundred acres ol land, the purchase price being three hundred dollars, and later became the owner of one hundred acres ad- joining, for which he paid six hundred dollars, while still later a third tract of one hundred acres was added to the homestead, the latter c< I ing twelve hundred dollars. Both he and his wife were members of the Universalist church, thev having assisted in the organization of the church of that denomination in this county in 1840, but it was not until [844 that the first church edifice was built. In his early life he gave his political support to the Whig party, and after the organizatii n of the new Republican party became a supporter of it- principles. During the war ''I 1812 he served with the minute men from Vermont, partici- pating in the battle of Plattsburg, on Lake Champlain, and for his serv- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 435 ices received a month's pay forty years afterward, while later he was given, a land warrant for Kansas land. On the 2d of April. 1812, Mr. Smith married Thankful Kelsey, and one child. Hiram, was born to them before their journey to the Buckeye state, his birth occurring on the 2d of January, 1814. Mrs. Smith was a daughter of Giles and Elizabeth (Post) Kelsey, formerly of Xew Hampshire and later of Vermont. The father, who was a Revo- lutionary hero, subsequently made his way to Ohio and for a time made his home with his son-in-law. He now lies buried in the Trieles Creek burying ground. His three son. Josiah, Nathan and Stephen, came to Champaign county in an early day, and here they made their home for many years. Nathan and Josiah both died in Union county, Ohio, and Stephen was a soldier in the war of 1812, participating in the battle of Platlsburg. His death occurred in this county. Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Smith after their arrival in the Buckeye state, — Myron G.. Richard S., Lorena E., Samuel G.. Azro and Andrew J., but with the exception of Azro the family are all now deceased. Sylvanus Smith was called to his final rest on the 12th of July, 1872. at the age of eighty-four vears, eight months and twenty days. His wife. who was born June 29, 1791, at Newport, Connecticut, passed away December 24, 1876. Azro Smith was born in Champaign county, Ohio, August 20. i8_'S. and was reared amid the wild scenes of pioneer life. The education which he received in the common schools of the neighborhood was sup- plemented by a course of study in a select school at Woodstock, and later for one vear he was a student in Antioch College, but illness compelled him to abandon further study. In 1840, at the age of twenty years, he in entered the school room as an instructor, his first work along that line being in the public schools of DeWitt and McLean counties. Illinois, where he taught for three winter terms. Returning to his old home in 43& CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Champaign county in 1853, he here followed teaching during the winter months, while through the summer seasons he assisted in the work oi the farm, thus continuing until his marriage, which occurred on the 9th of March, [859, Miss Mary [nskeep becoming his wife. She is a daugh- ter of William and Kittura (Warner) [nskeep. After this event Mr. Smith abandoned the work of the school room to take up the duties of farm life, and from that time until a few years ago he was numbered among the leading agriculturists of Champaign county. In 1890 he removed to Humboldt county, towa, where he purchased two hundred and forty-five acres of land, and there made his home fur the following five years, on the expiration of which period he returned to his native county and has since lived in quiet retirement at Woodstock. He has ever 1 ccupied a front rank among the leading and progressive citizens of the community, and has been hundred with all the offices within the gift of his township, having served as its clerk, trustee, assessor and as a justice of the peace. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Smith has been blessed with seven children, namely: Lillian T., the wife of A. J. Harlan, of Lincoln county. Kansas: Arthur, who resides in Grant county, Minnesota; Ora A., als of that county; Lucy, the wife of E. C. Hudson, of Champaign county; Kitty, the wife of Charles Rice, of Bowling Green, Ohio; Edith, the wife of Clay McClurg, of Tiffin, Ohio; and Ethel, the wife of A. J. Greenwald, als.. of Bowling Green. Mrs. Smith is a member of the Uhiversalist church, and in his fraternal relations Mr. Smith is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Woodstock Lodge, Xo. if.-, which he joined in [853. Since the formation of the Republican part} he has stanchly upheld its principles, and during the * nil war, in [864, he enlisted for one hundred days' service in Com- pany I). One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Hi- services were principally in Virginia, where he was engaged in CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 437 picket duty m the vicinity of Petersburg. The regiment served twenty days over its term of enlistment, and was mustered out at Camp Chase, Columbus, on the 29th of August. 18(14. Mr. Smith leaving the ranks as a first lieutenant. After his return home he received a captain's commission in the Fourth Regiment. National Guards, with which he was identified both before and after his regular service. A few facts concerning the uncles of our subject will prove of interest. Justin lived in Vermont and had a large family, which is now scattered over the Union. Vann also lived in Vermont and reared a large family. Philip moved to Ohio in 1835, and died when over eighty years of age. Sam- uel is noticed in the sketch of Joseph Chamberlain in another part of this volume. Jesse was a soldier in the war of 1812 and afterward went in Michigan. Stillman was also a soldier in [812 and was killed by a cannon hall at Niagara. Lester was married in Vermont, came to Ohio in [828, reared a family and died when over seventy years of age. Dexter, the youngest, came to Ohio about 1830. reared a family and died in this state. ♦-•-* MASKELL E. MORGAN. Maskell E. Morgan, who resides in King's Creek. Salem township, was born on the 4th of February, 1830. in the township which is still his place of residence. His father. Edward L. Morgan, was horn in Ohio county. Virginia, and was a son of John Morgan, also a native oi that count}-, and. in the year 1813 came to Ohio, taking up his abode in Champaign county, where he was recognized as a leading and influ- ential citizen at an early date. He served as justice of the peace for many years and was celebrated for his impartiality and his fidelity to duty. He was of Scotch and Welsh descent. 43 « CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, Edward L. Morgan, the father of our subject, arrived in Cham- paign county in 1X13. He was then a young man and sought better business opportunities in the west than could be found in the old district in which he had been reared. In Salem township be entered land from the government, securing a tract in section 3. With characteristic en- erg) he began the development of a farm and as the year- passed the well tilled fields brought forth excellent crops. In politics he was prom- inent and was a recognized leader in public thought and action. Three times he was chosen to represent his district in the state legislature, and to each question which came up for settlement he gave his earnest consideration, casting his ballot in the way be thought best calculated to advance the interests of bis commonwealth. He left the impress of bis individuality upon the legislation enacted during his service and well does he deserve to be numbered among the men of prominence in the earh history of Ohio. He also served as associate judge in an early day. His political support was first given to the Whig party and upon it- dissolution he cast bis right of suffrage independently, and having" voted for Abraham Lincoln and every man who in his judgment was the best man. His death occurred when he was about eighty-three years of age. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Susan Earsom, was born in I lamp-hire county, Virginia, and there passed the days of girlhood. She came with her parents to Champaign county and was here married to Mr. Morgan. Her father, Simon Earsom!, was a native of the Old Domin- ion and in pioneer times became connected with the development of this portion of the Buckeye state. He was a farmer by occupation and was of German descent. I lis daughter. Mrs. Morgan, died in the fifty- ninth year of her age. By her marriage -he became the mother of eight children, five sons and three daughters, but our subject and In- brother are now the onlj ones living. Maskell E. Morgan was the eldest sun and second child in the CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 439 family. When about six years of age he began his education in a log school house in Salem township. It was a primitive structure, the light being admitted through greased paper windows, while the seats were made of slabs and the writing desks formed by placing a number of pins driven into the wall. His primary education, however, was sup- plemented by study in I'rbana and in Delaware. Ohio, ami be thus be- came a well informed man. being equipped for teaching. He entered upon that profession when twenty years of age and followed it during the winter months for about twenty-one years. During two winters he was employed as a teacher in the schools of Urbana. During the summer months he devoted his attention to farming and surveying. His father was a practical surveyor and had filled the office of county surveyor for a number of years, so that our subject was well drilled in this work. He became a practical and progressive representative of that department of labor and also had a broad and comprehensive knowledge of the sci- ence of surveying. On the 6th of March, 1861, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Morgan and Miss Sarah A. Powell, a native of Champaign county, and a daughter of Timothy and Margaret (Taylor) Powell. The former was a native of Kentucky and the latter of Virginia. They became earl_\- settlers of Champaign count}', taking up their abode in Salem township after their marriage. In their family were nine children, Mrs. Morgan being the eighth in order of birth. She was reared and educated in Champaign count}-. Our subject and bis bride began their domestic life upon the old home farm in Salem township, where they resided for thirty-nine years, during which time he devoted his energies ti agricultural pursuits, surveying and teaching, thus providing a com- fortable home for his family. Five children were born unto them, but Edward L. and Mary E. are now deceased. Eliza is the wile of bred 44 o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. M. Madden, of Salem township; Emma E. is the widow of Perry G. Ream and William E. married Alpha Williams. Mr. Morgan gives his political support to the Democracy and has been honored with a number of local offices, having served as trustee for seven years and as assessor for three years, while at the present time he is deputy county surveyor. He is also a prominent Mason, having attained to the Knight Templar degree, member of Raper Conrmandery, No. i'). and in his life exemplifies the beneficent spirit of the craft. His career has been a busy and useful one. He has promoted the intel- lectual activity in his count)' and in all departments of business with which he has been connected has shown himself to be thorough and trustworthy. CHARLES M. GANSON. I he history of Urbana would be incomplete without mention of the Hon. Charles H. Ganson, so inseparably has his life record been inter- woven with the annals of this municipality and of Champaign county. ! fonored and respected by all, he has long been a leader in public thought and opinion and his efforts have been of material benefit in the upbuild-' ing and progress of bis city. He was born here October 19, 1836, and is a son of William !l. and Anulette F. (Toxey) Ganson, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania, the former having been born in Chester the latter in Lancaster county. They were married in the Key- st One state and after about a year came to Ohio, making the journey overland. Taking up their abode in Urbana, they spent their remaining day> IK ac with tin- exception of a period of about four years durino- the boyhood of our subject, when they lived on a farm in this county. The father was at firsl engaged in agricultural pursuits and afterward CHARLES H. GAKSON. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 443 turned his attention to carriage manufacturing, which he followed for a numba of years. He next engaged in the livery business, in which he was succeeded by Mr. Ganson of this review. In his business under- takings he met with a fair degree of success. His political support was given the Democracy in ante-bellum days and later he joined the ranks of the Republican party. He held membership in the Reform Presbyterian church, to which his wife also belonged. Her death oc- curred in 184; and he passed away in 1881 at the venerable age of eighty years. In their family were five children: Charles H. ; William M., of Illinois: Benjamin F., of Urbana; Anna E. and Emma. With the exception of a short period spent upon the farm Charles 11. Ganson passed the days of his boyhood and youth in his native city. enjoyiug the privileges offered by the public-school system. When twenty years of age, however, he removed to Illinois and spent ten years in the west, there engaged in farming. On the expiration of that period he returned to Urbana and became his father's successor in the livery business, which he still continues, although his efforts have not been confined to one line, for he is a man of liberal business ability and his labors have been potent elements in the successful conduct of many industries and enterprises. In connection with his stable^ he has been for many years extensively engaged in buying and selling horses. For thirty years Major Thomas McConnell, now deceased, was his partner. He has freciuently been associated in his business under- takings with his brother, 13. E. Ganson. and such relations are now existing between them, being a member of the firm of C. H. Ganson & Company, and also of the firm of McConnell & Company, thus being interested in the ownership of two stables. He also has large and val- uable farming interests, owning and operating arable land in both Ohio and Illinois. He has a valuable farm of five hundred acres located twenty miles south of Peoria. Illinois, in one of the richest districts 23 444 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. o] that splendid agricultural state. He is also president of and a large stockholder in the Urbana Electric Light & Power Company. What- ever he undertakes he carries forward t<> successful completion, brook- ing no obstacles that can lie overcome by prudence and honorable effort and to-day he occupies a commanding position in business circles, not alone <>n account of hi- keen discernment and unfaltering industry, but ; Iso because of the honorable methods he has ever followed. In 1857 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Cans. in and Miss Jen- nie Rawalt, of Canton. Illinois, and their home has been blessed with two children: Emma audi Jonas Randolph. He is connected with the Masonic fraternity and the Knights of Pythias lodge, and is a con- sistent member and liberal contributor to the Swedenborgian church. 11C deep interest in agricultural affairs has long been manifested in helpful lines, and for twenty years he has been honored with the presi- dency of the Champaign County Agricultural Society, which has largely benefited by In- eff irts in it- behalf. He has also been president from the beginning — a period of ten years — of the Mad River & Miami Fair Circuit now composed of fourteen fairs. Along these lines he has done everything in hi- power to stimulate pride in agricultural and stock raising interests, and his labors have resulted largel) to the benefit of the fanner. In politics he C a pronounced Republican and no one 1 er question his position, for while lie is never bitterly aggressive he never fears to -late with clearness his belief. He has been honored with public office, including that of alderman, having keen a member of the cit) council of Urbana for live years, while for three years of that 1 he was its presiding officer, lii- record as mayor is unparalleled in the histon of the city, for through sixteen year- he ha.- been the chief executive of [Jrbana. He filled this office for some years and then after an interval of two years was again chosen and continued chiei executive until [898. when he retire 1 from office as he had CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 445 entered it, with the confidence and good will of all concerned. His administration has ever been practical and progressive, has brought many needed reforms ami improvements and he has ever exercised his official prerogatives for the benefit of the public and not for self-ag- grandizement. Over the record of bis public career and private life there tails no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil and justly does he deserve the confidence and respect which is uniformly accorded him. .-■ JAMES F. McILVAINE. Upon a farm in section 31, Salem township, resides James F. Mc- llvaine, who is a worthy representative of the great department of labor tji which George Washington said: "Agriculture is the most useful as well as the highest occupation of man." He was born in Salem township, on the 26th of April, 1845, ;mi ' comes of an old Kentucky family. His paternal grandfather, Samuel Mcllvaine, resided in the lllue Grass state and thinking to more rapidly acquire a competence he removed to Ohio, settling in Champaign county, about 1808. in the pio- neer epoch of its history. Here he entered land from the government, becoming the owner of a tract in Salem township, upon which not a furrow had been cultivated, but his unremitting diligence soon wrought a transformation and bis farm is to-day a valuable and productive one.' Moses Mcllvaine. the father of our subject, was bom in Kentucky, ami was a youth of nine summers when he accompanied bis parents to Ohio. He soon understood just what all the hardships and privation as well as the pleasures of pioneer life were, and he assisted in the arduous task of developing a new farm and continued to earn ■ w living. In the township of his nativity James F. Mcllvaine was reared and educated. At the usual age he entered the district school in a log build- in-, where the furnishings were primitive and the methods of instruc- tion almost equally so. He was' thus engaged until he had mastered the common branches of English learning. His training at farm labor, however, was not neglected, for he assisted in the cultivation and im- provement of the old homestead farm. In 1X72 he married Emma Donovan, a native of Franklin county, Ohio, and a daughter of Joseph and Harriel Donovan, who was reared in Franklin county. The young couple began their domestic life upon the old farm homestead and thence came to their present home in Salem township, where Mr. Mcllvaine is successfully carrying on agricultural pursuits, lie thoroughly understands farm work- in all its departments, giving his ttention to the crops best adapted to the climate, and his efforts have resulted in bringing to him a well merited prosperity, lie is one of the stockhi lders of the Farmers' Bank of West Liberty and also owns property in that town. I lis farm comprises one hundred and forty-two acres of land, and his attention to the cultivate n id' cereals best adapted CEXTEXXLIL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 447 in the climate, as well as his success in the raising of stuck, have brought him good returns. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Mcllvaine has been blessed with three children: Arthur Burleigh, who is cashier of the Farmers' Dank of West Liberty; Hattie, deceased, and Harry, at home. Mr. Mcllvaine exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Republican party and he is one of its leading representatives in the county. He has spent his entire life in Salem township, covering a period, of fifty-seven years, and his course has been honorable and straightforward, gaining for him the respect of all with whom he has been associated. He has placed his dependence upon industry, persever- ance and determination, seeking- no outside aid or influence and in his business career has steadily advanced from a humble financial position ti ■ i me of affluence. JOHN A. SEA/TON. For many years a representative agriculturist of Champaign count v. honored and respected in every class of societv, Mr. Seaton has long been a leader in thought and action in the public life of bis community. He was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, August 7. 1829. His father. William Seaton, was a native of the north of Ireland, and about [828 crossed the Atlantic to America, locating in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, where he followed his trade of a stone-mason for some time and afterward embarked in the mercantile business in Washington county, that state. In 1847 he took up his abode in Adams county, Ohio, ami there devoted bis attention to agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred at the age of sixty years. He gave his political support to the Democratic party, and religiously was a member of the 44 S CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. United Presbyterian church. In his native land he was united in mar- riage to Jane Patterson, also a native of the north of Ireland, and her death occurred at the age of forty years. This worthy couple were the parents of six children, five daughters and a son. hut the daughters are all deceased. John A. Seaton, the only -on in the above family, was hut one year old when he was taken by his parents to Washington county, Pennsyl- vania, ami there he remained until his seventeenth year, during which time he attended the public schools and assisted in his father's store. Accompanying his parents on their removal to Adams county, Ohio, he there remained until [853, and from that time until 1856 made his home in Champaign county. In the latter year he went to Illinois, and after spending a year in Hancock and other comities in that state returned to his parents' home in Adams county, Ohio. In 1861, at the outbreak of the Civil war. he nobly offered his services to the Union cause, and as a member of Company I, Thirty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. served as a loyal soldier for two years and ten months. During this period, he was sent to St. Louis. Missouri, where he remained for three weeks, when, under the command of General Fremont, he was ordered with his regiment to follow Price through Missouri. In the fall of [86] our subject became ill at Chillicothe, Missouri, and was ordered to the hospital at Ouincy, Illinois. When sufficiently recovered he was there made master of the convalescent ward, after which he was pro- moted to the position of acting steward, and in [863 received the ap- pointment of regimental hospital stew aid. serving in the last named ition until his discharge. In the city of Quincy. [llinois, in [863, he was married to Eliza Jane Wallace, but after a happy married life of only nine months she was called to her final rest. In [864 Mr. Seaton returned to Adams county. Ohio, where he was employed in a store lor a tune, .mil in [866 came to Champaign county. ( hi his arrival here CENTEX X 7. IL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 449 he located in Salem township, where he has ever since devoted his atten- tion to farming and stock-raising. In 18(16. in Champaign county, he was united in marriage to Sarah Stewart, born on King's creek, in Salem township, and a daughter of Mathew Stewart. Two sons were born of this union. — Mathew Stewart. who married Effie Pearce and makes his home with his father, and Charles William, at home. The wife and mother was called to the home beyond on the 1st of January, [902, when she had passed the age of three score years and ten. Throughout the years of his manhood Mr. Seaton has given an unfaltering support to the principles of the Repub- lican party, and on its ticket in 1893 was elected to the position of county infirmary director, continuing an incumbent in that office for six years. For a perit id of five years he served his township with efficiency as trus- tee, and one year before his term of office expired he resigned that posi- tion to again take up the duties of county infirmary director. He has also served as a school director for nine years. He maintains pleasant relations with his old army comrades of the blue by his membership with W. A. Brand Post, G. A. R., of Urbana. JAMES A. LEE. James A. Lee is a prominent, progressive and intelligent farm Mad River township, Champaign county, residing on section 14. He was born in this township. March 17. 1852. His father. William Lee. was a native of Berkeley county, Virginia, born March 25, 1810, and when only three years old was brought by his parents to Champaign county, lli- father. John Lee. was also a native of the Old Dominion, and in the year 1813 emigrated westward to Ohio, becoming one of the pioneer settlers of this portion of the state. He took up hi- abode 45o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. in the midst of the grown forest, where he developed an excellent farm, upon which he spent his remaining days. His remains were then in- terred in the old cemetery near the Children's Home north of Urbana. It was in Mad River township that William Lee was reared and edu- cated. He lost his father when only about six years old and his mother then came to this township, settling in the midst of the forest, upon a farm new owned by Le Roy Bowers. There she reared her four sons and one daughter, of win mi William Lee was the second in order of birth. Throughout his remaining days he was identified with agricult- ural interests in Mad River township and through seventy-five years he traveled life's journey an honored and respected man. After arriving at year.- of maturity he married Susanna Blose, who was hum in Vir- ginia and. with her parents came to Champaign county, the family set- tling in Mad River township during her early girlhood. Her father, Rim Blose, was born in \ irginia and in pioneer days became an active factor in the early development of tins portion of the state. I lis daugh- ter. Air- l.ee. died in her sixty-ninth year. By her marriage she had become the mother of fifteen children, six sons and nine daughters, all of whom reached years of maturity, with the exception of two sons that died in infancy. < >f the remainder only one had passed away before the death of the mother. James A. l.ee is the youngest son and twelfth child. He was reared in Mad River township and the district schools afforded him his educa- privileges, while his training at farm work was received in field and meadow. On the 2nd of February, 1881, was celebrated his mar- 1 ti Rachel R. Dredge, who was born in Springfield township. Clark county, Ohio, March 15. [858, her parents being John and Fran- ces (Wingert) Dredge, both of whom were natives ,,1' Pennsylvania, in which sime they were reared and married, coming thence to Clark county, ( )!uo. in the war [853. The father was a miller by occupation. JrLH.&z*J t CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 453 Airs. Lee was their fifth child and third daughter and in Clark county she was reared and educated, completing her studies in the high school at Lawrenceville, after which she engaged in teaching for about two years. The Lee home is one of the best residences in the township and was erected in 1890. It was planned and designed by our subject and is a monument to his architectural skill as well as to his business thrift. He has one hundred and six acre- of land under a high state of cultiva- tion ant! in connection with general farming is engaged in the manufac- ture of butter. Mr. and Airs. Lee have no children of their own. but have reared two children, who are now married and at the present time they have a boy living with them, Eugene Gudten. who will be taken care of by our subject. Wilber Falk, whom our subject reared, is now married to F. F. Cook. He also reared Elba Shrader, who married Samuel Edwards, and they .at present have no children. Mr. Lee gives his political support to the Democracy and has been a member of the school board for several years. His wife is a member of Brethren in Christ church and both are highly esteemed throughout the community, where their circle of friends is almost co-extensive with their circle of acquaintances. JOHN H. CLARE, M. D. A name inseparably associated with the highest development of medical science in Champaign county is that of John 11. Clark, who was born on a farm in Union township, this county, September 28, [829, and died in Mechanicsburg, the city for whose all around well being- he had so faithfully labored, in 1901. Stephen Clark, the father .if John II., was one of the very first white children born in Champaign county, whither his parent-. John 454 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. and Phcebe (Mintern) Clark, had removed from New Jersey at a very i .!! I- day. The family is of English descent, and the emigrating ancestor came to \merica long before the Revolutionary war. Stephen Clark a farmer by occupation, and spent his early life in Ohio, although he eventually removed to Illinois, and died there at the age of sixty-two years. He married Hannah Jones, also a native of Champaign county, and a daughter of Abraham and Mrs. i Howard) Jones, Quakers from Pennsylvania, and pioneers of this county. Of the children born to Stephen Clark and his wife, John H. was perhaps the most ambitious, his natural energy and aggressiveness being evinced on the home farm when he was yet a boy. He attended the public schools of his neigh- borhood, and later the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware. Ohio, and his professional training was received at the Starling Medical Col- lege, at Columbus, Ohio, from which he graduated in 1853. His first practice was undertaken at Mutual, in his native county, and in 1859 he located in 1 'ecatur, Illinois, removing two years later to his permanent home in VTechanicsburg. During the Civil war the Doctor served for three months on the United Stales Sanitary Commission, and from March 1. [874, until May of iS;f>, he was medical superintendent of the Asylum for the Insane at Dayton, Ohio. With the exception of these two absences Dr. Clark had been continuously associated with pro- fessional work in Mechanicsburg, and he arose to n truly enviable posi- tion as a physician and surgeon. He was ;i member of the Champaign County and Ohio State Medical Societies, as well as the American Medical Association, and was an occasional contributor to medical jour- nals. In [870 he was president of the County Medical Society. In political affiliation he was a Democrat, and he was a member of the Episcopal church. Fraternally he was associated with the Masons. In [852 Dr. (lark married Elenor, daughter of William Williams, a most estimable pioneei of Champaign count}-. .Mr. William- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 455. born in Maryland March 30, [Sio. a sun of John W. and Eleanor 1 De Vail ) Williams, natives of Maryland, and of Welsh and French descent respectively. In 183/j Mr. Williams married Ann Clegett, born in Maryland in 1S11, and sunn after their marriage the parents came to Champaign county, where the father engaged in mercantile business in Mechanicsburg with considerable success. His wife died in 1862, and In- second wife was formerly Elizabeth Boswell. Mr. Williams died in 1887. and his wife died a few years after. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and a stanch believer in Republican prin- ciples. The count}' contained no more honored or respected citizen. Mrs. Clark, who survives her husband, has one son living. William by name, who is now operating in the lead and zinc mines of Missouri. 1)r. Clark was president of the Farmers' Bank at Mechanicsburg For many years. — ■ — ■» ■ » CAPT. CHARLES WARREN GUY. Captain Charles W. Guy, a prominent representative of the busi- ness interests of Mechanicsburg and a member of the Farmers' Elevator Company, was born in Madison county, Ohio, November 8, 1843, anc ' ' s a son of William and Adelaide (Fullington) Guv. whose history will be found in the sketch of F. A. Guy in this volume. Our subject was reared to years of maturity in Pike township, Madison county, Ohio, and in its public schools he received the educational advantages which U was his privilege to enjoy in "his youth, while later he became a student in the Mechanicsburg high school and the Delaware University. When eighteen years of age. in [862, he voluntarily offered his service for three years to the Union cause, entering the army as a member of Company D, Sixty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He entered the ranks as a pri- 456 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. vale, but for meritorious conduct on the field of battle was soon pro- moted to the position of first sergeant, later was made first lieutenant of Company G, and subsequently became captain of Company K, serving in the latter capacity until his discharge from the service at the close of the struggle in 7865. During his military career he participated in the hard-fought battles oi the war in which his regiment took part. including those of Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Lookout Mountain, Mis- sionary Ridge, Ringold, Georgia, and was with Sherman on his cele- brated march to the sea. He was on duty continually from the time he entered the service until the struggle had passed, and during that rime, although he was ever in. the thickest of the light, he was never wounded or captured. He was ever found at his post of duty, loyally upholding the starry banner, and his war record is one of which he has every reason to he proud, having re-enlisted with the regiment in [864, thereby becoming a veteran soldier. Alter his return to the old homestead Mr. Guy at once resumed the labors of the farm, and is now the owner of his father's old homestead, which consists of two hundred and eighty acres, and he and his wife also own another tract of two hundred and twenty acres, which is the old Kennedv homestead. He continued to make his home in Pike township until [894, when he removed to Mechanicsburg and look charge of the Farmers' Elevator, of which he is now one of the stockholders and managers, and is also a stockholder and director in the Central Bank of Mechanicsburg. His reputation in all trade transactions is above question and to an unusual degree he enjoys the confidence and regard of those with whom lie has been brought in contact through busi- ness dealings. He is a close student of the questions and issue-, of the day. and his political support is given to the principles of the Republican party. While residing in Madison county he served for a time as a CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 457 justice of the peace, and also as trustee of Tike township. For two years' he served as president of the school board of Mechanicsburg. The marriage of Mr. Guy was celebrated in 1879. when Miss Florence E. Kennedy became his wife. She, too, is a native of .Madison county and is a daughter of John H. and Abigail (Mitchell) Kennedy, who were members of pioneer families and large land owners of that county. Mrs. Guv is the eldest of their three children, and the knowl- edge which she receive! in the public schools of her native county was supplemented by a course in the Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware, Ohio, where she enjoyed superior advantages. By her marriage to Mr. Guv she lias become the mother of two children, a son and a daughter. ! he elder. Earl \Y.. received his education in the Ohio State University at Columbus. Ohio, and is now assisting in the duties of the farm. The daughter. Irma Belle, is a graduate of the Mechanicsburg high school, of the Ohio Wesleyan University, of Delaware. ( >hio, and the Cincinnati School of Music. In his social relations Captain Guy is a member of the Stephen Baxter Tost. No. 88, of Mechanicsburg, of which he has been commander. He is also identified, with the Masonic fraternity, holding membership in the blue lodge, chapter and Raper Commandery of Urbana. He is a broad-minded, progressive man and a public-spirited citizen, and in all life's relations is found true to the duties of business and social life. ~»- MRS. HESTER WEST. Mrs. Hester West, one of the most highly esteemed residents of Jackson township. Champaign county, is the widow of William West. The We:-t family has been identified with the history of Champaign county almost since it; :ation. The great-grand father of William 458 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. West was governor of Maryland under the British crown, and the family is of English descent. The grandfather. Bye! West, was born in Alan- land, and was a soldier under "Washington throughout the peri' id of the Revolutionary war. He with three brothers served for seven years, and when they finally returned to their home they found that their parents had passed away in death. Stockwell West, the father, was born in Maryland in 1790, ami in tSoS he came with an uncle. Adamson Cow- hick, to Champaign county, Ohio, where they erected a small pole cabin at what is now Big Spring, on Honey creek, Jackson township. About 1K12 the family located on another branch of Honey creek. Air. W'est took the place of a younger brother in the war of iSij, in which he served as a private, and during that struggle he assisted in building Fort McCarty. In this neighborhood the Indians murdered three men, and Air. West assisted in their burial. He spent nearly his entire life in Jackson township, and cleared and improved the farm now owned b) a Air. McCarty and others. He was a well known and influential resident ot his locality, and long served as a superintendent and trustee of his township. His political support was given the Whig party, and on the place where he had so long resided he passed away in death on the 4th of July, [852, dying in the faith of the Baptist church, of which be was a worthy and consistent member and for a long period served as deacon of the Honey creek church. On the 30th of May, r8i6, in Jackson township, Stockwell West was united in marriage to Elizabeth Merritt, a native of Virginia and a daughter of John and Margaret (Stroup) Merritt. The latter was born in Germany, her father having been a burgomaster there, and she was a very handsome woman. When a child she was brought by her mother to America. John Merritt was born in Virginia, where he was a mem- ber <>f a prominent old family, and about iSto he came to Champaign county, ( Ihio, where he entered nine quarter sections of land in Jackson CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 459 township, which he afterward divided among his children, giving to each a quarter section and retaining the same aim unit for himself, lie was i of the oldest settlers of the locality, and his death occurred at the age oi ninety-two years. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Stockwell West located on the farm mi which Mrs. William West now resides, and there the father passed away at the age of sixty-two years, 1ml the mother reached the age of eighty-six years. This worthy couple became the parents of nine children, live sons and three daughters, namely: John, who died at the age of twenty-five years; William, who reached the good old age of eighty-four years; Sarah, who died at the age of twenty-four years; David, who passed away at the age of twenty-five years; James, deceased at the age 'if twenty-four years; Mary, who died at the early age of twenty-two years; Henry, a resident of Champaign county; and Jerry, the youngest •>!* the family. William West, the second son in the above family, was born in Jackson township, Champaign county, Ohio, Jul} - 13, [818, and in the place nf his birth lie spent his entire life. Throughout his active busi- ness career he Pillowed the tilling of the soil, and in his political views he was a Republican, having on its ticket been elected to many positions cl honor and trust. As a companion on the journey of life he chose Mi— Hester Grafton, who was also burn in Jackson township, Cham- paign county, November 18, [822. Her father. Ambrose Grafton, was a native of Virginia, and was one of the early pioneers of this county, lie. too, -was a farmer by occupation, and he lived to the age of seventy- nine years, lie married Elizabeth Kelley, also a native of the Old Dominion, but in her girlhood she was brought by her parents to ( Cham- paign county. They became the parents of thirteen children, of whom Mrs. West is the fourth in order of birth, and all were born in this county. In [848 Mrs. West gave her hand in marriage to William West, and they had three children. — John, who died at the age of live 460 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. vears; George W., a farmer of Jackson township; and Henry C. who makes his home with his mother. The mother of this family has now reached the age of eighty years, and she still resides on the old West homestead in Jackson township, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres, the work of which is carried on by her sons. Her many admirable qualities and social nature render her popular among a large circle of friends in Jackson township. Mr. West was called from the scenes of earth's activities in 1900, but his memory is still enshrined in the hearts; of his many friends. • « » AARON B. FUNK. For more than two-thirds of a century Aaron B. Funk has been a resident of Champaign county, and his memory forms a connecting link between the primitive past and the progressive present, for he has not only watched with interest the progress of others, showing the trend of civilization and improvement, but has borne his part in the work of advancement. He now resides in section 23, Salem township, and it was in this township that his birth occurred on the 8th of October, 1833. His father, Joel hunk, was a native of Maryland and was there reared, also spending a portion of his youth in Pennsylvania! The paternal grandfather, Jacob Funk, died in .Maryland or Pennsylvania. He was descended from one of the three brothers that came from Hol- land .11 a very early period in the history of this country and settled on the Atlantic coast. The father of our subject was married in Mary- land and there took up his abode, following the occupation of milling for some time, [n the year 1816 he arrived in < Hiio, coming to this state on a visit, bul being pleased with the prospect he returned to make it his permanent residence, in i8_'q. bringing his family. The journey o bd a to CO f IS) !> t3d W *! CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 463 was made l>v teams and they were twenty-nine days in crossing the country. He settled in Salem township, where he secured a trad of wild land and began the development of a farm, and as the year-, ad- vanced this 'land returned to him an excellent income. There his remain- ing days were spent and he departed this life in [861, at the age ol seventy-two years. He was a very prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, active in its work and a liberal contributor to its sup- port. He voted the Whig ticket until the organization of the Union party, when he became a Republican and continued one of its earnest supporters until his demise. He filled the office of justice of the peace and was a delegate to the Baltimore convention that nominated Hell and Everett in J 860. His interest in politics was deep and sincere and as all American citizens should do he kept well informed concerning the issues of the day. Fie married Elizabeth Kanaga, a native of Penn- sylvania, where she was reared and married. She was brought up in the faith of the Mennonite church, but became a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church. She lived to he about eighty-four year- 1 if age. Her father was Christopher Kanaga, who was of German lineage, and thus the blood of German and Holland ancestors flows in the vein- of our subject. His parents had a family of eight children, five of win mi readied adult age, three sons and two daughters, but only two of the number are now living, the sister being Mrs. Caroline Share, of Min- nesota. Mr. Funk, of this review, was the seventh child and fifth son and is the only representative of this family in the county. He was reared in his native township, pursuing his education in the log school house of the early days. He remained at home during the days of his youth, assisting in the cultivation and development of the home farm and thus his experience well fitted him to carry on agricultural pursuit- on his own account. 24 464 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. On ihe 13th of November, r86o, Mr. Funk was united in mar- riage to Sarah Russell, a native of Champaign county, who was born in Concord township January 31, 1836. Her parents were James and Julia (Mitchell) Russell. Her father was a native of Loudoun county. Virginia, and was about a year old when brought by his parents to Champaign county, Ohio, the former settling in Concord township. There he was married and made his home through most of his remaining days, but died in Salem township in 1807, at the ripe old age of eighty- five years. His wife reached even a more extreme old age, departing this life at the age of eighty-eight. In their family were nine children, of whom two are now living, Mrs. Funk and Mrs. Dellie Outran, who makes her home with her son in Salem township. Mrs. Funk was the second of the nine children and was reared in Concord township, the public schools of that locality furnishing her early educational privileges, and later she became a student in the school of Belle Fountain. Our subject and his wife began their domestic life upon the farm where they are still living. They have no children of their own, but have cared for some adopted children. Mr. Funk lias given his atten- tion to the conduct of his farm, which comprises one hundred and forty acres. He has also been engaged in the grain business, buying ami sell- ing grain to a considerable extent in connection with his farming opera- tions. His entire life has been passed in Salem township, with the exception of a period of seven years, during which time he was engaged in the grain and stock business in Urbana, when he rented bis farm. He is a stanch Republican, giving his unfaltering support to the prin- ciples of the party. As a member of the craft he belongs to King Creek Lodge, v. & A. M., which he joined at the time of its organization. He now has been a good Mason for forty-live years. For some years ■previous he was a member of the West Libert}- Lodge in Logan county. He is identified through membership relations with the Methodist Fpis- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 405 copal church at Kings Creek is serving as one of its board of trustees and is a most active worker in its behalf, doing all in his power to pro- mote its growth and extend its influence. Mr. Funk has led a useful and upright life and has gained the high regard of young and old. rich anil poor. He is a worthy representative of an honorable pioneer family and at all times his career has been such as to reflect credit upon an untarnished family name. Abner Riddle was a nephew of .Mrs. Elizabeth .Mitchell. Mtv Arom being a cousin a third removed. The kiddles were a very old and honored family of Mifflin county, Pennsylvania. -+■—+ JOHN R. MOODY. The life history of him whose name heads this sketch is closely identified with the history of Champaign county, which has been his home throughout nearly his entire life. His career has been one of untir- ing activity, has been crowned with a degree of success, and none more than he deserves a fitting recognition among the men in this section of the state. Mr. Moody was born in Mechanicshurg. Ohio, June 3, 1S4S, a son of Moses U. and Mariah (Guy) Moody, the former a native of New Hampshire and the latter of Canada. The father came with his par- ents t'> Champaign county in a very early day, ami the mother's people were also among the pioneers of this locality, ami both became prominent and successful school teachers, teaching in both Madison and Champaign counties. Their marriage was celebrated in Madison county, and they became the parents of five children, our subject being the second child and only son. The father was called to his final rest at the age of fifty- three years, but the mother reached the age of three score years and ten. The educational advantages which Mr. Moody, of this review, re- ceived in his youth were those afforded hv the district schools of Union 466 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. township, and after completing- his studies lie was for five years engaged in teaching in those same schools, while for one year he was employed in the school at Mutual. After his marriage he located on a farm in Union township, but after a time removed to Mechanicsburg. He car- ried on agricultural pursuits on the old home farm in Union township, there remaining- until the fall of 1891. when he removed to Schuyler county, Missouri. After a short residence there of two years he returned to the Buckeye state, locating on the farm which he now owns and occu- pies. His landed possessions now consist of one hundred and ninety acres, one hundred and fifty-seven of which are located in Union and the remainder in Goshen township. By close application and earnest labor he has worked his way steadily upward, until to-day he stands among the foremost representatives of agricultural interests in his section of the Buckeye state. In September. 1868, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Mo <1} and .Miss Serepta Bowen. She, too, is a native of Goshen township, Champaign county. Unto this union have been born four living chil- dren, as follows: Carl E., who is married and resides on a farm in Union township: Lula, the wife of Will Millice, a farmer of Goshen township; and Maggie and Laura, at home. In politics Mr. Moody is a stanch Republican and keeps well informed on the issues of the day. He has served his township as its trustee, and has ever taken an active interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of his locality. JOHN ENOCH. ]olm Enoch, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Red- stone Fort, near Uniontown, Pennsylvania, August 2, 1773, when the Indians had it under siege. At the age of twent) he was married to fo4 *&C&4?o^ CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 469 Miss Mary Tucker, of Elizabethtown, N T ew Jersey. In the fall of [797 he descended the Ohio river in a flat-bottomed boat, landing at Fort Washington, now the city of Cincinnati. He settled on a farm near Middletown, Butler county, Ohio. It was at this place that the subject of this biography was born, in the territory of Ohio, on the 12th of June. [802, in a Buckeye cabin. In 1808 Mr. Enoch moved to a farm near Franklin, Warren county. Ohio, and built mills there. In the fall of 1810 he moved to a farm five miles west of Springfield, < >hio, near a small town called Xew Boston, the birthplace of the famous Shawnee Indian chief, Tecumseh. In the fall of 181 .1 he moved to his estate, comprising three thousand acres, in the Mad river and Macachuk val- lies, to the place where General A. S. Pratt's mill stands. In that day very few advantages of civilization were enjoyed by the settlers in this 1' cality. Mr. Enoch sent his wheat to a mill on the site where the vil- lage of Kingston is situated, following an Indian trail, they being the only outlined paths in the country. The mill was operated by a Mr. Taylor. The prairie lues swept the country annually, destroying all vegetation. There was hut one habitation from Macachuk to Kingston, and that was a cabin occupied by a Mr. Smith. War was declared shortly after Mr. Enoch's arrival at Macachuk, which created great alarm among the settlers. Much of their property was pressed into the service and Mr. Enoch shared this misfortune largely with the other settlers. in tiie fall of 1813 he moved his family to Urbana, and resided in a two-story log house on the present site of Grace Methodist Episcopal church. In March. [814, he returned to .Macachuk. Tn 1815 he moved to the place where West Liberty is located and built a mill and resi deuce there, both of which are standing intact to-day. In 1N17 he gave the land and laid out the town, the plat being drawn by Thomas 1 hompson. Previous to Mr. Enoch's arrival at Macachuk a great many Indians resided in tin's part of the state, representing the Shawnee. Seneca 47° CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. and Wyandotte tribes. One of their towns was located on Mr. Enoch's estate, called Macachuk, situated a short distance from his home, on the site where Mr. Nash's residence stands. Wappafomica was sit- uated near the village of Zanesfield. These towns were deserted. when Mr. Enoch came to Macachuk. A mound is still distinguishable on Mr. Enoch's farm where the young warriors performed their athletic sports or tested the speed of their horses, while the older member- of the cribes sat on the mound to witness and pass judgment on their skill and dexterity. At the declaration of war the friendly Indians moved to the northern part of Ohio, making Upper Sandusky their nucleus. Mononcue was the head chief of the Wyandotte tribe. Be- tween-the-Logs and Jocco were other chiefs of the same tribe. The subject of this sketch told me he was personally acquainted with them and frequently met them when he visited Upper Sandusky. In 1833 he was a guest of Chief Jocco, who entertained him in the most hospitable man- ner. His residence was neat and comfortable in all of its appointments. In the evening before retiring he called all of his household together and offered up a most earnest and devout invocation to the "Great Spirit. Mr. Enoch was a lover of fine horses and owned several fine representa- tives of the race course. His son remarked to me that the first service he ever performed was to take stems out of corn blades to feed his father's race horse-. Mr. Enoch learned the trade of milling in his father's mill at West Liberty, and served a large patronage, many of them being Indians. In 1820 Air. Enoch cut the first road from Belle- fontaine to Fort Finley. In this undertaking his son aided him by carry- ing supplies and superintending the preparation of them for use. At this period Mr. Enoch's business career began under the espionage of his father, who sent him to the markets on the northern frontier with herds of heel' cattle to be disposed of by him at Monroe. Browns Town and Detroit, Michigan, to French and British traders. These journeys in- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 47 1 volved much danger and many hardships, but Mr. Enoch's undaunted courage and strong determination carried him through successfully. At one time he was obliged to cross his cattle at the head of Lake Erie i iver the ice a distance of seven miles. This was a hazardous venture, but he succeeded without harm. < in [uly 25, 1822, Mr. Enoch married Miss Elizabeth Kelly, a native of Augusta county. Virginia. She was born April 9. 1803. and was of German extraction, endowed with rare qualities of mind and heart. a woman of remarkable powers of administration, and one in whose character the Christian graces were beautifully illustrated all through her long, active and useful life. A short period after their marriage they established a permanent home on a tract of four hundred acres in the Macachuk valley, in Salem township. Champaign county. Here Mr. Enoch followed his chosen vocations of farming and st< >ck raising. By reason of his industry, keen foresight, strong purpose and unfalter- ing energy he became the possessor of one of the finest stock and grain farms in the state of Ohio, besides a desirable farm in Illinois. In the early period of his career he traveled extensively over the state- ol Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, buying herds of cattle and driving them to his home farms, where they were fed and grazed for the eastern mar- kets. Before the day of railroads Mr. Enoch drove several of his herds to the markets at Philadelphia and Xew York City. These journeys required a duration of over two months, leaving his home usually about the first of April and reaching their destination the middle of June. Air. Enoch followed his business of preparing some of the best herds of beef cattle that went from this part of the west to the eastern market- for over a half century. He was a fine judge of a bullock, and his judg- ment and opinions were sought after and had high standing during the whole of )n- long life given to this business. In conjunction with Gov- ernor Vance and other noted stockmen he was conspicuous in breeding 472 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Shorthorn cattle, and in encouraging the farmers to improve their stock. He was a lover of well-bred horses and owned many specimens of that class, and few men could handle a team with the skill or sit a saddle horse with the grace and elegance that Mr. Enoch could. At the age of eighty years a lady friend decorated his horse in the streets oi \\ esl Liberty with a wreath of beautiful flowers as an expression of her ad- miration of his high order of horsemanship. The subject of this sketch had natural fitness for other pursuits. His intelligence, high character, prominent and wide acquaintance, coupled with his great energy and hue social qualities, would have made him a favorite candidate for political honors in his part)-, but he shrank from such notoriety. He Look, however, an active part in political matters and did all that a liberal- minded, honorable man could to promote the welfare of his party. As a Whig he voted his first presidential ticket for John Ouincy Adams in iSj ). and continued to vote for Whig candidates until the dissolution of that party. He then became an enthusiastic member of the Repub- lican party, probably never allowing an election to pass without record- ing his vote during his long and active life. The same golden prin- ciple that distinguished him as a business man characterized him as a Christian and made him a sincere and reliable citizen in all the walks of life. Mr. Enoch's educational facilities were limited, but his strong common sense and keen powers of observation overcame this de- fed in a large degree and made him a most agreeable conversa- tionalist and fair scholar. He was of Welsh extraction and was said t-> bear a strong resemblance to that type. In personal ap- pearance John Enoch was tall and commanding, having a strong body, well organized in every way to endure the active outdoor life which In' led and which was not interrupted by any illness worthy of mention for a period of over three-quarters <>i a century. He was a man of courtly manners and warm friendships, and had a pleasant greet- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 473 ing for all he met. In his home a generous hospitality and warm wel- come was extended to all by himself and his amiable wife. The last twelve months of his life he was confined to his room by severe illness, with much suffering, which he bore patiently until the end, which came one peaceful Sabbath day, the 7th of July, 1SS9, when he passed over to where "the wicked cease to trouble, and the weary are at rest," clos- ing- a rood and useful life at the age of four score and seven rears. JOHN P. KNIGHT. We of this electrical twentieth century, with its strenuous energies and magnificent potentialities, can not afford to hold in light esteem the record of worthy lives and noble deeds, and it is duty for every man to be mindful of those of his ancestors who have wrought well in the days past. The subject of this review is one of the representative citi- zens of Urbana township, Champaign count)-, where he has spent the greater portion of his life, being now a retired farmer. His genealogy is such as to offer to him a source of just pride and gratification, and in this article a resume of the same will he given. John P. Knight traces Ins lineage back through three generations to Rev. John Corhly, the father of his great-grandmother, Priscilla (Cor- bly) Knight. Rev. John Corbly was born in England, in 1733. and, emigrating to America in his youth, be became identified with those early Christian pioneers who labored amid the dangers of a new country to establish the gospel. He first labored in Virginia, and here he was not only persecuted in divers ways for his preaching, hut was also thrown into jail. But the jail bars could not confine his missionary ambition nor restrain his zeal, for he preached from the jail to thousands who 474 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. were attracted by his native eloquence and unabated enthusiasm. i he violence of his persecution in Virginia finally becoming intolerable, he removed into southwestern Pennsylvania, which was then a veritable wilderness, and there he assisted his colaborers in the establishing of churches. This necessitated the dangerous task of traveling from place to place through forests infested by the treacherous Indians. On one Sunday morning he and his wife and five children started from their home at Grand Station, near Redstone Fort, to hold services at a meet- ing-house about one and one-half miles distant. Before they had reached their destination Mr. Corbly discovered that he had forgotten his hymn book, and returned to his home for the same, his family in the mean- while continuing on their way to the church. During the short period oi his absence his unprotected wife and five children were fired upon by Indians concealed in the woods, and all were shot except two daugh- ters, who were caught, scalped and left for dead. These two girls, named Elizabeth and Delilah, aged six and eight years respectively, were after- ward found and resuscitated, this tragic event occurring about the year 1788. John Corbly died about 1S15. having had a very successful min- istry, despite the obstacles that were imposed in his pathway. He was married three times. The wife thus killed was his second wife, and the five children were all born of. this marriage. His third wife sur- vived him and became the wife of Matthias Corwin, father of Hon. Thomas Corwin, the distinguished statesman of Ohio, who served as governor of the state, as United States senator and as secretary of the treasury. Of the two daughters who survived .the massacre. Elizabeth never married, while Delilah became the wife of Levi Martin, and they were the grandparents of Delilah Martin Knight, wife of Stephen Knight, win lived in Troy, Ohio, where his death occurred July 6. 1895, while she passed away in 1836. The lineage of John P. Knight, the subject of this sketch, thus goes CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 475 back to Priscilla Corbly, daughter of Rev. John Corbly and his first wife. His great-grandfather. William Knight, married Priscilla. and of their children we are enabled to incorporate the following data: John, who first married a Miss Wilson, and after her death a Miss Green; David, who married Patsey Clark; Elizabeth, who married Paul Fensler; Rachel, who married James Frazer; Jonathan, who married Catherine Tames: William C. who married Matilda Frizell ; Priscilla, who mar- ried General John Webb; Nancy, who married George W. Green; Mary, who married John Corry; and Delilah, who married Enoch, McFarland. William and Priscilla Knight lived at Redstone Fort, Pennsylvania, whence they eventually removed to Hamilton county, Ohio, this being at the period when General Wayne was here in conflict with the Indians. William Knight here died in 1815 or 1816. John F. Knight's grandparents in the agnatic line were Jonathan and Catherine (James) Knight, whose children were as follows: Will- iam D., who married Elizabeth Palmer, they being the parents of the immediate subject of this review; Stephen, who married Delilah Mar- tin; Paul, who married Charlotte Enseminger : Corbly. who married Catherine Rabb; Mary Ann, who married John Green; Elizabeth, who married Isaac Clyne; and Priscilla, who married George Clyde. Jona- than Knight died in Hamilton county in r&22, and after his death his widow and their six children were induced by William C. Knight, a brother of the deceased husband and father, to come to Miami county, where the children eventually all married and settled, except William I)., who removed to Champaign county in J 853, his sun John P.. the subject oi this sketch, being fourteen years of age at the time. Of the children 01 William D. and Elizabeth (Palmer) Knight .ve incorporate the following brief record: John P.. who married Jen- nie Rawlings; Wilford O.. who married Sallie McDonald, daughter of Hugh and Sarah McDonald, of Urbana; Stephen O, who was first mar- 476 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ried to Elizabeth Morgan, of Champaign. Illinois, and later to Jennie Doty, of the same place; Catherine, who married Ezekiel Sayres, of Miami enmity; Sidney, who remained unmarried; and Maggie, who died in August, 1879, at the age of twenty-three years. William D. Knight died in December, 1890, and his wife, Elizabeth (Palmer! Knight, still survives him, being in her eighty-second vear at the time of this writing ( May, 1902). She is a daughter of John and Margaret 1 1 lance) Palmer, the former of whom was born near Bristol, England, on the 19th of September. 1791, having been the eldest son of Robert and Hannah (Anthony) Palmer; his death occurred December 11. 1882. From the time of his father's removal from Miami to Champaign county, in 1853, John P. Knight has been a resident of Urbana town- ship. He began his independent career as a school teacher, giving incep- tion to his pedagogic endeavors at the age of nineteen years. He was considered to be very successful, holding at the close of his five years of service as a teacher the best certificate offered by the school examiners of Champaign county, and having risen to the position of principal of the Central-ward school in the city of Urbana. 1 '11 March 17, [864, he was united in marriage to Miss Jennie E. Rawlings, daughter of James and Susana (McRoberts) Rawlings, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this work, in connection with the sketch of their son Thomas. Soon after his marriage Air. Knight removed to the farm where he now lives, this being the homestead upon which Mi's. Knight's father settled in his early manhood, in 1829, mov- ing into a log house of those primitive times. Air. Knight has always been an exemplary citizen, standing ready at all times to lend his aid in fortifying ever) good cause, whether it be social, religious or political in its nature. He has never aspired to gain the honors or emoluments of public office ; nevertheless he ha- been a member of the board of edu- cation in Urbana township for a period of thirty years, being at the CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 477 present time the president of that body, lie was elected and served as decennial land appraisei for the township in 1900. John P. and Jennie R. Knight are the parents of four children. William J., the eldest, was educated at Oberlin College, where he com- pleted the classical course and was graduated as a member of the class of 1889. Soon after finishing his education he abandoned professional ambitions, on account of failing health, and settled on the home farm. Since regaining his health he has become a member of the firm called the Urbana Hardware & Supply Company, located at Urbana, Ohio, where he is doing a nice business. In 1899 he married Florence Dempcy, born December 29. 1864, daughter of Ezra L. and Lucretia (Pennington) Dempcy, and of this union one child has been born. — Paul Dempcy Knight. Edwin Stanton, the second son of John 1'. and Jennie R. Knight, is at present a resident of Chemulpo, Korea. Asia, where he is with the Oriental Consolidated Mining Company as superintendent of transportation. Though only a little past thirty years of age he has traveled over all parts of the United States. At the time when the Spanish-American war was precipitated he was a resident of the city of Chicago and enlisted in the First Illinois Infantry, with which he proceeded to Cuba, having been on the fighting line at Santiago when the city capitulated. Harley E., the third son, born January iS, 1872, married, in his twentieth year, Fannie Clark and settled on the home farm. The}' are the parents of three promising children. — Stella. Harold and Ruth. Earl R., the youngest son, born April 30, 1876, was educated at Purdue University, at Lafayette. Indiana, where he com- pleted the course in electrical engineering and was graduated in 1899. He has since been incumbent of two good positions, being at the present time employed as assistant chief draftsman with the Bullock Electrical Manufacturing Company at Cincinnati. He i- not married. John P. Knight, though a retired farmer, still remains on the farm 478 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. which has been the family homestead for three-quarters of a century. He has taken great pride in improving it with excellent buildings and all the modern conveniences pertaining to the business of agriculture. CLARENCE M. McLAUGHLIN, M. D. The father of the subject of this review was numbered among the pioneer physicians and surgeons of Champaign county and attained dis- tinct prestige in his profession, while he was honored as one of the ster- ling citizens of the county, devoting his life unreservedly to relieving suffering and distress and gaining the affection of an exceptionally wide circle of friends. He maintained his home in Westville and was here engaged in active practice for mofe than thirty years, and it is most consonant that the work which he laid down after the years of earnest toil and endeavor should be taken up by his son, who is one of the rep- resentative young medical practitioners of the count}- and who figures as the immediate subject of this brief sketch. Dr. Clarence M. Mc- Laughlin was born in Westville. where he now maintains his home, the date nf his nativity having been August 19, 18O4. He is a son of Dr. Richard R. McLaughlin, who was born in Clark county, this ^tate, and who was reared on a farm in Green county, Wisconsin, whither his par- ents removed from Indiana, where they had lived for about six years. When lie was a child of about ten years, and after attending the com- mon schools of the period and place, he began reading medicine under the preceptorage of his uncle and thus prepared himself for the active work of his profession, and began the practice in Illinois, and then in Wisconsin. In r86l he established himself in the practice of medicine in Westville, and here he continued his zealous and beneficent labors until his death, in the year 1S91, representing a period of thirty-three years, lie was one of the leading physicians of the count}- and his practice extended over a vide radius of country and implied the endur- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 479 aiice of many hardships, but he never refused to go to the bedside of the suffering-, no matter how distant or how tempestuous the weather or dark the night or seemingly impassable the road. The old time "country doctors" should be held in grateful memory for all time, for their lives were self-abnegating and selfishness was foreign to their natures in the average case. The senior Dr. McLaughlin was a member of the Cham- paign County Medical Society and one of its organizers, while he ever commanded the confidence and high regard of his professional confreres. His religious faith was that of the Universalis! church, and he was one of the charter members of the church in Westville. ever taking a deep interest in its work and in all that conserved the welfare of his fellow- men. He was a prominent temperance worker, and in this line made many able speeches throughout the county. He married Charlotte S. Wilson, who was born in Champaign count}-, the daughter of Kevin C. Wilson, who was one of the pioneers of this county, whither he is supposed to have emigrated from Virginia. Mrs. McLaughlin survives her honored husband and makes her home with her son, the subject of this review. She became the mother of two sons and three daughters, i ne of the daughters dying at the age of two years. Of the other chil- dren we enter brief record as follows: Minnie C. became the wife of Charles D. Ogden. of Columbus, Ohio, where she died on the 8th of July, 1900: Rev. Ira W. is a clergyman of the Universalist church and is now residing in North Hatley, Quebec, Canada; Clarence M. is the subject of this sketch; and Lottie J. is the wife of Richard K. Fox, a photographer ot Dayton, this state. Dr. Clarence M. McLaughlin received his preliminary education in the public schools of Westville and thereafter continued his literary studies in the Urbana University. In fortifying himself for the work of his chosen profession he was matriculated in Starling Medical ( ol- lege, at Columbus, where he completed a thorough technical course in medicine and sureerv and was graduated as a member of the class of 4 So CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 1886, receiving his coveted degree of Doctor of Medicine. He forth- with became associated with his father in practice, and this professional alliance continued until the death of the latter, since which time our subject has carried forward the work individually, his unmistakable ability and the prestige of the name having enabled him to build up a large and representative practice, while he enjoys marked popularity and esteem in the community where practically his entire life has been spent. The Doctor is the owner of a tine farm of one hundred and sixty-seven acres in Mad River township, and here he devotes special attention to the raising of thoroughbred Jersey cattle, his farm having a high reputa- tion in this line, while he takes great interest in the same. He is a mem- ber ol the Champaign County Medical Society and of the Universalist church, while fraternally he is identified with Harmony Lodge, No. 8, V F. & A. M.; Urbana Chapter, No. 34. R. A. M.. at Urbana; with Magrew Lodge, No. 433. Knights of Pythias, and with the Junior Ordei of United American Mechanics, in Urbana. He is a Democrat in his political proclivities, but in local affairs maintains an independent atti- tude, giving his support to men and measures rather than being guided by strict partisan lines. On the 1st of September, 1897, Dr. McLaughlin was united in mar- riage to Miss Nellie E. Denny, the daughter of Dennis and Sally (Nichols) Denny, natives respectively of Logan and Champaign coun- ties, Obi", and now residents of Logan countv. SAMUEL L. P. STONE. In this age of colossal enterprise and marked intellectual energy the prominent and successful men in any community are those whose abil- ities, persistence and courage lead them into undertakings of large scope, and to assume the responsibilities and labors of leaders in their respective CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 483 vocations. Success is methodical anil consecutive, — the result of the determined application of one's abilities and powers along the rigidly defined line of labor. Prominent among the progressive and representa- tive business men of the city of Urbana is numbered Mr. Stone, who stands at the head of the extensive hardware house conducted under the firm name of Stone Brothers and who has been consecutively identified with this enterprise for more than a quarter of a century, the interest if his deceased brother, the lace Ferdinand F. Stone, being still retained n the business, which involves both wholesale and retail operations and hich is one of the most important of the sort in central Ohio. Inde- fatigable, honorable and well directed industry has been the conservator of the marked success which has attended the efforts of our subject, and he has long been a factor in the commercial and civic life of Ur- bana, where he commands unequivocal confidence and esteem, by reason of his sterling manhood and useful life. Samuel Lukins Pigeon Stone is a native of the Old Dominion, having been born in Hampshire county, Virginia, on the 24th of July, 183S, the son of Ferdinand and Mary (Pigeon) Stone, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania, of German lineage, and the latter in Lynchburg, Virginia, her ancestral line tracing back to English origin, while both were birthright members of that gentle and noble religious sect, the Society of Friends. They became the parents of five children, namely: John H. P., a prominent citizen of Urbana; Joseph S., who was a leading physician of Denver, Colorado, and who is now deceased; Sarah E., who died at the age of eight years; Ferdinand Fairfax, who was associated with our subject in business and who died in 1898; and .Samuel L. P., to whom this sketch is dedicated. The father was born in 1803 and died in Urbana in 1874, his widow, who was born in 1S04, passing away in 1884. They came to Urbana in July, 1K5S, and here passed the remainder of their lives, the father having been engaged in 25 484 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, the milling business here during the entire period of his residence. He was a Democrat in his political proclivities, and his religious faith was that of the Lutheran church, while his wife, though a Quaker by birth. became a devoted member of the Presbyterian church. Samuel L. P. Stone was a youth of nineteen years when the family came to Urbana, ami his educational discipline involved the curriculum cf the public schools of the da}-, and this was effectively supplemented by a course of stud;,- in Edwards College, at Piedmont, Virginia, where he was graduated prior to his coming to Ohio. He learned the milling tra le under the effective direction of his father, being connected with the enterprise in Urbana for four years, at the expiration of which he here engaged in the grocery business, under the firm name of Stone & O'Con- nor, thus continuing one year, after which he individually continued in the same line of enterprise for the ensuing decade, from [862 to [872, in which latter year was given inception to the important busines- of which he is now the head. Pie was associated with his brother Ferdinand in the establishing of a hardware business, under the firm name of Stone Brothers, which has ever since been maintained, the enterprise being capably managed and expanding in scope and importance with the development of the city and county. It is now one of the best equipped concerns ol the sort in this section of the state and the business has extensive ramifications, being both wholesale and retail in character and implying the handling of a most complete and comprehensive stock. including- heavy and shell hardware. gla>>. paints and oils, builders' supplies, implements, glass, etc. The commodious headquarters arc mosl eligibly located al 107 North Alain street, where three stories of a sub- stantial business block are utilized, and also a two-storj warehouse, giv- ing an aggregate floor space of sixty-one thousand square feet, from which statement may be gleaned an idea as to the stock carried. As has been we!' said of Mr. Stone, lie "has during his active business CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 485 career won a measure of popularity, confidence and respect in Urbana that is second to that of no other member of the commercial circles of this progressive city." He has other important local interests aside from that already menti med, being a member of the directorate of the Citi- zens' National Bank: treasurer of the Perpetual Building & Loan Asso- ciation, of which he was one of the organizers; and is treasurer of the Urbana Art Ice Company. Ever alive to the duties of citizenship, and maintaining a distinctive interest in all that concerns the progress and material prosperity of his home city, Mr. Stone is known as a thoroughly generous and public- spirited citizen. He gives an uncompromising allegiance to the Dem- ocratic party and lias been an active advocate of its cause. He was appointed postmaster of Urbana during Cleveland's first administration and served in that capacity for nearly five years, doing much to promote the efficiency of service and giving an able administration of the affairs i if the office. In the spring of TQ02 Mr. Stone received the Democratic nomination for mayor of Urbana and was elected by a majority of sixty- three votes, and when we revert to the fact that the average Republican majority in the city is about four hundred votes, the significance of Mr. Stone's election becomes the more pronounced and indicates the strong hold lie has upon popular confidence and esteem in his home city. During the war of the Rebellion Mr. Stone was a member of Com- pany A, of the Ohio Home Guards, with which, he continued to he iden- tified for a period of five years, Ins company having heen in active service at the time of Morgan's memorable raid. Fraternally he is prominently identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, holding member- ship in both the lodge and encampment and having represented the same in the respective grand bodies of the order in the state, while he is al- i a member of the lodge and uniform rank of the Knights of Pythias. On the 27th of September, 1871, Mr. Stone was united in marriage 4 86 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. to Miss Julia F. Geiger. daughter of the late Judge Levi Geiger. one of Urbana's distinguished citizens, and they have four children living- Ida May. the wife of George McConnell. of Urbana; Levi G. and Ferdinand F., who remain at the parental home, being able assistants in ihe store of their father; and S. L. P., Jr. WILLIAM CKOWL. Prominently identified with the agricultural interests of Champaign county is William Growl, who was born in Washington, D. C., July 19, 1819. His father, Jacob Growl, was a native of the same city, and there spent his entire life. He was married in the capital city to Miss Alary Paine, who was born and reared in Maryland, and about 1853 she came to Champaign county, Ohio, where she spent the remainder of her life. This union was blessed with three children. — William, de- ceased; William, of this review; and Lizzy, also deceased. All were born in Maryland. William Growl became a resident of this county in 1848, when twenty-eight years of age, spending the first year here in Urbana, on the expiration of which period he purchased seventy-nine acres of land in Harrison township, where he cleared and improved a good farm. Four vears later he sold his possessions there and in 1854 purchased the place which he now owns. He has followed the tilling of the soil as a life- occupation, and in this line of endeavor has met with a high and well led degree of success. He has been identified with the interest of this locality since early pioneer days, and throughout his long ami active er has enjoyed the confidence and high regard of all with whom business dealings have brought him in contact. The Republican CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 487 party receives his active support and co-operation, and for a number of years he served his township in the capacity of trustee. Mr. Crowl was first married in Virginia, to Miss Barbara Bare, who was born in that state, and for his second wife lie chose Ruth Chue. She, too, was born and reared in that state. He was afterward married to Elizabeth Twadell, a native daughter of Champaign county, and toi his fourth wife he chose Ann McCoy. She was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and was there reared and educated. His present wife bore the maiden name of Margaret Jane Pitz. She, too, was born in Champaign county, and m its district schools she received her educa- tion. Her father. Andrew Pitz. was a native of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. About 1831 he came to Champaign county, Ohio, locat- ing on a farm in Harrison township. Prior to his removal to this state he was married to Mary Ann Yancey, a native of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. They became the parents of seven children, two sons and five daughters, and Mrs. Crowl was their sixth child in order of birth. The union of our subject and wife has been blessed with ten children, but the first born died in infancy. The others are: Ann Heland, John W., Denton. Joe. Joseph. Samuel. Mary E., Elizabeth M. and Allen D. Two of the sons, Joe and Jashwa. are also deceased.. The family are members of the Presbyterian church at Spring Hill. Mrs. Cmwl has been a member about fifty years, while Mr. Crowl is not a member, he has always lent his support to the church since its organization. Mrs. Crowd's youngest brother. Andrew J., enlisted in December. 1861, at the age of eighteen years, in the Sixty-sixth Regi- ment. Company G, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and gallantly served his country unto the end of the war. He participated with his regiment in the following engagements: Port Republic, June 9, 1862: Cedar Mountain. August 9, 1862: Antietam. September 7. 1802: Dumpries, De- cember 27, 1862; Kelley's Ford. July 20. 1863: Lookout Mountain, Xo- 4 SS CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. vember 24, 1863; .Mission Ridge, Georgia, November 25, [863; Kin- gold, Georgia, November 27, 1863: Mill Creek Gap. May 4, 1864; Re- saca, May 15, 1864: Cassville, May .20, 1864; Dallas, May 24 to June 2, 1864; Tine Hill, June 15 to 17. 1864; Noon Day Creek. June 19, 1864; Bald Knob, June 27, 1864; Mannette Pike, June 30. 1864 ; Peach Tree Creek. July 20, 1864; siege of Atlanta, July 27 to September 4. 1864; siege and capture of Savanna, Deceinber n to 21, 1864; then Raleigh, North Carolina, January 2j to April 14, 1865. lie was wounded at Cedar Mountain August Pickaway count}-. Ohio, where he was among the early pioneers. Three years later, in [806, he took up his abode in Salem township, Champaign county, where he secured about seven hundred acres of land near Kings Creek, and there his death oc- i mred when he had passed the Psalmist's span of three score vears and ten. He was numbered among the early pioneers and leading citizens MRS. HULDAH THOMAS. A .H» WILLIAM THOMAS. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 491 oi Champaign county. In an early day lie gave his political support to the Whig party and after the organization of the Republican party became an active worker in its ranks, for thirty-live years holding the position of justice of the peace. He was a brave and loyal soldier in the war of 1812. The mother of our subject, who bore the maiden name of Mary Morris, was horn, reared and educated in Pickaway county, Ohio, and her death occurred in Salem township. Champaign county. The mar- riage of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas was blessed with twelve children, six of whom grew to mature years, but only two of the number are now living, our subject and his brother Josephus. William V. died in West Liberty, Logan county. Ohio, when over ninety years of age; Ezekiel died in Fillmore county, Minnesota, when past his eighty-fourth year; Samuel died when forty-five years of age; Nancy Stokes, reached the age of forty-five years ; and Susan died at the age of thirty years. The father of these children was twice married, and for his second wife he chose Polly (Johnson) Blair, who bore him six children, but three of the num- ber died when young and only one is now living, 1. B., whose sketch will lie found on another page of this volume. William Thomas, whose name introduces this review, was reared near the head waters of Kings creek, in Salem township, and he received his education in the log school-house of the neighborhood. Assisting his father in the work of the home farm until his marriage, he then located on the place on which he now lives in Wayne township, and here has made his home for fifty-two years, .luring which time he has devoted his time to farming and stockraising with success. His homestead now contains one hundred and forty acres of rich and fertile land, all of which lie has placed under a fine state of cultivation. As the years passed by prosperity has rewarded his efforts and he is now enabled to live in quiet retirement, in the enjoyment of the fruits of former toil. Since attaining to years of maturity he has been active in the ranks of the Republican 492 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. party, and the first office which he ever held was that of justice of the peace, remaining- therein for twenty-one years, while for six years he was a notary public. During the Civil war he was an incumbent of the office of township trustee, was county commissioner for one term, and during the earlier years was often solicited to settle estates. He is a charter member of Cable Lodge. No. 395, I. O. O. F., with which he has been identified since 1872, and is very active in the work of the order. In March, 1841. was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Thomas and .Miss I -lull lab Downs. She is a native of Salem township. Champaign county, and a daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Thomas) Downs, early pioneers of this county. Mrs. Thomas was called to her final rest in 1893, when she had reached the age of seventy-two years, and their only child died in infancy. For fifty-two years Mr. and Mrs. Thomas traveled life's journey together, their mutual love and confidence increas- ing' as the years passed by. For eighty-one years Mr. Thomas has lived and labored among the people of Champaign count}', and throughout this long period has been closely connected with the progress and advance- ment of this section. •» » » JOHN H. THOMAS. One of the best known and most generally loved citizens of Cham- paign county was John H. Thomas, whose life was almost entirely passed in this section. Though he has passed to his reward, the influence of his conscientious, just career, his kindly, generous heart and sym- pathetic manner abides. He was born in Rockbridge count}-, Virginia, August 6, [823, but when a lad of six or seven years came with his par- ents to Ohio, the family locating four miles east of Addison, in Jackson township. He was a son of John and Barbara ( Hamest) Thomas, also CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 493 natives of the Old Dominion, where they were married, and on the land on which they located after coming to the Buckeye state they spent the remainder of their lives. Both were earnest Christian people, the father a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and the mother of the Baptist chinch. John H. Thomas, of this review, received but a common-school edu- cation, and until his twentieth year remained at home and assisted his father in the farm work. At that time he removed to Christians! nir-\ where he learned the tanner's trade, carrying on that occupation for a number of years in connection with stock dealing. He was also suc- cessfully engaged in the manufacture of tile for a long period, and in these various occupations his well directed efforts were abundantly re- warded. Early recognizing the fact that industry is the key which unlocks the portals of success, he found the reward of earnest labor and his prosperity was well merited. Me was also recognized as a progres- sive, public-spirited citizen, true to every duty devolving upon him, and his political support was given to the Republican party, but he was never a seeker after public preferment. Mr. Thomas was twice married, first in 1847, to Elizabeth Grafton. and she bore him two children,— Virginia, now Mrs. Ruffner. of Illi- nois, and William, deceased. The wife and mother was called to her final rest in 185 1. and two years later the father was again married. Miss Minerva J. Ross becoming his wife. Her father, Levi Ross, was born in Rockbridge county. Virginia, in 1792. was a soldier of the war of 181 2. stationed at Harper's Ferry, and was there married to Miss Mary Ruffner. In icX.27 they came to Champaign county. Ohio, locat- ing on the present site of Addison, and there they spent the remainder ol their lives. In early life the father was a mechanic, but after his marriage gave his attention to agricultural pursuits. Unto Mr. and Mr-. Ross were horn nine children, as follows: Martha A., Minerva J., 494 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Mary C, Marion A., Melvina E., Marine R., Morgan L., Margaret E. and Maria L. In 1861 the son Marion A. enlisted 'for service in the Civil war, becoming a member of Company A, Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, as a private from Antioch College. On one occasion he was made a member of a squad of twenty-three, known as the celebrated Mitchell raiders,' who, under Captain Andrews, were detailed to capture a train at Big Shanty, Georgia. The detachment, however, was taken by the enemy, and late in the following April was confined in the Chat- tanooga prison for a time, after which they were taken to Atlanta, and, there, with six others, he was executed on the 21st of June. He was a young man of exceptional promise, brave as a lion and a true and noble soldier. The last words which he sent to his people were: "I did it fi ir my country, and regret it not." Levi Ross was a charter member of Mount Olivet Lodge, F. & A. M., of which he was the first master. His death occurred in 1865, and his wife passed away in 1863. By his second marriage Mr. Thomas became the father of two chil- dren, — John M., who is connected with the Columbus Buggy Company, and makes his home in Columbus, and Estella, who became Mrs. Means, and is now deceased. Mr. Thomas was also a charter member of Mount OHvet Lodge, F. & A. M., which he joined more than fifty years ago, and attained to the Royal Arch degree. For many years he was also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, but withdrew his membership from that fraternity. On the 18th of January, 1866, he was converted to the Christian faith and joined the Missionary Baptist church, and from that time until the close of his earthly career he im- proved every opportunity to better the spiritual and moral conditions of his fellow men. His enthusiasm for the cause of his Master never flagged, although at times the way appeared dark and uncertain, and he made the Golden Rule the text of his life, thus becoming a tower of strength in his community. For some years he served as superintendent CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 495 of the Sunday-school, and was active in whatever line of work fell to his lot. He was a good citizen, a loyal neighbor, an affectionate and devoted husband and father and throughout ids entire Christian life was unsur- n issed in his free distribution of the '"good seed" which when springing up grows into everlasting life. He passed away January 25, 1902. but in the hearts of his friends are enshrined many pleasant memories of him, and his influence for good remains with those who knew him. SILAS JOHNSOX. Success has been worthily attained by Silas Johnson, who is to-day accounted one of the prosperous farmers of Champaign county. To his energv, enterprise, careful management and keen discrimination this is attributable. He was born in Goshen township, this county, on the 17th of April. 1846. His father. John Johnson, settled in Champaign county when a young man. but subsequently removed to Madison county, Ohio, where he was married to Martha Rafferty, a native of Kentucky, and she was there reared and educated, coining to this county in middle life. Her parents were also natives of that commonwealth, and her grandfather was a soldier in the war of 1812. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were born five children. — Silas, Molly, Virginia, Clinton and John, all of whom were born in Champaign county, but all but the two eldest are now deceased. The father gave his political support to the Whig party, and his death occurred in 1855. Silas Johnson, of this review, removed to Madison county. Ohio, when about five years of age, and there attended school for one ten", returning thence with his father to Champaign county. He completed his education in the schools of Northville, putting aside his text-books 496 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. at the age of fifteen years, and enlisted in Company P.. One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Regiment, National Guards, on the 18th day of Jan- uary. 1863, being discharged April 29, 1864. Returning to the old home farm, he was there engaged in agricultural pursuits until the spring of 1873, when he removed to the farm on which he new resides, the place then consisting of one hundred and seventy-two acres of timber land. He immediately began the arduous task of clearing and improving his farm, anil as time passed not only improved the place but has added to its boundaries until he is now the owner of a valuable home- stead of two hundred and eighty-five acres, all of which is under culti- vation. He has given special attention to the raising of cattle, horses and hogs, and in former years was also engaged in the raising of sheep. Energy is one of his most marked characteristics, and he prosecutes his labors with a zeal that has brought him rich returns. Substantial build- ings, the latest improved machinery, well kept fences and good grades of stock. — these are among the accessories of the Johnson farm. On the nth of June, 1867. in Champaign county, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Johnson and Miss Sarah Weidman, who was born in this county and has here spent her entire life with the exception of a short period when she was a resident of Marshall county. Illinois. Her father. Abram Weidman. was a native of Virginia, but when about twenty years of age came to Champaign county, where he was numbered among the early pioneers. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Emily Dewev, was a native of Pennsylvania, and was there reared and educated. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Weidman was celebrated in Champaign county, and they became the parents of eight children, four soiis and four daughters: James. William, Mary, Sarah, Martha. Sam- uel. Fannie and Frank, all born in this county. Mr. Weidman gave his political support to the Democracy, and was an active worker for his party. Unto the union of our subject and wife have been born seven CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 497 children, namely: Anna, who became the wife of Joseph Hewlings, and both are now deceased ; Frank, also deceased ; Frederick, a farmer of Harrison township, Champaign county; and Leila, Charles. Emma and Ralph, at home. In his political views Mr. Johnson is an independ- ent Democrat, and on that ticket has been elected to many public posi- tions, for several years holding the office of township trustee, and is now occupying the position of ditch superintendent. He is a member of the Wesley Chapel Methodist church, of which he has served as a deacon for some time. Almost his entire life has been passed in Cham- paign county, and he has a wide acquaintance among her best citizens, manv of whom are included within the circle of his friends. CHARLES LAUPPE. From the biography of every man may be gleaned lessons of genuine value, and the life of Charles Lauppe has been marked by all that goes t" make up useful and upright manhood, while he has attained success through legitimate and well directed effort, being now numbered among the representative business men of the thriving city of Urbana, where he has passed the greater portion of his life and where he is engaged in the saddlery and horse-collar business, as a manufacturer and retail dealer. Air. Lauppe traces his lineage back to stanch old German stock, and from this source has been derived an element of the best citizenship in our great American republic, — one ever appreciative of practical values nid one which stands for unswerving integrity, industry, enterprise and sterling worth. Mr. Lauppe is a native of the city of Newark, New Jersey, where he was horn on the 2d of September. [838, being the son of Charles and Sarah Lauppe. both of whom were born in Germany. 495 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. In the spring of 1854 they came to Dayton, Ohio, where they remained three and one-fourth years, and then came to Urbana, Ohio, where they passed the remainder of their lives, honored for their intrinsic worth of character and for their unvarying kindliness. The mother of our sub- ject entered into eternal rest in 1874. at the age of sixty-nine years, being survived by her husband, who passed away in 189-'. at the age 1 1 seventy-eight. He was a collarmaker by trade, and to this vocation devoted the greater part of his active business life. The subject .of this sketch was nineteen years of age at the tin the family's removal to Urbana. and his early educational discipline such as was afforded in the public schools of his native city, where also he learned the trade of manufacturing horse collars, under the careful direction of his honored father. His intrinsic patriotism and loyalty prompted him to tender his services to the Union at the time when its integrity was threatened by armed rebellion, and on May 2, 1864, he enlisted for a term of one hundred days as a corporal in Company A, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth. Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He con- tinued in active service for a period of lour months, three of which were passed at Petersburg Virginia, then received his honorable dis- charge and was duly mustered out. His continued interest in his old comrades of the Rebellion is shown by the fact that he retains member- ship in that ever honored organization, the Grand Army of the Republic, being one of the popular members of W. A. Brand Post, No. 98, in which he has long held official positions. In August, r866, Mr. Lauppe purchased a collar business in Urbana, and here he has since continued, during a period of more than a quarter of a century, in the manufacturing of horse collars and in the general saddlei'3 business. He now conducts a retail enterprise, but formerly manufactured for the wholesale trade, while he has also dealt largely in hides, tallow and leather. He began operations on a modest scale, but CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 499 by well directed effort, high-grade workmanship and honorable dealing attained success and definite prosperity. In politics Air. Lauppe is a stalwart supporter of the principles of the Republican party, and fraternally is identified with Harmony Lodge. No. 8, F. & A. M. For a period of six years he served as a member of the board of directors of Oakdale cemetery, was re-elected as director for a term of three years. and has ever taken a deep interest in all that concerns the welfare of his home city, where lie is well known and highly esteemed. JOSEPH S. MOSES. The subject of this review is one of the native sons of the Buckeye state and is entrusted with official duties of importance in connection with the govermental affairs of Champaign county, where he has passed practically his entire life, owing his advancement to his own efforts and ever commanding the confidence and high regard of those with whom he has been thrown in contact in the various relations of life. In a work of this character he is clearly entitled to representation among others of the able officials of the count}'. Joseph S. Moses was born in Miami county. Ohio, on the 26th of August, 1856, was reared in Jackson township, Champaign county, early beginning to contribute his quota to farm work and receiving such educational advantages as were afforded in the public schools in the vicinity of his home. He continued to be identified with the great art of agriculture in an active way until his election to the office of which he is now the incumbent, and he still owns his excellent farm m Jackson township. In political matters Mr. Moses has always had well defined and amply fortified views and has given an active and slab 500 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. wart support to the Republican party and its cause, being long promi- nent in public affairs of a local nature. In 1899 he was elected to the office of county recorder, in which he has given a most capable and discriminating administration, and in 1902 was re-elected for a second term of three years, having taken up his residence in the city of Urbana upon assuming his official duties. He is identified with the Masonic fraternity, having been raised to the master's degree and holding mem- bership in Mount Olivet Lodge, No. 226, F. & A. M., at Addison, Ohio, while he is also a member of Social Lodge, at Addison, of the Independent Order of Odd Fellow's, taking an active interest in the affairs of each of these noble organizations. His religious faith is that of the Baptist church, of which his wife likewise is a member. On the 23d of July, 1882, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. "Moses to Miss Maria Huddleston, who was born and reared in Jackson township, Champaign county, being the daughter of Milton and Jemimah 'Huddleston. Mr. and Mrs. Moses have five children, namely: Roily R., Jennie L., John S., Blanche G. and Ethel M. JOHN P. NEER. .\m<«ng the native sons of Champaign county who went forth in defense of the Union when its integrity was menaced by armed rebel- lion, rendering the valiant and loyal service of a leal and loyal son of the republic, is John P. Neer, who is most consistently given representation in this work, for he has practically spent his entire life in this county, is a member of one of its honored pioneer families and through his identi- fication with the agricultural industry has become one of the successful and influential citizens of this section. s's'AJ SS44S. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 503 John P. Neer was born on the old homestead, in Concord township, on the 27th of April, 1842, being a son of Joseph and Margaret Susan (Monroe) Neer. Joseph Neer was born in Loudoun county, Virginia, the paternal lineage tracing back to German origin, though the family had been established in the Old Dominion at an early epoch in its hist' >n . Joseph Xeer was reared and educated in his native state, where he re- mained until about 1826, when he came to Ohio and became one of the pioneers of Champaign county, having settled on the homestead in Con- cord township which is now a part of our subject's estate, as early as 1831. This was school land and was purchased by Mr. Neer at the time when it was first placed on the market, and it has ever since been retained in the possession of the family. He cleared the tract of its heavy growth of timber and developed a good farm, while he was a man of dauntless spirit and progressive ideas, doing much to further the advancement of the interests of this section in the earl)- days and to conserve the general welfare. His political allegiance was given to the Whig party until the time of the organization of the Republican party, when he became a stal- wart supporter of the principles of the latter, having been strenuously opposed to the institution of human slavery and having exercised his franchise in support of John C. Fremont, the first presidential candidate of the Republican party. He was an active and zealous member of the. Methodist Episcopal church, taking a deep interest in the promotion of both its spiritual and temporal affairs. In Champaign county, on the 10th of November, 1835, he was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Susan Monroe, who was born in Harrison township, on the 27th of November, 18 19, being a daughter of David Monroe, who was horn in Virginia, of Scotch lineage, and who emigrated westward in an early day. becoming one of the honored pioneers of Champaign county, where he passed the residue of his life. Joseph Xeer was summoned into eternal rest in 1869, and his cherishe I 26 50 1 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. and devoted wife passed away in 1880, having retained their residence on the "Id homestead from the time of their marriage until death released the silver cord of his life. About four or five years later the widow with her youngest daughter moved to [Jrbana where she died. Six sons and six daughters were born, concerning whom we incorporate a brief record in the following paragraph. David C. is a successful farmer of Allen county. Kansas; Ann F. is the widow of James W. Ellis, who was a farmer of Oklahoma, where she still maintains her home; Eliza M. became the wife of Judge Joseph V. Offenbacher. of Champaign county, who died in the city of Wash- ington, D. C. in January, 1895, her death having occurred on the 6th of October, 1875, in southern Colorado; John P., the next in order of birth, is the immediate subject of this sketch; Martha J. died on the 16th of September, 1870; Nathan A. is engaged in agricultural pursuits in Los Angeles county, California; Sallie C. is the wife of Lowe! T. Clemans. an electrician of Los Angeles ; Joseph F. is a farmer of Cham- paign county; Mary F. is the wife of Charles W. McMaster, of Los An- geles county, California; Samuel J., who is engaged in the book and stationer}- business in Winlield. Cowley county, Kansas, served for two terms as clerk of that county; Elizabeth died in infancy; and James M. is a farmer and stock-raiser of Cowley county. Kansas. John F. Neer, the immediate subject of this review, was reared upon the obi homestead farm and acquired his early scholastic training in the district schools, which he attended during the winter months, while during the summer seasons he assisted in the work of the farm. In this peaceful vocation he continued to bend his energies until a higher duty faced him, when came the clarion call to arms, prompting the loyal sons of the north to defend the unity of the republic, now in jeopardy through civic rebellion. On the 30th of July, 1802, he enlisted as a pri- vate in Company II. Forty-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 505 he was sworn into service at Camp Chase, in the city of Columbus, on the 19th of August. He continued on active duty with his regiment un- til the I2th of June, 1865, when lie received his honorable discharge, at ('amp darker, Tennessee. His service thus covered the greater period of the war, and his record as a soldier was one to which he may well advert with satisfaction, lie was promoted to he corporal of his com- pany, later sergeant and orderly sergeant and before he returned to his home he was commissioned first lieutenant in recognition of valiant ser- vice. Mr. Neer participated in many of the memorable and important movements and engagements incidental to the course of the great con- flict. He was in the battle at Dutton Hill, Kentucky, and later his regiment, while he was on detached duty, assisted in the pursuit of Mor- gan at the time of his famous raid through Ohio and Indiana. On the 20th of October, 1863, he was in active service in the battle at Phila- delphia. Tennessee, in which engagement his regiment lost in killed, wounded and missing, one hundred and sixty-eight men, while later the regiment was in the entire campaign in eastern Tennessee, and in an en- gagement at Holston river, on the 15th of November, they lost one hun- dred and one men. five of the number being officers. Tbev also had a spirited .encounter with the forces under General Longstreet. In this engagement, on the 17th of November, Mr. Neer was shot through the iett lung and was taken to the hospital, where he remained during the entire siege of Knoxville. As soon as he had sufficiently recuperated he returned to his regiment, going to Tazewell, Tennessee, and thence to ( uniherland Cap, where he remained a short time, after which the regi- ment marched to Mount Sterling, Kentucky, where it remained about a month, he being detailed to take charge 1 »f the patn '1 of the city. Thence the command returned to Tennessee, by way of Knoxville, and finally joined the forces proceeding onward for the Atlanta campaign, in all of which our subject participated, including the engagement at Franklin, 5o6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. which was one of the most hotly contested of all the fights of the war. He was present at the hattle of Atlanta and his regiment was actively engaged in that famous battle, while later it was in the hard-fought battle at Nashville, Tennessee, on the 15th and 16th of December, 1864. We can but mention a few of the other notable engagements in which Mr. Nee.r took part, — Resaca, Dallas, Kehesaw Mountain, Pine Moun- tain and Lovejoy Station. After the war Mr. Neer returned to the old homestead, where he resumed his farm work, being associated with his father for two years, and after the death of the latter, in 1869, he purchased the major por- tion of the old home place from the other heirs. He now has an ex- ceptionally attractive and valuable landed estate of six hundred and seventeen acres, upon which are the best of improvements, while he also gives special attention to the raising and handling of high-grade live stock, his business affairs being so capably conducted that splendid suc- cess crowns his efforts. Mr. Neer is a stanch Republican in politics, has taken an active part in the work of the party and believes firmly in its principles. He has served as county ci ►minissioner for two terms, filling the office from December, 1885, until 1891. He and his wife are prom- inent members of the Concord Methodist Episcopal church, in which Mr. Neer is serving as trustee, while he contributed toward the erection • >f the church edifice. He keeps alive the pleasing associations of the old days when he was following the old flag to victory by retaining membership in the post of the Grand Army of the Republic at Urbana, of which he was commander in 1S99. In 1899 Mr. Neer was united in marriage to Miss Ida M. Goble, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, where she was reared and edu- cated, being a (laughter of Ira and Catherine (Burke) Goble, both na- tives of the Empire state and both now deceased. In recapitulation we may say that Joseph N eei ". the honored father CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 507 cf our subject, was born on the 7th of August. 1804, and that his death occurred on the 26th of January. 18(19. at which time lie was in his sixty- fifth year. His wife, who was born on the 27th of November. 1819, died. October 8, 1880. At the time of their marriage they moved into the house where our subject now lives, and this contiued to be their home until death's hand intervened. Both were devoted members of the Meth- odist Episcopal church and they contributed largely to the erection of the church building in this township. SIMEON TAYLOR. When it is stated that Mr. Taylor, who was formerly incumbent of the important office of auditor of Champaign county, is of the third generation of his family in the county it becomes evident at once that he is a representative of one of the early pioneer families of this sec- tion, and such has been the prominence of the name and such the honor attaching thereto in connection with the annals of the county that it becomes specially consistent that a review of Mr. Taylor's genealogy and personal career be given place in this volume. He is one of the representative men of the county, where he is not only successfully en- gaged in agricultural pursuits, but where he also has other interests which have important bearing on the industrial and business activities of the locality, maintaining his residence in the town of Westville. where he has an attractive home. Simeon Taylor was bom in Mad River township, this count}, on the 7th of June, 1838, being the son of Benjamin S. Taylor, who was bom in Tennessee, whence he came to Champaign county with his parents when he was a boy, the family locating in Mad River township. 5o8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. where he was reared to maturity and where lie devoted the residue of his life to agricultural pursuits. He became one of the prominent men of the county, where he was In mured for his sterling character and his useful life. In politics he was a Democrat, and in his later years was a stanch advocate of the cause of temperance. He died when but forty- nine years of age. His father, John Taylor, was born in Virginia, whence he removed to Tennessee and finally to Champaign county, where he was numbered among the first settlers in Mad River township. He located on Xettle creek, where he entered government land, and at this time the Indians were far more in evidence in the locality than were the white settlers. He developed a farm and on the same passed the re- mainder of his life. He was of Scotch-Irish descent and was a man of industrious habits, strong mind and inflexible integrity. The maiden name of our subject's mother was Sarah Miller, a native of Loudoun county, Virginia, where she was reared and whence she accompanied her parents on their removal to Champaign county, Ohio, being a young woman at the time. Her father, Valentine Miller, settled in Mad River township abount the year [816, and here he devoted the remainder of his life to farming, his lineage showing Dutch. Irish and Welsh strains, with the Dutch predominating. 'Hie mother of our subject lived to attain the age of four score years. Her three children were as follows: Sarah Anna, who is the wife of Washington Louden- back, of this township; Darius, who died at the age of about sixty- three years; and Simeon, the subject of this sketch. Simeon Taylor grew up on the old homestead farm where he was born, and his earl)' educational discipline was received in the district school, after which he continued his studies in the graded schools of U'rbana and thereafter entered the Bryant & Stratton Business College in Cleveland, where he took a commercial course. He devoted his atten- tion to teaching school for about a decade, his entire pedagogic labors CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 509 having been performed in his native township, and that he was success- ful and popular in this line is clearly shown by the fact that for eight years he was retained as teacher in one district. He finally gave up teaching and located on the old farmstead, where he once more turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, said homestead having been located in sections 16 and 17. He still retains the homestead, but leases the place, not having given his personal attention to its operation since the year 1889. In politics Mr. Taylor has been one of the stanch advocates of the principles and policies of the Democratic party, and he has ever taken an active interest in public affairs of a local nature, lending his aid and influence in support of all measures for the general good of the com- munity. He served as township trustee and. as justice of the peace in Mad River township, and in 1889 was elected to the office of county auditor, being the only Democrat ever elected to this office in Champaign count)-, where the normal Republican majority is about one thousand. He gave an able and discriminating administration of the affairs of the office and thus gained the unqualified endorsement of the people, with- out reference to partisan affiliations. Mr. Taylor has long been a prom- inent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he has served as steward and superintendent of the Sunday-school, ever manifesting a lively concern in all departments of the church work, as does also his wife, who has been a devoted member of the organization for many war-. Fraternally he is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Mr. Taylor's finely improved farm comprises one hundred and eighty acres and is one of the valuable places of the county. He has been for twenty years a member of the directorate of the Citizens' Na- tional Bank, of Urbana, and is now vice-presidenl of this solid institution. He is also a director of the Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company, whose headquarters are in Mechaiiicsburg, and is president of the People's Sav- 5io CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ings & Loan Company, of Urbana. Thus it may be seen that he is dis- tinctively one of the representative citizens of his native county, and here bis course has ever been such as to command to him the unqualified con- fidence and esteem of all classes. On the ist of October, 1803, Mr. Taylor was united in marriage to Miss Susan Ward, who was born in Mad River township, being the daughter of Noah and Lydia ( Smith) Ward, who were numbered among the pioneers of the county. Of the five children of Mr. and Mrs. Taylor we incorporate brief record, as follows : Alonzo, who was graduated in the Eclectic Medical College of Cincinnati and who was successfully engaged in the practice of his profession in Delaware county, Ohio, died at the age of thirty-four years; Laura O. is the wife of Gerald Colbert, a successful farmer of Mad River township; David E., who likewise is a prominent farmer of this township, and married Mary Sowers ; Bertha R. is the wife of Dr. R. Lee Grimes, who is engaged in the practice of medicine in Westville; and Floy remains at the parental home. JAMES D. POWELL. r When it is stated that with the lapse of but one more decade a full century will have fallen into the cvcle of the ages since the time when the Powell family became identified with the annals of Champaign county, it will be readily understood that in touching upon the life record of James Dunlap Powell, the writer is dealing with a worthy representa- tive of one of the earliest pioneer families of this section of the Buckeye state. Within all these long years what has been the character, what the accomplishment of those who have borne the name? The answer comes in most grateful measures when we scan the record, for in the line MRS. JAMES D. POWELL. JAMES D. POWELL. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 513 have been men of sterling character and women of gentle refinement. — men who have played well their parts on the stage of life's activities; women whose influence has been ever potent for good. What a wealth of incident and variety of experience is summed up in tracing back over the period of ninety years which marks the identification of this family with the interests of Champaign county, and still farther may we go to find the ancestry maintaining an unblotted 'scutcheon from that early epoch when it first was planted on American soil, in the early colonial days. Thus it may be seen that the biographer may well feel a distinctive respect and satisfaction when he essays the task of rendering, even in epitomized form, a tribute to him whose name introduces this paragraph and to those who have gone before him and likewise exempli- fied true virtue and true usefulness in all the relations of life. In the mad rush of this electrical and almost turbulent twentieth century, we may well stop for a moment and give retrospective study and apprecia- tion to those who have wrought so nobly in the past and the measure of whose influence can not be understood by superficial analysis. James Dunlap Powell is a native son of Champaign county, which has been the scene of his labors during the entire period of his long and signally useful life. He was born on the pioneer homestead farm, in Urbana township, on the 3d of March, 1K19. being a son of Elijah and Alary (Dunlap) Powell. Elijah Powell was born in the state of Vir- ginia, on the 20th of August. 17S9. being the fifth in order of birth oi the eleven children of Abraham 1'. and Ann (Smith) Powell, both of whom were likewise natives of the Old Dominion, which figures as the cradle of so much of our national history, the former having been born on the 20th of October, 175^. and the latter on the 12th of September, 1762, while their marriage was solemnized in their native state, in Au- gust, 1780. Abraham P. Powell rendered valiant service as a soldier in the Continental line during the war of the Revolution, and it may well 514 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. be said that the family name has beer, from the beginning identified with the founding and building of the republic. When Elijah Powell was a child his parents emigrated from Virginia to the wilds of Kentucky, of which state they became pioneer settlers, and there he was reared to man- hood, while his knowledge of pioneer life was to be still farther ex- tended, since he accompanied his parents on their removal to Champaign county, Ohio, in the year 1812. — a decade after the admission of the state to the Union. The family settled on a tract of heavily timbered land one mile west of the present city of Urbana, which was at that time a mere hamlet of a few primitive dwellings, and on this farm, whose im- provement was at once instituted, Abraham P. Powell passed the residue of his life, passing away on the 3d of January, 1817, at the age of sixty- two years, while his widow long survived him, being summoned into eternal rest on the 19th of September, 1845, at the venerable age of eighty-three years. In this count} - , on the 27th of January, 1818. Elijah Powell was united in marriage to Miss Mary Dunlap, who was born in Kentucky, mi the 26th of October, t8oo, being a daughter of Rev. James and Emily (Johnson) Dunlap. both of whom were born in Virginia, the respective dates of nativity being July 10. 1773. and October 15. 1777. and when they weie young they accompanied their respective families on their removal to Kentucky, in which state their marriage was solemnized, mi the 29th of August. 1704. In 1812 Rev. James Dunlap came with his family to Champaign county, and he became one of the pioneer clergy- men of this section of Ohio, becoming well known to the settlers tar and wide and laboring zealously in the vineyard of the divine Master, his faith in whom he exemplified in precept and example, ever laboring to uplift his fellow men and to scatter the precious seed of the gospel on fertile soil. He moved to Jacksonville, Illinois, in 1844. and remained there until his death in 1866. Of the eleven children born to Elijah and CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 515 Mary ( Dunlap) Powell, only three are living at the time of this writing, namelv : James D., the immediate subject of this sketch; Jeptha, a resi- dent of Upper Sandusky. Ohio, and Edward, who makes his home in Urbana. James D. Powell was reared on the old homestead farm in Urbana township, early becoming inured to the work involved in the reclamation and cultivation of the farm, while his educational advantages were such as came to the average youth of the locality and period, being confined to a desultory attendence in the primitive log schi « »lh< >use, with its puncheon floor ami slab benches. In short, lie had to contend against the same disadvantages that hedged in all of the pioneer families in what was then a veritable frontier region, but few were so fortunate in fertility of natural resources and in meeting the exigencies and overcoming the difficulties which compassed the average youth thus placed. He gave his lather able assistance in the management of the farm and became familiar with all details of the great basic industry which has ever figured as the bulwark of 1 ur nation's prosperity, and to the same he has consecu- tively devoted his attention during the long vears of his singularly active and prolific life. His father died on the old homestead, on the nth of June, 1866, at the age of seventy-six years and ten months. His relig- ious faith was that of the Baptist church, of which his wife also became a member in her youth, and his loyalty and patriotism found as definite manifestation as in the case of his father, the Revolutionary veteran, since it was his lot to have been an active participant in the war of [812. His wife. Alary Powell, died July 30. 1881. On the farm which is now his home, on the 9th of September. [845, James D. Powell was united in marriage to Miss Minerva Hill, daugh- ter of Joseph and Mary 1 Purcell) Hill, both of whom were born in Vir- ginia. Joseph Hill was twice married. In Kentucky he wedded Miss Mary Oliver and they became the parents of eight children. In [802 5i6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. they came to Ohio and became the first white settlers in what is now Concord township, their location being the farm now owned and occu- pied by our subject, and here Mrs. Hill's death occurred. Some time afterward Mr. Hill returned to Kentucky for a visit, and while there he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Pureed, daughter of George and Margaret Pureed, who had removed thither from their native state of Virginia. Of the second marriage five children were born, Mrs. Powell having been the third. She was born in Concord township, Champaign county, on the 26th of August, iS_'_\ and was here reared to womanhood, her educational privileges being such as were afforded in the primitive schools of the pioneer epoch. To Mr. and Mrs. Powell were born six children, their names, in order of birth, being as follows: Mary, Amanda J.. Emma E., Elijah H., Sallie A. and Annie M. Of these Mary and Anna are deceased. Joseph and Margaret ( Pureed ) Hill both died on the old homestead, the former in September, 1861, and the latter mi the 3d of July, 1869, both having been devoted and con- sistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church, secure in whose faith they passed to their reward. Mr. Hill was in active service during the war of 1812, and, although a poor man when he settled in the virgin forests of Concord township, he accumulated a comfortable estate. The great loss and bereavement of Mr. Powell's life was that en- tailed by the death of his cherished anil devoted wife, on the 9th of February, 1902. Their wedded life had been protracted over more than hali a century, marked by mutual love and confidence and help- fulness, and how idyllic that life was none can know save those who were o\ the immediate family circle, whose sacred precincts we would not wish to violate by lifting the veil. None but the venerable and bereft husband of her youth and her declining years can appreciate to the full the deprivation which has come, and yet there is a tender chalice 1 t consolation from which he mav ever drink, in the memorv of a life CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 517 of so signal beauty and devotion, in the memory of a loving com- panionship which was so long vouchsafed him. One who knew her long and well paid the following tribute at the time of her death, the same having been published in a local paper : "She joined the Methodist Episcopal church at Concord sixty-five years ago and was happily con- verted by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and for all these years she proved a faithful member of the church. Though not in any way dominated by extreme emotionalism,- in the walks of Christian life she showed herself to be a true and faithful follower of our divine Lord, and in all these years I never heard her say one word or saw her do erne act unbecoming a Christian woman. True and faithful as a wife, kind and loving - as a mother, if she could speak to-day she would say to her husband and children, follow me as I have followed Christ, and meet me in heaven, where the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest. She will be missed by all her neighbors and friends, for her kind and benevolent acts of life were many; she ever remem- bered the poor by acts of charity and the distressed by a word of com- fort, and their hearts have been made better thereby, so that they would to-day rise up and call her blessed." James D. Powell may be justly styled a self-made man, for he began life at the foot of the ladder and by his industry and definite purpose, his integrity and discretion he has attained a high degree of prosperity, being now the owner of a landed estate of more than eight hundred acres and being known a? one of the representative farmers of the county in which his entire life has been passed. This success is the result of determined and consecutive application in his youth and of the judicious investment of his earnings, which he saved with provident discrimination. In all his labors his wife stood ever ready to lend a helping hand and to cheer him in his efforts, being a true help- meet and coadjutor. He now has one of the finest homes in Cham- 518 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. paign county, and there a gracious ami sincere hospitality has ever been in evidence. Mr. Powell is a man of temperate habits and in favor of temperance laws, and his political support is given to the Republican party, while his religious faith is that of the Methodist Epis- copal church. In his business affairs he has ever shown marked sa- gacity and discrimination and no man could be mure honest and up- right in every transaction, lie is a man of broad information and strong individuality, is genial and- courteous in all the relations of life, and has ever commanded the confidence and high esteem of all good citizens. Though he has passe! the age of four score years Mr. Powell retains marked physical vigor and gives his personal supervision to his large and important business interests. It is signally consistent that this record be perpetuated for coming generations, and the accompany- ing portraits of Mr. Powell and his devoted wife, now passed into the life eternal, most properly find place in the connection. CHRISTOPHER BEHNEY. For many years Christopher Behney was a prominent figure in the annals of Champaign county and aided materially in its develop- ment. By a life of uprightness, industry and honorable dealing. — a life devoted to the support of whatever was good and true. — he won the admiration and genuine regard of a large circle of acquaintances, who sincerely mourned his loss when, upon the 15th of May, [896, he was called upon to lay aside the burdens, joys and sorrows which had fallen to his share, as to all, in the journey of life. Mr. Behney was born in Myerstown, Pennsylvania, January 13, 1836, a son of [saac and Sarah Behney, also natives of that state. They woe the parents of four children, of whom our subject was the second CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 519 ii' order of birth. When a small boy he was deprived of a father's pro- tecting care, and was reared by his mother, remaining at home until a youn CT man. and then served an apprenticeship at the cabinetmaker's trade. In [865 he came to Champaign county, Ohio, and five years later began dealing extensively in horses, buying and selling throughout this section of the state, in which branch of business he met with a very high degree of success. In 1870 he was united in marriage to Malinda Richards, a native of Champaign countv, her birth Inning occurred on the farm on which she now resides. Her father. William Richards, was also horn on thi: 1 homestead, ami his father, Andrew Richards, was a native of Champaign county, his death occurring on the old family homestead. He was a very active worker in the Whig party. 1 he father of Mrs. Behney followed the tilling of the soil as a life occupation, was independent in his political views, and was a mem- ber of the Baptist church, having greatly assisted in the erection of the house of worship of that denomination in Urbana. He was united in marriage to Martha Powell in Champaign count}, where she was horn, reared and educated, and they became the parents of twelve chil- dren : Elizabeth, deceased; Henry, deceased; Mrs. Behney; Ruth, de- ceased. Mary; Phcebe ; Florence, deceased; Sally: Kate Bell, deceased; Fannie, deceased; Emma; Charles, deceased, ami all were horn on the farm where Mrs. Behney now resides. The place consists of a tract of one hundred and thirtv acres, all of which is under an excellent state of cultivation and is one of the valuable homesteads of the county. The union of our subject and wife was blessed with three sons. — lied. Frank and Ralph. — who are still with their mother. Mr. Behney was a Republican in politics, a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and of the Masonic fraternity. His religious preference was indicated by his affiliation with the German Reformed church, while Mrs. Behney is a member of the Baptist denomination. 520 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. JAMES F. SPAIN. The spirit of a pure and noble life burned within the earthly tene- ment of the man of whom we write, and when the soul took its flight to purer regions and a better state those who mourned most deeply were those who knew him best. Mr. Spain died in the prime of a prolific and useful manhood, and though more than thirty-five years have passed since he journeyed to "that undiscovered country from whose bourne no traveler returns." his name is still held in grateful memory in his native county, while appreciation of his loyal services as a sur- geon in the Union ranks during - the war of the Rebellion, that greatest of all civil and internecine conflicts, will not be forgotten by Ins old comrades in blue or by others cognizant of his loyal and devoted service in a cause whose victory he did not long survive. James F. Spain was born in the village of Mechanicsburg, Cham- paign county, Ohio, on the 26th of June, 1832. He was reared in his native town, securing his early educational discipline in the local schools and preparing himself lor the vocation of a teacher. He took up the study of medicine and finally entered one of the leading medical col- leges of the city of Chicago, where he was graduated, defraying his expenses by teaching and being principal of the Mechanicsburg public school at the time of his marriage, his wife having been simultaneously a teacher in the school's of that village. He was in the active practice of his profession for only a comparatively brief interval and was incum- bent of the office of treasurer of Champaign county in 1865, when his patriotism led him to enlist as a surgeon in the One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served until the regiment was mustered out, when he resumed his official duties as treasurer of his native county, being re-elected to this office, of which he was incumbent at the time of his death, which occurred on the 4th JAMES F. SPAIH. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 523 of October. 1867. He was a member of the Masonic lodge at Me- chanicsburg and at the time of his death a Knight Templar, always being very zealous and enthusiastic in the cause of his order. He was a Republican in his political views, and his religious faith was that oi the Presbyterian church, of which his widow is also a devoted mem- ber. He was a man of high intellectuality and inflexible integrity, his untimely death ending an honorable and useful career. On Christmas day, J 855. Air. Spain was united in marriage to Miss Ellen R. Wilson, an associate teacher in the Mechanicsburg schools, as has already been stated. She was born in Geauga county, Ohio, the (laughter of S. L. and Lydia Wilson, natives of New York. Mrs. Spain completed her education in the Ohio Wesleyan University, in the city of Delaware, and thence removed to Mechanicsburg" to engage in pedagogic work, in which she was popular and successful. She became the mother of one child, Lydia A., who was but seven months of age at the time of her father's death and who is now the wife of John R. Ross, a representative business man of Urbana, in which city .Mrs. Spam has maintained her home since the death of her husband. She takes an active interest in the work of the Presbyterian church, is a woman oi gentle refinement and gracious presence and retains the love of a wide circle of friends in the community where she has so long made her home. GEORGE RE \.\i. George Ream, now decea e ! won ;i place among the representative citizens and leading farmers of Union township, Champaign county, and is yet remembered, as be will be for years to come, by many who claimed him a- a friend. He was born in Dayton. Clark county, Ohio, May 28, [842. His lather. Andrew Ream, was a native of Pennsvlvania, r< 27 524 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. and educated there and when a young man came west, locating in Clark county. Here he was united in marriage to Annie Horner, a native oi that county, who spent her girlhood days within its borders. '1 his worthy couple became the parents of ten children of whom George Ream was the ninth in order of birth. All were born and reared in Clark county ami the family record is one of which the members have every reason to be proud. George Ream began his education in the district schools near his home and during the summer months worked in the fields, thus becoming familiar with all the duties and labors that con- stitute farm life. At the age of twenty-one he left school and home, coming to Champaign count}-, where throughout his remaining- days he made his home and wen honor as a public spirited and progressive citi- zen. He first stopped in Wayne township where he was employed as a farm hand through the autumn. He afterward removed to Union town- ship and there took up his abode upon the farm upon which he spent his remaining days and where his widow is yet living. He was married on this farm to Miss Sarah Madden, a native of Union township, who has a vivid recollection of the pioneer days of the county. She pursued her education in a log schoolhouse where the methods of instruction were somewhat primitive. Her father, Perry Madden, was a native of \ irginia and after arriving at years of maturity came to Champaign county, settling in Union township. There he remained for several years r.fter which he removed to another farm, making some improvements thereon. Mr. and Mr-. Ream began their domestic life upon what is known as the old farm homestead, 'hen comprising seventy-five acres, but the united efforts of tin- worthy couple resulted in the accumulation of a comfortable competence and they extended the boundaries of their farm until it comprised four hundred and forty-four acre- of richly im- proved land. Mr. Ream was a well known stock dealer, making a spe- i ialt^ of the raising of horses ami cattle, of which he always had some very fine grades upon his place. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 525 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Ream were born two sons, Perry, whose birth occurred on the old homestead and is now deceased; and George, who owns an interest in the farm and looks after the cultivation and improve- ment of the land. The father served as justice of the peace for many i cars and was ever loyal to his official duties, his opinions being char- acterized by strict impartiality. He was a stanch Democrat and was well known throughout the county as a man of sterling worth who enjoyed and merited the friendship of all with whom he became associated. His son. George Ream, is well known as an enterprising citizen and is suc- cessfully carrying on the work instituted by his father. He was horn on the old homestead December 16, 1873, and received his education at the Ludlow District School No. 8. He assisted his father on the farm until the latter's death, since which time he has devoted his attention exclu- sively to the management of the estate. May 31. 1897, he was mar- ried to Miss Ann L., daughter of David and Emma ^Faulkner) Taylor, both of whom are still living, tiie father being a farmer of Salem town- ship. Mr. and Mrs. Ream have had four children, all hoys; Warren, born November 9, [895 ; I 'carl ; Earl, who died shortly after his birth on June 7, 1896; Otho, born June 2, 1890. Grandfather Thomas Taylor was a native of Virginia who came to this county in pioneer days and died about twenty-one years ago. Grandmother Lucy ( Chamberlain ) Taylor died in July, 1845, ami if she had lived until the day of her burial, her age would have been ninety-nine years. JOHN R. P. LACK". The residents of Salem township who have long remained within its borders and have been prominent in promoting the public welfare know that John R. Black deserves to be acci unted among the number. He was born February 20, 1848. in this township and has a large circle 526 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY of friends and acquaintances throughout Champaign county, who esteem him for his genuine worth. The ancestry of the family can be traced back to Ireland, where lived Alexander Black, the great-great-grand- father of our subject. Attracted by the opportunities of the new world he left the green isle of Erin and braving the dangers of an ocean voyage at that time made his way to the new world, taking up his residence in Virginia. William Black, the great-grandfather of our subject, was a captain during the war of the Revolution and valiantly aided in the struggle of the colonies which resulted in the establishment of this republic. Alexander Black, the grandfather of our subject, was burn in Au- gusta county. Virginia, on the 14th of October, 1765. He, too, loyal tn the cause of liberty and when only fifteen years of age joined the colonial forces, but was not in active service during that period. At the age of twenty % years he crossed the mountains into Kentucky and lived in a fort called Stroud's Station, three miles from Winchester, for a period of three vears. While there he became well acquainted with Daniel Boone, the great Kentucky hunter and Indian tighter. In those days one heard nothing but the howl of the wolf and the whoop of Indians in "the dark and bloody land." as Kentucky was then called; in [792 he was married to Jane Crocket in Rockbridge county, Vir- ginia, and returned t<> Kentucky to make that his future home. He was with General Scott's Kentucky Volunteers, which marched to the front, and was with General Wayne when he gained his famous victory over the Indians on the Maumee in August, 1794. being wounded in the face in that battle. In 1809 he moved with his family to Champaign county, Ohio. During the wai of 1812 lie was a captain and with his guarded the frontier settlers against the attacks of Indians Tecumseh with his tribe of Shawnee- and Bateast with his tribe of Wyan- ,; 'ttes having rebelled against the government and gone with the English, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 527 gave the settlers much trouble and they had to be on constant guard against them all the time of the war. Captain Black was always a warm persona] friend of General Simon Kenton, of pioneer tame in Ohio, they having lived neighbors for years. Like all of the old Indian lighters, he had no love for an Indian, as he had spent all of his younger days on the frontier fighting them. Captain Black died in 1854, his wife passing away ti\ e years later. [ames Black, the father of our subject, was horn in Clark county, Kentucky. February 8, [798, and he was a youth of eleven years when he accompanied his parents to Champaign county. Ohio, in the year [809 As a boy he enjoyed the experience and pleasure of pioneer life and at the same time bore his part in developing and improving the home farm. From the time of his arrival in this country he resided continuously in Champaign county, ami being very successtul in farm work, lus labors brought to him an excellent return in golden harvests. Being a man of powerful build he was well calculated to stand the hardships of an early pioneer life. After the close of the war of [812 he was engaged in driving cattle and hogs for two hundred miles through an unbroken wilderness to Detroit. They had to ford all the .streams and rivers on the way. build fires at night to keep the panthers raid wolves at bay, lie on the ground in rain or snow and all kinds of weather during- the trip and had to go on foot all the way there and back. In early life James Black was a Henry Clay Whig, and had a per- sonal acquaintance with that celebrated leader and statesman. Later he joined the ranks of the Republican part}', to which he had ever given his stanch support. lie was a second cousin of Daw Crockett, the humorist and member of congress from Tennessee, through his mother, Jane Crockett Black. After arriving at years of maturity he married Caroline Culbertson, a native of Erie county, Pennsylvania, born Janu- ary 26, 1X10. Her father, James Culbertson, was a native of Lancaster 528 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. county, Pennsylvania, and died in 1835. He served as a private in the war of [812, and in 1813 came to Champaign county. His father, Samuel Culbertson, was of English lineage and at the time of the Revo- lutionary war joined the colonial troops, fighting to throw* off the yoke of British oppression. His death occurred in Lancaster county, Penn- sylvania. Mrs. Black, the mother of our subject, died in Champaign count)', ( )hio, in the seventy-third year of her age. She was married in 3832 and became the mother of three sons and. five daughters, all 1 if w In >m reached years of maturity, while seven of the number married. Three of the family are now deceased. The death of James Black occurred July 3, 1882. John R. Black, whose name forms the caption of this review, \va9 the sixth child and second son. He was reared in Salem township and no event of special importance occurred to vary the routine of farm life for him in his early youth. He worked in the field - - and attended the district schools, while later he became a student in the high school at West Libert}-. On putting aside his text-hooks he gave his time and energies to farming and stock-raising, making a specialty of the latter, and with that branch of business he was connected until [901, when he put aside business cares and is now living in honorable retirement from lab >r. December 9. 1886, occurred the marriage of Mr. Black and Miss Belle Bobbins, a native of Elunterdon county, Xew Jersey, born Sep- tember 21, 1856. She is a daughter of John and Rebecca ( Huff) Rob- bins, the former of whom died in West Liberty in [887, but her mother is still living. In the family are three children, one daughter and two sons: Maud. Wayne C. and Yale IX, aged respectively twelve, ten and eight years. In connection with bis brother, James \\'. Black, Mr. Black, of this review, owns about six hundred acres of good land, and our subject CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 529 also has town property in West Liberty. He is likewise a sti >ckholder in the Farmers Bank of that place, and his brother is one of its directors. In politics he is an earnest advocate of the Republican part}', taking an active interest in its growth, and many times he has served as trustee of his township, having ever been efficient and faithful in the discharge of his official duties. For fifteen years he has been one of the board of managers for the Champaign County Agricultural Society and is vice- president at the present time. He has given much time and attention to the advancement of agriculture and the live stock industry for the Champaign county fair. Socially he is connected with the Masonic fra- ternity, in which be has attained the Templar degree, and lie also belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows of West Liberty, being one of its most progressive and active representatives. His life has ever been an exemplification of the beneficent spirit of those organizations. It has been in conformity with manly principles and has been guided by all that is true and bright. He has always resided in Champaign county, and those who have known him from boyhood are numbered among his stanchest friends. ISAAC N. DILTZ. Among the citizens of Cable to whom is vouchsafed an honored retirement from labor, as the reward of a long, active and useful busi- ness career, is Isaac Newton Diltz, who through an extended period was prominently connected with the agricultural interests of Champaign county, lie was born in Union township, this count}-. August 27 , 1833, and is descended from Joseph Diltz. his grandfather, who came from Pennsylvania to Ohio in a very early day. Wesley Diltz. the father of our subject, was a native son of the Buckeye state, his birth occurring in [801, and he became one of the early pioneers of Champaign county, 53.0 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. and here his death occurred in 1882. He was a very active church worker, holding membership with the Methodist Episcopal denomina- tion, and was identified with Republican principles. For his wife he chose Cynthia Kennard. a native of Shelby county, Ohio, her father, John Kennard, having removed from Kentucky to that county in a very early day. She passed away in death at the age of eighty years. They became the parents of nine children, six daughters and three sons, and all but two reached years of maturity and four are still living, but our subject and his brother, John H., the latter of Urbana, are the only representatives of the family in Champaign county. Isaac X. Diltz, whose name introduces this review, was early inured to the labors of the farm, and throughout his active business career was extensively engaged m agricultural pursuits. His energy and enterprise, capable management and honorable dealing brought to him a comfortable competence, and therefore in 1899 he was able to put. aside all business cares and rest in the enjoyments of the fruits of his former toil. He now rents his valuable little farm of eighty-four acres and resides in Cable. In 1879 Mr. Diltz was united in marriage to Alice Woodward, and after her death Laura E. Diltz became his wife. She is a native daughter of Champaign count}-. The Republican party re- ceives Mr. Diltz's hearty support and co-operation, lie has ever labored earnestly for the progress and advancement of his locality, and in all the walk:- 1 1" life he is found true to duty and to the trust> reposed in him. WILLIAM M< >< )RE. The coming of William Moore, the gunsmith, to Champaign county in 1709 was brightened by ii" greeting from isolated neighbors, nor was there any indication that a pale-face would be a desirable acqui- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 531 sition i" lands hitherto the undisputed possession oi the Indian. Locali- ties wore marked by notches upon the primeval trees rather than by the calculations of a government surveyor, and wigwams furnished a style of architecture from which no departure had a^ vet been dreamed of. Yet this courageous forerunner of civilization, sturdy in heart and character as the oaks under which he slept at night, created in the wil- derness a home and competence for those dependent upon his care, and while clearing and cultivating his land reared to maturity a large family of children. The father of William Moore emigrated from Ireland long before the Revolutionary war and settled near Uniontown, Pennsylvania, where William was born. The latter married in his native state with Mary Temperance, and thereafter removed to Washington count}", Kentucky, where he met one Simon Kenton, enthusiastically in favor of removal to Ohio. It is not surprising that the searchers after better things listened with dawning faith to the tales of larger opportunities by which they were to be surrounded, predictions amply verified by the trend of subse- quent events. Conveyed to their destination by ox-teams and wagons, the travelers settled near the present site of Crbana, from which location Mr. Moore in after life removed to Logan county, this state, where his death eventually occurred. Innumerable evidences of his presence in the early days is the heritage of those who now- profit by his pioneer struggles. Numerous streams were named by him, notably Mad river and Buck creek, and upon the latter sprang into existence the town of Mo- rt'ield. the name a tribute to the honor in which he was he'd. The children born into the family inherited to a large degree the thrift and industry of their sire, as well as a share of the patience and endurance of one of those pioneer mothers upon whom the trials and deprivations of the times fell with such resistless force. Colonel Thomas Moore, one of the most influential of the sons 532 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. of William Moore, was born in Washington county. Kentucky, and ac- companied his parents on the memorable journey to Champaign county in 1799. The rank of colonel was won during his association with the county militia, a service covering several years. A tanner by preferred occupation, he was also extensively engaged in general farming, and his all-around enterprise and ability brought him in contact with mam' effi un- toward the general upbuilding of the locality. He lived to be sixty-nine years of age. while his wife, who was formerly Reliance Bates, died at the age of forty-seven years. Mrs. Moore was a native of (thin, and when a child came to> Madison county, where she was reared, and edu- cated in the public schools. To Mr. and Airs. Thomas Moore were born the following children: William Henry; Washington; Jesse S.. who is a merchant in Mechanicsburg ; Mary Temperance; John; Thomas; and Emaline. Of these, Henry. Mary Temperance, John, Thomas and Emaline are deceased. Mr. Moore was a member of the Methodist church, with which denomination most of the other members of his fam- ily were connected. The third generation of the Moore family in Champaign county is represented by the children of Colonel Moore, one of the best knowtn of whom is William B. Moore, named for his grand-sire, lie was born in Logan county, Ohio. January 23, 1825, and when a year old was brought tn thi> county, which has since been his home. For man) years he engaged in the management of a tannery with marked success, but of late years has been interested in farming. His marriage with 1 lettie Dye lias resulted in the birth of live children, viz: Harry, 11. Clay, Thomas, Mabel and Minnie. Mr. Moore is a Republican in national politics, and he enjoys an enviable reputation in the community of which he is a progressive and In mured citizen. The precedent established by Colonel Moore has been maintained by yet another sun, Jesse S. Moore, a native of Champaign county, and CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 533- born in 1832. Mr. Moore was reared on the paternal homestead, edu- cated in the early subscription schools, and has been a resident of Me- chanicsburg since 1856. During that year he entered upon an active business career as a clerk in a dry-goods store. After learning all about the dry goods trade from the bottom up he started an independent enter- prise along the same line in 1874. and has since been successful in cater- ing to a large and appreciative patronage. In his young manhood Mr. Mm .re married Mary M. Rutan, and of this union there are two chil- dren. Percy T. and Frank D. In the city which has witnessed his great- est success in life Mr. Moore is esteemed for his sterling worth and unquestioned devotion to the public well-being. Three of the sons of Colonel Thomas Moore were soldiers of the Civil war. Washington, whose occupation was that of a groceryman, lose to the rank of first lieutenant of his company. He first married Jennie Dye and several years after her death was married to Annie Climer. by which union there were two sons, Roy and Hugh. Henry and Thomas Moore also served as soldiers during the great civil conflict and the former reached the rank of captain of his company. w \shi xerox loudexback. On a well improved farm in section 11, Mad River township, Champaign county, the subject of this review has maintained his home during the entire course of a long and active life, being a son of one of the first settlers in this section of the state and standing as one of the honored and representative citizens ol the county. Mr. Loudenback was born on his present homestead on the nth of November, 1826, being the son of Reuben and Mary 1 Wiante) Loud- enback. both of whom were bom in the OOd Dominion state 1 E Vir- 534 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ginia, the father having been of German descent, as the name implies. lie came to Champaign county when a young man and took up a tract of wild land in Mad River township, establishing his home in the midst of the towering forest and setting to himself the arduous task of re- claiming the land for cultivation. Here he passed the remainder of his life, respected by all who knew him and doing his part in forwarding the development of this now opulent and attractive section of the Buck- eye state. His wife came to Champaign county when a young woman, and here occurred her marriage to Mr. Loudenback, whom she survived by many years, attaining the age of three score years and ten. while her husband passed away at the age of forty-three years. They became the parents oi tour sons and five (laughters, all of whom attained years oi maturity and were married, with the exception of one daughter, the subject of this review having been the fifth in order of birth and one of the number who survive at the present time. He was reared in his na- tive township, growing up under the sturdy discipline implied in clear- ing away the forest and cultivating the fields thus produced, while he horc also his share of the hardships and privations necessarily involved, the family home in the days of his youth being one of the pioneer log cabins of the primitive type common to the locality and period, while such educational privileges as were his were affi rded in the little log school house, with its puncheon floor, slab benches and wide, yawning fireplace. True friendship, honesty and integrity and no small amount oi good cheer were typical in the early days, and the discipline was such as to engender strong mental and physical vigor, integrity, kindliness and a high regard for the dignit) of honest toil and endeavor, so that, as the shadows of life begin to lengthen, and while surrounded by the conveniences and comforts typical of the twentieth century. Mr. Louden- back finds pleasure in reverting to the scenes and incidents of the early davs. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 53 5 Our subject remained on the homestead farm after attaining his majority, and in this township, on the 25th oi September, 1851, was solemnized his marriage to Miss Sarah Taylor, who was horn in Mad River township, being the daughter of Benjamin Taylor, one of its red pioneers and the eldest in a family of three children, of whom two are living at the present time. Mr. and Mrs. Loudenback are the parents of six children, namely: Mary ]., Sarah C, Asa TV, Mildred, Jennie and Simeon, none of whom are married except Jennie and Simeon. Simeon is engaged in the real estate business in Chicago. Mr. Loudenback has made the best of improvements on his farm, which comprises one hundred and eighty-three acres, and no man is more highly esteemed than he in the township where he has thus passed his entire life, attaining success through strenuous and well directed effort and contributing by influence and tangible aid to those legitimate under- takings through which the general good is conserved. In politics he has ever given a stanch allegiance to the Democratic party, hut ha- never been an aspirant for political office. MARION GUTHRIDG1 For a number of years an active factor in the industrial interests in Mingo. Marion Guthridge, through his diligence, perseverance and business ability, has acquired a handsome competence and has also con- tributed to the general prosperity through the conduct of an enterprise which has furnished employment to many. A native son of Wayne township. Champaign c< unty, Ohio, his birth here occurred on the 20th of September, [848. Mi- mother. Polly Ainsworth Guthridge, is i Champaign unty, ' >hio, where -he is still living at the age of seventy-four years, and a daughter of William and Fanny (Kimble) 536 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Guthridge, William being born in Virginia, while his mother was born in Vermont. .Marion Guthridge has spent his entire life in the county of his nativity, and in its district schools received his early educational train- ing, while later he became a student in the high school of Cable. When the Civil was was inaugurated be was but a lad of fifteen years, but nobly offered his services in defense of the starry banner, becoming a member of Company F, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer In- fantry, enlisting on the 2d of May. [864. He served through bis term of enlistment as a private and at its close he received an honorable dis- charge at Columbus, Ohio, on the 1st of September, 1804. Return- ing thence to his mother's home at Cable, he remained with her for a time and in the spring of 1865 removed to IVLingo, where for the fi low- ing three years he found employment in a sawmill. On the expiratii n of that period, in 1868, he purchased the property and has since con- ducted the mill, which is now the largest of its kind in the county, and in addition to this valuable property he is also the owner of a farm in Wayne township, which he rent-. In the year 18-3 Mr. Guthridge was united in marriage to Agnes Hunter, a daughter of Thomas Hunter, and to this union were torn three children. — Edgar, who married Edith Callahan and is the efficient station agent at Rittman. Wayne county, Ohio; Thomas, who died in infancy; and Walter, of Easier, Wyoming, where he is working as an operator on the Union Pacific Railroad. The mother was called to the home beyond on the 6th of March, 1883, and on the 27th of May, [885, Mr. Guthridge was united in marriage to Ella Z. Robinson, a daughter of the Rev. J. M. Robinson, a member of the Cincinnati conference for twenty-eight years, and now deceased. Mrs. Guthridge is the second child and the second daughter in order of birth in her parents' family, and -he was born at Mount Repose, Clermont county, Ohio. Air. Guth- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 537 ridge is a stanch suporter of Republican principles, and for eleven years has served his township as its treasurer. 1 le is a member of John Briney Post, G. A. K.. of North Lewisburg, and is also identified with the Ma- sonic fraternity, holding- membership in the blue lodge and chapter in North Lewisburg, and in the commandery at Urbana. lie i> also a member of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics. Both he and his wife are worthy and active members of the Methodist Epis- copal church, in which he has served as a recording secretary for ten years and for a long period has been the superintendent of the Sunday- schi " A. GRANT V. FROMME. Connected with a profession which has important bearing upon the stable prosperity and progress of the community and stands as a conservator of human rights and liberties, Grant V. Fromme has already obtained a creditable position at the bar of Champaign county, although lie is yet a young man. He was born in the town of Saint Paris, June 3, [866, and is a son of John Frederick Fromme, a native of Germany, who on leaving the fatherland when about twenty-six years of age crossed the Atlantic to the new world and located first in Dayton, ( )hio. Soon afterward, however, he came to Champaign county, and took up his abode in Saint Paris, where for many years he was engaged in the furniture and undertaking business, but is now living retired in the en- joyment o! a rest which he has richly earned and deserves, his home being still in Saint Paris. Pie was married there many years ago to Franceska Carlo, a daughter of Dr. Moretz Carlo, and a native of Champaign county. She died in 1896, at the age of fifty-nine years. By their marriage there were born six children, five sons and one daughter. 533 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Grant V. Fromme was reared in Saint Paris and there attended the public schools, graduating in the high school in the year 1883. He afterward spent one year in the Ohio Normal University at Ada but in the meantime had engaged in teaching for three years. From Ada he went to Cincinnati, where he became a student in the law school and was graduated in 1889, being admitted to the bar in the same year. In the fall of 1889 he located at Van Wert, Ohio, and became a law partner of Horace G. Richie, practicing law there fur three years. He then returned to Champaign county, and has since been a member of the L'rbana Liar, being connected with much of the important litigation tried in the courts of this district. In 189(8 Mr. Fromme married Miss Nora McMorran, of Champaign, and they have one child, Eloise. In politics our subject is a Republican and is prominent in the councils of his party in this locality. He is a pleasant, genial gentleman and in manner is unassuming, is thoroughly honest and his business methods will hear the closest inspection. He is admired by his fellow men, and for these and other excellent traits of character well deseryes mention among the representatiye citizens of * hampaign county. JOSEPH W. DAVIS. \s general history is hut composite biography ii naturally follows that the deepest human interest in study and investigation must lie along those line- where thought has engendered achievement, not less for the genera] than the individual good. In any locality where progress has left 'is consecutive tracings there must e\er he a dominant interest in reverting i<> the lives which have been an integral part of such ad- vancement, — whether on the lofty plane of "massive deeds and great," ■ f CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 54* or on the more obscure levels where honest purpose and consecutive en- deavor play their part not less nobly and effectively. The Buckeye state is peculiarly .rich in historic lore, and it can net but. be a matter of gratification to find in these latter days of electrical progress that to the favored commonwealth remains a numerous progeny of those who stood as founders and builders of the state's prosperity. In the case at hand we are permitted to touch briefly upon the life history of one who is a native son of the city of Mechanicsburg, Champaign county, where he has ably upheld the high reputation maintained by his honored father, Ik ith as a citizen and a business man, while it was his to render yeoman service as one of Ohio's loyal sons who went forth in defense of the Union when its integrity was menaced by armed rebellion. "Peace hath its victories no less renowned than war,'' said Sumner, and this fact has been proven often and again, as the march of progress has con- tinued with ever accelerating speed. But the crucial period and the one which evokes the most exalted patriotism is that when a nation's honor is in jeopardy, its integrity threatened and the great ethic prin- ciples of right involved. Then is sterling manhood roused to definite protest and decisive action, and above all the tumult and horror of in- ternecine conflict never can greater honor be paid than to him who aids in holding high the standard which represents the deeper principles, hurling oppression back and keeping the boon of liberty. The military career of the subject of this review is one which will ever redound to his honor as a loyal and devoted son of the republic, and as one whose courage was that of his convictions, and yet one who was content to fight for principle and for his country's righteous cause rather than for mere glory in arms or relative precedence. That he is eminently en- titled to consideration in a publication of this nature is self-evident, and as one who has played well his part in connection with the public, civic, industrial and military affairs of Champaign county we are gratified to here offer a resume of his career, thus perpetuating a most worthy record. 28 542 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Joseph Ware Davis, who is successfully engaged in the furniture and undertaking business in Mechanicsburg, is a native of this town, where he was born on the 30th of October, 184.2, being a son of John M. and Affalandert (Pearce) Davis, the former of whom was one of the honored and prominent business men of Mechanicsburg in the early daws, having been engaged in the same line of enterprise as is our subject and having continued operations in this direction for a period of nearly twenty years, ever commanding the confidence -and esteem of the community and being known as a man of unbending integrity of purpose. He was significantly the artificer of his own fortunes, since he was thrown upon his own resources when a mere boy, but this un- fortunate contingency, involved in the death of his parents, was not sufficiently potent to greatly handicap the career of the ambitious and self-reliant youth, who bent circumstance to his will and advanced to a position of independence through his own efforts. John M. Davis was born in the city of Carlisle, Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, and he was left an orphan at the age of three years, a circumstance which naturally clouded his youth to a considerable degree, in that it threw him upon immature and unsatisfactory resources. However, lie availed himself of such advantages as presented, and in preparing for the active responsibilities of life he learned the carpenter's trade, in the city oi Philadelphia, becoming a skilled artisan in the line and thus being adequately equipped for the battle of life, As a young man he came to Ohio and located in the city of Urbana, Champaign county, where he made his home for some time and where he nearly lost his life in the memorable cyclone of 1832, his few worldly possessions being also practically destroyed at the time. He took up his residence in Me- chanicsburg in 1835, and here success came to him as the result of his energetic and honorable efforts, for, as a furniture dealer and under- taker, he secured a large supporting patronage and attained a fair com- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 543 petence. He was a director of the underground railroad and was one of the first six to vote the abolition ticket in MechanicSburg. He was conscientious in feeding and assisting the slave in his mad to libertv. believing it was not in accordance with Gods will. His death, in 1884. at the age of seventy-eight years, terminated a career of signal useful- ness and honor. He held membership in the Methodist Protestant church, while his devoted wife, a woman of gentle and noble attributes of character, was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. She survived him by more than a decade, entering into eternal rest in 1896, at the venerable age of eighty-seven years, secure in the love and filial solicitude of her children, whom she had reared to years of useful- ness and honor. Joseph Ware Davis, the subject of this sketch, secured his early educational discipline in the public schools of Mechanicsburg and here he learned the cabinetmaker's trade in his youth, having just com- pleted his trade at the time when the dark cloud of civil war cast its gruesome pall over the national horizon. He was among the first to tender his services in defense of the Union, for three years' service, since on the 9th of August, 1861, he enlisted as a private in Company B, Thirty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for a term of three years, and in 1863 he veteranized, re-enlisting in the same company and being promoted to the office of commissary sergeant of his regiment, while at the time of receiving his honorable discharge, on the 18th of July, 1865, he held the office of lieutenant, being mustered out with this rank. During the first year of his service he was with his command in Virginia, and at Harper's Ferry he was taken prisoner by the Con- federate forces, but was eventually exchanged, after which he accom- panied his regiment to the southwest, being assigned to Logan's division and McPherson's corps, with which he participated in the movements and engagements of the Army of the Tennessee, taking an active part 544 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. in the siege of Vicksburg. He was an eye witness to the meeting of Generals Grant and Pemberton between the Confederate and Union lines, which resulted in the surrender of the army that had so ably de- fended the city for forty days, and on the following day, July 4. 1863, he marched with Logan's division into the city. Later he was with Sherman in the Atlanta campaign and the memorable march to the sea,. making the long and weary march through the Carolinas. His active service terminated with the surrender of General Joseph Johnston, at Raleigh. North Carolina, and after the great victory crowned the Union arms he proceeded with his command to the city of Washington, where he took part in the grand review of the victorious armies. From the federal capital the regiment proceeded to Louisville, Kentucky, where Mr. Davis received his honorable discharge, his record having been that of a valiant and faithful soldier. He retains the most lively ci mcern in all that touches the welfare of his old comrades in arms, w hi >se ranks are being so rapidly decimated by the one invincible foe of mankind, and he is ever ready to recall the kindlier associations of that crucial epoch with which he was so closely identified as a soldier of the Re- public. He is prominently identified with the Grand Army of the Republic, being a member of Stephen Baxter Post, No. 8, in his home city, and his popularity in the same has been shown in his having served a-- commander of the post for three terms. After the ciosc of the war Mr. Davis returned to his native city, and here he turned his attention to contracting and building, in which line he gained prestige and success. His interest in public affairs ha? I011- been of vital order and he has figured as one of the uncompro- mising supporters of the principles and policies of the Republican party, in whose council^ and cause he has plaved an active part. He served lor nine years as a member of the city council of Mechanicsburg, was for three years incumbent of the office fi treasurer of < roshen township, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 545 and for eight years he rendered efficient service as a member of the local hoard of education. A further mark of the confidence and esteem reposed in him by the people of his native count}' was that shown in 1888, when he was elected to the office of treasurer of Champaign county, giving - an able and discriminating administration of the fiscal affairs and being chosen his own successor at the expiration of his first term of two years, so that he was consecutively in tenure of the office for a period of four years, during which he resided in the city of tr- bana, the official center of the county. Upon retiring from office a resumption of his former vocation seemed inexpedient, and Mr. Davis therefore turned his attention to the line of enterprise in which his father had been so prominently engaged, and he has built up an ex- cellent business, having a large and comprehensive stock of furniture and having the best modern equipment as a funeral director. His correct business methods and his personal popularity have conserved the suc- cess of his enterprise and he is numbered among the progressive and representative business men of his native city. He and his wile are both zealous members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in vvnose work they take an active part, and fraternally our subject is identified with Mechanicsburg Lodge, No. 113. F. & A. M., of which he was worship- ful master for a period of three years. He has ever shown a marked appreciation ot the duties of citizenship, and his public spirit instigates an intelligent and helpful co-operation in all measures for the general good of the community in which he has passed practically his entire life. On the 17th of Septembei , 1868, Mr. Davis was united in mar- riage to Miss Mollie Jones, who was likewise born in Mechanicsburg. being a daughter of Robert and Nancy Jones, one of the pioneers of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Davis became the parents of three children, of whom two are living, namely: Hallie G.. who is the wife of Harry Ridge, of Cincinnati: and David Thomas, who is associated with his 546 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. father in business. The great loss and bereavement which came to Mr. and Mrs. Davis in the death of their elder son, John Robert, constitutes the only great shadow which has fallen upon their long and ideal mar- ried life. A young man of noble character and one who had made for himself a place of value in connection with the active duties of life, while he held the most unequivocal esteem of a wide circle of friends, he was cut down in his gracious youth, leaving that void in the hearts of his lived ones that can not be filled, though there must ever be a measure of consolation and compensation in knowing how truly and worthily he had lived his life. John Robert Davis was torn in Mechanicsburg on the 17th of April, 1S73, an< l ne was summoned into eternal rest on the 5th of April, 1902, at Phoenix, Arizona, whither he had gone in the hope of recuperat- ing his health. His life was spent almost in its entirety in his native place, though his education was finished in Urbana while his father was there living as incumbent of the office of county treasurer. There he entered the Swedenborgian College, but later became a student in the Urbana high school, where he was graduated as a member of the class of 1 888. From his earl}' years he had manifested a desire to identify himself with the banking business, ami as preparatory to duties in this line he was matriculated in the Eastman Business College, in the city of Poughkeepsie, New York, where he was graduated in 1892. Soon afterward a vacancy occurred in the office corps of the Farmers' Bank, in his home city, and he was chosen to fill the office, which he prac- tically held until his death. The cashier of the bank gave the follow- ing tribute to the voting man at the time of his death: "Rob came to work at the bank in March, 1894, and up to the time he began to fail in health, in the summer of 1901. he was absent from the bank very few working days. Rob was an ideal bank man. Xot once did he pre- sume upon his position; not once, even in the smallest way, did he c f^ 3 4 "S^ CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 547 betray a confidence either of his employers or the bank's custi imers. All three of the presidents under whom he served appreciated his sterling worth and loved him as a son. He enjoyed his work and never shirked or complained, no matter how great the provocation. It can truly be said that lie never spoke an unkind word to any officer in the bank. He was loved by all.— so much so that the thought of electing his suc- cessor was not considered until hope of his recovery could be no longer entertained. We gladly took on his work for several months, with the hope that rest and change would see him well again. He came back from his trip to the east in excellent spirits, but it soon became apparent that he was getting through with his work only by the greatest effort. Realizing his condition finally, he manfully faced the situation and asked us to elect his successor. In contemplating the. loss of Rob from the bank and from our circle of true friends the final words of the Rev. Dr. Marley at the funeral of Uncle Dick Williams came forcibly to our minds. 'We will never see his like again." ' We can not refrain from quoting farther from. a memoir contributed to the Mechanicsburg News by J. M. Mulford: "Robert Davis' life fully carried out Cardinal New- man's idea of a gentleman, he 'never inflicted pain,' but he was more than that, he was a Christian gentleman. — 'the noblest type of man- hood.' His activity in church work began in Urbana, when he united with the Presbyterian church. He remained a communicant of the faith for several years. Upon returning to this city (Mechanicsburg) he became nn attendant of the Church of Our Savior, and when the Christ- mastide of 1900 was approaching he felt it to be his duty to be con- firmed. From that time he was happy in all his relations to the church, at home making it the subject o+* much conversation, and -pending much time with the prayer book. It was in the family circle that the warmth of Rob's love was most manifest. Hi- father says. 'Roll never gave me an unkind word,' and though he loved dearly all the family his devotion 5 4§ CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. to his mother was ideal. His life was quiet, yet it did not limit the circle of his friends. All who knew him knew him but to love. A merchant said to me yesterday, 'Rob needs no eulogy; his life was almost Christlike,' and his brother-in-law, Mr. Ridge, spoke volumes when he said, 'To be in Rob's presence for ten minutes made one a better man.' Such tributes as these are bright gems in the casket of jewels made up of the precious memories of his life. Robert Davis is gone. His life was a blessing; may his death be a benediction to us all." Of the estimate placed upon this noble young man by those who knew him best the foregoing words are significant, and the infinite life gained a new glory when death placed its seal upon his mortal lips. HARTLAND D. GOWEY. Respected by all who know him, Mr. Gowey well deserves repre- sentation in this work and with pleasure we present his life record to our readers. He resides in North Lewisburg and is a native of New \ nrk. Iii- birth having occurred in Nelson, Madison county, on the 20th of November, 1821. His paternal grandfather was of Holland lineage, the family being founded in America in 1630 by ancestors who came to New York. The Judson family, from whom our subject is de- scended in the maternal line, is of English lineage and was established in Connecticut on the Connecticut river above Hartford. Her father, John Gowey, was a native of Vermont, born in Arlington, December 29, 170 1. and married Fannie Judson in his native place on the 7th of October, [811. In 1S21 they removed to Xew York, there making their home until 1837. m which year they became residents of Ohio, but in 1852 went to Iowa and located upon a farm, where they spent their CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 549 remaining days. The father's death occurred in his ninety-eighth year. He had ten children, all of whom reached adult age, were married and reared families. The mother was about eighty-six years of age at the time of her death. She was a relative of the first Indian missionary who went into the wilds of the west. This worthy couple traveled life's journev together for sixty-four years, their mutual love and confidence increasing as time passed. Their children were: Galesey, born in 1819; Hartland D., horn in 1821 ; Arvilla. in 1823; Rolland, in [825; Florian, in 1827: Ossian J., in 1829; Lovancia. in 1831; John F., in 1833: and Floretta H.. in 1835. Of this family only two are now deceased. Flor- ian died at Millikens Bend while serving in the Civil war and Holland died in 1896. Mr. Gowev, of this review, was the second child and eldest son of his father's family. His early education was obtained in a cabin in the pine woods of Allegany county. New York, and the methods of instruc- tion were somewhat primitive. In 1837 he accompanied his parents to Ohio, the family locating in Licking county. When he was but dxteen years of age he began teaching school in that county and followed the profession continuously for twenty years. In 1844 he came to Cham- paign county and was identified with educational work in tins portion of the state until two decades had passed. In 1853 he was appointed postmaster of North Lewisburg and held the office continuously until 18S6. ci \ cnng a period of thirty-three years. For ten years he was mayor of the town, being elected to that office first in 1853 and again in 1803. He was justice of the peace for six years and was recorder and clerk of the town for thirty years. He has also been scb •• i\ exam- iner, and for thirty-three years was notary public. He filled many other local offices, discharging his duties with a promptness and fidelity above question. My. Gowev was married in 1846 to Miss Eliza A. Willey, and 5 SO CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. unto them were born two sons. John Franklin Gowey. the eldest of these, was born in North Lewisburg, December 7. 1846, and pursued his education in the Ohio- Wesleyan University. On the iotli of May, 1869, lie was admitted to the bar and attained prominence in his pro- fession. From 1873 until 1875 he was a member of the Ohio legisla- ture and from 1876 until 1880 was prosecuting attorney of Champaign county. Later he was appointed registrar of the United States Land Office at Olympia. Washington, acting in that capacity from 1882 until 1886. and from iSSj until 1888 was a member of the territorial legis- lature. He attained prominence not only in political circles there but also in business life and in 1888 was chosen president of the First Na- tional Bank of Olympia. On the 25th of April, 1867, he married Clara McDonald, a daughter of James and Rachel McDonald, of Woodstock,. Champaign county, Ohio. They had one son. Franklin McDonald, born June 4, 1869. Mr. Gowey was married the second time, November 3, 1886, to Georgiana Stevens, who was born at Lowell, Massachusetts, September 23, 1852, a daughter of Dearborn and Olive B. (James) Stevens. Mr. Gowey died at Yokohama. Japan, while serving as consul- general, in 1900. He was a prominent thirty-third degree Mason and had attained a position of distinction in national affairs and in business life. Marcus C. Gowey. the younger son of our subject, was born in 1848, became a prominent attorney and is now living in North Lewis- burg. He was married January 3, 1872, to Marando L. Mumford, daughter of M. H. and Lydia ( Bennett) Mumford, and they are now living in their beautiful home on Townsend street which they have occupied for the last ten years. Mr. Gowey is still practicing law in this village. He has been a member of .Masonic Blazing Star Lodge, No. 21 >X. of Lewisburg. for thirty years. ,,f Chapter Star. No. 120, R. A. M., CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 55t Raper Commandery, No. 19. of Urbana, and also a member of Launce- lot Lodge. Knights of Pythias, of Urbana. At the present time our subject is filling the position of observer for the government weather bureau, making reports each week. He is a very prominent Mason, served as master of his lodge for eight ears and for two years was high priest of Star Chapter. R. A. M. He 1- -ne of the best known men of the county and his labors have contributed in a large measure to the public progress and improvement. His worth is widely acknowledged, for in public office he was ever a faithful cus- todian of the affairs of the town and county. s< 1 that over the record of his career there falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil. OLIVER P. JENKINS. Oliver Perry Jenkins, one of the best known and most highly esteemed pioneers of Wayne township. Champaign county, was born in what is now Cable, in this county. December 16. 1816. His paternal grandfather, Richard Jenkins, was born in Virginia, but in a very early day took up his abode in the Buckeye state, and his death here occurred in Fayette county. His son and the father of our subject. William Jenkins, was born, reared and married in the Old Dominion, and in 1S10 came to Wayne township. Champaign county, where for a time he rented a farm of a Mr. Taylor. In 1S1S he located on the place on which our subject now resides, but the land was then covered with dense woi ds, and its only improvements consisted of a small log cabin. On this old homestead he spent the remainder of his life, being called to his final rest at the age of seventy-two vears. He was a life-long farmer, and a few vears before his death united with the Christian church. 5 52 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. In the early days he gave his political support to the Whig party and after the organization of the new Republican party he joined its ranks and ever afterward remained a true and loyal supporter of its principles. Mr. Jenkins was twice married, choosing for his first wife a Miss Will- iams, by whom he had two daughters and three sons, but all are now- deceased. After her death he married Miss Anna Spiders, a native also of the Old Dominion, and there her death occurred at the age of fifty years. Unto this union were born three children, two sons and a daughter. Oliver P. Jenkins, the only son and the second child of the above family, was but two years of age when the family located on the farm on which he now resides, and during his youth he attended the old log- school house in the neighborhood. On this old homestead he has lived for eighty-three years, and he, too, has been a life-long farmer, his labors in his chosen calling having brought to him a handsome competence. Mr. Jenkins was first married in August, 1838, when Mi>s Julia Elsworth became his wife, and they had four children, namely: William, de- ceased: Mary, the wife of Jasper Hess, of Iowa; Susan, also deceased; and Julia Ann. who is yet unmarried and makes her home in Cham- paign county. On the 28th of June, 1846. Mr. Jenkins was united in marriage to Catherine Sallie, a native of Clark county, Ohio. Six children have blessed this union: Richard, James, John W., Lorana, Etta and Charlie. All of the children were born in the old family home where the Jenkinses have so long resided. Our subject united with the Methodist Protestant church in 1839, and is still an honored member of that denomination, in which he has long held the office of steward. He donated the land on which the present church now stands, and in the churchyard he has a family vault. In political matters he has been a life-long Republican, and prior to the organization of that party he looted with the Whigs. His first presidential vote was cast for General CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 553- Harrison in 1840. He is one of the most honored and highly esteemed citizens of his community, and it is safe to say that no man in Wayne township has a wider circle of friends and acquaintances than Oliver Perry Jenkins. CHARLES DAGGER. Charles Dagger, a well known farmer residing in Concord town- ship, is one of Champaign county's native sons, born in Concord town- ship May 7, 1823. His paternal grandfather. Peter Dagger, was a native of Pennsylvania, but his death occurred in Virginia. He was a Revolutionary hero, having served for about three years under General Washington. John Dagger, the father of our subject, was a native of Botetourt county, Virginia, and when about twenty years of age removed to Miami county, Ohio, where he made his home with his ma- ternal grandparents for about one years. In the spring of 1816 he came to Champaign county, taking up his abode in Concord township, on An- derson's creek, where he cleared and improved a farm of one hundred and eight acres. About 1830 he entered another tract, consisting of one hundred and twenty acres, which he also cleared and improved, except four acres of woodland. In Miami county, Ohio, Mr. Dagger was united in marriage to Elizabeth Bousman. a native of Rockbridge county, Virginia. In a very early day, however, she came with her parents to the Buckeye state, they being among the earliest settlers of the county. The union was blessed with nine children, as follows : .Mary. Phebe and Peter, deceased; Charles, of this review; Lawrence, also deceased ; Sarah; Angeline; Jane, deceased; Armenta. Mr. Dag- ger passed away in death in Urbana in 1871. at the ripe old age of sev- enty-six. He was bom in 1795. He was a Whig in his political belief and was a supporter of John Fremont. 554 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Charles Dagger, whose name introduces this review, attended the schools of his native township until his twenty-second vear, but during that lime had also served as an instructor, and after putting" aside his text-books he assisted in the work of the home farm. In 1844 he drove a team to Virginia, where he remained for about three weeks, and after his return home again gave his father the benefit of his services. When about twenty-five years of age he left the parental roof, purchasing and removing to a farm of seventy acres in Concord township, on which he made his home from 1849 until 1858. after which he sold that place and purchased a farm in Shelby county, Ohio. In addition to his farm- ing property he also owned an interest in a warehouse in that county, but after a residence there of one year he returned to the old Dagger homestead, where he devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits for the following four years. On the expiration of that period he located on one hundred and fifty-seven acres of his present farm, to which he has since added until its boundaries now contain two hundred and thirty- seven acres of excellent land, on which he has erected many substantial and valuable improvements. Mr. Dagger was married in 1848, when Miss Barbara Whitmore became his wife. She was born in Mad River township, Champaign county, June 8, 1828, ami in the county of her birth her entire life has been passed. Her parents were both natives of the Old Dominion, but in a very early day they came to this county. They were the parents of six children, four of whom are now living, and all were born in Cham- paign. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Dagger have been born ten children, namely : Ji ihn, deceased ; Kathenne, win 1 i^ die wife of A. "\Y. ( irumurman, a farm- er of Mad River township; Elizabeth, deceased; Jacob; Frank: Emma, Jane and Simon, also deceased; Charles: and Anna, deceased. All were born in Champaign county with the exception of Emma, who had her nativity in Shelby county, Ohio. The familv are members of the Method- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 555 ist Episcopal church. The Republican party has always found in Mr. Dagger a stalwart supporter of its principles and his aid has never been withheld from any enterprise which he believed calculated to advance the moral, intellectual or material welfare of his township or county. WILLIAM CALLAXD. From an early period in the history of the development of Cham- paign county the name of Calland has been prominently connected with the agricultural interests of this locality. The subject of this review is one of the county's adopted sons, his birth having occurred in Noble county on the 25th of August, 1819. His father, William Calland. was a native of the far-off country of Scotland, and was there reared and educated. After his marriage he came to the United States, in about 1800. and upon his arrival in this country made his way to Monroe county, Ohio, where he made his home for about fifteen years. For the following vear he made his home in Bellefontaine, this state, com- ing thence to Champaign county in 183 J. where he followed the tilling" of the soil until his life's labors were ended in death, at the age of sev- enty-eight years. During his residence here he cleared and drained much valuable land, and in many ways assisted in the development and prog- ress of the count}'. In his native land he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Armstrong, who was there born and reared, and her death also occurred in Champaign county, Ohio. Nine children were born to bless this union, four sons and five daughters, and the three eldest were born in Scotland. During the journey to this country the mother car- ried her babe in her arms for five hundred miles. Mr. Calland was a stanch Republican in his political views. He was a worthy member 556 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. of the Presbyterian church, in which he long held the office of deacon, and he assisted in the erection of the house of worship at Spring Hill. William Calland, whose name introduces this review, was eleven years of age when with his parents he located in Adams township, Champaign county, and to its public school system he is indebted for the educational privileges which he received in his youth. After his marriage he brought his bride to Harrison township, and on the farm on which they first located after their arrival here they continued to make their home until 1898, when they came to their present place. His homestead now consists oi two hundred and sixty acres of rich and well improved land, and from his well tilled fields he annually reaps golden harvests. Throughout his entire life he has been identified with the history of the Buckeye state, and now in his declining years is living in retirement at his pleasant home in Harrison township, crowned with the veneration and respect which should ever be accorded an honorable old age. \\ hen twenty-live years of age Mr. Calland was united in mar- riage to Eleanor Robinson, a native of Harrison township. Champaign county. Her father, Ralph Robinson, was born in Kentucky, and he was the second man to locate in Harrison township, where he cleared and improved a farm of two hundred acres. Wild was the region into which he came. Its forests stood in their primeval strength, the prairie land was still unbroken and the Indians roamed through the dense woods. He was here married to Hannah Concland, who was born and reared in Virginia. Of their eight children Mrs. Calland was the fourth in order of birth and only three are now living. Five children have been born unto our subject and wife, but two are now deceased, Samuel and Edna, and those now living are, — Joseph, Sarah and William. All weir I Mun in Champaign county. The family are members of the Pres- CENTEX X I AL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 557 byterian church at Spring Hill, and Mr. Calland assisted materially in the erection of its house of worship. He gives his political support to the Republican party. WILLIAM ROUSE. ]t is our privilege to pay a brief tribute to the memory of Will- iam Rouse. An honorable, broad-minded. Christian gentleman in the best sense of the term, lie commanded the respect and confidence of those with whom he came in contact, and the memory of his upright life is an inspiration to the many friends who knew him well and were familiar with his virtues. He was a native son of Champaign county, his birth having heie occurred on the 14th of January. 1821. His father, James M. Rouse, was also a native of this county, who in 1830 came to Con- cord township and located on the present Rouse homestead. He cleared a part of his land and place many improvements thereon, and at his death left an excellent farm of two hundred acres. Here his death oc- curred in 1849. In the county of his nativity he was married to Mary Weaver, also a native of this locality, and they became the parents of eight children, seven sons and a daughter. William Rouse, the eldest of the children, assisted his father in the work of the home farm until the hitter's death, after which he took charge <l practice to which he belongs, being a prominent member of the Ohio State Eclectic Medical Society, of which he was presidenl for one year, having been elected to this office by a unanimous vote, while he served CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 561 two terms as vice-president of the National Eclectic Medical Association. The Doctor is an assiduous student, keeping in close touch with the ad- vances made in the sciences of medicine and surgery and, without intoler- ance, utilizing such remedial agents, methods, accessories, etc., as appeal to his judgment. Dr. Butcher is prominently identified with the Masonic fraternity, holding membership in the local lodge, chapter and council of the order. In 1873 he was united in marriage to Miss Yetura A. Pratt, and of this union three sons have been born, — Frank E., Harry G. and Cleland P. JOHN W. TOOMIRE. The Toomire family is one of the oldest in Champaign count}'. It was founded on American soil by the grandfather of our subject, Will- iam Toomire. who was born in Germany, but when fourteen years of age left his little home across the sea and came to the L'nited States, tak- ing up his abode in West Virginia. On the 25th of August, 1814. with his family, he came by way of the Ohio river to Brown county, Ohio, and in 1820 located in Jackson township, Champaign county, where he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring in the spring of 185C. In political matters he upheld the principles of the Democracy, ami he was a soldier in the war of 1812. Ere leaving his southern home he was united in marriage to Sarah Moody, a native also of Virginia, and they became the parents of thirteen children, — Henry. William. Rachel, Mary, Bryant, J. Wesley, Sarah, Malinda, Moses. Aaron. Mar- guerite Daniel and Emeline. With the exception of the two eldest all were born in Champaign county, and two are still living. — J. Wesley and Aaron. William Toomire. Jr., the father of our subject, was a native of 562 CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. western Virginia, and was only six months old when brought by his parents to Ohio. When six years old he accompanied them on their removal to Champaign county, where he received his education in the district schools, and during the summer months assisted in the work of the home farm. When a young man he began work at the cooper's trade, thus continuing until his thirtieth year, and then began agricult- ural pursuits on a rented farm in Mad River township. In 1870 he purchased one hundred acres of land in Concord township, to which he added from time to time until at his death he was the owner of one hundred and sixty-two acres, all of which he placed under a hue state of cultivation. He, too, was a stanch supporter of the principles of Democracy, and for a time served as the trustee of his township. His fraternal relations connected him wth the Independent Order of OdcT Fellows, and religiously he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In Champaign county, in 1835, Mr. Toomire was united in marriage to Rebecca Decios, a native of Virginia. Her father died in that commonwealth, and when thirteen years of age she came with her mother to Champaign county. The latter was born in Virginia, and her death occurred in this county. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Toomire were born eight children, namely: Joseph, who served as a soldier in the Civil war for nearly four years, and was killed at the battle of Mission- ary Midge; Henrv also was a soldier and served his country nearly four years, helping to close up that hard struggle; Sarah Ann, de- ceased; Alary Jane; Emily E. ; Elmanda, deceased; and Cora Olive, de- ceased. All were born in Champaign county, and here they all grew to years of maturity with the exception of the youngest. John W. Toomire. the immediate subject of this review, was born in Westville, Ohio, September jo, 1840, and in the school:, of Mad River ami Concord townships received his early education. At the age of seventeen years he put aside his text-books and began work on his CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 563 father's farm and after the latter S death, in 1885, located on the farm on which he now resides, the land having been purchased by his fa- ther in 1870. Success has crowned the well directed and enterprising v(i<"*[^ of Mr. Toomire. and he has long been numbered among the leading and substantial agriculturists of Champaign county. In poli- tics he is a stalwart Democrat, taking an active interest in the party work, and he is a member of Magrew Lodge. No. 433, Knights of Pythias, of Westville, being the second member to join this lodge, and lias taken special interest in the same since its organization ten years ago. For ten years he was also identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and with the family, who are members, supports the Methodist Episcopal church at Westville. He is popular and respected in all circles. THOMAS B. OWEX. \ native son whose promising legal career is viewed with justifiable pride by the residents of Mechanicsburg, is Thomas B. Owen, repre- sentative of a family long identified with Champaign county. He was born July 14, 1867. and is a son of William and Sarah P. (Bond) Owen, natives respectively of Indiana and Virginia. William B. Owen came to this county when a young man. and for many years eng in the mercantile business in Mechanicsburg. where his reputation for progress and integrity strengthened with the passing years. As became one vitally interested in sttrounding undertakings, politics played no small part in his calculations, and as a stanch supporter of Republican principles and issues he filled several important offices, among them that of justice of the peace for many years. With his wife he was devoted to the Methodist Episcopal church, and died in the faith of that de- 564 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. nomination in 1897, at the age of eighty-one. His wife, who still lives in this town, is the mother of seven children. Having qualified as a teacher in the public schools of Mechanics- burg, Thomas B. Owen engaged in educational work from the time that he was eighteen years old up to 1897. However, the law had long been the Mecca towards which his most ardent ambitions turned, and in connection with his last years of teaching he studied in the office of Judge E. P. Middleton, of Urbana, and was admitted to the liar in 1898. Since that time he has forged his way to the front professionally and generally, and has shown pronounced administrative ability as mayor of the city for one term 1 , and as township clerk for three terms. Fraternally he is associated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the knights of Pythias, and with the Mechanicsburg Lodge, No. 113, F. & A. M. He was married in 1888 to Dollie Mc Adams, and has an interesting family of five children. In April, 1902. Mr. Owen was nominated for probate judge of Champaign county on the Republican ticket. JOHN E. TODD. One of the honored pioneer citizens and representative farmers of Champaign count}- is John Eli Todd, whose residence is on section 7, Urbana township, and who has maintained his home in this county for more than half a century, having been energetic and progressive in his methods and having accumulated a valuable property through his well directed efforts. It is with pleasure that we incorporate in this volume a brief review of his personal and ancestral history. Mr. Todd is a native of Dauphin county. Pennsylvania, where he was born on the 29th of December, 1828, being the son of David Todd, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 565 bom and reared in the same county, being a son of James Todd, who likewise was a native of Pennsylvania and of Scotch-Irish lineage, the family having been established in the old Keystone state in the early- colonial epoch of our national history. David Todd was married in Pennsylvania, whence he came to Ohio in the year 1846, locating in Warren county, where he remained until the following year, when he ■came to Champaign county and took up his abode on the farm now- occupied by his son, the subject of this sketch. In 1859 he removed to another farm in this county, and there maintained his home until his death, in 1867. at the age of seventy-seven years. He originally gave his support to the Whig party, but identified himself with the Repub- lican party at the time of its organization and remained one of the stanch advocates of its principles. He was a devoted member of the Presbyterian church, in which he held the office of elder for many years, being a man of inflexible integrity and sterling character. He married Sarah McCormick, who likewise was born in Dauphin county. Pennsyl- vania, the date of her nativity having been November 6. 1.795, while she died on the 23d of March, 18S4, in her eighty-ninth year. She was a daughter of Henry McCormick. a native of Pennsylvania and of Scotch-Irish descent. David and Sarah Todd became the parents of seven sons and five daughters, and four sons are living at the present time, namely: Thomas M., John E., David and James S., the last men- tinned being a clergyman of the Presbyterian church and being a resi- dent of California. John E. Todd was about eighteen years of age when the family came t. . Champaign county, ami he had received his educational train- ing in the public schools of Pennsylvania, having also attended a dis- trict school in Warren count}', Ohio, during one winter. He remained at the parental home until his marriage, in 1859, and thereafter con- tinued in agricultural pur-nits on the old homestead, of which he event- 566 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ually became the owner, and here he lias ever since made his home. having been successful in his efforts and carrying on diversified farming and stuck raising. He now has a fine estate of two hundred and fifty acres, and upon the same he has made extensive improvements, so that the place is one of the best in this section of the county. In politics Air. Todcl is "lie of the leading members of the Prohibition party in the county and has been an active worker in its cause, having been a dele- gate to its local conventions and also to the. state convention. For forty years he has been a member of the school board of his district, his tenure of this office having been longer than of any other man in the county, and at all times his influence has been given to' the support of all measures tending to advance the general welfare of the com- munity. He is well known in the county and is honored as one of its sterling pioneer citizens. In the year 1859 Mr. Todd was united in marriage to Miss Jane M. Mumper, who was born in Pennsylvania, whence she accompanied her parents on their removal to Champaign county when she was a child. She was summoned into eternal rest on the 1 ith of January, 1900, having been the mother of eight children, of whom we enter the follow- ing brief record: Scott married Cozette Calvert ami is a resident of Cincinnati, being vice-president of the William Resor Company, the oldest stove manufacturing concern in the city; Clarence M. is deceased; Sarah M., unmarried, remains at the paternal home; John H.. who is a graduate of the University of Michigan, is a member of the Chicago Mews Bureau of the New York Herald; Annie M. is deceased: Marion R. married Miss Laura Pence, and is a resident of West Liberty. Logan county, ( Hun; Percy C. is a jeweler of Hamilton, this state; and Jennie M. remains at the old home. Mr. Todd removed from the farm t< > the city Of [Jrbana in March. 1902. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 567 JOHN H. HODGE. [ohn H. Hodge is a representative of one of the pioneer families of Ohio which throughout the nineteenth century in different generations have been factors in the upbuilding and substantial development in the central portion of the state. Mr. Hodge, of this review, is now num- bered among the leading, progressive and intelligent agriculturists of Champaign county, his home being on the Springfield pike. Goshen township. He was born in Pleasant township. Clark county. Ohio. Jan- uary 2. 1835. His father. James H. Hodge, was a native of Kentucky, his birth having occurred in Mount Sterling, Montgomery county. whence he came to Ohio at the early age of eight years in company with his parents, Andrew and Isabell (McTeer) Hodge, who located in Clark county, Ohio. The father secured a tract of land in Pleasant township and there developed and improved a farm. He aided in laying- broad and deep the foundation for the present prosperity and progress of his portion of the state and was an honored and respected pioneer. His son. James H. Hodge, was born in 1800 and was reared in Clark county, from the age of eight years becoming familiar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. He married Elizabeth Sayler, who was born in Claremont, Brown county, Ohio. At an early age she was left an orphan and was reared by an uncle, \\ illiam Curl, in Clark county. Mr. Hodge, the father of our subject, gave his attention to agricultural pursuits throughout his active business life. lie died in his seventy-eighth year and his wife passed away in her eighty-first year. His political support was given to the Democracy and he filled a number of local offices in his township. In the family were six children, but two of the number died in infancy. Two are still living— John 11. and Sarah J. — the latter residing with our subject. John II- Hodge was reared in the county of In- nativity, and the 56S CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. schools of the neighborhood afforded him his educational privileges. During the summer months he worked in the fields and in the winter months mastered the branches of learning taught in the educational in- stitution near his home. After starting out in life on his own account he sought as a companion and helpmate for the journey. Miss Miranda Hunter, their wedding taking place on the 17th of January, 1861. She, lei', was born in Pleasant township, Clark county, a daugh- ter of John W. and Mary A. (Ingle) Hunter, who were early residents of the county and highly respected people. Mrs. Hodge was born March 11, 1839, and after a long married life of almost forty years passed away on the 15th of April, 1901. Of her three children, two 'had died in infancy. Their surviving son, 'Willes A., is a prominent grain dealer of Mechanicsburg. He was born in Union township, Champaign county, October 23, 1876, and lias become a leading busi- ness man of his portion of the state. He has an elevator in Mechanics- burg and also one at Calaba Station, and is well known for his marked business ability and keen discernment. It was in the year 1861 that John H. Hodge came to Champaign count}-, taking up his abode in Union township, wdiere he followed agricultural pursuits for over forty years. He built his present residence near the corporation line of Mechanicsburg and has since made his heme at this place. He carries on agricultural pursuits on a very extensive scale, "wning and operating about five hundred and seventy-five acres of rich and well improved land in Union township. Much of this, how- ever, 1- rented, but to the supervision of his property he gives his atten- tion. He is likewise one of the stockholders of the Farmers Elevator Company ol .Mechanicsburg and one of the stockholders and directors of the farmers Bank. A strong temperance man, he takes a deep and active interest in promoting that cause and at state and national elections for the Prohibition candidates, while at local elections he casts an CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 569- independent ballot. For a quarter of a century he was a member of the school board and the cause of education found in him a warm friend. He is also a leading and prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, is one of its earnest workers and is serving as steward. His business interests have been so capably conducted that he has won cred- itable success and is to-day accounted one of the most substantial citi- zen- of Champaign county. His life has ever been true to manly prin- ciples and loyalty in citizenship and is well worthy of emulation. SAMUEL BARXETT. In section 34. Union township, is located the fine farm of Mr. Barnett, who is one of the representative members of the agricultural community of Champaign county, where he is held in the highest esteem by all who know him. Mr. Barnett is a native son of the old Buck- eve state, having been born in Butler county, on the 4th of October,. [S31, the son of Samuel Barnett, who was born in Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania, whence he emigrated to Ohio in an early day. locating in I'.utler county. In the spring of 1841 he located in Springfield. Clark county, making this change in order to afford his children better edu- cational advantages, and there he erected the Barnett mills, known throughout the state. He continued in the milling business for many years and was succeeded by his son William A., who continued the enter- prise under the firm name of Warder & Barnett. He died in the city of Springfield at the advanced age of seventy-eight year-. He was a devoted member 1 t the United Presbyterian church, in which he was- an active worker and liberal supporter, while his political support was given to the Republican party from the time of it- organization. The 570 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. maiden name of his wife was Mary Mitchell, and she was horn in the same county as was he, her death occurring at the age of sixty-two years. They became the parents of ten children, six sons and four daughters, all of whom attained years of maturity and of whom five are living at the present time. --three sons and two daughters, — the subject of this review having been the youngest child. At a family reunion held in Bellefonlaine, Logan count)-, in January, 1901. each of the ten chil- dren was represented with the exception of one. Samuel Barnett, the subject of this sketch, was but nine years of age at the time when the family removed to Springfield, and there he was reared to maturity, receiving his education in the public schools of that place. After leaving school he was employed in his father's mills until his marriage, in 1855, and he then located on his present homestead farm, having purchased a portion of the same prior to his marriage. Here, with the exception of two years, he has consecutively maintained his home from the early days, and has developed a fine property, the farm having the best improvements and being under a high -tate of cultivation. He passed one year in Springfield and one in Urbana. In the homestead are comprised one hundred and sixtv acres, and here our subject devotes his attention to diversified agriculture and to the dairy business, having been particularly successful in both depart- ments of his farming enterprise. Mr. Barnett is a member of the First Presbyterian church of Urbana, having been for many years an elder in the same and taking a deep interest in the church work. On the nth of October, 1855, Mr. Barnett was united in marriage to Miss Mary Campbell, who was born in Belmont county, Ohio, on the 26th of October, 1831, being the daughter of Jesse Campbell, who be- came one of the pioneer farmers of Champaign county, where Airs. Bar- nett was reared and educated. Our subject and his wife have one son and three daughters, namely: John C., who was born in [856; Carrie CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 571 I!., win 1 is a graduate of the Cook County Hospital Training School, of Chicago, and is now head nurse of the Mitchell-Thomas Hospital, at Springfield; Mary I... who remains at the parental home, as doe-, also Laura !. One daughter, Fannie, died at the age of eight months. I in C. Barnett, the only sun. was married about nine years ago to Essie Christian, horn in Pennsylvania, and has one son. Allen Bar- nett. who is his only child. For fourteen years he held the position as a-- ciate editor and chief editor of Farm and Fireside, a semi-monthly paper published at Springfield, Ohio, by the Crowl Publishing Com- pany, and has kept a copy of each issue, which he has had bound each year until the volumes amount to fourteen in number. Our subject voted with the Whig' party until the organization of the Republican party in 1856. when he became a member of the latter and has continuously sup- ported its policies to the present time. BENJAMIN' F. HULL. Though himself a native of the state of Illinois, the subject of this sketch, who is one of the progressive and representative farmers of I nil n township. Champaign county, is a member of one of the pioneer families of the old Buckeye commonwealth, as will be noted further on in this context. Benjamin Franklin Hull was born in DeWitt county, Illinois, on the 22d of February, 1S48. and thus he has the distinction of having been ushered into the world on the anniversary of the birth of the im- mi rt.il Washington, while the further distinction is his of having been named in honor of his grandfather and Uncle Franklin. Alfred Au- gustus Hull, the father of our subject, was born in Madison county, 572 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Ohio, on the 18th of January, 1821. from which fact it is evident that the family was here located in the early pioneer epoch. He was reared and educated in his native county, where he remained until some time in the '40s, when he removed to DeWitt county, Illinois, where he was eng-aged in teaching until 1S49, when he returned to Madison county, Ohio, and in 1S55 to °k U P his abode in Champaign county, Ohio, locating on a tract of land at the head waters of Buck creek, in Union township, where he maintained his home until his death, which occurred Februarv 2. 1886. He was a man of distinct individuality, noble character and high intellectuality, having been for a quarter of a century a successful teacher in the district schools, while for nine years he was a member of the school board of Union township. He was a zealous advocate of the principles of the Democratic party and was influential in public affairs of a local nature. For three years he was incumbent of the office of justice oi the peace, and also served several years as township tn. tee, commanding the unqualified confidence and respect of all with whom he came in contact in the various relations of life. On the yth of March, 1843, Alfred A. Hull was united in mar- riage to Margaret Kirkley, who was born in Madison county Ohio, on Septembei 5, 1818, the daughter of William and Mary Kirkley. natives respectively of Virginia and Maryland and honored pioneers of Madison county. .Mr. Kirkley assisted in raising the first log house erected in what is now tlu- city of Urbana, Champaign county. The cherished and devoted wife and mother was summoned into eternal rest on the 26th oi December, [886, and three of her children yet survive, the subject oi this review having been the second in order of birth. Benjamin F. Hull was but one year of age when his parents re- turned from Illinois to Madison county, and was eight years old when, m [855, they came to Champaign county, as has already been men- 1. so that be has hero passed practically his entire life, receiving CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 573 his educational discipline in the public schools and so applying- himself as to become eligible for pedagogic honors, as is evident when we revert to the fact that he was for nearly twenty years a successful teacher in this county, gaining marked prestige in this profession. His marriage occurred in 1873, and he continued to teach for nine years thereafter, then locating on his present finely improved farmstead in Union town- ship, the same now comprising four hundred and fourteen acres and being one of the best properties of the sort in this section of the state. Here he has a fine modern residence and other excellent buildings, while his progressive methods and marked business discrim- ination have enabled him to attain exceptional success in bis farming enterprise. He is one of the substantial and influential men of this locality and is held in the highest esteem as a man and a citizen. In politics he accords a stanch allegiance to the Democratic party, though he has no political ambition in the matter of desiring official preferment. He has been a member of the board of trustees of the Champaign County Children's Home for thirteen years, and is a director of the Farmers' Bank, at Mechanicsburg. Fraternally he is identified with both the lodge and encampment of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. ( )n the 24th of December, 1873, Mr. Hull was united in marriage to Miss Sarah J. Ropp, who was born in Virginia May 2, 1850, the daughter of John W. and Almira V. (Penhorn) Ropp, who came to Clark comity, Ohio, when she was a child of four years and settled in Champaign county in 18S2. Mr. Ropp and his wife there spent the remainder of their lives, the former passing away in 1894 and his wife in 1890. They were the parents of three children, namely: George 1'... Sarah J. and Camelia. Mr. and .Mrs. Hull have one son, Esten C, who was born September 6, [876, and is now a traveling salesman for the celebrated concern of VV. 11. Baker & Company, manufacturers of cocoa and chocolate, 'if New York City. Hi atti the Willi- l 30 574 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY mercial College, at Springfield, Ohio, and the Literary College situated at Ada. Hardin county, finishing his education in 1894, then came home and has been a commercial salesman since, being at the head of this class in the state. +—+ TULLEY McKINNEY. The genial postmaster of Mechanicsburg has many claims upon the kindly consideration of his fellow townsmen, not the least of which is his contribution towards the development of the town as a builder and contractor, his praiseworthy career as a Republican politician, and his Ions.' and meritorious service as a soldier in the Civil war. In his ancestral relations Air. McKinney is closely allied with the momentous events of Revolutionary times, and with the struggle for English supremacy along the Canadian border in 1812. He was horn -on the paternal farm in Clark count}, Ohio, November 3, 1838, a son oi Francis and Margaret (Lennox) McKinney, natives of Jefferson county, \ irginia. The family was first represented in America by the paternal grandfather, Tulley McKinney, who emigrated from Ireland about 17(15, and settled in West Virginia. The woes of the colonists so dramatically hastened to a climax by the Boston Tea Party found a ready response in the heart of the Irish emigrant, and he not only completed a service if two years in the Colonial army, hut afterward re-enlisted for five years. During the seven years among the tents and armament and cease- less strife of the Revolution he stacked his musket upon many a blood- soaked battlefield, and because of bis courage and heroism in the face of danger richly earned the right to the peaceful agricultural life afterward spent in Jefferson county, West Virginia. On the maternal side Mr. McKinney is related to another family long identified with the Old CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 575 Dominion state, for his grandfather, Nathaniel Lennox, with his broth- ers, Robert and Thomas, settled there after coming from Scotland, about 1785. Of the sons of Nathaniel Lennox, John Lennox served in the war of [812. The parents of Mr. McKiniley removed from Virginia to Ohio in 1S36, and settled in Clark county, where they engaged in farm- ing, and where the father died in 1864, and the mother a year later, just as peace was settling over the country after the Civil war. There were seven children in the family, five of whom are living, but one being a resident of Champaign county, Ohio. The youth of Tulley Ale Kinney was uneventfully passed on the farm in Ohio and his common-school education was supplemented by an apprenticeship to a carpenter. April .23, 1861, he enlisted for three mouths in Company E, Sixteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and after his honorable discharge August 11, 1862, re-enlisted with the call for thirty thousand volunteers, in Company A, Ninety-fourth Ohio Volun- teer Infantry. During a service which extended to June 5. 1865, he saw much of the terrible and grewsome side of warfare, and among other important engagements participated in the battles of Perryville, Stone River, Phillipi, Chickamauga and Carrick's Ford, engaging also in the Atlanta campaign and Sherman's march to the sea. Thence the regi- ment marched through the Carolinas, and witnessed the surrender of General Joe Johnston, and after taking part in the grand review in Wash- ington was mustered out at Columbus, Ohio. Since the war Air. McKin- ney has been a member of the Stephen Baxter Lost, No. 88, Grand Army of the Republic. Upon returning to his home in Ohio, Mr. McKinney was married the same year to Sarah Alcinda Wilkinson, and the latter part of 1865 removed to Illinois, where he remained until locating in Mechanicsburg in the spring of 1870. To himself and wife have been born five children, Forest O., Charles T-. Fffie M., Dollie and Bertha A. From the first of 576 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL' HISTORY. contracting, ami many of the important public and private buildings are due to his skill and ingenuity. As a stanch Republican he has co- operated with his colleagues in furthering the best and most intelligent interests ot his party, his faithfulness and ability receiving substantial recognition by his appointment as postmaster, June 17, 1898. His ad- ministration has been well received throughout, and in the discharge of his responsibilities, Mr. McKinney is credited with singular fairness and tact. He is not associated with any church, although his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal denomination. He is one of the citizens of Mechanicsburg indebted solely to theix own energy and well directed efforts for their success in life, and his career is worthy of emu- lation, and of the high regard accorded him by the community at large. duxcax b. Mcdonald. In the early pioneer days of the Buckeye state the McDonald family became identified with its history, and the colonial epoch of our national history stands as the period in which the family had its foundation on American soil, while records extant show that the subject of this re- view is in line of direct descent from one of the valiant patriots who did yeoman service as a soldier in the Continental line during the war of the Revolution. Industry, energy, honesty and fidelity have been among the marked characteristics of the family, as may be inferred from the fact that it is of stanch Scottish extraction, and the elemental strength of character in our subject shows that these sterling qualities are pre- dominant in his nature. He rendered efficient service to his country in the war of the Rebellion, has ever been true t<> the duties •<] citizen- ship and lias long been numbered among the prominent and represei CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. S77 live business men of the beautiful little city of (Jrbana, where he has practically passed his entire life. Mr. McDonald was horn in Urbana. Champaign county, on the -th of April, 1844, the fourth in order of birth of the six children of Duncan and Hester ( Heylin) McDonald. The former was born in Ross county, Ohio, in the year 1804, and thence removed to Urbana in 1820, this city thereafter continuing' to be his home until the time of his death, in 1 891, at the venerable age of eighty-seven years, tie was for several years engaged in the dry-goods business here, but during the latter part of his life was retired from active business pursuits.- His parents, Archibald and Margaret (McDonald) McDonald, were both born in Scotland, and though of the same name were not related. The family of the latter came to America prior to Mr. McDonald's emigration, in colonial days, and here the marriage of the grandparents of our sub- ject was solemnized, Mr. McDonald having been a soldier in the war of the Revolution. In that early epoch when Ohio was on the very frontier of civilization he emigrated to this section of the Union and located in what is now Ross county, where he developed a farm from the sylvan wilds and there engaged in agricultural pursuits during the remainder of his life. His son Duncan, the youngest of the children and the fa- ther of the immediate subject of this review, was reared on the old homestead farm 1 , and as a youth came thence to Urbana and secured a clerkship in the mercantile establishment of Marcus Heylin. who was one of the pioneer merchants of the town. Mr. McDonald eventually married Hester, the daughter of his employer, and a few years later became associated with his brothers. \\ illiam and Colin, in the general mercantile business, the enterprise subsequently involving" the handling 01 dr\ goods alone and the business becoming one oi the most im- portant in the place. Mr. McDonald was a Republican in politics and a stanch advocate of its principles and policies, while both he and his 5/8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. wife were devoted members of the Presbyterian church, the death of Mrs. McDonald occurring in the year 1887. They were the parents of three sons and three daughters, namely: Henry 1).. deceased : Sarah McArthner Deuel, of Urbana; Mary J. H. Stansbury, also of this city; Duncan B., the subject of this review; Captain I. H.. of Philadelphia, Ohio; and Miss Ellen E., of Urbana. Duncan B. McDonald was reared and educated in Urbana. and here began his business career by entering upon a clerkship in his fa- ther's store. In May, 1864, when a few weeks less than twenty years of age, Mr. McDonald gave manifestation of his loyalty by enlisting as a private in Company A, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volun- teer Infantry, and was with his regiment in active service until the ex- piration of his term, in the fall of the same year, when he received an honorable discharge. He retains a lively interest in his old comrades in arms and is a charter member of W. A. Brand Post of the Grand Army of the Republic, in Urbana. Mr. McDonald was married in 1866, and shortly afterward located on a farm in LTrbana township, this county, where he devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits for the ensuing decade, at the expiration of which he returned to Urbana and engaged in the grocery business, having for the past twenty years been asso- ciated with J. B. Houtz, under the firm name of Houtz & McDonald. The firm have a line establishment, with all modern accessories and con- veniences, .carry a large and select stock of staple and fancy groceries, table delicacies, etc., and cater to a representative and discriminating patronage, theirs being one of the leading mercantile enterprise- in the city. In politics Mr. McDonald renders an unswerving allegiance to the Republican party, taking an active interest in its cause, while he has ever been known as one of the public spirited citizens and popular busi- ness men of his native city, where his friends are in number as his ac- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. S79 quaintances. He and his wife hold membership in the Presbyterian church and take an active part in its work. On the 2nd of January, 1 866, Air. McDonald was united in mar- iage to Miss Laura Lamme, who was born in Clark county, the daugh- ter of W. A. Lamme, and they have one son, Herbert H., who is now a resident of Montgomery, Alabama. SIMON KENTON. One of the most picturesque figures on the pages of American history is Simon Kenton, the explorer and Indian fighter and pioneer, who made his way into the "dark and bloody ground" of Kentucky and also led the way into the wildernesses of Ohio, planting the seeds of civilization which in later years have borne rich fruit. Simon Kenton was born in Fauquier county, Virginia, April 3, 1755, and died in Logan county, Ohio, in 1836, near the place where he once narrowly escaped death at the hands of the Indians. At the age of sixteen he became entangled in a love affair which brought him in ci in- tact with a rival with whom he had an affray, and supposing that he had slain his antagonist, fled to the wilds of Kentucky, west of the Alle- ghames. He assumed the name of Simon Butler, became an associate of Daniel Boone and took an active pait with Boone and others in border life on the frontier. The life was well adapted to develop an adven- turer's true character, and young Kenton showed remarkable courage, sagacity and endurance. These virtues recommended him to the notice oi < jovernor Dunmore, by whom he was employed as a spy. In 1782. learning that his adversary, whom he supposed he had left dev.d, was still alive, he returned to his native place and by his rep- 58o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. reservation of the country west of the mountains, induced his father to remove with him to Kentucky. As a scout and spy he had traversed nearly every part of Ohio before he settled in it. He had many thrill- ing experiences with the Indians in his adventures, heing several times captured and as many times experiencing narrow escapes from death. He settled in Urbana in 1802, was identified with the interests and perils of the people of Champaign county, and no wrong treatment, of which he thought himself the victim, swerved for an instant his loyal mind. He was as generous and kind hearted as he was brave, and was thor- oughly honest. THOMAS RAWLINGS. As a representative of one of the prominent and honored pioneer families of Champaign county, where he has passed his entire life and where he is recognized as one of the successful and progressive farmers of this favored section, it is certainly consistent that a record of the career and antecedents of Mr. Rawlings he given in this work. He was born at the old homestead, in section 18, Urbana town- ship, on the 28th day of August, 1836, I lis father, James Rawlings, was born in Fleming county, Kentucky, on the 28th of May, 1X03, and came thence to Champaign county when he was about twenty years of age and became one of the early settlers of Urbana township, where he took up a tract of government land, founding the home where he lived to an honored old age the life of a prosperous farmer, settling his children, six in number, on farms around him so that the smoke of their chimneys could be seen from the old homestead and he could mount his horse and pay them all a morning call, returning to his home in time for dinner. Here he died October J 1 , [886, in the fullness of MRS. THOMAS RAWLIHGS. THOMAS RAWLIIGS. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 583 pears, secure in the esteem of all who had known him. In politics he was a Whig, until the organization of the Republican party, when he identified himself with the latter, and ever remained a stanch supporter of its principles. His father was Thomas Raw lings, of Loudoun county, Virginia, -whose father, Pressley Rawlings, came to this country from England when a young man, accompanied by his brother .Mum'-.. They located in Virginia and served in the Revolutionary war, lighting in the interests of the colonies. Moses was never heard of after the war. Pressley removed to Kentucky, being among the earliest settlers of the Blue Grass state. There he purchased a tract of timber land and cleared a farm, upon which he. spent the remainder of his days. His son Thomas was the oldest of seven children. Upon attaining manhood he mar- lied Miss Mary Tribbe, of Kentucky. She inherited a tract of land and four slaves; her inheritance joined that of her husband. They became the parents of nine children, of whom James was the fifth. James Rawlings, father of our subject, married Susannah Irby McRoberts, in 1829. She was born September 16, 1810, while her par- ents were on their way from Kentucky to Ohio. Her father. William McRoberts, was born in Kentucky, his father having been a native of Ireland, whence he emigrated to America and became a pioneer of Kentucky. William McRoberts married Martha Irby Winn, daughter of John and Myrtilla Winn. John Winn was born December 31, 1759, in \ irginia, and came to Fleming county, Kentucky, in 1796, in an ox cart with one negro boy and his cattle. He was well educated and taught in the neighborhood. When he left Kentucky he freed bis negroes and became responsible for their good behavior. Removing to Ohio, he entered land on Pretty Prairie in Champaign county, some of which is still held by his descendants. He died at his home in Springfield, Ohio, September u. [838. He was married to Myrtilla Minor on Friday. December 14. 1 7S7. by Rev. Thomas Grimes. She 584 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. died August i, 1822. Martha Irby Winn was horn July 11, 1790. and died December 19, [848. The above were the maternal grandparents, of our subject, Thomas Rawiings. James and Susannah (Jrby) Rawlings were the parents of six children, viz: William J. W., Mary M., Jane E., Thomas. James li. and Douglas \Y. William married Miss Elletta Jumper in 1S03 and founded a home on Prettv Prairie, where he lived a useful and pros- perous lite, in his home, community and church, until March 29, 1898, when he died, leaving a fair inheritance to his children, six in number, who with their mother still survive him. His home, like those of his brothers and sisters, has always been in the neighborhood of his birth place, and he bent the whole energy of his strong character to the prosecution of the vocation to which he was born, and it was only a matter of course that lie attained early in life to the front rank of Champaign county's foremost farmers. While yet a young man he united with the historic Buck Creek church, which he served as an elder tor many years. In politics he was a Republican and he took broad and liberal views of citizenship, his influence being known and felt throughout the county. Mary M. married T. M. Todd and their residence is also near the old homestead, where thcv have reared five children, four soris and one daughter: two. a son and daughter, died in early youth. She and her husband and her children are connected with Buck Creek church. Jane E. married John 1'. Knight and they now occupy the old home which was the lather's. Here they have reared a family of four suns. one of whom remains with them on the old farm, and the other three are out in the world filling responsible positions. James H. married .Miss Laura Townley, of Wyandotte county, (>hi<.. daughter of Rev. Gilbert Townley, a Methodist minister of the Cincinnati Conference, and Klizabeth (Hedges) Townley, daughter of Seton Hedges. Mr. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 5§S Townley was a native of New York. His death occurred in Novem- ber, [854, leaving a wife and three daughters. James H. was a soldier in the war of the Rebellion and served with honor in Company G. One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio National Guard. They were the par- ents of eight children, two of whom died in infancy. They settled on a line farm not far from the old homestead. Airs. Rawlings died August 7, 1892. lames, in later years, removed to Urbana, where he now resides. Douglas W. married Miss Alice Townley. sister of Laura, and to them were horn two sons and two daughters, the eldest of whom. Charles, died in early youth. Douglas W. also served his country in the war of the Rebellion, first as a member of the Eighty-sixth Ohio Volunteer In- fantry and afterward in the One Hundred and Thirty- fourth Ohio Na- tional Guard. At the close of the war he settled on a farm near his father, just across the line in Clark county. Here he lived for years, built a beautiful home and followed the vocation of the rest of the family. He was known as a successful and progressive farmer, but having been always interested in politics he in mature life turned his attention that wav and served for six years as county commissioner of Clark county. He was the eldest representative of the county and at the close of his first term was nominated and elected state senator from the district com- posed of the counties of Champaign, (.'lark and .Madison. While serving a- senator he came into prominence as the author of the "Rawlings bill, which created such consternation among the manufacturers of the -tan-. After his retirement he lived a quiet life at his beautiful home on Pretty Prairie. He died .March 14. [894, at the age of fifty-one years, leav- ing a widow, two daughters and a son, Douglas, Jr., to mourn the loss of a devoted husband and loving father. These brothers, children of James Rawlings, Sr.. were all Republicans in politics, but were some- what divided theologically. The eldest two. William and Thomas, were- 586 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Presbyterians, serving as officers in the old Buck Creek church for years. The youngest two, James and Douglas, were Methodists, and also served in official capacities in that denomination. Thomas Rawlings was born and reared on the old homestead, now owned and occupied by Mr. and Mrs. John P. Knight, and received his educational training in the district schools, making good use oi such ad- vantages as were available in those days, lie left the home farm in [865 and located on his present farm near that of his brother William. Pie improved and added to the original area and is now living at ease, where he has spent the energies of his active and successful career, as a progressive and up-to-date farmer. His political affiliations are Repub- lican and he has since youth been an influential member of the Buck Creek church, of which he has been treasurer and trustee for the past twenty vears. His wife is also a devoted member of the same historic old church. On the 16th of March, 1864, Mr. Rawlings was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Emily flumes, the daughter of Samuel and Mary A. (McNeill) Humes. She was born in Union township, Champaign county, January 27, 1835. Her parents were natives of Virginia, whence they came as pioneers to Champaign county, where they passed the re- mainder of their days. They had ten children, five of whom are living at the present time, four of them in the same community where, the pio- neer parents settled. Mr. and Mrs. Rawlings have no children, but there are many now in homes of theii own who embrace every opportunity to visit tin farm which was home to them in their youth and to whom the large-hearted owners were far more than friends and employers. PYMAX ELPSWORTH BAKER, M. D. ( )ne of the most promising and popular of the exponents of homeo- pathic science in Mechanicsburg is Lyman Ellsworth Baker, a native oi Richw 1. Union county, Ohio, and bom February 14. 1870. His CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 587 parents, Lyman G. and Mary (Manson) Baker, are also natives of the Buckeye state, and are now living in Marysville, Ohio, where the father is retired from his former activity as a farmer and stock-raiser. As the youngest but one in a family of five children. Dr. Baker was reared on the paternal homestead, and his arduous duties around the- farm were varied by attendance at the district schools, especially during the greater leisure of the winter months. This preliminary training was supplemented by a course at the Richwood high school, from which he was graduated in 1891, after which he engaged in educational work for a year. A commendable ambition reached beyond the well tilled acres comprising the home possession, and a careful survey of capabili- ties and inclinations resulted in a systematic course of study under the direction of Dr. J. S. Lunger, of Prospect, Ohio, and later entrance at the Cleveland ( Ohio) Homeopathic Medical College, from which he graduated in the class of 1895. Immediately thereafter he located in Mechanicsburg as a possibly desirable field for professional activity, and the correctness of his surmise has been repeatedly and happily demon- strated without diminution during the succeeding years. The marriage of Dr. Baker and Ada O. Taylor, of Marysville, Ohio, occurred in 1896, and of this union there are two children, Fonta- belle and Robert E. Mr. and Mrs. Baker are members of the Methodist Protestant church, and are variously connected with the social interests in which the town abounds. The Doctor is a member of the Ohio State Homeopathic Medical Society, and the school which he represents has no more conscientious, painstaking and thoroughly adaptive disciple. As a diagnostician and prescriber he has successfully comibatted with many intricate and apparently hopeless complications, and has thus met with a deserved appreciation while ministering- to the physical woes of the community. By those who recognize his high professional ideal-. and realize the additional benclii of a pleasing and tactful personality. 588 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. and inborn humanitarian instincts a future of exceeding brightness, merit and usefulness is predicted. Dr. Baker is fraternally associated with the Knights of Pythias and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and he is politically identified with the Republican party. FERDINAND F. STOXE. A work of this nature exercises its highest function when it enters a memoir of a man who stood representative of the best citizenship and maxims of usefulness in connection with the practical activities of life and whose lineage was of that distinguished order which can not but be a source of pride and satisfaction to every worthy scion. In the envious and laborious struggle for an honorable competence and solid career on the part of the average business man, fighting the every-day battles of life, there is but little to attract the idle reader in search of a sensa- tional chapter ; but for a mind thoroughly awake to the reality and meaning of human existence there are noble and enduring lessons in the life of a man who conquers fortune and gains not only the temporal rewards of his toil and endeavor, but also that which is greater and higher, the respect and confidence of those with whom he has come in contact. Ferdinand Fairfax Stone was an able business man, a public- spirited citizen, a loyal friend and one who enriched the world by his services and his example. In noting those who have been prominent and honored in the business and social circles of Urbana there is imperative necessity that due tribute be paid to one whose life was of so signal honor and usefulness. As detailed record concerning the genealogy of Air. Stone is entered in the sketch of his brother, S. L. P. Stone, on other pages of this work, it will not he necessary to recapitulate at this point, since ready reference may be made to the article mentioned. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 589 Ferdinand F. Stone was born in Hampshire county, Virginia, on the 2d of April, 1841, the son of Ferdinand and Mary (Pigeon) Stone. He continued to reside in his native county until he had attained the age of seventeen years. After duly profiting by such advantages as were affi rded in the common schools he pursued his studies for a time in the college at Emmitsburg, Maryland, thus securing a good practical education as the basis for an active business career. He was employed as clerk in a mercantile establishment in 1858, and resigned this position to accompany his parents on their removal to Urbana, Ohio, in that year. Here he soon afterward secured a clerkship in the hardware es- tablishment of William M. Young, but in 1863 he went to- the far west, becoming one of the pioneer hardware merchants of Colorado and Mon- tana, which were then on the very frontier of civilization, and remaining in that section until 1808, when he returned to Urbana, where he re- mained until the fall of the following year, when his marriage occurred, and soon afterward he removed to Mansfield, Ohio, where he was suc- cessfully engaged in the hardware business until 1872, when he came again to Urbana and here associated himself with his brother, Samuel L. P. Stone, in the establishing of a hardware business, under the firm name of Stone Brothers, which has been continued to the present time, the enterprise having grown to be one of wide scope and importance and being one of the principal ones of the sort in this section of the state. Our subject gave to the undertaking the benefit of his mature judg- ment, practical and effective methods and inflexible integrity of purpose, and tlii' ugh his efforts to a large extent was gained the high reputa- tiim which the house has ever enjoyed, his interest in the same being still retained by his family. Mr. Stone continued to be actively identified with 'his enterprise until the close of his useful and honorable life, bis death occurring on the 30th of August, 1898. He was held in the 1 highest esteem in the community and was one of the popular citizens 590 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. of Urban a. In politics lie gave his allegiance to the Democratic party, but never consented to accept official preferment of any sort. He was- prominently identified with the Masonic fraternity, in which he rounded the circle of the York Rite, having been a member of the local com- mandery of Knights Templar. On the 12th of October, 1869, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Stone to Miss Agnes A. Lee, who was born in Livonia, New York, the daughter of Dr. Enoch M. and Mary (Chamberlain) Lee, who be- came residents of Urbana in 1858, and here the father continued in the active practice of dentistry for two score years, his death occurring on December 23, 1889. Mr. and Mrs. Stone became the parents of two children. — Montana, who is the wife of Dr. E. W. Ludlow, of Ur- bana; and Lee Ferdinand, who married Miss Catherine Squares and who is identified with the business of the firm of Stone Brothers, being one of the able and popular young business men of this city. GABRIEL KENTON. 1 One of the old and representative citizens of Mad River township, where he has a well improved farmstead in section 2, it is signally con- sistent that a sketch of the career of Mr. Kenton be incorporated in this work. He has passed practically his entire life in the county . and is now one of the oldest native-born residents of Mad River township,. while his name has ever been 2 synonym for honor and integrity in all the relations of life. Mr. Kenton was born in this township on the 1st of October, [815, being the -mi of Mark Kenton, who was born in* Kentucky and who was about seventeen years of age when he came to Champaign county, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 591 arriving here on the 2d of May, 1802. and thus becoming one of the early settlers. He lived for nearly a half century in Mad River town- ship and his death occurred in 185 1. He was a son of William Kenton, who was born in Fauquier county, Virginia, and was numbered among the first settlers of Champaign county, there having been but two houses in what is now the city of Springfield at the time when he erected his little log domicile in Mail River township, where he continued to reside until his death, at the age of about eighty-four years. The maiden name of our subject's mother was Susan Markley. who was born near the citv of Baltimore. Maryland, and died at the age of about sixty-six years. Mark and Susan 1 Markley) Kenton became the parents of five sons and two daughters, all of whom grew to maturity and three of whom are living at the present time, the subject of this sketch having been the eldest in the family. He was reared on the parental farm- stead in section 6, this township, and his educational advantages were such as were afforded in the little log school house, with its slab benches, puncheon floor, wide fireplace and oiled paper for windows. He at- tended school during the three winter months and devoted the remainder of his time to assisting in the reclaiming and cultivation of the pioneer farm. He continued to be engaged in farming and stock raising on the old homestead until he had attained the age of about forty years, when, in August, 1854. he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Ann Bryan, who died a few years later, as did also their one child. Subsequently Mr. Kent. in married Mrs. Rachel A. Bryan, the widow of Parker Bryan and a native of the state of Virginia. By her first marriage she was the mother oi six children, namely: Levi. Mary, Irene, Jennie, John H. and Prank. Jennie is the wife of John Dunlap; Mary is the wife of George Ward; Irene is deceased: Levi married Jennie Powell: Frank married Alice Minich; John II. married Nancy Walker and resides on the old homestead with our subject, having charge of the operation of the 31 592 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. farm. Mr. Kenton is the owner of eight hundred acres of as good land as can be found in this section of the state and the greater portion of the same is under a fine state of cultivation. In addition to bis fine landed estate in bis native county be also owns six hundred and forty acres in Texas, and a farm of forty-three acres in Edgar count}-, Illinois. By good management and indefatigable application he has attained a high degree of success, and is known and honored as one of the sterling pio- neer citizens of Champaign county. He was originally a Whig in poli- tics, having cast his first presidential vote for Henry Clay, in [836, and he transferred his allegiance to the Republican party at the time of its organization and has voted for each of its presidential candidates since that time, having e\ er been a stanch supporter of its cause. The success which crowns his efforts in bis venerable years is the more pleasing to note from the fact that it represents the result of bis own labors. He started out as a poor boy, having few advantages, and has not only at- tained marked prosperity but has become a man of broad information through reading and practical association with men and affairs during a 1( mg and useful lite. DAVID FRANK. One of the venerable and honored representatives of one of the early pioneer families of Champaign county, where he has passed bis entire life, on this score alone would it be incumbent to accord to Mr. Frank consideration in these pages, but aside from this he is personallv one of those sterling characters who command respect by reason of intrinsic worth, and he has contributed bis quota to the development of this section of the slate, true to all the duties of citizenship, kindly and generous in nature, and one who has "borne the heat and burden oi the daw" and CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 593 now, at : Jie venerable ag'e of more tlian four score years, rests secure in the comforts which his years ol toil and endeavor have granted, and in the honors which accompany venerable years and worthy lives. Mr. Frank has one of the well improved and valuable farm estates of the county, the same being located in section 29. Mad River township, in which township he was born, in the little log-cabin home of the pio- neer epoch, at a point one-half mile distant from his present attractive and modern residence, the date of his nativity having been December 26, [819, so that we may believe that he was cordially welcomed as a some- what belated Christmas guest in the little cabin, home. His father. Mar- tin Frank, was born in the state of Virginia, in the vear 1796, and thence. as a young man. emigrated to Ohio and located in Champaign county, as one of its earliest pioneers, as may well be inferred from the mere fact that it was nearly a century ago that he here established his little log cabin home in the midst of the forest wilds. He located on a tract of government land in what is now Mad River township, and here he liter- ally hewed out a farm, clearing his land to a large extent and becoming one of the prominent men of the locality, where he was honored for his sterling worth of character and where he passed the residue of his life, fie was of German descent, the family having been long established on American soil. On the 24th of September, [815, Martin Frank was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Argerbright, who was born in Rock- ingham county. Virginia, and she lived to attain the age of about sixty years. In the family were twelve children, and of this number only four are living at the time of this writing, the subject of this sketch having been the eldest. David Frank has been an eye witness of the transitions which have marked the development of this county from a veritable sylvan wilder- ness to its present position as a rich and well populated section of one of the foremost states in the Union, and from his youth up he rendered 594 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. assistance in the work which stood for the founding of the prosperity" which has been cumulative in the succeeding' years and which he con- tinued to further by his zealous and well directed efforts. His early educational advantages were such as were afforded in the little li ig schoolhouse, with its meagre equipments, and he continued t< > assist in the work of the parental homestead until his first marriage, to Man Kyte, who lived to be about sixty-eight years of age. He later was united in marriage to Sarah Armstrong, who was born in Berkeley county. \ ir- ginia (now West Virginia), in November, 1834, being the daughter of Jacob and Nancy Armstrong, who came to Champaign county when she was twelve years of age. She was educated in the public schools of Urbana, and that she profited well by her advantages and effectively sup- plemented them by private study, is evident when we revert to the fact that for forty years she was one of the honored and particularly success- ful teachers in the schools of this county, having been for half of this period engaged as teacher in the city schools of Urbana. She became widely known throughout the county and here her friends are in number as her acquaintances, while there are many of her former pupils who have attained distinction in the various vocations of life and who retain for her a sincere esteem and affection. Mrs. Frank continued in the pedagogic profession until her marriage to our subject, on the 8th of June. 1893. Airs. Frank was the second in a family of nine children, and only four of the number ar.e now living. The father of Mrs. Frank lived to attain the age of eighty-one years, his devoted wife having passed away at the age of seventy-seven. The subject of this review is one oi the oldest of the surviving native sons of Champaign county, has devi ted his entire life to agricultural pursuits, in which he has not been denied a high measure of success, and he is still exceptionally alert and active for one of his advanced age. In politics he has given an unqualified support to the principles and policies of the Democratic party from the time of CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 595 attaining his legal majority, and for more than a score of years he has been a devoted and influential member of the Baptist church at Xettle l reck. His farm comprises one hundred and sixty acres, and is one of the valuable properties of this section, having the best of permanent im- provements, all of which have been made by Mr. Frank, while his careful management and progressive ideas are shown in every detail, for with- out such care he could not have attained so marked success nor have developed so attractive an estate. ABRAHAM SHOCKEY. In the best development of Champaign county Abraham Shockey has borne an important part. He has been identified with its agricultural interests since pioneer days, and while promoting the material welfare of the community he has also given an active and liberal support to those measures which tend to advance the intellectual and moral status. His birth occurred in Mad River township. Champaign county, December 16. 1841. His paternal great-grandfather was a brave and loyal soldier during the Revolutionary war. serving fn mi the beginning of the struggle to its close, and his services were principally in North Carolina. His son. Abraham Shockey. came to Champaign county, Ohio, in iSoj from Kentucky, with his wife and one child. The wife and child came on the one horse and Mr. Shockey walked. He located on section 3, Mad River township, where he cleared a farm from the dense woods. Wild animals and Indians were then vet'}- numerous in this locality, and he was one of die earliest pioneers of the county. His son also named Abraham, lie- came the father of our subject. He was born in this locality in [816, and was reared, married and died in the same locality. For his wife be chose Elizabeth NefF, who was born in Virginia, but when a young; 596 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. woman she came with her father, Abram Neff, to Clark count} - . Ohio, and from there to Champaign county, where she passed away in death at the age of fifty-five years, while her husband reached the age of seventy-six years. Abraham Shockey, his parents' only child, has spent his entire life on the farm where he now lives, and the district schools of the neighbor- hood afforded him his educational advantages in youth. Throughout iiis entire life he has been engaged in agricultural pursuits and stock- raising, and his landed possessions now consist of three hundred and six- teen acres' of rich and fertile land, his fields being under an excellent state of cultivation and adorned with many substantial and valuable improve- ments. In [866 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Shockey and Miss Cinderella Kiser. The lady was born and reared in Harrison township, Champaign count}, Ohio, her parents being Jacob and Catherine Kiser, prominent and early settlers of that locality. Six children have blessed the union of our subject and wife, namely: Weldon R., who married Lydia R. Mitzel and resides in Urbana; Elijah F., who married Mabel Miller, and resides upon a part of his father's farm; John P. and Livonia E., at home. Two children are now deceased — Catherine E. and Abra- ham. Prior to the Civil war Mr. Shockey gave his political support to the Democracy, but since that time has been a stanch supporter of Re- publican principles. He is a man of enterprise and public spirit and is thoroughly identified in feeling with the growth and prosperity of the county which has so long been bis home. ■*-—■ ISAIAH H. COLBERT. I he life history of him whose name introduces this review is closely identified with the history of Champaign county, which has been his home for more than eighty years. He began his career in CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 597 the early pioneer epoch of the county, and throughout the years which have since come and gone he has been closely identified with its inter- ests and upbuilding. lie is a native son of Champaign county, his birth having occurred in Mad River township on the 31st of January, 182] His paternal grandfather. Jesse Colbert, was born in the famous old Blue Grass state, but became one of the early pioneers of Cham- paign county, Ohio, where he took up his abode in Mad River town- ship. He was of English descent. The father of our subject. John Colbert, was born on the line separating the state of Virginia and Kentucky, and when about eighteen years of age accompanied his par- ents on their removal to Champaign county. Ohio. After bis marriage he located in the woods of Mad River township, where he erected a log cabin and began the arduous task of clearing his land and placing it under cultivation. His life's labors were ended in death at the age oi eighty-two years. He was a charter member of the Nettle Creek Bap- tist church, having assisted in the organization of that denomination and was a liberal contributor to its support. In political matters he was a life-long Democrat, and during the war of 181 2 was a brave and loyal soldier. In Mad River township. Champaign county. Mr. Colbert was united in marriage to Anna Smith, who was also a native of the Old Dominion, who, when twelve years of age. in company with her parents, made the journey by wagon and flat boat to Champaign county, Ohio, where she passed away in death at the ripe old age of ninety-one years. Her lather. Peter Smith, was thought to be of German nativity, and he. too, ne one of the early pioneers of this locality. He faithfully served his adopted country in its struggle for independence. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Colbert was blessed with six children, four sons and two daughters, namely: Isaac, deceased; Sarah, who was accidentally killed by a falling tree while making her way home from school through a 598 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. storm; Louisa, the deceased wife of Daniel Blose: Isaiah H.. of this review; John and Peter, both deceased. Isaiah H. Colbert, the only surviving member of this once large family, pursued his education in the old pioneer schools of the neigh- borhood, with their greased paper windows, puncheon seats and rude slab desk.-, and after putting aside his text-books remained at home and assisted his father in the work of the farm until his marriage. Throughout his entire business career he has followed the tilling of the soil, and is now the owner of one hundred and twenty-three acres of well improved and productive land in Mad River township, on which he ha- placed many substantial and valuable improvements. His resi- dence is one of the landmarks of Champaign county, it having been erected in 1827 and in an early day was used as a tavern, known far and wide as the Blue Bell Tavern. It was also one of the first brick houses erected in the county, and was built by his uncle, Isaac Smith. Since attaining to years of maturity Mr. Colbert has given an unfalter- ing support to the principles of Democracy, and on its ticket he has been elected to many positions of trust and responsibility, having served for many year- as the township assessor and also as a trustee. His has been a noble Christian life, in harmony with the teachings of the Bap- tist church, he having been long a member of the Nettle Creek Baptist church in Mad River township. The marriage of Mr. Colbert was celebrated on the Kith of April, 184O. when Amanda W'iant became his wife. She. ton, was a native of this locality, her birth having occurred on the iSth of February, 1827. Her father, Adam W'iant. was a native of Virginia, as was also his father, Adam W'iant, Sr. The former came to this locality in the pio- neer days, ami on a farm here he spent the remainder of his life, passing tn hi- final reward at the age of eighty-four years. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary Magart, was also a native of the Old Domin- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 599 ion and they became the parents of nine children, of whom Mrs. Col- bert was the third in order of birth. She, too, received her education in the primitive log school house of that day. Unto the union of our sub- ject and wife have been born six children, three sons and three daugh- ters, as follows : Rowena, the deceased wife of David Loudenback, of Mad River township, by whom she has six children, Carrie (deceased), Edgar, Edna. Walter, Frank and Wilbur; Benjamin, deceased; Fer- nanda, deceased; Melissa, the wife of W. J. Harwood, of Springfield, Ohio, and they have two children, Nellie M. and Frank Lee; Jennie, \vh< became the wife of J. W. Straub, by whom she had two sons, Wal- ter and Harold, the latter now deceased, as is also Mrs. Straub; Gerald, who married Laura O. Taylor, whose father's history will be found on another page of this volume, and they have four children. Lula A., Evan T.. Madge G. and Donald II. Mr. and Mrs. G Jbert also have one great- grandchild. Donald A., the son of W. D. Loudenback. Few men have more devoted friends than our honored subject and none excel him in unselfish devotion and unswerving fidelity to the worthy recipients of his confidence and friendship. DANIEL C. HOUSER, M. D Among the prominent physicians of Champaign county is Dr. Dan- iel Carry Houser. of Millerstown. He was born in Johnson township. two miles northwest of this city, April i, 1867. His father. William Houser, was born in Schuylkill county. Pennsylvania, on the 9th of March, 1830. and was there reared and educated in the German tongue. During the first thirty years of bis life he followed the carpenter's trade, after which he devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits. In 1852 be 6oo CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. came to Champaign county, Ohio, locating in Johnson township, near Millerstown. where for a time lie followed the carpenter's trade and later took ii]i his abode on a farm in this vicinity. After coming to this county he was united in marriage to Henrietta Idle, who was born in Concord township. Champaign county, on the 28th of January. 1839. His father. Henry Idle, was one of the early pioneers of this count)', having removed here from Virginia. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Houser were born six sons, — John W., Daniel C. Louis H., J. P., Jerry and Taylor. All were horn and reared in Champaign county, and with the exception of the youngest all are still living. Mr. Houser is a life-long Democrat, and is a valued member of the old German Reformed church. Daniel C. Houser, of this review, remained under the parental roof until he was twenty-six years of age, and the district schools of Cham- paign county afforded him his educational privileges. At the early age of eighteen years he began teaching in the schools of his native township, tollowing that profession for eight vears, and during five years of the time he also studied medicine under the preceptorship of Dr. Longfellow, o] Crbana. Later he became a student in the Starling Medical College, of Columbus. Ohio, in which institution he was graduated on the 25th of March, 1897. ^ n tnat . vear ne began the practice of his profession in Millerstown. He now enjoys a large general patronage and holds pres- tige among the most eminent members of the profession in this part of the state. He is also the owner of twenty acres of land north of Millers- town. In Champaign county, on the 23d of October, 1893. Dr. Houser was united in marriage to Miss Florence M. Huntoon, a native daughter oi this county, where she was born on the 20th of July, [869. She was a successful teacher in the schools of this locality prior to her marriage. Her father. Martin True Huntoon, was born in New Hampshire, hut in a very earl)- day came to Champaign county, and in Union township was CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 60 1 united in marriage to Abigail Minturn, a native of Columbus, Ohio. They became the parents of six children, — Charles, Edward. Susan, Anna. William and Florence. The third son. William, is now deceased. All were born and reared in Champaign county. Mr. and Mrs. Houser have had two children,— Lester, born in Millerstown, September 6, [894, and Lela. born March 13, 1S98. The Doctor gives his political support to the Democratic party, and in his fraternal relations is a member ol the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Crayon. He is a valued mem- ber of the Baptist church at .Millerstown, in which he has served as a deacon for a number of years. Both as a physician and citizen he enjoys the high esteem of the residents of Champaign county. ELWOOD S. AkCLELLAX. For a number of years Elwood S. McClellan has been an honored resident of Champaign count}-. He has won an excellent reputation in business circles, and whatever tends to elevate and improve the condition of his fellow men is certain to receive bis earnest support and influence.. He was born in Tiffin. Seneca county, Ohio. September 2J, 1854. His lather. Hiram McClellan, was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and after his marriage removed to Tiffin, Ohio, removing thence, in 1868, to Cable, Champaign county, where he is now a retired farmer. I he mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Eliza Swisher, and she, to.,, wa^ a native of Lancaster county. Pennsylvania. She now re- sides with her husband in their pleasant home in Cable. Of their six children three are now living, two sons and one daughter, and two daugh- ters and a son are deceased. Elwood S. McClellan, the second child and second son in the above <5o2 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. family was fourteen years of age when lie came with his parents to Wayne township, Champaign county. Prior to his removal here he at- tended the schools < f Seneca county, later became a student in the Heidel- berg College, at Tiffin, and after completing his education he taught for three terms in Wayne and Rush townships. Champaign county. For the following six years he was engaged in farming near Mingo. In 1886 he left his Ohio home for Kansas, and in Gray county, that state, took up government land and followed agricultural pursuits there for two years, during which time he was active in public affairs, having served as count 1 .- commissioner and being also elected to the legislature from Gray county. He still owns one hundred and sixty acres of land in that state. His homestead in Wayne township. Champaign county, consists of two hundred and ten acres, and he also owns one hundred and eighty- eight acres in Logan county, Ohio. In addition to the raising of the cereals lie also makes a specialty of the raising of standard bred trotting horses, ami in this line of endeavor has met with a high degree of suc- cess. His home place is known as the "Kings Creek \ alley Stock Farm," and there he raises annually about thirty head of horses and cattle. He now luis "Strong Boy," J : 1 1 ' [, and "Aletus," -? : 1 7 W- . His political sup- port is given to the Republican party, and for a long period he served as chairman of the school board in Wayne township. In 1877 occurred the marriage of Mr. McClellan and Miss Maria f. Johnson, anil they have four children, two sons and two daughters. — Maud. Hiram, Marg'aret and Ivan Boggs, all at home. The family are members of the Friends church. Mrs. McClellan was born January 2, 1854, in Wayne township, this county, daughter of Hiram and Margaret Johnson. He was born in Wayne township and lived there for ninety- two years, being a very successful farmer anil cattle raiser, who owned nineteen hundred acres of land free of all incumbrance when he died in [901 . in his ninety-second year. His wife was born in Virginia January CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 603; 14. 1817. daughter of David and Esther Brown. The former was born in Frederick county, Virginia, was a successful farmer and died at the age of eighty-two, while his wife, Esther, after raising eight children, died about middle life. Hiram Johnson had two sons. Nelson and Alfred. Nelson died leaving a. large estate, while Alfred is still living. RICHARD DU VAL WILLIAMS. From the beginning of his active connection with Mechanicsburg, in 1S39. Richard Du Yal Williams strove ti> maintain conditions com- mercially and industrially substantial, and morally and intellectually high. That he was eminently successful in the consummation of his desires is vouched for by those permitted to associate with him in what- soever capacity and by the banking and mercantile concerns which owe their origin and subsequent success to his appreciation of their utility. From forefathers long connected with the south Mr. Williams in- herited not only thrift and industry but a nature at once devout and humanitarian. He was born in Pleasant Grove, Maryland. June 27, 1815, and his death occurred in this town, December 4. 1894. In the early subscription schools of Maryland he acquired such education as a busy childhood around the home farm permitted, and when alxmt sixteen years oi age, in 1831, he accompanied his parents to the supposed larger opportunities in the vicinity of Mechanicsburg. Eight years later, in [839, he entered mercantile ranks in the town, and from the humble position of clerk worked his way up to a general knowledge of the busi- ness. He possessed shrewd common sense, and had a keen knowledge of human nature, and these attribute's, allied with tact and a desire to 6o 4 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. please, won for him- in time a really unusual success. The business established by him so many years ago is still one of the landmarks of the city, and is owned and managed by his son, C. W. Williams, who con- ducts his affairs under the firm name of C. YV. Williams & Company. In [86; Mr. Williams, with the able assistance of Thomas Davis, organized the Farmers Bank, of Mechanicsburg, of which he was presi- dent up to the time of his death. Scarcely an effort to further the wel- fare of the town but that bore the impress of his wise enthusiasm and often practical assistance, and he was looked upon as one of those con- servative forces which are as rudders in any growing community. In his adopted town he was a power in the Methodist Episcopal church, which denomination he had joined when thirteen years of age. For forty-two vears he was recording steward of the church, and fur twenty- five years was superintendent of the Sunday-school. He earnestly be- lieved in the tenets of his church, and through his influence many were brought within the fold thereof. In his effort to uplift humanity he was ably seconded by his wife, whom he married in [829, and who was form- erly jane Claggett, of Annapolis. Maryland. Of the children reared in the Williams home but three are now living, and of these, C. W. Williams bears an honored reputation in. the community, and inherits to a large degree his father's business discretion and ability. A native of Mechanicsburg, C. W. Williams was born May 4, 1841, and was educated in the public schools of the town. Under his sire's example and instruction he developed into a practical business man, and since 1865 has had control of a large and lucrative business. In [865 he married Rebecca Guy, who died in 1877. leaving three children, (hark- Edwin, Alta Rebecca and Frances. In 1S78 Mr. Williams mar- ried Mary Horr, and of this union there are also three children. Anna May, Helen Jane and Howard Horr. Mr. Williams is a Republican in political affiliation, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. C05 HIRAM McCLELLAN. For many years the subject of this review, Hiram McClellan, has been engaged in agricultural pursuits in Champaign county, and in the locality where he has so long resided he is loved and honored for his many noble characteristics. A native son of the Keystone state, his birth there occurred in Lancaster county, June 28, 1829. His father, foseph McClellan. was a native of Philadelphia, that state, while the paternal grandparents of our subject were burn in either Ireland or Scotland. In a very early day they located in Lancaster county. Penn- sylvania, where they followed the tilling of the soil. There the son Joseph was reared to years of maturity, but in 1853 he left the home of his youth for the Buckeye state, where he resided from that time until 1865, and in the latter year he took up bis abode in Brown county, Illinois, his death there occurring in Galesburg. In political matters he gave a stanch support to Republican principles, and his last presidential vote was cast for Lincoln at his second election. He was then in a very feeble condition, but such was his enthusiasm and public spirit that he was carried to the pulls, entirely against his physician's advice. His death occurred when he had reached his sixty-ninth year. As a com- panion on the journey of life he chose Clarisa Souder, a native of Mary- land, but when sixteen years of age she accompanied her parents on their removal to Pennsylvania. Her father, David Souder, was a me- chanic and also a carpenter and builder, and he lived to the ripe old age "i ninety-four years. Late in life he removed to Tiffin, Ohio, and when he was ninety-three years of age he walked a mile and a quarter to the vote for Lincoln at his second election. The town of Souders- i'ennsylvania, was named in his honor. His wife reached the age of seventy-five years. She was a sister of Senator Peffer's mother. Mr. and Mrs. McClellan became the parents of five children who grew to 606 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. years of maturity, namely: Hiram, the subject of this review; Nancy, the wife of Dr. William Kaull. of Princeton, Illinois; Emma, the wife of John Bailey, editor of the Bureau County Republican, of Princeton, Illinois ; Captain Joseph Simpson, who served as a soldier in the Civil war and is now identified with the Horticultural Society of Colorado; Lavema, the wife of Samuel Osborn, also a soldier in the Civil war in an Indiana regiment, and he is now employed as an attorney and in the real-estate business in Mankato, Minnesota. Hiram McClellan received his elementary education in the public schools of his native place and later he attended Whitesborough Acad- emy, New York. After completing his education he again entered the school room as an instructor and for twenty-two terms taught in both Pennsylvania and Ohio. On the 24th of December. 1850. he was united in marriage to Eliza Swisher, who was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in October. 1827, a daughter of Jeremiah and Mary (Pen- nington ) Swisher. On the maternal side she is descended from English Quakers who came to this country with William Penn, while on the paternal side she is of Swiss descent. Mrs. McClellan. the third in order of birth of her parents' ten children, was reared and educated in Lan- caster county, Pennsylvania, where she attended the common and select schools, and was afterward employed as an instructor for three terms. In 1 S 5 [ Mr. and Mrs. McClellan made the journey to Ohio, spending the first eighteen years in Tiffin, Seneca county, where they were engaged in farming and teaching. Since 1868 they have resided in Cable, and adjoining this village they own ninety-two acres of rich and valuable land, lie lias ever taken an active interest in the public affairs of his locality, where for fifteen years he has served as a notary public, and his political support is given to the Prohibition party. He is a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church. Ihe union of our subject and his wife ha- been blessed with six CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 607 children, namely : Leander S.. a farmer and manufacturer in Wayne township, Champaign county; E!wood S., whose sketch appears on another page of this volume; Mary, the wife of Philander P. Lindill. of Wayne township ; Clarence, who died while attending Delaware College, June 1 1). 1883, the year of his graduation; Abbie, who became the wife of Alexander Crisman and died in 181)3; and Cora, who became the wife of R. P. Blackburn and died in 1901. Mr. and Mrs. McClellan also have thirteen grandchildren. They have been very active in the cause of temperance. Mr. McClellan took the pledge at eight years of age and since has done many acts substantially good for the cause, while his wife has worked in the cause of temperance almost all her life, joining the Woman's Christian Temperance Union in 1874, and has been very act- ive or. these lines since, holding the principal offices of that organization for several years. Mr. McClellan has been a representative to the Grand Lodge of the Good Templars. HORACE M. CROW. The emulator but by no means imitator of his distinguished and capable father, Horace M. Crow, one of the most erudite of the legal practitioners of Champaign county, and a resident of Urbana for the greater part of his life, was born in Cincinnati, this state, April 4, 1855. His parents, Thomas D. and Henrietta (Downs) Crow, were married in 1847, an( l tne latter died in 1858. when her son was but a toddling child. The father came to Urbana when fourteen years of age. after completing a bound-boy's service, and while learning the tailor's trade began to make amends for a hitherto neglected education. Because of his untiring industry and application he in time gained exceptional gen- 32 6o3 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. eral and legal knowledge, and like a sturdy oak pushed his way and stood erect in the midst of disturbing and conflicting elements. His subsequent association with the professional and educational under- takings of the county is dwelt upon at length in another part of this work, yet none but the universal record is needed to enroll his name among the men of all climes who have not only found but have created opportunities. From about his fifth year Horace M'. Crow received his early train- in;," in Urbana, and after completing the course at the public schools studied during 1870-71-72 at the Ohio Wesleyan University. He after- ward taught school in Franklin and Champaign counties, and was thus employed for about three years, and in the meantime had come to regard law as a science whose mastery would be not only congenial but emi- nently fitting. Not possessing the available means to devote his entire time to professional research he secured employment as a clerk in a mer- cantile establishment, and at the same time studied law in the office of his father and brother. He was admitted to the bar in December of 1878, and in January of the following year began to practice in Urbana. In tin spring of r88i he changed his field of activity to Van Wert, in which town he lived for four \ears, and where he served as deputy clerk for one term. In December of 1884 Mr. Crow resumed practice in Ur- bana, and in February of [887 removed to Columbus, as deputy clerk oi the supreme court, an office maintained until September of 1893. His stanch support of the Republican party resulted in still further appreci- ation on the part of his former fellow townsmen of Urbana, for in 1895 be was elected city solicitor of the town, and discharged the duties of the office for two terms, or until the spring of [899. In partnership with his brother Mr. Crow continued to add to bis already large clientele, but since the departure of the brother for the west he has proceeded on independent professional lines. An additional responsibility satisfac- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 609 torily assumed by Mr. Crow lias been the secretaryship of the Industry Loan & Building Company, with which he became connected in 1893. The marriage of Mr. Crow and Frances Kenaga. daughter of W. F. Kenaga, a retired farmer of Urbana. occurred in. October of 18S2. Mr. Crov i- variously associated with the social, professional and fraternal organizations in which Urbana abounds, and is especially well known as a Mason, being past master of Champaign Lodge and past high priest of Urbana Chapter. This is his third year as thrice illustrious master of the Urbana Council. R. l\: S. M. With his wife he is a member of, and liberal contributor towards, the Methodist Episcopal church. In his relation to all phases of life in Urbana Mr. Crow bears an enviable reputation, and his intelligent determination, clear and incisive mind, loyalty to interests confided to his care, as well as his natural and ac- quired ability combined with a genius for hard work, make him a lawyer in whom his clients may have implicit confidence, and for whom may safely be predicted a continuation of his present success. W. W. WILSON. Whether as cashier of the Citizens National Bank since 1878. as a soldier strenuously employed in the service of his country during the Civil war. or as a promoter of peaceful and substantial conditions in his adopted town of Urbana. W. W. Wilson has made faithfulness to duty his unchanging watchword, and thoroughness and stability bis rule of life. A native of Concord township, this county, to which his paternal grandfather came many years ago from Washington county, Pennsyl- vania, he was born May 1, 1842, and is a son of Elias R. and Mary (Russell) Wilson, the former also born in Concord township. 610 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. When four years of age W. W. Wilson was left fatherless, his brother, John R. Wilson, now of Oklahoma territory, being the other son in the family. Although the mother afterwards re-married, the fact did not materially change the prospects of the boys, and when eight or nine years of age \Y. VV. found himself face to face with the serious and responsible side of life. However, he managed in the midst of his arduous farm duties to acquire a fair education in the district schools, and even at a later day succeeded in graduating from the high-school at Urbana. A variation in a somewhat monotonous agricultural existence was brought about with the culmination of smouldering hostilities be- tween the north and south, and in April of 1861 he endeavored to become a member of a home company of which A. F. Vance, Si\. was captain. The quota being full he was not mustered in, but in September of the opening year of the war he enlisted in Company G, Sixty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for three vears, and upon the organization of the company was appointed sergeant. Little dreaming of the permanent re- minder of grim-visaged war which fate had in store for him. he de- parted with the company for the front in January of 1862, and the fol- lowing June, at the battle of Port Republic, Virginia, sustained a severe injur_\ to bis leg. Totally disabled, the injured member proved a source ot great suffering and inconvenience, and was subjected to three differ- ent stages of amputation in the effort to save a part of its usefulness. In addition to this trying ordeal, Mr. Wilson fell into the hands of the enemy, and for four months was permitted to familiarize himself with the interiors of the prisons at Waynesboro, Lynchburg and Libby. Eventually exchanged, be was discharged in I (ecember of [862, his brief but terrible military experience having contained about all the trials to which soldiers are heir. Since peace was restored be has been a member of the W. A. Brand Post, No. 98, Grand Army of the Republic. During [866 and [867 Mr. Wilson was journal clerk of the Ohio CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 611 house of representatives, and the latter part of 1867 was appointed revenue collector of his district, a position creditably maintained for eleven years, or until the assumption in 1878 of his present responsibility as cashier of the Citizens Bank. In 1868 Mr. Wilson was united in marriage with Anna Virginia Russell, who died in 1898, leaving three children, Will- iam R., Carrie Virginia and Frank C. In 1900 Mr. Wilson married Mrs. Mary B. Murry, widow of James Murry. The Methodist Episco- pal church has a stanch worker and supporter in Mr. Wilson, who has teen a steward of the church for forty years, superintendent of the Sun- day-school for ten or twelve years, and also a teacher in the Sunday- school. As one of the best known, must thoroughly enterprising and most helpful of the citizens of Urbana, Mr. Wilson receives a deserved measure of appreciation, and his tact and agreeable personality have won him many friends. ELIJAH T. WOODCOCK. Aiming those activity in normal channels of business enterprise have accelerated the current of industrial progress in Champaign county. Ohio, is Mr. Woodcock, who for more than a quarter of a century has been one of the leading grain and produce dealers in this section of the Buckeye state. He has attained in business a prominence that is due entirely to honorable and systematic methods, indefatigable industry and resolute purpose, and thus his success has been worthily won, while its natural concomitant is the unreserved confidence and esteem accorded by his fellow men. The name borne by our subject has been identified with the annals of American history from the time of its practical inception and is one which has been prominent in the business, civic and public affairs of 6i2 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. various sections of the Union, throughout which representatives of the family have been disseminated, as one generation has followed another upon the stage of life's activities. It is an established fact that the original American progenitor was an Englishman who was numbered among the pilgrims who sailed for the new world on the historic May- flower, probably coming on the second voyage of this stanch but primi- tive craft. He finally settled in Brattleboro, Vermont, where he became one of the prominent and influential men of the colony. His descend- ants are now to be found in the most diverse section of the Union. < Inr subject's maternal ancestors became early and prominently identified with the history of New Hampshire, and the maternal grandfather was numbered among the early settlers in western Xew York. Elijah T. Woodcock was born in Allegany county, New York, on the 15th of January, 1833, being a son of David and Martha (Osgood) Woodcock, both of whom were born in Swansey, Xew Hampshire, where their marriage was solemnized and whence they emigrated to New York, where the father was engaged in agricultural pursuits until his death. They became the parents of ten children, of whom seven lived to attain years of maturity, while five of the number are living at the present time. The subject of this sketch was reared under the sturdy and invigorating discipline of the farm, and it is interesting to note the tact that during the long years of his active and useful life he ha- con- tinued to be identified, in a direct or collateral way. with the great basic art ot husbandry. He remained on the old homestead until he had at- tained his legal majority, attending the common schools of the vicinity ami later prosecuting his studies for a time in the Alfred Academy, in bis native count)', this being a popular institution and one of high repu- tation. He left this school in 1855 and made his way to the west, lo- cating top a time in Iowa and thence removing to Minnesota, where he had the distinction of being the first settler in Kandiyohi county, this CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 613 being in the year 1856. He soon returned to his native state, locating in Wellsville, where, under the firm name of Woodcock & Crittenden, he was associated in the conducting of an extensive produce business until 1876. in which rear he came to Urbana, Ohio, being joined by his fam- ily two years later, and here they have ever since maintained their home. Here he forthwith established himself in the grain and produce business and is now the pioneer operati r in this very important line of industry, with which he has been here consecutively identified for more than twenty-five years. In this connection we cannot, perhaps, do better than to quote from an article appearing in the Champaign Democrat of March 30, 1899, since the statements remain pertinent at the present time: "The pioneer business in nearly every town situated in an agri- cultural district is that involved in the establishment of a grain elevator, and no one factor is mure important in insuring the success of the farmer. With live, enterprising men of ample capital and good business connec- tions in the leading grain centers prosperity is assured. In the elevator of 'Sir. E. T. Woodcock we have such a factor. Handling of grain of all kinds, and also seeds and wool, for which the highest ruling prices are paid, this concern has become a favorite one in this vicinity. The facilities are unexcelled and bear evidence of careful planning, no ex- pense being spared to render the service first-class in every respect. Here, on the Big Four tracks, Mr. Woodcock has an elevator with a capacity of fifty thousand bushels, and in conjunction with Mr. A. Beatley he has a fifteen thousand bushel warehouse at King's Creek, on the rail- road, and another of eight thousand bushel capacity at Lippincott, and he also has arrangements for loading cars on the Erie road at Dallis' switch. In Mr. Woodcock we find a man thoroughly conversant with even- feature and detail of the business, a discriminating and careful buyer, a sharp seller and one who is universally respected." At one time Air. Woodcock was largely interested in the manufacture of phos- 614 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. phate in Florida. He is a man of genial nature, frank and straight- forward in all the relations of life and having that intrinsic integrity whose domination results invariably in gaining and retaining unequi- vocal confidence and esteem. He is honored as an able and conservative business man and public-spirited citizen. In addition to his interests in Champaign county he is the owner of a large amount of valuable farm property in Harper county, Kansas. In politics Air. Woodcock exer- cises his franchise in support of the principles and policies of the Re- publican party, but, deeming his business affairs worthy of bis entire time and attention, he has refused to be "afflicted" with public office of any nature. On the 4th of September. 1856, Mr. Woodcock was united in mar- riage to Miss Loretta C. Curtis, of Franklinville, Cattaraugus county, New York, and of their children we incorporate brief record as follows: Dell is the wife of Frank Macken, of Wellsville, New York; Cora V. is the wife of George T. Alger of the same place; Helen M., a success- ful and popular teacher, died at Orange, New Jersey, in 1893. at the age of twenty-nine years; Jesse remains at the paternal home, assisting his father in his business; and Josephine is a popular and efficient teacher in the public schools of Urbana. Mrs. Woodcock and her children are members of the Baptist church. MARION W. THOMAS. As incumbent of the important and responsible office of treasurer of Champaign county, as a representative of one of the honored pioneer families of this favored section of the old Buckeye commonwealth, and as himself an able business man and representative citizen of Urbana, MARION W. THOMAS. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORW 617 there is prima facie propriety in here according specific mention of Mr. Thomas. .Marion W. Thomas was born in Jackson township. Champaign county, on the 29th of October, 1865, and he has passed the major portion of his life within the confines of his native county. The family whose reputation for worthy accomplishments he so well sustains had as its first representative in Ohio his grandfather. John Thomas, who was horn in the beautiful Shenandoah valley. Virginia, the name having been identified with the annals of the Old Dominion from an early epoch in its history. Tohn Thomas became one of the first settlers in Jackson town- ship, Champaign county, whither he had come from his old home in Vir- ginia, and here was born his son William, who figures as. the honored father of the subject of this sketch and who has been a most faithful and zealous worker in the vineyard of the divine Master, as a clergyman of the Baptist church. He was born in this county and was reared on the old pioneer homestead, and in his early youth he began preparing himself for the work of the ministry, eventually realizing his desires and being ordained in the Baptist church. His advocacy of truth and justice has been eloquently urged upon his hearers during the long years of his active ministry and he has accomplished much in the uplifting of his fellow men, being ever animated by a deep human sympathy ami imbued with a spirit of gentle tolerance, which has gained him the affection of those to whom he has ministered and over whom he has been placed in pastoral charge, his ministerial duties having in the past been associated with the work of his church throughout the greater portion of the state of Ohio. Rev. William Thomas is still living, having attained the vener- able age of seventy-seven years ( 1902). In carrying forward his work for humanity he found a devoted companion and coadjutor in the wife whom he married in early manhood and whose maiden name was Emily E. Watts and who was born at Mount Pleasant. Virginia, in 1828. 6i8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. When she was but five years of age she and her two sisters accompanied their widowed mother to Urbana, and here she was reared and educated. From his worthy father Marion W. Thomas inherited studious and inquiring menial traits, and thus he found but imperfect satisfaction in pursuing his studies in the district schools of his native count} - . Never- theless, from general observation in the midst of practical duties and environment, he learned much that can not be imparted in schools and that is not recorded in text-hooks, and personal application and well directed reading, study and research have effectively supplemented the rudimentary discipline of the public schools. Thinking to improve his prospects by removal to the west, Mr. Thomas passed a summer in that section and this interval proved of adequate duration for him to arrive at the conclusion that Ohio was, after all, a desirable field for legitimate enterprise and activity, and upon his return he assumed the management of his father's farm, the place having been for years a source of pride and satisfaction to the latter, and he had devoted much care and attention to improving and beautifying this attractive rural home, while continuing his active ministerial labors. In 1883 Air. Thomas made his initial efforts as a shipper of poultry, operating a branch house for Asa Stapleton dur- ing the winter season, when his attention was not demanded in connec- tion with the farm. He continued to be associated with Mr. Stapleton until the death of that gentleman. In 1891-2 he was junior member of the firm of Cline & Thomas, who engaged in the same line of enterprise, with the details of which our subject had become thoroughly familiar and along which he was destined to attain a high degree of success and the reputation of being pi issessed 1 if excellent executive and administrative abilities and. powers. In the fall of 1892 Mr. Thomas removed with his family to Saint Paris, and after the opening of the season of 1893 he effected a lease of the Stapleti in pi lultry-packing house, and simultaneously formed a partnership with Dr. C. Jones, under the firm title of Thomas CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. G19 iS: Junes. They were thus associated in the poultry business until April. 1895, when Mr. Thomas purchased his partner's interest and individually continued operations, his business for the ensuing year reaching the notable aggregate in transactions of fifty thousand dollars. He has ever since continued to be one of the leading poultry shippers of the state and is now carrying on operations upon a very extensive scale. In 1893 Mr. Tn. mas was elected to the office of city clerk of Saint Paris and two years later was chosen as his own successor in this office. In 1899 he entered the primary race for the office of county treasurer and in one of the most warmly contested campaigns in the history of the county was nominated as the Republican candidate for the office by a majority of four hundred and seventy-three, while in the ensuing election bis majority was nine hundred and seventy-one. In 1901 Mr. Thomas was renominated with- out opposition and was elected by a majority of seventeen hundred and thirty. — a fact in itself sufficiently significant to render unnecessary any words ot commendation in this connection and showing that his admin- istration of fiscal affairs had been such as to gam popular approval and a flattering endorsement, while in this connection it should be noted that he is the youngest man who has ever held this office in the county. He has given an unwavering allegiance to the Republican party and has taken an active interest in its local work and cause. He is esteemed by all who know him. without reference to political affiliations, and is one of the most painstaking and conscientious of the officers of Champaign c< unity. Fraternally he is identified with the Masonic order, the Knights of Pythias and the Improved Order of Red Men. On the 3d of December. [895, Mr. Thomas was united in marriage to Miss Ida L. Boyer, and they are the parents of two children. — Hazel L. and John. Mrs. Thomas is a lady of gracious presence and innate refinement, presiding with dignity over the home in Urbana, where Mr. 1 homas took up his residence upon being elected to his present office. 620 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. DR. ADAM MOSGROVE. One of the pioneer physicians of Champaign county and a man \\\v > wielded an extensive influence. Dr. Adam Mosgrove. left the impress of his individuality upon the public life and is still greatly esteemed for his genuine worth as a citizen. He was born in Inniskillen. in the county of Tyrone in Ireland. August 12, 1790. At the proper age he was placed under the instruction of a private teacher and thus acquired a good Eng- lish education and was prepared to enter the medical college at Edin- burgh, Scotland. He became a student in the Royal Academy of Sur- geons at Dublin, Ireland, where he was graduated April 7, 1S14. Im- mediately afterward he was commissioned as surgeon in the British Navy and on Easter Monday. 1816, left the Emerald Isle to assume the duties of surgeon on board the ship Charlotte, which sailed for the United States. When off the American coast the vessel became disabled in a storm and put in to the Pennsylvania Harbor for repairs but a dispute having arisen between the ship's officers and the British government the officers resigned their commissions and left the vessel in the harbor, where it remained until completely destroyed by decay. Dr. Mosgrove was then in a strange land and had in his possession hut seventy guineas. He started west to begin the battle of life, first lo- cating in Lancaster. Pennsylvania, but after a short time removed to Elizabeths nvn that state. In both places he practiced medicine and in the latter city was married, in 1817, to Mary Miller. About this time Dr. Mosgrove learned that George Moore, who was born in his own native town, had settled in Champaign county, Ohio, and the ties of nativity were sufficiently strong to attract him to the home of his old friend. In 1818, therefore, he packed his possessions in a wagon and with his wife started for the far west, arriving in Urbana in the latter part of June of the same year. Soon after arriving in this city the Doctor invested the few bun- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 621 dred dollars which he had saved in land and this was the nucleus around which the fortune, possessed at the time of his death, was slowly accumu- lated, fie purchased a small farm house situated in Miami street, just , est of what is now known as Douglas Inn. and that little frame dwelling continued to he his residence and oftice until he erected a new home on the the southeast corner of Walnut and Miami streets, where he resided up to the time of his death. The property is now- owned and occupied by his son, James M. Mosgrove, M. D., a sketch of whom appears elsewhere. On the dour cxf this residence is yet to be found the name of Dr. Adam Mi --rove, it being retained there by the son out of respect to the mem- ory of his father. In 1833 Dr. Mosgrove lost his first wife and in the following year was married to Frances A. Foley, a daughter John Foley, a prominent pioneer citizen of Clark county, Ohio. There were no children born of the second marriage. The Doctor's eldest son. John A. Mosgrove, now deceased, was a prominent citizen of Urbana for a long period. Colonel \Y. F. Mosgrove, the second son, organized a battery during the Civil war and died in 1869. Dr. James M. Mosgrove is still residing in Urbana and is the youngest of the family. The father was well known even beyond the limits of Champaign county and his professional services were frequently demanded long dis- tances from his home. For a number of years he practiced alone, hut afterward became associated with Dr. J. S. Carter. Sr., who died in 1852, and their extensive practice was continued by our subject for many years. In those early daws physicians made their calls on horse back and the I >octor being noted as an expert horseman rather enjoyed the lung rough trips over the country. Sometimes lie would hitch his horse in the woods at night rather than unduly tire his favorite animal, while he himself b •• ; \ id Todd, the subject of this memoir, in com- pany with three others, first came to Ohio in 1812, on a prospecting trip, 33 626 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. the journey being made on horseback, and at that time visited Urbana, which, was a small hamlet in the virgin forests, and upon his return to his native county he married and there engaged in farming until icS4<>. when he came through with a team and wagon to Warren county. Ohio, in company with his family, his brother John having located in that sec- tion of the state in the year 1832. ( )ur subject and his family remained there a few months and in March, 1847, came to Champaign county and settled on Pretty Prairie, in Urbana township, where he passed the re- mainder of his useful and honorable life, engaged in agricultural pur- suits, in which he was exceptionally successful. He developed a fine farm, making the best of improvements upon the same, and at the time of his demise it was recognized as one of the most valuable farm prop- erties in this section of the state, giving evidence of the scrupulous care and attention bestowed by its progressive and able owner. In politics .Mr. Todd was originally an oid-line Whig, but upon the organization of the Republican party he transferred his allegiance, to this organization, winch he believed had stronger claims upon popular support, and there- after he was an ardent advocate of its principles, though he never sought official preferment or consented to serve in any political position. His religious faith was that of the Presbyterian church, and his life, in all its relations, was lived in harmony therewith. David Todd entered into eternal rest in the year 1868, in the fullness of years and honored for his sterling integrity of character and his kindly nature, which had endeared him to a wide circle of friends. He married Sarah McCormick, wdio was horn in 171)5. in Dauphin county. Pennsylvania, the daughter of Henry and Jane | Mitchell) McCormick. and she passed away March 23, [884, having been a consistent and devoted member of the Presbyterian church. The children of this union were twelve in number, namely: James Wil- son, who died a; the age of twenty-one years; Jane McCormick, de- ceased; Mary and Eliza, both deceased; Henry McCormick, deceased; CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 627 David Newton, who died at the age of five years; Thomas Mitchell, to whom individual reference is made in appending paragraphs; John K.. of Urbana township; Sarah Martha, deceased; Rebecca Nancy, de- ceased; and James Samuel, of Areata. Humboldt county. California. Thomas Mitchell Todd was born in Dauphin county. Pennsylvania, on the 17th of April, 1827, the son of David and Sarah ( McCormick) Todd, mentioned above, and he received his early educational discipline in the common schools of his native county, supplementing this by a course of study in a local academy, so that his educational advantages were up to the normal standard of the locality and period. He was nearly twenty years of age when the family came to Ohio, and here he put his scholastic acquirements to practical test by teaching school dur- ing one winter in Warren county and one in Champaign county, being successful in his pedagogic efforts. He remained at the old homestead farm until his marriage, in 1857. when he settled on another farm in the same township and there continued successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits until i8q6, — a period of nearly forty years, within which he had developed one of the fine farm properties of this locality and attain- ing a high degree of prosperity. His landed estate comprises two farms, whose aggregate area is three hundred and thirty-seven acres, in April of the year last mentioned, Mr. Todd removed to the city of Urbana, where he has since lived retired from active pursuits, having an attractive home and enjoying that quiet repose which is the fitting reward for years of active and well directed endeavor. Mr. Todd has ever been a stalwart supporter of the Republican party, but has never aspired to the honors or emoluments of public office, though his position in the community was such that he was naturally called upon to serve in various minor offices, in which line he gave able and discriminating attention to the duties involved. For fifteen years he was a member of the board of directors of the county infirmary, 628 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. sparing no pains to promote the well-being of this institution. He is a stockholder in the Champaign National Bank, of Urbana, and a member of its directorate. Both he and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church and have for many years been active and influential workers in the same. On the 12th of March, 1857, Mr. Todd was united in marriage to Miss Mary M. Rawlings, who was born in Urbana township, this county, on Christmas day, 1831, the daughter of James and Susannah I. 1 Mc- Roberts) Rawlings, the former of whom was one of the pioneers of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Todd became the parents of seven children, con- cerning whom we enter brief record, as follows: Susannah Irby is de- ceased; David Solon is a resident of Columbus, Ohio; James Rawlings is a successful farmer of Urbana township; Alma remains at the parental home; Henry William is deceased; Thomas Rawlings conducts the old homestead farm; and Pearl C, who for nine years has held a responsible position in the Champaign National Bank. JOSEPH C. BRAND. Joseph C. Brand was born in Bourbon county. Kentucky, on the 8th' of January, 1810, the family having been founded in America by his grandfather, Dr. James Brand, who was a native of Scotland and a man of distinguished professional ami intellectual ability. Dr. Brand was graduated in the Edinburgh Medical University about 175(1. and a num- ber of years later he crossed the Atlantic to America and took up his abode in Frederick City, Maryland, where he was successfully engaged in the practice of his profession for many years. He finally removed thence to Ringgold Manor, that state, and later took up his residence- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 629 in Augusta county, Virginia, where he passed the residue of his long and useful life, living to attain the patriarchal age of ninety-six years and having reared a family of several children. Thomas Brand, son of Dr. James Brand and father ■ if the ■ me vvh *e name initiates this sketch, was born in the state of Maryland, whence he accompanied his parents on their removal to Virginia, while in 1808 he located in Bourbon county. Kentucky, becoming one ot the early set- tlers of that locality. There was solemnized his marriage to Miss Fannv Carter, who likewise was born in Maryland, and they became the parents of eight children, one of whom was Joseph C, b whom this mem oir is dedicated. Joseph C. Brand was reared to maturity in Ins na tive county, receiving excellent educational advantages for the locality an( l peri, d and becoming a successful teacher in the schools of Kentucky. I„ l83 o he came to Champaign county, Ohio, as one of us pioneers, locat- ing in Urban*, winch was then a small village, where he became asso- rted with his uncle. Dr. Joseph S. Carter, in the conducting of a drug store. Two years later he engaged in the mercantile business at Me- chanicsburg, this county, his associate in the enterprise being Dr. Obed Horr and in that village he continued to make Ins home until rS 3 7, when he purchased^ farm near Buck (or Lagonda) creek, in Union township, where he devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits until 185 1, when he again became a resident of Urbana, which continued to be hi. home thereafter until the close of his signally useful and honorable hie. In the year 1832 Joseph C. Brand was united in marriage to Lavinia Talbott of Weston. West Virginia, and they became the parents of nine children, namely: Thomas T. ; Joseph C. Jr.: William A.: Margaret Belle, the wife of William R. Ross, of Urbana: Mary, who became the wife of Rev. Edward D. Whitlock; John F. ; Ella, who is the wife of Charles A. Ross, of Urbana; and Ellen and lova, who died in young womanhood. 630 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. In his political views Joseph C. Brand was a stanch Republican from the time of the organization of the party, and lie was prominent in the work and councils of the same, while he was called upon to serve in offices of public trust and responsibility. He did efficient service as clerk of the court of common pleas and also of the district court, but still higher official preferment and honors awaited him, for be was elected to repre- sent both bis district and county in the state legislature. Animated by the deepest patriotism, he naturalv gave his earnest support to the Union when its integrity was jeopardized by armed rebellion, and he it was w ho obtained the order for the raising of the gallant Sixty-sixth Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which was recruited under his personal direc- tion, while be served as quartermaster from 1861 until 1864, in which latter year be received from President Lincoln promotion to the respon- sible office of captain and commissary of subsistance of volunteers, acting in that capacity until the close of the war, while his military service thus covered a period of three years and two months. For distinguished service during the war he was brevetted major. During General Grant's administration as president of the United States Major Brand served as consul at Nuremberg. Bavaria, being in tenure of this distinguished office for a period of nearly three years. For three terms he was mayor of the city of Urbana, giving a notably able administration of municipal affairs, and through the early and middle portion of the past century per- haps no other citizen did more for the improvement, progress and sub- stantial upbuilding of the city than did Major Brand. He and bis wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church ami their lives were ever in harmony with the faith to which they thus held. Major [band was summoned to bis reward on the 30th of December. [897. and thus passed away one who had ever been honored and esteemed for his sterling character. hi- sincerity and kindliness, hi- fidelity to duty and bis marked abilitv. His widow survives him and i- now ninety years oi age. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 651 Major Thomas '1". Brand.— M a son of the honored subject of the preceding memoir, as one who rendered distinguished service as a leal and loyal sun of the republic during the war of the Rebellion and as an hunnred and representative citizen of Champaign county, it is significantly consistent that we here incorporate a brief review of the life record oi Major Thomas T. Brand, who is a native son of the county and who still retains his home in the city of Urhana. Th< mas T. Brand was horn in Mechanicsburg, Champaign county, Ohio, on the 28th of January, 1835, being' a son of Joseph C. and Lavinia (Talbott) Brand, of whom due mention lias been made in preceding- paragraphs. He was reared in this county and here received his early educational training in the public schools. The thundering of Rebel guns against the ramparts of old Fort Sumter amused a vigorous and re- sponsive protest in his heart, and such was his patriotism that he was among the first to tender iiis services in defense of the integrity of the Union. On the 16th of April. 1861, ere yet the smoke had fairly cleared away from the stanch old fortress where the civil conflict was inaugurated, he enlisted as a private in Company K, Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, of which he was forthwith elected first lieutenant, his commission to date from April 17, 1861. The organization of the regiment was effected in the city of Columbus, the enlistment being for a term of three months. On the 19th of April the command left the state and proceeded to the national capital. Upon arriving at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, it was formally mustered into the service on the 29th of the same mouth, and it arrived in the city of Washington on the 2d of Maw where it was as- signed to Schenck's brigade, Tyler's division of McDowell's arm) of northeastern Virginia. The regiment remained on duty in defense of the federal capital until June, and on the 22d of that month Lieutenanl Brand resigned his position to accept an appointment in the regular army, ac- cepting on that date the office of first lieutenant in the Eighteenth Regi- 632 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. merit of United States Infantry. On the nth of September, 1863. he was promoted to the office of captain, and on the 13th of March, 18(35, in recognition of gallant and meritorious service in the hat-ties of Stone River and Chickamauga,he was honored with the brevet rank of major. From Jane until December, 1861, Major Brand was engaged in recruit- ing service for the Eighteenth United States Infantry, in which he held the office of first lieutenant, as has already been noted, and in the month of December he joined his regiment in Ohio's capital city, whence the command moved onward into Kentucky, where, in January, 1862, it was assigned to the Third Brigade .if the Army of the Ohio, and was thus a portion of the Third Army Corps until September of the same year. In November the regiment became a portion of the Fourth Biigade. First (center) Division of the Fourteenth Army Corps, 1 if the Army of the Cumberland, while in January of the foHowing year it was assigned to the Third Brigade. In February, 1862, the command moved mi to Nashville and thence marched to Savannah. Tennessee, to reinforce the Army of the Tennessee. From March 20th until April 7th they were mi the advance to Corinth. Mississippi, taking part in the siege at that point, from April 17th to May 30th, and in the subsequent pur- suit 'ii the enemy to Booneville. From that point the command marched to Tuscumbia, Alabama, where it arrived mi the 22(1 of June, and there it remained on duty until the 27th of July; thereafter it was stationed at Decherd, Tennessee, until August 21st, whence it proceeded to Louis- ville, Kentucky, in the command of General Buell, in pursuit of Bragg - . On the 8th of October the regiment took part in the battle of Perryville, that state, thence marched to Nashville, Tennessee, where it was mi duty until December 26. It then advanced to Murfreesboro, and mi the 30th and 31st of the month took a very important part in the battle of Stone River, the engagement continuing also to' the 3d of January, 1803. 1 hereafter the regiment was mi duty at Murfreesboro until Tune, and on CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 633 23d of that month began its service in connection with the Tullahoma or middle 1 ennessee campaign, being in action at J loovers ( lap, 1 n Juno 25- 6, and taking- part in the occupation of Tullahoma, on July 1. There- alter the command was prominently concerned in the Chattanooga cam- paign and participated in the ever memorable battle of Chickama September 19-20. In the first day's battle at this point Major Brand received a severe wound in his left arm. incapacitating him for active service, and thereafter he was assigned to mustering and disbursing duty at Madison, Wisconsin, where he remained until February. 1864. after u Inch he was identified with similar service in the city 1 if O Jumbus, Ohio, until December. 1 865, the war having in the meantime closed. The Major still continued in the military department of the government service, how- ever, since he was chief mustering and disbursing officer of Indiana, at Indianapolis. Indiana, thereafter until June 1. 1867, and from that time forward until December 1. 1868, he held the same office in Ohio and West Virginia. His health had become impaired as the result of the wounds received during the war. and this led to his retirement from active service at the front on the 31st of December, 1864. His record was one of dis- tinction and he was relieved from duty on the 1st of December. 1868, after which he returned to his home in Champaign county. He has ever since been identified with the business interests of Urbana, having made many real-estate and other capitalistic investments in the city and county and having been very successful in this line, his interests receiving his pei si 'iial attention and supervision. He is a director of the National Bank hio Commandery of the Loyal Legion of the United State-. 1 i'i the 28th of December, [864, Major Brand was united in marriage 634 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. to Miss Eliza C. Warnock, who was born in this county, the daughter of Rev. David Warnock, and they are the parents of two sons. — Frank W. and Thomas T., Jr. The Major is a stalwart Republican in his political proclivities, has ever taken a deep interest in all that conserves the prog- ress and material prosperity of his home city and count}', and is known is one of the representative citizens of this locality, where practically his entire life has been passed and where he is held in marked confidence and esteem. Fraxk W. Brand, M. I)., now a prominent specialist in diseases of the eye. ear. nose and throat at Urbana. was born in this city, on the 2d of June. 1866, and acquired his preliminary education in the public schools, completing- a course in the high school and being graduated as a member of the class of 1883. He then passed a year in the old and cele- brated institution, Phillips Academy, at Andover, Massachusetts, and later passed two years as a student in the Urbana University, pursuing a scientific course. Determining to make the practice of medicine his vo- cation in life, he was matriculated in the Cleveland Medical College, where be completed a thorough course, being graduated as a member of the class of 1880, and receiving his degree of Doctor of Medicine. He be- gan the active practice of his profession in Beatrice, Nebraska, where he remained for eight years, and afterward completed a post-graduate course in the Chicago Eye, Car, Nose, Throat and other Colleges, and then lo- cated 'ii Urbana, where he has since been successfully engaged in prac- tice, lie is a physician of superior ability and comprehensive learning, an'' iiis skill has secured to him a liberal patronage of representative order. He is thoroughly devoted to the work of his profession, i^ a close and con- stant student ami stands high among his confreres in the profession, as well as i'; social circles, his personality being such as to gain to him marked popularity. Fraternally the Doctor has attained high prestige in e dasonii order, in which lie has advanced to the thirty-second degree CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. "35 of the Scottish rite, having become a member of the consist, .ry in < >maha, Neb-aska while he is also identified with the temple of the Mystic Shrine a, Lincoln, that state. His York-rite affiliations are with the various bodies in Urbana. On the 6th of October, 1888, Dr. Brand was united in marriage to Miss Lilian Garnett., of Urbana. Thom vs T. Brand, Jr., the second son of Major Thomas 1 . Brand, ,s Hkew.se a native of the city of Urbana, where he was horn on the istof February. 1875. After having duly profited by the advantages afforded in the public schools of tins city he entered the Ohio Wesleyan I niver- sity at Delaware, where he continued Ins educational work for two yeais He 'the,: returned to Urbana and began the study of dentistry, and finally completed Ins preparation for his chosen vocation by entering the Indiana Dental College at Indianapolis, .here he was graduated as a member of the class of 1896. Like his brother, he has attained prom- inence and. success in his chosen field of endeavor, and he now has a large and remunerative practice in his native city. Politically he is a Repub- lican and is a member of the First Methodist Episcopal church, while fra- ternally he is identified with the lodge, chapter, council and commandery , ,f the Masonic order. In 1809 he was united in marriage to Miss Bessie Marmon, of Urbana. For almost three-fourths of a century the name of Brand has been identified with the history of Urbana and it has ever st 1 as an exponent of honor and usefulness, the record, attaching to the name being such as to reflect credit not only upon the family but also the city and county. •» » ♦• THOMAS E. HUNTER. \ leading agriculturist and honored citizen of Champaign county is , Thomas E. Hunter, who has spent his entire life in this county. He was born on the farm on which he now resides, October 23, 1848. •636 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. His paternal grandfather, Nathaniel Hunter, was a native of the Green Isle of Erin, but in an early day he crossed the briny deep to America and took up his abode in Virginia. In 1811, however, he left his southern home for Ohio, becoming one of the early pioneers of Champaign county. His son Thomas, the father of our subject, was born in Greenbrier county, Virginia, in 1709, and when twelve years of age he accompanied his father on his removal to the Buckeye state. After his marriage he took up his abode in Wayne township. He was a life-long farmer, a \\ hig and Republican in his political views and was a worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he lung served as a trustee and steward. In Champaign county he was united in marriage to a Miss Evans, and they became the parents of two sons, but both died when young. For his second wife he chose Nancy Johnson, who was born in Guernsey county, but in early life she came wtih her parents to Cham- paign county. Her death occurred when she had readied the age of seventy-four years. ( )i the seven children born unto his parents Thomas E. Hunter, of this review, was the eldest son and fifth child in order of birth, and he was reared to mature years on the farm on which he now resides. He received his elementary education in the district schools of Wayne town- ship and afterward entered the Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware, where lie continued his studies for two years. After his marriage he brought his bride to the old Hunter homestead, where he has ever since engaged in farming and stock-raising. Since attaining to years of matur- ity he has given an unwavering support to the principles of the Repub- lican party, and for two years, from 1891 until 1893, he served as a jus- tice of the peace. Later, to fill out an unexpired term, he was elected to represent his district in the Seventieth General Assembly, and in the fol- lowing year, in [895, he was re-elected to that important position. Since retiring from the legislature he has served as a justice of the peace. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 637 The marriage of Mr. Hunter was celebrated in 1873, when Miss Emma Robinson became his wife. She was born in Highland county, Ohio, August I, 1853, a daughter of the Rev. J. M. and Mary M. I Kettle- man) Robinson. The former was a prominent minister in the Methodist Episcopal church, and for two years he labored in what is now known as the Grace Methodist Episcopal church at Urbana. His death occurred in 1 88 }, when he had reached the age of fifty-nine years, but he is still sur- vived by his wife. The family is a prominent one in this locality, and its members are noted for their longevity, the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Hunter having reached the age of ninety-seven years, and her paternal grandfather was ninety-four years old at the time of his death. One daughter, Mabel, has come to brighten and bless the home of our subject and wife. Mr. Hunter is identified with the Masonic fraternity, holding membership in the blue lodge and chapter at North Lewisburg and in the council and commandery at Urbana, and he is also a member of the junior Order of the United American Mechanics. Both be and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Mingo, in which he has long served as a trustee and steward and has been superintendent of the Sundav-school. JOHN F. BRAND. The inevitable law of destiny accords to tireless and well directed energy a successful career, and thi> fact has ample verification in the case f the subject of this review. Mr. Brand, who is recognized as distinc- tively one of the representative business men and public-spirited citizens of the progressive city of Urbana. and who has gained the grateful pres- tige of worthy succe-s in material affairs through his ability and well directed effort, has promoted public good through private enterprise and has proved himself fully alive to those higher duties which represent the ■ 1 638 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. most valuable citizenship in any locality and at any period. The advan- tages Hi Urbana as a wholesaling and jobbing center are manifest, and of this condition our subject was one of the first to show appreciation in a practical way, and lie is now vice-president of the \\ . H. Marvin Com- pany, with which he has been identified from the time of its inception, while he has gained a high reputation in the business circles of his native c< unity, having passed the greater portion of his life in the city where he now maintains his home, and thus being doubly eligible for representation in a work of this nature. [iilm F. Brand was born in Union township. Champaign county, ( )hio, on the 18th of June, 1848, being the son of Major Joseph C. and Lavinia (Talbott) Brand, the former of whom came to Champaign county from Kentucky in 1830 and here passed the remainder of his life being one of the honored pioneers of the county. A sketch of his life appears on other pages of this volume, and to the same we refer the reader for detailed information as to the genealogy and family history of (.in- subject. When John F. Brand was but three years of age his parents re- moved from the farm to Urbana, and in the public schools of this place he secured his early scholastic discipline, supplementing the same by a course of study in the Urbana University. After leaving school Air. Brand became assistant civil engineer on the construction of the Atlantic & Great Western Railroad, now known as the Erie Railroad, and w as thus engaged for a period of one year. Early in [864 be became a clerk in the subsistence department of the United States army, serving before Atlanta and Richmond and accompanying the army of the James 1.1 Appomattox. lie was on duty at Richmond until July, 1805. when be resigned his posi- tion, a few months after the surrender of General Lee, which marked the practical closing of the war of the Rebellion. From Virginia .Mr. Brand returned to Urbana, where for a short time he was employed as a clerk in the dry goods establishment of Ross & Hitt. Thereafter be became asso- ciated with his father and elder brother, Joseph ( .. Jr., in the conducting CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 639 of a grocery business. In i86g he became a compositor in the offr 1 the Citizen and Gazette, of which he eventually became the manager, hav- ing ci nitn .1 1 it the enterprise at the lime 1 if it- sale t< > Charles T. Jamie- in, in 1870- After this decade of new-paper work Mr. Brand associated himself in the grocery business with i). A. Fulwider, withdrawing from the firm two years later and engaging in the same line of business at Bellefontaine, where he remained until [884, when he once more took up his abode in Urbana. In 1886 he entered into partnership with W. II. Marvin and they established a wholesale grocery house in Urbana. the enterprise being conducted with signal discrimination and ability and graduall) extending its scope of operations until it became expedient to organize a stock company, this being accomplished in 1895, under the title of the W. H. Marvin Company, the business being duly incorporated and Mr. Brand becoming vice-president of the concern, in which capacity lie has since continued. He has charge of the salesmen and of the buying of stock, and his thorough knowledge of all details and values, together with his executive ability, has made him a forceful factor in the building- up of the large and satisfactory business of this important company, which is now engaged in packing grocers' specialties for sale to jobbers. The business covers almost the entire territory of the United States. Progressive in his attitude, of broad views and genuine public spirit, he has made his influence definitely felt in the industrial life of this section, and has important local interests aside from that mentioned, being ol the directorate of the "Western Mutual lore Insurance Company, the Urbana I elephone Company and the Urbana Publishing Company. Though tak- ing no active part in affairs of a political nature. Mr. Brand has not been unmindful of the duties of citizenship and has given a stanch support to the Republican party and its principles. He is a member of Grace Methodist Episcopal church, in which he lias been an officer for more than a - years. Fraternally he is identified with Harmony Lodge, No. 8. F. & A. M.; Urbana Chapter, Xo. 39. R. A. M.. and Raper Com- 4 o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. mandery No. 19, Knights Templar, being past master of his lodge and Eminent Commander of his commandery, and taking deep intere-t in this ancient and honored fraternal organization. On the 1st of December, 1870, Air. Brand was united in marriage to Miss Fannie Patrick, daughter of Evan B. Patrick, of Urbana. and they have four children: Charles, who is connected with the house of which his father is vice-president; and Elizabeth, Ella and Joseph E\ an. who re- main at the parental home, which is a center of gracious and refined hospitality. Charles Brand, born in Urbana, Ohio, on the 1st of November, 1871, is a son of John F. and Fannie Brand. He was educated in the Urbana public schools and in the Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware. Early manifesting- a business capacity, he managed a large fruit business of his own during the summer months for three years prior to his graduation in the high school. Upon leaving the university at Delaware he was en- gaged for a time in the grocery business at Richmond, ( >hio, and later was connected with the \Y. H. Marvin Company as a traveling salesman, in which capacity he proved eminently successful. He is still connected with that house, and is also actively engaged in farming, owning and profit- ably conducting a farm of two hundred and thirty-five acres. On the 24th of October, 181)4, he was united in marriage to Miss Louise J. Vance, a daughter 1 >f Major A. F. Vance. Jr., and they are most happily established in a home in Scioto street in Urbana. CHRISTIAN SHANELY. Among the early settlers and representative farmers of Harrison township, and a veteran of the great Civil war, is Christian Shanely, who was born in the southeastern pari of [ndiana, about thirty miles west & ^ CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 643 of Cincinnati, November 5. 1826, the third sen and fifth child of John and Catherine (Haisch) Shanely, whose history will be found in the sketch df their eldest son. Jacob Shanley, in this volume. When a small boy our subject was taken by his parents to Shelby county, Ohio, and a short time afterward the family came t< 1 Champaign county. He received Ins education in the old-time log school houses of the locality, with their greased paper windows and slab seats and desks. After putting aside his text-books he assisted his father in the work of the home farm until 1S50, when he made the journey to the Golden state, going direct to Sacramento City, and ah. nit six months were spent on the road from St. |oe across the plains with an ox team. After seven months spent on the Pacific slope as a miner he returned by the water route to Xew "^ ork City, whence he went to Albany and Buffalo and finally reached his old home in Champaign count}-, where he resumed the quiet pursuits oi the farm. After his marriage he located on a farm in Adams township, where he was engaged in general farming and stock-raising until the Civil war prompted his enlistment in the Union cause. In [864 he became a mem- ber of Company H. One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, entering the ranks as a private, but was soon afterward pro- moted to the position oi sergeant, and for four months he served in the National ( iuards, under Colonel Armstrong. They went to Cumberland, Missouri, thence to VVashingti m, thence to Petersburg and remained there until discharged in the last part of August. Returning to his home with a creditable military record, Air. Si; again took up the quiet duties of a farm life, and since that time has given his undivided attention to the work of the fields. About 1890 he took up in's abode in Harrison township, where he now owns three hundred acres of land, all of which he has placed under a fine state of cultivation, and on this valuable homestead he has erected a com- modious and attractive residence. In addition to the farm which he 34 644 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. owns he has also given two hundred and forty acres to his sons and son-in-law. In 1853 Mr. Shanely was united in marriage to Susanna S. Calland, a daughter of William and Mary (Armstrong) Calland, who came from Scotland to America in 181 7, and they became prominent early settlers of Adams township. Champaign county. In that locality Mrs. Shanely was reared and educated, being the youngest in a family of nine chil- dren, four sons and five daughters. Mr. and Mrs. Shanely became the parents of three children, — Mary C, the wife of L. A. Kumler; John \\\. who married Miss Lucy Alice Pierce: and Edwin, who married Anna Sager. The loving wife and mother was called to her final rest 1:1 [879, and she was buried at Spring Hill cemetery. In politics Mr. Shanely is a Republican, he having cast his first presidential vote for Lincoln in i860, and he has continued to vote that ticket at every presiden- tial election since. He is a prominent and worthy member of the United Brethren church, has always clung to whatever is of "good repute," and his name is a synonym for all thai is honorable and straightforward. JACOB SHANLEY. Many \ears have passed since this gentleman arrived in Champaign county, and he is justly numbered among her honored pioneers and lead- ing citizens. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, April 27. [822, a son of John and Catherine (Haisch) Shan-ley, natives of Wittenberg, Ger- main-. The father was a soldier under Napoleon Bonaparte and was with him on bis march to Moscow. Out of the twenty who enlisted with him from the same town he is the only one who returned from the fata! march. In 1816 they left their little home across the sea and came to America, locating in Cincinnati, Ohio, and on their arrival thev were in CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 645 debt to the amount of sixty dollars. For the following five years the father worked as a laborer in Cincinnati, after which he removed to Indi- ana, but two years later came again to this state, and from that time until 1830 farmed on rented land near the town of Miami. In that year they took up their abode on a rented farm in Shelby county, but a short time afterward came to Adams township, Champaign county, where Air. Shanlev had previously purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land, and here they spent the remainder of their lives, the father passing away in his sixty-seventh year, while the mother reached the good old age of seventy-nine years, both passing away in the faith of the United Brethren church, of which they were worthy and active members. The church in which they worshipped was built on their land. A little log cabin first served as their meeting place, but this was later replaced by a more pre- tentious frame structure, and the latter was succeeded by a brick church, all built on the same site. This worthy couple became the parents of seven children, five sons and two daughters, namely: Catherine, de- ceased; Sophia, also deceased: Jacob, of this review; John, a resident of Adams township. Champaign county; Christian, who makes his home in both Adams and Harrison townships; David, of the former place; and Isaac, also of Adams township. Four of the sons were loyal defenders of the Union cause during the war of the Rebellion, and as a partial com- pensation for the trials which they were called upon to undergo in that terrible struggle they are now drawing pensions. Jacob Shanlev. of this review, was about ten years of age when he was brought by his parents to Champaign county, and in a primitive log school house in this neighborhood he received his early mental train- ing. The teachers at that time were paid the munificent sum of ten dol- lars a month,. In 1840. 111 company with a friend, he drove to the present site of Dubuque, Iowa, but at that time this now flourishing city had not been organized, and during the following summer he was there employed 646 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. at farm labor. Returning thence to his home in Champaign county, he spent the winter in attending the district school, and in the spring made the journey to Iowa, where he remained but a few months and then re- turned to his Ohio home. In 1840, he started on the long and arduous i rip to the Golden state, the journey being made with ox teams, and on his arrival at Salt L.ake City a halt was made of one week. \\ hile there lie had the pleasure of hearing Brigham Young preach, and als 1 saw all of his wives in a group, he having been invited to the July celebration, the second anniversary of the arrival of Brigham Young in Salt Lake City. Continuing his journey to the 'Pacific coast, he mined for a time on the Yuba river, and after two years spent in California he returned by the water route to New York City. He crossed the isthmus of Panama on foot. From New York City he made his way to Pittsburg and thence in Philadelphia, where he disposed of his gold dusl for three thousand dolln -. Resuming his journey to the Buckeye state, he remained for a time in Cincinnati and Piqua, and on his return to Champaign county he purchased the farm on which he now resides, which at that time eon- sisted nf one hundred and twenty-five acres. In addition to his valuable homestead Mr. Shanley also owns two farms in Shelby county, om one hundred and seven acres ami the other of one hundred and sixty-five acres, thus making his landed possessions to consist ol nine hundred acres. On the 24th of February, 1853, Mr. Shanley was united in marriage Caroline Dormire, who was born in France Decembei 20, [833, a daughter of Christian and Magdalena ( Baron) Dormire, also natives of that country. They came to America about 18 [1 . and after their arrival i-w York they made their way to Shelby ci unty, < >hio. They, too, veiw poor when they arrived in 01 ere twenty dollars in debt. They succeeded in borrowing seventy dollars, and with this ount purchased twenty acre- of land in Shelb} county. They were the p . children, but two of the number died in infancy and CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 647 the remaining four accompanied them on their journey to America. The mother was called to her final rest at the age of seventy-four years, but the father survived until his eighty-first year. Mrs. Shanley is their third child in order of birth and is the oldest now living, her brothers and sisters being: Margaret, the wife of Lewis Bailar, who resides in Glen- wood Springs, Colorado; John, of Portland. Indiana; and David, of Shelby county, Ohio. Mrs. Shanley was about seven years of age when she came with her parents to America and she was reared in Shelby county, this state, receiving her education in its district schools. Two children have blessed the marriage of our subject and wife, — David, who was born in 1854, and is still at home; and Laura. E., the wife of Emer- son E. ( '.ard, of Clark county. He is a prominent grain dealer near 1 re- mont Citv, where he also owns an elevator and is engaged in the coal, nil, lumber and hardware business. They have two children. — Frank J. and Mary C. At the present time Mr. and Mrs. Shanley are residing on their old homestead in Adams township and are one of the oldest couples in the township. They are active members and liberal sup- porters of the United Brethren church, and Mr. Shanley is a lifelong Democrat, although he has been the only one of his father's family to vote that ticket. Highly esteemed by all who know them, the uniform regard in which they are held is a tribute to upright lives, — well worthy of emulation. ■» » » JOHX SHANLEY. This honored veteran of the Civil war, who has now reached the seventy-eighth milestone on the journey of lite, is one of the honored pioneers of Champaign county. He was lorn in the southeastern part of Indiana, near Cincinnati. August 4. 1824. aiM is the second s«m and 648 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. fourth child of John and Catherine (Haisch) Shanley, whose history will be found in the sketch of Jacob' Shanley in this volume. Our subject was about mx years of age when ho was brought by his parents to Adams township, Champaign county, and the educational advantages which he enjoyed in Iris youth were received in its public schools. He remained at home until his marriage, and soon afterward, in December. 1861, he offered his services in defense of the Union cause, entering G mpany I, Forty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he served for three years. During his military career he participated in eleven of the important bat- tles of the war. including those of Middle Creek. Vicksburg. Grand Guli Thompson's Hill, Cumberland Cap and Tain's Gap. During the en- gagement at Vicksburg he was struck in the cheek by a spent ball. In [864 he received his discharge, and with an honorable military record he returned to his home. Previous to entering the army Mr. Shanley had followed the wagon- making business, and after Ins return home he resumed that occupation, . but soon afterward sold out ami purchased the farm which he now owns. His landed possessions now consist of one hundred and sixty acres of well improved and productive land, where he is engaged in general farm- ing and stock-raising. From a very early period he has been promi- nently identified with the history of this section of the state. Wild was the region into which he came when a boy of six years; its forests stood in their primeval strength, and the prairie land was still unbroken, and throughout the years which have since come and gone he has nobly borne his share in its progress and upbuilding. Throughout the years of his manhood he has given an unwavering support to the principles of the Republican party, and religiously he is a member of the United Brethren church. In [86] Mr. Shanley was united in marriage to latima Henry, who was born and reared in Shelby county, ' )hio, and is a daughter of Rich- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 649 ard and Barbara Henry, pr< irninent early settlers of Shelby ci mm v. Fi iur children have blessed this union, namely: R. Mark, who is engaged in the oil business at Jennings, Louisiana; David D., a grain dealer of Mendon, Ohio; Lola, the wife of George Wirick, of Adams township. Champaign county, and Estella, the wife of Harvey Princehouse, who follows the teacher's profession in Shelby county. Mr. and Mr-. Shan- ley also have four grandchildren,— Laura. Ethel and R. Emmitt Wirick and [essie Princehouse. The family are among the best known citizens of Champaign county, and their friends are legion. DAVID SHANELY. In an enumeration of the prominent and successful farmers oi Champaign county a place of due relative priority must be given to the gentleman whose name appears above and who is one of the sterling citizens of the county, where he has passed his long and useful life, being a representative of one of the It m< .reel pioneer families of the county. 1 le has a well improved and valuable farm, which is located on section 2, Adams township, and he has here devoted his attention to the great art of husbandry from his childhood days, when he began to assist in the work of clearing and cultivating the paternal homestead. Mr. Shanely was born in Adams township on the 20th of June, 1830, being a son of John and Catherine (HaisCh) Shanely. to whom more specific reference is made in the sketch of our subject'- eldest brother. Jacob Shanelv, on another page of this work, so that a recapitula- tion is not demanded at this point. ■ Our subject was reared on the old homestead and there continued to devote his attention to its work until his marriage, in i860, when he began operations in the same line on his 650 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. own responsibility. When the integrity of the nation was menaced by armed rebellion Mr. Shanely abandoned the plow for the sword, and in 18(4 enlisted as a private in Company II, One Hundred and Thirty- fourth ( >hio Volunteer Infantry, with which he was in active service for a period of about four months. At the expiration of his term he re- turned to bis home and resumed farming, and to this industry he has ever since continued to give his attention, also raising a high grade of live stock, and lias been very successful in his efforts, his landed estate now comprising two hundred and twenty-seven acres, the greater portion being under a high state of cultivation, while the permanent improve- ments are of the best order, including a commodious and attractive brick residence, which was erected by Mr. Shanely in [876. He has prac- tica'lly retired from the active duties pertaining to the farm, but still main- tains a general supervision of his rine estate. He has taken a lively in- terest in all that concerns the progress and material and civie welfare of his native count}', and is one of the honored pioneer citizens, the family having been one of prominence in the county from an early epoch in it> history. Mr. Shanely's first presidential vote was casl for Pierce in 1852; iiis next for Buchanan and the third for Lincoln in tSdo. since which time he has remained a stalwart supporter of the Republican partv. having voted for every one of its presidential candidates from the time of its organization. His religious faith is that of the United Brethren church, and he has been an active worker in the same, as ha-- also Ins wife. Mr. Shanely s first marriage was solemnized in the year i860, when he was united to Miss Sarah J. Henry, and they became the parents of lour children, namely: John \\ .. a farmer of Adams township, married Cora Scob) . .-Mice is the wife of William Long: Charles, who is a promi- nent physician and surgeon at Sedgwood, North Dakota, and where he is abo largely engaged in agricultural pursuits, stock-raising and min- ing, married Capsola Shopsher: and Lydia A. is the wife of \V. E. Pan!- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 651 ington, ' i Shelby county, and a member of the 1 )hio legislature. Mrs. Shanely was summoned into eternal rest in [872, and our subject subse- quently married Miss Lydia A. W right, who was horn in Henry county, Indiana They have two children,— Trina, who is the wife of John Domire; and Barbara C, who remains at the parental home. Mr. Shanely has many times been offered official positions, but he has steadily decline!, as the emoluments of office have had little attraction lor him. ISAAC SHANELY Tin subject of this review is an honored hero of the Civil war and a man who for many years has held a leading place among the agri- culturists of Champaign county. He was bom on the farm on which he now lives, October 20, 1832, the youngest child of John and Catherine (Haisch) Shanely, whose history will be found in the sketch of Jacob Shanley in this volume. When the country became involved in civil war Isaac Shanely left his home and went to the front as a defender of the Union cause, enlisting November 21. [861, as a member of Com- pany 1, Forty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Entering the ranks as a private, he was soon promoted to the position of quartermaster, and in that capacity participated in many of the hard-fought battles of the wav. In the engagement at Port Gibson he received a Rebel bullet in the neck and shoulder, and for a time thereafter was confined in the hospital at Grand Gulf, but on the 21st of June following he rejoined his company and was present at the siege of Vicksburg. On the 2d of December, 1864. he received an honorable discharge and returned to his home. He now receives a pension of six dollars in compensation for his services. Throughout his entire life he has resided on the old Shanely home- stead, which was entered by his father in 1S20. and he still has in his 652 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. possession the original patent from the government. In 1874 he erected one of the finest residences in the county, at a cost of five thousand dol- lars. His farm contains three hundred and twentv acres of rich and fertile land. He has always followed advanced and progressive meth- ods of agriculture, and his place is neat and thrifty in appearance, owing to his consecutive labors and careful supervision. In 1868 he was united in marriage to Barbara A. Shaffer, a daughter of John and Catherine (Howard) Shaffer, natives of Germany. Mrs. Shanely was also born in that country, but when four years of age was brought by her parents to America, the family locating first in Logan county, Ohio, and, afterward came to Champaign county. She is the eldest child of her mother's first marriage, and she was reared and educated in this county. By her marriage to Mr. Shanely she has become the mother of five children, namely : L. Grant, who married Josephine C. Staley ; Callie C., deceased ; Elizabeth Jane, also deceased; George C, who was born in 1875 and is still at home; and Isaac N.,also at home. The family are members of the United Brethren church, in which Air. Shanely has served as a trustee for forty years and is an active worker for the cause of Christianity. Since returning from the war he has given a standi support to the Repub- lican party, and in his social relations he is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. In the growth and upbuilding of Champaign county he has evei borne his part, has been honorable in business, loyal in friend- ship, faithful in citizenship, and now in his declining years he can look back over the past with little occasion for regret. GEORGE G. McCREA. 1 iptain George C. McCrea, one of the well known and progressive citizens of Champaign county, is a member of an old and distinguished Family, He is a son of Wallace and Jane (Stapleton) McCrea. The CENTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 653. former was born in Catskill, New York, July 1 1, 1810, ami was a son of fohn and Elizabeth (Bell) McCrea. John was a son of Thomas Mc- Crea, who was a native of Scotland, coming from Kintail, the town of McCreas. He was burn in 1724. In 1759 he was married to Elizabeth. .Montgomery, daughter of a Scotch lord Subsequently they came to Ire- land, living in County Tyrone, and from there they came in 1787, to America, settling in Kortright, Delaware county, Xew York, where they lived until passing away. Thomas McCrea died in 1822. John McCrea. born in Scotland or alter the removal of the family to Ireland, was the third child of Thomas and Elizabeth McCrea. When a youth of eighteen years he became imbued with the desire to emigrate to America, and gain- ing the consent of his parents, acted upon this impetious impulse and made the voyage to the new 7 world alone, landing in New York City in 1775. In Kortright, New York, on February 5, 1803. he was united in marriage to Elizabeth Bell, who was born in New York in 1767. In 181 7. accom- panied by his wife and children, Mr. McCrea removed from the Empire state to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he followed his trade of a mason and his efficiency in bis line is attested by the fact that he superintended the con- struction of the first city water-works there. In the following year, 1818, he came to Champaign county, securing three hundred and twenty acres of government land, and on this farm bis grandson. Captain George G. McCrea. now resides. After securing his land he returned to Cincinnati. where he worked at his trade until the spring- of 1820, and then came with his family to his former purchase. This section was then new ami wild, its forests stood in their primeval strength and the Indians still roamed through the dense woods, seeking the game which could be had in abund- ance. Here he took up his permanent abode, erecting a log cabin and developing bis land. He was possessed of small means and during- the panic of 1821-22 was obliged to sell a part of his purchase, but as the years passed by he became pn ispen ius and eventually accumulated a c< impetence. 654 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. For many years he was the only competent mason of this locality. Both he and his wife led earnest Christian lives and both were members o\ the Salem Presbyterian church, located near Christians! mrg. Champaign county. He was also a member of Mount Olivet Lodge. F. & A. M., and was a Whig in his political views. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Mc< 'rca were born four children: Eliza, who married Frederick Johnston; William B., John and Wallace, all now deceased. Mr. McCrea was called to his final rest on the 14th of April. 1837. and his wife survived until July 15, [852, when she joined him in the spirit world. Wallace McCrea, the father of our subject was educated in the primitive schools of his day. On the 22d of March. [832, he was united in marriage to fane Stapleton. and they began their domestic life in this neighborhood but subsequently located on the old homestead, where the remainder of their lives was spent. During the trying period of the Civil war he manifested his loyality to the government by raising both money and men to preserve the Union. He was first a Whig in his politi- cal views, but in 1856 joined the new Republican party, ever afterward remaining a stanch supporter of its principles. Throughout his life he de- voted hi- energies to farming and stock-raising, and in both lines he was successful. lie was at all times a public-spirited and progressive citizen, and although never an office-seeker he held many local positions. The union of Mr. and Mrs. McCrea was blessed with five children, namely: John who died in 1852 at the age of nineteen years; George (*>., of this review : FJiza I., who married Charles L. Rogers, of Champaign county. being born September 23. 1838. and died June 26, 1876, at the age of thirty-eight years; Calvin, who died in 18^13 at the age of one year and seven months; and Sarah, who died in [852, at the age of seven years and eight months. The mother of this family closed her eyes in death on the 1 51I1 of July. [871, at the age of sixty-three years, her birth having occurred on the 8th of July, [808, in Ohio, but she was of \ irginia parent- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 655 age. Mr. McCrea was called to his final rest in 1S93. aged eighty-three years. Captain George McCrea, was horn in a log cabin in the village of Christiansburg. July 17, 1836, and was early inured to the labors ol held and meadow, his educational advantages having been secured in the primi- tive schools then in' vogue. He remained at home until his enlistment for the Civil war, in August, 1862, entering Company E, One Hundred and Thirteenth ( Mho Volunteer Infantry, being mustered in as a private. 1 [is regimem was a part of the Army of the Cumberland, and with it he took part in the many hotly contested battles in which that gallant army en- gaged. Hi-, regiment was made a part of the Second Brigade, Second Division, Fourteenth Army Corps, and was commanded by General Thomas, the "Rock of Chickamauga." The two principal hattles in which he participated were those of Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge. At Louisville, Kentucky, the Captain was mustered out of service, and was discharged at Columbus, Ohio. July 5, 1865. Captain McCrea entered the ranks as a private bul for meritorious services on the field of battle he received, the following promotions: Second sergeant, first sergeant, orderly sergeant, second lieutenant, first lieutenant, and during the spring oi 1864 was in command of Company D. He was relieved from that com- mand on the 27th of June, 1 Si u , ami returned to his old company, and on the death of Captain John Bowersock, who was killed at the battle oi Kenesaw Mountain, our subject was placed in command of Company E, his own company, serving in that capacity until he was mustered out >1 ice. At Kenesaw Mountain, during a tall in tin- engagement, he re- ceived a sun stroke, and. was carried oft the field by four comrades of ( iompany D, but after ten days he had sufficiently recovered to rejoin his In the same engagement, while leading his men, sword in hand, the weapon was struck by a minie hall near in point and was nearly wrenched from his hand, lie -till has tiiis weapon in hi- possession and •656 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. it is nne of his most precious souvenirs, having been the first sword given him when lie was promoted to second sergeant, and lie used it in all the engagements and through the whole campaign. His division was sent to the relief of Burnside at Knoxville and on May 2, 1864, his regi- ment was on the firing line when Sherman made his memorable move to- wan 1 Atlanta. At Kenesaw Mountain, June 27, [864, the regiment was in the thickest of the fight, losing ten of its nineteen officers in killed and wounded — one hundred and sixty-three men being killed, wounded and taken prisoners. During this memorable campaign, his regiment was within the constant hearing of musketry or artillery for one hundred daws. The next battle he participated in was the battle of Jonesboro, which was really the fall of Atlanta, as Jonesboro was the only way of escape the enemy had. After the fall of Atlanta, our subject and his regiment went with Sherman to the sea and was present at the capture of Savannah. After Sherman's army, on January 20, (865, left Savannah, it marched through South Carolina, where took place the battle of Averysboro,March 16, 1865. The battle of Bentonville followed, March 19, [865, which was •the last for that regiment as it went on to ( ioldsbon 1 ( Sherman's objective point ), arriving March 23, [865, then to Smithville, April 12, where they received the information of Lee's surrender on April 9, 1805, then to Raleigh, then to Morrisville: the first day of May they started for Wash- ington by the way of Richmond, arriving at Camp Ward on the 10th of May, [865, near Alexandria, being on the march seventeen days. With a gallant military record Captain McCrea returned to his home after the close of the war and again took up the duties 'of civil life. On the 1st of January, 1872, he was united in marriage to Miss Ellen Richards, and the} took up their abode on the old McCrea homestead, where he has ever since resided. The place now contains two hundred and forty-one acres :.inl constitutes one of the best farms to be found in Champaign county. < In the 30th of October, 1875, Mrs. McCrea was called to her final rest, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 657 leaving one son. John W., who resides in Cleveland, Ohio. She was born on the ;th of June, 1849. For his second wife the Captain chose Miss Hester Ann Berkshire, their wedding having been celebrated on the 8th of November, 1881, and they have one child. Mary E., who was born December 24, [882, and is at home. Since his return from the war the Captain has been elected to many positions of honor and trust. In 1892 he was made a county commissioner, which he continued to fill for nearly seven years, and for a time was chairman of the hoard. He has also held the office of township treasurer. He maintains pleasant relations with his old arm) comrades through his membership in the H. C. Scott Post, No. iii.G. A. R., of St. Paris. Ohio. PERRY DANIELS. Perry Daniels was one of the honored pioneers who aided in laying the foundation on which to erect the superstructure of Champaign coun- ty's present prosperity and progress, and through the period of early development he was an important factor in the improvement and ad- vancement of this section of the slate. His father. Thomas Daniels, was born, reared and educated in the famous old Blue Grass state, but in 1813, after his marriage he left his southern home for Ohio, locating on the present Daniels homestead in Champaign county. The land was •.hen in its primitive condition, but as the years passed by he cleared a portion of this farm, and here his death occurred in 1841. He was married in his native state to Sarah Cainbell. and she, too. was born and reared in Kentucky. This union was blessed with ten children, four sons and six daughters, as follows: America. Narcissa, George, Malinda. Perry, Laniana, Andrew Jackson, Milton. Etna and Catch. 658 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. All but four of the children were torn in Champaign count}-, and here all were reared. They have since passed to their final reward. The father gave his political support to the Whig part)- and religiously was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Perry Daniels, the immediate subject of this review, was born in this locality on the 8th of January, 1814, and throughout his youth and early manhood he assisted his father in clearing and improving his Ohio home. The educational privileges which he received were those afforded by the district .schools of the neighborhood. In early life he also studied the art of surveying, but never followed that profession, preferring to give his energies to the tilling of the soil. After his father's death he became the owner of the old home place of one hundred and fifty-seven and a halt acres. He performed his part in the arduous task of clearing new land, plowing and planting the crops and throughout his entire life he was engaged in agricultural pursuits on the old homestead in Har- rison township. He was prominently identified with the Republican party, and for a number of years held the office of constable. His social relation, connected him with the .Masonic fraternity, holding membership with the lodge at West Liberty. \- a companion on the journey of life Air. Daniels chose Miss Mary shire, who was born in Dayton, Ohio, and she there remained until within a few years of her marriage. Her father, Henn Barckshire, was :i native of the northern part of Ohio. In an earl) day lie moved to I 'avion, making the journey by boat, and during tin was burning in a kettle until it was discovered by the Indian-. In that city he was married to Miss Sarah Morris, a native of Virginia, hut when an infant die was brought to this state and was reared m Clark county. This worthy couple became the parent-, of ,i\ children, of whom Mrs. I >'• - the eldest in order of birth. By her marriage with ubject she became the mother of eight children, namelv: Mien. s CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 659 deceased; Sarah, at home; Margery, the wife of L. J. Baker, who is engaged in the implement business in Urbana; Adelia, the wife of J. J I. Wilson, who is engaged in business in Corning, California; Mar- guentte, who also makes her home in that state; Minnie, the wife of Don Wilson, of California: Anna, who is also unmarried and resides in thai state. All of the children were born on the old home farm in Champaign county. Mr. Daniels was called to his final rest on the cSth of December, 1S87. His was a long, active, useful and honorable life, and his name is indelibly inscribed on the pages of Champaign county's hist tv. D. S. PERRY. ' >ne oi the most expert authorities on broom-corn in Champaign count} is I). S. Perry, a substantial citizen of Urbana and variously in- terested in the surrounding agricultural, industrial and banking enter- prises. A native of Venango county. Pennsylvania, he was born Febru- ary 20, 1837. a son of John and Mary ( Smith) Perry, and grandson of Abides and Phcebe (Cross) Perry. The origin of the family is authen- tically traced far back into Scottish history, in which country Moses Perry was born, and from where he emigrated to America with his parents when yet a boy. His wife was born in Ireland, and as a child crossed the sea with the rest of her family, settling, as did the Perns, in Pennsylvania. After the marriage of the young people they removed to Venango county, Pennsylvania, and lived upon the same farm for sixty- fb e years, or until the time of their respective deaths. While tilling their land and taking a prominent part in the general affairs of the county, the grandparents reared a family of five sons and three daughters. I he parents of D. S. Perry were born, reared, and married in Penn- 3i 660 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. sylvania, in which state the maternal grandfather. David Smith, was born, and in his longevity showed a truly remarkable hold on life, attain- ing- to tour months less than a hundred years. He married Ann Lane, v ho was of Welsh descent, and who died at a comparatively early age. To John and Alary (Smith) Perry were born five sons and four daugh- ters, one son and two daughters being deceased. Three of the s< >ns served their country in the Union army during the Civil war. Tw o of the daugh- ters, Mrs. John W. Snyder and Mrs. D. C. Carey, as well as D, S. Perry. are the only members of the family living in Champaign county. Up to the time of his removal to Urbana in 1880, i ). S. Perry en- gaged in farming and stock-raising, and from his fourteenth vear has been interested in either the raising, purchasing or manufacture of broom- corn. While still on the paternal homestead Ik- attended the public schools, and in the spring of 1862 settled on a farm in Union township, this county, where with his brother, he engaged on an extensive scale in the cultivation of broom-ci ;rn. The handling < if this necessary ci immi 'dis- proved such a reliable source of revenue that upon locating permanently in Urbana Mr. Perry devoted himself entirely to promoting his chosen industry, and with his brother formed the broom-corn manufacturing en- terprise under the firm name of Perry Brothers, in time the brother withdrew from the concern by disposing of his share to Mr. White, and for the following ten years the affairs 1 if the manufactory were conducted under the firm name of Perry & White. At the expiration of this time tiie interests of Mr. Perry passed into the hands of J. I). Valentine, and (he now reliable and successful firm of White, Valentine & Company maintain the old substantial business integrity fostered for so many years by the Perry brothers. In the meantime Mr. Perry had been perfecting arrangements for an independent broom-corn business along somewhat different lines, and he lias since been engaged in the supply department, principally in buying CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 66 1 and selling corn, and also the machinery required for its conversion into brooms. He lias heavy holdings in several concerns, notably the Ohio Straw-Board Company, of which he is president and chief promoter. Additional responsibilities have been assumed as president of the Ohio Laundry Company, of Urbana, as a director in the Citizens' National "Bank, and as a stock-holder in warehouse interests in Areola, Illinois. Mr. Perry is also interested in general farming, and he raises stock on an extensive scale. On the 30th of March. [864, Mr. Perry was united in marriage to Susan L. Madden, and of this union there have been three children, one of whom, a son, died at the age of seventeen years. The daughters are married respectively to Air. A. B. Offenbacker and L. C. Shyrigh. Mr. Perry is a member of the hoard of trade, and in political affiliation is a Republican. With his wife he is connected with the Methodist Episcopal church. His is a career which has been watched with increasing pride on the part of his fellow citizens, anion;;- whom he is regarded as a typical business man of the progressive and reliable order. R. C. MOULTON. The Green Mountain state has furnished many men of prominence and worth to the west, and among the number is included R. C. Moulton, of Champaign county. He was born in Orange county, Vermont, Febru- ary 5, 1821. His paternal grandfather, Phineas Moulton. was a native of Massachusetts, but early in life settled in Vermont, where he reared a large family of children. His son Phineas became the father of our subject, and he, too, was born in Orange county, Vermont. He followed the tilling of the soil as a life ocupation, and during the war of 181 _' he 662 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. served his country as a brave and loyal soldier, for which he received a land warrant. His life's labors were ended in deatli when lie had reached the age of sixty-five years, in the county of his nativity he was united in marriage to Maria Cotton, a native of Bethel, Windsor county, Vermont, and a descendant of Sir Robert Bruce Cotton, of England. Her father, Biby Lake Cotton, was also a native of Vermont, and was a soldier during the Revolutionary war. He married Miss Uice ( base, an aunt of Salmon P. Chase, and a sister of Bishop Philander Chase, the founder of the college at Gambier, Knox county, Ohio. Mrs. Moul- ton was called to her final rest at the age of eighty- four years. She became the mother of twelve children, nine of whom grew to years of maturity, namely: Martha, who became the wife of William Bissel], Bishop of Vermont ; Caroline Chase, who served in the treasury depart- ment at Washington when Air. Chase was secretary of the treasury; R. C, of this review: Ellen, who became the wife of Nathan L. Pennock; .Alice Chase, who became the wife of A. M. Could; Sarah P., the wife of William P. Wheeler, a prominent attorney in New Hampshire: R; !'■.. the wife of John Newell, a civil engineer; Mary, who died at the age of eighteen years; Lavinia and Maria, twins, the former the wife i i a Mr. Bates, of Washington, D. C, who formerly served in the patent office there, and the latter the wife of Gemont Grave Episcopal min- ister of Burlington. Vermont. Their daughter is the wife of Major Andrews, who is serving in the Philippine-. R. C. Moulton, of tins review, received his elementary education in the district schools of his native locality, and hi- studies were com- pleted in the high school of ( (range county. Vermont. Desiring to enter die legal profession, he accordingly began the study of law immediately .''der completing his literary education, and was admitted to the bar in his native state in 1845. About two weeks later, in company with Erastus Martin, he came to the Buckeve state, locating: in Rush town- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 663 ship. Champaign county, where he made his home for one year. In [846 he continued his westward journey, joining an uncle, Salmon Chase 1 otton, at Grand De Tour, Illinois, and in the same year he went to Geneva, Wisconsin, spending the following winter at Geneva Lake. Ju 1:847 he continued his northward trip, and in 1848 returned to Champaign county, where he again took up the practice of law and at the same time taught vocal music. On the 6th of June, 1854, Mr. Moulton was united in marriage to Olive Pearl Howard, who was horn in Rush town- ship, this county, February 3, [832, a daughter of Anson and Olive ('Pearl) Howard. Her father was horn at Hampton. Connecticut, April 3. 1781, and in 1817 came to Champaign county, locating on the farm on which our subject now resides in Rush township. The place was then wild and uncultivated, and he was among the early pioneers of this locality. His death occurred on the 28th of March. [849. Mis father, William Howard, was horn on the [8th of January. 17-19, and was of English descent. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Phrebe Fuller, was born at Hampton, Connecticut, December 8, 1759. Mrs. Moulton' s mother was horn in Windham county, Connecticut, July 1, 1790. and her father. Philip Pear, was a native of the same count}-. Mr. and Mrs. Anson Howard became the parents of four children, three sons and a daughter, but one of the sons died in infancy. Mrs. Moulton was the youngest child and only daughter in the family, and she was born and has spent her entire life upon the farm on which she still resides. She is now the only living representative of her family. Two daugh- ters have blessed the union of our subject and wife. — Olive Pearl, wdio was horn June 2j , 1859. and died in September, 1863: and Mary, who was born July 21, 1865. The latter is the wife of Charles B. Whiley, and the\- ''eside in Lancaster. Fairfield county, Ohio, where he is a promi- nent attorney and a leading business man. They have two children. Don tin Bell and Olive Pearl. 664 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Moulton located on the old Howard homestead, where they have ever since resided. Tire place now contains two hundred and fifty acres of rich and productive land. In addition to the raising of the cereals Mr. Moulton is extensively engaged in the sheep business, raising principally the Rambouillet breed, and in this branch of his business has met with a very high degree of success. Politically he has been a Republican since the organization of that party, and prior to that time voted with the Whigs. His life has been well spent, and bis integrity in business and his fidelity in all the relations of life have won him the confidence and esteem of many friends. HOMER PORTERFiELD. Homer Porterfield, president of the Porterfield Carriage Company, at Mechanicsburg, is a native of this state, and was born near Xew Paris, Preble county, February 14, 1S63. His parents, David A. and Minerva J. ( Hopper) Porterfield, were also natives of Ohio, in which state they engaged in farming during the greater part of their active lives, and where the father died in 1884, at the age of fifty-five years. The mother, who is now living in Richmond, Indiana, had eight children. The boyhood days of Homer Porterfield were uneventfully spent on the paternal farm, and by the time he had attained to sixteen years ambitious tendencies had arisen to emphasize the limitations of his sur- roundings. He therefore put farming behind him as not entirely suited to his temperament, and in Richmond. Indiana, learned the carriage busi- ness, to which he has since devoted his energies. In 1890 he located in Mechanicsburg in pursuit of his chosen occupation, and two years later became interested in the Schneider Carriage Company, which enterprise CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 665 was in r.894 incorporated as the Porterfield Carriage Company, with Mr. Porterfield as president and general manager. This concern is one of the substantial business interests of the town, and turns out a high grade of vehicles, principally on the carriage order. In [886 Mr. Porterfield married Alice Schneider, of Richmond, Indi- ana, and of this union there arc two children, David Philip and Rhoda .Madge. Mr. Porterfield has for many years been active in Republican political undertakings, and is at present clerk of ' ioshen township. Fra- ternally he is associated with the Knights of Pythias, and he is a mem- ber of the Mechanicshurg Lodge, No. [13, F. & A. M. Mr. Porter- field has a reputation for sterling worth in his adopted town, and his public- spiritedness and enterprise are felt in many department of interest. FREDERICK X. BARGER. Frederick Xewls Barger. a worthy representative of a sterling old family, is one of the highly respected farmers and citizens of Concord township. Champaign county. The Bargers are of German origin and the many notable traits common to that people are to be observed in the character of our subject IPs paternal grandfather, John Barger. was born in Germany, but in early lite lie came with two brothers to Amer- ica, locating in Loudoun county, Virginia. He subsequently took up his abode, in Rockbridge county, that state. In political matters he was a Democrat. His son, Adam Barger, was there born on the 27th of De- cember, 1784, and in the county of bis birth, in 180S. he was united in marriage to Susanna Garrett, :>. native of Rockingham countv. Vir- ginia, and they became the parents of eleven children : Sally, deceased ; Frederick X.. of this review; George, Rebecca. Sophia, John and Chris- 666 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. tina, also deceased; Nancy, who died in infancy; William, deceased; Matthew and Mary. In the Old Dominion, in 1832, the mother of this family was called to her final rest. Three years later, in 1835, the father came to Champaign county, purchasing eighty acres of land four mile- west of our subject's present farm, where he made his home until death, in i860, passing away at the age of eighty-four years. Frederick N. Earger, whose name introduces this review, was horn in Rockbridge county, Virginia, February 27, 1813, and remained under the parental roof and gave lus father the benefit of his services until he was twenty-one years of age. In 1836 he joined the family in Cham- paign county, locating one mile west of the Concord church, in Concord township, where for a time he worked at different occupations, during the first winter here being employed as a stavemaker and afterward as a carpenter. After his marriage he embarked in the gunsmith business, and while thus employed he repaired over three thousand guns and made about one hundred and fifty new ones. He subsequently returned to the old farm which he had first purchased on coming to Champaign count v. near the Concord church, where he made his home until [868, and in that year he came to the farm which he now owns. The place consists of eighty-eight acres, most of which he has placed under cultivation, and the man}' and substantial improvements thereon stand as monuments to Ins ability. He is also the owner of several sawmills. In former years he was a member of the old Know Nothing party. For thirteen years he efficiently served his township as its trustee, was its treasurer for four and a half years and for one year served as supervisor. He has at all times enjoyed the full confidence of the public, and no citizen of his section oi the county is held in higher respect. On the 10th of November, 1840, Mr. Barger was united in mar- riage to Miss Sarah Strayer, a native also of Virginia. When about eighteen years of age she accompanied her parents on their removal to CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 667 Logan county, Ohio, where they were anions;' the early pioneers. Mr. and Mrs. Barger have had six children, namely: Frances, the wife of John Taylor, a farmer of Champaign county; Jennette, the wife of John C. Cram, a blacksmith in Michigan; and Mary Elizabeth, Margaret I tan nah, John L. and Rosa Emma, deceased. In his social relations Mr. Barger is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. No. 40, •of Urban:'., and also of its beneficiary auxiliary, and was formerly identi- fied with the Grange. He is a prominent member of the old Concord church, in which he formerly had charge of the library, and he also assisted materially in the erection of its house of worship. He is now one of the oldest residents in this section of the state, and nearly his entire life has been spent in the interests of Champaign county. SAMUEL Z1RKLE. On the roll of Millerstown's respected and leading business men is found the name of Samuel Zirkle, who for a number of years has been connected with its mercantile and milling interests. He comes of one of the old colonial families of Virginia, and on the maternal side he is a relative of the famous Andrew Jackson. He was born in Mad River township. Champaign county, on the 27th of March, 1844, and is a son of Cornelius and Nancy (Jackson) Zirkle. both born and reared in Virginia. 'The former, who was born on the 12th of July, [804, was a miller by trade, but after his removal to the Buckeve state, about [825, he located on a farm of eighty acres in Mad River township, and there- after gave his entire time to its cultivation and improvement. He was numbered among the prominent old pioneers of the locality. The mar- riage of Mr. and Mrs. Zirkle was celebrated in Virginia and the\ be- 668 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. came the parents of four children, namely: Herndon; Marguerite J., deceased; Cornelius, also deceased: and Samuel, of this review. With the exception of the eldest all were bom in Champaign county. The mother of this family was called to her final rest in 1848. and two years afterward, in 1850. the father was again married, Mrs. Mary Smith becoming his wife. She. too, was born in Virginia, and was the widow nf a Mr. Sargent. By his second marriage Mr. Zirkle became the father of five children, — Salvanus A., Theodore, John, Melvina and Catherine. The two last mentioned are now deceased, and all were born in Cham- paign county. The father continued to carry on the work of :ii> farm in Mad River township until his life's labors were ended in death, pass- ing away in the faith of the Lutheran church, of which he was a worthy and consistent member. His political support was given to the De- mocracy. Samuel Zirkle, of this review, remained under the parental roof and gave to his father the benefit of his services until his marriage, when he was twenty-six years of age, after which he removed to a farm of his own in Mad River township, there remaining for about one year. His next home was in Johnson township, on whiqh he remained for two years, for five years resided on the Solomon Snapp farm in Adams township, for a similar period maintained his residence on the George R. Kiser farm in Johnson township, and went thence to Millerstown, where in the fall of 1883 he purchased the mill which he still owns and operates. Since 1896 he has also been identified with the mercantile interests of that city, and in both departments of trade he is meeting with a will merited degree of success. He is a persevering, resolute business man and conducts all trade transactions with the strictest regard to the ethics 0! business life. I lis name has ever been synonymous with hon- orable dealing, and he has the unlimited confidence of all with whom he has o me in contact. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 669. On the 15th of December. 1870, Mr. Zirkle was united in marriage to Effie Groves, who was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, and was there reared and educated. Her parents were also natives of that county. This union has been brightened and blessed with two children. — Alfred C.j who was horn on the 9th of March. 1872, and is now the junior partner in the mercantile business; and Carry F., at home. In politics Mr. Zirkle is a Democrat, and at all times is true to his duties of citizen- ship. Socially he is a member of the Independent Order of Red Men at Millerstown. A. H. MIDDLETON. Numbered among the younger members of the medical profession- in Champaign county is Dr. A. H. Middleton, a representative of promi- nent old pioneer families. Flis paternal grandfather was a native of the Old Dominion and was of English descent. In a very early day he left his southern home for the Buckeye state, locating first in Brown county and later came to Champaign count}-, where he was numbered among the early pioneers. He was a civil engineer by profession, and in connection therewith he also followed the tilling of the soil in this county. John Middleton, the father of him whose name introduces this re- view, was born in Brown County, Ohio, and when ten years of age he accompanied his parents on their removal to Champaign county, and here Ins death occurred in 1880. Fie, too, followed the tilling of the soil, and in bis political views was a stanch member of the Republican party, in which he was a prominent and active worker, and for many years served as a justice of the peace. He was also a prominent and worthy member of the Disciple church, and assisted in the erection of the church. 6-o CENTEX XI AL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. of that denomination at Cable, while in his social relations he held membership with the Independent Order of Odd Felli >\\ s. His wife h< >re the maiden name of Mary McCumber. She traced her nativity to the Empire state, but when young she was taken to Pennsylvania, and thence came to Ohio. Her death here occurred in [897, when she had leached the age of sixty-seven years. Her father, who was of Scotch descent, was also one of the early pioneers of Champaign count}'. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Middleton were born twelve children, nine sons and three daughters, all of whom grew to years of maturity and reared families of their own. A. H. Middleton, the eleventh child and eighth son in the above family, was burn in Wayne township, Champaign county, Ohio. January 24. 1863, and in the district school of the neighborhood he received his primary education. At the early age of sixteen years he entered the school room as an instructor, and for five years he followed the teacher's profession, and during that time, when nineteen years of age, he also began the study of medicine, under the preceptorship of Dr. H. C. Hous- ton, of L'rbana. At the age of twenty-one years he entered the homeo- pathic college of that city, in which institution he was graduated in 1887, and for the following three years he was engaged in the practice of his profession in Cable. In 1890 he removed to Springfield. Ohio, where he was engaged as a medical practitioner until 1896, while for the fol- lowing four years he was stationed at Terre Haute. Champaign county, and since that time lie has made his home at Cable and has here built up an extensive and lucrative patronage. The marriage of Dr. Middleton was celebrated in [888, when Miss Alice Baker became his wife. She was born in Mad River township. Champaign county, and is a daughter of A. R. and Rebecca (Weaver) Baker, prominent early settlers of that township. Mrs. Middleton at- tended the normal school at Urbana for a time, and afterward became CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 671. one of the successful teacher- of the count}'. Unto this union have been horn two sons, — Rollin and Harry. The Doctor is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Cable Lodge, Xo. 395. and of the Junior Order of American [Mechanics at Terre Haute, while in polit- ical matters he gives a stanch and unwavering" support to Republican principles. WILLIAM WARD. In almost all American communities there may be found quiet, re- tiring men. who never ask public office or appear prominent in public affairs, yet, nevertheless, they exert a widely felt influence in the com- munities in which they live and help to construct the proper founda- tion upon which the social and political world is built. Such a man is William "Ward, who for many years has been an honored and respected citizen of Champaign county. Back to the Old Dominion must we turn in tracing his lineage. His father. James Ward, was born in that com- monwealth, in Shenandoah count v. and he was there reared to years of maturity When a young man lie came to Champaign county. Ohio, and after his marriage lie located on a farm in Johnson township, where he -pent the remainder of his life, dying at the age of seventy-five years. He was a life-long farmer and was identified with the Democratic part}'. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary Clem, was also a native of Virginia, but came with her parents to Champaign county, and here her death occurred at the age of eighty-two years. William Ward, of this review, was the third in order of birth of his parents' children, and lie \\.';s born in Johnson town-hip. Champaign ity, March 30, [840. He tred in the place of his nativity, and received his education in the district schools of Johnson and Adams •672 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. townships. He now owns a valuable farm of three hundred acres, located in those townships, and by industry and good management has brought his land under a high state of cultivation. In all his business trans- actions he has manifested keen discrimination, great energy and strict integrity, and these qualities have insured him prosperity. In the year i8;>3 occurred the marriage oi Mr. Ward and Miss Rebecca Icher, a native of Adams township, Champaign county, and a member of an old and prominent pioneer family of this locality. This marriage has been blessed with nine living children, namely: Rosa, the wife of Valentine Body; Eliza, the wife of Elmer Smith; Ella, the wife of John Frank: Ollie E., the wife of Thomas Prince; Nettie, who married William Barnum; Locke}-, the wife of Clyde Blackford; Caroline, at home; Abra- ham, who married Bertha Cooper; and William M.. also at home. Mr. Ward gives his political support to the Democratic party, and his religious connections are with the United Brethren church, of which he is a worthy and valued member. Mr. arid Airs. Ward are sincerelj admired and loved by those who have known them nearly a life time, and in peace and content they are passing the evening of life, surrounded by the comforts and luxuries which are the fruits of their former years of industry and good management. *—*■ FRANK A. ZIMMER. . Frank A. Zimmer, who is filling the position of prosecuting attornev in Champaign county, is a young man, but his ability does not seem limited by his years, as he has already won a reputation which many an older practitioner might well envy. He was born in St. Paris, this county. August i, 1872. and is a son of George and [Catherine (Sutter) Zimmer, both of whom were natives of Baden, Germany. When they CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 673 came to America they first lived in Cincinnati, but afterward removed to this county, taking up their abode in St. Paris, and there the father went into the bakery business, which he followed for many years, con- ducting both a bakery and confectionery business. He then lived in re- tirement to the time of his death. He was a good business man. enter- prising and progressive, and though he began life in limited financial cir- cumstances he steadily worked his way upward until he accumulated a comfortable competence. Mrs. Zimmer had engaged in teaching in the German fatherland and is a well educated lady, who still resides in St. Paris. In their family were six children, namely: Ernest G., a physi- cian of Upland, Indiana; Mary, the wife of Charles Mitchell, of Spring- field, Ohio; Emanuel R., a dentist in Upland; and Emma and Frederick, who reside in St. Paris with their mother. The other member of the family is Frank A. Zimmer, who was the fifth, in the order of birth. He was reared in St. Paris and in the schools of that town acquired his literary education. Subsequently he was em- ployed for one year in the Phillips House at Dayton and later accepted a clerkship in a dry goods establishment at Sidney. Ohio. He after- ward pursued a business course in the commercial college at Springfield, following which he engaged in teaching in the Oak Grove school for one year. Continuing his educational work, he was for five years a teacher in the high school at Urbana, and during that time engaged in the study of law-, which he continued in the Ohio State University, completing the course in 1899. In October of that year Mr. Zimmer was admitted to the bar and formed a partnership with Charles E. Buroker, of St. Paris. They opened a law office in Urbana as well as in St. Paris and Mr. Zimmer still continues in the former. In April, iNcjo, he was nominated on the Republican ticket for the office of county prosecuting attorney and 674 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. in the following November was elected for a term of three years, enter- ing upon the duties of the office January 7, 1901. On the 17th of October, 1901, Mr. Zimmer was joined 111 wedlock td Miss Xellie W. Grove, a daughter of S. B. Grove, the present auditor of Champaign county. Socially he is connected with the Masonic order,. Knights of Pythias fraternity and with the Junior Order of United American Mechanics. He is also secretary of the Ohio State Prosecut- ing Attorneys Association and in the line of his profession has won dis- tinction and will undobtedly win greater success in the future. TASON KIZER. Among the pioneer families of Champaign count}' was the one of which our subject is a representative. His grandfather, Joseph Kizer, was born in the Shenandoah valley, Virginia, but as earlv as 1812 he '.in' 1 to Ohio, locating on the farm on which our subject now resides, and there he spent the remainder of his life and was buried in the old family burying ground on the faun. lie cleared and partly improved one hundred and sixty acres of land. In the place of his nativit) he was united in marriage to Katherine Comer, also a native of the Old Dominion, and they became the parents of eight children, seven sons and a daughter, of whom (diaries Kizer. the father of our subject, was the fifth si hi in 1 irder 1 if birth. The latter was born on the old homestead in Champaign county on the 28th of January, l8i8, and there spent Ids entire life. After his father's death he purchased the interests of the remaining heirs, and as the years passed by he succeeded in completing in a large measure the work which his father had begun. In [839 he married Hannah Ham- back, and she, ton, was a. native of Champaign county, where die was CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 675 also reared and educated. Her father. Louis Hamback, was born in Berks county, Virginia, and was there married to a Miss Norman, by vvhom he had five children. This family were also among the early pio- neers of Champaign county. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Kizer was blessed with nine children, as follows: Barbara Kenton; Elizabeth B., deceased; Ellen Blair: Jason; Mary Ammons; Lydia, deceased; Harriet Foster; John, deceased; and George, also deceased. All were born on the old homestead in this county. Mr. Kizer gave his political support to the Democrat party, and religiously was a member of the Reformed church at Millerstown, he having assisted in the erection of its house of worship there. lason Kizer. whose name introduces this review, was also born on the old Kizer homestead in Champaign county, his natal day being April 2, [845. Alter his father's death he became the owner of this valuable old farm, on which he has placed many substantial improvement-. In [885 he left the home of his birth and removed to Miami county, this state, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of improved land, on which he made his home for twelve years. He then returned to the old farm in Champaign county. On the 22d of April. 1869, he was united in marriage to Ellen McMorran, a native of Johnson township, this county, and a daughter of Christian and Sarah (Loudenbach) Mc- Morran, prominent early settlers of Champaign county. Four children have blessed this marriage.— Asa C, Charles C. Wilber C. ami David I'., but the first born is now deceased. The Democratic party receives Mr. Kizer s active support and co-operation, and while residing in Miami county he served a- a school director for six years. In his social rela- tion- he is a membei of the Grange The family hold membership in the Reformed church. They enjoy the hospitaht) of man) of the besl homes of Champaign county, and their circle of friends is almost co-extensive with their circle of acquaintances. 36 676 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. R. H. PICKERING. The deserved reward of a well spent life is an honored retirement from business, in which to enjoy the fruits of former toil. To-day, after a useful and beneficial career, Mr. Pickering' is quietly living at his pleas- ant home in Rosewood, surrounded by the comfort that earnest labor has brought him. He is a prominent citizen of the community and has borne h»s part in the upbuilding and development of Adams township. .Mr. Pickering was born in Rockingham county. Virginia, December 7. 1824. His paternal grandfather, William Pickering, was born in th-s land of the shamrock, but when a young man he crossed the Atlantic to America and took up his abode in Rockingham county. Virginia. He was there married to a Miss W Hey, and in the Old Dominion he spent the remainder of his life. William Pickering, the father of our subject, was born and reared in that commonwealth, and in 1839 he came to Adams township. Champaign county, < Ihio. For a companion on the journey of life he chose Martha Cow en, also a native of Rockingham county, Virginia, and a (.laughter of Henry Cowen, who was supposed to be of German birth. Mr. and Mrs. Pickering became the parents of six children, all of whom grew to years of maturity and were married. R. H. Pickering, the only living representative oi this once large family, was about twelve years ol age when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Adams township, Champaign count}', and in its primitive schools of that day he received the educational advantages which he was permitted to enjoy in his youth. At the age of twenty-one years he began working for wages' and for the following seven years he was engaged in the work of constructing pike roads and in clearing land. On the expiration of that period he had saved sufficient means to purchase a quarter section of land in Adams township, which he cleared and improved, and as the years have passed by he has added to his orig- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 677 inal purchase until lie is now the owner of two hundred and eighty acres of rich and productive land. His life is indeed a success, but all his achievements are the result of patient effort, unflagging industry and perseverance. In 1899 he retired from the farm and in now spending his time in ease and quiet at his pleasant home in Rosewood, surrounded by the comforts and many of the luxuries of life. In the year 1862 Air. Pickering was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Jane Archer, a native of Logan county, Ohio, of which locality her paternal grandfather was one of the first settlers. She is a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Scraway) Archer, the latter a native of Indiana. They became the parents of twelve children, Airs. Pickering being the -eighth in order of birth. The marriage of our subject and wife has been blessed with one son, Byron, who now carries on the work of the old Pickering homestead. The character and position of our subject illustrate most clearly the fact that if a young man be possessed of the proper attributes of mind and heart he can unaided attain to a position of precedence and gain for himself a place among the men of ability and worth in his community. HON. CLARENCE B. HEISERAIAX. No compendium such as the province of this work defines in its essential limitations will serve to offer fit memorial to the life and accom- plishments of the honored subject of this sketch, — a man remarkable in the breadth of his wisdom, in his indomitable perseverance, his strong individuality, and yet one whose entire life has not one esoteric phase. being an open scroll, inviting the closest scrutiny. True, his have been '•massive deeds and great" in one sense, and yet his entire life accom- plishment but represents the result of the lit utilization of the innate talent 678 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. which is his, and the directing of his efforts in these lines where mature judgment and rare discrimination lead the way. There is in Judge Heiserman a weight of character, a native sagacity, a far-seeing judg- ment and a fidelity of purpose that commands the respect of all. A man of indefatigable enterprise and fertility of resource, he has carved his name deeply on the record of the political, commercial and profes- sional history of the state, which owes much of its advancement to his efforts. Hon. Clarence Benjamin Heiserman is a native of Urbana, Ohio, born September 18, 1862. his parents being Aaron and Maria L. 1 Stuart) i [eiserman, the former of German and the latter of Scotch descent. I he father was born in Mahoning county, Ohio, a son of Goetlebb Heiser- man, who came from Germany to America accompanied by his wife and several children. He took up his abode in Mahoning county near Xew Lisbon, in [825, and five years later removed to Crawford county, Ohio, where he purchased a farm, residing thereon until [865. In that year he removed to Iowa, where he remained until his death. Aaron Heiserman was the youngest of his parents' children and the only one of them horn in America. He lived with his parents on the home farm until he reached his majority and in the meantime learned the carriage making trade. When he started out m life on his own ac- count he began working at that trade, and in [858 secured a position in that line in Urbana. A few years later he became propriel >r oi a car- riage manufactory and built up a large business. Ik- was rapidly ac- cumulating wealth when about 1879 a disastrous lire occurred and de- stroyed his factory am! stock, which being uninsured largely crippled him financially. However, he possessed much energy and determination and his activity was not slackened. \ficr the fire, however, his time and ntion were devoted to another pursuit, that of contracting and build- in which he met with a fair degree oi success, carrying on & ( ipera- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 679 tions along that line of business until 1893. He was esteemed for his many excellent traits of character and honored for his genuine worth. In politics he was a Republican and he lived a consistent Christian life, as a member of the Methodist church. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Maria L. Stuart, was born in Urbana in 1838, a daughter of Isaac and Catherine (Dickey) Stuart, the former a native of Xew York and the latter of Pennsylvania. Her father was an early settler oi Champaign county, where he took up his abode in 1838 and here in Ur- bana he operated a woolen mill for several years, in 1866 he removed to Indiana, where he spent his remaining days. His ancestors had come to America during the colonial epoch in our country's history and settled in Massachusetts, while later they removed to Saratoga Springs. New \ ork. The grandfather of Mrs. Heiserman served in the war of [812. Mrs. Heiserman still survives her husband and is yet residing in the city ot her birth. By her marriage she became the mother of five chil- dren, one of whom died at the age of six years. The living are: Clar- ence B.. of this review : Edgar Stuart, a merchant of Springfield, Ohio; Mary Bertha, a teacher in the public schools of Urbana; and Ralph L., a student. The mother is a member of the First Methodist Episcopal church c f Urbana and her many sterling qualities of heart and mind have endeared her to a large circle of friends. Clarence B. Heiserman was horn and reared in the city which he yet makes his home, and in the public schools here acquired his early educa- tion, being graduated in the high school in 18711 when seventeen years of age. In the fall of 1880 he entered the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware and was graduated from that institution in 1884. after com- pleting the full college course. He won the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and spent the two succeeding years as a teacher in the high school of Urbana. during which time he devoted his leisure hours to the reading of law under the direction of the Hon. George M. Eichelberger, one of 680 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. the ablest lawyers of the Ohio bar. He resigned his position as a teacher in order to enter the law office of Mr. Eichelberger and for one year gave his entire time to the mastery <>f the principles of jurisprudence. Passing a successful examination before the supreme court at Columbus, he was admitted to the bar in December, 1887. and at once began practice alone in his native city, although for a year his office was in connection with that of his former preceptor. Later he entered into partnership with the Hon. E. ! ; .. Cheney. In 1889 Mr. Heiserman was elected as the Repub- lican candidate to the office of prosecuting attorney of Champaign county and discharged his duties so successfully that he was re-elected in iNo_>. His excellent service in the office was appreciated by the people and enlarged the boundaries of his usefulness, so that in 1804 he was called by popular suffrage of the people to preside in the court of common pleas for the second subdivision of the second judicial district, to which posi- tion he was elected in November of that year. He then resigned the office of prosecuting attorney to accept the new position, his incumbency continuing for live years. He was one of the youngest men ever chosen to the office of common pleas judge in Ohio, but being a careful student of the law and well grounded in its fundamental principles he discharged his duties with notable capability, and to the satisfaction of the public, as was manifest in his re-election in 1809 for a second term. After two years bad passed he resigned or the 5th of September, 1901. having three more years to serve. He left the office, however, to accept the position of solicitor for the Pennsylvania railroad lines west of Pittsburg of the sixth division, — a position made vacant by the death of the Hon. Frank Chance. In connection with his duties in this regard Judge Heiserman resumed the general practice of law. During the years of bis professional career he has gained a most excellent reputation, both at the bar and on the bench, and in every position which he has been called upon to fill he lias served with marked credit and ability. He is a man CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 68 1 of judicial cast. His decisions indicated strong mentality, careful analy- sis, a tli. >r< >ugh knowledge of law and an unbiased judgment. The judge, im the bench fails more frequently, perhaps, from a deficiency in that broad-mindedness which not only comprehends the details of a situation quickly, hut that insures a complete self-control under even the most exasperating conditions, than from any other cause; and the judge who makes a success in the discharge of his multitudinous delicate duties is a man of well-rounded character, finely-balanced mind and of splendid intellectual attainments. That Judge Heiserman was regarded as such a jurist is a uniformly accepted fact. In October, 1890, Judge Heiserman was married to Miss Lillian M. Lbown. of South Charleston. ( Ihio, and their home is brightened by the presence of a little son. Robert Brown, now four years oi age. The parents hold membership in the First Methodist Episcopal church, and the Judge is serving as a member of the official board and has been superin- tendent of the Sunday-school tor die past six years, taking a very active pail in all branches of the church work. Fraternally he is connected with Champaign Lodge. No. 525, F. i\- A. M., and Urbana Chapter. No. 34. R. A. M. Politically he has ever maintained an unflagging interest in the welfare of the Republican party and socially he is one of the most o impanionable of men ; is unassuming and courteous in manner : is a g 1 conversationalist, and equally as good a listener. MARTIN B. S \XBE. Among those who have honored Champaign county by efficient service in important public office is the subject of this -ketch, who was formerly incumbent of the office of sheriff and who is a member ol 682 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. one of the stanch pioneer families of the enmity, where he is known as one of the progressive farmers and representative citizens. Martin Bowen Saxbe was born on the old homestead, in Union township. Champaign county, on the 14th of March, 1855, being a son of Thomas Saxbe, who was born in England and who severed the ties which bound him to home and native land and as a mere boy of thirteen years emigrated to America, paying his passage by working on the vessel on which he made the voyage, and landing in New York City in due d irirse 1 if time. There he grew to maturity and there married Miss Lucy Bowen, who was horn in the state of Xew York. They removed to Champaign county in the early days, and here the father was engaged in farming until his death, in i860, our subject being about five years of age at the time. The mother survived him by many years, passing away at the age of about three score years and ten. Of their five children three grew to years of maturity, our subject having been the fourth in older of birth. Thus deprived of a father's care in his early boyhood, Martin B. Saxbe was early thrown on his own resources, working for his board on various farms in the locality and attending the district schools as opportunity afforded. His life was thus far from auspicious in its conditions in his boyhood ciavs, but he early developed that self-reliance and sturdv independence which have been the conservators of his suc- cess and which have combined with an inflexible integrity to gain and retain to him the highest measure of confidence and esteem. Mr. Saxbe worked at farming in this county until he had attained years of maturity, and also became quite expert at the carpenter's trade. He finally went to Livingston county, Xew York, where he followed this trade about four months, at the expiration of which he returned to Champaign county and engaged in farming, taking charge of the farm of his stepfather, Warren Freeman, and thus continuing to devote his attention to agricultural pur- suits until his election to the office of sheriff, in 1888. when he took up CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 683 his resilience in Urbana. lie was chosen as his own successor in 1890, and served for another term of two years, and then served as deputy sheriff under R. X. Miller for three years and nine months, when he resigned. At this time Governor Bushnell conferred upon him the posi- tion of captain of the day guard of the < )hio state penitentiary, at Colum- bus, an incumbency which he retained for four years. Mr. Saxbe then returned to Champaign county and took up his residence on the farm which he now owns and occupies, the same being located in section 14, Urbana township, and comprising one hundred and sixty acres of finely improved land, the greater portion of which is under a high state of cultivation, while he also devotes no little attention to the raising of live stock of the best grade. Mr. Saxbe is a thoroughly capable and pro- gressive business man. and his success is the more gratifying to con- template when we advert to the fact that it is entirely the result of his own efforts. He started out as a poor hoy, his advantages were ex- tremely limited, and yet he has not only overcome the obstacles which beset his path, but has gained a high reputation as a man of ability and indubitable probity, his discharge of his official duties bringing to him the maximum commendation, while in his business enterprises he has shown the same fidelity and has followed a straightforward course at all times, lie has been a stalwart supporter of the Republican party from the time of attaining his majority, and prior to his election to the office 01 sheriff, and while residing in. Union township, he served as a mem- ber of the constabulary of the county. His religious faith is that of the Methodist Episcopal church, and both he and his wife are members ot (irace church, in the city of Urbana. Fraternally he is identified with Harmony Lodge. Xo. 8. A. F. & A. M., of that city. In addition to his farming interests Mr. Saxbe is the owner of the Palace Hotel, at Urbana and is a stockholder in the Urbana National Bank, of whose directorate he was a memher until his removal to Columbus. He was 684 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. at one time interested in a shoe business in Mechanicsburg, and at the present time is associated with his son Harry M. in the electric-light contracting- business, the firm having taken contracts for the installation of a number of excellent lighting plants in this section of the state, and having made the enterprise one of importance. Mr. Saxbe has been twice married. His first union was solemnized in 1875. when Miss Bettie J. Woody became his wife. She died leaving four children. — Harry M., Nettie B.. Lydia S. and Joseph W. On the _i sv of November, 1893. Mr. Saxbe was united in marriage t<> Miss Mary Staub, who was born in Greenville, Illinois, the daughter of John W. and Susan (Black) Staub, being the youngest of their three chil- dren. Her mother died when she was but eleven months of age and she was reared in the home of her uncle. Mr. and Mrs. Saxbe are the parents of two children, — Howard M. and Marvin. JOXAS LOUDENBACK. fonas Loudenback is one of the old and prominent settlers of Mad River township and it was here that his birth occurred, his natal day being January 29, 1816. His father, Daniel Loudenback, was born in Page ci -imty, Virginia, October 2, 1786, and when a young man came to Cham- paign o iunty, ( )hii >. being one of the first settlers within its borders. He was married in Mad River township and took up his abode in the midst of the green woods, where he built a log cabin and lived in true pioneer style. Venison furnished many a meal for the early settler-, for deer were verv plentiful. There wer-e many wild animals and Indians were numerous in the neighborhood. He died in his eighty-ninth year in the faith of the Baptist church, of which he had long been a member. His CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 685. political support was given to the Democracy. His father was of Ger- man descent and died in Virginia. The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Mary Pence and was also a native of the Old Dominion, whence siie came to Champaign county during her girlhood days. Her father, Abraham Pence, was one of the early settlers of the county and established his home in the midst of the forest, where he developed a farm. Mrs. Loudenback reached a very advanced age. passing away in her ninety-sixth year. By her marriage she became the mother of two sons and two daughters: Allen; Sarah; Betsey, the wife of William Baker, of Shelby county; and Jonas, of this review. Our subject was the second son and third child. He was born in, a little log cabin in which his parents lived in Mad River township, and was educated in a log school house, seated with slab seats and supplied with other primitive furniture. During the summer months he assisted in the work of the fields, aiding in the plowing, planting and harvest- ing. In 1837 ne was united in marriage to Phoebe Jenkins and unto them were born two children, but both are now deceased. The mother also passed away and for his second wife Mr. Loudenback chose Susan Snyder. Unto them were born three children: David, the eldest, was born in Mad River township, March 3, 1843. was reared upon his father's farm and pursued his education in the common schools. He married and has five children living: Edgar and Edna; Walter, who married Daisy Adlar, of Westville; Frank and Wilbur. Carrie, sister of David, died at the age of three years. Mary Jane, youngest of her father's three children, is the wife of Arthur Pence, of Shelby county, Ohio, and they were the parents of eleven children, of whom tour are deceased. Those still living are Webster, James \\ .. Edward, Walter, llattie. Susan and Daisy. Sarah became the wife of Isaac Smith and died leaving six children: Susan, Earl, Ernest. Carrie, now deceased,. Willard and Burton. ■686 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. In the year of his marriage Mr. Loudenback located on a farm where he now resides. He is one of the oldest earl}- settlers of the township, having passed the eighty-sixth milestone on life's journey. Both he and his wife are members of the Baptist church, with which they have long been connected, and he has always been a supporter of the Democratic party, his first vote having been cast for Martin Van Buren in 1837, when he was twenty-one years of age. He has never failed to vote at a presidential election since that time. Throughout his entire business career he has carried on tanning, and as the years have passed he has made the most of his opportunities. Now, in his declining days, he can look hack without regret and forward to the future without fear, for his has been an honorable and upright life, winning for him the esteem and confidence of his fellow men. He has witnessed almost the entire growth and development of the county, has seen it mature from prim- itive conditions to take its place among leading counties of the common- wealth: lias seen its wild lands transformed into beautiful homes and farms an,] at all times has borne his part in the work of progress and improvement, and well does he deserve to he numbered among the pioneer residents of Champaign county. EBENEZER \\ TLSOX. Alan's usefulness in the world is judged by the good that he has done, and determined by this standard of measurement Ebenezer Wil- son occupies a position among the most prominent citizens of Champaign county. I lis life- has been noble and upright, one over which falls no shadow nf wrong; and long after lie shall have passed away his memory will remain as a blessed benediction to those who knew him. CEXTEX.XIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 6$r A native of this county, being born in Harrison township, March jo, iSji. he has passed his entire life in this county with the exception of a few months, and is therefore well known to his neighbors, ami dur- ing all these years he has steadily maintained his high character. His paternal grandfather. Miles Wilson, was a native of Virginia, but in an early day removed to Washington county, Pennsylvania, there locat- ing on a farm, where he died shortly after his arrival. His son, Joseph Wilson, became the father of our subject. He was burn in Washing- ton county, Pennsylvania, in 1792, and was there married in Eleanor Fullerton, also a native of that commonwealth. Shortly after marriage they came to Champaign count}-. Ohio, in 1817, locating on one hun- dred and sixty acres of land in Harrison township, which he cleared and improved, and there he was engaged in farming and stock-raising until his life's labors were ended in death. In political matters he supported the Whig party until the nomination of Fremont, and from that time on was a stanch Republican. Mrs. Wilson was called to her final rest in 1832, passing away in Champaign county, after becoming the mother of eight children. In the following year, in [833, Mr. Wilson was united in marriage to Vmanda Spencer. l>v whom he had seven chil- dren, of whom four are now living, and our subject was the third child of the first family. The father passed to his final reward in August, 1866, after a long and useful career. Ebenezer Wilson, of this review, was about twenty-one years oi age when he entered upon the battle of life on his own account, work- as a farm laborer from August until the following April. For the iiext two years he tanned on rented land 'on Puck creek, south of UY- bana, and from that time until November, 1853, he resided on rented farms in Salem and Harrison townships, since which time he has 1 iccupied his present place. From early morn until dewy eve he worked to and develop his land, and in the course of time Jus labors were rewarded 688 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. with bounteous harvests. He has experienced all the trials and hard- ships of pioneer life, but at length his efforts have been crowned with success and there has come to him a handsome property as the reward of his labors. As the years have passed by he has added to his original purchase of one hundred and thirty acres until his landed possessii ins now consist of two hundred and seventy-five acres, all of which is under an excellent state of cultivation, and the many and substantial improve- ments thereon stand as monuments to his thrift and ability. In Salem township, in 1847, ^ r - Wilson was united in marriage to Luanda Muzzy, a native daughter of Champaign county, and here she has spent her entire life. Her father was a native of Vermont and her mother of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have had nine children, namely: Eleanor, Horace and Joseph, deceased; Henry P. and Jennie, at home: Frank, Lucinda and Mary, also deceased: and Nellie, at home. All were born in Champaign county. The family are members of the Presbyterian church at Urbana, in which they are earnest and efficient workers. Politically Mr. Wilson affiliates with the Republican party, un<\ for eight years he was the efficient infirmary director, while for a long period he has held other township offices. Wherever known he- is held in high regard, and in Champaign county, where his entire life has been passed, he has a host of warm friends. JOHN C. NORMAN. One of the prominent and successful agriculturists of Champaign county is the gentleman whose name introduces this paragraph and who is a representative of one of the sterling pioneer families of this section of the old Buckeve commonwealth. His finely improved farm- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 689 stead is located in Johnson township and gives unmistakable evidence of the energy, discrimination and progressive methods which have been brought to bear by the enterprising owner, who has clearly demonstrated that it is possible to make farming a distinctively successful and profitable business enterprise. Mr. Norman was born on a farm in Concord township, this county, on the 22d of January. 1843. being the son of Gabriel Norman, who was born in the same township, on the 6th of June. 1814, the son of Christian Norman, who was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, prior to the segregation of Page county from the same, and there he was reared to maturity. There he was united in .marriage to Miss Mary Zimmerman, and there occurred the birth of one of their children. Savilla, who was about one rear old at the time when they emigrated to Ohio and became numbered among- the earliest settlers of Champaign county. They came here about the year 1805, and located in the virgin forests of Concord township, where the grandfather of our subject took up a tract of one hundred and sixty acres of government land, clearing the same and making improvements, including the eventual erection of a brick house, one of the first of the sort in this section. Christian and Mary Norman became the parents of nine children, all of whom were born in this county with the exception of the eldest, to whom reference has already been made, die names of the children being as follows: Savilla. Benjamin, Leanna, Sarah. Gabriel, Betsy, Lemuel. Lydia and one who died in infancy. All are now deceased. The father was a wag' nmaker by trade, but devoted the greater portion of his life to agri- cultural pursuits and was one of the honored pioneers of this county, to whose early development lie contributed a due quota. Gabriel Norman, the father of our subject, was bom on the old homestead in Concord township, and was there reared to the sturdy discipline of the pioneer farm, early beginning to aid in the work of 690 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. reclamation and cultivation and receiving such educational advantages as were afforded in the primitive log school houses of the pioneer epoch. Upon attaining his legal majority he gave inception to his independent career, engaging in farming in his native township and there establish- ing a home. On the 24th of November, 1839, he was united in mar- riage to Rebecca Brubaker. who was born in this county, July 12, 1821, and who has here passed her entire life, having now attained a venerable age and retaining the affection of a wide circle of friends. Her husband passed away November 17, 1899, at the advanced age of eighty-five yeats, five months and eleven clays. They became the parents o\ six children, namely: Harriet, who is deceased; John C, who is the sub- ject of this sketch; .Mary F... who resides in Millerstown; Samuel B., who is deceased; L. Monroe, who is a resident of Millerstown; and Clara Etta, who is deceased. Gabriel Norman was originally an old- line Whig in his political proclivities, but he identified himself with the Republican party at the time of its organization and ever afterward was a stalwart advocate of its principles and policies, having never missed casting his vote at a presidential election from the time ol attaining his majority until his death. He was a man who commanded unequivocal confidence and esteem, was strung in his convictions and was one who achieved success through his own efforts, while he will long be remem- bered as one of the worthy citizens of the count}' where he passed his and useful life. John t . Norman, to whom this sketch is dedicated, was reared on the parental farmstead, in Concord township, in whose public schools he received bis educational training, 30 profiting by the advantages afforded ' become eligible for teaching. For five years he was a successful and popular teacher in the district schools of Adams and Johnson town- ships, and he made an excellent record in connection with his pedag >gic CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 69 r work. He had devoted one year to tanning- in his native township, and in 1868 lie located in Millerstown, this county, where he engaged in the mercantile business, conducting a general store and successfully continu- ing the enterprise until 1886, when he disposed of the same and located on his present farm, which comprises sixty acres and which has the best of impr ivements and is under a line state of cultivation. Air. Norman has taken an abiding interest in all that concerns the well-being of his county and state, and he has been one of the prominent supporters of the Republican party here, having been for ten vears a member of the county central committee. He has been secretary of the Spring Grove Cemetery Association from the time of its organization and for about eighteen years he has been a member of the directorate of the First National Bank of St. Paris. He holds the unqualified con- fidence of the people of the community and has been called upon to serve as administrator of several estates, being known as a man of marked business capacity and inrlexihle integrity in all the relations of life. His home farm is but a small portion of his landed estate in the county, for he is the owner of four hundred and twenty-seven acres and the greater portion of the same is under most effective cultivation, the farms re- ceiving his personal supervision and yielding excellent returns. On the 17th of March, 1868, in Concord township. Mr. Norman was united in marriage to Miss Mary A. Pence, who was born in this county and here reared and educated. Her father, the late Jonathan Pence, was a native of Concord township, this county and was a son of David Pence, who came from Virginia to Ohio and became one of the first settlers in Champaign county. The mother of Mrs. Norman bore the maiden name of Mahala Comer, and she likewise was horn in this county, a representa- tive of another of the prominent pioneer families. Mrs. Norman was the only child. Our subject and his wife have had two children, namely: Maude, born May 15, 1873, wn " ' s tne w ' ie ot * McClellan Frank, a sue- 37 692 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Ful farmer of Concord township; and Charles, who was born June 28, 1876, and died on the 22d of the following November. They have one grandchild, John Warren Norman, born July 8, 1890. WILLIAM II. WILSON. A mans life work is the measure of his success, and he is the most truly successful man who, turning his powers into the channel of an honorable purpose, accomplishes the object of his endeavor. The subject of this review is one of that sterling class of men whose attention is devoted to the agricultural industry, and he has contributed to the development and advancement of his native county, as did also his father and grandfather before him. from which fact it may be inferred that our subject is a representative of one of the honored pioneer families of ( hampaign county. William Hamilton Wilson was born in Harrison township, this county, on the 27th. of February, 1851, being the son of Andrew Wil- w ho likewise was a native of the count}-, having been born in Ur- bana town-hip in tlir year 1813. When he was three years of age his Us removed to Harrison township, but about a vear later they re- turned to Urbana township, and he lias ever since maintained his home on hi- present farm, having m w attained the venerable age of eighty- eight years. Mis father, William Wilson, was born in Ireland, whence he came with his parents to America when about thirteen years of age, the family locating in Virginia, from which slate he came to Ohio in the early pioneer epoch, locating in Champaign county, where he passed the remainder of his life, as did also his wife, whose maiden name was Rebecca Humphrey, she also having come from Ireland with her parents CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 693 when about three years of age. Andrew Wilson married Elizabeth J. Wright, who was born in Virginia and who came with her parents to Ohio when about fourteen years of age. She died at the age of sixty- four years, having been a noble and devoted woman. Her father. Ben- jamin Wright, was likewise born in Virginia, where the family was established in the colonial period of our national history. Andrew and Elizabeth J. Wilson became the parents of four sons and six daughters, all but one of whom attained years of maturity, the subject of this sketch having been the third in order of birth, lie was reared to the discipline of the farm and is indebted to the district schools for the early educa- tional advantages which came to his pi rtion in his boyhood days, and this was supplemented by a thorough course in the normal school at Urbana, where he ably qualified himself for pedagogic work, devoting his attention to teaching fur a period of fourteen years and being very successful in this profession, his entire career as a teacher having been in connection with the schools of onh fi ur districts, showing that his services and abilities were duly appreciated. On the 24th of August, [876, Mr. Wilson was united in marriage to Miss Tillie Heath, who was born in Concord township, this county, on the 31st of December, 1858. being the daughter of James W. and Nancy Heath, who were early settlers in the county. Mrs. Wilson was educated in the schools of this county and is a talented artist, having produced many attractive pictures in both oils and water-colors. Our subject and his wife have no children. Mr. Wilson continued to reside in Harrison township until [892, when he removed to Concord township, where he was engaged in farm- ing until [895, when he removed to Marion county, Kan-.!--, where he made his home about three years, then returning to Concord township, Champaign county, where he purchased the old homestead of his father- in-law, of which he disposed in 1901. and then purchased his present fine 694 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. farmstead, of eighty acres, in Urbana township, the place being equipped with the best of permanent improvements and being under a high state of cultivation. Mr. Wilson is progressive and discriminating in his methods, and thus secures the best possible results from his farm, which is one of the attractive places of this section. In politics he has given an unequivocal support to the Republican party from the time of attain- ing his majority, and he was twice elected to the office of trustee of Concord township, while for two years he served as assessor of Harrison township. Fraternally he is identified with West Liberty Lodge. No. 96, I. O. O. F. JONATHAN S. NEEK. On the roll of Champaign county's respected and leading citizens is found the name of Jonathan S. Neer, who for many years has been act- ively connected with the agricultural interests of Goshen township. He was born in Clark count}-. Ohio, March 25, 1851, and his father Joseph C. Neer. was also a native of that county. In 1868 the latter took up his almde in Champaign county, and in the following spring he located on a farm in < roshen township, where he made his home until about 1884. In that year he left his Ohio home and went to Kentucky, but after a resi- dence in that state of seven years he returned to bis former home. His death occurred on the 25th of May, 1902. He was a successful farmer, a life-long member of the Methodist Protestant church ; a loyal soldier and a prominent member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and he passed into eternal rest while attending the memorial services at Mechan- icsburg. While yet a resident of Clark county Mr. Neer was united in marriage to Dorothy Smith. Her father, James Smith, came from Penn- sylvania to the Buckeye state in a very early day, locating on a farm in CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 695 Pleasant township. J. C. Neer's mother, who bore the maiden name of Sarah Coffey, was the first while female child born in Pleasant township, Clark county, the date of her nativity being May 29, 1808. Her death occurred on the 16th of August. 1887. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Xeer were born eight children, live sons and three daughters, namely : Jonathan S., the subject of this review; Maggie, win- is still unmarried: Charles, de- ceased; Frank, deceased: Albert K., who resides in Mechanicsburg ; Fred, also of Champaign county; Maud, at home; and Mettie, the wife of J. E. Whitemore, of Tawas City. Michigan. Jonathan S. Xeer was but seventeen years of age when he came with his parents to Champaign county, and in addition to attending the district schools of Clark and Champaign counties he was also a student in the Lebanon Normal School for a time. After putting aside hi, text-books to engage in the active duties of life he chose the occupation to which he had been reared, and throughout his life has followed the tilling of the soil. After farming for a time on rented land he accumulated sufficient means to purchase a tract of one hundred and seventy acres in Goshen township and as the years passed by he has added to his original pur- chase until he is now the owner of a valuable homestead of two hundred acres, located in the eastern part of Goshen township. In addition to the raising of cereals best adapted to this soil and climate he is also exten- sively engaged in the dairy business, usually keeping about thirty cows, and he makes a specialty of this branch of industry. Mr. Neer was married on the 28th of October. 1875, to Emma Dar- ling, of Mechanicsburg. She is a daughter of 1. S. and Sarah ( kiddle) Dai ling, respected old settlers of Champaign county. Prior to her mar- riage she was a prominent and successful school teacher in Mechanics- burg for four years. Six children have come to brighten and bless their borne, namely: Ethel, who was born October 14. 1877. and Dorothy, born May 25, 1879. are both preparing for the nurse's profession in a • ogo CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. training school in Cincinnati; Frank, born July [9, [882, died May 24, 10; Charles, born April 3, 1884, is a member of the Mechanicsburg high school; Alice F., born June 25, [891, is at home; and Dorris, th youngest of the family, was born November 8, [894. .Mr. Acer gives his political support to the Prohibition party ami is very active in its work, lie is also an active worker for the cause of education, having served as president of the school board for many years, and lie has served also a^ president of the Farmers institute at Mechanicsburg. Ill- relations connect him with the Knights of Honor, and religiously he is 1 member of the Methodist Protestant church. DAVID O'BRINE, M. D. Dr. O'Brine, one ol the leading physicians and surgeons of Urbana, was born in the southwest of Ireland. November 17. iS.l the schi n >ls at Canal Winchester [or one year and then entered the state university oi Ohio in the fall of 1877. After the .first year he managed to make his expenses for his collegiate course by teaching in the university and was graduated there in t88i with the degree of bachelor of science. In 1882 he took a post-graduate course in the university receiving the degree oi E. M. The following year, upon e: animation, he was made master oi science by Admin College, Michigan. For ten years he occupied the posi- tion of assistant professor of chemistry in the ( >hio State University and won the degree of M. 1 '. from the Columbus, now the Starling. Medical College of Columbus. ( 'hi. 1. This was in 1885. On examination and the presentation of a thesis the University of Wooster conferred upon him the degree of doctor of science. On leaving the Ohio State University he accepted the position of professor of chemistry and geology in the Agricultural College of ( olorado, but later resigned for the purpose oi ;ar in the study of medicine and chemistry in Europe, to in Berlin the greater part of that time. He is the author of a vali work on chemistry entitled "A Laboratory Guide in Chemical Analysis," which was published by \\ iley & Son of New York in r888. This work is 11 »w being used as a text bo m- mently and widely known throughout the count}', and in business they sustained an enviable reputation, for in them were embraced the char- acteristics of unbending integrity, unabating energy and industry that never flagged. Unto Jacob and Eliza t Meachem) Burnham, were born four children. — Nicholas H. ; Albert, deceased; Hiram G., deceased; and Eliza A., widow of Simeon D. Fairchild. Jacob Burnham, who was born on the 27th of ( fctober, 1704, died on the 23d of April, 1866, while his wife survived until August 30, r886, away at the age 01 eighty- four years and three months. Both were members of the Woodstock Universalis! church, in which they were active workers, and they exemplified its helpful teachings in their everyday lives. The father 1 I »e Bible student, and during his life he read that sacred book through many times. He was a Whig in political matters until the forma- Lepublican party, after which he gave a lo; ■ irl to its principles. Eliphas Burnham married Lydia Meachem, a sister of Mrs. I Burnham, their wedding I celebrated on the 3d of |ulv, [820, and their union was blessed with eight children, as follow-: Betsey, who be- ' the wife of George Thomas, Harvey; Andrew; Marcia, who mar- ried George Morse; Ralph; Dorcas; Lucas; and Jared. All are now de- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 701 ceased with the exception of Andrew and Marcia. Mr. and Mrs. Burn- ham were also exemplary members of the Universalist church. The mother, who was born on the 14th of June, 1796, was called to the home beyond April 8. (8 ;\ ind the father died April 14, 1881. The same i'i' 'i sheltered these brothers throughout nearly their entire lives, and through tiie passing years they gained the unqualified confidence and re- spect of their fellow men. GEORGE A. WEAVER. < .e 1 j<- A. Weaver is a representative of one of the old and pioneer families of Champaign county. He is a son of Lemuel W., who was horn eight miles from Qrbana, July 17. 1808, and died in this city on the 27th of January, 1890. The family is of German lineage and Henry W., the grandfather of our subject, was born in Berkeley county, Virginia. Later he became a resident of Lexington, Kentucky, ami then removed to Ohio in 1802. In the latter part of 1813 the family came t<> Urbana, the city having been founded eight years before. Here Henry Weaver en- gaged in the manufacture of boots and shoes until 1825. and then ex- tended the held of his operations by dealing in general merchandise. He was tax collector for several years and was a prominent and influential man, whose efforts along commercial lines and in the up-building and ress of Qrbana were most beneficial to the community. He died in L872, after seventy years residence in Champaign county. lib wife bore the maiden name of Nancy Chapman and was of English descent. She was born in Xew Jersey and was a daughter of William Chapman for m Chapman's Creek in Champaign county was named, lie having lived all :ng that stream. When twelve year- of age Lemuel Weaver was a studenl in the 702 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. school conducted by Calvin Fletcher, afterwards a prominent and wealthy citizen of Indianapolis. Indiana. The last school which he attended was taught by Aquila Bolton, who later joined the Quaker community near Lebanon. In his youth Mr. Weaver became a clerk in his father's store and when the father withdrew in 1843 Mr. Weaver and his brothers, fason and Simeon, continued the business with which he was connected for many years. In 1855 the partnership was dissolved and the follow- ing year Lemuel Weaver entered into business relations with his brother Simeon as a general merchant. When three or four years had passed he went to Concord, New Hampshire, but at the expiration of two years re- turned to Urhana and opened a hardware store, however, disposing of his interests in this enterprise several years prior to his death. His poli- tical support was given to the Whig party in early life, while later he be- came a Republican. In 1832 he was a delegate to the Whig convention which met at Washington, D. C, and nominated Henry Clay as a candi- date for the presidency. In 1840 he gave his support to William Henry i farrison. He took an active interest in everything pertaining to the im- provement and progress of his community and at one time was secretary and treasurer of the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad, which is now part of the Big Four railroad system. On the 21st of August, 1841, Lemuel Weaver married Elizabeth G. Hoyt, of Urhana. who was born in Maine, in the year 1816, and died on the 3rd of May, 1874. Both Mr. and Mrs. Weaver were members of the Presbyterian church and were people of the highest respectability. Their influence was marked as pro- moters of general progress along intellectual and moral lines and Mr. Weaver contributed in a large measure to the material up-building of his community. ( >f the live children born unto this worthy couple George A. Weaver of Urbatia is the only one now living. His birth occurred in this city. May _'_', 1842, and here he pursued his preliminary education, which was CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 703 supplemented by a course in Dartmouth College, in which he was grad- uated in 1863. He entered upon his business career in connection with his father, as a representative of merchandising interests, and afterward studied law, being admitted to the bar in 1869. He has not engaged in practice regularly, his attention being largely occupied by supervision of his real estate interests, which are extensive. He has alsu been identified with several e ctensive enterprises and is a man of resourceful business ability, who carries forward to successful completion whatever he under- takes. In 1875 Mr. Weaver married Miss Eleanor E. Thomas of New York, and they have two children, both of whom are in college. Mrs. Weaver is a leader in social circles and their attractive home is celebrated for its cordial h< ispitality. Mr. Weaver is a Presbyterian in religious faith and in politics he is a Republican. Notably prompt, energetic and re- liable in business matters, he has had marked influence upon the com- mercial progress of Urbana. In manner he is modest and unassuming, but from his friends he receives the recognition which is ever accorded to sterling worth and honor. ♦ • » JOSEPH G. RUSSELL. In glancing at the more salient points in the genealogical history oi this able voting member of the bar of Champaign county, we find that 111 the agnatic line he is descended from stanch English stock and that rep- resentatives of the name became identified with the annals of American history in the early colonial epoch, the original ancestors locating in the colon v of Massachusetts early in the seventeenth century, while the name later became prominently identified with the history of the states of Penn- sylvania and Virginia, our subject tracing his lineage back to Robert 704 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. . Russell, who located in the Old Dominion in the year [776. The name has ever stood for strong intellectuality, marked probit) and intrinsic patriotism, and it is a matter of record that several members of the family rendered yeoman service in the Continental line during the war of the Revolutii hi. Joseph G. Russell, who is successfully engaged in the general prac- tice of law in the city of Urbana, is a native of this place, where he was born on the 15th of September. [875, the son of James M. and Elizabeth J. (McClellan) Russell. James Al. Russell was born likewise in Cham- paign county, Ohio, the son of Aaron and Tamzon Russell, the former of whom was born in Culpeper county. Virginia, a son of William Russell, who also was a native of the ( )ld Dominion and the son of James and Ann ( Heath ) Russell, the former of whom was a son of the Robert Rus- sell, who located in Virginia in 177*1. There are records extant which in- dicate that the first representative of the family in America came hither from England, settling in Salem. Later several members of the family Li ok up their abode in G mcord, that col. my. and in one 1 if the old cemeter- ies there may he found ancient tombs on which may still be deciphered the names of iineal and collateral brandies of the family of winch our subject 1 a member. From Massachusetts went forth representatives of the fam- ily into New York lily and Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, from which county Robert Russell removed to Virginia, as has already been noted. \aron Russell, the grandfather of our subject, came to Champaign eount\, ( )liio, and settled in Concord township, where be devoted the re- mainder of his life to agricultural pursuits, developing a valuable farm and being recognized as one of the representative citizens of the county. llis son James M. was reared on the homestead farm, and received his educational discipline in his native county, lie was concerned in agri- culture in his early manhood, but eventually took up his residence in i rbana. where lie engaged in the dry-goods business, in which line he CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 705 ie 1 operations for many year-, being one of the leading merch of the city and one of its mosl honored citizens. He is now living re- tired, after years of well directed and prolific effort as a business man. He v irtb in defense of the Union during- the war of the Rebel! serving three years, as a member of the One Hundred and Fifteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and having been lieutenant and adjutant in ins company, lie and his wife still maintain their home in Urbana, where their friends are in number as their acquaintances. Mrs. Russell was born in i . Pennsylvania, being the daughter of Joseph and Ann (Cunningham) McClellan, who removed from Reading to Harris- burg, Pennsylvania, where they lived for man)- years. The McClellan family is of Scotch extraction and was founded in Pennsylvania prior to the war of the Revolution. The subject of this review is one of two children, his sister. Ruth, being the wife of Charles E. Kennedy, of Urbana. I :ph (i. Russell was reared in his native city, and was graduate:! in the Urbana high school as a member of the class of 1893. He then began his technical reading of law. continuing his studies for one year in Urbana and then taking a course of one year in the law department of the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, following thi- by attending the Cincinnati Law School for an equal period. He was admitted to the bar in [897, and was thereafter associated in practice with John J. Lee- dom, now deceased, I era! years in Michigan, lie has been en- gaged in practice at Urbana since his return and is known as one of the well qualified and successful young members of the bar of this section of the state. In politics Mr. Russell is a stalwart advocate of the prin- ciples of the Republican party, and he ha- been an active worker in its ranks. In December. [900, he was elected president of the Young Men's Republican Club, of Urbana, and is -till incumbent of this position. He is a member of no fraternal organizations, but is prominently identified ■ o 706 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. with the National Guard of Ohio, having been appointed sergeant-major of the Third Battalion of the Third Regiment, in April, 190T. He is a stockholder of the LTbana Baking Powder Company, of which he is vice-president. .MAJOR THOMAS McCONNELL. All who have a just regard for the memory of those who have departed this life must cherish the details which go to make up the history of those whose careers have been marked by uprightedness and truth and whose lives have been filled with usefulness. In a work which has to do with those who have lived and wrought to goodly ends in Champaign county, it is incumbent that a memoir be entered to Major McC'onnell, who was a valiant and loyal soldier during the Avar of the Rebellion and who was known and honored as one of the representative business men of Urbana. where he maintained his home until his death, on the 30th of September, 1901. When he thus passed to his reward the community mourned the loss of one of its noble-hearted, public- spirited and loyal citizens, for he was held in the highest regard by all who knew him, and his acquaintanceship was wide in this section of the state, where he had maintained his home for so many years. Major McC'onnell was born near Lebanon, Ohio, on the iSth of January, 1839, being a son of James McConnell, who was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, being of stanch Scotch-Irish lineage. There he was married to Eleanor Murray, who was born in that county, being likewise of Scotch-Irish extraction, and they came to Ohio in an early day, locating in Warren county, and thence removing to Champaign county, where the father devoted the residue of his life to agricultural pursuits, passing away at the age of about seventy years, while his vile CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 707 was about sixty-eight at the time of her demise. Both were devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church and were folks of the mosl sterling character. The) became the parents of five sons and three daughters, all of whom attained years 01" maturity, the subject of this re- view having been the second in order of birth and the eldest son. I [e w as a lad of seven years at the time when his parents came to Champaign county, and his early educational privileges were such as were afforded in the district schools of the early days. IJe continued at the parental home until the dark cloud of civil war obscured the national horizon, when he was among- the first to show his intrinsic patriotism and loyalty, b) tend: ring- his services in support of the Union. Upon the first call for troops, in 1861, .Major McConnell enlisted as a private in Company K. Thirteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he served until the close of his term of enlistment, when he veter- anized, in 1862, promptly re-enlisting and becoming a private in Company \, Sixty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he was made a first lieutenant, later promoted to the office of captain and finally major of his regiment. He participated in many of the most notable battles of the war, having been in command of his regiment at the battle of Lookout Mountain and many other engagements, and having been identified with the entire Atlanta campaign. He was wounded at Chancellorsville, and 1 ir a time was confined in the hospitals at Lookout Mountain and 1 cinnati, Ohio, and had it not been for the resultant disability he would have been made colonel of his regiment. Majoi Mc< onnell served valiantly and honorably during practically the entire period of the war. and he received his honorable discharge on the 15th of July, 1865, after which he returned to Urbana, where he ever afterward maintained his home. In 1868 he was elected sheriff of Champaign county, and was in- cumbent n| this office for a period of four years, at the expiration of which he engaged in the li 1 business in which he con- 38 70S CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. tinued until his death, having built up a successful enterprise and having been one of the able business men of the city. In politics Major McConnell gave a stalwart support to the Republican party, in whose cause he was an active worker for many years, having been at one time a member of the state central committee. Fraternally he was one of the popular members of the Grand Army of the Republic, having held the various offices of hi-- post, and he was also identified with the Loyal Legion, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His religious faith was thai of the Presbyterian church, and he was a member of the building committee which had control of the erection <dd bellows. In the year 1855 Mr. Happersett was united in marriage to Miss Martha F. Sampson, daughter of William Sampson, one of the early residents of Urbana. ORA FAIRCHILD. \n ong the loyal sons - if ( Campaign county who went forth t< 1 battle for the Union in the war of the Rebellion was Ora Fairchild, throughout his life he has manifested in the discharge of his duti< - 01 citizenship tin i zeal that he displayed when on southern battlefields he followed the stars and stripes to victory, lie well deserves mention in this volume am< >ng the representative men of this section, and it is with i ent his life record to our read. Mr. Fairchild was horn in Rush township. Champaign coi CE.X7EXXI.1L biographical history. -ii the 2d of fiily, r 834, and is a member of a prominent old "\ ermont family. His grandfather, Henry Fairchild, was horn in that commonwealth, but about 18 14. in company with two brothers, he came to Champaign ►hi« >. where he was among the early pi. meers. He impr. wed a fam/,,, this county, and here resided for about forty years, after which he removed to Linn county, Iowa. Oris Fairchild. his son and the father ir object, was also a native of the Green Mountain state, but when only six years of age lie was brought by his parents to Ohio, the family locating in Rush township, and in its primitive log school house he receivc-i his early educati mal advantages. 1 te was here married to Sarah Fish, a native also of Vermont, and she was ah. ait fifteen years of age w hen 1 ompanied her parents on their removal to Champaign coun- ty. This w.-rthy couple became the parents of eight children, two sons and six daughters, of whom our subject is the eldest in order of birth his only brother, Simeon, died at sea, while returning from France, whither he had gone to purchase horses. The daughter- of the family were: Susan, the wife of C. L. VVinget; Percis, deceased; Laura, the widow of Lewis Funk: Elizabeth, the wife of S. Stickle; Cornelia, the wife of Dor Martin; and Fannie, who died at the age of sixteen years. The father of this family was called to the home beyond at the age of sixty-two years, but his wife survived until her eighty-second year. a Fairfield of this review spent the days of his boyhood and y uth youth in the place of his nativity, and he soon became familiar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. At the age of nineteen years he began work in a mill owned by his father, where he continued to labor for the following seven years. His labors, however, were interrupted at the outbreak of the Civil war. when he uttered his service.- to his country. He became a member of Company 11. Sixty- sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he served from October, i86r, until July 19, 1865. when he received an honorable discharge, but he 1111- 7i2 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. mediately re-enlisted in the same company and regiment and was pro- moted to the position of orderly sergeant. He was wounded in the hack by a piece of shell at the battle of Chancellorsville in 1863. During his army career he participated in a number of important engagements, in- cluding the hard-fought battles of Port Republic, Cedar Mountain, Chan- cellorsville, Dumfries, Antietam and Gettysburg. At the last named engagement he fought fur three days and nights, after which he was sent with his regiment to the defense of New York City, returning thence to Raccoon Ford and was next at Chattanooga. He was then sent with Sherman on his celebrated march to the sea, participating in the battle of Atlanta, and was at the grand review at Washington, at which time the starry banner floated over the capital of the southern confederacy and the preservation of the Union was an established fact. Throughout his entire service he was always found at his post of duty as a faithful defender of the Union cause. In 187(1 Mr. Fairchikl was united in marriage to Lazetta McDonald, a native of Rush township. Champaign count}-, and a daughter of John and Philomel (Miller) McDonald, prominent early settlers of this lo- cality. .Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild are now living in quiet retirement at their pleasant home in Woodstock, our subject having laid aside the active cares oi a business life and is now living in the enjoyment of the fruits of former toil, lie is an active member of Harry Davis Post, No. 612, G. A. 1\.. and in an earlier clay was a constant attendant at its reunions. In his political views he is a Republican, standing firmly on the platform oi his party, whose bannei he has loyally upheld since attaining his ma- jority. Ills first presidential \ 1 ite w as cast for Frem< >nt, and he has never since nussed an opportunity to support the principles of this grand old party. He well merits the friendship which is so freely accorded him, and his name is found on the roll of Champaign county's representative citizens. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 71 3 MARCUS H. CRANE. The stove foundry owned and operated by Morris & Crane has for years contributed to the industrial well being of Urbana, and is appre- ciated not only because of the excellence of its wares, but because oi its extensive opportunity as an employment resource. Marcus II. Crane. the partner longest identified with the concern, and one of the progressive men of the community, was horn in Caldwell. Xew Jersey. October 10, 1842. The family of which, he is a member has long been associated with Xew Jersev, in which state the first representatives settled after emigrat- ing from England to America, and where the parents of Mr. Crane, Xenus and Mary | Harrison) Crane, were born, married, and where they spent their entire lives. As companions in his youth Mr. Crane had one brother and one sister, and the children were reared and educated in the public schools of I "aid well. During- the progress of the Civil war he left the familiar sur- rounding's of Xew Jersey and settled in Urbana, at the time being about twenty years of age. Of an ambitious and capable nature, he soon made his influence felt in business circles, and in time was enabled to purchase the stove foundry which has sir.ee been his absorbing care. For the first two years the enterprise was conducted under the firm name oi Moore & ( Iranc, but since then the success of the business has been right- full}" credited to M. H. Crane & Co.. the presenl proprietors. The marriage of Mr. Crane and Efne Muzzy occurred in [869, Mrs. Crane being a native of Springfield. Ohr 1. Of this unii m there have been born two children, Edgar M. and Frances, the former of whom is asso dated with his father in business, and is one of the promising young men of the town. Air. Crane is politically a Republican, and has for eighteen years promoted the most intelligent educational project-, a- a member of the school board. Fraternally he is associated with the Royal Arcanum, National Union, IndependenfOrder of Odd Fellows, and the Junior Order 7 i4 CENTEX. VIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Knights Templar. He is a member of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Crane enjoys to an exceptional degree the confidence and good-will of the community of which lie is a notable acquisition, and his success is re- garded as the natural result of well applied industry and fair dealing with the public. i I! MILES K. ORGAN. Champaign county has been signally favored in the class of men who have been enlisted in her service in official capacity, and the subjeel oi this sketch is one of the native sous of the county who is now incumbent of the position of clerk of the courts, in which he has handled the multi- farious duties devolving upon him with signal ability and discrimination. As a representative of two of the pioneer families of the county, as well as by reason of his own standing as one of its honored citizens and officials, it is signally consistent that he he accorded specific mention in a work of the province assigned to this publication. Charles F. Organ was horn on a farm in Wayne township, this county, on the uth of March. (851, being a son of Samuel and Elizabeth i Baldwin ) ( )rgan, the former of whom was born in Muskingum county, 1 >hio, the son of William and Grace I McBride) Organ, who were pio- eei oi the st ite. Samuel * Irgan came to Champaign county in an early day, and here reclaimed a hue farm property in Wayne township, being, known as one of the sterling citizens of this section and commanding un- equivocal confidence and esteem in the community, lie died on the old homestead after having attained the venerable age of seventy-nine years. His \\ne was born in \ lrgima, whence her parents came to Champaign count} in an earl) day, and here she ended her days. Samuel and Eliza- beth 1 irgan became the parents of five children, our subject having been the youugesl in the family, lie was reared on the old homestead, and alter availing himself of such advanl ig ■- as were afforded in the public CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 7>5 olshe became a student in the National Normal School, at Lebanon, Ohio, where he completed his scholastic discipline. ln the year t886 Mr. Organ was united in marriage to Miss Maine Weirman, who was born in this county, and he immediately afterward Icdona^inWayoetown^p.whe^hedevo^b-.ttent.onto ! Idtural pmsuits ^d stock raisin, until x8 94 , .hen he was corn- Id to give up active labors in this line as the result ot= nfortunate ccident.Hewas thrown* ahorse and received injuries w, ^ neck- ed the amputation of his right leg. Lnx8 9 6, as the candidate of th publican party, of which he is a stanch supporter. Mr. Organ was elec ted to the office of clerk of courts for Champaign county, and was chosen as his own successor in this office in x8 99 , for a second term of threP vcars so that he is still m tenure of the office and is certain to so continue in case efficient and faithful service signify anything and he consents to appear as a candidate in the next election. JOHNW. HITT. The passing of many intervening years has not obliterated the im- i011 0{ worth and stability lent by the career of John * . Hut one of th. pioneers of Champaign county, and extensively identified with Us icultLira 1 an d miffing interests. Of southern ancestry, he was horn ,n Kentucky in 1801, and died in Urbana in 1877. His childh 1 was d in a home atmosphere calculated to develop the best traits of Ins character for industry and morality were among the watch- words oi the humble Kentucky fireside. 11. father. Rev. Samuel lint, was also a na- tive of the Bourbon state, and combined, during his active life. tanning and preaching. Mr. Hitt studied in the schools of Kentucky and after removing to the vicinity of Urbana acquired large landed possessions, at one tune -i6 CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. owning a. thousand acres. About 1N57 he embarked upon a milling- busi- ness which proved a dire failure and swallowed up about all that he had in the world, after which he ran a mill at the water-works station for several years, with much more gratifying results. This mill was subse- quently traded for farm property near Washington, Indiana, and after a two years" residence thereon he located in Urbana, where the remainder of his life was spent in comparative retirement. He married Elizabeth (lark, a native of either Virginia or Maryland, and who bore him the following children: William. Anna. Elizabeth, John W'., Rebecca, Dan- iel, Thomas, and James B. Of these, William, Anna and John W\ are deceased. Mr. liitt was a Republican in political affiliations, and he was alwa\s interested in the spread of the teachings of the Methodist Epis- copal church. In tact his zeal in that direction constituted one of his chief interests during his lifetime, his eloquence as a local preacher being both convincing and logical, lie led a consistent life and one worth} of emulation from many standpoints. James B. Hitt t he youngest of the children of John \\ ., was born on the paternal farm, which is now in the city limits of Urbana, in 1S48. His vouch was uneventfully passed in performing his share of the home duties, and in attendance at the district schools. An opening into broader fields was presented during the presidential administration of Grant, at which time he acted as deputv postmaster, his brother. Daniel, having been appointed postmaster. For a time also be was employed as clerk I'd'- Hitt & Fuller, and in [879 was again associated with his brother Daniel, this time in the tobacco business. This arrangement was ami- cabl) continued for many years, and in 1886 the business was carried on under the name of the Indian Cigar Company, with a branch at Indi- anapolis, Indiana. A liberal patronage rewarded the untiring efforts of the brothers, and an increasing demand for their wares warranted con- tinual enlargements of their business. In K)oi Daniel Hitt removed per- manently to Indianapolis to assume charge of the plant at that end 'if CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 717 the line, while James 1">. Eiitt took as his partner William 1-".. Kidder. The enterprise lias assumed most gratifying proportions, and the firm here do a large manufacturing business, and sell to jobbers, dealing extensively in leaf tobacco and first-class cigars. In 1886 Mr. Hitt married Elizabeth Valentine, daughter of Joseph T. Valentine, of Reading, Pennsylvania. Of this union there are two children. Morris and Elenore. Mr. Hitt is a stanch Republican, and has done his best to advance the most liberal ami praiseworthy tenets of his party. For two terms he served as city councilman, and has held other office^ of trust and responsibility. Fraternally he is a Knight Templar, and a charter member of Champaign Lodge Xo. 3. MAJOR GEORGE VY. HUPP. Of line Old Dominion ancestry. Major George VV. Hupp, whose rank was gained through connection with the ( )hio state militia, and who for rears has been one of the prime developers of Champaign county, was born near Newmarket, in the historic Shenandoah Valley, Virginia. February 22, 1833. When eighteen years of age. after the death of his father, he emigrated with his mother to Ohio and settled on Mad River in 1 hampaign count}', where the family engaged in farming for fifteen years. On the maternal side of the house a remarkable strain of longe- vity has been evinced, for the mother lived to be one hundred and five years old. and Mr. Hupp himself bids fair to retain his health and mental vigor far beyond the allotted or even expected time. Upon leaving the well developed farm on Mail River Mr. Hupp learned the cabinet-makers trade in Urbana, having completed which ne located in Mechanicsburg as a possibly more desirable field for the exer- cise oi hi- trade, and with the exception of a few years spent on his farm just west of the town, has made this his permanent abiding place. As a furniture manufacturer he worked up a large and remunerative 718 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. trade, and the work in that line accomplished under his capable super- n gained a reputation for strength, durability and all-around utility. Several years ago he availed himself of a favorable opportunity to retire from active participation in business affairs, and at the time his son, ' Itway C . succeeded to the management of the substantially erected enterprise. Three years ago the elder man withdrew entirely and left his son in absolute control of the cabinet interests. May 21, [835, Major Hupp married Margaret Millice, who died December 30. 1843. J u '. v r 5> l &44> ' ie married Mary J. Guthridge, who died January i_>, [889. Of the first marriage there were two children, George W. and Aimer C, and of the second marriage there were born five children. Llewellyn J., .Albert G.. Otwav C, Oscar B. and Xettie. Mr. Hupp is a Republican in national politics, and he has been con- nected with the Masonic fraternity for many years. He is a member nf the Methodist Episcopal church, and during his long life has sub- stantially contributed towards its charities and general support. Of un- swerving integrity and great good -ense. he has been an important factor in man_\- avenues of development, and the esteem created during the earlier part of his business career has increased in strength with the passing of years. Otwav G. Hupp, successor to bis father in the cabinet-making busi- ness, was born in Mechanicshurg, September 16. 185 1. and was edu- cated in the public schools, eventually graduating from the Marvsville high-school. His earlier life was spent amid the practical surroundings of the paternal farm, and in 188] be married Lulu, daughter of Ancel Rates, a native of Champaign county. Of this union there have been born two children, Walter F. and Dollie R. Mr. Hupp, like his fore- fathers, is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he is an official, and in the cause of which he is an earnest worker. Politi- cally be is a Republican, and is fraternally connected with the Knights 1 Pythias and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 719 ROBERT B. DIBBLE. One of the younger business men <>[ the city of North Lewisburg is Robert B. Dibble, whose energy, sagacity and industry enable him to fill a very important position, while his integrity of character com- mands the respect of all. As the mayor of the city he is also active in administering its affairs and is widely recognized as a Republican leader who ha- labored earnestl) for the success of the party. in the early settlement of this country, before the Revolution, England had made several grants O'f land to parties, one of which was to William Penn, as history gives it. and these were recognized by the government when peace was declared and have never been taxable. William Penn in turn gave a deed of sixty acres of land to one of our subject's ancestors, who was the father of three sons, one of whom died unmarried and one of the remaining became the great-great-grand- father of our subject and heir to one-half of the sixty acre tract. This now lies in the heart of the c it \ fi Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and during the grandfather's lifetime was valued at seventy million dollars. There has never been a legal deed of the property since the one issued by William Penn to the Richardson ancestors. The paternal great- great-grandfather of our subject was given the ancestral name of Levi, and he was killed in the state of Xew York. While assisting in the building of an abutment for a bridge across a gulley a stone became unmanageable and fell upon him, killing him instantly. His son and the grandfather of Robert B. also bore the name of Levi, and was born January 2, 1781, and his death occurred in November, 1855. By his first marriage lie became the father of the following children: Lyman, Luman. Levi, Calvin, Alsina and Melissa. Alsina died when young, and after the death of the mother of these children the father married Elizabeth Hammon, by whom he had four children, — Julia. Bela, Am- and Bosworth. 720 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Bi s worth Dibble, the father of our subject, was a native of Essex county, New York, born April 14, 1828, died June 22. iqoo. but when two years of age, in [830, was brought by his parents to Granville, Ohio. He married Vestalina Richardson, a sister of Dr. Richardson, of Summerville, Ohio. On the maternal side our subject traces his ancestry hack to three brothers who came from England to America on the Mayflower, one locating in Xew York, one in Virginia and one in Pennsylvania, and from the Pennsylvania branch he is descended. His great-grandfather Conent answered the general call for volunteers to defend the city of Buffalo against the English and Indians, who threatened its destruction. He was then an old. gray-haired man and with others of the same age they formed the company known as the "Silver Grays." The British and their allies, however, won the day, and Mr. Conent was taken as a prisoner into Canada, where he re- mained for three mouths, and during that time his family knew nol whether he was dead or alive. During an engagement a rifle ball struck him about the center of the forehead, and, glancing over, made a severe scalp wound which never afterward healed. Our subject's great-grand- father, James Richardson, married Margaret Bell. The grandfather, Richard S. Richardson, was horn on the nth of May, 1794, and his death occurred November -'4, [863. In 1815 he was united in marriage to Susan Conent. who was horn October 2, 1798, and died on the 12th of February, 1871. They became the parents of eleven children, nine oi whom grew to years of maturity, namely: Robert 1!., William, John. Jackson A., R. Lafe, Margaret, Liza, Louisa and Vestalina, the last named being the mother of our subject. Richard S. Richardson served as a lifer during the war of 1812. Robert I'.. Dibble, the immediate subject of this review, is the sixth m order oi birth of his parents' seven children and was horn where be is now located, in Ohio City, June 11. [869. His elementary edu- cation was received in the common schools of Van Wert county, and CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 721 after completing his studies therein he was for a time engaged in the profession of teaching. Later he entered the Ohio Normal University, at Via. in which he was graduated in the pharmacy department on the 3d of May, 1.892, and for two years thereafter was engaged in the drug business at Van Buren, Indiana, after which he returned to the Buckeye ?-tate. Since 1898 he has been engaged in the drug business at North Lewisburs:, and in trade circles he is esteemed for his ability and genu- • lie worth. He was recently appointed mayor of North Lewisburg, to till a vacancy caused by the removal of Mayor Hawkins, and on the 7th oi April. 1902. he was elected to that office. Every trust reposed in him. whether of a public or private nature, has been fully discharged ami he has proved himself in all the relations of life an earnest, honest, upright man and a citizen of whom any community might be justly pri aid. On the 1st of January, 1893, Mr. Dibble was united in marriage to Mattie Mapes, one of the six daughters of S. R. M'apes, who is now a resident of Ohio City, Ohio. Two sons have been born unto this union. — Gallard R. and Dewey M. In his political relation- Mr. Dibble is a member of the Knights of Pythias, and politically he is a stanch Re- publican, lie ha- served as a member of the school board, and is active in all works for the betterment of bis fellow men. GEORCiL W. POLAND. I reorge \\ . Poland has been a practitioner at the Champaign county bar since 1877, and makes his home in L T rbana. He was born in Shelby county. Ohio, in [852. His father. R. C. Poland, was a native of Vir- ginia and of English lineage, and died when our subject was twelve or fourteen year- • : age. B) profession be was an attorney and became 722 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. very successful, having a large clientage. He was also prominent and active in public affairs ami was a member of the Ohio legislature in 1850 and 1851. representing Shelby county. The mother of our subject was of Pennsylvania Dutch descent and bore the name of Eleanor McCon- nell. The subject of this review was reared in Greene county, Ohio, and pursued his elementary education in the public schools and later attended Xenia College. Hi's literary course having been completed, he then began preparation for the profession which he determined to make his life work, and matriculated in the law school of Ann Arbor Uni- . versity, in which he was graduated in the fall of 1876. The following year he was admitted to the Ohio bar and has since been engaged in general practice, opening an office in Urbana, where he has gradually advanced to a position prominent in the ranks of the legal fraternity. His mind is analytical and inductive, and in reasoning he is strong, in argument forceful and in the presentation of In i> cases shows a thorough mastery of the subject. Much important litigation has been entrusted to him and he has won a large majority of decisions favorable to his clients. Since 1S98 he has served as referee in bankruptcy for the district of Champaign count}-. Ohio. Mr. Poland was united in marriage to Aiiss Carrie Purtlebaugh, a daughter of W. A. Purtlebaugh. an attorney, and they have three chil- dren: Will, who i> a job printer; Sarah E., the wife of Howard If Donaldson, of Sherin, Pennsylvania; and Bessie M. Mr. Poland gives hi> political support to the Republican party, being a stanch advocate of its principle-. He. is also connected with the Knights of Pythias fra- ternity and for twenty year- has been master of exchequer. All of the offices of the lodge have been tilled by him and he has been a repre- entative to the grand lodge. He and his wife are 'members of the Presbyterian church., and the members of the family occupy an enviable position ' circles. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 723 JOSEPH OOULSON. [oseph Coulson was for mam years a distinguished and representa- tive citizen of I'rbana. He was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Decern her -S. 1S17, and died in this city August 4, 1891. His parents were Patrick and Elizabeth (LeCompte) Coulson. The latter was of French descent, while the former was horn in Ireland and served as an officer in the British army before coming to America. About [822 .Mr. ami Mrs. Coulson removed to Ohio, settling in Greene county, and when their sou was thirteen years of age they went to Fairfield county. There Joseph Coulson in his boyhood days formed the acquaintance of a maiden who later was to become his wile. Her name was Maria Comp- ton and she was horn in Fairfield. May 25. 1818, her parents being Aaron and Sarah (Casad) Compton, of New Jersey. The wedding was celebrated March 1, 1814. and for five years after their marriage they resided in Fairfield, coming thence to Urbana. Here .Mr. Coulson en- gaged in carpentering for a short time, hut in [847 established a gro- cery store, which he conducted with signal success until 1S84. being one of the leading, honored and prosperous merchants of the city. In late years he was president of the Perpetual Savings and Building Asso- ciation. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Coulson were horn the following children: Sarah Elizabeth, the wife of Albert Slagel, of Springfield, Ohio: Laura J., the wife of James Cheetham, of Urbana: Amanda C. wbo married Colin McDonald, of Urbana; and Carrie, who died at the age of thirty- four years. In his political view's Mr. Couslon was first a Whig and on the dissolution of the party became a Republican. Eventually, how- ever, he severed his allegiance with that political organization and became a Prohibitii mist. He held membership in the Wesleyan Metln idist church, 39 724 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. to which his wife also belongs. His life was busy, useful and honorable, and throughout his career he commanded the respect of his fellowmen by his firm allegiance to manly principles.