(RETURN TO THE TITLE PAGE) 100 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY resumed the study of medicine, which he had begun prior to leaving for the army, following the dual occupation until 1863. In that year he entered the Physicians and Physio-Medical College of Cincinnati, graduating in that institution in 1864, and for the following six months followed the practice of his chosen profession in Donnelsville, Clark county, Ohio, while for the succeeding thirteen years he was a medical practitioner at Miami City. Since that time he has been a member of the profession in Champaign county, where he now enjoys an extensive and lucrative practice. During the twenty-six years which mark the period of his residence in the county he has been numbered among the talented members of the profession, and during that time has done much to elevate the standard of medical excellence therein. He was formerly a member of the West End Medical Society and of the Miami County Medical Society. In his fraternal relations he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Saint Paris and of the encampment at Christiansburg. For thirty-five years he has been a local minister in the Methodist Episcopal church, and is now serving as a steward and trustee therein, the cause of Christianity ever finding in him a firm friend and zealous worker. On the 20th of August, 1863, Dr. Thatcher was united in marriage to Sarah Jane Hall, who was born in Champaign county, May 9, 184o, a daughter of John and Sarah (Clark) Hall. The father was a native of Virginia, but before reaching his twenty-first year came to this county, and here his death occurred at the age of eighty years. His wife came to the county in her girlhood. The former was of Welsh and the latter of German descent. Of their twelve children Mrs. Thatcher is the only daughter now living, but she has one brother, Captain Flentmon Hall, a retired farmer near Murfreesboro, Tennessee. During the Civil war he served for two years as a member of the Ninety-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was captain of his company. Another brother, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 101 John W. Hall, served as a defender of the starry banner from 1861 until 1864, and he was then called upon to sacrifice his life in his country’s cause. Four children have graced the union of our subject and wife, namely : Alva C., who follows agricultural pursuits, and he was united in marriage to Cora Kiser, the only daughter of D. Kiser, of Concord township, Champaign county; Mary Pearl, the wife of William W Offenbacher, a merchant of Westville, Ohio; Bessie G., the wife of R. Pound, a stockholder in and foreman of the "Famous Overall" factor at Urbana; and Lloyd, who is engaged in the drug. business and is still at home with his parents. The Doctor has one of the most beautiful homes in Champaign county, it being a large brick residence located two and a half miles east of Saint Paris, on the Urbana and Saint Paris pike road. It is modern in all its appointments, and has telephone connections with the surrounding towns. Public-spirited and progressive in all his ideas, Dr. Thatcher lends his influence to all measures which he believes useful to the majority and is at all times an earnest and patriotic citizen. WILLIAM THOMPSON. A most exemplary citizen and an honored hero of the late war of the Rebellion is William Thompson, of Wayne township, Champaign county. During his army carrer he was always found true to the duties imposed upon him and won the confidence and high regard of his comrades and superior officers, while in business life and social relations he has ever manifested the same justice, integrity and reliability and none know him but to wish him well. William Thompson is a native of this locality, his birth having here occurred on the 4th of March, 1841. His father, Abraham Thomp- 102 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. son, was horn in Brown county, Ohio, and there married to Susan Middleton, also a native of that locality. After his marriage he located with his bride on a farm in Wayne township, Champaign county, and there his death occurred when he had reached the age of forty-five years. leaving his widow with a family of eight children, five sons and three daughters, to support, the eldest child being then sixteen years of age, while the youngest was but six months old, and their landed possessions then consisted of but six acres. William, of this review, was the fifth child and third son in order of birth, and he was about nine years of age when his father died. When a small boy he began assisting his mother in the care of the home farm, and remained under the parental roof until the inauguration of the Civil war, when, in 1861, he became a member of Company A, Sixty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Two years later he re-enlisted in the same company and regiment, in which he served until the close of the struggle, and during his military career took part in many of the important battles of the war, including those of Port Royal, Channel, Gun Town, Tarleton, Gettysburg, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge, Ringgold, Cedar Mountain, Slaughter Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, the siege of Atlanta and with General Sherman to the sea. Although he was never wounded he was confined in a hospital for a time, but during the most of his army career was in active service. After participating in the grand review at Washington, D. C., he was honorably discharged in June, 1865. Returning thence to his native county, Mr. Thompson resumed the quiet and peaceful duties of the farm. After his marriage he located on the farm on which he now resides. On the 6th of -April, 1864, he was unitea in marriage to Catherine Morgan, a native of Coshocton county, Ohio, and a daughter of John and Sarah (Foster) Morgan, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Ireland. When eleven years of age the mother came with her parents to America. Four CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 103 children have blessed the union of our subject and wife, but one, William, is deceased. Edward married Flora Turpie, a native of North Lewisburg, Champaign county, and a daughter of James and Mary (West) Turpie. Mattie is the wife of Lank Worthington, of Plain City, Madison county, Ohio. Sallie is the wife of Joseph Clark, of Macksville, Kansas. Mr. Thompson is a member of the Grand Army Post, in which he holds pleasant relations with his old army comrades of the blue, and he is a member of the committee appointed to look after the wants of the old soldiers. His political support is given to the Republican party, and on its ticket he was elected to the office of constable for many years. His first presidential vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln in 1864, in Tennessee, and he has ever since remained a loyal supporter of Republican principles. MARTIN M. DICKINSON. For many years an honored and highly respected citizen of Champaign county, the name of M. M. Dickinson is well deserving a place in a volume which contains the works of the county's most substantial business man. Throughout his career he made an untarnished record and unspotted reputation in industrial circles, and in all places and under all circumstances he was loyal to truth, honor and the right. Mr. Dickinson was born in Logan county, Ohio, February 20, 1820. His father, Thomas Dickinson, was born near the line which separates the states of Virginia and Pennsylvania, but in a very early day removed to Logan county, Ohio, locating on a farm in the dense woods. His death there occurred in his ninety-first year. He was reared in the Quaker faith. The mother of our subject, who bore the maiden name of Maria Lowe, was a native of Virginia, and she was called to her final rest 104 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY at the age of seventy-five years. Their son and the subject of this review, was born in the little log cabin in which the family first settled on coming to Logan county, and the primitive schools of the neighborhood he received his early education. In his youth he learned the blacksmith's trade, and sixteen years followed that occupation as a means of livelihood, a part of that time having been located at Zanesfreld. In 1861 he came to Champaign county, securing a farm in Salem township, and during the remainder of his life time there followed agricultural pursuits. His career was ended by death on the loth of December, 1900, in his eighty-first year, he being born February 20, 182o, and he passed away in the faith of the Presbyterian church, of which he was a worthy and consistent member. His was a long, active, useful and honorable life, and his name is indelibly inscribed on the pages of Champaign county's history. In political matters he gave a stanch and unswerving support to the principles of the Republican party. As a companion on the journey of life Mr. Dickinson chose Margaret Rea, and she was born in what is now East Liberty, Ohio, October 6, 1820. Her father, Robert Rea, was a native of the Old Dominion, but in boyhood was taken to Logan county, Ohio. After his marriage he located on a farm on Mill creek, where he followed the tilling of the soil until his life's labors were ended in death, when he had reached his eighty-second year. He, too, was a member of the Quaker faith. His wife, formerly Polly Grubbs, came from Virginia, her native place, to Logan county, Ohio, in her girlhood, and her death occurred at the age of fifty-one years, passing away in the faith of the Baptist church. Unto this worthy couple were born ten children, five sons and five daughters, of whom Mrs. Dickinson was the eldest in order of birth, and she was reared in Logan county. On the 6th of November, 1841, she gave her hand in marriage to M. M. Dickinson, and they became the parents of five children, namely : Samantha, the wife of Charles Fox, of Wayne CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 105 township, who has four children, Vause, Martin, Ralph and Bessie ; Louisa, the deceased wife of William Madden, by whom she had three children, Frederick, Nathaniel and Mary ; Adelia, the wife of James Yore, who has four sons, two, Richard B. and Lewis, by a former marriage, and two by the second union, Burnett and Martin ; Ray, who is married and has three children, Sylvester, Nettie and Louisa ; and Cora V., the wife of Ora A. Garard, who has seven children, Margaret, Fay, Virginia, Estella, Louise, John Ralph and Alpha. Mrs. Dickinson resides at her pleasant home in Salem township, where she owns one hundred and thirty acres of rich and productive land, the cultivation of which is carried on by her grandson. She is a worthy member of the Presbyterian church. JACOB DAGGER. The Dagger family is one of the oldest in Champaign county and has been noted for many years for the sterling straits that are so characteristic of the subject of this sketch. They were among the first to locate in Concord township, this county, and there Jacob Dagger was born on the 2d of November, 1856. His father, Charles Dagger, was also born and reared in that township, and his sketch will be found elsewhere in this volume. Jacob, the fourth child and second son in his parents' family of ten children, was early inured to the labors of the farm, assisting his father in the cultivation of the home place during the summer months, while in the winter seasons he attended the district schools of the neighborhood. In 1891 he took up his abode in Wayne township, and after his arrival here purchased his present farm of two hundred acres. He has been identified with agricultural pursuits from his youth up and has made a success of his enterprises in this line. He has greatly improved his 106 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. place, and his is now one of the valuable homesteads of the township. At the present time he is the candidate for the nomination for county commissioner on the Republican ticket. In his social relations he is a member of the Golden Eagle and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Cable, of the encampment at Woodstock, of the Junior Order of American Mechanics at Urbana, Mad River Council, No. 56, of the Patrons of Husbandry Grange at Reynolds. He is also a member of the Baptist church at Kings Creek, in which he has served as trustee. In October, 1882, Mr. Dagger was united in marriage to Miss Ida Norman, a native of Johnson township, Champaign county, Ohio. Her mother died when she was a child, and her death occurred May 7, 1897, leaving three sons, Lawrence E., Golden N. and Rolly D., all at home. Since attaining to years of maturity Mr. Dagger has given an active support to the principles of the Republican party, and has ever taken an active interest in the welfare and development of his locality. He is broad in his views and liberal in his judgments, strong in his convictions and earnest in his opinions, but he has a social disposition, courteous and genial manner, and throughout the county in which his entire life has been passed he has a host of warm friends. ANDREWS WILSON. The name of Andrews Wilson is enduringly inscribed on the pages of Ohio's history in connection with her honored pioneers. He was born in Urbana township, Champaign county, December 3, 1813. His father, William Wilson, was a native of county Tyrone, Ireland, born September 25, 1780, and Nvhen sixteen years of age came with his parents, James and Rebecca Wilson, to this country, the voyage consuming six CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 109 weeks. They, too, were natives of the green isle of Erin and were the parents of five children, three sons and two daughters, and all were born in Ireland. After their arrival in this country the family first located in Virginia, thence to Clark county, Ohio, there remaining until 1808, when they took up their abode in Harrison township, Champaign county, one and a half miles west of our subject's present place of residence. They afterward spent three years in Urbana township. William Wilson, the father of our subject, accompanied his parents on their various removals, and from the age of fourteen years fought the stern battle of life for himself. His death occurred in Harrison township, Champaign county, on the i ith of November, 1836. He was married in Greenbrier county, Virginia, to Rebecca Humphrey, a native of Ireland. When she was but two years of age she was brought by her parents to the United States, the family locating in Virginia, where she was reared and married. Unto this worthy couple were born eight children : Mary, James, Andrews, William, Margaret, John R., Adams and Rebecca. With the exception of the eldest daughter all were born in Champaign county, Ohio, and all are now deceased but our subject and his brother William. When but three years of age Andrews Wilson was brought to the farm on which he now resides, and when about sixteen years of age he accompanied the family on their removal to another farm in the same township, but on account of the impure water there they returned to this place. The original boundaries of the farm have been increased until the tract now contains one hundred and fifty-seven acres, all of which is under an excellent state of cultivation and adorned with substantial and valuable improvements. When the family first located here the Indians would camp near their home, and at one time an Indian and British attack was expected, but it was afterward learned that the rumor was without foundation. For three generations, including the grandfather, 6 110 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. father and subject, they have supported the principles of the Republican party, but the latter's first presidential vote was cast for Harrison in 1840. He has served his township as trustee, and has ever been active in all measures and movements intended for. the general good. The marriage of Mr. Wilson was celebrated in 1846, when Miss Elizabeth Jane Wright became his wife. She is a native of the Old Dominion, as were also her mother and father. Unto this union have been born the following children : Sarah Jane, Virginia, Hamilton, Selestine, Martha, Mary Ann, Benjamin, Harry and Ellen, all born on the old homestead in Champaign county ; one child, named Charles Franklin, died in infancy, and two of the others, Selestine and Ellen, are now also deceased. The family are members of the Presbyterian and Methodist Episcopal churches. Mr. Wilson is now the oldest native born resident of Champaign county. In all the relations of life he has ever been faithful and true, and in his life work no shadow of wrong and suspicion of evil doing darkens his honored pathway. BENJAMIN F. MILLER. Honored and respected by all, Benjamin F. Miller has for many years been identified with the agricultural interests of Champaign county. He was born in Salem township, this county, on the 8th of August, 1852. His father, Joseph Miller, traced his nativity to the Old Dominion, his birth there occurring in Page county, but when a young man he made the journey to Champaign county, Ohio, on horseback, and here his death occurred on the 9th of December, 1902, at the age of seventy-eight years. He drove the last spike on the Sandusky division of the Big Four Railroad. He was a leading member of the Baptist church, in CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 111 which he was an active worker and liberal contributor, and for many years served his church as a deacon. He was one of the promoters of the Kings Creek church. He was descended from a prominent old Virginia family, and his father, Henry Miller, who was of German descent was there called to his final rest. The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Fannie Herr, and she claimed Pennsylvania as the state of her nativity. When a child she came with her parents to Ohio, and now lives on the old state road in Salem township. Benjamin F. Miller, the eldest of his parents' nine children, received his elementary education in the common schools of his neighborhood, afterward attended the high school at Urbana and also took a business course in the A. DeWitt Business College, of Dayton, Ohio. He began his business life in Union county, Ohio, near Milford Center, where for eleven years he was engaged in the tilling of the soil, and on the expiration of that period came to the farm on which he now resides. His homestead consists of one hundred and thirty-seven acres of rich and fertile land, where he is engaged in general farming and stock-raising. In 1892 he erected the beautiful and commodious residence which now adorns his place, and this is one of the finest homes in the locality. On the 13th of January, 1881, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Miller and Miss Mary G. McIlroy. She was born in Rush township, Champaign county, Ohio, August 17, 1857, and is a daughter of John and Clariet (Kimball) Mcllroy. Her parents died before she was ten years old, and she was reared by her maternal grandfather, T. M. Kimball, in Champaign county, where she received a common-school education, and also attended the Normal schools of Lebanon and Urbana for a short time. She then taught school four years in Iowa and Ohio previous to her marriage. One daughter, Lois Marie, born June 6, 1885, is now attending the high school at Urbana and expects to graduate next spring. Mr. Miller is a stanch Republican in his political views, and re- 112 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ligiously is a member of the Baptist church at Kings Creek, in which he has served as a clerk for a number of years. Mrs. Miller and her daughter, Lois Marie, became members of the Christian Catholic church located at Zion City, Illinois, the former on April 7, 1899, and the daughter October 18, 1899. From an early day representatives of the Miller family have been among the leading citizens of Champaign county, and he of whom we write shows the same generous spirit of hospitality and progressiveness which has characterized the ancestral line. WILLIAM BLOSE. The subject of this sketch is numbered among the representative farmers of Mad River township, where he has passed the entire period of his life, being a member of one of the pioneer families of Champaign county, with whose history the name has been inseparably and honorably identified from the early days when was inaugurated the work of reclaiming the heavily timbered land for cultivation. Mr. Blose was born in this township, on the 28th of September, 1845, being a son of Lewis Blose, who likewise was born in this township, in the year 1819, and was here reared and educated, passing his entire life in this township and devoting his attention to the noble art of agriculture from his youth up. He died at the age of sixty years, honored by all who knew him and recognized as one of the influential men of the community. In politics he was originally a Whig and later a Republican. He was a son of John Blase, who was born in Virginia, whence he emigrated to Ohio and became one of the early settlers in Champaign county, locating in the virgin forests of Mad River township and here passing the residue of his life, his death oc- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 115 curring when he was about sixty years of age. The maiden name of our subject's mother was Elizabeth Anderson, and she likewise was born in Mad River township, where her father, John Anderson, was one of the early settlers. She died at the age of seventy years. Her father was a native of Virginia, whence he came to Clark county, Ohio, where he remained for a time and then came to Champaign county, where he was engaged in agricultural pursuits until his death. Lewis and Elizabeth Blose became the parents of seven children, all of whom attained years of maturity, their names, in order of birth, being as follows: Margaret is deceased; William is the subject of this sketch; Mary C. is the widow of George Mauk and lives in Urbana township; John is a resident of Urbana township; Louisa is the wife of Lewis Cook, of Mad River township; Susan is the widow of Percival Kiser and is a resident of Tremont City, Clark county; and Emery T. is deceased. William Blose grew up on the parental farmstead in Mad River township and in the district schools he received his early educational training. After his marriage, in 1866, Mr. Blose located on a farm in Urbana township, where he remained for a period of six years, after which, in 1872, he purchased a portion of his present homestead and has here maintained his residence since that time, the farm comprising one hundred and sixteen acres, in section i 1, and being well improved and under an excellent state of cultivation. Our subject also devotes considerable attention to the raising of high-grade live stock, and his place is one which shows the evidences of the energy and progressive methods which have been brought to bear in its management. In politics Mr. Blose is Democratic in his views, but in local affairs casts his vote in support of the men he considers most eligible rather than being inflexibly partisan in the exercise of his franchise. .Fraternally he is identified with Urbana Lodge, No. 46, I. 0. 0. F., and with 116 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Magrew Lodge, No. 433, Knights of Pythias, of which he is a charter member, at Westville. On the 29th of November, 1866, Mr. Blose was united in marriage to Miss Missouri Bechtel, who was born in Clark county, the daughter of Samuel and Christena (Sagers) Bechtel, both of whom were of German descent. To our subject and his wife have been born three children, namely : Minnie, who is deceased ; Zella, who also is deceased ; and Dollie, who is the wife of Henry L. Slager, manager of the Springfield Elastic Tread Company, manufacturers of rubber shoe-heels, of Springfield, Clark county. AUGUSTUS M. ZIEGLER, M. D. For many years Augustus M. Ziegler has been numbered among the leading physicians of Mingo, and is well deserving of a place in a volume which contains the histories of Champaign county's most substantial business men. On the paternal side the family is of German descent, and from that country they made the journey to the new world with William Penn, locating in Pennsylvania. John Ziegler, the grandfather of our subject, was born in that commonwealth, and his son, Jeremiah Ziegler, was born in Perry county, Ohio. The latter was a shoemaker by trade, and followed that occupation throughout his entire business career as a means of livelihood. His death occurred in Muskingum county, this state, on the 25th of February, 1881, when he had reached the age of seventy-two years. For his first wife he chose a Miss Overdear, who bore him two daughters and a son,—Amelia, the wife of Charles Dutoit, of Columbus; Josephine, the wife of Joseph Bugh, of Fultonham, Ohio; and John, who died in Champaign county, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 117 Ohio. After her death he married Elizabeth Cullum, who was born in Baltimore, Maryland, but when fourteen years of age came with her parents to Muskingum county, Ohio. Her father, John Cullum, was also a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and was of Scotch descent. He was a miller by occupation, and prior to the Civil war owned many slaves. Mrs. Ziegler's death occurred in her seventy-seventh year. By her first marriage, to George Porter, she became the mother of two children, a son and a daughter, but the former died in infancy. The daughter, Olevia, is the wife of Henry Bugh, of Fultonham, Ohio. By her marriage to Mr. Ziegler seven children were born, five sons and two daughters, namely : Augustus M., of this review ; Henry, a civil engineer at Fultonham, Ohio; George, a prominent farmer of Champaign county; Harry, a physician of Flat Rock, Illinois; Perry, a druggist of Columbus, Ohio; Mary, who died in infancy; and Harriet, who died on the 6th of December, 1891, when twenty-six years of age. Augustus M. Ziegler, whose name introduces this review, was born in Fultonham, Muskingum county, Ohio, November 8, 1851, and to the pioneer school of that town he is indebted for the educational privileges which he received in his youth. After completing his education he again entered the schoolroom as an instructor, spending the first year in the schools of his native town. For the following two years he taught in the schools of New Comerstown, Ohio, while the succeeding year was spent as an instructor in Adamsville, Ohio, after which he returned to Fultonham. After remaining one year in his native city he taught in a school west of West Liberty. While following the teacher's profession he decided to make the practice of medicine his life work, and accordingly in 1876 entered the office of Dr. VanAtta, of Fultonham, and three years later, in 1879, entered the medical college of Columbus. He afterward matriculated in the Starling Medical College, in which he was graduated on the 25th of February, 1881, and from that year 118 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. until 1883 was engaged in the practice of his chosen profession at Kings Creek, Champaign county. In the latter year he located for practice in Urbana, where he remained until the fall of 1885, and since that time he has been numbered among the leading practitioners of Mingo, where he has built up a large and lucrative patronage. In addition to his large general practice he is examining physician for a number of insurance companies, and for fifteen years has been notary public. In his social relations he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, North Lewisburg Lodge, No. 546, and of the Masonic fraternity at the same place, Blazing Star blue lodge and Star Chapter. In 1883 Dr. Ziegler was united in marriage to Mary Winters, the widow of David Winters and a daughter of John F. Rettberg of Kings Creek. Four children have been born unto this union : Vaughan, born April 7, 1885; Naomi, born March 7, 1890; Ruth, born February 16, 1895 and John, born April 14, 1898. Dr. Ziegler gives a stanch support to the Republican party, and in all the' varied relations of life he has been honorable, sincere and trustworthy, winning the praise and admiration of all with whom he has been associated. JACOB HORR. An enterprise in Mechanicsburg which represents in its rapid growth a vast amount of well directed energy and pronounced business sagacity is the lumber and coal business of Jacob Harr, one of the well known citizens of the town. Owing to his honest and careful methods of dealing with the general public Mr. Horr finds himself the recipient of a patronage gratifying from both a personal and financial standpoint, and a continued demand for his necessary commodities is a prediction CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 121 justified by the success of the past. So nearly were his first business expectations realized that in 1889 he broadened his interests to the extent of operating a well equipped saw and planing mill, and the combination thus effected has materially augmented the output of the yards. With the exception of temporary absences, Mr. Harr has spent his entire life within the radius of his present surroundings, and he was born not far from Mechanicsburg, March 13, 1844. His parents, William and Mary (Coan) Horr, were born in Carthage, Jefferson county, New York, in which city they were married, and from there removed to Goshen township, this county, in 1837. As early pioneers of their locality they contributed much to the agricultural prosperity, and their well tilled farm continued to be their home for the remainder of their lives. Not the least meritorious of their many claims to the consideration of the community was the rearing to lives of usefulness of seven children, two of whom are now deceased. The children were taught the dignity and utility of a model farming existence, and educationally were permitted every advantage at the disposal of their parents. With his brothers and sisters Jacob Harr attended the public schools of Mechanicsburg, and further qualified for the future by taking a course in the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, from which he graduated in the spring of 1866. His career at the university was interrupted in the spring of 1864, at which time he enlisted in Company C, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with the rank of corporal, and served until October of the same year. Although not a long service, he gained a fair knowledge of the horrors of war, and of the character of that grand and silent soldier, Grant, with whom he fought at and around Petersburg. Since the war he has been a member of the Stephen Baxter Post, No. 88, Grand Army of the Republic. After completing his education Mr. Horr taught school for about four years, and then turned his attention to farming in the vicinity of 122 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Mechanicsburg until 1886. During that year he saw an opening for a live business in coal and lumber, and wisely devoted his energies to the building up of his present lucrative industry. A large measure of success he attributes to the assistance of his wife and helpmate, who was formerly Sarah Magruder, and whom he married in Mechanicsburg in 1871. Of this union there is one daughter, Nellie, who is now the wife of John B. Outram, of Lippincott, Ohio. Mr. Horr is a Republican in national politics, but has never desired or accepted official recognition. He is a member of and generous contributor to the Methodist Episcopal church. The farming and stock-raising enterprises to which he devoted several years of his life are still maintained on a large scale, but in other respects he is identified with the energetic and resourceful life of the town which has benefited to no slight degree by his admirable citizenship. THOMAS McCARTY. One of the straightforward, energetic and successful agriculturists of Champaign county is Thomas McCarty, whose birth occurred in Rush township, this county, September 5, 1849. His father, James McCarty, was a native of Virginia, but became one of the early pioneers of Rush township, Champaign county, where he followed the tilling of the soil until his life's labors were ended by death, in Wayne township, when he had reached the age of sixty-nine years. He married Sarah Ann Lease, a native of Virginia, and they became the parents of four children, two sons and two daughters, Thomas, John, Elizabeth and Deborah. John by accident died when eight years of age. Sarah Ann (Lease) McCarty, soon after the birth of Deborah, her fourth child, passed away, nearly fifty years ago. James McCarty then CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 123 married Nancy Johnson, by whom he had six children, three now living, two boys, George W. and William M., and Augusta, all of whom are married and settled in life. Thomas McCarty, the eldest son and second child in the above family, was about four years of age when he was taken to Auglaize county, Ohio, there remaining for the following sixteen years, and since 1866 has made his home in Wayne township, Champaign county. In 1871 he was united in marriage to Mrs. Martha J. (Kimball) Chatfield. She was born three miles south of Woodstock, Rush township, Champaign county, May 15, 1843, and was the widow of David H. Chatfield and the daughter of T. M. and Mary (Fullington) Kimball. Her father was born in Vermont, but when thirteen years of age came with his mother to near Milford Center, Ohio, the journey being made with ox teams, and they located in Rush township. He lived to the good old age of nearly ninety-two years, being born April 1, 1803, and his death occurring December 18, 1894, in Champaign county, where he had located in a very early day. He gave his support to the Whig party in early life, but after the organization of the Republican party joined its ranks and on its ticket was elected justice of the peace, which office he held for a number of years. He was twice married, and by his second union, when Mary J. Chatfield Hunter became his wife, two children were born. By his first marriage he had twelve children, Mrs. McCarty being the sixth child and fifth daughter in order of birth. She was reared in her native township and there received her education in the common schools. By her first marriage, to David Chatfield, she became the mother of three children, but only one of the number is now living, William S., a farmer of Wayne township. The union of Mr. and Mrs. McCarty has been blessed with two children,—Eva, the wife of Lymon B. Wheeler, of Westerville, Franklin county, Ohio; and Susan May, who died at the age of three and a half years. 124 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Mr. McCarty is now numbered among the leading and representative farmers of the community, and in Wayne township he owns one hundred and ninety acres of rich and well improved land. His wife, Martha, lived upon this land since 1866, and her husband since his marriage. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Protestant church, in which they are active and prominent workers, and Mr. McCarty is now superintendent of the Sunday-school at Jenkin's Chapel. NELSON B. JOHNSON. Throughout his entire life Nelson Boggs Johnson was numbered among the citizens of Wayne township, Champaign county. His birth here occurred in the parental home on the 1st of July, 181o. His father, Jacob Johnson, was born in Maryland, July 27, 1766, while his mother was born in Pennsylvania, October 20, 1774. In 1804 the father came to Champaign county, locating on the east fork of Kings creek, and in the following year he took up his abode in Wayne township, they being the first white family to locate in the Mingo valley. There the father's life's labors were ended in death in 1845. His wife, /ice Martha Boggs, died on the same farm in 1854, at the age of eighty-two years. Of their nine children Alford is the only one now living, and he resides in Mingo, Champaign county. Nelson B. Johnson, the eighth child in order of birth, with his two brothers remained on the old home farm until he was fifty-eight years of age, engaged in farming and stock-raising, and at that time the place was divided, it then consisting of nineteen hundred acres. After his marriage our subject located on the farm on which his widow now resides, where he continued his farming and stock-raising interest,. As CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 125 the years passed by success abundantly rewarded his well directed efforts, and at his death he was the owner of twelve hundred and twenty-seven acres, a princely domain. He carried forward to successful completion whatever he undertook, and his business methods were ever in strict conformity with the ethics of commercial life. He was also a strong temperance man, and throughout his entire life he never used tobacco in any form or never uttered a profane word. He passed away on the 11th of August, 1895, at the age of eighty-five years, but in the hearts of his friends are enshrined many pleasant memories of him, and his influence for good remains with those who knew him. In early life he gave his political support to the Republican party, and afterward became a supporter of Greeley. On the 12th of May, 1868, Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Anna Eliza Gilbert, who was born in Harrison county, Virginia, February 16, 1839. Her father, Amos Gilbert, was a native of Berks county, Pennsylvania, but when a young man he removed to Harrison county, West Virginia, and throughout his business career he was engaged both in farming and merchandising. His father, Amos Gilbert, Sr., was a native of England, but in early life he came to this country, and was here married to Latitia Canby. After a happy married life of only one year he was called to his final rest. Amos Gilbert, the father of Mrs. Johnson, was married in Harrison county, West Virginia, to Phoebe D. Wilson, who was there born, reared and educated, and they became the parents of eight children, four sons and four daughters, and four so: order of birth, was eight years of age when she came with her parents and two daughters are yet living. One daughter died at the age of thirteen years. Mrs. Johnson, the fourth child and third daughter in to Clinton county, Ohio, and in 1849 she accompanied the family on their removal to Champaign county. She received her education in the district schools and in the Urbana high school, and for twelve years there- 126 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. after she was one of the county's successful and prominent teachers. It was her intention in early life to become a physician, and as a means to that end she began the study of medicine under the preceptorship of Dr. Butcher, after which she attended four courses of lectures at the Philadelphia Woman's Medical College. By her marriage to Mr. Johnson she became the mother of three children, namely: Mary D., born September 2, 1869 ; Rodney P., who died on the 22d of October, 1876; and Amos N., who was born April 9, 1877. With her daughter, Mary D., Mrs. Johnson now resides on a valuable farm in Wayne township, but it is her intention to remove to North Lewisburg, where she also owns property. The family occupy a very prominent position in social circles, and their home is justly celebrated for its charming hospitality. WARREN D. SIBLEY. For many years the list of the thoroughly public-spirited and enterprising business men of Champaign county has included the Sibleys. The family was founded on American soil by the great-grandfather of our subject, Jonathan Sibley, who came from Saint Albans, England, on the Mayflower. Samuel Sibley, the grandfather, was born in Connecticut, but afterward removed to New Hampshire, from which state he served for three years in the Revolutionary war. Benjamin Dow Sibley, the father of him whose name introduces this review, was born in Belknap county, New Hampshire, on the 7th of March, 1791. When twenty-eight years of age he drove an ox team from that state to the Darby Plains in Ohio, and for three years he was employed by Eli Gwynn, one of the landowners and stock-raisers in Madison county, this state. He subsequently came to Rush township, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 127 Champaign county, where he purchased a portion of the land on which Woodstock now stands, and there cleared and improved a valuable farm. There he followed the tilling of the soil for thirty years, until his life’s labors were ended in death, when he had reached the seventy-seventh milestone on the journey of life, passing away on his farm about two miles from Lewisburg. He was one of the public-spirited and influential citizens of the county, in which he held many public positions, and took an active part in the construction of the roads, of which he served as supervisor for several years. In the early days he was an intelligent and active supporter of Whig principles, and after the organization of the Republican party he joined its ranks, remaining loyal to its teachings during the remainder of his life. He was a valued member of the Universalist church, and assisted in the erection of its first house of worship in Woodstock. Mr. Sibley was united in marriage to Lydia Hillard, a native of Stowe, Vermont. In her girlhood she came with her parents to Ohio and for several years she taught school in Union county, in the old town of Homer. She was born in 1798, and lived to the age of fifty-seven years. Her father, Richmond Hillard, came with ox teams to Ohio in a very early day, taking up his abode in Knox county. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Sibley was celebrated in Homer, Union county, in 1831, and they became the parents of five children, two sons and three daughters, namely : Maria, who became the wife of George W. Coates and is now deceased; W. D., the subject of this review ; Richmond H., also deceased ; Mary, who died at the age of fifteen years; and Adelaide, who died when only one year old. W. D. Sibley was born in what is now Woodstock, Rush township Champaign county, on the 28th of October, 1823, and in the primitive log school house of that place he received his early education. When only seventeen years of age he began teaching in a school near Marys- 128 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. vine, and for several years he devoted his time to that profession. In the spring of 1848 he came with his father to the farm on which he now resides, the tract at that time consisting of ninety acres, and this was given him by his father. As the years have passed by he has. added to his landed possessions until he is now the owner of four hundred and fifty acres of excellent land. Throughout the years of his manhood he has kept well informed on the interests concerning his state and nation, and is a representative of the progressive and intelligent American farmer. He assisted in the organization of the Bank of North Lewisburg, of which he served as president for twelve years, and is still one of its stockholders. The bank was organized with twelve stockholders, but there are now only five, they being Seth Clark, of Union county; John C. Thompson, who has been the cashier for twenty years; Mrs. Johnson, and Robert Eason. On the 29th of October, 185o, Mr. Sibley was united in marriage to Sarah A. Clark, who was born in Connecticut, August 7, 1831, a daughter of Jeremiah and Lucretia (Ripley) Clark, who were among the first settlers of Woodstock. Mrs. Sibley was but seven years of age when she was brought by her parents to Ohio, the family locating in Clark county, where she remained until about fifteen years of age. She then accompanied the family on their removal to Woodstock, where she also taught school for a time. Death came to her on the 21st of August, 1901, after a happy married life of fifty years, they having celebrated their golden wedding anniversary an the 29th of October, 1900. Mr. and Mrs. Sibley became the parents of seven children, as follows: Flora, the wife of T. J. Corkery, a prominent attorney of Toledo, Ohio; Ida, at home; Mary D. married Charles G. Markley, a prominent business man of Madison county, Ohio, and now serving his second term, as county commissioner; Benneal, the wife of Otis W. Beck, of Bowling Green, Wood county, Ohio; Glenn, who died when only a year and a half CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 129 old; Staley S., who married Claudia B. Jackson, and at her death she left two sons, Harry Dow and Philip Reed; and Stella, who was a twin of Staley S., and her death occurred at the age of twenty-six years. Mr. Sibley gives a stanch support to Republican principles, and in 1871 he was elected to the office of county commissioner, in which he served for three years. He has also held the position of trustee, and for thirty-five years he was a school director, during which time he took an active part in the erection of the brick school house near his home. For fifty-two years he has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and since his boyhood days he has held membership relations with the Universalist church at Woodstock. OLIVER TAYLOR. To indulge in fulsome encomium of a life which was eminently one of subjective modesty would be palpably incongruous, even though the record of good accomplished, of kindly deeds performed and of high relative precedence attained in connection with the practical activities of life might seem to justify the utterance of glowing eulogy. He, to whom this memoir is dedicated was a man who stood "four square to every wind that blows," who was possessed of marked business acumen and was vitally instinct with the deeper human sympathies, and yet who, during his long and useful life, signally avoided everything that smacked of display or notoriety,—and in this spirit would the biographer wish to have his utterances construed. His was a sincere and earnest life and one that brought additional honor to a name that has been honored in connection with the annals of Champaign county from the early pioneer epoch, while the families represented in his agnatic and cognatic lines have been iden- 7 130 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. tified with American history from the colonial period of the nation. Thus is intensified the consistency of here entering memoir of the honored citizens of Champaign county whose name appears above and who here passed his entire life. Oliver Taylor was a native son of Champaign county, having been born near Springhill, Harrison township, on the 7th of December, 1818. The ancestry traces back to the Old Dominion, where was cradled so much of our national history, and the lineage is of Scottish extraction, the original American ancestors hdving located in Virginia in the early colonial epoch. In that patrician old commonwealth was born John V. Taylor, the father of the subject of this memoir, and in 1804 he emigrated from his native state to Ohio and took up his residence in the primitive wilds of Champaign county, where the work of progress and development had as yet scarcely been inaugurated. Soon after his arrival in the Buckeye state he was united in marriage to Miss Jane Vance, a sister of Joseph Vance. one of the early governors of Ohio and for several terms a member of congress from this state. John V. and Jane (Vance) Taylor became the parents of eight children, of whom Oliver was the sixth in order of birth and the youngest son. The father rendered valiant service as a soldier in the war of 1812, being a member of the company commanded by his brother-in-law, Captain Joseph Vance, who afterward became governor of the state, as has already been noted. Mr. Taylor developed a fine farm estate in this county and was here extensively engaged in agricultural pursuits and in the raising of and dealing in live stock, in which line he attained a more than local reputation, driving his cattle through to the eastern markets, across the Alleghany mountains. He was a man who commanded the highest confidence and esteem of the people of the county and was known as one of its distinctively representative citizens. He served about fifteen years in the office of county commissiDner and was an elder of the Presbyterian church, of CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 131 which his wife likewise was a devoted member. He died on the 28th of January, 1858, at the age of seventy-three years, and his wife was summoned into eternal rest more than a decade later, passing away on the 29th of January, 1869, at the venerable age of eighty-one years. Oliver Taylor, the immediate subject of this memoir, was reared on the old homestead farm, amid the scenes of the pioneer epoch, and early began to contribute his quota to the work of reclaiming and otherwise improving the paternal acres, while his educational advantages were such as were afforded in the typical log school house of the locality and period, the same being equipped with slab benches, puncheon floor, yawning fireplace, etc., as were all of these primitive "backwoods colleges,” from which have gone forth some of the most eminent men of our nation, as history amply records. Mr. Taylor continued to be identified with the cultivation of the homestead farm and the carrying on of the live stock business until the time of his marriage, which was solemnized in the year 1848, when he was united to Miss Catherine Caraway, who was born in Champaign county, on the 9th of November, 1819, being the daughter of John Caraway. The latter was a native of Greenbrier county, Virginia (now West Virginia), whence he removed to Champaign county, Ohio, about the year 1802, settling in Urbana township as one of its early pioneers, and here his wife died in the year 1823. About two years later he removed to Concord township, where he developed an excellent farm and where he continued to reside until his death, which occurred in 1860. Oliver and Catherine (Caraway) Taylor became the parents of three children, namely : John C., who died in infancy; Duncan V., who also passed away in infancy ; and Charles Oliver, of whom specific mention is made in appending paragraphs. Both Mr. and Mrs. Taylor were signally consistent and devoted members of the Presbyterian church, and no residents of the county were held in higher estimation in the community which was their home throughout the entire course 132 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. of their unpretentious, worthy and signally useful lives. Mr. Taylor attained a high degree of success in temporal affairs, becoming the owner of a fine estate in Concord township and being extensively engaged in the raising of and dealing in live stock in connection with his general agricultural operations. He was one of the organizers and incorporators of the Citizens' National Bank, of Urbana, having been for many years a member of its directorate, while for several years he was incumbent of the chief executive office of the institution, being its president and guiding its affairs with signal discretion. He was a capable and conservative business man and had a maturity of judgment which rendered his advice and counsel of inestimable value. He was entirely devoid of ostentation, was of a kindly and generous nature and held the respect and regard of all who knew him, and his acquaintanceship in the county was exceptionally wide. His political support was given to the Republican party, and, keeping well informed on the questions and issues of the hour, he ever maintained a lively interest in public affairs and was to be found enlisted in the support of all worthy measures projected for the general good. Mr. Taylor died on the 5th of January, 1885, in the fulness of years and well earned honors, and thus passed to his reward one of the sterling pioneer citizens and native sons of Champaign county. His devoted and cherished wife passed away on the 7th of November, 1871, having been a woman of gentle and gracious character, retaining the affection of a wide circle of friends in the community where she had practically passed her entire life. CHARLES O. TAYLOR. From the foregoing memoir it will be discerned that the subject of this review is a representative of one of the stanch old pioneer families of Champaign county, in fact, of two, since his maternal ancestors were CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 133 likewise numbered among the early settlers of this favored section of the Buckeye commonwealth. As the only living child of his honored parent: he remains to perpetuate the name, and his own life has been one of use fulness and definite accomplishment and has been guided and guarded b3 that intrinsic integrity of purpose which ever invokes objective confidence and respect. He is one of the representative business men of the city of Urbana and is one of the county's progressive and public-spirited citizens Charles Oliver Taylor, the only living child of Oliver and Catherine (Caraway) Taylor, is a native of Champaign county, having been bore on the parental farmstead in Concord township, on the 12th of August 1852. He was reared under the sturdy and invigorating discipline of till farm and received his preliminary educational training in the public schools of the county, subsequently supplementing the same by a course of study in a business college in the city of Cincinnati. He began hi! independent career in that vocation to which he had been reared, engaging in farming and stock-raising in his native county. Later he became the owner of the Arrow smith mills, three and one-half miles northwest of Urbana, and operated the same successfully for a number of years while from 1879 to 1881 he did a notable and profitable business in the importing of high-grade draft horses from Scotland and in the breeding of this line of stock, having in the connection raised and owned the wel known "Khedive," a horse of celebrity and one of the finest of its type ever bred in this country. For several years Mr. Taylor was engage( in the lumber business and the operation of a sawmill in Urbana, having removed from his farm to this city in 1891, and his was the distinction of having been the first manager of the Market Square Theatre, in Urbana. of which he thus had control for a period of three years, presenting a select line of attractions and proving a most discriminating amusement caterer, giving to the citizens of Urbana and the county their benefit of a very superior class of entertainments. For the past fou years he has conducted a very successful retail hardware business in 134 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Urbana, having a finely equipped establishment and securing a representative support. He became the owner of the same in September, 1898, and through his correct business methods and unmistakable reliability has built up a most gratifying and satisfactory trade, the enterprise being one of the most important of the sort in the county. Mr. Taylor served for eight years as a member of the National Guard of Ohio, and during seven years of this interval was incumbent of the office of lieutenant of his company, while he was in active service with his regiment during the riots in the city of Cincinnati, in 1883-4. In politics Mr. Taylor gives a stanch allegiance to the Republican party, but he has never had political ambition in a personal way and has never desired the honors or emoluments of public office. Fraternally he is identified with the Knights of Pythias, holding membership in Launcelott Lodge, No. 107, of Urbana. On the 29th of March, 1876, Mr. Taylor was united in marriage to Miss Emma E. Downs, who was born in Champaign county, Ohio, the daughter of William and Cathrine Downs, and of this union three children have been born, namely : William, Vance and Goldie who was born on the 26th of May, 1878, graduated in the high school of Urbana with the class of 1898. He afterward received a three years' course in electrical engineering in the Ohio State University, of Columbus, and he is now employed by the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company, of Manchester, England. The second son, Vance, was born on the loth of October, 188o, and he is also a graduate of the Urbana high school. During the past year he has been assisting his father, and in the fall it is his intention to enter the Ohio State University. JOHN HARLAN. John Harlan, one of the commissioners of Champaign county, Ohio, was born in New Castle county, Delaware, May 3, 1832, a son of John and Lydia (Woodward) Harlan, natives of Chester county, Pennsyl- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 135 vania. The genealogy of the family is authentically traced to two brothers, George and Michael, who, in 1687, left the home of their forefathers among the sheltering hills of Wales and for a time cast their fortunes with the scarcely improved prospects of Ireland. Intent upon yet broader chances, they came to America and settled on the Brandywine in Pennsylvania. The parents of Mr. Harlan came to Champaign county in 1833, and in the spring of the following year made a permanent settlement in Rush township, where the father died in 1874, at the age of eighty, while the mother died in 1889, at the age of ninety. These pioneers in a strange state faithfully tilled their land and labored for the general well being of their locality, and at the same time reared a large family of children, four of whom attained maturity. This same farm, with its associations of parental care and early struggles, is now owned by the commissioner of Champaign county. The father was a Democrat in political affiliation, and both he and his wife were reared in the Quaker faith. The youth of John Harlan did not differ materially from that of the farmer boys whom he met at the district schools and at the little meeting house, but he acquired practical ideas of life and work, which later found vent in his individual management of the old homestead. In 1855 he married Lydia Margaret Runyon, daughter of Elias and Martha (Crockett) Runyon, the Runyons being natives of New Jersey. The Harrisons were related to the William Henry Harrison family, and the Crocketts were related to David Crockett. Mrs. Harlan's grandfather, John Runyon, was an early settler and prominent citizen of Champaign county, and for several years served as judge of the circuit court. He and his wife, Mary (Conkling) Runyon, were natives of New Jersey, and removed to Kentucky, and thence to Ohio in 1802, 136 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY settling in Union township, this county. The family is of Welsh descent. During the Civil war Mr. Harlan served for one hundred and twenty days as a private in Company D, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and since the war has been a member of the W. A. Brand Post, Grand Army of the Republic. Though remarkably successful as a farmer, and abreast of the times as to agricultural science and general improvements, he retired permanently from his old-time occupation in 1899 and took up his residence in Urbana. As a stanch Republican he has been foremost in the political affairs of the county for many years, and his first election as commissioner occurred in 1896, and he is now holding his second term in this important capacity. His service has been well received throughout, and he is credited with possessing not only intelligent knowledge of the needs of the community but with absolute integrity in furthering the fulfillment of practical measures. DANIEL W. RUTAN. A representative of one of the prominent pioneer families of Champaign county, Daniel William Rutan has spent his entire life within its borders, so that his history is known to many of its citizens. His large circle of friends is pan unmistakable evidence of a well spent life, and it is therefore with pleasure that we present his record to our readers as that of one of the leading and honored business men of the community. He was born in Goshen township, Champaign county, April 30, 1839. His paternal grandfather, Daniel Rutan, claimed Maryland as the state of his nativity, and he was one of the very early pioneers of this county, where he resided on a farm in Goshen township. He was CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 139 twice married, his first union being with Mary Hazel, while for his second wife he chose Mary Riddle. Daniel M. Rutan, the father of our subject, also had his nativity in Goshen township, Champaign county, and for his wife he chose Hannah Colwell, a native of Rush township, this county, where her father, John Colwell, had removed from New Jersey. After their marriage they took up their abode on a farm in Goshen township, where the father died before his son had reached the age of three years, but the mother, who was born in 1812, lived to the age of seventy-four years. They became the parents of two children, a son and a daughter, and the latter is the widow of George A. Rowinsky. She is a correspondent for the Urbana Citizen. Daniel W. Rutan, the younger of the two children, received the advantages of a common-school education in his youth, and at the early age of eighteen years he started out in life to battle for himself. He first secured employment on the neighboring farms, and later he taught school until his labors were interrupted by the Civil war, when, in 1861, he enlisted for service in Company D, Thirteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, entering the ranks as a private, and was soon promoted to the position of corporal, and at the close of his service, in 1864, was discharged with the rank of second lieutenant. During his military career he took part in many of the hard-fought battles of the war, including those of Pittsburg Landing, Stone River, Chickamauga, and Missionary Ridge. Although he was ever in the thickest of the fight he was never wounded or captured, and he participated in every engagement in which the gallant Thirteenth took part up to the time of his discharge in 1864. After his return home Mr. Rutan again took up the quiet duties of the farm. After his marriage he located on a small farm in this locality, but later he sold that tract and purchased a part of his present place. He is now the owner of two valuable farms in Champaign 140 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. county, consisting of three hundred and twenty-nine acres. During recent years, however, he has abandoned the raising of the cereals and has devoted his attention entirely to the stock business. He is an extensive feeder of stock, and his efforts in this direction are meeting with success. His methods are in keeping with the progressive spirit of the times and his well improved property is a monument to his thrift and business ability. On the 1st of September, 1864, occurred the marriage of Mr. Rutan and Miss Lucy A. Kimball. She is a native of Union county, Ohio, and was reared in both Union and Champaign counties. By her marriage to our subject she has become the mother of eight children, namely : Warren, who married Clara Gove and is a prominent farmer of Union township; Glen, who was first married to Nettie Doak, and for his present wife he chose Della McAdams; Hiram E., who is still unmarried and makes his home in Greene county, Ohio; Benjamin M., married Jennie Owen and is engaged in the creamery business at Marysville, Ohio; Mary, the wife of A. E. Bullard, a farmer of Goshen township; Nellie, the wife of Dr. A. O. Whitaker, a practicing physician of South Charleston, Clark county, Ohio; David W., who is also in Greene county, and Martha D., at home. In politics Mr. Rutan is a Republican, and a member of Stephen Baxter Post, No. 88, G. A. R., in which he maintains pleasant relations with his old army comrades. He is widely known throughout Champaign county, many of his friends having been his associates from boyhood, and all respect and honor him for his genuine worth. WILLIAM F. BAILAR. As one reviews the history of the county and looks into the past to see who were prominent in its early development he will find that almost throughout the entire century the name of Bailar has been closely con- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 141 nected with the progress and advancement of this section of the state. William F. Bailar is a native son of Champaign county, his birth occurring in Adams township March 24, 1852. His father, George W. Bailar, was born in the same locality on the 21st of October, 1825, and the latter's father, John Bailar, came to Champaign county from Pennsylvania, his native state, taking up his abode on a farm in Adams township. At that time only one other family resided in the township, and wild was the region into which he came. He secured a farm of one hundred and twenty-four acres, which he cleared and improved, and he soon became recognized as one of the leading citizens of the county. In his political views he was what is now called a Democrat. In this county he was married to Catherine Pence, who was a member of a prominent old family of Virginia, and they became the parents of nine children. George W. Bailar, the third son in the above family, remained at home until his marriage, during which time he assisted his father in the arduous task of clearing and improving the home farm. In Adams township, about 1850, he was united in marriage to Julia A. Licklider, who was born in Virginia on the 18th of October, 1825, but when nine years of age, in 1834, she came with her parents to this county, the family locating on a farm in Johnson township, where she was reared and educated. She was a daughter of David and Catherine (Clem) Licklider. Six sons blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Bailar,—John David, William F., Sanders, George R., Corey E. and Charles. Three of the sons, John David, Sanders and Charles, died in infancy, and all were born on the old homestead in Champaign county. The father of this family was a Democrat in his political views, and for several years he served his township as its trustee. In his social relations he was a member of the Masonic fraternity, and religiously was a member of the Christian church, having assisted in the erection of its house of worship 142 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. at Carysville, and he was treasurer of the same for many years. He was called to his final rest in 1888, but is still survived by his widow. William F. Bailar, whose name introduces this review, was reared in the township of his nativity, and to its public school system he is indebted for the early educational privileges which he was permitted to enjoy. He remained at home until he was twenty-four years of age, assisting his father in clearing and cultivating the old homestead. In 1876 he was married, but still continued to live on the old homestead for seven years, during which time he followed farming. He then moved to a portion of his present farm, consisting of seventy-eight acres, but as the years have passed by he has been enabled to add to his original purchase until he is now the owner of one hundred and thirty-nine acres, most of which is under a fine state of cultivation. Like his father and grandfather, he upholds the principles of the Democracy, and for two terms he has served as a trustee of his township. The marriage of Mr. Bailar was celebrated in 1876, when Miss Flora I. Newcomb became his wife. She is a native of Champaign county and is a daughter of Howell Newcomb, who was born in Adams township, this county, October 6, 1825. The latter's father, Joseph Newcomb, came from. New Jersey to this county, where he was among the very early pioneers. He located on a farm in Adams township. In this locality Howell Newcomb, the father of Mrs. Bailar, was married to Miss Eliza Johnson, a native of Adams township and a daughter of Walker Johnson, the first settler of Johnson township. He cleared and improved one hundred and sixty acres of land there, and was one of the influential citizens, of the community. He was. a Democrat in his political views and was a member of the United Brethren church, in which he was an active worker, and assisted materially in the erection of its house of worship in Adams. Mr. and Mrs. Newcomb became the parents of six children,—Napoleon F., Hamilton G., Sarah A., Mary CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 143 Jane, Flora I. and Victoria. With the exception of the two last mentioned all died when young. Three children have blessed the union of our subject and wife, namely : Victoria May, the wife of John E. Huffman, the proprietor of a creamery in this county; Enda C., the wife of Clyde Stevenson, a farmer of Adams township; and Goldie M. The two eldest were born on the old Bailar homestead, and the youngest was born on our subject's present faniam. In his social relations Mr. Bailer is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the AntiHorsethief Association, both of Rosewood. He is a member of the Christian church at Carysville, in which he has long served as treasurer and as a deacon, and for a long period was superintendent of the Sunday-school. CHARLES BRELSFORD. This honored veteran of the Civil war is now a resident of Saint Paris, Ohio. A true patriot and devoted citizen in both times of peace and war, he merits the high regard which is universally bestowed upon him. He was born near Madison, Wisconsin, November 20, 1846, and is a son of William and Hannah (Scott) Brelsford. In a very early day the Brelsford family removed from New Jersey to Montgomery county Ohio, and in a small town in that county the father of our subject wa reared to mature years and there followed pump-making. In an early day he came to Champaign county, where for several years he followed the same occupation near Lena. He was there married to Hannah, daughter of Asa and Mary (White) Scott. The Scotts were also mem hers of a prominent New Jersey family, but in an early day they lef their eastern home for the Buckeye state, taking up their abode nea Lena, Champaign county. There the father died on the old homestead 144 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. farm in 1864, after reaching the Psalmist's span of three score years and ten. He followed the tilling of the soil as a life occupation. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Scott were born four children, namely : Hannah, now Mrs. Brelsford; Harvey Y., who died in Faribault, Minnesota, in 1901; James G., who died near that city in 1896; and Jasper. James G. and Harvey G. were among the "forty-niners" who crossed the continent to seek the treasures of the Golden state, making the overland trip, and after leaving the Pacific coast they settled in Minnesota. After his marriage Mr. Brelsford continued to reside in Champaign county until the early '40s, when he removed with his family to Wisconsin, locating on government land near Madison, and there he followed agricultural pursuits in connection with pump-making until his death, in 1849. After his demise Mr. Scott went to Wisconsin and with a team and wagon brought Mrs. Brelsford and her children to Champaign county, where they made their permanent home near Saint Paris. The children born unto Mr. and Mrs. Brelsford were: Caroline, the widow of Edward Flowers; Sarah, who became the wife of A. E. Pond; Phoebe, who was first married to J. T. Northcott and afterward to Simeon Pence, and she is now a widow ; Harrison; Asa ; Mary E., the wife of Ira Poffenberger, of Urbana; Emma, the wife of Henry Gibbs; and Charles. Mrs. Brelsford still survives her husband and is living in Saint Paris, in the eighty-fourth year of her age. For fifty years she has been a devoted member of the Baptist church. Charles Brelsford, of this review, received but limited educational advantages during his youth, as he was only permitted to attend the public schools during the short winter months, while during the summer season he assisted in the work of the home farm. In 1862 he enlisted for three months' service in the Civil war, entering the service as a member of Company H, Eighty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and during the term of his enlistment was engaged in guarding the Balti- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 145 more & Ohio Railroad through West Virginia. The regiment was disbanded at Delaware, Ohio, and for the following year Mr. Brelsford remained at home, working on his grandfather's farm. In January, 1864 he re-enlisted, entering Company L, Eighth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry and his first service in that command was under General Hunter in th Lynchburg raid in Virginia. After participating in the battles of Lynchburg and Liberty he, with a part of his regiment, was transferred to the Shenandoah valley, under the command of General Averill, wher he remained until November, 1864. He participated in the hard-fought battle of Winchester and was much on detached service as a scout. In November, 1864, the two sections of his regiment were reunited Beverly, West Virginia, where they were engaged in picket duty until the 11th of January, 1865, when General Rosseau made an attack on that city and captured about four hundred and eighty soldiers, including the Eighth Ohio Cavalry. The prisoners were taken to Richmond, Virginia and the journey to Libby prison was a most trying one, the weather being cold and rainy, and icicles often clung to their clothing. They were obliged to wade all the rivers on the route, and for three days Mr. Brelsford was without food, after which he was given a small piece of fat pork, which he ate raw. They were incarcerated in Libby prison until the 17th of February, when they were exchanged, and our subject returned home on a thirty-days' furlough. On the expiration of that period he returned to Philippi, West Virginia, where a part of his regiment was stationed, and at Clarksburg, Virginia, it was mustered out of service in August, 1865, our subject leaving the ranks as a corporal. His brother Asa also enlisted for service in 1861, becoming a member of Company A, Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he served for three years. During a part of enlistment he was on detached service as a blacksmith, and he was honorably discharged in 1864. Mr. Brelsford, of this review, took with him into the service a small pocket Bible, 146 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY with his name and regiment inscribed on the fly-leaf, but the Bible was lost at the battle of Lynchburg. Thirty-four years after that engagement he received a communication from the commander at the government arsenal at Augusta, Georgia, stating that a lady there residing had in her possession a Bible found on the battlefield of Lynchburg and bearing Mr. Brelsford's name. The latter was located through the pension department and he received his Bible. After his return to civil life Mr. Brelsford located at Millerstown, Champaign county, and in that city and also in Bowlusville and Saint Paris he was engaged at the blacksmith's trade for a time, spending seventeen years in the last named place. For the following three years he was engaged in agricultural pursuits in Champaign county, on the expiration of which period he removed to Shelby county, Ohio, and from that time until 1890 he there followed the tilling of the soil. After his return to Champaign county he was first engaged in the implement business with a Mr. Kite, which relationship was maintained for five years, and since that time during the winter months he has been engaged in the poultry business. For a time he was engaged in that enterprise with the late Mr. Cline at Jackson Center, and previously he was associated with a Mr. Riker in Saint Paris. He owns a tract of one hundred and fourteen acres in Champaign county. In the year 1868 Mr. Brelsford was united in marriage to Mary E. Hanback, and four children were born of that union. The eldest D. Orrin, is a popular and successful teacher in the public schools of Saint Paris, and is also president of the teachers' examining board. The second son, Millard, is the pastor of the First Baptist church at Urbana, Ohio. He is a: graduate of the Saint Paris high school, of the Granville College, of the Rochester, New York, Theological School, and was ordained to the ministry in June, 1goo. Asa and Sarah are both deceased. The family are members of the Baptist church of Saint Paris, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 149 of which Mr. Brelsford is one of the charter members and for many years he has held office therein. His political support is given to the Republican party, and while residing in Shelby county he held the office of trustee. In his fraternal relations he is a member of Saint Paris Lodge, No. 246, I. O. O. F., and also of Scott Post, No. 111, G. A. R., of which he has served as commander. He is truly an honored hero of the Civil war. During his army career he was imprisoned and suffered much from privations and exposure, yet he was always found faithful to the duties imposed upon him, and at all times he is a loyal citizen, true to the interests of county, state and nation. JOHN GOUL. John Goul, who resides on the Mechanicsburg and Bellefontaine pike, was born in Union township, Champaign county, on the 6th of February, 1832. His father, Christian Goul, was a native of Rock-bridge county, Virginia, where he was horn on the 6th of September, 1804. In 1817, when thirteen years of age, he came with his parents to Champaign county. His father, Adam Goul, was born near Frankfort, Germany, in 1761, a son of Frederick Goul, also a native of the fatherland, and he died at sea while on his way to America. Adam Goul came to America in 1763, and during the latter part of the Revolutionary war he served as a teamster therein. He was married to. Miss Elizabeth Lutz, who was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1773, and after their marriage they moved to Rockbridge county, Virginia, where they made their home until 1817. In that year they came to Champaign county, locating in Goshen township, about two miles north of Mechanicsburg, where they cleared and improved a farm. They be- 8