Fayette County, Ohio - Biographical sketches (2 of 2 so headed), 1914 (part 1 of 11)

Biographical sketches

The success of men in business or any vocation depends upon character as well.as upon knowledge, it being a self-evident proposition that honesty and uprightness is held in higher value than the opposite qualities. Business demands confidence, and where that is lacking business ends. In every community some men are known for their upright lives, strong common sense and moral worth rather than for the wealth or political standing they may possess. Their neighbors and acquaintances respect them, the younger generations heed their example, and when they "wrap the drapery of their couches about them and lie down to pleasant dreams" posterity listens with reverence to the story of their quiet and useful lives. Among such men of a past generation in Fayette county was the late Morris Sharp, who was not only a progressive man of affairs, successful in material pursuits, but a man of modest and unassuming demeanor, well educated, a fine type of the reliable, self-made American, a friend to the poor, charitable to the faults of his neighbors and one who always stood ready to unite with them in every good work and active in the support of laudable public enterprises. He was a man who in every respect merited the high esteem in which he was universally held, for he was a man of public spirit, intellectual attainments and exemplary character.

Morris Sharp was born in Aberdeen, Brown county, Ohio, on August 30, 1838, and was the son of Morgan and Frances (Warren) 'Sharp. These parents were natives, respectively, of Fayette county, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky, and were the parents of three children, namely: Morris, to whom this memoir is chiefly devoted ; Susanna, who married J. H. Baker. of Jamestown, and Samuel, who died in early childhood. In 1851 Morgan Sharp and his wife came to Jamestown, Greene county, Ohio, where they settled and remained some years, eventually removing to Washington C. H., where they made their home with their son Morris until their deaths. Morgan Sharp had passed an active and strenuous life, having served as a pilot on steamboats running from Cincinnati to New Orleans for twenty-two years, during which period he lived at Aberdeen, Ohio, and Covington, Kentucky. After 1851, for some years, he and his son Morris were engaged in the mercantile business at Jamestown. He was a.man' of strong character and enjoyed universal respect. i i l

Morris Sharp's paternal grandfather, Samuel Sharp, was born in 1780 and died in Jamestown, Ohio, in 1846. He and his wife, whose maiden name had been Susanna Cook, moved from Fayette county, Pennsylvania, to Brown county, Ohio, and thence to Jamestown, which was their last resting place. They were the parents of nine children, Morgan, Eliza, Thomas, Lydia, Henry, Susan, Samuel, Melissa and one who died in infancy. Susanna Cook was, on the maternal side, descended from the Copes, whose history dates back to Oliver Cope, who came from Wilshire, England, and settled near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, locating with his wife and children, on Naaman's creek in about 1688.

Morris Sharp was about nine years of age when his parents removed from Aberdeen to Covington, Kentucky, whence they went to Jamestown, Ohio, and in the schools of the latter place he received his education. Upon leaving school he became associated with his father in the mercantile business, but a few years later, on account of the failure of his health, he was compelled to change his vocation and for several years he was engaged in the banking business there, serving as cashier of the Farmers' and Traders' Bank from 1867 to 1873. In the year last mentioned Mr. Sharp came to Washington C. H., and became cashier of the Merchants' and Traders' Bank and later president of the Commercial Bank, which he organized. He quickly became recognized here as a man of unusual business ability and sagacity and was numbered among the foremost citizens of his adopted city. He remained closely and actively identified with banking interests here up to the time of his death, which occurred on February 5, 1905, in the sixty-seventh year of his age. Besides his bank holdings, Mr. Sharp had other material interests, being the owner of extensive tracts of farm lands. His career was a long, and useful one, and although he devoted his attention primarily to his individual affairs, as is quite natural and right, he never allowed the pursuit of wealth to warp his kindly nature, but preserved his faculties and the warmth of his heart for the broadening and helpful influences of human life, being to the end a kindly, genial friend and gentleman, with whom it was a pleasure to associate. Through the long years of his residence in this locality le was ever true to all trusts reposed in him and his reputation in a business Way was unassailable. He commanded the respect of all by his upright life and engraved his name indelibly on the pages of Fayette county's history. His career was complete and rounded in its beautiful simplicity; he did his full duty in all the relations of life, and he died beloved by those near to him and respected and esteemed by his fellow citizens.

Morris Sharp was a big man in other spheres than in the business world. He was a man of strong and honest convictions, his actions being ever the result of careful and conscientious thought, and on the great questions of the day he took a definite stand. The cause of temperance found in him an earnest and eloquent advocate, who gave no thought to self when by his personal effort the cause of temperance or prohibition could be advanced. His ability and active efforts were recognized and he was placed in nomination for the governorship by the Prohibition party. That he was a man of more than ordinary strength is shown by the statement that he polled more votes than any other candidate on the Prohibition ticket*has ever received jn the state of Ohio.

Religiously, Mr. Sharp was an earnest: and faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church, supporting the various activities of that society and serving a great many years as superintendent of the Sunday schools in the different towns in which he lived.

On October 15, 1861, Morris Sharp married Madeline Baker, who was born in Jamestown, Ohio, on the 20th of December, 1838. She is the daughter of William G. and Thirza A. (Larkin) Baker, her father being a native of Kentucky and her mother of Ohio. They are both deceased, Mr. Baker dying in Jamestown, Ohio, when eighty years old and Mrs. Baker at Washington C. H., at the advanced age of eighty-seven years. Mr. Baker was a man of versatile talents, being successful as saddler, merchant and farmer. They were the parents of seven children. Mrs. Sharp's paternal grandparents were William and Mary (Winans) Baker, who were natives of Kentucky and early settlers in Jamestown, Ohio. Their children were Mathias, Elizabeth, William, Lydia, John, Jacob, Douglas, Andrew, Mary, Hillary and George. The maternal grandparents were David and Nancy (Harper) Larkin, who came from Harper's Ferry and settled in Clark county, Ohio. They had five children, Eliza Ann, Thirza, Synthia, Perry and Oliver.

Mrs. Sharp was married on the 27th of June, J911, to Prof. William W. Davies, who is referred to specifically elsewhere in this work. She is a lady of culture and refinement, who, because of her hospitable ways, her cheerful disposition and kindly attitude towards all whom she meets, is popular in the circles in which she moves. She is an earnest supporter of all local movements for the betterment of the community and has been an effectual worker in religious and charitable fields for many years.

Eli Craig

The life history of him whose name heads this biographical review is closely identified with the history of Fayette county, which has been practically his life-long home. He began his remarkable career in this locality in the pioneer epoch and throughout the subsequent years he has been closely allied with its interests and upbuilding. His life has been one of untiring activity and has been crowned with a degree of success fully commensurate with his efforts. He is of the highest type of progressive citizen, and none more than he deserves a fitting recognition among those whose enterprise and ability have achieved definite and commendable results. The cause of humanity never had a truer friend than Mr. Craig. In all the relations of life - family, church, state and society - he has displayed that consistent Christian spirit, that natural worth, that has endeared him alike to all classes. His integrity and fidelity have been manifested in every relation of life, for he early learned that true happiness consisted in ministering to others. The example of such a life is always an inspiration to others, and his influence has long been felt in Fayette county, whose interests he has always had at heart and which he has done so much to promote during his active life here.

Eli Craig is the scion of a long line of honorable ancestry, his forbears having been identified with the settlement and development of the Buckeye state. It is a family tradition, and probably correct, that his paternal greatgrandfather was a soldier in the War of the Revolution. The latter's son, John Craig, the subject's grandfather, was a native of New Jersey, as was his wife, Sarah Ann Cooley. After their marriage they came to Ohio, settling in the edge of Ross county, where he became a pioneer farmer, but died in young manhood. His widow passed away in middle life. They were the parents of the following children: David S., John, William, Thomas J., Thompson (who is still living, at the age of eighty-seven years) and one who died-in infancy.

brought to Ohio by his parents, the family settling near Greenfield, where he grew to manhood. When five years old he began attending school and gained a good practical education. After completing his studies he learned the shoemaker's trade, which vocation he followed for many years. Eventually he bought a small store in Greenfield and, in connection with his regular employment, engaged in general merchandising. He was a man of versatile abilities and also learned the difficult trade of oil-cloth printing, at which he worked to some extent. Afterward he moved to Staunton, of which he was one of the first settlers, and there he carried on a successful business for some years. His death occurred there in 1869, in the fifty-ninth year of his age. From 1851 to January, 1854, he had lived in Indiana, where he ran a shoe shop and general store, but on his return to Ohio he bought out his brothers at Staunton, remaining in the business there during the remainder of his life. Later he associated with him his sons, Eli and William, under the firm name of-D. S. Craig & Sons. "After his death: the sons continued the business under the same name until 1871, when it became Craig Brothers, with the addition of a younger brother, David H. David S. Craig married Sarah West, a native of Adams county, Ohio, and the daughter of Eli and Sarah: (Guffin) West, natives, respectively, of Delaware and Kentucky. Eli West came to Fayette county; Ohio, in 1820. To him and his wife were* born seven children, Elizabeth, Wesley, Amos; Sarah) Eli Hy IEE and Spencer. To David S. and Sarah (West) Craig were born ten children, namely: Eli, the immediate subject of this review: Williams; John W., deceased: Sarah Ann, who married William H. Rowe: David H., of Duncan, Oklahoma: Elizabeth J., wife of Thomas N. Craig, of Washington C. H., and four who died in infancy. The mother of these children lived twenty-five years after the death of her husband, dying at the age of eighty-one years.

Religiously, David S. Craig and his wife were originally members of the Methodist Episcopal church, but later he and others broke away frem the mother society and identified themselves with what was then known as the Radical Methodist church, now the Methodist Protestant church, in which he was licensed to preach in 1840. However, after going to Indiana he reunited with the Methodist Episcopal church, to. which faith he remained loyal during the remainder of his life.

Eli Craig was born near Good Hope, Fayette county, on January 10, 1833, and he was reared under the parental roof, his education being secured in the district schools of the neighborhood. At the age of thirteen years he began clerking in his father's store and remained with him for many years, finally, as stated above, being admitted into partnership in the business. While living at Staunton he served as township treasurer and as a member of the school board, and also served as postmaster for seventeen years. Mr. Craig came to Washington C. H. in the. fall of 1872 and on the day of his arrival he was appointed county treasurer to fill a vacancy. He discharged the duties of that office with eminent satisfaction for two years, and at the end of his official term he again engaged in the dry goods business, as a continuation of the partnership with his brothers, Williams and David H. However, so satisfactory had been his public service, that in 1878 he was, by the suffrages of his fellow citizens, again chosen to the office of county treasurer, and was re-elected in 1880. Mr. Craig has continued in the dry goods business to the present time, a period of over forty years, his sons, 'Thomas H. and David S., having been associated with him since 1883. During the past two years his two grandsons, Walter D. and Clarence E., also have been admitted to the firm, which is still known as Craig Brothers. This business, which is one of the oldest in Fayette county, is widely and favorably known in all parts of the county, many of the patrons of the store coming from distant parts of the county. About forty persons are on the company's pay-roll, which is unmistakable evidence of the extent of the business.

Eli Craig is a man of marked public spirit and every movement that has promised to be for the advancement of the public welfare has had his unreserved support. When the Children's Home was established he was one of its first trustees and took an active and prominent part in the completion of that splendid institution. After about ten years' service he resigned from the board, though his interest in the home never ceased. Politically, Eli Craig was originally a Whig, but later became a Republican, which party he has ever since given his support. Fraternally, he issa member of Temple Lodge No. 227, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, to which fraternity he has belonged for fifty-seven years. Religiously, he has long been a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and as a trustee for over forty years.

On the 17th day of June, 1858, Eli Craig married Mary A. Burnett and they became the parents of two sons, Thomas H. and David S> Thomas H. married Eliza O. Pine and they have six children, Walter D., Clarence E.. Mary W., Winchell, Harold and Robert. David S. married Nina Maynard and they have three sons living, Maynard, Paul S. and David S. The subject also has,a great-grandson, Thomas T. Mrs. Mary Craig, who is a native of Fayette county, is the daughter of Thomas and Rachel (Bush) Burnett, who were natives of Virginia and early settlers in Fayette county. They were the parents of twelve children, and after the death of his first wife the father married again, having one child by the second union.

Eli Craig has reached the advanced age of more than eight decades, heaven having lengthened out his life beyond the Psalmist's allotted three score and ten until he has been permitted to witness the vicissitudes of the most remarkable epoch in the world's business and inventive history, in all of which he has been an interested spectator, and, indeed, has played no inconspicuous part in pushing forward the wheels of progress in his own locality. There is no doubt but that his long life has been due mainly to his sterling character, conservative habits and pure thinking. Even-tempered, patient, scrupulously honest in all the relations of life, hospitable and charitable, he has deservedly won a high place in the esteem and a warm place in the affections of the people with whom he has lived and mingled for so many years.

John H, Culhan

No sturdier or better citizens have ever come to our shores than have those sons of Ireland who have made their homes jn this country. Fortunate indeed is the community which receives these people and incorporates them in its body politic, for wherever they are found they are always industrious, upright and willing to do their share toward the advancement of the material and moral welfare of the community in which they reside. In the old country they learned those habits of industry which insure success. and upon their emigration to this country they never fail to bring along these same habits which made them independent in their old home. John H. Culhan, while a native of Ohio, has all of those sterling characteristics which mark his Irish parents. He has made his own way practically since he was ten vears of age and is a fine type of the self-made man. He is a man of strict integrity and has built up a reputation for honesty and uprightness during his long residence in Washington C. H.

John H. Culhan, the son of Michael and Jane (Harvey) Culhan, was born in Hillsboro, Highland county, Ohio, December 22, 1856. His parents were natives of Ireland and married in Brooklyn on coming to the United States. Later they settled in Hillsboro, Ohio, where the father died in 1861, being only about thirty-three years of age at the time of his death. Michael

Culhan served in the regular army in his native land before coming to America. He and his wife were both devout members of the Catholic church. After his death in 1861, his widow married Michael McMahan, and to her second marriage one son was born, Michael, who is now living in Hillsboro, Ohio. Michael Culhan and wife were the parents of four sons: James, of Bedford, Indiana; John H., with whom this narrative deals; Robert, of Seneca, Illinois, and George, of Russell, Ohio.

John H. Culhan was only five years of age when his father died in 1861, and when about ten years of age he went to live on a farm in Brown county, but returned to Hillsboro three years later, where he attended the public schools for a short time. He then went to live with a man by the name of James Clark at Hillsboro, where he remained until he was nineteen years old, when he went to Cincinnati to learn the carriage and blacksmithing trade, but remained there only a few months. In 1875 he came to Washington C. H., where he has since resided. He followed the blacksmithing trade for a few years and then engaged in the restaurant business, following that occupation until he received his appointment as postmaster in May, 1907. Upon the expiration of his first term of four years he was reappointed and is still filling this position to the entire satisfaction of the patrons of the postoffice.

Mr. Culhan has been twice married. His first marriage occurred April 18, 1883, to Lucy Long, the daughter of Alexander and Martha (Boher) Long, whose death occurred February 2, 1887, leaving no children. On November 26, 1888, Mr. Culhan married Sallie A. Collins, the daughter of Edward and Mary (Coleman) Collins, and to this second union have been born two children, Jane Prudence and Mary Alice. Jane is a teacher in the public schools of Washington C. H. and Mary is a student in the local high school. Mrs. Culhan was born at Clarksville, Clinton county, Ohio. Her parents were natives of Ireland and early settlers in Clinton county, this state, where they died. Edward Collins and wife were the parents A five children who lived to maturity: Sallie A.; James; Mary, deceased, who was the first wife of Attorney-General T. S. Hogan; Miss Alice Collins, and Thomas, deceased.

Politically, Mr. Culhan is a Republican and has always taken an active interest in the welfare of his party. He served on the board of review of his county for several years. Fraternally, he is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons at Washington C. H., and holds membership in the Roval Arch chapter. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, being a charter member of the lodge at Washington C. H. He is also a member of Washington Lodge No. 129, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Mrs. Culhan and the two daughters are loyal and devout members of the Catholic church.

James Madison Willis

Agriculture kas always been an honorable vocation. At the present dme the agricultural output of the United States is more than equivalent to the total output of all other industries combined. The 1910 census reported the total value of all crops in F 'ayette county, Ohio, to be three million, one hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and thirteen dollars, an amount which far exceeds that of all the other industries of the county. According to the same census there were one thousand eight hundred and torty-six farms in this county, of which number one thousand and eighty were operated by their owners, seven hundred and forty-two by tenants and twenty-four by managers. That the farming land is rapidly increasing in value is shown by a comparative statement of the value of farm lands in this county in 1900 and 1910. The last census placed the value of land in this county at eighty-four dollars and ninety-three cents an acre, while in 1900, it was only forty-six dollars and eighty-three cents an acre, an increase in value which speaks well for the farmers of this county. In fact, the farmer is the only one who can exist independently of every other vocation, for the farmer holds in his grasp the food and clothing supply of the country. The merchant, the banker, the manufacturer and men in every other industry are dependent absolutely on the farmer's crops. A famine throughout this country would bankrupt the strongest merchant, wreck the largest bank and close the most extensive factory, and land is, as it always has been, the most favorable financial investment. Panics may sweep the manufacturer out of business over night, but the farmer can survive when every other industry fails.

James Madison Willis, one of the largest farmers of Fayette county, Ohis, was born on a farm near Bloomingburg, this county, October 19, 1869. His parents, W illiam R. and Virginia (McDonald) Willis, were natives of this state and were the parents of three children: Elsie, the wife of O. S. Hopkins, of Washington C. H.; James Madison, and a daughter, Pearl, who died in infancy. William R. Willis was reared in Fayette county and was a lifelong farmer and stockman. He inherited a good farm from his father and by good management and strict economy left a good estate and at his death, in 1890, was the owner of eight hundred and fifty acres in Paint township, this county. His widow is still living and is now residing in Washington C. H. Both were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, while he was prominent in the civic life of his community. He held various township offices and was a member of the school board of his township at one time. William R. Willis was the son of James Madison and Emily (Southward) Willis, both natives of Ohio and pioneers in Fayette county. James Madison Willis was a merchant and farmer in Paint township, and was the parent of several children, Mrs. Laura B. Jones, James Woodbridge and several who died while young. Virginia McDonald, the wife of William R. Willis, was the daughter of Thomas and Rebecca McDonald, natives of Virginia and Ohio, respectively, and early settlers in New Holland, Ohio. -Thomas McDonald was a wagon-maker and followed this occupation until his death in New Holland at an advanced age. Mr. McDonald and his wife were the parents of three children, Catherine, Robert, and Virginia, the wife of William R. Willis.

James Madison Willis was reared on his father's farm in Paint township and after finishing the course in the public schools graduated from the Bloomingburg high school, after which he entered the University of Michigan, but, on account of his father's death in 1890, was compelled to withdraw after completing two years in the university. He then returned home and assumed charge of his father's large farm and has been engaged in farming ever since. For the past ten years he has lived in Washington C. H., but he still has active charge of the farm and takes pride in calling himself a farmer. In addition to the interests which he has in the old home place of eight hundred and fifty acres, he owns four hundred acres of his own adjoining the home farm, which gives him one of the largest farms in the county, and according to the 1910 census there are only forty-three farms in the county of more than five hundred acres, four of which are over one thousand acres im-exténit. .

Mr. Willis was married June 9, 1892, to Mary C. Keller, the daughter of Daniel T. and Mary Jane (Thistle) Keller, and to this union have been born two daughters, Gretchen and Doris. Mrs. Willis was born in Romney. Virginia, her parents being natives of the same state and now deceased. Mr. Keller and his wife were the parents of five children:

Politically, Mr. Willis is a Republican and has always been active in political matters. He was elected to the Ohio General Assembly in 1900 as representative from the joint district of Fayette and Madison counties, and when the state was redistricted he served another term as representative from Fayette county. While in the General Assembly his influence was always cast on the side of good government and his hearty support was given to all measures which he felt would benefit the state in any way. Locally, he has been a member of the school board of Washington C. H. for several years and was on the board of directors when the present high school building was erected. In addition to his farming interests, Mr. Willis is connected with the People's Bank of Bloomingshurg and is a director and vice-president of this financial institution. Fraternally, he is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, belonging to the blue lodge, the Royal Arch chapter and the commandery of Knights Templar at Washington C. H. He also holds his membership in the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks in his home city. Mrs. Willis is a member of the Presbyterian church, and while he is not an active member of any church yet he lends his influence to all worthy movements which are fostered by the church. As a representative citizen of the county he has been active in every movement looking toward the welfare of his community and in this way has won the high respect and esteem of all who know him. ,

Thomas S. Maddox

The Maddox family trace their ancestry back to colonial times and have found that the first member of the family concerning whom definite information has been preserved came to Ohio from Delaware about 1800 and located in Ross county, near the present city of Frankfort. "The first member of the family to come to this state was David Maddox, a pioneer Methodist preacher and a native of Sussex county, Delaware, as was his wife, Elizabeth 'Lingo. They were married in their native state, settled in Ross county. Ohio, about 1800, and lived there the remainder of their lives, both being buried at Clarksburg, in that county. Rev. David Maddox was a soldier in the War of 1812, serving in one of the Ohio regiments.

The children born to Rev, David Maddox and wife were Benjamin, Collins, William, Zachariah, Smith, John, Mitchell, Samuel, Mesister, Mary and Polly. David Maddox and wife were the great-grandparents of Thomas S. Maddox, the present prosecuting attorney of Fayette county. The grandfather of Mr. Maddox was Benjamin Maddox, who was a babe in arms when his parents moved from Delaware to Ohio. He was reared to manhood in

Frankfort, Ohio, and after his marriage to Ann Timmons, a native of Ohio, he located about ten miles from Clarksburg, where he farmed until his death in middle life, his wife surviving. him many years. _ Benjamin Maddox and wife were the parents of a large family of children, Robert A., Stewart, Drusilla, William, Edward, Martha, Harriett and Franklin. The widow of Benjamin Maddox married William Crabbe after the death of her first husband and two children were born to her second marriage, Mrs. Millie Foster and Mrs. Emma Knowles.

Robert A. Maddox, the father of the immediate subject of this sketch, was born in Ross county and there reared to manhood. He enlisted for service in the Civil War in Company D, Eighty-ninth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served for about eighteen months. He first enlisted for a short term, and upon the expiration of his first enlistment re-enlisted, serving throughout as a private. After the close of the war he returned to his home county and followed his trade as a blacksmith until his death November 4, 1902, being in his seventy-third year at the time of his death. His wife died January 26, 1906, at the age of seventy-six. He was married before the war to Martha A. Taylor, the daughter of William and Elizabeth (Nessell) Taylor, natives of Pike county, Ohio. To this union were born eleven children, five sons and six daughters, ten of whom lived to maturity. These children in the order of their birth are as follows: William, deceased ; Lizzie, deceased, was the wife of Harvey Thrush; Drusilla, who died at the age of nineteen years; Margaret Ann, the wife of Frank Walston, of Williamsport, Ohio; Samuel O., of Washington C. H.; Mary Belle, the wife of Frank Kelley, of Washington C. H=; Robert Franklin, of New Holland, Ohio; Thomas S., with whom this narrative subsequently deals: James S., of Sabina, Ohio; Nettie O., deceased, who was the wife of George Wright, and Vonnie May, who died in infancy.

William Taylor, the father of the wife of Robert A. Maddox, was a shoemaker by trade, and he and his wife were early settlers in Fayette county, where they lived to the ripe old ages of seventy-six and ninety-seven respectively, and are buried in Coon's cemetery in Jefferson township. William Taylor and wife reared a family of children: William, George, Chester, John, Elizabeth, Allemon, Christina Newman, Mrs. Nancy DeMoss and Martha A., the wife of Robert A. Maddox.

Thomas S. Maddox, the present prosecuting attorney of Fayette county, and the son of Robert A. and Martha (Taylor) Maddox, was born in Clarksburg, Ross county, this state, on March 7, 1864. He was reared in Williams- port, Pickaway county, this state, and Octa, this county, attending the public schools in both of these places. As a young man he taught school and for eight vears was a successful instructor of the youth in Fayette county. During this time he served as a member of the board of county school examiners, serving in this capacity for nine years. During the time he was engaged in teaching he was working on the farm in his summer vacations, and during the winter season, while teaching, spent his spare moments in reading law.

Mr. Maddox applied himself so diligently to his legal studies that he was ready for admission to the bar in March, 1894, and at once began the active practice of his profession in Washington C. H., where he has since lived. As a lawyer he ranks well with those who have been engaged in this profession in Fayette county, a fact which is shown by his election as county prosecuting attorney in 1912. He has been a life-long Republican and in the summer of 1912 his party nominated him for this position, and upon his subsequent election at the November polls he took his office on January 1, 1913. He is showing marked zeal in prosecuting all offenders of the law, and is building up a reputation as a man who is free from all entangling alliances and a man who is thoroughly able to cope with any legal situation which may arise in his office.

Mr. Maddox was married Jaly 3, 1889, to Elizabeth Lamb, the daughter of John W. and Alice B. (Hall) Lamb, and to this marriage have been born two sons, Robert Ray and Thomas Emory. Robert Ray is assistant prosecutor under his father and ex-deputy probate clerk. Robert Ray married Ruth Deere and has one daughter, Carrie Elizabeth. The other son, Thomas Emory, is still in school.

Mrs. Maddox was born in Holt county, Missouri, and her father was a native of North Carolina, while her mother was born in Kentucky, and after their marriage they became early settlers in Clinton county, Ohio. Both have been deceased many years. They were the parents of three children, Monterey, Tina, and Elizabeth, the wife of Mr. Maddox. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Maddox were Isaac and Catherine (White) Lamb, natives of North Carolina and early settlers in Clinton county, Ohio, where she died, while the grandfather died in Missouri. Isaac Lamb and wife were the parents of three children, John W., Jehu and Mrs. Maria King. The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Maddox were Harvey and Nancy (Van Hook) Hall, natives of Kentucky and early settlers in Clinton county, this state, where they died. Harvey Hall and wife were the parents of a large

Mr. Maddox is a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the Modern Woodmen of America. Mrs. Maddox is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and, while Mr. Maddox is not actively identified with the church, yet he is interested in all the work of the church and contributes of his means to its support.

Harrison F. Brown

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 Harrison F. Brown, one of the leading citizens and efficient public officials of Fayette county, is such, 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 has been one not only of honor but of usefulness also.

Harrison F. Brown, or Harry, as he is familiarly known among his friends and acquaintances, is the scion of a sterling line of ancestors, who have been closely identified with the history of the Buckeye state in their respective communities. His paternal great-grandfather was Peter Brown, whose wife, Nancy Polk, was related to President James K. Polk. Among their children was Trusten Polk Brown, who was a native of Sussex county, Delaware, as was his wife, Tabitha Wingate Cannon. The latter's parents were Jesse and Margaret Cannon, also natives of Delaware. Trusten and Tabitha Brown were brought to Ohio in their childhood, he when about six years of age, and she when two years younger, the two families settling in Deer Creek township, Pickaway county. There they grew to maturity and were married, and there they spent the rest of their days, he dying at the age of fifty-six years and she when sixty-six years old. To Trusten and Tabitha Brown were born the following children: Frank, Wesley, Trusten, Peter W., Sarah, Nancy, Elizabeth, Maria, Tabitha and Solomon Wesley.

Solomon W. Brown was reared in Pickaway county and throughout his active life he applied himself to the vocation of farming. Eventually, about 1867, he came to Fayette county, locating on the Benjamin Harrison farm in Paint township, where he remained until about 1900, when he came to

Washington C. H. and here he has since resided, enjoying that rest which he so richly earned. He married Mary Elizabeth Harrison, the daughter of Benjamin and Martha (Reeves) Harrison, and to them were born two children, Emma A., the wife of J. T.) Morris, of Washington C. H., and Har: rison, the immediate subject of this sketch.

The parents of Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Brown were natives of Ohio and the major portion of their lives were spent in Madison county, where their deaths occurred. Benjamin Harrison was a son of Gen. Batteal Harrison, who was a second cousin of ex-President Benjamin Harrison and who served with the rank and title of general in the War of 1812. His wife, Elizabeth (Scott) Harrison, was a native of Kentucky. For many years they resided in Fayette county and died here. Benjamin Harrison was a prominent and successful farmer and took a prominent part in the public affairs of his county, serving at one time as county commissioner. His wife, Martha (Reeves) Harrison, was a daughter of Thomas and Mary (Jackson) Reeves, natives of Madison county, Ohio. To Benjamin and Martha (Reeves) Harrison were born five children, Mary Elizabeth, Batteal, Isabel, Angeline and Winnie S. Gen. Batteal Harrison was a son of Benjamin Harrison, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Harrison F. Brown was born on the paternal homestead in Paint township, Fayette county, Ohio, on the 4th day of April, 1873. He was reared amid the health-giving surroundings of country life and early imbibed those elements of industry, persistence and independence which have so largely contributed to his later success in life. He first attended the district schools and the high school at Bloomingburg, and then became a student in the National Business University, at Columbus, where he graduated at the age of twenty years, with a good practical knowledge of business methods and practices. During the following two years Mr. Brown was a traveling salesman, but at the end of that period he located on a farm in Paint township, to the operation of which he devoted himself with pronounced success until November, 1909, when he moved to Washington C..H., where he has since resided. The farm of two hundred and sixty acres in Paint township is owned by Mrs. Brown, but Mr. Brown also owns a farm of three hundred and thirty acres in Green township, both tracts being well improved and valuable properties. On the rst of April, 1913, Mr. Brown entered into a partnership with J. L. Rothrock in the livery business, in which they have met with pronounced success. They carry a large line of vehicles of every description demanded by the local trade and their turn-outs equal any in this locality. They are courteous and careful in their treatment of their custom- ers and are numbered among the popular business firms of this city. On May 1, 1914, Mr. Brown purchased his partner's interest and is now the sole owner of the business.

Politically, Harry Brown has been a life-long supporter of the Republican party and has long been an active worker in the ranks and prominent in the party councils. In recognition of his sterling qualities of character and his sound business ability, he was nominated and elected to the responsible office of county commissioner, and so satisfactory was his service in that capacity that he was re-elected and is thus now serving his second term. It is the consensus of public opinion that the county never had a more careful or efficient public official than Mr. Brown. Fraternally, he is a member of Leanore Lodge No. 512, Free and Accepted Masons, at Sedalia, Ohio; Fayette Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, at Washington C. H.; Garfield Commandery No. 128, Knights Templar, and is also a member of Washington Lodge No. 129, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Mrs. Brown is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

On February 26, 1903, Harry Brown was married to Florence E. Selsor, a native of Paint township, this county, and the daughter of William J. and Electa J. (Morris) Selser, who were early settlers in Fayette county. To Mr. and Mrs. Brown have been born two children, Mary Elizabeth and William S.

Wilham J. Selsor was born in Madison county, Ohio, and his wife in Fayette county. They were the parents of four children, namely: Idell, Edna Dean (who died at the age of eighteen years), Florence Ethel (Mrs. Brown) and Ercell. Mrs. Brown's paternal grandparents were Fred and Mary (Rankin) Selsor, natives of Virginia, while her maternal grandparents were Samuel and Phoebe (Groves) Morris. Samuel Morris was born in Clermont county, this state, in 1805, and was brought to Fayette county in 1813. Phoebe (Groves) Morris was born in, Jackson county, Ohio, coming to Fayette county after her marriage. To this worthy couple were born eight children, Daniel Groves, Samuel Robinson, John Eulon, Electa J., William Warrington, Martin Wolf, Amanda Elizabeth and Elma Eliza. William J. Selsor died in 1909, being survived by his widow, who still resides in Washington C. H.

Mr. Brown has demonstrated himself to be a man of good business ability and marked enterprise. As a private citizen he takes a deep and abiding interest in all phases of the community life affecting the material, educational, social or moral welfare of the people, and his support is always given to such movements as are conducive to the greatest public good. Personally, he is a genial and companionable man and enjoys a marked popularity in the community where he resides.

Prof. William Walter Davies

Not too often can be repeated the life story of one who has lived so honorable and useful a life and attained to such notable distinction as has he whose name appears at the head of this sketch, one of Ohio's successful and distinguished educators and writers. His character has been one of signal exaltation and purity of purpose. Well disciplined in mind, maintaining a vantage point from which life has presented itself in correct proportions, simple and unostentatious in his self-respecting, tolerant individuality, such a man could not prove other than a force for good in whatever relation of life he may have been placed. His character is the positive expression of a strong nature and his strength is as the number of his days. His career has been a long, busy and useful one, and his name is revered by all who have had occasion to come into contact with him. His life has been one of consecration to his calling, 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 and talents for the aiding and betterment of their kind.

William W. Davies was born on the roth day of May, 1848, in Llangybi, Cardiganshire, South Wales, and is the son of David and Mary Davies, both of whom are deceased. In young manhood William Davies came to the United States and, having completed his public school training, he became a student in Ohio Wesleyan University, where he was graduated in 1872, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and receiving his Master's degree from the same institution in 1875. In 1874 he graduated from Drew Theological Seminary, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Divinity. In 1877 he was given the degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Halle, Prussia, after three years of study in residence, and he also studied in the Faculte Libre, Lausanne, Switzerland, and the Sorbonne, Paris. In 1878 Doctor Davies was ordained to the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal church and during the following two years was pastor of the church at Dover, Ohio: from 1879 to 1883 he was instructor of Hebrew and modern languages in Ohio Wesleyan University ; adjunct professor, 1883-4, and then became professor of Hebrew and German. He devoted himself indefatigably to his labors and for many years he has been numbered among the leading educators of the state which he has honored by his citizenship. Doctor Davies has done considerable original research work and has done much writing. In 1894 he became and is still editor of the department of Archaeology and Biblical Research in the Methodist Review; wrote the Critical Notes in the Sunday School Teachers' Journal, 1895-7; contributor to Modern Languages, Notes, and to various religious journals. He is a member of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, the Victoria Institute, Authors' Club (London), Phi Kappa Psi and Phi Beta Kappa. He is author of the "Universal Bible Encyclopedia,' two volumes, 1903; "The Codes of Hamurabi and Moses," 1905.

Professor Davies has twice been married. On December 25, 1879, he married Mary E. Chase, of Auburn, Maine, whose death occurred on September 2, 1909. On the 27th of June, 1911, he was married to Madeline B. Sharp, widow of the late Morris Sharp, of Washington C. H., and who is referred to at length elsewhere in this work. Professor Davies is.a man of genial and kindly impulses, who, because of his splendid ability and high personal character, has won a host of warm personal friends.

Holding distinctive prestige among the enterprising and influential citizens of Fayette county, is Charles F. Coffey; present mayor of Washington, C. H., whose record, here briefly outlined, is that of a self-made man, who, by the exercise of the talents with which nature endowed him, successfully fought his way through life's battles and rose to the position he now occupies as one of the leading men of the community honored by his citizen- _ ship. He is a creditable representative of old pioneer families of this locality and the admirable qualities and characteristics of his sturdy ancestors have borne fruit in his own life. |

Charles F. Coffey was born in Fayette county, Ohio, on the 8th day of May, 1868, and is a son of James R. and Rebecca Jane (Stafford) Coffey, who are both natives of Ohio, the father born in Highland county and the mother in Fayette county, both being reared in Fayette county. They were the parents of five children, three of whom lived to maturity, namely: Eliza Jane, deceased, who was the wife of Dennis Blackmore; Charles F., of this review; Wayman Hampton, deceased, and two who died in infancy. James

Charles F, Coffey

R. Coffey was a laboring man during the first years of his mature life, but,' being a man of steady and economical habits, he was able to forge ahead and eventually secured a farm of eighty-one and a half acres in Green township, to the improvement of which he devoted himself, and where he reared his children. He died on March rr, 1913, in the seventy-second year of his age, and his wife passed away on March 2, 1913, aged sixty-six years. They were members of the Methodist Protestant church and their lives were singularly consistent with their religious professions.

The paternal grandparents of the subject were John Patterson Coffey and Sarah Coffey, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. In the pioneer period they came to Highland county, Ohio, where they remained for a time and also ran a hotel in Buena Vista in the early days, finally locating in Fayette county. Here they died when well advanced in years and are buried in White Oak cemetery. Their children were as follows: William, Addison, Charles, John, James R., Ruth and Margaret. On the maternal side, the subject is descended from Wayman Hampton Stafford and Jane (McDaniel) Stafford, he a native of Virginia and she of Pennsylvania, while both were of English descent. They became pioneer settlers in Fayette county, where Mr. Stafford followed the vocation of a miller, one of the most useful occupations during the days of the early settlement of that community. His mill was located on Rattlesnake creek in Green township. Jane Stafford passed away in middle life, but her husband lived to old age. They had two children, Rachel (Wallen) and Rebecca. After the death of his first wife, Wayman Stafford married Ellen Tutor, to which union were born three sons, Solomon, Charles and Parris.

Charles I'. Coffey has spent practically his entire life in Fayette county, the years of his young manhood being spent on the paternal homestead in Green township. He received his educational training in the district schools of his home neighborhood and until 1906 applied himself closely to the operation of the home farm, in which he was successful. In the year mentioned, Mr. Coffey went to Columbus, Ohio, and for a year was in the employ of the International Harvester Company. He then came to Washington C. H., and for two years was engaged in the livery business, followed by a like period in the grocery business. He has disposed of his commercial interests, retaining the home farm, though he still resides in Washington C. H.

Politically, Charles F. Coffey has been a life-long supporter of the Democratic party and has always taken an intelligent interest in local public affairs. While residing in his home township he served twelve years as township trustee, was supervisor for three or four terms, was a member of the board of review for two years and served several years as a school director. 1n 1913.Mr. Coffey was elected mayor of Washington C. H., and is filling the office with credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of his fellow citizens. Fraternally, Mr. Coffey is a member of Temple Lodge No. 227, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and was a charter member of Amazon Loage No. 672, Knights of Pythias, but is now a member of Confidence Lodge at Washington C. H. Religiously, Mr. Coffey is a member of the Methodist Protestant church and Mrs. Coffey is affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal church.

On the 20th day of February, 1890, Mr. Coffey was married to Ada L. Clark, who was born in Washington C. H., the daughter of John S. and Catherine (Adams) Clark. Her parents were both born in Ohio, the father in Fayette and the mother in Highland county, and they are now residing in Buena Vista. They are the. parents of four children, Harry, Ada L., Fred R. and Zilpha. To Mr. and Mrs. Coffey have been born two children, Lois and Robert.

Mr. Coffey is still in the prime of life and has before him many active and useful years. As before stated, he still owns the old home farm, to which he added twenty acres, making a total of one hundred and one and a half acres, and also owns an attractive and comfortable residence in Was*- ington C. H. He takes a deep and abiding interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of the community and gives his support to all worthy movements for the advancement of his fellow citizens. Prompt and discreet in the discharge of his official duties, affable and courteous to all who have business with him, and a man of inflexible integrity, he is justly deserving of representation in the annals of his county.

Jared E Adams

Success in this life is almost always won by the truly deserving. It is an axiom demonstrated by all human experience that a man gets out of this life what he puts into it plus a reasonable interest on the investment. The individual who inherits a large estate and adds nothing to his fortune cannot be called a successful man. On the other hand he that falls heir to a large fortune and increases its value is successful in proportion to the amount which he adds to his original possessions, but the man who starts in the world unaided and by sheer force of will, controlled by correct principles, forges ahead and at length reaches a position of honor among his fellow citizens, achieves success such as representatives of the two former classes can neither understand nor appreciate. To a considerable extent Jared F. Adams is a creditable representative of the class last named, having started out as a youth of fourteen on his own responsibilities. As a school teacher, as a lawyer and as a business man, he has performed his every duty faithfully and well, and is justly classed with the representative citizens of Fayette county.

Jared F. Adams, the son of Isaac and Elizabeth (Wright) Adams, was born February 22, 1863, in Frederick county, Virginia. His parents were natives of the same state and reared a family of eight children, seven of whom grew to maturity: Mary, the wife of J. S. Stottlemyre, of Winchester, Virginia; Nimrod, of Frederick county, Virginia; Lana, the wife of Tobias Loy; Ellen, the wife of George W. Catlett; John, who was killed by lightning when a young man; Isaac; Thomas, who died in young manhood, and Jared F., who is represented in this narrative.

Isaac Adams was a life-long farmer in Frederick county, Virginia, where his death occurred at the age of sixty. His wife is still living and is now in her one hundredth year. Isaac Adams was the son of David Adams, a farmer of Frederick county, Virginia, and the father of several children, among whom were Hiram, Peter and Isaac. The parents of Isaac Adams' wife were natives also of Virginia, living in the extreme eastern part of the state. The mother of Mrs. Adams died at the age of one hundred and three.

Jared F. Adams lived on his father's farm in Virginia until he was fourteen years of age and then came to Ohio and went to work on a farm in Fayette county near Milledgeville. He worked for five years for William A. Creamer, during which time he attended school during the winter season. His first schooling was under the tutelage of Frank M. Allen, the editor of this volume. He also attended the Bloomingburg Normal, which was conducted by Mr. Allen and Dr. A. M. Jones. Upon reaching his majority he started to teach in the district schools of this county, and in 1888 he came to Washington C. H. and taught school in the country near this city. While teaching he took up the study of law in the office of Hidy & Patton, and was finally admitted to the bar October 6, 1894, and has been in the practice of his profession in Washington C. H. for the past twenty years. However, most of his time has been given to the loan and insurance business, in which he has been very successful. He is the attorney for and a stockholder in the Farmers Bank, of Good Hope, and was one of the number to organize the

Mr. Adams was married October 8, 1891, to Arminta Cline, the daughter of William and Naomi (Glasgow) Cline. Mrs. Adams was born in Jasper township, this county, both of her parents being natives of this state also. Her father, who was a farmer, died in 1910, on April roth, at the age of seventy-three, while her mother died in 1907 at the age of sixty-eight. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Adams were George W. and Catherine (Feaggins) Cline, early settlers in this county, where they lived to a ripe old age. They were the parents of five children: Edward, Mary, Philip, Andrew J., and William S., the father of Mrs. Adams. The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Adams were Andrew J. Glasgow and wife, early settlers in Clinton county, this state.

Politically, Mr. Adams is a Democrat, but has never had any inclination to become an aspirant for public office, preferring to devote his time and energies to his individual interests. Fraternally, he is a member of Temple Lodge No. 227, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and also of Fayette Encampment No. 134. He and his wife are members of the Imperial Rebekah Lodge No. 717. He also holds his membership in the Knights of the Golden Eagle, as well as the Ladies of the Golden Eagle. He is also actively interested in the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, of which he is a valued member.

The true measure of individual success is determined by what one has accomplished. An enumeration of those men who have succeeded in their special vocations in Fayette county and at the same time have impressed their personalities on the community where they resided would not be complete without the mention of Roy Thomas McClure, the cashier of the People's and Drovers' Bank, of Washington C. H. Graduating from the Ohio University, at the age of twenty, his first practical experience in banking was gained in the People's Bank at Bloomingburg, and a short time later he started to work for the People's and Drovers' Bank, of Washington C. H. Such was his ability and so well did he impress the directors of this excellent financial institution that within three years, at the age of twenty-three, he was made cashier of the bank, a position which he is filling with entire credit to himself and satisfaction to the directors of the bank. The success

Roy Thomas McClure, the only son of Joseph M. and Anna (Davis) McClure, was born October 6, 1884, in Rarden, Scioto county, Ohio. His father was a native of Highland county, this state, and lived there until his marriage, when he located in Rarden, where he engaged in the mercantile business for several years. He is now engaged in the same business in Bloomingburg, where he has been for many years. He is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, while both he and his wife are loyal and consistent members of the Presbyterian church. They have two children, Roy T. and Eva, who is still living with her parents.

= Joseph M. McClure is the son of Thomas and Martha (McCague ) McClure, natives of Ohio. Thomas McClure was an undertaker at Sinking Springs, in Highland county, this state, where he and his wife died several years ago. They were the parents of four children, George, Robert, Margaret and Joseph M., the father of Roy T. McClure. The parents of Joseph McClure's wife were Thomas and Elizabeth (Ralston) Davis, natives of this state, who lived in Scioto county, and were farmers there all of their days, dying in that county at an advanced age. Thomas Davis and wife were the parents of seven children, Steele, James, Ellis, Sarah, Ross, Mattie, and Anna, the wife of Joseph M. McClure.

Roy T. McClure was reared in Bloomingburg from the time he was four years of age. He attended the common and high schools of that place and then entered Ohio University, from which institution he graduated in 1904, being one of the youngest graduates who ever completed the course in that institution. While in college he became a member of the Ohio Gamma chapter of Phi Delta Theta. His first practical experience in banking was obtained in the People's Bank at Bloomingburg; he later accepted a position in the People's and Drovers' Bank at Washington C. H. This bank is the oldest in the city, having been organized in 1864, and is now the largest bank in the city. Mr. McClure began at the bottom in this bank and within three years attained the position of cashier, and for the past six years has been filling this position in a most satisfactory manner.

Mr. McClure was married October 2, 1907, to Eva Lucile Feurt, the daughter of William A. and Lydia (Brown) Feurt, and to this union has been born one daughter, Enid Lynette, and one son, Joseph Feurt. Mrs. McClure was born in Maryville, Missouri, and her parents are now residents of Chicago. Mrs. McClure has one brother, Fred, living.

never been active in political affairs. The nature of his profession is such as to prevent him from being active in the councils of his party, and office holding has never held out any attractions for him. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. McClure is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons.

James William Willis

In the death of James W. Willis, in 1906, there was removed another of those prominent business men of Washington C. H., Ohio, who have made their way in life by force of their own merit and industry from small beginnings to great successes, and his memory will long be revered and his influence for good felt in this section of the state, for he belonged to that class of worthy and noble citizens who leave behind them much that is deathless. He was a man of absolute honesty, always on the advance, and managed his extensive business affairs with a skill and prudence which came of accurate knowledge and wide experience. His rise in the world was at the expense of no one, and in his death Washington C. H. and Fayette county sustained a great loss and a wide circle of friends was left to mourn his passing away, for he was universally regarded as one of \Washington's most useful and enterprising men of affairs, of which city he had been an active and influential citizen for many years.

There flowed in the veins of James W. Willis an admixture of the blood of those sturdy races from across the sea which have contributed so largely to the progress and advancement of this great country of ours

England and Ireland. From England came his paternal grandfather Willis, who married Eleanor Montgomery. He came to the United States when eighteen years of age and settled at once in Fayette county, Ohio. He acquired a farm in Jefferson township and there spent the remainder of his days, dying there when past eighty years of age. To him and his wife were born the following children: Henry, James, Robert, Samuel, Mrs. Lewis, Mrs. Montgomery, Mrs. Gifford, Mrs. Boyer, Mrs. Fichthorn, Mrs. Thornburg, John. On the maternal side, the subject was descended from Robert Hogue, who, with his wife, came from the Emerald isle and also became early settlers in Fayette county, their home being in Jasper township. . Their children were John, Robert, William and Belinda. Of the children of these respective families, Samuel Willis and Belinda Hogue, who were both born in Fayette county, married, and to them were born ten children, namely: Samantha (Stover), Lucinda, Sallie, Ida, James W., Tillie, Lina, Linda and Jennie.

Samuel Willis passed his entire life in Fayette county, following the vocation of farming in Jasper township, where he owned one hundred and ten acres of excellent land.' He was a man of splendid character, who enjoyed the respect of all who knew him, and his death occurred there in 1871, when about fifty-one years of age. His wife died in 1881, when sixty-five years of age. They were Methodists in their religious belief and were known for their kindness and benevolence. Mr. Willis was a soldier in the Civil War during the last year of that great struggle.

James W. Willis was born in Jasper township on the 4th day of June, 1853, and he remained on the paternal homestead until he had attained his maturity. He had received a good practical education in the district schools, and sometime after attaining his majority he moved to Jamestown and for a short time was engaged in the hotel business. He then went to Milledgeville and built a home, engaging there in the timber and lumber business. Later he engaged in agricultural pursuits, which always had for him a special attraction and in which he was always successful, though at the same time he gave some of his attention to the lumber business. About that same time Mr. Willis and John L. Barnes engaged in the buying and selling of live stock for several years, meeting with very satisfactory results. In 1887, Mr. Willis came to Washington C. H. and engaged first in the butchering business, later adding the handling of live stock, and still later he again embarked in the lumber business and ran a saw mill,. which commanded his attention up to the time of his death. It was a testimonial to his versatility of talent and his ready ability to adapt himself to any circumstances or demands upon him, that he could engage in so many different lines of enterprise and handle all of them successfully. In addition to the lines already mentioned, Mr. Willis established and built the present chair factory and engaged quite extensively in the manufacture of chairs and he was the chief actor in the promotion and establishment of the P. Haggerty Shoe Company. He was the owner of the Millwood addition to the city of Washington C. H., which he improved with splendid pavements and sidewalks, so that it became one of the most attractive suburbs of the city. He was a stockholder and director of the Commercial Bank, one of the solid financial institutions of Fayette county. Mr. Willis bought the old D. 1. Worthington home and here he lived and dispensed an old-fashioned hospitality that was greatly enjoyed by his large circle of warm and loyal friends. He was a man of genial and kindly impulses, who continually made friends and never sacrificed any.

Politically, Mr. Willis was a Republican from principle, and took a keen and intelligent interest in public affairs, though too busy a man himself to mix much in political affairs. Fraternally, he was a member of and took a deep interest in the time-honored order of Free and Accepted Masons, in which he took the degrees up to and including those of Knight Templar. Though not a member of any church, Mr. Willis was an attendant of the Baptist church, to which Mrs, Willis belongs, and he was a firm believer in every movement the object of which was the uplift of the human race. The death of Mr. Willis occurred on the 25th day of July, 1906, at the age of fifty-three years.

On August 20, 1882, James W. Willis married Carrie Spangler, who was born in Ross county, Ohio, on April 23, 1863, the daughter of Dr. Robert W. and Margaret (Somerville) Spangler, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Ohio. Mrs. Margaret Spangler died in Ross county, Ohio, at the age of forty-one years. She had borne her husband five children, Lucy Jane, John Mosby, Charles Somerville, Carrie Belle and Fred Arthur. Doctor Spangler was a practicing physician in Ross county for about twenty years and in Milledgeville for a like period, thus rounding out an honorable and successful professional career of four decades. His death occurred in 1897, at the age of about sixty-one years, having survived his wife more than . thirty years. Mrs. Willis' paternal grandfather, Frederick Arthur Spangler, was a native of Pennsylvania, and his wife, whose maiden name was Lucy Jane Cornelius, was born in Kentucky. She died in middle life and he at the age of about seventy years. Mrs. Willis' maternal grandfather, John A. Somerville, was born in Seotland. He came to the United States in 1808, settling in Ross county, Ohio, and there married Elizabeth Smith, who was born in Highland county, Ohio. She died when past sixty years of age, and he lived to the remarkable age of ninety-three years. They were the parents of the following children: Jane (Steele), Rebecca (Dill), Mary (Howells), Nancy (Reed), Margaret (Spangler), Sarah Somerville, and several who died before reaching mature years.

To Mr. and Mrs. Willis were born eleven children, namely: Bessie Janet, who is the wife of Ralph O. Young and the mother of a daughter, Jane; Lina Marion, who is doing settlement work in Knoxville, Tennessee ; Willard S., who remains at home with his mother, is manager of the Willis Lumber Company, at Washington C. H.; Helen May is the wife of C. G. Beckel, of Dayton, Ohio, and they have a son, Cambridge; Robert Ervin, Charles Somerville, Carrie Eleanor, Richard Rochester and Willis Hegler are at home, and two who died in infancy.

__ James W. Willis was in the fullest sense of the word a progressive, virile American citizen, thoroughly in harmony with the spirit of the advanced age in which he lived. He made good use of his opportunities and prospered from year to year, conducting all business matters carefully. and systematically, and in all his acts displaying an aptitude for successful management. He did not permit the accumulation of fortune to affect in any way his actions toward those less fortunate than he, and he always had a cheerful word and a helping hand for those in need. He was a most companionable gentleman and all who came within range of his influence were loud in their praise of his splendid qualities.

There are six papers in Washington C. H., Ohio, one of which, the Ohio State Register, dates from the year 1836. The next oldest paper is the Daily Herald, and both these papers are issued by the Herald Publishing Company. There is only one paper in the county outside of Washington C. H., and that is the Citizen, published at Jeffersonville, and in this connection it is interesting to note that there are eleven hundred and eighty-one papers of all kinds published in the state of Ohio, according to the last newspaper directory, more than half of which are weeklies. The vice-president of the Herald Publishing Company is Joseph H. Harper, and he is also one of the editors of the Daily Herald and the Ohio State Register. Mr. Harper is a well trained newspaper man and has been connected with the newspaper business of his city for the past twelve years, and in addition to his connection with these newspapers he is also a lawyer, and has been practicing for more than twenty years in this city.

Joseph H. Harper, the son of John J. and Emma (Jones) Harper, was born August 21, 1870, in Portsmouth, Ohio. His father was the son of Alexander Harper, and was born at Tarlton, Fairfield county, Ohio, and was a prominent lawyer for twenty years in Washington C. H. He practiced law at Portsmouth, Ohio, for a number of years, serving as prosecuting attorney, judge of the common pleas court, and also as judge of the district court. He served as a private in the Civil War and was a distinguished soldier throughout that memorable struggle. In 1886 John J. Harper came to Washington C. H. with his family and practiced law in this city until his death in 1906. His wife died in 1873. Four sons were born to John J.

Harper and wife: John E., who lives in San Francisco, California; William A., residing in Little, Kentucky; Samuel G., of Portsmouth, Ohio, and Joseph H. Alexander Harper was a native of Virginia, and was an early settler in Fairfield county, Ohio, where he and his wife reared a famliy of six children, John, William, Samuel, Joseph, Martha and Mary. The maternal grandparents of Joseph H. Harper were residents of Scioto county, Ohio, and Emma, the wife of John J. Harper, was an only child.

where he was born, until he was sixteen years of age, and then, when his parents came to Washington C. H., completed his education in the schools of this city, graduating from the high school in 1889. He then took up the study of law in his father's office and spent one year in the Cincinnati Law School, graduating from that institution in May, 1892. He was admitted to the practice of his profession in all the courts of Ohio on the day after his graduation, and for ten years gave all his attention to the practice of his profession in this city. In 1902 he purchased the Ohto State Register and in 1911 became connected with the Herald Publishing Company as its vicepresident, and has since been one of the editors of the Daily Herald and the Ohio State Register, which are published by this company. ; Mr. Harper was married June 22, 1892, to Nina Silcott, the daughter of Arthur E. and Helen (Taylor) Silcott, and to this union two children have been born, Helen Taylor, born November 1, 1893, and Howard Stan hope, born February 15, 1899.

Mrs. Harper was born January 9g, 1871, in Washington C. H., in the same house where she is now living. Her father was a native of Loudoun county, Virginia, and her mother of Bainbridge, Ross county, Ohio. Both are now deceased. Mrs. Harper was the only child born to this marriage of her father, who had formerly been married to Lucinda Taylor, the sister ot his second wife. By his first marriage, Mr. Silcott had four children, Effe, Charles E., James and Frank. The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Harper were Gerald and Nancy (Pepple) Taylor, early settlers of Ross county, Ohio. They had a family of five children, Mary, Elizabeth, Lucinda, Ellen and James. Mrs. Harper is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, one of her ancestors having fought in that war. |

Politically, Mr. Harper is a stanch Democrat and has always taken a deep interest in political affairs. He is now at the head of the securities department of the state of Ohio, being appointed to this position by Governor Cox. Mr. Harper is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of

Elks. He is a man of wide education and has always been actively interested in everything which pertains to the welfare of his city, giving his unreserved support to all public-spirited measures.

Dantel Pay Lor

Descended from honored ancestry and himself numbered among the leading citizens of Fayette county, Ohio, the subject of this sketch is entitled to specific mention in a work of this character. A residence in this county of many years has but strengthened his hold on the hearts of the people with whom he has been associated and today no one here enjoys a larger circle of warm friends and acquaintances, who esteem him because of his sterling qualities of heart and mind. The history of the loyal sons and representative citizens of Fayette county would be incomplete were there failure to make mention of the man whose name heads this paragraph. When the fierce fire of rebellion was raging throughout the Southland, threatening to destroy the Union, he responded with patriotic fervor to the call for volunteers and throtighout the time of his service he proved his loyalty to the government he loved so well. Wherever his lot has been cast, Mr. Taylor has been devoted to the public welfare and in all of his relations his highest ambitions have been to benefit the community and advance his standard of citizenship. The latter years of his busy life he is spending in quiet retirement at his home in Bloomingburg, honored and revered by all.

Daniel Taylor was born on October 14, 1833, in Coshocton county, this state, being a son of Richard and Mary (Scott) Taylor, the former of whom was a native of England. Richard Taylor left England when a young man of eighteen years and finally settled in this state in the then little town of Mingo, near Steubenville. He was a farmer and met and married his wife after coming to that locality, she being at that time a resident of Steubenville. Mary Scott, whom he chose for his bride, was a native of Maryland, horn in that state of Scotch parentage. Mr. Taylor can readily trace his ancestral line to royal halls across the seas and he has so ordered his own life that no blot nor blemish has been placed by him on the family escutcheon. Richard Taylor and Mary Scott, his wife, were the parents of a family of eleven children, all of whom, with the exception of the subject and his sister Hannah, have passed into the great beyond. Catherine, the oldest of

Moines, Iowa; Emma passed away at her home in Watseka, Illinois; Mary A. is buried in Coshocton; Edith at Cambridge, Illinois; Caleb was living in Iowa at the time of his death, and Henrietta died in St. Louis, Missouri. David was a soldier in the Thirty-first Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry and was killed at the battle of Antietam; Hannah lives at Bellingham, Washington, and the youngest of the family was a child which died in earliest infancy. i

The subject received his earliest schooling in Adams township, Coshocton county, where the family at that time resided, later attending the schools of Guernsey county, where the family lived in later years. He had early received training in the work of the farm home, which was of great value to him in that his father died when he was quite a young man and he assumed the position as head of the family, which he retained for thirty-three years. He was nineteen years old when he began farming on his own account and he was able to add to his possesisons from time to time until he had a farm in Coshocton county containing one hundred and sixty-four acres. In later years he disposed of his holdings and came to Bloomingburg, where he has lived a retired life for a number of years. Early in life he mastered the carpenter trade and for a number of years did a considerable contracting business in this section.

During the struggle between the two factions of our nation in the dark days of the sixties, Mr. Taylor became a member of the Ohio National Guards and was stationed at Cambridge, Guernsey county. On April 27, 1864, he enlisted as a private in Company A, One Hundred and Seventysecond Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, re-enlisting on September 20, 1864, in Troop B, First Ohio Cavalry, remaining in this connection until the close of the war. The last engagement of any sort in which Mr. Taylor took part was at midnight on Easter Sunday, April 16, 1865, when the two factions engaged in a hand-to-hand struggle at Columbus, Georgia. General Lee had already surrendered, but neither side was in possession of that information. Among the more important battles in which Mr. Taylor was engaged was the encounter at Ebenezer church, Selma and Montgomery, all in the state of Alabama, and those at Columbus and at the surrender of Macon, Georgia, as well as many minor skirmishes. When a member of the infantry Mr. Taylor served under Col. John Ferguson and while in the cavalry was under Robert Egleson. After the close of the war he returned to Guernsey county, later going to Coshocton and in 1893 came to Fayette county, locating in Bloomingburg, where he has since resided.

On November 10, 1854, Mr. Taylor was united in marriage with Mary Hogle, daughter of Lansing and Adeline (Stilwell) Hogle. Mrs. Taylor's death occurred in March, 1913. She was a most excellent woman, possessed of many admirable traits of heart and mind. She was an earnest and consistent member of the Baptist church and is buried at Bloomingburg. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor were the parents of five children, namely: Samuel J., who married Mary Babcock, and is the father of six children, Belle, Frank D., Cardell, Edith, Mary and Warren. Hattie remains at home with the subject. She received her education in the schools of Coshocton county and is an earnest member of the Baptist church, through which she has taken the international Bible students course of training. John H. married Witlhelmina Sibley, who has borne him two children, Neely and Verner. Edward L. married Lizzie Saulders and Bert chose Retta Allen as his wife. He has one child, a little daughter, Helen.

Mr. Taylor's fraternal affiliation is with Myron Judy Post, Grand Army of the Republic, at Bloomingburg. Mr. Taylor passed by far the most of his life on the farm and is of the opinion that no life is so independent or conducive to proper living. During his more active years he devoted considerable attention to the raising of sheep, in which he was highly successful. He is now eighty-one years old and is justly proud of the fact that he has never used tobacco in any form and has never had a quarrel with anyone. In all the essential elements of good citizenship, Mr. Taylor has always been a man among men and by his steady life, strict integrity and high regard for the better things of life he has won and retained the warm regard of a large

The Howell family came to Ohio from New Jersey, the first members of the family to settle in this state being Mathias Howell and his wife, Elena Cadwallader, both of whom were natives of Burlington county, New Jersey. They located in Licking county, Ohio, in 1819, and in that county Mathias Howell, who was the grandfather of Dr. L. P. Howell, entered a large tract of land and became one of the most extensive farmers and sheep raisers of that section of the state. Mathias Howell was a man of unusual ability and force of character, a fact which is shown by his being elected to Congress from his district in the fall of 1836. He served one term in Con- gress and then returned to his home in Licking county, where he died shortly afterwards, being about seven years of age at the time of his death. His widow later moved to Chicago and made her home with a daughter in that city until her death. Mathias Howell, the first member of the family to settle in Ohio, was the father of a large family of children, many of whom attained to more than local reputation. James, the oldest son, went to Iowa before the war and became United States senator from that state. After the close of the Civil War he was appointed as judge on the southern claims committee and served with distinction in this capacity. The second son removed to San Francisco and became prominently identified with the business interests of that city. The third son located in Bloomington, Illinois, where he became a prosperous banker. The fourth son was Luther J., the father of Dr. Luther P. Howell. There were also three daughters in the family of Mathias Howell: Mrs. Carrie Varney, of Chicago; Mrs. Edith Condit, of Champaign, Illinois, and Anna, who died in: Washington, D E

Luther J. Howell, the father of Dr. Luther P. Howell, was born in Licking county, Ohio, near Granville, and was a young man of great promise. He was a close student and was teaching school when he was married. His future was cut short by his death at the early age of twenty-one years, his death occurring shortly after his marriage to Hattie Peterson, the daughter of Martin and Ehzabeth (Coyner) Peterson, natives of Ross county, this state.

Martin Peterson and wife, the maternal grandparents of Doctor Howell, were natives of Virginia and settled in Ross county, Ohio, in 1803. He was a farmer and owned extensive interests in Ross and Fayette counties, having at one time over six hundred acres of excellent farming land in Fayette county. Both he and his wife died in Ross county at the ages of seventy-two and ninety-two, respectively. Martin Peterson and wife were the parents of eight children: Mrs. Jane Haines, of Bloomingburg, Ohio: Mrs. Phoebe Junk, of Ross county; Mrs. Hannah Dickey, who died in Bloomingburg, Ohio; Mrs. Martha Slagle, of Ross county; Mrs. Margaret Robbins; Effie, deceased; Albert C., of Frankfort, Ohio, and Hattie, the mother of Doctor Howell. Mrs. Montgomery, the mother of Doctor Howell, is still living and now resides in Dayton.

Dr. Luther Peterson Howell, the only son of Luther J. Howell and wife, was born in Ross county, this state, near Frankfort, December 2, 1864. He was reared in Ross county on his father's farm and attended the district schools of his home township and later graduated from the Chillicothe high school. From his earliest boyhood he wanted to be a physician and as soon as he graduated from the high school he entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons. at Chicago and started in to take the medical course. He did not finish at Chicago, but left there and became a student in the Baltimore Medical College, now 'a part of the University of Maryland, and graduated from that school. Later he took a post-graduate course in medicine in Johns- Hopkins University, which is recognized as the best medical school in the United States. After graduating he began the active practice of his chosen profession in Washington C. H., and, with the exception of three years, has practiced here for the past twenty-one years. He was captain in the Volunteer Medical Corps in the Philippines from 1900 to 1903, and saw hard service during his stay in those islands. He returried to Washington C. H. in 1903 from the Philippines and has been engaged in the active practice of his profession ever since, with a success which speaks well for his skilled training and innate ability as a practitioner.

Doctor Howell was married June 20, 1894, to Edith Belle Coffman, the daughter of Benjamin F. and Margaret (Straley) Coffman. Mrs. Howell was born in Washington C. H., both of her parents being natives of this county. Her father died in 1892, at the age of forty-three,' and her mother is still living in Columbus. Benjamin F. Coffman and wife were the parents of seven children: Cordelia, the wife of B. W. Dawley, of Toledo; Edith Belle. the wife of Doctor Howell; Clara, the wife of Judge Allen, of Washington C. H.; Benjamin F., of Columbus; Margaret, the wife of Carl C. Entrekin, of Columbus; Howard L., an attorney in Columbus, and Ruth, the wife of John J. Miller, of Columbus. The material grandparents of Mrs. Howell were James A. and Nancy (Hogue) Straley, and were early settlers in Fayette county, Ohio, while the paternal grandparents of Mrs. Howell, Nathan and Sarah (Edwards) Coffman, were of German and English descent, respectively, and early settlers in Fayette county, Ohio. To Nathan Coffman and wife were born the following children: Lewis C., William, Mrs. Charlotte Priddy, James M., Benjamin F., Mrs. Mary Belle Parrett, Mrs. Nettie Merchant and Mrs. Hetty Willard, the last two daughters being twins. :

Politically, Doctor Howell is a member of the Republican party, and he has always taken an intelligent interest in political affairs. He was county coroner, being elected three times in succession. At the present time he is a member of the city council, and is one of the councilmen at large. Fraternally, he is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons and has attained to the degrees of Royal Arch Mason, Royal and Select Master and

Knight Templar. He and his wife are both members of the Order of the Eastern Star. In addition to these fraternal organizations, Doctor Howell is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Improved Order of Red Men and the Knights of the Maccabees. The Doctor and his wife are loyal and consistent members of the Presbyterian church, in whose welfare they are greatly interested, and to whose support they are generous contributors. Mr. Howell has been a member of the choir of his church for many years.

In placing the name of Hon. Charles A. Reid before the reader as one standing in the front rank of the enterprising men of affairs and a leader of the bar at Washington C. H., Ohio, whose influence has tended to the upbuilding of the city of his residence and the advancement of the affairs of his native county of Fayette, simple justice is done a biographical fact recognized throughout the community by those at all familiar with his history and cognizant of the important part he has acted in the circles with which he has been identified. His career presents a notable example of those qualities of mind and character which overcome obstacles and win success, and because of his eminent ability and his strength of character he has won and retains the confidence and esteem of the community.

Charles A. Reid is descended from good old pioneer stock, which has been identified with Fayette county since the early days. His paternal grandparents, Nelson H. and Barbara (Harley) Reid, were natives of the state of Maryland, but in an early day came to Fayette county, Ohio, and here settled on a farm, to the operation of which Nelson Reid devoted himself during his active years. Later he relinquished the labors of the farm and moved to Washington C. H., where his death occurred about ten years afterwards. To him and his wife were born the following children: Lawson, Martha (Crone), Mary (Thomas), Julia (Mayo), William S. (father of the subject of this sketch), Ellen (Stokesberry), Nancy (Saunders) and Adaline R. (Stuckey). Mr. Reid's maternal grandparents were David and Elizabeth (Smith) Creamer, who were born in Virginia and who also were numbered among the early settlers in Fayette county. He died when about sixty years of age, and his wife at the age of eighty years. Their children were as follows: Wallace, who is now ninety-four years of age; Catharine

Charles A. Reid

(Worthington), now ninety-two years of age; Cynthia (Wentz), deceased ; Nancy (Stimpson), deceased; Oliver, who died in young manhood, and Caroline, mother of the subject.

William S. Reid, the subject's father, was born and reared in Union township, Fayette county, and spent practically his entire life on a farm, from which he retired about twelve years ago. He owned a farm of one hundred and twenty-five acres, which he improved into one of the best farms in his locality, and there he reared his family. He married Caroline Creamer. also a native of Fayette county, and to them were born five sons, namely : W. Orlando, of Jeffersonville, Ohio; Charles A., the immediate subject of this review; Howard C., of Paint township; Arthur H., of Greenville, Ohio, and William E., of Jeffersonville. During the Civil War William S. Reid enlisted for service and rendered faithful support to the Union cause in the ranks.

Charles A. Reid was born on November 25, 1864, on the paternal farmstead in Jefferson township, this county, and there grew to manhood. He received his elementary education in the district school and the high school at Washington C. H., after which for a period of five years he taught school. Having determined to devote himself to the practice of law, he entered the National Normal University, at Lebanon, this state, where he pursued the law course, and in 1891 was duly admitted to the bar. He located at once in Washington C. H., where he bas remained and during the subsequent years he has been numbered among the busy, able and successful members of the local bar. As a lawyer he evinces a familiarity with legal principles and a ready perception of facts which has won him the reputation of a safe and sound practitioner. Years of conscientious work have brought with them not only increase of practice and reputation, but also that growth in legal knowledge and that wide and accurate judgment the possession of which constitutes marked excellence in the profession. By a straightforward, honorable course he has built up a large and lucrative legal business and has been connected with most of the important cases tried in the local courts. He is attorney for the Midland National Bank and the Fayette County Bank.

Politically, Mr. Reid has been a life-long supporter of the Republican party, which manifested its confidence in him by electing him, in 1896, to the office of prosecuting attorney, in which responsible position he rendered efficient service to his county for six years. In roro Mr. Reid was elected representative from Fayette county to the General Assembly, and was reelected, thus serving in the seventy-ninth and eightieth Assemblies. In that body his support was always given to such measures as promised to benefit the people and he served with ability on a number of important committees. Fraternally, Mr. Reid belongs to Jeffersonville Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and to Confidence Lodge, Knights of Pythias, at Washington, C. H. Religiously, Mr. and Mrs. Reid are active members of the Presbyterian church, of which Mr. Reid is an elder, and to the support of which society he is a liberal contributor. .

. "On June 9, 1896, Mr. Reid was united in marriage with Ollie Patton, who was born on a farm in Green township, this county, the daughter of George \V. and Mary (Rowe) Patton, and to their union has been born a daughter, Ruth. George W. Patton was for many years a successful farmer in Green township, but in 1888 he was elected to the office of sheriff, in consequence of which he moved to Washington C. H. He served two terms as sheriff and afterwards was elected and served two terms as county treasurer. He died on March 4, 1901, his widow surviving him. They were the parents of five children, Elmer E., Minnie (Marchant), Metha J., Zella V. and Ollie (Mrs. Reid). .

In every walk of life Mr. Reid has been recognized as a high-minded gentleman, of integrity and moral worth. While primarily interested in his own affairs, he has not been unmindful of the interests of others, contributing to the extent of his ability to the advancement of the public good and the welfare of his fellow men. Personally, he is a man of pleasing address, sociably inclined, and enjoys a large circle of warm and loyal friends.

The physician of today is a far more efficient servant of the people to whom he ministers than ever before in the history of medicine. He must be broader and more intelligent, have keener insight into the psychology of his patients, and with a technical skill which the old practitioners never had. The young physicians who are beginning to practice today, if they have had the training of our best medical schools, are usually more reliable than the old-school physicians who had nothing but their experience to fall back on. Among the younger physicians of Fayette county, who are forging to the front in their profession is Dr. Howard Leigh Stitt, of Washington C. H. Although he has been out of school but a short four years, yet he has already

_demonstrated his ability to handle his large and increasing DrAttice in a satisfactory manner. ra: pee i: oe "Leigh "SES ies son of Joseph. Young aa Mattie E (Morris) titt; was born in. Bloomingburg, Ohio, February Sa TOSS ellis _ parents were natives of this county and his father is still living i in Blooming- DUTZ, -W here he is the manager of a drug store. In his younger days Joseph Y: Stitt was a school teacher and later became a druggist in Bloomingburg and now has the oldest established business in that town. His wife died in May, 1900, at the age of forty-one. Joseph Y. Stitt and wife were the parents of two children, How ard L. and Ercell Gertrude. The father and mother were both members of the Presbyterian church.