DELAWARE, UNION AND MORROW COUNTIES, OHIO - 275 The subject of this sketch received school privileges similar to those usually afforded farmers' sons but his training in other directions, especially at the plow, was not limited. He continued under the parental roof until eighteen years of age, when he began learning telegraphy, and when he had mastered the business he accepted a position as railroad telegraph operator in Upper Sandusky. There he continued for two years, after which he removed to Columbus, Ohio, where he was employed in the line of his profession for a short period. In October, 1882, he moved to Delaware, Ohio. From that time until July, 1893, he occupied a position as agent for the Hocking Valley Railroad Company. On the 29th of June, 1882, Mr. Lewis was joined in wedlock with Miss Dora M. Bell, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Ady) Bell. After a married life of about ten years she was called to the home beyond, dying on the 28th of May, 1892. She left two children, daughters, Maud and Myrtle. It was in the same year that Mr. Lewis was elected to the position of County Auditor of Delaware county. He ran against a strong candidate of the opposing party, but I won the election by the largest vote given any candidate in the county that year. His term of service extends through 1895. Although the youngest man who ever held a county office in Delaware county his ability and efficiency is recognized and much satisfaction has been expressed concerning his administration of affairs. He warmly advocates Republican principles, and champions the measures of the party with great strength. In his social relations Mr. Lewis is an Odd Fellow and also belongs to the Knights of Pythias, the Royal Arcanum and the Order of Elks. He is a man of noble and generous impulses, of happy and hopeful disposition, and has the friendship and high regard alike of young and old, rich and poor. DAVID G. COOMER, a farmer of Lincoln township, Morrow county, is a son of Jonathan Coomer, born in Massachusetts in 1787. He was a farmer by occupation, a soldier in the war of 1812, and was a life-long member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His father, Benjamin Coomer, was born in North Providence, Rhode Island, March 8, 1748, a son of Benjamin Coomer, Sr., born in Massachusetts in 171o, and the ancestor of the Coomer family in America. The mother of our subject, formerly Amanda Guernsey, was born in Connecticut, September 18, 1791, a daughter of Southmayd Guernsey. Jonathan Coomer was married July 4, 1813, while serving as a soldier in the war of 1812. They settled on his father's farm in Gorham, Ontario county, New York, but about 1818 located on a wild tract in Niagara county. He improved two farms in that county, and resided there until 1834; from that time until 1855 was a resident of Marlborough township, Delaware county, and in the latter year located on the farm where our subject now resides. He died January 18, 1856, and his widow survived until September 3, 1876. Jonathan Coomer and wife were the parents of seven children, six now living, viz.: David, the subject of this sketch; Dr. H. N., of Ashley, Ohio; Albert B., of Payne, Paulding county, this State; Erasmus D., deceased; Jonathan M.; Sabra D. Warner, of Van Buren county, 276 - MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF Michigan; and Alma R., wife of Henry Welch, who resides near Van Wert, Ohio. David G. Coomer was born in Gorham, New York, August 7, 1814, and received his education principally in the district schools of Niagara county, also attending the high school in Lockport one term. At the age of twenty years he began teaching, and followed that occupation forty terms. Mr. Coomer remained with his father during the latter's lifetime. After his marriage he located and remained on his father's farm in Marlborough township, Delaware county, until 1855, and since that time has resided where he now lives. He owns twenty-two and a half acres of land. Previous to the civil war, Mr. Coomer was Lieutenant of a State militia company in Delaware county. In political matters he is a stanch Republican, and served as Trustee of Lincoln township during the civil war. His father served as Justice of the Peace a number of terms in Marlborough township, Delaware county. September 15, 1839, D. G. Coomer was united in marriage with Phoebe Clark, a native of Delaware county, Ohio, and a daughter of Elihu and Mary (Keene) Clark, natives of New York. They came to Ohio as early as 1805 or 1806, locating near Worthington, Delaware county. The father died in Oxford township, same county, March 24, 1845, and the mother died February 11, 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Clark had thirteen children, all but one of whom grew to years of maturity, and four are now living, viz.: Mahiel L., James P., Phoebe and Sarah. The last is the wife of Morris M. Coomer. David G. Coomer and wife have had seven children, five now living, as follows: James H. and Albert S., both deceased in the army; Chauncey D. ; Mary Malvina, wife of Joel F. Caris; Henry C. ; Henrietta Eliza, wife of Frank Hoff-mire; Ida A., wife of Lonzo G. Caris. D. G. Coomer is a Universalist in faith, and his father, although for many years a Methodist, entertained the same doctrine for several years previous to his death. SIDNEY FLEMING, one of the leading agriculturists of Brown township. Delaware county, Ohio, was born near Stantontown, in Peru township, Morrow county, Ohio. August 8, 1840, a son of Isaac and Elizabeth (Wyan) Fleming, and at the age of five years moved with his parents to the farm where he now lives. The father died on the old homestead at the age of seventy-eight years, one month and eight days. He was a farmer by occupation and a Democrat in his political views. The mother died at at the age of seventy-four years, nine months and twenty-five days. Sidney, the youngest of seven children, was reared to farm labor and received his education in the district schools. August 13, 1862, at Lincoln's call for 300,000 volunteers, he enlisted for service in the late war, entering Company D, One Hundred and Twenty-first Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Colonel Reed and Captain Samuel Sharp. He was first under fire at Perryville, Kentucky; next took part in the siege of Atlanta, Ga.; participated in the battles of Resaca, Rome, Kenesaw Mountain, Jonesboro, Bentonville, North Carolina, and was in Sherman's march to the sea, and through the Carolinas to Richmond, and on to Washington, District of Columbia, where he took part in the grand review. Receiving his discharge, Mr. Fleming returned DELAWARE, UNION AND MORROW COUNTIES, OHIO - 277 to the old homestead. He now owns 139 acres of land, where he has all the necessary farm improvements. At the age of twenty-eight years he was united in marriage with Lydia Mc Daniel, a daughter of Anderson McDaniel, of Morrow county, Ohio. She was a school teacher. They had three children: Harry W., aged twenty-two years; Frederick B., twenty-two years; and Mary Cynthia fourteen years. The wife and mother died August 30, 1887. She was a worthy member of the Adventist Christian Church. Mr. Fleming was again married, April 3, 1890, to Emma Clark, a native of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, and a daughter of Loyd and Hannah Clark, also of that place. In his political relations Mr. Fleming is a Democrat, and socially is a member of Ashley Post, No. 281, G. A. R. ADAM SHOEMAKER, deceased, was the first of the Shoemaker family to locate in central Ohio. He came West as early as I 820 and settled half a mile north of Ashley in what is now Morrow county, then Delaware county, on a tract of wild land 160 acres in extent. His oldest son, John Shoemaker, had come out here the year before to prepare the way for the rest of the family and had built a log house containing one room. Into this cabin Mr. Shoemaker moved with his wife and eleven children, nine sons and two daughters. Adam Shoemaker was born December 2 5, 1778, either near Bedford, Pennsylvania, or in Loudoun county, Virginia. His wife, nee Jane Baker, was a native of Pennsylvania. Six of their children were born in Pennsylvania, four in Zanesville, Ohio, and one in Delaware county, this State. Mr. Shoemaker was a man of sterling qualities. In his make-up were found the elements which constitute the true pioneer. In his political views he was first an old Jacksonian Democrat and afterward a Whig. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and by his life exemplified the teachings of his church He and his sons cleared the frontier farm on which they settled, and during his life the boys cleared up several other tracts of land. A brief record of the eleven children is as follows: John, who married Miss Jane Jenkins, a native of Virginia, was killed by a falling tree, in 1845, and left a family of six daughters and one son; Jacob, who married Elizabeth Walters, died about 1884, leaving a family of seven daughters and one son; Daniel, who married Harriet Smith, died at the age of thirty-six years, leaving two sons and two daughters; Jonathan and his wife, nee' Betsey Jenkins, had a family of six children, and the date of his death was 1883; Betsey, wife of Levi Barton, died, leaving a family of seven children; Joseph, who married Juliett Coomer and reared a family of seven children, is now eighty-four years of age and is a resident of Ashley, Ohio; George, who married Margaret Flemming and had a family of eight children, died in April, 1894, at the age of eighty-one years; Samuel, now seventy-nine years of age and a resident of Cardington, Ohio, has been twice married,—first to Miss Ann Jones, by whom he had five children, and second to Miss Eliza Lotterige, by whom he had two children; Solomon, a resident of Whitley county, Indiana, and now seventy-five years of age, is married to Mixinda Salmon and has four children; Sally, wife of Ellis Powers, has four or five children and resides in Iowa; 278 - MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF and William, who died in Iowa, was twin married and had several children, his firs wife being Mary McGonigle and his second wife Eliza Witham. The boys in this large family all followed farming, except Samuel who was a carpenter. Probably no othe family has done more toward bringing about the present development of Delaware count] than has the Shoemaker. They not only cleared away the forest and tilled the soil but they were also ready when duty call in another directions. Six of them were valiant soldiers in the civil war, one being in Company C, Twenty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and the others in Company D, One Hundred and Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Most of the descendants of Adam Shoemaker, now numbered by the hundreds, are residents of Delaware and Morrow counties, and are among the most worthy citizens of their communities. Milton B. Shoemaker, the third child of Daniel and Harriet (Smith) Shoemaker, was born on a farm in Oxford township, Delaware county, Ohio, March 21, 1839. His early life was not unlike that of other farmer boys of his time, his education being received in the old log school house near his home. When he was seventeen he began to do for himself, and for one year he was engaged in butchering. Then he and his sister kept house together at the old homestead. In January, 1862, he married Matilda Morehouse, and two years later he removed to Ashley and engaged in the grocery and grain business, in company with T. M. Seeds. In 1866 they sold the grocery and in its stead opened up a stock of hardware. They continued the hardware and grain business until 1873, when Mr. Shoemaker sold out and turned his attention to milling. The irm of Shoemaker, Cole & Company erected a flouring mill at Ashley, and under that name the mill was run until 1880, when J. B Miller bought the interest of Mr. Cole an the name was changed to J. B. Miller 8 Company. In 1884 Mr. Shoemaker sok out, but February 2, 1889, he again becamE connected with the mill, having bought half interest in it. The firm name is now Linn, Shoemaker & Company. In 1880 the mill was changed from a burr to roller mill, it being the second roller mil in Ohio. Mr. Shoemaker is now traveling in the interest of the company, selling flour. The firm also deals in coal and grain. Ever since he located in Ashley Mr. Shoemaker has been an important factor in its upbuilding. Indeed, few have done more to advance its interests than has he. He has made three additions to the town, these additions covering a tract of twenty-five acres. In 1887 he laid out a fine park of thirty acres, which was known as Shoemaker's park until 1893, when he sold it to the Spiritualists for camp meeting and other gatherings. The first brick walk in the town was laid by him, and in 1865 he put up the first good dwelling in the town, this having a stone foundation under it. Since then he has erected three other good dwellings. He has all these years dealt considerably in real estate, both town and farm property. At this writing he is the owner of a fine farm of 106 acres adjoining the corporation. He was one of the organizers of the Ashley Creamery and is a stockholder in the same. Mr. Shoemaker was married in Delaware county, as above stated, and has a family of >ix children, namely: Herrod, who is a nember of the firm of Linn, Shoemaker & company, Bian L., a farmer of this county; DELAWARE, UNION AND MORROW COUNTIES, OHIO - 279 James Guy, a blacksmith and a resident of Prospect, Ohio; and Ruth, Walter and Vaughn, at home. SAMUEL GORSUCH, a farmer of Harlem township, and an exsoldier of the late war, was born in this township, January 28, 1835, a son of Ben and Margaret (Hill) Gorsuch, native respectively of Pennsylvania and Knox county, Ohio, and of Dutch and Irish ancestry. The parents came to Delaware county, Ohio, in 1830, locating in the dense woods of Harlem township, where they soon cleared a farm, and remained there until death. Mr. and Mrs Gorsuch had twelve children, viz : David, Rebecca, Caroline, Samuel, Sarah, John, Lamech, Margaret, Kerne, Phillip. anti two deceased in infancy. Three of the sons were soldiers in the late war. John was a member of the Thirty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, re-enlisted after the expiration of his term of enlistment, and was wounded in the wrist. Phillip was a member of the Eighteenth United States Infantry, and was killed at the battle of Chickamauga, at the age of nineteen years. Ben Gorsuch was a lifelong farmer, and was identified with the Democratic party. Samuel Gorsuch, our subject, enlisted for service in the late war, September 23, 1861, entering Company E, Eighteenth United States Infantry, and received his discharge September 3, 1864. He participated in the battles of Murfreesboro, Resaca, Rockyface Ridge, Buzzard's Roost, Nashville, and in all the battles of the Atlanta campaign. He was wounded in the right leg at the battles of Murfreesboro and Resaca. Mr. Gorsuch was dis charged from the army as Corporal. Returning home, he resumed the carpenter's trade, which he had followed since his nineteenth year He has erected many of the best houses and barns in this part of the county. Mr. Gorsuch now owns 303 acres of good and well-improved land in Harlem township, and is engaged in general farming and stock-raising. He was married at the age of twenty-nine years, to Emeline Bateson, a daughter of Jonathan and Eliza (McClellan) Bateson. To that union have been born six children, viz : Seth, at home; Mary E., Smith, Bateson, Milo and Tinsel, all popular and successful teachers. Mr. Gorsuch is an active worker in the Democratic party, has served as Justice of the Peace for many years, also as Trustee, as a member of the School Board, and has been a delegate to county conventions. Socially he is a member of the G. A. R. A. H. DEAN, a respected farmer of Liberty township, Union county, Ohio, postoffice address West Mansfield, is a native of this county and has been identified with it all his life. Mr. Dean was born June 18, 1845, son of George Dean and grandson of John Dean, both early settlers of Ohio. John Dean was a veteran of the Revolutionary war. He came to the Western Reserve at an early day and spent the residue of his life in Union county. His remains rest in the old Mill Creek burying ground. His son George was but a boy when they came West, and on the frontier farm he was reared. He married Mary Henderson, a native of Lewis county, Kentucky, and after his marriage went to housekeeping in a log cabin in the woods. 280 - MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF As the years passed by he cleared away the .forest and developed a fine farm of 152 acres. He and his wife had six children, viz.: John, deceased; 0. \V., of Erie, Illinois; James, of Liberty township; Ellen, wife of M. Berner, Marion county, Ohio; D. A., West Mansfield; and A. H., whose name heads this article. The father died at the age of forty-nine years and the mother at the age of fifty-eight. Both were members of the Disciple Church and were held in high esteem by all who knew them. A. H. Dean grew up on his father's farm, spending his summers in farm work and a portion of his winters in attending the district school. In 1863 he enlisted in the One Hundred and Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Colonel Robinson's old regiment, and was in the service for two years. He took part in the battles of the Atlanta campaign, and while in one engagement had his left thumb shot off. He spent four months in hospital at Nashville, Tennessee, after which he joined his regiment at Holly Springs, and in July, 1865, was honorably discharged at Louisville, Kentucky. After the war Mr. Dean spent three years in work at the carpenter's trade, and since then he has given his attention to agricultural pursuits. He has seventy-six acres of good land, well improved with good buildings, fences, orchard, etc. He takes great pride in keeping a good grade of stock on his farm; is breeding some of the best Merino sheep in the county. Mr. Dean was married in September, 1868, to Miss Malinda Shirk, daughter of Aaron and Rosanna (Tcby) Shirk, both deceased. She died June 9, 1875, leaving two children, namely: May, wife of C. Holloway, of York township, this county; and Harry, at home. February 8, .1877, Mr. Dean wedded Miss Elizabeth Lane, daughter of Levi and Mary (Skidmore) Lane, both of whom died in York township. This second marriage resulted, in the birth of four children. two of whom are living —Blanche M. and Herman G., aged thirteen and nine years respectively. The mother of these children died June 16, 1894. She was a worthy member of the Disciple Church, to which Mr. Dean also belongs, he being a Deacon in the church. CHRISTOPHER McCRACKEN, Infirmary Director at Chesterville, was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, July 15, 1826, the second son of Joseph McCracken. When ten years of age Christopher came to Ohio, and attended the schools of Holmes county, completing his education at Chesterville at the age of nineteen years. He then learned and followed the blacksmith's trade in Franklin township, and afterward embarked in the grocery business at Chesterville two different times. He still occasionally works at his trade. In August, 1861, Mr. McCracken enlisted for service in the late war, entering Company A, Twentieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in the three years' service. At the close of his three years' service he veteranized at Vicksburg. He was first appointed Sergeant, later Orderly Sergeant, and afterward promoted to First Lieutenant, serving in that capacity until the close of the struggle. He took part in all the battles in which his regiment participated, including Fort Donelson and both days at Shiloh. At Atlanta Mr. Mc Cracken was wounded in the left ear by the explosion of a shell. He was mustered out DELAWARE, UNION AND MORROW COUNTIES, OHIO - 281 of service in July, 1865, having participated in the grand parade at Washington. Mr. McCracken is a charter member of John Bayne Post, G. A. R., of Chesterville, and forty-two years ago became a member of the I. O. O. F., having been one of the first initiated in that order. He has passed all the chairs in the latter lodge, and has also been a member of the encampment. In his political relations he affiliates with the Republican party, has served as Trustee of Chester township five years, been a member of the School Board, has frequently been a delegate to county conventions, and is now serving as Infirmary Director of Morrow county. He has also been a member of the City Council of Chesterville. In 1848 Mr. McCracken was united in marriage with Elizabeth States, who was born in Tompkins county, New York, September 30, 1829, a daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Hinckley) States, natives of New York. They came to Ohio in 1832, locating on a farm in Huron county, afterward spent seven years in Richland county, and in 1839 located at Center Corners, then called States Corners, having been named in honor of the States family. Mr. and Mrs. States had nine children, all now deceased but Mrs. McCracken, who was the youngest of the family. The parents were members of the Baptist Church, in which the father was one of the leading singers. He was an active worker in the Whig party. Christopher McCracken and wife are the parents of two children, W. Thurston, who married Lottie Trowbridge, resides in Cleve- land. They have one son, Fred. T. Loa B., is the wife of James Thomas, of Chesterville. Mr. and Mrs. McCracken are members of the Baptist Church, in which he is a Deacon. JUDGE L. PIPER, Marysville, Ohio, has for a number of years been prominently identified 'with the public affairs of Union county, and is well known throughout this part of Ohio. A glance at his life and ancestry reveals the following facts: Two brothers by the name of Piper emigrated to America from the Emerald Isle, their native land, in 1790, one locating in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and the other in Pennsylvania. The latter, whose name was Robert, was the grandfather of our subject. He was married in Pennsylvania to Miss Susannah Cochran, who was born September 16, 1781, and in 1813 they removed to Ohio and settled in Union township, Union county. Their children were: Eleanor, Margaret, William C., Mary, Rosannah and Jane. After his death his widow became the wife of John Porter, by whom she had two children,—Mary and Susan. Her death occurred August 14, 1824. William C. Piper, the Judge's father, was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, and was six years of age at the time his parents moved to Ohio. His boyhood days were spent in diligent work on the home farm, and when a young man he went to Milford to learn the trade of carpenter. In 1834 he married Miss Hannah F., daughter of Richard Gabriel, who was born on her father's farm in Union township, this county, in October 1811. In 1834 Mr. Piper purchased the farm on which his widow and children now reside, and where he spent the rest of his life and died, his death being recorded in May, 1876. He was a man of sterling qualities, and was honored and respected in the community where he lived. For thirty-three consecutive years he filled the office of Township 282 - MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF Trustee. The Whig party at one time solicited his candidacy for Sheriff, but he respectfully declined. He was a man of refined taste, a great reader, quiet and unostentatious in his habits, and a lover of home. Of his seven children, five are living. Leonidas Piper, the eldest of the family, is the subject of this article. He was born on the homestead farm in Union township, Union county, Ohio, November 22, 1836, and in the select schools of the township received his early education. Then for two years he was a student in the Otterbein University, Franklin county, Ohio, and subsequently he entered the Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, where he graduated in June, 1864. The year following his graduation he began the study of law in the office of Colonel M. C. Lawrence, of Marysville, and in June, 1867, was admitted to the bar by the District Court of Delaware county. March 15, 1869, the law firm of Robinson & Piper was formed, which association continued until February 13, 1888. In October, 1869, he was elected Prosecuting Attorney, and was re-elected to the same office in the fall of 1871. In 1887 he was elected Probate Judge, in 1890 was again elected to this office, and served from February, 1888, to February, 1894, since which time he has given his attention to the practice of law. Judge Piper has always taken a deep interest in educational matters. For twenty-two years he has been a member of the School Board, most of which time he has served as Clerk, which position he is now filling. From January,. 1867, to the close of the following year he was Superintendent of Schools, and he served as County Examiner from 1867 to 1874. During the war of the Rebellion he enlisted as a musi cian in the brigade band, but after a short service was taken sick, and while he was in hospital the band was discharged. Fraternally he is connected with the Masons and the G. A. R. He was reared by Presbyterian parents and has been a member of this church for a number of years. Since 1873 he has been an Elder in the Presbyterian Church at Marysville. Judge Piper was married April 29, 1869, to Miss Martha Coe, daughter of Daniel and Mary Coe. She was born October 13, 1845, and died June 15, 1882, leaving four children : Kate, 'William C., Ralph M., and Ruth. The last named child died July 23, 1887. June 24, 1886, Judge Piper married his present companion, whose maiden name was Rachel Conard and who was a resident of Hillsborough, Ohio. They had one child, Earle C., born August 7, 1890. Much more might be said of the life of this active and useful man, but enough has been given to serve as an index to his character and show that his influence has ever been directed in the cause of truth and right. HON. JOHN W. BARRY, Prosecuting Attorney, Mount Gilead, Morrow county, Ohio, was born in Cardington township, this county, December 17, 1852. His father, Yalvesten P. Barry, was born near Utica, Licking county, Ohio, March 12, 1832, and, when six years of age, went with his parents to Westfield township, Morrow county, this State. His father, Captain Elisha Barry, was born in Anne Arundel county, Maryland, September 4, 1787; at the age of twenty-five married Rachel Lucas, who was born January 3, DELAWARE, UNION AND MORROW COUNTIES, OHIO - 283 1798; and about 1830 they emigrated to Ohio. She died at Shawtown, Morrow county, this State, June 10, 1835, and he passed away at the same place, June 7, 1874. He won the title of Captain in the war of 1812. For sixty years he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and for thirty years of that time was a Class Leader. Few of the early settlers of his county were better known or more highly respected than he. His son, Yalvesten P., received his education in the primitive log schoolhouse at Shawtown. He was married at the age of eighteen, in Cardington township, this county, to Hannah E. Benedict, and there settled on a farm, where he resided until 1859. That year they removed to Westfield township, and in 1880 returned to Cardington township, where they still reside. Mrs. Barry is a daughter of Eli and Elizabeth (Shaw) Benedict, early settlers of Cardington township, where she was born in 1832. Her people are of English descent, while the Barrys are of Irish origin. Y. P. Barry, being a son of a veteran of the war of 1812, and the grandson of a Revolutionary soldier, was not slow to show his patriotism when the civil war -came on. In October, 1861, he enlisted in Company K, Sixty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Captain J. H. Van Deman, and went to the front. He participated in numerous engagements, and in his last battle, that of Chancellorsville, he was struck in the arm by a piece of shell, and was permanently disabled, a few months later being discharged. His brother, Joshua S., a member of the One Hundred and Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, was wounded at the battle of Chickamauga, and died while having his arm amputated. Y. P. Barry and his wife have five children, three sons and two daughters, viz. : Eli E., a farmer of Martin county. Indiana; John W., whose name heads this article; Lorinda J., wife of Elliott Breniger, of Westfield township; Charles B., a farmer of Cardington township; and Rachel E., wife of James Gillett, of Paulding county, Ohio. John W. Barry was reared on his father's farm, receiving his education in the district school by attending three months each year. After his marriage, which occurred in 1873, he was engaged in farming for six years. Then he moved to Cardington and began the study of law in the office of Robert F. Bartlett, and after pursuing the study of law, as well as other branches of learning, for three years, he formed a partnership with Mr. Bartlett, with whom he was associated until 1891. In the meantime, in 1881, he was elected Justice of the Peace and served six years, and in 1884 he was Mayor of Cardington. In 1891 he was nominated by acclamation by the Republicans for the office of Prosecuting Attorney, and was elected. The following spring he moved to Mount Gilead, where he has since resided, and in 1894, he again received the nomination for the same office, receiving it by acclamation, as before, and was on November 6 successfully re-elected. Mr. Barry was married October 2, 1873, to Miss Minnie Ocker, a native of Cardington township, this county, and a daughter of Thomas and Ann (Silver) Ocker. Fraternally he is identified with the I. O. O. F. at Cardington and the K. of P. at Mount Gilead. Mr. Barry has attained an enviable position at the bar. Three years ago he formed a law partnership with Judge Andrews, under the firm name of Andrews & Barry, 284 - MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF which still exists, and they are doing a leading business in their chosen profession. Mr. Barry has also been quite successful in a financial way and is possessed of considerable real estate. In all his professional, business and local relations Mr. Barry enjoys the respect and confidence of those who come in contact with him. His home life is pure and kindly, and across his threshold we find a typical American home. PETER PERKINS, a farmer of Lincoln township, Morrow county, was born in Belmont county, Ohio, February 8, 1819. His father, Stephen Perkins, a native of Virginia, came with his parents to Belmont county when a boy of fifteen years. His father was also a native of Virginia, of English descent, and was among the early pioneers of Belmont county. His death occurred in Guernsey county, Ohio, in his seventieth year. The mother of our subject, nee Katie Ogan, was a native of Virginia, and came with her parents to Belmont county when about thirteen years of age. Her father, Peter Ogan, was also a native of that State and a stonemason by trade. Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Perkins were married in Belmont county, where they remained until death, the former dying at the age of ninety-one years, and the latter at the age of sixty years. He was a member and active worker in the Friends, Church. Stephen Perkins and wife were the parents of fourteen children, namely: David, born in 1812, is a resident of Iowa; Ann, of Belmont county; Euphany, deceased; Hannah, of Iowa; Peter, our subject: Jonathan, of Wayne county, Indiana; Mary Jane Humphreys, of Iowa; Martha, deceased; Stephen and Lewis, also of Iowa; Betsey Ann Russell, of Belmont county; John, of Iowa; Sarah C., of Belmont county: and one daughter died in infancy. Peter Perkins. the fifth child and second son, was reared and educated in Belmont county. He assisted on the home farm until his marriage, and in 1847 came to what is now Morrow county, locating on his present farm in the woods. He has added to his original purchase until he now owns 106 acres of well-improved land. In political matters he is a Republican, and at one time served as Township Trustee. In November, 1842, Mr. Perkins was united in marriage with Emily Russell, who was born and reared in Belmont county. Her death occurred in 1882. To this union were born ten children, as follows: Phoebes Ann, deceased when young; Isaac, died at Louisville, Kentucky, while a soldier in the civil war; Jephthah, also a soldier in the late war, is unmarried, and resides with his father; Stephen, a farmer of Iowa; Robert, of Belmont county, Ohio; William, of Iowa; Sarah C. , wife of John Canis, of Fulton, this county; George, deceased when young; Elizabeth Ann, at home, and Martin L., who is married and resides on the home farm. CYRUS W. CHIDESTER, physician and surgeon, Delaware, Ohio, has been a resident of this city since May 1, 1890. For one year he was associated in practice with Dr. E. H. Hyatt, and at the end of that time he opened an office at his present location, 53 North Sandusky street, and has since practiced alone, giving his attention to a general practice. His abilities were soon recognized here and he has already filled various important positions. He DELAWARE, UNION AND MORROW COUNTIES, OHIO - 285 is assistant surgeon at this point for the Big Four Railroad Company, is physician to the county jail, was elected Coroner of Delaware county in 1892, and is examining physician for several life insurance companies, among which are the Home Life Insurance Company, of New York, the Provident Life & Trust Company, of Philadelphia, and the Phoenix Life, of Hartford, Connecticut. He was medical examiner of Lenape Lodge, Knights of Pythias, of this city, for two years, of which order he has been a member three years, and he also filled the same position two years in Olentangy Lodge, No. 53, I. O. O. F. He is a member of the Ohio State Association of Railway Surgeons. Dr. Chidester is a native of Kingwood, West Virginia, born November 4, I 861, son of Harrison and Louvina (Falkenstein) Chidester, who were of Welsh and German origin. The family removed to Hocking county, Ohio, in 1867 and located at Union Furnace. His parents still reside there, and there our subject lived until he entered upon his professional career. His boyhood days were spent on the farm and his early education was obtained in the district schools. In 1880 he was granted a license to teach in the public schools of the county, which vocation he took up and followed at intervals for five years. With the. money he earned by teaching he defrayed his expenses through college. In 1883 he was a student at the Ohio University, at Athens, Ohio, and the following year he entered the Ohio Normal University, at Ada, Ohio, where he completed a scientific course and graduated in July, 1887. That same year he entered the office of Dr. H. G. Campbell, of Logan, Ohio, for the purpose of reading medicine, and in the fall of 1887 he became a student in the Columbus Medical College. He graduated in medicine in the spring of 1890, ranking second in a class of thirty-two, and also taking second prize in a competitive examination. While he was attending college at the Ohio Normal University, that institution conferred upon him the degrees of B. S. and M. S. It was through the influence of Dr. Hyatt that he located in Delaware, and here his excellent qualifications and his special fitness for his chosen profession soon brought him to the front. Dr. Chidester was married in Delaware, May 1 0, 1892, to Miss Clara M. Freshwater, daughter of William and Sarah J. Freshwater, of this city. Mrs. Chidester is an accomplished and charming lady. She is a graduate of the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware and of the Central College of Eclectic Short-Hand, Chicago; was for two years professor of stenography and typewriting in Michael's Business College, this city, and for one year was private secretary of the superintendent of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home at Xenia, Ohio. They reside at No. 66 North Washington street. Both the Doctor and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a stanch Republican, and takes an active part in local affairs. As a writer he wields a facile pen. He has contributed much valuable matter to medical journals and other periodicals. WILLIAM B. YOUNG, a veterinary dentist and stock dealer of Delaware county, whose home is on a good farm in Berlin township, was born in the city of Delaware on the 22d of August, 1861, and is a son of Will- 286 - MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF iam and Olive (Cruikshank) Young, both of whom were born in this State. The father was a member of the regular army for many years, and is now steward in the Soldiers' Home in Leavenworth, Kansas. The mother is now deceased, having been called to the home beyond in 1884. Mr. Young, the subject of this memoir, received but ordinary school privileges, and when quite young began earning his own livelihood. He commenced dealing in horses, and has since followed that business during the greater part of the time, it proving to him a profitable venture. In the year 1884 he made his first purchase of land, becoming owner of a tract of seventy-five acres in Berlin township, upon which he still makes his home. His time and attention are now largely given to the practice of veterinary dentistry, which he carries on with good success. On the 27th of October, 1881, Mr. Young was married, Miss Elnora Johnson becoming his wife. The lady is a daughter I, of Harvey and Margaret (Cronkleton) Johnson, who are now deceased. Her father was a farmer, and followed that occupation throughout his entire life. He passed away in 1884, and his wife, who survived him about six years, was called to the home beyond in 189o. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Young was blessed with a family of five children, four of whom are yet living: Lena Pearl, Hazel Ione, William Ethan, and Harvey Lewis. Georgiana died when bat five weeks old. The parents are both members of the Baptist Church, and in this community, where they have so long resided, they are widely and favorably known. Their friends are many, and by all they are held in the highest regard, for they possess many excellencies of character. J. CLINTON MAIN, a prominent farmer and stock-raiser of Troy township, Delaware county, Ohio, was born here July 8, 1835. His father, James Main, was a native of Virginia, who came to Delaware county. Ohio, with his parents when he was two years old and was reared in Troy township. His life was that of a farmer and stock-raiser. He married Anna Cole, and they settled in a log cabin he had built in the midst of the for; est. He cleared and improved his farm, was a hard-working and highly respected man, and during his life wielded an influence for good in the pioneer settlement where he lived. He died at the age of sixty-eight years. His political affiliations were with the Democratic party and for a number of years he served as Township Trustee without salary. on account of the township being in debt. He has also served as School Director. He was identified with the old-school Baptist Church and for a number of years was a Deacon in the same. It may be said of him that there were few, if any, better men in the whole community than James Main. He was the father of nine children, seven of whom grew to adult years, and to each of them he gave fifty acres of land, all his property having been acquired by his own efforts and with the assistance of his good wife. Mr. Main was temperate in all his habits, never using stimulants or tobacco, and his liberal contributions to all worthy causes proved him to be a man of great generosity. Colonel Timothy Main, the grandfather of our subject, was also a native of the Old Dominion. It was about 1813 that he came with his family to Troy township, Ohio, and here the rest of his life was spent among frontier scenes. He was a great hunter, DELAWARE, UNION AND MORROW COUNTIES, OHIO - 287 and by his jolly and genial nature won hosts of friends wherever he went. He was a Colonel in the militia. John Clinton Main was the second born in his father's family and is the oldest one now living. His early education was received in the old-fashioned log school-house near his home, but his schooling was completed in a frame building. He remained at home until he attained his majority. September 28, 1856, he married Deemeann Moses, a native of this township and a daughter of James and Hannah (Main) Moses, the former born in Marion county, Ohio, and the latter in Virginia. She is the oldest of a family of six. Mr. and Mrs. Main have two children : Florence, deceased, and Cora, wife of James Vergon, of Delaware township, this county. After his marriage Mr. Main went to Tama county, Iowa, but a short time afterward he came back to Delaware county, Ohio, and for three years continued farming in Troy township. His next move was to Jefferson county', Illinois. Disappointed in this location, he turned around without even unloading his wagon and came back again to Ohio, this time settling in Marion county, where he purchased a farm and lived for some time, which farm he subsequently sold at a profit of $700. After disposing of his Marion county farm, he bought a portion of the tract of land he now occupies, at first buying eighty acres and subsequently adding to it until he is now the owner of 300 acres. This is one of the best farms in the township. Mr. Main is extensively interested in stock, keeping an average of fifty head of cattle the year round. He has had his share of misfortunes and has had to pay numerous security debts, but notwithstanding this he has prospered and is to-day ranked with the substantial men of his community. For six years he served as a member of the Infirmary Board. Politically he is a Democrat. CAPTAIN C. W. WILES, superintendent of the Delaware Water Company, Delaware, Ohio, has been a resident of this city since 1892, when he came here to assume the duties of his present position. He has been engaged in this line of work during the past seven years, is master of the business in its every detail, and is the right man in the right place. Captain Wiles was born in Cortland county, New York, and was reared on a farm, receiving a high-school and academic education. He taught school one year. He was just merging into young manhood when the civil war came on, and September 20, 1862, at the age of eighteen, he enlisted in Company L, Tenth New York Cavalry, and served with distinction until he was mustered out, his discharge being dated at Syracuse, New York, August 10, 1865. He entered the service as a bugler; was commissioned lieutenant in the command of General Davies in January, 1865; and after his return from the army was brevetted Captain by the Governor for his meritorious service. He was in the army of the Potomac, and was in all the battles of that army from December, 1862, until the close of the war, and during all that time, although he was always at the front, he never received a wound nor was taken prisoner. He, however, had four horses killed under him and at one time was knocked from his horse by a shell. During the past twenty-five years he has served as secretary of the Associa- 288 - MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF tion of Tenth New York Cavalry Veterans, and in 1893 he was elected Colonel of the same. At the close of the war he returned to his home in New York State, but on account of ill health he was unfitted for business for two years. At the end of that time he engaged in the mercantile business in his native town, and continued the same some six years. Then he sold out and about that time was appointed an officer in the Auburn State Prison, which position he filled three years. After that he moved to Syracuse, New York, and entered the largest dry-goods house in that city, where he had charge of the black dress-goods department. The close confinement of the store caused his health to break down, and he sought other occupation. Under President Arthur's administration he received an appointment in the railway mail service, and here once more his health failed him and he was compelled to resign his position. He then returned to Cortland, New York, and soon after engaged with the water company, which was making an extension to its lines in that town. He began by laying the pipe lines, and worked on up in the various departments of the business until he has attained his present position. He now has full control of the company's business at this point, and under his supervision its affairs have prospered. Captain Wiles is connected with various fraternal organizations. He is a member of the F. & A. M., Marathon Lodge, No. 438, which he joined in 1866; Cortland Chapter, No. 194, R. A. M., and Cortland Commandery, No. 50, K. T.; the A. 0. U. W., No. 351, Cortland, New York; and Grover Post, No. 98, G. A. R. He has been a member of the post since 1868 and has served as its Commander several terms. He is now Colonel of Encampment No. 107, U. V. L., of Delaware, Ohio. February 17, 1869, Captain Wiles was married in Cortland, New York, to Miss Anna Bates, and they have two children,—Nellie and Arthur. The family are members of the Baptist Church. JOHN FINCH, one of the representative business men of the county, was born in Delaware county, Ohio, June 7, 1821, a son of Isaac and Elizabeth (Kirkendall) Finch, natives respectively of New York and New Jersey. The great-grandfather of our subject was killed by Indians, and the grandfather was also taken captive by the redskins and held in custody for six years. Isaac Finch, a life-long farmer, came to Delaware county about the year 1814, with his two children, Jesse and Sally. He entered 150 acres of land, about the center of Kingston township, which he afterward sold, but purchased lands in the same township. He was the father of nine sons and three daughters, namely: Sally, deceased; Jesse, of Cherokee county, Iowa; Chanch, of Wichita, Kansas; John, our subject; Martin, deceased; Eunice Catherine, deceased; Harmon, of Delaware county; Isaac D., superintendent of the Studebaker Wagon Works at South Bend; Derwin, deceased; Sayre, deceased; Harriet, wife of George Bowers, of Sunbury, Delaware county; and Alfred, deceased. Both Mr. and Mrs. Finch died at the age of seventy-four years. John Finch, the subject of this sketch, worked at farm labor until seventeen years of age, and was then apprenticed to the blacksmith's trade at Berkshire, receiving DELAWARE, UNION AND MORROW COUNTIES, OHIO - 289 $30 per year, and followed the trade twelve years. He then purchased sixty acres of land, ten acres of which was cleared and contained a rude log cabin. Selling that land, he bought too acres in Kingston township, fifty acres in Berlin township; and forty acres in the southeast corner of Brown township, to which he afterward added eighty-five acres, owning at one time nearly Soo acres. In the spring of 1859 Mr. Finch located on his present farm, where he has been extensively engaged in the stock business for twenty-six years. In addition to his other interests he has also spent fifteen years in the mercantile business, and during the entire time served as Postmaster of Berkshire. August 14, 1846, he was united in marriage with Lucy Ann Alford, a daughter of John and Catherine A. Alford. To that union were born three children: Henry, Luellen and Thacker Webb, who is a member of Sunbury Lodge, K. of P., No. 231. The daughter married Daniel S. Potter, of Berlin township, who is a charter member of Cheshire Lodge, No. 613, Knights of Pythias. The wife and mother departed this life in 1852. Mr. Finch afterward married Cinderella S., daughter of John P. and Diadamia Slack. They are the parents of four children: Diadamia Elizabeth, wife of George Buckingham, of Kingston township, also a charter member of Cheshire Lodge, Knights of Pythias; Eva Jane, wife of Joseph Irwin, of Berkshire township and a charter member of that lodge; Mary Emma married Wilmer Neilson, of Berlin township; and John E., a charter member of Cheshire Lodge. Mr. Finch is a member of the F. & A. M., Sparr Lodge, No. 400, at Sunbury, and in political matters is an ardent Republican. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. John P. Slack, father of Mrs. Finch, was born in Berkshire township, Delaware county, Ohio, in 1805. In his twenty-fourth year he was united in marriage to Diadamia Pierce, who died in 1864, at the age of seventy. To that union were born four children: Cinderella S., the eldest; Charles C., who lives in Kansas; Jane S., wife of Lewis Carpenter, of Oxford township, Delaware county, Ohio, and George A., a physician residing in Cleveland, Ohio. GEORGE B. HAMILTON, one of the most successful and prosperous farmers of Union county, resides just north of the town of Richmond, on the place purchased and settled upon by his father in 1838. It now embraces 300 acres, a part of which is within the corporate limits of Richmond. Mr. Hamilton was born February 12, 1833, in Muskingum county, Ohio, a son of Rev. William Hamilton and his second wife, Lydia (Springer) Hamilton. When five years of age our subject came with his parents to Claiborne township, Union county, settling on the place where he now resides. His education was acquired in the country schools, as far as what is known as book-learning " is concerned, but the training which fitted him for the practical duties of every-day life was acquired in doing the work that fell to the lot of a farmer boy. He laid the foundation of his future success in doing this work well, and in taking advantage of every opportunity to improve his mind and enable him to take his place among the intelligent and progressive men of the day. 290 - MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF November 19, 1857, being then in his twenty-fifth year. Mr. Hamilton married Miss Marion Hamilton, daughter of Rev. William and Marion Hamilton. She was born near Glasgow, Scotland, May 9, 1835, her parents coming to America when she was three years of age and settling near the town of Gratiot, Muskingum county. There are a number of coincidences connected with the history of Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton. Though of the same name, their families were not united. Both, however, were of Scotch ancestry. Their fathers were each named William, and were both ministers of the Methodist protestant Church, and each had a grandfather named William Hamilton. Two of Mr. Hamilton's brothers were named John and William, as were also two of Mrs. Hamilton's. Rev. 'William Hamilton, father of Mrs. Hamilton, after coming to Ohio, settled on a farm near Gratiot, on which he resided until his death, in the fall of 1865, at the age of sixty-five years. His widow is still living with her son, John B. Hamilton, in Columbus, aged eighty-five years. She was the mother of eight children. Two died in infancy. William D., the eldest son, is now a resident of Tennessee, where he is largely interested in the development of State mines. He is a veteran of the late war, having served first as Captain in the Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and later as Colonel of the Ninth Ohio Cavalry, which he recruited. Near the close of the war he was brevetted Brigadier-General for meritorious conduct. He is married and has a family. John B., with whom his aged mother makes her home, is married and resides in Columbus. He is a large coal-mine operator in the Hocking Valley. Robert, the third son, entered the army as a private in the Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, served under General Milroy, and was wounded at the battle of Cheat Mountain, West Virginia, September 12, 1861, from the effects of which he died in Zanesville in 1861. He was unmarried. Anna, the eldest daughter, married James Richey, a prosperous farmer near Tonica, Illinois. Isabel married Joseph Cratty. She died at her home in Prospect, Ohio, in February, 1882, leaving two children. Ella died in Shawnee. Ohio, at the age of twenty-two years. Marion, the wife of our subject, died October 18, 1882, after a happy married life of twenty-five years. She left three children.--Clara A., Marion G. and George H. Clara A. graduated at the Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware, in 1886. She married S. A. Haskins, a prominent lawyer of Wapakoneta, Ohio, and they have one child. Marion G. and George H. have both been given the benefit of collegiate educations, and the latter is now attending school at Adrian, Michigan. After his marriage, the subject of this sketch settled on a farm adjoining the home place, a part of which he acquired by purchase and a part was given him by his father. It was the ambition of his early manhood to become a large landowner. With this prospect in view he purchased the home place in 1877. A failure of his health afterward, however, compelled him to forego the realization of his early ambition, and he found it necessary to limit his efforts to a smaller estate. He therefore sold all of the home place but 300 acres. The sale of the land giving him considerable ready money, he began loaning money to his friends and neighbors, from which he has derived a certain income each year. Besides his home place, which is one of the finest farms in DELAWARE, UNION AND MORROW COUNTIES, OHIO - 291 Central Ohio, Mr. Hamilton owns Zoo acres of land in Claiborne and Taylor townships. He has been a Republican ever since the organization of the party, having cast his first Presidential vote for General John C. Fremont. Preferring the life of a farmer to that of a politician, he has never been an office seeker, the only public office held by him being that of Justice of the Peace, which he filled from 1874 to 1877. In 1847, when fourteen years of age, Mr. Hamilton united with the Methodist Protestant Church, of which he is still an active and consistent member. His wife was also a member of the same church during her lifetime. In 1886 Mr. Hamilton erected the handsome residence which is now his home. It is of modern architecture, pleasantly located and tastefully furnished. Being a lover of books, he has gathered a large and well selected library. His household at present consists of his children, Marion G. and George H., and his niece, Mrs. E. Hamilton Miller, the daughter of Samuel Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton, having grown from childhood on the place where he now lives, can justly claim, after a residence of fifty-six years, to be one of the pioneers of Claiborne township. A useful, industrious and upright life has won for him the respect and esteem of his friends and neighbors. The intelligent direction and cultivation of his farm, and an adherence to careful and prudent business methods, have been rewarded by prosperity, and he is enabled to look back on an honorable and successful career, with the feeling that, all things considered, his life has been a useful and a well-ordered one, and that he merits the rest and repose that belong to the declining years of those who have by the discharge of each day's duties "learned to labor and to wait." EDWARD W. PORTER, who has been prominenly identified with the political affairs of Union county, resides in Marysville. He was born on the 10th of March, 1855, in the city which is still his home, and his boyhood days were passed midst play and work and in attendance on the public schools. On attaining his majority he entered upon his business career, and the profession to which he de; voted his energies was that of school teaching. While thus engaged he spent his leisure hours for three years reading law under the tuition of his father, who at that time was a Judge on the bench, and on the expiration of that period was admitted to the bar at Columbus, Ohio, by the Supreme Court, on the 1st of December, 1881. Immediately after, Mr. Porter joined his father in business, under the firm name of Porter & Porter, and the connection has since continued uninterruptedly. With the experience and the mature judgment of the older man is combined the energy and enterprise of the younger, and the well-known law firm of Porter & Porter has gained a wide and most excellent reputation for skill and ability. Almost simultaneously with his law practice Edward W. Porter also entered the political field and has since been prominent in the ranks of the Republican party. In 1886 he was nominated and elected a member of the City Council of Marysville,—one of the youngest persons ever chosen to that office in the county seat. The following year he was elected Prosecuting Attorney for the county and creditably served in that capacity for a term of six years. During the time spent in that office he convicted a man by the name of Miller for murder in the first degree and succeeded in getting 292 - MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF him hung,—the first case of that kind on record in Union county. For the past ten years he has been a member of the Board of Health and still fills that office. He has frequently represented his party in convention and has served on the Executive Committee of Union county, and for three years on the Executive Committee of the Ohio Republican League. In 1883 he was sent as a delegate from the Eighth Congressional District of Ohio, to the national convention of the Republican League, which assembled in Louisville, Kentucky. He has repeatedly served as delegate in the State and district conventions, where his opinions are received with marked respect, for he is recognized as one of the leading politicians of this locality. Mr. Porter has been twice married. On the I 2th of November, 1884, in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, he led to the marriage altar Miss Della E. Miller, who died in 188, at the age of thirty-one years. Their only child, Dana M. , a bright little lad, passed away at the age of four years. On the 23d of April, 1890, Mr. Porter was again married, his second union being with Miss Agnes H. Davis, of Washington, District of Columbia. They now have two sons,—John L., born November 19, 1891; and Robert E., born January 1894. The parents are members of the Congregational Church, in which Mr. Porter has served as clerk since 1883. They reside on South Maple street, where they have a pleasant home and the household is noted for its hospitality. Mr. Porter has served for two terms as president of the Union County Teachers' Association. Socially he is a member of B. W. Keyes Camp, No. 156, Sons of Veterans, and was elected alternate delegate at large to the national convention which assembled in Wheeling, West Virginia, in 1889. He has served as a member of the staff of the Commander-in-Chief, Charles F. Griffin, having been appointed to the position January 1, 1890, with the rank of Colonel. He is a member of Marysville Lodge, No. 100, K. P., and in 1883 was made an honorary member of the Phi Gamma Delta of the Ohio Wesleyan University, with which he is still connected. Mr. Porter is a man of more than ordinary ability, with a clear, keen mind and quick perceptive powers. He has the happy faculty of adapting himself readily to a situation, and this characteristic, added to his mental qualifications, has made him a leader in legal and political circles. J. G. KEHRWECKER.—Among the representative farmers of Westfield township, Morrow county, Ohio, the subject of this review is clearly entitled to be classified. He is a native of Wurtemburg, Germany, where he was born July 20, 1 808, and where he. remained until he had attained his majority. He was twenty-two years of age when he left the fatherland and set sail for the alluring shores of the New World. After a voyage of seventy-two days he landed in New York city and with his few personal effects tied in a handkerchief, and without money, proceeded thence to Pennsylvania, where he remained for a time, coining to that part of Delaware county that is now comprised in Morrow county, Ohio, in 1835. Arriving here he found occupation in working by the month on a farm, receiving the minimum wages of $6 per month. In 1837 he took unto himself a wife, in DELAWARE, UNION AND MORROW COUNTIES, OHIO - 293 person of Miss Anna Mary Hack, who was also born in Wurtemburg, Germany, and who came to America when sixteen years of age, her parents taking up their abode in Franklin county, Ohio. Shortly after his marriage Mr. Kehrwecker located on his present farm, which at that time was almost entirely unreclaimed. Here he built a primitive log house and therein established his home, while he gave his attention to clearing up the farm and bringing the same into cultivation. Our subject and his wife became the parents of thirteen children, of whom we offer the following brief record: John was a soldier in the late war of the Rebellion, being a member of Company C, Ninety-sixth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and yielded up his life while in the service; J. G.; Jacob and Henry died while young; Frederick also died while in the service of his country during the late civil war, he being a member of Company I, Thirty-first Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry; George is a resident of Westfield township, this county ; Christina is deceased; Mary A. is the wife of H. C. Hartsook, of Cardington, this county; Caroline is the wife of George Kam, of Kansas; Frederica is deceased; and Sarah, Anna and Ella still remain at the paternal home. The devoted wife and mother was called into eternal rest in 1886, having attained the age of sixty-nine years, She was a woman of noble attributes and a devout member of the Lutheran Church. At the present time Mr. Kehrwecker has, as representing the results of his own well-directed efforts, a landed estate in this township of 380 acres, and though he is now an octogenarian he still maintains the supervision of the cultivation of his wide acres, the place being recognized as one of the finest farms in this section of the State. In politics our subject lends his influence and support to the Republican party. Religiously he is identified in an intimate way with the Lutheran Church, of which he is a consistent and devoted member. Distinctively a self-made man, he has attained his success by honorable methods and has not been narrowed in his sympathies, nor has he ever disregarded the rights of others. He stands as one of the honored pioneer residents of the county, and in the community is held in the highest esteem as an upright citizen and an honest, true-hearted man. J. D. WHITE.—One of the well-known and popular officials of Allen township, Union county, Ohio, is the subject of this review, who holds the preferment as Justice of the Peace. He has been a resident of the township for the past seventeen years, and his place of nativity was not far distant from his present home, as he was born in Brown township, Delaware county, near the little old hamlet of Eden, November 15, 1846, the son of Samuel White, a prominent and honored pioneer of Delaware county. The maiden name of our subject's mother was Rosanna Devore. Her death occurred in July, 1877, at which time she had attained the age of sixty-three years. Samuel and Rosanna White became the parents of six children, of whom we are enabled to offer the following record: Mary E. is the wife of Henry Fegley, of Allen township; Catherine is the wife of John McWilliams, of Buchanan county, Iowa; Sylvanus W. is a veterinary surgeon in 294 - MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF Virginia: Leah R. is the wife of E. P. Black, of Champaign county, Ohio; J. De-yore, subject of this review; and William W., who resides on the old homestead in Delaware county. A complete sketch touching the life of our subject's venerable father, who is now nearly ninety years of age, appears elsewhere in this volume, in the sketch of W. W. White. J. Devore White was reared to farm life and work on the old homestead in Delaware county, completing his education in the Ohio Wesleyan University, in the city of Delaware, he having been a member of the same class as was ex-Governor J. B. Foraker. Leaving college in his junior year, he engaged in teaching, and has devoted his attention to pedagogic work for fully thirty years, having a natural penchant for the vocation, and having proved a successful and popular instructor, —one whose interest in educational matters has ever kept pace with the advances made. In 1880 Mr. White took up his residence on his present fine farm of sixty-three acres, the place being situated five miles west of the county's official center, Marysville. The family residence is an attractive frame structure, and is most eligibly located, while the other permanent improvements about the place are of excellent order. Mr. White was married, April 7, 188o, in this township, to Miss Josephine Hurd, daughter of Thomas Ruth (Turner) Hurd, who now reside in Ellsworth county, Kansas. The issue of this marriage has been three children, namely: Charles E., born May 30, 1881; Luamy, born March 3, 1883; and Ivolee, born November 3o, 1889. The greatest loss and bereavement of our subject's life was that which he was called upon to bear November 8, 1892, when his beloved and devoted wife was summoned into eternal rest. She was a woman of beautiful character, and was beloved by all who knew her. Mr. White votes with the Republican party, and has held public offices of trust and responsibility, having at one time served for several years as Township Clerk in Delaware county, and having been elected to the office of Justice of the Peace in April, 1890. Fraternally he is identified with the Grange and with the Masonic order, being a member of Blazing Star Lodge, F. & A. M., of North Lewisburg, Ohio. He is a man honored alike for his ability and his earnest devotion to the clearly defined ethics of life. W. W. WHITE, proprietor of the Oak Hill farm, in Brown township, Delaware county, was born where he now lives, September 5, 1849, a son of Samuel White. The latter was born in Washington comity, Pennsylvania, October 14, 1808, and came to this State in 1833. His father, Fisher White, was a native of Delaware, and the latter's father was born in England. Fisher White married Leah Walton, also a native of Delaware, and they had nine children, namely: George, Walton, James, Ben, Samuel, Fisher, John, Wesley, Mary, and William. Fisher White was accidentally killed at the age of eighty years. He was a Class Leader in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Samuel White came to Ohio in 1833, built a log cabin, and immediately began clearing the forests. In 1835 he married Rosanna De Vore, a native of Washington county, Pennsylvania, and a daughter of Jacob and Catherine (Ely) De Vore. To that union were born six children: Mary, Catherine, Sylvanus, Leah, DELAWARE, UNION AND MORROW COUNTIES, OHIO - 295 Jacob and W. W. The mother died in July, 1878, at the age of sixty-two years. The father has been identified with the Democratic, Republican and Prohibition parties. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for sixty-four years, and is honored and respected by all who know him. W. W. White, the subject of this sketch, was reared and received his education in this county. His farm, known as Oak Hill farm, consists of 1 20 acres of well-improved land. He is extensively engaged in the raising of fine stock, making a specialty of Jersey cattle. In his political relations Mr. White affiliates with the Democratic party. He has served his township as Treasurer for three years. Socially he is a member of the Knights of Pythias. Mr. White was married at the age of twenty-five years to Helen, a daughter of Shubael and Mary (Thompson) Knapp, natives of New England, but both now deceased. To that union were born two children,---Lulu A. and Effie L. The wife and mother died in 1887. In 1890 Mr. White was united in marriage with Emma Wheeler, a daughter of Alvin and Lydia Wheeler. ALBERT E. WESTBROOK, physician and surgeon, and one of the most prominent and highly respected citizens of the town of Ashley, Ohio, was born in Woodbury, Delaware county (now Morrow), Ohio, December 17, 1840. Of his life and ancestry a record is as follows: The Westbrooks are of German descent, the Doctor's grandfather having been born in Germany. Solomon and Mathena (Edmonds) Westbrook, the parents of our subject, were natives of Canandaigua, New York. Both are deceased. The latter was a descendant of old New England ancestors. Solomon Westbrook was a man of great versatility and strong individuality. He was reared on a farm, and in early life learned the carpenter's trade, at which trade, however, he spent but little time. He then read medicine, and for a few years practiced at different points. In 1840 he took charge of the hotel at South Woodbury, where he remained some time, and did a successful business. The California gold fever that swept over the country in 1849 made a victim of him, and, in company with a party of twenty, he started for the Pacific coast. He drove an ox team from St. Joseph, Missouri, to San Francisco, the whole company enduring many hardships on the journey. After his arrival in San Francisco he worked at his trade, and built some of the first houses in the city. Then he turned his attention to mining, and for two years he worked in the mines, with varied success, returning to Ohio at the end of that time with his financial condition not improved. He was naturally of a roving disposition. During his early life he traveled afoot and on horseback from the Atlantic to the Pacific and froth the Gulf to the Lakes. Upon his return from California, however, he decided to settle down, and accordingly bought a farm near Woodbury, Ohio, where he spent the rest of his days. He was born in 1798, and died in r872. In his political views he was a Republican. For thirty years he served as a Justice of the Peace. He was twice married, his second marriage being in 1822 to Mrs. Mathena (Edmonds) Crawford. She was the mother of thirteen children, six by her first marriage and seven by 296 - MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF the last. Of the Crawford children there were one son and five daughters, the son, Andrew Crawford, being the only one now living. Three of her children by Mr. Westbrook are living, namely: William, a farmer of Marengo, Ohio; Jane, wife of Robert Gardner, residing one mile north of Woodbury, Ohio; and the subject of this sketch, who is the youngest. Those deceased are as follows: Lafayette, a wealthy farmer and stock dealer of Morrow county, died at the age of fifty-seven years; Mary Ann, deceased wife of Jacob Long; Ann, deceased wife of B. Hubble; and one son that died at the age of two years. The mother of this large family passed away in 1879, at nearly ninety years of age. Dr. Albert E. Westbrook spent his boyhood days in his father's hotel and on the farm. He received an academic and college education, completing his literary course in the Ohio Wesleyan University. In 1859 he began the study of medicine in the office of Dr. I. H. Pennock, at Woodbury, and subsequently attended the Cincinnati College of Medicine and Surgery, where he. graduated February 22, 1863. In June of the year he completed his medical course, he passed an examination for service in the late war, and July 24 was commissioned Assistant Surgeon of the One Hundred and Sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Until 1865 he served on detached duty at Gallatin, Tennessee. He had charge of the pest hospital and was Pest Medical Director on the staff of Brigadier-General Pain. He also served in Nashville, Tennessee, and at Stevenson, Alabama, and for a time was Surgeon of the Sixty-eighth New York Infantry. Immediately after the war he returned to Ashley, Ohio, where he has been since located, giving his attention to the practice of his profession, making a specialty of surgery and diseases of women. In 1885 he es tablished a drug store in Ashley, which he still conducts, his son being in business with him. During the whole of his career in Ashley Dr. Westbrook has ever been closely identified with its best interests. He has served on the School Board nine years and for several terms was a member of the City Conned, no member being more active in promoting the interests of the people than he. He was the main factor in securing a graded school at Ashley in 1879. It was largely owing to his persistent efforts that the main street of the town was paved. In 1876 he built the two-story brick residence where he now lives, and in 1882, in company with Mr. Owens and the I. 0. 0. F. lodge, he erected the building at the corner of High and Harrison streets. The Doctor is also a member of the American Medical Association, Ohio State Medical Society, and the Delaware County Medical Society. He belongs to the J. E. Coomer Post, G. A. R., and is also a Mason. Dr. Westbrook was married in 1866 to Miss Amanda E. Cunard, daughter of the late Judge Cunard, one of the leading men of Morrow county and for many years an honored resident of Mount Gilead. They had three children, namely: Edward Cunard, who, as above stated, is in the drug business with his father, is married and settled in life, the maiden name of his wife being Brittania Cline; Blanch Alberta is the wife of John Olds, a dry-goods merchant of Ashley; and Grace. All three have had excellent educational advantages. The son is a graduate of the Ohio Wesleyan University, and Miss Grace is at this writing a student DELAWARE, UNION AND MORROW COUNTIES, OHIO - 297 in that institution, she already being a graduate of Ada College. Mrs. Olds is a high-school graduate and has natural ability as an artist. The mother of this family died in 1886, and May 4, 1887, Dr. Westbrook married for his second wife Miss Rose M. Cunard, daughter of Captain L. M. Cunard, of Mount Gilead. JOHN E. GORSUCH, a farmer of Harlem township, Delaware county, was born in this locality, September 30, 1854, a son of Thomas and Anna (Kreiger) Gorsuch, natives of Pennsylvania, but both now deceased. The father was a prominent farmer and stock-raiser. Mr. and Mrs. Gorsuch had six children: Sarah, William, Jacob, Noah, David and J. E. The father departed this life at the age of seventy-three years, and the mother died at the age of fifty-one years. John E., our subject, located on his present farm of ninety-nine acres in 1882. The place is under a fine state of cultiva- tion, and contains many valuable improvements. In addition to general farming, he is extensively engaged in stock-raising. Mr. Gorsuch votes with the Democratic party, and has served as Constable, Supervisor and is a member of the School Board. In his social relations he is a charter member of :he Knights of Pythias, No. 645. Mr. Gorsuch was married at the age of wenty-four years, to Dora Lewis, who was )orn, reared and educated in Harlem township, a daughter of Demas Lewis. His ather, Steven Lewis, was an early pioneer of this locality. Mr. and Mrs. Gorsuch lave three children,—Laura Maud, aged ifteen years; Thomas N., twelve years; and Willie Ray, seven years. S. D. CULBERTSON, a representative agriculturist of Union township, Union county, Ohio, comes of stanch old Scotch-Irish stock, and of a family prominently identified with the history of Union for many years. He was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, February 22, 1846, the son of Captain John C. and Jane (Moody) Culbertson. His father was twice married, his first wife being Margaret Hamilton. He vas a man of conspicuous ability and held a position of marked prominence in the business circles of the Queen City, where he was for many years engaged in banking. He was an active participant in the war of 1812. saw much service on the battlefield and was promoted for gallantry, receiving commission as Captain. More specific reference to his career is made on another page, in connection with the sketch of our subject's brother, J. A. Culbertson. Samuel D. Culbertson was reared in the city of Cincinnati, and received the best of educational advantages. When the cloud of civil war spread its dark shadow over the nation he showed the loyalty of his nature by enlisting as a member of Company H, One Hundred and Thirty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving until the expiration of his term of enlistment, after which he received an honorable discharge. Later on he engaged in the grocery trade in his native city, continuing in this line of enterprise for a number of years. In 1882 Mr. Culbertson located in Union county and six years later took up his abode on his present fine farm of ninety acres, which is under a most effective system of cultivation and well improved with a good residence, barns, sheds, etc. Our subject was married in 1869, in Cin- 298 - MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF cinnati, to Miss Rosa Reiniger, a lady of intelligence and refinement. She was born at Portsmouth, Ohio, and was there reared and educated. She was the daughter of the late Major Charles Reiniger, a gallant and honored veteran of the late war. He was Major in the Fifty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry and served with distinction on the field of battle. He died at the venerable age of seventy-six years. He was a native of Wurtemberg, Germany, where he was born November 11, 18o5. At the age of eighteen years he entered the German army, and within a short time was promoted to the office of Adjutant of his regiment. Major Reiniger married Barbara Suter, who was born in Baden-Baden, Germany, and who was a woman of marked culture. They became the parents of twelve children, concerning whom we are enabled to offer the following record: Ellen; Frederick C., who was a soldier in the late war and who at one time held office as Sheriff of Scioto county, this State; Frances; George J., who also bore arms in the Union army, and who is now a prominent citizen of Jackson, Ohio; Joseph H., a resident of Portsmouth, Ohio; Rosa, wife of our subject; Emma, wife of Frank Seth, of Parkville, Kansas, and Louis, who died at the age of twenty-nine years. The other children died in early childhood: Mr. and Mrs. Culbertson have two sons: Samuel D., who was born June 24, 1870, was united in marriage, October to, 1891, to Miss Victoria Pullins, of Milford Centre, this county, and they have one daughter, Edith Jane, born December to, 1893; Walter M., was born August 9, 1872, and is still at the parental home. Our subject votes with the Republican party, and fraternally is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, Silas Kimball Post, No. 570, of Milford Centre, and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Mrs. Culbertson is a member of the Presbyterian Church. W. W. STRATTON, manufacturer of lodge furniture, Ashley, Ohio, has been identified with the interests of Delaware county since 1880 and is one of its enterprising business men. Mr. Stratton was born in New York city, October 1, 1841. GEORGE DEETS, a farmer of Porter township, was born in Carroll county, Ohio, March 4, 1830. His father, George Deets, died when the former was three years of age, leaving a widow and seven children, viz.: Henry and Jake (twins), Joanna, Adam, Margaret, George and Abram. The children found homes in different families. George Deets found a home with Samuel and Mary M. Dowel, where he was reared to farm life, and was taught industry and honesty, the foundation for his future success. He now owns two fine farms, consisting of 307 acres. The home farm, containing 220 acres, has a good two-story dwelling, 20 x 32 feet, and a barn, 4o x 6o feet. The farm of eighty-seven acres formerly belonged to Mrs. Deets' father and mother. Mr. Deets was married at the age of twenty-eight years. to Martha J. DeWitt, a native of Bloomfield township, Morrow county, and a daughter of Amos and Rachel (Harris) DeWitt, both born and reared in Virginia, but became pioneer settlers of Morrow county, Ohio. The father died at the DELAWARE, UNION AND MORROW COUNTIES, OHIO - 299 age of seventy-five years, and the mother at the age of eighty-six years. Mr. and Mrs. DeWitt had nine children: Simon, Hiram, Jackson, Martha, John, Abram, Mason, Maria and Charles. Mr. and Mrs. Deets have two daughters. The eldest, Mary, is the wife of C. L. Bowers, of Centerburg, Ohio, and they have two children, George W. and Ethel. The second child, Clara Dell, is the wife of Clifford Forshey, of Michigan, and they have one child, a daughter, Harriet L. Mr. Deets affiliates with the Republican party. E. N. PAUL, a farmer of Harlem township, Delaware county, was born at Delaware, Ohio, October 4, 1864, a son of Cary Paul, a banker and prominent business man of Delaware. Our subject was but a babe when his mother died. He received a good education in the schools of his native city, and afterward was employed in a bank in Delaware for a time. He next came to Harlem township, where he is on a farm and is engaged in general farming and stock-raising. In political views Mr. Paul affiliates with the Republican party, and has served as President of the Board of Education. Socially he is a member of the I. O. O. F. November 25, 1885, he was united in :narriage with Miss Jennie Anderson, who vas born, reared and educated in Harlem :ownship, a daughter of Dr. R. P. and Almira Anderson. The latter still resides in :his township. The father, now deceased, vas a prominent and well-known physician A this county. Mr. and Mrs. Paul have wo children,—Freddy and Cary. Mr. Paul s a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he has held the position of Secretary and Trustee, was the first vice-president of the Epworth League, and is a zealous worker in the Sunday-school. O. W. McADOW, who holds the conspicuous official preferment as Mayor of the progressive little city of Milford Centre, Union county, Ohio, and who stands as one of the representative men of the county, must assuredly be accorded specific mention in this connection. He is a native of the same county in which he still retains a residence, his birthplace having been the paternal homestead, in the vicinity of the town of Broadway, the date of his nativity being May 30, 1857. His parents were Samuel and Adaline (Wolf) McAdow, the former of whom was born in Maryland but reared in this county, and the latter was a native of the Buckeye State. They became the parents of eight children, of whom five are living at the present time. O. W. McAdow was reared in this, Union county, receiving his education in the district schools and the Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware; for four years he was in the mercantile business at Irwin Station, this county, after which he continued in the same line of enterprise at Plain City. He also conducted a mercantile business at Milford Centre, selling out his interests in the same in January of the present year (1894), since which time he has not been actively concerned in any business aside from that implied in his official function as Mayor of Milford Centre and as Township Clerk, Notary Public, and Justice of the Peace, in all of which notable offices he is the incumbent at the present time. That