Clinton County, Ohio - Biographical sketches (2 of 2 so headed), 1915 (part 5 of 26)

John M. Champlin

Among the many enterprising commercial establishments at Wilmington, the county seat of Clinton county, few have a wider or better sustained reputation for fair-dealing and up-to-date business methods than the popular clothing store of Champlin & Mitchell. Though this firm has been in business,.as a firm, but four years, it has. established itself firmly in the commercial life of the county seat and the members of the firm are known far and wide throughout this section of the state as gentlemen of push and energy, eminently entitled to the favor they have received at the hands of a discriminating and critical public.

John M. Champlin was born on a farm near the pleasant village of Westboro, Jefferson township, Clinton county, Ohio, on November 7, 1868, son of Joshua and Lucy (Michaels) Champlin, the former of whom was born in Rhode Island in 1829 and died at his home in this county in 1899, and the latter of whom was born in Washington township, this county, in 1829, and died in 1911.

Joshua Champlin was a son of Capt. Joshua and Elizabeth (Warren) Champlin, both natives of Rhode Island, of old colonial. stock, who emigrated to Ohio about the year 1835, locating on a farm near the village of Cuba, in this county, where both spent the remainder of their lives, living to ripe old ages and attaining positions of prominence and influence in that community. Capt. Joshua Champlin for years previous to his settlement in this county had: been engaged as a captain on ocean-going steamers and had done valiant service during the Mexican War. The younger Joshua Champlin was a small boy when his parents emigrated to this county and he was reared amid conditions familiar to pioneer days. He became a. farmer, remaining on the home farm until 1855, in which year he moved to the state of Missouri, locating on a farm in that state. He was living there when the Civil War broke out and he enlisted in a Missouri regiment, serving for three years as a valiant soldier in the Union army. At the close of the war he returned to this county and opened a general store in the village of Cuba, which he continued for a short time. He then retired from the store, buying a farm near by, on which he passed the remainder of his life. He and his wife were the parents of three children, of whom Jobn M.. the subject of this sketch, is the youngest. John M. Champlin has two sisters, Anna and Mary, both of whom also reside in Wilmington.

John M. Champlin, following the completion of the course in the public schools at Cuba, this county, began his mercantile career as a clerk in the general store of G. R. Kearans, in that village, a position which he retained for three years, at the end of which time he went to Wilmington to clerk in the dry-goods store of F. S. Broomhall. Following a short service in that store he was engaged by Rannells Brothers, and for five years served as a clerk in their clothing store, during which time he gained a thorough acquaintance with the clothing business, as well as a comprehensive familiarity with the needs of he patrons of clothing stores in thfs section of the state, an experience which later was to prove valuable when he entered the clothing business for himself.

He terminated his connection with the store of Rannells Brothers to enter the employ of the Courticelli Silk Company as traveling salesman and for thirteen years "covered" Ohio territory in the interests of that firm, becoming, in this period, one of the bestknown and most popular traveling men in the state of Ohio. Tiring of "the road," Mr. Champlin, in 1911, formed a partenrship with Harley E. Mitchell, one of the bestknown clothing men in Wilmington, and bought the Rannells clothing store; Mr. Champlin thus entering as proprietor the establishment in which many years before he had served in the capacity of a clerk. The firm was organized under the title of Champlin & Mitchell, and from the very start has been a great success. The store is well stocked and admirably equipped to supply all the clothing needs of the community which it serves. In addition to a full and complete line of general clothing and men's furnishings, a completely-stocked shoe department is operated by the firm, the store being one of the largest establishments of its kind in this part of the state.

On February 10, 1899, John M. Champlin was united in marriage to Estella Braughart, who was born in Covington, Kentucky, daughter of Jack and Amanda (Taylor) Braughart, and to this union three children have been born, Robert, born in 1901; Earl, 1903, and Harold, 1910.

Mr. and Mrs. Champlin are earnest members of the Christian church, in the various beneficences of which they take an active interest, and in the faith of which their children are being reared. Mr. Champlin is a member of the Masonic order and a member of the Elks lodge at Wilmington and is a prominent factor in the affairs of both of those popular fraternal organizations. Enterprising and energetic in business, popular socially, public-spirited and up-to-date, few men in this part of the state have a wider acquaintance than John M. Champlin or are held in higher esteem. His thorough acquaintance with business methods and his manner of acquitting himself in all his relations with his fellow men have given Mr. Champlin a high place in business and commercial circles hereabout and he possesses the full confidence of all with whom he is brought into contact in a business way; the same measure of confidence being extended to his partner, Mr. Mitchell, giving this firm a high standing in and about the city of Wilmington.

Gerard B. Noftsger

Gerard B. Noftsger is a successful farmer of Washington township, who was born in Washington township, Clinton county, Ohio, September 13, 1858, the son of Naaman and Jane (Gerard) Noftsger, both of whom were born near Hamilton, Ohio.

Mr. Noftsger's paternal grandparents were John and Mary Noftsger, natives of the Keystone state, and of German descent. Early in the history of Hamilton, Ohio, they located near there, when the city was a mere straggling village. John Noftsger was a farmer and spent all his life on his farm near Hamilton, but died at the home of his son, Naaman, in Washington township, this county, where his wife also passed away. The maternal grandparents of Mr. Noftsger were also early settlers in Hamilton county, where they were farmers.

Naaman Noftsger received his education in the schools of Hamilton county, Ohio, and later' became a farmer in the Mill Creek bottoms. In 1855 he removed to Clinton county and bought the farm where Gerard B. was born. He bought eighty acres of land and cleared seventy acres of this and made many improvements upon the farm. Here he and his wife lived the remainder of their lives, and reared a family of ten children, seyen sons and three daughters, Emily, Charles, Clinton, Milton, Gerard, Anna, Butler, Wellington, William and Laura. Naaman Noftsger was identified with the Seventh-Day Adventist church, while his wife was a member of the Baptist church.

Gerard: B. Noftsger received: an education in the'common 'schools of Clinton' county, and became a farmer early in life. In 1881 he removed to the farm where he now resides,

In 1881 Gerard B. Noftsger was married to Ida A. Whinery, the daughter of John V. Whinery. Mrs. Noftsger's family history is contained in the sketch of L. P. Whinery, recorded elsewhere in this volume. She died on May 16, 1896, leaving three children, one of whom, Mazy, the eldest, died in infancy. The other children are Edna and Ada. Mr. Noftsger was married, secondly, May 26, 1899, to Chloe Lieurance, the daughter of Amos

Mr. and Mrs. Noftsger are earnest and devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and are active workers in the affairs of this communion.

Frank Farquhar

AS we perceive the shadow to have moved along the dial, but did not perceive it moving; and it appears that the grass has grown, though nobody ever saw it grow; so the advances we make in knowledge, as they consist' of such insensible steps; are only perceived by the distance. The same truly may be said of the progress of communities in a civic, social and industrial way. The present generation is conscious of the countless advantages shared by all the members.of the community, but rarely is thought given as to how these advantages were secured, it requiring the perspective of the historian to bring into view the insensible steps by which the present lofty height was reached. It is this perspective which volumes of this character design to lend to the biographical work shall do no more than to-create within the breasts of the younger generation of readers a vivid and comprehensive appreciation of the blessings they so readily accept as common gifts, the labor of its compilation shall have been well requited. There are still a few of the pioneers remaining in this section, who have seen these commonly-accepted blessings' slowly bud. and blossom and fructify, and it is of one of these that this brief biography shall treat, the venerable Frank Farquhar, of Wilmington, one of the best-known and most highly-regarded citizens of Clinton county, a man to whom this whole community owes much for the active part he has taken in the development of the same. Though now past eighty years of age, Mr. Farquhar continues actively in charge of the industry he has built up and takes as firm an interest in current affairs as does many a man of half his years. Born in this county, he has been a witness of the marvelous development of the community along all lines and possesses a fund of reminiscence regarding the past that, in his hours of ease, makes him a most entertaining and instructive companion.

Frank Farquhar was born on a farm about five miles west of what then was the struggling village of Wilmington, in Union township, Clinton county, Ohio, on April 10, 1835, son of Josiah and Abi (Linton) Farquhar, the former of whom was born in the state of Maryland. in. the year 1894, and the latter of whom was born in this county in the year 1808, and died in the year 1896.

Josiah Farquhar was one of the earliest settlers of this county, he having been but a baby when his parents emigrated to this section from Maryland and located in Union township, 'where they spent the rest of their lives. His father, Benjamin Farquhar, was a man of substance in his day, owning a fine farm of three hundred acres, which he brought to a high state of cultivation after clearing it and rendering it fit for agricultural purposes. Benjamin Farquhar and his wife were earnest Quakers and performed a fine service in aiding to bring about proper social and moral conditions in the community to which they give their most intelligent and conscientious efforts. Under exemplary home conditions, even though that home was but a rude pioneer dwelling,

Josiah Farquhar was reared to useful manhood on the Union township farm. In connection with his work as a farmer he also operated an oil mill for the manufacture of castor oil and flax-seed oil. His wife, Abi Linton, was the.daughter of Nathan and Rachel Linton, pioneers of this county, the former of whom was the first county surveyor of Clinton county, a p»sition which he held for thirty-six years. His original plats, still preserved in the court house, are models of careful penmanship and were drawn with quill pens. Both Nathan Linton and his wife were natives of Bucks county, Pennsylvania. They emigrated to this county about the year 1805, settling on a farm about three miles from Wilmington and were among the most influential pioneers of that neighborhood. In the year 1828 they erected a fine dwelling house, which, after weathering the storms of nearly a century, was but recently destroyed by fire.

Josiah Farquhar's useful life was cut short at the age of thirty-five years, his death occurring on April 9, 1838, his son, Frank, the immediate subject of this sketch, being then but three years of age. There was another son, Benjamin, the elder of the two, who for many years was a prominent merchant in Wilmington, his grocery store at the county seat town having long been a "land'mark" there. Benjamin Farquhar was a good man and a useful, honorable citizen, whose death some years ago was widely mourned. In 1842 Josiah Farquhar's widow married, secondly, Dr. Joseph K. Sparks, a substantial resident of that neighborhood, and to this union two sons were born, Stephen L., who was a Union soldier during the Civil War, now deceased, and Josiah W., a prominent hardware merchant and banker, of Wilmington, this county. In 1848 Doctor Sparks erected a new house on the old Farquhar farm on the Waynesville road. Though he was an active member of the Baptist church and his wife a very devout Quaker, the two never permitted their religious differences to create a barrier in their home life, they for many years participating in the services of their respective communions without thought of personal dissension.

Frank Farquhar was reared on the old home farm in Union township, receiving his elementary education in the district school near his home, supplementing the same by a course of one year at Dennison College. He cast his first vote for John C. Fremont. In 1856 and 1857, Mr. Farquhar traveled extensively through the west, with a view to locating in one of the territories that then gave promise of the wonderful development realized within the next few decades, and went so far as to pre-empt a claim for a tract of farm land in Kansas, and while there voted to make Kansas a free state. Giving up thought of locating permanently in the west, however. he returned to this county and in 1858 was united in marriage to Hanna A. McMillan, who was born in this county, daughter of Milton and Blizabeth (Kirk) McMillan, pioneer farmers of Chester township, Clinton county, to which union three children were born, Milton J., one of Wilmington's prominent business men, a director of the Farquhar Furnace Company; Harriet, who married E. M. Nordyke and lives in California, and Henry, also identified with the furnace company. Mr. and Mrs. Farquhar also had an adopted daughter, Nellie R. The mother of these children died in 1918 and was widely mourned throughout the county, for she was a noble woman, her life ever having been devoted to all good works.

Frank Farquhar, enarly in life, gained the reputation among his friends of being a "natural mechanic." Wollowing his natural bent he left the farm in 1866 and entered the manufacturing business. He resided in Richmond, Indiana, engaged in the manufacture of feed cookers and evaporators of his own design. In 1872 he met with a serious accident that necessitated the amputation of one of his limbs. Feeling this to be a handicap, he sold his interests in 'Richmond and returned to Ohio and engaged in the hardware and rooffing business at Wilmington, in partnership with his half-brother, J. W. Sparks. Later, Mr. Farquhar and his sons re-entered the manufacturing business and organized a company for the manufacture of the Farquhar house-heating furnaces. He served.a number of years as president of the Farquhar Heating Company, of Chicago; but in 1897 retired, and returning to his home in Wilmington, engaged in the coal business. In his activities this octogenarian has not yet experienced any "declining years," but each year has seen an appreciable increase in his business and acquaintance, and improvement in his business plant. His unique equipment for handling coal economically has attracted the attention of coal men, has been illustrated in the trade journals, and draws visitors from many parts of the country. :

Mr. Farquhar is one of those energetic men who believe that the greatest. happiness and contentment is found in the greatest activity, it being his firm conviction that a man will far more easily "rust out" than wear out.

Mr. Farquhar is a devoted member of the Friends church, to which he came by birthright, and from the days of his early manhood has been one of the most earnest workers in that sturdy communion. No man in Wilmington is actuated by a broader public spirit than he and it is undoubted that the town, and this entire community, owes him much. He ever has been interested in educational affairs and is gratefully recalled as one of that faithful band of earnest subscribers who helped support Wilmington College during the first five precarious years of its existence. Mr. Farquhar's interest in the development of the resources of Clinton county has been unflagging throughout all the years of his life ahd no man in the county possesses in a higher degree the confidence and respect of the people than he, a respect marked by the utmost esteem.

B. J. Darbyshire, a venerable citizen of Sabina, Ohio, who is now almost ninetytwo years old, was born on November 7, 1823, in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, the son of John and Elizabeth (Jennings) Darbyshire, the latter of whom was the daughter of Benjamin Jennings, of the: Keystone state.

Mr. Darbyshire's paternal grandparents were Thomas and Anna (Covert) Darbyshire, of Pennsylvania, who had seven children, John, Thomas, Samuel, Morris, Jessie, Martha and Ann. Thomas Darbyshire was a furniture maker by occupation, who came to Guernsey county, Ohio, and from there immigrated to Wilmington, where he spent the remainder of his life.

John A. Darbyshire, who was educated in the common schools of his native county, owned land near Wilmington, consisting of eighty-three acres, where the ice plant is now situated. He married Elizabeth Jennings, the daughter of Benjamin Jennings, of Pennsylvania. John Darbyshire was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He and his wife were the parents of seven children, B. J., Anna, who died at the age of twelve years, and a twin sister who died in infancy; Thomas, Samuel, John and James. Thomas, Samuel and John are deceased. After the death of his wife, John Darbyshire was married to Elizabeth Hoblet, and to them were born six children, Joshua, Morris, Zenephen, Maggie, Mary Ann and Letitia. Maggie and Mary Ann are deceased.

B. J. Darbyshire was reared on a farm and lived at home with his parents until of age. He was married on April 6, 1851, to Maria Moore, who was the daughter of John P. and Margaret (Large) Moore, farmers of Fayette county, Ohio, where they owned one hundred and twenty acres of land. Mrs. Maria Darbyshire died on August 17, 1905.

For many years Mr. Darbyshire was a brick contractor, but this was in the days when brick was made by hand. He built, with Robert McMillan, the college at Wilmington and also the school house at the same place. Until nine years ago, he lived on the farm, but at that time moved to Sabina, having deeded his land, comprising two hundred and seventy-six acres, to his children. In 1880 and 1881 he was engaged in the hardware business at Sabina. Near the close of the Civil War, Mr. Darbyshire was in the Union service and was a soldier for four months.

Mr. and Mrs. Darbyshire were the parents of seven children, Maggie, who died at the age of twenty-three; James died when five months old, A. J., Frank, Oliver M.,

Lydia and Oma. Mr. Darbyshire served as township clerk of Richland township for five years. He was also trustee of the township. For many years he was a school director in the township also. Fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, No. 501, and of Encampment. No. 183. He is a charter member of Sabina lodge of Encampment.

Charles A. Ward

In compiling a history of the movements of the present generation in Clinton county, the future historian will, perforce, be compelled to take into account the enormous influence for good exerted by that earnest band of conscientious educators which today is doing such a noble work in this community. Among these enthusiastic and zealous educators few have brought a better equipment to their labors than has Prof. Charles A. Ward, principal of the Smith Place school at Wilmington, the county seat, and the biographer finds pleasure in here setting out the salient points in the brief though highly useful career of this cultivated gentleman. Though young in years, Professor Ward has had a wide experience as an educator and is accounted one of the leading factors in the excellent educational system of this county, the prediction being freely made that he is destined to a much wider field of usefulness than that which he now so

Charles A. Ward was born on a farm near the pleasant village of New Antioch, Clinton county, Ohio, on January 20, 1883, son of J. Wesley and Emma (Pond) Ward, the former of whom was born at Madisonville, Hamilton county, this state, on August 1, 1858, and the latter of whom was born in Greene township, this county, on October 6, 1860; both of whom are still living, being very comfortably situated in a delightful farm home near New Antioch, where they have lived since their marriage.

J. Wesley Ward is the son of William and Mehala (Noftzger) Ward, natives of Hamilton county, this state, both having been born near the town of Madisonville. William Ward, who recently died at New Antioch, at the ripe old age of eighty-six, was a son of George Ward, who was born in New Jersey and upon reaching manhood emigrated to this state, locating in Hamilton county, where he married, entered a farm from the government and reared his family in the Baptist faith; the various members of this family becoming largely influential in the affairs of that community.

At the age of twelve years, J. Wesley Ward came to this county with his parents and grew to manhood on the Greene township farm, he still owning one of the farms which his father bought upon coming to Clinton county.

'On September 24, 1879, J. Wesley Ward was united in marriage to Emma Pond, who was born in this county, daughter of John and Mary (Frost) Pond, both of whom are still living, making their home in comfortable retirement at Columbus, Ohio. John Pond is a native of this county, being a son of William and Polly Pond, North Carolinans, who emigrated to Ohio in the early days of the settlement of this section of the state and located on a farm in Green township, this county, where they spent the rest of their lives, being regarded in their day as among the most substantial pioneers of that section. Mr. and Mrs. Ward are among the best-known and most influential people of the New Antioch neighborhood, and are held in the highest regard by all who know them. They are members of the Disciples church at New Antioch and for years have been active in all the good works of that fine community. Mr. Ward is an ardent Republican and has given intelligent and thoughtful attention to the political affairs of Clinton county, ever displaying his interest in all measures designed to promote the common good; his sound judgment and close acquaintance with local affairs in that neighborhood giving value to his counsels in the deliberations of the party managers.

To J. Wesley and Bmma (Pond) Ward three children were born, of whom Charles A., the immediate subject of this sketch, is the eldest, the others being Thomas Frank

Clinton Coun'Ty, Ohio

Ward, general manager of a large manufacturing concern at Columbus, Ohio, and May Klizabeth, who married Edward Brining, of Dayton, this state.

Charles A. Ward was reared on the home farm in Green township, receiving his elementary education in the public schocls at New Antioch, following which he took a course of instruction in Wilmington College, later supplementing this by a course in the normal school at Oxford, Ohio. In the year 1903 he entered upon his career as a teacher, for three years his activities in the educational field being confined to the district schools of this county. At the end of that time, his excellent record as a teacher in the district schools having attracted the attention of the school authorities, he was made principal of the New Antioch schools, a position which he filled with the utmost satisfaction to the patrons of the schools in that village for a period of six years. The excellence of his methods as a teacher having been proved so convincingly during this period of service, Professor Ward, in 1912, was elevated to the position of principal of the' Smith Place school at Wilmington, a post which he still retains and in the discharge of the duties of which he has further demonstrated his admirable qualities as an instructor of the youth.

On July 19, 1911, Charles A. Ward was united in marriage to Anna Reynolds, who was born in Union township, this county, daughter of William and Jennie (Brown) Reynolds, prominent residents of that community, both of whom still are living on their farm in Union township. To this union one child has been born, a daughter, Marjorie, born on March 24, 1913. .

Professor and Mrs. Ward are members of the Disciples church, to the affairs of which they give their close and unselfish attention, taking a warm interest in all good movements in the community of which they are so valuable a part. Professor Ward is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is an active worker therein. His work as an educator has demonstrated his eminent fitness for the noble work to which he has devoted his life, and he has received many expressions of the entire confidence reposed in him by the city school authorities, as well as of the high esteem in which he is held by the grateful patrons of the school over which he presides so successfully.

Martin J. Spinks

Occupying a position of trust and of high responsibility in the industrial affairs of the community, with the affairs of which, both past and present, this history treats, Martin J. Spinks, mechanical engineer for the Champion Bridge Company, of Wilmington, this county, enjoys the unbounded confidence of the company in whose interests his talents are actively engaged and the esteem of all with whom he is brought in contact. A fine native energy and the posession of a valuable sense of initiative, together with an inherent talent for the work which he is so ably performing, have brought Mr. Spinks to his present position, and it is but proper that a record should here be preserved of the steps by which he has attained to that position, a position requiring a special ability of a high order.

Martin J. Williams was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, and when quite young was bereft by death of both of his parents. At the age of nine yerrs he was formally adopted by William and Kate Spinks, prominent residents of the neighborhood of the pleasant village of Cuba, this county, the order of adoption legally conferring upon him the name of Spinks, by which he, of course, ever since has been known. He was the only child of his parents.

Growing up on the farm of his foster parents near Cuba, Martin J. Spinks was given an excellent home, receiving from Mr. and Mrs. Spinks all the devotion and consideration they could have paid to a son of their own. They gave him: a good eduaition, keeping him in the public schools until he had complete? the course there )re- scribed, and after that sent him to Wilmington College for a further course. Upon completing his college work, Mr. Spinks entered the ranks of Clinton county's excellent corps of school teachers, and for three years was very successfully engaged in teaching in the district schools of the county. At the end of that time he decided to improve his native talent for mechanical drawing, having luug before discovered that this form of endeavor possessed for him an unusual attraction, and thoroughly grounded himself ip the art of draftsmanship, after which, in 1896, he entered the service of the ' Champion Bridge Company, at Wilmington, as a draftsman, and has ever since been employed in the offices of that extensive concern, Displaying his aptitude for this form of work, Mr. Spinks rose rapidly in the ranks of that company's eniployes, and presently was promoted to the post of mechanical engineer and designer, a position which he still holds, the substantial and scientific character of his work being demonstrated on bridge construction throughout this entire section of the country.

On October 15, 1905, Martin J. Spinks was united in marriage to Ethel B. Williams, who was born at Lebanon, Ohio, daughter of Paul and Mary (Thompson) Williams, who now are living at Wilmington, this county, Mr. Williams, a well-known carpenter, being the constable of the township.

Mr. and Mrs. Spinks are members of the Methodist church and take a warm interest in the good works of their home community and are very popular in their wide circle of acquaintances. Mr. Spinks is a York rite Mason, belonging to the commandery at Wilmington, is past high priest of the chapter and past commander of the commandery. He also is a member of the Wilmington lodge of the Knights of Pythias, and in both of these popular orders takes a warm interest, being regarded with high favor by his lodge associates.

Martin J. Spinks is doing well those things his hands have found to do. Having cultivated his natural talent, he has turned it to useful advantage and very properly may be regarded as a prominent factor in the industrial development of this section of the state.

Among the prominent physicians of Wilmington, Ohio, who have endeared themselves to the hearts of the people of this city, and who are recognized as pre-eminent in their profession, is Ulysses Grant Murrell, M. D., who was born near London, Madison county, Ohio, June 19, 1868, the son of John and Mary (Coberley) Murrell, the former of whom was born in Virginia in 1841 and who died in 1908, and the latter of whom was born 1n Madison county, Ohio, in 1847 and who died in 1912.

Doctor Murrell's paternal grandparents were Thomas and Sarah Murrell, who were early settlers in Clinton county, Ohio, and who owned and lived on a farm in Liberty township, where they died. They belonged to the Methodist Protestant church. His maternal grandparents were Thomas and Louisa Coberley, who were natives of Pennsylvania, and of Pennsylvania-Duteh stock. They were early settlers in Madison county, Ohio, and there lived on a farm at the edge of London.

The late John Murrell was a mere lad when the family came to Clinton county, Ohio. He grew up on the farm, and when nineteen years of age enlisted in the Union army as a soldier 'in Company D, Seventy-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He gave four years of his life to the service of his country, and during the war, while he was living in the barracks at Columbus, met the young woman, Mary Coberley, who afterwards became his wife. At the close of the war he returned to Columbus and was married, and thereafter lived in Madison county for four years, when he removed to Wilson township, Clinton county, and there lived until his death. When he had reached middle life he gave up active farming to devote his time to contract building in Wilson township and vicinity. He was a Republican in politics and a man of more than average prominence, having served on the board of education for thirteen years. He was also a very active worker in the Methodist Protestant church. John and Mary (Coberley) Murrell had four children, of whom Dr. Ulysses G. was the first born; Allen lives in Wilson township, near Bloomington, and is a cement contractor; William lives on a farm in Union township, near Beech Grove; Ora married James Klein, deceased, and she nowlives in Springfield, Ohio.

Ulysses Grant Murrell, M. D., attended the public schools of Bloomington, Ohio, and after finishing his common school education, worked in a dry goods store owned by F. 8. Broomhall, of Wilmington, for five years. After a' time he entered Miami Medical College at Cincinnati, and was graduated with the class of 1896. Immediately after his graduation he located at New Burlington, in Chester township, Clinton county, and practiced medicine there for nine years, at the end of which time, or in 1905, he removed to Wilmington. He has been engaged in the practice of his profession here since that time and has built up a. large and lucrative practice, and possesses the confidence of the people of this city. He belongs to the Clinton County Medical Society, to the Ohio State Medical Association and to the American Medical Association.

On July 11, 1894, two years before his graduation from the medical college, Doctor Murrell was married to Ora Hinshaw, who was born at Westboro, Clinton county, Ohio. and who is the daughter of Garner and Maria Hinshaw, both of whom are deceased. The father was a dry goods merchant, first in Westboro, Ohio, and later in Wilmington. Doctor and Mrs. Murrell have-had two children, Cordelia, born in December, 1898, and Mabel, born in February, 1901.

The Murrell family all belong to the Friends church. Doctor Murrell is a member of the Knights Templar, and also belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

Philip Edwin Snyder

Philip Edwin Snyder, the proprietor of one of the large hardware stores in southern Ohio, has made a worthy success in life because he was never willing to quit, and beause, when the great test of his life came, he was unwilling to yield to misfortune or give up the battle he had previously begun. Stripped of practically all his property in 1895, when the fire swept over Blanchester, he undertook to build up the business he had entered as a partner with a very small investment, and the years which he had spent working for others, and the reputation he had established for honor and integrity gave him unlimited credit 'when it was necessary to start over again. He could have had fifty thousand dollars' credit had he asked it. There is certainly a lesson in this experience for all young men, as it shows conclusively the value of upright dealing.

Philip Edwin Snyder, who began the hardware business with D. H. Moon on a salary of fifty dollars a year, and who worked the second year for eighty dollars, the third for two hundred and forty dollars, was born on October 13, 1869, in Butlerville. Ohio, the son of Philip Augusta and Barbara Ellen (Fox) Snyder, the former a native of Rochester, Ohio, and the latter a native of Germany. Mr. Snyder's paternal grandparents were natives of Ohio, and his maternal grandparents were natives of Germany. His mother came to America with friends, who first located in Indiana. His father, who was educated in the schools of Ohio, was a harness maker, and operated a large harness shop at Butlerville. During the last twenty-five years of his life he became active in real estate and worked as an abstracter until his death, in 1903. His wife died in 1907. He was active in religious affairs and in temperance work, the first prayer meeting held in Blanchester under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal church having occurred in his home. He was also active in the organization of the Methodist Episcopal church at Blanchester, and for many years served as steward and director in that denomination. He had enlisted for service in the Union army during the Civil War, but the regiment was sent back in four days. Philip A. Snyder and wife were the parents of the following children: Henry, Gilbert, Mary, Sarah Jane, Lewis, Nelson, Warren, Giffon, Anna and Philip Edwin.

Philip Edwin Snyder received his education jn the schools of Blanchester. In 1887 he entered the drug and hardware business, working with D. H. Moon. When he entered the business he had invested twenty-five dollars. In a short time afterward a hardware business was formed. In 1895 the big fire swept over Blanchester, burned the store and stock, and having lost the entire stock and the results of his hard labor in this fire. Philip E. Snyder revived the business with his savings of three hundred dollars. He opened a store on the street opposite his present location in a small shed which he erected. One year later he removed to the First National Bank 'building, and since to his present location. He now utilizes over thirteen thousand square feet for hi& stock of hardware, paints, harness, buggies, china, ranges and five-and-ten-cent department. He now has one of the largest hardware stores in southern Ohio. When he undertook to revive the business which had been destroyed by the fire, he found to his great delight that his credit was unlimited, because he had always made it a point to be square in his dealings.

Philip E. Snyder was married in June, 1898, to Lucy Cooper, of Salisbury, Maryland, and to this marriage have been born three children, Clarence, Harry and Isabel. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder are earnest and faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and Mr. Snyder has taken a prominent part in the active work of the church, having served as a director for many years. He is a director in the Ohio Hardware Association, and one of its original members. He is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons.

Alex Crosson

Alex Crosson is one of the prosperous business men of Blanchester, Ohio, who is interested in the lumber business, in the operation of the Blanchester Flour Mill, and is president of the Merchants and Farmers Bank.

Mr. Crosson was born within one mile of Blanchester, Ohio, on Lick run, July 14, 1844, the son of George and Charlotte (Morrison) Crosson, both natives of Marion township. His paternal grandparents were early settlers in Clinton county, the paternal grandfather having emigrated from Ireland to this country. The maternal grandmother of Mr. Crosson was the first person buried in the cemetery at Blanchester. Both the paternal and maternal sides of the family were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and both families entered land in Clinton county, Ohio.

The late George H. Crosson, who received only a limited education, was a farmer' by occupation and owned one hundred and thirteen acres of land near Blanchester. Eleven children were born to George and Charlotte (Morrison) Crosson, five sons and six daughters, of whom one son, Edward, served as a soldier in the Civil War in the One Hundred and Seventy-fifth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

Alex Crosson's early life was spent on the farm and he engaged in farming until five years after his marriage, when he moved to Blanchester, and entered the meat business. In the fall of 1870 he "salted"? one hundred hogs in partnership with Squire Rice, but this business was continued only a year and one-half, when Mr. Crosson sold out and engaged in the retail lumber and implement business. In 1883 he established a flouring-mill at Blanchester, and still owns and operates this mill. He was one of fourteen men to organize the Merchants and Farmers Bank, of Blanchester, and some years later he became its president, and still holds this office. It is a private bank, and is now owned by Mr. Crosson and four others. He is also interested in the Starham

Company, being president of it. He is also connected with a large mercantile store in Blanchester, and is acting as president of this business.

On January 1, 1866, Alex Crosson was married to Mary J. Leggett, and to this union two children were born, Emma and Lenna. In 1876, Mr. Crosson was married, secondly, to Mary E. Supinger, and to this union two children were born, Laura and G. R.

Robert J. Lacy

The gentleman, whose life history is here given, is one of those strong, sturdy characters who have contributed largely to the welfare of the community where he lives, being a business man of more than ordinary sagacity and foresight, and as a citizen, progressive and public spirited in all that the term implies.

Robert J. Lacy is descended from sterling Virginian ancestry, his great-grandparents, John Johnson and Ruth (Clevenger) Lacy, both having been born in the Old Dominion, in which state also part of their children were born. In 1816 they drove through with wagons to Clinton county, Ohio, buying a tract of land near Cuba. He cleared and improved the place, but eventually claimants to the title of Mr. Lacy's land made their appearance and in court they defeated him and he died without much property. To him and his wife were born ten children, five sons and five daughters. Robert J. Lacy's paternal grandfather, Enos Lampkin Lacy, was born near Apple Pie ridge, Virginia, in 1806, and died on April 1, 1880, near Wilmington, Ohio. He always carried on farming and first bought one hundred acres of land near Burtonville, Ohio, which he sold one year later and bought two hundred acres of timber land in Union township. Of this he cleared up one hundred and fifty acres and sold the remainder to his brother. In 1860 he bought a tract of land just south of the city of Wilmington and lived there until his death, in 1880. He was prominent in the county and was an ardent supporter of the Democratic party, serving as county commissioner of Clinton county. He was interested in local affairs and served as a director of the First National Bank.

Enos lL. Lacy married Sarah Wright, who was born in Clinton county, Ohio, in 1808 and died in 1862. She was the daughter of Abel and Sarah Wright, who were natives of Pennsylvania and became early settlers in Washington township, Clinton county, where the father followed farming. To Enos L. and Sarah Lacy were born the following children: Joshua, who is now eighty-seven years of age; Elijah, who is deceased and who was a prominent farmer in Clinton county and the father of Robert J., and Peter, who was a retired Jumberman and lived in Knoxville, Illinois, where he died on July' 26, 1915, at the age of eighty-four. Joshua now lives on the site of his father's old home on the south edge of the city of Wilmington. Joshua Lacy was married on March 12, 1850, to Ruth C. Bankston, who is still living. Joshua Lacy owns many acres of land and is.numbered among the prosperous men of his locality.

The maternal grandparents of Robert J. Lacy were residents of and died in Indiana and there his mother, Sarah Jane Lea, was born on January 21, 1827. Her death occurred in Wilmington, Ohio, in 1894. On November 8, 1852, she was married to Elijah Lacy, who was born in Clinton county, Ohio, on April 22, 1829, and who died on October 31, 1901, in Wilmington, Ohio. Elijah Lacy was reared and lived on the home farm until 1889, when he retired and moved to Wilmington. He was a stanch Democrat in his political affiliations and was a man of splendid personal character. To him and his wife were born four children: Augusta, who died in 1884, and Who was the wife of Doctor Connard, of New Vienna, Ohio; A. Wulbur, a retired farnter, who lives in Wilmington; Mary E., who died on February 25, 1914, and who was; the wife of Dr. George W. Wire, of Wilmington; and Robert J., who is the subject of this sketch.

Robert J. Lacy was reared on his father's farm and secured a good practical education in the public schools. He remained on the home farm until about thirty years of age and then moved to Wilmington and engaged in the livery business for several years. He had taken a deep interest in public affairs and his ability and interest were recognized in 1899, when he was elected sheriff of Clinton county. This was a marked evidence of his popularity, for, although a Democrat, he was elected in a county which has for many years been known as "rock-ribbed" Republican, he being the first Democrat to hold a county office for over thirty years. Mr. Lacy's residence is at 228 North South street. Since the expiration of his efficient term, he has been giving his attention to his private business affairs and the management of his farms. Mr. Lacy was one of the founders and has served as president since its organization of the Clinton County Mutual Insurance Company. A man of good business judgment and forceful personality, he has made his presence felt in local business circles and is numbered among the good business men of his community.

On May 18, 1890, Robert J. Lacy was married to Louie A. Evans, who was born in Greene county, Ohio, near Spring Valley, the daughter of Isaac and Matilda Catherine (Stump) Evans. Isaac Evans now lives retired in Xenia, Ohio, and his wife died in 1897, at the age of sixty-two years. Matilda Evans was the daughter of Jonas and Prudence (Smalley) Stump, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Clinton county, Ohio. Mrs. Stump's parentS had. come to this state from Pennsylvania, her father being one of the first settlers of Clinton county. Isaac Evans' parents were Robert and Sarah (Copic) Evans, both natives of Carolina, who came to Greene county, Ohio, in the early days. Here Mr. Evans had a mill on the Miami river. They were Quakers in religious belief.

Carey A. Holladay

Men who begin the duties of tife under serious handicap and without the patient and affectionate guidance of parents of their own flesh and blood are entitled to the profound respect of the community for whatever they accomplish in life. Carey A. Holladay, a prominent undertaker of Wilmington, Ohio, was adopted by a family without children when he was one and one-half years old, and, taking their name at that age, never knew any other than his foster-parents', who were Louis and Nancy (Cartwright) Holladay, both natives of Highland county, Ohio, and both now deceased. "While his early life was protected, in so far as foster-parents are capable of guarding and protecting the interests of a child; yet from the time he was ten years old Carey A. Holladay was compelled to shift for himself. That he succeeded unaided in his personal efforts is a great tribute to his personal energy and worth.

Carey A. Holladay was borh at Sabina, Clinton county, Ohio, September 7, 1865. His foster-father died on June 25, 1899, and his foster-mother died on July 4, 1910. The former was a farmer near Sabina and an ardent Republican politically, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. He and his wife had no children of their own.

Educated in the public schools of Sabina, Ohio, in 1875, at the age of ten years, Carey A. Holladay came to Wilmington, and for the next eight years worked at whatever he could find to do. In 1883 he began working for C. A. Marble, a well-known undertaker, and learned the business from him. Subsequently, he attended a professional school at Columbus, Ohio, and on January 1, 1898, bought out Mr. Marble, and after that, until April 4, 1903, he was in partnership with Frank McDonald in the undertaking business. On the latter date he purchased the interest of Mr. McDonald and since that time has carried on the business alone. In 1897 Mr. Holladay and Mr. McDonald purchased the Thomas Carruthers corner in Wilmington and he still lives in that home.

In October, 1888, Mr. Holladay was married to Margaret Smith, a native of Clinton county, Ohio, and the daughter of Austin and Martha Smith, both of whom are now

Carey A. Holladay is a member of the Presbyterian church and a Republican in politics. Fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the Junior Order of United American Mechanics.

Mr. Holladay is a man of generous and humane impulses, charitable to a fault, honored and respected by his fellow townsmen, and worthy of their highest commendation and praise. Needless to say that he is the recipient of their respect and esteem, freely conferred upon him in bountiful measure.

William H. Carnahan

The earliest. Carnahans known in America were two brothers, who came from Ireland, one of whom took a claim where Washington, D. C., now stands. The other located in Pennsylvania. It is from the brother who located on the site of the capital that William H. Carnahan is descended. Later he removed from Washington, D. C., to North Carolina, and became the father of Aaron Carnahan, the great-grandfather of William H. James, the brother who located in Pennsylvania, was either a captain or lieutenant in the War of 1812, and after the close of that war was drowned in the Susquehanna river.

William H. Carnahan, a well-known merchant of Blanchester, Ohio, and dealer in farm implements, was born near Cuba, Clinton county, January 17, 1849, the son of David and Deborah (Thornhill) Carnahan, the former a native of Somerset, Kentucky, and the latter a native of Tennessee.

David Carnahan carried a chain on the survey of the road from Goshen, Indiana, to Martinsville, Ohio. He was born in Kentucky in 1812, the son of Aaron and Alvira (Mitchell) Carnahan, who, in 1831, settled in Washington township, Clinton county, Ohio, where they acquired a farm and where they subsequently died. David Carnahan was: educated in the pioneer schools of his home neighborhood, and after his marriage rented a farm in Washington township, receiving as his share all that he raised. After his father's death he lived with his mother for a time, and then removed to Marion township, where he purchased fifty acres of land. This tract had a double log house upon it, but in 1856 he built a two-story brick house, which is still standing. Subsequently, he added forty-six acres to his original holdings, and owned at the time of his death ninety-six, acres of excellent land. Mr. Carnahan's wife, the mother of William H., was Deborah Thornhill, who was born in Ohio in 1814, the daughter of Barnett and Ruth (Jones) Thornhill, natives of Kentucky, and early settlers in Washington township, Clinton county; Ohio; where they engaged in farming. David Carnahan and wife were the parents of ten children, of whom four sons, John, Fergus, Barnett and Aaron, were soldiers in the Civil War. John was a member of Company C, Fifty-fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer' Infantry, a regiment of Zouaves. Fergus was a soldier in the One Hundred and Seventy-fifth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Barnett was a member of Company C, Seventy-ninth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and Aaron also served in the same company as his brother. Barnett. The latter was on the march from Atlanta to the sea with General Sherman, and when the regiment participated in the Grand Review at Washington, only twenty members of his company were left. Barnett, however, was not in a hospital nor an ambulance during his entire service. The other members of this family were Ruth, Harvey, William H., James, Mary and Louisa. Mrs. David Carnahan died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Mary Trovilo, at Blanchester.

William H. Carnahan received the rudiments, of an education in the common schools of Marion township, and in the village schools of Blanchester. During the early years of his life he was engaged in farming, a vocation which he followed for twenty- six years on the old home place. In 1877 he entered the farm-implement business, and has been continuously in this line since. He gives all his time and attention to it and has been very successful in his operations.

Mr. Carnahan is a mémber of the time-honored order of Free and Accepted Masons. He is a well-known citizen of Blanchester, and one who enjoys the confidence and esteem of all the people of this community, where he has lived for so many years.

Odos L. Haworth

The late Odos L. Haworth was a well-known business man of Blanchester, this county, a prominent restaurant keeper of that town. He was born at Wilmington, this county, the son of Thomas and Mary (Drake) Haworth, and died on September 22, 1912. Thomas Haworth was born on June 19, 1844, and died on March 28, 1909. He was married on March 5, 1872, to Mary Drake, who was born on September 16, 1848, the daughter of Daniel and Ann (Messereu) Drake. Thomas Haworth was engaged in farming all of his life in Clinton county and owned seventy-three acres of land in Union township. He and his wife were the parents of four children, of whom Odos L. was the eldest, the others being Ralph W., Clarence L. and Edith D., wife of Orvall Wall. Thomas Haworth was the son of Richard M. and Elizabeth (West) Haworth, the former of whom was a native of Clinton county, born at Dover in 1824, and one of the early farmers of this county. He was the son of Mahlon and Phoebe (Frazier) Haworth, the former of whom was born in Frederick county, Virginia, on October 23, 1775, later emigrating to Tennessee and still later coming to this county, locating at Dover about 1803.

Odos L. Haworth entered the Star restaurant with his father in Sabina in 1896 and was in business tt that point for about two years, moving to Blanchester in 1898, where he continued in the same business the rest of his life. The business is now conducted by his widow. At the age of nineteen years, Odos L. Haworth took up the study of telegraphy at the Cincinnati & Muskingum Valley railroad station at Wilmington and after having become proficient as a telegraph operator, worked at Roseville, Washington and Wilmington, becoming express agent, with William McMillan, at the latter point and was twenty-one years old when he entered into partnership with his father in the management of the Star restaurant.

On April 22, 1894, Odos L. Haworth was married to Ada R. Staubus, who was born at Wilmington, daughter of Louis J. and Mary J. (Clark) Staubus. Louis J. Staubus was born on March 2, 1849, in Augusta county, Virginia, and was married on December 22, 1870, to Mary J. Clark, who was born in Augusta county, Virginia, on June 19, 1849, daughter of William D. and Rachel R. (Miller) Clark. Louis J. Staubus was the son of Jacob Staubus, a native of Germany, who came to America with his parents at the age of four years, locating in Augusta county, Virginia, where he became a farmer and where he and his wife, Regina Swatzel, died. They were the parents of five children, John C., William, David, Louis J. and Ellen. Louis J. Staubus was educated in the common schools of Augusta county, Virginia, and came to Ohio when a young man. After living in this state for several years he returned to Virginia, where he was married, and about 1874 he and his wife moved from Highland county, Ohio, to Reevesville. He has been a contract plasterer all of his life. Mr. and Mrs. Louis J. Staubus are the parents of nine children, namely: Cora, who married George Bernard; Ada R., who married Odos L. Haworth; Leona E., who died at the age of six years; Worthy. who married Olive West; Samuel P., who died in infancy; Lottie Lee, who became the wife of James Bernard; Anna L., who is the wife of Harry Brook; Emma, who married

Granyille Gano, and Royal D., who married Gayle Brown. Mr. and Mrs. Staubus are members of the Methodist church, and he votes the Democratic ticket.

Odos L. Haworth was a well-known citizen of Clinton county, a2 man who was honorable and upright in all of the relations of life, who was admired by his fellow townsmen and respected for his cordial and friendly attitude toward the public at large, and his death in 1912 was mourned by many friends.

Milton L. Hunt

The late Milton L. Hunt, a former well-known banker and merchant of Martinsville, this county, was born on February 2, 1886, in Clinton county, a son of Jesse and Anna (Moon) Hunt, the former a native of Grayson county, Virginia, and the latter a native of Clark township, this county.

Like most boys born and reared on the farm, Milton L. Hunt attended the country school, but pursued his education further in the high school at Martinsville and in the normal school of Lebanon, Ohio. After finishing his education, he was engaged for eight years in teaching school, during the last three years of which time he was principal of the Martinsville public school. He then became a book-keeper in the Clinton County National Bank of Wilmington, a position which he occupied until October, 1867, when he engaged in the mercantile business at Martinsville, with Larkin Cleland, under the firm name of Cleland & Hunt. About six years later this firm succeeded Moore & Hunter in the Farmers Bank, and Mr. Hunt was engaged in the banking business until his health failed, in 1896. After retiring from business, in that year, he continued to live at Martinsville until his death, in 1907.

Having begun life with very limited means, Milton L. Hunt succeeded in a large measure as a teacher, merchant and banker, and, at the time of his death, few men living in Clinton county were more widely known or more highly respected than he. For sixteen years he served as township treasurer of Clark township and as treasurer of the special school district and corporation for the same length of time. For five years he was a member of the board of school examiners.

On November 1, 1866, Milton L. Hunt was married to Sarah E. Wright, daughter of James and Mary Jane (West) Wright, who was born in Clark township, this county, on September 29, 1845. Mrs. Hunt's father, James Wright, was born in South Carolina in 1804, the son of John and Sarah (Haworth) Wright, prominent members of the Society of Friends in South Carolina. About 1808 John Wright entered land on the present site of Martinsville and eventually became the owner of a large tract of land, including a farm that Mrs. Hunt now owns. John Wright erected his first house where Mrs. Milton L. Hunt now lives in Martinsville, but in that time there were no neighbors for miles around and the land was a dense wilderness. He and his wife were descendants of good old Quaker stock and were devoted members of the Friends church. James Wright's wife, who, before her marriage, was Mary Jane West, was the daughter of James West, who was the son of Owen West, one of the pioneer settlers of Clinton county. James and Mary Jane (West) Wright had only two daughters, one of whom died early in life, the other being Sarah B., who is now the widow of Milton L. Hunt.

To Milton L. and Sarah FE. (Wright) Hunt were born two sons, James Wright Hunt and Reid Hunt. The former was graduated from the Harvard Law School, and immediately after his graduation began the practice of his profession at Duluth, Minnesota, and has become one of the successful lawyers in the great northwest. He married Hildegard Pearl, a native of Texas, July, 1901. Reid Hunt, the eather son, who is a well-known pharmacologist, was born on April 20, 1875, at Martinsv'Ue. The following account of him is condensed from "Who'is Who in America:" "He received the

Bachelor of Arts degree from Johns-Hopkins University in 1891, the Ph. D. degree in 1896. Later he was a student at the University of Bonn, Germany, and received the degree of Doctor of Medicine from the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Baltimore in 1896. On December 12, 1908, he married Mary Lillie, daughter of Hannis Taylor, minister to Spain during the two administrations of President Cleveland. He has successfully been a tutor in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York, professor of pharmacology in Johns-Hopkins, chief of the division of pharmacology in the United States public health and marine hospital service} and is the author and joint author of a large number of technical works on medicine and pharmacology." Reid Hunt is now professor of pharmacology in Harvard Medical School.

James F. Fitzhugh

Few men in Clinton county are better known or more generally popular than the gentleman whose name forms the caption of this biographical review. On both the paternal and maternal sides of his family James F. Fitzhugh is a scion of distinguished families in this section of Ohio, pioneers who exerted a powerful influence in the formative period of this favored region. His father was a second' cousin of Gen. Robert PB. Lee, the leader of the Confederacy, and he was connected with the Washington family through his grandmother, Anne Ashton, who was a daughter of Augustine Washington, brother of George Washington; while his mother was the daughter of one of the foremost pioneers of southwestern Ohio, her father having been one of the first two lawyers who began practice in Xenia, and for many years was a prominent member of the Ohio General Assembly. It is a pleasure on the part of the biographer to here set out some of the salient points in the interesting career of Mr. Fitzhugh, who stands in the forefront among the citizens of the city of Wilmington.

James F. Fitzhugh is a native of Clinton county, having been born in Wilmington, the son of Lawrence and Clarissa (Elsberry) Fitzhugh, the former of whom was born in Alexandria, Virginia, in February, 1802, and died at his home in Wilmington, this county, in February, 1855, and the latter of whom was born at Xenia, this state, in 1816, and died on August 20, 1886.

Lawrence Fitzhugh, one of the most prominent of the pioneers of Clinton county. was the son of Nicholas and Sarah (Ashton) Fitzhugh, both natives of Virginia, and representatives of two influential old colonial families. Nicholas Fitzhugh was a distinguished lawyer in the Old Dominion and for many years was justice of the United States district court for that district, his entire life having been spent in the city of Alexandria. Anne Ashton, the mother of Sarah (Ashton) Fitzhugh, was a daughter of Augustine Washington, brother of George Washington, and inherited fourteen hundred and twenty-five acres of land in the adjustment of the Washington estate. The Fitzhughs were members of the Npiscopal church and occupied high positions in the old Virginia aristocracy.

Lawrence Fitzhugh inherited from his parents six thousand acres of the Spottswood survey, in the southern part of Clinton county, and in 1824 came to Ohio to enter upon his inheritance. He first located at Chillicothe, where he remained about a year, at the end of which time he came to Clinton county, locating at Wilmington, where he spenr the rest of his life, becoming one of the most influential citizens in the county. For two terms Lawrence Fitzhugh served the public as county clerk, in which position his services proved of incalculable value in the proper preservation of the county's early records, and, after that period of service, he served with equal efficiency and high regard for the welfare of the public for some years as county auditor. He was an ardent

Lawrence Fitzhugh sold off his vast holdings in the Spottswood survey in tracts, as settlers sought homes in that part of the county, and became quite wealthy. In 1831 he erected a fine brick residence on Locust street, Wilmington, which at that. time was regarded as one of the handsomest residences in southwestern Ohio. The imposing front of this old mansion is still standing, forming an attractive portion of the present home of James F. Fitzhugh and his sister, Catherine L. Lawrence Fitzhugh, in addition to being one of the most extensive real estate dealers in this section of Ohio, was largely. interested in other enterprises of that day, and was a most public-spirited and energetic man. He was one of the organizers of first Cincinnati, Wilmington & Zanesville, which later became the Cincinnati & Muskingum Valley Railroad Company, and which is now operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company,. which line passes through Wilmington, and. he was a director in that company. until his death.

In 1831 Lawrence Fitzhugh was united in marriage to Clarissa Elsberry, of Xenta, Ohio, daughter of William and Blizabeth (Miller) Elsberry, prominent residents of Xenia. William Elsberry, a native of North Carolina, came to Ohio upon reaching man's estate and became one of the most influential members of society in the Xenia neigh-~ borhood. He engaged in the practice of law, being one of the first attorneys of Xenia. He rapidly attained a commanding position in that community and for years served his district most usefully in the General Assembly, acquiring a reputation as a wise and prudent Jegislator, which is not forgotten to this day. His wife, Elizabeth Miller, was a native of the Dayton neighborhood, a member of one of the first families to settle in that section. Both she and her hushand were members of the old-school Presbyterian church end prominent in all good works thereabout. William Elsberry lived to be seyenty-six years of age, having performed well his part in the affairs of his community.

To Lawrence and Clarissa (EJsberry) Fitzhugh were born ten children, namely: William E., Sarah A., Henry W., Eliz: beth E., one who died in infancy, Jane, Mary, James F., Clarissa and Catharine. William E. Fitzhugh was born in 1832 and died an August 10, 1889, with the rank of commodore in the United States navy. At the age of fifteen, on November 20, 1848, he entered the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, being an appointee from Ohio, and was graduated with honor. William E. Fitzhugh's naval record, briefly epitomized, is as follows: 1849-51, attached to frigate "Cumberland," Mediterranean squadron;- 1852-8, sloop "Cyane," home squadron; 1854, Naval Academy; June 15, 1854, promoted to and passed midshipman; 1854-55, sloop "John Adams," Pacific squadron; 1855, promoted to master; September 17, 1855, commissioned lieutenant; 1856-7, sloop "St. Mary," Pacific squadron; 1857-60, sloop "Vincennes," coast of Africa; 1861-62, steam sloop "lancaster," Pacific squadron; July 16, 1862, cominissioned lieutensnt-commander: 1862-3. steam sloop "Iroquois," North Atlantic squ:dron; 1864, West guif blockading squadron; August, 1864, at engagement with Ft. Morgan; 1864-5. commanded steamer "Quiachita." Mississippi squadron; received the surrender of Rebel forces on Red river; 1866-7, commanded: steamer "Paul Jones," Gulf squadron ; 1868-70, commanded reviewing ship "Nerfolk'; 1870-1, commanded flag-ship "Severn," North Atlantic fleet; 1873-4, equipment duty, Mare Island; 1875-6, ordnance duty, Mare Island: November 25. 1876. commissioned captain; August 25, 1887, commissioned commodore. He then went on the court of inquiry at Yokohoma, Japan, in 1887. Later he was president of a board for the sea trial of the new cruiser "Yorktown," in March, 1889. He was then commanding officer at New London, Connecticut, from April 1, 1889, until his death. William E. Fitzhugh was a man of broad culture, and his naval service having carried him into ail parts of the world, he thus gained a truly cosmopolitan refinement. :

Fitzhugh died at the age of thirty. Elizabeth Fitzhugh married David Sanders, later moving to Cincinnati, where she died. Jane Fitzhugh died at the tender age of thirteen years. Mary Fitzhugh married J. H. McMillan, both she and her husband now being deceased. Clarissa Fitzhugh died in 1914 and Catharine L. Fitzhugh remains in the old home, presiding with clarming dignity in the household maintained by herself and her brother, now the sole survivors of this interesting family.

James F. Fitzhugh received his elementary education, in the public schools of Wilmington, supplementing the same by a course in Delaware University. Upon completing this course he entered the law office of Judge Harlan, at Wilmington, and, under the careful tutelage of this fine old preceptor, gained a thorough and comprehensive acquaintance with legal procedure. 'Though he was admitted to the bar of the Clinton circuit court, Mr. Fitzhugh never engaged actively in the practice of law, his time being fully occupied by other interests. For six years he was engaged in the mining business in Arizona, but after the death of his widowed mother, in 1886, he returned to Wilmington to take charge of the important interests involved in the settlement of the considerable Fitzhugh estate and ever since has continued to make that city his home. He and his sister are the proprietors of four hundred and seventy-five acres of fine land, situated in two farms in Union township, besides being interested in other enterprises, to which Mr. Fitzhugh is required to give his close personal attention.

Mr. Fitzhugh has been quite a traveler and is a most companionable man, possessing a large fund of reminiscences upon which to draw in the exercise of his admirable conversational powers. He and his sister are deeply concerned in all measures designed to secure the greatest advancement of the common interests locally and are held in the highest esteem by their large circle of friends and acquaintances in this and adjoining counties. Mr. Fitzhugh is a Democrat and gives a good citizen's attention to the political affairs of the county, being deeply interested in the elevation of political standards in administrative affairs in county, state and nation. A fitting expression of the public's confidence in his sagacity and sound judgment was conyeyed in his recent appointment on the important commission named to locate and build a new court house in Wilmington.

Alfred Irvin MeVey, former Clinton county educator, and now cashier of the First National Bank of Blanchester, was born on September 5, 1864, in Highland county, Ohio, the son of Isaac and Martha (Job) MeVey, both natives of the same county.

The paternal grandfather of Mr. McVey was Noah McVey, who was a native of Virginia and a pioneer in Highland county, Ohio. Noah MeVey was a farmer most of his life, but for some time was a merchant in Leesburg, Ohio.

Mr. MeVey's maternal grandparents were natives of Virginia, and also early settlers in Highland county, Ohio, where they lived and died as farmers.

Isaac McVey was born at Leesburg, Highland county, Ohio, and died in the same county where he had followed the occupation of a farmer practically all of his life. He neyer aspired to political preferment, and his only military service was as a guard at the Monroe bridge when Morgan's army of invasion was expected in Ohio. At one time he was the owner of one hundred and seventy acres of land, and engaged in general farming. Isaac and Martha (Job) McVey were the parents of fourteen children, four of whom are deceased. The names of these children, in the order of their birth, are as follow: Mabel, Clara, Leslie, Turner (deceased), Alfred, Alvah, Newman, Minnie, Eunice, Burleigh, Stanley (deceased), Bertha (deceased), Anne, and Harry (deceased ).

Alfred Irvin MeVey, after receiving the rudiments of an education in the common schools of Highland county, Ohio, was graduated from the Leesburg high school in 1888. Immediately after his graduation he began teaching, although as a matter of fact, he really had begun in the teaching profession in the spring of 1887, before his graduation

He continued in educational work until 1907, in the meantime having taught in the district school of Highland county three years as instructor in the eighth grade at New Vienna, two years as the principal of the schools at Reisville, six years as superintendent of the schools at Martinsville, and two and one-half years as superintendent of the schools in Blanchester.

Upon the organization of the First National Bank of Blanchester, Mr. McVey was made cashier and assumed his duties on March 9, 1907. He has served continuously in this capacity ever since.

On August 18, 1887, Alfred I. McVey was married to Anna M. Terrell, of Highland county, and to this union two-children were born, Bessie and Jessie. The former died at the age of seventeen years, and the latter is a teacher in the Blanchester schools. The mother of these children died on December 9, 1891, and on June 5, 1894, Mr. McVey was married, secondly, to Mintha M. Eaton, daughter of Joseph and Hattie Eaton, of New Vienna, Ohio.

Mr. McVey is a member of the Knights of Pythias. He served as county school examiner of Clinton county from 1901 until six months after he abandoned educational work and entered the Blanchester Bank. Mr. McVey is a member of the Friends church, and his daughter, Jessie, is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

David V. Ireland, a prominent physician of Wilmington, Clinton county, Ohio, was born near Bellville, Richland county, Ohio, on August 15, 1855, the son of David and Susan (Hoke) Ireland. David Ireland was born near Mt. Vernon, in Knox county, Ohio, in 1812 and died in October, 1854, and his wife, Susan Hoke, was born in eastern Pennsylvania in 1816 and died in February, 1889. On the parental side, Doctor Ireland is descended from Scotch and Irish ancestry. His grandfather, John Ireland, was born near Glasgow, Scotland. After marrying an Irish girl, John Ireland immigrated to the United States, settling near Mt. Vernon, Knox county, this state, where he acquired possession of the farm on which he and his wife spent the rest of their lives. On the maternal side, Doctor Ireland inherits Dutch blood, his Grandfather Hoke having been born in Holland and, soon after his marriage, immigrated to eastern Pennsylvania, where he engaged in farming for a few years. Later he moved to Knox county, Ohio, and there spent the remainder of his days.

David Ireland was reared in Knox county and early in life learned the trade of a carpenter. He became proficient and had begun business as a contractor when the Mexican War broke out. He enlisted and served throughout that struggle, contracting a disease which later caused his death. After returning from the war, he bought a farm in Richland county, Ohio, but later located on a farm north of Fredericktown, in Knox county, where he spent the rest of his life. Though he managed his farm to advantage, he made most of his money by buying and selling farms, buying them at a reasonable figure and holding them until their value increased. He. was an ardent Whig, but later joined the Republican party, in the advancement of which he took a deep interest. His wife was a member of the Christian church. Prior to her marriage to Mr. Ireland, she had been the wife of John Moree, who died leaving three sons, John, who was in the Union army during the Civil War and died of sickness at Knoxville, Tennessee, on the night of President Lincoln's assassination; Benjamin, a lawyer who lives in Fredericktown, Ohio; and Amos, a farmer in Kansas. To David and Susan Ireland were born the following children: George N., born in March, 1850, who died in 1900, was a physician for fifteen years in Wilmington, after which he took a special course in diseases of the eye, ear and nose, in which he became a specialist and located in Steubenville, where his death occurred a short time after; Levi, who is a carpenter in Fredericktown, and Dr. David V., who is the youngest.

A476 Clinton County, Ohio

David VY. Ireland received his elementary education in the public schools of Fredericktown, graduating from the high school there and, during the following four years taught school in Knox and Highland counties. In 1878 he entered upon the study of medicine in the office of his brother, Dr. George N., at Wilmington, with whom he remained for three years and then attended the Cleveland Homeopathic College for one year. Later he matriculated in the Hanneman Medical College in Chicago, from which he was graduated, and then located and practiced his profession for three years at Jamestown, Ohio, He then practiced at London, Ohio, for a number of years and then moved to Dayton, where, for four years, he was engaged in sanitarium work. The following four years he practiced at Chillicothe, Ohio, and in the fall of 1913 located in Wilmington, where he has since been engaged in the practice of his profession. His ability was quickly recognized and he is now in possession of a large and representative clientele there. Doctor Ireland is a member of the Southeastern Ohio Medical Society, and in 1914, at Chicago, was elected president of the American Society for the Study of Spondylotheropy, or the real science of diagnosis by examining the spinal column.

On January 1, 1883, Dr. David V. Treland was married to Adda M. Weagley, who was born in Bellville, Richland county, Ohio, daughter of William H. and Eleanor (Whitford) Weagley, the former of whom is a high-school teacher, now retired from active service. To this union were born six children, Fred V., an artist-in New York City; Jessie, who died at the age of nine years; Georgiana, a kindergarten teacher in Montana; Freda, a teacher of art and music in Michigan; George, a student in the Ohio State University and who is also taking second year's work in the Columbus Art School; and Lillian, who is a student in Wilmington College. Politically, Doctor Treland is a Republican. The mother of these children died in February, 1899, and in September. 1914, Doctor Ireland married, secondly, Bess D. Umsted, a native of Ross county, Ohio.

William Hale

To write the personal records of men who have raised themselves from humble circumstances to positions of responsibility and trust in a community is no ordinary pleasure. Self-made men who haye achieved success by reason of their personal qualities and who have impressed their individuality upon the business and civic and commercial life of their place of residence possess an unconscious power for good which can hardly be estimated. Unwittingly, perhaps, they build) monuments more enduring than marble obelisk or granite shaft. The yenerable William Hale, who is descended from ' long line of illustrious ancestors and who has been prominent in the political and agricultural life of Clinton county for a half century, but who is now living retired in Wilmington. undoubtedly belongs to this class of men.

William Hale was born in what is now Adams township, but which was then called Vernon township, in Clinton county, Ohio, on November 11. 1835, the son of Jacob and Hannah (Andre) Hale, the former born in Guilford county, North Carolina, in 1800, and died in 1849, and the latter born in Adams township, this county, in 1812, ana died in 1896.

Jacob Hale was the son of Jacob and Martha Hale. The senior Jacob Hale was the son of Joseph and Ruth (Harlan) Hale. and was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, on September 4, 1763. and died in Adams township, this county. on September 5, 1851. In 1786 he was married to Martha Harvey, who was born in Randolph county, North Carolina, on December 15, 1766. daughter of Isane and Elizabeth (Carter) Harvey, and who died on June 23, 1859, in Adams township, this county. Jacob Hale. Sr.. grew up in Chester county. Pennsylvania, and about 1784 moved, with his brothers and sisters, to Randolph county, North Carolina, where he wos married two years later. In 1808

To Joseph and Margaret (Harvey) Hale were born eleven children, as follow: Samuel H., born on February 14, 1787, married Martha Ward; Elizabeth, February 26, 1789, married James D. Massey; William, September 27, 1791, married Mariah Sabin; Eli, December 29, 1794, married Anne Hadley; Ruth, March 3, 1797, married John Hadley; Lydia, March 29, 1799, married John Harlan: Jacob, July 7, 1801, the father of William, the subject of this sketch, married Hannah Andrew; Martha, July 7, 1803, married Hiram Mendenhall; Joseph, July 9, 1804, was twice married, the first time to Rowena Harlan, and the second time to Sarah Sewell; Armoni, September 21, 1806, married Elizabeth Ewards, and Mary, September 26, 1810, married Isaac Roseberry.

Before leaving Chester county, Pennsylvania, for North 'Carolina, Jacob Hale inherited a snug fortune and had a considerable amount of money when he arrived in North Carolina. In addition to owning a mill he also owned a five-hundred-acre tract of land on Brandywine creek in North Carolina. The battle of Cowpens was fought near his farm.

On September '3, 1808, Jacob Hale and family left North Carolina with their ten children for Ohio, and after forty-two days on the road arrived at John Hadley's cabin in Adams township, this county, Mrs. John Hadley being a sister of Mrs. Jacob Hale. The Hadleys had twelve children, and the two families. comprising twenty-six persons, spent a part of the winter in Hadley's one-room cabin, or until Jacob Hale could erect a cabin farther up the fork. Being a brick mason, in 1815 he built a brick house overlooking Todd's fork, where he lived until his death, in 1851. at the age of eighty-eight years. He also built the Clinton county court house in 1816. a building of brick which was about fifty feet square and for which he received one thousand dollars. The brick were made on the ground adjoining the court house. Both Jacob Hale and his wife were members of the Quaker church and in those early days in this county were prominent in the affairs of this church.

The maternal grandparents of William Hale were Samuel and Delilah Andrew, both of whom were born in North Carolina and who were married there. In 1810 they located in Adams township, this county, and purchased'a farm. They also were Quakers and had two sons and two daughters.

Jacob Hale, Jr., grew up in what is now Adams township, this county, and throughout his entire life was a farmer. He owned a good farm and died at the age of fortynine years, a Whig in politics and a member of the Friends church. His widow never remarried.

William Hale, the subject of this sketch, was the eldest of three children born to his parents, the others being Susanna, who married Alva Gallup, both of whom are deceased, and Alfred, who is deceased. William Hale was thirteen years old when his father died, and he was compelled to go to work with the responsibility of the head of the house, since he was the eldest child. _He worked on his mother's farm until his marriage, and soon afterwards purchased one hundred and thirty acres of land in Vernon township, where he lived a few years and then purchased*two hundred and twenty-eight acres in Adams township. At this latter place he lived until March, 1915, when he retired and removed to Wilmington, at which place he lives in a comfortable home, which he purchased, on North South street. Practically all of his active life Mr. Hale was engaged in buying and shipping stock by the train load. During his active career he served eight years on the Clinton county board of agriculture and six years as county commissioner. For a few years he maintained an office in Ogden, Ohio, where he purchased grain and wool.

On March 11, 1858, William Hale was married to Mary M. Ent, who was born in Frederick City, Maryland, the daughter of George and Lydia Ent, the former a carriage

To Mr. and Mrs. William Hale have been born five children, all of whom are living. Orlando C. is a traveling salesman and lives in Cincinnati; Frank is a farmer in Vernon township; Flora married H. A. Coats and they live in Adams township on a farm; Charles is the mayor of Clarksville, Ohio; Harry is a resident of Wilmington, where he is a hardware salesman. 3

The venerable William Hale has lived a long and useful life in Clinton county. By: his energy, foresight and wise management he has contributed to the progress of this section of the state. He is a worthy descendant of the far-seeing pioneer who sought a home in this great state.

James Edward Bernard

To a great extent the prosperity of the agricultural sections of our country is due to the honest industry and the sturdy persistence and unswerving economy of the individual citizen. Among this class may be mentioned James Edward Bernard, who, by reason of his years of indefatigable labor and honest effort, not only has acquired a well-deserved competence, but has also won and retained the high esteem of all with whom he has ever been associated.

James E. Bernard was born near New Vienna, in Green township, Clinton county, Ohio, on April 11, 1868, a son of James K. and Keziah (McVay) Bernard, the former of whom was born in Green township, this county, in 1830, and died in September, 1907, and the latter of whom was born on January 18, 1888, and is still living.

James K. Bernard was a son of George W. and Harriet C. (McConnell) Bernard, both natives of Virginia, the former of whom was born in 1799 and came to Highland county, Ohio, with his parents, Thomas Bernard and wife, in 1805, the family being one of the first to settle in this region, George W. Bernard being six years old at that time. Later the family came to Clinton county, locating in Wayne township. They were members of the Friends church, and were excellent farmers and useful citizens. Mr. Bernard's maternal grandparents, Christopher and Martha McVay, also came from Virginia to Clinton county, where they located on a farm in Wayne township. The family were members of the Christian church, and took an active part in the affairs of that denomination.

The late James K. Bernard was born on a farm in Clinton county and became a very prosperous farmer, having been the owner of eighteen hundred and fifty acres of land in Clinton county, comprising twelve farms in all, which land, with the assistance of his sons, he accumulated by his own personal efforts. Late in life he retired from active farm life and moved to New Vienna, where his death occurred. His widow still lives in New Vienna. Before ,his death, James K. Bernard divided his land among his children, of whom there were nine, James Edward being the sixth in order of birth. John R. lives on a farm in Green township. George W. is also a farmer in Green township. Harriett C., who married James Carey; lives on a farm in Green township. (harles O. is a farmer in the same township. Mattie, who married Lon Hildebrand, is a resident of Wilmington, her husband being retired. Christopher ©. lives at Sabina, Ohio, where he is a retired farmer. Cora, who married Charles Johnson, lives in Green township, and Oscar is retired and living in New Vienna, Ohio.

James Edward Bernard was educated in the district schools near his home; but his educational advantages were limited, since he was able to attend school only two months each year. At the age of twenty-three, Mr. Bernard was married, and began life for himself by renting land: from his father for one year. The next year he purchased one hundred and seventy-five acres in Wayne township, where he lived for eighteen years, subsequently adding forty acres to the original tract. In 1908 he sold his farm and removed to Wilmington, purchasing a farm near Clarksville, in Vernon township. In 1913 he sold this latter farm and purchased the Starbuck hardware store. After conducting this business for two years, Mr. Bernard sold out, in the spring of 1915, and, with his family, moved to Wilmington, where he purehased- a comfortable house at 504 Walnut street, and he and his family now make their home there.

On January 29, 1891, James E. Bernard was married to Emma Matthews, who was born in Clarksville, this county, the daughter of John W. and Olive Matthews, both of whom live at New Vienna. where the former is a retired farmer. To this union six children have been born, namely: Leone, born in December, 1893; Virgil, 1895; Stanley, 1897; George, 1899; Olive, 1901, and Harry, 1905. ;

James Edward Bernard is a Democrat in' politics, but owing to his extensive farming and business interests, has not taken an active part in political affairs. The Bernard family are all members of the Christian church. Fraternally, Mr. Bernard is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, and of the Modern Woodmen of America.

In Wilmington, where Mr. Bernard has lived for several years, he is recognized as an honorable and upright citizen and is quite ponular among his fellow townsmen. He takes a commendable interest in worthy public movements, and is connected with all worthy public enterprises.

Frank W. Lieurance

Frank W. Lieurance, who is now living retired in Wilmington, formerly was engaged in farming in Washington township, this county, where for nineteen years he operated a farm owned by his father-in-law. During the past three years he has been an invalid, and during this period has suffered severely from rheumatism. He is a well-respected and highly honored citizen and is well known among his fellow townsmen.

Frank W. Lieurance was born on March 29, 1866, in Clark township, this county, the son of Amos W. and Anna (Baker) Lieurance, the former of whom was born in the same township, in 1841, and is still living. It is a remarkable fact that Amos W. Lieurance weighed sixteen pounds at the time of his birth. His wife was born in 1842, and is also still living. Mr. Lieurance's paternal grandparents were Alexander and Sallie (Bales) Lieurance, both of whom were born in North Carolina. Alexander Lieurance was three weeks old when his parents started from North Carolina to Ohio and he was carried on a pillow to their new home in Clark township, this county. After growing 'to maturity amidst pioneer surroundings, and receiving a meager education in the pioneer public schools, he became a farmer and lived to an advanced age in this county, rearing a family of two sons and three daughters, all of whom were members of the Baptist church. Mr. Lieurance's maternal grandparents were 'William and Sallie Baker, both of whom were born in this county, their parents having been among the very earliest settlers in Clark township, and members of the so-called Campbellite, or Christian church. William Baker owned two hundred acres of the home farm besides other land.

Amos W. Lieurance grew up on the farm in Clark township, and after his marriage purchased a farm of one hundred and seventy-two acres in the same township, where he and his wife yet live. As a farmer for many years he has been engaged in raising and handling fine horses and is well known as a breeder and stockman. He is a Republican in politics and his wife is an ardent member of the Christian church. To them were born four children, of whom William, the second born, died at the age of sixteen years; Cloe married John Noftsger; Frank W., the third born, and Stella, who married Alfred Graham.

Frank W. Lieurance grew up on his father's farm in Clark township and until he was twenty-eight years old lived with his parents. Afterwards he rented a farm from his father-in-law in Washington township and for nineteen years was engaged in farming. In 1914 Mr. Lieurance removed to Wilmington, and there he now lives in a pretty home at the corner of Walnut and Birdsall streets. Mr. Lieurance is identified with the Republican party and has taken more or less active interest in the affairs of that party.

In February, 1895, Frank W. Lieurance married Tude Skimmings, who was born in Washington township, this county, the daughter of John J.-and Lucinda Skimmings, both of whom are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Lieurance have no children.

A successful farmer while he was engaged in that occupation, Frank W. Lieurance has always been rated as a first-class citizen, an honorable man, tolerant in his views and charitable to a fault. He is a man who, so far as he has been able, has lived strictly according to the precepts contained in the Golden Rule, and enjoys the respect and esteem of his many friends.

Miss Ellen C. Wright

Descended on both the maternal and paternal sides from men and women who have been prominent in the history of this country, and especially in the history of the Friends church ever since the coming of William Penn to America, Miss Ellen C. Wright is a graduate of the first class which finished at Wilmington College, in 1875, and for forty years has been a teacher in Wilmington College. During this period she held the chair of Latin in this institution, and is now the librarian of the college. An ardent Friend, she is also a wonderful teacher, and is widely known as "Teacher Ellen." On her maternal side she is descended from Ellen Cowgill, a widow, who, with five children, was a passenger on the good ship "Welcome," which in 1682 brought William Penn to America. Ellen Cowgill was the great-great-great-great-grandmother of Miss Ellen C. Wright, her maternal grandfather, Henry Cowgill, having been the son of Henry II. who was the son of Henry I, who was the son of John, who was the son of the aforesaid Ellen Cowgill.

Miss Wright's father and mother were Joseph and Lydia (Cowgill) Wright, and on her paternal side she is also descended from substantial Quaker ancestry. Her father was born on November 24, 1812, and died on November 2, 1907. Her mother was born in Highland county, Ohio, on December 24, 1815, and died on February 10, 1892, Joseph Wright was the son of John and Hannah (Gilbert) Wright, the former of whom was born in Bedford county, Virginia, and who was the son of Joseph and Elizabeth Wright, who moved from Bedford county, Virginia, to Columbiana county, Ohio. The father of Joseph Wright, Sr., was a large slave owner, but remarked that Joseph had gone to Ohio and joined the Quakers and "would not want my property," so Joseph, Sr., got none from his will. Hannah (Gilbert) Wright, who was born in Louden county, Virginia, was the daughter of Joseph and Ann Gilbert, who removed from Louden county, Virginia, to Columbiana county, Ohio, after Hannah was grown. John and Hannah ( Gilbert) Wright were farmers and early settlers in Highland county, Ohio. John died about 1821, and after his death his. widow married Samuel Coffin, both of whom lived to a good old age.

Henry and Eleanor (Barrett) Cowgill, who were the parents of Miss Wright's mother, were both natives of Virginia, and married in 1794 in Franklin county. After their marriage they removed to Culpeper county, Virginia, and lived on a farm for thirteen years, after which they removed to Paint township, Highland county, Ohio; Miss Wright's mother was the youngest of ten children, all of the members of the family having been Friends.