Clinton County, Ohio - Biographical sketches (2 of 2 so headed), 1915 (part 14 of 26)

In 1867 appeared "Half Tints; Table d@'Hote and Drawing-room" from the press of D. Appleton & Company. Eight years later appeared the first edition of "Library Notes," published by Hurd & Houghton, of New York. This volume gained a wide reputation and was commended uniformly for its value and interest. The first edition was soon out of print and soon after a second edition, revised and enlarged, was published by Houghton, Mifflin & Company, of Boston. "Library Notes" was described as "a sort of banquet of books, the author acting the part of symposium with easy grace, now and then dropping a keen remark, or making a comprehensive summary of his own.' In 1881 appeared from the press of Robert, Clark & Company, of Cincinnati, "Thomas Corwin: a Sketch." This was a "brief sketch of a great genius by an acquaintance and and admirer." The yolume avoided a tedious recital of dry fact and uninteresting incidents, and was confined tg statements. references and illustrations, such as to give a fair idea of Corwin's character and genius. In 1884 appeared "Characterists,' published by Houghton, Mittin & Company, which was well received, not only in America, but in Great Britain. In 1887 appeared anonymously, "A Club of One." Under the disguise of invalidism the author indulges himself with the privilege of very free writing, witty, quaint, keen, ponderous and most genial. Styles fascinating, anecdotes, witticisms, epigrams abound, and all sorts of subjects are discussed with ability of a high order. Altogether the volume is a group of very charming essays. Three years later appeared the companion volume, "In a Club Corner," published by Houghton, Mifflin & Company, which the Philadelphia Press declared was "brighter than its predecessor." Five years later was published "Sub Coelum; a Sky-built Human World." This was a fanciful description of a highly-improved human society, but really a strong protest against the apparently growing materialistic and socialistic tendencies of the day. It was an original work and many readers and some critics pronounced it the author's masterpiece.

In 1894 Doctor Russell was elected a member of the Author's Club of New York City. In 1898 the Ohio University at Athens conferred upon him the degree of Doctor

On the occasion of Doctor Russell's eightieth birthday he received from the wellknown Davis Wasgatt Clark, of Cincinnati, the following letter :

"My Dear Friend: . Hail to you as you come to be, as Oliver Wendell. Holmes puts" it, 'eighty years young.' I belonged to you before you ever saw me! It was by that inaudible and invisible proprietorship. which the true author has in his true reader. But far thro' memory will shine that day of first personal touch. With best wishes. Ever your affectionate admirer. Davis Wasgatt Clark."

Of the late Doctor Russell, Dr. William H, Venable, the author of "A Dream of Empire," wrote in the Ohio .Educational Monthly in October, 1901: "I-may say that Doctor Russell's books are obvious growths - results of many years' study, observation and reflection. Of his processes, little or nothing is known; indeed he has said he hardly knows them himself. In assimilation he has been likened to Bayle, who had 'the art of writing down his curious quotations with his own subtle ideas.' In the analogical, there seems to be no limit to his range and ability. It is only after a close study of his books that one can have any intelligent comprehension of their scope, and the universality of their application to life in every phase of experience, effort and development."

It was Dr. Addison Peale Russell's niece, Clara, the daughter of his brother, Jehiah L. Russell, now Mrs. Clara Burns, who cared for him during the last five years of his life. Before that his home was cared for by Mrs. Katherine Worster, the daughter of Mrs. Jackson Marble, his sister.

Clara Russell was married on January 16, 1900, to James M. Burns, who was born near Steubenville, Ohio, November 14, 1837, and died on June 14, 1906. James M. was the son of Thomas and Sarah (McKinley) Burns, both of whom were born near Steubenville, Ohio. Thomas Burns was a potter and had a large pottery and brick-yard near Steubenville. He also operated a large livery stable. He and his wife were members of the Methodist church. James M. Burns was educated at Beatty College in Steubenville, and became a proof-reader and printer in Wheeling:and later' worked: in Cineinnati. Subsequently he removed to Maysville, Kentucky, and after his marriage lived in Alleghany. He was a member of the Methodist church. For a few months he served in Gen. Lew Wallace's regiment of "home guards" during the Civil War.

Mrs. Burns received a good education, having been enabled to attend college in Cincinnati. Later she taught private students in her home in Maysville, Kentucky, for seventeen years, and then became a private tutor in Cincinnati. When a young woman she had attended the Science Hill Seminary, in Maysville, Kentucky, and had never been a student in the public schools. After her husband's death she made her home with the late Doctor Russell, and was one of his favorites. At his death she inherited his home and estate in Wilmington, where she is still living. Mrs. Burns' mother was Mary Ann Crosby, whose parents were John and Nancy (Colvin) Crosby, the former of whom was born in New Jersey and the latter of whom was born in Maryland. They settled in Mason county. Kentucky. where he was a farmer.

Mrs. Burns is a cultivated and refined woman, who is well known and widely admired by the people of Wilmington and Clinton county. Her beloved uncle, who never married. who brought honor and distinction to the Russell family as well as to the great state where he lived and worked, is gone, but his influence goes on in the hearts not only of the members of his immediate family but of those who come under the influence of his gracious personality. He was a noble man and a noble citizen.

There hangs in Mrs. Burns' parlor an oil painting of Doctor Russell by Charles T. Weber. the Ohio valley artist. dean of the Cincinnati artists. The painting received favorable notice in Cincinnati, Boston and Paris.

William D, Moorman

The following is a brief sketch of a man, who, by close attention to business, has achieved a satisfactory measure of success in agricultural affairs and who has risen to an honorable position among the enterprising farmers of Union township with whom his interests are identified. His record is a plain one and rendered remarkable by no strange or mysterious adventures, no wonderful or lucky accident. William D. Moorman, however, is one of those estimable characters whose integrity and honor win for them an enviable position in society.

William D. Moorman was born on April 3, 1845, in Greene county, Ohio, in the city of Xenia, and is the son of Samuel and Lucy W. (Johnson) Moorman, the former of whom was born in Campbell county, Virginia, May 16, 1792, and the latter, torn in Campbell county, Virginia, March 1, 1800, and who died in Judy, 1877. The paternal grandparents of Mr. Moorman lived and died in Virginia. They were of English descent. His maternal grandfather was a native of Virginia and settled near Port William, in liberty township, in 1810. The first township election ever held in Liberty township was held at his house.

The late Samuel Moorman, father of William D., was sixteen years old when the family left Virginia, in 1808, for Ohio. He enlisted in the War of 1812, but peace was declared before he saw active service. In his boyhood he learned the brick-mason's trade and at different times lived in different towns in Clinton county. Married in 1824, he workd in Cincinnati, Ohio, for some time and later twelve years in Xenia, Ohio. After that he lived three years in Peru, Indiana, and some time in Jamestown, in Greene county, Ohio. Still later he lived at Port William in Clinton county. He and his wife were members of the Methodist Protestant church.

To Samuel and Lucy W. (Johnson) Moorman were born nine children, five of whom are deceased. The names of the children are as follow: Henry, born in 1827, died young; Pamelia and Emily, twins, March 4, 1825, the former married Ezekiel Leonard, well-to-do farmer and blacksmith, and the latter married David Teach; Mary Anna, November 25, 1830, married Jacob Good, of Greene county, and they are deceased; John Johnson, June 7, 1833, deceased, was a brickmaker and justice of the peace at Port William, Ohio; Barnett G., July 21, 1886, is a retired farmer of Xenia, Ohio; Susannah, June 23, 1839, is deceased; Catherine died of cholera in 1849 at the age of eight years; Willilam D, was the youngest child of this family.

William D. Moorman enjoyed only limited educational advantages, having attended school for a short time in Indiana, at Peru, and a little while at Port William, Ohio. In the meantime he was engaged in helping his brother at brickmaking. Subsequently, he married and lived with his father-in-law and worked on his farm on the shares for eight years. Mrs. Moorman inherited some land and since that time they have added more and have now one hundred and eleven acres, They still live on the farm and carry on general farming. Mr. Moorman raises Shorthorn cattle.

On February 1, 1876, William D. Moorman was married to Martha Starbuck, who was born on the farm adjoining the one where she now lives on January 29, 1848, and who is the daughter of Jesse G. and Amy (Cox) Starbuck.

Mrs. Moorman's father, Jesse G. Starbuck, was born in Union township, Clinton county, Ohio, October 8, 1819, His paternal great-grandparents were Thomas and Rachel Starbuck, the former of whom was born on Nantucket Island, May 12, 1707, and who died on February 2, 1777, and the latter, born in 1710, and died on May 81, 1789. His grandfather, Hezekinh Starbuck, was born on Nantucket Island, April 10, 1749, and was niarried on November 19, 1771, to Mary Thurston. He was a seafaring man and for { part of his life was captain of a whaling vessel. He was on a cruise when the Revo- lutionary War broke out and on his return he had great difficulty in entering the harbor, which was blockaded by the enemy. In 1785 he emigrated to Guilford county, North Carolina, where he reared his family and where his wife died on June 9, 1806. He afterwards removed to Clinton county, where he remained until his death, which occurred on June 10, 1830. The father of Jesse G. Starbuck, Gayer Starbuck, was born on Nantucket Island, August 10, 1777, and removed with his parents to North Carolina, where he spent the early part of his life. He learned the blacksmith's trade and for many years followed that vocation. He was married on January 17, 1799, by permission of the New Garden monthly meeting, to Susannah, the daughter of Jesse and Anna Dillon. By this marriage five sons and five daughters were born, of whom one son died at the age of twenty-two years, and the rest married and reared families. In 1807 he removed with his family to Ohio and settled temporarily in the edge of Greene county near where Paintersville now is, but in 1810 they came to Clinton county. Here they remained until their death. He died on December 30, 1866, and she on March 12, 1861. Jesse Dillon, who was of Irish descent was born in North Carolina in October, 1753, and on April 29, 1778, was married to Hannah Ruckman, who was born on March 20, 1754, to Joseph and Sarah Ruckman. They came to Ohio, in 1807, and settled in the wilderness on land later owned by John T. Starbuck.

Jesse G. Starbuck was married at Fairfield meeting in Hendricks county, Indiana, October 20, 1842, to Amy Cox, who was a daughter of Harmon and Martha Cox. She was born in Wayne county, Indiana, June 1, 1823, and moved to Hendrieks county with her parents when a child. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Jesse G. Starbuck settled on a farm in Union township where he was a farmer and miller. They reared a family of five children, others having died in early life: Adin L. married Louisa M. Pidgeon; Asa married Almira Custis; Martha is the wife of Mr. Moorman; William R., born on May 12, 1858, graduated from Wilmington College; Jesse H., November 11, 1864. became a farmer.

Mr. and Mrs. William D. Moorman are members of the Dover meeting of Friends. Mr. Moorman is a Republican. He is an enterprising farmer, an honorable citizen and a popular man in Union township.

Homer Jesse Lundy

The biographies of successful men are instructive as guides and as incentives to the great body of young men, whose careers are yet to be made. The examples they furnish of patient purpose and endeavor strongly illustrate what every one may accomplish. Homer Jesse Lundy, a splendid, hard-working, young farmer of Chester township, this county, whose life story is here briefly set forth, is a conspiciuous example of one who has lived to good purpose.

Homer Jesse Lundy was born in Union township, this county, on January 8, 1881, the son of noch and Phoebe (Wall) Lundy, both of whom were born in the same township, the former on July 18, 1830, and the latter of whom was a daughter of Asariah Wall. ;

Enoch Lundy was the son of Jesse and Abigail (Green) Lundy, the former born in Grayson county, Virginia, on September 19, 1805, and the latter, on December 19, 1794, the daughter of John and Ruth Green. Jesse Lundy was a farmer by occupation,-who emigrated to Clinton county about 1810 with his parents, who located on a farm in Chester township, where he was reared and where he lived practically all of his life. In addition to farming, he operated a blacksmith shop on his farm of ninety-seven acres. Jesse and Abigail (Green) Lundy were the parents of six children: Enoch, the father of Homer J.; Ruth, who married Benjamin Johnson; Elizabeth, who married Peter Osborn; Margaret, who became the wife of Aseph Paxon; John, who died in infancy, and James, who married Sarah Venable. The family were all members of the Friends church. Jesse Lundy was the son of James Lundy, a native of Virginia, and one of the early settlers in Clinton county. James Lundy was twice married, the first time to Elizabeth Johnson, to which union ten children were born, James, Levi, Jesse, William, John, Anna, Susannah, Asenath, Enoch and Rachel.

Fnoch Lundy, a representative of the third generation of the Lundy family in Clinton county, received his education in the common schools of Chester township. and was engaged in farming and carpentering all of his life. He owned a farm of ninetythree acres and was a devout member of the Friends church and an ardent Republican. By his first wife, Sarah Babb, who was the daughter of Henry Babb, there was born one child, Calvin. After her death, Mr. Lundy married secondly, Phoebe Wall, to which union there was born one child, Homer Jesse, the subject of this biographical sketch.

Like his father and his grandfather, Homer Jesse Lundy was educated in the common schools of Chester township, but he had an additional advantage, in that he was permitted for some time to attend school. at Delaware, Ohio, where he pursued a commercial course. After he had finished his education he began farming in Chester township, where. with his mother, he now owns one hundred and fifty-six acres of land. Mr. Lundy is a general farmer and stockman and is one .of the well-known young citizens of that township.

On June 7, 1905, Homer Jesse Luridy was married to Ruth Oren, who was born on January 28, 1881, the daughter of Alfred and Laura (Nance) Oren, to which union there has been no issue.

-During the past ten years, Mr. Lundy has been treasurer of Chester township, haying been elected to that office by the Republican party, with which he is identified politically. Mr. and Mrs. Lundy are members of the Friends church and are held in the highest regard by all who know them.

J. Albert Stingley

J. Albert Stingley, who comes of an old and long established family of Clinton county and one which has been prominent in the agricultural life of the county for nearly a century, was born in Chester township, this county, on May 31, 1861, the son of Gilead and Nancy (Lucas) Stingley, and the grandson of John and Elizabeth (Bush) Stingley.

Gilead Stingley was born on November 4, 1820, in Ross county, Ohio, the son of John and Elizabeth (Bush) Stingley, and died in 1909. His wife, Nancy Lucas, was born in Highland county in 1831, the daughter of Richard and Mary (Curtindoll) Lucas, and is still living. Fducated in the common schools of Chester township, Gilead Stingley was a farmer during almost his entire life and owned seven or eight hundred ucres of lund. For ahout five years, following 1875, he was engaged in the pork packing business in Wilmington nnd was for many years a large cattle raiser. Eleven children were born to Gilead and Nancy Stingley, as follow: Eliza, who married John F. Oglesbee; William, who died in Murch, 1913; Amanda (deceased), who married James Bailey; Elizabeth, who married James Swindler;.Eianma,- who died at the age of: five years; J. Albert, the subject of this sketch; Calvin, who is referred to elsewhere in this volume; Ada, who married Lester Oglesbee; Alonzo, who died at the age of two years; Nettie. who married Elijah Turner, and Alvin, who is referred to elsewhere in this yolume. Gilead Stingley and wife were members of the Friends church and he voted the Democratic ticket.

John Stingley, grandfather of J. Albert Stingley, was born in Virginia on August 22, 1792, and came to Ohio in 1800, first locating in Ross county, where, on April 16, 1818, he married Elizabeth Bush, who was born on May 31, 1798. Four years later they purchased a farm of two hundred and nine acres in Clinton county and ever since that time the family has been established here. Four children were born to John and Elizabeth

1823 ; and Julian, October 7, 1825. The father of these children died on September 6, 1826, and after his death, his widow married Sebastian Stingley, the twin brother of her first husband. The Stingley family in America dates from the coming of George Stingley, a native of Germany, who was born on September 12, 1763, and who was the great-grandfather of J. Albert Stingley, the subject of this sketch.

Like his other brothers, J. Albert Stingley was educated in the common schools of Chester township and has farmed in that township practically all of his life, except for one year which he spent in Wilmington, during which brief period he conducted a butcher shop on West Main street. For seven years prior to his marriage, Mr. Stingley dealt largely in stock and is one of the well-known stock buyers of Clinton county today. In February, 1894, he purchased a farm of seventy-two acres, where he has since lived.

-On-Deceniber 18, .1887, J.. Albert Stingley was married to Rosa M. Fudge, daughter of H. C. and Emelirie Fudge, to which union have been' born two children, Hazel, who married Foy Powers and has one child, Dorothy Lucile, and Oscar L.

Mr. and Mrs. Stingley are menibers of the Friends church and are highly esteemed in their neighborhood. Mr. Stingley is a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Knights of the Maccabees. He is independent in politics, believing that local government is more effectually served outside 'the realm of partisanship.

Joseph F. Ballard

Joseph F. Ballard, a well-to-do farmer of Union township, this county, is a representative of the sixth generation of the Ballard family in Clinton county. His greatgreat-grandfather, David Ballard, emigrated to Ohio about the year 1800 and located within the present limits of the city of Wilmington.

Joseph F. Ballard was born on November 4, 1872, in Liberty township, the son of Abraham S. and Mary J. (Oren) Ballard, members of the Friends church, the former born in Union township on January 14, 1838, and the latter in Liberty township, in April, 1888, stster'of the' Hon. Jesse'N. Oren. Abraham S: Bellard- wns educated int the com-: mon schools of Liberty township and farmed in that township all of his life, owning eighty acres of Jand. On September 12, 1861, be married Mary J. Oren, and to this union three children were born, namely: Clara, who married Hiram Arnold; Charles E., who mrrried Jessie Parker, and Joseph F., the subject of this sketch. Abraham S. Ballard was a Republican and served as trustee of Liberty township. He was also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

Abraham S. Ballard, who died in 1918, was the son of Joseph and Susannah G. (Stillings) Ballard, the former of whom was born on April 29, 1912, in Clinton county, nnd the latter, on June 24, 1817, in Virginia. In 1826 she came with her parents, Abraham and Sarah Stillings, to Clinton county. Susannah G. Stillings was the youngest of a family of six children. Joseph Ballard owned one hundred and thirty acres of land in Liberty township, where he farmed most all of his life and where he was well known. Besides Abraham S., he and his wife vad three other children, Margaret, Eunice and Emma. They were members of the Friends church and he was a Republican in politics.

The Clinton county branch of the Ballard family goes back to the Old Dominion state. where David, the grandfather of Joseph and the great-great-grandfather of Joseph

. F., was born about the middle of the eighteenth century. He married several years . before the Declaration of American Independence and about 1800 came to Ohio and . settled within the present limits of Wilmington, purchasing a military land warrant.

We was anong the first, if not the first, minister in the Friends church in Clinton county und served locally for many years, or until his death about 1820. He and his wife were unmarried. John Ballard, the next in line of descent, was born in either Pennsylvania or Virginia, about 1770, and married Dinah Pickerell ,on April 20, 1798. In 1809 they came to Clinton county and he died on May 13, 1814. They also were the parents of seven children. After John Bullard's death, his widow married John Whitson, a native of Peunsylvania. She passed away on June 7, 1835.

Joseph F. Ballard, the subject of this sketch, who was educated in the common schools of Liberty township and in Wilmington College, which he attended for one term, began farming in Chester township after completing his education, farming there for two years. In 1895 Mr. Ballard purchased the farm in Union township where he now lives. This farm originally consisted of fifty-eight acres but he has since added to the tract until he now owns one hundred and fifty-one acres, a splendid farm. From year to year, he has invested considerable money in all kinds of improvements and is regarded as one of the more successful men of Union township.

In 1893 Joseph F, Ballard wis married to Irene Johnson, the daughter of Harry and Margaret (Painter) Johnson, to which union four children haye been born, as follow: Donald, born in 1897; Nadine, in 1899; Frances, in 1906, and Herbert, in 1908.

Mr. and Mrs. Ballard are members of the Friends church, true to the religion of Mr. Ballard's great-great-grandfather, the Rey. David Ballard, probably the first minister of the Society of Friends in this region. Politically, Mr. Ballard is a Republican. He and his wife are interested in all good works in their neighborhood and are held in high esteem throughout that part of the county.

Judge Edward Joseph West

"The high standing of the West family in this country began several generations ago, when Thomas West, known as Lord Delaware; governor of Virginia, early in the seventeenth century, probably became the progenitor of the family in America. Benjamin West, the great painter, is of the same stock. Peyton West. grandfather of the subject of this review} surveyed the town of Westboro, which was named for him, while his son, the father of the Judge, was elected probate judge on the same ticket which elected Lincoln to the Presidency, and, as a delegate to the Republican national convention at Philadelphia in 1864, helped to renominate the martyred President. With an ancestry such as this, it is not surprising that Edward J. West has attained a front rank among his fellow citizens. Lawyer, publicist, judge, politician, lecturer and orator, Judge West's hame and fame have extended beyond the confines of the state in which he lives. AS a politician of the higher type, he is known from one end of the state to the other; as a lyceum lecturer, he has addressed audiences in many states of the Union; and as a member of several national organizations, he has been the recipient of signal honors.

Edward Joseph West, now judge of the common pleas court of Clinton county, was born on December 8, 1851, at Blanchester, Clinton county, the son of Joseph H. and Henrietta (Stroud) West, the former of whom was a native of this county, and the latter of whom was born in Williamstown, Grant county, Kentucky.

The West family came originally from England, and settled on Fall creek, in Pittsy1- vania county, Virginia. It was here that Owen West, great-grandfather of Judge West, married Mary Martin. Of their children, Peyton West, grandfather of the subject, married Sarah Hadley, who was born near Guilford, North Carolina. They were the parents of six boys and five girls. Peyton West was among the ambitious men of the Hast, who migrated westward, settling in 1804 on a farm in Clark township, Clinton county, Ohio, before the county was organized. Here it was that Joseph H. West, the father of Judge West, was born. Peyton West, besides being a surveyor, held public office, including that of county treasurer. He died on his farm, three miles southeast of Martinsville, Ohio.

honor and service as the life of a man living in that stirring time could well be. Born on November: 22, 1822, he was only twenty-six years of age when the Mexican: War broke out. Enlisting at New Orleans in 1846, he served until the close of that struggle, being mustered out in the same city in which he began service. The war over, 'he returned to Cincinnati, Ohio, and from there went to Williamstown, Kentucky, to take charge of a store. There he was married, on September 19, 1850, to Henrietta Stroud. Returning to Clinton county about 1851, he continued to live here until his death, which took place on November 25, 1879. In 1864 Joseph West had a part in national politics, as a delegate to the national convention that renominated Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency. Four years prior to this, he was elected probate judge of Clinton county, was afterwards re-elected, and served six years. Being admitted to the bar in 1854, he was in active practice all of the time he did not hold public office. His widow is still living, making her home with her son, Edward J.

In the maternal line, Judge West is descended from Southern stock, his mother's mother having been Harriett Vanlandingham, who was born in Stafford county, Virginia, a descendant from the French Huguenots. When she was a young girl, her parents moved to Fairfax county, Virginia, and thence to Grant county, Kentucky. There she became the wife of Edward Stroud, who was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, and their daughter, Henrietta, became the wife of Joseph H. West. Of the nine children born to this union, Edward J., is the eldest, the others being: Clarence, now living in Los Angeles, California; George, Harriet and William H. are de¢geased ; Benjamin, of Charleston, West Virginia; Mellville, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Alfred, deceased.

Edward J. West received his education in the common schools of Wilmington and the high school, being compelled, on account of ill health, to leave school before graduation. He then taught school for two years, his first teacher's certificate being dated April 2, 1870. During this period he lived at home, one and one-half miles west of town. Meanwhile he had read law under his father's directions and he was admitted to the bar on January 29, 1873, practicing thereafter with his father.

With his election as prosecuting attorney in 1875, the official life of Edward J. West began. When he went out of office, after serving twelve years, or five terms, he again resumed the law practice in January, 1889, which he continued until April 6, 1906, when he was appointed by United States District Judge A. C. Thompson as referee in bankruptey for Clinton county, resigning this office to assume the duties of judge of common pleas, a place to which he was appointed, on September 4, 1908, by Governor A. L. Harris, haying been previously endorsed by a primary vote of his county. Later, he was elected to fill a short term, and in November, 1910, was elected for the full term of six years.

In 1896 Judge West was elected as delegate to the Republican national convention at St. Loujs in 1896. He is considered one of the best public speakers in the state and has done much effective work in this line for the Republican party. He was formerly chairman of the.Republican county central committee.

On January 3, 1878, Edward J. West married Katharine E. Bowshier, who has taken a keen interest in the career of her husband and has had her share in his success. Katharine E. Bowshier is the daughter of Stephen E. Bowshier and was born on a farm in Pickaway county, Ohio. The children born to Judge and Mrs. West were: Winnifred C.. who passed away at the age of twenty-two years; and Kathleen C., wife of William M. Weller. of Cincinnati. Ohio, whose children are Katharine W. and Winnifred C., both born at Lynchburg, Virginia. One of the interesting phases of the family life of this home is the devotion and tender care lavished on the Judge's mother, now eighty-two years of age. By her gentle nature and lovable personality, this aged woman has won many friends, who brighten her declining years.

Judge West is the type of man whose active mind must find many and varied channels of expression. This he has sought in a number of organizations, some of which are national in their scope. Among. these is the National Geographic Society, of Washington, D. C., an organizatiqaxwhich numbers ,ameng its: members: men and women of the highest scholarship and attainment. He also belongs to the Luther Burbank Society, another association which is broad in its scope and membership. For several. years the Judge has been actively affiliated with the International Lyceum Association, for which he occasionally lectures. He is also a member of the Ohio State Bar Association. He is a well-known speaker on fraternal and patriotic subjects, of which his favorite topic is the Grand Army of the Republic. When a boy on the farm, Judge West joined the Patrons of Husbandry, or Grangers' Association, an organization in which he has been active ever since. He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of .Pythias, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, and the Royal Arcanium, being grand orator of the grand council of Ohio of the last-named order ; Modern. Woodmen of America and Daughters of Rebekah.

Among the intérests of J udge West's early childhood. and young manhood was the church, and he is now an elder in the Presbyterian church, of which his wife, daughter and son-in-law are members. The Judge formerly found time to be active in Sunday school work, having represented his home county in the state and national conventions of that body. ; ' :

Life has been to Judge West a thing of deep interest and signal value. Clear in his intuitions, true in his judgments, broad in his sympathies and kindly in his nature, his life has been far-reaching in its influence for good. With every opportunity for selfaggrandizement, he chose rather to serve the common people and in so doing he has ever had their merited respect and esteem. Clinton county has been dignified by his life and achievements, and his influence in the civic and social life as well as in professional circles, has been of a most beneficent order.

John Brennan

No better farm is to be found in Wilson township than the seventy-six acres which is owned by John Brennan, living on Rural Route No. 1, out of Sabina, Ohio.

John Brennan was born on May 22, 1860, in Fayette county, Ohio, a son of Thomas and Margaret (Mitchell) Brennan, the former of whom was born in County Sligo, Ireland, in 1812, and the latter also a native of Ireland, born in county Wexford, the daughter of Patrick Mitchell. Thomas Brennan was a son of Thomas Brennan, a native of Ireland and a devout member of the Catholic church, who never came to America. Thomas Brennan, Jr., father of John, wes educated in a private school in Ireland, and came to America about 1849, proceeding to Cincinnati, where for some time he worked on a railroad, which was being constructed at that time through this section of Ohio. He later married Margaret Mitchell, and commenced farming in Clinton county about 1859. Although he always thereafter was engaged in farming he never owned land. He was a devout member of the Catholic church and died in that faith, his death occurring on November 25, 1895. His wife had preceded him to the grave many years before, her death having occurred in 1876, at the age of thirty-seven years. They were the parents of six children, Mary, Catherine, John, Jerry, Margaret and Ann, of whom Mary and Margaret are now deceased.

Educated in the common schools of this state, John Brennan has become a successful farmer of Wilson township, this county. He was married in 1887 to Margaret Sullivan, a native of Ireland, the daughter of Thomas Sullivan, who is now living in Wilmington, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Brennan have no children.: Mr. Brennan is: the owner of "seventysix acres of land in Wilson township, where he lives. This land is level and very rich.

Twelve years ago he built a comfortable and modern house, and four years ago erected a large and commodious barn, and has improved his farm in many ways, so that he now 'has a very: "neat: and 'attractive place.

f 'Walter Tv. McMillan is widely known as a successful farmer in Union township, Clinton county, Ohio, where his well-directed efforts in the practical affairs of. life, his capable business _Imanagement and sound judgment have won for him a competence in farm property ahd a comfortable status in the business affairs of this county. He owns the old Seth Linton farm of two hundred and thirty-three acres, which he purchased in 1896.. His life fully demonstrates what may be accomplished by a man of energy and ambition who)is not afraid to work and who is possessed of a capacity for perseverance. In all of the relations of life he has commanded the confidence and respect of his associates and friends, and has ably carried forward the work of his illustrious ancestors who were pioneers in this community. _

Walter T. McMillan was born near Gurneyville. Chester township, Clinton county, Ohio, November 22, 1865, and is the son of Isaac and Nancy (Linton) McMillan, the former was born in Chester township in 1886, and died in 1874. The latter was born on the farm where her son, Walter T., now lives, March 1, 1840, and died on March 12, 1911. Isaac McMillan was the son of David and Sarah (Carpenter) McMillan, the former of whom was born in Chester township, Clinton county, the son of David and Hannah (Hussey) McMillan. Sarah Carpenter was a native of New York state who came to Clinton county, Ohio, with her parents when three years old. David McMillan, Sr., who was born on March 2, 1772, in Pennsylvania, was the son of William and Deborah MeMillan. They were residents of York county, Pennsylvania, after coming to this country, the former having been born in Scotland and the latter in Wales. They had eight children: Thomas, William, Henry, Samuel, David and Jonathan (twins), Mary and Lydia. Jonathan married Anne Hussey; David married Hannah Hussey; Mary married Joseph Baxter; Lydia married William Jay. After coming to Ohio David and Hannah (Hussey) McMillan settled where Thomas McMillan later owned a farm. They had ten children, five of whom were born in Pennsylvania, and five in Ohio. After locating in Clinton county in 1804, David and Hannah (Hussey) McMillan obtained a land grant signed by President George Washington, purchasing the land for a dollar and a quarter an acre. They were members of the Society of Friends. David, Jr., and Sarah (Carpenter) McMillan had two children, Isaac and Judiah, the latter of whom was the first cashier of the Clinton County National Bank, and who died in California.

Isaac McMillan grew up on the farm near Gurneyville and operated this farm for his father until 1866, when he opened a hardware store and also began packing pork. He assisted in the establishment of the Clinton County National Bank. He was a Republican in politics and as a member of the Friends church served as clerk of the Center monthly meeting for many years. For some time he was the proprietor of a dry-goods store. He died while still a young man of lung trouble. His wife was the daughter of Seth and Sarah Anne Linton. The genealogy and family history of the Linton family are presented in more complete form in the sketch of Fred Weldon Linton, contained elsewhere in this volume.

After the death of Isaac McMillan, his widow, the mother of Walter T. McMillan, married an uncle of her first husband, Thomas McMillan. They lived in Chester township near the Chester church. By Nancy (Linton) McMillan's first marriage there were six children, namely: David R., born on March 3, 1861, died at the age of three years; Seth L., February 15, 1863, an attorney at Columbus, Ohio; Walter T., November: 22, 1865; Clifton, December 21, 1867, died at the age of two years; Carrie E., November 3, 1869, died at the age of two years; and Maria E., October 4, 1874, died at the age of six

'months. Thomas and Nancy (Linton) McMillan were the parents of one son, Thomas Henry, who lives on the_old McMillan homestead in Chester township. Mrs. Nancy (Linton) McMillan spent her later years among her children and died at the home of her son, Walter T.

-of Chestet township, and later became a student at Wilmington College. He was nine years old at the time of his father's death, in 1874, and after his death lived with his grandfather, Seth Linton, until thirteen years of age. ° After this he worked for his step-father, Thomas McMillan until his death, when in partnership with his mother he purchased the old Seth Linton farm in Union township, where he now lives, Mr. McMillan has since remodeled the house and buildings and greatly improved:the farm.

On December 24, 1894, Mr. McMillan was married to Martha Blanch Kirk, a native of Adams county, Ohio, the daughter of Albert DeWitt and Phoebe D. (McIntyre) Kirk. The father of Mrs. McMillan is a resident of Winchester, Ohio, where he is a merchant tailor. His wife is deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Walter IT. McMillan have been born six children; Florence Nancy, born on November 22, 1895, is a graduate of Wilmington College; Damaris, January 22, 1898, is a student in the Wilmington high school; Isaac DeWitt, September 7, 1899; Leontine, died at the age of one year; Kirk, January 1, 1904; and Harriet, December 15, 1912.

Aaron Bowman

Some of our brainiest men and women have had little or no acquaintance with the interior of a school room, but they have not only taken advantage of every opportunity for gaining knowledge, but they have made opportunities for themselves. They had that force of character that would not admit of the neglect to follow every avenue leading to an education. We cannot but admire the man who wins out in spite of such a drawback.

Aaron Bowman, farmer of Union township, Clinton county, Ohio, was born in Brown 'county, Ohio, August 4, 1862. He is a son of Benjamin and Mary Ann (Greeley) Bowman. He received a meager education in the public school near his home in Brown county. When he was fifteen years old, his parents moved to Kentucky, and in 1887 he came to Clinton county, where he was married. After renting several farms in Green township, he purchased seventy acres in Green township, and lived there twelve years. In 1911 he sold out, buying seventy-eight acres in Union township, on the Waynesville pike, where he has since resided. He remodeled his house, and it is one of the most attractive and comfortable homes in the neighborhood. Mr. Bowman is a member of _the Christian church, and is a Democrat.

Benjamin Bowman, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in 1821, in Brown county, Ohio, and died on June 30, 1902. His wife was Mary Ann Greenley, who was born in 1831, and died in December, 1902. He grew to manhood in Brown county on a farm. He married, and soon after bought a farm in Brown county, which he sold in 1878, going from there to Kentucky, settling in Clark county. Here he rented land and farmed, devoting his special attention to the raising of tobacco. He lived on the H. ee Thompson farm twelve years. About 1890 the family came to Clinton county. He died on the Ferren farm in Union township. He and his wife were members of the Christian church, They were the parents of ten children, namely: Lucinda, Louis, James B., Nelson, Lucius M., Aaron, Nannie, Thomas, Harvey and Ida. Lucinda became the wife of Whitmore Freeland, and lives in Indiana; Louis, died in Adams county, Ohio; James B., deceased, lived in Clinton county; Nelson lives in Clark county, Kentucky, and is a tobacco raiser; Lucius M. lives in Wilmington,, Ohio, and is a retired farmer; Nannie became the wife of George Green, and lives in Nicholas county, Kentucky; Thomas lives in Kentucky ; Harvey lives in Union township, and is a farmer; Jda died in 1903.

The paternal grandparents were both probably born near Aberdeen, Ohio, as the family were early settlers there. They were of German descent. Mr. Bowman was a farmer. :

Aaron Bowman was married on November 12, 1892, to Miss Jennie Lieurance, who was born in Green township, Clinton county, Ohio, and is a daughter of William Henry and Rachel Anna (Pond) Lieurance. Mrs. Bowman died on March 8, 1908, leaving one son, W. Ernest, born on August 29, 1898, who now lives in Cincinnati, where he works as a barber.

Frank William Antram

Frank W. Antram is one of the prominent farmers of Union township, Clinton county, Ohio, who has lived a quiet, honorable life, and is well known and well respected in Union township and Clinton county. :

Frank W. Antram was born at Antram Corners, in Union township, January 10, 1858, the son of John M. and Catherine (Babb) Antram, the former of whom was born in Clinton county, one mile west of Wilmington, June 19, 1825, and the latter, born on " a farm in Union township where her son, Frank W., now lives, July 21, 1827, and who died, June 24, 1898.

John M. Antram, with the exception of six years spent in Warren county, has resided in Clinton county all his life, and is still living at the age of ninety years. He is the son of Hiram and Sarah (Whitson) Antram, of Irish descent, the former of whom was a native of Frederick county, Virginia, and the latter of Center county, Pennsylvania. They were married in Clinton county, where both settled at an early day. Hiram Antram was a farmer, but kept a hotel and store at Harveysburg, in Warren county, for many years. He was born on January 29, 1799, and died in April, 1866. His wife was born in 1800, and died in 1872. The Antram and the Whitson families came to Clinton county, Ohio, in. 1817. The latter had settled in Madison one year previously. Hiram Antram was' the son of John and Ann (Hackney) Antram, who also spent a part of their lives in Clinton county. Sarah (Whitson) Antram was the daughter of John Whitson, who married a Miss Moore. The Antram family has been connected with the Friends church for several generations. Hiram Antram owned a farm of two hundred and thirty-six acres one mile west of Wilmington. He and his wife had nine children, of whom five are deceased: James W. is living at Monticello, Missouri, at the age of ninety-two; John M., the father of Frank W., is living with his son at the age of ninety ; Calvin H. is living in California at the age of eighty-eight; Priscilla married Frank Larzelere. The deceased children are Emily, Amanda, Joseph, Maria and Mary. Emily died in childhood; Amanda Louisa died in infancy; Joseph died in 1912, in Warren county; Maria, who is deceased, was the wife of Alfred Haines; Mary died at the age of twenty.

On the maternal side of Mr. Antram's family, his mother, who before her marriage was Catherine Babb, was the daughter of Azel and Hannah (Hollingsworth) Babb, both of whom came from Center county, Pennsylvania, and in 1817 settled south of Wilmington, in Union township. 'They were strict Quakers and good farmers and died at advanced ages.. Azel Babb was the son of Henry, who was the founder of the family in Ohio. In 1806 he came from Frederick county, Virginia, and settled about a mile and one-half north of the court house at Wilmington. His wife's father, Mordecai Walker, early in 1805 purchased one thousand acres of iand of Thomas Posey, the owner of a survey on which Wilmington was laid out, and divided the same into four equa] parts and gave each of his four children, two sons and two daughters, one of these parts, Elizabeth Babb, the wife of Henry Babb, received her portion in the northeast corner of the one-thousand-acre tract, including the land upon which Mr. Babb settled. At the first election of county officers Henry Babb was elected county commissioner and served two years. He and his wife had five sons and six daughters. The sons were Peter) Thomas, Henry, Azel and Samson. The daughters were Mary, who married Thomas Babb; Rebecca, who married William Crumley; Rachel, who married John Walters; Hannah, who married Joseph Smith; Lydia, who married a Mr. Smith, and Betsy, who married a Mr. Wall.

John M. Antram grew up on his father's farm and .was married, in 1851, to Catherine Babb. Subsequently he purchased seventy-seven and three-quarter acres of land and added to that tract until he owned one hundred and forty acres at what is now known as Antram's Corner. He lived there for thirty-seven years, until 1888, when he retired and removed to Wilmington. He lived in Wilmington until 1903, but now lives with his son, Frank William, and at the home of his other son, Arthur D. (deceased), at Antram's Corner. He served as trustee of Union township for four years and is a "dyed-in-the-wool" Republican. In 1870 the Antram family all joined the Friends church, and he formerly was an elder in the church. He bought and sold stock extensively at Antram's Corner, and for several years kept a tavern. There were two children born to his marriage: Arthur D., who was born on March 7, 1855, and who died on August 10, 1911; Frank William, the subject of this sketch.

Frank William Antram attended the public schools of Union township, and later Wilniington College. After his marriage he moved to farm near Gurneyville, Ohio, and lived there from 1879 to 1881. Later he lived in Greene county for three years, and then returned to the old farm, where he lived until 1900. In 1900 he purchased one hundred and ten acres of the Probasco farm of Wilmington, Ohio, and has improved the place. He was engaged in the dairy business for six years, and now owns a very fertile and well-equipped farm.

On October 15, 1879, Frank William Antram was married to Florence Belle Saville, who was born on July 1, 1862, six miles south of Xenia, in Greene county. She is the daughter of Joseph and Hannah (Ketteman) Saville, both of whoni are deceased. They were natives of Virginia who came to Greene county when young people, and engaged in farming. He was a Republican, and a member of the German Reformed church. They had six children who grew to maturity. To Mr. and Mrs. Frank William Antram have been born two children: Carrie Ethel, who was born on February 2, 1881, was married on April 24, 1903, to Clarence L. Haworth, who died on April 24; 1905; Ada, January 21, 1889, married C. Herbert Green, and they live in Dayton, Qhio.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank W. Antram are members of the Friends church and influential in the congregation at Wilmington. Mr. Antram is an uncompromising Republican.

Three grandsons of Francis and Mary (Collett) McKay are represented in this volone, They are Welden N., Clarence H. and Edwin F., the subject of this sketch. The family has been a prominent one in Clinton county history and was' established here by the father of Francis McKay, Moses McKay, who was the son of Andrew, who, in turn, was the son of 'Robert. The representatives of the present generation ofthe family in Clinton county are not only successfull men in the various vocations to which they have turned 'their attention, but they are among the leading citizens of this county. °

BHdwin F.'McKay was born on March 7, 1878, on the farm' where hé' now lives:in @hester township, the son of Moses C. and Sarah (Bales) McKay, the 'former of' whom was born on the old McKay homestead in Chester township, September 10, 1832, and the latter was the daughter of Silas and Hlizabeth (Smith) Bales. Sarah Bales had been previously married to a Mr. Marshall. She was the second wife of Moses 'McKay. He was educated in the common schools of Chester township and; by occupation; 'was 'a farmer and surveyor. He owned about two hundred and forty acres of land at the time of his death. -On October 3, 1855, Moses C. McKay married Matilda Ferguson, the daughter of Edward and Ann Ferguson, who was born on August 26, 1838. To this union there were born three children: Emma, who married Charles Jessup;. Anna, who is the wife of..Mansfield Swindler; and Charles A., who. married, Susan Mallow. Mrs. Matilda McKay died -on April 27, 1865, and after her death, Mr. McKay married Sarah Bales, April 4, 1867. To this marriage there were born two children: William S., deceased, who married Mary Wililamson;:and Edwin F., the subject of this sketch. Moses McKay. was one. of the trustees of the Methodist church, and as a Republican he was elected trustee _of Chester township. He also served as land assessor in 1890, and as justice of the peace for several terms.

The remote ancestry of the McKay family goes back to Andrew McKay, a native of Scotland and a son of Robert McKay. Andrew McKay, some time prior to 1766, had married Jane Ridgeway and settled in Frederick county, Virginia. They had five children: Moses, Enos, Jacob. Margaret and Patience. Of these children, Moses was born on September 17, 1766, and at the age of twenty-seven, in 1796, married, according to the discipline of the Society of Friends, Abigal Shinn, a daughter of George and Rachel (Wright) Shinn, who was born on May 8, 1776, in Stafford county, Virginia. They had thirteen children, as follow: Rachel, born on January 19, 1794; Robert, December 17, 1795; Sarah, November 11, 1797; George, March 11, 1800; Francis. January 9, 1802; Margaret, January 16, 1804; Jonas, September 9, 1806; Virginia, August 22, 1808; Maria, May 23, 1811; Jonas T., May 10, 1813; Levi D., February 29, 1816; Jacob F., June 3, 1819, and Mary E., July 27, 1822. About 1814 Moses McKay and his wife and children emigrated from Virginia, via Pittsburgh and thence by flatboat to Cincinnati, and from there to Lebanon, Ohio, after stopping a short time, they left for Waynesville, purchasing a large tract of land east of the Little Miami river and a short distance west of Caesars creek in what is now known as Massie township, Warren county.

It was Francis McKay, the fifth child born to Moses and Jane (Ridgeway) McKay, who is the grandfather of Clarence H., Welden N. and Edwin F. McKay, of Chester township. Francis McKay was born in January, 1802, in Frederick county, Virginia, and was married on October 7, 1880 to Mary Collett, the daughter of Moses and Rebecca Collett, who was born on November 7, 1808. They had eleven children, seven of whom lived to maturity. In the spring of 1832, Francis McKay settled in the northern portion of what is now Chester township, Clinton county. He had inherited several hundred acres of land, which was partially cleared, from his father, who died on January 28, 1828. He had also inherited land at the death of his mother, who died in July, 1828. He was a man of very industrious habits, of sterling integrity and unblemished character. He passed away on March 26, 1871. At the time of his death it was said of him: "In his death, Clinton county lost one of her most worthy and respected citizens. Not only is his presence missed by the loved ones of his own family, who mourn his loss, but by the poor and needy to whom he ever extended a helping hand."

Edwin' F. McKay began his education in the schools of Chester township and later, for two years, was a student at the National Normal University, at Lebanon. After finishing his education, he began farming in Chester township and now owns two hundred and eighteen acres, on which he carries on general farming and stock raising. In '1906 Mr. McKay built a barn and the following year a house, where he now lives.

On November 25, 1896, Edwin F. McKay was married to Allie Oglesbee, who was born on: May 8, 1872, the daughter of Solomon and Sabina (Middleton) Oglesbee. They are the parents of two children: Cleo, who was born on April 26, 1900; and Edna, April gent and prosperous farmer, popular in the community where he lives and honored and respected, not only for what he himself has done, but for what the many worthy members of his family have accomplished in this county.

William Franklin Thompson

One of the best-kept farms in Washington township, this county, is that owned and successfully operated by William Franklin Thompson, who has owned the farm and lived there since the spring of 1902, at which time he gave up His profession of school teaching, to which he had been devoted for a period of ten years or more, to give his entire attention to farming. Mr. Thompson has brought to his agricultural operations, the most approved methods of modern agriculture and has been quite successful, his skill in renewing the fertility of his fields by the judicious culture of alfalfa and clover and his scientific application of fertilizers and magnesia lime adapted to the quality of the sail of which his farm is composed having strongly recommended his example to many of his nefghbors.

William Franklin Thompson was born on a farm in the northern part of Fayette county, Ohio, on November 14, 1866, son of Joseph F. and Mahala (Braketield) Thompson, both of whom were born near the village of Greenfield, in the same county, the former a son of James Thompson, a Virginian, who came to Ohio in an early day in the settlement of Fayette county, where the rest of his life was spent, and the latter the daughter of pioneer parents.

Joseph 8. Thompson was reared to the ways of the farm and upon reaching manhood's estate became a farmer on his own account, his early holdings being gradually increased until he became the owner of a fine farm of two hundred and fifty acres in Fayette county. He was a good farmer, energetic and industrious and by the time he had reached middle life had attained a competence, upon which he retired to the pleasant village of Sabina, in this county, where he spent his last days and where his widow stil] resides. Joseph S. Thompson and wife were the parents of eight children, all the survivors of whom have done well in the various walks to which their life work has called them. Two of Joseph S. Thompson's brothers, Trusler and Cassius, were soldiers in the Union army during the Civil War and served valiantly in an Ohio regiment until the closé of that dreadful struggle between the states,

William F. Thompson received his elementary education in the district schools of his neighborhood in Fayette county, supplementing the same by a course in the National Normal School at Lebanon, Ohio, following which he joined the ranks of Clinton county's excellent corps of teachers and for four years taught district schools north of Sabina; after which he joined the ranks of Fayette county's teachers and for six years was engaged with equal success in teaching in that county, in the meantime spending his summers farming in the latter county. He thus acquired a practical knowledge of farm work and conceived a cordial liking for the fine freedom of the farm, and in the spring of 1902 bought his present farm of one hundred and eighty-three acres in Washington township, this county, on which he since has made his home and where he his prospered, as properly becomes the intelligent and industrious efforts he has put forth to bring his place to as high a state of cultivation as any. in the county. Mr. Thompson is intensely Interested in the best development of the agricultural resources of Clinton county and for the past ten years has been diligent in his efforts to secure to the soil of this section proper and scientific fertilization, and, in pursuance of this laudable ambition, has been the agent for the distribution of thousands of tons of excellent fertilizer throughout this section of the state. In his farming operations he has found the raising of hogs a most profitable undertaking and for some time has made a specialty of this phase of . agriculture. His farm has been brought up to g high state of cultivation and is regarded son, who was born in this county, daughter of Joseph and .Caroline (West) MacPherson, the former of whom was born on a farm near the village of Highland, just over the line in Highland county, on December 15, 1835, and died on July 7, 1889, and the latter of whom was born on a farm in the vieinity of Martinsville, in this county, the daughter of Peyton and Sarah (Hadley) West, the former a Virginian who came to this county with his parents in pioneer days, and the latter a daughter of James Hadley ahd wife, pioneers of the Martinsville neighborhood.

Joseph MacPherson was the son of John and Maria (Bonsell) MacPherson, Virginians, who came with their parents to Ohio about the year 1810, the two families locating in the same neighborhood north of Highland, both becoming prominent and influential in that section, large farmers and substantial citizens, who did very much toward bringing about proper social and economic conditions in that now well-estiiblished . and prosperous farming section. Joseph MaePherson -reeeived his elementary education in the schools of his neighborhood and then entered Lebanan University, taking up the study of medicine with a view to becoming a physician. Before his studies were completed, however, the failing health of his father compelled him to return home to take charge of the farm and he never returned to school, his life being spent on the farm. He and his family were members of the Friends church and for eighteen years or more he was an influential minister in that body, his sermons receiving a most attentive hearing.

On April 21, 1864, Joseph MacPherson was united in marriage to Caroline West, daughter of Peyton and Sarah (Hadley) West, and to this union eight children were born, Florence, Clara, Sarah, Everett, Mary, Minnie. Lowell and Raymond. Peyton West was the son of Owen and Elizabeth (Martin) West, natives of Pittsylvania county, Virginia, who came to the territory now included in Clinton county about the year 1806, locating on the east fork of the Little Miami, in what is now Clark township. With them came a large family of children, Owen, William, James, Thomas, Peyton, John, Nancy, Jane, Mary, Susan and Rebecca. The senior West was a surveyor, as also were his sons, Owen and Peyton, and at an errly day did much of the surveying throughout this section of the state. The Wests were devout mempers of the Friends chur¢h and the influence of this fine. wholesome family was very strongly marked for good upon the early community life of this region. Peyton West was a skilled surveyor and followed that vocation, in connection with his extensive farming operations, most all his life and served for two terms. 1840-46, as surveyor of Clinton county. He also was agent for some of the original owners of land in this region and surveyed and sold their holdings for them. To Peyton West's union with Sarrh Hadley, daughter of James and Ann Hadley, there were born eleven children, namely: James H., Joseph H., William H.. Peyton M., Elisha B., Edith, Sarah Ann, Esther Jane, Caroline, Jemimah H. and Hannvh M., all of whom married and reared children, with the exception of the last named, who died in girlhood. Aton errly day, Peyton West was engaged for two years in mercantile pursuits in Wilmington, but, witb that exception, always resided on his farm in Clark township, where he died on August 22, 1868, his widow surviving him about eight yerrs, her death occurring on June 23, 1876. Their bodies were interred in the Odd Fellaws cemetery in Clark township. Peyton West was a vigorous, forceful chsracter and was reputed to hare been one of the best farmers in Clinton county in his day. He owned a large farm, was highly successful in his operation of the same and gave all his children a good start in life. 2 To Williom F. pnd Clara (MacPherson) Thompson four childrex. hsve been born, Franklin. Everett. May and Rolph. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are hirthright members of the Friends church. in the faith of which their children also have been reared, and they are among the leaders in the good works of that earnest communion in this county, as © well 9s in ell good works in their community, they being w»rmly interested in al] movements designed to advance the general welfare. Mr. Thompson is a Republican and ever has given close attention to the political affairs of the county, being an ardent advocate "of good government. For some years he served the public very acceptably as trustee of Washington township, in which office his fine administrative ability was exerted very usefully in behalf of thé common good. The Thompsons have a delightful home, being " "very pleasantly. situated on 'their, fine farm,,and this ;home | is the seene of much cordial 'Hospitality, the family being held in the highest esteem throughout that entire region.

Charles E: Terrell filled a large place'in the ranks of the enterprising and publicspirited farmers and citizens of his day and generation, and the memories which attach to his name and character form no inconsiderable chapter in the history of the community where he did his work and achieved his success as a farmer. He is entitled to honorable rank among the energetic and self-made men of Clinton county.

Charles E. Terrell, was born on January 4, 1866, and died on April 15, 1901. He was a son of Israel A. and Sidney (Huff) Terrell, the former of whom was born in 1818, in Highland county, Ohio, and died in 1906, and the latter, born in 1827, and died in 1902. Israel A. Terrell removed to Clinton county in 1848, and first located in Wayne township on a farm. At that time Wayne township was a wilderness and roads were not even laid out. During his life he cleared and drained about half of the eleven hundred acres of Jand which he owned. He paid the carpenter who built his house thirtyseven and one-half cents a day, and the hewers who assisted in its erection, twenty-five cents a day. At the time of his death he was vice-president of the New Vienna Bank, and a stockholder in the bank at Lessburg. He was a most energetic worker, and no man in his neighborhood could cradle more wheat in the same length of time. Interested in education he 'was one of one hundred men who guaranteed the support of Wilmington College. Six children were born to Israel and Sidney (Huff) Terrell, of whom Charles E. was the fifth in order of birth. The others were Allen L., Sarah, William, Ann and James H.

The paternal grandparents of Charles E. Terrell were Pleasant and Esther (Haines) ferrell, the former of. whom was' born in 1791, in Virginia, and who died in 1887, and the latter died in 1846. Pleasant Terrell came to Highland county, Ohio, from Virginia with his parents when a mere lad. They stopped a- while in Cincinnati, where Pleasant learned the brickmason's trade, at which occupation he worked during most of the Temainder of his life. He owned the first saw-mill and grist-mill in Highland county. He passed away in 1854 or 1855, after rearing a family of eight children; John, who was the first born; Israel, born in 1818, and died in 1906; David, Mary, Narcissa, Ruth, and two others. The great-grandparents of Mr. Terrell were David and Mary (Anthony) Terrell, the former of whom was born near Lynchburg, Virginia, and who died in 1858, and the latter dted in 1858. They came to Highland county, Ohio, in 1806, and located near Highland. David and Mary (Anthony) Terrell were the parents of eight children: Pleasant, Christopher, David, Joseph, Mary, Judith, Sarah and Elizabeth. David Terrell

'served as justice of. the peace of Fairfield township, for about a quarter of a century. He was a great hunter in his day, and spent a large part of his time in the wilderness. The father of David Terrell was Dayid Terrell; Sr., born in 1698, who was married three times, first to Sarah Johnson, secondly to Sarah Clark, and thirdly to Martha Jehnson. He reared a family of nine children. The father of David Terrell, Sr., was David Terrell,. the 'first, who.was born in1675, and who.died in 1757. He and his wife reared a-family of twelve ¢hildren.: He was a'sonvef. William Terrell, born in 1650, who had come to America, from England with, bis brothers in 1670.. Three brothers were: sent to graduated from Wilmington College in 1888, and the same year graduated from the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle, Chautauqua, New York, and later took several seals. He was a man of broad and liberal education. Because of his scholastic standing, he was given a scholarship to Haverford College, where he received his Master's degree: in 1890. Returning to the farm he lived here the- remainder of his life and owned a farm of one hundred and ninety-five acres in Wayne township. * - :

In 1890 Charles E. Terrell was married to Anna N. Harris, the daughter of James and Elizabeth (Babb) Harris, both of whom came from old Virginia families, and Mrs. Terrell was their only child. Mr. and Charles B, Terrell were the parents of one child, Oneita F., born in 1898. :

The Terrell family now own two hundred and fifty-three acres of land, and since the death of the husband and father, Mrs. Terrell and her daughter, Oneita, have lived on the farm.

Francis R. Williams

Francis R. Williams, an enterprising young farmer of Chester township, Clinton county, Ohio, who was born on August 5, 1884, in this township, is the son of Richard and Hannah (Davis) Williams, the former of whom was a native of Monmouthshire, England, born on July 6, 1838, and died on March 20, 1905, and the latter survived her husband and now lives at 421 North High street, Wilmington, Ohio.

The paternal grandfather of Francis R. Williams was William Williams, a native of Newport, England, born in 1795, and who died in 1877. He married Sarah Lewis, a native of Monmouthshire, England, and, after immigrating to America, they moved to Ohio in pioneer times and purchased two hundred and twenty-six acres of land near Oakland. They had seven children, of whom Richard, the father of Francis R., was the sixth. The others were, John, William, Edward (who died in infancy), James Edward, and Thomas. Mr. Williams spent four years in Hamilton county, Ohio, before coming to Clinton county. During his life he was a devout member of the Baptist church.

Richard Williams was a mere lad when his parents emigrated from England, in 1849, and settled at Sharonville, in Hamilton county, Ohio. In 1853 they moved to Oakland, Clinton county, Ohio, and purchased a farm, where he-grew to maturity. He and his eldest brother, John, remained on the home farm. He and his brother John owned the entire farm of two hundred and ninety-four acres, where he lived until his death.

During the Civil War, Richard Williams was a member of the Union navy and, for about one year, was on one of the monitors and participated in the river campaigns. He was a Republican and served as school director for a number of years. No man was fonder of his home than Richard Williams nor more devoted to the interests of his church. The family were connected with the Jonas Run Baptist church and were regular attendants and substantial contributors to the support of the church.

On October 29, 1881, Richard Williams was married to Hannah Davis, a native of Monmouthshire, England, born in the town of Pontypool, and the daughter of Francis and Hannah: (Roberts) Davis, who came from England to Iowa and settled in Agency City, in Wapello county. There they operated a flour- and woolen-mill until 1872. when they returned to England. He died there in 1892. His wife later returned to the United States on a visit and was living with Mrs. Richard Williams at Oakland, Ohio, where she died, December 31, 1897. .Mr. and Mrs. Richard Williams were married in England, where the former had gone for his bride in 1881. After their marriage they came back tothe United States. Richard and Hannah (Davis) Williams -had four children: An 'infant. deceased; Francis R., the subject of this sketch; Edith, who lives with her mother in 'Wilmington, and John W., deceased. The Seta built a ee home .at 421 High street, where the mother and daughter now live..

ship and later became a student at Wilmington College, where he spent about two years. After his father's death, he took up farming and managed the home farm for four years and then moved to Union township, where he remained for three years. He returned to Oakland and now superintends four hundred and thirty acres of land.

On August 8, 1906, Francis R. Williams was married to Bessie Cummins, the daughter of Jesse L. and Nora (Wright) Cummins. They are the parents of two* children: Arlene C,, and Ernest J., born on September 4, 1910.

Horace W. Collett

Horace W. Collett, a well-known citizen of Chester township, this county, who has always been an industrious worker, was born on April 12, 1852, on the farm where he now lives. He is a progressive farmer and stockman, who owns one hundred and fifty acres of land in Chester township, but who farms about two hundred and fifty acres.

Mr. Collett is the son of Daniel H. and Maria (McKay) Collett, the former of whom was born in Warren county, Ohio, in 1806 and died on January 11, 1871. He was married on November 4, 1830, to Maria McKay, daughter of Moses McKay. Daniel H. Collett was the son of Moses and Rebecca (Haines) Collett, the former of Virginia, one of the eight sons born to Daniel and Mary (Haines) Collett, among the others being Jonathan, Isaac, Aaron, Benjamin, Daniel, Jr., and Joshua. Moses Collett married Rebecca Haines in Maryland and in 1812 she wanted to visit her people in the East, so she and Jonathan made the journey through on horseback. Daniel Collett, at the age of sixty years, sold out his possessions in Maryland and, with the mother and daughters, came back with them in a carriage. A colored boy, "Black Dan," came with them and lived with the family until his death. Daniel Collett, the third child born to Moses, Sr., and Elizabeth (Armstrong) Collett, born on February 2, 1752, was a soldier in the Continental army and a justice of the peace for many years in Jefferson county, Virginia. About 1780 he was married to Mary Haines, who was born on October 10, 1753. They had eight sons and a daughter, who, with bis brother, John, and his sister, Sarah, are the ancestors of all the Colletts in Clinton and Warren counties. Moses Collett, Sr., was born on November 17, 1718, and died in 1783. His wife, Elizabeth Armstrong, was born on August 18, 1725. Moses was the son of Stephen Collett, whose father and mother were French Huguenots, who fled from France to escape religious persecution. Stephen's mother died after his birth at sea and she was buried on the voyage to America.

In 1814 Daniel Collett purchased two thousand three hundred and fifty-eight acres from James Smith, Sr., paying two and one-half dollars an acre in three annual installnents. In 1815 Daniel Collett purchased from William Elzey and wife nine hundred und ten acres for three dollars an acre, making a tract of three thousand two hundred and sixty-eight acres. Much of this land has been handed down from generation to generation in the Collett family.

Daniel H. Collett, who was one of the eight sons born to Moses and Rebecca (Haines) Collett, was the father of Horace W. He was educated in the common schools of Chester township and was engaged in farming and clearing all of his life. He owned three hundred and sixty acres of land. By his marriage to Maria McKay, he had seven children, of whom Horace W. is the youngest, the others being as follows: Tamson, who married Jesse Woods; Moses; Abigal, who is the wife of Joshua Nickerson; Elizabeth, who married Joseph Browning; Sarah, who became the wife of Joseph Shambaugh, and Francis, who married Sallie Ferguson. The family were members of the Baptist church at Jonas Run and Daniel H. Collett served many years as a deacon of that ehurch. He was a Republican. : of Warren county. He attended the high school at Harveysburg and, when about twenty-one years old, began 'farming on the farm where he now lives.

In 1881 Horace W. Collett wds married to Rachel Anne Rayburn, who was born in 1859, the daughter of James and Margaret (Haines) Rayburn, to which union: two children have been born, James W., who was born on July 6, 1883, and Margaret, in 1886, the latter of whom is still at home. James W. Collett attended the high school at New Burlington and is a farmer in Chester township, where he owns eighty-three acres of land, though he farms altogether two hundred and ninety acres. James W. Collett inarried Laura McCoy, daughter of J. R. and Martha McCoy, and one child has been born to this union, Thomas W., who was born on October 19, 1914. James W. Collett is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, a Republican in politics and, fraternally, a member of Masonic Lodge No. 574.

Mr. and Mrs. Horace W. Collett and daughter, Margaret, are members of the Methodist church at New Burlington and he is an ardent Republican, politically.

Harley H. Smith

Perseverance and sterling worth are almost always sure to win conspicuous recognition in all localities. Harley H. Smith, who, for a number of years, has been recognized as one of the leading educators of this county, is a young man of genial presence, intelligent and broad-minded. He is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University, superintendent of the Kingman high school, and owner of one hundred and seventy acres of land in Chester township. His career is a splendid example of the successful, self-made young man, and he eminently deserves the trust reposed in him by his fellow citizens.

Harley H. Smith was born on May 2, 1880, at New Burlington, at the edge of Greene county, Ohio, a son of Lewis and Rachel E. (Craft) Smith, the former of whom was born on May 5, 1887, in Warren county, Ohio, and died on May 7, 1902. The latter was born on September 10, 1889, at New Burlington, in this county, a daughter of Allen and Rachel (Mann) Craft.

The paternal grandparents of Harley H. Smith were James and Elizabeth (Cain) Smith. both of whom were natives of Warren county, Ohio. James. Smith was a. black- 'smith at New Burlington, and owned the first blacksmith shop in that town. He worked at that trade all his life and, in addition to his work-as a blacksmith, was the owner of a farm, which he operated in connection with his work in the blacksmith shop. He was a member of the old Whig party and a stanch citizen, he and his wife having been prominent members of the Methodist church. James and Elizabeth (Cain) Smith were 'the parents of twelve children, Lewis, Wesley, Joseph R., Hannah, Josephine, Arabella, Laura, Alice, Nancy, and three who died in infancy.

The late Lewis Smith, father of Harley H., learned the blacksmith trade after finishing his education in the schools of New Burlington, and worked at that trade practically all of his Jife in that town. During the last eight years of his life, he served as commissioner of Greene county, Ohio. Several years before he was elected commissioner he served as trustee of Spring Valley township in that county. He was a Republican in polities, a member of the Methodist church, and held about every office in that church. He was a prominent member of the Masonic lodge, and his six sons were all members of the same fraternal organization. Lewis Smith and wife were the parents of ten children, Rena Bell, Wesley A., William F., Wayne C., Harry, Minnie, Le Roy, Harriet and Harley H. (twins) and' Leslie.

Harley H. Smith began a pursuit of education in the common schools at New Burlington, but later attended the Xenia high school for two years. After leaving high 'school he taught school for eight years in Greene county, and subsequently entered Ohio Wesleyan University, and was graduated from that excellent institution with the class of 1911, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Since his graduation he has been engaged in teaching. He was in charge of the history department of the Greenville high school for one year and from Greenville returned to his home in Chester township, this county, where he has had charge of the Kingman high scheol for three years. Mr. Smith is the owner of one hundred and seventy acres of land in Chester township, where he is living at. the present time.

In 1907 Harley H. Smith was married to Sarah A. McKay, daughter of Robert F. and Mary F. (Nickerson) McKay, and a sister of Welden McKay, whose biographical sketch, presented elsewhere in this volume, gives a history of the McKay family.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith, who are both descendants of leading families of Clinton county, ure a young couple of wide and liberal culture. They are earnest and consistent members of the Methodist church at New Burlington and take an active part in church work. Politically, Mr. Smith votes the Republican ticket, while fraternally he is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons.

John Speer

John Speer, one of the leading farmers of Liberty township, this county, and one of the. best-informed' citizens of that tewaship, lives on the old paternal homestead. He was born at Ashgrove, Illinois, on November 18, 1869, the son of Samuel and Eliza (Oren) Speer, the former born in Greene county, Ohio, on September 30, 1835, and the latter in Clinton county on November 25, 1837.

Eliza Oren was the daughter of John and Martha (Bailey) Oren, the former a native of Tennessee, who came with his father, John Oren, Sr., to this state. They settled on two hundred acres of land in Union township, this county, and became prominent in the affairs of the Friends church. By Martha Bailey, who was his first wife, John Oren, Jr., had seven children, of whom Danial B. and Henry served in the Civil War, both giving their lives to the service. The other children were Eli, Eliza, Martha, Asa and Lewis. John Oren, Sr., was a native of Pennsylvania, who moved to Tennessee, but not being able to reconcile himself to the presence of human slavery, came to Ohio in order to live in a free state. Arriving in 1810, he settled in Union township and became very active in the work of the Friends church, being rated as a very valuable man in the life of the community. Samuel Speer's parents were James and Mary (Fletcher) Speer, natives of North Carolina and Ohio, respectively, the former of whom was a mere lad when he came with his father, Samuel Speer, to this state. James Speer owned over two hundred acres of land in Greene county, Ohio. He and his wife were the parents of six children, Samuel, John, Sarah, Lydia, Henry and Benjamin, the latter of whom was a soldier in the Union army during the Civil War. James Speer was a son of Samuel and Sarah (Dunkin) Speer, natives of North Carolina, who moved with their parents to Ohio and settled in Greene county where they spent the rest of their lives. They were prominent members of the Friends church and Mrs. Samuel Speer was a minister in that church. They were the parents of three children, James, John and Samuel.

Samuel Speer, the father of John Speer, the subject of this sketch, received the rudiments of an education in the common schools, which he supplemented by extensive home reading and became one of the most enlightened farmers in this section of Ohio. He owned one hundred and seventy-eight acres of land in Liberty township, which is the farm his son John now owns. He was active in the Friends church all his life. He died on February 10, 1911, his wife having died a few days previously, on January 20, of the same year. They were the parents of five children, Eli B., John, James, Henry and Jennie, the three latter of whom died in childhood in Illinois, Bli B. Speer, who died on October 5, 1901, married Testa Spears, and at his death left two children, Frank and Ethel.

Speer was married on July 25, 1890,-to Tacy Smith, who was born in this county, January 26, 1872, the daughter of Samuel and Ester (Smith) Smith. Samuel Smith was a native of Greene county, Ohio, and a shoemaker by trade. During the latter part of his life, "he was. eigaged' in farnting'. He'was'a soldier. in. the Civil War, a member of Company H, Seventy-fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and .was once wounded in a skirmish. .

After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Speer located on the farm where they now live, and where five children have been born to them, of whom two, Henry and Harold (the third and fourth in the family), are twins. May, Frederick and Gladys are the other children. Frederick married Louise Turner, and is at present a student in a veterinary college. The remainder of the children are unmarried.

Mr. and Mrs. Speer own altogether two hundred and sixty- four acres of land. They are members of the Friends church and regular attendants at the Dover Sunday school and meeting. Mr. Speer is a member of the board of education of Liberty township, and he and his wife are warmly interested in all good works in that vicinity, being held in the very highest regard by all their large circle of acquaintances.

E. Marshall Renner

That life is most useful and desirable which results in the greatest good to the greatest number and, though all do not reach the heights to which they aspire, yet in some measure each can win success and make life a blessing to his fellowmen. It is not necessary for one to occupy an eminent public position to do so. In all walks of life there remains much good to be accomplished and many opportunities for the exercise of talent and influence that in some way will touch the lives of those with whom one may come in contact, making them better and brighter. Among the enterprising and prosperous farmers of Clinton county and among the citizens of high standing in Adams township, is E. Marshall Renner, who owns a fine farm and home on Route No. 4, out * of Wilmington. He is a successful farmer, a valuable citizen and a good neighbor.

BH. Marshall Renner was born on November 2, 1860, in Clermont county, Ohio, the son of Gilman S. and Mahala Q. (Browning) Renner, who were natives of Clermont county, Ohio, and Fleming county, Kentucky, respectively. Gilman S. Renner was the son of Samuel and Mercy (Gordon) Renner, natives of Pennsylvania and early settlers in Clermont county, where they spent their last days. Mahala Q. Browning was the daughter of Basil Browning, a farmer of Kentucky, who remained there all his life. He was the son of Basil Browning, Sr., who was also a farmer in Kentucky and the father of four children, John M., Basil, Jr., Meshock and Josiah.

Gilman S. Renner, who died in February, 1897, at the age of seventy-four years, was edtitated in the pttblic. schools of Clermont county and, for a time, taught sehool in that county, where he spent his entire life. He farmed about four hundred acres of land which he owned and took a prominent part in the civic and political life of that county, having been especially active in local affairs. He was a member of the Universalist church and of the blue lodge of the Masonic fraternity. Gilman and Mahala Q. (Browning) Renner were the parents of six children, of whom Horace, the first born, is a well-known real estate dealer in Chicago. EK. Marshall, the subject of this sketch, was the second child. Cora lives in Clermont county, Ohio. Henry Clay is a resident of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Herbert lives on the old home place in Clermont county. The youngest member of the family died in infancy. The mother of these children died in 1902, some five years after the death of her husband.

B®. Marshall Renner was educated in Clermont county, Ohio, and spent two years in ,the high school. He has been twice married, the first time, in 1884, to Elizabeth icvarg: 'who died-the following year. There were: ne-ehildren~by this - first - marriage. On December 24, 1890, Mr. Renner married, secondly, Mary Alice Hale, who was born

'Alfred Hale, who was a farmer in Adams township, this county, and a member of the Friends church, died on November 11, 1914, at the age of seventy-three, having been born on December 23, 1841. He was twice married, his first wife having been Rachel Hadley, who was born on July 26, 1841, and died on April 19, 1901. To this union there were born four children, Mary Alice, Clark J.. Emma (deceased) and Hannah. After 'the death of his first wife, Alfred Hale married Emma Wright, daughter of Joseph Wright. The paternal grandparents of Mrs, E. Marshall Renner were Jacob and Hannah (Andrew) Hale, both natives of Clinton county and the parents of three children, William, Susannah and Alfred, the two latter of whom ure deceased. Jacob Hale was & farmer and a member of the Friends church. He was one of six brothers, the others having been Joseph, William, Samuel, Armona and Eli, who came in pioneer days from North Carolina to Clinton county.

By Mr. Renner's second marriage, two children have been born, Clarence H., born June 10, 1898, and Robert A., July 17, 1897, both of whom live at home with their parents. Clarence H., the eldest son, was graduated in June, 1915, from Wilmington College. ' :

Mr. Renner owns two hundred and ninety-eight and one-half acres of land in Adams township, which is all in one tract. In 1910 he built a modern country house, one of the most beautiful to be found in all Clinton county. Both Mr. and Mrs. Renner are members of the Friends church at Wilmington and are regular attendants at Sunday school, :

Charles Wesley Van Pelt

The late Charles. Wesley Van Pelt, a valiant soldier of the Civil War and a farmer in Clark township, Clinton county, Ohio, was born on May 22, 1839, near Danville, Ohio, and died August 16, 1914. He was a son of Charles and Blizabeth (Butcher) Van Pelt, natives of the Keystone state, who were early settlers at Danville and Highland county and who died in that county. Charles Van Pelt, Sr., was a farmer by occupation. The Van Pelts are of German origin, Mr. Van Pelt's paternal grandfather haying been a sea * captain. ;

Charles Wesley Van Pelt was educated in Highland county, and was a farmer by occupation. He served three years in Company H, Thirty-ninth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and re-enlisted for three additional years, but further service was not required. After the war he returned home, and about 1878 came to Clinton county, where for some time he rented land across the road from the farm where his widow now resides. Two years later, he bought a tract of ninety-six acres, and here he erected excellent buildings, and lived until his death.

On March 1, 1866, Charles Wesley Van Pelt was married to Sarah Rankins, a native of Mast St. Louis, Illinois, and a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Runk) Rankins, both natives of the Old Dominion state. Mrs. Van Pelt's paternal grandparents were Samuel and Rebecca Rankins, who were natives of Virginia but who: immigrated to Illinois and there died. The maternal grandparents were John and Elizabeth (Miller) Runk.

The Van Pelt family are members of the Methodist Protestant church, Charles Wes- 'ley Van Pelt having joined the church at the age of eighteen years and having been active in this church during 'all his life. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and identified with the Merrell post at Lynchburg. ; was born on December 27, 1866, in Highland county, Ohio, and was educated in Highland and Clinton counties. He rented land in Highland county, and in 1908 bought a farm in Clark township of fifty-two acres, where he now lives. Recently he has remodeled the barn and fences. He was married in June, 1908, to May Pierson, a native of Indiana. They have two children, Herbert' Gecil and Delbert: ' Hrancis.

Joseph M. Van Pelt was for two terms a school director in Clark township. The Van Pelt family are quite highly respected in Clark township and are well known here.

Agriculture has been an honored vocation from the earliest ages, and, aS a usual thing, men of honorable and humane impulses, as well as those of energy and thrift have been patrons of husbandry. The free out-of-door life of the farmer has a 'decided tendency to foster and develop that independence of mind and self-reliance which characterizes true manhood. It has been the fruitful soil from which have sprung the moral bone and sinew of the country. The majority of our nation's great warriors, renowned statesmen and distinguished men of letters were born on the farm, and are indebted largely to its early influence for the distinction they have gained. William Fisher is a successful farmer of Liberty township and a man of agreeable and pleasant manner.

William Fisher was born on January 21, 1841, in Frederik county, Virginia, the son of Asa and Frances (Williams) Fisher. Asa Fisher was born in Virginia on October 24, 1805, and died on May 5, 1846. His wife was born on May 1, 1810, and died on December 25, 1895. She was a daughter of Isaac and Delphia Williams, the latter of whom died on July 8, 1828. They were farmers by occupation.

Asa Fisher was the son of Barake and Martha Fisher, both natives of Virginia and farmers by occupation, who spent all their lives in their native state. They were the parents of five children, Butler, Asa, Dlizabeth, Louisa and Hetty.

Of the six children, born to Asa and Frances (Williams) Fisher, only two, Sarah E. and William, the subject of this sketch, are living. Sarah E. was born on September 17, 1838. The deceased children are Mary Frances, born on December 28, 1834; Delphia, November 4, 1836; Louisa C., January 17, 1848, and James Polk, December 1, 1844. Although Asa Fisher had little education, he became a very efficient tailor at Gainesboro; Virginia. He died at the age of about thirty years, when his son, William, was about five years old.

William Fisher was educated in the subscription schools at Gainesboro, Virginia. He came to Ohio on October 24, 1863, and on January 27, 1875, was married to Mary M. Henry, a native of Warren county, born on December 29, 1843, the daughter of John and Catherine (Stump) Henry, farmers in Warren county, Ohio, who moved to Clinton county about 1854, settling in Union township, where they became prominent members of the Christian church. Mrs. William Fisher is one of ten children born to her parents. The others were Daniel, William, Jonas, John, Sarah, Lydia, Fannie, Reese and Joshua. To William and Mary M. (Henry) Fisher three children have been born, namely: Edwin C., of Liberty township, born on November 25, 1875, who married May Gilcrest and has five children: Emerson A., Vada, John W., Irma and Ruth; Dora D., February 27, 1877, who married Rey. John M. Cosby, a Baptist minister living in West Mansfield, Ohio, and Laura, May 5, 1881, who married Frederick Steele, of Union township, this county, and has two children, Earl and Ethel M.