800 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. enabled hm to achieve success to such an extent that he is now the owne of one of the finest farms in his community, certainly giving him title to place in the pages of this history of his county. CHARLES C. WILKINSON. Hard and laborious work was the lot of Charles C. Wilkinson during his youth and early manhood, but his fidelity to duty has won for him the respect and confidence of those with whom he has come in contact. By patient continuance in well doing he has gradually risen from a humble station to his present standing as a progressive farmer of Preble county. He has worked his way from a modest beginning up to a position of considerabl prominence. His efforts have been practically unaided, a fact which renders him more worthy of praise by his neighbors and fellow citizens. Charles C. Wilkinson, the proprietor of the Morgan Huffman farm, consisting of seventy-eight acres eight miles west of Eaton, Ohio, on the west road, was born in Preble county October 31, 1846, the son of William H. H. and Anna (Davis) Wilkinson. William H. H. Wilkinson was born in Gratis township, Preble county, and Anna Davis also was born in Preble county. After their marriage they lived here for many years. They were the parents of eleven children, five of whom are living: Elizabeth, the wife of Samuel Poffernberger, of Eaton; Ohio; Charles C., the subject of this sketch; Curtis, of Dayton, Ohio; Eva B., the wife of Pliny Deem; Addie, the wife of Frank Potterf. Charles C. Wilkinson was reared on the farm in Preble county, Ohio, and attended the district schools, mostly in Dixon township. On November 27, 1867, he was married to Charity Parks, who was born July 30, 1843, the daughter of George and Mary (Price) Parks, the former of whom was born in Barren county, Kentucky, November 8, 1801, and was brought to Preble county, Ohio, in 1808. George Parks settled in Dixon township and lived there until his death, on June 3, 1869. His wife died February 13, 1869, she having been born September 4, 1805. They were the parents of nine children, four of whom are now living: Henry Newton, of Grant county, Indiana; Mary J:, of Preble county; Charity, the wife of Mr. Wilkinson, and Leander, of Dixon township. Mrs. Mary Parks, mother of Mrs. Wilkinson, was the daughter of David and Elizabeth Price, the former of whom was born August 25, 1777, and the PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 801 latter October 8, 1782, who were the parents of nine children, as follows : Mary, born September 4, 1805, who married George Parks; Phebe, born August 13, 1807; Harriet, born February 18, 1809; Henry Watts, born November 30, 1810; John Ross, born December 5, 1812, who died the next August ; Katherine, bor.n March 15, 1815; Elizabeth, born March 22, 1817; Abraham, born July 5, 1819, and Susannah, born November 25, 1821, who died at the age of twenty years, three months and twenty-five days. To Charles C. and Charity (Parks) Wilkinson one daughter was born, Alba, born September 12, 1868. She attended the common schools, and on March 4, 1889, married William Peters, who was born in Greene township, Wayne county, Indiana. They have two sons, Otto O., born October 4, 1893, and George W., born February 22, 1896. Mr. Wilkinson is a Democrat. Both he and his wife are descendants of very old families, are well known in the community in which they live and command the universal respect of the people, a respect to which they are justly entitled by their long record of good works. CHARLES W. PIERCE. Preble county, Ohio, owes much of its enviable record and its present high standard of citizenship and community welfare to the sterling qualities and splendid characteristics of its early settlers. The pioneers of Preble county came into the territory at a time when it was considered little better than a howling wilderness. They brought with them few indeed of the comforts which our modern standard of living has caused us to regard as necessities, but they were equipped with a spirit of determination to succeed, and were persevering and industrious. By their determined efforts they created Preble county and made of it a community which is second to none in the state of Ohio. Better still, they left !aehind them descendants who were endowed with the spirit of the early pioneers themselves, and who have ably maintained the high standard which their ancestors established. Among these families that of Charles W. Pierce, the subject of this sketch, takes high rank, having been founded by sturdy pioneers of an earlier day and maintained by worthy descendants who have most ably upheld the tra-ditions of the family. Charles W. Pierce was born at Camden, Ohio, September 30, 1851, (51) 802 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. the son of Francis A., and Nancy (Barnet) Pierce. Francis A. Pierce, Sr., the grandfather of Charles W., emigrated from England, his native country, when a young man, and settled in Pennsylvania, where, in 1818, he married Lois Ladd. After his marriage he migrated to Camden, Ohio, being one of the early pioneers of that place. He was a carpenter and, after settling in Camden, followed that trade in addition to his occupation as a farmer. To Mr. and Mrs. Pierce were born five children, Charles W., Azel, Mary Jane, Marinda and Francis A. Mr. Pierce died in 1825. After Mr. Pierce's death Mrs. Pierce married a second time, her second husband being Mr. Ross, to which union five children were born : Henry, Savela, Sophronia, Helen and Mary. Mr. Ross went west at a later date and no word was ever received from him. As he had on his person about eight hundred dollars at the time he left, it was supposed that he was murdered for his money. Mrs. Ross then moved to California, where she lived with her son. She later married James Creson and died in California in 1873, without further issue. Francis A. Pierce, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Camden, Preble county, Ohio, March 19, I'825. He owned extensive farm lands, but followed his trade as a brickmason and gave more time to that work than to his farm. At the time of his death he owned more than a thousand acres of Preble county land. On November 2, 1848, Francis A. Pierce married Nancy Barnet, who was born near Camden, Ohio, August 18, 1827, and who died on January 19, 1910. Seven children were born to them, as follows : Azel, born on December 10, 1849, died on July 23, 1910; Charles W., born on September 30, 1851 ; Emerson, born on October 18, 1853, died on January 12, 1912 ; William. H., born on February 20, 1855, died on July 27, 1882 ; David, born on October 18, 1857, now an attorney in Hamilton, Ohio ; Thomas P., born on September 7, 1859, now living in Harrison, Ohio; James F., born on July16, 1864, and now living in Somers township, this county. Previous to the Civil War Mr. Pierce was an upholder of the Republican party, but after the war he became a loyal supporter of the Demo cratic party principles. He died on August 26, 1900, at the age of seventy-five years, five months and seven days. Charles W. Pierce was born in Camden, Preble county, Ohio, September 3o, 1851. He was educated in the district schools of Preble county and, after having finished his studies, took up, in 1881, the work of operating his father's, large farm. On February 3, 1897, he married Retta M. Bloom, a daughter of John H. and Julia Ann (Albaugh) Bloom. Frederick Bloom, PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 803 grandfather of Mrs. Pierce, came to this country from Wittenburg, Germany, and settled in Pennsylvania, where he lived until the time of his death. Mrs. Pierce's father, John H. Bloom, was a native of Hanover county, Pennsylvania, where he was born on April 18, 1825. He came west when a young man and settled in Preble county, Ohio. On November 19, 1851, he married Julia Ann Albaugh, who was born in Preble county on June 21, 1824. Mr. Bloom died on February 23, 1897, and Mrs. Bloom is now making her home with Mrs. Pierce. She is a bright and remarkably well-preserved old lady at ninety-one years of age. She makes her home alternately with her children, spending a part of the time with each. To John H. and Julia Ann (Albaugh) Bloom were born six children, all of whom are living : Angeline, who lives in Colorado ; Fred A., who lives in Montgomery county, Ohio; Steven M., now living in Nebraska ; Nancy Josephine, living in Paulding county, Ohio; Retta M., the wife of the subject of this sketch, and Henry J., who lives in Clermont county, Ohio. Mr. Bloom was a stonemason and stonecutter by trade, and followed that occupation throughout his life. During the Civil War days he enlisted in Company E, Thirteenth Regiment Missouri Volunteer Infantry, and served three years, being honorably discharged at the close of the war. Charles W. Pierce has followed the calling of a farmer all his life. He and Mrs. Pierce each own farm land, their holdings aggregating two hundred and sixty-two acres of fine farm land, mostly lying in Gasper township, but ninety acres of it is in Somers township, where he makes his home in the fine old family homestead that was built by his grandfather, David Barnet, sixty-seven years ago. Mr. Pierce specializes in the raising of Shorthorn cattle. Mrs. Pierce is a member of the Presbyterian church at Eaton, Ohio, and gives it her loyal support, being closely identified with many branches of the church work. Mr. Pierce is a stanch Democrat, although he has never entered actively into the political affairs of his community. He is not sufficiently partisan in his political views, however, to blindly support any candidate who may be put forward by his party, always being ready to vote for the candidate of another party if he considers that candidate a better man than the one representing his own party. Mr. and Mrs. Pierce are held in high esteem by the residents of their community, and are regarded as being neighbors of the very highest type. They are both of the same splendid type which made their pioneer ancestors willing to endure any and all hardships to procure independence for themselves and their children by laying the foundations of a permanent home in Preble county. 804 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. FRED M. NEFF. What a dreary world this would be without the graceful and delicate things of life to give us moments of cheer and refreshment. What a dreary round the mere necessary act of taking for our bodies the nourishment essential to their physical sustenance would become if there were none of the dainty food delicacies with which we are wont to regale ourselves to lend a spice to the meal. The man who does his share toward keeping us supplied with these delicacies with which we delight to refresh our "inner man" certainly is to be regarded as a public benefactor, and when the historian of the future comes to foot up his balance these purveyors of the delightful things of life certainly will be accorded a place well up in the front ranks of those who loved their fellowmen. Of such as these there are few better known or more deservedly popular in Preble county than Councilman Fred M. Neff, whose delicatessen shop at Camden is widely known for the table dainties with which the people of that community so delight to regale themselves, and the historian would consider himself remiss in his duty toward the future generations of this favored section were he to omit mention of the activities of this gentleman in this volume. Fred M. Neff, one of the most popular and useful of the members of the city council of Camden, Preble county, Ohio, was born in Somers township, this county on March 29, 1869, the son of John W. and Ruth (Wilson) Neff, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania and the latter in Butler county, Ohio. John W. Neff migrated with his parents from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, when a small boy, the journey being made by stage coach, and settled with them on a farm west of Camden, this county, where they remained for some time, later taking a farm east of the town of Camden, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Here John W. Neff, father of Fred M., grew to manhood and married Ruth Wilson, one of the belles of this section. To this union three children were born, of whom Fred M. is -the sole survivor, his sister, Belle, dying at the untimely age of thirteen years, and his brother William dying in 1914, at Washington, D. C., where he had been for many years connected with the postoffice department of the United States government. John W. Neff contributed his services to the Union in the dark hour of its trial by fire and sword in the sixties. He first enlisted in answer to the call for three months' recruits and at the end of this term of service re-enlisted in Company B. Fifty-Fourth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Colonel Bob Williams, in which regiment he served until the end of PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 805 the war, being mustered out in April, 1865. After the war he taught school and farmed until the year 1885, when he became attached to the government service, his first civil service being rendered in the government's factory for the manufacture of revenue stamps at East Pepperell, Massachusetts, where he remained for two years. He is now a clerk in the internal revenue division of the United States treasury department, a position he has held for the past twenty-seven years. Though he is a Republican, his services have been so efficient that he has not been disturbed in his tenure by the various changes in the administration of the government in all these years. Fred M. Neff was educated in the district schools of his home township and so apt was he in learning that at the age of sixteen he secured a license to teach in the public schools of Preble county and for two years followed this profession. His ambition then being turned toward mercantile pursuits, he entered the clothing store of Strauss & Company, for which firm he worked for six years, except eighteen months of which time he acted as assistant supervisor. in the state hospital for the insane at Dayton, Ohio, under appointment of Governor Campbell. For a year and six months he then acted as bookkeeper and ticket agent for the Miami Valley Traction Company at Trenton, Ohio, and in 1898 returned to Camden and bought out Frank Eikenberry's ice cream parlor, which he conducted for a time. He then took up the insurance business and was thus engaged for two years, following which he learned the trade of painter and paper-hanger, which vocation he followed for about three years, af ter which he moved onto a farm, where he remained for one year, at the end of which time he returned to Camden, going to work as a clerk in the store of White & Eiken-berry, with whotn he served for a year and on December 19, 19o7, bought a bakery and grocery in Camden, which he is at present conducting very suc-cessfully. On April 12, 1899, Mr. Neff was married to Martha White, a daughter of James and Eliza (Kennedy) White, the. former of whom was born in Butler county, Ohio, and the latter near Cincinnati, Ohio. James and Eliza (Kennedy) White were the parents of eight children, seven of whom are living, one having died in infancy. These children, in the order of their birth, are : Nellie, wife of Charles McFall, who lives in Camden; Ada, wife of Frank Eikenberry who conducts a furniture store in Camden; Charles F., a Camden dry-goods merchant; John, resides in Camden; Sarah, re-sides with her father in Camden; Martha, wife of the subject of this sketch, and Frank, who lives in Camden. The mother of these children died in 806 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. July, 1901. The father is a retired farmer and lives in Camden, where he is honored of all who know him. To Fred M. and Martha (White) Neff four children have been born, all of whom are living : Cecil E., born on October 10, 1900, attending school; Ruth E., born on January 8, 1904; Harry E., born on May 17, 1906, and Helen W., born on August 16, 1909, all lively and interesting youngsters who are the continual delight of the lives of their good-natured father, Councilman Neff, and his excellent wife. Mr. Neff claims that it is a distinction to be the only Democrat in the Neff family, and he has been active in the deliberations of his party in this county for years. Four years ago he was elected to the Camden city council on the Democratic ticket and his services in that connection are proving highly satisfactory to his constituents. He is a member of Lodge No. 259, Knights of Pythias, at Camden and is one of the most earnest boosters for that order in this section. JAMES H. BECKETT Among the prominent families of Preble county, Ohio, are many which have been closely identified with the development of the state dui-ing both this and preceding generations. Of these families that of James H. Beckett, who was born in Butler county, Ohio, but who later made his home in Preble county, is a typical example. James H. Beckett was born in Butler county, Ohio, on December 12, 1866, the son of William and Margaret (Richmond) Beckett. His father also was born in Butler county on June 20, 1830, and his mother was born on March 22, 1849, in Indiana. William Beckett was a farmer during the earlier years of his life, following that calling in Illinois for a period of about eleven years. He later returned to Butler county, where he worked as a farmer until the time of his death, on May 3o, 1892. His wife died in 1887. William Beckett was married in Butler county on December 21, 1865, and to him and his wife were born eight children, five of whom are yet living: James H., the subject of this sketch; Isabel, who died when four years of age; Dezora, who is engaged in the hardware business at Oxford, Ohio ; Anna, the wife of Chief of Police John Evers, of Middletown, Ohio; Fanny, who died in childhood; Mary, Who died at the age of fifteen; Cliff, PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 807 who is a farmer at Clarksville, Ohio, and Theodore, who is a clerk in his brother's store, in Oxford, Ohio. James H. Beckett received a common school education and, at the age of fourteen commenced "working out" by the month, a form of employment in which he was engaged for a period of about seven years. On January 15, 1889, he married Bessie Halteman, a daughter of Henry and Martha (Patterson) Halteman, the former of whom was born in Dayton, Ohio, and the latter in Ireland. After having lived in Preble county, they moved to Dayton, where Mrs. Halteman died in 1904. Mr. Halteman is yet living in that city. To James H. and Bessie (Halteman) Beckett were born eight children, six of whom are yet living : Pearl, now the wife of Leroy Matix, of Israel township; Henry, who lives in Israel township; Jennie, who died at the age of sixteen; Ora, now attending high school at Fairhaven, Ohio; Arthur, attending school at Fairhaven; Anabelle, who lives at home; Rachel Roberta, who lives at home, and one child, not named, who died in infancy. After his marriage Mr. Beckett worked by the year for about three years, and then rented a farm, which he operated for about four years. At the end of that time he bought a farm of eighty acres in Dixon township, this county. After four years on that farm he bought a farm of one hundred and twenty-one acres, in section four of Israel township, this county, where he now lives. He also owns his original farm of eighty acres in Dixon township. He sold another farm in that township, the latter containing sixty-two acres, thus making his present land holdings total two hundred and one acres. Mr. Beckett still follows the business of farming, and also does an extensive business in the buying and feeding of hogs, cattle and sheep. In addition to his regular business interests, he is a stockholder in the Farmers Grain and Supply Company, of Camden, Ohio, and has been vice-president of the company for two years. James H. Beckett is a strong supporter of the Democratic party, and his efforts in behalf of that party have been rewarded by his having been elected to one term as township trustee of Israel township. While he lived in Dixon township he served the community as a constable. Mr. Beckett is a striking example of the self-made men who form such a solid foundation in the community life of Preble county. Having started life with no capital except his own native intelligence and industry, he has prospered through his own efforts until he has become one of the county's most highly respected and influential citizens. 808 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. EDWARD MADDOCK. Preble county, Ohio, owes much of its present prosperity to the high type of pioneers who laid the foundations of the county during the early years of last century. Not only did the thrift and industry of those sturdy settlers determine the early character of the county, but their influence is yet felt through the many fine qualities of their descendants. The pioneers laid the foundation of the county, but it fell to the lot of the descendants to so ably rear the structure of Preble county, and their efforts have been crowned with a success to which they can well point with pride. Among those who so capably aided in the working out of the destinies of Preble county the Maddock family takes high rank, its first representative arriving in the county early in the preceding century. Through his efforts he established a foothold for the descendants who were to follow him, and laid the cornerstone in the architecture of a family name which was destined to become one of the most respected and esteemed in the county. Edward Maddock, the subject of this sketch, was born in Israel township, Preble county, Ohio, February 2, 1840, a son of William and Sarah (Huffman) Maddock. William Maddock was born in North Carolina in 1785. When he was quite young his father migrated to Georgia where, shortly afterward, his mother died. Mr. Maddock's father than followed the custom so much in vogue at that time and bound his son to Joseph Stubbs, a Quaker, until he should have reached the age of eighteen. Shortly afterward, owing to a prophecy made by a Quaker preacher to the effect that there was to be a slave insurrection, a great many Quakers, among whom was the Stubbs family, migrated north to Ohio, leaving Georgia in 18o6. They wintered on Lost creek, in Tennessee, and arrived in Preble county, Ohio, in the spring of 1807. When William Maddock was twenty-four years of age he married Hannah Stubbs, a niece of the man to whom he had been bound when a boy. After his marriage he moved a distance of twelve miles from the Stubbs home and bought a quarter section of government land, for which he paid two dollars and twenty-five cents an acre. The land was situated in Israel township, this county, where Mr. Maddock for a time worked for his neighbors in order to earn the money with which to pay for his newly-acquired land. He lived on his farm for sixty-five years. To William and Hannah (Stubbs) Maddock were born nine children, Elija, Nathan, Joseph, Elizabeth, Mary Ann, Amos, Louisa, Henry and Nancy, all of whom are deceased. Mrs. Maddock passed away after twenty- PREBLE COI.;NTY, OHIO - 809 two years of married life, and Mr. Maddock later married Sarah Huffman. The second union was blessed by seven children, Nancy, the widow of Benja-min F. Gardner, living' in Camden, Ohio; Susan (deceased), who was the wife of William L. Murphy, who died in California in 1914; Edward, the subject of this sketch; Allen (deceased) ; Elzina, who lives in Camden, Ohio; Wesley (decease'd) and Riley (deceased). William Maddock was brought up in the Quaker religion, but he afterward joined the Baptist church. Later, when that branch of the Baptists be-came identified with the Campbellites, he affiliated with the Methodist church, in whith faith he became a teacher of the class meetings and prayer meetings. He followed the occupation of farming until about 1876, when he retired and moved to Camden, Ohio. There Mrs. Maddock died March 1, 1878, and was buried in the Camden cemetery. She was born on October 9, 18̊9, and was brought up in the faith of the Baptist church, but later became a Meth-odist. After her death Mr. Maddock moved to Edgar county, Illinois, where he lived with a son until the time of his death, March 22, 1878. He was buried in the Wilson grave yard, near Marly Station, Edgar county, Illinois. Edward Maddock was married on February 7, 1861, to Millicent Felton, a daughter of Edward and Tillitha (Wright) Felton. Mrs. Maddock's father was born in North Carolina and came to this county- when he was a boy fourteen years of age. Her mother was born in Gasper township, this county, where she and Mr. Felton were married. To Mr. and Mrs. Felton were born fourteen children, William (deceased), Millicent, Susan, John, Sarah Ann (deceased), Leah, Lerton D., Samuel, Nancy, Rachel, Edward, Caroline, Alonzo, and 1VIary, the latter of whom died in infancy. Mr. Felton followed the calling of a farmer. Both Mr. Felton and his wife are deceased. To Edward and Millicent (Felton) Maddock were born six children, Emma, the wife of Oscar Brubaker, of Columbus, Ohio; Anna, the wife of James H. Reynolds, of this county ; Charles, who died at the age of five .months ; John, who lives in Israel township, this county ; Sarah, the wife of Elmer Morton, of Ayrshire, Iowa, and Oscar, who died at the age of seven years. When Mr. Maddock started life independently his father gave him eighty acres of land, to which he has gradually added until his land holdings now amount to two hundred and forty-eight acres, situated in section 6 of Somers township, about four miles northwest of Camden. On the land he has erected a fine residence, and has made many improvements on the farm as a whole. He operates his place as a general farm, but makes a specialty of raising high-grade stock. 810 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. Mr. Maddock always has been a hard worker and a good farmer and still takes active charge of the operation of his large farm. Mr. and Mrs. Maddock celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1911. In politics Mr. Maddock supports the Republican party, but has never taken any particularly active part in the politics of his community. Throughout his life Mr. Maddock has proved himself a most worthy representative of the family which was established by his hardy pioneer ancestors. Few men can point to greater achievements in the face of difficulties than those accomplished by Mr. Maddock and his ancestors. Their success has been gained entirely through their own efforts and perseverance and . without the intervention of any outside. assistance. The result, under such circumstances, could be no other than the elevation of the Maddock family to a high point in the regard of all residents of Preble county. JOHN E. BRUCE. One of the best-known men in Preble county is the gentleman whose name appears above, a grandson of William Bruce, who laid out the town of Eaton, this county. It is a distinction of no little consequence to be descended from such a worthy progenitor as William Bruce, whose name will live as long as Preble county and the city of Eaton endures, and in .every respect the subject of this sketch merits the distinction conferred upon him by this worthy ancestor. John E. Bruce was born in the house where he now lives on January 5, 1847, the son of Hardin and Susanna (Danford) Bruce, the former of whom was the son of William Bruce, the first settler in Eaton. Reared on the farm where he now lives, just south of the corporation of Eaton, John E. Bruce received his education in the public schools of Eaton and took up farming early in life. On February 20, 1872, he married Ida M. Mitchell, the daughter of Theodore C. Mitchell, of Logansport, Indiana. Mrs. Bruce was born in Preble county, Ohio, but her family moved to Logansport when she was two years old, living there until 1870 when they returned to this county. She was educated in the public schools of Logansport and the Western College for Women at Oxford, Ohio.. After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Bruce located on the old Bruce homestead where Mrs. Bruce died on August 20, 1904. She was a kind and loving wife and a devoted companion to her family. Mrs. Bruce was the PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 811 mother of five children, Robert H., who was educated in the public schools of Eaton, and is unmarried, living at Chicago, Illinois; Horace V., a graduate of the Eaton high school and a student of Ohio State University, married Jeanette Hallanan and is now secretary of the Co-operative Market of New York City; William W., who married Mabel Cail, resides in Eaton; Ethel, who is a graduate of the Eaton high school, and Frances, both single and at home. John E. Bruce owns eighty-eight acres of the old homestead of sixteen hundred acres entered by William Bruce. In October, 189o, he entered the dairy business and has been engaged in this business in connection with farming since that date. Almost all of his dairy cattle are thoroughbred and registered. Mr. Bruce finds a market for all of his products in the city of Eaton. The Bruce family are all members of the Presbyterian church at Eaton. Mr. Bruce is a Republican, but has never taken an active part in the councils of any party. He is a man who is well and favorably known and is devoted to his personal and business interests and to the welfare of his family. The history of the Bruce family, however, would be incomplete unless it contained the story of the life and career of William Bruce and his descendants. This story, taken from an old history of Preble county, is herewith appended : "A high type of pioneer life and character was exemplified in William Bruce, the founder of Eaton. He was of Scotch descent and in him were preserved many of the distinguished and admirable traits of the people to whom he belonged. His father and five brothers, Highlanders, came to America during the Scottish rebellion of 1746, and located upon the waters of the Potomac in Virginia. Here the subject of our sketch was born on September 20, 1762. When he was nine years old, his father removed to Redstore, Pennsylvania, near Fort Pitt, now Pittsburgh. Young William Bruce sought employment and was engaged while a mere boy as a packer of goods across the mountains. In this vigorous and perilous occupation, he developed that physical vigor and fearlessness, as well as sturdiness of character, which fitted him for the life he was to lead. When of age, Bruce abandoned the toilsome vocation at which he had served for several years and with a brother-in-law, immigrated to Kentucky where he settled in the famous Cane Ridge locality, included in the civil division of the territory now known as Bourbon county. In Kentucky, William Bruce married, about 1791, Frances Lewis, born in 1771. They immigrated in 1793 to Warren county, Ohio, and for six years lived near Shakertown. They then moved into Butler county, Ohio, and from there to Montgomery county, 812 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. . from which locality they moved to Eaton, their permanent place of residence, in 1806. "Prior to this time, Mr. Bruce had prospected for lands along Seven Mile, and, doubtless, had then conceived the idea of founding a town, for he purchased three sections or nearly two thousand acres of land, including the site of Eaton, the 'Old Garrison' and 'all the ground between, being led to this measure very likely because of the general attractions of the lands and the particularly fine mill site which the falls of the creek afforded. Mr. Bruce built a cabin on the hill south of the site of Eaton, laid out the town and built a saw and grist mill, which proved of great convenience to the settlers in the surrounding country. "The village fast gained population under the proprietor's generous scheme of management and, in a few years, almost entirely through his influence, it excelled in good morals and in true prosperity many of its young rivals which had better natural advantages. Mr. Bruce made liberal donations of public land for public buildings, churches and schools, and also gave lots to numbers of settlers, beside encouraging the worthy poor by various other methods. It is related of him that he seldom took 'toll' for grinding of the poor man's grist, quantities of flour, meal and other simple provisions which were in use among the pioneer settlers. He was a very humane man, kind-hearted and, if such a thing is possible, generous to a fault. His life was a long and constant exercise of a very unusual energy, and his labors were given as much to the good of the general public as to himself or immediate family. With all his earnestness of purpose, his unswerving devotion to the right and scrupulous regard for morality, he was original in his ideas and refused to be governed by popular opinion, a trait of independence which gained for him in some quarters the reputation of being eccentric and in others created positive ill-will. "He was once a member of the Christian or 'New Light' church, and a very constant one indeed, with the exception that he could not be persuaded from the idea that it was not wrong to grind corn on Sunday for the poor and, in some cases, absolutely destitute settlers. Being remonstrated with by some members of the church, he withdrew his fellowship. His creed was that the great practical good to be obtained was superior to the harm of nominally infringing a law of the church, and he continued to run his mill down by the Seven Mile on Sundays as well as week days, when there was a necessity for so doing and the water was high enough. This circumstance served well as an illustration of the character of William Bruce. He was a plain matter-of-fact man, a utilitarian, very decided in his views, and direct in giving them expression. He wished to infringe upon the PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 813 rights of no man and would allow no man to infringe upon his. He preferred to do right in his own way and always unostentatiously. His donations were usually accompanied by some provision enjoying the recipient to perform some work for himself though he secured to the community and individuals the fullest benefit, both directly and indirectly, of his benevolence. "Mr. Bruce's sterling traits of character gained and maintained for him the universal and unqualified respect of the people, a fact that he evinced when he was made first treasurer of Preble county and in later years by the number of private trusts reposed on him. The subject of our sketch was a jovial man of high spirits, enjoyed life and was very fond of association with his fellowmen. He was good-humored, fond of conversation and a man of far more than ordinary mind. His personal appearance was prepossessing, at once commanding and benign. Mr. Bruce died in 1830 and was buried in Mound cemetery, where an appropriate monument, formed in part of the grinding stones of the old mill, marks his resting place. Mrs. Bruce's death occurred prior to that of her husband, in 1827. "This pair of pioneers were the parents of nine children, nearly all of whom grew to maturity and reared families, whose members have, as a precious legacy, the good name and fame of the patriarch, William Bruce. George, who for the past fifty-three years has lived in Indianapolis, Indiana; Washington, who married Sarah Redmond ; and James, residents of Preble county ; Hannah, the eldest of the family, married Jacob Spacht; Charles, the second child born January 15, 1796, married Eliza Lease ; Hardin was born July 1, 1798, and married for his first wife Jane Cook and for his second wife Susannah Danforth (Swihart). Mary, familiarly called Polly, was first married to James Holliday and after his death to Levin T. McCabe. George, born July 27, 1802, married Dove Regan ; John L., born in 1809 ; James and Alexander, twins, were born April 15, 1815. The latter died in infancy and the former is now living in Washington township." Charles Bruce was the father of nine children, George, deceased, formerly a physician in Winchester, Indiana ; Mrs. Jerusha Morgan, of Eaton ; William, deceased; William C., deceased; Mrs. Melvina Curry, deceased; Mrs. Mary Danford, deceased ; Mrs. Josephine Williams, of Cardington, Ohio ; Mrs. Julia Minor, of Eaton, and John H., of Cardington, Ohio. Hardin Bruce had several children by his first wife, of whom Mrs. Margaret A. Redmond (deceased), of Cynthiana, Kentucky, is one. By his second wife there were John Ervin, Mrs. Mary Deem, Mrs. Frances Deem, deceased ; Mrs. Catherine Brouse, deceased ; Emma and Mrs. Laura Sayre. 814 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. ASA R. MORROW. The oft-repeated statement that a man can make himself what he will has been exemplified many times in the history of Preble county, where many of the present citizens have descended from pioneers, or have struck out for themselves as early settlers of the county. Probably one of the best examples of this type of solid citizens is Asa R. Morrow, of Somers township, this county, who started life with a capital of fifty dollars and through his own efforts gained and developed his present farm of one hundred and seventy-four acres, on which he has spent over eighteen hundred dollars in improvements. Asa R. Morrow was born in Preble county, Ohio, April 1, 1870, the son of Samuel and. Mary Jane (Newton) Morrow, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania and the latter in this county. Samuel Morrow was a farmer in Somers township, this county, and followed that calling until his death in 1886. His wife was twice married, her first husband having been Joseph Craig. By her first marriage she had three children, Charles, who lives in Camden, Ohio; Sarah, who is the wife of Robert. L. Patterson of Somers township, this county, and Miranda, who is the wife of Wilson Pollett, of Richmond, Indiana. To Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Morrow were born five children, Isaac, who lives in Israel township, this county; Emma, who lives in Hamilton, Ohio ; Asa R., the subject of this sketch ; James F., who lives in Indiana, and Lucy, the wife of Clem McFall, of Hamilton, Ohio. Mrs. Morrow died about 1877. Asa R. Morrow received a common-school education and, at the age of twenty-one, was employed by A. C. Prugh, for whom he worked by the month as a farmhand. After having been employed by Mr. Prugh for two years, Mr. Morrow, on July 24, 1892, married Georgiana Decker, the daughter of Joseph and Amanda (Riggs) Decker, to which union have been born six children, lour of whom are living, Clayton, Clyde, Myrtle I. and Robert A. The two other children died at an early age. After his marriage Mr. Morrow continued to work as a farmhand for two years, at the end of which time he rented a farm, which he operated for eleven years. In 1906 he bought the farm which he now owns. It is southwest of Camden, and contains one hundred and seventy-four acres. Mr. Morrow commenced immediately to develop his farm and to make it one of the best in his community. In that effort he has expended over eighteen hundred dollars since he first purchased the property, having, among other things, remodeled the house, making it a fine residence, built a large PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 815 barn and a silo. He centralizes his farming business about the raising. and breeding of full-blooded Jersey cattle and Duroc-Jersey hogs. Mr. Morrow is an ardent supporter of the Republican party and his. support of the same has been recognized and rewarded by his election to several local offices, in all of which he has always given the greatest satisfaction to his party and his neighbors. He is now serving his fourth year-as trustee- of Somers township, and was a member of the school board, which latter office he also held for four years. As a citizen and a neighbor Mr. Morrow enjoys the deepest respect and esteem of all the residents of his community. He is also accorded that regard which- must always be the portion of the man who has, single-handed, except for the most able help of his wife and family, forced his way upward' through all obstacles until he was ultimately successful in achieving his. ambitions and gaining his well-deserved success. DANIEL M. BROWER. The people who constitute the bone and sinew of this country are not those who are unstable and unsettled, who fly from one occupation to another, who do not know how to vote until they are told, and who take no active or intelligent interest in the civic affairs of their communities. The backbone of this country is made up of the families who have established their homes, who are alive to the best interests of the community in which they live, who attend to their own business in preference to the affairs of others, and who work on steadily from day to day, taking the sunshine with the storm, and who rear a splendid family in habits of honest living. Such people are always welcome in any community. They are the wealth producers, and Preble county is fortunate in being blessed with many of them, among whom is Daniel M. Brower, a farmer living on Rural Route. No. 4, out of Eaton, and who is the proprietor of "East View Farm." Daniel M. Brower was born in Gasper township, Preble cclunty, Ohio, August 4, 1848, the son of John and Elizabeth (Sharkey) Brower, both of whom were born in Franklin county, Virginia, who came with their respective parents to Preble county, where both grew to maturity, and where they were married. John Brower lived,, until his death in 1901, on a farm adjoining that which is now owned by Daniel M. Brower. His widow is stilt living on the old home farm. She was born in December, 1827. 816 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. John Brower and wife were the parents of four children, all of whom are deceased with the exception of Daniel M. Delilah was the wife of John Bonner, and died in 1906. William H. married Brookie Harshman, and died in 1912. Marcus married Ollie May, and died in 1912. Daniel M. Brower spent his early life in Gasper township, on the farm adjoining that on which he is now living. He was educated in the district schools of his home neighborhood, and remained at home until he was married, in June, 1884, to Dora Hildebolt, who died in 1892, leaving two children, Vera and Orva. Vera is the wife of Walter Shaw, and lives in Preble county. Orva is the wife of Glenn M. Spacht, and lives at Dayton, Ohio. In June, 1894, Mr. Brower married, secondly, Emma Clark, to which second union no children have been born. Mr. Brower is a prosperous farmer and is the owner of ninety-five acres of splendid land, four and one-half miles southwest of Eaton. He is an adherent of the Democratic party and has been highly honored by the people of his township who, thirteen years ago, elected him to the office of township trustee, to which office he has been re-elected in each succeeding election, which fact alone attests to his wise administration of the duties of this office. He is also a school director of his township. Mr. Brower is, in every respect, an honorable citizen and highly esteemed in the community where he lives. REV JOSEPH M. HYLAND. One of the most popular men in Eaton, Preble county, Ohio, is the pastor of the Church of the Visitation, Rev. Joseph M. Hyland. Father Hyland has not been in Eaton a long time, but he has greatly endeared himself to the membership of the parish of which he is the pastor. Father Hyland is a devout, learned, genial and public spirited churchman and citizen. Joseph M. Hyland was born in Ossining, New York, July 19, 1867, the son of James and Mary (Sullivan) Hyland, natives of Ireland, the former of County Limerick, and the latter of County Longford. James Hyland came to America at the age of seventeen, locating in Ossining. At the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted for service in a New York regiment and served throughout the war, taking part in many of the important battles of that great struggle. After the close of the war he returned to Ossining, married and engaged in the livery business. He is still a resident of that PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 817 city, although retired from active life. His wife died in 1906 at the age of fifty-eight. Both were devout members of the Catholic church. The paternal grandparents of Father Hyland were Martin and Ellen Hyland, both natives of Ireland, who came to America and settled in Ossining, New York, where both died, he at the age of forty, and she at the advanced age of seventy. They were the parents of four children, James, Patrick, John and Catherine. The maternal grandparents of Father Hyland never left their native land of Ireland, dying there many years ago. They had two children, Mary and Margaret. Rev. Joseph M. Hyland was reared in Ossining, New York, and attended the public schools in that place. At the age of seventeen he entered Notre Dame University, at South Bend, Indiana, where he took the full classical course. He then went to Mount St. Mary's Seminary, at Cincinnati, Ohio, and there took the philosophical and theological courses, and was ordained to the priesthood in June, 1894. After his ordination, Father Hyland was appointed assistant priest at the cathedral in Cincinnati, in July, 1894, and remained there until September, 1895, when he was appointed pastor of St. Martin's church in Brown county, Ohio, remaining with that church until January, 1898, at which time he was appointed pastor of the church at South Charleston, Ohio. His next charge was the parish of St. Mary's, at Hamilton, Ohio, and in February, 1911, he was transferred to Eaton as pastor of the Church of the Visitation, and is still serving in that pastorate. He also has charge of St.' John's church at New Paris. The Eaton church has a membership of eighty-one families, while the church at New Paris has a membership of twenty-two families. The original church at Eaton was a frame residence occupied by the priest during the time of the Civil War. The first resident priest was Father William Daly. The present brick church building was erected and dedicated in 1878. Father Hyland, since coming to Eaton, has taken a worthy interest in all public enterprises and is popular among all classes of people without regard to politics or creed. He is devoted to the common good and even in circles outside his parish the influence of his ardent Christian spirit and engaging personality are felt, his service as pastor in the community to which he is attached having proved helpful to many who are not members of his flock, in consequence of which he enjoys the highest esteem and the most respectful consideration of the entire community. (52) 818 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. WILLLAM O. MORRIS. William O. Morris is one of that earnest band of agriculturists who give Preble county a distinguished position agriculturally among the other counties of Ohio, and is doing well his share, by the use of intelligence and perspicacity, to elevate the standard of farm work and to add dignity to the councils of the civic body. Born in Union county, Indiana, on May 13, 1867, Mr. Morris is the son of Mahlon and Charlotte (Freeland) Morris, and one of a family of six children, namely : Cora, deceased; Fannie, who lives in Madison county, Indiana; Emma, the wife of W. H. Wilkins, also lives in Atladison county; Nora, deceased; Gilbert A., who lives in Marion, Indiana, and William O., the subject of this sketch. The paternal grandfather of William O. Morris was Mahlon Morris, who married Nancy Closser. They were both natives of Pennsylvania, and, coming to Ohio, located near Dayton, and later went to Union county, Indiana, where they spent the rest of their lives. They were the parents of ten children. After the death of Mahlon Morris, his widow remarried and became the mother of six other children. One of her sixteen children, James K. P. Morris, is still living and resides in Elk City, Kansas. Mahlon Morris, the father of William, was reared in Union county, while his wife was reared in Franklin county, Indiana. They married and located in Union county, Indiana, where they spent their lives. Mahlon Morris was active in the ranks of the Republican party. He died in College Corner, Indiana, in IVIarch, 1914. Reared as a farmer boy in Union county, Indiana, William IVIorris was educated in the district schools and in the Central Normal College, at Ladoga, Indiana. He went to Colorado, in which state he spent some time working at the carpenter's trade and at railroading. He returned to Union county, Indiana, and began farming. On September 20, 1906, he bought the farm of one hundred and twenty acres of fertile land, located in section 14 of Dixon township, this county, on which he now lives. On January 27, 1891, Mr. Morris married Julia Riggs, who was born in Eaton, Ohio, the daughter of Eli and Emma Riggs, the former of whom is a resident of 'College Corner, Indiana. To this union two children were born, Clarence C., born on February 6, 1892, who was graduated from the common schools and lives at home, and Charlotte, born on March 8, 1902. Mr. Morris is a member of Eaton Lodge No. 3o, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he is a past noble grand. He represented the PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 819 grand lodge of Indiana when he lived in College Corner. Politically, he is a Republican and is the trustee of Dixon township, an office the duties of which he is administering faithfully and well. Mr. Morris is widely and favorably known because of his genial nature and sterling character and is held in the highest regard throughout that section of the county. WILLIAM H. THOMAS. Great credit is due that man who, under discouraging circumstances, wins his way to the top by sheer courage and ability, as did William H. Thomas. A comparatively poor boy, Mr. Thomas early decided to make his life a success, and, with this in mind, manfully met each difficulty and overcame it. He now owns one hundred and eighteen acres of fertile, well-improved land five and one-half miles southwest of Eaton, Ohio. William Thomas was born in Carroll county, Maryland, on December 1o, 1849, the son of Henry and Magdalena (Beard) Thomas, who were reared and educated in Germany, coming to America before marriage, and settling in Maryland, where they were married. In the fall of 1864 they came to Preble county, Ohio. Henry Thomas served three years in the Union army during the Civil War, two of his sons also being enlisted. The eldest son, John, was killed in the war. William H. Thomas is one of a family of nine children, of whom but two are now living, the subject of this sketch and Mary, who married August Schwedtfeger, of Dayton, Ohio. Coming with his father to Preble county, William H. Thomas went to work by the month at the age of twelve years, his wages going to the support of his family until his marriage. Accordingly, his education was neglected, although he obtained a meager schooling in subscription schools. That he was undaunted by these difficulties is proof of the high courage which actuated him. • On January 24, 1867, Mr. Thomas married Maria C. Duggins, the daughter of Benjamin and Jane (Hunter) Duggins, who was born on January 7, 1847, in Preble county. Benjamin Duggins was born in Washington 'township, this county, near Eaton, on February 5, 1819, the son of William A. Duggins. Jane Hunter also was born in Preble county. To Benjamin Duggins and his wife were born twelve children, but three of whom are now living, Sallie, the wife of William E. Kinsey, of Eaton, Ohio ; Emma D., the wife of Sevier Booker, and Maria C., who married Mr. Thomas. 820 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. To Mr. Thoinas and wife were born the following Children : Emma J., the wife of James E. Potter; Benjamin H. married Nettie Diliman and lives in Dixon township ; Sallie is the wife of George Holman, of Eaton, Ohio; Luvena is unmarried and lives in Dayton, Ohio; Minnie married William Miles; John F. is single and lives in Dayton, Ohio; William J. is single and lives in Dixon township, and James E. married Mary E. Koontz. In his political belief Mr. Thomas is in sympathy with the Republican party. He is an unassuming man who is devoted to his family and who finds his chief pleasure in life to be the planting, cultivating and reaping of his crops, and the raising of his fine, well-groomed cattle. Industrious, public-spirited, and conscientious, Mr. Thomas is a gentleman whose life is well worthy of emulation. ELMER E. DUGGINS. The prosperity of Preble county increases or lessens in exact proportion to the prosperity of her farmers, as agriculture is the foundation of the county's commercial structure, as it is of all commerce. Therefore the county is proud to include among her citizens such men as Elmer E. Duggins, who are not only intelligent and progressive farmers, but public-spirited men, who hold the common welfare close to their hearts. The birth of Elmer Duggins occurred on the farm where his son now lives, in Dixon township, Preble county, on June 14, 1861, the son of William N. and Sarah (Runyan) Duggins, the former of whom was born in Washington township, Preble county, the son of William Duggins. Sarah Runyan was born in Gasper township, this county, the daughter of Robert Runyan. The father of Elmer Duggins was also the father of five other children, James H., who lives in Hamilton county ; William T., a barber of the same county ; Mary is the wife of Finler Kincade, and lives on a Washington township farm ; Robert I. is a retired farmer of South Whitney, Indiana, and Cora married John A. Bailey, of Dixon township. Reared on the home farm and educated in the schools of Dixon township, Elmer Duggins was unconsciously developing a love of rural life which well fitted him to engage in farming for himself. He lived at home until he was twenty-one years of age, at which time he began farming for himself, and now owns a fine farm of one hundred and fifty-six acres in Dixon township, this county, on which he raises general crops. In 1880 Mr. Duggins married Georgie M. Kelley, a daughter of Frank PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 821 and Ella (Ryan) Kelley. She was reared on her father's farm in this county and was educated in the district schools. Her father lives on a place of eighty-tvvo and one-half acres, and is a general farmer and stock raiser. To the union of 1\/Ir. Duggins and Georgie Kelley were born two children, Josie, who is the wife of Hilbert Oler, an agriculturist of Gasper township, and Victor E., who married Jennie Burkett and lives on a farm in Dixon township. Mr. Duggins is a member of Lodge No. 143, Knights of Pythias, and he and his wife are both members of the Rathbone Sisters. Mr. Duggins is a Republican, though he is not a politician and has never sought office, preferring to give his whole attention to his work. He is intelligent, well-in-formed, and socially inclined. Always willing to oblige, Mr. Duggins has earned a well-merited popularity in the community in which he lives. FRANCIS A. MITCHELL. No farmer in Washington township, Preble county, Ohio, is more highly respected than Francis A. Mitchell, who, by dint of long and hard toil and careful, frugal management, has acquired a substantial competence and is respected for his splendid character and is admired for the success he has achieved in life. Francis A. Mitchell was born on October 3o, 1866, in Washington town-ship, the son of Lewis and Catherine (Hunsicker) Mitchell. Lewis Mitchell was born near Camden, Ohio, the son of Nathan Mitchell, who was a native bf Maryland. Catherine Hunsicker was born in Preble county, Ohio, the daughter of George Hunsicker, who was a native of Pennsylvania. Lewis Mitchell was married in Hamilton, Ohio, and lives on a farm. He was a bookkeeper in his younger days at Camden, Ohio, and a teacher in the country schools. He also was a justice of the peace for a great many years. He was not a man who possessed a great amount of property, but was active in the community in which he lived and was an influential citizen, especially in political matters and in the church of which he was a member. In every sense he was an honorable and upright man. He and his wife were the parents of nine children, six of whom are living, Laura, the wife of Isaiah C. Price, of Eaton; Ohio; T. W., of Washington township, this county; Ella, the wife of John D. Beard, of Dayton, Ohio; William C., of Hamilton. Ohio, and Charles, of Elwood, Indiana. 822 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. Francis A. Mitchell was reared on a farm in Preble county. His education was neglected on account of defective eyes. At the age of thirteen he began working for himself by the month. He gave his parents all his wages until he was nineteen years old. After that he saved his money until, at the age of twenty-eight, he had two hundred dollars. Francis A. Mitchell was married on March 8, 1896, to Lizzie Sanders, who was born in Wayne county, Indiana, November 12, 1869, a daughter of Henry and Hannah (Heinzelman) Sanders, both of whom were born in Germany and both of whom are still living. Henry Sanders was born on June 17, 1830. He and his wife were the parents of ten children, John, George, Lizzie, Minnie, August, Henry, Edward, Walter, Homer and Lawrence. To Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell one son has been born, Robert S., born July 9, 1897, who was graduated from the common schools and lives at home, where he assists on the farm. In 1911 Mr. Mitchell built a splendid modern house and now has a beautiful home, equipped with every modern convenience. He has a farm of eighty acres and is engaged in general farming. Mr. Mitchell is a Republican. His wife is a member of the Concord Christian church in Dixon township. Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell are popular in the community where they live and are among its most influential and respected citizens. GEORGE W. HARDIN. Among the highly respected citizens of Washington township, Preble county, Ohio, during his time, and among the most successful farmers of that township was the late George W. Hardin. Although not a native of Preble county, Mr. Hardin spent most of his life here, where he lived a high-minded and honorable life, devoted primarily to the interests of his family, but at no time unmindful of his duties to his neighbors and fellow citizens. The late George W. Hardin was born in Butler county, Ohio, January 31, 1866, the son of J. G. and Mary (Hadley) Hardin, and died at his home, three and one-half miles southwest of Eaton, this county, on March 6, 1915, and is buried in the Eaton cemetery. J. G. Hardin was born in Butler county, Ohio, January 14, 1842, and died May 27, 1894, in Butler county. He was the son of James and Susan (Withrow) Hardin. J. G. Hardin's wife was a daughter of Elias and Lucinda (Carter) Hadley, and was born in Hend- PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO - 823 ricks county, Indiana, September 16, 1844. She is now a resident of Richmond, Indiana, and was the mother of four children : Clara, the wife of Jerre Truster, who is a resident of Butler county, Ohio; the late George W., the immediate subject of this review ; Lucinda, the wife of R. T. Finlay, who lives in Butler county, Ohio, and Lee, who is unmarried. George W. Hardin was reared on a farm in Butler county, Ohio, and received his education in the common schools of that county. He remained at home until he was twenty-five years of age, assisting his father with the farm work, and in this way learned all the rudiments of successful farming, which calling he chose as his life work. Mr. Hardin was married on December 14, 1892, to Catherine D. Conarroe, the daughter of Robert and Margaret (Williams) Conarroe. Her father was born in Butler county, Ohio, near Judsonburg, in 1838, and came to this county, locating at Camden, where he married. He later located in Cambridge City, Indiana, where he remained for two years, after which he returned to Camden, remaining in the latter place several years, at the end of which time he went west to Missouri, returning from that state about 1904, and died on September 12, 1912. His widow is still living in Washington township, this county. Robert Conarroe was one of the finest mechanics of his day, and it is said that he could make anything out of wood or iron. He had in his possession some of the best tools known in his day and was an adept in the use of them. He and his wife were the parents of three children : Anna, the wife of Walter Summers, now living in Missouri ; William E., a mechanic living in Washington township in this county, and Mrs. Hardin, the widow of the subject of this memorial tribute. The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Hardin, Robert and Elizabeth (Tracy) Williams, were both natives of Maryland, who came to Ohio in an early day and located in Camden, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Her paternal grandparents were Caleb and Anna (Carter) Conarroe, both of whom died in Camden, Ohio. Mrs. Hardin was educated in the common schools of Bellville, Illinois, finishing in the high school of that place, and for some time was engaged in teaching. To George W. and Catherine D. (Conarroe) Hardin one child was born, Clyde L., who was born on September 2, 1894. He was graduated from the Eaton high school with the class of 1913, being president of the class, and lives at home with bis mother on the home farm in Washington township. Mr. Hardin was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Eaton, and was a member of the official board of the local congregation. 824 - PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO. Mrs. Hardin also is an earnest member of the church and takes an active part in the work of the Ladies' Aid Society of the church. Mr. Hardin was an ardent Republican and ever took an active interest in public affairs in this county. He served five years as superintendent of the Preble county children's home, and Mrs. Hardin, during this same period, was matron of the home. HENRY SANDERS. Those citizens of German birth who served in the Union army during the Civil War rendered an invaluable service, as they were of good physique, brave, and, most important of all, many of them had served in the German army and were thus enabled to act as drill masters. One of these patriots was Henry Sanders, who came to America in 1858, landing at New York, the trip from Hamburg to New York consuming forty-five days. He worked in a saw-mill until the war broke out, when he enlisted in Company K, Sixth Maryland Volunteer Infantry, and was in the Army of the Potomac, serving till the end of the war. Henry Sanders was born in eastern Prussia on June 17, 1830, his parents being John and Margaret (Sember) Sanders, who were life-long residents of Germany, and were the parents of eleven children, of whom Henry alone came to America. As a boy Henry Sanders attended the schools of Germany, also learning the dyeing trade, making colored patterns on calicoes, linens, and other cloths. He was three years in learning this trade, at which he worked four years in Germany. He also served four years in the army, coming to America after being discharged. During his service in the Civil War he was wounded in the right leg, above the knee, during the battle at "Fisher Hill, and, being disabled, was discharged on May 25, 1865. He now receives a monthly pension of thirty dollars. After the war Henry Sanders returned to Pennsylvania, where he worked as a farm hand for several years. After marriage he moved to Richmond, Indiana, and then to 'Union county, where he began farming. Coming to Preble county in 1883, he bought fifty acres of the farm on which he now lives, afterward, buying an additional thirty acres. This land is fertile and well improved and Mr. Sanders applies modern ideas to its cultivation. On November 13, 1864, Henry Sanders married Hannah Heinzelman, whose father and mother were of German birth. Ten children have been born to this union, one of whom died at the age of four, the others being,