(RETURN TO THE TITLE PAGE) CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 525 1691 he married Rebecca Relf,. a Quaker girl, and after formally accepting the tenets of the Friends' meetings, engaged in the ministry of that faith, and so continued for years. Desiring greater religious freedom and the privilege of publicly worshiping God as their consciences dictated, John and Rebecca Linton emigrated to America in 1692, landing in Philadelphia on November 8 of that year, ten years after William Penn had founded his historic colony, and became prominently identified with that earnest community. To John and Rebecca (Reif). Linton were born four children, Mary, Joseph, Benjamin and John. Benjamin Linton was born in Philadelphia on October 6, 1703, and early learned the weaver's trade, in time becoming one of the most extensive weavers in the new colony. He was an able and a learned man and achieved much fame as an astronomer, to which science he devoted much study and time. Benjamin Linton was twice married, his first wife, Elizabeth. White, born on September 9, 1705, to whom he was married' on March 25, 1727, bearing him two children, John and Mary. The mother of these children died on January 25, 1732, and the father married, secondly, Jane Cowgal, born on July 3;1708, to which union eight children were born, namely : Lucia, Benjamin, Joshua, Sarah, Samuel, Jane, Daniel and Hezekiah. Samuel Linton, fifth child and third son of Benjamin and Jane (Cowgal) Linton, was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, on December 17, 1741, and was reared on a farm, also learning the trade of a weaver. On May 10, 1775, he was united in marriage to Elizabeth Harvey,. born on March 8, 1748, and to this union were born Samuel, Nathan, David, Jane and Elizabeth (twins) and James. Early in the year 1802, Samuel Linton and his family emigrated from Pennsylvania to Ohio, at that time the "far west." They proceeded by wagon, over the mountains, to Pittsburgh, at which place Samuel purchased a raft, onto which he loaded his household effects and his family and thns floated down the Ohio to Cincinnati, preceding thence, by wagon, to Waynesville, in Warren county, this state, where he purchased a house and lot and there engaged again at this trade of weaver, continuing thus engaged; however, but a short time, the inducemnts offered by the fertile lands hereabout persuading him to take up the life of a farmer. In 1804, six years before Clinton county was organized, he entered from the government five hundred acres of land three miles northwest of where Wilmington later was laid out, and there he and his wife spent the rest of their lives. They were leaders among the members of the Society of Friends who early began settling hereabout and were persons of large influence in the formative period of that now well-established section. Nathan Linton, the second son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Harvey) Linton, was born on the banks of the Delaware river, in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, on January 17, 1778. When the territory now comprising Clinton county was organized in 1810, he was appointed county surveyor, which office he held for about twenty years. He surveyed the various townships of Clinton and Fayette counties and surveyed and laid out the village of Wilmington, the connty seat, and during his life was a widely recognized authority pertaining to boundaries and divisions of lands in this section of the state; the unassailable titles which the citizens of this county hold to their lands today, owing, in large degree, to the care which he used in making and keeping a correct record of surveys. Nathan Linton was an enterprising and progressive pioneer citizen. He was among the first to introduce and encourage the growing of fine wool and the propagating of fine fruit. He was a strict Quaker, upright in his relations to his fellowmen and temperate in all his ways. During the early days, it was customary for the farmers to supply their harvest hands with whisky; but this custom Nathan Linton never would countenance, nor would he permit liqnor to be brought onto his place. He took a foremost part in educational matters in that day and may properly be regarded as one of the chief factors in creating the early standard of excellence which ever has marked the schools of Clinton county. He also did much in the way of establishing a proper highway system hereabout, his interest in good 526 - CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO. roads giving an impetus to that movement which is felt to this day. Nathan Linton died on February 11, 1858, honored and respected by all worthy persons within the range of Ms acquaintance. Among his descendants who have achieved notable public distinction in the third generation are Benjamin Butterworth, member of congress, a son of his daughter, Elizabeth, and Nathan Linton, a member of the Ohio General Assembly, another grandson. To Nathan and Rachel (Smith) Linton were born twelve children, Elizabeth, Abigail, Samuel, Seth, David, James, Mary, Nathan, Benjamin, Cyrus, Ruth and Jane, whose descendants today form a numerous and influential connection throughout southern Ohio. Cyrus Linton was reared as a farmer's boy and remained on the old home farm until the spring of 1864, at which time he went to Wilmington, where the rest of his life was spent. He probably was the first man in this county to deal on a particularly extensive scale in coal and grain and his operations were quite successful. He also was proprietor of a large and popular grocery store in Wilmington and for many years was accounted among the foremost business men in the city. On September 15, 1870, Mr: Linton's son, Samuel, was admitted to full partnership in the business, the firm thereafter being known as C. Linton & Son. Cyrus Linton was a very public-spirited citizen and took a prominent part in the civic affairs of the county. He served the county as commissioner from the Wilmington district; served several terms as township trustee and for eight years served in the Wilmington city council, having been elected on the Republican ticket. In 1847 Cyrus Linton was united in marriage to Lydia Harvey, a native of this county, to which. union one child was born, a son, Samuel S., of whom mention is made above. Mrs. Linton died in the spring of 1852 and Mr. Linton married, secondly, in the fall of 1853, Eliza Hadley, who was born in Union township, this county, daughter of Jonathan and Elizabeth (Dimberlake) Hadley, and to this union three children were born, as follow : Olive. who married Dr. Charles Welsh, a well-known Wilmington dentist, both of whom now are deceased; Lydia, now deceased, who married Francis Martin, of Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Edwin C., the immediate subject of this sketch. Jonathan Hadley, maternal grandfather of Edwin C. Linton, was born in North Carolina on August 20, 1800, the son. of William and Sarah (Clark) Hadley, members of old colonial families. Upon reaching manhood Jonathan Hadley engaged in the live-stock business, came to Ohio, and was very successful. He was marrried three times, his third wife having been Elizabeth Dimberlake, who was born in Highland county, this state, of English descent, the date of this latter marriage having been May 25, 1848. To this ninon but one child was born, a daughter, Eliza, the mother of Mr. Linton. Five children were born to Jonathan Hadley's first union and one to his second union, namely : Charles, who manages the Hadley dairy farm in this county ; Frank, a merchant of Springfield, Ohio; Eva ; Calvin, a farmer, who lives near Kokomo, Indiana ; Carrie, and Jonathan. The senior Hadley died in Iowa on January 25, 1864, he having moved to that state with a view to locating permanently there, and upon his death his family returned to this county, locating on a farm of one hundred and twelve acres, west of Wilmington. Edwin C. Linton received his elementary education in the public schools of Wilmington, and supplemented the same by a comprehensive course in Wilmington College, after which he entered his father's office and acquired a thorough acquaintance with the coal and grain business, later becoming owner of the business, which still later he sold to his half-brother, Samuel S., thereafter giving his exclusive attention to the business of buying grain and hay in car-load lots in Clinton and surrounding, counties and has been very successful. He also owns a fine farm of two hundred and eighty acres in Union township, which he manages from his home in Wilmington. He owns a handsome residence in the city, besides considerable other property there and is regarded as one of the most substantial citizens of the county seat town. On April 30, 1913, Edwin C. Linton was united in marriage to Florence McCune, of CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 527 Brooklyn, New York, who early in life was left an orphan. Mr. Linton is a member, of the Friends church and Mrs. Linton is a member of the Presbyterian church. Both take a warm interest in the affairs of their respective denominations, as well as in all good works of the community in which they live. Mr. Linton is a Republican and takes an active interest in the political affairs of the county; for some time having acted as treas. urer of the Clinton county Republican central committee. He is an enterprising and progressive business man and possesses the confidence and respect of commercial and financial circles hereabout, as well as the highest esteem of his many acquaintancs throughout this part of the state. ROBERT HILDEBRECHT. Among those whose declining years are blessed with the memory of a well-spent life is Mrs. Florence Starr Hildebrecht, widow of Robert Hildebrecht, whose career may fittingly be described in this volume, and whose companion she was. Many were the years of happy associations granted to these well-known residents of this county, and, though sad with the loss of the departed loved one, Mrs. Hildebrecht hereby pays a lasting tribute to his memory. Robert Hildebrecht, who was born on April 26, 1874, and who died on June 13, 1914, was the son of Rudolph Frederick William Hildebrecht, a biographical sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this publication. He spent his early years on the farm on which he was born, this being in Vernon township, and was educated in the Clarksville schools, this including graduation from the high school. Choosing fanning as his occupation, he cultivated the tract of seventy-two and one-half acres in that township, which has been the family home for years. While a successful farmer, he gave some attention to other matters, for he was road superintendent for several years. On June 16, 1906, Robert Hildebrecht was married to Florence Starr, who was born in Highland county, this state, on January 23, 1882, the daughter of Daniel Alexander and Mary Melissa (Swartz) Starr, both natives of the same county, the former born on September 4, 1844, and the latter on September 114, 1858. Daniel A. Starr was the son of Alexander and Martha (Johnson) Starr, pioneers of Highland county, and his wife was a daughter of Benage and Emily (Hildebrecht) Swartz, who settled in Highland county when its now prosperous and populous towns were mere settlements on the outskirts of the dense forests. He died, and his widow is now living in New Vienna. this county. Mrs. Hildebrecht's father is a well-known fernier, and a member of the Democratic party. His wife attends the Christian church. They are parents of the following children : Katie Elizabeth, Florence Mary, Claudia May (deceased), Amanda Emma, Matilda Josephine, Homer Leslie, Lula Esther, Vera Marie, Frank Erwin, W. Alexander, Martha Gabrielle and Reba Bowena. Daniel A. Starr has been twice married, his first wife having been a Mrs. Johnson, to whom three children were born, Clarence (deceased), Lafayette and John. Mr. and Mrs. Starr live on a farm, near Clarksville, in Warren county, this state. To Robert and Florence (Starr) Hildebrecht one child was born, a son, Carroll LeRoy, who was born on August 26, 1907. The late Robert Hildebrecht worked for and voted with the Republican party. He was also greatly interested in the work of the Methodist. Episcopal church. An estimate of Mr. Hilbebrecht's standing in the community may be gleaned from the fact that he, was a man of influence in the Odd Fellows, lodge, as well as the Knights of Pythias. While the life of Robert Hildebrecht was not spent in the busy marts of trade, nor yet where the battle of life rages fiercest, it was faithfully and usefully lived, and thus contributed ,.its share to the world's good. It, therfore, may truthfully be said of him: "The work an unknown good man has done is like a vein of water flowing hidden underground, secretly making the ground green." 528 - CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO. SAMUEL CARPENTER. Clinton county has many honorable citizens and successful farmers of southern birth, among whom is Samuel Carpenter, a retired farmer of Cuba, who owns a hundred and fifty acres of land in Washington township. He is well known to the residents of Washington township for his long and honorable career. Samuel Carpenter was born March 27, 1842, in Frederick county, Virginia. He is the son of John and Elizabeth (Paton) Carpenter, both of whom are natives of the Old Dominion state. The former was educated in common schools of Virginia and farmed in Frederick county, Virginia, all his life, owning a tract of about forty acres in that county. He and his wife had ten children, of whom Samuel, the first born, is the subject of this sketch. The other children were Anna Jane, Sarah C., Charles M., Virginia, Mary E., Bush, James W., John W., and George Washington. The parents were members of the Methodist church and the father was a Democrat politically. Mr. Carpenter was educated in the common schools of Frederick county, Virginia, and early in life learned the blacksmith trade. During the Civil War he was attached to the Twelfth Virginia Regiment as a blacksmith After the Civil War he operated a blacksmith shop for a short time on his own responsibility. He then farmed a few years until March 16, 1874, when he left Virginia and came to Vanwert county, Ohio, locating near Convoy. There he worked on the farm until the spring of 1878, when he moved to Clinton county. In 1883 he began farming for himself on rented land in Washington township, and nine years later he purchased eighty-one acres of land, which he has since increased to one hundred and fifty acres. Mr. Carpenter was engaged in general farming and stockraising until his retirement in 1898, when he removed to Cuba. He still manages the farm, however, and enjoys its fruits. Subject was first married to Elizabeth Gillen, in 1865, and they were the parents of three children, Thomas, Emily and Benjamin. She died early in life. Mr. Carpenter, on March 15, 1879, married Mary E. Berlin, and they were the parents of two children, Earl deceased, and Fred, who married Minnie Mart. Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter are members of the Universalist church. Fraternally he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Rebekahs. Politically he votes the Democratic ticket. PRANK D. HART. Frank D. Hart, a well-known citizen of Liberty township, who owns a farm on 611 the Port Williams pike, was born near Port Williams, Liberty township, Clinton county, Ohio, on January 11, 1851, the son of James and Mary (Holloway) Hart, natives of Virginia and Clinton county, Ohio, respectively. Mary Holloway was Et daughter of Dayton and Cynthia Ann Holloway, the former of whom was a blacksmith and hotel proprietor in Port Williams. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. The paternal grandfather of Mr. Hart, who was Charles Hamlet Hart, was a native of Virginia, who after his marriage, settled in Clinton county, where he engaged in farming. The late James Hart was educated by home study altogether. He was eight years old when his parents brought him to Ohio. For fifty years he was engaged in the undertaking business at Port Williams. During the Civil War he assisted in making gunboats and was a bead man in the building of the "Monitor." He and his wife were earnest and devout members of the Quaker church, and were the parents of eight children, Elizabeth, Frank D., Charles H., J. W., Harry, Lavina, Cynthia and Alford. Elizabeth died at the age of one year, and Alford at the age of six year& Charles H is a resident of Dayton, Ohio, and married Orpha Turpin. J. W. is unmarried. Harry married Ellie Hiney and lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. Lavina became the wife of Abe Conklin, lives in Dayton, Ohio, and she and her husband, in partnership CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 529 with her brother, Charles, operate the Manhattan hotel in that city. The father of these children died on September 3, 1899, at the age of seventy-six years, and the mother died on September 27, 1908. Frank D. Hart received his education in the common, schools of Clinton county, Ohio, and was reared to maturity at Port Williams. He was married on September 21, 1874, to Mary E. Wall, a native of Clinton county, Ohio, a daughter of Absalom and Hannah Wall, who were farmers in this township. After his marriage Mr. Hart continued to live in Port Williams, where for twenty-five years he was engaged in the undertaking business with his father. Mr. and Mrs. Hart are the parents of two children, Elisha and Purilla, the former of whom is the owner of two hundred and forty acres of land. Purilla is the wife of James Kibler. Mr. and Mrs. Hart own in their home farm forty-five acres. Mrs. Hart is a member of the Friends church, in which she takes an active interest. Mr. Hart is identified with the Knights of Pythias and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. ALLEN C. WHINERY. Allen C. Whinery, farmer and landowner of Liberty township, Clinton county, Ohio, is descended from Joseph Whinery, who was one of the first, white children born in Clinton county after its organization. The county was organized on February 19. 1810, and on April 20, 1810, Joseph Whinery, the father of Allen C., and the second in the family, was born. His parents were Thomas and Ruth (Miller) Whinery, both natives of York county, Pennsylvania, the former having been born on October 5, 1779, the latter having been about seven years his junior. They lived in York county, Pennsylvania, during their early life, and in 1808 emigrated from Pennsylvania to Clinton county, Ohio. At the time they had one child, Phebe, who had been born in Pennsylvania. She died at the age of seven years from eating what was supposed to be poison-vine buds. The family settled within what are now the present limits of Union township, near the Center meeting house, where in time he owned one hundred and seventy acres of land. He was one of the hardy pioneers and adventurous settlers of this region, to whose calm endurance must be attributed the progress, growth, development and present prosperity of Clinton county. In 1837, Ruth (Miller) Whinery died of consumption. She was the mother of ten children; of whom eight were living at the time of her death. Only two, however, remained at home at the time. Thomas Whinery was married, secondly, to Mrs. Charlotte. Hoddie, the widow of John Hoddie. Thomas Whinery died in 1856. Mrs. Charlotte Whinery lived to be more than seventy-five years old. Joseph Whinery, father of Allen C., was reared in a 'log cabin amidst the wilds of nature. He enjoyed the average educational facilities of his day and generation. His first teacher was Robert Way, who taught a few pupils in a log but in the neighborhood. He owned two hundred and seventy acres of land in Liberty township, and was a prominent member of the Quaker church. He was also prominent in the "underground railway" movement before the Civil War and his house was a station. In 1827 he was employed in driving a drove of cattle from Clinton county to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The journey was made on foot and took eleven weeks. On May 23, 1833, when Joseph Whinery was twenty-three years old, he was married to Sarah Hiatt, daughter of Hezekiah and Anne (Perkins) Hiatt, who were farmers in Clinton county and prominent members of the Quaker church. She was born on April 7, 1811, in Union township, and was the eldest child born to her parents. The others were Isaac, Allen, Mary, Susan, Lydia, Narcessa, Phenia and Amos. At one time the late Joseph Whinery served as truatee in this county and occupied other positions of trust and responsibility. He died in June, 1892, and his wife in (34) 530 - CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO. December, 1899. They had five children, Thomas, Ann, Ruth, Allen C. and •Susan L., all of whom are deceased except Allen C., the subject of this sketch. Thomas, the first born, was the only one of the children, except Allen C., that ever married. He married Lucinda Conklin, and they had four children, Susan T., Joseph B., Frank C. and Charles D. Allen C. Whinery was born in Liberty township on December 14, 1846, and was educated in the district schools and reared on the farm. He was married on November 17, 1868, to Louisa Haynes, the daughter of Allen and Amy (Guckley) Haynes, who were farmers in Clinton county and members of the Methodist church. Mr. and Mrs. Whinery had one child, Anna, married Charles H. Oren, who died on June 16, 1898, leaving two children, Frank C. and Ruth Amy. Mrs. Oren, since the death of her husband, has lived with her parents. Allen C. Whinery owns six hundred and twenty acres of land in Clinton county, all in Liberty township. He has always been an extensive raiser of Shorthorn cattle. Mr. Whinery is a member of the Quaker church and has wife of the Methodist Episcopal church. Allen C. Whinery is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. AMOS WARREN BRADY. Notwithstanding the general gravitation of the population to the cities, there are those who still believe that the man who chooses to earn his livelihood by cultivation of the soil is not a subject for commiseration, but rather of sincere congratulation. Here, as everywhere in life, is operative the law of compensation; •for here, if anywhere, for every loss there is a gain. May it not truly be said that— "Converse with men makes sharp the glittering wit, But God to man doth speak in solitude." The man whose life in this county furnishes the theme of this sketch was one of those who found real pleasure, as well as remuneration, from an agricultural environment. Amos Warren Brady, who for many years was one of Clinton county's well-known farmers, was born on November 12, 1854, in Brown county, Ohio, the son of William and Phoebe (Colvin) Brady, both natives of that county, and died at his home in Vernon township, this county, on July 24, 1914. William Brady was born on January 1, 1825, his father having been a pioneer of Brown county. The maternal grandfather of Amos W. Brady, Amos Colvin, and his wife, Mary, came to this county at an early date in its history and spent the rest of their lives here. William Brady was a well-known farmer, who died on September 24, 1898. His wife had preceded him to the grave many years before, her death having occurred on April 23,''1867. Both were stanch believers in, the doctrines of Methodism. They were the parents of seven children, Mary (deceased), Amos Warren, John, Jane, Eva, Martha and Lee. Amos W. Brady received a public school education and upon reaching manhood followed the occupation of his father. In 1891 he bought three hundred and thirty-four acres in this county; and later increased his agricultural possessions by the purchase of one hundred and seventy-six acres in Vernon township. He did not however, devote all of his attention to farming, for he served twelve years as township trustee, and was school director for several years. A source of help and inspiration in all of his undertakings was his wife. On March 15, 1883, Amos W. Brady was married to Louisa Moore, who was born in Brown county, Ohio, on September 24, 1860, the daughter of Cury and Mary (Snedaker) Moore, both natives of the same county, 'the former of whom was born on December 24, 1819, and died on January 8, 1889, and the latter of whom died in 1867. Cury Moore was the son of William and Julia (Cury) Moore, both of whom were born in Brown county, where their entire lives were spent. The maternal grandfather of Mrs. Brady was William Snedaker. Cury and Mary (Sned- CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 531 aker) Moore were born the following children: George, Emma, Ellen (deceased), William, India (deceased), Louisa and Albert. To Amos W. and Louisa (Moore) Brady five children were born, namely: Minnie, who married Clem Wells; Henry, who lives in Monroe, Ohio; Clarence, who lives on the home farm; Alma (deceased) ; Charley, who also is living with his mother on the home farm, one mile from Clarksville. The late Amos W. Brady was a member of the Odd Fellows lodge at Clarksville, and also belonged to the Knights of Pythias lodge at that place. He was affiliated with the Republican party, in whose principles he was a firm believer. His widow and children mourn the loss of a faithful husband and a loving father, and are blessed with the memory of his useful, industrious and unselfish life, their sorrow being shared by a large circle of friends. WILLIAM BERLIN. The history of Clinton county could not well be written and leave out of its pages the name of such a man as William Berlin, who was born and reared in the county and who has been one of its most useful and worthy citizens.. William Berlin was born on August 22, 1847, near Cuba, in Washington township, Clinton county, Ohio, the son of Henry and Hannah (Crouse) Berlin. To Henry Berlin's parents three children were born, as follow : Henry, the father of the subject of this sketch; William, who died in Clinton county, and Emily, who married Ezra Hays; and who, with her husband, is now deceased. Mary Berlin, the mother of Henry Berlin, died at the home of Henry Berlin. Henry Berlin was born in 1824 and died in 1908 Hannah (Crouse) Berlin was born in 1818 and died in 1901. She was the daughter of John and Rhoda Crouse, who were both born in Virginia, and at an early date came, to Clinton county and located on a farm in Washington township, where they spent the rest of their lives, both dying about 1860. Henry and Hannah (Crouse) Berlin were the parents of the following children: Mary, who married Samuel Carpenter and who lives on a farm near Cuba, this county; William, the subject of this sketch; John, who died in 1895; Jacob, who was killed by a falling tree about 1885; James, a farmer, who lives near Ogden, Ohio ; Charlie, who lives on a farm in Washington township, this county, and Emma, who lives in Cuba, the widow of George Kearns. Henry Berlin, as a boy, worked on a big slave plantation in Virginia, but later, after his father's death, he came, with his mother and her two other children, to Ohio, locating in this county. After coming to Clinton County he worked for 'a time on the John Crouse farm, where he met and married the daughter of his landlord. For a while after his marriage he continued to- work the farm for his father-in-law until he purchased a seventy-acre tract of his own near Cuba, on which he located. He continued to own and farm this land until the death of John Crouse, when he sold his seventy acres and bought the entire Crouse estate of two hundred and forty acres, where he lived until 1895, when he decided to retire from farming and moved into Cuba, where he died in 1908. Both he and his wife were members of the Universalist church at, Cuba and he was a life-long Democrat. About a year after the death of his first wife, which occurred in 1901, he married, secondly, Mary Pope, who is still living., William Berlin, the subject of this sketch, attended the; district schools at Burton-vine, and at Cuba, but being the eldest child, was compelled, early in life,, to labor hard on his father's farm. He helped his father pay for the big farm, and later he and his brother, John, rented the farm and ran it for awhile for themselves, his, brother, Charlie, later taking the place of John until, finally, William rented and operated the farm on his own account until his father's death and afterwards until 1911, when he purchased seventy-five acres of the Probasco farm on the Prairie road, in Union township. He still lives on this latter place and rents other land. 532 - CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO On September 1, 1893, William Berlin was married to Cora Collins, who was born in Vernon township, this county, a daughter of John and Sarah Collins, who were farmers, but who are both now deceased. To this union have been born the following children: Emily Rowena, Mary Ellen, George Ray, who died of scarlet fever at the age of fourteen months on March 24, 1894; Nola Alice and William Espey. William Berlin is not only an industrious farmer, but he is firmly conscious of his political and social and religious obligations. He, is an active worker in the Democratic party, is a faithful member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and he and his family are faithful members of the Friends church at, Wilmington. JAMES HANNAH. James Hannah is a well-known farmer of Washington township and a resident of Cuba, who was born on March 1, 1849, in Clermont county, Ohio, near Moscow. He is the son of Fulton and Almeda (Bryant) Hannah, the former of whom was born on February 6, 1819, in Brown county, near Georgetown, and the latter the daughter of Josiah and Sarah (Gool) Bryant. Fulton Hannah spent all of his life as a farmer in Brown county, Ohio, and passed away there at an advanced age in 1898. Fulton and Almeda Hannah had ten children, of whom James, the subject of this sketch, was the third. The other children in the order of their births were: William H., Josiah, John, Jesse, George, Edward, Martha, Sarah and Ruhamah. During his entire life, Fulton Hannah was identified with the Democratic party. His father was James Hannah. James Hannah, the subject of this sketch, was educated in the common schools of Brown county, Ohio, and began life as a farm hand in his native county. In 1895 he came to Clinton county and located in Vernon township, where he farmed for three years, at the end of which- time he moved to Washington township, where he now lives. Mr. Hannah has his home in Cuba and goes back and forth from his home to the farm. He is engaged in general farming and stock raising. On June 13, 1878, Mr. Hannah was married to Eva L. Work, a native of Brown county, born near Russellville, the daughter of Elijah and Melinda Brown. Mr. and Mrs. Hannah have had two children, Albert L. and Florence E. The latter married Ernest Hirt and has one child. James Edwin. Albert L. is an undertaker at Blanchester, Ohio. He first married Blanche Urton, who is deceased. Then married Arena Jay, and they have one child, David Benjamin. The Hannah family are members of the Friends church and take a prominent part in the affairs of this congregation. For several generations the various members of the family have been people of strong religious impulses, who have lead honorable and upright lives. For many years Mr. Hannah has voted the Prohibition ticket and he is an implacable foe of the liquor traffic and the licensed saloon. A. J. DARBYSHIRE. A. J. Derbyshire, of Sabina, Ohio, was the pioneer manufacturer of Clinton county,. but he is now engaged in farming. A. J. Derbyshire, the eldest son of B. J. and Maria (Moore) Derbyshire, was born on November 22, 1857. His father, who is now living at Sabina at the age of ninety-two, was born on November 7, 1823, in Fayette county, Pennsylvania. He was married on April 6, 1851, to Maria Moore, who died on August 17, 1905. She was the daughter of John P. and Margaret (Large) Moore, Who were farmers of Fayette county, Pennsylvania. B. J. Derbyshire was also a brick manufacturer back in the days when brick were made by hand. Later he became a well-known brick contractor, and erected the college at Wilmington, and also the school building at the same place. Until nine years ago the father lived on the farm. At that time he deeded two hundred and CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 533 seventy-six acres of land to his children and removed to Sabina. A. J. Darbyshire is one of seven children born to his parents. The others were B. F., Oliver M., Lydia, Oma, Maggie (deceased), and James (deceased). At the age of fifteen years A. J. Darbyshire began his apprenticeship under Darbyshire & Sanders in the manufacture of brick by hand, near Sabina. Five years later, at the age of twenty years, he began the manufacture of brick on his own responsibility. In 1881 be added the manufacture of tile to his business, and in 1896 began the manufacture, of stiff-mud brick by new machinery. In the meantime he had constructed many houses and other buildings in Clinton county. Mr. Darbyshire moved his factory in 1902 to the farm known as the Elias Roberts farm, because it had grown beyond its earlier quarters. At the time, the factory had forty thousand square feet of floor space. At present Mr. Darbyshire is living in Sabina and looking after his farming land in Richland and Wilson townships. Besides his farm real estate, he owns the hardware building and the home. in Sabina. A. J. Darbyshire was married to Rosa A. Morrow, who was born near Sabina, a daughter of W. M. and Sarah (Smith) Morrow, of Sabina. The former is a well-known farmer of Clinton county. He and his wife had eleven children, John, Addle, Mary, Martha, Charles, Ellsworth, Clinton, Josephine, Minnie, Rosa M. and William. To Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Darbyshire have been born four children, Porter M., Hortense A., Affa Arlene and William Benjamin, all of whom are single and are living at home. Mr. and Mrs. Darbyshire are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Darbyshire is a member of the Odd Fellows. He is a member of the local school board and has been a member of the town council. HARRY GASKILL. In all the great list of county officials who have held offices in the Clinton county court house since the creation of this county away back in 1810, it is doubted that any were more popular among the fellows of their own day than is the present county auditor of Clinton county among the fellows of his day. For twelve years previous to his election to this important and responsible position, in 1912, Harry Gaskill served as deputy auditor of Clinton county, during which time he made so fine an impression upon all who had business about the court house that, upon receiving the nomination of his party for auditor, his election was taken for granted, his popularity with all classes making the same well nigh a foregone conclusion. And so it proved. In discharging the duties of this office as chief, where before he had been merely a deputy, Auditor Gaskill further demonstrated his fine abilities in this direction, creating so favorable an impression upon the public that his re-election in 1914 seemed assured. And so it proved, again, he being returned to his present office without opposition. Harry Gaskill was born in Wilmington, Ohio, where he now resides, on March 1, 1881, son of Mahlon R. and Laura (Gustin) Gaskill, the former of whom was born in the town of Rochester, Warren county, this state, on March 28, 1838, and the latter of whom was born at Enon, Ohio. Mahlon R. Gaskill is the son of Milton S. and Ann (Roach) Gaskill, the former of whom was born in Wilmington, this county, on October. 5, 1811, the first white male child born in Wilmington, son of Thomas and Nancy Gaskill, whose names are enrolled among the very earliest settlers of Clinton county. Milton S. Gaskill grew to manhood in the then struggling village of Wilmington and married Ann Y. Roach, who was born in Virginia on August 15, 1812, daughter of Mahlon and Elizabeth Roach, who came to Clinton county about the year 1815. Milton S. Gaskill was a tanner and operated a large tannery in Wilmington, the same having been located for some years on Main street, between South street and Walnut street. Later he traded this tannery for a farm of one hundred 534 - CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO. and sixty acres near Burtonville, in Union township. This farm then was mostly swamp land, but he drained the same and converted it into a valuable farm. Finding this operation profitable, he followed the same course in numerous other instances, buying swamp lands, draining the same and then selling at a large profit, and in this way became one of the wealthiest men of his generation in this county. He presently bought a clothing store in Wilmington and after operating this' store for a couple of years traded the store for a store and a farm at Westboro, this county, moving to that place where he spent the rest of his life. Milton S. Gaskill was twice married, his first wife, Ann Roach, having died when Mahlon R. Gaskill, Harry's father was two years of age. To this first union there were born three children, namely: Orlando, a merchant, who for thirty years was postmaster at White Oak, Iowa, where he died; Thomas, now deceased, a former prosperous farmer in the neighborhood of St. Johns, Kansas; and Mahlon R., who is now living retired in Wilmington, this county. Upon the death of the mother of the above children, Milton S. Gaskill married, secondly, in 1842, Louisa Tribby, and to this union there were born, two children: Jennie, who married Spencer Vestal and lives in Yakima, Washington, and Charles, a farmer of the Westboro neighborhood, in this county, who died at the age of twenty-five years. Mahlon R. Gaskill was reared in Wilmington and-learned the trade of house painter. In 1861 he went west, prospecting for gold, and made an extended trip through California and Oregon. On his return, and while prospecting in Colorado, he enlisted, in January, 1864, at Denver, in the First Independent Colorado Battery, for service during the Civil War, and served until the close of the war, this battery being engaged mostly in the frontier service, guarding against Indian depredations. At the close of the war Mr. Gaskill returned to Ohio and until his marriage farmed for his father. After his marriage he took a six-months prospecting tour through Kansas, at the end of which time he returned to Wilmington, where he resumed his trade of house painter in which he was engaged quite successfully until the time of his retirement from active business some years ago. Mr. Gaskill's wife was born in the village of Enon, near Dayton, this state, daughter of Jonathan and Lucinda (McKay) Gustin, the former of whom was born in Warren county and the latter in Highland county, this state Jonathan Gustin was a blacksmith and for many years conducted a smithy in Wilmington, in his day being one of the best-known men in the city. To, Mr. and Mrs. Mahlon R. Gaskill there were born two children : Harry, the immediate subject of this sketch ; and Carrie, who married Walter V. Connard, owner of a livery, feed and sales stable, as well as garage, on a very large scale at Newport News. Virginia, where he also is employed' as an inspector of horses by the United States government and buys horses for use in the naval yards there. Harry Gaskill was reared in Wilmington, the city of his birth, and was graduated from the high school. Upon leaving school he was employed for a time in the office of the local telephone company, where his ability as a clerk attracted the attention of others and on February 22, 1902, he was installed in the court house at Wilmington as deputy county auditor, a position which he held for twelve years. In 1912 Mr. Gaskill was nominated by the Republicans of Clinton county as their choice for auditor and he was also declared the people's choice in the following election. His renomination and re-election in 1914 was a very flattering indorsement of the capable manner in which he had administered the important affairs of the auditor's office, and he is now serving his second term, to the general satisfaction of the entire community. On October 19, 1902, Harry Gaskill was united in marriage to Lucy Ham, who was born at Ogden, in Adams township, this county, daughter of Finley and Martha Ham, both of whom are now dead. Mr. and Mrs. Gaskill are members of the Friends church, as are the former's parents, and all are deeply concerned in the general welfare of the community, taking an active part in furthering all measures designed to promote the com- CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 535 mon good. Mr. Gaskill is a jovial as well as a most capable young man and is immensely popular in and about Wilmington. He is a Mason, having attained to the chapter in that ancient order, and also is a member of the Elks, the Odd Fellows, the Eagles and the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, in all of which he takes an active part, being popular with all his lodge associates. Auditor Gaskill is a painstaking and thorough public official, his long familiarity with the books of the auditor's office having equipped him thoroughly for the proper transaction of the business of that office and he has the entire confidence of the. community. He is widely known throughout the county, few men in Clinton county having a more extensive acquaintance, and his friends are limited only, by the number, of his acquaintances. LOREN M. HAZARD. Almost from the time of the very beginning of the social order in Clinton county, the Hazard family has been honorably represented here. The first of the name to locate in Clinton county was John Hazard, a Virginian, of. English descent, who married Rebecca Conger, also a native of Virginia, of colonial stock, and emigrated to Ohio, locating in Clinton county in 1820, settling on a farm one mile east of the then struggling village of Wilmington, which farm is known in that neighborhood today as the Petticord place. John Hazard and his wife were prominent figures in that section during pioneer days and did much to bring about proper social and civic conditions in the formative period of the neighborhood. After rearing a family of ten-children, John Hazard died, at the age of sixty-five years, his widow surviving him many years, she living to the advanced age of ninety-two years. One of the sons of John and Rebecca (Conger) Hazard was Zebulon Hazard, born in this county in 1826, who died at the early age of thirty-five years. Zebulon Hazard was twice married, his first wife, who was the widow of Isaiah Dwiggins, bearing him three children, all of whom died without issue. Upon her death he married, secondly, Phoebe Wolary, daughter of Michael Wolary, a native of Maryland, who, with his wife, settled on a farm west of Wilmington, in this county, about the year 1825, where they spent the rest of their lives, both living to advanced ages. To Zebulon and Phoebe (Wolary) Hazard but one child was born, a son, Frank T. Upon the death of Zebulon Hazard, in 1861, his widow married, secondly, Moses Hudson, dying five years later, without further issue. Frank T. Hazard was but twelve years of age when he was left an orphan and he was reared by an uncle on a farm, subsequently buying a farm in Union township, on which he lived for three years. In 1887 he sold the farm and moved to. Wilmington, where for one year he was engaged as a clerk in the hardware store of David Peoples. At the end of that time he was engaged by J. W. Sparks, as a clerk in the latter's hardware store, and ever since has been found attending to the wants of the customers of that store, he having been for some years manager of the store. On October 26, 1876, Frank T. Hazard was united in marriage to Luella Miars, who was born in Union township, this county, daughter. of Isaiah and Matilda (Babb) Miars, to which union two children were born, both sons, Ethelbert, who operates a laundry in Wilmington, and Loren M., the well-known merchant tailor of Wilmington, the immediate subject of this sketch. Additional details regarding the Hazard family in Clinton county are set out in a biographical sketch of. Frank T. Hazard, presented elsewhere in this volume, while the genealogy of the Miars family is set out in a sketch relating to Frank B. Miars, to which the reader is referred for further details regarding the history of that well-known family in this county. Loren M. Hazard was born in Wilmington, this county, on July 16, 1877, as noted above, son of Frank T. and Luella (Miars) Hazard, and received his elementary education in the public schools, of his home city, supplementing this course by a course in Wil- 536 - CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO. mington College. Upon leaving college he entered the tailoring establishment of William Sharkey, in Wilmington, and thoroughly acquainted himself with the details of the tailoring trade as well as modern methods of management, after which, in the year 1904, he opened a tailoring establishment of his own in Wilmington, where he ever since has been very successfully engaged in business. Mr. Hazard is an energetic and enterprising young man and his many customers have come to rely upon the excellent quality and the up-to-date character of the products of his establishment. He has educated his customers to expect none but the best treatment in his place and has built up a very tine and growing trade. On May 8, 1914, Loren M. Hazard was united in marriage to Jessie Smith, who was born in Highland county, this state, daughter of Elgar and Josephine (Sammons) Smith. Mr. Hazard is a Mason and has attained to the council degrees in that ancient order. He is a member of the Wilmington lodge of the Benevolent and Protective- Order of Elks and is very popular in both these orders. He is public spirited and progressive and holds a high place in the esteem of his older associates in the commercial circles of Wilmington. He keeps a fine-looking place, his shop and show-room, located at No. 112 East Locust street, being arranged for the greatest convenience and comfort of his customers and is well equipped with the most modern appliances for' the proper demonstration of the latest developments of the sartorial art. ALBERT L. HANNAH. Albert L. Hannah, the proprietor of the Hannah funeral parlors, of Blanchester, Ohio, and a graduate of both the Champion College of Embalming, of Springfield, Ohio, and the Cincinnati College, of Embalming, at Cincinnati, was born near Georgetown, in Brown county, Ohio, May 31, 1879, the son of James and Eva (Work) Hannah James Hannah is a well-known farmer of Washington township, born March 1, 1849, in Clermont county, Ohio, near Moscow, and the son of Fulton and Almeda (Bryant Hannah, the former of whom was born on February 6, 1819, in Brown county, near Georgetown, and the latter of whom was a daughter of Josiah and Sarah (Gould) Bryant. Fulton Hannah spent all his life as a farmer in Brown county and died there at an advanced age in 1898. He and his wife were the parents of ten children, of whom James was the third in order of birth. The others were William H., Josiah, John, Jesse, George, Edward, Martha, Sarah and Ruth Anna. Fulton Hannah was a Democrat in politics. Educated in the common schools of Brown county, James Hannah began life as a farm hand. In 1895 he moved to Clinton county, and farmed three years in Vernon township, after which he removed to Washington township, his present residence. On June 13, 1878, he was married to Eva L. Work, a native of Brown county, born near Russellville, the daughter of Elijah and Melinda (Brown) Work. Mr. and Mrs. Hannah are the parents of two children, Albert L. and Florence, the latter of whom married Ernest Hurt, and they have one child, James Edwin. The Hannah family are earnest and loyal members of the Friends church. For many years Mr. Hannah has voted the Prohibitionist ticket. Albert L. Hannah was reared on his father's farm, receiving his education in the public schools. At the age of seventeen years he began to learn the undertaking business, and on May 19, 1899, was graduated from the Champion College of Embalming at Springfield, Ohio. He also graduated from the Cincinnati College of Embalming in 1912, and is now a member of the educational board of the Cincinnati College of Embalming. He is also a member of the Ohio State Embalmers' Association, with which organization he has beef connected for the past thirteen years. Mr. Hannah has a beautiful, modern equipped establishment. He is regarded as the leading undertaker in this vicinity. In February, 1902, Mr. Hannah was married to Blanche Urton, of Clinton county, who died on August 27, 1906. On May 6, 1908, Mr. Hannah was again married to Arena CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 537 M. Jay, of Clinton county, and to this union one child has been born, D. Ben, who was born on January 21, 1914. Fraternally, Mr. Hannah is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Junior Order of American Mechanics. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, while his wife belongs to the Friends church. Although Albert L. Hannah votes the Republican ticket, he has never been an aspirant for office. EDWIN R. SHANK Clinton county may not only be proud of its farming districts and of the men who manage and control them, but also in its towns are found men who have risen to prominence in the business- of buying and selling merchandise, and to these, too, is due a measure of praise. Among this type of citizens is the man whose career the biographer is now to consider briefly, Edwin R. Shank having chosen to cast his lot with those engaged in mercantile business. Edwin R. Shank, son of Samuel A. and Mary A. (Stump) Shank, was born in Marion township, this county, on November 5, 1885, his father being a native, of the same county. After serving his apprenticeship as a worker on the farm, at the same time attending the public schools, the Clarksville high school, and Wilmington College, in which latter excellent institution he spent a year. For a time after completing his school work, Mr. Shank was engaged in various occupations, and on February 15, 1915, became a merchant in the dry goods, shoes and notions line in Clarksville, where he enjoys a liberal and growing patronage. On December 26, 1912, Edwin R. Shank was united in marriage to Alice Florence Whitacre, daughter of George Whitacre, of Vernon township, this county, who was born in Warren county, Ohio, on October 21, 1885. To this union was born one child, a daughter, Mary Alma, who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Shank are stanch supporters of the Friends church. Mr. Shank has always adhered to the principles of the Republican party, and is 'a believer in the benefits to be derived from membership in secret orders, for he belongs to the Clarksville lodge of Odd Fellows and to the Modern Woodmen. Mr. Shank, since his removal to Clarksville, has been a distinct asset to that community, for he has always stood for fair and square dealing, honor and integrity in his personal and social relationships, and represents a high type of citizenship. ALPHEUS CADDIS. It is, indeed, a distinguished—mark of honor for those living in the present generation to be able to trace clearly their ancestry back to the Revolutionary War, and even a greater distinction when it is known that such ancestry fought with honor in that war. Such is the case with Alpheus Gaddis, the subject of this sketch. Alpheus Gaddis was born on November 21, 1868, in a log house on the old Gaddis homestead in Union township, Clinton county, Ohio, the son of Andrew 11. Gaddis. He attended the Dover district school and later the Shadyside district school No. 1. He was the only son of a family of ten children, so he remained on his father's farm and assisted in the work until his marriage, in 1895. He then moved into the brick house built by his grandfather, Rice Gaddis, on the same farm, and has run that farm ever since for his father, though practically on his own initiative. Andrew R. Gaddis was the son of Rice Gaddis, who was the son of Col. Thomas Gaddis, the latter of whom was born on December 28, 1744, and died on June 10, 1834. He married Hannah Rice, who was born on February 4, 1835., and who died in her eighty-eighth year They came to Clinton county to reside in September of 1814. Starting 538 - CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO. from Fayette county, Pennsylvania, where they formerly lived, they descended the Ohio river on boats, on which they transported their teams and wagons and household goods, and landed at Manchester, .Ohio, proceeding thence to Wilmington, where they remained over night in Warren Satur's tavern. The next day Henry Batt, between whom and Colonel Gaddis some acquaintance and relationship existed, invited Colonel Gaddis to take possession of a house belonging to him, where the newcomers remained for that winter. On April 21, 1810, Colonel Gaddis purchased three hundred and twenty-five acres of land in Union township, this, county, on which he located in 1815, and there made his permanent home, subsequently increasing his holdings to about eight hundred acres, all of which he purchased at the price of one dollar and twenty-five cents the acre. He built a log cabin, cleared a portion of the land and spent the rest of his life there. He was a small man in stature but a big man in affairs. He was the father of a large family, most of whom died when quite small. Colonel Gaddis commanded a regiment under Washington throughout the Revolutionary War and in later years took great pride in showing his commission and discharge, both of which bore the signature of his great commander, the "father of his country." Rice Gaddis, the son of Col. Thomas Gaddis, was, born in 1784 and died on February 11, 1853. He grew up on his father's farm in Pennsylvania and had a fair education for one of that day. He was a private in his father's regiment in the War of 1812, and came to Clinton county with his parents when they came from Pennsylvania.' He had learned the printer's trade in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, and when he came to Clinton county located in Wilmington, where he opened the first printing establishment in Clinton county and got out the first newspaper ever published here. This paper was; published in partnership with Israel Abrams and was called the True American. The paper was issued weekly and in 1816 Rice Gaddis became sole publisher and editor. The paper was issued every Thursday at an annual advance price of two dollars. In 1821 Rice Gaddis discontinued the publication of his paper and removed the press to his father's home, where he continued to do job work and to print original essays, while caring for his parents. His father willed him two hundred acres of the old home place and in 1839 he built on that tract a brick house which is still standing. He was not married until the age of fifty-four and his only child was Andrew R. Gaddis, the father of the subject of this sketch. His wife was Sarah (Andrews) Pendry, who was born in Virginia, near Sweet Briar, in September of 1804, and who died on November 22, 1901. Her first marriage was to William Pendry and there were born to that marriage six children, four sons and two daughters, only one of whom is now living, Mrs. Mary Ellen Gullet, of Lima, Ohio. Andrew Rice Gaddis was the only child of Rice and Sarah (Andrews) Gaddis and was born on the place in which he now lives in Union township, Clinton county, on May 23, 1841. He attended the Dover district school as a boy. and after his father's death, which occurred when he was only twelve years of age, he took charge of the home place. He inherited this place at the age of maturity, and, in 1874, built the home where he now lives. On October 9, 1861, he married Amanda Smith, who was born in Union township, this county, on the Port William pike, the daughter of Joseph and Hannah (Babb) Smith. Joseph Smith was born in Virginia in 1812 and died in September of 1865. He was the son of Levi and Abigail Smith, and came to this county with his parents, when a mere boy, from Virginia and settled in Union township. Hannah (Babb) Smith was the daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Babb, and was born in Clinton county in 1815 and died on February 11, 1904. The following children have been born to Andrew Rice and Amanda (Smith) Gaddis: Ella, who was born on January 8, 1863, and who married William S. Lisle, a mechanical foreman, of Springfield, Ohio ; Mary, October 19, 1864, who died on November 23, 1882; Emma, August 29, 1866, who married George E. Barlow, and lives on a farm In Liberty CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 539 township; Alpheus, the subject of this sketch; Laura„ December 7, 1870, who married William Toole and lives on a farm in Richland township; Elsie, November 29, 1872, who married George Slicker, and lives on a farm near Wilmington; Ida, January 7,;1875, Who married Oscar Chrisenberg, and lives at Knox, Indiana; Hattie, December 25, 1876, who died on June 27, 1905; Annie, December P, 1879, who married Homer Ray, and lives on a farm in Richland township, and Daisy, July 24, 1882, who married George Johnson, and lives on a farm in Richland township. Alpheus Gaddis, the fourth child of Andrew Rice and Amanda (Smith) Gaddis, and the subject of this sketch, was married on January 17, 1895, to Rebecca Huff, who was a native of Clinton county, and who died on May 10, 1913. She was a daughter of John and Sarah. Huff. Alpheus Gaddis had no children by his first wife, but on January 1, 1914, he contracted his second marriage with Anna Durtsche, and to this union has been born one, child, Alpheus Alonzo, who 'was born on January 15, 1915. Anna Durtsche was born in Gallion, Ohio, the daughter of. Jacob and Catherine Durtsche, the former of whom is now dead, but whose widow is still living. Alpheus Gaddis comes of a. family illustrious for its industry and honesty. He is a young man of humble claims but sterling worth. He is, a Republican in politics and is found always ready to serve his party. He can point with pride to the work of his ancestors in ,the cause of American freedom, and to their helpfulness in all of !the humanitarian and progressive movements which have helped maintain that freedom. WILLIAM M. BRIGHT. How dependent a community is upon its internal commerce. How helpless we should be without the wonderful medium of exchange which has been evolved by man out of the experience of the ages for the convenient merging of the interdependent relations of supply and demand. A local community is well judged by the conditions of its commercial establishments and it may properly be taken for granted that all is well with that town whose business houses are well ordered, well equipped and well managed; conducted with a view to the best and most helpful accommodation of the patrons of the same. The merchants of a city well may be considered its ablest conservators, for upon them depends so much in the way of keeping the "tone" of the city up to its highest pitch. The city of Wilmington, the county seat of Clinton county, is fortunate, indeed, in the possession of an unusually high grade of local merchants, all of whom ever have the best interests of the city at heart. Among these typically representative citizens, few are better known or more deservedly popular than is the amiable gentleman with whom this biographical sketch i to treat more directly in the succeeding paragraphs, a sketch so well meriting a place in this historical work that the biographer takes much pleasure in here presenting it for the consideration of the readers of this volume. William M. Bright was born near the town of Wittelsford, in Cambridgeshire, England, on October 24, 1862, son of John and Amy (Wilshire) Bright, both natives of the same place, the former of whom was born in the year 1824 and the latter in the year 1826. Both the Brights and Wilshires in Cambridgeshire were farming people and adherents of the church of England. John Bright was reared on the home farm in Cambridgeshire and was married there. Fired by the impulse which prompted so many of his fellow countrymen in that day to come to America, he made several trips to this side—as many as five trips within a period of four years. Deciding to make his home in this country, on the last trip he, brought his family with him, the journey being made on the sailing vessel, "Colorado," the same on which he had made his previous trips. On the return trip the "Colorado" went down, carrying practically all hands to a watery grave. Upon arriving in this Country, John Bright and his family proceeded to this state, locating near the village of 540 - CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO. Goshen, in Clermont county. That was in the year 1868. Not being satisfied with their location there, the Brights soon thereafter came to Clinton county, locating on a farm near Martinsville, on which they lived, however, but a short time, a little later buying a farm near Westboro, on which Mr. and Mrs. Bright spent the rest of their lives, his death occurring in 1888 and hers in 1892. John Bright was a man of large Usefulness in his adopted country. He was a systematic master of drainage and during his residence in this county laid hundreds of miles of tile drains throughout the country hereabout. He was kept busy at this kind of work for, years and gained a reputation throughout the county second to none in that line. Though reared in the church of England, Mr. and Mrs. Bright became attached to the Methodist church upon their arrival in this country and were among the most devoted adherents of that church in their home community in this county. Mrs. Bright was a woman of wonderful personality and was widely noted throughout the Westboro neighborhood for her cheery smile, her sunny disposition and her devotion to all good works. She wielded a strong influence in her community and the memory of her kindly ways long will be cherished in that part of the county. She possessed a wonderfully sweet and sympathetic voice and was more than locally celebrated as an oral reader. It is related that a great evangelist, a man of nation-wide note, once said, after hearing one of her readings, that he would rather hear Mrs. Bright's readings from the Bible than those of any other person he ever heard read from the Word. This bright and sunny charm was characteristic of Mrs. Bright, even in childhood, and in her girlhood, in the old home in England, she always was welcome among the great ladies of Queen Victoria's court, because of her sweet voice and, charming manner. To John and Amy (Wilshire) Bright were born seven children, namely : Sallie. who married Emanuel Gaskell and lives on a farm in Clinton county, this state; Martha, married Andrew Frieberger and died a widow in 1893; Jennie, married Hon. William Harry Parks, a merchant of Dallas county, Iowa, and one of the most prominent Masons in that state ; Edward, a retired farmer, of Westboro, this county ; Charlotte, who died unmarried; Ernest, a merchant, who was killed by being struck by a street car in Denver, Colorado, and William M., the immediate subject of this biographical sketch. William M. Bright was six years of age when his parents emigrated to America, and he has a distinct recollection of the long journey over on the ill-fated "Colorado." He was reared on the home farm, acquiring an excellent education in thepublic schools of this county, remaining on the farm with his father until he was twenty-one years of age, when he entered the service of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company as station agent and telegraph operator, a position he retained for three years, at the end of which time he engaged in the dairy business at Westboro and Madisonville, marketing his product at Madisonville. This business he continued for nine years, building up a splendid trade. He then suffered a severe attack of typhoid fever and was confined to his bed for several months, at the end of which time he found his business practically wrecked and he was compelled to start all over again. Pursuing the resolution to engage in a new business in a new field, he went over the line into Clermont county and bought a butcher shop in Edenton. Starting in business there "on paper," Mr. Bright made a decided success of his venture, gradually adding to his modest meat market other forms of merchandise until he had a quite extensive general store. He continued in business in Edenton for ten years, at the end of which time, in the year 1910, he sold out and returned to this county, locating in Wilmington, where he opened a fine grocery store, which business he has since continued with a large measure of success. Mr. Bright has a well-appointed, sanitary, bright-looking, up-to-date and well-stocked store and his well pleased customers are his best advertisers. On December 25, 1889, William M. Bright was united in marriage to Sylvia Prickett, who was born in Edenton, Clermont county, this state, daughter of Hiram and Narcissa CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 541 Prickett, both of whom are still living, making their home in Wilmington, Mr. Prickett being a retired farmer. To the union of William M and Sylvia (Prickett) Bright four children have been born, namely : Miriam Vesper, who married Allen C. Conger, of Lansing, Michigan, an instructor in the University of Michigan; Floyd P., who assists his father in the management of the latter's store; Martha, a student in the Wilmington high school, and Catherine. Mr. and Mrs. Bright are members of the Methodist church, in the faith of which their children have been reared, and they are active in all the good works of the community, enjoying the highest esteem of all who know them. Mr. Bright has held several official positions in the Methodist church, and is a fine, jovial Christian gentleman. He is a devoted home lover, regarding family ties superior to all other considerations in life. Being progressive in his methods and enterprising in business, he has made a success during his residence in Wilmington and has the respect and confidence of business circles generally throughout this part of the state, being regarded as one of the leading merchants of the county seat of Clinton county. SIMON GOODMAN Close and constant application and conscientious attention to the matter in hand spells success, in the common language of American commercial life. There are many practical examples in Clinton county of the truth of this oft-repeated rule, one of the most notable of which, perhaps, is noted in the life and career of the well-known business man of Wilmington, whose name the reader notes above. Simon Goodman came to America a poor immigrant lad with nothing to back him save those most valuable factors, a fine courage and a high will. Adding to these thrift and perseverance, he served his day of small things with profit, learned the language and customs of his adopted country, and has forged ahead until now he is the possessor of a fine business and occupies a substantial and secure position in the commercial life of this county. Simon Goodman was born near the town of Flatow, in West Prussia, Germany, the son of Herman and Eva (Drucker) Goodman, both natives of West Prussia, whose whole lives were spent in the neighborhood of the place of their birth, the former having been born in 1834 and died in June, 1913, and the latter, having been born in 1842 and died on January 24, 1876. Herman Goodman was the owner of a general store in Flatow and he and his wife were devout members of the orthodox Jewish church, in the faith of which their children were reared. Three sons of this family are now living in the United States, the subject of this sketch having a brother, Isador, living in New York City, where he is connected with the offices of Armour & Company, and another brother, Ben, who is engaged in the retail millinery business in Buffalo, New York. Simon Goodman received his youthful education in the schools of his home town in Germany and served three years' apprenticeship at the tailoring trade. In 1890, while yet a lad, he emigrated to America, landing in New York City, where he remained for two months, at the end of which time he went to Niagara Falls, where for eight months he was engaged in work in a paper mill. He then came to Ohio and for three years worked at the tailor trade in Columbus, all of which time he was carefully attentive to the manners and customs of this country, spending much time in perfecting himself in the written and spoken language of his adopted country and familiarizing himself with the institutions and traditions of the land to which he was preparing to give his entire devotion ; also thoroughly acquainting himself with American business methods. At the end of his three years' service in Columbus, Mr. Goodman determined to enter business for himself and with this end in view opened a tailoring store in Grove City, this state. He operated this store for one year, at the end of which time he sold the business and, in August, 1895, came to Clinton county, locating in Wilmington, where he bought the 542 - CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO. Harrison tailoring establishment, which he ever since has conducted in a very successful and profitable manner. Mr. Goodman has built up a fine trade in and around Wilmington and enjoys, in a high degree, the respect and confidence of his business associates throughout this part of the state. In July, 1898, Simon Goodman was united in marriage to Bessie Isaacs, who was born in the city of New York, daughter of Charles Isaacs, who is a prominent cigar manufacturer in the city of Buffalo. Both of Mrs. Goodman's parents are still living. To the union of Simon and Bessie (Isaacs) Goodman one child has been born, a son, Kennard E., a student in the Wilmington high school, who is preparing to enter business with his father, in due time. Mr. Goodman has done well in business, having carefully laid the foundation of his present success by close application hnd diligent study of American business methods since coming to this country and is well entitled to the rewards which have come to him in his commercial career, a substantial position in business circles and the regard of many friends. THOMAS MENROY BALES. Each generation necessarily builds upon the foundation laid by the preceding generations. According to the firmness of the foundation, the superstructure will be substantial or not. The future, of course, must be the judge of what character of foundation has been laid for the social, educational, moral and commercial edifice being erected by the citizens of Clinton county. However, from what the present historian notes of the high character, the determination of purpose and the exalted standards of conduct maintained by the leaders of thought and action in this favored section of the state, in their work of carrying on the labors of those who wrought so wisely and securely in the past, it hardly shall be doubted that the superstructure of the civilization of this region will be all that the present generation may hope for those who shall come after. It is partly the purpose of this volume to preserve for the future some account of the lives and the labors of those who now are doing so well their respective parts in bearing aloft the torch of civilization in this region, and it, therefore, is fitting and proper that brief biographies be here presented of those who are leaders in this noble work. As such a purpose would be but incompletely carried out without the introduction of the names of the scholarly young gentleman who is made the subject of this modest sketch, it is a pleasure on the part of the biographer here to present for the consideration of the future historian a brief resume of the life's history of Thomas Menroy Bales, one of the most popular members of the faculty of Wilmington College. Thomas Menroy Bales was born on a farm in Chester township, Clinton county, Ohio, on March 28, 1884, son of William H. and Cordelia Jane (Faulkner) Bales, the former of whom was born in Greene county, this state, on August 25, 1854, and the latter of whom was born near the village of Paintersville, same county, on January 15, 1862. William H. Bales was the son of Elisha and Margaret (Kiter) Bales, farming people, both natives of Greene county, the former of whom died some years ago, but the latter of whom still is living on the old home farm. The Bales family emigrated from Pennsylvania to Ohio about the year 1800, three brothers, one of whom was Elisha Bales' father, having come through on horseback, carrying such possessions as they boasted of in saddlebags. They settled in Greene county and the family became one of the most substantial and influential in that section of the state. It was there that William H. Bales was reared, being well grounded in the practical elements of agriculture and acquiring such limited education as the schools of that place and period afforded. He married Cordelia Jane Faulkner, daughter of Allen and Elizabeth (Hartsock) Faulkner, both members of pioneer families of Greene county, and both of whom are still living on the farm on which the former was born, Allen Faulkner now being ninety-one years of CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 543 age and his wife eighty-eight years of age, both retaining an active interest. in current affairs and maintaining their life-long devotion to the Methodist Protestant church. They have been married more than sixty-eight years, their marriage having been celebrated in July, 1847. Allen Faulkner is a son of Thomas Faulkner, a Virginian, of English descent, who was one of the very earliest settlers of Greene county, where he became a man of large influence in the formative period of that now well-established section. He married a. McGuire and he and his wife reared a large family, the numerous descendants of whom today are doing well their respective parts in whatever places their lines have fallen. The Hartsocks also are of Virginia origin and became a numerous and influential family in Greene county, as well as in neighboring counties, there being a large connection of this name in this section of the state. Following his marriage, William H. Bales moved to this county and bought a small farm in Chester township, which he gradually enlarged as he prospered, until he eventually became the owner of one hundred and eighty-five acres, all under excellent cultivation. He and his wife were members of the Methodist church and were active in all good works in their community, being held in the, highest esteem by all thereabout. Mr. Bales was a Democrat and gave a good citizen's attention to the political, affairs of the county, state and nation, though he never sought public office, being content to confine his energies to those matters of individual concern immediately at hand. In 1905 he and his wife retired from the farm and moved to the county seat, where he died on January 10, 1906, his widow's death following four years later, on March 23, 1910. Mr. and Mrs. Bales had lived lives, of fine Christian devotion to the common good and had a wide circle of admiring and devoted friends, among whom they were deeply mourned. To William H. and Cordelia Jane (Faulkner) Bales were born five children, namely : Emery R., a well-known and enterprising real-estate dealer, of Wilmington, this county, a biographical sketch of whom is presented elsewhere in this volume; Thomas Menroy, the immediate subject of this biographical sketch; Allen, who died at the age of eleven years; Lorena F., who keeps house for her brother, Emery R.; and Ioh, who is an invalid. Thomas Menroy Bales was reared on the home farm in Chester township, receiving his primary education in district school No. 9, which he supplemented by a course in the preparatory school at Wilmington, following which he entered Wilmiugton College, from which excellent institution he was graduated with high honors in 1904, receiving, in recognition of his high scholastic attainments, an honorary scholarship in Haverford College, Pennsylvania, in which admirable old institution he later spent one year. Following this course, Professor Bales was engaged for one year as an instructor in the academy at Vassalboro, Maine, at the end of which time, in the fall of 1906, he was called by the faculty of Wilmington College to the chair of mathematics in that well-known institution and has since been serving his alma mater in that capacity, his service having proved not only eminently satisfactory to the faculty, but to the pupils who are under his instruction. In addition to his college duties, Professor Bales takes an active interest in public affairs, none being more deeply concerned in movements designed to elevate general standards in this community than he, and is now serving as a member of the Wilmington city council, to which office he was elected on the Republican ticket, and is doing well his part as one of the "city fathers," being accounted one of the leaders of that municipal body. On June 23, 1909, Thomas Menroy Bales was united in marriage to Ada Probasco, who was born on a farm near Wilmington, this county, daughter of Charles and Anna (Hadley) Probasco, the former of whom is still living on the home farm and the latter of whom died in 1914. To this happy union two children have been born, Mary Elizabeth, born on May 29, 1914, and William Charles, June 13, 1915. Mr. and Mrs. Bales are members of the Friends church at Wilmington and are regarded as among the leaders in the congregation of that flourishing. religious connection, 544 - CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO. giving unsparingly of their time and talents to the church. They also take their proper place in the social affairs of the county seat and are held in the warmest esteem by a large circle of friends, who admire them for their many high qualities of heart and head. Professor Bales gives due regard to the fraternal associations of his fellowmen and is the present master of the Masonic lodge at Wilmington, his active interest in Masonic affairs having made him one of the most prominent members of that ancient order in this part of the state. He has attained to the chapter degree and is a member of the council of the order at Xenia, this state. As an educator, as a citizen of fine public spirit ; in fact, in all the relations of life, Professor Bales has carried himself well, and none hereabout possesses in a higher degree the confidence and respect of the community than he. ASHER CURLES. Asher Curles, a native of Brown county, Ohio, a first lieutenant in the Civil War and, for many years, a teacher in this section of Ohio, was born near Fayetteville, Ohio, June 21, 1837, and was the son of Samuel and Hannah (Brown) Curles, who were pioneers in Brown county, Ohio. Both died near Fayetteville after having reared a family of thirteen children, of whom six, Mahala, Fannie, Hannah, Marion, Mayme and John, are living. Asher Curles was reared on a farm in Brown county, Ohio, educated in the public schools and at the normal school at Lebanon, Ohio. He taught school for many years and, during the Civil War, served as first lieutenant in Company I., Sixtieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, having enlisted at Hillsboro, Ohio. After serving one year, he returned to his home in Brown county. Later in life, he became a member of the Grand Army of the Republic post at Blanchester, Ohio. He was a Republican and served as justice of the peace for many years. Not only was he active in politics, but he was a local minister in the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1863 Asher Curles was married to Amanda Haines, a native of Marion township, Clinton county, born on May 14, 1840, and the daughter of Mordecai R. and Susannah (Rowan) Haines. Mordecai R. Haines was the son of Isaac and Keziah (Woolman) Haines and was born in Burlington county, New Jersey, May 25, 1809. In 1811 his parents came to Clinton county and settled six miles north of Wilmington, where they purchased two hundred and fifty-six acres of land. In the fall of 1828 they lost their farm after having it nearly paid for. The following year they moved to Marion township and purchased four hundred and ninety-seven acres, giving in part payment one hundred and sixty acres which they owned in Greene county. Of this estate Mordecai R. Haines received one hundred and twenty-nine acres and was married on May 24, 1834, to Susanna Rowan, the daughter of Jeremiah and Hannah (Greer) Rowan, who was born in Hamilton county, Ohio. They were the parents of twelve children, Abigail, Zimri, Hannah, Amanda, Jeremiah, Salathiel, Granville, Robert, Merrill, Martha Ann, Keziah and Sylvester. After his marriage, Mordecai R. Haines settled on the land given him by his father. Until the time of his marriage, he had attended school only three days in his life. He learned to read and write after his marriage and was a farmer during his entire life. At one time he owned three hundred and sixty-five acres. Mrs. Susannah (Rowan) Haines died in 1875. Mordecai Haines was a Republican in politics and a member of the Friends church, although his wife was a Presbyterian. He died on April 15, 1901, and had he lived until May 25, 1901, would have been ninety-two years old. In 1864 Mr. and Mrs. Asher Curles settled on a farm in Jefferson township. During the preceding years, Mr. Curles taught school in various places, especially in Blanchester, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Curles have been the parents of six children, Rev. Homer Grant, who is a minister in the Methodist Episcopal church, at Mechanicsburg, Ohio, where he has been for six years; Luella May; Osee D., the wife of Edward Brande- CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 545 burg, of Arkansas; Elmer J., who is a farmer, and manager of a creamery at Blanchester, lives. in Blanchester; Carey Lee, who died in 1910; and one who died in infancy. The father of these children died on January 9, 1907. He was a man highly respected in the community where he lived, honored by his fellow townsmen and respected by all with whom he had come into contact during his long life. He was a member of the Odd Fellows lodge at Blanchester and passed all the chairs. GEORGE E. CARROLL. The late George E. Carroll, who, before his death on March 5, 1906, was a prosperous farmer of Clark township, this county, and a well-known dairyman, was born near Springfield ,meeting house in this county, on March 9, 1865, a son of Joseph and Mary (Bailey) Carroll, the former of whom was a native of Columbiana county, Ohio, and the latter of whom was born. near Dover, in this county. The paternal grandfather of Mr. Carroll died when Joseph Carroll was a small boy. His widow later married William Burdsall and lived near Oakland, Ohio. Joseph Carroll is, still living at Harveysburg, and is a carpenter and farmer, still actively engaged in these vocations, although now more than eighty years old. For many years he has been an active member of the Prohibition party, and also active in the Friends church, of which he is one of the overseers. To Joseph and Mary (Bailey) Carroll were born five children. Mary (Bailey) Carroll was a daughter of George and Lydia Bailey, the former of whom was reared near Dover, in this county, and who, before the Civil War, was active among the Abolitionists and in the "underground railway" movement.. He also was an active and earnest member of the Friends church. George E. Carroll received his education in the public schools of Warren county, and in Wilmington College, having been a student in the latter excellent institution for three years. After leaving college he taught school for seven years in Clinton and Warren counties, after which he engaged in farming near Harveysburg.. After living there for three years, he moved to Clark township, in this county, and three years later purchased the farm of one hundred and sixty-one acres, where his widow now lives, living on this farm from 1896 until the time of his death, in 1906. In addition to farming he was also interested in the dairy business and kept a fine herd of Jersey cattle. He had forty head of cows and used two silos during the period of his active career as a dairyman. On October, 21, 1886, George E. Carroll was married to Cammie M. Townsend, who was born in Clark township, this county, a daughter of Josiah and Esther (West) Townsend. Mrs., Carroll's maternal grandparents were Peyton and Sarah (Hadley) West, natives, respectively, of Virginia and North Carolina, who were married in Clark town- ship, this county. Sarah Hadley was a daughter of James Hadley, a. native of North Carolina, and an early settler of Highland county, Ohio. Late in life he removed to a farm near Farmer's Station. All the members of the family were identified with the Society of Friends. Mrs. Carroll's father, Josiah Townsend, who was born on February 16, 1831, was a farmer by occupation and, lived in Clark township. He and his wife reared a family of nine children. He died on November 18, 1892, and his wife on December 22, 1891. She was born on March 25, 1839. To George E. and Cammie M. (Townsend), Carroll were born seven 'children, namely Inez, who was educated in Martinsville high school and in Wilmington College, is the wife of C. H. Hunter, a farmer of Clark township ; Esther, a teacher, who lives at home with her mother, also was educated at Martinsville high school and at Wilmington College, while Willard, Glen, Cleve, Mary and Lucile also live at home. George E. Carroll was an active Republican and was a strong temperance man. (35) 546 - CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO. courageously opposed to the liquor traffic and the licensed saloon. He was a member of the Friends church, and fraternally, a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America. DAVID LIEURANCE. David Lieurance, a retired farmer of Martinsville, Ohio, was born two and one-half miles west of New Antioch in 1852, the son of William and Mary (Hall) Lieurance, both of whom are natives of Clinton county. Mr. Lieurance's maternal grandfather, Tilman Hall, was an early settler near New Antioch, but later removed to the Hoosier state and died. William Lieurance was educated in the pioneer schools of Clinton county, and was a farmer all his life. He died when his son, David, was only five years old. There were three sons and one daughter in the family. The mother lived until David was about twenty-five years old. David Lieurance was educated in the old Gregory school, and began work early in life, helping to support the family. He and his brother, A. Pierce Lieurance, purchased eighty-one acres together and for some time farmed that tract of land together. After David married, the land was divided. He added to his portion a little by purchase, and started life for himself with forty-seven arces. For about five years before he purchased the land, he worked by the month for eight and one-half dollars a month, the first year, and a little more each year afterward. From the time of his marriage until the time of his retirement to Martinsville in the fall of 1911, David Lieurance was engaged in farming. He still owns a farm of one hundred and one and ninety-two one-hundredths acres in Clark township. He also has an excellent house and lot in Martinsville where he and his wife and daughter live. In 1877 David Lieurance was married to Sydney E. Hunt, daughter of Jacob Hunt. an early settler of Clark township and a farmer by occupation, to which union one child has been born, a daughter, Laurena Maude, who lives at home with her parents. The Lieurances are members of the Friends church. Various members of the family have been prominent in the society of Friends for many years in the religious history of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Lieurance are highly-respected residents of Martinsville, and are well known in that vicinity. FRED G. WILLIAMS, D. D. S. Among the professional men of Wilmington, this county, few occupy a higher position in society, or in the ranks of the professions with which they are connected than the gentleman whose name the reader notes above. Born in this county, Doctor Williams has spent the greater part of his life here and has attained high rank in the difficult profession to which he has applied himself with such conscientious devotion. Of recent years there has been a wonderful advancement in the science of dental surgery, modern research having revealed many things to emphasize the importance of the proper preservation of the teeth, in consequence of which the public has been giving a degree of attention to dentistry that a generation ago hardly would have been thought of. This has meant the most studious attention on the part of the dental surgeons to keep pace with the rapid progress of modern science, and those who thus have kept pace have become the leaders of their profession in their several communities. Without any violation of the strict code of ethics binding the men connected with the healing and restorative professions, it very properly may he said in this connection that Doctor Williams is included among those who have kept fully abreast of the wonderful advances recently made in his chosen calling and is thus counted among the leaders in his profession in this part of the state, his extensive practice being regarded as conclusive of this. Fred G. Williams was born in Blanchester, in Marion township. Clinton county, CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 547 Ohio, on August 9, 1870, the only child and son of Judge Ambrose N. and Martha E. (Ball) Williams, the former of whom was born in Perry township, Brown county, Ohio, on October 13, 1842, and died at his home in Wilmington, this county, on July 7, 1896, and the latter of whom was born at Pomeroy, this state, on August 13, 1844, and is still living in Wilmington. Ambrose N. Williams was the son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Robinson) Williams, both natives of Harper, Pennsylvania. Samuel Williams was a noted school teacher in his day. In 1837 he came to Ohio, locating in Brown county, where, for seven years, he taught school With much success, his useful career being cut short by death in 1844. His widow married, secondly, John Frazee, who located in Blanchester, this county, where for many years he served as justice of the peace. Both John Frazee and his wife were Baptists and were influential citizens of the Blanchester neighborhood. It was there that Ambrose Williams was reared and received his early education, learning the painting trade in his youth. In 1861, when nineteen years of age, he enlisted in the Union army for service in the Civil War, serving as first sergeant of Company C, Seventy-ninth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was with the army until mustered out at the close of the war, seeing much active service. Sergeant Williams was with Sherman's army on the celebrated march to the sea and participated in many desperate engagements, his regiment having been in the very thick of some of the hardest-fought battles of the war. At the close of the war, Sergt. Ambrose N. Williams returned to Blanchester, resuming the peaceful occupation of painting for a time, and in 1867 began the study of law in the office of Judge Doan. Under this admirable old preceptor he made such excellent progress that he presently was admitted to the bar and soon began to attract the attention of other and older lawyers. He rapidly acquired favor with the public and in 1884 was elected to the office of probate judge of' Clinton county, a position which he held through successive re-elections to the time of his death, in 1896, and in which he performed a most admirable service to the people of this county. It was some little time after returning from the war that Ambrose N. Williams was united in marriage with Martha E. Ball, who was the daughter of Thomas and Lydia (Morris) Ball, natives of Pennsylvania. who, in 1839, came to Ohio, locating in the town of Pomeroy, whence, after a few years, they moved to Warren county, this state, later coming to Clinton county, locating in Blanchester, where the rest of their lives were spent. Thomas Ball was a school teacher in his younger years, but later became a painter and was thus engaged during his long residence in Blanchester, where he became one of the best-known men in that neighborhood. He and his wife were devout members of the Friends church and exerted a wide influence for good in their community. They were the parents of five children, two sons and three daughters. Thomas Ball died at the age of sixty, his widow surviving him many years, she living to the ripe old age of eighty-three. Judge Williams was a member of the Baptist church and took much interest in the affairs of the congregation to which he was attached, having been for many years a trustee of the church. Upon his election to the office of probate judge, he moved to the county seat and the rest of his life was spent in Wilmington, he becoming a man of large influence there. His death, in 1896, was widely mourned, for he was a good man and had done well his part in life. Fred G. Williams received his elementary education in the public schools of Blanchester, completing his common school education in the Wilmington schools, after which he took a course in Wilmington College. Following this he entered upon the study of dental surgery in the office of Dr. W. R. Hale, at Wilmington, and after two years of close application there attended the Ohio Dental College for one year, at the end of which time he, entered the Cincinnati Dental College, from which he was graduated in 1892. Upon receiving his diploma, Doctor Williams returned to Wilmington and in 1893 548 - CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO. opened an office there for the practice of his chosen profession, remaining there until 1904, in which year he went to Jamestown, this state, where he practiced until the year 1910, returning in that year to Wilmington, where he ever since has been very successfully engaged in practice. On October 6, 1897, Dr. Fred G. Williams was united in marriage to Genia Walker, who was born in Highland, Highland county. Ohio, daughter of Bruce M. and Catherine (Hickson) Walker, both of whom are still living, Bruce M. Walker being the agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company at Lancaster, Ohio. To the union of Fred G. and Genia (Walker) Williams two children have been born, Kathryn, born on August 23, 1898, and Winifred, January 30, 1901. Doctor and Mrs. Williams are members of the Baptist church and their children have been reared in that faith. Doctor Williams gives much and intelligent attention to Sunday school affairs and is secretary of the Baptist Sunday school. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and takes a prominent part in the local affairs of that popular organization. Doctor and Mrs. Williams are deeply concerned in the welfare of the community and are to be found among the foremost promoters of all movements designed to further the common good hereabout. A leader in his profession, public spirited and enterprising, Doctor Williams occupies a position of importance in the community to which he has for years given his best endeavors and is held in the highest regard by all who know him. CHARLES T. PAVEY. The name heading this sketch belongs to a gentleman who sprang from good old pioneer stock, and who has always displayed the same degree of energy that has ever been a prominent characteristic of his ancestors. He takes a great interest in the study of agriculture, and is also especially interested in stock-raising. At one time he made a specialty of saddle horses, but this branch of his vocation has been discontinued, no doubt due to the advent of the automobile. It is a wise man who knows when to cease following a trail when it begins to lead him from the main road to success, and it behooves each and every one of us to be on the lookout for for these false trails, which can only end in failure. Charles T. Pavey, general farmer and stockman, Richland township, Clinton county, Ohio, was born on November 21, 1853, in Fayette county, Ohio. He is a son of William Pavey and Jirdena (Johnson) Kirby-Pavey. His early education was received at the public schools, and as a young man, he purchased, on March 10, 1873, his present farm of eighty-eight acres in Richland township, and started on his career as a farmer, dividing his time and attention between general farming And stock-raising. His investment in saddle horses proved a losing business, and he abandoned it for something more to his profit and benefit He has lived on his present place ever since he bought it, except three years, which he spent at Sabina. William Pavey, father of our subject, was born in Highland county, Ohio. He was married twice, first to Ann Johnson, and the second time to Jirdena (Johnson) Kirby, widow of William Kirby. His early life was spent in a log cabin in Highland county, and from this place he went to Fayette, where he was married. He was a matt of great energy and preserverance, kind-hearted and accommodating to his neighbors, even to his own disadvantage, as he met reverses twice because of going security for a friend. Still, by his great strength of willpower and determination, he was again well established in this world's goods at the time of his death. Ile was a member of the Methodist church. To Mr. Pavey and his first Wife, Ann Johnson., were born the following children: Isaac, William, Mary, George, John, Sophia, Henry, James E., and Eliza, After the death of his first wife, he was again married, CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 549 to Mrs. Jirdena Kirby, by whom he had the following children: Charles T., our subject, Thomas A., Kitturah, Gilbert A. Mr. Pavey died in June, 1862. Mrs. Jirdena Kirby had three children by her first husband, who was a Civil War soldier, and died in the army. Their children were: Mary Ann, Eliza Jane and Milton. The paternal grandfather was Isaac Pavey, a native of the state of Delaware, moving at an early date to Kentucky, thence he made an effort to locate in Ohio, but the Indians proved so troublesome that he returned to Kentucky, remaining there three years longer, when he brought his family and settled in Highland county, where he spent the last years of his life. His death was caused by being thrown from a horse. He was one of the true old pioneers, and fought the hardships bravely. Charles T. Pavey was united in marriage to Catherine Lappe, in December, 1872. She was born in Germany, in June, 1854, and was a daughter of Louis and Catherine (Cook) Lappe. They have had one child, Leonard M., who died at the age of twenty-one. The wife and mother died on January 22, 1911. CHARLES ALLEN RANNELLS. Among the men who have played a large part in the development of the varied interests of the city of Wilmington, this county, few are better known than the gentleman whose name heads this interesting biographical review. Born in this county, Mr. Rannelis has been a witness of all the marvelous advances which have been made along the way during the past half century and has been a no small contributing factor in the various movements which have promoted such advances. Laying the groundwork of his successful career by acquiring a liberal education in his youth, Mr. Rannells for a time served most acceptably as a teacher in the Wilmington public schools and in 1882 entered upon his business career, serving for a time as n clerk in the clothing store of his brother, in Wilmington, later buying a half interest in this store, the Arm being continued as a partnership for some years, after which he purchased his brother's interest and until 1911 conducted the business alone. Upon selling his store in that year, Mr. Rannells retired from business and since that time has been living very comfortably and happily in his fine home in Wilmington, enjoying fully the ample rewards of his active life of useful and, painstaking endeavor. Charles Allen Rannelis was born on a farm in Union township, Clinton county, Ohio, on August 17, 1859,, son of Thomas G. and Massie (Wiley) Rannells, the former of whom was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1810, and died at his home in this county in 1884, and the latter of whom was born near Barnesville, Ohio, in 1820, and died in .1892. Thomas G. Rannells, who was the son of William and Leah Rannells, Pennsylvanians, of Scottish descent, was four years of age when his parents emigrated to Ohio in 1814. They settled in this county, entering a tract of land from the government, covering about one hundred and twenty-five acres, two and one-half miles northeast of the present city of Wilmington, the present, county seat town at that time consisting of but one dwelling house and a blacksmith shop. William Rannells became one of the leaders in the Pioneer community and exerted a wholesome influence during the formative period of that now .rich and prosperous section. He and his wife were members of the Christian church and were among the most active workers in that communion, the power of their influence ever being thrown on the side of all good works thereabout. Both lived to good old ages and their memories are cherished among all persons of pioneer descent in that community. Thomas G. Rannells was reared on the paternal farm, growing up amid pioneer conditions that would seem harshly beset by hardships to young people of the present generation, and' upon reaching his majority bought a small farm of his own, this original purchase consisting of sixty acres near the old homestead at "Deserted Camp" corners.