Fayette County, Ohio - Biographical sketches (2 of 2 so headed), 1914 (part 6 of 11)

John H. Peters was educated in Virginia and, although he was only seventeen years of age when the Civil War broke out, he enlisted in the Confederate ariny and served three years. He was mustered in as a member of Company K, Twelfth Regiment Virginia Cavalry, and served under Gen. J. E. B. Stewart, his colonel being Asher W. Harmon. He was captured at Culpeper, Virginia, and was held a prisoner of war at Point Lookout, Maryland, and Elmira, New York, but was exchanged and rejoined his regiment, being finally discharged at Richmond, Virginia.

After the close of the war Mr. Peters went to Licking county, Ohio, and for the first three years worked by the month. He saved his earnings, bought a team and began farming for himself. After his marriage he came to Fayette county and located in Paint township, where he bought a small farm. As he prospered he added to his land holdings until he is now the owner of one hundred and seventy acres of fine farming land.on the Bloomingburg and Sedalia pike. He has so managed his farm as to secure maximum results from his efforts, and by dividing his attention between the raising of crops and live stock he has attained a very comfortable competence for his declining years.

Mr. Peters was married March 8, 1877, to Nancy J. Green, the daughter of Louis and Elizabeth (Alkire) Green. Her father was a minister of the Christian church and was a native of Greene county, Ohio. Louis Green and wife were the parents of six children, Mary, Nancy J., Thomas, J. W., Lucinda and George. Mary became the wife of John Salmon; Thomas married Sarah Hidv, now deceased, and has two children, Emma and Ernest: J. W. married Jennie Bostwick, and has two sons, George W. and Ross; Lucinda became the wife of W. R. Thomas and has four children, Harry, Evan, Bessie and William, deceased; George married Mary Brock and has three children, Jessie, Leslie and Margaret.

Politically, Mr. Peters has been a life-long Democrat in politics, but has never felt inclined to take an active part in political matters. He and his family are consistent members of the Christian church, in whose welfare they have long been interested.

William.S. Parker

i The name of William S. Darien is.one ADT to the o at Paint l tow nship,. Fayette county, Ohio, as that of a hard-working, neighborly and accommodating farmer, whose time and toil spent in the cultivation of his fertile farm have brought him prosperity and a.competence. He, lives on his excellent farm of four hundred and sixty-five acres located on the Midway - toad, about three miles from Bloomingburg, and on this farm he has passed _his entire life, having been born. on August.28, 1860, in one of the log and frame houses now standing. He is the only. child of Robert and Margaret (Selsor) Parker, the former of whom was born on November 28, 1828, on the state land near Bloomingburg. He was a son of John and Mary ( Whiteman) Parker. John was a native of ees and when a young man came from his home in Hampshire, that state, to this locality. He had left his family in Virginia, to remain there until he found a suitable location. This he found in the tract where Robert, father of the immediate subject, was born. - He was there for a short time, when he purchased the land and brought his family on from the East. John Parker was one of the best educated and most influential men of his day in this section and to the pioneer life of this locality brought many of the finer customs of life as found in that older section of our country and which added a much needed charm to the almost sordid life of the pioneer.

William S. Parker received his elementary education in the Larimer school of Paint township, taking the more advanced grades at the Bloomingburg high school. From his earliest boyhood he assisted the father in the duties of the homestead and when quite a young man was skilled in the science of agriculture and stock raising. Mr. Parker's farm is considered one of the best managed in this section and in every department it testifies by appearances to the thought and care expended on it. Aside from general farming, Mr. Parker gives considerable time to live stock, and in this line of agricultural work he is eminently successful.

` On January 8, 1891, Mr. Parker was united in marriage with Eva Creath, daughter of William A. and Mary E. (McCafferty) Creath, and in view of the fact that he was the only child of his parents he brought his bride to his father's house, where the four lived happily until separated by death. The father died in 1908 and the mother in 1892, both being laid to rest in Bloomingburg cemetery. To Mr. and Mrs. Parker have been born three children, the eldest of whom, Robert C., is now eighteen years old and a graduate of Washington high school. Selsor graduated from Bloomingburg high school and Kathleen, the youngest of the family, is now attending school at the latter place. All are promising young people, much admired and respected by the circles in which they move. Mr. and Mrs. Parker and their children are consistent members of the Presbyterian church and give earnest attention to the spiritual verities of life, contributing liberally of their means to the support of all religious and benevolent movements. In fact, they are regarded as among the leading citizens of this section, whose support can be counted on for anything which tends to upbuild the moral, social or educational life of their fellow men. Mr. Parker's political affiliation is with the Republican party, although he has never been active in such circles.

Charles Yore

Among those in this part of the state who have built up a highly creditable reputation and have distinguished themselves by right and honorable living, is the subject of this brief sketch. His prominence in the affairs of the community is conceded and his deeds will speak for themselves. A tried and true old saying is "Actions speak louder than words" and with this thought in mind it can be safely said that the life of the subject of this sketch proclaims to the world what manner of man he is.

Charles Yore, one of the most thorough and painstaking farmers of this section, residing on a rented farm of two hundred and twenty-three acres in Paint township, not far from Bloomingburg, was born on January 26, 1855, at Dover Plains in the state of New York, being a son of Bernard and Charlotte (Thompson) Yore. Bernard was a native of England and both in his native country and after locating in the eastern part of our country he followed agriculture as a vocation. In search of better opportunities than the East afforded, he emigrated westward about sixty years ago, settling in Paint township. His death occurred in 1862 and he lies buried in the old cemetery at Bloomingburg. He was the father of four children, the immediate subject being the third child of the family. Thomas was the eldest, James, the second, and John W., the fourth. When a young boy, the subject attended what is now known as the Willis school, an old educational landmark known in those days as the Larrimer school.' Here he acquired such education as the schools of that time afforded, and assisted in the work of the home farm during all of his spare time. Early becom- ing interested in the work about a farm, he decided upon agriculture as his life vocation and has been a prominent farmer of this section ever since. He possesses energy and executive ability to a marked degree and this, coupled with his honesty and integrity, has placed him amongst the foremost citizens of this community. He engages in general farming, paying particular attention to the raising of live stock, which he finds the most lucrative line of his vocation and in which he is markedly successful.

On December 27, 1888, Mr. Yore was united in marriage with Emma Hutson, a daughter of George and Amanda (Varner) Hutson, the former of whom was born in Columbiana county, this state. The latter years of his life were spent in Modoc, Indiana, where his death occurred and where he was buried, while his widow makes her home in Muncie, that state. They were the parents of eight children, Mrs. Yore being the third child of the family. The others are John, Ella, George (deceased), Charles, Maggie, Oscar and Lula. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Yore is without issue and in the kindness of their hearts they have taken a little child to rear. Although not legally adopted, this little child, Viola Coe, is being carefully reared and trained in -all that makes for a life of useful womanhood. Both Mr. and Mrs. Yore are earnest members of the Methodist Episcopal church and are prominent in the affairs of that society, being well known to a large circle of friends and highly respected by all who have the pleasure of their acquaintance. Mr. Yore fully appreciates the value of good citizenship and gladly does all within his power to raise still higher the standard of community excellence in every phase.

Jacob Wright

A prominent farmer of Fayette county, who passed away more than half a century ago, was Jacob Wright, whose daughter is still living in this county at the advanced age of seventy-six. Jacob Wright was a typical pioneer and a man who exerted much influence in the community where he lived for so many years.

Jacob Wright was born on October 2, 1808, and died in Fayette county, Ohio, April 12, 1862. His father, Jacob Wright, was a native of Frederick county, Virginia, and first settled in Ohio on Sugar creek in this county. Later Jacob Wright, Sr., moved to the old Herr farm in Jefferson township, and bought this farm of one hundred acres on which he lived until his death.

Jacob Wright, Sr., was, educated in "Frederick county, Virginia, 'and "was a life- -long farmer, although he carried, on blacksmithing to some extent in connection with his farm work, Rage | Jacob Wright, Jt, was married to Susannah. Mason, ate was born in 1797, and to this t union two children were born, Joseph and Mary J. Joseph was born April 6, 1836, and married Martha Sherritt, and they were the parents of five children, John, Ella, Mary J., Martha and Esther.

~ Mary J. Wright was. born March 28, 1838, and was first 'married to Joseph Maxwell, and by this union has one son, Joseph B. Joseph B. was married to Louisa Berry, and had a family of five children, John, George, Clarence, Chester and Forrest. Joseph B. Maxwell was educated in the schools of Fayette county, and is now a prominent farmer in Arkansas.

she was married to Jacob Everett, who died March 12, 1881. There were no children by her second marriage. Since the death of her husband in 1881, Mrs. Everett has been managing her farm and has shown marked ability in operating it. She and her father were consistent members of the Baptist church, and she has always taken an active interest in the affairs of her denomination. Her father was a member of the first county survey of Fayette county. She has seventy-five acres of land, which is well improved and which she rents.

James Homer Hutson

One of the most successful of the younger farmers of Fayette county is J. H. Hutson, of Paint township, who started in at the foot of the ladder and by his own indomitable energy and good management has accumulated a fine farm of two hundred and thirty-two acres. He is entitled to great credit for the success to which he has attained, since it is due solely to his own efforts. The self-made man always appreciates his wealth more than the man who gets his wealth by inheritance and is usually more careful in taking care of it. While Mr. Hutson has been laying up a comfortable competence for himself and family he has not neglected to take his full share of the burdens of community life, and thus well merits a place among the representative men of his county.

James H. Hutson, the son of Rufus and Emma (Vesey) Hutson, was born on the old Vesey farm in Paint township, February 15, 1880. His father was born in the same township and was the son of Trenton R. and

Mary (Blessing) Hutson. T. R. Hutson was also a native of this county, his father coming to this county from England. Rufus Hutson and wife were the parents of three sons, James H., Edward and Frank.

J. H. Hutson attended the Larrimer school, now known as the Willis school, the Klever school and finally attended one year at the high school at Jeffersonville. He remained at home until his marriage in 1904 and then began farming for himself on his mother's farm. Shortly after his marriage he bought a farm of fifty-one and a fourth acres and, with this as a nucleus, has become one of the substantial farmers of his township. He was soon in a position to add eighty acres to his original holding and one hundred acres which was inherited by Mrs. Hutson, making two hundred and thirty-two acres. He understands crop rotation and is thus able to keep his farm to the highest state of productivity. He raises good crops every year and has been equally successful as a breeder of high class live stock.

Mr. Hutson was married October 12, 1904, to Lola Smith, the daughter of Eli and Minerva (Parrett) Smith. Eli Smith was born in Paint township and is now living a retired life after accumulating a farm of seven hundred acres. Three daughters and one son were born to Eli Smith and wife: Rella, the wife of George Straley; Alberta, the wife of Abraham Blessing; Herman, and Lola, the wife of Mr. Hutson.

Politically, Mr. Hutson is an independent voter, preferring to cast his vote for the best men irrespective of their political affiliation. There are large numbers of our best citizens who are breaking away from the old parties and voting for men rather than for eagles, roosters and moose. The Methodist Episcopal church claims the hearty support of Mr. Hutson and his wife.

There are many excellent farmers in Paint township, but none more deserving of mention in this volume than Jeptha H. Gossard, one of the gallant old veterans of the Civil War and a man who has been faithful to every trust which has been imposed upon him. Although he was only thirteen years of age when the war opened, he enlisted as soon as he was old enough and the county sent no braver soldier to the front. When this sixteen-year-old lad stouldered his musket and marched into battle, as he did several times, he never wavered, but pressed forward with his regiment and bore his share of the fighting. We can not pay too much honor to these men who fought for the emancipation of the black man and at the same time for the preservation of the Union.

Jeptha H. Gossard, the son of James and Catherine (Messmore) Gossard, was born July 5, 1847, in Madison county, Ohio. His father was the son of James and Catherine (Miller) Gossard and was born in Ross county, Ohio, his parents coming to this state from Greenbrier county, Virginia. The grandparents of Jeptha are buried at London, Ohio. The father of .Jeptha H. Gossard located in Madison county, Ohio, when a young man and learned the shoemaker's trade in Midway and Danville. He farmed in addition to following his trade as a shoemaker and owned a good farm in Madison county. Eleven children were born to James and Catherine (Messmore) Gossard: George, Jeptha, Samuel, Marion, William, James, Earl, Theodore, Ida and two who died in infancy. The mother of these children died in Champaign county, Illinois.

The education of Jeptha H. Gossard was acquired in the schools of Midway and Newport, Ohio. He learned the shoemaker's trade with his father and followed that until he enlisted in the Civil War. He enlisted in Company C, One Hundred and Ninety-seventh Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. and served until the close of the war. His regiment was attached to the Army of the Cumberland and saw hard service in the South. He was mustered out at Camp Bradford, Maryland, and at once returned home. He worked out by the month until he was married and then bought his present farm in Paint township, where he has since resided.

Mr. Gossard has been married three times. His first wife was Josephine Slinker and she and two children born to the marriage are deceased. After the death of his first wife Mr. Gossard married Della Horney and to this second union three children were born, Pearl (deceased), Ida (deceased), and Thaddie, who married Charles Lowrey and has three children, Harry (deceased), Margaret and Dorothy. After the death of-his second wife, Mr. Gossard married Elizabeth Vesey, the daughter of Burton and Rachel (Bushong) Vesey, and to the third marriage three children were born, Catherine, Verne and Burton.

Fraternally, Mr. Gossard is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons. He has been a life-long Republican and served on the school board of his township for several years. Such, in brief, is the interesting career of a man who is held in high esteem by every one who knows him.

Samuel Van Breet

The farming profession has been revolutionized within the last fifty years, and the farmer of today knows few of the disadvantages which surrounded the pioneer farmers of Ohio. Scores of inventions have been put on the market which enable the farmer to lead a life of ease as compared with the arduous labors which his father had to undergo. The result is that an ever-increasing number of our best young men are remaining on the farm in preference to seeking their fortunes in the city. Ohio is known throughout the length and breadth of this country as one of the best agricultural states of the Union, and Fayette county ranks with the best farming sections of the state.

Samuel Van Pelt, a prosperous farmer of Paint township, was born May 28, 1848, in Highland county, Ohio, and is a son of Ellis and Nancy (Holliday) Van Pelt. Ellis Van Pelt was a son of Isaac and Sarah Van Pelt, while Isaac Van Pelt was the son of Jacob and Sarah (Ryan) Van Pelt. The father of Jacob Van Pelt came from the Netherlands and landed in New York, later settling in Loudoun county, Virginia, where Jacob was born. The Van Pelts went from Virginia to Pennsylvania, and Isaac Van Pelt was born in the latter state, later settling in Belmont county, Ohio, where Ellis, the father of Samuel, was born. Ellis Van Pelt came from Belmont county, Ohio, to Fayette county in 1860, and settled in Paint township. Ellis Van Pelt and wife were the parents of nine children, Sarah, John, Samuel, Amos, Mary Jane, Joseph, Elizabeth, Charles and Hettie. All of these children are deceased except Samuel, Joseph, Hettie and John.

Samuel Van Pelt received part of his education in Highland county and, since he was only twelve years of age when his parents moved to Fayette county, he completed his education in this county. After finishing the course in the Bloomingburg schools, he attended the Normal School at Lebanon, Ohio, for one year, and then went to Bloomington, Illinois, where he was in school for a time. After leaving college he returned to Fayette county and began farming with his father. Upon his marriage, in 1872, he moved to his present farm of fifty-five acres in Paint township, where he has since resided.

Mr. Van Pelt was married on September 4, 1872, to Amanda Morris, the daughter of Samuel and Phoebe (Groves) Morris, and to this union were born five children, Stella, Lula (died in infancy), Verna, Zeda and Ethel. Stella, who died in January, 1906, was the wife of Joseph Allemeng and left two children, Bernice and Mary; Verna is the wife of Dr, A. R. Core and has one daughter, Ercell; Zeda married David Whiteside and has one son, Robert; Ethel is the wife of Alva Skinner and has one daughter, Aileen.

Mr. Van' Pelt is a Republican in politics and has always been interested in local affairs: He was a trustee in his township for several years and has been a member of the school board for the past thirty-two years, having held this position longer than any man in the township. He and his family are loyal members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in whose welfare they take a tee interest and to Ue support they are liberal contributors.

Samuel Morgan Corbitt

Though more than a score of years have elapsed since Samuel Morgan Corbitt was transferred from the life militant to the life triumphant, his personality still remains fresh in the memory of his many friends in Fayette county, where for many years he was regarded as one of the leading citizens. He was well known throughout this county and was a man respected and honored, not because of the vigorous training of his special talents, but because of his daily life. He set an excellent example to the younger generation, for he was a leader in his locality in all matters pertaining to its upbuilding and in a conservative manner did what good he could in all lines as he labored for his own advancement and that of his family. While advancing his individual interests he never lost sight of his obligations to the community in general and during his entire life held a high place in the confidence and esteem of all who knew him.

The late Samuel Morgan Corbitt was born in Fayette county, Ohio, April 5, 1844, and died on the farm where he was born, August 30, 1891. He was the son of Samuel K. and Catherine (Jenkins) Corbitt. Samuel Corbitt, Sr., was seventeen years of age when he came to Fayette county, his parents having died when he was a mere child. He grew to manhood in this county, married and reared a family of five children, William Hickling, Mrs. Ruth A. Calhoun, Mattison W., Oliver K., and Samuel Morgan, with whom this narrative deals.

Samuel Morgan Corbitt received his education in the schools of Jefferson township and finished at the high school at Jeffersonville, after which he took a business course in the Miami Commercial College at Dayton, Ohio, when he returned to this county and took up the occupation of farming, which he followed until his death. He was a man of fine business ability, keenly interested in everything pertaining to the welfare of his community, and was justly regarded as one of the most progressive farmers of the county. At the time of his death he was the owner of two hundred and sixty-four acres of fine land, on which he had modern buildings of all kinds.

Mr. Corbitt was married, November 13, 1866, to Mary E. Rowand, the daughter of Benijah and Martha (Correll) Rowand, and to this union were born five children: Jessie Mildred, the wife of P. L. Rodgers; Laura Vivian, who is married to Lewis Bates and has two children, Mary Lucile and Morgan Willard; Minnie Kee, the deceased wife of Charles Wilt; Lola B., deceased, and Roxa LeClare, who is still living with her mother.

Politically, Mr. Corbitt was a Democrat and, while never taking an active part in political matters, always took an intelligent interest in the civic life of his community. For many years he served on the school board of his township and in that capacity always cast his influence for every measure which he felt would benefit the schools in any way.» He built up a reputation as an honest, upright and fearless business man and left a record which stamps him as a man of high ideals and sound moral principles. Though never animated by great ambitions for public honors, yet he always gave his aid to the furtherance of the general interests of his community. His life was a busy one and his every-day affairs made heavy demands upon his time, yet he never shrank from his duties as a citizen and his obligations to his neighbors and friends.

For many years Ennis Stevens has been the manager of the Willis estate of six hundred acres, known as the Maplewood Stock Farm, and in this capacity has demonstrated his right to be classed among the most progressive farmers of the county. His whole life has been devoted to agricultural pursuits and, being a man of good business ability and boundless energy, he has made a pronounced success of the work to which he has devoted his life thus far.

Ennis Stevens, the son of John and Louisa (Landes) Stevens, was born June 9, 1870, in Highland county, Ohio. His father was a native of Pennsylvania and moved when a small boy with his parents to Highland county, Ohio. In that county John Stevens grew to manhood, married and reared a large family of children, Temperance, Scott, Levi, Steward, Caroline (deceased), Mock, Mary, Alfred, Jennie, Minta (deceased), and Ennis, with whom this narrative deals. The father of these eleven children died several years ago and the mother is still living at the advanced age of eighty-eight.

The education of Ennis Stevens was received in the schools of Highland county. Before he reached his majority he started to work out by the month and, being a man who made a study: of farming, gradually became thoroughly acquainted with every detail of agriculture. After his marriage he began farming in Fayette county and assumed charge of the Maplewood Stock Farm, where he has since remained. He is one of the most extensive stock raisers of the county and markets several car loads each year.

Mr. Stevens was married December 26, 1892, to Flora Roush, the daughter of Joshua and Elizabeth (Lemons) Roush. The mother of Mrs. Stevens died when Mrs. Stevens was only six days old and she was then taken and reared by her grandmother, Mrs. Lucinda (Shaffer) Roush. Joshua Roush is still living in Highland county. Mr. and Mrs. Stevens are the parents of four children, Ethel (deceased), Leland, Gerald and Orin.

Fraternally, Mr. Stevens belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America. Politically, he is a strong supporter of the Democratic party, but has been so engrossed with his heavy agricultural interests that he has not had the time to take an active part in political affairs. He and his wife are consistent members of the Christian church, in whose welfare they are interested and to whose support they are liberal contributors.

Urban W. Cannon

One of the most interesting things about the United States census of 1910 is the statistical history of agriculture. Here may be found a wide variety of information regarding every phase of farming. For instance, it is shown that the value of the 1,846 farms in Fayette county averages $14,494 per farm, with an average value for each acre of $84.93. The average acreage per farm is 135 acres, with 112 farms having from three to nine acres and forty-three farms having more than 500 acres. The interesting fact is set forth that 1,080 farmers operate their own farms, while others than the owners manage the remaining 746. An insight into the financial standing of the farmers operating their own farms is disclosed by the statement that 718 farms are free from mortgage, 354 are encumbered with mortgages, while eight made no report. It would pay every farmer to get hold of these valuable statistics and make a careful study of them since he would thus get into close touch with the growth of his county's agricultural property... One of the wide awake-and 'successful farmers of Fayette county is Urban W. Cannon, of Paint township, whose interesting career is here briefly set forth.

Urban W. Cannon, the son of Levin M. and Jane (Cockerill) Cannon, was, born April 30, 1850, in Adams county, Ohio. The Cannon family were one of the most prominent families in Adams county, Curtis Cannon, the grandfather of Urban W., being a hotel proprietor. A brother of Jane Cockerill, Col. J. R. Cockerill, had a national reputation as a representative from Adams county and a prominent attorney and soldier. Colonel Cockerill had a son, John, who was one of the leading newspaper men of Ohio for many years and died in Egypt while doing newspaper work in that country. There were six children born to Levin M. Cannon and wife: Annabel (deceased ), Esther (deceased), Urban W., Mrs. Anna Hamilton, Daniel C. and Mrs. Florence Hughes.

The education of Urban W. Cannon was received in the schools of Locust Grove, Ohio. He remained at home until his marriage at the age of twenty and then began to rent land in Adams county. He came to Fayette county in 1880 as manager of an estate of six hundred acres and proved to be a very successful farmer. In the nineties he bought his present farm of one hundred and eight acres about three and a half miles east of Jeffersonville in Paint township. He keeps his farm to a high state of productivity by scientific crop rotation and raises all of the crops of the section of the state. He always keeps as much live stock on his farm as he can feed from his own farm and adds not a little to his annual income from the sale of live stock.

Mr. Cannon was married December 26, 1870, to Amanda McNeil, the daughter of Joseph and Susan (Morrow) McNeil. Both of Mrs. Cannon's parents are deceased and buried in the Fall Creek cemetery in Highland county, Ohio. To this union there were born five children, Curtis, Susan, John C., Harry, and Joseph, deceased. The first wife of Mr. Cannon died and in December, 1912, he married Mrs. Bertha (Holises)_ Mergler, the widow of Joseph Mergler. Mrs. Cannon had one son by her first marriage, Rowe, a resident of Greenville, Ohio.

Mr. Cannon is a Democrat of decided progressive inclinations and had always taken a deep interest in political affairs. He has served on the school board of his township. The whole career of Mr. Cannon has been such that he has won the hearty approbation of his fellow citizens and is held in high

Jacob Al Weyer

It requires something more than mere labor to make a success of agriculture at the present time. A farmer might work from dawn to twilight in the year and yet fail to accomplish much. There must be sound judgment and discretion exercised at the same time, and the farmer must have a knowledge of his soils, grains, live stock and many other things if he wishes to make a success of general farming. Fifty years ago the idea of putting a course of farming in our public schools and colleges would have been laughed at, and derided even, but at the present time agriculture is being taught in all of the states of the Union. Farming has risen in dignity and the man who accomplishes much as a tiller of the soil today should be accorded a place along with the men who succeed in other walks of life. It actually requires as technical an education for a man to be a successful farmer today as for a man to be a successful physician or lawyer, and the sooner the farmers of the country find this fact out, the better for the agricultural interests.

Jacob A. Weyer, one of the most prosperous farmers of Paint township, Fayette county, Ohio, was born December 5, 1850, in Highland county, this state. He is a son of William Henry Harrison and Huldah (West) Weyer, the father from Pennsylvania and the mother from Highland county, Ohio. Mrs. William Henry Harrison Weyer was the daughter of John and Barbara (Platter) West, and located in Highland county, Ohio, where she was born. The subject's father was a life-long farmer and at the time of his death was the owner of five hundred acres of fine land in Highland county. William H. H. Weyer and wife were the parents of nine children, James, William, Mrs. Mary Epperson, Anna R. Hill, Jacob A., Daniel, Ella, Isabella and Albert. All of these children are still living except Mary and Albert.

Jacob A. Weyer was educated in the schools of Highland county and completed his educational training at Hillsboro, the county seat of that county. He worked on the farm in Highland county until twenty-eight years old and then came to Fayette county, where he has since resided. He is now the owner of one hundred and ninety-three acres of land along the Danville pike about two miles north of Bloomingburg, where he has been living many years. As a farmer he ranks with the most progressive of the county and has always kept pace with the latest developments in agriculture, adding new machinery as it was brought into the market and otherwise increasing the efficiency of - his work.'

James and Melissa (Evans) Buntain, and to this union have been born six children: Maud, the wife of Dr. E. O. Irvin, who has two children, Dorothy and Starling; Jane, unmarried; Minnie, the wife of Charles McClimans, who has one daughter, Cornelia: Mrs. Nina Junk, who has one son, Ralph; Frank, unmarried, and Mary.

The family are members of the Presbyterian church, and are greatly interested in the welfare of their denomination. Politically, Mr. Weyer is a member of the Progressive party, having become identified with that party upon its organization in 1912. He was for several years a member of the 'school board of his township, and in that capacity did everything he could for the benefit of the schools of his township.

Lewis Hamilton Parrett

- There is no life so free and independent as that which the farmer leads. It is one of the gratifying signs of the times that there are so many of our colleges teaching agriculture and preparing our young men for scientific agriculture. Fayette county has some of the most progressive farmers of the state and few counties have a larger acreage under cultivation.

Lewis H. Parrett, the son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Harper) Parrett, was born December 1, 1847, in Jefferson township, Fayette county. Joseph was born in Shenandoah county, Virginia, and was the son of Isaac Parrett, the first of the family to settle in Ohio. Isaac had four children, John, Henry, Joseph and Christine. Joseph Parrett was eleven years of age when his parents settled in Ross county, Ohio, and about fifteen when they permanently located in Fayette county. He grew to manhood in this county and married Elizabeth Harper. Five children were born to Joseph Parrett and wife: Mrs. Emily J. Saum, James M., Joseph M., Christine K. and Lewis Hamilton, with whom this narrative deals. All of these children except Christine and Lewis H. are deceased.

Lewis H. Parrett attended the Black Oak school house in Jefferson township and early in life began to help with the work on his father's farm. When he married in 1873 he moved to one of his father's farms, three miles south of Washington C. H. and remained there for three years. He then bought part of his present farm, to which he later added until now he has three hundred and forty acres in Paint township which he has brought to a high state

Mr. Parrett was married February 27, 1873, to Mattie Kerr, the daughter of Robert R. and Margaret (McElroy) Kerr. Robert, Kerr was born in. Ross county, Ohio, near Greenfield, where he lived all his lite Mr. Kerr and wife reared a family of five children, Elizabeth, James, Emma, Mattie. Chalmers, and three others died in infancy. ER

There have been four children born to Mr. and Mrs. Pare Inez, Bessie, Harry D. and Ailee. Inez married Ford Irvin and has two daughters, Louise and Martha. Bessie is the wife of Professor Westhafer, of Amherst College, Massachusetts, and has one son, Robert L. ; Harry married Alice Tway, while Ailee is still in college. All the children have had the best of educational advantages and are filling useful places in society.

Politicallv, Mr. Parrett is a member of the Republican party and always takes an intelligent interest in the civic life of his community. In the past he has served as school director of his township and gave his hearty support to all measures proposed for the benefit of the schools. The family are all members of the Methodist Episcopal church and active workers in all church and Sabbath school work. Mr. Parrett has been the superintendent of the Sabbath school for the past seventeen years and his wife is a teacher. The whole life of Mr. Parrett has been that of a high minded and public spirited citizen and all of his actions have been such as ta bring him the hearty commendation of his fellow citizens.

Frank E. Whiteside

For many years an instructor of youth in Fayette county, Ohio, and the present postmaster of Bloomingburg, Frank E. Whiteside has made his influence for good apparent in the lives of many of the younger generation throughout the county and has long been regarded as a public-spirited citizen whose influence could be counted on for whatever venture had as its ultimate object the betterment of the moral, social or educational status of the community.

Frank E. Whiteside is a native son of the old Buckeye state, having been born in Madison county, near Mount Sterling, on August 21, 1876, the son of James and Catherine (Quay) Whiteside. James was also a native of this state, born in Pickaway county near DarbyVille, where he received his education and grew to maturity. He has always followed the vocation of farming, prospering therein and becoming a considerable Jand owner. He at one time owned a farm of one hundred and fifty acres in Paint township, this county, which he has disposed of and now lives in quiet retirement in Bloomingburg. Special honor is due James Whiteside in that he was one of those loyal sons of the Union who went to the front during the dark days of the Civil War and was óne of that victorious army which preserved the integrity of the nation. He enlisted for service in August, 1862, with a number of other men in and about Circleville, becoming a private in Company A, One Hundred and Fourteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was immediately marched to the front, where his regiment saw three years of service. A peculiar incident is that he was wounded on the last day of his service, having been in many engagements previously without receiving a single scratch. After receiving his honorable discharge, he returned to Fayette county, being employed by the month in work on various farms. In 1866 he was united in marriage with Catherine Quay, their union being blessed with seven children, Allen, John, James, Creighton, Clara, Frank E., the immediate subject of this sketch, and Charles.

Frank E. Whiteside received his elementary education in the schools of Paint township, near his home, first entering in 1883. After advancing as far in his studies as was at that time possible in that neighborhood, he attended high school in Bloomingburg for two years. He received his higher education and special training in teaching at the Ohio Northern University, at Ada, and the Wooster University. After completing his studies in these various halls of learning, he was well equipped for imparting instruction to the young and for thirteen years was connected with various schools of Fayette county. He served two terms, or six years, as school examiner of his county. The successful school teacher needs to possess far more than merely a good education. There must be a full understanding and sympathy with youth and its various problems, a natural leadership and a never-failing, but unostentatious,' influence in the direction of high and worthy motives. The influence of such a teacher is far-reaching in its effects and he can point with pride to useful young lives which have developed under his care and tutelage. The esteem in which Mr. Whiteside is held throughout the county marks him as one who has done well in his chosen vocation. On January 16, 1911, Mr. Whiteside received from President Taft the appointment to the postmastership of Bloomingburg and is retaining same under the rules of the civil service commission.

his education in this locality and has the enviable record of having taught school for thirty-five consecutive years. To Mr. and Mrs. Whiteside has been born one child, Margaret Eloise, who is now two years old and a promising little daughter. Mr. Whiteside's fraternal affiliations are with the timehonored body of Free and Accepted Masons and both he and his wife are members of the Eastern Star, the woman's auxiliary of Masonry. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America. While not directly associated with any particular church, both Mr, and Mrs. - Whiteside are interested in the.work of all and give such assistance as they find possible. He is a man of genial temperament who makes friends readily, his relations with his acquaintances being of a most congenial order. He is well known all over Fayette county and enjoys a well-deserved popularity among his fellow citizens.

The respect which should always be accorded to the brave sons of the North who left their homes and peaceful pursuits to give their services and their lives, if need be, to preserve the integrity of the American Union, is certainly due to L. Ervin Parrett, to a brief review of whose life the historian now addresses himself. Although a mere lad of eighteen at the time of his enlistment, yet he was not to be daunted and on the long and tiresome marches, in all kinds of situations, he proved his love and loyalty to his government. Too much honor cannot be given to those boys in blue who were exposed to the summer's withering sun and the winter's freezing cold, who walked the lonely picket line, a target for the unseen foe, and fought on the field of flame without a thought of their own dangers. l

L. Ervin Parrett, the son of A. F. and Caroline (Hess) Parrett, was born in Paint township, Fayette county, Ohio, August 22, 1844. His father was the son of John and Catherine (Windle) Parrett, and was born in Jefferson township. John Parrett came to Fayette county about the year 1811, the year after the county was organized. John Parrett and his wife are buried on the farm where he first located on the banks of Paint creek. A. F. Parrett was one of the most substantial farmers of the county during his day and reared a family of four children, Melissa, Ella, Mrs. Indey Van Pelt, and L. Ervin, with whom this narrative deals.

the district schools of his neighborhood during the short winter sessions and spent his summer vacations on his father's farm, assisting with the farm work. At the age of eighteen he enlisted in Company D, One Hundred and Sixtyeighth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served during the remainder of the Civil War. His regiment, commanded by Col. Conrad Garris, participated in many of the hard-fought battles of that memorable struggle and won a gallant name for itself. Immediately after the close of the war he returned to peaceful pursuits in his home county. He at once took up agricultural pursuits and for nearly half a century has been engaged in farming in Paint township. His farm of four hundred acres, known as the Wildwood farm, is well improved and is one of the most attractive farms of the county.

Mr. Parrett was married to Jennie Hays on the 25th day of March, 1888, and to this union has been born one daughter, Faith, who married Homer Miller, and has two children, Irvin and Marjorie. Mr. Parrett's fraternal associations are confined to John Bell Post, Grand Army of the Republic, at Washington C. H., to which he has belonged for many years.

James W. Duffee

It is with marked satisfaction that the biographer adverts to the life of one who has attained success in any vocation requiring definiteness of purpose and determined action. Such a life, whether it be one of calm, consecutive endeavor or of sudden meteoric accomplishments, must abound in® both lesson and incentive and prove a guide to young men whose fortunes and destinies are still matters for the future to determine. James W. Duffee is distinctively one of the representative business men of Washington C. H., where for forty-five years he has been recognized as a merchant whose dealings were ever "on the square" and who has always enjoyed to a notable degree the respect and confidence of all who have had dealings with him.

James W. Duffee was born in Hocking county, Ohio, on January 17, 1845. His parents were Charles and Lucinda (Tumbleson) Duffee, natives, respectively, of Meigs county, Ohio, and Virginia. They were the parents of one child besides the subject, George W., who came to his death by murder in 1913. Charles Duffee was the son of Daniel and Margaret (Donahoe) Duffee, who were natives of Pennsylvania and early settlers in Meigs county, Ohio, their deaths occurring in Hocking Valley when about sixty-four years old. They had eight children, Barney, Jackson, Edward, Leander, Wesley,

Charles, Margaret and Mary. Charles Duffee followed the vocation of farming until thirty-two years of age, when he engaged in the shoe business at Washington C. H., and a few years later retired from that line and engaged in the grocery business, which commanded his attention until his death, which occurred in 1895, when about seventy-three years of age. His wife had died at the early age of twenty-five years. They were Methodists in their religious belief and were God-fearing and earnest people. Charles Duffee was a veteran of the Civil War, having enlisted early in the conflict in the First Regiment Ohio Cavalry, with which he served about seventeen months. It was he who, as orderly for General Smith, carried the order to General Porter to move his troops from the second battle field of Bull Run. He was marshal of Washington C. H. for two or three terms when it was a village. The subject's maternal grandparents, William and Lucinda (Campbell) Tumbleson, were natives of Virginia. They became early settlers in Hocking county, Ohio, and died there. Their children were six in number, John, Thomas, Lucinda, Maria, Lucretia, Mary.

James W. Duffee was brought by his parents to Washington C. H. when but thirteen vears of age and in the public schools of this city he secured a good practical education. At the outbreak of the Civil War, though he was not yet sixteen years of age, he enlisted as a member of Company C, Sixtieth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Capt. George B. Gardner. After serving about one year, he was captured at Harper's Ferry, but was soon paroled and was later discharged from the service at Chicago. Mr. Duffee then returned to Washington C. H. and applied himself to the trade of shoemaking, which vocation he followed about ten years. He then entered into a partnership with his father and opened a shoe store, which they ran for about seven years, but at the end of that time they disposed of the shoe business and engaged in the grocery business. This enterprise met with success from the start and Mr. Duffee has continued uninterruptedly to the present time, having conducted business in one room for thirty-eight years. He has during all this time enjoyed his full share of the local patronage, due to his courteous treatment of his customers and his earnest efforts to please all who enter his store. He is a good manager, thoroughly understands the demands of his trade and caters carefully thereto, with the result that he is numbered among the most successful of Washington's business men.

On the 16th day of May, 1868, Mr. Duffee was married to Frances Wendle, a native of Columbus, Ohio, and the daughter of Daniel and Margaret (Rupright) Wendle. To this union have been born three children,

Bayette .County,.Ohio. Ki

Gracie, Margaretta and a son who died in infancy. Mrs. Duffee's parents were natives of Bavaria, Germany, who emigrated to the United States and became early settlers of Columbus, Ohio, though later they moved to Washington C. H., where they both died. They had seven children, Frances, Peter, William, Daniel, Theodore, Allie and Clara.

In their religious belief, Mr. and Mrs. Duffee are members of the Presbyterian church. Fraternally, he belongs to Fayette Lodge No. 107, Free and Accepted Masons; to Fayette Chapter No. 103; Royal Arch Masons, and to John M. Bell Post, Grand Army of the Republic. Politically, he is a Democrat and has taken an active part in public affairs, having served for nine years as a member of the school board and doing much effective work in the cause of education. He is also a trustee of the Memorial Hall and was for some years a member of the board of tax commissioners and one of the sinking fund trustees. He has at all times had the welfare of the community at heart and has given his support to many movements for the general uplift. He has also helped in a material way and is a heavy stockholder in the Fayette Canning Company, of which he is president.

Next to the oldest merchant in Washington C. H., in point of continuous service, Mr. Duffee has, by an active, public-spirited and progressive attitude, long been numbered among the influential men of his community and he is eminently deserving of the high standing which he enjoys. A wide reader and keen observer of men and events, he is keenly alive to the great issues of the day and his opinions and advice are held in high regard by those who are close to him. Of genial and kindly disposition he has won a host of warm and loyal friends.

O. Wade Creath

The biographies of the representative men of a county bring to light many hidden treasures of mind, character and courage, well calculated to arouse the pride of their families and of the community, and it is a source of regret that the people are not more familiar with the. personal history of such men, in the ranks of whom may be found tillers of the soil, mechanics, teachers, as well as lawyers, physicians, bankers and members of other vocations and professions. The subject of this sketch is distinctively one of the leading citizens of the township in which he lives, and as such has made his influence felt among his fellowmen and earned a name for enterprise, integrity

O. Wade Creath, present mayor of the village of Bloomingburg, Ohio, and manager of the Home Telephone Company of that place, was born on November 18, 1870, in Madison county, near Mount Sterling, on the old Creath homestead, where his father also was born and raised. He is the son of William Allen Creath, a short sketch of whose career will be found elsewhere in this volume. His mother was Mary E. McCafferty, who is deceased. William Allen Creath, who is a life-long farmer, is now living in retirement. The subject is one of a family of four children, being the third child in order of birth. Eva, the oldest of the family, is Mrs. William Parker and resides near Bloomingburg. Minnie is the wife of Dr. J. E. Holmes, of Columbus, while Clarence, the youngest of the family, practices dentistry in St. Paul, Minnesota. His wife before her marriage was Alene Schrader and they have one child, Willard.

Mr. Creath received his elementary education in the schools of Bloomingburg, later receiving the more advanced grades at Wooster, this state. After completing his studies at that point, he for a time attended the university at Ann Arbor, Michigan. He returned to Bloomingburg, where for a time he was connected with a general store and then at the outbreak of hostilities between our nation and Spain he enlisted for service with Company D, Eighth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, going from Wooster. He saw active service and was at Santiago, Cuba, at its fall. After the close of the war he returned here and some time later became interested in telephone service. He was instrumental largely in bringing the telephone service of the county up to its present high state of efficiency and for some time has been manager of the Home Telephone Company. Mr. Creath's political affiliation is with the Republican party and on that ticket he was, in November, 1911, elected to the office of mayor of Bloomingburg, and again elected in November, 1913, which position he fills with efficiency at the present time. He has for many years taken an active part in the politics of this locality and is regarded as one of the best workers of his party. His religious affiliation is with the Presbyterian church, to which he gives loyal support. Mr. Creath is a man of energy and laudable ambitions, as witnessed by the fact that he is at present reading law with a view to completing his studies begun at Ann Arbor some years back. In this endeavor he bids fair to attain a gratifying degree of success for, aside from his unswerving integrity and courteous manner, he possesses a quiet firmness which will serve him well in his chosen vocation. Practically Mr. Creath's entire life has heen passed in this locality and throughout the years he has been true to every trust imposed in him of whatsoever nature. He possesses a kindly and genial disposition, is a pleasing companion and readily makes friends. He is well informed on a wide range of topics and with his native ability and the determination he has to rise still further on the ladder of success, he bids fair in the years to come to place himself still further in the forefront of Fayette county's leading citizens.

Among the citizens of Fayette county, Ohio, who have built up comfortable homes and surrounded themselves with valuable personal property few have atttained a greater degree of success than Frank L. Parrett, the owner of one thousand acres of land in this county. With few opportunities except what his own efforts were capable of mastering, and with many diffculties and discouragements to overcome, he has achieved an exceptional success in life and is one of the four farmers of this county who own one thousand or more acres of land. He has always been regarded as a good business man, an excellent manager and a man who was thoroughly in touch with all of the latest agricultural methods. He has always enjoyed the respect and esteem of those who knew him for his friendly manner, his interest in public affairs and his upright mode of life, and is regarded by those who know him as one of the substantial and worthy citizens of the county, in whose advancement and growth he has always taken a prominent part.

Frank L. Parrett, son of Capt. T. F.and Mary (Greenlee) Parrett, was. born November 2, 1864, on the Sugar Creek farm in Jefferson township, this county. As a boy he attended the public schools of his township during the , winter seasons and worked on his father's farm during the summers. At the age of eighteen he commenced farming for himself by renting land and later bought one hundred acres, which formed the nucleus of his present extensive land holdings. He has always been an extensive stock raiser and particularly successful in the raising of Belgian horses and Shorthorn cattle. As he has prospered he has added to his original acreage until he is now the owner of one thousand acres in this county located about six miles north of Washington C. H. on the Prairie pike.

Mr.. Parrett was married March 25, 1886, to Stella Briggs, the daughter of Abner and Catherine (Johnson) Briggs, and to this union has been born one child, who died in infancy.

Politically, Mr. Parrett is a Republican, and has always been-interested " particularly in local politics.: He has served on the school board of Paint township and in this capacity favored every measure which he' felt would benefit the schools of the township in any way. Gx

Josiah Hopkins

The best title one can establish to the high and generous esteem of an intelligent community is a protracted and honorable residence therein. The late Josiah Hopkins, one of the best known and most highly esteemed men of Fayette county, resided here practically all his life, and his career was a most commendable one in every respect, well deserving of being perpetuated in the annals of his county. Like his sterling father before him, he was a man of well defined purpose and never failed to carry to successful completion any work or enterprise to which he addressed himself and during his lifetime contributed in a definite way to the general growth of Fayette county.

Josiah Hopkins was a native of Fayette county, having been born near the present Fairview church, on the Cincinnati,- Hamilton & Dayton railroad, on the 7th day of October, 1832, and died at his home in Washington C. H., April 14, t914. His parents, Jeremiah and Nancy (Claypool) Hopkins, were natives of Pennsylvania and, with the desire to benefit their financial condition, they, in an early day, moved with the title of emigration westward and became pioneer setlers of Fayette county, Ohio, wheer they spent the rest of their days. Jeremiah Hopkins followed the vocation of farming, in which he was successful, and was a strong and sturdy figure in the early days of the community. His death occurred at Washington C: H. in 1875, in the sixtyninth year of his age. He was survived a number of years by his widow. who. died July 31, 1891, having been born May 17, 1807. They were faithful and earnest members of the Wesleyan Methodist church and, because of their consistent and upright lives, they enjoyed the esteem of the entire community. They were the parents of thirteen children, of which number eleven grew to maturity, namely: Mary Jane, deceased, was the wife of Cyrus Hegler; Sarah, deceased, was the wife of Julius Bicknell; Washington, who lives near Eldorado Springs, Missouri; Josiah, the immediate subject of this review; David, of Washington C. H.; Elijah, of Hot Springs, Arkansas; Nancy M., wife of Joseph Beatty, of Washington C. H.; Phoebe, wife of Albert Peterson, of Frankfort, Ross county, Ohio; Harriett Ann, wife of George Hamilton, of Florida; Orange Scott, who was a soldier in the Civil War and died

The subject's paternal grandparents, Moses and Marcey (Kirkendall) Hopkins, were natives of Pennsylvania and eventually became pioneer settlers of Ross county, Ohio, where they died when well advanced in age. They reared a'nuniber of children. Mr. Hopkins' maternal grandparents likewise came from Pennsylvania to Ross county in an early day and there spent the remainder of their lives, rearing several children.

Josiah Hopkins was reared on his father's farm and his early education was received in the typical log-cabin subscription school of that period, slab seats and greased-paper windows indicating the style of the furnishings. Afterward Mr. Hopkins had the advantage of one term's attendance in the high school at Frankfort and a similar period in the high school at Greenheld. He remained in the paternal home until he had attained his majority, he and his brothers giving their father assistance on the farm, while during their leisure periods they were permitted to work for their neighbors and to retain such money as was earned in this way. Subsequently, Mr. Hopkins came to Washington C. H. and for a short time was employed as a clerk in the general store of George Melvin and Thomas Wallace. Then for two or three years he worked on the home farm, at the end of which period, in 1857, he married and then engaged in farming on his own account. For two years he rented a part of his father's farm and, carefully managing his resources, he was then enabled to buy a farm of two hundred acres in Madison county, where he lived for five years, that being the only time when he ever resided outside of his native county. Returning then to Fayette county, Mr. Hopkins bought a little more than three hundred acres of land situated on the Washington and Circleville turnpike, about five miles east of Washington C. H., to the improvement and cultivation: of which he devoted himself and there he reared his family. Through his hard and consecutive efforts and good management, he was prosperous and from time to time bought additional land until eventually he owned eight hundred and fifty acres of splendid and well improved land. This land he divided among his children by deeds, and after the children were grown he quit the farm and moved to Washington, where he bought and remodeled an attractive and comfortable home and there he resided until his death. Mr. Hopkins was successful in the acquisition of a comfortable share of this world's goods and was numbered among the solid and substantial citizens of the county. He was a stockholder and vice-president of the Midland National Bank, of Washington C. H., one of the solid and influential financial institutions of Fayette county. In the larger life of the community Mr. Hopkins always took an intelligent interest and his support was always given to those things which have promised to be of the greatest benefit to the people generally.

Politically, Mr. Hopkins was always aligned with the Republican party, which ticket he usually voted, though he was not blindly partisan in the sense that he saw no good in other parties or in other candidates. Religiously, he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and gave his support to the various activities of that society.

On December 24, 1857, Josiah Hopkins was united in marriage to Sarah Elizabeth Rogers, who was born about six miles east of Washington C. H., the daughter of David and Mary (Jennings) Rogers. Her parents were natives of Pennsylvania, but came to Fayette county many years ago and here spent the rest of their lives, the father dying here when eighty-three years of age and the mother about sixty. They were the parents of six children, Sarah, John, Benjamin, Alexander, Ruth and Ellen.

To Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins were born five children, namely: Eva Josephine is the wife of Jerome Penn (deceased July 4, 1904), of Washington C. H., and they have two sons, Erret (deceased) and Ralph; Austin Franklin married Margaret Edwards and they have a son, Edwards; O. Scott married Elsie Willis; Stella Ruth married Walter Hamilton and they are the parents of a son, Frank. The mother of these children passed to the better life in May, 1905, in the sixty-ninth year of her age. She was a woman of. rare personal qualities and greatly esteemed by all who knew her. 5

By a life consistent in motive and action, Mr. Hopkins earned the sincere regard of all who knew him and he was rightfully numbered among that energetic and enterprising class that has made this favored section one of the most noted and richest in the great Buckeye state.

Joel A. Allen

One of the pioneer farmers of this county is Joel A. Allen, whose career of seventy-five years has all been spent within the limits of Fayette county. He is now living in retirement after a strenuous life of activity which covered considerably more than half a century. His well directed efforts in the practical affairs of life, his capable management of his interests and his sound judgment have brought to him a very satisfactory competence for his declining years. He served with distinction during the dark days of the Civil

Mr. And Mrs. Joel A. Allen

War and was probably at the front longer than any man who enlisted from Fayette county. Too much honor can not be accorded the men who faced every danger and death itself upon the battlefields of the Civil War and bore suffering and made sacrifices for their country's sake.

Joel A. Allen, the son of Adam and Rosanna (Hidy) Allen, was born August 7, 1830, in the township where he has lived most of his life, having spent nineteen years in Greene and Clinton counties, Ohio. His father was also born in this same township and was a prominent farmer and land owner. Adam Allen lived all of his life in this county with the exception of a few years when he lived in Madison and Clinton counties, this state. His declining years were spent with his son, Joel. Thirteen children were born to Adam and Rosanna (Hidy) Allen: Mrs. Sarah J. Bryant, John, Mrs. Catherine Morris, Joel A., William, George, deceased, Elijah, Samuel, Etta, Mrs. Rossetta, deceased, Lucy Straley, Adam and one who died in infancy. Of these children the following are now deceased: Sarah J., Catherine, William, Etta and George.

Joel A. Allen was reared under the primitive pioneer conditions which prevailed during his boyhood days and attended the rude log school house with its greased-paper windows and slab seats, and there learned the rudiments of reading, writing and arithmetic. At the opening of the Civil War he enlisted in Company K, Forty-fourth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served for more than four years. The company was under the command of Colonel S. A. Gilbert and Colonel Moore and participated in engagements in West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Mr. Allen had the honor of having served for a longer time in the Civil War than any other man from his county. After the close of the war Mr. Allen returned to Jeffersonville, Ohio, and worked on a farm in the immediate neighborhood. After his marriage he began renting land in Greene county, this state, and later located in Clinton county for a short time. He then returned to Fayette county and bought fifty acres of excellent land adjoining the village of Jeffersonville, where he is now living. He also is the owner of several town lots in Jeffersonville.

Mr. Allen was married to Mary C. Janes, the daughter of William and Mary (Mock) Janes, early pioneers of the county, and to this union have been born two children, Isophine and Ralph. Mr. and Mrs. Allen have also reared a boy, Howard Haynes, who is the son of George and Lucy (Horney) Haynes, ae are both deceased, the father being buried in Chicago, Illinois,

Politically, Mr. Allen is a Republican and has always been actively interested in political matters. He has held various township offices, among them being that of township trustee and school director. Mr. Allen and his family are all loyal and consistent members of the Friends church, of Clinton county, and take an active interest in all the work of that denomination.

Jason F. Henkle

There is no earthly station higher than a minister of the Gospel, for no life can be more uplifting or grander than that which is devoted to the amelioration of the human race; a life of sacrifice for the betterment of the brotherhood of men, one who is willing to cast aside all earthly crowns in order to follow in the footsteps of the lowly Nazarene. It is not possible to measure adequately the bounds of such a life, for its influences continue to permeate the lives of others through succeeding generations; so the power it has exerted cannot be known until the last great day. Jason F. Henkle, the immediate subject of this sketch, who for thirty-seven years labored as a minister of the Gospel in the Methodist Protestant church, felt the call to the work when young and gladly answered it, although in doing so he set before himself a great task in accomplishing a suitable education to enable him to best discharge the duties which would be his. As was the custom in earlier days perhaps more than now, Mr. Henkle also conducted the work of the farm and in these ways has lived a life full to repletion with activity and brimful of good results. A short sketch of his career forcibly illustrates what energy, integrity and fixed purpose can accomplish when animated by noble aims and correct ideals.

Jason F. Henkle, who resides on the old Henkle homestead in Union township, Fayette county, Ohio, was born on May 13, 1847, a son of Ephraim and Mary S. (Carr) Henkle, the former of whom was born on April 23, 1818, in this same township. He was the son of Barbara Henkle, who was a daughter of Isaac Henkle, who, with his brothers, Jacob, Esau and Saul, came from Pendleton county, Virginia, at a very early date in the history of the state, probably about the year 1815. Isaac Henkle took as his wife a German woman who came from one of the first families of that nationality in this section. Ephraim, his son, who is the father of the immediate subject of this sketch, was the father of ten children and he himself had the

Jason F. Henkle attended the schools of the home locality when a boy and from his early youth assisted the father in the work about the home place, this being the same land on which Mr. Henkle now lives and which comprises fifty-two acres. He remained with his father until he attained his majority, when hearing of better opportunities for young men in the West, he journeyed to Logan county, Illinois, and secured a tract of land there which he rented for a year. When the first season's crops were gathered in, he returned to his boyhood home in this state, where he remained for two years, when, the call of the West again becoming insistent, he returned to Ilinois, locating this time in McLean county. Here for two years he farmed rented land, and at the end of that time again returned to Ohio, where he has since made his home. During all the time he was so engaged, and for a few years later he was laboring all his spare time to better fit himself for the ministry and to this end was seeking a higher education alone and unaided. The fine degree of energy and courage which he possesses saw him through this big undertaking and at last the time came when he was able to take his place before the world as a full ordained minister of the Gospel, to which work he gave the best of his life and effort.

On March 14, 1872, Mr. Henkle was united in marriage with Laura O'Day, who bore him one child, Ephraim, who died in earliest infancy. Mrs. Henkle passed from this life on April 23, 1873, but a little more than a year aiter her marriage, and both mother and child lie buried in the cemetery at \Vashington C. H. The next few years which passed were lonely ones for Mr. Henkle and those most interested in him were glad indeed when, on October 1, 1878, he led to the altar Nanna Hamm, of London, Ohio, daughter of John and Mary Jane (Timmons) Hamm, farmers of that locality. To Mr. Henkle by his second marriage were born six children, four of whom have passed into the great beyond. These are Lily H., Wilson C., Evelyn L. and Ray. Those living are Mary, who is the wife of Argyle P. Duncan and the mother of one son, William, and a son, Allan E., who resides in Detroit, Michigan, these being the first and fourth children, respectively, in order of birth. Both this daughter and son received excellent educations, both graduating from the college at Adrian, Michigan,

While Mr. Henkle is not now on the active list of ministers, the duties of his calling still devolve upon him and he is still active in the cause so dear to his heart. His fraternal affiliation is with the Independent Order of Odd

Fellows and also with the Knights of Pythias, and in the work of both these orders he takes a commendable interest. He is also affiliated with the Sons of Veterans. His father, Ephraim, was a captain during the Civil War, being connected with Company F, One Hundred and Sixty-eighth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. During an engagement he was captured by the enemy at Cynthiana, Kentucky. He also had some experience during the Mexican War, but was not regularly enlisted in the service.

Of marked mental ability, well posted and a forceful and effective man in every walk of life, Mr. Henkle is held in high esteem by his brothers in the ministry and laymen alike. He is sincerely interested in all causes which lead to the advancement of the human race along all legitimate lines and ts numbered among the strong and influential citizens of the county, enjoying universal respect and esteem throughout his wide circle of friends and acquaintances. Because of his active life and the good he has accomplished wherever his path has led, he is eminently entitled to special mention in a volume of this character.

Floyd .R- Smidley

The occupation of the farmer is the most independent career open to the man of today. One of the youngest farmers of Marion township, Fayette county, Ohio, is Floyd R. Smidley, who is now renting one hundred and fifty acres of fine land from his tather about one mile north of New Holland. His father is one of the most successful farmers of this county and is a man who has been a leader for many years in everything that pertains to the development of the township. He has inherited those sterling characteristics which has made his father so successful and the success which has attended his efforts thus far indicates that he will eventually become one of the substantial farmers of his township.

Floyd R. Smidley, son of George and Minnie (Whitmer) Smidley, was born September 30, 1891, in Wayne township, Fayette county, Ohio. His father was a native of Ross county, Ohio, while his mother is a native of this county. Both of his parents are still living in Marion township, where his father owns and operates the Elmwood Stock Farm. The reader is referred . to the history of George Smidley, which is found elsewhere in this volume, for further information concerning the Smidley family. |

Smidley and wife, and one of four living children, the others being Roy, Iva and Gladys, and was born September 30, 1891. He received his education in the North Star and Gamble schools of this county, and-early in life decided that he wished to follow the occupation of a farmer. As a youth he worked on his father's large farm during the summer vacation, and thus by the time he was of age was well acquainted with the various details of agricultural life. After his marriage, in 1913, he rented one hundred and fifty acres of land from his father, and is now tilling this in a way that shows him to be a progressive farmer and thoroughly in touch with the latest methods in tilling the soil. He gives most of his attention to stock raising and has been very successful along this particular line of activity.

Mr. Smidley was married August 16, 1913, to Artie Barclay, the daughter of David Barclay. David Barclay was a native of Ross county and lived there all his life, dying October 16, 1911. He married Jessie Hilton and they raised a family of six children, Clifford, Artie, Howard, Leota, Calvin and Gladys. The wife and mother still lives on the old homestead in Harrison township, Ross county. Mr. and Mrs. Smidley are loyal and consistent members of the Christian church, in whose welfare they are deeply interested. Mr. and Mrs. Smidley have a little daughter, Annalee, born July 20, 1914. Mr. Smidley is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Sons of Veterans. He is still a young man of clean habits and high character, and is well liked and respected by every one with whom he has been associated. Genial in disposition and kindly in manner, he makes friends wherever he goes with the result that he has a large circle of friends and acquaintances.

William Henry Rowe

The gallant veterans of the Civil War are fast answering the last roll call and within a few years there will be none of them left. Among the many veterans of Fayette county who have been mustered into that better land and joined the army triumphant there is no one more worthy of mention than the late William Henry Rowe, who was a prominent farmer of Concord township for many years. He was a man who always performed his every duty whether on the battle field, in official life, as a private citizen or in his family circle. Such men give character and stability to the community in which they live and for this reason are always missed when they are gone.

born in Fayette county, July 22, 1836, and died at his home in Leesburg, Ohio, June 8, 1906. His father was a native of Virginia and came to Ohio in 1820 and located on the Wabash. Willis Rowe and wife reared a family ot six children, all of whom are now deceased: Harmon, Oliver, Minnie, Alia, Hester and William Henry.

William H. Rowe attended the village school at Staunton, as did the girl who was later to become his wife. He knew what it was to have to work and from his earliest boyhood assisted with the labor on his father's farm. He remained at home until his marriage in 1857 and then began farming for himself in Concord township. When the Civil War opened he had his heart torn between duty to his family and duty to his country, but his wife told him that she could care for the three children and that when his country needed him he should go to the front. He enlisted in Company K, One Hundred and Sixty-eighth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served to the close of the war. Immediately after the war closed he returned to his happy family and resumed his peaceful pursuits. He prospered as a farmer and 'he and his good wife reared a large family of children to lives of usefulness and honor.

Mr. Rowe was married in 1857 to Sarah Ann Craig, and to this union there were born ten children, Finley, William, David, Elizabeth, Florence, Oliver, Hattie (died aged one year), Martin, Earl and Pearl. Finley married Hattie Worthington and has eight children: William, Clarence, James, Elba, Inez, Hazel, Anna and Eva. William married Jennie Wagner. David married Nettie Tanquary and has two children, Mina and Carl, deceased. Martin married Bessie Dade. Elizabeth married Robert Patton and has four children, Lily, Leona, Marie and Willard. Oliver married Maud Covan and has two children, Alice and Lottie. Leroy married Pearl Burnett. Florence and Earl are still single. Hattie married Frank Doty and has three children.

Mr. Rowe was a life-long Republican and always interested in political affairs, particularly in local politics. For many years he served as a member of the school board in his township. As a veteran of the Civil War he was greatly interested in the Grand Army of the Republic and belonged to the post at Washington C. H. He was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church and lived a life in harmony with its teachings. He was a man of domestic tastes and was never happier than when at home and surrounded by his family. He never overlooked an opportunity to do good and yet was never ostentatious in his benefactions. Such men are a blessing to

Noah Thornton

The character of a community is determined in a large measure by the lives of a comparatively few of its members. If its moral and intellectual status be good, if in a social way it is a pleasant place to live, if its reputation for the integrity of its citizens has extended into other localities, it will be found that the standards set by the leading men have been high and that their influence has been such as to mold the characters and shape the lives of those with whom they mingle. Jn placing the subject of this sketch in the rank of such men, justice is rendered a biographical fact universally recognized throughout the locality honored with his citizenship. Mr. Thornton has contributed much to the material, civic and moral advancement of his community, while his admirable qualities and the straightforward, upright course of his daily life, have won for him the esteem and confidence of the circles in which he moves and has given him a reputation for integrity and correct conduct.

Noah Thornton, well known farmer of Union township, Fayette county, Ohio, was born on January 4, 1856, on what was known as the old Thornton farm, a portion of which is included in the subject's present farm home of two hundred acres. This home is situated on the Johnstown road, about three and one-half miles from Washington C. H. The subject is the son of Thomas B. and Mahaley (Harper) Thornton, the former of whom was born in Columbus, this state, and was a very prominent farmer of this section. In his youth Thomas B. Thornton was a bound boy, having been brought to this locality when a baby and bound out. He was a very ambitious chap and when a mere boy he began clearing land for his future home. At the time of his death he stood possessed of some six hundred acres of excellent farming lands. Being a man of keen intellect and possessed of more than ordinary civic pride, he took more than a passive interest in local community affairs and left the mark of his individuality upon much that relates to county history. He was the father of eight children, namely: Amos, James, Anderson (deceased), William, Ellen, Austin (deceased), Thomas and Noah, the immediate subject of this sketch.

Mr. Thornton received his education in the schools of Johnstown, and when quite a small boy began assisting the father in the work of the home farm. At the age of twenty he started farming on his own account, renting land from his father for this purpose. From the very first he has succeeded and is regarded as among the best agriculturists of the county.

On September 29, 1874, Mr. Thornton was united in marriage with Rebecca Hopkins, daughter of William and Sophia (Crantz) Hopkins, and to their union have been born two children. The elder is Wilber, who married Alma Hooker and is the father of four children, Everett, Ursel, Kenneth and Velma. The subject's younger child is Ursel, who remains at home and is at present attending school.

Mr. Thornton's political affliation is with the Republican party, in the affairs of which he takes a commendable interest. He is at present giving efficient service as a member of the school board and can always be counted upon to heartily endorse any movement for the betterment of the higher life of the community. He holds his religious affiliation with the Seventh-day Adventist church and gives generously toward the support of the local organization. While a quiet, unassuming man whose best endeavors are extended in behalf of his home and family, Mr. Thornton is one who fully appreciates the duties of citizenship and makes an effort to add his quota to the advancement of the best interests of the community. The family is well liked and highly respected by a large circle of friends and acquaintances.

The best title one can establish to the high and generous esteem of an intelligent community is a protracted and honorable residence therein. William L. Henkle, Sr., one of the best known and most highly esteemed men of Fayette county, Ohio, and now living in honorable retirement after many years of activity in agricultural circles, has resided here all his life and his career has been a most commendable one in every respect. By persistent industry and the exercise of sound common sense in his operations, he gained the rewards for which he labored and is today numbered among the substantial and influential men of the community.

William 1L. Henkle was born on September 5, 1845, in Union township on a farm one mile west of Washington C. H., being a son of Ephraim and Mary S. (Carr) Henkle, Ephraim also being a native of this township, born in 1818 on the old Irvin farm. His mother's name was Barbara and Ephraim was one of the pioneers of the county, owning one hundred and fifty acres of land, which he placed in an excellent state of cultivation, and was in his day one of the leading men of his community. In his youth he attended the old pioneer schools in the crude little log school Houses, his spare time being de- voted to working with his father. When he came to manhood he followed the vocation of farming and was considered one of the leading agriculturists of this section. He approved advanced methods of farming, eagerly adapting every new idea as he acquired it and owned the first reaper which ever came into the township. He also believed that the best strains of live stock were none too good for the ordinary farmer and was especially interested in fine hogs. He was the father of ten children. Ellen, Joel and Mary are deceased, the latter having been the wife of JAS Bush: Wiliam D theim mediate subject of this sketch, was the third child in order of birth; then came J. F.; N. S., who lives in Indiana; Jesse, who lives at Springfield, Ohio; Catherine (Mrs. Hire); Amanda, wife of W. L. Dowden, and Almeda L., who married J. B. Cohagen.

When the subject was a youth he attended the school taught by H. C. Burnett, later went to the Judge A. Williams school and finished his school days in John Parrott's school. From the time he was a small boy and during all vacations he assisted in the work of the home place and when twenty-two years of age he started out in life for himself, first hiring out to farm labor by the month. At the age of twenty-six he began farming for himself on a tract of twelve acres and now owns a farm of sixty acres located about three miles west of Washington C. H. on the Wilmington pike.

On April 16, 1868, Mr. Henkle was united in marriage with Thursea Bush, daughter of William and Phoebe (Fults) Bush, both of whom were natives of this county. To their union have beeen born five children, the eldest of whom, Miles N., is deceased. The others are Mary E., wife of Grant Miller; Efhe, William L., Jr., and Carey E., who remain at home. Since the subject has retired from the active work of the farm, his two efficient sons, William L., Jr., and Carey E., have taken oved its management. Both received their educations at the Midland school and were early trained by the subject in all that pertained to successful farming. Carey E. devotes especial effort to the raising of such grains as are especially adapted to this section, while William gives particular attention to truck farming. Both belong to the Sons of Veterans and the religious affiliation of each is with the Methodist Protestant church, and to the maintenance of the local organization each gives liberally of his means.

William M. Henkle's political affiliation is with the Republican party and he has always taken a keen interest in the affairs of same. He has been a school director and has also served the township as pike superintendent, efficiently discharging the duties of both offices. His church membership for the past fifty years has been with the Methodist Protestant church and he is sincerely interested in the success of the local society. Mr. Henkle is a quiet, unassuming man and it is unnecessary to add that he is highly respected throughout the locality where he lives and where he has spent his entire life. In all the relations of life he has been found faithful to every trust and because of his sterling worth, uncompromising integrity and friendliness, he has won and retains the warm regard of all with whom he associates and is widely known throughout the county.

A man who occupied a conspicuous place in the life of his community for many years was the late Abner J. Bryant, who lived a life which endeared him to everyone with whom he was associated. He was successful in his life work and left the impress of his personality upon the community where he resided. In his daily walk of life he conducted his affairs in such a way as to reflect credit upon himself and, being upright and conscientious in everything he did, it 1s justly fitting that his history be included among the representative men of his-county. He will always be remembered as a man who had the interests of his fellow citizens at heart, and in everything he did lie was also actuated by the highest motives.

The late Abner J. Bryant, the,son of Gideon and Anna (Mouser) Bryant, was born in Ross county, Ohio, near New Holland, on the 22d day of August, 1860, and died in Marion township, this county, on the 16th day of October, 1910. His father was born in Virginia and was one of the early settlers of Ross county. Twelve children were born to Gideon Bryant and wife, John, William, Frank, Charles, Ida, Laura, Rena, Maida, Cora, Nathan, Benjamin and Abner J.

Abner J. Bryant received a good common school education in the schools of Ross county and remained on the home farm until he was married. After his marriage he continued to live in Ross county until he was about forty years of age when he removed to Fayette county and located in Marion township, near New Holland. He bought a farm in this township and continued to reside on it until his death.

Mr. Bryant was married on February 11, 1882, to Flora Bennett, the daughter of John W. and Joanna (Karney) Bennett. John W. Bennett was a native of Pickaway county, and was one of the largest land owners in this section of the state, owning more than twelve hundred acres of land: in Pickaway county. Six children were born to John W. Bennett and wife: Mrs. Sarah Dick, Melton, Flora, one who died an infant, William and James. Mr. and Mrs. Bryant are the parents of five children, Iva, Oma, Opal B., Audrey and John Bennett. Iva married Harry V. Heath; Opal is the wife of Warren Briggs, and has one daughter, Charlene, while the other children are still unmarried.

Mr. Bryant was a devoted Methodist in faith and lived a life consistent with the teachings of the church. Politically, he was a Democrat and, while taking an intelligent interest in political matters, yet was never an aspirant for public office. He was a man of kindly impulses, devoted to his family and friends, and throughout his long life was interested in everything which might better the community in which he resided. |

William Worthington

No better eulogium can be pronounced upon a community or upon its individual members than to point to the work they have accomplished. 'Theories look fine on the printed page and sound weil when proclaimed from the: platform, but in the end it is effort in the various lines of industrial, commercial and financial activity which develops the man and tells on society. This. is essentially a utilitarian age and the man of action is very much in evidence. The gentleman whose name appears at the head of this sketch is such a man, and as such it is pleasant to contemplate briefly his career and character. Intimately associated for years with the development and prosperity of the thriving city of Washington C. H., and taking prominent part in the business affairs of his section, he is not under-estimated by a people who long since learned to appreciate his true value as a potent factor in business matters of importance. In early life he laid the foundation of a character which has stood the test of the years and which has made him a leader in the affairs of men.

William Worthington is a native son of the county which is now honored by his citizenship, having been born about eight miles south of Washington C. H. on the 19th day of April, 1870. He is a son of Robert and Jennie (McDowell) Worthington, both of whom were born in Ohio, the former in Highland county and the latter in Ross county. Besides the subject, they had one other child, Margaret, the wife of Spencer Calvert. Robert Worthington was reared in Highland county and in about 1850 he came to Fayette county, locating in Concord township, where he accumulated a large tract of land, owning between sixteen hundred and eighteen hundred acres, the greater part of which was devoted to grazing purposes, stock raising being his principal vocation. He was a successful man in his business affairs and enjoyed the confidence and respect of the entire community. He died in 1898, at the age of sixty-seven years and one month. 'His widow died on January 9, 1906, in the sixty-sixth year of her age. They were earnest and devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Worthington enlisted for service during the historic Morgan raid, and, while he did not capture Morgan, he used to laughingly say that at that time he did capture Mrs. Worthington.

The subjects paternal grandparents were Joseph C. and Harriet (Shields) Worthington, the former a native of Virginia and the latter ot Ohio. They became pioneer settlers in Highland county, Ohio, where he bought a large tract of land, and also bought land in Fayette county. He settled in the wilderness near East Monroe, Highland county, where he spent the remaining years of his life. He died in 1897, at the advanced age of ninety-three vears, his wife dying at the age of about eighty years. They were the parents of four sons, Thomas, Robert, Joseph and William.

William Worthington's maternal grandparents, Andrew and Margaret (Murray) McDowell, were natives of Scotland, who, upon their emigration to the United States, settled in Chillicothe, Ross county, Ohio. There Mr. McDowell engaged in the mercantile business, handling chinaware and kindred lines, and there he and his wife died when well advanced in years. They reared the following children: Isabel, George, Hugh, Jennie, Andrew, Margaret, Carrie, William and two who died in infancy.