Fayette County, Ohio - Biographical sketches (2 of 2 so headed), 1914 (part 2 of 11)

The paternal grandparents of Doctor Stitt were William and Ellen (Holland) Stitt, both natives of this county. William Stitt was a farmer living northeast of Bloomingburg, in Paint township, and later moved to

The maternal grandparents of Dr. Howard Stitt were Robert and Ellen (Miller) Morris, natives of Ohio and early settlers in Paint township, Fayette county. Robert Morris died in Washington C. H. at the age of seventy-one, and his wife is still living at the age of seventy-two. They reared a family of eight children, John, Mattie F., Charles, Gertrude, Frank, Corda, Maude and Earl.

Dr. Howard Leigh Stitt was reared in Bloomingburg, and after graduating from the high school in that place entered Miami University in order to take the course necessary to enter a medical college. After doing the required amount of work in Miami University he entered the Medical College of Cincinnati, an institution which was later merged with the Ohio Miami Medical College and is now a part of the University of Cincinnati. From this institution he graduated with honors in 1910, and served for a year as interne house physician and surgeon in the Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati. In 1g11 he came to Washington C. H. and opened an office for the active practice of his profession, at No. 114 East Market street. While he has been engaged in the practice only a short time, yet he has won the confidence of the people to a marked degree, and is rapidly securing his share of the patronage of the city and the surrounding territory.

Doctor Stitt was married October 21, 1912, to Margaret McClure, the daughter and only child of Robert D. and Henrietta (Eyler) McClure. Mrs. Stitt was born at Rarden, Scioto county, this state, both her parents being also natives of Ohio. Her mother is deceased and her father is now

Doctor Stitt and his wife are loyal and consistent members of the Presbyterian church. Fraternally, he belongs to the Free and Accepted Masons and the Knights of Pythias. While at Miami University he was initiated as a member of Alpha Chapter, Sigma Chi, and has always retained an active interest in his college fraternity. He is also a member of the Nu Sigma Nu, a Greek-letter medical fraternity, which had a chapter at the Medical College of Cincinnati. He also holds his membership in Fayette County, Ohio State and the American medical associations.

Charles Db Parker

There are individuals in every community who by pronounced ability and force of character rise above the heads of the masses and command a place among the leaders of their locality. Characterized by perseverance and a directing spirit, two virtues that never fail, such men always make their presence felt and the vigor of their strong personality serves as a stimulant and incentive to the young and rising generation. To this energetic and enterprising class Charles B. Parker, of the firm of Parker & Wood, very properly belongs. A native of this county, he has traveled far and wide over the western part of the United States and been engaged in business as a railroad contractor in many states. For the past ten years he has been a resident of this city of his birth and a member of the manufacturing company of Parker & Wood, manufacturers of all kinds of wood work. His life has been characterized by indomitable energy and perseverance, and the success to which he has attained has been the result of the utilization of these qualities.

Charles B. Parker, the son and only child of Joseph and Eliza (McElwain) Parker, was born in Washington C. H. October 25, 1875. His father was born in Warren county, this state, and reared to manhood in that county. As a young man he learned the carpenter trade and followed the building and contracting business all of his life. He came to Fayette county shortly before the Civil War and married Eliza McElwain, a native of the county, and located in Good Hope, where he lived for a number of years. He then moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he followed his business as a builder and contractor for a short time. In 1878 he returned to Good Hope, in Fay- ette county, Ohio, where his death occurred in the same year, his wife still surviving him. He was reared as a Baptist, while his wife has been a life-long member of the Methodist church.

Joseph Parker was the son of Joseph and Julia (Holcomb) Parker, natives of Ohio. Joseph Parker, Sr., was a Hardshell Baptist preacher, although the meager compensation of the preachers of the early days compelled him to follow some other occupation for a means of livelihood. He farmed for many years in Warren county, and later in life moved to Good Hope, Fayette county, where he died at an advanced age. His wife afterwards died in Washington C. H. Rey. Joseph Parker and wife reared a family of four children: Capt. John B. Parker, of Portland, Oregon; Mrs. Catherine Yeoman, of the state of Washington; Joseph B., the father of the immediate subject of this sketch, and Charles F., deceased. The parents of Eliza McElwain, the wife of Joseph Parker, Jr., were William and Maria (Nye) McElwain, early settlers of Fayette county, Ohio, where they died at an old age. Maria was an aunt of the renowned poet and wit, "Bill Nye," and the daughter of Major Ichabod Nye, who made a gallant name for himself in the War of 1812. The original McElwain stock came from Scotland and the first members of the family settled in Virginia. William McElwain and wife reared a family of nine children, Capt. John McElwain, Mrs. Nancy Burner, Mrs. Mollie Nitterhouse, Judge Thomas DF Mrs, Eliza) Parker, Mrs. Asenath Blanchard, Robert T., Mrs. Eva McLean and Mrs. Willie Carmean.

Charles B. Parker was reared in Washington C. H. and received the best education which was afforded by the city schools. Upon reaching his majority he went to Arizona and located in Kingman, where he engaged in the mercantile business and mining for three years. In 1896 he returned to Washington C. H., and a year later returned to the West, where he was engaged in railroad construction work. His father had been a builder and contractor and in this way he had acquired a fair knowledge of the business. He remained in the West and Southwest until 1904, when he returned to Washington C. H. and, in company with J. M. Wood and C. F. Parker, organized the Parker & Wood Manufacturing Company. They manufacture all kinds of wood work and have in their employ from twenty to thirty people all the time. Owing to the excellence of their work and their honest methods of dealing, they have built up a large trade in their line and are classed among the most prosperous and substantial firms of the city.

been born' 'two children, Charlotte- S. and Harriett Ann. The mother of Mrs. Parker is deceased, while her father is still living in Washington C. H. Mrs. Parker is one of three children born to her parents, the others being John and: Opal.

Politically, Mr. Parker has always been allied with the Republican party, but owing to the fact that he has been away from the county so much and since returning been so busy with his manufacturing interests, he has not had the time to take an active part in political affairs. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, while he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

To attain a worthy citizenship by a life that is honored and respected trom childhood deserves more than passing mention. One may take his place in public life through some vigorous stroke of public policy and remain in the hearts of his friends and neighbors, but to gradually rise to the same position, winning through sterling worth and faithfulness to trust, rather than by a craving for popularity, is worthy of the highest praise and commendation. Such has been the life of Tolen E. Brown, a prosperous farmer of Madison township and the present recorder of Fayette county, Ohio. The people are demanding better officials today and when a man proves satisfactory in office, it is becoming the custom to re-elect him, an honor which has come to Mr. Brown in the office of county recorder.

Tolen E. Brown, the only child of Isaac and Belle (Vance) Brown, was born in Madison county, Ohio, September 25, 1880. His father was reared in Madison county, and lived the life of a farmer there until his death, in 1881; his wife lives in this county. The parents of Isaac Brown were early settlers in Ross and Madison counties, Ohio, where they reared a family of four children, John, Isaac, Prudence and Anna. ` Isaac Brown's wife's parents were Thomas and Mary (Harrison) Vance, both natives of Ohio. Thomas Vance was a farmer and died in Fayette county in middle life, his wite still surviving him, at the advanced age of eighty-six years. Ten children were born to Thomas Vance and wife, Robert, Batteal, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Benjamin, Martha, Fannie, Josephine, John and Belle, the wife of Isaac Brown.

of age. He recéived a good common school education in the district schools of these three counties. His father died when he was one year old and he lived with his mother and grandmother until reaching maturity. He married at the age of twenty-one and then began farming in Madison township, this county, where he has met with success commensurate with his efforts. He was farming in that township when was elected to the office of county recorder in the fall of 1910, and since that time has lived in Washington C. H. He is a Democrat in politics, and has served as township trustee of Madison township for one term before his election as county recorder, and so satisfactory was his first term that he was re-elected in the fall of 1912, and is still performing the duties of that responsible position in a manner which indicates that he is a man of ability and efficiency.

Mr. Brown was married December 24, 1901, to Rosa F. Uhrig, the daughter of Philip and Laura (Hammond) Uhrig, and to this union were born two children, Selden E. and Beulah May, both of whom died in childhood. Mrs. Brown was born in Ross county, Ohio, her mother being a native of this state, while her father was born in Germany. Both of her parents are now living at Madison Mills, Ohio, where they moved after retiring from the farm. Philip Uhrig and wife are the parents of four children, Anna, Rosa, Carrie and Laura.

Mr. and Mrs. Brown are both consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Fraternally, Mr. Brown belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Washington C. H. and the Knights of Pythias at Madison

Amos Thornton

From the pioneer period through many decades, Amos Thornton has been identified with the business and material interests of Fayette county and Washington C. H. and he has won for himself an honorable position in the circles in which he has moved. Not a pretentious or exalted life has been his, but one that has been true to itself and to which the biographer may revert with feelings of respect and satisfaction. He is recognized as a man of strong and alert mentality, deeply interested in everything pertaining to the advancement of the community along material, civic and moral lines, and for years he has been recognized as one of the representative men of within three miles of the court house, on November 27, 1833. His parents were Thomas B. and Mahala (Harper) Thornton, who were born and reared in Virginia. They were the parents of eight children, namely: Amos, the subject of this sketch; James, of Oklahoma; John Anderson, deceased; William H., of Washington C. H.; Elon, living in Washington.C. H.; Thomas, of near Gallatin, Tennessee; Austin, deceased, and Noah, of Union township. Thomas B. Thornton was a farmer and acquired the ownership of about six hundred acres of land in Union township, which he improved and developed into a valuable estate, and there he died in the ninetieth year of his age. His widow, who died at the age of eighty-six years, was born in Pendleton county, Virginia, and was a Baptist in her religious faith. Thomas B. Thornton was a man of good business judgment and unquestioned integ- _ rity and served his county efficiently as county commissioner.

The subject's paternal grandfather came from Norfolk, Virginia, with his wife, and they settled near Columbus, Franklin county, Ohio, where he died. Eventually his widow came to Fayette county and married again, her second husband being Mr. Coyle. She died near Van Wert. To the first union were born two children, James and Thomas. The former possessed a roving disposition and he drifted away, his subsequent history being unknown. The subject's maternal grandparents were Jacob and Phoebe (Harmon) Harper, natives of Pendleton county, Virginia. They came to Fayette county in 1829, but subsequently moved to Missouri, where the wife died. Mr. Harper returned to Fayette county and his death occurred in Union township. To him and his wife were born the following children: Sabina, Mahala, Tana, Phoebe, Delilah, Simeon, Enos, Elon, Isaac, Jacob, Noah and John.

Amos Thornton was reared in Fayette county and this has been his home for more than eighty years. He lived on his father's farm until seventeen years old, and secured his education in the district schools. When seventeen years old he came to Washington C. H. and learned the trade of saddler and harness-maker, which vocation he followed for a few years. When nineteen years old he made the long, tiresome and dangerous trip across the western plains to California, lured by the wonderful tales of sudden wealth to be found there, the trip requiring five months after crossing the Missouri river, and ox teams being used for motive power. Mr. Thornton engaged in mining gold and passed through many strange and memorable experiences. In December, 1856, he returned to his Eastern home and resumed work at his trade, which he followed until the outbreak of the Civil

War, when he enlisted in Company A, First Regiment Ohio Cavalry. He served faithfully and courageously with this command until the close of the war, receiving an honorable discharge on May 31, 1865. Being in the cavalry branch of the army, he took part in many of the most important movements of the southern armies and had some severe engagements with the enemy. He served in Virginia until 1864, when he went to Nashville, Tennessee, and was assigned to the quartermaster's department and given charge of about seventy-five men who were detailed to make saddles for the army.

After his return home Mr. Thornton engaged in farming in Fayette county, applying himself closely to this vocation for fifteen years and meeting with pronounced success. He then moved to Washington C. H., and in 1881 . he engaged in the coal business, with which he is still identified, being numbered among the enterprising and successful business men of his city.

On the 5th day of January, 1857, Mr. Thornton married Artie Allen, who was born in Union township, the daughter of James and Elizabeth (Van Gorder) Allen. To this union were born two sons, James Allen and Charles Lawson. James A. is a partner with his father in the coal business. He married Louisa Reichart, and they have two children, Robert A. and Frank. Charles L., who also is associated with his father and brother in the coal business, married Annie Bell and they are the parents of four children, Esyl, Eva, Amos and James. Mrs. Thornton's parents were natives of Pennsylvania, who became early settlers of Fayette county, Ohio. They came here with one child, and at that time were very poor, the trip being made on horseback. However, Mr. Allen was industrious and ambitious and eventually became quite well-to-do, accumulating about three thousand acres of land. He died here when about seventy-six years of age, being survived several years by his widow. Their children were as follows: Ellen, Allen, Benjamin, Joseph, Eber, Ann, Madison, Elmira, Rebecca, Mariby, Esther and Artie. Mrs. Thornton's paternal grandfather, Jeremiah Allen, was a native of Pennsylvania.

Politically, Mr. Thornton has been a life-long supporter of the Republican party, while, fraternally, he is a member of Fayette Lodge No. 107, Free and Accepted Masons, and to Hayes Post, Grand Army of the Republic. Mrs. Thornton is a member of the Presbyterian church and is a lady of charming personality, who has long been numbered among the good old ladies of Fayette county.

Mr. Thornton's long and useful life as one of the world's workers has been one of devotion to whatever labor he has addressed himself, and well does he merit a place of honor in every history touching upon the lives and deeds of those who have given the best of their powers for the betterment of

Willtam Dial

Few citizens of Fayette county are as widely and favorably known as William H. Dial, one of the oldest real estate and insurance men in Washington C. H. and one of the community's most useful and highly esteemed men. His life has become a part of the history of the locality in which he has made his home for many years, and his long and honorable business career has brought him before the public in such a way as to gain the esteem and confidence of his fellow men. Keen perception, tireless energy and honesty of purpose, combined with mature judgment and every-day common sense, have ever been among his most prominent characteristics, and, while laboring for individual success and for the material interests of the community, he has also been largely instrumental in promoting the moral welfare of those with whom he has mingled.

William H. Dial is a native son of the old Buckeye state, having first seen the light of day in Clermont county on the 26th day of September, 1847. He is the son of Joseph S. and Lucinda (Weaver) Dial, who also were natives of Ohio. They were the parents of six children, four of whom lived to years of maturity, namely: Mary E., unmarried and living in Washington C. H.; William H., the immediate subject of this review; Anna Belle, the wife of Barton Fairfield, of near San Francisco, California; David Franklin, of New Richmond, Ohio, and two who died early in life. Joseph S. Dial was born and reared in Clermont county, and there followed the vocation of farming, being the owner of one hundred and ten acres of splendid land, which he greatly improved and where he reared his children. He spent the greater portion of his own life there, his death occurring in 1896, at the age of seventy-seven years. His wife died in 1904. They were both Methodists in their religious faith and exemplified their faith in their daily lives. The subject's paternal grandparents, David and Elizabeth ( Robinson) Dial, were born, respectively, in North Carolina and Ohio, and were: farming folk. Their deaths occurred in Clermont county, he at the age of fifty-five years, and she eight years later, at about the same age. They were the parents of nine children, six sons and three daughters, namely: John, Shadreck, William, Joseph, Stephen, Mahla, Mary, Anna and Caro- line. On the maternal side the subject is descended from William and Mary (Robinson) Weaver, natives of Virginia, where they' followed farming. Eventually, William Weaver brought his family to Ohio, and they were numbered among the early settlers of Clermont county. There their deaths occurred, he when fifty-five years old and she at seventy-two years. To them were born two sons, twins, and four daughters, Wesley, Henry, Mary Ann, Cena, Catherine and Lucinda.

William H. Dial spent his boyhood years on his father's Clermont county farm, and secured his education in the district schools and the high school at Amelia, where he graduated. Later, to adequately prepare himself for a business career, he took a course in a commercial school in Cincinnati, following which, for three years, he was employed as collector for a business house. In 1875 Mr. Dial came to Washington C. H. and engaged in the insurance, real estate and loan business, in which he has been successfully engaged continuously to the present time, a period of almost forty years. That he has prospered and today enjoys one of the largest clienteles in his line in Fayette county is a matter of general knowledge and is due entirely to his zeal in going after business and the honorable way in which he has handled it, his relations with his customers ever being of the most pleasant and satisfactory character. He possesses a very accurate knowledge of real estate values and is considered an authority in the appraisal of values. Mr. Dial is a stockholder and director of the Washington Savings Bank and Trust Company, and is a man of far-sighted judgment and keen sagacity.

Politically, Mr. Dial has been a life-long supporter of the Democratic party and has filled several city offices with great satisfaction to his fellow citizens, being at the present time a member of the board of public safety for Washington C. H. Religiously, he is, with his wife, a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he has been a trustee for many years, taking an active and effective interest in the various phases of church work. Fraternally, Mr. Dial has long been an active and enthusiastic member of the Free and Accepted Masons, holding membership in Lodge No. 107; Fayette Chapter No. 103, Royal Arch Masons ; Fayette Council No. 100, Royal and Select Masters; Garfield Commandery No. 28, Knights Templar ; Scioto Consistory, Scottish Rite Masons, at Columbus, and Aladdin Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He has filled practically all the chairs in these various bodies, excepting the Scottish Rite and the Shrine.

William H. Dial has been married twice. On the 13th day of November, 1870, he married Susanna Foster, who was born at Georgetown, Brown, county, Ohio, the daughter of Capt. John S. and Margaret (Thompson)

Foster. These parents were both natives of Ohio, and both died in Clark county, being buried in Fayette county. Mr. Foster was a soldier in the Civil War and organized an independent company in Georgetown, of which he became captain and with which he served nearly all through the war. To him and his wife were born two sons and four daughters, Edwin T., Susanna, Belle, Catherine, Mollie and John K. John S. Foster's father was Thomas Foster. To William H. and Susanna Dial were born three children, namely: Sarah Frances, who remains at home; Georgia May, who died April 18, 1898, at the age of twenty years; John Franklin, who is his father's business assistant, married Ruth Stuckey, and they have a son, William Richard, born August 30, 1914. The mother of these children passed away on July 14, 1904, at the age of fifty-three years, and on October 12, 1905, Mr. Dial married Georgia Holcomb, who was born in Morgan county, Ohio, the daughter of B. M. Holcomb, who was the son of Elijah Holcomb. Her parents, who were natives of Ohio, lived at various times in Columbus, Washington C. H., and Circleville. They were the parents of five children, namely: Jennie, the wife of J. N. Riley; Luella Holcomb Arnold, deceased ; Georgia, the wife of William H. Dial; William E. and Wildia Holcomb Morrow. Mrs. Dial is a woman of gracious qualities of character and is well liked by all who know her.

Mr. Dial is a man of genial nature, unassuming in his relations with others, and because of his genuine worth and high qualities of character he has deserved the high regard in which he is held by all who know him.

John Wesley Anderson

The history of any city, county or state is the record of the lives and deeds of those who have in various ways performed the duties of citizenship. In the complex system of society as it is today there is need for men in a great variety of occupations. It is fortunate that all men do not want to be preachers or teachers or lawyers; that all men do not want to be farmers or blacksmiths or railroad men. There are hundreds of occupations in the United States today, and a town the size of Washington C. H. will have at least a hundred different occupations. An important industry which is found represented in every town of any size in the country is the retail meat market business and this city boasts of one of the best equipped retail meat markets in the state.

= John Wesley Anderson, the proprietor of the White Tile Meat Market, was born near Leesburg, Ohio, September 9, 1870. He is a son of James C. and Hannah Ellen (Swift) Anderson, natives of Ohio and the parents of seven children: William S., deceased; John Wesley, with whom this narrative deals; Chloe E., the wife of Stephen Rogers, of Seymour, Indiana; Allie. the widow of Edward Teeters; Auber D., now in the Mt. Vernon hospital ; Dollie, the wife of Addie Coler, of Denver, Colorado, and James H., of Washington C. H.

James C. Anderson was reared near Centerfield, Ohio, and spent his boyhood days on the farm. At the opening of the Civil War he enlisted in Company I, Eighty-first Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served for three and one-half years. He participated in some of the hardest fought battles of that great struggle and was wounded three times while in the service. He was killed in a railroad accident at Leesburg, Ohio, in 1887, at the age of forty-four years. His wife lost her eyesight at the age of thirtyfive and died at the age of sixty. James C. Anderson and his wife were both devout members of the Friends church, and were always greatly interested in the work of the church. He was a son of Rev. Benjamin and Rebecca (Dimmick) Anderson, natives of Ohio and Scotland, respectively. Benjamin Anderson was a Methodist minister and one of the pioneer circuit riders of Ohio. The parents of the wife of James C. Anderson were William and Nancy (Amos) Swift, natives of Ireland and Ohio, respectively. She died at the age of seventy-six, while he lived until he was ninety-two years old. William Swift and wife were the parents of eight children, Hannah E., William E., John W., Mattie, Elizabeth, Stafford, Harrison and Ida.

John W. Anderson was reared on a farm in Highland county, Ohio, near Leesburg, and spent part of his boyhood days in town. He attended the public schools of East Monroe, and immediately after he left the school room began to learn the butcher's trade. He has been engaged in this business for the past twenty-seven years, twenty years of which has been spent in Washington C. H. He came to this city in 1894, and for six years worked in the shop of William H. Snider, and in 1900 he opened a shop of his own, and his place, known as the White Tile Meat Market, is a model of cleanliness and neatness. He understands every angle of the retail meat business and by his courteous treatment of his customers and his honest, reliable methods, he has built up a trade which is second to none in the city.

Mr. Anderson was married June 14, 1892, to Jennie M. Browder, the daughter of Harmon and Lydia Jane (Coweman) Browder, and to this union have been born three children, Harold B., William H. and Chloe.

Mrs. Anderson was born near Greenfield, Ohio, both of her parents being 'natives of this state. Harmon Browder and wife were the parents of four children, Mrs. Sallie Limes, Edward, Mrs., Cora Brown and Jennie,. the wife of. Mr. Anderson. bot) valk ae

Mr. Anderson and his, family. are, a members of the Methodist Episcopal church... Fraternally, he is a member, of the, Knights of Pythias and the Royal Arcanum. In politics, he.has always adhered to the. Republican party, but has never been active in political matters.

The life history of John Craig, ex-county auditor of Fayette county and a farmer living on his fine tract of eighty-five acres on the Jeffersonville pike about one mile from Washington C. H., shows what good habits, industry and stanch citizenship will accomplish in the battle for success in life. His record is one replete with duty well and conscientiously performed in every relation of life and special honor is attached to his career owing to the fact that he was one of those loval sons of the Union who offered his services and his life if need be for the preservation of the nation during the dark days of the sixties. Throughout his life, Mr. Craig has been an advocate of wholesome living and cleanness in politics as well and has always stood for the highest and best interests of the community in which so many of his active years have been passed and which has been honored by his citizenship.

John Craig was born on December 25, 1839, in Cincinnati, Ohio, a son of William and Sarah (Van Pelt) Craig, who were the parents of ten children, the immediate subject being the second child in order of birth. The others are Mary Anna (deceased), Charles W. (deceased), Thomas M., Asbury J., Amanda E., Russell, Arabella, Susan Jane and Elizabeth. William Craig, the subject's father, was born in the state of New Jersey and was brought to Cincinnati by his parents when a young boy. In that city he acquired his trade of a carpenter, at which vocation he worked almost the balance of his life. He was married upon first coming to this county, where he remained for a comparatively short time, when he returned to Cincinnati, where the immediate subject of this sketch was born. While the subject was still a baby his father returned to this county, locating at Staunton, where he engaged in the general merchandise business and where he remained for about fourteen years, when he removed to Marion county, Iowa. It was at

Staunton, therefore, that the subject received his earliest schooling, later attending the schools of Marion county when the parents took up their abode there. There he passed several years of his younger manhood and he later returned to this county with a sister. It was from this point, in answer to President Lincoln's call to arms, that he enlisted as a private in Company C, Fifty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Col. Thomas Kilby Smith. For three years he remained in the service and was in many of the most important engagements of. the war, among them being the battles of Shiloh, Haines Bluff and important skirmishes enroute to Vicksburg. He spent a tedious period of three months in the hospital at Milliken's Bend. After receiving his honorable discharge from service, he returned to this county and for some time he traveled all over the state operating a notion wagon, from which he sold goods and took orders from rural merchants. Tuiring of this unsettled life after a time, he secured a farm in this county, which he rented for some time and later purchased the farm which he now owns and where he has since made his home. Since obtaining possession of this land he has made many important improvements in it so that today it is considered one of the excellent farms of the community. Mr. Craig is a man skilled in many lines, as witnessed by the fact that he was in the restaurant and bakery business for a time and the additional fact that by his father he was initiated into the secrets of carpentry and he has followed this trade more or less ever since.

Mr. Craig's fraternal affiliation is with the Knights of Pythias and he is also a member of John M. Bell Post No. 119, Grand Army of the Republic. Politically, he is a stanch supporter of the principles of the Republican party, in the affairs of which he has been active in many ways. Mr. Craig is a man who is popular with all classes and when his name appeared on the ticket as a candidate for the office of county auditor, his friends rallied to his support and twice he was elected by a good majority. With the greatest efficiency he discharged the duties of that office to the satisfaction of all.

Shortly after his return from the army, on November 16, 1866, Mr. Craig was united in marriage to Matilda A. Sollars, a daughter of Isaac and Hannah (Jones) Sollers, the former of whom was a native of Fayette county. He was a son of Samuel Sollars, a native of England who emigrated to this country w hen a young man and secured government land in this state under the administration of President Jackson. Isaac Sollars was the father of eleven children, four of whom are deceased. These are Jonathan, Isaac M., Jacob T. and Eliza J. Those living are Mary E., Matilda

(wife of the subject), Wells B., Barton, Ella H., Samuel and Alsina. Mrs. Craig has been a resident of this county all her life. Mr. and Mrs. Craig are the parents of two sons, Isaac F., who married Anna Artz and resides in Dayton, this state, is the father of three children, Lucile, Ellen and Emily. William, the younger son, married Barbara Young and has one son, Malcolb W.

Personally, Mr. Craig is a man of clean character who has ever exerted a healthful influence in the community, giving his support to any movement which promised the advancement of the interests of those about him in any legitimate way. He has long been regarded as among those men who are interested in the advancement of township and county affairs and through his manner of living and his varied interests here he has won a host of friends who regard him as one of the leading men of the county.

Humphrey Jones

It can not be other than interesting to note in the series of personal sketches appearing in this history the varying conditions that have compassed those whose careers are outlined, and the effort has been made in each case to throw well focused light onto the individuality and to bring into proper perspective the scheme of each respective character. Each man who strives to fulfill his part in connection with human life and human activities is deserving of recognition, whatever may be his field of endeavor, and it is the func- 'tion of works of this nature to perpetuate for future generations an authentic record concerning those represented in its pages, and the value of such publications is certain to be cumulative for all time to come. The beginning of the career of him whose name heads these paragraphs was characterized by hard work and conscientious endeavor, and he owes his rise to no train of fortunate incidents or fortuitous circumstances. It is the reward of the application of mental qualifications of a high order to the affairs of business, the combining of keen perceptions and mental activity that enabled him to grasp the opportunities that presented themselves. This he did with success and, what is more important, with honor. His integrity is unassailable, his honor unimpeachable, and he stands deservedly high with all who know him.

Humphrey Jones, well known lawyer, farmer and banker, of Washington C. H., is a native son of the old Buckeye state, having been born on a farm near Jeffersonville, Fayette county, on the 31st day of January, 1857.

He is the son of William H. and Olivia (Hidy) Jones, who were born, he in Wales about twenty miles south of Liverpool, and she in Fayette county, Ohio, near Jeffersonville. To these parents were born six children, namely : Mary J., wife of Luther M. [rwin, of Jeffersonville, Ohio; Emma O., the wife of Richard McCormack, of Columbus, Ohio; William H., of Sullivan county, Indiana; Humphrey, the immediate subject of this sketch; Catyenot London, Ohio; Minnie J., the wife of Dallas Reading, of Jeffersonville, Ohio. The subject's father, William H. Jones, was in early life by trade a cabinetmaker and stair-builder. He remained at his home in northern Wales until nineteen years of age, when he went to Manchester. England, where he followed his vocations, all of the work in those days being done by hand. When twenty-six years of age he came to America and located in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was engaged in stair building and also did considerable general contracting in the building line. During this period, ambitious to better his condition and following a natural inclination, he applied himself to the study of medicine in the Eclectic Medical College of Cincinnati. Upon completing his professional studies, he located at Oak Hill, Jackson county, this state, where for two years he practiced medicine, and then came to Jeffersonville, where he applied himself to the practice of his profession up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1894, when eighty years of age. He was survived several years by his widow, who passed away in 1898, aged sixty-seven years. Religiously, Doctor Jones was, in early life, identifed with the Calvinistic and Presbyterian churches, but later he and his wife identified themselves with the Universalist church. Doctor Jones was greatly interested in educational matters, was public spirited to an eminent degree and during the early sixties he served as a member of the board of county commissioners. He was also a successful business man, having become the owner of several valuable farms in the county.

The paternal grandparents of the subject of this sketch were William aud Jane Jones, natives of Wales, where the father followed farming and milling, and there spent his entire life and died. His widow, with three of her children, then started for the United States, following her son William, who was already established here. However, the mother died at sea, and the orphaned children were compelled to complete their journey alone. They reached Cincinnati, where their brother William tenderly cared for them until they reached mature years. These children were David and Jane, later Mrs. Burnham. Two other children remained in England. On the maternal side, Humphrey Jones is descended from Joseph and Mary (Carr) Hidy, the former a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the latter of Virginia. He was of German descent and she sprang from Irish antecedents. They located in Fayette county, Ohio, where he became an extensive land owner and successful farmer in the early days. They both died here at advanced ages, he being ninety-seven and she eighty-seven at the time of their deaths. They became the parents of ten children, Joseph, Humphrey, Urban, Isaac, William, Olivia (Jones), Margaret (Beatty), Louisa (Tway), Sidney (Brock) and Clarissa (Wendle).

Humphrey Jones was reared on the paternal farmstead near Jeffersonville and received his educational training in the district and village schools. He remained at home until attaining manhood and then successfully engaged in teaching school - that vocation which for thousands has been but a stepping stone to higher things. In the meantime, Mr. Jones was applying himself diligently to the study of the law and in 1883, after two years study in the law office of Hon. Mills Gardner, at Washington C. H., was admitted to the bar. He at once opened an office in Washington C. H., and has been closely identified with much of the important litigation in the local courts as well as in the courts of other counties in the state and in the federal courts during the subsequent years. He has not only won a wide reputation as a successful and able lawyer, but he has.also been successful in his private business affairs, so that today he is counted among the wealthy men of Fayette county. He is the owner of much valuable farming land, which demands considerable of his attention. His farms lie in Wayne, Union, Madison, Marion and Paint townships, this county, and in Sullivan county, Indiana. Mr. Jones has always taken a special interest in upbuilding and developing his farm lands and in improving the methods of farming and stock feeding. Some fourteen years ago he conceived the idea of building silos for use in steer feeding operations and erected several very large concrete silos on his lands. These silos are believed to be the first in the United States built on any considerable scale for steer feeding purposes. Since then this method of steer feeding has been very greatly extended and is now rapidly. coming into general use throughout the corn belt of the country. Mr. Jones has also been a strong advocate of thorough tile ditching and soil upbuilding by the rotation of crops and handling of live stock, and much of his lands have been doubled and trebled in their productiveness by his systematic handling and their value greatly increased. In 1895 Mr. Jones was one of the reorganizers of the People's and Drovers' Bank, at Washington C. H., one of the solid and influential financial institutions of Fayette county, and has since served efficiently as president of that bank, the other officers being William H. Thornton, vice-president, and Roy T. McClure, cashier. The capital stock of the bank is one hundred thousand dollars, with a surplus of thirtyfive thousand dollars.

On June 19, 1888, Humphrey Jones was united in marriage with Laura B. Willis, the daughter of James M. and Emily (Southward) Willis, of Bloomingburg, this county, where Mrs. Jones was born and reared. Her parents were both natives of Ohio, and both are deceased, her father dying in 1888, aged eighty years, and her mother passing away at about the same age. They were the parents of three children, William R., James W. and Laura B. Mrs. Jones' paternal grandparents were Nathaniel and Mary (Parker) Willis, who, in an early day, came to Ross county, Ohio, from Boston, Massachusetts. Nathaniel Willis is deserving of specific mention as the founder of the Youth's Companion, and after his location in Ohio he founded the Scioto Gazette, said to be the first newspaper established in Ohio and which is still being published. This worthy couple passed away in Ross county, this state, and were buried near Bainbridge. By a former marriage Nathaniel Willis was the father of two children, "Fannie Fern," the noted novelist, and Nathaniel Parker Willis, well known as a poet.

Politically, Humphrey Jones has been a supporter of the Republican party and has taken a keen and intelligent interest in public affairs. His ability and integrity received substantial recognition when, in 1912, he was chosen a member of the constitutional convention, in which he rendered effective service to his state. Mr. Jones having in his professional life always been much connected with and interested in real estate law and land titles, was the author of and secured the adoption by the constitutional convention of an amendment to the state constitution clearing the way for the adoption in the state of a system of land title registration. The amendment was ratified by the people, receiving the second largest vote of any of the forty-one amendments submitted. By reason of his special knowledge of the subject Mr. Jones was selected to draft the law, which was, in May, 1913, enacted by the Legislature pursuant to this constitutional amendment providing for the system, and he also drafted the forms of record and procedure under this law which were approved and prescribed by the attorney-general for the guidance of officers and attorneys having duties to perform thereunder.

Fraternally, Mr. Jones is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, holding membership in the lodge at Bloomingburg, as well as the lodge of Knights of Pythias at the same place, and Washington Lodge No. 129,

Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. His religious sympathies are with the Methodist Episcopal church, of which society Mrs. Jones is a member.

Personally, Mr. Jones is genial and easily approached, possessing to a marked degree those qualities which win friends. He has always stood ready to identify himself with his fellow citizens in any good work and extend a co-operative hand to advance any measure that is calculated to better the condition of things in the community. He is a great lover of music, possesses several fine old violins and obtains his greatest recreation in playing upon them.

Delbert -C. Hays

The photographic art has made great strides in the past few years, and the development of this art from the time the first daguerreotype was put on the market down to the present time has kept pace with the advance of other arts and sciences. The development of the camera and kodak has been so rapid that the dealers have hardly been able to keep up with the many changes. At the present time hardly a town or city of any size but what handles kodaks of some kind and thousands of amateur photographers are found scattered throughout the United States. With all of this development it is not to be wondered at that the professional photographer has seen his business increased by leaps and bounds. The desires to have the pictures of our relatives and friends was never as strong as it is today, and with the increased production of photographic supplies, the product has fallen to such a price that good pictures are within the reach of all. One of the photographers of Washington C. H. who is attaining an enviable reputation in his particular line is Delbert C. Hays, who has maintained a studio in this city for the past seven years.

Delbert C. Hays, the son of George D. and Lucy M. (Williams) Hays, was born in Paint township, this county, March 23, 1883. His parents were both natives of this county, and his father is still operating a farm in Paint township, although he is now living in Washington C. H., where he has resided for the past thirty years. For several years he was engaged in the coal and ice business in this city, but is now in active charge of his farm, although not living on it. George D. Hays is the son of Hackney Hays, an early settler in Fayette county. Hackney Hays and his wife were the parents of a large family of children, Lynn, Morgan, George D., James S., Mrs. Ellen Mallow, Mrs. Almira Thompson and Mrs. Martha McCoy. All of these children, except Lynn and Morgan, are still living. The parents of Mrs. George D. Hays were H. B. Williams and wife, also early settlers in this county. H. B. Williams was twice married, his first wife having died many years ago, after which he married again, and to the second union three children were born, Burton, Alice and Fanny. There were two children by the first marriage, Jay G. and Lucy M.

Delbert C. Hays was reared in Washington C. H. and, after finishing the course in the public schools of this city, began the study of photography, and has made this his life work. In 1907 he opened a studio of his own, and for the past seven years has been located at the corner of Court and Main streets. His studio is equipped with all of the latest and most approved cameras and accessories, enabling him to give his patrons all of the latest designs in the photographic art. Being a man of artistic tastes and genial disposition, he has built up a large patronage in the city and county, and has the satisfaction of seeing his business increase from year to year.

Politically, Mr. Hays is identified with the Progressive party, having cast his fortunes with that party upon its organization in the fall of 1912. Fraternally, he is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, and has attained to the chapter and commandery degrees. Mr. Hays is still a young man and has so conducted himself thus far as to merit the hearty approval of his

Anda E. Henkle

The Henkle family traces its ancestry back to Jacob Anthony Henkle, who came to this country in 1717, locating in Pennsylvania, near Germantown. One of his descendants was Moab Henkle, the grandfather of Anda E. Henkle, the present county auditor of Fayette county. Moab Henkle and his wife, Amy Bush, were both natives of Fayette county. He was a farmer and merchant and died in Washington C. H. in.1872, being about sixty-six years old at the time of his death. His wife died a few years later, being past seventy years of age at the time of her decease. Moab Henkle and wife were the parents of a large family of children, Samantha, Melinda, Ella, Catherine. Hulda, Simeon, Polly, and Curran W., the father of Anda E. Henkle.

Curran W. Henkle and his wife; Caroline Bryan, were both natives of this county and reared a family of eleven children, ten of whom are still living: Asa C. of Washington ©. H.; Hai S., of Chicago; Simeon L., of Holland, Michigan; Anda E., with whom this narrative deals; Nona, the wife of James T. Perrill, of Union township, this county; Orvis T., of Chicago; Lida E., the wife of Robert S. Schriver, of Mt. Sterling; Guy C., of Chicago; Rosa, the wife of James Lilly, of Columbus, Ohio; John, who died in 1896, and Lillie C., who is still at home. Curran W. Henkle was reared on the farm and at the opening of the Civil War enlisted in the One Hundred and Sixty-eighth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. His company was captured in Kentucky by the Confederates, but was later paroled and rejoined his regiment. After the close of the war he returned to this county, where he engaged in farming, contracting, brick manufacturing and trading. He died in Mt. Sterling, Ohio, in 1894, at the age of fifty-eight, his wife still surviving him. They were members of the Methodist Protestant church. The parents of Caroline Bryan, the wife of Curran W. Henkle, were John and - - - - - (Reed) Bryan, early settlers in Fayette county. John Bryan was a blacksmith, miller and farmer and died in this county at an advanced age. His wife died in Kansas several years previously. John Bryan and wife were the parents of four children: Hermanus; Rosa; Caroliwe, the wife of Mr. Henkle, and one other.

Anda E. Henkle, the son of Curran W. and Caroline (Bryan) Henkle, was born in Illinois, March 4, 1866. He was reared on his father's farm in Fayette county and attended the district schools until he completed a good education. Being a young man of keen intellect and wide reading, he had no difficulty in passing the teachers' examination as provided by the state of Ohio, after which he started in to teach and for a period of twenty-five years taught in the various schools of this county. During the summer vacations he followed the brick-laying trade, which he had learned with his father. As a teacher he ranked as one of the most successful the county has ever had, and it is probably true that no man in the county has a wider acquaintance than Mr. Henkle. A glowing tribute to his integrity as a man and worth as public-spirited citizen is shown in the fact that he has been elected three times to the office of. county auditor. His first election occurred in 1908, and he was re-elected in 1910 and 1912. In the administration of the duties of this office he has given the most conscientious and careful service and has earned the reputation of being one of the most efficient county offcials.

Mr. Henkle was married October 31, 1894, to Louisa Short, a daughter of Reuben B. and Ellen (Gibson) Short. Mrs. Henkle, as well as her parents, are natives of this county. Her father died in 1912, and her mother in

FAYETTE COUNTY, OILO. 423 1872, Mrs. Henkle being the only child born to her parents. The grandparents of Mrs. Hénkle, Thomas Short and wife, were also natives of this county. The maternal grandfather of Mrs. Henkle was William D. Gibson, and his wife was a member of the Sheets family.

Mrs. Henkle is a member of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Henkle belongs to the Free and Accepted Masons, including the blue lodge, the Royal Arch and the commandery degrees. Politically, he is a Republican and has always been interested in politics. As a Republican he was elected auditor of his county and his party has honored him in elevating him to this position on three different occasions. He has a most genial disposition and pleasing manner. His long career in the school room has made him a great student of human nature and a man who can always look on the bright side of life. It is safe to say that in any list of representative men of his county his name would always find an honored place.

The United States is the most cosmopolitan nation of the earth. Its citizens are drawn from every country and clime, and for this reason this country is frequently known as the "melting pot'? of the world. No nation has furnished better or more substantial citizens for this country than Scotland, and those who have come from that country have become highly respected citizens of the various communities where they have settled. The United States census of 1910 credits Fayette county with four native-born Scotchmen, and of these Robert Howat, the cashier of the Fayette County Bank, is one. Coming to this country as a young man and with no resources, he has achieved success by close application to his business and the utilization of his innate ability.

Robert Howat, the son of Robert and Janet (Howat) Howat, was born in Ayrshire district, Scotland, in October, 1851. He was one of nine children and the only one of the family who ever came to America. His father was a dry goods merchant in Scotland and died there at the age of sixty-six.

Robert Howat, Jr., received a good common school education in his native land and when a young man came to America and settled in Detroit, where he entered the employ of C. R. Mabley, a clothing merchant of that city. He remained with him two years, and in 1879 came to Washington C. H., where he has since resided. He followed the merchant tailoring busi-

424 FAYETTE COUNTY, OHIO: ness for several years after locating in this city and then entered the banking business as the cashier of the People's and Drovers' Bank. He remained with this bank from 1895 to 1908, when he became connected, with the Fayette County Bank as cashier. This bank was organized December 2, 1899, with a capital stock of fifty thousand dollars, which has since been increased to one hundred thousand dollars. Mr. Howat is thoroughly acquainted with every detail of the banking business and is regarded as one of the most efficient and conservative bankers of the city.

Politically, Mr. Howat is a member of the Republican party and takes an intelligent interest in his party's welfare. At the present time he is a member of the board of education of his home city, and is active in promoting every measure which will increase the efficiency of the public schools of the city. Fraternally, he is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons and has attained to the degree of Knight Templar. He is a man who is recognized as one of the city's ablest business men, and has always been active in every public-spirited measure which was proposed for the benefit

William John Patterson

One of the best known men of the past generation in Fayette county, Ohio, and one whose record is well deserving of a place in this history of his county, is William John Patterson, a resident of this county for more than half a century. He was one of its most prominent and enterprising agri- culturists and a man whose heart always beat in sympathy with his fellow men. Perhaps his dominant and most notable characteristic was his fidelity to truth and honor and invariably he sought the things that were honest and of good repute. In the training of his children no precepts were so constantly or so urgently insisted upon as those which concerned sound and worthy character. He taught them that honor and truthfulness were of such commanding worth that self interest should never under any circumstances set them aside, and these principles were the standard by which he estimated men and which he himself religiously held. His life was an inspiration to all who knew him and his memory remains to his friends and children as a blessed benediction of a noble and upright life.

The late William John Patterson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 8,-1852, and died in his country home in Fayette county, Ohio, October 8, 1913, passing away on his sixty-first birthday. He was the son of Robert and Mary (Cunningham) Patterson, his father being a native of county Donegal, Ireland. Robert Patterson came to Philadelphia when a youth and worked in the coal mines in eastern Pennsylvania. He was martied in Philadelphia to Mary Cunningham, and to their union were born eight children: Ezekiel, deceased; Mary, deceased ; William John, whose career is here briefly reviewed; Mrs. John Shields; Robert; Mrs. Sarah Cassell; Mattie, deceased, and H. B.

Wiliam J. Patterson attended the public schools of his native city until he was nine years of age, and then came with his parents to Jackson county, Ohio, where he finished his education. He worked on the farm until he was twenty-four years of age, when he married and began renting land in Jackson township, Jackson county. A few years later he. purchased two hundred acres of land near Byer in Jackson county. A short time afterwards he sold this and moved to Fayette county, where he bought a farm of one hundred and sixty-seven acres in Marion township. He continued to farm in this county until 1901, when he went to Oklahoma and bought a farm of three hundred and twenty acres, but four years later sold this tract and returned to Fayette county, buying two hundred and twenty-six acres in Marion township and later bought a farm of one hundred acres adjoining the city of Washington C. H. On this farm he lived until his death in 1913.

Mr. Patterson was married December 27, 1876, to Harriett Wortman, the daughter of Jackson and Elizabeth (Sniff) Wortman.. Her father was born in Muskingum county, near Zanesville, Ohio, and was the son of- Joseph and Almeda (Patterson) Wortman. Jackson Wortman and wife were the parents of six children, Mrs. Minerva Harper, John Wesley, Isaac, Mrs. Harriett Patterson, Frank and Jesse L. l

Mr. Patterson and his wife reared a family of eight children, all of whom are living and filling places in society. These children in the order of their birth are as follows: - Ortha B., Frances E., Maud, Clara, Robert, Flora, Mary H. and Arthelia. Ortha B. took a business course at Ohio Wesleyan University, and is now managing the home farm for his mother ; Francis E. married Grace Thompson and has two children, Edra and William. He is living at Kingfisher, Oklahoma; Maud is a graduate at Bliss College, Columbus, Ohio; Robert graduated from the Kingfisher, Oklahoma, high school and later took the law course at Lincoln, Nebraska; Flora is a music teacher; Arthelia is a graduate of the Washington C. H. high school, and is teaching; Hazel is also a graduate of the Washington C. H. high school.

Mr. Patterson always took an active interest in the civic life of his community and served on the school board of Marion township, and also as supervisor of the same township. He was an active and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church and was always interested in church affairs. His influence for good in the general life of his community was most potent and he will be remembered as a manly man of pleasing presence and an influential citizen of the county honored by his residence.

Lewis Clark Coffman

That life is the most useful and desirable which results in the greatest good to the greatest number and although all do not reach the heights to which they aspire, yet in some measure each can win success and make life a blessing to his fellow men. It is not necessary for one to occupy numerous public positions to do so. In the humbler walks of life there remains much good to be accomplished and many opportunities for the exercise of talent and influence that will in some way touch the lives of those with whom we come in contact and make them better and brighter. In the list of Ohio's successful and useful citizens, the late Lewis Clark Coffman, of Washington C. H., Ohio, long occupied a prominent place. In his record there is much that is commendable and_his career forcily illustrates what a life of energy can accomplish, when plans are wisely laid and actions are governed by right principles, noble aims and high ideals. His career was complete and rounded in its beautiful simplicity. He did his full duty in all relations of life and he died beloved by those dear to him and respected and esteemed by his fellow citizens. In offering this interesting history of his career it is believed that it will serve as an incentive to the youths whose careers are yet matters for the future to determine.

Lewis Clark Coffman, the son of Nathan and Sarah (Edwards) Coffman, was born in Fayette county, Ohio, January 25, 1840, and died in Washington C H.,.January 2, 1902. His parents were both born in Ohio' and spent all of their lives in this county, where they reared a family of eight children to maturity: William, who died of a fever contracted in the Civil War; Lewis C., whose history is here presented; Charlotte, the deceased wife of John Pritty; Mack, deceased; Benjamin, deceased; Mary Belle, the wife of Thomas Parrett; Hester, the wife of Franklin Willard, and Jeannette, the wife of William Marchent, of Octa, Ohio. The latter two children were twins. Nathan Coffman was a farmer and trader and an early settler in Fayette county, where he lived in Wayne township. He owned a large farm

Lewis C. Coffman, reared in Fayette county as a farmer's boy, attended the district schools and later attended the Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio. After completing his college course, he taught school for a few years and then began farming in Concord township. His father gave him a small farm, to which he later added one hundred acres and after farming this for a few years, disposed of it and bought four hundred acres on which he lived for a few years. Later he became interested in the pork packing business in Washington C. H., although he still retained his farm and gave it his personal supervision. Some years after engaging in the pork packing business, he became interested in the lumber business and during his latter years gave most of his attention to the latter. His business life was honorable and upright and he always managed his affairs so as to win the approval of all those with whom he had financial transactions.

Mr. Coffman was married April 4, 1861, to Alsina Rodgers, the daughter of Jackson and Nancy (Jones) Rodgers. To this union ten children were born, five of whom are still living, Almira Belle, Nathan J., Harvey Grant, Alberta and Elwert, the latter two being twins; Lewis C. and four others died in infancy. Almira Belle became the wife of Elias Newton Harvout, who died in 1908. Mr. Harvout and wife had one daughter, Lelia C. Nathan J. is in the lumber business in Washington C. H. He married Maude Harlow and has two children, Harlow and Geraldine. Harvey Grant is one of the firm of H. G Coffman & Company, lumber dealers in Washington C. H. Alberta is bookkeeper in her brother's office. Elwert is single and working the planing mill of his brother. Lewis C. is a member of the firm of H. G. Coffman & Company. He married Mable Free and has one child living, Martha Jane. i Mr. Coffman was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, while his wife was a member of the Baptist church. He was a member of the Free and Accepted Masons and had attained to all of the degrees up to and including the Knight Templar degree. Politically, he was a Republican, but had never taken an active part in political matters.

The widow of Mr. Coffman is still living in Washington C H. She was born in Wayne township, Fayette county, Ohio, on December 15, 1830. Her father was born and reared in Ohio and her mother was born in Vermont. They were early pioneers in Fayette county. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Coffman were Benjamin and - - - ~ (Jackson) Rodgers, natives of Virginia and early settlers in Fayette county. The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Coffman were Amos and Nancy Jones, natives of Vermont. Mr. Jones and his wife reared a family of four children, Nancy, Priscilla,' Harvey and David. E

` Mr. Coffman possessed high and varied qualities of mind and heart and had a strong individuality and withal a gentle nature, about which were clustered the fondest memories of those dear to him. His was, indeed, a union of admirable qualities and he never ceased, ever through the physical ills that afflicted him, to manifest the dignity, the courage, the grace and the bearing that came from the heart of a gentleman. He was a supporter of all measures looking toward the development of his home city and was one of the foremost workers for pushing forward all public spirited measures.

John M. Deer

One of the many retired farmers now living in the county seat of Fayette county is John M. Deer, who was for many years a prosperous farmer in Concord township. There is a certain degree of satisfaction in summing up the career of a retired farmer because the very fact that he is retired is conclusive evidence that he has made a success of his life work. That such is the case with Mr. Deer is shown by his fine farm of two hundred and fiftytwo acres in Concord and Union townships where he lived so many years. His whole life up until a few years ago has been spent in agricultural pursuits and such has been his good management that he has acquired a very comfortable competence for his declining years.

Mr. Deer, the son of Absalom and Elizabeth (Wilson) Deer, was born in Highland county, Ohio, November 22, 1837. His father was a native of Culpeper county, Virginia, and came to Highland county when he was a young man. Absalom Deer was one of four children, the others being Fielding, Nancy and Margaret. To Absalom Deer and wife were born five children: Mary (deceased), John M., Henry (deceased), Amy and Chadford (deceased).

John M. Deer attended the primitive schools of Highland county, Ohio, and was a pupil of the McVey and Cox schools in that county. As a lad he was early acquainted with hard manual labor and helped with all the work on his father's farm. He commenced working by the month when he was eighteen years old in Highland county and after he was married he located in Fayette county, Union township. He came to Fayette county in 1855 and later bought land in Union township and as he prospered added to his land holdings until when he retired, in 1913, he had one of the finest farms in that township. He owned at one time five hundred and four acres, but gave each of his sons a farm. | è AN

Mr. Deer was married in 1858 to Anna Liza McClellan, the daughter of William and Margaret (Wright) McClellan. To this union there were born four children: James, who married Bertha L. Schenk and has two children, Eugene H. and John M. ; Edwin, who married Carrie Kline and has two children, Ruth and Cline; Rufus, who married Carrie Reed and has one daughter, Juanita ; Carey, who married Alma McCoy and has one son, Heber. The first wife of Mr. Deer died some years ago and he later married Alma Mark, the daughter of Thomas and Sina Mark.

Politically, Mr. Deer is a Democrat and, although he has always been interested in good government, yet he has never been active in political affairs. He and his wife are consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church and take a very active part in church work. Mr. Deer is a man of strong convictions and is a firm believer in the Golden Rule. He is a friend to all worthy causes and has lived a life which has endeared him to a large circle of friends throughout the county.

Nathan Creamer

The first member of the Creamer family to locate in Fayette county, Ohio, was George Creamer, the grandfather of Nathan Creamer, with whom this narrative deals. George Creamer and his wife, Elizabeth Barney, came from Rockingham county, Virginia, to this county in 1816, and located on military land. The county was only seven years old when they located here and consequently they began life under truly pioneer conditions. They had to clear the land, drain the swamps and endure all the privations incident to life in any new and unsettled country. The one hundred years which this family have spent in this county has seen more changes in the progress of civilization than all of the previous years of history put together. Descended from such sterling ancestry, it is not to be wondered at that Nathan Creamer is a man of excellent qualities and a citizen who is highly honored and respected in his community.

His father, who was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, came to this county with his parents, George and Elizabeth (Barney) Creamer, when he was eight years of age, and lived the remainder of his days on the farm where his son, Nathan, is now located. George Creamer entered the land from the government and put part of it in shape for crops. Under these pioneer conditions Joseph Creamer grew to manhood, married and reared a family of seven children, Mrs. Mary A. Tobin, Mrs. Emily Armstrong, George, Lewis, Nathan, A. R. and U G. Of these seven children, three, George, ° Mrs. Armstrong and Lewis, are deceased, the latter dying during the Civil War, in which he had enlisted as a member of the Ninetieth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Two of the brothers, A. R. and U. G., are prominent lawyers and highly respected citizens of the community where they reside. George Creamer, the grandfather of Nathan, reared a family of five children, David, Joshua, Elizabeth, Mrs. Josiah Huff, and Joseph B., the father of Nathan Creamer.

Nathan Creamer was reared on the farm where he was born. He received his education in the district schools of his home neighborhood and finished at Jeffersonville in the graded schools. As a youth he worked on his father's farm during the summer seasons and at the age of twenty-five commenced renting land of his father. After the latter's death he purchased the interests of the other children in the home farm and has since been operating it with marked success. He carries on a general system of farming and stock raising and, being a man of progressive ideas, has had the satisfaction of seeing his efforts abundantly rewarded.

Mr. Creamer was married in 1872 to Martha M. Cryder, the daughter of William and Susan (Carr) Cryder, of Madison county, Ohio, and to this union have been born three children, Ansel, Minnie and Jesse C. Ansel, now deceased, who was three years in the State University, died February 22, 1914; he married Susan Horley, and has three children, Edith E., Anna and Ansel, Jr.; Minnie is deceased; Jesse C. is a student in the Ohio State University, where he has completed two years of the regular course.

Politically, Mr. Creamer is a Republican and has held various offices at the hands of his party. He served as supervisor and also as a member of the school board, of which he has been president. His party, recognizing in him a man of ability and integrity, nominated and subsequently elected him to the responsible position of trustee of his township, and he is filling this office with honor to himself and credit to the citizens of the township. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Protestant church.

Benjamin Franklin Jamison

A man's reputation is the property of the world, for the laws of nature have forbidden isolation. Every human being either submits to the controlling influence of others or wields an influence which touches, controls, guides or misdirects others. If he be honest and successful in his chosen field of endeavor, investigation will brighten his fame and point the way along which others may follow with like success. The reputation of Benjamin Franklin Jamison, one of the leading older citizens of Union township, Fayette county, having been unassailable all along the highways of life, according to those who know him best, it is believed that a study of his career will be of benefit to the reader, for it is not only one of honor but of usefulness also.

Benjamin Franklin Jamison, successful farmer, residing on his excellent farm of two hundred and fifty-four acres located about two and one-half miles from Washington C. H. on the Leesburg road, was born on October 19, 1834, the son of Jacob and Drusilla (Harrison) Jamison. Jacob was born in Kentucky and when he was a small lad of six years, his parents came to this state and settled first near Frankfort. They, however, remained there but a short time and then came direct to this county, with the history of which the family has since been identified.

The immediate subject was the youngest in a family of eight children, the others being Jacob, William, Abraham, John, Merritt, Samuel, Isabelle and Benjamin, the subject. Mr. Jamison enjoys the unique privilege of having passed his entire life on the same farm, his birth having occurred in a house which stood on almost the same spot where his present elegant and commodious dwelling now stands. He received his education in the common schools of the district, taking advantage of every opportunity this section at that time afforded and he remained under the parental roof until the time of his marriage, when he began life for himself. He spent three years in Ilinois, then returned and bought the old home and gradually increased his possessions until he reached his present gratifying state. Throughout his career he has shown perseverance and determination of a high order, coupled with excellent business ability and this, with his undoubted honor and integrity, not only won him material success, but an enviable place in the esteem of his fellow-men.

of whom was a native of the state of Kentucky. In early manhood he emigrated to this state and settled in this county, where he passed the remainder of his life, dying at the advanced age of ninety years.

` While not a member of any church, Mr. Jamison is deeply interested in the cause and contributes from time to time to such benevolences as appeal to his sympathy. Politically, he has always been aligned with the Democratic party, although never taking more than a passive interest in such matters. Mr. Jamison is now in his eightieth year and is enjoying excellent health and is in full possession of all faculties. He is an interesting conversationalist and the doors of his handsome home open wide to admit both stranger and friend to such genuine old-fashioned hospitality as is not always met with. Mr. Jamison is properly numbered among the substantial citizens of this locality, having contributed in many ways to the advancement of his fellow citizens. He is known as one of the most successful raisers of live stock in these parts, but has practically given over the active management of his business to others, retaining, however, a complete control of affairs. He has, in the course of an honorable career, been successful in business affairs and is in every way deserving of mention in a biographical history of his county.

John Logan

John Logan, one of the leading and influential members of the bar of Fayette county, is a native of the old Buckeye state, having been born in Washington township, Clermont county, on January 30, 1857. His parents, Lewis Ashby Logan and Sarepta (Taylor) Logan, were both also natives of Ohio, the father having been born in Brown county and the mother in Clermont county. The subject's paternal grandparents were John and Margaret (Clark) Logan, the former a native of Kentucky, where he followed the vocation of a farmer. During the War of 1812 he enlisted for active service and became the major of a battalion. He and his wife became pioneer settlers of Brown county, Ohio, and enjoyed the high regard of the community because of their upright lives and their interest in the welfare of their neighbors. They both passed away when about seventy years of age. Lewis A., father of the subject of this review, was reared in Brown county, Ohio, and during his early years followed farming as a vocation. Later he became an expert millwright and for many years gave his attention to a flourishing mill business in Clermont county. He died in September, 1893. at West- wood, aged seventy-one years, and was survived a number of years by his widow, whose death occurred in October, 1901, in the seventy-seventh year of her age. They were folk of sterling worth and were long consistent members of the Presbyterian church. Mrs. Sarepta (Taylor) Logan was a daughter of John H. Taylor, a pioneer of Clermont county, this state, where he followed farming during his active years, his death occurring there when about seventy years old.

To Lewis A. and Sarepta Logan were born the following children: Lewis Ashby, who was accidentally drowned at the age of {four "years; Samuel Taylor, of Westwood, Cincinnati, Ohio; John, the immediate subject of this review; Harry C., of Mobile, Alabama; Anna Elizabeth, principal of the state normal department of Miami University, at Oxford, Ohio, and Frank P., of Cleveland, Ohio.

When John Logan was about nine years of age, his parents removed to Cincinnati, Ohio, and there he grew to manhood. He attended the public schools there, graduating from the Hughes high school in June, 1875. During the following year he was employed as a clerk in a law office in Cincinnati, and during the following three years he engaged in teaching school. His year's experience in a law office aroused within him a purpose to make the practice of law his life work and, to this end, he began the study of Kent, Blackstone and other of the great legal authorities in the office of Judge Marshall J. Williams. In April, 1881, Mr. Logan was formally admitted to the bar and he ee entered upon the active practice of his profession at Washington C. H., where he has remained continuously since and where he was soon in ee of a representative clientele. In 1881 he entered into a partnership with Judge Williams, a relation which was continued with marked success until, in 1885, the senior member of the firm was elected to the bench of the circuit court. From that time until January 1, 1893, Mr. Logan was in partnership with Frank G. Carpenter, who is now judge of the common pleas court, but since the last-named date Mr. Logan has practiced alone. He served efficiently as city solicitor for three years, but otherwise has held no public office.

As a lawyer, Mr. Logan is informed in his profession and faithful to clients and the law. He kas bren connected, on one side or the other, as counsel in much of the more ymportant litigation which has been tried the local courts, and his reputation as a lawyer has steadily increased until today his place in the front rank of the profession is generally conceded. Mr. Logan is a man of high intellectual attainments, gained by much reading and study and close observation of men and events. He possesses a splendid library and some of his most enjoyable hours are spent among his books.

On the 26th day of October, 1887, Mr. Logan married Elizabeth B. Pearce, a native of Washington C. H., and a daughter of Elgar B. and Virginia Bell (Knight) Pearce, the latter a native of Fayette county. Elgar B. Pearce was well known as the editor and publisher of the Ohio State Register, but died when comparatively young. On the maternal side, Mrs. Logan is descended from Joseph Bell, her great-grandfather, who was numbered among the pioneer settlers of Fayette county, acquiring considerable land adjoining the city of Washington C. H., much of this land being now within the corporate limits. Mrs. Logan's great uncle on the maternal side, John M. Bell, was a man of considerable local prominence and served as captain of a company during the Civil War.

Politically, John Logan is an earnest advocate of the principles and policies of the Republican party and has been a frequent figure in the councils of that organization. Fraternally, he is a member of Washington Lodge No. 129, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. While laboring for his individual advancement, Mr. Logan has never forgotten his obligations to the public and his support of such measures and movements as make for the general good can always be depended upon. A man of vigorous mentality and strong moral fiber, he has achieved signal success in an exacting calling and is eminently deserving of the large prestige which he enjoys in the community with which practically all his mature life has been identified.

Joseph Young Stitt

The history of this section of the Buckeye state is not an ancient one. It is the record of the steady growth of a community planted in the wilderness not much more than a century ago and reaching its magnitude of today without other aids than those of continued industry. Joseph Y. Stitt, to a short sketch of whose career the reader's attention is now directed, is directly descended from one of the earliest pioneers of this section and the family has, therefore, been largely instrumental in speedily bringing about the satisfactory conditions of community life which early obtained here; while the immediate subject of this sketch fills a place of trust and responsibility, and the manner in which he is esteemed by his fellow citizens clearly indicates how satisfactory indeed is the service he renders.

Joseph Y. Stitt, the popular pharmacist of Bloomingburg, Fayette county, Ohio, was-born off June 8, 1860, òn a. farm near the town where he now resides. He is a son of John and Eliza (Holland) Stitt, the former of whom was the son of Luke and Jane (Young) Stitt. Luke was a native of the Emerald Isle, born in county Down. When quite a young man he emigrated to the United States in search of greater opportunities, and finally located in this state, being one of the first settlers in this section. He obtained government land, all of which was in a primitive state, and by his own unaided efforts reclaimed the broad and smiling acres from the grasp of the wilderness. This necessitated many years of hard work, with the limitations and privations of the early settlers, but he lived to see conditions greatly changed and his children enjoying opportunities undreamed of in his young manhood. His son John, who was the father of the immediate subject, was one of the first white children born within the bounds of this county.

The subject was one of a family of six children, being the fifth child in order of birth. Eleanor J., the oldest of the family, is dead, as is also John W., the fourth child. James H. resides at Jamestown, this state, and Charles L., who married Hattie Van Pelt, now deceased. They have one child, Georgia. Hugh, the youngest of the family, makes his home in Elgin, Illinois. During his earlier years, the subject attended the school of Bloomingburg and, when older, went to Lebanon, Ohio, where he took the normal course of training. He labored earnestly to fit himself for the profession of teaching and succeeded well in his undertaking. For six years he was engaged in teaching and also operated a farm at the same time. However, he was not thoroughly satished with the life of an instructor of youth and began thinking seriously of entering the retail drug business. He secured a position in a drug store, and has been engaged in that line ever since.

In August, 1882, Mr. Stitt was united in holy matrimony with Mattie Morris, daughter of Robert and Ellen (Miller) Morris, whose death occurred on May 14, 1900. Mrs. Stitt was a woman who had a great many warm friends who well knew her excellent qualities. She was a devoted wife and mother and a faithful member of the Presbyterian church. She was laid to rest in the Bloomingburg cemetery and the influence of her life still goes on through the lives of her husband and children. She was the mother of two children, Howard, a practicing physician located at Washington C. H., whose wife is Margaret McClure, and Ursel G., who remains at home with the father. Mr. Stitt is an earnest member of the Presbyterian church and his fraternal affiliations are with the time-honored body of Free

Mr. Stitt's entire life has been passed in this locality, where he is known and respected by all, and since engaging in his present business he has enjoyed a liberal and constantly growing patronage. He carries a well selected stock with all accessories usually found in such a store and because of his correct business methods, uniform courtesy to his patrons and his evident desire to justify the confidence placed in him, he has long enjoyed his full share of the business in this line. He understands thoroughly every detail of his business and intelligently supplies the needs of his patrons. Mr. Stitt is accounted among the best citizens of this locality, being ever desirous of contributing his share toward the moral, social and material growth of the community.

Frank Dill

Though more than a decade of years has elapsed since Frank Dill was transterred from the life militant to the life triumphant, his personality is still fresh in the memory of his many friends who remain in Fayette county. where for so many years he was regarded as one of its leading citizens. Because of his many excellent personal qualities and the splendid and definite influence which his life shed over the entire locality in which he lived so long and which he labored so earnestly to upbuild in any way in his power, it is particularly fitting that specific mention should be made of him in a work containing the biographies of the representative men of his county. A man of high moral character, unimpeachable integrity, persistent industry and excellent business judgment, he stood "four-square to every wind that blew," and throughout the locality where he lived he occupied an enviable position among his fellow men. A glance at the beautiful surroundings of his home is sufficient to convince anyone that the pride of his life and the desire of his heart was for his family. Huis home life was beautiful and he planned daily to make those dependent upon him comfortable and happy, and it can be truly said of Frank Dill that he loved his wife and children, and to him home was the dearest place on earth.

The late Frank Dill was born December 13, 1857, about three miles south of Bainbridge, Ross county, Ohio, and died at his beautiful home in Jefferson township, Fayette county, Ohio, September 22, 1902. He was the son of William and Mary (Kelly) Dill, natives of Ross county, and the parents of eight children: Elisha, Maggie, Ella, Frank, Lewis, William, Robert and Edward. The father of William Dill was a native of Virginia and an early settler in Ross county, this state.

Frank Dill received a good common school education in the schools of his native county, and later attended Salem Academy at Chillicothe, this state, where he completed his education. He then took charge of the home farm and a few years later came to Fayette county, where he purchased a farm in Jefferson township and started in to farm for himself. He proved to be a very successful farmer and year by year added to his land holdings until at the time of his death, in 1902, he was the possessor of five hundred acres of fine farming land in this county. He placed extensive improvements upon his farm and because of his home being surrounded by beautiful maple trees, he christened his homestead "Maple Hill," and by this name it is known throughout the county. He was one of the most extensive farmers and stock raisers of the county and marketed his stock by the car load every year. About two weeks before his death he went to Kentucky to buy cattle for his farm and while away from home became ill and yet continued at work, hoping to wear off the effects of his illness, but was finally compelled to return home, when it was found that he was suffering from typhoid fever, and within ten days he was removed from the land of the living. He was a man of sterling business qualities and his business, next to his family, received untiring attention. He was honest in all of his dealings and in every transaction his word was never called into question at any time. While his material accumulations were considerable, yet his methods were always honorable and his integrity and uprightness were never questioned.

Mr. Dill was married December 19, 1888, to Letitia Hays, the daughter of Morgan and Eliza (Larrimer) Hays, and to this union were born four children: One who died at the age of ten months; Hays, who graduated in June, 1914, at the Ohio State University; Claire, who died at the age of thirteen, and Dorothy, who is now twelve years of age. Hays is a finely educated young man and immediately after his graduation took charge of the home farm, in which he is showing marked skill in managing.

Fraternally, Mr. Dill was a member of the Knights of Pythias. His life was indeed a busy one, his private affairs and his home making heavy demands upon his time, yet he never allowed it to interfere with his Christian obligations or the faithful performance of his duties. Always calm and straightforward, never demonstrative, his life was a steady effort for the welfare of his fellow citizens. He had the greatest sympathy for his fellow men and was always ready to aid and encourage those who were struggling to aid themselves. When he believed he was on the right path, nothing could swerve him from it. His home life was a sacred trust and his friendships were inviolable. He commanded the respect of all classes by his exemplary life and his memory will long be revered by his many friends and acquaintances.

The biographies of the representative men of any county bring to light many treasures of mind, character and courage which may well arouse the pride of their families and of the communities where they lived. The late William Wallace Janes was distinctively one of the leading citizens of Fayette county, Ohio; and as such made his influence felt among his fellow men. A man of quiet and refined disposition, yet his very integrity and strength of character forced him to the front in such a way as to cause him to be recognized as a leader in the community and a man who always commanded the respect of his contemporaries. The good that a man like Mr. Janes can do in the course of an active life is incalculable and cannot be measured in metes and bounds. He lived an unselfish, helpful and altruistic life, and his fellow citizens were made better by having come into contact with him in his daily life.

The late William Wallace Janes was born May 8, 1850, in Jefferson township, this county, and died May 20, 1909, on the farm where he was born. He was the son of George and Elizabeth (Carr) Janes, his father having been born on the same farm. George Janes was the son of William Janes, a native of Rockingham county, Virginia, and was a prominent farmer of Jefferson township, and reared a family of children who were a credit to his good teachings, James, William Wallace, Catherine, Albert, Frank and Thaddeus.

William W. Janes attended the district schools of his immediate neighborhood and from his earliest boyhood days assisted his father on the home farm. He continues to live at home until his marriage, after which he began to farm a part of the old home farm. He prospered exceedingly and was enabled to augment his possessions from time to time until at the time of his death he was the owner of four hundred and twenty-five acres of fine land in Jefferson township. His farm was one of the best improved in the county, and was a tribute to his skill as a farmer and his good management as a business man.

Mr. Janes was married January 16, 1884, to Emma Glaze, the daughter of Adam and Lucy (Baughn) Glaze. Adam Glaze was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, and when a vouth came to this county with his parents, George and Catherine (Turnipseed) Glaze, who brought their family from Virginia in 1815, and settled on Paint creek. To Adam Glaze and wife were born eight children, Mrs. Catherine Fultz, Mrs. Elizabeth Seymour, Mrs. Samantha Engle, Mrs. Drusilla Boyd, Mrs. Emma Janes, Mrs. Ella Squier and Chandler. Three of these children, Samantha, Drusilla and Ella, are deceased.

Mr. Janes and his wife reared a family of three children, Fred C., Thomas and Frank. Fred C. married Mary Allen and has three children, Marion, Ellen and Susan; Frank is a graduate of Ohio State University and is now engaged in the fruit business. The other son, Thomas, was a student in Ohio State University and is operating the home farm.

Politically, Mr. Janes was a life-long Republican and was frequently honored by his party by being elected to positions of trust and responsibility. He served as trustee of Jefferson township, and for many years was a member of the school board, serving as president of the board of education of Jefferson township. He was a man of high civic ideals and a warm supporter of all measures and enterprises tending to advance the general welfare of his community. Always calm and dignifed, never demonstrative, his life was a persistent plea, more by precept and example than by written or spoken words, for the purity and grandeur of right principles and the beauty and elevation of wholesome character.