Preble County, Ohio - Biographical sketches, 1915 (part 8 of 13)

John M. Sawyer

The good which an active man can do in the course of his life is indeed incalculable. It cannot be measured accurately, nor can it be known definitely until "the last great day when the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible. *' John M. Sawyer, a retired undertaker of New Paris, Ohio, has devoted his life to the good of others, and has lived an unselfish, helpful and altruistic life from the beginning. Mr. Sawyer has prospered in life; and today is eminently entitled to the high esteem in which he is universally held.

of John P. and Caroline (Peck) Sawyer. John P. Sawyer was born in Piqua, Ohio, and was a son of John Sawyer, who came to the United States from Scotland, and after arriving in this country, entered land in Jefferson township, Preble county, Ohio, south of New Paris. There he built a cabin in the wilderness and set to work to clear up his land. He also secured land north of New Paris, and there conducted a saw-mill for many years. He was injured in a mill accident, and died from the effects of his wounds.

John P. Sawyer, the father of John M., was left an orphan at the death of his father and went to Piqua, Ohio, where he lived with an uncle, John Patterson, until he was old enough to be apprenticed as a cabinet maker. He served seven years, after which he went to New Paris, Ohio, and worked at his trade with William Hazeltine. Later Mr. Sawyer became a building contractor. He continued in this business until 1872, in which year he purchased the undertaking business of Weston Mackey, and established the firm of John P. Sawyer & Son. This firm continued until after the death of the eldest Sawyer, when it was taken over by John M. Sawyer, and conducted by the latter until 1910, in which year Mr. Sawyer sold out to George W. Miller. Since his retirement from this business Mr. Sawyer has been engaged in looking after his business interests.

John M. Sawyer was married on April 26, 1874, to Sarah J. Cox, who was born in Monroe township, near Eldorado, Ohio, September 17, 1855, a daughter of Meredith and Elizabeth (Fudge) Cox, and a sister of C. E. Cox, of Eaton, Ohio. To this union one son was born, Charles L., born October 11, 1893. Charles W. was graduated from the New Paris high school and from the Richmond Business College and is now a drug clerk employed at Richmond, Indiana.

Mr. Sawyer is a Republican, but has never taken a very active part in political affairs, his extensive business interests having demanded his time and attention. He is a member of Harmony Lodge No. 396, Knights of Pythias, and is a past chancellor in this lodge ; also a member of the grand lodge of Knights of Pythias. Mr. Sawyer is also a member of New Paris Lodge, No. 303, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is a past grand of the same. Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer are members of the Christian church of New Paris, in which Mr. Sawyer is an elder, a deacon and a trustee, and both he and his wife take an active interest in the work of their denomination. Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer are worthy citizens of Preble county, who have discharged every duty, both public and private, to the best of their ability, as these duties have appeared to them. They have a host of friends who admire them for their many sterling qualities.

Nathan Smith

The life of the farmer of today is the most independent existence which can be enjoyed. With all the modern inventions to facilitate farming, the vocation of the farmer is rapidly losing those objections to which the average person objects so seriously. Nathan Smith, a farmer of Harrison township, Preble county, Ohio, is one of those men who apply the same careful methods to farming as they would apply, were they in business or following any other vocation. Nathan Smith deserves especial honor as a farmer, for to him must be given the credit of introducing what is known as Smith's yellow dent corn. This variety was produced after numerous experiments by Mr. Smith and today is one of the most popular varieties of corn grown in the middle west.

Nathan Smith, a farmer and retired school teacher, was born on July 29, 1845, in Twin township, Preble county, Ohio, the son of Reason and Nancy (Miller) Smith, to whom seven children were born, Nathan, who was the eldest; William, a carpenter of Verona; Elijah and Milton, deceased; Mrs. Mary J. Studebacker, of Grandridge, Illinois; Monroe, who is a farmer of Harrison township; and Mrs. Emma Lock, deceased.

Reason Smith was born in June, 1817, in Maryland and came to Preble county in 1827 with his parents. They settled in Twin township and in 1849 removed to Harrison township, where Mr. Smith bought eighty acres of land, on which farm he passed the remainder of his life, his death occurring on January 13, 1864. Reason Smith wras a member of the school board for fifteen years, and a man of considerable influence in the locality. His wife was born in 1824, near Lewisburg, in Harrison township, the daughter of Jacob and Mary Ann Miller, early settlers in Preble county. Mrs. Smith died April 10, 1877.

Nathan Smith attended the district schools and the select schools of Lewisburg, Ohio. In 1868 he began teaching in Darke county, Ohio, and taught school in several districts of Preble, Montgomery and Darke counties for nineteen years. In 1888 Mr. Smith engaged in farming and now owns twenty acres of land at the south edge of Verona. Some time ago, Mr. Smith built a fine brick house which cost two thousand dollars, and eight years later erected a barn thirty by forty-four feet. Smith's yellow dent corn was exhibited at Chicago, Illinois, subsequent to Mr. Smith's experiment in 1888 and immediately became popular.

of John and Ruth (Dinwiddie) Thomas, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter a native of Virginia. To Mr. and Mrs. Smith eight children have been born, Alto F., of Dayton, Ohio; Clarence, deceased; Minnie, deceased; Orton O., cashier of the Farmers Bank at Arcanum, Ohio; Homer B., of Greenville, Ohio; Raymond E., a farmer of Montgomery county; Blake, a tobacco dealer of Verona; and Dale, a farmer of Preble county. Orton O. Smith and his wife, Inez, have three children, Reva Leona, Freda Lorena and Melvin Woodrow; Homer B. Smith and his wife, Inez, have one child, a son, Maurice Emerson; Raymond E. Smith and his wife, Nannie, have three children, Irene, Ruth Virginia and James Merril; and Dale Smith and his wife, Lelah, have one child, a son, Dale, Jr.

Mr. Smith has never been able to bestow great wealth upon his children, but he has been able to bestow what is even better than wealth, the example of an honorable, upright and industrious life on the part of the parent. His children have been carefully reared and this is the most priceless heritage which children can receive. As a consequence, Mr. Smith's family are all industrious and prosperous today, and have honored the parents who begot them.

Politically, Mr. Smith is a Democrat. He attends church regularly, although he is not a member. He is not identified with any fraternal orders but has preferred to devote his energies, his time and his thoughts to the welfare of the family to whom he has always been devoted. He is an upright, honorable citizen of his community and entitled to rank as a representative citizen of Harrison township.

Oscar A. Gale

Among the unassuming, unpretentious citizens of Preble county who have occupied positions of trust and responsibility is Oscar A. Gale, the present postmaster of Eaton, Ohio.

Oscar Gale was born in West Alexandria, Preble county, Ohio, July J7» j856, the son of John H. and Catharine (Holderman) Gale, the former a native of New Hampshire and the latter of Preble county, who were the parents of five children, Alice, the wife of Senator Sheppard, of West Alexandria; Oscar A., the subject of this sketch; Mary E., deceased, who was the wife of E. P. Vaughan, of Eaton; Harriett E., the wife of Walter J- King, the ex-postmaster of Camden, Ohio, and John M., the assistant cashier of the Eaton National Bank.

John H. Gale was reared in New Hampshire and came to Ohio when a young man, settling in West Alexandria, where he conducted a general store for some years. In 1861 he sold this store and he and his brother-in-law, Edward S. Stotler, formed a partnership and built a flour-mill at West Alexandria. They operated two or three mills and were in partnership for many years. Mr. Gale owned two farms south of Eaton and lived there during the summer seasons, moving to West Alexandria in the winter seasons. He died on the home farm in August, 1865, at the age of forty-five. His wife still survives him and was eightv-seven years old in May, 1915. Mr. Gale took an active part in the Civil War in recruiting soldiers. He was a "war Democrat" and was a well-educated man.

The paternal grandparents of Oscar A. Gale were John and Mary (Smith) Gale, both natives of New Hampshire. Mrs. Gale died in West Alexandria, Ohio, and her husband died in Illinois. They were the parents of six children, John H. ; Martha, the wife of Melancthon L. Derby; Harriet, who married Josiah E. Davis; Caroline, who married George B. Unger; Mary, the wife of Samuel Frothingham, and Samuel Gale.

The maternal grandparents of Oscar A. Gale were Abraham and Elizabeth (Fisher) Holderman, natives of Virginia, who were pioneer settlers of Preble county. Abraham Holderman was one of the first surveyors in this part of the country. He died at the age of ninety-two and his wife lived to be ninety. They were the parents of five children, Catherine, Sarah, Eli, Elizabeth and Allen F.

Oscar A. Gale was born and reared in West Alexandria and attended the public schools there. He took a scientific course at Heidelberg College, at Tiffin, Ohio, after which he went to Eastman's Business College at Poughkeepsie, New York. After leaving the latter school he operated the Cedar Springs hotel, near New Paris, Ohio, for five years and then returned to West Alexandria and entered the general store founded by his father, under the firm name of Unger & Gale. He was in that business for eleven years, at the end of which time he was elected county auditor, in which office he served for six years. Following this public service, Mr. Gale was special agent in the United States Department of Commerce and Labor, for one year. He was appointed postmaster of Eaton in 1912 and still holds that office.

Mr. Gale was married in 1891 to Eliza Galt, the daughter of John and Anna Galt. To this union one daughter, Caroline, has been born. Mrs. Gale was born in West Alexandria. Her parents were natives of Ireland and early settlers in Preble county. Her mother died in 1908, while her

Mrs. Gale is a member of the German Reformed church. Fraternally, Mr. Gale is a member of Bolivar Lodge No. 82, Free and Accepted Masons; Eaton Chapter No. 22, Royal Arch Masons, and Reed Commandery No. 10, Knights Templar, of Dayton, Ohio. He also is a member of the West Alexandria Lodge, Knights of Pythias. Politically, Mr. Gale is a Republican and served as city treasurer of West Alexandria for eighteen years.

Descended from a distinguished line of forefathers and successful on his own account, Oscar A. Gale is still modest in his claim for preferment. Honors and public responsibility have come to him naturally and he has accepted them as a matter of course, discharging them as becomes one gifted with a strong heart and rare mental attainment.

El Wood M. Kessler

This utilitarian age has been especially prolific in men of action, clear brained men of high resolve and noble purpose, who give character and stability to the communities honored by their citizenship, and whose influence and leadership are easily discernible in the various enterprises that have added so greatly to the splendid reputation which Preble county enjoys among her sister counties of the great commonwealth of Ohio. Conspicuous among this class of men, whose residence is in Preble county, is Elwood M. Kessler, a funeral director and grocer of New Paris, Ohio.

Mr. Kessler was born in New Paris, Ohio, December 11, 1871, a son of S. W. and Jennie (McPherson) Kessler, both of whom are residents of New Paris. They are the parents of five living children, George, Mary, Clifford, Ernest and Elwood. Mary was graduated from the New Paris high school, and is the wife of James Sullivan, of Campbellstown, Ohio.

Elwood M. Kessler was born in New Paris, and attended the public schools of that village. For some time he was a student of the New Paris high school. Mr. Kessler was graduated from the Cincinnati College of Embalming, in September, 1911, and immediately after receiving his diploma, embarked in the profession of a funeral director. Mr. Kessler also operates a fine grocery in New Paris. He started in life single-handed, and has "made good'' in every respect. He owns one of the best groceries in New Paris, and enjoys a large patronage in his line.

Mr. Kessler was married on September i, 1901, to Grace Coblentz, who was born in Darke county, Ohio, but who was educated in the schools of New Paris, finishing in the high school of that city. She is a daughter of Elwood Coblentz. Two children, Harry C. and Gladys, have been born to this union* the former born in 1903, and the latter in 1907.

Mr. and Mrs. Kessler are devout members of the Methodist Episcopal church and take an active interest in the affairs of the church, being liberal contributors to its support. Mr. Kessler is a member of New Paris Lodge No. 303, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and is a past grand in this lodge. He is also a member of Harmony Lodge No. 396, Knights of Pythias. Mr. Kessler is a Republican, but has never held office, nor has he aspired to office, having preferred to exercise his duties as an American citizen by a wise selection of candidates for the various offices.

Mr. and Mrs. Kessler are well known in New Paris and Jefferson township, and are highly-respected citizens in the community where they live. They are the kind of people who add materially to the fiber of citizenship of any community.

Prof. Walter Scott Fogarty

Perseverance and sterling worth are almost always sure to win conspicuous recognition. Prof. Walter Scott Fogarty, county superintendent of Preble county schools, is recognized as one of the leading educators of this section of Ohio. His career affords a splendid example of the successful, self-made man, who is not only eminently deserving of the confidence reposed in him by his neighbors and fellow citizens, but who also possesses the talent and forcefulness that have made him successful as an instructor and educator. Professor Fogarty is a man of strong character and vigorous mentality. He has achieved a signal success in his special calling and has earned the commendation which comes from those who are competent to estimate a man and his accomplishments.

Prof. Walter Scott Fogarty was born near Glendale, in Hamilton county, Ohio, June 26, 1873, a son of Patrick and Delilah (Brate) Fogarty, natives of Ireland and Butler county, Ohio, respectively, who were the parents of six children, Edmund, of Liberty, Ohio, the county recorder; Mary, the wife of F. S. McCarty, of Liberty, Indiana; Amanda, the wife of Charles Paddock, of Union county, Indiana; Emma, the wife of B. H. Sanford, of Richmond, Indiana; and Ella, who died when two years old.

Patrick Fogarty was fourteen years old when he came from Ireland to America. He came alone and located first near Glendale, Ohio where he engaged in farming. He was married in Hamilton county and moved to Butler county where he engaged in farming. He now lives retired at Liberty, Indiana. He is not identified with any church but his wife is a Presbyterian.

Professor Fogarty's paternal grandparents were Edmund and Mary Fogarty, both natives of Ireland. They came to America some years after the coming of their son and settled at Glendale, where they lived with a daughter and where they died at advanced ages. They had three children, Patrick, Ellen and Bridget. The maternal grandparents of Professor Fogarty were John and Mary Brate, pioneer settlers of Butler county, who died in this county, he in middle life and she at an advanced age. Their family consisted of the following children: William, Hiram, Mary, Daniel, Delilah, John, David, George, Amanda and Emma.

Prof. Walter S. Fogarty was reared in Hamilton and Butler counties, Ohio, as a farmer boy. He attended the district schools, Oxford high school and Miami University and was graduated from the latter in 1903. He received the honors in history at the time of his graduation and the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and in 1908 the degree of Master of Arts was conferred on him. Before receiving his bachelor's degree he had taught in the country schools for six years and after his graduation he became principal of the high school at Fairhaven and superintendent of the Israel township schools. He later was elected principal of the high school at Camden and later superintendent of the schools, serving in the latter capacity for six years. He was then elected county superintendent of schools in Preble county and moved to Eaton to live.

On June 22, 1904, Professor Fogarty was married to Myrtle Johnston McDill, the daughter of Edward R. and Melissa (Johnston) McDill, to which union four children have been born, Dorothy J., Donald M., Walace B. and Mary Frances.

Mrs. Fogarty was born near Oxford, in Butler county, January 12, 1883. She was graduated from the Oxford high school and spent two years at Miami University. Her parents are natives of Ohio and now reside in Oxford. They have had five children, Blanche, Myrtle, Bruce, Mary and Ruby. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Fogarty were David McDill and wife, early settlers of Butler county, Ohio, where they lived the rest of their lives. Her maternal grandparents were William Johnston and wife, also

Mr. Fogarty has been county examiner of schools for the past six years and was president of the county teachers' institute for two years. Politically, he is a Democrat and has been somewhat active in the councils of his party. He is an active member of Camden Lodge No. 153, Free and Accepted Masons. Mr. and Mrs. Fogarty are members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Fogarty is an elder in the church and for many years was superintendent of the Sunday school at Camden. Mr. and Mrs. Fogarty are much admired for their strong mentalities and their genial dispositions and are popular and highly respected by every one.

Isaac Miller

The life records of self-made men will invariably show that untiring energy has constituted the basis of success. True there are other elements which enter into and conserve the advance of personal interest, such as perseverance, discrimination and the mastering of expedients. The foundation of all achievement, however, is earnest, persistent labor. At the outset of his career, Isaac Miller recognized this fact and he has never sought any royal road to prosperity and independence. He began work earnestly and diligently in order to advance his material interests, and the result is that he is now numbered among the progressive, successful and influential business men of Preble county.

Isaac Miller, the president of the Farmers Banking Company, of Eldorado, is a native of Monroe township, Preble county. He was born on a farm, January 19, 1855, and is the son of Levi and Susanna (Wehrly) Miller. Levi Miller was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, in September, 1819, and Susanna Wehrly was born in Monroe township. She died in 1907. Levi Miller was fourteen years old when he came with his mother and a colony of others to Preble county, Ohio. His mother, with her two sons and four daughters, located in Monroe township and there she purchased a small farm of eighty acres, all of which was heavily covered with timber. . This land was cleared and improved and there she lived until her death at the age of ninety years. All of the family were reared in this locality and nourished by this little farm. The Wehrly family is all deceased except two, one of whom, Noah, served three years during the Civil War.

Mr. and Mrs. Levi Miller were the parents of thirteen children, ten of whom are living, Samuel, Andrew, Polly J., Isaac, Catherine, Lydia, Mary A., George, Mina and Melzina. The three deceased are Caroline, Emma and Anna.

Isaac Miller, the subject of this sketch, was reared on a farm and received his education in the district schools, which he attended in the winter. In the summer time he worked on the farm. He remained under the parental roof until he was twenty-three years of age.

Mr. Miller was married in 1878 to Martha A. Beard. She was born in Preble county, Ohio, and her parents were natives of Maryland. She was educated and reared in Monroe township. She came of a family of eleven children, J. Q., Nelson, W. H.f David, J. D., George E., Franklin C., M. L., Martha A., Mary C. and Emma A. Ten of these children are living at the present time.

To Isaac and Martha A. (Beard) Miller four children have been born, Hallie P., Maude H., Carl D. and Helen. Hallie P. was born in September, 1879, and was graduated from the Eldorado high school. She is the wife of Albert Schlientz, of Brookville, Ohio. Maude H. was graduated from the same school and is the wife of Frank W. Schreel, of Greenville, Ohio. Carl D., born in 1887, was educated in the Eldorado schools and was graduated from the Miami Commercial School at Dayton, Ohio, at the age of eighteen. He married Myrtle Snyder and is now cashier of the bank, of which his father is president. Helen was born in July, 1902, and is a student in the public schools.

When H. G. Bloom organized the Farmers Bank in June of 1899, Mr. Miller became cashier and served in that capacity until October 2, 1906. On November 1, 1906, the Farmers Banking Company was organized, with Mr. Miller as cashier of the new bank. He served in this capacity until July, I9I3» when the bank of Eldorado severed its connections with the bank at New Paris, and New Madison, and was reorganized. Isaac Miller was made president, the other officers being A. J. Hamilton, vice-president; and C. D. Miller, cashier; the directors being Isaac Miller, W. A. McClure, George E. Beard, Samuel Miller, A. J. Hamilton and C. D. Miller. The paid up capital stock of this company is fifteen thousand dollars and its surplus is thirty-five hundred dollars.

Isaac Miller, in addition to his interest in the bank, also owns a farm of one hundred and thirty-seven acres in Darke county, Ohio. He is one of the live wires in this part of Preble county, Ohio, and a representative citizen in every respect. Mr. Miller is a member of West Manchester Lodge

No. 520, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and of Eldorado Lodge No. 389, Knights of Pythias, of which he is past chancellor. He was a charter member of the latter lodge. Mr. Miller is independent in politics. He was one of the township trustees two years and served as justice of the peace for fifteen years. He has served as a member of the board of education of the Eldorado school district for the past thirty years and is the present clerk of the board. Mr. Miller also served four years as mayor of Eldorado, resigning that position to become a banker.

Isaac Miller is a man of more than local influence. He possesses the natural qualities that mark a leader among men, whether in business or politics. He is a man of initiative, and is favorably endowed with the disposition which has won him a host of friends.

William M. Byers

Perhaps the most favorable place in which to rear a child is in the country, and if the child be a boy and be forced to hew his own path in life, his mettle is thoroughly tested. This was the case with William Byers, who began to make his own way in life when he was sixteen years of age, and by thrift and industry was fairly well ahead when he was twenty-one, by which time he had bought the coveted span of horses, which every farmer boy hopes to own as soon as possible.

William Byers was born in Hamilton, Ohio, October 14, 1851, the son of Mathias and Margaret (Beard) Byers, and was one of a family of five children, of whom three are living, these being Martha, the wife of William Bennett, of Somers township; John, a Somers township farmer, who married Sarah Bennett, and the subject of this sketch.

The parents of William Byers were born and reared in Germany, coming to America before marriage. The father died when William was about three years of age. After his death Mrs. Byers married Nicholas Eckert* and to the second union were born two children, one of whom died in youth and the other, Clias Eckers, lives in Hamilton, Ohio.

Reared by his uncle, John Byers, William began working by the month at the age of sixteen and at the age of twenty-one was married, after which he rented a farm and continued to do so for five years. Receiving eight hundred dollars from the uncle who reared him, Mr. Byers bought fifty-five acres, which is now included in his present farm of one hundred and twenty- four acres of land as fine as can be found in Dixon township. In 1899 the barn was built, with a basement under the whole barn, sixty-five feet long and fifty feet wide. He stables ten head of horses, and for a fine herd of Jersey cows has erected a cow barn, all of concrete, sixteen by sixty-five feet. His splendid modern residence was built in 1905. Mr. Byers keeps abreast of the times and gladly adopts modern ideas in farming when they are proved practical.

In 1872 Mr. Byers married Inez Lain, who was born and reared in Tipton, Indiana. To this union were born three children, Maggie, the wife of Harry Silvers, lives in Washington township; Lewis F., and Bessie, a high school graduate, who lives at home.

Politically, Mr. Byers is a Democrat. In his home and public life he is quiet and unostentatious, preferring to advise by precept and example, rather than by word of mouth. He is sincerely respected throughout his community and his splendid home and farm stand as constant reminders to the younger generations that thrift' and industry are sure to be rewarded.

Harry C. Durkle

There is perhaps no life story in this volume which more clearly demonstrates the source of industry and honesty in the affairs of life than does the life story of Harry C. Durkle, the popular and well-known agent of the Cincinnati & Northern railroad at Ingomar, Preble county, Ohio. He is a self-made man and a splendid example of what can be accomplished by conscientious work and strict attention to business.

Harry C. Durkle was born on July 21. 1865, at Gratis, Preble county, Ohio, the son of Joseph and Lydia (Focht) Durkle, to whom five children were born, Cora, deceased; Harry C, the subject of this sketch: Court C., of Richmond, Indiana; Willard, a tobacco buyer of Ingomar, Ohio: and Frank, also of Ingomar.

Joseph Durkle was born in 1837. He was a valiant soldier for the Union cause during the Civil War and performed honorable service in the cause of his country. After the war, he worked as a laborer until his death, which occurred in 1872. His wife, who was Lydia Focht, was born on November 9, 1842, in Preble county, the daughter of Michael and Margaret (Sweeney) Focht. She died on December 5, 1897.

until 1890, a period of five years. From 1891 until 1895 he was the proprietor of a general merchandise store at Ingomar and then became agent for the Cincinnati & Northern Railroad Company at that place. Mr. Durkle is a man who pays strict attention to his business and who has made many friends for the railroad which employs him. He believes that courteous and efficient service is the keynote to success and has always insisted on giving this character of service to the patrons of the company which he serves. In addition to his duties as agent for this railroad, Mr. Durkle has built up a large and flourishing business in the sale of fertilizing and stock powders.

In 1896 Harry C. Durkle was married to Anna Unger, who was bom in 1868, in Lanier township, Preble county, Ohio, the daughter of John and Anna (Glander) LTnger, both natives of Preble county, Ohio. To Mr. and Mrs. Durkle three children have been born, Grace, who was graduated from the West Alexandria high school with credit and was a popular young woman in her community. She married Gus Vercamp and is now living in Chicago, Illinois. The other two children, Ethel and Howard, are still at home.

Charles T. Wolford

Charles T. Wolford is another of the gallant boys, who, a half century ago, enlisted to save the Union, and during that ever-memorable struggle he was found ready for action no matter how dangerous or arduous the duties. He did not enter the sendee, as some did, for the purpose of sport or frolic, but saw beneath the surface and saw that the south was determined to break up the Union for the purpose of establishing a confederacy of slave-holding states. From the earliest years he had been taught to hate slavery and to do all that he could to blot the stain from his country's escutcheon. He regarded it as a foul blot on the old flag, so that when the rebels precipitated the conflict he was ready to take up arms to preserve the Union.

Charles T. Wolford, a retired farmer living on Rural Route 3, out of Richmond, Indiana, was born in Allegheny county, Maryland, October 22, 1836, the son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Evans) Wolford. Jacob Wolford was the son of Daniel Wolford, whose parents were natives of Germany. Elizabeth Evans was born in Pennsylvania and after their marriage they moved to Pennsylvania where they spent the remainder of their lives. Jacob Wolford was a quiet and unassuming farmer and a devout member of the

Methodist Episcopal church. He was the father of eleven children, two of whom are now living, Rebecca, the widow of Nathan Street, who lives in Pennsylvania, and Charles T., the subject of this sketch. Two of the sons of Jacob Wolford served in the Civil War.

Charles T. Wolford was reared on a farm in Pennsylvania and received his education in the common schools of that state. He worked on a farm by the month until the call for volunteers in the Civil War, when on October 22, 1861, he enlisted in Company E, Sixty-ninth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, serving until December 1, 1863, when the war department issued an order to fill up the ranks of the regular army out of the volunteers. On this date Mr. .Wolford re-enlisted in the Fourth United States Cavalry and served three years. He was discharged December 1, 1865.

Mr. Wolford was in the battle of Stone's River, Franklin, Missionary Ridge, Chattanooga, Nashville and several others. He suffered a slight* cut in the head and had three horses shot from under him in the three years he was with the cavalry.

At the close of the war, Mr. Wolford returned to Darke county, Ohio, where he lived for some time. He also lived for a time in Wayne county, Indiana, but has been a resident of Preble county, for twenty-seven years.

Charles T. Wolford was married, January 7, 1869, to Malinda A. Hill, who was born in Darke county, Ohio, and who is the daughter of Milton Hill, who had two sons in the Civil War. Mrs. Wolford was reared and educated in Darke county, Ohio. At the time of his marriage Mr. Wolford was a poor man and he rented land for three years. He then purchased one hundred acres six miles east of Richmond, Indiana. Mrs. Wolford, who was born May 13, 1849, died March 29, 1894.

Four children, two of whom are living, were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wolford, Harry C., born May 20, 1873, and Grace A. Harry C. is a graduate of the New Paris high school and is now president of Southland College near Helena, Arkansas. He married Anna Barnet, of Preble county, Ohio, and they have no children. Grace A. also was graduated from the New Paris high school and is the wife of Earl Brandenburg, of Jackson township. They have one daughter, Anna E., who wras born on November 7, 1910.

Mr. Wolford is a member of the Friends church at New Westville, Ohio, and has been treasurer of the church for many years. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic post at New Paris and has been a Democrat in politics for a long time. Mr. Wolford is one of those substantial, honorable men, whom it is a delight for any community to honor, and deserves to rank as one of the representative citizens of Preble county.

Asa Burch

Whether the elements of success are in an individual or whether they are quickened by a process of circumstantial development, it is impossible to determine clearly. Yet the study of a successful life, whatever the field of endeavor, is none the less interesting and profitable by reason of the existence of this same uncertainty. In the life career of Asa Burch, who for many years has been identified with the civic and agricultural life of Preble county, Ohio, are to be found many qualities that always gain success if properly directed. In Asa Burch, Preble county has a distinguished citizen and a man who has served his country faithfully and well at a time when patriotism was put to the supreme test.

Asa Burch, who lives on Deem street in Eaton, Ohio, was born in Cayuga county, New York, November 16, 1834, the son of Alfred G. and Cynthia (Reed) Burch, who emigrated to Ohio in 1845 and located in New Haven, in Hamilton county. Alfred G. Burch was a miller by trade and worked at different places. In 1848 he moved to a farm where he followed the occupation of a fanner the remainder of his life. He was a member of the Baptist church and politically was identified, first with the Whig, and later with the Republican party. He also was a great temperance man. He died in 1872, and his wife in 1886. They were highly respected and prosperous farmers at the time of their death. They were the parents of eleven children, two of whom are now living, C. R., who is now a resident of the state of Michigan; and Asa, the immediate subject of this interesting biographical sketch.

Asa Burch spent his boyhood days on a fann and his education was neglected during this period. He has profited widely, however, from the school of experience and hard knocks. He began working for himself at the age of twenty and worked as a farm hand for several years. He enlisted in September, 1861, in the Eleventh Ohio Battery, and was wounded October 4, 1862. He was discharged December 13, 1862, on account of disability. After his discharge from the army, Mr. Burch returned to Butler county, Ohio, and worked there on a farm. At the time of his marriage, he had saved about eleven hundred dollars.

Asa Burch was married March 14, 1867, to Livona F. Clark, who was born in Butler county, Ohio, in March, 1845, and who was the daughter of Franklin and Rhoda (Fuller) Clark. She was reared in town. Mr. and Mrs. Burch moved to a farm in Butler county, Ohio, which they rented for a period of fourteen years. They prospered and finally bought a farm in

Asa Bi Rch

Preble county, moving to it in the spring of 1882. This farm consisted of eighty-four acres and Mr. Burch still owns it. He moved off the farm in 1894 to Eaton, Ohio, where he stayed four years and then moved back to the farm, where he stayed two years. In 1900 he again removed to Eaton, where he since has resided.

Mr. and Mrs. Burch are the parents of two children. Jesse C., who is a farmer in Washington township, this county, married Elizabeth Wilkinson, and to this union two children have been born, Myron, who is fifteen, and Dorothy, who is eight. Agnes, the other child of Mr. and Mrs. Burch, is the wife of Bernard Potter and lives in Gasper township. They have one daughter, Arline, who is six years old.

Mr. and Mrs. Burch are members of the Presbyterian church, Mr. Burch being one of the elders. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic post at Eaton, Ohio, and is an ardent Republican. No man living in Eaton is more highly respected than Mr. Burch and few men have led a more honorable and upright life than he. He is eminently deserving of the esteem in which he is held by his neighbors and fellow townsmen.

John Busch

Preble county, Ohio, has good reasons to take pride in the personnel of her farmers and stockmen. On the roll of the enterprising farmers of this county, few are more highly respected than John Busch, of Twin township, who has attained prominence in his chosen vocation and, for a number of years, has stood as one of the foremost farmers in this part of Ohio. Mr. Busch's success has been attained in a community that has been distinguished for a long period for its progressive and enterprising farmers. Mr. Busch realized early in life that no honor can be well merited that is not founded upon worth and that no respect can be won that is not founded upon accomplishments. His life and labors have been eminently worthy because they have been devoted to the best interests of his family and the community.

John Busch was born on September 25, i860, in Germany, the son of John and Anna (Wealvbore) Busch, who have seven living children. John Busch, Sr., was born in 1832 in Germany and came to Preble county, in 1885. He raised tobacco for two years but grew tired of this occupation and then moved to the home of his son, Detrich, in Montgomery county, where he remained until his death in 1902. He was married twice and two children (44) were born to the first union. Five children were born to the second union, of whom John Busch is one. The second Mrs. Busch was born in 1834 in Germany and died in 1897.

John Busch attended the schools in Germany and worked there as a farm hand for four years. He also worked in Preble county, Ohio, for ten years as a farm hand. In 1892 he rented one hundred and seventy acres of land in Lanier township and four years later he moved to Gasper township and rented two years. Subsequently, he returned to Lanier township and rented two hundred and seventy-eight acres of land. In 1905 he moved to Twin township and purchased one hundred and sixty acres. He sold forty acres of this and now owns one hundred and nineteen acres of well-improved land upon which he has made extensive improvements, including a tobacco shed, one hundred and ten by thirty-eight feet, and also a stable, forty by forty-four feet. Mr. Busch's chief products are tobacco, wheat, corn and oats.

In 1890 John Busch was married to Dolly Fisher, who was born on December 10, 1867, in Lanier township, the daughter of David and Sarah (Neff) Fisher, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Ohio, both now deceased. David Fisher was a farmer in Lanier township. To Mr. and Mrs. John Busch, eight children have been born. Edward, deceased; Christian, of Twin township; Harry, Anna, Carl, Clara, Warren and Grace, all at home.

Mr. Busch is a Democrat and was elected a school director of district No. 4 of Twin township four years ago and has served continuously since that time. He and his family are members of the Evangelical Lutheran church. John Busch is among the well-known citizens of Twin township and is honored and respected by his neighbors. He has ever proved worthy of any trust imposed upon him, either public or private.

James E. Wynkoop

Many nations have contributed their best blood to the population of the United States, but no nation has given to this country better citizens or more loyal subjects than has Germany. The various revolutions which occurred in Germany in the nineteenth century, while they were unfortunate for Germany, were, on the other hand, a blessing to America, for during these revolutions thousands of the best German people fled to the United States and became citizens of this country. No more patriotic citizens fought for the north during the Civil War than did the thousands of German soldiers who enlisted under the stars and stripes and fought for their newly-adopted country. Wherever a German settlement is found in this country, thrift and material advancement are sure to be seen. Among the many German families which came to this country during the last century, that of the Wynkoops is one of the most prominent.

James E. Wynkoop, a farmer living on Rural Route 1, out of Eldorado, Ohio, and the proprietor of "Redpole Knoll Farm," consisting of one hundred and sixty acres, was born two miles west of Somersville, Ohio, July 14, 1864, the son of Isaac N. and Jane (Everson) Wynkoop, both natives of Butler county. There were three brothers who came from Germany to the United States early in the last century and established the Wynkoop family in this country. All of the present Wynkoops are descendants of one of these three brothers.

The father of James E. Wynkoop, Isaac N. Wynkoop, was reared in Butler county, Ohio, and after his marriage there, moved to Indiana, where he remained for a short time and then returned to Ohio. He came to Preble county in 1874 and settled in Dixon township, where he owned eighty acres of splendid land. Subsequently, he moved to Eaton and lived there three years, when he bought a farm east of Eaton where one of his sons now resides. Both he and his wife died on this farm. Isaac N. Wynkoop and wife were the parents of four children, H. E., who married Emma Charles, now deceased, lived in Indiana; Laura B., the widow of Lewis Kongable, of Winfield, Iowa; J. E., the subject of this sketch, and George F., who lives on the old home farm east of Eaton.

James E. Wynkoop was seven years old when his parents came to Preble county, Ohio. He was educated in the public schools and remained at home until he had just passed his majority. During his early life he was a clerk for several years in Eaton and worked in the grain house for Cook & Miller.

On March 17, 1896, James E. Wynkoop was married to Alice Goldsmith, a native of Washington township and the daughter of P. C. Goldsmith, to which union were born four children, Lidia M., the wife of Chester O. Wright; Frank and Edgar (twins), born on September 23, 1899. now students in the common schools, and Charles L., who was born in July, 1901.

Mr. Wynkoop is an extensive breeder of thoroughbred Red-Polled cattle. His herd is headed by "Asadan, No. 23393," a very valuable animal. Mr. Wynkoop has, at the present time, about twenty head in his herd which is as fine as any found in Preble county.

Mrs. Wynkoop is a devoted member of the Christian church. Mr. Wynkoop has always had considerable influence in local affairs. He is an ardent Democrat in politics and at one time was justice of the peace of Washington township. Subsequently, he was an assessor in Washington township. Formerly, Mr. Wynkoop was a member of the Knights of Pythias. The Wynkoop family are highly respected citizens of Monroe township and in every respect deserves the high esteem in which they are held by their neighbors and fellow citizens.

Leander D. Lesh

The biographies of successful men are instructive as guides and incentives to those whose careers are yet to be made. The examples they furnish of patient purpose and consecutive endeavor strongly illustrate what is in the power of each to accomplish. Leander D. Lesh is a conspicuous example of one who has lived to good purpose and achieved a high degree of success in the special cares to which his talents and industries have been devoted.

Leander D. Lesh, vice-president of the Preble County National Bank and secretary of the Eaton Loan and Home Aid Association, was born in Gratis township, Preble county, Ohio, October 22, 1849, the son of Henry and Julia Ann (Morningstar) Lesh, natives of Preble county, Ohio, who were parents of three children, Jonas, of Sabina, Ohio; Lydia, the wife of John Lantis, of Gratis township; and Leander D.

Henry Lesh was reared in Lanier township and became a farmer, owning a farm of one hundred and sixty acres at the time of his death in 1852, at the age of thirty-two. His widow survived him more than thirty years, her death occurring in 1883, at the age of sixty-two. He was reared a Dunkard and his wife was also a member of that church.

The paternal grandparents of Leander D. Lesh were Jacob and Mary (Landis) Lesh, natives of Pennsylvania and Virginia, respectively. They were early pioneers and farmers in Preble county and lived to advanced ages, Mrs. Lesh being nearly ninety-six years of age when she died. They were the parents of eight children : Joel, Jacob, John, Daniel, Henry, Mary, Susanna and Aaron.

The maternal grandparents of Leander D. Lesh were George Morningstar and wife, natives of Maryland and early settlers in Preble county, where they followed the occupation of farming. They also were Dunkards and

Leander D. Lesh was reared as a farmer boy and attended the country schools and later the Normal University, at Lebanon, Ohio. He taught for about fourteen years, at the end of which service he was elected clerk of the Preble county courts, in which office he served six and one-half years. He then worked at the real estate and loan business for several years, finally becoming secretary of the Eaton Loan and Home Aid Company, which position he now holds. Mr. Lesh also is vice-president of the Preble County National Bank and secretary of the Eaton Telephone Company, and has lived in Eaton since the first of January, 1888.

Leander D. Lesh was married to Lola Lockwood, the daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Clayton) Lockwood, who was born in Eaton, her parents having been natives of Preble county. She is a member of the Presbyterian church.

Mr. Lesh belongs to Bolivar lodge No. 82, Free and Accepted Masons; Eaton Chapter No. 22, Royal Arch Masons, and Reed Commandery No. 6, Knights Templar, of Dayton. He also is a thirty-second-degree Scottish Rite Mason, and belongs to Antioch Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. Politically, Mr. Lesh is a Republican. Mr. and Mrs. Lesh are highly respected in the community in which they live and are prominent in the society of Eaton and extremely popular in social circles.

Michael Brown

Of the thousands of occupations listed in the United States census report, there is hardly more than one which is absolutely necessary to man's existence. The three things without which man cannot live are food, clothing and shelter. The farmer not only controls the food supply, but also the clothing products of the world. His is the only occupation which can exist independently of the others. Within recent years, the business of farming has taken on increased dignity. The farmer of today has the advantage of working with machinery which renders his work free from many of its former disadvantages. Competition, however, requires the very best efforts in all lines of endeavor and this is especially true of farming. From the time of the earliest spring planting until the crops are harvested, the farmer's life is a busy one and the good wife must toil as unceasingly as her husband. One of the prosperous farmers of Preble county, who is now living retired, is

Michael Brown, of Harrison township, a man who has always taken a deep interest in agriculture and has recognized industry and management as the basis of success.

Michael Brown was born on February i, 1844, in Harrison township, Preble county, Ohio, the son of Eli and Mary (Cox) Brown, who were the parents of nine children, Mrs. Martha Hecathorn, deceased ; Severe and Nelson, deceased; Mrs. Sarah Odell, a resident of Ithaca, Ohio; Michael, the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Jerusha Banta, a resident of Castine, Ohio; Mrs. Amanda Bosman, of Brookville, Ohio ; Mrs. Mary Parks, of Harrison township; and Mrs. Catherine Minich, of Manchester, Ohio.

Eli Brown, the father of Michael, was born in 1815, in Harrison township, Preble county, and was a farmer all of his life. He died in 1898 and his wife died eleven years before.

Michael Brown was married in 1865 to Almira Dinwiddie, the daughter of James R. and Sarah (Niswonger) Dinwiddie. Mrs. Brown was born August 8, 1842, on the farm where she now resides. Her father was born in 1817 at Centerville, Ohio, and came to Preble county, Ohio, with his father, who settled in section 1 5, where he spent the remainder of his life. Mrs. Brown's mother died when she was only eighteen months old.

Michael Brown has always been a hard-working, industrious fanner. He was a renter for many years, and was very successful in his farming operations. He is a stockholder in several concerns, and financially, has accumulated a handsome competence for old age. Mr. and Mrs. Brown together own two hundred and sixty acres- of land, and have made extensive improvements upon this property. They have always kept a high grade of stock. They have now turned the active management of the farm over to their son, August W., who makes a specialty of breeding full-blooded Jersey cattle.

To Mr. and Mrs. Brown ten children have been born: Mrs. Ida Hinea, who is referred to elsewhere in this volume; Frank, who assists in farming his father's land; Myrtle, deceased; Osborne, also deceased; August, living at home and farming the home place ; Mrs. Carrie Howell, living in Harrison township; Mrs. Zella Studebaker, deceased; Charles, deceased; Mrs. Amanda Gebhart, living in Harrison township; and Goldsmith, unmarried and living at home.

Mr. and Mrs. Brown are active members of the United Brethren church, in whose welfare they are interested, and to whose support they are liberal contributors. They are prominent citizens of the community where they reside, and are admired and respected by their neighbors and friends.

George C. Horn

What a wonderful heritage a man gives his children and his descendants in passing from this life, when he leaves behind him a knowledge of an active life well spent and evidences of the good he accomplished for his age and community and the ages and communities to follow. To be considered the foremost man of his county in his day and a leader in all things pertaining to the welfare of his community, does not fall to the lot of many men. Only those who are truly great in heart and mind and possessed of indomitable energy and unfailing optimism, are capable of winning the trust and confidence which place them in the leadership in matters of public good, especially in a new section. This cheering knowledge is possessed by the descendants of Henry Horn, among whom is George C. Horn, the subject of this sketch.

George C. Horn, a contractor and builder of Lewsiburg, Ohio, was born on April 30, 1857, at Lewisburg, Preble county, Ohio. He is the son of Jacob and Elmira (Rowland) Horn, who were the parents of six children, George C., the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Mary Jane Heeter, who lives in Twin township, Preble county; Mrs. Elizabeth Bishop, of Chicago, Illinois ; Charles A., who died at the age of six months; Mrs. Emma E. Schlotterbeck, of Preble county ; and Calvin, who is farming the old home place.

Jacob Horn was born on January 3, 1836, at Lewisburg. He was a farmer in Preble county and died in 1894 on his farm. He was the son of George and Sarah (Good) Horn, natives of Virginia, who came to Preble county with their parents. The father of George Horn was Henry Horn.

Henry Horn was born at Huttenburg, Germany, in 1755, and came with his parents to America in 1768. They settled in Adams county, Pennsylvania, and remained there until 1790, in which year Henry Horn moved to Virginia. Either just before coming to America or during the passage on the ocean, Henry Horn's parents lost the money with which to pay for their passage and the steamship company bound them out for security of the debt. In 1806, Henry Horn came to Ohio, coming down the Ohio river by boat and landing near the present city of Cincinnati, then containing only a few huts. At this time he could have purchased land within the present limits of Cincinnati for ten dollars an acre but this price then was considered very high. Hearing that the price of land was much less up the state, he traveled in a northerly direction from what is now the Queen City and purchased a large tract between Eaton and Camden at one dollar and twenty-five cents an acre.

It was Henry Horn's intention to move to Ohio, but his wife, hearing of the savagery of the Indians, declined to come, so he sold the land and returned to Virginia. In the meantime, his wife died and he returned to Ohio in 1814 in search of land and prospecting for a mill site. Finding a mill on the location of the old Turner mill, he purchased this, together with two hundred and eighty acres, which included some of the present town of Lewisburg, building his house on the site known as Horn's Hill, facing the east, which is on North Greenville street, Lewisburg, and overlooks the beautiful and fertile Twin valley.

His first house was made of hewn logs and was built in 1814, more than one hundred years ago. This land has remained in the possession of the Horn family until the present day. The farm was handed down to Henry Horn s son, Michael Horn, who with his wife made it their lifelong home. They reared a family of seven children, William, Elizabeth, Henry, Amanda, Allen, Catherine and Isabel. Of this family only Elizabeth and Isabel, who now occupy the old home, inherited from their father at his death in 1891, are now living.

The mill which Henrv Horn purchased, having been destroyed by fire, was rebuilt and has long since been known as the old Turner mill. Henry Horn also built a saw-mill, still-house and tannery. Being interested in the organization of a town, he made a plat consisting of twenty-eight lots and on September 7. 1818, he laid out the town of Lewisburg, naming it after an old town in Virginia. The first church was erected in 1820, on the spot where Roselawn cemetery is now located. It was a log church and the logs were hewn by Mr. Beard. The pioneer settlers came from miles around to the "raising," accompanied by their wives and daughters. Reverend Espech was the first minister who preached in this church.

Thus is George C. Horn, the subject of this sketch, a descendant of this early pioneer and the man who had so much to do with leaving the marks of civilization in this primeval wilderness. George C. Horn's mother, who was Elmira Rowland, was born on April 3, 1836. in northern New York, the daughter of Michael Rowland, a native of New York state and an early settler in Jay county, Indiana. She is now living on the old home place in Preble county.

George C. Horn was reared on the farm and attended the district schools and the public schools of Lewisburg, Ohio. He began working for himself when about twenty-four years old. He worked at several different kinds of work, including about seven years in the lime-kiln quarries, at the end of which time he went to Lewisburg and for twelve years worked in a shoe store for Mr. Finney. Thereafter he worked in the Zoological Gardens at Cincinnati for two years and then learned carpenter work in that city. In 1907, with his son, Edgar J. C., he started what was known as the Home Builders Contracting and Building Company. They began on a small scale and have gradually broadened the scope of their work.

Mr. Horn was married in 1881 to Elizabeth C. Disher, who was born in Harrison township, Preble county, Ohio, in 1857, the daughter of Christian and Mary M. (Reichard) Disher, both natives of Ohio, and now both deceased. Two children have been born to this union, Edgar J. C., who is in partnership with his father ; and Edith M., who is at home.

In 1902 Mr. Horn was elected mayor of Lewisburg and served two years. He has held nearly all the other offices in the town of Lewisburg and has extensive property interests in this town.

Mr. Horn is a Republican and is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church. In his work as a contractor and builder, George C. Horn is carrying out the work of his worthy ancestor, Henry Horn, who himself was the first great builder in this section of Preble county.

William Edward Goldsmith

The venerable gentleman who is the subject of this sketch is one of the older residents of Preble county. By correct principles of living he has won the confidence and good will of the people of his community and is favorably known throughout the county of which he has been so long an honored citizen. In the highest sense of the term, he is a self-made man and as such has met with success in material things. His career is one which may be studied with profit by the young men of the present generation.

William E. Goldsmith, a retired farmer living at 506 West Main street, Eaton, Ohio, was born one mile west of Eaton on the west road, March 19, 1836, the son of William and Mary (Null) Goldsmith.

William Goldsmith was the son of John and Marv (Bridge) Goldsmith. John Goldsmith, better known as "Uncle John/' was born in New Jersey and married Mary Bridge in that state. They moved to Ohio, stopping for a short time in Butler county, near Middletown. He came on and entered a quarter section one mile west of Eaton, Ohio, in 1802, and the family moved to this farm in 1806. At this time he engaged in hauling merchandise from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Eaton and Richmond, Indiana, eighteen days being required to make the trip through the woods. He lived on this farm the remainder of his life. During the War of 1812 he was six months engaged in a fight with the Indians. He never liked to take medicine. He and his family were members of the Christian church, of which he was a deacon and to which he was a liberal contributor. He and his wife were the parents of three children, Benjamin, William and Deliverance, the latter a girl.

William Goldsmith, the father of William E., was bom in 1800 and was six years old when his father moved to the farm near Eaton. He grew up and helped to clear two farms. He married Mary Null, whose mother's name was Oler. William Goldsmith and wife settled on the old homestead on the north and lived on this farm until his death in 1882. His wife died in 1886. William Goldsmith was a quiet and unassuming man and an honorable citizen. Throughout his life, Mr. Goldsmith prospered in farming. His first tax receipt on a quarter section was for, the payment of one dollar and sixty-two cents. Mr. and Mrs. Goldsmith were the parents of nine children, two of whom are living, Pliny, who is a resident of Eaton, Ohio; and William E., who is the subject of this sketch.

William E. Goldsmith was reared on a farm west of Eaton and when he was old enough he went to a subscription school and later attended the public schools. He remained with his father until after he had reached his majority.

William E. Goldsmith was married in October, 1857, to Emeline Bowles, who was born in Preble county and was reared in this county. She had attended the subscription and public schools of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Goldsmith rented land for a short time and later went to Huntington county, Indiana, locating near Andrews, Indiana, where he purchased eighty acres. They lived there three years during which time a daughter was born. He sold out and returned to Preble county, buying land in Jackson township, where he lived for two years. He traded this farm for one hundred acres near New Hope and lived on this latter farm nine years. During this time his first wife died, in September, 1874. Three children were born to this marriage, Minnie, who is the wife of Frank Dunlap, of Eaton; William A., who is a farmer in Washington township, and Clara, who is the wife of Edgar Quinn, of Washington township.

Mr. Goldsmith sold his farm and moved on a rented farm after the death of his first wife. He married, secondly, November, 1875, Phoebe Whiteneck, the daughter of John and Rebecca Whiteneck, who was born on April 6, 1844, in Warren county, Ohio.

Mr. and Mrs. Goldsmith have a substantial competence for their old age, owning one hundred and ten acres in Washington township near the corporation line of Eaton, also a house and lot in Eaton. Mr. Goldsmith is a member of Eaton Lodge No. 30, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Both he and his wife are members of the Daughters of Rebekah. Mrs. Goldsmith is a member of the Christian church and active in church affairs. Mr. Goldsmith is a Democrat and served as one of the trustees of the township for fourteen years, during which time he discharged his duties with rare ability and courage.

John A. Cail

Holding prestige among the successful farmers of Jackson township, John A. Cail has had much to do in advancing the material interests of Jackson township, and making it one of the agricultural centers of Preble county. He is distinctly representative of his sphere of activity and has contributed in no small measure to the prosperity of the township which is his home and field of operation. At the same time he has established a lasting reputation for honor and integrity.

John A. Cail, a farmer and representative citizen of Jackson township and a brother of David F. Cail, referred to elsewhere in this volume, was born in Jefferson township, this county, September 27, 1851, the son of James G. and Elizabeth J. (McCown) Cail.

Mrs. James G. Cail was the daughter of John and Mary (Campbell) McCown and one of seven children born to her parents, the others being James, who lives at New Paris; Sarah, who is deceased; John C., who lives at Streator, Illinois and who served in the Civil War; Nancy, who is deceased; Margaret, of New Paris; and Alexander, who was a soldier in the Civil War. Mr. and Mrs. James G. Cail were married in 1847 and a list of their children is set out in the biographical sketch of David F. Cail, presented elsewhere in these pages.

John A. Cail was bom in Jefferson township, this county, and lived there until 1864, when he moved to Jackson township. He was educated in the common schools of Preble county, remaining at home until he was twenty-one years old. His father having died in 1865, Mr. Cail remained with his mother.

Adelia (Graham) Short. She went to Wayne county, Indiana, with her parents in 1858 and lived there until 1885, when she came to Preble county, and has been a resident of this county since that time. She was educated in the common schools of Indiana.

To John A. and Louise (Short) Cail four children have been born, Mabel E., who is a graduate of the Jackson township high school, Ernest M., J. R. and Stanley G., all of whom are still single and at home.

Mr. Cail owns one hundred and twenty-three and one-third acres, a part of the old McCown homestead. The ownership of practically all of this farm is the result of Mr. Cail's own efforts. He is a general farmer 1 and stock raiser and has been quite successful.

Mr. Cail is a Republican although he has never been particularly active in political affairs. He does, however, take a keen interest in matters which relate to the public welfare and has never shown any hesitancy in devoting his time and his energy toward working out the problems of better local government.

Richard E. Brandenburg

One of the influential citizens of Campbellstown, Ohio, is Richard E. Brandenburg, who is also one of the leading farmers of Jackson township. He is a man of excellent endowment and upright character and has been a valued factor in local affairs. He has ever commanded the unequivocal confidence and esteem of the community in which he lives, being loyal in the upbuilding of this community and ever vigilant in his efforts to further the interests of the town along material, moral and civic lines.

' Richard E. Branderburg was born near Germantown, in Montgomery county, Ohio, September 5, 1851, a son of Samuel and Melinda (Feasler) Brandenburg. His father was born in Frederick county, Maryland, in 1814, the son of Jacob Brandenburg, who was born, reared and married in Maryland and there spent his life. Samuel Brandenburg came from Maryland to Ohio, locating in Montgomery county, where he spent the remainder of his life. He learned the shoemaker's trade and worked at it until he was thirty years old, when he took up farming. He acquired a farm of two hundred and forty acres, all of which he made for himself. He was a quiet unassuming man, and a good citizen. He died in Montgomery county in March. 1871, his wife having preceded him to the grave in 1854. After his wife's death he married again, but there were no children by this sec- ond marriage. By the first marriage there were nine children, five of whom are now living, Aaron P., who is an engineer in Germantown, Ohio; Samuel T. a farmer in Whitley county, Indiana; Anna R., the wife of Henry Green, of Montgomery county, Ohio; Richard E., who is the subject of this sketch; and John W., a farmer in Gratis township.

Richard1 E: Brandenburg was reared in Montgomery county, educated in the common schools of that county and at the National Normal University at Lebanon, Ohio. He became a teacher early in life and taught in the district schools of Warren and Montgomery counties. He then took up farming and now owns an excellent farm of two hundred acres immediately adjoining the town of Campbellstown on the east, all of which is in a high state of cultivation.

On January 13, 1876, Mr. Brandenburg was married to Emily A. Cooper, a daughter of Jacob and Harriett (Patton) Cooper, the former a native of German township, Montgomery county, who came to Preble county in 1877 and lived there until his death in January, 1896. He was the father of eight children, four of whom are now living, Peter R., who is a retired farmer of Jackson township; Catherine J., the wife of Wesley Smith, of Montgomery county, Ohio; Joseph S., who is a farmer in Jackson township, Preble county, and Emily A., the wife of Mr. Brandenburg. She was reared on a farm in Montgomery county.

To Richard E. and Emily A. (Cooper) Brandenburg six children have been born, Edna, the wife of Ed Irvin, of Jackson township; Peter E., who married Grace Wilford and lives in Jackson township; Samuel J., who married Margaret Johnston, lives at Oxford, Ohio, and is a graduate of Oxford University, where he is librarian ; Clyde, deceased ; Harriet, a graduate of the Jackson township high school and the wife of Homer Hart, of Dixon township; Orpha A., the wife of Everette Yost, of Washington township, and Harold D., who is a student in the high school at Campbellstown and lives at home.

Mr. Brandenburg is a Democrat and has served as trustee and a member of the school board. He also was elected land appraiser in 1910. In 1914 he was appointed assessor of Jackson township, having served as chattel assessor in 1890. Mr. Brandenburg is a member of the Preble County Agricultural Society and has been so associated since 1901. He is a member of Eaton Lodge No. 30, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Mr. and Mrs. Brandenburg are members of the Christian church at Campbellstown and Mrs. Brandenburg is a member of the Ladies' Aid Society and has served as vice-president and treasurer of this organization for the past two years. Mr. and Mrs. Brandenburg are popular in the community where they live and are representative citizens of the Campbellstown neighborhood and wholly worthy of the esteem which the community has bestowed upon them.

George F. Stempel

Descended from honored ancestry and himself numbered among the leading citizens of Preble county, Ohio, George F. Stempel is entitled to to specific recognition in a work of this character. A resident of Preble county for many years, he has strengthened his hold on the hearts of the people with whom he has been associated and today none enjoys a larger circle of warm friends and acquaintances, friends who esteem him because of his sterling qualities of character and his business abilities.

George F. Stempel, a farmer and general merchant of New Hope, Ohio, was born in Jackson township, Preble county, Ohio, October II, 1868, the son of George and Elizabeth (Weaver) Stempel, both of whom were born in Hessecastle, Germany, August 29, 1828. They both came to the United States in 1846 and landed at New York city, later proceeding to Cleveland and finally to Cincinnati, Ohio, where they were married. From Cincinnati they came to Preble county, Ohio, and located near Camden, where they lived a short time, after which they moved to Jackson township. George Stempel, Sr., owned about thirteen acres of land and was very poor when he was married. He was not accustomed to the manners and ways of this country and people took advantage of him. His wife died in September, 1906, and he is still living at the age of eighty-seven years. He is a member of the United Brethren church and has been a member of this church all his life. Mr. and Mrs. Stempel were the parents of eight children: Caroline, who married Joseph Essenmacher, of Richmond, Indiana, and died on November 11, 1915; J. A., of Wayne county, Indiana; W. H., of Decatur, Illinois; Catherine, the wife of Edward Treffinger, of Jackson township; C. K., of Wayne county, Indiana; W. R., of Jackson township; George F., the subject of this sketch, and another who died in early youth.

George F. Stempel, Jr., was reared mostly in Jackson township where he attended the public schools. He was twenty years old when he quit school. He started out to work at this age at the carpenter trade and worked in Hamilton, Ohio, for a time. He then went to Chicago, Illinois, and was in the restaurant business for fifteen years there. From Chicago he went to California where he spent one year on a fruit farm which he and his brother owned, after which he returned to Preble county. Mr. Stempel drives a huckster wagon that has been in the family for forty years.

George F. Stempel was married on October 20, 1909, to Anns. Wilsdorf, who was born in Wayne county, Indiana, November 18, 1883, the daughter of August and Bertha (Uhde) Wilsdorf. Her mother was born in Hanover, Germany, and came to the United States when a child. Her father is also of German descent. He is deceased, but his widow is still living at Richmond, Indiana, and is a member of the Trinity Lutheran church in that city.

Mr. Stempel is a member of Bolivar Lodge No. 82, Free and Accepted Masons, of Eaton, and of Eaton Chapter No. 23, Royal Arch Masons. He also holds membership in Eaton Lodge No. 30, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In politics, Mr. Stempel has been an ardent Socialist since 1896 and is very much interested in the rise and growth of this party. He is one of the leaders of the political movements in his community and one of the best-informed men on politics in Jackson township.

David F. Cail

One of the enterprising and successful farmers of Jackson township, Preble county, Ohio, and one of the best known, is David C. Cail, who lives on Rural Route 1, out of Campbellstown.

David F. Cail was born July 19, 1853, in Jefferson township, Preble county, Ohio, the son of James G. and Elizabeth (McCown) Cail. James G. Cail was born in Virginia and his wife was born in Preble county, Ohio, a daughter of John and Mary (Campbell) McCown, natives of Tennessee who settled in Jackson township and became large landowners.

James G. Cail was the father of seven children, four of whom are now living, John A., of Jackson township; David F., the subject of this sketch; James, of Washington township, and Edgar P., of Jefferson township.

David F. Cail was reared on a farm and attended school No. 3, in Jackson township. He worked on the old home farm until he was married, on December 12, 1878, to Annie Crist, who was born in Wayne county, Indiana, in 1857. She was a daughter of Leander Crist and educated in the common schools of Wayne county. After their marriage they moved to a farm of forty acres in Jackson township, to which they have since added until they now own one hundred and twenty acres in Jackson township, which has greatly improved under their ownership.

Mr. and Mrs. Cail are the parents of twelve children, eleven of whom are now living : " Bessie* May, born on September 28, 1879, is the wife of Edgar T. Short; May P., born on November 7, 1880, is the wife of Jerry McCarty; Florence B., born on December 22, 1881, died on November 3, 1883; Carl L., born on September 21, 1883, married Fannie Waugh; Anna A., born on September 25, 1885, ls unmarried and at home; Ethel J., born on October 29, 1888, is a graduate of the Jackson township high school and was a teacher in Jackson township; Fred D., born on June 29, 1890, is single and at home; Jessie M., born on April 11, 1892, is a graduate of the high school and is at home; Blanche M., born on September 27, 1893, is a graduate of the high school; Hazel W., born on June 30, 1895, ls a graduate of the high school, and Paul F., born, on January 24, 1900, is a student in the Campbellstown schools. The eight latter children are all at home. Bessie, Ethel and Carl and members of the church of the Disciples of Christ, the others are members of the Friends church.

David F. Cail is an ardent Republican and takes an interest of the politics of his community and his township. He is well known throughout Jackson township for his sterling integrity and in his long residence there has gained a host of friends.

Edward S. Stotler

Success is the result of many factors which are not likely to appear in a bare statement of facts concerning a man's life. Success is, however, by no means a matter of accident, but on the contrary it is the result of careful, painstaking, diligent attention to business. Imagination is perhaps more vital to success than industry or even economy in personal or private life. Good judgment is merely one phase of a good active imagination. Edward S. Stotler is possessed of all these qualities. Moreover, he won the reputation early in life of strict honesty and fair dealing, no small factors in his great personal triumph. Everything he touched has turned out well because he reasoned well regarding the future. Now in the evening of life he is

Edward S. Stotler was bom in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, near the summit of the Alleghany mountains, February 13, 1825, the son of Jacob and Annie (Sorber) Stotler, natives of Somerset county. They had a large family, three of whom are now living, Edward S., of Eaton, Ohio; Miriam, the wife of Joseph Coop, of West Alexandria, Ohio; and Margaret, the widow of Bethuel Harris and now living in Eldorado, Ohio. The others died when quite young.

Jacob Stotler was reared in Somerset county and came to Ohio in 1833, locating two miles east of West Alexandria, where he bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, which he cleared and improved. He died there in 1851, well advanced in years. His wife died some years prior to his death. She was a member of the Lutheran church, while he was a believer in the doctrine of the Universalist church. He was one of the directors of the Turnpike Company and helped to build the early turnpike road and also built a mile of what became later a part of the National road. In early manhood Jacob Stotler taught school in Pennsylvania.

The paternal grandparents of Edward S. Stotler were John Stotler and wife, natives of Pennsylvania and of German descent. John Stotler kept a hotel for many years near the summit of the Alleghany mountains in Somerset county. He died there at a very old age, likewise his wife. They had a small family. The maternal grandparents of Edward S. Stotler were Daniel and Elizabeth (Sivits) Sorber, natives of Pennsylvania. They, also, died well advanced in years. They reared a large family, including Joseph, Adam, Daniel, Annie and Elizabeth.

Edward S. Stotler was eight years old when he came to Preble county, Ohio, in 1833, with his parents and has lived here ever since, except seventeen months when he went to California. He went by the way of the Gulf of Mexico and across the Isthmus of Panama, being on the gulf nineteen days and five days crossing the isthmus, and also fifty-two days on the ocean on the British barque, "Circassian/' controlled by an English captain and crew. He worked in the mines for a short time but was ill while there. He arrived in San Francisco in February, 1851, and later returned to Preble county, Ohio. He arrived home from California with about three dollars in money and worked out by the day at plowing and harvesting, taking contracts for harvesting grain and cutting timber.

City, and from there to Mormon Island, where he tell in debt a few dollars, and then left for Cold Springs, California, near Sutter's Mills, where gold was first discovered in the digging of the mill race. His father died a few months after his arrival home and at the sale of his father's farm he bought, in partnership with his sister, Lucinda, the one hundred and sixty acres. He farmed that for two years and then sold the farm to two men by the name of Coffman, after which he went to Iowa for four or five months. He then came back and he and his sister, Lucinda, lived together until his marriage in 1857, after which, in partnership with John Gale and Diedrich Glander, he built a floor and saw-mill. He and John Gale also rented a mill three miles south of West Alexandria from Abraham Holderman for one year, three thousand dollars that year. With other parties he started the Twin Valley Bank in West Alexandria and was connected with it for a number of years. Later, in partnership with Mr. Gale, he established the Eaton Banking Company and operated that for some years, when he sold his stock and engaged in extensive farming and in loaning money. He now owns about sixteen hundred acres of fertile land in Preble county, Ohio, Randolph and Blackburn counties, Indiana. He also owns considerable business and residence property in Eaton, Ohio.

Mr. Stotler was married in 1857 to Sarah Holderman, the daughter of Abraham and Elizabeth (Fisher) Holderman. She died in 1861. Two children were born to this marriage, Sallie E., who died from an accident in the mill when about fifteen years old, and John H., who now lives at Hartford City, Indiana. In 1898 Mr. Stotler married again, his second wife being Harriet Bonner. There was one son torn to this union, Edward.

Mr. Stotler is a Democrat and during the Civil War lie was a "squirrel hunter," operating in and around Cincinnati. He served as treasurer of Lanier township, Preble county, for about seventeen years. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity. In many respects Mr. Stotler is a remarkable man. Although he celebrated his ninetieth birthday anniversary on February J 3' he can read ordinary print without glasses. He keeps well informed on current events and his mind is clear, very few men of his age having such a mastery of memory. He is one of the largest land owners in the ,county and has various business interests, all of which he looks after personally, driving. out almost daily to look after his farms and keeping up improvements on them. He has always been industrious and a good manager, and through his own efforts has accumulated much more than a competency for his old age. He is one of the largest tax-payers in Preble county. In every respect Mr. Stotler is a self-made man.

Preble C,Ounty, Ohio

The lives of successful men are instructive as guides and incentives to those whose careers are yet to be achieved. The examples they furnish of patient purpose and consecutive endeavor strongly illustrate what is. in the power of each to accomplish. Charles A. Murray is a conspicuous example of one who has lived to good purpose and achieved a definite degree of success in the special cares to which his talents and energies have been -directed.

Charles A. Murray, the proprietor of a farm consisting of two hundred and twenty-seven acres six miles northwest of Eaton, Ohio, on the Eaton and Richmond pike, was born in Jefferson township, Preble county, Ohio, October 8, 1874, the son of James and Martha J. (Mills) Murray. James Murray was born in -Eaton,- Ohio, February 28, 1843, an(l died on March 25, 1905. James Murray was the son of Henry M. Murray, who was a native of Delaware and who settled in Preble county, where he married Lydia Brasier, who died when James was quite small. The Murrays are of Scottish descent.

Charles A. Murray's mother lives in Jefferson township. She is the mother of eight children; six of whom are now living, Edwin O., who is a graduate of the New Paris high school and the Richmond Business College. He is a resident of New Paris and one of the directors of the New Paris Bank. Charles A. is the subject of this sketch. Elwood is a graduate of the Jackson township hijgh school. He is a farmer and lives at home. Cora A. is a graduate of the New Paris high school and the wife of Dr. W. H. Swisher, of Dayton, Ohio. Ethel M. is unmarried ancl at home. Albert J. is a graduate of the New Paris high school and a farmer, who lives at home. Olive died in July, 1914. She was the wife of Will Tyler.

Charles A. Murray was reared on the paternal farm and was graduated from the New Paris high school. He attended the Normal University at Ada, Ohio, and taught school for five years, after which he attended the Indiana State Normal School at Terre Haute. He lacked one year of graduating from this latter institution. He taught school one year after finishing his studies' in Indiana, and on February 27, 1901, married Josie Markey, who was born in Jackson township, this county, the daughter of Jonas and Julia (Bloomfield) Mackey. To this union two children have been born, Elizabeth, born on May 3, 1903, and Louise, born on June 15, 1905.

specialty of hogs. He is interested in farmers' institutes and took the extension course in agriculture at Eaton. He owns a modem home with splendid improvements. His farm is well drained and well fenced and in every respect kept in good repair. Mr. Murray is interested in and manager of other farm lands in Preble county than the farm upon which he lives.

Mr. and Mrs. Murray are members of the Presbyterian church at New Paris, and he is a member of Harmony Lodge No. 396, Knights of Pythias, in which he is a past chancellor. He is a Republican, but has never taken an active part in the councils of this party. The Murrays are influential farmers in Jackson township, Mr. Murray being one of those men who have adopted modem progressive methods of farming. His prosperity and success as a farmer are due in a large measure to the adoption of modem inventions for farming.

William S. Johnson

The best history of a community or state is that which deals most with the lives and activities of its people, especially of those who by their own endeavor and indomitable energy have forged to the front and placed themselves in the position to deserve the rank of progressive citizens. William S. Johnson affords a conspicuous example of the successful, self-made American, who is not only eminently deserving of the confidence reposed in him by his fellow citizens, but who also possesses the necessary energy and talent that fit him to discharge worthily the duties of a responsible place with which he has been honored by the people of Preble county.

William S. Johnson, one of the commissioners of Preble county, Ohio, was born in Washington township, this county, September 2, 1864, the son of Rev. Hiram and Amanda (Benjamin) Johnson. Rev. Hiram Johnson was a son of Isaiah and Nancy Johnson and was born in Perry township, Montgomery county, Ohio, February 8, 1827, and died in Preble county, Ohio, September 20, 1906, at the age of seventy-nine years, seven months and twelve days. In 1846 he was married to Mary A. Moontank, who lived but a short time. He married, secondly, Amanda J. Benjamin, October 1, 1849. and to this second union were born seven sons and two daughters.

Rev. Hiram Johnson joined the Methodist Episcopal church and in 1846 was licensed to exhort by Rev. Benjamin P. Wheat, pastor in charge at Lewisburg, Ohio. In 1851 he was licensed to preach at Johnsville, Ohio, by Rev. George W. Walker, presiding elder of the Dayton district, was ordained deacon at an annual conference held at Urbana, Ohio, in 1854, by Bishop Morris and was ordained elder at an annual conference at Cincinnati in 1875 by Bishop Andrews. He was a supply minister on the Camden circuit in 1854 with Rev. David H. Sargent, and for his services he received two hundred dollars. He was the supply minister of the Lewisburg circuit with Rev. William Fitzgerald in 1853. He had thirteen appointments and for his services received one hundred and forty dollars. He supplied the New Paris circuit in 1856, the Macedonia church four years, the Enterprise church one year, Salem one year and Young's school house one year. These days when he had regular work, were the happiest of his life. Whenever he held special services the Lord was with him, sinners were converted and men and women joined the church. "They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; they that turn many to righteousness shine as the stars forever and forever."

Rev. Hiram Johnson conducted more funerals and performed more marriages than any man in Preble county. During the Civil War he enlisted as a private in Company F, One Hundred and Fifty-sixth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, being enrolled on May 21, 1864, and sworn in for one hundred days and was discharged on September 1, 1864, at the expiration of his enlistment. Six of the Johnson brothers took part in that bloody war. Rev. Hiram Johnson joined the Masonic lodge at West Alexandria in 1854. He was elected trustee of Washington township, serving for nine years, and was postmaster of New Westville, Ohio, three years, performing his duties in all of these positions with great sincerity and efficiency. He lived a devout and upright life and was respected by everyone.

William S. Johnson was reared on a farm and at the proper age entered the district schools, which he attended during the winters and in the summers helped on the farm. At the age of fourteen he began to do work for himself, giving his wages to his parents until he was eighteen years old. At this time he began to keep his earnings and was a faithful and trusted employee. He worked three years on a farm for one man and for nine years he had worked for but three men. When he was married he had managed to save about one thousand dollars, which he had to start with.

In November, 1889, William S. Johnson was united in marriage with Elizabeth Dalrymple, the daughter of John Dairy mple, who was reared on a farm in Preble county, and received her education in the public schools of the county. After their marriage they purchased seventeen acres of land and later added forty-two acres and still later one hundred and eight acres until they now own one hundred and fifty acres four miles north of Eaton, Ohio.

To William S. and Elizabeth (Dalrymple) Johnson three sons have been born, Raymond D., born in 1894, Carl C., born in 1899, and John H., born in 1904.

Mr. Johnson is a member of Waverly Lodge No. 143, Knights of Pythias, and is active in the affairs of this lodge. He is a Republican and is now closing his second term as county commissioner and has proved a very efficient and capable officer. In fact, his second election is the greatest testimony that, can be presented, not only of his efficiency as a public citizen, but of his sterling integrity, his upright character and his popularity among the citizens of the county where he lives and where he is best known.

John Parker

There are few farmers in Preble county, Ohio, who have in the same period accomplished more in their vocation than John Parker, a prosperous enterprising and well-informed farmer of Jackson township. By patient industry, perseverance and splendid management, Mr. Parker has acquired a large tract of land in Jackson township, known as "Maplewood Farm." It consists of two hundred and sixty acres and is located four and one-half miles west and three-fourths of a mile north of Eaton.

John Parker was born in Jackson township, Preble county, Ohio, April 15, 1858, the son of Asher and Harriet (Larsh) Parker. His father was born in Monmouth county. New Jersey, March 24, 1828, the son of Lewis and Sarah (Smith) Parker. The family moved to Ohio about the year 1832, and settled in Butler county. Harriet (Larsh) Parker was born in Dixon township, this county, August 10, 1828, the daughter of John and Lydia (Truax) Larsh. John Larsh came to Ohio from Kentucky. Lewis Parker and his family came to Preble county about 1834 and located in Somers township, where he spent the rest of his life. He and his wife were the parents of nine children, Asher, Sarah. Lucy, William, Thomas, Richard, John, Lewis and Charles, of whom Lewis and Richard are the only ones now living.

Asher Parker grew up in Preble county and here married in March, 1852. He and his wife started farming in Jackson township. He later owned considerable land and was prosperous. Asher Parker was a man of extremely modest disposition. He was the father of five children, four of whom are living. William, who married Etta Gard and lives at Campbellstown. Ohio; John, the subject of this sketch; Lewis, who married Mary

John Parker was reared on a farm southwest of Campbellstown, and was educated in the district schools. He worked on the farm until he was twenty-one years of age, at which time he started out for himself.

On February 7, 1906, John Parker was married to Rena Z. Bunting, who was born in Eaton, Ohio, August 8, 1868, the daughter of Evans and Sarah J. (Snyder) Bunting. Evans Bunting served in Company D, One Hundred and Fifty-sixth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War. He was disabled and was discharged on this account. His widow lives in Eaton, Ohio. Mrs. Parker attended the Eaton public schools and was graduated from the high school there in 1887. Mr. and Mrs. Parker have no children.

Mrs. Parker is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Parker is a member of Eaton Lodge No. 30, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and a past grand in that lodge. He also is a member of the encampment, in which he is most chief patriarch. Both Mr. and Mrs. Parker are members of the Daughters of Rebekah at Eaton and he is a member of Dakota Tribe No. 73, Improved Order of Red Men. He has passed all the chairs and is a member of the grand lodge. Mr. Parker is a Republican and was one of the trustees of his township, discharging the duties of that office in a highly satisfactory manner. Mr. and Mrs. Parker have a host of friends in Preble county who admire them for their upright lives.

William A. Goldsmith

There is no calling, however humble, in which enterprise and industry, coupled with a well-directed purpose, will not produce some measure of success. In the pursuit of agriculture, these qualities are quite essential. Among the well-known and highly-respected farmers of Preble county, Ohio, who have obtained a definite degree of success in their vocation and who have, at the same time, benefited the community in which they live, is William A. Goldsmith.