HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 525 school. In the meantime, industrious and ambitious, he studied medicine in the office of Dr. D. H. Scott at Chillicothe and later attended lectures at the Kentucky School of Medicine at Louisville, where he was graduated with the class of 1889. Doctor Robbins began the practice of his profession at Waverly, Pike County, but at the end of six months removed to Bourneville, .Ross County, where he remained about four years. In 1894 he located in Chillicothe, and as a physician has met with signal success, his patronage being large and highly remunerative. Doctor Robbins' wife was Miss Frances Renick, of Chillicothe. A daughter, Bertha, is the wife of Mr. Robert Acton, and a son, Everett, is a student in the College of Medicine of the Ohio State University at Columbus. Fraternally, Doctor Robbins is a member of Paint Valley Lodge, No. 808, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Bourneville, Ohio, of the different Masonic bodies of Chillicothe, and of Lodge No. 52, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, of Chillicothe. He was a member of the Board of Education of Chillicothe for eleven years. HON. LOUIS M. DAY. Numbered among the able and influential, yet unassuming, members of the Ross County bar, Hon. Louis M. Day, of Chillicothe, has achieved success by a systematic application of his abilities to the profession of his choice—a profession demanding veritable talent and an unlimited stock of persevering industry. He comes of excellent English ancestry, being a direct descendant in the fifth generation of one John Day, who came from Derbyshire, England, his native place, to America about 1750, locating in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where he spent his remaining years. The line of descent is thus traced : John, Samuel, Sr., Samuel, Jr., Milton, and Louis M. Samuel Day was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and there grew to man's estate. Going from there to North Carolina, he lived in Guilford County, near Colfax, until some time during the progress of the Revolutionary war. Enlisting then as a soldier, he served under Gen. Francis Marion, ii1 Colonel Morgan's regiment, and at the Battle of Cowpens, was wounded in the shoulder. Recovering from his wound, he rejoined his command. Later, while in camp, one of his duties was to climb a pole to take observations. On one occasion, while performing that duty, the pole was shot from under him and he fell to the ground, breaking his leg in such a way that he was incapacitated for further active service. At the close of the war, Colonel Morgan's men were awarded a tract of land in what is now Pendleton County, West Virginia. Taking advantage of this opportunity for securing a home, Samuel Day located on his grant of land, and in the humble home that he there erected all of his ten children were born. In August, 1805, following the march of civilization westward, he came with his wife and children to Ross County, Ohio, the entire family making the journey on horseback. His cousin, Daniel Boone, the famous backwoodsman and trapper, who had hunted throughout this country, had frequently told him of its natural advantages and advised him if he ever came West to 526 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY seek a location on Deer Creek, at the mouth of Waugh Run. Following his cousin's advice, he purchased a tract of land at the mouth of the run, and in the midst of the wilderness erected a log cabin. The country was new and undeveloped, and the land in its primitive wildness, its dense growth of timber being inhabited by the wily red man and the wild beasts of the forest, neither, however, proving very troublesome. With the aid of his children, he improved his land, and later bought other farms in that vicinity. Subsequently buying a farm at Good Hope, he was there engaged in agricultural pursuits until his death, in 1823. An elder brother of Samuel Day, John Day, was also a soldier under General Marion, and after the Revolutionary war became a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition and was the only man to die of the party. His death occurred at a point on the Columbia River where it is joined by another stream from the south. This was named John Day River by General Clark and still bears that name. There is also a county and town of the same name. The rifle which Samuel Day carried in the Revolutionary war was afterwards used by his son Orvington in the War of 1812, and is now one of the most treasured possessions of his great-grandson, Louis M. Day, of whom we write. The coat which he wore when he was wounded in battle is also preserved by one of his descendants. He married, at the close of the Revolution, Margaret Ann Cohagne, who was born in North Carolina, and died, in 1835, in Ohio. Ten children were born to them, as follows : Hedgeman, Ransom, Orvington, Addison, Allison, DeMoville T., Rebecca, Dorcas, Charles and Samuel. Samuel Day, the youngest member of the parental household, was born in Pendleton County, West Virginia, May 22, 1805, and when scarce three months old was brought by his parents to Ross County. Finding the peaceful pursuit to which he was reared congenial to his tastes, he began farming for himself in early manhood, locating on a farm situated in Deerfield and Concord townships, the land having been given to him by his father, who purchased it in 1811. Building his dwelling house on the Concord side of the line, he was there successfully employed in tilling the soil the remainder of his life, dying at the age of seventy-six years. The maiden name of the wife of Samuel Day was Margaret Hewett. A daughter of William Hewett, she was born on an adjoining farm, in May of 1806, and died January 15, 1858. William Hewett, a native of Londonderry, Ireland, married Mollie MacArthur, who was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. Locating in Ross County in 1798, he built a substantial double log house of walnut logs, using wild cherry for the flooring and joists, all of the timber being grown on the home farm. The house stood until 1902, many years after his death, which occurred in 1850, while that of his wife, Mrs. Hewett, occurred in 1858. Samuel and Margaret (Hewett) Day were the parents of six children, namely : Mary E., Rebecca J., Margaret Cohagen, Samuel 0., Milton, and Orvington. Born December 3, 1845, in Concord Township, Ross County, Milton HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 527 Day was educated in the rural schools, and while assisting his father became familiarly acquainted with the various branches of agriculture. Subsequently coming into possession, by inheritance, of a portion of the parental homestead, he there followed general farming a number of seasons. Making good use then of his native mechanical talent, he took up carpentering, and for fifteen years was in the employ of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, being connected with the construction department. Resigning his position with that company, he has since lived retired in Chillicothe. He married Elizabeth Shockley, who was born July 9, 1845, in Ross County, near Clarksburg, which was likewise the birthplace of her father, Benjamin Shockley. Her grandparents, Charles and Mattie (Butler) Shockley, natives of Culpeper, Virginia, came to Ross County about 1800, settling near Clarksburg, where they kept a public house for many years, being among the pionecr tavern keepers of the county. Benjamin Shockley was born near Clarksburg, and married Nancy Vass, a daughter of Canley and Mollie (Dennis) Vass, natives of Maryland, Mr. Vass having been born in Worcester County, and Mrs. Vass in Dorchester County. Both the Vass and the Dennis families were pioneers of Ross County, Ohio. The only child of his parents, Louis M. Day was born July 29, 1870, on the home farm in Concord Township, in the same house in which his father first opened his eyes to the light of this world. Completing his rudimentary education in District No. 19 School, in Concord Township, he subsequently studied for two years under Prof. Alfred Holbrook, at the Lebanon Normal School. A short time later Mr. Day accepted a position as traveling salesman, with headquarters at Hartford City, Indiana, and when through with that work became a clerk in the furniture store of Bowers & Billings, in Chillicothe. Subsequently beginning the study of law in the office of Mayo, Yaple & Phillips, Mr. Day was admitted to the bar on March 7, 1895, and has since been in active practicc in Chillicothe, by close attention to his legal work winning distinct prestige in his profession. From his practice at Chillicothe Mr. Day was called to one of the most responsible offices of state administration at Columbus, when Governor Frank B. Willis appointed him, December 21, 1915, a member of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. Deeply interested in the issues affecting the welfare of the nation, Mr. Day has never shirked the responsibilities of public office. A democrat in politics, lie was elected a member of the State Legislature in 1908, and served so efficiently and so satisfactorily to all parties that he was re-elected in 1910, being the first Ross County democrat to succeed himself since 1858, when Lawrence T. Neil was honored with a re-election to the same position. While there he served as a member of the committees on railroads, telegraphs, judiciary, prisons, and privileges. The only fraternal organization to which he belongs is the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Mr. Day married, October 29, 1891, Ida A. Maughmer, a daughter of John and Lucinda (Harley) Maughmer, and granddaughter on the paternal side of Jacob and Margaret (Nichols) Maughmer, and on the 528 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY maternal side of John G. and Elizabeth (McCune) Harley. Both the Maughmer and the Harley families were pioneer settlers of Ross County. Mr. Day's grandparents were stanch Presbyterians, but his parents are Methodists, while both Mr. and Mrs. Day are active members of the Presbyterian Church. L. C. ANDERSON. One of the well-known old residents of Ross County, proprietor of the Lawnsmere farm in Paxton Township, L. C. Anderson has spent his lifetime within the limits of this county, and his people located here more than a century ago. His fine country estate, ranking among the best in the county, lies one mile southeast of Bainbridge. That farm comprises 350 acres, and he also owns 200 acres in Perry Township of Pike County. Mr. Anderson was born in Union Township of Ross County, March 18, 1865, a son of James R. and Mary J. (Morris) Anderson. His father was born in what was then the Village of Chillicothe, October 22, 1817. The paternal grandparents were Levi and Isabella (Swarts) Anderson. Levi Anderson and wife were Virginia people, who moved from that state to Kentucky in pioneer days, and in the early years of the nineteenth century moved to Ross County. One of the pioneers of Chillicothe, Levi Anderson was for a number of years the leading merchant of that city, and built up a business which had a high place among the commercial activities of the county. His enterprise entered actively into much of the early industrial life of the county. He was one of the first to manufacture woolen goods, and his capital was also invested in the large farm in Union Township where his son, James R., lived for so many years. James R. Anderson during his early youth .assisted his father in the store at Chillicothe and was also connected with the Valley Bank, now the Ross County Bank. Giving up a business career, he found a more congenial occupation on the large homestead of his father, to which he removed in his twenty-fourth year. This farm comprised 1,000 acres of fine land and under his ownership it was made one of the most productive estates of the county. He lived there until his death on March 16, 1889. The name of James R. Anderson should find a permanent placc in Ross County annals because of his pioneer efforts as a stock breeder. He was among the first in this section of Ohio to introduce the fancy shorthorn cattle. He brought in the nucleus of his splendid herd in 1854, and he maintained this strain of cattle until his death thirty-five years later. His cattle were shown all over the United States, and they took many of the first prizes. James Anderson was one of the wealthy men of his day and a very prominent citizen. Besides shorthorn cattle, he kept some fine Berkshire hogs on his farm and also indulged a fancy for trotting horses. While a farmer, he had the training and instincts of the thorough business man, and it was judgment and efficiency that gained him so high a place in the esteem of his community. Jamcs R. Anderson married Mary J. Morris, who was descended from prominent American ancestry and was connected with one of the prominent actors in the Rogers and Clark expedition, by which the Northwest HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 529 country was conquered from the British during the war of the Revolution. James R. Anderson and wife became the parents of ten children : John S., who died at the age of about seventy years; Thomas L., who lives in Kansas; Mary M., wife of John S. Steele, of Chillicothe ; Isabelle, who died in infancy; Jeannette, living at Chillicothe, the widow of Alexander Steele ; James, Jr., of Twin Township, Ross County ; William D., of Union Township ; Lewis F., now deceased ; Margaret M., who died young; and L. C. Anderson. L. C. Anderson grew up in a home of substantial comfort and with those influences which mold and develop the character of sterling manhood. He attended the country schools and also was a student in the private academy at Chillicothe conducted by Professor Poe. He finished his early training in the National Normal University at Lebanon. The chief interests of his early career were at the old home of his father, where he employed himself as overseer of the farm and for a number of years was in complete control of the cattle department. He knows cvery phase and detail of cattle raising, and is a worthy successor of his father in that respect. On October 29, 1891, Mr. Anderson married Sallie Blosser, a daughter of Jacob and Margaret (Biszantz) Blosser. Mrs. Anderson was born at the Slate Mills in Twin Township of Ross County. Her father, Jacob, died March 8, 1908, and her mother on September 28, 1906. Jacob Blosser was born in Page County, Virginia, and in early childhood accompanied his parents to Pike County, Ohio. He grew up there, married Miss Biszantz in that county, and a little later they removed to Ross County, where Jacob Blosser bought the Slate Mills. He operated those mills for the grinding of flour and other grains for a number of years, sold them about 1891, and devoted his remaining years to the management and care of his extensive farm interests. He was one of the foremost men of Ross County in his generation in point of material interests and prosperity. His wife, Margaret Biszantz, was born in Pike County, Ohio. There were seven children in the Blosser family, five of whom reached maturity and four are still living: Anna is the wife of G. W. Struckman, of Celina, Ohio ; the second in age is Mrs. Anderson ; Peter J. is a large land owner and a practicing attorney at Chillicothe ; Margaret is the deceased wife of Rollo W. Marchant ; Elizabeth is the wife of Judge Frank L. Touvelle, of Oregon. After his marriage, Mr. Anderson lived for two years on the old homestead, and then on March 6, 1894, took possession of his first place of 250 acres near Bainbridge. He has since added 100 acres to his control, and now has enough land and sufficient equipment in order to follow out his ideas of practical farming and stock raising on a large scale. Mr. Anderson is a republican and is a trustee of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Bainbridge, of which his family are members. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson have one son, Jacob Blosser Anderson, who was born January 9, 1893. He graduated from the Bainbridge High School, from the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware. and took a course in engineering which has made him a valuable assistant on the 530 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY home farm, where he has lived and worked with his father since leaving college. He is also a member of the Ohio National Guard and at this writing is in the training camp at Columbus. LEWIS H. TAYLOR. To mention the name Taylor in Ross County is to recall the fortunes and experiences of one of the oldest families to find a home in this part of the early wilderness of Ohio. It was soon after Gen. Anthony Wayne had subdued the Indians and had made an effective treaty for possession of Ohio Territory in 1795 that the Taylors ventured into this portion of the wilderness from Kentucky. The earliest member of the family in Ross County was William Taylor. He was a Revolutionary soldier. He had been reared in New Jersey and had enlisted from that colony for service in the war for independence. Later he led his family from the Atlantic seaboard across , the mountains into the wilds of Kentucky, and from there in 1796 crossed the streams and penetrated the woods of Southern Ohio until they arrived in Ross County. There he secured patent to a large tract of land and spent the rest of his years. A part of that land is still intact and in the Taylor ownership, and it is one of the few farms that can boast a continuous possession by one family through nearly a century and a quarter. Jonathan Taylor, a son of the pioneer and revolutionary soldier. William Taylor, was born in Kentucky and was only three years of age when he camc to Ross County. He grew up on the frontier, became skilled in all the arts and accomplishments of that day, and also had some of the culture and refinement that go with schools and books. He spent his life on the Taylor homestead in Ross County and reared his family there. Alexander Taylor, representing the third generation of this family in Ross County, was born on the, old homestead in Paxton Township in 1817. After his marriage he located near Frankfort, but after the death of his father, Jonathan, he bought the interests of the other heirs in the old homestead, which originally contained 260 acres, and there he worked, prospered, exercised a wide range of influence and passed away in 1896. His death occurred just a century after the family had come to Ross County. He was a man of quiet, unassuming character, attended strictly to his own business, and while public spirited to a high degree, he was never drawn into the activities of public life. He married Isabelle Porter, who was born in Twin Township of Ross County, January 12, 1832. Her father, Joshua Porter, was also born in Ross County, and the Porters are one of the very early families of this section, having come from -Virginia and settled in this part of Ohio before the close of the eighteenth century. The only son and child of Alexander Taylor and wife is Mr. Lewis H. Taylor, who was born near Franklin October 3, 1862. The farm where he now resides is his property, and its 162 acres are situated 1 1/2 miles southeast of Bainbridge. He has always been identified with its management since his early youth, and being the only child, he provided a HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 531 home and gave constant care to his parents during their declining years. On January 20, 1903, Mr. Taylor married Miss Melda Carter, who was born in Pike County, Ohio, a daughter of Elijah and Nancy Carter, who came from Bainbridge when Mrs. Taylor was a girl. Without children of their own, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have an adopted daughter, Mary Pauline. Mr. Taylor has land and facilities sufficient to allow him to indulge his fancy for good livestock, and his farm is up-to-date and modern in every detail. He also has a number of other business interests besides his farm. In politics he is a republican. CHARLES R. KINSLEY. One of the most energetic business men and citizens of Bainbridge during the past quarter of a century has been Charles R. Kinsley, who is manager of the Bainbridge Lumber Company, and is also a competent architect by profession. He is a native of Ohio, having been born in Perry Township of Pike County, a son of James H. and Nancy (McCord) Kinsley. His father was reared near Bainbridgc, in Ross County, while the mother grew up in Pike County, Ohio. James H. Kinsley was a wagonmaker by trade, and was also an honored veteran of the Civil war, in which he served for one year until discharged on account of disability. Of the seven sons of the family, the three now living are Charles R., D. E. Kinsley, of Xenia, Ohio, a. contractor, and Edwin, of Springfield, Ohio. Charles R. Kinsley spent his early years chiefly in Highland County, Ohio, where he attended the public schools. Having a bent for mechanical lines, he took up the trade of carpenter, became a successful contractor, and on March 17, 1892, removed to Bainbridge, where he has since been in the lumber business and has also furnished plans for a great many houses put up in that section of Ross County. He owns buildings where the lumber company is located, and his own energy and personality have been important factors in the growth of that splendid business. March 28, 1888, Mr. Kinsley married Miss Susan E. Peabody, who was reared in Highland County, Ohio, and received a common school education. To their marriage were born seven children, Kate, Omer. Imogene, Clarence, Thelma, George and Virginia. The daughter Kate is a graduate of the high school and is now teaching in Bainbridge. Omer is also a high school graduatc. Imogene graduated from the high school and is also one of the teachers at Bainbridge. Clarence, after leaving high school, became bookkeeper in the Rockhold Bank at Bain bridge, a position he still occupies. Mr. Kinsley is a member and past grand of Bainbridge Lodge, No. 437, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and politically is a democrat. He has served in the town council and as a member of the board of public affairs. Strictly honorable and upright in all his dealings, he has the confidence of all the people in his section of Ross County, and his career has been one of the finest honor and success. 532 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY HUGH FRANCIS EGAN. A native son of Ross County, Mr. Egan has for a great many years been known as an editor and newspaper publisher and has made himself and his paper valuable factors in the growth and development of the little city of Adelphi. In addition to publishing and editing the Adelphi Border News, which is recognized as the home paper for a large number of subscribers not only in Ross but adjacent counties, he is owner, publisher and editor of the Ohio Red Man, the official organ of the Improved Order of Red Mcn in Ohio. He also conducts an extensive job printing plant, and has one of the most completely furnished offices in Southern Ohio. Born in the City of Chillicothe August 24, 1856, Hugh Francis Egan is a son of Joscph and Sarah A. (Savage) Egan. His parents were of humble. Irish birth, and like many people who came from that country in the middle years of the last century they had to work hard for all they ever got or enjoyed. The maternal grandfather of Mr. Egan was quite active in thc early days in Chillicothc and held a number of commissions of trust. The Egan family came by sailing vessel to America and settled in Chillicothe in 1850. Joseph Egan, who was a native of Limerick, married Miss Sarah Savage in Chillicothe in 1852. He was for several years a laborer and then became a gas plumber. He was a man of but moderate education, but was industrious, careful and a man properly honored in his community. He did his share toward maintaining his church, the Catholic, the parochial schools and other local institutions. His death occurred at the age of eighty-four. His wife, who was born in County Cork, Ireland, dicd in 1869 at the age of thirty-five. Hugh Francis Egan, who was one of a family of ten children, had to assume certain serious responsibilities connected with making his way in the world at an early age. He attended both the parochial and public schools of Chillicothe, and at the age of fifteen entered the office of the old Advertiser to learn the trade of printer. He remained in that office until 1883, and then removed his family to Adelphi and bought out the Adelphi Border News, a wcekly paper which had been founded in 1879. Mr. Egan confesses to many hard struggles and ups and downs in his early' career as a newspaper man. He finally gave to Adelphi a paper of which that community is proud. It has a wide circulation not only in Ross County but in Pickaway, Hocking and Fairfield counties. In September, 1874, Mr. Egan married Sarah T. Bennett. They have reared and educated eight children, five sons and three daughters. All are married now. The sons all learned the trade of printing with their father, and four of them are now working at the trade. A brief record of these children is as follows : Hugh B. Egan, who was born in Chillicothe, is a printer by trade, and is married and lives in Columbus; Sarah, born in Chillicothe, married, at Adelphi, Elgernon Flannigan, a farmer ; Joseph Henry, who is a barber by trade and is married and living in Adelphi; Carolyn Egan, born in Chillicothe, was married in Adelphi to Hugh L. Reedy, a clerk in the United States mail service, HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 533 and they live in Columbus; George W., born at Adelphi, is married and lives in Columbus, where he is a salesman; Mary M., born at Adelphi, married William H. Barton, principal of the Adelphi schools; Edward, born in Adelphi, is a printer and is married; Robert, born at Adelphi, is also a printer. All the children received their education in the public schools. Mr. Egan was reared in the faith of the Catholic, Church. While a resident of Chillicothe he was identified with several religious, civil and military organizations, and has always enjoyed the confidence of his fellow men in every position of life. He served as mayor of Adelphi for twelve years and was clerk of the township board of education and board of trustees for twelve years, and was also for several years a councilman and member of the local board of education. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ross County Memorial Commission by appointment from James M. Cox, governor of Ohio, September 4, 1914. Through these positions, as editor of the leading paper, and as a private citizen, he has done much to build up and promote the welfare of his home locality. He is particularly well known not only in Ohio but throughout the country for his work in the Improved Order of Red Men. He joined that order in June, 1895. In 1897 he represented Corn Planter Tribe in the Great Council of Ohio and continued as representative until 1901. He was then elected Great Junior Sagamore of the Great Council of Ohio, and in 1902 was elected Great Senior and in 1903 became Great Sachem. That high post he filled with credit until May, 1904, when he presided over the Great Council at Mansfield. He has also represented Ohio in the Supreme Great Council of the United States and in the national body has served on several important committees. Mr. Egan has been a member of Adelphi Lodge of the Knights of Pythias for fifteen years, and formerly held membership in the Modern Woodmen of America. At Adelphi he superintended the construction of the magnificent Red Men's Building, was for ten years secretary of the Knights of Pythias Fair and Carnival, and helped make the local lodge of Knights of Pythias highly successful. Mr. Egan deserves much credit for the establishment of the Adelphi Banking Company, in which he has held the position of secretary to the board of directors since it was founded. He has a beautiful modern home, and has also employed his taste and experience in supervising various public buildings at Adelphi, including the Opera House. Though now in his sixtieth year, Mr. Egan is found at work from morning until night and when questioned on that matter he is disposed to ascribe to hard and constant work what measure of success he has attained in the world. W. W. DAVIS, M. D. Not only a large circle of private patients but the entire community of Bainbridge have profited by the capable services and influence of Dr. W. W. Davis, who has practiced in that community for the past fifteen years. Doctor Davis is a splendidly Vol. II-4 534 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY equipped and widely experienced physician and surgeon, and represents a family that has been identified with the same profession through three generations. Doctor Davis was born in Bowling Green, Clay County, Indiana. September 11, 1878. His grandfather, Dr. H. T. Davis, was a graduate in medicine in 1827 at Columbia, South Carolina, and eventually became a pioneer physician in Southern Indiana, locating at Columbus. Dr. Ben Davis, father of W. W. Davis, was born in Bartholomew County, Indiana, studied medicine in the Indiana Medical College, practiced for some years in Bartholomew County and now lives near New Carlisle, Ohio. He is also one of the capable physicians. The early education of Dr. W. W. Davis was acquired in the high school at New Carlisle, from which he graduated in 1896. He then entered the Ohio Medical College of Columbus, where he took the full four-year course and graduated M. D. in 1900. He secured his first practice in connection with his father, but in 1901 removed to Bainbridge, and there has built up a large clientage and field of usefulness. He is local surgeon for the Detroit, Toledo and Ironton Railroad, is health officer, and has proved a vigorous influence in the public health movement in his section of Ross County. He is also interested in farming and has a farm in Clark County, Ohio. Doctor Davis married Elizabeth Spargur, a daughter of A. N. Spargur, who now lives in Houston, Texas. Mrs. Davis is a graduate of the high school of Hillsboro, Ohio. She is a member of the official board of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which denomination the doctor also worships. There are two children : Clara 0., now eleven years of age, and Leona, aged seven. Doctor Davis is a member of the local school board and at one time was its president. Politically he is a republican. FRANK M. BORST has a special genius as a farmer and stockman. For twenty-one years he has been identified with the Reeves Crossing Farm, a place of 400 splendid acres situated two miles east of Bainbridge on the Chillicothe Pike. Mr. Borst is the capable tenant and manager of this fine farm, and has combined practice and scientific theory so well that his work is not only a matter of revenue to himself but also is an encouraging example in farming and stock raising to this section of Ohio. Mr. Borst was born near Roxabell in Concord Township, Ross County, January 3, 1880. His parents were Samuel and Martha (Mowbray) Borst. His father was born in Chillicothe July 5, 1848, and his mother in Concord Township of Ross County in 1847. She died May 14, 1915. The father, who spent his active life as a farmer is now living retired. Each parent was married previously and had children, but Frank M. Borst is the only son and child of the union of his parents. His early life was spent on a farm in Concord Township, but when about ten years of age his parents removed to Highland County, where he remained four years. During those years he received most of his HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 535 education, and in 1895 he came to the farm where he now holds the responsibilities of tenant farmer. He is a successful breeder of red-polled cattle, his herd being headed by Northside Lad, one of the finest specimens of that breed in Ohio. He also is a breeder of Percheron horses, and his entire farm is stocked with only the best grades of domestic animals. In 1898 Mr. Borst married Rose Campbell, a daughter of Hez Campbell. Mrs. Borst is a graduate of the Bainbridge High School and for three years was a teacher prior to her marriage. They are the parents of three children : Farry, a student in the Bainbridge High School ; Samuel, aged eleven ; and Joseph, aged nine, both also in school. Mr. Borst is an active member of Paint Valley Lodge, No. 497, of the Knights of Pythias, in which he is past chancellor, and also belongs to the Improved Order of Red Men. Politically he is a democrat and is now one of the township trustees of Paxton Township. WILLIAM S. PRICER. For fully thirty-five years farming and its attendant activities have engaged the energies and abilities of William S. Pricer, who belongs to one of the old and honored Ross County families, and has made his own career productive and in the highest degree honorable. His home during most of his life has been the Beach Grove Farm, containing 145 acres and located in Paxton Township on Rural Route No. 1 out of Bainbridge. Mr. Pricer was born in Paint Township of Ross County September 23, 1861, a son of William S. and Mary (Smith) Pricer. His father was born in Paint Township of Ross County September 13, 1829, spent his active career as a farmer, and died August 19, 1908. His wife was born near Dumfries, Scotland, September 26, 1832, was brought by her parents to the United States in 1845, the family locating near Chillicothe, and she grew to womanhood there and was married in Ross County to Mr. Pricer. Her death occurred October 5, 1911. From Paint Township William S. Pricer, Sr., moved to Paxton Township in 1863 and in 1872 came to the farm where his son now lives. Of their seven children three are still living, including William S. David S. lives at Appleton City, Missouri, and Mary B. is the wife of William Wood of Sandusky, Ohio. Ten years of age when his parents moved to the farm that he now owns, William S. Pricer attended the district schools in the winter terms and had an abundance of experience in all phases of farm work while growing up. After the death of his parents he became owner of the Beach Grove Farm, and by many years of hard labor there has won a substantial competence. Both his parents were Presbyterians, his mother being of the strict Scotch Presbyterian stock and Mr. Pricer himself is also affiliated with that faith. The father was a Mason and master of his lodge thirteen years, and took a very active part in local republican politics. The son is inclined the same way politically, and is affiliated with Bainbridge Lodge, No. 196, Free and Accepted Masons, is past noble grand of Lodge 536 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY No. 497, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and past chancellor of Lodge No. 437, Knights of Pythias. He also belongs to the Fraternal Order of Eagles. FRED SCHMIDT. More than a century ago George Washington said that "agriculture is the most useful and honorable occupation of man," and the truth of this statement stands today as it did then. A prominent representative of this class in Ross County is Fred Schmidt, proprietor and manager of a splendid farm in Paxton Township, on Rural Route No. 1 out of Bainbridge. Mr. Schmidt is a native of Columbus, Ohio, whcre he was born March 26, 1857, a son of John F. and Wilhelmina. (Eyler) Schmidt. Both parents were born in Wurtemberg, Germany, came to the United States and located in Columbus, Ohio, in 1849, and not long afterward were married in that city, where they spent the rest of their days. The father was a carpenter and through that trade and by good business judgment provided well for his large family of children, which numbered fourteen in all. The seven now living are Fred, William, Michael, George, Rosa, Margaret and Catherine. All the children were born in Columbus and all are living in that city except Fred and William, both of whom are residents of Ross County. Fred Schmidt grew up in a home of Christian parents, attended the parochial schools until he was confirmed, and for one year was in the public schools. On March 29, 1883, Mr. Schmidt married Elizabeth Schmidt, of the same name but not related. Mrs. Schmidt was born in Germany May 5, 1860, and came alone to the United States, landing November 19th and two days later arriving in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the following year she moved to Columbus. She was reared and educated in Germany and after coming to America made her own living until her marriage. She has proved a most capable and helpful wife and mother and has been an important factor in Mr. Schmidt's success. Until 1895 they resided in Columbus, and then moved to the Wallace Farm in Paxton Township of Ross County. They have lived there ever since and Mr. Schmidt owns 565 acres in Ross and Pike counties. He keeps high grade livestock and does everything on his farm in a very progressive and efficient manner. Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt are the parents of eight children. Minnie is the wife of Thomas Williamson. Fred, Jr., is married. William is married and lives in Ross County. Louise is the wife of George Saenger of Springfield, Ohio. Alice is unmarried and at home. Jacob graduated from the Bainbridge High School and Ohio State University with the degree Bachelor of Science and is still unmarried. Bertha is unmarried. George is a senior in the local high school. One child is now deceased. Mr. Schmidt is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and the Knights of the Maccabees, and politically is a democrat. He is now serving as president of the local school board and is also one of the trustees of Paxton Township. HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 537 J. M. RITTENOUR is a prominent Ross County farmer. He looks after the cultivation and management of one of the largest estates in the county, a farm of 1,800 acres situated a mile and a quarter west of Richmond Dale in Jefferson Township. The Rittenour family has been identified with Ross County since the closing years of the eighteenth century. It is one of the most honored as well as among the oldest names found in Ross County annals. Mr. J. M. Rittenour has proved himself a worthy descendant of this stock, and while easily one of the most extensive farmers of the county he has distinguished himself by fidelity to the public welfare on many occasions, and is one of the most trusted and substantial men of the county. He was born on part of the farm where he now resides October 30, 1861. The Rittenour family was established in this section of Ohio by his great-grandfather Anthony Rittenour, a native of Virginia and of German stock. Anthony came to Ohio in 1799, when it was still a part of Northwest Territory. A man of considerable means and of even greater energy and enterprise Anthony Rittenour acquired some very large tracts of land from the Government. On coming to Ross County he brought with him some of his older children, including Jacob, and leaving them behind to begin the heavy task of improvement on the new land he went back to Virginia for the rest of his family. He spent his last years in Ross County. Jacob Rittenour, grandfather of J. M. Rittenour, was a native of Fredericksburg, Virginia, and was sixteen years of age when he accompanied his father to Ross County. He took charge of some of the land entered by Anthony Rittenour, and after his marriage he lived in a. little house until in 1852 he erected the substantial home which remained his residence until his death. He accumulated about 1,100 acres of land, and was one of the foremost men of his community in his time. He took much part in church affairs, and for fifty years was idcntified with the Methodist denomination. His death occurred October 16, 1882.. Jacob Rittenour was married in 1811 to Anna Claypool, who died June 6, 1873. Jacob Rittenour was born in 1787. He and his wife were the parents of four children, named James, Margaret, Isaac and George C. George Claypool Rittenour, father of J. M. Rittenour, was born March 11, 1825, on part of the old Rittenour homestead and his birth occurred in the stone portion of the residence now occupied by Jacob. Caldwell. George C. Rittenour died December 30, 1915. The youngest of four children, he grew up on a farm and on September 1, 1857, married Elizabeth Sargent, who was born November 1, 1832, and died July 29, 1910. After their marriage George C. Rittenour and wife began housekeeping on the homestead, and their old residence is still standing there. In 1878 George bought the interests of the remaining heirs to the 1,100 acre estate, and moved to the old home.of his father, where he lived until his death. Three children were born to George C. Rittenour and wife : T. S. Rittenour, now living at Piketon, Ohio; J. M. Rittenour ; and H. F. Rittenour of Chillicothe. The late George C. Rittenour was an official member of the Methodist Church and was affiliated with Garfield' 538 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY Lodge, No. 710, at Richmond Dale, and took a very active interest in republican politics. Mr. J. M. Rittenour grew up as the son of prosperous parents, learned the details of farming as a youth, and for many years has conducted his agricultural operations on a very large scale. He was liberally educated, in addition to the public schools spending two years in Xenia Academy and one year in the Ohio Wesleyan College at Delaware. On October 20, 1898, he married Alberta Norton, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. Norton, a well known Ross County family elsewhere referred to. Mr. and Mrs. Rittenour have one son, George N., who was born June 15, 1900, and is now attending high school at Chillicothe. An interesting fact which should be noted is that Mr. and Mrs. Rittenour were married in Virginia and in the room of the building on James River where Thomas Jefferson at one time held a meeting of his cabinet when he was President of the United States. At the time of the marriage Mrs. Rittenour's father was living in Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Rittenour are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Richmond Dale, and he is one of thc official board of that church. In politics he is a republican and is a man who is ever ready to render some service to his community. For three ycars he served as township trustee and for two years as supervisor. DAVID H. SCOTT, M. D. For nearly fifty years engaged in the practice of medicine in Chillicothe, David H. Scott, M. D., was very successful in his chosen profession, his promptness in meeting and combating disease in its ever-varying phases, his untiring devotion to and sympathy with his many patients, and his bright and cheering presence in the sick-room, winning him a large and lucrative practice. A native of Ohio, he was born in 1829, in Ashland County, and there grew to manhood. John Scott, the doctor's father, was born and reared in Washington County, Pennsylvania. Coming to Ohio in pioneer times, he bought land in Ashland County, and there spent the remainder of his days, being engaged, not only in agricultural pursuits, but in mercantile business. His wife, whose maiden name was Matilda Weakly, was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania. She survived him a few years, and reared three sons and a daughter. Having obtained the rudiments of his education in the public schools of his native county, David H. Scott continued his studies in the literary department of the Washington and Jefferson College, in Washington, Pennsylvania. Going then to New York City, he attended lectures at the Bellevue Medical College, and after his graduation from that institution was for several years an interne in a large Jewish hospital. Locating in Chillicothe in 1857, Doctor Scott built up an extensive patronage, his professional skill and ability becoming widely known and highly appreciated. Here he continued in active practice until his death, February 24, 1905, at his attractive home on Fruit Hill, an estate which had come to his wife by inheritance. In October, 1865, Doctor Scott married Effie E. Allen, who was born HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 539 in Washington, District of Columbia, the only daughter of Hon. William and Effie (McArthur) Allen. Mrs. Scott occupied the home on Fruit Hill until her death on May 14, 1916. She had a fine family of seven children, namely: William Allen, Arthur Donald, Walter S., Effie Allen, Minnie McArthur, Helen Allen, and Duncan H. The family attends the Episcopal Church, and they are among its active workers. HON. JAMES C. FOSTER. A gallant soldier, a judicious agriculturist and an honorable citizen are apt terms to use in mentioning one of Ross County's most distinguished men, Maj. James C. Foster. Major Foster was born in Franklin Township, Ross County, where he still lives, May 18, 1842. He comes of old pioneer stock and his parents were Thomas C. and Jane (Davis) Foster. John Foster, the great-grandfather, came to Ohio with a large family of motherless children, from near Cumberland, Maryland, in 1796, and settled in Franklin Township, Ross County, where he died in 1800. His six sons survived : Lewis, Thomas, John, Richard, Joseph and Benjamin. Of these sons, the third in order of birth, John Foster, married Mary Prather and to one of their sons they gave the name of Thomas C. Thomas C. Foster married Jane E. Davis, a sister of the late John H. Davis, and they had the following children : Martha, who is the widow of James P. Foster; James C.; Hannah ; John C., and William and George. Hannah, William and George are deceased. Thomas C. Foster was one of Franklin Township's worthy men, sturdy in his citizenship and honored and respected by all who knew him. James C. Foster attended the district schools, in 1868 attended a commercial college at Cleveland and in 1859 attended a military school at Chillicothe. He remained on the home farm until the whole country was aroused by the breaking out of the Civil war, and it was on August 24, 1861, that he enlisted as a private in Company C, Thirty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry. In the following September he was transferred to the Fifty-third regiment, and on January 1, 1862, he received his first promotion, being made orderly sergeant. On September 21, 1862, he was promoted to second lieutenant and on that day he was transferred with this rank to Company I, Fifty-third Infantry. He seemed to be particularly well fitted for military life and thus was entrusted with the duties of a recruiting officer and had the satisfaction of recruiting the first company of colored soldiers in West Tennessee. He was made captain of this company and served as such until June 18, 1864, when he was promoted to the rank of major and in that military office served until the close of the war. Thus the title by which he has ever since been known was fairly and honorably earned. He took part in many of the great battles of the four-year struggle, and patriotism, courage and efficiency marked his course. Major Foster returned then to Ohio and resumed agricultural pursuits, in which he has ever since been interested. He owns a magnificent farm of 497 acres and extensive farm and stock operations are here carried on. 540 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY In 1868 Major Foster was married to Miss Emma Davis, who was born in Franklin Township and died here in August, 1871. They had one daughter, Daisy, who was born June 2, 1870. She was married to H. J. DuBois on December 20, 1888, and they reside at Houston, Texas. In October, 1875, Major Foster was married to Mary D. Vause, who was born in Liberty Township, Ross County. They have the following childrcn : Ada, born March 16, 1877 ; Vause, born April 29, 1879 ; Jean M., born July 16, 1881; Harry L., born March 18, 1884 ; James C., born November 25, 1887 ; Mary H., born December 19, 1889; and Sallie, born September 13, 1894. Educational and social advantages have been happy adjuncts in the lives of each. Vause is a graduate of the Ohio State University, and Jean M., Mary and Sallie are graduates of the University at Oxford, Ohio. Major Foster has always been sound in his republicanism and is a very influential member of his party in this part of the state. During 1902 and 1904 when serving as a member of the State Legislature, he had much to do with the formulating and passing of some of the wisest and most just laws ever put upon the statute book. His acquaintance with other prominent men is wide and his personal friendships are with those who, like himself, have high ideals of citizenship and live up to them. He belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic and served as commander of Post No. 691, at Omega, Ohio, for seventeen years. He is also a member of Loyal Legion. SIMON HOLDERMAN. From the time Ohio was admitted into the Union down to the, present time Ross County has been continuously honored and benefited by the presence within her borders of members of the Holderman family. In the character of its individual members and in their services as substantial citizens they havc all bent their efforts toward building up the country in which they have made their home. It is impossible to estimate the strength and diversity of the influences which emanate from such a family and affect the social and business affairs of the county even to its most remote bounds. The birth of Simon Holderman occurred on a farm in Salt Creek Township of Pickaway County, Ohio, February 4, 1842. It was his grandfather, Christopher Holderman, who established the family in Ohio in the earliest times. He was born in Berks County, Pennsylvania, and arrived in what was then the Northwest Territory in 1802, the same year that Ohio was carved from the eastern portion of that territory. The population of Ohio at that time was largely concentrated along the southern boundary and Ross and Pickaway counties were still on the extreme frontier. It was thirty years or more before canals were constructed, and many years later before the first railroad penetrated this section of the state. Settlers from the East came either with wagons, on foot or on horseback, following some of the trails blazed through trees or else the natural highways of the water courscs. Christopher Holderman on arriving in Ohio entered 160 acres of government land in what is now Salt Creek Township and added to that by the purchase of 80 acres more. HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 541 He had the persistent courage and industry of the typical pioneer, and spent the rest of his years in clearing up the land and cultivating it. He was a very successful man, and increased his holdings so that he was able to give each of his thirteen children a farm. His death came at the age of sixty-five years. After coming to Ohio Christopher Holderman was married in Pickaway County in 1804 to Eleanor Black. She survived her husband and died at the age of seventy-eight. The fourteen children reared by this pioneer mother were : John, Christopher, Anna, Elizabeth, Eleanor, George, Guinn, Mary, David, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Ellen and Charlotte, the last named dying at the age of eighteen. George Holderman, father of Simon, was born in Salt Creek Township of Pickaway County December 20, 1812. His early life was environed by pioneer circumstances and conditions, and after reaching his majority he settled on land given him by his father within a mile of his birthplace. Then followed many years of quiet industrious labor as a general farmer, and he died there at the age of sixty-seven. The maiden name of his wife was Mary Jones. She was born in Coleraine Township of Ross County in January, 1816. Her father Aaron Jones was born in Virginia and her grandfather was David Jones, also a native of the same state. David and his three brothers, Abraham, Peter, and Joshua, all came to. Ohio and had a numerous progeny in that state, many of whom have since gone to other states in the Union. It was about 1806 that Aaron Jones located in Coleraine Township of Ross County, and he was one of the first to make a clearing in the woods and put up a civilized home in that section. Starting with government land, he cultivated a farm there until his death in 1856. Aaron Jones married Sarah Bunn, who was also a native of Virginia, and who died about 1870. Mrs. George Holderman lived to the age of sixty-seven years. Her six children were Lewis, Nelson, Simon, Wilson, Sarah, and Ida. It was nearly three quarters of a century ago that Simon Holderman was born, and he has given an honorable accompaniment of honest toil and useful service to the passing milestones on his life's journey. Even when he was a boy educational facilities were of a limited character and he attended onc of the old log schoolhouses. His early years were given to his father and after his marriage he farmed on his father's land for about five years and then came into possession of a farm of his own. He remained on it industriously cultivating its acres until 1874, when he removed to Kingston and was in thc lumber business there from 1876 to 1886. For several years Mr. Holderman has lived retired from the active cares and responsibilities of a business career. At the age of twenty-two he married Josephine Brundige, who also represents an early family in this section of Ohio. She was born at Williamsport in Pickaway County February 22, 1840, a daughter of William and Emily (Palmer) Brundige. The grandparents were Thomas and Nancy (Johnson) Brundige, the latter of Botetourt County, Virginia. They arrived in Ohio in the year 1802, and were one of the first group of pioneers to establish homes in Salt Creek Township of Pick-away County, where they spent the rest of their days. William Brun- 542 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY dige, father of Mrs. Holderman, was born in Virginia, while his wife was a native of Chester County, Pennsylvania. Though reared early in the century William Brundige acquired a good education, and spent some years as a teacher. Later he turned his attention to farming and also operated a sawmill and spent his last years in Williamsport. Emily Palmer, mother of Mrs. Holderman, was born at Morristown, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Jesse and Abigail (Wood) Palmer, who founded homes in Pickaway County when it was still a wilderness. Abigail Wood was the daughter of Capt. John Wood, who had commanded a company of patriots in the Revolutionary war. After more than thirty-five years of married companionship Mr. Holderman lost his wife by death in August, 1900. She is survived by two daughters: Ilda and Emily. Mr. Holderman, as was his wife, is an active member of the Presbyterian Church. He is affiliated with Pierson Lodge, No. 372, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His first presidential vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln, and he has ever since been a strong supporter of the principles and policies of the republican party. Again and again he has been called to offices of trust and responsibility, both in his township and in the county, and for two terms he filled the office of county commissioner. THOMAS DOWNS. It was in the last year of the eighteenth century that the Downs family established a home in the wilderness of Ross County. Several generations of the name have spent their lives industriously working out their own destinies, and contributing to the improvement and progress of this section. The pioneers helped to clear up the land, build houses, develop farms, improve communities with institutions and later members of the family have continued the good work done by their ancestors, and one of these is Thomas Downs, who is one of the prosperous and popular farmer citizens near Kingston. He was born in Springfield Township of Ross County October 5, 1843. His Grandfather William Downs was a native of Virginia of Scotch-Irish ancestry. He was reared and married in his native state and in 1799 accompanied by his family started for Northwest Territory. That was three years before Ohio was admitted to the Union. After crossing the intervening barrier of mountains, they drifted down the Ohio on a flatboat as far as Portsmouth. While on that flatboat journey a son was born, John Downs, who was the father of Thomas Downs. From Portsmouth the little party literally chopped their way through the wilderness to Chillicothe, which was then only a frontier hamlet. They then proceeded into the wilds of what is now Springfield Township, where Grandfather William Downs spent the rest of his days. He died at the age of sixty-eight, and he and his wife are buried in Hopetown Cemetery. John Downs, whose life began while his parents were migrating to Ross County, grew up among pioneer scenes, and he was a mature man before this section of the state had become linked with the outside world by even such crude methods of transportation as a canal. As a boy he HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 543 hunted deer, wolves, wild turkeys and other game in the forest, and his mother spun and wove the cloth which clothed all members of the family. In the early days all surplus products were sent down the river on flatboats. Later when settlement had progressed sufficiently Chillicothe became the center for many diverging stage routes which ran to all parts of the country. Reared on a farm, John Downs naturally took up agricultural pursuits when he reached manhood, and was a successful farmer, though his life terminated in his prime, at the age of fifty-three. He married Elizabeth. Smith, also a native of Virginia, and a daughter of Benjamin Smith, whose name should be recalled as one of the pioneer settlers of Green Township in Ross County. Mrs. John Downs died at the age of fifty-eight. Her children were : Ellen; Mary; Eliza; Thomas; Flora ; Clorinda, widow of Thomas Milliner; Sarah, wife of Benjamin Brooks ; and John, who died at the age of six years. While a boy in Springfield Township Thomas Downs acquainted himself with the instruction imparted in the local schools, and as he was one of a large family and the burdens of material existence bore heavily upon all, he started out early to work at monthly wages, and these wages were contributed to meeting the family expenses. Later he had opportunity to save the larger part of his earnings, and with this capital he bought stock and tools and began an independent career on rented land. He was a renter for seventeen years, and then bought a farm a mile and a half south of Kingston. He still owns that farm, and occupied it' as a home until 1912, when he moved to Kingston and bought the place where he now resides. On October 26, 1870, Mr. Downs married Amanda Moore, a native of Vinton County, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Downs have reared three children: Carrie, Hattie May and Edward. The daughter Carrie married John Holderman and at her death left three daughters, Ellen, Mary and Mildred. Hattie May is also deceased. Edward, the only son, who died at the age of thirty-three, was twice married, and by his first wife, whose maiden name was Jenks, had two children, Bessie and Villette. Mr. and Mrs. Downs, whose declining years are comforted by the presence of their grandchildren, are active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and politically he has always associated with the republican party. WILLIAM H. WEST. As Ross County is becoming better and better known as a center for fruit culture in Ohio, special credit attaches to the work and influence of William H. West, who is one of the oldest and best known horticulturists in the county and has spent upwards of half a century in the successful business of growing fruit for the markets. While he has been a resident of Ross County more than fifty years, since early boyhood, Mr. West is a native of Maryland, having been born in Frederick County of that state December 28, 1837. His parents were John and Hannah West. Mr. West's brother, John H. West, is living in Green Township of Ross County, a hale and hearty old gentleman at the age of ninety-one. Reared and educated in his native state, William H. West at the 544 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY age of sixteen journeyed to Ohio and joined his brother John in the Village of Chillicothe. There he learned the trade of blacksmith. He sharpened tools for the workmen who built the old Chillicothe courthouse. He continued as a general blacksmith for several years, but eventually located on the farm that he now owns and occupies in Springfield Township. As soon as he went to his farm he began developing his land to fruit purposes, and is undoubtedly one of the most successful fruit raisers Ross County has ever had. At one time he had an orchard of 200 bearing peach trees and also a large apple orchard and a number of varieties of small fruits. He also had an extensive vineyard. Mr. West made a specialty of grape culture, and in his time has cultivated forty-two distinct varieties of that fruit. Specimens of his fruit from his orchard and vineyards have been exhibited in the county and state fairs and many first premiums have been awarded it. He has made a study of horticulture, and his long practical experience constitute him one of the foremost authorities on the subject in this part of Ohio. For many years he has been a member of the Ross County Horticultural Society and has served it as treasurer. On October 13, 1874, he married Miss Susan Seney, who was born in Springfield Township of Ross County October 20, 1855, a daughter of Joshua and Martha (Ives) Seney and a sister of Amasa Ives Seney. The three children reared by Mr. and Mrs. West are named Anna, Bessie and William Seney. Anna married Charles Abernathy.' Bessie married Clare Gettles. William S. married Nellie Bader, and their three children are named Catherine, Eleanor and William Bader. Mr. West is an active member of Chillicothe Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. OTHIAS SCOTT HARMAN. One of the most beautiful country homes around Chillicothe is that owned by Othias Scott Harman. It is situated on the Columbus Pike, a mile and a half from the courthouse. There he and his family enjoy the comforts of a rural home. Mr. Harman has been one of thc industrious and progressive farming citizens of Ross County for many years. His birth occurred in Scioto Township, of this county August 5, 1860. His grandparents were Virginia people and spent their lives in that state. His father, Othias Harman, was born in Virginia in 1809, and after coming to Ohio lived a time in Pickaway County and then moved to Chillicothe. In Chillicothe he owned and operated a tannery at the corner of Mulberry and Market streets, now Riverside Street, and conducted that business as a prosperous local institution until his death. He died at his home on Western Avenue in 1871. Othias Harman, Sr., married Elizabeth Graybill. She was born in 1816 near Lancaster in Fairfield County, Ohio, daughter of Jacob Graybill who was of Pennsylvania German ancestry. Mrs. Othias Harman died in 1888, having reared four children, Fletcher D., Howard D., Roland and Othias Scott. Othias Scott Harman grew up on the farm where the family had their home, and after his father's death he bought a tract of land in Green Township. As a general farmer and stock raiser he has laid the HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 545 basis of his present competency. The land in Green Township when he first bought it had a log house with a frame addition as its chief improvement. This house was burned some years ago and he then replaced it with a commodious frame house of a modern style of architecture. Mr. Harman sold this farm in 1914 and then bought the place he now owns and occupies. He has a commodious brick house surrounded by a fine lawn improved with beautiful trees and shrubs, and has every convenience for comfort and at the same time is operating his land at a profit. On January 15, 1885, he married Mary Strevy. Mrs. Harman was born near Circleville in Pickaway County. Her father, William Strevy, was born in Huron County on a farm between New London' and Greenwich. Her grandfather, William Strevy, Sr., was probably a native of Pennsylvania of German ancestory, and from Pennsylvania moved to Ohio and was an early settler on some land near New London, where he spent his last days. His four children were named Rose, Michael, John and William. William Strevy, the father of Mrs. Harman, grew up on the Huron County farm, and started independently as a renter in the neighborhood where he had spent his youth. Subsequently he moved to Pickaway County, buying land near Circleville, and that has remained his home until his death at the age of seventy-nine. His wife was Mary Brooker, who was born in Germany, and came to this country with her father, George Brooker, and her mother and two other children. The family spent many weeks on the ocean in an old-fashioned sailing vessel, and after landing in New York came on to Ohio, George Brooker acquiring a tract of unimproved land near Zanesville. He cleared the land out of the woods and lived there until his death, his wife Barbara having preceded him by several years. In the Brooker family were five children, Rachel, Mary, Barbara and Rose. Mrs. Harman received her early education in the schools at Circleville, and prior to her marriage taught the Island School near that town. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Harman. Nellie is the wife of Theodore Petnogle. Hazel married Dr. Eugene Waters, and she died at the age of twenty-one. The other two children were Virginia, who died at the age of eighteen months, and Marjorie, who died when three years old. HENRY CUTRIGHT. Any one acquainted with the farming and industrial community of Springfield Township knows the personality of Henry Cutright, whose position has been one of assured influence and prosperity in that locality for a number of years. His career is interesting not only for what he has accomplished individually but because of the associations of his name with some of the old settlers and prominent people of Ross County during the last century. In fact, he is descended from one of the very first settlers who penetrated the wilderness and settled in this part of Northwest Territory. That was his great-grandfather, John Cutright, a native of Virginia. John Cut-right came to the Northwest Territory with General Massie in 1796. He located on some land owned by General Massie in Springfield Town- 546 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY ship. There he and his wife spent the years of pioneering and enjoyed a solid prosperity at the last. Both died there in 1830. Hiram Cutright, grandfather of Henry Cutright, was born in Virginia, was reared in Ross County, and on reaching manhood bought a tract of land in Springfield Township. For several years he was engaged in farming there, and.then moved to Chillicothe, where he was a grocery merchant. His death occurred in July, 1882. Hiram Cutright married Hannah Neff, a daughter of Leonard Neff, also one of the first settlers of Springfield Township. She died several years before her husband, having reared seven children, whose names are Amaziah, Jeremiah, Hiram, Joseph, Minerva J., Rufus and Louisa. Of these, Amaziah, Jeremiah, and Rufus were all soldiers in the Union army and members of the One Hundred and Forty-second Ohio Infantry. They enlisted in May, 1864, at the call for hundred-day men, went to Virginia, and were with their regiment in all its services until the termination of their term of enlistment. Jeremiah died a few weeks after his return from the war. Amaziah Cutright, father of Henry, was born in Springfield Township, spent his active career there as a farmer and died at the age of seventy-four. He married Mary J. Hanks, a name that introduces another family of early settlers in Ross County. She was born in Springfield Township. Her father, Isaac Hanks, was a native of Virginia and her grandfather, Thomas Hanks, was also born in the same commonwealth and came to Ross County about 1800. Thomas Hanks was of the same family stock that produced the mother of Abraham Lincoln. After living for a time at High Banks, Thomas Hanks entered a half section of government land in Harrison Township. Subsequently he moved to Logan County where his death occurred in 1834. Isaac Hanks grew up on the Ross County farm, and followed farming as a vocation and quite successfully. He acquired a large tract of land including some of the best in Springfield Township, located in sections 26 and 31. His death occurred there April 11, 1883. Isaac Hanks married Maggie Raypole, who was born in Virginia and was brought to Ross County by her mother who occupied a log cabin in the southeast part of Springfield Township in pioneer times. Mrs. Isaac Hanks died in 1897 in her ninety-first year. She reared three children named Jerry, Ephraim and Mary J. Mrs. Mary J. (Hanks) Cutright died at the age of seventy-two. There were only two children, Margaret and Henry. Reared in a district which had been the home of his family connections for more than half a century, Henry Cutright was prepared for the serious responsibilities of life in a district school, and by such training as he could receive on the farm. He was born in Springfield Township February 23, 1867. When ready to start out on his own account he rented land for seven years, and then located on a part of his Grandfather Hanks' estate, which his mother had inherited. The house upon the land at the time was burned in 1909, and it was replaced by the attractive home which Mr. and Mrs. Cutright and family now occupy. His farm is pleasantly located on the Charleston Road about five miles HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 547 below Chillicothe. In addition to this homestead Mr. Cutright owns and operates a farm of ninety-one acres in Harrison Township. In March, 1892, he married Miss Lucretia Stauffer, who was born in Springfield Township. They have four children named Grace, Walter, Joie and Martha. Mr. and Mrs. Cutright are both members of the Methodist Church. Mrs. Cutright's people were also early settlers in Ross County. Her great-grandfather John Stauffer was born in Center County, Pennsylvania, of German parentage. As a young man he learned the trade of stonemason, which he followed in Pennsylvania, and about 1830 he came to Ohio, accompanied by his wife and six children. The entire journey was made overland with wagons and teams, and they camped by the roadside wherever night overtook them. Reaching Ohio they first settled in Fairfield County, but a year later moved to Ross County, where John Stauffer bought a tract of land near Dry Run in Springfield Township. There he lived out his useful years, and reared six children, David, John, Eliza, Mary, Samuel and Solomon. David Stauffer, grandfather of Mrs. Cutright, was a son of his father's first marriage. He grew up in Pennsylvania, came to Ohio with his father, and at the time had $300 which he had inherited from his mother's estate. This money was employed to purchase fifty acres in East Springfield, now owned by Henry and Walter Cutright. A log house stood on the land surrounded by a small clearing. That log cabin was the home to which he brought his bride. After two years there he sold the place for $500 and then purchased 160 acres in the same township. The purchase price was $1,000, and he went in debt for half of it. The improvements on this land were also primitive, consisting of a log house and several acres of cleared land. David Stauffer proved his industry by clearing up his farm and enjoyed a great deal of solid prosperity and comfort before his death, which occurred in his seventy-sixth year. David Stauffer married Mary Barnhart, who was born in Pennsylvania, a daughter of Lawrence Barnhart, who came from that state and settled in Green Township of Ross County. Mrs. David Stauffer, who died several years before her husband, reared two children, Benjamin and Rebecca, the latter becoming the wife of David Brown. Benjamin Stauffer, father of Mrs. Cutright, was born in East Springfield, Ross County, September 3, 1838. District schools supplied his education and he was well trained on the home farm to habits of industry and thrift. Living with his parents until the age of twenty-one, he then married and began earning his way at daily or monthly wages. He did a great deal of clearing, and for several years was employed in getting out coopers' stock. Later he rented some land in Green Township and some years later moved to Springfield Township, where he rented a portion of the Isaac Hanks farm for twenty-two years. For another two years he lived in Twin Township, and then returned to Springfield, where he is still living, and for the past few years has been engaged in market gardening. Benjamin Stauffer was married in 1861 to Hester A. Keller, who was born in Springfield Township, a daughter 548 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY of George and Lovett (Hough) Keller. Mrs. Cutright was one of five children, the other four being Shepard, George, David Allen and Naomi. PINKNEY BREWER. Energetic and progressive, possessing much business ability and intelligence, Pinkney Brewer, senior member of the firm of Brewer, Tomlinson & Brewer, is at the head of one of the best known and most prosperous contracting firms of Chillicothe, and is doing an extensive business throughout this part of the state. A son of Harvey Brewer, he was born in Jackson County, Ohio, of colonial stock. Willis Brewer, Mr. Brewer's grandfather, was born, it is thought, in North Carolina. Coming to Ohio in early manhood, he located first in Ross County, near Frankfort, later spending several years in Jackson County. Returning to Ross County, he settled on a farm in Liberty Township, and there lived until his death. His wife, whose maiden name was Catherine Huffman, was born in Pennsylvania, of German parentage. Harvey Brewer was born, doubtless, during the residence of his parents in Jackson County. Reared on a farm, he was engaged in agricultural pursuits during the earlier part of his life. On February 4, 1865, he enlisted in Company F, One Hundred and Eighty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry. With his regiment, he went South by way of Nashville, Tennessee, to Dalton, Georgia, thence to Macon, the same state, where his command was on provost duty until January, 1866, when the regiment was honorably discharged. He suffered greatly from hardships and exposure endured while there, being forced to spend some time in the hospital, and never fully recovered his former physical vigor. Returning from the army, he spent the remainder of his days in Chillicothe, dying May 30, 1874. His wife, whose maiden name was Margaret Morrison, died in December, 1875. Of their four children, three are now living, Pinkney, Andrew, and Maggie. Having acquired a good common school education, Pinkney Brewer worked at the broommaker's trade three years, being in the employ of Samuel J. Roberts, an extensive grower of broom corn, and a manufacturer of brooms. He afterwards worked at that trade in Cincinnati until 1886, when he again became a resident of Chillicothe. Embarking in business as bridge builder in 1887, Mr. Brewer met with flattering success as a contractor in that industry. He has gradually enlarged his operations, and now the firm of Brewer, Tomlinson & Brewer, of which he is senior member, is carrying on a very extensive and lucrative business as bridge, sewerage and road contractors, in the filling of contracts awarded them using the most modern approved machinery and appliances. On May 29, 1882, Mr. Brewer was united in marriage with Bertha Fromm, who was born in Cummingsville, a suburb of Cincinnati. A brief account of her parents, John B. and Henrietta (Albright) Fromm, may be found on another page of this volume, in connection with the sketch of C. A. Fromm. Mr. and Mrs. Brewer are the parents of four children, namely : Walter 0., junior member of the firm of Brewer, Tomlinson & Brewer, married Edith Stocklin ; Bertha, wife of Joseph Conway, has HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 549 one child, Paul Brewer Conway ; Frederick Harvey, who married Anna Schroth ; and Pinkney Paul, a student in the Ohio Normal University, at Ada. Religiously Mr. and Mrs. Brewer are valued members of the German Evangelical Church. Fraternally Mr. Brewer is a member of Chillicothe Lodge, No. 52, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. ANDREW P. ROBINSON: Prominent among the enterprising and progressive men who have been instrumental in promoting the agricultural prosperity of Ross County is Andrew P. Robinson, who has accumulated wealth in his farming operations, and is now living retired from active pursuits in Chillicothe. A son of James McDill Robinson, he was born June 28, 1859, in North Union Township, Ross County, coming from pioneer stock, his grandfather, John Robinson, having been an early settler of that section of the county. Joshua Robinson, Mr. Robinson's great-grandfather, came with his family to the Northwest Territory in 1795, accompanying Gen. Nathaniel Massie and his little band of followers. A short distance below the falls of Paint Creek, near the present site of Bainbridge, the party encountered a band of Indians, and in the fight which ensued Joshua Robinson was fatally wounded. He wore at the time a red broadcloth vest which was later found on an Indian, who had evidently exhumed the body, and appropriated the garment for his own use. John Robinson was born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, in 1788, and at the age of seven years, just after the death of his father, he was adopted by his Uncle William. He grew to manhood in Ross County, and during the War of 1812 served as a corporal in Capt. Alexander Manary 's company. He subsequently bought a tract of timbered land on Dry Run, South Union Township, and from the wilderness hewed a farm, which is still owned by his descendants. There he lived until his death, at the venerable age of ninety-eight years, and his remains are now resting in the McDill Cemetery. His wife, whose maiden name was Hannah McDill, died in middle life. Seven of their children grew to years of maturity, as follows : Joshua, John D., Wilson, Sarah, Isabelle, James M. D., and Hannah. Born in 1815, on the parental homestead, in South Union Township, James McDill Robinson became familiar with all branches of agriculture when young. In early manhood, in partnership with his brother Wilson, he bought land in North Union Township, and began life for himself as a general farmer and stock raiser. Several years later he bought out the interest of his brother Wilson, who moved to Logan County, Illinois, and continued farming by himself. Later he moved with his family to Circleville, where his children might have good educational advantages. In 1875 he bought a farm in South Union Township, and there, three days after assuming its possession, his death occurred, in the month of March, 1875. He married Catherine Poe, who was born in Chillicothe in 1816, a daughter of Andrew Poe, Jr. Her grandfather, Andrew Poe, Sr., was one of the early explorers of the Northwest Territory, coming to this part of the country when the In- Vol. II-5