CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 375 sas; and Susan E., the wife of Hon. W. S. Kerr, of this county. The wife and mother died in January, 1868, and the following December Mr. Barr was united in marriage with Miss Susan M. McBride, a native of Richland county and a daughter of Alexander McBride, now deceased. One child blessed this marriage,—Hattie, the wife of Sheridan McFarland, a grocer of Mansfield. After his first marriage Mr. Barr located upon a small farm of forty acres belonging to his father and adjoining the old homestead. Five years later he purchased eighty acres of land in Mifflin township, where he resided for nineteen years, and then bought the old homestead in Monroe township, where he has lived uninterruptedly since 1869. Upright and honorable in all his dealings, he has met with well deserved success in life and is now quite well-to-do. In early life Mr. Barr united with the Reformed church, but now holds membership in the Lutheran church, there being no church of the ether denomination in his community, and he has served as trustee, deacon or elder for several years. In his political affiliations he is a Democrat, and he has been honored with various township offices, such as trustee and treasurer, the duties of which he has always capably and satisfactorily discharged, winning the commendation of all concerned. JOHN L. WIRTH. John L. Wirth, who owns and successfully manages a fine farm in Troy township, has for over half a century been identified with the agricultural interests of Richland county. He is of foreign birth, but his duties of citizenship have ever been performed with a loyalty equal to that of any native soil of America, and he is numbered among the most highly esteemed and valued citizens of his community. A native of Germany, Mr. Wirth was born in Bavaria on the 23d of May, 1823, and his early life was passed upon a farm in that country, aiding his father in its operation until his emigration to America. In 1849 he took passage on a sailing vessel, and after a long and tedious voyage of forty-five days landed in New Orleans, whence he proceeded by water to Cincinnati, and from there came to Mansfield, Ohio. Here he at first obtained employment in a sawmill, and later worked on a farm by the month for three years. At the end of that time he was able to purchase a small farm, which he successfully carried on from 1853 to 1875, and then moved to his present farm, consisting of one hundred and forty-four acres, one 376 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. hundred acres of which he has placed under excellent cultivation and improved with good and substantial buildings. Mr. Wirth was married, in 1853, the lady of his choice being Miss Catherine Schull, by whom he has had ten children, but only five are now living, namely : George, John, Lena, Mattie and Catherine. For several years Mr. Wirth has been an active and earnest member of the Congregational church and has filled the office of trustee. In his political affiliations he is a stanch Democrat. On reaching Mansfield Mr. Wirth was two dollars in debt, having borrowed that amount to pay his way from Cincinnati to the former city, but with a firm determination to succeed he has steadily overcome the obstacles and difficulties in the path to prosperity and has become well-to-do, being able to give his children a good start in life. His success is due entirely to his industry, economical habits and strict attention to details, and the prosperity that has come to him is certainly worthily achieved. JOHN H. BURKHOLDER. The rapid development of photography during recent years has brought into the profession and business—for in a broad sense photography is both—many men of enterprise and ability for affairs such as would scarcely have connected themselves with it in the earlier years of its history. One of the prominent representatives of this art in Ohio is John H. Burkholder, of Mansfield, who is a popular and influential citizen of Richland county. Mr. Burkholder was born in Holmes county, Ohio, July 17, 1863, a son of John and Christina (Burley.) Burkholder. His father had tanneries at Dundee and Shanesville, Tuscarawas county, Ohio, and is now living retired at the last named place. He was at one time the postmaster at Walnut Creek, Holmes county, Ohio. Mr. Burkholder, who is of Swiss extraction in both direct family lines, vas educated in the common schools at Dundee and Shanesville and entered upon his career as a photographer at Shanesville, whence he removed to Navarre, Stark county, Ohio. From Navarre he removed to Bellville, Richland county, this state, where he remained five years. After that he was for seven years at Mount Vernon, Ohio, where he had the leading business of the kind in the town. He came to Mansfield in 1885 and opened a gallery on Main street, and has prospered even beyond his expectations. He does general photography of all kinds, giving special attention to portrait and commercial work. A feature of his business is portraits in all finishes, such as crayon, india ink, water color and CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 377 pastel portraits, and for this work he has been awarded a number of first-prize medals at photographers' conventions. In connection with his artistic work he carries a complete line of photographic supplies, in which he has a large trade throughout the territory tributary to Mansfield, one of his specialties being Burkholder's extra rapid symmetrical lens for high-grade photography. His business, which now occupies a floor' space of more than four thousand square feet, is increasing rapidly, as his goods and straightforward business methods become known to the trade. Mr. Burkholder married, at Bellville, Richland county, Ohio, Miss Josephine Crumrine, of Nevada, Ohio. He is a Knight of Pythias, a Modern Woodman of America and a member of the Junior Order of American Mechanics. His brother, George W. Burkholder, has been associated with him in his business for seven years as a general assistant. HENRY N. WHITE. It is an encouraging fact to know that prosperity is the sure reward of earnest labor when guided by sound judgment. Comparatively few are they who come into an inheritance sufficient to keep them throughout a long career, and individual effort must supply to each that which is needed for his livelihood and his support. America affords boundless opportunities to one who wishes to advance and desires to gain success. Mr. White belongs to the class of earnest citizens who have worked their own way upward to positions of affluence, and he is now the owner of the farm upon which he was born, November 2, 1847. His parents were Samuel and Jane (Valk) White, who had six children. His grandfather, Peter White, was of English lineage and married Miss Britton, who also was of English descent, her ancestors having come to this country from the merrie isle at an early day. The grandfather was a farmer and both he and his wife spent their entire lives in Columbia county, Pennsylvania. Samuel White, the father, was born in Columbia county, Pennsylvania, on the 12th of February, 1807, and in the place of his nativity grew to manhood. He afterward located in Orangeville, Pennsylvania, where he followed farming for six years, and on the expiration of that period he emigrated to Ohio in 1836, taking up his abode in Richland county. He purchased forty acres of land in Cass township on the Huron county line, this property being now a part of the Miller farm. For a year he continued its cultivation and then sold out, after which he purchased forty acres, upon which our subject now resides. As the years passed and his financial resources 378 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. increased he extended the boundaries of his farm until it comprised one hundred and eighty-six acres. The father was a Whig in his early political affiliations, and in ante-bellum days strongly opposed slavery, being known as a stanch Abolitionist. Accordingly, when the Republican party was formed to prevent the extension of slavery, he joined its ranks and continued to give it his support until called to his final rest. Throughout the greater part of his life he was a member of the United Brethren church and for many years served as one of its officers. He married Miss Jane Valk, who was born in Columbia county, Pennsylvania, June 6, 1812, a daughter of and Mary (Parkis) Valk, both of whom were natives of Germany. The grandfather was a veteran of the Revolutionary War, and after coming to America he always made his home in Columbia county, Pennsylvania. Five of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. White are still living, namely : Sarah J., the wife of John Mellick, a farmer of Cass township; William C., who owns and cultivates land in Sharon township ; John F., an agriculturist of Cass township; Anna E., the wife of Martin Hoover, a farmer of Jackson township ; and Henry Newton. The father died February 22, 1886, and the mother passed away October 22, 1888. They were people of the highest respectability and their friends throughout the community were many. In taking up the personal record of Henry Newton White we present to our readers the life record of one who is widely and favorably known in Richland county. He acquired a common-school education and spent his youth at his parental home. As a companion and helpmate on the journey of life he chose Miss Alice E. Rose, the wedding being celebrated September 22, 1870. The lady is a native of Cass township, Richland county, and a daughter of Rev. Thomas T. Rose, a minister of the United Brethren church. The young couple began their domestic life on the old homestead, for Mr. White's father had reached an advanced age and the management of the farm largely devolved upon him. In 1873 he purchased fifty-one acres of land, lying between the homestead and the corporation limits near the village, but continued to reside on his father's place and care for the comfort and welfare of his parents. In 1889, after the mother died, he purchased from the other heirs their interest in the homestead, where he has so long resided. He is an energetic farmer, practical in his methods and devoted to his work. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. White has been blessed with ten children, of whom seven are living, namely : Mina J., the wife of Rolla I. Champion, a minister of the United Brethren church at La Carne, Ohio; CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 379 and Ida, Will C., Earl G., George L., Rose A. and Hazel B., who are all at home. Mr. White exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Republican party and for two terms has served as a trustee of his township, called to public office by his fellow townsmen, who recognize his worth and ability. He belongs to Rome Lodge, No. 158, I. O. O. F., of Shiloh, and is an active member of the Lutheran church, in which he has served for five years as an elder, being the present incumbent in that position. During a life-time spent in Richland county he has gained a wide acquaintance, and those who have known him from boyhood are numbered among his stanchest friends. JOHN NOBLE. Pennsylvania has furnished to the Buckeye state many of its reliable and representative citizens and among this number is John Noble, who resides on section I, Cass township. He was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, on the 23d of February, 1829, his parents being Harvey and Margaret (Little) Noble. The family is of Irish lineage. The grandparents, John and Mary (Harby) Noble, were both natives of the Emerald Isle, whence they crossed the Atlantic to the new world after their marriage. Our subject's father was born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, in 1806, and with his parents removed to Washington county during his childhood. There he was reared and from an early age vas dependent upon his own resources. The father died when the son was but twelve years old, and as the family were in limited circumstances Harvey Noble and his four brothers worked by the month for neighbors, giving of their wages to the support of the family. After he had arrived at years of maturity he was married and engaged in the operation of rented land in Pennsylvania. In 1830, however, he decided to try his fortune in Ohio, and, coming to Richland county, entered eighty acres of land in Blooming Grove township—the farm now owned by Frank Guthrie. It was then a tract of wild forest land, but he cleared a small portion, upon which he erected a cabin. During the succeeding thirteen years he devoted his time to cutting away the timber, preparing the land for the plow and cultivating his harvests. In 1843 he exchanged the farm for the present home place now owned by our subject. The latter tract then comprised 0ne hundred and eighty acres, but Mr. Noble has added to his landed interests until he owned three hundred and twenty acres on section 1, Cass township. Upon the farm he made his home until 380 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. about twelve years prior to his death, when, in 1854, he turned his attention to manufacturing, forming a partnership with James Little, his brother-in-law. They established factories in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where they manufactured gun barrels and various tools, but the venture proved a disastrous one financially, the failure of the firm occurring in 1858. Thus the father lost the accumulation of many years of labor, together with considerable money that had been furnished him by his son John. After some litigation in the courts the old home farm was sold, John Noble becoming its purchaser. He then gave to his father a comfortable home at the old place, he there remaining until 1868, when his sons purchased for him a farm of one hundred and twenty-six acres in Huron county. There he spent his remaining days, his death occurring in 1880. His wife, who was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1803, died in 1865. She was a daughter of John Little. Eight children were born unto this worthy couple, of whom six are living, namely : Mary, the widow of Jesse Davidson ; John ; Nancy, deceased ; James, a farmer of Fairfield, Huron county ; Elizabeth, deceased ; Margaret, wife of Hartley Sibbet, a farmer of Ripley township, Huron county ; William, a retired farmer of Greenwich ; and Minerva, the wife of Richard Homes, who carries on agricultural pursuits in Huron county. In the schools of the neighborhood John Noble mastered the common branches of English learning. He was trained to farm work, and the business with which he became familiar in early life he has since made his chief occupation. When he was twenty-three years of age he began cultivating the home farm on shares, and the capital which he acquired was given to his father to be invested in the manufacturing enterprise before mentioned. Failure came, and a young man of less resolute spirit would have been utterly discouraged. With characteristic energy he determined to retrieve his lost possessions. He had established a reputation for honesty that was indeed enviable, and it was never a difficult matter for him to get at all times the money wanted for his later enterprises, for his word was as good as any bond ever solemnized by signature or seal. When the old home farm was sold he became its purchaser, and has since made it his home. It now comprises two hundred and twenty-one and a quarter acres and is a valuable tract, being supplied with modern accessories and conveniences, including the latest improved machinery and buildings that are commodious and substantial. In 1860 Mr. Noble married Miss Isabella Smith, a native of Washington county, Pennsylvania, and a daughter of John Smith. She died January CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 381 20, 1897. Their union has been blessed with four children : Harvey R., the eldest, is now a physician and grain merchant at Shiloh ; Margaret is the wife of Clarence Horr, also of Shiloh ; Perry W. follows farming in Cass township ; and Mattie J. is still at home. The family is one of prominence in the community and the members of the household occupy an enviable position in social circles. Mr. Noble gives his political support to Republican principles, and for two or three terms has served as a township trustee and for twenty years has been a member of the school board, his labors being very effective in promoting the interests of education in this section of the county. Interests that are calculated to prove of public good receive his indorsement, and he is regarded as one of the leading citizens of the township. In business circles he sustains a very enviable reputation and at all times merits the trust and confidence reposed in him. JAMES A. PRICE. James A. Price was born in Monmouthshire, West England,. February 11, 1847, and at the early age of two and a half years he and a younger brother, William L., were brought by their parents, Mr. and Mrs. James E. Price, to America, the family locating in Perrysville, Ashland county, Ohio, where one sister, Bess, now Mrs. J. W. Bell, was born. The family afterward removed to a farm near Spohntown, now called Butler, and there the subject of this review spent his boyhood days upon the property of which he is now the owner. On the l0th of May, 1864, he was apprenticed to L. Harper, of the Mount Vernon Banner, for three years, for the purpose of learning the "art preservative," and at the expiration of his apprenticeship he began journeyman work on the same paper. After four years spent in the employ of Mr. Harper he went to Cincinnati and accepted a position as a compositor on the Daily Enquirer, filling that place for a period of about four years. While at Cincinnati he became a member of the Printers' Typographical Union, one of the first unions to be organized. Subsequently he went to Pittsburg, where he became identified with a large job printing establishment, the foremanship of which he assumed and retained successfully for ten years. After a long period of practical experience in his chosen profession Mr. Price returned to his old home at Butler and launched his first newspaper. It was christened the Worthington Enterprise, the initial copy of which was issued December 6, 1888. The name of the paper was afterward changed to The Butler Enterprise and enlarged from a seven-column folio to a 382 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. six-column quarto. On the 8th of December, 1892, the Bellville Messenger was founded by him, and on the 7th of February, 1893, Mr. Price removed his printing establishment to Bellville, where he has since resided. The publication of the Enterprise was continued, however, an office being retained at Butler, and the composition and reporting being done there. Mr. Price has a fully equipped newspaper and job printing establishment, which is not excelled by many city offices. A gasoline engine is used to operate the power presses and nothing but first-class work of all kinds is turned out. The office is also supplied with telephones and electric lights and is a model one in every respect. Both the Enterprise and the Messenger are all home print and in a flourishing condition. They are receiving the substantial support which they merit, and the circulation of the papers covers an exceedingly large territory. On the 8th of March, 1887, Mr. Price was united in marriage to Miss Leah E. Severns, and unto them has been born one son, James Edward. The esteem in which Mr. Price is held by the citizens of Bellville and Jefferson township was fully demonstrated by his election to the responsible position of justice of the peace, the honor being conferred upon him in April, 1897. He was re-elected in April, 1900, and in addition to the office of justice he received the appointment of police justice, both of which positions he now very efficiently fills. JAMES M. BALLIETT. James M. Balliett was born August 19, 1849, on the old homestead farm in Monroe township, Richland county. His father, David Balliett, was a native of Pennsylvania, born near Schuylkill, but removed to the Buckeye state, where he reared his family. Under the parental roof James M. Balliett spent his childhood days, and his education was acquired in the district schools near his home and in private schools in Lucas. With the exception of one year he always resided on the old home farm, where he was born. Soon after attaining his majority he assumed its management and in the care of the property displayed excellent business ability. On the 26th of August, 1886, Mr. Balliett was united in marriage to Miss Kate Scully, a native of New York city, whose parents died during her early girlhood. To our subject and his wife were born six children : Cora E., who was born February 5, 1871, and is the wife of Charles Ecker, of Canton, Ohio ; Effie G., who was born August 26, 1872, and is the wife of W. O. Collins, of Lucas; Homer E., who was born December 16, 1876, and CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 383 married Miss Emma Barr, of Lucas ; Charlie, who was born October 30, 1879, and died October 4, 1885 ; Edna E., who was born January 4, 1882, and died on the 11th of September of that year ; and Howard H., who was born October 3, 1884, and is still with his mother. Mr. Balliett served as trustee of his township and gave his political support to the Democracy. He was a member of the Lutheran church, and in his conduct with his fellow men exemplified his Christian faith. He was the owner of one hundred and seventy-five acres of land 'and carried on general farming and stock-raising, following progressive business methods. He was very systematic, and his determined purpose enabled him to overcome all obstacles in his path and work his way upward to a position of affluence. He was broad-minded, liberal in his judgment and public-spirited, supporting all measures calculated to prove of public benefit. He died May 12, 1886, and in his death the community lost one of its valued citizens, a man whom to know was to esteem and honor. His widow still resides on the old home farm, and she, too, is a consistent member of the Lutheran church. Her circle of friends is extensive and she enjoys the hospitality of many of the best homes in this locality. JOHN CAHALL. The subject of this sketch is a worthy representative of the industrial interests of Mansfield, Ohio, and has been connected with the firm of Ault-man & Taylor for over twenty years. He was born in Reading, Berks county, Pennsylvania, June 24, 1846, and is a son of John and Lydia (Thompson) Cahall, natives of Ireland and Scotland, respectively. Their marriage was celebrated in Reading. On leaving his native city at the age of ten years Mr. Cahall went to a place near Wilmington, Delaware, where he lived on a farm about seven years, and then returned to Reading, Pennsylvania, where he learned the trade of boilermaking in the Reading railroad shops. When his apprenticeship was completed he went to Harrisburg, same state, and had charge of Robert Tippett's boiler works about seven years. At the end of that time he went to Lewistown, the same state, where he was in business for four years, and in May, 1877, came to Mansfield, Ohio. After two years' connection with the firm of Flannigan & Sullivan he entered the employ of Aultman & Taylor, in January, 1879, and has since remained with them. He is an expert mechanic and a fine workman. He and his son William are 384 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. inventors and patentees of the Cahall boilers, now in general use in this country, and many have been shipped abroad. Mr. Cahall has been twice married. In 1867 he wedded Sarah Ritner, of Reading, Pennsylvania, a niece of Governor Ritner of that state, and to them were born three children : Mary A., now the wife of George O. McFarland, of Butte, Montana, by whom she has three children; and John T. and William H., both residents of Racine, Wisconsin. In 1881 Mr. Cahall married Helen Eliza Holeywell, of Mansfield, Ohio, and by this union there are also three children, namely : Fred H., who is now with the New Publishing Company of Mansfield; and Raymond De Vose and Leslie, both in school. Religiously Mr. Cahall is a prominent member of the Episcopalian church, in which he is serving as a vestryman, and socially is a Knight Templar Mason, a member of Mansfield Commandery, No. 21 . He takes an active interest in public affairs ; was a member of the county council two terms, and has recently been appointed by Mayor Brown as one of the four members constituting the sanitary and garbage commission for the sanitation of the city. ABRAHAM BUSHEY. A prominent and influential citizen of Shelby, Richland county, Ohio, is Abraham Bushey, the subject of this sketch. He was born April 14, 1819, a son of Andrew and Mary (Brendle) Bushey, the latter of whom was born in 1793 and the former in 1795, and was of German descent. They were married in 1816 and settled in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, where they had a number of children, and next removed to a farm near Shelby, in 1836. Mr. Bushey was a carpenter by trade and his sons learned it also, but engaged in farming after locating in Ohio. The family record is as follows : Hester, Abraham, David, Jacob, Elizabeth (deceased), Andrew, Anna Mary and Anna Catherine. The last named died in 1863; Anna Mary married William Owings, and died in 1888; and David died in 1894. The marriage of Mr. Bushey took place in November, 1840, to Miss Barbara Firoved the daughter of Solomon and Elizabeth (Hawk) Firoyed, who were among the early settlers of Richland county, the father being a soldier in the war of 1812 and participating in the battle of Lundy's Lane, where he was wounded. Two daughters have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bushey : Sarah A., who married Henry Wentz ; and Mary J., who married CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 385 Willard Finical. She now resides at Lima, Ohio. Her husband was a member of the Twentieth Ohio Infantry in the Civil war. Mrs. Bushey died March 27, 1897. Although now retired from the active business affairs of life Mr. Bushey has been a very energetic and successful man. For a number of years he was engaged by the Big Four Railroad in bridge-building, and has worked hard as a farmer, builder and contractor, becoming in age a wealthy and, prominent man, secure in a competency earned by his own labor. He has been interested in educational matters and has served on the various school boards with efficiency. The family are valued members of the Lutheran church, where they possess the esteem of all. JOHN HALE. John Hale, a substantial and prosperous agriculturist residing on section 5, Mifflin township, Richland county, Ohio, was born in that township on the 30th of April, 1844, and is a son of John S. and Martha M. (Peters) Hale, in whose family were ten children. Of the five still living, James C. is a. farmer of Weller township, this county ; Elizabeth is the wife of Dr. Reason Shipley, of Mansfield ; John is next in order of birth ; Willard is a farmer of Mifflin township ; and Cora is the wife of J. C. Horn, a retired farmer of Weller township. John S. Hale, the father of our subject, was born in Jefferson county in 1817, and when eleven years of age came with his parents to Richland county, the family locating in Mifflin township, where the grandfather, Hugh Hale, purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land on sections 5 and 6, which continued to be his home throughout life. He was born in 1791, and died in 1833, while his wife, Mrs. Jane Hale, was born in 1792, and died in 1881. He met with excellent success in his farming operations and became the owner of two hundred and forty acres of land. After his marriage John S. Hale engaged in farming upon his father's place for two years, and then removed to Windsor, Mifflin township, where he conducted a hotel for twelve years. At the end of that time he purchased fifty acres of land just east of town, upon which he made his home while devoting his energies to agricultural pursuits. A man of great energy and perseverance, he prospered in his undertakings, and was able to acid to his farm from time to time until he owned four hundred acres of valuable land. In his political affiliations he was an ardent Democrat, and as a public-spirited and progressive citizen he took a commendable interest in public affairs. He died Feb- 386 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ruary 2, 1872, honored and respected by all who knew him. His wife, who was born in Newton county, New Jersey, in 1826, was a daughter of Daniel Peters, who brought his family to this county during her girlhood, and spent the remainder of his life in Mifflin township, where he was numbered among the leading citizens. During his boyhood and youth John Hale, of this review, assisted his father in the work of the farm, and pursued his studies in the local schools. He was married, October 6, 187o, to Miss Artie Berry, a native of Monroe township, this county, and a daughter of Phillip Berry, one of the early settlers of that locality, who died during her childhood. To Mr. and Mrs. Hale were born five children, namely : Rodney, a farmer of Mifflin township ; Minnie, Nettie and Tracey, all deceased ; and Avery, at home. After his marriage Mr. Hale located upon one of his father's farms in Mifflin township, and has since followed agriculture with marked success. In 1869 he commenced buying stock and wool on commission for various firms, and after thirteen years devoted to that business he formed a partnership with Miller Carter. For fourteen years this firm carried on business along the same line, and were among the heaviest buyers and shippers in this section of the state. In 1879 Mr. Hale removed to his present farm on section 5, Mifflin township, and now owns and successfully conducts two hundred and twenty-five acres of land. He is a very active and progressive business man, of keen discrimination and sound judgment, and has prospered in all his undertakings. The Democratic party finds in him a stanch supporter of its principles, and he has been called to fill the offices of township trustee four years, and assessor two years. He is both widely and favorably known, and those who know him best are numbered among his warmest friends, for his life has been an honorable and upright one, and he has been found true to every trust reposed in him. JAMES HENRY HERRING. Prominent among the business men of Mansfield, Ohio, is this well known carriage manufacturer and honored veteran of the Civil war, who was born at Everett, Bedford county, Pennsylvania, November 27, 1842. His father, George W. Herring, was born near the same place in 1813, and was a son of Michael and Mary (Messersmith) Herring, early settlers of that county. Our subject's paternal great-grandfather was a native of Holland, who aided the colonies in achieving their independence as a soldier CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 387 of the Revolutionary war, and lived to the extreme old age of ninety-five years. Our subject's mother, who bore the maiden name of Mary Elizabeth Dennison, was born in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, of Scotch descent. Her brother Barclay was a soldier of the Mexican war and died in Mexico, but her brother Abraham is still living in Bedford county, at the age of eighty-five years, and is very wealthy. The great-grandfather Dennison was of Scotch descent and served as an officer in The Revolutionary war. In 1849 George W. Herring, the father of our subject, moved from his native county to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and about 1852 went to Cumberland, Maryland, but a year later he came to Salem, Fairfield county, Ohio, where he spent one year and then removed to Rushville. We next find him in Lancaster, Ohio, and in April, 1856, he came to Mansfield, where he was engaged in business as a blacksmith until called from this life, in 187o, at the age of fifty-seven years. He was highly respected and esteemed by all who knew him. His wife had died in Bedford, Pennsylvania, in 185o. Their children were : James H., our subject ; Emma, who died in Pittsburg in 185o; Ann Eliza, the wife of Charles Mountain, an employe of the Aultman-Taylor Company, of Mansfield ; and George Barclay, a contractor of Mansfield. James H. Herring completed his education in the common schools of Mansfield, and with his father learned the blacksmith's trade. Prompted by a spirit of patriotism he enlisted December II, 1861, at the age of nineteen years, and spent the winter at Fayetteville, West Virginia, under the command of General "White. He was a member of the First Ohio Independent Battery, Light Artillery, which was a part of Cox's Kanawha brigade, of the Army of West Virginia, until May, 1862, when it was transferred to the First Brigade, Kanawha Division, Eighth Army Corps. From July of that year until the following October it was a part of the Ninth Corps, Army of the Potomac, and the First Brigade, Army of West Virginia, until January, 1863. From that time until July they were connected with Averill's mountain brigade, or the Second Brigade, Third Division, Army of West Virginia, and then joined General Crook's division. They advanced to Princeton April 22, 1862, and later participated in the following engagements : Clark Hollow, May I ; Princeton, May 5 ; Guilford Court House, May 1o; Princeton, May 15-18 ; Flat Top Mountain, July 5 ; Peck's Ferry, August -6; the march toward Washington, D. C., August 15-24; Bull Run Bridge, August 27; Monocacy Bridge, Frederick ; Middletown, September 13; South Mountain, September 14; and Antietam, September 16 and 17. They were ordered back to West Virginia October 8, and were in the expedition 388 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. after Stewart into Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia October 13 and 14. They next moved to Clarksburg, Summerville, Gauley Bridge and Kanawha Falls, and were on duty at the falls of the Great Kanawha until March, 1863, and at Charleston until April, 1864. They were in active service during Crook's raid on the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad from May 3 until June I ; were in the engagement at Rocky Gap, May 6 ; Cloyd's Mountain, May 9 ; New River Bridge, May Jo ; Blacksburg, May 11 ; Union, May 11 ; Covington, June 2; Panther Gap, June 3 ; Buffalo Gap, June 6 ; Brownsburg, June 10 ; Hunter's raid on Lynchburg, from June 10 to July I ; the engagement at Lexington, June 12; Buchanan, June 14 ; Otter Creek, June 16 ; Diamond Hill, June 17 ; Lynchburg, June 17 and 18 ; Liberty, June 19 ; Salem, June 21; Rabbletown, July 19 ; Stephenson Depot, July 20; Winchester, July 23 and 24; Martinsburg, July 25. They then retreated to Williamsburg and Harper's Ferry, where they did guard duty ; from there were ordered to Martinsburg, where they did guard duty until mustered out December 11, 1864, being honorably discharged at Martinsburg on the 20th of that month. Although in over forty engagements Mr. Herring was fortunately never wounded. After leaving the army he joined his father in business at Mansfield, where the latter had established a carriage, wagon and blacksmith shop in 1856, and remained with him until the father's death. He continued to carry on the business alone until 1897, when he admitted two of his sons to a partnership in the business, which is now carried on under the firm name of the Herring Buggy Company. Their new shops were erected in 1897 and 1899. They employ twenty-five skilled workmen and turn out first-class work, which finds a ready sale on the market. The firm is composed of enterprising, progressive business men of known reliability, and their success has been worthily achieved. On the 19th of December, 1866, Mr. Herring was united in marriage to Miss Nancy J. West, a native of Mansfield, Ohio, and a daughter of Sylvester West, and by this union four children were born, namely : John Allen, who was a conductor on the Pennsylvania Railroad, but is now engaged in business with his father ; George W., who also is a member of the firm ; Dimon, who is a graduate of the Mansfield high school and is now secretary of the company ; and Le Roy, who is still attending high school. Religiously Mr. Herring is a member of the English Lutheran church, and fraternally is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Knights of Honor. In his political affiliations he is an ardent Republican, and is now a member of the election board of Mansfield, being appointed CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 389 by the secretary of state for a term of six years. He also served as a trustee of the Soldiers and Sailors' Memorial Library Building at Mansfield for seven years, being first appointed for two years, April 13, 1887, and reappointed for five years. In 1897 he was the commander of McLaughlin Post, No. 131, G. A. R., in which he has filled all the minor offices, and has ever taken an active part in its work. He was a member ,of the staff of the department commander of Ohio, and has often served as a delegate to Republican state conventions. In all the relations of life he has been found true to every trust reposed in him, and is justly regarded as one of the most useful and valued citizens of his community. DANIEL S. MARVIN. Prominently known as a representative of one of the honored pioneer families of Richland county is Daniel Sherwood Marvin, who also deserves mention in this volume by reason of his own worth and prominence. He was born in the old family homestead in Shelby November 5, 1825, a son of Stephen and Sarah (Burr) Marvin, who became residents of Shelby in 1818, emigrating westward from Connecticut. In this county they spent their remaining clays, the father dying in 1868, at the age of seventy-one years, while the mother passed away in 1878, at the age of seventy-eight years. Daniel Sherwood Marvin, whose name introduces this record, having acquired a good preliminary education to serve as a foundation for professional knowledge, began the study of law at the age of eighteen years, in the office and under the direction of John M. May and Downing H. Young, of Mansfield, Ohio. After a thorough preparation, covering a period of three years, he was admitted to the bar and began practice. Believing that the west afforded better opportunities than the older states of the east, he crossed the plains in 1850 and located at Park's Bar, California, where he entered upon the practice of his chosen calling, being largely concerned with mining suits. For two years he remained at that place and then went to Forest City, Sierra county, same state, where he was a successful practitioner for several years. On the expiration of that period he returned to Kansas City, where he had charge of various litigated interests until after the inauguration of the Civil war, in 1861. He then returned to Shelby, and, prompted by a spirit of patriotism, volunteered for service. Offering his aid to the government, he was assigned to Company H, of the Sixty-fourth Ohio Infantry, and the first regular battle in which he participated 390 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. was at Shiloh. He was wounded at Stone river, and this caused his discharge. Returning to his home, Mr. Marvin afterward went to Watertown, New York, in the year 1863, remaining at that place until 1897. During his residence in the Empire state he was engaged in the nursery business, which he successfully followed until 1897. That year witnessed his return to his native town. He was married to Miss Caroline Sherman, of Watertown, New York, in 1863, and he became a member of the Grand Army of the Republic at that place, being identified with Joseph Spratt Post. On again coming to Ohio, however, he transferred his membership to Harker Post. Mr. Marvin now resides in what in the early days was known as the Marvin mansion. It was erected sixty-five years ago. His wife died in 1896, and as he has no children of his own he and his sister occupy the old homestead, entertaining the host of friends of former years. He is a very entertaining converser and an agreeable companion, having traveled over the greater part of this country. His interesting relics afford him much pleasure, being mementoes of his travels and souvenirs of bygone times, and they are also objects of interest to his visitors. Mr. Marvin is now living retired in the enjoyment of a well earned rest, honored and respected by all who know him. He organized the Jefferson County (New York) Historical Society at Watertown, of which he was librarian for many years. In April of the present year he gave to Shelby a munificent gift—a house and lot to he used for library purposes. He has always been deeply interested in the intellectual development of the city, and at a cost of six thousand and five hundred dollars he purchased a residence and grounds at the northwest corner of Gamble street and Whitney avenue, to be used for library purposes, with a frontage on the former street of one hundred and twenty feet and on the latter of one hundred and sixty feet. This generous donation well indicates the spirit of interest in the city's welfare which he has always manifested, and the citizens of Shelby may well feel grateful to him for thus giving a permanent home to one of its most worthy public institutions. GEORGE W. WALTERS. Prominent among the citizens of Richland county who have witnessed the marvelous development of this section of the state in the past three-quarters of a century and who have taken an active part in its development and progress, is the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch—a well known and influential farmer of Troy township. CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 391 Mr. Walters is a native of this county, his birth occurring here on the 2I St of June, 1826. His father, Moses Walters, was a native of Fayette county, Pennsylvania, and a son of George Walters, who brought his family to Ohio in 1802 and first located in Jefferson county, later removing to Richland county and entering land in Jefferson township. This tract of one hundred and sixty acres of government land he converted into a good farm, it being now the property of Frank Coursen. The. grandfather died at the ripe old age of seventy-five years. In his family were thirteen children—six sons and seven daughters,—all of whom grew to manhood or womanhood and married, but only two are now living. Throughout his active business life Moses Walters followed farming, and in his undertakings met with marked success, so that he became wealthy, owning several hundred acres of land. He was an earnest member of the Baptist church and a pan highly respected and esteemed by all who knew him. He was born May 27, 1800, and died October 5, 1890. In early manhood he married Miss Annie Montice, by whom he had the following children : Jacob, George W., Solomon, Alfred (deceased), John, William, Moses, Aaron, Silas, Thomas M. and Allen. The father gave to each of his children a good start in life. Upon the home farm George W. Walters passed his boyhood and youth, and he remained under the parental roof until he attained his majority, when he started out in life for himself, working at the carpenter's trade for three years. His first purchase of land consisted of a farm in Sandusky county, this state, but after residing there for three months he bought a farm in Jefferson township, Richland county, to the cultivation and improvement of which he devoted his energies for two years, and then moved to Morrow county, where he purchased land and made his home for eighteen years, from 1856 to 1874. Since then he has resided upon his present farm in Troy township, Richland county. He also owns another farm, of one hundred and sixty acres, in Morrow county, and is successfully engaged in general farming and stock-raising. The neat and thrifty appearance of his place indicates his careful supervision and, shows conclusively that he thoroughly understands the occupation he has chosen as a life work. Mr. Walters has been. four times married, and has children by each union, save the first. By his ballot he supports the men and measures of the Republican party, and takes a deep and commendable interest in public affairs. He is a prominent member of the Grange, takes an active part in its work, and has efficiently served as master. 392 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. ARNOLD KALLMERTEN. The position of secretary of an immense manufacturing concern like the Aultman-Taylor Company is one demanding the highest order of business ability and the most progressive and far-reaching enterprise, combined with a capacity for details which are seldom possessed by one man. This position is filled ably by Arnold Kallmerten, of Mansfield, one of the best known citizens of Richland county, Ohio. Mr. Kallmerten became connected with the old company as the head bookkeeper in December, 1875, and on the organization of the new company, in 1891, was elected its secretary. Mr. Kallmerten was born at Burgsteinfurt, Germany, in 1850, and was educated in a college of that Westphalian city, at which he was graduated in 1866, in the commercial branch. This school was a gymnasium of the first degree, and imparted instruction so varied that young Kallmerten studied English, French, Latin and mathematics. His father was well-to-do and gave most of his children a college education. He was a mill-owner and miller. His mill was one of those old-fashioned affairs, a combination of mill and residence, such as is frequently encountered in Germany, and as it abutted on a river Mr. Kallmerten, in the intervals of watching its two run of stone, could fish from its windows in the stream which flowed underneath. He lived a busy, useful life and died in his native land. He married Mary DeJunge, who survives him and is a member of her son's household. Upon coming to America Mr. Kallmerten located for a time at Fort Wayne, Indiana. He found no employment there nor in Chicago, and from the last named city he went to Iowa, where he was employed at farm work until the fall of 1866. Returning to Chicago, for a year he met with varying fortune, for he was unaccustomed to American methods and had to take work on the streets and other rough employment until he could do better. In the fall of 1867 he secured a position as a clerk in a store in St. Louis and accompanied its proprietor from Chicago to that city. After that we find him working on a farm in 'Warren county, Missouri, and teaching a parochial school. His hard luck in Chicago had prepared him for other hard luck, and he kept up a brave perseverance, believing that success must eventually crown his honest efforts for advancement. In 1869 he went to Cincinnati and entered the normal school. His. superior education obtained in Germany was there supplemented with further knowledge of English and such a practical knowledge of teaching and its methods that a few months later he was sent to Lawrenceburg, Indiana, CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 393 where he taught a school successfully in 1869 and 1870. His voice soon failed, however, and he was obliged to relinquish work in the schoolroom and again became a farm laborer. For three months he lived on milk and raw eggs, and when he recovered his voice he received an appointment as teacher in the schools of Mansfield. He began his labors there in 1871 and taught more than two years. He then entered the wholesale dry-goods house of Wood & Witter, with which he remained until 1875, when he went to Toledo, Ohio, where, on the recommendation of Mr. Wood, one of his former employers, he was given employment by the old Aultman & Taylor Company. Faithful service, then and later, led to his advancement to his present responsible position in one of the largest manufacturing concerns in the world. In 1874 Mr. Kallmerten married Miss Mary A. Krabill, a daughter of Charles Krabill, a prominent contractor of Mansfield, who came from Germany many years ago and has been dead some time. He was an active man in his time and was successful in a business way. His operations were so extensive that he erected the stone work of most of the earlier important buildings of the town. Mr. and Mrs. Kallmerten have children named Ernest, Julia and Bertha, the first mentioned of whom was graduated at the. Mansfield high school and holds the position of mortgage clerk in the employ of the Aultman-Taylor Company. The family are members of the German Evangelical church, of which Mr. Kallmerten has been chorister for twenty-eight years. He takes a deep interest in public education and has twice been elected a member of the board of education of the city of Mansfield. The career of Mr. Kallmerten has been an interesting one, suggestive and in all ways encouraging. It has been a career of vicissitudes, of struggles and of triumphs, teaching the value of perseverance in well doing and of faithfulness in small things ; and it exemplifies the sterling qualities which make the sturdy German character one of the most excellent factors in our population, and is an encouragement to any struggling young man who will read even so brief and fragmentary an account of it as is here presented and make its lessons truly his own. JAMES COBBAN. The Scotch element in our national commonwealth is an important one; its representatives are men of reliability and worth, loyal to principle, Honorable and upright. One of the venerable residents of Richland county was 394 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. James Cobban, who passed the eighty-ninth milestone on life's journey and receives the respect which should ever be accorded to those who have reached advanced age. He was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in February, 1811, a son of John Cobban, who in early life followed the miller's trade, as did the grandfather of our subject, but when the old mill on the river Don, in which he and his father earned their livelihood, had been relegated to the background by the introduction of more modern methods of milling, John Cobban took up his residence upon a farm and there carried on agricultural pursuits until his death. James Cobban was reared in his father's home and had little opportunity for securing an education, as his parents were in limited circumstances. He attended school but three months. In his youth he learned the blacksmith's trade, and before he was twenty-one years of age he married Miss Helen Webster. Four years later they bade adieu to friends and neighbors in their native land and in 1835 crossed the Atlantic to the new world, taking up their abode in New London, Huron county, Ohio, where Mr. Cobban opened a shop and began work at the blacksmith's trade. An old tavern, a harness shop and two or three farm houses in the vicinity constituted the town. Our subject remained there until 1854, with the exception of three years spent in Urbana, Ohio, in the early '40s, being employed as a blacksmith in a large foundry there. In 1854 he removed from New London to the present farmstead, which he had purchased the previous fall. It was then a tract of one hundred and twenty acres, on which stood a log cabin that remained the home of the family through the twelve succeeding years, when it was replaced by a substantial frame residence. Only a small portion of the land had been cleared when it came into the possession of Mr. Cobban, and therefore the burden of preparing it for the plow and placing it under cultivation devolved upon him. He was energetic, vigorous and diligent, and resolutely performed his task, making the place a richly productive one. As his financial resources increased he extended the boundaries of his farm until it comprised one hundred and eighty acres, and with the tiling and other improvements on the land it became one of the most desirable properties in the county. Recently Mr. Cobban deeded some of this land to one of his sons, so that at present the home farm comprises one hundred and twenty-six acres. When he took up his abode on the farm he also erected a blacksmith shop, and while he did not solicit trade, considerable patronage in that line came to him from his neighbors. It will thus be seen that his career was one of diligence, and that earnest effort was the means of bringing to him prosperity. Mr. and Mrs. Cobban became the parents of six children, but only two CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 395 are now living : William, a farmer in Butler township ; and Belle, the wife of 0. 0. Finch, who is residing on the old homestead. The mother died in February, 1847, and in May, 1848, Mr. Cobban married Miss Sarah Beattie, who was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, in March, 1820, a daughter of Walter Beattie, who came to the United States in 1836 with his family, locating in Richland' county, Ohio. Here he bought a farm in Butler township, and on it made his home throughout his remaining days. Four children were born unto them, of whom two are living, namely : James A., a commercial man residing in Lorain, Ohio ; and Charles, a farmer of Butler township, Richland county. For more than half a century Mr. Cobban was a member of the Christian church, of which Mrs. Cobban also is a member, and their earnest Christian lives have won them the confidence and respect of all with whom they have been associated. Mr. Cobban was known as the most profound student of the Bible in all his community, the preachers not excepted ; and after a long and useful career he could look backward over the past without regret and forward without fear, confident of immortality. He died January 21, 1900. James A., the son, has been honored with the secretaryship of Clan McGregor, Springfield, Missouri, from. its organization in 1884 to 1891. SIMON POLAND. This well-known and successful agriculturist of Troy township, Richland county, Ohio, is a hero of the war of the Rebellion, and is well deserving of special mention in the annals of his county, state and country, for the part he played as a patriotic citizen when the safety of the Union was in danger. He is a native of this county, born in Troy township October 6, 1839, and is a son of Thomas and Mary (Grimes) Poland, in whose family were eight children, four sons and four daughters. Three of the sons,—namely, Simon, Alexander and Thomas Jefferson,—were in the Union service during the Civil war, the latter "running away" to join the army. The first ten years of his life Simon Poland spent in his birthplace, and then went to Troy township, Morrow county, where he grew to manhood. At the opening of the war he was making twelve dollars per day, but he laid aside all personal interests to aid in the defense of the old flag and the cause it represented. He first enlisted for three months, on the l0th of May, 1862, as a private in Company F, Eighty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, but was in the service this time for four, months. On the l0th of October, the same year, he re-enlisted for three years as a member of Company L, of the Tenth 396 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. Ohio Cavalry, being mustered in at Cleveland. With his regiment he proceeded at once to Nashville, Tennessee, and later took part in the engagement at Stone River, then followed Bragg to Chattanooga, participating in the battle at that place. He was also in the battles at Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain. In the spring of 1863 his regiment was remounted, and later participated in the battles of Ringgold, Georgia, Rocky Face Ridge, Resaca, Calhoun and Marietta,—in fact, all of the engagements of the Atlanta campaign. They also went with Sherman on the march to the sea. Mr. Poland was taken prisoner February 15, 1865, near Aiken, South Carolina, by Forrest's and Wade Hampton's cavalry, and was held till May 30, 1865, three months of this time being spent at Andersonville. The war having ended, he was then taken to Jacksonville, where he was released on the date mentioned. Returning to his old home in Morrow county, Ohio, Mr. Poland engaged in farming there for a time, and also operated a sawmill, manufacturing lumber. At the end of two years, however, he sold out his interests there and returned to Richland county, having since made his home upon his present farm in Troy township. Here he owns seventy-six acres of valuable and' highly productive land, upon which he has made all of the improvements. Mr. Poland was married on the 18th of October, 1866, to Miss Susan Stull, and to them were born three children, namely : Cora I., deceased ; Algie S., the wife of Lewis Faust ; and Mary, the wife of Lorenzo D. Shambaugh. By his ballot he supports the men and measures of the Republican party, and by his membership in Conger Post, G. A. R., keeps up his friendship with his old army comrades. He is also connected with the Masonic lodge of Bellville, and is a charter member of the Grange. In 1890 he served as census enumerator, and has always faithfully discharged any duty that has devolved upon him, whether public or private. As a patriotic and loyal citizen he is certainly deserving of representation in the history of his native county. JOHN H. NICHOLS, M. D. Greater than in almost any line of work is the responsibility that rests upon the physician. The issues of life and death are in his hands. A false prescription or an unskilled operation may take from man that which he prizes above all else,—life. The physician's power must be his own : not by purchase, by gift or by influence can he gain it. He must commence at the very beginning, learn the very rudiments of medicine and surgery, continually CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 397 add to his knowledge by close study and earnest application and gain reputation by merit. If he would gain the highest prominence it must come as the result of superior skill, knowledge and ability. The subject of this sketch was born in Knox county, Ohio, and is the only son of John and Mary Nichols. He attended the country schools near his home and further continued his education in the Mount Vernon high school and the Danville Normal School. At the age of sixteen years he began teaching and followed that profession for several years, then entered the office of Dr. F. C. Larimore, of Mount Vernon, Ohio, under whose direction he prepared to enter the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago, matriculating in that institution in 1893. At the close of the year he received the first faculty gold medal for the highest scholarship, after which he entered Rush Medical College. He was a student at that institution until 1894, and won the Founder's medal, also the Brainard gold medal,—a competition medal given for the highest standard in anatomy. He was then appointed demonstrator of bacteriology and morbid anatomy for the scholastic year of 1894-5. He was graduated at Rush Medical College in 1896, being the youngest in a class of two hundred, and received the fellowship to bacteriology and morbid anatomy, which he still holds. A month after his graduation he located in Mansfield, Ohio, where he has both a large surgical and medical practice, covering nearly the whole field of capital and major surgery. He is at present holding the position of railway surgeon for the Baltimore & Ohio Road, and belongs to the International Association of Railway Surgeons, the Baltimore & Ohio Railway Surgeons of the United States, and many other medical societies. Socially he is a Mason,—a member of Mansfield Commandery, K. T.. No. 21,—and holds membership in several other secret societies. The Doctor is married and has one child. A social, genial gentleman, he is interested in all that pertains to the welfare of his community, has a large circle of friends, and his friendship is best prized by these who know him best. JOHN C. SKILES. John Clark Skiles, county commissioner of Richland county, and one of this county's most prominent citizens, was married to Miss Vina Bergahiser November 30, 1882. To this marriage there have been born two sons, viz. : Clifford, November 21, 1884, and Howard, June 8, 1886. Both are now attending the Shelby high school. From his youth up to 1897 Mr. Skiles was engaged in farming,. but in that year he was elected on the Demo- 398 - CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY. cratic ticket county commissioner, and is still performing the duties of that office. For six years he served as a trustee of Sharon township. He is a member of the order of Knights of Pythias, and of the orders of Pathfinders and Ben Hur. The father of Mrs. Skiles was J. L. Bergahiser, now sixty-two years of age. Levi Bergahiser, the father of J. L. Bergahiser, was one of the first settlers in Sharon township. He was an industrious, honest and successful man, and highly esteemed by all the old settlers of the township. Mr. Skiles is one of the most successful and upright citizens of the county in which he resides, and has many friends among men of all political and religious beliefs. Mr. Skiles was elected commissioner for the northern district of Richland county in 1897 by a majority of 537. He assumed the duties of his office in September, 1898. He was re-elected November 6, 1900, for three years, by a majority of 1,285, and led the ticket in the November election of 1900. WILLIAM E. ROPP. There. are few states in the Union more favored than Ohio, which have splendid natural resources that have yielded rich returns for the labor of men of energetic purpose, who realized that work is the key that causes the portals of prosperity to spring wide open. There came to Ohio men of resolute spirit, and when the state was in the early period of its development they founded homes and established families whose representatives are now well known among the substantial residents of the commonwealth. Belonging to the latter class is William E. Ropp, who was born in Fostoria, Ohio, November 7, 1860, a son of Emanuel and Elizabeth M. (Foulks) Ropp. The father died when the subject of this review was only about thirteen years of age, leaving three children, one (Clement L.). having previously passed away. Our subject then lived with his mother and brother, Melvin D. Ropp, and under their roof was reared to manhood, while in the public schools of the neighborhood he acquired the knowledge that fitted him for business life. On the 7th of September, 1882, he married Miss Matilda J. Wilson, a native of Richland county, her birth having occurred on the farm where she yet resides. Her parents were John and Susan (Hubley) Wilson. Her father was born in Huntington county, Pennsylvania, September 17, 1819, and when three years of age was brought by his parents to Richland county. His father arrived in Mansfield in October, 1823. He soon after located in Franklin township, where he spent the succeeding winter, and then purchased fifty acres of land near Shenandoah, in the edge of Franklin township, mak- CENTENNIAL BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY - 399 ing his home thereon for about six years. He then purchased eighty acres in Blooming Grove township, there residing until his death, which occurred July 28, 1863, when he was about eighty years of age. His wife, who was born October 2I, 1794, died about 1840. Their son, John Wilson, was reared on the Ohio frontier, and was married on the 2d of June, 1864, to Susan Hubley, who was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in July, 183o, and still survives her husband. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Ropp took up their abode on the old Wilson homestead, and he operated the farm for his father-in-jaw until the latter's death in 1890, with the exception of the period of a year spent in Shenandoah. After Mr. Wilson's death Mr. Ropp returned to the farm, which he managed for his mother-in-law, his wife being their only child. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Ropp has been blessed with five children, of whom four are still living, namely : Grace N., Ovid J., Dale and John C., all with their parents. Mr. Ropp is a man fearless in his honest convictions, and no one need be in doubt of his political preferences, for he stanchly advocates Democratic principles, and is now serving for the third year as trustee of his township. He is a member of the Presbyterian church at Rome, and is actuated by honorable principles in all life's relations. CARTER L. COOK. The natural advantages of this section attracted at an early day a superior class of settlers, thrifty, industrious, progressive and law-abiding, whose influence gave permanent direction to the development of the new locality. Among the worthy pioneers of Richland county the Cook family holds a prominent place. Carter L. Cook was born upon his present farm in Troy township, October 3, 1823, and is a son of Jacob Cook, who was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1781. His paternal grandfather was Noah Cook, who was a soldier of the war of 1812, and was twice married. As early as 1811 the father came to Ohio with his brother, John, and first located in Knox county, taking up land near Fredericktown, where he lived until 1817, and then came to Richland county. Here he entered one hundred and sixty acres of government land, but for six years he was engaged in the hotel business in Lexington. In the meantime he made some improvements upon his land, including the erection of a log cabin, and in 1825 located upon his