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Full text of "A Centennial biographical history of the city of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio .."

BookJ^. 



I 



Centennial Biographical History 



OF 



THE CITY OF COLUMBUS 

AND FRANKLIN COUNTY 
OHIO 



LLUSTRATED 



Embellished with Portraits of Many Well Known People of Franklin County, who Have 
Been and Are Prominent in Its History and Development 



CHICAGO 

THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY 

1901 



\^.\%^ 

'9^ 



PREFACE. 




i t i fc iAtA JAiAUfa ^ jj-p q{ ^i^g 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. 

The section of Ohio embraced by this volume has sustained within 
its confines men who have been prominent in the history of the State, 
and even the nation, for a century. The annals teem with the records 
of strong and noble manhood, and, as Sumner has said, "the true grand- 
eur of nations is in those qualities which constitute the greatness of the 
individual." The final causes which shape the fortunes of individuals 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 perma- 
nent 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 deter- 
mination to excel. Where either is wanting, failure is almost certain in the 
outcome. The study of a successful life, therefore, serves both as a source 
of information and as a stimulus and encouragement to those who have the 
capacity. As an important lesson in this connection we may appropriately 



2 PREFACE. 

quote Longfellow, who said : " We judge ourselves by what we feel capa- 
ble 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 publishers, 
have fully realized the magnitude of the task. In the collection of the ma- 
terial 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 counties have been given due recog- 
nition 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 com- 
plete than are the "standard" histories of a country. 

To the Hon. J. J. Bright, a reliable citizen of Columbus, are we in- 
debted for the very interesting introductory chapter on the "Posthumous 
Biography of Franklin County." 

THE PUBLISHERS. 



INDE^ZX: 



Adams.WilliamS., 618 
Aldrich, Orlando W., 280 
Alexander, Thomas J., 907 
Allegre, Lorenzo D., 573 
Allen, Cotton H., 380 
Ammel, Charles S., 485 
Anderson, James H., 136 
Anderson, James P., 312 
Andrix, John F., 168 
Armstrong, Charles H.1003 
Armstrong, Frank, 705 
Armstrong, Joseph, 246 
Aubert, Charles, 728 
Austin. Thomas W. 970 

Bachmann, Christian, 646 
Barbbert, Frederick, 231 
Barbee, James W., 181 
Barbee, William H., 375 
Barcus, Ebenezer, 223 
Barnes, John W., 423 
Barnhill, James U., 187 
Bartlett, John, 379 
Bassell, John Y., 965 
Beal, William C, 450 
Beasley, Austin D., 399 
Beckwith, John E., 65 
Beery, Joseph E., 479 
Bickett, William W., 339 
Biggert, Sebastian B., 366 
Biggs, Andrew C, 442 
Binns, David, 180 
Bird, Jacob, 686 
Bird, William, 687 
Blake, Francis W., 604 
Blake, William H., 447 
Blesch, Philip E., 654 
Boehm, George, 690 
Bohannan, Rosser D., 763 
Bohl, Henry, 360 
Bonebrake, Daniel, 894 
Bonebrake, Lewis D., 478 
Bonnet, Andrew O., 529 
Born, Conrad, 816 
Borror, Absalom, 551 
Borror, Elizabeth (Watts), 391 
Borror, Ichabod B., 133 
Borror, Jacob, 589 
Borror, Joel, 78i^ 
Borror, Silas, 539 
Boucher, John, 758 
Bowser, Benjamin S., 462 



Boyd, John W., 453 
Boyer, Adam, 759 
Bradford, Joseph N., 560 
Brand, John M., 132 
Brenneman, Emmett A., 61 
Brickeli, William D., Iu2 
Briggs, Henry, 691 
Briggs, Joseph M., 570 
Brinker, Marion T., 903 
Britton, James S., 368 
Brodrick, George, 131 
Brooks, Lewis J., 929 
Brothers, Joshua W., 624 
Brown, Abram, 525 
Brown, Davis, 240 
Browne, George W., 756 
Brush, Samuel, 22 
Buck, Herman H., 595 
Bulen, William, 808 
Bulford, George H., 131 
Burnside, John, 127 
Burwell, Samuel, 687 
Butterworth, Irvin, 612 
Buttles, Joel, 16 
Byers, Albert G., 459 
Byers, Joseph P., 144 

Cameron, Frank B., 924 
Carl, John W., 753 
Carl, William C, 487 
Carlisle, William S., 906 
Carr, Hugh H., 334 
Cashner. Samuel, 854 
Centner, Charles V., 299 
Chambers, John E, 1011 
Chambers, William J., 967 
Chase, Salmon P., 21 
Chenoweth, Frank A., 549 
Chenoweth, William B., 767 
Chrysler, Eli, 866 
Clahane, Dennis J., 73 
Clapham, John, 207 
Clapham, Joseph, 400 
Clark, John, 844 
Clark, Thomas M., 437 
Clark, William J., 594 
Cline, William, 871 
Clotts, Daniel, 934 
Coberly, Edward N., 369 
Cochran, Justin R., 732 
Cochran, Samuel [., 242 
Coe, Almon F, 199 



INDEX. 



Coe, Alvin, 410 

Coe, Truman H., 3S3 

Coen, Samuel F., 960 

Coit, Alonzo B., 555 

Coit, Harvey, 882 

Cole, Frank T., 648 

Collins, Reuben H., 470 

Commercial Travelers, Order of, 262 

Condit, Cxeorge W., 921 

Connor, Joseph, 786 

Converse, George L., 104 

Cooke, H. C, 786 

Cooke, Rodney R., 248 

Cooper, Albert, 178 

Cosgray, Barnet J., 344 

Cosgray, Jeremiah, 814 

Cosgray, Moses, 874 

Cott, Lawrence H., 404 

Courtright, Edward, 616 

Cox, Ezekiel T., 18 

Cox, Samuel S., 12 

Cromwell, John S., 783 

Crum, Ira H., 534 

Crum, James E., 575 

Cummins, John, 192 

Daniell, James H., 513 
Darrow, Walter N. P., 533 
Dauben, Joseph, 407 
Daugherty, John S., 174 
Davidson, Alexander, 115 
Davidson, Nicholas P., 483 
Davis, Christopher, 597 
Davis, Samuel A., 717 
Davis, William B., 962 
Dean, Francis B., 217 
Deardurffs, The, 26 
Decker, Samuel A., 583 
Deem, George W., 156 
Demorest, Russel B., 663 
Dennis, Charles D., 418 
Dennison, William, 24 
Derrer, Michael, 876 
Devenport, David, 980 
Dickey, Moses T., 274 
Dill, Frank P., 586 
Distelhorst, George H., 864 
Dominy, Ezra, 656 
Dominy, Henry, 739 
Dominy, Jeremiah, 742 
Doney, Samuel D., 286 
Dorsey, John T., 861 
Drake, Elam, 858 
Dulin, Nathan W., 727 
Dutoit, Eugene E., 725 
Dutoit, Francis E., 467 
Dyer, George, 617 

Eakin, John J., 659 
Edwartls, Thomas E., 277 
Eis, John B., 449 
Eldridge, Charles, 755 
Elliott, Daniel, 210 
Ellis, Otis K., 458 
Ellis, Samuel W., 158 



Emerick, Edson J., 638 
Emmick, Andrew C, 315 
English, Lorenzo, 105 
English, W. H., 106 
Eutsler, J. H., 127 
Evans, David, 308 
Evans, Edward, 592 
Evans, George, 322 
Evans, Maurice, 424 
Ewing, Simon P., 276 

Falloon, Frank L., 618 
Farber, James H., 977 
Feder, George S., 420 
Ferguson, Hugh L., 700 
Ferris, Frank C, 149 
Ferris, Henry C, 455 
Fippin, lames, 226 
Fisher, W^illiam M.. 626 
Fitzpatrick, Valentine, 503 . 
Flagg, C. B., 262 
Fleming, Frank, 319 
Foor, Joseph, 708 
Foos, Joseph, 14 
Fox, Frank S. 886 
Francis, Frederick, 765 
Frazier, John C, 968 
Freeman, George D.. 776 

Galbraith, William, 681 
Galbreath, Charles B., 900 
Galloway, T. B., 184 
Gantz, Albert L., 689 
Gantz, Andrew J.. 941 
Gardiner, Richard J., 402 
Garst, Henry, 468 
Gault, William R., 582 
Geary, George L., 219 
Geiger, Richard M., 497 
Geyer, George, Sr., 86 
Giffin, Schuyler O., 39 
Gillespie-Allen, Alice, 475 
Glass, Louis, 831 
Gloyd, Nelson H., 693 
Goad, Henry A., 663 
Goetschius, Stephen, 524 
Goldsmith, William C, 270 
Goodale, Lincoln, 10 
Gordon, John L., Sr., 522 
Gordon. John L., Jr., 309 
Graham, William M., 748 
Grant, Adam G., 824 
Grant, Nelson, 438 
Grant, Robert D., 607 
Green, John C, 978 
Gregory, Thomas N., 356 
Griffith, Joshua, 688 
Griswold, Isaac. 398 
Groome, Augustus E., 793 
Grotthouse, William H., 233 

Hager, Americus S., 206 
Haldy, Charles W., 243 
Haldy. Frederick. 510 



INDEX. 



Hamill, Thomas B., 737 
Hamilton, Arthur L., 390 
Hamilton, John W., 452 
Hammond, Jacob J., 439 
Hardesty, William A., 566 
Harman.Eber H., 90 
Harper, John, 731 
Harris, Clark, 8S4 
Harrison, James V., 434 
Harrison, Richard A., 46 
Hart, John, 733 
Hart, Theadore, 643 
Hart, Thomas, 870 
Hart, William, 729 
Haynes, John F., 679 
Hays, George W., 159 
Haywood, John, 254 
Headley, Daniel, 918 
Headley, William, 204 

Hedrick, Isaac P., 735 

Heinmiller, Louis, 848 

Heitmann, John H., 1010 

Helmick, George W.,526 

Helwagen, Edward M., 359 

Hempstead. Alexander S., 982 

Henderson, Henry T., 392 

Henderson, J<-)hn S., 463 

Herd, Joseph, 414 

Herd, Robert H., 415 

Herd, William, 414 

Herr, Christian S., 807 

Hess Family, The, 974 

Hess, Henry R, 214 

Hess, James H., 614 

Hess, John M., 976 

Hess, Thomas M., 433 

Hirsch, Leonhard, 286 

Hitchcock, Embury A., 294 

Hoffman, George M., 480 

Home for the Deaf and Dumb, 431 

Hoover, George \V., 559 

Hopper, Edward, 828 

Horch, John F., 578 

Houghton, Frank H., 544 

House, William, 869 

Howard, John W., 809 

Hoyer, W. Dallas, 355 

Hubbard, William B., 20 

Huddleson, Helena (Park), 444 

Huffman, Henry, 225 

Huffman, Lewis, 788 

Hull, Richard E., 1000 

Hunt, Franklin G., 995 

Hunter, William R., 195 

Huntington, Webster P., 257 

Hutchinson, Sawyer A., 57 

Huy, Henry, 632 

Ingham, George W., 803 
Innis, Gustavus S., 113 
Innis, Lyman H., 182 
Innis, Maxwell P., 230 
Innis, Robert, 528 
Innis, W^illiam H., 228 



Jackson, Frank P., 972 
lames, Richard, 447 
Jarvis, Charles W., 993 
Jeffrey, Joseph A.. 120 
Jenkins, Isaac N., 1005 
Jerman, J. Thomas, 621 
Johnson, Richard W., 708 
Johnston, Thomas, 846 
Jones, Edward S., 431 
Jones, Hugh E., 875 
Jones, John W., 898 
Jones, Joseph F., 873 
Jones, Joseph W., 712 
Jones, Richard, 540 
Jones, Richard E., 494 
Joyce, John J., 753 

Kalb, James P.. 817 
Karb, George J., 936 
Karch, Charles J., 640 
Karns, John M., 827 
Karrer, George M., 881 
Kauffman, Linus B., 406 
Keck, Charles H., 702 
Keller, John A., 1009 
Kellerman, William A., 42 
Kelly, Alfred, 19 
Kerr, John, 17 
Keys, John, 863 
Kilbourne, James, 40 
Kilbourne, James, 15 
Kiner, Henry, 852 
Kiner, John, 416 
Kinkead, Edgar B., 435 
Kinsman, D. N.,484 
Knox, John, 189 
Knox, William E., 543 
Koebel, John, 172 
Koehl, John H., 925 
Krauss, Catherine, 365 
Krumm, Alexander W., 848 
Krumm, Frederick, 264 
Krumm, Joseph, 819 
Kuhn, Herman, 790 

Lakin, Samuel W., 760 
Lambert, James, 971 
Lamp, Ora L., 823 
Landes, John Q., 329 
Landes, Mahala C, 329 
Landon, Chauncev P., 990 
Landon, Karl E., 991 
Lane, Eugene, 244 
Lane, Benjamin F., 769 
Lazenbv. William R., 289 
Leach, Sherman, 350 
Leap, Charles J., 6HU 
Lenhardt. AHam ><s;j 
Lentz, John J., 985 
Leonard, 1^ rancis Al.,1008 
Leonard, George K., 194 
Leonard, Hannah M., 716 
Lind, J. P., 272 
Lindenberg, Susan D., 167' 



INDEX. 



Lindner, Charles, 717 
Lindsay, James T., 1007 
Lindsey, James, 363 
Linebaugh, John, 794 
Linhart, Christopher P., 620 
Linthwaite, Herbert A., 968 
Linton, Jonathan F., 107 
Lisle, William, 749 
Little, M. V. B., 771 
Longshore, Isaac, 902 
Lowry, Percy S., 244 
Loy, Matthias, 317 
Lukens, William H. H., 635 
Lyons, Rachel H., 313 

Machlin. Daiwalt, 610 
Maize, Erwin, 162 
Maize, Samuel, 445 
Mallory, William T., 751 
Manning, Jasper, 161 
Marion,. Edward L., 349 
Marion, Elijah, 268 
Matthews, George W., 116 
Mauk, Newton H., 518 
McCafferty, John W^, 155 
McCann, John W., 719 
McCloud, James, 920 
McClure, John, 561 
McCollum, Edmund O., 331 
McCormick, William B., 672 
McCoy, Nathan A., 101 
McCoy, Robert, 119 
McCune, Jonas M., 933 
McDermott, Hugh V., 567 
McDonald, George O., 932 
McGrath, D.miel W., 600 
Mclntyre, Elmer G., 973 
McMillen, Bishop, 964 
McNamee, John F., 904 
Means, William J., 641 
Mecartney, Jacob, 815 
Meeker, Claude, 488 
Meeker, Garry W., 504 
Meeker, George W., 472 
Merion, Charles, 405 
Merion, William, 96 
Merion, William, 926 
Merion, William, Jr., 321 
Merrick, William J., 550 
Meyer, Bernard \\\, 688 
Meyer, William E., 252 
Michel, Frederick W., 806 
Miles, James A., 552 
Miller, Charles H., 956 
Miller, Edward E., 602 
Miller, Edward J., 565 
Miller, Elmer J., 931 
Miller, Frank S., 887 
Miller, Gideon R., 306 
Miller, Ira L., 547 
Miller, John D., 692 
Miller, John L., 62 
Miller, William, 657 
Mills, lohn H., 290 



Miner, Edgar D., 82 
Moore, Alpheus B., 198 
Moore, Opha, 154 
Moore, Robert W., 1001 
Morehead, Lewis, 605 
Morrison, Andrew, 282 
Morrison, William, 146 
Mull, David, 307 
Mull, Susannah, 721 
Munshower, Nathan, 910 
Myers, Alpheus D., 701 
Myers, David W., 396 
Myers, Hanson N., 841 
Myers, Joseph, 76 
Myers, Lorenzo D., 440 

Nash, George K., 266 
Near, Milton, 564 
Neil, Alexander, 342 
Neiswender, William, 216 
Newsom, Logan C, 994 
Nichols, Alvin L., 69 
Nichols, George A., 608 
Norris, King A., 347 

Gates, Michael J.. 928 

Ochs, Gustavus H., 401 

Offenbarger, Christian, 723 

O'Harra, Elias T., 427 

O'Harra, Michael, 949 

Old Northwest Genealogical Soci 

ety, 38 
Olds, Joseph, 258 
Olmsted, Charles H., 11 
Olmsted, Philo H., 10, 495 
Order of Commercial Travelers, 262 
Orders, Allen, 857 
Orton, Edward, Jr., 109 
Osborn, James D., 911 
Oyler, Frank L., 686 

Packard, A. H., 362 
Painter, Lewis, 151 
Park, Jonathan E., 372 
Parker, Stephen W., 129 
Patton, Alexander, 397 
Pausch, Henry, 792 
Pearce, Charles A., 248 
Pegg, Daniel, 633 
Pegg, Elias W., 337 
Pegg, Joseph, 335 
Pegg, Lewis L., 637 
Pegg, Monroe J., 338 
Peiffier, John, 213 
Perry, John F., 304 
Perry, Robert W., 232 
Petersen, Niles M., 976 
Petzinger, John, 81 
Pfeifer, John, 201 
Pflueger, A., 59 
Phelan, Edward L., 711 
Phelps, H. Warren, 607 
Pheneger, Rudolph, 840 
Phinney, Barnabas, 872 



INDEX. 



Pinkerton, William L., 849 
Pinney, Justin, 89 
Pinney, William, 796 
Planck, Andrew, 657 
Pocock, Edgar J., 289 
Pogue, Charles A, 704 
Polsley, J. M, 238 
Porschet, George, 730 
Postle, James M., 948 
Postle, William S., 948 
Postle, William Y.. 957 
Poston, James D., 916 
Powell, Frank E., 499 
Powell, Joseph B., 224 
Prosser, Charles S., 587 
Pugh, Andrew G., 572 
Pugh, John M., 408 
Pumpelly, Bernard, 305 

Rader, George H., 856 
Randall, Emilius O., 72 
Rankin, Lewis L., 292 
Rathmell, John, 87 
Reason, James W., 950 
Reed, William F., 951 
Rees, Washington T., 83 
Reese, Purdy M., 746 
Reinkens, Ernst, 877 
Rellick, Andrew, 477 
Rhoads, Paul O., 698 
Richards, Clarence E., 163 
Richter, Henry, i-00 
Riebel, Charles, 376 
Righter, William, 310 
Riley, Samuel, 969 
Riordan, George, 320 
Ritter, Augustus S., 877 
Roach, Ptrry A., 886 
Roberts, Daniel F., 878 
Roberts, Daniel O.. 183 
Roberts, John G., 781 
Roberts, William M., 188 
Robinson, Stillman W., 520 
Rochelle, Winfield S., 169 
Rogers & Rogers, 577 
Ross, Courtland, 261 
Ross, James, 593 
Ross, Thomas R., 528 
Rubrecht, Franklin, 209 
Ryan, Daniel J., 200 

Sanderson, Winslow F., 469 
Sauer, Joseph, 428 
Savage, James, 177 
Schart, Matilda. 694 
Schirner, Herman F., 370 
Schlegel, Lewis, 988 
Schleppi, Lewis, 822 
Schoedinger, Frank O., 961 
Schoedinger, Alice W., 167 
Schott, Geoige P., 227 
Schueller, Erwin W., 153 
Schueller, Orloff W., 987 
Schwartz, George P., 255 



Scotield, Asbury, 801 
Scofield, Nathan A., 481 
Scott, George, 680 
Scott, Oscar W, 123 
Seeley, David S., 411 
Selbach, Charles, 827 
Seymour, Augustus T., 158 
Shade, Adin H., 144 
Shattuck, Simon, 536 
Shawan, Jacob A., 96 
Shedd, Edmund E., 516 
Sherman, Sylvester M., 922 
Shoaf, Joseph, 865 
Shocker, John M, 718 
Shoemaker, Aivin M., 377 
Shoemaker, Christopher, 689 
Short, John, 664 
Shriver, William J., 773 
Sibel, Henry T., 421 
Siebert, Amelia, 165 
Siebert, Charles M., 167 
Siebert. Henry L., 164 
Siebert, Louis, 122 
Siebert, Wilbur H., 298 
Siegel, Ferdinand, 374 
Simonton, William D., 171 
Simonton, William H., 548 
Sinclair, Richard, 285 
Sinks, Frederick N., 947 
Slyh, Daniel M., 845 
Slyh, Henry C , 300 
Slyh, Jacob E., 843 
Slyh, John W., 362 
Smiley, David D., 799 
Smith, David, 18 
Smith, Eldon F., 358 
Smith, Emery J., 77 
Smith, Jasper, 777 
Smith, Lemuel, 653 
Smith, Nathaniel, 490 
Smith, Samuel G., 984 
Smith, William B., 358 
Souder, Serenus S., 952 
Sowers, Daniel H., 291 
Stagg, George W., 530 
Stanberry, Henry, 23 
Starling, Lyne, 12 
Steickley, H. G., 631 
Stellhorn, Frederick W., 568 
Stelzer, John, 466 
Stephens, Adam, 112 
Stephens, Luther P., 519 
Stewart, Emily, 103 
Stinemetz, James, 709 
Stombaugh, Frederick, 958 
Strain, Harrison E., 706 
Strait, Whitney, 938 
Straub, Andrew, 695 
Strickler, William, 647 
Sullivant, Lucas, 13 
Summy, David R., 328 
Swartz, Samuel J., 623 
Swagler, Sarah J., 860 
Swayne, Noah H., 23 



INDEX. 



Swickard, Frederick, 914 
Swickard, John W., 946 
Swickard, Noah, 945 
Swickard, Peter, 272 
Swisher, Charles C, 124 
Swonger, WilUam M., 820 

Taft, Daniel H., 135 
Taylor, Alfred, 744 
Taylor, David, 325 
Taylor, Edward L., Sr., 425 
Taylor, Edward L., Jr., 625 
Taylor, Henry M., 888 
Taylor, Lorenzo, 74 
Taylor, Reuben, 724 
Tharp. William, 762 
Thoman, Arthur A., 899 
Thomas, Edward B., 511 
Thomas, James J., 1004 
Thomas, Morgan J., 332 
Thomas, Wray, 387 
Thompson, Elmer E., 1006 
Thompson, James G. 715 
Thompson, Joseph C, 713 
Thompson, Robert, 992 
Thompson, William H., 297 
Thompson, William O., 64 
Thurman, Allen G., 25 
Tidd, Everett T., 60 
Tilton, James J., 662 
Tinnapple, Jacob, 784 
Tipton, Jonathan, 536 
Tipton. Joseph W., 202 . 
Titus, Charles A., 418 
Towns, William L., 927 
Townsend, Stephen, 805 
Trish, Adam, 601 
Trumbo, Jacob H., 944 
TuUer, Ele W., 832 
Turner, Charles E., 607 
Turney, Charles l< ., 413 
Turpie, William, 710 
Tusing, Clinton W., 215 
Tusing, George N., 456 
Tusmg, Leroy W., 333 

Vance, Clinton H., 939 
Vance, Edward P.. 303 
Vance, Margaret J., 388 
Van Schoyck, David R., 346 
Virden, Milton H., 851 

Walcutt, Absalom M., 629 
Walcult, Charles C, 26 
Walker, James M., 385 
Wall, William, 514 
Walton, Jesse, 403 
Walton, Randolph W.. 590 
Wanamaker, William H., 311 
Ware, Valverda A. P., 890 
Warner, John, 609 



Wasson, John H., 323 
Waterman, Frederick, 712 
Waterman, George A., Sr., 148 
Watkins, Quincy A., 885 
Watt, George, 253 
Watts, Albert, 532 
Watts, William, 85 
Weber, Frederick, 278 
Weber, Henry A., 655 
Weibling, Jacob M., 230 
Westervelt, Charles E., 893 
Westervelt, H. Douglas, 646 
Westervelt, Howard B., 889 
Westervelt, Mathew, 892 
Westervelt, William, 644 
Westervelt, William A., 741 
Wetmore, Charles H.. 997 
Weygandt, Daniel, 649 
Wharton, Mary M.. 296 
Whayman, Horace W., 896 
Wheeler, Benjamin G., 288 
Wheeler, George F., 696 
Whip, George P., 770 
Whitaker, Emanuel, 743 
White, Emerson E., 34 
White, Wilis., 959 
Wickham, Joseph W., 909 
Wiechers, Frederick W. C, 913 
Wilcox Tracey, 461 
Williams, Benjamm F., 179 
Williams, Curtis C, 80 
Williams, Henry A., 515 
Williams, Neville, 145 
Williams. William C, 999 
Wilson, William A., 868 
Wing, Frederick F., 811 
Winterringer, Frank G., 965 
Winters, Martin A., 430 
Wisler. Andrew C, 699 
Wiswell, John L. B., 651 
Witteler, Anton, 880 
Wolf, Charles G., 79 
Wolfe, Albertus C, 501 
Woodbury, William B., 263 
Woodruff, Elmer W., 94 
Woodruff, Lafayette, 563 
Woodruff, Norman, 91 
Worthington, Charles E., 351 
Worthmerton, Clark, 70 
Wright, G. A., 500 
Wright, John T., 256. 
Wright, Joseph, 67 
Wright, Samuel P., 67 

Yeager, Peter. 628 
Youmans, Thomas G., 419 

Zellers, Isaac 989 
Zimmer, Frank A., 882 
Zirkel, Julius, 341 
Zuber, John, 150 



BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 



OF 



THE CITY OF COLUMBUS AND FRANKLIN COUNTY, 



OPdIO. 



POSTHUMOUS BIOGRAPHY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY. 



HE responsibility of preparing a preface to the introductory chapter 
of the posthumous biographical history of Franklin county which the 
publishers of this work have assigned to me is a duty the performance 
of which I approach with ditfidence and distrust. The numerous 
obstacles necessarily incident to the collection of miscellaneous facts insepar- 
ably connected with the life and history of various individuals are of difficult 
comprehension to those who have had but little or no experience in 
this respect. It should be a duty paramount to all others with every 
biographer to guard against error which may mislead and misstatement 
which may disparage the life or character of his subject. Many or most 
of the subjects whose sketches are embraced in this chapter have been 
dead for many years. Some of them died perhaps beyond the recollection 
of but few who are living to-day. The source of information concern- 
ing them and their life work and history — to the writer — has been recourse 
to the recollection and memory of those who yet live in the community, and 
to periodical publications at diffierent times and in various forms, which are 
necessarily subject to the inaccuracy and uncertainty which the lapse of time 
is so likely to produce. 

In the portrayal of historical facts pertaining to the various subjects 
whose biographies are here given, the writer has not upon the one hand sought 
unduly to magnify the achievements, or embellish the character with fulsome 
praise or flattery, or upon the other to detract a scintilla of merit, or pluck 
a single flower from the garland which adorns the brow of these venerable 
men whose zealous lives and sturdy co-operation for the welfare of their 



lo CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

adopted county is so intimately Ijlended and in-^eparably connected with the 
early and material history of their pioneer home. 

Dr. Lincoln Goodale was a native of Worcester, Massachusetts, where 
he was born February 25, 1782. His father, Nathan Goodale, was an officer 
in the Revolutionary war, and a few years subsequently to its close emigrated 
to Ohio and located at Marietta in the year 1788. Here he remained until 
1794, when he moved to Belpre, fourteen miles below, on the Ohio river, and 
opposite the "classic isle" of Blamerhassett, a spot of ground rendered forever 
famous by the exploit of Aaron Burr in the year 1806. together with the 
graphic description of, and touching allusion to, the same by the distinguished 
priest, William Wirt, in the celebrated and sensational trial of Burr on a 
charge of treason before Chief Justice Marshall at Richmond, Virginia, in 
the following year. 

]\Ir. Goodale had scarcely lived a year in Belpre when he was captured 
by a band of Indians who at that early day infested the neighborhood, and 
was taken to Sandusky, Ohio, where he died in captivity a few years after- 
ward. Thus at twelve years of age our subject found himself alone and 
friendless in a region of country affording but few opportunities for advance- 
ment or promotion for a youth so early in life cast upon his own ingenuity of 
resource to solve the problem which was to contribute in no small degree to 
the success wdiich crowned the subsequent years of his life. Selecting medi- 
cine as a profession, he began a course of study at Belpre. and in 1805 came 
to Franklinton (now a suburb of Columbus), where he commenced the reg- 
ular practice of his chosen profession. Here he continued to live until he 
moved to Columbus in 18 14, and embarked in the business of general mer- 
chandising and land speculation. This venture provedi eminently successful 
and resulted in the accumulation of a large fortune during a period of thirty 
years in which he was engaged in it. He was liberal, generous and phil- 
anthropic. He was particularly attached to the home of his adoption, and his 
love for Columbus was munificently attested in after years by a donation to 
the city of an extensive plat of ground comprising forty acres dedicated to 
the uses and purposes of a public park, which bears his name. The park is 
situated in a beautiful and fashionable part of the city, and has been appro- 
priately and handsomely adorned with shade and ornamental trees and shrubs 
and flowers of various kinds, together with numerous carriage drives. A 
handsome bust of the donor in bronze presents itself to view near the main 
entrance supported by a granite monolith. Though Dr. Goodale has been 
dead for more than thirty years, his many ^'irtues and liberal deeds still linger 
in the fond recollection of many persons who have been the recipients of his 
generous bounty, while the city of Columljus cherishes him as one of her 
greatest benefactors. 

Philo Hopkins Olmsted was born in Simsbury, Connecticut, the 26th of 
February, 1793. He was a soldier in the war of the Revolution and bore 
upon his person to the time of his death the evidence of many hard-fought 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ii 

battles. He left his New England home for the "far west," as Ohio was 
then called, in the fall of 1808, and arrived at what is now known as Blendon 
Four Corners about the middle of the following December, the journey requir- 
ing about six weeks. On the journey from Connecticut to Ohio the crossing 
of rivers, and points at the crossing were as follows: The North river at 
Newburg, New York; the Delaware river at Easton, Pennsylvania; the Sus- 
quehanna river at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and the Ohio river at \A^ells- 
burg, West Virginia. 

For several years after the arrival of our subject with his father in Colum- 
bus he labored and worked for the benefit of the family in the clearing of 
land, the raising of crops and in such other ways as were of benefit and service 
to the household interests until about the year 181 1, when he received from 
Colonel James Kilbourne an offer of employment in connection with a news- 
paper, the Western Intelligencer, which was then published at Worthington, 
twelve miles north of Columbus. The name of this paper was afterward 
changed to the Ohio State Journal and transferred to Columbus, where it has 
ever since continued under the same name. 

Mr. Olmsted was married, in 181 7, to Miss Sarah Phillips, of Mercers- 
burg, Pennsylvania. Twelve children were born of this union, all of whom 
excepting one are now deceased. 

Colonel Olmsted was many times honored by his fellow citizens with 
testimonials of their confidence and respect, and in all his official relations 
maintained a character of scrupulous probity and uprightness. He was a 
member of the city council from 1819 to 1822 and from 183 1 to 1834. Dur- 
ing his last term in the council he was elected mayor of the city and served 
for one year. He was elected mayor of Columbus in 1837 to fill the unex- 
pired term of Warren Jenkins, and was re-elected in 1838. The latter years 
of his life, relieved of the anxieties and perplexities of business, were passed 
in the enjoyment of his family awaiting the slow but sure advance of a fell 
malady which had already marked him for its own. He died at Columbus 
February 20, 1870, where he had lived for more than half a century, loved 
and respected by the community in which he had Wxtd so long, and to whom 
he had endeared himself by the disclosure of a multitude of virtues which 
adorns the character of a pious Christian and noble, conscientious fellow 
citizen. 

Charles H. Olmsted, of Columbus, is a son of the preceding subject, being 
the fifth child and the last of his line in a family of twelve. He was born 
in the year 1825, and is by continuous residence the oldest citizen of Colum- 
bus, with but a solitary exception. He has lived in the city all of his life, now 
covering a period of seventy-six years. He was, as he informed the writer, 
present at the laying of the corner-stone of the state-house in the year 1839, 
and was also present at the laying of the corner-stone of the recent addition 
tv) the State-house in 1899, the interval covering a period of just three-score 
years. He is; still sprightly in step and lithe in motion, with every prospect 
of livinor another score of years. 



12 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Lyne Starling was born in Mechlenburg county, Virginia, in 1784, 
removed to Kentucky in 1794, and came to Franklinton in the year 1806. 
Sliortly after his arrival he was employed in the county clerk's office, receiving 
a position the duties of which he was eminently qualified to perform by reason 
of his superior qualifications proceeding from fine educational accomplish- 
ments previously acquired. Subsequently to this he was appointed clerk of 
the circuit and district courts of the United States and also of the supreme 
and common-pleas courts of Franklin county. 

Mr. Starling is said to have been the first of the pioneers of Franklinton 
and its neighborhood to engage in the flatboat traffic down the Scioto (then 
a navigable stream for crafts of this character) to the Ohio, thence south to 
New Orleans. The venture proving successful and remunerative, it was 
engaged in by others quite extensively, but in some instances attended by 
disastrous results. He was a large contractor with the government during 
the war of 1812 and furnished great quantities of supplies to the army under 
General Harrison which assembled at Franklinton and Urbana during that 
year. Mr. Starling was a shrewd, sagacious business man and was one of the 
original proprietors of the city of Columbus. A large part of the city of 
to-day is located upon grounds originally owned by him and embraces niost 
likely the purchase made by him shortly after his arrival here from Kentucky. 
He seems not to have possessed much fondness or taste for politics, and 
did not aspire to any political office. His great wealth, and the exclusion to 
some extent which usually accompanies it, no doubt contributed to inspire a 
feeling of envy and perhaps jealousy on the part of the sovereigns of that early 
day who were so potent at the counting of the ballots. Some time previous 
to his death he donated quite a large sum of money to the endowment and 
construction of a medical college in Columbus which bears his name and is 
still in successful operation. At the halls of this institution many of the 
eminent men in the line of their profession throughout the state of Ohio are 
said to have been graduated. Some of them have attained a high degree of 
professional perfection which is highly complimentary and creditable to their 
alma nuiter. Mr. Starling was a joint donor with John Kerr in the presenta- 
tion to the city of Columbus of the beautiful plat of ground embracing about 
ten acres on which the state-house stands. He died in 1848, in the sixty- 
fourth year of his age, and was by his special direction buried in the old grave- 
yard at Franklinton; but, when in after years the beautiful Green Lawn ceme- 
tery was laid out and established, his remains were removed to it, where the 
ashes of one of the early pioneers of Columbus now repose in peace. 

Samuel S. Cox was born in Zanesville, Ohio, September 24, 1824. He 
was a man remarkable in many distinctive features of character. In point 
of personal charm and social characteristics he possessed attractions which 
endeared him to his friends and. commanded th^ resi2ect and admiration of all 
who came in contact with him. He was a descendant of a long and noble 
line of Anglo-Saxon Celtic ancestry. His grandfather, General James Cox, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i3 

was an officer in the Revolutionary war, and afterward a memljer of congress 
from the state of New Jersey. 

Ezekiel T. Cox, the father of Samuel S., was a native of New Jersey 
and moved from that state to Zanesville, Ohio, in the beginning of the last 
century. The mother of our subject was a daughter of Judge Samuel Sulli- 
van, of Zanesville, whose marriage to Ezekiel Cox was productive of thirteen 
children, Samuel S., our subject, being the second child from this union. Hia 
early education was acquired in the common schools at Zanesville. He after- 
ward attended college at Athens, and still later was a student at Brown Uni- 
versity, at Providence, Rhode Island, where, with the highest honors, he grad- 
uated in 1846, with the degree of Bachelor and Master of Arts. ]\Iany years 
afterward the same institution complimented him with the honorary degree 
of LL. D. Having adopted the law as a profession, he v;ent to Cincinnati, 
where he continued its practice for several years. 

In 1846 he was married to Miss Buckingham, of Zanesville, and shortly 
thereafter made a tour of Europe, where he remained a few years. Upon his 
return he published a history of his trip containing an account of his travels 
and observations abroad which is said to have first turned his serious thought 
in the direction of journalism. He was for a time the editor and part owner 
of the Columbus Statesman, a Democratic paper, in the conduct and publica- 
tion of which he disclosed marked efficiency as an editorial writer. It was 
during this period of his journalistic experience that he wrote the article which 
gave him the soubriquet of "Sun Set." 

]\Ir. Cox was elected to congress from the Columbus district in 1856 and 
was continuously re-elected and returned to congress from this district until 
1865. During this interval he was honored by membership on several import- 
ant committees. In 1865 he removed to New York and commenced the prac- 
tice of law. After a residence there of three years he was elected to congress 
from the city, and for a number of congresses thereafter successively re-elected 
and returned as a metropolitan member. As a scholar and a writer Sunset 
Cox occupied a high and enviable reputation. He is said to have used and 
spoken the English language more correctly and more in accordance with 
syntax and grammatical accuracy than any other congressman of his day. 

Lucas Sullivant was perhaps the earliest well known pioneer of Frank- 
linton and Franklin county. He was a native of Mechlenburg county, Vir- 
ginia, and the commencement of his life, on account of the oddities and peculi- 
arities associated with it, was no doubt the reason of the comparison which 
has often been made between him and the great Washington. At a very early 
age, indeed, when he was but a boy, he joined an expedition raised in Virginia 
to repel an invasion of a hostile tribe of Indians upon the western frontier 
of the state. It was during the progress of this expedition that his bravery 
and intrepidity was disclosed to an extent which commended him to the special 
attention and admiration of his commanding officer. Having lost his parents 
at an early age, he appropriated his scanty means to the procurement of an 



14 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

education, special attention being given to the mastery of mathematics, as he 
had previously determined to make surveying his profession. The wild, 
uncultivated lands of Kentucky, then a timbered appendage to the old com- 
monwealth of Virginia, offering a peculiar advantage for the gratification of 
his desires in this particular, he, wdiile yet scarcely merged into manhood, 
took himself thither, and as a reward for the sacrifices he had made and priva- 
tions endured soon found himself in a situation where his professional serv- 
ices were in almost constant demand. When but twenty-two years of age he 
received an appointment as deputy surveyor from Colonel Anderson, sur\eyor 
general of the Virginia military^ land district and a distinguished officer in 
the Revolutionary war. Thus appointed to a position which had been the 
fondest hope of his early life and now gratified beyond expression by its actual 
possession, he pitches with all the ardor and energy of his soul into the 
unbroken and untrodden forest of southern Ohio and materially assists in 
opening up one of the richest portions of the state to the advancing wave of 
settlement and civilization. Bafiied in the initial attempt to penetrate the 
wooded wilderness by the wdly savages who infested the forest, he organizes 
a stronger force at Limestone (now Maysville, Kentucky,) and with them 
begins anew the journey through the wilderness. In due time he finds him- 
self upon the banks of the Scioto and within the present borders of Franklin 
county. Ten years subsecjuently to this Mr. Sullivant, having acquired dur- 
ing the interval the ow^nership of large tracts of land, laid out the town of 
Franklinton, which, from its numerous features of marked advantage, he dis- 
covered in its locality, position and nearness to the geographical center of the 
state, he probably foresaw or concluded it would become its future capital. 
Here about the beginning of the century he built the first brick house in Frank- 
linton, in wdiich he lived the remainder of his life. Our limited space does 
not admit of a more extended notice of the subject, nor indeed does his illus- 
trious, useful and eventful life demand or require it. Suffice it to say, how- 
ever, that he was a remarkable man in the early settlement of the county and 
did as much as any other one man who was cotemporary \vith him, and per- 
haps more in framing the policy and shaping the destiny of the community 
in which he lived. His name is inseparably connected with the foundation 
and formation of Franklin county. His early life w-as employed in a sturdy 
effort to advance and promote the best interests and material prosperity of 
Franklin county and the city of Columbus. The citizens of both will assur- 
edly see that his name and his service are appropriately and gratefully cher- 
ished in the memory of his fellow men. 

One of the earliest and most interesting of personal" histories in the pio- 
neer days of Columbus and Franklin county was that of Joseph Foos. wdio 
was a native of Chester county, Pennsylvania, born in the year 1767. He 
moved with his family quite early in life to Tennessee, and several years after- 
ward went to Kentucky, where, in 1797, he was married to Miss Nelson. 
Remaining in Kentucky but a few months, he came with his family to Frank- 



CENTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 15 

linton, Ohio. Upon his arrival at his new home he estabhshed a ferry across 
the Scioto river, which he operated for some years and from which he is said 
to have derived considerable revenue during the time of its operation. Another 
enterprise which he inaugurated was the building of- the first hotel in the town, 
which he successfully conducted for some length of time. His early oppor- 
tunities for acquiring an education were quite limited : but, chance 'or good 
fortune bringing him unexpectedly in contact with a school teacher who inci- 
dentally became a guest of his hotel, he availed himself of the opportunity 
which the incident afforded and concluded a bargain with the teacher for a 
certain amount of rudimentary tuition, in consideration for so much board. 
He was zealous in his application to study and improved his opportunities to 
good account. 

Shortly after this he conceived a lively interest for politics ai^d public 
affairs, corresponding extensively with noted politicians of the dav concerning 
matters of public interest. He was one of the first members of the Ohio leg- 
islature, of which he remained in continuous membership for many yeai^s. 
He became an accomplished speaker and efficient writer. During the 'prev- 
alent excitement attending the location of the capital of the state he wielded 
a^ marked influence with both tongue and pen in securing the adoption of 
Columbus as the site for its location. As a testimonial of appreciation on 
the part of the citizens of the new capital for the services thus rendered he 
was presented by the proprietors with a block of ground in a desirable part of 
the city. He served in the war of 1812 and during his service was promoted 
for gallantry and meritorious conduct to the rank of brigadier general. Air. 
Foos was liberal, generous and convivial, and with the opportunities which 
his surroundings afforded him he enjoyed the company and conviviality of 
his political friends to the highest degree. Later in life he became a can- 
didate for congress, but in the contest for the office his opponent was elected. 
Shortly after this he moved to Madison county, Ohio, where he engaged in 
farming, in which he continued until his death, in 1832. 

Early in life he manifested great interest on the subject of the canal sys- 
tem^ in the state of Ohio. From the interest here first awakened on the 
subject he is said to have conceived and suggested the feasibility of a ship 
canal across the isthmus of Darien, a conception at that time regarded as 
wild and chimerical, but which to the latter day and more modern speculators 
and promoters for profitable investment would not perhaps be considered so 
extravagant or impossible. It has been recently remarked that a pamphlet 
embodying the views of Mr. Foos on this subject, which was complimentarily 
styled "Foos' Folly," may in the not distant future demonstrate the fact that 
such a conception was nobody's "folly." Stranger things have happened; 
others may yet transpire. 

One of the most widely known of the early pioneers of Franklin county 
was James Kilbourne, born in New Britain, Connecticut, October 19, 1770. 
During his boyhood days he labored with his father on the farm and enjoyed 



i6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

but limited opportunities of acquiring an education. In the spring of 1802 
he came to Ohio as the agent of an eastern company for the purpose of explor- 
ing the country, and, if in his judgment deemed desirable, to purchase for 
them extensive tracts of land. In the execution of this trust he selected a 
location and completed the purchase of a township embracing sixteen thou- 
sand acres. In the following year he returned to Ohio with the party for 
whom he had made the negotiation a year previously and established his resi- 
dence at the new purchase, now Worthington. Arrangements were at once 
made for the settlement and location of a town, commencing with the erection 
of a school building, blacksmith shop, church, a number of cabins and the 
building of a dam across the Scioto river. Here for a number of years he 
worked and planned and executed for the general good of the new settle- 
ment which he had formed and which was now so largely dependent upon 
his judgment and experience for its future welfare and success; and right 
well he acquitted himself of the trust which was reposed in him. 

In 1805 he explored the south shore of Lake Erie and selected the site 
of Sandusky city. About this time he received, unsolicited on his part, the 
appointment of United States surveyor for a large portion of the public 
lands. In 1806 he was appointed one of the first trustees of the Ohio College 
at Athens. He was elected president of the Worthington College in 181 2, 
and in the same year was appointed commissioner to settle the boundary 
between the public lands and the Virginia reservation. In the year 1814 he 
was a candidate for congress and was elected by a vote of two to one over his 
competitor. Colonel Kilbourn was the first member of congress to advocate 
the donation of public land to actual settlers in the Northwest Territory, and, 
on behalf of the committee having the subject in charge, prepared and pre- 
sented to congress a bill for that purpose. He was elected to the Ohio legis- 
lature in 1823 and served with ability and distinction. About this time he 
was commissioned by the governor of Ohio to make selection of the lands 
granted by congress to the Ohio canal. He was the president of the state 
convention at Columbus, July 4, 1839, for laying the corner-stone of the 
capitol of Ohio, also at the noted Whig convention of February 22. 1840. 

Colonel Kilbourne has left the impress of his example upon the state of 
Ohio — particularly central Ohio — to a marked and notable extent. He was 
the instigator, advocate and promoter of more enterprises, industries and 
agencies which in long and continuous years of development and expansion 
have grown and become potent and effective, than almost any other citizen of 
central Ohio. 

Joel Buttles was among the early settlers descended from New England 
ancestral stock who came and pitched their camp in the wilds of Ohio near 
the central portion of the state. His father, Levi Buttles, was one of the 
original proprietors of the Scioto company, organized in the year 1802 and 
composed of a sturdy band of members who were destined in after years to 
figure so prominently in the material advancement of the best interests of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 17 

the state. James Kilbourn, mentioned elsewhere in this work, was the agent 
of this company and one of its most prominent, influential and active members. 
It was through his active agency and personal negotiation that sixteen thou- 
sand acres of land at ^^^orthing•ton was purchased and immediate operations 
commenced for the location and settlement of a town on the lands so acquired. 
To this new settlement Levi Buttles, the father of our subject, came in the 
year 1804, having previously disposed of his farm and possessions at Granby, 
Connecticut, of which place he was a native, where he was born in February, 
1787. Under the arrangements made for the removal of the family to the 
west Joel w^as permitted to make choice of remaining in the east and devoting 
himself to the pursuit of a profession, or of casting his fortune with the 
fate of the family in their future home in the western country. He chose 
the latter, and after a long and tedious journey for the most part in the midst 
of storm and snow he arrived in safety at the settlement in the wilderness. 

In less than a ye'ar after their arrival Levi, the father, died, when Joel 
was but eighteen years old. For several years subsequent to the death 
of his father our subject found employment in teaching a school. In 18 14 
he was united ii\ marriage to Miss Lauretta Barnes, a daughter of Dr. Samuel 
Barnes, of Massachusetts, and shortly thereafter removed to Columbus and 
formed a partnership with Dr. Lincoln Goodale. Soon after this he was 
appointed to the office of postmaster at Columbus, which position he held con- 
tinuously until the election of General Jackson to the presidency, in 1828, 
w4ien, as usual in accordance with political precedent and custom, he yielded 
to the clamor of the victors for the usufruct of the spoils. From this period 
he was closely identified with the municipal history and business prosperity of 
Columbus, and was one of its most pulDlic-spirited and enlightened- citizens. 
He held many positions of public trust, was for several years the president 
of the city bank, and was as well one of the founders and zealous supporters 
of the Protestant Episcopal church in the state of Ohio. The successful 
and busy years of his later life are said to have been devoted to deeds of 
generosity to the needy, of sympathy for the suffering and afflicted and of 
helpful assistance to those whose wants and necessities came to his knowledge. 
He died at Urbana, Ohio, in August, 1850. 

Measured by the standard which establishes the excellence of a man 
b}^ the character and extent of the good which he accomplishes in life, Joel 
Buttles should be placed high upon the roll of citizenship in Franklin county. 

John Kerr, one of the original proprietors of Columbus, was born in 
county Tyrone, Ireland, about the year 1778. He enjoyed the advantages 
of a good education in his native county, including attendance at the Dublin 
Laiiversity. He came to the United States in 18 10 and settled that year in 
Franklin county, Ohio. He was a member of the first board of councilmen 
elected in 1816 for the borough of Columbus. From the information obtain- 
able at this time concerning his intelligence and business qualifications it would 
seem that his attainments in this respect compared favorably with those of 



i8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

any of his coteinporaries. He, like many others of that early period, seemed 
to look to an appreciation in the price of real estate as the readiest and surest 
means of acquiring a fortune. As a speculator or dealer in land his invest- 
ments and ventures were probably more numerous and extensive than those 
of almost any other individual in the county. It is believed by some who 
are yet living, and whose advanced age enable them to remember him with 
tolerable distinctness, that he was at one time the largest land-owner in the 
city of Columbus. But v/hether this be true or not, or to what extent this 
impression may be founded upon fact, it is certain that he was an energetic, 
active business man, and, like a number of his associates of the same period, 
was ever willing and ready to unite his effort with others in any enterprise 
or industry which foreshadowed benefit or advantage to the community, and 
responded with promptness and alacrity to any movement compassing this 
object. Mr. Kerr always entertained a high and sanguine faith in the future 
of Columbus, and in his expressions of interest and attachment to its material 
welfare was ecjually ardent. His sincerity in respect of the latter profession 
was conclusively demonstrated by his joint donation with Lyne Starling of 
the beautiful square of ground in Columbus on which the state-house stands. 
He died in the year 1823 and was buried in what is known as the old north 
graveyard, but as the result of neglect or from other cause the headstone 
placed over his grave has been removed or was destroyed, so that the exact 
spot of his last resting place cannot now be determined with any degree of 
certainty. 

John M. Kerr, a son of the preceding, died in Columbus a year ago from 
the effects of injuries received in a street-car accident, at the advanced age of 
ninety years. 

David Smith was born at Francistown, New Hampshire, in October, 
1785, attended school at Dartmouth College, where he graduated in the 
year 181 1. Mr. Smith was a kinsman of Franklin Pierce, and on account of 
the relationship existing between them was by the president offered the 
appointment to a counsulship abroad, but the offer was declined. He was 
violently opposed to slavery and to those who were its advocates, hence 
would not accept office under his distinguished relative. He was marrierl, 
in 1814, to Miss Mitchell, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, and the newly mar- 
ried couple moved to Columbus two years after it had been made the permanent 
capital of the state. Mr. Smith was the first lawyer to become a permanent 
resident and regular practitioner in Columbus, and thus acquired the title of 
judge. He was elected to the Ohio house of representatives from Franklin 
county and was a strong opponent of what was known as the black laws, 
which operated prejudicially to his influence with and interest in liis party. 
He was appointed to a position in the postoffice department at Washington 
in 1836 under General Jackson, and held it until 1845, when he was removed, 
presumably on account of his hostility to slavery. Judge Smith died at Man- 
chester, Ohio, in February, 1865. His remains were brought to Columbus 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 19 

for interment and were deposited in the old graveyard near the present site 
of the union depot. They were in after years removed to Green Lawn 
cemetery. 

Alfred Kelly, a son of David Kelly, was born in Middletown, Connecti- 
cut, in November, 1789. When he was nine years old his father moved with 
his family to Lowville, New York. Alfred attended school at Fairfield Acad- 
emy and afterward commenced the study of laAv under Jonas Piatt, who was a 
judge of the supreme court of the state. About the year 18 10 he went to 
Cleveland, Ohio, where he continued the practice of law, and when he had 
scarcely attained his majority was appointed prosecuting attorney, which 
position he held for several years. 

In 1814 he was elected to the house of representatives and is said to ha\-e 
been the youngest member of that body, which met at Chillicothe, then the 
capital of Ohio. At this session of the legislature Mr. Kelly prepared and 
introduced a bill to reform the practice of law in the courts of the state. The 
leading feature of this bill was a simplification of the methods of pleading 
and dispensing with the old system of verbiage and adopting a more modern 
and euphemistic style of expression. His effort was not successful at the 
time, but the principle suggested was the precursor of our code, which fol- 
lowed thirty years later. The bill also dispensed with or abolished imprison- 
ment for debt save in the instance of fraud. 

But above all and beyond every other matter of legislation or business 
he was more particularly interested in the canal policy, which at that time 
was the absorbing and prevalent question of public interest throughout the 
state; and he was without doubt its most zealous advocate and supporter. 
Having been appointed canal commissioner, he prepared himself at once with 
all the zeal and energy of his nature to enter into the discharge of the onerous 
duties of his office. It was thought by many at the time that the w^ork could 
not be completed within the period allotted or within the limit of cost pro- 
vided for its completion. To what extent both expectation as to length of 
time and limit of cost was disappointed on the part of the opponents of the 
measure is matter of history and comment on the subject need not here be 
misemployed in its useless recital. Suffice it to say the work under the guid- 
ance and direction of this masterful hand was done and was done well. 

Mr. Kelly was none .the less efficient in financial affairs than in the con- 
struction of canals. During the memorable and exciting financial crash from 
1837 to 1 84 1 his brilliant conceptions in finance sprang forth with a flash 
which attracted the attention of all who beheld them. By his sound judgment 
and good business management he engineered the financial affairs of the 
state in a manner which not only relieved it from its pecuniary entanglements, 
but produced an appreciation of its securities to an extent which not only 
relieved embarrassment but advanced value to a point beyond par. 

Such in part is some of the achievements of this remarkable man. A full 
and complete history of his successful, eventful and useful life would in its 



20 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

application of resultant benefit to the state afford most instructive and inter- 
esting reading to a multitude of its inhabitants. 

William B. Hubbard, who was called a lawyer, statesman and financier, 
was born in Utica, New York, in August, 1795. He was the son of Bela 
and Naomi Hubbard, who were of Anglo-Saxon descent. Mr. Hubbard was 
a descendant of the Stow family, wdiose earliest progenitor in this country 
arrived in New England not many years posterior to the landing of the pil- 
grims at Plymouth rock. The settlement of this family was in the state of 
Connecticut, where for a number of generations it maintained a high and hon- 
orable distinction. Mr. Hubbard chose law as a profession and pursued a 
course of study with a kinsman who was an accomplished priest in his day, 
the father of Chief Justice Stow, of Wisconsin, lately deceased. After com- 
pleting his studies and being admitted to practice in New York he moved to 
St. Clairsville, Ohio, in the year 18 16. His success in the new field of labor 
was marked and rapid. He rose to the head of his profession and at a bar 
with such practitioners as John C. Wright, Charles Hammond, Benjamin 
Tappan and Philip Doddridge, the last mentioned of whom was a cotemporary 
of Daniel Webster in the congress of the United States, and of whom the 
great statesman and orator once remarked he was the only man he ever met 
that he feared in debate. The material of which our subject was composed 
and the intellectual mold in which he was cast may with readiness be inferred 
when the company with whom he associated and the position which he sus- 
tained in that company are considered. 

For several years he was state's attorney for Belmont county, and was 
subsequently chosen a member of the Ohio state senate, from 1827 to 1829. 
He was very much interested in railroads, and in 1830 he prepared a bill 
which was presented to the legislature, entitled an act to incorporate the Ohio 
Canal & Steubenville Railroad Company. Action upon this bill by the legis- 
lature is said to be the first legislation by the state of Ohio relating to rail- 
roads. In 183 1 Mr. Hubbard was elected to the house of representatives 
of the Ohio general assembly, and was by the members of that body chosen 
as its speaker. Such was his capability and fitness that he could have held 
a high and enviable position in the councils of his party, but he seemed rather 
to choose the more pleasant and attractive pursuits of business and finance. 

He moved to Columbus in 1839, thinking that in the capital of the state 
he would be afforded a wider and more attractive field for the gratification 
of his expanding ideas relative to financial affairs. He was elected the presi- 
dent of the Exchange Bank of Columbus, and later organized and was the 
president of the First National Bank of Columbus, which was the first bank 
in the city to become incorporated and established under the national bank- 
ing system. It was largely through his effort and influence that the United 
States arsenal was located at Columbus. It is said that Salmon P. Chase, 
while governor of Ohio, and afterward secretary of the United States treas- 
ury, frequently consulted Mr. Hubbard upon financial questions and attached 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 21 

great consequence to his opinions. He was a fine classical scholar and never 
lost his taste for the classics, and in his last years delighted to converse with 
professional scholars in the Latin tongue. 

Mr. Hubbard died in Columbus, January 5, 1866, having lived to attain 
the scriptural allotment of three score years and ten. 

While it would seem the work of supererogation in a space so confined 
and restricted (as a brief county biography must necessarily be) to attempt 
the delineation of a character at once so prominent and interesting to all the 
inhabitants of the state, yet it may not be a subject devoid of interest or render 
this work less attractive to refer briefly to a character so distinguished as 
Salmon P. Chase. 

In the year 1820 he came as a youth twelve years old and made his home 
for about two years with an uncle then living in the northern part of Frank- 
lin county. The fact is recited in Howe's Historical Recollections of Ohio 
that young Chase was for a time in the employ of a bricklayer at Worthing- 
ton, in the capacity of a mortar carrier, and later in life referred with pride 
to the fact that a man who afterward became the governor of Ohio and chief 
justice of the United States should have once carried the hod for him. Thus 
it is that amid the realities of life we sometimes discover a veritable demon- 
stration of the correctness' of the old adage, "Truth is stranger than fiction." 

The progress and rapidity with which Judge Chase was advanced in the 
line of political honor and preferment is too well known and remembered as 
a matter of fact and history to require its particular recital here. His services 
to the state while an occupant of the gubernatorial chair at Columbus, his 
position upon the exciting subjects; of the nation while a member of the 
United States senate, his signal and masterly conceptions of the difficult 
problems of finance while secretary of the treasury, wdiere the value of his 
service in the cause of his country was perhaps more marked and significant 
than in any of the many high offices with which he was honored by his coun- 
trymen, and his final promotion by President Lincoln to the exalted position 
of chief justice of the supreme court of the United States, all alike, and all. 
in fact, with one accord proclaim and attest the wisdom of the judge, the 
profundity of the statesman, the conception of the financier and the excel- 
lence of the man. 

Judge Chase, as it is well known, was paralyzed a few years preceding 
his death, and though the stroke was but partial he never recovered from it. 
He died in 1875. Two children survived their illustrious father, both daugh- 
ters. The older, Catherine, better and more popularly known later in life 
as Kate Chase Sprague, married Governor Spragtie, of Rhode Island. Their 
conjugal relations, as was well known, were not congenial or happy and finally 
culminated in a separation. For several years antecedently to her death 
]\Irs. Sprague was the occupant of her father's old suburban residence border- 
ing the outskirts of the federal metropolis known as Edgewood. Its high 
w^alls and capacious grounds were plainly visible from fne portals of the mam- 



22 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

moth white marble building, the halls of which had so oftsn resounded with 
the voice of her father in the exciting debates upon momentous occasions in 
which he was an acti\-e participant. She died in 1899 at Washington city, 
and her remains now repose in peace beside her illustrious father in a beauti- 
ful cemetery at Cincinnati, overlooking the trancjuil waters of the river Ohio. 
The devotion of Mrs. Sprague to her father, her ambitious, hopes and zealous 
aspirations for his succession to the office of the chief executive, were inor- 
dinate and wonderful. Never, perhaps, in the history of the country has an 
instance of such a remarkable attachment on the j^art of a chilcl for the pre- 
ferment of a parent been revealed so pointedly to view, unless in the single 
exception of Theodosia Burr for her misguided and revengeful father, who 
for unjustifiable and unworthy political motives was prompted to take the 
life of that greatest man of the American republic, Alexander Hamilton. 

Samuel Brush was a native of Chenango county. New York, and a son 
of Plat and Elizabeth (Treat) Brush. He moved with his family, in 1815, 
to Chillicothe, Ohio, where his father established himself in the practice of 
the legal profession. In 1820 the family removed to Delaware, Ohio, the 
father having been appointed to the office of register of the land office for 
the purpose of disposing of the government lands located in several counties 
in the western part of the state. 

Samuel was, during his early years, a clerk in his father's office. He 
later received a good education under the tuition of private instructors, one 
of whom, General John A. Quitman, in after years became quite prominent 
as a member of congress from, and governor of, Mississippi. He adopted 
the law as a profession and w^as admitted to the bar and commenced to prac- 
tice in 1830 at Tiffin, where his uncle, Judge Brush, was then a resident and 
one of the judges of the court Ijefore which he began to practice. Later in 
his professional career, about 1840, he qualified as a practitioner in the various 
courts of Ohio and also the supreme court of the United States. In the fall 
of 1836 he moved to Columbus, where he formed a partnership in the legal 
business and resumed his practice in the capital city of the state, wdiere he 
acquired an extensive practice and accumulated considerable means. In the 
organization of the Franklin County Agricultural Society he was elected 
successively to the office of vice-president and president of the organization. 
During the years of his connection with that association its grounds were 
purchased and laid out, its various buildings designed and constructed for 
different uses and the whole machinery put in perfect working operation. In 
the practice of law Mr. Brush w^as especially proficient in the particular of 
special pleading, no case prepared by him having ever been lost or judgment 
reversed for defective pleading. His mind was strong in point of concentra- 
tion and his manipulation and conduct of causes committed to his care for 
trial were ably and intelligently handled, with results which fully established 
the justice of his claims to the. high reputation which he acquired at the bar 
through a long series *of years of successful practice. 



CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 23 

Xoah H. Swayne, an associate justice of the supreme court of the United 
States, was a native of X^irginia and was born in the year 1804. He was 
of Quaker parentage. He was quite precocious in his youth and rapidly 
developed into intellectual attainments, particularly in the law, which was 
his chosen profession. At the early age of nineteen he obtained his license 
to practice law, and removed from Virginia to Ohio and commenced the 
practice of his profession. Mr. Swayne was one of those native born Vir- 
ginians not frequently, but sometimes, met with who, while generally uphold- 
ing and defending the peculiar institutions of the south, entertained a horror 
and aversion to the institution of slavery which constrained him to leave his 
kindred and his state to avoid coming in contact with the hated evil. 

Judge Swayne's first place of residence in Ohio w^as at Coshocton. He 
was a resident of Coshocton in 1839, when he was appointed district attorney 
for the state. He discovered little if any interest in politics until the cam- 
paign of 1856, when John C. Fremont became a candidate for the presidency. 
His speeches were mainly in opposition to, and against the extension of, 
slavery. He was appointed an associate justice of the supreme court of the 
United States by President Lincoln to fill the vacancy caused by the death of 
Justice ]\IcLean, of Ohio. This appointment, it is said, was made at the 
request of the undivided delegation in congress from the state of Ohio, as 
well as out of respect to the wish of the deceased justice himself expressed a 
short time previously to his death. This opinion of Justice McLean con- 
cerning the fitness and suitability of Judge Swayne's appointment to a posi- 
tion on the supreme bench was the estimate of his capacity which Judge 
McLean had conceived of him during his frequent argument of causes before 
the supreme court of the United States, in which he displayed marked and 
unmistakable legal ability. He left several sons, one of whom. General Wager 
Swayne, acquired a high reputation as a lawyer in New York city. 

Henry Stanberry, with possibly one or two exceptions, may with con- 
fidence be regarded as the equal of any jurist who has for thres-fourths of 
a century past practiced at the bar of justice in the state of Ohio. He was 
the possessor of many of the essential prerequisites which are so necessary to 
the constitution of a courtly, accomplished gentleman, and all the finer ele- 
ments which ennoble and adorn the dignity and character of superior man- 
hood were inherent in his nature. 

He was born in the city of New York al)Out the year 1800. and when 
only eleven years old came wath his father to Zanesville, Ohio. His collegiate 
education was acquired at Washington College, Pennsylvania, whence he 
graduated with much credit. After completing his education he returned to 
Zanesville, where he commenced the study of his profession and where, in 
1 82 1, he was admitted to the bar as a regular practitioner of the law. It 
was about this time, it would seem, that he was brought in contact with 
Thomas Ewing, the most accomplished and consummate lawyer at that day 
in Ohio, and by his advice or persuasion was induced to remove to Lancaster 



24 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

and begin tlie practice of his profession in that place, either associated with 
Mr. Ewing directly or in some wise connected with him in the legal business. 
Here he remained and continued in regular practice until 1846, when by leg- 
islative enactment the office of attorney general of Ohio was created and Mr. 
Stanberry was chosen by vote of the general assembly to fill that important 
office. Upon his acquirement of this position he moved to Columbus, where 
he continued to reside during his five years' occupancy of the office. He 
was a conspicuous member of the constitutional convention of 1850 and 
participated extensively in its debates. Subsequently to this he removed to 
Cincinnati and practiced law for a number of years in that city. In 1866 he 
was appointed United States attorney general by President Johnson and took 
up his residence in Washington city. This position he held, and with great 
credit discharged its duties until impeachment proceedings were instituted 
against his chief, when he resigned his office to become his counsel at the 
impeachment trial, which was shortly afterward commenced. His legal 
attainments were prominently brought to view in this trial, and his ability 
as a learned and accomplished jurist fully sustained by the arguments he made 
in the defense of the president. 

He died in the city of his birth (New York) in 1883, at eighty-three 
years of age. 

William Dennison, widely known as one of the war governors of Ohio 
(a very brief sketch only of whose eventful life can for want of space be 
here recited), was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, in November, 181 5. He was 
a college graduate of Miami University and commenced his professional life 
in the practice of law in the office of Nathaniel G. Pendleton in that city. He 
was a prominent and influential delegate to the convention of 1856, which 
inaugurated the Republican party and selected John C. Fremont as its standard 
bearer by nominating him for the presidency in that year. In the campaign 
which followed he was an ardent supporter of the nominee of that convention. 
In i860 Mr. Dennison was the nominee of his party and was elected gov- 
ernor of Ohio. He was the chairman of the convention which renominated 
Mr. Lincoln for the presidency at Baltimore in 1864, and upon the re-election 
of Mr. Lincoln became a member of his cabinet by appointment to the office 
of postmaster general, which position he held until 1866, when, in conse- 
quence of the apostasy of Andrew Johnson (who had in consequence of the 
death of Mr. Lincoln succeeded to the presidency), he resigned the office. 
Governor Dennison was an enthusiastic admirer and steadfast friend of John 
Sherman' and exerted himself to the utmost to secure his nomination for the 
presidency in 1880. He was a man of wealth and liberality and contributed 
generously to a college at Granville, Ohio, which bears his name. 

It was largely through the instrumentality of Governor Dennison that 
\\'est Virginia was saved to the Union. He gave encouragement and assur- 
ance to the loyal people of that state that he would stand by them in their 
severance of relations wdth the old state and w'ould in extremity, if circum- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 25 

stances or conditions should render it necessary, supply a military force suf- 
ficient to protect and defend them. The contingency upon which the pledge 
was based, and the condition upon which the promise was made, both hap- 
pened. The extent to which the plighted faith and promise was redeemed 
is matter of general history and does not here require recital. Governor 
Dennison's administration of state and governmental affairs during his occu- 
pancy of the gubernatorial chair of Ohio has been gravely criticised and con- 
demned in many quarters, but the consensus of opinion at the present day is 
such as to greatly mollify the asperities of former days, and correct the mis- 
taken and misguided judgment pronounced under a misapprehension of the 
truth and facts of the case. "Time at last sets all things even." 

Allen G. Thurman. — Within the narrow limits to which the sketch of so 
eminent a man as the subject of this article will be necessarily confined for 
want of space in the chapter of its publication, it will be impossible to da 
more than make brief mention of the many high official positions which he 
filled and the singular ability and perfect integrity with which he discharged 
the duties pertaining to them all. 

Allen G. Thurman, than whom no purer-minded man — either civilian or 
representative^ — ever dignified a constituency in a legislative or judicial 
capacity, was a native Virginian, born at Lynchburg in 1813. When an 
infant his family removed to Ohio and located at Chillicothe. After acquir- 
ing an education he studied law with his uncle, William Allen, and Noah H. 
Swayne, both of whom in subsequent years rose to positions high in the 
councils of the nation, the former to the senate of the United States, the latter 
to a seat in the highest judicial tribunal in the country. Judge Thurman 
was admitted to the bar in 1835 ''^"^1 began the practice of law at Chillicothe. 
Here he continued in his profession until 1844, when he was elected to con- 
gress when but thirty years of age. In 1851 he was elected a judge of the 
superior court of the state, and the opinions rendered by him during his term 
of office were such as to reflect the highest credit, and deservedly established 
throughout the state his reputation as a judge and jurist. In 186S he was 
elected to the United States senate, which was then composed of the brightest 
luminaries in the land. He rose at once to the high plane of his calling and 
immediately took rank nothing inferior to any legislator who at that time 
represented a constituency in either house of congress. The most dis- 
tinguished service rendered by Judge Thurman during his term in con- 
gress, as well, perhaps, throughout the entire course of his eventful and illus- 
trious life, was his defense of the southern people during the passage of the 
reconstruction measures in the south. It was in the debates which followed 
the introduction of these measures that his voice was raised in thunder tones 
against a wrong and injustice which he thought was unrighteously sought to 
be forced upon them. The application of a portion of the beautiful tribute 
of Judah P. Benjamin to Albert Sidney Johnston could with peculiar pro- 
priety be gratefully ascribed by the people of the south to Judge Thurman 
2 



26 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

for his noble and manly defense of them in the hour of their sore affliction. 
Allen G. Thurman was a man in honor impregnable, in integrity incorruptible, 
a man, in truth, of whom it may with truth be said, he "stood four-square to 
all the winds that blow." 

General Charles C. Walcutt. — Few individuals have died in Columbus 
within the past quarter of a century wdiose decease has caused greater sorrow 
or regret among its citizens than that of General Charles C. Walcutt. Gen- 
eral Walcutt was a native of Columbus and was born in 1838. In his early 
life he attended the public schools of the city, acquiring the rudimentary 
branches of an education, and afterward went to the Kentucky Military 
Institute, where he graduated in the class of 1858. Upon completing his edu- 
cation he returned to Columbus, where his business life began. The first 
office which he filled was that of county surveyor, to which he was elected 
shortly after his return from college. This position he retained until the 
commencement of the war of the Rebellion, when he resigned it, when, offer- 
ing his services to the government, he raised a company and was commis- 
sioned its captain. His promotion in the army was rapid, and as early as the 
second year of the war we find him advanced to the rank of lieutenant colonel 
and participating in the memorable battle of Shiloh, where he was struck by 
a ball which he carried through life. He participated also in the battles of 
Vicksburg and Jackson in Mississippi, Missionary Ridge, Chattanooga and 
Kenesaw Mountain ; and after the death of General McPherson he was pro- 
moted to the rank of brigadier general. He fought a remarkable battle and 
the only one during the march of General Sherman from Atlanta to the sea 
and known in history as the battle of Qriswoldsville. His gallantry and 
bravery in this battle elicited such praise and commendation, and was so 
pointedly referred to and complimented by General Sherman, that he was 
in consequence brevetted major general. After the conclusion of the war 
General Walcutt returned to Columbus and was shortly afterward appointed 
warden of the Ohio penitentiary, which he held for a .number of years, and 
under his management of its affairs the institution for the first time in its 
history returned a revenue to the state treasury. He was a brave and gallant 
officer, a courtly, refined and cultured gentleman, and in his death Columbus 
sustained a loss in respect of citizenship and manhood not easily supplied. 

The Editor. 

THE DEARDURFFS, 1798 to 1901. 

When Franklinton was' but a yearling of the forest, Abraham Deardurff, 
of southeastern Pennsylvania, came by wagon, over mountain-trail, through 
forest, following the blazed trees to the wild little settlement, having started 
"out west" early in March of that year and arriving at the west banl<s of the 
Scioto about April 13, 1798, accompanied by his eldest son David. 

It was partly a trading expedition, as the wagon was laden with desirable 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 27 

goods obtained in Philadelphia, consisting of axes, plowshares, nails, spikes, 
augers, gimlets, awls, knives, scissors and such articles as would be in demand 
by the white settlers ; then about eight or twelve in number. But there were 
in the load also, gay glass beads, bright colored chintz, and a variety of bells, 
sleigh-bells, cow-bells, a couple of hand bells and one larger than the others 
that might have answered for a meeting house. These were to be exchanged 
with the natives for whatever might be obtained of them, principally baskets, 
jerked venison, bear-skin, wdld honey, buckskin, and hides; these latter the 
Indians cured in a superior manner never attained by the whites. 

Apropos of the large bell, there exists an old family tradition related to 
the writer (then a child) by the widow of David Deardurff many years ago, 
beside the great fireplace with its brass' andirons, hickory back-log and black 
crane, amid the sweet sound of crackling flames. This tale was later corrobor- 
ated by William Deardurff, Sr., her stepson, in December, 1890. He had 
often heard his father tell, about it as follows: Some Indians whose wig- 
wams were down the Scioto river near Salt Lick southwest of the present 
court house site, took a fancy to the bells, and bartered with Abraham Dear- 
durff for several of them, and before nightfall, it is said that every Indian 
squaw, pony and dog about the camp had on a bell. One very tall old red- 
skin whom they nicknamed "Deerlegs," was out hunting, and being attracted 
by strange new sounds, the tinkling bells, he crept through the tall grass; up 
near the clearing, and there, lying flat on the ground, peering out through 
the hazel and sassafras bushes, he spied the large bell suspended on a pole near 
the camp fire surrounded by a number of braves, squaws, pappooses and two 
white lads, who were delightedly ringing the bells. Deerlegs, in his lurking 
place, was no less pleased. He lay watching and waiting for a long time, when 
he finally saw the party disperse in the evening shadows. As the last Indian 
departed, or fell asleep, he stealthily crawled to the pole and quietly made off 
with the bell to his own camp, near Alum creek. Next day search brought to 
the hunters' ears sweet peals from Deerleg's wigwam. Upon being detected 
he is said to have snatched the bell and quickly springing upon his pony, cling- 
ing by one hand to its mane and grasping with the other the precious bell, his 
long legs dragging in the underbrush, he disappeared into the woods, a ludi- 
crous figure. Some days later a white man, aiming at a squirrel, spied a shin- 
ing object in a tall oak tree. This proved to be the stolen bell, which he 
secured and returned to Franklinton. 

Abraham Deardurff soon finished his trading, procured by barter ten acres 
cf rich bottom land, planted this in corn, and left his son David, a lad of about 
fourteen years, to tend the crop, and work in the clearing. He camped near 
the white settlers, then eight or ten in number. Returning to Pennsylvania 
Mr. Deardurff, who was a railmaker by trade, soon made a sale, told his east- 
ern friends of the fertile Ohio valley, turned part of his' property into money, 
and then set out for Ohio. He was accompanied by his family, consisting of 
his wife, Katherine Deardurff, who was born in north German v, his three 
sons, Samuel, Daniel and Joseph, and his daughters, Elizabeth and Polly 



28 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

or Pauline. A stout ox team brought the great wagon over the mountains' in 
the fall of 1798; the family traveling by day and camping by? a spring or 
stream by night. They brought with them a fresh cow, and a large bull dog 
for night watch, as Indians were lurking near the trail. Bears, panthers and 
wild cats were numerous and wolves prowled about. In the wagon there were 
large walnut chests, ("kiesters") from Germany, well filled with homespun 
linen, bedding, and some favorite pieces of china; there were the necessary 
three-legged kettles, the crane and the spider or Dutch oven with its iron lid 
for cooking corn dodgers. Several pieces brought to Franklin county at that 
time are yet in the possession of the family. A small china tea set, three pieces 
of Brittania ware, a pair of sheep shears, a tailor's goose and 'Shears, a large and 
a small spinning wheel, a reel, some brass candlesticks, candle molds, some 
good strong linen and "coverlets" in colors, some wearing apparel of those 
times, and some very fine needlework, are all highly prized, and carefully kept 
by the great-grandchildren. They speak eloquently of ye olden days. 

On a bright spring morning, in ninety-seven, 
As the sun shone out in the eastern heaven, 
Lending the rose her brightest hue. 
Tinting the hilltops with diamond dew, 
There rose, in the rude log hut, a wail, 
A strange new sound, from where did it hail ? 

In the fireplace corner, away from the damp. 
In a hewed out log from the "Sugar Camp" 
On a mossy pillow, in coonskin wrap. 
In a "dimity" slip and "bobinet" cap, 
A sweet girl babe in this cradle lay. 
Her blue eyes wide with the open day. 

Her garments had come from that home in the east. 
Snugly stowed in the till of the old walnut chest, 
•To the new forest home in Ohio so wild. 
Where our pioneers cherished their first born child. 
Comely and strong grew this maiden fair ; 
Learned to spin, weave and sew with greatest care. 

Linsey, counterpane, coverlet, wove she without fears. 

That they would wear out in a hundred years; 

So strong, so pretty, and so well made. 

That they cast our goods of to-day in the shade; 

They are dear to our eyes, our hands, and our hearts 

For they attest Great-grandmother's housewifely arts. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 29 

LAPSE OF FIFTY YEARS. 

As the sun steals low o'er the western plain, 

Great Grand Dame nods at us rogues again^ 

As we beg for a tale she has thrice told, 

That is ever new, nor will it grow old, 

Of the dear old pioneer days long gone, 

Of the conquests made, and the hard tasks done. 

The dear far-away days, when she was young, 

Of the games they played, and the songs they sung, 

Of the swift wild deer in the forest path. 

Or the howling wolves, and the panther's breath. 

Of the sly fox lairs, skulking Indians' trail : 

Thus she spins us many an old, old tale. 

As she patiently turns to poke up the fire, 
And softly smiles at our white grandsire. 
While we silently wonder how 
With her toilworn hands and wrinkled brow. 
Her trembling voice and tottering knee 
Was she ever so young and supple as we. 

(The above was dedicated to and written for the Old Ladies' Quilting, 
Knitting and Spinning Bee, at the Franklinton Centennial, at Columbus, 
Ohio, September 4, 1897, by Alice Gillespie (Deardurff) Allen, M. D.) 

The movers arrived in Franklinton on the 3d day of October, 1798. 
All hands fell to work. David had got ^some of the settlers to fell a number 
of trees ; these he had trimmed and hewed himself ; and with the ever-ready 
aid of the men already sheltered, there was soon a good log house built with 
its outside chimney, puncheon floor and clapboard roof. On the 28th day of 
November, "while the first snowflakes fiew," this became the first Buckeye 
home of the Deardurffs. The father continued to take trips east semi-annu- 
ally for the purpose of carrying various articles of merchandise and mail; 
later a stage line was established ; a toll gate erected on the west bank of the 
Scioto, near where the national pike was soon to be built, and this was kept 
by Daniel and his mother for some time. 

Joseph Deardurff moved farther west upon attaining his majority, and 
after a few years all trace of him was lost, he failing in time to write home. 
In a few years Daniel Deardurff moved to a settlement near Urbana and 
bought and cleared a tract of government land, which he farmed for years. 
He also kept up a trading business with the Indians from Sandusky, who 
still stuck to their old trail through his "Big Woods" across his well tilled 
farm. He made regularly each year a trip clear to Baltimore. 



30 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Spring- and fall brought always a string of Indians over the trail. One 
fall "Big- Medicine Man" found Uncle Daniel flat on his back with "shakin' 
ager," or malaria, then prevalent in all the new country. As he was a favorite 
with the friendly Indians, this one at once volunteered to "sweat" him, as 
he often afterward described to his grandchildren : "White man heap sick, eat 
much salt, me give him corn sweat, me make him well." Accordingly he 
asked for ripe corn in the ear. Placing a bushel of this in the large iron 
kettle outside, over a bright w^ood fire, just covering it with water, he soon 
had this boiling; removing it, he then poured off the water into a wooden 
keeler or tub over a double handful of red pepper pods, broken in this water. 
When some cooler he placed Mr. Deardurff's feet in thi-s for about ten mm- 
utes, until they were quite red ; he then placed him on a feather bed, rolled in 
a warm homespun blanket; he next placed the steaming ears of corn around 
his body, covering him with a second feather bed. He then gave him to 
drink a large "noggin" of hot spice bud tea. In les's than an hour he was 
covered with great beads of perspiration ; his headache and nausea gone ; and 
he was hungry as a bear. That ended his ague. 

About 1820 he returned to Columbus with a two-horse wagon to re- 
move his mother, Katherine Deardurff, to his home. As she was very old 
and daily called for "Dan'l," she gladly went with him, but insisted upon 
having her own house. This he built of logs, near his, own, and here she 
lived in peace, with her ash floor sanded, shining and white, her bright row 
of tinware on the wall, her open fireplace and her high feather bed. At the 
red hearthside, in her split-bottom chair, wnth her knitting and her old Dutch 
Bible, she spent many an 'hour reading the "Gutes Buch" or counting her 
"geld," as she called her little hoard of gold pieces. In 1844 she died, 
at the age of 94, and was buried on the farm. Her Bible, brought by her 
husband Abraham Deardurff, from Germany, in 1780, was kept by Daniel. 
At his death, about 1850, it w^as given to his eldest daughter, Katherine, who 
in turn gave it to her youngest brother, Daniel, who went in 1876 to the 
Black Hills. As he died there among strangers, it is lost. It contained in 
German the old records of four generations. The old lady had feared the 
Indians, and used to say that once while she was w^ashing her boiled corn 
grains, in the old-fashioned hulling process for what was called dye or 
witch hominy, stooping over her tub, she saw a shadow. Raising her head, 
she was, confronted by a red face with tw^o black, hungry eyes watching her. 
With one scream she made a dash for her door, and, being alone that day, 
she barred it and waited in terror for the return of her "men folks," which 
was an hour later. They eagerly looked in the w^oodshed for her visitor, 
but found instead an empty tub, a fine large deer, and some muskrat hides; 
these the hungry but harmless redskin had left in exchange for a large "mess" 
of half hulled hominy. 

Samuel Deardurff, the second son of Abraham and Katherine Deardurff, 
married Betsey Barker, of Charleston, Virginia. He purchased and kept a 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 31 

tavern at the old house now standing at the southeast corner of Skidmore 
and Broad streets; its quaint woodwork and outside plastered walls attest its 
age. The smithy, just opposite, was kept by him, and the little brick store 
just west was conducted as a bakery by his wife. They had one child, Per- 
cival, who married Sarah Davidson. He was for 's.everal years on the Little 
Miami Railroad. He died in 1874. His widow and daughters, Clara, Lucy 
and Anna, with their brother Orrin, still occupy the old homestead. One 
son, Irving, is dead ; the others, George, William, and Gustave, are living on 
the west side in good homes. 

Abraham Deardurff, in the spring of 181 5, mounted on his trusty riding 
horse, started east on a business trip to dispose of the rest of his property, 
amounting to considerable. Several weeks pa9s,ed, when some newcomers 
led into the town his riderless horse, picked up near the border of Virginia - 
The saddlebags, supposed to have contained a goodly sum in gold, were slit 
open and empty. It was afterwards learned that his dead body, with a dirk- 
knife thrust in the side, had been found and interred in the woods by travelers. 
His sons. David and Samuel, identified a few articles found on his person. 

David Deardurff's numerous progeny still occupy some of the old town 
property, now grown valuable. One piece, costing but fifty dollars in 181 5, 
is now valued at ten thousand dollars. The old family Bible now owned by 
William Deardurff, of Newark, Ohio, (lost sight of for many years, ])ut 
recovered in 1891), shows the following recorded in the early days of the old 
town: David Deardurff, born February 6, 1785, died February 12, 1844. 
Elan King, born April 28, 1783, married. in October, 1807. Our first born, 
a son, Daniel David, August 7, 1808; Elias King, born August 7, 1809; John, 
born September 16, 181 1 ; Andrew Person, September 12, 1813: Eliza, March 
16, 1817; Margaret, February 26, 1819; William, March 27, 1821 ; and 
Griffin, November 24, 1822. John, Eliza, and Daniel died in youth. Elias 
King grew up, married and lived in his grandmother's house, at the corner 
of Gift and Culbertson streets;, Franklinton. During the cholera siege of 
1848 his last wife, Charity Clowson, himself, and two sons all succumbed 
to the plague in one week. 

]ylrs. Katherine Deardurff, after the death of her husband Abraham, 
lived alone in the above named house, built by her son David, who had a log- 
raising about 1816. It was on one of the old Sullivant plat lots, on South 
Gift street. This old relic was pulled down by boys in 1896. Then ^Villiam 
Deardurff, the III, only survivor of Elias, Avho had kept up the taxes for over 
twenty-five years, had the court to make him a deed ; then he sold it at a round 
sum to the Columbus Dash Company. They erected a large factory thereon. 

David's house, on the opposite corner, still stands in good condition. 
It was built by him in 1807, of heavy walnut logs, cut along the "run" just 
east of it (later used as a mill-race, now Seward and Mill streets proper). 
These logs, carefully hewed, fitted, "clumked and daubed," formed a wall 
that is to-day as intact as when put up in the woods, ninetv-four vears, ap^o ; 



32 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

the woodwork is of oak, dovetailed in ; the fireplaces, high mantel-pieces, and 
heavy doorways, held up by huge wooden pins, show t'le old care-taking and 
skill of a true pioneer. There is in the cellar a queerly shaped pit, stone 
lined, for milk crocks. The old folks say it once held sweet, cool spring 
water. As the front room was used for the first gostoffice ever kept in the 
old settlement, the broad oak and ash floorboards show the imprint of many 
a long-forgotten foot. The heavy hand-hewed sills are in perfect preserva- 
tion. David's son William was "bound out" to a tailor. When his "time" 
was up he married Miss Lizzie Smith, who died early. He afterward mar- 
ried Mrs. Martha Hanger, nee Hancock, of Logan countv, Ohio. He lived 
for over thirty years in Franklinton in the employ of the Little Miami Rail- 
road. In 1889 he removed to a fine farm near. Urbana, but his new cares 
proved too much for this toilworn old man, and soon he laid aside his burden 
to rest in the "Land Ahead." His widow^ now almcst blind, survives to. 
mourn the absence of that calm, peaceful life of his that shed sunshine on all 
who knew the noble man. His sister Margaret went to Colorado in 1840 
and died there, leaving a daughter at Storm Lake, Iowa. 

Andrew Person moved to Monticello, 111., and conducted a grocery. 
He died in 1882, leaving one son, David, now a farmer in Ross county, Ohio. 

David Deardurff's first wife. Elan, died in 1822. The following fall 
he found himself and his business, "postmaster and squire," hampered by so 
many little ones. He then married Elizabeth Griflin, a beautiful but frail 
young lady. With the advent of her pretty babe her sweet life went out, 
and she was tenderly placed beside Elan in the old Frankiinton graveyard, 
where twenty-six Deardurffs lie in a row. 

To Darby Creek settlement about this time there came two brothers, 
Joshua and Benjamin Ford, also their sister Rachel, a tall, handsome, robust 
southern girl, originally from North Carolina and later from Maryland. She 
had been reared on her father's plantation, where blacks were numerous, but 
she, having Methodist ideas, freed her twenty-five slaves, for which 
she was disinherited. After this she came north with her brothers. 
Coming to town to trade, the family became acquainted with the Deardurffs, 
and Rachel, who had been taught by her old slave "mammy" to spin, knit, 
sew, bake and brew, was selected by Squire David for his last helijmeet, in 
1823. Thus follows the last record: Rachel Ford, born at Ford Plantation, 
Maryland, January, 1798, granddaughter of Benjamin Ford, of England, 
and Elizabeth Benjamin, of Wales; daughter of Frederic and Margaret Ford, 
of Maryland. Harvey Broderic Deardurff, born March 12, 1824; Mary 
Jane, April, 1826; Matilda Angeline, February, 1828; Eli Gwynne, July, 
1830; Samuel, September, 1832; Malinda (three pounds) and Clarinda (five 
pounds), twins, August 6, 1834; and Elizabeth, September 8, 1839. 

Harvey Broderic Deardurff married Elizabeth Young about 1852. His 
was the lot to leave the old family name in the old town. He was a rail- 
roader for years, and after an accident he became a grocer. He was an ac- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 33 

tive member of the city council. Thrifty and industrious, by his energy he 
'accumulated considerable real estate. He died in 1881, leaving a family 
of eight children. His son William has a son and two daughters; James D. 
has six sons; and one daughter; Charles is a bachelor; Mary, Edward and 
Samuel are dead. One son and three daughters are left by Edward, and 
Mary left one daughter, Christina Sands, of Milwaukee, Wis. ; Katherine, 
Mrs. Albert Rickenbacher, has two sons and five daughters. Charlotte, Mrs. 
John Frank, has two daughters. The men mentioned above are sturdy 
workers and home owners in Franklinton. Mary Jane, David's eldest 
daughter, married Joseph Davidson and died in 1868, leaving eight children. 
Her eldest son, George, is a successful lousines'si man. His line bearing and 
Christian character, perseverance and energy are but some traitsi of the old 
stock cropping out. His popular store is but one square south of the old 
postoffice on South Gift Street, corner State Street — his mother's home- 
stead. He is an active member of the Gift Street Methodist Episcopal church, 
the outgrowth of old Heath Chapel, where old "Daddy" Heath preached to 
his grandparents. 

Matilda Angeline married Jacob Bauman, M. D., of Bellefontaine, Ohio, 
in 1844. Two sons and two daughters were theirs, but they have all passed 
over Time''S threshold, and are no more. 

Eli Gwynne married Martha Gautz, of Grove City, in 1851. He was 
a carpenter by trade, migrated to Burlington, Iowa, became a railroad bridge 
contractor and is now retired comfortably at seventy-one years of age. He 
has a daughter, Frances Barcus, and a son, Jeremiah, of Fairfield, Iowa. 
Samuel D. died of typhus fever in 1853. 

Elizabeth Deardurff died of peritonitis in 1859. 

The twins were Malinda and Clarinda. The latter lives at North Co- 
lumbus, or near by, and is hale and active. She married Jonathan IMoats 
in 1853, and is the mother of five living 'Sons and three daughters. Malinda 
Deardurff married George Davidson, Sr., and aided him in raising his four 
sons. He was a noble, upright man, descended from an old Virginia fam- 
ily who settled here early in 1800. A stroke of apoplexy ended his busy life 
in 1 88 1. He was missed in the Methodist Epi-xopal church and Magnolia 
Lodge, I. O. O. F. Malinda, who had resided in the city with her husband, 
then returned to the old place, which held for her peculiar charms, .^trange 
to say. she was the last of David's children to live on the old street ; she pur- 
chased a cottage on the north end of it, and there in comfort spent the last 
eighteen years of her life with her daughter Alice, now a prominent physi- 
cian, and her two grandchildren, Carol and Bernice Gillespie. Here she 
pieced her two beautiful centennial quilts that created so much comment at 
the one hundredth anniversary of the settling of Franklin county, in Septem- 
ber, 1897 — pieced to commemorate the date of her grandfather's arriving in 
the new country. One is a double compass of one hundred pDintf to the 
block; the other "Eastern Star," one hundred and twenty-eight pieces to the 



34 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

block, joined accurately, quilted feather pattern and neatly done. She was 
always noted for her fine needlework and excellent cooking. She and Clar- 
inda were counted the belles of the place when girls, and two finer, hand- 
somer, healthier women were not to be found at sixty-five. They were the 
finest looking old ladies of their class. By an unexpected attack of kidney 
trouble, on April 3, 1899, she breathed her last, bravely crossed from the 
dear old scenes where with the passing years changes had come and gone, 
changing a wild forest to a thriving city of one hundred thousand withii; 
sight of her first home. Thus went out the life of the last one of the old 
family left on the old site. 

EMERSON E. WHITE, A. M., LL. D. 

Emerson Elbridge White, Master of Arts and Doctor of Laws, was 
born in Mantua, Portage county, Ohio, January 10, 1829, and spent his boy- 
hood on the farm. His father, Jonas White, was a descendant of Captain 
Thomas White, who settled in Weymouth, Massachusetts, as early as 1632, 
and whose father was a member of the "long" parliament of England. 

Between the ages of five and ten years he attended the district school 
three months in winter and three months in summer, and between ten and 
sixteen three months in winter. When he was seventeen he taught a winter 
school in a neighboring district; attended the Twinsburg Academy the fol- 
lowing autumn; and taught a district school in Mantua the next winter. In 
the spring he returned to the academy to prepare for college. He paid his 
way in the academy in good part by teaching, but stopped one year to take 
charge of the academy in Mount Union, Ohio, now Mount Union College. 

He entered Cleveland University under President Mahan, and soon took 
extra work as an instructor in mathematics. Early in his senior year he 
was induced to take charge of one of the Cleveland grammar schools for two 
months, in place of the principal, who was ill. Suspending his duties for the 
time, he undertook the double work of teaching a city school and also two 
university classes out of school hours. At the close of this service he was 
surprised by an appointment as principal of a new grammar school to be 
opened in February. He had planned to begin the study of law on complet- 
ing his college course, but needing money he accepted the position, intending 
to fill it but a year and a half, meanwhile completing his university studies. 
He resigned at the close of his fourth year, but was at once appointed prin- 
cipal of the Central high school, at an increased salary. He gave up law and 
continued school work. 

It was in these two Cleveland schools that Mr. White won his spurs 
as a superior teacher. In the grammar school he discarded th^ traditional 
rote work and introduced new and more effective methods of teaching the 
several branches — methods that awakened interest and secured rapid progress. 
English grammar was put out of the lower grades and language work insti- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 35 

tilted. The methods used in teaching gejDgraphy were pubHshed in a Httle 
manual that was widely used for years. The same improved work char- 
acterized the high school. Its little chemical laboratory for actual work by 
the students, started by the former principal, Mr. Andrew Freese, was one 
of the first, if not the first, in the country. Only natural incentives were 
used in both schools and they were apparently "self-governing." 

In 1856 he resigned his position in the Cleveland high school to accept 
the superintendency of the public schools of Portsmouth, Ohio, a position 
which he filled with eminent ability and success until i860. Here he intro- 
duced reforms in teaching years in advance of prevailing methods. He 
accepted this position on the expressed conditions that he was to be entrusted 
with the internal management of the schools, including the assignment of 
teachers, the course of study, the grading and promotion of pupils, and similar 
work, and further, that he should not be subjected to the annoyance of an 
annual election, it being understood that he would resign on receiving due 
notice from the board' that his work was not satisfactory. His relations 
to the board and the teachers was characterized by the highest confidence and 
harmony. The schools were thoroughly and wisely reorganized. 

Early in 1861 he removed to Columbus to take charge of the Ohio Edu- 
cational Monthly, which he purchased. He conducted the journal for fif- 
teen years, making it the leading educational journal in the country. In 
1870 he published a national edition of the Monthly with the title of the 
National Teacher, a journal of wide circulation and great influence. In these 
two journals were advocated most of the reforms in school administration, 
instruction and discipline which have since been realized in the best schools. 

In 1863 Mr. White was honored by an appointment as state commissioner 
of common schools of Ohio, and in that position he was instrumental in secur- 
ing important legislation for the improvement of the schools, the more notable 
measures being the law which created the existing institute system of Ohio, 
the law creating the state board of examiners, and the provision requiring 
all teachers to possess an adequate knowledge of the theory and practice of 
teaching. In 1865 he prepared a codified edition of the school law, with 
opinions and directions, the whole constituting a valuable manual for school 
officers. His last service was the submission to the general assembly of a 
special report (authorized by the previous assembly by a joint resolution), 
recommending a plan of organizing needed normal training for the teachers 
of the state. Mr. White was the youngest man who has been called to this 
important position, being but thirty-four at the time he entered upon its duties, 
but no other commissioner prior to 1890 had rendered more important serv- 
ice. He retired from the commissionership in 1866 and the succeeding ten 
years were spent in conducting bis two educational journals and in lecturing 
in teachers' institutes in Ohio and other states, his service in this capacity 
being in wide demand at the highest compensation paid. 

In 1876 Dr. WHiite was called to the presidency of Purdue University, 



36 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Lafayette, Indiana, bringing to the position unnsnal qualifications and 
resources. He laid the foundation of the young institution on an original 
plan, and so wisely that no essential change has since been made. The insti- 
tution has grown like a tree putting out new branches. He continued in this 
position for over seven years, during which the number of students increased 
over seven-fold! He resigned in 1883 and removed to Cincinnati to engage 
in literary work, and he' was thus employed when elected, in 1886, superin- 
tendent of the public schools of the city. As superintendent of the Cincin- 
nati schools Dr. White introduced reforms in instruction and management 
of the most beneficial character (changes that attracted the attention of the 
country), and the legislature of the state indicated its high confidence by 
entrusting him with the appointment of all teachers employed in the schools, 
subject to the board's approval — a new departure in school administration. 
At the close of bis first term of service he was unanimously re-elected, and 
his salary raised from thirty-five hundred to forty-five hundred dollars a 
year. He retired from the position in 1889 and has since engaged in literary 
work. 

Dr. White has been the instructor and lecturer on psychology and peda- 
gogy in several of the leading summer schools in the country, has been called 
to instruct teachers in scores of cities, and is increasingly in demand as an 
instructor in teachers' institutes and other associations. No educator in 
the country has a higher reputation as a lecturer on education, and he has 
few superiors as a platform orator, being often compared with Wendell 
Phillips. 

Dr. White has been prominent for many years in state and national edu- 
cational associations. He was the president of the Ohio Teachers' Associa- 
tion in 1863; of the National Superintendents' Association in 1868; of the 
National Educational Association in 1872; and of the National Council of 
Education in 1884-5. He has taken high rank as a writer, especially on edu- 
cation. His papers and addresses before associations and conventions are 
noted for great excellence. Several have been published by the United States 
Bureau of Education, and widely disseminated. His masterly addresses on 
"Moral Training in Public Schools," "School Administration in Cities." "The 
Country School Problem," "Election in General Education," "The Duty of 
the State in Education," and other subjects, have exerted a wide and salutary 
influence. Dr. White's recent contributions to educational journals deal 
with live questions in a virile and able manner and are read with keen appre- 
ciation. 

Dr. White has written a number of text-books for schools which have 
met actual school requirements in a very satisfactory manner. In his twenty- 
fourth year, when the principal of the Clinton street school, Cleveland, he 
prepared a "Class Book of Geography," which had a large sale. Four years 
later he wrote the "Bryant and Stratton Commercial Arithmetic," which was 
widely used in the business colleges of the country and also in counting-houses. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 37 

His school arithmetics, first issued in 1870, have been especially popular and 
are extensively and increasingly used in the best schools of the country. The 
new series, consisting of "Oral Lessons in Number'' (for teachers), the 
"First Book of Arithmetic" and the "New Complete Arithmetic," are believed 
to have no superior. They present in practical form the most approved meth- 
ods of instruction. In 1894 Dr. White edited the "Elements of Geometry," 
written by Professor Macnie, and in 1896 prepared his "School Algebra," 
which has received the highest commendation of the teachers of mathematics 
in colleges and secondary schools. 

Dr. White's works on pedagogy for teachers have been remarkably suc- 
cessful. His "Elements of Pedagogy," issued in 1896, was received with 
great favor, being declared by competent judges to be "the ablest treatise on 
the subject written by an American." It has been used as a text-book in 
nearly all the normal and training schools in the country. His "School Man- 
agement," issued in 1893, was at once recognized as a work of the highest 
practical value. It is believed that no other book on pedagogy has so wide 
a circle of readers. In these two books Dr. White has presented a system 
of pedagogy at once scientific, clear and practical. He is now preparing a 
work on "The Art of Teaching," and other works may follow. 

In 1866 Dr. White read a paper before the National Superintendents' 
Association, at Washington, advocating the establishment of a national bureau 
of education. The paper was adopted by the association and Dr. White was 
made the chairman of a committee appointed to memorialize congress on the 
subject. He prepared an able memorial, and, at the request of General Gar- 
field, framed the bill for the creation of the new department, with the title 
of the "Bureau of Education." Both the memorial and the bill were intro- 
duced into congress by General Garfield and the bill, amended by substitut- 
ing Department for "Bureau," became the law under which the bureau has 
been administered. 

In 1890 Dr. White prepared for the National Bureau of Education a 
monograph on "Promotions and Examinations in Graded Schools." The 
large edition issued was early exhausted, and, to meet the continued demand 
for it, a second edition was published in 1898. This monograph has exerted 
a wide and wholesome influence on school administration in cities. 

Dr. White has long been a prominent layman in the Presbyterian church. 
In 1877 and again in 1896 he was sent as a lay delegate to the \\'orld's 
Presbyterian Council held respectively in Edinburg and Glasgow, Scotland, 
and in 1890 he was appointed by the general assembly a member of the com- 
mittee to revise the confession of faith. He has been for years the presi- 
dent of the board of trustees of Lane Theological Seminary, of Cincinnati. 

Dr. White received the degree of Master of Arts from the ^^'e?tern 
Reserve University, and in 1876 the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws was 
conferred by the Indiana State University and also by Marietta College, Ohio. 

He was married, in 1853, to Mary Ann Sabin, of Hudson, Ohio, by whom 



38 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

he had five children. He now resides in Cokimbus, Ohio. stiH in the prime 
of his powers. In Dr. White are strikingly exemphfied those characteristics 
and principles which are necessary in positions demanding eminent moral and 
executive ability. His life has been a succession of high achievements and 
honors. 

THE "OLD NORTHWEST" GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY 

This society was organized in the city of Columbus, on April 27, 1897, 
by Professors Edward Orton and Samuel C. Derby, oi the Ohio State Uni- 
versity; Major Harry P. Ward, Messrs. Frank T. Cole, Daniel H. Gard. 
Wordsworth Gard, William G. Pengelly, Kenneth D. Wood, Mrs. Mary E. 
Rath-Merrill, Mrs. Angeline B. Chapiin, Miss May M. Scott, and Dr. Lucius 
C. Herrick. After adopting a constitution and by-laws, the following officers 
were elected: President, Edward Orton, Ph.D., LL.D. ; vice-president, Samuel 
Carroll Derby, A. M. ; secretary and librarian, Lucius Carroll Herrick, M. D. ; 
treasurer, William George PengeHy; executive committee — Frank Theodore 
Cole, A. B., LL. B. ; May Mermod Scott, A. B. 

On May 22, 1897, a meeting was called for the purpose of making appli- 
cation for a charter, and the charter was issued by the secretary of state of 
the state of Ohio. The purpose of the society is thus set forth in a circular 
which was .sent out soon after its organization : "To collect a library pri^ 
marily devoted to local history and genealogy; to gather material for the 
history of particular events, localities, and persons closely connected with the 
settlement and development of the states formed from the Northwest Terri- 
tory ; to ascertain the location, amount and condition of the various public and 
private records wdiich are, or may become, accessible to students of genealogy 
and local history; and to aid investigations of this nature by combining the 
efforts and resources of its members. The society wdll seek also to direct 
public attention to the value of complete and exact public records and to em- 
phasize the necessity of unremitting care in their collection and preservation." 

In January, 1898, the society issued the first number of its magazine, 
the "Old Northwest," a genealogical quarterly, which has been issued regu- 
larly ever since, under the editorial supervision of the secretary. Dr. Herrick, 
taking at once a respectable position in thi& country wherever it has become 
known. Among the various matters it has published and rescued from obliv- 
ion are monumental inscriptions from two abandoned burial grounds in 
F'ranklin county; also, at its beginning, it commenced the publication of the 
marriage records of Franklin county, which wall comprise all now at the 
probate office, from the first organization of the county to the year 1830. It 
has also published valuable records from the Episcopal church at W^orth- 
ington. 

The society now occupies a room at No. 106 East Broad street, Colum- 
bus, where the secretary is in attendance during tlje afternoon of each w^eek- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 39 

day. The membership consists of the following kinds : life, resident, asso- 
ciate, corresponding and honorary. Resident membership is confined to 
residents of the states formed from the old Northwest Territory, and associate 
members are those residing in other states. The membership of the various 
kinds now extends throughout the length and breadth of the country, and 
Great Britain, Ireland and Canada are represented in its corresponding mem- 
bership. 

The library, started with a few books and pamphlets, presented by mem-, 
bers, and others donated by authors for notice in the quarterly, now has six 
hundred and seventy-five entries in its accessions book, all acquired by donation 
in the same way, the society having no money with which to purchase books. 
It now possesses some books of great value, and the number and value of its 
acquisitions rapidly increase as times goes on, — showing that the objects of 
the society and the value of its publications are being appreciated in the same 
ratio that they are becoming known to the genealogical world. 

At the present time, 1901, the principal officers of the society are : James 
Buckingham, of Zanesville, Ohio, president ; Colonel William A. Taylor, vice- 
president for Ohio; Lucius C. Herrick, M. D., secretary and librarian; 
Alexander W. Mackenzie, treasurer; Professor Samuel C. Derby, A. M., 
historian, all residents of Columbus, — besides which are a vice president and 
honorary vice-president for the states of Indiana, Illinois', ]\Iichigan and 
Wisconsin, and an honorary vice-president for such states as have associate or 
corresponding members. 

SCHUYLER ORVILLE GIFFIN, M. D. 

The medical profession is well represented in Columbus, Ohio, and 
among the successful and prominent practitioners is Schuyler Orville Giffin, 
who was born in Cass county, Indiana, coming with his family to Ohio when 
but an infant. He is the son of John V. and Anna (Young) Giffin, residents 
of Miami county, Ohio, and was there reared and attended the public schools. 
Choosing medicine as his profession, he put forth every educational effort 
in that direction, finally graduating at the Medical College of Ohio in 1886. 
As soon as he had completed his professional course he entered into practice 
near his old home in Pleasant Hill, Miami county, Dut removed to Columbus 
in September, 1887, locating in the northeastern part of the city, where he 
has built up a large and lucrative practice. 

Dr. Giffin has taken a deep interest in the development of his section of 
the city, as a member of the council for the years 1888-9. He was appointed 
a member of the board of commissioners of Franklin county, and in May, 
1900, was made the secretary of the board. He is also the secretary of the 
League of Ohio Municipalities. He is a Republican in his political opinions 
and has been active in the councils of his party. Socially he is a member 
of the Masonic fraternity and of the Junior Order of United American ]\Ie- 



40 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. , " 

chanics, having just retired from the office of past state counselor. He Is 
also a member of the Columbus Academy of Medicine. 

Dr. Giffin married Miss Minnette Vause, of Columbus. He has one 
brother, George E., in the Philippines, connected with the hospital corps. 
During his residence in Columbus Dr. Giffin has shown so much public spirit 
that he is recognized as a leader in the enterprises calculated to be of benefit 
to the city. He is personally popular and possesses the esteem of a large 
circle of friends. 

JAMES KILBOURNE. 

Jamesi Kilbourn'e, one of the most distinguished citizens of Columbus, 
whose name figures prominently in connection with business, social and polit- 
ical events in the capital, was born October 9, 1841, in the city which is still 
his place of residence. He comes of a family noted for its patriotism and 
good citizenship. His grandfather, Colonel James Kilbourne, was one of 
Ohio's first pioneers and the first to' represent his county in congress. His 
father, Lincoln Kilbourne, was a leading merchant of Columbus, and thus for 
many years the family has been prominently identified with the commercial 
history of the city. 

James Kilbourne was graduated with high honors at Kenyon College in 
1862, and two years later received the degree of master of arts. The day 
after he passed his last examination, he enlisted in the Eighty-fourth Ohio 
Volunteers, was transferred to the Ninety-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and 
served with distinction from the beginning to the end of the war, being pro- 
moted through the various grades to that of captain, and being breveted major, 
lieutenant colonel and colonel of the United States Volunteers. During a part 
of this period Colonel Kilbourne served on the staflfs of General J, M. Tuttle 
and General John MacArthur. His war record is one of great gallantry. 

After the close of the war Colonel Kilbourne entered the Law School of 
Harvard, where he was graduated in 1868, but he very soon decided to take 
up a more active occupation than law and entered business with his father. 
A few years later, he founded The Kilbourne & Jacobs Manufacturing Com- 
pany, the largest corporation of its' kind in the world, and of which he became 
president and general manager. He is one of the largest employers of labor 
in Ohio, and his relations with his employes have always been ideal. Neither 
against him nor the company managed by him has there ever been brought a 
suit of law, and never have the wages of any man employed by him been 
reduced. He was a director, and in 1895 was president of the board of 
trade of Columbus ; was vice-chairman of the Franklinton centennial committee 
in 1897; has been a director of the Columbus Club and four times its presi- 
dent, and also one of the earliest presidents of the Arlington Country Club. 
He is a director of the First National Bank and the Clinton National Bank, 
of the Columbus, Hocking Valley & Toledo, and of the Columbus, Cincin- 




JAMES KILBOURHE. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 41 

nati & Midland Railways, and of many private business corporations, and 
political and social organizations. 

For many years he has been president of the board of trustees of the 
Columbus Public Library, and largely instrumental in the growth of that 
institution. He is president of the Kenyon College Association of Central 
Oliio, also president of the Central Ohio Harvard Club. He is a life member 
of ihe Ohio Archaeological Society, and vice-president of the Old Northwest 
Genealogical Society. His fondness for children and* his sympathy for them 
led him to institute the Columbus Children's Hospital, of which he w^as presi- 
dent for five years. He is the president of the Columbus Neighborhood Guild 
Association, and is a member of of the board of managers, of the Associated 
Charities of Columbus'. He attends the Protestant Episcopal church and is 
a vestryman at St. Paul's. 

An elocjuent, persuasive speaker. Colonel Kilbourne is continually called 
upon by his party to address the people, and has often been publicly urged to 
serve as candidate for mayor, governor, congressman and senator. He was 
a delegate from the Twelfth Ohio congressional district to the Democratic 
i.'ational conventions in 1892 and in 1896, and at the Ohio Democratic 
state convention in 1898 received two hundred and thirty-seven votes 
for the nomination for governor. In 1900 he was a delegate at large 
to the convention at Kansas City and was chairman of the delegation. He w^as 
nominated by acclamation for governor at the Democratic state convention 
at Columbus, July 10, 1901. He was appointed by Governor Campbell one 
of the commissioners from Ohio to the Columbian Exposition at Chicago, 
but w'as compelled to decline from stress of business cares. In 1898 he was 
appointed a member of the Ohio Centennial Commission, and although the 
majority of the commission were Republicans, he was by nearly a unanimous 
vote elected president. 

Besides being a member of the Grand Army, the Union Veteran Legion 
and the Loyal Legion, Colonel Kilbourne was formerly vice-president of the 
Society of the Army of the Tennessee. He also belongs to the Sons of the 
American Revolution. At his home, also, was organized the Columbus Cuban 
League, which accomplished much in aid of the people of that island. Since 
its organization he has been president of the league. When the Spanish- 
American w^ar broke out his services were tendered immediately to the gov- 
ernor, and the loyalty of his family was further attested by the offer of the 
services of his three sons. Of the sons and' grandsons of Colonel Kilbourne's 
father, ten offered their services and seven were in the army, all but one see- 
ing active foreign, service. 

On the 5th of October, 1869, Colonel Kilbourne was' married to Anna B. 
Wright, the eldest daughter of General George B. Wright, and they have four 
children, three sons and a daughter. James Russell, the eldest, was born 
December 24, 1870, and is vice-president of the Kilbourne & Jacobs Manu- 
facturing Company. He attended the University of Virginia and is a member 



42 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

of the Sigma Phi fraternity. In 1895 he was elected as a Democrat to 
represent FrankHn county in the s'eventy-second general assembly, receiving 
the largest majority given any member of the delegation from that county. 
He was at one time a lieutenant of Battery H, First Light Artillery, Ohio 
National Guard. He was abroad at the beginning of the war with Spain. 
Returning he recruited a company of cavalry, but was unable to secure its 
acceptance by the government. George Bancroft, the second son, is presi- 
dent and general manager of the Kentucky Extract Company, is a graduate 
of Williams College, a member of the Phi Beta Kappa society and of the 
Sigma Phi fraternity. He enlisted as private in the Fourth Ohio Volunteers, 
served in Puerto Rico, and was promoted to second sergeant for gallantry 
in action, and was one of four officers and men in his regiment recommended 
to receive a medal for bravery. His youngest son, Lincoln, born September 
30, 1874, is purchasing agent of the Kilbourne & Jacobs Manufacturing Com- 
pany. Presented himself for enlistment during war with Spain, but was 
rejected on account of sickness at the time. He attended Williams College, 
and is a member of the Sigma Phi fraternity. Alice Kilbourne was born 
August 7, 1877. 

WILLIAM A. KELLERMAN, Ph. D. 

Professor William Ashbrook Kellerman, of the department of botany in 
the Ohio State University, was born in Ashville, Ohio, May i, 1850. When 
he was five years of age his parents removed from the village to a farm in 
Fairfield county, where their large family of children had the usual propitious 
advantages of country life and a fair public school. 

His father, who was of German descent, was a man of energy and abil- 
ity, prominently identified with local public affairs, being especially active 
in promoting improvements in the roads, schools and schoolhouses and taking 
an active interest in the agricultural fair, the grange, the township cemetery 
and other public concerns. He was also deeply interested in politics, and 
occasionally accepted a township office, but firmly resisted the repeated requests 
of his fellow townsmen that he should become a candidate for a county office 
or for representative to the state legislature; his farm dtities were urged as 
a sufficient excuse. There his work was neat and thorough and his neighbors 
characterized his place as a model farm. He kept improved breeds of stock 
and new machinery, and the best implements were found upon the place, 
including good, light tools, suitable for boys. 

The mother of our subject, who was of German lineage on the paternal 
side and of English descent on the maternal side, was a woman of unflagging 
energy, marked conscientiousness and was unselfishly devoted to the interests 
of her family. Both parents were deprived' of good school advantages in 
their early days, but fully appreciated the necessity and importance of proper 
education. Books, newspapers and' pictures were found in the home. A 



CENTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 43 

more propitious environment for tlie development of tlie ten children could 
scarcely be desired, and all the members of the family duly profited by their 
opportunities. 

The subject of this sketch, like the other children, aided in the work, 
joined in the play, and attended the district school until sixteen years of age. 
Though going to school only upon persistent, daily urging in his earlier years 
— his reluctance attributed mainly to timidity and bashfulness — later he fully 
appreciated and keenly enjoyed the school. At about the age of twelve the 
distinct purpose of teaching as a life work had become fixed in his mind, 
and all of his subsecjuent study and reading was influenced by that determina- 
tion. One book, the first scientific book he ever read, Darwin's Origin of 
Species, should here be mentioned, because its slow and careful perusal exerted 
a marked influence on the taste and trend of thought, and may be said to 
have determined the department of knowledge that in later life was to be his 
field of mental work. 

At the age of seventeen Professor Kellerman taught a winter term of 
school in a township adjoining that in which he resided. The following 
summer he continued preparation for his chosen calling, as a student in an 
academy ; in the succeeding winter he taught a country school nearer home, 
after which he began regular preparation for college in the Fairfield Acad- 
emy, at Pleasantville, Ohio. The work here was mainly in the languages 
and mathematics, yet the elements of various branches of the national sciences 
were not wholly neglected. About that time he began the study of botany 
and it proved to be so attractive that it was never afterward relinquished. 
In the winter of 1870 the principalship of the school at Lithopolis, Ohio, was 
held by him, and in the following September he became a student in Cornell 
University. There most of his attention was given to the natural sciences, 
botany receiving the major portion of his time and energy. In 1874 he 
won the degree of Bachelor of Science and immediately afterward received 
an appointment to a professorship of natural science in the Wisconsin State 
Normal School, at Oshkosh, on Lake Winnebago. Here in a new institution 
was opportunity for pioneer work both in the way of improved science-teach- 
ing and developing an educational museum of s'cience, and his work in that 
direction was pronounced successful in a high degree during the five years 
of his connection wath the institution. 

In 1879 Professor Kellerman resigned that position for the purpose of 
attending the German universities during thie followins- two years. One 
year was spent in north Germany, at the University of Goettingen, and one 
year in the University of Zurich, in Switzerland. Besides the chief work 
in botany, especially in mycology, some of the courses of lectures were heard 
on related branches of natural history. The degree of Doctor of Philsophy 
he received in 1881, this being awarded with high encomium. It was here, 
under the guidance of the late Dr. George \\^inter. one of the most eminent 
of the German mycologists, that the special study of fungi was seriously and 



44 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

enthusiastically undertaken, and it has since been the specialty to which Dr. 
Kellerman has devoted his attention, not, however, in the meantime abating 
his efforts in the matter of up-to-date science-teaching, lecturing and writing. 

In 1 88 1 he was tendered and accepted a professorship in the State Col- 
lege of Kentucky, but the facilities there were primitive or altogether absent, 
and the college finances were unsatisfactory. These conditions suggested 
the desirability of a change of location and accordingly the position was 
resigned at the close of the first year, and for a few months thereafter be gave 
his attention to the completion of a school text-book on botany on an alto- 
gether different plan from those extant in the country at that time. It was 
modeled after and largely imitated the scope of German botanies and Ger- 
man science. Though unsuccessful from the financial point of view since it 
found its way into but few^ schools, and not being revised, was soon out of 
date, yet it received the attention of botanical writers, the judgment being 
at the time that "it conies nearer to filling a serious gap in botanical literature 
than any other thus far published." 

In 1883 Professor Kellerman accepted a professorship in the Kansas State 
Agricultural College and in that institution opportunity w^as again offered 
him for the development of a botanical department practically dc novo, with 
the scope and method of teaching broader and more liberal than previously 
had been possible of attainment. The study of plants and animals, — for 
zoology as well as botany was included in the Work, — rather than the study 
of a text-book about them, and direct observation of the organisms in their 
natural environment, was the keynote and spirit of study and teaching, and 
of course could not be otherwise than acceptable and successful. It implied, 
too, the accumulation of material, and hence the foundation, of an educa- 
tional museum and local or state herbarium, since developed to a high degree. 

When the Hatch agricultural-experiment stations were inaugurated in 
1888 Professor Kellerman was made the botanist to the Kansas station. In 
conjunction with W. T. Swingle, as assistant, he began research into the 
smuts of the cereals, which investigation yielded important scientific and 
economic results, embodied mainly in the station botanical bulletins for that 
and the succeeding three years. The crossing of maize varieties to secure 
a better kind for the southwest, the study of the sorghum disease and other 
subjects in practical botany received his attention. He also held the position 
of botanist to the state board of agriculture. During his continuation of the 
professorship in the college a small flora of Kansas was issued and many 
papers were read before the Kansas Academy of Science, and occasional 
botanical articles for the ]oress were prepared. Professor Kellerman also 
gave lectures each winter before the state farmers' institutes, and' he also 
began the publication of the Journal of Mycology, the first of the kind pub- 
lished in the country and the only one in this country then devoted to this 
s^^ecial department of botany. It was begun as a monthly publication, with 
the co-operation of J. B. Ellis and B. M. Everhart. This was continued 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 45 

under the same plan for four years, and during this time much technical mat- 
ter of significance was published. Suggestive of the mycological work done, 
especially in the way of discovering a large number of new species of fungi, 
a new genus based on material furnished was named Kellermannia, and sev- 
eral specific names of new fungi and one of a moss were named by botanists 
Kellermani and Kellermanniana. 

In 1 89 1 Dr. Kellerman was made the professor of botany in the Ohio 
State University. A separate professorship of this subject had been estab- 
lished by dividing that of horticulture and botany, and opportunity was offered 
to inaugurate and develop more comprehensive work in classroom and labora- 
tory, to build up a general herbarium, develop a state herbarium, a botanical 
museum, and to carry on investigations of the state flora. Suffice it to say 
that a state herbarium rapidly growing and now of nearly twenty thousand 
mounted sheets of specimens: a general herbarium now more than twenty 
times the size it was when the professorship was accepted ; a full collection of 
the Ohio medicinal plants arranged for exhibition in the museum room; an 
illustrative set of specimens showing twigs, leaves, flowers, fruit, transverse 
section of trunk or board, panel, and the bark of each of the forest trees 
growing in Ohio, and other museum specimens; well equipped laboratories for 
work in plant histology, vegetable physiology, systematic botany and phyto- 
pathology, with large classes taking advance work, may indicat'e, at least in 
a general way, what has been accomplished in regular college work during 
the past ten years in which Dr. Kellerman has been the professor of botany 
in the Ohio State University. 

He has also accumulated a private herbarium of about twenty thousand 
specimens, mostly of parasitic fungi. He published, in conjunction with Mr. 
Werner, a full catalogue of the Ohio plants in 1893. prefi^^ed by a complete 
bibliography of Ohio botany. This was an annotated list of all the plants 
which had at that time been reported for the state. In 1898 he issued the 
fourth State Catalogue, which was a check list of the Pteridophytes and 
Spermatophytes. with distribution by counties as shown by specimens in the 
State Herbarium. The following year a supplement to the above was printed. 
Professor Kellerman published a Spring Flora of Ohio, in 1895, and in 1898 
prepared an Elementary Botany, with the Spring Flora, a book of three hun- 
dred pages; also Practical Studies in Elementary Botany, and a herbarium 
portfolio. — called Phytotheca, — all of which are published by Eldredge & 
Brother, of Philadelphia. He has also lectured each year before Farmers' 
Institutes and teachers' meetings in various parts of the state, and furnished 
numerous minor articles for the botanical press. 

In 1876 Professor Kellerman was married to Stella \^. Dennis, a daugh- 
ter of Dr. A. Dennis, a ladv of literary and scientific tastes. Of the three 
children. Ivy was born in \\'isconsin in 1877, and was graduated with the 
degree of Bachelor of Arts in the Ohio State University, in 1898. from Cor- 
nell University, in 1898. with the degree of Master of Arts, and is now a 



46 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

special student in Greek ant! comparative philology. The second child, Karl 
F., born in Germany in 1879, was graduated m Cornell University with 
the degree of Bachelor of Science and besides carrying on graduate work is 
at present also assistant in botany in Cornell. Maude, born in 1888, in Kan- 
sas, is now attending the public school of Columbus. 

RICHARD A. HARRISON. 

Hon. Richard A. Harrison, of Columbus, is a native of our mother coun- 
try, that land which shares with ancient Rome the honor and glqry of originat- 
ing the legal and judicial system that is the pride and model of our modern 
civilization. He was born April 8, 1824, in the city of Thirsk, Yorkshire, 
England. His father was Robert Harrison, a mechanic and a local min- 
ister of the gospel in the Methodist society, a man of sterling character and 
pronounced intellectuality. His mother was Mary Almgill, a woman of good 
English stock of the beautiful and prosperous shire of York. Richard came 
to the United States with his parents in 1832; the family were induced to 
make this transplanting of their home from "merrie England" to the ''land 
of the free and the home of the brave" by the accounts which they had 
received from a son who had preceded them in the emigration. They first 
settled in Waynesville, Warren county, Ohio, and shortly thereafter removed 
to Springfield, Clark county. Richard at this time was but eight years of 
age, and was the youngest of nine children. His parents bestowed upon the 
boy all that parental love could prompt, and the thrift and frugality of a 
noble home could: spare. But Richard's training was mostly in the pre- 
paratory school of adversity and later in the broader university of the world's 
affairs. The rudiments of his education were acquired in the public schools 
of his village, especially the Springfield high school, from wdiich young Rich- 
and graduated during the principalship of the scholarly and accomplished Rev. 
Chandler Robbins. While still in school he contributed to his own support 
by faithfully filling the humble duties of "devil" in a printing office, and at 
the age of twelve, thrown solely upon his own resources, he sought and obtained 
employment in the office of the Springfield Republic, then edited and managed 
by John M. Gallagher, at one time the speaker of the Ohio house of repre- 
sentatives, the editor of the Ohio State Journal for several years, and a man 
of great ability and encyclopedic information. The Republic was in those 
days the influential Whig paper of the state. Under this most practical and 
valuable tutelage Richard remained until 1844. 

It W'-as the formative and informing period of the boy's mind, and in this 
academy of the "art of arts" — the printing office — which has graduated self- 
made men whose merited laurels in life's struggles have out-shone the honor 
of many another's college degrees, Richard, like that other "Poor Richard" 
of Benjamin Franklin, became accomplished in the accurate knowledge and 
facile use of his mother tons^ue, as well as endowed with that knowledo:e 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 47 

of multitudinous affairs that it is the providence of the press to gather and 
disseminate. Without doubt .it was in these years, when he stood plodding 
patiently at the compositor's case, that the foundation was laid of his ready 
and precise diction, so that both in speech and with the pen "his words, like 
so many nimble and airy servitors, trip about him at command." The true 
lawyer, like the genuine poet, is born, not made, and the natural and irre- 
sistible bent of Richard's mind was in the direction of the legal profession, 
and he readily accepted the opportunity of becoming a student in the law 
office of William A. Rogers, one of the most eminent members of the Ohio 
bar. This he did in the year 1844. The late William White, a judge of the 
court of common pleas ten years, of the supreme court of Ohio twenty years, 
and at the time of his decease a judge of the United States district court, 
was a schoolmate of Mr. Harrison and a fellow student in the law office 
of Judge Rogers in Springfield, Ohio. Mr. Harrison, after eighteen month's 
study under the direction of Judge Rogers, entered the Cincinnati Law School, 
the first law school established west of the Alleghanies, at that time having 
such admirable instructors as William S. Groesbeck and Charles Telford. 
The full course of the school was but six months and he graduated in the 
spring of 1846, and by virtue of his diploma was admitted, without further 
examination, to the bar on his twenty-second birthday, April 8, 1846, at 
London, Ohio, by Judges Hitchcock and Wood of the supreme bench. At 
that time the supreme court consisted of four judges, and' at the close of the 
December term in March, held in Columbus, the court divided and two judges 
went upon the circuit which lay north of the National road, and two upon 
the southern circuit. London was the location of the first court to be held 
in the southern division. Mr. Harrison, who was then, as he has been heard 
to relate, "poor as Lazarus," — even being compelled to purchase on credit the 
few books of his office library, — at once began tlie practice of his profession 
at London, where he resided until May, 1873, when he removed to Colum- 
bus. His rise was not meteoric, like the "flight of Mercury," but steady, 
sure and permanent, like the enduring growth of the oak which ]Mr. Harri- 
son so much in solidity of mind and stability of character resembles. His 
clients came cautiously at first, soon confidently and in numbers. 

An amusing incident occurred during the trial of the first case in which 
Mr. Harrison appeared as counsel in a court of record. On the morning of 
the day before the trial he left his boots to be mended, explaining to the shoe- 
maker that the work must be done before the court met the next morning, as 
he had no other footwear except a pair of old-time "carpet slippers." He 
was assured that the boots would be ready at the appointed time without fail, 
but the promise was not kept. The case was called. The shoemaker hap- 
pened to be a witness for the plaintiff, and his journeyman had been sub- 
poenaed as a witness for the defendant, wdio was Mr. Harrison's client. On 
cross-examination of the shoemaker Mr. Harrison asked him whether he had 
not made certain statements to his journeyman which were very different 



48 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

from his testimony in chief. The witness admitted he had made such state- 
ments, but explained that when he made them to the journeyman he was not 
under oath. Mr. Harrison then inquired, "John, you are still under oath, 
are you?" The witness said, "Yes." "When, then, will you have my boots 
mended?" "By to-morrow noon," was the answer. The boots were done a 
couple of hours before the time fixed under the solemnities of a judicial oath! 

Mr. Harrison's practice was that of the usual practitioner of the day, the 
''circuit traveler" with its crude means of transit, its romantic and varied 
experiences in court and tavern. Not only throughout southern Ohio but in 
other parts of the state ajso his clientage called him. Mr. Harrison has never 
been an office-seeker; public office has never been in the line of his ambition 
or his taste, but, true citizen that .he is, he has discharged bis duty to the 
commonwealth of both state and nation Avhen called upon by his fellow men. 
His political honors have been many and to the gift of each he has added 
the luster of his learning, the value of his in^■incible integrity, sound wisdom 
and indefatigable devotion to duty. 

In politics he was first a Whig and then a Republican. In the fall of 
1857, when Salmon P. Chase was re-elected governor of the state, j\Ir. 
Harrison was elected a member of the house of representatives from Madison 
county. It was an exciting and close contest, Mr. Harrison, 'as the Repub- 
lican candidate, being opposed by a formidable combination of the adherents 
of the Democratic and Know-nothing parties. Mr. Harrison was successful 
by a majority of twenty-four. In the Ohio house of representatives, which 
convened in January, 1858, Mr. Harrison met as colleagues such members as 
Judge J. A. Ambler, of Columbus; Judge AY. H. West, of Logan; Judge 
J. M. Briggs, of Fayette; Judge W. R. Rankin, of Franklin; James Monroe, 
later the veteran congressman from Lorain ; Judge Isaac C. Collins, of Hamil- 
ton ; and Judge William B. Woods, of Licking, later of the United States 
supreme court. Amid this galaxy of gifted scholars and statesmen Mr. Harri- 
son was accorded at once conspicuous rank. It was a largely Democratic 
body. The judiciary committee consisted of seven members, with Judge 
Rankin as chairman. Messrs. Harrison and Ambler were the only Repub- 
lican members, but to Mr. Harrison was accorded a very large share of the 
work, and in this field his legal learning, unerring judgment and fervid 
patriotism found ample employment. Through this committee Mr. Harri- 
son introduced, and caused to be enacted, many of the leading laws of our 
state. Among these were the bills concerning the relation of guardian and 
ward ; providing for the semi-annual payment of taxes ; for the relief of the 
district courts and others of equal importance. Little opportunity, however, 
was given to Mr. Harrison for the development or dispby of his forensic 
powers. 

Those were the days when party lines were closely drawn, and important 
measures, especially of a political nature, were dictated by that tyrant of party 
politics. "King Caucus," and propelled l)y partisanship through the house with- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 49 

out proper public deliberation or debate. But toward the second session, 
the winter of 1858-9, Mr. Harrison's eloquence burst forth in the discussion 
over the report of the commission appointed at the preceding session to 
investio-ate the state treasury defalcation. Governor Chase was serving- his 
second term, having been re-elected by the Republican party. By this report 
of the commission his political opponents attempted to implicate and besmirch 
the character of the governor. In his special message communicating the 
commissioners' report to the house, the governor called attention to the invid- 
ious criticism embraced in the report. To rebuke the governor, it was moved 
to print the report of the commission without the message of the governor 
accompanying it. The gross injustice of this political partisanship aroused 
Mr. Harrison, and he obtained the floor for the defense of the wronged gov- 
ernor. In the delivery of his speech, the earnestness of his efforts brought 
on a sudden attack of hemorrhage of the lungs. His friends, alarmed at the 
incident, insisted that he should not proceed with the discussion, but despite 
their importunities, after a brief respite, he continued his speech to its forcible 
conclusion. He was borne from the room in a condition of complete exhaus- 
tion. But his persuasive, logical and just argument dominated the house, 
and the message of the governor was published with the report of the com- 
mission and the attempted partisan thrust at Mr. Chase fell unavailing. It 
was a dramatic scene, but characteristic of Mr. Harrison's fearlessness and 
love of justice and fair play. 

In 1859 Mr. Harrison was promoted by his constituents to the state 
senate. The senate of 1860-61 was distinguished for the ability and bril- 
liancy of its members, among whom were : James A. Garfield, afterward the 
president of the United States; Jacob D. Cox, later a general of the army, 
governor of the state and member of General Grant's cabinet ; Judge Thomas 
C. Jones ; Judge Thomas M. Key ; James Monroe ; F. A. Ferguson, and others, 
whose names have since been illustrious in the annals of our state and nation. 
Mr. Harrison was made the chairman of the judiciary committee and was 
elected president pro tempore of the senate. In this position he exhibited 
the qualities of an admirable presiding officer; calm, dignified, impartial, with 
a thorough comprehension and a ready application of the principles of parli- 
amentary law. The session of 1861 was one of the most memorable in the 
history of the state. It was the period of the outbreak of the great rebellion 
and the nation's peril. During that session questions of the greatest 
moment, not only of state but even of the nation, were considered and acted 
upon. Those were the times that tried men's souls and called for the exercise 
of the utmost calmness, the deepest wisdom, the most unflinching courage 
and unwavering patriotism, and often the sacrifice of life-long party prin- 
ciples. 

Among the matters brought before the members were tb.e measures^ to 
strengthen \he public credit, provide ami^le currencv, raise and ecjuip armies, 
and provide wavs and means for the common defense and the maintenance 



50 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

of the federal Union in all its entirety and integrity. To all these Mr. Harri- 
son gave courageous, efficient and zealous support. The power and resources 
of his minjd, the strength of his character, the deep devotion of his loyalty, 
were all consecrated to the opportunities and duties of the hour in behalf of the 
cause of the country of his adoption. Before the Rebellion shook the nation 
with its initial reverberations, Mr. Harrison, as a loyal lover of peace and 
humanity and a disciple of law and order, did all in his power to avert the 
storm of civil war. James Buchanan was still the president, and, in view of 
the threats of the southern states, had sent a special message to congress on 
the subject of the contemplated uprising of the south against the federal gov- 
ernment, in which he had ostensibly taken a position in favor of the main- 
tenance of the Union. Mr. Harrison with his colleagues took the ground 
that they should assun^ic the integrity and sincerity of President Buchanau in 
his message, and in support of such a policy Mr. Harrison had the honor, 
on January 12, 1861, to introduce in the Ohio senate the following resolu- 
tions, of which he was author : 

"I. That the people of Ohio, believing that the preservation of the 
unity of government that constitutes the American people one people is essen- 
tial to the support of their tranquillity at home, of their peace abroad, of their 
safety, of their prosperity, and of that very liberty which they so highly prize, 
are firmly and ardently attached to the national constitution and the union 
of the states. 

"H. That the general government cannot permit the secession of any 
state without violating the obligations by which it is bound under the com- 
pact to the other states and to every citizen of the United States. 

"HI. That whilst the constitutional rights of every state in the Union 
should be preserved inviolate, the powers and authority of the national gov- 
ernment must be maintained, and the laws of congress faithfully enforced, in 
every state and territory until repealed by congress, or adjudged to be uncon- 
stitutional by the proper judicial tribunal; and that all attempts by state 
authorities to nullify the constitution of the United States, or the laws of the 
federal government, or to resist the execution thereof, are revolutionary in 
their character, and tend to the disruption of the best and wisest system of 
governmen<t in the World. 

'TV. That the people of Ohio are inflexibly opposed to intermeddling 
with the internal affairs and domestic relations of the other states of the 
Union, in the same manner and to the same extent as they are opposed to any 
interference by the people of other states with their domestic concerns. 

"V. That it is the will and purpose of tlie people of Ohio to fulfill in 
good faith all their obligations under the constitution of the United States, 
according to the spirit and intent thereof, and they demand the faithful dis- 
charge of the same duty by every state in the Union ; and tlius. as far as may 
l)e, to insure tranquillity between the state of Ohio and the other states. 

"VI. That it is incumbent upon any state having enactments on their 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 51 

statute books conflicting with, or rendering less efficient, the constitution or 
laws of the United States, to repeal them; and it is equally incumbent upon 
the general government, and the several states, to secure to every citizen of 
the Union his rights in every state, under that provision of the constitution 
which guarantees to the citizens of each state all the privileges and immunities 
of the citizens of the several states ; and thus inspire and restore confidence 
and a spirit of fraternal feeling between the different states of the Union. 

"VII. That the Union-loving citizens of those states who have labored, 
and still labor, with devotional courage and patriotism to wathhold their 
states from the vortex of secession, are entitled to the gratitude and admira- 
tion of the wliole American people. 

"VIII. That we hail with joy the recent firm, dignified and patriotic 
special message of the president of the United States, and that the entire 
power and resources of Ohio are hereby pledged, whenever necessary and 
demanded, for the maintenance, under strict subordination to the civil authority, 
of the constitution and laws of the general government by whomsoever admin- 
istered. 

"IX. That the governor be requested to forward, forthwith, copies of 
the foregoing resolutions to the president of the nation, and the governors 
of all the states of the Union, and to each of the senators and representatives 
in congress from this state, to be by them presented to each branch of the 
national legislature." 

Well has a distinguished contemporary said that those resolutions, so 
patriotic in their spirit, merit for Mr, Harrison a just immortality. The}r 
passed the senate with but one dissenting voice, and received but two oppos- 
hig votes in the house. 

In February following, when Abraham Lincoln, president elect, was on 
that memorable journey to Washington, he stopped at Columbus, and, while 
the guest of Governor Dennison, Mr. Harrison was presented to him as a 
member of the state senate. The president elect at once inquired if he was 
the Harrison who was the author of the patriotic and timely resolutions, and, 
upon being assured, expressed great pleasure at meeting the author. At the 
special request of Mr. Harrison, the venerable Thomas Ewing. one of the 
most honored and trusted of Ohio's statesmen and jurists, was appointed by 
Governor William Dennison as one of the commissioners to represent Ohio 
in a conference of tli^tates, called by invitation of the Virginia legislature, 
to assemble at Washington, D. C, on the 4th of February. 1861, to consider 
the then impending crisis. But the God of battles could not lie stayed ; the 
purity and perpetuity of our federal government could be secured only by 
the baptism of blood. The guns of treason belched forth their fire upon 
Sumter and the nation, horror-stricken, trembled at the issue. Naught but 
physical frailty prevented Mr. Harrison from enlisting in his country's service, 
but there was sore need of stanch citizens at home no less than courageous 
soldiers at the front. ]\Ir. Harrison was foremost in that noble number of 



52 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

loyal statesmen who in the legislative forum foug-ht as persistently and 
patriotically to sustain the national government as did the "boys in blue" on 
the tented field. 

Shortly after the adjournment of the legislature in 1861 Mr. Harrison 
was chosen by the electors of his district to the seat in congress made vacant 
by the resignation of ex-Governor Thomas Corwin upon his appointment 
as minister to Mexico. He took his seat in the national house of representa- 
tives at that momentous extra session called by President Lincoln, and w^iich 
convened July 4, 1861. Here Mr. Harrison was called to cope with the 
great questions that presented themselves to the legislative body of a nation 
tossed in the throes of armed rebellion. Mr. Harrison's particijpation in the 
deliberations of this session need not be related in detail. The acts of that 
congress are a memorable part of our national history. The voice of Mr. 
Harrison, when uplifted, but echoed the patriotic inspiration of his purpose, 
and his vote on every question but emphasized the loyalty and wisdom of his 
action. 

The close of this congress, March 3, 1863, marked the retirement of Mr. 
Harrison from public life. By the legislative reapportionment of the congres- 
sional districts of Ohio, in 1862, Madison county, in which Mr. Harrison 
resided, was attached to the Franklin district, in which the Democratic 
majority was large, and Mr. Harrison w^as succeeded by Samuel S. Cox. 
Since that retirement from the political field Mr. Harrison's pursuits have 
been exclusively confined to the line of his profession. His stew^ardship as a 
statesman, so creditable to himself and so valuable to his country, ripened 
his experience, broadened his knowledge and enlarged his mental vision, bu1i 
did not allure him from his profession, for which he was by nature so emi- 
nently fitted, and which he has by his achievements so splendidly adorned. 
As has been noticed bv one of his distinguished biographers. Judge W. H. 
\\'est : 

"The opportunities of Mr. Harrison, while pursuing his legal studies, 
were most fortunate. The bench of Springfield was adorned by the modest 
learning of Judge J. R. Sw^an, its bar by the sterling qualities of Edward Cum- 
mings, the courtly dignity of Sampson Mason, and the brilliant genius ancH 
gifted versatility of William A. Rogers. The lessons of precept and of 
example derived from these model gentlemen of the old school ripened into 
fixed and most agreeable traits of professional character. Not less fortunate 
was the opening of Mr. Harrison's professional career. The ancient 'circuit 
practice had for him a fascination which yet continues. The intricate sys- 
tem of land titles peculiar to the Virginia Reservation, within which his 'cir- 
cuit' lay, had not ceased to be a fruitful source of litigation. The magnitude 
of individual estates in the Scioto valley often gave rise to controversies about 
their succession. His rapid rise at the bar soon opened to him these fields of 
legal contention, in which he was early accustomed to encounter, and often 
successfullv contend with ex-Justice Swavne. John W. Andrews. P. B. \\' ilcox, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 53 

Governor Nelson Barrere, the lamented Judg-es Briggs, Sloan and Dicky, 
Jonathan Rennick, distinguished for his great good sense, the late Hocking 
H. Hunter and occasionally to meet the venerable Thomas Ewing. In these 
rencounters he early learned that there could be no excellence without labor; 
that undisciplined genius may transiently soar, but only toil can maintain the 
ascent it makes. To have once achieved success in those contests was worth 
ambition; to maintain the conflict on equal terms through a succession of years 
was its goal. To this he bent his powers and he has not been disappointed. 
Jealous a mistress as is the law, he paid her assiduous devotion, crowning her 
with garlands gathered from every department of her domain. Studying her 
precepts as a system of philosophy, he applied them as a science, not as an 
art. Not omitting to cultivate familiarity with adjudicated cases, it was 
rather to extract from each its underlying principle than to employ it unin- 
telligently as judicial 'ipse dixit: Aided in this by strong sense, quick per- 
ception, discriminating judgment and great power of analysis, he has united 
familiarity with the intricacies of procedure to a substantial mastery of judicial 
construction and interpretation, and the general principles governing in the 
adjudication of the multiform rights which spring from the ever-colliding 
relations of life." 

Mr. Harrison's early practice was, as before intimated, under the old 
regime of the "circuit-travel" days, which gave a far wider and more varied 
field for observation and experience with men than do modern methods. On 
this subject we cannot do better than quote a passage by Mr. Harrison him- 
self, concerning the "early Ohio bar," to which subject he so felicitously 
responded at the Thurman banquet, November 13, 1890: 

"In the early history of Ohio each judicial circuit was composed of many 
counties, and each county was very large. The lawyers traveled with the 
president judge of the circuit from county to county, on horse, over wretched 
roads, a great part of the year, with their papers and books in their 'saddle- 
bags,' and some of them not without 'flasks' and 'packs.' They were often 
compelled to lodge two-in-a-bed, thus carrying into practice Blackstone's 
theory that the Science of the law is of a sociable disposition. A session of 
a judicial court in a county was an event of interest to all the inhabitants 
thereof. It was largely attended by mere spectators. The lawyers were 
thereby stimulated to do their best, much more than they were by the pittances 
received from their clients. The elegant courtrooms of the present day, 
devoid of spectators, are by no means as favorable schools or theaters for 
advocacy and oratory as the primitive log court-houses, crowded with appre- 
ciative listeners. The early lawyers were noted for their mother wit. their 
knowledge of human nature, and their knowledge of the underlying prin- 
ciples of jurisprudence and of right, and the facility and accuracy with which 
they applied them. There were active and influential politicians, and they 
sought the gratification of their ambition by service in public life. In these 
times, to render the state some service was regarded as honorable and praise- 



54 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

worthy, as to have rendered service to the nation. (Would that this view 
were again adopted!) The early lawyers were not dwarfed by the barren 
littleness of the profession when followed as a mere trade. They were less 
anxious about fees than they were to win the applause and gain the suffrages 
of their fellow citizens. They practically illustrated the notion which regards 
the fee of the lawyer as the offering of gratitude, not as the wages of labor, 
and that a lawyer is the servant of his fellow men for the attainment of his 
justice, in which definition is expressed both the lowliness and the dignity of 
his calling. There were no stenographers in the times of the early lawyers. 
Trials were of short duration. The lawyers went straight to the material 
points in controversy and the fray was soon ended. A trial was not a siege, 
but a short hand-to-hand contest. 

"The early Ohio bar cultivated a warm professional feeling, and their 
standard of professional integrity and honor was high. There were then 
no bar associations with disciplinary jurisdiction. None were needed. Pro- 
fessional ethics and professional honor were very rarely violated, and, when 
vitiated, the offender was at once completely ostracized by his brethren and 
his occupation was gone. The free, open, fraternal and honorable character 
of the profession of the law has never been better illustrated than it was by 
the early Ohio bar." 

In 1870 Mr. Harrison was a candidate for judge of the supreme court 
of Ohio, but with his colleagues on the ticket he was defeated at the election. 
In 1875 Governor Hayes, recognizing the superior fitness of Mr. Harrison for 
the position, appointed him a member of the supreme court commission of 
Ohio, and the senate promptly and unanimously confirmed the appointment; 
but Mr. Harrison declined. He could ill afford to sacrifice a large and 
lucrative practice for the inadequate emoluments of judicial office. After- 
ward, upon the decease of Judge William W. Johnson, in 1887, Governor 
Foraker tendered a seat upon the supreme bench to Mr. Harrison, but he 
declined the honor. I 

Mr. Harrison's life, so fraught with the results of acts accomplished, is 
a striking illustration of the rewards received for unceasing and untiring 
effort. His genius is that genius which Carlyle designates as "hard work." 
Though endowed with talents of the highest order, though armored in mind 
with all the weapons of wisdom, knowledge and experience, yet he bestows 
the utmost conscientious and painstaking labor in the preparation of his cases. 
It is his habit upon occasion not merely to burn the midnight oil but not 
infrequently his task also finds him tireless at his desk till "night's candles 
are burned out," and "morn, waked by the circling hours, wnth rosy hands 
unbars the gates of light." His briefs are clear and exhaustless treatises, 
not only upon the principles but also the application of the law to the facts 
pertinent to the points at issue. They are models in logical and legal arrange- 
ment of the case at the bar, recited in all the potency and perfection of a 
masterful command of language. Nor have his herculean labors, the hand- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 55 

maid of his natural powers, been restricted to the immediate pursuits of his 
practice. Possessed of a large and fruitful mind, he has chosen for his 
intimate and familiar companions the leaders of thought, speech and action 
in all ages. A constant reader, with a remarkably retentive memory, his 
mind is stored with the choicest productions of ancient and modern classics. 
One who has been both his associate and his antagonist in the legal forum has 
said of him : 

"His style is logical, terse and compact, though not barren of illustration 
and embellishment. His singularly agreeable voice, distinct enunciation, 
candor of statement, and great earnestness of manner, win sympathy, secure 
confidence and carry conviction. In this, hardly less than in the logic of his 
words, lies the secret of his success. But the magic of his power is the courage 
of conscious right, and the boldness of thorough preparation, which dis- 
tinguishes him. Armed with these his attack is direct, pinioning wrong by 
exposing its deformity, and rearing about justice a fortress of truth. Mastery 
of self is the strength of his armor. Ever subordinating temper, his quick- 
ness of repartee and keenness of sarcasm render him invulnerable; yet so play- 
ful and pleasantly does he employ these weapons that, while their victim rarely 
wishes to provoke their second employment, his .repartee punctures without 
sting, and his sarcasm cuts without wounding." 

It is in consideration of questions of constitutional law that the mental 
acumen and legal ability of Mr. Harrison have found their most adequate 
and fitting field. As a constitutional lawyer his reputation is national, and 
he is ranked among the foremost of American lawyers. His success in the 
Boesel Railroad cases, reported in Granger's Ohio Supreme Court Reports 
(1872), established his eminence as a lawyer on constitutional questions, 
while, at the same time, it saved the people from the imposition of an oppresive 
system of taxation that would yield no return. Since that time Mr. Harrison 
has appeared either on one side or the other, before the supreme court, in the 
leading contests concerning the validity of legislative enactments. J\Ir. Har- 
rison proceeds to the presentation of his case in absolute frankness and fair- 
ness, but with the facts and law marshaled like the forces of an unconquerable 
general, with every point of the line guarded for the attack, be it offensive 
or defensive. But, great as are his powers of argument and logic, his dis- 
position is judicial rather than disputatious, and, as has often been said by 
his acquaintances of both bench and bar. it is to be regretted that the highest 
position in his profession, a seat in the national supreme court, has not 
demanded his services. Indeed, it is an interesting incident that he was at 
one time selected for that position. George Alfred Townsend, the famous 
newspaper correspondent, relates in a recently published letter, that when a 
vacancy on the bench of the supreme court of the United States was caused 
by the decease of Mr. Justice Lamar, President Harrison, in a recent con- 
versation in New York with some members of the bar, stated that it was his 
intention to nominate ]\Ir. Harrison to fill the vacancy, but that a question 



56 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

arose as to Mr. Harrison's age. Ouiet inquiry developed that he had just 
passed his sixtieth birthday, which precedence has estabhshed as the time 
limit. That fact alone prevented his nomination. Though having declined, 
among other honors, appointments to fill vacancies of the supreme court of 
Ohio, President Harrison was satisfied that Mr. Harrison would have accepted 
the appointment he was about to tender him. It would have come as acknowl- 
edgment of Mr. Harrison's unquestioned qualifications for the position. 
The late Judge Howell E. Jackson was appointed to fill the vacancy. In 
many cases in the federal and state courts Mr. Harrison has acted either as 
referee or special master of chancery. Some of them are reported. In each 
case his decision, except in so far as his conclusions were founded upon 
express direction of the court of first instance, was sustained. 

Mr. Harrison was the third president of the Ohio State Bar Associa- 
tion. 

To him the principles of the law more than science, its' practice more 
than art — to liim the profession of the law^ is a mission, a sacred calling, 
demanding not only the highest attributes of the mind but also the consecra- 
tion of character, the honesty and integrity of the most exalted and noblest 
manhood. ' At the opening of the College of Law of the Ohio State Uni- 
versity, at Coiumbus, October i, 1891, Mr. Harrison delivered the address, 
and his tribute to his profession on that occasion deserves place in this sketch. 
He said : 

"Law is not merely the instrument of government. Many persons seem 
so to regard it. But this conception of law is an erroneous one. On the 
contrary the truth is, law is the basis of public liberty and also the safeguard 
of each individual citizen's public and private rights and liberties. This is 
at least what the law of the land is in every free country. It is pre-emi- 
nently wdiat I have described it to be, in our own state and country. Where- 
fore there must necessarily be in our ow-n, and in every free state, a body 
of men who have a thorough and profound knowledge, an enlightened appre- 
ciation, and an enthusiastic love of the fundamental principles which con- 
stitute the basis of public liberty, and the private and public rights and liberties 
of the individual citizen. These liberties and rights cannot be expounded 
and vindicated, and maintained in their integrity without such a body of men. 
From their ranks magistrates, known as judges, must be chosen to administer 
the constitutional, statutory and common law of the land, and thus dispense 
public and private justice and maintain the rights of every citizen. It is a 
plain truth — perhaps an obvious commonplace — that without an enlightened 
judiciary no one's life or liberty or property or reputation is safe; and the 
efficiency of the administration of the law depends as well upon the learning, 
ability and integrity of the bar as upon the learning, ability, impartiality and 
independence of the bench. They are correlatives. As showing that the pro- 
fession of the advocate and jurist is one of the principal supports of public 
liberty and individual personal rights and lil)erties, is the historical fact that 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 57 

this calling has tiourished most amidst free institutions, and under the most 
popular governments. Not only so. This profession, in any state or country 
or age, is an efficient activity in promoting the public welfare, especially when 
its controlling members are, before entering upon their active duties, deeply 
instructed not merely in the law of the land but also in the ethics of the 
profession of the bar as^ taught by those who are alone worthy of being its 
masters and guides." 

Mr. Harrison's considerate courtesy and uniform urbanity to all, old or 
young, with whom he comes in contact, are the rare qualities of the older 
school of gentlemen, alas! too little exemplified in the present generation. 
Such a one as man, citizen and lawyer, is Mr. Harrison. Those who have 
enjoyed the boon of his friendship, aye, even the privilege of his acquaint- 
ance, will acknowledge it but due praise to say of him that he is foremost of 
those 

"Men who their duties know. 
But also know their rights, and knov.ing, dare maintain." 

Through the characters and lives of such men in the noble purpose of 
their vocation are the lines of the poet true, that 

"Sovereign law, that state's collected will. 
O'er thrones and globes elate, 
Sits empress, crowning good, repressing ill." 

Mr. Harrison's domestic relations have been as happy and delightful as 
his professional career has been honorable and brilliant. On December 21, 
1847, he was married, at London, Ohio, to Miss Maria Louisa Warner, a 
daughter of Henry Warner, one of the honored pioneers of Madison county. 
Three daughters and four sons- were the result of this union. One of the 
daughters and two of the sons^ are deceased. The youngest son, Warner, wdio 
gives promise of being a worthy son of his distinguished father, is now asso- 
ciated with his father in the practice of the law, the firm being located at 
Columbus and known as Harrison, Olds, Henderson & Harrison. The firm 
was formerly Harrison, Olds' & Marsh. Mr. Marsh, now deceased, was a 
son-in-law of Mr. Harrison. D. K. Watson, formerly the attorney general 
of the state of Ohio and a congressman from the Franklin district, is a son-in- 
law of Mr. Harrison. 

REV. SA^^'YER A. HUTCHINSON. 

AVhen the country became involved in Civil war there flocked to the stand- 
ard of the nation men who came from the workshops, from the offices and from 
the fields. Every station and class of life was represented and all were actu- 
ated with the same honorable purpose, the perpetuation of the Republic, which 



58 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

was founded as the result of eight years of bloodshed and of war. As long 
as memory remains to the American people they will hold in grateful remem- 
brance those whose efforts perpetuated the Union, and everywhere the blue 
uniform of the soldier awakens interest and admiration. Mr. Hutchinson 
was among the number who followed the stars and stripes upon the battle- 
fields of the south, manifesting his loyalty and bravery on many occasions. 

His life record began in' Francistown, New Hampshire, on the nth of 
May, 1 82 1, his parents being Osgood and Hannah (Fuller) Hutchinson, the 
latter a daughter of the Rev. Andrew Fuller, one of the early graduates of 
Harvard University. The boyhood of our subject was passed in his native 
town, where he acquired an academic education. He was a close and earnest 
student, and after completing his own course successfully engaged in teach- 
ing for two terms in the public schools. Wishing, however, to devote his 
life to a higher and holier calling, he prepared for the ministry, entering the 
theological school at Meadville, Pennsylvania, in 1847. He there pursued 
the regular course and was graduated in June, 1850. Subsequently he took 
a post-graduate course in Oberlin College, and in 1852 he opened a prepara- 
tory school on South High street, in Columbus, where he was engaged in 
teaching for fifty terms. During a part of that time he was also an instructor 
in the schools of Dublin. 'During his pedagogic career he also engaged in 
preaching the gospel, beginning his work in the ministry at the time when he 
entered Oberlin College for post-graduate work. For a half century he de- 
voted his time partly to the work of the ministry, being ordained about 1853 
as a member of the Christian church, belonging to the Ohio Central 
Christian Conference, in which all of his ministerial work has been per- 
formed, except for a period of eight years spent in Kittery, Maine, where he 
preached the gospel, carrying the glad tidings of great joy to many listeners. 

When the Civil war was in progress he offered his services to the gov- 
ernment in 1864, for one hundred days, enlisting as a member of Company 
C, One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was mus- 
tered in with the rank of second lieutenant, and after joining the army was 
sent to Virginia. The regiment held the forts on the right wing of Grant's 
army. While there Mr. Hutchinson was detailed to command a force of one 
hundred men to cut away the timbers. He participated in a number of en- 
gagements, in one of which he was deafened by the concussion of cannons, 
and his hearing has ever since been impaired. He served his term of enlist- 
ment and was then honorably discharged, but has always continued social 
relations with his army comrades through his membership in Cicero Davis 
Post, of Dublin, Ohio, of which he is now chaplain, having held the position 
continuously since the organization of the post, with the exception of one year. 

Since the war Mr. Hutchinson has resided in Franklin county with the 
exception of eight years spent in Maine. In the spring of 1865 he went south 
for a comrade, and while between Fortress Monroe and city of Washington 
was examined by an officer to see if he was Wilkes Booth, the assassin of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 59 

then at liberty and hunted by the troops. \Miile on this trip 
Mr. Hutchinson took prisoner a man who had murdered four men, grabbing 
him as he was leaving the train and pulling him over the seat, thus holding him 
until he was shackled. Mr. Hutchinson has a hat rack made from pegs from 
the cabin of the Kearsarge after the fight with the Alabama. He also has in 
his possession a splendid collection of specimens and souvenirs of the Civil 
war, numbering over a thousand, including his regimental flag. He has taken 
a very active interest in promoting the cause of the soldiers wishing to obtain 
pensions, and his labors in this direction have been very effective. 

On the 8th of July, 1850, Rev. Hutchinson was united in the holy bonds 
of matrimony to Miss Anna Havlin, of Boston, Massachusetts, a daughter of 
John and Ellen Havlin, who were also natives of the Bay state. Mr. and 
Mrs. Hutchinson became the parents of five children, — George, Hattie and 
Harry, twins, Walter and Albert, but all are now deceased. The eldest son 
was occupying a position in the navy yard at Kittery, Maine, at the time of his 
death, and is buried there. Mr. Hutchinson has taken quite an active interest 
in politics, supporting Abraham Lincoln and the measures represented by the 
Republican party. His has been a noble and upright life, devoted to the wel- 
fare of his fellow men. He is a man remarkable in the breadth of his wisdom, 
in his indomitable perseverance and his strong individuality. His life at all 
times would bear the closest scrutiny, and his influence in behalt cf what is 
right, true and good has been most marked. He is public spirited in an emin- 
ent degree, national progress and local advancement being causes both dear to 
the heart of this thoroughly loyal son of the republic. In demeanor he is 
quiet and unostentatious in manner, is pleasant and genial — an approachable 
gentleman who enjoys the warm friendship of a select circle of acquaintances. 

REV. A. PFLUEGER, M. A. 

Rev. A. Pflueger, M. A., one of the professors of the Capital University 
of Columbus, has throughout the greater part of his life been identified with 
those interests tending to the intellectual and moral development of mankind. 
His time has been consecrated to those lines of labor which lift humanity and 
make the individual better prepared for the duties of this life and better quali- 
fied for the life to come. He was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, November 
27, 185 1, and as his name indicates, is of German lineage. His father, Henry 
Pflueger, came to the new world from Waldeck, Germany, in 1845, ^i^d on the 
Schneider. Professor Pflueger is their eldest child and the other members of 
the family are: Henry, who was born August 21, 1853, and is a physician 
23d of January, 185 1, in Fairfield county, Ohio, he married ]\Iiss Susanna 
at Rewey, Wisconsin, and Mrs. IMary P. INIarvin. She was* born February 
20, 1858, and w^as married in Columbus in 1882, becoming a resident of Find- 
lay, Ohio, where her husband died. 

On attaining the usual age Professor Pflueger entered the public schools, 



6o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

and when he had mastered the various branches that form the curriculum of 
the city schools' of Columbus he entered the Capital University, where he 
pursued his studies from 1869 until 1871. He also pursued a theplogical 
course in that institution from 1874 until 1876. At the close of his university 
course he received a call to the Lutheran church in Baltimore, Maryland, where 
he remained as the pastor until 1878. In 1878-9 he ministered to the spirit- 
ual needs of the Lutheran congregation in Troy, New York, and then returned 
to Ohio, being located at Circleville until 1881. In the latter year he was in- 
stalled as the pastor of the church of Thornville, Perry county, Ohio, where he 
continued until 1885, when he was offered his present position in the Capital 
University. He has since been connected with his itlnia mater as one of its 
instructors, and the efficiency of the work done in that institution is due in no 
small degree to his efforts. 

Professor Pflueger was married on the 12th of September,_ 1878, Miss 
Margaret A. OehlJthlaeger becoming his wife. Their marriage has been 
blessed with the following named children: Luther, born in Circleville, 
Ohio, August 26, 1879; Charles W., born in Circleville, February 11, 1881; 
Edwin B., born in Thornville, June 7, 1883; George A., born in Columbus, 
December 20, 1885; Jesse P., born at Columbus, June 6, 1888; Martin T., 
born in Columbus, February 26, 1892; and Mary E. M., born January 7, 1895. 
Professor Pflueger is a man of strong individuality, of broad humanitarian 
principles, of keen discernment and of noble purpose, and these qualities have 
enabled him to exert a strong influence over the lives o| those with whom 
he has come in contact. His classical learning, his deep human sympathy 
and his Christianity have l)een potent elements for good in aiding those who 
have come under his' ministrations or instructions, and his life work has cer- 
tainly made the world better. 

EVERETT T. TIDD, LI. D._ 

Dr. Tidd, of Columbus, was born in West Virginia, near Parkersburg, 
in October, 1867, a son of Andrew C. Tidd and a grandson of Chas Tidd. 
The former was born in Monroe county, Ohio, and after arri\ing at years 
of maturity married Philena Knowles, a native of Meigs county, Ohio. 
After their marriage they removed to West Virginia, wdiere they remained 
for a few years, and the father carried on merchandising in INIarysville. His 
death occurred in that city May 19, 1900, but his' wife is still living, at the old 
homestead. She is a daughter of James and Harriet (Stone) Knowles. 

The Doctor spent his early boyhood days in the state of his nativity, where 
for a time he attended the public schools. He also continued his education in 
private schools and later acted as his' father's assistant in the store. Wishing 
to devote his energies to the practice of medicine, he began reading under 
the direction of Dr. E. W. Rine at Long Bottom. Ohio. In March, 1893, 
he was graduated in the Starling Medical College, at Columbus, and soon 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 6i 

afterward located in the capital city at No. 112 Schiller street, and has con- 
ducted a general practice to the present time. 

On the 22d of November, 1898, Dr. Tidd was united in marriage to ]Miss 
Linna C. Sass, of Columbus', a daughter of Fred C. and Elizabeth Sass. So- 
cially he is connected with Germania Lodge, No. 4, K. P. He is a young man, 
energetic, resolute, ambitious, and the.'^e qualities are salient features of a 
successful career. 

EMMETT A. BRENNEMAN. 

Among the most educated and respected residents of Prairie township, 
Franklin county, Ohio, who have made a success of horticulture, must be 
mentioned Emmett A. Brenneman. The grandfather, Christian, and the 
father. Solomon, were both natives of York county, Pennsylvania, and both 
grew up as farmer boys, the latter engaging in the milling business. The 
mother of our suliject was Rebecca (Zeller) Brenneman, who came to Ohio 
with her parents, at the age of ten years, from Berks county, Pennsylvania. 

^^l^en the gold excitement swept through the country. Solomon Brenne- 
man was amongst the first to go to the Golden State, California. The trip 
to the mines was overland, and for four years he mined in the most noted 
mines in that state. Returning with the benefits' of his infinite labor, he then 
became the leading miller of Rickley's Mill, on the banks of the Scioto river; 
and later he purchased one hundred acres in Prairie towaiship, living for eight 
years in a double log house, and then, tearing it down and replacing it by a 
brick residence, he enjoved the new dwelling but two years when he was called 
aAvay by death. The mother survi\-ed him until 1881. J\Ir. Brenneman was 
a Republican in his political views, and for some years both beloved parents 
were members of the Methodist church. Their children were: Julia E., 
\vho is now Mrs. Koch and resides with our subject; Susan E., who is now 
Mrs. Fred Stanch; Emmett, the subject of this review, who was married 
June 5, 1901, to Laura Planck, of Franklin township, one of the most success- 
ful and exemplary teachers of that township for the past seven years; and 
Edward G.. who married Ella Colvin, all of whom resick in Prairie township. 

Emmett A. Brenneman, whose name introduces this record, was born on 
the 3d o^f February, 1866, and attended the district school until he was fifteen 
years old, after which he was obliged to remain at home. He was naturally 
very ambitious and studious, and of a very apt nature. He grew\ like the 
great and admired character, Horace Greeley, occupying every spare moment 
at his books. He took a course in shorthand writing and for three years 
taught it by mail. He also took up the scientific course of Chautauqua in- 
struction, which he pursued through four years and received a diploma for 
the same. Owing to increasing farm duties he has been obliged to curtail 
his hours over his beloved books; yet hi? whole life in every respect remains 
as a model or guide to others. 



62 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

In 1890 Air. Brenneman engaged in the small-fruit business, and now 
has fifty-seven acres devoted to every profitable variety. He has been a mem- 
ber of the Lutheran church since youth, and has taught in the Sunday- 
schools since he was seventeen years old, and has become one of the best and 
most prominent church workers in the neighborhood in which he resides. In 
politics Mr. Brenneman calls himself an independent, although he cast his first 
vote for Harrison. He does not wish to be bound by any party lines and casts 
his' ballot for the men he believes will best protect and defend the interests of 
the country. One of his greatest enjoyments is his understanding of scientific 
topics, and he owns a fine and complete library on these subjects. 

JOHN L. MILLER. 

Xo matter how much one may indulge in fantastic theorizing as to the 
cause of success, the superstructure of prosperity will be f(^und to rest upon a 
foundation of earnest and indefatigable labor, of capable management and 
honorable dealing. It is thus that Mr. Miller has won a place among the sub- 
stantial citizens of Franklin county and his record has ever been fiich as to 
command for him the respect, confidence and good will of those with whom 
he has been associated. He w^as born in Harlem township, Delaware county, 
Ohio, January i, 1838, his parents being John and Nancy (Cockrell) Miller. 
The father was born in Muskingum countv, in 1808, and when a youth of nine 
years removed to Delaware county wi"h his parents, being there reared to 
manhood. After his marriage he settled on a farm of one hundred acres in 
Harlem township, wdiere he remained for fifteen years, when the farm was 
sold for taxes' and he purchased it, making it his place of abode up to the 
time of his death. After his purchase of the farm he removed the old cabin 
further from the road and erected a commodious frame residence. He also 
made many other substantial improvements upon the place, transforming it 
into a valuable property. 

He wedded Nancy Cockrell, who was born in Harlem township, Delaware 
county, in 181 2, and was a representative of an old Virginia family. Her 
death occurred in 1862, and three of her five children are yet living, namely: 
John Leroy; Mathew A., a teacher of Fort Smith, Arkansas'; and Sarah, the 
wife of Frank Haroun, of Delaware county. After the death of his first wife 
the father married Miss Hannah Barr, a native of Virginia, and she is still 
living, her home being in Centerville, Delaware county. The only child born 
of this marriage w^as Ida, the wife of Frank Orndorff, of Delaw^are county. 
The father died in March, 1880, and the community thereby lost one of its 
most valued and representative citizens. He gave his political support to the 
Democracy and' in- early life he joined the Presbyterian church, but during 
the war he withdrew from that denomination and united with the Christian 
church, in which faith he died. For many years he served as a deacon and he 
took an active part in church work, doing all in his power to promote the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 63 

cause of Christianity among his fellow men. His word was as good as' any 
bond that was ever solemnized by signature or seal. He was highly esteemed 
for his honesty and uprightness of character and his' example is certainly 
well worthy of emulation. 

John Leroy Miller spent the days of his boyhood and youth upon the old 
homestead and early became familiar with the work of field and meadow, 
assisting in the plowing in the spring time, in the cultivation of the crops 
through the summer and in garnering the harvests in the autumn. His' edu- 
cational privileges were limited, as he had no opportunity to attend school 
until his sixteenth year, for the school house was a mile and a half from his 
home and he was very frail, a frailty succeeded, however, by a vigorous man- 
hood. After entering busines's life he realized the necessity and importance 
of education and did the most to improve his opportunities. Business experi- 
ence, observation, reading and investigation in later years have made him a 
well informed man and he is now numbered among the intelligent and valued 
residents of his township. 

On the 17th of Feljruary, 1859, Mr. Miller was united in marriage to 
Miss Julia A. Adams, a native of Delaware county, Ohio, and a daughter of 
William and Sarah Adams, the father now deceased, while the mother is in 
Westerville. Mr. and Mrs. Miller became the parents of three children, but 
only one is now living, John R. The mother died in 1867, and on the 19th 
of March, 1868, Mr. Miller was joined in marriage to Miss Sarah J. Gorsuch, 
a native of Harlem township, Delaware county. Her death occurred in Janu- 
ary, 1 88 1, and on the 19th of March, 1884, was celebrated the marriage of 
Mr. Miller and Miss Celia H. Dent, a native of Trenton township, Delaware 
county. Her father, Edward H. Dent, was born in Licking county, Ohio, 
and after his marriage took up his abode in Delaware county. Elder L. B. 
Hanover, who is still living, performed all three ceremonies for our subject. 
The children of the present marriage are Ethel D. and Leroy D., both of whom 
are attending school. 

After his marriage Mr. Miller resided upon a farm belonging to his 
father-in-law until the fall of 1866, when he operated the William Hunt farm 
for a year. He subsequently worked on the Jonathan Batesson farm for a 
year, receiving three hundred and fifty dollars for his services, and then 
removed to the Bigelow Bennett farm, near Centerville, renting that land. 
In 1868 he took up his abode on the farm now owned by Melvin B. Rich, in 
Harlem township, and a year later he removed to the Williams farm, for which 
he paid cash rent for two years. He made money in this way, it being his 
first notable success. In the spring of 1870 he removed to a tract of land in 
Plain township, Franklin county, owned by his father-in-law, Thomas Gor- 
such. > Li 1868 he began operating a thresher and soon afterward began the 
manufacture of lumber, conducting a sawmill during the winter season for two 
years. He continued his threshing: operations to a greater or less extent until 
1895, when his interests at home demanded his attention and he gave up that 



64 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

industry. After two years' spent upon his father-in-law's place he purchased 
fifty-six acres of his present farm, for which he paid seventy-five dollars per 
acre. He made a cash payment of five hundred dollars, giving his note for the 
balance, and as he prospered he cleared off all indebtedness and added to the 
place until the homestead now comprises two hundred and sixty-two acres of 
vahial>le land. He also owns one hundred and fifty-six acres in Delaware 
county, which he purchased in 1885. He has been engaged in buying and sell- 
ing stock and has been an extensive feeder of hogs, finding this a very profit- 
able source of income. He is als'o one of the directors of the Westerville 
Bank and owns residence property in Westerville. 

In his political views Mr. Miller is a Democrat, giving an unswerving 
support to the principles of his party. He served as township trustee for fif- 
teen year? and has often been solicited to become a candidate for other offices, 
but has always refused. Fraternally he is connected with Caledonia Lodge, 
No. 416, F. '& A. M., of New Albany, and he belongs to Mispah Chapter, 
No. 38, Order of the Eastern Star, of Westerville. Handicapped in his youth 
by a lack of education, he has, nevertheless, conquered an adverse fate, work- 
ing his way steadily upward to afikience. His life his'tory stands in exempli- 
fication of what may be accomplished through determined and earnest pur- 
pose when guided by sound judgment. In all his dealings he has sustained 
an unassailable reputation and his worth as a business man and citizen is 
widely known. 

WILLIAM O. THOMPSON. 

The Rev. William Oxley Thompson is one who has devoted his life to 
the work of the ministry and to the task of instructing the young along lines 
of mental advancement which are the source of preparation for the respon- 
sible duties which devolve upon each individual as he puts aside the text- 
books to take up the work which must follow the labors of the school room. 
He is numbered among Ohio's native sons and has gained more than a state- 
wide reputation as a minister and teacher. He was born in Cambridge, Guern- 
sey county, Ohio, September 5, 1855, and is a son of David Glenn and Agnes 
Miranda Thompson. His paternal grandfather, David Thompson, was a 
native of the north of Ireland, and on emigrating to America took up his 
abode in Guernsey county, in the year 181 3. He was a weaver by trade, but 
became a farmer upon his removal to the Buckeye state. His son, David 
Glenn Thompson, was born May 7. 18 14, and spent hi? life in Guernsey, Musk- 
ingum and Licking counties, his death occurring in New Concord, Ohio, on 
the 25th of October, 1892. Upon leaving the farm be learned the trade of 
shoemaker and followed that occupation throughout his active business career. 
He enlisted as a soldier in the National Guards in 1864, becoming a member 
of the One Hundred and Sixtieth Regiment, with which he served chiefly 
in the Shenandoah vallev. He married Agnes ^liranda Oxley, a daughter 




WILLIAM 0. THOMPSON. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 65 

of Joel Murrey Oxley, who was born January 6, 1808, in Smithfield, Jeffer- 
son county, Ohio, and was a woolen manufacturer. Mrs. Thompson's birth 
occurred March 26, 1824, and she now resides in New Concord, Ohio. 

William Oxley Thompson was educated in the village schools of New 
Concord, Ohio, and of Brownsville. In early youth he worked upon a farm 
until he was able to attend college. When he found it possible to continue 
his studies he entered Muskingum College, where he completed the classical 
course and won the degree of bachelor of arts in 1878, being graduated at 
the head of his class. In 1872 he went to Lawn Ridge, Illinois, where he 
was employed as a farm hand through the summer months and in the win- 
ter devoted his attention to teaching school. In this way he gained the 
capital necessary to enable him to continue his studies. Wishing to devote his 
life to a work that Avould benefit his fellow men, he pursued the study of 
theology in the Western Theological Seminary, in Allegheny City, P'ennsyl- 
vania, where he was graduated in the class of 1882. His olma mater con- 
ferred upon him the degree of master of arts in 1881 and that of doctor of 
divinity in 1891, while the Western University of Pennsylvania, at Allegheny 
City, conferred upon him the honorary degree of doctor of laws in 1897. 

After completing his course in the theological school Mr. Thompson went 
as a home missionary to Odelbolt, Iowa, where he remained until 1885. He 
was licensed by the presbytery of Zanesville, at Dresden, on the 13th of April, 
1 88 1, and was ordained by the presbytery of Fort Dodge, in Fort Dodge, 
Iowa, July 13, 1882. In 1885 he removed to Longmont, Colorado, where he 
served as the pastor for a little more than six years, during four years of 
which time he was also the president of the newly projected Longmont Col- 
lege. In 1 89 1 he was called to the presidency of the Miami University, at 
Oxford, Ohio, where he served until 1899, when he was o.^ered and accepted 
the presidency of the Ohio State University, at Columbus, and is now thus 
connected with the educational work of the state. He has not only main- 
tained but has raised the high standard of this institution and is continually 
in touch with the progress that is being made in educational circles. He is 
not only a man of broad scholarly attainments but also of broad humanitarian 
principles, and he regards education not merely as the acquisition of knowledge 
but as a preparation for life that one may correctly perform the duties which 
come to him, gain success and develop a character that commands the admira- 
tion and respect of the world. 

^ JOHN E. BECIv\MTH. 

One of the oldest passenger engineers in the Pennsylvania Railroad ser- 
vice is John E. Beckwith. who residesi at No. 821 North Fourth street, in 
Columbus. He was born July 17, 1835, '^^'^ Somerset; Ohio, and represents one 
of the honored and prominent old families of the state. His grandfather, 
Hon. David Beckwith, was for a numl^er of years' judge of the court of com- 



66 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

mon pleas of Perry county, Ohio, and died at his home in that county in 
1818. 

John Beckwith, the father of our subject, was born in Bedford county, 
Pennsylvania, May 9, 1791, and prior to the second war with England he lo- 
cated in Perry county, Ohio. During the war of 1812 he joined the service 
under Colonel Joel Strong. In July, 181 8, he was appointed clerk of the 
courts of Perry county and acceptably acted in that capacity for ten years. 
Then, after an interval of four years, he was reappointed^ in 1832, continu- 
ing in the office until 1839. Once more, in 1848, he was appointed to that 
office. His service in the one office covered about a third of a century; and 
the fact that he was several times re-elected after an interval in which some 
one else held the office shows that his work was regarded as superior to that 
of any other incumbent. He died December 3, 1873, and his wife, Mrs. 
Isabel Beckwith, who was born in Middletown, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, 
passed away on the 15th of December, 1880. 

They had three sons and three daughters', namely : John E. ; David, 
who died at the age of five years; Joel, who died in 1854; Emma, now de- 
ceased, who became the wife of Benjamin Stone, who died September 29, 
1849, '^"d on the 14th of August, 1853, she became the wife of Dr. Dorsey, 
now a resident of Dalta. Dalta county, Colorado, who served in the Third 
Ohio Infantry in the Civil war; Catherine, the widow of J. H. O'Neill, 
a prominent attorney of Somerset, Ohio, who once represented his county in 
the state legislature ; and Elizabeth, the wife of Dr. Spellman, formerly of 
Somerset but now a resident of Fort Wayne, Indiana. 

John E. Beckwith of this review acquired his early education in the state 
of his birth and began work in tlie employ of a railroad company on the 9th 
of February, 1862, acting as a fireman on the Piqua division of the Pan- 
handle road under Engineer James Fleavy, with whom he ran until 1863^ 
He was then placed on a passenger engine under Engineer James Gormerly, 
continuing on that run until the middle of May, 1865, when he was made yard 
engineer in the Piqua yards of Columbus. He acted in that capacity for 
twelve months, when he was promoted to the position of engineer in the 
roundhouse in Columbus, sierving until January, 1867, when he was made 
road engineer. In January, 1871, he was appointed engineer on the passenger 
train and has continuously served in that way since. He has never had a 
wreck or collision and has never sustained any personal injuries while in the 
railroad employ. For a quarter of a century he hasi been a member of the 
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. The great care which he exercises 
in performing his duties is indicated by the fact that his work has been en- 
tirely free from accident of any description. 

On the 3d of July, 1857, in Cincinnati. Ohio, by Archbishop Purcell, Mr. 
Beckwith was united in marriage to Miss Mary Clossick, and unto them have 
been born the following named : Mary I., born April 2, 1870; John H., May 
I, 1872; Lillian C, February 24, 1876; and William F., December 17, 1878. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 67 

The elder daughter was married, by the Rev. Father J. B. Eisi, on the 15th of 
October, 1896, to John C. Cornell, and their children are: Mary C, born 
August 30, 18*97; Isabel ]\I., October 30, 1898; and John D., September 2, 
1900. John H. Beckwith, the elder son of the family, was married October 
18, 1893, to Miss Cora Belle IMellon, of Columbus, where they now reside. 
The Rev. Father J. B. Eis also performed that ceremony. 

Mr. Beckwith joined the Methodist church when a young man but is not 
now a member of any church, while his wife and children are all members 
of the Sacred Heart Catholic church of this city. Mr. Beckwith's' connection 
with railroad service covers almost forty years, during which time .he has 
gained a reputation in the line of his chosen calling that is indeed creditable 
and enviable. 

JOSEPH WRIGHT. 

Among those who have in former years been prominent in the business 
affairs of Franklin county, and are now numbered among those who have made 
their way to that "undiscovered country from wdiose bourne no traveler re- 
turns," is Joseph Wright. He came to Franklin county in 1846 and took up 
his abode in Clinton township in ,1854, being long identified with its agri- 
cultural interests. At that time he purchased fifty acres of partially improved 
land and to its further development and cultivation he gave his energies, mak- 
ing it a very valuable property. He married Miss Nancy M. Sharp and when 
they came to Franklin county they were the parents of three children, namely: 
Samuel P., Mary A. and Rosetta M. The elder daughter became the wife 
of Levi Johnson and died in April, 1900, while Rosetta is the wife of iMartin 
Rauck, wdio resides in Mifflin township. 

Mrs. \A^right was a daughter of C^ornelius Sharp, one of the pioneer set- 
tlers of Ohio, who came to the west from New York. He located i:i Blen- 
don, Franklin county, where his wife died. ~Mv. Sharp had a family of chil- 
dren, namely : James. Peter, Cornelius, Carlyle, Anson and Nancy M. For 
his second wife Mr. Sharp chose Mrs. Munger,'a widow. He lived in Frank- 
lin county throughout his remaining days and died in January, 1869, on the 
old homestead which joined the farm now occupied by his grandson, Samuel 
Wright. He was a man of deep religious convictions and in early Kfe was 
an exhorter in the Methodist Episcopal church. At the time of the war of 
181 2 he entered his country's service and participated in the battle of Platts- 
burg. In his political affiliationsi he was a Democrat, giving unswerving sup- 
port to the principles of the party. Joseph Wright and his wife also held 
membership in the Methodist Episcopal church and were exemplary Christian 
people, widely known and honored for their many excellencies of character. 
The former died in July. 1896, at the age of seventy-eight years, and his wife 
passed away in February. 1884, at the age of sixty-five. 

Samuel P. Wright, their only Pon and eldest child, was born in Sun- 



68 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPEIICAL HISTORY. 

bury, Delaware county, Ohio, March 20, 1843, ^"d in 1846 was brought by 
his parents to Frankhn county where he pursued his education in the pubHc 
schools and assisted in the work of the home farm until the inauguration of 
the Civil war when his patriotic spirit was aroused by the attempt of the 
rebellious south to overthrow the Union. He enlis'ted in May, 1864, when 
twenty-one years of age, becoming a member of the boys in blue, of Company 
C, One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for one hun- 
dred -days' service. He was soon transferred to the seat of war, the com- 
mand being first located at Parkersburg, West Virginia, and afterward at- 
tached .to General Butler's army. He saw active service during his entire 
term and- was honorably discharged at its close in August, 1864. 

Samuel Wright was married on the 26th of February, 1868, to Miss 
Leora A. Mock, who was born in Franklin county in 1848, a daughter of 
Joseph and Minerva (Innis) Mock, early settlers of the county. Her father 
was; born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, being a son of Michael Mock, 
a native of Pennsylvania, who at an early day came with his family to Frank- 
lin county, Ohio, locating in Clinton township, upon a farm. He was among 
the first settlers in this portion of the state and secured his land from the 
government. Not a furrow had been turned nor an improvement made 
thereon, but he cleared and improved the fields and in the course of time his 
labors' were rewarded by bounteous harvests. There he lived through the 
remainder of his days. In his family Avere the following children: Mich- 
ael, Elizabeth, Catherine, Jacob, John, who remained in Pennsylvania, Samuel, 
Joseph and ]\Iary. Joseph Mock was a young lad when he came to Franklin 
county with his- parents. He married Miss Minerva Innis, a daughter of 
the Rev. Henry and Isabel (Pegg) Innis. The young couple began their 
domestic life upon a farm and spent their remaining days: in Franklin county. 
Mr. Mock served for three months in the Civil war as a member of Company 
A, of the One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry and was 
then honorably discharged. In the family were six children, namely : Me- 
lissa L., the deceased wife of L. S. Wood;- Clifford, who died at the age of 
twelve months; Leora A., the wife of S. P. Wright; Henry A., who married 
Eliza Swartz and is now deceased ; Ida, the wife of J. V. Harrison ; and Charles 
E., who married Rebecca Martin. The father of this' family died on Sep- 
tember 23, 1885, at the age of sixty-seven years, his birth having occurred in 
1818. His wife was born in i8ig and died in 1879. Both were members of 
the Methodist Episcopal church, being long identified with that organization, 
and their lives were consistent with their profession. Mr. Mock was a stanch 
Republican and took an active interes't in political afi"airs, doing all in his power 
to advance the work of his party. 

The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Wright lias been blessed with t'^n chil- 
dren, of whom eight are living, as follows: Minerva M.. the wife of E. G. 
Burwell; Alary A., the wife of Armie Burwell ; Emerett N.. the wife of L. 
E. Rhodes; Leora L., the wife of C. W. jNIiles; Carlisle and S. Lerov at home; 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 69 

Earl C. and Williard F., at home; Ida R. died December 31, 1898, at the 
age of thirteen years; and Joseph M. died in 1869 two days after birth. Both 
Mr. and Mrs. Wright have membership connection with the Methodist Epis- 
copal church, to which the latter has belonged since twelve years of age He 
is a member of Henry C. Burr Post, No. 711, G. A. R., of Worthington, 
Ohio. His farm comprises one hundred and thirty-six acres of land all of 
which is under a high state of cultivation and the many fine improvements 
thereon are in keeping with the progressive spirit of the age. 

ALVIN LEE NICHOLS. 

Prominent among the business men of Grove City is numbered A. L. 
Nichols, a general merchant of that place. No one is better known in this 
vicinity, for his entire life has been spent here, and all his interests from 
boyhood have been closely associated with this locality. In business affairs 
he has met with excellent success, and by the energy and zeal he has mani- 
fested he has won the confidence and esteem of the public. 

A native of Franklin county, Mr. Nichols was born in Jackson township 
November 2, 1859, and is a son of William and Sarah (Alkire) Nichols, the 
former a native of Lewis county, West Virginia, the latter of Franklin county, 
Ohio. His paternal grandfather was Philip Nichols, a native of Virginia. 
The maternal grandfather, Jesse Alkire, came from West Virginia to Ohio 
at a very early day, and became one of the pioneers of Franklin county. He 
located in the forest of Franklin township, and there cleared and improved a 
farm. Wlien about sixteen years of age he took up his residence in this county, 
where he worked at his trade as a plasterer, and also owned and operated a 
mill at Grove City for a number of years. Politically he was a supporter of 
the Democratic party, and as one of the leading citizens of his community he 
was called upon to fill several local offices, serving as township trustee and a 
member of the school board for some time. He died July 19, 1900, hon- 
ored and respected by all who knew him. His wife is still living and makes 
her home in Grove City. In their family were two children : Alvin Lee, our 
subject ; and Alice, at home with her mother. 

Alvin L. Nichols was reared in his native township, and began his edu- 
cation in the public schools of Grove City. Later he attended business col- 
lege for some time, and pursued a course at the normal school in Lebanon, 
where he was fitted for teaching. At the age of sixteen he turned his atten- 
tion to that profession, his first school being in Jackson township, and for 
ten years he continued to engage in teaching in Truro, Franklin and Jackson 
townships, the last three years being employed in the Grove City school. 
Before laying aside that pursuit he embarked in merchandising at Grove City, 
and has conducted a general store at that place for sixteen years, his father 
being a partner in the business for a time. Mr. Nichols' has also been inter- 
ested in the lumber business, at one time operating three sawmills, in which 



70 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

were sawed the lumber for the trestle on Big Run, about one-fourth of a mile 
long. He has owned an interest in other business enterprises, including the 
canning company of Grove City, which during the busy season furnishes 
employment to eighty hands. He is also a member of the Grove City Fair 
Association, of which he was president two years, and is one of the most 
prominent and influential business men of the place. 

In June, 1890, Mr. Nichols married Miss Nora Cruces, and to them 
have been born four children, namely: Pearl, Lorene, Mabel and Beatrice. 
The parents are both members of the Presbyterian church and in the social 
circle of Grove City occupy an enviable position. I\Ir. Nichols' popularity 
hasi been shown by his election to important official position. He served as 
mayor of the city for two years and during his administration did more in 
the way of improvements than had been accomplished in the ten years pre- 
vious. As a member of the city council he took an active part in advancing 
the interests of the place, and has always given a liberal support to any enter- 
prise for the public benefit. He also served as clerk of Jackson township 
seven years, township treasurer two years, and is now a member of the 
school board of Grove City, and the Democratic candidate for county treas- 
urer. Politically he has always been a stanch supporter of the Democracy, 
and for eight years he held .the office of postmaster of Grove City. Frater- 
nally he is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Independent Order 
of Odd Fellows. He is the patentee of a tally sheet used in the election pre- 
cincts throughout Ohio known as the Nichols talley sheet, and has also copy- 
righted a school register, with many new and interesting features. In all 
his undertakings he has prospered thus far, his excellent success being but 
the logical result of his careful and correct business methods', and he now 
occupies an enviable position in business, political and social circles. 

CLARK WORTHINGTON. 

Clark Worthington Avas born January 3, 1855, on the old family home- 
stead in Pleasant township, which is still his place of abode. His father, 
Robert Worthington, an ov;n cousin of Governor Worthington, of Ohio, was 
born near Doylestown, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, November 9, 181 3, and 
there remained until he had attained his majority. His privileges and oppor- 
tunities were few, for his father died when the son was but seventeen years 
of age, and Robert Worthington was then bound out to Thomas Kilbourne, 
of that county, remaining and working upon his farm until he was twenty- 
one years, of age. He also studied surveying to some extent. On attaining 
his majority he started for Ohio, traveling part of the way by stage and cars 
and walked the remaining distance. He was accompanied by John Mad- 
lock, a youth of his own age. On reaching his destination Mr. Worthington 
secured employment on the farm of John Stump, of Pleasant township, where 
he remained for a vear, receiving eight dollars per month in compensation 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 71 

for his services: He then went to Clinton county and worked for four years, 
driving a team and there he received from thirteen to fifteen dollars per month. 
He afterward returned to the home of Mr. Stump and married his daughter 
Ann, the marriage being celebrated ]\Iarch 12, 1839. She was born in Bucks 
county, Pennsylvania, in 181 7, and there remained until thirteen years of 
age, when with her parents, John and Catherine (Walters) Stump, she came 
to Pleasant township, Franklin county, Ohio, where she grew to womanhood. 

After his marriage Robert Worthington purchased one hundred and 
twenty-live acres' of wild land, now owned by Charles E. Worthington, and 
in the midst of the forest he erected a cabin home sixteen by eighteen feet. 
It was built of hewed logs and contained two rooms, the house being heated 
by a fireplace, over which the meals were also cooked. He cleared and devel- 
oped his farm and was familiar with many of the struggles and hardships 
incident to pioneer life. The work of cutting away the forest trees and pre- 
paring the soil for cultivation, how^ever, he lived to see, the entire district in 
which he located being transformed into one of the best farming portions 
of Ohio. Quick to note and improve opportunities he made the mosl; of his 
advantages and became very successful. In 1857 he removed to his farm of 
one hundred and twelve and a half acres at Pleasant Corners, for which he 
paid six dollars and a quarter per acre. As the years passed, however, he 
added to his landed possessions until his accumulations comprised five hun- 
dred and twenty acres. His business and executive ability was superior and 
his enterprise and keen discrimination enabled him to advance steadily upon 
the path to prosperity. Upon the homestead at Pleasant Corners he remained 
until his death, October 24, 1888, and was actively associated w^ith the culti- 
vation of his land until that time. He took an active interest in politics, 
being a stalwart Democrat, and for several years he served as trustee of his 
township, while through a long period he acted as school director, but would 
never consent to become a candidate for a county of^ce. He was reared in 
the faith of the Society of Friends, but was liberal to all churches, giving 
freely of his means in support of the various denominations and for charit- 
able purposes. Plis wife held members'hip in the Methodist Episcopal church, 
and survived her husband about thirteen months. He w^as a useful citizen 
in his neighborhood, had the marked regard of many friends and the deep 
love of his family, for he was a tender and considerate husband and father. 
Mr. and Mrs. Worthington became the parents of six children : Jane, now 
the wife of Maurice Bradfield, who is living near West Jefiferson^ Ohio ; John 
W., who married Harriet England, and served as a soldier in the Civil war 
and died on the home farm; IMary C, who became the wife of Jacob White, 
and died at Pleasant Corners, in 1900; George W., who married Sarah Ann 
Smith and lives in Pleasant township; Sarah, who became the wife of Will- 
iam Rush, and died in Pickaway county, Ohio; and Clark, of this review. 

When our subject was' in his third year his parents removed to Pleasant 
Corners, and when he had attained the usual age he entered school there, 



72 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

continuing his studies until twenty years of age. During the summer months 
he assisted in the work of the home farm. At Pleasant Corners, on the 21st 
of February, 1878, he married Miss Josephine Wade, of Pleasant township, 
a daughter of Abner and Annie (Gorrell) Wade. For eleven years after 
their marriage Mr. Worthington remained with his father and at the latter's 
death took possession of the farm, which was his share of the estate. He 
built his present home in 1892 and has a very fine homestead which stands 
in the midst of highly cultivated fields. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Worthington have been born seven children, namely : 
Grace, now the wife of Harry E. Cardiff, of Ashville, North Carolina; Elmer 
C, who was killed by lightning at the age of fourteen years; Mary C. ; Hat- 
tie M.; Leona; Carmen McDowell; and Reva Nell. The parents hold mem- 
bership in the United Brethren church, in which Mr. Worthington is serving 
as' trustee and treasurer. In politics he is a zealous advocate of the Democ- 
racy, and for six years has served as trustee of Pleasant township. He was 
re-elected in the spring of 1901, for another term of three years, and his 
public duties have ever been discharged in a manner highly satisfactory. 

EMILIUS O. RANDALL. 

Emilius Oviatt Randall, a lawyer, professor and editor, was born ar 
Richfield, Ohio, October 28, 1850, the only son of David Austin and Harriet 
Newton (Oviatt) Randall. His mother was the daughter of Captain Heman 
Oviatt, who emigrated from Connecticut to Hudson, Ohio, in 1800. Her 
grandfather served in the continental troops, while on the paternal side, two 
great-grandfathers, John Randall and Patrick Pemberton, fought in the Rev- 
olutionary war. 

Emilius Randall was brought to Columbus when but a few weeks old 
and it has been his home ever since. His education was begun in the public 
schools of Columbus, and he was prepared for college in Phillips Academy, 
Andover, Massachusetts, entered Cornell University in the fall of 1870, and 
graduated in the literary course of that university with a degree of Ph. B., 
and later pursuing a two-years course, post-graduate, there and also in 
Europe. 

From 1878 to 1890 Mr. Randall gave his attention to merchandising and 
literary pursuits in Columbus, and in the intervals of business read law under 
the direction of Frank C. Hubbard, of the Columbus bar. He was admitted 
to practice by the supreme court of Ohio, June 5, 1890, and was graduated 
at the law school of the Ohio State University in 1892 with the degrees of 
LL. B. and LL. M. He is a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon and Phi 
Delta Phi college fraternities. In 1892 he was made instructor of commercial 
law in his legal alma mater and professor of commercial law in the same 
institution in 1895. 

Mr. Randall has received so many honors and appointments from his 




E. O. RANDALL. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 73 

fellow citizens and legal associates that there is no doubt of the esteem i:i 
which he is held. On the 14th of May, 1895, he was appointed reporter of 
the supreme court of Ohio by the judges of that court, and he has edited and 
published twelve volumes of the decisions of the court. He was elected the 
president of the Columbus Board of Trade for the year 1887 and was a mem- 
ber of the board of education of Columbus from 1887 to 1889, declining a 
re-election. He is also a member of the board of trustees of the Columbus 
Library, having been first elected to that office in 1884 by the city council 
and re-elected every two years since that time, and is also a member of the 
American Bar Association, the American Library Association, American 
Historical Association, Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and 
the Ohio State Bar Association. In February, 1893, be was appointed by 
Governor McKinley a trustee of the Ohio State Archaeological and Historical 
Society, to which position he was reappointed by Governor Bushnell in Feb- 
ruary, 1896, and has acted as the secretary of that society since February, 
1894,^ also editing six volumes of that society's publications. He is the 
author of several monographs on literary and historical subjects. 

In politics Mr. Randall is a Republican. He was a member of the com- 
mittee of seven chosen by the Columbus Constitutional Convention in Janu- 
ary, 1891, to draft the charter of the present municipal government of the city. 

Mr. Randall's preparation for practice at the bar was far superior to 
that of the average lawyer. His literary attainments were broad and high; 
his judgment was mature; his experience in affairs large and varied; he 
knew much of business and of men; he was familiar with the practical side- 
of life through the intercourse of business and trade. This accumulation 
of experience was invaluable and gave him at once a standing at the bar 
which young lawyers without such aids attain only after years of effort and 
struggle. He is patient and a thorough student of the problems of law, his 
mind being trained to study and investigate is satisfied with nothing less than 
a clear understanding of the principles and the philosophy of constitutional 
and statute law. He is widely known as a lecturer, is a ready and entertain- 
ing speaker and is especially successful as an after-dinner orator, and is as 
giftecl with his pen as with his tongue. 

Mr. Randall was married, October 28, 1874. to Mary, a daughter of 
John H. and Catherine A. (Granger) Coy, of Ithaca, New York, and they 
have three children. Rita, a daughter, and two sons, — David Austin and 
Sherman Bronson Randall. 

DEXNIS J. CLAHAXE. 

The subject of the present sketch, Dennis J. Clahane. is a prominent 
business man and public official of the city of Columbus. Ohio. He was born 
in this city in 185 1. a son of James and Mary (Hanlon) Clahane, both of 
whom were born in Ireland, having emigrated from that country to America 
when young. They married in Boston, Massachusetts, where they resided 
until 1846, when they came to Columbus, Ohio. Here Mr. Clahane pur- 



74 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

chased a small tract of vacant property on what is now West Broad street, 
which later became very valuable, and upon this he located and here reared 
his family. His death occurred in 1893, his wife surviving him until 1898. 
Both of them had been devout and consistent members of the Holy Family 
Catholic church and they left a large circle of mourning friends, who had 
respected them during life and will long cherish their memory. 

Our subject, Dennis J. Clahane, received his education in the excellent 
public schools of his native city, graduating at the high school with credit. 
He then entered the store of his father, who was engaged in the grocery 
business, and remained in his employ until 1892, at which time he formed 
a partnership with his brother, John E., under the firm name of D. & J. 
Clahane, retail and wholesale grocers, at 295-7 West Broad street, Colum- 
bus, Ohio, which continues at the present time. The firm has built up a 
fine business and have an extensive patronage. 

Mr. Clahane is a progressive and enterprising man and works faithfully 
for the best interests of the city, of which he is pardonably proud. He was 
instrumental in the organization of the Hanover Pressed Brick Company in 
1892, and upon the organization of the same he was made its president, 
which responsible position he holds at the present time. The business has 
grown to vast proportions and is now reckoned among the important indus- 
tries of the city. 

One of the finest flat buildings of the city, on \\'est Broad street, was 
erected by Mr. Clahane, in 1898. It is modern in every way, an ornament to 
the locality. In conjunction with this most valuable piece of real estate INIr. 
Clahane is the owner of other property and deals in holdings for others. 
In 1898 he erected his beautiful residence, which is both convenient, with all 
the improvements of the latest utility, and attractive both outside and within. 
The marriage of Mr. Clahane took place in 1896, Miss Ethel Dennis, 
a daughter of Hugh Dennis, an old and prominent citizen, becoming his wife. 
Mr. Clahane has always taken a very active part in all political matters, 
is a strong Republican, and in 1897 was made chairman of the Republican 
executive committee. From 1888 to 1892 he served as a member of the city 
council, of which he was president one year. In May, 1900, Mayor Samuel 
J. Schwartz appointed him to the position of sewer commissioner, which posi- 
tion he has filled acceptably ever since. He is a genial, whole-souled gentle- 
man, a progTcssive citizen and an honest and efficient official. 

LORENZO TAYLOR. 

Lorenzo Taylor is numbered among the native sons of Franklin county, 
his birth having occurred July 28. 1828, upon the farm where J. Buren Taylor 
now resides. He is one of eight children whose parents were Anthony W. 
and Melinda (Trumbo) Taylor, but onlv three of the number are yet living, 
namely: Lorenzo, J. Buren and Rose F., the last named being the wife of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 75 

Robert Wille, a retired business man of W'orthington, Franklin county. The 
father was born in Hardy county, \'irginia. July i6. 1/9/, and was a son 
of Caleb C. Taylor, a well known teacher of the Old Dominion who spent his 
last days in Missouri. Anthony \\'. Taylor was reared under the parental 
roof and in early life learned the tanner's trade. About 1818 he came to 
Ohio, locating- in Cincinnati, where he followed his trade for a year, after 
which he returned to Virginia, and in 1820 he was united in marriage to 
Miss Melinda Trumbo. 

Two years later, in 1822, he came to Franklin county, Ohio, with his 
wife and one son, and here purchased a farm of one hundred acres- in Plain 
township, the place being now^ occupied by his son, J. Buren. Casting in his 
lot wdth the early settlers, he lived in true pioneer style, his home being a log 
cabin fourteen by sixteen feet, standing in the midst of the virgin forest. 
About six years later he erected a more pretentious hewed-log- house of two 
stories, it being then considered one of the best residences in this locality. 
On the old home he then established a tannery and continued business along 
that line for several years. In his farming operations he was likewise suc- 
cessful and was known as an excellent business manager. His investments 
were judiciously made and he became the owner of one thousand acres of 
land, which in later life he largely divided among his children. He passed 
away March 4, 1883, in his eighty-sixth year. The pike on which his home 
was located and which was begun prior to his death is named in his honor, 
being- called the Wayne Taylor free pike. In politics he was a Jacksoniaii 
Democrat and kept well informed on the issues of the day, but refused all 
offices. His life was partially given to Christian work, however, for he was 
a minister in the old school Baptist church and filled the pulpit for more tha^ 
half a century, riding on horseback through this section of the country in 
the early pioneer days in order that he might proclaim the gospel to the set- 
tlers living upon the frontier. He never received a dollar for his church 
work, but did it through love of the cause and his fellow men. His wife, 
who was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, July 28. 1800, w^as a daugh- 
ter of John Trumbo, a farmer and slave holder of Rockingham county, where 
he spent his entire life. Mrs. Taylor died April 24, 1874. She, too, was a 
member of the Baptist church and an earnest Christian woman whose many 
excellent characteristics gained her uniform regard and esteem. 

The boyhood days of Lorenzo Taylor were quietly passed upon the home 
farm and in the common schools near by he pursued his education. He 
assisted his father until his marriage, which occurred June 24, 1858, IMiss 
Martha E. Whitsell becoming his wife. She is a native of Truro township, 
Franklin county, and a daughter of Daniel Whitsell, who emigrated from 
the vicinity of Chambersburg. Pennsylvania, about 1800. and took up his 
abode in Ross countv, where" he remained until after his marriage, when he 
came to Franklin countv. Two children graced the union of Mr. and Mrs. 
Taylor, but only one is now living, Herman \\\. who married Carrie E. Har- 
ward and now operates the home farm. 



com- 



76 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

After his marriage Mr. Taylor located upon his present farm, then 
prising one hundred and forty-seven acres of land, which had been deeded to 
him bv his father. He took up his abode in an unpretentious log cabm and 
lived therein for about six years, after which he burned the brick and built 
his magnificent country seat, his home being one of the finest in this section 
of the ''state. He has been very successful" in his farming operations and 
everything about the place indicates his thrift and careful supervision. Fhie 
buildings stand upon his land and are surrounded by well tilled fields, which 
yield to him a golden tribute. In politics he is a Democrat and for twenty- 
one consecutive years has served as justice of the peace. He is a member of 
the Baptist church and the principles of Christianity have permeated his 
career, making his life record one that has awakened admiration and respect 
and is well worthy of emulation. 

JOSEPH MYERS. 

Joseph :\Iyers was born in Circleville. Pickaway county, Ohio, Novem- 
ber 18, 1819, and died July 31, 1878, the community thereby losing one of its 
valued and representative citizens, a man who had been honored and respected 
by all who knew him. He represented an old family of Pennsylvania, his 
father, Mathias Myers, having been born in the Keystone state, whence he 
emigrated to Pickaway county, Ohio, at an early period in its development. 

Mr. Myers, of this review, became a resident of Franklin county in 1850. 
He was a bridge contractor and built almost all the old wooden bridges in 
the county. As a companion and helpmate on the journey of life he chose 
Miss Sarah J. Needles, their marriage being celebrated on the 6th of January, 
1 85 1. The lady is a daughter of William D. Needles, who was a leading and 
influential farmer of Madison township, Franklin county. He was born near 
Cincinnati, Ohio, on the 20th of January, 1799. and died in Columbus, on the 
6th of January, 1866, from the effects of a fall on his own doorstep. His 
wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary Collins, was born near Lancaster, 
Ohio, November 20, 1802. They became the parents of ten children: Sarina, 
who died in infancy; Emily; William D. ; ^Irs. Myers; Delilah Ann; Matilda 
A.; Mary Eliza; Rebecca C. ; Elmira j\Iiria and ]\Ielvina S., twins. 

Mrs. Myers is the only living child of her father's family. She was 
educated in the district schools of Madison township and spent her girlhood 
days in Franklin county, where, in 185 1, she gave her hand in marriage to 
Joseph Myers. Their union was blessed with twelve children ; Alonzo, the 
eldest, now living in Truro township, married Lizzie Hickman, and they have 
three children, Seymore, Edith and Daniel. \\'inall P., a resident of Truro' 
township, married' Katie Lyda, and they have two children, — Clarence R. and 
Viola Mav. Paulena died' in infancy. ^lary is the deceased wife of John 
Rohr. a farmer of ]\Iadison township, and they have three children, — Elmer 
DeWitt. T'^'seph D. and Florence Alice. A\'ilHam D., deceased, married INIat- 



CEXTENXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 77 

tie Friend, who died four years later, leaving no children. Joseph Clinton is 
engaged in the livery business in Columbus, Ohio. James Hubert married 
Abbie Southard and has four children, — Norma, Ira Jay, Marie Drexell and 
Helena Jane. John Fletcher is now deceased. Viola Jane is the wife of Mr. 
Xau and resides on Oakwood avenue, in Columbus, with their two children, 
\\'alter Lee and Flora Alice. Eli is upon the home farm. Ira has also passed 
away. Leland R. is now visiting in California, but his home is in Truro 
township. 

Mrs. Myers has traveled quite extensively, having made one visit to 
California and been west three other times, while in 1893 she spent some time 
at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Since seventen years 
of age she has been a member of the ]\Iethodist church and has taken an active 
part in its work. When she and her husband first located at their present 
home the roads were an old form of corduroy, being made of logs. The 
first schoolhouse in which she pursued her studies was a log building, and 
amid the wild scenes of the frontier she was reared, spending her youth on a 
farm which was being reclaimed from its wild condition for purposes of 
civilization. She has watched with interest the progress of events as the 
years have gone by and is still numbered among the honored early settlers. 

EMERY J. SMITH. 

The ancestry of the Smith family to which the subject of this sketch 
belongs can be traced back to David Smith, who was born in Luzerne county, 
Pennsylvania. x\t the time of the great Wyoming massacre the members of 
his father's family were all killed save himself. With David Landon. a boy 
of about his own age, he was carried into captivity; but on the expiration of 
six months they ran aw^ay and succeeded in reaching their old home. David 
Smith, having arrived at years of maturity, wedded Sarah Murphy and after- 
ward emigrated to Ohio. He purchased a large farm bordering on what has 
since been called Yankee street in Galena, Delaware county. There he 
brought up his eight children, — David, Daniel, John, Alva, James, Chester, 
Sarah and Denurza. 

James, of the foregoing list, married ]\Ielinda, the eldest daughter of 
Marshall and Polly Black, of Orange township, Delaware county, and they 
had two children, — Marshall and George. The mother died in 1852, and 
the father afterward married Betsy Blanchard, the widow of Edwin Blanchard 
and a daughter of Levi and Polly Rose, of Granville, Ohio. They had one 
child, Levi R. Smith. 

Marshall Smith, the father of our suliject, was born in Sunlnu-}-. Dela- 
ware county, Ohio, November 5, 1837, and in early life began merchandis- 
ing in his native town. He also successfully managed a farm. In 1895 ^''" 
removed to Westerville and soon afterward became the president of the Bank 
of Westerville, succeeding his eldest son, Emery J. Smith, in that p-rsition. 



78 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

The latter had estahhshed the l3usiness in iS86 and had successfully managed 
it until 1895. iMarshall Smith is a thirty-second-degree Mafon and an enthusi- 
astic member of the Order of the Eastern Star. 

On the 14th of February, 1861, at Granville, Ohio, ]Mr. Smith married 
Miss Elvira Abbie Thrall, and they have had the following children : Emery 
J., who was born January 16, 1862; Hugh E., born August 6, 1863; Will- 
iam A., May 29, 1867; and Marshall A., ]\Iay 23, 1869^ All were born on 
a farm near Sunbury, Ohio, and are now^ engaged with their father and uncle, 
L. R. Smith, in the manufacture and sale of fertilizers. This company was 
organized in 1895, under the name of The Ohio Farmers' Fertilizer Com- 
pany, with a capital stock of five hundred thousand dollars. Employment 
is furnished to two hundred and fifty- men. The plant is located in Colum- 
bus, covers twelve acres and has a capacity of seven hundred and fifty tons 
a day. The output for 1895 was two thousand tons, but in 1900 was twenty- 
five thousand tons, and shipments were made to twelve different states. The 
machinery and apparatus are most modern and of the most highly approved 
patterns. The demand for the products of the factory is increasing so steadily 
that additions are constantly being made to the plant, and the output is con- 
tinually increasing. The present officers are: Emery J. Smith, president; 
Levi R. Smith, vice-president; William A. Smith, secretary; Marshall Smith, 
Sr., treasurer; and Marshall Smith, Jr., assistant treasurer. The offices of 
the company are located in the Shultz building on North High street, where a 
large staff of employes carry on the office work with perfect system. 

Emery J. Smith, the eldest son, acquired his education in the Ohio Wes- 
leyan University, at Delaw-are, this state, and June 2, 1886, was united in 
marriage with Miss Hannah Jane Hardy, at the home of her uncle, the Rev. 
I. V. K. Seeley, a mile north of Westerville. She was educated at Shepard- 
son College, a school for young ladies at Granville, this state. They no^v 
have six children, namely : Joy Hardy and Elvira Thrall, twins, born April 
8, 1889; Wayland Marshall, born June 4, 1S91 ; Niles Emery, born February 
5, 1895; Donald Hugh, born November 12, 1896; and Ernestine Jane, July 
20. 1900. All w^ere born at Westerville, Ohio. In the spring of 1901 Mr. 
Emery J. Smith, with his family, removed to Columbus and now resides at 
755 Dennison avenue. He is a member of Blendon Lodge, No. 339, F. & 
A. M. ; of Horeb Chapter. No. 3. R. A. M. ; and ]\Iount Vernon Commandery, 
No. I, K. T. 

Hugh E. Smith, the second son, was educated in Sunbury, Ohio, and in 
early manhood became his father's partner in his dry-goods store, hut left 
that enterprise in order to go to Columbus, where he has since been engaged 
in the real-estate business, being recognized as one of the leading- financiersi 
of this city. He married Miss Ina Z. Gunter, at the home of her father, 
William Gunter, of Oswego. Indiana. August 15, 1888. She was educated 
in Shepardson College, and now^ has three children : Lois Elvira, born Octo- 
ber 9, 1889; Paul Alden, March i, 1895; and Lloyd Ovid, July 23, 1899. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 79 

W^illiam A. Smith, the third son, is a grackiate of the high school of Sun- 
burv, Ohio, and attended a commercial college at Cleveland. Immediately 
afteV leaving that institution he became the cashier of the Farmers Bank 
at Snnbnrv where he remained for a number of years, until he became the 
cashier of the Bank of Westerville at Westerville, this state, in which capacity 
he is still serving. The other officers are: Marshall Smith, Sr., president; 
and Emery J. Smith and David Seeley, vice-presidents. He was married to 
Miss Weltha Pinney, at the home of her father, Perry Pinney, four miles 
south of Westerville", and they now have three children : Marian Elvira, born 
October 13, 1897; ^lildred Clorinda, March 15, 1899; and Eleanor Frances, 
Tune 2, 1900. 

Marshall A. Smith, the youngest of the four sons, was graduated at the 
Sunbury high school and then became an equal partner with his father m the 
drv-goods business. He was married, October 16, 1893, to Cora May, a 
dauo-hter of Newton Smith, of Columbus, and their marriage has been blessed 
with three children : Harold A., born July 24, 1896 ; Hurtha Marcia, January 
6 1898; and Marjorie Elvira. December 26, 1899. 

The members of the Smith family have been important factors in the 
business activity of Sunbury, Westerville and Columbus. They are all men 
of good business abilitv, of keen discrimination and sound judgment, of enter- 
prise and energy, and in the legitimate lines of business they have won suc- 
cess and attained positions of prominence in industrial and financial circles. 

CHARLES G. WOLF. 

Charles G. Wolf, who is serving as a passenger engineer on the Big Four 
(Limited) train, was born in Germany on the 14th of August. 1858. His 
father Jacob Wolf, came to this country from Germany m the year 1864, 
bringing with him his family. A location was made in Delaware county, 
Ohio and the father spent his remaining days in the new world, his death 
occurring in 1896, while his wife, Mrs. Dorothy Wolf, is still living at Dela- 
ware, the record of their children is as follows : Fred C. Wolf, who resides 
with his family at Mount Vernon, Ohio, is the owner of the Brick Kiln Com- 
pany • Jacob, who is married and lives in Dayton, Ohio, is a passenger engineer 
on the Big Four Railroad; Emanuel is^ a freight engineer on the same road 
and maintains his residence in Delaware; Benjamin is married and lives m 
Springfield, Ohio, where he is in the shipping department of a wholesale house; 
Georo-e is living in Columbus ; Mrs. William Reece resides upon a farm m 
Texas • Mrs Immel makes her home in Texas ; Mrs. Heller resided in Dela- 
ware until her death, in 1898; and Mrs. Watson, also of Delaware, died while 
visiting in Texas. 

Charles G. Wolf is a self-made man who has depended entirely upon 
his own resources for a living since he was fourteen years of age. At that 
time he began working in a brick-yard in Delaware, and at the age of six- 



80 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

teen he secured a position in the Big Four Raih-oad shops of that city. He 
began firing on the road in 1876, and so capably served that he was promoted 
as freight engineer in 1879. In 1885 he was made a passenger engineer and 
has since occupied that position. For the past ten years he has had preferred 
runs, being the engineer on the hmited train from Columbus to Cincinnati. 
In 1880 he became a member of Division No. 175, Brotherhood of Locomotive 
Engineers. 

]\Ir. Wolf was married, in 1884, to Miss Estella Fruchey, of Delaware, 
Ohio, and their only child, Carl C. Wolf, born in 1885, is now a student in 
the high school of Columbus. Mrs. Wolf's father, Isaac Fruchey, and her 
mother, Mrs. Amanda Fruchey, are yet residents of the capital city. The 
former was born in Franklin county and the latter is a native of Pennsylvania. 
During the Civil war he served as a member of Company K, Fourteenth Ohio 
Infantry. Her uncle, William Parrish, was also in the same regiment, and 
died at Corinth, Mississippi, while four of her father's brothers "wore the 
blue" as members of the Federal army. Her maternal grandfather, Mr. 
Parrish. is now living in Henry county, Ohio, at the advanced age of eighty- 
four years. 

Mr. Wolf and hisi wnfe hold membership in the Presbyterian church 
and are people of the highest respectability, enjoying the warm regard of 
many friends. He belongs to Columbus Lodge, F. & A. M., and to Ohio 
Chapter, R. A. M. In politics he has ever been a stalwart Republican. 
Through the past decade he has resided in Columbus and now owns and occu- 
pies an elegant residence at No. 389 Hamilton avenue. 

CURTIS C. WILLIAMS. 

The name above is suggestive to the citizens of Columbus of such per- 
sonal characteristics as go to make the honorable lawyer and just judge, and 
of such a creditable record as only such a lawyer and judge can win. Curtis 
Chandler Williams was born at Hanoverton, Columbiana county, Ohio, Aug- 
ust 13, 1861, and is of Scotch-Irish and Welsh extraction. According to the 
family records his great-grandfather, in the paternal line, lived to the extra- 
ordinary age of nearly one hundred years. Joseph B. Williams, the grand- 
father, was a native of Washington countv. Pennsylvania, and wedded Mary 
Gilson. He became an early settler of Columbiana county. Ohio, and was 
an active and successful business man. His son. Dr. R. G. Williams, the 
father of the Judge, was born in Columbiana county, in 1837, and married 
Elmira Frost, a daughter of William A. Frost, one of the pioneers of the 
county and a native of the Keystone state. His wife bore the maiden name 
of Beulah Chandler. After a long and successful career as a druggist. Dr. 
Williams is now living a retired life in a pleasant home in Alliance. Ohio. 

Judge Williams obtained his primary education in the public schools and 
later attended the high school at Alliance, where he was prepared for college. 
His higher education was acquired in Mount Union College, at Alliance, where 




CURTIS C WILLIAMS. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 8i 

he was gTaduated with the class of 1883. Subsequently he engaged in teach- 
ing and was for two years superintendent of schools in northern Ohio. He 
then read law, beginning the study of his profession in the office of Converse, 
Booth &' Keating, of Columbus. In 1886, in the capital city, he was admitted 
to the bar and entered upon practice. In 1891 he was elected prosecuting 
attorney of Franklin county, on the Democratic ticket, and in 1894 was a 
candidate for re-election, but was defeated by one hundred and nine votes 
in a county which that year gave a Republican majority of twenty-three hun- 
dred. He was nominated for the office of common pleas judge in 1897 and 
received live hundred votes more than were given for the state ticket and 
was elected. His administration of the high office to which he has been 
called has been in every sense admirable. He has proven himself a consci- 
entious, careful and just judge, who respects the law and the people and, with 
a proper appreciation of the responsibilities resting- upon him, gives due con- 
sideration to all rights and interests involved in every case tried in his court. 
In 1893 Judge Williams was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Owen, 
of Columbus, and unto them have been born two daughters and a son, namely : 
Elmira Anne, Margaret lola and Curtis C, Jr. The Judge is a thirty-second- 
degree Mason, also a Knight Templar and a member of the Mystic Shrine. 
He also is well known and popular as a Knight of Pythias, Odd Fellow, Elk 
and Red Man, being identified with these various organizations. There is 
no movement tending to the advancement of the public weal to which he does 
not lend his encouragement and substantial help. 

JOHN PETZINGER. 

No better illustration of the characteristic energy and enterprise of the 
typical German-American citizen can be found than that afforded by the career 
of this well known farmer of Truro township. Coming to this country with 
no capital except his abilities, he has made his way to success through wisely 
directed efforts, and he can now look hack with satisfaction upon past 
struggles. 

Mr. Petzinger was born in Germany June 15, 1832, and is a son of Adam 
Petzinger, a carpenter and farmer, who spent his entire life in that country. 
His paternal grandfather was John Petzinger. who served nine years in the 
German army. Our subject is the third in order of birth in a family of five 
children, the others being Philip, Adam, Mary and Christine. Four of the 
number are still living. 

In his native land John Petzinger learned the carpenter's trade, and also 
became familiar with the duties which fall to the lot of the farmer. In 1S54. 
at the age of twenty-two years, he crossed the broad Atlantic, and from 
'New York came direct to Columbus, Ohio, where he had an uncle living. 
On his arrival here he found employment with a Mr. Carlyle, a carpenter, and 
later worked a year and a half for his uncle. Subsequently he did odd jnbs 
for a while, and then hired out to a Mr. Grev as a farm laborer, remaining 



82 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

in his emi)loy for two years and a half. He was then enipli^yed l)y ^Matthew 
Brown for two and a half years, when he again spent one year with Mr. 
Grey. The following year he worked for John E. Kile, for the same length 
of time for Harris Johnson, and in 1864 for William Bulen. 

j\lr. Petzinger then purchased eighteen acres of land in Truro township, 
where he now resides, and on this place he has built a log house, making it his 
home until he cleared his small farm. The following year he was able to 
buy sixteen and a half acres adjoining his place, and a year later bought thir- 
teen acres, for which he paid one hundred dollars peracre. In 1878 he pur- 
chased the John Schaff farm of fifty-three and a half acres, paying for the 
same, one hundred and three dollars per acre. From John McGuffey he pur- 
chased one hundred and nine acres of land, for which he paid eighty-four dol- 
lars per acre, and two years later bought thirty acres from the same person 
for seventy-five dollars per acre. His^ farm, which now comprises two hun- 
dred and thirty-eight acres, is all under a high state of cultivation, while the 
improvements found thereon are estimated to be worth twenty-eight thousand 
dollars. His life affords an excellent example to the young, in that he com- 
menced life here without money, but having a determination to succeed he 
industriously applied himself until he has acquired a handsome property. He 
now devotes his time and attention to the collection of his rents and to the 
operation of his land. 

Mr. Petzinger was married, in Columbus, in 1861, to Miss Eva Weaber, 
also a native of the fatherland. They have become the parents of eight chil- 
dren, all of whom are still living, namely: John C, who married ]\Iary 
Pfantz. and has one child. Clara ; Louisa, who married John Pfantz, and has 
four children, — Eva, Charles, Harry and Walter ; Charles ; Mary ; George ; 
Kate, who married William Bickel and has three children, — Lydia, Mary and 
Herman ; Adam ; and Philip. They also have eight grandchildren, — Eva, 
Charles, Harry, Walter, Clara, Lydia, Mary and Herman. The family hold 
membership in the German Lutheran church, to wdiich Mr. Petzinger is a 
liberal contributor and in the work of which he takes. an active and prominent 
part. In national politics he supports the men and measures of the Democ- 
racy, but at local elections votes independently of party ties. For one year 
he filled the office of road supervisor and was school director two years. He 
is well known throughout his adopted county, having many warm friends 
within its borders, and by all is held in high regard for his sterling character 
and worth. 

EDGAR D. MINER. 

Among the w^ell known representati\'es of agricultural interests in Ham- 
ilton township, Franklin county, is Edgar D. Aliner, who is living on the old 
family homestead on section 35, where he owns and operates one hundred 
and seventy acres of land. He was born on this farm March 9, 1854, a son 
of Thomas Davidson and Maria (Swisher) Miner. The father was^ born in 
Vermont, and became one of the early settlers of Franklin county, Ohio, but 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 83 

died ill 1856, when our subject was only two years of age. . The mother was 
born in this county in 18 13, a representative of one of its honored pioneer 
famines, and her death occurred in her seventy-ninth year. Both parents had 
been previously married. By hisi first union the father had four daughters, 
three of whom are now living: Mrs. Asenath Bortel, Mrs. Fanny bhedd, 
of Columbus, Mrs. Elvira Sloosen, of New York. By her first marriage 
Mrs. Miner became the mother of four daughters and five sons, and by her 
second marriage she had two sons, Edgar D. being the older. His brother 
died in 1877, and he is therefore the only representative of the family living. 

Mr. Aliner remained on the old homestead until twenty-three years of 
ao-e, and during that time attended the district schools and assisted in the work 
of the farm. He then removed to Lockbourne, where lie remained for two 
years, and also spent two years in Shadeville. On the expiration of that 
period he removed to Pickaway county, where he resided for six years, en- 
gaged in farming. In 1887 he returned to the old homestead, where he has 
since resided, devoting his energies to general farming. He has here one 
hundred and seventy acres of rich and arable land, the greater part of which 
is under a high state of cultivation and the place is improved with all the 
accessories and conveniences of the model farm. 

Mr. Miner was married in Hamilton to Anna Brantner. a native of Ham- 
ilton township, who died leaving a daughter. Florence. wh(^ is still with her 
father. For his second wife Mr. Miner chose Emma Chittum. wlio was 
born in Pickaway county, Ohio, but was reared in Franklin county. They 
now^ have five children:' Neva A., Mary, Harry, Anna and Ethel, all at 
home. 

In his political afiiliations Mr. Miner is a Repuljlican, and i.- actively inter- 
ested in the growth and success of his party. Altliough the township is Dem- 
ocratic, he w^as elected a trustee in 1899, and is now filling that position, dis- 
charging his duties with promptness and fidelity. He is a member of the 
Masonic Lodge of Lockbourne, and belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church. 
Of one of the oldest and most honored pioneer families of the county he is 
a worthy representative. Flis career has been an active and useful one. in 
which his w^ll directed efforts, guided l^y straightforward principles, have 
secured to him a gratifying competence. 

WASHINGTON T. REES. 

That sturdv and patriotic Pennsylvania stock which has proven so val- 
uable an element in the citizenship of the west contributed to a considerable 
extent to the production of Washington T. Rees, who lives on section 26, 
Hamilton township, Franklin county, Ohio, and is one of the leaders in pub- 
lic aft'airs in that township. 

Mr. Rees was born six miles northeast of Lancaster, Fairfield county, 
Ohio, February 22, 1837, a son of Amor and Julia A. (Hersh) Rees. Amor 



84 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Rees, a native of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, was married in that state 
to Mrs. Julia A. Frank, nee Hersh, and came to Ohio about 183 1 and located 
in Fairfield county. In 1840 he settled on the farm in Hamilton township, 
P'ranklin county, Ohio, now owned by Washington T. Rees, and he died 
there in 1865, in the sixty-third year of his age. Politically he was a Whig 
until the Republican party was organized, and after that he worked heart and 
soul with the Republicans and became known throughout the county as an 
influential man in the party. \A'hen he came to Hamilton township and set- 
tled in the woods but little had been done except by nature to provide for his 
future wants and those of his family, and nearly everything was yet to be 
done that a devoted and industrious pioneer could lay his hands to. He not 
only developed a good farm, but a& a patriotic citizen was instrumental in 
advancing the material and political interests of his county, and he died re- 
gretted by all who' had been familiar with his life and works. His father, 
John Rees, of W^elsh descent, was born, lived and died in Pennsylvania. 
Julia A., the wife of Amor Rees, was born in Pennsylvania, of German par- 
entage and could speak in German. She was a model wife and mother and 
nobly bore her part of the hardships of pioneer days in Ohio. She died in 
Columbus, Ohio, at the age of sixty-four vears. The only surviving member 
of her first family of children, by Mr. Frank, is Mrs. John Rathmell. 

Amor and Julia A. Rees had nine children, five of whom died in infancy 
and four of whom grew to manhood and womanhood, and of w'hom the sub- 
ject of this sketch is the only one living at this time. Washington T. Rees 
was the seventh child and sixth son of his parents in order of nativity, and 
was three years old when the family came to Franklin county, Ohio. He 
was brought up to assist in the work of the farm, which he helped to clear 
and develop, and his earliest recollections of school life bring up a picture of 
a little log schoolhouse with puncheon seats and slab writing tables. When 
he was twelve years old a brick schoolhouse was built in his home district and 
he attended school in it until he was seventeen. Then he became a student 
at the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio, and after remaining there 
two years he returned home and assisted his father until he was twenty-one 
years old, when he took up the battle of life for himself. With his father and 
iDrother he was interested in a distillery until 1865, when they sold the enter- 
prise and from that day to this he has been a farmer, industrious, progress- 
ive and successful. 

February 6, 1862, Mr. Rees married Eliza Stimmel, a native of Frank- 
lin township, Franklin county, and a daughter of Jacob and Mary Stimmel, 
who were early settlers^ there. They have had two children. Their daugh- 
ter Bessie married W. B. Drum, now a resident of Cleveland, Ohio, and they 
have a son, named Mark Rees Drum. Their son, Ned E., married Julia E. 
Ditto and has a son named Hubert. He lives on a part of the family home- 
stead in Hamilton township. 

]\Ir. Rees is an unswerving Republican, who approves of the course of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 85 

the party in the past, is in accord with its present poHcy and has full confi- 
dence in its future, and while he is not an office-seeker, he wields a recognized 
influence in local politics and works consistently and conscientiously for Re- 
publican success. He has filled the office of trustee of his township and has 
been otherwise prominent in public affairs. As a representative farmer he is 
well known throughout the county, and his fine farm of three hundred acres, 
which is beautifully situated on Walnut creek, is one of the model farms of 
the state. 

WILLIAM WATTS. 

William Watts, one of the pioneer residents of Franklin county, Ohio, 
w^as born upon a farm near where he now resides, March 2, 1818, and was 
the son of John Watts, who was born near Albany, New York. He was 
married there to Sarah Goethschins, and they came to Franklin county, Ohio, 
in 1812. Then all the land was cheap in this county, John Watts being 
offered at that time the land upon which the city of Columbus is now built 
for one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. With his family he settled 
in the heart of the woods, built a log cabin and engaged in the clearing of the 
land. He was a soldier in the war of 18 12 and always lived an exemplary 
life, his death occurring from the kick of a horse. His wife survived him 
until about the age of fifty years, when she died of consumption, leaving five 
children, — Nicholas, William, Hiram, Sarah and Catherine. 

William Watts was but four years of as'e when he was so unfortunate 
as to lose the care of his father, but as soon as able he endeavored to assist 
his mother, working for neighbors, and he also tried to save some money 
with which to pay for his education, the schools of that period being sub- 
scription schools. Eight dollars a month was paid him for his first attempt, 
the greater part of this being put aside, which finally amounted to enough 
to enable him to purchase fifty acres of land. Soon afterward he purchased 
thirty acres more, making a farm which he was able to sell for a good price. 
He then moved to his present farm, consisting of one hundred acres, which 
is now valued at one hundred and fiftv dollars an acre. He has been very 
successful in his farming operations and the land shows a fine state of culti- 
vation. 

Mr. \A'atts was first married to Margaret Chambers, of Franklin town- 
ship, and eleven children were born to them, a record of whom is given upon 
another page of this work. For his second wife Air. \\'atts married Demaries 
Johnson, and six children have been born of this union : Frank, who is a 
farmer and dairyman in this township ; Edward, who is a motorman on a 
street railway in Columbus ; Lester, wdio is also engaged in the dairy business ; 
Nettie, who is the wife of Charles Holt, a dairyman; and Chester and Harry, 
who died when young. 

Mr. Watts is an intelligent man who takes a great interest in the ab- 



S6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

sorbing questions now agitating the political world. He was a Whig until 
the formation of the Republican party, since which time his affiliations have 
been with it. He has served many times on the grand jury, has been trustee 
of his township and has also held the office of supervisor. Both he and 
his family are consistent members of the Methodist church, in which he takes 
a deep interest. He is well known through the county which has been his 
home for so many years and he possesses the respect of all. 

GEORGE GEYER. 

One of the most prominent farmers residing in Norwich township, 
Franklin county, Ohio, is George Geyer, the subject of this sketch. He was 
born in Bavaria, Germany, November 9, 1825, and was a son of Adam H. 
and Margaret (Koerner) Geyer, the former of whom was also a native of 
Bavaria and served in the German army. By trade he was a wagon-maker, 
but after reaching America he worked as a gardener, later becoming a resi- 
dent of Brunswick, New Jersey, where both parents died. The children 
were John, who died in Ohio, having married Margaret Fifer; Conrad, who 
married Margaret Smith in New York and finally died in Iowa; Andrew, 
who married Mina Swartz, located on Long Island; John George, who died 
at Brunswick, New Jersey; Susan, who married Henry Schweitzer and died 
in New York; George, who is our subject; and Adam, who married Cath- 
erine Rocht and resides at Booneville, Indiana. 

Until the age of fourteen our subject attended the schools in Bavaria 
near his home, then engaged in work as a farm hand until 1841, when he 
accompanied his parents to America. The long trip was made on a sailing 
vessel, and the little family had forty-one days of sea life before the welcome 
harbor of New York was reached. In that city our subject soon found em- 
ployment, entering an establishment where he learned the baker's trade, 
W'hich he followed for some time. 

Mr. Geyer was married on August 26, 1852, to Miss Mary Koerner, 
who was born in Germany March 6, 1831, a daughter of John and Susan 
(Snyder) Koerner. She was six years old w4ien her parents brought her to 
the United States, the vessel on which they sailed being named Republic, 
and belonging to the line between Bremen, Germany, and the city of New 
York. Her parents immediately located in Franklin county and her first 
school days were passed in Norwich township ; and Mrs. Geyer kindly remem- 
bers her first teacher, Sarah Ann Viddum, as it was this lady who taught 
her to speak the English tongue. The school sessions were held in a log 
house with a puncheon floor and a latch string hung at the door. Those 
were yet pioneer days and the children were not afforded any superior edu- 
cational advantages. 

After marriage our subject with his wife left the great eastern metropolis 
and started westward, locating in Norwich township. Franklin county, Ohio, 
where he and his brother bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 87 

this has been his home ever since. i\Ir. Geyer, assisted much by his esti- 
mable wife, finally acquired a total of five hundred and seventy acres in 
Norwich, Prairie and Brown townships, and has been very successful. In 
1872 he erected his present commodious and comfortable residence, the for- 
mer one having- been of logs, in dimensions twenty-two by eighteen. The 
children born to Mr. and Mrs. Geyer are : John Adam, a fine young man, 
\\dio died at the age of twenty-one; Stephen, who lived to be forty-three; 
George, who resides in Prairie township, married Elizabeth Carl; Veit, who 
married Mary Rankin; Annie, who married Charles Rankin; Andrew, who 
married Nettie Eiderman; Sovilla; and John A., who married Bertha Kuhn, 
and resides in Prairie township. 

Both Mr. and Mrs. Geyer are consistent and valued members of St. 
Jacob's Lutheran church, where they possess the esteem of every one. In 
his political opinions our subject is a stanch Democrat. The whole family 
:s one known throughout the neighborhood for high character and sterling 
honesty. 

JOHN RATHMELL. 

John Rathmell, deceased, was for many years a leading and representa- 
tive farmer of Franklin county, and was a valued citizen, held in the highest 
respect by all who knew him. He was born in Madison township, this 
county, June 29, 1820. His father, Thomas Rathmell, was a native of 
Pennsylvania and one of the honored pioneer settlers of Franklin county, 
whither he came about 1816. He was a blacksmith by trade, and followed 
that pursuit for many years in this locality, but also developed a farm in the 
midst of the forest. He was of English descent, a representative of a very 
prominent family of Bolton, England, the Rathmells being actively con- 
nected with banking interests of that city. In Bucks county, Pennsylvania, 
he wedded Mary Smith, a native of the Keystone state. . Her father was 
of Pennsylvania German descent, was a blacksmith by trade, and made one 
of the first settlements in Franklin county. John Rathmell was the eldest 
of three children, two sons and a daughter. 

Reared in Franklin county, his education was obtained m the primitive 
log school house, supplemented by study in Central College, Blendon. Later 
he engaged in teaching through the winter months, while in the summer 
season he followed farming. At one time among his pupils was Susan 
Frank, and on the i6th of January, 1845, they were married. She was 
born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, December 3, 1825. and is a daugh- 
ter of Jacob Frank, who was born, reared and died in the same county. 
He was a miller by trade and followed that occupation throughout his busi- 
ness career. His father was a native of Bavaria. "Mrs. Rathmell's mother, 
v.hose maiden name was Julia Hersh, was also born in Pennsylvania. By 
her first marriage she had six children, the youngest of whom. Mrs. Rath- 
mell, was only about fifteen months old at the time of the father's death, 
and she is the only one now living. Her mother afterward became the wife 
of Amor Rees, and they had four children who reached mature years, but 



88 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Washington T. Rees is now the only one who survives. Mrs. Rathmell 
was only live years of age when brought to Ohio, the family locating in 
Fairfield county. They made the journey by wagon and were seventeen 
days upon the way, stopping at the old-fashioned taverns for the night and 
to obtain supplies. ^ She lived in Fairfield county for ten years, wdien the 
family removed to Franklin county, locating in Hamilton township. Her 
education was acquired in log school houses, furnished with split-log seats, 
while a slab placed upon pins inserted into the wall served for desks. 

After the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Rathmell they located on the farm 
where the wadow now resides, and there the husband engaged in agricultural 
pursuits throughout his remaining days, placing his land under a high state 
of cultivation and thereby acquiring a gratifying income. The home was 
blessed by the presence of eight children : Thomas J., who married Crissie 
Vause, is a farmer of Hamilton township, and they have three children, — 
Allyn, Leonard and Florence; Julia A. is the wife of Michael Brantner, a 
farmer of Hamilton township; John R., a practicing physician, married 
Edith Beach, who w-as born at West Jefferson, Madison county. Ohio, a 
daughter of Dr. John Noble Beach, who was for forty years a practicing 
physician there, but is now deceased; Dr. Rathmell is a graduate of the Ohio 
Wesleyan University at- Delaware, and the Starling Medical College, and 
is now medical practitioner at Chattanooga, Tennessee. His wife was one 
of his classmates in the Ohio Wesleyan University, of which she, too, is a 
graduate. Their children are Maude E. and John Beach. Frank, the next 
member of the Rathmell family, an attorney of Columbus, married Emma 
Felch, of that city, and they have one daughter, Margaret Helen ; Jennie is 
at home with her mother; Mattie is the wife of C. H. Tingley, a grain mer- 
chant of Columbus, and they have three children, Herman, Lucy and Edwin 
Cowen; Hattie is the wife of Lewis L. Rankin, an attorney oj Columbus, 
and they have three children, Stanley, Bertha and Allen; and Ollie is a 
teacher and resides at home. 

In his political views Mr. Rathmell was a Democrat until the inaugura- 
tion of the Civil war, when he espoused the cause of the Union and became 
a Republican. He was a well-read man, keeping informed on all the issues 
of the day, political and otherwise. Before his marriage he was a member 
of the Presbyterian church, but afterward became a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal church and took a very active part in its work, serving as a class- 
leader, steward and superintendent of the Sunday-school for many years. 
He withheld his support from no measure or movement which he believed 
would prove of general good along material, social, intellectual or moral 
lines. In manner he was kindly, and at all times honorable and upright, 
and he therefore enjoyed the high regard of those with whom he came in 
contact. He passed away October 24, 1885, his remains being interred in 
Walnut Hill cemetery, Mrs. Rathmell, however, still resides on the old 
homestead, which comprises one hundred and six acres of land and is oper- 
ated by her son Thomas. She has been a member of the Methodist Episco- 
pal church since 1842, and hers has been an earnest, consistent Christian life. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 89 

JUSTIN PINNEY. 

Throughout his entire Hfe Justin Pinney has made his home in Frankhn 
county. He possesses those characteristics which make a forceful man in 
the affairs of Hfe and is therefore a valued citizen. He hokls tenaciously to 
his honest convictions and it is doubtful if he ever weighed an act of his in 
the scale of policy or shaped it to gain public favor. His pleasing personality 
and his sterling worth have made him one of the most highly esteemed men 
of his community and the circle of his true friends is extensive. 

Mr. Pinney was born in Columbus, Ohio, January 27, 1839. His boy- 
hood was passed in the city and in the public schools he acquired a good prac- 
tical education. Under the parental roof he remained until 1859, at which 
time he entered the service of the Little Miami, Columbus' & Xenia Railroad 
Company as brakesman, in which capacity he creditably served for more 
than a year, when, owing to his splendid record, his adaptability and his trust- 
w^orthiness, he was promoted over others who had been much longer in the 
service and made freight conductor. Mr. Pinney was upon the road at the 
time the Civil war was begun. The call for troops' roused his patriotic spirit 
and he at once volunteered, joining Company B of the Columbus Videttes 
under Captain Henry Thrall. This was at the first call for seventy-five thou- 
sand troops to serve for three months. Mr. Pinney was mustered in as_a 
private and almost immediately the company was assigned to the Second Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry and transferred to the seat of war, then in the vicinity 
of Washington, D. C, He participated in the battle of Bull Run July 21, 
1861, This engagement was fought by the regiment after its term had 
expired, and be it said to the everlasting honor and credit of the men in the 
ranks that when the officers appealed to them to remain every man assented 
and did brave duty upon the field of action. 

Mr. Pinney with his command afterward returned to Columbus, where 
he was' mustered out, and the day following he was given charge of a train 
upon the road where he had previously been employed. He was subsequently 
tendered a captain's commission to command a company already recruited, 
and upon appealing to the officers of the road as to what he should do they 
informed him that his remaining on the road was a military necessity and 
that if he accepted the commission they would have him detailed for service 
on the road, as his aid in that direction was indispensable to the company. 
During the war, therefore, he remained with the corporation and in the 
interim took the train load of soldiers from Columbus to Dayton at the time 
of the Vallandingham riots to suppress the same, and marched at the head 
of the troops to the scene of the disturbance. During the entire period of the 
war he stood close to the company as its most trusted agent, and to his care 
were entrusted the most delicate duties, in the performance of which he 
invariably made a good record for himself. He followed railroading for 
twentv-one vears, being engaged for fifteen years on the Little ^liami, now 



90 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

the Cincinnati division of the Panhandle road. He afterward worked under 
J. F. Miller, of the Indianapolis division, in ^•arious capacities, such as yard 
master and assistant superintendent, being thus employed for four years. 
He then took a passenger run on the Cincinnati Southern from Cincinnati 
to Chattanooga, tilling that position for two years. He was then tendered a 
position on the West Shore road out of New York city, as passenger con- 
ductor, but on account of his mother's illness he decided to remain and care 
for her during the last years of her life. Accordingly he settled in Sharon 
township upon a farm; here he has since engaged in the dairy business, meet- 
ing with good success in this undertaking. 

Mr. Pinney has been twice married. He first wedded Miss Maggie 
Beattey, the w^edding taking place in Columbus April lo, 1862. On the 
17th of June, 1 88 1, he married Miss Ida T. Webster. They have no chil- 
dren of their own, but are rearing two adopted children — Ida, a daughter of 
hisi brother Nathan, and Henry Gordon, who takes the name of his foster 
father. In Masonic circles Mr. Pinney has a state-wide reputation. He 
belongs to New England Lodge, No. 4, A. F. & A. M., and has been grand 
master of the grand lodge of Ohio for six years. He has taken the royal 
arch and council degrees and has attained the thirty-second degree of the 
Scottish rite. He is dimitted from Ark Lodge, No. 270, I. O. O. F., of 
Worthington, and belongs to H. C. Burr Post, No. 711, G. A. R., of Worth- 
ington, while for tv^'o years he was commander of Elias J. Beers Post, No. 
575. Politically he affiliates with the Republican party upon all questions 
at issue before the people and has been an active member of the party since 
its organization, doing all in his power to insure its success. For a number 
of years he has served as township committeeman and on a number of 
occasions has served as a delegate to the county and state conventions. 
Wherever he is known, in business life, in social circles or in politics, he is 
a man of his honest convictions, fearless in defense of what he believes to be 
right, and his worth is widely acknowledged. He is resolute in carrying out 
a course of action which he iDelieves is for the best without counting the cost 
or the consequences. He is clear and incisi^'e in his speech, logical in his 
reasoning, is quick to decide, never neglects the call of duty even though it 
is irksome and unpleasant. Would that the country had more such men! 
He is a true friend, an obliging neighbor and a good citizen, whose upright 
life and honorable character are indeed worthy of commendation and emu- 
lation. 

EBER H. HARMAN. 

Eber Hyde Harman, who holds the responsible position of state examiner 
of stationary engineers in the third district of Ohio, comprising seventeen 
counties, is a native of this state, his birth occurring in Fairfield county in 
1868. His father, Amos T. Harman, was born in Pickaway county in 1837, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 91 

and was a son of Jacob Harman, who came from Pennsylvania to Ohio at 
a very early day and settled in Pickaway county. The latter was a merchant, 
who was extensively engaged in buying and selling produce, which he rafted 
down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans. For twelve years 
Amos T. Harman was one of the leading merchants of Rushville, and on dis- 
posing of his interests there in 1873 came to Columbus and accepted a posi- 
tion as a traveling salesman, being still on the road. He served in the 
militia in the Civil war, and while a resident of Fairfield county held the office 
of township treasurer for some time during early manhood. He married 
Miss Martha E. Hyde, and to them were born two children,— Eber Hyde, 
our subject, and Mrs. J. C. Pugh. Mrs. Harman is a daughter of Dr. Simon 
Hyde, of Rushville, who was born in Massachusetts, and studied medicine 
in the east. On coming to this state he located first in Franklinton, Frank- 
lin county, before Columbus was founded, but owing to the conditions here 
he moved to Fairfield county, where he enjoyed a large and lucrative practice 
for many years, dying there in 1866, when about seventy-five years of age. 

Mr. Harman, of this review, was educated in the public schools of 
Columbus and at a commercial college, and then took up the occupation of 
locomotive fireman for three years, and for the past eight years that of a 
stationary engineer. In 1898 he passed the required United States civil-serv- 
ice examination for engineer in the federal building, and was appointed to 
that position by Secretary Gage, but did not accept it. He received his 
present appointment in 1900 from G. T^I. Collier, the chief examiner of sta- 
tionary engineers for the state of Ohio, under Governor Nash, and at once 
entered upon the duties of the office, which he is now discharging in a most 
creditable and satisfactory manner. He was chosen for that position owing 
to his ability as; an engineer, and his term is for three years. He is one of 
the most prominent and popular members of his profession in the city, has 
been chosen as a delegate to state conventions of stationary engineers, and is 
a charter member of the Buckeye Association, No. 38, of the National Asso- 
ciation of Stationary Engineers, of Columbus, of which he was vice-presi- 
dent two years and secretary for three years, resigning the ofiice at the end 
of that time. 

In his political affiliations Mr. Harman is a stanch Reoublican, and takes 
an active and commendable interest in public affairs. Fraternally he is a 
member of the Independent Order of Foresters and of the Masonic order, 
and religiously is a member of the Methodist church. He is a wide-awake, 
energetic young business man, who has been found true tp every trust reposed 
in him, and justly merits the high regard in which he is held. 

NOR^IAN WOODRUFF. 

Norman Woodruff" is a representative of one of the pioneer families of 
Ohio, and throughout his entire career he has been connected with agricult- 
ural pursuits. His life record demonstrates the potency of industrv in the 



92 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

business world, and hisi indefatigable energy and resolution have enabled 
him to win a place of affluence in Franklin county. He was born in Fair- 
field county, Ohio, November 13, 1832, and is a son of Brace and Eliza 
(Cooper) Woodruff. His great-grandfather, Wiard Woodruff^ was a native 
of London, England, and his father was at one time lord mayor of the city. 
His mother bore the maiden name of Eunice Wiard. When a young man 
Wiard Woodruff came to America, and through more than a century represen- 
tatives of the name have been found in New England. There is well authenti- 
cated tradition that the family were attending church in Burlington, Ver- 
mont, on Sunday, September 11, 1814 — the day on which the battle of Platts- 
burg occurred, — and with their neighbors went out upon a hillock to watch 
with breathles's suspense the progress of the naval engagement then occurring 
on the lake, and witnessed the brilliant victory of the American fleet that 
checked the invasion of the British forces from Canada and caused them to 
make an immediate retreat. In the fall of 181 5 or the spring of 18 16 the 
grandfather of our subject emigrated to Ohio and took up his abode in Fair- 
field county, where he spent his remaining days. 

Brace Woodruff, the father of our subject, was born in Burlington, Ver- 
mont, in 1804, and when a lad of twelve summers accompanied his: parents 
tu the Buckeye state. He was a son of Wiard and Ruth (Brace) Wood- 
ruff, both of whom were natives of Connecticut, whence in early life they 
removed with their respective parents to Vermont and were there reared and 
married. At the time mentioned they came to Ohio, locating in Fairfield 
county, where they remained until called to their final rest. They had eight 
clnldren, who reached mature years, namely : George, Brace, Rice, Mabel, 
Hulda, Sally, Alma and Laura. As they attained to adult age the father 
gave to each of his sons eighty acres of land and his daughters: a similar 
amount or its equivalent in money. The grandfather was a blacksmith by 
trade and his sons cleared and developed his farm. 

Brace Woodruff was reared on the home place in Fairfield county, and 
after attaining to man's estate was united in marriage with Miss Eliza Cooper, 
who was born in Virginia August 25, 1807, and was a daughter of James 
and Elizabeth Cooper. Her father died in the Old Dominion, but his widow 
afterward came with her children to Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Woodruff began 
their domestic life upon the farm which had been given him by his father, 
and he erected there a log cabin, in which two of their children were born. 
Li December, 1836, however, he sold that farm and came to Franklin county, 
purchasing two hundred and fi'fty acres of land, at two dollars and a half per 
acre. Here he erected a cabin near the present home of his son Hiram, and 
on the farm which he cleared and improved he continued to reside until his 
death. He was an active supporter of the Whig party in early life and on 
its dissolution joined the ranks of the Republican party. Reared in the 
faith of the Presbyterian church, his sympathies w^ere with that denomina- 
tion, but he never became a member. He was, however, one of the sturdy 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 93 

pioneer characters and his word was as good as his bond, so that he enjoyed 
the unquaHfied confidence and respect of all who knew him. He passed away 
in 1 88 1, and his wife, surviving him several years, died January 12, 1889. 
They were the parents of nine children, four of whom are yet living: Xor- 
man; Polina, the wife of Wirt Whitehead, of Columbus; Hiram, of Jeffer- 
son township; and Minerva, the wife of Joseph Krumm, an agriculturist of 
Truro township. 

Norman Woodruff, whose name begins this record, spent his childhood 
days under the parental roof and experienced the hardships and trials which 
form a part of the lot of frontier settlers. He acquired a limited education 
in a primitive school held in a log building, and was early trained to the work 
of the farm, becoming familiar with the arduous task of developing the wild 
land and transforming it into richly cultivated fields. After his marriage, 
August 24, 1856, he engaged in operating a part of the home farm upon the 
shares! for two years. Long prior to this time, however, he had had "a desire 
to learn the tanner's trade, and in September, 1858, he purchased a small 
tan yard in Reynoldsburg. and hired a competent tanner to work for him 
by the day; he thus mastered the business both in principle and detail. He 
followed that pursuit during the war, doing a good business ; he was also 
looked upon as' one of the leading and influential men of Reynoldsburg. He 
was chosen to solicit substitutes to prevent the draft which was to be made 
in Truro township, and performed this task although he had to sacrifice his 
business interests to do it. In 1871 he removed to Iowa, but not finding con- 
ditions there as he had anticipated after a few months he returned to Ohio 
and purchased seventy-five acres of land, upon which he has since resided. 
Through the past twenty-eight years he has devoted his' energies to agricult- 
ural pursuits, but he recently retired from active business life, and in the 
spring of 1901 removed to Columbus, there enjoying a quiet retirement, tlie 
fruits of his toil. 

On the 24th of August, 1856, JMr. \\'oodruff was united in marriage 
to Mis's Eveline Doran, a native of Baker's Run. Hardie county. Virginia, 
and a daughter of John and Rhoda (Baker) Doran, who came to Ohio about 
1836, locating in Truro township, on Big Walnut creek. The marriage of 
Mr. and Mrs. Woodruff has been blessed with five children, only two of the 
number now living. William ]\I., the eldest, is a grocer of Columbus, and 
Charles W., the youngest, is a traveling salesman. The others are Rosa 
B., Eldora and Elmer W. The last named was a well known physician of 
the capital city, more extended mention of whom will be made later. ^Nlr. 
and Mrs. Woodruff hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church and 
are consistent and faithful Christian people. He is a member of Truro Lodge, 
No. 411, L O. O. F.. of Reynoldsburg, and Reynoldsburg Lodge, No. 340, 
F. & A. M. In politics he is a Republican, and for two terms served as 
trustee of his township, while for many years he was school director. All 
who know Norman \\^oodrufif respect him for his sterling worth and his many 



94 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

excellent qualities. His word is as good as his bond. His life has been in 
harnionv with every manly principle and his kindly spirit has won him the 
warm friendship of a large circle of acquaintance;. 

ELMER W'lARD WOODRUFF, ]M. D. 

In the death of Dr. Elmer Wiard Woodruff the medical profession lost 
one of its prominent and valued representatives, the community one of its 
valued citizens and his parents a loving and devoted son. He was the s^econd 
son and fourth child of Norman and Eveline (Doran) Woodruff, and was 
born in Reynoldsburg, Franklin county, Ohio, June 23, 1863, his death 
occurring in Columbus on the 24th of May, 1900. The following history 
is taken from a biography prepared by Samuel Carroll Derby, A. M., pro- 
fessor of Latin in the Ohio State University : 

Elmer Woodruff's early years' were spent upon his father's farm and 
given to the varied duties and tiresome employments of a farm life. He 
was a good boy, quiet and industrious, and as he had opportunity studied, 
but was not precocious or especially quick, but was fond of reading. His 
rather limited general education was gained at the public schools of Reynolds- 
burg, and after attending one or more terms of normal school he engaged in 
teaching, in the autumn and winter of 1885-6, in Plain township, and through 
the following winter in Jefferson township. He spent a portion of the time 
from 1885 to 1887 in the employment of his uncle, R. J. Rhoads, who con- 
ducted a grocery and provision business in North Columbus. His evenings 
were employed in study at one of the commercial colleges of the city. At 
this time apparently he took the first steps toward preparing himself for the 
medical profession. The year 1887-8 was spent by him under the instruction 
and for the most part in the ofBce of Jacob T. Mills, M. D., of Jersey, Ohio. 
His attention was devoted to anatomy, physiology and materia medica and 
other branches of medical training. Dr. Mills describes him as a careful 
student, slow and cautious rather than quick in grasping new ideas, but one 
whose painstaking methods gave a tenacious hold upon the facts which hard 
study alone made him master. 

In 1888 Elmer Woodruff entered the Starling Medical College and w^as 
graduated in 1891. He then returned to Jersey and was associated in the 
practice of medicine there with his early friend and preceptor. Dr. Mills, 
who found him no les's agreeable as a fellow worker than he had formerly 
been as a pupil. After four years spent in the irksome country practice and 
still dissatisfied with his previous attainments, and with that growing appre- 
ciation of the value of a more thorough training which appears to have been 
one of his characteristic traits, he took a post-graduate course in the New 
York Post-Graduate School. He then came to Columbus, in September, 
1895, opened an office and began systematically to cultivate those connections 
and acquaintanceships which conduce to professional success. His associates 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 95 

in the profession characterized him as a cool and cautions but yet unselfish 
and sympathetic physician. Recognition of his worth came in due time. In 
1898 his alma mater appointed him instructor in minor surgery, and in that 
position he was a successful teacher, in favor alike with students and his 
associates in the college. At the Denver meeting of the American Medical 
Association in 1898 Dr. Woodruff was elected assistant secretary for the 
following year and was untiring in his exertion to promote the success of the 
meeting of that association held in Columbus in 1899. His efforts were 
highly appreciated and w^ere a distinct help in making that gathering of five 
thousand physicians creditable in its arrangements and satisfactory to the 
members. He belonged to the Columbus Academy of Medicine, the Ohio 
State Medical Association, the Mississippi Valley Association and the Amer- 
ican Medical Association. Many of these bodies, by carefully drawn resolu- 
tions, took official note of his death. The Columbus Academy of Medicine, 
on May 26, 1900, in substance, passed the following: 

"Resolved, that all recognize in Dr. Woodruff an honorable, conscien- 
tious co-worker, devoted to the highest interests of his profession as a prac- 
titioner and as a teacher in the Starling Medical College. 

"Resolved, that in his death the academy has sustained the loss of an 
active and useful member, whose high professional honor and exemplary 
life are worthy of remembrance." 

Dr. Woodruff was a member of many social and charitable societies 
and orders, including the Odd Fellows, Free Masons, the Red Cross and the 
Old Northwest Genealogical Society. Of the last named he became a mem- 
ber in October, 1897, manifesting a lively interest in its success and gen- 
erously opened his office for its meetings, and for a time furnished room for 
its library. During the Mills meetings held in the city Dr. Woodruff's atten- 
tion was newly brought to the need of a religious life and he very soon united 
with the King Avenue Methodist Episcopal church, of which he remained 
a consistent and beloved member during the remainder of his^ life. In poli^ 
tics he was a Republican. He was unmarried and made his home with his 
brother. William M. Woodruff, at No. 1300 Neil avenue. 

Dr. Woodruff was of splendid build, about five feet, nine inches tall, 
with very dark hair, hazel eyes and a dark complexion. His movements 
were quick, but his mode of speaking deliberate and studied. During the 
•spring of 1900 he was unusually busy with his professional work. The needs 
of his patients were so urgent and their calls so numerous that his strength 
was overtaxed in meeting them and his system exhausted by lack of sleep. 
On the 1 6th of May he was taken suddenly ill with acute pneumonia and died 
on the 24th of the same month. The funeral services were conducted by 
the Rev. Joseph Clark and the interment was in Greenlawn cemetery. Dr. 
F. F. Lawrence, of Columbus, an appreciative associate who knew him well, 
has thus sketched his character : "As a man he was above reproach, a physi- 
cian of rare quality; one whose sense of honor and high ideal in the medical 



96 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

profession is worthy of emulation ; a man whom to know meant to trust, to 
respect and to love. The loss to the community is great, the loss to the medi- 
cal fraternity one that will be keenly felt. His was a life not well to be 
spared." 

PROFESSOR JACOB A. SHAWAN. 

The superintendent of the Columbus public schools, J. A. Shawan, is a 
Buckeye by birth and education. He was born at Wapakoneta, Ohio, but 
soon removed to Champaign county, where he attended the common schools, 
going from there to the high school in Urbana, where, after attending some 
time, he quit, to teach before graduation. He was a successful teacher in the 
•schools of Champaign county for four years. After this period he went to 
Oberlin, Ohio, and graduated at college there in 1880, with the degree of A. 
B., and three years later the same institution granted him the degree of A. M. 
In 1893 Professor Shawan received the honorary degree of Ph. D. from 
Muskingum College. 

The career of Superintendent Shawan as an educator has been a success- 
ful and interesting one. During the years 1880-83 ^"^^ was superintendent of 
the schools at St. Mary's, Ohio, going later to Mount Vernon, where he re- 
mained until elected to the superintendency of the schools of the city of Colum^ 
bus, in 1889. Since that time he has been the honored head of the great school 
system of this city, each year growing more and more popular, gaining the 
affection of the pupils while he retains the confidence of their parents. The 
schools under his charge have made marked progress and to-day he is strongly 
intrenched in the regard and affection of the public. 

Professor Shawan was married to Miss Jennie Koch, in December, 1881, 
at Degraff, Ohio, and the family now consists of his estimable wife and three 
bright boys, — Harold, aged seventeen; Robert,- aged fifteen; and Jacob, aged 
ten years. 

WILLIAM MERION. 

William Merion was born at Dorchester, Massachusetts, May 6, 1787, 
and on the paternal side is of French lineage. His grandfather, Nathaniel 
Alerion, emigrated from France in early life and became a resident of Dor- 
chester. In 1749 he married Thankful Withington, an English lady of that 
place. Seven children were born to them, two sons and five daughters. Will- 
iam, the second son, joined Washington's army, was taken prisoner and died 
in the hospital in New York city. Nathaniel, the eldest son, married Lydia 
Gay. a daughter of David Gay, and a granddaughter of George Talbot, an 
English Puritan. They had eight children, — Millie, Elijah. Lvdia, Marv, 
William. Nathaniel, Hannah and David. 

\\'illiam Merion, the first child and the sul)ject of this review, received 




JACOB A. SHAWAN. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 97 

such educational privileges as the village schools of that time afforded. When 
he was yet very young his father removed to a farm near Stoughton, Massa- 
chusetts, where he died when the son was ten years of age, leaving a widow 
and eight children. They had a small New England farm, one-half of \yhich 
was covered with rocks', while the other half was swampy, but the mother 
managed to keep her family together for four years, when she married Deacon 
Abner Crane, of Canton, Massachusetts. He was a Christian gentleman, 
kind-hearted, and he would not allow even his cows to be whipped. William 
Merion persisted in doing this and the trouble thus occasioned led him to 
leave home. He entered the employ of the village storekeeper, who also 
kept a dairy and slaughtered pigs, sheep and calves for the Boston market. 
He was to receive his board and clothing and five dollars per month and work 
in the store and also deliver meat and milk. As he had no expenses for board 
and clothing he was enabled to save his cash salary, and after three years, 
when seventeen years of age, he began learning a trade. He served a three- 
years apprenticeship to a carpenter and builder and then started for Ohio with 
a snug little sum of money which he had saved from his earnings and which 
was supplemented by his; sale of his share of the farm. Through an agent 
in Boston he and his brother Nathaniel and his sister jMiilie purchased eighteen 
hundred acres of refugee land in Franklin county, Ohio, paying two thou- 
sand dollars, — but a little more than a dollar per acre. 

In June, 1808, William Merion bade adieu to family and friends in the 
east and with only a pocket compass to point the way came on horseback to 
Ohio. There were 'no roads or bridges. He first located in Worthington, 
where there was a small settlement of New England people, and afterward 
went to Franklinton, now West Columbus, where he secured board in the 
family of Isaiah Voris. On one occasion Miss Sarah Wait, a daughter of 
Jenks Wait, stopped at the door of the Voris home. She would not consent 
to enter, knowing that the boarders were at supper, but while talking to Mrs. 
Voris Mr. Merion came out upon the steps and was introduced. Soon after 
she had resumed her homeward way he overtook her. a bridle in his hand, 
saying that his horse had strayed away and that he thought it was at the Salt 
Lick, which place was a short distance beyond her father's' house. They 
conversed pleasantly until they reached her father's home, when he passed 
on. swinging his bridle. His horse all this time had been in the Voris stable, 
and he had merely formulated the excuse to get to accompany the young lady. 
The friendship thus formed terminated in their marriage, February 14, 1809, 
the ceremony being performed by the Rev. James Hoge, then a missionary to 
the Northwest Territory. 

The young couple began their domestic life in Franklinton. ]\Ir. Merion 
working at his trade. He had located his land on the east side of the Scioto 
river, lying in and near the present city of Columbus. Along the east bank 
there was a dense forest of heavy timber, and there was not a clearing or cabin 
between the river and Alum creek. In the fall of 1810 thev located on his 



98 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

land, at what is now South High and Moler streets, Cohimbus. Mr. Merion 
cleared some ground, built a log house, covered the building with clapboards, 
nailed down, and constructed a brick chimney. The house was large in size 
for that time and had a movable partition of upright boards that could be 
taken out, throwing the two rooms into one for a party or dance. Their 
lives, of course, were of the pioneer style. The s'ugar-maple trees furnished 
them all the saccharine material, while game of all kinds was plentiful. On 
one occasion a dog chased a wild turkey through the open door into the 
house, and when it was captured it was found that it weighed twenty pounds. 
The early settlers also had the luxury of good wild grapes, plumsi and paw- 
paws. Wolves were very numerous. Money was very scarce at that time, 
and as there were no railroads or other shipping facilities it was very; difficult 
to send produce to market. Mr. Merion found his knowledge of carpenter- 
ing of great advantage. In return for a day's: work on a house a man would 
plow two days for him. On a rainy day he would take four walnut rails 
and make them into bedsteads, which he would exchange with a girl for four 
weeks' work at sewing, spinning, nursing or house work. 

Columbus was laid out in 1812. The same year the second war with 
England was inaugurated, and Mr. ]\Ierion belonged to the Franklin Dra- 
goons, a cavalry company, which was among the first to be called out. Not 
wishing to leave his young family he hired a substitute, — George Wait, his 
brother-in-law, — whom he furnished with a horse, saddle, bridle and uniform 
and deeded him fifty acres of land for his services. Later there was a gen- 
eral draft and Mr. Merion was after all forced to go to the front, but the 
war soon afterward ended. 

He continued his farming and also became much interested in raising 
fruit of all kinds. He sent for a barrel of apples, but after they had been 
hauled over the rough roads and corduroy bridges they were mashed into a 
pulp. However, he washed out the seeds, planted them, raised the stocks and 
grafted them and had the first grafted apples in the county. The work of 
clearing the land, grubbing out stumps, burning the brush and fencing the 
fields continued, and thus acre after acre was. prepared for the plow. In 
181 7 he had a large frame barn built upon his place. In 1818 plans were 
made for building a brick house, and the bricks were made that year. The 
cellar was walled with bowlders taken from the bottom of the Scioto river, 
and the following year the brick work was put up and the building was roofed. 
It was one of the first brick dwellings' in the county and is still standing, on 
South High street. The window-glass was thought particularly large, being 
ten by twelve inches. The parlor was very fine, the wood work being a pale; 
blue, while the mantel, of the same color, was as high as a medium-sized 
person could reach. The bricks in the hearth and fireplace were painted red 
and tlie baseboard was' partly plain and partly figured, about three feet being 
put in plain, after which the same length was striped with white, while another 
length was clouded and still another was adorned with large white roses on 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 99 

the pale blue ground. The first piece of furniture purchased for the new 
house was the old clock that for more than eighty years has registered the 
passing moments. 

There were times of financial depression and times when fortune was 
more favorable. Mr. Merion and his family suffered and prospered with the 
rest. From 1822 until 1826 prices were very low and there was much sick- 
ness among the settlers. In 1825 Mr, Merion became ill and resolved to go 
east for the benefit of his health. He was so feeble that he could not mount 
his horse alone, but in April, 1826, he started upon the journey, of nine 
hundred miles. At first he could ride only ten miles a day, but gradually 
his strength and health returned to him, and after visiting at his old home 
he sold his horse and took passage on a vessel for New York city, thence pro- 
ceeded up the Hudson river to Albany, to Buffalo by the New York canal 
and by vessel to Sandusky, where he visited with his brother David for a 
few days, proceeding thence to Columbus by stage. He returnea with 
improved health and found that his family had raised and sold a good crop 
and laid by some money. 

About this time the Ohio canal, extending from Cleveland to the Ohio 
river, was commenced, and the National road was being extended westward. 
Many workmen were therefore in the country and this created a demand for 
supphes, so that Mr. Merion sold his cropsi and stock at a good advantage 
and he stored his barns and granaries full of grain and meat ready for ship- 
ment as soon as the canal should be opened for business: It was finished 
in 1 83 1, and on the 23d of September of that year the first boat, called the 
Governor Brown, made its appearance. This was an occasion of universal 
rejoicing through this section of the country. In a month from this time 
boats were loading grain at the Merion landing and the National road wasi 
soon afterward completed to Columbus. The olcf bridge on Broad street 
was completed in 1833 and gave a new impetus to business. Mr. Merion 
engaged extensively in farming, raised stock of all kinds, purchased more 
land and carried on a very successful business ; but the heavy demand which 
he made on his time and strength brought on congestion of the brain. He 
was taken ill on his fiftieth birthday and died a week later. May 13, 1837. 
His death was a great calamity to his family and to the publx, for he was a 
very prominent and influential citizen. 

Mr. Merion was reared in the Calvinistic doctrine, but never joined the 
church. He harl great reverence for the Bible, the Sabbath, the church and 
the ministry, but did not recognize Christmas. He was' always a friend to 
homeless children, especially boys. There were no public charities at that 
time. Families would move into a new country, would be stricken, with some 
of the malignant diseases then prevalent and the parents would die, leaving 
orphan children. Never was one turned away from the Merion farm. They 
were taken in, furnished with something to eat and given good clothing, and 
told that they could stay as long as they behaved themselves ; and they usually 

L.ofC. 



100 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

remained. There were five or six sheltered under the Merion roof at the 
time of the death of Mr. Merion. This, of course, made extra care and 
work for Mrs. ]\Ierion, but she was always equal to the occasion. 

A most noble woman, sihe was well qualified to be a pioneer's wife. She 
was always found where duty called, was heroic in endurance of hardships, 
privations and loneliness, and was untiring in the prosecution of the many 
household duties that came to the wife and mother. There were no cooking 
stoves, sewing, knitting or wasihing machines to lighten the labor. Every 
garment worn by her family was made from raw material. The flax had to 
be spun, woven, bleached and' made into clothing, and table-linen, toweling, 
bedding and even the ticking and sewing thread were hand-made. The wool 
of a hundred sheep was brought in at shearing time and Mrs. Merion had it 
washed, picked, carded, spun, scoured, dyed, woven and made into flannel, 
jeans, linsey, blankets and stocking yarn. The milk of from fifteen to twenty 
cows was brought in twice a day to be transformed into butter and cheese. 
She also raised geese and plucked them that her family might lie on beds 
of down. She presided over the culinary department, roasting turkeys, geese, 
ducks, chickens:, beef and pork over or in front of the old-time wood fire that 
burned in the fireplace. The housewife "prided" herself on her ability in 
this line and the table was bountifully spread with many delicious dishes. 
Fruits were dried for winter consumption, for at that time the process of 
canning was unknown. Tomatoes were purely for ornament, a few plants 
being raisied in flower beds, and the table delicacy (tomatoes) that we now 
have being called Jerusalem apples, or love apples. Mrs. Merion was like 
the woman described by Solomon : "She seeketh wool and flax and worketh 
willingly with her hands; she layeth her hands to the spindle and her hands 
holdeth the distaff." In 1814, while she was one day returning on horseback 
alone from Franklinton, darkness came on as she crossed the river. Soon 
she discovered that she was followed by wolves, that chased her nearly to her 
own door. When asked if she was frightened she replied : 'T was a good' 
rider. I was on a horse nothing could overtake; what had I to fear?" She 
was one of the first members of the Presbyterian church at Columbus, uniting 
with it in Franklinton in 1808. Of that organization she was a consistent 
member until 1842, when, to please her cliildren, she united by letter with the 
Second Presbyterian church, of which she was a member up to the time of 
her death. She was born near Johnstown, New York, June 28, 1789, and 
died in Columbus January 24, 1856. 

As the years passed by there came to the pioneer home to bless the mar- 
riage of Mr. and Mrs. Merion several children. Their first child was born 
February 10, 1810, and to her they gave the name of Elmira, but she lived 
only a short time, passing away on the 15th of February, of the same year. 
William, the second child, was born September 10, 181 1. and died in Colum- 
bus at the age of eighty-two years. Nathaniel, who was born February 16, 
1814, died June 17, 1877. Eveline, who was born April 11, 1816. died Novem- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. loi 

ber I, 1885. Sarah A., born December 19, 1818, was; married, December 17, 
1835, to George W. Peters, and died in Columbus December 30, 1893, at the 
age of seventy-five. Emily was born August 19, 1822, became Mrs. Stewart, 
and is now in her seventy-ninth year. To her we are indebted for this his- 
tory of an honored pioneer family. The youngest of the family, George, was 
born March 4, 1829, and died February 19, 1866. 



NATHAN ALVIN McCOY. 

Among the prominent members of the Ohio National Guard wdio have 
an honorable military record to their credit is Nathan Alvin McCoy, the sub- 
ject of this sketch, now holding the position of captain of Company F, Fourth 
Ohio National Guard. He is a native of Columbus, Ohio, born here in 1871, 
a son of Alfred and Elizabeth (Rhodes) McCoy. The grandfather of our 
subject was a native of Ireland, but Alfred McCoy came to Columbusi from 
near Springfield, Illinois, in 1865. He entered the army and served through 
two enlistments, being twice wounded, and received promotion from corporal 
to sergeant. Three of his brothers also served through the Civil w^ar. The 
mother of Captain McCoy was born in Washington township, a daughter of 
Henry Rhodes, who came to Ohio from Pennsylvania. The parents are still 
living. The military instinct is no doubt inherited by our subject, as his 
grandfather also was a soldier. He was in the war of 181 2, acting as the 
lieutenant of a company which did good service. 

Captain McCoy attended the public schools in Columbus and took a 
course in a commercial college, and has ever since been engaged in business. 
In 1 89 1 he enlisted in Company F, Fourteenth Ohio National Guard, and was 
honorably discharged in 1893, but re-enlisted at the reorganization of the 
guard in 1898, and was elected the second lieutenant of Company F, Four- 
teenth Regiment of Infantry, Ohio National Guard, and May 9th entered 
the United States Volunteer Infantry. He served with honor through the 
Spanish war. In Porto Rico Company F was detailed as a dynamite battery 
and attached to the brigade of General Haines. In the battles of Guayama 
and the skirmish at Las Pamas', where immortality was won for many, his 
was one of the gallant companies that bore the brunt of the attack. He was 
detailed as a quartermaster and commissary officer, at Caney, of the distribu- 
tion department, and served in this position for one month, being mustered 
out on the 20th of January. 

Captain McCoy immediately rejoined the National Guard, and in June, 
1899, he was elected captain, and is: still holding that position, being now the 
ranking captain in the regiment. During his service in Porto Rico the cap- 
tain was subjected to many dangers and some exciting experiences. Upon 
one occasion it became his duty to close a store, and this so enraged the keeper 
that he hired three natives to kill Captain ^IcCoy, which they came near 



I02 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

accomplishing. They set upon him and beat him with ckibs, badly wounding 
him in the head. The men were each sentenced to twenty years imprisonment. 
The marriage of Captain McCoy took place in 1897, when he was united 
to Miss Grace Abblichon, of Columbus, whose father came to this city many 
years ago from Switzerland. One son has been born and bears the name 
of Nathaniel Alfred Leo. The Captain is a member of the Porto Rico Expe- 
dition and Spanish War Veteran Asisociation, and for six years was the cap- 
tain of the Sons of Veteran Guard, of the First Ohio Regiment. Personally 
Captain McCoy is very popular and enjoys the esteem not only of his com- 
panions-in-arms but also of the residents of the city in which his home has 
always been. 

WILLIAM DAVID BRICKELL. 

The subject of this review is one of the best known business men of the 
city of Columbus, Ohio, being the proprietor of the Columbus weekly, daily 
and Sunday Dispatch, one of the leading newspapers in the state. He was 
born in Steubenville, Ohio, November 19, 1852, and is the son of Captain 
David Z. Brickell, a native of Pennsylvania, and now a resident of Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania, who was a son of John Brickell, one of the founders of that city. 
John Brickell married, in the Keystone state, a Miss Zelhart, a daughter of 
old settlers who had located in Pittsburg. 

William David Brickell passed his boyhood and early school days in 
Pittsburg, completing his education in the Western University in that city. 
His inclinations then led him to enter the office of the Pittsburg Daily Post, • 
and there he learned the trade of printer, continuing in that office five years:, 
spending one year of the time in the press room and four more in the com- 
posing room, thus becoming thoroughly instructed in every branch. His 
leanings were all in the direction of newspaper work and it is not surprising 
that soon he became a reporter, on the St. Louis Democrat, at that time 
owned and published by Mr. Houser. In 1876 he came to Columbus, having 
resigned the other position, and in January of that year purchased the Colum- 
bus Dispatch, succeeding Putnam & Doren, continuing the proprietor of this 
paper ever since. He has managed it to the satisfaction of his public, testi- 
monial to which is in the increased circulation and constantly growing busi- 
ness. Mr. Brickell has made a number of important changes, all of which 
have resulted in benefit to the patrons. The latest inlportant undertaking 
in connection with his paper by Mr. Brickell has been the issuing of a Sunday 
edition, which progressive move was made in December, 1898. This has 
proven a very gratifying success, the paper meeting a recognized want and 
succeeding almost beyond expectation. Mr. Brickell has purchased the six- 
story building at the corner of Gay and High streets known as the Disipatch 
building, for cash, making him the envied owner of a fine paper and the build- 
ing where it is published. Almost without means he started out in life and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 103 

his success has been the result of hisi own endeavors. Occupying the promi- 
nent position he does, other enterprises have come under his control. He is 
a director in the State Savings Bank and Trust Company; the East End 
Savings Bank, and the City Deposit Bank, being one of the founders of all 
three. 

Mr. Brickell married Miss Cora Ross, a daughter of Samuel Ross, who 
is an old and much esteemed resident of Columbus, who is spending his last 
days at hisi comfortable home in this city. 

In the political field Mr. Brickell has chosen a conservative course, and, 
despite almost constant solicitation, has never consented tO' hold office. He 
is a busy man, his great publications requiring much tact and judgment, 
while his other interests claim considerable attention; but he is popular with 
his fellow craftsmen in his profession. 

^IRS. E^HLY STEWART. 

Among the prominent pioneer families of Frankliji county is the one to 
which, this worthy lady belongs. She was' born here and is the sixth child 
and third daughter in the family of William and Sally (Wait) Merion, 
whose sketch appears on another page of this volume. She began her educa- 
tion in a primitive log schoolhouse so common during her girlhood, her teacher 
being Parson Jeffries, who had one hundred and seven pupils. The building 
stood on Wall street, between Mound and Main streets. Later she attended 
a private school at the corner of Third and Rich streets, Columbus. For 
a time she pursued her studies in a private school known as the Columbus 
Institute. 

On the 1 2th of May, 1840, Miss: Emily JNIerion gave her hand in mar- 
riage to Edmond Stewart, who was born on High street, Columbus, Decem- 
ber II, 181 1. His father, William Stewart, was a son of John Stewart, 
who came from York, Pennsylvania, in 1804, and became a large land-owner 
of Franklin county. After their marriage M\\ and JMrs. Stewart located on 
the farm in Marion township, where he died in 1858. By that union were 
born three daughters, but only one is now living, — Sallie M., the wife of H. 
R. Dering;, assistant general passenger agent for the Pennsylvania Railroad 
Company, at Chicago, by whom she has two daughters. — Charlotte Ray and 
Emily Stewart. Ellen A., the oldest daughter of ]Mrs. Stewart, married John 
H. Smith, and died November 3, 1892, leaving three sons, namely: Edmond 
S., of Groveport, this county; Frank H., of Columbus, Indiana; and Walstein 
G., teller in the Clinton Haden Bank, of Columbus, Ohio. ]\Iartha E., the 
second daughter of Mrs:. Stewart, died November 5, 1875, ^^ the age of twen- 
ty-six years. Mrs. Stewart has seven great-grandchildren. For forty-two 
years she has resided at her present home. No. 382 Oak street, Columbus. 
She is well known and lias a host of warm friends' who esteem her highly 
for her sterling worth. 



104 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

GEORGE L. CONVERSE. 

George L. Converse was born in Georgeville, Franklin county, Ohio, 
June 14, 1827, a son of Dr. George W, and Cassandra (Cook) Converse. 
His father was a physician and a son of Sanford Converse, who served as a 
soldier in the war of 181 2. Jeremiah Converse, the great-grandfather of the 
subject of this review, was one of the heroes of the Revolutionary war, and the 
ancestry of the family may be traced back to the French Huguenots, the 
first of the American line coming to this country with Winthrop. 

Dr. Converse died Avhen his son George L. was a babe of only four 
months. The mother was a woman of strong character and attainment and 
supported herself and child by teaching school. Mr. Converse obtained the 
foundation of his education in the public schools and afterward entered Cen- 
tral College, where he pursued his studies for seven years, later being gradu- 
ated at Dennison University, in Granville, Ohio, with the class of 1849. ^^^ 
185 1 he was admitted to the bar, having studied law wath General J. W. 
Wilson, at Tiffin, Ohio. He began the practice of his chosen profession in 
Napoleon, Ohio, but removed to Columbus in 1852. Two years later he w^as 
elected prosecuting attorney, and after serving one term declined a re-election. 
He served for two terms, however, in the legislature, being chosen to that office 
in 1859 and re-elected in 1861. In 1863 he was elected to the state senate 
and became the Democratic leader in that body. In 1873 he was again 
chosen by popular ballot to the lower house and became its speaker, his ability 
as a parlimentarian attracting the attention of the entire country. In 1875 he 
was once more elected and was again the Democratic leader. In 1877 he was 
recognized as a strong candidate for gubernatorial honor, General Durbin 
Ward and R. M. Bishop being his competitors, the last named receiving the 
nomination. 

In 1878 Mr. Converse was elected to congress. He was made chairman 
of a committee on public lands, and that appointment to one of the most im- 
portant committees was an honor seldom conferred on new members. He was 
re-elected to congress in 1880 and was elected for a third term. His position 
upon the tariff question and his marked ability made him a conspicuous speaker 
in national politics. Mr. Converse and Mr. Randall were in entire sympathy 
and accord and advocated the principle that a tariff should be made that would 
protect home industries against foreign competition. Mr. Converse moved 
to strike out the enacting clause of the Morrison horizontal reduction tariff 
bill, when, in committee of the whole, the bill was under discussion. After 
the defeat of the bill its friends and those opposed agreed that the question 
should be settled at Chicago by the Democratic national convention. Mr. 
Morrison was to be the representative of those who supported the bill and 
Mr. Randall of those opposed. The latter was detained from attending the 
convention on the first day, and Air. Converse, though not a delegate, sought 
a place in the Ohio delegation and membership on the committee on resolutions 




-^ "~<5^-$5^~ 



W'cJ)~~r^SlX^^^^ 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 105 

when the control was to be reached by an attempt to make Mr. Morrison its 
chairman. The opponents of the bill were successful, but Mr. Converse, as a 
favor to Mr. Morrison, requested, although entitled to the victory gained, that 
Mr. Morrison be made chairman. The subject of this review then made the 
first speech in reply to Benjamin F. Butler and addressed the meeting, speak- 
ing against the report of the committee. 

He contributed largely to the presidential success in 1884 and with Mr. 
Randall canvassed the state of New York. On 1892 he was appointed by 
Governor McKinley a delegate to the Nicaragua canal convention, held in St. 
Louis, was made chairman of that body and also of a subsequent convention 
held in New Orleans, called by him under the authority of the St. Louis con- 
vention. Mr. Converse took the view that the Nicaraguan canal should be 
constructed by the government as a national safe-guard and protection and 
in the interests of commerce. He delivered many addresses in different cities, 
sustaining these patriotic views in regard to the canal. Li 1896 he was urged 
to allow his name to be used in connection with the candidacy to congress 
in the seventeenth district. Although he appreciated the honor fully, he de- 
clined. For many years he was prominently associated with the National 
Wool Growers' Association, and at one time he was the law partner of Hon. 
S. S. Cox. 

Li 1852 Mr. Converse married Miss Sarah E., daughter of Nathaniel and 
Mary (Walker) Patterson. Four children of this union are living: :Mrs. 
Mary Follett, Wade and Captain George L. Converse, both of Columbus, 
and Howard P., who is living in Boston, Massachusetts. Mrs. Converse 
died in 1883, and in 1889 Mr. Converse again married, his second wife being 
Eloise, a daughter of Dr. Chauncey P. Landon, an eminent physician, of 
Columbus, Ohio. Four children were born of this marriage, one of whom 
died in infancy, while three are still living: Helen, Samuel Randall and 
Eloise, the son being named for Mr. Converse's old-time friend, the Hon. 
Samuel J. Randall. At his home in Columbus, Ohio, ]\Ir. Converse died, 
March 30, 1897. 

LORENZO ENGLISH. 

It is the sacred duty of every generation to keep a faithful memorial of 
the character and life of its distinguished men. The maxims, motives and 
destinies of prominent men, as exemplified from age to age in the moral drama 
of our race, constitute the elements of historic philosophy and impart to the 
annals of mankind their only practical utility. The life' of every individual 
exerts an influence more or less strong upon those around him and the career 
of the prominent citizen is studied by those with whom he comes in contact 
and by coming generations through the medium of history, furnishino- its 
lessons' of incentive and inspiration. Occupying a proud and honorable posi- 
tion among the foremost attorneys of Columbus in early davs was Lorenzo 



io6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. - ' 

English, who was prominently identified with pnblic affairs in both city and 
state. 

Mr. English was born May 22, 1819, in Herkimer county, New York, 
a son of John English, also a native of that county. He was reared on his 
father's farm until eighteen years of age and received only the advantages 
of such an education as the common schools of his native county afforded. 
In 1837 the family removed by wagon, then the usual mode of traveling by 
those seeking homes in the west, to Ohio, and located in Mount Vernon, 
Knox county. Later the father came to Columbus, where he died in 1863. 

In the fall of 1839 our subject entered Oberlin College as a student and 
was graduated with honor in August, 1843. I" September of the same year 
he came to Columbus and commenced the study of law under Edwards Pierre- 
pont, afterward attorney general of the United States. Completing his 
studies in 1845, h^ was admitted to the bar in that year, and embarked in 
the practice of law at Columbus. He possessed much patience and integrity, 
was very conscientious as well as industrious and attained great popularity. 
His professional career was a success from the beginning, and he became 
one of the most distinguished lawyers of Franklin county. 

In 1859 Mr. English was united in marriage with Miss Mary Keene, 
a daughter of William H and Mary Keene, of Haverstraw, New York. Her 
father died in that state when she was very young-, and later she came to 
Columbus with the family. Mr. and Mrs. English were the parents of five 
children, namely: William Henry, born in "Columbus, in i860, was educated 
in the public and high schools' of that city, and studied law with his father 
and the late Judge William Baldwin. Being admitted to the bar in 1883, he 
has since successfully engaged in practice here. He is a thirty-second-degree 
Mason and a stanch supporter of the Republican party. He married Miss 
Ida Neal, daughter of A. C. Neal, of Greene county, Ohio, and they have one 
son. Mathew Keene, the next of the family, was also engaged in the public 
schools of Columbus, and is now engaged in the real-estate business in that 
city. Fraternally he is connected with the Knights of Pythias. He married 
Miss Louie Ford, of Columbus, and they have one daughter, Mary. A\"alter, 
who is a graduate of the Columbus high school, and is now connected with 
the Hayden Clinton National Bank. He married Miss Ada L. Phaler, of 
Columbus, and is a thirty-second-degree Mason. Lorenzo isi a graduate of 
the pharmaceutical department of the Ohio Medical University and is now 
with the Columbus Pharmacy Company. He resides at home. Laura is the 
wddow of Charles W. Young, of Columbus. 

In 1850 Mr. English v/as the choice of the Whig party as their candidate 
for mayor of Columbus, and wasi elected over a Democratic nominee by a 
handsome majority. So creditably and acceptably did he fill that office that 
he was several times re-elected, serving eleven consecutive years. He was 
chosen to many other positions of honor and trust, and discharged his various 
duties with a promptness and fidelity worthy of the highest commendation. 



CENTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 107 

As mayor the city government was never in more capable hands, for he was 
progressive and pre-eminently public-spirited, and in point of time no person, 
before or since, has been able to equal his long occupancy of that office. He 
was elected on the Republican ticket as county treasurer, by a majority of 
twenty-five hundred, and filled that office one term. In 1880 he was the 
candidate of his party for congress. In February, 1888, Mr. English received 
a hard fall on an icy pavement which resulted in his death on the 14th of 
March, the same year. He was a charter member of Capital Lodge, Xo. 334, 
I. O. O. F. His influence was great and always for good. His duties were 
performed with the greatest care, and throughout his life his personal honor 
and integrity were without blemish. Religiously the family hold membership 
in the Broad Street Methodist Episcopal church. 

JONATHAN F. LINTON. 

Jonathan F. Linton was born December 16, 1831, on a farm six miles 
southeast of Springfield, Clark county, Ohio, in a locality known as Green 
Plains. He was the oldest of three children. His father, Samuel S. Linton, 
was born in 1809, near ^^llmington, Clinton county, Ohio. The Linton 
family came from Scotland in the days of William Penn and settled in Bucks 
county, Pennsylvania, where Nathan Linton, the grandfather of the subject 
of this sketch, was born about the year 1773. Nathan Linton, accompanied 
by his father, Samuel Linton, two brothers and two sisters, settled on Todd's 
Fork in Clinton county, Ohio, in 1802, where he continued to reside up to 
the date of his death in 1856. He served as the agent to subdivide and sell 
the lands granted to General Horatio Gates by the government for services 
in the Revolutionary war. 

The family of Jonathan F. Linton's mother, Mary Fallis Linton, came to 
America from England, also in the days of William Penn, and were living 
in the vicinity of Uniontown, Pennsylvania, at the time of the Revolution. 
They afterward moved to the Shenandoah valley, locating near W^inchester. 
They settled in Clinton county. Ohio, about the year 1805. The whole con- 
nection on both sides were members of the Quaker church down to a com- 
paratively late period. 

Jonathan F. Linton's father and mother moved to ]\Iiami county, Indi- 
ana, in 1833, and settled on Eel river five miles back of Peru and opposite 
where was at that time located the chief village of the Pottawottcmy Indians, 
and where is now situated the town of Denver. His father died there in 
1836, and the family, now consisting of the widow and three children, returned 
to Ohio and settled near the village of Clifton on the Little Miami river in 
Greene county. In 1840 they moved to Harveysburg in ^^"arren county. 

Our subject obtained his education in the common schools of that vicinity, 
in the academies! of Harveysburg and Waynesville, and at the old ^^^oodard 
College in Cincinnati. During his school years he clerked a vear in a general 



io8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

store and postoffice in Waynesville, and spent a year in the printing- office of 
the Springlield RepubHc. The year 1849 1^^ worked at the printing trade in 
Lafayette,. Indiana, and in New Orleans and Mobile. During 1850 he cleared 
land and surveyed on Eel river in Indiana. During 185 1 he was engaged in 
assisting to make the preliminary surveys and estimatesi for a division of the 
Chicago & Rock Island Railroad, between Ottawa and Indiantown, along the 
bluffs of the Illinois river. In 1852 he improved a farm near where Mendota, 
Illinois, now stands. In February, 1853, he bought the Peru (Illinois) Dem- 
ocrat, changed its name and politics, and printed a daily and weekly Whig 
paper during the succeeding two years'. 

In the spring of 1855 he bought one thousand and forty acres of land in 
Lee county, Illinois, on its eastern border, where now stands the village of 
Lee Station on the northwestern branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy 
Railroad. In 1857 he harvested six thousand bushels of wheat and sold it 
at an agerage price of fifty cents per bushel. Not having money enough to 
meet the demands of his creditors, he retired from the farming business for 
a season and put in the time publishing a Republican paper at Peru, Illinois. 
He returned to the farm in 1858, and continued there until the breaking out 
of the war. In September, 1855, he married Eliza J. Sapp, a resident and 
native of Peru, Illinois, with whom he has lived ever since. They have seven 
children, now all grown. 

Mr. Linton entered the army in July, 1861, as the first lieutenant of Com- 
pany D, Thirty-ninth Illinois Infantry, known as the Yates Phalanx. It 
was a Chicago regiment and went into camp on the lake shore at about where 
is now Twenty-second street. The regiment first went to St. Louis, then to 
the upper Potomac, and spent the first winter with Lander and Shields between 
Williamsport and New Creek. The following summer it was up and down 
the Shenandoah valley with Shields and Banks, till in June, when it joined 
the Army of the Potomac on the James river at Harrison's Landing. The 
winter of 1862-3 w^as put in at Suffolk, Virginia, Newbern, North Carolina, 
and Hilton Head, South Carolina. The summer of 1863 was spent on Folly 
and Sullivan islands, in front of Charleston, South Carolina. The winter of 
1863-4 the regiment returned to Chicago and veteranized. In February of 
1864 it joined Grant's army, then in camp around Washington preparing 
for the march to Richmond. Our stibject was made the quartermaster of his 
regiment in March, 1862, and served the greater part of his term of service 
on detached duty as brigade quartermaster on the staffs of Generals Howell, 
Osborn and Vogdes. 

He returned to his farm in Illinois in the summer of 1864. During 
1867-8 he was in the milling business' at Gardner, Illinois. 1869, 1870 and 
1 87 1 were spent in the milling business at South Toledo, Ohio. In March, 
1872, he bought the Ohio Statesman at Columbus, Ohio, and published it 
for four years. In March. 1874, he bought his farm just south of the city, 
where he has resided nearly ever since. In 1878 he established the Legal 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 109 

Record and sold it out in 1880. He laid out the suburb now known as Milo 
in January, 1888. The subdivision known as West Park Place he bought 
in 1 89 1. He has resided in the city since the fall of 1898 at 54 West Second 
avenue, and is still engaged in the real-estate business, mixed with a little 
farming. 

Thus we have endeavored to condense, as it were in a "nut-shell," an out- 
line of an eventful and interesting career, a full account of which would fill 
a large volume. 

EDWARD ORTON, Jr. 

Edward Orton, Jr., son of Dr. Edward Orton and Mary Jennings Orton, 
was born in Chester, New York, October 8. 1863, and was brought to Ohio 
two years later, living first at Antioch College, Yellow Springs. In the 
summer of 1873, after the death of his mother, the family came to Columbus, 
which has since been his home. His profession has carried him away on a 
number of occasions for a year or more at a time, but he has always returned 
to the city. He pursued his education partly in the public schools of Colum- 
bus, partly in Wetherell'si Business College, and partly in the Columbus high 
school, finally entering the university, in its preparatory department, in 1877, 
and graduating with the degree of Engineer of Mines in 1884. Previous to 
graduation he had been employed during the summer vacation of 1880 as a 
special agent for the collection of mineral statistics for the tenth census of the 
United States, traveling on foot and horseback over ten or twelve of the coal- 
bearing counties of southwestern Ohio; in 1881, on a trip to the mines of 
Lake Superior; in 1882, as assistant on the Ohio geological survey mapping 
coal outcrops in Tuscarawas and Coshocton counties; in 1883 as assistant on 
the Ohio geological survey, preparing a chapter on "The Clays of Ohio and 
the Industries Founded upon Them," which appears in Volume V, Economic 
Geology of Ohio. 

After graduation his first commission was the collection, preparation and 
erection of the geological exhibit of Ohio's resources' at the World's Fair at 
New Orleans in 1884 and 1885. Returning from his visit to the south, which 
incidentally included a brief visit to Honduras, Central America, in February, 
1885, he accepted a position as rodman on the engineer corps of the Columbus 
& Hocking Coal & Iron Company, with headquarters at Buchtel, Ohio. 
After six months of surveying, principally in the mines' at night, he was put 
in charge of the task of erecting and finally operating a chemical laboratorv, 
which the company had decided to install, as an aid to the regulatiDn of their 
five blast furnaces. In the summer of 1886 Mr. Orton was called to Colum- 
bus in the capacity of chemist of the Columljus Steel Company, an organiza- 
tion which sprung out of the old Columbus Rolling Mill Company, which had 
then been idle for some years. He served this company as draftsman for a 



1 10 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

few months, pending the completion of their plant, and as chemist during 
the whole period of its operation, until the fall of 1887. 

His next commission was to undertake, first as chemist and soon after- 
ward as superintendent, the manufacture of ferrosilicon or high-silicon pig 
iron at Bessie Furnace, New Straitsville, Ohio. This product had never 
been regularly produced before in the United States, and when produced had 
to compete with the Scotch and Belgian ferrosilicons. In this work he was 
successful, making irons of any desired silicon contents, and thus furnishing 
a needed object lesson by which the iron manufacturers of the country have 
been able to make their own supply ever since. In the spring of 1889 Mr. 
Orton was taken south to Goshen Bridge, Virginia, as superintendent of the 
Victoria Iron Furnace. This' plant, which was a very large one, was erected 
by English capital, but had been very unsuccessful and had been standing idle 
for several years at that time. In this position he encountered his first reverse. 
The repairing of the furnace was greatly delayed, and when started its opera- 
tions were very irregular. The company became panic-stricken after the first 
day's run and made a complete change in the management, which carried Mr. 
Orton out with other officers in the summer of 1889. Refusing to take charge 
of another blast furnace, Mr. Orton returned to the steel business, in which 
his Columbus experience had given him a great interest, and from Septmber 
I, 1889, to September, 1890, he worked in the open-hearth department of 
the Flomestead Steel Works of Carnegie, Phippsi & Company, occupying 
successively almost every position around the furnace from common laborer 
up. This year's practical work, and this constant association with laboring 
men on their own level, while not particularly advantageous to either his reputa- 
tion or financial success, Mr. Orton regards as one of the most profitable ex- 
periences of his life, giving him a fundamental familiarity with the work of 
steel manufacture, and a sympathetic understanding of working men, which 
has been of the greatest subsequent value. 

In September, 1890, Mr. Orton accepted a position as the superintendent 
of the paving-brick factory of the Ohio Paving Company at Columbus, Ohio. 
The use of vitrified brick pavements in this- country had been but recently 
begun at that time, and suitable men to take charge of the large plants then 
being constructed for the manufacture of this class of bricks alone were hard 
to obtain. Mr. Orton's work on the clays of Ohio in 1883 had given him 
an excellent basis for this position, to which he l)rought large experience in 
allied metallurgical lines. Hisi connection with the company lasted until 
February, 1893, at which time he accepted a position with the Acme Vitrified 
Brick Company, of Louisville, Kentucky, as superintendent of their extensive 
plant. Previous to this, in a lull in business, he had sought and obtained a 
leave of absence of a few weeks, during which he again studied the clay indus- 
tries' of Ohio for the Ohio geological survey, the results of which study com- 
pose a one hundred and seventy-five-page chapter in Volume VII. Economic 
Geology of Ohio. This work being written from the standpoint of a practical 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 1 1 1 

clay-worker as well as chemist and engineer, at once gave him influence and 
standing among clay-workers of all sorts over the whole country. 

In 1893, after visiting the World's Fair, the idea of providing some 
means for obtauiing technical education for clay-workers began to take root 
in Mr. Orton's' mind. His own training as a mining engineer and metallurgist 
had given him much advantage over the average clay-worker, and his geologi- 
cal work in the clay industries had shown him how general was the need of 
even elementary instruction in the application of chemistry, physics and 
geology to clay-working industries. This idea, growing in definiteness, re- 
sulted in the preparation of addresses on this subject before the clay-workers' 
associations of the country. One of those bore fruit in the appointment 
of a committee, who procured the passage of a law by the legislature of Ohio 
creating a department in the Ohio State University, where instruction in 
clay-working and ceramics, including cement and glass, should be specifically 
provided. To the direction of the department, Mr. Orton was called as the 
natural exponent of this idea of technical ceramic education, and he returned 
to his alma mater in this new capacity, in September, 1894, after an absence 
of just ten years' spent in business and engineering work. 

The ceramic department, beginning on a small scale, has gradually ac- 
quired momentum and has now become a very influential factor in the progress 
of clay-working industries in America. Being the first attempt, outside of 
EAU-ope, to give instruction on this subject, the new course drew students' from 
all over the United States, even from the distant Pacific coast. Many clay- 
workers could not at first see where to use or how to apply the trained output 
of this school, but they soon began to see their way, and the movement is now 
solidly established as a part of the educational scheme of the country. Other 
states, recognizing the practical value and good results of the Ohio school, 
equipped similar departments, notably Iowa, which was the second in the 
field, and New York, which appropriated twenty thousand dollars' in 1900 
to equip such a department. 

On the death of his father. Professor Orton was appointed, in December, 
1899, state geologist of Ohio in his stead, and, after securing appropriations, 
began, in July, 1900, the prosecution of active work in the survey, which 
had been inactive since 1893. Besides^ the administrative work as state 
geologist. Professor Orton took as his special field of investigation the cement 
and clay industries, which were immediately germane to his regular work 
in the university and which permitted him to carry on both positions at once, 
without prejudice to either. 

Aside from the strict line of his professional career. Professor Orton has 
held several positions of honor and trust: president of the Ohio Institute of 
Mining Engineers 1893-4, two terms; secretary of the American Ceramic 
Society from its organization in 1899; president of the Engineers' Club of 
Columbus, 1899: third vice-president of the National Brick Manufacturers' 
Association of America in 1897; first vice-president in 1898; secretary of the 



112 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

committee on technical investigations, of the same society, 1898 to date; fellow 
of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1900; and a 
member of the council of the Society of Colonial Wars for the State of Ohio, 
1 899- 1 900. 

He was married on the 30th of October, 1888, to Miss Mary P. Anderson, 
a daughter of Hon. James H. Anderson and Princess Miller Anderson, of 
Columbus. 

ADAM STEPHENS. 

.\dam Stephens, superintendent of the Green Lawn cemetery, has been 
a resident of Franklin county since 1832, when, as a boy of six years, he 
came from Pennsylvania, his native state, with his parents. The Stephens 
family is of English lineage and was founded in America by the grandfather 
of our subject. The father, James Stephens, was born in Lancaster, Penn- 
sylvania, near Carlisle, in the year 1800. He was at one time marshal of 
Columbus, serving in that position for four years, from 1852 luitil 1856, hav- 
ing been elected on the independent ticket with Mayor English. He was 
a carpenter and builder and had worked for some years on the state house. 
He died November 23, i860. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary 
Otstot, was a native of Columbia, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, born in 
1802, and a daughter of Adam Otstot, who came from Germany to America 
when four years of age. For many years he resided in Ohio, dying in 
Springfield, this state. . Several of his sons are located in Clark county, Ohio. 

Adam Stephens, of this review, pursued his education in the private 
schools. Five of his brothers served in the Civil war. William Chambers 
served for three years and six months in the Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry 
and died in 1898. Thomas Jefferson was captain of a company of the Fifty- 
fourth Ohio Volunteers, and now resides in Circleville, Ohio. Cyrus served 
for one hundred days in the Thirty-third Ohio, and is now living in Colum- 
bus. George S. was a member of a cavalry company and James was in the 
One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio for one hundred days. In 1866 Mr. 
Stephens was made marshal of Columbus, being the first Republican ever 
elected to that office, in which capacity he served for one year. For four 
years he filled the office of trustee of Montgomery township. In politics be 
has ever been a stalwart Republican, earnestly espousing the cause of the 
party and doing all in his power to promote its upbuilding and secure its suc- 
cess. For a third of a century, from March, 1868, until the present time, he 
has been superintendent of the Green Lawn cemetery. In early life he 
learned the cabinet-maker's trade and has followed it for twenty-five years, 
having made over ten thousand coffins in this period. There have been over 
twenty-three thousand interments in the cemetery during his superintendency. 
Mr. Stephens has the supervision of the grounds, and his labors have made 
this citv of the dead most beautiful. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 113 

On the 3d of May, 1849, occurred the marriage of Mr. Stephens and Miss 
Sarah J. Brentnall, a daughter of John Brentnall, of Delaware county. She 
was a native of England and was brought to America when a little maiden of 
six summers. She died in 1890, at the age of sixty-one years, leaving five 
children, who still survive her, namely: Eliza Shepherd is living with 
her father. Lorin Yerington, who is past chancellor commander of Columbus 
Lodge, No. 3, K. P., and belongs to Joseph Dowdall's Company, No. 19, 
Uniformed Rank of the Knights of Pythias. He is a civil engineer by pro- 
fession and is employed in the Green Lawn cemetery. For the past twenty- 
two years he has been prominently connected with military matters, was cap- 
tain of the Boys' Guard about 1867-8, was adjutant of the First Regiment, 
K. P., Uniformed Rank, for nine years, and held the rank of captain from 
1889 until 1897, and is now the first Heutenant of the Columbus Rifles, which 
was organized in 1898. John James, the next member of the family, is 
assistant superintendent of the cemetery. Ada is a graduate of the Columbus 
high school, has been a successful teacher for fifteen years and is now the 
principal of the Chicago Avenue school, of Columbus. Sherman Finch is 
a florist and is the proprietor of the greenhouses connected with the cemetery. 

For forty-eight years Mr. Stephens has been connected with the Odd Fel- 
lows society, is a past noble grand, past patriarch and past high priest of 
Capitol Encampment, No. 6, and a past grand high priest of the grand en- 
campment of the state. For a number of years he was the district deputy 
grand master. He became a charter member of Columbus Lodge, No. 3, 
K. P., was its first chancellor commander and was a representative to the 
first grand lodge held in Ohio, in 1866. His religious sentiments and mem- 
bership connect him with the Episcopal church. 

GUSTAVUS S. INNIS. 

The subject of the present memoir, Gustavus Swan Lmis, now num- 
bered with the dead, was a well known and much esteemed resident of Colum- 
bus, Ohio, his birth occurring in Franklinton, Franklin county, Ohio, Febru- 
ary 4, 1 819, and his lamented death on January 2, 1899. His father was 
Henry Innis, one of the pioneers of Franklin county; the mother was Isabel 
C. (Pegg) Lmis, a sister of the well known Joseph Pegg. Henry Innis was 
born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and moved to Jefferson county, 
Ohio, in 1812, later coming to this county, and about 1820 settling on a farm 
about five miles north of Columbus, becoming one of the prosperous farmers 
of his township. The mother died at her daughter's home at Commercial 
Point, at a very advanced age. 

Gustavus S. Innis was reared a farm boy and sent to the district school, 
where he made rapid progress, and then entered Central College, at which he 
graduated, under the presidency of Professor Washburn. After leaving 
college he engaged in teaching, first in the country, but later he took charge of 



114 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

a school in what is now South Cohnnbus. One term he taught in Chntonville, 
in the basement of the old brick church, and this' school under his direction 
became somewhat famous, on account of the progress of the pupils. 

Mr. Innis was married March 25, 1845, to Miss Sarah G. Morrill, of 
Montgomery township, a daughter of Moses and Millie (Marion) Morrill. 
Mrs. Innis was born on the farm adjoining the southern limits of the city of 
Columbus, September 2, 1821, and was the youngest daughter of a family of 
nine children. Her father was an native of New Hampshire, from which 
state he emigrated to Vermont and later toiBoston, Massachusetts. In 1806 
he married, in that state, and in 1812, removed with his family to Franklin 
county, Ohio, making the long journey in wagon's. He reached his' destina- 
tion safely, settling on a farm south of Columbus, which is now a part of the 
city, and here Mrs. Innis was born and still resides. This land was heavily 
timbered, but he worked hard and faithfully, finally clearing up the whole tract 
of two hundred and forty-three acres, putting it into a fine state of culti- 
vation. Mr. Morrill was widely known among the pioneers, as an enterpris- 
ing, honest and conscientious man. He died in 1837, upon the farm, his wife 
surviving until 1858. Both the Morrill and Innis families were old ones in 
the early settlement of New England, emigratmg from Scotland, Ireland and 
England. 

Mrs. Innis was educated in the city schools of Columbus and in Worth- 
ington Seminary, acquiring a very thorough knowledge of the various branches 
taught at that time. Following her school days came a season of teaching, 
when through the country, in the neighborhood, later in the city, she success- 
fully engaged in this profession, becoming one of the teachers in the school 
located on Parsons avenue. 

Mr. and Mrs. Innis were the parents of five children: Henry Alorrill; 
George Swan, now a professor in Hamline University, at St. Paul, Minne- 
sota; Isabel C, the wife of Dr. Newton Matthews, of Williamstown. Ken- 
tucky; Millie M.. the wife of Dr. Charles Bohannon, of Hebron, Licking 
county, Ohio, and Charles Francis, living at home on the farm. 

After marriage Mr. Innis settled on a part of the Morrill farm, carrying 
on extensive operations, but was never too much engaged to interest himself in 
politics or in any of the various enterprises which promised good to the com- 
munity. He was a man of progressive ideas, many of them considered im- 
practical at that time, but he only lived a little in advance of the age. For 
two years he acceptably filled the office of warden of the Ohio penitentiary and 
was appointed superintendent of the Boys' Industrial School, at Lancaster, 
Ohio. In politics he was an aggressive Democrat, because in all he believed 
he put his whole heart. Both Mr. and Mrs. Innis were devoted members 
of the Methodist church, Mrs. Innis having become connected with it in her 
girlhood. Mr. Innis lived to a good old age, his death being hastened liy a 
fall from a street car. His memory is tenderly cherished by his family and by 
all with whom he came into intimate acquaintance in life. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 1 1 5 

Mrs. Innis is the last of her family, with the exception of one sister, Mrs. 
Lydia Cookman, the latter having passed her eighty-second birthday. Mrs. 
Innis, notwithstanding advanced years, is hale and hearty, performing many 
daily tasks, living in the old homestead with a young lady for a companion. 
A cheerful disposition and a kind and loving interest in those about her make 
happy the declining years of this admirable lady. 

ALEXANDER DAVIDSON. ' 

Alexander Davidson, now deceased, was born in Hardy county, Vir- 
ginia, September 20, 1824, a son of Isaac and Mary (Evans) Davidson. 
The father was a farmer and he, too, was a native of Hardy county, whence 
he removed with his family to Ohio, arriving in this state about 1830. He set- 
tled on a farm in Norwich township, now owned by George Van Schoyck, 
but the tract was then covered with a heavy growth of timber. He made 
a clearing and built a small cabin of round logs, which he afterward replaced 
by a more commodious house constructed of hewed logs. Subsequently he 
sold that farm and purchased land about five or six miles north of Dublin, 
spending his remaining days thereon. He died in 1853, and his widow after- 
ward removed to Missouri, where her death occurred in 1863. Their chil- 
dren were Jane, who became the wife of Obediah Davis and died in Franklin 
county ; Alexander ; Rhoda, wife of Harvey Fisher, of Missouri ; Noah, who 
died in Missouri ; and Azariah, who died in Franklin county. 

Mr. Davidson, whose name introduces this record, was reared to man- 
hood in Franklin county, and acquired a fair education in the district schools. 
He was brought up to farm work and followed that pursuit throughout his 
entire life. He was married January 30, 1848, to Miss Lucy Wilkin, who 
was born in Hardy county, Virginia, December 3, 1825. Her parents were 
Jacob and Mary Catherine (Fravel) Wilkin. Her father was born and reared 
in Hardy county, Virginia, and was a son of George Wilkin, who was twice 
married, his second union being with Lydia Wise. He died in Virginia, and 
his wife died at the home of one of her children in Licking county, Ohio. Ja- 
cob Wilkin w^as reared to manhood in the county of his nativity and served as 
a private in the war of 1812, being stationed near Norfolk, Virginia. He 
wedded Mary C. Fravel, who also was a native of Hardy county, Virginia, 
as were her parents, Joseph and Annie (Dellinger) Fravel. About 1834 Mr. 
and Mrs. Wilkin came to Ohio, making the journey by wagon. They were 
about a week upon the way and at night camped out by the roadside. They 
located near the town of Nashport, in Muskingum county, where they resided 
for ten years, and then came to Franklin county, settling on what is now the 
Ezra Dominy farm, which was then a tract of wild land, the only improve- 
ment on the place being a little log house. Throughout his active business 
career Mr. Wilkin followed blacksmithing and farming and both he and his 
wife died in Norwich township. Their children were Reuben, who died in 



ii6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Muskingum county, Ohio; Elizabeth, who became the wife of Joseph Francis 
and died in Jackson county, Kansas; JuHa Ann, wife of Daniel Shuler, of 
Oklahoma; Lucy; Amanda, widow of Elias Fisher, and a resident of West- 
ville, Ohio ; and Catherine, wife of Hosea Dildine, of Madison county. 

Mrs. Davidson was only nine years of age when she accompanied her 
parents to Ohio. She attended school to a limited extent in Muskingum 
county, Ohio, and afterward continued her education in a log school house 
in Franklin county, her first teacher in Norwich township being Mr. Laird. 
Li 1848 iShe gave her hand in marriage to Mr. Davidson and for a few years 
they resided in Norwich township, after which they removed to a farm of one 
hundred and fifteen acres in Washington township, the subject of this review 
there successfully carrying on agricultural pursuits until his death. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Davidsoni have been born seven children : Arminta, 
the eldest, is the wife of George Van Schoyck, of Norwich township, Franklin 
county. Millard married Rachel Britton and resides in Washington township. 
Mary C. became the wife of George Wilcox and died in Washington township. 
Ida is the wife of George McCullough and died in Norwich township. Irena 
is the wife of George Fanning, of Oklahoma. Perley J., born on the home 
farm, April 18, 1868, attended the district schools of Washington township, 
was for three years a student in the high school at Hilliard, pursued a com- 
mercial course in Ada College and studied stenography in Hudson College 
at Columbus. After completing his education he went to Buena Vista, Vir- 
ginia, to learn drafting, but, disliking that work, he returned and has since 
operated the home farm. He is a member of the Masonic Lodge of Hilliard, 
and in politics is a Democrat. Harry, the youngest of the family, died at the 
age of twenty-seven years. 

Mr. Davidson, the father, was an exemplary member of the Masonic fra- 
ternity, and his political support was given to the Democracy, for he had 
firm faith in its principles. He died September 21, 1897, respected by all who 
knew him, and in his death his family lost a considerate husband and father 
and the community a valued resident. 

GEORGE W. MATTHEWS. 

The history of a state as well as that of a nation is chiefly the chronicle 
of the lives and deeds of those who have conferred honor and dignity upon 
society. The world judges the character of a community by that of its rep- 
res'entative citizens, and yields its tribute of admiration and respect for the 
genius, learning or virtues of those whose works and actions constitute the 
record of a state's prosperity and pride ; and it is their character, as exempli- 
fied in probity and benevolence, kindly virtues and integrity in the affairs of 
life, are ever affording worthy examples for emulation and valuable lessons of 
incentive. This train of thought is induced by a consideration of the life 
record of George W. Matthews who is one of the highly esteemed citizens of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. n? 

Franklin county — a man of sterling- worth and irreproachable character. He 
is enterprising, charitable and humane, having broad sympathy and a kindly 
spirit. 

Mr. Matthews was born in Wheeling, Ohio county, West Virginia, on 
the 30th of September, 1837, and has back of him a noble ancestry, of which 
he has every reason to be proud. His father, Ellzy Matthews, was a pioneer 
of Franklin county of 1844, in which year he located on the Scioto river, in 
Perry township. He was a native of Virginia, born at Moundsville, where 
his early life was passed, and there he wedded^ Mary M. Hood^ a sister of 
Judge Hood, of Somerset, Ohio, one of the early jurists of the state. Her 
father, Thomas Hood, was born in Baltimore county, Maryland, and served 
his country during the war of the Revolution as a drummer in the Maryland 
troops. He wedded Margaret Crook, and Elizabeth Hood, one of their 
daughters, became the wife of Rev. James C. Taylor, a native of Baltimore 
county, Maryland, whose parents became pioneer settlers of New Gibson, 
Ohio. When he was eighteen years of age Rev. Taylor, accompanied by Rev. 
J. B. Finley, attended a quarterly meeting. There he became converted, later 
became a student in Oxford College and soon afterward was licensed to 
preach. In 1823, at the close of his second year at Oxford, he was received 
on trial in a traveling connection in the Ohio conference, and was appointed 
to the Miami district of the Connorsville, Indiana, circuit. He labored faith- 
fully, wearing- out his clothes in the service, purchased a horse for ninety 
dollars in order to make his church visits, and at the end of his' season of 
work received thirty-three dollars in payment. He continuously rode circuits 
in the thinly settled regions of Indiana, and in 1826, while on the Black 
River circuit, he was married to Elizabeth Hood, of Brooke county. West 
Virginia. He was a very earnest preacher and enthusiastic worker, and the 
record of his' life w^as indeed a noble one For forty-three consecutive years, 
■with a strong and steadfast heart, he labored untiringly for the Master's 
cause. He was unassuming in manner, cheerful in disposition, and in his in- 
tercourse with his fellow men he commanded their respect and confidence and 
thus reflected credit upon the cause of Christianity. During his last years of 
work his labors were crowned with a very high degree of success, some three 
hundred probationers having been taken into the church. Eloquence char- 
acterized his utterances, and his speeches were often very pathetic. He died 
March 14, 1866, at the age of sixty-eight years, his birth having occurred on 
the 2d of April, 1798. Priscilla Hood, another member of the family, married 
Eli Green and lived and died in Virginia, passing away January 24, 1867. 
Sarah Hood became the wife of Thomas Bowman and for many years was a 
resident of West Virginia, where her death occurred. Rachel Hood became 
the wife of Joseph Brown and located in Washington county, Iowa. The 
sons of the family included Hon. Charles Hood, a prominent and well known 
judge of Somerset, Ohio. Dr. J. C. Hood, another son, became a dis- 
tinguished physician of Newark, Ohio, but is now deceased. He served as a 



ii8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

surgeon in the army during the Civil war, being attached during the greater 
part of the time to Grant's command. In this duty he was associated with his 
son, Dr. Thomas B. Hood. After the war the latter became dean of Howard 
University, in Washington, D. C, and was medical referee in the pension 
department for sixteen years. He died in 1900. 

Mrs. Matthews, the mother of our subject and the other member of the 
Hood family, was born in Baltimore county, Maryland, and during; her girl- 
hood accompanied her parents on their removal to Brooke county. West Vir- 
ginia. In 1802 her father came to Pickaway county, Ohio, but the wildness 
of the country discouraged him in his resolve to make a home in this state and 
he returned to Virginia. 

In the year 1844 Ellzy Matthews, the father of our subject, came to Frank- 
lin county, Ohio, bringing with him his wife and three children, together with 
their household effects, the journey being made with teams and two wagons. 
In January, 1843, h^ had made the trip on horseback, prospecting for a loca- 
tion, and had selected one hundred acres of land adjoining the farm upon which 
his son, George W., now resides. For this he paid eleven dollars per acre. 
It had been improved to some extent, and after taking up his abode thereon 
in 1844 Mr. Matthews continued the work of development and progress, mak- 
ing his home there throughout his remaining days. He was a successful 
farmer and accumulated a large estate, his landed possessions comprising 
nearly three hundred acres. He was identified with public affairs in the town- 
ship, giving his political support to the Democracy, and was an ardent adherent 
of its principles. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Matthews were born the following 
named : Margaret", who became the wife of Washington Mateer ; George 
W. ; and Mary, who became the wife of W. H. Davis and died soon after her 
marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Matthews held membership in the Methodist church 
and through a long period were exemplary Christian people who showed forth 
their faith and works in their daily life and instilled into the minds of their 
children the principles of honesty and uprightness. The father died in April, 
1876, at the age of seventy-six years, and the mother pas'sed away in May, 
1 88 1, in her seventy-sixth year. He was a prominent Mason. 

George W. Matthews, whose name forms the caption of this review, 
was only six years of age when his parents located in Franklin county, Ohio; 
He acquired a good education in the public schools of the neighborhood and 
remained with his father and mother until they were called to the home beyond. 
On the 27th of September, i860, he was united in marriage to Miss Nancy 
McCoy, a daughter of James and Ziporah McCoy, honored pioneer people of 
the county. From 1844 until the present time Mr. Matthews has resided in 
Perry township. In 1881 he took up his abode upon the farm which is now 
his home, and in that year erected thereon a commodious brick residence. 
His home is modern in all its appointments and equipped with the latest im- 
proved conveniences. It is tastefully furnished, has attractive and pleasant 
surroundings and gives' evidence of the culture and refined tastes of the in- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 119 

mates. The farm comprises two hundred and fifty-six acres of valuable 
land, which is highly improved, the richly cultivated fields being the visible 
evidence of the enterprising spirit of the owner. His property interests also 
include another farm in Perry township. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Matthews have been born five children, namely : 
Mary L., now^ deceased; Flora, wife of George Purdum; Charles H.; Mar- 
garet, who has also passed away; and Ellzy. Mr. Matthews has been quite 
prominent in political interests and has held the office of township trustee for 
fourteen years', wdiile for thirty years he has been a member of the school 
board. He affiliates with the Democracy and is unswerving in his advocacy 
of the party platform. Socially he is connected with New England Lodge, 
No. 4, F. & A. M., of Worthington, and has attained the Royal Arch degree 
in his chapter. Through many years he and his wife have been consistent and 
faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal church and are exemplary 
Christian people. Kindness, amiability and courtesy not only characterize 
his social relations but are a marked factor in his business life. Honesty 
and integrity are synonymous with his name, and in every relation in which 
he has been placed he has been found true and loyal to the trusts reposed in 
him. It is not because of special prominence in public affairs that he has and 
is justly entitled to the respect and confidence of his fellow men^ for his per- 
sonal qualities are such as to make men esteem and honor him. 

ROBERT ^IcCOY. 

The name of ]\IcCoy has figured prominently in connection with the de- 
velopment and substantial upbuilding of Franklin county through almost an 
entire century. Robert McCoy, whose name introduces this review, became 
a resident of the county about 18 10, locating on the east side of the river, 
in Franklinton. Two years later, in 181 2. he purchased sixty acres of land, 
upon wdiich his grandson now resides. He came to this county from Penn- 
sylvania, but was a native of Ireland, whence he crossed the Atlantic to the 
new world in an early day, taking up his abode in Lancaster county of the 
Keystone state. On the maternal side, however, he was of Scotch lineage. 
His mother bore the maiden name of ]\Iary Love and w^as a native of the 
land of hills and heather, but became a resident of the Green Isle of Erin when 
a little maiden of five summers. After arriving at years of maturity Robert 
McCoy was married, on Christmas day of 1802, to Miss Nancy Douglas, 
who w'as born in Scotland, in 1781. \A"ith their two sons, James' and Hugh, 
they came to Ohio, and subsequently five other children were added to the 
family. The second son, Hugh, was born in Pennsylvania, in 1808, and 
married Lydia Burns. He came to Ohio with his parents in 1810, and for 
many years resided in Franklin county, but afterward removed to Indiana, 
W'here his death occurred. ^Nlary Ann. the eldest daughter of the family, 
became the wife of ^^'illiam Feltner. Eliza married Abraham Hunter; Nancy 



120 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

became the wife of Joseph Godown. Catherine died aged eighteen years; 
Rebecca married Daniel Barker. Sarah became the wife, of Alexander Har- 
per, and after the death of her first husband married Abraham Stout. After 
locating upon his farm in Perry township Robert McCoy there made his home 
until his death. He was a successful agriculturist, becoming the possessor of 
a large property. He died July 25, 1841, at the age of sixty-nine years, and 
his wife passed away March 27, i860, at the age of seventy-nine years. She 
was a woman of deep religious convictions and held membership with the 
Methodist Episcopal church. 

James McCoy, the eldest son of Robert McCoy, was born in 1805, in 
Pennsylvania, and married Ziporah Richards, of Franklin county. They be- 
came the parents of five children, as follows : Nancy, now the wife of 
George Matthews ; Lois, deceased ; Ebenezer ; Porter J. ; and Robert. Both 
Mr. and Mrs. McCoy spent nearly their entire lives in Perry township, and for 
many years he served as a trustee, filling the office in a most capable and ac- 
ceptable manner. His farming interests were well managed and brought to 
him a good financial return. His death occurred in 1880, when he had at- 
tained the ripe old age of seventy-five years, and his wife passed away Septem- 
ber 14, 1872. Their son, Robert McCoy, was their eldest child and is the 
present representative of the family upon the old homestead. He was born 
in this township, in 1834, and acquired a common-school education of a 
very practical nature. In 1862 he was united in marriage with Sarah Latti- 
mer, and their union has been blessed with eight children, of whom seven are 
yet living, namely : Glennie, Bertha, James, John, Edgar, Robert and Flor- 
ence. The home farm comprises one hundred acres of land, which is richly 
cultivated, and the well tilled fields indicate to the passer-by the supervision 
and progressive spirit of the owner. He is one of the practical and reliable 
farmers of Perry towaiship and a man of sterling worth. 

JOSEPH A. JEFFREY. 

The manufacturing interests of Franklin county have no more worthy 
representatives than Joseph A. Jeffrey, president of the Jeffrey Manufactur- 
ing Company, of Columbus, and a man wdio has been actively connected with 
various other business enterprises to the benefit of all. There is no man in 
Columbus who occupies a more enviable position than does Mr. Jeffrey in 
industrial and financial circles, not alone on account of the brilliant success he 
has achieved but also 011 account of the honorable, straightforward business 
policy he has ever followed. He possesses untiring energy, is quick of 
perception, forms his plans readily and is determined in their execution, and 
his close application to business and his excellent management have brought 
tO' him the high degree of prosperity which is to-day his. 

Mr. Jeffrey was born at Clarksville, Clinton county, Ohio, January 17, 
1836. His father, Jan^es Jeffrey, was a native of Monmouth county. New 




JOSEPH A. JEFFREY. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 121 

Jersey, and was a farmer and trader. He married Angeline Robinson, a 
daughter of David Robinson, one of the early settlers of Warren county, 
Ohio, who was well known at Lebanon. Joseph A. Jeffrey passed his school 
days at St. Mary's Ohio, where he completed his education in the high school, 
after which he spent four years as a clerk in a general store. Later in life he 
removed to Columbus, where he soon secured a position in the office of Rickley 
& Brothers, private bankers. There he remained until 1866, in the various 
positions of bookkeeper, teller and cashier, and in the year mentioned he left 
the capital city and removed to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he engaged in the 
wdiolesale and. retail carpet and furnishing business until 1869, as a member 
of the firm of Rickley, Howell & Company, having a fourth interest in the con- 
cern. He disposed of his interest in the carpet business to J. J. Rickley, and 
returned to Columbus, where, in connection with S. S. Rickley, then of the 
firm of Rickley & Brother, bankers, he organized and established the Com- 
mercial Bank at High and Long streets, now the Commercial National Bank. 

A year later Mr. Rickley sold his interest in the Commercial Bank to 
Orange Johnson and F. C. Sessions, these gentlemen, with Mr. Jeffrey forming 
a general partnership under the name of the Commercial Bank, with Mr. 
Sessions acting as the president, while Mr. Jeffrey became cashier. He held 
that position until 1883, when he disposed of his interest to Mr. Sessions and 
acquired a controlling interest in the Lechner Mining Machine Company of 
Columbus. This enterprise was incorporated in 1878, with a capital stock 
of fifty thousand dollars, which has since been increased to three hundred 
thousand; and Mr. Sessions, who was previously connected with Mr. Jeffrey 
in the banking business, became the first president, but was succeeded by Mr. 
Jeffrey, who has since been the president and general manager of the enter- 
prise. The company has been known successively as the Lechner ]\Iining 
Machine Company, the Lechner Manufacturing Company and the Jeffrey 
Manufacturing Company. 

The scope of its operations has been broadened a good deal in the suc- 
cessive stages of its history and it now manufactures all kinds of heavy mining 
and electrical machinery, which is shipped throughout the United States and 
to foreign countries. The company has an extensive manufacturing plant, 
housed in large stone and brick buildings and employs from eight hundred to 
nine hundred men, a large majority of whom of necessity are skilled workmen, 
as some of the machinery turned out requires the highest possible finish. The 
plant covers about thirteen acres of ground and is located on the tracks of the 
Big Four Railway system, which affords first-class shipping facilities. The 
company manufactures electrical machinery, dynamos, motors, under-cutting 
coal-mining machines, electric and air-power drills, chain belting, elevators, 
conveyors, rope transmissions and coal washing and crushing mach'nerv. 
The efforts of Mr. Jeffrey have not been confined alone to one line, for his 
opinions carry weight in business circles generally, where he is known as a 
man of sound judgment and unquestioned ability. Since 1883 lie has been 



122 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

a stockholder in the Commercial National Bank of Columbus, and he is also 
a stockholder in the Ohio Trust Company, a director in the Franklin Insurance 
Company and is connected directly and indirectly with many other business 
enterprises of Columbus. 

Mr. Jeffrey was united in marriage to Miss Celia C. Harris, a daughter 
of Joseph and Deborah (Clark) Harris, the wedding being celebrated on the 
2d of October, 1866. They now have six children: Minnie G., Florence, 
Robert H., Agnes, Joseph Walter and Malcolm Douglas. The eldest son, 
Robert H., is assistant general manager of the Jeffrey Manufacturing Com- 
pany. Joseph Walter is a student in Williams College in Massachusetts and 
the youngest son is a student in the Trinity Hall school at Washington, Penn- 
sylvania. The eldest daughter, Minnie G., is a graduate of Gannett Institute, 
of Boston, Massachusetts, and is the wife of R. G. Hutchins, the vice-president 
of the Jeffrey Manufacturing Company. Florence was graduated in Smith 
College, of Northampton, Massachusetts, and is now the wife of William 
Wilson Carlysle, a lawyer of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Agnes is a grad- 
uate of Smith College and is now the wife of Frederick Shedd, of Columbus. 

Mr. Jeffrey served for five years as a trustee of the Protestant Hospital 
of Columbus and is a trustee of the Woman's Hospital of this city. He 
is a director and trustee in the First Congregational church, of which he and 
his wife are members. He likewise holds membership in the Columbus Club, 
the Arlington Country Club and the Middle Bass Club, of Lake Erie. In 
politics he is an outspoken Republican. His business career has been indeed 
very creditable, having established his present business, the Jeffrey Manu- 
facturing Company, and mainly through his efforts and direction having 
seen it grow from a very small beginning, the employment of a half dozen 
men, to its present large proportions with a capital and surplus of one million, 
two hundred thousand dollars, employing about nine hundred men, demon- 
strating the truth of the saying that success is not the result of genius but the 
outcome of a clear judgment and experience. 

LOUIS SIEBERT. 

Louis Siebert, one of the enterprising, w^de-awake and alert business men 
of Columbus, has through many years been identified with industrial and com- 
mercial concerns which have contributed in a large measure to the substantial 
upbuilding of the city, and the high success which he has achieved is an indi- 
cation of the power of energy, of capable management and of laudable ambi- 
tion in the business world. 

]\lr. Siebert was born in Frankfort on the Main, Germany, in 1830, but 
since the 15th of July, 1834, has been a resident of Columbus. His father, 
Henry L. Siebert, a soldier in the wars against Napoleon Bonaparte, came with 
his family to America in 1833, locating in Somerset, Perry county, Ohio. 
In Columbus he established a grocery and bakery, which he conducted until 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 123 

his death in 1842. In his youth Louis Siebert pursued his education in 
pubhc and private schools, and when a young man he learned and became 
connected with the business' of bookbinding and the manufacturing of blank 
books and stationery. Twenty-seven years he was identified with that line of 
trade and established the firm of Siebert & Lilley. They did an extensive 
business, their establishment being one of the largest of the kind in the entire 
state. Their sales and shipments constantly increased and the enterprise 
therefore proved a very profitable one. In 1892, however, Mr. Siebert retired 
from the business with which he had so long been associated, but did not 
entirely sever his connection wath commercial and financial enterprises. He 
is now a director in the Ohio National Bank, in the Edison Electric Light 
& Power Company, and in the Ruggles-Gale Company, a bookbinding enter- 
prise. He is also a director in the Dahlonega Consolidated and Standard 
Gold Mining Companies of Dahlonega, Georgia. 

In 1864 Mr. Siebert was united in marriage with Miss Sarah, a daughter 
of Henry B. Van DeWater, who was a well-to-do and highly respected cidzen 
of Columbus, but is now deceased. Their son, Albert H. Siebert, who is the 
manager of the press rooms of the Spahr & Glenn Printing &' Publishing 
Company, married Miss Cora Malone. The second son, Professor Wilbur 
H. Siebert, is a graduate of the Ohio State University, of Harvard College, 
and afterward continued his studies in the LTniversities of Frieberg and Ber- 
lin, Germany. He now occupies the chair of European history in the Ohio 
State University. He married Miss Annie Ware Sabine, of Marysville, 
Ohio, the only daughter of Hon. Hylas Sabine. 

Socially Mr. Siebert is connected with the Knights of Pythias and the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He belongs to the King Avenue Aleth- 
odist church, of which he is one of the trustees, and is liberal in his contribu- 
tions to church and charitable work. In business affairs he is energetic, 
prompt and notably reliable. He was watchful of all the details of his lousi- 
ness and of all indications pointing toward prosperity. He has gained wealtli, 
yet it was not alone the goal for which he was striving; and he belongs to 
that class of representative American citizens who promote the general "pros- 
perity wdiile advancing individual interests. 

OSCAR W. SCOTT. 

Oscar W. Scott, a well known farmer of Franklin township, was horn 
in Short Creek township, Harrison county. Ohio. November 13. 1853. ^^''-^^ i^ 
a son of George W. Scott, who was a nati\'e of the same county and came 
to Franklin county in 1872, locating at Camp Chase, where he was the first 
postmaster. He here established a notion and grocery store and continued 
as postmaster for ten years. In Harrison county he had taken considerable 
interest in public affairs, and at one time was defeated for a seat in congress 
by just one vote. His political convictions were in accord with the Repub- 



124 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

lican party and he upheld them until the time of his death, at the age of sev- 
enty-eight years. The mother of our subject belonged to the Hoopes family, 
which first located in America in 1683, David Hoopes, a Quaker, locating in 
Westchester county, Pennsylvania, where the family continues to the pres- 
ent day. Ann Hoopes was born in Harrison county, Ohio, in 181 5, and was 
a daughter of Jacob Hoopes, who had come west from Westchester county, 
Pennsylvania. In the former place she met and married the father of our 
subject, living to be an^ aged woman, her death occurring in 1897. Three 
of the children born of this union survived to maturity : Thomas A. ; Georgia, 
who married Dr. John S. McBean; and our subject. 

Oscar W. Scott was educated in the district schools, later attending 
Franklin College, following which he learned the printing business. Receiv- 
ing a scholarship in the Ohio State University, he passed one year at that insti- 
tution, coming then to assist his father in the store and postoffice. At that 
time Camp Chase postoflice was second only to London on the Columbus, 
London & Springfield Railroad, between Columbus and Springfield. Until 
1883 Mr. Scott remained with his father, but at that time the store was dis- 
continued and he engaged in farming. He has an interest in twenty acres 
on West Broad street, also one hundred acres where he lives, besides' a half 
interest in Scott Brothers' addition to the city of Columbus. 

Mr. Scott was married, in 1886, to Miss Emma Haldy, the estimable 
daughter of Frederick and Louisa Haldy, whose sketch appears upon another 
page of this work. She is the youngest member of her family and was born 
in 1865. Two bright little daughters have graced this union, — Ora Bell 
and Flora Lou. 

Li politics Mr. Scott has always upheld the principles of the Republican 
party, taking part in its councils and being a delegate to many conventions. 
He was also on the state board of supervisors for elections and has acted as 
the clerk of the election board. Socially he is connected with the order of 
Odd Fellows. He is a man much esteemed in the community and has always 
followed a line of conduct looking toward the improvement of his town and 
county. 

CHARLES C. SWISHER. 

From the earliest period of Ohio's development the Swisher family has 
borne its part in the work of advancement and progress, so that the name is 
inseparably interwoven in the history of that portion of the commonwealth 
in which they reside. People of the present period can scarcely realize 
the struggles and dangers which attended the early settlers ; the heroism and 
self-sacrifice of lives passed upon the borders of civilization; the hardships 
endured ; the difficulties overcome. Those tales of the early days read almost 
like a romance to those who have known only the modern prosperity and 
convenience. To the pioneer of the early days the struggle for existence, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 1 2 5 

far removed from the privileges and conveniences of city and town, was a 
stern, hard one, and those men and women must have possessed wisdom, 
immutable energies and sterling worth of character, as well as marked physical 
courage when they thus selected such a life and successfully fought its battles 
under such circumstances as prevailed in the west. 

John Swisher and his family came to Ohio from Sussex county, New 
Jersey, in the year 1805,, and settled in Fairfield county, where they remained 
until 1807, when they came to Madison township, Franklin county. Mrs. 
Swisher bore the maiden name of Mary Peterson, and upon her father's land 
northeast of the present site of Groveport Mr. Swisher and his family located. 
He afterward removed to the school section, where he resided for more than 
forty years, and afterward took up his abode in Dublin, Franklin county, 
w'here he spent his remaining days. His first wife died in 1836 and he after- 
ward married Mrs. Shepherd, of Washington township. Of his: family, six 
children lived to a period past seventy years of age, namely: Jacob, who 
spent his entire life in Madison township; Thomas, who spent the greater 
part of his life in Crawford county, Ohio, and there died; Frederick, who 
also resided in Madison township ; Fama, the wife of Absalom Peters, of 
Walnut township, Pickaway county, Ohio; Mrs. Maria Minor, of Hamilton 
township, Franklin county; John, who died in Litchfield, Illinois; and Mrs. 
Hoover, the youngest, a resident of Bucyrus, Ohio. 

Jacob Swisher, the eldest of this family, was born in Sussex county, 
New Jersey, July 5, 1803, and was twice married. He wedded Miss Eliza 
Scothorn, who died a year later, and his second wife w^as a daughter of 
Philemon Needels. During the greater part of his life Jacob Swisher resided 
upon a farm in Franklin county and in addition to the cultivation of his fields 
he engaged in buying and selling live stock. On a number of occasions he 
walked to Baltimore, there marketing a drove of hogs, and also returned on 
foot. In 1 840- 1 he engaged in the pork-packing business in Groveport. Hisi 
second wife died in 1862 and his death occurred on the ist of December, 
1890. They had nine children. 

Henry Clay Swisher, the eldest, was born in Madison township, January 
8, 1837, and long resided upon the home farm, making improvements thereon, 
including the erection of a substantial residence in 1874. He was married 
on the i8th of December, 1866, to Miss Jennie Nau, a daughter of Jacob 
and Margaret Nau. Her father was born July 14, 1820, in Prussi^i, Ger- 
many, and with his parents came to this country when ten years' of ap-e. He 
was married, on the 20th of November, 1843, to INIiss Alargaret Bradley, 
and unto them were born seven children, four sons and three diughters. 
The mother died May 5, 1856, at the age of thirty-one years, and Mr. Nau 
afterward married Miss Amanda Hickle, on the 3d of February, 1867. Her 
death occurred January 15, 1890. Jacob Nau came to Madison township, 
Franklin county, in 1856, from Fairfield county. Of his children, three sons 
and two daughters reached mature vears and two of the sons were educated 



126 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

in Lel^anoii. Ohio, and afterward were graduated in ]\Iiami ]\Iedical Col- 
lege, in Cincinnati, Ohio. The youngest son pursued his education in Worth- 
ington, Ohio. One daughter is the wife of A. M. Brown, of Groveport, and 
the other became the wife of Henry Clay Swisher. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Swisher were born eight children, seven of whom 
are living, — four sons and three daughters. The eldest, Ella Maxa, was 
born November 2, 1867, and on the 31st of December, 1895, became the wife 
of O. P. Crist, a son of Samuel Crist, an early settler of Madison township. 
Charles Clay is the next younger. Walter was l)orn December 25, 1870, 
and died on the 9th of January, 1871. Edgar Allison was born January 
23, 1872, was married, December 2, 1896, to Miss^ Alice Snow, of Hardin 
county, Ohio, and is now engaged in the drug business in Milledgeville, 
Fayette county, Ohio. Anah Alice, born December 16, 1873, ^I'^d Emma 
Florence, born December 13, 1878, are successful school-teachers in Frank- 
lin county. Amy Margaret, born August 14, 1881, is now a student 
in the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio. Jacob Wilbur, the 
youngest of the family, was born December 13, 1883, and is now a student 
in the high school at Delaware, this state. 

Charles Clay Swisher, Avhose name introduces this record, was born in 
Madison township. Franklin county, on the 19th of February, 1869, and in 
his youth attended the public schools near his home. Later he was grad- 
uated at the Groveport high school, at the age of nineteen years, and subse- 
quently pursued a post-graduate course at Reynoldsburg. Ohio. In the fall 
of 1888 he began teaching in the country schools and followed that profes- 
sion in Franklin county for several years. He always held a high-clas's 
certificate and was a very successful instructor, giving excellent satisfaction 
in every district in which he was employed. 

On the 27th of February, 1896, Mr. Swisher was united in marriage 
to Miss Luda E. Chaney, of Canal Winchester, Franklin county, Ohio, the 
eldest daughter of Edward and Eliza A. (Tallman) Chaney and a grand- 
daughter of the Hon. John Chaney, one of the early pioneers of Franklin 
county. ]\Ir. and Mrs. Swisher now have two interesting children : Helen 
E., who was born May 27, 1898; and Marcus Henry, born June 4, 1900. 

Since 1893 Mr. Swisher has been engaged in farming upon the fine farm 
that was owned by his father, and has placed the land under a high state of 
cultivation, so that the w^ell tilled fields bring to him a good return for the 
care and labor he bestows upon them. He is also a contractor. At present 
Mr. Swisher occupies the position of issuing clerk under the clerk of the 
courts of Franklin county. 

In politics the elder Swishers were Wliigs, but since the organization of 
the Republican party they have supported its principles, and the subject of 
this review is also allied with that organization, taking an active interest 
in its work and doing all in his power to promote the welfare of his party. 
Fraternally he is connected with the Knights of Pythias lodge at Canal Win- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 127 

Chester. He takes a deep interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of 
the county and to its progress along material and moral lines. His life has 
been an honorable, useful and upright one and all who know him hold him 
in the highest regard for his sterling worth. 

J. H. EUTSLER. 

J. H. Eutsler, the junior member of the firm of Puntenney & Eutsler, 
piano and music dealers of Columbus, occupies a creditable position in busi- 
ness circles in the city. He was born upon a farm in Ross county, Ohio, 
April 22, 1862, and is of German lineage. His grandfather, Henry Eutsler, 
was a native of Pennsylvania, but his ancestors came from the fatherland to 
the new world. Henry Eutsler married Jane Kirkendall, and among their 
children was Abram H. Eutsler, the father of our subject. He was born in 
eastern Ohio, and after arriving at years. of maturity wedded Nancy A. Haley, 
whose birth occurred in Vinton county, Ohio. Both are still living, their 
home being in Jamestown. Greene county, this state. 

John H. Eutsler is indebted to the common schools for the educational 
privileges which he enjoyed. Through tlie period of his boyhood and youth 
he assisted in the work of the home farm, remaining with his parents until 
twenty years of age. He afterward attended school for a short time at 
Milledgeville, Eayette county, after which he entered upon his business career 
as a salesman in a store at Washington Court House, where he remained 
until 1 89 1. In that year he removed to Springfield and in 1893 came to 
Columbus and was' in the employ of Hockett Brothers & Puntenney until 
1898, when he became a partner in the business, under the firm name of 
Puntenney & Eutsler. The partners are wide-awake, enterprising and experi- 
enced business men, each having been associated with the piano business for 
a number of years. Their store is located at No. 231 North High street, 
where they carry a large stock of pianos, organs and other musical instruments. 

Mr. Eutsler was united in marriage to Miss Emma J. Wallace, of Gallia 
county, Ohio, a daughter of Amos S. and Eva Anne (Shively) Wallace. 
They have the warm friendship of a large circle of acquaintances, and in 
business' circles Mr. Eutsler enjoys a most enviable reputation, which has 
been won by reason of his fidelity to the ethics of commercial life and his 
exemplification of the enterprising American spirit. 

JOHN BURNSIDE. 

Among the prominent farmers of Franklin county John Burnside. a 
leading citizen of Brown township, is specially deserving of mention in a 
work of the character of this volume. 

Mr. Burnside is a grandson of James Burnside. who was of Scotch 
descent and born near Enniskillen. in county Fermanagh. Ireland, where 



128 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

he became a prominent stock farmer and died full of years and honor. His 
son, John Burnside, the father of our subject, was also a native of that 
county, became an expert weaver of fine linens and was so successful in busi- 
ness that in time he employed several skilled workmen to help him. He mar- 
ried Margaret Humphreys, also a native of the same county and a daughter 
of Christopher Humphreys. In 1830, with his wife and family, he came to 
America, landing at St. Johns, New Brunswick, after a voyage of three weeks. 
After a short visit there he proceeded to Philadelphia and thence to 
Muskingum county, Ohio, bringing his wife, children and effects by wagon 
and settling there as a farmer, without means and amid most primitive envi- 
ronments. He died in that county, aged sixty-six years, and his wife died at 
Delaware, this state, at the age of nearly one hundred years. Their children 
were : Christopher, now deceased ; John, who is the subject proper of this 
sketch ; William, also deceased ; Royal, who lives at Westerville, Franklin coun- 
ty; Margaret, who lives with her family in Wisconsin; and Ann Eliza, 
Thomas , and Jane, deceased. 

John Burnside, of Brown township, this county, was born at the birth- 
place of his father and grandfather in Ireland, in February, 181 7, and attended 
subscription and government schools there. He was thirteen years old in 
1830, when his parents came to America. He helped his father build the log 
cabin in the woods in Muskingum county, and helped him to clear up hi'S 
land and put it under cultivation. The little house was made of round logs 
and had a big fireplace and a stone chimney, and the household furniture and 
conveniences of the family were meager indeed. The boy attended school 
only one month after they came to Muskingum county, but he was brought up 
a thorough farmer and gained much valuable knowledge by reading and obser- 
vation. He lived on his father's farm until the spring of 1850, when he mar- 
ried Miss Elizabeth Vandevort, who was born in Muskingum county, a 
daughter of James Vandevort, and was of German ancestry. 

After his marriage Mr. Bums.ide lived for four years on a farm of one 
hundred and thirty acres in Coshocton county, Ohio, which he had bought 
some time before. He then settled in Brown township, Franklin county, 
Ohio, where he bought one hundred acres of land, all but seven acres of which 
was heavily timbered. He employed help and built a small cabin which 
served him as a home for four years until he could erect a more comfortable 
dwelling. As rapidly as possible he improved his land and put it under cul- 
tivation, and he has added to his holdings from time to time until he now 
owns two hundred acres well improved and in every way equipped for success- 
ful farming. He is a leading man in his township, strong and influential as 
a Republican, but has never consented to accept any public office, though he 
has aided to the extent of his ability every movement for the public good. 

Mr. Burnside is a helpful member of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
Mrs. Burnside, who was a Presbyterian, died safe in the Christian faith, in 
1886, leavino- tender memories as a devoted wife and mother. Thev had 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 129 

children as follows : Martha, who married Elwood Smith ; Viola, the widow of 
Georg-e Brand and presides over her father's household ; and Albert, wdio is 
prominent in Brown township, where he has ably served his fellow towns- 
men as a township trustee. All members of this family are held in high 
esteem by those who know them best. 

STEPHEN W. PARKER. 

Stephen W. Parker is a wide-awake and progressive farmer of Prairie 
township and is descended from good old Revolutionary stock. His grand- 
father was an agriculturist of the Empire state and there spent his entire 
life. When the country became involved in war with England, owing to the 
oppression which had been heaped upon the colonists, he joined the Amer- 
ican army and aided in establishing the indep^idence of the Republic. Peter 
Parker, the father of our subject, was born in New York, in March, 181 8. 
He acquired a limited education and at the age of sixteen he ran away from 
home in order to come to the west. He made the journey on foot to Ohio 
and secured work on the National road at Sullivant Hill, near Columbus, 
and aided in building the road through Madison county. He was married, 
in this county, when about twenty-four years of age, to Miss Mary Warner, 
who was born in Franklin county, or in Pennsylvania. She was' a daughter 
of Stephen Warner, who'se birth occurred in the latter state, while her mother, 
Mrs. Lucy Warner, was a native of Ireland and came to the United States 
in her girlhood. 

After his marriage Peter Parker located at the Leonard brick yard, at 
Columbus, carrying on business there for a time, after which he sold his 
property and took up his abode in Brown township, where his wife died in 
August, 1857, in the faith of the Baptist church, in which she held member- 
ship. His death occurred March 4, i860. In his political affiliations he was 
a Democrat. The children of this worthy couple were : Martin, who died in 
infancy; Stephen W. ; Henry W., who went to Nebraska late in the '60s and 
is still living there; John C, of Norwich township, who married Margaret 
Poland; and Mary Jane, the wife of Joseph Grooms. 

Stephen W. Parker was born in the Leonard brick yard, now a part of 
Columbus, December 5, 1844, and was reared to manhood in Brown town- 
ship, at the time when it was a veritable wilderness, for no roads had been 
cut and the work of improvement was scarcely begun. The school was far 
from his home, but he attended when the weather permitted. After the death 
of his parents the support of the other children devolved upon him. He 
began work as' a farm hand for John R. Reason, at six dollars per month, 
and with him continued for nine years. \\'hile thus employed he responded 
to the country's call for aid. The 1)lood of Revolutionary ancestors flowed 
in his veins and his spirit of patriotism was aroused so that on attaining his 
majority he enlisted on the 8th of February. 1865, a? a member of Company 



I30 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

E, One Hundred and Ninety-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Captain 

F. M. Baker and Colonel R. P. Kennedy. He was mustered out September 
26. 1865, at Fort Federal Hill, in Baltimore, Maryland. During his service 
he was mostly in Virginia and at times he acted as teamster. He participated 
in the engagements of Charleston and Richmond and at the latter place on 
being injured was sent to the rear. For a time be was in camp at Win- 
chester and thence went to Baltimore, Maryland, and afterward to Havre de 
Grace. Subsequently he returned to Baltimore, where he was discharged. 

Mr. Parker at length returned to the home of his former employer Sep- 
tember 30, 1865, and remained in the service of Mr. Reason through the fol- 
lowing year. He then purchased a notion wagon and in that way was engaged 
in selling goods until 1867. In the spring of 1868 he was married and made 
bis home near Alton. In March, 1869, he removed to the Bigelow farm on 
the National pike, remaining there for six years, and in 1875 he went to 
Madison county, where he remained for twelve years. In April, 1887, he 
took up his abode upon his present farm of seventy-three and a half acres 
in Prairie township, Franklin county, erecting a residence in that year. He 
has placed many miles of tile upon his farm, has planted orchards, erected 
buildings and made other substantial improvements, and also owns a farm of 
sixty-one acres elsewhere. 

In the spring of 1868 Mr. Parker was united in marriage to Miss Lucinda 
Groomes, who was born November 27, 1850, on the farm which is yet her 
home, and which was then the property of her maternal grandfather, Th(;mas 
O'Harra. Her paternal grandfather was John Groomes, wIk^ with his wife 
and children came from Jersey to Franklin county. His wife was in her 
maidenhood a Miss Thener. John Groomes was among the early settlers 
of Prairie township, and died within its borders on what is now the George 
Michaels farm. Peter Groomes, the father of Mrs. Parker, was born in 
Jersey in 1823, and was a small boy when brought by his parents to Ohio. 
He was reared in Prairie township and married Louisa O'Harra, who was 
born on the east bank of the Scioto river in Franklin county, and is a daugh- 
ter of Thomas O'Harra, who was a pioneer of Prairie township, where he 
owned over three hundred acres' of land. His death occurred on his farm 
January 13, 1877. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Groomes located 
upon the farm which is now the property of Mrs. Parker. Her mother died 
in 1853, and her father afterward married Mary Jane Gatton. His death 
occurred on the old home farm March 15, 1891. The children of his first 
marriage were : Joseph, who married Mary Jane Parker and is living in 
Worthington ; John, who married Annie Sullivan and resides near Elmwood ; 
Margaret, the wife of Jacob Nicely: Mrs. Parker; and Isabel, who died at 
the age of fourteen years. The children of the second marriage are: Peter; 
Ellen Mina, now Mrs. Trus'sel, a widow; and Samuel. The children of Mr. 
and Mrs. Parker are: Jennie; Delia, now the wife of Louis Michel; Dora, 
wife of W. C. Carl; Lawson ; Charles, Frank and Hosea, who are in school. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 131 

Mr. Parker was born and reared in the Democratic faith, but in 1876 
left that party and has since been a stanch Repnbhcan, unswerving in his 
allegiance to the principles of the organization. For a quarter of a century 
he has served as a member of the board of education and the schools find 
in him a warm friend. He also belongs to W. H. Elliott Post, G. A. R., of 
Alton, and thus maintains pleasant relations with his old army comrades. 

GEORGE H. BULFORD. 

One of the successful and prominent professional firms of Columbus, 
Ohio, is that of Richards, McCarty & Bulford, architects, of which company 
George H. Bulford, the subject of this sketch, is the junior member. He 
wasi born in Worcester, England, in January, 1870, and is the son of Thomas 
E. and Annie (Pritchard) Bulford, both of wdiom were natives of England. 
The father of our subject was for many years an operator in the iron indus- 
tries at Worcester, and died there in 1874. The mother of our subject sur- 
vives her husband and came later to the United States and resides now in 
Columbus, Ohio. 

George H. Bulford was educated in the common schools' of his native 
town, later enjoying advantages at a private English school, still later taking 
a course in the grammar school, following which he selected architecture for 
his life occupation and entered upon the study of it. applying himself closely 
for the space of two years in his native country. 

In 1886 our subject came to the United States and moved direct to 
Columbus, Ohio, where he entered into the employ of a w^ell-known architect 
of this city named Yost. A short time later our subject went to New York 
in order to take a special course under the direction of a leading architect, 
upon his return becoming a member of the above firm. Their work is known 
throughout the city and state, and the firm is considered one of the most 
reliable and prosperous in the city. Mr. Bulford is a young man who has 
displayed great ability in his work, and commands the personal esteem of his 
business associates. 

The marriage of Air. Bulford took place in 1893 to Miss Florence 
Browning, of Marion, Ohio, the daughter of J. H. Browning, formerly of 
Marietta, a native of Missouri, although she was reared in Ohio, and they 
have one son, named George E. 

GEORGE BRODRICK. 

For more than the traditional psalmist's span of life George Brodrick 
h,as resided in Columbus, and has been a witness of almost the entire 
growth and development of the city, which w^as founded nearly a century 
ago. He first opened his eves to the light of day in Columbus. January 5, 
1829. His father, H. D. Brodrick. was a native of Maysville. Kentucky, 



132 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

born in 1802, and in 18 10 he came to Ohio with his parents. In pioneer 
times, during the presidency of Martin Van Biiren, the grandfather of our 
subject was county auditor of Franklin county, and H. D. Brodrick served 
as a deputy. They were both prominent and influential men in business', 
political and social circles, and the name is inseparably connected with the 
history of this community on account of what they did for the development 
of the city and county. The father passed away in 1876. 

George Brodrick, of this review, spent his boyhood days at his parents' 
home and pursued his education in the schools that were in existence at that 
day. His memory reaches back to the early times when Columbus was but 
a village. The old landmarks have long since been obliterated, and the old 
tavern and postoffice where the Columbus stage made its stops was within 
three blocks of Mr. Brodrick's present home, for he still lives on the original 
plat of Columbus of seventy-five years ago, his residence standing upon land 
which his father owned. 

In the year 1861 Mr. Brodrick was united in marriage to Laura Raney, 
who died in 1880. His only child is Lauretta, now the wife of \\'illiam H. 
Deardurff, who was born in St. Louis, IMissouri, April 2, 1869. When a 
young man he came to Columbus and for ten years has held the position of 
yard conductor for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Unto Mr. and 
Mrs. Deardurff have been born three children: Martha L., George W. and 
Ella L. Mr. Brodrick is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- 
lows and in his political views is a Republican. He took an active part in 
the campaigns of many years ago, when the party was in its infancy and 
M-hen political excitement ran very high. He is living retired at his pleasant 
residence at No. 90 North Skidmore street, enjoying a well merited rest, 
and there, in the evening of life and surrounded by many friends, he is num- 
bered among the most valued residents of the capital. 

JOHN MICHAEL BRAND. 

On the roll of enterprising, substantial and successful business men 
of Columbus appears the name of John Michael Brand. He was born at 
Baden, Germany, on the 30th of December, 1833, his parents being John 
Michael and Katharine Brand. In 1846 the family emigrated to the United 
States, sailing from Havre de Grace, France, and reaching their destination 
after thirty-three days spent on the bosom of the Atlantic. On this voyage 
the mother died and was buried at sea. After a few days' rest in New 
York city the family continued on their westward way to Chillicothe, Ohio. 
There were three sons and a daughter, the latter now deceased, and Frederick 
has also passed away, so that the living members of the family are lohn M. 
and George J. Their father was a farmer and gardener during his active 
life, following those pursuits in Ohio, where he died on his liome farm 
in 1852. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 133 

John j\I. Brand, whose name introduces this record, was educated in 
the common schools of his native country between the ages of six and twelve 
years. At the age of fifteen he began learning the harnessmaker's trade as 
an apprentice to John Ewing, of Chillicothe, and after the completion of his 
term of service he went to Cincinnati, where he spent one year, going from 
there to Nashville, Tennessee, where he remained for three years. Upon 
returning to Chillicothe he was married, in i860, to Miss Eliza Anding, a 
daughter of Paulus Anding, and after his marriage he returned to the south, 
locating again in Nashville, where he entered into partnership with John 
Monroe, manufacturing heavy harness for the Confederate army in 186 1-2. 
From Nashville Mr. Brand went to Memphis, where he entered into part- 
nership with George Crown, in the manufacture of harness and saddlery, 
continuing business there until 1864, when he sold out and returned to Ohio. 
In 1867 he began business on his own account in Columbus and has since 
carried on operations along the line of trade which he learned in early life, 
being now extensively engaged in the business of manufacturing heavy and 
light harness. He was alone until 1888, wdien he admitted his son to a 
partnership under the firm name of J. M. Brand & Son, their factory being 
located at No. 144 East Main street. 

Mr. and Mrs. Brand have but one child, John F., born in ]\Iemphis, 
Tennessee, October 20, 1863, who is now his father's partner. Our subject 
resides at No. 186 South Fifth street, and as the result of his well directed 
efforts he is enabled to supply his family with all of the comforts and many 
of the luxuries of life. He is a member of Harmonia Lodge, No. 358, I. 
O. O. F. He also belongs to the Liederkranz, a German singing society, 
entered as a passive member in 1866, and was transferred as active in 1870, 
serving his thirty years as active, and now- is enrolled on the honorable list. 
He is serving in the capacity of trustee, which office he has filled for fifteen 
years. 

He entered upon his business career in a humble capacity, but it has 
been one of successful achievement by reason of his natural ability and his 
thorough insight into the business in which as a young tradesman he embarked. 
He enjoys the well earned distinction of being what the public calls a self- 
made man. 

ICHABOD B. BORROR. 

Among the well-known and highly esteemed residents and old settlers of 
Jackson township, Franklin county, Ohio, is Ichabod B. Borror, the subject 
of this review^ who was born June 14, 1838, on the farm w'here he now resides, 
on Borror pike, near Borror's Corners. His father, Solomon Borror, was 
a native of Virginia, a son of German parents wdio had come when young 
to America, and he accompanied his mother to Franklin county in 1812. 
He married a Miss Sally Clark, but both she and her two children died young. 



134 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

The name of the mother of our suljject was Delilah (Miller) Borror, a 
daughter of one of the oldest settlers of Franklin county. Her death occurred 
when she was about fifty years old. 

When Solomon Borror came to Franklin county he encountered the usual 
difficulties of that time, and they required a stout heart and perfect health 
to overcome. Mr. Borror lived to be sixty-seven years old, and died a man 
thoroughly respected and much missed on account of his public spirit. He 
was a life-long Democrat and held some offices acceptably, one being that of 
constable. He was a member of the religious denomination known as the 
New Light. His family consisted of seven children, all of whom grew to 
maturity. The names of these were : Malinda, who died at the age of twen- 
ty-one; Levi, deceased; Elizabeth, wife of Wesley Titus, of Bond county, 
Illinois; Ichabod B., our subject; William C, who died in the Civil war, in 
1861 ; Gilbert L., of South Bend, Indiana; and Solomon, deceased. 

Our subject is the only member of his family who is now a resident of 
Franklin county. He was reared on the farm where he now lives, although 
for some years he traveled, in 1862 making a trip to Montana and 
Idaho, where he engaged in mining for two years. After a short sojourn 
at home he took a trip to Bond county, Illinois, and traveled over the state, 
working by the month, and thus he continued for a period of four years, at 
the expiration of which time he returned to Franklin county, wdiere he con- 
tinued farm work by the month. 

The marriage of Mr, Borror occurred December 3, 1868, to Miss Melissa 
W'est, a native of Pickaway county, Ohio, a daughter of David and Catherine 
(jMartin) West, who had come from old Virginia at an early day and founded 
a home in Ohio. She was one of a family of two sons and six daughters : 
Daniel, who died in the Civil war; Mary E., deceased; Sarah F., the widow 
of George Simpson, of Marion county; Caroline, deceased; Annie, deceased; 
Melissa; John F., deceased; and Tillia. wife of William L. Seeds, of Grove 
City, Ohio. 

After his marriage our subject located on the old homestead, w-here he 
engaged in general farming. In March, 1880, he moved into his new^ resi- 
dence which he built that year and is now most comfortably settled, still 
engaging in agricultural pursuits. His family is composed of four sons 
and two daughters, as follows: Rev. Charles H.. a minister in the Methodist 
Episcopal church, now located at Chillicothe. He married Miss Dora Cay- 
wood and they have one son. Brooks; Otis E., farmer for his father; Lela 
G., wife of S. E. Shover, of Jackson township. They have two children, 
Merle and Elma; Glenn; Verna ; and Virgil C, who is still attending school. 

Mr. Borror still takes an interest in his fine farm of one hundred and 
forty-five acres, and well he may, for it is well cultivated and must be a 
gratifying return for the labor and expense put upon it. Politically Mr. 
Borror is a Democrat, and his religious connection is wath the New Light 
denomination. Socially Mr. Borror belongs to Lockbourne Lodge, No. 232, 



CENTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i35 

F. & A. M., of Lockbourne, Ohio, having- been connected with that lodge for 
thirty-five years. He and his family are justly considered representative 
citizens of the county, his name being regarded as good as his bond and con- 
nected with all measures for the public good. 

DANIEL H. TAFT. 

In mercantile circles in Columbus, Ohio, there is no name which more 
readily or unerringly suggests all those cjualities which characterize the 
honorable and successful merchant than that of Daniel H. Taft, of the firm of 
Dunn, Taft & Company, who not only occupies an honorable ' position in 
the business community but is descended from an old first-class Ohio family. 

Mr. Taft was born March 23, 1850. a son of Daniel H. Taft, Sr. His 
father was a native of Massachusetts, born in 18 14, who came with his par- 
ents to Ohio early in life and settled at Reynoldsburg, a small village in 
Franklin county, where in due time he started on a mercantile career. In 
1840 he married Miss Sarah Elizabeth Conine. Not long afterward he 
moved to Columbus, where for many years he had a dry-goods store at 
Broad and High streets on the present site of the Deshler bank, and later at 
another location on High street and still later at High and Gay streets. He 
retired from business after an honorable career of thirty years and died in 
1876. His wife survived him until 1894, when she died^ in her seventy- 
fifth year; she was born in New Jersey, in 1819, and came to Ohio with her 
father's family in 1821. Jacob Conine, her father, was a pioneer in Franklin 
county, and her mother was Sarah Lawrence, born in New Jersey in 1778. 
Daniel Taft, father of Daniel H. Taft, Sr., and grandfather of Daniel H. 
Taft, the immediate subject of this sketch, was a native of jMassachusetts 
and was descended from ancestors who came to America from England about 
1680. 

Mr. Taft passed his boyhood and early school days in his native city 
and completed his studies in the high school. After that he assisted hi.^i 
father in his store and later accepted a position in the dry-goods store of J. 
D. Osborn & Company and was a clerk in their establishment for fourteen 
years, until the business was closed out. After that he was with Green, 
Joyce & Company until 1889, when he formed a partnership with Joseph H. 
Dunn and Joseph A. Hartley, under the style of Dunn, Taft & Company, 
purchasing the stock of William G. Dunn, a retiring member of Mr. Dunn's 
old firm. The present store of Dunn. Taft & Company, at 84. 86 and 88 
North High street, occupies a ground space of forty by one hundred and eighty- 
seven feet and is a four-story-and-basement building. All of the several 
floors are crowded with the company's goods and customers and the business 
requires the services of sixty employes. The stock is large and varied and 
the store ranks as the largest exclusive dry-goods store in the state. 

]\Ir. Taft was married, ]\Iay i, 1882, to Miss Mary H. Ritson, a daugh- 



136 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ter of Alfred and Jane E. Ritson, of Columbus. Mrs. Taft died in 1895, 
leaving a son and a daughter, Lawrence R. and Helen. Mr. Taft's present 
wife was Miss Martha Hill, daughter of Dr. John Hill, of Summit county, 
Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Taft are members of the Congregational church, in 
which they take much interest. 

Mr. Taft is a man of much public spirit, influential to a great degree in 
political affairs, but to.o busy to be an active politician, a helpful, progressive 
citizen who has the welfare of his fellow citizens at heart and encourages 
every rational means to its advancement. 



. JAMES HOUSE ANDERSON. 

William Anderson, of Scotland, an adherent of Prince James, son of 
James U, after the insurrection of 171 5, fled in disguise to Virginia, the haven 
of discomfitted royalists, and settled on the north branch of the Potomac, in 
Hampshire county, in a beautiful valley known to this day as the Anderson 
Bottom. He was robust and chivalrous, participated in many battles with 
the Indians, and was one of the brave officers under General Braddock in 
his disastrous engagement with the French and Indians near Fort Duquesne. 
William Anderson was born in 1693, and died on his estate at the great age 
of one hundred and four. His son Thomas served w^ith credit in various 
Virginia (colonial) expeditions against the Indians, including Eord Dun- 
more's to Chillicothe, in 1774. A soldier of the Revolution (six years), 
patriotic and valiant, he was in many battles and (tradition says) in com- 
mand of his company at Yorktown when Cornwallis surrendered. Pie was 
born on his father's place in 1733 and died in 1806. 

James, the son of Captain Thomas. Anderson, was born on the same 
plantation, February 17, 1768. He served as a private for three months at 
the close of the war for independence. In 1792 he entered the cavalry service 
as ensign, or second lieutenant, accompanied Anthony Wayne in his cam- 
paigns against the Indians, displayed great gallantry in battle, particularly at 
Fallen Timbers, and was advanced to a captaincy. He died October 24, 
1844. 

His son, Thomas Jefferson Anderson, the father of the subject of this 
sketch, was born at the old homestead in Virginia, April 2, 1801, and with his 
parents came to Fairfield county, Ohio, April 7, 1806. Here on his father's 
farm he spent his youth. At the age of eighteen he returned to Virginia to 
attend school. On the 7th of August. 1825, he was married to Miss" Nancy 
Dunlevy, born January 12, 1805, a woman of taste, refinement and brilliant 
conversational powers, of a notable family of Jefferson county, Ohio, and the 
same year removed to Marion, Ohio. For three successive terms of seven years 
each he was an associate judge of the court of common pleas of Marion 
county, and during his long residence in Marion held many other posts of 




JAMES H. AHDERSOH. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. iZ7 

honor, profit and trust. He died January 25, 1871, respected by all. He 
was a man of strict integrity, stainless, honorable and just. 

James House Anderson, son of Judge Thomas Jefferson and Nancy 
(Dunlevy) Anderson, was born in Marion, March 16, 1833. He was edu- 
cated in the district and select schools of the town, also in the Marion Acad- 
emy and at the Ohio Wesleyan University. He studied law under Ozias 
Bo wen, later a supreme judge of Ohio, and Bradford R. Durfee, graduated 
in the law department of Cincinnati College in the spring of 1854, and imme- 
diately began the practice of his profession in his native place. In April, 
1855, he was elected mayor of Marion, and, in the October following, prose- 
cuting attorney of the county. In the trial of causes he was indefatigable, at 
times eloquent, and usually successful. Like many other young lawyers, he 
made stump speeches for his party during political campaigns, and occasion- 
ally accepted invitations to address lyceums and other associations. On No- 
vember 2y, 1856, he was united in marriage to Miss Princess A. Miller, the 
youngest daughter of the late David jMiller, a pioneer of prominence in 
Marion and Wyandot counties, whose nephew, Rear Admiral Joseph N, 
Miller, born in Springfield, Ohio, represented the United States navy by 
appointment of the president at the Queen's jubilee in London, in 1897. ^ She 
Avas a granddaughter of Abner Bent, of Marion county, and a great-grand- 
daughter of Colonel Silas Bent of the Revolution, a member of the Ohio Com- 
pany, who, with General Rufus Putnam and other Revolutionary officers, 
'Settled in Ohio in 1788. In 1859 Mr. Anderson was a candidate for the state 
senate in the district composed of Marion, Logan, Union and Hardin coun- 
ties, and came within one vote of receiving the nomination. A nomination 
was "equivalent to an election." 

In March, 1861, he was appointed by President Lincoln United States 
consul at Hamburg, one of the most important commercial cities in Europe^ 
and with his family at once embarked for the scene of his duties. Ordinarily 
this consulate is a busy one, but the great Civil war in America trebled the 
responsibilities and difficulties of the position. Hamburg early became a 
rendezvous for privateers and blockade-runners, where they received their out- 
fit and supphes, and the necessary espionage of these vessels, their lawless 
owners and officers demanded sleepless vigilance. That Consul Anderson 
performed his arduous duties most efficiently is evidenced by the number of 
letters of commendation received by him from the secretary of state and other 
distinguished public functionaries. Under date of December 10, 1861, Secre- 
tary Seward writes: "Your vigilance in regard to the movements of the 
insurgents for the purchasing and shipping of arms and other equipments at 
Hamburg is highly appreciated." Again, under date of August 21. 1862, 
Secretary Seward writes: "The department this morning has been informed 
by the secretary of the navy that the steamer Columbia, concerning which 
you gave early and important information to this department, which was 
promptly communicated to the navy department, has been captured." This 



138 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

elegant vessel, incliuling her cargo of arms and other iniinitions, was of great 
value. 

Mr. Anderson was instrumental, it Wc.s said, in sinking a lighter, at 
Hamburg, that was conveying batteries, carriages, etc., to the steamer Bahama 
in the service of the Confederate government, and of thwarting the Confed- 
erate agents in other respects. Thereupon Secretary Seward wrote Mr. 
Anderson : "I have transmitted to you, under another envelope, the National 
Intelligencer, in which is printed a letter of Mr. Huse, one of the Rebel agents 
in Europe, in which he confesses that his plans have been thwarted by the 
activity of yourself, and the minister of the United States in London. The 
department takes pleasure in acknowledging the service thus rendered to your 
country." (See dispatch of Caleb Huse, Captain of Artillery, C. S. A., to the 
war department, C. S. A., captured by our navy). 

Hon. Carl Schurz, United States minister at Madrid, writing to Mr. 
Anderson from Washington, March i, 1862, detailing an interview with 
the secretary of state, says : 'T must not forget to mention that Seward spoke 
very highly of you and your services." 

General H. S. Sanford, United States minister at Brussels, who had just 
returned from a visit to Washington, writing from Brussels, August 24, 1862, 
says: "1 was glad to learn at the department of state that your activity in 
following up Rebel enterprises in your port was appreciated. You have 
probably already received a dispatch commendatory of your zeal, which was 
to have been addressed to you about the time of my departure, the end of last 
month. I hope you are well, and that the work of detecting Rebel enterprises 
goes bravely on. I w^as just fourteen days in the United States, having been 
detained longer than I contemplated in South America." In 1863 the secre- 
tary of state writes : "The department is gratified to perceive the evidences 
of your vigilance and devoted loyalty." 

Consul Anderson''& diplomatic duties were even more perplexing than 
his consular. Naturalized American citizens were often arrested in Hamburg 
for non-performance of military duty in the fatherland — usually for service 
alleged to be due Prussia or one of the smaller German states. The persons 
thus apprehended invariably appealed to the consul for protection, ancl he, as 
invariably, by tact, good judgment and persistence secured their release. In 
1863 Hon. G. J. Abbot, of the state department, writes: "Your assiduous 
labors in the consulate are known and appreciated here." While in Hamburg 
Mr. Anderson was notified by letter from the New^ York ofifice that he had been 
elected a member of the American Geographical and Statistical Society. Sub- 
sequently he was elected a corresponding member of the American Institute 
and received the following notification : 

American Institute, New York, May 8, 1863. 

J. H. Anderson, Esq. : Dear Sir : — I take great pleasure in informing 

you that at a meeting of the American Institute of the city of New York, held 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY 



139 



last evening, you were unanimously elected a corresponding member thereof. 
The American Institute was chartered in 1829, for the purpose of encouraging 
and promoting domestic industry in this state and the United States, in agri- 
culture, commerce, manufactures and the arts. 

Yours very respectfully, 

John W. Chambers, Act. Rec. Sec'y. 

On the 30th of May, 1863, :Mr. Chamljers writes: 'The American In- 
stitute has appointed you a delegate to represent the association at the Great 
International Agricultural exhibition at Hamburg, and the credentials of your 
appointment will be handed you by Mr. Wennberg, a member of the Institute." 
On the 29th of December, 1862, Secretary Seward notified Mr. Anderson that 
his dispatch relating to the exhibition had been published in the National 
Intelligencer, for general information. It was a carefully prepared paper and 
was soon followed by another, which the state department authorized the same 
journal to publish. On the 20th of March, 1863, the secretary of the Ham- 
burg International Exhibition wrote : "It is my pleasant duty to thank you 
most sincerely for the able manner in which you have called t:he attention of 
your government and countrymen to wdiat it is hoped will be an occasion of 
bringing from your country the wonderful products of your agricultural and 
mechanical skill." The immediate results of Mr. Anderson's widely published 
dispatches on the subject of the Great International Exhibition "at Hamburg 
m 1863, were a message from the president, and appropriation by congress, 
the appointment of a commissioner by President Lincoln, — Governor Joseph 
A. Wright, of Indiana, — similar action by many of the states as well as many 
of our agricultural societies, and a successful exhibition bj our citizens of 
agricultural products, implements, live stock, etc. It is needless to quote at 
greater length from dispatches and letters in recognition and approval of Mr. 
Anderson's services. 

That his efforts to stimulate immigration, to give to the people of Europe 
just views of our resources, finances, etc., to secure generous contributions in 
1864 for our sick and wounded soldiers, and in 1865 for our helpless f reed- 
men, as well as his labors in many other important directions not heretofore 
referred to, were eminently successful, testimonials from the secretary of 
state, and others of the highest character — women as well as men — clearly 
establish. Few American representatives abroad have ever served their coun- 
try with more diligence or fidelity; and it is probably true that two-thirds of 
his time was employed in the discharge of extraordinary duties that do not 
occur in a period of profound peace. 

J\lr. Anderson finally became weary of official life, and, longing for his 
native land, sent in his resignation. This is the answer that came to'him: 

Department of State, Washington, Aug. 6. 1866. 
J. H. Anderson, Esq. : Sir : — Your communication of July 28th, tend- 



140 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

firing your resignation of }-our oflice of consul at Hamburg and giving your 
views on the policy of the administration, has been received. Your resigna- 
tion is accepted, with regret. The department has every reason to be satis- 
fied with your manner of performing the delicate and responsible duties of 
your consulate. The records of the department show you to have been a 
faithful officer of the government. Your letter has been read by the presi- 
dent, who expresses much satisfaction at the sound and liberal views therein 
given. I am, sir, your obedient servant, 

William H. Seward. 

Devoted as Mr. Anderson bad been to President Lincoln throughout the 
war period, and despite his strong attachment to the Republican party, he 
could not conscientiously withhold his approval of the southern policy of Presi- 
dent Johnson; and in 1866 he was sent as a delegate from the eighth con- 
gressional district of Ohio to the National Union convention at Philadelphia. 
In 1866 President Johnson tendered him an appointment as chief justice of 
IMontana territory, which he declined, not w'ishing to leave home again, but 
accepted the office of collector of internal revenue of the eighth congressional 
district of Ohio. While Mr. Anderson was discharging his duties as collector, 
Hon. John Sherman wrote the following letter to the president : 

Senate Chamber, February 18, 1867. 
Sir: — I most earnestly recommend James H. Anderson of Ohio, late 
consul at Hamburg, for appointment to a mission or leading consulate. He is 
a gentleman of high character and abilities, who as consul at Hamburg, ren- 
dered very valuable services to the country. Pie is well qualified for any 
trust. I will not hesitate to urge his confirmation to any executive appoint- 
ment within your gift. 

Very respectfully yours, 
To the President. John Sherman. 

Mr. Anderson never called on the president after this letter was written, 
although invited to do so. He received a lengthy and very friendly letter 
from Senator Sherman, dated New York, April 6, 1867, which concludes as 
follows: 'T am here arranging for my trip to Paris, and sail on the 13th. 
I certainly will miss no opportunity to do you a kindness, not only on your 
own account, but also on your father's, for whom I have always felt the highest 
regard." As the president, the secretary of state and both of the Ohio senators 
were friends of Mr. Anderson, an appointment to a high position might easily 
have been obtained ; but he had now resolved that he would not accept an office 
of any kind, and, having large landed interests in Wyandot county, he soon 
moved to Upper Sandusky, opened a law office, engaged in banking, also in 
farming, and stock and wool growing on a much larger scale than ever before. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 141 

and continued in active and profitable business until 1874, when he removed 
to Columbus, his present place of residence. While living- in Upper San- 
dusky he was elected for three years a member of the board of education. In 
1878 he was appointed by the governor a trustee of the Ohio State University, 
and for nearly seven years was the chairman of the executive committee of the 
board of trustees. At his suggestion the board conferred upon Allen G. 
Thurman, then president pro tempore of the United States 'senate, and upon 
Morrison R. Waite, chief justice of the United States, the honorary degree of 
Doctor of Laws ; and the resolutions appropriate to the occasion were drafted 
by Mr. Anderson. These distinguished Ohioans were the first to receive the 
degree from this eminent 'seat of learning. 

The year that General Thomas Ewing was the Democratic candidate 
for governor of Ohio, 1879, at his earnest request, Mr. Anderson became a 
member of the state executive committee, and its secretary. Mr. Anderson is 
now spending his time somewhat quietly, in the society of his books, in writ- 
ing, in social and literary pastimes, and in the management of his estate. 
He takes an active interest still in the proceedings of the patriotic and other 
organizations of which he is a member. At the national congress of the 
Sons of the American Revolution, held in May, 1899, in Detroit, he was 
elected the vice-president general of the national society. He was a delegate 
from the Ohio society to the national congress, Sons American Revolution, 
at Morristown, New Jersey, in May, 1898; at Detroit, in May, 1899J and at 
New York city, in May, 1900. He has long been a life member of The Ohio 
State Archaeological and Historical Society, and in May, 1899, ^^'^^ elected 
a trustee of the society for three years. It is the only state ofiice which he now 
(1900) holds. He is also a member of the executive conjmittee, which is the 
government body of the society. Mr. Anderson is still a member of the 
ancient and honorable order of Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons, and ex- 
pects to remain one. 

The children of James H. and Princess A. Anderson are: Mary Prin- 
cess ; Lieutenant James Thomas Anderson, United States Army ; Charles 
Finley, merchant. Paducah, Kentucky; Amelie Ellen, deceased; and Alice 
Florence, deceased. Mary Princess was married to Professor Edward Ortnn, 
Jr., of the Ohio State University, a son of the distinguished^ scientist. Dr. 
Edward Orton, LL. D. James Thomas was married to Miss Helen Bagley, 
the accomplished daughter of the late governor, John J. Bagley, of Detroit, 
Michigan. Charles Finley was married to Miss Minerva Ann Flowers, of 
Paducah, Kentucky, a descendant of one of the oldest slave-holding families 
in the south. Amelie Ellen died at the home of her parents at the age of 
seven. Alice Florence, always an invalid, died January 24, 1895, ^^ Santa 
Fe, New Mexico, of pneumonia. Lieutenant James T. and Helen Bagley 
Anderson are blessed with one child, Helen Anderson. Charles F, and 
Minerva A. Anderson also have one child, ]Marv Princess Anderson. 



142 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

It may be proper to add that the old Scotchman, W'ihiam Anderson, 
named at the beginning of this sketch, was the father of two sons and two 
daughters; that his son Wilham was kihed by the Indians in Virginia, and 
that his other son, Captain Thomas Anderson, lost three brave sons — William, 
Joseph and Abner — in the last war with Great Britain. Captain James An- 
derson, heretofore referred to, had seventeen grandsons in the Union army 
during the great Rebellion, several of whom gave their lives for their country. 

The maternal ancestors of James H. Anderson, of Columbus, Ohio, are as 
follows : Mrs. Mary Barton Dunlevy, a widow, came to America from county 
Tyrone, Ireland, about 1771, and settled with her children near Brownsville, 
Fayette county, Pennsylvania. She was the widow of Andrew Dunlevy, 
son of James, son of John, son of Francis, son of Anthony, who was living 
and very old, in Sligo, Ireland, in 1652. She was the mother of nine children, 
— eight sons and one daug'hter, — seven of whom accompanied her to this 
country, namely: John, ^Vnthony, Andrew, Morris, Daniel, James and 
Nancy. Mrs. Mary Barton Dunlevy was born in 1730, was a member of the 
Protestant Episcopal church, and died August 18, 1827, at the home of her son 
Daniel, in Cross Creek township, Jefferson county, Ohio. Andrew, her hus- 
band, died in county Tyrone, some time before she left Ireland. 

James Dunlevy was born in county Tyrone, Ireland, in 1770; came to 
America with his mother, as before stated ; lived for years in Fayette county, 
Pennsylvania; was educated at Dr. John McMillan's classical school, and its 
successor, Canonsburg Academy, which afterward became the famous Wash- 
ington and Jefferson College; was united in marriage in 1796, to Miss Hannah 
Rabb, born July i, 1780, a daughter of Captain Andrew Rabb, of Fayette 
county, Pennsylvania. Captain Rabb was a man of great wealth and influence, 
and a Revolutionary soldier who recruited a company of mounted rangers at 
his own expense, which rendered gallant service during several years of the 
war for independence. David McKinley, a great-grandfather of the presi- 
dent of the United States, in his application for a pension, says that a part of 
b.is Revolutionary service w^as in Captain Andrew Rabb's company. Captain 
Rabb, whose will dispo-sing of his great estate is on record in Fayette county, 
Pennsylvania, was married to his first wife, Mary Scott, the mother of Hannah 
Rabb Dunlevy, September i, 1768; to bis second wife, Catherine Pentecost, 
February 27, 1800; and died at Hot Springs, Bath county, Virginia, where 
he was undergoing treatment for poison administered by a slave, September 
5, 1804. 

James and Hannah Rabb Dunlevy removed from Fayette county, Penn- 
sylvania, in 1797, to Jefferson county, Ohio. Here James Dunlevy bought a 
farm about three miles from Steubenville, soon became prosperous and quite 
prominent, was elected the sheriff of the county for tw^o years from October 
9. 1804, and after more than two years' service retired from office in Decem- 
ber, 1806, and died, it is believed, on the day preceding "Cold Friday," that 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i43 

is, on February 5, 1807, leaving a handsome property to his four infant chil- 
dren. His will, and the wills of his brothers, Daniel and Morris,- and of 
Captain Rabb, will be found in The History of the Dunlevy Family, written 
by Miss G. D. Kelley, of Columbus, Ohio. 

James Dunlevy's only son, John, died very young, soon after his father's 
death. His daughter, Mary, married Edwin S. Tarr, a lawyer who first 
settled in Galveston, and later in Clay county, Illinois. Here Mary died 
childless, August 29, 1858. Her sister, Julia Dunlevy, born December 25, 
1800, married John Plotner, in Jefferson county, Ohio, removed to Ingraham 
Prairie, near the home of her sister Mary, and passed away April 28, 1863, 
leaving several children. 

The third daughter and youngest child of James and Hannah Rabb Dun- 
levy, was Nancy Dunlevy, born on her father's farm near Steubenville, Jan- 
uary 12, 1805. Her mother, and the executors named in her father's will — • 
Daniel Dunlevy, Thomas Elliot and John Milligan — provided her with an 
education in the schools of Steubenville that v/as much better than the average 
young lady then obtained. Her widowed mother, Hannah Rabb Dunlevy, 
the latter part of the year 1808 became the wife of Thomas Johnson, of Jeffer- 
son county, Ohio, by whom she had five children. 

Hannah Rabb (Dunlevy) Johnson, died in 18 17, when her daughter, 
Nancy Dunlevy, was only twelve years old. Thenceforth the three Dunlevy 
girls resided on their father's farm, which was their farm, till Julia was mar- 
ried. A part of their time was spent on the large farm of their uncle. Daniel 
Dunlevy, one of the executors of their father's estate. About 1824 Nancy 
Dunlevy was invited to visit Mrs. Judge Sherman, the mother of Hon. John 
Sherman, at Lancaster, Ohio, near which place, namely, on the Pickaway 
Plains, she owned a large tract of rich land, inherited from her father. While 
in this locality Nancy Dunlevy became acquainted with Thomas Jefferson 
Anderson, whose father owned a farm near by. They were soon much in- 
terested in each other and were finally joined in wedlock August 7, 1825. by 
Rev. James Gilruth, and settled in Marion, Ohio, the same year. Mrs. 
Nancy Dunlevy Anderson, one of the most gifted and highly respected women 
that ever lived in Marion county, died May 17, 1870. 

The only living child of Judge Thomas Jefferson and Nancy Dunlevy 
Anderson is James House Anderson, attorney at law% of Columbus, Ohio. 
He was united in marriage to Miss Princess A. Miller, November 27, 1856. 
Their children now living are : Mrs. Mary Princess Orton, the wife of Pro- 
fessor Edward Orton, Jr., of the Ohio State University; Lieutenant James 
Thomas Anderson, of the United States Army ; and Charles Finley Anderson. 

For a more complete account of the Dunlevys in ancient and modern 
times, as kings and princes, of Ulster (Ulidia), and as citizens of the United 
States, the reader is referred to Miss Kelley's History of the Dunlevy 
family. 



144 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

JOSEPH PERKINS BYERS. 

One of the well known and respected officials of the state of Ohio is 
Joseph Perkins Byers, the subject of the present sketch. He was born in 
Columbus, September 23, 1868, and is the son of Albert Gallatin and Mary 
(Rathbun) Byers, to whom a family of nine children were born, — Anna, 
Orin G., William R., Albert G., Bertha, Joseph P. and Dennison Drew being 
the survivors. 

J\lr. Byers spent the first thirteen years of his life in the city, then removed 
to a farm in Clinton township. He attended school in Columbus, becoming 
a student in the high school, which he later left to enter the preparatory 
department of the university. At this great institution of learning he pursued 
his studies for two years and then accepted a position in his father's office, 
where he remained for several years, by close application to business acquir- 
ing methods of work and the experience which has made him so acceptable 
as a public officer. 

The marriage of Mr. Byers took place in 1888 to Miss Ada V. Millar, 
a daughter of James A, Millar, an old and highly respected citizen of Colum- 
bus, and one son has been born to them, who has been named Andrew Millar. 

Mr. Byers has been very prominent in charitable work in Columbus 
and in the state. He was instrumental in organizing The Associated Charities 
of Columbus, and has been the secretary of that organization ever since. He 
is also a member of the National Conference of Charities and has been for 
some time the financial secretary of the National Prison Association. He 
is a man noted for his integrity of character and possesses the esteem of all 
VN-ith whom he comes in contact, for his earnestness of purpose is never 
doubted. 

ADIN H. SHADE. 

The owner and proprietor of a fine farm in Franklin township of one 
hundred and five acres of land, located on the Harrisburg pike road, within 
five miles of the state-house in Columbus, Ohio, is Adin H. Shade. He was 
born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, November 2, 1833, a son of Jacob Shade, 
a native of the same state. The latter had made a visit to Franklin county, 
Ohio, and looked at the land in 1835, but returned to Bucks county, where 
he lived for some time, returning to the home of our subject in Franklin town- 
ship, where he died at the age of seventy-five years. The maiden name of 
his wife was Sarah James, a native of Pennsylvania, who died in that state 
in 1845. 

]\Ir. Shade is the only son of the family now li\'ing. He was brought 
to Franklin county when but two years old, returning with his parents to 
Bucks county, where he lived until he was twelve years of age. At that time 
he came back to Franklin countv, Ohio, with his uncle and aunt, Adin G. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 145 

and Permelia Hibbs, and remained with them until he was twenty-six years 
old. He had engaged in varioiisi lines of work through Jackson, Hamilton 
and Franklin townships, but after marriage Mr. Shade located in Jackson 
township on a rented farm, where he remained for about twenty-seven years, 
the land belonging to Mr. Hibbs. Mr. Shade then bought a farm on Big 
Run creek, in Franklin township, where he remained for seven years, and 
then removed to his present location, where he has resided since 1883. Mr. 
Shade has made a success of farming and has his land under a fine state of 
cultivation. He also raises cows for their milk, selling the product from 
eighteen head at the present time. 

The marriage of Mr. Shade was celebrated in 1859, when Miss Margaret 
A. White became his wife. She was a daughter of Jacob and Eliza (Alkire) 
White, the former a native of Hardy county, the latter of Lewis county, both 
in Virginia. They were old residents of the county, Mrs. Shade's grand- 
parents having been pioneers of Franklin, owning at one time one thousand 
acres of land in this county. Mr. and Mrs. Shade have had seven children, 
namely: Emmer H., Jacob W., Eliza, Nellie, Jesse, Charles and John.' 
Emmer H. was born in Franklin township January 2, 1861, and is now in 
poor health, living at home, after a sojourn in Columbus ; Jacob W. married 
Minnie Malott and has children named Adin Ray, Nellie, Merrill, Martha, 
Jacob, Mary and Emmer; EHza is at her parental home, unmarried; Nellie 
married Lewis Wilcox and has four children,— Charles, Frank, Grace and an 
infant daughter unnamed; Jesse married Carrie Umbenhour; Charles mar- 
ried Jennie Johnson and had one child, Henry J., who died at the age of 
twenty-six months, and they now live in Columbus; and John died when 
fifteen months old. 

In political opinions Mr. Shade favors the principles of the Democratic 
party. He is well known and respected through the township and has been 
called to serve several times as a township trustee. 

NEVILLE WILLIAMS. 

A prominent man and efficient official of the city of Columbus, Ohio, 
Neville Williams was born in Chillicothe, this state, on the 25th of December, 
1 86 1, a son of Dr. W. C. and Elizabeth (Dun) Williams. The father was 
born in Hardy county. West Virginia, in 1823, and the mother was a native 
of Pennsylvania, born in Philadelphia in 1826. She was the daughter of 
George W. Dun, one of the first settlers of Chillicothe, Ohio, and of his Avife, 
Louise (Duan) Dun. Tracing the family still further on the paternal side 
we find the father of Dr. Williams to have been a member of a well known 
family of Virginia, and was by name George Washington Williams, who 
married Ann Chambers, thus uniting two old families. Thev settled in 
Staunton, Virginia, in 1820. The father of Neville Williams pas'^ed away 
at Chillicothe, Ohio, in 1873, holding at the time of his death the important 



146 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

office of mayor of the city. The mother was called from this earth in the 
year 1870. 

Neville Williams passed his boyhood in Chillicothe until he was twelve 
years old, attending school. In his sixteenth year he went to Vinton county, 
Ohio, and remained there eighteen months, at Richland Furnace, engaged in 
the manufacture of iron. Going further west, he traveled through Indiana 
and Illinois, employed in railroad construction. xA.fterward he was employed 
on the Canton, Aberdeen & Nashville Railroad' in Mississippi, in the construc- 
tion department, which employment he followed for three and one-half years. 
Returning to Ohio, he soon afterward married Miss Eliza Gordon, of Sabina, 
Clinton county, Ohio, who wa's; a daughter of William H. Gordon, of that place. 
After his marriage Mr. Williams settled on a farm, where he continued until 
1884. when he moved to Georgesville, Franklin county, again engaging in 
farming, thus continuing until 1888. He was also engaged in the manu- 
facture of lumber at that place, operating a sawmill. 

At that time be was prevailed upon to accept the position of deputy 
recorder, under Recorder Thompson, of the city of Columbus, and soon after- 
ward was the Democratic candidate for the position of recorder, his candidacy, 
however, not being successful, as public opinion was much divided in the city 
and county at that time, it being during the agitation caused by General 
Coxey, although Mr. Williams ran far ahead of his ticket. For a space of 
three years he served as the secretary of the board of health in Columbus, 
during the administration of Mayor Cotton H. Allen. In 1897 his Dem- 
ocratic friends again nominated him for the office of recorder, resulting in 
his election, and he assumed the duties of the office in September, 1898. He 
was renominated for the same position in 1900. 

An interesting family of three children have been added to our subject's 
home, — Elizabeth H., William Thurman and Jean. Mr. Williams is a 
member of several fraternal organizations, — the Benevolent and Protective 
Order of Elks, the Red Men and the Modern Woodmen, taking an active 
interest in all. He is popular and efficient and serves his county faithfully 
in the position in which he is placed. 



WILLIAM MORRISON. 

In the history of William Morrison we find one who owes his success 
not to a fortunate combination of circumstances but to his own untiring 
industry, and his record illustrates the possibilities that lie before those who 
wish to secure advancement and who are willing to do so at the price of 
earnest, honest and long continued labor. His career has ever been such as 
to win the confidence and regard of his fellow men, and as one of the repre- 
sentative residents of Franklin county he certainly deserves mention in this 
volume. He has followed farming and stock-raising for many years, making 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. iA7 

a specialty of the raising of cattle, and is now accounted one of the influential 
and wealthy agriculturists of this portion of Ohio. 

Mr. Morrison is a native of the Emerald Isle, his birth having occurred 
in county Down on the loth of September, 1846, and his parents being John 
and Jane (McCalley) Morrison. His father was born in county Down, May 
I, 1 80 1, was reared upon a farm and was twice married, his first union being 
with Miss Mary Murdock, by whom he had two children : Andrew, a well 
known farmer of Jefferson township; and Mary, deceased. The children 
of the second marriage were five in number and three are yet living, namely : 
Isabelle, the wife of Melvin Beem, of Summit Station, Licking county ; Will- 
iam; and Anna, the wife of Isaac N. Dixon, of Licking county. After his 
marriage the father took charge of the old homestead in Ireland and subse- 
quently became its owner. In 1849 l^e emigrated to America and the follow- 
ing year his family joined him in the new world. He was induced to seek 
a home in the United States through the solicitation of his uncle, William 
Morrison, who was! then living in Knox county, Ohio. He had crossed the 
Atlantic in the beginning of the nineteenth century and had served his country 
in the war of 181 2. He afterv^-ard came to Ohio and was one of the pioneers 
of Knox county. He gave his nephew, John Morrison, to understand that 
he would inherit his property, for he and his wife had no children, but after 
a few years spent in Knox county John Morrison became dissatisfied with 
the relations! existing between him and his uncle and removed to Franklin 
county. Here .he entered the employ of John Barr, of Mifflin township, and 
after three years he leased the Spurgeon farm in the same township, continu- 
ing its cultivation for nine years. 

He then came to Jefferson township and purchased the three-hundred- 
acre tract of land upon which his son William now resides. This was in 
1861. Upon the place he erected a log cabin and with characteristic energy 
began the task of clearing and improving his farm. It was his place of resi- 
dence until he was called to his final home, at the advanced age of ninety-four 
years, his death occurring on the 12th of June, 1895. Although he usually 
supported the Democratic party, he was not bitterly aggressive nor strictly 
partisan, but was very liberal in his views, often voting for Republican 
nominees when he believed that they were better qualified for the office than 
the Democratic candidates. Throughout his entire life he was a faithful 
member of the Presbyterian church. His business affairs were very care- 
fully managed and he won a high degree of success. He gave much attention 
to the raising of cattle, and his unflagging energy, capable management and 
straightforward dealing secured him a handsome financial return, so that he 
became one of the well-to-do residents of the county. 

Upon his father's farm William Morrison spent the davs of his boy- 
hood and youth, working in the fields from the time of early spring planting 
until crops were harvested in the autumn. He also attended the common 
schools, but his educational privileges were somewhat limited, his services 



148 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

being needed at home. However, he studied much at night, and possessing 
an observing eye and a retentive memory he acquired a good practical edu- 
cation. In early life he became an excellent judge of stock and showed keen 
discrimination in purchasing cattle, and at the age of nineteen he began sell- 
ing cattle on his own account, and in this he prospered, from year to year 
his profits increasing, and upon his father's death he purchased of the other 
heirs their interests in the old home farm. He is recognized as one of the 
most progressive agriculturists of the community, and in addition to the 
home place he owns one hundred and twenty-five acres of land in Licking 
county and eighty-eight and a half acres south of the homestead. He raises 
cattle on an extensive scale, and as he keeps only good grades his stock 
finds a ready sale on the markets and commands good prices. Excellent 
improvements are seen upon his farm, including a commodious and pleasant 
brick residence, good barns and all the accessories and conveniences which 
are required to make up a model farm of the twentieth century. 

In July, 1882, Mr. Morrison was united in marriage to Miss Eliza F. 
Scott, a native of St. Lawrence county. New York, and a daughter of Samuel 
and Mary (McMurry) Scott. In 1863 her parents came to Ohio, locating 
in Mifflin township, Franklin county, and later they removed to Licking 
county, where Mr. Scott died. Subsequently the mother went with her 
family to Iowa, where she had a brother living, and there she made her home 
until her death. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Morrison have been born five children, 
of whom four are yet living, namelv : Isabelle, lohn A., William B. and 
Samuel M. 

In his political views Mr. Morrison is a Democrat who believesi firmly 
in the principles of his party. For two terms he served as county treasurer 
and then refused to accept the nomination again. His long continuance in 
office by the vote of the people indicates his fidelity to duty, his personal pop- 
ularity and the confidence and trust reposed in him. He has ever been in 
favor of building good roads and has done much for the improvement and 
progress of the community and withholds his support from no measure or 
movement which he believes will prove of practical benefit. He is a man of 
sterling worth, and over the record of his life there falls no shadow of wrong 
or suspicion of evil. He has lived the greater part of his time in this county 
and his fidelity to manly principles, his honesty in business afifairs and his 
faithfulness to friendship have gained him uniform regard. 

GEORGE A. WATERMAN, Sr. 

George A. Waterman is now living a retired life at his pleasant hnme 
in Columbus. Years of active connection with business affairs, in which 
he managed his interests most capably, brought to him well merited success, 
and having acquired a handsome competence he is now residing in the enjoy- 
ment of the fruits of his former labors. George Alfred ^^'aterman is a native 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 149 

of England, his birth having occurred in Sutton Dorchester on the 14th of 
September, 1826. He was a Httle lad of six summers when brought to this 
country by his parents, Joseph and Fanny Waterman. His father wasi born 
in England in 1798, and his mother, also a native of that country, was born 
in 1807. Coming to the new world, they took up their abode in Columbus, 
where both spent their remaining days, the father departing this life in 1858, 
while the mother, having long survived him, was called to her final rest in 
1890. In the family were the following named: George A., of this review; 
Frederick, who died in Columbus about three years ago; Louisa and Henri- 
etta, who are now deceased ; Mrs. Emma Wheeler, Mrs. Lucy Goad and Mrs. 
Ellen Walker, all of whom are residing in Columbus. The family is one of 
prominence among the pioneer families of Franklin county and its repre- 
sentatives are members of the Trinity Episcopal church. 

In early life George A. Waterman learned the miller's trade, and when 
only eighteen years of age operated a mill on Scioto river, for others, at the 
head of what is now Darby street, in Columbus. He continued in this work 
for many years and found it a profitable source of income. The old family 
homestead is still standing on Shepherd street, near South Grubb street, and 
was continuously in the possession of the Watermans from the time of their 
early location in Columbus until the fall of 1900. 

In 1847 Mr. Waterman was united in marriage to Miss Jane Condell, 
a native of Liverpool, England. Their children are Allen, who died when 
only eighteen months old; Alice, who resides with her parents; Joseph, who 
was born in 1862 and is now a member of the fire department of this city; 
George L., who was born in 1864 and hasi been in the railway service for 
ten years; and Frederick R., who was born in 1868 and is a machinist. All 
of the family are yet at the old home. No. 29 South Davis avenue. There 
Mr, Waterman is enjoying a well merited rest. Through a long period he 
was an active representative of industrial interests, and his unflagging per- 
severance, his resolute will and keen discrimination in business affairs brought 
to him a very desirable financial return. 

FRANK C. FERRIS. 

Frank C. Ferris is engaged in manufacturing mortar for brick-work 
and plastering at 632 Galloway avenue, Columbus. Ohio. He was born in 
Marysville, Union county, Ohio, on the nth of November, 1854, and is a 
son of Edward and Fanny Ward Ferris, both of whom were natives of 
Connecticut, in which place they spent their childhood days. They were 
married in 1831, and in 1833 began their long journey westward, moving in 
wagons to Ohio and locating near Lancaster, Fairfield county, Ohio. Here 
they remained for a while and then moved to Pleasant Valley, Madison 
county, this state, in the year 1840, where the father engaged in the shoe- 
making business until 1853, when they moved to Marysville, Union county, 



I50 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

also in this st^ite, the father dying there in the year 1856. His wife long sur- 
vived him, passing away in 1888. 

Frank C. Ferris spent his youth in Union county and acquired his edu- 
cation in the common schools there. At the age of sixteen years he went to 
Piqua, Ohio, where he learned the brick-mason and plastering trades, and 
at the age of twenty began contracting on hisi own account, continuing in 
this business until 1884, when he came to Columbus and entered into part- 
nership under the firm name of Pedrick & Ferris, brick contractors, making 
a specialty of fine pressed-brick work. In the' year 1890 they started steam 
mortar works in connection with the contracting business, which they con- 
tinued until 1897, when they discontinued the contracting business and devoted 
their entire time and attention to the manufacturing of mortars, the demand 
for machine-made mortars having increased to such an extent that this 
change was made necessary. The partnership was maintained until January 
5, 1899, at which time Mr. Pedrick retired and Mr. Ferris became the sole 
proprietor, and since that time has carried on the business on a more extensive 
scale, having equipped the plant with machinery more modern and improved, 
of his own design and patent, and thus greatly increased his capacity. In 
connection with the manufacture of mortar he is also handling building 
material and coal of all kinds. The plant is located on the Pittsburg, Cin- 
cinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad at No. 626-632 Galloway avenue. Thus 
from a small beginning, which was almost an experiment, Mr. Ferris has 
developed a large and profitable business. 

On May 23, 1878, Mr. Ferris was united in marriage to Miss Emma 
B. Bigelow, of Marysville, Ohio. One year later a son, Warren B., was born, 
who is now engaged in business for himself, representing the Hydraulic 
Pressed Brick Companies, and has his office located at the Columbus Builders 
and Traders' Exchange. 

Mr. Ferris is a member of the Builders' Exchange, also of the Board of 
Trade, and is one of the most progressive and enterprising men of his city. 
He is an example of the boys who secure their own start in life, — determined 
self-reliant boys, — willing to work for advantages which others secure through 
inheritance, destined by .sheer force of character to succeed in the face of all 
oppositions and push to the front in one important branch of enterprise or 
another. Plis business ability has been constantly manifested and secured his 
advancement to a leading place among the reliable and energetic men of his 
city. Viewed in a personal light, he is a strong man, of excellent judgment, 
fair in his views and highly honorable in his relations with his fellow men. 

JOHN ZUBER. 

Among the prominent business men of Columbus, Ohio, is the subject 
of the present sketch, John Zuber, secretary of the Columbus Brewing Com- 
pany, and the senior member of the firm of Zuber and Gerhokh He is a 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 151 

native of Switzerland, born in the city of Solothurn May 15, 1856, a son of 
John B. and Ehzabeth (Spati) Zuber, who lived and died in Switzerland. 

Our subject received an excellent education in his native country, going 
from his village to Lyons, France, where he pursued his studies for the space 
of two years, laying the foundation upon which he later built, becoming a 
thoroughly educated man. Reaching the United States in 1874, he came 
to Ohio, locating at Antwerp, in Paulding county, and soon afterward entered 
Otterbein University, at Westerville, 01;io, where he engaged in study for 
two years. 

After leaving college Mr. Zuber engaged in teaching school and fol- 
lowed this profession for several years, when he accepted a position as deputy 
clerk in the treasurer's office, under W. Corzilius, in Columbus, where he 
remained for two years, and for the following four years efficiently performed 
the duties of the same position under George Beck, and retaining it four years 
longer under A. D. Heffner. The next treasurer was Henry Pausch, and 
Mr. Zuber served as deputy under him for four years, and later two years 
under Samuel Kinnear, at which time came a change in the administration, 
and both Mr. Kinnear and Mr. Zuber relinquished office. 

After sixteen years of public service jNIr. Zuber engaged in the boot 
and shoe business in partnership with C. F. Gerhold, under the firm name 
of Zuber & Gerhold, which has existed since 1895. In 1896 Mr. Zuber was 
appointed secretary and treasurer of the Columbus water works, wdiich posi- 
tion he held for three years. In 1899 he was made secretary of the Colum- 
bus Brewing Company, which important position he still holds. 

The marriage of Mr. Zuber took place in 1881, when he espoused Miss 
Delia George, of Antwerp, Ohio, a daughter of Henry George, a prominent 
resident of that place, and Mr. and Mrs. Zuber have an interesting family of 
seven children. Their home is one of the beautiful residences on Thurman 
street, in Columbus, where Mr. Zuber and his estimable wife delight to dis- 
pense hospitality. 

Politically our subject is a Democrat, having always voted with that 
party, and has taken an active interest in its deliberations. Socially he is a 
member of the Olentangy Club, of the Columbus Maennerchor, and also of 
the Swiss Society. He has been a prominent figure in public life in Colum- 
bus and counts many political as well as personal friends among the most 
substantial citizens. 

LEWIS PAINTER. 

Lewis Painter is a prominent farmer of Jefferson township, and his 
well tilled fields and highly improved farm indicates his careful supervision 
and his progressive methods of agriculture. He was born February 4, 1838, 
upon the farm which is yet hisi home, his parents being John and Al 
(Beals) Painter. His father, also a native of Franklin county, was born 



mn-a 
in 



152 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

December, 1809, and was a son of Isaac Painter, who emigrated from Vir- 
ginia among the first settlers of Frankhn county and resided here until about 
1840, when he removed to Illinois, there spending his remaining days. When 
he had attained to man'si estate the father of our subject was married and 
immediately afterward purchased one hundred acres of land, that now con- 
stitutes the homestead of his son Lewis. It was then a tract of wild, unbroken 
forest land, but soon the sound of the woodman's ax was heard, the trees 
fell before its sturdy stroke, a log cabin was built, and as the years passed 
the land was all cleared and was placed under the plow, yielding good har- 
vests. In later years Mr. Painter added an additional seventy-two acres, so 
that the place now comprises one hundred and seventy-two acres, and the 
care and labor he bestowed upon it have brought to him a good financial 
return. 

In politics he was an ardent Democrat, believing firmly in the principles 
and policy of the party, and for many years he served as a justice of the peace, 
being continued in that office until .he refused to accept it longer. He was 
well known throughout the county, being rich in the possession of those qual- 
ities of upright manhood which ever awaken regard. He held membership 
in the Disciple church and died in the faith of that denomination in March, 
1864, in hisi fifty-fifth year. His wife was a representative of an old New 
England family, and was born in Vermont in August, 181 3, her parents being 
George and Mabel Beals, who came across the country by wagon to Ohio 
when their daughter Almira was only a year old. Her father was drowned 
in Big Walnut creek in 1835, while fishing. Mrs. Painter reached her sev- 
enty-eighth year and passed away in November, 1891. By her marriage she 
became the mother of five children, of whom three are yet living, namely: 
George, a farmer of Iowa Point, Kansas ; and Lewis and Levi, twins, the latter 
a farmer in Colfax county, Nebraska. 

Lewis Painter spent his youth on the home farm and pursued his educa- 
tion in the pioneer schools of the day, but the privileges were of a very 
inferior grade, and experience, reading and observation have brought to him 
the greater part of his knowledge, making him a practical business man. On 
reaching his twenty-first year 'he took charge of the home farm, which he 
began operating on the shares. On the last day of the year 1862 he married 
Miss Arminta Smith, a native of Jefferson township and a daughter of Jacob 
and Susan (Havens) Smith, who came to Ohio from New Jersey in an early 
day. About a year later Mr. Painter's father died, and he purchased the 
interests of all the other heirs save one in the old homestead, buying one hun- 
dred and thirty-eight and a half acres. Subsequently he purchased fifty acres 
of his father-in-law's farm, but later had an opportunity to sell that tract 
to advantage and accordingly disposed of it. He is a wide-awake, enter- 
prising and prominent agriculturist, whose farm is under a high state of cul- 
tivation, the well tilled fields bringing to him a golden tribute in return for 
his labor. Four children have come to bless the home, but only two are now 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i53 

living: Charles, who married Maggie E. Elhott and resides at Canal Win- 
chester, Ohio; and Chauncey, who married Etta Cullers and works for his 
father upon the home farm. 

In his political opinions Mr. Painter is a Democrat and is recognized 
as one of the party leaders of his township. Recognizing his worth and 
ability, his fellow townsmen have several times called him to public office. 
In 1874 he was elected upon the ticket to the office of township trustee and 
served in that capacity for four consecutive terms. In the spring of 1878 
he was chosen township treasurer and by re-election was continued in the 
office for three more terms; of two years each, but his service has not been 
continuous. In 1886-7 he was the township assessor, and in 1889 and 1899 
he served as the land appraiser. He has ever discharged his duties with 
promptness and fidelity, and over the record of his business career there falls 
no shadow of wrong nor suspicion of evil. He has ever been active in the 
promotion of all the best interests of the community, belonging to that class 
of representative American citizens who, while promoting individual success, 
have at the same time contributed to the general welfare and prosperity. 

ERWIN W. SCHUELLER, M. D. 

Although one of the younger members of the medical fraternity in Colum- 
bus, Dr. Schueller has attained success wdiicli many an older practitioner might 
well envy, and his life record is a modification of the old adage that a prophet 
is not without honor save in his own country, for in the city which hasi long 
been his home he has attained success and prominence and enjoys honor also- 
in his own community. He was born in Columbus June 15, 1871, and is a 
son of Dr. John B. Schueller, a native of Germany, who came to this country" 
in hisi sixteenth year. That was in 1854, and through forty-five years he 
was a resident of America, passing away on the 9th of March, 1899. He 
married Miss Betsey Degen, who also was born in Germany, and came to 
America in her childhood. 

The immediate subject of this review was reared in the capital city and 
acquired his preliminary education in the public schools, after which he entered 
the Ohio State University, where he remained for six years. He was gradu- 
ated in 1892, with the degree of bachelor of arts. His choice of life work 
having fallen upon the practice of medicine, he pursued a preparatory course 
of reading in the office of Dr. T. C. Hoover, of Columbus, and was graduated 
in the Starling Medical College in 1895. Subsequently he became an interne 
in St. Francis Hospital, where he remained for a year, and in the fall of 
1896 he went to New York city, where he pursued a course in the Post-Qradu- 
ate Hospital, becoming skilled in surgery. In the fall of 1897 he went to 
Germany, where he pursued a special course of study in Berlin, Dresden and 
Vienna. 

Returning to the United States, Dr. Schueller joined his father in active 
10 



154 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

practice and vvats associated with him until the latter's death in 1899. He was 
also called upon to serve as the health officer, serving out the unexpired term 
of J. B. Schueller. He is a memher of the Columhus Academy of Medicine, 
the American Medical Association and of the Chi Phi fraternity of the Ohio 
State University. His preparation for practice has heen exceedingly compre- 
hensive and exact, and few men enter upon medical practice better equipped 
for the profession. His knowledge is not only profound, but he is especially 
expert in applying it to the needs of suffering humanity, and rapidly is he gain- 
ing a place in the foremost ranks of the medical fraternity. 

OPHA MOORE. 

Among the men who have been prominently identified with public affairs 
in Columbus during the past ten years is the subject of this review, who is now 
secretary of the state building commission, secretary of the state heating and 
ventilating commission, and a member of the state furniture commission. He 
is one of the busiest, most energetic and most enterprising men of the city, 
and whether in public or private life is always a courteous, genial gentleman, 
whose popularity is well deserved. 

A native of West Virginia, Mr. Moore was born near Parkersburg, in 
1867, and in 1872 came to Ohio with his parents. Rev. A. L. and Mary Jane 
(Baker) Moore. The father, whose birth occurred in Tyler county, the same 
state, in 1841, entered the ministry of the United Brethren church wdien a 
young man, and has since labored untiringly in the Master's vineyard, serving 
as pastor of churches in both West Virginia and Ohio. He iisi now located at 
Pomeroy, this state. For four or five generations the Moore family have 
made their home in Virginia. The paternal grandfather of our subject was 
William Moore, a son of Philip, and grandson of Michael Moore, while his ma- 
ternal grandfather was Benjamin Baker, of Marion county. West Virginia, 
who died about 1861. 

For two years Opha Moore was a student at Otterbein University, in 
AVesterville, and on leaving that institution in the fall of 1885 came to Colum- 
bus. The following year he accepted the position of stenographer to the chief 
clerk in the office of the Columbus Buggy Company, and in the fall of 1887 
entered the service of the Republican state committee, with which he w^as 
connected during 1888 and 1889. In the latter year he was appointed first 
stenographer in Governor Foraker's office, where he remained until 1890, 
Avhen he became interested in the newspaper business, going to Chicago with 
the Light, and later representing that paper in New York city. On 
his return to Columbus in 1891 he entered the office of A. C. Armstrong, the 
official court reporter, remaining there until January, 1892, when he was 
appointed stenographer in Governor McKinley's office. The following Au- 
gust he was granted a leave of absence, and during the entire Harrison cam- 
paign served as secretary to Hon. William M. Hahn, chairman of the speakers' 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 1 5 5 

bureau of the national committee in New York city, filling that position until 
the election in November, after which he resumed his duties in the office of 
Governor McKinley. being promoted to commission clerk in 1895. The 
following year he was re-appointed by Governor Bushnell, and served in that 
capacity until 1898, when he was appointed to his present position on the state 
building commission. In 1899, when Governor Bushnell's private secretary, 
Colonel J. L. Rodgers, was in Europe for three months and a half, ^I'r. 
Moore filled that position in a most creditable and satisfactory manner. In 
business affairs he is prompt, energetic and notably reliable, and has always 
been true and faithful to every trust reposed in him. 

Mr. Moore married Miss Roberta L. Klotts, a daughter of S. R. Klotts, 
an extensive cigar manufacturer of Columbus, who was originally from West 
Virginia. Her mother, in her maidenhood, was Miss Virginia Zane, a 
granddaughter of Colonel Ebenezer Zane, who laid out the cities of Wheeling. 
West Virginia, and Zanesville and Lancaster, Ohio, and was a distinguished 
officer in the Revolutionary war. Mr. and Mrs. Moore have one child, 
Ralph M. They are members of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian church and 
occupy an enviable position in social circles. Fraternally Mr. Moore is con- 
nected with Magnolia Lodge, F. & A. M. ;. Ohio Chapter, R' A. M. ; and 
Columbus Council, R. & S. M. 

JOHN WILLIAM McCAFFERTY. 

The office of clerk of the courts of a populous county like Franklin county, 
Ohio, is one of importance, demanding the services of a man of wide informa- 
tion and a mind trained to accuracy even in small detailisi. These and other es- 
sential requirements are met by John W. McCafferty, the present incumbent 
of the office in Franklin county, who was elected in 1899 and entered upon 
the duties of the office August 6, 1900. 

Mr. McCafferty was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, in 1871, a son of 
Thomas M. McCafferty, a native of Ross county, Ohio, who was brought 
to Pickaway county in childhood by his parents and haisi been practically a 
life-long resident there. \\'illiam McCafferty, father of Thomas and grand- 
father of John W. McCafferty, was born in Ross county, where his father, 
a native of Kentucky, was an early settler. Thomas McCafferty, who died 
February 5, 1901, was a veteran of the Civil war, in which he saw four years' 
service ais a memb-er of the Twentieth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. 
Three brothers also saw service in the war and one of them died from illness 
brought on by exposure, and another was killed in battle. Thomas ]\Ic- 
Cafferty married Mary J. Wimmer, daughter of John Winimer, formerly a 
resident of Pickaway county, Ohio, but now living in Illinois. Mr. Wimmer 
was captain of a company in an Ohio regiment during the war and was prom- 
inent as a Republican in Pickaway county and held several public offices. • The 
Wimmer family of Ohio and Illinois came to the west from Pennsvlvania. 



156 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ' 

After his graduation John W. McCafferty taught in the pubhc schools 
until 1890, and then took up his residence in Columbus, where he took courses 
in the National Business University and Columbus Commercial College. In 
1893 he established McCafferty 's Commercial College, which was successful 
from its opening day, graduating an average of one hundred pupils yearly, 
and which he sold in 1897. I^ is still running and isi an educational and finan- 
cial success. Since 1894 Mr. McCafferty has been active as a Republican 
in political work. In 1897 he was secretary for Ohio of the Indianapolis 
monetary convention, and in 1898 was a member of the congressional com- 
mittee for the congressional district which includes Franklin county. Al- 
though he has not been long in office, he has come to be regarded as a model 
clerk of the courts, for he has brought to bear upon the duties of the position an 
informing experience and a degree of skill which practically assures accuracy 
in the work over which he has supervision, and he is of a genial, affable dis- 
position whicli gives a seeker of information in his office the impression that 
it is a pleasure to him not only to grant any just and reasonable request but 
also to do for his visitor any favor within his power. 

Mr. McCafferty is a member of Champion Lodge, No. 581, Knights of 
Pythias, and also a member of B. P. O. Elks, Lodge No. 37, of Columbus. 

GEORGE W. DEEM, M. D. 

This well-known and popular physician of Hilliard's belongs to an old 
Ohio family of English origin. His paternal grandfather was born in Hum- 
melstown, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, and at an early day removed to one 
of the eastern counties of this state, where he engaged jn farming throughout 
the remainder of his life. He had four children, namely : Solomon ; Ander- 
son ; James C, father of our subject; and Nancy, who married Warren Mc- 
Neil and died in Iowa. 

James Chapman Deem, the Doctor's father, was born in eastern Ohio 
and there reared in the midst of the wilderness. He received a common- 
school education and in early life learned the cooper's trade. He also be- 
came an expert horseman and trainer. As a companion and helpmeet on life's 
journey he cho's.e Miss Martha Ann French, a native of Woodstock, Vermont, 
and a daughter of Gideon and Phoebe (Carpenter) French, who were also 
born in the Green Mountain state, and with whom she came to Medina county, 
Ohio, locating on the Summit county line, where she grew to womanhood. 
After his marriage James C. Deem lived for some time in Seneca and Medina 
counties, and was one of the most successful hunters of wild game in the 
northern part of the state in early days. He conducted a cooper shop in 
Akron for a time, also worked in a flouring-mill and had charge of a cooper 
shop in Wilmington, Ohio, from 1849 to 1854. In the latter year he removed 
to Grove City, from there went to West Jefferson, Madison county, and later 
to Marion countv, Iowa, where he engaged in farming for ten years. In 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 157 

1867 he returned to West Jefferson, Ohio, and made his home there and in 
that vicinity until his death, which occurred in April, 1889. His wife had 
died in Marion county, Iowa, in August, 1866. Both were active and con- 
sistent members of the IMethodist Episcopal church, and he was a Republi- 
can in politics. 

In the family of this worthy couple were the following children : An- 
nette married John Harvey, a merchant of West Jefferson, Ohio, and died 
there in 1871, leaving one child, Mrs. J. W. Welling, of Dayton. ]\Ielvin 
H., a resident of Rusk, Oklahoma, served through the entire Civil war as a 
member of the Eighth Iowa Regiment, and was twice wounded by bullets, 
first through the neck at Pittsburg Landing ,and again through the left arm. 
He married Elizabeth Spahr, and they have four children — Etta, Frank, 
Adelbert and Nellie. Alva H. died at the age of s-even years. Charles M., 
a physician of West Jeft'erson, married Harriet Wells, of Hebron, Ohio, 
who died leaving four sons — Herbert, Ray, Lee and George; and for his 
second wife he wedded Mrs. Mary Seymour, by whom he has one son, 
Merle. Clara is the wife of George Crawford, of Jacksonville, Florida, and 
their children are Anna, now Mrs. Henry ; Lena ; Howard ; ]\Iildred and 
Elsie. George W., of thi's, review, completes the family. 

Dr. Deem was born in Caloma, Marion county, Iowa, August 24, i860, 
and for one year attended the common schools of that place. When seven 
years of age the family returned to West Jefferson, IMadison county. Ohio, 
where he pursued his studies in the public schools for three years.. He at- 
tended different schools in Madison and Seneca counties, completing his 
common-school education at West Jefferson at the age of eighteen. For 
several years he taught 'school and then entered Delaware University, and 
after finishing the junior year at that iiistitution he resumed teaching, having 
charge of different schools in Franklin county for six years. At the end of 
that period he took up the study of medicine under the guidance of Dr. D. H. 
Welling, then of West Jefferson, now of Worthington, Ohio, and later 
entered the Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati, where he was graduated 
in 1890. For three months he was engaged in practice with his, preceptor, 
Dr. Welling, and then opened an office in Kilbourne, Delaware county, Ohio, 
where he remained three years, during which time he served as physician 
to the county infirmary. In the spring of 1893 he came to Hilliards, and his 
skill and ability soon won for him the liberal patronage which he now enjoys. 
He has met with success in his, chosen profession, and is to-day one of the 
leading physicians of the place. He belongs to the Ohio State Eclectic ^Medi- 
cal Society and the Central Medical Society, and is quite popular in pro- 
fessional circles. 

On the 30th of May, 1890. Dr. Deem married Miss Jennie Howard, 
of Alton, this county, and they now have two children : Mary Annette, 
born September 9, 1892; and Arthur A\'elling, born May 12, 1895. Politi- 
cally the Doctor is a stanch Democrat, and is now serving his third term as 



158 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

president of the school board For three years he has been master of 
Avery Lodge, F. & A. M.. of HilHards, and is also past chancellor of 
Hilliards Lodge No. 638, K. of P. He is an active member and trustee of 
the ]\Iethodist Episcopal church, and is highly respected and esteemed by all 
who know him. 

AUGUSTUS T. SE\AIOUR. 

Among the young professional men of Columbus. Ohio, Augustus T. 
Seymour, the subject of this sketch, takes a prominent position. He was 
born August 22, 1873, a native of Ohio and a son of Theodore and Eliza- 
beth Banibal Seymour, the former of whom was a native of O'hio, born in 
1844, the latter in Mount Vernon, Ohio, in 1850, both of them still sur- 
viving. The grandfather of Mr. Seymour was John W. Seymour, a mer- 
chant farmer and for many years a heavy dealer in wool. He married a 
Miss Clark, whose home was in New York. 

Augustus T. Seymour spent his youth and early school dafs in Mount 
Vernon, attending the public schools, later going through the high-school 
course, and then prepared for entrance into Oberlin College, where he pros- 
ecuted his studies for two years. He then entered the law department of 
the Ohio State University, at which he graduated in 1895, having finished 
the course with great credit. In 1894 he was admitted to the bar and then 
became associated, in the practice of his profession, with John J. Chester, of 
Coumbus. 

j\Ir. Seymour has shown ability and has gained the confidence of his 
fellow citizens, his appointment, in 1900, to the position of assistant pros- 
ecuting attorney, under Edward L. Taylor, Jr., giving universal satisfac- 
tion. Mr. Seymour is one of the young men who will probably become a 
brilliant member of the Ohio bar. 

SAMUEL W. ELLIS. 

Samuel \V. Ellis, who is living a retired life, was for forty years con- 
nected with the railway service, but is now enjoying a well earned rest at his 
pleasant home at No. 1141 Hunter avenue in Columbus. He was born in 
Keene, New Hampshire, January 8, 18 18, and was married, in Vermont, in 
1841, to Miss Mary L. Pluffer. The parents of S. W. Ellis resided in New 
Hampshire throughout their lives and died many years ago, although the 
mother reached the advanced age of one hundred years. Both were of 
English descent. S. W. Ellis, in 1849, came to the west, locating first at 
Crestline. Ohio, where he resided for a year, after which he spent one year 
at Galion. this state, whence he came to Columbus, -where he has resided con- 
tinuously since. In 1870, before the streets were graded and before there 
were any buildings in that portion of the city, he erected his present resi- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i59 

dence. His wife died at their home in Columbus July 19, 1899. She was 
a lady highly esteemed and her demise was widely mourned by many friends. 
The children of this worthy couple are as follows: Henry W., now fifty- 
six years of age, is in the service of the Hocking Valley Railroad Company 
and resides on Hunter avenue, in Columbus; Arthur L., forty-two years of 
age, is also an employe of the Hocking Valley Railroad Company and is 
living on Hunter avenue ; Frank A. is employed by the Baltimore & Ohio 
Railroad Company and makes his home in the capital city; Mrs. Jennie Tracy, 
the only daughter of the family, resides in Colorado. 

S. W. Ellis spent the days of his childhood and youth in New England 
and is indebted to the public-school system for the educational privileges 
he enjoyed. He began his railway service in November, 1856, as a car 
inspector on the Piqua road, but after two years' connection with that com- 
pany he resigned, and in 1858 accepted a more lucrative position with the 
Little Miami road, now a part of the Panhandle line. He was in continuous 
service with that company until four years ago, when he was compelled to 
resign because of his advanced age. He is a genial and popular citizen and 
is an active man notwithstanding his advanced years. 



GEORGE W. HAYS. 

The subject of this sketch is a worthy representative of one of the early 
settlers of Ohio, his ancestors coming from England to Maryland some time 
in 1700. Elisha Hays, who was the father of our subject, was Iwrn in 
Maryland, in early manhood starting out to make his own fortune in the 
wilderness then located across the Ohio river. At that time the forests in 
the now populous counties of Washington, Jefferson and Franklin were full 
of Indians who still considered white men as natural enemies. Elisha Hays 
landed at Marietta, being one of the first party that crossed there to locate. 
His first stopping place was in Jefferson county, near Steubenville. but later 
he located upon land one and a quarter miles from Dublin, Franklin county. 
upon the tract now belonging to the Coffman and Thompson heirs. 

Upon his first place, "which was located in Jefferson county, Elisha Hays 
found no house and was obliged to live in a sugar camp until he was able 
to build a log cabin. This was no easy matter, as he was surrounded by 
Indians, and every time he cut a log he was obliged to keep his gun where 
he could use it at a moment's notice. In 18 12 he was the colonel of a Jeffer- 
son county regiment. 

Mr. Hays, the father, at one time owned six hundred acres of and in 
Washington township, three hundred of which he bought of Peter and Samuel 
Sells. His first wife was Sarah Fanasdahl, a lady of German descent, and 
she assisted him in improving the farm in Washington township, and endured 
the hardships of pioneer life. Her death occurred at this place. The second 



i6o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

marriage of Mr. Elisha Hays was to Mrs. Chloe (Thomasi) Poole, after 
which he moved to Dublin, where he bought a mill and remained until his 
death in 1847, at the age of seventy-three, after a life of toil and adventure. 
The mother of our subject survived on the farm until 1875, when she passed 
away, at the age of eighty. 

The children of the parents of our subject were: ]Mrs. Eliza Hmckley, 
who removed with her husband to Cottonwood, Chase county, Kansas, where 
they were the first settlers, after his death returning to Dublin, where she 
now resides with her son Ray ; Marinda, who is now Mrs. Fletcher Coffman, 
of this township; Martha, who was Mrs. John Thompson, of this township; 
Lewis, who died at the age of fourteen; and our subject, George W. 

]\Ir. Hays, of this sketch, was born upon what is now known as the 
James Brown farm, in this township, on October 30, 1834. He recalls his 
first institution of learning as a cabin formed of logs, presided over by Mr. 
Jesse Mattoon, to whom he is indebted for his primary instruction, finishing 
his 'School days at the age of sixteen. He was ten years old when his father 
died and at his majority was obliged to face the world for himself. On 
April 22, 1856, he married Miss Caroline Pinney, the daughter of Colonel 
Miles Pinney and granddaughter of Captain Levi Pinney, who cut the first 
tree felled in Sharon township, in 1802. He was a captain in the war of 
18 1 2, under the famous Isaac Hull, and was taken prisoner at Detroit, but 
was exchanged in Canada and returned to his home. 

Our 'Subject remained for a time in Dublin and then moved to Sharon, 
on the plank road, two miles south of Worthington, there rented land for 
two years and then returned to Washington township and settled on the 
Coffman estate, in which his mother had an interest. Our subject rented 
this land for six years, but in 1868 removed with his family to Chase county, 
Kansas, and there purchased one hundred and twenty acres of new land. 
Upon this place he first built what is called a box house, this costing less than 
any other. Here he engaged successfully in farming and stock-raising and 
remained for thirty-two years, adding to hi's; first purchase, and now owns 
a half-section there, being very valuable, as it is near the largest stock-yards 
in the state. 

Mr. Hays has been very successful with his horses. He holds: the sweep- 
stakes for the best stallion, best brood mare and best gelding. One of his 
horses:, which was raised on his stock farm, had a trial record of 2:14, and 
is known in sporting circles as Queen's Brother. 

In June, 1900, our subject returned to Washington township and located 
on his wife's farm of one hundred and forty acres. Mrs. Hays died in 
1893, and in 1900 Mr. Hays married Miss Adelaide Graham, a daughter of 
^^'illiam Graham, one of the largest land-owners in the county. The chil- 
dren of our subject are all married and settled in comfortable homes of their 
own. They are: Richard, who resides in Chase county. Kansas; Carrie, 
who is Mrs. John McCabe. of Chase county; Madge, who is Mrs. C. H. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i6i 

Perrigo, of Chicago; and Grace, who is Mrs. Robert J. Blackburn, of Chase 
county, Kansas. 

In poHtics j\Ir. Hays is now a stanch Democrat, although at one time he 
voted with the Republicans and later was a Populist. He is a genial, pleas- 
ant man, one who has hosts of friends and has accumulated his large prop- 
erty by energy and close application to business. 

JASPER MANNING. 

Jasper ]Manning is a retired contractor and builder of Harrisburg. After 
many years' connection with the building interests of Franklin countv he 
has now put aside the more arduous cares of life to enjoy the fruits of his 
former toil. He represents one of the old families of the state. His paternal 
grandfather died in Perry county, Ohio, while his wife died at Hillsboro 
Hill, but was buried at Washington Court House, in this state, about 1893. 
Edgar Manning, tlie father of our subject, was born in the Empire state in 
1813, and wdien a lad of about eight years accompanied his parents on their 
westward emigration, the family locating in Perry county, in the midst of 
an almost unbroken wilderness. Edgar Manning was therefore reared 
among the wild scenes of the frontier, but received good educational priv- 
ileges for that day; and in Somerset, Perry county, Ohio, he was married to 
Miss Eliza Sturgeon, whose birth occurred in Hopewell township, that county, 
in 181 5. Her father, John Sturgeon, was a native of Pennsylvania and dur- 
ing the pioneer epoch of Ohio's history removed to Perry county with his 
wife and little family. After his marriage Mr. Manning resided in Somerset 
until 1854 and followed carpentering and contracting. He then removed 
to Darby township. Pickaway county, establishing his home just outside of 
the corporation limits of Harrisburg. He purchased a fruit orchard of twenty 
acres and devoted his attention to the cultivation of fruit and to carpentering, 
but fifteen years before his death he permanently abandoned his trade, giving 
his time to horticultural pursuits. He died in 1893 ^'^'^^ his wife passed away 
in 1897. They were consistent members of the Lutheran church, and in his 
political views the father was a life-long Democrat. They had six children: 
Jasper; Mary J., now the wife of Martin L. Harsh, of Grove City; War- 
ren, deceased; Henry, of Harrisburg; Eliza, who died at the age of nine years; 
and Elnora, who is the deceased wife of C. L. Johnston. 

Jasper Manning, whose name introduces this sketch, was born in Somer- 
set, Perry county, on the i8th of September, 1840, and began his educa- 
tion in the public schools of that place. He afterward continued his studies 
in Harrisburg, whither the family removed when he was fourteen years of 
age. On attaining his majority he put aside his text-books to take up the 
duties of business life. At the age of sixteen he had begun work at the car- 
penter's trade with his father, following that pursuit throughout the sum- 
mer seasons. To some extent he also followed farming. On the 3d of Ma3% 



1 62 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

1864, he responded to his country's; call for aid, enlisting at Camp Chase, 
as sergeant of Company D, of the One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio Vol- 
unteer Infantry. He was at the front for one hundred and twenty days 
with his regiment, going first to Parkersburg, West Virginia, thence to New 
Creek and on to Fort Powhatan, wdiere he remained until the expiration of 
his term of service. During that time he participated in a number of 
skirmishes. 

On the 2ist of January, 1869, Mr. Manning was united in marriage to 
Miss Susan Peterson, of Pleasant township, Franklin county, a daughter of 
Daniel and Elizabeth Peterson. Their marriage has been blessed with two 
children : Charles Edgar, of Harrisburg, who wedded Clara Fetherolf, by 
whom he has one son, Harry Lee; and William Morgan, wdio was a popular 
commercial traveler, but i'Si now deceased. 

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Manning began their domestic life in 
Harrisburg, where he followed carpentering and contracting, being connected 
with that business for twenty-six years. Owing to an accident wnich 
destroyed the sight of one of his eyes, he retired to private life about 1883. 
He has twenty-two acres of land, wdiich he operates, and he also owns towm 
property in Harrisburg, having in former years made judicious investment 
of the capital he acquired through his own efforts. On the 5th of July, 
1900, he w^as called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who passed away 
amid the deep regret of many friends. Mr. Manning is a member of Edward 
Crouse Post, G. A. R., of Harrisburg, and was elected as commander for 
the year 1900. He gave his political support to the Democracy until 1891, 
since which time he has been a stalwart Republican. He served as a mem- 
ber of the town council for eighteen years and has now served for twelve 
consecutive years as town treasurer. No higher testimonial for his ability 
and fidelity could be given than the fact of his long continuation in the office 
conferred upon him by the vote of the people. For sixteen years he has 
served as a member of the school board and the cause of education has found 
in him a warm friend. For thirty-four years he has been a member of the 
Masonic fraternity and in his life exemplifies its beneficent principles. 

ERWIN MAIZE. 

Among the mO'Jt prosperous farmers and influential citizens of Clinton 
township, Franklin county, Ohio, was Erwin Maize, who was called from 
this life on the 13th of January, 1900. He was born June i. 1836, in county 
Tyrone, Ireland, of wdiich place his parents, William and Isabelle (Erwin) 
Maize, were also natives. In 1846 they brought their family to America 
and came at once to this county, taking up their residence in a log house in 
Clinton township. The father was a gentleman of culture and refinement, 
W'hose social position in the old country was good, but he came to the United 
States with the hope of giving his children better advantages than his native 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 163 

land afforded. He purchased forty acres of wild land in Clinton township, 
but after residing there for a short time moved to a place on the Worthing- 
ton road, where he died in 1854, at the age of seventy-five years. His wife 
plso died on the old homestead in 1866, at the age of seventy-six years. Both 
v\^ere Episcopalians in religious belief and were highly respected and esteemed 
by all who knew them. Their family numbered seven children, all born in 
Ireland, namely : John, deceased ; Thomas, a resident of Louisville, Ken- 
tucicy ; Jane, the deceased wife of Alexander Forbes ; William, also of Louis;- 
ville, Kentucky; Fannie, the wife of Andrew Skidmore; and Samuel and 
Frwin, both deceased. 

In this county Erwin Maize grew to manhood, and was married, March 
25, 1875, to Miss Melissa Pegg. They began their domestic life upon the 
f.'irm where his widow now resides and where he continued to make his 
home until death. All of the improvements found thereon were made by 
him, and it is to-day one of the best and most desirable places of its size in 
Clinton township. In his farming operations he met with excellent success, 
the two hundred and thirty acres of valuable land left by him at his death 
attesting his prosperity. As a public-spirited and progressive citizen he sup- 
ported all enterprises for the public good and contributed liberally of his 
means to all worthy objects'. He was one of the most prominent and influ- 
ential members of the Episcopal church of Worthington, with which he was 
connected for many years and to which he was entirely devoted, serving as a 
trustee of the parish from the time he became a communicant, in 1886, until 
his death. A tablet of Italian marble erected to his memory in the church 
by his widow bears, the following inscription : 

To 

The Glory of Almighty God 

And 

In loving memory of Erwin Maize, 

A trustee of this parish. 

Born in county Tyrone, Ireland, June i, 1836, 

Entered into rest January 13, 1900. 

Buried at Greenlawn Cemeterv, Columbus, Ohio. 



CLARENCE E. RICHARDS. 

Clarence E. Richards, the subject of this sketcli, is a member of the well 
known firm of Richards, McCarty & Bulford, architects, located in the Rug- 
gery building, in Columbus. Ohio. He was born in Jackson, Michigan, 
February 22, 1865, and is the son of Ephraim G. and Louise (Shipman) 
Richards. The father of our subject was born in New^ York and moved to 
Michigan, where he settled and remained in the business of building and con- 



1 64 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

tracting in that city until 1870, then moved to Eldorado, Kansas, and fol- 
lowed the same line in that city until he retired from active work and moved 
to Columbus, where he still resides. Mr. Richards' mother died in Colum- 
bus February 17, 1901. 

Our subject received a part of his education at Eldorado, Kansas, where 
the family lived from 1870 to 1888. When about seventeen years old he 
entered the normal school, preparing himself for teaching, which profession 
he followed for four years. In 1888 he came to Ohio and entered the 
employ of Edwin Anderson, an architect in Cincinnati, with whom he remained 
one year, going from there to Newark, Ohio, and following the profession 
of an architect there three years. In 1892 our subject came to Columbus 
and this proved a great advantage to him, as he was engaged as superintend- 
ent for the architect, J. W. Yost. 

In 1897 Mr. Richards formed a partnership with J. E. McCarty and 
George Bulford, all three of the firm being skilled and practical architects 
and being one of the strongest associations of its profession in Colum- 
bus. It has made plans and specifications for many of the principal business 
blocks, dwellings and public buildings in Ohio and in other states, notable 
among them being the reform school buildings of Ohio and Kentucky. 

Our subject has been married since July, 1900. his wife being Carrie, nee 
Humphreys, of Columbus, in which place she was born, reared and educated. 
She is the daughter of A. S. Humphreys, an old settler and much respected 
citizen. 

Mr. Richards is well and favorably known in his profession, and is a 
member of the American Institute of Architects. 

HENRY LORENZ SIEBERT. 

The Siebert family has long been prominently connected with the material 
development and substantial upbuilding of Franklin county and the city of 
Columbus. The founder of the family in America was Henry Lorenz Sie- 
bert, who was born in Trieste, Hesse-Cassel, Germany, in 1791, where his 
parents — natives of the same country — spent their entire lives. At an early 
age the son entered the German army and served during the closing years 
of the Napoleonic wars, seeing altogether seven years of militarv service. 
Released from the army, he settled in Buckenheim, a suburb of Frankfort-on- 
the-Main, where he opened a bakery. He married Susan C. Dollinger in 
1820, and the following children were born to them in Germany: AX'illiam, 
born February 14, 1821; Christian, November g, 1822; a daughter that died 
in infancy; Sophia, born July 20, 1825; Henry L., July 17, 1827; Louis, born 
June 29, 1830; and Carl, who was born and died in the year 1832. Three 
children were born after the arrival of the family in this country, namely: 
John, Susan and Charles M. 

The father of this family purchased property in Buckenheim and carried 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 165 

on business there from 1820 until September, 1832. About the middle of 
October of the same year, with his wife and children, he sailed from Bremen 
for the United States, arriving at Baltimore, Maryland, after a voyage of 
sixty-five days in a small sailing vessel. Mr. Siebert's reasons for leaving 
the fatherland are to be found in the facts that he was a liberal in his 
political views, was opposed to government by autocratic repression, and 
wished to remove his sons beyond German military requirements. He 
remained in Baltimore only long enough to make arrangements for moving 
westward. With two "prairie schooners" he started overland for Ohio. 
The family first stopped to rest at Wheeling, West Virginia, then crossed the 
Ohio river on a flatboat, and journeyed to Zanesville in this state, whence 
after a two-months sojourn they located in Somerset, Ohio. Here he pur- 
chased a house, but soon traded the property for a farm of fifty-five acres, 
three miles and a half from Somerset, now known as the Libbey farm. He 
remained there but one season and then, through the influence of friends, 
removed to Columbus., where he arrived July 8, 1834, and went into busi- 
ness at the northeast corner of Rich and High streets. His building and its 
contents were destroyed by fire in April, 1835, and he next opened a store on 
the corner of Main andi Fourth streets, Fourth street being at that time the 
eastern boundary of the town. Mr. Siebert remained here until 1837, when 
he bought a house at No. 660 South High street. Two years, later he removed 
to the Reinhardt farm, six miles west of Columbus, but after two years 
returned to the capital, settled once, more in his South High street home and 
lived there until his death in October, 1842. His widow remained at the 
old home until her death, at the age of nearly seventy, in November, 1869. 

Their oldest son, William, in partnership with M. C. Lilley, established 
the firm of Siebert & Lilley, bookbinders and publishers, in 1842. but later 
went to Paris, Illinois, and bought a farm; still later he became the cashier 
of the First National Bank in Paris, and was identified with that prosperous 
institution for many years, until his retirement, about 1890. ]\Ir. Siebert 
was a collector and reader of books, taking an especial delight in the study 
of German history. Before his death, which occurred in 1898, he presented 
the most of his books to the library of the Ohio State University, and these 
form the nucleus of a collection named in his honor, the Siebert Library of 
German History. A son, William, survives him, who participated in the 
battle of Santiago. 

Sophia became the wife of Cyrus Obetz, and they are now residents of 
Paris, Illinois. They have one son. Professor Henry L. Obetz, formerly 
dean of the homeopathic department of the University of Michigan, and 
now one of the leading physicians and surgeons of Detroit, Michigan. 

Christian, the second 'Son of Henry L. Siebert, was born November 9, 
1822, and for many years carried on business as a gunsmith in Columbus. 
He married Amelia Brown March 15, 1859. He purchased property on the 
southwest corner of High and Frankfort streets on the south side of Coluni- 



i66 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

bus, and Iniilt a residence, in which his widow still lives. Christian and 
Amelia Siebert have had six children, three of whom — Flora, Nettie Alma 
and an unnamed son — died in infancy. Mrs. Anna B. Miller, a widow, lives 
\vith her mother; Frank also lives at home; Mrs. Kate Bobb, the wife of 
Mortimer Bobb, died February 8, 1900. There are two grandchildren, Marie 
Siebert Miller, now a pupil in the South Side high school, and Katherine 
Siebert Bobb, an infant. By a former marriage, to Sarah Maccam, Chris- 
tian Siebert had four children. Mary, the eldest, resides at home; the other 
three died in infancy. The parents were members of the Universalist church, 
to which Mrs. Amelia Siebert still belongs. In politics Mr. Siebert was a 
Republican, and he was a charter member of the Odd Fellows' lodge of this 
city. He was known throughout the state in a business way, and had large 
property interests in Columbus. He was a man of large proportions physic- 
ally, was generous in private charity, and altogether large-hearted and kindly. 
He died September 18, 1886, after a lingering illness. 

Henry Lorenz Siebert, the third son of Henry L., Sr., is now in his 
seventy-fourth year, and is still robust and active. He accjuired his early 
education in the public schools of Franklin county, and in his sixteenth year 
became a clerk in the store of Greenwood & King. In September, 1843, 1^^ 
went to Cincinnati and entered the employ of John Griffith, a gunsmith, but 
returned after six months and became an employe of Peter Ambos.. In 
September, 1844, he went back to Mr. Griffith's establishment, and in Feb- 
ruary, 1845, obtained a situation with William L. Hudson, of Cincinnati. 
j\Ir. Siebert married Anna L. Morris, of Covington, Kentucky, January i, 
1852, and soon after entered into partnership with his former employer, Mr. 
Griffith. Three years later, through the friendship and assistance of Hon. 
Timothy C. Day, later a member of congress from Cincinnati, he began 
business for himself, but failing in the panic of 1857 he entered the hardware 
store of R. N. Booth & Company, of Cincinnati, where he was employed 
until 1 86 1. Next he w-ent to Paris, Illinois, where he raised a company and 
did guard duty to protect the town from the raids of southern sympathizers. 
In 1865 he returned to Columbus and has lived here ever since. For the 
past twenty-eight years he has held his present position with the M. C. Lilley 
Company. 

He is a stanch Republican. In 1869 he was elected infirmary director, 
the first position ever held by a Republican in Franklin county. He and 
his family are members of St. Paul's Episcopal church, and for the past fifteen 
years Mr. Siebert has served^ as one of the vestrymen of that church. In 
1864 he became a member of the Masonic lodge in Paris., Illinois. The chil- 
dren of Henry L. and Anna Morris Siebert are as follows: Ada K., who 
was married, in 1876, to F. W. Schueller, a prominent druggist of Colum- 
bus; Myra Belle, the wife of William Scarlett, the treasurer of the M. C. 
Lilley Company; Ellen M.. the wife of Henry H. Thorpe, a popular hotel 
proprietor of the city; Thomas H., superintendent of the shoe department of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 167 

the Lazarus store, of Columbus; Alice Winifred, married, October 27, 1897, 
to John A. Schoedinger, an undertaker; and Frederick J., now a mining- 
engineer in Utah. 

Mrs. Susan D. Lindenberg, a daughter of Henry L. Siebert, Sr., was 
born in Columbus August 31, 1837, and obtained her education in the public 
schools of the city. She was married to Henry Lindenberg October 23, 1862. 
Mr. Lindenberg was born in Germany July 29, 1836, came to this country in 
1850, and became a partner in the ^I. C. Lilley Company and the editor 
of the Odd Fellows' Companion. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Lindenberg 
are: Louis L., born August i, 1863, educated in the public schools and Ohio 
State University in Columbus^, and for a number of years connected with 
the M. C. Lilley Company; Theodore L., born October 3, 1873, educated in 
Columbus, and in Germany, where he spent two years in travel and study 
with his parents, having since made a trip around the world, at present in 
the employ of the M. C. Lilley Company; and Charlotte, educated in Bryn 
Mawr College, Philadelphia, who lives at home. The father of this family 
died in Germany in 1890. He was a cultivated and widely read man and 
a charming conversationalist. He was a member of the German Independent 
Protestant church, and a leading member of the Masonic, Odd Fellows and 
Knights of Pythias fraternities. Mrs. Lindenberg still resides at her beauti- 
ful home. No. 1071 Bryden road. 

The sketches of Louis and John Siebert will be found in other places in 
this volume. 

Charles M. Siebert, the youngest son of Henry L. Siebert, Sr., was. born 
m Columbus in 1839. At the age of twelve he began working at the gun- 
smith's trade with his brother Christian. In 1855 he went to Indianapolis, 
Indiana, where he spent two years at his trade ; thence he went to Cincinnati,' 
v;here he entered the employ of his brother Henry. In 1857 he made a trip 
down the Ohio river on a trading boat as far as Hickman, Kentuckv. but 
was compelled to abandon the trip at this point on account of high water. 
He returned to Cincinnati, thence to Columbus, where he again worked with 
his brother Christian, then went to Loudonville, Ohio, where he spent a year 
in the employ of T. A. Rinehart. In 1861 he went back to Indianapolis, 
and the next year to St. Louis, where he worked for the government in the 
United States arsenal. In May, 1864, he enlisted in the One Hundred and 
Thirty-third Regiment of Ohio Volunteers, with which command he was sent 
to West Virginia, thence to Petersburg, Virginia. His regiment was attached 
to the Tenth Army Corps, and from that time on participated in all the more 
important engagements that occurred in that section of the country. He 
took part in the hotly contested battle of W^eldon Railroad, south of Peters- 
burg, after which his regiment was stationed in a fort on the James river, 
near City Point, Virginia. At the expiration of his service he returned to 
Columbus, and in 1866 went to Circleville. Ohio, where he began business 
for himself as a gunsmith, and there remained for twenty-four years. He 



i68 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

then sold his property and moved with his family to Columbus, and has since 
been in the employ of the M. C. Lilley Company. Mr. Siebert married Har- 
riet Valentine April i6, 1866. To them the following children were born: 
Christian J., born January 16, 1868, married Cora E._ Pausch; Charles M., 
born November 28, 1869; Alice B., born January 2'/, 1871, married, October 
23, 1895, to Professor Nathan G. Burner; Louis A., born March 16, 1874, 
married Alberta Dempsey November 3, 1898; Thomas H., born August 30, 
1872, died February 28, 1879; and Hattie M., born October 29, 1875, died 
October 9, 1876. 

Charles M. Siebert, Sr., is a Republican, having supported that party 
since casting his first presidential vote for Lincoln in 1864. He is a mem- 
ber of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Episcopal church. 

JOHN FLARENCE ANDRIX. 

The real-estate operator of Columbus, Ohio, whose name supplies the 
title to this sketch has a family history which is of peculiar interest because 
of the fact that it reaches back into the pioneer days of the middle west. Mr. 
Andrix was born in Pickaway county, Ohio, in 1856, a son of Jacob Andrix, 
a native of Hancock county, Ohio, who died in 1870, at the age of fifty- four 
years. His father, Frederick Andrix, was among the earliest settlers of 
Pickaway county. Jacob Andrix was a prominent farmer and stock-raiser 
and his operations along these lines before the war were somewhat extensive. 
The family moved from Franklin county and located on a farm of one hun- 
dred and seventy acres near Groveport, about 1858, and during the war 
Jacob Andrix enlisted in the hundred-day service. He married Sarah Saw- 
yer, a daughter of the late Abraham Sawyer, who went to Pickaway county 
from Pennsylvania, wdiich was also the early home of the Andrix family. 
Mrs. Andrix is still living. Mr. Andrix's great-grandfather Sawyer was 
burned to death by the Lidians near the border of Pickaway and Fairfield 
counties. Augustus Andrix, brother of our subject, is a farmer in South 
Dakota, and his brother James is a farmer in Franklin county, Ohio. Hisi 
sister Lizzie is the wife of Henry McMahon, of Columbus, and another sis- 
ter is the wife of J. O. Adams and lives in Delaware county, Ohio. 

Mr. Andrix received his early education in the public schools of Grove- 
port, Ohio, and has been a student, self-taught, from the day he left school 
until the present time. He followed farming until 1880, when he engaged in 
the building trade at Columbus. His operations have been extensive and he 
has erected many prominent buildings on the west side and in other parts 
of the city. He also owns a block of buildings at Sandusky and Broad streets. 
He was a member of the West Side Building & Loan Association in 1896 and 
was a member of the board of education of Columbus in 1893-4. He was 
appointed by the mayor a member of the decennial equalization board for 
1900, which is revising the assessment list for the whole city to provide a 




JOHH F. ANDRIX, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 169 

basis for taxation for the next ten years. This appointment may be regarded 
as a high tribute to Mr. Andrix's integrity and to his broad and accurate 
knowledge of real estate values in this city. The board' itself honored him by; 
election to its vice-presidency. His operations in real estate are extensive and 
their results prove that they are carried forward under the best business judg- 
ment. 

Mr. Andrix was happily married to Miss Carrie F. Poole, of Columbus, 
a daughter of Middleton Poole, formerly well known as a grocer. Mrs. 
.Andrix's mother was Nancy H. (Perrin) Poole, who was born in 183 1, near 
where Mr. and ]\Irs. Andrix now live, and whose grandfather came from 
England. Mr. and Mrs. Andrix have three children : Iza,^ Edna and How- 
ard. Mr. Andrix is an official member of the ]\Iethodist Episcopal church. 

WINFIELD S. ROCHELLE. 

Throughout his entire life Winfield Scott Rochelle has been connected 
with agricultural interests in Franklin county. He was born September 25, 
1847, on the farm where he now resides. His father, John Rochelle, was a 
native of Sussex county. New Jersey, born in 1S05. There he was reared to 
manhood and learned the trade of an iron-worker, being employed in the 
days before the advent of the furnace, when the iron ore was taken from the 
mines and worked into its various stages from the forge. While still in New 
Jersey Mr. Rochelle was married, and four of his children were born there. 
In December, 1836, he came with his family to Ohio and settled on the farm 
now occupied by our subject, purchasing eighty-one acres of land from a 
Mr. Mills, who was the original owner after the entry from the government. 
Later j\Ir. Rochelle added a tract of one hundred and sixty acres in fiercer 
county and some time subsequently purchased one hundred and twenty-five 
acres of land adjoining the home farm. There he resided up to the time of 
his death, which occurred October 26, 1877, He was a stanch supporter of 
Republican principles and believed firmly in the party, but never sought office. 
Although a member of no church, he regularly attended the services of the 
old school Baptist church, of which his wife has been a member for a half- 
century. 

Mrs. Rochelle bore the maiden name of Lucinda Search, and was born 
in Sussex county. New Jersey, her parents being Martin and' Elizabeth 
(Rorick) Search. Her father was a native of New Jersey and was an iron- 
worker by trade, following that pursuit in connection with his son-in-law, 
John Rochelle. His wife was born in Holland, and both died in IMuskingum 
county, Ohio. Mrs. Search came to this state with John Rochelle in 1836 
and took up her abode in the home of her son near Zanesville, while her hus- 
band remained' in New Jersey and settled up some business affairs there and 
to attend a lawsuit over some property. As the litigation continued over a 
period of several yearsi he did not become a resident of Ohio until 1869. He 



I70 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

lived to the advanced age of ninety-two years, and his wife passed away at 
the ripe old age of ninety-three. It will thus be seen that longevity is a char- 
acteristic of the family, and their ^^-'Aighter, Mrs. Rochelle, is still living, at 
the advanced age of ninety-two years. She is one of the remarkable women 
of the county, retaining her mental and physical faculties to a wonderful 
degree. Through fifty years she has held membership in the Baptist church, 
and has been one of its active workers, contributing largely to its support 
and dwing all in her power for its upbuilding and growth. Unto Mr. and 
Mrs. Rochelle were born twelve children, six of whom are yet living, namely : 
William, a resident of Hamilton, Ohio; Dency, the widow of C. H. Barber, 
of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Mary A., the wife of Daniel Hickman, of Truro 
township, Franklin county; Martin S., a practicing physician of Wichita, 
Kansas ; Winfield ; and Phebe C, the wife of W. I. Hempstead, of Reynolds- 
burg, Ohio. 

Winfield Scott Rochelle was reared in his parents' home until his six- 
teenth year, when he ran away in order to enlist in the service of his country. 
He made his w^ay to Columbus, and on the 28th of March, 1864, joined Com- 
pany C, of the Forty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which was assigned to 
the Fifteenth Army Corps, commanded by General John A. Logan. With 
the exception of a few weeks in the hospital in Resaca and Marietta, Georgia, 
he was continuously with his command until the close of the war, and his 
loyalty and bravery were equal to that of many a veteran of twice his years. 
He was mustered out at Louisville, Kentucky, on the 27th of July, 1865, after 
having participated in the following engagements : Resaca, Dallas, Allatoona, 
New Hope Church, Congaree Creek, Atlanta, Griswoldville, Savannah, 
Cl'-irleston and Columbia. 

When the war was over and the country no longer needed his services 
Mr. Rochelle returned to his home and resumed the work of the farm. He 
was the only son at home and his labors proved an important factor in the 
operation of the fields. On the 4th of February, 1875, he was united in mar- 
riage to Mrs. Samarida E. Hanson, a native of Jefferson township, Franklin 
county, and a daughter of James E. Todd, who was born in Virginia and 
belonged to one of the early families of this county. 

After his father's death Mr. Rochelle continued the operation of the 
home farm, and from time to time has purchased the interest of the other 
heirs until he now owns all but a small portion of the place. His fields are 
under a high state of cultivation, many improvements having been added, and 
everything about the farm is in a thrifty condition, showing that the owner 
is a practical and progressive agriculturist. He votes with the Republican 
party, to which he has given his support since attaining to man's estate. He 
is recognized as a leader in local ranks, his opinions carrying weight in party 
councils. For many years past he has been a delegate to the county and 
state conventions, and in 1899 he was appointed a member of the county board 
of election, but resigned the office to become a candidate for the nomination 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 171 

for county infirmary director. He belongs to Reynolclsburg- Lodge, No. 
340, F, & A. M., and also to Daniel Noe Post, G. A. R. The patriotic 
spirit which prompted his enlistment in the army in his youth has been mani- 
fest throughout his life in the discharge of his duties of citizenship, and in 
all life's relations he has enjoyed the confidence and regard of his fellow men. 

^^TLLIA^I D. SIMONTON. 

William D. Simonton is one of the two oldest engineers in years of con- 
tinuous service in Columbus, running on the Norfolk & Western Railroad. 
His paternal grandparents, Theophilus and Mary Simonton, were natives of 
North Carolina, where they spent their entire lives. Their children, all born 
in that state, were as follows: Alexander, born January 12, 1794; Sally, 
born November 14, 1796; Adam, born October 8, 1798; Noah, born July 26, 
1 801; Elizabeth, born February 19, 1803; Hiram, born June 29, 1805; The- 
ophilus, Jr., born June 29, 1808; Samuel, born July 22, 1810; John, born 
February 8, 1813; and Mary, born June 10, 1815. 

John Simonton, the father of our subject, removed from North Carolina 
to Ohio in an early day, locating upon a farm in Clermont county. He was 
there married on the 14th of June, 1838, to Miss Catherine Hess, and they be- 
came the parents of six children : Melissa, born December 4, 1839; Franklin, 
born December 4. 1841 ; an infant son born November 15, 1843; Lyman, born 
November 20, 1844; William D., born September 4, 1853; ^^'^^ Lulu, born 
October 16, i860. Franklin, of this family, enlisted for service in the Union 
army, in Company I, Twelfth Ohio Infantry, and was wounded at Cloyd 
Mountain, Virginia, in 1864. He was afterward taken prisoner and nothing 
was ever heard of him from that time, although the greatest efforts were 
made to ascertain his fate. It is probable that he died in a southern prison 
and no record was kept of his demise. Melissa Simonton, the eldest sister 
of cur subject, was married to John D. Carnahan and they now reside at their 
home in Cincinnati, Ohio. Their children are Franklin N., Charles and 
Clyde. Lyman Simonton, a brother of our subject, is married and resides 
at the old home in Blanchester, Clinton county, Ohio. He is a clerk in a 
store there and has one child, Clayton. William D. Simonton was married, 
April zo, 1872, to Miss Nettie Baldwin, of Blanchester, Ohio. Lulu Simon- 
ton was married to O. Willoughby, of South Lebanon, Ohio, who conducts 
a meat market there. They have one child, Stanley, who is now in his 
twelfth year. 

AVhen a young man A\^illiam D. Simonton, of this review, learned the 
blacksmith's trade, but wiching to enter railroad life, he secured a position as 
fireman on the Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad on the ist of January, 1874. 
On the 24th of December. 1877, he was promoted to freight engineer on the 
same road, which was afterward absorbed by the Baltimore & Ohio road, 
and is now a part of the system controlled by that company. IMr. Simonton 



172 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

is now on the Norfolk & Western Railroad, running on the fast pas- 
senger from Columbus to Kenova, West Virginia. Since 1874 he has been 
in continuous service and has never sustained a personal injury in his rail- 
way duties. He became a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engin- 
eers in 1882, and belongs to Division No. 72. 

On the 20th of April, 1872, Mr. Simonton was united in marriage to 
Miss Nettie Baldwin. Her father, Benjamin Baldwin, was born October 
17, 181 5, being the first white child born in Marion township, Clinton county, 
Ohio. His death occurred October 15, 1897, when he was eighty-two years 
of age. His w^ife, Martha E. Henry, w^as born January 4, 1829, and died 
July 17, 1893. In their family were the following: Mrs. Simonton, born 
March 28, 1854; Lucius, who was born October 25, 1851, and died' October 
8, 1884; and Marion A., who was born July 15, 1858, and was married, in 
1880, to Miss Ada Byard, their home being now in Blanchester, Ohio. The 
grandparents of Mrs. Simonton were natives of Virginia, the grandmother 
having been born in the famous Shenandoah valley. In their family were 
twelve children, ten of whom are now living, and the youngest is more than 
three score years of age. All reside in Blanchester. Ohio. 

Mr. and Mrs. Simontpn have one child, Minnie E., born March 20, 1873. 
She was married, June 6, 1894, to Charles C. Bothwell, who is an engineer 
on the Norfolk & Western Railroad and resides in Portsmouth. Ohio. Mr. 
Simonton is a member of the Masonic fraternity, holding membership with 
Magnolia blue lodge, also wnth Ohio Chapter and Mt. Vernon Commandery. 
The family are members of the Plymouth Congregational church, of Colum- 
bus. His. is a creditable record, characterized by fidelity to duty and his 
worth as a man and citizen are well known. 

JOHN KOEBEL. 

Among Franklin county's well-to-do and successful farmers are many 
who started out in life for themselves without capital, and have worked their 
way upward through their own unaided efforts. In the subject of this review 
we find a worthy representative of this class. "He is a man of enterprise and 
perseverance, and has steadily overcome the obstacles in the path to success 
by determination and untiring industry. 

Mr. Koebel was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, on the 25th of October, 
1853, and was twelve years of age when he came to Franklin county with 
his parents. His father, George Koebel, was a native of Germany, born in 
1829, and is now a retired farmer of Marion township, this county. While 
a resident of Fairfield county he married Mary Sparrow, a native of Virginia, 
aad to them w-ere born ten children, six of whom are still living, namely: 
Bari^ara, George, John, Catherine. William and Charles, — all residents of 
Franklin county. Those deceased are Jacob, Michael, Sarah and Mary. 

The educational advantages which our subject received were such as the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 173 

district schools of Fairfield and Franklin county afforded during his boy- 
hood, and his training at farm work was obtained on the old homestead under 
the direction of his father, with whom he remained until twenty-three years 
of age. He began life for himself upon a rented farm in Hamilton town- 
ship, where he remained two years, and then rented what is known as the 
Zeb Veasy farm for three years. For thirteen years he made his home on 
the Louis Zettler farm, and at the end of that time purchased the place in 
Truro township where he now resides. When it came into his possession 
it was unimproved, but he cleared away the timber, erected a good residence 
and substantial outbuildings and now has a well improved and valuable farm 
of one hundred and eleven acres, all under a high state of cultivation. 

On the 24th of February, 1881, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. 
Koebel and Miss Alice Victoria Helsel, who was born in Columbus, Frank- 
lin county, June 2, 1861, and is a daughter of John Helsel, also a native of 
this county. He married Clarissa A. Brown, by whom he had seven chil- 
dren,— Alice v., John E., Matthew L., Laura O., Effie C, Thaddeus B. N. 
and Fanny E. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Koebel have been born two children: 
Edith Pearl, born August 30, 1884; and Edgar Leigh, born August 2, 1895. 
The daughter is now attending the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, 
this state. The Democratic party finds in Mr. Koebel a stanch supporter 
of its principles, but at local elections he votes for the men whom he believes 
best qualified to fill the offices regardless of party ties. Religiously he is a 
liJ^eral supporter and active member of the Lutheran church. For seven 
years he has made his home upon his present farm, and is to-day one of the 
most influential and popular citizens of the community. 



ALBERT COOPER, M. D. 

The city of Columbus, Ohio, is well represented in professional life, its 
citizens being known in many states of the Union. Among those whose 
ability is remembered outside of his own locality is Albert Cooper, a physi- 
cian of high standing in this city. He is a nati\^ of the state, born in 
Coshocton county, Ohio, September 24, 185 1, a son of Archibald Wilson 
and Maria (Blizzard) Cooper. The Cooper family came to Ohio in 1808, 
the ancestors having immigrated to Pennsylvania with William Penn, being 
Quakers. The grandfather of our subject was Levi Cooper, l^orn in \^ir- 
ginia. He there married Margaret Wilson, a daughter of Archibald Wil- 
son, a captain in the Revolutionary war. The father of Dr. Cooper, Archibald 
Wilson Cooper, was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, near Zanesville, in 
1810. He later in life made his home in Coshocton county, remaining until 
1864, when he went to Illinois and thence to Kansas, dying in Beloit, Kan- 
sas, October 8, 1881. The mother of Dr. Cooper was born in Hardv county, 
West Virginia, in 1814, and died January 6, 1882. They had been the par- 



174 CENTENNIAL-BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ents of four sons: Horace, an attorney at Greenville, ^Missouri; Wesley and 
Levi, twins, the former deceased; and our subject. 

Dr. Albert Cooper passed his first ten years in Coshocton and Licking 
countii^s. Ohio, removing then with his parents to Illinois. The next family 
removal was to St. Joseph, Missouri, and in that city he received the greater 
part of his education. Later he accompanied his father to Beloit, Kansas, 
and there entered the office of Dr. W. T. Donnell to engage in the reading of 
medicine. After thorough preparation he entered the medical department 
of the Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery and graduated at that 
institution of learning June 22, 1875. 

The first location of Dr. Cooper was in Kansas, where he spent almost two 
years in successful practice, after which he came to Columbus and took a course 
of lectures at the Columbus Medical College, graduating at this institution in 
T877, following which he entered actively into practice in this city. He was 
the demonstrator of anatomy at Columbus Medical College from 1882 to 
1885. Always interested in education, he served one term on the school board 
and for four years was elected from the nineteenth ward as a member of the 
city council. In his political preferences he is a Republican and has taken part 
in many of the important deliberations of his party. 

The marriage of Dr. Cooper took place April 14, 1880, to Miss Jennie 
McCrum, a daughter of Samuel McCrum, of Belmont county, Ohio. She 
was an accomplished lady and before marriage a teacher in the schools of 
Worthington, Ohio. The residence of the Doctor and his estimable wife is 
at No. 2686 North High street, is in one of the best parts of the city. 

Dr. Cooper is a member of Magnolia Lodge, F. & A. M. ; Ohio Chapter, 
R. A. M. ; thirty-second degree Scottish Rite, Scioto Consistory ; the Colum- 
bus Academy of Medicine, the Ohio State Medical Society, American Medical 
Association and the Sons of the American Revolution. In his profession 
Dr. Cooper ranks high, his ability as both surgeon and physician having 
brought him into prominence. He is a fit representative of the medical pro- 
fession in his chosen city of residence. 

JOHN SAMUEL DAUGHERTY. 

The ancestors of the subject of this sketch were Irish, and his grand- 
father, John Daugherty, came with two of his brothers to the United States 
previous to the year 1800, landing at New York. The three brothers sep- 
arated, going to differents part of the country, John coming' direct to Ohio 
and locating at old Franklinton, now a part of Columbus. He brought his 
wife with him and she died a few years after their arrival. Their children 
were Nathan Daugherty, who settled in Preble county and died there; and 
John Daugherty, who died in one of the Ohio counties lying on Lake Erie. 
For his second wife John Daugherty, Sr., married Miss Gatton, a native of 
Richland county, Ohio, who bore him children as follows : James, who mar- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i75 

riecl Miss Clover and died in Prairie township at the age of ninety-three years; 
Sarah, who married Jacob Keller and died in Prairie township; Daniel, who 
married Miss Sills and died at Columbus ; Nancy, who is Mrs. Samuel King, 
of Norwich township; Mary, who married Joseph Klise and died in Brown 
township; Chloe, who is Mrs. Orrin Clover, of Norwich township; Benjamin, 
wdio was the father of the subject of this sketch; and Lovinia, who is Mrs. 
Chauncey Carter and lives at Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

John Daugherty, the pioneer, fought for his adopted country in the war 
of 1812 and became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 181 7. He 
helped build the old national road through Ohio. Some time after his arrival 
he beo-an clearing a farm in Norwich township, on the Scioto river, where he 
settled among the Indians in a wdld strip of timber and had many ventures 
peculiar to pioneer life. Each spring he and his boys would go into a sugar 
camp on the Norwich township line and, living in a log shanty, would manu- 
facture maple sugar, in the old way, while the season lasted. Wolves and 
other wild beasts were so numerous all about them that they were obliged 
to maintain fires at night to keep them at a distance. Mr. Daugherty died 
about 1847, more than eighty years old, and his second wife died some years 
earlier. 

Benjamin Daugherty, father of John Samuel Daugherty, was born at 
Franklinton in 181 3, and grew to manhood in Franklin county and assisted 
his father in clearing and cultivating his farm, receiving a limited education 
in a small log schoolhouse near his early home. He married Catharine 
Divelbiss, a native of Pennsylvania, born in 1820^ who came to Richland 
county when a small girl wdth her father, George Divelbiss, who was a pio- 
neer near Mansfield, and in his day was perhaps the most noted hunter and 
marksman in that part of the state. Mr. and Mrs. Daugherty were married 
in Richland county and came immediately afterward to Prairie township, 
Franklin county, and after living there for a time they removed to Norwich 
towniship and settled on one hundred and fourteen acres of land, now owned 
by Jacob Fladt. Mr. Daugherty made a clearing in the woods, in which 
he built a double hewed-loghouse wnth a ground area of fourteen by sixteen 
feet, which was the home of the family until after the farm was paid for and 
money had been saved with which to buy the good frame house now standing 
on the place. By that time the farm w^as well improved. Mrs. Daugherty 
died there in August, 1872, and after that event Mr. Daugherty rented his 
farm for ten yea~rs and lived with the lessees. He then sold the farm and 
lived with his 'children, most of the time with the subject of this sketch, until 
his death in 1889. The most of the members of his family identified them- 
selves with the Methodist Episcopal church. He was a man of good ability 
and was influential as a citizen and as a Democrat. The following items of 
interest concerning his children will be found valuable in this connection: 

His eldest daughter, Elizabetli. married Elijah Scofield, and died in 
Franklin county; the subject of this sketch was next in order of birth; George 



176 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Washington married Caroline Sherwood, and died at Columbus; Daniel, of 
Brown township, married Miss Minnie Miller; Nancy married Charles 
Smith and lives in the Shenandoah valley in Virginia ; David married Rachel 
Clover and lives in Norwich township; Sarah married Orin Gatton and they 
had one child, who survives them and lives at Galloway, Ohio ; Mary married 
Edd McGlinchey and they had three children; Benjamin married Sarah Clover 
and lives at Marion, Ohio; Chloe is Mrs. James Craig, of Norwich township; 
and Andrew Jackson Daugherty died at the age of nineteen years, after receiv- 
ing- a fine business education. 

John Samuel Daugherty was born in Prairie township, Franklin county, 
November 14, 1841, and received his first schooling there. When he was 
eight years old his father moved to Norwich township, where the boy finished 
his education at the age of seventeen, under the preceptorship of Alexander 
Jones, whom he often worried by playing truant. While on one of these 
expeditions he saw the first railroad train in this part of the country, about 
1S48. He worked on his father's farm as soon as he was old enough and 
was thus employed until, at twenty-one, he began to learn the carpenter's 
trade of John Ro'binson, with whom he remained seven years, afterward 
working as a carpenter for three years on his own account. During a part 
of this time he worked for the government, building the officers' quarters, 
etc., through Kansas and Missouri. During his lifetime he has traveled a 
great deal, having visited about twenty difi"erent states. On one of these 
trips he took his eldest son, who was then suffering from that dread disease, 
consumption. 

John Samuel Daugherty was married, November 23, 1869, to Miss Mary 
Catharine Roberts, a native of Prairie township, Franklin county, born Novem- 
ber 16, 1848, a daughter of Lewis and Rachel (Richards) Roberts. Mrs. 
Daugherty's parents removed from Prairie township to Brown township 
when she was four years old and she was educated at the Welsh school, which 
she attended until she was seventeen years old. Her father was born in 
Wales July 4, 18 18, a son of Ellis and Catharine (Pugh) Roberts, who came 
with their family to the United States in 1824, landing at New York city, 
where Ellis Roberts died. In 1835 his widow and her children came to 
Browm township and located on one hundred acres of land of which her 
late husband had become possessed some years before his demise, and there 
she died in 1846. Her daughter Catharine married Thomas Thomas, and 
after his death Thomas Evans, and died in the city of New York. Her 
son Lewis was the father of Mrs. Daugherty. David, the next in order of 
birth, went to some distant part of the country and was never heard of after- 
ward. Ellis, the next younger son, died on the home farm. Susanna mar- 
ried Arthur Arnold and died in New York city. John P. died in Franklin 
county, Ohio. Lewis Roberts was born in Wales in 1818, came to the 
United States with his parents at the ac'e of six years, and lived in New 
York city until he was seventeen years old, and there received a fair educa- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i77 

tion. He grew to manhood on the family farm in Brown township, and 
married Rachel Richards, daughter of William and Mary (Williams) Rich- 
ards, who were born and married in Wales, After his marriage Lewis Rob- 
erts located on the home farm of the family and lived there until his death, 
November 30, 1878, except during five years, when he conducted a hotel at 
Rome, Ohio. He was a prominent man in the township and held several 
important offices. In politics he was a Democrat' and in religion he was a 
Baptist. His wife died June 16, 1889. Following are some facts relative 
to their children : Their son David William married Rebecca Drake and after 
her death Minerva Hemrod, and lives at Columbus, Ohio. John Ellis died at 
the age of nine years. Mrs. Daugherty was the next in order of birth. 
Lewis died at the age of twenty-six years. Daniel F. married Miss Angeline 
Carter and lives in Brown township. Richard died at sixteen, Susan at 
eighteen, John at twenty-six and Margaret at twenty years of age. Sophia 
and Hannah, twins, died in infancy. Margaret, the second of the name, died 
at two years O'f age. 

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Daugherty lived for ten years on 
the Colwell farm in Norwich township, and for two years lived on his father- 
in-law's farm. After that they resided for a time on the lower part of his 
present farm. He was then employed for five years at corporation work in 
the city of Columbus. In 1896 they returned to their farm and built their 
present home, and since that time Mr. Daugherty has devoted himself with 
much success to farming and stock-raising. He is an active and influential 
Democrat and has been for some time a member of the school board of his 
township. He is a member of the Christian Union church, and Mrs. Daugh- 
erty is actively and helpfully identified with the Methodist Episcopal church. 
She is an intelligent, well educated woman, well informed upon all topics of 
the day, kind, motherly, hospitable and an interesting conversationalist. She 
has borne her husband children as follows : Francis Marion was born Sep- 
tember 19, 1 87 1, and died at the age of twenty-one years. Charles Will- 
iam, born December 12. 1872, married Amanda Reed, and is employed as a 
conductor by a street-car company of Cleveland, Ohio. To them was born 
one child, Evelyn, a beautiful child of a sweet disposition. Cora A., born 
February 23, 1876, is a successful school-teacher; and her sister, Bessie Alta, 
born July 11, 1879, has taught school during the last two years. Each of 
the latter is well educated, holding diplomas from one of the best schools in 
the state. John Lewis, born February 21, 1889, died September 22, 1890. 

JAMES SAVAGE. 

The biographical sketch which follows possesses peculiar value for the 
reason that it not only deals with the careers of men important in their day 
and generation and prominent in their calling, Imt with facts and interests of 
historical value in connection with the social, political and business history of 



178 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Ohio's capital city. The name of Savage has long been well known at Colum- 
bus, where it has stood for important legitimate business enterprise and has 
represented the highest order of citizenship. 

William Montgomery Savage, one of the pioneer jewelers of Colum- 
bus, located here in 1838. He was a native of Raleigh, North Carolina, and! 
was married, at Richmond, Virginia, to Mary Richards, a native of Cornwall, 
England. He learned his business with his father, John Y. Savage, whc 
moved from North Carolina to New York city about 1830, and it w^as there 
that William Montgomery Savage finished the acquisition of a practical 
knowledge of the jeweler's trade. For two years after he came to Columbus 
he was employed by Platte, an old-time jeweler, and in 1840 he opened a 
store on his own account, on the east side of High street, just south of State 
street, in a small frame building which was mounted on wheels in order that 
it might be hauled out of danger in case fire should break out near by. In 
1843 Mr. Savage moved into the Ambos building, opposite Capitol square, 
and from there he moved, about 1851, into a building just then completed 
by himself and his brother John Y. Savage, of New York city, afterward 
city clerk. Important additions were subsequently built tO' that structure 
and he occupied it until his death in 1892, when he had been fifty-two years 
in business in Columbus, and since 1866 the leading jeweler in the city. In 
1893 the stock of his establishment was divided between his sons James and 
E. G. Savage, who had been connected with his business, the first from 1861 
to 1884, the second from 1857 to 1892. W. J. Savage, the eldest son of 
William Montgomery Savage, was also identified with his father's enterprise 
until he disposed of his interest in it to found the Columbus Watch Com- 
pany, and now, relieved of business cares, he devotes much of his time to 
European travel. John Y. Savage, another of Mr. Savage's sons, who died 
in 1884, was also for a time identified with the business. William Mont- 
gomery Savage was regarded as one of the foremost jewelers of his time and 
he was given charge of the railway clocks and other timepieces of all the 
railroads centering at Columbus, and regulated them by observations which 
he took personally and independently along scientific lines. 

James Savage, a son of William Montgomery and Mary (Richards) 
Savage, was born at Columbus, Ohio, in 1844, and was there reared and edu- 
cated and learned the jeweler's business in his father's store, in which, as 
has been stated, he acquired an interest, which continued until in the fall of 
1884, when he engaged in the same line of business independently, at his 
well known stand on North High street, where he has met with much suc- 
cess and has made himself known as a merchant of enterprise and of promi- 
nence and as a jeweler of skill and reliability. 

Following in the footsteps of his worthy father, in politics as well as in 
business, Mr. Savage is a Democrat. In religious affiliation he is an- Epis- 
copalian. He married Miss Gertrude Aston, daughter of Isaac Aston, of 
Columbus, long a member of the prominent book house of Randall & Aston, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i79 

one of the best known in Ohio before and after the war of the Rebellion. 
He has a daughter named Mary Richards in honor of his mother, and a son 
named James Aston Ferree in honor of Mrs. Savage's family, her mother 
having been a Ferree of a prominent French family of that name. 

Dr. C. M. Savage, a son of William Montgomery Savage and a brother 
of James Savage, entered the Union army in 1862, when he was only fifteen 
years old, and s.aw three years' active service, and was wounded at Shiloh and 
at Kenesaw mountain. His eminence in his profession was recognized by 
President Cleveland, who appointed him chairman of the board of examining 
surgeons of the United States. He is a well known ]\Iason and Knight of 
Pythias. 

BEX7A^nN FRANKLIN WILLIA^IS. 

Among the several old Muskingum county families represented in Frank- 
lin county, Ohio, none is reDresented more worthily or more creditably than 
the family of Williams, from which came Benjamin Franklin Williams, of 
Norwich township, whose grandfather, Abraham \Mlliams, was born in 
Connecticut, about 1809, and married Catherine \\'ooley, a native of Hock- 
ing county, Ohio, and a daughter of Elijah and Mary Wooley. Abraham 
Williams passed his life as a preacher in Muskingum county, and died there 
in 1854. His wife married Henry Ray in Franklin county, where she 
became a widow about 1855, and she died in Washington township, in 1881. 
Abraham and Catherine (Wooley) Williams had the following children: 
Abraham C, who lives at Plain City, Ohio; Minerva, who married William 
Carter and lived for a time in Madison county, Ohio, and removed thence to 
Iowa and from Iowa to Nevada, where Mr. Carter died and where she is 
still living; Wesley, who died in childhood; Benjamin Franklin, the imme- 
diate subject of this sketch ; Susan, who married Asa Davis ; Mary, who mar- 
ried Alexander Walcott; Francis ]\I., who lives at Columbus,_ Ohio ; and E. 
J., who married Deborah Ramsey and lives at Hilliard's, Ohio. 

Benjamin Franklin Williams was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, 
February 5, 1849, ^n<^l was about six years old when his widowed mother 
brought him to Franklin county, Ohio, where he passed the days of his youth, 
chiefly in Norwich township. He first attended school in a log schoolhouse 
which stood just over the county line near his home in ]\Iadison county, and 
he went to school with more or less regularity until he was nineteen years 
old, while in the meantime he received every kind of practical instruction 
tending to make him a good farmer. Since his marriage he has lived on 
rented farms. He has proved himself to be a business man of ability, and' 
as -a Republican is not without a certain local influence, but he has no desire 
for public oflice. He is a Knight of Pythias and a member of the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows. 

September 28, 1871, 'Mr. Williams married jNUss Katurah Shipman, who 



i8o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

was born near Duljlin, Franklin county, Ohio, a daughter of Charles and 
Mary Ann (Beard) Shipman, her father a native of Pennsylvania, her mother 
a native of Franklin county, Ohio. The children of Benjamin Franklin 
and Katurah (Shipman) Williams were born in the order in which they are 
here named : Harry, who lives in Norwich township, married Bertha Wil- 
cox, and has three children, — Oral, Ida May and Mary Belle. Benjamin, 
who lives on his own farm, married Amanda Davidson and has a son named 
Irwin. George E. lives in Clinton township, married Sarah Johnson and 
has two children, — Everett and Guy. Lena died in infancy. Charles died 
in childhood. Sumner and Ina Belle are members of their father's house- 
hold. Carrie and Ettie are both deceased. 

Mr. Williams is a self-made man who richly deserves the success he 
has achieved, and his public spirit and generous disposition make him a help- 
ful citizen who may always be safely depended upon to assist every worthy 
public movement. 

DAVID BINNS. 

David Binns, whose name introduces this review, is a prominent resident 
of Franklin county, Franklin township, Ohio, having resided on his present 
well cultivated farm near Columbus since 1872. He was born in Fayette 
county, Pennsylvania, February 18, 1837, and was a son of William Binns, 
a native of England, who was born there February 18, 1807, and came to 
America about the year 181 2, locating in Brownsville, Pennsylvania. His 
father, David Binns, was a native of Yorkshire, England, where he married 
and then came to the United States, settling in Brownsville, Fayette county, 
Pennsylvania, and some years later moved to Harrison county, Ohio, where 
he died at a good old age. William Binns was reared in Fayette county, 
Pennsylvania, and there married Miss Ruth Gibson, a Virginian by birth. 
She was a daughter of Amos Gibson, an old settler in Pennsylvania, also a 
native of Virginia. Mrs. Binns lived to the age of seventy-six years, dying 
at her home in Franklin township, where the family settled about 1872. A 
family of thirteen children were born to Mr. and Mrs. William Binns, and 
four members of this family are still living. Mr. William Binns, the father, 
died at the age of eighty years. 

David Binns, the subject of this review, was about five years of age 
when he was taken to Harrison county, Ohio, and received there his educa- 
tion in the primitive schools of the time. According to the general usage of 
the locality he remained with his parents until he reached his majority, when 
he went to Wayne county, Indiana, and engaged in teaching penmanship, 
remaining in that locality for two years, upon the expiration of which time 
he returned to Harrison county and began to teach school in the neighborhood 
of his home. His grandfather had entered some land in Hardin county, and 
there David Binns spent eight busy years in the lumber business, conducting 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i8i 

a sawmill. In 1872 Mr. Binns came to Franklin township and settled upon 
his present farm, where he immediately proceeded to build and make im- 
provements. He then entered upon a successful career as farmer and dairy- 
man, which occupation he still continues. 

'in 1867 Miss Esther Gilbert, the daughter of Hammond Gilbert, of 
Hardin county, Ohio, became the wife of Mr. Binns, but her death occurred 
a few years later, leaving two children — John, deceased, and Vienna, who mar- 
ried Thomas Biddle, of Columbus. In 1877 ^I^. Binns married Miss Medora 
E. Bigelow, a native of Plain City, Madison county, Ohio, the daughter of 
Timothy and Hannah (Marshall) Bigelow, who were old residents of Madi- 
son county. Mr. and Mrs. Binns are the parents of five children: Henry 
G., who is in the employ of the Norfolk & Western Railroad; Walter B., Em- 
mett H., Mary E. and Allen Jay, deceased, all of whom have received good 
educational advantages, the older ones being graduates. 

Mr. Binns is a Friend in his religious belief, as was his honored father 
and grandfather, but takes a great interest in public affairs, although not in 
favor of unnecessary strife. He is a Republican in politics, and has held 
many positions of authority in the township. He has been justice of the 
peace, and for nine years belonged to the school board. He has placed his 
farm of sixty-eight and a half acres in a fine state of cultivation, and his 
surroundings show the peace and prosperity his life of honest endeavor have 
made possible, 

JAMES W. BARBEE. 

James W, Barbee is one of the most prominent and is also one of the 
oldest residents of Franklin township, Franklin county, Ohio, and was born 
in Culpeper county, Virginia, May i, 1817. He was a son of Owen Thomas 
Barbee, a native of Fauquier county, Virginia, who came to Franklin county 
very early and remained here until his death, when he was eighty-nine years 
old. His father was Joseph Barbee, of English parentage. The mother 
of our subject was of German descent, and was in her maidenhood Miss Mary 
Whitley. She died at the home of James Barbee Decemiber i, 1854. 

James W. Barbee was the third in a family of nine children. He came 
with his father to Franklin county in 1831, being at that time thirteen years 
of age. He was sent to the common school of the district, then held in the 
log cabin so well remembered by the pioneers of every state, and gained the 
education possible under the circumstances. Until he was twenty-three years 
old he remained with his father, and then started out to meet the world for 
himself. He engaged in hauling stone, a large part of it being for the erec- 
tion of the state house in Columbus, and also a part of his work was put upon 
the national pike road. His wages were sometimes thirty cents a day. To 
modern minds this seems a very small compensation, but in forty years, from 
that beginning, our subject has accumulated a fortune and is now one of the 



i82 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

wealthiest men of Franklin township. Ordinary hardships did not dismay 
Mr. Barbee, for he cleared a farm in Norwich township, where he first located. 
In 1868 he moved to his present home and proceeded to do the same task in 
Franklin township, where he now resides. This tract of one hundred and 
fifty-five acres he bought for seventy dollars an acre, selling forty acres not 
long since for four hundred dollars per acre, an increase partly explained by 
the state of cultivation to which Mr. Barbee had broughl it in the interven- 
ing years. 

The marriage of Mr. Barbee took place December 8, 1842, to Miss 
Lucinda Keller, who was born in Franklin township December 22, 1823, a 
daughter of Jacob Keller, a native of Pennsylvania, and one of the early set- 
tlers of Ohio. Her mother, formerly Mary Rossman, was a native of New 
York, and had been previously married to Dr. John Ball, and they had five 
children. Five children were also born of her second marriage, of whom 
only Mrs. Barbee and her brother Henry are the survivors. She was reared 
in Franklin county and enjoyed the best educational advantages possible at 
the time in that locality. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Barbee eleven children were 
born: Owen; Thomas; Mary; Eliza; Melville, the wife of J. S. Briton, of 
Columbus ; Alice ; Florence, deceased ; Lucinda, deceased ; James, who mar- 
ried Helen Legg; Minnie, the wafe of C. M. Rogers, of Columbus; and Laura. 

Mr. Barbee has been a very prominent Democrat, and has been called 
upon to occupy many positions of local importance. In 1850 he was elected 
the coroner of the county and held the position for two years; was county 
commissioner for six years in succession, being elected before the war of the 
Rebellion and held the position at the breaking out of hostilities. For eight 
years he was a constable, for ten years was assessor and often has been town- 
ship trustee, filling all of these offices to the entire satisfaction of the com- 
munity. Both he and his family are members of the Christian Union church, 
where they are appreciated and have hosts of friends. Mr. and Mrs. Barbee 
have spent almost fifty-nine years of happy married life, which. they fittingly 
celebrated December 8, 1892. 

LYMAN H. INNIS. 

A well known and prominent member of the bar of the city of Colum- 
bus, Ohio, is Lyman H. Innis, who was born upon a farm in this county' 
July 16, 1871, and is a son of Robert and Sarah (Longman) Innis, a sketch 
of the family appearing on another page of this volume. 

When a small child Mr. Innis removed with his parents from the farm 
to the city of Columbus, where he attended the excellent schools and pre- 
pared for college, entering later the Ohio State University in that city, at 
which he graduated in 1893, taking the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Mr. 
Innis took a course of study in the law department at the University, which 
was completed in 1875, and was admitted to the bar before he took his de- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 183 

gree of LL. C. He then entered into the practice of his profession with 
John J. Stoddard, with whom he is still associated. He has met with signal 
success and has become well known in the courts of the city of Columbus. 

Mr. Innis was united in marriage in June, 1895. to Miss Belto Osman, 
of Chicago, Illinois, and their union has been blessed with one son, Alwyn 
O. Innis. 

Politically Mr. Innis is a Democrat, taking a great interest in the affairs 
of his party and never sparing himself when laboring for its best interests. 
His many friends find in him a stanch advocate where their well-being is 
concerned. He is socially connected with the Knights of Pythias organiza- 
tion and is also a member of the Phi Delta Phi Society of the Ohio State 
University. 

DANIEL O. ROBERTS. 

Daniel O. Roberts was a well-known farmer of Norwich township, and 
in his death the community lost a citizen of sterling worth. He was born in 
Norwich township in 1848, and was reared as a farmer boy, early becoming 
familiar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist. 
The occupation to which he was reared he made his life work. He inherited 
a part of his farm from his uncle, Daniel Roberts, and he placed his land 
under a high state of cultivation, adding many improvements which enhanced 
the value and attractive appearance of the place. 

On the 2 1 St of January, 1875, Mr. Roberts was united in marriage to 
Miss Minnie Moore, who was born in Union county March 7, 1854, a daugh- 
ter of Alpheus and Cynthia Ann (White) Moore. She was reared to woman- 
hood in her native township, and pursued her education in the common 
schools. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts began their domestic life upon a farm, and 
at his death our subject left to his wife and son a comfortable property. He 
was a member of the Universalist church, and in politics was a stalwart Re- 
publican, strongly adhering to the principles of his party. He was contin- 
ually in office, and for many years filled the position of trustee, discharging 
his duties promptly and faithfully. He died July 22, 1892, leaving to his 
family an untarnished name. 

William M. Roberts, his only son, was born December 19. 1876. and his 
elementary education, acquired in the district schools, was supplemented by 
study in the Hilliard's high school and in a business college at Columbus, 
where he remained for two terms. He then accepted a position as book- 
keeper for the Eaton Machine Company, of the capital city, but later returned 
to the farm and has since devoted his time and attention to its' improvement, 
the fields being under a high state of cultivation, yielding a golden return for 
his labor. He and his mother have a very pleasant home and enioy the 
warm regard of many friends in the community. In politics ]\Ir. Roberts 
is a Republican, and in the success and welfare of his party he feels a deep 
interest. 



i84 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

JUDGE T. B. GALLOWAY. 

There is no other element which comes into such close touch with Amer- 
ican people and which affects every individual as does the public policy of the 
nation. The man of mature judgment, of keen insight into public affairs 
and of strong mentality realizes the responsibility which rests upon the citi- 
zen upon whom has been conferred the right of franchise and who thus gives 
his support or opposition to measures which affect either the weal or woe of 
the entire nation. It is a matter for just pride therefore when one becomes 
recognized as a leader along political lines, and to such a position Judge 
Galloway has attained, standing foremost among those who give their efforts 
to the advancement of Republican principles. He is a lawyer of pronounced 
ability, of keen analytical mind and in his chosen profession he has won 
creditable prominence. 

The name of Galloway has long been actively associated with the public 
affairs of Ohio, and the Judge has spent his entire life in Columbus, where 
his birth occurred on the 13th of October, 1863. His father, Samuel Gallo- 
way, was an eminent citizen of Franklin county, born in Gettysburg, Penn- 
sylvania, March 20, 181 1, in a house which is still standing and which, in 
1863, was occupied as a hospital. He was educated in the public schools of 
Gettysburg. About 1828, after his father died, the family removed to Green- 
field, Highland county, and he continued his studies in the Miami University, 
at Oxford, where he was graduated in 1883. He took up the study of law 
in Hillsboro, but discontinued this, spending one year as a theological student 
in Princeton, and in the year 1835 was a professor of Greek in the Miami 
University. Ill health then forced him to resign. Later he engaged in teach- 
ing in Springfield, Ohio, and at South Hanover College in Indiana, where 
for two or three years he was a professor of classical languages. Resuming 
the study of law, he began practice in 1842 and a year later became a partner 
of Nathaniel Massie, of Chillicothe. 

In 1844 he was elected by the state legislature to the office of secretary 
of state and removed to Columbus, where he thenceforth made his home. 
He was a prominent factor in politics and belonged to the anti-slavery wing 
of the Whig party. In 1848 he was a delegate to the convention held in 
Philadelphia which nominated Taylor and Fillmore, and a speech which he 
made on that occasion was long remembered for its thrilling eloquence. In 
1854 Mr. Galloway represented his district in the notable thirty-fourth con- 
gress, when the reaction against the encroachments of the slave power had 
fully set in at the north, and the Whig party, on account of its complicity with 
slavery, had been practically annihilated, the great majority of the members 
returning from the northern states pledged to resist the further extension of 
the evil. Congress assembled on December 3d, but the house was not organ- 
ized until February 3d, when Nathaniel P. Banks was chosen the speaker, 
on the one hundred and thirty-third ballot. At midnight on February 2d 




TOD B. GALLOWAY. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 185 

Mr. Galloway was aroused from his sleep and summoned to a conference 
which lasted until daybreak. Mr. Banks was the first anti-slavery member 
ever chosen as speaker of the house. Mr. Galloway took an active part in the 
deliberations of this congress and made at least one very trenchant speech 
upon the contested election case from the territory of Kansas. It was full 
of the keenest satire and the most vigorous argument. The political feeling 
in the district was strongly against Mr. Galloway during the next campaign, 
and upon his second candidacy for congress was defeated by Samuel S. Cox. 

On July 13, 1855, a convention was held in the old Town Street Meth- 
odist church in Columbus, attended by delegates from all over Ohio, rep- 
resenting anti-Nebraska elements and presided over by John Sherman. Mr. 
Galloway was one of the delegates at that convention and aided in framing 
the resolutions which gave the name of "Republican" to thejiew party. And 
this date, the sixty-seventh anniversary of the adopting of the ordinance of 
1787, containing the prohibition of slavery in the Northwest Territory, marks 
the birth of the Republican party. This convention nominated Salmon P. 
Chase for governor, and he w^as elected in the November following. On 
July 18, 1855, a meeting was held in the city hall to ratify the convention of 
the 13th, and the principal speakers on that occasion were Mr. Galloway, 
Henry C. Noble and George M. Parsons. For a few years following Mr. 
Galloway practiced his profession in Columbus, besides which he w^as actively 
engaged in all religious and philanthropic work, and it was less than two 
years after he left congress that Mr. Lincoln was engaged in his great debate 
with Mr. Douglas ; and there is a letter from the former asking Mr. Galloway 
to come over to Illinois and help him in that compaign. In 1861 President 
Lincoln summoned him to Washington and made him offers of responsible 
positions, all of which he refused, contenting himself with the office of judge 
advocate at Camp Chase. 

During the war the services rendered to the Federal cause by J\Ir. Gallo- 
u'ay were many and constant, although he was unable to undertake military 
duty on account of his ill health, and his eloquence contributed as much as 
that of any other man to inspire people with patriotic ardor and to keep the 
quota of Ohio always full. After the close of hostilities his professional 
duties and business cares kept him busy in Columbus, but he w-as always ready 
for public duties ; and it is probable that few men have rendered a larger 
amount of unrequited service to their party than has Mr. Galloway, and it 
was not unnatural that he should expect some recognition of this indebtedness. 
In 1871 he became a candidate for gubernatorial nomination, and his defeat 
in the convention was a disappointment from which he never recovered. His 
health almost entirely forsook him, and although he sought relief in trayel it 
was in vain, and at last he came home to die. He was at one time a member 
of the First Presbyterian church, in the councils of which he was an acknowl- 
edged leader, was more than once a commissioner to the general assemblv. 
and in the final reunion of the old and new school bodies he bore an important 



1 86 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

part. But when the Westminster church was formed he, perhaps, more than 
anybody else, was the moving spirit, and his loyal love and service were given 
to that church until his death. 

Mr. Galloway was deeply interested in educational matters, and when he 
came to Columbus in 1844, as the secretary of state, that officer was also, 
ex officio, superintendent of schools, and he took hold of the interest of public 
schools with vigor and enthusiasm. The secretary of state who had preceded 
him had given three or four pages to that department, while Mr. Galloway 
gave to his first report twenty pages, to his second thirty-two and to his 
third fifty-six, all of which were full of facts gathered with the greatest indus- 
try and patience. Illiterate teachers and slipshod methods w^ere severely 
criticised and within ten years from the time Mr. Galloway began his agita- 
tion the public-school system of Ohio was revolutionized and the schools 
compared favorably with those of any other state. 

Personally the character of Mr. Galloway was of a most admirable kind. 
He was a genial and agreeable companion, a kind neighbor, possessing gen- 
erous impulses and true compassion, a loyal and self-denying helper of the 
church, a stout champion of the freedom of the slave and of the unity of the 
nation, and a great friend of the free school. His death, which occurred 
April 5, 1872, was mourned not only by his family but also by hosts of friends, 
and the state of Ohio suffered a loss that was irreparable. 

A son of one of the renowned citizens of Columbus, Tod 13. Galloway 
entered a profession where family connection, inheritance or influence are of 
little or of no avail, for in the law success must depend upon individual effort 
and personal merit. His childhood' days were passed quietly in his native 
city, his time being largely spent in the public schools until he took up the 
more advanced studies in Amherst College, of Amherst, Massachusetts, where 
he was graduated with honors in the class of 1885. On his return to Colum- 
bus he began preparation for his life work as a student in the law office of 
the firm of Nash & Lentz, the senior partner. Judge Nash, being his preceptor. 
When he had become familiar with many of the fundamental principles of 
jurisprudence and had gained considerable knowledge of statutory law, he 
was admitted to the bar in 1888 and entered into partnership relations with 
the former firm, in whose office he had previously been a student. He .was 
thus associated until 1896, when he became the candidate for the office of 
probate judge of Franklin county, winning the election by a very gratifying 
majority, as he ran far ahead of his ticket, a fact which stand's in unmis- 
takable evidence of the confidence reposed in him and of his personal popu- 
larity among the people amidst whom his entire life has been passed. 

Political questions have always been of deep interest to Judge Gallo- 
way, and few men are better informed on the issues of the day than he. 
Since age won for him the right of franchise he has labored untiringly for 
the growth and success of his party, and in 1893 his fitness for leadership 
was recognized by his election to the office of chairman of the Republican 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 187 

county executive committee. Devoting all his time during that campaign to 
public work in the interest of the cause he espoused, it was due in a large 
measure to his earnest and well directed labors that every candidate on the 
ticket in the county was elected for the first time in the history of the party. 
In 1893-4 he served as an alderman of Columbus and gave his co-operation 
to every movement calculated to secure the advancement of the city along 
substantial lines of progress. He has been the president of the Buckeye 
Club and is connected with various public and charitable institutions. His 
administration of the office of judge of the probate court w^on him high com- 
mendation from his brethren at the bar as well as from the public. Future 
successes in the law and in politics may safely be predicted for him, as there 
is always opportunity for men of ability and discrimination to win advance- 
ment in every line. 

JAMES U. BARNHILL, M. D. 

In a brief sketch of any living citizen it is difficult to do him exact and 
impartial justice — not so much, however, from lack of space or words to set 
forth the familiar and passing events of his personal history as for want of 
the perfect and rounded conception of his whole life, which grows, develops 
and ripens, like fruit, to disclose its true and best flavor only when it is mel- 
lowed by time. Daily contact with the man so familiarizes us with his many 
virtues that we ordinarily overlook them and commonly underestimate their 
possessor. Nevertheless, while the man passes away his deeds of virtue live 
on and will in due time bear fruit and do him the justice which our pen fails 
to record. 

One of the most distinguished representatives of the medical fraternity, 
Dr. Barnhill, has attained prominence not only by reason of his skill as a prac- 
titioner, but also on account of his marked ability as an educator in the de- 
partment of medical science. He has carried his investigations far and wide 
into the realm of medical knowledge and he has led the w^ay into new and 
untried fields wherein his gleanings have proven of special benefit to mankind. 

Dr. Barnhill was born October 22, 1853, on a farm near Wattsville, 
Carroll county, Ohio, and was the fifth child born unto Rev. Williamson and 
Catherine (Dennis) Barnhill. The blood of Scotch, Irish and English 
ancestors flows in his veins and many of the characteristics of those people 
are manifest in his character. His grandprents, Robert and Elizabeth 
(Carter) Barnhill, joined a company of brave pioneer people who left their 
homes in Baltimore, Maryland, and southern Pennsylvania to establish a 
settlement at what is now Bacon Ridge, Jefferson county, Ohio. This was 
two years before the admission of the state into the Union. Its lands \vere 
in their primitive condition, the forests uncut, the prairies uncultivated, and 
through the wooded avenues the Indians stalked in motley garb, having full 
dominion over the wild game then so plentiful. The Barnhills bore an active 



188 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

part in reclaiming their section of the state for purposes of civihzation, and 
the grandfather of onr subject was numbered among the loyal defenders of 
the nation in the war of 1812, thus following the example of his ancestor, 
James Hall, who was a hero of the Revolution. The maternal ancestor of 
-our subject was also represented in the war for independence by James and 
John Dennis. 

The Doctor spent his boyhood days upon the home farm, learning many 
lessons from nature and at the same time mastering the elementary branches 
of English knowledge in the district school. Later he became a student in 
the Napoleon high school. His father died in 1868, when the son was fifteen 
years of age, and for two years he was thrown largely upon his own re- 
sources. The necessity for self-help early brought forth the elementary 
strength of his character, which developed and grew with the passing years 
and enabled him to press forward on the highway to prosperity where many 
another falters by the wayside. In his seventeenth year he was employed 
as a teacher in the Barnhil'l school, in his home district in Henry county, and 
he was afterward a teacher in the village school in Canaan, Wayne county, 
and the adjacent district school. The desire for learning led him to prepare 
for college in the Canaan Academy, under the direction of Professor Wirts 
Reese, A. B., and Rev. J. W. Cummins, A. ]M., of Wooster. In 1876 he was 
graduated at the National Normal University, atLebanon, and is a matricu- 
late in the post-graduate course of the University of Wooster. For four years 
he was the superintendent of the Holgate public schools, resigning that po- 
sition to enter medical college. He read medicine under the direction of 
J. J. Stees, ^l. D., of Holgate, a graduate of Jefferson Medical College, and 
was graduated in 1883 at the Columbus ^ledical College, since which time 
he has been engaged in the successful practice of his profession in this city. 
Two months after his graduation he was appointed assistant to the chair of 
materia medica in his alma mater, and his previous experience as a teacher well 
qualified him for the duties which therein devolved upon him. Three years 
later he was made adjunct professor of materia medica, therapeutics and tox- 
icology; in 1891 he was appointed to the 'full professorship of the same chair 
and was made secretary of the faculty and physician to Mount Carmel Hos- 
pital. He has the ability to impart clearly, correctly and concisely to others 
the knowledge he has acquired, and is peculiarly successful m his educational 
labors. From 1892 to 1897 he was professor of mental and nervous diseases 
and clinical neurology, since which time he has filled the chair of obstetrics 
and clinical obstetrics in the Ohio Medical University. He was the secretary 
of the medical faculty from 1892 to 1897, and has been vice chancellor since 
that time. He is also surgeon to the Columbus Hospital for Women; 
obstetrician to the Protestant Hospital ; a member of the Academy of ]Medi- 
cine ; and also holds membership in the Central Ohio ]\Iedical Society and the 
American Medical Association. He is a valued contributor to various medi- 
cal publications, is a member of the Columbus Publishing Company and editor 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 189 

of the Columbus Medical Journal. During the administration of President 
Harrison he served as one of the United States examining surgeons for pen- 
sions also as the secretary of the board and holds the same position under 
President McKinley. 

Dr. Barnhill is a man of broad mind, of liberal culture and of humani- 
tarian principles. He takes an active interest in public affairs, especially along- 
the line of educational advancement. He served for two terms on the board 
of education and for one term was its president. He drafted the plan for 
the oro-anization of the normal school on its present successful basis; was 
active in securing a public-school library building; in establishing vital re- 
lations between the library and schools; and in adjusting the high school 
curriculum to college courses of study. The article which he prepared on 
the Columbus schools, embodied in Captain Lee's history of Columlxis, is a 
valuable contribution to the educational annals of Ohio. 

On the 8th of October, 1879. Dr. Barnhill was united in marriage to 
]\Iiss Bianca Jane Reese, a daughter of Rush and Matilda (Freeman) Reese, 
of \\'ooster. She was educated in the public schools and Canaan Academy 
and Oberlin College, and for three years was a teacher in the grammar grades 
of the Holgate schools. Two children grace the home of the Doctor and 
his wife — Eva Annetta and Helen Bianca. The parents are members of the 
First Congregational church of the city, and occupy an enviable position in 
social circles where true worth and intelligence are received as passports into 
good society. 

At this point it would be almost tautological to enter inti3 any series 
of statements as showing the Doctor to be a man of broad intelligence and 
genuine public spirit, for these have been shadowed forth between the lines 
of this review. Strong in his individuality, he never lacks the courage of his 
convictions, but there are as dominating elements in this individuality a lively 
human sympathy and an abiding charity, which.as taken in connection with 
the sterling integrity and honor of his character, have naturally gained to him 
the respect and confidence of men. 

■ JOHN KXOX. 

The value of a life well spent is appreciated by a man who has lived it 
when he retires from an active career and considers the esteem in which he 
is held by his fellow men. The well known citizen of Westerville, Franklin 
county, Ohio, whose name is above, has no disappointment in this connec- 
tion, for those who know best how he has attained success in life are en- 
thusiastic in the belief that he richly deserves every good thing which he 
possesses. 

Mr. Knox was born in Frederick county, IMaryland, May 7, 1 821, son 
of W'illiam Knox, a native of Leesbure, Vireinia. \Mlliam Knox's father 
died when he was a voung child, and his mother contracting a second mar- 



190 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

riage, the family moved from Leesbiirg to Maryland, where William was 
apprenticed to a' blacksmith and learned the trade. In early life he married 
Mary Gertrude Freidinger, a native of Maryland, who was ever prominent 
in the Methodist Episcopal church,' where her husband was for many years 
a class-leader. William Knox was an active Democrat, served long as a 
justice of the peace, and was always honored for his stanch principles. He 
was the proprietor of a hotel in Burkittsville, Frederick county, Maryland, 
until 1842, when he caught the migratory fever and started westward with 
his family. He located for some time in Circleville, Pickaway county, Ohio, 
then tried several towns in the northern part of the state, remaining but a 
short time in each place. He then journeyed farther westward, settling for 
some time in Illinois. He finally returned to Columbus, where he was en- 
gaged in farming until several years before his death, which occurred in his 
eightieth year. His wife also died in Columbus, in 1873. 

William and Mary (Freidinger) Knox had eight children, of whom the 
subject of this sketch is the eldest. All of these except one were born in 
Maryland. Two are dead — Alary, who was unmarried, and Rebecca, who was 
the wife of Isaac Ely and spent the greater part of her married life in Paris, 
Illinois. Joseph F. is a resident of Westerville, Ohio. William and Thomas 
have retired and are living in Columbus, Ohio. Lewis is a resident of Chi- 
cago, Illinois, and has also retired from active life. Harriet is the wife of 
Andrew Dobbie, a merchant of Columbus. 

In his youth Mr. Knox, the subject of this sketch, learned the black- 
smith trade, and after his marriage to Sarah Johnson, of Circleville, he moved 
to Tiffin, Ohio, wdiere he conducted a shop and engaged in various enterprises 
by which he accumulated some little capital. He soon turned his attention, 
as a contractor, to the construction of plank roads which terminated at Tiffin, 
Fremont, Fostoria and other smaller towns. For a time he lived at Fort 
Seneca and was engaged as a member of the Seneca Company in the manufac- 
ture of plow'S, a venture wdiich proved successful. At the latter place his 
wife died, at the early age of tw^enty-four, leaving- three children, of whom 
only one is living — Mary A., the wife of Andrew J. W^illoughby, principal 
in the public schools of Dayton, Ohio. 

]\Ir. Knox built the first plank road in Franklin county, from Columbus 
north to the county line near Westerville. He moved to Westerville in 1852 
and engaged in farming. Two years later he became manager of an ex- 
tensive grist and sawmill. His career from that time until his retirement 
has been that of a general business man. He has several times established 
himself as a merchant, has bought and sold town property extensively, besides 
dealing on a considerable scale in wheat and live stock. For eighteen vears 
Mr. Knox was treasurer of the People's Mutual Benefit Association, whose 
offices at that time were- located in \\'esterville. He laid out two additions 
to the town, and was one of the builders of the first brick block there. For 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 191 

a time he was the proprietor of a hotel and owned hack and stage hnes from 
Cohimbus to Westerville and Sunbury. 

Mr. Knox's second wife was Susan Berkey, of Seneca county, who died 
when about thirty-seven, leaving four children. Joseph J. is a lumber dealer 
of Westerville and Columbus. Letitia is the wife of Oscar Rowe, of Colum- 
bus. William Otterbein is engaged in farming near Westerville, and Frank 
E. is connected with railroading in Columbus. Mr. Knox's present wife 
was Miss Rebecca Shauck, of Morrow county, Ohio. Their only child, 
Nellie Shauck, is the wife of Professor Frank E. Miller, of Otterbein Uni- 
versity. 

In the institution just mentioned Mr. Knox has long taken a deep in- 
terest and has in many ways aided in its maintenance and advancement. At 
one time when Otterbein was crippled by enormous debt, he originated a plan 
to secure donations, which brought the institution eighty-five thousand dol- 
lars without any outlay to the college, and his own contributions were very 
liberal. 

Politically Mr. Knox is a Democrat. He has filled the office of justice 
of the peace, has been a member of the city council, and was for some years 
a member of the school board. Since boyhood he'lias been identified with 
the church of the United Brethren in Christ, and for many years has been 
prominent in its work, having passed up to the general conference as lay 
delegate, besides holding many subordinate positions in the service of the 
church. 

Going back to Mr. Knox's ancestors, a noticeable characteristic, both on 
the maternal and paternal sides, was the strong religious tendency. In the 
paternal line, Mr. Knox's grandfather, Thomas Knox, was a man of sterling 
principles and deep religious fervor. Descending from Scotch ancestors 
who fled from the mother country to the north of Ireland during the persecu- 
tions, his high moral character was the natural inheritance of a people suffer- 
ing tribulations and hardships for the sake of peace and religion. 

Thomas Knox was born in county Tyrone, Ireland, about 1770. and 
while yet a young man his noble character attracted the admiration of youth- 
ful Lady Letitia Parker, of the adjoining county, Antrim. Though her 
parents opposed the intimacy of the young people for reasons of a difference 
in station, true worth finally prevailed, and Thomas Knox won Lady Letitia 
for his bride. After their marriage they lived several years in Ireland, where 
Joseph was born. In 1796 they embarked for America, a daughter being 
born to them on the ocean. They settled in Leesburg, Virginia, where Will- 
iam (John Knox's father) was born and where Thomas died. 

Going still farther back, on the maternal side, was Mr. Knox's great- 
grandfather. Christian Kemp, who, with three brothers, John Conrad, Gilbert 
and Frederick (under sixteen), sailed froni_ Rotterdam for America in the 
iship "Samuel." August 27, 1733. They settled' in Frederick county. Mary- 
land, where they and their sons became prominent in the political affairs of 



192 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 

the colony and were founders of churches and Sunday schools. Some by 
thrift and industry, and others by land grants, became large landowners and 
established their estates. 

Christian Kemp had eight children. Of these, the two youngest, Susan- 
nah and Esther, were bequeathed a plantation in Frederick county, where 
they resided together, their place being described in Maryland history (west- 
ern) as "The Two Sisters." They, like their father, were devout church 
workers. Esther was married in 1796 to Nicholas Freidinger, a youth who 
had come to America from Germany two years previously. Nicholas and 
Esther (Kemp) Freidinger were the grandparents of John Knox. 

And again, on the Freidinger side were deep religious inclinations. 
Nicholas Freidinger was born in 1769, in oberamt Zweibrucken, in Verk- 
heim on the Briest, Germany, and came to America in 1794. Diplomas and 
papers of recommendation which he brought from Hamburg describe him as 
a man of pious nature and high moral character. 

Such were the ancestors of John Knox, whose long, successful life has 
been the result of those only methods satisfactory to old age — honesty and 
piety. 

JOHN CUMMINS. 

The middle portion of the nineteenth century may properly be termed 
the age of utility, especially in the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. The vast 
regions comprised within those portions of the country were but then opened 
up to civilization, and the honored pioneers who found homes in this fertile 
but undeveloped region were men who had to contend with the trials and 
difificulties of pioneer life. Theirs were lives of toil. They were endeavor- 
ing to make homes, to cultivate farms, to establish business enterprises, and 
often from early youth to old age their lot was one of labor; but their im- 
portance to the community cannot be overestimated, and the comforts and 
luxuries which we to-day enjoy we largely owe to the brave band of pioneer 
men and women who came to the west during its primitive condition. It is 
also encouraging and interesting to note that many who came here empty- 
handed worked their way upward from a humble position in life to one of 
affluence ; that as the years passed and the country improved prosperity at- 
tended their efforts and wealth rewarded their earnest endeavors. 

The Cumminses' were among those who became active in the development 
of Ohio, and the subject of this review is numbered among the worthy repre- 
sentatives of an honored pioneer family. He was born in Pickaway county 
on the old family homestead, December 14, 1828, and traces his ancestors 
back to the Emerald Isle, whence his great-grandfather, a native of Ireland, 
crossed the Atlantic to Virginia, there spending the remainder of his days. 
Wilham Cummins, the grandfather of our subject, when a youth came with 
his parents to America, the family taking up their abode in Virginia, and in 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i93 

the Old Dominion he remained throughout his life. William Cummins, the 
father, was born in Fairfax county, Virginia, and was reared on a farm, his 
educational privileges being very limited. He was married in his native 
state to Miss Mary Myers, a native of Loudoun county, Virginia, and in 1816 
he came with his wife to Ohio, the trip westward constituting their bridal 
tour. The journey was made by wagon, and on reaching Pickaway county 
they first settled in Harrison township upon a tract of wild land of 
one hundred and forty acres. ]\Ir. Cummins then cleared a small portion and 
erected thereon a log cabin, after which he continued to work and improve 
his farm, becoming one of the enterprising agriculturists of that locality 
until his life's labors were ended in death. His wife also died in Pickaway 
county. In politics he was a Democrat, and both he and his wife were mem- 
bers of the United Brethren church. This worthy couple were the parents 
of eight children : Sydney, who died in Pickaway county ; Mary, the wife 
of J. ]\I. Spindler, of the same county; George F., of Columbus; William, of 
Franklin county; John, of this review; James, who died in Galloway; Frances 
INIarion, of Decatur county, Iowa; and Edward, who is living in Galloway, 
Ohio. 

Amid the wild scenes of the frontier John Cummins was reared on a 
farm in Pickaway county and received his education in a log schoolhouse, 
his first teacher being Mr. Harper, who believed firmly in the old adage, "to 
spare the rod was to spoil the child." He entered heartily into ,the arduous 
task of developing the home farm, in grubbing up the stumps, splitting rails, 
plowing and planting, carrying on the work after the primitive manner of 
those days when improved machinery for the purpose was unknown. 

In Pickaway county in 1853 Mr. Cummins was united in marriage to 
Miss Mary Ellen May, a daughter of Charles May. She was born in that 
county April 24, 1830, and as a bride was taken to the home of her husband's 
father, where the young couple remained for a year. Mr. Cummins then 
purchased a small tract of land at the edge of Madison township in Pickaway 
county, where they lived for a few years, after which he rented a farm in 
\\'alnut township for several years. In November_^ 1859- however, he came 
to Pleasant township. Franklin county, locating upon a farm now owned by 
his son, J. F. Cummins. It was then but little improved, and with character- 
istic energy he began the work of its further development. He first owned 
one hundred and thirty acres and afterward purchased forty acres adjoining 
the first tract on the west. Later he bought sixty-three acres of D. B. Peters 
and sold the forty-acre tract, and afterward he bought seventy-seven acres 
of Mr. Peters. By his' next purchase he became the owner of seventy-seven 
acres of his present farm, upon which he took up his abode, ultimately adding 
to it fourteen acres and eighteen acres at different times. He now has fine 
farming land, having, however, sold a portion of his realty, while to his son, 
J. F. Cummins, he gave seventy-two acres, to his son George Edward sixty- 
three acres and to his daughter, Mrs. Marv E. O'Harra, seventv-seven acres. 



194 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Four children blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Cummins, who are yet 
living, namely: James Francis, George Edward, Mary E., and John, the 
last named residing upon the farm with his parents. One daughter, Martha 
Alice, and two sons, William and Chester, have passed away. Mr. Cummins 
is strictly a self-made man, who owes all that he possesses to his own efforts 
and to the able assistance of his estimable wife. They are people of gen- 
uine worth, holding membership in the United Brethren church, of which 
Mr. Cummins has served as trustee for many years. In politics he is a stal- 
wart Republican, has filled the offices of township trustee and treasurer and 
has been a member of the school board. To those at all familiar with his 
record it is; needless to say that his duties have ever been faithfully and 
promptly performed, for he is a man who in every relation of life has been 
found loyal and true to the trust reposed in him. 

GEORGE K. LEONARD. 

The work of an educator requires peculiar talent and ability. Many 
men are learned, but lack the power of imparting their knowledge to others. 
There are certain essential elements in the make-up of every successful in- 
structor. These include a ready understanding of human nature, a deep sym- 
pathy with the individual, a comprehensive mastery of the subjects under 
discussion, and a clearness and readiness of expression not surpassed by the 
minister in the pulpit or the lawyer before the court. Well qualified in all 
these, Professor George Kasper Leonard occupies a position of distinction 
in connection with educational interests in Columbus, now occupying a chair 
in the Capital University of this city. 

Professor Leonard was born in Augusta county, Virginia, February 20, 
1847, ^"d his youth was passed upon a plantation. His father was John 
Leonard, his grandfather George Leonard. The latter was born in Switzer- 
land and in colonial days crossed the Atlantic to the new world with his 
parents, the family locating in Berks county, Pennsylvania. He was only 
two years of age when the family came to the United States, and after the 
Revolution he removed to the Old Dominion. At the time of the Revolu- 
tionary war he responded to the call of the colonists to aid in the establish- 
ment of the American independence, and served under the immediate com- 
mand of General Lee as a member of the Light Horse Regiment. After 
the war he married Susannah Wenrich and became the owner of a plantation 
in Augusta county, Virginia, in 1797, devoting his energies to agricultural 
pursuits until his death, which occurred at the old home in 1837. His wife 
also died on the old Virginia plantation in 1849. 

John Leonard, the father of our subject, was born in 1802 and was the 
ninth of a family of eleven children, seven sons and four daughters. About 
the year 1825 he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Harner, and, follow- 
ing in the business footsteps of his father, he became connected with agri- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i95 

cultural interests, dying at the old home in the state of his nativity hi the 
year 1877. His widow died in Virginia in 1891, and with the exception of 
Professor Leonard all of the children are residing at or near the old home, 
which is located in the Shenandoah yalley, in that district made famous by 
the great battles of the Civil war. Of the children, Rebecca died in 1849, 
and "one son, William, died in infancy. The others are: Jacob H., John 
F., Martin Luther, David E., Susan F., George K., James M. and Mary E. 
Three of the sons were soldiers in the First Virginia Confederate Cavalry, 
and one served under John Mosby in the Civil war, while the subject of this 
sketch remained at home, the chief hand upon the farm, but was compelled 
to be a refugee three times. • 1 1 • 

Professor Leonard, whose name introduces this record, acquired his 
earlv education in the country schools of Virginia, under the old system of 
education which prevailed in that state at the time. After the cessation of 
hostilities between the north and the south he spent about two years upon_ a 
farm in his native state, and in 1869 he went to Woodford county, Illinois, 
where he engaged in farming for three years. He afterward entered the 
State Normal University, where he continued his studies for four years in 
that institution. On the completion of his course he began teaching in Illi- 
nois, following that profession for two years, and in 1877 he came to Colum- 
bus.' Not content with the educational privileges he had already enjoyed, he 
entered the Capitol University and was graduated in 1880. Again he went 
to the west and taught school, but returned, at the beginning of 1883, to 
accept the chair which he now occupies and which he has held for the past 
seventeen years. 

Professor Leonard was married in 1892 to ^liss Mary ^largaret Hanger, 
the wedding being celebrated at the home of the bride in Virginia, of which 
state she is a native. Three children grace this marriage : Florence Ethel, 
born October 26, 1893; John Paxton. born in 1895; and George Dana, born 
in 1897. Professor and Mrs. Leonard have a wide circle of friends in Colum- 
bus and occupy a very enviable position in a society where true worth and 
intelligence are received as passports. 

WILLIAM R. HUNTER. 

The life record of William R. Hunter illustrates most forcibly what may 
be accomplished in this land of fair opportunity by those of determined pur- 
pose, laudable ambition and unflagging industry. He was born at West Jef- 
ferson, Ohio, on the 22d of February. 1848. and traces his ancestry back to 
Solomon Hunter, his great-grandfather. His son. John Hunter, became the 
grandfather of our subject. He was a lad of twelve years when he accom- 
panied his parents on "their emigration to the United States. The family 
located in Pennsylvania, where Solomon Hunter died. In the Keystone state 
John Hunter was reared to manhood, spending his youth in the usual man- 



196 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ner of farmer lads of that period. He was married, in Pennsylvania, to 
Miss Rebecca Russell and in 1816 they removed to Ohio, making the journey 
in wagons. Here the grandfather purchased one hundred acres of timber 
land from Lucas Sullivan, and of the tract only three acres had been cleared. 
In the midst of that little clearing a log cabin had been erected and it became 
the pioneer home of the family. He paid two dollars and a half per acre for 
his land and increased its value by cultivation and improvement. The sturdy 
strokes of his ax soon brought low the monarchs of the forest and waving 
fields of grain were seen where once stood the tall trees. He afterward pur- 
cliased a farm of two hundred acres; in Jefferson township, Madison county, 
on which he erected a brick house, making it his home until his death, which 
occurred in 1865, when he was eighty-five years of age. He had also erected 
a brick residence on his farm in Prairie township, Franklin county, and it 
stood until a few years ago, one of the old landmarks. It was built of what 
was called slop brick, mixed by oxen and burned by Mr. Hunter, for it was 
customary in those days for every man to burn his own brick. When the 
task was almost completed it was found that the supply of wood was exhausted 
and he therefore hauled rails from the fences in order to complete the burn- 
ing. His first wife died on the home farm in Madison county and he after- 
ward married again, but had no children by the second union. Those born 
of the first marriage w^ere as follows: Jame'S ; Park, who was born, in 1806 
and died at the home of our subject in 1891, where he had resided for four- 
teen years prior to his demise; Mary, who became the wife of William Har- 
per and died at her home in Fort Wayne, Indiana ; Russell, who was a gov- 
ernment surveyor and died in Wisconsin; Jennie, who became the wife of 
John Hastings and they spent their last days in Larue, Ohio; a daughter, 
Matilda, who became the wife of John Plall and died in Prairie township; 
Betsey was the wife of William Chandler and they spent their last days in 
California; and Samuel Swan, who completed the family. 

The last named was the father of our subject. He was born in the old 
log cabin on the Hunter farm in Prairie township February 12, 1820, and 
was reared amid the wild scenes of the frontier, experiencing all the hardships 
and trials which fall to the lot of early settlers. He pursued his education 
in a log schoolhouse and as a boy he manifested a special fondness for horses 
and delighted in horse racing. As he grew this trait developed and he became 
well known as a trader and dealer in horses. After leaving the country 
schools his father sent him to college with the hope of having him enter the 
ministry, but such a life did not prove attractive to him and he abandoned 
his preparation therefor. He continued dealing in horses and when about 
twenty-one years of age he went to the west, going to Wisconsin, where he 
joined his brother, who was a surveyor in that state, and also in northern 
Illinois, surveying a considerable portion of Chicago. In the early days he 
purchased much real estate there which afterward became extremely valu- 
able, but the papers showing the real estate transfer were destroyed and he 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i97 

lost all that he had. Samuel Hunter remained with his brother for a short 
time and then went into the pine forests, where he engaged in cutting lumber 
and rafting it down the river to St. Louis. He became an expert raftsman 
and very miich enjoyed life in the wild woods. He possessed a vigorous 
constitution and great strength and could down almost any one in a wrestling 
match. After spending three years in the west he returned to his home hi 
Franklin county. He was a very popular man and one who was not afraid 
to stand up for his own convictions. He married Miss Ann Smith, who was 
born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and came to Ohio when six years 
of age with her parents, John and Rebecca (Bell) Smith. They located in 
Prairie township and her father worked on the national pike. Later he 
removed to Iowa, where his last days were passed. 

After his marriage Samuel S. Hunter took up his abode upon the old 
home farm of one hundred acres and as time passed he added to that another 
tract of three hundred acres. His land was operated by others while he 
devoted his attention to raising and dealing in fine stock, especially horses. 
Ultimately he removed to Paulding county, taking up his abode on a small 
farm, where he spent his remaining days in quiet retirement from the more 
arduous duties of life. In politics he was a stalwart Republican, but was 
never an aspirant for office. He died in Paulding county, in 1896, and was 
survived by his second wife. His first wife, the mother of our subject, died 
in October, 1875, on the home farm and was there buried. Their children 
were William R. ; Achilles, who died at the age of two years; Evans, a resi- 
dent of Illinois ; Jennie, who died at the age of fourteen ; John, who is living 
in Oregon; Park, of Galloway; and Almira, the wife of Charles Fenner. of 
Galloway, Ohio. 

William Russell Hunter was but an infant when his parents located upon 
the old homestead in Prairie township. He began his education in a little 
school at Rome, his first teacher being Ruth Ann Hamilton, and then con- 
tinued his studies at intervals until eighteen years of age, his labors in the 
schoolroom being alternated by work upon the home farm. He remained 
at home until his marriage, which important event in his life occurred on 
the 6th of September, 1870, Miss Melissa Huddle becoming his wife. She 
was born in Madison township, Franklin county, October 15, 1850, and spent 
the greater part of her girlhood days in the village of Lockbourne, where she 
attended school, her first teacher being Mary Roberts ; and she is a daughter 
of John M. and Elizabeth (Reynolds) Huddle. Her father was born in 
Ross county, Ohio, and in Lockbourne,- Franklin county, was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Elizabeth Reynolds, whose father was Jacob Reynolds and 
whose mother bore the maiden name of Miss Gilman. He was born in Penn- 
sylvania and came to Ohio at an early day in the development of this state. 
Mrs. Hunter's father died in Plain City, Ohio, January 3, 1896, and his wife 
passed away in 1884. His father had come to the Buckeye state from Vir- 



198 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ginia and died in Marion county when forty years of age. He was a tanner 
by trade. 

After his marriage Mr. Hunter located upon the farm which is now his 
home. He spent one year in the old brick house and then built his present 
residence. He also had a road opened by his farm and it was worked and 
improved a year later. In 1882 he removed with his family to Nebraska 
and purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Clay county, con- 
tinuing its cultivation for three years. Within that time he also became the 
owner of six hundred and forty acres of land in Keith county, Nebraska. In 
the fall of 1885 he returned to his farm in Prairie township, having sold 
his quarter-section farm, he still retaining the six hundred and forty acres. 
His time is given to the further development and cultivation of his land 
and therein he has won creditable success. In politics he is a Republican, 
but has never sought or desired office, preferring that his energies shall be 
devoted to his business. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hunter have been born six children: William S., 
who was born May 30, 1872, is now a school teacher; Ira M., born Septem- 
ber 2, 1874, married Lestia Spring and resides in Brown township; Annie 
E., born December 26, 1876. is the wife of Charles F. Althen, of Rome. Ohio; 
Elva R., born May 4, 1879, James Arthur, born September 20, 1881. and 
Alta lona, born January 3, 1886, are in school. The family is one well known 
in Prairie township and the members of the household occupy a leading 
position in the social circles of the community. 

ALPHEUS BIGELOW^ MOORE. 

The biographical sketch which follows will be found interesting not alone 
because it details the leading facts in the career of a prominent citizen of 
Brown township. Franklin county, Ohio, but because it tells of pioneer days 
in that part of the country and recalls events of interest connected with the 
struggle for American independence and others connected with the history of 
our Civil war. 

Alpheus Bigelow Moore was born at Galena. Ohio. August 26, 1830. and 
died at his ITome in Franklin county, Ohio, November 8, 1898. When he 
was nine years old his parents removed from Galena to Brown township, 
settling on the farm noAV owned by Frank Walker. The boy received a good 
common-school education and married Cynthia Ann White, a native of West 
Canaan township, Madison county, Ohio, born February 24, 1835, a daughter 
of William J. and Amelia (Marshall) White. William J. White, of Mary- 
land nativity, came to Ohio when a young man and there married. He set- 
tled in Canaan township, Madison county, where he died and where the fol- 
lowing children were born to them : Sarah Ellen married Isaac Fisher and 
died in Madison county, Ohio. Cynthia Ann married the subject of this 
sketch. William married Harriet Scribner and died in Union county, Ohio. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. i99 

Joshua lives in Dakota, and Benjamin in Amity, Madison county, Ohio. 
EHza is Mrs. Stephen Warner, of Plain City, Ohio. Delilah died at the age 
of six years. William White, grandfather of Mrs. Moore, was born in Mary- 
land, became a general in the continental army under General Washington, 
and died at Washington, D. C, leaving three children: William J., father 
of Mrs. Moore; Eliza and Maria. Mrs. Moore's grandfather in the maternal 
line was Joshua Marshall, who was born in Maryland, was a prosperous 
farmer, married Sarah Haig and died at Plain City, Ohio. 

After his marriage Mr. Moore lived for sixteen years on the homestead 
of his family. He then bought fifty acres of land in Norwich township, 
where he farmed successfully until the end of his life. He saw three months' 
service in the Civil war as a private in the Seventeenth Regiment, Ohio Vol- 
unteer Infantry, and during all his active life was a prominent and influential 
Republican. The following data concerning his children will be of much 
interest in this connection: His daughter Minnie is the widow of the late 
Daniel O. Roberts. Jane married Charles Ritchey, of Franklin township. 
W. M. P. Moore was born in Amity, West Canaan township, Madison 
county, Ohio, November ii, 1859, was educated in the district schools of 
Norwich township, Franklin county, and is now a successful traveling sales- 
man. He married Mary Ann Kiser, who was born near Columbus, a daugh- 
ter of Nicholas and Margaret (Miller) Kiser. He is the only Democrat in 
his family. Lenna, Mr. Moore's youngest daughter, married Stephen Ball, 
of Brown township, 

ALMON F. COE. 

Among the successful agriculturists and highly^ esteemed citizens of 
Clinton township, Franklin county. Ohio, is the subject of this review, who 
was born upon his present farm July 22, 1839, and is the sixth and youngest 
child of Ransom and Elizabeth (Beers) Coe, a sketch of whom is given in 
connection with that of Alvin Coe elsewhere in this volume. 

Almon F. Coe acquired a good practical education in the district schools, 
which he attended until his sixteenth year, and gained an excellent knowledge 
of agricultural pursuits upon the home farm. Being the youngest child he 
remained with his parents, and is now the owner of the old homestead, com- 
prising one hundred and fifty-three acres, which is now under a high state 
of cultivation and improved with good and substantial buildings. 

On the 19th of October, 1865. Mr. Coe led to the marriage altar Miss 
Elizabeth, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Hindell) Helser, of Brown 
township, this county, and by this union were born three children: Charles 
E., who resides on the home farm; and two who died in infancy. Charles 
E. was born June 11, 1869, married, June 11, 1898, Mabel E. Town, and 
has one son, born September 6, 1900, and named Almon Ransom. Mrs. 
Elizabeth Coe departed this life January 30, 1872. 



200 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Mr. Coe was again married December 16, 1875, his second union being 
with Mrs. Ahiiira Winterbotham, by whom he had two children: Erwin 
L., deceased ; and one who died in infanc}^ unnamed. Mrs. Coe's first hus- 
band was John Winterbotham, and to them were born two children : John- 
etta and one who died in infancy. Her father, Francis La Chapelle, was 
born near Montreal, Canada, in 1814, and was a molder by trade. He was 
a member of the Christian church, and fraternally was a charter member of 
Columbus Lodge, No. 9, L O. O. F. His death occurred September 10, 
1844. In New York state he married Eleanor Ward, and they became the 
parents of three children : Eleanor, Almira and Frances. For her second 
husband the mother married William Say, now deceased, but she is still liv- 
ing, at the age of eighty-two years. 

Mr. Coe is one of the representative and popular citizens of his com- 
munity, and has been called upon to serve as township trustee for eight years. 
Since casting his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln in i860 he has 
never wavered in his allegiance to the Republican party, and, as every true 
American citizen should, he takes an active interest in public affairs. In 
religious belief he is a Universalist, while his wife holds membership in the 
Congregational church of North Columbus. They are widely and favorably 
known and have a host of warm friends in the community where they reside. 

DANIEL J. RYAN. 

Daniel J. Ryan was born at Cincinnati, January i, 1855. His father, 
John Ryan, and his mother, Honora Ryan, were born in Ireland and came 
to this country about 1850 and settled in Cincinnati. They afterwards re- 
moved to Portsmouth, Ohio, where young Ryan received his education in the 
public schools, passing through all the grades'. He was graduated at the 
high school in 1875. For a year before leaving school he was entered as a 
law student jn the office of Judge James W. Bannon, where he continued his 
studies after graduating. In February, 1877, he was admitted to the bar by 
the supreme court at Columbus. 

He at once commenced practice alone at Portsmouth, and in the follow^- 
ing April was elected city solicitor; was re-elected in 1879, serving until the 
spring of 1881. In 1883 he was elected a member of the Ohio house of rep- 
resentatives, and w^as re-elected in 1885. During this service he was speaker 
pro tern, and chairman of the committee on public works. At the expiration 
of his legislative duties he resumed practice. In 1888 he was elected secretary 
of the state of Ohio, and in 1890 wasi re-elected for a second term. He 
resigned this ofiice, however, in 1891 to accept the appointment of commis- 
sioner-in-chief for Ohio of the World's Columbian Exposition, the duties of 
which required his services until May, 1894. While secretary of state he 
as'sisted in the compilation of Smith & Benedict's edition of the Revised 
Statutes of Ohio. He has since been engaged in the practice of law at Colum- 
bus. He has always been a Republican; was the first president of the Ohio 




DAHIEL J. RYAN. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 201 

Republican League, and presided at New York over the first convention of 
the National League of Republican Clubs, which met in 1887. . 

For ten years Mr. Ryan has been one of the trustees of the Ohio Histori- 
cal Society He was appointed by the Exhibitors' Association at the W orld s 
Fair as one of the commissioners to the Antwerp Exposition in i894- Lie 
was appointed by Governor McKinley as a delegate to the National Water 
Ways Convention, which met at Vicksburg in 1894. At the present tune he 
is the president of the Ohio Canal Association. 

Mr Ryan is well and favorably known throughout the state as a man ot 
hiffh character and a lawyer of ability. He has been identified with many 
important cases in Ohio which have attracted general attention both m and 
out of the state, among which might be mentioned the case touching the con- 
.stitutionality of the abandonment of the Hocking canal and litigation relating 
to the food department of the state. 

On the loth day of January, 1884, ^Ir. Ryan was married to ^iyra L. 
Kerr, of Portsmouth, and by this union five children were born, two of whom 
are living, — Julia E. and Elinor. 

JOHN PFEIFER. 

It is always interesting to note the advance of one who has spent his 
entire life in a single locality. It is said that a prophet is never without honor 
save in his own country, and yet it will be found that the American people 
are willing to accord recognition for the possession of those qualities^ which 
insure progress and contribute toward success. Although Mr. Pfeifer has 
spent his entire life in Columbus, he is accounted one of the enterprising busi- 
ness men of the city and well merits his prosperity. 

He was born in 1859. a son of Mathias Pfeifer, a native of Bavaria, 
Germanv, in which country he was reared and educated. He there learned the 
tailoring trade, but hoping to better his financial condition in the new world 
he sailed for America about 1840, and followed his chosen vocation in Colum- 
bus. He was one of the first German Republicans in the city, casting his 
ballot in support of that party when only six of his nationality voted the 
ticket. When the country became engaged in civil war he joined the Union 
army and loyally aided in the defense of the stars and stripes. He died in 
1865, from the effects of exposure in the service, and his wife passed away 
in 1862, leaving five children. 

John Pfeifer acquired his literarv education in the schools of his native 
citv,'and afterward attended the Columbus Business College. At the age 
of 'thirteen he began learning a trade, and in 1886 commenced business on 
liis own account, in connection with George D. Saas. The firm is still in 
business and has a large jobbing trade in all lines. Their patronage is very 
extensive, and thus their income is annually augmented. 

In his political afi^liations Mr. Pfeifer is an active Democrat. He was 
appointed one of the first directors of the Columbus workhouse by Mayor 



202 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Allen in 1895, for a term of four years, but resigned in 1897, and was 
appointed by Mayor Black on the board of elections for a four-years term. 
He is still serving in that capacity, the board 1)eing in control of the elections 
of the city. 

Socially Mr. Pfeifer is connected with the Masonic and Knights of 
Pythias fraternities, and in the latter has served as a representative to the 
grand lodge. He is a past grand in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 
belongs to the Red Men and the Elks, and is the president of the Olentangy 
Club, the leading social organization in the state. In manner Mr. Pfeifer 
is courteous and genial, and his social disposition, his sterling qualities and 
well-known reliability have made him a popular resident of Columbus. He 
wedded Miss Mary F. Zengler, a native of this city and a daughter of ]Matthew 
and Catherine Zengler, of Germany. They now have two children: Carl 
Matthew and Walter Adam. 

JOSEPH WATSON TIPTON. 

Among the veterans of the Civil war now representing the farming inter- 
ests of Franklin county is Joseph Watson Tipton, who resides in Prairie 
township. He is of English lineage and the family was founded in America 
at an early day. His paternal grandfather, Joseph Tipton, was a native of 
Shenandoah county, Virginia, where he died. He was married in Monroe 
county, that state, and for many years resided there. His wife, Mrs. Rebecca 
Tipton, passed away in Franklin county, Ohio. 

Joseph Tipton, the father of our subject, was born in Shenandoah county, 
Virginia, whence he went to Monroe county. West Virginia, where he was 
reared to manhood, early becoming familiar with the work of the farm. His 
educational privileges were somewhat limited, but his experience made him 
a practical business man. He was married, in Monroe county, to Miss Cath- 
erine Watson, who was born in Virginia, a daughter of George Watson. They 
began their domestic life in West Virginia, where five children were born 
to them, and in 1848 they came to Ohio, settling in Perry township, Franklin 
county, near the present site of Marble Cliff. The father rented land for a 
short time and afterward removed to Jackson township. His death occurred 
in the town of West Jefferson, Madison county, Ohio, in 1886, but his widow 
is still living, in her eighty-sixth year, her home being on Fifth avenue, in 
Columbus. She holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, with 
which Mr. Tipton was also identified. In his political affiliations he was 
first a Whig, afterward becoming a Republican. He had twelve children, 
namely: Mary, who died in childhood; William, who died at the age of 
twenty-three years; Joseph W., of this review; Amanda, now the wife of 
Charles Huff,' of Columbus ; Isaac, of Columbus, who served in the Ninth 
Ohio Cavalry during the Civil war; Nancy, the wife of Alonzo Horrington, 
of Barbertown, Ohio ; Elias, who is living in Columbus ; Charles, who makes 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 203 

his home in Indianapolis; Frances, wife of Lawrence Stone, of Columbus; 
Margaret, wife of Thomas Johnson, of Kansas; George, who was a member 
of the One Hundred and Eighty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and died 
in the hospital at Cincinnati, in 1865 ; and John, who is living in Illinois. 

Joseph W. Tipton, whose name forms the caption of this sketch, was born 
in Monroe county. West Virginia, December 31, 1839, and in 1848, when 
a lad of nine summers, accompanied his parents to Ohio. He began his edu- 
cation in the subscription schools of his native place and completed his studies 
in Franklin county, at the age of eighteen. In the early spring time he 
assisted in the plowing and planting of the fields and later bore his part in 
the work of harvesting the crops. After the inauguration of the Civil war, 
prompted by a spirit of patriotism, he enlisted in the ranks at the call of the 
president, joining the army at Columbus as a private of Company B, Fifty- 
fourth Ohio Infantry, for three years' service. He was under command of 
Captain Williams and Colonel Thomas Kilby Smith, and went to Camp Den- 
nison, near Cincinnati, where he remained for five months, when the regiment 
was ordered to Paducah, Kentucky. The first engagement in which he par- 
ticipated was the battle of Shiloh, and this was followed by the siege of Corinth 
and the battle of Memphis. They next went down the river with General 
Sherman, the army attacking Vicksburg upon the Yazoo Bluffs. With his 
command he afterward proceeded on a march through Arkansas, across the 
Kansas line. The Union troops succeeded in capturing Fort Gibson, and 
then made their way to Vicksburg, on the Louisiana side. That winter they 
were engaged in digging General Grant's canals, after which they proceeded 
to Hard Times Landing and then marched against Jackson, Mississippi, cap- 
turing the city; moving on toward the rear o'f Vicksburg. While en route 
they participated in the battles of Champion Hills and Big Black river, and 
then began the siege of Vicksburg, on the 19th of May, 1863. A charge was 
made, but they could not get inside of the fortifications, and again on the 
22d a charge was made. Both days the Union troops were forced to fall 
back and they then settled down to besiege the city, continuing the siege for 
forty-four days, when the strong central southern city surrendered. \\'hile 
the Union troops were engaged in the siege Joe Johnston with his Confederate 
troops approached in the rear, and when Vicksburg had fallen they engaged 
them in battle, winning the victory. This encounter occurred at Jackson. 
Mr. Tipton with his command was afterward in camp at Black river and then 
went to Vicksburg, proceeding up the Mississippi to Memphis and across the 
country to Chattanooga, participated in the engagement at Mission Ridge 
and on to Knoxville, where they raised the siege. Returning thence to Chat- 
tanooga, they were afterward in camp at Larkinsville. Alabama. At that 
place Mr. Tipton re-enlisted as a veteran and returned home on a thirty days' 
furlough. When the leave of absence had expired he rejoined his command 
in ]\Iarch, 1864, and started on the Atlanta campaign, being under fire for 
more than one hundred davs. From Atlanta the Union troops followed Hood 



204 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

back to within sixty miles of Chattanooga, thence returned to Atlanta and 
prepared for the march to the sea, which has become memorable in history. 
The troops Avere engaged in battle at Fort McAllister, marched through South 
Carolina and North Carolina, participating in the battle at Averysboro and 
then followed Johnston to Raleigh, where that Confederate commander sur- 
rendered. With his regiment Mr. Tipton proceeded to Washington and par- 
ticipated in the grand review, after which he was sent to Louisville. Wdien 
General Hazen volunteered to go to Texas to quell the disturbances Mr. Tip- 
ton accompanied him, and after some time spent in the northern portion of 
the Lone Star state, proceeded to Little Rock, Arkansas, where he was dis- 
charged August 15, 1865. He returned home with the rank of sergeant. 
At Arkansas Post he was wounded in the left foot by a musket ball and a 
piece of shell also struck him in the head on the 22d of July, 1864, in front 
of Atlanta. On the same day he narrowly escaped being taken prisoner. 
He was always found at his post of duty loyally defending the cause in which 
he believed and his bravery was displayed on many a southern battle-field. 
After his return to the north Mr. Tipton resumed farming and has since 
devoted his energies to the cultivation of his land. He was united in mar- 
riage, June 10, 1866. to Miss Mary Ann Allegre, a daughter of Lorenzo D. 
Allegre, deceased. Seven children have been born unto them, four yet living : 
Myron and William, who are living in Brown township; Katie, wife of Alva 
Alwood; and Leroy' at home. At the time of their marriage Mr. and Mrs. 
Tipton took up their abode on the land which was rented from her father, 
and in 1879 our subject purchased his present farm, comprising a large and 
valuable tract of ninety-six acres. This is under a high state of cultivation, 
being well improved with substantial buildings and all modern accessories. 
Mr. Tipton gives his attention exclusively to agricultural pursuits and at 
the same time he is also true and faithful to his duties of citizenship as when 
he wore the blue and followed the stars and stripes on the battle-fields of 
the south. 

WILLL\M HEADLEY. 

One of the most attractive homes of Columbus is occupied by William 
Headley, a retired farmer, whose labors in former years brought him a hand- 
some competence, and thus he is enabled to enjoy a well merited rest. He 
was born August 12, 1827, on the farm in Jefferson township that is now 
occupied by his brother, Daniel Headley, his parents being William and Mary 
(Havens) Headley. His grandfather, Joseph Headley, was a native of 
Sussex county, Virginia, and when he came to Ohio he cast in his lot with 
the pioneer settlers of Franklin county. There were only two grocery stores 
in Columbus and visits to the city were made on horseback, the way lying 
through the woods. No mads had been made and the path was marked by 
blazed trees. In pioneer times \\'illiam Headley, the father of our subject. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 205 

purchased two acres of land at the corner of High and Broad streets, but 
some years later sold it and through the dishonesty of the purchaser was 
swindled out of the money. He was reared in his parents' home and in early 
life acquired eighteen hundred dollars by cutting wood and burning charcoal. 
In 181 1 he came west to Ohio and selected a location in Jefferson township, 
after which he returned to Sussex county with some horses. In the spring 
of 1812 he came to this state and located at what is now Headley's Corners. 
He erected a grist and saw^mill, and as he needed assistance in the operation 
of the industry he admitted his brother Samuel to a partnership in the busi- 
ness. They carried on operations for several years, after which William 
Headley purchased his brother's interest and Samuel removed to Licking 
county, Ohio. 

William Headley, of this review, received such educational privileges 
as the common schools afforded. It was his intention to go to California in 
the spring of 1850, his father having promised to send Him, but the cholera 
epidemic was so great that his father believed it unwise for the son to make 
the trip. In the spring of 1852. when he had accumulated enough money of 
his OAvn to accomplish the journey, \\'illiam Headley started across the plains 
for the gold fields, leaving home on the 24th of April and arriving at his 
destination on the 26th of August. He landed at Eureka. California, whence 
he went to Poor Man's creek and to Hopkins' creek, spending the first year 
at those places. He finally located at Biddle's Bar, wliere he was taken ill 
with typhoid fever. After ele\'en weeks he resumed work, but soon had a 
relapse and was again in bed for six weeks. In the :Spring of 1853 he drove 
some pack animals across to the east branch of the north fork of Feather 
river. He also cut five hundred logs at Biddle's Bar, but the rainy season 
was late that year and he therefore abandoned them. In July, 1855, he 
returned to Ohio with twenty-eight hundred dollars, which he had accumu- 
lated. The journey to his old home was made by water. The year follow- 
ing his return, accompanied by his parents, he went to Lucas county, Iowa, 
on a trip, and there he purchased five hundred and ten acres of land, with 
the intention of locating there. 

On the 27th of November, 1855. ]\Ir. Headley was united in marriage 
to Miss Margaret Beem, a native of Licking county, Ohio, born April 7. 
1 83 1, her parents being John and Margaret ( Albery) Beem, who came from 
New Jersey to Ohio in an early day. ]\Irs. Headley objected to removing 
to Iowa, and our subject therefore purchased fifty acres of land lying north 
of his father's farm. He next traded his Iowa land for one hundred and 
fifty acres east of his fifty-acre lot, and still later added the fifty acres that 
lay between his two tracts. At his father's deatli he inherited fi+tv acres, 
so that his landed possessions aggregated three hundred acres. This was 
operated under his management for some years and became one of tlie best 
improved properties in the county. He was very successful in his farming 
and stock-raising interests and made a specialty of the raising of sheep, for 



2o6 CENTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

which he found a ready sale upon the market. In 1883 he retired from active 
business life and purchased residence property on Garheld avenue, in Colum- 
bus, where he remained for six years. He then traded his farm property 
for his present valuable residence on East Rich street. In 1885 he erected a 
brick building at the corner of High and Eleventh avenue, and his various 
realty holdings bring to him an excellent return. 

On the i8th of October, 1875. ^-^i'- Headley was called upon to mourn 
the lossi of his wife, who died leaving three children. George, now an agri- 
culturist of Licking county ; Amanda R.. the wife of William T. Foster, a min- 
ing operator of Joplin, Missouri; and Margaret L.. at home. She super- 
intends the household for her father, and the home is one of the attractive 
residences of Columbus. ]\Ir. Headley is a believer in the Universalist doc- 
trine, but does not hold membership in any church, although he has made 
many liberal contributions to the support of religious work. He espouses 
the cause of the Democracy, keeps well informed on the political issues and 
has served for about four terms as trustee of Jefferson township, while for 
several years he filled the office of school director. As an energetic, upright 
and conscientious business man he acquired a handsome competence and by 
patient striving worked out for himself a solid reputation as a successful 
agriculturist. His record both public and private has been marked by the 
strictest integrity and faithfulness to every trust reposed in him, and he is 
widely known as an honorable gentleman and as a pleasant social companion. 

AMERICUS S. HAGER. 

Franklin county has many well-to-do and successful farmers who are the 
architects of their own fortunes and have been prominently identified with the 
upbuilding and development of this section of the state. Among these is 
the subject of this personal history, who now owns and operates a good farm 
in Norwich township. 

The paternal ancestors of our subject were from the Green Mountain 
state. His grandfather, Daniel Hager, was born at the foot of Bald moun- 
tain, near Montpelier, Vermont, and married a INIiss Baldwin, also a native of 
that state. He served as a soldier in the war of 1812, and in 1820 brought 
his family to Ohio, locating where Plain City now stands, when the Indians 
were still quite numerous in that locality. He was one of the pioneers of 
that region, and his home was the usual log cabin of those early days. Plain 
City now stands upon a part of what was his farm. 

John Baldwin Hager, the father of our subject, was born in Vermont in 
1820, and was taken by his parents to Ohio during infancy. He grew up in 
the wilderness and aided his father in the arduous task of clearing and improv- 
ing the farm. The Indians would often come to the home and take his sister 
Octavia to their village to play with the Indian children. On reaching man- 
hood he married Miss Sarah Clark, and for a time remained upon the home 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 207 

farm, but later located on a farm two and a half miles up the creek on the 
opposite side of that stream. Being a wild, w^ooded tract, he erected a saw- 
mill and engaged in the manufacture of lumber from the timber on his own 
land. He died in 1852, having survived his wife but one week. To them were 
born three children: Gelucius, deceased; Amanda, the wife of William Har- 
per, of Hilliards; and Americus S., our subject. 

The last named was born on the old homestead in Jerome township, 
Union county, November 10, 1847, ai^<^l ^^'^s not quite five years of age when 
his parents died, while his brother was but fifteen and sister thirteen. The 
home being broken up, the farm was sold and our subject and sister went 
to live with an uncle for three years, at the end of which time his uncle bound 
him out to James Smith Britton, of Norwich township, Franklin county, 
until fourteen years of age. He was able to attend school but very little, 
though his training at farm work was not so meager. On leaving the home 
of Mr. Britton he joined his brother in Union county, and remained with 
him until the latter entered the army. After his death our subject returned 
to the home of Mr. Britton, for whom he continued to work a couple of 
3'ears. 

:\Ir. Hager was then married, in April, 1871, to Miss Jennie Baker, and 
to them have been born six children : Albert, a resident of Hilliard's ; Amanda, 
the wife of George Fisher; Rosie, wife of David Cox; Rilla, at home; and 
Charles and Elmer, both deceased. 

After his marriage Mr. Hager rented Mr. Britton's farm near Hilliard's 
for two years, and then w^as on another farm of that gentleman for the same 
length of time. The following seven years were spent upon Mr. Britton's 
home farm, and at the end of that time he purchased seventy-eight acres of 
land in Scioto tow^nship, Pickaway county, Ohio, which he sold after residing 
thereon for four years. He next bought two hundred and eight acres in 
partnership with ]\Ir. Britton, and erected a house thereon, but a year later sold 
that place and purchased an adjoining tract of one hundred and fifty-three 
acres, making it his home for four years. On disposing of that property he 
bought his present farm of thirty-two acres in Norwich township, and is 
now successfully engaged in truck farming. 

]\Ir. Hager is a very intelligent and well informed man, and a good 
talker on all political questions, especially on free silver. He is an ardent 
supporter of the Democratic party, and takes an active interest in public 
affairs. 

^Irs. JOHN CLAPHAM. 

]\Irs. John Clapham. one of the highly esteemed residents of Blendon 
township, bore the maiden name of Harriet Nutt and was born in Muskingum 
county, Ohio, February 25, 1828, a representative of one of the old pioneer 
families of the state. Her parents were Edward and Allie (Coe) Nutt. 



2o8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Her fatlier was l)orn in or near Winchester, Virginia, in 1789, and dnring 
his boyhood accompanied his father to Muskingum county, Ohio, where he 
was reared. After attaining to man's estate he was married and in 1833 
came to Frankhn county, where he purchased one hundred and thirty acres 
of land just north of the Clapham farm in Blendon township, and, with the 
exception of a short period spent in Delaware county, Ohio, in his later life, 
he continued to make his home in Franklin county until called to his final 
rest, on the 30th of August, 1873, ^vhen in his eighty-fourth year. While 
he was never associated by membership with any church, he was a constant 
attendant on the services of the Baptist church and contributed liberally to its 
support. His life was in harmony with the principles of upright manhood; 
in all his dealings he was strictly fair, and for his many sterling qualities 
he was highly respected. His wife was born near Baltimore, Maryland, May 
23, 1803, and when six years of age accompanied her parents on their removal 
to Virginia, the family settling near Charleston. Five years later they took 
up their abode near Zanesville, Ohio, where Mrs. Nutt attained her woman- 
hood. On the 20th of May, 1823, she gave her hand in marriage to Edward 
Nutt, and through a long period they traveled life's journey together. In 
1834 she united with the Baptist church and throughout the remaining years 
of her life she was a consistent and active member of that denomination. She 
departed this life April 4, 1890, in her eighty-seventh year. This worthy 
couple became the parents of ten children, but only three are now living, 
namely : Rebecca, the widow of Alfred McLeod, of Delaware county, Ohio ; 
Mrs. Clapham; and Elizabeth, the wife of William Beever, also of Delaware 
county. 

Harriet Xutt spent her girlhood days under the parental roof and acquired 
her education in the common schools. On the 26th of May, 1853, she became 
the wife of John Clapham. He was a native of Blendon township, born on 
the 28th of April, 1829, on what is now known as the Osborne farm, near 
Alum creek. The following year his parents removed to the farm now owned 
by William C. Goldsmith, and in connection with the sketch of the latter 
appears an account of the life record of the parents of Mr. Clapham, who 
grew to manhood and were married in this locality. He and his wife began 
their domestic life upon the farm wdiere the family yet reside. This place 
comprised ninety-three acres and was purchased by his grandfather, Joseph 
Clapham, being then known as the old Landon farm. Subsequently the 
grandfather willed it to John Clapham and it remained his home up to the 
time of his demise, on the 12th of January, 1879, and has since been the 
place of residence of his wadow and children. During his active business 
career, however, Mr. Clapham added to the farm a tract of ten acres, and 
after his death his widow purchased an adjoining thirty acres, so that the 
place now comprises one hundred and thirty-three acres. Thev were the 
parents of four children : Orlena, now the widow of DeWitt Gates, of Blen- 
don township; Rosetta, at home; Edward C, a farmer of Blendon township, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 209 

who married Miss Olive Gates and has five children; and Clayton H., who 
operates the home farm and who married Nettie Martin, by whom he has 
two children. 

In his political views Mr. Clapham was an ardent Republican, and 
although he never sought office or political honors for himself he believed 
firmly in the principles of the party and did all in his power to promote its 
growth and insure its success. He was one of the most highly esteemed 
men of the county. His life history contains no exciting chapters, but was 
one consistent with many principles, and thus to his family he left the priceless 
heritage of an untarnished name. Mrs. Clapham still resides on the old home- 
stead. She has long been a resident of the county and has many warm 
friends throughout this portion of the state. 

FRANKLIN RUBRECHT. 

In no case is there a career more open to talent than in that of the law, 
and in no field of endeavor is there demanded a more careful preparation, 
a more thorough appreciation of the absolute ethics of life, or of the under- 
lying principles which form the basis of all human rights and privileges. 
Unflagging application and intuitive wisdom and a determination to fully 
utilize the means at hand, are the concomitants which insure personal success 
and prestige in this great profession, which stands as the stern conservator 
of justice; and it is one into which none shouM enter without a recognition 
of the obstacles to be overcome and the battles to be won, for success does 
not perch on the falchion of every person who enters the competitive fray, 
but comes only as the diametrical result of capability and unmistakable ability. 
Possessing all the qualities of the able lawyer, Franklin Rubrecht is already 
winning marked success in his profession. He is yet a young man and the 
future undoubtedly has in store for him a very successful career. 

A native of Ohio, Mr. Rubrecht was born in Delaware, August 31, 
1867, his. parents being Joel and Priscilla Helen Rubrecht. The father was 
born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, in 1839, upon a farm, and followed 
agricultural pursuits throughout his residence in the Keystone state. With 
his family he removed to Delaware, Ohio, and there became a contractor, 
builder and architect. He has since been actively identified with the improve- 
ment of the city along building lines and many substantial structures there 
stand as monuments to his enterprise, diligence and thrift. His wife, who 
was born in Delaware county, Ohio, in 1842. died in 1894. She was the 
mother of three sons and one daughter, all of whom lived to years of maturity. 

Franklin Rubrecht, whose name forms the caption of this sketch, attended 
the public schools of his native town and was graduated at the high school, 
after which he pursued a commercial course in Professor Sharp's Business 
College, in Delaware. In 1884 he arrived in Columbus and became a student 
of law in the office of R. H. Piatt, an attorney of this citv, who directed his 



2 10 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

reading for some time. He also acquired a knowledge of telegraphy and 
was employed by the Western Union Telegraph Company, acting as an 
operator in Columbus for a considerable period. This gave him the funds 
necessary to continue his legal education, and in October, 1892, he completed 
the law course in the Ohio State University. He then began the practice 
of his profession. He was appointed assistant director of law, and by virtue 
of that office became prosecuting attorney of the police department, serving 
acceptably in that position until 1897. He received his appointment from 
Judge Owen, who at that time was director of law, and was appointed by 
and served under Mayor Black until 1899. Retiring from that position, he 
resumed the active practice of law and has figured in several very important 
cases. In December, 1899, he was elected the attorney for the Columbus 
Humane Society. On the 9th of April Mr. Rubrecht was appointed first 
assistant director of law by Hon. Luke G. Byrne, director of law under Mayor 
John N. Hinkle. This position is perhaps the most important one in the 
law department, since it fallS' to the lot of the first assistant to conduct all 
the litigation in which the city of Columbus is interested. 

On the 1 8th of September, 1894, Mr. Rubrecht wedded Miss Blanch 
Xewell, of Columbus, a lady of culture and refinement and a daughter of O. 
H. Newell. One child graces this marriage, namely, Mercedes. In his polit- 
ical affiliations Mr. Rubrecht is a Democrat, and has been twice elected chair- 
man of the congressional committee of the twelfth district of Ohio. He 
possesses a laudable ambition, without which effort would be fruitless and labor 
of no avail. In his legal practice he is favorably known for the care with 
w^hich he prepares his- cases and for his devotion to his clients' interests. 

DANIEL ELLIOTT. 

Daniel Elliott, now deceased, was a man of marked perseverance and 
strong force of character, and though he started out in life empty-handed at 
the early age of fourteen years at the time of his death he was the possessor 
of a handsome property, all acquired through his own well directed efforts. 
He w^as a grandson of James Elliott, who was born and reared in Sherman 
Valley, Pennsylvania. He married Jean Hart. During the w^ar of the Revo- 
lution he fought for the independence of the nation and in compensation for 
his services was afterward granted by the government sixteen hundred acres 
of land in Norwich township, Franklin county. He never settled on that 
tract, however, but lived and died at the place of his nativity, wdiere his wife 
also passed away. The following is the record of their children : Robert, 
the father of our subject, w^as the eldest. William located south of Piqua 
in Miami county, Ohio, and there spent his remaining days. James took 
up his abode in Hancock county, Ohio, where he remained until called to 
his final rest. John, who was an Indian agent for many vears, lived and 
died in Wapakoneta, Ohio. Sally married a cousin, ]\Ir. Elliott, and died 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 2 1 1 

near Wapakoiieta, leaving an infant son, Thomas. The father engaged an 
Indian woman to act as nurse for the baby and when he grew older he ran 
away from home and joined the Indian tribe of which his former nurse was 
a member. Betsy became ]\Irs. William Nelson and died at Greenfield, High- 
land county, Ohio. 

Robert Elliott, father of our subject, was born in 1774, in Sherman's 
Valley, Perry county, Pennsylvania, and was there reared to manhood on a 
farm. He married Nancy Black, also a native of the same locality, and soon 
afterward they started for Ohio, locating at Hillsboro, where they remained 
for about four years. They then located on a farm of two hundred and sixty- 
seven acres in Norwich township, Franklin county, which was a part of the 
government grant to his father. He built a log cabin in the midst of the 
forest on the banks of the Scioto river by a large spring, but the land was 
low and wet and produced ague ; so he built a house on higher ground on the 
west side of the Dublin pike, making his home there until his' death. He was 
a hard-w^orking man and became prosperous. For fifteen years he served as 
justice of the peace, capably filling that office. By his first marriage he had 
six children: James, who died in Columbus; William, who died in Iowa; 
Robert, who died in Champaign county, Ohio; George, who departed this 
life in Franklin' county; Nancy, who married Bigelow Spain, and died in 
Champaign county, Ohio ; and Polly, who became the wife of Jacob Vorhees 
and died in Illinois. After the death of his first wife the father married 
Susan Brunk, a native of Maryland and a daughter of Daniel and Margaret 
(Grace) Brunk, also natives of that state. She was four years old when 
she accompanied her parents to Ohio, the family locating in Washington 
township, Franklin county, where she grew to womanhood among the Indians. 
The children of Mr. Elliott's second marriage were Sally, the wife of Tillman 
Sullivan, of Norwich township; Samuel, who died in Columbus; Margaret, 
the wife of Edson Aldrich. of Hardin county, Ohio; Eliza, the wife of Cap- 
tain Imes, of Columbus: Jackson, who died at the Soldiers' Home in San- 
dusky, Ohio; Daniel; and David, of Norwich township. 

Daniel Elliott was born in Norwich township, spent his early youth on 
the farm there and attended school through the winter months until four- 
teen years of age. He was only four years old when his father died. He 
remained with his' stepfather until fourteen years of age, when he went to 
live with his sister, Mrs. Sally Sullivan. He attended school only one winter 
after that. He became self-supporting at the age of fourteen, first earning 
his living by digging post-holes in connection with his brother David, at 
three cents per hole. He worked at anything he could get to do, husking 
corn, assisting in the harvest fields, or doing any kind of farm work that 
would yield him an honest living. He saved his money and when he was 
twenty-four years of age his grandfather, Daniel Brunk, gave him forty dol- 
lars. He inherited two acres of land from his father and from his brother 



212 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

David purchased two acres adjoining-. In 1861 he l)uilt a hewed-log house 
of two rooms, which was' raised on the i8th of JNIarch, 1861. 

On the 6th of July, i860, Mr. Elhott had married Miss Sidney Wynkoop, 
who was born in Brown township, Frankhn county, September 20, 1843, ^ 
daughter of Strickland and Eliza (Sandy) Wynkoop. In 1850 her father 
removed to Louisa county, Iowa, going by way of Cincinnati. He accom- 
plished part of the journey by taking passage on a steamboat to St. Louis. 
At the falls of the Ohio river the oldest son, James, fell overboard and the 
steamer backed up to rescue him, but he was struck by the vessel and sank to 
a watery grave. At. St. Louis, on account of an accident, they had to change 
boats, but ultimately arrived at Fort Louisa, Iowa, then a small place of six 
houses and one shop. They were three weeks on the water. After landing 
they proceeded by wagon to the Missouri river, crossed that stream on a ferry 
to Wapapello, and by wagon went four miles into the country. With a land 
warrant Mr. Wynkoop ^secured forty acres of prairie land and began the erec- 
tion of a house. He had almost completed it when he was taken with ague, 
which developed into dropsy, and the other members of the family also became 
ill. Their two little children, twins, between three and four years of age, 
had to carry water for them. Another child was born and nine days later 
the mother died, leaving thirteen children. Mr. Wynkoop then sold his land 
and returned to Franklin county, Ohio, making his home with relatives while 
the children were scattered among families in this portion of Ohio. He died 
in 1882, at the age of ninety-one years, six months and six days. 

Mrs. Elliott was only eleven years of age when she went out in the 
world to do a woman's work. For a year she lived with her sister. Mrs. 
Delilah Harrington, and then went to live with her grandfather, but he had 
married a second time and therefore she was not welcome there. She hired 
out to do house-work, providing entirely for her own support. Her educa- 
tion was acquired at intervals when she found opportunity to attend school. 
At the age of seventeen she gave her hand in marriage to Daniel Elliott, and 
to him she proved a faithful helpmate and companion on life's journey. In 
1871 he purchased twenty-three and three-fourths acres of land adjoining 
the old Elliott homestead. Mrs. Elliott would bake, churn and cook and 
attend to all the household duties. Her husband would prepare the fields for 
cultivation and then she would go out to assist him, working: in the fields 
until dinner time, when she would return and get dinner and afterward again 
join her husband in the fields, where they w^ould work until dark. In 1876 
thev purchased sixteen and three-quarters acres of the old homestead, and in 
1882-3 added fourteen acres more, making a total of fiftv-seven and three- 
fourths acre?'. To the cultivation and improvement of his land ]\Ir. Elliott 
devoted his energies untiring until his death. 

Unto our subject and his wife were born the following children : Samuel 
Francis, born October i'4. i86r, died in infancy. Nettie Adeline, born 
April 16, 1865, was married, September 29, 18S6. to Elmer E. Shrum, and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 213 

they have two children. — Ivan E. and Sidney Lester. Ida EHza, born Novem- 
ber 29. 1866, is the wife of Ulysses Hoffman, who resides near Logansport, 
Indiana, and they have one child, Daniel Elliott. 

When seventeen years of age Mr. Elliott, the subject of this review, was 
converted, joined the Methodist Episcopal church and lived an earnest Chris- 
tian life. In politics he was a stanch Republican, but never sought or desired 
public ofitice. He was honest and conscientious in all his dealings and conr- 
manded the respect of all with whom he came in contact. He passed away 
December 21, 1891, esteemed by all who knew him. His widow still resides 
on the homestead farm, which sl>e assisted him to secure, and in the com- 
munity she has many friends. 

JOHN PEIFFIER. 

Long a resident of Columbus and known as one of the reliable and enter- 
prising citizens, John Peiffier certainly deserves representation in this vol- 
ume. He was born in Little York. Pennsylvania, July 4, 1834, and was four 
years of age wdien he accompanied his father on his removal to Winchester, 
Ohio. They had been installed in their new home about a year when Jacob 
Peiffier, the father, was killed by a team of horses that ran over him. His 
w4fe, Mrs. Margaret Peiffier, was left with a family of small children. She 
afterward married Henry Herpst, at Winchester, and about 1844 the step- 
father with the family came to Franklin county, locating on a farm three 
miles north of Columbus, and afterward removed to the city, where JMrs. 
Peiffier died in 1882. 

The subject of this review continued upon the homestead farm in this 
county until he had attained his majority, when he removed to the city and 
for thirty-five years wa,& connected with the fire department, the period between 
1855 and 1890. He was a well known figure among the members of the 
department and in the city, and his bravery was displayed on many occasions. 
It requires a spirit no less .fearless and resolute to fight the fiery element than 
to meet the enemy upon the field of battle, and, though there are periods of 
rest and quiet in the life of the fireman, there are also many times of great 
danger and excitement, when cool nerve and steady hands are needed. ]\Ieet- 
ing every requirement, Mr. Peiffier long continued in the service and rendered 
valued aid to the city in suppressing the chief element of destruction to life 
and property. 

On the 3d of July, 1856. in the home of the bride on Mound street, in 
Columbus, i\Ir. Peiffier was united in marriage to Aliss Olive Pope, whose 
parents were among the honored pioneer settlers of the capital. Her father, 
John Pope, was born in New York, in 1786, and served during the war of 
181 2. With his father he came to the west, settling in Ohio about the year 
1823, and here he was married. From 1829 until 1844 he conducted a hotel 
at Hibernia, Franklin county, and in 1850 he took up his abode in Colum- 



214 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

bus, spending his remaining days in this city, his death occurring at the 
home of his daughter, Mrs. Miller, in 1862. His wife, Mrs. (Jettruda) 
Pope, died in the same year. Their children were : Mrs. Peiffier ; Henry, 
who was born in 1836 and died on his farm in Franklin county in 1875; 
Phoebe Ann, who married Phillip Dutoit, of Columbus, and died at their 
home east of the city; Mary Jane, who became the wife of William Lennox, 
who resides in Mattoon, Illinois, where her death occurred in 1898; Martha 
Pope, who became the wife of Gilbert Green and after his death married a 
Mr. Brown, who died in 1895, since which time she has been living with 
her daughter, Mrs. Helmbrech, on East Livingston street, Columbus; Caro- 
line, who became the wife of Harvey O'Hara and died in 1870, her husband 
passing away in 1895, leaving one daughter; Mary, now the wife of James 
Brown, who is living on East Sixth street, Columbus; Harriet, the wife of 
Gideon Miller; John, who died soon after the Civil war; and Louisa, who 
passed away in 1844. The following is the record of the children born unto 
Mr. and Mrs. Peiffier: William, their eldest child, was born in 1857 and 
married Miss Tillie Brown, of New Britain, Connecticut, where they reside 
with their children, Grace, Jane, Lionel and Charles. Charles, the second 
son of Mr. and' Mrs. Peiffier, was born in 1859, is married and is engaged 
in the grocery business on Harrison avenue, Columbus; Jettonda was the 
wife of Joseph Davidson, the proprietor of the Columbus Iron Works, and 
their children were as follows, — Florence and Frank Davidson. Flora Belle, 
who was born in 1864, is the wife of Frank Smith and has five children, 
namely : Edgar, Hardy, Elizabeth, Franklin and Robert. Her death occurred 
in 1894. Her son Edgar, who was born in 1884, resides with his maternal 
grandparents. Nettie, the next member of the Peiffier family, is the wife 
of Edward Radcliffe, of Columbus, and their children are : Eva, Hazel and 
Margaret. Olive resides at home. Frederick married Miss Ada Tobin and 
resides on Second avenue. 

Mr. and Mrs. Peiffier have resided at their present home through the 
past eighteen years. Their house occupies the site of the old sugar camp 
which was on his father's farm more than a half century ago. The family 
are all members of the Episcopal church, and Mr. Peiffier is numbered among 
the pioneer residents of Columbus, having witnessed much of the growth 
and development of the city as' it has emerged from a village into a thriving 
metropolitan center. His life has been a useful one, devoted to the welfare 
of his fellow men, and wherever he is known he is held in high regard. 

HENRY R. HESS. 

Prominent as a representative of the farming interests of Franklin county 
stands Henry R. Hess, an enterprising, practical and progressive agricult- 
urist, whose labors are bringing to him desirable prosperity. He is the only 
child of Thomas INI. and Marv A. (Rutherford) Hess, who was born in 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 2 1 5 

Delaware county, Ohio, in the year 1850. His mother died when he was 
only eighteen days old, and he then resided with his grandparents in Dela- 
ware county until six years of age. He pursued his education in the district 
schools of Franklin county and remained upon the farm with his father until 
twenty-eight years of age, when he left the parental roof in order to establish 
a home of his own, securing as a companion and helpmate on life's journey 
Miss Katie Reeb, a daughter of Henry Reeb, of Franklin county, the wedding 
being celebrated in 1879. Their marriage was blessed with two children, of 
whom one, Anna R., is still living. The mother died in January, 1890, and 
her loss was deeply mourned not only by her family but by many friends, for 
her womanly qualities and estimable characteristics, had gained her the warm 
friendship of those w^th whom she had been brought in contact. 

Throughout his business career Mr. Hess has carried on agricultural 
pursuits and now owns and operates one hundred and fifty-two acres of rich 
land, all under cultivation and well improved with modern accessories. The 
richly tilled fields bring to him golden harvests, and the buildings upon his 
place stand as a monument to his enterprise and thrift. He is a man well 
and favorably known for his many good qualities and he takes an active 
interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of the community. He is a 
public spirited and wide-awake citizen, and in his life exempLfies the enterprise 
so characteristic of America. 

CLINTON W. TUSING. 

One of the successful and enterprising farmers and stock raisers of 
Franklin county is Clinton \\\ Tusing, of Truro township, who has one 
hundred and ninety-two acres in his homestead farm and also owns valuable 
property elsewhere. He was born in Violet township, Fairfield county, Ohio,' 
on the 24th of August, 1849, and is a son of Rev. G. N. Tusing. His edu- 
cation was acquired in the schools of his native county and he afterward 
engaged in teaching in Franklin and Fairfield counties for five years. He 
first began farming upon a forty-acre tract of land which he received from 
his father. He made all of the improvements upon the place, transformed it 
into a richly cultivated tract and afterward sold that property at a good 
advance in price. He then purchased the farm upon which he now resides 
and it has been his home for a quarter of a century. As he had to give 
possession of the old farm sooner than he had expected his house upon the 
new one had not then been completed and he therefore took up his abode in 
the barn until the residence was erected. It was finished in the year 1875, 
and in it his family were soon installed. As the years have gone by he has 
added to his place all the improvements and accessories of a model farm, and 
to-day his home place of one hundred and ninetj^-two acres is a very valuable 
tract, the well tilled fields yielding a golden tribute in return for his care 
and labor. He also owns a farm of one hundred and fiftv-one acres in Lick- 



2i6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ing county and he has three city lots in Cokimbus. He makes a specialty 
of raising polled Aberdeen Angus cattle, and his stock is of a fine grade and 
finds a ready sale on the market, thus materially increasing his income. 

On the 1 6th of November, 1871, Mr. Tusing was united in marriage 
to Miss Hulda Roads, a daughter of Joseph Roads, who was a successful 
farmer living near Hebron, Licking county, Ohio. His wife bore the maiden 
name of Nancy Moore and was born near Newark, in Licking county, Ohio. 
They were the parents of eight children. Emily became the wife of Amor 
Smith, of Fairfield county, Ohio, and died in 1863. The others were: Mrs. 
Laura Stover ; Mrs. Rebecca Smith ; Mrs. Louise Tusing ; Jessie, deceased ; 
Hulda; IMrs. Anna Bretz; and Mrs. Lucinda Miller. The eldest child of 
Mr. and Mrs. Tusing was born while they were living in a barn. They 
have become the parents of six children, three sons and three daughters, 
namely : George N., who aids in the operation of the home farm ; Ludo 
Lonzetta, who is a bookkeeper with the Consolidated Street Car Company of 
Columbus ; Myrtle Maud, who is a teacher in Jefferson township ; Lutie 
Gertrude ; and Ernest Clem and Edna Esther, w' ho are still with their parents, 

Li his political affiliations Mr. Tusing is a Democrat on questions of 
national importance, but votes independently at township and county elec- 
tions, nor has he sought office as a reward for allegiance to Democracy. 
His wife and two oldest daughters hold membership in the Primitive Baptist 
church and he contributes liberally to its support. He gives his aid and co-op- 
eration to all movements for the general good and' is an enterprising citizen. 
Li his business affairs he has manifested strong determination, unabating 
energy and industry, and thus he has been enabled to overcome all the diffi- 
culties and obstacles in his path and work his way steadily upward to success. 

WILLL\|yI NEISWENDER. 

Throughout almost his entire life William Neiswender has made his 
home in Jackson township, this county, and has been prominently identified 
with its industrial and agricultural interests. His has been a long and useful 
career, and he well merits the high regard in which he is uniformly held. 

He was born in Pennsylvania, on the 25th of May, 1818, and was only 
two years of age W'hen he removed to Knox county, Ohio, with his father, 
John Neisw^ender, a native of Pennsylvania. Subsequently the familv came 
to Franklin county and took up their residence in Jefferson township among 
its first settlers. Here the father purchased a tract of w^oodland, which he 
cleared and improved, his occupation being that of farming. 

William Neiswender began his education in Jefferson township, his first 
teacher being Worthy Mitchem; but he was able to attend school only about 
two months during the year, the remainder of the time being employed in 
helping his father in clearing and cultivating the home farm. After attain- 
ing his majority he entered a select 'school, where he paid his own expenses 
by chopping wood mornings and evenings. When his education was com- 




MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM EEISWEHDER. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 217 

pleted he worked as a blacksmith's striker for some time and then learned the 
carpenter's trade, which he followed for fourteen years. Being the only car- 
penter in the neighborhood, in case of a death he was called upon to make 
coffins. After discontinuing work at the carpenter's trade, he bought the 
farm in Jackson township, which has now been his home for fifty-six years. 
His first residence was a log house of but one room, which has since been 
replaced by a modern and commodious residence. He has made many other 
improvements upon the place, and now has one of the best cultivated and 
most desirable farms of the locality. 

On the 3d of November, 1842, Mr. Neiswender married Miss Polly 
Hoover, who was born in Jackson township, this county, February 4, 1823, 
and died in 1873, leaving six children, who are still living, namely: Levi, 
Catherine, Aaron, Ezra, Lydia and Julia. Mr. Neiswender also has twenty- 
two grandchildren and one great-grandchild. 

Through his own individual efforts Mr. Neiswender has becoms n well 
educated man, and can speak both English and German fluently. He has 
ever taken an active and commendable interest in educational affairs, has done 
his share toward it® advancement, and gave the land on which the first school- 
house in his neighborhood was built. He served as clerk and treasurer of 
the school before they had a board of directors, and was afterward elected one 
of the directors. He is a life member of the Free Thought Federation, and 
is one of the most progressive and public-spirited citizens of his community, 
as well as one of its most honored' members. In the course of his life he has 
visited Florida four times and has brought back a fine collection of shells and 
other relics, and also has the finest collection of old coins in the state. 

FRANCIS B. DEAN. 

Francis B. Dean, who carries on ag'ricultural pursuits in Mifilin township, 
was born on the farm where he yet lives on the 6th of October, 1832. His 
father, Ebenezer Dean, was born in Stamford, Fairfield county, Connecticut, 
and in the year 18 10 came to Franklin county with his parents, Lebbeus and 
Ruah Dean, both of whom were natives- of Connecticut. They located in the 
midst of the wild forest in Mifflin township where the home of our subject 
now stands, and there the grandfather carried on agricultural pursuits until 
his death. The father of our subject was married, in Columbus, to ]\Iiss 
Rachel Dalzell, who was- born in Rochester, New York, and came to Franklin 
county in early life, locating here in 1818. Her father, William Dalzell, 
removed with the family from Rochester in July of that year, and located 
at Columbus, but afterward engaged in farming. The young couple began 
their domestic life on the farm which is still the home of their son, Francis. 
The father was killed by a falling tree in 1841, when about forty years of age. 
His wife passed away in 1893, ^^ ^^'^^ ^^^ ^^ eighty-four years, having long 
survived her husband. In their family were six children, all of whom were 
born on the old family homestead, namely : Francis B. ; Robert D., of Colum- 

14 



2i8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

bus; John D., who is also hving in that city; Ebenezer, who resides in Mifflin 
township; and George and James, who have passed away. 

Mr. Dean, of this review, was the eldest child. He was reared on the 
old family homestead which was the scene of his childhood pleasures as well 
as of his manhood labors. With the family he experienced all the hardships 
and trials wdiich fall to the lot of the pioneer. He pursued his education 
in the district schools of the neighborhood, spent one year as a student in 
Columbus and also one year in a school in Pittsburg. On the expiration of 
that period he accepted a clerkship in the wholesale grocery house of Bailey 
& Renshaw, of Pittsburg, continuing in that position for one year, after which 
he returned to his home in Mifflin township and resumed farming. He was 
then twenty-one years of age. As a companion and helpmate on life's jour- 
ney he chose Miss Fredonia C. Phelps, their courtship being consummated by 
marriage on the 4th of May, 1854. The lady was born in Blendon township, 
Franklin county, November 14, 1835. Her father. Homer M. Phelps, was 
also a native of that township, born February 9, 181 2, while the grandfather, 
Edward Phelps, was a native of Windsor township, Hartford county, Con- 
necticut, whence they came to Franklin county in the month of August, 
1806. He located in Blendon township and was prominently connected with 
the work of pioneer development here. One of his sons, Edward Phelps, 
cut the first stick of timber in the township and the family name has been 
deeply engraved on the history of this portion of the state. Homer M. 
Phelps was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth G. Connelly, a native of 
Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, who, in 1831, came to Franklin county. 
Mrs. Dean is the eldest of their three children and is the only daughter. Her 
brothers are : Warren, who is living in Columbus ; and E. Clinton, wdio makes 
his home in Chicago. Mrs. Dean was reared in Blendon township and com- 
pleted her education by a five-years course in the seminary in Worthington, 
Ohio. 

After his marriage our subject took his bride to the old homestead, where, 
as the years passed, seven children were added to the family, but only three 
are now living: Homer P., who married Shirlie Turney, by whom he has 
two children, Francis B. and Emerson T. ; Katie R., the wife of W. E. Postle, 
by whom she has two children, Sydney E. and Cyril D. ; and Howard F., who 
married Olive McLeish, and has a daughter. Helen M. Those who have 
passed away are Clara B., who was the wife of William Longman, by whom 
she had two children, Hazel and Francis F. ; Mary E., who married W. E. 
Dill and had three children; Joe Foraker, Dean E. and Parke E. Laura M. 
died when twelve years of age, and Blanche died in infancy. The children 
were all born on the old family homestead which has been occupied bv the 
Deans for almost the entire century. Howard is now a student in a medical 
college. 

At the time of the Civil war Mr. Dean manifested his loyaltv to the 
government by enlisting in May, 1864, as a member of Company F, of the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 219 

One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving as ordnance 
sergeant. He had charge of all the ammunition and equipments and made 
out the muster roll for the company before they started for the front. They 
went to Parkersburg, thence to Washington, D. C, and on to City Point, on 
the James river, where they were stationed. Mr. Dean served until the 
expiration of his three-months' term and with his command held Fort Pow- 
hattan. He received an honorable discharge at Columbus and then returned 
home to resume the peaceful pursuits of the farm. He to-day has about three 
hundred and fifteen acres of valuable land, some of which he rents. His 
farm is one of the best improved in the county, being supplied with all modern 
accessories and conveniences. 

In his political affiliations Mr. Dean is a stalwart Republican, having 
always supported the men and measures of the party, and on that ticket he 
has been elected to the offices of trustee, assessor and land appraiser. He 
is a member of John A. Miller Po,st, No. 592, G. A. R., and is taking an 
active part in its work. He served as its first commander and has held the 
office for three years and has filled all of the official positions in the organiza- 
tion. His wife belongs to J. M. Wells Corps, with which she has been 
identified for thirteen years, and she has served as a delegate to the national 
convention in Pittsburg. She is a member of the Congregational church of 
Columbus. 

Mr. Dean has led a busy and useful life, diligence being one of his marked 
characteristics. Along these lines he has won a creditable success and is 
to-day numbered among the substantial farmers of his native country. For 
«ixty-eight years he has been a witness of the growth and development of 
this portion of the state and is a worthy representative of an honored pioneer 
family who, through his own labors, has carried forward the work of improve- 
ment begun by his ancestors. 

GEORGE L. GEARY. 

It is probable that Americans adapt themselves to all the requirements 
of citizenship with more facility and precision than any other people, for the 
farmer and tradesman becomes a soldier when soldiers are needed, and when 
peace is declared the soldier loses no time in again becoming the farmer or 
the tradesman and is equally to be depended upon in business or in battle. 
The farmer who develops any portion of his country does as good a work 
for humanity as the soldier who assists to uphold his country's flag, and those 
wdio. like the subject of this sketch, have done both are doubly deserving of 
credit. 

George L. Geary, a prominent farmer and citizen of Washington town- 
ship, Franklin county, Ohio, was born at the southeast corner of Front and 
Race streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 22, 1843, ^ son of Benjamin 
Geary, and a grandson of Richard Geary. His grandfather was born in 



220 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, : 

Dublin. Ireland, April 21, 1782, and married, November 12, 1804, Benigna 
Binns, who was born July 21, 1784. He became a barrister and a man of 
local prominence and died at Dublin October 24, 1834. In 1839 his widow 
came with her second husband, whose name was Joseph Bromlow, to the 
United States, and they settled in Washington township, Franklin county, 
Ohio, on the farm now occupied by Frank A. Zimmer. There Mr. Joseph 
Bromlow died and his widow married Patrick O'Farrell, who died in Wash- 
ington township. Mrs. O'Farrell died at the residence of her daughter, Mrs. 
Moses Latham, in 1857. She bore her first husband children as follows: 
Ann Binns, who was born August 31, 1805, and died February 19, 1850; 
John, wht) was l)orn September 14, 1806, and died at Columbus, Ohio, No- 
vember 3, 1886; Jane, who was born November 9, 1807, and died May 23, 
1808; Richard, who was born October 29, 1809, and died in Ireland; 
Benigna. who was born September 25, 181 1, and died' March 19, 1835; 
Benjamin, the father of the subject of this sketch, who was born July 16, 
1816. will receive a more extended notice in this article; and Maria, who 
married the late Aloses Latham, of Washington township. Mrs. Latham 
was born October 12, 1826, and died at Columbus, Ohio, March 11, 1900. 
Mrs. O'Farrell had' no children by her second and third marriages. 

Jonathan Binns, great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch in the 
maternal line, was born in Dublin, Ireland, September 17, 1721. He be- 
came a well-to-do jeweler and silversmith and at his death left a large estate. 
His first wife was Ann Emerson, who was born December 8, 1725, and died 
September 28, 1763, after having borne him children as follows: Ambrose, 
May 5, 1746; John, September 2y, 1747, who died October 19, 1775; Mary 
Hannah, August 26, 1750, who died November 13, 1752; Christian, Septem- 
ber 14, 1752. who died October 10, 1754; Elizabeth, September 26, 1754; 
Jonathan, September 25, 1756; Ann, September 23, 1758; Keziah, April 7, 
1760. who died September 3, 1763; George, September 23, 1761 ; Joshua, 
June 6, 1763, who died December 20. 1764. ]\Ir. Binns married Ann Ver- 
ney December 7. 1764. Miss Verney, who was born October 26, 1744, 
was the mother of George L. Geary's grandmother, and bore her and other 
children to her husband as' follows: Mary. January 11, 1766, who died 
January 25 following; Sarah, February 15, 1767, who died in London, Eng- 
land. August 8, 1790; Keziah, May 26. 1768; Joshua, October i, 1769, wdio 
died June 20, 1771 ; Moses William, January 21, 1771; Hannah, April 15, 
1772; Rebecca, July 2;^. 1773- ^vho died ]\Iarch 5, 1785; Mary, August 26, 
1774. who died September 14 following; Priscilla, born October i, 1775, who 
died June 11, 1777; Elinor, born December 20, 1776; John, March 28, 1778, 
who died November 2 following; Thomas, born August 25. 1779, who died 
May 31, 1800; John, born September i, 1781 ; Frederick, March 11, 1783, 
who died in the following June ; Benigna, the grandmother of the subject of 
this sketch, born July 21, 1784, who died October 3. 1857; Benjamin, born 
January 31, 1786; and Joseph, born March 17, 1787, who died August, 1789. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 221 

Benjamin Geary, a son of Richard and Benigna (Binns) Geary and the 
father of George L. Geary, of Washington township, FrankHn county, Ohio, 
was born in DubHn, Ireland, July 16, 1816, and was well educated. He mar- 
ried and came to the United States in 1836, landing at Philadelphia with very 
little money with which to begin life in a new land. He opened a small 
grocery stand at the southeast corner of Front and Race streets, Philadelphia. 
His business prospered and' he bought property at 126 North Front street, 
where he continued his enterprise on a larger scale. In Alay, 1856, he came 
to Washington township, Franklin county, and bought the farm now owned 
by George Datz. consisting of sixty acres, which he paid for in cash at thirty- 
five dollars an acre. He began improving and cultivating the land and soon 
developed it into a productive farm. \\'hen he began here he knew abso- 
lutely nothing of farming, but was willing to work and learn, and he became 
one of the most scientific farmers in the county. After he had made a start 
in his new home he went back to Philadelphia and brought his family on to 
Ohio and kept a diary of their journey, which would be very interesting read- 
ing did space permit of its reproduction here. He was' energetic, industrious 
and persevering and was no less able as a business' man than as a farmer. He 
was active and influential in politics and during his residence in Philadelphia 
was a member of the Episcopal church. His public spirit made him a very 
us'eful citizen in Washington township, and when he died, Jul}- 24, 1867. he 
was deeply regretted by all who had known him. His wife, who died July 
II, 1871, was Miss Hannah Ann Dunn. Her father was a sea captain, and 
during his absence on a voyage she was born at Kingston, Ireland, and her 
mother yielded up her life in bringing her into the world. She was taken 
into the family of a sister of her mother's, and later, before her marriage, 
lived for a time with members of her father's family. She bore her husband 
children as follows: Benigna was born May 26, 1837. and married Charles 
Franks September 17, 1861, and died September 29, 1889. Richard Henry 
was born September 27. 1839, and died ]\Iarch 20, 1845. -^"11 J^^e was 
born August 20, 1841, and died Xovemlier 29. 1852. George L. is the sub- 
ject of .this sketch. Sophia was born March 17, 1846, married James A. 
Smith December 30. 1869, and died in Washington township, Franklin 
county, Ohio, April 8, 1880. 

George L. Geary attended the public school at the Xew street school 
house in Philadelphia from 1850. when he was seven years old, until 1856, 
when, at the age of thirteen, he was brought by his parents to Ohio. In 
1850, during his first year in school, a terrible explosion of gunpowder and 
saltpetre occurred in Philadelphia, wh.ich Mr. Geary states wrecked the Xew 
street school house and four hundred other buildings. His sister Benigna 
was hurled into the cellar of a dwelling which had been blown away bv the 
explosion and young Geary's father was thrown into the Delaware river, from 
which he managed to make his escape. A man who had been thrown into the 
same cellar with her helped Benigna to a i)lace o{ safety. After the explosion 



222 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Air. Geary's father's house was a refuge for many people who had Ijeen ren- 
dered homeless by the calamity. There is matter for reflection for believers 
in dreams in Mr. Geary's statement that before the explosion his father 
dreamed of precisely such a catastrophe and that he was thrown into the water 
as described above. 

George L. assisted in the work on his father's farm in Ohio until he was 
eighteen years old, and then, October i6, 1861, he enlisted "for three years 
or during the war'' of the Rebellion, as a private in Company D, Forty-sixth 
Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. His company commander was his 
cousin, Captain Harding C. Geary, and his regimental commander was Colonel 
Thomas Worthington. The Forty-sixth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer In- 
fantry, was attached to the Fifth Division, commanded by General Sherman, 
and when army corps were formed was included in the Second Brigade, Fourth 
Division, Fifteenth Corps. General Sherman was the division commander 
and General McDowell commanded the brigade. Mr. Geary also served lui- 
der Generals Grant, IMcPherson, Logan and Walcutt. The regiment fought 
at Shiloh. took part in the siege of Corinth and also in the siege of Vicksburg, 
and in the engagements at Jackson, Atlanta and numerous other places. Air, 
Geary was at length discharged from the service by reason of expiration of 
his' term of enlistment, October 26, 1864, at Chattanooga, Tennessee. 

Returning to Ohio, Mr. Geary resumed work on his father's farm. Sep- 
tember 23, 1866, he married Miss Martha J. Cosgray, who was born in Wash- 
ington township, Franklin county, Ohio, October 31, 1843, ^ daughter of 
Joseph and Elizabeth (Gordon) Cosgray. An extended sketch of the Cos- 
gray family appears elsewhere iu this work. After hisi marriage Mr. Geary 
lived for a time on the Geary home farm and then removed to Jerome town- 
ship. Union county, Ohio, where he bought a farm on which he remained 
two years. He then returned to Washington township, Franklin county, 
and, after working rented land four 3'ears, bought his present farm of fifty- 
six acres, one of the good farms of the township, the house on which was 
built by John Watts' in 1840. A man of good business ability, he has made 
a creditable success in life and is regarded as a citizen of much public spirit, 
who advocates all measures tending to benefit his fellow^ townsmen and ad- 
vance the best interests of his township, county and state. Politically he is 
a Democrat, and he is an active worker for the success of his party and has 
held several important township offices, having been long a member of the 
school board, township trustee for two. terms and justice of the peace for 
several years, and a decennial appraiser of real property in 1900, performing 
the duties of these offices with an ability and integrity which have won him 
the commendation of the leading men of his township regardless of party 
affiliation. He is a member of John A. Spellman Post, No. 321, Grand Army 
of the Republic, of Hilliard's. and has twice been elected its' commander. 

The following facts concerning the children of George L. and Martha J. 
(Cosgray) Geary will be found interesting in this connection: Lucy, the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 223 

eldest, was born August 12, 1867, and married A. F. DeWitt and lives in 
Jerome township, Union county, Ohio. Anna E. was born March 7, 1869. 
Sarah E. was born November 29, 1871, and was married September 5, 1894, 
to William Lig-gett and lives in Washington township, Franklin county. 
Benigna, born September 27, 1874, married George Leppert October 8, 1896, 
and lives in Washington township. John B., who was born December 13, 
1876, was married to Gertie Skidmore December 20, 1899. Bessie Sophia 
w^as born May 12, 1882. 

EBENEZER BARCUS. 

The city of Columbus is noted for its representative business men, and 
among them may be classed Ebenezer Barcus. He was born in Kent county, 
Delaware, and was a son of Ebenezer and Elizabeth (Glandon) Barcus, the 
former of whom was born in Maryland, in June, 1790, the latter in the same 
state about 1793. The father of our subject was a farmer by occupation and 
moved to Ohio in 1828, locating in Columbus, where he engaged in work as 
a carpenter. He was well known and respected. His death 'occurred in 
1869, having survived his wife thirty-nine years. It is probable that the 
Barcus family came from Scotland and Ireland to America before the war 
of the Revolution. 

Ebenezer Barcus, our subject, received his education in the city schools, 
later enjoying some advantages at a private school. He was then taught the 
trade of bricklayer, the rapid growth of the city giving him plenty of em- 
ployment. During the great gold excitement of 1849 ^'^^ joined a company 
consisting of thirty members and started across the plains for California. 
After reaching his destination he began operations on the Yuba river, in 
Gulch Digging^s, this proving fairly remunerative. His observation soon told 
him that a fine business might be carried on in purchasing and supplying 
necessary .supplies to miners, and into this he then entered and successfully 
conducted it for a period of three years. 

Returning to Columbus, Mr. Barcus embarked in the grocery business 
and also pork-packing, being indirectly connected with the Comstocks, ex- 
tensive pork-packers. From 1863 to 1874 he was actively engaged in this 
undertaking, but at that time disposed of his interests and invested his pro- 
ceeds in the fine farm lands through Franklin and Pickaway counties, Ohio, 
His present landed estate now numbers t\yenty-five hundred acres of choice 
land, a portion of it being a first and second bottom, lying on the Columbus 
and' Chillicothe pike and all on the Scioto river. This land is among the most 
fertile in the state and is best adapted for growing grain. Mr. Barcus has 
no difficulty in finding tenants for these farms, and the income is a large one. 
In 1 87 1 he erected his business house on High street, which is now occupied 
by the Ohio Furniture Company. It is one of the best adapted houses in the 
city, four stories in height, the upper floors being occupied as offices. 



224 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Our subject is a Republican in poHtics, voting that ticket in national and 
state matters, but in local issues he prefers to be independent. For several 
years he served the city as a member of the council. Socially he is a mem- 
ber of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He began life with small 
means, but industry, energy and honesty have brought to him prosperity. 

JOSEPH B. POWELL. 

Joseph Bigelow Powell, one of the oldest native residents of Truro town- 
ship, Franklin county, was born in a log cabin on the farm where he now re- 
sides, March 27, 1822. It is supposed that his great-grandfather, Joseph 
Powell, was a native of Wales. Joseph Powell, Jr., the grandfather, was 
born in Maryland, was a farmer by occupation, and died in Bedford county, 
Pennsylvania. He married a IMiss McCoy, who was born and reared in 
]\raryland, and was a relative of Robert McCoy, who built the American 
Flotel in Columbus. 

Archibald Powell, the father of our subject, was born near Hagerstown, 
Maryland, and when about ten years of age went to Bedford county, Penn- 
sylvania, a mountainous district, in which he was reared to manhood. There 
in 1808 he married Elizabeth Adams, who was born in Virginia, and when 
three years of age was taken to Bedford county, Pennsylvania. Her father, 
Jacob Adams, was probably a native of the Old Dominion and was of Ger- 
man descent. He married Clara Dustheimer, also a native of Virginia. The 
great-grandfather was born in Germany. After his marriage Archibald 
Powell resided in Pennsylvania until 181 5, when he came to Ohio, bringing 
with him his wife and four children. In Truro township he secured a claim 
which was covered with a dense growth of timber and in its midst he built 
a little log cabin, fourteen by sixteen feet. There his family of six took up 
their abode, living in true pioneer style, for they were among the first settlers 
of the township. The father was' a lifelong Jeffersonian Democrat, and for 
many years was a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He 
lived to be nearly eighty-five years of age, and his wife was about eighty-six 
years of age at the time of her death. They were the parents of four sons 
and five daughters, all of whom reached mature years and reared families of 
their own, namely: William, who was' born in 1809; Mary, in.i8io; Jacob, 
in 1813; George, in 1815; Malinda A. and Rachel M., in 1818; Josepli B., in 
1822; Elizabeth, in 1824; and Clarissa A., November 19, 1828. The first 
four children were natives of Pennsvlvania, the others of Franklin county, 
Ohio. 

Mr. Powell, of this review, is the seventh child and fourth son, and is 
the only survivor of the family. He spent his boyhood in the cabin home 
and pursued hisi education in a log schoolhouse with a mud-and-stick chimney, 
an immense fireplace, slab seats and one door. He went to school during the 
three winter months and throughout the remainder of the year worked on the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 225 

home farm from the time of early spring planting until crops were harvested 
in the autumn. For some years before his father's death he had charge of the 
old homestead. In 1850 he went across the plains to California, where he 
was employed in mining for about two years, returning by way of the water 
route to New York city. He paid eight dollars to ride twenty-five miles on 
the railroad from Chagres river to Aspinwall. From New York he came to 
Franklin county by way of Buffalo and Cleveland. 

In 1863 Mr. Powell married Lucinda T. French, who was born in Fair- 
field county, Ohio, and died in 1870, leaving three sons, — Clement M.. Will- 
iam A. and Andrew J. For his second wife Mr. Powell chose Mary S. 
Fancher, the wedding taking place in 1876. They have three daughters, — 
Gerda M., Flavia E. and Vashti E., — all with their parents'. 

Mr. Powell now owns and operates two hundred and twenty acres of 
good land, all under a high state of cultivation. He has passed the seventy- 
ninth milestone on life's journey, but still superintends his farm, and the well- 
tilled fields yield him a golden tribute. He takes' an active interest in every- 
thing pertaining to the welfare of the community, and for six years he served 
as township trustee, proving a most competent officer. Few men have a 
wider acquaintance and none are more favorably known in his township and 
the surrounding country than Joseph B, Powell. 

HENRY HUFFMAN. 

Henry Huffman, the subject of the present review, is the owner of a 
fine farm on the Jackson pike, six miles south of Columbus, in Jackson town- 
ship, Franklin county, Ohio. He was born in this county August 12. 1845, 
a son of Henry and Catherine Huffman, both natives of Washington county, 
Pennsylvania, who became early settlers of Franklin county, Ohio, building 
a log house in the woods and enduring the trials and privations of pioneer 
life, this accounting perhaps' for the death of Mr. Huffman when only forty- 
nine years old. Both parents of our subject had contracted previous mar- 
riages, Mr. Huffman, Sr., having married a Miss Spohn, of which marriage 
three children were born, and Mrs. Huffman at the time of her second mar- 
riage was a Mrs. Catherine Meech and the mother of two children. A fam- 
ily of five were born to the parents of Mr. Huffman, and he was the second 
son of thisi union, one sister and one brother still surviving. 

Although Mr. Huffman was so unfortunate as to lose both parents when 
■he was but twelve, he remained with relatives in Jackson township until he 
•was about fourteen, when he was sent to relatives in Washington county, 
Pennsylvania, where he lived for six years. Here he earned his own living, 
but when he reached his majority he returned to Jackson township and there 
engaged in any and all work that would bring compensation. Finally he 
rented a patch of ground from his father's estate, cleared it up and disposed 
of his crops successfully, later buying one hundred acres on Jackson pike, 



226 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

adjoining- the farm where he lives, paying for this twelve thousand dollars, 
and resided there nineteen years. Mr. Huffman has made a success of gen- 
eral farming and truck farming, also engaging extensively in the raising of 
cattle. His land in Jackson township includes two hundred and seven acres, 
while he is also the owner of one hundred and eighty acres in Union county, 
Ohio. 

The marriage of Mr. Huffman took place in April, 1866, when Miss 
Jane E. Lowe became his wife. She was born in Franklin county and is 
the daughter of one of the old settlers. Mr. and Mrsi. Huffman are the par- 
ents of four children : Ira, who married Catherine Scharf, of Jackson Pike, 
and the names of their two children are Albert and Lisle; Inez became the 
wife of E. B. Graham and resides at Denyer, Colorado; Orin married Ola 
Blake and they reside at Shadeville, with one daughter, Helen ; and Liska is 
still at home. 

Mr. and Mrs. Huffman are valued members of the Presbyterian church, 
and the whole family is one that commandsi the esteem of the community in 
which they live. 

JAMES PIPPIN. 

It is profitable to write and to read the life history of a self-made man, 
who, beginning poor and without aid, makes his way to a creditable station in 
the world. About every element of interest in such a personal record at- 
taches to the biography of James Pippin, an old and respected resident of 
Franklin township, Franklin county, Ohio, w^ho was born in Belmont county, 
thisf state, January 31, 1833, and at the age of twelve years began to fight 
the battle of life for himself. His father, William Pippin, died when he \vas 
very young. His mother, who was known as Widow McConnell before 
William Pippin married her, had three children by her first marriage and five 
by her marriage to Mr. Pippin. 

James Pippin was the fourth in order of birth of the two daughters and 
three sons born to William and Mary (McConnell) Pippin, and traces his 
ancestry on his father's side to early settlers of Pennsylvania and on his 
mother's side to early pioneers of Maryland. He was reared in Holmes 
county, Ohio, and when little more than a child was doing heavy farm work 
and driving a team, hauling goods through Ohio mud. His schooling w^as 
limited to a few months' attendance at one of the private schools among the 
hills of Holmes county. When he had attained his majority he was mar- 
ried and engaged in farming in that county until 1857, when he went to Mor- 
gan county, Indiana, with the intention of remaining there ; but, not liking the 
country, he came to Franklin county, Ohio, and took up his residence in a 
little building in Franklin township, on wdiat was known as the Wilson farm, 
which now does service as a blacksmith shop. For two years he chopped 
wood, which he piled on the railroad or hauled to Columbus, and after that 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 227 

for four years he rented the Riordan farm, which was located just across the 
road from Camp Chase, which was in existence during the Civil war. He 
then bought a forty-acre farm, which he sold in a year in order to buy the 
farm on which he has since lived. At that time there were few improve- 
ments upon the place, nothing in the way of a house but a small log hut, into 
which he moved with his family. The place, which consists of about fifty 
acres, was a very productive farm, upon which he gradually made improve- 
ments, erected a dwelling-house, barns and other outbuildings as he was able, 
and has developed it into a good property. 

In Washington township, Holmes county, Ohio, Mr. Fippin was united 
in marriage to Miss Mary Shank, a native of Holmes county, whose parents 
moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio in the early days of the settlement of the 
state. Unto Mr. Fippin and his wife have been born six children, namely: 
John, who lives in Jackson township; and Ambrose J., who lives in Frank- 
lin township. Franklin county, Ohio ; they are both -married ; Mary Ann, who 
married Frank P. Sperry, of Franklin towns'hip ; James E. ; and Samuel and 
Charles, who are married and live in Columbus, Ohio. 

Mr. Fippin is a pioneer in his neighborhood and has been prominent in 
township affairs ever since he located there. He is a Republican, but votes 
for the best man for any local office regardless of the candidates' political 
views; has served his township ably as a justice of the peace; is a member 
of the Methodist Episcopal church,' and has filled the offices of trustee and 
treasurer of the church of that denomination with which he is identified. 



GEORGE R. SCHOTT. 

It argues well for Franklin county that so many of her native sons retain 
their residence here throughout the period of their active business careers. 
Mr. Schott is numbered among those who. having been born in the 
county, are still living within its boundaries, being a well known representa- 
tive of agricultural, commercial and industrial interests. His birth occurred 
in Blendon township on the 24th of July, 1867, his parents being Charles and 
Rebecca E. (Ellis) Schott. The father is a native of Columbus, born April 
29, 1840, a son of John Schott, whose birth occurred in Germany and who 
came to the United States when a young man. He took up his abode in the 
capital city and there followed his trade of brick-mason throughout his entire 
life. When his sons became voung men he purchased a farm in the north- 
west corner of Plain township and removed to the country, his sons engaging 
in the operation of the land while he continued to follow his chosen vocation. 
Charles Schott, the father of our subject, spent his boyhood days under the 
parental roof and learned the brick-mason's trade. After the country became 
involved in civil war. the south attempting to throw off allegiance to the 
national government, he joinq^l the E^nion army, in 1862, as a member of the 



228 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

One Hundred and Eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he served for 
three years, loyally supporting the old flag and the cause it represented. 

In 1866 Charles Schott was united in marriage to Miss Rebecca E. Ellis, 
a native of Tuscarawas county. Her parents died when she was three years 
of age and she was reared by strangers. After their marriage Mr. Schott 
purchased a tract of land of sixteen acres in Blendon township, on which 
was standing a log cabin. It was in that home that our subject was' born. 
In 1879 the father removed with his family to Shelby county, Ohio, but after 
a year returned to Blendon township, Franklin county, and six months later 
removed to Plain township, taking charge of the old family homestead, which 
he managed for his mother, his sons doing the work of the farm while he 
engaged in business as a stone-mason for four years. Later he purchased 
his present home farm of fifty acres and his sons resided thereon. The culti- 
vation of the fields is largely performed by his son Leo, while he and his sons 
Milton and Lewis work at tTie brick-mason's trade. In politics he is a stanch 
Democrat and is a member of the Lutheran church. In the family were 
nine children, seven of whom are yet living, namely : George R., Milton and 
Lewis, who are associated with their father in business ; Leo ; Margaret ; 
Noah, deceased; Emma; Ada, deceased; and Nora. All of the children with 
the exception of our subject are with their parents. 

George R. Schott was surrounded by the influences of a good home in 
his youth. He acquired his education in the common schools and at Central 
College, and when nineteen years of age he began preparation for the re- 
sponsible duties of a business career by entering upon an apprenticeship to 
the brick and stone-mason's trade, following those purusits through the suc- 
ceeding six years. He was a thorough and conscientious) workman and his 
services, therefore, were always in demand. On the 31st of October, 1892, 
he was united in marriage to Miss Emma Clotts, a daughter of Daniel Clotts, 
Sr. The following year Mr. Schott took charge of his father-in-law's farm, 
and in the eight years' which have since passed he has shown himself to be a 
capable business man and one of the leading agriculturists of this section. 
In connection with farming, he is one of the stockholders and a member of 
the board of directors of the Gahanna Creamery Company. 

In his political views Mr. Schott is a Democrat where national issues 
are involved, but at local elections he votes independently, regarding only 
the efficiency of the candidates. He belongs to the Lutheran church and is 
one of the progressive and highly esteemed citizens of Franklin county. 



WILLIAM H. INNIS. 

William H. Innis, deceased, was one of the foremost citizens of Clinton 
township from early manhood until his death. He was a gentleman of more 
than ordinary information and attainments, and as a public-spirited and pro- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 229 

gressive citizen he gave his support to those enterprises calculated to advance 
the moral, social, intellectual or material welfare of his native county. 

Mr. Innis was born in Clinton township, February 2, 1824, and was the 
third in order of birth in a family of six children, whose parents were Henry 
and Isabelle (Clifford) Innis, pioneer settlers of Franklin county. He was 
reared on the home farm and as soon as old enough entered the subscription 
schools of that day, wdiere he laid the foundation for a collegiate course. At 
the age of eighteen he became a student at Central College, near Westerville, 
Ohio, and in that institution completed his education. This enabled him to 
engage in teaching, a calling which he followed in Franklin county during 
the winter months for some time. At the beginning of his career as a teacher 
he bought twenty acres: of land in Clinton township, and through the sum- 
mer season he engaged in its operation. When he discontinued teaching he 
devoted his attention entirely to farming, and met with excellent success in 
that vocation. As his accumulations increased he invested in other land, 
and his estate at one time comprised five hundred acres of valuable land, all 
in Clinton township. One of his subsequent purchases was the Henry C. 
Noble farm, which came into his possession during the Civil war and upon 
which he located October 2, 1863; and four years later he bought the re- 
maining portion of that tract, upon which he made his home throughout the 
remainder of his life. He erected thereon a large brick residence and made 
other permanent improvements which added greatly to the value and attractive 
appearance of the place. 

On the 3d of October, 1854, Air. Innis was united in marriage with Aliss 
Mary Margaret, a daughter of Adam G. and Margaret Gantz, of Marion 
township, this county, and to them were born nine children, five sons and 
four daughters, as follows: Maxwell P., mentioned below; Adam G. ; 
Louvina, the wife of James Dumm, of Delaware, Ohio; Sarah G., the wife 
of Charles Schneider, of Columbus; Isabelle, the wife of William Dumm, 
also of Delaware, Ohio; Lewis, a resident of Clinton township, this county; 
William H., also of this county; Ada R., wife of George Williams, of Colum- 
bus; and James H., who died in infancy. 

Mr. Innis died on the i6th of February, 1890, and his wife departed this 
life December 23, 1891. In early youth he united with the Methodist Episco- 
pal church, and always took an active and prominent part in church and Sab- 
bath-school work, laboring untiringly to disseminate the truths of the scrip- 
tures in the minds of the young and serving as a teacher of the Bible class for 
many years. He was also a member of the official board of the church, and 
in all of his religious work was nobly assisted by his devoted wife, who with 
her husband was foremost in doing good in the cause of the Master. Politi- 
cally he was originally a Whig, and after the organization of the Republican 
party joined its ranks, becoming a firm supporter of its principles. During 
his last years, however, he voted the Prohibition ticket. He was drafted 
during the Civil war and paid five hundred dollars for a substitute. Mr. 



230 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Innisi was a ver}^ generous man, contributing liberally to all churches regard- 
less of denomination, and to all worthy public enterprises. He was a self- 
made man, having begun life with no capital, and the success that he achieved 
was certainly justly merited. 

Maxwell P. Innis, the eldest son of our subject, was born on the home 
farm in Clinton township, September 12, 1855, and received his preliminary 
education in the district schools. In 1876 he entered the Ohio State Uni- 
versity, where he pursued the agricultural course. His education being com- 
pleted, he returned home in 1877 ^^^ remained under the parental roof until 
his marriage, which was celebrated November 26, 1882, Miss Mary E., a 
daughter of George Kirts, of this county, becoming his wife. Three children 
were born to them, but one died in infancy, the others being Ethel B. and 
Bessie M. The parents are both active members of the Methodist Episcopal 
church, and in politics Mr. Innis is a Prohibitionist. After his marriage he 
purchased twenty-five acres of land from his father, upon which he lived 
until 1895, when he removed to his present farm, having inherited the same 
from his father's estate. He owns seventy-eight acres of well improved land 
in Clinton township, and is successfully engaged in i.ts operations. Socially 
he is one of the most highly respected citizens of his community. 

JACOB M. WEIBLIXG. 

Jacob M. ^^'eibling, the proprietor of the leading livery stable of Wester- 
ville, was born in Woodbury, Morrow county, Ohio, on the 2d of May, 1857, 
and is a son of John and Catherine (Emahiser) \\'eibling, of whose family 
of four children only our subject siurvives. The father was born in York 
county, Pennsylvania, September 25, 1814, and there grew to manhood, 
learning the trade of cabinet-making. In his youth he married a Miss Klein- 
felter and they became the parents of seven children, of whom one is yet 
living, Mary, now the wife of Oliver Hathaway, of Edison, Ohio. 

Some years after his first marriage the father came to the Buckeye 
state, settling in WoodlDury, where he engaged in work at his trade and also 
followed farming. After the death of his first wife he married ]\Iiss Cath- 
erine Emahiser, and in 1858 they came to AVesterville, where the father en- 
gaged in carriage-painting. Subsequently he erected the building now owned 
by Lou Adams and opened a furniture store and undertaking establishment, 
which he conducted up to the time of his death. He was a thoroughgoing 
business man, industrious and reliable, and enjoyed a prosperous trade. For 
some time he was associated in business with Squire Arnold, and later ad- 
mitted to a partnership his son Edwin, who remained in the business up to 
his father's death, November 7, 1882. John Weibling was a skilled mechanic 
who could execute any kind of work in his line, and his success resulted from 
ability, capable management and enterprise. In his political views he was a 
stalwart Republican and was an active member of the United Brethren church. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 231 

His wife was born in York county, Pennsylvania, about 1829, and came to 
Ohio with her parents during her girlhood. She is still living, her^ home 
being Westerville. 

Jacob M. Weibling spent his boyhood days under the parental roof, and 
in the common schools obtained his education. At an early age he began 
to earn his own living as a farm hand, and when seventeen years of age en- 
tered upon an apprenticeship to the trade of harness-making. On the ex- 
piration of the four years he purchased the shop in which he had been 
employed, and conducted the business on his own account until 1892, when 
he purchased a room, admitted a partner and put in a stock of hardware and 
buggies' in connection with the harness and saddlery goods. Some three 
years later, however, they discontinued the trade in harness, implements and 
buggies, continuing to conduct only the hardware store. On account of his 
health Mr. Weibling was forced to leave the bench and it was this which led 
him to abandon the harness trade. In September, 1900, he sold his store and 
purchased the livery business of Burr Lunnberry and is now conducting the 
leading livery stable in the town. 

Mr. Weibling was united in marriage to Miss Anna Dailv, a native of 
Knox county, Ohio, and a daughter of Decorum Daily, now' of \\'averly, 
Kansas. They had two children, but ]\Iyrtle ^I., the elder, is now deceased 
Their living child is Merrill M. 

In his political views Mr. Weibling is a stanch Republican, is serving his 
second term as the township treasurer and is also the treasurer of the town 
of Westerville. He belongs to Blendon Lodge, No. 339, A. F. & A. M., 
^^'esterville Lodge, No. 273, K. of P., and to the Fraternal Mystic Circle! 
Having long resided in Westerville, there are few of the residents of this part 
of the county who do not know i\Ir. Weibling, and the high reputation which 
he has ever borne in business transactions, coupled with his genuine worth of 
character, have gained for him many friends. 



FREDERICK BARBBERT. 

The truth that the German element in our population is one of its best 
factors has been so many times emphasized in the lives of German emigrants 
wdio have found a home here and left an impression of their sturdy character 
on civilization that it is referred to here only to suggest a still further illustra- 
tion in the careers of members of the family of Barbbert, a somewhat peculiar 
name well known in Franklin county, Ohio. In 1840 Frederick and Dorida 
Barbbert, taking their infant son and a few of their portable belongings, 
sailed from the ''fatherland" in quest of better opportunities in the new world. 
Coming to Franklin county, Ohio, they located in old Clinton township, 
within the territory now known as North Columbus, whence they removed to 
Marion township, where Mr. Barbbert attained success as a gardener and 



232 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

where he and his good wife both died. They had ten children, six of whom 
are Hving. 

Frederick Barbbert, the eldest child of Frederick and Dorida Barbbert, 
was born in Germany December 3, 1839, and was six months old when his 
parents came to Franklin county, where he has lived since that time. lie 
was educated in the public schools near his home and all through his boyhood 
and young manhood was a valuable aid to his father in raising and marketing 
the products of his land. In 1862, when he was about twenty-three years 
old, he married Mary Fisher, who was brought to Ohio by her parents when 
she was about twelve years old and was doubly orphaned not many years after- 
ward, and located on his present farm and engaged in grain raising and 
gardening. His efforts have been crowned with such success that he is 
regarded as one of the prominent farmers and gardeners of his township. 
His farm, consisting of thirty-two acres, is bounded on one side by the cor- 
poration line of the city of Columbus, and because of its productiveness and 
its favorable location is considered valuable property. 

The children of Frederick and Mary (Fisher) Barbbert number four and 
they are named as follows: Daniel married Katie Ickner and is a well known 
gardener of Marion township. Mary is the wife of Rudolph Basseler and her 
husband is also a gardener in Marion township. Dora married John Homan, 
of Columbus, Ohio. Katie is not married, and since the death of Mrs. Barb- 
bert, in 1897, has been her father's housekeeper. Mr. Barbbert is a member 
of the Holy Cross Catholic church of Columbus. In political affiliation he 
is a Democrat when he votes the national ticket, but when he considers candi- 
dates for local offices he casts aside all thought of party and votes for the 
best men, for he is public-spirited to such a degree that he has exerted a rec- 
ognized influence on the development and prosperity of his township. Those 
who know him best respect him most highly and refer to him as one of the 
most honorable and reliable of men. 

ROBERT WILSON PERRY. 

The real-estate interests of Columbus, Ohio, have been increasingly im- 
portant as the city has advanced in wealth and population and its boundaries 
have extended, and they have for the most part been handled by first-class 
men. One of the well known real-estate operators of Columbus at this time is 
Robert Wilson Perry, who was born near Westerville, Franklin county, Ohio, 
in 1859, a son of George Perry. John Perry, the father of George Perry, 
fought the English in the war of 1812-14 as a member of a Pennsylvania 
regiment and died in the service. He was a native of Pennsylvania, as was 
also his wife Jennie. They located on a farm near Shippensburg, that state, 
in Franklin county, where he worked at the blacksmith's trade. About 1820 
he went out to war with the Indians and was never heard from afterward. 
He left a wife and one son. George. His widow five years afterward mar- 
ried a man named Kelly, while George was adopted by a lady of the name of 



^^^^^m^^^^?i. 




R. W. PERRY. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 233 

Rotts, and was brought to Ohio at the age of twelve years, the family settling 
northwest of North Columbus, on the Hess farm, when George was eighteen 
years old. After the marriage of his mother to ]\lr. Kelly he lost all trace 
of her. 

George Perry, the father of our subject, was born in Pennsylvania, in 
1 818, and in 1826, at the age of eight years, came with Mrs. Rotts to Frank- 
lin county. In 1840 he married Mr. Sherbourn's daughter Margaret, who 
was born in Pennsylvania in 1819, and died at Worthington, Franklin county, 
at the age of seventy-sixyears, in 1897. They had ten children, of whom 
the eldest, a boy, died. Mr. Perry spent all of his active years on a farm in 
Blendon township until 1884, when he retired to Westerville, whence he re- 
moved in 1897 to Worthington. Although now eighty-two years old. he is 
in good health and in possession of all his faculties. 

Mr. Perry has five brothers: and three sisters. Emory Andrews Perry 
is a grocer at Marysville, Ohio, and is an active and well known citizen of that 
town. George W., Frank Peeples, William Edward and John Roth Perry 
are all progressive farmers in Delaware county, Ohio. Jennie Perry married 
John Youell, and Mary Ellen Perry married John Huffman, and they both live 
in Worthington, Franklin county; and Anna Margaret Perry married the Rev. 
John Stottler, a minister of the Christian church, and lives at Mount Carmel, 
Illinois. 

Robert Wilson Perry, whose name introduces this review, was educated 
in the public schools of Blendon township and at Otterbein University, at 
Westerville, where he took a four-years normal course and branched out into 
business in 1886. From 1887 to 1889 he was in the creamery business at 
\\'esterville, and from 1889 to 1897 he was the city salesman at Columbus 
for the Circleville Creamery, at Circleville, Ohio, and since then he has de- 
voted himself exclusively to the real-estate business. He is a well known 
Republican, and was received as an Entered Apprentice, passed the Fellow 
Craft degree and was raised to the sublime degree of Master Alason in Frank- 
lin Lodge, No. 3, F. & A. M., of Columbus, and is a member also of the 
Eastern Star orders. He has demonstrated that he is a man of public spirit, 
who takes an interest in his city and county, and as a business man he is held 
in high esteem by all who know him. 

WILLIAM H. GROTTHOUSE. :M. D. 

The world instinctively pays deference to the man whose success has 
been worthily achieved, who has attained wealth by honorable business meth- 
ods, acquired the highest reputation in his chosen calling by merit, and whose 
social prominence is not less the result of an irreproachable life than of rec- 
ognized natural gifts. We pay the highest tribute to the heroes who on bloody 
battle-fields win victories and display a valor that is the admiration of the 
world. Why should tribute be withheld from those who wage the blood- 
less battles of civil life, who are conquerors in the world of business? 



234 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Greater than in almost any line of work is the responsil)ility that rests upon 
the physician. The issues of life and death are in his hands. A false pre- 
scription, an unskilled operation, may take from man that which he prizes 
above all else, — life. The physician's power must be his own; not by pur- 
chase, by g-ift or l)y influence can he gain it. He must commence at the very 
beginning, learn the very rudiments of medicine and surgery, continually add 
to his knowledge by close study and earnest application and gain reputation 
by merit. If he would gain the highest prominence it must come as the 
result of superior skill, knowledge and ability, and these qualifications are 
possessed in an eminent degree by Dr. Grotthouse. Although one of the 
vounger members of the profession, he is widely know^n as one of its most 
able representatives. 

The Doctor was born in Pittsburg. Pennsylvania, May 8, 1868, and is 
the second son and youngest child of Herman Rudolph and Margaret Maria 
(Kastens) Grotthouse, both of whom w^ere natives of Hanover, Germany. 
The father was born July 6, 1837, the mother in 1836. He is a son of John 
Rudolph Grotthouse, who was a pharmacist, as was also the great-grand- 
father of our subject. The former married Mrs. Myers, who was born in 
(Strubbe December 18, 1806, while his birth occurred July 2, 1802. By her 
former marriage Mrs. Myers had two children, — Henry and Regina, — both 
of whom preceded the mother to America, settling in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. 
Henry afterward became a resident of Holmes county, Ohio, where he mar- 
ried a Miss Leyman. He died in 1870, at the age of sixty-five years. He 
had two children. — Louise and William, — both of whom have now passed 
away. Regina Myers- married Henry Buddemeyer, of Pittsburg, who is 
now a retired merchant. They became the parents of two children. — Louise 
and Henry. The former died at the age of eighteen years, while the latter is 
a prominent citizen of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, now acting as the discount 
clerk in the German National Bank of that city. In 1853 John Rudolph 
Grotthouse came with his wife and three children, — John, Herman Rudolph 
and William, — to America. They landed in New York, whence they made 
their way to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where the eldest son, John, died in 
:854, at the age of twenty- four, a victim of the cholera. Both of the parents 
died of the same dread disease on the 21st of September, 1854, and upon the 
two surviving children devolved the sad of^ce of preparing the parents for the 
tomb. The youngest child, William, died in Pittsburg, in 1858, at the age 
of eighteen years, so that Herman Rudolph is the only survivor of the family. 

The Doctor's father was sixteen years of age when he arrived in Amer- 
ica. In Pittsburg. Pennsylvania, he learned the cooper's, trade, and was 
there married, in 1861, to Miss Margaret Maria Kastens, who came to Amer- 
ica in 1854. After their marriage they continued to reside in Pittsburg until 
June, 1868, Mr. Grotthouse there conducting a cooperage establishment. In 
that year they came with their family to Ohio, taking up their abode in Ber- 
lin, Holmes county, where the Doctor's father has since successfully followed 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 235 

his trade. He is known as a gentleman of sterling integrity and strong char- 
acter and is a valued citizen of his community. His wife died December 11, 
1 871. She was a devoted wife, a faithful and indulgent mother and a devoted 
Christian woman, who during her life was a consistent member of the Lutheran 
church. In the family were two sons : Henry Herman, who was born in 
Pittsburg January 30, 1865, and William Henry, of this review. 

The elder son was educated in the public schools of Holmes county and 
in early life he embarked in merchandising in Berlin, Ohio, and later was 
identified with commercial interests as. a merchant at Millersburg, where he 
carried on business until 1889, since which time he has been a well known 
and prominent representative of the Oliver Chilled Plow Company, with 
headquarters at Dallas, Texas. In 1900 he visited the Paris exposition and 
also paid a visit to the old home of his ancestors in Germany. He is a young 
man of fine attainments and is the president of the Texas State Endeavor 
Society. 

For his second wife Herman Rudolph Grotthouse wedded ]\Iary Gep- 
hart, and unto them were born two children, — Edward and Charles. The 
former died in infancy, and the latter is engaged in merchandising in Berlin 
and is an enterprising young man of twentj-two years. Mr. and Mrs. 
Grotthouse are both members of churches, the former being a Lutheran in 
religious connection, while the latter is a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
church. 

Of the maternal ancestry of the Doctor but little is known. His mother, 

Margaret Maria Grotthouse, was a daughter of and Wilhelmina 

Kastens, both natives of Hanover, Germany. The former was a farmer 
by occupation. He died very suddenly after attending the wedding of one of his 
daughters. Mrs. Kastens passed away March 11. 1869, at the age of sixty- 
five years, three months and two days. Their children were Henry,- Diedrich, 
P'rederick, Sophia, Margaret, Maria and Wilhelmina, all now deceased but 
Wilhelmina, who married Mr. Rottman and is a widow residing at the 
ancestral home in Germany. Sophia was the wife of a Mr. Klein. 

Dr. Grotthouse, whose name introduces this record, was brought to Ohio 
when only about a month old', the family locating in Berlin, Holmes county, 
\vliere hisi childhood days were passed in attendance at the public schools of the 
village. He there acquired his literary education, which he completed in the 
spring of 1886. During the last five years of that period he worked upon 
a farm for nine months of each year, attending school only through the winter 
months. In November, 1886, he entered the employ of the firm of Strome 
& Hull, pharmacists of Millersburg. Ohio, with whom he remained until 
October, 1891. In 1887 he began a home course of study in pharmacy, which 
he completed the following year and successfully passed the examination of 
an assistant pharmacist. In 1889 he took the regular pharmacy examina- 
tion and was duly registered according to the law of Ohio. In the spring of 
that year he began reading medicine, under the supervision of Dr. S. P. 



236 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Wise, a prominent physician of Millersburg. who was^ his preceptor initil 
October, 1891, at which time he matriculated in the StarHng- Medical Col- 
lege, of Columbus, Ohio, w^here he diligently prosecuted his studies in medi- 
cine'until the following ]\Iarch. At that time he entered the Wooster Medical 
College, of Cleveland, where he continued his studies until the following Sep- 
tember. He was then admitted to the ]\liami Medical College, of Cincin- 
nati, Ohio, where he completed his course, being graduated in that institution 
in April, 1893. During the nineteen months of arduous study in the above 
named institution the Doctor enjoyed only one vacation, of eight days. 

After his graduation he entered the office of his preceptor, with whom 
he practiced until 1894. in which year he came to North Columbus and estab- 
lished himself in the drug business, being associated with W. H. Shoup, of 
]Millersburg, Ohio. In 1899 he pursued a post-graduate course in the New 
York School of Clinical Medicine, wdiich institution conferred upon him 
its diploma of graduation. In his chosen profession he is a close student and 
keeps constantly in touch with the best thought of the ablest minds' in the 
medical fraternity. 

Dr. Grotthouse is a member of the ]\Iasonic order, belonging to Alag- 
nolia Lodge, No. 20, of Columbus, into which he was initiated June 30, 1896, 
and he is also a member of the Scottish-rite bodies. He is an ex-president of 
the Acacia Club, a social Masonic organization of North Columbus. Of the 
Congregational church of North Columbus he also is a member, and in social 
circles he is recognized as a popular and highly esteemed young man, enjoy- 
ing the sincere regard of the majority of those with whom he has been 
brought in contact. 

SA^IUEL D. DONEY. 

This enterprising and progressive citizen of Truro township is one of the 
most extensive farmers of Franklin county, and his management of the estate 
is marked by the scientific knowledge and skill which characterize the modern 
agriculturist. A native of Harrison countv, he was born in Athens town- 
ship February 27, 1858, and is a son of Abraham Covert Doney, whost birth 
occurred in Harrison county, Ohio, August 29, 1829. The paternal grand- 
lather, Samuel Doney, was also a native of Harrison county, where he died 
when comparatively a young man. 

The father became one of the most successful and prosperous farmers 
and stock-dealers and shippers of Truro township, where he located in 1865, 
his place being what was known as the W'hite Hall farm, w'hich name it 
receiA-ed on account of the White Hall tavern which once stood there and 
which was a stopping place for stages before the days of railroads. When 
he first came to the township ]Mr. Doney purchased three hundred acres of 
land v\-here our subject now resides. Prosperity crowned his well-directed 
efforts, and at the time of his death he left to his heirs six hundred acres of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 237 

valuable land which had been improved by him. For six years he most 
capably and satisfactorily served as justice of the peace, and then refused to 
longer allow his name to be used as a candidate for that office. He was 
also a school director for a number of years and was a Republican in national 
politics, but voted for whom he considered the best men at township and 
county elections. For a quarter of a century he was an active and prominent 
member of the Third Street jMethodist Episcopal church of Columbus, and 
was a liberal contributor to the same. He died January 28, 1900, at the age 
of seventy years, honored and respected by all who knew him. 

His' wife, who bore the maiden name of Emily V. Brock, was born in 
Fairfield county October 20, 1837, a daughter of Dr. Meredith D. Brock, who 
was also a native of Ohio and for twenty years was a resident of Columbus, 
where he died at the age of seventy-five. He was a prominent Knight 
Templar, having joined the Masonic order in 1835. In 1842 he organized 
Salem Lodge, No. 87, in which he held the office of worshipful master for the 
long period of twenty years. In 1854 he was elected junior grand warden of 
of the grand lodge of Ohio ; the following year served as senior grand warden ; 
in 1886 was elected deinity grand master, and filled the office of grand master 
during that Masonic year. In 1861 he organized Reynoldsburg Lodge and 
served as its worshipful master for eleven years, making in all thirty-one 
years in that office. In his ]\Iasonic work he laid corner-stones, dedicated 
halls and installed officers for many years and was one of the most prominent 
and popular officers in the order throughout this section of the state. To 
Abraham C. Doney and wife were born six children, of whom five are still 
living, namely: Jesse B., born February 10, 1856: Samuel D.. our subject; 
J'.iary C, deceased, born October 6, i860; DeWitt C, born :\Iarch 12. 1863; 
Carl G., born July 24, 1867; and Emma C born March 28, 1870. 

The district schools of hisi native township afforded Samuel D. Doney 
his early educational privileges, but later he attended the Capital University, 
of Columbus, the JMount Laiion College, in Stark county, this state, and the 
Ohio State University. When his school days were over he returned to 
Truro township and assisted his father in his farming operations. He is 
now administrator of the latter's estate, which consists of six hundred acres 
of farm land and other valuable property. Most of the farm is now operated 
by tenants. 

On the 31st of December, 1S91, 'Mr. Doney was united in marriage with 
Ida Sprague, of Truro township, who died July 30. 1897. In his political 
affiliations our subject is a Republican, but at local elections he generally 
votes independently of party lines. For twelve years he served as justice 
of the peace with credit to liimself and to the entire satisfaction of all con- 
cerned, and was also land appraiser in 1890. Socially he is' a Mason, a 
member of Goodale Lodge, No. 372, of Columbus, of Ohio Chapter, N(3. 12, 
and Columbus Council of that city, and is a Sir Knight of IMount Vernon 
Commandery. Religiously he is connected with the Third Street ^.lethodist 



238 CEXTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Episcopal church, eif which he has been a nienil)cr for twenty-one years. He 
is one of the most highly respected citizens of his c<nnmunity, and wherever 
known is held in high regard. 

J. M. POLSLEY. 

J. M. Polsley, a highly respected resilient of Columbus, w?as born in 
Brooke county. West Virginia, in 1845. His father, Daniel Polsley, was a 
native of Marion county, that state, born in the year 1803, and in the place 
of his nativity he continued to reside until 1824, when he left there and went 
to W^llsburg, in Brooke county, where he commenced the practice of law\ 
He became a leading and distinguished jurist and a man of great influence, 
l)eing a recognized leader of public thou^-ht and action. Perhaps no man 
in the state did more to secure the admission of West Virginia into the 
Union than did Daniel Polsley, who soon afterward w-as elected to represent 
the newly formed state in congress. He left the impress of his individuality 
upon public affairs, and his name is endearingly and honorably inscribed 
on the pages of the history of the commonwealth. 

During his' infancy Air. Polsley, of this review, was taken by his parents 
to Mason county. West Virginia, the family settling at Graham Station, 
where he continued to reside upon the home farm, aiding in the work as far 
as his strength and years would permit. His educational privileges were 
somewhat meager, but he attended school at intervals until seventeen years 
of age. Avhen he became connected with steamboating on the Ohio river, fol- 
lowing the river in various capacities for a period of almost thirty years, 
during which time he occupied almost all of the different positions known to 
river navigation. During the period of the Civil war he was acting as pilot 
on government vessels and is one of the few sur\iving oflicers of the fleet of 
steamboats' engaged in transporting General Grant's army across the Ten- 
nessee river on the day previous to the battle of Shiloh or Pittsburg Land- 
ing. On the boat wdiich he piloted, known as the Tigress, the general him- 
self and his staff were conveyed to the point where the battle was fought, — • 
a battle which has since become famous in the history of the war between 
the north and the south. Although less than twenty years of age at the time, 
Mr. Polsley was found at his post of duty while the iron hail w^as rattling 
around him and bravely steered his vessel through the raging flood safely to 
the landing place. But few instances of similar courage and bravery are 
believed to have been shown by persons not actually enrolled in the army 
during the Civil war. On the occasion of General Buell reinforcing General 
Grant at Shiloh, the latter met Buell at the landing, on the steamer Tigress. 
General Buell inquired, "What preparation have you made to retreat? You 
have not boats enough to carry ten thousand soldiers.'' After quietly remov- 
ing his cigar General Grant replied, "Sir, if I retreat I do not expect to have 
ten thousand soldiers to retreat with." During the progress of the battle 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 239 

General Grant's horse fell, spraining the General's ankle so badly that he 
had to return to the steamer Tigress and have a crutch made. Mr. Polsley 
met him at the landing, assisting him off his horse, and instructed the car- 
l^enters to make the crutch. 

In 1870 Mr. Polsley was united in marriage to Miss Fannie J. Atkinson, 
a daughter of John Atkinson, of Gallipolis, Ohio, and was for many years 
a valued resident of that place, dying there in 1890, honored and respected 
by all who knew him. By this marriage the following children were born : 
Guy H., who was born in 1871 ; Rose V., born in 1873; Kate A., born in 
1875; and J. F., born in 1877. The family circle yet remains unbroken by 
the hand of death. The eldest son is residing in Point Pleasant, West Vir- 
ginia, and is connected with the Point Pleasant Register, a newspaper pub- 
lished in the county seat of Mason county. 

In 1884 Mr. Polsley removed to Gallipolis, where he continued to reside 
until the year 1898, when he brought his family to Columbus, where he now 
resides. He votes wath the Republican party, with which he has affiliated 
for thirty years as an unswerving advocate of its principles. He is now 
enjoying a well earned rest after long years of activity. 

EDGAR J. POCOCK. 

One of the esteemed citizens of the city of Coumbus. Ohio, a prominent 
business man and a veteran of the Civil war. is the subject of the present 
sketch. He was born June 21, 1838, near the village of Keene, Coshocton 
county, Ohio, a son of Joshua and Katherine (Wilson) Pocock, pioneers of 
eastern Ohio, who dated their entrance into the state back to the days when 
it was yet a territory. They were of excellent stock and were leaders in 
their section, where their names are still remembered with respect. 

Colonel Pocock received his education in the schools of his native countv. 
going thence to the Spring Mountain Academy, following which course he 
engaged in teaching school for a time, later conducting a dry-goods store. 
Unlike many of his brother officers^. Colonel Pocock won his promotion bv 
gallant service, having enlisted in the army as a private soldier and serving 
nearly four years. Among the more important battles in which he took part 
were Stone River, Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, 
during the last three commanding his company. He served all through the 
memorable campaign from Missionary Ridge to Atlanta, being on the staff 
of his brigade commander for a considerable period. At the battle of Resaca 
he was wounded, recovering in time, however, to take part in the battles 
around Atlanta and those of Spring Hill, Columbia, Franklin and Nashville, 
and the skirmishes which resulted in the dispersing of Hood's armv. 

When peace was attained Colonel Pocock resumed his mercantile pur- 
suits, first at Bloomfield, Ohio, and later at Coshocton, where he continued 
until 1884. At this time, desiring a change of business, he entered that of 



240 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

life insurance, and since then has continued in that line, except for a short 
interval. He is now occupying the position of general agent of the New- 
York Life Insurance Company, and was also the agent of the Northwestern 
Life Insurance Company, which has its main office in Milwaukee, Wiscon- 
sin. Colonel Pocock is well and most favorably known, his capable manage- 
ment of the affairs of the two great companies being satisfactory in the high- 
est degree. 

In 1876 Colonel Pocock wa& elected captain of the Coshocton Company 
of the Ohio National Guards, lieutenant-colonel of the Seventeenth Regi- 
ment, Ohio National Guards, in 1878, and later acted as its colonel for twelve 
years. He was in command of his regiment at the Cincinnati riots of 1884-5, 
and upon the accession of Governor McKinley he was appointed adjutant- 
general, resigning this honorable position, however, in 1893, to return to his 
business' of life insurance. 

Colonel Pocock was married in 1865, to Miss Mary A. Hunt, the daugh- 
ter of Judge Hunt, of Millersburg, Ohio. Three daughters were born to 
Colonel and ]\Irs. Pocock; Caroline A., the wife of Major Harry Parker 
Ward, of this city; Madeline, the wife of Harry Ross Jones, of Cleveland, 
Ohio ; and the ycungest daughter, Lucy H., is a student at the Ohio State 
University. 

Colonel Pocock has been highly honored by his former companions-in- 
arms, having been made commander of the Richard Lanning Post of the 
Grand Army, at Coshocton, and of McCoy Post, at Columbus, and stands 
high in the regard of many other veteran associations, one of these being 
the military order of the Loyal Legion. In every relation of life Colonel 
Pocock has borne well his part and Columbusi has no more highly esteemed 
citizen than he. 

DAVIS BROWN. 

Ohio, which was in its pioneer days a great camping ground utilized in 
the settlement of the west, retained as permanent residents many of those 
who were seeking to build their fortunes, and who, recognizing the value 
and possibilities of the territory here, were willing to let well enough alone. 
The history of events proves that Ohio rewarded all such pioneers most 
bountifully for the confidence they reposed in her. Franklin county was 
the stopping place of many on the journey to the vaguely defined west, and 
she presented opportunities which were recognized by some who remained, 
many of them eventually to reap the benefit of the work of men who had come 
before them and gone on. The name of Brown has long been connected 
with the history of Norwich township, and Davis Brown is a prominent rep- 
resentative of the family there. 

Basil Brown, the father of Davis Brown, was' reared near Baltimore, and 
fought for his country in the war of 181 2. He married Nancy Davis, who 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 241 

was born near Baltimore, a daughter of John and Ann (Simpson) Davis. 
With his wife and three children he came with a few other families to Ohio 
about 1 81 6. He brought along one horse and a few necessary agricultural 
implements, some tools, but no furniture to speak of except a bed. The 
families journeyed from Pittsburg to Point Pleasant by boat. They traveled 
from Point Pleasant to Delaware county, Ohio, by wagon and located on 
Elm creek, where Mr. Brown opened a shoemaker's shop and where the 
family remained one 3'ear. He then removed to Dublin, Franklin county, 
Ohio, where he soon established himself as a shoemaker, working part of the 
time in his shop and going sometimes to the homes of his customers and 
remaining until he had made shoes for the whole family. When not employed 
at his trade'he did any work that came to hand. His health failed eventually 
and in 1835 he set out for Maryland, hoping that the climate of his native 
state would restore him to his old-time vigor, but he was taken sick at Aliddle- 
town, Ohio, and died there in August. of that year. His widow did not 
marry again, and lived until November, 1869. 

The following items of information concerning their children will be 
found interesting in this connection : Louisa, who is deceased, was Mrs. 
Abraham Sells; Susie, also deceased, was Mrs. James Ramsey; Ann, deceased, 
was Mrs. George Kilpatrick ; Sarah married Edward Henry ; James is deceased ; 
Edith, deceased, was ]Mrs. Henry Martin : and Davis was born at Dublin, 
Washington township, Franklin county, Ohio, December 19, 1830. He 
attended one winter term of school of three months at Dublin. When old 
enough to work he wa& employed at farm labor by Mr. Eversole, who was 
also the proprietor of a sawmill, and after he had plowed or worked other- 
wise in the fields all day he was oftenkept busy until late at night carrying 
lumber out of the mill. His father had died when he was only five years old, 
his mother was poor and the country was new, and he considered himself 
fortunate to be able to earn five dollars a month and his board even by hard 
and continuous work that would have sent a man away looking for some- 
thing easier. By the time he was twenty-one years of age he had saved enough 
money to buy a team and wagon, and he began life for himself on a rented 
farm. February 18, 1858. he married ]\Iiss Viana Urton, who was born in 
Franklin county, Ohio, October 5, 1838, a daughter of John and Keziah 
(Bishop) Urton. 

In the spring of i860 ]\Ir. Brown removed to Norwich township. Frank- 
lin county, Ohio. He rented a farm there for four years and then bought 
fifty acres of land which adjoins his present farm and which consists of one 
hundred and eighty acres. He has made many improvements in the way 
of buildings, fences and orchards. He also owns a farm of one hundred and 
forty-five acres situated partly in Washington township and partly in Norwich 
township. Mrs. Brown died March 27, 1894. and his loss is one which he 
believes can never be repaired. She was a model wife and mother and a 
devout member of the JMethodist Episcopal church at Hilliard's, of which 



242 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Mr. Brown has been a trustee since its organization. She bore him five 
children, who are here mentioned in the order of their nativity : James mar- 
ried Mattie Van Schoit and is a resident of Norwich township; Isabel mar- 
ried J. W. Shepper, of Columbus, Ohio; Charles married Ida Warren and 
lives in Washington township; Basil married Sadie Floyd and assists his 
father in the management of the home farm; and Emma ]\I. married Edward 
Baldwin. ]\Ir. Brown cast his first presidential vote for John Charles Fre- 
mont, the "pathfinder," and his next for Abraham Lincoln, and he has voted 
for every Republican presidential nominee since. He is influential in the 
councils of his party, and though not a seeker for office he has been prevailed 
upon to accept some positions of trust and responsibility. He has been a 
member of the school board of Norwich township and was for feeven years 
township trustee. He is a public-spirited man, always ready to aid his fel- 
low citizens to the extent of his ability, and his assistance is always generous 
and practical. 

SAMUEL J. COCHRAN. 

Honored retirement from labor is the fitting reward of a well spent life. 
Diligence, industry and capable management will cause the portals 'of success 
to swing wude before the individual, and when he has garnered the reward 
of his efforts it is but just that he should enjoy a period of rest surrounded 
by the comforts that former toil has brought to him. This has been vouch- 
safed to Mr. Cochran. He is now pleasantly located in a comfortable home 
at No. 1035 Dennison avenue, Columbus, Ohio. 

He was born October 22, 1832, in Chester county, Pennsylvania. His 
parents were both natives of Pennsylvania, but were of Scotch descent. His 
father, James Cochran, died about the year 1859, while his mother passed 
away in 1897, at the very advanced age of eighty years. The public schools 
afTorded him his educational privileges. On the 6th of April, 1853, he was 
united in marriage to Miss Emily B. Greer, the wedding being celebrated at 
her home in Mif!lin county, Pennsylvania. 

The year following his marriage Mr. Cochran renimed with his young 
wife to Shelby, Richland county, Ohio, where he entered the service of the 
Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati Railroad Company. For a year and a 
half they resided in that county and then removed to Cleveland, Ohio, where 
they also remained for a similar period, taking up their abode afterward in 
Zanesville, this state. Mr. Cochran was in the service of the Central Ohio 
Railroad Company for a quarter of a century, and his ability and fidelity won 
him promotion from time to time. He served successively as a passenger 
conductor, master of transportation and as superintendent of the Bellaire & 
Southwestern. On the expiration of that period Mr. Cochran retired to 
private life, having in the meantime acquired a very handsome competence, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 243 

which suppHes him with all the comforts^ and many of the luxuries which go 
to make life worth the living. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Cochran has been born but one child, ;Mrs. Saidie 
Janet Cull, who was married in 1898. Her husband is the owner of a large 
sheep ranch in Wyoming and there they spend the summer months in the 
mountains, while the winter season is passed in their pleasant home in Colum- 
bus. Mr. and Mrs. Cochran have a very wide circle of friends in this city^ 
and enjoy the warm regard of many who know them. Of different fra- 
ternal organizations he is an active and valued member, being a representative 
of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Knights of Pythias. 
In political views he is a Jacksonian Democrat, and in the questions of the 
day he takes a deep interest, keeping well informed concerning the issues, yet 
never desiring public office. His life has been one of activity in the business 
world, and the success which he has achieved is a fitting crown of his well 
directed labors. 

CHARLES W. HALDY. 

A worthy representative of the thrifty, progressive German factor in 
the population of Franklin county, Ohio, which has done so much for the 
advancement of all its leading interests, is Charles W. Haldy, of Franklin 
township, who devotes his time to farming and to the management of his 
father's large estate. Mr. Haldy is a son of Frederick Haldy, a biographical 
sketch of whom will be found elsewhere in this work, and was born at 
Zweibruecken, Germany, June 23, 1848, and was only a year and a half old 
when Frederick Haldy and his wife, Louisa, brought him to the United States. 
The family came to New York city and thence to Columbus, where Charles 
W. Haldy secured his primary education in the public schools. In 1S62, 
when he was fourteen years old, his parents removed to their farm on A\'est 
Broad street, where he has since lived and where he began active life as a 
farmer and dairyman. 

After his marriage, which occurred May 11, 1887, he began farming for 
himself and has developed a considerable dairy business. Since the retire- 
ment of hisi father he has been in charge of his estate, having supervision 
over two hundred acres of land in Franklin township near the Columbus 
corporation line, and of much city property. He is a director in the new 
Columbus Watch Company and is a stockholder in the concern manufacturing 
the Hallwood cash register, and is interested in the Ambos building and in 
other valuable real estate in Columbus. He is not only a man of good busi- 
ness ability but also possesses a wide range of general information and has 
traveled extensively both in America and in Europe, having in 1883 visited 
England, Germany, Holland, Switzerland and Belgium. A Republican in 
politics, he has taken an active part in political work and at this time holds 



244 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

the office of judge of elections. He is a member of the Independent Order 
of Odd Fellows. 

jMr. Haldy married Norma E. Schueller, a native of Columbus, Ohio, 
and a daughter of the late Ernst Schueller, who was prominent in that city 
as a druggist and respected as a citizen. Mr. Schueller married Helen Wirth, 
and Mr&. Haldy, who was their second child and oldest daughter, was grad- 
uated at the Columbus high school. Mrs. Schueller was born at Leipsic, 
Germany, a daughter of an old "fatherland" family, and came when young 
to Columbus, where she formed the acquaintance of, and married, Mr. 
Schueller, also of German birth and parentage. Charles W. and Norma E. 
(Schueller) Haldy have two daughters, named Helen and Gertrude. 

PERCY S. LOWRY. 

The subject of this sketch was born at Senecaville, Guernsey county, 
Ohio, ]\Iarch 6, 1866, being one of the six children of Porter and Susan 
Lowry. The latter was a daughter of Rev. Thomas and Jane Rosemond 
Taylor, prominent in the pioneer history of the county. In and near Seneca- 
A'ille the subject of our sketch resided until eighteen years of age, attending 
school in winter and helping on the farm in summer. He then attended the 
Ohio Normal University, at Ada, Ohio, and taught school alternately, being 
graduated at that institution in 1889, with the degree of A. B. After then 
teaching" one year he received an appointment, through the civil service, in 
the war department at Washington, D. C. ^\^^ile fulfilling the duties of this 
position he also pursued the study of law at the Columbian University Law 
School, receiving, in 1893, the degree of LL. ]\I. Thereupon, having passed 
the state examination, he was admitted to the bar of Ohio and began the 
practice of his profession at Columbus, having resigned his government 
clerkship. 

In politics always a working Republican, ]\Ir. Lowry at once took an 
active part in political affairs of the capital city, and in 1900 was elected a 
justice of the peace, which office he now holds. 

September 5, 1900, he was united in marriage to ■Miss Gertrude Saun- 
ders, of Essex county, Virginia, but at that time residing in Washington, D. 
C. In fraternal circles he is a prominent member of the Knights of Pythias 
and of the Modern Woodmen of America. 

EUGENE LANE. 

One of the prominent professional men of the citv of Columbus, Ohio, is 
Eugene Lane, who is actively engaged in the practice of law in this city. 
He was born at Mount Carmel, Clermont county. Ohio. October i. 1848, 
and was a son of John S. and Anne (Richards) Lane. The grandfather of 
our subject was Shadrach Lane, who had come to Ohio as one of the pioneers 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 245 

from his native state of North Carohna. He married Betsey Van Eaton, also 
a native of the Old North state, who, like himself, had come early to Cler- 
mont county, Ohio. In this county occurred the .birth of the father of our 
subject, and here he spent most of his life, dying at Delaware, Ohio, in 1875. 
For many years he had been a successful farmer, also engaging in survey- 
ing and in civil engineering through the county. 

Mr. Lane spent his boyhood days on the farm and attended the district 
school until his sixteenth year. Just at this time came the exciting events 
leading up to the opening of the Civil war, and Mr. Lane, with others of hisi 
young companions, resolved to enter the army and do battle for the Union. 
Friends, however, prohibited this rashness, but were not able to quench the 
fire of patriotism burning in his bosom which resulted a short time later in 
another attempt, this time successful. Joining the army at Goldsboro, North 
Carolina, Mr. Lane w^as assigned to Company E, Fifth Ohio Volunteer Cav- 
alry, under Colonel Thomas Heath, and served faithfully until October 30, 
1865. He took part in several skirmishes and was for some time in General 
Shcrnian's command. 

After his return home from the army ]\Ir. Lane returned to his studies, 
entering the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, here meeting a large 
number of students who^like himself, had postponed their college courses 
until they could be assured of the safety of the country. He met there many 
young men who have since become prominent, both in business and politics, 
among them Hon. J. B. Foraker, General Axline and others. 

Mr. Lane graduated at the university in 1871 and soon afterward removed 
to Quincy, Illinois, where he engaged in business until the fall of 1875, return- 
ing then to Ohio, where he entered the law office of L. J. Critchfield, as a 
student of law, and in 1877 was admitted to the bar. Since that time ]\Ir. 
Lane has been in the active practice of his profession in this city. Always 
an active worker in the ranks of the Republican party, he became its choice, 
in 1893, for representative, and was elected to the state legislature. 

Mr. Lane was united in marriage to Miss Abbie A. Dexter, of Delaware, 
Ohio, on July 20, 1871. She is a daughter of Francis and Elizabeth (Peck) 
Dexter, natives of Vermont, but residents of Delaware, Ohio. A family of 
five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lane, as follows : Charles 
■Ey, a graduate of Starling Medical College, who served two years in the 
Spanish-American war, later being sent to the Philippines, was honorably dis- 
charged June 19, 1900, and is now practicing medicine at Lima, Ohio; Laura 
R., the wife of L. H. Vinson, a prominent manufacturer of Dayton, Ohio; 
Mazie E., a student; Ernest G.. who served in the Spanish-American war and 
is now employed at Dayton, Ohio; and Annie, who is a student. 

Mr. Lane has long been a very active worker in several organizations and 
liis services have been recognized by his appointment to some of the most 
important positions in the orders. He is a past master of York Lodge, A. F. 



246 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 

& A. ]\I., and past grand of Dennison I. O. O. F., also a past chancellor of 
Norwich Lodge, K. of P., and is a comrade in Beers Post, G. A. R. 

Mr. Lane is a lawyer of ability, thoroughly understanding the technical 
points of his profession, and possessing the power to impress his views upon 
his hearers. His career has been a very successful one, and his friends and 
admirers are not confined to the legal profession. 

JOSEPH ARMSTRONG. 

Joseph Armstrong was born in Belmont county, Ohio, near St. Clairs- 
ville, July 26, 1829, and is a son of John Armstrong and a grandson of 
Robert Armstrong. The latter was born in county Tyrone, Ireland, and his 
wife, Rose Ann Armstrong, was also a native of the locality. After the 
birth of their first child they emigrated to America, settling in Westmoreland 
county, Pennsylvania, and later came to Ohio, locating in Belmont county 
about 1824. There the grandparents of our subject spent their remaining 
days. Their children were James, William, John, Thomas, Robert, Samuel, 
Margaret and Rose Ann. The daughter Margaret became the wife of 
Thomas Thompson. The grandparents were members of the Free Presby- 
terian church and were exemplary Christian people. Mr. Armstrong died 
in 185 1, when more than eighty years of age, and his wife passed away ten 
or twelve years previously. 

John Armstrong, the father of our subject, was born in Westmoreland 
county, Pennsylvania, and was there reared to manhood, acquiring his edu- 
cation in its public schools. He married Miss Jane Thompson, a daughter 
of Joseph and Jane (Patton) Thompson, both of whom were natives of the 
Keystone state. The former entered the army during the Revolutionary 
war, loyally aiding in the struggle for the independence of the nation. After 
the establishment of the Republic he made his way over the mountains, set-- 
tling in Westmoreland county, where he w^as married. About 1824 he went 
to Belmont county, Ohio, in company with the Armstrong family, and there 
his death occurred, while his wife passed away in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, 
i.i 1836. Joseph Thompson, a son of Joseph Thompson, Sr., was in the war 
of 1 8 12 and was present at the time of Perry's magnificent naval victory on 
Lake Erie, on the loth of September, 1813, when the British fleet was 
destroyed. They had nine children, as follows : Joseph, William, James, 
Robert, Andrew, Thomas, Samuel, William and Jane. 

John Armstrong, the father of our subject, was born May 6, 1803, and 
therefore attained his majority when the family came to Ohio. After his 
marriage he continued to live in Belmont county until 1834, when he removed 
to Tuscarawas county, settling near Urichville, then called Waterford, and 
for seventeen years Mr. Armstrong followed farming in that locality. Pie 
then removed to Gallia county, Ohio, where he resided until 1858, when he 
came to Franklin county, locating in Perry township, where he purchased 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 247 

twenty-seven acres of land, now the town site of Elmwood. Upon that farm 
he made his home for a number of years, and on selling the property went 
to Liberty township, Delaware county, Ohio, where his wife died in 1873, 
at the age of seventy-one years, her birth having occurred in 1802. Mr. 
Armstrong died September 6, 1887. Both were members of the United 
Presbyterian church and their Christian conduct exemplified their belief. 

Joseph Armstrong, the immediate subject of thi& review, was reared on 
the old family homestead in Tuscarawas county, Qhio, and accjuired his 
education in the paid schools. In 1849 h^ began learning the carpenter's 
trade, serving an apprenticeship of three years, during which time he received 
eight dollars a month for the first year, ten dollars a month for the second 
and twelve dollars a month for the third year. He then started out upon an 
independent business career, in 1853, making a dollar a day. In 1853 he 
came to Franklin county, after having worked at carpentering in Madison 
county for about six months. Subsequently he removed to Delaware county, 
where he engaged in carpentering for a short time, during the winter of 
i854"5- He then took up his residence permanently in Perry township, and 
on the 20th of June, 1855, he was' united in marriage to Miss Louisa Hard, 
a native of Perry township and a daughter of Myron E. and Elizabeth Hard. 
In 1859 Mr. Armstrong purchased seventeen acres of land now comprising 
the site of Elmwood and continuously engaged in carpentering in connection 
with farming until 1875, when failing health compelled him to abandon his 
trade. He was a very competent workman and in the construction of build- 
ings gave very careful attention to designing the flues and constructing" them 
in a safe manner. It may be truthfully 'said that no house which he erected 
ever burned down. He has been a prosperous man, and his enterprise and 
thrift have resulted in the accumulation of a good property, now comprising 
one hundred and four acres. This is a valuable tract, highly cultivated and 
improved with all modern accessories. He may truly be called a self-made 
man, for he began life in Franklin county with a capital of only two dollars 
and a half. He borrowed ten dollars in order to purchase tools with which 
to engage in work at his trade, and his industry, perseverance, economy and 
capable management have been the factors in winning him prosperity. 

Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong have long been accounted most esteemed citi- 
zens of their community. Their many excellent qualities have gained for 
them warm friendship and they are now widely and favorably known. They 
have never had any children of their own, but have reared two adopted chil- 
dren. The son, Frank Armstrong, was a son of Robert Armstrong, a brother 
of our subject. At the present time Frank is now a conductor on the Pan- 
handle Railroad. They also adopted Ella Miller, who at the time was six 
years of age. They gave her their own name, carefully educated her in music 
and literature and for several years prior to her marriage she was a prominent 
teacher in the public schools of Franklin county. In 1877 she became the 
wife of George Coe and now has four children, — Bertha L., Elma, Harvey 



248 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

and Willard. Mr. Armstrong has held the office of township trustee and 
has always been a stalwart Democrat since casting his first vote for Franklin 
Pierce. Throughout his career he has been honorable, straightforward and 
energetic, a man whom to know is to esteem and respect. His life illustrates 
the power of diligence in the active affairs of life, and now with a competency 
carefully secured for his declining years he is enabled to spend the evening 
of life in (juiet and well earned rest. 

CHARLES A. PEARCE. 

The office of sheriff is the highest executive office within the gift of the 
people of any county. It is an office of responsibility, demanding in its in- 
cumbent not only first-class business ability but integrity in the highest degree. 
Franklin county, Ohio, has had many good sheriffs, but it has had none who 
filled the office more efficiently or more entirely to the satisfaction of the gen- 
eral public than it is being filled at this time by Charles A. Pearce. 

Mr. Pearce is a native of Columbus and was born on Christmas day, 
ri854, a son of Grafton and Alvina (Auter) Pearce. He received his pri- 
mary education in the public schools of the city and at a private school. After 
putting aside his text-books he entered the service of the Columbus Buggy 
Company, with whom he remained for twenty-four years. For many years 
as a Republican he has been identified with local and state politics and has 
done much important work for his party. In November, 1899, he was 
elected the sheriff of the county and he assumed the duties of his office in 
January, 1900. He is a thirty-second-degree Mason and also a member 
of the Odd Fellows order, the Knights of Pythias and the order of Elks. 

Mr. Pearce has made his own way in the world to a position of trust and 
responsibility among his fellow men, and it may be said of him as truly as of 
any other man in the best sense of the term; and those who know best how 
he gained his present place know how well and truly he deserves it ; and leading 
men of Columbus, irrespective of party, rejoice with him in his success. 

RODNEY R. COOKE. 

Rodney R. Cooke, deceased, was born on the old Cooke homestead in 
Clinton township, Franklin county, on the 26th of February, 1832. He was 
a son of Rodney Cooke and Laura (Cowles) Cooke, was a pioneer of the 
county and was reared upon hi& father's farm, obtaining his preliminary edu- 
cation in the district schools and in Otterbein L^niversity, where he pursued 
a partial course before attaining his majoritv. He afterward followed farm- 
ing and school-teaching until his enlistment in the Civil war, on the 22d of 
Feljruary, 1864, for three years or during the war. He was assigned to 
Company G, of the Fifty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and in March 
following he joined his regiment, which was then doing service in Kentucky. 
He participated in the battle of Snake Creek Gap, on the 8th of Mav: Resaca, 




CHARLES A. PEARCE. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 249 

from the 13th to the i6th of May; Dahas, May 25; Kenesaw ^lountain, 
July 9; and the battle of Atlanta, on the 26th of July. He was al'so in sev- 
eral skirmishes, and about the ist of September, 1864, was taken ill and sent 
to the hospital in the rear of Atlanta. He was afterward transferred to 
various ho'spitals until he arrived at Bedloe's island, New York, and later 
was sent to Hilton Head, South Carolina, where he remained until the close 
of the war. He then participated in the grand review at Washington, in May, 
1865. He served with the First Brigade, Second Division, Fifteenth Army 
Corps, under Generals Sherman, McPherson and Logan, while Captain James 
Wilson, of Findlay, Ohio, had command of the company, and Colonel A. X . 
Rice of the regiment. He was honorably discharged June 2y, 1865. but 
returned an invalid from the w'ar. Broken down in health, he was largely 
incapacitated for performing manual labor upon the farm. However, he 
accomplished his work as well as he could, a resolute will enabling him to> 
perform the task. 

On the 24th of May, i860, Mr. Cooke was married to Miss Cloe Will- 
iams, a daughter of William and Lucinda (Phelps) Williams, of Delaware 
county, Ohio. By this marriage was born a daughter, Luella Z., who fills 
a position in the patent office in Washington, D. C. Mrs. Cooke's father 
was a native of Pennsylvania, born in Bedford county, where his early life 
was passed. In 1800 his parents came to Ohio, settling in Fairfield county,, 
near Lancaster, during the early childhood of their son. In 1807 they took 
up their abode in Genoa, Delaware county, Ohio, wdiere a permanent home 
was made. William Williams was a son of Rev. John and Margaret (Taylor)^ 
Williams. The former was a chaplain in the colonial' army during the Revo- 
lutionary war. He was born in Maryland and was of Welsh descent, his 
father having probably been born in the little rock-ribbed country of Wales, 
becoming the founder of his branch of the family in America. A minister 
of the Methodist Episcopal church. Rev. Mr. Williams became one of the 
early itinerant preachers in Ohio. He also followed farming and purchased 
fourteen hundred and ninety-six acres of land in Genoa township, Delaware 
county. He had nine children, all of whom have now passed away. Thomas, 
the eldest 'son, was a babe wdien his parents removed from Maryland to Bed- 
ford county, Pennsylvania. They traveled on horseback, carrying the baby,. 
"Tom," in a basket. Out of this he rolled to the ground, when the mother 
exclaimed, "Law^s 'a' massy ! my baby is killed ! " but the little fellow was not 
hurt at all. The other children are: Linda, born January 3, 1785; William, 
August 23, 1787; Martha, September 3, 1791; Elizabeth, October 22, 1793: 
Margaret, March 10, 1795; James, in 1797; Nancy, August 16, 1801 ; and 
]\Iary, August 28, 1803. Rev. Mr. Williams, the father, died April 7. 1814. 
at the age of fifty-seven years, two months and nine days, and his w'ife passed 
away February 13, 1833, at the age of seventy-five years and seventeen days. 

William Williams, the father of Mrs. Cooke, was married, in Ohio, to 
Lucinda, a daughter of Edward and Azubah (Aloore) Phelps, who were 

16 



250 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

pioneers of Franklin county, having located in Blendon township in 1806, 
entering land there from the government. They removed westward from 
Windsor, Connecticut, and made a permanent home in Blendon township, 
becoming identified with the best interests of the county and with all lines of 
substantial improvement. Mr. and Mrs. Phelps had eight children, namely: 
Edward, born May 10, 1790; Abraham, August 16, 1791; Azubah, May 19, 
,1794; Lewis, January 10, 1796; Lucinda, January 28, 1797; Cloe, May 30, 
1799; William, September 26, 1802; and Homer M., February 9, 1812. The 
last named was a native of Blendon township. Edward Phelps was a suc- 
cessful farmer and carried on agricultural pursuits throughout his active 
business career, dying August 10, 1840, in his eighty-first year, and his wife 
passed away October 18, 1849, i^i Delaware county, Ohio, at the age of eighty- 
five years. When eighty years of ag"e she w^as immersed, becoming a mem- 
ber of the Disciple church. 

William Phelps, of Tewkesbury, England, came to America in the good 
ship Mary and John in 1630, and was the first settler of Windsor, Connecti- 
cut, 1635. Edward, son of Timothy, son of Cornelius, son of Timothy, son 
of William and Mary (Dover) Phelps, with his wdfe, Azubah (Moore) 
Phelps, and sons-, Abram, Edward and William, and daughters, Lucinda, 
Chloe and Azubah, were the first settlers of Bkndon, Franklin county, Ohio, 
locating there in August, 1806, with Isaac and Ursula Griswold. 

Edward Phelps left Windsor, Connecticut, with his wife and six chil- 
dren, and his wife's father and mother, Simeon and Hannah (Barber) Moore, 
also with Isaac Griswold, his wife and two sons and their families. They 
started for Blendon, Ohio, arriving at Worthington on the 24th of August, 
1806. The journey was made with ox teams and two months passed before 
they reached their destination. In October of the same year Mr. and Mrs. 
Phelps removed to Blendon township, two and a half miles further east, 
their home being near Alum creek. They located in the midst of the forest, 
and for more than four years had no neighbors nearer than Worthington. 
The fourteen persons constituting the party on the westward journey were 
the first white settlers of Blendon township. They were obliged to cut a 
road from Granville to Worthington, a distance of twenty miles, and were 
prominently identified with the pioneer development. 

After his marriage William Williams located on the home farm in Genoa 
township, Delaw^are county, Ohio, where he and his wife remained through- 
out the residue of their days. They had fifteen children, five now living, 
namely : Amos, a resident of Meriden, Kansas ; Alma, the wife of Harry 
Grinnell, a resident of Kankakee, Illinois; Mrs. Cloe Cooke, of Clintonville, 
Ohio; Lucinda L., the widow of William Vincent, of Delaware county, Ohio; 
and Victor A., who resides on the old homestead in that county. Those who 
have passed aw-ay are : Homer, Milton, Miles, Emily, Edward, Harriet, 
Mary, Harlow, Corintha and Virgil. The last named w-as a member of Com- 
pany D, Twentieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He enlisted September 24, 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 251 

1861, for three years, and saw active service, participating in a number of the 
most hotly contested engagements of the war, in one of which — Champion 
Hills — he received a wound on the forehead from a spent ball. This sub- 
sequently caused his death, which occurred June 19, 1875. ^^ ^^'^^ a mem- 
ber of Galena Lodge, No. 104. I. O. O. F. He participated in the battles at 
Fort Donelson, Pittsburg Landing, Corinth, luka, Metamora Cross Roads, 
Grand Junction, Grand Gulf, Raymond, Champion Hills, siege of Vicks- 
burg and others. He was a brave and valiant soldier and performed every 
duty with that care and fidelity which stamped him as one of the nation's 
truest and most loyal defenders. As a citizen, son, brother and husband 
he discharged every duty with fidelity similar to that which he displayed 
when following the old flag that he loved so well. 

On the 25th of May, 1865,. he married Emeline Cox, and unto them 
were born three children : lone Cox, who was born January 8, 1868, and was 
married, in 1886, to Ira H. Steele; Bertha Phelps, who was born July 15, 
1871, and became the wife of George W. Page; and Gilbert Hoover, who was 
born March 12, 1873, and died January 11, 1875. Victor Williams, the 
twin brother of Virgil Williams, was born in Genoa, Ohio, August 16, 1839, 
and was married, September 12, 1865, to Priscilla Martin. Their children 
were as follows: Lucinda, who was born October 24, 1866; Edward, born 
June 4, 1 87 1, and died two days later; Clayton Gilbert, born August 24, 
J1872, and married Elizabeth Haines; Effie Fayette, .born May 8, 1875, and 
was married, April 29, 1897, to Charles F. McCarty; Virgil Clifton, who 
was born August 31, 1878; and Clarence Victor, born on the 31st of 
May, 1884. 

Mrs. Williams, the mother of INIrs. Rodney R. Cooke, died November 
25. 1873. Both she and her husband held membership in the ^Methodist 
Episcopal church and they always entertained the ministers at their home. 
Mr. Williams was a soldier in the war of 18 12. 

Simeon Moore, Jr., was born March 20, 1760, and was married to Han- 
nah Cooke, who died October 27, 1796. His second wife bore the maiden 
name of Elizabeth Andrews, and after her death he wedded Mrs. Roxana 
]\Ieacham. He served with the Connecticut troops at the battle of Bunker Hill 
and then returned home, afterward enlisting in Captain Ben Hammond's 
company, receiving an honorable discharge at the close of the war. He then 
entered the privateer's service, in which he remained for a year or two. On 
the 7th. of June, 1807, he became a resident of Blendon township, Franklin 
county, Ohio, where he purchased five hundred acres of land. He served 
as a justice of the peace of the township from 1810 until 181 5. On the 
journey to Ohio he had been accompanied by his wife, her brother Benjamin, 
his son Simeon and daughter Phoebe, and five of his wife's children by her 
first husband. He died June 26. 1825. The children of his' first marriage 
were Polly. Lovina. \\'ealthy. Simeon and Hannah. By the second marriage 
the children were Elhannan W., Thomas J. and Phoebe, and the onlv child of 



252 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

the tliird marriage was Benjamin, who was the first white child born in 
Blendon township, his natal clay being June ii, 1807. 

it will thus be seen that the ancestors of Mrs. Cooke have been promi- 
nent factors in the improvement, development and upbuilding of Franklin 
county. She is a member of the United Brethren church, with which she 
has long been connected, and is a consistent Christian woman. She is a mem- 
ber of the Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic, having on its organiza- 
tion joined Colonel Ellsworth Circle, No. 11, of Columbus. For two terms, 
of one year each, she served as its president and has also been its chaplain 
by election, secretary by appointment two years, and department chaplain of 
the L. of the G. A. R. one year. She is a member of the Rebekah Order 
of the Odd Fellows, belonging to Chidsey Lodge, No. 399, held the office of 
noble grand one term, was chaplain three terms and deputy three years. She 
was tlien elected for a fourth year, but declined to serve. 

]\Irs. Cooke is a lady of prominence, fearless, sincere and eanjest in what- 
ever she champions. She is loyal to the defenders of her country, and her 
chief pleasure is to perpetuate in the minds of the young the g'ratitude and 
honor which is so justly deserved by those who followed the starry banner 
upon the battle-fields of the south. Her husband died October 28, 1886, hav- 
ing been confined to his bed eleven years, and his sickness and death resulting 
from his army experience. His was a record of a noble and useful life, 
consistent with the right, and wherever he was known he was held in the 
highest regard. In many respects his career was w^orthy of emulation, and 
among the representative men of Franklin county he well deserves mention. 

WILLL\M EDGARDSON MEYER. 

This is embphatically an age in which the young man is prominent. He 
is a leader in business, in the professions, in religious works and in politics. 
Columbus, Ohio, has a good representation of young men, and not the least 
popular of them is the well-knowai young Republican wdiose name is above. 

William Edgardson Meyer is a son of Charles and Louise (Bowman) 
Meyer, and was born near Steubenville, Jefferson county, Ohio, in 1867, 
and at the age of thirteen w^as brought to Columbus by his parents, who 
took up their residence here in 1880. ]\Ir. Meyer began his eSucation at 
Steubenville and finished it at Columbus. He began his active career in 
the shops of the Columbus Buggy Company, where he learned carriage paint- 
ing in all its branches^ and for several years he has been a contractor for 
house painting and as sucTi has won deserved success. 

From boyhood Mr. Meyer has taken an interest in politics. At the 
age of sixteen he w^as a drummer for the Southside Republican Club, which 
won a banner for being the best drilled Republican club in the state. Before 
he was twenty-one he painted the Thirteenth ward Republican banner. He 
lias been a delegate to state and county conventions of his party, a member of 
the Republican countv executive committee, secretarv of the First Ward 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 253 

Republican Club, the captain of its drum corps, a member of the Buckeye 
Republican Club, and the Young Men's Republican Club. For three years 
he held a clerkship in the office of the recorder of Franklin county, and 
October i, 1899, he was appointed to his present responsible position as the 
superintendent of the court-house. 

Mr. Meyer is an Odd Fellow, a iMason, a Red ^lan and a member of 
the order of the Helping Hand, and in all relations with his fellow citizens 
has won the highest esteem. He was married in Columbus to .Miss Mary 
Duce, a daughter of Franklin Duce, who with his wife came from Germany 
many years ago, and is an old and respected resident of Columbus. j\Irs. 
Meyer' is a member of the ^Methodist Episcopal church. 

GEORGE WATT. 

George \\'att, who is numbered among the native sons of Blendon town- 
ship, was born September 30. 1832, and is of Scotch lineage. His grand- 
father, Hugh Watt, was a native of Scotland, and married Elizabeth Reed, 
who was born in Ireland and came with her parents to the new world when 
a child. The voyage was an unusually long one, so that the supply of pro- 
visions became exhausted and the family, with all on board, 'suffered for the 
want of food. The father of our subject was John Watt, who was born 
in Fairfield county, Ohio, in 1804. His father died in that county and the 
mother afterward came with the children to Franklin county. After resid- 
ing in Franklinton for a short period they took up their auode in Blendon 
township, on the farm now owned by Vos Schrock. The grandmother sub- 
sequently removed to Fort Wayne, Indiana, to make her home wTh her 
daughter. John Watt was reared under the parental roof, and in early man- 
hood wedded Lorena Billington, who was born in Delaware county, Ohio, 
about 181 1, and was a daughter of John Billington, who came to Franklin 
county at an early day, settling upon a farm adjoining the Watt homestead. 
Later he removed to La Porte, Indiana, where both he and his wife died. An 
ancestor of John Billington came with his family to the new world on the 
?*Iayflower in 1620. ]\Irs. Watt passed away about 1841, and the father 
afterward wedded Miss Hannah Cooper, a daughter of ^\'illiam Cooper, 
who came to Franklin county, Ohio, in 1809. By the first marriage there 
were two children, — George and Charles. After his first marriage John Watt 
took up his abode upon the home farm, where he resided for five years, wdien 
he purchased the farm that was afterward occupied by our subject, there 
continuing to reside until September, 1849, when his life's labors were ended 
in death. 

George Watt attended the common schools of the neighborhood in his 
youth and also worked upon the farm, assisting in the labors of field and 
meadow. He was only seventeen years of age at the time of his father's 
death, and as he was the eldest son the management of the farm devolved 
upon him. Later he and his brother operated the farm in partnership until 
the marriage of George Watt, in 1855, when the property was divided, our 
subject becoming the owner of the north half of the place. To this he added 



2 54 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

from time to time until he owned one hundred and seventy acres of rich 
land under a high state of cultivation. Throughout his business career he 
carried on agricultural pursuits and stock-raising, and was very successful 
in his work, becoming one of the substantial men of the county. 

It was on December 5, 1855, that Mr. Watt was united in marriage 
to j\liss Clarissa Dill, a native of Mitiflin township, Franklin county, and a 
daughter of David and Mary (Turney) Dill. Her father was born in Nova 
Scotia in 1809, and some years afterward took up his abode in Mifflin town- 
ship, where he engaged in farming until his death, in 1850. The marriage 
of Mr. and Mrs. VVatt w-as blessed with four children, all of whom are yet 
living, namely: Mary L. and Carrie, both at home; Alice D., the wife of 
Arthur C. Adams, a farmer of Blendon township, by whom she has two 
daughters, Willma and Marian; and John E., who is kill on the homestead 
farm. ]\Ir. Watt belonged to the Presbyterian church, and in politics he 
was a Republican. While he never neglected his duties of citizenship and 
supported men and measures for the general good, his time and attention 
were largely given to farming, which he made the means of livelihood for 
himself and family. His tabors resulted in bringing to him a good income, 
and he was numbered among the well-to-do residents of Blendon township 
at the time of his death, which occurred on the 4th of April, 1901. 

JOHN HAYWOOD. 

The work of the teacher is one which demands ability, integrity and the 
love of humanity, and to have grown old as a teacher, always busy, always 
successful, is an honor more to be prized than riches. The subject of this 
sketch is the oldest teacher now living of Otterbein University, long a promi- 
nent educational institution and one of the landmarks in the history of»- 
Franklin county, Ohio. , 

John Haywood, LL. D., was born at Stockton, New York, March 16, 
1825. James Haywood, his father, was born at Jaffrey, New Hampshire, 
October 7, 1790, and there learned the blacksmith's trade. About 181 5 he 
removed to Chautauqua county. New York, where he was among the early 
settlers. He worked for a time as a blacksmith, but eventually became a 
merchant, opening the first small store in a log building at Stockton. He 
closed out ihat business about 1839, and removing to Brockton, New York, 
resumed blacksmithing, at which he was employed until late in life, when 
he engaged in the grocery trade. He died August 22, 1872. He was a 
self-made man, who acquired a good education. Always active and enter- 
prising, he was fairly successful in life. Politically he was a Whig, and 
later he was a Republican, but he was not a practical politician and took little 
l)art in political work. Benjamin Haywood, tlie grandfather of Dr. John 
Haywood, was a native of New England, and risked his life for the cause 
of the colonies in the Revolutionary war. The original American ancestor 
of the family was John Haywood, who came from England in the seven- 
teenth century. James Haywood married Tryphena Byam, June 19, 1814. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 255 

Mrs. Haywood, who was born at Chelmsford, Massachusetts, February 20, 
170-^ and died 'November 8, 1876, bore her husband ten children, named as 
follows in the order of their nativity: Sarah, April 2, 181 5, died February 
4. 1847; Martha, March 14. 1817, died June 29, 1896; Mary, June 3, 1819, 
died January 2, 1900; James B., January i, 1822, died March 11, 1876; 
William. ^lay 4, 1823, died October 12. 1886; John; George B., February 
3, 1828, died February 5, 1895; Byam, who died in infancy; Joseph, Feb- 
ruary II, 1831, died January 3, 1842; and Melinda J., December 5, 1833, 
died February 7, 1868. 

Dr. Haywood attended the public schools near his home m western New 
York, learned the blacksmith's trade of his father and assisted the latter 
until he was about twenty-one years old. He then entered Oberlin College, 
at Oberlin. Ohio, and was graduated in the class of 1850. After his grad- 
uation he taught a private academic school for two terms. In March, 185 1, 
he came to Westerville, Franklin county. Ohio, to teach an institution which 
later became known as Otterbein College, which was then a small school 
under the auspices of the United Brethren church, employing only two 
teachers. The school prospered, and about a year after Dr. Haywood took 
up his work there a faculty w^as organized and he was called to the profes- 
sorship of mathematics and sciences, and he served in that capacity, \yith 
distinguished success, until 1862, when he resigned to become the principal 
of the academv at Kingston, Ross county, Ohio. In 1867 he returned to 
Otterbein College and w^as a prominent member of its faculty until 1896, 
when his hearing became impaired and he found it advisable to retire. 

Miss Svlvia Crrpenter, a teacher also of Otterbein University, born 
August 17. '1828, at Liberty, Ohio, became the wife of Dr. Haywood, and 
died October 24, 1886. They had six children, three oT whom died in child- 
hood. Joseph died at the age of twenty-three years and John wdien nine years 
of age. ' Eliza Jane married L. O. Miller, who is a business agent of the 
United Brethren publishing house at Dayton, Ohio. ^ Dr. Haywood's pres- 
ent wife was Eliza Carpenter, a sister of his first wife. 

GEORGE P. SCHWARTZ. 

One of the leading agriculturists of Truro township, George P. Schwartz, 
owns and operates a valuable farm of one hundred and twenty-six acres, 
whose neat and thrifty appearance well indicates his careful supervision. Sub- 
sequent improvements enhance the value of well-tilled fields, and all the acces- 
sories and conveniences of a model farm are there found. 

The family to which our subject belongs was founded in Franklin county 
by his paternal grandfather, Schwartz, who located here about 1818, becom- 
ing one of the first settlers o'f Hamiltrm township, where he purchased a 
tract of land, built a log cabin, and with the help of his older sons com- 
menced to clear and improve his property. 

Peter Schwartz, our subject's father, is a native of Germanv, and was 
about eleven vears of as:e when he came to the United States with his par- 



2 56 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ents and settled in this county. Throughout his active business life he has 
engaged in farming and stock-raising in Hamilton township, where he is 
numbered among the prominent and mfiuential citizens. He has served as 
a director of his school district, and is a trustee of the cemetery association, 
having filled the latter position for a number of years. Politically he is a 
stanch Democrat, but at township and county elections votes for man and 
not party. Religiously he is a liberal supporter and active member of the 
German Lutheran church. In Hamilton township, Mr. Schwartz married 
Miss Elizabeth Keoble, and to them were born thirteen children, namely: 
Jacob, Michael, Mary, Malinda, Samuel, Joseph, George P., Lydia, Lewis, 
Emma, Frank, Calvin and Flora, eleven of whom are still living, Calvin and 
I'^rank having passed away. 

George P. Schwartz, our subject, was born in Madison township, Frank- 
lin county, February 9, 1865, and was reared to agricultural pursuits upon 
the home farm. For the past eight years he has occupied his present farm 
in Truro township, and in its operation has met with excellent success. He 
w^as married March 21, 1888, to Miss Annie Bevilheimer, a native of Colum- 
bus. Her father, Rebben Bevilheimer, was born in Pennsylvania, and at 
an early day came with his parents to Franklin county, Ohio, becoming one 
of its oldest settlers. He now makes his home at No. 1444 Bryden Road, 
Columbus. Mr. and Mrs. Schwartz are the parents of four children, three 
sons and one daughter, as follows: Frank R., born October 13, 1889; Clyde 
E., June 17, 1892; George R., March 8, 1894; and Catherine, June 25, 1899. 

Mr. Schwartz holds membership in the Lutheran church and is a liberal 
supporter of the same. He has ever taken an active and commendable interest 
in public affairs, and never withholds his aid from any enterprise which he 
believes will prove of public benefit. He was elected a school director of 
district No. i, where he now lives, and held that office for two terms, and 
also efficiently served as road supervisor of Madison township for two 
terms. At national elections he supports Democratic principles, but votes 
for whom he considers the best man for county and township offices regard- 
•less of party lines. 

JOHN T. WRIGHT. 

John T. Wright is the owner of a valuable farm of one hundred and 
forty-seven and a half acres in Madison township, Franklin county, and the 
modern methods which he follows in caring for his property and cultivating 
his fields are well worthy of emulation and cannot fail to bring success unless 
circumvented by circumstances over which man has no control. Mr. Wright 
h a native of the township in which he yet resides, his birth having occurred 
on the 14th of November, 1837. His father, John Wright, was born in 
Madison township, Franklin county, about 1805, the family being among 
the honored pioneer settlers who aided in laying broad and deep the foun- 
dation for the present prosperity and progress of this portion of the state. 
He married Nancy Whims, who was a native of Virginia, and during her 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 257 

early girlhood came to Ohio with her parents. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Wright 
were born four sons and five daughters : Eliza, John T., Jane, David, Dan- 
iel, Jonathan, Emily, Laura, and Martha. Of this number, Eliza and Jona-' 
than are now deceased. By a former marriage the father had one daughter, 
Sarah. 

In taking up the personal history of John T. Wright we present to our 
readers the life record of one who has spent his entire days in Franklin 
county and who is well known to her citizens. His early education was 
acquired in the schools of Madison tow^nship, and he remained upon his 
father's farm throughout the period of his minority, working in field and 
meadow and assisting in all the labors which go to make up the lot of the 
agriculturist. At the age of twenty-two years, on the 4th of January, 1859, 
he was united in marriage to Miss Lucinda Painter, a daughter of Joseph 
and Sarah (Fisher) Painter. Mr. and Mrs. Weight began their domestic 
life upon a farm of one hundred and twenty-eight acres^ which was a part 
of his father's old homestead. Part of it was covered with a native growth 
of timber when he took possession, but before the sturdy strokes of his axe 
the monarchs of the forest fell, and as he cleared and cultivated the land it 
yielded to him^ a golden tribute. All of the improvements upon the place 
stand as monuments to his enterprise and thrift. As the years have passed 
he has added to his original possessions a tract of one hundred and thirty- 
nine acres, and his large farm is now a very desirable property. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Wright have been born four children, two sons 
and two daughters, but only one is now living, Joseph, who occupies a farm 
of one hundred and nineteen acres owned by his father. He married Rebecca 
Ann Motts, a daughter of Benival Motts, who is a farmer of Truro town- 
ship. They also have one child, Joseph Russell. The son now carries on 
the farm, while Mr. Wright, of this review, has practically retired from active 
business life and is enjoying a well-earned rest. He has contributed lib- 
erally toward the support of churches and to all w^orthy movements for the 
benefit of his fellow men. In politics he is a Democrat on questions which 
affect the weal or woe of the nation, but is an independent voter in town- 
ship and county elections. He owes his success to his energy and industry, 
and his life record proves that prosperity is not a matter of genius or results 
from a fortunate combination of circumstances, but may be acquired through 
individual effort when directed along lines of honorable endeavor. 

WEBSTER P. HUNTINGTON. 

In the promotion and conservation of advancement in all the normal 
lines of human progress and civilization there is no factor wdiich has exer- 
cised a more potent influence than the press, which is both the director and 
mirror of public opinion. Columbus has been signally favored 'in the char- 
acter of its newspapers, which have been vital, enthusiastic and progressive, 
ever aiming to advance the interests of this favored section of the Union, 
to aid in laving fast and sure the foundations of an enlightened common- 



258 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

wealth, to further the ends of justice and to ui)ho](l the Ixinner of Ohio. In 
a compilation of this nature, then, it is clearly incumbent that due recogni- 
tion be accorded the newspaper press of the state. 

Prominent among the representatives of the journalistic interests of 
Ohio stands Webster Perit Huntington, who resides in the capital city, where 
his birth occurred on the 20th of February, 1865. He is a son of Pelatiah 
Webster and Jane Nashee (Deshler) Huntington. In the common schools 
of Columbus the subject of this review acquired his preliminary education, 
and at an early age went to Keene, New Hampshire, where he continued 
his studies. After pursuing the study of law for two years he bacame the 
editor of the Cheshire Republican, a Democratic newspaper, and later he 
established the Keene Evening Tribune, now the Sentinel, the first daily 
newspaper in southwestern New Hampshire. In 1891 he returned to Colum- 
bus to become an associate editor of the Columbus Evening Dispatch. One 
year later he was made the editor-in-chief of the Columbus Post; and upon 
the consolidation of the Post with the Press Mr. Huntington was made an 
associate editor of the Press-Post. Subsequently he became the managing 
editor, which position he resigned in March, 1899. He organized, and ^ is 
now the president of, the Ohio Newspaper Syndicate. He has a wide 
acquaintance among newspaper men of his native state, as well as in New 
England, and is recognized as one of the leading representatives of journalism 
in Ohio. He has also been active in politics, although never a candidate for 
office, and was both the temporary and permanent chairman of the Demo- 
cratic state convention of 1900, 

On the nth of May, 1886. in Keene, New Hampshire, Mr. Huntington 
Vv^as united in marriage to Miss Anna Harlow, and they have three children, 

JOSEPH OLDS. 

Joseph Olds, a lawyer, was born in Circleville, Pickaway county. Ohio, 
April 15, 1832, son of Edson Baldwin and Anna Maria (Carolus) Olds. 
His father. Dr. Edson B. Olds, studied at Transylvania College in Ken- 
tucky, and was graduated at Jefferson Medical College, in Philadelphia. He 
was a prominent and leading Democrat in Ohio, the speaker of the Ohio 
senate in 1846-7, and a member of congress for three terms from March, 
1849, to March, 1855, when he was defeated by the Know-nothing move- 
ment. While in congress he was distinguished and influential, and was for 
two terms the chairman of the committee on postoffices and post-roads. 
The counties of Pickaway, Fairfield, Licking, Franklin, Madison and Fay- 
ette were represented by him in congress, his district having been changed 
while he was a member. Dr. Olds was an able debater and eloquent speaker. 
He was a nian of unusual strength of character and of strong convictiions, 
which he at all times fearlessly maintained. He was born June 3. 1802, 
and died January 25, 1869. Anna Maria Olds was born in Lancaster county, 
Pennsylvania, and was a granddaughter of Peter Shaffer, who served first 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 259 

as ensign and afterward as captain in the Pennsylvania troops during the 
Revokuionary war. She was noted for her kindness, charity and piety. 
She was born March 7, 1805, married Dr. Olds at Circleville June 18, 1824. 
and died December 22, 1859. 

Joseph Olds was educated by private instruction at home untd h-e 
entered the freshman class at Yale College, in September, 1849. He was 
graduated at Yale w4th high honors in 1853. He then studied law for a 
year at Circleville with his uncle, Chauncey N. Olds, who had been a member 
of the senate of Ohio, and was afterward attorney-general of the state, and 
died in 1890. Chauncey N. Olds was a highly educated man, a cultured and 
courteous gentleman, a polished and persuasive orator, one of the foremost 
lawyers in Ohio for many years, and a prominent member of the Presby- 
terian church. He was graduated at the Miami University, at Oxford, Ohio, 
and studied and practiced law at Circleville, with his older brother, Joseph 
Olds, who was a distinguished and leading lawyer in Ohio from an early day 
in the history of the state, until his death in 1846. Joseph Olds, the younger, 
in September, 1854, entered the Harvard Law School in Cambridge, ^lassa- 
chusetts, where he was graduated, and received the degree of Bachelor of 
Laws in 1856. He was admitted to the bar by the district court at Chilli- 
cothe, Ohio, the same year. In 1857 he was elected prosecuting attorney of 
Pickaway county, and served two terms. He afterward practiced law wath 
Jonathan Renick, of Circleville. until the death of ]\Ir. Renick in 1863, and 
then alone until ]\Iay, 1868. He had a large practice in Pickaway and ad- 
jacent counties. In April, 1868, he was elected, in Pickaway, Franklin and 
Madison counties, a judge of the fifth judicial district of Ohio, and served as 
such from May, 1868, to May, 1873. During his term of office he held all 
the courts of common pleas in Pickaway and Madison counties, held court in 
Columbus about five months in each year, and attended all the sessious of the 
district court in the nine counties of the district. He resided at Circleville 
until May, 1878, and then changed his residence to Columbus and re-entered 
the practice of law, in partnership with Richard A. Harrison. Pie has ever 
since resided in Columbus, and practiced law with Judge Harrison, as a mem- 
ber of the successive firms of Harrison & Olds, Harrison, Olds & Marsh, and 
Harrison, Olds & Henderson. Their practice in important litigation, in- 
volving large amounts of money or property, in the federal and state courts, 
has been of the most extensive character. Judge Olds is devoted to his pro- 
fession. He has always been a stanch and pronounced Democrat, but has 
not, since he left the bench, desired public office of any kind, and has repeat- 
edly declined to accept office. 

Judge Olds was married at Circleville. on December 18. 1866. to Miss 
]\Iary Anderson, of Pickaway county. She was born at Glen Mary, near 
Chiliicothe. Ohio, on November 5. 1846. She is the daughter of William 
;Marshall and Eliza (Mc Arthur) Anderson. Her father, William Marshall 
Anderson, was a son of Colonel Richard C. Anderson and a brother of Gen- 
eral Robert Anderson, of Fort Sumter fame, of Colonel Charles Anderson, 



26o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

a former governor of Ohio, and of Larz Anderson, deceased, of Cincinnati. 
Colonel Richard C. Anderson served throughout the Revolutionary war, first 
as captain, then as major and finally as lieutenant-colonel in the Virginia 
continental troops. After the war he was selected by his brother officers as 
the first principal surveyor of the Virginia military lands. William Marshall 
Anderson was born June 24, 1807, at his father's home. "Soldier's Retreat," 
near Louisville, Kentucky, and died at Circleville, Ohio, on January 7, 1881. 
He studied at Transylvania University and was admitted to the bar, but 
practiced law only for a few years. He moved to Chillicothe, Ohio, in 1835 
and resided there until 1854, when he changed his residence to Pickaway 
county. He was a man of remarkable erudition and great scientific attain- 
ments and of most agreeable address and manners. While on a visit to 
Mexico in 1865, he was commissioned by Maximilian to examine and report 
upon the agricultural and mineral resources of northern Mexico, and was 
engaged in that service when Maximilian fell. 

The mother of Mrs. Olds was born at Fruit Hill, near Chillicothe, on 
November 14, 1815, and' died in Pickaway county, on September 2, 1855. 
She was a daughter of General Duncan McArthur, who served with much 
distinction through the war of 1812, first as the colonel of the First Ohio 
Volunteers and afterward as the colonel of the Twenty-fifth Unitfed States 
Infantry, and in March, 181 3, was commissioned a brigadier general in the 
regular army. He was serving under General Hull at the time of the sur- 
render of that officer, but happened to be detached on that day to bring in a 
supply train. As senior brigadier general in 18 14, he succeeded General 
Harrison in the command of the Northwestern army. He was afterward the 
speaker of the house of representatives, a member of congress and governor 
of Ohio. 

Soon after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Anderson became converts of the 
Roman Catholic church and for the remainder of their lives were pious, de- 
vout and zealous members thereof. Two brothers of Mrs. Olds, Thomas 
McArthur Anderson and Harry R. Anderson, served in the Civil war, and 
are now officers in the regular army. Thomas M. Anderson is now colonel 
of the Fourteenth Infantry, and Harry R. Anderson is a first lieutenant in 
the Fourth Artillery. 

Judge Olds had two brothers, Mark L. Olds, who was older, and Edson 
Denny Olds, who was younger than he. Alark L. Olds left Miami University 
when eighteen years of age, to engage in the Mexican war. He served in that 
war, first as a lieutenant in the Fifteenth Infantry of the regular armv. which 
was commanded by Colonel George W. Morgan, and disbanded after the war. 
After the Mexican war he was admitted to the bar and was the register of 
the United States land office at Minneapolis. He subsequently became an 
Episcopal clergyman and died in 1869. while the pastor of the old "Navy 
Yard" church in the city of Washington. Edson Denny Olds was graduated 
at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, and acted for several years as a 
physician for the Winnebago tribe of Indians in ^Minnesota. He then went 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 261 

to Mexico, and in the spring of 1858 received a commission at Alonterey as a 
surgeon in the liberal army, with the rank of colonel. He served witii this 
army in its march and almost constant battle for a year from Monterey to 
Morelia, and from there to the city of Mexico, under the command of General 
Degollado. In the attack upon the city of Mexico in the spring of 1869 he 
was struck by a cannon ball and killed, in the twenty-fourth year of his age. 
Judge and Mrs. Olds have six children, — four daughters and two sons. 

COURTLAND ROSS. 

One of the prominent business men of the city of Columbus, Ohio, is the 
subject of the present review. Courtland Ross was born in Lebanon, War- 
ren county, Ohio, February 23, 1829, and was a son of Thomas R. and Har- 
riet (Van Horn) Ross, well known and respected residents of the same place. 
Mr. Ross was the youngest member of a family of nine children, these being : 
Catherine, who was born April 21, 1812, and died September 17, 1813; Rich- 
ard Morris, who was born July 17, 1813, and died June 23, 1887; William. 
v., who was born September 20, 1815, and died August 18, 1816; John Ran- 
dolph, who was born ]\Iay i, 1817, and died January 27, 1879; Catherine 
Sophia, who was born January i, 1819, and died September 15, 1822: Sarah 
C, who was born May 24, 1820, and is now residing in Columbus; Clarissa, 
who was born May 7, 1823, married Isaac M. Collett, a farmer of Greene 
county, Ohio, and died October 26, 1895; Alethia Ann, who was born April 
5, 1825, and died March 11, 1898, our subject being the last of the family. 

Mr. Ross was reared and educated in his native town, early displaying 
those self-reliant attributes which later in life gained him universal praise and 
the thanks of his superiors. He entered the army, near the beginning of the 
Civil war, joining the Twelfth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served three 
years. His experiences can be but touched upon in the limits accorded the 
present sketch, but mention must be made of several occasions when his firm- 
ness and devotion to duty saved his command most necessary stores and a 
vast amount of money was secured for the government. History tells of the 
retreat of General Milroy from Martinsburg^ Virginia, the safety of which 
was, in a great measure, due to the efficiency of Courtland Ross, who was 
then one of the transportation agents under General Fitch. Mr. Ross had 
charge of the great iron safe containing all the papers and a large amount of 
government funds, but when the town was set on fire at their backs Mr. Ross 
took the responsibility of placing the money belonging to his government, 
amounting to sixty thousand dollars, upon his person, secreting it, through 
every kind of peril, for three days, when he had the proud satisfaction of 
turning it over to the proper authorities intact. He also saved the trans- 
portation train, although bridpes were being burned and the enemy sur- 
rounded him on every side. The amount saved the government in money, 
stores, clothing and ammunition, in great part owing to the bravery of Mr. 
Ross, was computed to be over a million dollars. Upon another occasion, 



262 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

when in desperate straits, his superior, officer ordered him to throw his wagons 
over Steel Top mountain, but he refused and brought his train safely into 
camp on the following morning. Upon still another occasion he was cut ofif 
by the enemy from his command for a period of three days, but managed to 
protect his stores until he could get into the lines again. This was a large 
train, the best ever turned over to the post quartermaster, its forty wagons 
and ninety horses all being safe. Mr. koss held the position of transporta- 
tion master for General Fitch for two years, and clippings from the news- 
papers of the times tell of the high esteem in which he was held in the service. 

After his return from the army Mr. Ross engaged in contracting for the 
Little Maumee railroad, continuing with that corporation for six years, his 
residence being in Lebanon; but in 1870 he removed to Columbus and took 
charge of the Columbus Transfer Company, which position he held for twelve 
years, being one of the stockholders of the company. Selling his interest 
there, he engaged in the dairy business for five years, making a specialty of the 
manufacture of butter, and now has the contract for the furnishing of milk 
to the Institution for the Feeble Minded in this city. Mr. Ross has always 
been an active and progressive man, interested in many private and public 
lines. He managed an omnibus line at one time in Lebanon, Ohio, and was 
the contractor for the Lebanon & Freeport pike road. 

The first marriage of Mr. Ross took place in 1865, to Miss Jane Ander- 
son, resulting in the birth of one son, Fenton, now in the auditor's office of 
the Hocking Valley railroad, of which he was at one time the paymaster. The 
second marriage of Mr. Ross, took place in 1885, to Miss Magdalene Smith, 
a native of Cardington, Morrow county, Ohio. Mr. Ross is a Drominent Re- 
publican and is often called to consult in the deliberations of the party. He 
is one of the men who have built up a great part of the business of this city 
and he is well known and most highly regarded. 

THE ORDER OF UNITEiD COMMERCLVL TRAVELERS OF 

AMERICA.. 

The Order of LTnited Commercial Travelers of America was incor- 
porated under the law^s of the state of Ohio on January 16, 1888. by John C. 
Fenimore. Levi C. Pease. S. H. Strayer. W. E. Carpenter, John Dickey, C. 
S. Ammel, F. A. Sells and Charles B. Flagg, well known commercial trav- 
elersi and residents of Columbus. This order is the only one of its kind, being 
a secret, fraternal, beneficial order, exclusively for commercial travelers, 
with the following as its objects and purposes : 

1st, To unite fraternally all commercial travelers of good moral character. 

2d, To give all moral and material aid in its power to its members and 
those dependent upon them. Also, to assist the widows and (orphans of 
deceased members. 

3d, To establish an "indemnity fund" to indemnify its members for total 
disability, or death resulting from accidental means. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 263 

4th, To secure from all transportation companies and hotels just and 
equitable favors for commercial travelers as a class. 

5th, To elevate the moral and social standing of its members. 
The tenets of the order are unity, charity and temperance. Its colors 
are blue, white and gold. The social and fraternal features are what each 
individual council makes them. 

The insurance features are as follows: 

Death by accident $6,300. 

Loss of both eyes 5,000. 

Loss of both hands ■ 5,000. 

Loss of both feet 5,ooo. 

Loss of one hand and one foot 2,500. 

Loss of one hand 1,250. 

Loss of one foot 1,000. 

Loss of one eye 650. 

Weekly indemnity (not exceeding 52 wrecks) .... 25. 
The order has paid from its indemnity fund over four hundred and fifty 
thousand dollars, and from its widows' and orphans' fund, which is a fund 
set a?ide for the benefit of the widows and orphans of deceased members, they 
have paid out over twenty-five thousand dollars. 

The order had, July i, 1901, a membership of over sixteen thousand; 
one hundred and eighty-five subordinate councils in the different states ; sev- 
enteen grand councils, and the supreme council, composed of representatives 
from the several grand councils, with headquarters at Columbus, Ohio. 

WILLIAM B. WOODBURY. 

None of the younger men of Columbus have attained equal prominence 
with William B. Woodbury in political circles, as he now occupies the posi- 
tion of secretary of the Republican executive committee, — an honor which 
came to him unsolicited but which is justly merited, for few men, even of 
greater years, have cjualifications which would so well fit them for the respon- 
sible and onerous duties', connected with the office. Although he has but 
just entered upon manhood Air. Woodbury has a very wide acquaintance in 
Columbus and throughout Franklin county. 

In the schools of the capital city Mr. Woodbury acquired his early edu- 
cation, supplemented by a course in the central high school, of which he is a 
graduate, and by study in the Ohio State University. From the time ho 
entered upon his busines's career after leaving college until his appointment 
to his present position, he has been connected with newspaper work, a repre- 
sentative of the Citizen, and one whose efforts have contributed in no small 
measure to the success of that journal. His newsipaper work has thrown 
him in contact with a large number of people whose friendship he has uncon- 
sciously won by the genial disposition and thorough good nature which have 
at all times characterized him. In association with his newspaper work and 



264 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

as the result of his loyal American citizenship he became deeply interested 
in the political questions of the time and took his position in the ranks of the 
Republican party. To one of his eneregtic nature it would be impossible to 
be idle in any relation or position in which he might be placed; and therefore 
he became an earnest worker for his party, doing effective service for Gov- 
ernor Nash, who is one of his neighbors. When the time came to choose a 
secretary for the Republican executive committee, friends of Mr. Woodbury, 
unknown to him, spoke of his fitness^ and gave to him their support. It was 
th-e consensus of opinion, although he is so young, that there was no one 
available who knew so many of the ward workers throughout the city and 
countv, or was better qualified for the position. It come to him unsought, 
but on the ist of August, when headquarters were opened, he took up his 
duties in a manner that showed he was equal to the situation. He dis- 
played excellent generalship in managing the campaign and succeeded in 
carrying Franklin county by over thirty-seven hundred votes, — the greatest 
majority ever given in the history of that county, electing a Republican con- 
gressman in a Democratic district. Mr. Woodbury is! now connected with 
the Everett-Moore Syndicate; of Cleveland in the telephone branch of that 
great organization. 

FREDERICK KRUMM. 

The late Frederick Krumm was born August 14, 1840, and died July 
30, 1899, at his residence, 11 17 East Broad street, Columbus, Ohio, after 
an illness of three days. He left to his family the valuable legacy of a good 
name won as a soldier, a business man, a public official and a citizen. He was 
born in Columbus and was' there carefully educated in all useful branches 
under the direction of his father. The grandfather of our subject, J. Martin 
Krumm, was born September 24, 1784, and died at Columbus on the 4th of 
February, 1864. He was chief magistrate of Bronnweiler, Wurtemberg, 
Germany, and was a capable schoolmaster there until he came to America, 
and after locating at Columbus was a pubHc-spirited citizen, taking part in 
all efforts to advance the city materially and socially. 

Martin Krumm, the father of our subject, was born April 5, 181 2, aud 
died August 4. 1869, in Columbus. He came to America in 1832, and at 
Columbus established a mafiufactory of steel and brass machinery, and iron 
fences, which became known as one of the largest and most important fac- 
tories of the city. He became prominent in musical circles and w^as the 
organizer, in 1848, of the Maennerchor, which was for years the leading 
musical society of the city, artistically and socially, and its golden anniversary 
was celebrated in October, 1898. He married Fredericka Fichtner, who was 
born in Gotten weiler, Wurtemberg, June 27, 1820, a daughter of Johann 
and his wife, Maria Kurtz. Mrs. Krumm, whose father lived and died in 
Germany, is now living in Columbus, in her eightieth year, well and active. 
Like her husband, she was musical, and they were for several years members 




CAPT. FREDERICK KRUMM. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 265 

of the choir of the St. Paul's German Evangelical Lutheran church, at the 
corner of High and Mound streets, Columbus. The subject of this sketch 
was their eldest child, the others being: Martin, who succeeded his father 
in the manufacture of machinery and iron fences ; Alexander \V. and Albert, 
well known lawyers of Columbus ; Daniel, who is associated with Martin in 
his manufacturing enterprise, and is also a maker of violins; Flora, who mar- 
ried Dr. A. M. Blaile, of Columbus, professor of physiology in the Ohio 
State University; and Louise A., of Columbus. 

Frederick Krumm was graduated in the Columbus high school and was 
employed in his father's office until, in 1861, he enlisted in the Thirty-sev- 
enth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under General C. C. Walcott, 
which on the second call for troopsi by President Lincoln went to the front 
and served gallantly for two years, during most of which time Mr. Krumm 
was lieutenant and captain of Company D. He bears the scar of a slight 
wound on the arm as a reminder of the days when he bore arms in defense 
of the Union. After leaving the army he engaged in dry-goods merchandise 
in Columbus. In 1866 he married Miss Cornelia Zettler, of Columbus, and 
some ten years later removed to Shawnee, Ohio, where he was a mine operator 
and general merchant until 1880, suffering the vicissitudes of business in 
those years, added to which was the total destruction of a plant owned by him 
by fire. Thus crippled financially, he returned to Columbus and for seven 
years was superintendent of public school buildings and was for three terms a 
member of the school board. Eventually he became a member of the firm 
of Dauben, Krumm & Riebel, architects, and had personal charge of the 
original construction of the Great Southern hotel. During the closing years 
of his life he was in the queensware trade. 

He was always active, energetic and ambitious, faithful in all the affairs 
of life, and courteous, liberal and charitable to an uncommon degree. He 
was a leader in social circles and like all his family prominent in musical 
organizations, both vocal and instrumental. Possessing a baritone voice of 
remarkable strength and purity, which was often referred to by critics as the 
equal of any in America, he held high rank as a singer, was a leader in sev- 
eral choral organizations and often appeared in concert for social and charit- 
able institutions, toward the success of which he was always a willing con- 
tributor in that way. He was a member of several of the earlier orchestras 
organized at Columbus, was for forty years a member of the Maennerchor, 
was a charter member of the Orpheus Club, was a member of the Arion 
Musical Society, was a leading spirit in the Krumm-Lippert quartette and 
was for many years a member of the quartette of the First Congregational 
church. 

Always a close student of all public and economic questions, he was 
unusually well informed concerning every political problem, and having once 
made up his mind on any question of public iDolicy he was outspoken and 
unchangeable in his opinion concerning it. This strict aldherence to what 
he thought ^-as right concerning the money riuestion led him into the Dem- 



266 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ocratic ranks, and he was assistant postmaster under President Cleveland, 
and was prominent in political campaigns as a leader of Democratic glee 
clubs and was a charter member of the Gold and Silver League of Colum- 
bus. He was a member of the board of trustees of the Ohio State Savings 
and Loan Associations from its organization until his death. 

Mrs. Krumm is a daughter of the late John Zettler, who was a promi- 
nent merchant of Columbus for many years. He was born in Monsheim, 
Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, in December, 1817, came to Columbus with 
his parents in 1837, and died there September 17, 1892, aged nearly seventy- 
five years. During the war he was a contractor of many kinds of supplies 
for the Federal army. His parents were Jacob and Cornelia (Spindler) 
Zettler, and his father was a prominent wine merchant and mill owner of 
his native land, but met with reverses about 1835-36 and sought to rebuild 
his fortune in America. Mrs. Krumm's mother was Mary A. Kientz, born 
May 31, 1816, at Shertzheim, Baden, Germany, and died August 13, 1893, 
in Columbus, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Krumm had children as follows : Cor- 
nelia, at home; Frederick C, who is the general agent of the /Etna Life 
Lisurance Company at Columbus; John Zettler, teller of the Hayden-Clinton 
Bank of Columbus; Lenora, Stella L and Mary D., all members of their 
mother's household; and Robert, who died in infancy. 

GEORGE K. NASH. 

Among the most prominent and influential citizens of Columbus is num- 
bered George Kilbon Nash. The census enumeration gives the population 
of a town or city as so many hundreds or thousands, or perchance millions, 
but the majority of the residents who form this aggregate are little known. 
Few indeed are they who command public attention and who are leaders of 
public thought and movement; but with this class is numbered George K. 
Nash. Rising above the heads of the mass are many men of sterling worth 
and value, who by sheer perseverance and pluck have conquered fortune, and 
by their own unaided efforts have risen from the ranks of commonplace to 
eminence and positions of respect and trust; but the brilliant qualities of 
mind and brain which mark the great la\yyer are to a certain extent God- 
given. It is to his own perseverance .and .indomitable energy that Mr. Nash 
owes his success in life, as well as to his keen and brilliant mind. He is of 
a sanguine temperament, large-hearted and a genial and a polished gentleman. 
As a lawyer he is noted for his integrity; he prides himself upon never urging 
a client into a suit for the sake of fees, and he will not prosecute a case unless 
he has every reason to believe he will win it ; but he claims the right to defend 
any cause in any court. ' _ 

Mr. Nash is numbered among Ohio's native sons, his birth having oc- 
curred in Medina county, on the 4th of August, 1842. He is a representative 
of old New England families, his parents having been natives of Massa- 
chusetts, whence they emigrated westward at an early period in the develop- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 267 

ment of Ohio and cast in their lot with its pioneer settlers. To the public schools 
Mr. Nash is indebted for the early educational privileges which he received. 
At the age of twenty years he became a student ni Oberlin College, where he 
pursued a regular course ujp to the sophomore year. His life prior to that 
time had been quietly passed in the work of the farm and in the duties of the 
schoolroom, but now a period of excitement reigned in the land, for certain 
states of the southi attempted to overthrow the Union, and loyal men from the 
workshops, from the stores, from the offices and the fields gathered in defense 
of the old flag and the cause it represented. As a private Mr. Nash "donned 
the blue" with the One Hundred and Fiftieth Regiment of Ohio National 
Guards and joined the army. His term of service ended about the close of 
the war and he returned to the quiet pursuits of civil life. 

A professional career attracted him, and with a desire to engage in the 
practice of law he took up the study of the fundamental principles of juris- 
prudence in the office and under the direction of Judge R. B. Warden. In 
Columbus, in 1867, he successfully passed the examination necessary for ad- 
mission to the bar and immediately thereafter entered upon practice in the 
courts of the district. He practiced for three years and was then called to 
public office, being elected prosecuting attorney of Franklin county, in the year 
1870, at which time he overcame the usual Democratic majority of about 
three thousand, — a fact which indicated his personal popularity and the con- 
fidence reposed in his legal ability. His able service was indicated by re- 
election in 1872, and he retired from the office, as he had entered it, wath the 
good will, confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens. For a number of 
years thereafter he gave his attention to the private practice of law, enjoying 
a distinctly representative clientage. He was retained as counsel either for 
the defense or prosecution in almost every important case tried in the courts 
of his district. His is a natural discrimination as to legal ethics, and he is 
so thoroughly well read in the minutic-e of the law that he is able to base his 
arguments upon thorough knowledge of and familiarity with precedents, and 
to present a case upon its merits, never failing to recognize the main point at 
issue, and never neglecting to give a thorough preparation. His pleas have 
been characterized by a terse and decisive logic and a lucid presentation rather 
than by flights of oratory, and his power is the greater before court or jury 
from the fact that it is recognized that his aim is ever to secure justice and 
not to enshroud the cause in a sentimental garb or illusion which will thwart 
the principles of right and equity involved. 

The offices he has held have ever been in the line of his profession, either 
as a lawmaker or as one who is in charge of ihe execution of the laws. In 
1876 he was the Republican nominee for congress, and in 1877 for attorney 
general; but the entire ticket met defeat. Two years later, however, he was 
again nominated to the latter office by the Republican state convention on the 
first ballot and by popular vote he was chosen for the office in October of 
that year. So faithfully and acceptably did he discharge the important duties 
of his position that he was re-elected, receiving a very large majority over 



268 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

his opponent, Frank C. Dohsrty. one of the strongest men on the Democratic 
ticket. A contemporary said of him: "Fearless in the discharge of his 
duties, fully sustaining the dignity of the law and of the state, he was in- 
fluenced by neither fear nor favor. He is one of those men who feel that 
when a position is entrusted to them; when a high honor is placed in their 
hand's ; when the destinies of the state are committed to their care, that there 
is but one line to follow, and that is the line of strict and conscientious duty." 

In 1883 Mr. Nash was appointed a member of the supreme-court com- 
mission of Ohio, and since his retirement from that office he has engaged in 
the private practice of law, with ever increasing success. Many are the im- 
portant litigated cases which have been entrusted to his care. He was counsel 
on the case w'hich arose concerning the railway war between Vanderbilt, of 
the New York Central, and Jewett, the president of the Erie line. The liti- 
gation arose concerning the Bee line, whose consolidation by Vanderbilt with 
the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton road was fought by Judge Nash, who 
was successful in preventing this. He was also one of the counsel in the 
notable Franklin tally-sheet forgery cases. 

Mr. Nash has always been a stalwart Republican. A careful consider- 
ation of the important questions wdiich affect the weal or woe of the nation has 
led him to give an unfaltering support to the principles promulgated by the 
grand old party. His influence and labors have contributed to its growth 
and success. In 1880 he was the chairman of the Republican state execu- 
tive committee, and to his splendid managerial ability the success of the party 
in that year securing over thirty-four thousand majority votes for James 
A. Garfield is due. In the state convention of 1895 he received two hundred 
and seventy-nine out of eight hundred and seventeen votes in the nomination 
for governor, and the fact that these votes came from sixty of the eighty- 
eight counties of the state indicates his wide popularity. 

While undoubtedly he is not without that honorable ambition which is 
so powerful and useful as an incentive to activity in public affairs, he regards 
the pursuits of private life as being in themselves abundantly w'orthy of his 
best efforts. He is a noble character, — one that subordinates personal am- 
bition to public good and seeks rather the benefit of others than the aggrandize- 
ment of self. His is a conspicuously successful career. Endow^ed by nature 
with high intellectual qualities, to which are added the discipline and em- 
bellishments of culture, his is a most attractive personality. Well versed in 
the learning of his profession, and with a deep knowledge of human nature 
and of the springs of human conduct, with great shrewdness and sagacity 
and extraordinary tact, he is, in the courts, an advocate of great power and 
influence. Both judges and juries always hear him with attention andi deep 
interest. 

ELIJAH MARION. 

Marion is a family name connected with the patriotic history of our 
country, and when it is stated that an early settler in any locality came from 
jMassachusetts it is at once understood that he was a man of progress' and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 269 

enterprise, who came to subdue, to civilize and to enlighten, and whose influ- 
ence was always an active force for good. Such a citizen was Elijah Marion, 
of Marion township, Franklin county, Ohio, who was born in Boston, Mas- 
sachusetts, April 10, 1814, and died in Marion township on the nth of 
December,' 1899, aged eighty-five years. His father, also named Elijah, was 
a native of Boston, where he w^as reared and married Lydia Stone, and in 
18 16 he came to Franklin county, Ohio, when his son Elijah was about two 
and a half years old, bringing with him hia wife and family. They came 
in a covered wagon, with two yoke of oxen and a team of horses in front. 
Locating in Marion township, just south of Columbus, he erected a log 
cabin and began to clear and improve a farm, on which he passed a long and 
useful life. He had two sons and two daughters, — Calvin, Lucy, Lydia 
and Elijah. 

Elijah ]\Lirion, who was the youngest of his father's' family, nad no 
recollections antedating the settlement of the family in Marion township, 
where he attended school in a log schoolhouse and helped to clear the land 
and put it under the plow. He was married on the i8th O'f May, 1842, and 
began housekeeping on the home place. He was successful in life, promi- 
nent as a Whig and later as' a Republican, and lived and died safe in the good 
opinion of his fellow townsmen, who knew him as a helpful and influential 
citizen. Mrs. Adaline (Livingston) Marion, his widow% was born August 
4. 1820, within the present limits of Marion township, a daughter of Judge 
Eidward Livingston, a native of the state of New York. He came unmar- 
ried to Franklin county in 1804. at the age of twenty-one years, and settled 
at Columbus', where he became a prominent man, attaining success at the 
bar and occupying the bench at the court of common pleas. On the 17th of 
March. 1807, he married Martha Nelson, of Marion township, wdio was 
born in Pennsylvania and came to Franklin county at the age of fifteen years. 
Mr. Livingston lived to be sixty years old, and his wife lived to the age of 
seventy. They had eight children, all of whom grew to manhood and woman- 
hood and three are now living. Mrs. Marion was the sixth child and fourth 
daughter in order of birth and was reared in Marion township, having a vivid 
recollection of the primitive sichools of pioneer days. 

Elijah and Adaline (Livingston) Marion became the parents of nine 
children. Caroline W. was the first born of the family. Clinton L. was 
born August 11, 1845, ^^'^s reared on the farm on wdiich he now lives and 
has followed agricultural pursuits as a life occupation. He is a Republican 
in iwlitics and a man of influence in his township. Edward L. married Alice 
IMcElhinny and lives in Marion township. Lucy is the wife of Levi Pease, of 
Thompsonville. Connecticut, but now a resident of Columbus. Ohio. Laura 
is deceased. Martha is the widow of Frank J. Reinhard and lives at Fifth 
and Mound streets. Columbus. Mr. Reinhard was countv auditor for a num- 
ber of years. Adaline is still a member of her mother's household. Louis 
C. married Emma Meeker, and their residence is on the spot where his grand- 
father. Elijah Marion, built his primitive log cabin. Clara Alice is the wife 



270 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

of Rev. Simon P. Long, a minister of the Lutheran church and a resident of 
Columbus. Mrs. Marion has fourteen grandchildren, thirteen of whom were 
born in Franklin county, Ohio. The other, Edward L. Pease, was born at 
Hartford, Connecticut, and is a successful lawyer of Columbus. Her grand- 
father, James Livingston, was! a general in the patriot army in the Revolu- 
tionary war, and her grandfather, David Nelson, served in the cause of the 
colonies as a private, and thus it appears that she is descended from Revolu- 
tionary stock in both the paternal and maternal lines. 



WILLL\M C. GOLDSMITH. 

William C. Goldsmith, who is identified with the farming interests of 
Blendon township, which is the place of his nativity, was born on the 6th of 
September, 1863, his parents being John and Sarah J. (Clapham) Goldsmith. 
They had but two children, the elder being Clara, now the wife of John F. Hol- 
comb, a farmer of Blendon township. The father was born in Franklin town- 
ship, Franklin county, October 6, 1837, and was only seven years of age when 
his parents died. He then found a home with a Mr. Miller, in Jackson town- 
ship, with whom he remained until his nineteenth year, when he went to Central 
College and found employment with Professor Washburn, then principal of 
the institution. There he remained for about two years, attending college 
during the scholastic year. On the expiration of that period he entered the 
employ of Joseph Clapham, and on the 26th of January, i860, was united in 
marriage to one of his employer's daughters. He next purchased a farm of 
one hundred and seven acres! in Blendon township, on the east side of the Big 
Walnut. There he resided up to the time of his enlistment in the Civil war. 
He joined the one-hundred-day men, becoming a member of Company C, 
One Hundred and Thirty-third' Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in 1864. During 
his service he contracted a severe illness, which terminated his life on the i8th 
of July of that year, his death occurring on the hospital boat Matilda, near 
Bermuda Hundred, on the James river. He was' reared a Democrat, but the 
political issues of the country centering about the war caused him to ally 
himself with the Republican party, which strongly advocated the Union. 

His wife was born July 25, 1834, upon the farm where our subject now 
resides, and there her death occurred October 29, 1894. She was a daughter 
of Joseph and Sarah (Hudson) Clapham. Her father was born in Walton, 
Yorksihire, England, on Christmas day of 1793 and in 1818, soon after his 
marriage, he crossed the Atlantic to the new world, sailing from Hull, Eng- 
land, and landing at Philadelphia after a voyage of eight weeks. He at once 
went to Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, where he engaged in teaming and 
farming through a period of five years. He then came to Ohio, settling in 
Blendon township, Franklin county, in October, 1823. upon a farm then owned 
by John Snow, of Worthington. but now known as the Schrock farm. Seven 
years afterward he purchased a tract of one hundred acres on Big W'alnut 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 271 

creek one mile north of the present site of Central College. It is the place 
upon 'which our subject now resides, and there the grandparents made their 
home until called to their final rest, the former dying September 4, 1874, while 
the latter passed away January 22, 1873, at the age of seventy-live years and 
twenty-three days. The grandfather had almost completed his eighty-hrst 
year They were held in high regard for their upright lives, which were 
in harmony with their professions as members of the Presbyterian church. 
Although Mr. Clapham did not take an active part in politics, he was 
a man firm m his beliefs and before the war was an anti-slavery Whig, while 
later he became a member of the Republican party. During several terms 
he served his fellow townsmen asi township trustee and as justice of the peace, 
discharging his duties in a firm and efficient manner. In his family were 
nine children, but only one is now living, Joseph, who resides in Delaware 
county, in his eighty-fifth year. The daughter, Mrs. Goldsmith, was for 
many years a member of the Presbyterian church at Central College, and up 
to the time of her death took a prominent part in its work, being especially 
active in her efiforts to promote missionary interests. She held membership 
in the James- Price Woman's Relief Corps, of Westerville, and was a loving 
and devoted mother, a considerate neighbor and was ever ready to lend a 
helping hand to those in need of substantial aid. Her sympathy was broad, 
her charity deep, and she always had a kind word for those with whom she 
came in contact. Although her funeral was held on an inclement day, it 
was one of the largest attended of any ever held in this portion of the county 
for many years, her very extensive circle of acquaintances gathering to pay 
their last tribute of respect and love to one whom they had long known 
and honored. . 

William C. Goldsmith, whose name introduces thisi record, spent his 
boyhood days in the usual manner of farmer lads. He pursued his ele- 
mentary education in the common schools and later entered Central College 
Academy. After his father's death the mother returned to her girlhood 
home, so that our subject was reared on the farm of his grandfather Clapham. 
He died when our subject was eleven years of age. The work of the farm 
early devolved upon his young shoulders, and at the age of sixteen he had 
the entire management of the place. After the death of his mother the land 
was inherited by himself and his sister, and in March, 1898, j\Ir. Goldsmith 
purchased his sister's share in the farm and is now sole owner. He continues 
its cultivation along progressive lines, and everything about the place is neat 
and thrifty in appearance, indicating his careful supervision. 

W. C. Goldsmith was married to Miss Nellie R. Purcell, of Columbus, 
Ohio, December 24, 1900. In politics he is a stanch Republican, unswerving 
in his advocacv of the principles of the party, and he is now serving as trustee 
of the township. He holds membership in Rainbow Lodge, No. 327, I. O. 
O. F., of Westerville, and was also a member of Blendon Grange, No. 708, 
of the Patrons of Husbandrv. Mr. Goldsmith is- known as a worthy repre- 



2/2 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

sentative of an early family of the county, and the qualities which have made 
him a successful business man have been supplemented by those character- 
istics which command respect in every land and clime. 

J. P. LIND. 

Among those who have spent their entire lives in the city of Columbus 
is J. P. Lind, who has risen to a leading position in industrial circles, being 
the chief manager of the Columbus Table Company. He was born in the 
city which is still his home in August, i860, and is a son of Christian and 
Margaret Lind, who were among the early settlers of Columbus. In the 
city schools he acquired his education and on putting aside his text-books he 
entered the employ of the M. C. Lilley Company, clerking in different depart- 
ments for that corporation for sixteen years. Long continued service is an 
unmistakable indication of fidelity to duty, and it is therefore a self-evident 
fact that Mr. Lind was most faithful in his work and enjoyed the unqualified 
confidence of his employers. As the years passed he was advanced from one 
position to another with added responsibility and increased pay, and in 1897 
he was offered and accepted the position of general manager of the Columbus 
Table Company, which manufactures tables of all sizes, kinds and materials, 
confining the output exclusively to this department of the furniture trade. 
The products of the factory are shipped to the various states of the Union. 
The machinery employed is of the latest design ; steam power is used in the 
operation of the factory ; and employment is furnished to fifty men, the busi- 
ness being under the immediate supervision of Mr. Lind. 

In 1880 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Lind and Miss Margaret 
Burney, of Columbus. He is a member of the Benevolent & Protective Order 
of Elks, and with the affairs of the city he is identified as a member of the 
school board, having served for the past sixteen years in that department of 
the municipal government, representing the sixth ward. He is a public- 
spirited and progressive citizen, giving his aid and co-operation to all meas- 
ures and movements calculated to prove of public benefit. 

PETER SWICKARD. 

Peter Swickard, a highly esteemed resident of Plain township, was born 
on the loth of November. 1838. in the township which is yet his home, his 
parents being John and Elizabeth (Baughman) Swickard. The father, a 
native of Washington county, Pennsylvania, was born August 25, 1806, and 
was a son of Daniel Swickard, who became one of the first settlers of Jeffer- 
son township, Franklin county. Tradition savs that he- was a native of Ger- 
many. On coming to Ohio, about 1822, he located on Black Lick, in Jeffer- 
son township, where he remained for a number of years and then removed 
with his family to Plain township, where he purchased a farm, upon which 
he made his home until his death. In Pennsylvania he was a prominent 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 273 

distillervman and agriculturist. When his Hfe's labors were ended in ac- 
cordance with a request which he had made, his remauis were interred at the 
old family homestead, but in later years 'his children had his body removed 
to the cemetery in New Albany. He was an extremely conscientious man. oi 
hiffh principles and sterling wort^ esteemed by all who knew him. 

John Swickard, the father of our subject, spent his youth as an inmate 
of the parental home and acquired such education as was afforded by the 
common schools of that time. In later years, through broad reading and 
observation and by the aid of a retentive memory, be became a well intormed 
man \fter his marriage he purchased a portion of the old homestead and 
beo-an farming. As the years passed he added to his landed possessions until 
he\-as the owner of between five and six hundred acres of land, constituting 
a valuable and very desirable property. An ardent member of the United 
Brethren church for more than fifty years, he took an active interest in every- 
thino- pertaining to the promotion of Christianity He was the founder ot 
Mt Pleasant church, and during his life time was one of its most liberal sup- 
porters At the time of the division in the church he was one of the active 
leaders of the radical side, and when the opposition became stronger and the 
church property was sold. Mr. Swickard refused to sell the house of worship 
during his life time. After his death the church was abandoned and a new 
edifice was erected in New Albany, which was a more central location. I^or 
many vears Mr. Swickard was a local preacher in the church and labored 
untiringly and earnestly to promote the cause of the Master among his fellow 
men In early life he was a Republican, but in his closing years he was a 
. stalwart advocate of the Prohibition party. His death occurred September 
10 1898 and thereby the community lost one of its valued citizens, tor he 
was a man of strong purpose and of unquestioned fidelity to all that is- good, 
true and just. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Baughman. 
was born in Plain township, Franklin county, September 6, 1804, and tradi- 
tion says that she was the first white child whose birth occurred in that 
locality. Her parents were Adam and Precilla (Huffman) Baughman, both 
of whom were of German lineage and were the first white settlers in Plain 
township, having emigrated from Pennsylvania to Franklin county d^n"^ the 
davs when Indians were still numerous in this part of the state Both the 
grandparents were laid to rest on the Baughman farm. Mrs. Swickard passed 
away January 2. 1882. By her marriage she had seven children, of whom six 
are vet living, namelv : Eliza, widow of Levi Dagne, of New Albany ; Fred- 
erick. Levi and Noah, all of Plain township; Peter, of this review; and John 
W'., who is living on the old homestead. 

Peter Swickard passed his youth in the usual routine of farm work and 
plav. In the common 'schools he was educated, and on the 20th of Novem- 
ber. i860, he was united in marriage to :\Iiss Emma E. Smith, a native of 
Plain township, Iborn on the farm where she now resides. Her parents, 
Abraham P. and Millie (Kanouse) Smith, came to Franklin countv. Ohio, 
from New Jersev, in 1828. After their marriage ^Ir. and Mrs. Swickard 



274 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

located upon a farm of one hundred and eighty acres in Plain township, which 
was then the property of his father, and there they resided for five years, his 
attention being given to the cuhivation and development of the fields. On 
the expiration of that period he removed to his present home, having pur- 
chased one hundred and five acres from his father-in-law. Upon this place 
he has since resided, and about 1895 he added to his landed possessions by 
purchasing a farm of ninety-six acres adjoining his home place on the west. 
He is a very progressive and energetic agriculturist, and everything about 
his farm is neat and thrifty in appearance. He has good buildings, the latest 
improved machinery, high grades of stock and well developed fields, and his 
property is valuable and attractive in appearance. 

The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Swickard has been blessed with three 
children: Laura E., now the wife of Henry Mahr, a farmer of Plain town- 
ship;' Charles O., who resides upon the land which his father last purchased; 
and Wella S., who is living on the farm with his brother Charles^ the two 
sons operating the tract of land. Mr. Swickard exercises his right of fran- 
chise in support of Republican principles and is a recognized leader of his 
party in this locality. He served for six years as township assessor and for 
the same period has filled the of^ce of township trustee, while for a quarter 
of a century he has been a member of the school board and through three- 
fourths of that time has been its chairman. Although the township is largely 
Democratic he has always been elected by flattering majorities, a fact which 
indicates his personal popularity as well as the confidence and trust reposed in 
him. He does not belong to any church, but contributes liberally to the sup- 
port of religion. For many years he was a member of the Independent Order 
of Odd Fellows, but is not now connected with the organization. His entire 
life has been passed in Franklin county, so that his history is familiar to 
friends and neighbors. It is one worthy of respect and of emulation, and 
in this volume Mr. Swickard well deserves creditable and honorable mention. 

AIOSES T. DICKEY. 

For over half a century the subject of this review was prominently 
identified with the industrial and agricultural interests of Franklin county, 
and was one of Blendon township's most highly esteemed citizens. He was 
born in Washington county. New York, on the i/th of July, 1823, a son of 
Joseph and Lovina (Taggart) Dickey, also natives of that county, while the 
paternal grandfather was a native of the north of Ireland and the founder 
of his branch of the family in the new world. In 1838 Joseph Dickey, his 
wife, and four children, James, Moses, Joseph and Albert, came to Franklin 
county, Ohio, by way of the Erie canal and the lake to Cleveland and thence 
by canal to near their destination. As a location he selected a little hamlet 
called Portersburg, in honor of a family that had previously located there, 
whose acquaintance had been made on the way to Ohio. It was near Amal- 
thea, afterward widely known as Central College, from the institution founded 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 275 

there by Timothy Lee. There Joseph Dickey opened a shop and worked at 
his trade of blacksmithing until his death, which occurred in 1845. Because 
of his intelHgence and interest in the questions of the day his shop was often 
the meeting place of the leading citizens of the township, who discussed with 
ardor the great questions of politics and religion then agitating the public 
mind. In these discussions Mr. Dickey always took an active part. He was 
a good mechanic, and his skill and industry enabled him to make a good 
living for his family. His wife survived him and died in 1854. After 
coming to this county the family circle was increased by the birth of another 
son, Courtland. The eldest son, James, married Jeanette Parks, who died 
within a year. He subsequently married her sister, Sylvia, and settled in 
Xenia, becoming connected with the Miami Powder Company. His death 
occurred in 1888. Joseph Dickey was a school teacher in early life, teaching 
in Franklin and Pickaway counties, Ohio, and also for one year in the state 
of Iowa, while visiting friends, but he was principally engaged in the stock 
business with our subject. He never married and now resides on his brother's 
old homestead. Albert succeeded Moses in the blacksmith business, which he 
discontinued after securing a comfortable competence, and is now engaged in 
farming in Blendon township. Courtland also became connected with the 
Miami Powder Company, of Xenia, through the influence of his elder brother, 
and was general agent and secretary of the company for several years before 
his death. He died suddenly in 1890, at the age of fifty-six. 

Moses T. Dickey was fifteen years of age when the family took up their 
residence in the wilds of Franklin county. His education was obtained in 
the public schools, and when of proper age he began learning the blacksmith's 
trade in his father's shop, afterward establishing himself in business at the 
same place. On the 2d of November, 1847, ^^ married Miss Alma, a daugh- 
ter of Menzas and Lucy (Phelps) Gillespie, a pioneer family of this county. 
By this union were born six children, five of whom are living, namely : Clar- 
ence W., a civil engineer in Washington, D. C. ; Alice, the wife of John A. 
McCoy, of Emporia, Kansas; Alma G., a resident of this county; Charles, 
deceased; Clayton L., who is engaged in school work; and Marcus C, who is 
engaged in journalistic work, being now connected with the Columbus Citizen. 

For about ten years after his marriage ]\Ir. Dickey continued to work 
at his trade, and then, selling the business to his brother Albert, he pur- 
chased a farm in the same community and devoted the remainder of his life 
to agricultural pursuits. He and his brother Joseph became well known as 
dealers in stock, operating in partnership very successfully and accumulating 
considerable property. 

Mr. Dickey was a stanch Republican and an earnest champion of the 
principles of his party, exerting quite an influence in local political affairs. 
For a number of years he served as trustee of Blendon township. He was 
a man of exceptionally good mind, was a great reader and very observant 
of passing events, keeping well informed on the questions and issues of the 
day. He thought and read a great deal along religious lines in his later 



276 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

years, and while not a member of any church he always held the tenets of 
Christianity in high regard. Always interested in elevating the standard 
of living, he contributed liberally to any cause for the betterment of those 
around him. Of strong patriotic convictions, he gave liberally of his means 
toward' carrying on the Civil war and was an ardent admirer of President 
Lincoln. His wife, to whom he was greatly attached, was in many respects 
a very superior woman. Her death occurred February 7, 1893, at the age 
of sixty-six. Having been for a number of years in feeble health, this great 
blow no doubt hastened his death, which occurred March 12. 1898, in his 
seventy-fifth year. 

SBION PETER EWING. 

During recent years the part taken by skillful workmen in public affairs 
is an important one and organized labor is a factor to be reckoned with by 
those who seek favors of the people. The men who devote themselves to 
strengthening organized labor are as patriotic as the men who struggle for 
human advancement in any other way and their motives are no longer mis- 
understood or cjuestioned by fair-minded people. The name above will be 
recognized by citizens of Columbus, Ohio, as that of one who has given the 
best years of his life to the cause of organized labor and men high in busi- 
ness and official circles are ready to testify to his singleness of purpose and 
the efficiency of his work. 

Simon Peter Ewing was born in Licking county, Ohio, in 1858. came 
to Columbus in 1880 and engaged in building as a carpenter. He is a charter 
member of Carpenters' Union, No. 61, which was organized in 1884 with 
ten members and now has more than seven hundred members in the city of 
Columbus alone, and has filled all offices in the local union. He has been 
called to different offices in the Trades and Labor Assembly of Columbus 
and has been its president three terms, and he is now and has been for the 
last ten years treasurer of the Ohio Federation of Labor. He has been rep- 
resentative at three national conventions of Carpenters and Joiners of America 
and has represented the Trades and Labor Assembly in convention at every 
session since its organization. In September, 1900, he was appointed by 
Governor Nash superintendent of the free employment bureau at Columbus, 
partially through the influence of Commissioner of Labor Rotchford. He is 
a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has filled all offices 
in Robert Curtis Lodge, No. 762, is a member of Mentor Lodge, No. 642, 
Knights of Pythias, and has passed all chairs in Court Champion. No. 1492, 
Independent Order of Foresters, and is past high ranger of that order, an 
office to which he was chosen by election and in which he served two years. 

Mr. Ewing married Miss Sadie Lydy, daughter of Horace E. Lydy, a 
prominent and influential citizen of Fairfield county, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. 
Ewing have five children, named as follows in the order of their birth : 
Harry Eastman, Alice Lydy. Spencer, Ivan Lewis and Rachel Elizabeth. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 277 

In politics Mr. Ewing is a Republican, active in his labor for his party 
and its principles and fully in accord with the policy of its leaders and the 
present administration of national affairs. In many ways and at all times he 
has demonstrated his right to be called a progressive and public-spirited citi- 
zen, for there has been in his time, no measure promising good to his fellow 
citizens to which he has not given moral and material aid. His w^ork and 
achievements in behalf of organized labor have been so' noteworthy as to 
attract the, attention of leading citizens, irrespective of political affiliation, 
and to win the commendation of all who have became cognizant of them. 

THOMAS E. EDWARDS. 

Thomas E. Edwards, a representative of the train service on the Penn- 
sylvania Railroad, w^as born September 2^, 1849, "^ Birmingham, England, 
and is now serving in the capacity of railway conductor. His father, Thomas 
E. Edwards, was born in Wales, in 1810, and with his family came to this 
country in 1849, during the early infancy of his son and namesake. The 
family located in Dayton, Ohio, where the father died in 1852, but the mother 
still survives and is a resident of Pennsylvania. William John Edwards, 
the brother of our subject, is a baggage master on the Pennsylvania road, 
running betw'een Pittsburg and Wheeling. He is now married and makes his 
home in Sheridan, Pennsylvania. One sister, Ada, now Mrs. Robert Henry, 
resides on Neil street, Columbus, and has four daughters: Cornelia. Anna, 
Madge and Edith, all of w-hom are wuth their parents. Sarah, widow of 
George Taylor, resides in Zanesville, Ohio, and has three daughters and one 
son : Belle, Mary, Muda and George. After the death of Thomas Edwards, 
Sr., the family removed to Zanesville, Ohio, and in 1869 became residents 
of St. Paul. Minnesota. The mother was again married, uniting with James 
Mail, and they had one daughter, Anna, and two sons, H. W. and W. J., who 
are still in Pennsylvania. 

He whose name begins this record learned the trade of iron molding in 
Zanesville and remained there for six months after the removal of the family 
to the west. He then w-ent to Newark, Ohio, where he remained for a year and 
next proceeded to Dennison, hoping to secure work at his trade in that place, 
but as there w^ere no foundries there, and as his financial circumstances made 
it necessary for him to secure immediate employment, he accepted a position 
on a gravel train, being engaged in that work for eight months. About the 
end of that period he met with am accident, severing the main artery in the left 
leg, and thus was incapacitated for work for many months. 

When again able to engage in active business he resumed w'ork on th.e 
gravel train and after six months secured work as a brakeman on a freight 
train on the east end division, running from Columbus to Pittsburg. On 
account of the very dangerous nature of the work on that division, on his 
own application, he w^as transferred to the west division. He recalls a very 
mvsterious collision which occurred when he was on the former line. The 



278 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

engine ran into an obstruction at night at the entrance to a tunnel. After 
investigation they found a sawmill on the track. During a heavy rain, the 
mill, standing on the embankment which had been washed out by the water, 
had slipped down until it rested on the track. This was in the year 1874. 
Mr. Edwards was never seriously injured except once when braking. On 
that occasion he was thrown from the top of the car by catching his foot on 
an iron. He struck the platform and rolled off on the track. He was then 
picked up by a drover who had witnessed the accident and was carried into 
a caboose with three of his ribs broken, and neither the conductor nor any 
of the crew learned of his injury until after reaching the next stop. When 
off duty, by reason of the accident, he was notified by the officers of the road 
to appear for examination for promotion. He did so, passed the examina- 
tion, and since that time he has been on the end of the line where he still 
runs. In June, 1878, he was promoted conductor and still fills that position. 
He has indeed been a very faithful employe of the road and has been given 
preferred runs because of his ability and carefulness in discharging his duties. 
He has never caused the company to lose a single dollar by reason of ineffi- 
cient service or neglect. He is now on a special train running between Colum- 
bus and' Dennison, Ohio. Fifteen years agO' he was offered a position as pas- 
senger conductor, but declined it, the company acceding to his wishes, and he 
is still on preferred freight runs. 

Mr. Edwards has been living in Columbus for twenty-three years and 
the fine residence which he now occupies, at No. 754 North St. Clair avenue, 
was erected by him. In 1877 he was married to Miss Martha Hammel, of 
Tuscarawas county, and unto them have been born two sons and three daugh- 
ters. Her parents were both natives of Ohio and are now deceased. Will- 
iam John, the eldest child, born in 1878, is now a fireman on the Pennsylvania 
road. He was married to Miss Lashura Wheeling and resides in the capital 
city. Ada and Jennie are twins, seventeen years of age, and are now students 
in the high school. Bessie died at the age of three years and eleven months. 
Thomas Edwin was born February 9, 1888. Mr. Edwards is a member of 
the Episcopal church and for fifteen years was a member of the Order of 
Railway Conductors, of Columbus. 

FREDERICK WEBER. 

Frederick Weber, deceased, was one of the leading German-born citizens 
of Franklin county, and in his business career he displayed the characteristic 
thrift and enterprise of his race. Beginning life in the new world with no 
capital except that acquired bv his own industry, he became one of the most 
prosperous business men of Clinton township. 

Mr. Weber was born in Bavaria March 17, 1806, and passed his boy- 
hood and youth in his native land. In 1830, when a young man, he emi- 
grated from Rhenish Bavaria to America, and after spending one year in York 
county, Pennsvlvania, came to Ohio, making his home in Stark countv for 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 279 

three years. On the 30th of May, 1833, he was united in marriage tO' Miss 
CaroHne Tascher, and the following year they came to Franklin county, 
locating on a farm in Clinton township. A year or two later he erected the 
first distillery in Franklin county, which at first had a capacity of but from 
one to two barrels per day. At that time there were only a few houses east 
of the Scioto river, and one or two north of the present Union' depot at 
Columbus. In connection with farming Mr. Weber successfully operated 
his distillery, and to meet the growing demands of his trade he increased its 
capacity to eight barrels per day, carrying on business uninterruptedly up to 
within a few years of his death, and meeting with marked success in the 
undertaking. His first purchase consisted of forty acres of heavily wooded 
land, upon which he erected a log cabin, and there the family^ began life in 
true 'pioneer style. As years advanced and he prospered in his business he 
added to his landed possessions from time to time until he had three hundred 
and twenty-four acres at the time of his death. Without money, prestige 
or friends, a stranger in a strange land, the language of whose people he 
could not speak or comprehend, he began life in America, but having learned 
in youth the most important lesson of how to attend to his own affairs, by 
his industry, perseverance and frugality, he succeeded in accumulating a 
handsome competence for his declining years, and was able to leave his family 
in comfortable circumstances. He was a member of the German Independent 
Protestant church, and lived a consistent Christian life, it being an assuring 
comfort to him in his last days that he never had occasion to regret any act 
performed by him. Mr. Weber exercised his right of franchise in support 
of the men and measures of the Democracy. Surrounded by his wife and 
children, he passed away May 10, 1885, leaving many friends as well as his 
immediate family to mourn his loss. 

Mr. Weber's first wife died in 185 1, and of the ten children born to them 
those living are : Frederick, a resident of Clinton township ; Louisa, wife of 
Dr. L. Sciiaub, of Columbus; George, mentioned below; Henry, professor 
of chemistry in the Ohio State University ; and Herman, a resident of Clinton 
township. The deceased were Mrs. Caroline Tascher, Wilhelmina. Mrs. 
Amelia Graeff, Charles, and Lena, wife of William Westervellt, of Hardin 
county, Ohio. In 1862 IVIr. Weber married Mrs. Ida Emily Homilus, now 
deceased. 

George Weber, son of Frederick, was born on the home farm in Clinton 
township March 30, 1843, ^^''d after completing his education in the district 
schools of the neighborhood assisted his father in the distillery until after 
the inauguration of the Civil war. In 1862 he enlisted for three years, in 
Company C, One Hundred and Thirteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and in 
the spring of 1863 went south with his regiment, joining the Army of the 
Cumberland, under command of General Buell. From Kentucky they went 
to eastern Tennessee, taking- part in the battle of Fort Donelson, and the 
engagements at Franklin, Tennessee, and Shelbyville. They were in the out- 
skirts of the fight at Chattanooga, and for two days were in battle at Chick- 



28o CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. \ 

amauga. On the second day Mr. Weber was wounded in the neck by a rifle 
ball, which confined him in the hospital, first at Stevenson and later at Cum- 
berland. On his recovery he rejoined his regiment near Atlanta, and later 
indk part in the heavy fighting in and around that stronghold. His regiment 
went with Sherman's army on the march to the sea, and took part in the 
battle of Jonesboro, after which they were stationed near Savannah for a 
time. They were in the Carolina campaign, taking part in the battle at Ben- 
tonville, North Carolina, which was the last engagement of the war. They 
next marched to Washington. D. C, and participated in the grand review at 
that place. The war having ended, they went to Albany, New York, and 
fjom there to Louisville, Kentucky, where they were honorably discharged in 
August, 1865. On his return home Mr. Weber resumed work in the dis- 
tillery, where he was employed until his father disposed of the business. 

In 1865 he married Miss Amelia Herbig, and after that event located on 
a farm in Clinton township, on which he has since made his home. He owns 
eighty acres of valuable land, which is highly improved and in an excellent 
state of cultivation, and is now successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits. 

Mr. and Mrs. Weber have a family of three children, namely: Bertha, 
Ida and Laura. The parents are both members of the Lutheran church, with 
which Mr. Weber has been connected since the age of seventeen years. He 
is a charter member of Elias J. Beers Post, in which he has filled all of the 
offices from commander down. He was land appraiser of his township in 
1900, and for thirteen successive years has efficiently served as township 
trustee. He is one of the representative and prominent men of his com- 
munity — one who commands the respect and confidence of all with whom he 
comes in contact, either in business or social life. 

ORLANDO W. ALDRICH. 

Orlando \Y . Aldrich, a distinguished lawyer and one of the most promi- 
nent and influential citizens of Columbus, was born in Erie county, New 
York, March 30, 1840, and is a son of Sidney and Lydia A. (York) Aldrich. 
His father was born near Framlingham, Suffolk county, England, in 181 7, 
and came to this country in 1832. Two years later he located in Erie 
county. New York, and lived in that state until 1864, when he moved to 
Jackson county. Michigan, making his home there until his death, which 
occurred in 1891. From 1833 until his death he was an active member of 
the Methodist Episcopal church, and was a class-leader from 1840. He was 
also licensed as a local preacher, and for many years prior to his death was 
chosen to officiate at more weddings and funerals than any other minister in 
his part of the state, as he was honored and trusted by all who knew him. 
In business affairs he was active, zealous, hospitable and sslf-sacrificing. His 
estimable wife preceded him to the better world, dying in Michigan, in 1882. 
She was a native of Clarence. New York, and was descended on the paternal 
side from Asahel Franklin, of Bennington, Vermont, who was a nephew of 




0. W. ALDRICH. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 281 

Benjamin P^ranklin, and who fought under Stark at the battle at that place. 
Her grandmother, Amy Franklin York, was eleven years old at the date of 
that battle and saw it from her father's house. She married Stephen York, 
and the family had removed to Canada and resided less than half a mile from 
the battle-field of Lundy's Lane, which battle she isaw from her own house. 
Her husband was the man who gave the information to General Brown which 
resulted in the capture of a British spy. This becoming known to the 
Canadian authorities, the family had to fly from their home and their farm 
was confiscated. Their son Stephen, the father of Mrs. Aldrich, had been 
drafted into the Canadian militia, but ran away, came to the states, joined 
Captain Spencer's company of New York militia and was at the battle of 
Fort Erie. 

Mr. Aldrich served for two years in the Fourteenth Xew York Volunteer 
Infantry from May 17, 1861, to May 23. 1863, being with the regiment in the 
campaign in the peninsula, also at Antietam, Fredericksburg and Chancellors- 
ville. He was graduated at the Illinois Wesleyan University in 1869, received 
the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in 1875, the degree of Doctor of Laws 
from Albert University, of Belleville, Ontario, in 1877, and the degree of 
Doctor of Civil Law in the former institution in 1881. He was admitted to 
the bar of Illinois in 1870, when Vice-President Stephenson and Judge Wel- 
don of the United States court of claims were on the committee of examiners. 
He was the professor of philosophy at the Illinois Wesleyan University in 
1877 and 1878, and professor in the law department of that college from 
1876 to 1 88 1, and in the Ohio State University from 1892 to 1897. For 
three years he was the editor of the Weekly Jurist, of Bloomington. Illinois, 
and edited the first American edition of Anson on Contracts, an English work 
of high authority. He also prepared the supplemental volume of Ohio Stat- 
utes from 1880 to 1885, and wrote an article on elections in volume VI, first 
edition of the American Encyclopedia of Law, consisting of two hundred 
pages of double-column matter. 

As a lawyer he stands deservedly high in his profession, and in business 
and social circles also occupies an enviable position. He was the first presi- 
dent of the Worthington, Clintonville & Columbus Street Railway Company, 
holding that office from 1891 to 1898, and the office of vice-president since 
that time. He is also the president of the Ohio State Interurban Railway 
Association ,and is now the secretary of the Columbus, Delaware & ^Marion 
Electric Railway. At the Ohio Centennial in 1888 he was honorary com- 
missioner for Franklin county. 

In his political affiliations Mr. Aldrich is a Republican. For two years 
he was the vice-president of the Ohio State Society of the Sons of the Amer- 
ican Revolution, and was the president of that society for one year. He has 
also been the president of the Ohio Society of the War of 1812 since its organ- 
ization in 1895, ^"cl is now the vice-president general of the national organ- 
ization of that order. He has served as the commander of Beers Post. G. A. 
R. ; was the judge advocate of the department of the Ohio; a member of the 



282 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

council of administration of Ohio, and a delegate to the national encamp- 
ment in Cincinnati. He is also a member of the Union Veteran Legion 
Encampment, No. 78. For four years he was the master of the New England 
Lodge, No. 4, F. & A. M., of Worthington, and he is a life member of Mount 
Vernon Commandery, K. T., and a member of Aladdin Temple, Nobles of 
the Mystic Shrine. 

Owning a fine fruit farm of twenty-three acres near the city, Mr. Aldrich 
takes an active interest in. horticulture, and has been the president of the 
Columbus Horticultural Society. He was the vice-president of the Ohio State 
Horticultural Society for four years. He also takes a great interesc in art, 
and has the largest collection of oil and water colors by European and Amer- 
ican artists in this section of the state, and also has a splendid collection of 
rare old books, taking a deep interest in archeological researches. He has 
one volume of Roman law j^ublished in 1482, only a few years after the first 
printing was done by movable type. He holds and merits a place among the 
representative legal practitioners and citizens of Columbus, and the story 
of his life, while not particularly dramatic, is notwdthstanding such a one 
as offers a typical example of that energetic American spirit which has enabled 
many an individual to rise from obscurity to a position of influence and 
renown solely through native talent, indomitable perseverance and singleness 
of purpose. Mr. Aldrich is a pleasant, genial and polished gentleman, of 
high social qualities and very popular, having a most extensive circle of 
friends and acquaintances who esteem him highly for his genuine w^orth. 

Mr. Aldrich married Miss Roselin G. Jewell, at Hudson, Illinois, in 1863. 
She died in 1877, leaving two children: Edgar S., who graduated at the 
Ohio State University in 1898 as an electrical engineer, and is now the man- 
ager of the electric-light plant at Snohomish, Washington ; and Mrs. Harry 
E. Clum. of Columbus. In 1878 Mr. Aldrich married Mrs. Sarah A. Taylor, 
of Vandalia, Illinois, who was born in Coshocton county, Ohio. They have 
one son, W. Richard, now a student in the law department of the Ohio State 
University. 

ANDREW MORRISON. 

Andrew Morrison was born in county Down. Ireland, twelve miles south- 
east of Belfast, on the loth of January. 1836, and represents one of the old 
families of that locality. His father, John Morrison, was born in the same 
county, about January 5, 1801, and was a son of Andrew and Isabelle (Swin- 
dell) Morrison, being the youngest of their three children. The others were 
Samuel and Isabelle, now deceased. The grandfather of our subject was born 
in county Down and was of the fifth generation to reside upon what was 
known as the Morrison farm there, the ancestors originally removing from 
Scotland to the Emerald isle. 

John Morrison was reared on the ancestral farm and after his marriage 
to Agnes Murdock took charge of the home place, his mother having died 



CEXTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY, 283 

prior to that time, and the father made his home with the son and his wife 
After his father died John Morrison became owner of the home place and 
was left by his father in good financial circumstances, but through ^oino- 
security for others he met with reverses and lost his fortune. In the spring 
ot 1849 he emigrated on the sailing vessel, Mary Pleasant, which weighed 
anchor in the harbor of Liverpool. After a voyage of twenty-eight da^s he 
hnded at ^ew \;ork city and thence made his way westward to Knox county 
Ohio, where resided his uncle, William Morrison, who was the possessor of 
considerable property, and had importuned the father of our subject to come 
to the new world, holding out the inducement that he would leave his proo- 
erty to^him at the time of his -death, as he had no children of his own This 
uncle had crossed the Atlantic with three or four of his brothers-in-law by 
name of Wilson, early in the nineteenth century, and they settled in 'the 
northern part of the state of New York. Later all served as soldiers in the 
war of 1812 and after the cessation of hostilities Mr. Morrison and his 
brothers-in-law went to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, thence bv boat to Marietta, 
Ohio There one ot the Wilson brothers traded a land grant for a farm but 

small sfeds'"""^'"" ^^'''' ^'°"'"'^'' ^^''°''"^' ^^'^ ^°'''^' ^"^ ^^"°-^ '°^"'^^>'- ^^ 
In the fall following his emigration to America John Morrison's family 
emigrated on the sailing vessel, Josephine, which left Belfast for Xew York 
and reached the American metropolis after a thirty-davs vova^e There 
they were met by the husband and father, and by train theV proceeded to Buf- 
fa o and thence to Sandusky by steamer. From that place to Mansfield they 

coutv TheT.tr' '"^ '"'^ '^'"'' ^'''''' '^' ''^''^''y ^" ^ ^-^§-"" to Knox 
count). The father of our subject lived in that county until the spring of 

u-;;i:;i? '''' 1 v' "^t^S'^""^ 'P^"^ ^''"'^'^ '^'^^^ '-^"d becoming dissatisfied 
uith the condition of affairs between himself and his uncle he left Knox county 
and came to Frankhn county, locating on Alum creek in what was then 
Montgomery township, but is now Marion township. In this way he beo-an 

n'Tliffli "V ''"T T^ "^ '^'' ^'" °^ ^^-^3 he leased sixty-five acVes of land 
m Mifflm township for seven years. This was all covered with the native 
growth ot torest trees and according to the terms of the lease Mr. Morrison 
was to c ear and tence the land. With characteristic enercn^ he began the 
DnHnr.l ^' '"' ^^^-^y^the trees sold the wood to the railroad companies. 
During the seven years ot his lease-holding and through the succeeding year 

hnl ' 1'/°"' f'!\''^ ""'''' ''''''' ^^""^^^^^ ^'''' ^' l^"^l surrounding their 
home and furnished large amounts of wood to the railroads. This was the 
toundation of the family's prosperity in the county. In the fall of 1861 the 
father purchased two hundred acres of land and' Andrew Morrison whose 
name u.troduces this review, became the owner of one hundred acres ' ad S 
ing_. his p ace being now the ^^'il]iam Morrison farm. The family took up 
heir abode upon that property and there the father made his home until his 
death, which occurred m June. 1895. At the time of the location upon e 
old homestead the land was a tract of wild timber and he and his Zs co 



284 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

tinned the work of felling the trees and snpplying cord-wooii to the railroad, 
the company running a switch road to their place. At the time of the removal 
of the family the father and his son Andrew also purchased a sawmill, which 
was operated by the son Samuel, and later our subject conducted the enter- 
prise alone for seven years. 

Andrew Morrison, whose name begins this record, was the only son of 
his parents, and his sister Isabelle has now passed away. He was reared 
under the parental roof, and in Ireland acquired a good common-school edu- 
cation prior to the emigration to the new world. On his arrival here he had 
the opportunity of resuming his studies under a competent instructor who 
was teaching school in the Morrison neighborhood, thus accommodating his 
neighbors, who, in return, chopped wood for him. Our subject's proficiency 
in mathematics excited the wonder of the children throughout the neighbor- 
hood and they would come for miles around to see him "figure," as they 
termed it. At twenty-three years of age he entered upon his independent 
business career, working during the greater part of the succeeding two years 
at wood-chopping. In 1861 he purchased one hundred acres of land in Jef- 
ferson township. This was the time when the father removed to his new 
'home and he lived under the shelter of the parental roof until the time of 
his enlistment in the service of his country, in August. 1862. He joined 
Company I, of the Ninety-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which was assigned 
to the First Brigade of the First Division of the Army of the Cumberland. 
In September of the same year he was captured at the battle of Richmond, 
M'ith five or six thousand of his comrades, but on the second day following 
they were paroled and returned to Camp Chase. Later Mr. Morrison was 
taken ill and after two months spent in the post hospital he was discharged on 
account of disability, in April, 1863, and returned home. He then resumed 
the business of wood-chopping and of manufacturing lumlier. 

In 1865 Mr. Morrison was married to Miss Cynthia Zane, a native of 
IMuskingum count}'. Ohio, and a daughter of Corbin Zane, a representative of 
the Zane family who laid out the citv of Zanesville. His people were among 
the distinguished pioneers of the Buckeye state, and a romantic story attaches 
to the life-history of Elizabeth Zane. who through her bravery in facing 
Indian bullets in order to save the fort at Marietta, by carrying a keg of powder 
to the men who were engaged in defending the fort. The mother of ]\Irs. 
IMorrison was in her maidenhood Miss Sarah Miller and she was a descendant 
of Governor Arthur St. Clair, the first governor of Ohio. The grandfather, 
Milo Miller, was descended from one of the Pilgrims who came to America 
in the Mayflower and also from some of the Revolutionarv heroes. The 
marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Morrison has been blessed with five children, of 
whom three are now living, namely: Frank M., a farmer of Jefferson town- 
ship; Sarah K., the wife of Frederick Hoffman, who is a mem]-)er of the bar 
and secretary of the Rock Plaster Company, of Columbus; and Homer E., 
who is operating the farm. 

After hi? marriage Andrew ]\Iorri<on located at Taylor's Station, owning 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 285 

there one hundred and seventeen acres of land constituting a part of his pres- 
ent farm. He was at that time conducting a sawmill, but in 1868 he purchased 
one hundred and twenty-six acres of land south of Taylor, and removing 
to that place he made it his home for two or three years, after which he traded 
it for one hundred and ninety-six acres of his present farm, which now com- 
prises a tract of three hundred and thirteen acres. Since that time it has 
been the place of his abode and is one of the most desirable farming prop- 
erties in this section of the state. He also owned one hundrel and eightv- 
five acres of land north of Reynoldsburg, in Jefferson township, and forty- 
five acres near Bullits Park, just outside of the city limits of Columbus. His 
business interests have been capably managed, his well directed efforts bring- 
ing to him a high degree of success. He has never had time nor inclination 
to seek public office, but exercises his right of franchise in support of the men 
and measures of the Democratic party. In early life he was a member of 
the Methodist Episcopal church, but in more recent years has not held mem- 
bership connection with any denomination. His wife, however, is a Meth- 
odist. Socially he is connected with the Reynoldsburg Lodge, F. & A. M., 
his life exemplifying the benevolent principles of the fraternity. His career 
has been an active, busy and useful one, and his worth as a man and citizen 



RICHARD SINCLAIR. 

Richard Sinclair, a retired merchant residing in Columbus, was born in 
the city of Rochester, New York, November 28, 1828, a son of George and 
Mary (Hositt) Sinclair. The fatlier was born in Scotland, but in early life 
emigrated to the United States, where he was married, after which he located 
in Rochester, New York, and engaged in the butchering business. In 1839 he 
came with his family to Columbus, where he opened a meat market and con- 
tinued actively in that line until within a short time prior to his death, which 
occurred when he was in his seventy-fifth year. His wife, who survived him 
for some time, died in 1875. She was born in Edinburg, Scotland, and in 
her girlhood came to America with her parents, who located in Rochester, 
New York. 

Richard Sinclair, who is the only survivor in a family of five children, 
accompanied his parents on their emigration to Columbus, in 1840. and in the 
public schools of the citv he continued his education for a time. In his 
twelfth year he entered his father's market, where he remained until he had 
attained his majority, when he opened a meat market on his own account on 
Higfh street, between the American and United State? hotels. There he car- 
ried on business until 1850, when he sold out. Having saved some money, 
he purchased eighteen acres of land on what is now ^^'est Broad street, the 
consideration being four thousand dollars. Of this he paid two thousand 
down, while the balance was to be met in payments of five hundred dollars. 
Hardly more than a year had passed \Ahen he was offered forty thousand dol- 



286 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

lars for the property, and, refusing this, he hiter sold it for sixty thousand. 
He has erected between twenty-five and thirty dwelHng houses and a number 
of store buildings in this city. A large business block on West Broad street, 
which has a forty-four-foot front and is ninety-nine feet in depth and three 
stories high, and is now occupied by a stock of hardware, w^s erected by him 
and was for some years the best business block west of the Scioto. Promi- 
nently connected with real-estate and building interests, he has done much to 
improve the city along substantial lines of progress and development. 

On the 7th of November, 1856, Mr. Sinclair w^as united in marriage to 
Miss Margaret Romosier, of Columbus, a daughter of John Romosier. She 
died in 1882, leaving eight children: Charles, who is now a ticket agent for 
the Hocking Valley Railroad ; George W., who died in 1888 ; Lucy, who died m 
1898; Elizabeth, the wife of Law^rence H. Cott; Eloi.^e; Mrs. Matilda Howe; 
Richard; and Ethel. Mr. Sinclair erected his fine brick residence at No. 
913 West Broad street in 1891, and it is known as one of the attractive homes 
of the city. Although he started out in life with very limited capital he has 
by energy^ economy and good management accumulated a handsome com- 
petence for old age.' He always voted the Democratic ticket, first supporting 
James Buchanan for the presidency and since that time has never wavered 
in his allegiance to the party. 



LEONHARD HIRSCH. 

In this age of colossal enterprise and marked intellectual energy, the 
prominent and successful men are those whose abilities, persistence and cour- 
age lead them into large undertakings and assume the responsibilities and 
labors of leaders in their respective vocations. Success is methodical and 
resultant ; and however much we may indulge in fantastic theorizing as to its 
elements and causation in any isolated ini-tance, yet in the light of sober investi- 
gation we wdll find it to be but a result of the determined application of cue'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 w^orld 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 journalism. Columbus has enlisted in its newspaper field some 
of the strongest intellects of the state, — men of strong mental grasp, cosmo- 
politan ideas and notable business sagacity. 

Prominent among the men who have given the city prestige in this 
direction must be placed Leonhard Hirsch, the subject of this review. His 
identification with the art preservative of all arts dates from an early period 
in his career. He w-as born October 13. 1834. in the towni of Berncastel, 
which lies on the banks of the Moselle river, in Rhenish Prussia. At the 
accustomed age he entered the public schools of the fatherland, there pur- 
suing his studies until he entered upon his business career as an apprentice 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 287 

to the carpenter's trade. He followed that pursuit through the period of his 
minority, and soon atter attaninig man's estate he began business on his own 
account as a prmter and lithographer in Frank fort-on-the-Main, but was 
obliged to abandon all and flee to England when that famous old city was 
occupied by the Prussians in 1866. For five years he remained on the "merrie 
isle,' where he was employed at his trade and finally became the manager of 
the Hermann, a German weekly paper published in London. 

Attracted by the opportunities of the new world, where the field of 
advancement lay open to all and where liberty of thought and action is one 
of the cherished possessions of the people, he resolved to seek a home beyond 
the w-ater, and in 1870 crossed the Atlantic to New York. In the metropolis 
he soon secured an excellent position in the line of his trade, having for a 
time served as the manager ot the Oestliche Post, a daily paper published in 
the German language, in 1872 he became a resident of St. Louis, where he 
also acted as the manager of a paper until 1876, the year of his arrival in 
Columbus, wdiere he was «iiplo}-ed for a number of months in the office of 
the Westbote. Wishing, however, to engage in business for himself, he estab- 
lished a Republican Sunday paper published in his native tongue. He called 
it the Ohio Sontagsgast and by his unflagging industry, perseverance, keen 
sacracitv and capable management he mad^e it a profitable business venture. 
Although the majority of German residents are advocates of Democratic prin- 
ciples he made his paper a Republican organ, fearlessly advocating the prin- 
ciples of the party in which he has ever believed since becoming a student 
of American politics. At the same time his journal became a bright, newsy 
organ, devoted to the welfare of the city and state, as well as to the expression 
of the editor's political views. In 1891 Mr. Hirsch broadened the scope of 
his enterprise by establishing a daily paper, called the Daily Express, which is 
the only German Republican journal in central Ohio. From the beginning 
it has constantly grown in favor and therefore in patronage, and now has 
an excellent circulation among the German-American people, in whose homes 
it carries influence by its frank expressions concerning the questions and 
interests of the day which affect all mankind. 

In 1886 Mr. Hirsch was appointed by Governor Foraker to the position 
of supervisor of public printing, and in that office he rendered most effective 
service. He filled the position for five terms, being re-appointed by Gov- 
ernor Foraker and later by Governor McKinley. 

In 1871 Mr. Hirsch was united in marriage to Miss Lotta Meyer, and 
they now have five sons and a daughter. The sons follow in the father's 
political footsteps, being earnest advocates of the Republican party. The 
success which has come to Mr. Hirsch has been by no means the result of 
fortunate circumstances. It has come to him through energy, labor and per- 
severance, directed bv an evenly balanced mind and by honorable business 
principles. He has made the most of his opportunities and at the same time 
the rules of his life have been such as to win the unqualified confidence of his 
fellow men, gaining their esteem and regard. 



288 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

BENJAMIN G. WHEELER. 

Benjamin G. Wheeler, the experienced and popular conductor on the 
Pennsylvania Railroad, was born April 6, 1849, i'''^ Hopedale, Harrison county, 
Ohio, his parents being Chrrstopher and Rebecca Wheeler. The father was 
born in Harrison county, Ohio, April 11, 1816, and was the eldest of a large 
family of children, the others being: Reason, born July 10, 1818; Benjamin, 
November 20, 1819; Morgan, May 27, 1821; Malinda, January 2, 1823; 
Mocinda. December 2, 1824; Hinzay, December 28, 1826; Hezekiah W., 
June 30, 1828; Nancy, April 30, 1830; Anion, December 23, 1831 ; John \\\, 
July 5, 1833; and Rachel, June 4, 1835. All are now deceased with the 
exception of Rachel, who is now married and living in the west. The father 
of our subject resided upon a farm in early life, but about 1850 removed to 
the village of Hopedale, where he followed the carpenter's trade. On the 
paternal side he comes of an old American family, the father having been a 
native of Maryland. For many years Christopher Wheeler was connected 
with the building interests of Hopedale, and his life's labors were ended in 
death in that town on the 4th of March, 1887. His wife, isurviving him for 
about nine years, passed away in the same town, March 8, 1896. Their 
children were: Mary Jane, born May 14, 1839; William Franklin, October 
16, 1840; John Wilson, December 17, 1842; Eliza Ellen, December 16, 1844; 
Reuben Arnold, April 29, 1847; Benjamin G., April 6, 1849; Sarah Ellen, 
October 13, 1851 ; Keziah Margaret, September 2, 1853; Samuel Christopher, 
September 30, 1855; and Eliza Ellen, January 31, 1858. Four of the num- 
ber have now passed away. Keziah Margaret died on the 28th of Septem- 
ber, 1853; Sarah Ellen, on the 9th of March, 1854; Reuben Arnold, July 
13, 1857; and Samuel Christopher, May 20, 1881. The last named was a 
brakeman on the Pennsylvania Railroad, and by coupling cars in the yards 
in Columbus was fatally injured. John W. Wheeler enlisted in 1861 in the 
Forty-third Ohio Infantry, and remained for three years at the front. After 
the war he spent twenty years as an engineer on the Baltimore & Ohio Rail- 
road and then purchased a farn-i. wh"ch lie has since operated. William 
Wheeler is living in Dennison, Ohio, and for the past twenty years he has 
been employed in the Panhandle shops at Dennison, as a blacksmith. 

Benjamin G. Wheeler was only about a year old when his parents became 
residents of Hopedale, where he pursued his education in the public schools. 
From early life, however, he has been dependent upon his own labors, having 
worked as a farm hand for hiis board and ten cents per day when a small boy. 
He also assisted his father at the carpenter's trade before attaining manhood, 
aiding in shingling, siding and other such work. His brother William w^as 
a conductor on the Panhandle Railroad in 1864, and our subject also entered 
the service about that time, soending three month? on a freight train as 
brakeman. In the discharge of his duties he found it necessary to step over 
the soldiers who were being taken to the front on freight cars on his run to 
Newark and Steuben ville. In October, 1868, he accepted a permanent posi- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 289 

tion with the Panhandle Company, running from Dennison to Cohimbus, 
Ohio, as a brakeman. He held that position for six months and then accepted 
a similar position on a passenger train, serving in that way until December, 
1 87 1. Between the years 1872 and 1876 he was the baggage master on a 
train and from 1876 until 1881 he was freight conductor. In the latter year 
he was assistant yard master, also having a passenger run, and in December, 
1 88 1, he was given a regular passenger run and has continued in the service 
of the company in that capacity up to the present time. Over his record 
there falls no shadow of wrong, for he has ever been faithful and true to his 
duty, careful and earnest in its discharge. He has been constantly on the 
Pittsburg division, running between Columbus and Pittsburg, and his trust- 
worthiness is a matter of record, well worthy of commendation. 

On the 15th of May, 1872, Mr. Wheeler was united in marriage to Miss 
Emma Brydie, of Columbus, in which city they have since made their home, 
now residing at No. 1223 Hunter avenue. The lady was a daughter of Hugh 
and Mary A. Brydie. Her father died in 1861, at the age of forty-five years, 
and her mother passed away in 1895, at the age of sixty-seven. One of her 
brothers, James, died when only fifteen years of age, from disease while serv- 
ing his country in the Civil war. Two of her brothens, William and Millard 
F., are now residents of New Mexico. Her sister, Ida May, is the wife of 
Earnest A. Pierce, of Boston, Massachusetts. Mrs. Jennie Deuell and Mrs. 
Mattie L. Levi, of this family, are residents of Columbus, and Ella is living 
in Cincinnati. Her father was a native of Tennessee and her mother of 
Illinois. Mrs. Wheeler is a member of the Third Avenue Episcopal church. 
In 1 871 Mr. Wheeler became a member of Excelsior Lodge, No. 145, I. O. 
O. F., of Columbus. In his life he exemplifies the benevolent spirit of the 
fraternity. Both he and his wife are well known for their genial manner 
and sterling qualities and the hospitality of many of the homes of Colum- 
bus is extended to them. 

AMLLIAM R. LAZENBY. 

America has made wonderful strides in scientific research during the 
century just completed, and among those who have been leaders of investiga- 
tion is William Rane Lazenby, whose discoveries along horticultural line? 
have been not only a source of gratification and pleasure to the scientific 
world, but also of practical value to the fruit-raisers and agriculturists of 
the land. Lie has attained a national reputation in connection with educa- 
tional work and scientific discovery and to-day occupies an eminent position 
among the men of high scientific attainments. His local connection is with 
the Ohio State University, occupyinsf the chair of horticulture and forestrv, 
but throughout the country he is widely known, being a representative of the 
leading societies for the advancement of scientific attainment and research 
along his chosen lines. 

Professor Lazenbv was born December q. 18^2. in Bellona, New York, 



290 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

and acquired his preliminary education in the country schools of his native 
township. His more advanced studies were pursued in the Pen Yan Academy 
and in his college course in Cornell University, being graduated in the last 
named institution with the class of 1874. Immediately after his graduation 
he was appointed instructor of botany and horticulture in his alma mater, 
which position he held for two years, when he was made assistant professor 
of horticulture, serving in that capacity until he resigned in 1881. 

It was in that year that Professor Lazenby was elected professor of 
botany and horticulture in the Ohio State University, at Columbus, wath which 
institution he has since been connected, now holding the professorship of 
horticulture and forestry. While a member of the faculty of Cornell he w^as 
the botanist to the New York State Horticultural Society, the horticultural 
editor of the Husbandman and lecturer for the New York State Grange. 
He drafted the bill for, and aided in establishing, the New York State Experi- 
mental Station, which is located at Geneva. After his removal to Ohio he 
drafted a bill and secured the establishment of the Ohio E^xperimental Sta- 
tion, of which he was a director for six years. He was for five years the 
secretary and for two years the president of the American Association for 
the Advancement of Science; has been for the past eight years the president 
of the Columbus Horticultural Society, — one of the oldest associations of its 
kind in America ; is an active member of the American Pomological Society 
and vice-president of the National Forestry of Congress, and in addition is 
an active or honorary member of many state and local societies. He has 
written much upon horticultural and agricultural subjects and for twenty 
years has 1)een a lecturer before farmers' institutes. 

In 1896 Professor Lazenby was united in marriage to Miss Harriet 
Edelia Akin, of Colunbus, and with their daughter, an only child, they reside 
in their home near the Ohio State University. The Professor has superior 
ability as an educator, being able to impart clearly and readily to others the 
knowledge he had acquired. He has deep love for the subjects in w-hich he 
gives instruction, and his fondness for scientific research has led 'him into 
new fields where he has gained many valuable truths of benefit to his fel- 
low men. 

JOHN H. MILLS. 

In raihvay circles John H. Mills has long been widely and fa\"orably 
known. He was born April 19, 1867, in New^ IMoscow, Ohio, a son of 
Henry PI. Mills, whose birth occurred in 1833. Both his father and his 
mother died on' the same (ky. — August 17, 1894. — at Cooperdale, Ohio, 
their disease being tynhoid fever. Ten days later their daughter Bertha 
also passed away. The father was connected with commercial pursuits, 
conducting a general mercantile store in Cooperdale. 

John H. Mills spent the first sixteen years of his life under the parental 
roof, and then went to Columbus, Ohio, to learn the carriage-maker's trade. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 291 

'J'his was his first independent venture and thereby tested his power, giving 
indication of the elemental strength of his character. He worked at carriage- 
making- until December 12, 1890, when he entered the service of the Pan 
Handle Railroad Company. On the nth of May, 1892, he became an em- 
ploye of the Toledo, Walhonding Valley & Ohio Railroad, having charge 
of the express and baggage. In' December. 1896, he came to Columbus and 
again entered the service of the Pan Handle Road, with which he has since 
continued. 

On the 26th of January, 1895, Mr. Mills was united in marriage to 
Miss Maggie Finley, the w^edding being celebrated in Mansfisld, Ohio. Her 
parents were both natives of Pennsylvania, and from that state removed to 
West V^irginia. where Mrs. Mills w^as born. Her father was a member of 
the One Hundred and Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil 
war and served with the First Army Corps in many of the most important 
engagements which occurred in that portion of the country. He died at 
Loudonville, Ohio, where his wife is still residing. In their family were 
tiiree sons : Wilson and Joseph, who are residents of Loudonville, wdiile 
James makes his home in Toledo, Ohio, Mr. Mills is the treasurer of the 
Order of Railway Trainmen, of Columbus, and is regarded as one of the most 
prominent and influential members of the organization. His political sup- 
port is given to the men and measures of the Republican party, and in relig- 
ious faith both he and his wife are Presbyterians, belonging to the Broad 
Street church. The record of Mr. Mills is that of a man who has by his 
owm efforts worked his way upw-ard to a position of affluence. His life has 
been one of industry and perseverance, and he has at all times commanded 
the respect of bis fellow men. 

DANIEL H. SOWERS. 

Ambition is the keynote of progress. \\'hen ambition is satisfied satiety 
follows, action ceases and effort becomes futile. It is the man to whom 
satiety is ever in the future that advances in the business Avorld, continually 
working his way upw^ard until he attains a position of eminence and promi- 
nence. Such has been the life record of Daniel H. Sowers, now a well known 
and highly esteemed resident of Columbus, exercising much influence in 
public affairs, especially along- the lines of commercial and industrial activity 
which contribute to the city's prosperity. 

Mr. Sowers is a native of Champaign county. Ohio, born in the vear 
1867. His grandfather, Henry Sowers, was a descendant of Christopher 
Sowers, w^ho located in Germantown, Maryland, in 1689, and' was the first 
publisher of a German newspaper in the colonies. About the year 1810 
Henry Sowers removed w-ith his parents from Maryland, his native state, 
to Perry county, Pennsylvania, where in 1827 he was married. He became 
the father of tw^o sons and three daughters, all of whom are now residents 
of Perry county with the exception of S. K. Sowers, the father of our sub- 



292 CENTEXXIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

ject, who came to Ohio in the year 1857. locating in Champaign county. 
There, in 1861, he was joined in wedlock to Miss Eunice Blose, and five 
children graced their marriage, of whom three are now living near Urbana, 
while the brothers, John and Daniel, are residents of Columbus. The for- 
mer is the secretary and treasurer of the wholesale lumljer company of Smith 
& Sowers. 

Daniel H. Sowers, whose name introduces this record, pursued his early 
education in the schools of his native county and was a member of the grad- 
uating class of the Ohio Wesleyan University in 1889. In the fall of that 
5^ear he adopted the profession of law and entered upon a course of legal 
study in the office of Powell, Owens, Rickets & Black. In 1891 he was 
admitted to practice at the Columbus bar and since 1892 has been a member 
of the law firm of Huggins & Sowers. In addition to his regular law prac- 
tice, which engages most of his time and attention, however, he is interested 
in several business enterprises, and his wise counsel and sound judgment are 
important factors in their successful conduct. At a meeting of tlie Columbus 
Board of Trade, held in January for the purpose of selecting officers for the 
current year, Mr. Sowers was elected the first vice-president of that body and 
is now occupying the position. His knowledge of jurisprudence is compre- 
hensive and exact. As a practitioner of law he ranks very high in contrast 
with those of equal age and experience, and those who are acquainted with 
his strong mentality, his powers of close application and his laudable ambi- 
tion predict for him a very successful career as a representative of the legal 
fraternity. 

In Columbus, in 1898, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Sowers and 
Miss Elizabeth Deshler, a daughter of William G. Deshler. an old resident 
and prominent citizen of Columbus, where for some years he engaged in the 
banking business, but is now living retired. One of the best residences in 
Columbus, situated on East Broad street, is their home. It possesses all 
the external features of beauty and style which modern architectural skill 
could devise and provide, and in its interior adornments and furnishings it 
suggests refined and cultured taste. It is an ideal home where comfort, good 
cheer and hospitality reign supreme. 



LEWIS L. RANKIX. 

In the last half of the present century the lawyer has l^een a pre-eminent 
factor in all aft'airs of private concern and national importance. The man 
versed in the laws of the countrv, as distinguished from business men or 
politicians, has been a recognized power. He has been dei:»ended upon to 
conserve the best and permanent interests of the whole people, and without 
him and the approval of his practical judgment the effect of the statesman 
and the industry of the business man and mechanic would have proved futile. 
The reason is obvious. The profesisional lawyer is never the creature of 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 293 

circumstance. The profession is open to talent, and eminence or success 
cannot be obtained except by indomitable energy, perseverance and strong 
mentality. 

It has been along these lines that Lewis Lincoln Rankin has gained 
prominence in his chosen calling. He was born August 4, i860, in Mifflin- 
ville, Mifflin township, Franklin county, Ohio, and there upon the home farm, 
wdiere his ancestors have lived for many generations, he resided w'ith his 
parents until eleven years of age. He is a son of Swan L and Sarah M. 
Rankin. The mother was a daughter of Alexander B. and Mary Ann Denune, 
who were early settlers of Mifflin township. Her father was born May 18, 
1807, her mother May 10, 1814, and they were married on the ist of Decem- 
ber, 1 83 1. Of their eight children who reached adult age all are yet living 
in Franklin county, namely : Mrs. Susan E. Temple, Mrs. Sarah M. Rankin, 
Mrs. Margaret A. Decker, Cyrus P., Mrs. Pauline Kiner, Elias A., John B, 
and Mrs. Huldah W. Horn. 

Li 1 87 1 Lewis Lincoln Rankin came to Columbus with his parents, w^ho 
sought the school advantages of the city for their three children, — Frank F., 
Belle and Lewis L. The first named afterward obtained work in the office of 
the Ohio State Journal and was rapidly advanced until he became its city 
editor. He was also admitted to practice law, but died at a comparatively 
early age, in 1881, leaving a large circle of friends. Mr. Rankin, of this 
review, continued his studies in the city schools and in 1879 was graduated 
with honors in the Central high school, after which he began teaching in 
Hamilton township. In 1880 he was ekcted president of the Franklin County 
Teachers' Association, which numbered about three hundred members at that 
time. In 1882 he became the superintendent of the public schools of Canal 
Winchester, Ohio, and in 1885 removed to Columbus, where he entered upon 
the practice of law, in which he has met wath excellent success. His practice 
has always been lucrative and a high degree of prosperity has attended his 
efforts. He is an earnest and indefatigable worker and in him the utmost 
confidence can be placed with safety. In 1895 he organized the Buckeye 
State Building & Loan Company, and in 1898 he erected a bank building for 
the company's use. In 1900 he built the largest warehouse and storage build- 
ing in this city for use by the Union Transfer and Storage Company. He 
is a director in several other corporations, among them the Livingston Seed 
Company, the Ohio State Journal Company and the Busy Bee Candv Kitchen 
Company. 

In the year 1882 Mr. Rankin w'as united in marriage to Miss Hattie 
Rathmell, of Hamilton township, a very estimable young lady and a daughter 
of John and Susan Rathmell, most highly respected people. Their marriage 
has been blessed with three children : Stanley Frank, Bertha Susan and Allen 
Rathmell. Soon after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Rankin came to Colum- 
bus, where he held the position of court reporter on the Ohio State Journal 
until he began to practice law in 1886. The following year he was elected 
to represent his ward in the city council, and. although the voungest member 



294 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

of that body at the time, he wais made the chairman of the most responsible 
committee. He decHned a re-election, preferring to devote all of his time to 
his chosen profession, and in this he ha(s been very successful, his energy, tact 
and enthusiasm in his work bringing to him a large and lucrative practice. 

EMBURY A. HITCHCOCK. 

Embury A. Hitchcock, professor of experimental engineering in the 
Ohio State University, at Columbus, whose connection with this institution 
covers a period of eight years, was born in Henrietta, New York, in June, 
1866. The ancestry of the family may be traced back through many genera- 
tions to Luke Hitchcock, who came from England about the middle of the 
seventeenth century and settled in Wethersfield, Connecticut. He was for- 
tunate in making the friendship of the Indians, who, in evidence of their 
attachment for him, gave him a deed to the land upon which the town of 
Farmington, Connecticut, has been built. His son, John Hitchcock, the next 
in the line of direct descent, was made a constable of Springfield, Massa- 
chusetts. in 1672, and four years later he was badly wounded in a fight at 
Turner's Falls, in view of which Major Pynchon solicited the governor to 
give Ensign Hitchcock a lieutenant's commission for gallant conduct. Luke 
Hitchcock, his son, also resided in Springfield, Massachusetts, and was a man 
of some prominence, being a member of a committee that was appointed for 
the purpose of making purchases of the Indians of what is now Sheffield 
township and also several townships in the county of Berkshire. Captain 
Aaron Hitchcock, a son of Luke Hitchcock, the second, settled in Sufiield 
county, Connecticut, and was a town clerk for thirteen years. Lie held a 
captain's commission and in 1755 commanded a company engaged in the 
service in the French and Indian war. The next in line was Apollos Hitch- 
cock, who was a surveyor and the first settler of Chicktowaga, New York. 
Lie remained in Suffield county, Connecticut, until 1791, when he went to 
Charleston, South Carolina, and thence to Europe, where he lived three years, 
traveling in France and England. On his return to the new world he took 
up his abode in Hartford, Connecticut, and subsequently removed to Sche- 
nectady, New York, after which he went to Buffalo, that state, which at that 
time contained only twenty houses. 

Aaron Hitchcock, the eldest son of Apollos and the great-grandfather 
of our subject, was, like his father, a surveyor, and for the state surveyed 
much of the land between Batavia and Buffalo, New York, along the state 
transit line between those two points. Later, in connection with his brothers, 
he was in the employ of the United States government and surveyed much 
of the land lying between New Orleans and the mouth of tlie ^Mississippi 
river. His son. Samuel Hitchcock, the grandfather of Professor Hitch- 
cock, was born in Bufi^alo. New York, and at nineteen years of age went to 
Canada, locating at Sarnia, in the province of Ontario. There he was 
extensively engaged in the fishing business. His first fishing explorations 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 295 

were in the Georgian bay in the upper parts of Lake Huron, and his was the 
first schooner known in those waters. He explored and named many of the 
islands in Lake Huron and was largely instrumental in obtaining the present 
fishery laws of the province of Ontario. His son, Julius Charles Hitchcock, 
the father of Professor Hitchcock, is a graduate of Syracuse University, of 
the class of 1861. Since that time he has devoted his life to the work of 
the ministry, filling various church appointments in central and western New 
York. He was in the army in the spring of 1865, was present at the sur- 
render of General Lee and the fall of Richmond. He married Finette R. 
Potter, of Gates, New York, a descendant of William Potter, who emigrated 
from London, England, sailing on the ship Abigail, in 1635, and took up his 
abode in New Haven, Connecticut. His descendants have furnished to the 
country their full share of clergymen, doctors and lawyers. Notable among 
the latter was Hon. John Fox Potter, a representative from Wisconsin in 
the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth and thirty-seventh congressional' sessions. In 
the list of lineal descendants of the branch of the family to which Mrs. Hitch- 
cock belonged was the wife of Henry W. Longfellow. Lyman Potter, the 
father of Mrs. Hitchcock, was born at Plymouth, Connecticut. His grand- 
father served in the French war, and one of his sons, Lyman R. Potter, entered 
the Union army and was killed at the battle of Antietam. 

Professor Hitchcock, whose name introduces this review and who now 
occupies a prominent position in educational circles, pursued a preparatory 
course of study in Oakwood and Cazenovia Seminaries, New York, and in 
1885 1^^ entered Syracuse University. The following year he matriculated 
in Cornell University, and upon completing the regular four-years course was 
graduated, in 1890, with the degree of JMechanical Engineer. He had mas- 
tered the great scientific principles underlying mechanical construction and 
operation, and thus well equipped for a responsible position in that line he 
entered the employ of the Corliss Steam Engine Company, of Providence, 
Rhode Island. In the beginning of the year 1893 he came to the Ohio State 
University and acted as assistant to S. W. Robinson, professor of mechanical 
engineering. In 1894 and 1895, ^^^ the absence of JProfessor Robinson, he 
was the acting head of the department, and in 1896 he was made assistant 
professor of experimental engineering, which position he occupied until April, 
1901, when he was made professor of experimental engineering. The laws 
of the natural world are well known to- him, and the great scientific prin- 
ciples with which he is familiar are closely and accurately applied by him to 
the work which falls to his lot in his present position. 

In Syracuse, New York, in 1896, was celebrated the marriage of Embury 
Asbury Hitchcock and Miss Hattie Isabel Mortimore. She was born in New 
York city in 1871, and her parents were of E'nglish birth. Her father, John 
A. Mortimore. is a native of Dartmouth. England, and his father was a ^ea 
captain. Her mother, who bore the maiden name of Harriet K. Phillips, is a 
native of Cheltenham. England, and with her parents came to America, in 
1850, when she was verv voung. Her father was a farmer. In the sum- 



296 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

mer of 1900 Professor Hiitchcock and his wife traveled through England, 
Scotland, France and Switzerland, and visited the birthplace of her mother 
and grandmother, also the parish church in which her grandmother and 
great-grandmother were married, while in a Wesley chapel church yard they 
saw the marked graves of several of her ancestors. 

Since becoming connected w'ith the Ohio State University Professor 
Hitchcock has often been called into consultation on engineering work and 
to conduct important investigations and tests. He is a member of the fol- 
lowing scientific or engineering societies : The American Society of Mechan- 
ical Engineers; the American Association for the Advancement of Science; 
the Society for the Promulgation of Engineering Education; the Engineers' 
Club, of Columbus; the Ohio Institute of Mining Engineers; and the Society 
of Stationary Engineers, of Columbus. Professor Hitchcock is a profound 
thinker, an exact reasoner, and his love of scientific investigation has given 
him marked prominence in his profession for one so young. 

MARY MINER WHARTON. 

'Rarely is it given to any one, in these days of change, to occupy the 
same home for a period of seventy-eight years, but such has been the priv- 
ilege of the subject of the present sketch, Mrs. Mary Miner Wharton, a 
resident of Franklin township, Franklin county, Ohio. Mrs. Wharton w^as 
born near London, Madison county, Ohio, January 18, 1821. Her father, 
Isaac Miner, was a son of Isaac Miner, a prominent man of English descent, 
who was a well known trader with the West Indies. 

The father of Mrs. Wharton was born in New London, Connecticut, 
December 18, 1778, and went to Franklin, Delaware county, New York, 
where he engaged in the lumber and mercantile business, also engaging in 
the study and practice of law, remaining with his father until 1806, when he 
removed to Franklin county, Ohio, remaining there but a short time, and 
removing thence to Madison county, and here he bought a large tract of land. 
At one time Mr. Miner owned six thousand acres, upon which he raised 
great numbers of cattle, sheep and horses, for sixteen years engaging in this 
business. He was one of the first settlers in that county and was the largest 
landholder. In 1816 Mr. Miner w^as made a member of the state legislature, 
his politics being that of the party then named old-line Whig. In this county 
he was very prominent, taking an active part in all public matters. In 1822 
he removed to Franklin county and settled on the Scioto river, building here 
the house in which Mrs. WHiarton now lives. At one time his farm consisted 
of seven hundred and fifty acres, and here he engaged most extensively in 
the raising of stock. He was one of the first to ship cattle to Philadelphia'and 
New York, becoming one of the largest dealers in the county. He was much 
interested in horses, and the first race track in the state was located on his 
farm. At one time he owned eighty head of horses, including some of great 
value. At the time of his death Mr. Miner was one of the most prominent 




MRS. MARY M. WHARTON. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 297 

public men of his locality, an almost indispensable citizen, progressive, earnest 
and capable. He was a member of the canal board, in which his advice was 
highly regarded, its deliberations being suspended during his illness. He 
was an example to his family and his death left a blank never filled. His 
death occurred December 27, 1831, when the county lost one of its most dis- 
interested and faithful citizens. 

The mother of our subject was Hannah (Stowel) Miner, a native of 
Chemung valley, in the state of New York. She was a daughter of Elijah 
and Hannah (Bigsby) Stowel, of English descent. Mr. and Mrs. Miner had 
eight children : Grifihth R. ; Maria ; John L. ; Henrv, deceased ; William, who 
became sheriff of Franklin county, and Richard, both deceased ; Mrs. Wharton, 
the only one of the family still living; and Emma, born in 1808, who became 
the wife of Moses H. Kirby, a prominent man in state politics, who twice 
filled the office of secretary of state and whose death was much regretted. 

Mrs. Wharton was only two years of age when her family moved into 
the house where she now lives. With the exception of three years spent in 
Nashville, Tennessee, this has been her continuous residence, with the excep- 
tion of her school days, which were spent at Steubenville, Ohio, and at a 
Quaker school at Kimberton, Chester county, Pennsylvania. In 'her youth 
Mrs. Wharton was celebrated for her beauty, being widely known as the 
belle of Franklin county. The venerable lady still retains many traces of this 
attractiveness, being vivacious and well preserved. 

The marriage of Mrs. Wharton took place in 1839, to Henry \\liarton, 
a native of Hull, England, and a family of four children were born to them: 
iWilham, Frederick, Miner and Albert. 

Mrs. Wharton is the proprietor of the Wharton addition to the city of 
Columbus, Ohio, and one of the owners of Green Lawn. Her residence has. 
been so long in this locality that she has become thoroughly informed upon 
every development in the county. She has watched with interest the growth 
of the city of Columbus, and feels confident that its future is great. Nat- 
urally intelligent, educated and refined, Mrs. Wharton is one of the best rep- 
resentatives of the real ladies to the manor born in the state of Ohio. 

WILLIAM H. THOMPSON. 

\\'illiam Harry Thompson was born on the 4th of July. 1862 in Union 
county, Pennsylvania, a son of Charles M. and Hattie Thompson, both of 
whom are residents of Columbus. The other members of their family are 
i\Irs. Frank Burnham, who is now living in Bradford. Ohio; Elmer E an 
engineer; Jesse E., a yard brakeman; and R. M.. who is also 'in the railroad 
service. The three brothers are residents of Columbus. 

In his parents' home William H. Thompson spent the days of his child- 
hood and youth, and after arriving at years of maturity he was joined in 
wedlock, on the 2d of April. i88n;. to' Miss IMartha Brown the weddino- 
being celebrated in Bradford, Ohio. Her father, John L.' Brown now 



298 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

resides in Piqua, Ohio, but her mother died before the marriage of her 
daughter. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Thompson have been born seven children: 
.Arthur, born December 30, 1885; Florence, who was born January 20, 
1888, and died on the 21st of October, of that year; Myrtle M., who was 
born August 16, i88q, and died November 18, 1890; William C, born 
August 29, 1 891; Lova Ruth, born April 21, 1896; Harry Dewey, born 
May II, 1898; and Paul, born July 5, 1901. 

Mr. Thompson began his railroad service at Bradford, Ohio, in April, 
1879, by working in the coal bin for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. 
In 1 88 1 he became fireman for the same company, running on the Indianapo- 
lis division, and continued to serve in that capacity until November, 1889, 
when he was made a yard engineer, and in September of the following year 
was promoted to road engineer. His service in the latter position now 
covers eleven years, during which period he has won the commendation of 
the company by his faithfulness and reliability. He is a member of York 
I^odge, No. 563, F. & A. M., of Columbus, and in his political affiliations 
he is a Democrat. He and his family hold membership in the Miethodist 
Episcopal church and are people of genuine worth. 

WILBUR HENRY SIEBERT. 

Wilbur Henry Siebert was born in Columbus, Ohio, August 30, 1866, 
and is the third son of Louis and Sarah A. Siebert and a member of one of 
the old and substantial families of the capital city. The Sieberts emigrated 
from the neighborhood of Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, in 1832, com- 
ing to this country to escape the consequences of the political reaction caused 
by the failure of the revolutionary movement in 1830. Henry Lawrence Sie- 
bert, the founder of the family in Ohio, was a German liberal. He had 
shown his devotion to his country by fighting in the wars against Napoleon 
Bonaparte, but did not wish to sacrifice his sons, of whom there were six, 
in the cause of despotism. He therefore came to America in 1832, and 
settled in Columbus, July 15, 1834. 

On his mother's side Mr. Siebert is descended from Dutch, French and 
English stock. His maternal grandfather was Henry Van De Water, who 
was of the fourth generation of the New York family of that name; and his 
maternal grandmother, Sarah Van De Water, was of English descent, her 
maiden name being Brand. This branch of the Van De Waters removed 
from New York city to Columbus in 1834, by way of the Erie and Ohio 
canals, before the days of railroads. 

Mr. Siebert received his early education in the schools of Columbus, 
being graduated in the Central high school in 1883, on which occasion he 
was one of several to receive a commencement part. Then he entered the 
Ohio State University, in which he was graduated with the degree of B. A. 
in 1888, occupying a place on the commencement program as a representa- 
tive of his course by election of thefaculty. He was prevented from gradu- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPEIICAL HISTORY. 299 

ating with his class, that of 1887, by a severe iUness in his junior year. In 
the faU of 1889 Mr. Siebert entered Harvard University and received the 
bachelor's degree with honorable mention in June, 1889, and the degree of 
M. A. in June, 1890. While in Harvard he took part with E. B. Delabarre, 
now Professor Delabarre of Brown University, and others in the organiza- 
tion Oif the Graduate Club, the pioneer of university graduate clubs in this 
country, and was made its first president. The academic year 1 890-1 Mr. 
Siebert spent in the study of history and philosophy in the Universities of 
Freiburg in Baden and Berlin, attending lectures under Professors Von 
Hoist, Riehl, and Munsterberg, in Freiburg, and Professors Von Treitsche, 
Marcks, Schaeffer-Boichorst and others in Berlin. In the fall O'f 1891 Mr. 
Siebert accepted the position of assistant in history and political science in 
the Ohio State University, and was made assistant professor of history 
two years later. 

On the i6th of August, 1893, he married Annie Ware Sabine, the 
daughter of Hon. and Mrs. Hylas Sabine, a gifted woman, who received her 
master's degree from the Ohio State University, and later received a degree 
in science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under General 
Francis Walker. 

The years 1895 and 1896 Mr. Siebert spent in advanced study in Har- 
vard, and in the preparation of his work on the anti-slavery movement men- 
tioned below. He now holds the chair of European history in the State 
University. He is the author of the "Underground Railroad from Slavery 
to Freedom," and a "Handbook of Ohio Government," now in press, besides 
cirticles and reviews in various magazines. Mr. Siebert is a fellow of the 
American Geographical Society and a member of other learned bodies. 

Recently Professor Siebert has been actively interested in the founding 
cf a social settlement, the First Neighborhood Guild of Columbus, located 
at No, 466 W^est Goodale street, where it occupies the commodious Godman 
Guild house, built for the organization through the generosity of Mr. and 
]\Irs. Henry C. Godman. Mr. Siebert has been president of the Guild during 
the past three years. 

CHARLES V. CENTNER. 

The personal characteristics of Charles V. Centner are such as to win 
for him the warm friendship of many with whom he came in contact, and 
he had a wide acquaintance among the business men of Columbus as well 
as in other walks of life. He was born June 30, 1850, in Pittsburg, Penn- 
sylvania, and was of German lineage. His parents, Christopher and Mar- 
garet Centner, were both born in Germany, in the year 1818, and were mar- 
ried in that country. Believing that they might improve their financial 
condition in the new world, they crossed the Atlantic to America, and after 
residing for some time in Pennsylvania took up their abode in Cincinnati, 
Ohio, in 1855. The father was a cabinet-maker by trade, following that 



300 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

pursuit in order to provide for his family. He had two daughters, Mrs. 
CaroHiie Wallace and Mrs. John Oberhuber, both of whom are now resi- 
dents of Cincinnati. 

Their only son was Charles V. Centner, who was reared in Cincinnati, 
having accompanied his parents on their removal to that place when only five 
years of age. At the usual time he entered the public schools and there 
mastered the common English branches of learning. After putting aside 
his text-books he learned the trade of carpet-making, and secured a position 
in the employ of the leading wholesale and retail carpet dealer in Cincinnati, 
where by close application and fidelity he worked his way upward, finally 
securing a very responsible and lucrative position with the well-known house 
of George B. Otte & Company, of Cincinnati. In 1882 he came to Colum- 
buisi and was offered and accepted a position in the service of the Osborn 
Company, remaining in that employ until 1897, when he was placed in 
charge of the buyers' department of the Beggs Company, of this cily. His 
familiarity with the trade, his comprehensive understanding of the public 
tastes and his indefatigable industry well qualified him for the responsible 
position, and he acceptably served in that capacity until his demise. 

In 1884 Mr. Centner was united in marriage to Miss Emma Stroedter, 
of Columbus, a daughter of Godfrey and Elizabeth Stroedter, both of whom 
were natives of Germany, the former born in 1834, the latter in 1838. They 
were married in Columbus, and their children were : Mrs. Centner ; Ernest, 
who is engaged in the drug business on South High street, in Columbus; 
Fred, who is a clerk in the employ of Brice Brothers, of Columbus; and 
Lena, now the wafe of Albert Neothlich, a resident of this city. The father 
of this family was a carriage-maker by trade and followed that pursuit 
throughout his active business career. He died in 1884, and his wnfe passed 
away in 1870. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Centner were born four children: Emma, 
who is now a student in the Young Ladies' Academy of St. Aloysius, in 
Perry county, Ohio; Charles G., born February 11, 1888; David N., born 
November i, 1890; and William F., born April 27, 1893. 

In the winter of 1900- 1 Mr. Centner left home for the benefit of his 
health, but did not find the help which he expected, and on the 19th of Jan- 
uary of the latter year he passed away. He was a business man of splendid 
ability and greatly honored by the public as well as esteemed by his friends 
and neighbors. Mrs. Centner still resides at No. 410 East Rich street, in 
the home which she has occupied for ten years. The family are members 
of the Holy Cross Catholic church of this city. 

HENRY CLAY SLYH. 

A man's reputation is the property of the world. The laws of nature 
have forbidden isolation. Every human being submits to the controlling 
influence of others, or. as a master, wields a power for good or evil on the 
masses of mankind. There can 1)e no impropriety in justly scanning the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 301 

acts of any man as they affect his pubHc, social and business relations. If 
he be honest and successful in his chosen field of endeavor investigation will 
brighten his fame and point the path along which others may follow. 

One whose record will bear the closest scrutiny and stand the test of 
public criticism is Henry Clay Slyh, whose identification with the interests 
of Franklin county dates from pioneer times. Through almost four-score 
vears he has been a witness of the development, growth and progress made 
in this section of the state, and as a public-spirited citizen he has given his 
aid and co-operation to many measures for the public good. He was born 
upon his father's farm in Prairie township, December 13, 1823, a son of 
Henry Slyh, who was born in Virginia March 13, 1800. He served in the 
war of 1812, as did also his brothers, Jacob, John and Isaac Neff. By 
occupation he was a farmer, and through many years followed that pursuit 
in Prairie township, Franklin county. He was three times married, his 
first union being with Sarah Nefif, by whom he had the following named chil- 
dren : James, who went to California in 1850, and died in that state in 1865 ; 
Margaret, who became the wife of Thomas Wilcox; and Mary, who wedded 
John Postle. The daughters both died in Franklin county prior to the Civil 
war. For his second wife Henry Slyh chose Clara Higgins. who died two 
years later, leaving no children. His third wife was the mother of our sub- 
ject. She bore the maiden name of Susanna Hopper, and their wedding 
was celebrated in January, 1823. She was a resident of Prairie township, 
Franklin county, and by her marriage she became the mother of three chil- 
dren: Henry Clay, of this review; Amanda Jane; and Jacob Neff. The 
former was born in 1825, and in 1848 gave her hand in marriage to Asa 
Fell. They made their home upon a farm near Muscatine, Iowa, where 
Mrs. Fell died in 1900. leaving a large family. Her husband was numbered 
among the men who crossed the plains tO' California in 1849, attracted by 
the discovery of gold, and he became very wealthy. Jacob Neff Slyh, who 
was born in 1828, became a farmer and married Miss Hanna Yeiser. He 
died in 1852, and his wife passed away in 1855. leaving a daughter, Mary 
Ellen, who died in 1895. 

Henry Clay Slyh was reared to farm life, early becoming familiar with 
the work of the fields as he followed the plow and harrow and later assisted 
in harvesting the crops. He remained upon the old homestead until 1840, 
at which time he was twenty-seven }-ears of age. He then started out upon 
an independent business career, and' in 1850 he chose as a companion and 
helpmate on life's journey ]\Iiss Margaret McFarland, but their married life 
was of short duration, her death occurring in 1852. On the 26th of October, 
1853, Mr. Slyh was joined in wedlock to Miss Sarah J. Foley, a daughter 
of Moses Foley, who was a native of Maryland and came to Franklin county 
in an early day. He was the proprietor of the old and now historical Four 
Mile House, located where Camp Chase now stands. He conducted the hotel 
for a quarter of a century, and there all of his children were born. He was 
a prominent and influential citizen, taking an active part in public affairs. 



302 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

He aided in the grading of the National road from Columbus to Virginia 
between the years 1836 and 1840. Mr. Slyh also assisted in that work. 
Mrs. P'oley, the mother of Mrs. Slyh, was a native of Ireland, and when a 
maiden of ten summers was brought by her parents to America. In 1820 
she gave her hand in marriage to Moses Foley, the w-eclding being celebrated 
m Franklinton, now Columbus. Their children were: James, who was 
born in 1822, and died in 1849; Caroline, who w^as born in 1837, and is now 
the wife of Colmer Smith, a resident of Iowa; Levi, who was born in 1840, 
and died in i860; Mary, who was born February 6, 1843, and is now Mrs. 
Peter Crawford, and resides in Iowa; and Mrs. Slyh. The father, whose birth 
occurred in 1780, was called to his final rest in 1853, and his wife, who was 
born in 1784, passed away in 1863. 

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Slyh have been born seven children : James Franklin, 
born October 28, 1854, married Miss Lillian Kline, and they have two chil- 
dren; Charles Jacob, born June 8, 1857, wedded Miss Caroline McLott, by 
whom he has five children; Martha Ann, born March i, i860, is the wife 
of Thomas Corbin, and they have fourteen children; Virginia, born Novem- 
ber 10, 1864. is the wife of John E. Moore, by w^hom she has six children; 
Lydia, born March 31,, 1870, is the wife of John Kuhn, and has one child; 
William Allen, born July 7, 1873, wedded Miss Ottie Stucky, and they have 
no children; Henry Clay, born October 5, 1876, and the youngest of the fam- 
ily, married Miss Lotta Jamine, by whom he has one son. 

Prior to the inauguration of the Civil war Henry Clay Slyh, whose 
name introduces this record, w^as engaged in merchandising in Rome, Ohio, 
for three years, but in 1862 he sold his store and offered his services to the 
government, joining the "boys in blue" of Company C, of the famous Ninety- 
fifth Ohio Infantry, in which Colonel James Kilbourne won distinction. In 
the first engagement in which he participated, that of Richmond, Kentucky, 
on the 30th of September, 1862, Mr. Slyh was slightly wounded and was 
taken prisoner. Later he was paroled and was at Camp Chase for five 
months before being exchanged. With his regiment he participated in nu- 
merous engagements until after the siege of Vicksburg, when he was com- 
pelled to go to the hospital, being sent to St. Louis, Missouri, where he was 
granted a three-months furlough on account of serious illness and returned to 
his home. On the expiration O'f that period he was ordered to report at 
Albany, New York, and was in the hospital at that point until after the 
close of the war, when, in November, 1865, he was mustered out of service. 
He left the military to enter the civil service of his country, and long d'is- 
charged public duties for the benefit of his fellow townsmen. For several 
years before the war he had been the constable of Prairie township, and 
upon his return he was again elected tO' that office, serving in that capacity 
altogether for twenty-one years. He was a justice of the peace three years 
just prior to his removal from Prairie to Franklin township, in 1882, and 
after that time he was elected a justice of the peace in Franklin township, 
capably serving until he took up his abode in Columbus, in 1886, For ten 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 303 

years he has occupied his present home, and is now enjoying a well-earned 
rest, having put aside all business and political cares. In his public posi- 
tions he was as true and loyal to his duties as when he followed the stars 
and stripes through the Contederacy, and over the record of his career there 
falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil. 

CAPTAIN EDWARD P. VAXCE. 

Captain Edward P. Vance is meeting with very gratifying success, in busi- 
ness in Columbus, where he is conductmg a drug store. He is also the 
owner of considerable property, and possesses a resolute spirit which enables 
him to carry forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes. 
Perhaps he is most widely known in connection with military affairs, for he 
has long been prominent in the state militia and as a veteran of tlie Civil 
war. He was born on the 5th of April, 1849, in Blendon township Frank- 
Im county, and is a son of Joseph C. Vance.. No event of special importance 
occurred to vary the routine of life for him in boyhood. Much of his time 
was passed in the acquirement of an education in the common schools, but 
on the 5th of May, 1864, when fifteen years of age, he responded to the 
country's call for troops, enlisting as a member of Company C, One Hun- 
dred and Thirty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, for one hundred days' serv- 
ice. The regiment was assigned to the First Division of the Taith Army 
Corps, and was at Bermuda Hundred and in the military movement around 
Richmond and in western Virginia. In September or October of the same 
year the company 'was mustered out. Although so voung. he was a sturdy 
boy and never shirked his duty, being always found "faithful to the flag and 
the cause it represented. 

In the fall of 1865 Captain Vance entered the Western IMilitary Insti- 
tute, at Dayton, Ohio, but his parents, fearing that he would adopt army 
life as a profession, withdrew him from that institution after his third term 
and he returned home. Subsequently he and his brother George, who is now 
deceased, purchased a drug store in Westerville, Ohio, and successfullv con- 
ducted the establishment until August, 1899, enjoying a large trade. In 
1892, however, Mr. Vance came to Columbus and erected his present busi- 
ness block at the southwest corner of Wilson avenue and Oak street. Here 
he established a drug store, conducting both mercantile interests until 1899. 
when he disposed of his business in Westerville. He has a well appointed 
store, complete in all its departments. He carries a large stock of goods 
and his moderate prices and honorable business dealing have secured to him 
a patronage which is constantly increasing. 

The Captain has never ceased to have an interest in military affairs, 
and m 1877 he joined Company C, of the Fourteenth Regiment' of Ohio 
National Guard. He was commissioned first lieutenant of the company on 
Its organization and some months later was made its captain, serving in that 
capacity for five years, during which time he was one of the most important 



304 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

factors in military matters in this part of the state and was largely instru- 
mental in securing the nomination of Colonel George D. Freeman, who 
proved one of the most popular regimental commanders in the service. At 
the outbreak of the Spanish-American war, in connection with Colonel Fre£- 
man and others, he organized a regiment for the service and was commis- 
sioned by Governor Nash as adjutant general of the state, but the troops 
were never called out. He now holds membership in James Price Post, 
G. A. R., of Westerville, and socially he is connected with VVesterville Lodge, 
K. P., of which he served as treasurer at one time. He also belongs to 
Blendon Lodge, No. 339, A. F. & A. M., to Westerville Chapter and to 
Columbus Council. 

On the 7th of July, 1885, Captain Vance was united in marriage to 
Miss Lillian Newcomb, of Westerville, and a daughter of James Newcomb, 
one of the prominent residents of the county. Mrs. Vance is well known 
in Columbus, being actively associated with its business interests, having the 
best millinery establishment in the city, located at No. 123 South High 
street. Both the Captain and his wife are widely and favorably known and 
have a large circle of friends. The same resolute spirit which prompted his 
enlistment in the army at the early age of fifteen years has been manifest 
throughout his entire career and has been an important element in his success. 

JOHN F. PERRY. 

Long continuance in the employment of a corporation is unmistakable 
evidence of ability and fidelity in the discharge of duty. Firms or com- 
panies employing large forces of men do not retain in their service those 
v/ho are not capable and reliable, and no words of praise which the biog- 
rapher might write would be as strong in commendation of Mr. Perry 'as 
the statement of the fact that for thirty years he was connected with the 
Street Railway Company of CO'lumbus. He is numbered among the native 
sons of Franklin county, his birth having occurred upon a farm near Dublin, 
on the 24th of October, 1836, and he died at his home at No. 42 East Ful- 
ton street, in the capital city, January 23, 1901. His father, William Perry, 
was born September 4, 18 10, and passed away on the 4th of January, 1863, 
while Mrs. Susan Perry, the mother of our subject, was born September 11, 
181 1, and died on the loth of December, 1900. 

John Fletcher Perry spent his boyhood days at his parental home, and in 
early manhood was apprenticed to the blacksmith's trade, which he thor- 
oughly mastered in every detail. At the time of the Civil war, however, he 
put aside all business and personal considerations in order to aid in the sup- 
pression of the rebellion. He was one of the first to respond to President 
Lincoln's call for volunteers in 1861, and joined the "Hard-Marching Regi- 
ment," the Seventeenth Ohio, which was sent to Virginia, doing service there 
until after the expiration of his term, when, in October, '1861, the troops were 
mustered out. In Plain City, Ohio, he resumed work at his trade, and 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 305 

thirty years ago he came to Columbus, where he at once entered the employ 
of the Street Railway Company, with, which he was connected at the time of 
his death. He was the oldest employe in point of continuous service with 
the corporation, thirty years having come and gone during his association 
with the company. 

While in Plain City, in October, 1862, Mr. Perry was united in mar- 
riage to Miss jMartha J. Hager, a daughter of James E. Hager, who was 
born at Newmarket, New Hampshire, and when a boy accompanied his par- 
ents to Vermont. When a young man he came to Ohio with his parents, 
the family l-ocating on a farm near Dublin, in Franklin coiunty. He mar- 
ried Miss Cornelia Ferguson, a native oif New York, the wedding being 
celebrated at Dublin on the 14th of October, 1840. Mr, Hager died July 
20, 1854, but was long survived by his wife, who passed away on the ist of 
April, 1885. Their children were: Martha J., born July 5, 1845; Sarah 
D., born August 16, 1846; John, who was born October 7, 1848, and is now 
residing in Plain City; Laura, who was born February 17, 1850, and is now 
deceased; Armenas, who was born July 20, 1852, and is now married and 
resides on a farm near Paulding, Ohio ; and William, who was boTn August 
II, 1854. and is now deceased. By the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Perry 
there were born seven children, three of whom are yet living. Irvin M., 
the eldest, was born in 1865, and was married November 4, 1885, to Miss 
Clara Carroll, by whom he has four sons, — Irvin, Howard, Russell and 
Walter. John Raymond was born August 3, 187S, and Ethel N.. on the 
9th of March, 1883. The daughter and the son Raymond are still living 
mih. their mother. 

Mr. Perry was an active and influential member of Wells Post, G. A. R 
of Columbus, and through a long period held membership in the Town Street 
Methodist church. He took an active interest in its w^ork, and withheld his 
support from no movement or measure calculated to prove of general good 
along material, intellectual and moral lines. In 1897 he suffered from an 
attack of asthma, combined with stomach trouble, and for several weeks was 
confined to his bed. He never afterward fully recovered his health, and on 
the 1 6th of November, 1900, he was again taken ill, the disease terminating 
his life on the 23d of January, 1901. His worth as a man and citizen was 
widely acknowledged by all who knew him. He was a man of pleasing 
personality, genial, sympathetic and helpful, and his friends were many and 
steadfast. Mrs. Perry, with her children, still reside a*t the family home- 
stead' on East Fulton street. 

BERNARD PUMPELLY. 

On the 8th of February, 1901, there passed from this life an honored 
and esteemed resident of Codumbus, Bernard Pumpelly, who through many 
years had made his home in the capital city and was well known to many of 
its residents as a man of sterling- worth. His birth occurred in Oxford 



3o6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

county, ]\Iaiiie, dbout 1822, and he came with his parents to Ohio in 1839, set- 
tUng at Anieha, Clermont county. When the question of slavery involved 
the country in hostilities, owing to the attempt of the south to sever all alle- 
giance with the national government, he offered his services to the latter. 
His patriotic spirit was aroused and he joined the Eleventh Ohio Cavalry, 
being for three and a half years numbered among the "boys in blue" who 
aided in sustaining the honor of the old ffag. He saw active service on 
western battle-fields, and was always found at his post of duty, faithfully 
performing the tasks that devolved upon him as a defender of the Union. 
When the war was over he returned to his home with a most creditable 
military record. In 1874 he came to Columbus, where he engaged in the 
shoemaking business, following that pursuit for a number of years, with 
excellent success. He was widely known in industrial and commercial cir- 
cles, and as a man of unquestioned reliability and worth he commanded the 
respect of all with whom he came in contact. 

On the 22d of October, 1857,^ Mr. Pumpelly was united in marriage to 
iMiss Mary Whitaker, and they became the parents of five children, four 
daughters living, who, with the mother, yet survive the husband and father. 
The daughters are Mrs. L. C. Mithoff, Birdie, Nellie and Daisy, who are 
still with the mother. The family hold membership in the First Univer- 
salist church of Columbus, and enjoy the high regard of many friends. 

GIDEON R. MILLER. 

During the period of early development in Franklin county Gideon R. 
Miller, now deceased, was brought by his parents to Ohio. He was born on 
the banks of the Potomac, in Hardy county, Virginia, March 25, 1825, and 
was the third in a family of six children whose parents were John and 
Tabitha Miller. The father was a native of Virginia, and in the year 1825 
came with his wife and children to the Buckeye state. In addition to Gid- 
eon tiie other members of the family were Jacob, Henry, John. Ann and Mar- 
garet. 

Reared under the parental roof, Gideon Miller acquired his educa- 
tion in the public schools of the neighborhood, and in early life learned the 
machinist's trade, becoming an expert workman. For many years he was 
employed in the fo'undry of John L. Gill, of Columbus, and his long service 
in that establishment indicated his excellent workmanship, his close appli- 
cation and his fidelity to duty. He also worked a few years for Andrew 
Emmick. Whatever success he achieved in life was the result of his own 
well-directed efforts. He worked his way upward by determined purpose, 
unfaltering energy, and as a result O'f his labors he acquired a comfortable 
competence. 

In the year 1850 Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Harriet H. 
Pope, of Colunibus. She was born in Washington county, Ohio, August 
23. '^^ZZ' ^iid her parents were both natives of Virginia, but died in Colum- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 307 

bus during the early girlhood of their daughter. Her father loyally served 
his country in the war of 1812. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Miller have been born 
nine children. Robert F., born February i, 1851, died April 21, 1875. 
Gideon H., born March i, 1853, died April 18, 1875. Cora, born October 
15, 1856, was married October 14, 1875, to Tobias Engle, and their chil- 
dren are Clayton, Thomas, Raymond, Hattie and William. Addie, born 
August 16, 1858, was married August 11, 1880, to Frederick Rau, and 
died May 30, 1895, leaving two sons, Edward, wdio was born in 1888. and 
Harry, born in 1891, who now reside with their grandmother, Mrs. Gideon 
Miller, at No. 385 Fulton street. John, born May 6, 1862, died October 
6, 1889. Mary, born October 27, 1864, died November 10, 1873. Mar- 
garet J., born December 19, 1867, was married May 5, 1885, to Carl Bouser, 
and their children are Carson, born in 1888, Gideon, in 1892, and James, 
in 1894. Gideon, born April 24, 1870, died February i, 1875. Daisy, the 
youngest of the family, was born July i, 1876. 

In the year 1855 Mr. Miller erected at No. 385 Fulton street the resi- 
dence which is still occupied by his widow. He was a man of sterling char- 
acter, of unquestioned probity and of marked fidelity to duty. He w'as very 
firm in support of his honest convictions, and his life was in harmony with 
his belief in the Methodist church, in which he held membership. He also 
belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and his sterling qualities 
made his an untarnished name, while his record, both public and private, 
will bear close scrutiny. 

DAVID MULL. 

Throughout his entire life David Mull was a resident of Columbus, 
where he was widely and favorably known. His birth occurred March 9, 
1844, in the family residence at the southwest corner of Broad and Gift 
streets. He acquired his early education in the schools of Franklinton, now 
Columbus, and when in his 'teens began firing on a railroad engine. He 
was thus employed when, in 1862, he enlisted in the One Hundred and Thir- 
teenth Regiment of Ohio Volunteers for service in defense of the Union. 
He w'as wounded at Kenesaw Mountain, Georgia, having been shot through 
the right wrist, and the member was so badly injured that it necessitated the 
amputation of the hand. He was therefore discharged and returned to his 
home in the north. 

On the 2 1 St of October, 1873, Mr. Mull w^as united in marriage to 
J^Iiss Harriet Poole, a daughter of George W. Poole, whoi. as well as his 
wife, was a native of Pennsylvania. Her parents came to Ohio in 1848. 
but did not locate in Columbus until thirty years later. Their children were 
as follows: Arthur and Emanuel, both of whom are farmers living in Ore- 
gon; Jeremiah, who entered the Union army during the Civil w^ar and died 
m a southern prison; Thornton, who served in a regiment of Ohio cavalry 
during the war of the Rebellion, and is now deceased; Barney, who is living 



3o8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

upon a farm in Brown county, Ohio; Middleton, who was the owner of 
the Poole block in Columbus, and died in 1882, while his wife, Mrs. Nancy 
Poole, passed away November 24, 1897, leaving two children, Frank and 
Mrs. Carry Andricks, both of whom are living in Columbus; Lucinda, the 
wife of Francis Hartman, who resides upon a farm in Wood county, Ohio; 
Veloriaj the widow of Thomas Doyle, who died at their home in Columbus 
April 20, 1896; Celina, now the wife of Andrew Houp, a resident of Toledo, 
Ohio; Cynthia, the wife of R. Schillings, of Cleveland: and Irene, the wife 
of Ezria Searles, also of Cleveland. 

The marriage of Mr, and Mrs. Mull was blessed with but one child, 
Laura J., who on the 28th of April, 1895, became the bride of Charles Kellar, 
who was born in Zanesville, Ohio, April i, 1873, and is a son of Lewis H. 
and Ellen Kellar, both of whom are natives of Franklin county, the former 
born March 11, 1845. They now reside in Columbus, and their children 
are: Mrs. Laura McDowell, Charles M., Mrs. Irene Bram, Emma, Eva 
(who died in 1883) and Daisy. Charles Kellar and his wife reside with 
her mother* Mrs. Mull, in the latter's beautiful residence at No. 780 West 
Broad street. They have an interesting little daughter, Helen, who was 
born March 26, 1898, and is the life and light of the household, Mr. Mull 
died after a lingering illness, in the year 1896. He was in the service of 
the school board asi truant officer for several years, and was a citizen having 
deep regard for the best interests of the community. His sound judgment 
enabled him to determine wath accuracy the value of a movement or measure 
proposed in connection with the capital^ and he gave to all interests which 
he believed would prove of benefit his hearty co-operation. These qualities, 
combined with a genial nature and sterling worth, made him a valued resi- 
dent of the community and' occasioned his death to be deeply regretted by 
many friends as well as by his immediate family. 

DAVID EVANS. 

The little rock-ribbed country of Wales has furnished her full quota 
of American citizens. Included in this number is David Evans, who was born 
in Wales in 1837, and was brought to America when only a year old by his 
parents, Arthur and Mary Evans. Three of their children, — Arthur, George 
and Mary, — also were of the party that crossed the Atlantic in 1838; and 
another sister, Elizabeth, was added to the family after their arrival in 
Columbus. 

In the schools of this place David Evans acquired his education. He 
w^as reared to manhood here and throughout his entire life has been a resi- 
dent of Franklin county. When the country became involved in Civil war 
his sympathies w^ere with the Union cause and his patriotic spirit prompted 
his enlistment, so that he became a member of the Ninety-fifth Ohio Vol- 
unteer Infantry, under command of James Kilbourne. He remained at the 
front until after the cessation of hostilities, took part in many of the san- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 309 

o-uinary battles which led to the preservation of the Union, and was once 
slightly w'ounded. 

In 1870 was celebrated the marriage of David Evans and Miss Emily 
Brooks, a native of Columbus and a daughter of David Brooks. Her father- 
died in 1848. He was using varnish, which caught fire and thereby he was 
so badlv burned that his death resulted soon afterward. David Bracks came 
to Ohio from Princeton, Massachusetts, in 18 19, and located in Columbus. 
He owned and conducted the Hotel Eagle, on High street, during the early 
days of the city and was widely known, being a popular host. He married 
Miss Keziah Hamlin,- who died in 1878. They were the parents of ten children. 
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Evans have been born three children: Mary L., who 
is now a successful teacher in the public schools of Columbus; Herbert, an 
electrician living in Texas; and Eugene, who is now a student in the high 
school of Columbus. 

For the past two years Mr. Evans has been connected with the city health 
department and is a capable and efficient officer. He holds membership in 
McCoy Post. No'. 41, G. A. R., of Columbus, and thus maintains pleasant 
relations with his old army comrades. Having resided in this city through 
two-thirds of a century, he has a very wide acquaintance, and the fact that 
many who have known him throughout this period are numbered among his 
warmest friends is an indication that his career has ever been an honorable 
and commendable one. 

JOHN L. GORDON, M. D. 

The coucomitants of professional success are not many. Strong men- 
tality, keen discrimination, industry and close application — these are the ele- 
ments which insure advancement and win'prosperity, and without them the 
professional man cannot hope to rise above mediocrity. That Dr. Gordon 
is regarded as one of the leading physicians of Columbus is evidenced by his 
possession of these essential qualifications. 

The Doctor was born upon a farm in Delaware county, Ohio, September 
14, 1862, a son of John L. and Martha (Gooding) Gordon. His paternal 
grandfather, John Gordon, was a native of Virginia and was of Scotch lineage, 
his ancestors having come from the land of hills and heather and cast in their 
lot with the early settlers of the Old Dominion. Dr. John L. Gordon, the 
father of our isubject, was born in Richmond, Virginia, in the year 182 1, and 
came to Ohio with his parents in 1826. He practiced medicine for a number 
of years in Auglaize county, and in 1875 took up his abode at his present home 
in Sharon township, Franklin county, where he is now living in quiet retire- 
ment, having laid aside the more arduous duties of the medical profession. 
He wedded Martha Gooding, a native of Delaw^are county, Ohio, and a daugh- 
ret of George and Phcebe (Williams) Gooding, a stanch New England family, 
whose ancestors came from England, bringing with them the coat of arms 



310 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

of that distinguished family, and which is still held and prized as one of the 
archives of the family. 

Their only son and child, Dr. J. L. Gordon, was reared upon the home 
farm in Delaware county until his thirteenth year, when he accompanied his 
parents on their removal to Sharon township, Franklin county. He then 
entered the schools of Worthington, pursuing- the high school course, after 
which he became a student in the Ohio btate University, at Columbus, in 1880. 
He there pursued a four-years course, completing his literary education in 
that institution. He then entered upon a business career, accepting a clerk- 
ship in the Merchants and Manufacturers Bank, of Columbus, where he ap- 
plied himself diligently for a number of years. However, he never succeeded 
in acquiring a love for business equal to that already acquired for science. 
Although throughout his limited business career he had been entirely suc- 
cessful, he decided to give it up and devote his whole time to scientific re- 
search, which he had never abandoned during the years which he had spent in 
business, and in 1891 he began the study of medicine in Starling Medical 
College, in which institution he graduated in 1894. During- his medical 
course he was a private student of the dean of the faculty. Dr. Starling Loving, 
through wdiose kindness he acquired a vast amount of practical experience in 
his profession. After his' graduation Dr. Gordon opened an office and began 
the practice of medicine, in which success has come to him in recognition of his 
thorough preliminary training, his skill and ability. He has always been a 
close and discriminating student, and in 1900 he pursued a post-graduate 
course in Philadelphia, afterward taking a special course in New York cit3\ 

In 1896 occurred the marriage of Dr. Gordon and Miss Miriam A. 
Slyh, a daughter of Daniel M. and Rosaltha (Griswold) Slyh, representa- 
tives of an old and hig-hly respected family of Perry township, Franklin 
county. Dr. and Mrs. Gordon have one daughter, Eckka Almieda. The 
Doctor is a member of the Columbus Academy of Medicine (of which he is 
secretary), the Ohio State Medical Society and the American Medical Asso- 
ciation ; is a member of the staff of Grant Hospital, of Columbus ; and occu- 
pies the chair of physical diag-nosis in Starling Medical College. 

Whatever tends to promote the interests of his profession and place before 
man the key to the mystery of that complex problem which we call life at once 
attracts the interest and co-operation of Dr. Gordon, and his wide reading 
and research have made him particularly skilled in the line of his chosen 
life work. 

WILLIAM RIGHTER. 

William Righter, who is now living retired at his home in Columbus, 
his residence being at No. S5 North Grubb street, was born September 22, 
1830, in Mifflin county, Pennsylvania. His father, Joseph Righter, was 
a native of the same county and in 1837 came to Ohio, locating in wdiat 
was then Franklinton but is now a part of Columbus. He erected a resi- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 3 1 1 

dence on Sandusky street and died at his home there in 1849, while his wife, 
Mrs. EHzabeth Righter, passed away two years previously. In addition to 
William their children were James, Joseph, Robert, Sarah and Lewis. Of 
this family Robert Righter took a contract for the construction of the Colum- 
bus & Xenia Railroad, and was thus identified with the transportation inter- 
ests of the state. The younger sister, Sarah, became the wife of Allison 
Green, a farmer of Putnam county, Ohio, where they have resided for more 
than a quarter of a century. The youngest brother, Lewis, is married and 
has always resided in ColumbusL 

When a lad in his 'teens William Righter drove canal horses on ihe Ohio 
canal from Cleveland to Portsmouth and since that time he has labored for 
his own advancement and success. All that he has achieved in life is due 
to his own efforts. On leaving the canal he entered the employ of the Colum- 
bus & Xenia Railroad Company, but after a year's service returned to his 
former work on the canal, remaining there until 1851, when he again became 
connected with railroad woirk and at different times has served as brake- 
man, yard-master and yard conductor. He was in the continuous employ of 
the Panhandle Railroad Company from 1853 until January, 1900, at which 
time he was retired by the Panhandle Company under its pension system and 
is now enjoying a well merited rest. The only time he ever lost from his 
duties was about six months, and this was the result of an accident which he 
sustained September 13, 1875, in the Panhandle yards in Columbus, being 
caught between the cars. His right arm was so badly crushed as to neces- 
sitate the amputation of the member near the shoulder, but on the following 
April he resumed work for the company. 

Mr. Righter was married, December 21, 1859, to Miss Mary Snyder, 
and soon afterward he purchased the lot on which his present home is stand- 
ing. At that time the land was occupied by the oldest brick building erected 
in Franklinton, it having been the office and residence of Dr. Ball for many 
years. Mr. Righter caused the old building to be torn down and removed 
and his present residence was built. The home of our subject and his wife 
hasi been blessed with the following named: Harry, who was born in 1867; 
William, who was born in 1869 and was married to Miss Gallington in 1896; 
Thomas F., born in 1871 ; and Florence, born in 1873. The family are mem- 
bers of the Methodist Episcopal church and are people of the highest respecta- 
bility, enjoying the uniform regard of many friends. Li his political views 
Mr. Righter is a Republican. 

WILTJAM H. WANAMAKER. 

William H. \\''annmnVer. of Columbus, was born January 24, 1867, in 
Pickaway county, Ohio. His patrnal grandfather was a native of Berks 
county, Pennsylvania, and -^t an early period in the development of the Buck- 
eye state took up his rps^'-'^p'^^e upon a farm in Pickaway county, where he 
spent his remaining dav^. """is son, James Wanamaker, the father of our 



3 1 2 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

subject, was born March 29, 1845, in that county. The mother of our sub- 
ject, Mrs. Lucinda Wanamaker, was born in the same county February 18, 
1848, and their children were as follows: Annie L., the wife of William 
Fisher, a grocer of Columbus; Florence M., the wife of Lewis Hay, a farmer 
of Pickaway county; Mary L., who wedded William Reeder, a mechanic 
of Columbus; and Almeda. The father of these children was a member of 
the One Hundred and Fifty-fifth Ohio Regiment of Volunteers during the 
Civil war, and his son-in-law, William Reeder, served with the Fourth Ohio 
Volunteers in the Spanish-American war. 

William H. Wanamaker, of this review, received good educational priv- 
ileges, supplementing his early mental training by a course in the college at 
Ada, Ohio, in which institution he was graduated. He entered the railway 
service in April, 1892, a,si a brakeman on the Pennsylvania road, being on 
the Indianapolis division. In January, 1898, he was promoted to the position 
of conductor and has since been in continuous service. He is always found 
at his post of duty and is a most reliable and trustworthy representative of 
the road. He not only enjoys the confidence of those under wdiom he 
serves, but has won friends among the traveling public by reason of his uni- 
form courtesy, consideration and attention. 

On the 1 6th of October, 1890, in Pickaway county, Ohio, Mr. W^ana- 
maker was united in marriage to Miss Jennie H. Rice, a daughter of Anthony 
C. and Susannah Rice. Her father was born in Pickaway county February 
24, 1 83 1, and died at his home there July 10, 1897. His widow still sur- 
vives him and now makes her home with her daughters. The sisters of 
Mrs. Wanamaker are Mrsi. John M. Thatcher, of Circleville, Ohio; Mrs. 
Henry C. Renick, who died at her home in Circleville December 13, 1895; 
and Mrs. Alex Renick, of Springfield, Ohio. The paternal grandfather 
of Mrs. Wanamaker was a native of Vermont, and, emigrating westward, 
became one of the pioneer settlers of Pickaway county. He aided in the 
development of the ag'ricultural interests there and after being long identified 
with farming pursuits his life's labors were ended in death. The children 
of Mr. and Mrs. Wanamaker are : John E., who wasi born January 29, 
1892, in Circleville, Ohio; Ralph H., born in Piqua, Ohio, April 11, 1896; 
and Charles W., who was born in Columbus March 6, 1898. In 1897 the 
family came to the capital city, where they afterward resided, their home 
being now at No. 703 Hoover street. Mr. Wanamaker is a member of the 
Masonic fraternity and in his life exemplifies the spirit of the order. 

JAMES P. ANDERSON. 

Before the days of street railways, omnibus lines were important institu- 
tions in Columbus, Ohio, as they were elsewhere, and the Columbus Transfer 
Company, which is the legitimate successor of one of the leading lines in the 
days before the war and during the '60s and early '70s, is an important local 
adjunct to travel at this time. The manager of this concern is James P. 




JAMES P. AHDERSOK. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 313 

Anderson, who has given his whole active hfe to the business except during 
a few years, when he was prominent in connection with circus enterprises. 

James P. Anderson was born at Cadiz, Harrison county, Ohio, in 1841, 
and his father was John Anderson, a native of Scotland, who became promi- 
nent as a farmer in that county. After some years' connection with the local 
omnibus line at Wheeling, West Virginia, he was, in 1864, appointed by the 
receiver of the Kinsman street railway of Cleveland, Ohio, superintendent 
of that line and managed it successfully until 1866, when it was finally 
cleared from indebtedness and was returned to the control of the company 
wliich had previously operated it. In 1866 he came to Columbus and took 
charge of the old omnibus line with which Dr. Hawk was identified as the 
directing spirit, which then covered the whole city except High street, which 
had a short street railway line. After Dr. Hawk sold out the enterprise to the 
Columbus Transfer Company Mr. Anderson was for twelve years a partner 
wath B. E. Wallace, of Peru, Indiana, in the ownership and management of 
the Great Wallace Shows, his interest in which he eventually sold to Mr. 
Wallace, who has continued the enterprise . to this time. 

While Mr. Anderson was in Europe Adam Forepaugh died and James 
A. Bailey purchased the great circus enterprise which Mr. Forepaugh had 
built up and required a manager for the concern, and he telegraphed Mr. 
Anderson to return to America and take the show in hand, and Air. Ander- 
son managed it successfully for five years. After Mr. Bailey assumed con- 
trol of the Buffalo Bill Wild West, Mr. Anderson represented Mr. Bailey's 
interest in that concern for four years, until 1898, when he returned to Colum- 
bus to become the manager for the Columbus Transfer Company. 

Mr. Anderson is a thirty-third-degree Mason and is personally acquainted 
with prominent Masons in all parts of the country and with many in Europe. 
He was married while a resident of Wheeling, West Virginia, to Miss Esther 
Jane Packer, a daughter of Isaac Packer, proprietor of the Union Hotel of 
that city, and has three children : James, a plumber of Columbus ; Anna, who 
married P. J. Cassidy, of Columbus; and Sally, who is a member of her 
parents' household. 

Mrs. RACHEL H. LYONS. 

Mrs., Rachel H. Lyons has long resided in Columbus and is a repre- 
sentative of one of the pioneer families of Franklin county. She is a daugh- 
ter of Robert Hosack, who was born in Ulster county, New York. Her 
paternal grandfather came from Scotland to America and founded the family 
in the new world. He was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, served 
with Washington during the memorable winter. at Valley Forge, and at the 
capture of Stony Point he was chosen to act as one of the storming party 
under General Wayne. Llis death occurred in the Empire state. He had 
two sons, Robert and Thomas, and three daughters, Elizabeth, Jane and 
Catherine, and with the exception of Robert all remained in New York and 



314 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

are now deceased. Robert Hosack became a millwright by trade. In New 
York he was married to Miss Anna Merritt, whose father was a native of 
Westchester, that state, and who came to Ohio at an early day, some years 
prior to the removal of the parents of Mrs. Lyons, and located upon a farm 
in Huron county. Throughout his entire life he carried on agricultural 
pursuits and he died at Ravenna, Ohio, a few years prior to the Civil war. 
In his family were six daughters and five sons, and one of the sons, Horace 
Merritt, served in the war of 1812. 

In the year 1838 Robert Hosack came with hisi family to Ohio. His 
first home was on the corner of High and Mound streets, in Columbus, and 
Mrs. Lyons can recall the blasting that was done there at the time the family 
resided at that place. Later the father erected a residence on East Town 
street, beyond Seventh street, and subsequently he made his home on East 
Town street, between Sixth and Seventh streets. At the time of his death, 
which occurred in 1871, he was living at the corner of South High and 
Hosack streets, in the residence which he had erected. He passed away 
in his eightieth year, and his wife died in 1885, at the old home on South 
High street, in her ninety-second year. Through a considerable period Mr. 
Hosack had charge of the starch factory on that street and was also a promi- 
nent business man of Columbus in the early days. Unto him and his wife 
were born three daughters, — ^Jane, Rachel and Chloe Ann. The first named 
became the wife of John H. Chambers, but has been a widow for several 
years. She removed from Columbus, on the 6th of November, 1900, to 
Estherville, Iowa, where she is now living with one of her sons. She has 
three children. Chloe, the youngest daughter, became the wife of Joseph 
Foss, of Columbus, and both are now deceased. Her only surviving child, 
Mrs. Karch, is living in this city. !\Ir. Hosack was employed in the con- 
struction of several of the public buildings, including the first courthouse, 
lunatic asylum and county infirmary, and lived to see the new courthouse 
erected. 

Rachel Hosack, the second daughter, spent her girlhood days at her 
parents' home, and while the family resided on East Town street she was 
married to John J. Lyons, of Columbus, the wedding being celebrated in 
1850. Mr. Lyons was born in Hampshire county, Virginia, and during his 
early boyhood accompanied his father to Hocking county, Ohio, where he 
remained until, as a young man, he came to Columbus, He served his coun- 
try as a soldier in the Mexican war. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Lyons were born 
seven children. One son, Alvin H., whose birth occurred in 1855 and who 
is a farmer by occupation, is the only one living. He was married, in 1885, 
to Miss Martha Brown, and they have two children: Alice, born in 1886; 
and Henry, born in 1888. The son and his familv are residing with his 
mother id their pleasant home at No. 1936 South High street. The family 
are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, Mrs. Lyons having pre- 
viously been connected with the congregation which worshiped in the old 
church located on East Town street, where the public library building now 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 315 

stands, and among her early pastors were Rev. Moody and Rev. Trimble. 
She can recall many interesting- incidents connected with life in Columbus 
during the early days. She resided in the city from the time of its early 
development and is very widely known here, her earnest Christian character 
and her 'Sterling worth gaining her the love and friendship of all with whom 
she has been brought in contact. 

ANDREW C. EMMICK. 

Andrew Culbertson Emmick has passed the psalmist's span of three- 
score years and ten, and throughout the entire period he has been a resident 
of Columbus, being one of the eldest of the native sons of the city. He now 
resides at No. 43 North Fifth street, and is a venerable and highly respected 
gentleman, well worthy of mention among the representative men of Franklin 
county. He was born February 18, 1826, and traces his ancestry back to 
John Emmick. his great-grandfather, who in 1773 crossed the Atlantic from 
Germany to America. Some years later, feeling it necessary to return to 
his native land, he took passage upon an eastward bound vessel, but ere the 
voyage was completed he was called to his final rest. His son, John Emmick, 
Jr., the grandfather of our subject, was born in Germany in 1763; and was 
therefore ten years of age when he came with his father to the United States. 
He served in the war of 1812 under Captain William Griffith and Colonel 
R. M. Johnson. At the battle of River Raisin, near Monroe, Michigan, he 
was one of six selected by the captain of the company to cross the river on 
stringers after the bridge had been destroyed by the Indians. He was sub- 
sequently captured by the red men between the river and Detroit, and by 
them was tied to a tree, but before he could be burned or tomahawked he 
was rei'-cued by the American soWiers under General Lewis Cass. He was 
not seriously injured, although his clothing was "full" of bullet holes. In 
after years General Cass was a frequent visitor at his home. 

Mr. Emmick married Miss Katy Bulon, a daughter of Alexander Bulon, 
who was then living near Poughkeepsie, New York. A wagon-maker by 
trade, the grandfather of our subject followed that pursuit in Cincinnati, 
Hamilton and Dayton, Ohio, at various times. Both he and his wife were 
drowned while near the mouth O'f the Mauniee river in a skiff, on the 29th 
of June, 1828. Their children were as follows: Frederick, Margaret, John, 
Katy, David, Eliza, Hannah. Alexander and James. The following dates 
of birth have been preserved: John, born in 1798; David, in 1807; Mar- 
garet, in 1810; Alexander, in 1813: Hannah, in 1814; and Jane \n 1818. 
Margaret became the wife of John Cowdrick, at Dayton, Ohio, and in 1822 
removed to New Jersey, but the family afterward returned to tliis state, 
locating in Miami in 1830. and there Mrs. Cowdrick died. Katy became the 
wife of David Sargeant, and died at Three Rivers, Michigan. Hannah is 
the widow of a Mr. Cross, of Maumee, Ohio. David, who was born in 
Sussex county. New Jersey, January 6. 1807, was brought ti^ Ohio bv his 



3i6 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

father in 1810, and was married to Jane Morgan, a relative of the famous 
Confederate General Morgan, in the year 1832. 

John Emmick, the father of our subject, was born in Sussex county, 
New Jersey, in 1798, and in 18 19 became a resident of Columbus, Ohio. 
For nine years previously he had resided in Cincinnati, this state, and there 
followed his trade of wagon-making. After locating in the capital city he 
established a shop 011 the southeast corner of Main and High streets, where 
the Southern Hotel now sta,nds. There he carried on business until the year 
1 83 1, when 'he located at the northeast corner of Pearl and Main streets, 
where he remained until his death, in the year 1841. He had been mar- 
ried in Columbus, May 23, 1823, to Miss Isabel Culbertson, a daughter of 
Andrew and Elizabeth Culbertson. She was born in Franklin county, Penn- 
sylvania, in 1797, and came to Franklinton, Ohio^, with her grandfather, 
Colonel Robert Culbertson, in the year 1805. He removed to this state with 
a large family of children and grandchildren and brought with him horses, 
cattle and household effects. In Franklin county he pre-empted land on 
which the different members of the family were located. While with his im- 
mediate family he resided on property which he purchased in Franklinton. 
A wealthy citizen, he did much to improve and upbuild the little town. His 
death occurred in Franklinton in 1821, at the ag^e of eighty-three years. 
Before coming to Ohio he had served his country in the Revolutionary war. 
His son, Andrew Culbertson, the maternal grandfather of our subject, mar- 
ried Jane Parks, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. With the Colonel they came 
to Franklinton and Andrew settled on a farm on which the present starch 
factory is now located. Their children are Elizabeth, Mary, Isabella, Robert, 
Samuel and Rebecca. Of this number Elizabeth was married to Andrew 
Dill in 1820, and Mary became the wife of William Shannon in 1825. Both 
of these gentlemen were justices of the peace and were prominent and influ- 
ential citizens of their day. The next daughter, Isabella, became the mother 
of our subject; and Rebecca, the youngest daughter, married Nathaniel W. 
Smith, a jeweler, while Robert Culbertson distinguished himself by service 
in the war of 1812. 

The children of John and Isabella (Culbertson) Emmick are Elizabeth, 
Jane, Andrew C, John, Rebecca, Mary, Esther, Anna and Isabella. The 
Hrst named was married in 1847 ^o Jo^''^'^ Robinson, a painter by trade, who 
died in 1881, since which time Mrs. Robinson has resided with her brother 
Andrew. 

Andrew Emmick. whose name introduces this record, acquired his edu- 
cation in the sfelect schools of the day, for there were no public schools in 
Ohio at the time of his boyhood. Under the direction of his father he 
learned the wagon-maker's trade, and had followed that pursuit for about 
a year when his father died. He continued his labors along that line through 
the succeeding six years, being in the employ of the Ohio Tool Company, of 
Columbus. He then went into the service of the Columbus Machine Com- 
pany, for which he acted as a pattern-maker for ten years, and on the expi- 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 3 '7 

ration of that period he accepted a similar position in the employ of Ambos 
& Smith, where he remained for nine years. He next established business 
for himself, opening a foundry and machine shop on Olentangy creek, near 
where the plant of the Pipe Foundry Company is now located, carrying on 
Ins enterprise there from 1879 until 1887, when he retired from active 
business. 

In 1849 Mr. Emmick was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Elliott, 
who died a year later, and their only child, Isabella, pass^ed away when a year 
old. Mr. Emmick afterward married Mrs. Gusta Bishop, of Tioga county, 
Pennsylvania. For a c^uarter of a century he was a prominent member of 
Central Lodge, No. 23, I. O. O. F., and exemplifies its benevolent and fra- 
ternal teachings in his life. For a half century he has resided at his present 
home, and is one of the most honored of the old citizens of Columbus. His 
entire life having been here passed, he is widely known and is familiar witn 
the history of the city from the days of its early development. 

MATTHIAS LOY, D. D. 

The subject of this sketch is the peer, if not the superior, of any man 
in our city and county with regard to religious and theological influence, 
and that influence of the most beneficial and salutary nature. Kniown to but 
comparatively few in our city, but most highly respected by every one that 
has had the pleasure of his acquaintance, he has been, and still is, a power in 
the Lutheran church of America whose influence has not been limited to the 
ecclesiastical organization whose honored and trusted member and leader he 
has been for many years. 

Dr. Loy was born of German parents in Cumberland county, Pennsyl- 
vania, March 17, 1828. In early childhood he lost his mother and then 
received an entirely English education. But, though ini consequence his pref- 
erence has alwaysi been the English language, he appreciates and loves the 
tongue of his ancestors and uses it with great readiness and skill. Ha 
learned the trade of compositor, — an accompHshment that has stood him in 
good istead frequently in his manifold laborsi as editor and author. Being 
troubled with rheumatism, an affliction that ha;s been clinging to him more 
or less, he had to give up his vocation and look out for a more suitable call- 
ing. Thus God led him to the study of theology, an occupation for which 
he is pre-eminently fitted. He obtained his classical and theological educa- 
tion at Flarrisburg, Pennsylvania, anid Columbus, Ohio, but may be termed 
a self-made man in more than one respect. In 1849 he received a call as 
pastor of the German-English Lutheran congregation at Delaware, Ohio. 

In i860, at the age of only thirty-two years, he was elected the presi- 
dent of the Evangelical Lutherani synod of Ohio and other states, generally 
known as the Joint Synod of Ohio. This position he held continuously till 
1878, when he declined a re-election on acc(^unt of failing health; but in 
1880 he was prevailed upon to accept the presidency again and held it till 



3i8 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

1894, when the synod, because of its rapid growth, conckided to choose a 
president whose wdiole time should be devoted to the duties of his office. 
Dr. Loy continually had been doing the work of more than one man besides. 
In 1864 he was made the editor of the Lutheran Standard and he filled this 
important position in the most acceptable manner for more than twenty-five 
years, when, at his urgent request, the etynod very reluctantly relieved him 
of this onerous work. In 1865 he was called as professor of theology for 
the seminary, and as professor of mental and moral sciences for the college 
to Capital University, Columbus, Ohio, which position he still holds. In 
1 88 1 he established and until 1886 edited the Columbus Theological Maga- 
zine, as an exponent of true Lutheranism over against Calvinizing tendencies 
that were endeavoring to gain admission into the Lutheran church of Amer- 
ica in general and into the Synod of Ohio in particular. Among the men 
that bore the brunt of battle in this lamentable but necessary controversy 
Dr. Loy easily stands in the foremost rank. In the same year. 1881, he was 
also chosen the president of Capital University and held this office until 1890, 
Avhen, again at his urgent request, he was relieved, but appointed dean of the 
faculty, which position he has graced with his enviable tact up to the present 
year, 1900. In 1899, his seventy-first birthday, and at the same time the 
fiftieth anniversary of his ministry, w^as appropriately celebrated by the insti- 
tution whose ornament he has been for more than thirty-five years, amid the 
heartiest participation and congratulations of the whole synod. Notwith- 
standing his ill health, and in some respects his frail body, Dr. Loy has done 
a work that seldom falls tO' the lot of one man. 

Dr. Loy is a model teacher, respected and beloved alike by his colleagues 
and his pupils; a man of extensive learning, a profound and clear thinker 
and a good disciplinarian. His mastery of the English language is admir- 
able, though he prefers good, plain Anglo-Saxon speech to high-flown ora- 
tory. In theology the systematic branches have been his special field, a field 
for which his natural gifts and favorite studies have fitted him in an eminent 
sense. He is also a preacher of great power and eloquence, evangelical 
throughout. His popular Sermons on the Gospel Lessons of the Church 
Year, published in 1888, is a very valuabk' book for preachers and laymen; 
but it conveys no adequate idea of the spiritual and heart-moving oral 
delivery of the author. Dr. Loy is also the author of a number of lovely 
hymns contributed to the Hymnal of the Ohio Synod, breathing childlike 
faith and earnest Christian resolve. His theological publications, all of them 
an ornament to the Lutheran church of America, are numerous. The fol- 
lowing are the most prominent: Justification bv Faith, 1869; The Ministerial 
Office, 1870; Sermons on the Gospels, 1888; Christian Prayer, 1890; and the 
Christian Church, 1897, 

The prayer of Dr. Loy's many friends and pupils, of the whole synod 
whose foremost member he is. and of a great part of the Lutheran church 
outside of his synod, is that God may still prolong his days and preserve his 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 319 

powers of body and mind for a great deal of useful work in the service of 
Christ and His church. 

Dr. Loy w^as married, in 1853, to :\Iiss Alary Willey, of Delaware, Ohio. 
Seven children were the issue of this marriage, of whom two are dead. All 
the living are devoted members of the Lutheran church. The three sons 
are engaged in business:. The oldest, Luther, is the organist of Grace 
Lutheran church, in the city of Columbus; the other two, Harry and Carl, 
at Dayton, Ohio. Of the two daughters, the older, Minnie, is the wife of 
Rev. Dr. L. H. Schuh, of Valley Crossing, Ohio. The younger, Ada, is still 
with her parents. 

FRANK FLEMING. 

Frank Fleming was born in Sidney, Ohio, January 25, 1826, and in early 
boyhood came to Franklinton, now Columbus, Ohio, in company with his 
parents, Samuel and Sarah (Henderson) Fleming. His father was a shoe- 
maker and for a number of years resided at the corner of Sandusky and Cook 
streets, in Franklinton, working at his trade. His mother died when the 
subject of this review was about seven years of age. His father afterward 
married, in 1833, and his second wife passed away in Columbus January 
j6, 1901, at the advanced age of ninety-one years. The subject of this 
review^ learned the stone-quarry trade and for some years operated a stone 
quarry, taking contracts for furnishing the stone used in the construction of 
the state capitol and the penitentiary buildings. After a time he took up 
his residence at the corner of Scidmore and West Broad streets, where he 
remained for forty years. 

In 1847 occurred the marriage of Frank Fleming and Aliss Mary Bar- 
bee, the wedding taking place in Franklinton. Their children are: Owen, 
who w^as born, in 1849 and resides in Columbus; Joseph, wdio was born in 
1851 and died in 1881 ; and William, who was born in 1855 and is now a 
farmer of Franklin_ county. The mother of these children died in Frank- 
linton, in 1858, and in i860 Mr. Fleming was again married, his second union 
being with Miss Lucinda Straley, of Columbus. . Her father, John Straley, 
was born in Virginia, w^as married in early manhood and came to Ohio with 
his family when Mrs. Fleming was seven years of age, their home being at 
the corner of West Broad and Sandusky s'treets. The father died in 1851, 
and the mother, surviving him ten years, passed away in 1861. The mem- 
bers of their family were as follows: Eliza died in 1870; Margaret is the 
wife of C. Anthony and resides upon a farm in Franklin county; and John, 
who was a prominent and influential citizen of Lancaster, Ohio, died in that 
place in 1895. Unto Mr. 'and Mrs. Fleming have been born six children: 
Laura, who was born in 1861 and died in 1886, was the wife of Charles 
Timmons and left one son, Frank, who was born in 1886 and is now a 
student in the public schools of Columbus, his home being with his grand- 
father, Air. Fleming; Samuel, born in 1862, is married and resides in Alor- 



320 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

rison, Colorado, near Denver, his children by the first marriage being Ger- 
trude and Mary, the first named being a student in the high school of Colum- 
bus, while by his union with Rosa Edmunds he has three children, — Ray, 
Gladys and a baby boy; Daniel, who was born in 1866 and is engaged in the 
stone-quarry business with his brother Samuel at Morrison, Colorado, is 
married and has four children, — Edmund, Frank, Edith and Leah G. ; Mar- 
garet, Ella and Wilson reside with their parents in Columbus. The family 
are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. 

GEORGE RIORDAN. 

George Riordan was born in Romney, Virginia, October 11, 1794. His 
father, Richard Riordan, was a native of Virginia and there spent his entire 
life. His wife, Mrs. Margaret (Kirk) Riordan, was born March 7, 1756, 
in Virginia, and died April 30, 1(854, in Columbus. In their family were 
two sons, — George and Robert. The latter came from the Old Dominion 
to Ohio and took up his abode in Franklinton at an early period in the develop- 
ment of this portion of the state. 

George Riordan left his old home in 1808 and cast his lot with the pio- 
neer settlers of Franklinton, but returned to Virginia in time to enlist in the 
war of 18 1 2. He served throughout the second struggle with England and 
in 1 82 1 returned to Franklinton. He was married in the old Sullivan house 
at that place, now the House of the Good Shepherd, on the 30th of March, 
1826, to Miss Sarah Downs, who was born in Amsterdam, New York, Octo- 
ber 14, 1803. They reared a large family of children: Henry Clay, the 
eldest, born January 19, 1827, married Miss Stella Turner, at Davenport, 
Iowa, in 1854, and took up his abode in that city, there engaging in business. 
Margaret was born February i, 1829. George H., born December 12, 1830, 
died June 25, 1871. Thomas, born November 20, 1832, died. May 11, 1855. 
John, born October 17, 1834, died April 8, 1835. Richard who was born 
February 9. 1836, now resides with his" sister, Mrs. Uncles. For many 
years he served as librarian in Columbus, retiring from the office in i860. 
He was also a member of the first board_ of equalization under the present 
state constitution, when the board held its sessions in the hotel over the 
store building now occupied by Brice Brothers, on South High street. James, 
born January 12, 1838, died January 4, 1848. Sarah L., born September 
9, 1840, married' John Uncles, of Columbus, in 1866. Her husband was 
b'orn in Franklinton May 25, 1825, and by their marriage there are five chil- 
dren, namely: Nellie was born in 1867 and died in 1876; Mattie, born in 
1870, died in 1872; Sarah L., born in 1873, is a high-school graduate; Mar- 
garet A., born in 1875, attended the public schools of Columbus, was grad- 
uated in the high school, also in the Ohio State University in the class of 
1897, and is a school-teacher; and Emma, the youngest of the Unclesi family, 
was born in 1880 and in 1898 became the wife of Harry Edwards, who is 
a clerk in the Cleveland office of the Big Four Railroad Company. They 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 321 

have one child, Harold Edwards, born in 1900. The daughters, Margaret 
and' Sarah, are residing with. their mother, who for eighteen years has made 
her home at No. 31 Gill street. John Uncles w^as a veteran of the IMexican 
and Civil wars and wasi wounded in the leg in one of the engagements with 
the Mexican troops. He was an honorable and influential citizen and died 
in Columbus December 5, 1882. Edward Riordan, the next member of 
the Riordan family, was born October 3, 1842, and died on the 22d of Novem- 
ber of that year. Mary E. Riordan, the youngest, was born November 9, 
1844, and died May 15, 1874. 

George Riordan, whose name introduces this record, was a popular 
citizen of Columbus in early days and took a very prominent part in public 
affairs, his fellow townsmen frequently calling him to public office, and he 
filled many positions of public honor and trust. He was a constable, city 
marshal and also crier of the supreme court for many years. He died August 
29, 1864, at the extremely old age of one hundred and- two years. His life 
was one of usefulness and honor and wherever he was known he was held in 
highest regard. 

WILLIAM MERION, Jr. 

Through more than four-score years William Merion was a resident of 
Franklin county and in his death the community lost one of its honored pio- 
neers. He was born on the loth of September, 181 1, upon a farm which is 
now within the city limits of Columbus, its location being a mile and a half 
due south on High street from the capitol building. The Merions w^ere of 
French lineage, but the father of our subject. William Merion, Sr., was born 
in Dorchester, Massachusetts, becoming a resident of Franklinton, now Colum- 
bus, in the year 1808, when a young man. He married Miss Sarah Wayte, 
and pre-empted a farm on which he carried on agricultural pursuits for many 
years. He died at the age of fifty and the property was inherited by his son 
and namesake. 

William Merion, Jr., was born and reared on the old family homestead 
and early became familiar wdth the work of the fields, learning what was 
required by the different products in order to produce good harvests. From 
the time when he was old enough to handle the plow he aided in the farm 
work and successfully carried on agricultural pursuits until the vear 1888. 
He was united in marriage, on the 28th of October, 1858, to Mrs. Martha 
(Uncles) Sheldon, the wedding being celebrated at the home of the bride 
in Columbus. She was then a widow. Her father, James Uncles, was born 
m Bradford, England, August 5, 1794, and in the year 1812 became a resi- 
dent of Franklinton, where he followed his trade of decoratino-. He was 
married, in Franklinton, in 1816, to Miss Elizabeth Crisswell, whose people 
w^ere from Lancaster, Pennsvlvania. She was earlv left an orphan and was 
reared m the family of Dr. Ball, of Franklinton, remaining there until her 
marriage to James Uncles. Their children were : Nancv, who was born in 



322 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

1818 and died in 1877; Mary, born in 1821, wlio is the wife of Leroy Royce, 
a resident of Toledo, Ohio; Martha, who was' born in 1824 and is now Mrs. 
WiUiam Merion; John, who was born in 1826 and died in 1890; and James, 
who was born in 1828 and died in 1858, from injuries sustained in a rail- 
road accident. John H. Uncles, a cousin of Mrs. Merion, and now a widower, 
is living in Columbus. James Uncles, the father of Mrs. Merion, died of 
pneumonia. He was engaged in decorating the residence of Dr. Parsons and 
caught a severe cold which resulted in pneumonia, causing his demise. He 
and his family were members of the Episcopal church. 

Mrs. Merion was born in her father's frame residence on a lot adjoin- 
ing the First Methodist church, which was standing at the time, the house 
and church both occupying the present site of the public-school library build- 
ing on East Town street. She continued to reside there from 1820 until 
1844. January 21, 1844, she gave her hand in marriage to Thomas H. Shel- 
don, of Columbus, and they located at Tiffin, Ohio, where they remained for 
four years, when they returned to Columbus. Mr. Sheldon died in 1854, 
leaving two children : R. E. Sheldon, who was a prominent business man 
of Columbus; and Mrs. J. S. Roberts, now a widow. The marriage of Mr. 
and Mrs. Merion was blest with three children. Only one son is yet living, 
J. E. Merion, who for ten years was the chief clerk in the general offices of 
the Cleveland, Sandusky & Hamilton Railroad Company at Columbus, but 
is now the auditor. He wasi married, September 15, 1891, to Miss Sarah 
Peters, and since that time they have resided in the capital city. Mr. and 
Mrs. William Merion continued to reside upon their farm on Parsons avenue 
from the time of their marriage until October 28, 1880, Mr. Merion then 
retired from active business and took up his abode at No. 616 Franklin 
avenue, and there spent his remaining days, his' death occurring on the 13th 
of December, 1893. He was a man of resolute purpose, of firm convictions 
and upright principles. As a citizen he took a deep and commendable inter- 
est in everything pertaining to the welfare of the community, and by all 
who knew him he was held in highest regard. His widow, who is a faith- 
ful member of the Broad street Methodist church, still lives in Columbus 
and has many zealous friends. 

GEORGE EVANS. 

George Evans has l^een long in public service and at all times has mani- 
fested his loyalty to the duties of citizenshio, showing that the trusts reposed 
in him are well merited. At the present time he is by appointment serving 
as financial officer of the Institution for Feeble-minded Youth. 

Fie was born in Waterville, Wood county, Ohio, September 26. 1829, 
and is a son of George Webster and Nancy R. (Eberly) Evans. Hitei father 
was a manufacturer and farmer, born in Dover, Delaware, and his death 
occurred in 1862. He married Miss Eberly, who was born m- Huntingdon, 
Pennsylvania, in 1806, and was a daughter of Henry Eberly, who for many 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 323 

years was a gunsmith at Harper's Ferry, Virginia. He was employed in 
the government service during the war of 181 2. He went with his company 
to tiie front and wasi never heard from again. 

George Evans, whose name introduces this record, accompanied his par- 
ents on their removal to Franklin county, Ohio. In 1832 the family located 
in Worthington. Three years later, in 1835, they removed to Dublm, where 
he acquired the greater part of his education. Subsequently he became a 
student in* Worthington Seminary for a short time, after which he returned 
to Dublin, becoming a clerk in a general store, where he remained for five 
years. In 1853 he came to Columbus, accepting a position in the county 
clerk's office, under Kendall Thomas. In 1857 he became a clerk in the post- 
office, where he remained until 1861. The following year he was appointed 
by President Lincoln commissary of subsistence, with the rank of captain, 
and served in that capacity until the end of the war in 1865, when he was 
honorably discharged and promoted to the rank of major by brevet. 

When the war was over Mr. Evansi again returned to Columbus and 
later to Dublin, where he established a drug and grocery store, conducting 
it successfully until 1884. He carried a large and well selected stock of 
goods and enjoyed a liberal patronage. In the year mentioned, however, he 
was appointed to his present position, as financial officer of the Institution for 
Feeble-minded Children, at Columbus, in which capacity he has proved him- 
self a competent and trustworthy officer. In all public positions which he 
has filled he has discharged his duties' with marked fidelity, administering the 
affairs in a businesslike and satisfactory manner. He is indeed worthy of 
the public confidence, for the trusts reposed in him have never been betrayed, 
even' in the slightest degree. 

]\Ir. Evans has been twice married. His first wife died in 1854, leaving 
a daughter. Bell, now the wife of David H. Everitt. In 1891 his second 
wife died, leaving three daughters : Lillie, the wife of Samuel H. Davis, Jr., 
of Dublin; Anna, wife of F. J. Thomas; and Stella, wife of Robert Thomp- 
son, of Columbus. 

Mr. Evans has two brothers. John E. and Eli P., and a sister, living. 

He is a member of Evening Star Lodge, No. 104, I. O. O. F., of Dub- 
lin, to which he was admitted in 1850; and belongs to Johanna Encampment, 
^^o- 57> of the same fraternity. 

JOHN HARVEY WASSON. 

It is the province of the writer now to present in brief the storv of the 
career of an upright and progressive self-made man. who left to his son?, 
Edgar and William Wasson, of Columbus, Ohio, the legacy of a good name. 

John Harvey Wasson. for more than thirtv vears prominentlv identified 
with the salt business of thisi state, was born in Preble county, Ohio, April 
18. 1827, and in 1834, with his parents, removed to Wavne countv. Indiana, 
where he was reared to the occupation of farming, attending township schools 



324 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

as a rural scholar in the winter, alternated with teaching- occasional terms 
of school in a country district in the summer. On arriving at his majority 
he engaged in the sawmill and lumber business near Richmond, Indiana, 
furnishing- large quantities of timber and ties for the construction of rail- 
roads which are now owned and operated by the Pennsylvania Company. 
From 1855 to the close of the year 1857 he was engaged in the grain and 
flour trade at Richmond, Indiana, and New Paris, Ohio, doing a large, pros- 
perous business until the crash of the great panic of 1857, occasioned by 
wild land speculation and precipitated by the failure of the Ohio Life and 
Trust Company, of Cincinnati, Ohio, when he was caught with large quan- 
tities of wheat and flour on hand and uns'old, stored in Cleveland, Buffalo 
and New York, aggregating something over one hundred thousand dollars 
in value, all of which he closed out during the first stages of the panic, with 
comparatively small loss, when it is remembered that prices of both flour 
and grain declined nearly or quite fifty per cent of the original cost within 
thirty days thereafter. In 1858 he became associated in the salt business 
with the Kanawha & Ohio River Salt Company, under the presidency of 
Hon. V. B. Horton, of Pomeroy, establishing his headquarters as north- 
western sales agent first at Richmond, Indiana, afterward in Chicago, and 
remained there until 1871. 

During the summer of 1871 he was engaged in the work of organizing 
the central Ohio salt manufacturers, embracing the Hocking valley, Muskin- 
gum valley, Guernsey county and Tuscarawas valley salt producers, under 
one control and management, the total capacity of which was three hundred 
thousand barrels amTually. Associated with him in this enterprise was the 
late M. M. Greene and Judge P. B. Ewing, of the Hocking valley, and Hon. 
E. M. Stanbury and other associates of the Muskingum valley. Mr. Wasson 
was made the general agent and manager of its affairs, with headquarters 
in Columbus, Ohio. He moved to Columbus and took charge of the busi- 
ness immediately after the great fire at Chicago of October 9. 1871. 

Pie remained with this association for ten years, winding up its busi- 
ness in 1881, when nearly or quite all of its members ceased to make salt, 
and the organization expired by limitation. In the meantime the manu- 
facture of salt in the state of Michigan began to assume large proportions, 
and Mr. Wasson became interested with tlie Michigan association. The lat- 
ter was put in possession of the territory lately occupied by the central Ohio 
company, and in furtherance of this arrangement large warehouses for the 
storage of salt have been erected at Columbus, Toledo and other points, where 
large stocks of salt are carried and kept under cover for the convenience of 
the trade. The Michigan Salt Association was organized in 1876, with a 
capital stock of two hundred thousand dollars. Mr. Wasson, aa the agent 
of the association, handled large quantities of dairy and table salt, as well 
as a grade especially adapted for packers and the ordinary grades of salt. 

Mr. Wasson died December 25, 1895. 

John Harvey Wasson married Miss Wrexaville E. Braffett, of New 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 325 

Paris, Ohio, whose parents came from Vermont. Their sons, Edgar, born 
at New Paris, Preble county, Ohio, and Wilham Wasson, born at Richmond, 
Indiana, w-ere educated principally in the schools of Columbus, and continue 
in the salt busin='£!s, established by their father, at Columbus. 

DAVID TAYLOR. 

David Taylor was one of the early pioneers in Franklin county. His 
father, Robert Taylor, came with his family to Ohio from the province of 
Nova Scotia in 1806 and remained two years in Chillicothe. In the fall of 
1807 he built his house on the west bank of Walnut creek, in what is now 
Truro township, on lands which he had before that time acquired. Hisi 
was the fourth house built in Truro township, which he occupied with his 
family in March, 1S08. It w.-as the firat frame house built in that portion 
of the county and is still standing in a good state of preservation. In this 
house Robert Taylor continued to live until the time of his death, which 
was March 28, 1828. During the time the house was being constructed 
David, then a boy of seven years of age, lived with the workmen engaged in 
the construction of the house in an unoccupied Indian hut near by and assisted 
them in such ways as he was able at that time of life. 

He continued to live with his father's family until 1826, when he mar- 
ried Nancy T. Nelson, of Franklin county, and about that time constructed 
a house for himself a short distance north from his father's house, and on 
the line of wdiat is now Livingston avenue, in which he continued to reside 
until 1844. This house also is still standing. In the last named year he built 
a new house on the line of the National road, on the north end of his farm 
and about one mile north from his original residence. In this new house he 
continued to reside Avith his family until March, 1858, when he removed to 
the city of Columbus and took up his residence on East Broad street, where 
he continued to live until the time of his death, which occurred July 29, 1889. 

David Taylor was born in the town of Truro, in the province of Nova 
Scotia, which is at the head of the bay of Fundy, July 24, 1801. His great- 
grandfather, Matthew Taylor, emigrated from near Londonderry, now 
Derry, New Hampshire, in 1722. He and his family were a part of a colony 
of Scotch-Irish people wdio came from the north of Ireland and settled at 
the above named place on lands allotted to them by the governor of Massa- 
chusetts, supposing at the time that the lands were within the boundaries of 
that state. Subsequently, when the line between Massachusetts and New 
Hampshire w^as fixed, the land upon which the colony had settled was found 
to be in the state of New Hampshire; but this circumstance did not disturb 
them^ in their occupancy of the land which had been allotted to them. The 
location wasi then the very frontier of civilization. All beyond to the north 
and west was wilderness. The Taylor family continued to live in New 
Hampshire until the close of the French and English war in 1763, the result 
of which w^ar was to give England dominion over the province of Nova 



326 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

Scotia; and this was tlie cause of the emigration Ironi New Hampshire to 
that province. 

The second son of Matthew Taylor, the original head of the family in 
this country, was Matthew Taylor, Jr., who was born at Londonderry, New 
Hampshire, October 30, 1727. In time he was married to Miss Archibald, 
of Londonderry, and six sons and two daughters were born of that marriage, 
the birth of Robert, the fourth son, father of David, being on April 11, 1759. 
Matthew Taylor, Jr., removed with his family from- 'New Hampshire to Nova 
Scotia about 1764. His son Robert was then in his infancy. On Decem- 
ber 6, 1 78 1, Robert was married, at Truru, Nova Scotia, to iMehetabel Wil- 
son. There were born to that marriage four sons and several daughters, 
David, the subject of this sketch, being the youngest son and the youngest 
of the' family except his sister Susan. The older sons were named respect- 
ively : Abiather Vinton, Matthew and James. They all came with their 
father to Ohio and settled in Truro township, where they afterward married 
and brought up families worthy of the highest respect. -When Truro town- 
ship was organized in 1810 it was named for Truro, Nova Scotia, the town 
from which the Taylor family came. 

David Taylor commenced business for himself when twenty years of 
age. His first ventures were" in live stock. From 1820 to 1827 he was very 
active in this business, collecting large herds in Ohio and driving the same 
to the eastern markets. During this period he went "over the mountains," 
as the route was then called, with stock eighteen times, and was successful 
in almost every venture. He continued to deal extensively in live stock for 
many years, but after about 1827 he adopted the policy of collecting stock 
and preparing it for the eastern market, but selling at home. It was only 
when he failed to secure a satisfactory purchaser at home that he drove his 
animals to market. In the meantime he invested the gains of his enterprise 
in lands, which were brought into cultivation as fast as.it could profitably 
be done. In 1850 he purchased a large tract of land then known as* the 
Brien section. It consisted of the southwest quarter of JefTferson township, 
Franklin county, and contained over four thousand acres of land. This he 
subdivided intO' tracts of from fifty to one hundred and sixty acres and s'old 
a considerable portion of it, reserving for himself such portions as best suited 
his purpose. He has always' taken an active interest in the development of 
the agricultural interests of the state. He was one of the founders of the 
Franklin County Agricultural Society, and was the president of that organ- 
ization for the years 1857. 1858 and 1870. In 1861 he was elect'^rl as one 
of the members of the state board of agriculture for the state of Ohio, and 
was twice re-elected, serving in all six years. From 1862 to i8fi6 he was 
the treasurer of that organization, and on his retij-ement. so satisfactorily 
had he performed his duties in that respect, that a suitable testimonial was 
voted him. 

In early life he had considerable taste for military affairs, and for many 
years was an active member of a then famous mounted company, called the 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 327 

Franklin Dragoons. This company had served through the war of 1812, 
under Captain Joseph Vance, and for many years after the war the com- 
pany organization was maintained. Abram McDowell succeeded Captain 
Vance in command of the company, and his successors in turn were Robert 
Brotherton, Joseph Mcllvain, Philo H. Olmsted and David Taylor, who was 
elected captain m 1824 and served in that capacity for three years. 

He was first married, in September, 1826, to Nancy T. Nelson, by whom 
he had two children: Eliza, who w^as married to the late Samuel Sharp; and 
Robert N., now living at Upper Sandus'ky. In July, 1831, he was married 
to Margaret Shannon, who died soon after her marriage, and in jNIay, 1836, 
he was married to Margaret Livingston, the oldest daughter of Judge 
Edward C. Livingston. Six children have been born of this marriage : 
David; Edward L. ; Mary C, now the wife of Thomas Hibben; Henry C. ; 
Martha, the wife of Samuel Lee; and IMargaret L., — all of whom are now 
living. 

CHARLES SELBACH. 

The spirit of self-help is the source of all genuine w^orth in an individual 
and is the means of bringing to man success when he has no advantages of 
wealth or influence to aid him. The life record of Mr. Selbach illustrates its 
power and shows in no uncertain manner what it is possible to accomplish 
when perseverance and determination form the keynote of a man's life. 
Depending upon his own resources and looking for no outside aid or support, 
he has risen from comparative obscurity to a place of prominence in the busi- 
ness world, and to-day he enjoys a well merited re;t. 

A native of Germany, Mr. Selbach was born in Elberfelt, Prussia, in 
April, 1835, and is a son of Frank W. and Matilda (Shade) Selbach. The 
father spent his entire life in Germany, where he died in 1856, and the year 
1858 the mother and her children emigrated to the United States. She 
landed at New York, accompanied by nine sons and two daughters, Charles, 
who was', a member of the army, having been left behind. Her chief interest 
in life was to secure good advantages for her children and this determined 
her to leave her native land and bring her boys to America, wdiere they would 
be exempt from army service. From New York she came direct with her 
family to Columbus, where a permanent location was made. 

Charles Selbach was educated in the schools of his native country and 
there learned the trade of bookbinding with his father. When he had com- 
pleted his apprenticeship he entered the army and served faithfully for three 
years, on the expiration of which period he came to the Lhiited States, join- 
ing the family in Columbus. Soon he secured a situation in the employ of 
Foster, Joaies & Company, bookbinders, with whom he continued through 
the years 1857-8. He spent a short time in St. Louis, working at his trade, 
but returned to the capital city and in 1861 enlisted in the service of his 
adopted land, as a member of Company G, Thirteenth Ohio Infantry, under 



328 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

General Georg-£ W. Smith. After being mustered into the United States 
service he was c rdered with his regiment to Virginia and took part in many 
of the skirmishes and battles of that part of the country, serving faithfully 
for two years and three months!, on the expiration of which period he became 
ill. He was then taken to a hospital, where he was cared for several months, 
after which he was honorably discharged on the surgeon's certificate for dis- 
ability. 

Returning to Columbus, Mr. Selbach engaged in the bookbinding busi- 
ness for M. C. Lilly. In 1865 he embarked in the grocery trade on< his' own 
account and successfully conducted the store for eighteen years. 

In 1862 Mr. Selbach was united in marriage to jMaria W. Jaeg'er, of 
Columbus, a daughter of Frederick Christian Jaeger. She was born in 
Germany and was brought to America by her parents when in her third year. 
Mr. and Mrs. Selbach had four sons and two daughters: Ernest F., Julius 
B. and Albert K. are the living. They lost two daughters and one son. 

In his political views Mr. Selbach is a stanch Republican. During his 
stay in St. Louis he visited two or three slave sales. His uncle at that time 
'was editing a Democratic paper and was a stanch supporter of the Democ- 
racy. Mr. Selbach had thought of affiliating with the same organization, 
but the scenes which he witnessed at two of the auction sales; were such as to 
cause him to resolve never to cast a Democratic vote in favor of enslaving 
a human being. Thus he became a stalwart Republican and has never 
wavered in his allegiance to the principles of the grand old party. Socially 
he is identified with the Grand Army of the Republic. With a capacity and 
experience which would enable him to fulfill any trust to which he might be 
chosen, he has never sought to advance himself in office, but has been xion- 
tent to do his duty where he could and leave the self-seeking to others. 
Viewed in a personal light, he is a strong man, of excellent judgment, fair 
in his views and highly honorable in his relations! to his fellow men. 

DAVID R. SUMMY, M. D. 

Dr. David Rittenhouse Summy is a skilled physician and surgeon of 
Columbus, Ohio, whose knowledge of the science of medicine and surgery 
is broad and comprehensive and whose ability in applying its principles to 
the needs of suffering humanity has gained him an enviable reputation in 
professional circles. He was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in 
1853, a ison of Peter H. Summy, who spent his entire life there, following 
the profession of a civil engineer for forty years and serving as the city 
engineer of Lancaster for some time. He died in 1888, at the age of sixty- 
six years. The paternal grandfather, John Summy, was also a native of 
Lancaster county, where he engaged in farming throughout his active business 
life, dying there at the age of forty-four years. The Doctor's mother was 
in her maidenhood Miss Susan Graeff, a daughter of Mathias Graeff. of 
Lancaster county, who served all through the war of 18 12, and died in 1886, 




DAYID R. SUHMY. 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 329 

at the advanced age of ninety-three years. At the time of his death he was 
stin very active ni body and mind, having never been ill a day in his life. 
By occupation he was a farmer. 

Dr. Summy's literary education was obtained in the State Normal 
School at Millersville, Pennsylvania, and in Franklin & Marshall College, at 
Lancaster. He commenced the study of medicine under the direction of Dr. 
S. T. Davis, of the latter city, and later entered Jefferson Medical College of 
Philadelphia, where he was graduated in 1883. In 1888 the Doctor came 
to Columbus, Ohio, and has since been in charge of the Hartman Sanitarium 
as the superintendent and surgeon, and also conducts a training school for 
nurses. The sanitarium is one of the most important institutions of the kind 
m the United States, having five regular physicians, students and a large staff 
of attendants. Its patients come from all parts of the United States and 
Canada, and are given the very best care and attention. 

Dr. Summy was married, in Pennsylvania, to Miss Sarah E Shindle of 
Lancaster county, a daughter of Michael Shindle, whose ancestors have m'ade 
their home m Lancaster county for several generations. Of the three children 
born to the Doctor and his wife, the only son died in infancv. The dauo-h- 
ters, Mma Belle and Pearl Graeff, are still living. ' ^ 

As a surgeon Dr. Summy has been successful^ and his abilities are widely 
recognized. As a citizen he is ever ready to do his part toward advancing 
the interests of his adopted county, and he has therefore manv friends who 
esteem him highly. 

JOHN O. LANDES and MAHALA C. LANDES. 

Few nien have been more prominent in public affairs in Franklin county 
than John Q. Landes, an esteemed and valued resident of Jackson township 
He was born in Madison countv, Ohio, July 27, 1831. His father John 
Landes, was born in Augusta county, Virginia, June 30, 1799. and the grand- 
father Avas born m the Old Dominion in 1757. He was: a cabinetmaker and 
painter by trade, and in 1804 he settled in Ross county, Ohio. Subsequently 
he came to Franklin county, locating within the present limits of Columbus 
and afterward taking up his abode on a farm which he purchased in Hamil- 
ton township. There he resided for twenty years, when he sold out and 
retired from active business. He was a soldier in General Hull's army at 
the time the British invaded Detroit, and was present when Hull surrendered 
that important post to the enemy, and thus he became a prisoner 

John Landes, the father of our subject, was reared amid the wild scenes 
ot frontier life m Franklin countv. He married Nancy Houck who was 
born m Centerburg. Knox county, Ohio. Her father,' Jacob Llouck was 
a well-to-do farmer, owning steven hundred acres of land, upon a part of 
which the village of Centerbury now stands. He died about 184^ After 
their marriage the parents of our subject removed to Madison county Ohio 
and Mr. Landes took charge of the Eli Gwyn stock farm, upon which he 



330 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

remained until 1833, when he came to Hamilton township, Franklin county, 
locating- on a rented farm. He resided on various places in that township 
until 1853, when he purchased a;id removed to a farm in Jackson township, 
making- it his home until his death. He was a well-educated man and in 
1845 was elected associate judge of Franklin county, filling the position with 
credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents until 1850, when he was 
retired on account of a change made in the state constitution. He had pre- 
viously been employed on a stage-coach line for four yearsi, from Columbus 
to Mount Vernon, and from Columbus to Chillicothe, Ohio. 

John Q. Landes, whose name begins this review, acquired a good com- 
mon-school education in early life, later was a student in the Capital Uni- 
versity and subsequently pursued his, studies for a year in- the Ohio Wesleyan 
University, at Delaware, Ohio. He was married, September 27, 1855, to 
Miss Sarah J. Lewis, and to them w^ere born the following children : Nancy 
C, born May 18, 1857; John B., born May 4, i860; Jacob E., who was born 
September 7, 1862, and died in 1873; and Ahvilda J., who was born October 
2, 1865. 

Mr. Landes was again married, February 2, 1894, to Mrs. Mahala C. 
Duff. She is a daughter of William W. Burchnell. whose father was born 
in Germany and came to America about two months previous to the birth' 
of his son William W., and located in Maryland. A year later the^ removed 
to Virginia. His father was a Lutheran minister and resided in Virginia 
until his death. William W. Burchnell was a potter by trade and success- 
fully engaged in business along that, line in London, Madison county, Ohio. 
Mrs. Landes is proud of her ancestors, having descended on her mother's 
side from the Hull family, being a distant relative of General Hull above 
spoken of. Her grandfather, having served in the war of 181 2 as minute- 
man, was an eye witness when Molly Pitcher waisi shot and hung suspended 
from a bridge. Mrs. Landes had a brother who served in the Mexican war 
and had two brothers and two brothers-in-law who served in the war of the 
Rebellion ; anl also had a cousin w^ho served in the Spanish- American war. 

In the widest sense of the term Mr. Landes, of this review, is a repre- 
sentative citizen of Franklin county. On the 2d of May, 1864, he mani- 
fested his loyalty to his country by enlisting for one hundred days' service in 
Company B, One Hundred and Thirty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He 
was made sergeant and continued at the front until the close of his term. 
In politics he isi a Democrat, but is not strongly partisan. Although he votes 
for the men and measures of the Democracy at state and national elections, 
at local elections where no issue is involved he votes independently. He 
filled with credit the office of justice of the peace for six years; was for four 
years mayor of Grove City and Harris'burg, and for five years was township 
clerk. For ten years he was a school director, has been a member of the 
township board of education, and for two years was a member of the board 
of education of the city of Columbus, ever discharging his duties so as to 
merit the confidence and trust repos'.ed in him. Thirty-four years ago he 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 331 

was initiated into Mt. Sterling Lodge, F. & A. M., and has since been a 
worthy follower of the beneticent teachings of the order, his membersihip being 
■now in Magnolia Lodge, No. 20. His wife is a lady of superior education 
and refinement and for eighteen years was a popular and successful teacher 
in the schools of Pickaway county. In manner she is genial and is an enter- 
taining conversationalist. Of the jMethodist Episcopal church she is an 
exemplary member and to its support both Mr. and Mrs. Landes contribute 
liberally. 

Dr. E. O. McCOLLUM. 

Dr. E. O. IMcCollum is a young physician of fine professional attain- 
ments engaged in practice in Linden Heights. He is devoted to his profes- 
sion, is a close student of materia medica and keeps in close touch with the 
best thoughts of the ablest minds of the m edical fraternity. Although his 
practice covers but a few years it has given him an excellent standing with 
the people of the community and his patronage is stsad.ly and constantly 
increasing. 

Edmund O'Dell McCollum is a native of Kentucky, his birth having 
occurred at Lidependence, in Kenton county, January 8, 1869. His parents 
were Elijah J. and Elizabeth C. (Thomasson) McCollum. The father was 
a native of Kentucky and a son of John McCollum, who was one of the pio- 
neers of Kenton county, that state, then known as Campbell county. He 
aided in opening up the way for civilization and resided in that pioneer dis- 
trict until 1849, when his life's labors were ended in death. He becam.e a 
prominent farmer and the owner of an extensive tract of land. He donated' 
the land which is now the town site of Independence and also gave the land 
on which was erected the courthouse of Kenton county. The McCollum 
family is of Scotch lineage, the original ancestors having been Highland 
Scotch, and from the country where the heather makes', purple the hills came 
the first of the name to America, settling in Virginia. The Doctor's father 
was reared in Kentucky, and after arriving at years of maturity he married 
Elizabeth C. Thomasson, who was born in Campbell county and is a repre- 
sentative of an old Pennsylvania family, some of whose members removed 
to the Blue Grass state at an early day. The father died December 19, 
1884, but the mother still survives. They were the parents of seven chil- 
dren, namely : Willie, Nellie, Atwood, Jo'hny and Sammy, all deceased ; C. 
W., a practicing physician of Erlanger, Kentucky; and E. O., whose name 
introduces this record. 

The early life of Dr. McCollum was passed upon a farm within the state 
of his birth, and in the public schools he obtained the rudiments of his edu- 
cation, completing his training in his home locality when he was seventeen 
years of age. He then spent a year in the Danville Normal School, at Dan- 
ville, Indiana, after which he began reading medicine under the direction of 
Dr. U. G. Senour, a prominent physician of Independence, Kentucky, who 



332 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPEIICAL HISTORY. 

acted as his preceptor and prepared him for college, lie theiT matriculated 
in the Medical College of Ohio, now known as the medical department of the 
University of Cincinnati, and spent three years in earnest study, being grad- 
uated with the class of 1892. Subsequently he took a post-graduate course 
in the institution, for he had no desire to engage in professional work without 
a thorough preparation and a firm belief in his own ability and power. This 
came from a full realization of the importance and responsibility which 
attaches to the physician. 

After leaving college Dr. McCollum located at Winton Place, a suburb 
of Cincinnati, where he opened an ofifice and for five years successfully engaged 
in practice. In 1897 he came to Linden Height?',, in Franklin county, where 
he has since enjoyed a liberal patronage, his business growing as he has 
demonstrated his ability to successfully cope with the intricate problems that 
continually meet the physician. No two cas'es which come up for treatment 
are exactly the same, for the usual physical conditions of the patient influence 
the trend of the disease in illness. The complications are therefore continually 
different, and it requires sound judgment and keen diiscernment, as well as 
careful diagnosis, in the treatment of disease. 

Dr. McCollum was united in marriage to Miss Florence May Shelby, of 
Covington, Kentucky, on the 6th of September, 1892, and their union has 
been blessed with two children — Elizabeth Evelyn and Gladys Thelma. The 
P'octor anl his wife have many friends in Franklin county, the circle being 
limited only by the circle of their acquaintance. Prompted by a laudable 
ambition and a deep interest in his work. Dr. INlcCollum is advancing steadily 
in his profession and to-day occupies a position which many an older prac- 
titioner might well envy. 

MORGAN J. THO^IAS. 

The beauty of a city depends largely upon its architecture, and to those 
who design and construct its buildings is due the credit for the position it 
holds in this direction. Among those who have done much work that adorns 
the streets and avenues of Columbus is numbered Morgan J. Thomas, who 
is well versed in the details and interests of this branch of industry and is 
advancing rapidly toward a prominent position in his chosen calling, hav- 
ing already secured an extensive and lucrative business. He is prepared at 
all times to execute orders with ability and promptness and his business is 
carried on with that courtesy and fair dealing that ever marks the success- 
ful business man. 

Morgan J. Thomas was! born in Wales December 5. 1865, and is a son 
of David O. and Ann (Jones) Thomas. In 1865 tlie parents and their chil- 
dren crossed the Atlantic to the United States, landing at New York, from 
which place they came direct to Ohio, locating in Licking county, where the 
father followed the occupation of a farmer. He and his wife still reside there. 

The subject of this review was but an infant when brought to the new 



CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 333 

world and upon the pioneer homestead he was reared, early becoming familiar 
with all the duties', and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist, as he 
assisted his father in the cultivation of the fields. In the winter months he 
pursued his education in a primitive stone schoolhouse of the time. Wliile 
the branches pursued were few they were well mastered,— this probably being 
not only because the students were fond of their work but also because the 
master believed in the adage, "Spare the rod and spoil the child." Leaving 
the schools, he was apprenticed to learn the carpenter's trade at Newark, 
Ohio, under Daniel E. Jowes, and after completing the regular term he 
remained with Mr. Jones for six years, a most trusted and capable emplove. 
He became an expert workman and after his removal to Columbus in 1889 
found no difficulty in obtaining employment, working for different parties 
on public buildings and private dwellings until 1896, when he began contract- 
ing and building on his own account. He has erected many of "the fine resi- 
dences of Columbus, doing all of the work from garret to cellar, and many of 
the store buildings and business blocks also stand as monument's to his enter- 
prise. He is a skillful mechanic and has the faculty of controlling and manag- 
ingmen to good purpose,— essential elements in the successful conduct of a 
business and much to be admired. 

In 1891 Mr. Thomas was married to Miss Laura Watkins, of Newark, 
Ohio, a daughter of James and Eleanor Watkins, and they have a pleasant 
home at No. 1040 West Broad street. In his political sientiments Mr. Thomas 
is a stalwart Republican and does all in his power to promote the growth 
and secure the success of his party. In the spring of 1898 he was elected a 
member of the school board of the fourteenth ward and in 1900 was re-elected 
for a second term of two years. In thorough sympathy with the public- 
school system of the land, he gives his endorsement to all measures and move- 
ments which he believes will promote the efficiency of the schools and advance 
their usefulness. Fraternally he is identified with the Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows. He is a young man of strong purpose, of keen discernment 
and able management, and these factors will insure success in his business 
career. 

LEROY W. TUSING. 

Leroy W. Tusing. a son of G. W. Tusing, was born in Violet township, 
Fairfield county, Ohio, December 10, 1847, ^"^1 is now engaged m farming 
and sheep-raising in Truro township, Franklin county, Ohio. He began his 
education in the district schools of this county and later supplemented his 
early mental trai'ning by study in the high school at Pleasantville. Ohio. 
This was followed by a course in Duff Commercial College, of Pittsburg, 
Pennsylvania, and then he entered upon an independent business career by 
teaching school in Fairfield and Franklin counties, a profession which he fol- 
lowed for eight years with good success, winning an enviable reputation by 
reason of his ability in that line. During the period of school vacations he 



334 CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. 

aidied his father on the home farm, 
ing- during the winter for two years and then turned his attention to farming 
on his own account, operating sixty acres of land belonging to his father's 
estate. Since that time he has added to his, property a tract of two hundred 
and seventy-five acres in Franklin county. He has cleared the timber from 
one hundred and fifty-five acres, has erected all of the buildings upon the 
place and made all the improvements there found. He has one of the best 
developed farms in the community, the richly cultivated fields giving indica- 
tion of his careful supervision and his progressive methods. He keeps the 
land in a productive condition by the rotation of crops and his bountiful har- 
vests bring to him a good income. He also owns one hundred and fifty 
acres of farming land in Union county, Ohio, but this he rents, and he has 
sixty-seven acres in Texas), also fifty-five town lots in Laporte, Texas, besides 
he has an interest in the Crown Mountain gold mine of Dahlonega, Georgia. 
His farming interests are well conducted and the energy and enterprise which 
have characterized his career have been the means of bringing to him gratify- 
ing success. 

On the 1 6th of November, 1869, Mr. Tusing was united in marriage 
to Miss Louisa Roades, a daughter of Joseph Roades, and unto them have 
been born five childr'en, three sons and two daughters. Len W. married 
Cora Palmer, of Licking county, Ohio, whose father, William Palmer, was 
an enterprising agriculturist there, and they are the parents of two children, — 
Fred and Bryan. Nanniie, the second member of the family, is the wife of 
Collins Oldham, a farmer and dairyman of Truro township, Franklin county, 
and they have two sons and two daughters, — Cyril, Zola, Grace and one boy 
unnamed. Clauda is the wife of Charles Nessley, an enterprising farmer 
living in Fairfield county, Ohio, by whom shfe has one child, Ralph. Thur- 
man assistsi his father on the old homestead. Grover is pursuing his educa- 
tion in the schools of Brice. 

Mr. Tusing is a member of the Primitive Baptist church, with which 
he has been identified for twenty-eight vears. To its support he has con- 
tributed liberally and has done all in hi si power to promote the work and 
interests of the church. He also belongs to the Masonic fraternity, and at 
national elections he is a Democrat, but in affairs concerning merely the 
township and county, where no political issue is involved, he votes inde- 
pendently of party ties. He isi a man of well known reliability in business 
and in the community where