- 305 - SECOND NATIONAL BANK. IN writing the history of such an important and creditable financial institution as this, the Second National bank of Greenville, we are at a loss to find sentences of sufficient praise. All its officers and stockholders are numbered among the most prominent, respected and wealthy citizens of Darke county. The bank was organized May 14, 1883, and was granted a charter by the Comptroller of Currency July 3d, 1883, and commenced business July 31, of that year. The charter members were : William K. Kerlin, Augustus F. Koop, John H. Martin, Daniel L. Meeker, John Devor and Robert A. Shuffleton. The first officers were : William K. Kerlin, president ; Robert A. Shuffleton, cashier ; David L. Meeker, John Devor, John H. Martin, Henry St. Clair and Augustus F. Koop, directors. Portraits of the officers and directors at this date are given elsewhere. There are thirty-two stockholders in the institution whose aggregate wealth will reach more than a million dollars, thereby making it one of the most substantial banks in the western portion of Ohio. They have been able to pay a dividend of to per cent. annually, since their organization, and have accumulated a surplus of twenty thousand dollars. The capital stock is one hundred thousand dollars. The bank is located on the corner of Broadway and Fourth streets. - 307 - WILLIAM K. KERLIN, PRESIDENT, BORN and raised on a farm in Wayne county, Ind., near Richmond, and located in Darke county, O., in 1865, and moved to Greenville in 1870. Mr. Kerlin was appointed Deputy County Treasurer in 1871 and elected County Treasurer in 1874, and re-elected in 1876, serving two full terms with great credit to himself and satisfacti0n to the people. - 308 - AUGUSTUS F. KOOP, CASHIER. NEW BREMEN, Auglaize county, O., was the birthplace of Mr. Koop, which occurred August 3, 1838. He was united in marriage to Miss Sophia Miesse, daughter of Dr. G. Miesse, of Greenville, February 22, 1860. Mr. Koop opened an extensive hardware store in Greenville in 1871, which, business he still continues. - 309 - DANIEL HENNE, DIRECTOR, EXTENSIVE dealer in grain and seeds, was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, in 1839, and immigrated to America in 1857. Mr. Henne makes a specialty of buying and shipping grain, his shipments reaching as high as two hundred thousand bushels in a single year. He was united in marriage to Miss Anna M. Weithbrecht, February 17, 1867. The fruits of this union have been two children, viz. : Rosenia Gertrude, and Jacob Frederick. He is one of the wealthiest men in Darke county and none have more fast friends than he. - 310 -   WILLIAM C. ELSTON WAS born in Darke county, O., May 19, 1839, on a farm in Washington township, and moved to Greenville in September, 1889. During the most of his life he has followed agricultural pursuits and buying and selling live stock. Mr. Elston was united in marriage to Miss Rebecca Griffis, of Randolph county, Ind., March 29, 1860, and the fruits of this marriage have been three daughters, viz. : Ida, wife of D. W. Shiveley ; Loretta, wife of Byron Eidson, and Miss Maggie. Mr. Elston has made a success in life, both morally and financially, and no one in the county is more widely or favorably known. - 311 - HENRY ST. CLAIR, DIRECTOR, nOW is and has been for a number of years a large wholesale grocery dealer of Greenville, and is one of, if not the wealthiest man in Darke county. See portrait and more exhaustive biography elsewhere in this volume. - 312 - JOHN H. MARTIN, DIRECTOR, MERCHANT and Ex-County Clerk of Greenvile, was born in Adams township, Darke county, November 29, 1844. In September, 1871, he was united in marriage with Miss Nancy O. Robinson, in Kenton, Hardin county. Mr. Martin is one of the solid, financial men of Darke county and highly respected. - 313 - FARMERS' NATIONAL BANK, gREENVILLE, Ohio, was organized in March, 1865 with a capital stock of eighty-four thousand dollars, and now has a surplus fund of fifty-four thousand dollars. The charter was extended in March, 1885. Present officers are : George W. Studabaker, president ; James M. Lansdowne, cashier ; Howard S. Kolp, teller; William Kipp, Daniel Henne, Noah Arnold and Martin V. Emerson, directors ; Robert D. Waring, assistant bookkeeper. It does a general banking business and enjoys the confidence of the business public because of its careful and conservative management. GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS. MR. AND MRS. HENRY ST. CLAIR. IN presenting the biography of so many citizens of Darke county to our readers we are pleased to give special attention to the subject of this sketch. We frankly admit that we can not say a word of praise but will fall far below the estimation of his high character and success in life. An entire volume as large as this could be devoted to the biography of such a person. We regret that our space to present the many interesting characteristics of our subject is so limited, but will endeavor to mention a few words that will interest and we hope prove instructive. He was born in Seneca county, N. Y., May 7, 1852, and his parents removed to Ohio when he was a child. Mr. St. Clair was educated in the public schools of Cincinnati and Reading, O., and in Nelson's Commercial college at Cincinnati. He commenced business as a clerk in the office of the wholesale hardware firm of Howell, Gano & Co., in Cincinnati when seventeen years of age. In 1872, when twenty years of age he came to Greenville with his uncle, Henry St. Clair, Sr., and established the wholesale and retail grocery and produce business of Henry St. Clair & Co. Henry St. Clair, Sr. died the following winter when the subject of our sketch succeeded to the entire business and conducted the same with marked success until 1881, when he disposed of the retail 'department and established the first exclusive wholesale grocery in Darke county. In 1885 he reorganized the business under the laws of the State of Ohio, into a joint stock company under the firm name of The Henry St. Clair Company. The officers of the company are : Henry St. Clair, President ; Wilson A. Hopkins, Vice President, and C. C. Stoltz, Secretary and Treasurer. The company carry one the heaviest and best assorted stocks of goods in Western Ohio, and do an annual - 320 - business of over three hundred thousand dollars. Under able management the business has been very successful. Since the organization of the company in 1885, with a capital stock of fifty thousand dollars the concern has not only paid all expenses and a handsome dividend each year, but has accumulated a surplus fund up to 1890, of thirty thousand dollars. Mr. St. Clair was united in marriage to Miss Ella Van Dyke, daughter of Ex-Sheriff A. H. Van Dyke, on February 4, 1875. He was one of the organizers of the Second National bank of Greenville, and has been a director in that institution since its organization. He has no desire for political honors. Mr. St. Clair served for two years as member of the City Council of Greenville during which time he never missed a meeting of that body. Was interested in the proceedings advancing the village of Greenville to the grade of city, and dividing the same into wards. He is a firm believer in the Christian religion, and the principles of true Democracy. It is needless for us to add to this brief, sketch that he has a large circle of warm friends. He is very pleasant in business and social circles. By industry, perseverance, correct habits, fair dealing and unquestioned integrity he has succeeded in accumulating a handsome fortune. Mrs. St Clair was born January 23, 1853, at Glendale, O. She is President of The Ladies' Aid Society of the First Presbyterian Church, of Greenville, of which church she is an active member, and, like her husband, is at all times holding an open purse to all deserving charity. She is also a director in The Henry St. Clair Company. Mrs. St. Clair is a devoted wife, with good judgment and business tact, prepossessing in appearance and has a large circle of warm friends. - 325 - FRANK M'WHINNEY WAS born on a farm in .Preble county, O., where were spent the happy days of childhood and youth. There he received in the schools of that district, the foundation of an education which served as a stepping stone to success in life. When quite a young man the occupation of merchandising and the buying and selling of grain and lands seemed to so infatuate him that he left the farm and located at El Dorado, Preble county, O., where he engaged in an extensive grain, land and mercantile business and gained the worthy reputation as a financier. In 1865 he moved from El Dorado to New Madison, then to Greenville, where he has since resided, still working with untiring zeal and energy to succeed in life. He has been for the past thirty-five years the trusted agent of the Pan Handle Railroad company, which responsible position he resigned on September 1, 1889. His career in this city has been a most remarkable one. He has ever lent a helping hand and expended large sums of money toward all enterprises which might benefit the city and its citizens. Many costly and substantial business buildings and residences have been erected by him. In 1875 he purchased the Greenville Opera House, one of the finest in the state, on which he has expended about five thousand dollars in remodeling and refurnishing. It has all the modern improvements that go to make a first-class Opera House. (See illustration of building). His present residence, illustrated in this work, is located on the corner of Broadway and Fifth streets. It is a beautiful edifice, costing the owner twenty thousand dollars. Mr. McWhinney organized the Exchange bank, located on the corner of Broadway and Public square, and for six years was sole proprietor of the same. The bank has since been re-organized and is now known as the Farmers' National bank, in which Mr. McWhinney has a large interest. He is also a large real-estate owner in Ohio, Indiana, Iowa and Illinois. He has accumulated his wealth by strict and prompt attention to business. His transactions have been fair and unquestioned ; his good judgment and unflinching integrity leading him on to success. He is just now in the vigor of life and development of ripe manhood and with his good health and untiring energy, combined with his vast possessions and the prospect of a number of years yet to be allotted to his life, will rank him among millionaires. Mr. McWhinney is sociable and unassuming ; is a person of fine physique and carries with him a - 327 - pleasant, sociable countenance ; is generous and public spirited, always willing to help worthy persons in any honest undertaking. He was a member of the Electoral College at the time of the first election of President Lincoln. He is a first-rank Republican in politics, but politically inoffensive, and has hosts of friends in all parties. Was one of the projectors and earnest workers to bring natural gas to Greenville and upon the organization of the Board of Gas Trustees was elected its President, which position he still fills. His family consists of a wife and one daughter. Mr. McWhinney is strictly temperate and is a character worthy of imitation. - 327 - C. W. BRANDON INSURANCE and Real Estate Agent, residence corner of Avenue and Armstrong street ; office opposite post-office, Greenville, O., was born December 11, 1858, in Marion, Ind. He is the second son of Rev. Thomas A. Brandon, of the Christian Church. Before the subject of this sketch was two years of age, his parents removed to Ohio, where his father filled the pulpits of various charges for the Christian denomination. The family resided at Lebanon, Troy, Williamsport, Bellefontaine, Dayton and Jamestown. In 1875, when seventeen years of age his parents removed to Union County, Ind., at which place he met and afterward married Miss Josie S. Archard, daughter of Ex-Commissioner William Archard, of Darke county. After marriage he removed to Bellefontaine, where he engaged in the book and stationery business. Having sold his business early in 1884, he located in Greenville Darke county, and took the local agency for the Union Central Life Insurance company of Cincinnati, and in 1885 the company gave him the agency of Darke county, and in 1886 added Mercer county, O., and Randolph county, Ind. During 1887, he traveled as special agent, over twenty-six counties, (the district of J. E. Heffelfinger of Springfield). In 1888 he again took charge of the Greenville district to which the company had added the counties of Preble, O., and Wayne, . Ind. Early in 1889, the company added to his territory the counties of Montgomery and Butler, O., and. Jay, Ind. He has an able corps of assistants : one in each county. He is writing, annually in his district, over $500,000 insurance upon the lives of wide-awake, progressive merchants, business men and farmers. When Mr. Brandon took the agency for Darke county the company had less than $50,000 insurance upon the lives of its people, and it now has over $500,000. The Union Central Life Insurance company has paid in death losses and endowments in Darke county, over $20,000 and a large per cent. of premiums paid by policy holders in this company has been and is being loaned upon farms in Darke county. The laws of Ohio require the Union Central (Ohio's only life insurance company), to so invest its assets. He is therefore prepared at any time to place money: for long time at low interest on good, improved farms. Mr. Brandon is one of Darke county's live, wide-awake young business men, and: is fast making a record that will rank him among the foremost men in western Ohio. - 335 - WILLIAM S. FRY BORN in Miami county, O., June 28, 1855, and located in Greenville township, Darke county, about 1873, removing to Greenville in 1885, where he built the pleasant and substantial residence he now occupies on South Washington avenue. He is the third son of George and Catharine Fry, now living in the vicinity of Arcanum, this county. April 1, 1877, he was united in marriage to Miss Susannah Bausman, eighth child of John and Esther Bausman, both deceased. The fruit of this marriage is one son (Melvin J.), born January 8, 1878.   Mr. and Mrs. Fry are among the representative families of this county and by their industry, good management and economy, have succeeded in accumulating sufficient of this world's goods to live quite comfortably. We can speak of no family in the county in higher terms than of this one and their son, (illustrated in the family group), is one of the very brightest boys for his years, and we look for his development into manhood with more than the ordinary outlook. See residence following. - 339 - R. D. BEEM, PHOTOGRAPHER, Greenville, O., was born July 29, 1860, at Hartford, Licking county, O. In his early life he learned the printing trade ; from his youth he was quite a pen artist, and taught penmanship for two years in Private and Public schools. He learned the art of photography from the eminent photo artist, Prof. J. H. Copeland of Cleveland, O., and in 1888 he located in Greenville, and began doing business for himself. Mr. Beem is an artist of the highest rank, and his work needs only to be seen to be appreciated. He is located on East Third street. - 340 - AUGUSTUS N. WILSON, ON of Thomas and Elizabeth Wilson, was born in Harrison township, Preble county, O., on May 10, 1842. He lived and worked on a farm until sixteen years of age. Having received a common-school education he began teaching school in the fall of 1861, and only taught about two months when he enlisted in company E, 69th Reg't., O. V. I. After serving almost three years he and his regiment re-enlisted for the war. He was appointed Hospital Steward for his regiment soon after re-enlisting and remained in that position until the regiment was mustered out of service, which was not done until nearly four months after the close of the war. During the entire service he was with his regiment with the exception of about two weeks. After the close of the war he taught school during the first winter, and in the spring, having saved about seven hundred dollars during the war, he formed a partnership with his uncle, Jesse Tillman, and conducted a small dry goods and grocery store at Jaysville, Darke county. Remaining there about one year he went into the same business with his brother William, at Winchester, Preble county, O., where he remained about one year and then went to Ansonia, Darke county, engaging in the same business in the spring of 1867. He remained in Ansonia in the merchandise business a little over five years, serving as postmaster during nearly all that time. On September 19, 1867, he was united in marriage to Miss Sallie C. Nisonger of Winchester, O. He located in Greenville in February, 1873, forming a partnership with W. J. Kelly which continued about two years, when Mr. Kelly was elected Auditor of Darke county and retired from the firm. Mr. Wilson conducted the business alone for about two years when he formed a partnership with Mr. William H. Hart, which partnership existed for about twelve years without ever having an unpleasant word pass between them. Mr. Hart's health beginning to fail he was compelled to quit business, and in 1886 he sold his interest to Mr. Wilson who has continued to conduct the business. He is now just in the prime of life and manhood and ranks among the foremost men socially and financially in the county. His mammoth dry goods and carpet store is in his own building, which is the best business building in Darke county. It is located on Broadway. - 345 - CHRISTOPHER C. WALKER, STOCK-RAISER and farmer, resides on Section 23, post-office, New Madison, O. Of the successful farmers of Darke county, Mr. C. C. Walker is probably the most extensive ; he makes a specialty of fine Short-Horn cattle and Poland-China hogs. He was born in Baltimore county, Md. , August 23, 1829, and brought to Darke county by his parents, Christopher and Hannah (Marshall) Walker. They first settled in Butler township, he remaining at home until after he became twenty-one years of age, receiving such an education as an attendance of two to three months in the year at the common schools of that day would afford. In 1851 he entered as equal partner in a store at Braffettsville, and soon afterward his brother Daniel purchased the other half and they remained in business about seven years. He was united in marriage January 27, 1854, with Miss Mary C., daughter of Thomas C. and Nancy Brawley, natives of Virginia, and pioneers of Darke county. Miss Mary was born in Harrison township October 20, 1834, and they first kept house in Braffettsville. In 1858 Mr. Walker became dissatisfied with his store experience, sold out, and they removed to a farm near Braffettsville ; in 1862 he purchased and they removed to the farm upon which they now reside. From 1862 to 1866 he was engaged with his brothers Edwin and Daniel in buying and shipping hogs, but the decline in prices caused them to lose heavily and they abandoned it, and he has since devoted himself to farming and raising stock, the latter being a specialty. During the year 1879 he erected a fine barn 60x48 feet, with an I, 54x40 feet, the whole conveniently arranged for the accommodation of stock, and in 1884 erected a fine brick-house equally corresponding to the barn ; these fine buildings need only to be seen to be appreciated, as they are the best the writer ever saw on a farm. Mr. and Mrs. Walker are the parents of nine children, viz : Nellie, born April 29, 1855 ; Lon C., born February 27, 1857 ; Minnie, born October 28, 1858 ; Douglas, born May 21, 1860 ; Thomas C., born January 20, 1862, died August 7, 1862 ; Harry G. , born June 29, 1863 ; Nancy B. , born April 17, 1865 ; a daughter, born December 7, and died December 29, 1867, and Mary, born December 6, 1868 ; (yes, and all are good Democrats). Their family with two exceptions are grown to manhood and womanhood, and all but two are still under the parental roof. Mr. Walker now owns - 346 - one hundred and eighty-five acres in Preble county and two hundred and fifty in Harrison township, besides the home farm of four hundred and sixty-one acres. His residence is situated on an eminence bordering the beautiful little valley of East Fork, a branch of the Whitewater river ; this branch runs through a portion Of the farm and affords excellent and abundant water for his stock. Mr. and Mrs. Walker are sociable, agreeable people, and highly respected. citizens. We would especially mention Mr. Walker's excellent breed of Short-Horn cattle. He has the reputation of being one of the most successful breeders in the United States, having bred and sold some of the finest and most successful specimens of the Short-Horn stock. Following are a few of the fine animals : First, the (Profitable) family, tracing to the imported Beauty : Profitable 16th, Profitable 2 I st, and Profitable of New Madison 2d ; Mayflower family, tracing to the imported cow Matilda ; Red Rose family, tracing to imported Rosemary ; Rose of Sharon family, tracing to the imported Rose of Sharon. As early as 1811 this breed of cattle was looked after and bred by the most practical and skillful breeders, and have been improved every year since that time until they are recognized the world over among cattle men as the finest of all the breeds. It should be looked upon with great pride by the citizens of Ohio, and more especially by the citizens of Darke county, that Mr. Walker is an Ohio man. The Rose of Sharon Short-Horn stock, (of which he is a breeder of American fame,) are beauties to look upon. Some of this stock bred by him have been exhibited at all the famous stock shows and fairs in the United States, and he has won more first and sweepstake prizes than any other Ohio breeder of the Short-Horn family. The bulls at the head of the herd now in his possession, are as follows : Adam Sharon 3d and Sycamore Thorndale, both pure Rose of Sharon. Please notice in the accompanying engraving the following : Red Rose of Sharon 9th, Red Rose of Sharon of New Madison, Red Rose of Sharon of New Madison 2d, Minnie's 19th Duchess of Geneva, and Rosebud 48th:: all pure Rose of Sharon Short-Horns. If you are interested or desire to become interested in cattle breeding, you should see this herd. Mr. Walker is also an extensive breeder of Poland-China hogs, having bred and sold and now owns some of the most famous stock of that family in the United States. The stock now owned by him are the productions of the boar World - 349 - Beater, one of the most famous hogs ever bred, and the world-famous sow Duchess 1st, sired by World Beater. This sow, bred and owned by Mr. Walker, was the most famous sow the world has ever known, she having bred him nine litters of pigs, reaching the number of sixty nine ; the sales of sixty-two head of these realizing $2960. If you are interested in hog breeding you should not fail to see Mr. Walker's famous herd.