(RETURN TO THE TITLE PAGE) 650 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. own responsibility. When the integrity of the nation was menaced by armed rebellion Mr. Shanely abandoned the plow for the sword, and in 1864 enlisted as a private in Company H, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he was in active service for a period of about four months. At the expiration of his term he returned to his home and resumed farming, and to this industry he has ever since continued to give his attention, also raising a high grade of live stock, and has been very successful in his efforts, his landed estate now comprising two hundred and twenty-seven acres, the greater portion being under a high state of cultivation, while the permanent improvements are of the best order, including a commodious and attractive brick residence, which was erected by Mr. Shanely in 1876. He has practically retired from the active duties pertaining to the farm, but still maintains a general supervision of his line estate. He has taken a lively interest in all that concerns the progress and material and civic welfare of his native county, and is one of the honored pioneer citizens, the family having been one of prominence in the county from an early epoch in its history. Mr. Shanely's first presidential vote was cast for Pierce in 1852 ; his next for Buchanan and the third for Lincoln in 186o, since which time he has remained a stalwart supporter of the Republican party, having voted for every one of its presidential candidates from the time of its organization. His religious faith is that of the United Brethren church, and he has been an active worker in the same, as has also his wife. Mr. Shanely's first marriage was solemnized in the year 186o, when he was united to Miss Sarah J. Henry, and they became the parents of four children, namely : John W., a farmer of Adams township, married Cora Scoby ; Alice is the wife of William Long ; Charles, who is a prominent physician and surgeon at Sedgwood, North Dakota, and where he is also largely engaged in agricultural pursuits, stock-raising and mining, married Capsola Shopsher and Lydia A. is the wife of W. E. Pard- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 651 ington, of Shelby county, and a member of the Ohio legislature. Mrs. Shanely was summoned into eternal rest in 1872, and our subject subsequently married Miss Lydia A. Wright, who was born in Henry county, Indiana. They have two children,—Trina, who is the wife of John Domire; and Barbara C., who remains at the parental home. Mr. Shanely has many times been offered official positions, but he has steadily declined, as the emoluments of office have had little attraction for him.   ISAAC SHANELY. The subject of this review is an honored hero of the Civil war and a man who for many years has held a leading place among the agriculturists of Champaign county. He was born on the farm on which he now lives, October 20, 1832, the youngest child of John and Catherine (Haisch) Shanely, whose history will be found in the sketch of Jacob Shanley in this volume. When the country became involved in civil war Isaac Shanely left his home and went to the front as a defender of the Union cause, enlisting November 21, 1861, as a member of Company I, Forty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Entering the ranks as a private, he was soon promoted to the position of quartermaster, and in that capacity participated in many of the hard-fought battles of the war. In the engagement at Port Gibson he received a Rebel bullet in the neck and shoulder, and for a time thereafter was confined in the hospital at Grand Gulf, but on the 21st of June following he rejoined his company and was present at the siege of Vicksburg. On the 2d of December, 1864, he received an honorable discharge and returned to his home. He now receives a pension of six dollars in compensation for his services. Throughout his entire life he has resided on the old Shanely homestead, which was entered by his father in 1820, and he still has in his 652 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. possession the original patent from the government. In 1874 he erected one of the finest residences in the county, at a cost of five thousand dollars. His farm contains three hundred and twenty acres of rich and fertile land. He has always followed advanced and progressive methods of agriculture, and his place is neat and thrifty in appearance, owing to his consecutive labors and careful supervision. In 1868 he was united in marriage to Barbara A. Shaffer, a daughter of John and Catherine (Howard) Shaffer, natives of 'Germany. Mrs. Shanely was also born in that country, but when four years of age was brought by her parents to America, the family locating first in Logan county, Ohio, and afterward came to Champaign county. She is the eldest child of her mother's first marriage, and she was reared and educated in this county. By her marriage to Mr. Shanely she has become the mother of five children, namely : L. Grant, who married Josephine C. Staley ; Callie C., deceased; Elizabeth Jane, also deceased; George C., who was born in 1875 and is still at home; and Isaac N., also at home. The family are members of the United Brethren church, in which Mr. Shanely has served as a trustee for forty years and is an active worker for the cause of Christianity. Since returning from the war he has given a stanch support to the Republican party, and in his social relations he is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. In the growth and upbuilding of Champaign county he has ever borne his part, has been honorable in business, loyal in friendship, faithful in citizenship, and now in his declining years he can look back over the past with little occasion for regret. GEORGE G. McCREA. Captain George G. McCrea, one of the well known and progressive citizens .of Champaign county, is a member of an old and distinguished family. He is a son of Wallace and Jane (Stapleton) McCrea. The CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 653 former was born in Catskill, New York, July 11, 1810, and was a son of John and Elizabeth (Bell) McCrea. John was a son of Thomas McCrea, who was a native of Scotland, coming from Kintail, the town of McCreas. He was born in 1724. In 1759 he was married to Elizabeth Montgomery, daughter of a Scotch lord. Subsequently they came to Ireland, living in County Tyrone, and from there they came in 1787, to America, settling in Kortright, Delaware county, New York, where they lived until passing away. Thomas McCrea died in 1822. John McCrea, born in Scotland or after the removal of the family to Ireland, was the third child of Thomas and Elizabeth McCrea. When a youth of eighteen years he became imbued with the desire to emigrate to America, and gaining the consent of his parents, acted upon this impetious impulse and made the voyage to the new world alone, landing in New York City in 1775. In Kortright, New York, on February 5, 1803, he was united in marriage to Elizabeth Bell, who was born in New York in 1767. In 1817, accompanied by his wife and children, Mr. McCrea removed from the Empire state to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he followed his trade of a mason and his efficiency in his line is attested by the fact that he superintended the construction of the first city water-works there. In the following year, 1818, he came to Champaign county, securing three hundred and twenty acres of government land, and on this farm his grandson, Captain George G. McCrea, now resides. After securing his land he returned to Cincinnati, where he worked at his trade until the spring of 1820, and then came with his family to his former purchase. This section was then new and wild,. its forests stood in their primeval strength and the Indians still roamed through the dense woods, seeking the game which could be had in abundance. Here he took up his permanent abode, erecting a log cabin and developing his land. He was possessed of small means and during the panic of 1821-22 was obliged to sell a part of his purchase, but as the years passed by he became prosperous and eventually accumulated a competence. 654 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. For many years he was the only competent mason of this locality. Both he and his wife led earnest Christian lives and both were members of the Salem Presbyterian church, located near Christiansburg, Champaign county. He was also a member of Mount Olivet Lodge, F. & A. M., and was a Whig in his political views. Unto Mr. and Mrs. McCrea were born four children : Eliza, who married Frederick Johnston ; William B., John and Wallace, all now deceased. Mr. McCrea was called to his final rest on the 44th of April, 1837, and his wife survived until July 15, 1852, when she joined him in the spirit world. Wallace McCrea, the father of our subject was educated in the primitive schools of his clay. On the 22d of March, 1832, he was united in marriage to Jane Stapleton, and they began their domestic life in this neighborhood but subsequently located on the old homestead, where the remainder of their lives was spent. During the trying period of the Civil war lie manifested his loyality co the government by raising both money and men to preserve the Union. He was first a Whig in his political views, but in 1856 joined the new Republican party, ever afterward remaining a stanch supporter of its principles. Throughout his life he devoted his energies to farming and stock-raising, and in both lines he was successful. He was at all times a public-spirited and progressive citizen, and although never an office-seeker he held many local positions. The union of Mr. and Mrs. McCrea was blessed with five children, namely : John who died in 1852 at the age of nineteen years ; George G., of this review; Eliza J., who married Charles L. Rogers, of Champaign county, being born September 23, 1838, and died June 26, 1876, at the age of thirty-eight years; Calvin, who died in 1843 at the age of one year and seven months; and Sarah, who died in 1852, at the age of seven years and eight months. The mother of this family closed her eyes in death on the 15th of July, 1871, at the age of sixty-three years, her birth having occurred on the 8th of July, 18o8, in Ohio, but she was of Virginia parent- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 655 age. Mr. McCrea was called to his final rest in 1893, aged eighty-three-years. Captain George McCrea, was born in a log cabin in the village of Christiansburg, July 17, 1836, and was early inured to the labors of field and meadow, his educational advantages having been secured in the primitive schools then in vogue. He remained at home until his enlistment for the Civil war, in August, 1862, entering Company E, One Hundred and Thirteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, being mustered in as a private. His regiment was a part of the Army of the Cumberland, and with it he took part in the many hotly contested battles in which that gallant army engaged. His regiment was made a part of the Second Brigade, Second.. Division, Fourteenth Army Corps, and was commanded by General Thomas, the "Rock of Chickamauga." The two principal battles in which: he participated were those of Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge. At Louisville, Kentucky, the Captain was mustered out of service, and was discharged at Columbus, Ohio, July 5, 1865. Captain McCrea entered the ranks as a private but for meritorious services on the field of battle he received the following promotions : Second sergeant, first sergeant, orderly sergeant, second lieutenant, first lieutenant, and during the spring of 1864 was in command of Company D. He was relieved from that command on the 27th of June, 1864, and returned to his old company, and on the death of Captain John Bowersock, who was killed at the battle of Kenesaw Mountain, our subject was placed in command of Company E, his own company, serving in that capacity until he was mustered out of service. At Kenesaw Mountain, during a fall in the engagement, he received a sun stroke, and was carried off the field by four comrades of Company D, but after ten days he had sufficiently recovered to rejoin his regiment. In the same engagement, while leading his men, sword in hand, the 'weapon was struck by a minie ball near its point and was nearly wrenched from his hand. He still has this weapon in his possession and' 656 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. it is one of his most precious souvenirs, having been the first sword given him when he was promoted to second sergeant, and he used it in all the engagements and through the whole campaign. His division was sent to the relief of Burnside at Knoxville and on May 2, 1864, his regiment was on the firing line when Sherman made his memorable move toward Atlanta. At Kenesaw Mountain, June 27, 1864, the regiment was in the thickest of the fight, losing ten of its nineteen officers in killed and wounded—one hundred and sixty-three men being killed, wounded and taken prisoners. During this memorable campaign, his regiment was within the constant hearing of musketry or artillery for one hundred days. The next battle he participated in was the battle of Jonesboro, which was really the fall of Atlanta, as Jonesboro was the only way of escape the enemy had. After the fall of Atlanta, our subject and his regiment went with Sherman to the sea and was present at the capture of Savannah. After Sherman's army, on January 20, 1865, left Savannah, it marched through South Carolina, where took place the battle of Averysboro, March 16, 1865. The battle of Bentonville followed, March 19, 1865, which was the last for that regiment as it went on to Goldsboro (Sherman's objective point), arriving March 23, 1865, then to Smithville, April 12, where they received the information of Lee's surrender on April 9, 1865, then to Raleigh, then to Morrisville ; the first day of May they started for Washington by the way of Richmond, arriving at Camp Ward on the 19th of May, 1865, near Alexandria, being on the march seventeen days. With a gallant military record Captain McCrea returned to his home after the close of the war and again took up the duties of civil life. On the 1st of January, 1872, he was united in marriage to Miss Ellen Richards, and they took up their abode on the old McCrea homestead, where he has ever since resided. The place now contains two hundred and forty-one acres and constitutes one of the best farms to be found in Champaign county. On the 3oth of October, 1875, Mrs. McCrea was called to her final rest, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 657 leaving, one son, John W., who resides in Cleveland, Ohio. She was born on the 7th of June, 1849. For his second wife the Captain chose Miss Hester Ann Berkshire, their wedding having been celebrated on the 8th of November, 1881, and they have one child, Mary E., who was born December 24, 1882, and is at home. Since his return from the war the Captain has been elected to many positions of honor and trust. In 1892 he vas made a county commissioner, which he continued to fill for nearly seven years, and for a time was chairman of the board. He has also held the office of township treasurer. He maintains pleasant relations with his old army comrades through his membership in the H. C. Scott Post, No. 111, G. A. R., of St. Paris, Ohio. PERRY DANIELS. Perry Daniels was one of the honored pioneers who aided in laying the foundation on which to erect the superstructure of Champaign county's present prosperity and progress, and through the period of early development he was an important factor in the improvement and advancement of this section of the state. His father, Thomas Daniels, was born, reared and educated in the famous old Blue Grass state, but in 1813, after his marriage he left his southern home for Ohio, locating on the present Daniels homestead in Champaign county. The land was then in its primitive condition, but as the years passed by he cleared a portion of this farm, and here his death occurred in 1841. He was married in his native state to Sarah Cainbell, and she, too, was born and reared in Kentucky. This union was blessed with ten children, four sons and six daughters, as follows : America, Narcissa, George, Malinda, Perry, Laniana, Andrew Jackson, Milton, Etna and Gatch. 658 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. All but four of the children were born in Champaign county, and here all were reared. They have since passed to their final reward. The father gave his political support to the Whig party and religiously was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Perry Daniels, the immediate subject of this review, was born in this locality on the 8th of January, 1814, and throughout his youth and early manhood he assisted his father in clearing and improving his Ohio home. The-educational privileges which he received were those afforded by the district schools of the neighborhood. In early life he also studied the art of surveying, but never followed that profession, preferring to give his energies to the tilling of the soil. After his father's death he became the owner of the old home place of one hundred and fifty-seven and a half acres. He performed his part in the arduous task of clearing new land, plowing- and planting the crops and throughout his entire life he was engaged in agricultural pursuits on the old homestead in Harrison township. He was prominently identified with the Republican party, and for a number of years held the office of constable. His social relations connected him with the Masonic fraternity, holding membership with the lodge at West Liberty. As a companion on the journey of life Mr. Daniels chose Miss Mary Barckshire, who was born in Dayton, Ohio, and she there remained until within a few years of her marriage. Her father, Henry Barckshire, was a native of the northern part of Ohio. In an early clay he moved to Dayton, making the journey by boat, and during the trip a fire was kept burning in a kettle until it was discovered by the Indians. In that city he was married to Miss Sarah Morris, a native of Virginia, but when an infant she was brought to this state and was reared in Clark county. This worthy couple became the parents of six children, of whom Mrs. Daniels was the eldest in order of birth. By her marriage with our subject she became the mother of eight children, namely : Allen, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 659 deceased; Sarah, at home; Margery, the wife of L. J. Baker, who is engaged in the implement business in Urbana; Adelia, the wife of J. H. Wilson, who is engaged in business in Corning, California ; Margueritte, who also makes her home in that state; Minnie, the wife of Don Wilson, of California ; Anna, who is also unmarried and resides in that state. All of the children were born on the old home farm in Champaign county. Mr. Daniels was called to his final rest on the 8th of December, 1887. His was a long, active, useful and honorable life, and his name is indelibly inscribed on the pages of Champaign county's history. D. S. PERRY. One of the most expert authorities on broom-corn in Champaign county is D. S. Perry, a substantial citizen of Urbana and variously interested in the surrounding agricultural, industrial and banking enterprises. A native of Venango county, Pennsylvania, he was born February 20, 1837, a son of John and Mary (Smith) Perry, and grandson of Moses and Phoebe (Cross) Perry. The origin of the family is authentically traced far back into Scottish history, in which country Moses Perry vas born, and from where he emigrated to America with his parents when yet a boy. His wife was born in Ireland, and as a child crossed the sea with the rest of her family, settling, as did the Perrys, in Pennsylvania. After the marriage of the young people they removed to Venango county, Pennsylvania, and lived upon the same farm for sixty-five years, or until the time of their respective deaths. While tilling their land and taking a prominent part in the general affairs of the county, the grandparents reared a family of five sons and three daughters. The parents of D. S. Perry were born. reared, and married in Penn- 35 660 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. sylvania, in which state the maternal grandfather, David Smith, was born, and in his longevity showed a truly remarkable hold on life, attaining to four months less than a hundred years. He married Ann Lane, who was of Welsh descent, and who died at a comparatively early age. To John and Mary (Smith) Perry were born five sons and four daughters, one son and two daughters being deceased. Three of the sons served their country in the Union army during the Civil war. Two of the daughters, Mrs. John W. Snyder and Mrs. D. C. Carey, as well as D. S. Perry, are the only members of the family living in Champaign county. Up to the time of his removal to Urbana in 188o, D. S. Perry engaged in farming and stock-raising, and from his fourteenth year has been interested in either the raising, purchasing or manufacture of broomcorn. While still on the paternal homestead he attended the public schools, and in the spring of 1862 settled on a farm in Union township, this county, where with his brother, he engaged on an extensive scale in the cultivation of broom-corn. The handling of this necessary commodity -proved such a reliable source of revenue that upon locating permanently in Urbana Mr. Perry devoted himself entirely to promoting his chosen industry, and with his brother formed the broom-corn manufacturing enterprise under the firm name of Perry Brothers. In time the brother withdrew from the concern by disposing of his share to Mr. White, and for the following ten years the affairs of the manufactory were conducted under the firm name of Perry & White. At the expiration of this time the interests of Mr. Perry passed into the hands of J. D. Valentine, and the now reliable and successful firm of White, Valentine & Company :maintain the old substantial business integrity fostered for so many years by the Perry brothers. In the meantime Mr. Perry had been perfecting arrangements for an independent broom-corn business along somewhat different lines, and be has since been engaged in the supply department, principally in buying CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 661 and selling corn, and also the machinery required for its conversion into brooms. He has heavy holdings in several concerns, notably the Ohio Straw-Board Company, of which he is president and chief promoter. Additional responsibilities have been assumed as president of the Ohio Laundry Company, of Urbana, as a director in the Citizens' National Bank, and as a stock-holder in warehouse interests in Arcola, Illinois. Mr. Perry is also interested in general farming, and he raises stock on an extensive scale. On the 30th of March, 1864, Mr. Perry was united in marriage to Susan L. Madden, and of this union there have been three children, one of whom, a son, died at the age of seventeen years. The daughters are married respectively to Mr. A. B. Offenbacker and L. C. Shyrigh. Mr.. Perry is a member of the board of trade, and in political affiliation is a Republican. -With his wife he is connected with the Methodist Episcopal church. His is a career which has been watched with increasing pride on the part of his fellow citizens, among whom he is regarded as a typical business man of the progressive and reliable order. R. C. MOULTON. The Green Mountain state has furnished many men of prominence. and worth to the west, and among the number is included R. C. Moulton, of Champaign county. He was born in Orange county, Vermont, February 5, 1821. His paternal grandfather, Phineas Moulton, was a native of Massachusetts, but early in life settled in Vermont, where he reared a large family of children. His son Phineas became the father of our subject, and he, too, was born in Orange county, Vermont. He followed the tilling of the soil as a life ocupation, and during the war of 1812 he 662 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. served his country as a brave and loyal soldier, for which he received a land warrant. His life's labors were ended in death when he had reached the age of sixty-five years. In the county of his nativity he was. united in marriage to Maria Cotton, a native of Bethel, Windsor county, Vermont, and a descendant of Sir .Robert Bruce Cotton, of England. Her father, Biby Lake Cotton, was also a native of Vermont, and was a soldier during the Revolutionary war. He married Miss Alice Chase, an aunt of Salmon P. Chase, and a sister of Bishop Philander Chase, the founder of the college at Gambier, Knox county, Ohio. Mrs. Moulton was -called to her final rest at the age of eighty-four years. She became the mother of twelve children, nine of whom grew to years of maturity, namely : Martha, who became the wife of William Bissell,. Bishop of 'Vermont; Caroline Chase, who served in the treasury department at Washington when Mr. Chase was secretary of the treasury ; R. C., of this review ; Ellen, who became the wife of Nathan L. Pennock; Alice Chase, who became the wife of A. M. Gould; Sarah D., the wife. of William P. Wheeler, a prominent attorney in New Hampshire; Rachel D., the wife of John Newell, a civil engineer ; Mary, who died at the age of eighteen years; Lavinia and Maria, twins, the former the wife of a Mr. Bates, of Washington, D. C., who formerly served in the patent office there, and the latter the wife of Gemont Graves, an Episcopal minister of Burlington, Vermont. Their daughter is the wife of Major Andrews, who is serving in the Philippines. R. C. Moulton, of this review, received his elementary education in the district schools of his native locality, and his studies were completed in the high school of Orange county, Vermont. Desiring to enter the legal profession, he accordingly began the study of law immediately after completing his literary education; and was admitted to the bar in his native state in 184.5. About- two weeks later, in company with Erastus Martin, he came to the Buckeye state, locating in Rush town- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 663 ship, Champaign county, where he made his home for one year. In 1846 he continued his westward journey, joining an uncle, Salmon Chase Cotton, at Grand De Tour, Illinois, and in the same year he went to Geneva, Wisconsin, spending the following winter at Geneva Lake. In 1847 he continued his northward trip, and in 1848 returned to Champaign county, where he again took up the practice of law and at the same time taught vocal music. On the 6th of June, 1854, Mr. Moulton was united in marriage to Olive Pearl Howard, who was born in Rush township, this county, February 3, 1832, a daughter of Anson and Olive (Pearl) Howard. Her father was born at Hampton, Connecticut, April 3, 1781, and in 1817 came to Champaign county, locating on the farm on which our subject now resides in Rush township. The place was then wild and uncultivated, and he was among the early pioneers of this locality. His death occurred on the 28th of March, 1849. His father, William Howard, was born on the 18th of January, 1749, and was of English descent. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Phoebe Fuller, was born at Hampton, Connecticut, 'December 8, 1759. Mrs. Moulton's mother was born in 'Windham county, Connecticut, July 1, 1790, and her father, Philip Pear, was a native of the same county. Mr. and Mrs. Anson Howard became the parents of four children, three sons and a daughter, but one of the sons died in infancy. Mrs. Moulton was the youngest child and only daughter in the family, and she was born and has spent her entire life upon the farm on which she still resides. She is now the only living representative of her family. Two daughters have blessed the union of our subject and wife,—Olive Pearl, who was born June 27, 1849, and died in September, 1863; and Mary, who was born July 21, 1865. The latter is the wife of Charles B. Whiley, and they reside in Lancaster, Fairfield county, Ohio, where he is a prominent attorney and a leading business man. They have two children, Dorothy Bell and Olive Pearl. 664 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Moulton located on the old Howard homestead, where they have ever since resided. The place now contains two hundred and fifty acres of rich and productive land. In addition to the raising of the cereals Mr. Moulton is extensively engaged in the sheep business, raising principally the Rambouillet breed, and in this branch of his business has met with a very high degree of success.. Politically he has been a Republican since the organization of that party, and prior to that time voted with the Whigs. His life has been well spent, and his integrity in business and his fidelity in all the relations of life have won him the confidence and esteem of 'many friends. HOMER PORTERFIELD. Homer Porterfield, president of the Porterfield Carriage Company,. at Mechanicsburg, is a native of this state, and was born near New Paris, Preble county, February 14, 1863. His parents, David A. and Minerva. J. (Hopper) Porterfield, were also natives of Ohio, in which state they engaged in farming during the greater part of their active lives, and where the father died in 1884, at the age of fifty-five years. The mother who is now living in Richmond, Indiana, had eight children. The boyhood days of Horner Porterfield were uneventfully spent on the paternal farm, and by the time he had attained to sixteen year& ambitious tendencies had arisen to emphasize the limitations of his surroundings. He therefore put farming behind him as not entirely suited to his temperament, and in Richmond, Indiana, learned the carriage business, to which he has since devoted his energies. In 1890 he located in Mechanicsburg in pursuit of his chosen occupation, and two years later became interested in the Schneider Carriage Company, which enterprise- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 665 was in 1894 incorporated as the Porterfield Carriage Company, with Mr. Porterfield as president and general manager. This concern is one of the substantial business interests of the town, and turns out a high grade of vehicles, principally on the carriage order. In 1886 Mr. Porterfield married Alice Schneider, of Richmond; Indiana, and of this union there are two children, David Philip and Rhoda Madge. Mr. Porterfield has for many years been active in Republican political undertakings, and is at present clerk of Goshen township. Fraternally he is associated with the Knights of Pythias, and he is a member of the Mechanicsburg Lodge, No. 113, F. & A. M. Mr. Porterfield has a reputation for sterling worth in his adopted town, and his public-spiritedness and enterprise are felt in many department of interest. FREDERICK N. BARGER. Frederick Newls Barger, a worthy representative of a sterling old family, is one of the highly respected farmers and citizens of Concord. township, Champaign county. The Bargers are of German origin and the many notable traits common to that people are to be observed in the-character of our subject. His paternal grandfather, John Barger, was born in Germany, but in early life he came with two brothers to America, locating in Loudoun county, Virginia. He subsequently took up his abode, in Rockbridge county, that state. In political matters he was a Democrat. His son, 'Adam Barger, was there born on the 27th of December, 1784, and in the county of his birth, in 18o8, he was united in marriage to Susanna Garrett, a native of Rockingham county, Virginia, and they became the parents of eleven children : Sally, deceased ; Frederick N., of this review ; George, Rebecca, Sophia, John and Chris- 666 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. tina, also deceased; Nancy, who died in infancy; William, deceased; Matthew and Mary. In the Old Dominion, in 1832, the mother of this family was called to her final rest. Three years later, in 1835, the father came to Champaign county, purchasing eighty acres of land four miles west of our subject's present farm, where he made his home until death, in 1869, passing away at the age of eighty-four years. Frederick N. Barger, whose name introduces this review, was born in Rockbridge county, Virginia, February 27, 1813, and remained under the parental roof and gave his father the benefit of his services until he was twenty-one years of age. In 1836 he joined the family in Champaign county, locating one mile west of the Concord church, in Concord township, where for a time he worked at different occupations, during the first winter -inter here being employed as a stavemaker and afterward as a carpenter. After his marriage he embarked in the gunsmith business, and while thus employed he repaired over three thousand guns and made about one hundred and fifty new ones. He subsequently returned to the old farm which he had first purchased on coming to Champaign county, near the Concord church, where he made his home until 1868, and in that year he came to the farm which he now owns. The place consists of eighty-eight acres, most of which he has placed under cultivation, and the many and substantial improvements thereon stand as monuments to his ability. He is also the owner of several sawmills. In former years he vas a member of the old Know Nothing party. For thirteen years he efficiently served his township as its trustee, was its treasurer for four and a half years and for one year served as supervisor. He has at all times enjoyed the full confidence of the public, and no citizen of his section of the county is held in higher respect. On the 10th of November, 1840, Mr. Barger was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Strayer, a native also of Virginia. When about eighteen years of age she accompanied her parents on their removal to CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 667 Logan county, Ohio, where they were among the early pioneers. Mr. and Mrs. Barger have had six children, namely : Frances, the wife of John Taylor, a farmer of Champaign county; Jennette, the wife of John C. Crain, a blacksmith in Michigan ; and Mary Elizabeth, Margaret Hannah, John L. and Rosa Emma, deceased. In his social relations Mr. Barger is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, No. 46, of Urbana, and also of its beneficiary auxiliary, and was formerly identified with the Grange. He is a prominent member of the old Concord 'church, in which he formerly had charge of the library, and he also assisted materially in the erection of its house of worship. He is now one of the oldest residents in this section of the state, and nearly his entire life has been spent in the interests of Champaign county. SAMUEL ZIRKLE. On the roll of Millerstown's respected and leading business men is found the name of Samuel Zirkle, who for a number of years has been connected with its mercantile and milling interests. He comes of one of the old colonial families of Virginia, 'and on the maternal side he is a relative of the famous Andrew Jackson. He was born in Mad River township, Champaign county, on the 27th of March, 1844, and is a son of Cornelius and Nancy ( Jackson) Zirkle, both born and reared in Virginia. The former, who was born on the 12th of July, 1804, was .a miller by trade, but after his removal to the Buckeye state, about 1825, he located on a farm of eighty acres in Mad River township, and thereafter gave his entire time to its cultivation and improvement. He was numbered among the prominent old pioneers of the locality. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Zirkle was celebrated in Virginia and they be- 668 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. came the parents of four children, namely : Herndon; Marguerite J., deceased; Cornelius, also deceased; and Samuel, of this review. With the exception of the eldest all were born in Champaign county. The mother of this family was called to her final rest in 1848, and two years afterward, in 1850, the father was again married, Mrs. Mary Smith becoming his wife. She, too, was born in Virginia, and was the widow of a Mr. Sargent. By his second marriage Mr. Zirkle became the father of five children,—Salvanus A., Theodore, John, Melvina and Catherine. The two last mentioned are now deceased, and all were born in Champaign county. The father continued to carry on the work of his farm in Mad River township until his life's labors were ended in death, passing away in the faith of the Lutheran church, of which he was a worthy and consistent member. His political support was given to the Democracy. Samuel Zirkle, of this review, remained under the parental roof and gave to his father the benefit of his services until his marriage, when he was twenty-six years of age, after which he removed to a farm of his own in Mad River township, there remaining for about one year. His next home was in Johnson township, on which he remained for two years, for five years resided on the Solomon Snapp farm in Adams, township, for a similar period maintained his residence on the George R. Kiser farm in Johnson township, and went thence to Millerstown, where in the fall of 1883 he purchased the mill which he still owns and operates. Since 1896 he has also been identified with the mercantile interests of that city, and in both departments of trade he is meeting with a well merited degree of success. He is a persevering, resolute business man and conducts all trade transactions with the strictest regard to the ethics of business life. His name has ever been synonymous with honorable dealing, and he has the unlimited confidence of all with whom he has come in contact. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 669 On the 15th of December, 1870, Mr. Zirkle was united in marriage to Effie Groves, who was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, and was there. reared and educated. Her parents were also natives, of that county. This union has been brightened and blessed with two children.—Alfred C., who was born on the 9th of March, 1872, and is now the junior partner in the mercantile business; and Carry F., at home. In politics. Mr. Zirkle is a Democrat, and at all times is true to his duties of citizenship. Socially he is a member of the Independent Order of Red Men at Millerstown. A. H. MIDDLETON. Numbered among the younger members of the medical profession, in Champaign county is Dr. A.. H. Middleton, a representative of prominent old pioneer families. His paternal grandfather was a native of the Old Dominion and was of English descent. In a very early day he left his southern home for the Buckeye state, locating first in Brown county and later came to Champaign county, where he was numbered among the early pioneers. He was a civil engineer by profession, and in connection therewith he also followed the tilling of the soil in this county. John Middleton, the father of him whose name introduces this review, was born in Brown county, Ohio, and when ten years of age he accompanied his parents on their removal to Champaign county, and here his death occurred in 1880. He, too, followed the tilling Of the soil, and in his political views was a stanch member of the Republican party,.. in which he was a prominent and active worker, and for many years served as a justice of the peace. He was also a prominent and worthy member of the Disciple church, and assisted in the erection of the church; 670 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. of that denomination at Cable, while in his social relations he held membership with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His wife bore the maiden name of Mary McCumber. She traced her nativity to the Empire state, but when young she was taken to Pennsylvania, and thence came to Ohio. Her death here occurred in 1897, when she had reached the age of sixty-seven years. Her father, who was of Scotch descent, was also one of the early pioneers of Champaign county. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Middleton were born twelve children, nine sons and three daughters, all of whom grew to years of maturity and reared families of their own. A. H. Middleton, the eleventh child and eighth son in the above family, was born in Wayne township, Champaign county, Ohio, January 24, 1863, and in the district school of the neighborhood he received his primary education. At the early age of sixteen years he entered the school room as an instructor, and for five years he followed the teacher's profession, and during that time, when nineteen years of age, he also began the study of medicine, under the preceptorship of Dr. H. C. Houston, of "Urbana. At the age of twenty-one years he entered the homeopathic college of that city, in which institution he was graduated in 1887, and for the following three years he was engaged in the practice of his profession in Cable. In 1890 he removed to Springfield, Ohio, where he was engaged as a medical practitioner until 1896, while for the following four years he was stationed at Terre Haute, Champaign county, and since that time he has made his home at Cable and has here built up an extensive and lucrative patronage. The marriage of Dr. Middleton was celebrated in 1888, when Miss Alice Baker became his wife. She was born in Mad River township, Champaign county, and is a daughter of A. R. and Rebecca (Weaver) Baker, prominent early settlers of that township. Mrs. Middleton attended the normal school at Urbana for a time, and afterward became CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 671 one of the successful teachers of the county. Unto this union have been born two sons,—Rollin and Harry. The Doctor is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Cable Lodge, No. 395, and of the Junior Order of American Mechanics at Terre Haute, while in political matters he gives a stanch and unwavering- support to Republican principles. WILLIAM WARD. In almost all American communities there may be found quiet, re- tiring men, who never ask public office or appear prominent in public affairs, vet, nevertheless, they exert a widely felt influence in the communities in which they live and help to construct the proper foundation upon which the social and political world is built. Such a man is William Ward, who for many years has been an honored and respected citizen of Champaign county. Back to the Old Dominion must we turn in tracing his lineage. His father, James Ward, was born in that commonwealth, in Shenandoah county, and he was there reared to years of maturity- When a young man he came to Champaign county, Ohio, and after his marriage he located on a farm in Johnson township, where he spent the remainder of his life, dying at the age of seventy-five years. He was a life-long farmer and was identified with the Democratic party. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary Clem, was also a native of -Virginia, but came with her parents to Champaign county, and here her death occurred at the age of eighty-two years. William Ward, of this review, was the third in order of birth of his .parents' children, and he was born in Johnson township, Champaign county, March 30, 1840. He was reared in the place of his nativity, and received his education in the district schools of Johnson and Adams 672 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. townships. He now owns a valuable farm of three hundred. acres, located in those townships, and by industry and good management has brought his land under a high state of cultivation. In all his business transactions he has manifested keen discrimination, great energy and strict integrity, and these qualities have insured him prosperity. In the year 1863 occurred the marriage of Mr, Ward and Miss Rebecca Icher, a native of Adams township, Champaign county, and a member of an old and protninent pioneer family of this locality. This marriage has been blessed with nine living children, namely : Rosa, the wife of Valentine Body ; Eliza, the wife of Elmer Smith ; Ella, the wife of John Frank : Ollie E., the wife of Thomas Prince; Nettie, who married William Barnum; Lockey, the wife of Clyde .Blackford; Caroline, at home; Abraham, who married Bertha Cooper ; and William M., also at home. Mr. Ward gives his political support to the Democratic party, and his religious connections are with the United Brethren church, of which he is a worthy and valued member. Mr. and Mrs. Ward are sincerely admired and loved by those who have known them nearly a life time and in peace and content they are passing the evening of life, surrounded by the comforts and luxuries which are the fruits of their former years of industry and good management. FRANK A. ZIMMER. Frank A. Zimmer, who is filling the position of prosecuting attorney in Champaign county, is a young man, but his ability does not seem limited by his years, as he has already won a reputation which many an older practitioner might well envy. He was born in St. Paris, this county, August 1, 1872, and is a son of George and Katherine (Sutter) Zimmer, both of whom were natives of Baden, Germany. When they CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 673 came to America they first lived in Cincinnati, but afterward removed to this county, taking up their abode in St. Paris, and there the father went into the bakery business; which he ,followed for many years, conducting both a bakery and confectionery business. He then lived in retirement to the time of his death. He was a good business man, enterprising and progressive, and though he began life in limited financial circumstances he steadily worked his way upward until he accumulated a comfortable competence. Mrs. Zimmer had engaged in teaching in the German fatherland and is a well educated lady, who still resides in St. Paris. in their family were six children, namely : Ernest G., a physician of Upland, Indiana; Mary, the wife of Charles Mitchell, of Springfield, Ohio; Emanuel R., a dentist in Upland; and Emma and Frederick, who -reside in St. Paris with their mother. The other member of the family is Frank A. Zimmer, who was the fifth in the order of birth. He was reared in St. Paris and in the schools of that town acquired his literary education. Subsequently he was employed for one year in the Phillips House at Dayton and later accepted a clerkship in a dry goods establishment at Sidney, Ohio. He afterward pursued a business course in the commercial college at Springfield, following which he engaged in teaching in the Oak Grove school for one year. Continuing his educational work, he was for five years a teacher in the high school at Urbana, and during that time engaged in the study of law, which he continued in the Ohio State University, completing the course in 1899. In October of that year Mr. Zimmer was admitted to the bar and formed a partnership with Charles E. Buroker, of St. Paris. They opened a law office in Urbana as well as in St. Paris and Mr. Zimmer still continues in the former. In April, 189o, he was nominated on the Republican ticket for the office of county prosecuting attorney, and 674 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. in the following November was elected for a term of three years, entering upon the duties of the office January 7, 1901. On the 17th of October, 1901, Mr. Zimmer was joined in wedlock to Miss Nellie VV. Grove, a daughter of S. B. Grove, the present auditor of Champaign county. Socially he is connected with the Masonic order, Knights of Pythias fraternity and with the Junior Order of United American Mechanics. He is also secretary of the Ohio State Prosecuting Attorneys Association and in the line of his profession has won dis tinction and will undobtedly win greater success in the future. JASON KIZER. Among the pioneer families of Champaign county was the one of which our subject is a representative. His grandfather, Joseph Kizer,. was born in the Shenandoah valley, Virginia, but as early as 1812 he came to Ohio, locating on the farm on which our subject now resides, and there he spent the remainder of his life and was buried in the old family burying ground on the farm. He cleared and partly improved one hundred and sixty acres of land. In the place of his nativity he was united in marriage to Katherine Comer, also a native of the Old Dominion, and they became the parents of eight children, seven sons and a daughter, of whom Charles Kizer, the father of our subject, was the fifth son in order of birth. The latter was born on the old homestead in Champaign county on the 28th of January, 1818, and there spent his entire life. After his father's death he purchased the interests of the remaining heirs, and as the years passed by he succeeded in completing in a large measure the work which his father had begun. In 1839 he married Hannah Ham-back, and she, too, was a native of Champaign county, where she was CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 675 also reared and educated. Her father, Louis Hamback, was born in Berks county, Virginia, and was there married to a Miss Norman, by whom he had five children. This family were also among the early pioneers of Champaign county. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Kizer was blessed with nine children, as follows : Barbara Kenton; Elizabeth B., deceased; Ellen Blair ; Jason ; Mary Ammons ; Lydia, deceased; Harriet Foster ; John, deceased ; and George, also deceased. All were born on the old homestead in this county. Mr. Kizer gave his political support to the Democrat party, and religiously was a member of the Reformed church at Millerstown, he having assisted in the erection of its house of worship there. Jason Kizer, whose name introduces this review, was also born on the old Kizer homestead in Champaign county, his natal day being April. 2, 1845. After his father's death he became the owner of this valuable old farm, on which he has placed many substantial improvements. In 1885 he left the home of his birth and removed to Miami county, this-state, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of improved land,. on which he made his home for twelve years. He then returned to the old farm in Champaign county. On the 22d of April, 1869, he was united in marriage to Ellen McMorran, a native of Johnson township,. this county, and a daughter of Christian and Sarah (Loudenbach) McMorran, prominent early settlers of Champaign county. Four children: have blessed this marriage,—Asa C., Charles C., Wilber C. and David: P., but the first born is now deceased. The Democratic party receives Mr. Kizer's active support and co-operation, and while residing in Miami county he served as a school director for six years. In his social relations he is a member of the Grange. The family hold membership in the Reformed church. They enjoy the hospitality of many of the best homes of Champaign county, and their circle of friends is almost co-extensive with their circle of acquaintances. 36 676 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. R. H. PICKERING. The deserved reward of a well spent life is an honored retirement from business, in which to enjoy the fruits of former toil. To-day, after a useful and beneficial career, Mr. Pickering is quietly living at his pleasant home in Rosewood, surrounded by the comfort that earnest labor has brought him. He is a prominent citizen of the community and has borne his part in the upbuilding and development of Adams township. Mr. Pickering was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, December 7, 1824. His paternal grandfather, William Pickering, was born in the land of the shamrock, but when a young man he crossed the Atlantic to America and took up his abode in Rockingham county, Virginia. He vas there married to a Miss Woodley, and in the Old Dominion he spent the remainder of his life. William Pickering, the father of our subject, was born and reared in that commonwealth, and in 1839 he came to Adams township, Champaign county, Ohio. For a companion on the journey of life he chose Martha Cowen, also a native of Rockingham county, Virginia, and a daughter of Henry Cowen, who was supposed to be of German birth. Mr. and Mrs. Pickering became the parents of six children, all of whom grew to years of maturity and were married. R. H. Pickering, the only living representative of this once large family, was about twelve years of age when he accompanied his parents on their removal to Adams township, Champaign county, and in its primitive schools of that day he received the educational advantages which he was permitted to enjoy in his youth. At the age of twenty-one years he began working for wages, and for the following seven years 'he was engaged in the work of constructing pike roads and in clearing land. On the expiration of that period he had saved sufficient means to purchase a quarter section of land in Adams township, which he cleared and improved, and as the years have passed by he has added to his orig- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 677 final purchase until he is now the owner of two hundred and eighty acres of rich and productive land. His life is indeed a success, but all his achievements are the result of patient effort, unflagging industry and perseverance. In 1899 he retired from the farm and in now spending his time in ease and quiet at his pleasant home in Rosewood, surrounded by the comforts and many of the luxuries of life. In the year 1862 Mr. Pickering was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Jane Archer, a native of Logan county, Ohio, of which locality her paternal grandfather was one cf the first settlers. She is a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Scrawny) Archer, the latter a native of Indiana. They became the parents of twelve children, Mrs. Pickering being the eighth in order of birth. The marriage of our subject and wife has been blessed with one son, Byron, who now carries on the work of the old Pickering homestead. The character and position of our subject illustrate most clearly the fact that if a young man he possessed of the proper attributes of mind and heart he can unaided attain to a position of precedence and gain for himself a place among the men of ability and worth in his community. HON. CLARENCE B. HEISERMAN. No compendium such as the province of this work defines in its essential limitations will serve to offer fit memorial to the life and accomplishments of the honored subject of this sketch,--a man remarkable in the breadth of his wisdom, in his indomitable perseverance, his strong individuality, and yet one whose entire life has not one esoteric phase, being an open scroll, inviting the closest scrutiny. True, his have been "massive deeds and great" in one sense, and yet his entire life accomplishment but represents the result of the fit utilization of the innate talent 678 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. which is his, and the directing of his efforts in these lines where mature judgment and rare discrimination lead the way. There is in Judge Heiserman a weight of character, a native sagacity, a far-seeing judgment and a fidelity of purpose that commands the respect of all. A man of indefatigable enterprise and fertility of resource, he has carved his name deeply on the record of the political, commercial and professional history of the state, which owes much of its advancement to his efforts. Hon. Clarence Benjamin Heiserman is a native of Urbana, Ohio,, born September 18, 1862, his parents being Aaron and Maria L. (Stuart) Heiserman, the former of German and the latter of Scotch descent. The father was born in Mahoning county, Ohio, a son of Goetlebb Heiserman, who came from Germany to America accompanied by his wife and several children. He took up his abode in Mahoning county near New Lisbon, in 1825, and five years later removed to Crawford county, Ohio, where he purchased a farm, residing thereon until 1865. In that year he removed to Iowa, where he remained until his death. Aaron Heiserman was the youngest of his parents' children and the only one of them born in America. He lived with his parents on the home farm until he reached his majority and in the meantime learned the carriage making trade. When he started out in life on his own account he began working at that trade, and in 1858 secured a position in that line in Urbana. A few years later he became proprietor of a carriage manufactory and built up a large business. He was rapidly accumulating wealth when about 1879 a disastrous fire occurred and destroyed his factory and stock, which being uninsured largely crippled him financially. However, he possessed much energy and determination and his activity was not slackened. After the fire, however, his time and attention were devoted to another pursuit, that of contracting and building, in which he met with a fair degree of success, carrying on opera- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 679 tions along that line of business until 1893. He was esteemed for his many excellent traits of character and honored for his genuine worth. In politics he was a Republican and he lived a consistent Christian life, as a member of the Methodist church. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Maria L. Stuart, was born in Urbana in 1838, a daughter of Isaac and Catherine (Dickey) Stuart, the former a native of New York and the latter of Pennsylvania. Her father was an early settler of Champaign county, where he took up his abode in 1838 and here in Urbana he operated a woolen mill for several years. In 1866 he removed to Indiana, where he spent his remaining days. His ancestors had come to America during the colonial epoch in our country's history and settled in Massachusetts, while later they removed to Saratoga Springs, New York. The grandfather of Mrs. Heiserman served in the war of 1812. Mrs. Heiserman still survives her husband and is yet residing in the city of her birth. By her marriage she became the mother of five children, one of whom died at the age of six years. The living are: Clarence B., of this review; Edgar Stuart, a merchant of Springfield, Ohio; Mary Bertha, a teacher in the public schools of Urbana; and Ralph L., a student. The mother is a member of the First Methodist Episcopal .church of Urbana and her many sterling qualities of heart and mind have endeared her to a large circle of friends. Clarence B. Heiserman was born and reared in the city which he yet makes his home, and in the public schools here acquired his early education, being graduated in the high school in 1879 when seventeen years of age. In the fall of 1880 he entered the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware and was graduated from that institution in 1884, after completing the full college course. He won the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and spent the two succeeding years as a teacher in the high school of Urbana. during which time he devoted his leisure hours to the reading of Jaw under the direction of the Hon. George M. Eichelberger, one of 680 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. the ablest lawyers of the Ohio bar. He resigned his position as a teacher in order to enter the law office of Mr. Eichelberger and for one year gave his entire time to the mastery of the principles of jurisprudence. Passing a successful examination before the supreme court at Columbus, he was admitted to the bar in December, 1887, and at once began practice alone in his native city, although for a year his office was in connection with that of his former preceptor. Later he entered into partnership with the Hon. E. E. Cheney. In 1889 Mr. Heiserman was elected as the Republican candidate to the office of prosecuting attorney of Champaign county and discharged his duties so successfully that he was re-elected m 1892. His excellent service in the office was appreciated by the people and enlarged the boundaries of his usefulness, so that in 1894 he vas called by popular suffrage of the people to preside in the court of common pleas for the second subdivision of the second judicial district, to which position he was elected in November of that year. He then resigned the office of prosecuting attorney to accept the new position, his incumbency continuing for five years. He was one of the youngest men ever chosen. to the office of common pleas judge in Ohio, but being a careful student of the law and well grounded in its fundamental principles he discharged. his duties with notable capability, and to the satisfaction of the public, as was manifest in his re-election in 1899 for a second term. After-two years had passed he resigned on the 5th of September, 1901, having three more years to serve. He left the office, however, to accept the position of solicitor for the Pennsylvania railroad lines west of Pittsburg of the sixth division, a position made vacant by the death of the Hon. Frank Chance. In connection with his duties in this regard Judge Heiserman resumed the general practice of law. During the years of his professional career he has gained a most excellent reputation, both at the bar and on the bench, and in every position which he has been called upon to fill he has served with marked credit and ability. He is a mart CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 681 of judicial cast. His decisions indicated strong mentality, careful analysis, a thorough knowledge of law and an unbiased judgment. The judge on the bench fails more frequently, perhaps, from a deficiency in that broad-mindedness which not only comprehends the details of a situation quickly, but that insures a complete self-control under even the most exasperating conditions, than from any other cause; and the judge who makes a success in the discharge of his multitudinous delicate duties is a man of well-rounded character, finely-balanced mind and of splendid intellectual attainments. That judge Heiserman was regarded as such a jurist is a uniformly accepted fact. In October, 1890, judge Heiserman was married to Miss Lillian M. Brown, of South Charleston, Ohio, and their home is brightened by the presence of a little son, Robert Brown, now four years of age. The parents hold membership in the First Methodist Episcopal church, and the Judge is serving as a member of the official board and has been superintendent of the Sunday-school for the past six years, taking a very. active part in all branches of the church work. Fraternally he is connected with Champaign Lodge, No. 525, F. & A. M., and Urbana Chapter, No. 34, R. A. M. Politically he has ever maintained an unflagging interest in the welfare of the Republican party and socially he is one of the most companionable of men ; is unassuming and courteous in manner ; is a good conversationalist, and equally as good a listener. MARTIN B. SAXBE. Among those who have honored Champaign county by efficient service in important public office is the subject of this sketch, who was formerly incumbent of the office of sheriff and who is a member of 682 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. one of the stanch pioneer families of the county, where he is known as one of the progressive farmers and representative citizens. Martin Bowen Saxbe was born on the old homestead, in Union township, Champaign county, on the 14th of March, 1855, being a son of Thomas Saxbe, who was born in England and who severed the ties which bound him to home and native land and as a mere boy of thirteen years emigrated to America, paying his passage by working on the vessel on which he made the voyage, and landing in New, York City in due course of time. There he grew to maturity and there married Miss Lucy Bowen, who was born in the state of New York. They removed to Champaign county in .the early days, and here the father was engaged in farming until his death, in 1860, our subject being about five years of -age at the time. The mother survived him by many years, passing away at the age of about three score years and ten. Of their five children three grew to years of maturity, our subject having been the fourth in order of birth. Thus deprived of a father's care in his early boyhood, Martin B. Saxbe was early thrown on his own resources, working for his board on various farms in the locality and attending the district schools as opportunity afforded. His life was thus far from auspicious in its conditions in his boyhood days, but he early developed that self-reliance and sturdy independence which have been the conservators of his success and which have combined with an inflexible integrity to gain and retain to him the highest measure of confidence and esteem. Mr. Saxbe worked at farming in this county until he had attained years of maturity, and also became quite expert at the carpenter's trade. He finally went to Livingston county, New York, where he followed this trade about four months, at the expiration of which he returned to Champaign county and engaged in farming, taking charge of the farm of his stepfather, Warren Freeman, and thus continuing to devote his attention to agricultural pursuits until his election to the office of sheriff, in 1888, when he took up CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 683 his residence in Urbana. He was chosen as his own successor in 1890, and served for another term of two years, and then served as deputy sheriff under R. N. Miller for three years and nine months, when he resigned. At this time Governor Bushnell conferred upon him the position of captain of the day guard of the Ohio state penitentiary, at Columbus, an incumbency which he retained for four years. Mr. Saxbe then returned to Champaign county and took up his residence on the farm which he now owns and occupies, the same being located in section 14, Urbana township, and comprising one hundred and sixty acres of finely improved land, the greater portion of which is under a high state of cultivation, while he also devotes no little attention to the raising of live stock of the best grade. Mr. Saxbe is a thoroughly capable and progressive business man, and his success is the more gratifying to contemplate when we advert to the fact that it is entirely the result of his own efforts. He started out as a poor boy, his advantages were extremely limited, and yet he has not only overcome the obstacles which beset his path, but has gained a high reputation as a man of ability and indubitable probity, his discharge of his official duties bringing to him 'the maximum commendation, while in his business enterprises he has shown the same fidelity and has followed a straightforward course at all times. He has been a stalwart supporter of the Republican party from the time of attaining his majority, and prior to his election to the office of sheriff, and while residing in Union township, he served as a member of the constabulary of the county. His religious faith is that of the Methodist Episcopal church, and both he and his wife are members of Grace church, in the city of Urbana. Fraternally he is identified with Harmony Lodge, No. 8, A. F. & A. M., of that city. In addition to his farming interests Mr. Saxbe is the owner of the Palace Hotel, at Urbana, and is a stockholder in the Urbana National .Bank, of whose directorate he was a member until his removal to Columbus. He was 684 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. at one time interested in a shoe business in Mechanicsburg, and at the present time is associated with his son Harry M. in the electric-light contracting business, the firm having taken contracts for the installation of a number of excellent lighting plants in this section of the state, and having made the enterprise one of importance. Mr. Saxbe has been twice married. His first union was solemnized in 1875, when Miss Bettie J. Woody became his wife. She died leaving four children,—Harry M., Nettie B., Lydia S. and Joseph W. On the 21st of November, 1895, Mr. Saxbe was united in marriage to Miss Mary Staub, who was born in Greenville, Illinois, the daughter of John W. and Susan (Black) Staub, being the youngest of their three children. Her mother died when she was but eleven months of age and she was reared in the home of her uncle. Mr. and Mrs. Saxbe are the parents of two children,—Howard M. and Marvin. JONAS LOUDENBACK Jonas Loudenback is one of the old and prominent settlers of Mad River township and it was here that his birth occurred, his natal day being January 29, 1816. His father, Daniel Loudenback, was horn in Page county, Virginia, October 2, 1786, and when a young man came to Champaign county, Ohio, being one of the first settlers within its borders. He was married in Mad River township and took up his abode in the midst of the green woods, where he built a log cabin and lived in true pioneer style. Venison furnished many a meal for the early settlers, for deer were very plentiful. There were many wild animals and Indians were numerous. in the neighborhood. He died in his eighty-ninth year in the faith of the Baptist church, of which he had long been a member. His CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 685 political support was given to the Democracy. His father was of German descent and died in Virginia. The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Mary Pence and was also a native of the Old Dominion, whence she came to Champaign county during her girlhood days. Her father, Abraham Pence, was one of the early settlers of the county and established his home in the midst of the forest, where he developed a farm. Mrs. Loudenback reached a very advanced age, passing away in her ninety-sixth year. By her marriage she became the mother of two sons and two daughters: Allen; Sarah; Betsey, the wife of William Baker, of Shelby county; and Jonas, of this review. Our subject was the second son and third child. He was born in a little log cabin in which his parents lived in Mad River township, and was educated in a log school house, seated with slab seats and supplied with other primitive furniture. During the summer months he assisted in the work of the fields, aiding in the plowing, planting and harvesting. In 1837 he was united in marriage to Phoebe Jenkins and unto them were born two children, but both are now deceased. The mother also passed away and for his second wife Mr. Loudenback chose Susan Snyder. Unto them were born three children: David, the eldest, was born in Mad River township, March 3, 1843, was reared upon his father's farm and pursued his education in the common schools. He married and has five children living: Edgar and Edna ; Walter, who married Daisy Adlar, of Westville; Frank and Wilbur. Carrie, sister of David, died at the age of three years. Mary Jane, youngest of her father's three children, is the wife of Arthur Pence, of Shelby county, Ohio, and they were the parents of eleven children, of whom four are deceased. Those still living are Webster, James W., Edward, Walter, Hattie, Susan and Daisy. Sarah became the wife of Isaac Smith and died leaving six children : Susan, Earl, Ernest, Carrie, now deceased,. 'Willard and Burton. 686 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. In the year of his marriage Mr. Loudenback located on a farm where he now resides. He is one of the oldest early settlers of the township, having passed the eighty-sixth milestone on life's journey. Both he and his wife are members of the Baptist church, with which they have long been connected, and he has always been a supporter of the Democratic party, his first vote having been cast for Martin Van Buren in 1837, when he was twenty-one years of age. He has never failed to vote at a presidential election since that time. Throughout his entire business career he has carried on farming, and as the years have passed he has made the most of his opportunities. Now, in his declining days, he can look hack without regret and forward to the future without fear, for his has been an honorable and upright life, winning for him the esteem and confidence of his fellow men. He has witnessed almost the entire growth and development of the county, has seen it mature from primitive conditions to take its place among leading counties of the commonwealth; has seen its wild lands transformed into beautiful homes and farms and at all times has borne his part in the work of progress and improvement, and well does he deserve to be numbered among the pioneer residents of Champaign county.   EBENEZER WILSON. Man's usefulness in the world is judged by the good that he has done, and determined by this standard of measurement Ebenezer Wilson occupies a position among the most prominent citizens of Champaign county. His life has been noble and upright, one over which falls no shadow of wrong; and long after he shall have passed away his memory will remain as a blessed benediction to those who knew him. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 687 A native of this county, being horn in Harrison township, March 10, 1821, he has passed his entire life in this county with the exception-. of a few months, and is therefore well known to his neighbors, and during all these years he has steadily maintained his high character. His paternal grandfather, Miles Wilson, was a native of Virginia, but in an early day removed to Washington county, Pennsylvania, there locating on a farm, where he died shortly after his arrival. His son, Joseph. Wilson, became the father of our subject. He was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1792, and was there married to Eleanor Fullerton, also a native of that commonwealth. Shortly after marriage-they came to Champaign county, Ohio, in 1817, locating on one hundred and sixty acres of land in Harrison township, which he cleared and improved, and there he was engaged in farming and stock-raising until his life's labors were ended in death. In political matters he supported the Whig party until the nomination of Fremont, and from that time on was a stanch Republican. Mrs. Wilson was called to her final rest in 1832, passing away in Champaign county, after becoming the mother of eight children. In the following year, in 1833, Mr. Wilson was. united in marriage to Amanda Spencer, by whom he had seven children, of whom four are now living, and our subject was the third child of the first family. The father passed to his final reward in August, 1866, after a long and useful career. Ebenezer Wilson, of this review, was about twenty-one years of age when he entered upon the battle of life on his own account, working as a farm laborer from August until the following April. For the next two years he farmed on rented land on Buck creek, south of Urbana, and from that time until November, 1853, he resided on rented farms in Salem and Harrison townships, since which time he has occupied his present place. From early morn until dewy eve he worked to clear and develop his land, and in the course of time his labors were rewarded. 688 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. with bounteous harvests. He has experienced all the trials and hardships of pioneer life, but at length his efforts have been crowned with success and there has come to him a handsome property as the reward of his labors. As the years have passed by he has added to his original purchase of one hundred and thirty acres until his landed possessions now consist of two hundred and seventy-five acres, all of which is under an excellent state of cultivation, and the many and substantial improvements thereon stand as monuments to his thrift and ability. In Salem township, in 1847, Mr. Wilson was united in marriage to Lucinda Muzzy, a native daughter of Champaign county, and here she has spent her entire life. Her father was a native of Vermont and her mother of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson have had nine children, namely : Eleanor, Horace and Joseph, deceased; Henry P. and Jennie, at home; Frank, Lucinda and Mary, also deceased; and Nellie, at home. All were born in Champaign county. The family are members of the Presbyterian church at Urbana, in which they are earnest and efficient workers. Politically Mr. Wilson affiliates with the Republican party, and for eight years he was the efficient infirmary director, while for a long period he has held other township offices. Wherever known he is held in high regard, and in Champaign county, where his entire life has been passed, he has a host of warm friends. JOHN C. NORMAN. One of the prominent and successful agriculturists of Champaign county is the gentleman whose name introduces this paragraph and who is a representative of one of the sterling pioneer families of this section of the old Buckeye commonwealth. His finely improved farm- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 689 stead is located in Johnson township and gives unmistakable evidence of the energy, discrimination and progressive methods which have been brought to bear by the enterprising owner, who has clearly demonstrated that it is possible to make farming a distinctively successful and profitable business enterprise. Mr. Norman was born on a farm in Concord township, this county, on the 22d of January, 1843, being the son of Gabriel Norman, who was born in the same township, on the 6th of June, 1814, the son of Christian Norman, who was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, prior to the segregation of Page county from the same, and there he was reared to maturity. There he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Zimmerman, and there occurred the birth of one of their children, Savilla, who was about one year old at the time when they emigrated to Ohio and became numbered among the earliest settlers of Champaign county. They came here about the year 1805, and located in the virgin forests of Concord township, where the grandfather of our subject took up a tract of one hundred and sixty acres of government land, clearing the same and making improvements, including the eventual erection. of a brick house, one of the first of the sort in this section. Christian and Mary Norman became the parents of nine children, all of whom were born in this county with the exception of the eldest, to whom reference has already been made, the names of the children being as follows : .Savilla, Benjamin, Leanna, Sarah, Gabriel, Betsy, Lemuel, Lydia and one who died in infancy. All are now deceased. The father was a wagonmaker by trade, but devoted the greater portion of his life to agricultural pursuits and was one of the honored pioneers of this county, to whose early development he contributed a due quota. Gabriel Norman, the father of our subject, was born on the old homestead in Concord township, and was there reared to the sturdy discipline of the pioneer farm, early beginning to aid in the work of 690 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. reclamation and cultivation and receiving such educational advantages. as were afforded in the primitive log school houses of the pioneer epoch:. Upon attaining his legal majority he gave inception to his independent career, engaging in farming in his native township and there establishing a home. On the 24th of November, 1839, he was united in marriage to Rebecca Brubaker, who was born in this county, July 12, 1821, and who has here passed her entire life, having now attained a venerable-age and retaining the affection of a wide circle of friends. Her husband passed away November 17, 1899, at the advanced age of eighty-five yea's, five months and eleven days. They became the parents of six children, namely: Harriet, who is deceased; John C., who is the subject of this sketch; Mary E., who resides in Millerstown; Samuel B.,. who is deceased; L Monroe, who is a resident of Millerstown; and Clara Etta, who is deceased. Gabriel Norman was originally an old-line Whig in his political proclivities, but he identified himself with the Republican party at the time of its organization and ever afterward was a stalwart advocate of its principles and policies, having never missed casting his vote at a presidential election from the time of attaining his majority until his death. He was a man who commanded unequivocal confidence and esteem, was strong in his convictions and was one who achieved success through his own efforts, while he will long be remembered as one of the worthy citizens of the county where he passed his long and useful life. John C. Norman, to whom this sketch is dedicated, was reared on the parental farmstead, in Concord township, in whose public schools he received his educational training, so profiting by the advantages afforded as to become eligible for teaching. For five years he was a successful and popular teacher in the district schools of Adams and Johnson town-- ships, and he made an excellent record in connection with his pedagogic CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 691 work. He had devoted one year to farming in his native township, and in 1868 he located in Millerstown, this county, where he engaged in the mercantile business, conducting a general store and successfully continuing the enterprise until 1886, when he disposed of the same and located on his present farm, which comprises sixty acres' and which has the best of improvements and is under a fine state of cultivation. Mr. Norman has taken an abiding interest in all that concerns the well-being of his county and state, and he has been one of the prominent supporters of the Republican party here, having been for ten years a member of the county central committee. He has been secretary of the Spring Grove Cemetery Association from the time of its organization and for about eighteen years he has been a member of the directorate of the First National Bank of St. Paris. He holds the unqualified confidence of the people of the community and has been called upon to serve as administrator of several estates, being known as a man of marked business capacity and inflexible integrity in all the relations of life. His home farm is but a small portion of his landed estate in the county, for he is the owner of four hundred and twenty-seven acres and the greater portion of the same is under most effective cultivation, the farms receiving his personal supervision and yielding excellent returns. On the 17th of March, 1868, in Concord township, Mr. Norman was united in marriage to Miss Mary A. Pence, who was born in this county and here reared and educated. Her father, the late Jonathan Pence, was a native of Concord township, this county and was a son of David Pence, who came from Virginia to Ohio and became one of the first settlers in Champaign county. The mother of Mrs. Norman bore the maiden name of Mahala Corner, and she likewise was born in this county, a representative of another of the prominent pioneer families. Mrs. Norman was the only child. Our subject and his wife have had two children, namely : Maude, born May 15, 1873, who is the wife of McClellan Frank, a suc- 37 692 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. cessful farmer of Concord township ; and Charles, who was born June 28, 1876, and died on the 22d of the following November. They have one grandchild, John Warren Norman, born July 8, 1890. WILLIAM H. WILSON. A man's life work is the measure of his success, and he is the most truly successful man who, turning his powers into the channel of an honorable purpose, accomplishes the object of his endeavor. The subject of this review is one of that sterling class of men whose attention is devoted to the agricultural industry, and he has contributed to the development and advancement of his native county, as did also his father and grandfather before him, from which fact it may be inferred that our subject is a representative of one of the honored pioneer families of Champaign county. William Hamilton Wilson was born in Harrison township, this county, on the 27th of February, 1851, being the son of Andrew Wilson, who likewise was a native of the county; having been born in Urbana township in the year 1813. When he was three years of age his parents removed to Harrison township, but about a year later they returned to Urbana township, and he has ever since maintained his home on his present farm, having now attained the venerable age of eighty-eight years. His father, 'William Wilson, was born in Ireland, whence he came with his parents to America when about thirteen years of age, the family locating in Virginia, from which state he came to Ohio in the early pioneer epoch, locating in Champaign county, where he passed the remainder of his life, as did also his wife, whose maiden name was Rebecca Humphrey, she also having come from Ireland with her parents CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 693 when about three years of age. Andrew Wilson married Elizabeth J. Wright, who was born in Virginia and who came with her parents to Ohio when about fourteen years of age. She died at the age of sixty-four years, having been a noble and devoted woman. Her father, Benjamin Wright, was likewise born in Virginia, where the family was established in the colonial period of our national history. Andrew and Elizabeth J. Wilson became the parents of four sons and six daughters, all but one of whom attained years of maturity, the subject of this sketch having been the third in order of birth. He was reared to the discipline of the farm and is indebted to the district schools for the early educational advantages which came to his portion in his boyhood days, and this was supplemented by a thorough course in the normal school at Urbana, where he ably qualified himself for pedagogic work, devoting his attention to teaching for a period of fourteen years and being very successful in this profession, his entire career as a teacher having been in connection with the schools of only four districts, showing that his services and abilities were duly appreciated. On the 24th of August, 1876, Mr. Wilson was united in marriage to Miss Tillie Heath, who was born in Concord township, this county, on the 31st of December, 1858, being the daughter of James W. and Nancy Heath, who were early settlers in the county. Mrs. Wilson was educated in the schools of this county and is a talented artist, having produced many attractive pictures in both oils and water-colors. Our subject and his wife have no children. Mr. Wilson continued to reside in Harrison township until 1892, when he removed to Concord township, where he was engaged in farming until 1895, when he removed to Marion county, Kansas, where he made his home about three years, then returning to Concord township, Champaign county, where he purchased the old homestead of his father-in-law, of which he disposed in 19o1, and then purchased his present fine 694 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. farmstead, of eighty acres, in Urbana township, the place being equipped with the best of permanent improvements and being under a high state of cultivation. Mr. Wilson is progressive and discriminating in his methods, and thus secures the best possible results from his farm, which is one of the attractive places of this section. In politics he has given an unequivocal support to the Republican party from the time of attaining his majority, and he was twice elected to the office of trustee of Concord township, while for two years he served as assessor of Harrison township. Fraternally he is identified with West Liberty Lodge, No. 96, I. 0. 0. F. JONATHAN S. NEER. On the roll of Champaign county's respected and leading citizens is found the name of Jonathan S. Neer, who for many years has been actively connected with the agricultural interests of Goshen township. He was born in Clark county, Ohio, March 25, 1851, and his father Joseph C. Neer, was also a native of that county. In 1868 the latter took up his abode in Champaign county, and in the following spring he located on a farm in Goshen township, where he made his home until about 1884. In that year he left his Ohio home and went to Kentucky, but after a residence in that state of seven years he returned to his former home. His death occurred on the 25th of May, 1902. He was a successful farmer, a life-long member of the Methodist Protestant church; a loyal soldier and a prominent member of the Grand Army of the Republic, and he passed into eternal rest while attending the memorial services at Mechanicsburg. While yet a resident of Clark county Mr. Neer was united in marriage to Dorothy Smith. Her father, James Smith, came from Pennsylvania to the Buckeye state in a very early day, locating on a farm in CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 695 Pleasant township. J. C. Neer's mother, who bore the maiden name of Sarah Coffey, was the first white female child born in Pleasant township, Clark county, the date of her nativity being May 29, 1808. Her death occurred on the 16th of August, 1887. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Neer were born eight children, five sons and three daughters, namely : Jonathan S., the subject of this review ; Maggie, who is still unmarried; Charles, deceased; Frank, deceased : Albert K., who resides in Mechanicsburg; Fred, also of Champaign county; Maud, at home; and Mettie, the wife of J. E. Whitemore, of Tawas City, Michigan. Jonathan S. Neer was but seventeen years of age when he came with his parents to Champaign county, and in addition to attending the district schools of Clark and Champaign counties he was also a student in the Lebanon Normal School for a time. After putting aside his text-books' to engage in the active duties of life he chose the occupation to which he had been reared, and throughout his life has followed the tilling of the soil. After farming for a time on rented land he accumulated sufficient means to purchase a tract of one hundred and seventy acres in Goshen township and as the years passed by he has added to his original purchase until he is now the owner of a valuable homestead of two hundred acres, located in the eastern part of Goshen township. In addition to the raising of cereals best adapted to this soil .and climate he is also extensively engaged in the dairy business, usually keeping about thirty cows, and he makes a specialty of this branch of industry. Mr. Neer was married on the 28th of October, 1875, to Emma Darling, of Mechanicsburg. She is a daughter of I. S. and Sarah (Riddle) Darling, respected old settlers of Champaign county. Prior to her marriage she was a prominent and successful school teacher in Mechanicsburg for four years. Six children have come to brighten and bless their home, namely : Ethel, who was born October 14, 1877, and Dorothy, born May 25, 1879, are both preparing for the nurse's profession in a 696 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. training school in Cincinnati ; Frank, born July 19, 1882, died May 24, 1890; Charles, born April. 3, 1884, is a member of the Mechanicsburg high school; Alice F., born June 25, 1891, is at home; and Dorris, the youngest of the family, was born November 8, 1894. Mr. Neer gives his political support to the Prohibition party and is very active in its work. He is also an active worker for the cause of education, having served as president of the school board for many years, and he has served also as president of the Farmers Institute at Mechanicsburg. His social relations connect him with the Knights of Honor, and religiously he is a member of the Methodist Protestant church. DAVID O'BRINE, M. D. Dr. O'Brine, one of the leading physicians and surgeons of Urbana, was born in the southwest of Ireland, November 17, 1849, his parents being Michael and Mary ( Dillon) O'Brine, who emigrated to the United States when the Doctor was only a young child. For fifteen or twenty years the father was engaged in superintending the construction of public works, mainly of railroad bridges, and finally he located not far from Lansing, Michigan, upon a farm. The Doctor was then about sixteen or seventeen years of age. Prior to this time he had received fair educational advantages, in Troy, New York, and in Bellevue, Huron county, Ohio. After the removal to the farm he assisted in its care and cultivation until about twenty-four years of age, devoting his time through the winter months to the teaching of country schools of Michigan. At the age of twenty-four he came to Ohio and taught one term of school near London, Mason county. He then went to the Ohio Central Normal school at Worthington, where he was graduated in 1876. He afterward CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 697 accepted a position of professor of natural science, remaining in that institution for a year and then resigned. He was superintendent of the schools at Canal Winchester for one year and then entered the state university of Ohio in the fall of 1877. After the first year he managed to make his expenses for his collegiate course by teaching in the university and was graduated there in 1881 with the degree of bachelor of science. In 1882 lie took a post-graduate course in the university receiving the degree of E. M. The following year, upon examination, he was made master of science by Adrain College, Michigan. For ten years he occupied the position of assistant professor of chemistry in the Ohio State University and won the degree of M. D. from the Columbus, now the Starling, Medical College of Columbus, Ohio. This was in 1885. On examination and the presentation of a thesis, the University of Wooster conferred upon him the degree of doctor of science. On leaving the Ohio State University he accepted the position of professor of chemistry and geology in the Agricultural College of Colorado, but later resigned for the purpose of spending a year in the study of medicine and chemistry in Europe, being in Berlin the greater part of that time. He is the author of a valuable work on chemistry entitled "A Laboratory Guide in Chemical Analysis," which was published by Wiley & Son of New York in 1888. This work is now being used as a text book in some of the best educational institutions of the country. While in Colorado Dr. O'Brine made a valuable analysis of soils, referred to in a recent bulletin from the Agricultural Experiment Station of the Agricultural College of Colorado. While abroad the Doctor visited many hospitals in the cities of Europe and .entered the Berlin University, where he took a course in surgery tinder Von Bergerman, a very noted physician and surgeon of that country. To some extent he had practiced medicine in Colorado, being frequently called in consultation. His study abroad made him especially well prepared for the profession and 698 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. locating in Urbana in 1894 he opened an office and has since risen to a position of distinction. As a medical and surgical practitioner of this state he now has a large and lucrative practice which is an indication of his superior skill. In 1888 the Doctor was united in marriage to Miss Cinda Weaver, of Columbus, who at that time was a teacher of Latin and algebra in the high school of the capital city. The Doctor is a prominent Mason, having attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite. It would be almost tautological in this connection to enter into any series of statements as showing the Doctor to be a man of broad and general culture, information and public spirit, for these have been shadowed forth between the lines of this review. The acquirement of his education largely through his own efforts indicated the elemental strength of his character. As an educator he steadily advanced until he ranks among those whose fame is not of a local character. In the medical fraternity he has won distinction which cannot be gained through purchase, influence or inheritance but comes as a direct result of superior knowledge, skill and zealous devotion to the calling. SIMEON D. FAIRCHILD. Simeon D. Fairchild, who for many years occupied a very conspicuous place among the leading business men of Champaign county, was born near Woodstock, on the farm on which his widow now resides, on the 8th of August, 1837. His boyhood days were passed in the usual manner of farmer lads of that period, and he obtained a good practical education in the public schools of the locality. After his marriage he located on a farm near Woodstock and there spent the remainder of his life. Throughout his active career he was prominently connected with CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 699 the industrial interests of the county, and his course was that of an honorable, enterprising and progressive business man, whose well rounded character also enabled him to take an active interest in educational, social and moral affairs and to keep well informed concerning the momentous questions affecting the welfare of the nation. He was honored with many prominent official positions, among which may be mentioned those of vice-president of the Central Ohio Fair Association, president of the Woodstock Building & Loan Association and also president of the Library Association of the same city. In 1874, in company with another gentleman, he went abroad to purchase horses, but on the return trip, the voyage being extremely rough for days and he having a weak heart, the action of the vessel intensified the weakness, and seven days after leaving port his life's labors were ended in death. He passed away on the 27th of September, 1874, and his remains were buried at sea. A prominent representative of industrial interests, a popular factor in social life, a faithful friend, a kind husband and a consistent Christian, he left behind him an untarnished record. On the 24th of February, 1859, Mr. Fairchild was united in marriage to Eliza A. Burnham, a daughter of Jacob Burnham and a granddaughter of Eliphas Burnham. The family is of English descent and was founded in this country by three brothers, who after their arrival on American soil located in New England. Eliphas Burnham was born in Connecticut, and was there married, November 25, 1793, to Lydia Smith. Prior to 1820 he came with his wife and children to Ohio, locating in Union county, near the Champaign county line, and the journey to this state was made with teams and wagons. He here purchased a new and unimproved farm, and on the homestead which he improved he passed away in death in 1821, at the age of fifty-seven years, while his wife was called to her final rest in the following year, 1822, at the age of forty-nine years. Of their eight children, two sons and six daughters, all were