Madison County, Ohio - Biographical sketches, 1915 (part 18 of 20)

Charles C. Crabbe, present prosecuting attorney of Madison county, was born on a farm in Range township, this county, on November 1, 1878, son of John and Ellen (Minshall) Crabbe, both of whom also were born in this county, members of pioneer families. John Crabbe, who died on April 13, 1909, was one of the best-known men in his section of the county. For many years he was active in the civic affairs of Fairfield township and held several positions of public trust and responsibility, it being undoubted that his sound judgment and sober common sense had a large influence in the way of creating better conditions thereabouts. His widow is still living and enjoys many and constant evidences of the high esteem in which she is held by all who know her. She is the mother of thirteen children, eleven of whom are still living, as follow: George W., former county clerk of Madison county, who is now the state superintendent of the Anti-Saloon League of West Virginia; Madie, wife of T. H. Wheeler, of West Mansfield, Ohio; Charles C., the immediate subject of this sketch; J. C., a well-known farmer of this county; J. B., superintendent of schools of Laramie, Wyoming; Fred L., a teacher and lawyer, of Mount Sterling, Ohio; Goldie, wife of W. C. Horton, of London, this county; Harvey, a teacher in the schools of Williamsport, Ohio; Frances, a teacher in the common schools near Mount Sterling; Fay, a teacher in the schools of Big Plain, and Earl, a teacher in the public schools of Pickaway county, this state.

Charles C. Crabbe was reared in Fairfield township, to which his parents moved when he was one year old. He received his elementary education in the district schools of his home neighborhood, the same being constantly supplemented by home training of the highest character. For seven years he taught in the common schools of this county and then took a course in the Ohio Northern College at Ada. During his long term of service as'a teacher, Mr. Crabbe had been a close and attentive student of the law, and upon the completion of his law course at the college at Ada, he came to London, and in 1904 began the practice of law in that place. He formed a partnership with Hartford Welch, and for six years the firm of Welch & Crabbe was maintained, in that time becoming one of the best known law firms in London. On January 1, 1911, Mr. Crabbe formed a new partnership with E. W. Johnson, under the name of Crabbe & Johnson, and still continues under that name. In the campaign of 1912 Mr. Crabbe was nominated by the Republican party as its candidate for prosecuting attorney of Madison county. He was successful in the ensuing election and so satisfactory did his services to the public prove that he was renominated and re-elected in the fall of 1914 and is now serving his second term. During his incumbency of this important office Mr. Crabbe has been active in prosecuting offenders, and he has made a most excellent record. The firm of which he is the head has an extensive civil practice and is held in the very highest repute throughout this section of the state, its practice extending far beyond the borders of this county.

On September 22, 1904, Charles C. Crabbe was united in marriage to Isa Roth, member of an old family in Range township, and to this union one son has been porn, Roth. Mr. and Mrs. Crabbe are active and earnest members of the Presbyterian church, of which Mr. Crabbe long has been one of the trustees. He is assistant superintendent of the Presbyterian Sunday school and is recognized as one of the most earnest, active and influential church workers in his home city. He and his wife are also devoted to other good works in this community and are diligent in their efforts to promote the best interests of the commonwealth in every way.

As intimated above, Mr. Crabbe is a Republican and is looked upon as one of the leaders of the party in Madison county, his influence in local politics ever being exerted in behalf of good government. He also takes an earnest interest in the general affairs of the city of London, and is an active and influential member of the London Board of Trade and of the London Club. He also is a Mason and is a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Odd Fellows, the Junior Order of United American Mechanics and of the Modern Woodmen, to all of which organizations he gives his close personal attention. As a lawyer Mr. Crabbe stands high at the bars of his home and neighboring counties, and enjoys the full confidence and respect of bench and bar alike. As a public-spirited, enterprising and energetic citizen, he is recognized as a strong force for good in the community, and is held in high regard by all within the very large circle of his acquaintance.

Prof. Orris E. Duff

With a record of nearly a quarter of a century spent as an instructor of the youth of this county behind him, there are few men in Madison county better known than Prof. Orris E. Duff, who held for some time the important and responsible position of tax commissioner for this county. During his long service as a teacher in the public schools, Professor Duff made many warm and firm friends in this county and no one in this entire section is held in higher esteem on the part of the people generally than he. This was amply demonstrated at the time of his memorable race for Congress in 1908 against the veteran congressman, Gen. Warren J. Keifer. In that year Professor Duff was the nominee of the Democrats for Congress from this district - then the seventh Ohio congressional district, and overwhelmingly Republican - and he made so vigorous a campaign that, despite the numerical party odds against him and the Jong service and popularity of his opponent, he succeeded in cutting the normal Republican majority in half.

Orris E. Duff was born in Fayette county, Ohio, on March 24, 1871, the only son of William M. and Eliza: J. (Creamer) Duff, both natives of the same county. who moved to this county when the subject of this sketch was a mere lad, settling on a farm in Stokes township, where they lived until about 1900, at which time they retired from the farm and moved to South Solon, this county, where the mother is now living at a ripe old age, the father having died on May 10, 1915. William M. Duff was born on December 25, 1840, and his wife on April 30, 1848. William M. Duff was a mav of exceptionally vigorous physical constitution and strength of intellect and always took an active stand for the right on all moral issues. To him and his wife there were born but two children, Professor Duff having a sister, Tella, who married W. L. Drury, living near Newport, in this county.

Reared on the farm, Orris E. Duff received his elementary education in the district schools and in the Stokes township high school, upon completing which course he entered Ohio Normal University at Ada, later attending Wittenberg College at Springfield, Ohio, and Lima College, from the latter of which excellent old institutions of learning he was graduated with the class of 1908. In the meanwhile he had been teaching in the public schools of this county and had taught for two years in Greene county and for one year in Pickaway county. Upon leaving college, he resumed his teaching service, which he followed, all told, for twenty-two years. In 1913 Professor Duff was appointed tax commissioner for this county and served in that important public capacity until April 1, 1915.

In November, 1894, Prof. Orris E. Duff was united in marriage to Lora L. Gossard, who was born at Grassy Point, this county, on March 7, 1871, daughter of Robert and Barbara (Huffman) Gossard, prominent residents of that section, and to this union two sons have been born, William Robert, born on August 20, 1896, who died on January 10, 1914, and Edwin Brooks, September 4, 1899, who is now a student in the London high schoo]. Professor and Mrs. Duff are members of the Methodist church at London the professor holding the position of clerk of the official board of that church i some time, and they are looked upon as among the most earnest leaders in all movements having as their object the advancement of the best interests of the community, being held in the very highest esteem in their large circle of friends and acquaintances.

Professor Duff is a Democrat and _ his prominence in the party is indicated in the reference in a preceding Paragraph to the fact that he was his party's nominee for Congress in 1908. His prominence in educational affairs is attested by the active part he takes in the deliberations of the Ohio State Teachers' Association, the Western Ohio Superintendents' Round Table and the Central Ohio Teachers' Association, of which bodies he is an influential member. He is a member of the popular London Club and is a Mason, a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Modern Woodmen of America. In his long service as a teacher and in all his relations in life, Professor Duff has given of the best of himself to the advancement of the public welfare and is very properly looked upon as one of the leading citizens of this county, his influence ever being exerted on behalf of those things that are true and of good report; and he has ever been a true friend to young people; in consequence of which he has well earned the confidence and the respect of all classes throughout this entire section of the state.

Success in what is popularly termed the learned professions is the legitimate result of merit and painstaking endeavor. In commercial life one may come into possession of a lucrative business through inheritance or thrift, but professional advancement is gained only hy critical study and consecutive research long continued. Proper intellectual discipline. thorough professional knowledge and the possession and use of qualities essential to success. made the late Dr. William Morrow Beach one of the eminent physicians of Madison county, Ohio. At the time of his death, he stood among the scholarly and enterprising physicians in this section of Ohio. He was descended from a long line of distinguished ancestry, and he, himself, a surgeon in the Union army during the Civil War, gave his best efforts in behalf of preserving the integrity of the American Union.

William Morrow Beach, was born in Amity, Madison county, Ohio, May 10, 1831, the son of Uri and Hannah (Noble) Beach. Dr. William Morrow Beach died, May 5, 1887, at the age of fifty-six years. The Beach family has enjoyed a long and interesting history in the annals of this country and dates back to colonial times. Uri Beach was born on December 7. 1789, at New Haven, Vermont. He moved to Worthington, Ohio, in 1812, and two years later removed to Darby township, Madison county, bringing with him apple seeds from Marietta, Ohio, which he planted here, becoming the first nurseryman of the county. In 1820 he built a saw-mill, and, five years later, a woolen-factory near the saw-mill in Canaan township. He was married on September 1, 1816, two years after removing to Madison county, to Hannah Noble, who was born on September 11, 1789, and who died at Amity, in Madison county, in 1854. Uri Beach died at Amity, a village of which he was one of the proprietors, January 11, 1832, at the age of forty-three years.

Uri Beach was the son of Obel and Elizabeth (Kilbourne) Beach, the former of whom was born at Goshen, Connecticut, in 1758. He served in the Revolutionary army for three years and witnessed the surrender of Burgoyne. Two years after his discharge from the Revolutionary army, in 1780, Obel Beach removed to Poultney, Vermont, and, in 1788, to New Haven, Vermont, and in 1817, he removed to Darby township, Madison county, Ohio, where his sons, Uri, Lorenzo, Ambrose and Amos had preceded him. His wife, Elizabeth Kilbourne, was born in 1765, and died in Canaan township, Madison county, Ohio, in 1826. Obel Beach dietl at the home of his son, Dr. Lorenzo Beach. at Pleasant Valley, Madison county, in 1846. Six of his brothers were in the Revolutionary army. Ambrose died in the hospital at Crown Point, Vermont, and Abraham died at Milford, Connecticut, on his return home from a prison ship stationed at Long Island Sound. Obel Beach was the son of Amos Beach, who died about the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Amos was the son of John Beach, Jr., familiarly known as "Deacon Beach,' who died at Goshen, Connecticut, in 1778, after reaching the age of eighty-three years. John Beach, Jr. was the son of John Beach, Sr., who died at Wallingford, Connecticut, in 1709. John Beach, Sr. was the son of Thomas Beach, who died at Milford, Connecticut, in 1662. Thomas Beach was one of three brothers, the others being Richard and John, who signed the New Haven, Connecticut, Covenant in 1638.

Hannah (Noble) Beach, the wife of Uri Beach, was the daughter of Rev. Seth Noble, who served for a time in the Revolutionary War, and who, in 1806, came to Ohio and took up the ministry at Franklinton, now Columbus, where he died in 1807. The Rev. Seth Noble was the son of Thomas Noble, who died at Westfield, Massachusetts, at the age of seventy-eight years. Thomas was the son of Deacon Thomas Noble, of Westfield, Massachusetts, who died there in 1750, at the age of eighty-four. He was the son of Thomas Noble, of Boston.

William Morrow Beach was only five months old when his father died. He was educated in the district schools of Madison county, and later clerked in a store at Dublin, Plain City and Amity. He spent one year at Ohio Wesleyan University, although his education did not end there for he was a close and earnest student all his life. In 1851 he entered the office of Dr. Samuel M. Smith, of Columbus, Ohio, as a student of medicine, and the same winter attended a course of lectures at the Starling Medical School, graduating with the class of 1853. Until 1855, he practiced his profession at Unionville Center, Ohio, and then removed to Lafayette. Madison county. During the winter of 1857-58, he was located in New York City, where he was -a student at the College of Physicians and Surgeons. He returned to Lafayette, however, and remained there until the beginning of the Civil War.

On April 3, 1862, Dr. William Morrow Beach responded to a call from Governor David Tod for one hundred surgeons and immediately left for the front, arriving at Shiloh just after the battle. He was assigned to duty with the Twentieth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and later, May 2, 1862, with the Seventy-eighth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, as assistant surgeon. He was commissioned surgeon of the One Hundred and Highteenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, on May 19, 1864.: During his three-year service he was frequently on detached duty, the character of which indicated his standing in the army. In the Vicksburg campaign he was the hospital director of Gen. John A. Logan's division, and, after the surrender, was placed in charge of all the Confederate sick and wounded. At the close of the war he was division hospital director of the Second Division, Twenty-third Army Corps; also one of the surgeons constituting the division operating board. He was an intimate friend to many officers in the Union army, including Col. M. D. Ligget, with whose command he was detailed for about two years. He was at Port Gibson, Jackson, Champion's Hill, Vicksburg, and with Frank P. Blair on the Yazoo raid. He was also with Sherman on the Meridian raid, and served under Gen. Lew Wallace, Grant, Sherman and McPherson. During his service, he traveled more than nine thousand miles. Upon the close of the Civil War, Doctor Beach settled on the farm but continued his practice until his death. In the meantime his practice grew amazingly.

On June 12, 1860, Dr. William Morrow Beach was married to Lucy EH. Wilson, the daughter of James and Eleanor (Smith) Wilson, who was born on March 28, 1844, and who has lived all her life in the vicinity of London, Ohio. She comes from the hardy, pioneer farmers of Madison county, who were far-seeing enough to acquire much of the fertile lands of this county, and from whom she inherits her taste and love for the farm and farming. Mrs. Beach owns and successfully manages "The Cedars," which farm now contains eleven hundred and forty acres. The home was built in 1903, on the site of the old home and a part of the old house was incorporated in the new. Besides "The Cedars," Mrs. Beach has other farm lands, amounting in all to about eight hundred acres located south of London. She was educated at Esther Institute, Columbus, Ohio, which had upon its rolls many of the social leaders of the city and state. She was also a student at the old Methodist Female Seminary at Springfield, Ohio.

Doctor and Mrs. Beach had one daughter, Mary (now Mrs. Bedwell), who is a graduate of Rutgers Female College, where she finished the course in 1882. She was the valedictorian of her class.

In 1869, Dr. William Morrow Beach was elected as a Republican to the state Legislature and in 1871, was elected to the Ohio state Senate, where he served with distinction and where he was instrumental in framing much of the important legislation during his term of office. As a physician. Doctor Beach was industrious and conscientious. A sense of duty always prompted him to give his time and best thought to his patrons to a degree rarely seen in the profession. No summons to the home of the poor was ever neglected for fear there would be no compensation. He was an honored member of the medical societies to which he belonged; was the first president of the Ohio Sanitary Association and president of the State Medical Society in 1885. He served in this capacity for the County and District Medical Societies and was a prominent member of the American Medical Association, before which he read a paper on the subject of "milk sickness" which excited great interest in the profession, being copied in medical journals in Europe as well as in America, and which was purchased for the Reference Hand Book of Medical Science in 1886.

Doctor Beach was fond of agriculture and devoted to landscape gardening as well as his profession. He was fond of classical literature and read only the best books. He was the editor of the medical department of the old history of Madison county, and in his later years, being possessed of rare conversational power, was a delightful entertainer. He possessed social qualities of high order.

Mrs. Lucy Beach is one of the ablest women in Madison county. She has added to the Beach estate since her husband's death. by successful farming and careful management. In 1895, when Ohio women were for the first time voted for as members of school boards, she was elected a member of the board of education of Deer Creek township, and was twice re-elected, serving in that capacity for sixteen years and was president of the board for six years. She was active as a member of the Woman's Club of London for fourteen years and has served as its president. As a member of the executive board of the Farmers' Institute she was for several years a valued helper in contributing to the success of the institute. She is a member of the county board of visitors for the charity and corrective institutions, and an enthusiastic member of the Woman's Elective Franchise Association, having been one of its charter members and for three years its president. She was a state delegate to the convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, which was held in June, 1905, in Portland, Oregon. Ten years previously, in 1895, she was honored by William McKinley, then governor of the state, by an appointment as delegate to the Atlanta, Georgia, Exposition, at which time she also represented the Woman's Club of London as delegate to the convention of the General Federation of Woman's three miles along the National road. Hogs, cattle and horses are raised in great numbers on the farm, the labor alone costing twenty-five hundred dollars a year.

At "The Cedars." Mrs. Beach has extended her most genial and generous hospitality to her friends and the members of the various clubs with which she had been identified. She is a woman of rare business ability and social charm and has proved, as one interested in public affairs, a successful business manager, an efficient home keeper and a hospitable hostess. She is perhaps the best-known woman in all Madison county.

Pierce M. Gregg

Son of one of the most substantial and energetic men in the history of Madison county, Pierce M. Gregg, county commissioner of this county, president of the Commercial Bank of West Jefferson, and owner of two of the best farms in the county, has profited largely by the fine inheritance of energy, enterprise and industry which cane to him from his father and is regarded as one of the most substantial and influential men in Madison county today. In both his private and his public relations with his fellow men, Mr. Gregg gives the best service at his command and his influence in many ways has been helpful, not only in the community in which he lives, but throughout the county at large and no one hereabout is held in higher esteem than he.

Pierce M. Gregg was born on a farm, which he now owns, in Jefferson township, Madison county, Ohio southwest of West Jefferson, on March 5, 1860, son of Ashton A. and Mary (Pierce) Gregg, prominent residents of that section of the county, the former of whom was a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of whom was born in Chillicothe, Ohio.

Ashton A. Gregg was twelve years of age when his mother brought him and his two brothers from Pennsylvania to Madison county, his father but shortly before that time having died in Pennsylvania. This pioneer mother, with her sons, rode all the way here on horseback, their small possessions being brought in packs strapped on behind. Upon arriving in this county, Mrs. Gregg bought three hundred and thirty-three and one-third acres of land in Jefferson township, and there she spent the remainder of her life, becoming known as one of the most useful persons in that section of the county. As her sons grew to manhood she divided her land holdings among them, giving to each one hundred acres, reserving for herself only the small plot surrounding the home she had erected in the wilderness.

On the three farms thus created these three brothers settled and all prospered. Ashton A. Gregg, in particular, by reason of the exercise of great natural talents and his energy and industry, grew in wealth and in the substantial character of his position in the community, gradually increasing his land holdings until presently he was the owner of two thousand two hundred acres of choice land in that section of the county. He was a progressive farmer and an extensive dealer in live steck and us he prospered largely, so he gave largely, being recognized in his day as one of the most liberal supporters of benevolent institutions and all good works in Madison county. To Ashton A. Gregg's union with Mary Pierce eight children were born, five of whom are still living, John T., of Columbus, Ohio; Arabella, of West Jefferson, this county; Pierce M., the immediate subject of this sketch; T. C., of West Jefferson, and Arkansas, wife of John R. Engle, of West Jefferson.

Reared on the home farm, receiving his education in the district schools of that neighborhood, Pierce M. Gregg grew up to the life of the farm and remained on the home place until he was forty years of age, at which time he moved to his present fine home. "Hillside Farm," one and one-half miles southwest of West Jefferson, though still retaining the ownership of "Oak Grove Stock Farm" of three hundred and twentyfive acres, on which he formerly liy d, three miles southwest of West Jefferson. "Hillside Farm," consisting of seventy-two ac. 8 of choice land, is one of the most attractive small farms in that section of the county and is an ideal spot for a home, Mr. Gregg and his family being very comfortably and pleasantly situated there. In addition to his large farming and stock raising interests, Mr. Gregg has devoted no small share of his attention to other matters of a business nature and for some years has been president of the Commercial Bank of West Jefferson, a sound financial institution which owes much of its present secure position in financial circles in this county to the energy and enterprise which Mr. Gregg has brought to the conduct of its affairs.

In 1884 Pierce M. Gregg was united in marriage to-Margaret Roberts, who was born in Jefterson township, this county, daughter of Edwin Roberts, a prominent citizen of that township, and to this union seven children have been born, namely: Matthew, who married Ethel Roberts and is a well-known farmer of Jefferson tuwnship; Ashton, a graduate of the West Jefferson high school and of Bliss College at Columbus; Earl, a graduate of the same schools, married Emma Olney and is a farmer in Jefferson township; Charles, also a Jefferson township farmer; Herbert, a graduate of the West Jefferson high school, also a farmer; Helen, a graduate of the high school, living at home with her parents, and Lemuel. Mrs. Margaret Gregg died on October 22, 1903.. She was a member of the Methodist church at West Jefferson, of which Mr. Gregg is also a member and one of the trustees of the church, and their children have been reared in that faith, the entire family being devoted to the good works of the community, all being held in the very highest esteem thereabout.

Pierce M. Gregg is a Republican and for years has been actively concerned in the county's political affairs. For years he served as land appraiser in Jefferson township and has been a member of the township's board of education for the past twentyfour years, his energetic services in that connection undoubtedly having been productive of great good to the schools of. that part of the county. In 1912 he was honored by the people of Madison county by being elected to the important and responsible post of county commissioner and is now faithfully serving the county in that honorable capacity. Enterprising, energetic and public spirited, Mr. Gregg is bringing to his public service the same degree of energy which has made his personal affairs so eminently successful and it is but proper to say that he enjoys the entire confidence and regard of the whole community.

Edward J. Robison

Though it has been a quarter of a century since Edward J. Robison passed from the scenes of worldly activity, his memory still is cherished in Madison county and particularly in the city of London. where for years he was one of the county seat's most popular merchants, and it is but fitting that in this history of the county some slight tribute should be paid to his memory.

Edward J. Robison was born in Pickaway county, this state, on September 7,. 1850, son of Samuel and Margaret (Fitzgerald) Robison, who moved to this county when their son, the subject of this sketch, was a small boy, and the latter was reared here, receiving his education in the schools of this county, supplementing the same by a course of five years spent at Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware. Upon completing this course he returned home and entered the drug business in London, and was thus engaged until a short time before his death, he having sold su prore not long before the final summons came. During the period of his connection with the mercantile interests of the city he had several different partners, the. firm name at the time he sold out having been Robison & Riddle. Mr. Robison also had extensive farming interests, operating the same in connection with his brother-in-law, William H. Riddle.

On November 20, 1878, Edward J. Robison wus united in marriage to "Sallie" K. Riddle, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Warner) Riddle, both of whom were natives of this county, the former born at Mt. Sterling and the latter at London. Elizabeth Warner was a daughter of Henry and Keturah Warner, the former of whom was the son of Joseph Warner, who came to Madison county from Virginia or Maryland in 1802 and was among the real pioneers of the London neighborhood, he having been a man of large influence in the early days of the county seat. Joseph Warner was born in Maryland in 17388 and was a soldier in the patriot army during the Revolutionary War. When one hundred years of age he moved from London to Illinois, where he died in 1842, at the age of one hundred and four. Further details regarding the Warner family in this county are 'set out in the biographical sketch relating to Henry Warner, presented elsewhere in this volume.

To Edward J. and Sarah K. (Riddle) Robison were born three children, namely: Margaret Clifford, who married Warren B. Sisson, of Columbus, Ohio, to which union one child has been born, a son, Warren Robison; Samuel Edward, of Columbus, and Richard Harrison, who married Haysel Jones, youngest daughter of Senator William M. Jones, and lives in London, this county. All are associated with Bruce Tanner in the lumber business at Columbus and London.

Edward J. Robison died on April 27, 1891, and was widely mourned throughout this county, for he was a good man and an excellent and public-spirited citizen, who was performing a large work in his community. He was a member of the Methodist church, as is his 'widow, and their children were reared in that faith. He also was a member of the Masonic fraternity and was very popular among his lodge brethren, all honoring and respecting him for his many fine qualities of head and heart.

Ormond Masterson Bryan

Ormond Masterson Bryan, the eldest son of Marcellus Leroy and Martha (Masterson) Bryan, was born in Columbus, this state, March 15, 1858, and came to London with his parents when but a few months old. Here he grew to strong manhood and lived to be a prominent citizen until called by death, September 7, 1908, aged fifty years and six months.

In 1874 he was graduated from the London high school in a class of six. After this he devoted several months to work in the Democrat office, at that time owned and controlled by his father, M. L. Bryan, and then took a year's course of study in the Ohio State University at Columbus. He then returned to London and resumed his work in the Democrat office, where he continued as local editor until his last illness and death. Nine years before this event he formed a partnership with his brother, Chester E. Bryan, and they purchased the newspaper under the firm name of C. E. & O. M. Bryan. The plant was greatly improved and the business enlarged, and the partnership was continued profitably until his demise. After his death, his interest in the business was purchased by his brother, Chester, who has continued as editor and sole proprietor up to this time.

Ormond M. Bryan became a member of the fraternal order of Knights of Pythias soon after he reached his majority. A few years afterward he joined the Odd Fellows and Masonic fraternities. He was a consistent member of these three organizations and in good standing at the time of- his death.

Ormond M. Bryan was united in marriage to Almeda Shepherd, daughter of Nathan Shepherd, of Fayette county, March 28, 1889. Nineteen years of marital bliss and happiness resulted, when the dread summons came for the separation. Four children were born to this happy home, and the first cloud of sorrow which marred its joy was the death of Omar, the first-born. The early death of this bright and promising youth, cut down at the age of fourteen, was a severe shock to these loving ones, yet has added another link which binds them to the other world. Three children remain: Dana C. Bryan, the proprietor of the London Auto Inn; Ruth and Albert Strain, the last two at home with their mother.

The Wilson Family

Jacob Wilson, the earliest ancestor of the Wilson family in Madison county, Ohio, so far as known, was an Irishman, who had married a German wife. In the year 1790 he left the south branch of the Potomac river in Virginia, not far from Harper's Ferry and emigrated to Kentucky, to what is now the county of Clark. In the year 1802, after having lived twelve years. in Kentucky, he came to Ohio and settled on the headwaters of Beaver creek, Bath township, and county of Greene, near the present site of the village of Fairfield.

Jacob Wilson was the father of thirteen children or of twelve, as some of his friends believed. Their names, although probably not in the order of their births, were as'follows: Jacob, William, Michael, John, James, Valentine, Jeremiah, Isaac, Daniel, Mary, Eleanor, Elizabeth and Rachel. Some of the friends have believed that there was not one by the name of Rachel.

Jacob Wilson, the first born of Jacob, the first known ancestor, remained in Kentucky until the time of his death, which was at a ripe old age. He became very wealthy. He became the largest holder of slaves in that portion of the state. He "enjoyed the uneviable notoriety, also, of being the heaviest man in that part of the state, weighing at one time over four hundred pounds. He and his wife together weighed seven hundred pounds. He became the father of eight children, one of whom, probably, remained in Kentucky. :

William Wilson died during the War of 1812, at Fairfield, Ohio, of "cold plague" or cerebro-spinal meningitis. He left three children, Susannah, Elizabeth and William.

Michael Wilson died in 1813, at Fairfield, Ohio, leaving three children, Washington, Josiah and Michael. Josiah is said to have been the brightest and handsomest man ' ever born into the Wilson family. He died at an early age.

Valentine Wilson, son of Jacob, the first known ancestor, came to Ohio with his father in 1802. He was born near Harper's Ferry, West Virginia, October 1, 1785, and moved to Kentucky with his father in 1790, when five years of age. He was seventeen years old when he came to Ohio, in 1802. In 1806 he was married to Eleanor Judy of Greene county, Ohio, daughter of John Judy, a Swiss, and Phoebe (Lamaster) Judy, his wife a woman of French parentage. To them 'were born six children: William D., born on February 27, 1807; James, December 20, 1808; John. October 19, 1810; Eli, July 12, 1812; Matilda, October 12, 1814; Malinda, January 12, 1817. Eleanor (Judy) Wilson died in 1819 and Valentine Wilson was next married to Susan Humble, who was born in Ohio, in 1799. To this marriage was born one : shington Wilson, September 7, 1821. ae ihe aie 18, 1825, tne (Humble) Wilson died. On June 18, 1827, Valentine

Caroline M., born on June 28, 1828; Alexander Hamilton, February 7, 1830; Emeline, September 12, 1831; Mary Ann, October 1, 1852; Valentine C., January 19, 1834; Margaret, May 5, 1835, who died in infancy on June 38, 18385; Jacob W., April 29, 1886; Daniel Boone, December 4, 1837, and Nancy Frances, October 26, 1840. By the three inarriages he became the father of nineteen children, seventeen of whom became heads of families. Margaret died in infancy and Daniel Boone died, unmarried, at the old homestead, April 26, 1860.

That Valentine Wilson was a man of no ordinary gifts, both mental and physical, seems to be a fact of general acceptance among those who knew him the most intimately. He was a man of great presence of mind- - which gift stood him in good stead on more than one occasion. Once, when riding after night, he was halted by highwaymen who suspected him of having money in his possession, and When he completely disarmed by answering in a calm and unruffled tone of voice: "Well, well, boys, you have got me this time; I have twenty-five cents in my pocket, and if you will go back to the tavern with me we will take that out in a treat all round." 'They then let him pass without a search or further parley, without suspicion of the fact that he had upon his person, in "genuine coin of the realm" more than seven thousand dollars besides his twenty-five cents. He was also an unconscious psychologist. He could divine a man's errands when approaching him, when a long distance off, forming an opinion which was seldom founded in an error, as to whether he was coming to buy, to sell, or to borrow money, and he often robbed a refusal of its poignancy from this latter class by forestalling them with the question if they knew of any of their neighbors who had two hundred or three hundred dollars that they would loan for a few days. He died of dropsy, July 2, 1855, on the farm where he settled in 1816. From the small beginning of one hundred and sixty acres, his first purchase, in the thirty-nine years of his after life he accumulated about seven thousand acres of land besides over sixty thousand dollars in personal property, and died the wealthiest man who had ever been a citizen of Madison county.

Having come to Ohio with his parents in 1802 and settled on the headwaters of Beaver creek, Bath township, Greene county, where he remained until 1816, when he removed to Madison county, Valentine Wilson began his career on the headwaters of Deer Creek by buying one hundred and sixty acres. He added to the tract until he had at the time of his death nearly ten thousand acres of land, a thousand head of cattle und sheep. Nancy (Roberts) Wilson survived her husband more than a half century. After her husband's death, she continued to live for many years on the old homestead on the banks of Deer creek. She was a devoted member of the Christian church, and died at Summerford in 1912.

Isaac Wilson came to Ohio with his father in 1802. He remained at Fairfield, Greene county, Ohio, until his death in the spring of 1859. He was a short, heavy, very fleshy man who, in walking, stepped out a little more than the length of his feet.

Eleanor Wilson married John Bradley, of Greene county, Ohio, but subsequently eame to Madison county and both lived and died one mile north of Summerford, where Washington Wilson 'later lived.

Elizabeth Wilson married Charles Heffley, of Greene county, Ohio, but afterward came to Madison county, and settled. near Summerford, where both died advanced in years.

William D. Wilson, the "land baron" of Madison county, was the first born of Valentine and Eleanor (Judy) Wilson. He was born in Bath township, Greene county, Ohio, beteees 27, 1807, and died of erysipelas at bis homestead on the Darby Plains, March 25, 187 a 1829 he murried Nancy Moore, of Madison county, Ohio, who died at the old pa ee re in September, 1882. Her father was killed by the Indians in the War of 1812. By this marriage there were born to them eight children: Alexander, Kien, James Monroe, Lafayette, William M., Sarah, Washington and Taylor. William D. Wilson was no ordinary man, Those who knew him intimately and well related that in many respects he was the most remarkable man they ever knew.

There is no photograph or other likeness of William D. Wilson left, while living. There was a post-mortem photograph taken, but it is not a true likeness. He stood six feet in his boots. He was straight and with well-rounded and comely proporticns, up until late in life, when he inclined to corpulency. His hands and feet were small and short; his hair dark brown, thick and oily; his head large - number seven and one-half hat - well rounded, and well balanced phrenologically; his complexion clear, and slightly florid; his lower jaw strongly set; his teeth short, even, pearly white, and without signs of decay up until the time of his death. His face was full, and his cheeks full, round and solid, like Bob Ingersoll's. There was an irresistible charm in his full, round, Saxon face - the honest inheritance from his Saxon grandmother. If one was, at first sight, when his face was severely in repose, impressed with the idea that he was somewhat gross and sensual, the varied expression of his wonderful eye, when he became animated, soon set that illusion aside. He was a good and entertaining talker, with an inclination to ask more questions than he was called on to answer. If you were not on your guard, he would cautiously and quietly pump you dry, without giving back an equivalent, unless it was in the pleasure of his company. In conversation, his voice was -agreeable and pleasing, but when it was raised to a high pitch, one would be reminded of the fable of the lion and the foxes - "One, but a tion."

In the race of life William D. Wilson commenced as his father before him had done - single handed and alone. He served his father faithfully and well up untii he was twenty-one years of age. He then hired as an ordinary farm laborer, for three months "wet and dry," at seven dollars a month, to Judge John Arbuckle, a near neighbor. Shortly after this term of service, he married and bought two hundred acres ef land, out on the Darby Plains, at eighty cents an acre. This was bought with borrowed money, his uncle Daniel going on his notes. The Darby Plains were mostly under water in those days during the wet season of the year; but they grew a rank, coarse kind of wild grass, which, if cut and properly cured, contained just enough nourishment to keep cattle from starving to death. As it had been with his father before him, when a boy at home, so it became with him now. They were not raisers or breeders of cattle. They bought them when two or three years old, and then kept them until fat enough for market. Sometimes a seven-dollar steer brought from the timber land in Indiana in the winter or spring and put on the open grass land of the Darby Plains, would bring twenty-five or thirty dollars in the fall of the year. DBERe fatted cattle passed into the hands of another class of dealers, of which the Renicks, of Pickaway county, were the originators - the class of dealers who took them on a six weeks' slow journey over the mountains, to the Baltimore or Philadelphia markets.

The motto of Mr. Wilson became like that of Emperor Constantine - "By this sign Money began to grow. Hach year his herds grew larger, and soon he road from where he died, in a cluster of apple trees that are still standing. About a year before he died he was at the home of Doctor Beach, and on being questioned as to his mode of accumulating so much property, his answer was: 'Easy enough, easy enough. No mystery about it. Gather in and spread out. Gather in and spread out." It probably seemed easy enough to him, for he was not a common or ordinary man. But if it was all so easy and simple, how did it happen that he absorbed nearly a half township of improved farms, whuse tenant houses, or solitary chimneys, scattered for miles across his possessions, looked like a vast and limitless harbor, with fleets lying dreamily at anchor?

The free turnpike leading from London to Plain City passes for nine miles through his farm; and within three years he paid twenty-eight thousand dollars in taxes for free turnpikes alone. His farm begun on the west, adjoined 'Dun Glen,' the farm of John G. Dun, in Deer Creek township, and stretched continuously to where he was buried on his own farm, in the old Baptist burying ground, on Big Darby.

Mr. Wilson was social and convivial in his habits, fond of good company and plenty of it - upon all of which occasions he was the central figure. He did nothing by halves; it was either all work or all play. He was a natural-born wit, and when in a merry mood kept everybody around him in a roar, excepting himself. He was never _ boisterous; never off his balance in any direction. His wit was keen, original, and generally practical, with a vein of philosophy running through it. He never indulged in any repartee that was bought second hand. He was original or nothing. He was never profane. On one occasion, while a fiddler was tuning up and resting his arm, "Uncle Bill" reminded him of the prodigal waste of time, by saying, "Mr. Tucker, Mr. Tucker, you must remember that every time a sheep stops to bleat it loses a mouthful." He was never quarrelsome or contentious. Neither he nor his father before him were ever engaged before any court, either as plaintiff or defendant, and he never spoke ill of any man.

Like his father, William D. Wilson had great presence of mind; and like, as it was with him, it stood him in good stead on many occasions. His nearest bank, seventy years ago, was at Columbus, twenty miles away. Sometimes it required a large amount of money to carry on his business, and he was often suspected of having money upon his person or about his house. Once, when traveling at night, not many miles from home, he was halted by highwaymen, and with the muzzles of some old-fashioned. brass-mounted horse-pistols in unpleasant proximity to his head, was ordered, peremptorily, to hold up his hands. He suspected the identity of the parties and jocularly called them by name. The question with them then was, either cold-blooded murder or joining in the laugh, as if the. whole thing had been intended for a joke. This they did. They wilted, and allowed him to pass on home. :

It was generally his custom to not go out after night without company. One. of these protectors, not infrequently, was Ira Kilbury, an infant who kicked the beam at two hundred and forty pounds, and who could "whip his weight in wild cats." Returning from Plain City after night on one occasion, his carriage was flanked by highwaymen, who began to close in on either side: but his coolness saved him then. He spoke very loudly, and in a perémptory tone: 'Tra, Ira, my boy, whip up, whip up, or we wont get home before midnight." Visions of the bodyguard who could whip his weight in wild cats struck terror to the heart of the footpads, and they gave a wide berth and a fair field, when Ira, in reality, was snoring away in the quiet and security of his own cabin home, more than five miles away.

. William D. Wilson has been spoken of as a "land baron." In 1870, the state of Ohio contained fifty-six cultivated farms of over one thousand acres each. Of these fifty-six, thirty-six were in Madison county. William D. Wilson, in 1870, owned the surgest improved farm in Ohio. He had twelve hundred acres in one pasture, upon which one could not find a bush large enough for a riding whip. There were giant burr oaks in clusters or groves, but no brush. And in all the fifty or more miles of fence on his farm there was no one rod that did not look like it had been put up for corraling mules or wild deer. His farm had a capacity for more than two thousand head of cattle, but he usually had a variety of stock. Before the Civil War he was in the habit of "turning off' about ten thousand dollars worth of mules of his own raising annually. Once, since the war, in a time of depression in that line, he sent down among the hills of southeastern Ohio, and bought about eighteen thousand head of sheep at about one dollar a head. Times soon changed for this class of stock, and when the boom reached seven or eight dollars a head, he sold out and changed to something else.

Mr. Wilson amassed a great fortune. Is this the story of his life? Not at all. He was a remarkable man aside from his fortune; he could as easily and would have as surely attained to great responsibilities and honors, had his great genius been early directed in the channels that led that way. He had natural capacity enough to have been a railroad magnate, like Vanderbilt, a financier like Alexander Hamilton or Chase, or a general of an army, for he was naturally a leader, and never a follower of men. But was this fortune accumulated without fraud, misrepresentation, treachery or the oppression of the poor? Every dollar of it was. William D. Wilson was an honorable wnd an honest man,

James Wilson, the second child born to Valentine and Hleanor (Judy) Wilson, and the grandson of Jacob Wilson, the first known ancestor, was born in Bath township, Greene county, Ohio, December 20, 1808, and came to Madison county with his father in 1816, when eight years of age. He, like his brother, William D. Wilson, remained in service with his father until he was twenty-one years old. In 1882, when he was twenty-five years old, he went to Kentucky and bought, at two dollars an acre, of a man named Morgan, four hundred acres of land out of the Darby Plains, this county, and which is now a part of the Taylor Wilson estate. Of this he kept one hundred and sixty acres, sold fifty acres to his brother, John, and the remainder to his brother, William D.

In June, 1833, James Wilson was married to Lucy Ballou, of Miiford Center, Ohio, a daughter of Martin Ballou, a native of Providence, Rhode Island, and. the grandniece of Hosea Ballou, the Boston publisher. In September, 1833, three months after his marriage, his wife died of "milk sickness," just as he had a cabin on his farm on the plains nearly ready to commence housekeeping. The associations connected with his tenantless cabin were unpleasant to him and, in 1835, he sold his Plains farm and bought the John Scott farm, in Somerford township, where Uncle Sammy Prugh later lived. He boarded with the Scott family, and raised a large crop of corn, which he fed to the hogs, but this class of stock ran so low that year that he lost all his summer's work.

On October 2, 1836, James Wilson was married to Eleanor Smith, who was born on June 20, 1818, near Granville, Ohio, the daughter of John and Sophia (Bond) Smith. Her father than lived two miles east of Lafayette, on the farm later owned by Jonathan Booth. At the time of her marriage she was teaching the distant school in Valentine Wilson's district. They went to housekeeping on the John Scott farm, and there John &., the first child, was born. To this marriage there were also born three other children, cdeniine H., Thomas B. and Lucy E. Mrs. Wilson possessed to a marked degree those homely but enduring traits of character that make ideal womanhood, as wife, as mother, as help-mate, as neighbor, as friend, as a model of industry, as a worker in the church and as a companion in every walk of life.' On all occasions she excelled.

Her intellectual gifts and accomplishments were many as well as entertaining. Her love of reading was great; her memory was remarkable; her knowledge of the bible and her familiarity with its grand, true and great characters made her personality at all times instructive as well as charming. The recollection of her broad charity, her sympathetic quality and her tender impulses for the needy or distressed still suryive, and will outlast the marble monument erected to mark her last resting place.

In 1837 James Wilson bought two small parcels of land, one of which was where his brother, Eli, died. In 18388 he sold out in Somerford township; he had lost faith in raising hogs to make a fortune out of and preferred risking in cattle and grass. He went back to the Darby Plains and bought the Charley Arthur farm of four hundred acres, which was later a portion of the John Price farm. He moved there and lived on it for five years. Two of his children, Valentine Henry and Thomas Bond, were born there. In 1838 he bought fifty acres of the MacCumber farm; and in the fall of 1841 bought three hundred acres of the Russell Bidwell farm, at an administrator's sale. In the fall of 1842 he left the Darby Plains and moved over to the Christman farm, one mile south of Summerford, and entered into a partnership with his father, as a general trader and business manager. On this farm, on March 28, 1844, his only daughter, Lucy Eleanor, was born.

In 1846, his half-brother, Jackson, being old enough to take his place as a partner with his father, James Wilson moved back to the Darby Plains, and settled on the Russell Bidwell farm; but in that same year he bought the Paul Adler farm of three hundred and ten acres, where his son, John. later lived, and then moved on it. In this same year he also bought fifty-seven acres of Nathaniel Sawyer. In 1847 he bought the Paul Smith farm of one hundred and seventy-five acres. In 1854 he sold the Arthur farm to his brother, William D., and bought the Stanley Watson farm, of four hundred acres, adjoining the village of Lafayette, where he moved, and where he lived at the time of his death. He paid sixteen thousand dollars for this farm and it is believed that it was the first forty-dollar farm sold in the county. In 1855 he fell heir, by the death of his father, to three hundred and eighty-one acres adjoining the Watson farm, and in 1856 he bought the Carter farm of four hundred acres, where his son-in-law, Dr. William Morrow Beach, later lived. In 1860 he bought his halfbrother, Hamilton's, share of his father's estate, comprising four hundred and sixtythree acres, adjoining his home farm, while Hamilton bought his brother. William D. Wilson's, share adjoining the village of Lafayette, on which stood the old Anderson tavern.

For more than thirty years James Wilson was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. The seventy-fourth anniversary of his birth found him a hale and vigorous old man, in full' possession of all his faculties, and the owner of twenty-three hundred and fifty acres of well-improved land, with accompaniments, a part of which he had passed over to the control of his children. He was then the patriarch of the Wilson family, having attained a greater age, it was believed, than any other one ever born into the family. He was far famed for his charity, honesty and agreeable personality. He died on June 12, 1886, in his seventy-eighth year, full of honors and beloved by all who knew him. His beloved wife survived him many years. After his death she resided with her daughter, Mrs. Lucy E. Beach, until her death, on February 15, 1904.

Washington Wilson, a son of Valentine and Susan (Humble) Wilson was born on September 7, 1821, in Madison county, Ohio, and when twenty-one years old, began working by the month and thus continued for three months, as he wanted to get money enough to get married. At the expiration of the period he had twenty-seven dollars, and was then united in marriage with Linnie West, the daughter of Edmund and

Margaret (Shaw) West. After their marriage, he began farming as a renter and continued for four years, when he purchased sixty acres of land, to which he added until he owned about eight hundred acres altogether. He was a member of the Inde pendent Order of Odd Fellows and served as township trustee of Somerford township for fourteen years. Washington and Linnie (West) Wilson were the parents of eight children, of whom only two, Valentine and Caleb Grittin, survive. Caleb Griffin lives on a part of his grandfather's original estate. Jackson spent his life in Clark county, but died in Summerford, in 1914, at the age of seventy-two. Alexander, a farmer and merchant at Summerford, died in 1909, at the age of sixty. Charles inherited his father's old homestead and spent his whole life on the farm, dying at the age of thirty. Belle married John Potee, the scion of an old family of Madison county. They lived on a part of her father's estate. She died at the age of fifty, in 1911.

Alexander Hamilton Wilson, son of Valentine and Nancy (Roberts) Wilson, married Isabella Parsons Koogler, the daugher tof Simon Koogler, of' Greene county, Chiov. He was a justice of the peace, and an influential citizen of Lafayette, Ohio. He died at Summerford, in 1895, at the age of sixty-five. His wife died in 1900. They had five children: Charles A., Walter A., Lamar P., Laura B. and Alice C.

Valentine C. Wilson, the son of Valentine and Nancy (Roberts) Wilson, was graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio, with the class of 1860. the firs tclassical graduate in his father's family. He died on August 23, 1861. of epidemic dysentery.

Jacob W. Wilson, son of Valentine and Nancy (Roberts) Wilson, resided at Summerford, Ohio. He was a man of great inventive genius, his latest invention being a twine grain binder which promises great success.

Of the daughters of Valentine Wilson, only the names have been given, but they must have inherited something of the sagacity and psychological characteristics of their father. They all married poor boys. But the names of such men as Robert Boyd, Hiram W. Richmond and Thomas John Stutson, who all married into the family, offer a sufficient evidence of the soundness of their judgment.

It would be difficult to estimate the beneficent influence which the infusion of Scottish blood has had on the social, commercial and political life of this country. Some of the greatest financiers, the most successful farmers, the ablest writers and thinkers of the present generation are descended from stock of Scottish origin. In many cases the people of the beautiful highlands transplanted to homes in our broad and fertile prairies have made magnificent successes of agriculture. Peter Pearl McKinley, an enterprising farmer of Union township, is descended from Scotch stock, his grandfather having come to America when a lad of twelve years.

Peter Pearl McKinley was born near Amesville, Athens county, Ohio, February 28, 1871, the son of James and Rosanna (Hale) McKinley. They were both born in Athens county. The father of James McKinley came to the United States when a lad of twelve, and eventually settled in Athens county. James McKinley was both A mason and blacksmith, and followed these trades during the early part of his life. In later years he was engaged in farming.

James and Rosanna (Hale) McKinley had fourteen children, ten of whom are living. Mary died in 1914 at Columbus. John lives at Amesville in Athens county. Frederick lives in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Louisa died at Newcastle, Ohio, in February, 1914. Peter Pearl is the subject of this sketch. William lives at Seattle, Washington. Mattie is the wife of Lyle Yocum. of Plain City, Ohio. Bruce lives at Amesville, Athens county. Lillie is the wife of John McKee, of Goodland, Kansas. Tillie is the wife of Earl Hayes, of Mt. Vernon, Ohio. Cora is the wife of Wiley Hayes, of Homer, Ohio. Frank lives at Columbus. Two died in infancy. The mother of these children died in June, 1908, and the father less than a year following, January, 1909.

Reared on the farm and educated in the common schools of Madison county, Peter Pearl McKinley assisted his father on the farm from the time he was thirteen years of age. He was compelled to assist in the caring of the family, and remained at home with his parents until twenty-six years of age.

On March 14, 1897, Peter P. McKinley was married to Anna Highfield. a daughter of James and: Louisa Highfield, born near Waverley in Pike County, Ohio. James Highfield was a laborer who died about 1895. His wife, the mother of Mrs. McKinley, is still living in Columbus.

Mr. and Mrs. McKinley have had eight children, seven of whom are living. Raymond, the fifth born, died at the age of two. 'The living children are Helen, Edith, Cecil, Robert, Roy, Howard and Dorothy. Mr. Mckinley farms two hundred acres of land east of London. He does his farming with horses. He is keenly interested in stock raising and has his farm well stocked. He votes the Republican ticket.

Ben Emery

The venerable Ben Emery, a retired citizen of London, Madison county, Ohio, is a veteran of the Civil War, who has lived a long and useful life and who has filled many positions of trust and responsibility within the gift of the people of this county. He served two terms, a period of four years, as sheriff of Madison county, and was then elected to the important office of county treasurer, in which he served another period of four years, retiring from the latter office in 1898. During his entire life he has been active in the councils of the Republican party and is known as one of the leaders of the party in this section of the state.

Born near Wheeling, Virginia, October 6, 1839, Ben Emery, at the age of eight years, Came with his parents to Warren county, Ohio, where they both died. They were Benjamin and Ellen (Nevitt) Emery, the former of whom was born and reared in Virginia, the son of John Emery, who immigrated to Virginia from Maryland. He was the son of William Emery, a soldier in the Revolutionary army from the state of Maryland. His record as a soldier has been supplied to the Emery family by the © United States commissioner of pensions. John Emery, the son of William, was married in Virginia." Benjamin Emery was a carpenter by trade and died in Warren county at the age of eighty-three or eighty-four years, leaving three sons, who came to Madison county: Perry, who was a farmer in Range township for several years, but who left the county before the Civil War; William, who also lived in Range township, but who left before the war, and Ben, the subject of this sketch. .

Ben Emery came to Madison county to join his brothers when a lad of about twelve years. He lived with I. B. Fisher, in Range township, for ten years and kept himself on wages of ten to fifteen dollars a month. Ever since Mr. Emery was a lad he has saved money. During the time he lived with Mr. Fisher, he completed his education in the common schools. Remaining in Madison county until his brothers had left the county, Ben Hmery enlisted in April, 1861, at the first eall of President Lincoln for volunteers for three months, in the Seventeenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and became a private in Company C. He saw scouting service in West Virginia and, at the expiration of his term of service in 1861, re-enlisted in Company D, Fortieth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. This company was recruited in Madison county and was commanded by Capt. James Watson. It was recruited for three years' service. Mr. Emery was with the command during this entire period. He served for one year in Eastern Kentucky and, after the battle of Murfreesboro, the regiment was sent into

Tennessee and took part in the Chattanooga campaign. Later it participated in Sherman's campaign against Atlanta. Mr. Emery was discharged after the fall of Atlanta. From the time of his enlistment until his discharge, he was promoted from corporal to sergeant and was constantly with his regiment. During this period he was often in command of scouting squads. Subsequently he was employed by the government as a teamster and sent to Missouri. Here he was crippled, discharged and sent home.

Mr. Emery returned to Madison county, Ohio, and resumed farming near London, in Union township, farming there until his election to the office of county sheriff.

On May 1, 1867, two years after the close of the war, Ben Emery was married to Caroline Chrisman, the daughter of Peyton and Clara (Kenton) Chrisman, and a native of London. Mrs. Emery's father was, at one time, auditor of Madison county. He was the son of Isaac and Martha Caroline (Evans) Chrisman, the latter of whom was born in Rockingham county, Virginia. After giving birth to one son, she passed away early in life. Peyton Chrisman was a farmer near London. He lived on the old Kenton homestead, eight' miles south of London, a farm which is still held by his heirs, including Mrs. Emery, who was the eldest of four children. Peyton Chrisman died on April 19, 1878, at the age of fifty-three years. He had spent practically all of his life in the state of Ohio. having come from his old home in Rockingham county, Virginia, with his parents.

Peyton Chrisman's wife, who before her marriage was Clara Kenton, was born in 1829, in Range township, Madison county, on the old Kenton farm and died on October 16, 1889. Her whole life was spent on the farm where she was born. She was the daughter of Simon and Phoebe (Baker) Kenton, the former of whom was a nephew of the noted Indian fighter and hunter, Simon Kenton, of Kentucky. He was probably born in Kentucky and came to Madison county when a young man. The old Kenton home is a double log house of two stories. Simon Kenton was a well-known cattle drover during his day and generation, and drove cattle over the mountains to Philadelphia. His home, in fact, was a. station for drovers. It is said that even turkeys were driven over the mountains to Philadelphia, and Simon Kenton's house was a stopping place for the drovers. He obtained a tract of four thousand acres of land and here he spent practically all of his life. His wife was accustomed to gather up the stock in his absence and, on his return, he would find a sufficient number gathered for the market.

Mr. and Mrs. Emery have had seven children, namely: Peyton Randolph, who is an attorney at London, and an account of his life history is found elsewhere in this volume; E. Annette, who is the wife of Edwin Baird, of South Charleston, Ohio; Clara Frances, who is the wife of Walter Converse, of London; Helen Louise, who is the wife of J. C.,Davidson, of Columbus; Maud H., who is the wife of Angus Bonner, of Madison county; Angus B., who is a merchant at Lincoln, Nebraska, and Richard Kenton, who is at home. The latter spent two years on a sugar plantation in Cuba and also some time in Santo Domingo.

Mr. Emery is known as one of the most successful citizens of Madison county. Mr. and Mrs. Emery own a considerable part of the old Kenton estate and have a comfortable competence. Aside from the positions of trust and responsibility which Mr. Emery filled as a Republican, he has been active in the conventions of the Grand Army of the Republic and has served as senior vice-commander. He was one of the committee of veterans to locate the lines of his regiment at Chickamauga for the erection of the monument. He attended the dedication of the monument. The Emery family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. In the early days, Mr. Emery enjoyed fox hunting and kept a pack of foxhounds. This was a sport which Mr. Emery thoroughly enjoyed, but one which he abandoned many years ago.

Henry Warner

The events of modern life are so absorbing in their interest and so rapid in succession, that it is well, now and then, to pause and consider the labors of preceding generations, and to spread a garland at the feet of those who have made the way more easy, or at least, to hold such in grateful remembrance. Those sturdy, farseeing ones of other years who sowed and planted and builded for future generations "builded better than they knew," for upon their work and sacrifice has modern civilization grown. One of the goodly company who converted the waste places of this county into beauty and usefulness was Henry Warner, a man of great force of character and rugged patriotism. The gentleman whose career is here considered was born in Fairfax county, Virginia, nine miles from Alexandria, in a beautiful place on the Potomac river, the date being June 15, 1795. He came of fine old Southern stock, 'being the son of William and Betsy (Denty) Warner, both natives of the state in which Henry was _ born.

Mr. Warner came of a long-lived family, his grandfather having attained the age of one hundred. and four years, his father, eighty-eight, and his brother, the late William Warner of London, ninety-four. Coming to this state with his parents and grandparents in 1805, he settled in Belmont county, removing to London in 1812, and lived here until his death, a period of sixty-four years. During this time, unlike the average American, he never lived in any other place. At the time Mr. Warner came here, London was only a collection of less than a dozen huts, and with faith in the future, he and Judge Patrick McLane laid out the town.

During his day Henry Warner was a prominent merchant, surveyor and dealer in real estate and 'besides these personal interests he held several county offices. He was for four years sheriff of Madison county, for fourteen years ccunty treasurer, being elected in 1834, and for a number of years was county surveyor. He retired from business more than twenty years prior to his death. By industry, frugality, sound sense and force of character, he became possessed of a considerable fortune. Many anecdotes are related by old citizens of his rigid honesty and eccentricity - for honest he was, and eccentric to a marked degree. Kind of heart when convinced of duty, or when charity deserved, he was, nevertheless, one of the most sarcastic of men. Mr. Warner exhibited remarkable will power and fortitude during the latter part of his life, for he was an invalid for thirty years before his death. during which time he was patient and gentle.

On February 27, 1823, Henry Warner was married to Keturah H. Gosslee, a daughter of Richard Goslee, who was born in Sussex county, Maryland, -in 1781, and who died in London on November 26, 1872, at the age of ninety-one. Mr. Goslee emigrated to Ross county, Ohio, in 1804, and to Madison county in 1816. Before his death he represented the oldest of five generations living in London. He was married three times and left fourteen children, thirty grandchildren, more than thirty great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.

Mr. and Mrs. Warner became the parents of eleven children, six of whom are now living, as follow: Mrs. R. A. Harrison, of Columbus, Ohio, who is now in her eightyseventh year; Capt. James R. Warner; Genl. D. B. Warner, United States consul at St. John, New Brunswick; Mrs. Eliza Baker, of Chicago; Mrs. Ara Myers, of New York City, and Miss Mary Warner. The late Mrs.. William Riddle, of London, was another daughter. Mrs. Riddle. died at the age of eighty-five. Mrs. Warner, the mother of these distinguished children died at the age of ninety-four in London.

Mr. Warner found expression for his religious faith in the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he and his family were devout and helpful members. In politics he was a Whig until the Republican party came into existence, and with the latter party he was afterward affiliated. This worthy gentleman of the old echool, a man who, without seeking, would have found prominence in any community, passed away on Friday, January 31, 1879.

It is impossible to estimate the good achieved and the wide influence of such a man as we have here briefly portrayed. His brilliant mind made association with him a rare pleasure. In both his pubile and private life Mr. Warner was a benefactor to his kind. As_ public official he was conscientious, fearless, and faithful to every trust. As a private citizen, he was loyal and sought ever to realize the highest ideals. As a husband and father, he was kind and devoted. To such men, the following generations owe a debt of profound gratitude.

Harland Be. Parrett

The pioneer farmers of Ohio command a secure place in popular confidence and esteem, not only on account of the courage and fortitude which prompted them to brave the dangers of primeval forests, but because of their ability to convert such tracts of wilderness into lasting places of social activity. Among the farmers of the present day who have merited distinction in Madison county, is Harland BH. Parrett, whose ancestors were among the early settlers of Ohio.

Harland EK. Parrett was born on the 9th of January, 1866, in Fayette county, Ohio. After attending the public schools of Madison Mills, Ohio, he remained on the farm until he was twenty-two years of age, when he rented a tract of land from bis father and began farming for himself. The farm proved to be a success under his management and after seven years Mr. Parrett was able to buy one hundred acres of land near " Plorence, Alabama. On.that farm he raised a crop of corn and cotton, then availed himself of an opportunity to sell the land and went back to Ohio, where he located for a time at Mt. Sterling. One of the interesting facts regarding the return trip from Alabama is that Mr. Parrett drove his own team all the way. On his arrival in Mt. Sterling, he worked as a laborer, putting in the waterworks. Three months later he rented a farm in Fayette county, Obio. At the end of a year's work on the farm, he became interested in a tract of land in Pleasant township, Madison county; this resulted in his renting the land for eight years. His satisfaction regarding the richness of the soil and the desirable lay of 'the land in Madison county, led to the establishment of a permanent residence in this locality. Before buying the Joe Robison farm, where he lives now, Mr. Parrett sold six acres of land in McClimansville, Ohio. On the former place he has made some yery extensive improvements, including the laying of four hundred rods of tiling. He has confined his land purchases exclusively, of recent years, to Pleasant township, where he owns three. hundred and fifty-four acres of land. Aside from raising an especially fine quality of corn, which he has exhibited at Mt. Sterling, Mr. Parrett is a breeder of Jersey cattle and Duroc-Jersey hogs.

Harland B. Parrett is the son of George and Amelia (Bush) Parrett. His father was born on the 19th of January, 1835, in Fayette county, Ohio, and enjoyed many vears of agricultural life. He was a stockman and farmer until his death, which accented on July 4, 1913. His wife is the daughter of Jacob Bush, a native of Indiana, who had the experience, not uncommon to many of the earliest settlers, of being pursued by Indians. The Bush family finally settled in Ohio. Amelia ae Parrett, who was the mother of twelve children, is living at Madison Mills, Ohio. She was born in 1839. The father of George Parrett was a native of Tennessee.

In Favette county, Ohio, in 1887, Harland EF. Parrett was united i marriage to Minnie Puckett, who was born in Fayette county on the 17th es aioalh see She is the daughter of William and Maria J. (Riggen) Puckett, both Mugshot with the early history of Madison county, Ohio. To Mr. and Mrs. Parrett nine children were born, two of whom died in infancy. The survivors are: Marvin, who married Edna Graham, and lives in Pleasant township; Mrs. Marie Dick, who resides in Mt. Sterling; Mrs. Pearl Downs, who lives in Xenia, Ohio; William, who married Mary Morian and is farming in Madison county, and Glenn, Willard and Robert, who are living at home.

Mr. Parrett is keenly alert and public spirited in his civic attitude and accords au strong allegiance to the Progressive party. Fraternally he is a member of the Knights of Pythias and of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a firm believer in the Methodist doctrines and is interested in the advancement of education in Pleasant township, where he serves as school director. In reviewing the life of Mr. Parrett the qualities of persistence and integrity are notably prominent. Back of the important moves which have led to his success in life has been a driving ambition to make his efforts count for something worth while.

John M. Oglesbee

If one were to look through Pleasant township, this county, for a citizen who, all of his life, has been conscientious in his work, and loyal in his family obligations, that person need not look further than the home of John M. Oglesbee. Unlike most young men, he remained under the paternal roof after his school days and early manhood were passed and dutifully assumed the cares incident in farm life as his father grew older and less able to be active. By hard work and application to business it has been possible for him to increase the real estate holdings of the family from eighty-seven to one hundred and forty-nine acres and to become a stockholder in the First National Bank of Mt. Sterling, Ohio.

John M. Oglesbee was born on August 5, 1858, in Pleasant township, Madison county, on the farm which he has made his home ever since. He was the son of John and Mary (Long) Oglesbee, who were the parents of four children. John Oglesbee, Sr., was a native of Greene county, Ohio, being born there on March 17, 1810. on the ground which is now occupied by Spring Valley. His early days were spent on a farm, but he came to Madison county with his parents about the year 1834. He worked for his father for two years, receiving in payment for his labor fifty acres of land. Besides this he drove a freight wagon and delivered products from Springfield, Ohio, to the inland towns of Circleville and Dayton. At that time London, Ohio, the county seat, consisted of only a few log cabins. At the time of his death in 1907, this pioneer agriculturist had managed to acquire eighty-seven acres of land. His wife, the mother of the subject of this sketch, who did her share toward increasing the family income in those many ways known only to the farmer's wife, was born in 1819, in Pickaway county, and passed away four years after the death of her husband. The fotlowing children formed the family circle of this worthy couple: Edithia, who died in infancy; Mrs. Phoebe E. Duncan, of Sedalia, Ohio; Mathilda, deceased, and John M.

John M. Oglesbee was able by thrift and perseverance not only to keep the property which he had acquired from his father, but to increase this considerably. His boyhood was like that of other farmer's boys, both in his education, which was obtained at the district schools, and in his work and play. He was content to remain at home and to assume each duty manfully as it appeared, taking charge of the farm from the year 1880. After the death of his parents he became sole owner of the land. To this inheritance he added enough acres of well-improved land to give him in all one hundred and forty-nine acres, twenty-five of which are in natural timber. He takes much pleasure in the possession of his modern house and barn which he built in 1913, and one of his chief sources of pride is his high-grade stock, of which he has a large quantity. He is also a shareholder in the First National Bank of Mt. Sterling.

In 1884 John M. Oglesbee was married to Mary Graham, who was born in this township in 1860. She is the daughter of James A. and Elizabeth (Anderson) Graham. An only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Oglesbee is Mrs. Milda Bower, of this township. Mr. and Mrs. Oglesbee are earnest members of the Christian church.

Mr. and Mrs, Oglesbee have lived so long in this community that theirs is a wide acquaintance. By frugality in the early days, and ceaseless work, Mr. Oglesbee has acquired not only property, but an honorable name, which he may be proud to hand down to the next generation. He is known for his honest dealings and his principles of iutegrity.

William H. Riddle

So often is it found that those who are conspicuous in the business, professional and social life of their home town are the children of parents similarly conspicuous in their generation, that "like father like son" expresses only a truism. William H. Riddle was born in London on November 6, 1860, his parents being William and Elizabeth (Warner) Riddle, the former a native of Mt. Sterling, Madison county, the latter a native of London. 'The paterna! grandfather, Henry Warner, was a man of unusual gifts. He was a scion of one of the old pioneer families of this county.

William H. Riddle received an education rather above the average, for after graduating from the London high school in 1879 he attended Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware for two years. However, attracted to business enterprises, in 1882 he became associated with E. J. Robison, a London druggist. The firm name was Robison & Riddle and this business alliance continued for seven years. Between the years 1884 and 1894 Mr. Riddle served as deputy county treasurer under A. Tanner, W. M. Jones and John T. Vent. He will be remembered in local history as timekeeper and paymaster for the contractors who built the Madison county court house. At the expiration of Mr. Vent's term of office as county treasurer, he and Mr. Riddle became engaged in the grain business, at Sedalia, Madison county, a business in which both are still actively interested. These men are owners of a large elevator and do an extensive business under the firm name of Vent & Riddle. Besides handling grain, they sell coal, cement products, lumber, feeds, etc. They also feed some stock.

Mr. Riddle has never relinquished his connection with farm life, and with his sister, Mrs. Sarah K. Robison, owns and manages a farm of six hundred and sixty acres in Range township. '

Mrs. Mary Snyder, a charming young woman of London, became the wife of William H. Riddle on August 28, 1911. To them twin boys were born on July 6, 1913, these being William Henry and James McClain. Mrs. Riddle is the daughter of James A. McClain, of Fayette county, Ohio. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Riddle is one of the picturesque and beautiful places which makes London an attractive city.

William H. Riddle is sought after by various organizations in whose work and purposes he is interested. He is a Mason, of which organization he is a past master; a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge; a Shriner and a Knight Templar. He belongs to Mt. Vernon Commandery No. 1, of Columbus, and the Aladdin Temple of the same city. Among local Republican politicians Mr. Riddle is well known and has served two terms as a member of the city council. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. ~

The life of Mr. Riddle has been one of great activity, but in spite of this fact he has not been unmindful of the obligations of society. Mr. Riddle has those graces of character. which endear any man to those among whom a5 life bad ces spent, and his place in this published work is merited by fact Hos in his community he has risen to an enviable place in the business and social and religious life.

Mrs. Lacy Anderson

There are few to whom the day does not bring a return of the tasks that grow irksome and of duties that one would fain neglect. But the stout heart does not ask how nor why. It shoulders the burden and bears it uncomplainingly, deeming as incidents the events and circumstances which to others would be insurmountable obstacles. Below are given a few of the facts concerning a life remarkable for its tenacity of purpose, its clearness of vision and its executive ability. Mrs. Anderson's life has been one full of interest as well as unusual activity. Left a widow by the death of her husband, Mrs. Anderson has bravely borne the burdens which usually fall to the lot of man. She is a native of Mt. Sterling, having been born near there on January 25, 1857, the place of her birth being where a part of the Mt. Sterling cemetery now is located. She is the daughter of Robert H. and Harriet (Fitzgerald) Alkire, prominent citizens of this region.

Robect FI. Alkire was born on October 14, 1830, on the same farm which afterward became the birthplace of his daughter and his own permanent residence. He died near Big Plains on January 8, 1912. His parents were William and Katherine (Neff) Alkire, natives of Pennsylvania, and the parents of William were Robert and Elizabeth (Douglas) Alkire, who originally came from the state of Kentucky. Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Alkire were the parents of the following children. Lacy, the subject of this sketch; Lydia M., deceased; Catherine, of Fairfield township; Edward W., a lumber merchant at Columbus, Ohio; Ella M., who died on February 2, 1915; George F., who married J. T. Graham and is living at Columbus; Florence M., who became Mrs. J. 'T. Wilson, and is now deceased, and Belle W., who is now Mrs. Bell, of Columbus.

In 1815, Robert H. Alkire and James B. Anderson became parties to what after- 'ward transpired to be a romance, for they drove a herd of cattle from Mt. Sterling, to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Lacy Alkire later became Mr. Anderson's wife, but neither of the two men had the slightest idea at that time that the daughter of one of them would be the wife of the other.

to the daughter of a farmer. She had no other schooling besides that acquired in the "Tittle red school house" of Fairfield township, to which township her father had moved in 1862, and the high school of London, in which she studied for one term and qualified as a teacher but never taught. Lacy Alkire was married to James B. Anderson in 1884. The history of James B. Anderson will be found in the sketch of James R. Anderson, presented elsewhere in this work. Undaunted by the death of her husband, Mrs. Anderson operated the farm in the same capable manner that had characterized her husband's work. Besides possessing a lifetime lease on one hundred and four acres, Mrs. Anderson owns Fairland township property amounting to fifty acres, and is also a stockholder of the First National Bank of Mt. Sterling.

Mrs. Anderson has had no children of her own but she has adopted Thomas B. Wilson, whose parents were John T. and Florence (Alkire) Wilson, and who is a graudson of Senator Thomas B. Wilson. The lad was born on the old "Uncle Billy" Wilson farm in Canaan township.

In spite of her very busy life Mrs. Anderson has found time to be a helpful member of the First Presbyterian church of Mt. Sterling, to which she has been a generous 'contributor. There are few professions requiring more arduous labor and careful planning than are necessary in the administration of a farm. One must not only be industrious but one must have executive ability in order to make the enterprise yield the largest returns. In order to achieve this result, the subject of this sketch has had to possess the same business qualities which characterize her competitors. That she has succeeded speaks volumes for her ability in this direction. She has not only been hard working and energetic but has been honorable in all of her dealings and most considerate of the feelings and rights of others. .

In this volume which is concerned principally with the histories of men, it is of especial interest to include the life history of a woman who has been successful in her line of endeavor. :

Nelson H. Stone

A representative farmer and stock raiser is Nelson H. Stone. Because of his lifelong application to his calling he has become one of the leading farmers of this section of the state. As evidence of his ambition and foresight might be given the fact that where others were content to be partial owners of an estate, this man at one time beught out the other heirs, and thus possessed the family property in his own name. Nelson H. Stone was born on the farm which is his present home, on May 9, 1853, a son of William and Elizabeth (Jones) Stone, who were the parents of eleven other children.

William Stone was born in Maryland in 1802, and was a lad when his parents set out from that state to find their new home:in the West. They did not unpack their wagons until they reached Madison county, Ohio, where they rented enough land on whieh to start farming. It was 1830 when William Stone came to the present farm in this township, and although there were no improvements on the land, it apyealed to him as being a good investment and he purchased it, paying two dollars and a half an acre. There were sixty-eight acres of timber land and the first task of this pioneer was to clear enough space for his log cabin and log stable. He never lost interest in this farm on which he lived and labored until the day of his death, which occurred in 1879. Elizabeth Jones was born in 1807, in Maryland, and after living a useful and helpful life, passed away on December 9, 1890. Both Mr. and Mrs. William Stone were Methodists.

Nelson H. Stone toiled on the farm of his nativity up to the present time. At the death of his father, in 1879, he became the possessor of the property by purchasing the estate of the heirs, so that he has the original sixty-eight acres, which he has cultivated. Although he was educated only in the local schools he has been a student of the subject of education, and has been honored by being a director on the board for several terms.

he wife of Nelson H. Stone was formerly Harriet Bower, born on July 11, 1852, in Lawrence county, Ohio, the daughter of George and Sophia | (Machling) Bower, who were natives of Pennsylvania. The marriage took place in 1872. When Mrs. Stone's perents came to this county her father was a circuit rider in the United Brethren church, in which oa he served until his death. He and his wife were the parents of two children.

The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Stone are Elza, who became Mrs. Spanier: now deceased; Mrs. Leah Lindig, of Madison county; Mrs. Mary Lightfoot, of Columbus, Ohio; Mrs. Mattie Mouser, of Madison county, and Mrs. Murl Taylor, of Oak Run township. Besides these, one child died in infancy, Stephen H.

To the church which his father served so long and so well Mr. Stone has made liberal contribution. The father of the subject of this sketch came to this section of the country at such an early date that 'he had to haul products to and from Springfield and Circleville, Ohio. Nelson H. .Stone inherited many of the worthy qualities of his nubJe father and mother. These have made him a oe of ress tendencies and enterprising spirit as well as of generous impulses which result in an unusual degree of consideration for others. Mr. Stone is one of the most highly respected men residing in this township. He has been a staunch Republican all his life. On his well-improved farm he carries on general farming and now has the place in a high state of cultivation.

Cyrus R. Hornbeck

Cyrus R. Hornbeck, son of Cyrus and Elizabeth (Milliner) Hornbeck, was born on August 28, 1858, at the Hornbeck homestead, two and a half miles from London on the Springfield road, near what is now the state fish hatchery, in Union township.

Two Hornbeck brothers, from one of which the subject of this sketch traces connection, immigrated to this country from Holland prior to the 'American Revolution. One of these brothers settled in Dutchess county, New York, and many of his descendants live there and in the city of New York. One of the best known of this family is the sheriff of Dutchess county, who recently came into prominence in connection with his pursuit of Harry Thaw into Canada at the time of his escape from Matteawan asylum. The other of these brothers came to Virginia, where he reared a large family. Four of the older members of this family, Simon, Isaac, Michael and Samuel, the father of Cyrus and grandfather of the subject, moved to Ohio, through Kentucky, and were among the earliest settlers in the vicinity of South Solon, this county.

For five generations the name of Hornbeck has been linked with the history of Madison county, viz: Samuel, father of Cyrus; Cyrus, father of Cyrus R.; Cyrus R., father of Roscoe G., and Roscoe G., father of Donald W. Hornbeck:

Cyrus Hornbeck, the father of the subject, was born west of Midway, January 27, 1823. His father was Samuel Hornbeck, above referred to, and his mother, Mary (Hutson) Hornbeck. He married Elizabeth Milliner, daughter of John and Mary (Slaughter) Milliner and a sister of Peter Slaughter. Elizabeth Milliner was born near Leesburg, Highland county, to which place her parents had come from Halifax county, Virginia, in 1807.