(RETURN TO THE TITLE PAGE) CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 775 leaving home. In time he came to own about four hundred acres of land in Liberty township. He was a member of the Friends church and died at the age of ninety-eight years. His wife, who was born in 1816, died at the age of sixty-six years. They were the parents of five children, Sarah (deceased) and Lydia Jeffries, Mary E., J. W., and Mrs. Olivia St. John. Born and reared on the farm and educated in the common schools of Clinton county, Mr. Hiatt has always lived in Liberty township. He has been twice married, the first time to Mayme Haines, a native of Greene county and the daughter of Eber Haines, a prominent farmer and member of the Friends church. By this marriage there were born two children, Truman II. and Phoebe Mary. Truman H. married Grace Rotroff, and has two children, William D. and Phoebe Susanna. Phoebe married Harry Lighthizer, of Liberty township, and has one child, Mary E. Mr. Hiatt married, secondly, Anna Hazard, a native of Clinton county and the daughter of Herbert and Hannah (Jeffers) Hazard, who are farmers of Clinton county, and members of the Friends church. By this second marriage, there have been born four children, Loren E., Veda H., Lenna C. and Hazel L. Mr. and Mrs. Hiatt are prominent members of the Friends church in Liberty township. P. B. BLACK P. B. Black is a well-to-do farmer of Richland township, this county, who was born on June 22, 1853, in Brown county, Ohio, the son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Workman) Black, the former of whom was born on April 10, 1803, and the latter of whom was the daughter of Samuel Workman. Samuel Black, after his marriage to Elizabeth Workman, emigrated from Kentucky to Brown county, Ohio, where he purchased one hundred acres of land, which he cultivated and improved, and upon which he spent the rest of his life. He and his good wife were active members of the New Light church, and he was prominent in the public affairs of Brown county. In Kentucky he had been known as a "bully," because he was a good fighter. He was a very strong man physically, and remained so until his death, on August 1, 1869. His widow survived him for nearly twenty years, her death occurring on June 1, 1888. They were the parents of twelve children, as follow : John, born on December 15, 1825, died on March 8, 1870; James, November 19, 1827; Sarah Ann, February 9, 1831; Mary E., November 10, 1833; Jacob, April 22, 1835; Thomas, April 3, 1838; William, October 14, 1840; Amelia Ellen, December 28, 1842, died on October 12, 1890; David G., November 18, 1844; Hannah, June 27, 1847; Nancy Catherine, March 14, 1850, died on August 9, 1899; and P. B., June 22, 1853. Three of these sons, John, William and Jacob, were soldiers in the Union army during the Civil War, John serving one year ; William, four years, and Jacob, three years. P. B. Black received his education in the public schools of his home neighborhood, and was reared to the life of a farmer. He was married on December 27, 1877, to Samantha Martin, who was born on September 24, 1859, in Fayette county, this state, the daughter of Jehu and Martha Jane (Thompson) Martin. Jehu Martin was a native of Clinton county, but a farmer in Fayette county. He was a member of the Friends church, and active in the work of that church until his death, on September 13, 1900. His wife had preceded him to the grave, her death having occurred on January 21, 1894. They were the parents of ten children, of whom Mrs. Black was the eldest, the others being Elmer, Margaret, Eli, Mary Jane (deceased), Grant, Alice, May, Lawson, Quincy and Edna (deceased). The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Black were Stephen and Martha (Curtis) Martin, who were among the early pioneers of Clinton county, they having come here about 1809, at which early date they had entered about one hundred acres of land from the government. They were the 776 - CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO. parents of nine children, Mary, David, Eli, Charles, Jane, Martha, Alfred, John and Edward. After Mr. Black's marriage, he and his wife settled in Fayette county, Ohio, where they lived for twelve years, at the end of which time they disposed of their farm of eighty acres there and on January 8, 1903, came to Clinton county, having purchased the farm where they now live, a mile and one-half out of Sabina, three years prior to that date, in 1900. Mr. and Mrs. Black are the parents of five children, namely: Minnie, born on April 10, 1879, is the wife of Frank Bloom, of Richland township, and has three children, Florence, Raymond and Noel (deceased) ; John, September 21, 1883, who married May Jacks, to which union three children have been born, Albert D., Helen Elizabeth and one that died in infancy; Alvie, June 28, 1887; Roy, May 30, 1890, and Harold, May 27, 1896, the last three named being unmarried and living with their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Black and family are earnest and devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church, of Sabina. Politically, Mr. Black is a Prohibitionist, and while living in Fayette county served three years as constable. JAMES K. BERNARD. Among the citizens of Clinton county who belong to a past generation and who built up comfortable homes and surrounded themselves with valuable property, few attained a larger measure of success than the late James K. Bernard, one of the largest landowners and one of the most public-spirited citizens of Clinton county. With few opportunities, except what his own efforts were capable of mastering, and with many discouragements to overcome, he achieved a remarkable success in life, and, in the declining years of his life, enjoyed the satisfaction of knowing that the community had been benefitted by his presence. He was regarded as a good business man, who possessed sound judgment and keen foresight; one who was, in every sense of the word, progressive, and always enjoyed the respect, esteem and confidence of those who knew him. His interest in public affairs and his upright life secured for him an enviable place in the life of this great county, in whose advancement he took such a conspicuous part. James K. Bernard was born on June 19, 1835, in Greene township, this county, and died at New Vienna in the same county, on September 5, 1907, at the age of seventy-two years, two months and seventeen days. He was the son of George Washington and Harriet (McConnell) Bernard, the former of whom was born in Goochland county, Virginia, September 13, 1799, and the latter, in Brown county, Ohio, October 12, 1810. George Washington Bernard was the son of Thomas and Mary. Bernard, natives of Virginia. Thomas Bernard was the son of William Bernard, a native of England, who married Mary Fleming and was a prominent resident of the Old Dominion state. He owned three thousand acres of land in Virginia and also was extensively engaged in business at Richmond, that state, where he was a wholesale merchant. During the War of the Revolution, his store was robbed of nearly all of its goods. William and Mary (Fleming) Bernard spent their last days in Virginia. Thomas Bernard was born in March, 1756, grew to manhood in Virginia, and served as a soldier through the War of the Revolution having been engaged in the battles of Brandywine, Germantown Monmouth, Stony Point, and others. In 1807 he married Mary Hicks and removed from Virginia to Ohio, settling in Highland county, near the Clinton county line. In those days wolves and deer were in abundance, and on one occasion he heard a loud bleating near his cabin which he thought was one of his calves in the merciless clutches of a wolf ; hurrying to his cabin door, he beheld a wolf holding fast to a deer. The wolf at once loosed its prey and fled and the the deer escaped in an opposite direction. In 1832 Thomas Bernard moved to Leesburg, where lie died on June 11, 1833. His widow sur- CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 777 vived until May 22, 1847, when she died. At that time, she was a resident of Clinton county. They were the parents of three sons and five daughters, of whom two were living as late as 1882—George W. and Nancy, who married Thomas Riley. George W. Bernard, son of Thomas and Mary (Hicks) Bernard and father of James K. Bernard, the subject of this biographical sketch, was about eight years of age when his parents removed to the Ohio wilderness. Here he grew to manhood and' became fully inured to the hardships of pioneer life. On March 28, 1831, he was married to Harriet McConnell, who was born in Brown county, Ohio, October 12, 1810, the daughter of James and Sallie .(Downing) McConnell, natives of Pennsylvania, who were early settlers in Brown county, this state, and who removed to Clinton county about 1821. They were the parents of four sons and five daughters, four of whom were living as late as 1882, as follows: Thomas, Betsey, who married Isaac Wilson of Illinois, Harriet and Joseph M., the last named of whom resided in Oregon. To George W. and Harriet (McConnell) Bernard eleven children were born, nine of whom lived to full maturity, as follow : Thomas F., James K., Mary E., who married Joshua Wilson; John W., Matilda Jane, who married Edmund West, George W., Charles B., Martha H., who married Edward McVey, and Elijah M. In 1832, George W. Bernard located on the farm in this county where he spent practically the rest of his life, living to be the oldest man in Greene township, and to -see all of his children married and settled in life. Although he had in his youth little opportunity for an education, he had supplemented his limited opportunities by special study and in later years was known as an unusually well-informed man. By energy, industry and economy, he acquired a large- estate, amounting to something over thirteen hundred acres. He died at his home in Greene township in 1804, at the age of ninety-five years. James K. Bernard, the second child born to his parents, George W. and Harriet (McConnell) Bernard, grew up on the old homestead in Greene township, which is still held by the Bernard family, and received a limited education in the pioneer schools of his neighborhood. On October 19, 1861, he was married to Kezia McVey, who was born in Clinton county on January 19, 1838, a daughter of Christopher and Catharine (West) McVey, natives of Fayette and Brown counties, Ohio; respectively; both of whom were born in 1812. Christopher McVey was the son of James and Kezia McVey, both of whom were natives of Ireland and pioneer settlers in Clinton county, where both died. They -were the parents of five sons and four daughters, William,, Edmund, Christopher, Robert, John, Catharine, Josephine, Jane and Kezia. To Christopher and Catharine (West) McVey eight children were born, Henrietta, James, Kezia, Robert, Benson, Edmund, Eliza Jane and Elkana. Christopher McVey was a farmer and owned about one hundred and eighty acres of land in Greene township. He was a Republican and a member of the Christian church. He died in 1.895, his wife having preceded him to the grave in 1853. Catharine West was the daughter of Robert and Henrietta West, who came from Pennsylvania to Clinton county in pioneer days and here they spent the rest of their lives. They had eight children, Nancy. Mary, Harrison, Benson, Eliza, Catharine and Sallie. To James K. and Kezia (McVey) Bernard were born ten children, namely: John R., born on July 23, 1862; George W., August 19, 1863; Harriet C., August 6, 1864; Charles O.. October 30, 1865; Martha Ann, February 23, 1867; James Edmund, April 11, 1868; an infant, November 6, 1870: Christopher C., July 2, 1872; Cora E., February 22, 1876; Oscar E., September 13, 1878. Of these children, all are living save the infant. James K. Bernard located in Wayne township shortly before his marriage, and shortly after his marriage, on March 10, 1862, moved to his farm in Greene township, where he had a fine home and was extensively engaged in farming. He owned at one 778 - CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO. time about sixteen hundred acres of land, which he divided among his children, leaving his widow one hundred and eighty acres near New Vienna. Altogether, he had received from his 'father about twenty-five hundred dollars but aside from this help, accumulated the money with which the sixteen hundred acres were purchased, by his own effort and his was regarded as one of the most remarkable examples of success from small beginnings ever witnessed among the farmers of Clinton county. In 1903 Mr. and Mrs. Bernard removed to New Vienna, where they lived retired until Mr. Bernard's death in 1907. The late James K. Bernard was more than a successful farmer. He was a man of extraordinary vision, of indefatigable industry and possessed a unique ability to concentrate his attention on a given focus or a given end. His mind, once settled on the accomplishment of a definite goal, nothing could divert him from this purpose. Loved by his large family, honored by his neighbors and respected by the people of Clinton county, he died as only the man who has lived to good purpose can die, full of the honors of noble and useful service. EDGAR CROSLEY. Edgar Crosley is a prosperous young farmer of Marion township, this county, who was born in the county where he lives in 1884. He is the son of William and Carrie (Wood) Crosley, the farmer born in Warren county, Ohio, on November 24, 1841, and the latter in Cincinnati in 1850. William Crosley was the 'son of Isaac and Rachel (Cook) Crosley, the former a native of Michigan, and the latter born near Lebanon, in Warren county, Ohio, of pioneer parentage. The paternal grandparents of William Crosley died in Michigan. Mr. Crosley's father located in Warren county in the time of his young manhood, and, after his marriage there to Rachel Cook, became a well-known and well-to-do farmer. He and his wife were the parents of four children, Samuel (deceased), Andrew (deceased), William and Huston. The latter served as a Union soldier during the Civil War. Mrs. Isaac Crosley died at Hopkinsville, in Warren county. After her death, Isaac Crosley was married a second time and had five children, four of whom are living : Emma ; Thomas, who is on the police force at Columbus, Ohio; John and Bell, the latter of whom lives in Cleveland. Isaac Crosley died in Columbus, Ohio. William Crosley was reared on the farm and was educated in the public schools at Pleasant Plain, in Warren county. He is a farmer by occupation, who came to Clinton county in 1864, and owns a farm of fifty and one-half acres in Warren township. For many years he has been engaged in threshing. He is more or less independent in 'politics, but generally votes the Republican ticket. Mrs. William Crosley is the daughter of Charles and Sarah (Wallen) Wood, of Hamilton county, Ohio, who came to America from England. They were early settlers in Cincinnati, where both died, the father at the age of eighty-four years. To William Crosley and wife nine children have been born, Perry, Lenna, Charles, Dolly (deceased), Martha, Mary, Ella (deceased), Edgar and Roy. Edgar Crosley, the eighth born in the family of his parents, who lives on the home farm of his father, was born in Clinton county in 1884, and was educated in, the public schools, for some time attending a school taught by Jerry Fisher, a former auditor of Clinton county. Mr. Crosley is a farmer and thresher. On February 25, 1909, Edgar Crosley was married to Estella Fox, of Clinton county, but a native of Highland county, Ohio, who was born on August 5, 1884, and the daughter of Ashley Fox, now deceased. To this union two children have been born, Richard Howard, who was born on February 17, 1910, and. William Robert, January 21, 1912. Edgar Crosley votes the Republican ticket. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Blanchester, and he and his wife are members of the United Brethren church. CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 779 LEWIS M. RILEY. The tried and true pioneers of Ohio are often considered the greatest assets in the building up of the state's position in the nation. As a purely native product of Ohio soil, few, are found whose ancestry is more wrapped up in the earlier history of Ohio than that of our subject, Lewis M. Riley, for as far back as Mr. Riley can trace his ancestors, both paternal and maternal, they were native Ohioans. Lewis M. Riley was born in Warren county on December 28, 1849, the son of James and Catherine S. (Kephart) Riley, both natives of that county. James Riley was a son of Richard Riley, a pioneer of Warren county, who died there. Catherine S. (Kephart) Riley was born in 1823 and died in 1912. She was the daughter of Thomas and Mary (Skinner) Kephart, also natives of Warren county, who lived and died there. James Riley was a cooper by trade and followed that vocation the larger part of his life. He was a Whig in politics, and to him and Catherine S. (Kephart) Riley were born the following children : Cornelius B.; Henry C., who was killed in the second battle of Bull Run in 1862, and Lewis M., the subject of this sketch. After the death of James Riley, his widow married Edward Crosson, and to this second union was born one child, a daughter, Addle. Lewis M. Riley was educated in the public schools of Warren county, and came with his mother and step-father to Clinton county in 1862. For a time he engaged in farming then entered on a position as clerk in a dry-goods store in Blanchester, which position he held for fourteen years, or until he was appointed postmaster of Blanchester by President McKinley, and was reappointed by President Roosevelt, holding the position for eleven years. After he left the postoffice he engaged in the grocery business for three years. Lewis M. Riley is a Republican, a member of the school board, and an active member of the Masonic order, being a Royal Arch Mason. He was married in 1876 to Carrie M. Aupperle, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and to this union have been born two children, Henry and Julia. Few men in Clinton county are better known or more highly respected than Lewis M. Riley, a man who has made his way to a position of trust and honor in his neighborhood. Courteous and affable, he always has a smile for everyone, and is held in high regard by his many friends in the Blanchester neighborhood. ORA M. BRINDLE. Ora M. Brindle, who is engaged in the operation of the elevator at Reesville, this county, in partnership with W. A. Ewing, was formerly connected with the elevator at Melvin, this county. He is a well-known citizen of Richland township, and a man who thoroughly understands the business with which he is connected. Ora M. Brindle was born on January 23, 1866, in Clinton county, the son of J. W. and Sarah (Forman) Brindle, the latter of whom was a daughter of Abraham Forman, a farmer of Clinton county, who owned one hundred and fifty acres of land in Washington township. Sarah (Forman) Brindle was the second wife of J. W. Brindle. The paternal grandparents of Ora M. Brindle were Jacob and Elizabeth (Stone) Brindle, natives of Pennsylvania, and Highland county, Ohio, respectively. Jacob Brindle came to Ohio before his marriage and was a tinner by trade, living in Wilmington. Jacob and Elizabeth (Stone) Brindle were the parents of three children, J. W., Philip and Mary, the last two named now being deceased. Jacob Brindle was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and active in church work. J. W. Brindle was educated in the Delaware Normal School, and was twice married. By his first marriage there were no children, and to his second marriage there were born four children, T. E., Ora M., W. K. and F. L. Of these children, T. E. married Olive Mann, and is a resident of Wilmington. W. K. and F. L., twin brothers, married 780 - CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO. Addie and Alma McKee, twin sisters. The mother of these children died on November 16, 1913. J. W. Brindle is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and active in church work. He is also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and during the Civil War was a member of the famous "squirrel hunters" organization. Ora M. Brindle, who was educated in the local public schools and the Wilmington high school, was married on February 14, 1889, to Cora M. Vermilya, a native of Clinton county, daughter of W. B. Vermilya, a well-known Clinton county farmer, who was a soldier in the Civil War, and saw three years' service in that struggle. From the time he was wounded during the service, he carried a bullet in his back. After Mr. and Mrs. Brindle's marriage, they settled on a farm near Melvin, this county, where they now own one hundred and sixty-six acres of land. Mr. Brindle, however, soon found that he was unable to stand the hot summer sun in the fields, and shortly afterwards engaged in the elevator business at Melvin. Since December 9, 1914, he has been associated with W. A. Ewing in the elevator business at Reesville. Mr. and Mrs. Brindle are the parents of three children, Cleo, Raymond and 'Helen. Helen is the wife of Clarence Chestnut, of Melvin, while the other two children are unmarried and are living at home with their parents. The Brindle family are members of the Methodist Protestant church, and take an active interest in the affairs of that denomination. Mr Brindle is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. WILLIAM WALTER BURK The sturdy Scotch character has always been noted for its honesty and industry. Of hardy disposition and because of cramped opportunity in native Scotland, those emigrating to this country have grasped their new and immense opportunities and, with native hardiness, have plodded on to success. Their descendants almost invariably have been blessed with this progressive spirit and so it is not surprising to know that William Walter Burk, the subject of this sketch, has accomplished what he has when it is considered that his grandfather came direct from Scotland. William Walter Burk was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, on February 25, 1847, the son of Alexis and Mary (Woolever) Burk. Alexis Burk was born in Hamilton county, Ohio, in 1902, a son of Elisha Burk, a native of Scotland, who worked his way on shipboard to pay 'his passage to this country and, after arriving, settled in Hamilton county, Ohio, and bought government land close to Dearborn county, Indiana. He afterwards increased his holdings to include land in Dearborn county, as well as in Hamilton county. He lived on this land until the time of his death and was buried in Hamilton county beside the body of his wife. Mary (Woolever) Burk was the daughter of Peter Woolever and wife, pioneers of Hamilton county, and both of whom are buried there. Alexis Burk was a successful farmer in Hamilton county, Ohio, and Dearborn county, Indiana. He owned a tract of three hundred and twenty acres in Hamilton county and eighty-six acres in Dearborn county. All of this land was very valuable farming land, and Mr. Burk farmed it to the best advantage. 'He died on January 2, 1861, and was buried in Dearborn county. His widow survived him for more than twenty years, her death occurring on April 15, 1883. They were the parents of the following children Mary E., who is deceased Elisha M., who is deceased; Lemuel W., who is deceased; Alexis F.; William Walter, who is the subject of this sketch, and Amanda, who is deceased. Alexis Burk was a Democrat in politics and both he and his wife were active members of the Presbyterian church. William Walter Burk was educated in the common schools and the high school at .Harrison, Hamilton county, and then engaged in the livery business in Harrison for a number of years, until in 1894, when he moved to Blanchester, this county; where he continued in the livery business until 1896, when he went into the undertaking business and later formed a partnership with his grand-nephew, Claud B. Eichelberger, a grandson CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 781 of Mary E., the eldest sister of W. W. Burk. Claud Eichelberger was born in 188.9 and that same year his father died and he lived with his mother until her death, in 1896, since which time he has made his home with Mr. Burk. After graduating from the high school at Blanchester, Claud Eichelberger took a course and was graduated from the Clark School of Embalming at Cincinnati, and then, when he was twenty-one years old, entered into partnership with W. W. Burk. William Walter Burk is an active worker in the Democratic party. He was elected to the office of mayor of Blanchester on that ticket and served with honor and distinction for a term of six years. He has been president of the school board of Blanchester since 1906. He is a faithful and active member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is a member of the encampment of that order. Claud Eichelberger is a Mason and a member of the Junior Order of American Mechanics. In 1881 William Walter Burk was united in marriage to Addie B. English, of Dearborn county, Indiana. There were no children born to this union, but Mr. and Mrs. Burk have proven .father and mother to their grand-nephew since, at the age of eight, he came to live with them. Mr. and Mrs. Burk are members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Blanchester, and are active in all good works thereabout. In outlining the life of William Walter Burk, the biographer is led back in thought to that early time when Grandfather Burk left his native land of Scotland and braved the sea to seek a new home in a new, almost unexplored country; fighting the fight of the average early pioneer, to leave a heritage in such progeny as the subject of this sketch, who has proved useful and helpful in all forward movements in this county. HAROLD E. KATZENMEYER. Harold E. Katzenmeyer, one of the best known and most progressive business men of Blanchester, this county, is the son of Jacob and Rebecca (Foltz) Katzenmeyer, the former of whom was born in Darmstadt, Germany, in 1847, the son of Peter and Barbara (Bickelhaupt) Katzenmeyer. Peter Katzenmeyer, with two brothers, Michael and Adam, came to America. in 1848, Michael settling in Toledo, Adam in Upper Sandusky, while Peter located in Wyandot county, Ohio, where he spent the rest of his days, his death occurring in 1907, at the age of about eighty-nine years, while on a visit to the home of his daughter, who resided in Toledo. His wife, Barbara, was born in Germany and died in Wyandot county. Rebecca (Foltz) Katzenmeyer was the daughter of Philip and Margaret (Hiestand) Foltz, both natives of Germany, who settled in Virginia upon coming to this country, but later came to Ohio, and settled near Basel, where Rebecca Foltz was born. Later they went to Hancock county, where they entered a homestead and there they spent the rest of their lives. Philip Foltz died in 1891, and his wife died several years earlier. He was a very prominent citizen in his locality. Jacob Katzenmeyer, in his younger days, was in the leather business and later became superintendent of a stave company in Wyandot county until the time of his marriage, after which he went to North Baltimore, Wood county, where he established a grocery business, which he conducted until 1891, in which year he went into the drug business and was thus engaged for a number of years. He is now living retired at Tremont, Ohio. His wife died in 1909, at the age of sixty-three years. They were the parents of the following children: Harold E., the subject- of this sketch; Lillian G.. George W., Estelle M. and Earl, all of whom are living. Harold E. Katzenmeyer was reared in North Baltimore, Ohio, and was educated in the public schools of that city, being graduated from the high school Of that place in 1890. He later attended the pharmacy school of the University of Michigan, from which he was graduated in 1895. He then took a position with his father in the latter's store until the store was sold, in 190Q. In 1901 he went to Blanchester and took a position in 782 - CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO. the drug store of W. F. Warning, of that place, acting as a clerk in that store until 1910, when he bought the store from Mr. Warning, since which time he has operated the business himself, with much success. In 1908 he was elected a member of the board of public affairs of Blanchester, and has been clerk of that board ever since. On February 25, 1898, Harold E. Katzenmeyer was united in marriage to Harriet M. Shaffer, of North Baltimore, Ohio, daughter of Norman and Jane M. Shaffer, who now reside in Oklahoma, where Mr. Shaffer has the management of a considerable oil field. To this union has been born one child, Mabel R., who was born on May 2, 1899. Harold E. Katzenmeyer is a citizen of sterling worth and character, who is active in every movement for the betterment of his community. He is a stanch Democrat, but has never been a seeker after office. He is a faithful and devoted lodge man, a member of the Masonic order, and past master of his local lodge. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He occupies a prominent position in the business life, not only of Blanchester, but of the county generally, and is held in high regard in commercial circles hereabout, being regarded generally as an enterprising and public-spirited citizen. WOODSON OGLESBEE. The venerable Woodson Oglesbee, of Liberty township, who has spent all of his life in Clinton county and who is now afflicted with the infirmities of age, was born in Liberty township, Clinton county, June 21, 1839, the son of Eli Oglesbee and his second wife, who, before her marriage, was Lucinda Fawcett. The former was born in Virginia on October 5, 1896, and died on February 28, 1870, and the latter born in Delmont county, Ohio, on June 4, 1810, and died on September 14, 1877. The paternal grandfather of Woodson Oglesbee was Isaiah Oglesbee, who was born in Frederick county, Virginia, and whose wife was Phoebe Oglesbee. They settled in Clinton county, about one and one-half miles east of Lumberton, where they died, Isaac Oglesbee about the year 1840 and his wife about three years later. Both were members of the Friends church. They had nine children, Elias, Jacob, Jonathan, Isaiah, David, Eli, Phoebe, Ellis, and one whose name is lost to the present chronicler. The Oglesbee family Is of Scottish extraction, but it is uncertain at what time the family was established in America. Eli Oglesbee, the father of Woodson Oglesbee, was born in Virginia on October 5, 1806, and came to Ohio when about eleven years old with his father. He grew to manhood in Liberty township and acquired a limited education. He married Rebecca Mann, a native of Ohio, born in 1807, and who died in 1831. To this marriage there was born one child, Lydia, who married William Cornell, of Spring Valley, Ohio. Eli Oglesbee married, secondly, Lucinda Fawcett, a native of Belmont county, Ohio, to which union three children were born, Hiram, Rebecca (deceased) and Woodson. Hiram Oglesbee was born on August 4, 1834, and grew to manhood on a farm. On August 2, 1858, he married Susan Buser, who was born in 1835, a native of Greene county, Ohio, to which union were born six children, Louie B., Charles H., John W., Horace C., Edward F. and Amos L. Hiram Oglesbee was a farmer early in life, but subsequently engaged in the hardware and implement business at Xenia, Ohio. Still later he was engaged in the furniture business at Xenia, but finally settled on the old home farm, where he still lives. Rebecca, the second child born to Eli and Lucinda (Fawcett) Oglesbee, married A. J. Van Pelt, a resident of Port William, and is now deceased. Woodson. Oglesbee was educated in the common schools. He grew to maturity in Liberty township and has spent all of his life there; At the age of twenty-two years he was united in marriage to Mary Elizabeth Haines, who was born in 1841 and who died in May, 1879. To this union four children were born, namely: Charles A., who married Ella Christy and lives at Spring Valley, Ohio; Alden M., who married Alta Beal, and lives at Jackson, Mississippi; Hiram Jacob, who married Pearl Jessup and lives in CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 783 Liberty township, and Mary E., who married Thurman Early, and died in Liberty township. After the death of his first wife, Mr. Oglesbee married, secondly Lucy M. Fawcett, who was born on May 27, 1860, and to this union two children were born, Blanche, who married Clyde Banghan, and has two children, Lucy Pauline and Ruth Agnes, and Walter, all of whom live on the home place. Woodson Oglesbee owns one hundred and seventy-four acres of land in Liberty township, this county, and in Greene county. He is a prominent member of the Methodist Protestant church at Port William, Ohio. He has spent all of his life in general farming and stock raising and has a wide acquaintance throughout the county, where he is held in the highest esteem by all. FRANK O. ALLISON. Frank O. Allison, who for years has been the popular station agent of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company at Blanchester, this county, was born in New Vienna, Clinton county, on June 27, 1872, a son of Jesse Hunt and Sarah (Miller) Allison, the former of whom was born on December 26, 1839, in Rush county, Indiana, and the latter in Columbiana county, Ohio, in 1844. Jesse Hunt Allison is the son of John and Eunice (Hunt) Allison, both natives of Highland county, Ohio, the former born in 1807, and the latter in 1811. John Allison was a son of William and Nancy Allison, pioneers of Highland county, where they both died. Eunice Hunt was a daughter of Asa and Marion Hunt, also pioneer settlers of Highland county. John Allison emigrated to Rush county, Indiana, in 1835, and later to the Wabash country, near Lafayette, where he died in 1844. Later his widow and family returned to Rush county, Indiana, and after being there for three years, came to Clinton county, settling near New Vienna. Mrs. John Allison died in Rush county, Indiana, in 1901. She and her husband were the parents of six children, Asa H., Ashaia, Isaac R., Jesse H., Thomas G. and William G. Of these six sons all served in the Civil War, except William, and all are now deceased, except Jesse H., the father of Frank 0. Jesse H. Allison was married in 1869 to Sarah Miller, a daughter of Samuel and Charity P. Miller, who emigrated from Columbiana county, Ohio, to Clermont county, and afterwards to Clinton county, and whose remains are buried in the cemetery at New Vienna. To Jesse H. and Sarah (Miller) Allison the following children were born : Frank 0., Veda, Henrietta, William Logan, Mary A., Jesse Augusta, who died at the age of nine years, and Harry J. and Fred D., who died early in life, the former having been drowned. Jesse H. Allison was a soldier in the Civil War, having served in the Forty-eighth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, successively as a private, surgeon and lieutenant. He was discharged in 1864, and is now living retired in New Vienna, Ohio. He is a Democrat in politics, and has held various political positions of trust and responsibility, and is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic. He and his good wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in the various beneficences of which they are actively interested. Frank O. Allison was reared in New Vienna and was educated in the public schools there, finishing his educational training in the high school at New Vienna. He was station agent at New Vienna for several years for the Baltimore & Ohio Railway Company, but in 1908 was transferred to Blanchester and since then has been station agent at the latter place. In 1905 Frank 0. Allison was married to Clara Driscoll, of New Vienna, a daughter of Charles and Mary Jane (Curren) Driscoll. Charles Driscoll traveled overland to California during the time of the "gold fever" in 1849, and had several narrow escapes from capture or death by the Indians. He died in 1912, at the age of eighty-two years, 784 - CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO. and his widow died in 1914, at the age of sixty-nine years. Mr. and Mrs. Frank O. Allison are the parents of two children, Gaylin Dean and Thelma Louise. Although Mr. Allison is actively identified with the Republican party, he has never aspired to office. Fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Sons of Veterans. Mr. and Mrs. Allison are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and take an active interest in all good works in and about Blanchester, where they are held in high esteem by many friends. GEORGE R. CONARD, M. D. Dr. George R. Conard, a pioneer physician of New Vienna, this county, was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, on January 5, 1842, son of Benjamin and Eliza (Roberts) Conard, the former of whom was born at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, September 14, 1810, and the latter, in Chester county, Pennsylvania, also in 1810. Benjamin Conard was a son of Cornelius and Susannah (Chalfont) Conard, both natives of Pennsylvania, the former descended from an immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania, in 1628, after coming to America from Holland. Cornelius Conard was a member of the Society of Friends, and lived at Valley Forge at the time Washington camped there. Eliza Roberts was the daughter of George and Alice (Fell) Roberts, both natives of Chester county, Pennsylvania, the former of Welsh descent. They were farmers by occupation, and, when advanced in years, removed to Wilmington, Delaware, where they died, he at the age of eighty-four years and she at the age of eighty-six. Benjamin Conard was reared to manhood in his native state. He was a profound student and became a very well-informed man. A farmer by occupation, in 1850, he emigrated to Highland county, Ohio, where he purchased a farm at twenty-four dollars per acre. In 1865 he sold the farm at eighty-five dollars per acre, and moved to Hillsboro, where he was engaged in the mercantile business for several years, conducting a queensware store. He retired from business at the age of eighty years, and died, in November, 1902, at the age of ninety-two years. The late Benjamin Conard was a Republican in politics, and active in temperance work during the latter years of his life. He was a member of the Hicksite branch of the Friends church, and, for a number of years, served as township trustee. He also served as the treasurer of a building and loan association and in other positions of responsibility and trust. Benjamin Conard was married three times. By his marriage to Mary Ann Moore, one child was born, who died in infancy, the mother dying soon afterwards. By his marriage to Eliza Roberts, eleven children were born Almira Carey, Cornelius, Alice Roberts, George Roberts, Granville, William, Benjamin R., Rachael, Elwood, Mary Mente and Elizabeth. Of these children, Granville, Benjamin R., Rachael and Eliza died in infancy. William and Cornelius served as Union soldiers during the Civil War. The former died on February 18, 1915. Cornelius served three years during the war and was promoted to first lieutenant in the signal service. He died at Carthage, Missouri, about 1907. Elwood, another son, lives in Philadelphia. After the death of Mrs. Eliza Conard, on April 29, 1854, at the age of forty-five years, Benjamin Conard married Mrs. Elizabeth (Hussey) Johnson, by whom he had one child, Emma. George R. Conard was eight years old when his father's family came to Ohio and he grew to manhood on the farm. Upon completing the course in the public schools he attended the normal school at Lebanon, Ohio, after a course at which he entered Miami University, from which he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Science, with the class of 1863, among the members of this class there having been such well-known men as Calvin Brice, Charles Fisk and Dr. James Whitaker. On September 9, 1861, he had enlisted in Company A, Forty-eighth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was wounded on April 6, 1862, at Shiloh, and on July 11, 1862, was discharged on account CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 785 of his wound. After completing the course at Miami University, which he had entered in September, 1862, he entered the Medical College of Ohio, at Cincinnati, under W. W. Dawson, and was graduated in 1865, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine, after serving one year as acting medical cadet. He was also stationed for four months at the state hospital for the insane at Nashville, Tennessee. Having passed the examination before the army board of medical examiners, Doctor Conard received, on March 14, 1865, an appointment as acting assistant surgeon of the United States army, which position he held until November 14, 1865, his services by that time being no longer needed. During the period of this latter service he was on duty in the hospitals of Knoxville and Chattanooga. In December, 1865, Doctor Conard located at Peru, Indiana, where he practiced his profession until November, 1875, establishing a valuable practice. Because of ill health in his family, he removed to New Vienna, this county, where he has since been actively engaged in practice. On February 28, 1866, Dr. George R. Conard was married to Martha Good, a native of Highland county, Ohio, daughter of Charles and Betsy (Moore) Good, who came from Pennsylvania in 1854, and who spent their last days in New Vienna, the former dying at the age of eighty-eight years and the latter at the age of ninety. They were members of the Hicksite branch of the Friends church. To Dr. George H. and Martha (Good) Conard five children have been born, namely : Helen, who lives at home; Harvey E., who is professor of higher mathematics at the Columbus high school of commerce; Film, who died at the age of twelve years, and Robert and William (twins), the former of whom is a physician at Blanchester, this county, and the latter of whom died at the age of three months. Mrs. Conard died on May 1, 1877, and on September 24, 1879, Doctor Conard married, secondly, Augusta Lacy, by whom he had one child, Jane L., of New York City, whose mother died on March 26, 1885. Dr. George R. Conard is a member of Carey Johnson Post No. 404, Grand Army of the Republic, and has been commander of that post for many years. He is a Republican but has never been an aspirant for office. He is a member of the Clinton County Medical Society, the Ohio State Medical, Society and the American Medical Association. He is a: Mason, member of lodge No. 578, at Now Vienna, of the chapter of that order at Hillsboro and of Highland commandery, Knights Templar. ALONZO OGLESBEE. Alonzo Oglesbee, who is an excellent farmer of Liberty township, where he owns one hundred and forty acres of land, was born on October 28, 1860, on the farm where he now lives, and is the son of Joshua and Mary (McKay) Oglesbee, the former of whom was born on July 29, 1825, and the latter on September 27, 1837, the daughter of George and Mary (Ferguson) McKay, pioneers of Chester township, this county. George McKay- was a native of Virginia, who came to Clinton county when a young man, with his father. Afterward he returned to Virginia and brought back his wife on horseback. George McKay was born in Virginia in 1800 and lived in Ohio from the time he was eighteen years old. He died in 1850 and his widow in 1878. George McKay's father, Moses McKay, who was born in Virginia about 1776, came to Clinton county in 1818 with his wife and eleven children, leaving one son in Virginia. Joshua Oglesbee was the son of John and Sarah (Stump) Oglesbee, natives of Virginia, who were married in the Old Dominion state on September 4, 1809. Three children were born to them before they came to Ohio. John Oglesbee owned nearly twelve hundred acres of land in Liberty township, this county, a part of which is now owned by his descendant, Granville Oglesbee. John Oglesbee was the son of Isaiah Oglesbee, who settled in Clinton county, one and one-half miles east of Lumberton, where (50) 786 - CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO. he died in 1840, his widow surviving him three years. They were members of the Friends church. Joshua Oglesbee spent his entire life in Liberty township. He remained at home with his widowed mother until reaching his majority, or until his marriage, on March 11, 1855, to Mary M. McKay, to which union there were born three children, Alonzo, Sallie M. and Horace. Sallie M. Oglesbee married Charles Conklin, of Greene county, Ohio, and Horace Oglesbee married Jennie Poodle, and now lives in Dayton, Ohio. Joshua Oglesbee and wife were members of the old-school Baptist church and active in church work. They owned four hundred and thirty acres of land in Liberty township. He died on May 28, 1900, and his widow died in 1908. Born and reared in Liberty township, Alonzo Oglesbee was educated in the common schools there. On October 21, 1898, he was married to Mary E. Turner, who was born in Greene county, this state, the daughter of John and Margaret (Haines) Turner, farmers in that county and members of the Quaker church. Margaret (Haines) Turner was the daughter of Eber Haines, who was a prominent minister in the Quaker church in the early days of Clinton county. He was born in 1825 in Greene county and died in Clinton county in 1911. To Mr. and Mrs. Oglesbee seven children have been born, of whom six are living, Sarah M., Esther, Gladys, Leontine, Frances and Robert J. All of these children are still at home with their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Oglesbee are members of the Friends church at New Hope and are regular attendants at Sunday school. Fraternally, Mr. Oglesbee is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. ROBERT EDWARD WOODS. Robert Edward Woods, who has spent his entire life in Clinton county, needs no introduction to the people who live within its boundaries. His life has been devoted not only to promoting his own interests and welfare, but also to promoting the interests of the public generally. He is an honorable representative of one of the esteemed families of this section and a gentleman of high character and worthy ambitions. He has filled no small place in the public life, as the important official positions which he has capably filled bear witness. He is a splendid type of the intelligent, up-to-date, self-made American farmer and is regarded as one of the best business men of Clinton county, enjoying the unqualified respect and confidence of all the people. Robert Edward Woods was born on January 11, 1872, in Union township, this county, the son of James F. and Mary Lavinia (Wood) Woods, the former of whom was born in Wilmington, Ohio, on July 2, 1844, the son of Joseph and Rosanna (Fife) Woods, and is still living. The mother was born in Union township, the daughter of Robert and Mary (Hughes) Wood, in 1850, and died in 1909. Joseph Woods was born at Lebanon, Ohio, and his wife, Rosanna Fife, in Wilmington. They were of Irish descent and died when their son, James F., was a mere lad. They were farmers by occupation and early settlers in Clinton county and were members of the Presbyterian church. Rosanna Fife was the daughter of James Fife, who immigrated to America from Tyrone, Ireland, at an early date and settled in Clinton county. He became one of the foremost citizens of the county and founded the first bank in Wilmington, now called the First National Bank. A large picture of him now hangs in the bank and a more extended mention of his life and work will be found in the chapter of this history relating to banks and banking. James F. Woods, the father of Robert Edward Woods, grew up in the home of his uncle, Silas Woods, and at the home of his grandfather, James Fife. As a boy he did farm work and for several years was a partner with Matt Fife in the dry-goods business in Wilmington. He then taught bookkeeping in Nelson's Business College for a few years, (having been a student in Wilmington College), and subsequently purchased a farm in CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 787 Union township, which he presently sold and purchased one hundred and seventy acres in Washington township, where he lived until the time of his retirement from the active duties of the farm. Since the death of his wife in 1909, he has made his home with his children. He is a Republican and has been a deacon in the Baptist church for many years and has also been treasurer of the same for thirty years, during all of these years having been a regular attendant. To James F. and Mary L. Woods three children were born, namely : Mary Rosanna, who married 0. C. Lacy, of Springfield, Ohio; Robert E., the subject of this sketch, and Joseph S., who is a mechanic and lives at Wilmington. The maternal grandparents of Robert E. Woods were Robert and Mary (Hughes) Woods, the former of whom was born in Frederick county, Virginia, June 14, 1812, son of Isaac Wood, a Virginian, born in 1770, who lived to be ninety-three years old, and the latter, in Union township, this county, the daughter of Judge Jesse Hughes, a native of Kentucky, who was one of the first judges of the court in Clinton county. They were the parents of six, children: Jesse, Nathan S., Lydia (deceased), John William, Isaac, and Mary Lavinia. Robert Wood was a farmer of Union township, who retired late in life and moved to Wilmington, where he died in 1902, at the age of ninety, his wife having preceded him to the grave in 1881, in her sixty-sixth year. Both were members of the Baptist church, and for many years were active in good works in the community in which they lived. Robert Edward Woods received a good education in the public schools of Union township and in the Wilmington high school, from, which he was graduated in 1892. Upon returning to his father's farm, he was married, and took charge of the farm. In 1908 he purchased his father's Union township farm of one hundred and twelve acres,, but four years later sold it to the Buckley brothers and moved to Wilmington, from which place he directed the operations on his father's Washington township farm. In 1913 he purchased the Anna Sharp farm of fifty-one acres in Union township, situated northwest of Wilmington. Upon this farm he built a modern house in 1913 and there he now makes his home. He also farms one hundred and seventy acres for his father in Washington township, and raises large type Poland China hogs and a few cattle, most of his profit coming from raising and feeding hogs. On September 9, 1896, Robert E. Woods was married to Ada B. McMillan, who was born in Chester township, this county, on December 10, 1877, the daughter of Shipley and Sarah (Lacy) McMillan. Shipley McMillan was the son of Newton McMillan, the second son of William and Deborah McMillan, who immigrated from York county, Pennsylvania, to Clinton county. William McMillan was a 'native of Scotland and his dife, Deborah,, was a native of Wales. On first coming. to Clinton county, Newton McMillan, settled on the sixty-acre farm later owned by Duane D. Smith. Sarah Lacy was the daughter of Joshua and Ruth C. (Bankson) Lacy, who were married on March 12, 1850., Joshua: Lacy was born on November 24, 1827, in Clinton county, the son of Enos L. and. Sarah (Wright) Lacy, the former a native of Virginia and the latter a native of Ohio, both of English descent, who located in Clinton county about 1816. Ruth C. Bankson was a native of Highland county, Ohio, and the daughter of William Bankson, a native of England. Shipley. McMillan died on January 11, 1914, at the age of sixty-nine years, and his widow is living with her father, Joshua Lacy, in Wilmington. To Robert E. and Ada B. (McMillan) Woods three children have been born, Edith, born on May 30, 1900; Harold Edward, May 4, 1905, who died on February 19, 1906, and Mary Ruth, September 9, 1906. Robert Edward Woods is a Republican and served as township trustee for one term and as school director for fourteen years. Mr. and Mrs. Woods belong to the Baptist' church at Wilmington, and he is a member of the Masonic fraternity. Few young men living in Clinton county are more highly respected than Robert E. Woods, and few more thoroughly deserve the confidence of their neighbors and fellow citizens than he. 788 - CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO FRANCIS H. PYLE. Various members of the Pyle family have long been prominent in the history of Clinton county. The late Francis H. Pyle, who was a successful farmer of Adams township, where he owned one hundred and ninety-four acres of land, was a well-known stockman, whose father was trustee of Adams township for three years; a director of the Goshen, Wilmington & Columbus turnpike and a member of the Clinton county board of agriculture. Francis H. Pyle spent practically all of his life in Clinton county, and was always engaged in farming. Francis H. Pyle, a native of Wayne township, was born on July 10, 1844, and died on October 28, 1907. He wa the son of Samuel and Isabel W. (Austin) Pyle, the former of whom was born on July 22, 1812, and died on July 1, 1887. The Pyles came originally from North Carolina, Samuel Pyle's father, William, having been born there on March 11, 1788. About 1824 William Pyle built the Clarksville grist-mill, which he operated for about a quarter of a century. In 1869 he went to live with his son, William L. Pyle, at Indianapolis, and about six years afterwards, while on a visit to his old home in Clinton county, was taken severely ill and died on July 20, 1875, in his eighty-eighth year. William Pyle, who was the son of John and Ruth Pyle, was first married to Mary Hadley, who was born on July 17, 1792, and who died on February 7, 1848. Later he married Abigail Hadley, who died in 1853, after which he married Lydia (Hazard) Smith. William and Hary (Hadley) Pyle were the parents of nine children, among whom was Samuel, the father of the late Francis H. Pyle. Samuel Pyle was married on July 6, 1837, to' Isabel W. Austin, who was born on July 1, 1817, and who died on April 25, 1856. She was the daughter of Thomas and Eleanor Ann (McDaniels) Austin, the former of whom was born on August 2, 1777, and the latter on May 13, 1784. Eleanor Ann McDaniels was the daughter of William and Priscilla Ann McDaniels, the former born in June, 1754, and the latter on April 16, 1764. -After the death of his first wife, in 1856, Samuel Pyle married, secondly, February 25, 1858, Mrs. Harriet S. McMillan, widow of Milton McMillan, who was born on January 13, 1816, and who died on January 12, 1883. Samuel Pyle was the father of eight children, namely: Anna Eliza, born on April 21,' 1838; Emily C., October 14, 1839; Amanda M., July 29, 1842; Francis H., July 10, 1844; Melissa J., September 3, 1846; Thomas William, September 5, 1848; Alfred C., October 12, 1850; and Arthur W., October 23, 1853. The late Francis H. Pyle received his education in the schools of Adams township and farmed all of his life in the same township, where he owned one hundred and ninety-four acres of land. He was married on December 10, 1867, to Lizzie Hadley, who died on September 22, 1868, less than one year after their marriage. On January 11, 1877, he married, secondly, Lydia E. Osborn, daughter of Charles and Elizabeth (Fulghum) Osborn, who was born on October 13, 1854, and who died on May 21, 1913. Francis H. Pyle was the father of four children. Samuel C. Pyle, the eldest son of Francis H. Pyle, was born on September 7, 1878, and married Bessie J. Winfield on December 31, 1906, to which union three children have been born, Francis H., born on November 21, 1907; Lloyd W., June 4, 1910, and Lawrence D., August 31, 1912. Ethel D. Pyle, the second child of Francis H. Pyle, was born on January 11, 1880, and on February 21, 1906, married Alonzo E. Carson, who was born on August 19, 1871, to which union two children have been born, Eleanor L., born on November 10, 1906, and Joseph P., March 2, 1910. Myrtle E. Pyle, the third child, was born on May 13, 1881a Earl F., the fourth child, was born on August 18, 1884, and on February 28, 1906, married Mildred C. Hooton, who was born on December 6, 1885, to which union five children have been born: Myron 0., born on January 18, 1907; Mallard T., October 24, 1908; Henry S., August 23, 1910, who died on September 8, 1913; Edwin A., September 17, 1912, and Frank L., June 20, 1915. CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 789 Earl F. and Myrtle E. Pyle live on the old home farm of two hundred and forty-six acres and are engaged in general farming and stock raising. They have a dairy and keep thoroughbred Jersey cattle, making breeding a specialty. This worthy brother and sister are warranted in a .just measure of pride which they take in the ancestry of the Pyle family. J. OSCAR VILLARS. Among the oldest families in Clinton county, Ohio, are the Villars, whose ancestral home was established in this county early in the last century, when James Villars, the great-grandfather of J. Oscar Villars, the subject of this sketch, emigrated from Greene county, Pennsylvania. For a little more than a century, therefore, the family has been established in Clinton county, and the late generations of the family, especially, have been prominent in the educational life of this section of Ohio. The healthful growth of this family is due in part, no doubt, to the high standard of morality and of Christian living which the various generations have maintained. Several members of the family have enjoyed a college education. Others have been leading farmers and stockmen, but almost without exception, they have been prominent in the religious life of the county. J. Oscar Villars, who represents the fourth generation of the Villars family in Clinton county, was barn near Clarksville, in this county, July 3, 1873, and is the son of John. W. and Kezia (Penquite) Villars, the former of whom was born, October 3, 1833, in Vernon township, Clinton county, Ohio, and died on September 20, 1885, and the latter of whom was born in 1835, in Washington township, Warren county. Ohio, and who died on December 25, 1877. Mr. Villars' paternal grandparents were James and Frances (Gregg) Villars, the former of whom was born on •October 28, 1800, and when six years of age accompanied his father, James Villars, to Ohio, from Greene county, Pennsylvania. The family had come from Virginia originally. In 1813 James Villars came with his family to Clinton county, and purchased a farm in what is now known as Vernon township. His son, James, finally owned sixteen hundred acres of land in Clinton county, and divided his time between farming and preaching. The pioneer preacher was called a circuit rider, and James Villars was a circuit rider, or itinerant preacher, in the Methodist Protestant church, and founded Villars chapel, in Vernon township, in 1868. This church was not essentially sectarian, but was dedicated to the use of any Christian religion. James Villars, before the formation of the Republican party, was a Whig, but afterwards identified himself with the party of Lincoln. He and his wife had twelve children. Mr. Villars' maternal grandfather, William Penquite, was an early settler in the eastern part of Warren county, Ohio. The Penquites came from Cornwall, England, where they were living as early as 1600. The earliest history of the family, in America, begins with that of Mary Penquite, who was born on October 25, 1719, and died on July 31, 181.8. Her son, William, was barn on August 16, 1756, and died on March 28, 1839. His son, William, was born on September 30, 1786, and died on September 20, 1865. His daughter, Kezia, was the mother of J. Oscar Villars. The late John William Villars, son of James Villars, grew up on his father's farm in Vernon township, and attended Yellow Springs College. During the Civil War he was the captain of a company of "squirrel hunters." He was given a farm by his father and later purchased additional acreage, living one mile east of Clarksville, Ohio, where he owned three hundred and thirty-three acres. This was his home at the time of his death. Like his father before him, he was an ardent Republican. His wife was a member of the so-called Campbellite church, better known today as the Christian church. Mrs. Kezia (Penquite) Villars, the mother of J. Oscar, died when he was four years old, leaving four sons and one daughter. The daughter, Jennie, died the following summer, 790 - CLINTON COUNTY. OHIO. but the four boys are yet living. William, the eldest, lives near Clarksville, in Warren county; Horace Finley, in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Charles Edwin, in Chicago, Illinois. The father died when J. Oscar was twelve years old, after which he lived with his brother, William, in Warren county, Ohio. During this period he attended the public schools of Clarksville, subsequently entering Wilmington College, where he was a student for four years, graduating in 1894. In Wilmington College he won a fellowship to Haverford College, and the next year after his graduation from Wilmington College was a student at Haverford, where he received his Master degree in 1895. Mr. Villars, upon his graduation from Haverford, taught in the Wilmington high school for three years, and then taught ten years in the Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades, near Philadelphia. For six years he was instructor, in mechanical drawing and for six years he was assistant superintendent of this school endowed with one million, five hundred thousand dollars by the late Isaiah V. Williamson, of Philadelphia. After this he migrated to Montana, where he remained three years, at Great Falls. After the death of his father-in-law, he returned to Wilmington, since which he has been teaching and attending to business interests. He and his family belong to the Methodist Episcopal church and, fraternally, he is a member of the Masonic lodge and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He lives on Xenia avenue, in Wilmington. On August 11, 1897, J. Oscar Villars was married to Lula Cecilia Statler, who was born in Vernon township, this county, August 28, 1875, the daughter of George Henry and Mary M. (McCray) Statler, the former of whom is deceased. The latter lives in Wilmington. Professor and Mrs. Villars have two sons, Donald Statler, born on December 21, 1900, and Roger Merrill, October 3, 1904. Of Mrs. Villars' parentage, it may be said that her father, George Henry Statler, was born near Little East fork, in Vernon township, this county, on June 10, 1849, and died in Wilmington on September 20, 1912. The Statler family were all members of the Methodist Episcopal church and stanch Republicans. George Henry Statler was the son of Samuel and Mary (Harris) Statler, the former of whom was born in Loudon county, Virginia, December 25, 1799, and died On April 12, 1868. The latter was born in the same county in Virginia, September 18, 1803, and died on September 15, 1884. John Statler, the father of Samuel, was a native of Germany, who emigrated to Virginia and became a planter and slave-holder. He enlisted and served in the patriot army during •the Revolutionary War and, with his two brothers, was discharged where Washington City now stands and afterward purchased one thousand acres of land in Clinton county, Ohio, for the benefit of his three children. Samuel. Statler, grandfather of Mrs. Villars, grew up in Virginia and spoke no language save the German until he was eight years of age.. At the age of nineteen he came to Ohio, and made his home with his brother-in-law, Dr. Asael Tribbey. He soon erected a cabin on the land his father had purchased, and, as he was a man of ability and thrift, soon enjoyed great prosperity. He died in 1868, leaving his nine children very well circumstanced. Mrs. Mary (Harris) Statler, grandmother of Mrs. Villars, was the daughter of James and Mary (Cherry.) Harris, both of whom came from Loudoun county, Virginia, and were of Welsh descent. In 1806 James Harris located in Vernon township, where he became a wealthy farmer. As a member of the Whig party, he served in the state Legislature of Ohio. He and his wife came to this county at a time when there were no roads hereabout, but only "blazed" trails. The late George Henry Statler was the youngest of nine children, of whom only four are living. Of his father's estate, he inherited the, homestead house, which was built in 1860, together with about two hundred acres of land, which now belongs to his daughter, Mrs. Villars. He lived upon the farm until 1904, at which time he retired and moved to CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 791 Wilmington, where his last days were spent. He was a strong Republican, quiet and retiring in his home life; a man of even temperament, good business ability, thrifty and prosperous. On September 11, 1873, George Henry Statler was married to Mary Melissa McCray, who was born in Warren county, this state, near Clarksville, on February 16, 1853, and who is still living in Wilmington. She is the daughter of Samuel C. and Sarah Elizabeth (Humphreys) McCray, the former of whom was born in Salem township, Warren county, February 14, 1831, and died on June 21, 1909, and the latter of whom was born in the same county on May 28, 1836, and died on September 9, 1906. Samuel C. McCray was the son of Daniel and Harriett. (Skinner) McCray, both natives of Loudon county, Virginia, very early settlers of Warren county, this state. They were farmers and members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Harriett (Skinner) McCray was the daughter of a colonel of Virginia troops, who served during the Revolutionary War. Elizabeth (Humphreys) McCray's parents were James and Elizabeth (Lange) Humphreys, the former of whom was born in New Jersey and the latter, on the ocean en route to America from Germany. James Humphreys was a "bound boy" to Colonel Rose, who lived in New Jersey and was a soldier during the Revolutionary War. He later married Colonel Rose's daughter and after her death, married Elizabeth Lange and came on horseback to Ohio, where he purchased a farm in Warren county and became well to do. He died in 1893 at an advanced age. Samuel C. McCray was a farmer and respected for his honest dealings. During his latter years, broken in health, he lived with a son in Cincinnati, where he died in 1909. The late George Henry and Melissa (McCray) Statler had only two children, Maude Marie, who was born on June 17, 1874, and Lula Cecilia, the wife of Professor Villars. The present generation can never repay those old heroes of a past century who blazed the trails through the wilderness, established homes, cleared the forest, and reared children to honorable and useful lives. It was their work which has made this country the. richest on earth and the inestimable heritage of the present generation is the result of their labors. The ancestors of both Professor and Mrs. Villars had a large part in the great work of pioneer development, especially in Clinton county. JAMES W. CHANNEL. James W. Channel, of Melvin, this county, is one of the best-known citizens of Richland township. He is a prosperous merchant and farmer, and was born on April 15, ,1866, at Morrisville, this county, son of John H. and Sarah (Custis) Channel, natives of North Carolina, and of Richland township, this county, respectively. Sarah Custis was a daughter of William H. Custis, a farmer of Clinton county, who owned two hundred acres of land, and who was a prominent member of the Friends church at Sabina. John H. Channel was educated in the common schools, of Clinton county, having come to Ohio with his parents when quite young. As a young. man he taught schools in different parts of the county, and for many years was active in politics. He was also a leader in the affairs of the Christian church in his community. During the last twenty years of his life he was in business at Sabina, conducting a clothing and drug store. Fraternally, he was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. To John H. and Sarah (Custis) Channel were born six children, Arminda, Mary, James W., Lucy, Emma and Gertrude, all of whom are living save Lucy and Arminda, the .last named dying at the age of twenty-one years. Mary is the wife of George Manmeisel, of Sabina. Lucy is the wife of Dr., William Burnett, of Sabina. Emma is the wife of. N. B. Tharp, of Columbus, Ohio, and Gertrude, who is unmarried, has been principal of the East End school at Washington. C. H. for twelve years. John H. Channel died in March, 1880, and his widow ,is still living in Washington township. James W. Channel received his education in the common schools of this county, 792 - CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO. having attended school principally at Sabina. On January 5, 1888, he was united in marriage to Laura Pavey, who was born in this county, the daughter of John Pavey, a well-known farmer, who was prominent in the affairs of the Methodist Episcopal church. To this union two children have been born, Walter and Roxie, both of whom are living at home with their parents. After his marriage, Mr. Channel located on his father-in-law's farm, where he remained two years. In 1891 he moved to Melvin and has lived in that pleasant village ever since. He was first engaged in the general mercantile business, but afterward built the elevator there, and is now its proprietor. He also established a tile-mill at Melvin, and operated that mill for five years. When the Baltimore & Ohio railroad was built, Mr. Channel was the telegraph operator at Melvin, and was also station agent for the Pennsylvania Railway Company at that place fore twelve years. Mr. Channel is the owner of sixty-two acres of land in Richland township. He is a member of the Methodist Protestant church and a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. CLINTON MADDEN. Clinton Madden, the present popular cashier of the Farmers National Bank at Clarksville, this county, was born in Wilson township, this county, on July 6, 1867, the son of Cyrus W. and Jane (McCray) Madden, the former a native of the same county, born in Adams township, on Sepember 22, 1822, and the latter in Warren county, this state, on February 25, 1828. Cyrus W. Madden was the son of Solomon and Ruth (Robbins) Madden, natives of North Carolina, and pioneers of Adams township. Solomon Madden was the son of George Madden; who served as a soldier in the patriot army during the Revolutionary War, and who came to North Carolina to this part of Ohio very soon after this region was opened to settlement. Jane McCray was the daughter of Christy and Nancy (Tifton) McCray, the former a native of Virginia, who died in Warren county, this state, in 1839, his widow surviving him for thirty-one years, her death occurring in 1870. Cyrus W. Madden was twice married, his first wife having been Lydia Eleanor Brown, to which union two children were born, Mrs. Mary E. McPherson, of Springfield, Ohio, and Mrs. Lydia E. Crawford, of Marion, Indiana. His second wife, the mother of the subject of this sketch, died in May, 1899. The children born of this second marriage were six in number, namely : A. D. Madden, who was a contractor, builder and lumber dealer at Clarksville, this county, and who died in June, 1914; Nannie, who died in 1902; Addie, a teacher in the public schools. of Morrow, Ohio ; W. H., of Waynesville, Ohio; Clinton, the subject of this sketch; and T. C., of North Lewisburg, Champaign county, Ohio. Cyrus W. Madden and his wife were members of the Friends church and their children were reared in that faith. He was a blacksmith and farmer, of Adams and Wilson townships, and died in Warren county in 1877. Clinton Madden attended the public schools of Washington township, Warren county, and upon completing the course there prescribed extended his studies at the Lebanon Normal and at Wilmington College, after which, for nearly eighteen years, he performed excellent service as a teacher in the public schools. In April, 1906, he was made cashier of the Farmers National Bank at Clarksville, a position which he still holds, and which he has filled with credit to himself and to his employers. On December 10, 1908, Clinton Madden was united in marriage to Nellie Cockerill, of Wilmington, this county, daughter of James Cockerill, deceased, a former resident of Fayette county. No children have been born to this union. Mr. Madden is a Republican, as was his father. Both he and Mrs. Madden are members of the Friends church, and for years have taken a vital interest in its work and worship. They occupy no small place in the social life of the community, as they CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 793 have made and retained many warm personal friends. Mr. Madden is genial and friendly, and while he is a good business man, he does not allow business to absorb all of his interest and time. He believes in taking time to live, and in keeping in touch with the questions and movements which are occupying a large share of the world's thought. He is a faithful worker, having at heart the best interests of his employers, and as a business man, it might be said that his life is an exemplification of the words of a recent writer who said that "Those who will work faithfully will put themselves in possession of, a glorious and enlarging happiness." STEPHEN C. BROWN. Listed among the progressive farmers of Liberty township, this county, Stephen C. Brown operates a splendid farm of ninety-three acres and his home is equipped with all of the conveniences available now in the country. He was born in Lucas county, Ohio, on September 29, 1881, the son of Edmund G. and Jessie (Cowdery) Brown. Edmund G. Brown was born in Dayton, Ohio, on April 30, 1855, and his wife was born in Union City, Indiana, the daughter of Diah Cowdery, who for many years was a dentist of Union City. The paternal grandfather of Stephen C. Brown was Henry L. Brown, Who was a merchant at Dayton, Ohio, and who had a large store in what is now the center of Dayton. He was a leader in the Presbyterian church and a man of considerable wealth. Edmund G. Brown, the father of Stephen C., is a farmer in Lucas county, Ohio, and owns eighty acres of land. He and his wife are members of the Christian church of Dayton, Ohio, and prominent in its activities. Nine children have been born to Edmund G. and Jessie (Cowdery) Brown, L. E., Eva C., Stephen C., Blossom, Charles, Jessie, Telfair, Henry and Sidney, all of whom are living. Stephen C. Brown was educated in the public schools of Ohio and on September 19, 1904, was married to Nettie Shrack, who was a student at Wilmington College during 1903 and 1904. She is the daughter of J. H. and Olive (Carroll) Shrack, farmers of Liberty township, this county, and members of the Baptist church. To Mr. and Mrs. Brown five children have been born, Edith M., Stephen, Jr., Olive Carroll, Edmund H. and Pauline S. Mr. Brown has lately remodeled his house, and in 1914 built a barn. He has equipped the house with bath, furnace and all other modern conveniences, and he and his family are delightfully situated. Mr. and Mrs. Brown are members of the Baptist church at Wilmington, and Mr. Brown is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. ALPHEUS A. HITE. Alpheus A. Hite, a well-known farmer of Liberty township, this county, was born on June 8, 1866, in Greene county, Ohio, the son of W. M. and Sarah (Dalby) Hite, the former of whom was born in Xenia, Ohio, on January 14, 1840, and the latter in Greene county, the daughter of Jesse Dalby, a prominent farmer and member of the Baptist church, in that county. W. M. Hite was the son of Andrew Hite, a native of Ohio, and the father of six children, John (deceased), Albert A., C. M., Catherine, Elizabeth (deceased) and W. M., the father of Alpheus A. These children located near each other in Greene county and a road in the neighborhood was named the Hite road. Andrew Hite was a pioneer farmer in Greene county and owned one hundred and thirty acres of land. He was a local minister in the Baptist church. W. M. Hite, who died in November, 1912, was a farmer and stockman and for forty years shipped stock to Pittsburgh, Baltimore and other eastern points. He owned two hundred acres of -land and was known as a successful farmer. He served as trustee in Greene county a number of terms before coming to Clinton county, fifteen years before 794 - CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO. his death. His widow is now living in Port William, this county. They were the parents of six children, Emma (deceased), Alpheus A., Charles, Maude, Oscar and Myrtle L. Educated in the district schools, Alpheus A. Hite has always been engaged in farming. He was married on July 7, 1887, to Alice Thornhill, who was born in Greene county, the daughter of Malory and Thompsey (Bolden) Thornhill, who were farmers and members of the German Baptist church. To this union two children have been born, Pearl and Lola. Pearl Hite married Alfred Kiphart, a street car conductor of Richmond, Indiana, and has one child, Donald. Lola Hite married James Mason, of Greene county, Ohio, and has one child, Winona E. Mr. and Mrs. Hite own a farm of eighty-six and one-half acres, which they purchased in March, 1913. They are members of the German Baptist church at Carlisle. LUTHER G. BAILEY. Luther G. Bailey, an enterprising farmer of Liberty township, this county, living on rural route No. 2, out of Wilmington, was born on September 3, 1872, in Liberty township, the son of Josiah and Sidnie (McPherson) Bailey, the former of whom, was born in 1842 in Liberty township, this county, and the latter in Highland county, Ohio, daughter of John and Mariah (Bonsell) McPherson, who were residents of Highland county and members of the Friends church. Josiah Bailey was the son of George and Lydia (Shields) Bailey, the former a native of Liberty township, who were the parents of four children, Enos, Anna, William and Josiah. George Bailey was an early farmer in this community and was a prominent member of the Friends church. Josiah Bailey was educated in the common schools and was engaged in farming all his life. He was a prominent member of the Friends church and died in February, 1913. He and his wife were the parents of three children, namely: Luther G., the subject of this sketch; Luella, who married George Mills, of Waynesville, Ohio, and Eva, deceased. Luther G. Bailey received a common school education in the public schools of Liberty township and early in life took up farming. He now owns a farm of one hundred and twenty-four acres and is profitably engaged in general farming, and stock-raising. Mr. Bailey was married to Almira Hunnicutt, who was born in Clinton county, the daughter of David and Martha (Ross) Hunnicutt, farmers of Liberty township, both now deceased, and to this union two children have been born, Atha Virginia and Alson H. Mr. and Mrs. Bailey are members of the Friends church at Dover and regular attendants at the services of the same. They have many friends in their neighborhood and are held in high regard by all. CHARLES LINKHART Charles Linkhart is a progressive farmer of Liberty township, this county, who lives on a well-kept farm with his mother. Mr. Linkhart was born on February 1, 1880, in Liberty township, on the farm where he now lives, the son of George W. and Mary C. (Anderson) Linkhart, the former of whom was born on April 15, 1843, in Liberty township, and the latter in Greene county, Ohio. Mary C. Anderson, was first married to James Linkhart, a brother of her second husband, to which union there were born six children, Albert,Louisa, Laura, Frank, Emma and Anna. George W. Linkhart was the son of Thomas and Ellen (Fisher) Linkhart, natives of Virginia, who were married in that state and had one child, Joseph, before they came to Ohio. Upon locating in Clinton county, where they spent the rest of their lives, they entered one hundred and eighty-five acres of land, of which tract their grandson, Charles, now owns one hundred and five acres. They were members of the Methodist church, and Thomas Linkhart was an active• man in his community. He and his wife were the parents of six children, Joseph, Dorothy, Thomas, Eleanor, George W. and James. CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 795 George W. Linkhart was educated in the common schools of Liberty township and was engaged in farming during his entire life. He owned about three hundred acres of land in Liberty township and was a general farmer. Although a man active in public affairs, he was a man of strong domestic inclination and spent most of his time in his home. He and his wife were the parents of two children, Katie A. and Charles, the subject of this sketch. Katie A. married H. B. Ellis, a farmer of Liberty township, and has one child, Orville. George W. Linkhart died on September 11, 1908, and his widow is now living on the home farm with her son, Charles. Educated in the district schools of Liberty township, Charles Linkhart was reared on the farm and was married on November 28, 1910, to Lela Oglesbee, daughter of Solomon and Sabina (Middleton) Oglesbee, the latter of whom was the daughter of James Middleton, a native of Greene county, Ohio, a farmer by occupation and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Solomon Oglesbee was the son of Amos and Anna (Huffman) Oglesbee, the former of whom was born in Virginia in 1810 and came to Ohio in 1817. Three years later he located in Clinton county and here he spent the remainder of his life. His wife was born in 1814 in Virginia and came to Ohio with her parents soon after the War of 1812. Amos Oglesbee died on December 31, 1851, and his widow on June 25, 1875. Besides Mrs. Linkhart, Solomon and Sabina Oglesbee had seven other children, James, who died at the age of forty-seven, Hattie, Nettie, Alice, Allie, Arthur and Carrie. Mr. and Mrs. Linkhart have no children. Mr. Linkhart owns one hundred and five acres of the old farm, but cultivates in all two hundred and twenty-five acres. He is a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles of Wilmington. HOWARD F. McKAY. Howard F. McKay is a prosperous and well-known young farmer and teacher of Liberty township, Clinton county, Ohio. By birth and by marriage, he is connected with several of the very oldest families of this county and, being a young man of far more than ordinary ability; he is expected to take his place as a leader in this community. Howard F. McKay was born on January 15, 1891, in Liberty township, this county, the son of Jacob B. and Priscilla (Haines) McKay, the former of whom was born on March 14, 1859, in Liberty township, and the latter on July 13, 1860, the daughter of Eber and Mary (Mendenhall) Haines. Eber Haines was a well-known minister in the Friends church for a long period, a farmer by occupation and was born in Greene county, Ohio. The paternal grandparents of Howard F. McKay were William Franklin and Elizabeth (Peterson) McKay. The former was born on January 12, 1833, in Chester township, and in 1856 was married to Elizabeth Peterson. They located in Liberty township and became the owners of three hundred and fifty acres of land and a desirable country home. They were the parents of six children, Azel P. (deceased), Jacob B., George E., Ulysses G., Arthur F. and Beatrice A. The paternal great-grandparents of Mr. McKay were George Wesley and Mary (Fergueson) McKay, natives of Virginia, who moved to Ohio after their marriage. George Wesley McKay died in 1850, and his widow in 1878. All of their ten children grew to maturity. George Wesley McKay, who was born in 1800, was the son of Moses McKay, who was born in Virginia about 1776. He remained in Virginia until about 1818, when he and his wife and eleven children came to Ohio, leaving one son in Virginia. They settled in Warren county, where he became a land owner and remained until his death, about seven years after locating. His wife died about the same time. George Wesley McKay and wife had eight children, of whom two, George and Lucinda, are living, the deceased children being Tilman, Samuel, William Franklin, Alfred, Mary Massie and Jane. Mr. and. Mrs. Jacob B. McKay, the parents of Howard F., are at present living in Wilmington, at 502 North Walnut street. Mrs. Jacob B. McKay is a member of the 796 - CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO. Friends church. The family owns land in Union township and also property in Wilmington. Jacob B. McKay was formerly a member of the board of education in Liberty township. He moved to Wilmington in December, 1909. To him and his wife have been born four children, E. Harold and Howard F. (twins), Mary Elba and Maynard J. E. Harold McKay married Ila Haworth and lives in the Dover neighborhood of Union township. Howard F. McKay was born and reared on the farm and was educated in the common schools of Clinton county and at the Port William high school. After graduating from the Port William high school he entered Wilmington College, from which he was graduated in 1910, and having won a scholarship there he attended Haverford College during 1910 and was graduated from this latter institution in 1911. On January 24, 1914, Mr. McKay was united in marriage to Edith Starbuck, who was born in Union township, this county, on November 22, 1890, the daughter of William A. and Mary Anna (Bailey) Starbuck, and who was graduated from Wilmington College with the class of 1911. William A. Starbuck is a farmer of Union township and a member of the Friends church. He is prominent in the Friends yearly meeting and in the Sunday school, of which he is superintendent. For some time he has been an officer and director of the Clinton Mutual Insurance Company. For several years he served as assessor of Union township. On August 26, 1915, a son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Howard McKay, and was named Robert Franklin McKay. Mr. and Mrs, Howard F. McKay are members of the Friends church and they take a great interest in church work. Mr. McKay was formerly in charge of the teachers' training class in the Chester Sunday school and is now (1915) superintendent. He is also mastre of the Mt. Pleasant Grange in Liberty township. Mr. McKay and his twin brother, E. Harold McKay, have a farm of eighty-one acres in Liberty township, which their father formerly owned. He has taught high school for four years, the first two years at Bradford, Ohio, and the last two years at the Mt. Pleasant school. HUGH E. TERRELL. Hugh E. Terrell, a representative of one of Clinton county's prominent families and a well-known stockman of Wayne township, is descended through his grandmother, Eliza (Bernard) Evans, from Pocahontas, daughter of the Indian chief, Powhatan, who married John Rolfe, of Varnia, Virginia, April 5, 1613 or 1614. Grandmother Evans was a representative of the seventh generation in direct descent from Pocahontas and John Rolfe. Hugh E. Terrell not only owns a splendid farm in Wayne township, but he is a well-known stock breeder, who raises standard-bred horses, and who has been raising Shorthorn cattle for twenty years. Prominent in the educational circles of his township, he is a member of the Wayne township school board and has striven earnestly as a member of that board to increase the efficiency of the public schools and to raise their standard of excellence. Hugh E. Terrell was born on November 19, 1848, on "Woodlawn Farm," in Wayne township, this county, the son of David A. and Mary J. (Evans) Terrell. His father was born about one mile south of Highland in Highland county, Ohio, on December 5, 1820, and died in April, 1909. His mother was born near Hillsboro, in Highland county, the daughter of Hugh and Eliza (Bernard) Evans. The line of descent from Pocahontas and John Rolfe to Eliza (Bernard) Evans is as follows: Pocahontas and John Rolfe were married in 1613 or 1614, there being some doubt as to the exact date, and they had one son, Thomas Rolfe. (1) Thomas Rolfe married Jane Poythress, and they had one child, a daughter. As is well known to all readers of early colonial history, Jahn Rolfe took his Indian bride to England, where her death occurred a few years later. Her son, Thomas Rolfe was reared in England, but in 1640 returned to Virginia and lived on his property called "Varnia," sixteen miles CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 797 below Richmond, near Henricopolis. Thomas Rolfe and wife had a daughter, Jane, who married Col. Robert Bolling in 1675, the latter of whom was born in 1646, and who died in 1709. The wife of Colonel Bolling lived but one year after her marriage, her death occurring in 1676. She left one child, a son, (3) John Bolling, who afterwards became a colonel in the American army. Col. John Bolling married Mary Kennon, daughter of Doctor Kennon, and with his family lived in his beautiful home on the Appomattox: called the "Cobbs." Col. John Bolling and wife were the parents of six children, one son and five daughters: (4) Major John Bolling, born in 1700, was the father of nineteen children, died in 1757; (4) Jane, 1703, died, 1766, married Col. Richard Randolph, and was the mother of nine children, and the grandmother of Randolph Roanoke, who was of the sixth generation; (4) Mary, 1711, married Col. John Fleming, of Mount Pleasant, who was born in 1697, the son of Charles Fleming and grandson of Sir Thomas Fleming, who, in turn was the son of Sir John Fleming, first earl of Wighton; (4) Elizabeth`, 1709, married Dr. William Gay; (4) Martha, 1713, married Thomas Eldridge, and died October 23, 1749, and Anne, who became the wife of James Murray. Col. John and Mary (Bolling) Fleming were the parents of the following children : (5) Thomas, who was a captain in the Second Virginia Regiment in 1758, and afterwards colonel in the Ninth Regiment of Virginia in the Revolution, married a Miss Randolph, and was killed in the battle of Princeton, January 12, 1777; (5) John, who was a major in the Revolution, was killed at White Plains; William, born on July 6, 1736, married Elizabeth Champe, and during his life filled a number of important judicial positions in his native state of Virginia, died February 15, 1824; (5) Charles, who was captain of the Seventh Virginia, and lieutenant-colonel of the line, and Mary, who became the wife of William Bernard, and was the mother of ten children. The Fleming family was of Flemish descent, one of whom, of high rank, settled in Scotland in the reign of David I. The connection is direct from Sir Malcolm Fleming, sheriff of Dunbarton under Alexander III. This was a singularly distinguished family, friends of Robert Bruce and favorites of successive kings. William Bernard and Mary (Fleming) Bernard were the parents of the following children of whom there is record: (6) John, who was the father of several children, who, after the death of their father, moved to Lynchburg, Virginia ; (6) William, born in 1750, was a lieutenant during the Revolutionary War; (6) Robert, served as a private in the War of Independence under Morgan; (6) Thomas, 1756, married Mary Hicks, and came to Ohio from Virginia in an early day and settled in Highland and Clinton counties; (6) Richard, 1767, who married Polly Walker and from whom is descended the branch of the family to which H. E. Terrell belongs. William Bernard, with his brother, John, emigrated to America from Ireland some time between 1735 and 1740. Col. Charles Fleming, a brother of Mary (Fleming) Bernard, was reimbursed for military service by being given a grant of land in Kentucky comprising fifty-four thousand acres. Richard and Polly (Walker) Bernard, who came to Ohio in September, 1805, from Rockbridge county, Virginia, were the parents of the following children: William P., Joseph, Richard, Eliza and Caroline. It was this Eliza, who married Hugh Evans, who was the grandmother of H. E. Terrell. The Bernards of Clinton county are all descended from Thomas and Mary (Hicks) Bernard. The paternal grandparents of Hugh E. Terrell were Pleasant and Esther (Haines) Terrell, the former of whom, born in Virginia, died in 1837, and the latter of whom died in 1846. Pleasant Terrell came to Highland county, Ohio, from Virginia when only a boy, accompanying his parents, who stopped for a time in Cincinnati. While in that city, he learned the brick mason's trade and after reaching Highland county with his parents, built the first saw-mill and the first grist-mill at Highland. He worked at his trade all of his life, passing away in 1854 or 1855 on the farm. Pleasant and Esther (Haines) Terrell were the parents of six children: John, Israel, David, Mary, Narcissa 798- CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO. and Ruth. The members of this family were connected with -the Society of Friends. Pleasant Terrell was one of a family of eight children, born to his parents, David and Mary (Anthony) Terrell. David Terrell was born near Lynchburg, Virginia, in 1763 and died in 1858. His wife, who before her marriage was Mary Anthony, died in 1858. David and Mary Terrell were the parents of eight children: Pleasant, Christopher, David, Joseph, Mary, Judith, Sarah and Elizabeth. The father of these children served for many years as justice of the peace in Fairfield township and was, therefore, one of the foremost citizens of that section. He was a well-known hunter and spent most of his life in the wilderness. David Terrell, the great-grand-father of Hugh E. Terrell, was the son of David and Sarah (Johnson) Terrell. Sarah Johnson was the first wife of David Terrell but he was subsequently married to Sarah Clark and still later td Martha Johnson. He was the father of nine children. He was the son of David Terrell, who was born in 1675 and died in 1757. The first David Terrell and his wife reared a family of twelve children. He was the son of William Terrell, who was born in 1650 and who came to America at the age of twenty in 1670 with his two brothers. These three brothers were sent to Virginia by King James II as explorers and hunters and, for their services, were granted a large tract of land in Virginia. David A. Terrell, the father of Hugh E. Terrell, received his education in the common schools of Fairfield township, Highland county, Ohio, but his educational advantages were meager. The only reader used in the schools at that time was the Bible. During his early life, while living at home with his father, he did much hauling. After coming of age, he purchased cattle, with his father-in-law, Hugh Evans, and drove them through to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a trip requiring forty days. In some instances, they had three hundred cattle and as many as sixteen hundred head of sheep and thirty-five or forty horses, and it required about thirty-five men to take care of the stock while driving them through the woods. Until 1854 David A. Terrell purchased hogs and drove them to Cincinnati, Ohio. He was a stockman all of his life. At the age of twenty-one years, he had come into possession of two hundred acres of land valued at seven dollars an acre, but later increased his land holdings to one thousand acres. In 1868 he moved back near Highland, where he spent the remainder of his life. There he purchased a part of his grandfather's old farm. To David A. and Mary J. (Evans) Terrell were born seven children, of whom Hugh E., the subject of this sketch, was the eldest, the others being as follow: Anna, who is the wife of Frank Rhodes; Martha, who became the wife of Oregon Bonnie; Cora, who married Henry Bailey, a minister at Tampa, Florida ; Harry, who married Etta Fenner; Imogene, who is unmarried, and Rutherford, who married Hattie Thornburg. All of the members of this family are still living with the exception of Martha. Mrs. Mary J. (Evans) Terrell was a member of the Methodist church. David A. Terrell voted the Republican ticket. Educated in the common schools of Wayne township, and at Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio, Hugh E. Terrell was a partner with his father on the farm, where be now lives, until 1874, since which time he has been farming for himself. On December 23, 1873, Hugh E. Terrell was married to Hattie Finley, who was born on December 29, 1848, and who died on January 28, 1901. She was a daughter of Robert and Jane (Russell) Finley, and at her death left five children: Arthur, who married Mary Seward, and has two children, Hugh and Ruth; Russell, who died at the age of twenty-seven; Frank, who married Dorothy Book, and has one son, Russell; Jane L. and Lillian Esther. The Terrell family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which Mr. Terrell is a trustee. Politically, Hugh is a Republican, and is at present a member of the school board of Wayne township. For the last few years Mr. Terrell's son, Frank, has been a partner with him in the operation of the home farm. CLINTON COUNTY, OHIO - 799 JOHN CLINTON REARDON John Clinton Reardon is a prosperous farmer of Liberty township, who was born in Fayette county, Ohio, October 11, 1863. He is a son of Edward and Catherine (Mitchell) Reardon, both natives of Ireland, the former of whom was born on March 1, 1840. Edward Reardon came to the United States alone and subsequently settled at Washington C. H., Ohio. After his marriage in the latter city, he moved to Clinton county, and now owns six hundred and thirty-six acres of land in this county, located in Wilson, Liberty and Union townships. He lives in Union township and is an active member of the Catholic church at Wilmington. He has also been active in local affairs in his neighborhood', and for many years has been a school director. At one time he served as road superintendent, having been appointed as a Democrat. To Edward and Catherine (Mitchell) Reardon were born eight chidren, of whom Patrick, Catherine, Michael, Johanna and Beatrice are unmarried. Mary, the wife of James Waldron, is a resident of Dayton; Ohio. Margaret, who lives in this county, is the wife of John Keith. John C. is the eldest. John C. Reardon was educated in the common schools of this county, principally in the schools of Wilson township. In 1897 he was married to Sarah Shaw, who was born in Butler county, this state, the daughter of William and Catherine (Cline) Shaw, farmers of that county, and earnest and devoted members of the Catholic church. To this union one child has been born, Teresa Louise, who is now a student in the public schools. John C. Reardon is operating two hundred and thirty acres of land, one hundred and thirty acres of which belongs to his father, but he owns one hundred acres of land just across the road from where he is living. At the present time he is serving as ditch commissioner. He is a Democrat, and he and his family are devout members of the Catholic faith. ROBERT EDGAR HUNT. Robert Edgar Hunt. an enterprising farmer of Liberty township, this county, who owns a splendid-looking home on the Xenia pike, was born on April 15, 1856, in Martinsville, the son of Cyrus and Margaret (Donaldson) Hunt, who were married in 1852. The former was a native of Clinton county and the latter of Ireland, who came to Clinton county with her parents. Her father departed to return to Ireland awl no member of the, famiy has since been able to discover what became of him. Cyrus Hunt was the son of Robert and Ruth (Madden) Hunt, natives of this county, the latter of whom was an aunt of Moses G., Solomon and Rachel Madden, whose biographical sketches, presented elsewhere in this volume, give the history of the Madden family. Robert Hunt was a farmer in Clinton county and was an extensive stock buyer, in an early day having been profitably engaged in driving cattle and hogs to Cincinnati. He was prominent in the pioneer Quaker church of this county and died in 1856 at the age of fifty-five years. Robert and Ruth (Madden) Hunt had ten children, of whom Cyrus, the eldest, was the father of Robert Edgar, the subject of this sketch, the other children being George, Nathan, Henry, Elizabeth, Mary, Edith, Rachel, Ann and Lydia. Cyrus Hunt received a common school education in the public schools of Clinton county and taught school practically all of his life. He became a well-read man and was a natural leader in the community in which he lived. As a member of the Friends church, he was active in religious work and was also active in civic affairs. In the days before the Civil War, he was prominent in the "underground railroad" movement and was one of the leaders in the local anti-slavery agitation of that period. For four years he taught a territorial Indian school in the west and died in Kansas in February, 1898. Cyrus and Margaret (Donaldson) Hunt were the parents of four children, Oliver, Robert Edgar,