700 - KNOX COUNTY, OHIO. class of 1897, after which he entered Adelbert College at Cleveland. In May, 1897, he began the study of law in the offices of Col. W. C. Cooper, of Mt. Vernon, and he was admitted to the bar on examination in December, 1900. Early in 1901 he opened an office in the McDermot building, Mt. Vernon, for the practice of his profession and he has been successfully engaged in the same here ever since, enjoying a large and ever growing clientele and figuring very conspicuously in all the local courts. He practices in all the courts of the state and in the United States district courts. He is known to be an industrious, painstaking, studious attorney, ever vigilant of the interests of his clients. He not only has the reputation of doing things, but of doing them well in June, 1908, he moved his office from the McDermot building to the First National Bank building, where he is now located, having a neat suite of offices, well supplied with up-to-date law books. Politically, Mr. Hosack is a Republican and he maintains a keen interest in public affairs, being well informed on all issues, and in discussions is well able to defend and maintain his position. He very acceptably filled the office of city clerk during 1900 and 1902. Mr. Hosack was one of the promoters of the Citizens Building and Loan Association and he has been its secretary since its organization in 1907. It is regarded as one of the solid and successful financial institutions of Mt. Vernon. On August 21. 1902, Mr. Hosack was united in marriage with N. Lucile Parrott, the accomplished (laughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Benton Parrott, a highly respected family of Mt. Vernon, and this union has resulted in the birth of three children, Elizabeth, Cyrus and Margerite. The family home, at No. 800 East Gambier street, is a pleasant one, in a delipdelightburban section of the city. JAMES L. LEONARD. In the respect that is accorded to men who have fought their own way to success through unfavorable environment we find an unconscious recognition of the intrinsic worth of a character which can not only en-(lure so rough a test, but gain new strength through the discipline. The gentleman to whom the biographer now calls the reader's attention was not favored by inherited wealth or the assistance of influential friends, but KNOX COUNTY, OHIO - 701 in spite of this, by perseverance, industry and. wise economy, he has attained a comfortable station in life, making his influence felt for good in Knox county, where he has long maintained his home, and because of the honorable career he has known here, and also because he has filled worthily positions of public trust, he is eminently worthy of a place in this book. James L. Leonard, the present able and popular city solicitor of Mt. Vernon, was born October 29, 1860, in Columbiana county, Ohio, the son of Abner E. and Rebecca ( Fitzsimmons) Leonard, both parents natives of Columbiana county, Ohio, later in life moving to Coshocton county, this state, locating near Spring Mountain in 1872 and engaged in farming, which he made his life work. The family moved from there to Holmes county, Ohio, in 1889, where the parents spent the remainder of their lives, the father dying in September, 1905, having been preceded to the grave in January of that year by his wife. They were highly respected people and industrious throughout their lives. The son, James L. Leonard, was reared on the farm and he assisted with the general work on the home place when a boy and in the winter months he attended the common schools, later attended Northwestern University at Ada, Ohio, where he made a splendid record and from which institution he was graduated in 1890. with the degree of Bachelor of Science. Before entering the university he had begun teaching, and in order to secure funds to gain a higher education he practiced alternating a year of teaching with one in the. university. While teaching in Millersburg he began reading law in the office of Judge Maxwell & Sharp of that city. The year following he entered the law department of the Ohio State Universitv at Columbus. from which he was graduated in June. 1893, and the same year he opened an office at Mt. Vernon and has been here ever since, having enjoyed a large and gradually increasing clientele and taking a high rank among the attorneys of the county, figuring conspicuously in the local courts for eighteen years. He is regarded as an able, careful. conscientious and energetic lawyer who ever has at heart the interests of his clients and who has remarkable success in the trial of cases. Politically, Mr. Leonard is a Republican and he has ever been loyal to the tenets of his party. He was elected justice of the peace soon after coming to Mt. Vernon and served in this capacity, for eleven years in a manner that reflected much credit upon himself and to the entire satisfaction of all concerned. In the fall of 1810 he was elected citv solicitor and is now serving as such. Fraternally, he belongs to the Masonic order, in which he stands high. 702 - KNOX COUNTY, OHIO. Mr. Leonard was married on January 27, 1904, to Mrs. Ida Sweet Gilinore, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a lady of many winning traits. This union has been without issue. Mr. Leonard is a studious man and is well versed, not only on all matters of the law, but on public, scientific and literary topics, and he is a gentleman of high character and stands well in the community. His pleasant home is at No. 302 South Gay street. ROLLIN R. McINTIRE. The well known Mt. Vernon attorney. Rollin R. Mcntire, is regarded by all classes as one of Knox county's enterprising, progressive, public-spirited citizens, quick to see, to seize, to act and aid in any project that means prosperity and growth to his locality and cherishing a deep interest in all movements for the general good. Pleasant and impressive in address. he is kind. generous, straightforward, genial and companionable. He has achieved an honorable record in his profession, and, in fact, in all circles, being a worthy son of a worthy sire and esteemed for the many qualities that go to make up the inherent and finer qualities of a refined gentleman. Mr. Mcntire was born in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, on March I. 1871, and he is the son of Alfred R. and Helen (Richards) McIntire, the former born in Holmes county, this state, and the mother in Knox county. Grandfather John McIntire came to Knox county th his family when the father of the subject was twelve years of age and became one of the influential pioneers here, engaging in farming on an extensive scale. Grandfather McIntire and grandfather Richards were justices of the peace in adjoining townships for several years and both were able dispensers of justice and well known and popular in their townships. A complete sketch of Alfred R. McIntire and wife, parents of the subject, is to be found on another page in this volume. Rollin R. McIntire was educated in the Mt. Vernon public schools. from which he was graduated with the class of 1887. He then attended the Ohio State University at Columbus one year later entered Oberlin College, where he made a splendid record and from which he was graduated in 1894. Upon leaving college he began traveling for the Mt. Vernon Bridge Company and the Groton Iron Works, continuing successfullv with them for about three years. He also went into the works of the Mt. Vernon Bridge Company and was employed as a workman, in order to learn the KNOX COUNTY, OHIO - 703 business thoroughly. But notwithstanding his excellent start iii the business world, he took up the study of law in 1898 with his father and was admitted to the bar in 1901 and he practiced with his father until the latter's death in 1902. He then formed a partnership with D. B. Grubb, which continued until Mr. Grubb moved to Columbus in 1906 ; since then he has practiced alone. He makes a specialty of abstract work and has done a great deal of abstracting for coal companies in southern Ohio and Kentucky and is widely known as an expert in his line. As an attorney he stands high among his contemporaries at the bar, keeping well advised on all phases of the profession, being accurate, with an analytical mind. well balanced and alwavs actuated with fairness and fidelitv to his duty. Politically, Mr. McIntire is a Republican and he has long been active in public affairs. He has served as a member of the council of Mt. Vernon. also as city solicitor for four years, and in January, 191o, he was elected city clerk, which office he yet holds, giving his usual high grade and commendable service. Mr. Mcntire was married on December 6, 1898, to Laura L. Stone, (laughter of Dan C. and Delilah (Martin) Stone, a highly respected family of Mt. Vernon. the father being the local representative of the Standard Oil Company ; the mother's death occurred in November, 1903. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Mcntire, both of whom are deceased. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church and are both popular with the best society of the city and county. Their neatly arranged and tastily kept home is at No. 505 East Vine street. Personally. Mr. Mcntire has ever been popular with a wide circle of friends and acquaintances and is regarded as one of the worthv native sons of Knox county. OLIVER C. HAGAN. It is the progressive wide-awake men of affairs that makes the real history of a community, and his influence as a potential factor of the body politic is difficult to estimate. The examples such men furnish of patient purpose and steadfast integrity strongly illustrate what is in the power of each to accomplish, and there is always a full measure of satisfaction in adverting, even in a casual way. to their achievements in advancing the interest of their fellow men and in giving strength and solidity to the 704 - KNOX COUNTY, OHIO. institutions which make so much for the prosperity of the community. Such a man is the worthy gentleman whose name forms the caption of this biographical review. and as such it is proper that a resume of his eminently commendable career be accorded a place among the representattive citizens of the citv and county in which he resides. Oliver C. Hagan, well known gas and oil man of Mt. Vernon. was born May 17. 1853, in Clarion county, Pennsylvania. He is the son of William and Mary Jane (Rairden) Hagan, the father a farmer and lumber man, who never became a resident of Ohio. Oliver C. Hagan grew up on the home farm and when old enough assisted with the work there and in the lumber business, attending the district schools in the mean time. When seventeen years of age he became interested in the oil business and first secured employment with operators at Parker's Landing, Pennsylvania. Later he went to northern New York and operated in that locality for some years. In the intervening years up to 1894 he operated in the fields of Pennsylvania, northern New York and West Virginia, gaining a vast amount of information and experience along all the different lines of the business from field man to operator. In 1894 he came into the Ohio field, locating at New Lexington, Perry county, operating in all the counties of that section of the state both as a contractor and oil producer. For about two years he operated independently and met with considerable success. In 1896 he realized the practicabilitv and saw the advisability of co-operation and with this idea he became one of the promoters and organizers of the Ohio Fuel Company as one of the first stockholders and directors of the company. The organization of this company resulted in the consolidation of a number of small companies and individual interests in the southern Ohio oil field, and Mr. Hagan has been actively connected with the management and operation of the companv from its organization and has charge of all the drilling department of the company in its Ohio territory. The company organized with a capital stock of seventeen thousand dollars and with one or two producing wells: today it is capitalized at fifteen million dollars. with over six hundred producing wells and supplies most of the principal cities of southern Ohio with fuel gas. Mr. Hagan is also a stockholder in the United Fuel Company, operating in West Virginia with about three hundred producing gas wells and one hundred and fifty producing oil wells. In 1906 Mr. Hagan became a resident of Mt. Vernon and has since resided here, being nearer the center of the company's field of operations. As superintendent and manager of the producing department of the Ohio Fuel Company, Mr. Hagan has drilled over four hundred KNOX COUNTY, OHIO - 705 wells up to March I, 1911. since coming to Mt. Vernon and fully seventy-five per cent. of these are producing wells, working sometimes as high as twenty-five different drilling outfits and employing only the best expert operators. In May, 1896, the Hagan Drilling Company was organized with Mr. Hagan as president and general manager. operating all over southern Ohio for both gas and oil, and, like the other concerns with which he has been connected, has grown rapidly and been very successful under his able management and judicious counsel. Mr. Hagan is a recognized oil and gas expert and has probably (lone more than any other single individual to develop the Ohio field and he has extensive and valuable holdings. The Ohio Fuel Company has the largest pumping station in the world, located' at Homer, just over the Knox county line in Licking county and this has been largely constructed and equipped (luring Mr. Hagan's management in this field. Mr. Hagan's entire life since he was seventeen years of age has been whollv given to gas and oil development and production and he has a most accurate knowledge of formations and conditions that are likely to produce oil and gas, which makes him a valuable asset in any field. He is an or-. ganizer and promoter by nature, a man of keen discernment, rare business acumen and foresight, being enabled to foresee with remarkable accuracy the future outcome of a present transaction and he ranks with the leading business men of the state. Politically, Mr. Hagan is a Democrat, but has never been active in partv affairs, vet always interested in the welfare of his community and state and has kept well informed on public matters. Fraternally, he is a thirty-second-degree Mason. Personally, he is pleasant, genial. courteous, makes and retains friends without effort, and, being honest and straightforward in his business relations, he has the good will and confidence of all who have conic into contact with him. Mr. Hagan has been twice married, first, on October 12. 1872. at Bolivar. New York, to Catherine Albaugh, daughter of William and Mary Alhaugh. which union resulted in the birth of four children, namelv : Minnie, who married Robert Dailey, of New Lexington. Ohio; Axie Olwilda married John Minesinger. of Granville, Ohio: Luemma Gertrude married Arthur Denman. of Sedan, Kansas: William H.. of Granville, Ohio. The wife and mother passed to her rest on August 12, 189o. Mr. Hagan's second marriage was solemnized on October 12. 1892, to Ocie Oleta Hagerson, daughter of Asa and Elizabeth Hagerson, of Bolivar, New York. This union has been without issue. The familv home, a modern, commodious and beautiful dwell- 706 - KNOX COUNTY, OHIO. ing, is located on East Gambier street, Mt. Vernon, in one of the most desirable sections of the city, and here the manv warm friends of the family frequently delight to gather, finding an old time hospitality and good cheer ever prevailing. MORTIMOR E. LYTLE. The essential conditions of human life are ever the same, the surroundings of individuals differ but slightly, after all and when one man passes another on the highwav of life to reach the goal of prosperity before others who perhaps started out before him, it is because he has the power to use advantages which properly encompass the whole human race. Such thoughts are prompted by a study of the career and characteristics of Mortimor E. Lytle, of Mt. Vernon, Knox county, one of the leading oil and gas experts in the Buckeye state, who has achieved his envied position solely through individual efforts, with manv obstacles against him, but he has surmounted them one bv one and his efforts have been crowned by success. Mr. Lytle was born on August 18, 1855, in Venango county, Pennsylvania, the son of William and Sarah (Fleming) Lytle. The father was born November 25, 1814, and died November 12, 1865 tHe mother's birth occurred on February 14, 1815, and she died March 6, 1898. William Lytle was a carpenter and farmer, a man of sterling character: neither he nor his wife ever lived in Ohio. Mortimor E. Lytle spent his youth in his native county and attended the district schools. When only nine years of age he began work in the oil fields of his neighborhood and at the age of fifteen he was a competent driller. During his youth and young manhood he spent in the oil fields of Pennsylvania and New York, becoming proficient in all the departments of the work, being a keen observer by nature and having an insatiable desire to master all the ins and outs of this special field of endeavor. About 1881 he became interested in gas development and was active in the gas fields. On account of failing health he went to Kansas in 1897 and worked in the gas fields of that state until April, 1900, when he went to Los Angeles, California, and took charge of a lease for the California Oil Company in that section of the state and materially assisted in its development. After a few months with this company he went to San Francisco and took charge of the drilling for an oil company whose fields were located about fourteen miles north of San Francisco. n February, 1901. he returned east and in KNOX COUNTY, OHIO - 707 May of that year located at Martinsville, West Virginia, having found the West Virginia field an excellent one. He there assumed charge of a company's business, both in the field and the distribution in cities, operating largely in West Virginia and southeastern Ohio. He remained with this company until the formation of the Ohio Fuel Supply Company, he being one of the promoters and organizers of the company, which was a combination of a number of small companies operating in the same field. From the organization of this company. Mr. Lytle has been a stockholder and director and actively connected with its operations and management, and it is safe to say that its rapid growth and almost phenomenal success has been due in no small measure to his judicious counsel and able management. Upon the organization of the Ohio Fuel Supply Company, Mr. Lytle moved to Mt. Vernon and assumed charge of the oil and gas field development. The companv operates from Lorain county in the north to Hocking county in the south and has sunk about six hundred and fifty wells, fully eighty per cent. of which are producing wells. Mr. Lytle has spent his entire life in the gas and oil fields and is a recognized expert in the business. His wide, varied and successful experiences make him familiar with every phase of the business and he is now prominent in the affairs of one of the largest producing companies in the oil and gas districts. A man of splendid business capacitv, keen discernment and rare foresight, coupled with fine executive ability, he is a tower of strength in any business concern and his name connected with any enterprise is enough to insure its success. Politically, Mr. Lytle is a Republican, but has never been active in party matters or a seeker after the honors or emoluments of office, vet he believes it the duty of every man to familiarize himself with public questions that he may be an intelligent voter, and he has ever stood ready to support any movement haying as its object the upbuilding of his locality and state. Fraternally, he is a thirty-second-degree Mason, with all the subordinate degrees. The domestic life of Mr. Lytle began on April 24, 1889, when he was united in marriage with Lillian S. Williams, a lady of many estimable traits, being the daughter of a highly honored New England family, Dwilly and Sarah (Brown) Williams. the father being a direct descendant of Roger Williams and the mother of General Mott, both famous colonial characters. Mrs. Lytle is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. To Mr. and Mrs. Lytle three children have been born : Frederick, whose birth occurred on February 20, 189o. was graduated from the Tennessee Military Academy with the class of 1910 and is now a student of 208 - KNOX COUNTY, OHIO. the Ohio State University at Columbus, preparatory to a course in law ; Lillian died in infancy ; Gertrude May. born January 5, 1896, is a student in the Mt. Vernon high school. Mr. Lytle and family are members of the Presbyterian church. Their modern, attractive and commodious home is at No. 501 North Main street. Mr. Lytle is a man of strong personality, genial, sociable, straightforward and honorable in all the relations of life, and a fine type of the successful, virile, sterling, self-made American. SILAS PARR. One of the influential and popular citizens of Mt. Vernon is Silas Parr. to whose career the reader's attention is now directed, who is ranked among the county's substantial business men. A man of upright character and excellent endowments, he has been a valued factor in local affairs and has ever commanded unequivocal confidence and esteem, being loyal to the up-building of this community and deeply interested in the progress of his adopted country and ever vigilant in his efforts to further the interests of this city along material, moral and civic lines. He has succeeded through his own efforts, having started out in life with but little assistance and he is eminently deserving of the rewards that have crowned his efforts. Mr. Parr was born in Devonshire, England, September I, 1848. He is the son of John and Susan (Ware) Parr, both natives of England, where they grew up and were married. The father was a shoemaker by trade and he and his wife remained in their native land until their deaths. Silas Parr remained under his parental roof-tree until he was eighteen years of age, when he emigrated to America on the steamer "City of Dublin," being three weeks on the voyage, meeting the famous steamer, "Great Eastern," on her return trip after laying the first Atlantic cable. Mr. Parr landed at Castle Garden, New York, but he remained there only a few hours, starting almost immediately on the journey to Mt. Vernon, Ohio, this being on election clay, October 9, 1866. General Morgan and Columbus Delano were candidates for Congress, and Mr. Parr obtained his first glimpse of American politics. He started in life here with three dollars capital. He spent one dollar of this for four stamps with which to send letters home and fifty cents for a bed. Before coming to America he had been employed as page in a' wealthy family and had attended school only a short time. There were KNOX COUNTY, OHIO - 709 no free schools in England at that time and his parents were very poor, and from the time he was thirteen years old he had to earn his own living. He could find no employment in Mt. Vernon, so he went to Centerburg, Knox county, and worked as an apprentice on a shoemaker's bench for his board and room during the following winter. n the spring he returned to Mt. Vernon and for six weeks he looked for employment before he found anything to do. He had no money, but a kindly disposed woman took him in and provided him with lodging and board until he could find work. He finally found a place with the Cooper foundry as a riveter's helper at nine dollars per week. But the work was too hard for him to endure and after nine weeks here he gave up the job and began the shoemaker's trade with Thomas Trick, who is still living and working on the bench at the advanced age of eighty-six years. The subject remained with Mr. Trick for four years, when he engaged as a shoemaker with Christ Weaver, who died in 1911, being ninety-two years old. Mr. Parr remained with this gentleman for three years, making boots exclusively, then he purchased a shop of his own in what is now known as the Jones block on \Vest High street. Mr. Parr operated this shop for six years and had business enough to keep three men employed beside himself, making boots and shoes. His next venture in a business way was to open a retail store at No. 110 South Main street, in partnership with Theodore Seymore, under the firm name of Parr & Seymore. which partnership continued about two years. Mr. Parr then located at No. 4 South Main street, buying an entire new stock and without a partner. After spending about two years in this location, he moved across the street on June I. 1892, to No. 3 South Main street, where he has been located ever since, haying built up a large and ever increasing business, always carrying a large, up-to-date and carefully selected stock of goods. n addition to his shoe business, he has been interested in the gas and oil development of Knox county and his investments in this line have been very remunerative, though the shoe business has claimed his exclusive attention. In point of years in business he is the oldest shoe merchant in Mt. Vernon and he is well known throughout the county. Politically. Mr. Parr has always voted the Republican ticket, since he became of mature age, and while he has never been an office seeker Dle has always been interested in public matters. He is a member of the Knox county blind commission, and he has been active in all temperance movements since he was a boy, and has taken a very active part in the crusade against the saloons in Knox county. Mr. Parr has been twice married, first on April 29. 1873, to Elizabeth 710 - KNOX COUNTY, OHIO. Fisher, daughter of George and Emily Fisher, of Mt. Vernon. Her father was a farmer and his death occurred in 1895. His widow survives at the advanced age of ninety-two years. To Mr. Parr and his first wife two daughters were born, Edith, deceased, and Winifred, who married Charles E. Ayers, city editor of the Republican News, of Vernon ; they have two children, a daughter and a son. Mr. Parr's first wi fe passed to her rest on July 15, 1883, and on December 1, 1886. he was married to Harriet Armstrong, daughter of Albert and Margaret (Shoup) Armstrong, of Mt. Vernon, to which city they came from Richland county. Mr. Armstrong died many years ago, and his widow passed away on September 8. 1905. Mr. Parr has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows for many years, also the encampment. He belongs to the Improved Order of Red Men. He is a member of the board of trustees of the Young Men's Christian Association. He and his wife belong to the Methodist Episcopal church, in which he was a trustee for twenty years and he is now one of the stewards of the church. He has been a teacher in the Sunday school ever since he came to Mt. Vernon. For some time during his early career here he taught a class of colored men on Sunday afternoons. He taught many of the older members of the class to read. Mr. Parr holds membership with the Mt. Vernon Merchants Association and has served on important committees of the same. He also belongs to the State Retail Shoe Men's Association and is a member of the committee on insurance for the purpose of formulating a plan of co-operative insurance. He is active in the deliberations of this organization. He was a member of the Mt. Vernon Civic League and one of its very active workers. Although English born, he quickly became Americanized, both in citizenship and sentiment. He visited his native country and the home of his youth in 1906, but returned to this country better satisfied with it than ever before, although having greatly enjoyed his stay in his native land. The family home is at No. 404 North Gay street. Mr. Parr has always stood high in the estimation of the people of Knox county and he numbers his friends by the score here. JOHN MILTON WILSON. One of the honored native sons of Knox county is John Milton Wilson, of Wayne township, where he carries on all departments of agriculture on his excellent farm with that discretion and energy which are sure to result in a large measure of success. While laboring for his own well-being he KNOX COUNTY, OHIO - 711 has ever had the interests of his county at heart, lending such assistance as becomes a good citizen in promulgating the civic, industrial and moral tone of the county. His career has been one of hard work and integrity, consequently he is deserving of the respect in which he is held by everyone. Mr. Wilson was born on December 1, 1865, on a farm near where he now resides, five miles southwest of Fredericktown. He is the son of William and Sarah Ann (Hayes) Wilson, both natives of Wayne county, Ohio, and there they grew up, were educated and married, after which they moved to Michigan, where they remained about five years, when they moved to Wayne township, Knox county, Ohio. where they spent the remainder of their lives. The death of the father occurred on January 3, 1898, and his widow died a year later and both are buried in the cemetery at Fredericktown. The father was a large land owner and extensive farmer and he raised great numbers of live stock which he prepared for the markets, especially sheep. Politically, he was a Republican, but was never an office seeker. He was a busy man of affairs and was influential in his community. Seven sons and six daughters constituted the large family of William Wilson and wife, and they are all still living except the oldest daughter, Elizabeth J., who became the wife of Alex White; Anna M. married Lewis McCurdy, of Bloomfield; Joseph R. lives in Fredericktown; Wesley Hayes, of Wayne township ; William E. lives in Sparta : John Milton, of this sketch; Emma Alice. wife of William Brown, of Centerburg; Oliver D., of Center-burg ; Richard B., of Wayne township; Clara M. married Samuel Myers, of Barberton, Ohio; Bertha married Clint Braydon, of Akron, Ohio; Hattie married Ray Carnes, of Newark. John M. Wilson was reared on the home farm and there helped with the general work when a boy, attending the district schools in the winter time. in fact, he remained at home until his marriage, on June 3, 1899, to Maud Lyon. daughter of Stephen B. and Mary (Gloyd) Lyon, of Morrow county, Ohio. To this union one son has been born, Harold Newton. Since his marriage the subject has lived on the farm five miles southwest of Fredericktown, which place consists of two hundred acres of fine land, well improved and under a fine state of cultivation, and in connection with general farming he has for eighteen years been a breeder of thoroughbred Delaine sheep, raising the best for breeding purposes. He has achieved a wide reputation as a result of his fine stock, having from time to time sent his sheep all over the country, and, owing to the superior quality of his animals, they find a very ready sale, and many of them are exported to foreign countries. He took second prize among sixteen exhibitors of Delaine (46) 712 - KNOX COUNTY, OHIO. sheep at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. Louis in 1904—in fact, he won second prize in all exhibits. His flocks will average three hundred from which to draw his sales to breeders. Mr. Wilson is a member and one of the directors of the Delaine Merino Record Association, a national organization of breeders, and he has always taken an active interest in its deliberations. He has exhibited at the Ohio state fair every year for twenty-five years, and in former years he has been an exhibitor at various state fairs, and has always been a prize winner from his first exhibits. He is universally regarded as one of the foremost breeders of his breeds in this section of the state. In addition to his large sheep business, he farms on an extensive scale and in a scientific manner and he is regarded as one of the most desirable farmers in Knox county. The picturesque family home stands on an elevation, commanding a fine view of Mile Run valley. Politically, Mr. Wilson is a Republican and he is always interested in public matters. but he is not an office seeker. He is now one of the members of the Wayne township board of education. He and his family belong to the Methodist Episcopal church. He belongs to Wayne Grange, Patrons of Husbandry. He stands high in the various circles of the county and is a man whom everybody likes and respects, for his integrity, industry and obliging nature. GEORGE L. MARPLE. Examples that impress force of character on all who study them are worthy of record. By a few general observations may be conveyed an idea of the high standing of George L. Marple, of Fredericktown, Knox county, as a journalist and citizen. Nature seems to have endowed him with an unusual fidelity of expression and' his wonderfully facile pen has interested thousands of readers. He has been content to spend his life in his native locality whose interests he has ever had at heart and sought to promulgate whenever opportunity afforded, and his career has been such as to win the confidence and esteem of all who know him. Mr. Marple was born on July 17. 1861, in Fredericktown, Ohio, and he is the son of Ananias C. and Mary E. (Edwards) Marple, the father a native of Pike township, this county. The Edwards family originally came from Frederick county. Maryland, they and the Marples both being pioneers KNOX COUNTY, OHIO - 713 of this section of the Buckeye state and they have been more or less prominent in the affairs of Knox and adjacent counties for several generations. They crossed the Alleghanies from the east in old-fashioned covered wagons in true first settler style, the region lying west of the mountains at that time being largely a wilderness. Ananias C. Marple was a cooper by trade, also a brick maker and he made the brick for the Methodist Episcopal church in Fredericktown and here he spent most of his life. He was a Republican in politics and was active in public matters. He took an especial interest in school work and served on the local board of education for a period of fifteen years, and he was marshal of the town for several years. He was always an active member of the Methodist church, as was also his wife. They are both still living in Fredericktown, being now advanced in age, but hale and hearty. They are highly respected by a wide circle of friends and are truly a fine old pioneer couple, honest, industrious and hospitable. The son, George L., of this review, grew up in Fredericktown and attended the public schools and was graduated from the high school here in 1880. When he had finished school he turned his attention to the newspaper field and began work in the office of the Free Press, learning the printer's trade, which he mastered in due course of time. He then worked in the office of the Semi-Weekly Tribune in Mt. Vernon for a year and a half. Returning to Fredericktown, he learned the painter's and paper-hanger's trades, which he has since followed, with much success, but he has kept in touch with the newspaper world, and for the past twenty years has been the Fredericktown correspondent of the Mt. Vernon Republican-News, daily and semi-weekly. also the Cleveland Leader. He has a keen news instinct and never lets the grass grow under his feet. Mr. Marple was married in September, 1892, to Alice Elben, daughter of Mrs. Mary (Deal) Elben, of Utica, Licking county, Ohio. To this union three children have been born, namely : Marguerite, now seventeen years old : Donald is fifteen years old, and Anna is now seven years of age. Politically, Mr. Marple is a Republican and he has long been active in public matters. He has served as a member of the county election board. He and his family belong to the Methodist Episcopal church, and he is a member of the official board. He is president of the Brotherhood, also president of the Beers Bible class, of the Methodist church, of which there are now ninety members, this being one of the celebrated Bible classes of the state. Mr. Marple is a man of exemplary character and of progressive ideas and he fills a useful niche in the structure of local affairs, religious, educational, civic and material. 714 - KNOX COUNTY, OHIO. CHARLES M. HILDRETH. The gentleman of whom the biographer writes in the following paragraphs is widely known as one of the honored citizens of Knox county, Ohio, and for many years has been actively identified with the varied interests of his community. His well directed efforts in the practical affairs of life, his capable management of his own business interests and his sound judgment have brought to him prosperity, and his life demonstrates what may be accomplished by the man of energy and ambition, who is not afraid to work and has the perseverance to continue his labors, even in the face of seemingly discouraging circumstances. Charles M. Hildreth, of Fredericktown, was born October 15, 1847, in Mt. Vernon, this county, and he is the son of John and Caroline (Eddy) Hildreth, the father born in Knox county, Ohio, and the mother in Erie county, Ohio. The father, long a prominent contractor and carpenter, was an important factor in the building of Mt. Vernon. He was a man of high standing and clean character. Politically, he was a Republican and was always active and interested in whatever was for the betterment of local conditions. He was a soldier in the Civil war. a member of Company A. One Hundred and Forty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in which he rendered very efficient service for the Union. He was a member of the Baptist church. His death occurred in August, 1872, his widow surviving many years, having died in July, 1898. They are both buried in the cemetery at Mt. Vernon. The son, Charles M., spent his childhood and youth in Mt. Vernon and attended the public schools here. When fourteen years of age he began clerking in the store of John Eichelberger, with whom he remained about three years. During the four years following he clerked for W. C. Sapp, then was in the employ of J. E. Woodbridge as clerk for a period of thirteen years, or until Mr. Woodbridge's death, giving each of these gentlemen high grade and eminently satisfactory service and in the meantime mastering every phase of the mercantile business. On October 31, 1877, Mr. Hildreth was united in marriage with Marian E. Tuttle, daughter of Samuel E. and Mary (Beach) Tuttle, of Frederick-town, a highly honored family of this vicinity. Mr. Tuttle came from Connecticut in 1842, and a few years later married Mary Beach. He was a man of great activity and for years was engaged in the mercantile business, also the grain, wool and produce business; later in life he conducted a private bank in Fredericktown. He met with a large measure of success in whatever he KNOX COUNTY, OHIO - 715 turned his attention to. A man active in business and public affairs and highly regarded in the community, he is deserving of a permanent place in his county's history. His death occurred in August, 19o7, his wife having preceded him to the grave in September, 1899; they are both buried in the cemetery at Fredericktown. Mr. and Mrs. Hildreth have no family. After their marriage they took up their residence in Fredericktown and Mr. Hildreth began conducting a grain, wool and seed business, in which he has since continued, his trade ever increasing, and he is now one of the largest dealers in this line in this section of the state. His wool purchases have run from one hundred and eighty thousand to three hundred thousand pounds annually and his grain business has also been very extensive. For some .time he owned and successfully operated the Fredericktown Roller Process Flour Mill, having recently leased the mill to other parties. Mr. Hildreth has for many years been an active and important factor in the business affairs of Knox county. He has also been active and influential in public affairs, being a loyal supporter of the Republican party. While a resident of Mt. Vernon he was a member of the city council, at one time being president of the same. For a period of fourteen years he served as councilman in Fredericktown, and for four years he was postmaster here under President Harrison. In 1910 he was real estate appraiser for Fredericktown and he raised the valuation from one hundred thirty-four thousand and four hundred dollars to six hundred and forty-four thousand dollars. His valuations were so equitable that there was scarcely a protest from property owners because of advanced valuations. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church. They are both favorities in the best social circles of the county. LOUIS B. ACKERMAN. The gentleman to a review of whose life and characteristics the reader's attention is herewith directed is among the favorably known and representative citizens of Knox county. He has by his indomitable enterprise and progressive methods contributed in a material way to the advancement of his locality during the course of a long and honorable career and has been fairly successful in his business enterprises, having been a man of energy, sound judgment and honesty of purpose, and is thus well deserving of mention in this volume. 716 - KNOX COUNTY, OHIO. Louis B. Ackerman, well known business man of Fredericktown and a worthy representative of one of our sterling pioneer families, was born on August 17. 1839, in Middlebury township, this county. He is the son of John and Ida (Cook) Ackerman, the father born in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, from which he came to Knox county, Ohio, in 1811, with his parents, John and Amy (Barton) Ackerman, the father baving come with his relatives to this county, first in 181o, looked over the country and returned to Bedford county, Pennsylvania, then came back to Knox county with his family in 1811, making the overland trip in wagons. They settled in the dense woods and there erected a cabin and began clearing the ground. This country was then the abiding place of ndians and numerous species of wild game. The elder Ackerman entered one hundred and sixty acres from the government, later acquiring more land, all of which he improved and became one of the well-to-do pioneers and was prominent in the affairs of the community, and here the grandfather, John Ackerman, spent the remainder of his life. His son. John, father of the subject, spent his entire life on the same farm. He is remembered as a hard working, honest, retiring man, who was satisfied with home life. He was a Democrat and a member of the Baptist church. He lived an upright life and was highly regarded. He was born on November 15, 1805, and his death occurred on September 3, 1873. His wife, Ida Cook, was born on March 8, 1807, and died December 23, 1862, and they are both buried in the Baptist cemetery. near Waterford, Knox county. The son, Louis B. Ackerman, of this review, spent his childhood and youth on the farm and attended the district schools. When fifteen years old he went to Chesterville Academy in Morrow county, Ohio, for two years. Later he attended the high school at Fredericktown for two years. After this he taught in the district and village schools of Knox county for twenty years, with intervals between, in which he worked on the home farm. He was very successful in his school work and became one of the most popular educators of this section of the country. In 1878 he located in Fredericktown with the intention of making it his permanent home and here engaged in the general insurance business. He became a notary public and met with much success in his new field from the first. This was the first general insurance office established in Fredericktown. Mr. Ackerman has occupied his present office in the Struble block for the past twenty-seven years, during which time he has built up a large and ever-growing business, also in real estate, deeds and mortgages. He has also drawn wills and settled estates. His two sons. William A., now cashier of the New Knox National Bank at Mt. Vernon, KNOX COUNTY, OHIO - 717 and Charles E., cashier of the bank of Daniel Struble & Son at Fredericktown, were for years and are yet associated with their father in this business. Mr. Ackerman was married on September 20, 1871, to Sarah E. Cook. daughter of Asa C. and Margaret (Forsythe) Cook, of Wayne county, Ohio, and to this union six children were born, those besides the two sons mentioned above being: Ida C., who married John W. McKinney, a farmer of Middlebury township; Ernest V. is a practicing physician of Fredericktown; Edith E. married Ralph Heskett, a farmer of Morrow county, Ohio; Louis H. is teller in the New Knox National Bank of Mt. Vernon. Politically, Mr. Ackerman is a Democrat and has long been more or less active in public matters. In earlier life he was a frequent delegate to county, district and state conventions. He has served as mayor of Fredericktown and on the local board of education, being clerk of the same for many years. He has always been actively interested in educational matters. He is a member of Thrall Lodge No. 170, Free and Accepted Masons, at Fredericktown, and the chapter and the commandery at Mt. Vernon. He has served in all the chairs of these orders. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, having filled all the chairs in these also. He has always been active and prominent in fraternal circles. He and his family are members of the Presbyterian church, Mr. Ackerman being an elder in the same, occupying this position for many years and he has long been active in church and Sunday school work. He has been superintendent and a teacher for many years in the Sunday school. The family home is on West Sandusky street, believed by many to be the most desirable residence district of the city. Mr. Ackerman finds recreation in his garden. among his chickens, cows and horse. He is an honorable, neighborly and pleasant gentleman whose friends are limited only by the bounds of his acquaintance. WILLIAM T. LEATHERMAN. Fealty to facts in the analyzation of the character of a citizen of the type of William T. Leatherman. well known business man of Centerburg, Hilliar township, Knox county, is all that is required to make a biographical sketch interesting to those who have at heart the good name of the community, because it is the honorable reputation of the man of standing and affairs, more than any other consideration that gives character and stability 718 - KNOX COUNTY, OHIO. to the body politic and makes the true glory of a city or state revered at home and respected abroad. In the broad light in which things of good report ever invite, the name and character of Mr. Leatherman stand revealed and secure, and though of modest demeanor, with no ambition to distinguish himself in public position or as a leader of men, his career has been signally honorable and it may be studied with profit by the youth entering upon his life work. Mr. Leatherman was born on June 26, 1858, on a farm in Allen county, Ohio. He is the son of J. L. B. and Adelia (Weatheral) Leatherman, the father a native of Washington county, Pennsylvania. and the mother of Richland county, Ohio, her birth having occurred on November 8, 1837, and her death on December 20, 1910. The father is still living and is active in the affairs of life, making his home at Herod. Ohio, a town which he had the honor of founding. He has long been actively engaged in various branches of business and he has been very successful as a business man. He has also farmed a great deal. and he has been active in public affairs. He is a large land owner in Allen county, and for many years he has been a large wool and stock buyer and also engaged in mercantile pursuits. Politically, he is a Republican and is prominent in the affairs and councils of his party. He has served as justice of the peace for thirty years and is still in office. He is also mayor of Herod. William T. Leatherman, of this sketch, spent his youth on the farm and attended the country district schools. At a very early age he began buying wool and stock with his father, soon becoming an expert in both lines of trade, remaining actively engaged in -both in his native county until 1899, when he moved to Cardington, Morrow county, Ohio, and engaged in the hoop manufacturing business, and there he remained until 1901, when he moved his factory to Mt. Gilead, Morrow county, which he operated until 1903. in which year he came to Centerburg, Knox county, and established a factory for the manufacture of both hoops and staves on a large scale. \\Then in full operation he employs about forty men and his products go into almost every state in the Union, with also a heavy export trade to England, France, Germany and Italy. His plant is thoroughly equipped with every device of modern pattern to facilitate his work and only skilled artisans are employed. He also continues to deal some in wool and live stock, and he has a fine farm of two hundred and eighty-three acres five miles north of Centerburg, just over the Morrow county line, which he supervises, carrying on general farming and stock raising, mostly horses and sheep. He keeps his place under a high state of improvement and cultivation and it ranks well with the leading farmsteads of the county in every respect. He has erected in Centerburg, at KNOX COUNTY, OHIO - 719 large cost, one of the finest barns, with offices and teamster's quarters, in central Ohio. He also has interest in similar hoop and stove factories in Sandusky, Ohio. He is a stockholder in the Centerburg Savings Bank and other corporations and he is and has been a very busy man of affairs, possessing keen discernment and wise foresight which enables him to conduct large affairs and foresee with remarkable accuracy the future outcome of a present transaction. He has a modern and beautiful home. Mr. Leatherman was married first on December 21, 1871, to Alice May Thompson, daughter of Henry and Catherine (McGinnis) Thompson, of Ada. Ohio, and to this union five children have been born, namely : Bert E. is married and is a practicing physician in Toledo, Ohio; Mertie Blanche married William Kentz, of Pine Bluff, Arkansas; Jesse B. is married and is living in Granville, Ohio; Grace T. married David Perry, of Croton, Ohio ; Adelia M. married Joseph Robb, of London, Ohio. The wife and mother passed to her rest on August 2, 1894, and on January 15, 1896, Mr. Leatherman was united in marriage with Isabelle Turner, daughter of John and Harriet (Brown) Turner, of Auglaize county, Ohio. This union has been without issue. Politically, Mr. Leatherman is a Republican and while a resident of Allen county he was active in party affairs, but has never been an office seeker. He served as a member of the Republican county central and executive committees and was a frequent delegate to county, district and state conventions. His wife is a Baptist, but Mr. Leatherman belongs to no manmade creed or society, being an independent thinker, but broad-minded, liberal and progressive in all that the terms imply and always interested in the development of his town and county. He is a pleasant gentleman to know, unassuming, genial, obliging and of the highest integrity. DILLMAN C. OBERHOLTZER. The biographies of the representative men of a county bring to light many hidden treasures of mind, character and courage, well calculated to arouse the pride of their family and of the community and it is a source of regret that the people are not more familiar with the personal history of such men, in the ranks of whom may be found tillers of the soil, mechanics, teachers, as well as lawyers, physicians, bankers and members of other vocations and professions. Dillman C. Oberholtzer. well known jeweler and opti- 720 - KNOX COUNTY, OHIO. cian of Centerburg, Knox county, is distinctively one of the leading citizens of Hilliar township, and as such has made his influence felt among his fellow men and earned a name for enterprise, integrity and honor that entitles him to worthy notice in a work of the nature of this volume. Mr. Oberholtzer was born May 23, 1860. in Holmes county, Ohio. on a farm near Nashville. He is the son of Abram 0. and Rebecca (Tidball) Oberholtzer, the father a native of Pennsylvania and the mother of Ohio. The father spent his early life engaged in agricultural pursuits, later in the hardware business in Centerburg, continuing the latter for a period of twenty-six years, during which time he enjoyed a large trade with the surrounding country and became one of the substantial and influential men of the country. n 1907 he retired from business and is now enjoying the fruits of his long ^Tars of endeavor his wife passed away on May 14, 1891. Mr. and Mrs. Abram 0. Oberholtzer became the parents of five Children, two of whom are living, Dillman C., of this sketch, and David A.. of Loraine, Ohio. Dillman C. Oberholtzer spent his early boyhood on the farm, remaining there until he was nine years old. While the family was living at Waterford, Knox county, he attended public schools there, then entered Westminster Academy at that place. The family came to Centerburg in 1879 and here he has since resided. Soon after locating here he took up the jewelry business and this he has continued to the present time, his being still the only store of this kind in Centerburg. He carries a large, up-to-date and carefully selected stock and his customers come from remote parts of this vicinity, many of them having patronized him since he first established himself here. which is a criterion of his honesty and fairness to his patrons. He does all kinds of repair work in a skillful manner and this has been one of the largest departments of his business. He also maintains a finely equipped optical department, with all modern appliances and he has won a wide reputation as a successful optician, having for years made a careful study of this science and obtained a degree of optometry. Mr. Oberholtzer was married on May 21, 1885, to Alice Smith, daughter of William and Esther A. (Hopkins) Smith, a highly respected family. To this union two children were born, a son and a daughter, Grace and Charles 0., the latter being married and is associated with his father in business. Politically, Mr. Oberholtzer is a Democrat and he has been active in party affairs. He has served Centerburg as mayor and has been a member of the town council, and for the past six years he has been township treasurer. KNOX COUNTY, OHIO - 721 For a number of years he served as township clerk. He has been a frequent delegate to county, district and state conventions. As a public servant he has given the utmost satisfaction, being faithful and conscientious in the discharge of his every duty, reflecting much credit upon himself and to the satisfaction of all concerned. Fraternally, Mr. Oberholtzer is a member of Bloomfield Lodge No. 422, Free and Accepted Masons, of which he is a past master ; he also belongs to Clinton Chapter No. 26, of Mt. Vernon, and Kinsman Council No. 72, of Mt. Vernon. He also belongs to Hawthorne Lodge No. 228, Knights of Pythias, being a charter member of the same, and has filled all the chairs of this lodge. He affiliates with the Methodist Episcopal church, of which his wife is a member. He is widely and favorably known to all classes and is a genial, obliging gentleman. LLOYD M. BELL. In Lloyd M. Bell, well known and capable editor and publisher of the Centerburg Gazette, we have a public-spirited, progressive citizen, belonging to the somewhat rare class that direct and control public sentiment without pushing self forward and without incurring the ill will of those with whom they come into contact, and leave the impress of their strong personality indelibly stamped upon the. community, winning the good will of all classes. Mr. Bell was born on March 8, 1871, near West Carlisle, Coshocton county, Ohio. He is the son of Stephen and Julia (McKee) Bell, the father a native of Knox county and the mother of Coshocton county, Ohio, she being the daughter of George McKee, a member of the Ohio Legislature at one time and also a soldier in the Mexican war. The father was a farmer and was long a resident of Coshocton county. He was a Democrat in politics and a member of the Disciples church. His death occurred in January, 1902. The mother is still living, making her home with the son, Lloyd M., of this sketch. These parents were representatives of sterling pioneer families who assisted in the early development of this locality. Lloyd M. Bell spent his youth on the farm and he attended the country schools. When he was twelve years old the family moved to Croton, Licking county, and there he remained for thirteen years and completed his public school education, later attending the Ohio Normal University at Ada, where he prepared himself for teaching, which profession he followed with much success for a period of five years in the rural schools of Licking county. In 722 - KNOX COUNTY, OHIO April, 1896, he came to Centerburg. Knox county. and purchased the Centerburg Gazette, an independent newspaper which, under his able management. wields a potent influence in this locality. He has greatly increased its circulation, improved its mechanical appearance and rendered it much more valuable as an advertising medium, keeping its columns filled with crisp. important news of the day and its editorial page is ably and convincingly set forth. Politically, Mr. Bell is a Democrat and he has been active in public and party affairs. He has been a member of the Democratic county executive committee, and a frequent delegate to county. district and state conventions. He is a member of the county board of elections and in 191 o he was candidate for county treasurer of Knox county. Something of his high standing in his own township will be seen from the fact that he received there a majority of two hundred and seventy-six votes, in a Republican township. a record unprecedented in the political history of the county. Mr. Bell was married on October 20, 1898, to Gertrude Hasson. daughter of Marvin F. and Hattie (Rinehart) Hasson, an influential Centerburg family. To this union two children have been born, Rusler H. and Hattie Louise. Fraternally, Mr. Bell is a member of the Masonic order and the Clinton Chapter and Kinsman Council of Mt. Vernon. Also a member of Hawthorne Lodge No. 228, Knights of Pythias. He and his wife belong to the Order of the Eastern Star. He is a member of the Disciples church, while his wife belongs to the Methodist Episcopal chruch. Mr. Bell uses his paper for the encouragement of all measures looking to the general good of Centerburg and adjacent community and he wields a wide influence in this respect. CLARK SCHOOLER. One noticeable fact in writing the history of Knox county is that so many of her citizens have been born and reared here. These people have been content to stay at home, to follow, for the most part, the vocations of their ancestors. It is a very common thing to find farms in the various townships composing the county of Knox upon which the same families have resided for several generations, some of them haying been settled by the grandfathers a century ago when the country was a wilderness. This is an indication of at least two things—that this is a very favored farming locality, one KNOX COUNTY, OHIO - 723 in which the tiller of the soil is suitably rewarded for his pains, and also that the people are contented with their lot, are. not unsettled, dissatisfied, and therefore they can accomplish more and make better citizens. One is indeed fortunate who can remain "under the roof that heard his earliest cry," as wrote the poet Tennyson, but for some reason or other very few of us are so fortunate. So Clark Schooler, farmer and stock raiser of Jackson township, this county, is to be envied, for he has spent his life on the same farm, having been born on the place he now owns here on October 7, 1866. He is the son of William Allen Schooler and Elizabeth J. (Blunt) Schooler. His paternal grandparents. Joseph and Marion (Clark) Schooler, who were of a large family, were early settlers in Knox county. He became a large land owner and influential citizen, being the wealthiest man in Jackson township at the time of his death. He was twice married, and had two sons by his first wife and about seven or eight children by his second marriage. Both these grandparents died here. The maternal grandparents, James and Mary (Ross) Blunt, were also early settlers here. William Blunt, the great-grandfather, entered the land on which the subject now lives, being a pioneer, having come here from Dresden. Ohio. James Blunt was born here, and was reared and married and reared his family here, devoting his life to farming. The father, William A. Schooler, was born in Knox county in 1843 or 1844, his wife, Elizabeth J. Blunt, having been born here about the same time. Here they grew to maturity, received such education as the common schools of their day afforded and here were married and spent their lives on a farm, the father dying somewhat suddenly of heart trouble when the subject was sixteen months old the mother subsequently married Harvey Burch, and they are both still living. One son was born on July 18th, after the death of William A. Schooler. The mother is a member of the Disciples church. Clark Schooler was reared on the home farm, where he began working very early and he received his education in the public schools of Jackson township. He lived on the home farm until 1881, when he moved to his stepfather's farm and was reared there, and early in life he took up farming as a vocation and lived with his stepfather until he was twenty-one years old, when he hired out and remained with the same man two years, then the mother gave the subject and his brother the privilege of dividing the home. farm to suit themselves, and the subject soon added sixty acres to his original sixty, being now the owner of one hundred and fifty acres of well improved and well cultivated land.. the equal of any in Jackson township, and here he carries on general farming and stock raising. He has a pleasant home and has been very successful. 724 - KNOX COUNTY, OHIO. Politically, Mr. Schooler is a Democrat, but has never been especially active in public affairs. Years ago he joined the Disciples church. On May 29, 1890, Mr. Schooler was united in marriage with Addie Wolfe, daughter of John and wife, old settlers here, a complete sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. To the subject and wife three children have been born, namely : Edith, who married Percy Donohue, lives near Galena, Delaware county. Ohio: Evelyn and Wave. CHARLES M. GRUBB. That the plenitude of satiety is seldom obtained in the affairs of life is to be considered a most beneficial deprivation, for when ambition is satisfied and every ultimate aim realized, if such be possible. individual apathy must follow. Effort would cease, accomplishment be prostrate, and creative talent waste its energies in inactivity. The men who have pushed forward the wheels of progress have been those to whom satisfaction lies ever in the future, who have labored continuously, always finding in each transition stage an incentive to further effort. Charles M. Grubb. long one of the ablest and most popular educators of this locality, now numbered among the progressive business men of Centerburg, is one whose well directed efforts have gained for him a position of prominence in the various circles in which he has been pleased to move, and it is with a feeling of satisfaction that the writer essays the task of touching briefly upon the salient points in his career. Mr. Grubb was born on September 29, 1867, on a farm in Morris township, Knox county, Ohio. He is the son of Henry and Mary Ann ( Jeffries) Grubb, both parents born in this county, each representing prominent pioneer families. Here these parents grew to maturity, received their educations in the old-time schools and were married; the father has devoted his life to agricultural pursuits and he and his wife are now living in Monroe township. Politically, he is a Democrat and has always been active in the affairs of his community, and is known as a man of upright character. Charles M. Grubb spent his childhood and youth on the home farm and assisted with the general work there when he became of proper age. He received his education in the county schools, later entering the Ohio Northern University at Ada, Ohio. Prior to entering this institution he taught several years. After spending two years in the university, he continued teaching in the country district schools. In 1899 he became connected with the public